⇨ 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

[amphibiopathic]

On the one hand, Eruka really really wants to whine about this with someone. On the other, she kiiind of thinks dumping all that on Hanamaru isn't much of a 'welcome back' gift. Unlike certain others in the Carnival, she doesn't use alcohol as a coping mechanism, so she's forced to turn to healthier ways of dealing with trauma.

"I don't even know where to start," she finally groans, shoulders sagging.

[kingsroads]

At the mention of people being reassigned, Strange frowns a little. He desperately wants to say something slightly assholeish like 'no, they only reassign you for nonsensical reasons, like thinking a soldier shouldn't be a soldier' or 'they reassign you if your supervisor can't see past his own personal biases'.

But common sense wears out. It'd be good for a moment or two and Strange has a feeling that Beau would eventually join him in the team of right thinking people who believe that removing someone with actual military experience from the militia is super dumb...but that would involve explaining so much, and wouldn't really be worth it in the end.

So, the hazing continues. He drops the question of reassignment entirely and that frown shifts back into his huge shithead grin.

"Sometimes the magical changes linger when we change forms. Get turned into a chicken, grow feathers. Get turned into a merman, grow scales." Strange points to his neck: there are some goldfish scales growing on the side of his neck, visible in between his shirt and his messy hair. "There is a way we could try to game the system, as it were. If I turned you into a falcon, when you're turned back, you might have your feathers and claws."

[amphibiopathic]

Eruka has a lot of experience in running away from situations that are definitely almost always her fault, so like ... sorry, Carly, she's the very definition of Can't Relate right now. She grimaces. Save her from noble intentions, geez...

"So? You weren't the only one who made that mistake. Besides, if you really think about it, it probably wouldn't have happened if you hadn't accepted the contract in the first place ... this was a carnival, you know."

[pipers_son]

"I'm fine," Joker says, in one of his least convincing tones. He's pretty sure he's not, honestly, but he never is, and he probably never will be. He can't say much for his other half. Maybe he'll do better. It's not a hard bar to clear. "But it doesn't particularly matter what happens ta me, does it?"

[alphudo]

He stares for a moment at her face, watching the way it falters and falls, and to this he frowns not with irritation but with... confusion? It's hard to make out, but he doesn't stare for too long. His eyes cast to the ground.

"...I didn't... I. Mnn." He shakes his head. "I didn't mean to come off harshly. I just wanted to know."

The more he thinks about it, the more he doesn't want to go yet, but it's like he left something unfulfilled as opposed to simple unwant. And he's sure Carly won't enjoy it, the thing he's thinking about, but what if she does...

May as well ask anyway. "You said he's resting. Spend the evening with me, and I'll go speak with him in the morning, so he's not a zombie or anything."

His tone and wording admittedly make him sound more demanding than he intends, but rest assured, Carly definitely has a choice.

[pipers_son]

"Do I?" he counters easily enough, a little bolder with a pipe in his hand. It's going to be a mess when the smoke really does hit, but that's a problem for, well... Someone else. In the future.

"Besides, making friends isn't all there is to diplomacy. Sometimes you have to be a proper bastard." Another deep inhale that makes him choke a little bit. Excuse him. "Probably."

[whattaprick]

"Or use a little magic." Cue Lambert wiggling his fingers. He's certainly used that strategy to great effect.

[whattaprick]

Honestly, Strange, good call, because after a little unseen gong rings, the masseuses come out. It quickly becomes obvious why the floor is wet: they literally are giant snails, the rubbery 'foot' contracting and squeezing to push them along the floor. While they're not large enough to completely cover Lambert or Strange, they come pretty close, and they're definitely large enough to cover their back.

One waves its feelers at Strange, and the magic translation spell helpfully communicates:

"Good afternoon, sir. Before we begin, is there anything I should know? Injuries or anything that needs particular attention today?"

[pipers_son]

"Well... Bugger." They're at absolutely zero ideas on how to avoid something this troublesome, and he heaves out a sigh. "Well, I guess all we can do is keep an eye out, yeah? So let one of us supervisors know if ya see anyone else split in two, or actin' strange, I suppose."

[atouts]

That settles it, then. They're off! The witcher and the magician staggering along in Carly's wake as the latter still mutters to himself, trying to say the word correctly. It's never going to happen, never, ever. He does pick up the pace in hauling Lambert around once he picks up the smell of grilled food in the air, though.

[atouts]

"I'm not good at teams, either," Childermass grumbles, which goes hand-in-hand with never telling anyone anything. He will add in a lighter tone, however, "But we can work on it, can't we? I want you along because... I just do. Why can't it be terrifying and amazing all at once?"

[whattaprick]

"Well," Lambert says slowly, "Good luck with it. Whatever you're going to do."

Though he'll be surprised if Gon manages to pick anything, at this rate.

[sunflowerfields]

"They what!" For a brief moment she seems to snap out of it out of sheer surprise. But she's following him along anyway. "Do people really find that enjoyable?"

[dontpokethat]

Well, now that Lambert is settled into the water and not standing right over him, Ginko manages to relax bit by bit himself, until he can actually look in Lambert's general direction again.

"That's true," he agrees. These are just another step more carefully set up for comfort, so it's no surprise that they'd be... well, really nice. "Anyway, nothing wrong with it. Guess I'm just not used to seeing that from you."

Yes, Lambert, he does generally expect you to be kind of grumpy. No, he does not have room to talk.

[kingsroads]

Strange isn't saying anything about the giant snails. However, he does raise an eyebrow a little as they approach. So that's what they mean by 'snail massage.' When he starts talking again, it's in a carefree sort of tone, as he deliberately tries to underplay the fact that he's confused as heck.

"Just be careful with him," Strange remarks, as he nods towards Lambert. "He was on the wrong end of a tiger a few days ago and is still recovering."

Don't mind Strange as he just gossips with the snail for a little bit.

o7

[sunflowerfields]

Hinawa manages a nervous smile, and averts her gaze for a moment. "I really should apologize. I wasn't exactly myself them."

[exaomori]

You asked for this, Bubbles. Or maybe she didn't. Either way, Shura has no mercy when it comes to relaxing, and so a headlock it is, moving in close to drape her arm around Alphys's neck in the friendliest of holds.

"Stop fussin', you'll be fine."

The less she fights, the sooner it'll be over!

[whattaprick]

Lambert smirks, rocking his weight back on his heels. "There. That wasn't so bad, was it?"

It's a good feeling, being useful, even if it's something this small and relatively inconsequential. "Are you taking that back to the carnival?"

Closed to Steven

[periphrasing]

Wherever Steven is, whatever he happens to be doing? Peridot is on a mission to find him, and subsequently ruin his day. Not that 'ruining his day' is a specific goal of hers, but her actual goal is one that almost guarantees day ruining as an outcome.

She finds him in the main bathhouse, and without any warning, walks up behind him, and promptly belly flops into the water next to him and just. Floats there. After a second a few bubbles surge up around her head, carrying the tones of a miserable sounding groan up to the surface.

[starseedling]

Steven was just kind of sitting on the edge of a public bath with his feet in the water, so needless to say, he's a bit caught off guard by Peridot's theatrics. He startles a little in surprise, and then immediately shifts to being concerned. This could be a little thing OR a big thing, so far as Peridot's body language goes.

"Peridot?" he says. "What happened?" He's assuming she got in a fight with somebody, straight up.

[periphrasing]

Well. He's not ENTIRELY off the mark with that guess. Peridot just grumbles incoherently into the water, and slowly starts to sink below the surface. Eventually she rights herself and resurfaces, huddling back against the edge of the bath with her knees drawn up, still mostly submerged.

"I sent Pumpkin and Fleshy back home," she mumbles finally, firmly avoiding eye contact. She can't bring herself to get to the real meat of the issue just yet.

[osteothropy]

Sans appreciates the mediating factor that Sistina offers - sometimes he thinks back to the world where they picked her and Helvetica up, and thinks that there couldn't have been a luckier pair of guys to have that opportunity. Both of them are so bad at this, and even now this is just happening by the aid of magic.

He wants to hold onto this, he thinks. Make a note for later. Maybe a combined version of himself will remember what it feels like.

"I don't really make a point of letting people know these things," he says, shrugging a shoulder. "Neither'a you are mind readers, right? I think a lot of this I am figuring out for the first time, now that I have a clear enough head to think about it."

He swallows, hesitating on saying something, before finally:

"I know that... how you are right now, none of this really counts. And me, I'm kind of cheating here, too. But... maybe we can take a rain check on this, and... y'know. Once we're all together, remember what we were going for, and do it for real."

If he can hold onto this clarity when he's one person again, he's consider it a real victory.

[soft_focus]

Reira doesn't quite answer, but given the wide smile, is at least somewhat in agreement. She seems even more excited at the suggestion- "...I can do that..?!"

"Where to keep..." mutters the daemon, Reira momentarily ignoring them. There are more important things. Such as-

"Um! Thank you. ....Yuuya only showed me the candy cutting game, so I was stuck..." To be fair they kinda spent hours on the candy game. On the one hand he was thrilled to see her be a kid about something.

On the other, HOURS-!

[verbaltic]

Hanamaru doesn't mind having all this dumped on her. 'Welcome back' gift or not, she needs to know what happened and how it happened in the first place. So, time for Eruka to just blabber trauma at her.

"Start from the beginning, I guess? What's the first weird thing that happened, zura?"

[kingsroads]

"I do," Strange remarks in a 'well duh' sort of tone. "I did something like that when we stayed at the Summerlands. It was rather relaxing!"

Fortunately, the room is close by. Strange pushes open the door and holds it open for Hinawa to enter.