⇨ 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

[hippocarnival]

Yuya comes up a few seconds after, stumbling to a stop and taking heavy, winded breaths. It takes him a minute to steady himself, hand in his knee while his other grips the kite, before he looks up at Rita. Good thing he didn't make any bets.

He straightens up, watching Rita watch the water briefly before he breathes out. "You ready to learn how to fly a kite?"

He's assuming she doesn't know how to do it, anyway.

[anti_nonsense]

It takes a moment for Rita to tear her gaze away from the water. Just now, she had this nostalgic feeling...

Well, whatever. She turns around and faces Yuya with a small grin. "Can't be that hard. But if you've done it before, then... go ahead. Show me how it's done."

[hippocarnival]

Yuya nods, confirming. "It's really easy. First you..." he trails off, getting and idea which way the wind is blowing before he comes up to Rita's side and points at her kite.

"First, you hold the string in one hand and the kite in the other. You can uncurl it a little, that way some of it's loose."

[anti_nonsense]

Watching Yuya, Rita nods and follows his instructions without issue. This sort of reminds her of when he gave her archery pointers, back at the Manor. Maybe she should give him a little more credit; he seems to know about a lot of things, even if they aren't things Rita normally considers important.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya smiles as he points to the distance. "Now you're going to run against the wind. When you feel it start to catch your kite, you let go and unwind the string all the way so it can go up in the air."

If she needs a visual example, Yuya can get his kite up first. But he's expecting she won't need it.

[anti_nonsense]

Another nod. "Okay... here goes."

She runs, holding out the kite until it starts to pull away from her grasp, at which point she lets go and gives it some slack.

It buckles and sways in the air, but manages to stay adrift in the uneven winds. "It's working!" she cries, as if there may have actually been some doubt that she'd succeed on the first try.

[hippocarnival]

"You got it!" Yuya shoots her a thumbs up, watching the kite find some stability in the air. Then he adjusts his hold on his own kite, running her way as he releases it to fly in the air as well, a little lower than hers.

He stops a foot away from her, holding the string firmly. "It's pretty windy, so it shouldn't be a problem keeping them in the air now."

[anti_nonsense]

Rita unravels the string until her kite's flying as high as it can. She stares up in wonder as Yuya's joins it, and continues watching in silence for some time.

"You really are the sort of person who'll try anything, aren't you?" she comments, perhaps abruptly.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya laughs at that. "Most anything! Actually... when I was little, my dad would take me to fly kites on New Year's. Since we live by the coast, it was always windy enough."

He smiles up at his kite wistfully. Those memories are feeling further and further away.

[anti_nonsense]

"Your dad? Must've been nice," Rita murmurs, her gaze distant. She can picture Yuya being the kind of kid who did stuff like that.

Some more time passes before she speaks again. "Hey... can I talk to you about something?"

[hippocarnival]

It takes Yuya a moment to pick up on her murmur, and then he flusters, waving his hand. He knows Rita didn't get to know hers, so he suddenly feels like he stepped on a sensitive topic.

But his attempt at an apology gets cut short at her question. "It--yeah, I mean... what did you want to talk about?"

[anti_nonsense]

"It's... about me, I guess," she says, uncertain. "Might be best if we can sit down for it."

Fortunately, this shore has lots of rocks that look like good places to sit and chat. Rita reels in her kite, wedges it between some rocks to ensure it won't blow away in the wind, and sits on one of the larger, dry rocks. She waits for Yuya to get ready to listen, then begins.

"So... something happened earlier. I don't know how to explain it, but... there's two of me now."

[hippocarnival]

That gives the impression it's serious, so Yuya follows her lead in pulling in his kite and sitting down next to her. And it is serious, but... also not totally surprising.

"That's happening to a few people," he admits. "Do you know where the other Rita is...?"

He's realizing, maybe they could be keeping track of all these doubles until this is fixed.

[anti_nonsense]

"Wait... really?" Rita's eyes widen. He doesn't even seem surprised... It's a relief, partly, but it also throws her off.

It takes a moment before she thinks to answer his question. "She's probably at the carnival. I think she has a radio with her, too."

[hippocarnival]

Probably... hppefully. Yuya gives Rita a reassuring look to mask his own apprehension.

"I don't know exactly what's happening, but... you definitely won't stay split like this. We'll find a way to get you back together."

Otherwise, things are about to get a lot more confusing and difficult in the carnival.

[anti_nonsense]

That gives Rita pause.

It sounds like he's trying to reassure her, but she doesn't look all that comforted. On the contrary, she knits her brow and looks away. "Is that really a good idea, though? I mean... What if it's better this way?"

[hippocarnival]

Yuya blinks slowly, leaning back when she looks away.

"It's not." He sounds so certain when he says it. "We don't even know what's happening, or if it's hurting you. But even if it's not, you're fine the way you are. And you're better whole."

And not... whatever this is. Probably fractional, if his own experience is something to go by.

[anti_nonsense]

Rita shakes her head. "You don't know that. The other Rita... she couldn't be happier to be rid of me." She doesn't blame her counterpart, either. She's just been holding her back, hasn't she?

"And I... if it wasn't for this, I probably wouldn't have been able to spend this time with you, so... maybe I'm better off, too."

[hippocarnival]

"Eh? I don't know about that." He scratches his cheek. "I probably would have bothered you to hang out with me anyway."

Much like other times. Yuya doesn't mind being the one to initiate things, though, but he hopes Rita hasn't forgotten his persistence.

He shrugs a shoulder. "Besides, what's it supposed to fix? You're fine the way you are."

[anti_nonsense]

A tinge of redness creeps into Rita's complexion. "I don't..." She doesn't seem to know how to finish that thought, and she swallows, trying to think of what to say. If it was anyone else, she might find the sentiment hollow, but with Yuya... he probably means what he's saying. But...

"Even if you think so, I apparently thought otherwise," she points out with some reluctance. "I'm not saying we shouldn't investigate what happened..." Because if Yuya's right about one thing, it's that they don't know for sure if there aren't any other effects to worry about. "But if staying like this means one of me gets to go on and live her ideal life, then why ruin that?"

[hippocarnival]

"How's this ideal?" Yuya's expression sinks a little. "I think I can say better than most people that being in separate pieces isn't a perfect solution."

And he considers his situation to actually be a problem that needed a solution. Why would Rita benefit from having some sort of weird separation in herself. "It comes with a lot of problems too, like getting blamed for stuff the other person with your face does."

And having the evil violent piece pushing all of you to merge into a single powerful monster to destroy the world... but that's probably just a him problem. "Maybe... maybe you got separated based on the parts you'd want to keep? But you're still missing stuff that makes you Rita. Both of you."

[anti_nonsense]

"I know I'm missing stuff," Rita mutters, staring down at her feet. She could probably name a number of those things she's missing, that the other Rita certainly took with her.

"But I doubt she feels like she's missing anything at all."

[hippocarnival]

"Have you talked to her about it? I can't imagine any piece of Rita that isn't smart enough to realize something's gone... and that this isn't better at all." He offers her a smile. Rita's a logical person, and there's a dozen logistical issues with being suddenly cut into two people like this.

[anti_nonsense]

"We didn't really get that far," she says, not sounding terribly optimistic. "She just wanted me out of the way so she could focus on work. I didn't push it." Largely because her pushier side resides in the other Rita right now.

She's not convinced that reuniting is such a smart idea, but she won't bother arguing. Yuya seems pretty convinced of his stance.

"You could try talking to her, if you want. But I wouldn't get my hopes up." Rita knows full well how stubborn she can be, especially when she thinks she's right about something.

[hippocarnival]

"I will. Later." He's optimistic Rita can be reasonable about this, but he can tell this side of Rita doesn't seem to have her usual confidence. She'd believe it more if the other one does, probably.

"But right now we're enjoying our vacation, right? If the other you is stuck in her work, you'll just have to have all the fun until you're back together."