【 Thank you for choosing the Golden Peacock, 5-star resort and casino. You are currently registered as a WILDCARD in our system.
Due to a high volume of check-ins, temporary accommodations have been made in our parking garage for all new arrivals. We aim to have all guests moved into their reserved rooms as soon as possible. We deeply apologize for any inconvenience!
All are invited to There Is No Tomorrow, a Phoenix Casino soiree to celebrate our beloved guests. The festivities will begin at 1800 hours on January 20th and end at 1800 hours on January 27th. Please look forward to 168 hours of delight.
In an effort to raise happiness and encourage better guest relationships, attendance is required. The house will assist guests that are too shy to appear of their own accord. Please note that black tie attire is mandatory. As always, we hope you enjoy your stay! 】
PARKING GARAGE
ANY CAR IN A STORM
PHOENIX CASINO HALL
WELCOME TO THE NEXT 168 HOURS
Phoenix Casino is a-flutter with activity and packed to the beak with guests. As a famously ever-changing space, the staff would be remiss if they didn't deck the crown jewel of the Golden Peacock out. The casino glitters from top to bottom, shining brighter than diamonds, rubies, sapphires, opals! Party-goers are shiny and glamorous with picture perfect makeup, fluttering gowns, and sharp suits. Card tables are packed and the slot machines are a-ringing as guests play, play, play! Prizes, luxury, booze, attractive people, it's the place that everyone wants to be at.
Those people being dragged inside by some invisible force...? Silly, they were so excited to come that their bodies moved before they realized what was happening. Those are struggles of joy and definitely not the casino's infamous ghost hands dragging unwilling guests to the party at the behest of the house. Look, they're literally hurling their bodies at the card tables with unrestrained glee!
All clocks indicating day hours and night hours have been removed from the casino. Once a guest has entered, their Watch will jam, making it impossible to keep track of the time. You don't need to worry about that tonight.
▶ All characters on the TDM are WILDCARDS, which means they have not yet been assigned a card value. Suits will not manifest until characters are accepted into the game.
▶ All TDMs are game canon. This TDM acts as the game's January event.
▶ Current characters may top level on the TDM. Any current characters posting to the TDM should note they are current in their subject header.
▶ The top level directory is for new characters only. We want to make sure new characters are prioritized and receive attention! If you would be interested in a game invitation, you can note that in your comment header. This month we also have an ongoing ATP / EMP where players can connect. Please feel free to utilize this for all of your peafowl needs!
▶ If you aren't satisfied with these prompts, please feel free to check out our LOCATIONS to explore more of the resort!
▶ Smut threads that take place on this TDM can be used for rewards. If both parties in the smut thread join the game, you may retroactively apply the character's initial card values to your 52 bank. If one character does not join the game the thread will not be applicable toward rewards (as that character would not have a card value). The character that does join would still receive a small payout for the encounter. Hopefully it was a fun thread regardless!
▶ We ask you to kindly add content warnings to your threads as appropriate.
▶ If you do not currently have permissions and kinks listed in your character’s journal we suggest leaving a note in your top level of any limits or boundaries for other players to reference.
[He grins, clearly back to being his old cocky self that he presents to the world. Not like it's a lie, but there are simply things that he doesn't like to present to everyone as readily as the confidence he clearly has in spades.
He pulls Aerith close, like a box taking his girl to prom as he guides their way back to the bar, giving her and almost charming smile.]
So what's it gonna be for the lady? I'll pay. I just landed the big money prize after all.
[Something in his world stops. The moment stills like a picture in frame, his surroundings limited to the immediacy of his sister beside him, slipping in close, her voice changed to that playful lilting frequency he recalls from a long ago childhood. He feels only in that moment the touch of her hand on his chin, angling his head. He catches the scent of her soft floral perfume, lulling him into a spellbound haze. Her mouth is rouged with a bright cherry lipstick. He does not breathe. He does not think. He —
The door opens, and Sunday is aware of a voice though he has no comprehension of the words, only that it goes away, and the door clicks shut again, leaving him to the paralysis of what has happened. His sister plays her part so well that it's seamless; her lips never touch his skin. Yet the impression of it lingers, almost burned in place by the swipe of wet lipstick at the corner of his mouth, at his collared shirt. A stain that mars the perfect exterior he strives to present.
Perhaps telling is that he doesn't swipe it away, or react at all, even once she's withdrawn and shared those words of wisdom. There is a darker question in his mind, wondering maddeningly, where did she learn this? Yet he only clears his throat and looks down at his shoes.
This is clearly an act, and she's helped him perform it. He cannot leave the room looking anything less than this — a man with a sweet, stolen kiss from a pretty waitress, wearing that impropriety on his skin.
He's grateful that his voice doesn't waver when he finally speaks.]
I'll... endeavor to remember that. Thank you, miss.
[Without providing an opportunity for her reaction, Sunday goes to the door. He cannot look at her any longer when his mouth feels like it's on fire, and his heart is a loud drum in his ears, as if she might divine his thoughts, his broiling emotions, should he stay.]
( Alice offers him some reprieve from her gaze when she notices him struggling to meet it. She usually goes between two extremes: Either she can't bare to look someone in the eye or she can't bare to look away. He's making it difficult to choose one or the other; There's something magnetic about him. Luckily, having that thought alone is enough to embarrass Alice into staring anywhere but his face for the next five minutes.
She quietly thanks him as she selects a chocolate thoughtfully, curious about what sort it was. Sweets were uncommon place in her life nowadays, but Alice knew there was a childhood somewhere inside of her that had been abundant with them. She lets out a soft, intimate sound as it melts in her mouth before she falls over onto the bed in dramatic fashion, all sighs of happiness, deceased by hand of chocolate and gooey caramel.
Alice grins playfully, finally looking over at him from her horizontal view on the mattress as she pops the rest of the truffle into her mouth. She'd missed half of what he'd said with her antics, but certainly catches the compliment he ends it all with. And his simmering tension as she notices his shoulders fall and his smile soften.
She props herself up on her palm again, jet black hair tousled by he fall, and reaches forward into his lap to steal another chocolate, eating the second all in one bite this time. )
Well, you're not so difficult to wake up beside either. To be fair.
( Bashful, Alice isn't making eye contact when she says it and instead finds interest in her watch, licking the residual melted chocolate from the tips of her fingers as she reads over this morning's message, her lips and brows set in matching frowns. ) Do you think you could help me find my suite?
[He look at the energy the entire time, the source that's causing all that conflict back in his world. There's a feeling of power to it despite its size, maybe because of everything he's learned so far. It's kind of strange, since all the stuff that's causing tension in his world exists as a tiny gene, just one alter to his DNA that makes him different.
And this energy is powered by something even more intangible.
Scott frowns a little, but it's clear he's paying close attention to what Getou is saying.]
Then make cursed energy and all that public information.
[He knows that mutants have been out in public for at least ten years now and things were okay, good even, because Raven saved the president on national television. She stopped Erik from killing him and the others and that one incident pretty much fueled human-mutant relations for a while. Scott's not sure how things would be if that never happened, if he suddenly got his powers and he wasn't able to go to Xavier's School after.
Like, it would be super hard if he still had to hide, right?
Although, he and the others just stopped Apocalypse from fully taking over the world and despite it being known that mutants stopped him, that hasn't stopped tensions from growing. Not to mention, Alex died during all this and-- that still hurts. It's possible that his new friends and family might face the same thing and he really doesn't want that. He just... he just has to make sure that doesn't happen. Be the best field leader he can.]
...It could make things harder in some ways, but there will at least be 'normal' people that'd support you. [....] And most importantly, believe in your teammates.
[He's just assuming that Getou has a team like him, because being alone sure would be awful--]
[My, how the tables have turned; it wasn't so long ago that he was the one straddling Reno's lap, and now it's his Turk perched over him, braced and waiting. And because there's never been any doubt that Rufus is the one in control — always in control, even when matters are beyond his control, he'll always maintain that he has it — he waits a little while without making a move, replacing the same hand that had been in Reno's hair with one holding his face by the cheek.]
I told you I'd make it worth your while, didn't I?
[He draws Reno close, easy and slow, and when he's confident that the positioning of their bodies will make for ample cover, the hand that isn't on the redhead's face slides down between his spread thighs, palming over his arousal.]
You'll win the game on your next roll. First to four. But I'm not leaving this table without a prize of my own, you should know that.
[He tips his chin up, lips grazing just across Reno's — not quite a kiss yet, but a temptation, powerful and heated.]
Be a good boy and come while I kiss you, Reno.
[So he says, the instant before he crushes their lips together.]
[ Troy has nothing but his pajama pants; reminded by it when he looks down to check on himself and hopefully the outline of his dick wont be too obvious to his gracious host. He rubs the side of his head and tries not to appear sheepish about this entire thing. Weiss is handling herself really well, and he can't help but think he's not the first outworlder to wake up on her bed specifically. ]
Right...
[ Of course, there's always something. Giant scorpions - he takes note of that in his head for later, but right now he's at a loss for words. He's not really much of a quippy guy either, so his senses are left to focus and take in this very icy decor as he follows Weiss down those spiral steps. ]
When you're feeling more awake, I suppose it's not too much to ask for a tour of the place? This world we're in. Not just this place you call home.
[For a moment, Reno isn't sure if Rufus will do anything at all. The moments that tick by seem to stretch like hours, and the Turk looks into his president's eyes, just waiting for a reaction, or to see anything more behind those cold, calculating blue eyes.
The hand that eventually cups his cheek feels gentle, almost too gentle, and doesn't help the small shiver that runs down Reno's spine, even while he still maintains that cocky mask of his. After all, he is still sitting in Rufus Shinra's lap, so that still counts for quite a lot, actually.
His grin widens at the words, Rufus admitting that Reno will win is already tasting so sweet, he's almost not listening to what else he is saying, and Reno parts his lips to give a remark ... That instantly does in his throat.
Shutting Reno up is normally a feat that many wish to accomplish and only few have ever achieved. Rufus certainly did it with that last order, if the kiss that follows wasn't enough already to make Reno almost choke on air.
He is rock hard under Rufus' palm, that much is obvious, and Reno moans into the kiss as soon as the initial shock is over. And while he's horny as fuck and probably wouldn't last long if he allowed himself to just be swept away by the situation, it's not like he's able to do so on command. Not even as an order from the president.]
[ —Ah. He realizes what he means at that last sentence, the discrepancy and he supposes if this Xiao Xingchen never met him, if he only heard of him after he died, and then life proceeded as it did in Yi City as Wei Wuxian knows — then he would not know that Wei Wuxian has come back to life.
Well, he doesn't have a reason to hide that fact. It's common knowledge in the cultivation world now, so he explains himself. ]
I came back to life. Someone resurrected me. It was after — [ A pause, wait. Does this Xiao Xingchen know he died? He changes track then, not wanting to open that can of worms either. ] Sixteen years. After I died.
[ And the only way that could happen is through demonic cultivation, of course. None of the normal forms of cultivation would have the power to resurrect the dead. So, if anything that confirms that Wei Wuxian is still involved in that world — and honestly, why should he hide it? He never did anything wrong by using demonic cultivation. It's his speciality, he won't put it down just because some people are afraid.
A sigh and he rubs his face a little, frowning off to the side and trying to think of what to say. ]
Look, I understand if all you've had to know of me is stories, then you probably think I'm some fearsome fellow. But most of those stories are just loads of crap and I'm really not that bad a guy. At least, I don't think I am? I've been given a second chance and I'm not interested in rehashing the past but we're both here and it would be nice to know a bit more about you. But if you're not interested, I get it.
[ NOT... HIS PANTS.......... Wei Wuxian's eyes fly open as he feels Xue Yang start to reach for his pants and immediately, without hesitation, he's slapping his hands away with a yelp. ]
What are you doing—?!
[ But then his eyes glance over at the dice and right, okay. He's playing the game. The game that Wei Wuxian is definitely giving up on now because he's overwhelmed and embarrassed and also hard?! He hates that he's hard, this sucks. He's never going to live this down. ]
Don't — don't take off my pants. I forfeit! I give up! You win, alright?! You totally win and I lose and it's fine, you don't have to lick my thigh.
[ Just going to tug up his pants the bit that Xue Yang was able to get down and button them back up, face pink all over and unable to meet Xue Yang's eyes. This is so embarrassing... ]
[ Wei Wuxian will eventually piece together the likelihood of returning exactly when he left and feel much, much better about this whole thing when he gets there. But still, there's much to learn and so much he doesn't know — just like this conversation is showcasing. ]
A shovel, huh? [ What WOULD a shovel have to do with card suits? Wei Wuxian frowns but he can't seem to figure that out either.
At Sizhui's consoling though, he feels a bit better. Yes, that's the right approach to take and he agrees with it wholeheartedly, no matter how frustrating it might become. ]
You're right, of course. The more knowledge we have, the better equipped we are to deal with such a strange place. Ahh I really hope I'm not here for too long. Though it'd be nice to take my memories back of this place, I'd love to go home and see if I can make something like this "watch".
[A blunt determination, but kind in its own way. Everyone has taken to finding someone to use in order to survive here; whether that weakness is in body or spirit. Matoba, too, has chosen his bad habit.] If you are making that mistake so many times, then I would think that you are either enjoying it, or you are letting your guard down to an extent that needs correcting.
So...? [They whorl, a movement that sends skirts floating dream-like between them before they settle again, a shroud over the shape of her body.] Which is it that you will blame, my knight in shining armor? Are you a glutton, or a fool?
[Behind the veil, her smile splits- pleasure, cruelty, and warning gleam all at once. Already knowing the answer,]
[Matoba pauses in his reminisce to blink at Ish, in apparent surprise.]
Innocent... Haha, is that right? I guess so.
[That might be the first time anyone has ever described his childhood that way, but he can see how she might arrive to that conclusion. What an interesting place this is, indeed, when no one knows who you are.]
[A question far too dangerous to give any weight to, Matoba pretends to consider it with a roll of his shoulders.] Go back.... Regression isn't something I aim for. Those who are stuck looking back cannot look forward. I have no desire to be hung up on such things.
[Which is as true as it gets. He reaches towards the tower, lofting a brow as he recalls how it shook from Ish taking a card- but, thanks to the mini-collapse she caused, the corner of one of the cards is sticking out slightly from the rest. So Matoba carefully teases at the edge of it until he can pinch it between his fingertips, and lightly remove it from the structure.]
"If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would you want to bring with you?" Ah, a classic.
[It wouldn't be a game to begin with if Rufus weren't trying to win it, for as high of risk and as high of stakes as he can manage. This certainly achieves both, as the hand on Reno's face slides around to the back of his neck, trapping him neatly in Rufus's clutches while his hand continues its subtle work.
He sinks his teeth into Reno's lip, taking advantage of his moaning and reactions to sweep his tongue into Reno's open mouth; as he holds the kiss, he keeps palming at Reno's arousal, tracing the length of it through his trousers, feeling his way up to the head and rubbing at the fabric to stimulate it through his clothes.
The dice only call for one kiss, but they never specified how long or short it had to be. This one he intends to hold as long as he can, until he gets what he wants or his breath runs out — quite literally whichever one comes first.]
[ the despondence darkening his features softens with her bold display, and then sunday appears to regain a bit of peace of mind. mona is not an idiot; convincing him immediately would be a difficult. with time, however... she hopes that sunday will feel comfortable enough to trust her. the way in which he marveled her magic was pleasant, and with what she can discern about him, he is someone in need of support.
so, she doesn't reply just yet, finishing off her biscuit as he makes a move to stand once more. the nervous tic sunday displays afterwards is admittedly endearing. ]
Good, [ she says, reaching out to wipe her hand on a napkin. ] An answer like that is satisfactory.
[ when mona lifts her gaze up to look at him, her confident smile has transitioned into one a little gentler. ]
We will meet again, Sunday. For now, please look after yourself.
[ will, she emphasizes.
fate has been decided. ]
i rigged this one......... i'm sorry ishy you have to lose
[ AIN'T NO WAY......... ishmael stares at the dice in utter disbelief, then at mona, then the dice again. on one hand, she could actually go and do just that, but she's just not ready to eat someone out during one of her first games here while she still has some shame in her.
so for now, she folds, and she actually falls onto her knees in defeat. no, more like she got *STAGGERED* here... ]
[He takes it carefully in his hand, turning it over and frowning slightly; there's arguably no way to tell for certain when something at the resort is doctored other than to try it, but one can make reasoned guesses. Fruit is usually dangerous. Alcohol and sweets are as well. The sorts of things that entice others to try them...
He eyes the table, gauging how many of the little treats have been taken already, then briskly folds the remains of the quiche into a napkin and finds a bin to discreetly dispose of it in.]
Enough of this. Let's go dance.
[If it was laced with something, moving around ought to bring about the onset more quickly — and the quicker they can identify and deal with it. All the better to be careful, he thinks, as he makes to lead her away from the refreshments.]
So much the better. I like to keep things exclusive as well.
[He glances about the lounge, finding one of the waiting attendants and motioning them over with a flick of his finger; when they draw near, he murmurs in their ear for a moment with some direction or another, which earns a very good, sir before the attendant discreetly departs again.]
We'll continue to chat. We'll order refreshments. Everything that might be expected of two VIPs spending some time away from the masses. And your extra challenge, Mr. Gambler, will be to keep concealed the fact that you're wearing a toy in my control. Fair enough?
[ Showing someone your vulnerabilities regardless of the circumstances isn't easy for anyone - and that's something that Hilda can relate to so deeply. Though instead of worrying about seeing people her really cry, it was the deeper feelings Hilda worried about others seeing.
The crocodile tears, the silly worries and whining that she tended to err towards all had a sliver of truth to them because she didn't want to do it. But they were easy for her to show and express because in many ways it had become a habit after years of being doted upon.
It was easy to be a cry baby and a delicate flower because that's what people expected of her. Anything less than shallow was when it became terrifying. But there isn't a single thought about that here. Reira's wellbeing after a harrowing experience is what matters the most. ]
I don't mind coming with you. I don't mind a party but to be honest I'm exhausted. [ A shapely leg come peeking out from the slit in her dress as she wiggles her foot. ] And walking around in these heels has been great but even my own feet are getting tired.
[ She stands, extending a hand out towards her with a warm smile, the dusting of the blush from before still colouring her cheeks. ]
I heard there's a women's only lounge. We'll probably be safe to rest in there.
[Xiao Xingchen listens, brow furrowed and eyes slightly parted. Came back to life? No one could say something like that and not expect shock and skepticism, surely. But is he one who could deny it? As far as most people know, giving one's eyes to restore the sight of is also impossible. So many "impossible" things have happened, both in the world they both know and elsewhere.]
No, I...
[He can't help but look at a loss. Of course he can't find out the truth here and now. He simply doesn't like not knowing how to act one way or the other in front of potential danger; as soft as others may perceive him, he prefers to take decisive action rather than to agonize and delay.
So after another pause:]
If you are telling the truth, then there is nothing to fear. If the stories about you are true, I cannot imagine how you should be punished even further than death. I suppose... the only thing that could still matter to me is the sort of man you are now.
[Could he say that to any accused criminal who pleads their innocence? He isn't sure. It's unfair to those who might have suffered because of his actions, but could he condemn the man without any evidence? Xiao Xingchen heard the same thing everywhere across the land, yet he knows he doesn't have the whole story.
Xiao Xingchen had long since realized his hubris in his thoughts of saving the world while not knowing how it even worked. Never did he expect back then what kinds of situations he'd find himself in, with no clear right or wrong. How can he find the way to be fair to everyone, and make even the smallest of changes around him towards the foolish dream he once had? If Wei Wuxian is what the stories make of him, and he ends up hurting others... what could Xiao Xingchen even do to stop him anymore, anyway?]
I would not want you to leave. In fact, I believe you're right, and we should learn more about each other. Both of us surely have many questions we wish to ask.
[He couldn't call the other man a friend just yet, but he knows now that he needs a fuller picture. What would the real Wei Wuxian do in this vacuum of morality?]
[ Troy is most certainly not the first person she's woken up next to. What's better right now is that they weren't naked... ]
I have to run a couple of errands, but I don't mind giving you a tour if you want to come with me.
[ By which she means she needs to go shopping for some stuff. It shouldn't take long! It's just her skincare product refill... Though now that she thinks about it, she gives Troy a lookover once they're at the foot of the staircase. With an arched brow, she comments: ]
You can keep walking around around like that, but it might be good to get you a new outfit, too.
[ He doesn't get another look like the one brought on by the first slow grind of his hips; this time he's rewarded instead with a breathy sound, something soft and trembling on Aerith's lips as her eyes flutter closed for just a moment, body arching to the sensation that washes through her. ]
Oh—
[ She muffles the sound in their kiss, the fingers of one hand smoothing up over the side of his face, allowing herself now to sink into the sensation, to just relax and enjoy it. The other hand continues to move over his chest, exploring the muscle—and it seems he has the same idea, the brush of his thumbs over her nipples making her pause as her head tilts back slightly, another caught breath on her lips. ]
Y-yes. That feels—it's very good, [ she whispers, leaving a breathless trail of kisses down over his jaw in answer. ]
[ Her smile is broad as she accepts his hand and then moves over toward where the staff are gathered at the racks of clothes. Because the pair aren't trying to leave, they seem mostly content to leave them alone as Aerith threads into the racks, looking at and feeling the different materials under her fingers.
She frowns; most of them are just as uncomfortable as what she's already wearing.
With a smile, she looks up, beckons him over closer to her. ]
Help me? Everything I'm finding feels just as itchy and gross.
[Shit, shit .. shit. Reno's mind is racing a hundred miles per hour, too fast, to uncontrolled, and without any coherence whatsoever. He's trapped in a trap of his own making, and he wonders if he should've given in earlier, and how different it would've played out in comparison to this, but then Rufus' teeth scratch over his lip and his tongue invades his mouth and Reno can't help but to respond hungrily to the sensation, searching for more contact by subtle pressing his hips ever so slightly more into Rufus' hand.
His president started this and if he wants him to finish it, he just needs that little bit more pressure, a bit more sensation, even though he's already twitching and throbbing in his slacks and Reno knows he is close.
It should probably be more embarrassing, to get jerked off through his pants and already being this close, but the amount of adrenaline that's coursing through Reno's veins is doing enough to push him closer and closer to the edge. He is an adrenaline junky alright, he just didn't think that it would include making out with his top boss in the middle of a crowded room and being expected to come into his pants on command.
And yet, and yet... It's exactly that thought, and a very controlled twist of Rufus' hand, that makes Reno's body tense suddenly and moan into the kiss as he crashes right over that edge, the front of his pants suddenly getting damp under Rufus' palm.
All Reno can think of as his body shudders at his release is one simple word: Fuck.]
[ Wei Wuxian is not sure if he is happy or not that he's been told he can stay. Part of him balks at such emotionally fraught conversations, especially with people he doesn't know too well. He can't say he knows Xiao Xingchen as well as he'd like to, even their brief meeting in his lifetime was just that — brief and left him with admiration. Now, this Xiao Xingchen doesn't seem to have that memory which is a little sad.
For now, he takes a spoonful of congee into his mouth and gives a soft hum around it as he tries to think of what to say. How to continue this conversation in a way that isn't uncomfortable for them both. ]
How long have you been here? At this... resort. I only just arrived, still a "wildcard" for whatever good that is. It's... strange, and new. Must be difficult with you without your sight.
[ He doesn't know what else to say other than to move on, to change the conversation to the here and now. He thinks of what Xiao Xingchen has said — that the only thing that could matter is what sort of man he is now. There's no way he can just tell him the type of person he is now, because that's not how it works. No, he must show him through his own actions.
So, a soft reset, just talking about the Golden Peacock instead. Their experiences here. That's... got to be better than continuing to pick at each other. ]
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