【 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.
[wow! hello?? Nova stiffens like a board, even his tail going rigid at the voice near his ear. like ice, bordering on familiar. not that they have met before, no, but the tone is reminiscent of high-ranking officials he'd heard in the past.
he steps waaaaaay back, his gaze downcast, eyes not making direct contact with whoever is standing nearby, judging him. Nova speaks more civilly than he might normally, bowing his head]
M-My apologies.
[it's weird. Nova has been avoiding demonic beings for years. he's no longer in the military. he has no contact with Underworld authority. yet he bounced right into formalities when he felt even the slightest inkling that he may be outranked. it seems like this universe hosts beasts of every kind. Nova is allowed to be himself, here, probably, without worrying about his past or if anyone is going to come after him. still, he is nervous around demons especially]
[ There's no mistaking what Nova is. Even if his demonic senses weren't well attuned to picking up the scent of his kind among a sea of bodies, mingling together from the buffet table to the rooms beyond, J's eyes don't deceive. Between the triumvirate of unholy features, Nova is the spitting image of how mankind portrays demonkind within the pages of their religious texts and fairy tales: the beguiling figure of a handsome man adorned with fearsome horns and wings. A romanticized take, when in fact, demons are not the least bit uniform in shape, and most have the appearance of something that's more misshapen and grotesque than anything human. Still, Nova exhibits practically every attribute his ward had once longed to possess in those early days of his immortality. It's a thought that offers more amusement than the exaggerated show of respect he's presented with, enough to keep his gaze lingering on the figure hunched over in a deep bow.
A forefinger taps rhythmically upon the demon's chin as his wheels spin. Whatever conclusion he comes to, it's with the sweep of a broad wing around the slighter demon's shoulders as it coaxes him back over. ] Now, now. I wasn't implying that you needed to skedaddle, only that you were holding up the line.
If you're feeling especially indecisive, I can help you find something palatable. [ Without missing a beat, J swipes two dinner plates and delivers one into the hands of the guest unexpectedly roped into his company. There's something fluid in the way he moves, even when he gracefully slips into Nova's personal space — Moving close enough to tilt the demon's chin up so that he might better see the Archduke in front of him. ]
All you have to do is tell me what sort of things you typically enjoy.
[what's with these mixed signals? Nova's head is forced up, and he doesn't know what to think. was he not being admonished just now? apparently not! he wishes he could understand what this guy is after.
this. very beautiful guy, creature, whatever he is. alas, the fluid way he moves, and speaks, the intimidating gaze; these things all play a part of being attractive to the pink demon. heckles are raised, of course, but Nova cannot deny J's appeal.
his shoulders become less tense as his stomach growls suddenly. embarrassing]
I can get my own food.
[these words are not said hostile, rather, Nova is trying to explain himself]
I was just worried this buffet might be. Tainted. You know?
[ Mixed signals are this one's middle name. One minute he's full of toothy smiles and in the next, the claws come out. All it takes is a minor act of defiance for J to drop the grin in order to send someone's head rolling in the most literal sense.
Whatever mood the present atmosphere had shifted into, that audible growl cuts through to the center of it and gives even J a momentary pause. That's one formidable gut, if it's capable of spoiling the thick layer of flirtation typically capable of reducing most people to Jell-O. Not in this instance, apparently. ]
I hate to break it to you, but everything in this place runs the risk of being tampered with in some fashion. Not only the food. [ J drops the sultry act, resuming his full height as he withdraws from Nova's personal space quickly as he'd intruded upon it in the first place. His attention shifts elsewhere as someone falls through the air only to crash into a group of party-goers once the gravity-defying beverage they'd consumed earlier finally wears off. It's a spectacle that stirs up quite the commotion and sends food and drink scattered everywhere. J doesn't do more than return his attention to the demon at his side and jerk a thumb back towards the crowd, as the chaos offers up the perfect example. ]
If you're lucky, some other fool will test out just what effects those might be before you find out the hard way. [ Have fun finding out if anyone else here is chowing down on whichever tasty morsel you've got your eye on, Nova. Maybe if you follow them around long enough they can unwittingly play the role of guinea pig in this experiment and fill you in on what's spiked or not. ]
So you'd prefer to be the one in harm's way, despite your crippling fear of what may happen to you. [ It's not a question, but more like a confirmation of something he's half-expecting. An answer that clearly falls short of whatever expectations J might have had upon meeting another demon.
One of the candelabras gracing the buffet table boasts a series of unlit candlesticks. Maybe someone pinched the flames out as a prank or in an attempt to seduce someone else, they used their mouth in an impromptu fire-eating act. Whatever the cause, it distracts from the opulence of the spread. It's not as pressing an issue as the welfare of whomever recently was skydiving into a crowd, but it's enough of an eyesore to coax him into action.
J's gaze tracks idly over his forefinger and thumb as they rub together, creating a friction that slowly builds. With a quiet snap a small flame erupts from the motion, dancing wildly as it perches upon slender fingertips. The small light it creates illuminates pale features as he gives Nova a withering look before moving to light each of the barren candlesticks, one by one. ]
How long do you think you'll last by putting your needs second to those of everyone else? [ This place isn't the pointless bang party it appears to be but a dangerous competition. Participants claw their way to the top to try and win their freedom or something more valuable than that. Some have even died in the process and practically everyone has had a dangerous run-in or two. Not only that, but if the previous contestant who won Game 52 and just happened to stick around to tell his tale afterward is an example of what it takes to succeed here, then J can say for certain not an iota of that involves self-sacrifice. ]
[so much is happening right now. Nova's eyes flick wildly from one occurrence to the next, checking all around the room for danger. it's easy to tell he is nervous, not because of J, but because he doesn't know what is going on. he still doesn't know why he's here, where he is, or anything about the games that are played in this world. Nova's first instinct is to flee, as he usually does, as he's been doing for years.
but something forces him to plant his feet for the time being. stubbornness? false bravado? rather, he simply wants more information, and maybe J will have answers for him. either this guy, or someone else, someone who is nicer. but J didn't walk away from him, so Nova's holding out hope!]
I don't know. I think I've lasted a long time, considering my own kind is after me, back in my universe. And I'm not putting other people in harm's way just to save my own hide.
[his tone is more cool than before, and he answers with a slight shrug of his shoulder. maybe there is some demon in there, still. he reaches for one cookie, and turns it over in his hands, looking it over]
Actually, all things considered, I'm probably safer here than on the earth I just came from. So, if you wanna continue threatening my ideals, go right ahead.
[then he pops the cookie in his mouth. Nova hates other people looking down at him. that is his one trigger. bravo, J! you have set the pink cream puff off. but, perhaps, Nova will get somewhere with this bratty-tactic, who knows?]
no subject
he steps waaaaaay back, his gaze downcast, eyes not making direct contact with whoever is standing nearby, judging him. Nova speaks more civilly than he might normally, bowing his head]
M-My apologies.
[it's weird. Nova has been avoiding demonic beings for years. he's no longer in the military. he has no contact with Underworld authority. yet he bounced right into formalities when he felt even the slightest inkling that he may be outranked. it seems like this universe hosts beasts of every kind. Nova is allowed to be himself, here, probably, without worrying about his past or if anyone is going to come after him. still, he is nervous around demons especially]
no subject
A forefinger taps rhythmically upon the demon's chin as his wheels spin. Whatever conclusion he comes to, it's with the sweep of a broad wing around the slighter demon's shoulders as it coaxes him back over. ] Now, now. I wasn't implying that you needed to skedaddle, only that you were holding up the line.
If you're feeling especially indecisive, I can help you find something palatable. [ Without missing a beat, J swipes two dinner plates and delivers one into the hands of the guest unexpectedly roped into his company. There's something fluid in the way he moves, even when he gracefully slips into Nova's personal space — Moving close enough to tilt the demon's chin up so that he might better see the Archduke in front of him. ]
All you have to do is tell me what sort of things you typically enjoy.
no subject
this. very beautiful guy, creature, whatever he is. alas, the fluid way he moves, and speaks, the intimidating gaze; these things all play a part of being attractive to the pink demon. heckles are raised, of course, but Nova cannot deny J's appeal.
his shoulders become less tense as his stomach growls suddenly. embarrassing]
I can get my own food.
[these words are not said hostile, rather, Nova is trying to explain himself]
I was just worried this buffet might be. Tainted. You know?
no subject
Whatever mood the present atmosphere had shifted into, that audible growl cuts through to the center of it and gives even J a momentary pause. That's one formidable gut, if it's capable of spoiling the thick layer of flirtation typically capable of reducing most people to Jell-O. Not in this instance, apparently. ]
I hate to break it to you, but everything in this place runs the risk of being tampered with in some fashion. Not only the food. [ J drops the sultry act, resuming his full height as he withdraws from Nova's personal space quickly as he'd intruded upon it in the first place. His attention shifts elsewhere as someone falls through the air only to crash into a group of party-goers once the gravity-defying beverage they'd consumed earlier finally wears off. It's a spectacle that stirs up quite the commotion and sends food and drink scattered everywhere. J doesn't do more than return his attention to the demon at his side and jerk a thumb back towards the crowd, as the chaos offers up the perfect example. ]
If you're lucky, some other fool will test out just what effects those might be before you find out the hard way. [ Have fun finding out if anyone else here is chowing down on whichever tasty morsel you've got your eye on, Nova. Maybe if you follow them around long enough they can unwittingly play the role of guinea pig in this experiment and fill you in on what's spiked or not. ]
no subject
just what sort of place had he been brought forcefully to?]
I'd rather not let other people get hurt, for me.
[this line is delivered even less shyly. he actually stares at J when he comments flatly]
no subject
So you'd prefer to be the one in harm's way, despite your crippling fear of what may happen to you. [ It's not a question, but more like a confirmation of something he's half-expecting. An answer that clearly falls short of whatever expectations J might have had upon meeting another demon.
One of the candelabras gracing the buffet table boasts a series of unlit candlesticks. Maybe someone pinched the flames out as a prank or in an attempt to seduce someone else, they used their mouth in an impromptu fire-eating act. Whatever the cause, it distracts from the opulence of the spread. It's not as pressing an issue as the welfare of whomever recently was skydiving into a crowd, but it's enough of an eyesore to coax him into action.
J's gaze tracks idly over his forefinger and thumb as they rub together, creating a friction that slowly builds. With a quiet snap a small flame erupts from the motion, dancing wildly as it perches upon slender fingertips. The small light it creates illuminates pale features as he gives Nova a withering look before moving to light each of the barren candlesticks, one by one. ]
How long do you think you'll last by putting your needs second to those of everyone else? [ This place isn't the pointless bang party it appears to be but a dangerous competition. Participants claw their way to the top to try and win their freedom or something more valuable than that. Some have even died in the process and practically everyone has had a dangerous run-in or two. Not only that, but if the previous contestant who won Game 52 and just happened to stick around to tell his tale afterward is an example of what it takes to succeed here, then J can say for certain not an iota of that involves self-sacrifice. ]
no subject
but something forces him to plant his feet for the time being. stubbornness? false bravado? rather, he simply wants more information, and maybe J will have answers for him. either this guy, or someone else, someone who is nicer. but J didn't walk away from him, so Nova's holding out hope!]
I don't know. I think I've lasted a long time, considering my own kind is after me, back in my universe. And I'm not putting other people in harm's way just to save my own hide.
[his tone is more cool than before, and he answers with a slight shrug of his shoulder. maybe there is some demon in there, still. he reaches for one cookie, and turns it over in his hands, looking it over]
Actually, all things considered, I'm probably safer here than on the earth I just came from. So, if you wanna continue threatening my ideals, go right ahead.
[then he pops the cookie in his mouth. Nova hates other people looking down at him. that is his one trigger. bravo, J! you have set the pink cream puff off. but, perhaps, Nova will get somewhere with this bratty-tactic, who knows?]