lostcarnival | ⇨ SHABONDAMASHII

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⇨ 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.

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Below are prompts with specific investigation-based hooks. Some prompts may go up as hooks for specific characters, who may reply as they see fit, but if you find something you'd like to investigate, please make a post here explaining what your character is doing to find out info. All investigation threads will be done in summary form as opposed to going tag by tag.

DON'T BE VAGUE. If you are having your character investigate something, you must explain what your character is specifically doing to find out information. Don't just say "I investigate the Twelve." You have to be more specific, by saying what your character is doing, such as "My character is going to ask the Honorables that brought everyone in who the Twelve are." The more specific you are, the better info you will get in return.

You can also confront NPCs by this method, and you'll get summary posts in return explaining how the situation will unfold based on your actions. Investigation is important for this plot! Various boons and advantages will be given out for characters who make a difference.

Please restrict all investigation actions to one or two actions at a time. Please don't give me a laundry list of the five different things your character is doing, because it makes everything too time-consuming to get through. Stick to one main thing your character is looking into per tag.

[A]

Yuya doesn't expect much when the carnival lands and the Ringmaster sent them off, until his eyes actually lay on the bathhouse and the bustling festival down below and and his expression lights up. It screams, frankly, luxury, like those fancy mountain resorts you see in pamphlets.

He swaps his clothes for a more suitable yukata, with his pendulum and collar still around his neck because he thinks that's fashionable. This is a time to relax and recharge, and Yuya resolves to take full advantage of it and let all the stress that he's been holding roll off for a while. And he's going to make sure everyone else can refresh and recover, because they need this. They need to hold onto these good things.

He makes his way through the festival streets first, watching parades, browsing shops, and playing games. Whenever he spots another carnival member standing alone, he gestures wildly with a grin to get their attention and draw them to the stand he's by--or squeezes through the crowd to theirs if it looks more interesting. "Hey!"

[B]

After running around the surrounding city all day, Yuya retreats to the bathhouse proper in the evening to soak in what he's pretty sure is a male-only designated bath. Pretty sure. It's calm, comfortable... and at least once he starts to doze off, slowly slipping further into the water and getting dangerously close to going under completely.

[Closed to Strange]

Eden made it clear to Yuya what he needed to be next to protect his friends, and that's faster. He'd told Strange before he wanted to learn more about the reflection based magic he uses, so that became the focus of magic lessons. There wasn't a lot of time before their mission, however. They're supposed to relax, but... hopefully he won't mind.

Yuya swings around the bathhouse until he finds Strange down the hall. And then he raises his hand high and makes a beeline. "Mr. Strange! Wait up!"

[LIGHT]

[A - Spa]

[After days of being a bird and all of the stress that had come with it, Doll is wound up like a spring. Arriving at a place where she heard talk of a hot bath and a festival seems like just what the proverbial doctor ordered, though the first thing she did after being shown her room was collapse onto the bed for a long nap. And when she wakes up... she feels so refreshed. Almost like she has no worries at all.]

[Donning her light robe, she practically skips down the stairs looking for the bath, pausing to greet and chat with anybody who she crosses paths with. Eventually she catches up to someone she recognizes--]

Evenin'! Ya headin' f'r the baths? 'M headin' there m'self!

[DARK]

[B - Festival Town]

[Everything is so frightening-- where is Joker?]

[Ever since waking up next to another version of herself, Doll fled the bathhouse and immediately got herself lost in the endless festival and press of tourists. Each one seems to give her a judging look, and all of the buildings are starting to look the same. She can't figure out where she is, she needs help, she always needs help...]

[She stands out as a guest of the bathhouse to be sure, so it's probably a little odd to see her tucked into a dark corner with her back to the wall, watching people go by. The moment she sees someone she might recognize, she perks up like she's going to call out. Maybe she shouldn't bother though, she doesn't want to bother anybody, and she doesn't want to attract the attention of anybody who's going to be angry with her.]

Strange has already fallen headfirst into spa hell. Unlike Yuya, he's wearing a loose short sleeved button-up shirt, a pair of cotton trousers, and some flip-flop style sandals that show off the lovely pedicure he got a few hours ago (his toenails are a lovely bright orange).

When he hears Yuya call for him, he stops walking, turns, and waits for him to approach. "Hello there Yuya. I was on my way to one of the dining areas. Care to join me?"

He seems intensely relaxed and is seizing this opportunity with gusto before everything inevitably goes to hell again.

"Yeah!" Seeing Strange looking bright-eyed alleviates Yuya's concern about pestering him for lessons. Whatever happened with the mirror, it looks like he's okay.

He falls into step beside Strange with a slight smile. "I was wondering if we could continue my training while we're here? If you don't mind."

Strange manages to keep his face in a neutral sort of smile even though when Yuya mentions continuing his training, Strange almost instantly thinks 'shit.' Whatever the Ringmaster did to take him from the Mirror changed his magic somehow. Strange is absolutely certain he'll relearn everything and shove his magic back to the way it's supposed to be. But at the moment, things take a bit longer than usual and any sort of finesse he had is long gone.

Still, Yuya did show an interest in reflections. If that's what they're working on, then good. That was the first bit of magic that Strange tried to relearn and refigure out as that was the bit of magic he suspected the Silver Mirror changed the most.

"No rest for the wicked, it seems," Strange teases. "But no, I don't mind if we continue to work on your training. Is there anything in particular you wish to focus on?"

Yuya grins wider. There's not, but work you enjoy isn't really work at all or something.

He nods. "I want to learn how walk through mirrors, and let other people walk through them like you can."

He doesn't elaborate on the reasons, because he assumes by this point they're obvious enough to Strange. He's always said he wants to protect his friends, and this isn't any different. But he needs to be by their side to do anything, and he thinks that's where he failed in Eden.

Strange can't help but grin as Yuya mentions the type of magic he wants to learn. Not because that's a source of magic that he's good at (which he is) and he's certain he can teach, but because it's a type of magic that Strange himself adores.

"That spell might be harder than some of your other magic. It's a reworking of a spell that back home, involved a realm that I cannot access here." And now that the obligatory disclaimer is out of the way, time for Strange's true feelings on the matter. "But you're a smart pupil and a fast learner. If anyone can learn the magic, it's you."

This isn't just buttering Yuya up: Strange honestly believes that he can learn anything he puts his mind to. "When shall we start?"

1: clickbait weird spa treatments
The problem with the yukata is that Strange occasionally sets his hands and forearms on fire. After accidentally incinerating the long sleeves of one poor yukata, Strange has decided to stick with a loose short-sleeved t-shirt and a pair of simple cotton trousers. Aside from that, he is all in for the spa day. He's only had one super intense spa day before, back in the Summerlands, but that was enough to tell him that he is going to live it up and have a grand time.

But all in all, he'd rather he live it up and have a grand time with other people. So when he spots someone from the carnival, Strange makes a beeline towards them, wide yet still kind of tired grin on his face.

"I've managed to find a list of the treatments they offer." He bothered some poor employee until said employee gave him a list. "I've circled the ones I'm interested in: pick one and we'll do that." On the list, Strange has circled normal things like 'sauna' and 'manicure', but he's also circled more esoteric spa treatments like 'fish pedicure,' 'wine bath,' 'fire cupping therapy,' and 'snake massage.'

2: remember to actually relax
He's only mentioned it to a few people, but Strange has noticed something odd about his magic ever since the Ringmaster extracted him from the Mirror: it isn't working as well as it should be. He can still do all of his spells and still knows all of his tricks, but he has to go about it in a certain way instead of what he's used to. Strange is spending part of his vacation tweaking and fiddling with his magic.

Unfortunately, what little finesse he had has just about vanished. Strange was never very good at small scale things to begin with but now, he's terrible. Which is why Strange is muttering under his breath as he holds his hands over a bonsai tree that has rapidly grown out of it's pot and now looks like it's in danger of enveloping the entire table.

wildcard!
Splitting apart and serious stuff will happen later, right now it's dumb prompts. Strange can be found all over the place: living it up in the spa, most often in a massage room, or stuffing his face with sushi.

Edited 2018-08-29 02:30 (UTC)

Yuya laughs, practically beaming because he is an enormous sucker for praise.

"Uh--I'm ready now! But it's as soon as you want to. We're supposed to be relaxing here, I just..."

He worries over his lip for a moment, before shrugging vaguely. It's not a good time to talk about worries that they don't have any control over. "I really want to learn how to do this. I think it'd be good."

Reira's magic may not be working quite at 100% either, but that's probably more because she spent a good two weeks consciously avoiding it. Being out of practice sucks, so she's definitely taken some time during vacation working on it.

Everyone else seems to have decided that vacation means she shouldn't be worrying about such things though. For starters as soon as she started asking various people questions on what 'this' or 'that' was, she was promptly herded away to get a 'yukata' and try a fish catching game. And every other game.

She has somehow only now escaped, and her large wing like hands currently hold her daemon in them as she approaches the bonsai tree.

Gaping, her daemon takes the opportunity to shift into its squirrel shape and scramble up the thing curiously- it takes her a bit longer to actually snap out of her stupor long enough to notice Strange.

"....That's a big tree..."

Longer still to notice that it's STRANGE. At which point she jumps. "AH! You're better now!"

She'd sort of wondered where he...was. Actually. It didn't help that she had people fussing over her during their time between worlds, which kept her from really going to check on anyone.

Jasper splits pretty early, because she's struggling with a lot right now, and her two divided halves immediately get into a fight. The 'dark' one backs down first, because Jasper hates her desire for self-preservation, but both of them are willing to let themselves be dissuaded by the perplexed bathhouse employees: the 'light' Jasper because she's kept her single-minded dedication to getting her Diamond restored and doesn't want to get into any trouble that might jeopardise her position at the Carnival, and the 'dark' Jasper because one of the things Jasper hates about herself is any willingness whatsoever to respect anyone who isn't a superior gem.

The two of them go their separate ways, for now, and you probably won't encounter both of them at the same time; neither Jasper very much wants to be around the other one.

DARK JASPER: Distinguished from her light counterpart by the fact that she's actually wearing a yukata (along with some manner of horse pant), the 'dark' side of Jasper's split will also be around the bathhouse a lot more, doing things Jasper normally wouldn't let herself do, like 'relax' and 'enjoy things' but also seeming kind of worried...

You might find her:

- Snoozing in the hot springs, with her tail fanning out behind her in the water while she leans her upper body against the edge. It is entirely possible that Jasper has literally never actually been asleep before, but she sure seems to be making the most of this opportunity for it! (It's worth remembering that Jasper originally got her horse traits from the Lady of the Lake, though -- maybe don't get too near her back or anything.)
- Scrutinising some of the food on offer. She's clearly curious, but this might be a step too far...
- Actually trying on clothes at the festival. Shabondamashii's clientele is varied enough that there are people selling garments that will fit someone who's half horse if you look for them, and Jasper is finding she's actually enjoying trying to find things to match her freshly painted hooves.
- Honestly whatever, this Jasper extraction is interested in trying pretty much anything having found herself lacking the impulse to hold herself back from enjoyable frivolities, and boy howdy does this place have enjoyable frivolities to indulge in!

LIGHT JASPER: A little more limited in her choice of activity. Jasper's 'light' half will be spending most of her time just pacing the bathhouse, just in case something comes up -- it's not like anything Shabondamashii and the surrounding city has to offer interests her, after all! The pacing isn't even agitated, like Jasper's tended towards especially lately; she's just patrolling around with almost a spring in her step -- although not quite, because that would be undignified. She's feeling great, but that isn't a feeling she'll be inclined to spread around to anyone else. Expect her to be even more curt than Jasper usually is if you try to get her attention, although perhaps a little less foul-tempered.

[CLOSED TO STEVEN]

For all that Gongenzaka has been thrown through a proverbial ringer in the last two weeks, it is nothing compared to numerous others of the Carnival. In the strangest sense, he would say he got it rather easy. Yes, he was shackled with iron- and even jabbed with it initially- but the latter wound was small, and the injuries of the shackles don't quite stand up next to being slashed across with the metal.

Between that and how quickly he was released from his mirrored prison...well, he's trying to be courteous of those who were in need of more extensive care suffice to say.

Even so he could not put off asking Steven a question or two about certain skills that the boy had- and from those questions, an idea formed.

It is why he comes to the room he thinks Steven is in- both through scent, and by a brief attempt to simply feel out the other's soul while in the hall- before knocking on the door.

Sending letters doesn't quite work when they're on vacation- and it's not so urgent that he needs to use the radio. "Steven?" he calls after knocking. "...Are you there? It is I, the man Gongenzaka!"

It feels good to be able to say that without stammering again.

[Dress The Part]

Gongenzaka is not typically one for vacation- his idea of 'relaxing' is typically a good meditation underneath a pounding waterfall. Fortunately, the camping trip just before they went to Eden has loosened him up a bit.

Or at least, enough that he can summon his Daemon and keep himself literally in line on the matter.

"Ooh! Noboru, there's a good pattern..."

And in this case, that matter is clothes. "Hmmm... It is certainly simple enough..." Gongenzaka is muttering, his daemon clicking her tongue.

"Ooooh more than that, it's beautiful, goodness. We have too much going on for most typical patterns, but this one is reserved for the threading..!" She hums, pausing as she inspects the fabric. "I wonder if there is one I could wear..."

"Hm!? You wish for one as well!?"

"Ohhhh, and perhaps Suzu as well, that would be cute wouldn't it!"

Rather notably as they both speak, passersby may notice that there is a large hole directly through the back and front of the cheetah- if Gongenzaka's t-shirt is any sign, there's a similar hole hidden by the fabric.

[WILDCARD - This Top-Level covers Days 1, 2, and the Morning of Day 3 for the week of the event! Gongenzaka will be a little awkwardly wandering the areas closest to the Bathhouse during this time, and by day 2 be seen in a yukata for those who want something after that prompt.]

There's still a lot of day left, and that's when Yuya finds Gongenzaka. It's not difficult, and they've certainly talked in the past couple days, but there's more of a sense of purpose to it this time.

He catches him near a stall with small bonsais, cupping his hands around his mouth and calling loudly from across the street. "Gongenzaka!"

He waves before bolting across, doling out absent apologizes as he nearly crashes into people to hurry across to his friend. "Gongenzaka! What're you looking at?"

Gongenzaka for his part is with Marishi- both wearing some form of Yukata, though by the nature of Marishi's body, hers doesn't quite hide the hole in her chest. The pair turn from the various bonsai, before more properly greeting the boy with a nod. "Auh! Yuuya!"

"We're looking over bonsai," Marishi purrs, inspecting the trees. "There's space enough in the tent for at least one I would think..."

"Nh-! We have enough to worry for with the animals, do we not..!?" Gongenzaka protests- though given Marishi's constant pouring over the trees, he clearly wants to bring at least one home. As it is. "Auh...regardless, Yuuya! Just what are you doing at the moment yourself?"

"It would be," Strange responds, with a little nod. Not just because it's a fun skill for Yuya to learn, but because the more people they have who can do something like that, who can find situations and ways to get people out of troublesome situations, the better.

Still, if Yuya's ready now, then Strange is ready as well. There's always time to eat and stuffing his face can wait until later.

"The first thing we'll need to do is find some reflections. You can't travel to a reflection if you don't know where it is. I can create one with either ice or water, but since you're learning, we'll need something more stable." Strange frowns a little, as he looks over at Yuya. "The bigger the better, of course. I just don't know what sort of room that would be in."

Do spas have mirrors? Strange doesn't know.

Is there a specific way daemons are affected by the light/dark split inflicted by the mirror shards, since they’re effectively representative of a character's soul?

Are there pampering/grooming services for pets/animal companions as well?

Edited 2018-08-29 04:22 (UTC)

"My room had a mirror." It stands to reason others probably do too. "But people might not want us walking into their rooms. One of the baths looked like a sentou. Those have mirrors--uh, but we shouldn't walk into there either."

He puts a hand to his chin, furrowing his brow in concentration. There's a lot of mirrors, there's just also a lot of invasions of privacy. "How do you pick which mirror you're going to walk out of?"

There's just one daemon stuck between the two halves. The daemon is normal.

Also, yes.

Edited 2018-08-29 04:27 (UTC)

"Looking for you," he responds with a grin, following Marishi's gaze over the bonsai. "I wanted to see if you wanted to go look around the town together."

Which can wait a moment as he points to one of the simple bonsai and rock fixtures. "Anyway, the only pet that really needs taking care of is Suzu, right? I know you can get bonsai at home, but maybe you ca get one here and see if you like it first?"

That is a big tree. In fact, that is too big a tree and about 500% more tree than Strange was hoping for. The tree has stabilized and is very slowly starting to shrink. However, as soon as Reira's daemon hops up on the tree, Strange stops the intensely slow and baby steps shrinking magic that he was working on. Now, the tree's about 480% more tree than Strange was hoping for.

He turns his attention to Reira and gives her a little smile. "I am. And I see you're better as well—or at least, out of that prism."

Having spent most of the past few days in a slightly tired haze, Strange really doesn't know how the mirror prisms affected those inside them. Thankfully, he's got enough sense to realize that's a question you bother people about later. Strange places his hands back at his side before fully turning to face Reira and give her his undivided attention. "I'm sorry I couldn't be much use during the final fight. The Mirror prevented most of my magic from working."

Oh, are they in the way??? The daemon certainly doesn't care. This is a cool tree, they like it.

Besides, you should take a break or something, Strange.

While the daemon explores, Reira nods- a large and wide smile on her face. It only somewhat falters when Strange offers his apology. The expression is quick to recover. "Umn! You told everyone what I told you though, right?" If it's possible, her smile widens even further. "If you hadn't...then the Ringmaster, and all the others, they might not have known Lilith was there in time to fight her...and the others there wouldn't have been helped fast enough either...! So..."

The girl pauses, fingers twitching a bit at her sides as she scuffs the ground with one foot. "...So, I wanted to say, 'thank you', actually," she finally manages. "...You told me it was going to be okay, and you made sure everyone got help...I don't think things would have happened as good, otherwise. So..."

Alright. Here goes. "...So, thank you, 'Strange-Oji'!"

~~She really, Really hopes Yuuya gave her the right word.~~

"Auh- touring, then?"

"See, that's exactly what I've been telling him-" Marishi starts, only for Gongenzaka to huff.

"Mnh- With regard to food and drink, certainly, but their lack of such necessity means that they have boundless energy to put to use..! They require activity, and supervision..!"

"Oh goodness Noboru, two of them are as small as your nose..." The cat rolls her eyes. "Perhaps you'd like to help us pick one though, Yuuya..~" She purrs openly, moving to wind around the boy.

"You can get them toys, you know. And they have each other, so they don't need your attention all the time," he states matter of factly, as the one between them who's grown up surrounded by animals. It's endearing he's so invested in his... 'gifts', but he can dedicate the same amount of time to himself. It's not a baby.

When Marishi moves around him, his hand reaches absently so his fingers just barely brush against her while she purrs while missing the hole through her back. He shoots her a smile before walking into the tent. "Do you want to start with an easy one, or do you want something big?"

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Page 1 of 100

⇨ SHABONDAMASHII

⇨ INVESTIGATIONS

Yuya | OTA | All Week

Doll - OTA

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Jonathan Strange | ota | first half of the week

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B!

JASPER | OTA | ALL WEEK

GONGENZAKA

EARLY WEEK (Day 92-94) | OTA

Wildcaaaard

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honorifics for a guy who doesnt understand honorifics time eyy

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