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ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ᴘᴇᴀᴄᴏᴄᴋ ᴍᴏᴅs ([personal profile] goldmods) wrote in [community profile] peacockstop2025-01-15 09:00 pm
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TDM 007



【 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
WELCOME TO THE GOLDEN PEA... CAR? ► Thanks to a classic move called “overbooking,” new arrivals aren't being checked into rooms — the front desk and concierge have made an executive decision to temporarily house new arrivals in the parking garage. This may actually not be as bad as one may think! All of the vehicles in the Golden Peacock's garage are luxury; some are even bigger than the basement suites. There are, however, a limited number of cars available. Guests are booked into cars in pairs or sets of three.

► All vehicles in the Golden Peacock's parking garage are top of the line models. While the body style and year vary, their common denominator is that they are expensive. New arrivals may wake up in any kind of luxury vehicle from a zippy little Maserati to a SUV limousine. Guests waking up in larger, party-style vehicles may find the inside bar stocked with booze and snacks. Due to the nature of waking up in cars, they may wake up anywhere in their new ride. Even the trunk!

► New arrivals wake up naked save for a robe, as is standard for the Golden Peacock. This round’s robes are dramatic sets bedazzled with precious gems. These robes are inspired by the 1920s. Some are silk, some are sheer, some are lined with fur. All are over the top. If it has the flavor of old Hollywood or wealth your character can wake up in it. Some lucky guests may even find old fashioned smoking pipes or extended cigarette holders in their robe pockets.

► After briefly being dumbfounded, the valet, who normally has nothing to do, will scurry down with a few racks of clothes. All articles on the racks have been dragged out of storage; the majority of the pieces are old-fashioned or mismatched. All he can do is continue to bow deeply and apologize for the lack of amenities in the parking garage. No one ever comes here!
SUITES DON'T DO THIS!The cars in the parking garage are temperamental. Guests may find doors locking and unlocking of their own accord when they're trying to exit the vehicle. When inside with someone else, the radio will change to a channel playing romantic music. The lights will flicker, dim, or turn off to create some sexy ambiance. They've been in the parking garage for a long time and haven't seen any action in decades. That famous car that starred in Titanic got people to have sex in it. Why can't they!

Some of the cars may act strangely in other ways. The AC or heat will blast unexpectedly, the horn will go off at the least opportune moment, the engine will steam, the seats will spring back without anyone pressing the lever... if it can go wrong in a car, it can happen.

If asked, the valet will explain that over the past few months parts have gone mysteriously missing from some of the cars. Stolen, by no good dirty thieves! But what kind of ragamuffin would snatch car parts in the Golden Peacock? Regardless, he will apologize about the issues. They will continue until those missing parts are returned or replaced.

He will offer a monetary reward to anyone that can bring him any information about the guests that have been stealing car parts. It makes him look incompetent at his job, you see. All he has to do is watch these cars that don't go anywhere! If the house catches wind that they're needing repairs on his watch he's liable to lose his job. He's got four engaged daughters and he's got to pay for their weddings. He can't afford to get fired!



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.
AT THE DOOR ► Guests must adhere to the black tie dress code to enter. Those that show up in less than their best won't be turned away — but they will be stuffed into a rental outfit provided by the staff. All provided outfits are gaudy, flashy, and encrusted with jewelry. Also — itchy. Too much starch.

Guests that do not want to come will be "helped" to the party by the casino's favorite ghost hands. They will be dragged, levitated, and thrown across the resort until they've "joined" the party. Those that wish to opt out will be conveniently overlooked, completely forgotten by both the house and the hands because they, "lack presence." Ouch!

► Guests that wish to leave the party before it reaches its official end 168 hours later will find obstacles getting in the way of exiting. Staff pop out of nowhere to cheerfully guide them over to this new game they must try. Waiters stop them with trays of steaming food that they think they'll really enjoy. Long-standing guests stumble directly into their path and drag them into some drunken shenanigans. The doors will randomly get stuck. While guests can certainly escape the party, the forces that be are determined to make it difficult for them to call it a night.
REFRESHMENTSWHAT THE RICH FOLK EAT: A massive buffet table lines the back wall of the casino. This nod to overconsumption and gluttony features expensive and exquisite eats from land to sea. Everything on the table is decadent; only the best for guests of the Golden Peacock. The servers working the table encourage guests to eat and eat and eat, even going so far as to help them load up their 16 inch plates until they're overflowing. Less is more? Nonsense. More is more.

IT'S GETTING BUBBLY: While there are plenty of libations to go around, there is one special champagne that's guaranteed sweep you off your feet. A few sips of the bubbly will have you floating in the air like you're the grandpa from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Guests that drink the bubbly will become like a bubble themselves, rising to the ceiling and swimming through the air. Unlike Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, however, burping isn't the answer to grounding safely. The bubbly wears off randomly and without warning, so be careful of falling on another guest or someone's game table.

JUST A PUFF OR TWO: There's a new smoke that's captured the attention of party-goers. This popular new drug is called twig. Smoked from a very thin joint with an earthy taste. Need to add some pep to your step? Twig is the smoking equivalent of two hundred cups of coffee. Who needs sleep? With twig, it's possible to stay awake for upwards of three days without feeling tired. Guests report feeling "brilliantly energized" after smoking twig. However, reports also note that once the high wears off, the user might feel like a deflated balloon that's been run over by a truck. Long-standing guests will encourage newer guests to give it a try. You can sleep after the party, bro!
GAME ROOMS
TRY YOUR LUCK

DIRTY DICE: EVEN DIRTIER A crowd favorite — Dirty Dice is BACK and now it's even dirtier. The creators put their heads together to come up with funnier and more dynamic dice options to keep things interesting for players. While the original game used a pair of standard six-sided dice, Dirty Dice: Even Dirtier debuts a pair of hefty twelve-sided dice.

► The rules for Dirty Dice: Even Dirtier remain the same as last year. Players will be seated at a two-top (though group Dirty Dice games are also encouraged!) with a set of dirty dice. The starting player rolls both dice. The action created with the dice must then be done to the opposing player — however, the rolling player does have the option to turn down the action if they're chicken. The second player will then roll the dice to create an action, similarly able to turn down the action if they're also chicken. Players continue to take turns until there is a winner.

► The first player to complete four actions will receive bragging rights, an extra large chip payout, and the resounding applause from the audience. For low rank guests, winning Dirty Dice: Even Dirtier may also come with an invitation to one of the exclusive lounges.

DIE A
1: TICKLE
2: FINGER
3: KISS
4: SUCK
5: CARESS
6: SLAP
7: FONDLE
8: PINCH
9: LICK
10: BITE
11: SNIFF
12: GRIND ON
DIE B
1: LIPS
2: THIGH
3: CHEST
4: ASS
5: MOUTH
6: ELBOW
7: NECK
8: EAR
9: NIPPLE
10: GENITALS
11: KNEE
12: NOSE


SEX TOY ROULETTE Come one, come all, step right up and try your luck with Sex Toy Roulette! Several giant roulette wheels (an ode to our favorite morning TV show, The Price Is Right) are waiting for those brave enough to give them a spin. Sex Toy Roulette is a game of chance that comes with risks and rewards. Are you daring enough to give it a go?

► Sex Toy Roulette is very easy to play. The player steps up to the wheel, grabs the handle, and gives it their best spin. Whatever the needle lands on when the wheel stops is what the player wins! Lucky ducks might land on one of the fabulous instant prizes which can be claimed immediately. Less lucky ducks land on one of the sex toy options.

► If the needle lands on one of the sex toy options the roulette manager will give the player the corresponding sex toy. The toy will sync with the player's Watch and begin a countdown of 4 hours. The instructions for further steps are also transmitted to their Watch: Use this sex toy in a sex act with another guest within 4 hours.

► Players that complete the game and use the sex toy within 4 hours will receive no penalty. They also get to keep the sex toy. Yay!

► Players that do not complete the game and do not use the sex toy within 4 hours will be penalized. Not only will a substantial amount of chips be drained from their bank account, guests may experience a sudden and intense suit flare. Wildcards may randomly experience symptoms of ANY SUIT.

1: BLINDFOLD
2: CHOCOLATE SYRUP
3: PADDLE
4: DILDO
5: INSTA-PRIZE
6: G-STRING
7: CLIT SUCKER
8: ANAL BEADS
9: ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH
10: INSTA-PRIZE
11: MAGIC WAND
12: GUN

13: A REGULAR SPOON
14: VIBRATOR
15: INSTA-PRIZE
16: ROPE
17: BALL GAG
18: FLESHLIGHT
19: BONDAGE TAPE
20: FLAVORED CONDOMS
21: INSTA-PRIZE
22: BUTT PLUG
23: GARTER BELT
24: KNIFE

25: NIPPLE CLAMPS
26: INSTA-PRIZE
27: LEASH & COLLAR
28: RIDING CROP
29: SEX DOLL
30: BEN WA BALLS
31: CHASTITY CAGE
32: ANKLE CUFFS
33: COCK RING
34: INSTA-PRIZE
35: CUCUMBER
36: HANDCUFFS

► Guests that land on INSTA-PRIZE may select from the following prizes:
  • An extra-large chip payout and money box experience. Stand inside a narrow box and enjoy being showered with the bills of different cultures across the multiverse! Dollars, yen, euros, yuan... you name it.
  • The royal experience. Travel around the party in the coveted Pure Gold Peacock Palanquin. Enjoy 24 hours of topless servants and constant hand-and-foot service. All of your commands will be obeyed.
  • Select from an assortment of luxury watches, necklaces, earrings, and other expensive articles of clothing. Cashmere, pure silk, Mongolian wool — high quality items for keeps. May also select from appliances that would not be normally found in low rank suites.
  • A brand new car or motorcycle!!! Yes, the car will have to live in the garage, but it's all yours. Winners who choose a motorcycle may ride it around the hallways of the resort.

  • ► The specific details of the sex toy a character is given is left to OOC discretion. For example, if you choose to land on "vibrator", you may have your character given any kind of vibrator. Have fun!

    1 or 11 Down the hall from the main hub guests may find a clandestine room with a silvery sign on the door — ARE YOU 1 OR 11? Crossing the threshold brings a different atmosphere from the card tables and slot machines. The game manager stops every person that comes inside, offering four cards and asking the new player to select one.

    "This will be your role inside Lovers' Hideaway," she explains with a smile. After selecting a card, the player will be guided past the velvet curtains to join in the amorous atmosphere of a silver-studded lounge with several private bedrooms.


    1 or 11 is a game of dominance and submission. The four hidden cards offered at the door are all Ace cards. The specific Ace card that the player draws indicates their role of either Dominant or Submissive. For the rest of their time inside Lover's Hideaway that is the dynamic they are expected to play. Players will win a large payout after any intimate D/s encounter.

    ► A player must redraw every time they leave and return to Lovers' Hideaway, so it is possible to play both dynamics.

    A♦: ACE OF DIAMONDS — 1, Submissive.
    A♥︎: ACE OF HEARTS — 11, Dominant.
    A♣: ACE OF CLUBS — 1, Submissive.
    A♠: ACE OF SPADES — 11, Dominant.


    ► The rules of 1 or 11 are otherwise very relaxed. Doms and Subs seek one another out inside Lovers' Hideaway and find mutual satisfaction together. The staff of Lovers' Hideaway are happy to provide any amenities that the couple would like to use in their play.
    HOUSE OF CARDS Ladies and gentleman! Do you dare to test how steady your hands are? Are you ready for a new challenge? Come play our new game, House of Cards. Step up to any table with a house of cards and prepare to go head-to-head with another guest in a game of strategy and luck.


    ► Players take turns removing one of the cards from a house of cards. Similarly to Jenga, players must be careful not to knock the house of cards over when removing a card. The player that causes the house to collapse is the loser. A large sum of chips will be transfered from the loser to the winner after the house falls.

    ► Each card has a question. After successfully pulling a card, the player must then answer the question honestly. Questions vary in intensity, ranging from simple inquiries such as, What is your favorite color? to more complicated, Would you betray a loved one for financial gain?

    ► Failure to answer the question or to answer it honestly will register as a loss on the player's Watch. The player will then be flagged as the loser and a large sum of chips will be transferred to the winning player.
    EXCLUSIVE LOUNGES
    ONLY FOR THE FEW

    HIGH CLASS OASIS Being a high rank in the Golden Peacock comes with perks. 168 hours is exhausting, so staff have arranged a luxurious respite for the high rank guests that need a break from the party. Guests ranked 10 - King are invited to come relax in the High Class Oasis. Suit-clad and sunglasses wearing security stand at the door and check each guest's credentials before they're allowed to enter.

    Security are strict about monitoring who is allowed to come into the oasis. They won't even allow a high rank to bring a mid or low rank with them; they won't risk upsetting any of the other high ranks. However, while these security guards are loyal and diligent, they aren't especially smart. It is possible for low and mid rank guests to sneak into the oasis with a bit of ingenuity. But be careful — if you don't walk the high class walk, one of the royal long-term guests might call for security to drag the peasants away.
  • Private bedrooms and sleeping pods.
  • Bathroom featuring showers, bath tubs, hot tubs, sauna, and steam room.
  • Racks of complimentary clothing.
  • Top-shelf bottles of wine, champagne, and spirits.
  • Complimentary cigarettes and cigars.
  • Full body massages and masseuses on call.
  • Birdbucks baristas serving up any and all coffee drinks, on the house.
  • Peace and quiet away from the peasants!


  • HIGH ROLLER CLUB Guests that are willing to bet high and gamble hard are invited to play in the High Roller Club. The High Roller Club isn't for the faint of wallet or heart; everything played inside this exclusive club is high risk and high reward. Guests that refuse to match the high risk energy of the club will be escorted out immediately. Entrance to the High Roller Club is dependent upon the means to bet high. If the dealers judge a guest to be broke and/or a coward, unable to put forth chips and unwilling to bet their bodies, they will be denied access.

    Guests that have been denied access but are caught trying to sneak in will be conscripted into drink service. They will be dressed up in a sexy bird costume and made to serve drinks to high rollers. Think sexy casino bunny, bird edition. Hey, at least that gives them a bird's eye view of how the extremely wealthy (and gambling addicts) play?
  • All games require large bets, either monetary or bodily.
  • Sex acts may be offered in lieu of chips if the player has no chips left to bet.
  • All drinks are complementary when playing in the club.
  • Wins and losses must be large enough to be impactful on a player's daily life.
  • Players can end up in the red, which triggers instant conscription. Players in massive debt will be forced to work in other areas of the party to begin paying back the house.
  • Any kind of game may be played in the club, including games under the "Game Rooms" tab.


  • WOMEN'S PARLOR A pair of eight foot Amazonian bouncers guard the doors to the Women's Parlor. Only guests that identify as women will be allowed to enter the parlor. Guests that identify as men will be blocked by the bouncers' crossed spears. This lounge is a private space for women to relax and refresh during the festivities.

    Like the other lounges, it is not impossible for guests that identify as men to sneak into the Women's Parlor. However, these Amazonian bouncers won't move an inch from the door and refuse to engage with men, leaving little room for persuasion or sneaking. Men who wish to sneak into the Women's Parlor will have to crossdress as women in order to pass the bouncers. It's important to keep up the act, too, lest the long-standing guests inside the parlor realize that men have snuck into their haven and call the Amazons to come catch them.
  • Comfortable couches and sofas; blankets and pillows.
  • A few showers stocked with amenities.
  • Quick laundry service for gowns and pantsuits.
  • Exclusive dessert bar, featuring limited edition pastries.
  • High tea at all hours, featuring limited edition tea blends and mini sandwiches.
  • Running chocolate fountain and numerous dip-able foods such as fruits and marshmallows.
  • Numerous kittens and cats for cuddling.
  • Complimentary shoulder and/or foot massages.






  • HANGOVER AFTERCARE
    DID YOU HAVE FUN?
    A LITTLE AFTERCAREThe morning after the party ends, characters will find themselves waking up with someone else in their bed. Did you go to bed with someone last night? Oops, looks like they got misplaced in the shuffle, but please enjoy this new person. No one should wake up alone after a party — or so the house thinks. Affection and intimacy have been reported to increase happiness in humans and semi-human individuals after an exhausting escapade. Plus, it's heard that hangovers can be torturous. Not that it would know.

    ► Guests won't just be waking up to each other. Waiting for them are trays with steaming hot breakfast and a large cloth bag labeled Hangover Kit. While you're enjoying some coffee and munching on bacon, feel free to dig into the bag and check out what the house has sent for you! Isn't it the best host?

    Please enjoy your complimentary: water bottle; aspirin packs; Pepto-Bismol; Gas-X; Imodium; anal douche; enema kit; viagra; face masks; a box of Bon-Bons; and one (1) random sex toy.

    Have a pleasant sleepy morning!


    OOC NOTES

    INVITES | RESERVES | APPLICATIONS
    BLANKET CW: Alcohol; altered states; BDSM dynamics; coercion; drug use; exhibitionism; food play; gambling; servitude

    ▶ 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.

    ▶ Happy New Year and 2025! ♥
    NAVIGATIONLOGNETWORKOOCMEME
    birding: (pic#17591103)

    vroom vroom;

    [personal profile] birding 2025-01-22 09:28 am (UTC)(link)
    ( it sounds like a joke: an empath willingly throwing himself into the parking garage with the emotions of all these newfound captives let loose. the dealers should reward him generously for the grand way he's about to screw himself over for putting himself right at the epicenter of fuck. the ground zero of spinning on it.

    but the narrative digresses.

    fair enough — this limousine seems like a decent choice in the line of vehicles he could experimentally jimmy to his heart's desire. the same tumult of human emotions that radiates from every newcomer is also present here: confusion, scandal, heartache, but therein lies the strangest rub...

    by the time kizuna gets a passenger door open, there's just a single girl inside, scantily clad in a silken robe and holding her head and blinking owlishly as a mellowed peace saturates her in a glimmering vision of oscillating color. and thus, him too. )


    Oh. Hello, good evening. Thank you for your assistance.

    ( —a frequency only interjected when another woman's speaking from... the driver's seat of the limo, the screen partition lowered enough for robin to peer in and smile congenially at the two passengers in the back. something practiced for the camera.

    it's hard to tell with the barrier: there must be feathers lining the robe she wears. why else would there be so many of them lining the sides of her throat too?

    ... but it must pinprick something awful to kizuna's feelings if he stares at them too long, a little like the mortifying ordeal of being known. )


    Rather than helping myself to the amenities, I don't suppose you can point me in the direction of the exit?
    relater: (323.)

    [personal profile] relater 2025-01-28 01:35 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Trying to keep him from impaling his delicate sensibilities on the toothy maw of whatever feathered beast might be waiting for him in the underground is an exercise in futility. Mostly for himself.

    That the feathered beast is a pretty girl with soft eyes, well. The way his gaze flashes to her and sticks is damning enough.
    ]

    ...you — [ the word escapes from his mouth with an uncharacteristic honesty, almost as if he'd needed to breathe it out from the sudden vacuous height of his lungs to get them working again. And again, in implication of him: ] There you are.

    [ Because that was the first instinct of an empathy forced through the glass by something it longs to compare itself to, mirrored in a way that scatters it like light. Where and who. Her, evidently, though the momentary slitting of his pupils forces him to look away before he's too consumed by what lies beyond the limousine's partition. Tension going into flux with some effort on his part, Kizuna smiles and leans against the car door frame. Hard reset — let him try that again.

    Though his skin is still humming with the refracted colors of that beautiful run off.
    ]

    Aha. I'd love to, in a simpler situation. But I'm afraid if you're looking for a way out, there isn't one.

    [ Idly, he extends his hand to the other girl in the back seat. ]

    You can go up, though.
    birding: (pic#17644459)

    [personal profile] birding 2025-01-28 06:55 am (UTC)(link)
    ( there you are. what a thing to say to a stranger. it could've been made playful — what are you doing in the driver's seat? do you even know how to drive? — but the open, candid look on this handsome man's face, how she feels thoroughly, uncomfortably seen in that moment, dashes that impression away at once.

    maybe it's a fair exchange: the moment robin had arrived, unknowing and panicked, she'd taken more than a few liberties. the privacy she normally affords to others was laid promptly to the wayside. in exchange, she would get slivers of proximity thoughts, pent-up emotions, anything that might help her to figure out the extent of this kidnapping, what they wanted for ransom, if the family and her brother have already been informed—

    all of that to say, there's nothing to read in the cacophony of similar confusion from the other girl in the car with her... and no real ill-intent from anyone. nothing more than a playful kindness from room service as he had first approached.

    and how it had all hollowed out.

    and that was before her resonance and the rebounding harmony she exerted to offer the other woman a preternatural calm. the nacre of it shines back into her eyes when she looks at him, an iridescence that seems to fold in on itself, trapped in the expanding event horizon of this man's sudden presence, his impossible gravity. reading his emotions feels like interference: a too similar wavelength, but discordant enough to know she's hit the wrong chord.

    how interesting. )


    I see... You're right. If it were as easy as driving a car through a window, someone else might have tried by now.

    ( —so much for that preternatural calm. the resident npc goes pale at once at the suggestion, registering that robin, who is saying all of this very calmly, is sitting in the driver's seat for a reason. she leaps into kizuna's offered... well, hand, possibly hoping he'd also lend the rest of his arm and the other to help her get out of the limousine right now, preferably immediately. )

    I'm joking. ( *she isn't ) There were some others before you that mentioned getting rooms ready. They were in such a rush, I didn't get much of an opportunity to inquire further.

    Is that all that's "up" there?
    relater: (299.)

    [personal profile] relater 2025-01-28 10:01 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Two forces so similar that they repel, an energy that collapses in on itself with such momentum that it swallows its own light. Echoes are what's left, even understandably so. ]

    I assure you that someone likely has. However! ☆ [ a tick of his index finger and a wink, somewhat mellowed from his usual flippancy. ] Property damage isn't a small thing to have to settle here, especially for a new arrival.

    [ Much to his new charge's anxiety. There is an apologetic downturn in his lashes as Kizuna helps the shaken npc up and out of the limousine with a few fortifying tuts and platitudes of encouragement — There, there, of course your esteemed driver was just kidding (*he knows she wasn't) and Look, someone's coming to help, you'll be alright~ He pats her arm and sends her on her way with one of the attendants now pulling new arrivals out of the vehicles. This esteemed driver, though...

    He's too curious to let her go. And so, he climbs into the back of the limo instead, primly clicking the door shut behind him. It's an atmosphere subdued by dissonance, its friction a fading note. Still, Kizuna isn't typically a sensible enough person to shy from that noise. He indulges his curiosity far too much to not endure it.

    A glimpse upwards yields a soft jawline hemmed in feathers and the same eyes looking back at him, though divested of their harmonic glow. It burns in his chest, the want to understand. However, there are questions he has to answer first, shoulders squaring lightly against new car leather.
    ]

    Not all, no. Rooms are the staple of any resort, so you'll find plenty, but there's an impossible amount of other places to go, too.

    [ Just not out. Whether by crashing car or a flourishing exit stage. ]
    birding: (pic#17632009)

    [personal profile] birding 2025-01-29 09:18 am (UTC)(link)
    ( how helpful he is in earnest. selfless and effortlessly charismatic. robin has talked to show hosts with a similar stage presence, although she supposes those motives are likely geared towards entertainment than a complete disavowal of ulterior circumstance. funny how that grounds her — she's an actress, her smile proper and her speech polished, prepping for the blinding lights and the leading interview. let's get this show on the road.

    only this time, she feels like she's the one stationed behind the camera, watching this man cater to another stranger until help's been duly secured by way of the hotel staff. reading him like this reverberates warmth, the evocative sound she sometimes hears when she's amidst volunteers in some far-off corner of the universe, finding peace in like-minded company.

    but the car door clicks shut with some kind of finality, his attention trained on her in this enclosed space. and ah — there it is again. )


    As the map on this handcuff of mine describes?

    ( as she lifts her wrist and the watch wrapped around it, red streaky marks on the skin where she must have tried to wrench it off to no avail. it isn't this conversation she wants, she supposes, when she's still blinking stars out of her vision. that impossible tide of light washing back over her like harmony's refraction. the paradisaical strokes of infinite color, not flashes of a warning, but still fit enough to swallow her whole—

    it's her own tuning reflected back at her. but it also isn't. less jarring the second time around, somehow, when they both must want the same thing and find it curious. but a mirror will reflect a mirror will reflect a mirror... and an echo will only inevitably repeat the same sound.

    and where there is an echo, there must also be vast, empty space. but the reality is, she's still here, sitting in that silent beat before resonance with the warmest stranger she's ever met. )


    How gracious of our hosts. And so creative too.

    If it's that kind of show they're after, usually directors only offer a cold bed and at least one other paid body. ( that's... pretty glib when all is said and done. the feathers along each ear unfurl with her bad humor, ruffled, a little, and unruly from washes of emotion she doesn't seem to know what to do with. ) Fifty-two... seems a bit much for the price of a check-out to a stay I don't recall signing up for.
    relater: (358.)

    [personal profile] relater 2025-02-03 08:56 am (UTC)(link)
    [ There's a slow shift to his expression as reality cords itself within the certainty of those words. It must have taken ages of practice for them to sound as pretty as they do while cradling the inherent cruelty of the situation. Acknowledgement has a certain cadence, a timbre; it makes him fast realize it could've been any other cruelty, any other situation. Another reflection, he senses, slightly aslant of the one he's trying to focus on. To blink the stars away would be a waste, and so they must be strengthened instead, studded and preserved as a measure of defense. Dressed up and turned back out on the world, unprepared to meet one of its own.

    Idolatry, he thinks. A sweetness burnt to cauterization. How alike and yet so rifted, the schism aching with a longing that still doesn't quite feel like it belongs to him. It is... irony, he's sure. Always playing the game as intended and yet feeling cowed by such balletic desensitization.

    Gaze drawing along the slope of ruffled feathers in polite interest, Kizuna's eyes have since returned to normal, the rounds of his pupils tightened slightly; around them, the auric color is watery at the edges, overbright.
    ]

    Our benefactors enjoy dealing in excess. [ An agreement, however pale. ] But you can still make their stage yours with a little know-how... so that when the time comes, the beds might not be as cold.

    [ Therein lies the truth of it: there isn't a way out of the steep price physically marked on them. He could sugarcoat that reality but finds himself shying from doing so, constitution thrumming with a thousand nameless colors. Sifting out the stardust to get at the foundation, the honesty, beneath.

    A moment passes and he pushes up from his seat, crossing the limousine's length to kneel closer to the partition between the back and the driver's cab.
    ]

    May I?

    [ He gestures for her wrist that hosts the resort's handcuff, the one scored by redness. ]
    birding: (pic#17632927)

    [personal profile] birding 2025-02-05 06:35 am (UTC)(link)
    ( it doesn't help that this moment's still stretching, one long dream spiraling sluggishly into suspended eternity. part of her — and robin doesn't like it, but she doesn't have to — has already jumped from denial to acceptance, and from there to damage control, but that had been before that sea of aurora shining back into her eyes. the aureole of a golden-green halo. and that hadn't been the harmony.

    she realizes after that moment, blinking again, that he's suddenly close enough to see it in his eyes: ink-blot pupils and a steady gaze — glinting brighter but not as bright as she feels it could be, like veins of newly minted gold. if it weren't for this hum of resonance beneath her skin, the way she can almost feel the color still working steadily between them both, then she might feel her hackles raising.

    they should still. it's too easy to feel like this, as if they're speaking from some shared codex or secret language every time she commits the grave trespass of trying to glean his thoughts. not a single word shared in that brief link at the beginning. she's barely saying anything now. )


    Mm.

    ( even if she is smiling in that same starry way, pulling the trailing sleeve of her robe back so she can present her streaky wrist and stuck watch through the open partition for his perusal.

    she doesn't even shift when something in the limousine stirs to life, some tiny disco ball dropping from some false velvet ceiling and strobe lights casting about blue and red and yellow lights in the wrong kind of spectrum. whatever malfunction's at fault in this vehicle... hardly even fazes her, when she hasn't looked away once.

    so it's not the disco lights when she offers, quietly, )


    ... They're very beautiful.
    relater: (23.)

    [personal profile] relater 2025-02-11 07:14 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Light flickers in his vision, droplets of it here and there, glaring and gleaming in plastic oscillation. Festive, false. And still when he looks up, automatically heralding the appearance of a dainty wrist through the partition with the smooth palm of his hand, he can't think of anything other than honesty: ]

    ...thank you.

    [ Atypical of him, but all of his defenses have been left burning like sun-shapes would burn on the backs of his eyelids. The ash of it, at the very least, is soft.

    Untroubled fingers trace a few of the welts leading up to the band of the watch. Kizuna focuses on it a moment even if his peripherals are full of things that don't belong to him. Even more unnerving is how those things still feel like his own. He'd be hard pressed to think of a similar situation, a similar feeling. Not in the vast, constellate network of all the things he has ever felt. Instead of letting himself go adrift, he gravitates towards her; self-preservation has never been his strong suit. Tapping the surface of the watch, he peruses as much as it'll let him with a little more than cursory interest — she's still a wildcard.

    Acceptance radiates from her as a wound might, the white-hot itch of losing something that simply can't be put back. And then the urge to defend it, its ghost in the way she thinks about exercising caution. That much he can still sense and he doesn't dare venture further. Slowly, he moves through the aftermath, the blotted out indistinctness of a detonation still ringing in his ears.

    He hears the sounds, but doesn't understand the words.
    ]

    That's quite the compliment. [ Kizuna hesitates, but not for long. ] I've never been unable to link with someone like that before.

    [ One long year later, and so few people know what that even is. ]

    What's your name?
    birding: (pic#17663462)

    [personal profile] birding 2025-02-14 04:46 am (UTC)(link)
    ( oh, she thinks, uncomprehending and understanding at once what exactly has been done to her.

    it should be unnerving if she's left to think about it: an abduction with all the sweetness of a lasting dream. it should sharpen her focus and keep her wary, but it's difficult to perceive anything beyond the feeling of drifting in some milky tendril of the galaxy — looking at the cosmos of this stranger's eyes and feeling it expanding faster than the speed of light into her empty spaces. it must be harmony's doing that she thinks it familiar, or the dissolution of a link which she thinks more familiar still. she should wonder, maybe, how she could know what he means. but here and now, in the shared blast radius of some otherwise distant star, unmoored in the undertow of each other's reflected feelings, it's harder to imagine how she couldn't.

    still. even with robin's acceptance, even with whatever it is that they shared, her body is still flesh and blood and her pulse hiccups, thumping against kizuna's fingertips along her inner wrist. )


    My name is Robin.

    ( because, they are strangers, after all. the speckling of artificial lights and the tinny, hushed sound of the radio playing could almost ground her as her eyes flicker down, watching his hand for some kind of tell, some reason for the casual touch.

    not that she would pull away. not after all of that. whatever he could want, she would want also — a thought with no basis except for the fact that it seems so dangerously true. )


    ... I didn't think that resonance could ever work in that manner, either.

    And you?

    ( his name? or the way he had felt alongside her? too many questions all wrapped up in the one. )
    relater: (81.)

    [personal profile] relater 2025-03-02 07:58 pm (UTC)(link)