[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

[doublesmall]

I think they'd suffocate if we did.

[but. he pauses, after a second, and-]

What if it were hollowed out, though...

[doublesmall]

I have no idea, all right? I don't even know how I met you, just that I did, but you-- looked a little different, I think.

[There's a longer pause, there, before he exhales a sigh.]

This is going to sound fucking crazy, but I might have known a different version of you. The place I came from-- it was modern, but a lot of us remembered other lives we'd lived. Other worlds we lived in. So there's... a pretty good chance I met that life's version of you.

[It sounds wild, he knows, but he also sounds entirely serious as he explains all of that.]

That doesn't explain the earrings, but- fuck, I don't know, maybe it's some weird coincidence and they weren't even your brother's.

this is such a villainous thing to say iM LOSING MY MIND

[osuni]

[Sengoku era? Modern time? Reincarnation? Okuni can't understand the specifics, but she feels like she's gaining a clearer picture of this overall situation. Helped immensely by certain details she's finally noticing: his clothing (nothing like hers, but similar to a few others), the empty piercings in his ears --

They were really a gift -- ?

But that situation isn't as important as the one unfolding in front of her now, Baren with a look in his eyes and heavy note in his voice that she rarely ever hears from him, her dependable younger brother. Her hand immediately reaches out to grip his, and for a moment they're children trying to come to terms with the world yet again.]

I hear you. You're Baren. [Said in a sort of matter-of-fact way one would say 'the sky is blue', even if this is reincarnated Baren who apparently has someone out there he's given his earrings to, it's Baren.] There's absolutely no way I wouldn't believe you.

[hearing him say that single 'I'll be okay' hurts her more deeply than anything else -- just the idea that Baren isn't okay or that he's enduring a burden that she can't clearly see hurts.]

I'm here to listen to whatever you want to say. Tell me everything.

[said softly, instead of in her usual demanding tone of voice,]

[ittoryu]

Ah, meat would be wonderful. I haven't seen anything for cooking yet, though.

[ittoryu]

Really? Might I ask what they are?

[ittoryu]

[yeah uh]

I believe it'll be on my count no matter what, my friend!

[ittoryu]

[he laughs again.]

Perhaps! But this is how I've always lived.

[he has no sense of shame.]

[ittoryu]

See you around, Chigasaki Itaru of Spring Troupe!

[what the fuck does gg mean, he doesn't know]

[ittoryu]

I haven't seen one...

[descried]

Getting permanently lost in a grocery store would be pretty sad... All right, let's go.

[descried]

I dunno, you could pass off as the rival character who exists to get one-upped by the actual heroine.

[descried]

Oh. Um, thanks I guess. You don't think this is a little too many, though?

[descried]

Wasn't exactly on purpose...

[descried]

That's the most ominous response I've ever heard.

[descried]

Aren't people going stir-crazy here?

[bakaomi]

You must be incomprehensible to so many people.

[ ok sorry he just

had to comment on it ]

[bakaomi]

Some of them... if you see decorated trees, those usually are where he's supposed to leave the gifts.

The mistletoe is for kissing under if you go under it with someone.

[bakaomi]

Probably?

[ does taka look like someone who asks other people how they're feeling ]

[rateup]

[ no, it's only fair ]

So's the marble slab that's encouraging murder. But you still get what I'm trying to say, right?

[rateup]

I'm not really picky, but... If I were to choose, I'd be a Knight. Knights are pretty cool.

[ thanks, 9S. itaru looks at his forearms and even peeks into his shirt if there's anything on his chest, but a burning sensation on his right bicep makes him roll up a sleeve and reveal a tattoo of an 8-bit crown. ]

...Huh.

[bakaomi]

A lot of thought we were actually from there? It was like our memories were changed.

[ very concerning ]

When we came back here, we went back to normal though.

[bakaomi]

Not o this exact situation...?

[ this has been less stabby it's kind of nice in comparison ]

[descried]

[butthead]

Containing a bunch of people who may or may not have somewhere else to be sounds like a recipe for disaster. It might be a fancy prison, but it's still forced containment.

[bakaomi]

It looks like playing.

[ :/ ]

[bakaomi]

Uh huh.

[ he's a 15 year old who uses the internet and plays games, of course he understands ]

Hopefully you're also not encouraging murder, at least.