⇨ 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]

Mate, we have got ta get ya better liquor that ain't from Lambert. I promise ya there's good stuff.

...And it's probably not this heavy.

[Seriously, what the fuck Lambert]

[dontpokethat]

Ginko definitely appreciates the lack of unnecessary movement. Neither of them needs this to get MORE difficult than it's already doing to be.

...Okay, well, that's. He's still not moving around at least, but that's... how does he respond to that?

It's actually almost worse than when Joker was trying to "prove" Ginko's attractiveness to him before, pulling out one carefully-polished comparison after another as easily as breathing. This time is just kind of... spontaneous. Blunt, simple, but there's no doubts to be had about his sincerity.

It still seems kind of ridiculous that someone who looks like Joker would ever think something like that about him. He's makeup-less, drunk, and sitting in a tub of slime, and he still looks better than Ginko ever has in his life.

...Who even let him have eyelashes that long, honestly.

Then Ginko notices Joker slipping. He makes a startled noise and shifts his hold so he can push Joker up some without hurting him. "--Alright, there we go. Just, uh... just try and stay up."

He'll just... not comment on what Joker said. It's fine.

[nevergained]

That's good to hear. They'll try to come up with stuff that doesn't require a contortionist to model.

At Julien's next words, however, Frisk just smiles. "It's okay about people looking strange. All my friends back home are Monsters and probably look a little weird."

They don't mean it in a bad way. To normal humans, mom-goats, walking skeletons, fish ladies and so on probably would look strange. They're fine with people who look strange because it's become Frisk's 'normal'. Not to mention their own thoughts tended to border on strange.

Still, they do think harder about his comment about 'upsetting places where bad things happen'.

"Um, what kind of bad things?" They might be able to help but it depends on what exactly it is.

[nevergained]

[They laugh quietly, thinking along the same lines as Flowey.]

I hope I can make Petal happy. You'll come play with them too, right Flowey?

[Since he's the one being nice enough to buy it for them, Frisk is going to make sure Flowey can see Petal whenever he can.]

[nevergained]

It's soft, don't worry! And I'm pretty good at dodging.

[Frisk dodges Flowey's second snowball and waves at Reira.]

Here, try giving it a toss at me.

[hurtcomfort]

"Which magic? Hers or everyone else's?" Though Cole suspects that Solas means the Ringmaster, it can't help to clarify. After all, there was so much magic in this place. Cole wasn't magically sensitive to begin with, he could just tell certain things, but even he could pick up on some of the differences, some of the ways each person's magic felt different.

"It stains the soul. Some people don't like it. But it just is."

[dirthena]

Of course he wouldn't. But she wonders, still, if that is the truth -- he might have no concerns, but that did not mean it wasn't possible. He seemed to be a man of contradictions; Lavellan wonders if this is simply one more. Something to think about.

"It will my duty to help keep us from danger, beyond soothing tempers." As a scout, and Lavellan shakes her head slightly. "That they'd need both scouts and mercenaries means that force comes into play more often than not. Enough that they want to avoid it when they can, but that it isn't always possible."

[lonesomewanderer]

"Hers appears to be the center of it," he clarifies. Though he has no doubts there is other magic at work here. Hers appeared to be the oldest and most powerful of it, holding the entire carnival together at its core. There was much about the fae he wanted to learn.

He glances up at Cole's hat. "You sounded as if you did not like the mark it left on you." Just saying.

[atouts]

It no doubt helped that the man sleeping over for almost a week had been infinitely less interested in pawing through all of his things than the best friend tends to be. In any case, Childermass shows up first from only God knows where (the shadows, probably) and approaches, although that slows as he spots the wrapped gifts on the table with Lambert.

The one they had gotten for Strange is obvious, which means--

"Beat him here, have I?" He asks that as he takes a seat, though not without giving the various different gifts an unimpressed look. "You could have told me we were doing this as a group."

[lonesomewanderer]

"Yes, and they keep healers at the ready. This will be the first in a long while you have received orders instead of giving them," he says, eyeing her curiously.

How would she handle that? She was going from the head of the Inquisition to being a simple scout and one on the watch for hostilities. Would she take to it as a relief from the role she had been forced into before? Or end up trying to take charge herself whenever she was able?

[whattaprick]

"It's more fun this way." Lambert just gives him a broad grin. Of course, by more fun, he means more fun for him.

Speaking of fun, he arches a brow at Childermass, twirling a finger around to indicate the hollow of his own throat.

"Necklace off?" It better be off or coming off, buddy, or he'll end up with a lapful of dragon man trying to wrestle it off his neck.

[lonesomewanderer]

"I share an affinity for ice," he answers simply. "Magic, where I am from, came from the Fade. It was another reality from which we drew our abilities from. Separate yet all around us."

Except for the dwarves who appeared to be devoid of it and unable to dream. It was an existence he would not be able to bear, should that ever come to pass for him. If he had his way, he would have magic more easily accessible in Thedas, no matter the consequences.

[pipers_son]

Fortunately for Ginko, the same intoxication which caused those words to slip right on out is what keeps Joker from really focusing on the lack of reaction he's getting. Instead, he just grunts as he's rearranged, and fumbles a little as he braces his arm against the outside of the tub. Or, well, tries to. It's a bit of a struggle.

"Shi- sorry. S'difficult. God..." His eyes open up just a sliver again. "What was in that swill?"

[whattaprick]

Lambert snorts. Normally, he wouldn't mind giving it a try, but considering how fucked up he got on a bottle of wine when it normally wouldn't touch him...

"I think I'll pass, but I can be there to keep you from breaking your neck or throwing up in the snow if you need a chaperone."

And now the shopkeeper's asking if they'd like this gift wrapped, which just sort of gets a blank look from Lambert. Even Portland Lambert, alas, wasn't particularly sharp with gift-giving.

[kingsroads]

As the barrier dissipates, Strange calls the pillars back to the ground: they collapse into snow. A moment later he stands up and starts brushing some snow off of his hands and knees. At least they know one thing: that barrier isn't as durable or as wide as either of them would like.

But it exists. And that's what matters right now.

"And it retained it's shape for as long as you cast the spell. No dissipating, no splintering, nothing of that sort. These are aspects of your magic and the spell that we'll only be able to discover through work and practice."

[kingsroads]

"That might be for the best. I'm not going to smoke in my cabin and I don't know how this will affect me to begin with." Which for most people would logically be a reason not to smoke it in the first place but logic is for suckers and Strange wants to get high. "Besides, the fact that I'll inevitably say something stupid is probably incentive enough for you."

At least Strange is obvious about the fact that he expects to be a bit of a loopy mess when he's drugged up. Though the fact that Lambert offered to babysit is reassuring: he was straight up going to ask him otherwise.

As the shopkeeper asks about gift wrap, Strange just quickly responds that absolutely they do and picks out a slightly extravagant gift wrap for the present. Childermass honestly isn't going to know what to do with this wrapping paper, he loves this idea already.

"Pay up, by the way. It's either sixty eight or sixty seven from you."

[dontpokethat]

"You don't want to know. Rest assured, though, it was very alcoholic." Thanks for that, Lambert.

He sets a hand on Joker's arm to keep it steadied against the tub, and... dammit now he's. Weirdly hyperaware of his own hands. THANKS, JOKER. At least he, once again, has him arranged with his cheek in the water and the rest of his face out. "There we go. Comfortable?"

That's at least halfway a joke.

[chronosynthesis]

"Was...?" Of course, it's interesting in general that magic for Solas originates somewhere else entirely. It was seemingly close to the Mists, at first, but those were more of a proto-reality and... well, Syrlya's knowledge of metaphysics doesn't extend far past his magic.

"Is it gone? Did its magic permanently permeate your world, allowing you to continue to cast magic?"

[pipers_son]

Thanks a whole bunch, Lambert. That's exactly what they all needed.

Unaware of Ginko's problems, Joker allows himself to be manhandled with no fuss. Instead, there's just a dry snort. "As much as ever. We know I've been in worse." His mouth tries to stretch into one of his usual smiles but it doesn't quite reach it. Not with the way his brow crumples together, or his eyes shine with a lot of things best left unsaid.

His whole life has been 'worse'.

[dirthena]

Well, he has a point there. Lavellan grins at that, and waves a hand at it. "True enough. I wouldn't even know where to begin with something like this, so even something that causes others to pause is a triumph enough." A pause, because Lavellan isn't exactly filled to the brim with kindness and compassion for people she doesn't know. "The artist may think about relabeling it, however."

At his question she nods. "Lavellan," she says, introducing herself. Nothing before it or after, no Inquisitor, no First of Clan Lavellan. The hollowness around her name is something she does her best to ignore. "And I did, yes. It was an offer I was not in a position to turn down."

[destiny_key]

"That's... the cure for that thing, right?" Sora asks, wandering over to the research. He doesn't understand most of it, but he's not much of a scientist or a doctor. "The thing that... the Prince did."

He still feels guilty for it. It hadn't been him who injected people with the poison, but he blames himself for not doing something. For blindly following him, and betraying his friends. He might feel better if he could help with this somehow, but he can't make heads or tails of any of this.

[atouts]

"You don't trust me?" Childermass asks oh so severely like he might actually take offense if the answer is 'yes' as he absolutely expects it to be. Not that he really will be, especially since he goes on to add, "I'm not wearing it and I would suggest drinks first, especially if I'm going to be stuck listening to you two all night long."

[destiny_key]

Upon Baker's approach, Sora laughs as the big Pokemon snuffles at him, a little ticklish from it. Unfortunately, he's unable to push the dog away or pet him with his arm as laden with packages as they are, and for once, he has neither of his own animal companions to distract Baker.

Well, he can live with it. Baker's a good dog, after all.

"Nope," Sora grins, shuffling through the stuff he's carrying until he produces a smaller one, wrapped in brightly colored Christmas paper. "Just wanted to give you this."

[dontpokethat]

Ginko's ears droop slightly at that. He can't do much to comfort Joker, not when he's focusing on holding him up, so he just squeezes his arm a little.

"It's been, what, two minutes? Just six more, then you'll be done."

[espigeon]

I've had better liquoir. [There's an odd musical whistle to that pronunciation, very much more a bird sound than anything made by a human tongue. Julien notices it too and carefully enunciates afterwards.] I know some of it tastes better than feet. Or like nicer feet. But I don't like being drunk at all, Joker, you know why?

[He's leaning in and hopefully not prodding Joker's ear with his beak. Anyway here's a whisper, surprisingly very quiet.]

You can't take care of people when you're drunk! They have to take care of you!

[Julien's under the influence, but not enough to start spilling sad backstory. This is plenty. He nudges at Joker's scalp with his operculum and pulls back again.]

And then you get embarrassing! Oh my dignity, et cetera.