TDM 011

[goldmods]

【 Thank you for choosing the Golden Peacock, 5-star resort and casino. You are currently registered as a WILDCARD in our system.

We are thrilled to announce that the Golden Peacock will be embracing autumn with a special outing. Current and new guests are invited to join us for a refreshing outdoor experience where participants can unplug, unwind, and connect with nature. During this time, all Watches will be disabled to the most basic functions (texting, calls, checking chip account) in order to encourage guests to disconnect.

Please look forward to two weeks of finding yourself amongst the trees. We hope you enjoy your stay, and have a fan-CAMP-stic time. 】

CAMPING

GETTING OFF THE GRID

As the resort moves into what it claims is autumn, the days grow shorter. The projected sun in the Vale sets in the afternoon, after which a faint chill falls. Then there’s the most excessive transformation of all – a portion of the Vale has transformed into a campground complete with a scenic lake, seemingly overnight. Statues nearby have been dressed up with flannel jackets and suspenders. Folksy banjo fills the air without any discernible source.

A section of the campgrounds have been reserved for tents. These tents vary in size, shape, and supplies. All tents, regardless of quality, are supplied with sex toys and lube. Staff and long-standing guests all agree — pretending to live in the wilderness and 'rough it' for a while is thrilling. This is what the peasants feel like all the time!

NOT ALL TENTS ARE EQUAL

► High-rank guests are allocated spacious and luxurious tents. These elaborate mini-homes come with TVs, beds, heaters, and plenty of supplies. Provided camping gear is high quality, ranging from state of the art flashlights to designer backpacks. It can't quite be considered roughing it in these tents, but glamping is camping too!

► Mid-rank guests are allocated moderate tents that comfortably fit up to three guests. These tents come with cots or sleeping bags, as well as standard camping gear to make their time living off the land fairly comfortable. While these tents lack the bells and whistles of the high-rank accommodations, they are more than enough for a comfortable but realistic camping experience.

► Low-rank guests are allocated the shabbiest tents. These sagging accommodations can shield one guest comfortably, but that doesn't stop staff from pairing low-ranking guests together in order to save space. Their 'sleeping bags' are a single blanket and hay bale pillow. There are no other included amenities aside from sex toys and a single lantern.

► Last but certainly not least: our Wildcards! All Wildcards have been randomly assigned. Whether they end up in a glamping tent or sleeping beneath a propped up sheet is left to chance. Wildcards also may find themselves waking up beside a current guest or another new arrival.

► Guests that "go camping" will discover that the door connecting the Vale to the rest of the resort has mysteriously vanished. Uh oh! Looks like there's no going back to the comfortable life anytime soon. Don't worry, the door will return when it's time to pack up and head home.

LET'S GET CRAFTY

► New characters still wake up naked save for a robe, as is standard for the Golden Peacock. This round’s robes are flannel gingham to embrace camping and autumn aesthetic. Some of these robes are much shorter than others; watch out that the lake breeze doesn’t reveal more than you wanted.

► Unlike the standard, there are no racks of clothes waiting for new arrivals outside of their tents. You're roughing it out in the woods, remember? Instead of clothing, Wildcards will find an assortment of raw materials to make clothes.

Fabric rolls, hemp, buckets of leaves, leather, and other assorted goods are waiting to be cobbled into something new. The staff have been kind enough to leave some small hunting knives and wooden needles to make crafting a bit easier. Of course, they won't stop anyone that wants to embrace the wild side and strut around naked.

HOME ON THE RANGE

Welcome to the Peacock Campgrounds! Nicknamed the Stomping Grounds by long-standing guests. Rustic and right off a sparkling lake, guests will find everything they need to live in the wilderness. Staff have expertly set up fire pits, benches, hammocks, and a wooden shed to act as a tool depository. There's even an outhouse, which is a real novelty to many of the long-standing guests. Do they just... squat over that hole and do their business? How wild!

Unlike previous resort-sponsored excursions, guests are expected to manage without the help of staff. That pile of wood won't be replenished once used; guests will have to go chop down trees and split their own. Food won't magically appear in their tents regardless of rank. Camping is all about living off the land. Though staff make themselves scarce to make the experience feel real, they lurk in the shadows, discreetly providing necessary tools and fixing broken equipment so guests won't struggle too much. It isn't fun if it's real hardship, after all!

DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO COOK?

► On the first camp morning, guests will find barrels of ingredients and cooking utensils left beside the central fire pit. These barrels are stocked with fruits and vegetables that won't spoil quickly, many of which are seasonal to autumn. They have also been left a few protein options like eggs, jerky, and canned ham. These ingredients are communal and limited. Once they run out, guests will have to hunt and gather in the Vale to collect more.

► Guests must prepare their own meals while camping. Not even the high-ranks are given any special treatment on this! While oil and firestarter are included in the initial supply, these too are limited and won't be replenished after use.

► Staff would never let their precious guests go without a sweet treat. A generous supply of hot cocoa and all the fixings for s'mores has been left behind as well. While none of the other food will be replenished, the hot cocoa and s'mores goodies seemingly never run out. A night around a campfire without roasting marshmallows or sipping cocoa would be too cruel to subject guests to.

SUPPLIES RUNNING LOW

► Guests will have to hunt and gather once ingredients dwindle if they want to eat. The wooden shed is home to a selection of tools that can be used to hunt: bows and arrows, hatchets, axes, fishing poles and line, etc. All tools are rudimentary and can break if not taken care of.

► The Vale is lush with wild fruits and vegetables. However, much like in reality, not all vegetation in the Vale is safe to eat. While some berries and mushrooms are consumable, others are toxic or psychedelics. One must also not forget that they're in the Golden Peacock: some unusual plants that grow in the vale may trigger arousal. Watch out that you don't eat something funky by accident!

► Before 'leaving', staff will explain that guests can fish or hunt small game running throughout the Vale. One particularly enthusiastic staff member will suggest guests track down the snoggleboffs, as they're extremely delicious after roasting on an open fire.

ACTIVITIES

TWO WEEKS OF ROUGHING IT

Camping can't be all about survival. Where's the fun in that? Before 'leaving', the staff arrange activities and events for guests to enjoy. A wooden bulletin board outlines times for group hikes, camping experiences, and wilderness delights. Adirondack chairs line the edge of the lake and a few tire swings hang over the water, tied to strong tree branches. For the first week and a half the weather is pleasant and sunny. Perfect for camping.

At night, acoustic guitars and other wooden instruments come out so that guests can make music around the bonfire. Projected stars dapple the night sky, forming various constellations sourced from guest worlds. The moon enters a different phase each night, shining a gentle silver across the campgrounds. Why not pull your sweetheart in and cuddle beneath the night sky? It's so romantic.

IN CAMP

► Guests that don't want a cold shower should make their way over to the shower stalls quickly. These outdoor showers hold very little hot water and run cold after about five minutes. First-come first-serve!

► A wood-chopping competition begins around lunchtime. There are two goals: to split as much wood as possible and looking sexy while doing it. Guests that chop wood unsexily immediately fail! Alternatively, sexiness with a pathetic number of chunks is more acceptable, but still a loss. Those that achieve both goals will instantly win a large payout. Failing to sexily cut wood won’t have any penalties associated with it, and you can always try again tomorrow!

► Bear hunting is a popular activity that even the spoiled long-standing guests are getting in on! No, not hunting real bears. That would be insane. Peacock's version of bear hunting involves hunting down bear-like guests and capturing them! Any guest that fits the criteria of big, thick, and strong may potentially be assigned the role of bear. Hunters who manage to tie up, handcuff, net, or otherwise 'capture' a 'bear' will instantly receive a large payout.

THE LAKE

► This sparkling lake is rich with fish. Enjoy sitting back on the long pier with a fishing rod or take one of the wooden boats out for a row around the lake. It's also safe to swim in, for guests that would like to take a dip and rinse off the sweat of camp living! Don't mind the random swim trunks or drink umbrellas that pop up now and then. This water is definitely fresh and not recycled from the summer beach extravaganza.

► Guests that do decide to take a dip may encounter a familiar friend. Fernando the tentacle monster is camping too! This randy tentacle monster is as horny as ever, eager to embrace guests and stick slippery tentacles into any reachable orifice.

► Once the sun goes down, many of the long-standing guests strip off their shoddily crafted clothes and sprint into the water for skinny dipping by moonlight! What's a camping excursion without a lake-side orgy? The best way to drown out those erotic moans from the lake is to head to the central fire pit and join in on some campfire songs.

OUTSIDE CAMP

► Those that head out of camp for a hike or hunt can enjoy any of the Vale's usual wonders. With autumn, shiny apples dangle from the trees and pumpkins pepper beneath their protruding roots. Along with autumnal fruits and vegetables, canned beef and ham have been mysteriously left in pockets close to the campgrounds. A little act of kindness from the staff; not everyone is cut out to hunt their own game!

► For those interested in hunting down some fresh game, walking around the forest in the morning may come with a stroke of luck. Strange little creatures the size of an adult's fist are active during this time. These hairy beasts come in brown and white, and screech, "Scrun scrun screeee!" when agitated.

Yes, these are the alleged snoggleboffs! Don't feel bad about hunting them, they're an invasive species that are unfriendly and eager to steal from unsuspecting guests. Their main strength is their speed, but once caught, they don't put up much of a fight.

► Guests that explore deep into the Vale may find a dark cave mouth that leads downward into a damp chamber. The ceiling glitters with stalactites and, along the wall, they'll find a horizontal crease with what seems to be... hair? If touched, this crease will creak open, revealing a large eye that darts back and forth before focusing on whoever woke it. Black pupils and iris bleed into one endless abyss.

Those that gaze directly into the eye will freeze. Their mind will remain active while their body locks in place, not unlike sleep paralysis. This trance will break once the eye blinks, which it will do after some time... but it can also be forced into blinking by force if there's someone who hasn't made eye-contact around to help. Frozen guests will be overwhelmed with the fear of abandonment for the duration of their paralysis. This fear will fade after the connection is broken, as if it wasn't their fear at all.

Like a regular eye, dirt or debris can force a blink. If this route is taken, the eye will go bloodshot and shut, refusing to open again. Any guest that inflicts damage to the eye may find that their suite, upon return, has been trashed. As if someone or something threw a big tantrum in there while they were gone. Wonder why that happened...?

HOWLING

CALL OF THE WILD

Temperatures drop drastically at night as the camping excursion nears its end. Nights become so chilly that morning dew frosts over, crunching beneath guest feet. Every day the light and its warmth set a little bit earlier. Staff remain elusive and do not provide warmer blankets or clothes for guests, leaving them to cuddle for warmth or find other ways to sleep comfortably during nightly cold snaps.

The moon hits its apex on the final night of camping. Unlike the other nights, this full moon shines blood red. The Vale stills under this ominous sign, silent. Snowflakes begins to fall, spreading an endless clean sheet across the campgrounds. That reflected pink hue is inescapable.

THE WEATHER TURNS

► Along with chilly nights, the last few days of camping feature inclement weather conditions. Clouds overtake the sun and rain falls, alternating between light mist and heavy downpour.

► Winds pick up, with speeds threatening to whip away the less stable tents. Guests that don't hunker down and add additional support to their tents may end up chasing them into the storm. Other loose items around the campgrounds may end up blown away as well.

BLOOD MOON

► Wild instinct rises with the blood moon. As crimson moonlight beckons, some guests may begin to feel ... strange. As if they need to claw their true selves free. Those that answer the call to bathe in the light of the blood moon will undergo a transformation.

► Basking in the light of the blood moon triggers a were-transformation. While the standard were that the blood moon inspires is the classic werewolf, guests may transform into any kind of were. Along with hybrid transformation, the blood moon stirs mating and sex impulses in these new weres. Remaining humans are at risk of being eaten... in the sexy way.

► Transformation into a were is not mandatory. Other guests may step into the blood moon's light and not experience any kind of transformation or impulse. These guests are now actors in a sexy horror scene, given the task of surviving the night surrounded by monsters! At least they're sexy monsters? Giving in and fucking on the wild side may be more fun.

PACKING UP

► After the crazy weather and horny werewolves, the staff judge that it's high time to wrap this excursion up. Guests will once again openly see these diligent workers the morning after the blood moon. They come flooding into the site with clothing, snacks, and other comforts while praising everyone for surviving for so long without the resort's usual luxuries.

► A first aid tent and cleaning station are swiftly erected. All guests that volunteer to treat injuries sustained over the course of the camping experience or help clean up the site will be compensated with a large payout.

► Every guest that participated in the camping event, regardless of whether they help wrap things up, will be issued a spa voucher. Go relax, you've earned some pampering after all of that hard living!

OOC NOTES

INVITES | RESERVES | APPLICATIONS

▶ BLANKET CW: altered states; eyes (descriptions only, incl. eye injury); exhibitionism; hunting (incl. hunting fantasy creatures); orgies; public sex; survival; temperature play; tentacles; transformation; violence

▶ 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 September event. Camping will ICly begin September 15th and end October 3rd.

▶ 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.

▶ 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.

NAVIGATION • LOG • NETWORK • OOC • MEME

Comments

iii

[expositing]

[Welt has been... in a bit of a fog, frankly. Even as the proverbial "dull moments" aboard the Express have been decidedly few and far between. Even as, perhaps more than anyone, he has amassed a wealth of particularly unique experiences, both before he found himself joining the Nameless and since. He cannot say he expected to wake up to... this. This poor parody of camping is quite unique, especially not having gone to sleep in his own bed in his own room, the night before.

At least, he initially thought it had been the night before. Since then, he's begun to question even that.

Apparently blessed with an uncommonly thick robe compared to some others he's run into — one that reaches about mid calf, no less — Welt hadn't been exactly hurting for clothing upon first waking. When presented with the raw materials, though he had subsequently rendered the robe unnecessary. He wears it now only because it's an extra layer against the cold. The simple t-shirt and slacks he managed to produce are fairly plain, but certainly something that ought to have required a sewing machine.

Bundled as he is against the increasing chill, it's the very disparity between himself and some of the others here that has him walking out in the dark, checking to be sure that no one is without a tent, or functionally without one considering a few of the accommodations. He's sent a few on to the ostentatious excuse for a tent that he woke up in, already. But that voice? It stops him dead in his tracks.

Struck by confusion in that moment, he wonders if this could be — ?

Stelle. He hovers there largely in shadow for a moment longer. Assessing. But there she is, hale and whole and — probably freezing. The faint, automatic smile that starts at the corner of his mouth fades out, but it pools in his eyes still. When he steps forward, he's already peeling the robe from around his shoulders, to offer her.]

You'll catch cold if you don't bundle up, you know. [He calls softly, as if he was trying to warm her with his very tone of voice.]

Or have some cocoa, at the very least. [He adds, knowing full well there is little chance she hasn't been drinking a lake of it already.]

oh my god my dad's here

[stellerly]

[ Stelle's going to have an aneurysm.

It's not the first time she's failed to recognize a pretty prominent figure in her life, and she's starting to think she's summoning them.

The chilly nights were miserable without company, but she wasn't good at seeking it. She'd been spoiled for it, in fact, over the past couple years, rarely having a moment where she wasn't absolutely certain she was just steps away from a warm smile, even if it was an exhausted one. She wasn't sure Mr. Yang slept, now that she thought about it, and there's no way Himeko ever did, with coffee for blood...

But here he is, bundled up and enviably wearing PANTS, but she digresses. What is he doing HERE?? ]

Mr. Yang??

[ Her voice is small but it carries, her sleeping bag over her legs like a blanket, and really, she shouldn't be letting all this cold air into her tent, but she'd rather have something to look at until she's ready to pass out. All sorts of things like to wander up to the fire.

She's in too much shock to consider refusing the offered robe, and drapes it around her shoulders. ]

Do you have any idea where we are? [ It might be a non sequitur for anyone else, but it's the only coherent thought Stelle is managing. ]

you should dress for the weather young lady

[expositing]

[It's almost like she's pulling them from a banner or something.

Relinquishing the robe, Welt curtails the impulse to interject or futz with it. She can do that. She's the one that's been sitting half out in the cold night. She's capable. His focus shifts to her follow up question — and, okay, maybe a little of it lingers on assuring himself that she doesn't appear to be the worse for wear. Certainly difficult in this light, but, he'll make the attempt anyway.

The sound he makes is a ponderous cross between a sigh and a groan.]

I'm afraid I don't. [Which is... not exactly an answer he likes giving.] Given the timing, I would expect that we haven't left Amphoreus. [Another hesitation.]

Rather... You haven't left it, and I've... [He grimaces. Something about that statement doesn't feel right. Doesn't add up. Admittedly, the details aren't nailed down, so trying to postulate is just going to lead them more and more adrift at this point.]

But that's pure speculation at this juncture. Until we know more, we ought to focus on the essentials and gather information. [His eyes flick up toward the tent.] Shelter is a good start. Have you eaten?

but her fit!!

[stellerly]

[ 5★s all the way down, she should buy a lottery ticket.

She'd been afraid of that. Well, not all of it, but she's been on Amphoreus for so long she'd kind of assumed she still was, but this all feels...different. Very Different. Other than the whole "trapped" and "dance to my tune, little monkeys" vibes.

So maybe not that different.

Meanwhile, as she's always found to be the case, listening to Mr. Yang explain anything has soothed her anxiety, even if he doesn't have answers, he still tries. And his presence is reassuring. And her neck is going to develop a crick if she keeps looking up at him like this. ]

We'll figure it out. [ She can't help a wry smile, and while her next statement is wholly genuine, there's a world-weariness to it that might be new. ] That's the spirit of the Trailblaze, right? We don't show up with the answers.

[ And of course he's concerned about her well-being, and she just nods, though her glance towards the fire is wistful. ]

Don't worry, I'm good. Have you eaten? [ She eyes him again with sudden scrutiny. ] Where did you get clothes??

wear it as a jacket???

[expositing]

[It's both heartening and familiar, to hear her exhibit the fiery spirit he's watched her kindle from a modest, but steady candle into a truly dependable blaze. The kind of fire he's helped tend in the past, and he's happy to do again. Still, there's something a little troubling about that new element to it. World weariness isn't anything new to him, exactly. But to her? Well, he notes it for later. It's not something to overreact about, so long as it doesn't persist, and he has found that it is best to allow others to go about their own journey in their own way. As much as they can, that is. Either Stelle will muddle through this on her own, or it will persist and he'll intervene. For now, it's as simple as that.

Despite that hint of a sour note, the smile he returns is as knowing and warm as hers is wry. His tone is, nevertheless, a little rueful.]

I don't think I could have said it better myself. [And simultaneously proud. She's developed into quite the adventurer in the relatively short time he's known her, he thinks, as she looks off toward the fire. As she reassures him she's okay. He'll choose to believe her for now. She's earned that much.

Of course, the sudden scrutiny shifts things. He's tempted to take a step back, but doesn't. At most, one of his eyebrows raise.]

Oh! [Properly surprised, he chuckles and shakes his head. How he forgets the things that have become second nature in his long life.] I created them. Likely something I could do for you, as well, provided you're not particularly concerned with the tailoring.

[He glances at her robe.] Or the style.

[stellerly]

[ She knows the “right” thing to do here would probably be to update Mr. Yang on...everything she knows so far, especially while it's fresh. But it's also because it's fresh and because, from the looks of things, completely out of her hands for the time being that she doesn't. Not yet.

So instead she follows her whims, acting like everything is fine, like she hasn't been wearing this same robe for over a week in an unfamiliar place, with familiar faces with experiences she can't remember and maybe never had... She's fine. At least there's hot chocolate!

Truly, though, she's grateful beyond words that Mr. Yang doesn't push. She knows he wants to, and usually it's Himeko all but literally dragging him off that stops him from prying out every detail he can. She figures it's partially the artist in him, and partially that protective spirit she's become so comforted by.

The raised eyebrow gets a sheepish smile out of her. Why so sus, Mr. Yang? ]

I don't think I'm qualified to have opinions on style.

[ Absolutely deadpan. The girl with the closet full of truly identical outfits knows when not to throw stones at glass windows in deep space. Or something. ]

Unfortunately, I'm emotionally attached to this robe now, so I'll get back to you.

[ And she's back to her trolling, but she's also kind of serious. Yeah, she'd like real clothes, but she's making this work. When in...wherever they are. ]

It's... really good to see you, Mr. Yang. [ It's delayed, and she knows it, but she couldn't hold it in anymore. ] It's been a long time.

[expositing]

[Not qualified? It prompts a wry chuckle, not least because it's something he might normally say about himself. Granted, Welt was not often seen without the glasses or the scarf, but they weren't exactly accessories of his own choosing. Or rather, he had chosen them not for the style of them, but for the remembrance of the people they represented.]

Suit yourself, but... do an old timer a favor and keep mine? [It's a request, soft as the look that accompanies it, the smile he offers.] At least until this weather passes.

[A smile that wavers as he parses that detail. A long time. It had certainly felt that way from his perspective, situated outside of Amphoreus, but if Madam Herta and Mr. Screwllum were to be believed — and he had no reason not to — the time that had passed within Amphoreus could have been exponential. Hesitating, brown eyes cast up toward the simulated sky, and Welt contemplates what to say for a moment.]

It's been too long, Stelle, [he settles on, looking back down at her, before he steps forward and sinks to a knee before her, to more comfortably be at her level. For a man that carries a cane, there seems to be no stiffness in the movement. His arms open to her. Brown eyes holding hers in a fond and gentle gaze. He voice is quiet and low, as if he were attempting to soothe her, even with only his tone.]

Long enough to warrant a hug, don't you think?

[stellerly]

[ She had been planning to offer the robe back at some point, and she still might, but he does have a way of asking her that makes it impossible to refuse. He's just so reasonable. She tucks it a little more firmly around her shoulders and nods. ]

Alright, but if I find you frozen in a block of ice later, we're going to have words.

[ She at least has a bit of a built-in climate control system.

The conversation has reached an awkward stage, she thinks, with her admission. She knows there's some time discrepancies, she doesn't know how much, because The Herta and Screwllum only ever have time to give the most pertinent information when she can get ahold of them... but she has a decent idea it hasn't been 33 million cycles times however many years each...

Just trying to think about numbers makes her a little nauseated, actually.

But she's missed what he said, and by the time it clicks he's kneeling and she's already rising to her knees to wrap her arms around his shoulders before he's finished saying the word hug.

She's definitely clinging, because she can't help but be honest about it. March showed her an article once, something about how many hugs a person needs in a day to be healthy, and Stelle was absolutely certain at the time she was just trying to cover up how affectionate she was, but the more time has passed, Stelle's thought about how many times she wishes she'd just hugged the people she loves. And she can't make up for lost time, but she can always start now. ]

I do think.

[ She do. ]

[expositing]

I expect we will.

[All he can return is simple acceptance of her threat, warmed through as she accepts his offer, clinging to his shoulders in a way that aches through old scars even as it resonates with past joys. A way he mostly mirrors, in fact, wrapping his arms tight around her and pressing a hand flat over the apex of her back, just between her shoulders. His chin sets against the back of her shoulder, and he'll hold her just as long as she needs. As long as she'll let him.

Maybe even just a touch longer than is really necessary.]

I'm just glad you're alright. [Which, is something of an assumption on his part. He thinks better of it after a moment. For all she appeared healthy enough, in possession of clothing and shelter at the very least and not in immediate danger, he truly didn't know what she had been through. And it's that lack of knowledge that picks at him.]

You are... alright, aren't you? [It's even more gentle, quiet. The kind of quiet that might seem easily brushed aside, that is hopeful and still cautious. His palm rubs into her back, maybe trying to warm her up?]