⇨ 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

[kingsroads]

Fun fact: Strange doesn't know that he's gained a thin, mirrored covering over his inner organs, including the bones of his nose. Another fun fact: he's about to find out. There's the sickening crunch of Lambert's fist knocking Strange's nose askew, but there's also a slight, muffled noise like shattered glass.

The problem with being composed pretty much of reckless, neediness, yearning for validation, and callousness is that reckless Strange literally has no idea how to react when Lambert punches him. He blinks, looking damn confused, like a deer in headlights.

Sensible Strange looks embarrassed. He puts his hand on his head, rubbing his nose in irritation, before he looks over at Celandine. "That's it. The sooner I figure out what's wrong, the sooner both of these idiots can be back to normal. I'm terribly sorry, Celandine, and hope I'll figure something out soon."

And so, sensible Strange storms out of the bar, leaving reckless Strange looking over at Lambert, a little confused. That confused expression only gets more intense when he pushes down one of his nostrils, blows like he's trying to expel something stuck in his nose, and a few mirrored slivers (as well as a ton of blood) fall down into his hand.

[whattaprick]

"What? You're leaving me with both of them?" Celandine can't help but squeak in dismay, ears and tail shooting up as she looks at sensible Strange storming out. The least sensible Strange could do is take his worse half with him! She doesn't want to be babysitting two dysfunctional halves, especially when she's completely sure she doesn't want to touch one of them!

Lambert, in the meantime, has pushed himself to his feet, cradling his injured hand with the other and hissing as his fingers brush hard material embedded in his hand. What the hell...? He looks up just in time to see dysfunctional Strange blow snot and glass into his hand and hisses, jerking back.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!" That goes on the physical and metaphorical level as well. The bartender, on the other hand, doesn't seem too pleased to have patrons that are willing to punch others on his premises, and is raising a hand to beckon the bouncers over.

[kingsroads]

Strange still has no idea what's going on and is having a damn hard time trying to wrap his head around the fact that he sneezed mirror. Thankfully, Lambert yelling at him is providing a good distraction. He doesn't have to think about things he doesn't know what to deal with. He can just think about this situation instead. He wipes his bloody hand off on his trousers as Strange takes a few steps closer to Lambert.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Strange responds, eerily mirroring Lambert's anger and tone of voice back at him. "I was trying to fix this, you asshole! Or do you want to remain a pathetic drunk?"

[whattaprick]

Lambert can only laugh at that, loud and hysterical.

"You want something to fix? Try fixing yourself first!"

"Lambert," Celandine says warningly, her eyes on the advancing bouncers. She thinks Shabon doesn't have a jail, but she'd rather not find out the hard way. Lambert shakes his hand out, feeling the sting in his knuckles and only getting angrier.

"Stay the fuck away from me," he snarls. "I don't want to see you again."

[kingsroads]

What? No, no, this is exactly the opposite of what he wanted! Strange goes from confused to downright angry as Lambert tells him to go away. If Strange has his way, that's not going to happen at all. His hair flares up, burning brighter as he looks at Lambert with a scowl.

"I'm not letting you leave me!" Once again, he reaches out towards Lambert and attempts to grab his wrist. But if Strange succeeds this time, a set of claws are digging themselves right into Lambert's skin.

[whattaprick]

Seriously?! What about the past five minutes makes Strange think Lambert -- any version of Lambert -- would want to voluntarily remain with him? Lambert doesn't wait to let Strange touch him again. This time, he manages the coordination to fling out a spell, gathering as much force of will behind it as he can.

"I said, leave me alone!"

It's a familiar spell, to be sure, and one he's used on Strange before, but it's probably the most desperate he's ever sounded using it. Whether the magician has mind enough for it to take effect or not, the witcher doesn't get a chance to see; firm hands clamp around his upper arms and begin to bodily lift him away and usher him to the door despite his yelp of protest as the grip finds his hidden injuries.

[kingsroads]

Fortunately for Lambert, Axii takes. There's barely half a second where Strange looks confused and betrayed as the spell hits before he turns around and walks away from Lambert. As Strange walks to the other side of the bar, he doesn't even see the bouncer grab Lambert's arms and force him out.

At least the next time they meet, it'll be when Strange is himself again.

light spa shenanigans y/n/m?

[whattaprick]

Until then, however, there will be two sets of Stranges and Lamberts wandering around.

Another Lambert is looking far more content with the state of his life, even if his face has lost a little bit of its usual animation. It’s contentment, plain and simple, a rare expression on the witcher — considering he has little cause to experience it. Even more unusually, he’s spending an inordinate amount of time perusing one of the chalkboard menus advertising spa services.

It’s by chance that he looks up at the right time, or he might have missed it completely. When he catches sight of Strange storming up the street, he can’t help a quick flash of a grin, raising a hand to wave the magician down.

“Just the man I wanted to see,” he calls. “What’s got you in such a hurry?”

yyyy!

[kingsroads]

Strange's recklessness may entirely be in a different half, but both sides share his bullheaded stubbornness. He's storming past Lambert, intent on just getting away from his dipshit other half so he can study this magic more, when the voice and a raised hand tells him that ah. This must be the other half of Lambert.

He stops his trek back to the bathhouse to walk over to Lambert. He gives this half a little nod, even though Strange is frowning slightly.

"My other half is acting up. I'm trying to find somewhere quiet so I can study the magic behind this split."

Though hmm. Lambert is right here. And he is also split. Maybe he can just hang out with Lambert and analyze him via third eye for a bit.

[whattaprick]

This Lambert is blissfully oblivious that he’s being sized up like a pig at a fair, though he does wrinkle his nose in surprise. It seems odd to think of Strange ever wanting to split himself. Much as he cares about the guy, it’s an affection tempered by the knowledge that he’s distinctly full of it, and Lambert can’t imagine him hating any part of himself like he does.

He dismisses the thought easily and focuses on Strange instead.

“Can I help with anything?” Its earnest, inquisitive. He normally wouldn’t ask, magic not being his field of expertise, but maybe Strange just needs someone to bounce ideas off of to find the answers he already knew himself.

[kingsroads]

Lambert asking if he can help is damn confusing. Still, he's not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. If Lambert wants to try and help, Strange will gladly take advantage of that.

"Actually, you can help. Stand still, please." And Strange is just assuming Lambert's going to do so, because he's a bossy asshole! He takes a few steps back before activating his third eye: the burn scars on Strange's forehead, hand, and forearm light up with flames. While he does so, he scrutinizes Lambert, sizing him up in a way that's far too critical.

"Hmm. How odd. Obviously I'm touched by the magic of the Silver Mirror, but there's a large amount of it lingering around you as well." He'll need to run tests. Ooh, he'll need to come up with tests and then run tests. Just the thought of so much magical nerdery is enough to make him smile a little.

[whattaprick]

Figures he'd pick up on that, wouldn't he? Where the other Lambert's aura was wrapped in darkness, this Lambert's apparently stolen all the light with him, brilliant in Strange's vision (and of course he's standing still, because he was asked to).

Though he isn't sure why Strange is suddenly smiling, Lambert can't help but smile back.

"So it's the Mirror, after all..." He's quick to provide clarification, though, lest Strange think he's some kind of magical theorist now: "Childermass guessed, but he couldn't provide an explanation. It's not as if it was used on me, at least not that I remember."

[kingsroads]

Piecing the magic of the Mirror out is easy now that Strange knows what to look for. After all, he was stuck in the damn thing for a few days. Strange blinks, turning off his third eye, before he looks over to Lambert. He can't help it: he looks really smug. Partly because he's a super cool magician who figured this out on his own, partly because he thinks he can one-up Childermass for an explanation.

"Remember, the Mirror was shattered. Perhaps the act of shattering the Mirror caused the magic to spread." This is all Strange spewing out hypothetical things: he'll solve the mystery of the plot with a little more prodding and a little more talking it out. "Alternatively, when all the pieces were scattered to the wind, you could have looked in it or been touched by the magic without even realizing it."

[whattaprick]

“If that’s the case, better hope the same thing isn’t happening to the animals from Eden,” Lambert muses. “Sounds like something out of a fairy tale, doesn’t it?” If he sounds a little wry, well, because, well, that’s exactly what they’re in, from a very certain perspective. A story that people might only use to warn their children about staying out at night or the dangers of messing with faerie artifacts.

“Do you think it’s going to last? They were using it to dissect souls. That doesn’t sound too reversible to me.”

[kingsroads]

"We are in a fairy tale," Strange reminds Lambert. Magic, the fae, people changing and saving others with their own imagination? It's fairy tale as hell.

Thankfully, both halves of Strange have confidence for days. At Lambert's question, he can't help but look far too smug.

"The animals in Eden barely knew how to use the Mirror to begin with. If this doesn't go away on its own, give me time with the Mirror and I'll figure it out myself."

[whattaprick]

“Assuming it’s in ang state to be used,” Lambert muses. It was pretty damn broken the last time he saw it. The answer seems to make him a bit disappointed, but he’s quick to shake it off, smiling at Strange.

“But you’re right. It’s probably just a matter of time until you figure it out.”

[kingsroads]

Lambert complimenting him makes Strange smile even more. That's right. He will figure it out himself: no matter what. Unfortunately, what he'll eventually figure out is that his magic is damn useless for convincing people to love themselves and accept their flaws but hey, baby steps.

"I should probably get back to examining the magic and studying others some more." He should do that. But he doesn't exactly want to. After all, it should be easy to figure this thing out. Why not enjoy this moment, when he doesn't have to worry about that other Strange messing things up thanks to his impulsive nature or his obnoxious neediness? It's only sensible to seize the moment.

"That is, unless you have something you'd like us to do instead?"

[whattaprick]

“Well, I don’t want to distract you from your work,” Lambert laughs, “And I’d like to help, but I think you’ve got it covered unless you need someone to stick a sword through something. Now that you mention it, though...”

He pauses to wave a hand behind him, at the storefront they’ve been standing in front of, where bright neon lights are shaped like... a giant snail!

“... I heard this place uses giant snails and gold leaf for their healing treatments.” Does it sound bogus? It super does to Lambert, but who cares, gold is involved! And besides that... he drops his voice conspiratorially. “And they do a couples discount.”

This Lambert has absolutely no shame exploiting Strange for his body, yep.

[kingsroads]

"I'll always appreciate someone to bounce theories off of," Strange admits, with a little shrug. Especially since the first person he'd seek out to bounce theories off of, Rita, is super split herself. Lambert would do in a pinch.

He's distracted a little as Lambert gestures to the giant snail building. Honestly, Strange is a little skeptical of the healing properties of snails, but this does look interesting and he's certainly done weirder spa treatments since he was here. As Lambert mentions 'couples discount,' Strange can't help but smirk a little. He knows full well that this is Lambert trying to fake boyfriend his way into some perks. And honestly, if Strange can get some of those perks as well, all the better.

"I hope Childermass won't mind if I borrow you for a few hours, dearest." Said in a conspiratorial tone of voice that tells Lambert that yep, Strange is definitely up for fake dating just to get a discount on snail spa treatments. "You're the one who knows a bit about this place, you lead the way. I'm up for whatever you choose."

[whattaprick]

It’s absolutely Lambert fake boyfriending his way into perks, though at the joke, his smirk can’t help but falter a little before he recovers.

“Trust me,” he says, a little wry. “He won’t even notice I’m gone.”

With that cryptic little statement, he’s turning to push his way into the spa without further ado. The bored-looking receptionist is a girl who’d be rather ordinary if her hair didn’t appear to be made exclusively of octopus tentacles. As the entrance spell beeps to alert the spa staff of new customers, she looks up with the hurried guilt of teenagers caught being irresponsible everywhere, smoothing it over with a brightness as glossy as her lipstick.

“Welcome to Shabondamashell, home to the award-winning Golden Shell treatment and the only certified giant snail masseuses in the city!” she trills. “How may I help you today?”

[kingsroads]

In comparison to reckless Strange, who would just be hanging all over Lambert at the opportunity to fake date, sensible Strange just stands near Lambert's side as they enter. He gives the receptionist a nod as he starts to talk.

"Is the Golden Shell treatment the one with gold leaf?" She nods. "Then both of us would like a round of that and some time with the snail masseuses—couples package, of course."

The receptionist types something into a slightly sci-fi computer: gold with rounded edges. "Do you want the deluxe treatment or just the basic package? The deluxe treatment comes with a quick session in a kiln sauna to open up your pores as well as some of our famous snail-based truffles to eat after the treatments."

Strange looks up at Lambert: your choice here, buddy!

[whattaprick]

"We'll take the deluxe." Lambert doesn't miss a beat. Sure, it might kind of sound like they're signing up to be baked like pottery, and he's got no concept of what a truffle is in this case (it's a mushroom, but ... a snail?) but they'll probably never get a chance for this

"Excellent!" The girl beams at them both, and claps her hands. A side-door slides open, and two spa attendants -- with a similar sort of close-to-human yet undeniably mollusk-like quality to their features -- step out to offer Lambert and Strange bath towels and robes before ushering them to a shared changing room.

Once there, unsurprisingly, Lambert has little hesitation stripping down. Between magical treatments and what Shabon has to offer, the worst of his injuries are the gashes on his chest and belly, stitched up and still visibly healing. The injuries on his arms and the various scrapes he took in his tumble from the sky are more or less sealed, though they look a bit like he came away for the worst in a battle with a barrel filled with knives.

"It's been a while since the last time we did something like this, isn't it?" Lambert muses, rolling the kinks out of his shoulders idly. It's odd to think about, how long ago that was.

[kingsroads]

Strange doesn't strip down as quickly as Lambert does, but he starts stripping down as well. While he's still a little uncomfortable with the whole 'communal getting naked' thing, sensible Strange has accepted that if he wants to feel great and wants the spa day to continue, he's gotta get naked.

In comparison to Lambert, Strange looks like he barely got hurt at all. There's no visible injuries and he doesn't have any mirror scars more recent than his run-in with Zangetsu's sword. Strange is still a little self-conscious about that one and is facing away from Lambert as he puts on his robe.

"It was...the Summerlands, if I'm not mistaken." Strange can't help but laugh a little. "If I told that Jonathan Strange everything that would happen in the months after that, he wouldn't believe me."

[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."

[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.