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

[smokedout]

[Dodger makes a point of falling into step next to Esikko - he's not sure why, it just feels important to not be following him exactly. He is a little more comfortable once they start walking - even if he's still very aware of the space around him, he only feels the need to keep glancing around when there are people nearby.]

It's uh. Worse. Actually. [It feels uncomfortable to talk about his social anxiety, but if Esikko's picked up on it then there's no point in brushing it off.] I don't like crowds, but this is... different. I don't know what I'm looking for.

[There could be danger anywhere - there must be danger, because humanity built cities specifically to get around having to move through the wilderness to get things done. And with a whopping zero hours of actual experience being in the woods, Dodger has no idea what signs to look for or what to avoid. It's much easier to just be suspicious of everything.]

[loosestrifes]

( It's interesting. He doesn't fully understand it, the sort of nervousness that plagues Dodger, but he does sort of want to try and help. But how? He kicks a few rocks as he trudges deeper into the woods, eyes scanning some of the plantlife they cross by. )

Hmm. So, would you want a distraction, to feel at ease? Or something to focus on?

( Esikko glances over, offering his hand with a curious little tilt of his head. )

[smokedout]

[Dodger hesitates - and then catches himself hesitating yet again whenever Esikko offers something he wants - before reaching over to take the younger man's hand. It makes the walk feel... date-like, almost.]

I don't know. A distraction, probably.

[That always feels like the safer option - but they're sort of the same thing, aren't they? Something to focus on, to help distract himself from how much he feels like his skin is crawling when he doesn't have complete control over the space around him.]

Why, did you have something in mind?

[loosestrifes]

Not particularly.

( The smile he shoots Dodger is a little flirty, despite himself. After all, he's not the only one who could use a distraction under these circumstances. Esikko's a little uneasy for a variety of his own reasons, but he doesn't want to share that or make it known, so focusing on Dodger's feels convenient.

And, maybe, it feels a little nice to help someone. )

But it's easy to wander far enough for it to be just us, out alone in the woods. You know? ( He laughs, a little. ) I was going to head towards the lake, just to settle somewhere near it. Water still makes me nervous, but it's not so bad to be next to.

[smokedout]

[That flirty smile draws him in immediately, and Dodger nods without entirely paying attention to Esikko's plan. Somewhere near the lake, alone with Esikko. And for once, as far as he knows, Esikko doesn't have anywhere to be after - the unavailability before makes this feel much more enticing than it would otherwise.]

Sure.

[It takes a while longer for his mind to actually catch up with the rest of the words. A bit more to think about them, before he speaks up with a glance at Esikko.]

...Water makes you nervous. Is that from another death?

[loosestrifes]

( Dodger's such a puppy sometimes. Esikko barely manages to hold back a laugh, settling on a smile that draws down to him swinging their arms a little, idly.

It's the water question that gets him to slow them, and he sucks on his teeth a little. )

I did drown once. Nearly died from hypothermia a second time, after that stupid dog let me fall in just to be able to "save" me.

( He curls a few loose strands of hair behind his ears as he walks, peering between the trees. )

Where I'm from, everything is well below freezing most of the year. It's a death sentence.

[smokedout]

[He doesn't mind the swinging hands, just like he doesn't mind them slowing. It's cute - he always seems to end up with people that are much more affectionate than him, and around here he doesn't feel the need to hide it like he did in Boston. There's no one to impress, at least not in terms of coming off as straight.]

Sounds like there's a story there, with your dog.

[Every time he hears about Kirma it's something that makes him wonder why the man sticks around Esikko in the first place. But he supposes he can't actually judge that - Esikko has a draw to him, and Dodger has definitely been swept up in worse wakes.]

...We can stay away from the water, though. I'm not too keen on it myself.

[loosestrifes]

( Of course there's a story. There are many stories. He doesn't want to bring up how he dragged him from life to life, how he had chained him to him against his will just to have some sort of company.

Instead, he completely allows that topic to fall away, and instead hums thoughtfully. )

Just the woods, then. We should be able to find a clearing~ ( He squeezes his hand gently. ) It's so far away... No one could hear us at alllll.

( Oh noooo, whatever could happen??? )

[smokedout]

[It figures, that's something that isn't any of Dodger's business. At least, that's how he interprets the dropping of the topic - if it was worth telling him, Esikko would have told him by now.

The new topic, though, cheers him right up. It doesn't show much - just another little huff of laughter, a softness in his tone when he answers.]

Sure... no one will hear you scream.

[He's letting Esikko lead the way, going wherever the younger man wants, but he has to pause and pull him closer to seek out a kiss. He hasn't completely shaken the nerves of being in an unfamiliar place, but being alone with someone he trusts is doing wonders for his comfort.]

[loosestrifes]

( Esikko puffs out a small breath of a laugh himself, allowing the tug to redirect him just enough to the side to meet Dodger in a kiss. He likes kisses, so it's not a difficult think to press back.

It's interesting, though, how when he breaks from it, the path ahead seems so different. He could have sworn there were more trees to nudge through a moment ago, but right now, his steps slow and his free hand reaches to ghost along the mouth of this strange cave.

Ever curious, especially to see if there's anything worth coming back to in here, he tugs Dodger to come with him, stepping inside. )

[smokedout]

[The sudden appearance of the cave catches Dodger's interest, and he tenses up even as he follows Esikko into it. For a moment, he doesn't expect it to be real - but it's cool in here, it smells like damp stone and his footsteps are echoing in a way that must mean it's real.

His own instinct is to turn back, in case something was in here waiting for them. A bear, maybe - although he can't really think of a reason for one to be here. He just knows that new things tend to be dangerous. But Esikko wants to explore, and he wants to come along for whatever the younger man is up to. So he has no choice.]

Stay close to me.

[A bit of protectiveness slipping through, but at least it's somewhere vaguely useful for the anxiety to go. Dodger's free hand raises up and sets on fire with a snap of his fingers, acting as a sort of torch so he can take in the cave with... honestly, quiet wonder. It's so incredibly different from anywhere he's been on Earth, he manages to entirely miss the crease in the side of the wall while he's staring up at stalactites.]

[loosestrifes]

Of course. I don't want to end up lost.

( A little too cheerily, Esikko agrees to the command, giving Dodger's held hand another small squeeze. It's fascinating, to see this cave and feel the damp, cool air of it. Is this always part of the Vale? Or is it a camping exclusive?

His eyes travel up, at first, too. The stalactites are impressive, and Esikko takes them in for a moment before flicking his eyes to the floor ahead. Anywhere to lay down comfortably, he wonders?

But, no, the ground is too uneven, so even if he'd like to lay here and admire the glittering ceiling, it doesn't look very nice at all. Further inward, then, and his free hand brushes along the wall of the cave itself, tracing a pathway that he leads them forward with. Always stick to one wall and you won't get lost, right?

But that crease... feels off. Esikko notices it out of nowhere, and his sense for things like the supernatural feels overbearing. But why? A hand that's too curious brushes cautiously over the hair sticking out from the crease, and all at once, he's answered.

The crease pries open and the eye it forms darts in various directions, causing Esikko to take a startled step back and bump into Dodger in the process. But as soon as the idea to express his shock hits him, this large eyeball latches onto him. Dark, impossibly so, to the point where he can't tell where pupil ends and iris begins, and with a horrified and pale expression locked onto his face, Esikko realizes he can't move.

Can't speak, can't flinch, can't yank his hand back or recover from the step he just took. And in that instant, it feels like everything closes in around him and expands all at once, an overwhelmingly crushing feeling of abandonment weighing heavily down over him. )

[smokedout]

[Dodger is still looking up at the ceiling when he realizes that Esikko isn't moving. He glances back questioningly, but... Esikko is frozen. In fear, of something, and he can't help stealing a glance in the direction of the eye. Not long enough to count as staring directly, but exactly long enough to get a sense of what's going on. Which... he understands in very vague terms, but it's enough for his survival instincts to kick in.

Immediately, he moves to shield Esikko, trying to block the eye's line of sight with his form. It's... difficult, since Esikko is just slightly taller than him, but it's an attempt. More importantly, the flame in his hand builds into a proper fireball the size of his fist, which he aims at the eye. He doesn't know how much damage he's doing, exactly, but that isn't the point. It's an eye, with some sort of influence, and that means that making it blink will probably affect its concentration. He hopes.]

[loosestrifes]

( The body between them isn't quite enough to block that large eyeball and its gaze, but as soon as that fireball hits it, it squeezes shut tightly.

And in that moment, Esikko is freed, immediately feeling the lift of that heavy fear of abandonment. He finishes his stumble back, shaking his head as both hands lift to his own face, trying to realign himself. )

Ugh— ( What the hell? He wants to look back, to see what's happening, but after that, he's too afraid. Instead, a hand reaches blindly forward to fist into Dodger's shirt, the other hand scrubbing at his own face. )

Thank you. ( Quickly, a little shaky. ) Let's get out of here.

[smokedout]

[Dodger still has no goddamn idea what's going on, but his first attempt worked and Esikko seems to be safe. That's all he actually needs.

Dodger waves away the flames on his hand, but his skin is still oddly warm when he cups Esikko's cheeks. Guiding him closer, seeking out a kiss to try and comfort him, before he lets go to wrap an arm around him instead.]

Hold your breath, this is gonna hurt.

[Teleportation is the way to go - at least for the first several feet. He has to reappear every ten feet, which means that he can only do it three times or so before he's sure the feeling of Esikko's lungs being repeatedly crushed is going to get to him. But that gets them thirty feet away from whatever the fuck that thing is, and that feels much safer.]

Can you still walk?

[loosestrifes]

( Even with the warning, and even with the experience, the pain is incredible. At the very least, Esikko knows what to expect, so he doesn't drop to his knees the moment ground solidifies beneath him. Instead, he wobbles just slightly, gripping onto Dodger for support, a hand at his own chest guiding him to breathe again. )

Urgh. ( He needs a moment, if that's not immediately clear, eyes shut and processing before his hand slowly lowers. And then, it's a deep breath and a tired look at Dodger. )

Yes, I'm fine. ( Enough, anyway. ) That thing... I couldn't move at all, but I was fully aware of my surroundings? How unpleasant.

It felt suddenly like... ( He pauses, hesitating. ) Everyone was going to leave me there, I suppose.

It was an eyeball, though... The House's, perhaps? I regret not grabbing a piece of it.

[smokedout]

[Dodger turns to face him, so he can slip his arms fully around Esikko. To steady him, to hold him. To feel when he starts to feel better, theoretically.

"How unpleasant". The phrase is so mild, Dodger lets out a huff of laughter before kissing Esikko's cheek.]

Well, I'm not leaving you. You're stuck with me.

[The rest of his words are a lot to process. The House's eye, like it's a creature. Well, Viktor had teased him when they met, for thinking the House were bound by the laws of physics, so that feels like it fits right in with everything else he knows.]

...We're not going back there. And I'd better not find out you came back without me, either.

[Said somewhat forcefully, letting that protectiveness creep into his voice.]

[loosestrifes]

( Before he can even fully ground himself, Dodger is pressing closer, kissing at his cheek, holding him. Esikko closes the eye closest to the kiss briefly, puffing out a breath like he's almost annoyed, even if the closeness is nice as always. A stubborn clash of his pride and feeling cared about... )

I don't plan on it. The House is a little obsessed with me, so I don't very much want to draw its attention any further when I'm trying to stay safe.

( He doesn't elaborate on what he means by that automatically, instead just leaning into Dodger's hold, finally, sighing. )

Did you see much of it?

[smokedout]

Not really. I figured... looking at it was probably a bad idea.

[He'd been running entirely on instinct, but that's when he thinks the best. That anxiety that seems to define him in a lot of ways is a nightmare to deal with when he's around other people, but it makes him think and act fast when he's in danger. It keeps him alive.

There's a pause, before he leans back to give Esikko some space. Still supporting him still watching him with quiet concern. The House is obsessed with him... Esikko strikes him as the type who would just decide that's the case because he's getting more attention than he wants, but he'll bite.]

Is that something I should know about?

[Wording it as lightly as he can, because it sounds like it's not really his business. But it also sounds like something potentially dangerous, that he might want to protect Esikko from.]

[loosestrifes]

...Is it something you want to know?

( That's the weird way he answers, at first, taking a moment to stretch out each of his legs individually. He's feeling less like he's going to collapse, now that it's been a few moments, and that fear from the cave feels foreign now, like something that was never his own.

Even if, in the moment, it was very much his own.

He tilts his head slightly, lifting a hand to brush hair aside and highlight that TRANSGRESSOR brand on his neck. )

You do know the House is an entity, right? Well, I screwed with it once, and nearly was able to create portals back to our homes...

Unfortunately, it just led to reality bleeding a bit, the House screaming in the halls, and a few mixups along the way. I couldn't press forward enough to get there, and as it snapped back to normal, it gave me this mark along with a punishment. I'm still not sure what it's capable of, this marking, but it can certainly do something.

( He relaxes his head again, crossing his arms. )

It's texted me before, as well, with clear bitterness about my actions. And when I died, it felt it was funny to leave some sort of "loser" tattoo on my wrist.

[smokedout]

[Dodger just shrugs to that question, putting the ball back in Esikko's court. Yes, he wants to know, because he wants to know everything. But as a sign of respect, he's trying not to press into things that Esikko wants him to ignore.

It is nice to finally get a story behind the brands, though. After the 'loser' one appeared he'd had some guesses that the 'transgressor' one might also be related to a death, but it sounded like Esikko has died more than twice. This is... a lot of information he didn't have, and it makes some of the information he did have slot into place a little better.]

You wanted to go back home? Or were you just giving other people the option?

[He hadn't gotten the sense that Esikko actually liked anything back home - not Kirma, not his family, not the weather. But he also knows Esikko has been creating new timelines, trying to chase something... and that seems like it would take a lot of passion.]

[loosestrifes]

( He frowns a little. It's not at anything Dodger said so much as his own thoughts on the idea of going home, his motivations, how hard he was trying to be useful, how much he wanted to cling...

He tucks some loose hair behind his ear with a shrug of one shoulder. )

Not me. There are others who I'd like to help get home. Beyond that, I suppose I was just thinking I'd follow one of them.

( You know, casual universe hopping. His eyes flick back to Dodger. )

I've not given up, but I've been told I should lay low for a bit. Because of the sort of things the House has done to me. That's all.

[smokedout]

[Lucky for Dodger, that his medication has kicked in. A memory-bleed that's relevant here would likely ruin the mood.

As it is, he nods and mulls that over. He can definitely respect that - actually, he admires that quite a bit. Esikko wanted to get other people home, people who wanted to go back. It's something Dodger could see himself doing, even if he himself is perfectly happy to stay at the resort.

God, this man is so attractive. He isn't fully aware of it, but it's showing in his eyes just how smitten he is.]

Well, if you need to keep making moves, let me know. I haven't caught its attention yet, and I don't get caught.

[Yet. But he's very proud of that fact - he's never been to jail, he's never worn a power suppression collar, because he's just that skilled. Nevermind that he's aware how common it is for him to die at 25, across universes.]

[loosestrifes]

( Why is it that Esikko craves attention and recognition so much, but when he gets it so easily like this (without feeling like he earned it), it just feels... off... He's not sure, but he's aware of it, and aware of Dodger's look pointed his direction, and it's enough to heat his cheeks a little.

Which then leads to him reaching up and pinching at one of his ears, tugging. )

You don't? What was that during the gala with Bakugo, then? Or with the brothers finding you out?

( He's softly bullying, though. )

I'll keep you in mind, but it's a group effort, so don't make any exaggerated moves on your own and ruin it all. Okay?

[smokedout]

[Dodger winces, but it's mostly performative. The gentle bullying, though, is enough to color his cheeks a bit in turn.]

Well, I didn't get hurt, and I got more cards out of it. Both times. So I'm still winning.

[And he still hasn't let Toma figure out how the hell he got into his suite in the first place, which Dodger counts as a major victory.]

I won't do anything without checking with you first. Promise.

[Promises are a big deal to him, but he doesn't want to call attention to that fact. He feels embarrassed enough that he's willing to make a promise at all for someone he met two months ago.]