【 Thank you for choosing the Golden Peacock, 5-star resort and casino. You are currently registered as a WILDCARD in our system.
We are pleased to announce that several films have begun production in the resort! All guests are encouraged to participate as actors and crew during this time. Two highly anticipated blockbusters are part of the filming block and will have an opening night premiere at the newly renovated Hatchbox Theater.
We would also like to extend a gentle warning to all actors. New tabloids and journalists have snuck into the Peacock alongside production, so please be cautious of aggressive reporters. We would hate to see our beloved guests embroiled in public scandal.
Please look forward to your debut on the silver screen and all of the new artistic content soon available for your viewing pleasure! 】
HONEYWAGONS
A STAR'S WELCOME
ACTOR RESUME
WELLA WARBLER
Height: 4 inches Weight: 5 oz Age: 3 years (24 in bird years!) Eye color: black Hair color: yellow
TYPECAST & SUITABLE ROLES
• animal sidekick • emotional guide • damsel in distress
KINKS & FETISHES
• berry licking • mating dances • hardcore bdsm
SPECIAL SKILLS
• singing • flying fast • speed sudoku
COSTUME DEPARTMENT
GET INTO CHARACTER
GRAB A GIG
FIND YOUR BIG BREAK
LORD OF THE WINGS
AN EPIC (AND SEXY) JOURNEY
【 Once upon a time, in a magical land far, far away...
The Lord of the Wings, a massive dragon with no equal, demanded a bride tribute from all of the kingdoms across the continent. Every month each province was required to send their most beautiful men and women to become the dragon's next bride(s). Ever greedy, the dragon was not satisfied with having one bride. Not with twelve brides, nor two hundred brides. The dragon always demanded more. The number of hot people around to bang dwindled. Things were looking grim.
Soon, a group of brave warriors gathered to travel the lands and slay this dragon. They enjoyed adventures of fucking their way through sirens, fucking their way though the faeries, and fucking their way through the mage school and beastmen tribes. They reached the dragon's crystal lair where the dragon, who took beautiful humanoid form, approached them.
The dragon promised that if any warrior could satisfy them sexually, they would return all of the brides to their homes. Each warrior took a turn trying to satisfy the dragon — but only with their efforts combined in one massive orgy was the dragon finally satisfied.
All of the brides were released and the warriors moved into the crystal lair to live a loving polyamorous relationship with the dragon. All was well. The end. 】
STAR WARBLERS
A THRILLING (AND SEXY) SPACE OPERA
【 Once upon a time, in a galaxy, far away...
The Palm Warblers and the Pine Warblers, two different legions of the massive Warbler fleet, began to battle. Whenever their ships would meet in space they would fight with the winner taking prisoners of war. After one such battle, a captured Captain of the Palm Warbler legion held in prison met a Lieutenant of the Pine Warbler tribe. After some rivalry, the two fell deeply in love.
They had a ton of kinky prison sex. However, the two were not satisfied with fucking between prison bars. They wanted to properly marry. But how could they with their two legions at war?
They each gathered friends and more sex was had between all. More matches between the Palms and the Pines happened, leading to even more kinky space sex. Bolstered by friendship and newfound fetishes, they gripped their laser guns and seized the science lab where some important keystone gemstone was being examined and researched by space scientists. This stone was very important for the future breeding of the Warbler race.
By holding the lab hostage, the ship's Commander put down their weapons and handed over the keys. The Palm Captain and the Pine Lieutenant held hands as they steered the ship off to find a new planet where they could live in peace together. The war between the two tribes ended because of good sex. All was well. The end. 】
SHORT FILMS
THE GOLDEN PEACOCK SUPPORTS THE ARTS
【 Ladies and Gentlemen!
Peacock Productions is pleased to announce the following short erotic films. Actors interested in participating in filming are welcome to arrive on set to shoot at any time. Various accommodations are available depending upon actor comfort.
FILMS • ALIENS PROBED ME!
• ARRANGED MARRIAGE WEDDING NIGHT
• BIG TIDDY NUN NEEDS PUNISHING
• BIRD IN THE BUSH
• EXORCIST KIDNAPPED BY DEMON LOVER
• FELINE ATTRACTION
• GUARD TOPS MASTER IN BED
• HORNY NERD CREAMPIE
• HOT FOR TEACHER
• INCUBUS SEDUCES SLUTTY PRIEST
FILMS • JEALOUS SPOUSE DISCIPLINES LOVER
• LONELY TENTACLES WANT LOVE
• MAGES GONE WILD
• PIZZA DELIVERY BOY IS HOT
• PLANTS HUNGER FOR SEX
• SAMURAI PLEDGES AND SERVES
• THEY WERE BOTH BOTTOMS
• TOP ON TOP ACTION
• VAMPIRE’S AROUSING BITE
• VIRGIN’S FIRST TIME
• WHOLESOME COUPLE MAKING LOVE
• WOLFMAN TAKES A MATE
… and many, many, many more! We look forward to working with you. 】
▶ BLANKET CW: cameras; compulsion; costumes; dubcon; nudes; pornography; roleplaying; recording; sex tropes; stalking; video
▶ 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 May event. Since April's event was a bit serious, we're leaning in the opposite direction and going full camp for this meme.
▶ 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 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.
[ It doesn't require Keita's clairvoyance to understand that the man he sees on the fringes of the set is deeply uncomfortable with his circumstances. There it is, in the way he draws his robe closed, the way he shies away from anyone who approaches him too closely. Although he doesn't know the man's circumstances, he can certainly appreciate the sense of being overwhelmed by all that the resort can be, and it's for that reason that once Keita has completed one of his tasks—having been brought into the production, this time, as a prop runner instead of an actor—he draws up a police distance from Viktor's side, his body turned at an angle so as not to face him directly, but rather to look out at the buzz of activity on set. ]
It's all a bit much, isn't it? [ he says, conversationally. Then, a brief glance over at Viktor; if Keita is at all surprised by his appearance, it doesn't show on his face. ] I can show you to the room where they keep the stage properties, if you need a moment to catch your breath.
[ On the one hand, Keita is a stranger, so he won't blame Viktor for declining; on the other hand, Viktor looks so visibly discomfited that Keita couldn't not make an attempt to give him an out, however brief. ]
[ Coming from a place of oblivion, a serene and empty aftermath to his exploration and subsequent loss of control via the arcane and hexcore to a place so lively and bright and alive is certainly taking its toll on him. He was gone, or presumably so, turned into something abstract, something that could no longer be considered a functional human. To be so roughly tossed back into a body that he no longer knew, and with all this buzz of excitement and energy around him, it was so terribly overwhelming. He pulls the cloak around him tighter as he's approached, prismatic eyes looking away momentarily. ]
A bit much is a...bit of an understatement. [ But the offer gets Keita a raised brow and almost a raise of hackles as Viktor weighs that option. ] Offering a stranger you barely know a reprieve of solitude...
[ He gives the other a wary look. ] That's quite generous of you. [ But what's the catch? Is what his expression asks. ]
[ Really, Viktor can't be blamed for being a little suspicious of the offer. Keita might be the same, were their positions reversed—coming from a world where little is offered for free, from circumstances that would not lend themselves to trust in others, any such consideration would come with strings attached.
But Keita has been here for what feels like an age, now, and he understands that sometimes there is value in a simple offer of kindness without further expectation. ]
I suppose, [ Keita says, with a one-shouldered shrug like he doesn't think much of his own generosity. ] It's an offer I wish someone had made me, when I arrived.
[ For a moment he's quiet, no pushing, no convincing. Either Viktor will take the offer or he won't, but Keita isn't intending to manipulate or manhandle him into it. ]
I'm called Keita Mori, by the way, [ he adds after a second. Sometimes, his clairvoyance being what it is, Keita forgets to introduce himself entirely; he's pleased with himself for remembering, this time. ] And you're right, "a bit much" is more than a bit of an understatement.
It's a generous offer, and one I will not forget. But given the climate of this place you understand why I would be a little worried to accept it, no? [ Such generosity is not often directed his way. But more than that, offering to help most often doesn't come without a want for a favor returned. ] But at least we are in agreement on our circumstances.
[ Viktor stalls for a moment before motioning with his metallic hand to lead the way forward. ] It's Viktor.
[ A partial upturn on his lips into a smile. ] I am to assume you've been here for a while, then? You speak of someone who has...experience of this place.
I made the offer expecting that it might be rebuffed, [ Keita admits with a wry smile. ] Please rest assured I won't take offense.
[ Granted that Viktor has no cause to trust him yet. That kind of thing is built over time, not with reassurances only moments after first meeting. But it is, for what it's worth, the truth. And after a moment, when Viktor gestures for him to lead the way, Keita nods with the understanding that theirs is a tenuous agreement for the time being.
The way to the prop storage room isn't far, it just requires a bit of navigation around set pieces and back past the costume department. Keita leads the way, maintaining a proper distance between them, although his attention is unmistakably on Viktor—to the point that he's not actually looking where he's going, although unerringly he manages to avoid every possible obstacle. ]
I've been here a bit longer than a year now, [ Keita says. ] I was rather unceremoniously blown up in my own world, and then—opened my eyes and was in one of the rooms downstairs. It took some getting used to, as I'm sure you can imagine.
And miss the chance of being spared being gawked at? [ His lips hold a faint smile, but it's easily disappaited as they start to walk.
It's obvious to see how Viktor despises the lingering looks he gets. The uncomfortableness he has for his own strange metallic body that shimmers and glows with an undercurrent of warped energy is easy enough to see. He notes Keita staring and pulls the cloak tighter around his person. Keita's words cut through the silence, and it almost makes Viktor jump at the suddenness of it.
Unceremoniously blown up. Strange thing to have in common, really, but Viktor doesn't comment on it. His face remains an impenetrable mask of stoicism as he looks away from Keita. ] I can imagine a great deal. It's been...trying, to say the least. But that is all we can hope to do, yes? Try to...accommodate to adapt to our new surroundings.
[ Whatever that accommodation or adaptation might entail, Viktor knows not. ]
[ It's not even really that Keita is looking at Viktor's form in any particularly interested way—indeed, for the most part he's meeting Viktor's eyes—but when it becomes apparent that the attention makes him uncomfortable regardless, Keita is quick to turn away. It's for the best, too, as they approach the door that leads to the small storage room, which Keita nudges with one shoulder and then holds open for Viktor to join him.
The space isn't too cramped, although it's hardly spacious either. There are a couple of mismatched chairs, one desk, and some shelves full of various props—fake weapons, food, and the like. Keita chooses to sit on the desk, hopping up to let his feet dangle, and gives Viktor his choice of where to sit for himself. ]
Yes, [ Keita says, honestly. ] To adapt as best you can is the only course of action. One of the first things I learned here is that resistance is largely meaningless—the resort will force your hand eventually.
[ And it only took one embarrassing suit flare for Keita to learn. ]
There are good people here, though, [ he adds after a moment. ] For what that's worth.
[ Viktor follows, quietly still, as he looks around the room with some hesitancy. But he will finally sit on one of the provided chairs facing the desk and the man who sits upon it.
His eyes swirl with intrigue, the glow of the arcane from his body faintly visible beneath the hooded wizard robe he wears. There's a prolonged silence before he can't help but let out a mirthless laugh at that. ] The illusion of choice...
[ How ironic that he's thrown into a place such as this. Or perhaps not. This must be his comeuppance for all that he has done. 'Good people,' Keita says, and Viktor's eyes trail to a prop lying on the ground near his feet. ] The knowledge imparted is worth a great deal. I'm grateful for your mentioning it. Finding those that you trust is of utmost importance then.
[ A firm network, one that Viktor isn't sure he deserves or should be allowed... ]
[ Keita tips his head slightly in acknowledgement, a wry smile of his own crossing his lips. ]
Yes, [ he says. ] A beautiful cage, but a cage nonetheless.
[ But so often what people perceive as "choice" is in fact the illusion thereof, isn't it? Keita is often of two minds—the number of choices can be enormous or tiny, but the number of options available is always defined. He leans back on his palms, tilting his head thoughtfully. ]
Yes, [ Keita says. ] Everyone here has adapted somewhat differently to the demands of life in this place, of course... but for the most part, we're all after the same thing.
[ For those who wish to be free to be free, and perhaps for everyone else to be unshackled from the need to fuck their way through life here. ]
At least they are not obtuse about what this place is meant to be. [ Judging from his tone of voice, he sounds perturbed about it being so openly known as to what this really is. He also looks like he's seen a ghost. Just thinking about what is expected of them here has what minimal color on Viktor's face draining immediately. Viktor is not exactly...a prime candidate for this place. ]
But even cages have keys. Although I will assume that no one has ever found a way out on their own accord? [ What lies beyond this hotel, if anything at all? He knows the arcane, and he knows the breadth of solitude it provides when consumed by it. But this wasn't that either, a pocket void in some strange dimension then? ]
Who exactly owns the gilded cage? I can't imagine people not wanting to know such things. [ He gives Keita a sideways glance. ] The same thing. And what might that thing be?
[ Because, quite frankly, Viktor hadn't even expected to be alive right now. He doesn't know what he wants or if he's entitled to wanting anything at all. Guilt is a heavy thing, isn't it? Like an all-encompassing shadow that drowns out most things, including desires. ]
That's correct, [ Keita says. ] Many have either turned to statues or vanished entirely, seemingly by no choice of their own, but to the best of my knowledge no one has ever won the game and made their escape.
[ If such a thing had happened, while it may have escaped his own clairvoyance—as many things about the resort and its workings tend to do—Keita is sure that someone would have known, and that the information would have made its way around the guests as such things are wont to do.
The follow-up questions earn a thoughtful sound. ]
Are you familiar with gambling terms? [ Keita himself hadn't been, upon his arrival. ] It seems that what we call "the House" is in fact some manner of... parasitic entity that occupies the resort itself and perhaps draws its energy from our... activities. My understanding is that the House would cease to exist without its host, but it isn't clear whether the resort would be able to function without the House.
[ It's strange to think of them in those terms. The House not unlike a tapeworm, consuming energy deep in its host's bowels... Yuck. He shakes his head briefly to dispel the image. ]
What I mean is that most, although perhaps not all, want for those who wish to leave this place to have the freedom to do so, and for those who don't wish to leave—or who can't, like myself—to be able to stay without so many demands made of us.
Turned to statues... [ ah that is a bit of an inconvenience, although in a brief swell of self pity Viktor wonders if he's better off as one of them littering this place. ] Gambling? Of a fashion.
[ His eyebrows knit in consternation as Keita continues. There's a flicker of color in his eyes, colors of deep blue and red, sadness and anger. ]
From what you've described, I'd imagine this House, whatever sort of entity it may be, wouldn't let the winners go free regardless. [ An entity that feeds off its hosts like a parasite. Viktor winces, visibly, as he closes his eyes and brings metallic fingers up to his temple with the sudden throb of pain. Flashes of the hexcore, the people he turned, all flicker through his consciousness. The Herald is the final vision that makes him let out a sharp gasp before his eyes open again. A bit of sweat on his brow as he looks away at his hand, shaking ever so slightly, but he regains his composure quickly enough. ]
Thank you for your honesty and answers, it's been...illuminating to say the least.
I fear you may be correct. [ It is a source of endless consternation to Keita that his clairvoyance is stymied when it comes to the House. If only he could see the results of that particular series of decisions... but where those memories should be, there is, as always, only blankness. ] Although I believe I did once hear of someone completing a deck and making a wish. Not recently, though.
[ And Keita has never asked Jin Mingming, proprietress of the Red Cardinal, to tell him her story face to face—he's only heard these things through the so-called grapevine.
The sudden wince and aborted gasp make Keita's brows furrow slightly, and he tilts his head in concern, but something about the way Viktor puts himself quickly back together suggests that he wouldn't like to be asked about it. Since he offers no clarification, Keita doesn't press him on the matter. ]
I'm glad to be of help, [ he says instead. ] I just wish I had better news for you.
[ He doesn't speak of it, nor does he show that it's still affecting him in any way. The thought of him and others being at the mercy of an entity well beyond their comprehension and control it does something in him. Ignites this overwhelming sense of fear. But he does not show it. ]
Good or not, it still gives a person a frame of reference, however much that may be worth in a place like this. This wish you spoke of, do you know what it was exactly? Or even perhaps the state of the hotel when it was granted?
[ Unfortunately, the answer to that question is only more bad news: ]
The rumor is that she wished for her daughter's freedom, and as a result is now trapped here forever.
[ The implication is, therefore, that a full deck can only be used once, and the wish only used for one person. If that were the case, it would explain certain mechanics that have been obfuscated thus far, and would answer the question of why a single person couldn't simply wish for everyone in the resort to be freed...
Keita sighs. ]
As for the state of the hotel, I'm afraid I couldn't say. I believe that this took place quite some time ago, before any of our cohort of guests had arrived.
Are you familiar with alchemical processes? They are primarily focused on the concept of equivalent exchange. That something cannot be transmuted without something else. If we factor that into what happened, then it's safe to assume that an exchange happened, of a sort, and the full deck was the catalyst for it. If there happened to be two or more people who achieved a full deck, I wonder if overloading the system could be something feasibly done? All of us wishing for something, simultaneously, and thus causing a large enough energy expenditure that the hotel cannot possibly keep up with. [ Interesting. But it's merely speculation on his part and not something that could be done easily, he assumes. ]
Have you found that people wish to leave this place? [ Another inquiring tilt of his head and look back at the other. ]
[ Keita tilts his head thoughtfully. Although his own interest in science lies in the mechanical and not the alchemical, he is passingly familiar with the principles—he hasn't been thinking of the rules of the House as being analogous to alchemy, but he supposes it's a possibility. ]
We know very, very little about the House and its mechanisms at this point, [ Keita says, ] so your hypothesis is as good as any. I take it you're scientifically minded?
[ There's a mild interest there. Hard sciences definitely aren't Keita's cup of tea, but he does like the experience of listening to someone talk about something about which they're passionate.
The follow-up question gives him pause, and then he smiles again, wryly. ]
Some of them do. Not all.
[ Some of them. Not Keita, though. Or rather, he has nowhere to go, so what's the point? ]
Mm. [ Just a soft noise of acknowledgement at the question. ] Techmaturgy was my main area of study.
[ But even as he asks that Viktor hardly has anything to go back to now either. Even if he somehow survived, he would be the most wanted man in Piltover and Zaun, and for good reason. He was not the man that Jayce thought him to be, and even just thinking about the other causes a pang of hurt to course through his heart.
What would be the point of returning to a world where you had no home? But if people here wanted to leave, nothing is stopping him from finding a way out. He has always, if nothing else, wanted to help people. ]
[ Keita has to take a moment to puzzle through the root words of that one; some of it is obvious enough, but the latter half requires some thinking. Eventually, through a combination of critical thinking and slight glimpses into the immediate future, Keita says, ]
I'm afraid such a field of study doesn't exist in my home world, at least not yet. I'm familiar with thaumaturgy, the performing of miracles, but I'm curious how that might interact with technology.
[ Although judging by Viktor's demeanor, there's a nonzero chance that Keita's curiosity won't be satisfied today, or perhaps ever. That's all right, though. He would never push when it isn't necessary, and he knows it's hardly his God-given right to know Viktor's story. ]
costume department
It's all a bit much, isn't it? [ he says, conversationally. Then, a brief glance over at Viktor; if Keita is at all surprised by his appearance, it doesn't show on his face. ] I can show you to the room where they keep the stage properties, if you need a moment to catch your breath.
[ On the one hand, Keita is a stranger, so he won't blame Viktor for declining; on the other hand, Viktor looks so visibly discomfited that Keita couldn't not make an attempt to give him an out, however brief. ]
no subject
A bit much is a...bit of an understatement. [ But the offer gets Keita a raised brow and almost a raise of hackles as Viktor weighs that option. ] Offering a stranger you barely know a reprieve of solitude...
[ He gives the other a wary look. ] That's quite generous of you. [ But what's the catch? Is what his expression asks. ]
no subject
But Keita has been here for what feels like an age, now, and he understands that sometimes there is value in a simple offer of kindness without further expectation. ]
I suppose, [ Keita says, with a one-shouldered shrug like he doesn't think much of his own generosity. ] It's an offer I wish someone had made me, when I arrived.
[ For a moment he's quiet, no pushing, no convincing. Either Viktor will take the offer or he won't, but Keita isn't intending to manipulate or manhandle him into it. ]
I'm called Keita Mori, by the way, [ he adds after a second. Sometimes, his clairvoyance being what it is, Keita forgets to introduce himself entirely; he's pleased with himself for remembering, this time. ] And you're right, "a bit much" is more than a bit of an understatement.
no subject
[ Viktor stalls for a moment before motioning with his metallic hand to lead the way forward. ] It's Viktor.
[ A partial upturn on his lips into a smile. ] I am to assume you've been here for a while, then? You speak of someone who has...experience of this place.
no subject
[ Granted that Viktor has no cause to trust him yet. That kind of thing is built over time, not with reassurances only moments after first meeting. But it is, for what it's worth, the truth. And after a moment, when Viktor gestures for him to lead the way, Keita nods with the understanding that theirs is a tenuous agreement for the time being.
The way to the prop storage room isn't far, it just requires a bit of navigation around set pieces and back past the costume department. Keita leads the way, maintaining a proper distance between them, although his attention is unmistakably on Viktor—to the point that he's not actually looking where he's going, although unerringly he manages to avoid every possible obstacle. ]
I've been here a bit longer than a year now, [ Keita says. ] I was rather unceremoniously blown up in my own world, and then—opened my eyes and was in one of the rooms downstairs. It took some getting used to, as I'm sure you can imagine.
no subject
It's obvious to see how Viktor despises the lingering looks he gets. The uncomfortableness he has for his own strange metallic body that shimmers and glows with an undercurrent of warped energy is easy enough to see. He notes Keita staring and pulls the cloak tighter around his person. Keita's words cut through the silence, and it almost makes Viktor jump at the suddenness of it.
Unceremoniously blown up. Strange thing to have in common, really, but Viktor doesn't comment on it. His face remains an impenetrable mask of stoicism as he looks away from Keita. ] I can imagine a great deal. It's been...trying, to say the least. But that is all we can hope to do, yes? Try to...accommodate to adapt to our new surroundings.
[ Whatever that accommodation or adaptation might entail, Viktor knows not. ]
no subject
The space isn't too cramped, although it's hardly spacious either. There are a couple of mismatched chairs, one desk, and some shelves full of various props—fake weapons, food, and the like. Keita chooses to sit on the desk, hopping up to let his feet dangle, and gives Viktor his choice of where to sit for himself. ]
Yes, [ Keita says, honestly. ] To adapt as best you can is the only course of action. One of the first things I learned here is that resistance is largely meaningless—the resort will force your hand eventually.
[ And it only took one embarrassing suit flare for Keita to learn. ]
There are good people here, though, [ he adds after a moment. ] For what that's worth.
no subject
His eyes swirl with intrigue, the glow of the arcane from his body faintly visible beneath the hooded wizard robe he wears. There's a prolonged silence before he can't help but let out a mirthless laugh at that. ] The illusion of choice...
[ How ironic that he's thrown into a place such as this. Or perhaps not. This must be his comeuppance for all that he has done. 'Good people,' Keita says, and Viktor's eyes trail to a prop lying on the ground near his feet. ] The knowledge imparted is worth a great deal. I'm grateful for your mentioning it. Finding those that you trust is of utmost importance then.
[ A firm network, one that Viktor isn't sure he deserves or should be allowed... ]
no subject
Yes, [ he says. ] A beautiful cage, but a cage nonetheless.
[ But so often what people perceive as "choice" is in fact the illusion thereof, isn't it? Keita is often of two minds—the number of choices can be enormous or tiny, but the number of options available is always defined. He leans back on his palms, tilting his head thoughtfully. ]
Yes, [ Keita says. ] Everyone here has adapted somewhat differently to the demands of life in this place, of course... but for the most part, we're all after the same thing.
[ For those who wish to be free to be free, and perhaps for everyone else to be unshackled from the need to fuck their way through life here. ]
I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.
no subject
But even cages have keys. Although I will assume that no one has ever found a way out on their own accord? [ What lies beyond this hotel, if anything at all? He knows the arcane, and he knows the breadth of solitude it provides when consumed by it. But this wasn't that either, a pocket void in some strange dimension then? ]
Who exactly owns the gilded cage? I can't imagine people not wanting to know such things. [ He gives Keita a sideways glance. ] The same thing. And what might that thing be?
[ Because, quite frankly, Viktor hadn't even expected to be alive right now. He doesn't know what he wants or if he's entitled to wanting anything at all. Guilt is a heavy thing, isn't it? Like an all-encompassing shadow that drowns out most things, including desires. ]
no subject
[ If such a thing had happened, while it may have escaped his own clairvoyance—as many things about the resort and its workings tend to do—Keita is sure that someone would have known, and that the information would have made its way around the guests as such things are wont to do.
The follow-up questions earn a thoughtful sound. ]
Are you familiar with gambling terms? [ Keita himself hadn't been, upon his arrival. ] It seems that what we call "the House" is in fact some manner of... parasitic entity that occupies the resort itself and perhaps draws its energy from our... activities. My understanding is that the House would cease to exist without its host, but it isn't clear whether the resort would be able to function without the House.
[ It's strange to think of them in those terms. The House not unlike a tapeworm, consuming energy deep in its host's bowels... Yuck. He shakes his head briefly to dispel the image. ]
What I mean is that most, although perhaps not all, want for those who wish to leave this place to have the freedom to do so, and for those who don't wish to leave—or who can't, like myself—to be able to stay without so many demands made of us.
no subject
[ His eyebrows knit in consternation as Keita continues. There's a flicker of color in his eyes, colors of deep blue and red, sadness and anger. ]
From what you've described, I'd imagine this House, whatever sort of entity it may be, wouldn't let the winners go free regardless. [ An entity that feeds off its hosts like a parasite. Viktor winces, visibly, as he closes his eyes and brings metallic fingers up to his temple with the sudden throb of pain. Flashes of the hexcore, the people he turned, all flicker through his consciousness. The Herald is the final vision that makes him let out a sharp gasp before his eyes open again. A bit of sweat on his brow as he looks away at his hand, shaking ever so slightly, but he regains his composure quickly enough. ]
Thank you for your honesty and answers, it's been...illuminating to say the least.
no subject
[ And Keita has never asked Jin Mingming, proprietress of the Red Cardinal, to tell him her story face to face—he's only heard these things through the so-called grapevine.
The sudden wince and aborted gasp make Keita's brows furrow slightly, and he tilts his head in concern, but something about the way Viktor puts himself quickly back together suggests that he wouldn't like to be asked about it. Since he offers no clarification, Keita doesn't press him on the matter. ]
I'm glad to be of help, [ he says instead. ] I just wish I had better news for you.
no subject
Good or not, it still gives a person a frame of reference, however much that may be worth in a place like this. This wish you spoke of, do you know what it was exactly? Or even perhaps the state of the hotel when it was granted?
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The rumor is that she wished for her daughter's freedom, and as a result is now trapped here forever.
[ The implication is, therefore, that a full deck can only be used once, and the wish only used for one person. If that were the case, it would explain certain mechanics that have been obfuscated thus far, and would answer the question of why a single person couldn't simply wish for everyone in the resort to be freed...
Keita sighs. ]
As for the state of the hotel, I'm afraid I couldn't say. I believe that this took place quite some time ago, before any of our cohort of guests had arrived.
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Have you found that people wish to leave this place? [ Another inquiring tilt of his head and look back at the other. ]
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We know very, very little about the House and its mechanisms at this point, [ Keita says, ] so your hypothesis is as good as any. I take it you're scientifically minded?
[ There's a mild interest there. Hard sciences definitely aren't Keita's cup of tea, but he does like the experience of listening to someone talk about something about which they're passionate.
The follow-up question gives him pause, and then he smiles again, wryly. ]
Some of them do. Not all.
[ Some of them. Not Keita, though. Or rather, he has nowhere to go, so what's the point? ]
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[ But even as he asks that Viktor hardly has anything to go back to now either. Even if he somehow survived, he would be the most wanted man in Piltover and Zaun, and for good reason. He was not the man that Jayce thought him to be, and even just thinking about the other causes a pang of hurt to course through his heart.
What would be the point of returning to a world where you had no home? But if people here wanted to leave, nothing is stopping him from finding a way out. He has always, if nothing else, wanted to help people. ]
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[ Keita has to take a moment to puzzle through the root words of that one; some of it is obvious enough, but the latter half requires some thinking. Eventually, through a combination of critical thinking and slight glimpses into the immediate future, Keita says, ]
I'm afraid such a field of study doesn't exist in my home world, at least not yet. I'm familiar with thaumaturgy, the performing of miracles, but I'm curious how that might interact with technology.
[ Although judging by Viktor's demeanor, there's a nonzero chance that Keita's curiosity won't be satisfied today, or perhaps ever. That's all right, though. He would never push when it isn't necessary, and he knows it's hardly his God-given right to know Viktor's story. ]