[mingle] the space (june).

[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. 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￣) Not bad... You guys are getting good at this!
We're in the home stretch now so - how about I give you all a little hint?
What you're seeking is closer than you might think. (*・∀-)☆

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…?

Similar to the last visit, it seems like characters will suddenly see visions of assorted memories that don't belong to them - but perhaps the interesting thing might be that no one will immediately claim them. Or perhaps they'll suddenly be given powers or attributes that don't belong to them. Even items seem to be swapped around. It looks like fragments are being tossed and matched up at random, even if they'll only linger for the duration of your stay in the Space. Even if the owner isn't clear, you'll get a vague sense of who the fragment belongs to - you'll just have to track them down.

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

[illhearted]

[ frankly, elizabeth thought there'd be more freaks at a carnival like this, but maybe their cheery cast of characters makes up for it--

but anyway

it's you and a girl with no heart in the tunnel of love. her expression is unchanging even in playfully flickering colored lights, even with the cute reminders to cuddle up or share a kiss. or whatever. the tunnel of love doesn't exist where i live i have no frame of reference for it except from media.

anyway wyd ]

[woooosh]

[haha oh boy he'd probably have more of an idea what to do if he remembered anything about Djeeta at all, whomst he successfully wooed into lap pillowing him. But he doesn't, so.]

I've never heard of a mortal coupling ritual like this before! Is this your first time too, Lady Elizabeth?!

[He will be excited enough for the both of them.]

[givethemhell]

[He absolutely just leapt on this boat because it looked like a hilariously fun ride and he knows Elizabeth. TERRIBLE. He's also like, half-leaning out of it as they mosey along the water...]

Ooh! The lights--! What do you think? Aren't they wonderful? If only all boat rides could be so much fun, haha.

[Makes him miss his ominous riverboat a little!]

[bachagain]

[ is it a boon or a bane that leo can remember elizabeth, even with his shitty recognition coupled with the deluge of foreign memories... either way, he does! and that's why he is here.

un...fortunately... there is no fitting koto music to be had while they gently float along on their boat... actually, that's probably for the best. even with the bright lights, it's kinda putting him to sleep by itself already. not that it's a bad thing. he's just aware that's not how he's supposed to experience this ride. maybe.

no, definitely. ]

You sure picked an interesting one, Eliza! [ were he another person he'd be CONCERNED ] Think we'll go downhill soon? I know this's for a certain, different kind of heart racing [ hahahaha ] but I'm gonna fall asleep like this!

[ yea ok after he just finished calling it interesting.... it's fine

he also does not have all hands and feet inside the boat as he's leaning forward. maybe he'll develop superhuman sight to see any incoming excitement or just fking fall out but that is ALSO FINE ]

[souheki]

fragments

[I refuse to let anyone else have Lan Wangji's memory fragment because it's wildly inappropriate so THIS IS FOR ANYONE WHO'S LOST THEIRS!!! Which fragment made its way over to Lan Wangji here? Do you want it back? How awkward is this?

If you really want I guess you can have his broke-as-fuck guqin, which he has recently regained!! The strings are snapped and the wood is scorched, though. Hm.]

store

[SPEAKING OF HIS GUQIN, whenever Lan Wangji does have it, you can find him carrying it around the store with him!! You'll probably find him in the bedding section, frowning at a stack of probably 50 plain white sheets, or in... wherever you find sewing goods. Or maybe shoelaces?? Basically he's looking at every string-type item he can find, and... also frowning. This is the frowning Lan Wangji prompt. Come help him shop for his beloved instrument, or try to distract him from his quest, whatever you want to do!]

wildcard

[ANYTHING ELSE for post-youkai world shenanigans!! Don't talk to me about wangxian I don't wanna think about it]

fragments but like not cruel this time

[dianxias]

[ lan wangji, something's wrong with your headband.

that is to say, it's. wiggling a little more than usual? like something's stuck under it. actually, if you reach up there, you might notice the cloth is wider than usual? that's odd. there's something else there. what could it be! ]

store... i am... so sorry... pixi

[goldenrepair]

[Lan Wangji is having a nice time frowning at some string things in the store.

Behind him, there is a swell of spiritual energy. It isn't the same as someone approaching with a core, someone partial to manipulating spiritual energy. It is a wave, solid and high and moving.

When Lan Wangji turns to look, it's Jiang Cheng. His sword is out, and he is running directly for Lan Wangji with true, angry intent. The sword sweeps back, and he takes a swing at Lan Wangji without even sparing a moment's worth of hesitation.]

[supremity]

I. ( rattle rattle, rattle rattle )

[ Those who are exploring the space may realize that there's a... peculiar noise happening, currently. Like something gently shaking in the metal shelving units of the Notsco. It echos, as metal is wont to do, but it isn't particularly violent a noise. Just a low background to the general atmosphere of the warehouse store.

Should you seek it out, you're liable to find it - eventually.

The sound comes from an errant aisle, nothing of particular note that should be paid attention to. Rather, it's the source of the noise is the thing of real interest, as the noise actually increases in volume and... perhaps desperation? It's a rattling of something metal vibrating against another metal, and it comes from - up, up, up.

There is a goddamn silver scimitar, ornate in design, just. Fucking embedded in the shelving like a knife in butter. Like someone just stabbed it there and left it.

A red eyeball is in the hilt, above the guard. (It may be familiar to some, from the nightmares of the last world.) It stares imploringly down at anyone that notices it, and rattles... pretty pathetically. :( Help. ]

II. around the space

[ Hua Cheng is here, somewhere. This is effectively a wildcard because he's not actively avoiding people, but if you'd like to find him fiddling around the Space he's here.

He can also be dragged into the bizarre carnival because his reaction will just be "ah, this is like Ghost City. Except gaudier." Amazing how that's a possibility, huh, fafa. ]

you know what im here for

[dianxias]

[ the rattling noise is odd, and so it catches xie lian's attention when he's walking the aisles of the notsco. he follows his ears, and rounds the corner, and sees--

the most beautiful saber he's ever seen in his life. it is also practically leaking resentful energy in a nigh oppressive cloud. that's a bit more concerning, but xie lian is so much more enamored by the actual shape of the thing itself that he doesn't care. xie lian's mouth drops open into a little o and he gasps. ] Ah--ah, hang on, I'll get you down, just a moment!

[ with a few parkour hops and swings of ruoye, xie lian puts himself on eye level with the saber and its red, red eye. this is -- ] Oh--you're San Lang's-- [ the one ling wen brought up!!!!!! this is san lang's saber!!! ] Hello there. You look to be in a bit of a bind! May I?

[ reaching out for it, he moves to carefully touch the hilt to pull e-ming out if he can.... ]

ii IT IS TIME TO DRINK

[givethemhell]

[That wasn't even the worst world he's been through - honestly everything after Montevallo was something of a cakewalk in many ways... BUT. Life's hard when you go from being red stringed to dealing with freshly returned memories and lives that were and weren't your own, you know? The Space is not fun, sometimes.

Which is why he approaches Hua Cheng with a bottle in hand, almost in the way things had been back on the boat.]

Care to share a drink with me? For new-old time's sake.

i, b/c eyeballs... i-balls?

[moralmyopia]

[Like a true teenager, Sasuke looks around himself imploringly after the eye in the sword begs him to help. As if... someone else will somehow be there to explain to him what the hell is going on. No one.

He tips his head back to glance up again. Right now, he doesn't have a red eye himself, it's black, but he does have a purple one. This really screams Danger; unfortunately, he's always been big danger child.

Hopping to the high shelf is easy because he's a ninja, and he looks over the sword a moment before reaching out. He pauses briefly with his fingers hovering over the hilt, but then he grabs it firmly to try to wrestle it out with the help of some chakra.]

ii for balance

[souheki]

[HELLO DAD. Have one of your cultivator sons, who looks like his regular self again. He's got his guqin on his back, now, but it's wrapped; still, Hua Cheng can probably use his spirit-y powers to tell, somehow or another, that it's busted. Poor Wangji guqin.

But he greets Hua Cheng with his usual polite bow, wherever he might be. Hua Cheng will probably notice that he looks much happier, which--well. On Lan Wangji, means almost nothing, but hey. It's there, if you know what to look for.]

How are you faring?

[bywolves]

first.

[ hello, the space.

there's the sound of boxes and all sorts of goods being knocked down in notsco, today. a whole aisle just casually gets destroyed by a small, utterly furious royce, who doesn't make a sound. he just breaks things, whatever he can get his hands on, ripping bags, throwing glass containers and relishing the sound as they hit the floor. his breath is harsh and short, like he can't pull enough air in --

he remembers. he remembers why the hole in his heart felt bigger than normal. it was taken from him. and now he has it back, and what fucking good does that do him? what is the point? what is the point of giving this back to him? it should've just stayed gone. he can't breathe with it. it's too much, she was always too much. and now she's gone, and the hole in him feels insurmountable.

another glass shatters into a million pieces as royce throws it as hard as he can against a wall. ]

later.

[ it'll be a few hours, but eventually, he's in the airport, curled up in a chair. his cloak is wrapped around him like a blanket, and he's staring down at something small and glittery in his hand. it's a ring! and he's lost in thought. ]

[deadened]

[oh- that sound is bad, probably. wen ning's sword is at his side once more now that they're here, but he hasn't touched it; he's more worried this is someone in distress than he is concerned this is a threat. so he hurries toward that path of destruction, edges his way around debris along the way (only stumbling once or twice) before he finally catches sight of the source.

it feels like his heart stops, for just a moment, before he can even think to call out.]

Royce-- Royce!

[he's instantly alarmed, no longer caring if he steps in a mess or in broken glass along the way to him. the only important thing is making it there.]

Royce, w-what happened-?

LATER runs at royce fastly

[givethemhell]

[Well - he doesn't really run fastly so much as just sort of mosey in out of nowhere and plop down on a chair a few spaces away from where Royce is sat. There are a lot of lingering feelings from the world they'd left behind, and - maybe it's just him, but... the longer they travel from world to world, the harder it gets for him to separate himself from the versions of himself he becomes elsewhere.

Which is to say, he can still remember everything fresh as yesterday when he looks at Royce, human as he is now. Handing him the bird, the grief in his face when he was told of Wen Ning's death, being shoved into turtle hell. The warmth of his charm across his shoulders as they sat side by side, like brothers.

He doesn't sit in silence well though, and speaks pretty quickly.]

—Have you talked to him yet?

[lqg]

around the roads (fragment time)
[ not that liu qingge normally looks super inviting and nice, but today he's looking extra salty, his jaw tense and shoulders rigid. he doesn't seem to have any destination in mind, just kind of meandering around the different roads around the various buildings without going into them, lost in his own head, often pausing to look at his sword. like he expects it to tell him some kind of answer.

it doesn't though, qingge. it's a sword. he knows this, as he puts it back into his belt and grumbles to himself. ] Goddammit.


hot springs part 2
[ liu qingge wanders here too, looking to see the signs of what had happened, what the world had past, he thinks about hanging out by the hot springs but... guess he won't, actually.

feel free to join him as he goes to take out the last demon of kuon ]


wildcard.
[ meet me in the notsco parking lot for an ass kicking in thirty minutes

or, idk, i guess we can talk like a civilized person somewhere too :\ ]

meet me in the costco parking lot motherfucker

[huanhua]

[ upon waking up in the space, binghe has two thoughts. the first is not one, but two fragments that send him momentarily stumbling down a cliff of bad, bad memories that we'll address in another tag.

the second is how badly and desperately he needs to beat liu qingge's ass.

not only did that piece of shit bai zhan bastard try to separate him and shizun, but he also took his anger out on binghe. it's been a long time since anyone's taken any anger out on luo binghe in a way he couldn't handle, but the him of that world was fresh with demonic powers, still young, still learning. it wasn't his fault that he'd been gifted with such a thing--and as this binghe remembers a similar life, it hadn't been his own fault, either. in the face of someone like liu qingge, the white lotus of cang qiong was completely and utterly defenseless.

but there was a reason that luo binghe grew so much in the demonic abyss that he now remembers, where he fought and struggled and made his way out. he would not be that defenseless child again. it's time to teach liu qingge a proper lesson, and remind him who luo binghe really is.

in koun, the betrayal of it then stung. it's taking the place of another betrayal that he's misremembered entirely, though this one matches up with a world that binghe has never known. a cold, sneering person, pushing him down with no mercy, instead of jumping in on his own after injuring shizun. the anger that seethes in him at this action is not so explosive as it was when it was cursed; it's a low heat on simmer, something that could build into a far, far worse form of vengeance, if given time.

today it's just a costco parking lot smackdown though. binghe finds liu qingge easily, just outside of the notsco. he walks with a casual swagger, his hand on the zhengyang sword at his waist, but his expression is ice cold. ] Liu Qingge.

[ that's it, in manner of greeting.

(turns up the lil jon). ]

fragment!!

[souheki]

[Hello Liu Qingge! You look, uhhhh... troubled.

Lan Wangji's not so nosy that he won't back off, if asked, but it would be rude to ignore someone who might need help. He's practically a veteran at this interworldly travel thing by now, and if he can offer advice, then he will.

He approaches with his usual polite bow.] Are you alright?

[dianxias]

fragments one: the depressing option

[ well! that was more successful than their last large and strange world, wasn't it! what a refreshing feeling.

haha, not. xie lian returns back to the space and is nearly knocked off of his feet with the force of his new fragment. maybe it's lucky that it vanishes, because the memories are super not great. spin the wheel of despair and pick a book four memory and i'll be happy to write it out for you. ]

fragments two: the cuter option

[ the other fragment that's gone missing is a bit more troublesome.... missing memories are practically normal, at this rate, but if there's one thing xie lian would like to keep track of, it's the fragment he received last world. xie lian looks a bit less covered than usual as he's making his way through the notsco, scouring every aisle, and calling out -- ]

Ruoye...! [ his spiritual device has gone missing. again!

you may end up with a bandage wrapped around you in the space. hopefully it's feeling friendly. if not, xie lian can be found fussing around looking for it, muttering to himself. ] Honestly, when did this child become so disobedient... Have you run off with Chicken again? Ruoye, Ruoye....!

[ you can find said bandage wrapped around your arm, or maybe coiled at your feet, or even floating directly above your face, like it's checking you out or whatever other creative place you would like to find it. please reunite this lost ferret bandage with its owner. ]

carnival

[ the puppet shows are... actually quite funny. it reminds xie lian of the heavenly banquet at the autumn festival, where the believers of different gods put on plays about their lives.

xie lian's little puppet is a nice recreation of him. it looks a little pathetic, which he laughs about, but it has a big straw hat, and it totters around the stage. eventually, it runs into a red clothed puppet, and the story begins to unfold: it's of xie lian and hua cheng, chasing after some green ghost. this isn't something he remembers at all, and yet... people can be so creative...

the xie lian puppet is especially clumsy, played up greatly for comedic effect. that part's pretty normal--he's used to being ragged on, and he's sure the autumn festival when he returns will be much of the same. there's something weird, though... rather, the xie lian puppet keeps swooning and sighing and grabbing onto the hua cheng one. after a few minutes, this starts to get downright embarrassing, and he feels himself shrinking a little in his seat, cheeks turning red. what kind of a play do they think this is?

that's enough of that!!!! he doesn't try to stop it, but xie lian is going to go the opposite direction and skulk off in his mortification, going directly for one of the strange strength testing machines. yes. that looks distracting. ]

wildcard

[ ya already know. ]

frag 2 i'm so sorry ruoye forgive me

[goldenrepair]

[The irony is he needs a bandage, but not one of this kind. Jiang Cheng is looking... well, terribly worse for wear, odd considering most people who have come from the last world did not have a bad time at all.

He had a bad time, and he has had an even badder time coming back.

The topknot on his head isn't disheveled so much as the braids are a little out of place, the fringe a bit wild. The skin beneath his eyes is dark and sunken, like he hasn't slept for a few days, like he's exhausted.

The bandage is not having a great time either. It is currently being "strangled" by one of Jiang Cheng's fists in its attempt to politely accost him. His face is twisted into something angry; he's squeezing poor Ruoye as if it's something else entirely, eyes wild and unhinged and fiery.]

carnival,

[givethemhell]

[XIE LIAN DON'T RUN FROM THE PUPPET TRUTH!!!

Fortunately for him, Wei Wuxian no longer has the absolute terror of wings or the power of flight, which means he has to trot after him on foot when he nyooms away. Unfortunately, he's still fast and nimble, and he's leaning against the rail separating the strength game from the (at the moment nonexistent) crowd in just a few moments.

He's also looking amused as hell, but that's not unusual for him.]

Xie Lian! Is this a fun game? You look so enthralled!

wildcard/frag 2 kinda... why did i never thread w/u after koun dream week damn

[lqg]

[ time in koun felt like it passed too fast, faster than it should've. like the life of a higher power got absolutely nutso and nothing made sense anymore. weird how that happens.

anyway the point is that liu qingge finds xie lian running around looking very distraught, and it hits him he hasn't seen the man in too long. he frowns and makes his way over, ] What happened?

[unfriendliest]

i. fragments.

[ the choice is made, and every single plague that ran through koun passes through ookurikara's body at once. his vision goes dark though it all, and he stumbles to one knee, and by the time it fades...

...he is himself again. not a youkai, but a sword warrior once more. the draconic features have vanished, and the familiar tattoo is back on his arm, but kara... doesn't move. he remains on the ground, kneeling, using his sword to keep him from collapsing entirely as all of his memories come rushing back at once.

how could he forget? how could he forget? they'd fought so many battles together, served so many masters before he was taken from kara... and he'd never felt the same, after he was gone. and then all the others had left, too - he was only the beginning.

the memories themselves, lost in the space, are wide and varied - sometimes ookurikara is a sword, wielded by his master alongside a tachi named shokudaikiri mitsutada. there are times when date masamune takes them both into battle, or their spirits have to say goodbye at the castle before their master rides off. sometimes they are sword warriors, wielding their own blades as they fight the corrupted swords of the history revisionists. or maybe they're doing chores in a citadel, cooking meals or tending the gardens, or celebrating silly things like changing seasons, or sharing sake for new year's.

it's all so much at once. maybe kara is grateful to lose those fragments again. at least that way, it doesn't have to hurt when he remembers that he's still alone. ]

ii. food court.

[ sometime after he's risen shakily from the ground, kara makes his way to the food court. predictable, maybe, after running a restaurant in the previous world. if you're hungry, come eat! today, he's making mitsutada's specialty: udon, with some zunda mochi for dessert!

oh, and if you're paying attention - you might notice that ookurikara doesn't have his usual gold, sanskrit symbol necklace anymore. in its place is a simple, silver necklace. weird! ]

wildcard.

[ come at me ]

ii

[dianxias]

[ what a fun and not awkward return, right? what a great world, with nothing strange going on!

after returning from koun, xie lian didn't seek ookurikara out immediately. their conversation towards the end presses still on his memory, and he's willing to give him some space, at least for a little while. it's not like montevallo, one great big explosion--it ended with warmth, with the promise of hope and happiness for the people of koun, and those are the things he chooses to focus on first.

...but eventually, the smell of food lures a xie lian, tired from fragments returned to him just as fiercely, reunited with ruoye, in from the notsco. he enters quietly, stopping when he spots ookurikara's back, and then knocks his fist gently against the side of the doorframe in greeting. ]

dusts off frac

[supremity]

[ "What's Hua Cheng been doing while everyone has been OOCly getting murdered, trying to avoid being murdered, and working to solve murders?"

Preparing for Xie Lian's birthday, obviously.

This day comes around, and anyone that was around for the world before last will find that this is a very familiar sight - extra, extravagant, and extremely well thought out. To say that the ghost king took advantage of the fact Notsco only "sells" in bulk would probably be an understatement, because he went to town with everything that was available to him. Exiting the store to open and sort through things is very little trouble to him in the grand scheme, so, lo -

Decorations. Red sheets and curtains used to bring out color, shelves and ceiling supports draped artfully, white flowers (real and expertly crafted paper ones alike) literally everywhere. Pops of gold accent everything, seen in streamers and patterns painted on both paper and fabric, party confetti utilized in various harmless ways. (And some more shitty, as some people might discover that he's hidden confetti bombs where you least expect it - congrats on the glitter exploding in your face!) Numerous butterflies are easy to find in the store, silvery lights that come and go - almost like they're patrolling, or guarding the decorations, fluttering on silent wings with little interest in anyone nearby.

The shrine that was started, before Hua Cheng arrived, has been given this special treatment as well. There's no trickery, there, but it's been beefed up and has a special place for incense and offerings, a plate of fresh bao already set on the humble alter. There's no place to sit or kneel to pay respects or pray to the deity of the shrine, as that's not his style at all, but...

There is a massive, beautiful portrait of a certain someone.

No signage can be found, but not for lack of trying. In the end, it was better to just leave a single cupcake with a candle lit in the center on the alter to indicate exactly what this is about.

Happy birthday, Dianxia. ]