[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

[wisterin]

[ How sweet of him to think of her as the law.

He may or may find out soon because he's trying so hard to run away while not running away, and for every step back he takes, she doesn't take a step forward but her snowball gets just that. More. Compact. It's going to hurt. :) ]

If you would accept your punishment with grace, this will be over as soon as you can blink. That's how I'll know your apology is sincere.

[ Doesn't he want her to know he's sincere? ]

[givethemhell]

[WOW HE'S REALLY JUST SIGNING HIS OWN DEATH WARRANT HERE.]

—I'm going to give a nice, sincere apology from over there!!

[AND HE'S OFF, turning on his heel and booking it in the opposite direction. What is grace! He doesn't know her!! He only knows fleeing so you don't get destroyed by Shinobu's super-compact iceballs.]

[wisterin]

[ Wei Wuxian out here picking the more difficult route. IF he had stayed still, she would have only pressed the snowball against his cheek. Now, she chases.

The more trouble she has to go through, the more dangerous it gets for other people. Does cultivation give him super speed? ]

What a pity, what a pity! I wasn't going to do anything terrible. My life's mission is to help people.

[givethemhell]

[IT DOES NOT HE'S JUST RUNNING LIKE A NORMAL HUMAN. Well. Like a very dramatic human, considering he's waving his arms wildly and yelling like literal hell is at his heels. Which honestly might not be far from the truth! Shinobu is terrifying.]

If your mission in life is to help people, then you should help me right now! The only person here who needs help is me!!

[wisterin]

[ That's unfortunate since Shinobu is speedy. Superhuman speedy. She sprints after him like she's taking a dainty and quaint stroll through a park, smile firmly in place on her lips. ]

I would love to help you, but you'd have to stay still for me to help! [ She claps her hands together. Wow, that just makes her snowball even smaller. Haha. ] Ah! Let me help you with that, too.

[ Incoming compacted snowball at his feet!!

She hopes he trips and falls. ]

[givethemhell]

[CHRIST HE'S GONNA DIE yeah the snowball absolutely hits his feet and he goes sprawling into the ankle-deep snow with an inelegant squawk. As he USELESSLY TRIES TO SCRAMBLE TO SAFETY:]

MERCY!! Mercy, mercy—!! I changed my mind! I don't need help after all!! I'm actually so far from needing help that I should be the one helping other people!!

[wisterin]

[ Uselessly is right because when he falls, she takes a leap to jump on him—onto his back.

Stay down, please. ]

Oh, good! If you want to help other people, you can help me. Please stay still for my sake and yours.

[ There's nothing but cheer in her voice. ]

[givethemhell]

[HE JUST SHRIEKS AGAIN, BUT LOUDER THIS TIME.]

What do you even need help with!! I can't hide my own body—!!

[Does it count as staying still if he's at least not flipping around like a maniac, even if he is still absolutely trying to roll away...]

[wisterin]

[ For some reason, she didn't think he was this much of a coward? She's not that scary, is she? ]

You could help me by keeping your voice down and correcting your thinking. I don't kill anyone that's not a human-eating demon.

[ She built an entire estate to treat injured people? ]

Is there something you'd like to tell me about yourself?

[ If he's so quick to think she's going to murder him. ]

[givethemhell]

[She is TERRIFYING and he will ABSOLUTELY take EVERY CHANCE HE CAN TO RUN FAR FROM TERRIFYING PEOPLE and it's definitely not because being this much of a giant ham is ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS, not at all.]

Ugh... I can't tell if you're being serious or not! But you know, if you really hunt demons, then we have similar jobs and you should give me a coworker discount! I'll take the discount in the form of not being buried in the snow and left for the wolves.

[He's been in one (1) modern world and he's already using his new knowledge like a goblin.]

[wisterin]

[ Yes, yes, because when they were talking about swords and the like, he totally seemed like he'd be scared of her.

She laughs, crouching on top of him because she's definitely terrifying and not because it's funny. (It's both.) She shifts, so she's sitting directly on his back. If he still wants to crawl away with her on his back, she'll do her best to keep her balance. ]

You're such a quick learner! I'm so impressed. I'd be more impressed, if you learned that I don't hate you to that extent. Are you going out of your way to be annoying?

[givethemhell]

[Can't believe Wei Wuxian has the chance to be Shinobu's gallant steed and he just wastes it by collapsing bonelessly into the snow instead.]

"To that extent"...! Meaning you hate me to some extent! And here I thought we had bonded over a mutual enjoyment of hot chocolate all those weeks ago...

[WOE, TO BE FORSAKEN. (He's absolutely going out of his way to be annoying.)]

Fine! I'll accept my punishment! Just remember me kindly and I'll be satisfied with that.

[wisterin]

I liked you more when you were doing all you could to help people, not acting like some pitiful soul I should stab to death.

[ She says that so sweetly and even leans over to pat him on the head. ]

I'm going to stand up, and you're going to flip onto your back, all right?

[ She hops to her feet. ]

[givethemhell]

You can't say something like that with such a kind face! It's completely at odds, you know.

[As if that isn't her WHOLE SCHTICK... But with a defeated sigh, he rolls over and tosses his arm dramatically over his forehead. GOODBYE, CRUEL WORLD.]

Someone had better burn me paper money after this—!

[wisterin]

If I can't smile and say what I'd like to say, then you can't act like you're about to die when you're not.

[ It's only fair, you know?

She picks up a handful of snow. ]

Please open your eyes and pay your respects to me.

[ Didn't she just say he wasn't about to die? ]

[givethemhell]

Didn't you just say I wasn't about to die?

[HE'LL JUST VOICE THOSE BRACKETS. And while he does pull his arm away from his eyes, he does not have any respects to pay to her just yet.]

If I should be paying respects to anyone right now, it should be the goddess of mercy. [Cupping his hand around his mouth and YELLING AT THE SKY:] If you're listening, I could really use some help now! I'll light incense at your altar every day for the next month if you spare me a crumb of compassion!

[wisterin]

[ Doesn't he know it's her mercy he should be praying for? After all, if there were going to be divine intervention, wouldn't it have happened already?

Shinobu's smile is firmly in place, and she holds her hands directly above Wei Wuxian's face before dropping all that snow over him, a light powdery snow fall instead of a hard snowball.

It's a slice of compassion. ]

As I said, you aren't going to die. All you had to do was stand before me and apologize, Wei-san. Does it make you feel better to cause trouble for others?

[givethemhell]

[A SLICE OF COMPASSION... He's grateful in this moment to only be a demonic cultivator and not a demon. Joking around is all well and good but BOY he wouldn't want Shinobu as a legitimate enemy.]

Ah... I see! I'm not very much a fan of thank yous or sorries, but I can spare one for you. [A sorry in jest for this entire stupid shenanigan festival, god.

As for the question, with a shameless grin:] I have been told by more than a few people that I seem to cause trouble wherever I go, somehow! How strange.

[wisterin]

[ As if Wei Wuxian with his protag energy wouldn't be able to take Shinobu down.

But what he says is curious, and she crouches down next to him, angling her head to look directly at him. ]

How strange of you to act like you don't know how you behave. Why don't you care for thank you or sorry? Where is the harm?

[ She assumes he must have had some kind of experience because for all the trouble he causes and grief he gives, she can tell he has a good heart when it matters. ]

[givethemhell]

[LOOK protag energy isn't all-powerful...

Also god she sure does like just being there, existing in people's spaces. Sharing bubbles. He's careful not to whack her as he throws his arm dramatically across his forehead yet again!]

Words of ill omen! People say them, bad things happen!

[He says it lightly but, haha. Sometimes it really be like that.]

But it's true that there are some situations where you have to spit them out no matter what. I hope the most gracious maiden Shinobu can forgive a poor, humble, well-meaning man whose snowball happened to slip from his hand...?

[Just bury him under 50 feet of snow and leave him to perish.]

[wisterin]

[ presses x to doubt

She smiles at his controlled theatrics even though she was prepared to dodge any histrionics. ]

I'll forgive you if you'll consider telling me a story or two about what's turned you away from polite words said in polite company.

[ If only there were 50 feet of snow to bury him with. ]

[givethemhell]

[IF ONLY INDEED, IT'S WHAT HE DESERVES.]

Of course! I'll start with the worst one - I said "thank you" to a vendor for sparing me by giving me some potatoes that hadn't sprouted yet. All well and good, right? Even though I'd been fighting for those potatoes without sprouts for so long. An entire hour, practically! But that's neither here nor there. Anyway, long story short, I went home and cut open those potatoes and... they were all rotten! Every single one! How's that for a curse? Awful!

[HE'S SO TORN UP OVER HIS POTATOES and dramatically rolls to his side.]

[wisterin]

[ Still smiling, she straightens and offers him a hand. ]

Please stand up. If you stay in the snow too long, you'll get sick.

[ Is she ignoring his potato story? Unfortunately, after a pause, she adds: ]

It's only a curse if that happens multiple times.

[givethemhell]

[He'll reach out to take her hand, standing back up and patting away any snow that hasn't just melted all over him by this point. God.]

Yes, yes - it happened many times! Almost every single time I got potatoes from that vendor! In hindsight, I probably should have gone to a different vendor after the second or third flopped batch...

[Woe is he, doomed to bad potatoes forever.]

[wisterin]

In hindsight, that vendor didn't like you.

[ That seems like the most straightforward reason for his potato woes. ]

Or that seller doesn't have any pride in his goods.