⇨ 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]

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."