[ October Event ] The Black Stag Casino

[pumpkinhollow]

**Plain text version here. [Pending - pardon the delay! Plain text version will be created and added within the next 48 hours.]

THE BLACK STAG CASINO

THE LODGE

{ CONTENT WARNINGS: Mild unreality, lapses in memory }

Wake-Up Call

You wake on the morning of October 26th in the most comfortable bed you have ever laid in. Regardless of what accommodations you’ve been used to in the past, no matter how lavish, you cannot remember the last time you felt so perfectly cradled by a mattress or slept at such a perfect temperature. You wake to the sound of a pleasant little chiming sound, repeated over and over until you address it.

You sit up and realize you don’t know where you are.

It’s not that you don’t remember coming here--- in fact, you very much do. Though the action itself is a bit of a haze, you can recall being approached by a stunning woman dressed in all black, with a wide-brimmed hat that had long tassels which concealed most of her face. She handed you a beautifully printed invitation, though you can’t recall the text, just the image of golden antlers and blue flowers on black paper. Then you went home, packed a bag of your things--- clothes, personal items, toiletries, medications, money, things you might need on vacation--- and then when you opened your door, you were standing in a forest. You recall following lights in the distance until you reached a large, ornate wooden door and then---

Well, now you’re here. In a beautiful hotel room decorated in lavish navy and black decor, possibly with others, and there is a ringing sound.

When someone answers it, despite the advent of the speakerphone having yet to occur, the golden handset phone on the desk can be heard at a pleasant volume which everyone in the room can hear. A woman’s voice speaks.

“Welcome to the Black Stag Casino and Lodge!” she says. “This is the wake-up call you ordered when you checked in last night. Just a reminder--- you are visiting us with an all-inclusive package from now until November 4th! All food services and amenities are free with unlimited use, all entertainment is included at no additional cost, a no-cost service to take care of your affairs at home has been added for you, and you will be receiving 50 free casino chips when you visit! The only things that have a cost to them are the shopping areas and additional chips. Check-out starts at 11am on the 4th, and not a moment sooner! If you have any questions, please see our front desk, open 24/7. Also, please be aware that all interpersonal violence is physically impossible outside of the arena, and no weapons are permitted inside the lodge. Enjoy your stay!”

And enjoy it you must, it would seem. When you look out your windows, you will see the misty pine forest sprawling out endlessly in every direction as far as the eye can see. While you’ll have an opportunity to verify it later should you choose to, you likely already have a sense that there is no way to leave. But at least there seems to be plenty of ways to make the best of things. Time to take a look around?

Amenities

The Black Stag Casino’s lodge is well-outfitted with only the most indulgent of luxuries; the beds are just a start! Each room has a pair of enormous king-sized beds with plush bedding and always the exact right amount of pillows. Rooms can each house between 1 and 4 people. (Please feel free to check out and add yourself to the room assignment chart as you see fit. It should be noted that only those chosen by Dahlia Leeds or Prince Aster are permitted to stay in the VIP suites.)

The bathrooms are equally luxurious, each with remarkably advanced independent plumbing, full-sized bottles of shampoo, fluffy towels and even monogrammed black bathrobes customized to each guest. A handy card informs you that you can even keep the robe when you leave, which is wild.

Each room also has a balcony overlooking the expansive lodge grounds and surrounding forest. The views are eerie, but beautiful in their way.

And of course, each room has several copies of a map of the resort, showing the locations of its underground shopping promenade, numerous performance stages, always-open front desk, lavish spa, buffet, restaurants, bars, and expansive casino floor. There’s also something out behind the lodge called the “arena,” though its purpose is unclear just from the map.

Finally, you will also find a phone number and impressive menu for room service, whose prices have been concealed. A card is attached reminding you that anything you ordered is included in your package. Truly, all expenses are paid. If this place were not clearly the work of a demon, it might be a dream vacation. But considering that anyone in the know could easily clock this as the work of a demon representing indulgence and consumption, the message is clear.

Still, perhaps it can’t hurt to enjoy it a little bit. You are trapped here for a while, after all.

THE CASINO

{ CONTENT WARNINGS: Gambling, violence, potential character death }

Game Tables

The first thing you’ll see if you enter the casino floor is, of course, a wide array of game tables run by dealers both humanoid and monstrous. However, the vast majority of dealers appear to be… the exact same woman. Specifically, a woman in a tight black dress and long black gloves, wearing a wide-brimmed hat with tassels that conceal most of her face. They each wear a gold name tag just below the plunging neckline of their dresses, and each and every one of them reads “Daphne.” (On rare occasions, the observant watcher may be able to catch one of these women phasing into a pair of mirrored copies, indicating that these are all very literally the same person.)

The games are all fairly standard casino fare. Betting is simple--- if you win, your bet is doubled. If you lose, your bet is forfeit.

Casino Rules

Each guest starts with 50 free chips and is responsible for keeping track of them on their own. Chips cannot be used for anything outside of the casino and must be redeemed at the prize counter. More chips may be purchased with Brass at a rate of 50 chips for 200 Brass. Chips cannot be redeemed for Brass once purchased and cannot be transferred or pooled between guests. Chips are not transferable between players.

A guest may bet as much as they’d like on each game, which does not have to occur within a thread (although some should, because that’s what we’re here for!) and can play until they run out of chips or wish to stop. Each game will use dice rolls (or a roulette wheel) to determine winnings, which means that all casino games rely entirely on chance to win. You are on your honor not to fudge results! We have four casino games that we have simplified for text-based RP:

Blackjack

Roll a D10. Rolls 2-9 are number cards of any suit. A roll of 10 can be a 10 number card or any face card (Jack, Queen, King) valued at 10. A roll of 1 represents an Ace, which can be valued at either 1 or 11, per the player’s preference. After the first roll, players can decide if they wish to “hit” (roll again and add the value of the additional roll to their previous) or “stand” (abstain and stick with their current value), with a goal of getting to a total of 21 or as close as possible without going over.

Players may continue to roll until they either decide to stand, or until they “bust” (exceed 21). A dealer will roll against them, which the player can either roll themselves OOCly on behalf of the dealer or recruit another player to roll for. Whoever gets closest to 21 without busting is the winner. Players who are able to “get Blackjack” by rolling to 21 exactly get triple their bet!

Craps

Actual Craps is somewhat complex and not conducive to RP, so this is an extremely simplified version. Roll 2D6. This value will determine the “point” for that round. From there, you will have 7 rolls to attempt to roll the exact same value. If you fail to do so within 7 rolls, you lose and your bet is taken by the house. If you manage to roll the point, you win. If you at any point roll “snake eyes” (a pair of 1s), you automatically lose, unless it is the first roll to determine the point, in which case you may roll again.

Poker

Due to the numerous steps in Poker and the fact that it is meant to be played with the other people at the table as opposed to the dealer, most of a Poker game will be done ICly or handwaved.

Poker requires a minimum of 2 or a maximum of 5 guests and D20s. Place bets to enter, roll your D20 once, then keep the number to yourself. Based on your roll, determine whether you wish to “call” (double your existing bet for the opportunity to win) or “fold” (forfeit). Players who folded will not be eligible to win. All players who called will then reveal the number they rolled on the d20. The one who rolled the highest wins. Rather than doubling their own bet, however, the winner receives all money bet by other players, including those that folded.

Roulette

The Black Stag Casino, like most casinos, has a roulette wheel in the center of the room. However, when you approach, you see that it is not like a traditional roulette wheel.

Instead, all the tiles that should be red are blue, and marked with gold lettering that reads “WIN!” and the black tiles all have gold text on them that reads… well, each one is something different.

The rules are simple. Place a bet of your liking and spin the wheel. If you land on a “WIN” tile, then your chips are doubled as usual. If you land on any other tile, you are subject to the effect of that tile. You may interpret it however feels right to you, and one of these effects even supersedes the “no violence” rule! SPIN HERE!

Most Dangerous Game

On the far wall of the casino from the main door, you can see an exit onto a large balcony with seating overlooking what appears to be an enclosed area of the forest, marked as the “arena” on your map. Beside the doors, you can also see a bookie working at a betting counter. Above the counter, you can see the name of the game, which is simply listed in a stark font as “PREY”.

Additionally, you can occasionally hear a crackling audio that sounds a bit like an old intercom making announcements asking that various people (usually two names, sometimes more) to report to the arena booking counter. There are times listed for “matches” on the wall with people’s names listed, and you can place bets on each “match.” The bookie doesn’t care much to tell you what the premise of the game is, just that he’s the one you can sign up to play with if you want to participate, and that there’s a pretty significant windfall for winning.

- HOW TO PLAY -

- PREY -

Any Pumpkin Hollow resident can play the game in the role of Prey, either by deliberately signing up or by ICly “drafted” to play against their will. (OOCly players would still be volunteering their characters, it’s just an opportunity for you to force them to play if they might not want to.) ICly, the Predator that they are matched with is chosen by Aster with the aim of being an interesting and well-matched fight, though the Predator does get some input. (Again, OOCly this is decided by players entirely.)

Prey are entitled to any weapons or tools they request, but have no input on the environment. Their goal is to escape, incapacitate, or kill their Predator. There will be at least one escape route per arena layout whose location and escape conditions are determined by the Predator. The winner is determined by a combination of dice rolls and player communication.

Prey who win their match-ups will receive a significant prize--- a flat prize of 200 chips, plus 50% of all bets made against them. (Bets from NPC demons will be determined on a D100 and PC bets will be added in after, if there are any.) Prey who lose get 50% of all bets made in their favor, but are dead by normal Pumpkin Hollow rules for the rest of the day. No death certificate is needed for deaths occurring in PREY. Sending Stones do not function inside the arena. No other guests may enter the arena, even as ghosts.

In the PREY Betting thread below, it is the Prey’s responsibility to set up a top-level for their match-ups betting pool. This is done by simply replying to the betting thread with the names of the Prey and Predator as the comment’s title. (ex. [Prey name] vs. [Predator name])

- PREDATORS -

Predators are VIP guests specifically brought in by Aster for this purpose, who signed up to participate via a special character claim. No more can be added. Their goal is simple: to kill their prey, by any means necessary. Predators are given some leeway on who is chosen as their prey and are provided with any weapons or tools they desire. They are also allowed to have the arena magically modified to their liking. However, they cannot modify their environment during the match unless that is specifically one of their existing powers, and they must install at least one escape method into their arena. Predators who die are only dead for a few hours before Aster sets them right, and they are not rewarded or penalized for winning, as they are already being rewarded just for being here by Aster (who has promised them each some sort of wish) and are simply here to work.

The Predators available to play against are below the cut. The Predator is responsible for the starters for their match-ups in the PREY thread below so that they can set up their arena, unless otherwise discussed.

Predator Options

Acrid || Risk of Rain
Nama/Anri || acrid_rain

Allyin Kailius || Original Character
Yarrow || allyin

The Butcher || Malevolent
Meghan || sometimesfortissimo

Brooke Augustine || InFamous: Second Son
QV || helltopave

Chase Collins || The Covenant
Dee || bastardofipswich

Dahlia Leeds || Pumpkin Hollow
Rose || thethirteenthchild

David Xanatos || Gargoyles
Batya || still_got_the_edge

Fenrir || Original Character
Kalineh || odinsbane

FUTURE || SAYER
GladHatter || for_humanitys_future

The Goose || Untitled Goose Game
Jesse || a_anser_horribilis

Hol Horse || JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Sentis || emperorcard

Itazura Unmei || Final Fantasy XIV
constellation || bloodyscalesemptyheart

Jack Spicer || Xiaolin Showdown
Kai || howiruletheworld

Julia Montauk & Trevor Herbert || The Magnus Archives
Blue || tapetumlucidum

Leshy || Inscryption
Harvey || scrybeofbeasts

Mary || Identity V
Mira || predation

Max Jagerman || Nerdy Prudes Must Die
Rose || whowillprayforyou

Ned Low || Our Flag Means Death
Rin || forthelulz

Nikola Orsinov || The Magnus Archives
Rose || dancetheworldnew

King Oberon & Puck/Robin Goodfellow || Folklore
Guildenstern & Bash || oberlord & tailorcries

Spamton G. Spamton || Deltarune
Harvey || nowsyourchance

- SPECTATING & BETTING -

In order to bet, please make a comment in the appropriate betting thread stating which character is placing the bet, how many chips they are betting, and who they are betting on to win the match. Please do not use meta knowledge to influence your bets. If you bet correctly, your bet will be doubled as usual.

To spectate a match, grab a seat on the balcony overlooking the arena! The arena may be enclosed or have scenery that blocks the view, but not to worry--- two large magical screens will be tracking both the Predator and the Prey. You cannot communicate with anyone inside the arena.

Prize Counters

When you’ve earned enough chips, there are some exceptional prizes available at the prize counter! Choose from any of the following options:

Cheap Souvenir - 50 Chips
Some kind of weird junk. Can be nearly anything you like, within reason. Fuzzy blue dice, a bag of weird candy, a poorly made trophy, a Black Stag Casino branded pen, or a very ugly stuffed animal are all great options.

Bottle of Generous Garlic Powder OR Vanilla Extract - 100 Chips
A small bottle containing seemingly infinite high quality garlic powder for cooking or vanilla extract for baking, one or the other (you can get both but you must buy each separately). Not for the faint of heart, as in order for the bottle to retain its endless quality, you must always use its contents to excess each time you cook with them. If you follow the recipe, you will find them empty the next time you reach for the bottle.

Decanter of Endless Spirits - 200 Chips
A stunning crystal decanter that will contain an endless supply of an alcoholic beverage of the pourer’s choice. It is always of the finest quality. Be warned that those who drink from it will feel a slight temptation to overindulge.

Deerbone Dice - 300 Chips
A pair of 6-sided gambling dice made of deer bone, with the dots inlaid with gold. They feel very lucky. Anyone who owns these could add +3 to the result of any dice rolls they perform in any context for the duration of the game.

Silvertongue Amulet - 400 Chips
The wearer of this silver pendant would find themselves permanently more persuasive whenever wearing it, and would find it easier to get people to do things for them or give them information. It works even on the most powerful supernatural creatures, though the success may vary on demons, elder gods, or goddesses somewhat.

Infernal Service - 500 Chips
A ticket promising the services of one infernal servant under Aster, for any task that does not directly conflict with Aster’s interest in a non-negotiable way. Which Infernal Servant will be at Aster’s discretion and dependent upon availability.

Unholy Talisman - 700 Chips
A protective ward in an array of designs that will allow the wearer to resist the influence or workings of Nyarlathotep. Would only help with non-physical/mental effects, physical damage would not be preventable.

Fallen Angel Investor - 1000 Chips
A certificate indicating that Aster will personally fund an Entrepreneur career, paying for you to open a business of your choice. The funded business will automatically be a Level 3 business and there are absolutely no catches aside from Aster being a little nosy about how numbers are.

THE EXTRAS

{ CONTENT WARNINGS: Potential for overeating, heavy alcohol use, mental manipulation }

Food & Drink

Considering it's Aster’s specialty, you know that the food has to be good. And the staff is more than willing to identify everything in the food! It’s not human, they promise. (For once it’s genuinely not. Besides, lying was Mendel’s game. The Dark Feast prefers to skirt around the truth instead.)

There are two main places to eat. The first is a high end, luxurious restaurant with rich and well-made food, some of which is unique and a bit experimental. It’s the finest money can buy, and it’s all yours for free. A great place for a date! Never tried caviar? You can get it here.

The second is a buffet. The food here is also fantastic, though with significantly less bells and whistles. It’s all hot, fresh, and widely varied, and it’s never empty.

Additionally, there is also a stunning bar, whose bar-top is carved from dark wood and whose decor incites a close, intimate feel. There is a VIP room that intends to be specifically for Aster’s guests, the Predators and his family members, though others can join them if invited.

It’s worth noting that each of these places make it fairly challenging to stop consuming, and time seems to pass strangely in them, becoming easily lost. It takes a bit of willpower to leave them, and ordering room service doesn’t seem to really circumvent this problem, as you’re still left wanting more once you’re finished. However, the effect seems fairly mild--- except in the buffet. It is extremely easy to get trapped in the buffet, overindulging in the food there and losing hours and hours of time, and once you go the first time, you feel compelled to go back each time you get hungry. Overconsumption is Aster’s game, but it seems particularly potent there.

Shopping

On the bottom floor of the lodge, which is underground, there is a sprawling indoor shopping area designed to look like an outdoor promenade in a fancy commercial district, with stone shop fronts and gold-lettered signs and tasteful street-lamps lining the herringbone-pattern brick walkway. There are a fair few shops down there, some of which don’t seem completely compliant with the time period Pumpkin Hollow exists in. The shops are as follows:

Wolf’s Clothing: A high end boutique with stylists who can put together the perfect outfit. Everything is magically tailored to fit the wearer perfectly.

Quarry’s Demise: A shop that sells powerful magical armor and weaponry from the mainland. Purchase will be sent to the buyer’s home directly, as weapons are not allowed in the casino.

Flames of Yvelas: A shop selling powerful magical items and potions that you can’t get on the island. Combat products will be sent directly to the buyer’s home.

Complete Sustenance Market: a food market selling high end specialty products and health foods, many of which are not available in Pumpkin Hollow. Perishables will be sent directly to the buyer’s home.

Nightingale’s: A well-to-do bakery with fancy cakes and artisanal bread. Also serves coffee and tea. Occasionally you can see the baker, who is evidently a large wolf-monster with open throat lacerations. This does not seem to impact the quality of the product, or the sanitation of the kitchen. Apparently he just looks like that.

Buckskin Spirits and Liquors: A liquor store with everything imaginable.

Spacetime Super Store: an interdimensional clothing store that has clothing from other time periods, ranging from medieval to futuristic.

Ye Olde Pokemart: A shop that sells Pokemon supplies. It has a bakery counter in the corner that sells Pokemon-safe desserts called PokePuffs.

DreamThrift: a thrift store of some sort that seems to sell gadgetry, decorations, or mundane items from various worlds and time periods. Much of it is middling quality.

Spirit Halloween: Exactly what it says on the tin. How did this get here?

Ennui Perfumery: A perfume boutique that sells beautifully bottled perfumes named after abstract concepts, whose fragrances somehow smell exactly the way one expects the concept to smell and also evokes the feeling of that concept.

Price Guide

The specific items found in each shop are up to players, within reason, and are categorized within a set of broad categories. You may use your best judgment to determine the price of something. If the mods receive a massive influx of price check questions, we will explode, so please use the price menu to the best of your ability and reserve questions about pricing for things that you truly have no frame of reference for. Things are expensive because all of them will be things you cannot get back home!

Follow this link to view the price chart!

Entertainment

In addition to shopping and games, there are plenty of other fun things to do at the lodge. You could take in a show! There are magicians, acrobats, musical performances, and a stage that is dedicated to a 24-hour cabaret that becomes distinctly adults-only after dark. There’s also a spa where you can get massages, a magically-heated hot tub and swimming pool, and a dance hall. Take a break from gambling and check out the other indulgences available.

Grounds

Attempting to exit the casino is entirely possible, but not advisable, as you'll be met with a long and grueling journey through an endless woods full of increasingly violent predators and thick fog. Conveniently, however, once you turn back, you'll find the path very easily traversed and the lodge only a minute or two's walk away, even if you've been traveling through the woods for hours.

CHECK-OUT

{ CONTENT WARNINGS: N/A }

We Hope You Enjoyed Your Stay!

On November 4th at 11am, you will be allowed at last to exit as normal. But will you want to? Perhaps some of you will struggle with the temptation not to extend your stay. Remain a while more. Indulge, consume, obey.

Or not! We hope to see you back soon!

Comments

QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/CONCERNS

[pumpkinhollow]

Front desk will be taking any inquiries here!

PREY Betting

[pumpkinhollow]

Post each match-up as a reply to this comment for betting purposes! The player in the role of Prey is responsible for creating a reply for each of their match-ups for betting, for easy reference for their winnings.

PREY Matches

[pumpkinhollow]

A repository for all threads involving PREY match-ups so that they're all in the same place. Predators, respond to this post with your toplevels for your matches describing your arena and starting off the match, unless something else is discussed with your partner!

[theydrewfirstblood]

Are non Pokémon pets allowed in the resort? (Yes I mean Co. XD)

Also bap me if I missed it: do prey with powers keep them in the arena? (Yes I mean Wolfbo. XD)

Hazel vs. Acrid

[butfirsttheymustcatchyou]

Space murder dog with every disease vs. Literally Just A Rabbit

"Slasher Face" Jean

[restingslasherface]

Rat from the Backstreets | Around | Open

Oh, the nugget is not doing well here. Over the course of their stay it becomes increasingly obvious; they refuse to touch food or drink anything other than tap water, and even then fairly sparingly. Staff members that attempt to interact with them are ignored at first; after the second day, this becomes snappish responses uncharacteristic of Jean, rude, cutting, and venomous. They do not intend to engage with this. They are quite willing to die over it.

...Well...actually...

A Solemn Heart | Spacetime Super Store | Closed to Zelda

Jean goes missing on the second day, but the casino is only so large. Their Captain eventually finds them in the Spacetime Super Store, clearly caught up in a moment, compelled by...

Well. There is a suit which is on display, priced at 500 Brass. Even at a distance, hell, at the entrance to the store, Zelda can hear its familiar voice murmuring to her, greeting her as a friend in mourning and inquiring after her health. Jean stares at it, unnaturally still.

A pocketful of Brass clinks and rasps in their hand.

Life For A Daredevil | Closed to Aster

Day four. Jean is a thin shell of their normal self, haggard and slow, breathing hard. They really should not be making decisions in this state, but spotting the Prince of the Dark Feast from across the casino wrenches something in their fierce little heart, which still remembers leaping in the way of blades for their team. Perhaps...yes...

They approach, bold as anything, their teeth bared in a feral slasher grin, the beast from their employment at Lobotomy Corporation emerging as their body continues to frantically, and fruitlessly, inform their brain that they are dying.

"Are you placing bets yourself, parasite?" Jean rasps, and in their eyes there is only hate.

"Slasher Face" Jean vs. Spamton G. Spamton

[restingslasherface]

Severely dying Jean vs. the severely scrungly trash man in a capitalism extravaganza

Brooke Augustine | InFamous: Second Son

[helltopave]

This Is Not A Place of Honor
[open to Anzu and to one or two others, as separate matches]

The first thing that becomes obvious about this particular arena is that it's big. Augustine's powers don't exactly lend themselves to close quarters, so to accommodate, a vast paved expanse of flat ground has been laid out like some monstrous, barren parking lot.

She stands across the field from her prey, almost a speck on the horizon. A moment passes - longer or shorter depending on if her quarry makes a move first - before she raises a fist in an uppercut-like gesture. Huge spires of jagged concrete erupt from the ground at seemingly random intervals, wide around as redwood trees if not wider, turning the battlefield into an echoing obstacle course of gray stone.

(True enough, she could've requested they be there from the word go, but the immediate show of force is just as important a tactic as any other.)

"Let's get this over with," she calls, her voice reverberating off the pillars in such a way that it's not immediately clear where it's coming from. "I promise I'll make it quick."

The Goose | Untitled Goose Game

[a_anser_horribilis]

The arena, when you arrive, is green and lush, like a garden or a park. Thick flower beds and low hedges dot an expanse of green lawn, tall enough and thick enough that your average human-shaped person is going to have to go around them, along with the odd park bench or inexplicable stray road cone or abandoned child's toy. Near the centre of the arena is a pond of still water, with reeds and lily pads growing around the edges. It might be three or four feet deep in the centre, but no more.

On the other side of the pond is a hedge maze, and the exit is visible beyond it.

You may or may not see the goose when you arrive. It's a wonderful specimen of a domestic goose: large, plump, with sleek white feathers and bright eyes. It might be floating serenely in the pond, or grazing experimentally upon the grass, giving you what at least seems like no more thought than a typical goose would. Probably.

On the other hand, there may be nothing in sight, but a faint rustling in the hedges, somewhere.

Leon S. Kennedy | Resident Evil

[nothingbadeverhappensto]

1. [Room 116] What do you want from a devil like me? [ For Shen Qingqiu, Anzu, and Lev/Lyubov ]

At first, it's Leon's instinct to simply stay in the room for as long as possible. Fuck this, fuck demons, fuck their obvious traps. That doesn't last long, of course - the niggling sense that he should be out there meddling making sure no one else is doing anything stupid winning out fairly quickly, as well as his potentially pathological inability to sit still - but he still winds up sulking around in there for a good amount of the stay.

"Hey." He's settled in a chair by the window, glaring out at the forest below. Whether the greeting's because he noticed one of his roommates for the time being has walked back in, just woken up, or it's wholly apropos of nothing is up in the air. "What do you make of this so far? I don't like it, obviously, but what's your feeling?"

2. [The Pool]You see the devil don't mean to be evil [ OTA ] [ cw: reference to past injury by zombies and gun violence ]

"All this glitz and glamor and they don't even have a real gym," Leon complains to whoever's nearest. He's dripping wet, wearing a pair of loose, navy blue swim trunks and sitting at the edge of the pool, legs dangling over the side.

(Normally he'd be a little self-conscious about showing off his scars like this - especially the two surgical incisions under each of his pecs, but also the gnarled bite marks adorning his shoulders and calves, as well as the gunshot wound on his upper arm. But right now he's too mad to be awkward.)

"Uh, sorry, if you wanted to just hang out in the pool, by the way. I got kinda into doing laps and didn't notice you come in."

3. [The Casino Floor]He just regrettably forgets to exceed - [ OTA ] [ cw: event-relevant warnings regarding excess and gambling ]

Oh, this sucks. Leon's not a total killjoy, but there's nothing about this that he likes. Casinos are one thing. Casinos that are definitely run by demons are another. When he's not in his room or trying to wring some exercise out of the spa, he's patrolling the floor with an intensely nervous energy, watching any of those partaking in the games for signs of fatigue or other distress.

"You sure about this?" he asks, hovering nearby. "I know the first chips were free, and not to be a cliche, but. You know. At what cost?"

Anyone else doing the rounds in a similar fashion to him or otherwise just passing through will also likely have to deal with his fretting as he gravitates towards the other guests.

"This is weird, right? There's no way any of this is just what it looks like, and it already doesn't look great."

4. [Wildcard] - Expectation

[ Need something else? Contact me at quodvide on Discord to plot!! ]

The Purple Impostor vs. The Untitled Goose

[impostor_syndrome]

Hungry murderbean vs. the horrible bag of sound that is the most worst to you

George Elsworth vs King Oberon & Puck

[stonecoldtop]

Changeling Totally normal man who's not having a good time vs a pair of True Fae, what could possibly go wrong

John Rambo

[theydrewfirstblood]

Wake Up & “At Home” {for the roommates}

When John wakes up, he’s on high alert. There’s too much that’s wrong.

For one, he’s too comfortable. He’s never uncomfortable in his own bed, but the little things make it his, make it safe. The too large blankets that weigh his calves down when he shoves his feet out from under them to cool off, the musky smell of fur when Bao sleeps with him—the tickle of feathers when Co nests on his chest with her ass in his face.

Her earn weight is absent. His feet are covered. The sounds are wrong.

So is the memory of…leaving. The reassurance of the call doesn’t help, no matter how true it is, and the wrongness only gets worse when he finds his knife is gone.

Thank God he’s not alone in his suite…and for the duration of the trip, here with his small group will be one of very few places he will feel truly safe.

Casino

John is cautious about gambling…But he does take a chance.

So, of course, when he puts fine chips on roulette and wins a date with Aster…

John quickly moves on to try and ignore that.

He plays a couple hands of blackjack, losing his first, and tries a little poker as well, but the big game…

He chooses not to play…and yet, those speakers eventually do announce his name.

[John will be playing at least one game of PREY, involuntarily, and all are welcome to join him for some played out poker or blackjack! John will try his hand at card counting for blackjack to tiny effect because the house always wins, of course, but good enough to stay hopeful. :p]

Indulgence {Shopping, Food, DATES}

John has a sacred duty to his goddess, and proceeds as such. He’s careful in the casino, in dining…but he’s human, and he does have his vices.

He’s been lonely too long, he’s still so starved for human contact…and he’s still far too enchanted by his ability to care for others.

So, friends, family, and lovers of John Rambo will inevitably find him at their room or on the phone, asking what they might be up to. The end result will be…

…well? That part is up to you. Only catch? It’s his treat.

[Pseudo Wild card! Date night? Shopping? See a show? Hot and heavy hookup? John is here to show you a good time, just pick your poison.]

[yournewsidekick]

Nimona puts 25 chips on Purple. She's supporting her friend! KICK ITS FEATHERY ASS, BUDDY!!

fever, ota.

[abhorrently]

misty step - around.

No matter where Fever finds herself in this place, her tension doesn't ease. It's not the demonic nature of the indulgence that unsettles her - it's how close it feels to that damned ship, as if it simply morphed into a new cage around them. Just because it isn't the case doesn't mean it doesn't feel like it, and so she stays alert. Physically impossible interpersonal violence - they might as well have drained her again, left her weak, for how invasive it feels. But smart, because otherwise things would have immediately turned ugly. For now, she'll just have to hope she spontaneously develops the ability to cause pain with her mind alone for how the staff get looked at.

So, one has to pass time regardless, and she can hold distaste for their host while still seeing what's out there. Trying out the hot tubs at the spa to see how comfortable they are, looking at some of the shops in the promenade (what, she's not going to bypass an armorer), wandering the casino looking at games she doesn't know the rules of. Anything, really, to get an understanding of what this place is and how it works.

And all the while, keeping her eye out for those she knows, if they seem to be in any danger. All the while, checking what doors are there, seeing if any of them lead anywhere else than the forest. There was a way in, there has to be a way out - she refuses to think otherwise. Some of the doors she's trying aren't going to budge, but that won't stop her from making the attempt.

synaptic static - bar. (limit 3.)

It's a bad idea to lower one's reactions and inhibitions in an unfamiliar place. Very bad idea, one could say. Which is exactly why she's doing it at night, instead of fighting the inclinations that tug at self control. Why not. This place is eating at what of her mind remains, making her feel too exposed, too on edge. For a little bit, then, why not feel less.

Humming under her breath, it stops when she hears footsteps, and she turns her head to see who's decided they also wish to forego sleep.

"Come to join, or just passing through?"

stoneskin - room 103. (for Zivia and Degas.)

So, she's got roommates again. At least she knows them, and they didn't come in while she was sleeping to threaten her life, and no one even needs to worry about who is sleeping in what bed, because Fever's barely sleeping as it is. She has to stay alert, and maybe take a nap or two when Zivia and Degas are gone. It'll all work out. It'll end. If the devil didn't lie to them. And in the meantime, nothing will catch them off guard.

The tension that fills her is no more at ease in the room than it is outside of it, and it's not uncommon that even when she returns to be in the room, she'll be on the balcony, eyes set on the mist and forest outside. At some point, she procured several candles to put out there, and the time of day determines if they're lit. If she's staying up, she might as well practice a few things in the meanwhile.

polymorph - wildcard.

[custom starters, anything not mentioned, you had an idea you want to go for - it's all good here. PM me if you need anything, otherwise we ball.]

wake up

[yournewsidekick]

Oh, yeah, he's definitely not alone.

Slowly, slooooowly, a pink paw slides into view, hovers just over his nose, and -- BAP BAP BAP.

(Yes, she woke up first, no, she did not answer the wake-up call, nobody answers the phone these days, just screen it and let it go to voicemail!)

[theydrewfirstblood]

John stills—not a freeze, he’s not tense, just watches with only moving his eyes…

And when the paw strikes, screws his eyes shut while wrinkling his nose and smiling.

Turning his head to see the young pink cat as he opens his eyes, his smile lingers as he lifts a hand to scratch the side of her face with his fingers. And it is a girl, he recognizes the shade of fur from the barbecue…

“Nimona, right?”

[yournewsidekick]

"Yup!" chirps the cat. She grins, all teeth, and doesn't move from her predatory crouch, tail swishing from side to side in anticipation. "Mornin'."

She reaches out a paw again to prod John's forehead. In the background, the phone keeps chiming.

"You gonna get that?"

Radar | M*A*S*H | closed to the VIP floor

[incomingchoppers]

What do you get when you take a kid who grew up on a farm in Iowa right after the Depression, spent two years in a MASH unit in Korea, then got transported to a nice-but-still-pretty-rustic island for six months; put him in the VIP suite at a swanky casino; and let nature take its course?

Well, you get this: a goggle-eyed Radar who -- while still plenty uneasy about the fact that this whole thing is bought and paid for by Dahlia's dad -- is probably not gonna leave the VIP floor for more than an hour the entire time he's there.

The beds! The towels! The room service!! Sure, he pops downstairs to play a few perfunctory games, but pretty quick he gets distracted by the shops and comes back upstairs with an entire armload of grape soda when he was really only intending to buy a couple bottles, honest. (And it's still not grape Nehi. Sigh. Still, better than a seltzer and grape juice, right?) Even on his best days, Radar's a glutton; the casino tweaks that part of his brain just enough to keep his nose buried in a room service menu half the day.

So apologies to his roommates -- if not most of the VIP floor, to be honest. You're gonna be stepping over empty dishes for a big portion of your stay. And while Radar will guiltily snap out of it every so often, he might need a good shake to make it stick.

Cat from the Alleyways

[lahire]

Day Two. A spindly-fingered dealer at a card table invited him to sit, and Jean did the snappy thing. But the reaction on this one isn't quite like the demons, and especially not the Daphnes. His eyes widen at the snapping, and then he ducks his head, breaking eye contact.

"As you say." Not trying to fight back, not trying to seduce or sweet-talk or tempt. It's just immediate folding like a cheap piece of cardstock. The tension in his shoulders is nothing like the brash confidence the demons tend to display, especially here, in a place that is clearly a bastion to them.

Nimona vs. Julia Montauk & Trevor Herbert

[yournewsidekick]

OP'd shapeshifter vs. OP'd monster Hunters, let's fucking gooooooo

[configuration_birdwatcher]

// I'm unsure if I can. The voice comes from the other bed, which is masterfully engineered to allow Bastion to sink into its soft welcoming depths without their weight dragging Edgar in with them. Because, yes, Nimona's human best friend is here too.

There's a faint mechanical whirr as Bastion sits up.

Ylva vs. Brooke Augustine

[actuallyawolf]

Half-feral wolf druid vs. Concrete Powers

Valdis Vs. Fenrir

[redlightgreenlight]

The Queen of Hounds versus the King of Hounds. Should be an interesting fight.

Jack La Hire | A Dealer

[lahire]

Ante up
Among the plentiful Daphnes are a few non-Daphne dealers, as mentioned. One of them, who seems strictly to be assigned to the card tables, is a tall, thin man(?) with inhuman long spindly fingers that shuffle cards at an inhuman pace. He is dressed in typical casino dealer attire, his vest Aster's deep blue, and he wears no name tag, but there's a Jack of Hearts in the breast pocket of his vest. Anyone who has a sense for the Wyrd may note he's got some of that lingering strong about him--but nothing akin to a Court Mantle.

"Come, sit, play a while." He is good at this. Clearly, he's been doing it for a very long time. But all the same, in moments when he doesn't think there are eyes on him, the expression falters, sometimes for seconds at a time. This is not one of the demon dealers. This might just be a person, underneath everything.

But that's not what you're here for! You're here to play!


Don't be shy
While he's not strictly allowed any of the indulgences that the casino's guests are permitted, those who sit near the back of the theater during the magicians' stage performances might be surprised by the door opening and someone in Aster's colors peering in to catch just a moment of the show. Of course, he's working hard to avoid being caught doing so, but there are moments of childlike wonder on his face briefly as he takes in the tricks.