⇨ 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

[crimsonfallenangel]

Anghel would definitely prefer not to wear things that could keep him from flying. "What you have given me is aid enough," he decides. "I shall endeavor to use it wisely."

[hurtcomfort]

Cole brightens up as Solas mentions he knows Rita. That's good! They'd like each other and both Solas and Rita desperately need someone to talk to about their goals. Perhaps if more people knew about Solas, what would happen back home wouldn't happen. It's wishful thinking. But, then again, that's Cole's m.o. to begin with.

"She wants to know about spirits. We talked about that." Those Cole had met, those the Inquisition saw and talked with and dealt with, things like that. Rita liked that sort of conversation, so Cole kept it going.

[crimsonfallenangel]

"Then... the Purveyor of Dreams did not provide the key to overcoming this trial Or to do you merely wish to be sure that it will aid you in your time of need?" He's asking if the Ringmaster didn't tell him how to use it or if Solas just wants the practice before he actually attempts to use it.

[hurtcomfort]

[ Her identity crisis is leaking to him somewhat. Because she's not the herald here. She's not the Inquisitor here. And that hurt and worry pricks at the back of Lavellan's mind which pricks at the back of Cole's. I'm going to have to find a new role for myself.

It's always hard. Especially when one's role isn't as flexible. Compassion will always be needed. An Inquisitor might not.

So, Cole fixes Lavellan with a small frown before he goes ahead to ask, ]

Do you know who you are?

[crimsonfallenangel]

Anghel seems to have fallen into a plot hole, one that he'll have to work on at a later date. Anghel knows he has must beware of temptation to keep from falling once again. But it's equally true that Rufa is what can draw Himnesia out.

Still, he supposes that the Zephyr's Herbalist makes a valid point and Anghel does need to arm himself before he ventures too far. So far, this land has been safe but the Crimson Angel must always be on his guard.

He asks, "Have you accomplished the task laid out before you?"

If so, please give him advice about how to shop for strangers.

[soft_focus]

Don't worry, Anghel. She seems strangely adept at pointing out Plot Holes in pretty much everyone's lives. (At least he stands a chance at working his out, though)

Reira is ever eager to offer some advice though, and she nods furiously. All the better to help her new Angel Friend, right? "Um! A little-there's still people I can't find things for...and people that I don't know really well either. But I got paint to make them cards," she explains, pointing inside the store. "...It was magic, so that's still something..." Hmmm. Bit of a dilemma.

"....I guess... ...you could find things that you think people need, no matter what. That way, it works."

[hurtcomfort]

Oh. So she was like him, more like him than he initially realized. Lost, confused, memories that might be hers but might be someone else's, who's the real Five and who's the real Cole? Still, Cole was able to sort through his muddled memories. Five should eventually be able to do the same.

"Then we're going to make new traditions." He says that as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. Five isn't sure what celebrations to have? Time for new celebrations.

[dontpokethat]

He goes to sit down at the edge of the porch, tilting his head to look back at Sans, then at the sky.

"Some. Not sure what counts as 'much', and they're not really my specialty; mostly, I know how to use them to navigate."

[dontpokethat]

"Yeah, that seems like it would be." He's never been a fan himself of being stuck inside, whether because of illness or injury.

He thinks for a moment, then adds, "If you want, I could probably get you up here." Susan shouldn't stay out too long, but Ginko figures letting him hang around for a while couldn't hurt.

[nevergained]

Frisk was going to comment on the changes part - some of them looked pretty neat and they wanted to ask a few more questions about it - but Julien continues and...

Well, a Bad Time sound about right.

"Um..." They can see that it's not exactly a nice topic for Julien to talk about, so they'll give him an out. "If you don't want to talk about you don't have to, okay? Since it doesn't sound nice. But were you okay?"

Frisk has some...experience with things escalating into worse and worse situations. One, two, ten, sixteen...they don't really want to think to hard about it because the old and bitter thoughts that weren't their thoughts sometimes got loud when they did.

So they can see where he's coming from, things going from bad to worse and it not being fun to talk about.

[dontpokethat]

Durable or not, Ginko would rather Tyki not fall off the roof. He won't stop him from smoking, though, even if the scents of the two different kinds of cigarettes might mingle strangely.

"I'm glad you are sleeping well, at least. The last thing you guys need is to be unable to sleep, on top of everything else." He glances over at Tyki, one ear flicking curiously. "...That is too bad. Your family very big?"

[prazerbutterfly]

Expect a call in the morning then with me blaming you for making me indulge in such an unprofessional tactic.

[Like chugging it wasn't entirely his own fault.]

Or a father that nearly caught me sleeping with their daughter~

[nevergained]

So the more changes you have, the longer you've been here?

[They're not too against the idea of changing. Perhaps some of it can be chalked up to Frisk being a kid in the end but there was also the fact that they thought Monsters were much more interesting then humans in...a lot of departments.

And they've run across a few people now with a lot of changes. Frisk wonders what they would wind up looking like by the time their contact was up.]

[anti_nonsense]

"I'm talking about the smoke, you dolts," Rita retorts, looking mildly unimpressed at the two of them. Are they less sensitive due to being nonhumans...? Or is it because they've been inhaling the stuff?

The smoke doesn't just smell weird, either. It looks weird, too, with its thin wisps twisting into strange shapes, and hints of pale colors that seem to become more vivid as the smoke grows gradually more dense.

[fourthscribe]

I would love some more jokes. [Tanyuu smiles, and an antennae twitches.] Especially if it means you're staying here with us?

[prazerbutterfly]

He fell asleep over a half an hour ago and if Herbert noticed him when Ginko left he'll notice now that Tyki was no longer there in nearly a span of a few seconds. The truth was he had slipped into the slime finally as wings gave way and his body slurped into the thick slime completely from head to toe. With his Power to Choose passively active it was surprising that he hadn't disappeared through the Moon already. Perhaps it was his mind recognizing he needed to stay in the tub or his dream making himself cozily snug against the floor of the spa tub just so. Or maybe it was the fact that for the last week he often slept inside of his water tank within the Big Top.

No matter how Herbert discovers he's missing Tyki isn't drowning at least even if he might not be aware of that. Oops. One day he might listen.

[nevergained]

Yup. I signed the contract and everything.

[Even if it's for just a hint, that'll be enough.]

What sound does a nut make when it sneezes?

[Tanyuu may have heard this one before, but it never gets old.]

[mirrortide]

"By maybe waking me up before you start shouting." It would be helpful! Though Peridot is free to shout if Lapis isn't sleeping. That's a given, honestly. Still, she tries a bit of a reassuring smile to try to convey that she's not... entirely upset about this? A little disgruntled, but it's fine, she's awake now.

[atouts]

"You do have the option of not drinking the half designed for stronger sorts, you do realize," Childermass will carry on admonishing the poor lightweight of an Englishman, even as he accepts his own mug of wine and takes a drink. Whatever the two are pretending to be innocent about isn't any of his business, even if he does pick up on them both being completely full of shit over, what? Faerie ale?

[atouts]

Even if he had been given time to start snooping, or should he find that time again, Tyki will find notes being compiled on the carnival's latest exploits — primarily, Heartstone Manor. Since Baker almost immediately interrupts him, however, well, who knows what Childermass has written about it.

"If I had to?" Ridiculous. Why would he even have to in the first place? To choose one or the other. "Four cats, I suppose. I don't have the time at home to train four dogs, much less the space to, and four cats can roam and keep themselves fed."

It's the most frugal decision. To be fair, he doesn't even have a place of his own in England, barring whatever space they can spare at Starecross for when he isn't away on business, but then, Tyki wouldn't know that. If he had specified owning them within the carnival, well, perhaps the answer could have been different, but for now, it's cats and, having answered that, Childermass crosses the cabin floor to the little kitchenette, to fetch a glass of water.

Baker, meanwhile, does sniff Tyki's offered hand first but almost immediately moves on to trying to pinpoint that slime smell and that means a six foot something tall fluffball of a dog is invading his space until Childermass gets back to tell him off.

[soft_focus]

"Mn..! ...I didn't know there were fun things to do with real snow," she hums, sounding more confused than upset about it at least. "....Do you think there's something we can just look at to find out all of the snow things though?" Because hey, if it replaces the association with her homeland, well....That'd be cool.

Also everyone seemed ridiculously excited about things like throwing snow at each other, What. (In the meantime, she's apparently decided to go a traditional route of one berry one popcorn, and so on.)

[dirthena]

The truth hasn't changed her feelings, and Lavellan finds that equally as devastating as what he'd confessed to her. He has taken so much from her, has left her with nothing but her name and a burden she doesn't know how to deal with, and yet she still loves him. It isn't fair. And yet now they are as equal as they have never been before -- she is not Inquisitor, and he is not lying.

She doesn't know if it's enough to pull him back.

But the memory makes her grin, shaking her head. "You got her back well enough. She spent a few days after asking me how I knew I was a mage, and was only satisfied when I told her she would have known by then." But the young woman, despite their contentious relationship, was still a member of the Inquisition. Was a member.

[dirthena]

( Lavellan opens her mouth to respond that of course she does, she's-- and the words die in her mouth when faced down by his stare and his gaze. Lying to Cole is impossible, as so many of those random snatches of conversation with Solas revealed in retrospect.

But it isn't something she wants to face, is ready to face. The way she is nothing here, not Inquisitor, not Herald, not even First of her clan. So she settles for the simplest answer she can give. )

I am Lavellan. ( It's just whoever that is that's up in the air. ) Whatever else I might be will come in time.

( That is said with far less conviction. )

[scientificist]

He's his medic, thanks, he hates this! And he doesn't trust Foster to do or not do anything at this point, which is why he's trying to remember to cover all his bases. It's like a shitty genie where the only reward he gets is the genie not actively harming themself.

"You can't even control yourself that much," he remarks, voice a disappointed groan. He follows. Look, he understands several languages that he can't speak appropriately, but, shut up, an oddly accented version of English is no trouble. "Can you even, handle the water?"

Mixed messages.png

[criticallyfucked]

"I can handle your cock," Foster supplies without missing a beat. He is not drunk yet, but the only inhibitions Foster has are delusional in form, because that's effectively the only way he ever stops himself. Normally, his lower status and inherent worthlessness are sufficiently prohibitive, but--

But it's still possible this is a joke; he is, after all, forbidden to want anything for himself, especially from other people. On the other hand, he's rarely allowed to joke at anyone's expense but his own. So it depends entirely on who the butt of the joke is.

Those social restraints aren't the only thing lost; his delusions are also slipping their leash--whatever leash they might have had. But then, they've never been bound by anything.

"If you want me under control, then control me!"

He gestures abruptly, passionately, with the bread roll--before thoughtlessly crushing it in his claws in a moment of vehemence.

"Own me, master me, bring me under control yourself!!"