【 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.
( he can't fault her for her answer, not when he would have underwent the very same struggle not too long ago. even now, any answer he might give to this particular question remains hazy at the edges, obscured from view as he tries to solidify a foundation he has only recently built.
he smiles gently at ishmael, reassuring. )
Certainly. There is no shame in admitting ignorance and uncertainty where one's future is involved.
( a particularly raucous laugh from nearby catches his attention, and he frowns as he glances to the side. )
Though I fear you may meet with some difficulty in achieving your goals while you remain here.
( unless her ideal future involves copious amounts of gambling and sex. )
[ yeah, she can't help but scowl at the same direction neuvillette was looking at. this is going to be a challenge, and she knows that she won't get out of here alive without fooling around with someone.
still, while she did not foresee copious amounts of sex before coming here, she has gambled with her own life on the line far too many times before arriving here. she looks back on the tower of cards and scans for a good one to pull. ]
I know. Right now, I'm just thinking that this is some sort of pit stop before I can truly go out there and explore. Not that this place isn't worth exploring either.
[ if anything, it's making her even more curious. but she'll hold that thought for now, wiggling at a card before quickly snatching it up --
and the tower of cards fall in a jumble, just like this. ishmael sits there, stunned. ]
...Shit. Um, I guess this is your win. Congratulations.
[ there goes her payout u_u but eh, she'll try again later. ]
( there it goes, the house of cards all fallen down, swept away like autumn leaves in a forceful gust of wind. were he another person, he might find joy or satisfaction in his victory; as it stands, the only feeling that swells in his chest is that of relief over one of these party games come to an end.
though it hardly seems fair for her to lose such a sum over a simple game of chance. thus, he holds up one hand and says: )
Miss Ishmael, if you wouldn't mind waiting a moment.
( such a pronouncement would usually precede something important, but instead of addressing her again, he motions instead for the nearby staff to come over before engaging in a quiet discussion with them. give him a moment. )
[ she's already doing some math in her mind, calculating how much chips she's going to have to spend for a couple more days until she finds a partner to gain more money from. this is almost as cumbersome as using time for currency back in T Corp, to be honest...
until neuvillette raises his hand, and she blinks. it's not like she's planning to leave in a bit, but -- ]
( he doesn't answer immediately, still in hushed conversation with the game staff. there are a few gestures towards the watch on his wrist, several presses against the screen by the patient staff member, and then—
—there's a soft ping on ishmael's watch, coinciding with a notification alerting her to a deposit of exactly half her chip losses from one neuvillette.
the staff member leaves and neuvillette lets both his hands fall back into his lap. )
I believe it's only fair to be equally recompensed for equal participation.
[ she peers at her watch, her eyes widening. she should be grateful, especially since in a few more days, she'll find out that she's landed on the bottom rank compared to virtually everyone else here in this resort.
but she can't help the crease that forms between her eyebrows as she faces neuvillette again, carefully scrutinizing him. ]
You're... not just doing this because you feel sorry for me, are you?
[ she'd thought the conditions of this game are fair enough. she lost, so she must pay. it could've been a lot worse, like paying for her literal time or worse, her own life. her time on the pequod and in the City as a Whole has trained her to be more cautious of the hand that feeds her, after all. ]
( he'd hardly expected an over-the-top show of gratitude for the return of half her chips, but the heavy scrutiny she suddenly turns on him leaves him at a loss, the relaxed set of his lips immediately pursing into a baffled frown. she stares at him; his only reply is to blink back, brows creased. )
I beg your pardon?
( she's truly flummoxed him with that one. )
Is there a reason I should feel sorry for you?
( perhaps over the deeply personal answers they'd shared with each other only minutes ago. but in truth, he'd never once considered her circumstances to be pitiful. from all his years of careful observance, he's witnessed many people fall into those same circumstances, adrift in the middle of a vast sea without a destination to point towards. some eventually find their way, the wind once again filling their sails, while others manage only to sink to the bottom of that sea. )
[ a noncommital shrug. neuvillette looks surprised, so perhaps he really was well-meaning. still, that does not mean she can let down her guard just yet. ]
Well, I lost. The rules clearly state that I'll have to give up a certain sum of chips to the victor. Yet you still gave back half of that.
[ she leans forward, placing her chin on an open palm as she keeps her gaze on him. she doesn't sound too accusatory, but rather curious more than anything. ]
Most people wouldn't normally go that far, especially for someone who they just met.
[ at least, most people in the City wouldn't. showing kindness like that can only lead to being taken advantaged of or even killed for their naivete, as ishmael had learned the hard way. once again she is all alone in her skiff in the middle of the unfamiliar sea, surrounded by marine life that can and will end her if she's not careful, no matter how docile they appear.]
( her words are reasonable. logical, even. yet he cannot help but sit straighter in his chair, hands folding perfectly in his lap. some of his previous stiffness has since returned, all traces of emotion swept back behind the curtain of formality. )
As the victor, I believe it is my right to choose how to spend the chips in my possession. And I chose to bequeath half the sum won to you.
( that, too, is logical in his eyes. )
As for our brief acquaintanceship, I believe it is also only fair to treat all with equal kindness and courtesy. I would have done the same for anyone else. ( simply and truthfully said. ) But if you feel as though I have overstepped my bounds, I would be happy to find some way to reverse the transaction.
( though he'll have to call over the staff member once more to repeat the steps of transferring chips from his account again. )
[ that's right. it wouldn't have mattered whether she ended up on the other side of this game table with him, or with someone else -- people like him would've extended their kindness either way, out of the sheer goodness of their hearts. it just so happened that ishmael is here before him, yet she cannot shake off that inexplicable feeling of guilt, as though she's taking advantage of that very kindness.
but that doesn't make sense, she thinks. she should just be nice in return -- it's the least she can do. and since apologizing is already too overdone here, she just bows her head. ]
You didn't overstep anything. I just do not trust easily, is all.
( though he cannot guess as to the exact experiences she must have lived through to leave her with such wariness, he can understand and respect the need to protect oneself from outside threat. she is no fontainian to fall under the umbrella of his care, nor is he some chivalrous knight in shining armor pure-hearted enough to save all those in need, but that does not mean he cannot empathize and hope for a kinder future for her.
gently, he shakes his head, rising from his chair now that the game and all its associated transactions are over. )
There is no need for repayment. I simply wished to act upon my own principles.
( and she is welcome to act on hers, should they meet again in the future. until then: )
I wish you the best, Miss Ishmael. May your future endeavors be as smooth as the surface of a tranquil lake.
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peacockstop2025-01-15 09:00 pm
no subject
he smiles gently at ishmael, reassuring. )
Certainly. There is no shame in admitting ignorance and uncertainty where one's future is involved.
( a particularly raucous laugh from nearby catches his attention, and he frowns as he glances to the side. )
Though I fear you may meet with some difficulty in achieving your goals while you remain here.
( unless her ideal future involves copious amounts of gambling and sex. )
no subject
still, while she did not foresee copious amounts of sex before coming here, she has gambled with her own life on the line far too many times before arriving here. she looks back on the tower of cards and scans for a good one to pull. ]
I know. Right now, I'm just thinking that this is some sort of pit stop before I can truly go out there and explore. Not that this place isn't worth exploring either.
[ if anything, it's making her even more curious. but she'll hold that thought for now, wiggling at a card before quickly snatching it up --
and the tower of cards fall in a jumble, just like this. ishmael sits there, stunned. ]
...Shit. Um, I guess this is your win. Congratulations.
[ there goes her payout u_u but eh, she'll try again later. ]
no subject
though it hardly seems fair for her to lose such a sum over a simple game of chance. thus, he holds up one hand and says: )
Miss Ishmael, if you wouldn't mind waiting a moment.
( such a pronouncement would usually precede something important, but instead of addressing her again, he motions instead for the nearby staff to come over before engaging in a quiet discussion with them. give him a moment. )
no subject
until neuvillette raises his hand, and she blinks. it's not like she's planning to leave in a bit, but -- ]
Er, did I do something wrong?
[ she lost the game, simple as that. ]
no subject
—there's a soft ping on ishmael's watch, coinciding with a notification alerting her to a deposit of exactly half her chip losses from one neuvillette.
the staff member leaves and neuvillette lets both his hands fall back into his lap. )
I believe it's only fair to be equally recompensed for equal participation.
no subject
but she can't help the crease that forms between her eyebrows as she faces neuvillette again, carefully scrutinizing him. ]
You're... not just doing this because you feel sorry for me, are you?
[ she'd thought the conditions of this game are fair enough. she lost, so she must pay. it could've been a lot worse, like paying for her literal time or worse, her own life. her time on the pequod and in the City as a Whole has trained her to be more cautious of the hand that feeds her, after all. ]
no subject
I beg your pardon?
( she's truly flummoxed him with that one. )
Is there a reason I should feel sorry for you?
( perhaps over the deeply personal answers they'd shared with each other only minutes ago. but in truth, he'd never once considered her circumstances to be pitiful. from all his years of careful observance, he's witnessed many people fall into those same circumstances, adrift in the middle of a vast sea without a destination to point towards. some eventually find their way, the wind once again filling their sails, while others manage only to sink to the bottom of that sea. )
no subject
Well, I lost. The rules clearly state that I'll have to give up a certain sum of chips to the victor. Yet you still gave back half of that.
[ she leans forward, placing her chin on an open palm as she keeps her gaze on him. she doesn't sound too accusatory, but rather curious more than anything. ]
Most people wouldn't normally go that far, especially for someone who they just met.
[ at least, most people in the City wouldn't. showing kindness like that can only lead to being taken advantaged of or even killed for their naivete, as ishmael had learned the hard way. once again she is all alone in her skiff in the middle of the unfamiliar sea, surrounded by marine life that can and will end her if she's not careful, no matter how docile they appear.]
no subject
As the victor, I believe it is my right to choose how to spend the chips in my possession. And I chose to bequeath half the sum won to you.
( that, too, is logical in his eyes. )
As for our brief acquaintanceship, I believe it is also only fair to treat all with equal kindness and courtesy. I would have done the same for anyone else. ( simply and truthfully said. ) But if you feel as though I have overstepped my bounds, I would be happy to find some way to reverse the transaction.
( though he'll have to call over the staff member once more to repeat the steps of transferring chips from his account again. )
no subject
but that doesn't make sense, she thinks. she should just be nice in return -- it's the least she can do. and since apologizing is already too overdone here, she just bows her head. ]
You didn't overstep anything. I just do not trust easily, is all.
[ then, she looks up at him with an exhale. ]
...Thank you. I'll repay your kindness one day.
no subject
gently, he shakes his head, rising from his chair now that the game and all its associated transactions are over. )
There is no need for repayment. I simply wished to act upon my own principles.
( and she is welcome to act on hers, should they meet again in the future. until then: )
I wish you the best, Miss Ishmael. May your future endeavors be as smooth as the surface of a tranquil lake.