⇨ 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]

"He would," Strange admits, perfectly content to gossip about Tyki. His wicked grin softens to a more gentle one as a very drunk Strange gets a little sappy. "Mister Mikk is not the sort of man to keep himself tied to one person the way that I am. Likewise, he is not the sort of man to seek out new dangers and thrills the way I am. And that is why we would make a terrible couple but wonderful friends."

Does this logic make sense? Strange isn't certain it makes sense, but it does in his mind. There's a pause before Strange admits, "Though he is a very attractive man. I'd have always ended up with her in the end, but it's a pity I didn't realize how attractive men could be before I courted Arabella."

[atouts]

The effort to not mock Strange about Ignatius all over again is immense but Childermass can and will overcome that particular urge. The fire fae is a source of endless argument and he's trying to enjoy a drink here, so instead, he'll just shake his head.

"Better you hadn't. You would have only found yourself in more trouble along the way, considering you have the subtlety of a rock through a window, Mr. Strange."

And then he'll drink, properly, without magic tricks this time.

[kingsroads]

"Perhaps that would be best," Strange responds, with a little shrug. "At least then, people wouldn't be surprised when I did things like go mad or disparage Norrell's book."

He knows it wouldn't be for the best. Flirting with men back home is a whole different kettle of fish than a petty book review (Strange honestly isn't sure where going mad fits in the scale.) Still, he doesn't mind dreaming or musing about what-ifs.

[atouts]

"I imagine they would expect madness from a magician regardless," Childermass says with his own shrug. "The pettiness, well, you are an English gentleman. Petty letter-writing is in your blood."

As much as he would have preferred they skip the whole 'runs off and goes mad' part, he supposes, in the end, he shouldn't have been that surprised. Magicians are prone to doing more or less whatever they wanted to.

"Although, if you had to end up with a man..." Because he's the part of Childermass with a sense of humor, he feels pretty free to ask this. "Which would you pick?"

[kingsroads]

And because Strange is drunk enough to not really care, he takes Childermass's question seriously. He frowns a little, thinking, before he answers.

"Does the man have to be human?"

[atouts]

"Anyone who isn't Ignatius," Childermass says after taking a good, long drink from his glass. Admittedly, better to drink heavily than roll his eyes at Strange right now. "Because I already know you would be all over him given the chance. Everyone already knows."

See, he wasn't going to keep mocking him about Iggy but then this. Strange did this to himself.

[kingsroads]

Strange opens his mouth to chime in that of course he'd pick Ignatius, only for Childermass to jump in and impose some other condition. Which honestly, now he's being pedantic for the sake of being pedantic.

"Of course I'd be all over Ignatius. He's smart, caring, and actually listens to me." Plus, he's jacked as hell and Strange has eyes. His drink sloshes around in the cup as Strange continues talking, slurring his words as he does so. "Besides, even if I did try, he wouldn't act on it. I think he respects the boundaries of rank too much to attempt to seduce a subordinate."

There's a pause before he sheepishly asks, "What was your question again?"

[atouts]

"That and he doesn't have anything to fuck you with in the first place," Childermass says far too chipperly. He doesn't even need to be drunk to let that bit of information out, since, again, the lion's share of good sense is being incredibly dull back up in the room. "So you'd be a bit out of luck."

But yes, what was the question again? He'll repeat it with the obvious addition.

"Besides Ignatius, if you had to pick a man to be with, who would it be?"

[kingsroads]

"If the Count could do it, I'm sure Ignatius can find a way." It's a dick move (eyyy) to bring up the image of someone's fake fae dad having sex, but look it had to have happened SOMEHOW.

That's all Strange says on the matter before going back to hypothetically sleeping with someone. The problem here is that it's slim pickings for Strange. Sure, he can objectively see that certain people in the carnival are attractive, but that doesn't mean he wants to be with them! And there's plenty of people who he'd be with as a friend, not as a lay.

Add in the fact that the carnival has a bizarre amount of teenagers, and Strange's choices are narrowed down to like two people.

"As for your question...considering that my lesser half tried to kiss Mister Mikk, I suppose I have to pick him. Even if we both know he'll only break my heart," Strange teases.

[atouts]

"The Count is naturally inclined to fucking people over, it actually makes sense that he might literally fuck them, too." Dark Childermass fitting in as many f-bombs as he can get away with. Time to finish off the current glass of wine and pour another because he hates talking about the Count.

"I'm not a lesser half," he adds, a small complaint about what Strange calls his previous other half. It's a short-lived complaint, however, and he forges right on into considering the other magician's choice. "We do know he would break your heart but I imagine you'd have fun while it lasted. It isn't as though the carnival is forever, anyhow."

[kingsroads]

"It isn't," Strange agrees. And he sounds downright relieved that the carnival isn't forever. He's nearing the end of his time here and he's getting a little bit impatient: let's just hurry all of this up so he can go home! He really misses his wife!

Though hmm, he probably should actually tell Childermass about that whole business.

"By the way, I'm not cursed anymore," Strange idly remarks, like they're talking about the weather. "I asked the Ringmaster and she removed it."

[atouts]

Yeah, that brings Childermass up short of taking another drink. He stares at Strange from over the rim of the glass, then slowly lowers it.

"What? Just like that? Just because you asked?"

[kingsroads]

"Just like that," Strange explains, with a little shrug. "She seemed hesitant about it, but she did it in the end."

He takes another drink from his glass. It's obvious from Strange's expression that he's thinking about something.

"I still haven't forgiven her for not telling us about the Winter Queen. But her doing that is...nice."

[atouts]

"If only I had a calendar to mark this down on. The day Jonathan Strange swallowed his pride." Yeah, this may be the more fun side of Childermass buuuut he's still brutally honest. "I suppose neither I or Lambert will have to spend another year to save you after all. That's good to know."

[kingsroads]

Strange semi-jokingly, semi-seriously rolls his eyes at Childermass.

"It's because you two were dead set on spending another year here that I asked her in the first place. I don't want you two to waste a year of your lives for me."

[atouts]

"I'm not sure I'd call another year touring the multiverse with Lambert a waste," Childermass says, chuckling at all that eyerolling. He'll push the bottle back over to Strange, seeing as he's still working on his current glass.

[kingsroads]

"If it's another year touring the multiverse without me involved? Then yes, it is a waste."

Childermass gave him shit about swallowing his pride earlier, it only makes sense for Strange to make a few jokes about that in exchange. Still, he's got a feeling Lambert and Childermass could get along perfectly fine without him.

[atouts]

"More like an entire year of touring the multiverse without you calling Lambert at the worst times possible," Childermass counters, complete with raising his drink in a mock toast to Strange.

[kingsroads]

"You underestimate my persistence," Strange remarks, with a wry smile. "You know me. I'll find a way to pester Lambert even if the two of you are in a separate realm entirely."

And Strange raises his drink in a mock toast in return...before drinking some and sloshing a little bit on his shirt. Whoops.

[atouts]

"I imagine you would just get yourself cursed again as an excuse to need the Ringmaster's help." Then he'd be around to pester them all over again and, let's be real, there's no doubt another faerie waiting in the wings to curse Strange. Anyway, he'll give a snort of laughter when Strange spills and ends up reaching over to try and steady his glass.

"Careful. You... are clearly drunk."

Well, obviously.

[kingsroads]

"And you're not drunk enough," Strange retorts as he sets his glass back down on the table with exaggerated care. He gives Childermass a wild, slightly sloppy grin as he continues to talk.

"I won't let myself get cursed. Honestly, none of you have any faith in me! I have—" whoa, the room's spinning a little, Strange firmly plants his elbows on the table as if that will make everything stop tilting "—I have fought in the peninsula, you know. And I was a damn good asset if I say so myself!"

Watch in amazement as Strange deploys some quality drunk logic. This line of thought makes sense in his head, okay.

[atouts]

"It's a work in progress." And as if to prove that, he'll draw back from steadying Strange and finish off his current glass. He's still a few behind, though, thanks to that necklace trick. "And no one cares about the peninsula, Strange. I am the only person in this entire realm who even knows what that is..."

Waving his now empty glass around some to enunciate that point.

"And even that isn't enough to earn any faith. You've already made it clear you don't actually respect me. You're just going to run off, do whatever you want, how dare I be in charge of you, and so on and so on."

[kingsroads]

"We both know it would be different if I was assigned to you outright," Strange reminds Childermass. He's quite grumpy, slumping down in his chair in a childish sulk.

"It's the fact that I was shoved off on you without even taking my thoughts into consideration that I'm mad." It's the fact that he's demoted. He's still a bit pissed that he got kicked off the team.

"I'm a soldier," Strange grumbles.

[atouts]

"God, this isn't the conversation I wanted to be having again," Childermass complains. He finally grabs up the bottle again, only to find it empty, to which he gives an entirely tragic look. "If you're really so useless at anything other than fighting and killing, fine. I'll throw you back to Lambert."

Not really a promise only one part of Childermass can keep but... really, dark Childermass is tired of this argument and calling for another bottle of wine instead.

[kingsroads]

Thankfully, this is a conversation that drunk Strange will likely only remember part of: he won't be able to call whole Childermass out on what he does or doesn't do.

"What else is there to do here?" Strange sighs. "Half of the places we've stopped at have ended up with us fighting something or another. Even the places that were supposed to be peaceful ended up with fighting. Remember the-" oh god, he is too drunk for this word. There's a pause before Strange struggles though, "Athenananum?"

Nailed it? "The library place. And Wismuth and Eden and all the way back to that horrible Matrix place. We're always going to fight things."

And both Lambert and the Ringmaster are too stubborn to come to that realization.