[mingle] the space (april).

[fracturamods]

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.

Comments

[givethemhell]

[Can't believe Izumi missed out on the chance to join Xie Lian and Lulu Dingbe in bad chef hell...

THAT'S SO NON-SPECIFIC THOUGH. He laughs, clearly amused despite the randomass threat thrown in there.]

Really? You're that big of a fan of shrimp? [Maybe he grew up in a bayside area??] Just make the first shrimp thing that comes to mind, then!

[The only thing he could think to ask for would be something he wouldn't want from anyone but his shijie anyway!!]

[obsessiveness]

[ HE'S ON A DIET OKAY let him feed all you fuckers

and yes, he... really loves shrimp... he likes them fried, he adds them in his curry, all that good stuff. and speaking of which: ]

Shrimp curry then. How spicy do you want it?

[ izumi likes it balanced - not too sweet, not too spicy, but everyone has their preferences. ]

[givethemhell]

[Izumi just living vicariously through everyone he feeds... THAT'S INTENSE SHRIMP LOVE, THOUGH.

Wei Wuxian absolutely perks up at the mention of curry, and then seems to delight even further in the idea of SPICY CURRY.]

As spicy as you can make it! No need to worry about making it too spicy, haha.

[His steel stomach can and will survive through more than it humanly should.]

[obsessiveness]

[ no need to worry, huh... in that case, izumi will give him every reason to worry once he's done with this dish. so he's going to turn up the spice to the MAX in this one, adding each and every spice in that's available - but the problem is that he can't really taste it himself to check. hm. ]

Here, taste this for me first.

[ he's already set aside a tiny platter with a bit of curry for wei wuxian to taste, inwardly eager to see his reaction. let's see if he can still taste things with a burnt tongue. ]

[givethemhell]

[Izumi you fool, you can't win against someone whose wildass spicy cooking burnt a hole through a wok.

THAT SAID, HE'LL TASTE THIS LITTLE PLATTER AS ASKED. If Izumi is waiting to watch him keel over and cry, he will be keenly disappointed... Though he does look a little surprised?!]

—Ah! That's not bad, actually! You really didn't hold back, huh? Though this definitely has a chaotic kind of flavor...

[That's what happens when you add Every Spice.]

[obsessiveness]

[ HE'D BE TOTALLY DISAPPOINTED!!! what the hell man, izumi just can't believe it ]

Hah? Is there something wrong with your sense of taste or something? Normal people wouldn't be able to taste anything through all that heat!

[ assuming wwx was ever normal in the first place. and no, izumi isn't tasting that; he wouldn't want to embarrass himself in front of a stranger. even when he's away from the prestige he'd gotten as an idol, he still has to maintain an unflappable personality... for as long as he can, anyway.

but... since wwx mentioned that it tastes chaotic, izumi decided to balance it out some tomatoes and coconut milk before serving it up with a nice helping of rice. ]

Here, this should taste all right now.

[givethemhell]

[BOLD TO ASSUME HE'S NORMAL, IZUMI.]

Haha, no, but you're not the first person to ask! My sense of taste is just fine, though.

[He's got some sort of demon tongue with enough spice and alcohol tolerance to kill any average human, that's all. It's fine!! Anyway, he's delighted to try this version with the add-ons, and looks entirely pleased after taking a bite.]

—What a wonderful sense of balance! The heat is good, but the sweetness of the milk and tomato balance out the shrimp and curry so well! Are you a chef of some kind?

[obsessiveness]

[ WITH THAT FLIPPANT RESPONSE, izumi can see that he's totally not normal.

ugh why is he always surrounded by weirdos, though ]

Excuse me? Just because I like to cook, it doesn't mean that I'm just some chef you can find at any restaurant. I usually do my cooking on my own because I need to keep an eye on my calories.

[ even in a different world, he still can't forget his diet... ]

[givethemhell]

[Sometimes if you are the magnet that attracts weirdos......... it means you too are a weirdo Izumi.]

Really? That sounds so tedious, though! [Here's a man who didn't even know what a calorie was until recently!!] If you're this good at cooking, isn't it best to just cook whatever you want whenever you want? That's the only thing I would be doing.

[Why he says this like that isn't what he already does is a mystery.]

[obsessiveness]

[ GASP! SAY IT AIN'T SO... he's the one holding tsukasa's braincell right now ]

Absolutely not. Listen - I was in the middle of restarting my modeling career from scratch until this-- [ hand gestures ] this phenomenon happened, so the least I can do is keep up with what I've learned for my own sanity until our kidnappers decide to return us to whence we fucking came. Whenever that is. Because when I come back to Florence with a bloated gut, my career will be over. Don't you realize that?

[ he's just... so close to snapping. as if he hasn't snapped already, but this is why you'd rather leave this guy alone to feed all you fuckers. ]

[givethemhell]

[DON'T DROP TSUKASA'S BRAINCELL!!

Anyway it's a shame Wei Wuxian is not deterred by snappish, easily irritated people. His life would probably be much easier if he were. The lives of the snappish and easily irritated people around him would probably also be much easier AND YET, HERE WE ALL ARE.]

Hm... I can see what you mean! That's some dedication though, being able to focus on diet even after tumbling into an interdimensional void. You already know what's coming next, right? With the worlds and all of that?

[If he does and he is Still worried about what he's eating, Wei Wuxian will be both amazed and a little concerned.]

[obsessiveness]

[ the boy doesn't have braincells anymore, he's exchanged it for cheap sweets and power long ago, ]

I figured that if I keep myself busy like focusing on my diet while I'm here, I'd avoid thinking about the worst case scenarios. I'm not the only one who arrived here from my world, so I have absolutely no choice but to look after them in the meantime because those idiots don't know how to take care of themselves.

[ leo and tsukasa are the spoiled kings, while izumi's their disgruntled knight who has to clean up after them. of course he'd be understandably stressed over this. ]

I don't even know what to expect with those worlds or whatever you people are babbling about to the new arrivals. If we're not visiting modern-day Japan next, I'm not interested.

[givethemhell]

[TSUKASA'S BRAINCELLS, NO....... Worthwhile trade if it's for sweets though, honestly.]

Eh, really? That's surprising. It's pretty rare to end up with more than one person here that you know from your own world, I think... But if they're all that much of a handful, who could blame you!

[He thinks it's hilarious, but he also has sympathy for the Tired Babysitters among them...]

Ah, well - the worlds thing is a little complex, but we go visit different ones to get back the missing pieces of ourselves. I don't think anywhere we've been has been in Japan, but a few have been modern!

[obsessiveness]

[ glad that wwx can sympathize, but he's also one of the gremlins running around this world so it's still a moot point...

but, well, if he said that it's rare to have more than one person here from his world, then izumi should consider himself lucky. considering how tsukasa and leo are from the same unit... though at the same time he'd rather not have anyone else here if he can help it. ]

I guess I can deal being in different countries, but how modern are we talking about here?

[ since he was vibing in italy before all this....... ]

[givethemhell]

[look it's fine only some people need saving from the headaches he creates!!

IF ONLY HE COULD BE LUCKY ENOUGH FOR AN ITALIAN VACATION THOUGH wow, rip.]

Sometime in the 2000s, I'd say? The most recent world was the most modern, outside of the very first we ended up in. You'd have to speak with someone from a more modern time period to get an exact year comparison, though - I'm from a year that makes anything from 1000 on seem quite futuristic, haha.

[obsessiveness]

Geh, you're that old?

[ NO OFFENSE... though looking at wwx's get-up, it should be apparent that he's not from the modern era. still, he could be making a fashion statement with that... ]

I'm from 2016, which probably doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of things as it is. But you've been around for a while, right? You should know your shit around a store like this by now.

[givethemhell]

I am!

[HE BEAMS... It's fine, he's got light-up sneakers and sweatpants on under these cultivator robes, he's doing his best.]

And you're right, I do. Even if I wasn't here for a while, we keep the knowledge we gain if we assimilate into whatever world we visit. [He's got a whole databank of Modern Knowledge now, and it is Wild.] It's convenient in a way! Also a little bizarre.