⇨ 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

[apaintingdarkly]

"I'm not worried about ducking the contract. I told you, nobody can keep hold of me for long." Sure, he didn't have much to do with his escape from Eden, but the point remains, okay?

He waves a server over.

"I'll buy you a drink. Nothing like kicking back on someone else's dime."

[lmpatientdefense]

Beau's not convinced, and she's not granting the point, but she stays her tongue. Now's not the time to argue it.

After she gets that drink, and drinks it, is.

"Eh. You said you would, and one drink's pretty painless." She moves to sit down with a shrug. "Here's to stupid luck coming back around, huh?"

[apaintingdarkly]

Dark savors his drink while Beau receives hers. He's still not interested in flirting, but Beau isn't awful as drinking companions go.

Her comment makes him grin. Luck is always on your side when you've got magic.

"I'll drink to that." He raises his glass in a mock toast before downing several more gulps.

[impatientdefense]

If magic makes luck... It makes a girl without magic feel a little insecure, a little lost and out of her depth, out in this big world.

...Not that much. But she takes a good slug for the toast, and considers life for a few minutes.

"You know... Why do they call it a carnival, if they don't do shows?" she wonders, and pauses for another small sip. "Like, did any of them tell you when they last performed?"

[apaintingdarkly]

"Dunno," he answers with a shrug. It's a strange group they've found themselves working for, though Dark prefers to think of it as humoring them. He'll keep doing what he wants, and eventually he'll get what he wants out of them. That's the idea, anyway.

He's content keeping quiet, watching the crowds during each lull in conversation. He keeps an eye out for any especially interesting looking women or theft targets.

"I prefer to perform off stage, though, so it works just fine for me."

[impatientdefense]

"There's options for that," Beau points out, thinking back to Trostenwald. "Set-up, selling tickets, whatever."

Those sorts of jobs seem like they'd get even more monotonous than fighting off 'fae' and whatever else they'll be finding, now. Not as bad as reading history texts, but pretty boring.

"But I mean," she hurries to explain, "why are they still calling it that. Is it ironic...?"

There's something about this carnival group that they're not telling the newcomers, and the best way to get a second opinion is asking the other new hires.

[apaintingdarkly]

He blanches.

"Not what I meant." He meant pulling off ridiculous thefts and having his face and name plastered across the news. He loves the spotlight, he just doesn't like the stage.

He lets it slide though, and waves a hand dismissively at her question.

"Who knows why carnies do anything? Or fairies, while we're at it." He's still a little pissed that there was such a thing as fairies and he never knew about it.

[lmpatientdefense]

"Mmm," Beau hums, dissatisfied but dropping the topic.

She's getting the sense Dark's not the one to air these questions to. He hadn't been very curious about making an escape route before, for that matter. Her question of what's with this carnival, or the bigger questions of what's with the fae... Those will have to wait.

Well, it's still good to have a drinking buddy. She finishes off her current cup, and waves for refills, then leans back and considers him.

"So what did you mean? Performing off stage? You don't like, what, having other people around when you do your thing?"

[apaintingdarkly]

He has his own very specific interests, one of which is getting what he needs from the fae. Questions like 'how' and 'why' just aren't important.

"I told you I'm an art thief," he explains patiently. "I'm good at what I do. The best. Slipping in and out unseen is too easy, it's boring. So I play with a handicap. I let everybody know exactly what I'm going to steal, and when." He shrugs.

"Every now and then I get an actual challenge."

[lmpatientdefense]

That brings her up, and she gives him a more appraising look.

"No shit? You tell them, so there's like," Beau gestures a square like a patrol around a building, "security, and watchmen, and dogs and all, and you still pull it off?"

She'll believe it when she sees it, and tries to school her face not to seem impressed by it... but if that's even half true, she's impressed.

[apaintingdarkly]

“They don’t call me Phantom Thief for nothing.” Though strictly speaking the term means he nevers uses violence. It also sounds badass.

“Fact is, most cops are a waste of time. It’s barely worth the effort unless they bring in an expert.” Expression aside he leans back with a cocky grin as though she is impressed, because she should be.

(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.