TDM 12

[goldmods]

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

As a token of appreciation to all of our guests, the house and resort have worked in collaboration with the all powerful system that transmigrates souls between worlds to bring you a special excursion! All are invited to participate in our limited time event, Tits out! A Sex Dungeon! where guests can shop, craft, adventure, treasure hunt, and battle.

During this event, sexual encounters with WILDCARD guests are worth double the payout, so please keep an eye out for our new arrivals! Other supplies, such as typically banned weapons, are also available.

We appreciate our low rank guests temporarily adjusting their living quarters to accommodate this delightful experience. Extra thanks to you for your generosity! 】

WINDING MARKET

A ROOKERY COMES SPRAWLING

A CHARMING MARKET

► The Rookery floods the main lobby and begins construction on the eve of November 15th. This wandering group of merchants has decided to set up shop! From November 15th through January 1st, the Rookery will be operating a marketplace on the ground floor of the Golden Peacock. This marketplace operates at all hours and does not close.

► This once luxurious lobby has transformed into a rustic market. Wooden shops line the walls where eager merchants promote their wares. These little stores are stocked with handcrafted goods, specialty products, and artisanal treats. Unlike general Golden Peacock establishments, shops in the marketplace are willing to haggle and trade.

► Not all of these booths are occupied. Guests interested in selling their crafts or services are welcome to open up shop. The merchants of the Rookery will also hire resort guests looking for work.

CEDAR AND PINE

► This simple marketplace embraces small town charm. The scents of wood and pine meld with freshly baked bread and leather. The echo of a blacksmith striking metal resounds through chatter and laughter. Shopkeepers call and wave from their booths to lure in potential customers.

► Weather simulation has been introduced to the first floor. Snow falls from an artificial sky dotted with lights. This snow looks, feels, and tastes like the real thing. The temperature correspondingly drops to a brisk chill, so bundle up!

► Merchants decorate their shops with winding ribbons, baubles, and bells at the beginning of December. A massive pine tree graces the central square and patrons are invited to decorate it with sparkling ornaments.

Rumor of a gifting tradition spreads, with merchants jumping on board to offer gift wrap with every sale. If you don't give someone you care about a thoughtful present then you must not really like them at all!

SPECIALTY SHOPS

LIMITED TIME WARES

PREPARE FOR DUNGONEERING

► One of the biggest stores in the marketplace is the armorer's shop. It isn't safe to go adventuring in an unexplored dungeon without protection! Come one, come all. The best armor in town is here. The marketeers in the armorer's shop swear their supplies are the best in the business. Well-crafted! Quality materials! Enchanted to ward off the elements!

All available armor is extremely slutty. Every piece has been styled to emphasize the wearer's assets and barely covers anything. Tight, sexy, and functional. Isn't it a win/win for all? Let those tits battle and breathe!

► Guests that follow the sound of clanging metal will find the blacksmith. The front of the shop offers a basic selection of knives, swords, and shields for purchase. While the quality of these weapons is mediocre at best, guests may not want to pass up the opportunity to purchase a weapon while the house is allowing it.

Weapon aficionados may meet with the blacksmith to discuss enhancing the current selection. Special materials can be found in dungeon chests or collected from monsters to improve weapon quality. Guests willing to collect these materials and have the chips to spare can commission superior products.

► Several leather shops are competing for business. One specializes in enchanted leather pouches, another focuses on offering high quality boots. Leather journals make beautiful gifts. What lasts longer than leather clothing? Nothing! Or how about a leather hair accessory for that person with long, flowing locks?

Those browsing through these many leather shops best keep their wits about them. Not all of them are selling real leather! Some greedy merchants are trying to pass off plastic junk as the real thing. A few bold charlatans willing to lie about enchantments to customers that appear uneducated about magic. Do your best to not get swindled!

DRIED AND BAKED SUNDRIES

► The dried goods shop is the most popular amongst adventurers. Those preparing to head down into the dungeon can't leave without supplies, after all! One can find a broad selection of jellies, jams, preserves, cheese, jerky, nuts, and seeds. While they aren't the tastiest, they'll survive for several days in a backpack, which is exactly what every adventurer needs!

► The universe-renowned baking mogul, Mama Brot, has opened a shop selling her famous pretzels. These soft pretzels, nicknamed breastzels, come in both sweet and savory variations. They are deliciously plush and melt in the mouth. It's said that one bite of one of her pillowy breastzels will send you straight to heaven. Dessert and bread connoisseurs cannot miss out!

Guests eager to get their hands on some of Mama Brot's breastzels have their work cut out for them. The shops restocks with fresh breastzels every morning, but the line to purchase starts queuing two hours beforehand. Supply runs out quickly every time Mama Brot decides to whip up a new batch. Good luck!

► Small bakeries peppering throughout the marketplace kick off December with a flurry of decorated cookies. Guests will find cookies and biscuits cut into different shapes, painted with icing, smeared with jam, and drizzled with chocolate. Hot chocolate booths also pop up, their baristas encouraging guests to gather and enjoy the snow by the center market tree with a cozy drink.

JOBS & QUESTS

A MAKESHIFT TAVERN

CALLING ALL ADVENTURERS: A SLAYER QUEST AWAITS!
Are you looking to make big coin? Do you have the strength and endurance to take on the dungeon? Then we want YOU to join our guild's quest to sLay!

The dungeon is teeming with sexy monsters that need sLaying. All you need to do to sLay is to fuck them real good! Once satisfied, these sexy monsters may drop quality loot. Join in the hunt to sLay and consolidate drops with our guild! We're happy to make trades or buy.

Yaaassss sLay all day!

JOB POSTING ONE! BIG PAYOUT FOR EASY WORK!

I am a pharmacist looking for some brave adventurers willing to go down into the dungeon and collect dongle flower milk for me. I need at least 10 bottles! This is an important ingredient in one of my popular prescriptions. I am not athletic enough to go get it myself and my supplies are running low.

Please deliver all dongle flower milk to the medical shop in the northwest corner of the market. Please note, I need FULL bottles. Do not skimp or I won't pay!

JOB POSTING TWO! HELP A WOMAN'S GROWING BUSINESS!

I am a young lady looking to expand my make-up business. I heard rumors that there's water in the dungeon that could make an AMAZING base for make-up products. But it sounds like it's super scary in there and I don't want to go. Please, someone, help!

You can bring all bottles of dungeon water to the make-up booth in the southeast corner of the market. I'm willing to pay in chips or trade some of my current products. My face masks and nail polishes are really good!

JOB POSTING THREE! PLEASE DON'T ASK WHY!

Hello. I need many dungeon slime cores, so I am looking for everyone and anyone willing to go slime hunting and gather some for me. We can negotiate pay based upon the number of slime cores brought. Do not inquire what the slimes or their cores are needed for.

Please bring all slime and slime core deliveries to back door of the Dried and Baked Sundries shop. Thank you!

JOB POSTING FOUR! I WANT COLLECTABLES!

If you're going into the dungeon, I want collectables. If you find that fabled treasure room, bring me back something cool and shiny. I'm willing to pay good money! I don't care what it is as long as it's hard to get and I can brag to my friends about it.

You can find me drinking in the tavern. I'll be wearing expensive velvet and a tiny hat with a feather.

PULL UP A CHAIR

► As a watering hole for adventurers looking for a place to kick back and relax with a hot beer, the tavern is a hot spot at all hours. Crude and sticky, there's never a dull moment at this establishment! Fights break out every night, drinking competitions are the norm, and it's the best place to gather information.

The tavern doubles as an inn, offering a dozen rooms above the bar for adventurers to cool their heels. A night's stay is relatively cheap and costs only a handful of chips.

► Guests can pick up jobs and quests from the tavern's request board. Postings vary in difficulty and payout. Anyone is welcome to pick them up and they can be completed for as long as the dungeon is active.

► Jobs and quests can be completed through the dungeon prompts below. They may be done multiple times. These job posters need a lot of supply!

► Guests can also list their own jobs and quests to the tavern's request board. While the board is typically meant to attract adventurers for hire, guests can advertise their own services this way. The bartender really doesn't care what goes up. She's too busy breasting boobily behind the counter in a corset that hikes her cleavage against her throat.

A WHOLE NEW BASEMENT

GOOD LUCK, NEW ARRIVALS

A TRENDY RENOVATION

► Low rank guests will be delighted to find that the basement has been completely renovated! Basement and maintenance floors have been converted into a realistic dungeon complete with gray stone, torchlight, and the echo of crawling monsters. Low rank suites have been temporarily adjusted to match the aesthetic.

► The communal bathroom has also been styled into a medieval latrine. Low rank guests can now enjoy bonding together over a communal trench and chamber pots. A helpful sign has been posted on the door advising guests to be wary of slimes coming up through the piping.

► Low rank guests that aren't happy with their living arrangements can check out the rooms above the tavern. They need only chat with the bartender and pay a fee for each night they wish to stay. It's up to them whether or not they think a dungeon filled with monsters or a raucous tavern is better for their beauty sleep.

NEW ARRIVALS

► New arrivals find themselves waking in various locations throughout the dungeon. Unlike low rank guests who have dungeon suites, new arrivals wake randomly in the upper and lower levels of the dungeon. Anywhere is fair game.

► New arrivals are considered dungeon monsters. In fact, wildcards are the number one hunted monster for the extremely popular sLaying quest! They'll have to keep on their toes if they don't want to be sexily sLayed.

► Stepping away from resort standard, wildcards wake dressed to embody their role as an erotic dungeon monster. The house knows that its guests have eclectic tastes, so monster costumes range from skimpy strategically placed furs to full body suits.

► What are dungeon monsters without drops? Wildcards will also wake with a pouch of valuables for adventurers to collect. These items can vary from useful ores, gemstones, and chip vouchers to random items like condoms, vegetables, and shiny rocks.

UPPER DUNGEON

START THE DESCENT

FLOOR 1

Heading down the stairs from the marketplace leads to the first floor of the dungeon. This is where all low rank suites have been condensed. Corridors are generally dry and well lit, with twisting ivy and torches lining the walls. Some guests say that it’s an improvement over the previously dreary, dirty basement.

Only a handful of monsters are brave enough to come close to the surface. The ones that do have low IQs and are easily defeated.

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► Barrels, crates, and chests can be found in corners and intersections. Low value materials, like perishables and basic clothing, can be found inside. This may or may not include the personal items of low rank guests misplaced during renovations. Whoops!

Watch out! Mimic chests love to hide amongst these crates. Opened mimic chests chase nearby guests, desperate to thrust their slimy tongues into any reachable orifice. They’re also quite dumb, happily repopulating areas where other mimics have been beaten. It isn’t uncommon to find a new one where an old one had been just yesterday!

► Sprigs of mistletoe grow over doors and dangle from the ceiling. Nothing happens when someone passes alone. The enchantment is only triggered when two or more people intersect. Those who cross under the mistletoe may find themselves unable to leave its proximity. As if an invisible bubble has appeared, attempts to leave will be rebuffed.

The mistletoe enchantment can only be broken by kissing. Some mistletoe may be satisfied with a brief kiss while others may require its victims to use tongue. Get ready for some smooching!

FLOOR 2

Multiple stairways across the first floor lead down to the second. As guests head down, they will find the temperature dropping and light dimming. The stairwell opens up to a reveal crumbling archways, staggered levels of ruins, and rich moss blanketing over stone.

This dungeon floor has several gaps between ruins and multiple pockets of open space. Old wooden bridges creak in the wind. Leaves flick across, carried on steady breeze. Treasure chests and harpy-like monsters can be found throughout the ruins.

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► Adventurers need to cross multiple bridges to make it to the next portion of the dungeon. However, they will find that they cannot cross these bridges alone. All bridges in this area vanish the moment someone steps out solo. Luckily, falls to the ground are cushioned by a thick blanket of moss.

Adventurers must step forward together, hand-in-hand, in order to cross. Guests that stop holding hands while crossing, hesitate, or mistrust one another will find the bridge vanishing from beneath their feet.

► Wind speeds spike dangerously at random intervals and send the floor into sub-freezing temperatures. During these times, it is advised that adventurers take cover, because they might end up blown away. There are sporadic abandoned campsites in caves and alcoves where guests can wait out the wind.

These campsites serendipitously offer a cozy bedroll. One cozy bedroll. With howling winds knocking out torchlight, the only way to keep warm is to cuddle up and share body heat. Oddly enough, the furious winds only calm down after adventurers snuggle. Weird!

FLOOR 3

Lush vegetation dominates the third floor. Pathways are challenging to follow beneath overgrown flora. Ancient trees twist between crumbling pillars. This dungeon forest is teeming with sexy floral monsters that blend with the brush and provoke adventurers with sensual whispers. Isn’t it amazing how accurate they are in pinpointing your kinks?

Monsters on this floor love to tease and fondle guests passing through. Adventurers cutting through the forest may end up groped by branches, leaves, and flowers. Or more! These floral monsters can get very handsy.

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► Treasure chests can be found throughout the dungeon forest. The floral monsters will try to protect them, but none of the monsters in this area are particularly strong. Wood nymphs seduce guests away from chests and vines will lash out to slap their hands. Chests on this floor are valuable, offering high-quality potions like elixirs and panaceas.

Not all potions are good. Some bottles are decoys that cause unwanted effects. The three most common decoys are love potions, hatemance potions, and flora potions.

LOVE POTION: A magical liquid designed to make the person who drinks it fall in love with the first person they see.

HATEMANCE POTION: A magical liquid designed to make the first person who drinks it fall into hate, coupled with passionate sexual desire, for the first person they see.

FLORA POTION: Liquefied chlorophyll designed to temporarily transform anyone who drinks it into a sexy monster. Monster need not be plant-based.

► An invasive species, the dongle flower, can be found in large number in the center of the forest. This flower’s fleshy petals phallically cone into one another and stand erect from a small cluster of leaves at its base. This flower is mostly known for its milk, which can be collected by pumping its petals. Those unfamiliar with this breed of flora may mistake it for a human penis, but closer investigation will confirm that it is indeed a plant.

Getting to close to the dongle flower comes with risks. This flower is notorious for ejaculating its milk when stimulated. Dongle flowers in close proximity may trigger one another and cause a chain of milk ejaculations. Dongle flower milk has analeptic properties that heighten virility, sensitivity, and sex drive. The more milk, the more potent.

LOWER DUNGEON

HALFWAY DOWN

FLOOR 4

A slope leads the way down to the fourth floor. Adventurers must be careful with their footing to avoid taking a spill because the path is steep and uneven. Why are these stones sticking up so much, anyway?!

Guests not watching their step may end up triggering a trap. After a trick stone sinks beneath their weight, a rumble echoes throughout the dungeon. This echo the ominous prelude to a giant boulder crashing down and rolling after them! (There is a nipple painted on the boulder.)

Those that don’t want to get squashed by the boulder may have to throw themselves off the ledge. Depending on where they decide to jump ship, they will end up in a different chamber designed to test their mettle.

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► CHAMBER ONE: An unfurnished room with no windows or doors. This chamber is deep, making it difficult to try and scale the walls back up to the path. Lone adventurers will end up stuck until someone else joins them, because the trap will not trigger until two or more guests are inside.

Once at least two guests are trapped, spikes spring from two opposing walls. They slowly begin to close in and a booming voice declares: BE EMOTIONALLY VULNERABLE OR DIE!

The floor will give way for guests that comply. Those that do not and cannot get out of the room on their own will be spiked. They may escape with injuries or die. If the latter, they will revive in the Broken Wing clinic.

► CHAMBER TWO: This chamber is divided into multiple parallel rooms. These rooms are designed to facilitate a specific kink between the guests trapped inside. They might be furnished with toys or vacant with only a gloryhole in a partition. Regardless, every room has a door locked shut with a bulky padlock.

After two guests have entered a booming voice declares: EXPLORE KINK OR REMAIN TRAPPED FOREVER!

Padlocks will drop and doors will open for guests that comply. Those that do not are doomed to be trapped forever… or figure a way out through demolition. That disembodied voice is going to be really salty when adventurers realize that last option exists.

FLOOR 5

Water commands the fifth floor. Adventurers must tread through dark and damp tunnels that lead into flooded chambers. Pools and rivers run throughout, with some areas reaching depths of 50 feet. Treasure chests are submerged but are worth the effort, offering ores, metals, and rare stones that can be used to enhance weapons with the blacksmith.

Reverse mermaids live in these waters. They enjoy swimming alongside adventurers and spreading their legs to show off how good they are for fucking.

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► Slimes ooze along the ceiling and plop into the water. They float along like jellyfish, but will direct themselves toward adventurers they sense nearby. Slimes vary in size and color, though the majority are small enough to cup between two hands. The mother slime, a giant slime hidden deep in the depths, occasionally appears to absorb adventurers into her gelatinous body.

Small and deceptively cute, these little monsters are attracted to adventurers and eager to ooze all over them. Different colored slimes and their secretions cause various physical reactions. Slimes can be mixed to create combination effects.

CLEAR SLIME: Clear slime is an aphrodisiac that can also be used as a lubricant.

PINK SLIME: Pink slime amplifies shyness and embarrassment.

PURPLE SLIME: Purple slime triggers sexual aggression and sadistic tendencies.

YELLOW SLIME: Yellow slime may enhance dominate or submissive inclinations.

MOTHER SLIME: Secretions from the mother slime trigger a breeding rut/heat. The more contact one has with the mother slime, the more intense the rut/heat.

► The water in this dungeon has unique properties. Adventurers that soak for long periods of time may find their skin clearing up, their hair becoming shinier, and their features becoming dewy and radiant. This water is imbued with beauty magic that intensifies the sexiness of those who drink or bathe in it. Everything they do, even sneezing or scratching an itch, will be tinted in a pink glow of attractive glamor.

Guests that soak for too long run the risk of becoming powerfully distracting. Beauty can be bewitching, so take care to not charm other adventurers into becoming obsessed admirers, lest you become an unwitting Helen of Troy!

Drinking the water comes with an additional potential side effect. The drinker's voice has a 25% chance of becoming hypnotic. They may be able to entrance others or cause them to orgasm through dirty talk alone.

FLOOR 6

Drying off won't be a problem after getting down to the sixth floor! The temperature jumps to a sweltering degree and light glints off silvery glass. Orange and red flicker and dance. Stepping into the yawning mouth of this massive floor reveals a giant pit of blazing fire beneath a twisting mirror maze.

Muscular minotaurs prowl, prepared to kidnap adventurers and whisk them away to their dens. This maze is also equipped with traps and enchantments designed to redirect guests back to the beginning entrance. Adventurers will need to use creativity and ingenuity to navigate this labyrinth while battling intense heat.

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► Guests can take cover in small chambers at maze corridor intersections. These rooms are also sweltering but, happily enough, there are magical air conditioners available! Two plates on opposite sides of the room must simultaneously be stepped on in order to activate the ice enchantment.

Comfort comes with a price. Something strange happens when magic sparks: the adventurers standing on the activation plates have swapped bodies! They won't be able to switch back immediately, either, because the ice enchantment has a cool down period. Their options are to either wait it out or go find another room with an unused ice enchantment!

► Adventurers that successfully navigate their way through the maze will find a long corridor leading to a massive shining door. They've found the exit down to the treasure room where riches upon riches are waiting. Money, money, money!!

Guests that let their guard down while walking to the door may end up shot with an arrow! In classic dungeon fashion, holes in the wall open and launch arrows all the way down to the entrance of the treasure room.

Getting shot by an arrow will trigger lust at first sight! Forget about everything else and look at your fellow dungeon crawler. Aren't they so erotic? Don't you really want to fuck them right now and forget about all that treasure? Or perhaps they're still rocking around in your swapped body. Isn't it suddenly tempting to fuck yourself?

TREASURE ROOM

IT DEFINITELY ISN'T CURSED

FLOOR 7: THE BOTTOM FLOOR

The final floor of the dungeon is a massive chamber glittering with precious gems, metals, and enchanted valuables. Piles and piles of gold coins are stacked as far as the eye can see. Treasure chests line the walls, overflowing with sparkling jewelry. Anyone that’s ever wanted to swim in piles of gold can finally make their dream come true.

Guests can take whatever they can carry. They have to make their way back up through the dungeon with it, so hopefully they came prepared!

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► Brave adventurers that managed to come this far deserve worthwhile gains. Those who enter the treasure room are welcome to pick up special treasures from the following selection. None of these items are game breaking, so players can pick up multiple or mix and match.

ECHO STONE: A small stone that fits in the palm of a hand. When tapped, it sends out a soft pulse that outlines nearby exits, hidden passages, or alternate routes in shimmering light.

EARRINGS OF FATE: A matching pair of diamond studs. If shared between two people, the wearers can sense each others’ location all times.

CLOAK OF INVISIBILITY: Shimmering silver fabric as smooth as water. Wearing this cloak grants invisibility.

THONG OF BRONZE: A bronze thong. Wearing this thong increases power, endurance, and speed, but only when worn alone.

RING OF PROTECTION: A simple gold ring enchanted to protect the wearer. While this is useful during battle, it also can act as birth control and prevent sharing diseases.

CLICK LOCK LOCKET: A simple golden heart-shaped locket. The wearer can open the locket and give themselves temporary body modifications for up to two hours at a time.

MECHANICAL MOUSE: A mechanical mouse that registers its master with a drop of blood. A little friend that can scout, transport small items, and fit into tiny spaces.

BRASS COMPASS: A small brass compass with delicate gears. It doesn’t point north. Instead, it points to the carrier's deepest desire or the object they seek the most.

FEATHER OF FLIGHT: A delicate feather that feels lighter than air itself. Grants the ability to fly for a short period but the user must have it in their possession and activate it. Works in bursts, such as allowing them to jump across wide gaps or avoid a deadly fall.

HAND OF LUCK: A small, silver broach shaped like a human hand, fingers outstretched in a gesture of good fortune. The hand grants increased luck to the user, influencing dice rolls, odds, or even the outcome of risky decisions. However, it only works once per day. When it activates it may make other things worse.

► An iridescent door glitters at the back of the treasure room. Written on an aged scroll pinned to the wall is an explanation that this door can send adventurers home. They will have abandon their companions for this opportunity, because one who uses the door must pass through alone. The scroll explains that the door will only work once within a span of several hours, making it impossible for anyone else to immediately use it. There is also the risk that it will never work again.

Of course, the door isn't really sending anyone back to their world. Guests that decide to take the leap will find themselves walking straight into their suite upstairs. The scroll didn't specify which home!

OOC NOTES

INVITES | RESERVES | APPLICATIONS

▶ BLANKET CW: alcohol; altered states; anonymous; aphrodisiacs; BDSM dynamics; body swap; breeding kink; classic tropes; costumes; cum play; dubcon; death; enchantments; erotic plants; erotic monsters; entrapment; hypnotism; noncon; temperature play; traps; weapons; violence; voice kink

▶ 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 November event and is designed to provide content for players through the mods' December break. The marketplace and dungeon will ICly conclude on January 1st.

▶ 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!

▶ 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

dan heng | honkai: star rail | 7♠

[menhulu]

winding market;

[ truth be told, dan heng is a bit.. enamoured with this change. it's certainly much more appealing than the peacock's usual garish decor, the rustic feel of it all much more cozy and welcoming. it won't last, he knows, these things never do here, but he'll enjoy it while he can.

most of the time he spends simply wandering around and enjoying the light snowfall and warm baubles of light while he shops around, but it isn't long before he's roped into working behind one of the booths himself. this comfy little kiosk sells hot chocolates in adorable, festive mugs, the drinks offered in all sorts of flavors and varying sweetness levels. pecan cookie, peppermint mocha, holiday spice, white chocolate - these are a few among many potential mixtures handwritten onto the chalk menu hung at the back of the stall.

he's in his more draconic form right now, wearing a little crown of holly leaves with red berries, and tiny strings of silver bells woven around his tall horns. don't worry about it. ]

What can I get for you?

upper dungeon - adventuring on floors 1 + 2;

a: mistletoe
[ mistletoe.. dan heng knows the plant itself, has entered information about it into the data bank, but he is not aware of the lore surrounding the plant, that couples are expected to kiss beneath it.

so when he finds himself entirely stuck beneath a sprig of it in a cramped doorway, beside someone else, he's appropriately confused. frowning, with his brow pinched, dan heng glances left and right, trying to ascertain what is keeping them from moving - a force field of some kind? perhaps they triggered a trap of some kind? stepped on a pressure plate? there isn't even enough room in this stone archway to be able to check the floor, not without knocking their heads together trying to squat. ]

Ah, my apologies - [ why is he apologizing?? ] - I'll try to have this figured out as quickly as possible.

only one bedroll:
[ journeying through dungeons is hard work, but dan heng isn't unused to sleeping in uncomfortable conditions, even if it's been quite awhile since he last needed to. it's alright. he's very tolerant.

which is exactly why he's offering the bedroll, despite the cold. ]

Please, feel free to rest.

[ he calls above the whipping gales, trying to block the worst of it with his body. it fucken wimdy.. ]

lower dungeon - adventuring on floors 4 + 5;

emotional vulnerability:
[ oh. this is a problem.

the stone around them rumbles, and the giant boobily breasting boulder only just barely misses dan heng as he throws himself into the first available chamber, all but tackling his adventuring partner to the floor to protect them from the grinding stone. respectful though he is, however, dan heng sits up the moment the danger has passed. ]

Are you all rig -

[ before he can finish, there's another ominous rumble of stone, the spiked walls slowly closing in as that demanding voice booms around them. oh, for the love of - dan heng rubs his face with both hands. ]

I spent most of my life in prison.

slime time - choose your color (nsfw):
[ water is always welcome when you're a vidyadhara, and dan heng is no exception. considering the hard work it's taken to get this low in the dungeon, he's in need of a bath, anyway.

heedless of his own nudity, dan heng strips and wades into the water, rinsing his clothing first before using cloudhymn magic to draw the moisture from the fabric to dry it, then folding it and setting it neatly onto a nearby ledge. he's only just begun to soak when a slime drops down right behind him.

he doesn't see the color, at first. is it clear? purple? yellow? or perhaps even a secretion from the mother slime? whatever it is, it's making his skin flush and his breath hitch, arousal spiking at a rapid pace. ]

Ah, I should have known -

wildcard;

[ feel free to tweak my prompts, come at me with something new, or ask for a custom starter! 17+ for smut, any gender welcome. dan heng comes in human flavor, or draconic (with reptilian genitalia), so for anything nsfw let me know which form you prefer! ]

Mistletoe

[bountyfull]

[ Vash is currently pressing the palm of his prosthetic hand against the invisible barrier, the expression on his face clearly perplexed. His lips stay pursed in thought as he flicks his gaze over towards the other man, brow furrowing when that apology comes out of his mouth.

A moment later he's laughing and waving it away. ]

It's not your fault. With the kind of luck I've been having lately, it might've been me.

[ Or, he considers... Hm. Pointing upwards with his other hand (the flesh and bone one) he indicates the sprig of mischevious nonsense above the both of them. ]

That might be the culprit too, considering everything else that's getting thrown around.

[menhulu]

[ ah, of course, the one place he did not yet look - up. dan heng's eyes settle on the innocent plant above them, brows furrowed, before he exhales a soft sigh. ]

.. I understand. Neither of us are at fault.

[ though this particular tradition does not to his knowledge exist in his universe, dan heng has been here for quite a long time, and spent enough time in the library researching various worlds and cultures that he thinks he knows exatly what is happening here. ]

That is mistletoe. A poisonous, parasitic plant with varying medicinal properties. In this case, however.. there is a common tradition across many worlds, where two people caught beneath a sprig are expected to kiss.

[bountyfull]

[ He wasn't expecting to be underneath mistletoe with a veritable encyclopedia, but you know what, there's nothing wrong with that. It gets a laugh from him as he looks up at the plant. ]

Parasitic, huh... Didn't know that part. She always stuck with the more fun parts, I guess.

[ There's a moment here where he seems a little wistful, but it's there and gone again before it has chance enough to linger and leave anything behind. He rolls his shoulders in a shrug. If this had been his first time around, he might have been more flustered about a kiss, but luckily it's not.

He holds out a hand (the flesh and bone one), palm up. ]

Well, only one way to find out. Trust me enough to give it a try?

[menhulu]

Mm. It attaches itself to other plants, usually trees, and siphons off nutrients.

[ as for who she is, dan heng certainly could not guess. someone important to this man, he imagines, given the tender look that flashes briefly behind his eyes. he's curious, but.. it would be rude to ask about something that may be very personal so soon, so instead dan heng turns in the small space to face him. ]

Well, trust is a lot to ask for so soon. [ he says with a wry smile. ] That said, I would be amenable if you are. We're likely to be stranded here until we comply, anyway.

[ he's certainly been trapped under worse circumstances before. but first - ]

I'm Dan Heng.

floor 4

[workingslacker]

[ You know, he would have been fine. There's no need to hurl him bodily into the chamber. Cale would have just gracefully used a bit of wind to cushion his fall. Instead there's a giant lizard on him ( yes, Dan Heng, you are a giant lizard ) and Cale is giving a little shove so he can dust himself off. ]

I would have been, if -

[ He stops as the stone shifts and moves. As the walls become spikes and they're given directions on how they can escape this situation. Cale squints, not believing for a moment that they are going to just hand over something so important about themselves. He is about to suggest something when Dan Heng just SPILLS THE BEANS.

Which makes Cale stare at him like "are you serious?" because wow. Caving fast, much?

Then he sighs, frowning a little. ]

I actually enjoy living with my companions.

[ Only... That doesn't work. If anything that makes the walls start to close in faster! ]

[menhulu]

[ don't bitch at him for trying to protect you omg, fine next time he'll leave you hanging!!

except he won't, actually. that would go against his nature. also wtf why are you the judgiest man in the universe, dan heng doesn't have anything to hide!! and he's been here long enough to understand that these things tend to work. in fact, the walls do slow at his answer - at least, until cale speaks out as well, and with a grinding lurch, they begin moving faster.

hey what the fuck?? ]

.. was that a lie?

[ cale pls. ]

[workingslacker]

[ Cale looks at Dan Heng with a flat look. Does it really look like he's lying? Of course he had been telling the truth. ]

Why would I lie about that?

[ It's just that it's not "vulnerable" enough. Probably. Cale scowls even deeper. This place really does have a way of bringing up the most unpleasant things. ]

Ridiculous. [ He heaves a sigh. ] I had to watch everyone I cared about die once.

[menhulu]

[ look, he's just ruling out possibilities, here. he doesn't know cale well enough yet to know whether or not he would lie about things like this. people can be strange, especially when it comes to being candid with their feelings.

the level of vulnerability would have been his next guess. given that cale's next statement makes the walls grind and then halt, he supposes that between the two of them they've managed to satisfy the requirement, for now.

his mouth presses into a thin line. he won't ask cale to elaborate, but.. he can't unhear what he heard. ]

.. so far, so good.

[workingslacker]

[ As the walls cease to move, Cale looks less than pleased. It's not like Dan Heng would likely catch how odd that sounds. Cale tries to carry himself as Cale Henituse rather than Kim Rok Soo. Some noble wouldn't or shouldn't know that level of loss. Not under regular circumstances... ]

So far, yes. [ He frowns as he continues to look upward. ] Now the challenge is getting up.

[ And out of this pit. ]

emotional vulnerability;

[aflowers]

[ Later on, she'll stop and think about the fact that, without Dan Heng's quick action, she might have ended up squished. As she sits up, dusting off what little armor she's wearing, she gives him a grateful smile—

Just in time for the voice to make its announcement as the walls start to move. Her lips part. She's not above opening up to a truth if it's going to get them out of here...

But Dan Heng speaks before she can, and her brows lift.

She has questions, but the walls are still moving, so... now is not the time. Aerith closes her eyes and takes a breath. She could commiserate with him, tell him about the seven years she spent in captivity, but that's not really much of a secret, so... ]

My home world is in danger, and I think I have to die in order to save it.

[ They're words she's never dared to say aloud before. ]

[menhulu]

[ well. if nothing else.. that does seem to work. at least for the moment. with a hard grind of stone against stone, the walls cease their inward movement, though they do not yet retract. even still, not being speared alive on spikes is a win.

but her words.. they echo in his ears. brow furrowed, he glances toward her, clearly concerned, but unsure of whether or not he should dig further. she's never talked about this before, after all, despite all of the times they've chatted, and the last thing he wants to do is to pry into a place where he is not yet welcome.

still..

banishing his cloudhymn spear, which he'd called instinctively into his hand, dan heng steps toward her, gently taking both of her hands into his own. ]

.. are you all right?

[ a double ended question. he's asking about what she said, but it also offers her an out if she wants it - since he could very well be asking if she's physically all right. ]

[aflowers]

[ With each of them having made a confession, the walls halt their advance... at least for now. Like Dan Heng, she does notice that the spikes don't retract, although she isn't really thinking all that much about it, her attention mostly on the way he walks to her, taking her hands into his.

And it's strange. She understands what he's doing, offering her an out—an out that Aerith would usually take, always trying to focus on the positives and not the negatives as she does, trying her best all the time to hide from other people her worries and fears.

But this time... she's quiet for a moment, her fingers threading through his as she smiles... and shakes her head. ]

No, [ she says, simple as she is honest. ] I'm terrified. But.. what about you, Dan Heng? You can't be much older than me... how long have you been free?

[menhulu]

[ his expression softens, open and gentle. there's no pity in his eyes, but understanding instead. ]

It's all right. I won't let anything hurt you.

[ even if he has to push these walls apart with his bare hands. ]

But I.. don't know my exact age. Somewhere above thirty, but below a hundred, most likely. I'm still very young by the standards of my people.

[ of course, all things considered, she already knows that he isn't human. ]

It's only been.. maybe ten years, since my exile.

[aflowers]

[ Aerith knows, deep down, that there's nothing Dan Heng can realistically do. Her fear, after all, comes not from the situation they're in now, but the eventual outcome of her life, and what can he do about that when he's from somewhere else entirely?

Yet his conviction soothes her anyway. She nods, and holds onto his hands a little more tightly—

and frowns when he says he doesn't know how old he is. It's not even a small age range—although she supposes that by the standards of his people, it might be—and something about the whole thing makes her mad. Even if he was in captivity for enough years that he lost track, shouldn't someone have cared enough to keep track of something as important as his age? And then there's the matter of the fact he was exiled... ]

I have a lot of questions, [ she admits, her smile soft with self-deprecating amusement. ] But I guess the first is to ask what their reasoning was. To imprison you, and then exile you.. you don't seem like the sort of person who would have done something so wrong to justify that.

mistletoe;

[laserguy]

[At this point, he's not entirely surprised to be stuck in this sort of situation. So even though the other man is a complete stranger to him, Scott doesn't find himself upset-- just maybe slightly exasperated. For one thing, isn't the resort off by like a month to be having mistletoes? Whatever. He finds himself flicking the invisible barrier for a couple of seconds, before he turns his head slightly to look at Dan Heng-- eyes blocked by a visor, but he seems approachable enough still.

And maybe just a little confused.]

Huh? What do you mean?

[...He really has been here for a long time if this sort of thing really doesn't bother him. Scott doesn't know what to really make of that, so he'll just shove that feeling down and address what's going on now. Always the best way to handle things--]

We just have to kiss each other to get out of this. [Well, if the resort is sticking to tradition here. He never knows with this place sometimes.]

[menhulu]

[ sorry friend, it's almost his year anniversary here, he's so accustomed to these shenanigans.. and what the other man offers also isn't surprising, all things considered, even if dan heng has no idea how he knows what they have to do. his brow pinches thoughtfully. ]

We do?

[ he glances around the barrier, following the stone arch up to the little sprig of glittery mistletoe hanging above their heads, tied in a bright ribbon. it's the only thing that stands out inside of the barrier, so he can only assume it must have something to do with their predicament. ]

How do you know that? Does it have something to do with the mistletoe plant?

[ he sounds a little intrigued, honestly.. ]

[laserguy]

[Ah, someone unfamiliar with Earth customs. Unless the whole kissing thing under a mistletoe is an American thing?? European?? Scott honestly does not know, but luckily they're just going to sidestep that whole thing so that he can get to the most important bit about this: explaining what a mistletoe is to the other.

Yeah, him explaining culture once again, he should be an official ambassador at this point.]

Yeah, it has everything to do with the mistletoe plant. It's a tradition back home, usually around Christmas time-- which, don't worry about that yet.

[He waves an almost dismissive hand, before looking up at the plant.] But yeah, when two people are under a mistletoe, they have to kiss. Only, there's usually not a barrier that forms that stops us from escaping. That's taking it on a whole new level.

[menhulu]

.. interesting. I see.

[ dan heng is familiar with the plant, of course, but less so with such a tradition. still, despite his knowledge and the vast information available to him in the data banks at home, he can't possibly know every detail about every planet in the universe. unfortunately. he's all too eager to learn, however.

he'll have to write all of this down, later. ]

I can't say that I'm surprised - that very much tracks with the motif of this place. ]

Well, first thing is first - I am Dan Heng.

[laserguy]

Heh, you're telling me. We'll see if it only requires that much.

[Well, nice that this guy is taking everything pretty well?? Makes the inevitable kiss easier to deal with. And uh, look, Scott has eyes-- he might see everything in red, but he's not blind either, he can tell that Dan Heng is pretty attractive. Which. Look at him, admitting that dudes can look pretty and shit and feeling okay about that. Guess if it took longer than a year for him, he'd be in trouble.

Man, it really has been that long...

But Scott smiles slightly at Dan Heng, raising a hand towards him for a shake.]

So, since we're doing the polite thing... nice to meet you, I'm Scott Summers.

emotional vulnerability

[entirelymyown]

[ There is a part of John that, upon hearing the booming pronouncement, had wondered if he should have just let the boulder hit him. But here, now, as he's standing in a room with a young man who looks like the last thing he'd rather do is share his secrets, he especially feels that way.

He's only had two people to talk to that he can even properly remember as people instead of the hazy, shadowy shapes in his distorted memory. Noel had been a short-lived friendship, though one he intends to keep if he can, and Arthur was... well, he was Arthur, the other half of his soul, the person who matters most to him in this or any world. And even from them, he has certainly hid things. Still hides things. But being vulnerable, funny enough, is something he does have practice with. When he gives his pronouncement, John winces, but it's with empathy not sympathy.]

Same.

[ But he's well aware that probably won't be enough to stop the spikes. ]

And there is... a part of me that wonders if what that place made me means that I'm not truly suited for... everywhere else. Or for anyone else. That that place, and the person that I was in the past, will never truly be able to be anything truly 'good' for anyone else.

[ A slow and steady breath out before he dips his head to the other man. ]

John. I... figured I probably shouldn't just let you do all that.

[menhulu]

[ same, the man says, and dan heng can't hide his surprise; this is not something that he has ever had in common with another person. he's met other people who have experienced prison, yes, but none who were born into it as he was - and that alone is both intriguing and very, very sad. no one deserves such a fate.

and yet, here they both stand. ]

.. Dan Heng.

[ he responds quietly, and dips his head respectfully. ]

I would say it's nice to meet you, but the circumstances are.. not ideal.

[ but then, he could say such a thing to half the people that he has met here - too many times he's been in situations like this. at the very least, he's made good friends.

[entirelymyown]

Oh... yeah... this is bullshit, agreed.

[ Said without much (or really) any kind of fanfare. Instead, he stares at the doors, at the padlocks, and lets out a little growl. A... not entirely human sounding growl. Then, after an eyeroll- ]

My turn, I guess. Hmm. [ A deep sigh. ] I'm... afraid. Of myself. More than anyone or anything else. I fear that any action I take, any power I might wield, might harm those I've come to care for. That the world is too fragile to allow for something, or someone, like myself. That to be the person I want to be, I must be powerless... but... on the opposite side of this, to be powerless completely is almost certainly to resign myself to losing all I care about anyway.

I hope, most of all, that this is not the case. And I am... trying. But that doesn't mean I'm not afraid.

[menhulu]

[ he chuckles. yes. this is bullshit. ]

.. that sounds like a complicated situation, my friend.

[ he says, gently. dan heng can't say that he understands what this man is saying, what it means to him, but it's clear enough that it weighs heavily, most especially if it's enough to keep the walls from closing in again. the door has yet to open, but.. it still seems as if they are moving in the right direction. ]

Where I am from, beings of immense power do not tend to care about others. They don't often consider us, in general. We are ants to them, small and industrious, but easy to forget about. The fact that you bear great power but still have empathy.. I think that means a great deal.

[entirelymyown]

[ John winces at that assessment but not for a good reason, exactly. He glances at the walls for a long moment before sighing out- ]

I didn't always. In fact, for most of my existence, I was exactly as you describe. 'Ants' is exactly how I would have described people, in fact.

But I learned differently through my experiences, and my opinion has very much changed on that matter. I thought that there was no purpose, no meaning to lives so short. But I know that that's not the case. That the length of a life has nothing to do with how meaningful it is, that people, if you actually take the time to get to know them instead of standing above them, are beautiful and strange, complex and worth caring about.

I'm... ashamed of all that time I thought differently.