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peacockstop2025-09-15 09:00 pm
goldmods) wrote in peacockstop2025-09-15 09:00 pm
Entry tags:
TDM 011
【 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!
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!
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!
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!
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.
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.
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 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.
OOC NOTES
▶ 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.
▶ 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.
no subject
Yet Phainon isn't wrong either. That's the sort of ending that Cale is seeking. Yes, he doesn't want to work for a living. However, he does want all of the people he's connected with to be happy as well. To have their freedom and to be able to make choices for themselves, not being bound to a destiny that is going to screw them over again. ]
All the while, I want that singular ending that has me able to sleep thirteen hours a day and just eat and read. Occasionally play with the children.
[ As he can't imagine his life at this point without the kittens and Raon in it. Eventually, they will grow up and they will become their own individuals with their own goals and motivations. That's fine. Until then, Cale wants to nurture that growth.
Like some kind of real parent]I do like a good book, yes. Unfortunately, I can't say that I've heard of that book, just like I'm sure you've never come across The Birth of a Hero.
[ Inside joke because there's no way Phainon would have. Even if the book existed in Phainon's world, it's obvious that he hasn't read it. "Cale Henituse" had been in the beginning chapters, after all. ]
Now, we did say a story for a story. Should I start with mine?
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Maybe it's better if there wasn't a cheap knockoff here at all. Cale goes further, telling him of a goal so self-indulgent that Phainon can't help the fond laugh that shakes his shoulders. The children, he says, and even if he seems a young man for children grown enough to play with, Phainon's aware of how easily children adopt trustworthy people who aren't related by blood. ]
Fair is fair. The floor is yours, Cale. The tale of the 'Flames of Destruction', right?
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To begin, there has to be an understanding of how a power such as that comes into being. I am no storyteller and there aren't poems or epics to recite, such as you did, and I'm a fairly practical person anyway.
[ So this won't be a flowery tale. Just sharing one's "story." ]
Before divine power and magic existed, there were ancient powers that were created in nature. Periodically a human or some other sentient creature could create one of their own, but generally they are weaker than ones with a natural affinity. As you might guess, a single power is usually aligned with an element. [ Little guess as to what the Fire of Destruction has a natural affinity for, right? ] People in Ancient Times were either born with these powers or they obtained them after the original owner passed away.
[ Phainon might be left to guess whether Cale had been born with this power or if he had obtained it on his own. He won't tell at the exact moment. Cale hadn't intended on obtaining so many Ancient Powers, truth to be told. He had only really sought a couple. Yet here he is, containing far more than what a normal human body should contain. This is only because of how he went about collecting powers and the order that he collected them in. A stroke of luck, really. ]
They aren't easy to find, mind you. In order to obtain an Ancient Power, you have to be lucky enough to know where the original owner had hidden it. Then, before you can claim it as your own, you have to pass their test.
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Phainon rests an elbow on the arm of his camp chair, the knuckle of his index finger and the side of his thumb resting against his lower lip. Cale has his full attention, but he's reserving his responses, piecing together what he learns and lining it up with the pieces he's gleaned over the course of their conversation.
Before divine power and magic existed... then, something primordial. Naturally, the equivalent in his own terms would be the Coreflames, and when it comes to that divine fire, Phainon understands their power intimately.
Cale's an intelligent and well-read person. He wishes for a life of indolence, surrounded by those he cares about, acts as though nothing else really matters, and yet he was willing to spark to life a dying flame. Is this that story? He has his suspicions.
Seeing an opportunity to ask, he glances at the campfire. ]
Then, is that how you came by it? Was this, [ He motions with that hand towards the flames, ] One of those Ancient Powers?
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[ So, yes. It is, in fact, an Ancient Power that he has used. Kim Rok Soo had a physical build not all that dissimilar from Phainon's. On the taller end. Muscular. He had been a Team Leader and thus had been in battle quite often. Often enough that he had scars everywhere. Cale's body isn't quite capable of the physical feats that Kim Rok Soo had been.
That's why Cale had needed the Ancient Powers. He had intended on only becoming strong enough to protect himself and to avoid attention. ]
The Fire of Destruction was originally a money-crazed bastard. When I obtained this power, he told me of his partner, a thief, who could make coin rain from the sky. His idea was if you could afford to lose an insurmountable amount of money, then you could truly endure anything. The power is one that can burn and melt anything that can stand in the way of one's ambition.
no subject
So... why wouldn't a power on an equivalent level come from the indomitable spirit - and mortal flaws - of other people, if they were made in the image of their creator? It hasn't occurred to Phainon, yet, that the terms of man's creation might be different from world to world. He's a quick study, though. ]
I thought you wanted a peaceful life. Why pursue such power?
no subject
[ He holds his hand out again and there's a small whirlwind that forms in the open palm. This much shouldn't cause him any issues... ]
I don't need to be the strongest person. Most of my companions are far stronger than I. They might be carrying up the mountain of things I need to accomplish, but being a burden is not an option.
no subject
Being a burden is not an option.
He's misjudged his character. As always, it's better to gauge the quality of a man on his deeds, and not just his words. ]
...That power is not fire. Is that, too, an Ancient Power?
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[ And just like that, the little whirlwind is gone. Poof! Vanished.
They are Ancient Powers that complement each other well, considering their sources. Even their particulars work well with each other. ]
The Fire of Destruction rested on a bed of lava at the top of the mountains. In order to obtain it, you needed to throw money into lava bed. When I went there, I had accumulated two hundred thousand silver coins just to throw at the challenge. Not only was that the point, as money is what the original owner desired in life, but it also served as the means to fully unlock both the potential for both of the powers I mentioned.
no subject
[ And to obtain it, Cale had to pass their 'trial'. A power that either springs forth upon existence, or is inherited, passed down to another once their trial is completed to their satisfaction. Seems his earlier assumption, that this might be similar to the Coreflames of his own world, isn't too dissimilar at all. Just... much more limited in scope.
His brow creases, ] How many of these Ancient Powers have you obtained? -If, [ Phainon adds quickly, ] You're concerned about divulging any weaknesses, I'm not about to ask what they are. I'm curious about how many that body can house.
no subject
[ Some details just weren’t written into the novel. And while Cale has certainly learned more about the previous owners of the Ancient Powers he possesses, he hasn’t asked for that. Why would he need to know? ]
If you want to know how many someone can have? One, in nearly all circumstances. Two, perhaps, if someone is lucky enough to happen across two that share the same elemental affinity.
[ And here Cale has shown that he has at least two that do NOT possess the same elemental affinity. ]
Currently, I think I am up to… [ Cale is doing a quick count. ] Six?
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Phainon sits up a little, his gaze more watchful, cautious.
-No, concerned. ] That much power can be safely contained in a mortal body?
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He’s alive. Functioning. Not pushing himself. So what’s the issue? ]
One power of mine keeps the others in check, more or less.
[ Which isn’t exactly a confirmation… ]
no subject
Then please answer me truthfully.
[ Phainon’s unerring attention remains fixed on Cale, as his hand points at the fire, still ablaze despite the rain. ]
When you lit the flame, you coughed in a way that worries me. Are you unwell because of that power?
no subject
[ He sighs and rubs at his temple. Spoken like a man that often gets pestered about his condition and well being while also dismissing concerns. ]
That small usage of power won’t have me passing out.
[ Which implies he has before, to be able to have an estimate of what his limitations are. Using the Fire of Destruction for the first time was a lesson in that. ]
Once the Resort goes back to normal, I’ll have it sorted.
no subject
And no! This isn't hypocrisy! The lives of a whole world - and countless, unseen others in the universe beyond the sky - were hanging in the balance, the stakes were a lot higher, so it was worth it!
Okay, so Phainon's being just a smidge unreasonable. Is that stopping him? No. Does Cale need his pestering? Also no. He sighs. ] What do you mean?
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He’a not asking for that level of concern? In fact, Cale would prefer it didn’t exist at all. ]
When did this turn around to be about me? I’m fine as long as I don’t push myself. After this situation dies down, I’ll just handle stabilizing all my powers then.
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[ His usually affable expression pinches, somewhere between frustration and concern. Phainon deserves this. He's been putting his friends through something a little similar, too. That is, ignoring all the other times when he was an altogether different problem for them.
Phainon rallies his composure, and asks calmly: ] What does stabilizing them entail?
[ And what's that supposed to mean, when the resort returns to normal? ]
no subject
This just takes it to the next level. The man is actually frustrated. …But why? Suspicions.
Cale raises a brow as he folds his arms over his chest. He could lie. Could refuse to answer at all. Though he has a feeling this man won’t let it go. ]
How else does one obtain something or avoid unpleasant situations in this place?
1/2
NeiKos496.exe is buffering. ]no subject
Phainon is no prude. But every Hour of every day has been footstomping the point that all roads lead into one another's arms, even in situations that don't even seem to call for it. He's allowed to be a little exasperated. ] Of course.
[ His chair creaks as he gets out of it, and as he crosses the space between them, his sandalled foot conspicuously avoids the symbols he left scratched in the dirt. Firelight catches on the gold in his skin, his quiet, somber approach might even be a little intimidating for the gravity of his expression, but then, the man Cale used to be was of sterner stuff.
He flattens out his palm over Cale's chest. He knows injuries, has taken more of them than he can count anymore. He knows the sound it makes, when blood grows sticky in one's lungs, and that shove intends to prompt Cale to breathe - or cough - and potentially betray the severity of his condition.
Or he's just shoved a man for no reason! A risk he's willing to take. ]
no subject
[ At least it means that intimacy isn’t how it would normally work. Honestly, if he had his necklace full of that water or even a water-based Ancient Power, then he’s be fine. There would be no issue.
Cale almost looks a little surprised to see Phainon get up. His eyes narrow, suspicion settling beneath his skin. It’s not intimidating, not to him, but Cale isn’t sure what Phainon is up to. He continues to eye him warily, right up until the shove.
Normally he’d be fine as long as he wasn’t actively pushing the limits of his powers. Now, he has been excessive with his powers. Using then too much and not enough rest between. This is the real issue and that is actually watch causes Cale to jerk forward a bit, coughing.
…Coughing up exactly what he had been trying to hide. Not much. Just a little bit of crimson. But enough to be damning. ]
no subject
[ Regret pinches his expression. If he'd taken better care of the fire, if he had thought to protect their camp a little better from the storm, Cale wouldn't have felt compelled to use that power. And now...
He turns his head, lips peeling back from lightly gritted teeth, eyes screwing shut. There is enough blood on his hands to fill the seas of his homeland, and yet, the still-tender part of him that had been ignorant to the truth until days ago cannot abide being a contributor - in whole or in part - to his injury. ]
no subject
His russet eyes look up at the expression the other man wears. Yes, this is the sort of thing that he had wanted to avoid. Why is it that people always blame themselves for the decisions that others make? Then, when things are reversed, they are adamant that it is their choice? Cale certainly doesn't want to see that pained sort of look. ]
You'll ruin your handsome face if you keep doing that. [ Eyes slide towards the blood stains and then back up to Phainon. ] It's obvious what you're thinking.
[ There's a sigh and he leans back before pushing himself up from the chair. Cale is smaller than Phainon, but that doesn't mean he won't bully the man by invading his space. ]
Do you really think that this [ Gesturing to the fire ] was the final push? If I am cold, I'm going to start a fire. If I am wet, then I am going to use wind to dry myself off. If someone wants to attack me, I'll use a different power. It has nothing to do with you.
no subject
You play it off like you’re driven by selfishness, but your actions tell a different story.
[ As though he values his health very little - or has an overinflated sense of confidence in his ability to overcome the Ancient Powers he’s amassed within that fragile body. ] I can’t tell if you’ve overestimated yourself or underestimated the effects that power has on you.
If you keep going like this, you’ll shatter. And who will you help then? Who will lead those children to that gentle, quiet future you wish for?
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