⇨ THE LUNAR SOLSTICE

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: Winter Breaks: Day 6 - Day 25
Where: THE MOON
What: The carnival journeys to one of its moons to celebrate the Lunar Solstice. More information here.
Warnings: Winter fun.

MOON WALKING↴ The journey to the moon only takes a blink of an eye, but it leaves the carnival far away beneath you. The second moon can be seen on the peripheral, massive compared to its usual view. At least when the holidays start out, there will be no notable wildlife on the moon, though this is something you can talk to the Ringmaster about if you think it needs a change. It sounds like this is the first time she's used it in quite a while - it probably needs some dusting off! Claim your cabins, and proceed to... well, do whatever you want! There is no rush and little obligation, besides to enjoy yourself. For real, this time. She promises there will be no vampires. Or, at least, none that don't already work for the carnival. ► CABINS: Living arrangements are character choice for this event, and there are a variety of cabins of various sizes, mostly built to house 2-6 people, though you can fit more in if you squish. They are all made of wood and of a rustic design - no fancy modern furniture, here! Each building is housed with a fireplace and the needed amenities. You can pick up materials to cook with the private kitchens if you like. Theoretically, you could spend the whole holiday sequestered away, watching the snow fall. Some of them also have outdoor hot tubs available! ► ACTIVITIES: Activities are mostly going to be character driven, though there will be some large group games like bingo and maybe a poker tournament happening at some point in one of the festival halls. Otherwise, there is a lot to offer: skiing, snowboarding, hiking, ice sculpting, snowball fights - it goes on! If you'd like to run a winter activity, just let the mods know, and we will get the word out there for you. ► FEASTING: Every day isn't a full-out feast because that would get a bit unhealthy, but there will be a number of specific feast events over the holidays where everyone is encouraged to let out their inner hedonist and stuff themselves. There will be one big feast per week, with smaller but also delicious meals offered in between. The feast dates will be B12, B18, and B24. There's also plenty of alcohol available for anyone who wants it. ► SHOPPING: As mentioned in the planning post, there is a massive market being run by the World Walker Caravan! The Ringmaster has given everyone 1250 credits to spend on items, but there is a caveat - must spend at least 500 of those credits on gifts for other people. And it better be a good one, if you only buy one! (She will ask that you do not buy her presents, however. She appreciates the sentiment, but it seems sort of silly buying her things with her own money! If you'd like to gift her, please have it be something more personal or handmade, but you are not obligated to get her anything at all.) ► TREATMENTS: The beginning of the holidays will also be about the time that the emergency Medical Team will have finalized their treatments for the Prince's poisoning. Watch out for further information on that - and make sure to get treated if you are suffering from petrification or poison induced illness! The holidays will be a lot more fun that way.

Comments

[pipers_son]

"Yeah, yeah..." Wobbling only a little, he gets upright and takes a breath. Getting onto the edge as he is right now seems like it'll be a mess if he uses his hand, so...

Sorry, Ginko, he's trying to do the flying thing again. Sorry about that water splashing. At... least he's only trying to flap up a little bit?

[pipers_son]

I'll be sure ta pray ta ya then~.

[He'd say more on Tyki and religion, except he's suddenly cackling far louder than that joke warrants, and his wings flap hastily to keep him from tipping over sideways.]

Oh, can't they! But fortunately my head is still firmly on my shoulders~.

[nevergained]

[Yup, Petal is there just chilling in the snow. Maybe because it was bought on a weird snow covered moon thingy it's fine with it...?

Also heck yeah, pet club.]

It's really friendly! And likes people's heads.

[There's a short joke in there somewhere but Frisk is to excited to see her reaction to the animal.]

[soft_focus]

Does that make a trifecta three things..? [she starts aloud, before studying the bird with wide eyes. Enormous! Utterly enormous! It's a good thing she was just given a second bed, she thinks. Heads, however, bring pause.] ...

....but I can't hold something big on my head... [She can't just be mean to something she just got, but what if they want on HER head!?]

[wilt]

Quick, assert your dominance as its owner, or it'll imprint on Frisk! Everything imprints on Frisk.

[ Flowey, please. He does have a point though, everything loves Frisk, even amalgamates. Even spiders. Even Jerry. He gestures towards the bird, assuming Reira will be able to feel it empathetically and react to it appropriately. He wiggles a vine like a juicy worm to lure it over before letting it disappear. ]

This is it... the moment in an owner and pets life where they make or break a bond. What'll you do?

[ Okay, he'll stop bullying her because she knows more than he does. Also bullying Reira for very long isn't fun. He starts to feel bad, like now. ]

[nevergained]

[Frisk laughs quietly. It may be true but they've also had a long time to learn about the people in the Underground. As many times as they liked.

But they're not going to focus on that. Instead they lean forward slightly.]

It'll be okay. I'm sure they'll like you Reira.

[You just need to reach out first. It'll be fine.]

[atouts]

That doesn't quite alleviate the uncertain look lingering on the man's face, but he will accept the present once Sora insists.

"I... see." Kind of. Childermass isn't sure he'll ever get used to the idea of people just giving him things, no matter how many of them do just that during the solstice. "Thank you for thinking of me, Sora. I do not mean to offend, it just isn't something I am used to."

[soft_focus]

[Flowey,l better stop that, because it really is making her extremely nervous..! Even while he beckons the bird to come closer, she's left anxious, chewing her lip. Frisk's words, at least, help...but only so much, and she finds herself standing there, hesitant.

The bird, fortunately, is smart enough to make her own move. Spreading her wings and wobbling from her perch, she jumps down, wings flapping awkwardly for the landing. Beside each other, Reira is certainly a good deal taller-but not so tall that the bird can't stretch their neck and raise their posture until they're closer to eye level. It is, certainly, a little nerve wracking-the girl almost steps back, in fact, but...

...slowly, she brings her hand forward, letting the curious eagle inspect.] Umnh...h...

Hello...

[At least curiosity is their Biggest Deal right now. She can tell her hand won't deliberately be hurt, and more importantly that she hasn't, well. Scared the bird.]

[wilt]

[ Flowey burrows in his planter-backpack, knowing he can't interrupt this sort of thing...

Best of luck, Reira, you're on your own. ]

[dontpokethat]

Oh no that is absolutely not what he had meant. Ginko makes a faintly distressed noise in the back of his throat, then jumps to his feet and grabs Joker's arms.

"--No. No, don't... don't do that. If you don't want to climb out, I can just lift you, okay? That'll be safer."

[nevergained]

[Frisk meanwhile continues smiling.]

Just stay Determined.

[She can probably feel it coming off of them in waves, soft yet strong. You can do it buddy, they believe in you.]

[soft_focus]

[Reira's hand, after some shaking and slow inching, eventually makes it to feathers. It is, fortuitously and even astonishingly, helped along by the eagle hearself, however-who begins ducking her head under said hand, as if to say 'here, here is fine.'

There is then what sounds almost like a chirp. In fact it is a chirp, something associated more with songbirds, no doubt, but happening all the same, in little squeaks from an enormous raptor.

It pays off, however, as Reira smiles.] Ahh...

[Hope Sparrow doesn't get jealous, now.]

[nevergained]

[And still Frisk stays where they are, aware that Flowey has gone off somewhere.]

See? It's fine. They like you.

[It's not the bird that carries people over a small gap, but it's still a good bird in the end.]

Wanna come up with a name?

[espigeon]

[He snorts loudly.] Of course not! Have you seen how big I am? Windows won't fit me. I don't make a habit of flying close to the ground when there's buildings, or actually buzzing buildings. I've landed on roofs and balconies but that's very controlled, very cool, yeah.

No. I have walked into sliding glass doors while drunk.

[hurtcomfort]

Cole...just looks so amazingly confused for a moment. Huh? Why is this on his head? What's Five doing? Is this her idea of a new tradition? Why does it involve his head? He puts one more piece of popcorn on the strand then pauses for a moment, moving a hand up to his hat to feel what's on there. Yep, it's the popcorn and cranberry strand.

Cole still looks confused but he's rolling with the punches. Without saying anything, he reaches over to lightly lay the strand he's working on over Five's head. If this is going to be a new tradition, then he's going to do it right!

[hurtcomfort]

[ And at that, Cole's smile just gets a little bigger. Because he does have friends here and he loves them already and obviously his friends are going to like his other friends, right? Hopefully? ]

We might find them on the tour. Cabins first, then market, then the kitchen.

[ He doesn't eat. But other people do. So, Cole knows where it is. ]

[otoko]

[Well, that earns quite the frown. Gongenzaka straightens with insult, as he realizes what Frisk is implying, immediately furrowing his brows.]

Perhaps in turn, you should understand that long before our conversation could become friendly enough for me to be given your name, then, we already spoke of such matters.

...As well... [The great beast seems to maybe tremble slightly, bowing his head, before-] ...I... I, THE MAN GONGNEZAKA, AM TOO YOUNG TO BE A SIR..!!

We cannot be so far apart in age, you know..!! [HOW IS THIS THE MORE UPSETTING MATTER-]

[otoko]

Strange? [He..Vaguely knows Strange?

He does Not Know Strange. Still, he comes closer, only to come to a stop as the barrier comes up. It's sort of like....a weird bubble..?] AUH-!

S-So I see..!

...Is it only able to defend against the physical, however...? Or is it capable of protecting against magic..?

[soft_focus]

Ahhh... [Yes, they do seem to like her, at least a little. She does have, at least passively, a way with birdy sorts. It'll never help if a bird outright has an existing opinion on her, but...well, for things like bonding with a new pet, it works great.

Honestly half the female birds seem to just get broody about it, and as if on cue, the Eagle's chirps are responded to with her sparrow poking out from the hair and chirping back. Hey!! What's this then!!

(The Eagle, for their part, seems briefly stunned by the presence of something that really Should be dead, but is quickly calmed down by the temptation that is some under the chin scritches.)

Names, though. Technically 'Sparrow' doesn't even have one.] Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

....I still don't really know how to name things properly...

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya approaches from the other side, pressing his hands against the barrier.] It should? It's the same spell he used in Portland, and it definitely deflected magic there.

[Magic, spears, angel bodies colliding.] What do you think?

[kingsroads]

Which one? The dog or the horse? [ Childermass's Arcanine or Lambert's Mudsdale? Without waiting for an answer, Strange continues. ]

It's for the dog—his name's Baker. I know the thing's naturally warm but who knows, perhaps he wants to cuddle up occasionally.

[ He just nods as Carly mentions the blanket stitch. Strange has absolutely no clue what the heck that is, but okay! Blanket stitch! That sounds like it could be useful, what with the whole 'blanket' thing. ]

[nevergained]

Sorry!

[It's instinctive, along with the wince when Gongenzaka raises his voice.]

I, um....didn't mean to say you were gonna do anything bad, it's just...

[Okay, take a breath Frisk. It's okay. Everything is okay.]

Flowey did do a lot of bad things back home, but he's trying really hard now. I just didn't know how people might take that.

[Frisk is a firm believer in second chances - or many chances as it may be with Flowey.]

And I won't call you 'sir' anymore! Sorry.

[nevergained]

[Oh hello there. Well everything seems to be going okay so far, which is nice. Frisk is starting to develop a soreness in their neck so they'll straighten up a little more now that things are going smoothly.]

I can give you a hand! I'm...I like coming up with names.

[Naming the voice in their head, for one. Or...nothing. Nothing! It's okay.]

You too Flowey. Um...wherever you went.

[betheman]

MMnhmn- [Ah, yes-however shrill and panicked his voice may have gotten, he is still Enormous and Kinda Scary To Look At.

He should probably not shout, and he shrinks back a bit, his ears folding.] ....It is....fine. ...I, the man Gongenzaka, am only fourteen however, so, it's just...

[Well. He coughs.] If he were someone who could not be trusted even with that much, he would not be here. That much, I, the man Gongenzaka, am certain...

....More than that, it would be UNFORGIVABLE of myself, to choose not to give him a chance, when he is so clearly taking it with as much strength as can be given..!

[brightspot]

There's a slow grin happening on Five's face that she's fighting against as she quietly observes his reaction, half-pretending she's not watching by idly sorting through some popcorn and cranberries. But yeah, no, her attention's really on Cole because it's kind of funny.

Then she's blinking silently in surprise as suddenly there's a strand over her own head, and she can't stop the smile when she reaches up to feel it there. She glances over at him without moving her head to make sure that the strand doesn't fall off.

"Well? How's it look?"