⇨ SHABONDAMASHII

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 92 - Day 99
Where: Shabondamashii Bathhouse
What: With the Silver Mirror claimed and the animals of Eden relocated, it's time for the carnival to kick back and enjoy an interdimensional bathhouse and the surrounding festival city. Meanwhile, the scattered shards of the Mirror have an unexpected effect.
Warnings: Dark/Light halves acting weird.

THE BIG CLEANSE↴ As the carnival recovers, the Ringmaster has brought it to the gates of a famous interdimensional bathhouse to rest. She won't be joining you for most of it, though she will be checking in frequently and available by radio. She's fixed a large portion of the Silver Mirror after it shattered, but it seems like pieces are missing. She doesn't want to rest until the missing shards are dealt with, and the Mirror itself is locked away safely. ► YOUR OTHER HALF: The shards missing from the Silver Mirror didn't just disappear - after breaking apart in Eden, fragments of the object embedded themselves in the spirits of those not already touched by its powers, and those that had been the most fae-touched. That means, your characters. The effect of this, explained in more detail on the plotting post, is that some characters will be splitting into two versions of themselves: the Light, and the Dark. This doesn't mean good and evil, of course, it's far more complicated than that. Splits can start happening at any time after arriving in Shabon, and initially characters won't know how to rejoin with their twins. Later on, it will become apparent that they need to reconnect via the shard of the Mirror they share... of course, in order to rejoin, you have to have both halves, and not all twins will be as eager to go back to the way things were before. This plot point is optional. ► SPA DAY: When you're not engaging in metaphysical division, you are free to enjoy the many luxuries that Shabon offers. Things will mostly have an east-Asian bend, like what you would see in the movie Spirited Away, but as long as it doesn't affect the setting much, you can honestly have whatever spa-type services available that you want. Food is served both in restaurants and 'buffet' style. There are also well paid sex workers here, if that is your thing, but make sure to tip well. ► FESTIVAL TOWN: The city surrounding Shabondamashii is largely meant to catch the business of interdimensional tourists. There are frequent parades and other events held, and the architecture is very closely packed. It's easy to get lost if you leave the bathhouse, but it's definitely worth it if you like party. You can pick out a few outfits for yourself and some fun nick nacks, but nothing that would normally require mod approval.

Comments

[hippocarnival]

Yuya has an awkward, uncomfortable search around that particular bath with nothing but a towel. He's only spared the social embarrassment of walking into the women's changing side (thank god she didn't take them out into the hallway) by the fact that no one else is currently in there to catch him. He gets dressed immediately.

When he sees Doll again, he's reluctant to approach. Because she's talking to people, and because he's pretty sure she's the one who moved his clothes. And when she makes eye contact, Yuya flusters and looks away as he shuffles on by. Awkward.

[pipers_son]

[He lets her do it easily enough, greeting her with another small but genuine smile.]

Still not an excuse, 'tho, right? Because ya got so upset. I didn't know what ta do, even though it was obvious.

So... We should stop bein' scared together, yeah?

[steadydollypegs]

Well that's... odd. Doll frowns and tilts her head, wondering why he looked at her so strangely. After a moment, she figures it's best to just ask, so she excuses herself from the conversation and trots after him.

"Hey, Yuya!" Doll bounces up to him, her hair looking like somebody blow dried and curled the ends-- and is that lip gloss?? "Something wrong? What's with the look, hm?"

[steadydollypegs]

[This is still too weird for her to process. Joker being forthright about all of this, apologizing, recognizing that she was upset. After being brushed off so many times, and reassured right before a subject change? This is uncanny.]

...what, y'mean, tell each other everythin'? [This sounds like a scary thing she doesn't want to do.]

[prazerbutterfly]

The body cues are something. The way he seems overly pleased at Tyki joining him, a bit too much with the way he lightens up, having been frowning at the thought of him not coming. At least the fire is out, not that he would've made any effort to really stop it should it spread. He does notice the strange closeness, the way Strange moves closer with every opportunity. Tyki has never minded others in his own space but he'd never let anyone touch if he didn't want them to. He welcomed attention, indulged in it, accepted it easily. He was comfortable with other males touching him.

Strange was just coming off as a bit of a threat right now and he was ignoring the impulse to do something about it. "If you hadn't spend the entire time of Eden in a mirror, perhaps you would feel different." It's a question but it's also a probe for hidden information.

"I never asked how you go there in the first place. I had a feeling you were going to get captured so I made effort to keep my distance from you."

[kingsroads]

"The majority of the fae in the multiverse are underlings," Strange bluntly explains, looking over at Rita with a frown. "Common soldiers, who probably care more about surviving a fight or finding where their next meal comes from instead of grand ideals or personal vendettas. They're the Frosts and Nightshades of the world, doing things because they are told."

He's been at war before. He knows what he's talking about. Strange is entirely secure in his convictions and entirely certain that he's right. He's met plenty of soldiers who fought for England, who supported England's ideals, and who praised the country...but at the end of the day, ideals and praise won't fix the roads or patch the hole in their boots.

"As for Ignatius, he also tried to rescue me from the Twelve. More than anything else, I consider him a friend."

[atouts]

"My better half deemed most emotions to be useless to him," Childermass says as a way of explanation. Along with a lot of other things but what's important here is he's much more of a whole human being than his other self is right now. At least, that's what he thinks.

But his attention strays to the bandaged hand same as Celandine's had just seconds before as he says that.

"Who did he punch?"

[atouts]

"It is," Childermass confirms that, too. "Admittedly, he is doing better these days. He actually combs his hair on occasion now, puts on fresh clothes before he begins reeking too badly."

[betheman]

Ah.

This is not how he ever intended to be made to think about this. To think about what he wanted to keep, what he didn't want to keep.

Gongenzaka is a bit silent. Eventually, he can only cast his eyes to the palm of his actual hand.

"...So much of who, and what I, the man Gongenzaka am now... ...These things manifested as part of incidents beyond anything we had seen until that point. ...In their own sense, they were scars from those times... ...I..."

His ears droop. "...It feels as if to abandon that would be...'wrong'."

[betheman]

"Mn-!" And try them he shall. Eagerly too- it's good food! Good food-!

And he'll pause with his mouth half full when Lambert asks that question. "Mnh-"

Let's just swallow that first...

"A-Auh...no?"

One would think he'd know that one for certain.

[kingsroads]

"I know that—Celandine told me." And Strange trusts Lambert's weasel soul enough that if Celandine said Lambert split in two, Strange believes that. He's still treating this like it's no big deal as Strange follows Yuya towards the main bathhouse.

"And I said that because it's the truth. Childermass probably cares more about the Raven King or his stupid book than he does Lambert." There's a pettiness in Strange's tone as he digs in his heels. Reckless Strange has enough emotional depth to realize that Yuya's angry at him and that it would be best to find a way to fix this, if only to get Yuya to like him again...he's just not sure how.

"But that's perfectly fine! This means that when Lambert goes to England, he'll be going just for me." There's a pause, as he gets an amazing idea. "You should come to England too!"

[kingsroads]

"It's not my fault I was captured," Strange quickly rebuts. "If the Ringmaster had done her damn research and knew that iron was involved, Ignatius and I would have made it through unscathed." Because, at least in Strange's mind, that's the root of all his problems in Eden: the fact that Ignatius almost died thanks to the iron branding.

"It's a story and a half for how I got there. We went out to go to the barrens because, for some nonsensical reason, Ignatius preferred that to continuing to hide out in the woods. We were attacked, I helped him escape, but I was captured. When I came to, I was captured by the Twelve, in front of the Mirror. I tried to escape by going through the Mirror, like how I travel through normal reflections. Instead, I found myself stuck in there."

As he talks, Strange attempts to just grab Tyki's arm and pull himself closer to Tyki. If he gets the chance, he's clinging on like an overly attached girlfriend on their first date as a couple.

SHADOW CANT EXIST WITHOUT LIGHT YAH GOOF

[insidescoop]

Carly's tone is quite low, and had he ever seen her as a Dark Signer, he'd probably be looking for a hummingbird mark.

Or maybe he'd just roll over and sleep. "It is very much your problem," she warns firmly. "It might have been relating to that mirror Yuusei, but do remember that piece of information we found in the Athenaeum," she rumbles, fire gathering at her fists.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya doesn't say anything at first, sitting on it. To him, the transformation wasn't much more than a side effect. He's used to it, but he never applied meaning to it beyond 'a lot of magic'. So something feels a little off, how Gongenzaka explains it, and he has to reconsider.

His gaze unfocuses, for a moment, before he looks back up at Gongenzaka clearly and furrows his brows.

"If they're scars, then... I think you should let them heal." It must be different for Gongenzaka, who has recieved so many changes from being hurt. Are they painful for him? Yuya's become used to seeing it, but does it hurt Gongenzaka when he looks in the mirror?

He scoots a little closer, putting his hand on Gongenzaka's arm. "It's not abandoning anything to let yourself get better."

[hippocarnival]

That doesn't sit well with Yuya at all, but he realizes if Strange still doesn't know that they're dating (he assumes that's still a secret to him) then he might reveal way too much arguing about why telling Lambert his boyfriend doesn't really love him is fucking terrible.

"You still shouldn't say that about people's--friends," he grouses, expression twisting sullenly.

Absently he grabs for Strange's arm, just below the elbow, to make sure they don't get separated as they walk close to the crowd. "If you find a way, I'd love to visit you in England."

That, he at least admits sincerely. Strange is a dear friend to him, and he doesn't want to lose contact in a few months."

[exaomori]

Sending the infirm to cushy opium dens to soothe their pain hasn't been in style for years, mister. Shura refrains from saying that, only raising a brow at his display. Yeah, poor dumb man baby.

"Nyaa, what are you sayin'? Kids? I ain't their keeper." Showing her the sake is invitation enough for Shura to join him in the pillows. If he has more than one cup, she's just polite enough to fill his before filling her own. If there's only one cup, then whatever, she'll have to drink after him. He's injured, not diseased.

[insidescoop]

"Hoooo... ...Honestly it was barely a month! Even the last real stop we had before Eden, we still did some show business..."

Anyway. She beams, almost literally at the other. "I'm glad to hear it~ The entire point of a vacation is to enjoy it after all..~"

carly please you have a notboyfriend-

[insidescoop]

"Good good~! Hmmm..." Perhaps that enthusiasm is why she's good at her job.

Actually, it's definitely why. "From what I can tell, you'd look good in a lot of colours...it might just be good to look at patterns at this point..! Anything that really catches your eye!"

She says this, but she suspects that if Haruhi had little preference on colour it'll be the same when it comes to patterns...

[insidescoop]

"Oh, not that sort of standing out," she swiftly assures the other. "I just mean something that doesn't make you completely disappear into the walls- you don't want to just be bumped into the whole time right?"

That is definitely not what she means.

[exaomori]

"Nya~, I get it! It's good to have big crowds, it makes the atmosphere fun, but you hafta be careful." Or drunk, really drunk. Then you didn't care at all about the smelly crowds.

"A reporter? Ah, I didn't think about that. But you prolly got to go in and see some of the new restaurants or new stores before they open, right? Gettin' to see previews an' stuff like that." Plus food bribes from stalls wanting her to mention how good their food was at festivals like this.

Also, Shura's beer is going to be at least a third gone within a few seconds. It's been a minute since she last indulged.

[insidescoop]

"Oh!" Carly beams- it might not be her preferred and over-the top stuff, but the fact is fitting new people is always fun.

If only because of the mannequin. "Yes, yes-! You're new right? Which means you need a change of clothes, and linens, and such...personal stuff!" she adds, nodding rapidly.

"Just stand over here quickly," she tells the other, gesturing to a space in front of the mannequin.

[kingsroads]

Strange 100% knows they're dating. It's just that his dark half is a completely callous asshole who's perfectly fine throwing people under the bus if it helps get what he wants. And in this case, what he wants is people to pay attention to him and help fulfill the super needy part of his personality.

"I don't want you to visit," Strange whines a little, as he lets Yuya grab onto his arm. "I want you to stay there. You, Lambert, Rita, Tyki...I want all of you to stay in England and stay with me."

[exaomori]

Not only does he need to look his best, he ought to buy his boy one to match. Nothing more romantic than dressing up together, right?

"Heh, you're right. If we don't have a little fun now, then when are we? Gotta live it up while you can!" This wasn't like the Olympics where everything was just so weird, this place was designed for fun. Which means that on the way to the changing room, Shura's going to pick out another yukata, this one in a grass green. So maybe it's more spring-like, but who's really looking?

[soft_focus]

"They do?" She's genuinely alarmed by this- but somehow, it makes sense. "...Oh! ...I guess that's ok then... ...I don't know a lot about where I used to live either I guess..." There wasn't much to know, but hey, the history probably would have been important too right?

It takes a few seconds of staring at the hand before she realizes what she's meant to do with it. And even then, it's a bit awkward, given her own are rather large and wing-like. "Um! I'm Reira," she introduces. "All of them though? ...is there time for all of them..?"

[hippocarnival]

On one hand, this is some weird split half of Strange acting and speaking irrationally. On the other, it's still part of Strange so this has to come from somewhere, right?

"I can't," he admits, squeezing gently. "But you know, even when we both leave the carnival... I don't want that to be it. I want to still be able to reach each other. Rita, Lambert, and Childermass too."

He doesn't really know Tyki though, sorry.