lostcarnival | ⇨ SHABONDAMASHII

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⇨ SHABONDAMASHII

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.

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"Well, that's just how it turned out~." Certainly his mother never gave him one to use, so he had to pick something. And, well, once he did that, he had to name everyone else, too. Not that he plans to say too much of that. It gets awful depressing, for starters.

No, what's a lot more fun is boasting about his family. "And you'll definitely run inta her! Y'know, before we had our little change-" He spreads his hands out, gesturing to the carnival as a whole. "-she was our number one tightrope walker! Ya wouldn't have seen a better show anywhere, I can promise ya that." Leaning in a little closer, he grins. "And ya definitely wouldn't have seen anyone else so cute!"

"In the... why wouldja be in the ladies' bath?" She squints at him and raises a very suspicious eyebrow back.

[If Doll had been more herself this entire conversation wouldn't be happening like this, however she has no impetus to stand up for herself or tell him that he's being far too hard on her given the circumstances. Instead, she looks up at him and trembles like a leaf, curling into herself as though he might lash out and strike her. As far as she's concerned, it's not outside the realm of possibility.]

I'll come, I'll come! Don' leave me here, please! [She looks practically hysterical at the thought of being left to her own devices, but conflicted about walking near somebody who seems so angry with her.]

[Doll relaxes a little at the reassurance. She wants to tell Joker everything, she really does. Maybe it would make her feel better if she did, and the idea that it might hurt Joker in the process, her ability to put herself in his place, is suddenly very far away.]

There's a reason I kept some of it secret from ya too, but maybe it don' matter as much as I thought it would. You're so smart Joker, y've probably already figured most'a it out anyway.

She looks at Ginko for a silent beat like he's just suggested she go ride a dog sled through the lobby of the bathhouse-- like he's legit crazy. After a moment she laughs. "No? Oh, come on Ginko, I know what people think. Everybody is just too nice, they don' say what they're act'lly thinking-- and that's a good thing! There's never a need to hurt anybody's feelin's outright, after all. But I'm perceptive enough ta know what goes unsaid." She smiles like it's great that she's finally figured what feels to her like a giant breakthrough concerning human behavior-- too bad it's a completely twisted version of 'People Are Inherently Good'.

"But that don't matter no more! Nobody has ta keep anythin' t'themselves, and that saves ev'rybody some trouble!" Mercifully, she stops bouncing on Ginko's stomach and watches him for a moment, that same smile still fixed on her face. "It's not a waste if it makes ya happy, Ginko. Wouldn't ya be glad ta be rid of it?"

"If you could, would you want to be?" Lambert asks. It's not hard to read the distress in Yuya's body language, but the question is serious and earnest.

"OW, fuck-criminy-sakes!" The grabby-drunk immediately lets go of Doll's ankle and she scurries up onto the roof and to safety. Cradling his hand, he continues to let out a string of strange swearing while his friends, one of them with a bloody lip, rush to his side.

"Shit, she break it?"

"Uh, bleeding here??"

"What is your problem, lady?!" Injured-wrist looks defensive and smarting as he cowers, but he's clearly still pissed. "She broke Laurence's nose!"

"Technically it was my lip but..."

"It sounds a lot more dramatic if it's your nose, man."

"I know but she's like... barely ten kilo, it's embarrassing--"

"FOCUS, OKAY?" Injured-wrist snaps at his two friends, then looks back at Beau. "She with you, then? Because we were just trying to talk to her and she went all crazy. An apology would be nice."

There's an unholy shriek from the roof and Doll pitches a roof tile at the, until now, only uninjured man. It catches him across the shoulder and he falls into Injured Wrist.

"Oh fuck this--!" Laurence goes in for a swing at Beau while the other two try to recover.

"No, but--" Yuya cuts off, as Lambert's pushing of the question catches up to him. He's looking for a way to justify himself with it, isn't he? As if because it's what Yuya's coping with, that makes it the right solution.

His expression hardens a little. He'll just have to make clear how much more complicated and different his own situation is.

"We were... we died when it happened," he starts slowly. At least, the easiest way to interpret it is dying. "And then we were reincarnated like that. You know, with different names and homes and everything. Like a restart. We didn't even know each other until recently! It's been like this our whole second lives."

When you spend fourteen years since infancy growing into unique individuals, it's almost impossible to consider erasing all of that to be someone you barely remember being. Let alone someone you regret being.

"C'mon now, I'm sure he ain't wettin' himself anymore by now!" Hopefully.

Shura doesn't quite expect the furball to speak, but isn't particular startled or concerned when it does. Familiars usually communicated somehow or other, after all. "That so? My, how long has he been here?" A while, probably. But there was a different between all evening and all day.

How Lambert takes it is hard to say, given he doesn’t have much of a reaction to Yuya’s expression or what he says. He’s not one to rush his words without thinking them over, after all, so he’s in no hurry to give his answer.

When he does, it’s with a thoughtful frown and a nod. “Sounds complicated.”

Then his expression smooths out, turning genuinely hopeful. It’s a softer, more open expression than Lambert ever usually wears, unselfconscious of his own feelings. Complicated situation or not, he’s taking entirely the wrong lesson from this. “But it worked out for you in the end. Maybe it can work out for me too.”

“The baths, mostly.” Lambert draws up a sleeve to show off the scars from where Lilith’s mirrors tore up his arms, now healed smooth into pinkish scar tissue. “The iron wounds aren’t healing as fast, but it helps. Tried most of the food. Drank alcohol instead of bathing in it.”

And all of it he’d tried to get Childermass to do with him, to no success. Lambert huffs a sigh.

“Nice enough as a vacation stop, but we’ll still need to get back to work.”

Well, Shura can tell where the mood is going. Sure, chugging was completely acceptable and appropriate behavior to Shura, but drinking in a bad mood only made for bad hangovers.

"It sounds like you've been here a while, huh~? I didn't really get to see much of the place when it was still mostly a proper carnival. Musta had some good times."

No, this would not be better explored with alcohol?? If she wasn't in the middle of a spa treatment, she'd try to find a way to wiggle out of this. Where was Yukio when she needed him? She'd take any of the kids to get out of this conversation.

"Ah, yeah, booze helps that kind of thing." And maybe if the attendant took her sweet time getting back to them, Strange would be distracted by some other shiny thing. Maybe someone would take him away and save her from the hell of talking about feelings?

She's not so lucky. The attendant will return much quicker than Shura anticipates. At any other time, Shura would have loved this kind of service, but not this time.

"Guess I oughta pour your drink." Le sigh. Oh well, at least she isn't paying for any of this. And he is senior to her no matter how she looks at it.

“Having trouble?”

The muffled, familiar, and probably unwelcome voice from behind her is the calmest that Reira ever remembers hearing it. Lambert stands there in a red haori with a paper bag of taiyaki incongruously tucked into the crook of his arm. Why his voice is muffled is clearly evident as he takes away the taiyaki he was munching contentedly on from its mouth, it’s cheesy filling oozing.

Knowing, expecting Lambert's just asking for himself somehow doesn't make it hurt less. It's not something Yuya talks about, and then all he has is 'complicated' and 'maybe it'll work for me'?!

Yuya stares back at him, dumbfounded at first. And then it twists when he just looks hopeful, and Yuya holds back tears as he glares at him angrily.

He doesn't find the words to fight him. Instead he lunges, moving to forcibly shove by Lambert to storm down the hall and leave, letting his actions convey just how he feels about that.

Reira looks up to blink when she hears Lambert- the sound of his words accompanied not only by the crunching and munching, but also by the sound of a 'splash' as the turtlefish flee from her paper net again.

There is a bit of rustling, and in addition to her ever present sparrow, a small flying squirrel makes its presence known.

And speaks. "THE SCALED ONES CHEAT!" it proclaims quite petulantly with their deep and curiously booming voice, their partner taking things far better.

"...The net keeps breaking..."

"Oh," Syrlya's expression lifts at the mention of work, despite being on vacation. He remembers something he needed to talk to him about, anyway.

"Speaking of that--I know we have had difficulty in the past with being able to retrieve members of the carnival quickly in the event of attack. I've been--testing, practicing, but I have managed to greatly expand the range which I can move myself and others through reality, all within seconds."

He waves his hand. "I know you have seen my ability to teleport, but consider that now far across the realm." He smiles a bit, clearly pleased with his success in heightening the power of his abilities. They've needed something.

Edited 2018-09-20 16:08 (UTC)

Yuya shoves past Lambert and startles him out of his own thoughts, sending a twinge through still-healing wounds that makes him flinch. But the boy is past him before he can think of anything to say, and he twists around in confusion to watch him go.

He’s not quite sure why. Yuya’s usually the one in the position of trying to make him feel better about himself — and it worked this time, too. But Lambert’s light side isn’t inclined to lengthy introspection on why people might be angry at him. That’s all his dark side’s problem, with the empathy to fully grasp just why and how he might have pissed someone the hell off. Whatever Yuya’s taken issue with, he’ll probably get over... eventually.

If not, well. There are bigger things for Lambert to worry about.

Well, now that’s information Lambert wasn’t expecting to get. He doesn’t react with shock, just consideration. With everything he knows about the pair of them, it really isn’t even the most surprising development now that he thinks about it. Yuya cares intensely about Gongenzaka for reasons that are honestly opaque to Lambert, but familiar in the sense that he knows them because he feels that way about someone, too.

Such a lackluster — or vehemently negative — reaction from Gon is kind of disheartening. Then again, this isn’t the Lambert with the insecurity issues, so he just bluntly tells it like it is.

“So you ran away and went shopping instead.” Come to think of it, that’s probably what his dark half is doing right now (or close enough) but it’s a bit pathetic to see someone else in similar dire straits. He sighs, shaking his head.

“You can’t run forever.” Especially when he’s this scatterbrained. It’s just a matter of time until Yuya tracks him down.

This Lambert is blissfully oblivious that he’s being sized up like a pig at a fair, though he does wrinkle his nose in surprise. It seems odd to think of Strange ever wanting to split himself. Much as he cares about the guy, it’s an affection tempered by the knowledge that he’s distinctly full of it, and Lambert can’t imagine him hating any part of himself like he does.

He dismisses the thought easily and focuses on Strange instead.

“Can I help with anything?” Its earnest, inquisitive. He normally wouldn’t ask, magic not being his field of expertise, but maybe Strange just needs someone to bounce ideas off of to find the answers he already knew himself.

Edited 2018-09-11 00:33 (UTC)

“Careful!” Celandine admonishes with a squeak as Childermass makes to get down. She’ll stay still, though, as he gets himself down, then nuzzle appreciatively against the magician’s arm, appreciating the contact.

Though it doesn’t seem to do much good for her human, who takes his time sniffling and trying to compose himself before he musters an answer.

“Not like this,” the Lambert on the floor mumbles into his knees, hands shifting to grip his own horns, tugging at them in distress as his voice cracks. “Please, please leave me alone.”

“He doesn’t mean that,” Celandine deflates. Lambert’s even more incoherent than ever. She’d hoped Childermass could stabilize him where Strange couldn’t, but he is only half of himself, after all...

"I didn't," Childermass says, affecting a look of complete innocence. It still manages to come off as shady despite it being the truth. "It's only a theory. If it's split me into two people, it would make the most sense. I just don't understand how seeing as I refused to touch the damn thing."

Well, whatever. He doesn't sound worried and instead finishes his fresh glass of wine (quickly) and waves down yet another refill.

"I'll figure out something to fix it when I feel like it, I suppose."

Lambert asking if he can help is damn confusing. Still, he's not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. If Lambert wants to try and help, Strange will gladly take advantage of that.

"Actually, you can help. Stand still, please." And Strange is just assuming Lambert's going to do so, because he's a bossy asshole! He takes a few steps back before activating his third eye: the burn scars on Strange's forehead, hand, and forearm light up with flames. While he does so, he scrutinizes Lambert, sizing him up in a way that's far too critical.

"Hmm. How odd. Obviously I'm touched by the magic of the Silver Mirror, but there's a large amount of it lingering around you as well." He'll need to run tests. Ooh, he'll need to come up with tests and then run tests. Just the thought of so much magical nerdery is enough to make him smile a little.

Yuya sputters, leaning back as he flusters. "I wasn't!" Just the changing room, briefly. "You came into the men's bath!"

The problem here is that Strange is a bit of a self-absorbed idiot. It honestly isn't occurring to him that talking about his problems with Shura in the middle of a spa treatment is probably a bad idea. Another problem is that Strange is hella English compared to Shura's hella Japanese.

"Ridiculous," he says, with a little shake of his head. "I'm pouring you a drink." Gotta love some cross cultural 'how do we deal with things' confusion. "Is there any specific drink you'd care for? I'm partial to a whiskey myself, but ladies' choice."

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⇨ SHABONDAMASHII

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HECK YEAH FEELINGS 8D

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WILD CARD

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