⇨ 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

(returning from hiatus!)

[lmpatientdefense]

"That's a pretty good name," she admits with a slow nod. He just might be hot shit, in the sphere of his specific experience. His attitude would make more sense if he's genuinely skilled at this stuff.

"Kinda ironic, if you're not secretly a ghost." Is he secretly a ghost? Beau appraises him, coughing a short laugh because she figures it's just a name for how hard he is to catch.

[kingsroads]

Strange is still a little tense and still a little wary about all of this...but he's slowly realizing that if he doesn't look at the snake, it's like the snake isn't there to begin with. Is this a shitty way of dealing with the snake? Probably! Does Strange care? Nope! It is relaxing, and also intensely weird.

But, back to the talking animals.

"That doesn't make sense," Strange grumbles, not really realizing that he's criticizing magical talking animals for not making sense. "The rabbit and the bear were close to rabbit and bear sized, the snake should have been as well."

(returning from hiatus!)

[impatientdefense]

Strange must be psychic as well as magic, because that was the exact question she was going to ask. There's a flash of surprise across her face that she doesn't bother to hide as he answers her unspoken question, that shifts into open staring.

"You're doing mirror magic, and you're turning into mirrors... Wait, no, you said, just being here does it. Even if you're not doing magic?" Beau considers his particularly reflective injuries, her own fully-human-looking hands, and concludes: "Shit."

[pipers_son]

"Ha." It's not much of a laugh. "Most don't." But then there are a lot of things he keeps hidden behind a smile and a laugh. Those are mostly with that other half of his, however, who can pull them off a lot more genuinely. Maybe it's for the better.

Either way, he'd rather not talk too much about that, so instead he says with a simple bluntness, "How are you so sure?"

(returning from hiatus!)

[lmpatientdefense]

Boasting about Doll's a safer topic for everyone here, certainly. And Joker's enthusiasm for his wonderful sister is rubbing off, and Beau concedes to the mood with a half-smile.

"Awww, that's sweet. Kind of sickeningly," she shrugs, trying to figure out if he's just bragging on her behalf or outright wingmanning. "but it's nice. She must be bummed out, going from carnival stuff to fighting..."

look, spooky feathery white guy, she's a simple woman who finds punching easier than politeness

[impatientdefense]

It's wild enough laughter to cement her first impression of him as slightly unhinged, though that's as much from the discomfort factor in thinking that he's been sniffing her.

Beau's face wrinkles up as she pulls back to stare at him. "Are you saying I stink?" There's more she could ask, but that basic question needs to get out of the way.

(returning from hiatus! - and thus strolling in extremely late myself)

[lmpatientdefense]

The tattoos need some work, right now they're another sign of how unwilling to commit that guy looks. Not terrible, but a crime in how much better he could look, if he bothered.

"Yeah, you're on to something. That's his problem. Mediocre ass because he's half-assing it. Now he's top-heavy as hell, a little tap on the ankles and he'd fall ri-i-ight over."

Beau puts her hand up to mime the guy falling over, adding a creaking warbling sound until her hand lands in the water with a splash. Then she laughs, and reaches back for her glass of wine.

"It'd be a public service if I told him... but, eh. He's probably going for that tough guy look enough he'd try to 'make something of it', and I don't need that."

[soft_focus]

The daemon puffs- which in this case makes it look rather like a cotton ball- with pride. "We are FILLED with life!!" Very proud.

Reira is listening though, and blinks- fortunately still in possession of a whole 'pon' due to not yet going for a fish. Blinking, she slowly dunks the entire thing in, guiding it toward a fish. "Umnnh..."

The daemon leans over. Reira leans over. And...

Splsh.

"AH!" Fish-! "It's in!!"

[soft_focus]

[Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.]

...You're the same person though. [Mostly? It's odd, but...] ...Umn...you don't feel the same, but...

[Wait.] ...If you're both here, that still means you came from one thing right? One thing is probably better...

(returning from hiatus!)

[lmpatientdefense]

This is Beau's idea of a nice, affirming evening. Fist fight in an alleyway with some guys who had a little too much, big and confident and all too easy to haul around.

Okay, maybe that makes her a little bit of bully. She can live with that.

Beau shifts to the side around Laurence's arm, returning his attempt with a shot at his ribs. With any luck he'll double over and reconsider this whole thing.

"Shitheads like you always say that, but you're never 'just trying to talk'."

She shifts around again, making sure they're all in sight in case they rush her, and calls out to Injured-wrist

"Didja grab her before or after she punched you, huh?"

[whattaprick]

Lambert outright laughs, tucking his robe in over himself before he turns to Strange.

"You wouldn't be alone in that. Sometimes, I almost forget what not hunting down fae artifacts while being chased by Court Fae even feels like. Life used to be a lot simpler."

[betheman]

A lot of core terms. All of the core terms, really.

"Well, we weren't really fighting the vampires full time..." Marishi mutters, but she's ignored.

"Handful enough, that the carnival's typical activities are cancelled for the time being at the least. I, the man Gongenzaka, can only assume you were told there would be no performances..?"

[kingsroads]

As she looks at her hands, Strange can't help but smile a little. He gives Beau a shrug before continuing to talk. "It's inevitable. Give it a few weeks and you'll be sprouting feathers or growing moss from your arms."

The big ol'grin he's giving Beau plainly tells her that Strange is being a huge shit for the purposes of being a huge shit. This is blatant hazing the newbie by telling her all the bonkers carnival shit up front.

[kingsroads]

Once he's gotten the robe tied up and covering his chest scar, that's when Strange turns around to give Lambert a little smile. Life was still always a bit complex for Strange, what with the fact that even if he didn't sign up for the carnival, he'd still have to deal with the fae. Thankfully, he's smart enough not to 'well actually' Lambert at the moment.

"Sometimes I'll still think about it. I'll cast a spell, briefly think that this would be a wonderful addition to my act, and then realize that I'm being silly, I haven't performed on the stage in a few months."

He gives a little shrug as he walks over to Lambert. What can they do about it: this is their lives now.

[dressedtothe]

As always, 9S threads his fingers between Rita's as they hold hands. Though he doesn't show it, it's harder to feel comfortable, knowing that this Rita isn't fully her whole self. When they approach the other Rita -- fully engrossed in pouring over documents -- 9S gives Rita's hand one last squeeze before stepping forward.

"Hey, Rita." Even with his misgivings, he can't help the smile turning up the corners of his mouth. "You have a moment?"

[whattaprick]

Not everyone's cursed with being a magical protagonist, thankfully.

"You can always find other ways to show off," Lambert points out. Heading out of the locker rooms, they're led down a spiraling staircase, to a room with ... a bit of an odd setup, really. The floor is made of marble and there's a thin layer of water on the whole thing, except for two platforms a few inches off the floor, which are covered with sheets and clearly meant for them to lay down on.

Lambert gives it all a curious look, head cocked, but he doesn't see anything to unnecessarily alarm him, so he shrugs and sheds his robe, hands it over to an attendant, and settles belly-down onto one of the platforms with a flick of his tail.

"Not sure how any of this is supposed to actually help me get better faster," he says, idly.

[drrdrrdrr]

"Yeah, no," says Amethyst. "I guess this time she was really serious about it."

She pushes some damp hair out of her eyes and looks at the ceiling.

"When you told her you wanted to stay she just took off. That's what I heard about it, anyways."

[kingsroads]

When Lambert takes his robe off, Strange does the same. He lays down on the other platform, belly down, adjusting and shimmying around a little bit so that he's not putting weight directly on his hugeass chest mirror scar.

"I'm certain there's some healing qualities about the mucus properties or something like that." Fun fact! Strange is bullshitting! He doesn't put his head down, though. Instead, he props himself up on his elbows and looks around. He's learned from snake massages, he isn't going to fully lay down until he sees what exactly is going on his back.

[reflash]

[It bothers her, so he doesn't push more. He'll just hold onto it.]

I've been here for about three and a half months. [Just over a quarter of his contract time, and he already looks like this.]

My older brother has been here for longer.

[stompadour]

It's certainly a lot to process, but it's kind of still sinking in as they walk away.

"You don't know that," she says, a little petulantly. "I might be the light one. I like being like this."

[reflash]

[Interrogation it is.

Yukio keeps walking, with an annoyed flick of his tail.]

Have you had a chance to go to many festivals, Shura-san?

[exaomori]

[Too bad, he's stuck with her.]

Hm? [Asking about her? That's odd.] A few, yeah. Haven't gone to many the last few years.

[Working for the Vatican meant a lot of travel. A lot of of un-fun travel.]

[exaomori]

"Ah, that's better than Eden. Hated bein' in tha shape, y'know? But if you were underwater, I guess you'd have to make some adjustments." Like... gills. And flippers. May as well just go all the way in that situation.

"Wonder what kind of booze they had. You can't really ferment stuff the same way underwater, right?" It's an important question when she's thinking about what to drink next.

[reflash]

[He's putting in an effort to be considerate. Appreciate it, Shura.]

The True Cross Academy festival doesn't count, I guess.

[exaomori]

"Nyaaa, that's a good way to look at it!" Well, it wasn't like it was that hard to figure out how to put on a yukata. Put your arms in the armholes and tie it shut. Simple enough.

"I'll see you on three, then~" It'll probably take him an extra moment or two to figure out how to get everything on properly, so theoretically it should give her enough to to do a fun knot with her obi