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.

---

► 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

[laserguy]

[Scott jaw drops, not quite used to having his orders thrown back at him like that. At least it hasn't happened in a long time since coming here! And maybe it's the fact that Yu is the one talking back at him, he just sort of figured that his friend would go along with his idea! Because it's a good idea!]

I asked first!

[His own stubbornness rises, despite the situation, despite spiky walls closing in on them in a luckily slow pace. It's definitely still happening though.]

And you think I was standing around here this entire time with my thumb up my ass?! I was blasting the walls earlier! Why don't you shout Persona and try one of your attacks?!

[izanagis]

[...!

Two things are true, here. One, this is a bizarrely high-stakes situation, for this place. Lives literally hang on it. And two, they're both idiots. So when Scott raises his voice and lets his stubbornness get the better of him, Yu could be the bigger man, so to speak...but he doesn't. Instead he responds to stubborn with stubborn, his expression curving into a small frown.]

Asking first doesn't mean you get to give orders, Scott!

[Except that Scott is right; he should try to do something. So with a soft, annoyed grunt, he gives it a shot:] Atavaka! Brave Blade!

[Unfortunately, when the Persona attacks the spikes...nothing happens.]

[laserguy]

[Frown meets stubborn frown. And oh hey, that's a pretty cool looking Persona except for the fact that it didn't do anything against the walls--]

Great, that worked out!

[Okay, maybe he should stop being a brat for two seconds?? Maybe. Because those spike walls really aren't slowing down and as they draw nearer to their bodies without stopping, that flare of 'needing to solve the problem' takes over. He doesn't want to die in this place, not after everything that's happened. He also doesn't want to die while being a complete turd to his friend and more importantly, he doesn't want Yu to die either. What sort of leader would that make him, but then again, has he actually led anyone all that much in a year?]

Look, I have been here all by myself in this place for a year. Like, I don't have my teammates like you or Kotone. I don't even know if they're waiting for me back home.

[Oops did he say something first? Ignore it. Scott is going to continue on with commanding Yu around.] But I know that we need to say something for this wall to stop. I don't want you to get hurt.

[izanagis]

[They're both letting frustration get the better of them. It's understandable, from a distance; the walls are literally closing in on them, of course they're going to be in a bit of a state. But backing down is harder than it seems, especially when Scott snaps like that. Yu stops, about ten milliseconds from saying something stupid, because-- this isn't how a Leader acts. A friend, sure, sometimes, of course; but...there's a different reality to face, here.

Meaning-- he doesn't want Scott to die.

He doesn't want to die.

...

This is so stupid. Scott's tone, his words, are deeply humbling in that regard, and Yu has to take a deep breath to really take them in. The spikes slow by a fraction, but it's not enough.]

I don't want you to get hurt either, Scott. You're really important to me.

[Well. Now all he has to do is pick one of the many things he doesn't say in order to get them out of this...no big deal. Right.]

... It's hard for me to talk about myself. It makes me feel weak...even though I know that's not true.

[laserguy]

[It's honestly surprising, hearing all this.

Partly because he thought he knew Yu well after being here for over a year and sure, that's true to some extent, but there's still a lot that he doesn't know about him, huh? Those deeper fears and vulnerabilities... and a part of it almost feels laughable, because Scott has a hard time ever seeing him as weak, no matter what. Because he's still the leader of the Investigation Team that Yosuke depends on so much, and there's definitely been a couple of times where he's relied on his help as well. He's... Scott's friend and also, honestly, someone that he kind of looks up to himself.

His mind doesn't really change now.

Also maybe some more talking because of those spike walls-- a fact that hasn't left his mind at all. But he really is interested in hearing more from his friend, his voice a little quieter but still pushy like before. He wants to actually understand his friend on a deeper level than before; it really feels important.]

Why do you think that?

[Granted, he feels that way too at times. Not wanting to admit certain stuff about him, but look they're talking about Yu right now--]

[izanagis]

[Why indeed.]

It's not about thinking, [he says slowly, caught between thoughtful and reluctant. It's feeling, not thinking. Admissions feel a bit like walking on glass; he's never understood how his friends were so free with them. It's paradoxical, how he views that as strength for them and weakness in himself. It doesn't make sense. Feelings rarely do, and that's the difference, isn't it?

...

Maybe his friends felt the same uncertainty he did.

That's not a helpful answer, though, and as much as he wants to redirect this conversation, wants to deflect onto Scott...their lives literally hang in the balance here. What is the answer, then? He said before to Kazuya that he didn't want to be taken care of. Didn't need it. So--]

I want to be the one people depend on. Because-- [He swallows, as if he can take back that last beginning. He can't, though; he's forced to continue.

Because I don't know what other purpose I have in my friends' lives.
Because they give me strength; not the other way around.
Because without that purpose, I'm still just a lonely kid coming home to an empty house.

...] I need them-- need you all-- more than you need me.

[laserguy]

[Yeah, he's surprised.

Maybe not the most helpful reaction from Scott as he stares at Yu with that unfiltered emotion-- just sort of letting himself react without really having the foresight to maybe try and control himself a bit more. It's just... he never imagined that his friend felt this way at all. He's always in control of himself in a way, dependable, kind, even when he's being a dick-- but no, he never thought Yu would admit to something like this.

Maybe that's the point though, huh?

A small reminder as the spiked walls start slowing down, although not fully stopping yet. Gives them time at least. It's something he's thankful for as he mentally repeats what Yu just revealed to him-- how he needs his friends, needs him, more than they need Yu. It doesn't feel like that's correct, but this is how his friend feels and that's what matters.

Maybe he kind of gets it in a way too. Wanting people to depend on him. It's nice feeling needed and not just isolated and apart from everyone else for once. He didn't start feeling that way until he became a X-Man.

He swallows, inhales a small breath, and closes that small gap between them to abruptly pull the other teen into a tight hug. Yeah it's fine, time for shit like this.]

...You aren't weak, okay? I don't feel that way towards you, even after what you just told me.

[izanagis]

[God, this feels awful. The heat at the back of his neck, the discomfort that washes over him as if he's under a spotlight. There's nothing for it, which may be the saving grace, here; the demands of the room are clear as day, and Yu refuses to put Scott in danger because of his own shortcomings.

He wasn't prepared for arms around him, though. For the way Atavaka resonates within him, echoing Scott's words as if voicing an agreement. He's right, and Yu knows it -- but he still freezes, arms stiff at his sides, hardly daring to breathe.

Don't look away. You have to face this head-on.
I'm you, and you're me.

Did it hurt this much when his friends accepted their Shadows? Or are they simply made from stronger stuff than he is?

Whatever spell holds him frozen in place melts all at once; his arms go around the mutant, just as tightly, his face pressed against Scott's shoulder with a deep and steadying exhale.] ... Okay. Thanks, Scott.

[Yu knows that he's right, that it's very likely others don't feel that way either. And yet, his own dependability is the reason he has friends at all, now. But...it's not the first time he's thought about the walls he's yet to break down. About whether, and how, he can begin to do just that.]

[laserguy]

[There's a moment where he thinks he did something wrong, maybe even feeling a little ridiculous, because he's standing here and hugging his friend while spike walls are surrounding them on all sides. Maybe Yu didn't want a hug, which, uh understandable because teens like them don't usually do shit like this, right? They just... laugh and joke and shit, although things have never been normal or simple like that, not in this place.

But that feeling of insecurity rises, starts to expand... before it all disappears in a rush as he feels Yu's arms slowly wrap around him in return. And it's more than that too, his face pressed against his shoulder and Scott can't stop himself from tightening his own arms around him in support. Maybe even some understanding. They're both leaders, it's just that Yu has led his team far more than him. They've been together as a team longer than his. He's still working on what it means to be a leader, still figuring what that for himself, but he knows that he wants to help shoulder the burden of all the shit his friends feel.

It feels especially important as leader, and as someone whose powers aren't the strongest in the team. Far from it. Not to mention the fact that he doesn't have much control. It feels like he has to compensate in other ways.]

...And I want to be dependable too. I get it. So, thanks for... allowing me to be someone that can support you like this, Yu.

[...] It really means a lot, because you are strong and still told this to me.

[izanagis]

[Yu has never been a good study in what he needs. Others? Sure. He can help; he's happy to figure out what his friends need, what he can do for them. But when it comes to himself...

...

Inaba had been the turning point. The moment of realization -- he doesn't have to be an island. He doesn't have to shut himself away. He's allowed to lean on people, the way he encourages them to lean on him. He hasn't been flawless about it; the very idea can still be hard to come to terms with, that people care even when he's not perfect. That they would stick with him even if he wasn't reliable. That people want to know him -- not just a leader or a wild card or a good student, but Yu.

It... it's still a little scary.

But Courage isn't about not being scared. It's doing something even when you are, and what's more frightening than caring about people when you could end up hurt in the end?...]

You're doing a great job, [his voice is soft and there's a measure of amusement in his tone, but sincere nonetheless.] I'm glad I can rely on you.

[As unbearable as it feels to be honest, sometimes, that much is true. But the walls are still encroaching, even as they've slowed down. So, Yu takes another moment to squeeze the other boy's shoulders, drag in a shaking breath, and give a diligent nod.]

Sorry, but I think it's your turn. Lay it on me.

[laserguy]

[You're doing a great job. I'm glad I can rely on you. Almost too sincere, but also, they really mean so much. From Yu. And during a time when he has been having more complicated feelings once again about his role back home.

Okay it really does suck to be open about shit in return, but he can't exactly clamp up now. Not after he told Yu that it's okay to open up. Not to mention, those walls are still inching closer to them and he really doesn't want to die like this with his friend. If he can make sure they can get through this okay by being vulnerable in return, then yeah. Of course. At least Yu is a close friend, someone that he's known for about a year now, a trusted companion that he met all those months ago on the elevator.

He knows that Yu wouldn't view him differently in return.]

I'm scared. Of the future. Not knowing what's going to happen back home.

[He initially thought about just saying that much, maybe carefully measure what words he can say to Yu and how much the walls have slowed down, but now it feels far more difficult to stop talking. It's like something's cracked in his chest and things are rushing out and he finds himself tightening his arms around Yu, like trying to find some reassurance in him.]

If my teammates are actually going to be waiting for me back home-- not that I want them to actually wait if we're supposed to be helping people around the world. They shouldn't stop because I'm not there but I... I want to still be the leader. I still want to be there with them. And then I heard that maybe the X-Men might not even exist in the future, that we're just going to be prosecuted by the government or killed and.

[He's really scared, and in a way he really hasn't thought about before coming here.]

[izanagis]

[The future... it's a scary concept, especially when they're stuck in a place like this. Yu was close to saying so, too, but he stops when Scott's arms go tight around him. Everything else the other boy says--

god. He couldn't even imagine.

All he can do is hold his friend, fiercely trying to offer any reassurance he can. Any strength. Anything. Because as much as he believes in the future, as much as he knows how strong Scott is and how powerful it can be to fight for things that are right, the idea scares him too. Especially when there's no way to offer recourse or reassurance -- not really.]

I'm sorry, [he says softly, but only after a moment of pause. It's most important to give Scott the space --metaphorically-- to say what he wants to say.] That's a lot to carry with you.

[The idea of offering platitudes feels hollow, so he doesn't. Instead he just keeps holding the other boy as tightly as he's able, as if that can keep all of Scott's fears at bay.]

[laserguy]

[A part of him wanted Yu to just blindly reassure him that everything will be okay, that his teammates are fine and waiting for him and that they will make things 'normal' again for mutants when he comes back home. That blind hope would've been nice... but he also wouldn't be able to just accept it either, not without having a dozen thoughts and doubts in him.

It's hard to when there's so much they don't know while living here. How much time has passed. What kind of different realities exist even in their own world.

So, he appreciates the support, comfort that is still fully given to him and sincere, but without being too unrealistic. That basic acknowledgement of his doubts and fears honestly means way more to him, more than he initially thought. Someone that he can trust with his feelings without them being shoved away or dismissed while also honest in his own way.

A harsh breath sucks in through his teeth and yet he still doesn't let go, his head just lowering onto the taller teen's shoulder.]

I finally found something to really believe in back home and I'm... I'm not sure, Yu. About anything. I haven't even gotten to fight with them as a full team before coming here.

[izanagis]

[He can't lie. Scott's future -- with the way things are here, the many different worlds and realities that seem to cross in this place, there's no way for Yu to reassure him. The future is okay in his timeline, but mutants don't exist. As to what that means...he doesn't know. But he does know how it feels to find something you hold dear...and then have to leave it behind. For this.]

All you can do is keep believing, I think. Even if you're here. Even if it's been a while.

[Distance and time...don't really mean anything to the heart. He pauses on an exhale, sorting through the rest of his thoughts, but he doesn't let go of Scott. He won't, not until the other boy is ready.]

I know your team isn't here...but you're not alone. You have friends here that you can rely on. Including me.

[laserguy]

[Believe in that unknown future. He nor Yu really knows what's going to await him-- anyone really, and that's kind of scary, but that's just how it is. He has to accept it, even if it's hard, and continue on in his own way... and that isn't hard at least. He needs, wants to keep being a X-Man, even if he's not sure if that will really be his future when he returns. Maybe he just has train so hard here that his friends will still want him to lead when he comes back.

Maybe Jean will just be happy that he's back. Her and everyone else. It's a nice thought.

He squeezes Yu hard once more before finally pulling away. Maybe it was a little too soon, at least for Scott, because he's still trying to get his face back in order and not look too embarrassing in front of his friend. Lips shake and some part of the teen still looks so raw, but he eventually nods-- his eyes flickering to the now stopped walls.]

...I know. I've only gotten this far because of you and my other friends.

[Something especially vulnerable to admit, but guess it's been like that for the past few minutes anyway. Maybe it's also why Scott decides to also add something else, in an effort to return to some level of normalcy.] Even if I spend most of my time making sure that everyone isn't a complete dumbass.

[izanagis]

[There's no telling what kind of future waits for Scott. Yu doesn't entirely know how to relate, not with Rise and Yosuke both coming from some future part of the timeline -- a future he both experienced and didn't...because he was here. It's hard to say what that means, for sure, but even speculations don't feel right, at the moment. Maybe he should just leave it for later.

He exhales as Scott pulls away, feeling nearly as raw as the other teen looks, his face set in a neutral expression that seems like it could crack any time.

I've only gotten this far because of my friends. This is something Yu relates to more easily, and he nods to show it, an admittance of something he's always felt was true. He's not strong on his own. It's his friends that give him strength, always.

The quip makes him laugh outright, a shaky sound, laced with the sort of mental tiredness that comes along with a conversation like this.] So you're a babysitter now, too?

[It's stupid, and not entirely true, and Yu latches onto it one hundred percent, because he suspects they both need that lightness, right now.]

wanna start wrapping this up? :>

[laserguy]

[He can see those more vulnerable cracks underneath Yu's neutral expression, or maybe he's just hoping it, because Scott knows that his face is far from its normal 'totally cool' default state. He still feels picked apart in some ways, emotions riding high with that fear and uncertainty trailing right behind, but he really only can move forward. Keep fighting. No X-Men here, but at least he does have his friends, some of which he's known longer than his teammates at this point.

Isn't that a weird feeling??

Lived with humans for most of his life, then became totally ingrained with mutants for months, then back to living with..... well not just humans, but definitely not a bunch of mutants in this place. Granted, most of his friends are humans this time around.

He smiles, just a little, when Yu laughs too.]

Yeah? Look at the people I surround myself with. [He jokes, leaning heavily into this more 'normal' conversation. They both need it right now and now the danger has stopped, it's okay.] Not to mention that you need an American showing you the joys of hamburgers and whatever. You guys would be lost without me.

YEAH good to wrap!! c:

[izanagis]

[The passage of time is so bizarre, here. Yu's in a similar state of mind about that -- this may be the longest he's ever lived in one place, consecutively, and he's never quite sure how to feel about that. He's known some of his friends here longer than he's known the people he calls family. When he thinks of it that way, when he considers the nuances of the situation...his relationship with this place feels more complicated.

Another short laugh as Scott leans into the jokes.]

Of course. How could I forget your valuable contributions to "hamburgers and whatever."

[He nudges the mutant with his shoulder, his smile small but undeniably soft. Scott is one of the people here he's so glad he met -- an important friend, irreplaceable.]

Speaking of lost, how about we find our way out of this room, hmm?

[Before the spikes decide to put them through another round.]