⇨ 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

[criticallyfucked]

Foster falls silent.

He did not... specifically realise that was his problem with Papyrus--or rather, he did, but not in so many words. Papyrus upsets him in a way no one else in the Carnival does. And it's because he can't do anything about it. He has no control over Papyrus, no angle or weakness to exploit against him. The more aggressively Foster tries to affect him, the more dramatically and dogmatically Papyrus deflects him.

If Foster were a little more capable of insight, he'd realise that this is actually fairly similar to how everyone else feels around him.

He turns his head away; for a moment, Flowey won't be able to see his expression from where he is, and the rest of his body isn't giving any real visual clues to his mood.

But it doesn't last too long.

"That wasn't a problem with Sans," he responds, smiling very thinly.

[hurtcomfort]

Nothing that he need play a role in? That's the problem right there. Cole's certain that no matter what Solas thinks, he'll need to play a role in the upcoming events. After all, what Solas wants will hurt people. And anything that will hurt people, Cole knows he'll be there.

And he does have questions. But, best to focus on one of the problems that Cole needed to solve quicker than the larger problem of trying to keep Solas from burning everything down.

"Why do you think I don't remember?"

[dressedtothe]

"Rita..."

The fact that she feels that way means more to him than she could ever know. The humans here... They treat him as if his life has value, as if his life is meaningful to them. They treat him as if he was one of their own kind, as if he were human.

What did he do to deserve this?

He can feel his throat closing up with emotion, voice choked with emotion. He's glad his eyes are covered, so Rita can't see them. "I was made to serve. I can't... I can't be the same as you."

[hurtcomfort]

As Yuya gestures for him to do so, Cole comes closer. He awkwardly sits behind Yuya, hands grabbing the handles. All of his actions are tentative and hesitant, like Cole isn't sure if he's doing the right thing or not.

"Like this?"

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya is definitely missing a lot of correct to understand that. Being 'whole' in relation to souls means something very different to Yuya.

Thats probably not what Flowey means.] You mean you don't have feelings or something?

[hippocarnival]

Yuya looks back, giving Cole a thumb's up. "You got it! Hold on tight, you don't want to fall off."

Yuya leans forward, precariously, and digs his fingers into the ground under the snow to pull them forward. It's a lot harder with two people, and takes him a minute, but that's why he put it so close to the edge of the hill.

Slowly, the sled tips forward, gaining gradual speed... and then rapid speed, faster and faster straight ahead down the incline.

[wilt]

"..."

Flowey's slipping back into his old skin like it's natural, having pettiness and antagonism to fuel him through this conversation. And he stops. Because he shares a cabin with this guy in a little flower pot Reira got him and if he makes it so bad he'll have to evict himself, she's going to be more than pissed.

And he can't risk Reira not liking him anymore. He can't explain why, but...

"Papyrus likes puzzles. He devotes himself to making special ones to trap humans, or he used to."

[wilt]

I have... maybe a fifth of them back? I'm not numb anymore but there's still things I don't react to.

[ He doesn't feel any sort of joy towards participating in this ice skating, for example. ]

[hippocarnival]

[That sounds... really hollow. Yuya can't imagine not having any feelings at all. But he can gain them back by experiencing new things, huh...?]

Hey, maybe I can carry you around since you can't skate yourself? [He's not sure how severe a moment needs to be for a feeling, as someone feels maybe too much. But either way, then Flowey can say he tried it, right?]

[fusionactuallysuitsher]

"Ah..." Yuzu couldn't help but stare in surprise at her gift. An ornate haircomb. With this place, it might have cost them a pretty penny. Probably just as much as what she got them. "...thank you, Yuya..."

She looked away, blushing as she did. "Did you... well... want what I got you two, Yuya and Reira?"

[otoko]

If she felt she misheard it, she need not worry-Gongenzaka's 'unfortunate' verbal quirk will guarantee she hears it often. It's meant to be humbling on his part, really.

It really doesn't sound like it to most, suffice to say. For now at least, Gongenzaka gives a hearty laugh, shaking his head. "Aaah! Indeed, it is a shame that those from home could not have been here for this..! Though even so, it takes a great level of courage to put one's work out for others to see, as well...

"I, the man Gongenzaka, must commend them for that much, at least..!" Though, that is hardly the point. "It is a pleasure to meet you, as well, miss! I, the man Gongenzaka, take it you arrived due to the...'Open gate'?" Ringmaster needs to lay off the sauce-

day 13ish

[wild_magic]

[Carly is definitely not very ninja-like, especially when someone is specifically looking for her. In this case Susan has his arms full with a bag full of fabric, his cloak pulled tight around him to keep him warm. For once he even has the hood pulled up, although that's also for the benefit of his familiar, currently in owl form and snoozing on his shoulder under the hood.

When he sees Carly he smiles and waves at her, almost dropping the fabric in the process before catching himself.]

Carly!! Can you help me with something? It's really important!

[otoko]

Aaauh. It involves the safety of the Carnival, after all! [As for that friend-]

Mmn, they mentioned your name, when we first met....but he is to be a Bouncer, another role within my department.

Asriel, is their name! [At least, that is how the flower introduced himself.] Asriel Dremurr!

[otoko]

AUH....That sort of thing, that is merely what a friend should do..! [He insists, shaking his head.] You.... ...You do...many things, that could be called the same... ...Y...you...

[He...seems to be fading a bit, on the coherency.] ...without you....I, the man Gongnezaka...would probably also, be lost....

[hippocarnival]

Lost? [He stares for a moment, confused. Even if his mind wasn't addled he's not sure what Gongenzaka is referring to. Yuya always felt he was the weaker, less certain one--the one his friends helped up with their strength, and he was only returning the favor of his own conviction. It was unconditional, after all, their friendship.

Even now, most of the trouble has been physical. When was Gon ever lost?]

What do you mean?

[hippocarnival]

Yuya grins wide when she opens it, gesturing to his hair. "You should wear it, it looks really cool!" But he doesn't want to spoil the surprise, so he doesn't say more than that.

It does, however, make him happy to hear she got him something as well. "Yeah, why don't we all share our gifts now?" He steps back to give Reira a little nudge closer so she can pass her gift in as well.

[dressedtothe]

Hooray!

Except... Cole isn't feeling it either? Hm. Rita says that they're not going to notice it right away, but all the drugs 9S has taken hit him almost immediately. It was really obvious, too. Like, colours turned weird and stuff. Hard not to notice the drug working its way through his system.

"Do you feel anything?" 9S rubs his chin thoughtfully. "I'm not feeling any different yet. Maybe we haven't taken enough."

[espigeon]

Oh, no, I'm already out there.

[Julien's primary eyes are still full of afterimages. He rubs his cheek with a bristly palp.]

I can clean up! I've just got a couple different things left. I can't really, it'd take me a very long time to make clothes from scratch myself, I don't have much of an eye for design anyway. But I can totally adjust hems and like, handle tail openings. It's all stuff that's really easy, no trouble at all.

[It occurs to him that this is a zero stakes issue, and Julien grins.]

jokes.jpg

[sunflowerfields]

[Hinawa does a double take when this small child in a striped shirt approaches her, but she blinks away the strange feeling of familiarity when she hears the question. Ah, a bad kid joke. She's used to those.]

Well, you've got me. What is colorful and smart?

[lonesomewanderer]

"I... do not know," he answers truthfully. When he left the Inquisition, he had stopped Cole from truly knowing what his next moves were. It would have been too much of a risk. But when he had met them a year later at the Winter Palace, he had done no such thing. There had been no point.

So something had been different in when they had come here.

"It had been over a year since I left the Inquisition before I wandered here. Perhaps time has less meaning here," he muses with a s light frown.

[lonesomewanderer]

He shakes his head, understanding the irony in that. She was a survivor, much in the same way he was. At least she had her clan to return to, should she wish it for however long most of Thedas had remaining. A year and a day and he would have his focus back in hand.

"As long as our contracts remain," he agrees. As much as he wanted to learn of what was here, he could not stay longer than he signed for. He had too much work to do back on Thedas to stay here. "From what I have been hearing, we arrived at a good time. One of celebration rather than danger."

Which apparently was common here. No wonder they needed more medics.

Who is this sassy lost child

[textsfromhotland]

[Alphys is a little more used to humans having worked along side them for a while now. A lot of them are weird, but some of them are actually pretty nice! It's enough to dull the sting of her first encounter with a human: the one she watched through her cameras, who spared or destroyed monsters seemingly at random. But she was miles and miles away from that human now, and surely she would never run into them again, right?

The human is the furthest thing from her mind when she hears a knock at the door.]

Uh-! H-hi, how can I help----

[oh

oh.]

[disjunct]

[ Junko takes one look at Gongenzaka and goes 'ohhh, I can't not fuck with him.'

Look at him! He's a beast. Already she's packing one snowball, then another, automatically as she picks up snow off a nearby bush. Tactics, scanning, how to fell a beast with powdered ice alone. She needs this-- okay, she's been good all of this fucking time and she hasn't hurt or maimed or even blackmailed a single person. She needs this. If the Ringmaster would allow her to come here, surely the Ringmaster knows Junko's predilection towards antagonism.

Lumbering, cyborg, a cannon for an arm. A monster. A colossus, she scoops snow in a run as she holds the others in her arms and pitches a gatling gun's arm worth of snow down his side, places her palm in the ground, flips over and lines up for another round, pelting him from the other side. ]

You who've let yourself change beyond recognition! [ She's back to being royalty. ] Today you're our quarry! Tonight you're our trophy!

[dirthena]

( Lavellan isn't sure that it can get worse from the way things are at the moment -- but she's learned long ago not to tempt fate. Well, not directly at any rate. The sly comments are still her way of coping, and fate can go sort itself out. )

I will, Cole. ( There's the temptation there to tell him to worry about other people and not her, because the ache in her chest isn't one that he can magically fix by creating a smell or doing a small kindness. But it's Cole, and she doubts that will shake him. ) What about a tour? You've been here long enough to show me around, haven't you?

[soft_focus]

"Umn....something for me?" ANOTHER something? Oh....She jumps, as she remembers something. First-she hands over Yuzu's gift, nodding. "Th...I hope you like it," she announces, waiting until Yuzu has it in her hands. Once the girl does, she digs something out of her pocket...

...The wrapped package Yuuya had given her. "Um....maybe...I could open all of my presents, then?" she asks, sounding almost nervous. She looks over to where Yuugo disappeared, apparently to retrieve hers.