⇨ 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

[tacosgay]

Taako is, honestly, overjoyed to not have to work and save the world this Candlenights, and he's celebrating with his two favorite winter activities: baking and drinking wine. When Reira enters the kitchen, she'll find a fresh tray of sugar cookies, along with Taako-- sitting next to a partial bottle of Merlot, some of which has been poured into a tall glass-- humming to himself as he carefully pipes a mixture into small circles on a baking sheet.

It's only after he takes another deep swig of wine that he notices Reira, and he quickly sets the glass down, clearing his throat.

"Uhh, hey there, pumpkin, what's going on?"

[soft_focus]

The wine is, suffice to say, not what is catching Reira's interest. Actually it's not even Taako's good mood-though on any other day it could well have been. Positivity is infectious to a point, and it's just a generally nice thing to be around. No, what it is, is-

"...I smelled something," she starts, blinking with more obvious interest than typical. "....It's 'sweet', like candy is."

A Fact: Reira has absolutely not been told that cakes and pastries are not candies, and is absolutely going to lump those things together.

[tacosgay]

Oh, how darling. That's right-- this little lady probably hasn't had much time to enjoy cookies and cakes in her life.

"Oh, yeah, uh, I've been doing a little baking." He glances around at the cookies and cakes lining the countertops, and clears his throat. "... well, uh, a lot of baking. Hey, do you want a cookie?"

Taako picks up one of those cookies from the tray, and he offers it to her with an unusually earnest smile.

[soft_focus]

Not much at all- in fact, her eyes might as well be as big as the cookies. ".........It was actual candy?!" she half whispers, looking to the cookie for a moment with near awe.

She is absolutely (albeit delicately, and carefully) taking that cookie. And after a second or two just to hold it, taking a nibble.

"Mnnmmnn...~" COOKIES...........................

Taako has, it seemed, successfully discovered Reira's greatest weakness.

[tacosgay]

"Well, technically, it was cookies, but, uh... sure, yeah!"

Oh no. That's adorable. He grins as he watches her enjoy that cookie, and he goes back to piping out those little circles as he talks.

"Well, uh, there's plenty more laying around in here if you want it. Go crazy.
I mean, probably leave some for the rest of us, but, you know. "

[soft_focus]

"Mnnnhh... ....Cookies aren't candy?" she asks, blinking from the cookie for a moment. There is, from there, a pause. "...If I ate all of them, it'd be a long time before there were more though, right..?" On top of eating Everyone's cookies, there wouldn't be cookies for ages, Clearly.

...Right?

[tacosgay]

"... well, I mean, technically, I could just... bake some more, it's not that hard to make them? They're just sugar cookies, darling." He finishes piping out the pale purple batter into tiny circles, and then picks up the pan, tapping it against the countertop before he sets it aside. "But you might end up throwing them all back up if you eat that many anyway, so, you know."

[soft_focus]

".................." Baking........? ....She slowly looks around to the tray, watching him pipe out the batter. Looking at them.

Then to her cookies. And then-

Well forget the idea of eating all of these, she'd rather not be ill, but- "...........can I watch..?"

[tacosgay]

Taako turns back to offer Reira a smile-- and it's actually, for once, utterly genuine.

"Yeah, sure, just, uh... try not to touch anything unless I say so."

[soft_focus]

"Um!! Okay!" She can do that. She can do that really easily-in fact, she does. While staring with all the intent of someone who would ordinarily snatch All of that food, even if uncooked, and eat it.

The only thing that really changes is that occasionally her third eyelid covers the eyes, mostly when anything seems to end up in the air, like flower. GOTTA KEEP 'M SAFE.

[tacosgay]

Okay, that's fucking weird. Like, no offense, but that's weird as hell. The first time she does it, Taako definitely stops everything short and stares at her for a beat, startled. He's a little too wine tipsy to readily accept that kind of thing without warning.

"-- whoa, okay, uh, what the fff-- uh, heck? Gosh darn? What did your eye just do."

[soft_focus]

"Eh?" She blinks-the corner of the second, extra lids somewhat visible halfway through each blinking motion. "....Did they do something weird?"

Reira just because it's not weird to you doesn't mean it isn't weird to Everyone Else-

[tacosgay]

Taako is frozen for a beat, considering his options.

"... I mean-- maybe not? Look, I'm not an expert or anything," he says finally, going back to pouring out his flour, this time a bit more carefully, "But most humans don't have that, uh, clear eyelid? Thing?"

[soft_focus]

"Oh!" Well, say that sooner then. "....I thought different things grew on people after a while here." She didn't expect the eyelids specifically, but they just sort of happened, and they looked like what birds had, so it made sense to her.