【 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.
[ getting to know people is yves' specialty—and perhaps he's a little drawn to a game of questions with varying levels of intimacy. he's perfectly bright-eyed and open when shylock pulls out the card, and a little awed note leaves him with how easily he plucks one out.
the question is pointed—but he's clearly not intimidated by it. instead, he reverses it immediately: ] Ooh, I like this one. How about we make a rule that we both have to answer each card?
[ an eye for an eye and all that! but he smiles when he suggests it, sincere and earnest. ]
My answer's really good though... [ okay, talk about hyping himself up. he leans over, hand already beckoning shylock to similarly match him, like he's going to whisper the answer right into his ear ] You can't tell anyone either, okay? I'm trusting you.
[ and just his luck (at, maybe, the expense of hers), clorinde stands next to beowulf with her own drawn prize: a length of rope. it's a little simple compared to his, but she knows her way around knots, and since he's all but advertising himself— ]
Sure. Come with me.
[ before anyone else gets a say, she walks away from the crowd at the roulette, intent on finding a more private area. they have a four hour window to use the prizes, she's not keen on wasting any more time than she needs to. ]
....obviously, I am still one. We both are, despite this place changing the rules, so to speak. If you have yet to eat also, Ashiya, be mindful of what you pick up. Some of the food is laced.
(not limbo, just ashiya. they can't exactly use their classifications here without sounding odd. which means that karna was considerate and slightly cordial with using the other man's name. they can't exactly lie about not knowing one another by circumstances, but that didn't mean that karna would enjoy his presence from the events of the fourth lostbelt onward.
anyway, he did pause and think. which life did he mean? his lips curl into a thoughtful frown (that's normal for him, he's a thinker more than a speaker still) while running over which sounds more plausible while they play together. if he has to pick one, then that would be....)
Human. Though we know that I am not above giving up my life whether I am human or not.
[ ah, he's that type. she's used to those comments, for better or worse, so it gets nothing more than an amused half-chuckle out of her as she rights herself. it doesn't seem like she'll take to the air again, but really, who knows with this place. ]
Yes. [ that and water were the only liquids she'd had, and she doubts the latter was responsible for this. ] It's inconvenient, but it's not the worst.
[ like, it could be laced with aphrodisiacs instead. but this is fine. more importantly, ]
Do you want to get out of here?
[ ... that could have been phrased differently but you know what, this is also fine. ]
[ at the very least, clorinde recognizes the suite that she wakes up in, that being her own.
not that there's very much around to indicate as such aside from her clothes in the closet and a few toiletries, but it's enough to soften the whiplash from asleep to immediately alert as he walks out of her bathroom. archons, this headache is killer. she doesn't even remember the last time she drank enough to black out, let alone wake up with a hangover. ]
Help yourself. [ congee sounds familiar—it's been some time since she'd last been to liyue, but she assumes he's talking about the stone pot in the middle of that breakfast cart. she'll investigate the rest of it later, but for now, she secures her robe around herself and heads to the kitchen. ] Would you like some tea?
[ he is, after all, a guest. even if she doesn't exactly remember how that came to be. ]
[ that's fine. shylock will smile enough for the both of them. it's like conversing with a mini oz, though without the power that wizard envokes. ]
Oh, I'd have to agree with you on that one. Plenty of festivals and holidays during that season, and not to mention the drinks I'd make to celebrate the warm, sunny days.
[ what can he say, he's a fun-loving guy. with the ice broken between them for the time being, shylock carefully procures another card from the tower. 72. Who was the last person you said “I love you” to? ]
Fufu, how curious. [ he serenely closes his eyes in thought. ] I'd have to say a younger wizard back home named Chloe. He needs to be reassured as such, but then again so do most people.
[ it pains him to admit it but...... he right u_u shylock would be utterly bored without murr metaphorically knocking shit off the desk that is his life. but shylock need not to say that part out loud because murr knows that he knows.
how loathsome indeed. ]
Really, now. [ he idly taps his cigar at a nearby ashtray. ] Does that mean you haven't seen the moon since?
[Rude is fully prepared to lose his shirt to try to win some chips. In fact, he was prepared to do a lot more than that for a currency he didn't even know what he could do with. Perhaps in the back of his mind he's hoping subconsciously that he can buy his freedom and a way back home.
What better way to do exactly that than trying to cater to the high rollers? He should have stuck to that instead of getting involved in the gambling himself, knowing the number one rule of any casino is that in the end the house always wins. He's pulled from his thoughts when an arm settles over his shoulder, and he looks over to the man only to stiffen up in horror as he beholds Rufus far closer to his person than he could ever recall him being.
Rude opens his mouth to speak but his words aren't coming out. On one hand a familiar face is wonderful to see, on the other, he feels a sense of shame being caught and rescued by someone he's used to rescuing as an occupation.]
Mister Pres--[Rude cuts himself off because it's clear Rufus is not here in any work-related capacity. Maybe he doesn't want his cover blown. So Rude just offers the most unconvincing reassuring smile he can muster up.]
[ the more the cutie talks, the more the picture in shylock's head begins to form, brushstroke by brushstroke: robin and his brother frolicking among the tombstones, the well-tended graveyard quiet save for their mirthful laughter. ah, such is youth. the days shylock can never go back to, even when he tries.
but enough about that. the mention of "websites" and such brings the sage to mind, and he nods. tfw he hates tech so they're gonna have to move on -- ]
That's all right. I make no attempts in hiding who I am, anyway. But yes, you're quite right - I am Shylock, a mere bartender and a wizard from Western Country.
[ mere bartender, his ass. he's not the type to glaze himself up anyway - other people can do that for him. ]
The one I miss the most, hm? [ a wan smile. ] I wonder. There's someone I used to know who was... let's say, out of reach for me.
[Rude looks horrified when he finally looks at Reno instead of answering the questions, but his expression likely gives himself away.]
Yeah, the times before this were accidental. [He mumbles, running his hand over the back of his head then falling to his side.]
I'm not sure where we are or how we got here. I woke up in this limo and saw Aerith, I thought it was a dream. Apparently its some kind of hotel and casino--one that we can't just leave.
[ what is with pretty boys and eyepatches lately? must be a new trend going around. not that shylock is complaining. there's a lot of appeal in missing eyes, and the intrigue that comes with it cannot simply be ignored. that's practically catnip for western wizards. ]
Fufu. Why not? The more we know about each other while we're still here, the better.
[ how ominous. the smiling doesn't help, the corners of his mouth stretching wider when he's being beckoned to lean closer so that the younger(?) boy can confide in him. ]
I make no promises, but you can trust me. [ like, seriously. he can't make promises for his own health. ] What is it?
Yeah. I mean, there've been enough missions together, it's bound to happen at some point,
[He shrugs it off casually, yet he is still annoyed that he can't remember.]
Wait, what?! Aerith is here? In a casino? Wow .. that's something I didn't see coming. But the hotel that's able to keep the two of us in still needs to be built, right partner?
[He winks at Rude, then suddenly ... He tilts his head.]
Hey, since you've seen mine, how 'bout you show me yours?
[ apparently the scuffle itself is real enough for the attendant who handed w the knife to begin screaming. dumbass, like she didn't expect w to immediately pounce her closest neighbor with it!! she's lucky that w has always liked the sound of screams, or her shrill caterwauling would have actually pissed w off and maybe she'd be next.
it's all background noise instead, the kind w adores: chaos, terror, the sound of shoes hammering the floor as they rush away from the bodies twisting in the air. this feral fucking lupo is all she truly registers, her eyes gleaming as those sharp canines crunch through the plastic and crush it into precious shards. not that she'd ever admit it, but that's a nice touch. she gets the wicked idea to feed the plastic right back to lappland, but then they're falling and her spiny, too-sticky tail is wrapping lappland's thigh and clinging to her dress for purchase and leverage. a little extra momentum so that when they hit the ground, w's able to snap herself atop lappland, the hilt of the blade lifted high though lappland's still got her by the wrist.
an easy fix. she drops the knife into her other hand and brushes its now-jagged edge against the underside of lappland's chin. ]
Oh no, where'd my willing participant go? Thought you were up for anything. [ like she needs a knife to kill anyone anyway. this toy is just for fun, for the sound it makes raking across skin. her knees cinch around lappland's hips with bone-breaking strength. ] What's wrong, did I move a little too fast for you?
[Rude adds, just to tack on to his small running list of grievances with his partner. For reasons he won't talk about he'd rather not have to see Reno naked then have to work with him normally.]
I think she was taken here because she also didn't know how she got there.
[Aerith is a far safer topic for discussion than what Reno pivots to, causing Rude's heart to race again. He rubs his face with his hands, lingering on his stubble as he considers how bad of an idea it is.]
Fine, but don't be weird. [This whole thing is already weird, though. So he pulls back the sheets, moving his thighs just a little further apart like that might distract from the fact that he's half hard and has a barbell piercing through the head of his dick.]
[ meanwhile, shylock is busy being over the moon -- which is to say, he's busy floating around thanks to the champagned he'd imbibed earlier. but it looks like someone is coming his way, and he wastes no time in grabbing hamel's hand right on time, twirling her around in midair while supporting her lower back with his free arm. ]
Fufu. Seems I've caught you right where I want you.
[The confusion is kind of cute but Rude doesn't know the cause of it. Something between what the kid says and what he's saying isn't lining up quite right even if more or less they're speaking the same language.]
I don't go to the opera.
[Yes. That is the only thing he doesn't feel crazy commenting on. The rest of it might just send him down a rabbit hole of theories about this place and how someone like that can exist in a reality with someone like him. Maybe this has something to do with Hojo. Someone should really start saying no to that guy.]
It's when you dress up like a character that you like. Or animals, as the case may be. A puppy specifically in yours.
Oh please. I'm just a firm believer that underwear's entirely overrated for sleep, 'specially in summer.
[He shrugs, failing to see the problem with the ordeal. After all, Reno is quite proud of his entire body, so why hide it?]
Okay, so we gotta figure out who brought us here and why. Cause as much as I like a good party, I'd still like to know who's hosting.
And dude, when have I ever made it weird, yo?
[It's basically his way of saying that he's weird all the time, but it's the kind of weird that his partner has hopefully come to expect at this point.]
I mean I would nev-
[The words die in his throat as he sees Rude in all his glory.]
Fuck. And I thought I was hung, but you? And that piercing?!
[Yeah, he's entirely too excited and without noticing even licks his lips as he stares, the blanket dropping from around his shoulders and revealing that he is in quite a similar state of half hardness, still from when Rude had handled him earlier. Maybe he should ask himself why Rude is also showing signs of arousal, but he is still too focused on the cock overall and that shiny piece of metal.]
I got a good job, I got money, but fun is another thing. 'specially when it's of the physical kind. And you're right, the game itself is half the fun. I don't wanna be lucky, I want to be entertained.
[Reno quirks up one mismatched eyebrow and tilts his head ever so slightly at the guy's words.]
Why wouldn't people want to play the games? Isn't that what they're here for?
[Both the guests and the games that is, though then it dawn's on Reno that he also just ended up here somehow, without knowing how, so that might just as well be true for people that aren't quite as outgoing and wanting to get high on life as he does.]
Power abuse, hm? Oh, I like that. Well then, good friend. Name's Reno, and you are ..? You look like you can tell me a bit more 'bout this place.
[ w's not too attached to the prospect of a bed to sleep in — actually, she's not quite used to beds in general and they've always felt a bit like a sacrificial altar or tend to bring back funky memories of the medbay in babel, it's a whole thing. unimportant, it just is what it is.
but a look around, that w can get behind. they'll probably have to do that sooner rather than later, way before either of them starts to drag, and her merc sensibilities are already buzzing at the promise of some incognito magic. as above, so below in this hellhole, she supposes.
they'll have to nail normalcy first, though, or whatever counts for normal in this bizarro world. all this whispering won't do, but w's been tuned into the chatter and actions of the revelers surrounding them. she's a good actress when the role is an important one, and it's easier to explain leaning in to whisper in texas's ear if she forces herself to look wobbly and drunk and flush with desire like everyone else. ]
Let's make a few rounds and then head up to check out the situation.
[ that's her normal voice, hushed and level. then there's the one that she borrows from the inebriated, fawning ladies surrounding the wheel, an octave higher, every vowel sung in a cheery refrain: ]
Ooooh, we've got to try this! Us next, please.
[ it's not a perfect facade; w doesn't want to waste anymore time than she has to approaching the wheel and the next patrons up are forcibly shoved out of her path and pinned in place with a fiery stare. it's all good, in a flash, that false, goofily adoring grin is restored and fixed upon texas's flat expression. ]
You should spin! Win us something sexy. [ she plucks at texas's collar enticingly. ] We'll need it, won't we?
[ He was expecting... more of an objection, if he's honest. Though he hasn't realized this is Clorinde's room and just assumed it was a room instead. Somewhere random. Still, Clorinde is hospitable and doesn't seem perturbed by his presence so, he'll help himself to that congee indeed. He stands near the cart, serving himself a ladle or two into a smaller bowl before picking up a spoon and taking a bite.
After he swallows, he answers — ]
Tea would be great, thank you. How's your head?
[ Because he also woke up with a pounding headache and the shower was the only thing that helped him feel normal again. ]
[ ... Huh. He was expecting more but he's not opposed to being ignored at all. For now, he's going to let Jing Yuan sleep, serving himself a bit of congee in a smaller bowl from the pot it's in. He'll take a spoonful into his mouth and mosey his way back to the bed, sitting on the edge and looking down at his companion as he dozes.
Handsome guy, he thinks. He wonders if they did anything last night. ]
Are you not hungry?
[ He'll take another few bites of congee before setting it on the bedside table, only so he can stretch out on the bed, head popped up on an elbow as he watches Jing Yuan. ]
[ Don't worry about it. Just be glad you're a fox instead, Jiaoqiu. Even though because you're a fox, you're also a menace and Wei Wuxian is not used to being the one menaced. He needs to regain his footing, and fast.
A slow blink at the reply and he lets out a soft huh. ]
Well, that's a new one.
[ Facial reconstruction. His eyes glance behind Jiaoqiu at the window, where his reflection looks exactly the same as always, so he knows that's not the truth. Still, fun to play along though. He smiles, as if satisfied. ]
I've always wanted a new face, the old one was getting, well, old. I'm glad for this new one, incredibly handsome as it is, I think I might be in luck.
[ The more Sunday seems discomforted, the higher Wei Wuxian's delight grows. He really doesn't mean to be a menace, doesn't mean to poke and prod and see where Sunday's sore spots are. But he's also enjoying the peace of the suite they're in together after the constant overstimulation that was the much too long party and so, a bit of banter goes a long way for him.
He watches Sunday adjust himself, try to find his dignity again, and it's a familiar look. The comment comes as well, the apart from your presence only making Wei Wuxian's grin sharper. He supposes he can respect Sunday's request though, and put on some clothes. ]
It's like you know me already.
[ Being called out on his shamelessness. How many times does that happen with the people he knows back home? It's such a comfort to hear familiar derision even here. He'll shift to get up from the bed and hopefully Sunday is braced for it, because he does not use the sheet for modesty. No, he throws it off of himself and slips out the bed, stretching slightly as he stands up and his back pops. He is naked as the day he was born. ]
Should we have breakfast together, at least?
[ An idle question as he takes a few steps through the room to where his clothes are laid out on a chair. Huh. He definitely doesn't remember doing that. He'll find his underwear first and pull that on, just for Sunday's sake. ]
[ It'll come down to luck, if that's the case. Wei Wuxian can be careful with his touch when he wants to be, delicate in his grip. That's what's needed for a game like this.
But it is a game and he has to answer, he knows. The question isn't something he likes, not the type of thing he wants to admit to, especially not to a stranger. But he doesn't want to lose.
So, when Dan Heng asks if he'll answer, he nods. ]
Yes. [ Is that an answer to Dan Heng or to the question? There's a pause here before he adds again — ] ... Yes.
[ That one's definitely an answer to the question. Silence lingers in the air for a moment before Wei Wuxian flips the card between his fingers and lays it face down on the table. He doesn't pluck another card though, giving Dan Heng the time to make any commentary he might want. ]
[ Something about the combination of Beowulf opening up his robe some more and being called pretty boy has Wei Wuxian almost pausing because what the hell kind of situation has he just landed himself in?
But he's also incredibly vain so being called pretty boy has actually made him very happy. He grins, bright, and will in fact reach out with his other hand to press it against Beowulf's chest, assessing the muscle there as well. This is fine. ]
Huh. Softer than expected. [ He's touching his pec, which, well, if he's not actively flexing — it would be soft. But it's still nice to touch. ] You're impressive, it must've taken some work to get like this.
[ And then Beowulf is explaining his training regimen and, alright. This actually isn't too strange. He's watched people fight for fun before, put money on it even. It's the same concept, just from a different perspective. This isn't too unfamiliar to him at all! ]
Ever use weapons? A sword, maybe? [ Most people he knows use swords. But he's getting the feeling this guy is more of a hand to hand combat type of guy. ]
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