fracturarpg | [mingle] the space (april).

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[mingle] the space (april).

interim mingle

( WELCOME BACK, TRAVELERS. )

There's nothing but the clatter of train tracks, and the odd feeling of almost floating.

When you wake, it's hard to tell exactly what it is that you're missing - only that you are. There are pieces that aren't quite right, even if you're not sure where those pieces would normally be. Pieces of what, exactly....? Well, if you had to put a word to it, it would be - yourself, probably. Or did you get something back recently? In addition, characters will find that they've been allowed to bring back souvenirs from this most recent trip - trinkets, nothing violent, but items that can fit in your character's pockets, whether that be sentimental or otherwise.

The place you've found yourself in is strange, certainly. It's probably worth exploring a bit. For those who have been here a while, they might notice some expansions. Though it just as easily seems that the only form of welcome or explanation that you have, comes from nothing more than a slab of marble.

It might've changed since the last time you saw it. Today it reads:

(*´ω｀)o That wasn't so bad, was it?
Hey, you know how that old song goes?
Do you believe in magic? (☆▽☆) Do ya?

Hope you found what you were looking for!

You might have changed since the last time you saw yourself too - perhaps with a new emblem on your clothes, or a portrait on your skin. In addition to that, it seems like Home Base is on the fritz again…?

It seems that suddenly and at random, characters will be able to suddenly see visions of memories that aren't their own flash before their eyes. Pieces of your lives or where you were before this will suddenly slam into other's heads, as clearly as if they experienced the event and the feelings themselves. You might have an inkling of where your memory went and what it was - but you'll need to talk it out with that person in order to recollect it in all its strength back to yourself. Don't you want to keep those precious parts of yourself? It's best if you don't fall more to pieces while you're here. (Memories that have been lost in fragments cannot be sent to others - that's more fun for the future!)

There's no need to fret that much though. You've already gone through the ordeal once, and you might be able to see results from it. Or maybe you'll get a glimpse of where you're going next. Even so, it's best that you don't get too comfortable, because there is still the unshakeable feeling:

There's still much more ahead of you.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ thirty or so. okay, so if this is like how it was before, they're okay... but who knows if this place runs on the same rules? probably not. ]

I mean like is there a game going on here already. I mean, it's not a fucking coincidence that I tried to get home and now I'm here. [ at least nobody else seems to have been in previous rounds, that's... good. ] Visits to other worlds.

So what, it's the same group of people every time in a different world, and we just pick each other off until there's none left? And then it just starts over again, is that what it is? Are there motives? [ WHEN IS THE NEXT TRIAL, WEI WUXIAN ]

[JUST PICK EACH OTHER OFF UNTIL NO ONE'S LEFT oh my god. Wei Wuxian blinks, genuine surprise briefly flashing across his face. He's met people from other worlds but this is his first time running into a murdergamer who's actually talking about their murdergame...]

—Same group of people more or less, with the exception of whoever leaves and whoever shows up between worlds. I do think we're a little off from that point on, though, if that's the sort of thing you expect!

[WHAT THE FCK KINDA PLACE DID THIS BEAT UP LOOKING LADY COME FROM... He's itching with curiosity, but tries to oblige with solid explanations first.]

The point really does seem to be just experiencing life from different angles so far. [So far. No trust for the pillar.] Not to say people don't end up injured, and we've had some interesting brushes with death as of late, but this isn't any sort of fight to the grave.

[ beau being wei wuxian's introduction to actually hearing about murdergames is so funny. she shifts in her perch. ]

This place still could be feeding on the resentful energy from the injuries and death. [ just gonna use a term she learned from a friend. she rubs at the back of her neck a bit. she stares at wei wuxian, kind of like she's trying to figure out what she finds vaguely familiar about him. ]

It's different than having trials every week, but I could see how this is more efficient. [ a beat. ] Do you guys have trials? It doesn't sound like it.

[HONESTLY COULDN'T HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER INTRO.

Wow though, that sure has him perking up a little, rocking back onto his heels in a brief but swift burst of motion. It's not that there aren't other places out there that deal with similar things in similar ways, but the phrasing is so particular that he can't help but start preemptively playing 20 questions in his mind.]

Mm, well, never say never! But I can at least say that it's a slim possibility. [He says this like someone pointing out that Notsco shelves restock, or that the train arrives at a certain time every day. If that much resentful energy was being moved and used, he's quite sure he'd notice, after all.]

Are we talking about trials-for-criminals, trials-for-storybook-heroes, or some other sort?

[ she does raise an eyebrow at his heels-rocking and the way he accepts the resentful energy mention. she stores it away for later. ]

Trials for murder. Last place I was in had a person turn into a monster and kill someone every week. The trial was for figuring out who the monster was. [ she just goes ahead and jumps off the counter. it's very graceful! maybe surprisingly.

she also adjusts her horrendous beanie. it's a fidgety habit she seems to have adopted. ]

There were rules, written out on a wall. Once a week someone would turn, kill, and then we'd have to figure out who killed. It was a delaying tactic. [ sniff. ] But the pillar didn't have anything like that. I don't expect every place to have the same rules, though. So now I have to figure out what this place is doing.

[THE FACT THAT BEAU IS ARRIVING FROM MONSTER MASH JUST IN TIME FOR MONSTER MASH: YOUKAI EDITION...

Hm though that world's concerning as fuck. Both brows raise, and although he doesn't lose his smile, there's something briefly weighted in his expression.]

A delay tactic for what? Something to do with creating and feeding off of resentful energy?

[It's his immediate first guess, considering it's the first thing she mentioned. That said, with a shake of his head:]

We haven't had anything like that yet, but since you're already interested in doing a little investigating, I'm sure you won't mind lending us a hand! It's a bit hard to gather information when you have no guarantee you'll remember who you are or what you're trying to do, so the more people we have, the better.

[ YEAH SHE'S GONNA BE THRILLED and by thrilled I mean she's going to fling herself off a cliff goodbye ]

... Yeah, super hate that idea. [ the whole maybe not being able to remember who you are thing, that sucks. ] But. I'll try. Did some decent work in the mansion, so.

[ as for the first part: ] The delay tactic was Blue's idea. The house was an entity. It had some real fucking pride issues, thought it was better than everybody. So it proved that by grabbing people from all over and tricking them into killing each other. I get the impression that it fed off the resentful energy left from people dying in really brutal ways. It also liked eating pieces of our souls.

[ SO YOU KNOW. she panicked a bit at "bits of soul missing" on the pillar. god. ]

Blue managed to make it so we had time to investigate and kill the mansion. That's what the delay tactic was - by having trials once a week instead of just a free for all mess of people murdering each other, we managed to figure out how to get out of there.

[rip in rest Beau and her preemptive bad luck... MEANWHILE HE JUST LAUGHS. It's not a cruel or mocking laugh, at least, even if it is also probably not a Normal Human Reaction. Sometimes you just gotta laugh at everyone's collective legendarily terrible timing and luck!]

Haha, poor fortune then, showing up to another place dealing with missing bits of soul right after that! I do think we all share that in common.

[THEY'RE ALL ESCAPED CHILDREN OF MISFORTUNE. Can't catch them universe.]

Quite a delay tactic there, too. Good that it managed to work out in the end - cranky buildings tend to cause a lot of trouble when left unchecked. [HE'D KNOW.] Well! You'll have a little bit of time to gain your bearings here before we're off to the next place. No way to predict if you'll adapt to it or not - that is, whether or not you'll keep your memories - but it's good to plan like you will just in case.

[ he mentions cranky buildings and that, of all things, gets her attention. she visibly starts at the mention, watching him. which is good because she was sort of scowling at him laughing. wow, rude. ]

Yeah, fucking poor fortune indeed. [ a beat. ] Hey, I didn't ask before. What's your name?

[SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA LAUGH!! But oh yeah right, introductions, that's a thing huh. He grins, offering a little jaunty wave.]

It's Wei Wuxian! [No birth name because what is the POINT.] More or less good to meet you, barring the state of- [GESTURES VAGUELY.] -the place you came from and the place we may be going to next, hah. And you?

Edited 2020-04-11 16:09 (UTC)

[ OH THAT SURE IS A NAME SHE KNOWS. ]

-- Holy shit! It's you! [ which is - probably not a reaction wei wuxian is unaccustomed to, hilariously enough. hold on, she'll get to her name in a second. ] You're Nie Huaisang's friend!

[Yeah that sure is a familiar reaction EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE HE'S HEARD IT...

--But the rest of that sure is a surprise?! Both brows shoot up and, after a beat:]

That's me, yes! Hello! He was there with you? [UNLESS SHE GOT INTO MORE SHIT THAN SHE'S ALREADY SAID who knows man life is wild, people just fly between dimensions apparently.]

Yeah - yeah, he was. I covered for him. [ ah. she looks - momentarily sad. ] I was supposed to...

[ a beat. ] Jin Ling, too, do you know him? Both of them were there. They're not here?

[DON'T JUST TRAIL OFF. He's done a good job at curbing his endless flood of questions, but that, he can't help but address.]

You were supposed to...?

[There's a shift in his expression at the mention of Jin Ling, though. Nie Huaisang is capable despite his goofyass exterior, but Jin Ling-- With Jin Ling, it's different. THAT'S HIS NEPHEW!! JIN LING!!! YOU FUCK! STOP GETTING INTO TROUBLE!!]

—I do. Was he alright? Jin Ling? And Nie Huaisang - you were watching after him? [He's less worried about NHS but still... As for the question, he shakes his head.] No - neither of them have shown up here, but a few other people that I know have. They were the only two there?

[ SHE'S SAD ABOUT IT god you can't just ask her - but she answers, so it's fine. ]

Jin Ling's fine. I made sure that A-Sa... [ HM. maybe she doesn't want to just jump right into that nickname?? ] ... Sang didn't get voted for execution because he killed someone in self defense. [ so much happened in the mansion ] Just those two. They're both fine, they're alive. I was supposed to go back with them.

[She's truly too kind BUT THAT'S - that's good. Better than the worst case scenario, which is usually what they deal with in this house! Still, it riles him to know Jin Ling had just been OUT THERE SUFFERING with him none the wiser... It's not like the possibility had never occurred to him once, after learning about different worlds and times and universes, but he sure doesn't like having a concrete example.

There's a beat - then a little neutral hum.]

It's good that they had people like you to rely on, then. [People willing to cover for them, god. That mansion really does sound like a lot??

Then, with a note of mild apology:] Mm, well - the plans may have been delayed by a bit, but we'll work on speeding that up where we can. Good to know we have the same destination, at least!

Guess so. [ she sighs, flopping back against the counter. ]

Wonder if we'll actually end up in the same world. [ she glances at him. ] I wonder if they made it back alright. I was supposed to be able to contact them with this, [ she indicates the necklace around her neck ] but it doesn't work.

[ and because it's always dunking on jingle lingle hours ] Jin Ling found himself a girlfriend, you know.

[He'll get back to that necklace soon enough BOY WILL HE, because that's the exact kind of shit he's interested in, but first and foremost and most importantly--]

—He WHAT?! [WHAT THE FUCK.] He went to a house that was trying to kill him and came out of it with a girlfriend—!? He doesn't even know how to make friends! How did that happen!? Who is she - what's her name?

[JIN LING! AGAIN, WHAT THE FUCK.]

[ beau fucking cackles because yeah. appropriate response. ]

Her name's Anya and she's fucking amazing. [ beau hums. ] He also still doesn't know how to make friends. I guess - technically they were just dating, right? Like they're trying it out. It's all her, she's the driving force because Jin Ling is fucking useless at personal relationships.

[ sniff. ] Anyway. I like him fine, he's just prickly.

[HE JUST SLAPS A HAND OVER HIS FACE and heaves out a dramatic sigh oh my god. JIN LING!!]

He really does take after his father, if that's the case! His poor, wonderful mother had to do everything herself because he only knew how to be a peacock. [Fuckin Jin Zixuan he'll never forgive you for passing on your peacock genes YOU FOOL. Why couldn't Jin Ling have inherited any of his superior mother's superior genes?? Damn.

But as rude as he is to Jin Ling, it does still warm his little demon heart to hear that he's liked.]

Prickly is one word for it. That boy... But good, that's good! My heart can rest easy knowing he managed to find people who know how to tolerate a little rough edge or two.

[ if only wei wuxian knew how much beau yelled at jin ling over the course of a month, god

also, she bursts into laughter at peacock. ah. ]

Makes a lot of sense. We had a week where we gained animal parts? And he had a big peacock tail. That's fucking funny that you said that. [ beau explains, grinning a bit. ] But - yeah. I get it. He had his reasons, even if those reasons didn't stop me from wanting to kick his ass.

You knew his parents? [ she sounds sympathetic here. ]

[This is why she got assigned JC kin.

FAIR MOOD THOUGH HONESTLY and he also laughs because FIRST OF ALL gaining animal parts somehow ain't the weirdest thing he's heard of, and second, a peacock really does fit. Unfortunate... Truly the little mistress struggles.]

Ah, I wish I'd been there to see that! You don't happen to have any pictures, do you? [TRAGEDIES IF SHE DOESN'T... But he's also glad to hear that, since in his opinion, it strikes a good balance between being understanding of why Jin Ling turned out as he did without wanting to coddle him about it. 10/10 he already loves Beau and he still doesn't even know her name.

His expression softens a little at the question that follows. HM. ...If Jiang Cheng weren't here, he might just say "yes" and leave it at that, honestly. But if their paths cross, he has no doubt the things he'd try to keep tucked away would end up spilling out sooner or later. So:]

I did. Never got along with his father well, but his mother was my shijie - like an older sister.

[He definitely speaks with the tenderness of an overly-fond little brother.]

[ UNFORTUNATELY she doesn't have pictures and it's the saddest thing ever. she shakes her head at his question, giving him an apologetic look. but she does listen to the rest - she knows jin ling's parents are a big part of the reason why he is the way he is, and having that context, she thinks, will help her later.

she is going to be seeing a lot of him eventually, after all. ]

Ahh, sister, huh. They sounded like good people, by what I... saw? Heard. Both. [ beau says, nodding. ] So you're basically Jin Ling's uncle. Well, one of them.

[ and she scowls, because jiang cheng. ] I think I - vaguely heard about you from Jin Ling. I heard more from A-Sang. He had nothing but good things to say about you, for the most part.

[ in her opinion, anyway. getting into trouble is a good thing in beau's book. i also do love that she hasn't introduced herself in return yet this is stupid ]

Edited 2020-04-12 21:04 (UTC)

[Jin Ling as a peacock will just have to live on in his imagination then, which to be fair is just as hilarious...

That "saw, heard, both" would probably be more concerning if they weren't in the middle of memswap hell themselves BUT FOR NOW, he just nods - nods, because of course his shijie is a good person. The best! And if Jin Ling was the one talking, then surely he'd have good words for his father, too. EVEN IF HE WAS A SHIT.]

Mm, I am. He does have quite a few of us! [HE JUST ASSUMES SHE'S SCOWLING ABOUT JIN GUANGYAO THIS IS STUPID. The thought of Nie Huaisang having good things to say about him earns her a little huff of a laugh, too.] Did he, now? We were close for a while. He was always one of the first to volunteer whenever I needed a partner in crime.

[Like breaking in and out of the Cloud Recesses with booze or replacing Lan Wangji's poetry with porn... Squad.]

[ beau grins a bit. ]

Really? That's fucking hilarious. [ nhs mentioned some stuff, but. ] I actually met A-Sang because I was reading some of the really fucking obnoxious erotica in the library and we like, discussed how stupid it was. So maybe that's not super surprising, that he had a wild streak.

He said you snuck in booze a lot. Which like, respect.

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