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

[loosestrifes]

( He isn't sure what to expect from the kiss. Something shy and stilted, maybe, or in the opposite direction, maybe something a little too strong and forceful, as if to cover up for the fact that this is something Toma must be shy with. Instead, he's met with sweet warmth that feels almost... eager?

That can't be right.

It shoots an embarrassed heat to his own cheeks that it feels so easy to lean into this kiss, like it's more emotional than it has any right to be. And what's he supposed to do in response to emotion like that? As much as he'd like to pretend he can deflect things like that, or ignore them, or simply lean back and laugh, the truth is that he's attention starved right to the core, and having someone kiss him like he means something will always strike into him like an arrow.

Their tongues meet, and Toma's feels so warm in comparison to his own. But it's when Esikko recognizes that he's really tasting him that it all begins to become too much, and he pulls back with a soft little gasp, half turning, trying to hide his shameful embarrassment. What the hell. What the hell, why's he kissing him like that? He's screwing with him, isn't he? )

W-well? It should be good enough now, right? ( Leaving it for Toma to check, again, because he's busy pretending to scrub his mouth clean with an arm when he's really just trying to clear his thoughts. )

[fraternallyyours]

[He startles, eyes blinking open, when Esikko breaks away, and just-- stares again, at first. Did he like it...? Toma can't tell - mostly, he knows the prince seems... embarrassed? Which, unfortunately, is really, really cute, and honestly just makes Toma want to kiss him again.

Instead-- right, there was... a purpose to this, wasn't there. ...Also, Esikko is wiping his mouth, which sure doesn't seem like he liked the kiss. Toma wilts a little bit, his voice faltering as he answers.] Ah-- right.

[This time, when he reaches toward the point in space where that invisible boundary lay, it's with the distant that it will stop him-- that he'll get another chance to prove that he can make this good for Esikko. That thought stays distant, though, brushed decisively away before it can really take root; of course, he doesn't actually want Esikko to be forced to kiss him again if he doesn't want to.

What he actually wants, right now, influenced by a spell neither of them is privy to, is-- well, for Esikko to want to. And, failing that? The chance, at least, to stay by his side.

Toma's hand passes through the once-impermeable space, and he silently scolds himself for his moment's disappointment. ...Not that telling himself off for it keeps it from showing on his face.]

...Looks like it worked.

[loosestrifes]

...Good.

( Something is weird, but he can't explain what it is. A suspicious glance up at the mistletoe has him wondering if it's some sort of new flavor added to this year's game with them, but could that be the case? He can't detect any pollen in the air, no foreign dust or sensations, and while it could be magic induced with just one of them, it feels odd. Inconsistent.

Glancing back to Toma, Esikko is met with an innocent stare that catches him off guard all over again. Like Toma wants to lean forward, almost, or step closer— nowhere near that usual look of distaste and forced distance. For some reason, it twists something in his chest, and Esikko frowns all the more for it, turning with a hand out to test his own steps forward himself.

Nothing, he doesn't walk into anything, he doesn't make a fool of himself. And so he lets out a breath, tense and awkward, and doesn't even pass a glance back to Toma as he speaks: )

I suppose you're free, then.

( With the full intent of leaving, now, and getting away from this. )

[fraternallyyours]

[Esikko won't even look at him, and-- I suppose you're free, then.]

Wait--!

[Toma hasn't fully thought through what he's going to say, as he steps forward - but the answer comes to him quickly. He's done a bit of looking around already, getting an idea of what the House has set up this time, and one possible solution jumps to mind.]

--There are... job listings up, to be carried out in the basement. They should be easier with two people.

[If nothing else, he can make himself useful.]

[loosestrifes]

...What?

( Esikko is so thoroughly caught off guard that he doesn't even have the time to stop and think about his words before that falls out. He turns, pointing his baffled expression at Toma, and takes in that wide-eyed look— and it looks far too much like his little brother's face, from before his mother had swept him up in everything, from when he looked up to him.

Shutting that part of himself off, Esikko blinks away his feelings and dares a step closer, lifting one hand to touch the back of it to Toma's forehead, testing. )

Are you offering to help me? Why?

( Is he like, dying? )

[fraternallyyours]

[Toma tenses a little bit, as the cool surface of Esikko's skin meets his - but he doesn't pull back. His gaze flits down, to the side, heat rising in his cheeks again.]

Well-- why not? I backed you up well enough with the ghost, didn't I...?

[he did a good job right???]

[loosestrifes]

...

( He squints, for a moment. There's no extra fever, no reason Toma's face should be turning pink, and yet it is. Esikko flicks his eyes back up to the mistletoe before gesturing finally for Toma to walk with him.

This is weird, but he doesn't think Toma would lie in this way with him, which means... It weirdly feels like his responsibility to make sure some weirdo rando doesn't take advantage of whatever agreeability spell this is. )

You did, though that was for your own gain. ( Because why else would he help? ) Granted, I'm sure there are things you need down there, too, so I guess... It's fine.

We're still part of a truce, so if I get hurt down here, I'll be telling someone about it.

[fraternallyyours]

[He perks up visibly at that gesture, and follows Esikko with an eager bounce in his step.

He can't deny that backing Esikko up against the ghost was mostly for his own gain; the prince clearly had a more solid idea of how to handle the situation than Toma did (of course he did, he's so smart!). It was plainly the best option to back up his efforts rather than acting separately.

This time is... different. But, if focusing on Toma's standing to materially profit is what it takes for Esikko to let him tag along, he'll take it.]

Of course! I won't let that happen; you can count on me. [Spoken with absolute, dedicated confidence.] We should stop at the market first - they're actually selling weapons for once, can you believe that? The quality isn't the best, but it's better than nothing... they should have some materials for magic, as well.

[loosestrifes]

( "You can count on me." As those words fall out without a hint of sarcasm, Esikko stares back at Toma once more. He doesn't let it slow his steps, still moving at a steady pace through the new layout, but he does at least redirect his walking to head towards the market. According to the new signs posted everywhere. )

For when you return to your right mind, I'd like it on record that I'm only keeping you company because it doesn't feel right to leave you in whatever state this is for just anyone to find.

( Clarifying with that, huffy and acting like this is a huge bother, Esikko holds out a hand to Toma in offering. He... thinks he's understanding a picture here, and so he doubts it would go refused at this point. Why? What's up with this?? )

I'll grab a dagger, if they have one, and you can get what you need, and we'll see how far we can manage before you feel better.

( If Toma takes his hand, he intends to tug him along to the market, quickly make their choices, and then go on about tugging him right back down to the dungeon proper. )

[fraternallyyours]

[??? what is esikko talking about, he's normal]

Okay...?

[In any case, even if Esikko is huffing about it, at least he's letting Toma stay with him - even offering his hand, which Toma is quick to take. That seems good, right? He wouldn't go that far if he really didn't want Toma around. Probably.

Toma is substantially chattier than usual as they shop (and, in particular, has a number of opinions about the quality of work on the weapons available in the market); as they enter the dungeon proper, though, he quiets down some to focus in on their surroundings. As promised, he's quick to protect Esikko, cutting down potential threats with all the more startling speed now that he's armed with more than his powers.

In this way, the first two floors don't prove too much of a problem - and, in his current state, Toma doesn't take issue with the second floor's demands for physical closeness, either.

There is... a change, though, when they reach the third floor. While keeping his attention on the task at hand on the previous floors, he had still been making conversation (or, at least, trying to) - focused on the task at hand, but confident. Comfortable, in a way Esikko may never have seen him before.

Now, he goes quiet - silently adjusting his hold on the grip of his sword, his gaze flitting over their lush, green surroundings. Tense, in a way he hadn't been on the prior floors-- but he's still showing no signs of hostility toward Esikko.

If anything, he seems to be sticking even closer, as though braced for the prince to be at risk at any moment.]

[loosestrifes]

( ...He'd be lying if he said it wasn't a little nice having such a diligent bodyguard. No more mimics harassing him, no other weird creatures, just peace and quiet as they walk with the occasional struggles. But here, Esikko can feel that tension rising, and glancing around the room at the lush greenery, he feels more confident. So it's interesting to note, especially knowing how the brothers both seem to be part plant. )

You seem on edge.

( Calmly, he points it out, eyes sliding testingly over to Toma. He hasn't been completely cold in response to his chattier self. If anything, he's tried to meet him halfway— not overly informative, but receptive enough to words that are no longer harsh or cruel, keeping in mind that he's sure Toma will be terribly embarrassed when he's back to normal. But right now? He's... learning, at least. )

I thought you might have an advantage in scenery like this, what with your... ( He pauses, lifting his hand to attempt to gesture in a circle about the whole plant thing. ) You know.

[fraternallyyours]

[Right now, Toma accepts even the most lukewarm engagement eagerly; it isn't nothing, and he certainly couldn't ask for more. That said, he is... certainly less enthusiastic, when Esikko points out the change in his demeanor. He shifts his grip a little bit, his gaze flitting to the prince before returning to scanning their surroundings.

...He does give him a bit of a disbelieving look at his suggestion of an advantage, though there's still no malice in it. More of a fond frustration - the kind of look Esikko may have glimpsed him giving Chobe, if he's seen them out and about.] Not at all. I can't make use of them the way you can. [Toma still isn't sure of the extent to which the prince can manipulate plant life with his magic, but it's clearly part of it... and, right now, his harnessing of something Toma has so much distaste for seems more impressive than obnoxious.

He's quiet for a moment, looking for the words, before he adds:] My brother and I became what we are in a place like this, is all.

[Which, just off that... could sound like it should be a positive memory.

And yet.]

[loosestrifes]

( Now that is interesting. Esikko hesitates for a moment, debating the morals of continuing along this train of conversation. But— it's not as if he is actively digging for this information, and since when has he ever cared much about morals? ...Since coming here, he supposes, with a twitch of his lips.

But it's fine, as long as he isn't using it for some revenge plot. It's good to pocket, to keep, to hold onto for safe keeping and for his own knowledge. )

...The two of you didn't become this way by choice, then?

( So he asks, after a long pause, hand pulling away from a rather grabby vine that reaches his way. He doesn't seem bothered by the actions, just adapting with them and stepping around, but they haven't run across anything particularly grabby yet, so it's hard to say if that would shift. )

[fraternallyyours]

No, we did. It was just--

[He hesitates, ready to draw his blade as Esikko pulls away from the vine. Okay... he's fine, then. Good. (It's more difficult here, knowing that Esikko actually likes plants, deciding when a threat is urgent enough to need cutting down.)

For now, Toma sheathes his sword. His gaze lingers on Esikko, as though silently confirming the plant didn't do anything to him, before he scans their surroundings again.] We did want this; it was the whole reason we ever set foot on that island. For a chance at immortality - freedom, from... everything. [A faint, fond smile plays over his lips, despite what followed Chobe's declaration:] So not even death could tell us how to live.

...It was beautiful, just like this place. We were told it was paradise, and at first it even looked like it, you know? [He huffs quietly.] Of course, the shogunate had stopped sending their own men for a reason. Convicts and those who handle the dead were far more disposable - and that gave us the chance, at least.

[It may not be the clearest line of explanation - but maybe that's inevitable, born as it is of contradiction. It's not as though Toma makes a habit of laying out the events leading to his and his brother's shedding of their humanity; the only person who needs to know already does, after all. Even still, there are things he finds himself evading-- details he can't quite bring himself to disclose, even with his usual hostility toward Esikko stripped away.

But there all the same, rooted in this temporary affection for the prince, is the urge to be understood.]

[loosestrifes]

( It's a little vague, but Esikko feels a pang of something in his chest that he doesn't want to address right now. A journey to achieve immortality, to be "free" from everything. It sounds so entirely different from his own situation, and yet so insanely similar, that his hands curl a little at his sides, flexing in thought.

He could say nothing. He could easily question and keep on with nothing about himself. But... he thinks of Chobe, their intimate moment, and he thinks of Toma now, wide-eyed and earnest, and he frowns. The House does this shit on purpose, he knows. So he'll point his anger towards it later. )

You could say I set out on a similar journey. One for strength, for life. I climbed a mountain peak and ate a god.

( Just, bluntly, he says that shit, eyes flicking back over to Toma. )

Now I'm cursed, but even with that power running inside of me, I have nothing like the two of you do. So how did you manage it? Was it not a god?

[fraternallyyours]

[Toma pauses again, before he speaks - like he isn't quite sure he should ask, but... it's been needling at him, since it happened. His voice is quiet - careful, his thumb rubbing idly at the end of his sword's grip.] ...That dream was real, then.

[The searing cold, the marks under Esikko's eyes flaring bright, like they were trying to overtake him - the heat leaching from his body, no matter how close they packed themselves in that ragged sleeping bag. The encroachment of an invasive external power, with nothing to be done to stop it.

It's a curse.

Toma's body tenses, his heart thudding painfully - no matter how distant that century-old memory gets, it's never any easier when it resurfaces. His grip goes just a bit tighter.

Esikko asked something. Toma's gaze flits over to him again, and then away - another scan over their surroundings, reaching out with Tao, checking for any particularly notable signatures, just in case. Esikko's is so thin, it's like he's barely there at all. Right. How they managed it.]

I'm not sure. We... saw what became of most who were exposed. [The boundary between gnarled wood and desiccated flesh, blurred to nothing.] All I can think is that my brother lived because of who he is. For me, I... guess because my exposure was so gradual.

[Chobe is special, after all. And Toma got lucky.]

They weren't gods, though, no - just something close. ...We didn't eat them, either.

[Chobe just drank a lot of monster blood was all,]

[loosestrifes]

( Exposure, he says, and Esikko thinks back to the flower he'd briefly stolen from Chobe's body. Parasitic in nature, like a really aggressive weed— he could see how a rather powerful plant would be able to spread this sort of infection, and only a few would be able to adapt. Through pollen, maybe? That would be his first guess. But, Chobe and Toma aren't spreading it themselves, so either the "pollen" is only produced by a source flower, and each infected individual isn't capable of producing it, or it's random, or... Or something else, he supposes?

Something larger rustles in the foliage around them, enough that Esikko lifts his gaze over towards where it sounds from. It's far enough that they aren't in danger yet, but he does step a little closer to Toma, aware. They need to get out of this floor. As much as he likes plants, he's not keen on trying vine tentacles, or whatever else might be around here. )

...But you achieved what you were looking for, I suppose. ( The good for you, mildly bitter but still so thoroughly dimmed compared to its usual, is heavily implied behind those words. ) As unpleasant as it might have been to get there.

Let's make this floor quick, then. There are other things mixed in amongst these plants, and I'd rather they not bother us.

[fraternallyyours]

[Even dimmed, Toma can hear the implication behind his words, and it feels... very different from usual. He wilts a little bit; for that moment, he kind of regrets answering at all.]

...Right.

[He's quiet again,the rest of the way through the lush greenery - because he has a job to do, he tells himself. Only that.]

[loosestrifes]

( He shouldn't care. He shouldn't care. He definitely shouldn't care.

But the longer they walk, the more that new "guilt" sensation eats at him. Toma isn't just reminding him of himself— he's reminding him of his little brother, and despite what he might insist to anyone around him, he does regret the distance that formed between them. Ugh.

So, eventually, as they near the end of all this greenery, he speaks up. )

I'm not upset with you over it, you know.

( But that sounds so out of nowhere, after all that silence, and so he struggles for a moment before expanding. )

Your... withstanding your situation, I mean. I just want it for myself, that sort of satisfaction. I've gone so far as to pour every bit of strength into my magic and warp fate itself, to try life after life, and I still can't manage to live a life worth living.

( He breathes out a harsh huff. )

I just end up alone. So I'm angry, at myself, at my body, at my parents and at the gods and fate, but not at you.

( He's pointedly looking anywhere except Toma. )

I'm only saying this since you seem to care, right now, so forget about it later.

[fraternallyyours]

[Toma looks up at him, blinking, at the sudden clarification. It's... sort of a relief, even though he doesn't feel much better about it at the moment - he should have known better, anticipated the problem.

But insisting as much seems like it would be another mistake-- and something else gets his attention.] Life after life... is that what you meant, in the dream? About trying again? [Some means of starting over... a measure of control over time, or something along those lines.

He can see the stairs coming up... Toma pauses, putting his hand up to signal to Esikko to pause while he moves ahead a bit. Just checking to confirm that nothing is lying in wait between them and the exit.

He returns, once he's satisfied, and adds:] ...What about this life? I know your own world is one thing, but... you certainly aren't alone here.

[He isn't taking himself into account there, of course; even right now, even if he finds himself desperate to stay by Esikko's side, he wouldn't presume to think he counts.]

[loosestrifes]

I'm... less alone, certainly.

( Muttered under his breath, he folds his arms and waits for Toma to indicate the path is clear. Then, he walks, staying close. )

Anyway, yes, that's what I meant. I didn't realize it was you, in the dream. And yes, I'd like to give this life my fullest and stop there.

Despite the problems I have with the House, this place is something of an opportunity, so.

( So, huff, he says. )

[fraternallyyours]

[Toma hears that mutter, but he can tell it's wasn't really meant for him... so he tilts his head a bit, but doesn't comment. Frankly, Esikko's hedging doesn't make a lot of sense to him; he's talked so glowingly about his friends here, and they certainly must care deeply about him to have clashed with Toma and Chobe so many times. (The cognitive dissonance intrinsic to that thought, at this moment, doesn't quite sink in.)

Sure, it isn't the kind of social life Toma would want, warped as he is around one single person - but it's a far cry from having nothing, he's pretty sure.

Still: He keeps that to himself - and, as they continue down to the fourth floor, looks at Esikko again with a warm smile. Maybe amused, but without a hint of derision.]

...It's good that you've been able to take it, then.

[And, for the next few minutes of walking, he focuses again on their surroundings - particularly both of their footing as the terrain grows more treacherous, offering a hand to help with Esikko's balance if need be--]

2/2

[fraternallyyours]

[--and then something snaps back into place.

It's hard to say whether it's the disorientation of the spell's reversal itself or the following jolt of mortification that throws off Toma's focus - but his foot slips, a false stone clicks under his weight, and a giant fuckoff boulder drops into the corridor behind them.

No time to think - his hand goes from Esikko's hand to his back, gripping the back of his shirt as he drags him to the edge of the pathway.] --Move!

[loosestrifes]

W—

( Walking along here, Esikko had felt the presence of magic somewhere beneath them, but he couldn't pinpoint traps, not ones held by panels like that. He could tell something was dangerous, but there was no stopping the fumble of feet, and certainly no stopping Toma's strength in urging him out of the way, even if his body wants to resist falling. )

There's nowhere to go!

( Esikko's feet fumble near the edge of the pathway, wobbling and uncertain. It doesn't matter, with the approaching boulder being so clearly wide along the path, but his weight slips, and he falls with a startled yelp, both of his arms reaching up to shield his face from wherever or however he might land. )

[fraternallyyours]

[Toma doesn't answer Esikko's protest. It's either the boulder or the risk of a fall, and the prince might have a chance of surviving one - which, Toma tells himself, would save him a lot of trouble compared to the fit Esikko's friends would throw if he died under Toma's watch. Only one choice to make.

It is, he's sure, for that same reason that he does what he does when they both go over the edge: Toma wraps his arms around Esikko, maneuvering as best he can in freefall to put himself between the infuriatingly frail prince and the approaching ground.]