【 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.
[Waking up naked except for a robe in a strange situation is almost a bit of a joke at this point. The frequency makes Vil ponder if he's supposed to find these situations fun, like those guests who had chased him naked through the Vale like hunters after their quarry. Regardless, he looks out the car window in distaste, looking past the long stretch of luxury cars to the concrete. Even if his robe is on the nicer side, long and dark and lined with feathery trim, they have unfortunately not been provided slippers or socks.
It's not that he can't walk barefoot through a parking garage. It's the idea that he has to to leave this situation.
His unfortunate car partner is older, broad shouldered, and quite tall -- that much is obvious at a glance. He manages a wry smile of his own as he elegantly shifts in his seat to better address him; he's not so annoyed at the situation as to ignore his manners.]
It's a first, yes. I can't say I've been in a car quite this opulent, too.
[He gives the stocked bar a pointed look, especially with the car's lighting seeming to emphasize it in particular. Of course, for all his celebrity, he didn't make a habit of drinking anything other than water in cars.]
And you? You seem quite calm, considering the situation.
( whatever forward movement he might have started making towards the waiter in the distance pauses midstep, his confusion over her words enough to still his steps. there are many things that have been said about him, but enjoyable company has never been one of them. )
I'm...sorry?
( surely he has misheard? him, the cold and unfeeling iudex, as someone a stranger would love to spend time with? but whatever his puzzlement, he can at least answer her question first. )
But yes, yes I did. I would have preferred a different method of arrival if possible. Though I must confess ( his voice grows quiet, conspiratorial ) I find the novelty of these cars quite fascinating.
( so perhaps all was not lost in this particular form of arrival. )
[ okay now she's pissed. she did not grow out her hair as a memento just for some hyperactive catboy to assume it's a wig??? where's his keeper when you need him 🧍♂️
she'll berate him some more later. there are more important matters to attend to right now. ]
...My headband. It's missing. I never go anywhere without it.
[ ............................ Nnnnnnnnope sorry not ringing any bells with that mug. That's both a good and a bad thing for Beowulf: good in the sense that he's not in the 'avoid like the plague' bottom of the barrel tier; and bad, because he's not in the 'VIP repeat booty call' list either. Therefore the verdict must be: ]
Big talk from a guy that's mediocre in the sack. Seriously... even who are you again?
[ Look, she's buck naked and there's a dude in Her Bed. This isn't Panty's first baloney pony rodeo with a stranger after slamming highballs all night. ]
[heh. . . that's cute. . . the soft pink flush on those features at the mildest of compliments feels like Yusuke all right. Akira's cheeky smile softens in the way it only would for the members of his immediate criminal family, and he rests his chin in his palm of his free hand, elbow propped (rather rudely!) on the table. if anyone else playing had any hope of shooting their shot, that opportunity has passed; his attention is laser focused, which. . . would not be surprising for anyone who knew him, or knew how important the young man seated across from him is]
Hn. . . [come to think of it, this weird casino had chosen his crisp black suit with red trim out for him too, hadn't it. . .? weird, but not awful, he supposes. they had gone with something he'd wear on his own volition, so he doesn't feel too out of place being dolled up like this] They did a good job, but it'd be nicer if they let you pick yourself. . .
[agency, freedom, etc etc. . . oh, right. the dice! he certainly does intend to play the game, so he responds to that question with a nod]
You don't have to if you don't want to, but then I won't take responsibility if Lady Luck slaps me in the face.
Keep this to yourself, then. I noticed that my delusion was missing, my vision as well.
(weapon aside (she didn't need that, either) it was looking as if their captors were smart. smart enough to ensure that their stay was not to be violent. removing weapons meant making them behave was somewhat easier, removing her vision however....that was interesting. she would have expected them to stop at her scythe, but they didn't. it's better to mention it. arlecchino does not trust anyone, not easily. that did not mean she won't when the situation calls for it, neuvillette is also a fish out of water, so to speak. neither of them know this environment, it's harder to tell if they can acclimate quickly to that difference in the resort and home.
which also means needing to figure out how to do this game of push and pull that they'll both be caught in. the sovereign has his nation to worry about, arlecchino has her duties in her own case. the longer they're here, the worse things might be when they return.)
I haven't attempted to escape like the others, I see it as a chance to figure out where we are and what exactly is in store for us.
(she's good for that much, gathering intelligence on her own and going from there.)
From the reactions of these guests, it seems normal for people to arrive here as we did. Nude, defenseless, and sleeping.
[ ashu why do all your guys like calling her petnames, huh. because ishmael's going to scowl at being called "toots". it's so demeaning? then again, she hasn't really told him her name yet, huh.
some sounds of retching later and he's back with the essentials, to which ishmael gratefully receives from him and wastes no time in swallowing the medicine down and chasing it off with some water. ahh, that's more like it. ]
Y-You do? That's... great. [ it's no not great. ] You mean this isn't your first time at a place like this before?
[ One of the elites? Even as a P44 Director in the IPC she doesn't think that label applies to her. She's still the girl from a once-desolate, far off planet. She can't help the way her nose wrinkles thinking about it. As an Ace, she's not quite in the same position, anyway. Sometimes, she's at the top, other times she's at the bottom. ]
I guess you could say that.
[ She'll take a seat and snag a glass of champagne from a server passing by. ]
I don't mind the food and alcohol, but I'm not a fan of smoking.
Sylvain had learned by now that the House takes its dress code very seriously, so he'd been sure to dress for the occasion before even stepping foot in the casino (if only to save himself the hassle of the consequences). He'd meandered a bit after arriving, and was currently nursing a drink when he heard an unfamiliar voice call out to him
It's enough to get him to stop, eyeing the somewhat-haphazard tower of cards with a dubious look before he shoots the man a bemused grin.
"I'll give it a try, but that definitely has 'trap' written all over it."
[ blair i can't help it he's from the 1940's era .... it's in his blood to use petnames .... toji has no excuse though..
Beowulf takes his seat on the edge of the bed and thinks for a moment. ]
Well, I will say.. waking up butt-naked in a robe was kind of weird. But back when I was in my prime [ oh fuck he's one of those retirees] I was a pretty frequent guest at a casino back home. I've missed it, so it feels really good to be in the scene again.
[ even if he has no fucking clue what is going on here.. ]
( that is....a relief? is it a relief, to know that this game 52 has been so carefully refined that even factors such as these have been taken under consideration. neuvillette looks unconvinced, but files the information away for later use nonetheless. )
I see. That is good to know.
( at the very least, she's painted a much better picture of the expectations set out for them here in this place. )
Thank you, Miss Megistus. ( sincerely. ) I owe you a great deal. If there is any way I can repay you, within reason, then I will do my best to accomodate your request.
( a favor from the iudex himself....don't waste it, mona. )
[ Wei Wuxian wakes up, confused, disoriented, and wearing a robe with nothing underneath. He's not a fan of that last part but he's intimately familiar with the first two. So, he just takes a moment to blearily get his surroundings before he spots a — a cat? In the front seat? Of whatever the hell he's in.
He does not know what a car is.
He blinks, confused, and then just drags a hand over his face and sighs. ]
Excuse me, Cat-xiansheng. [ He is being polite! ] What the hell are you doing?
[ oh, a familiar voice.. with a familiar set of ears, and pink hair - slightly different from the pink hair he usually encounters. dan heng's brows rise in surprise, though not unpleasant. ]
Jiaoqiu-xiānsheng.. I did not expect to encounter you here.
[ not that he has expected to encounter anyone, really, that he knows - but then, if he was spirited away here, then why not others from his home? it would certainly make sense, if the powers that be traveled all the way to his universe to pluck him up, they would likely pluck up others, as well.
his eyes flick over jiaoqiu's clothing, his expression, then to the card at his waist. ]
[ It's admittedly a bit strange getting that kind of intimate contact from another girl, but Mayou's pretty tipsy by this point and doesn't dwell too much on it. ]
One down, three to go.
[ A quick toss of the dice, and... "PINCH THIGH". Should be simple enough. ]
[ Tharja had been fooling around, obviously not taking this very seriously, but the deep roll of Arlecchino finally speaking stops her in her tracks. Her hand freezes midway, which is an ironic way to phrase it because Tharja can absolutely feel the heat emanating off the other woman from that distance.
She's not frightened, no, but everything about Arlecchino sends a tickle up Tharja's spine. It's a feeling vaguely reminiscent to how she felt upon meeting Robin: the darkness of Grima's influence in the tactician calling out to her. It's not a darkness she can sense in this woman, but it's something. Foreign. Powerful.
Whatever it is, she wants to know more. Even if that means continuing this absurd game.
The corner of her lips quirk into a lopsided smile, and Tharja resumes her twiddling. ]
I imagine it's much like fondling anything else. Some heavy petting but on a smaller scale. A much smaller scale.
[ It's now or never. Tharja crosses the last infinitesimal space between them and draws a line down the bridge of the other woman's nose with two fingers.
The tremble in her touch is definitely another trick of the mind. Definitely. ]
( it was a bit difficult to believe any part of his story, whether he was omitting things for her sake or they just so happen to end up here out of sheer coincidence. after all, the true nature of this place was painfully clear to her after a while [the sex roulette and other games].
still he was good company, and maybe she shouldn't be saying this, but... )
I guess I should find a way to repay you for your kindness sometime. For now though, let's eat before the food really does get cold.
( she finally rose up from the bed, still keeping the sheet on herself and she made her way over towards where the tray of food was. )
[xiansheng. . .? wait. . . does his dream subconscious know Chinese???]
[Akira pauses in his criminal activities to tilt his head over his shoulder, peering at his companion with a curious (albeit otherwise unreadable) expression]
[. . .]
[then he nods to himself with a contemplative hum. what the heck, Akira]
[ w shudders, just as if she can still feel those spectral hands pawing at her anew. it's not the biggest shock, given that her last memory of home was sheltering beneath the awning of a massive, haunted cannon, but she gets where texas is coming from. all these ghosts, it fucking figures that her revenant is missing. he's probably off sipping laced ghost wine and getting otherworldly freaky with those very same ill-mannered hands.
ugh ugh ugh. just her luck she'd get stuck in a pathetic situation like this. her one saving grace is that ines and hoederer aren't here to trip into some drugged potatoes and squick her so hard she finally dies from it.
she ambles them slowly towards the games, mostly following the flow of the crowd's traffic. she can listen to texas at the same time she listens to the voices all around them, trying to pick up context, clues, anything that'd be useful to getting her bearings here. it's only when texas says that new, absolutely frightening number that she stops dead in her tracks, her heels clacking abruptly. ]
You're jo—
[ one look at texas's eternal deadpan, and: ]
... Riiiight. Nevermind. Sure, a Sarkaz like me could party for days and days, but what are the rest of you supposed to do? Sleep... here?
[ she'd rather sleep in a hungry clawbeast's den. at least she'd know it's probably not hopped up on fuckdrugs. how is this night getting WORSE?
and there's a social hierarchy too. wonderful, those worked out real well for her people. at least it's a system she feels like she can immediately grasp, so much more than whatever the pervert shit is all about, because she quickly deduces as she scrutinizes one of the members of the crowd going all googly-eyed at the sight of texas: ]
... And what that means is you draw attention.
[ which means she's on scouting and subterfuge duty from here on, huh? ]
[ waking up beside a stranger is certainly an odd experience, but not one that is altogether unfamiliar for him. dan heng travels quite a bit, and even before finding a home on the express, he jumped from ship to ship, planet to planet, which sometimes meant having to sleep.. well, anywhere he could. still, it's been rather a long time since he woke up beside anyone at all.
oh. well, at least the man seems just as surprised as he was, with the way he yanks the covers up so quickly. dan heng shakes his head. ]
It's all right. I mean no harm.
[ he keeps his voice quiet, gentle, both hands dropping into his lap. ]
He keeps walking, even when he realizes that he's being followed. He'll just take the long way, if it turns out he has to ditch her. But when she speaks, well, he auses for a moment, before moving on.
It may be vague, but in the end my answer would be the same, regardless. I would give up anything to save the people I care for.
[ his memories, his sanity, his life. of this, dan heng is absolutely positive. still, he gestures to the house of cards as he sits back again, folding his hands neatly in his lap. ]
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