⇨ 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

[whattaprick]

“But I want you here,” Lambert frowns. It’s hard, switching tracks, but if one Childermass is moving and the other isn’t... he reaches out, aiming to clasp his hand.

“How am I supposed to protect you if you leave?” He doesn’t answer the question about his other half. It’s more important to tell Childermass that.

[atouts]

Childermass does pause, letting his hand get caught in a moment of hesitation. He doesn't actually want to leave but he also knows this Lambert will most likely be fine. Still, he does give the witcher's hand a small squeeze before pulling his hand free again and continuing towards the door.

"You can't have everything you want," he admonishes. "Besides, I'm not going to sit in here and be bored to death by the two of you."

And the other Childermass doesn't seem inclined to ask his other self to stay, giving the entire display a look of distaste.

"Let him go," that one says, "He isn't worth your time. Neither of us needs such a distraction."

[whattaprick]

Lambert has a bit of a look of a puppy confused by two treats moving in opposite directions, but as one Childermass pulls away and another gives him a direct order, he nods.

“All right,” he says. He doesn’t have it in him to challenge Childermass. “If you need me, call me. I’ll come, no matter what.”

He’s still looking after Childermass as the door closes.

If it’s the worse half Childermass is setting out to look for, he’ll have his work cut out for him tracking him down. There are several pockets in Shabondamashii for someone who doesn’t want to be found to hide. Perhaps, luckily, most such places tend to be full of shadows. Enough searching and asking around will eventually lead him to Lambert sprawled dead drunk on some floor, a rumpled looking Celandine exhausted by his side.

[atouts]

He'd be quicker about it if the injuries weren't slowing him down. That and a distinct lack of magical prowess. It's still there, he can still tap into his own magic and traverse the shadows, but his 'light' side decided to keep the lion's share of that strength to himself. Frustrating, to be banished back to a lack of skill like this.

Childermass does find him eventually, however, more through asking around than by popping in and out through the darkness. He does arrive that way, but only after his last barkeep pointed him towards a back room. He brow creases with worry the second his eyes land on the sprawled out body but Celandine is still there. He must still be alive.

"Celandine," he calls the polecat's name instead of Lambert's, voice strained from the effort it's taken to even get here.

[whattaprick]

Daemons don’t really need to sleep so much as they power down. Lambert’s body is working it’s way through whatever he’s nearly poisoned himself with, and Celandine is still groggy, so for a moment, she thinks she’s hallucinating when she hears her name.

“John!” her fur prickles and her head shoots up in alarm, tail waving. “What are you doing here?!”

[atouts]

Childermass has to hold himself against the wall for a few breaths, but he's quick enough to push off from there and make his way over to the two. Stiffly, he gets down on one knee, offering a hand to Celandine first. She looks rough. She may not appreciate being handled right now.

"Looking for Lambert," he answers, "How is he? How much has he drunk?"

[whattaprick]

“You should be resting...” the daemon sighs, but while Lambert is unconscious and can’t protest it, she leans into that hand gratefully. The witcher’s expression tenses a moment, then slackens, somehow a fraction more peaceful than before.

“Enough to get like this. It’s awful, but he’s actually worse when he’s sober. He split into two and I don’t know where the other one is.”

[atouts]

"The other one is swooning over my duller side," Childermass can tell Celandine that much, at least. He really doubts that Lambert will stray far. "Who is resting like a good little boy. That counts, doesn't it?"

It does not. This Childermass doesn't really care. Since Celandine doesn't cringe away, he'll pet her gently, fingertips running over fur, and then move on to nudging Lambert. Worse when he's sober, eh? That won't be much use, then, but he isn't about to leave him here.

"I'm going to need help to move him anywhere..."

[whattaprick]

His duller side ... Celandine can’t help but chirp in dismay. “Not you too!”

Unfortunately, a daemon isn’t much help for heavy lifting. If Childermass isn’t offering to simply teleport them away, that means ... “You lost your magic?”

[atouts]

"Not all of it," Childermass tells her, "But... enough of it. I could try moving all three of us but I just don't know. I'm not sure I want to chance it."

Because there'd be no telling where they could end up. Maybe back in Lambert's room, maybe his room, maybe in a fountain on the other side of town. It would just be his luck if it were the last one.

"Did you see any closer inns near here?

[whattaprick]

Celandine’s head bobs, thinking.

“Not an inn,” she says finally, “But there are rooms down the street you can rent by the hour. For sex, you know?” She looks at Lambert gloomily, probably contemplating just how unlikely that is in his near future. Provided he survives this stop at all.

[atouts]

"Wouldn't be the first time I've stowed away in one of those..." Childermass would say that with a laugh if this were at all funnier. It isn't. "Stay here."

With that, he's climbing back to his feet and making his way into the dive bar proper. It won't take too long for him to wheedle one of the more good-natured bouncers to help him haul a drunken friend away. For a bit of a tip, of course, but let's be real. Childermass has nicked a few purses worth of money on the way here, so he isn't worried. So, he returns with help and they get Lambert up and out before anyone has to worry about unconscious vomiting on their floor.

It does take an awful lot of reassurances to get a room for an obviously dead drunk guest, however, and, again, paying quite a bit more. It does come with someone delivering cold water and some food -- something gentle and not like to turn a stomach -- to that same room.

"We have it for five hours," he tells Celandine once they've gotten Lambert settled and their hired help has gone on their way. It's one of the bigger, nicer rooms, definitely not something a normal, unsplit Childermass would ever splurge on. "So he had best wake up and get sober enough to walk by then."

[whattaprick]

“You should rest too,” Celandine says tiredly, curling on the bed beside Lambert.

“He’d hate it if you got hurt, looking after him.”

[atouts]

Childermass almost disagrees, wanting to say he's spent enough time resting, but what else is there to do? He can't go wandering off again. Well, he could, but he won't. Besides, he's the side who doesn't mind a bit of laziness.

"Might as well," he ends up agreeing with Celandine and settling down on the bed on her other side, kicking off his shoes before laying out on his side. "Though if anyone needs rest, it's you. You look like you're losing your fur over this."

[whattaprick]

“I’m worried about him. He doesn’t listen to me like this,” Celandine says dolefully. “But other than that, I’m fine. Whatever’s happening doesn’t affect me ... so I hope it can be fixed.”

She looks at Lambert, who has his non-sigil branded hand wrapped in a bandage already, and sighs

“Before he hurts anyone else. Including himself.” She pauses, then, looking him over. “You don’t seem like you’re doing too bad.”

[atouts]

"My better half deemed most emotions to be useless to him," Childermass says as a way of explanation. Along with a lot of other things but what's important here is he's much more of a whole human being than his other self is right now. At least, that's what he thinks.

But his attention strays to the bandaged hand same as Celandine's had just seconds before as he says that.

"Who did he punch?"

[whattaprick]

"Strange," Celandine answers, lowering her head to rest it on the sheets. "Or part of him, anyway. He ended up becoming two people too. One of them kissed him."

And thus, the hand, though it doesn't quite explain everything about the injury.

[atouts]

That's... no, that doesn't really explain the injury but that isn't Childermass's immediate focus at first. His expression darkens and he frowns at Celandine.

"Kissed him? Why?" If he was the more cruelly logical half, he would immediately guess 'disenchantment spell' but he isn't. So he doesn't. He just ends up looking really annoyed. "If him swooning over Ignatius wasn't enough, now he's trying for Lambert as well? That's ridiculous."

[whattaprick]

The reaction's entirely un-Childermasslike, and if there needed to be any more concrete proof that this isn't the whole Childermass they're dealing with here, that's plenty. Celandine's ears pin back a little, but she can't wilt anymore than she already has.

"He thought he could break what happened to Lambert," she explains, and -- because really, who else is she going to be able to gossip about this to, even if it's only half of Childermass -- adds, "Though I don't think he would have punched him if he hadn't said ... all those things, first."

[atouts]

"Idiot," Childermass mutters under his breath, not that doing so does anything to hide what he said at such close range. Louder, though after a second or two of hesitance at seeing how this is only doing more to wear the poor daemon out, he does have to ask, "What things?"

[whattaprick]

Worn out is certainly one way to describe Celandine's state right now.

"That you'd abandon Lambert once he gets in the way of what you want," the polecat answers, too exhausted to mince words. She shuts her eyes, curling in on herself. "Lambert doesn't believe that, but ... this one does."

All the fears and anxieties without any of the strength to balance it out. She's worried about him, that much is obvious, but...

"And the other Strange just left!" she grumbles. "He could have at least helped..." But no, apparently too sensible to get involved in any of thise.

[atouts]

"Then I'll just have to tell him otherwise once he's awake," Childermass grumbles, settling down on his side of the bed as Celandine curls up. "Although now there's two Stranges wandering around out there. I suppose I ought to worry."

But he won't. One kissed his man and the other was, apparently, very useless, so why should he care? That's what the other one can do, not him.

[whattaprick]

Celandine's fur settles a little, the part of her less actively angry at Strange for distressing any part of Lambert winning out. Childermass obviously is worried enough for Lambert, if nothing else, so that mollifies some of her unhappiness a little.

"We can deal with it later," she says firmly, then sighs quietly, "Get some rest ... I can wake you when he wakes up."

Which she does, in a couple of hours, small paws gently shaking him awake by pressing into his shoulder and calling his name softly. That's all the warning he gets before Lambert jerks violently, only to curl in on himself just as quickly with a low curse, shifting on the bed.

"What..." he starts, and then his gaze lands on the person beside him. He goes sickly pale and freezes, hand curling against the bedspread beside him as he swallows.

[atouts]

At the prodding from Celandine, Childermass cracks an eye open to observe. Lambert... looks terrible. Considering the state he found him in, that isn't a surprise, so he just drones out, "If you're going to vomit, do it floorwards, not mewards, Lambert."

[whattaprick]

Lambert just looks at Childermass blankly, like he's having trouble processing that. Finally, he stammers out:

"You shouldn't be here."

Wherever 'here' is. He obviously didn't get here under his power, but he has no intention of staying, either. The longer he stays with Childermass, the greater the chances are of rejection, and why the hell would he subject himself to that?

He forces himself off the bed and to his feet despite Celandine's soft noise of protest. He gets all of five steps before he is, in fact, doubling over and quietly voids the contents of his stomach, one hand clutching the edge of the room's only desk. Thankfully, he has just enough presence of mind to aim for the wastebasket beside it.