lostcarnival | ⇨ THE LUNAR SOLSTICE

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⇨ THE LUNAR SOLSTICE

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.

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[starters below as I think of them?? please feel free to let me know if you want a personal starter written up, just hit me up via pm or at plurk (@favors) or discord (soap#6671). both prose and brackets/actionspam are fine, I'll match whatever! :3]

Edited 2017-11-26 04:15 (UTC)

It's been a while since Five last had fun in the snow... Depending on how one looked at it, anyway. Memory is kind of a complicated thing when it comes to her, after all. But at least she remembers how to do this. They've got skates in many, many sizes and shapes, which she thinks is pretty cool, considering how... different, everyone's feet can be here. Hers are still pretty standard human teenage girl though, so those are the skates she takes.

It's something she goes to do over the span of many days, for an hour or two. She can be seen on her own for the first day (for solo interaction without the pet), or with "Angel Seven" flying in wide circles high above her, making the occasional dip to circle more closely around her.

Either way, with pet or no, if Five should spot someone close enough by, she'll wave, point to the skates, hopefully. "Come put some on? I wouldn't mind a skating partner!"

9S had observed the ice skaters for a while now, as well as Yuya's flailing along the ice. "Sure, in a bit." Actually, her face looks familiar. "You're... one of the new recruits from the manor, aren't you?"

He remembers seeing her during Peridot's impromptu meeting. He had been in a pretty foul mood back then and practially champing at the bit to get back to searching for Rita, but he made sure to store the features of the new engineering team into his memory banks.

9S is dressed in his usual clothes, exposing his face, neck, and legs to the elements. But he doesn't seem to be bothered by the cold; if anything, he feels more physically energetic thanks to the cool weather taking a load off his cooling systems. But unlike the last time they saw each other properly, the synthetic skin covering the back and sides of 9S' legs have since melted off, revealing the metal beneath. As usual, his robot buddy, Pod 153, hovers behind him at just above his shoulder height. For once, his sword isn't hovering at his back.

Edited 2017-11-26 09:33 (UTC)

The first instinct is, of course, to ask him if he's cold. But even from some distance, it doesn't take long for Five to observe the metal, the way his artificial skin seems to be damaged. That's a curiosity in itself to her, since all the androids she's ever met have nanites to quickly take care of any and all injuries.

Skating closer in a way that showcases her familiarity with the ice (though not necessarily skill), Five gives a nod in response to his question. "Yup! I'm Five."

She herself is dressed somewhat more appropriately for the weather, even if the cold here seems to be relatively controlled to keep people as comfortable as possible. She's in layers: brightly colored leggings, pink dress, a jacket tied around her waist and both a cardigan and a dress-length coat pulled on over, though left unbuttoned.

"Hey." There's suddenly clear concern in her voice here. "It looks like you might have sustained some damage... Can you feel that?"

She indicates his legs with a small wave of her hand and another nod of her head. In her world, there are androids who have touch receptors and the like, who can feel things, for... Different reasons. If 9S doesn't have nanites to automatically repair him, she hopes at least it's not hurting him to go around like that.

Five? That's an unusual name for a human. But his thought is quickly derailed by her concern. "Huh?"

9S looks down at his legs, shifting his stance. Oh, right. That. He looks back at Five, a small smile crossing his face. "Oh, don't worry about that. I know it looks bad, but the damage is superficial."

He does have nanomachines to restore small wounds, but they struggle to do anything about the melted flesh. To be honest, if his damage was worse, it'd just be easier to dump his memory data into a new body. But this is the only one he's got here.

"Anyway, nice to meet you, Five. I'm 9S." His mouth quirks up into a small grin. "As you can see, I'm an android. A YoRHa Number 9 Type-S model."

She seems relieved that the damage isn't as bad as it looks, or at least that it's not effecting him much beyond aesthetically. Honestly though, if prodded, Five would admit the look is kind of neat, anyway.

Then, with a small look of wonder, she repeats after him, in a curious voice, "A YoRHa Number 9 Type-S model...? Huh. I've never heard of that. Where I'm from we've got more like... entertainment models or diplomatic models, and they're usually given names. Like Wendy, or..." Her voice goes softer, a hint of something like nostalgia or reverence, her gaze dropped to the side for the moment when she adds: "Arrian."

Grief. It's grief. She's quick to cover it up with a smile though, and the smallest of shrugs as a silent almost-apology for her unexplained lapse into sadness there.

Entertainment models and diplomatic models just makes him think of 42S, the idol and publicity agent stationed at North 12C Defense HQ. Of course, the guy's still a soldier, but sometimes it's easy to forget that when he's got such a bright and cheery manner of speaking.

But 9S brightens at the mention of other models where Five's from, though the quiet lapse into silence doesn't go unnoticed. "You have androids in your world? Almost everyone in the Carnival comes from worlds that don't have the technology for our kind."

So it's great to hear that not only does Five's world does, but they have roles, too!

"The androids in your world must be happy, if they're given names and get to work with humans."

"Yeah! One of my best friends is even an android, though she doesn't really have a name? She probably did at one point but she lost a lot of memories when the rest of us did... Now she just goes by Android, and the rest of us go by the number in the order we woke up from stasis."

Thus, why Five is Five.

As for them being happy... "I can't really speak for all androids, but I'd like to think that ours is pretty happy?" She's a part of their crew, their family, but Five knows she's also kind of different than a lot of androids out there. More human, in a way, even without the illegal upgrade she'd gotten to make herself be able to better imitate human movement and behavior.

She briefly thinks about the other androids she's met since she'd woken up... Wendy, the entertainment model who had tried to kill the crew of the Raza. But she'd been hacked and taken over by someone who'd wanted to kill them, so who knows what she had been like before that. Then there was Arrian, the diplomatic model she'd met on EOS-7... He'd had the illegal upgrade too, and had saved her... More than once, actually, in the very short time she'd gotten to know him.

Five takes in a sharp breath suddenly, pained. That loss is still fresh, and while she's been off and on grieving her friends from back home (since she doesn't really know if they're alive or dead), she's never given herself a moment to mourn Arrian. She may not have known him long, but... He'd had a huge impact on her.

"I guess I... I didn't really know that many, actually. Not personally."

Stasis? But at least that explanation of her name's origin neatly answers one of the questions burning in the back of his mind.

He's not sure why the topic has upset her, but he feels a pang of pain at witnessing Five's. All he can think of is that the topic of the androids must be painful to think about right now, like how thinking about 2B hurts right now.

"...I'm sorry," he murmurs. For indirectly hurting her. "Do you miss them?"

"It's okay, I was just... Thinking about the last android I met, before I came here. The circumstances were kind of... intense?"

It sounds like a question, like she's not sure if that's the right word for it, but... She lets out a short, soft laugh, though there are tears at the corner of her eyes that she's working on fighting back. Laughing at herself, at how unexpected and sudden these feelings came rushing in.

"Sorry." And now she feels like it's necessary to apologize back, for her reaction. There's a small, apologetic smile that goes along with that.

9S isn't sure what to do. If it were someone else -- like Syrlya, or Cole -- he wouldn't hesitate to give them a reassuring pat, but Five is a human. It feels a little inappropriate, even if seeing her in distress pulls at his own feelings.

He shakes his head. "It's okay."

He's not sure how to deal with this. But he'll try.

"You can, um. Let it out, if that'll make you feel better. You look like you've had a rough time."

Let it out. Would that make her feel better? If she'd been back home, would she have spoken to someone else about all that's happened? ...Probably. She frequently talked to Android and Two about things that were bugging her. She just... doesn't have anyone she's that close to yet here.

Five takes in a deep breath. "It's... been a ride, definitely." Giving a brief look around, she decides it's probably best if she comes off the ice until she can calm down, and steps into the snow with her skates on before plopping down on a nearby bench. "This is so... I didn't even know him that long, a few hours, but..."

She trails off, wipes away a tear that's finally making its way down her cheek. The thing is, it's not even just Arrian, though. Thinking of Arrian was really just the final straw that broke the camel's back. The last drop in the bucket, of all the things she'd been holding in, not discussing with anyone.

"Do you... miss people from back home?"

9S understands. He really hadn't known 2B for very long, barely even a few hours when he sacrificed himself and his memories for her. So he understands what it is like to be so deeply affected by with someone you haven't known for very long at all.

2B was supposed to be here with him, but she isn't and the knowledge that she really is infected and dying makes his insides twist.

"...Yeah, I do," he murmurs. More than Five can imagine. "I wish they were here."

He wants to go back to Earth to be with his fellow androids, to be with 2B, even though that would mean he would eventually be killed.

"Me too," she says quietly. She takes in a deep breath, exhales slowly, trying not to let the emotions overwhelm her. "But I know... They'd want me to make new connections, new friends..."

Which is, of course, easier said than done, but... She's been trying. Maybe not as hard as she could have been, she's certainly been isolating herself on occasion to sulk, but she's still trying.

Who knows if that's the case for 2B. She'd always been rather closed off, not particularly inclined to make friends in the first place. She probably wouldn't wish for the same thing... though she had told him to 'be kind to A2'. He doesn't even know A2! It's hard to feel kindness towards an android he's never met.

"Making new friends doesn't mean you're forgetting your old ones."

He almost offers to be her friend. But he's not equals with humans. He can't be. He can't; his creators had made sure of that. After a moment of hesitation, he continues.

"You don't have to force it. Just... take it slow. You'll be with us for a while." Awkward, he reaches out to pat her on the shoulder. "If you ever want to talk or do something fun, I'll be around."

A.
The pet is the first thing Five buys, and it's definitely an impulse. She gets a falconry glove along with the reynat, which perches on Five's arm with her four short-talon-having paws. Both girl and creature seem happy, and Five sits on a bench a little ways away from the market to get to know her new friend.

"I think... I'm going to call you Seven."

B.
Gifts are the next things on Five's list, and she knows she's at least getting things for Childermass, Peridot, Strange, and Alphys. But she's not totally sure what. She ends up purchasing some healing draughts, a wallhack potion, a featherblade, and some books, gathered all up in a large cloth sack. She stands by the market with head slightly tilted as she looks into the sack, clearly unsure about what she's bought. Did she spend enough money? Is this enough? Is this all appropriate stuff to get people she doesn't really know that well?

Scout pauses to look at the girl and the winged lapine that she'd seen in passing in the store, and comes over to say hello.

She has a birdlike togetic but it's circling overhead, making grumbling noises that she suspects are about the cold. Scout herself has a jacket and thin gloves, a little light for this weather, but she's doing all right. Even if it's a little unpleasant putting bare hoof-claws on snow and her tail radiates heat around the sort of sleeve she put over much of it, she's trained to ignore a degree of discomfort.

"You picked up a friend, huh?"

The reynat is sniffing at Five's hair with both curiosity and caution, perched on the top of the bench. Upon hearing and sensing Scout and her pokemon come closer, both girl and creature switch their gazes over to her. Five smiles, and Seven's tail curls and flicks.

"Guilty. The first thing I spent my money on," she admits with a soft laugh. "I've never actually had a pet before." She can't remember if she mentioned that to Scout already or not. "But it seems like plenty of other people in the carnival have them too?"

She nods. "It's an effort sometimes, you have to take it seriously, but it can be worth it." Pets in the Temple hadn't been unknown - Yoda had a thing for kyybucks - but had been a little less personal than out here. And people don't practice beast-communing techniques on them here, not often.

"We visited a world where just about everyone had companion animals, and a lot of us picked up some temporarily. A few we got to keep." Sensing attention, her togetic chirps more enthusiastically.

Five looks to Seven with a smile when Scout talks about taking it seriously. "Yeah. Looking after another living creature... I know it's a big responsibility." Five plans to do her best.

She holds her gloved arm out to her new pet, and after a few seconds of apparent consideration, Seven steps onto it, and bumps her head lightly against Five's. At the chirping sound, Five notices the togetic and her smile widens as she looks back to Scout. "Is that where you got yours?"

"Good. We have animal handlers who can give you advice, if anything comes up." Scout's lucky that pokemon can be stored in a convenient portable form. Her togetic's generally well behaved but everything is trouble sometimes.

She smiles. "That's right! I named her Thranta. She's supposed to be good for spreading happiness... well, she's cute, anyway."

"That's... good to know," she says with a little laugh, and does seem genuinely relieved. That's sort of what this place is about, right? Working together and helping one another? At least, Five can't see a carnival managing to run effectively any other way.

"Thranta," Five repeats. "She is cute!" She looks back to her own, brand-new pet. "Seven and I are still getting to know one another."

Steven spends a lot of time in the markets for the first week or so of the vacation - not just because he's trying to work out what to buy for people, but also because there are so many exciting things to look at, even if he's not going to acquire them in the end. There's clothes to try on and animals to say hi to - and, at some point, there is a girl with blue hair that looks sort of uncertain.

"Hi!" Steven says, without any further prompting needed. He looks roughly adolescent, and there is a small creature on his head who is mostly enveloped in what was initially Steven's toque. "You're new to the carnival, right? I'm Steven!"

At some point, she sits and watches the snow fall from a window of the Ringmaster's cabin where she's been allowed to stay, away from everyone else for the moment. Her hands are curled around a steaming mug of hot chocolate with little marshmallows, and she's running a finger around the rim while she waits for it to cool down enough to drink directly.

There's a frown on her face, and she looks a little... melancholy?

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⇨ THE LUNAR SOLSTICE

five | dark matter / ota

ice-skating (open)

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caravan market (open)

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B

hot chocolate (ota who come by party cabin)