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

/ThereWasAnAttempt

[shadowdogs]

[Any arrival is probably better than this one. Although he'd probably make a fuss about having to wear bootyshorts as well if that was the only other option.]

I don't wear skirts.

[That includes wrapping the cloth around like a towel. How is he going to move around like that without it falling off? Sewing it IS a skirt so-

-back to sewing he goes. The pants look like they will be several sizes too big on him, but it's fine, he'll tie them up around the waist with some more cloth so they don't fall off of him, and it'll be OKAY! Maybe.]

Why do we have to make clothes anyway? I was more than fine with my uniform.

bronze star u tried

[drugsnotclubs]

Fair enough.

[No skirts, understood. Even if it means taking forever to make a single pair of pants. No clue what the underwear situation is going to be, or how soft or coarse that fabric is, but this guy can make his own choices.

At the question, he rolls over on his back, one arm tucking up underneath his head and the other hand out in a dismissive gesture.]

You got me. Everyone shows up pretty much naked, from what I understand. The place is usually a big gaudy hotel, so it isn't too hard to find some clothes, but I guess we're doing some kind of outdoorsy theme right now.

[As if to make Megumi feel less badly about his lots, he'll offer some comisseration.]

At least you woke up free. I was leashed to the floor in some kinda sex dungeon.

[in hindsight: kind of funny, even if his tone and Inflections never change to hint at that. But at the time it had been pretty alarming.]

You need a shirt, or you gonna make that, too?

[shadowdogs]

[The fabric isn't that bad, but it's not the expensive one either. Good enough for a pair of pants? He doesn't want to think about the fact that there's no decent underwear; it's just pissing him off more.

He might look busy, but he's listening intently to him, even glancing up here and there. This place is a hotel? Is it fine to have a healthy dose of suspicion about it? The guy is not giving him a reason not to believe him, but also- it's a bit ridiculous?

...Is it a domain? He looks outside, listening to the footsteps of other people going around. No, it doesn't sound or feel like it. And now a sex dungeon? This has to be some weird concussion thing from where Mahoraga smacked him into the building.

There's definitely a "I don't know if I should believe you" look on Megumi's face.]

Uhh, yeah. I guess. It shouldn't be too complicated. [Sew a rectangle, cut the bottom, two corners, and space for head, and voila- sleeveless shirt.

He's too distracted tho,] A sex dungeon?

[drugsnotclubs]

[Shinjiro isn't offended by the disbelieving looks. After all: this just looks like a beautiful woodsy lakeside campsite with nature trails and whatever the fuck. Only because he's been here does he know that after a certain amount of walking you run directly into a screen with the appearance of further landscape projected on it in disturbing, realistic detail.]

Yeah, a sex dungeon. Trust me, this outdoors shit is tame. The watch you've got should have some of the details, but it doesn't explain even half of it.

[Welp, guess they're talking about this. He finally hauls himself up to a sitting position and finds that lantern to turn it up a bit, bringing it in closer to between them to try and make the other guy's sewing at least a little easier as he gives a bare bones tutorial.]

You familiar with any kind of... Space-time-dimension fuckup shit? It's easier to explain if you are. If not, just play along, I guess.

[He'd never been glad to be used to fighting through impossible time and places back home, but it sure did give him a leg up on understanding and accepting the impossible.]

Short version is, none us us are here because we wanna be. Everyone was doing something, probably in some different time or dimension or whatever the fuck, and now we're here. Even the people I know from back home here are from different times or timelines. One've then I saw the day before I got here, but here she's been here two years.

[shadowdogs]

[And this guy was tied to the floor in the said dungeon... Megumi can't imagine how he would react if something like that happened to him. It's just so- hard to believe? But with how disgruntled the guy looks and everything that's happened so far, perhaps it's not too far-fetched.]

You don't have to go into details, [about sex dungeon. To spare both of them the embarrassing not birds and bees talk but hawks and wasps (more like, to spare Megumi that talk...).]

I haven't encountered something that would radically change time and space.

[Even Domain expansions don't alter time overall, except maybe Gojo-sensei's? But the guy never used Infinite Void on him, and probably never will, so he can't tell.]

That's... really bothersome. [He's yet to experience just how bothersome and uncomfortable it is.] So they haven't experienced things you did, and you didn't experience anything they did here?

[This really is like a Domain bubble then- a non-lethal, simple domain, but strong one nontheless.]

Is there a way out? Or any notable danger?

[drugsnotclubs]

Wh-- hey, it wasn't like that, a guy let me out.

[He probably shouldn't have mentioned the sex dungeon part. It's weird how only two months in, and it already feels like a routine thing to mention. 'Oh, yeah, the sex dungeon, down on level whatever--'

It all sounds so patently ridiculous that he's honestly kind of impressed this guy is even giving the explanation the time of day. He'll assume he's the type to get as much info as he can before letting on to anything, and Shinjiro can absolutely respect that.]

...That's the gist of it though, yeah. This place breaks all the rules, dragging us in. None of it should be possibly, probably.

[Probably! Who knows, his own world has a time anomaly that bleeds their world with another because some rich assholes monster-powered-time-machine exploded, so. Who really knows.]

No way out that I know of. If you keep walking, you just hit a wall. The sky and everything is just projected, and the place does crazy things like turn this into a forest with a lake. It's usually got way different trees, and like. Bars and shit.

[As for danger.... he pauses, clearly thinking on that for a moment. When he speaks, it's a bit lower and more careful, more weight behind it.]

Nothing's tried to attack me, if that's what you mean. But... yeah. Plenty of shit is drugged. The House can mess with your head. And if you try not to play their games, it starts to alter your mind-- they use that as punishment sometimes, too. Someone told me you turn to stone after long enough of fighting it, but I ain't seen that.

[shadowdogs]

Oh. That's nice of him. [Hey, you can't mention 'sex dungeon' and not expect assumptions to appear, especially after saying you've been tied to the floor. But, as promised, he doesn't inquire further.

Megumi's always been an attentive, focused listener. It's why he's pretty good at what he does. Also, one always has to focus when talking with Gojo; his teacher and guardian tends to jump from topic to topic like a frog.]

I see. A false environment. I've seen some stuff like this before, but not on this scale, and it's always been lethal. [With only a handful of extremely specific things one can do to combat it. The guy's being honest with him, so Megumi's honest in return.

Megumi finally looks up from his handiwork when the guy mentions drugs. Is everything drugged here? More than alarmed, he looks contemplative, inspecting his hands-]

Hmm. I suppose I'll have to have him around constantly... [He mutters mostly to himself, trying to figure out a solution for the problem. It's going to be very draining, but if it keeps him safe from drugs, it will be worth it.]

[drugsnotclubs]

[He's quiet, giving the guy space to work through the information so far. He seems to get the gist of it, probably? Not... that Shinjiro has mentioned what's probably the most important of the details, but they can get to it when they get to it. The guy's trying to make some pants, it seems like the wrong time to tell him that he has to get really slutty real fast or things get bad.]

...Him? [Sure, he knows the guy is mumbling to himself, especially with how he's staring at his hands. But he'd said that outloud, so Shinjiro's absolutely going to ask. Beside it being kind of a weird comment, it sounds like the kind of weird comment some of the people he knows would make. Talking about something that comes and goes, referring to them as if they aren't literal extensions of themselves.]

You got a friend to call up?

[shadowdogs]

[Megumi wasn't aware he was that loud in his thinking, or that he actually talked. He's usually quiet when contemplating a course of action and making a plan, and doesn't speak until he has everything figured out.

But, he supposes, there's nothing he figured out now, so it's fair.]

Sort of.

[It's a friend, but not a human friend.]

I'm a jujutsu sorcerer. I have a mastery of the Ten Shadows technique, with which I can summon up to ten shikigamis. One of them is the Divine Dog.

[Who has, after white Dog got destroyed, evolved and is now a massive wolf-like dog.] His keen sense of smell will be able to tell weird-smelling plants from good ones.

[drugsnotclubs]

[Huh. That sure is an explanation. He has no idea what a jujutsu sorcerer is, or what ten shadows means, but he can use the context clues to figure it out. He nods along, before checking his understanding:]

So... you got powers and one've them's summoning a dog shikigami. [Not quite the Personas he's familiar with, but maybe close enough for him to have an idea.]

That's useful. Yeah, if he can do that, it'll help. [Maybe? he doesn't even know what the aphrodisiacs in this place are made of or what they might smell like, but a magic dog might.] There's also a pretty safe restaurant you can order at once this place turns back into a resort. The lady that runs it doesn't take any shit.

[He lapses into silence again. It's tempting to make an excuse and leave him to his pants-making and avoid any other questions, but leaving someone ignorant doesn't feel quite right, and this poor asshole is brand brand new, so:]

The catch of this place is we're all in it's shitty game, and if you don't play along, it'll mess with your mind and body. And playing along is bullshit, too, 'cause the end goal of the game is to fuck like fifty people.

[So maybe don't try so hard on those pants.]

[shadowdogs]

Yes. [The guy basically got the gist of it, and if he's not a jujutsu sorcerer, it's probably all he needs to know. 'Cursed technique' or 'Cursed energy' would mean very little to him.]

I had two dogs, but one was killed. Due to the nature of the technique, the other dog absorbed the energy of the one destroyed. It is now bigger, stronger and has abilities it didn't had before- including exceptional sense of smell. [If it can smell out cursed trail and energy, it would be easy to discern whether plants are suspicious or not. His dog is great. All dogs are, but his in particular. (ahem)]

When do you think we'll be back at the resort? [How long before the place changes again? Should they brace themselves for the change? They got pulled in unconsciously, but it's maybe not the same later.

He had slowed down on pants making because they are talking, but he hasn't stopped. Maybe he should until the guy finishes clearing things up for him.]

Fifty people? [This has to be some sort of joke, right?]

[drugsnotclubs]

Huh... [Okay, that sucks that one of his dogs was killed. Who the fuck would do that? It's great that his remaining dog got a buff, but he can't help but feel like it doesn't exactly make up for the lost companion.

Then again, he's also just a sap about dogs in general.]

I dunno. If it's like the carnival when I showed up here... maybe like a week? Week and a half? [A week and a half of living out in the woods with a lot of strangers, most of whom are having sex at any hour of the day. No TVs or anything to drown out the noise, either. It's... gonna be a long week and a half. Or however long.

He nods at the question.]

Yeah. Told you it's bullshit. I figure it's one've the reasons so many people've been stuck here as long as they have.

[Because surely no one would just... choose to stay???]

[shadowdogs]

[Curses, that's who. He's still not over White; he'll always miss him because he basically grew up with those two dogs. Luckily, the Finger Bearer didn't kill the Black as well.

They can be saps over dogs together. If he asks him to do it, he'll actually summon the big boy.]

A carnival... [He ponders it for a moment, then sighs, turning back to the pants to finally finish sewing them. With what the guy explained to him, he doesn't want to imagine what kind of 'carnival' it was.

A week in the wild is going to be... something else. He's already going through his mind what he'll do for food and all, concluding that fishing is probably the best option, if there's a lake or river around.]

It's odd that the place didn't burst at the seams yet, [Megumi cuts off the thread with his teeth, finishing the last pant leg and lifting it up to inspect it.]

People don't like being caged, no matter how big the cage is.

[So there has to be something that's messing with that, huh?]

[drugsnotclubs]

[Maybe after the info dump he will ask about big black doggo. Everyone needs some puppy time after having a horrible jamjar infodump. But for now, he makes an agreeing noise. After all, that's the same thing he had thought when he'd first arrived: People don't comply with this sort of thing willingly. You can't just offer rewards and expect people to be on board. There always has to be a stick with the carrot, so to speak.]

Yeah. Play along, and you get rewards like better rooms and shit from back home. Don't and...

[he doesn't trail off for dramatic effect, so much as just thinking of exactly how to explain it.]

It happens to everyone differently, but it starts affecting you. I managed to piss it off or something once and half-blacked out for five days. [He won't elaborate what happened in those five days.] Just.... completely out of my head, like a damn animal.

[He says that last part a bit quieter, more bitterly. It's still kind of a raw thing to him. But the new people deserve the warnings.]

A friend of mine said it throws her emotions outta control. Like they're all exaggerated, and she's gotta act on them. It gets in your head.

[shadowdogs]

[A big doggo with a lot of fluff that people don't get to focus on because it's summoned mostly when Megumi has to fight. Shikigami will appreciate the attention.

But the info dump is real, and Megumi, as quick on the uptake as he is, does need a moment to process ridiculous information. Especially when it involves this place fucking with his ability to make proper decisions. He does not like the thought of being blacked out but still acting, he weilds some nasty stuff...]

So basically, [excuse Megumi as he starts pulling the pants on (they fit him but are few numbers way too big because he's never made pants in his life,)] You either do it of your own free will, or you do it and don't know how many people you've dragged into it?

[He picks up one of the excess strips of cloth and uses it as a rope to tie the pants up so they don't fall off of him; a bit of a forceful movement as the information is sinks slowly in.]

And no one has ever found a way around it?

[drugsnotclubs]

[The pants are atrocious, but far better than just chilling with your dick out, so Shinjiro doesn't mind turning to the canvas wall of the tent if only to give him the illusion of privacy. They look uncomfortable and boxy and weird, but he's gotta give it to the guy: they're better than anything he could have made.]

Maybe you'll start a new trend with those. [It's a dry attempt at something resembling a joke-- a brief moment of distraction from actually answering the guys questions. Because it sure does suck to get the rundown on this place.]

That's pretty much the gist, yeah. If anyone's figured out a way to really get out of it, they haven't told me. But I've only been here a few weeks, so there's probably plenty I don't know.

[Yep.... Bad news all around. Welcome to the Fuck Casino and Resort. More importantly:]

So how do you summon your dog? There's a couple people here who can summon some stuff, but they all do it kind of different.

[you'd think actually introducing himself would be more pressing but no. Dog.]

[shadowdogs]

[He'll have to constantly keep an eye on them so they don't fall apart, which will be a pain, but he cares little about how it makes him look. Especially since this is the only way to have any clothes.]

Girls will hurt you for suggesting that, [he says nonchalantly, the image of Kugisaki yelling at this guy for even implying that ugly, hand-sewn pants should be even remotely connected to any trend, pops up without much trouble.]

It would be kind of cruel not to share such information with other people. [Especially those who are having trouble in this place.]

Ah- I use hand symbols and some of my cursed energy. [He has to focus for a second to check how much cursed energy he actually has. It's... not enough for the Domain or Mahoraga, which is alarming, but it seems he has enough to switch through several shikigamis before running out.

Yeah, no. Names are not important. Dog. Big dog.]

I can show you? [He will use the summon to go snoop around the place too, see what's going on or if there's any immediate problems.]

[drugsnotclubs]

You think...? [Roll their eyes, sure. Get offended by his clear lack of understanding fashion, sure. But hurt him....? He's gotta wonder just who this guy is thinking of. Who hurt you, buddy.

Hand symbols and whatever 'cursed energy' is. Probably just another way of refering to whatever weird well of power people from different worlds used to do their thing. 'Mana', someone else had called it. It all seems to be similar enough, so he nods along with it, following along. It's always way less dramatic than the way he summons, which is always a good thing.

The offer to show him absolutely gets his attention, though, and he sits up straighter.]

Yeah? [ Dogs. Big dog. Hell yeah.]

That'd be cool. We had a dog on our team back home, but he was a little Shiba Inu. Not really magic or whatever. [Except for where the dog could summon a larger scarier dog but who is counting.]

[shadowdogs]

[Megumi shrugs. Listen, he may not have been the target of the violence, but he's witnessed it and doesn't want to be on the receiving end. Kugisaki is really into fashion. He just doesn't mess with that.

Another person who appreciates dogs. 10/10, Megumi likes this guy. People who don't like dogs are suspicious.]

We have to step outside; the tent is too small.

[He looks a bit silly with oversized "pants", but they are holding up well enough. And he's actually eager to summon his shikigami because of the fluctuating energy; he wants to make sure he's able to do it.

Looking around the camp, he finds some ways away from the tent, a clearing between the trees that still has some shadows. That should do. He motions with his hand for the guy to follow him and makes his way over.

He crouches between the trees, checking out the way shadows spread- his own and that of the trees, and makes the wolf symbol with his hands. The energy starts seeping out of him and into the shadows, which slowly elongate and grow, until a shape forms of a massive wolf-like dog, inky black with white details on paws and belly.

It's at least two times bigger than Megumi, who sits after the summoning, unusually tired. The Divine dog bounds over to him, and for the first time in the past hour of their chat, there's something resembling a smile as he pats his shikigami's head.]

[drugsnotclubs]

[The tent being too small isn't too much of a surprise. After all, it could barely fit a few people. So that means it's time to pull on his shoes (sorry for your lack, bro) and follow him out into the campgrounds.

He's not quite sure what he'd been expecting-- but the summoning of the Shikigami is exactly as he had described. Rolling up out of the shadows, almost like something rising out of still water-- and it sure is a big dog. Shinjiro can't help the way his expression softens a little, lips quirking up at the edges- especially at the way the Shikigami immediately bounds over for pets and attention from its master.]

Damn. Alright, that's pretty badass. You feeling okay after that? [Maybe he feels fine and Megumi just likes to sit on the ground with his dog, but it sure hadn't looked that way. He takes a step forward, leaving plenty of space between himself and Divine Dog, before crouching down and holding out a hand in case it wanted to sniff.]

Does he act like a regular dog?

[shadowdogs]

[At Shinjiro's voice, the shikigami immediately turns its head to look at him, but without Megumi making any noise, movements, or orders, it remains sitting, tapping its long tail against the ground and grass. Non-violent but on alert, as a guardian should be.]

He is. [Divine dog IS badass. He extremely misses White- they were two separate dogs at one time- but he loves this one just the same. It's both of them in one, thanks to the technique.]

I'm fine, [he gets up, still feeling a bit woozy but happy his powers are, to some degree, intact.] My cursed energy is fluctuating because of this place. [It is trying to impose restrictions on him, but his powers are innate so it's impossible to fully shut it down.]

I don't usually summon him to hang out, mostly during fights. But he doesn't need to eat and doesn't mind pets, [and as if on cue, he sniffes the offered hand, and Shinjiro's all clear to touch him if he wants to. If Megumi's not violent towards him, then Divine Dog is also fine with him.]

[drugsnotclubs]

[Megumi's better than Shinjiro: he'd be summoning that shit to hang out all the time. He watches the guy guy up carefully, keeping an eye on his balance in case he goes down-- but then that dog is sniffing his hand in acceptance. It is absolutely time to pet him on the head and scritch his ears.]

So this place is affecting the energy you use to do all this. [Good to know. he hadn't experimented with his own summoning yet. But then again, Megumi seems to have a better relationship with his Shikigami and Shinjirio has with his Persona.]

Is it just making it hard to do? Or giving you new effects? [Divine Dog is huge, so Shinjiro doesn't need to crouch down, but he does anyway to fluff at the dog's chest and ruff.] I've had a friend tell me that something she uses to call out her powers kinda goes haywire sometimes. Instead of working it just makes her really need to sleep with someone.

[Classic Golden Peacock.]

[shadowdogs]

[It freaks the people out because it's not the size of a normal dog anymore- when he had two, he did summon them all the time. This particular version of the Divine Dog is Kuro, the black one, evolving after its twin, Shiro, the white one, was killed by the Finger Bearer. More stronger, more menacing- but it doesn't make Megumi miss White any less.

The Divine dog accepts any and all scritches behind the ears.]

Yes. I think it attempted to block out everything, [if his internal reflection was anything to go by,] but couldn't because I'm born with the ability to perceive and collect cursed energy regardless of the place. [Megumi joins him to give his shikigami also a pet on the head, and he's rewarded with a happy rumble in return.]

As long as there are people around, there will always be cursed energy. [Because you can't eradicate negative emotions, no matter what you do, how hard you try, or even if you're the happiest person in the whole world.]

Oh. That's unfortunate. [He shakes his head.] I'm not feeling any effects at the moment.