lostcarnival | ⇨ SHABONDAMASHII

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Just so full of hate, dark Yukio. That's to be expected. But Rin doesn't care -- he's here for Yukio, ALL of Yukio, no matter what.

"I'm not wasting my time, I'm hanging out with you! I know you're in a bad place right now, but I'm going to try and make it better."

He's not going anywhere, Yukio. He won't let this be your end.

-----

Meanwhile, Nosh has something. He has a photo. A photo of Yukio. She carries it in her mouth! She lands and shows the photo around, tilting her head curiously.

Finally, after a good half hour of searching, someone points to the restaurant. She spots him from the window as he finishes up his meal, and taps a claw on the glass.

"I'm always in a bad place," he says, with a crack of broken laughter. "It's never going to get better, nii-san. It's just--"

It's just how he's always been, how he always will be, and it's crushing him. With all the good stripped out of him, there's nothing here but desperate selfishness and weakness, and he grabs at Rin's hand. Please don't go. Please don't leave him. Please don't let him fall apart completely.

----

When Nosh taps on the window, Yukio looks over at her and nods. Just wait a moment and he'll be out.

And when he does come out, he smiles politely at the Pokemon, with a little nod.

"Hello, Nosh. Is everything all right?"

"Well, THIS you is... because the other you took all the 'good' stuff. But that's bullshit, you know? Without the 'bad stuff', you can't appreciate the 'good stuff'."

Rin leans in and nuzzles Yukio with his snout affectionately, twining his tail with his brother's.

---

She waits patiently despite her orders to "get back as soon as possible." She curls up in a dragon-bug loaf outside the shop, tucking her legs under her and wrapping herself in her tail and wings. Some of the passers-by give her an odd look, but she ignores them.

Once Yukio comes outside and greets her, she uncurls and returns his greeting in the form of a trill. Then, she stands completely and turns her side to her, looking at the saddle on her back, then back to Yukio with another encouraging trill.

"You know that's not true." But he tangled his tail and fingers with Rin's and hides his face in his brother's shoulder, tears dampening the fabric.

"You know it would be better for everyone if you had a brother who wasn't scared of everything and didn't want to cry all the time and didn't hate himself."

----

"If you insist," Yukio says, with a fanged smile as he climbs on Noah's back and takes a seat.

"No, I know it IS true! I know it at the bottom of my heart, ok?" More nuzzling, and Rin responds plainly. "Well, I guess if I wanted a robot for a brother... but I don't. I like you as a person, flaws and all."

--

Well, that was easy! Nosh makes sure Yukio has a good hold before taking off, her wings singing like those of an insect. From there, it's a quick trip to where Rin and Dark Yukio are waiting.

"You're always like this," Yukio complains, but he doesn't pull away from Rin. "You care too much."

But he's only saying that because he doesn't care enough, and he knows it. Or maybe he cares too much too, but in a different, sick, twisted way. Rin cares like a decent person, and Yukio just cares selfishly.

----

The light version of Yukio climbs down off of the Pokemon, and goes looking for his brother. It's not hard to figure out where Rin must be, and there's no point in putting it off. He knocks on the doorframe, a firm noise that will give his dark half time to stop doing whatever embarrassing thing he's doing before the better half enters.

The dark version of Yukio, of course, doesn't move.

"mmm... Maybe," he says, resting his chin on Yukio's head now, sitting up a bit. "But that's my problem, not yours."

There's a knock at the door, and Rin gets up to let the light half (and Nosh) in.

"Hey, she found you! Good job, Noshy!" he says, cooing at the pokémon and rubbing her antennae. "You've earned a long nap."

He recalls her to her pokeball, then stands aside for Light Yukio to come in.

"I figure you know why I had her bring you here."

"I know exactly why," the light half says, because he knows far better than Rin what his brother actually needs. Rin, of course, thinks he knows what's best. Rin, of course, is wrong.

"Why don't you tell me why you think I'm here."

Rin goes back to stand next to Dark Yukio to make sure he doesn't, like, faint, or something. He puts a comforting hand on his shoulder as he speaks to the light half.

"I brought you here so you two could... you know, get the band back together. It's not safe for you to be separate, you know?"

Faint, or just start sniffling again. One or the other. Hint, it's the crying.

"Nii-san," the light half says, with a disapproving glance at his copy. "Look at him. I have no intention of ever being like that."

There's a fracture here, a deep one. The kind of break and denial that gets half of Yukio talking about the other half like they're two completely different people.

⇨ SHABONDAMASHII

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

IRONIC CONSIDERING RECENT EVENTS

THANKS

thanks, fish. thish.

thish.

83!

no subject