⇨ 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

[reflash]

Yukio goes quiet, not really thinking about anything, just feeling his body relax as the magic takes hold. It’s a little too intense, like he’s just going to float away without years of tension holding him together. Kuro lands in his lap and Yukio laughs a little bit, though the sound isn’t really a happy one at all.

“Here,” he says, patting Kuro on the head and offering his glass to the cat. They’re sharing a drink now, that’s a thing that’s happening.

“Father Fujimoto didn’t kill you either. That practically makes us brothers, Kuro.”

[whattaprick]

"Of course it's comfortable! What's that supposed to mean?" Lambert leans over to punch Strange in the shoulder and scowls, but it's only to avoid looking too pleased or looking too long at Childermass when he laughs out loud like that. But there's no hiding the pleasure in his voice as he responds, grinning wide and cheeks flushed.

"They did a pretty good job, considering what they had to work with." With that, he's digging into a pocket, coming up with a folded-up piece of paper scribbled over with his stiff, blocky handwriting. He brandishes it at both magicians with a flourish, then begins to unfold it to reveal the scratchy pencil original in all its spiky, lead pencil glory.

[dontpokethat]

Ginko snorts, and hurls the snowball at her. His accuracy is actually not bad, but... well, aiming mushi pins at drifting mushi isn't really the same as aiming a snowball at a tiny acrobat teenager.

[prazerbutterfly]

[His body had started the road of recovery but his mind was a little slower. Even with the way he was feeling Tyki wasn't one to dwell on horrid feelings for long. Getting to know Tyki was easy and if there was ever a moment he wasn't cheerfully smiling it either meant something was wrong or one should run.

Frisk's words bring him comfort and his smile returns instantly.] No, it's fine. You don't think it is a little selfish of me to want them to come here?

[atouts]

"Unless you were planning on taking his spot in front of the fireplace, there should be," Childermass answers as he pushes the dog back further, then gestures towards that exact spot he'd mentioned just before.

To Baker, he says firmly, "Go lay down. Over there."

Which inevitably earns a whine from Baker, but he does go, albeit reluctantly. That settled, he glances back towards Solas.

"It's a two-person cabin, beds up there in the loft overhead." With stairs and everything. "So feel free to take the side of the room without all the papers on it."

[kingsroads]

As Baker flops to the ground, Strange clambers off of the dog's back, giving Baker a few pats on his side for good measure. After all, someone was a very good dog, good dogs deserve pets. Though, it only lasts a moment before Strange's attention is drawn back to the carnival.

"I wonder," he can't help but muse, "could either of us use our magic to travel from here to the carnival? It doesn't look so far away when you look at it from this angle."

And yes, he knows it is far away. But from where they are, Strange feels as if it wouldn't be too hard at all just to find a puddle and travel from here to there. He can almost make out what some of the buildings are, though the 'looking at it from above' is disorienting Strange more than he realizes.

[dontpokethat]

Ginko gives a low whistle. "Just got here, then... Don't worry, though, I'm pretty sure this time counts toward our contracts."

...Which means, come to think of it, that Ginko is going to need to think about renewing his own contract pretty soon. He pushes that thought aside for the moment.

[kingsroads]

Strange gives Lambert a shithead smirk as he takes that punch in the shoulder. It's teasing, that's what it is. Him giving Lambert shit about the sweater because Lambert is definitely giving him shit by getting the sweater in the the first place. Besides, he can take it. Though that smirk quickly fades as he sees Lambert pull a folded piece of paper out of his pocket.

A lot of the notes on the paper are in Lambert's handwriting but there's a few near the drawing itself that are in a different handwriting entirely. The problem here is that those notes are unmistakably in Strange's handwriting. It doesn't take a genius to realize that if the notes are Strange's, the potato dog drawing might be Strange's as well and really, he doesn't particularly like the idea of enduring another round of teasing about his inability to draw.

"I'll take that," he interjects as he reaches over, trying to snatch the original from Lambert's hands.

[betheman]

"Mnh-! Here, of course..!"

"Ahh, well, maybe not 'of course', at least..." the cheetah hums.

Gongenzaka coughs, accepting the mental correction- "W-Well... ...to explain, magic does not...properly exist, within my world."

"Technically, this is 'our magic'... ...but without the guidance from the Ringmaster herself, it would never have been tapped into like this..."

[prazerbutterfly]

"I hope so," he states with an air of hopefulness, "Because I'm not working because I probably shouldn't and not because I don't want to."

Plus Joker would have a bit of a fit if he was still trying to do his routine and ended up making a disaster of it if he fell asleep in his tank or just upturned his stomach contents inside of it.

[soft_focus]

It's pretty good for his first picture Ever, even if part of her head was cut off. After all, she's thinking the same thing-the face is what's important in a picture. (Or at least, this sort of picture.)

She takes the camera back, and as the picture clears, there should be a small smile that was made in response to his warning about the button-that flash of quiet, giddy excitement about friends trying new things and all that. Holding her camera, she watches, and the smile on her own face widens.

"Mnh-! You got a happy one..!" Good, good, he got her with a smile-smiles make good memories better, she's pretty sure.

[betheman]

It is certainly a duel monster... [He grins, getting the 'spear' for Tama-C ready while using some flexible vine for the 'mask' pipes.] But, can you determine which one?

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya rubs his chin thoughtfully.] Definitely one of yours...

[Is he buying time with obvious statements as Gongenzaka works on the snowman so he has more cues to guess on? Absolutely.

The mask pipes tip it off, however (about half his monsters have spears, that meant nothing). Yuya snaps his fingers with epiphany.] Oh! It's Tama-C, right?

[anti_nonsense]

Rita takes one of his hands, holding it at the wrist as she examines the damaged area. She answers him while she looks it over.

“I’ve been compiling formulas over the past few days.” With a nod to the substance she’s brewing, she adds, “I began synthesizing samples yesterday. If one of them turns out to be a match, the rest should be easy.”

She wanted to start sooner, but ended up waiting until her poison was cured, and got sidetracked by other nonsense on the moon... plenty of which involved 9S himself. But she's not going to let the vacation end without making sure he's fully repaired and ready for what might come next.

[kingsroads]

[ Take it slow? Be careful? Sounds like a dumb idea, why would he do that?

Strange can't help but give Carly a little 'okay, sure' skeptical little frown. This is a man who charges through things and barely takes anything slow to begin with: taking this slow is going to be a major challenge. ]

Can I borrow that thing when I'm making the actual blanket? Just in case I make a mistake, of course.

[whattaprick]

And if he wasn't wary of the effect being poisoned like this has on his magic, or how else faerie weed could interact with faerie poison, Lambert would honestly probably have snuck a puff off the joint instead ... but instead, he snorts.

"Is this supposed to be in exchange for feeding you? No thanks." He shakes his head before leaning forward and plopping the mostly-used-up joint into the ashtray someone's thoughtfully left on the coffee table.

Now that he's free, he pushes himself to his feet as well, heading past Strange and to the kitchen to retrieving a half-eaten raisin-and-nut-studded loaf of bread wrapped in wax paper. It smells strongly of cinnamon as he unwraps it, but only faintly of sugar. He offers it to Strange, wherever he is -- if he's followed him to the kitchen or stayed where he is, staring at ... whatever the fuck. Lambert's chest, for some reason.

[atouts]

"Is that so?" Childermass doesn't really ask so much as just states the words since he isn't actually waiting for an answer. "Even right now?"

Though that part, that's the real question.

"Unless you're still in the middle of scouring the marketplace, that is..."

[chronosynthesis]

[Syrlya laughs at that, probably a little too long... but it might still be going because 9S is slipping to the floor, just like he said he wasn't going to.

Syrlya takes the joints, fumbling a bit, but before he takes another hit he grabs the edge of the table and leans over to watch 9S go down.] What did you say about--whoa.

[He stops, suddenly, the mirth slipping from his face as he stares forward blankly in confusion. His vision is almost literally swimming, like some sort of distant mirage out of the corners of his eyes. He blinks rapidly to try and clear it, but to no avail.]

[kingsroads]

For all of Lambert's 'I'm not carrying you to the kitchen, go feed yourself', Strange can't help but notice that Lambert's going to the kitchen as well. It could be because the man's hungry. It could be because he doesn't trust Strange rummaging through the kitchen cabinets. Or, and this is what Strange believes, it could be because for all of his grumpiness and gruffness, Lambert's secretly a huge pushover. A wry little smile plays on Strange's face as he slowly walks over to the kitchen as well.

One of the solutions in Lambert's chemistry lab starts bubbling: another sign of the weed acting up with Strange's magic and another thing that Strange completely ignores because ooh, bread, that smells amazing.

"You're too kind to me," Strange simply states in a matter of fact tone of voice, as he reaches over to take a slice of that bread. He takes a bite...and okay, this is really good, the rest of the slice of his bread almost instantly gets shoved in Strange's mouth. He's already reaching for another slice as he chews the first one.

[espigeon]

Sometimes you've got to ask people their pronoun preferences, unfortunately, and most ways of asking are pretty awkward.

"Aw, it's cool." He contemplates for a second talking about the people he knows who don't fit the strict boxes of society, but this doesn't seem so much like shy-hesitation. Better move on.

Julien smiles. He's got a way about him, where he rarely seems flustered or awkward. He genuinely likes nearly everyone, and he likes it to show. It doesn't so much with his bird half, not to people who don't understand bird body language, but that's the magic of an auxiliary body.

"How do you feel about sudden subject changes? I've got dozens of them, though they're mostly pretty shallow. Like, oh, extra eyes: creepy, or cool? I've got dozens of those, too, but I prefer not unsettling my coworkers too much."

[hurtcomfort]

Her happiness is contagious and Cole can't help but smile slightly as well—though his smile is much smaller than Reira's.

"I did," he remarks, with a nod. And he wasn't even trying! What a good sign. "Making memories, relying to remember. This is...good. It helps remember the happiness."

Cameras have officially been recognized as Good Shit by Cole. "Do they have a lot of these where you're from?" He's gotten the fact that Reira's world wasn't Thedas (he's gotten the fact that most worlds weren't Thedas). But he still has a little bit of confusion about what her world was actually like.

[soft_focus]

"I don't know," she answers honestly. "...There's lots of things that are supposed to be everywhere, or normal, where I'm from, that weren't in the area, I guess. ...Things that Yuuya, or Yuzu-neesama, or Yuugo know about, mostly..." It's...not horrible, but it Has been confusing.

She looks over the camera. "....This though, we got here. Yuuya bought it from the 'caravan', and then gave it to me as a present... ...so I think cameras like this must be special to here."

Shame he spent all his dough on cheap but awesome things for everyone

[dirthena]

She pauses, frowns, and then looks at him once more. "Did that not hurt?" She asks, gesturing to his legs. If he hasn't cried for anything, then perhaps he's simply not able to feel pain. Like the dwarven golems were rumored to be like -- created with a single minded purpose. That, at least she understands.

But if he did feel pain, and didn't cry when that happened? Well. Lavellan remembers the ache in her arm, the way it had been mangled beyond recognition before it had disintegrated as Solas left through the eluvian. A final parting gift, Lavellan supposed. She had cried then, near the end, as the pain of it had nearly overtaken her, as the frustration and the loss of everything had crashed in around her as the mirror went black.

it wasn't something she was proud of, no, but no one was there to have seen her. Just her and the statues Solas had left in his wake, the angry, twisted faces of Qunari forever immortalized in stone.

[lonesomewanderer]

He nods, satisfied with that response. All he could do was hope to help Cole when the spirit felt he most needed it otherwise, he would have to trust that Cole could handle himself.

"We will," he promises. And Cole may be the only one he currently would care to share such information with. To an extent, as always, with what he shared.

"I will see you around, Cole." Another promise that he intends to keep. He was here for a year, after all.

[lonesomewanderer]

"All that power and some choose to sleep," he says with a shake of his head. When there was much they could be doing to aid others from what he currently understands of how some fae run their realms. "Does the Ringmaster give notice of where we are traveling before we arrive?"

Or is it a grand surprise for them all to sort out at the time it happens?