peacockstop | TDM 12

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TDM 12

【 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.

► 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.

► 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.

► 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.

► 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.

► 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.

► 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!

► 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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Huh. [ Honestly he hadn't thought about that at all.

Same as Dodger feels both jealous and pleased by hearing about Henry's dads, Henry feels saddened and angered on Dodger's behalf when he talks of the man who raised him. He sounds like a real ass. ]

Of course he'd be interested once it meant he got something out of it, right? Anyway, that's a convenient skill to have if you're interested in moving metal.

[ If he had some powers he'd probably like having that ability! He just doesn't want to think on it too hard.

Once the sword is down on the slab though, he takes up the hammer and gets to work. He's using precise strikes, never in the same spot more than once or twice in a row, occasionally flipping the weapon to the other side. Though the heat is slowly leaving it, and the sword has yet to take on the shape he wants it, so he'll have to hand it back to Dodger to top it back up again. In between strikes, he explains: ]

If it cools down too much, that's no good.

Everyone wants something from other people. Some people are just more honest about it.

[Dodger likes to think he's relatively honest about his intentions. He keeps things to himself, he skirts around uncomfortable topics, but everyone does. He finds that most of the time, if he tells people exactly what he wants and what he's willing to offer for it, they either take it or negotiate.

He can't really fathom relationships that aren't transactional in some sense. He was raised around men who all viewed things that way, and it sunk deep into his bones.

Dodger watches Henry work with interest - he can tell there's a lot of skill involved here, even if he doesn't entirely understand it. And he's happy to take over and heat it back up as needed, pulling away afterward to vent his heat out each time.]

How long does this usually take?

[He's not asking out of boredom - he's just still impressed by Henry's tolerance for heat.]

Well, you're not wrong.

[ Henry also unfortunately believes this, hence why he's been suspicious of Dodger even. Though he believes that there are genuinely good people as well, who wouldn't think of things in terms of transaction. Like Martin, and his ma.

He does take a moment to step away from the heat while Dodger reheats the sword, shrugging his shoulders at the question. ]

As long as it needs. Swords usually a bit longer than an axe-head or a dagger, though.

[ But since these are already mostly sword shaped, they may take a bit less, too. He just needs to fix them up to his (and his dads') standards. ]

[Right... he guesses his question was sort of dumb.]

You didn't have stopwatches in Bohemia, huh.

[Must not have, since Henry had no context whatsoever for the Watches, but Dodger still finds himself occasionally bemused by how new the things he takes for granted are. While Henry's working, he ends up scrolling through his Watch to look up when stopwatches were invented.]

I wonder if we'd be able to make something like a butterfly knife out of these swords... I can show you a picture, I used to have one back home. The handle can flip around to act as a sheath, I used to do tricks with it to keep my hands busy.

[Although his main fidget is still smoking. But since a butterfly knife would definitely count as contraband and he hasn't bothered to save up the cards for his old one, he's taken to picking things up and warping or ripping them to make up for it.]

[ Henry just shakes his head with a smile, since Dodger pretty much knows the answer to his own question. They have hourglasses, but that's not something he uses for smithing.

He continues working, his hammer strikes a certain rhythm as he shapes the sword. Though he nods to acknowledge the butterfly knife. ]

If I see a picture, I can certainly give it a shot.

[ He'd like ways to keep his hands busy too, now that he knows they can use the pods like this. Clearly he isn't too concerned with the contraband thing either. ]

[Dodger's eyes light up, and he starts searching it up on his Watch. After about a minute, he finds a good picture of a butterfly knife and holds it up for Henry to glance at, when he has a moment.]

They're pretty precise, they've got rivets holding the handle bars in place so they can swing freely, and the bars also need to have enough clearance for the blade to slot into them. But I'm sure you could figure it out.

[If nothing else, Dodger is blindly faithful to Henry's abilities in this field. He seems skilled, he certainly has a lot of experience, so it's just down to whether these tools are enough to get the precision they'd need.]

Later project, though. After we've flooded the market with nice swords.

You can somehow put that picture onto my watch, can't you? [ See, he's learning. Kind of. ] I'd like to study it a bit myself.

[ It sounds like a bit of a process, but he does want to give it a try.

He finishes up a few more strikes of his hammer on the sword, before looking to Dodger briefly again. ]

Almost done, then I'll quench it. Normally that's just cooling it rapidly by dunking it in water. [ His head tilts toward a barrel nearby ] Unless that's also something you can do?

Sure. I can send you some videos, too, so you can get a sense of how they move.

[He is, indeed, very pleased to see Henry getting a sense of the technology. It tells him that his assessment was exactly correct - he's bright, and he'll be very useful once he properly gets his bearings.

The question, though, gets an awkward shrug.]

Nah. Heat's easy, but cooling down is tough. It'd be different if my-

[He falters, rather obviously, and stutters for a moment before correcting himself.]

...If... the ice-maker I used to work with, was with us. He'd probably be able to do it. I know Esikko has ice powers too, but I don't know how accurate they are.

Right. Videos.

[ he'd forgotten about those, but they would in fact be very useful. will probably even make the process easier, much as Henry isn't sure he's ready to admit.

That stuttering does grant Dodger a look though, as Henry carries his sword over to the barrel near the anvil. he'd made sure to ask the attendant for that as well, though it wouldn't surprise him if it was full of lube or something. as long as it's cool, he doesn't really care. ]

Okay. Your ice-maker. [ he's suspicious, shaking his head as he dunks the weapon in quickly. ] But don't worry, I've got it.

[Dodger grimaces slightly, mostly at being called out. But he's not going to acknowledge his slip-up, so he just tries to push past it. Pretend the only thing worth questioning is his terminology.]

Mutants in my world tend to get nicknames - more fun than saying 'person with ice powers' over and over. He's an ice-maker, I'm a firestarter, there's speedsters and shifters and all sorts of shit.

[A pause.]

Technically I'm a firestarter, anyway, most of them can only do fire, but- that's not the point.

[Really, he just picked the power that he identified most with, to save himself the headache of explaining that his mutation is a whole laundry list of different powers powered by his own stress responses.]

[ Henry lifts a brow, the feeling in the air something like… ]

There’s a story here, but fine.

[ sure, they can pretend he was asking what the terminology was. For now. He takes the sword out of the barrel, eyeing the blade as he turns it in his hand. He wonders, for once, how much Dodger will understand if he explains how he’s improved it. Aside from obviously looking much nicer of course. ]

Much better. We can temper it with a blast of heat to improve the durability and strength. But I don’t know that that’s necessary in a place like this. It’s not as though we should expect to go to battle.

[There's a flicker of something in Dodger's eyes, a quiet warning to let it go. But Henry is moving on, so he relaxes and turns his attention back to the sword. It still looks the same to him - shinier, maybe, or more straight.]

Couldn't hurt to temper it. If you do have to fight anyone, you want it to be durable - most people here aren't human.

[Or they're not what Dodger defines as a human, at least. He considers anyone with powers to be a separate thing, which is why he doesn't call himself one.]

There's a couple people here that a sword wouldn't hurt anyway, but they're the exceptions. I think I've met all of them now, if you want me to point them out.

[ there’s no pressing for now, but he’ll remember that warning. Instead, right now he gives a small roll up of his eyes and sighs. Right… there’s even demons here. ]

Forgot about that. Probably a good idea then.

[ he holds the sword out to him, swiping his free arm over his forehead. It is hot work for him after all ] It just needs a short, hot blast, if you would? Then we can fix the next one.

Sure. What color are we looking for?

[Whatever instruction he gets, he follows with a small nod. Blasting the sword with heat, and running his hand across it to make sure it can heat evenly. Once he's satisfied, he passes it back to Henry.]

Do you think you could show me how to do it? I don't really need mine, so it's not the end of the world if I fuck it up.

[Plus their sword-fighting lessons should probably happen with the practice swords they keep at Talon, so they've got some time before Dodger will even be trustworthy with one.]

Similar. [ he nods and stands back to watch again. As much as he doesn’t understand it, it’s fascinating to see Dodger do it. It’s effortless, natural.

Once he takes it back, he holds it for a bit to examine it once more sacs then finds a safe place to put it. ] Thanks, Dodger.

Sure I can teach you. Or try.

[ he’s not sure he’s the mentoring type, not like Martin was or even the smiths he’s met and worked for in Czechia. But he can try. ]

We’ll start out the same way. Light yellow, like butter. We might need to reheat it more often since it’s your first time.

At least I can do that while I work.

[He pulls out his sword, and goes to heat it up before glancing down at his wrists. The repeated high temperatures are starting to burn his bandages - figures, whatever material they're made of is tougher than gauze but not invulnerable. So first he sets the sword down on the slab, and pulls his bandages off to toss into the fireplace. Which means that Henry gets to see the scars he's hiding underneath - dozens, probably, of thin scars running across his wrists, some of which are still in the process of healing. He's starting to get comfortable with the fact that people don't tend to ask about them, so he doesn't draw attention to them either, but he does still feel a prickle of self-consciousness now that they're out.

Not important, though. His focus is on heating up the sword, and venting his heat away from Henry once he's satisfied with the color.]

There. Now- I'm hitting something on it with a hammer, right?

True enough, you can.

[ That's really convenient, you'd pretty much never have to worry about the metal getting too cool to work with.

He's used to seeing scars of course, even has a few minor ones himself here and there. But the thin type around the wrists aren't so common, and it does occur to him to ask. Though he remembers the warm reception he got after questioning Dodger's slip-up and decides maybe he shouldn't. He's both learning an awful lot about Dodger right now and ... not learning anything at all. ]

Right. You want to hit it evenly, so don't focus too many strikes in the same spot. Move the sword as you go.

[ He takes the hammer and gives the sword a good pound. ] See those sparks there? That's the sign of a nice strike. What you're doing is shaping the piece, while keeping it balanced. These swords weren't done with a lot of that in mind, so [ he gestures toward a side of the blade. ] Maybe pay more attention to that side. Just a little more.

[Dodger tips his head while Henry is giving his demonstration, like a dog trying to understand a new noise. But he tries to absorb as much information as he can, and copy the form.

With as much strength as he has, it's a steep learning curve to decide how much force he should put into new things. So his first strike is too gentle, and his second strike is far too hard, but he's slowly figuring this out. His expression turns to one of quiet focus, entirely invested in getting those sparks to fly. But occasionally, he glances up at Henry for feedback.]

[ Henry gives him an encouraging nod and then steps back a bit to watch him. He doesn't say anything for the first handful of strikes, just because he knows you just have to get used to it on your own pretty much.

But when Dodger asks him for advice, he steps forward a little again. ]

It's like- Well, you like music. Whistling or even singing along while you hammer can help you keep your strokes even. I usually whistle when I'm working.

[He guesses that makes sense - he knows about work songs, or the songs soldiers sing in the army. Dodger pauses, trying to think of a good song that would have an even and clear beat, before setting the hammer down.]

Hold on. I've got an idea.

[He scrolls through his Watch for a minute, before setting a song to play, quietly enough that they can speak over it. He has to heat the sword up again but that gives him time to let the rhythm sink in before he goes back to striking it. He's following every other beat, just so he has more time to aim his strikes, but it does seem to be helping.]

Be careful with this stuff - real music like this can be addictive. Pretty soon you'll have to expose yourself to sick riffs every 48 hours just to get by.

[ Eventually he might get used to music and sound and video just coming out of the watch thing, but today is not that day. But hey, if it helps Dodger, that's fine he supposes. ]

There you go. If that works for you.

[ He scoffs softly, shaking his head. As if he knows what sick riffs even are. ]

I promise I'll be very careful.

[It puts a smile on his lips - he doesn't have a good reason for choosing that wording, he's sure Henry doesn't know what he's talking about, but he likes that he's playing along.

And he likes sharing his music, especially to a new audience.]

I can't play this on my guitar, it doesn't have the right sound - they used a different kind of guitar, I can show you some other time. It probably needs the drums to hit right too. But, uh... I really like this sort of music. Old-school rock-and-roll. Makes me feel alive whenever I hear it.

[Rambling is helping him focus, even if he knows the bulk of this also doesn't make sense. Some other time, he figures, he can lay in bed with Henry and blast rock music at the correct volume (ear-shattering) so he can get the full experience.

He pauses, and runs his fingers over part of the hot metal to test how smooth it is.]

How's this look? There's... a spot here that feels off, but I don't know how to fix it.

[And he realizes Henry can't gather the same information, but he isn't sure he can word it better than 'this is wrong'.]

[ He likes learning about the music, at least, so there's always that even if he has no idea what Dodger is saying. It's kind of, sort of clear what he's saying about liking this ...? music?

Anyway, either way it's nice to hear someone talk about something they love, right? ]

You have a different sort of guitar than the one you already showed me?

[ There are different kinds of instruments, so he supposes that makes sense. In the sense of drums, he and Dodger are probably not on the same page but at least they make the same kind of sound.

As for what Dodger is trying to explain to him on the metal, he glances at it for a long moment. ] Heat it up again, hammer it out. Unless it's that it feels too brittle?

I don't, but I can show you a picture. And one of my friends has one, but I haven't seen it. It's called an electric guitar, it runs on that contained lightning I was telling you about. It hooks up to an amplifier, that's a machine that reads the way you move the strings and blasts music out of it to match. They don't make much sense to me, but my brother used to play them.

[His focus shifts back to the sword, and he picks it up while he heats it to feel along that spot.]

I think it got too thin, there's...a dip here, I guess. Hold on.

[He's just going to... push the metal around, like he's forming clay. Trying to even it out a bit that way, press more material into the thinner spot, before he places it back down to finish hammering it out. He might end up with some fingerprints in the blade, but he's sure those can buff out.]

An electric guitar ...

[ He nods, putting as much as he knows to this information. It would be interesting to see it at some point, even if it's only a picture.

Henry also makes note of the existence of a brother. Has Dodger mentioned that before? ]

Ah, then we don't want to hammer it much, or it will break.

[ He takes a step back, watching Dodger just...pushing it around like it's not molten hot metal. Fingerprints are not particularly a problem he's had to think about before. But this is Dodger's first try, anyway. ]

Okay, well. I guess that is one solution. Keep going, then.

OOC NOTES

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