⇨ 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

[reflash]

"It's serious," he tries to snap, but he's not up for an argument. "They're going to kill you. They might kill me too, I don't know."

Any of his usual ability to form intelligent, coherent sentences is buried under the haze in his skull right now, along with any ability to really care about the death sentences hanging over their heads. It's just obligation. He's obligated to be serious about this, to care, to keep going, to get stronger, to be better.

"I can't lighten up. Not yet."

[flashover]

"I won't let them kill you, idiot..." Rin says, grabbing the nearest part of Yukio available. It happens to be his foot. "And if I die, then... whatever. I lived a good life. I think I made dad proud. And it's not like I'll go down without a fight!"

He says that, but he probably would. In the end, he doesn't want to hurt anyone. And if the Order thinks him being dead was safer for more people than him being alive, even after Rin gives it everything he's got... well. Then they're probably right, aren't they?

"But they won't kill you. That'd be stupid... just stupid."

[reflash]

He laughs again, because this is stupid, this is just stupid, and it doesn't matter if they made anyone proud and it doesn't matter what they did or what they accomplished or who they are.

"He was always proud of you." And he does get the appropriate level of venom in his voice when he says it, anger not held in check because his usual distance has just dissolved completely under the influence of magical alcohol.

[flashover]

The venom doesn't go undetected. It would probably sting a lot more if he weren't inebriated. As a matter of fact, before doing or saying anything else, he reaches out for his forgotten glass and quickly downs the rest of the glowing golden beverage.

"He was proud of you, too. I know he was."

And why shouldn't he be? Yukio achieved so much for such a young person. In a mere 15 years he'd accomplished what some people never did in their entire lives!

"... I miss him," Rin admits, sadness now in his voice. "He was here, for a little while. Alive. From... before... everything... I warned him."

Rin looks up at the ceiling, hands folded on his now empty glass in his lap.

"... maybe, in his timeline, it mattered. Maybe, some other you and me won't have to go on without him."

[reflash]

Yukio manages to shake his head at that first thing, still stuck on it even as Rin talks about timelines and Fujimoto being alive somewhere, being here for a little bit.

"He wasn't. You didn't see that."

Yukio never would have accomplished so much, so young, without being pushed. A gun in small hands and the weight of protect on his shoulders and the Paladin constantly driving him forward. A long time ago, he wanted to be a doctor. A childish dream. That was never going to happen, not with who he was and what he came from and who he was raised by and demons pulling every single string.

And Fujimoto knew. The whole time, the whole time he played at being the priest and the father and the Paladin, he knew what was going on.

"He was supposed to be a vessel for a demon king. We were too. We're just... experiments." That's all. Just experiments. Just bodies.

"He was proud of you because you inherited the flames. I couldn't."

[flashover]

Rin smiles at Yukio as he listens to him berate himself, like he always does. He squeezes his brother's foot in a weird, but thoughtful, show of affection.

"Yukio... I don't really understand everything you're saying..." Vessels? Experiments? "But I know one thing. He loved us. He loved you." He says it with kind of certainty that only comes from being inebriated and not very smart. But his words ring honest.

"Maybe we started that way... just a couple of freaks, being raised as weapons for the Order. But you don't raise experiments in a church, right? You raise them in a lab. You don't let 'em have hopes and dreams and make mistakes and go to school and learn to cook and...." he shakes his head.

"... I want to believe he loved us like his own kids. Can't you just believe it too, Yukio?"

[reflash]

"That's worse," he says, turning his face closer to the couch. His throat is tight, suddenly, and there's too much heat under his skin.

He wants to be angry. Instead, Rin's words just hurt. Rin was the one with hopes and dreams and mistakes. Rin was the weapon and the vessel and the heir and the son. Yukio... he was always just the bodyguard.

[flashover]

Sorry, Yukio. Rin just has... a hard time understanding. He finds it so much easier to put himself in the shoes of those with whom he hasn't grown up. Oddly enough. Maybe he'll understand one day. But now he's leaning back and his eyes are closed.

"I dunno. If he were here... he'd tell you..." a large, gaping yawn, showing the slightly more dog or carnivore-like teeth Rin has in his mouth. "I'd beat him up until he did."

[reflash]

"I asked," he murmurs. He asked something, at least. And he never got an answer. He never got any answers.

[flashover]

Without opening his eyes, Rin punches at the air. One, two! Punch!

"Then both of us need to beat him up!! Bam, bam...!" he opens his eyes and looks at his fists up in the air for a moment, then lets them fall back down.

[reflash]

"You're an idiot, nii-san." Yukio manages, but... it's reassuring. It's familiar, it's Rin being an idiot but it's also... it's also enough to force him back to alertness.

"You'd help me get answers?"

[flashover]

"Yeah, I know," he says simply. He never claimed to be smart! He looks at Yukio with soft eyes.

"It's something you really want, right? I don't understand it myself... but if it will make you happy, I'll do it!"

Rin isn't so sure it will... he fears that once Yukio starts getting his answers, he'll only find more questions. But Rin wants nothing more than to support his brother, to be there for him. It wasn't his business to judge him.

[reflash]

"If I learn, I'll be stronger." It's not about what will make him happy. "I'll be strong enough to protect everyone."

To protect. That was his goal. He's lost sight along the way, it's fogged and distorted, but that was the dream that sent him on this path and kept him moving forward.

[flashover]

"Mmm... well, if it's what you want... then I'll do what I can to help you."

With that, Rin sort of flops on top of Yukio, wrapping his arms around him in a loose and drunken hug.

"'Cause you're my little twin brother."

[reflash]

Yukio flinches when Rin unceremoniously lands on him, not exactly out of pain but more from a renewed awareness of his injuries and from the unexpected contact. It's not an attack, but it takes a couple seconds for him to process what exactly it is. He isn't really used to hugs, the closest thing tends to be Shura putting him in a headlock.

"You're heavy," he complains, but he also grabs at Rin again,

[flashover]

Uh, no, dumbass. It's not an attack. It's called a physical display of affection -- a hug, drunken and uncoordinated as it is. You could get hugs a lot more often if Rin thought you weren't gonna smack him most of the time! But thankfully, magic alcohol means he doesn't care if he gets smacked!

"Mmmmffmmfff."

Those aren't words, but he sort of moves to one side so he's not on Yukio's broken arm at least.

[reflash]

No smacking, just a slight wiggling to get into a more comfortable position with Rin half flopped on him. He winds up twisted onto his side, his forehead pressed against Rin's collarbones like Yukio isn't the taller one here. Don't... don't bring it up. Just let him hide here for a little bit, like he's some kind of dumb kid. He's dimly embarrassed, but also... it's better this way.

[flashover]

Well good, because Yukio, you're gonna be here a while.

Why?

Because Rin just fell asleep.

Thankfully, his dumb snout is over a pillow and not Yukio's head, because you know there's gonna be drool. There's always drool.

Up close and personal, Rin has a faint smell like sulfur, but without the acrid burning sensation. He's also basically a space heater so enjoy that.

[reflash]

He's warm. Rin's so warm, with a scent like blue flames. Yukio's tired, and after a moment there's nothing else from Rin to keep him awake. He falls asleep too, relaxed and actually deeply asleep for the first time in years. Unless something huge happens, he'll sleep for almost a full day.

[flashover]

This will probably last a few hours, all told. When Rin awakens, bleary, he'll move slow enough as to not wake his brother. And tuck him in with a nice, warm blanket.

Because what Yukio deserves, what he really needs, is a good, long rest.