⇨ 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

[periphrasing]

Throughout most of Bryndah's explanation and Strange's response to the question, Peridot's main contribution to the discussion has just been to interject occasionally with a few baffled sounding 'eh?'-

And then it comes time for her to provide her own answers, and she just stares blankly at the woman for a second.

"I don't have any muscles. Also, my clothes are fused to my body," she supplies, as if this is a perfectly reasonable and normal thing to say to a masseuse.

[kingsroads]

"You can make muscles," Strange reminds Peridot, as if this is a perfectly reasonable and normal conversation to have to begin with. "Just let them try and massage your gem parts and if that doesn't work, turn into a bat."

Strange doesn't put himself fully face-down on the massage chair yet, but he is turned around, ready to get that massage, and pretty much being the picture perfect massage patient at the moment.

[periphrasing]

"My gem parts?" Peridot repeats skeptically, muttering under her breath. Does he mean her gem? That sounds kind of weirdly intimate!

She's not here to be a stick in the mud though, so after a second of contemplating what Strange could possibly mean by that, she shrugs and hops up on the massage table.

That's when Bryndah's assistant-- A strange little cat man with a name tag that reveals his name to simply be 'Patches'-- Comes out from behind the curtain wheeling a heavy looking covered dolly, like the sort of thing that looks like it's meant to contain a ton of linens or something.

[kingsroads]

He means her tail and her big ol'meaty feet! How's Strange supposed to know if those are gem parts or fleshy parts, magic's stupid and he's never touched them!

The problem with already laying down on the table is that Strange has no idea that Patches is coming and what sort of bizarre massage snakey treatment he might inflict on these two. Instead, Strange just straight up lies down and puts his face in that weird little face pillow area that massage tables have.

"You know what I mean," Strange replies, with a dismissive hand gesture, seemingly unaware that Peridot doesn't know what he means. "Besides, I've got mirror parts. If they can work with those, then they should be able to work with your gem parts."

Fun fact: Strange has no clue if the massage people can work with his mirror parts.

[periphrasing]

Peridot shoots him a look, but he's already laying down so. She gives up and does the same. "Whatever. It's-- what's the human phrase again? No skin off of my nose--? If it doesn't work."

"Regardless of your unique anatomical features, we can guarantee that this massage will be a wholly pleasant and relaxing tactile experience for you both," Patches interjects in a purring voice. "Our snakes are second to none!"

Not that Strange or Peridot can see it, but he is currently fishing a gigantic python out of the basket as he speaks, gesturing for Bryndah to come help.

[kingsroads]

"If it doesn't work, we'll find another treatment for you," Strange happily responds. This is not a problem and they'll figure things out so Peridot can have some fun and get some relaxation in!

Another fun fact: Strange has literally never seen a python before. He's also never seen the Serpent before thanks to that whole mirror nonsense. His snake reference is 'small garden snakes' or 'maybe a viper or two.' So as Patches and Bryndah put the gigantic python on his back, Strange can't help but let out a little surprised yelp.

"That can't be a snake! It feels so big!"

[periphrasing]

"She's a female reticulated python, sir," Bryndah explains, as if that should provide enough context on it's own. "Her name is Petunia. She's particularly gifted with massaging the upper back and shoulders."

"What--?" At this point Peridot lifts her head in surprise, because she had not at all been expecting literal snakes to be involved in this process. Her eyes widen significantly at the sight of the reptile. "Oh my stars. Strange, I think that snake is bigger than I am!"

[kingsroads]

Strange is just laying perfectly still, like a deer in the headlights as Petunia moves along his back. However, he does look a little distraught as Peridot mentions that the snake might be bigger than she is. What the hell! There shouldn't be snakes that big!

The snake massage does feel nice. The snake contracting and relaxing as she moves across his body does help with the muscles some. But Strange is still in a slight panic mode because of the fact that the huge fuck-off snake is on him to begin with.

As such, when Petunia gets riiight up close to Strange's face and moves her tongue near his ear, he decides that nope, not gonna do this. Quickly, Strange poofs his entire body into smoke. Petunia passes through him and lands on the massage bed with a thud.

"Really!" Bryndah says, a little pissed off. As she talks, Patches goes to the snake and starts making kissy noises. "If you wanted the massage to stop, all you had to do was say something."

[periphrasing]

Peridot can't decide how much this snake situation actually freaks her out. Theoretically she has no problem with snakes, being an alien and therefore having no context for the natural fear and revulsion many humans seem to have for them. But on the other hand, she's not really sure she's comfortable with the idea of having a mindless animal that's bigger than she is slither all over her physical form.

She's trying to sort out her feelings on this while she watches Strange grapple with the knowledge of just how big the snake on his back is-- and then he goes and pulls that little smoke trick and upsets the masseuse.

"We were just in a world that had a snake the size of a literal mountain inhabiting it... But you can't handle Petunia?" Peridot jeers at him playfully.

[kingsroads]

When Strange reforms upright and off of the massage bed, he looks damn confused. Strange never actually got to see the Serpent, considering that he wasn't part of the first mission to Eden's outskirts and was an unconscious (and maybe kind of nonexistent?) pile of Mirror shards when the Serpent appeared at the end of the Ringmaster vs. Lilith fight. Thankfully, he picks up on context clues.

"To be fair, I didn't ever see the Serpent. I thought it was closer to normal snake sized."

But he's not going to let Peridot's teasing get the better of him. Very awkwardly, Strange makes his way towards the bed. The masseuse gives him a look that plainly states 'don't try that shit again' before they move Petunia, Strange clambers back on the bed, and Petunia goes right back on his back.

[periphrasing]

"Yeah, I think I'm going to pass on that," Peridot says to Patches, sitting up now and signaling him to stop as he tries to approach holding yet another python. "I don't really want a wild animal that's larger than I am to be crawling all over me."

She replies to Strange after that: "Anyway, newsflash: The Serpent was mountain sized. She was like, a thousand times bigger than these things."

[kingsroads]

Strange is still a little tense and still a little wary about all of this...but he's slowly realizing that if he doesn't look at the snake, it's like the snake isn't there to begin with. Is this a shitty way of dealing with the snake? Probably! Does Strange care? Nope! It is relaxing, and also intensely weird.

But, back to the talking animals.

"That doesn't make sense," Strange grumbles, not really realizing that he's criticizing magical talking animals for not making sense. "The rabbit and the bear were close to rabbit and bear sized, the snake should have been as well."

[periphrasing]

"I know right?! I mean, don't get me wrong: It was still incredibly cool when she showed up at the end of things there and tried to wreck Lilith. But I have no idea why the heck she was that large in the first place. Maybe it was an effect of the curse or something?"

[kingsroads]

The more Strange talks, the more obvious it is that he's getting a bit blissed out from the snake massage. This...feels good? And relaxing. And is working into his muscles in a way that he didn't know muscles could be worked.

"That would make the most sense. After all, the Mirror couldn't do anything like that." Removing the Light or Darkness from one's soul or dispelling illusions won't make someone friggen huge. "Mmm, I wish I got the chance to examine her magic. I might have been able to piece something out."