【 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.
[ nothing really ever fazes ishmael anymore, yet the way people talk about their sexual encounters here so glibly will never not bother her lowkey. is she going to be just as glib about her sex life the more she stays here?
she hopes not. she really hopes not. (who's gonna tell her)
still, asking this shameless guy a question that should evoke embarrassment sure did backfire, so she's going to take the L for this one. ]
You can just let him down, you know. Unless this place is capable of forcing you to do things you really don't wanna do?
[If there's a bright side to this, it's that Matoba would be glib about it whether he's spent 1 day here or 1 year; that's the positive side of being incapable of shame. Maybe don't take him as the average player, though.]
Oh, most certainly it can, [Matoba agrees, and crosses his legs at the ankle beneath the fabric of his kimono.] Drugs, pheromones, troublesome spirits, curses of strange design. Particularly if you try to resist entirely, you will find that soon enough, you cannot. [He gestures to the air around them.] Were you dragged to the party by those ghostly hands? The masters of this resort will use any means by which to achieve their goals.
....As to what those are, beyond ensuring that we fuck and make merry with enough regularity to keep us occupied, I remain with only theories. They grow more interesting with each day. Oh, none of that is truly to blame for my ongoing frustrations with him, though. He is simply a fool, through and through.
[But enough of his terrible taste in men! It's time for Matoba to try his hand at drawing out a card- and so he carefully holds back the sleeve of his kimono with one hand while fingertips seek a proper choice from the top of the structure. Plucking one like a cat pawing a fish out of water, he flicks it in his fingertips to read the question on the back.]
"Where, who, or what do you think of when you hear the word home?"
[ she is so not here to judge his dubious choice in men; it's not like her own taste is anything palatable either. but she hangs on to every word he says regardless, tucking those information away in the back of her mind for future reference. if this place is going that far just to make people have tons of sex whether they like it or not, it means this establishment runs completely on that energy... or something. like how kcorp's singularity involves human suffering (not that she remembers anything about it lmao).
she closes her eyes and sighs. what the hell did she get herself into this time, and why her of all people. she has so many questions that only faust can answer, but she doubts that faust has the answers for any of these either.
okay, calm down. time to watch the one-eyed man pick out a card and read out the question in hand. and boy what a question right off the bat. ]
Home is... [ she hasn't really thought of home since she left it recently. hmm. ] Home is something that I'm not ready to return to. Not now, while I still have the whole world to explore.
[ she meets matoba's gaze. ]
Will that suffice? Or is that too vague for your liking?
[Leveling his single-eyed gaze back at Ishmael, Matoba's smile reveals little- there's only the lift of an eyebrow to suggest a reaction to her answer, although what he may be noticing- or judging- remains locked behind it.]
I think it says enough, [Matoba suggests,] Although I am not your judge today.
[Instead, it's Ish's Watch that beeps to add a point to her total, ceding approval. Who, or what, is presiding over their game? Matoba's earlier answer was certainly a clue.]
[He politely gestures for Ishmael to go ahead again, and draw.] ...And, do you think you would count this place as something worth exploring? Worth leaving home?
Of course not. [ her answer comes easily. ] It's not like I wanted to be here. When I say I wanted to explore the world, I meant the one back in my City. Unless somehow this is still part of the City I live in and we're all being deluded to think that we're in some separate universe.
[ right? right?? though then again, she of all people would know that alternate universes do exist -- it just doesn't fit her narrative at the moment. as far as she's concerned, this resort is just a pit stop to whatever is waiting for her in the future.
funny, how she technically has a future now. it's a little vague, but it'll clear up in time.
she scans the tower of cards for any easy pickings, and swipes one out with little effort. ]
[The world? The city? Matoba blinks once with a slightly puzzled expression. Seeing the world, while remaining within one city seems like a contradiction- but perhaps there is something at play that he does not have context for, here...]
[He doesn't concern himself with it, though.] Haha, I think that I could safely assure you that isn't the case, [He says instead. He has seen plenty enough evidence by now that, despite the silliness of the notion, many individuals here are from "different worlds".]
[He waits for Ish to draw a card, and listens as she reads it off. Something flickers in Matoba's face- a slight shift of his lips, it could easily have been a quick suppression at amusement, a naughty smile. It could have been something else, too- like a brief shadow passing over him.]
[Instead, Matoba keeps his face to its passive smile, and lifts his eye thoughtfully to a point just over Ishmael's shoulder, humming in thought and sitting back in his seat.]
I can still see, [Matoba says after a few moments, and tilts his head in a motion that gestures towards the covered right side of his face.] This paper is just thin enough that I can see the impressions and shadows of what's through it, if I focus hard enough. Ah, but it does make things a little difficult to judge, sometimes... Distance, and the like.
[ sometimes a continent can be considered as a city in other worlds. details, details. but they aren't here for geography, are they? no, they're doing truth and... more truth, and when matoba answers with his peculiar eyesight, ishmael can't help but take a closer look by leaning in a bit closer. she's entirely human with no special abilities (that aren't connected to her absent manager anyway), so she can't surmise any kind of energy coming from his eye, but --
well, she is always curious. the guy seems very composed for someone who's so casual about sharing his sex life just now, and she wonders if she's going to end up just like that the more she stays here. hmm. ]
Er, that's impressive and all, but why even cover it in the first place? Is it sensitive to other things that aren't just light?
[ because he mentioned impressions and shadows and all. ]
[Matoba grins, in an effort to seem pleasant that only halfway approaches genuine. If this woman could not see the spell, then that perhaps confirmed for him that he did not have to concern himself with the nitty-gritty.] You could say that my eye is at risk from outside factors. Call it something like a curse. Regrettably, this strange place even has dangers such as these...
But enough of that. Shall I draw?
[Reaching outward, Matoba makes for the next card. The "house" was built in alternating triangular shapes, which meant that getting to the end of one "triangle" was a tricky situation. Carefully, Matoba separates one half of a hut and sets the other back onto the house with a careful precision. That one could be Ish's next draw, if she was feeling daring. He flips the card and lightly clears his throat.]
[ a curse... that's outside of ishmael's parlance, yeah, so she won't press on the issue -- at least for now. he seems personable enough to hold a normal conversation with, and that's good enough for her. the bar is practically six feet under the ground at this point...
she does spot that one card just jutting out, so she'll zoom in on that in a bit. for now, she has a question to answer and, not gonna lie, it's leaving her a little stumped. ]
I'll have to think harder on this. Um...
[ hmmmmmmmm ]
I can get a little neurotic sometimes. Particularly when things don't go my way. But that's normal for some people, isn't it? [ a shrug. ] It's a boring answer, I know. You're gonna have to pull a more intriguing question next time.
[ okay, now to focus on carefully free that one card without toppling the tower... ]
[Matoba smiles, a little devilish, as he waits for Ishmael to answer the question. Ah, was it difficult? Sometimes that can be a sign of a dangerous lack of self-criticism, he thinks, watching clinically as she comes to a half-hearted answer.]
Ahaha, I see... My apologies, but after all, you play with the cards you are dealt, hm?
[And the cards you maneuver in your favor, he doesn't add.] ... But, I see, you don't take it well when your plans don't go well... I can relate to that.
I don't really have a lot to hide. If I do, either they're too personal to divulge in such a simple game like this or you're not asking the right questions. Just because I have to play with the cards I'm dealt with does not mean I can't hold them close to my chest.
[ especially when they're all the cards she has as a vulnerable newcomer.
this guy is clearly scrutinizing her, so the one thing she should do is be upfront with her words before he can try reading behind the lines. the last thing she needs is more manipulation in her life that's already out of control. ]
Anyway, my turn. [ in a hurry to shut down any more further inquiries, she swipes out a card a little too quickly, causing the tower to wobble and one card to topple onto another. miraculously, it isn't enough to make the whole thing collapse. ] What's your favorite childhood memory?
[Wow, what a scolding. Not that she's wrong. But shame has never been a good demotivator for Matoba Seiji, and being called out isn't enough for him to stop poking holes where he can.]
[But, clearly he'll have to wrap back around to it...]
[He instead watches as Ish draws the next card, eyebrow raising as the tower begins to wobble. Ah, scary, scary...! He gazes in anticipation, as if waiting to see if the whole tower will come down- but alas, not a victory won that easily.]
Oya, a childhood memory? Now, let's see... [Matoba raises a hand to his chin, still lighthearted.] I wouldn't say this is just one particular memory, but a series of them- my fondest remembrances are the days I would spend around my hometown, searching out the neighborhood cats to watch them, to try and sneak them treats and pet them. Alas, they never quite seemed to like me as much... Haha, not that I can blame them... I was never allowed a pet because of family circumstance, you see... Ah, there was one, an old and ugly thing named Goro-chan.....
[ the tower's made out of strong stuff, apparently. and it seems that the question ishmael pulled is interesting enough for matoba to go on a yapfest? weird how a guy can go from gloomy and intimidating to being moe as fuck at a flip of a coin.
she can barely hide her grin as she chinhands at him. ]
I didn't expect such an... innocent childhood.
[ the image of a mini-matoba trying to get the attention of cats and failing is so cute 🥺 horrible. ]
Do you miss those days? Would you like to go back if given the chance?
[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 is innocent to her. it sounded like he had a more exciting childhood, or at least a lot more free time as a kid if he even bothered with befriending cats. meanwhile she did nothing but study just to get to a decent university and land a nice-paying job, only to quit it all anyway.
which is why she just smiles idly at his answer to her impromptu question. great minds truly think like. maybe this is why she ended up with a club suit in the near future, too.
anyway! the question's leaving her a bit stumped for once. so of course she's going to ask for more clarifications. ]
Well, that depends on what's on that deserted island. I'd bring my harpoon to spear fish with, for starters. If there's vegetation on that island, I won't have to go hungry for long. I guess my camping gear, like a sleeping bag and tent to keep myself sheltered...
[ then, she snaps. ]
Oh, and a long piece of rope. Rope is always useful.
[Matoba agrees cheerfully, definitely not thinking of any kidnappings or unlawful imprisonments he may or may not have ordered at any point. Turning her answer over in his head, he finds a stark practicality in it. A harpoon and rope, huh? Seems like a regular fisherwoman. Perhaps someone like that would actually be able to survive pretty well, stranded on an island.]
[Ish paints a picture of someone who is very practical overall- a respectable trait- but there was also something else about her earlier answer about wanting to leave her home that gave a sense of wanderlust. Was it indecisiveness, or some greater cause?]
Ah, [He adds suddenly out of his thoughts, as if he'd only just noticed (he didn't),] Camping gear is multiple items, so only the tent or the sleeping bag, I'm afraid. [Rules Lawyering Guy Matoba Seiji]
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peacockstop2025-01-15 09:00 pm
matobaby...!! please tag shylock too ty
she hopes not. she really hopes not. (who's gonna tell her)
still, asking this shameless guy a question that should evoke embarrassment sure did backfire, so she's going to take the L for this one. ]
You can just let him down, you know. Unless this place is capable of forcing you to do things you really don't wanna do?
mister shylock 😳 runs with bells on
[If there's a bright side to this, it's that Matoba would be glib about it whether he's spent 1 day here or 1 year; that's the positive side of being incapable of shame. Maybe don't take him as the average player, though.]
Oh, most certainly it can, [Matoba agrees, and crosses his legs at the ankle beneath the fabric of his kimono.] Drugs, pheromones, troublesome spirits, curses of strange design. Particularly if you try to resist entirely, you will find that soon enough, you cannot. [He gestures to the air around them.] Were you dragged to the party by those ghostly hands? The masters of this resort will use any means by which to achieve their goals.
....As to what those are, beyond ensuring that we fuck and make merry with enough regularity to keep us occupied, I remain with only theories. They grow more interesting with each day. Oh, none of that is truly to blame for my ongoing frustrations with him, though. He is simply a fool, through and through.
[But enough of his terrible taste in men! It's time for Matoba to try his hand at drawing out a card- and so he carefully holds back the sleeve of his kimono with one hand while fingertips seek a proper choice from the top of the structure. Plucking one like a cat pawing a fish out of water, he flicks it in his fingertips to read the question on the back.]
"Where, who, or what do you think of when you hear the word home?"
no subject
she closes her eyes and sighs. what the hell did she get herself into this time, and why her of all people. she has so many questions that only faust can answer, but she doubts that faust has the answers for any of these either.
okay, calm down. time to watch the one-eyed man pick out a card and read out the question in hand. and boy what a question right off the bat. ]
Home is... [ she hasn't really thought of home since she left it recently. hmm. ] Home is something that I'm not ready to return to. Not now, while I still have the whole world to explore.
[ she meets matoba's gaze. ]
Will that suffice? Or is that too vague for your liking?
no subject
I think it says enough, [Matoba suggests,] Although I am not your judge today.
[Instead, it's Ish's Watch that beeps to add a point to her total, ceding approval. Who, or what, is presiding over their game? Matoba's earlier answer was certainly a clue.]
[He politely gestures for Ishmael to go ahead again, and draw.] ...And, do you think you would count this place as something worth exploring? Worth leaving home?
no subject
[ right? right?? though then again, she of all people would know that alternate universes do exist -- it just doesn't fit her narrative at the moment. as far as she's concerned, this resort is just a pit stop to whatever is waiting for her in the future.
funny, how she technically has a future now. it's a little vague, but it'll clear up in time.
she scans the tower of cards for any easy pickings, and swipes one out with little effort. ]
"What’s the biggest misconception about you?"
no subject
[He doesn't concern himself with it, though.] Haha, I think that I could safely assure you that isn't the case, [He says instead. He has seen plenty enough evidence by now that, despite the silliness of the notion, many individuals here are from "different worlds".]
[He waits for Ish to draw a card, and listens as she reads it off. Something flickers in Matoba's face- a slight shift of his lips, it could easily have been a quick suppression at amusement, a naughty smile. It could have been something else, too- like a brief shadow passing over him.]
[Instead, Matoba keeps his face to its passive smile, and lifts his eye thoughtfully to a point just over Ishmael's shoulder, humming in thought and sitting back in his seat.]
I can still see, [Matoba says after a few moments, and tilts his head in a motion that gestures towards the covered right side of his face.] This paper is just thin enough that I can see the impressions and shadows of what's through it, if I focus hard enough. Ah, but it does make things a little difficult to judge, sometimes... Distance, and the like.
no subject
well, she is always curious. the guy seems very composed for someone who's so casual about sharing his sex life just now, and she wonders if she's going to end up just like that the more she stays here. hmm. ]
Er, that's impressive and all, but why even cover it in the first place? Is it sensitive to other things that aren't just light?
[ because he mentioned impressions and shadows and all. ]
no subject
[Matoba grins, in an effort to seem pleasant that only halfway approaches genuine. If this woman could not see the spell, then that perhaps confirmed for him that he did not have to concern himself with the nitty-gritty.] You could say that my eye is at risk from outside factors. Call it something like a curse. Regrettably, this strange place even has dangers such as these...
But enough of that. Shall I draw?
[Reaching outward, Matoba makes for the next card. The "house" was built in alternating triangular shapes, which meant that getting to the end of one "triangle" was a tricky situation. Carefully, Matoba separates one half of a hut and sets the other back onto the house with a careful precision. That one could be Ish's next draw, if she was feeling daring. He flips the card and lightly clears his throat.]
"What is your worst habit?"
no subject
she does spot that one card just jutting out, so she'll zoom in on that in a bit. for now, she has a question to answer and, not gonna lie, it's leaving her a little stumped. ]
I'll have to think harder on this. Um...
[ hmmmmmmmm ]
I can get a little neurotic sometimes. Particularly when things don't go my way. But that's normal for some people, isn't it? [ a shrug. ] It's a boring answer, I know. You're gonna have to pull a more intriguing question next time.
[ okay, now to focus on carefully free that one card without toppling the tower... ]
no subject
[Matoba smiles, a little devilish, as he waits for Ishmael to answer the question. Ah, was it difficult? Sometimes that can be a sign of a dangerous lack of self-criticism, he thinks, watching clinically as she comes to a half-hearted answer.]
Ahaha, I see... My apologies, but after all, you play with the cards you are dealt, hm?
[And the cards you maneuver in your favor, he doesn't add.] ... But, I see, you don't take it well when your plans don't go well... I can relate to that.
Is that really all, though...?
no subject
[ a curt nod, and a prompt answer. ]
I don't really have a lot to hide. If I do, either they're too personal to divulge in such a simple game like this or you're not asking the right questions. Just because I have to play with the cards I'm dealt with does not mean I can't hold them close to my chest.
[ especially when they're all the cards she has as a vulnerable newcomer.
this guy is clearly scrutinizing her, so the one thing she should do is be upfront with her words before he can try reading behind the lines. the last thing she needs is more manipulation in her life that's already out of control. ]
Anyway, my turn. [ in a hurry to shut down any more further inquiries, she swipes out a card a little too quickly, causing the tower to wobble and one card to topple onto another. miraculously, it isn't enough to make the whole thing collapse. ] What's your favorite childhood memory?
no subject
[Wow, what a scolding. Not that she's wrong. But shame has never been a good demotivator for Matoba Seiji, and being called out isn't enough for him to stop poking holes where he can.]
[But, clearly he'll have to wrap back around to it...]
[He instead watches as Ish draws the next card, eyebrow raising as the tower begins to wobble. Ah, scary, scary...! He gazes in anticipation, as if waiting to see if the whole tower will come down- but alas, not a victory won that easily.]
Oya, a childhood memory? Now, let's see... [Matoba raises a hand to his chin, still lighthearted.] I wouldn't say this is just one particular memory, but a series of them- my fondest remembrances are the days I would spend around my hometown, searching out the neighborhood cats to watch them, to try and sneak them treats and pet them. Alas, they never quite seemed to like me as much... Haha, not that I can blame them... I was never allowed a pet because of family circumstance, you see... Ah, there was one, an old and ugly thing named Goro-chan.....
[You've got him going Ish, I hope you're happy]
no subject
she can barely hide her grin as she chinhands at him. ]
I didn't expect such an... innocent childhood.
[ the image of a mini-matoba trying to get the attention of cats and failing is so cute 🥺 horrible. ]
Do you miss those days? Would you like to go back if given the chance?
no subject
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.
no subject
which is why she just smiles idly at his answer to her impromptu question. great minds truly think like. maybe this is why she ended up with a club suit in the near future, too.
anyway! the question's leaving her a bit stumped for once. so of course she's going to ask for more clarifications. ]
Well, that depends on what's on that deserted island. I'd bring my harpoon to spear fish with, for starters. If there's vegetation on that island, I won't have to go hungry for long. I guess my camping gear, like a sleeping bag and tent to keep myself sheltered...
[ then, she snaps. ]
Oh, and a long piece of rope. Rope is always useful.
no subject
[Matoba agrees cheerfully, definitely not thinking of any kidnappings or unlawful imprisonments he may or may not have ordered at any point. Turning her answer over in his head, he finds a stark practicality in it. A harpoon and rope, huh? Seems like a regular fisherwoman. Perhaps someone like that would actually be able to survive pretty well, stranded on an island.]
[Ish paints a picture of someone who is very practical overall- a respectable trait- but there was also something else about her earlier answer about wanting to leave her home that gave a sense of wanderlust. Was it indecisiveness, or some greater cause?]
Ah, [He adds suddenly out of his thoughts, as if he'd only just noticed (he didn't),] Camping gear is multiple items, so only the tent or the sleeping bag, I'm afraid. [Rules Lawyering Guy Matoba Seiji]