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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That is a big tree. In fact, that is too big a tree and about 500% more tree than Strange was hoping for. The tree has stabilized and is very slowly starting to shrink. However, as soon as Reira's daemon hops up on the tree, Strange stops the intensely slow and baby steps shrinking magic that he was working on. Now, the tree's about 480% more tree than Strange was hoping for.

He turns his attention to Reira and gives her a little smile. "I am. And I see you're better as well—or at least, out of that prism."

Having spent most of the past few days in a slightly tired haze, Strange really doesn't know how the mirror prisms affected those inside them. Thankfully, he's got enough sense to realize that's a question you bother people about later. Strange places his hands back at his side before fully turning to face Reira and give her his undivided attention. "I'm sorry I couldn't be much use during the final fight. The Mirror prevented most of my magic from working."

Oh, are they in the way??? The daemon certainly doesn't care. This is a cool tree, they like it.

Besides, you should take a break or something, Strange.

While the daemon explores, Reira nods- a large and wide smile on her face. It only somewhat falters when Strange offers his apology. The expression is quick to recover. "Umn! You told everyone what I told you though, right?" If it's possible, her smile widens even further. "If you hadn't...then the Ringmaster, and all the others, they might not have known Lilith was there in time to fight her...and the others there wouldn't have been helped fast enough either...! So..."

The girl pauses, fingers twitching a bit at her sides as she scuffs the ground with one foot. "...So, I wanted to say, 'thank you', actually," she finally manages. "...You told me it was going to be okay, and you made sure everyone got help...I don't think things would have happened as good, otherwise. So..."

Alright. Here goes. "...So, thank you, 'Strange-Oji'!"

~~She really, Really hopes Yuuya gave her the right word.~~

Strange nods when Reira asks if he told everyone what she told him. It took him a bit, considering that Lambert and the rest were literally in the middle of a thieving raid, but he got them the message in time.

He honestly isn't expecting her to thank him. Despite the fact that Strange is a big showoffy magician with enough ego and arrogance for days, there's still a part of him that yearns for recognition. Turns out that recognition and thanks from an actual child is good enough to count. Strange blinks back surprise before giving Reira a small smile of his own.

"You're welcome. I'm-" He catches himself before he can say 'I'm a nightrunner.' Because that's not true anymore, isn't it. Instead, Strange quickly swaps his train of thought. "Well, I wasn't going to let all of you stay in those prisms, would I. Whatever magic Lilith was using aside, the experience must have been terribly dull."

Time for a little bit of joking to try and hide the fact that Reira thanking him means a lot to Strange.

"I took a nap." Dull indeed. She says it quite plainly, before idly adding more- "...I tried wind practice first, but there wasn't any wind to feel in there at all...so sleeping was easier." As it is.

She absolutely has to finish the thank-you Properly, and thus takes a small/deep breath to ask. "...Are hugs okay?" Samyaza, back in Eden, was extremely injured and needed a very gentle hug. She's not sure how injured or not Strange himself is though- or if he's even fine with hugs to begin with.

Though she's at least sure he wouldn't react the way Foster did, it's best to check.

Yeah, he can see the appeal of sleeping. Just from the quick glimpse of the mirrored prisms, if you didn't have much magic, your choices seemed to be 'try and sleep' or 'stare at yourself for who knows how long.'

Strange looks a bit surprised as Reira asks him about a hug. It's not that he doesn't mind it, but more along the lines of he forgot that was an option in the first choice. You can take the man out of the 1800s, etc. etc.: for all that Strange can be a bit needy and a terribly affectionate drunk, he occasionally forgets that public affection is much more of a thing here.

"I don't mind at all," he says, trying to quickly turn that surprise back into a small smile. "I'm not bruised or beaten up so...erm, hug away, I suppose." Is he doing this right? He's not so sure.

It was definitely the most boring thing ever Strange, be glad you weren't there.

As it is, while it's awkward as heck, it's absolutely 'doing it right' for Reira. Strange is very quickly going to find the kid wrapping her arms around his waist for said hug, holding tight a few moments before stepping back again. "Yeah-!"

THE HUG HAS BEEN...DELIVERED. "You deserved one, especially because of everything that happened. ...And 'm glad you're not beaten up, like some of the others were." It seemed bad enough to be stuck in a mirror. Being beaten up on top of it would just be worse.

There is a small bit of silence, before she looks back to the tree again. "Um.... ...Do you know why there's a big tree though?"

Can we go back to hugging and not to calling Strange out about his failures? Strange almost instantly swaps from soaking in Reira's praise and compliments to being a little sheepish at the fact that this bonsai tree is now massively huge for a bonsai.

"I overestimated my magic," Strange admits. It's obvious he doesn't want to say this, but he's doing so anyway. "It's been acting up lately, so I've been running a few tests."

And by 'it's been acting up', Strange means 'I almost set my goddamn trailer on fire.' Plants are a safer test to run than flames.

Don't worry Strange, even in utter failure you can soak in the praise.

Or at least, you can fool the kid. Reira blinks quite innocently as her Daemon tries to see if large birds fit in the tree as well- enjoy the Bearded Vulture trying to perch there- and slowly nods with 'understanding'. "Ohhhhh...." Of course! "Mnhhh...I have to re-practice things again too...not using magic while we were in Eden made things a bit different I think, so I'm trying to get used to it again. So," she continues, nodding, "It's probably the same for you, right? Because when you were in the mirror, you couldn't do a lot!"

...sure, they'll go with that! Strange honestly isn't sure if this is because of the Mirror or because of the Ringmaster doing whatever she did to bring him back after the Mirror shattered.

"That does make sense. When I was in the Mirror to begin with, most of my magical energies were spent trying to navigate the reflections. And before that, I only used my magic once or twice."

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees the squirrel-now-bird trying to perch in the tree. And so, Strange briefly diverts conversation to ask, "Your daemon does realize that I've got to shrink the tree down, doesn't it?"

Whatever it is, it's clearly nothing they did wrong.

So there. "Yeah! So we just have to practice things until it works properly again!" Strange is probably going to take longer than Reira, but then Reira has like. Two actual spells, if one doesn't count summoning her daemon in the first place.

At Strange's question, Reira blinks- the Daemon is the one who answers. "It is not better, large??"

What's wrong with giant bonsai, sir. It's cool- It's great-

He's not going to knock practice until it's perfect. After all, that's how you do magic, for the most part.

As for the daemon's question, Strange shakes his head. "The tree's supposed to be small. I don't know why, just that I should probably fix it at some point."

He's at least gotten 'clean up the messes you make if they involve other people's stuff', even if he's still working on 'clean up the messes you make in general.'

"Ohhh... ...I guess there were a lot of small trees before..."

Her daemon pouts, but flaps off and down to stand at Reira's side. "Very well. Practice time, not play time."

It's good to fix the messes you make! They just, well. Have to figure out how apparently. "What did you do to make it big?" Reira asks, looking over the tree.

Strange has an idea of how to fix it. He's just worried about how well he'll fix it.

"It was a simple growth spell that got out of hand. I believe I can talk the plant down to a more reasonable size...though I'm a little worried the reduction spell might also get out of hand." A tiny plant is probably better than a real fuckin' huge plant, but as Strange isn't certain of how bonsai works, he's not sure how much trouble he'll get into.

Got out of hand.... Reira trades a look with her daemon- and then looks back at Strange.

"What if you tried to only make it a little smaller. Or...half the 'small' you need?"

Or in proper english, what if he just went into the spell with half the force he normally would.

Strange vaguely gets what Reira is trying to imply. Still, he's not certain of the results...hell, might as well give it a try.

"Back up," Strange orders Reira, as he does the same. "I don't think anything bad will happen but you never know."

He didn't think he would almost set his trailer on fire but here we are.

"Mmn-!" Not only does she get away, she puts up a big moon shield to be safe. Her daemon even goes back to being a squirrel so they can fit behind it.

She seems to have strengthened it, at least. "Ready!"

Strange closes his eyes as he mutters a spell. Turns out that a lack of control can work both ways. The tree rapidly starts shrinking, to the point where it's a mini bonsai, barely the size of a twig.

Hmm. Whoops. Strange frowns a little as he looks at the tree. "Well, I suppose it can only grow bigger."

The shield is shuffled aside. "Ah..."

"...Stronger magic..!" the daemon gasps- an interesting sound given how deep a voice it has despite presently being a squirrel.

Reira for her part seems to agree. "Ahh..if that was only half magic...being in the mirror must have made you really strong, then..!!"

"...Quarter magic, to make it Larger..."

The problem is that Strange doesn't really think of his magic in those sort of terms. Quarter magic? How the hell is he supposed to visualise that?

He gives Reira a little frown before shaking his head. "I think this tree has suffered enough. At least now it's closer to the proper size and less likely to trip someone."

Reira stares at the tree. She's no Steven, but she didn't think it was in pain...

Plant feelings are weird and don't really make a lick of sense though. So she nods. "Umn. I guess so. But if the magic isn't coming out right still, what will you practice on now?"

Because seriously, anything could happen at this point. And that's a bit frightening.

...She decides to ignore that her 'squirrel' has now returned to the table to try and sit on the tree somehow.

"I'll find something," Strange explains with a small shrug. This place is huge. There must be some sort of open area where people wouldn't mind if he radically changed the topography a bit.

"And until then, I'll simply avoid spells with dangerous components."

Something...yes. Well.

Reira nods, and sighs. "Umn...good luck then, Strange-oji..."

"We shall practice the Wind, then..."

Even Reira realizes that sounds weird, so she nods. "Um! Yeah! We're getting better at that- if I focus, and close my eyes, I can feel what all the air is doing around me I think. Like if it's wet, or really dry..." Anyway that's not what you're doing so she's pretty sure it doesn't matter. "...I hope you find something to practice with soon though. ...It'll probably be better to practice before we leave here..."

"I'm certain I'll find something," Strange muses. After all, there's plenty of things here that he can work with. What it is...Strange isn't sure.

"If you ever want any help with your wind then just say the word." He's not exactly sure how he can help, but it's Reira and Strange is arrogant as hell. He'll find a way.

He'll find it. Probably the same way he'll find a way to help.

Which, on that note, she's not about to turn down- with a nod Reira decides to take him up on that immediately. "Um-! If you have new advice, we can try that at least."

If he doesn't then hey, nothing lost and nothing wasted.

He's certain he has some new advice. However, it's been a while since he and Reira talked about her odd quest to become wind. Might as well catch up first.

"You've done a good job feeling and getting in touch with the wind. What about controlling it? After all, if you make yourself wind, then you'll have to find a way to get around."

⇨ SHABONDAMASHII

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honorifics for a guy who doesnt understand honorifics time eyy

what a weird nickname the kid has given me, best not think about it

'just ignore it'

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