[mingle] the space (january).

[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?

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.

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.

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. 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

[deadened]

[He takes a seat as directed, quietly marveling at how comfortable it is... it's been a long time since he could enjoy simple things like that, and Wen Ning spends a moment just... running his hand over the fabric of it, though he's still listening.

-he definitely flinches slightly at the mention of being told what else happened around that time because YES, A CERTAIN SOMEONE DEFINITELY SAID CERTAIN THINGS... but he also doesn't look up at that question, biting his lip.]

I-I know that I didn't go alone, but... I don't know who it was. I can't... think of who else would have been there. None of the others should have...

[-oh. The mention of the others reminds him, and his eyes fly wide open abruptly as he reaches for his shirt, pats the fabric of his clothes, seeking something out-- but he exhales a relieved breath when he pulls out a few pouches, just casually using the hole in his clothes to do so.

They're still here, at least. Good. Maybe they should also add finding him some sort of bag to the shopping list so he's not just wandering around with these in his eventual sweater.]

[rateup]

[ itaru looks up from his phone, tilting his head at the boy. ]

Where exactly are we going? Don't really remember an announcement going off.

[rateup]

[ 200 AD's practically the stone age, but itaru will take all the help he can get here. ]

A powerbank. And a phone charger too if available, I just need to plug this up ASAP before it dies on me.

[ are there even any sockets to plug into? ugh, imagine living in a world without electricity at all. can't be him! ]

[givethemhell]

[Wow literally everything about this is sad, from the way Wen Ning touches the fabric of the hammock to the fact that he forgot his WHOLEASS SISTER to the bags he pulls out of his clothes from the hole in his shirt that was probably also through his gut at one point.

Wei Wuxian will probably suggest something for him to place those in soon enough himself, but first! Fun times ahead! They're about to find out exactly what happens when someone who knows a thing another person forgot tries to remind them of it. He carefully looks Wen Ning over while he talks, paying attention to his expressions, his body language.]

Your sister, Wen Qing. The two of you were asked to turn yourselves over together.

[deadened]

--what?

[All he gets from watching Wen Ning's expression is a blank sort of confusion, before he frowns slightly and reaches up to uncertainly touch one of his ears.]

I can't-- I didn't understand you... d-do you think there might be something wrong with my hearing?

[givethemhell]

[Haha oh boy does that suck. He can't even give Wen Ning a head's up... He doesn't bother trying a second time, simply reaching out to gently clap a hand on his shoulder, a complicated look on his face.]

It's not you - it's this place, most likely. I'd say we've just run into one of your missing pieces, but it seems you'll have to rediscover it on your own. [Bad!]

You're probably missing a few other things, too.

[He doesn't even yet consider that his fuckin corpseness might be one of them because CLEARLY THAT'S NOT SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO LOSE, so much as being alive is something important to gain. He thinks he gained Chenqing outta nowhere so he assumes? Something similar-ish may be happening here??]

[givethemhell]

[What the heck is an ASAP. Questions for another time, maybe. For now, he waves a hand vaguely off to the right before starting in that direction, gesturing for this poor man to follow.]

I don't know what a power bank is, but there may be some chargers over where they keep the DVD players.

[Maybe, but still no wall sockets, probably! Wow Itaru is going to suffer.]

So you know, I doubt you'll be able to use it here. There isn't really anyone to call.

[deadened]

I-I'll try to.

[That comes with a small nod; this time the hand on his shoulder is a little more reassuring than startling, and he lets out a slightly shaky breath. Now that the initial panic has faded, everything is settling in more-- his newly-alive status, the reality of being in this place-- and he doesn't pull away from that contact.]

Oh... but I don't think that you don't remember my injury because of this place, young master. [Wen Ning glances up to him there, pausing briefly, looking slightly uncertain.] About what you said you remembered-- I... I think I must be ahead of you both.

[givethemhell]

[rip Wen Ning, hopefully he enjoys his 5 seconds of peace.]

Is that so? Let me guess, then; that scar of yours is from some sort of scuffle with our dear Sect Leader Jin himself - or something involving him, at least. I can't imagine it would have been much longer before our paths crossed.

[This stupid asshole and his one braincell that he only uses for things like this when he should be using it to read the room and not put his Wen Nings in flamingo shirts. OR DO THIS:]

Speaking of - take off your clothes, would you? Let me have a look.

[rateup]

[ can we get a bug fat F on the hypothetical chat here. ]

Oh, I'm not using it to call anyone right now. It just makes me feel at ease knowing that I still have something from home on me while I'm here. That's why I need a powerbank so that I can charge on the go.

[ because he can't really say "i wanna keep my phone charged to keep myself entertained with the 2834737853 mobage i have while i'm here" without sounding like a complete no-life. good thing he can adlib like a champ from all the acting training back home. ]

[deadened]

[He nods in affirmation, but before he can say anything else to explain... well.

Wei Wuxian tells him to fuckin strip, and his eyes go wide as he tries to scramble back a little, another thought slipping out. Th-that was one thing when I was a corpse, but now--!

He's alive and he can't just go around taking anything off in public! This is still a store! What if someone were to walk by!!

...unfortunately for Wen Ning, in his attempt to shift back and away from Wei Wuxian, he just tips backwards right off the hammock bench they're on. Good thing he was still holding those pouches close, so they don't go rolling off-- but he is definitely now a heap of limbs, fabric, and chains on the floor. Rip.]

[givethemhell]

[OH WEN NING AND HIS SILLY SENSE OF PROPRIETY... He's amused by the thought he picks up on if only because he interprets it as "MY TINY LIVING PERSON DIGNITIES" basically, but then THERE HE GOES. Wei Wuxian squawks in surprise and tries to grab him but misses like a fool.]

Wen Ning—! [GOD. With a huff he stands and moves to help this poor fool back up.] Stop that! We don't know how well you're being held together, you know? You may be delicate!

[AS IF IT'S WEN NING'S FAULT.]

[deadened]

I-I don't feel too delicate...

[He looks apologetic as Wei Wuxian helps pull him back up, though, and he gently sets the pouches aside this time, somewhere they'll be safe if Wei Wuxian decides to startle him like that again.]

-mm. No more delicate than... a normal person, I mean.

[Wen Ning definitely doesn't have the sturdiness that comes from being a fierce corpse, anymore-- he'll be injured just as easily as he used to be-- but he doesn't really think he feels weaker than he should.

He is still not taking off his clothes though, no thank you, please spare his life.]

[givethemhell]

[HIS RELATIVES HAVE SUFFERED ENOUGH...]

Normal people are very delicate. [He can't even be like I WOULD KNOW because even as a normal person he walked off being disemboweled. It's fine.

Also Wen Ning absolutely is not being spared! That'd be too easy.]

At least waist-up! I want to see that scar.

[givethemhell]

[He is probably one of the best people in this entire place to confess that to, since he'll have absolutely no fuckin clue what Itaru is talking about.]

I see, I see! A powerbank lets you do that? Haha, technology really is something else.

[WILD... The future is a truly unbelievable place with light-up heelies and Ghostbusters.]

Will you be fine if we don't find a powerbank or charger, though? Ah - that's another thing. If we do find them, you probably won't be able to leave without taking a lot with you. People usually just hand out their extras.

[The curse of Bulk Notsco, where everything is either inhumanly huge or comes in obnoxiously large quantities.]

[deadened]

Isn't there anywhere else...?

[...but he really can't protest against Wei Wuxian for too long, and it seems like they're alone in this section right now, and what if he gets this over with before anyone has a chance to arrive--

So he reluctantly sheds the shirt, at least, fumbling with the chains as he does, though he holds it in his arms like he's ready to cover himself with it again at a moment's notice.

It's not just that one scar on his body, though it is the most noticeable-- it's large enough for something to have punched through his chest (Wei Wuxian wasn't wrong on that guess), and is currently a roundish mess of scar tissue, with a matching scar on his back. Beyond that, Wei Wuxian likely recognizes other wounds: scars from his corpse self that were incapable of healing on their own, some more scarring around various joints of his arms where they'd detached and been put back into place.]

[givethemhell]

It's fine, it's fine! Hardly anyone wanders back this way.

[And if they do WEN NING CAN JUST PERISH. Wow he's no help at all - especially since he's immediately dropping into what Wen Ning will probably recognize as his "I have something I'm focusing on now, goodbye" mode.

He carefully looks over the scarring, lifts Wen Ning's arms up one at a time, holds his hands and gently flexes each at the elbow and wrist. He holds them out straight, rotates the shoulders, pulls them forward and then up. When he moves to his back, he presses two fingers against the scar tissue there. WHO IN THE FCK PUT A HOLE IN HIS ZOMBIE...]

You can feel all of that? Any pain, soreness, stiffness?

[Though beginning at "pain", it's overlapped by the thought: I've never seen anything like this...]

[rateup]

[ yeah, the 2010's is a Lot. though he kind of blinks at that other bit of information he doesn't know. ]

So we don't even get unlimited storage space while we're here? That's kinda lame.

[ like what's the point if looting if you just give the extras away, smh! ]

But yeah, technology is amazing like that. From my world, at least. Pretty sure there are others here who are more advanced that I am.

[deadened]

I- yes. I can feel it.

[Except for being able to feel Wei Wuxian's touch and the sensation of air against his skin, this is all familiar, from the focus to the motions. He could almost pretend it's exactly as it used to be, really.

The thought he catches isn't really surprising, considering that he's never heard anything about a way to return a dead body to life; he just hopes maybe Wei Wuxian can find a hint or two, though he's distracted from his own thoughts as the scar tissue's touched, shifting a little.]

It feels strange, there, but w-with such an injury...

[It only makes sense that even on a living body, there'd be discomfort from it. He glances down-- and pauses as he catches sight of some color? Because I, A FOOL, forgot I was putting his faction symbol over his heart... so there's a coat of arms symbol there, a shield with a divided white and red background. On the red part of the field there's a bundle of arrows, and on the white side there are two suns.]

What is--?

IIb

[bakaomi]

[ i hate you

unfortunately, that does catch his attention even if he's just ????

about it ]

What.

i

[bakaomi]

[ huh

he actually looks surprised for a second, but he shakes it off and walks over. ]

There won't ever be enough caffeine.

i

[bakaomi]

[ taka was just walking by, not really paying any attention to itaru

except then he hears what he says, and it makes him stop walking. because now he's laughing. ]

Isekai'd?!

airport

[bakaomi]

[ taka doesn't answer right away?

although once it becomes apparent no one else is going to answer, since they're the only ones around, he sighs ]

Isn't it for Christmas?

[rateup]

[ you know what, this isn't the first time he gets laughed at by a 15 year old, so he's just going to take this in stride. ]

Well? Am I wrong?

2

[bakaomi]

Huh? No.

[ taka doesn't take pictures with people wtf...

but he'll walk over to look and. why is that him. he shakes his head. ]

Annoying...