[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

[givethemhell]

Mm, let's!

[AWAAAY to the... barren tundra of the tarmac, where they will absolutely not find 2B. RIP.

He glances over at the question though, curious.]

I'm a human, yes. A cultivator, but a human! [This is debatable.] What's a Burnish?

[crudest]

[There's the obvious "Ghk" of discomfort when her elbow smacks into him - but then there's the way that his brain works too fast at the words that she offers him. Then he takes inventory of her - her clothes, her height, her earrings, and then his own. Modern clothes, missing his earrings, his hair's the same but, but.

Got back? Where did we go? Sakichi was involved? What is she talking about—

Which home?

His heart stutters in his chest painfully as he realizes there's once again a gap between his understanding and Okuni's - which is familiar in its own way. In a way that he hates. In a way that he thought they'd finally overcome because if they were in a new weird space, at least they were together, but.]

... what do you remember last?

What did I make for dinner last night?

[suddenlybees]

[ Timelines don't exist anywhere else but at Cetana, yeah. ]

No, no, not like that~ Everybody who travels is a traveler in a way, aren't they? Whether it's on foot or by plane or trekking the world by pogo stick! 'sides, there's nothing forcing people on the trains. You're free to go as you please, however you please~

[crudest]

Well that'd be way too easy - they might as well be in a situation where they're forced to learn! We can put legos all over the floor so that if they fall, they'll pay the price. That's incentive to get better!

[oR YOU'LL SKATE RIGHT OVER THE LEGOS]

[crudest]

[Not veggies, fruits, or nuts.

Yeah, duh. But Baren will at least look interested at that, watching the energy appear and then disappear - ]

Corpses?

So you think a zombie shot somebody outside?

[deadened]

[WELL. Wen Ning doesn't know what a train is, or what train tracks are, so he allows this to happen? He has no idea why Kano is positioning them over this... metal construction...]

Wait for a-- a what?

[A train, which helpfully shows up as he asks that!

And, as a ye olde who has never seen a metal machine this size and has no idea what the living fuck is barreling their way... Wen Ning lets out a startled little yelp and just runs, scrambling to get away from the tracks before it arrives.

...this ends in him stumbling over the chains in his panic and falling flat on the ground several steps away, but he tried.]

[crudest]

[The "Just shut up" just tells him that he's winning.

Being annoying is a competition and Baren is a five-time national champion.]

Actually! It's the answer to all of our problems, you know? Not that you're being any help at all in that regard.

What a shame....

[goldenrepair]

[Can't believe fucking Lan Wangji is scandalized by his FUCK! but not his own FUCK! That's so rude? GusuLans.... Sheesh.]

I... Why are you asking?!

[Both of his eyes narrow. It's a simple question with a simple answer, but the fact it's having to be asked at all is... strange. About as strange as the idea of them being able to hear other people's thoughts sporadically. Or, you know, Lan Wangji, of all people, heartily yelling FUCK about seeing him?! WOW, HE'S STILL OFFENDED BY THIS.]

Guanyin Temple. I was going in the doors, and then... I was here.

[givethemhell]

[IF THEY FALL THEY'LL GOUGE THEIR EYES OUT WITH TINY LITTLE COLORFUL PLASTIC CUBES, THAT'S TERRIBLE.]

Not sure what that is! [Cheerfully...] But any incentive to get better is a good one, so that sounds fine by me. Maybe we could grease the floor, too? So they know how to skate through rough terrain!

[Now he just wants people to fucking perish.]

[crudest]

If you pick some up, I'll tell you.

[c'mooooOOOOONNNN]

Or else it's my secret forever!

[crudest]

[ . . .

Baren just. Waves a hand.]

I must've been mistaken, no way it's a trick, go repair your train and your dragon, kid.

[bywolves]

I'd ask how that's possible but I really don't want to give you more opportunities to speak.

[ Okay, but now it's starting to get Worrying. There's no way he's climbing all the way up here to just share a pretzel. There has to be some sort of reason. Did Royce piss this guy off somehow? He kind of... vaguely is dressed like the kid from the store. More like the guy that was insisting curses are real. Are they part of a gang, and Royce is their first target?

There's no way it's this innocent. Wei Wuxian is trying to catch Royce off guard by acting like an idiot, clearly. Royce stares down at him, shifting into a more tense perch. He refuses to be yeeted off this building. ]

[crudest]

Oh, that won't be hard to find, I saw a vat of gravy when I was walking around earlier.

[He puts his mouth on the kazoo again to make a triumphant little victory buzz with it.]

Sounds like a party to me.

[P...... PARTY SATAN]

[souheki]

Most likely. But we cannot say for sure, yet.

[That's pretty much the same conclusion he came to, but the whole "getting dumped in a new world" thing has only happened once, so he doesn't want to accidentally lead anyone astray.]

[deadened]

[please do call him a kid so he can tell royce his actual age because that'll be as fun as learning he's actually tall, tbh.]

I-I do! I won't... I won't cause you any trouble, um-

[Oh no, he doesn't know his name. Wen Ning stops short there, so that he can give Royce a proper little bow.]

--my apologies. I never introduced myself, did I... Wen Ning, courtesy name Quionglin. Though n-nobody really uses it.

[foodbin]

If you want to go and get them, I can't stop you!

[Until then, she's just here being Stubborn.]

[glooming]

[ Why would a trash lid be hers? She's dealt with strange people. She knows many strange people, but somehow, the people here are... Very strange....

She shakes her head. ]

It's the public's.

[deadened]

Ah- y-you could hear that? What a strange effect...

[His hand is still at his heart, where it hasn't left the emblem yet, and he takes a moment to evaluate before he nods.]

It's better, now.

[And after a moment, he focuses a little, with another thought: Does this work intentionally, as well?]

[goldenrepair]

[Stop putting THE HOOD up, he's TALKING TO YOU.] Yunmeng is a city! [HIS HOME.]

I've heard others, but I have no curse. [Not one on his body, that is. He does motion to his sash.] This is not something I had before. [The crown.]

[suddenlybees]

I'm a train mechanic, but I'm not dragon fixer! You know how to fix a dragon? Got one that's touched in the head a bit...

[ But yeah, he is prepared to walk out and immediately get gunned down by whatever's out there, but he's not going to do it on an empty stomach. I have never been to a bar in my life so I have no idea what it's like BUT something something bar nuts, and Kano grabs a handful of cashews to stuff in his pocket so he can die on a full stomach. ]

[osuni]

[im in tears okuni now has someone her size she can bully and he's her brother's boyfriend

She does pause in rolling her sleeves though, because now it's her turn to be visibly confused. She really did think she had Chuuya's number here -- a THIEF -- but a thief who'd pretend not to know Baren would not think he remembered her, unless he was like

very bad at being a thief.]

There's no point in asking me. I don't remember anyone unless they're impressively foolish, vaguely interesting, or sufficiently useful.

[Okuni follows that up with a and unless they're from Oumi, and I would absolutely remember a dog like that in the village. Then, she frowns, because clearly there is some like -- weird mind reading thing going on, or whatever?? there are thoughts she can hear from Chuuya? She'd feel exhausted if she wasn't so focused on Chuuya's EARRINGS]

That is... Unless you're one of those? You know, those strangers that follow my brother and me around for shameful reasons.

[is chuuya a Stalker? maybe he has like... a twin fetish. That would explain everything.]

[suddenlybees]

[ If they let this opportunity go, they'll have to somehow run fast enough to cut the train off and who knows where it's stopping next, so it's time to move fast.

Before the train gets the chance to pass, Kano grabs the other end of the chains and tries to pull them back over to the other side of the tracks so they're laying across them again. ]

Don't move, okay! Just lie right there! Or— your hair- well. It's okay, it's okay, stay right there!

[ He is going to hope Wen Ning's hair doesn't get caught up in the train wheels, and also that he doesn't get up and try to run again, because that would mean pulling Kano along right over the tracks while the train comes barreling along. ]

[glooming]

[ He's so bright and cheerful, so sure of himself. It's almost like—

.... ]

How do you know?

[ That they'll be fine as long as they can do something. ]

[goldenrepair]

[CLOSES MY EYES INTENSELY

So this doesn't scare the bejeezus out of Jiang Cheng so much as it... sort of startles him? He's, like, extra shocked because in the matter of literally seconds, the entire section of this fucking aisle just descends around him. Sword can't even get a quarter of the way unsheathed.]

Are you a damn lunat--?!

[He's drowned in odds-and-ends of Halloween. Cauldrons, plastic and fuzzy spider decorations, a ripped open packet of gooey eyeballs. Instantly, he sits directly up in the middle of the chaos.] Get up!! [He starts digging through the mess for the other person.] I'll kill--!

[The bust he pulls out of the destruction really does scare him. Without any hesitation whatsoever, he shoves Wei Wuxian right back down into the everything and covers him back up.]

[givethemhell]

[FUCKIN PARTY SATAN. Wei Wuxian claps his hands together once, looking far too pleased with all of this.]

We should be able to find enough rollerblades for everyone here! You can only grab things in ridiculous numbers or if they're huge.

[It's a very funny store... But it works in their favor here!]