EVENT - DAWNBREAKING PARTY

[thewatchers]

DAWNBREAKING PARTY
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The sun has risen on a new year - a year closer to Daybreak’s ultimate confrontation, but a new year all the same. Instead of the customary welcome assembly and speech for students in January, the administration has decided to celebrate the students’ achievements of thwarting two Heralds, and thus ensuring that the sun can continue to rise at all.

Soleil’s local amusement park, the Radiant Carnival, has been reserved for the Academy’s use on January 10th - which means free, unlimited reign of the park’s features and amenities, often with some further magical twists.


A. Welcoming Feast
Those who have attended the Academy before will by now be familiar with the kind of lavish spread Daybreak puts on for their start-of-year banquet, and the fare is as sumptuous as usual. The presentation comes with a twist, however - given that the party is hosted in the amusement park, the food has been laid out as an extensive buffet that students and staff can visit throughout the day, changing to new selections at certain hours to match the time of day.

The usual selection of drinks - both nonalcoholic and not - has also been made available through a combination of serving staff (for alcohol) and enchanted self-serve machinery (for anything else), allowing the possibly-inadvisable decision of mixing as many drinks as you can possibly get your hands on.

B. Amusement Park
For those who haven’t been to the Radiant Carnival before, it’s a colourful and magical sight - due to support from the Academy and the profit it turns from being one of the few places where the veil is more loosely enforced, it’s perpetually a bright spot, even in the winter landscape. Offering everything from the high-octane thrills of rollercoasters and drop towers to more sedate attractions like riverboat rides and merry-go-rounds, there’s no end to the entertainment that the Carnival provides - if an amusement park ride is reasonably common, the Carnival is sure to have it.

If amusement park rides aren’t to your tastes, there are also alleys and corners where people can gather for more traditional carnival games or - for those who prefer more technological pursuits, an arcade with everything from crane games and photobooths to high-tech game cabinets both enchanted and not. For those who want something more quiet, there’s space to sit and admire frozen water features, peaceful winter gardens, and even a castle to explore made from ice.

There’s bound to be something for everyone at the Radiant Carnival - or, at least, it aims to reach that standard.

C. Fireworks Show
As the day draws to a close and the sun sets, fireworks begin to burst in intricate patterns and vibrant colours in the darkening sky. While seating and rugs have been set up for convenience in the best places to watch the show from, those who are more daring might very well be able to secure a chance to set off some of these special fireworks themselves.

Or you can just bring your own and fire them off from somewhere else within the park, if you find the Academy’s selection lacking - though the administration will likely frown on it, if you’re caught.

D. Wildcard

The Radiant Carnival is open and free, at least for the day, to all of Daybreak’s attendees. Why not take advantage of it?

code bases by tricklet

Comments

D! Reira is an empath, but I won't let her pick anything up from Hibiki without your say-so, ok? :0

[soft_focus]

[Reira is staring at the butterfly, but for reasons just a little different from most. Where most other ten year old little girls would probably be rather enamored, Reira stares first with wide and confused eyes, and then with narrowed ones.

She then proceeds to start trying to follow it, which on the one hand, isn't harming the butterfly but on the other might ruin its cover while spying on people...

She's curious alright. The butterfly doesn't have any feelings, none at all. Not even tiny butterfly feelings!]

o7

[priforprince]

[ That it does not. And yet, it's awfully curious about everybody else.

Right now it's looking in on some of the game stalls in the amusement park, stopping next to anyone that's doing particularly well. ]

[soft_focus]

[This is the strangest butterfly Reira has ever seen.

She Requires more Info.

It's to the kid's credit that she doesn't somehow blow the butterfly's cover by lurking at the same game stalls it does. Go figure, she's learned to avoid getting caught at stuff herself, which is very important when you're not a small innocent butterfly. Reira looks over the games being played, and tries to figure out what the pattern is.

Ultimately...] ............you can't play, you don't have hands.

[It is the Wrong thought. A nice one. But very wrong. Also she's talking to the butterfly now.]

[priforprince]

[ It was spotted?!

The person livestreaming everything the butterfly can see from the security and luxury of her own lodgings pauses in mid-sip of her tea. This is....?

No. There's no cause for alarm. Hibiki completes her sip. Her surveillance is top class, and even were she to be discovered, it hardly compromises her. There's no need to rush.

The butterfly itself, however, falters in midair as if looking to ascertain the truth of this statement. Confirming it does not, in fact, have hands, it floats to the next stall. This one involves knocking bottles over with beanbags. (From the looks of the signs informing people that there will be backlash should anyone manipulate the bottles instead of the beanbags, a certain degree of magic is OK here.)

It alights atop a beanbag, as if inviting Reira to participate. ]

[soft_focus]

[Heck yeaaaaaah you were spotted!

Granted it's by a very clueless ten year old so- well. Hibiki is correct. She's probably the opposite of compromised, in fact.

The faltering is certainly odd however- because, well, there's no feelings from the butterfly so it can't possibly be flustered. She determines ultimately that it was meant to gesture that they don't have hands.

Y'know, like any normal emotionless butterfly would. Yeah.

Reira frowns at the butterfly on the beanbag, speaking after a moment.] ...Making me do it is cheating.

[How stingy!! Maybe the butterfly wants that giant griffon plush kid!!]

[priforprince]

[ In response to this, the butterfly just hops up and down on the beanbag.

Hibiki adjusts a crown-shaped couch cushion behind herself, and watches keenly. The current observational target is a child, but.....Well. Knowing everything, and assessing the merits of each possible piece on the chessboard, is a genius's prerogative. ]

[soft_focus]

[Huff huff huff!!

Alright you stupid butterfly! She's going to take the beanbag, and THROW IT.

She might not throw it well. She has baby arms and all that. But she threw it, even if she doesn't especially care about the game or know what the point is.

Now.] There.

[Are you happy, strange butterfly??? No, because you have no feelings. Reveal your secretsssss...]

[priforprince]

[ Oh. The butterfly watches the beanbag, then flutters to sit on Reira's head instead. And while it may have no feelings....

Someone associated with the butterfly just felt disappointed. ]

[soft_focus]

[WOah!! WOAH!!!

...well Reira certainly can't tell it's someone Through the butterfly, what with her never having the chance to make That kind of detection. But as it is, that has her quite excited!] Mnh-!!

You had a feeling..! [Excuse her as she tries to feel for the butterfly.] ..Is my head not comfortable? You got sad...

[Well. Sort of sad. Or something. She doesn't know a lot of the right words for these.]

[priforprince]

[ And now there's - surprise. She's an empath? And she can feel Hibiki through the butterfly? How could such a thing...

The butterfly, though, is solicitous. As its enchantment wishes it to remain as non-suspicious as possible, it decides to flutter in a circle around Reira's head to indicate that Everything Is Fine. Except Hibiki also tries to keep its camera trained on Reira, so she can watch.

Perhaps there's something noteworthy about the child after all. ]

[soft_focus]

[Just wait until the extended Outlands stay comes out.

For all that the butterfly is now flying as if all is well, Reira frowns at it. She's not in contact anymore, so go figure she can't grab anything...now?

Hmn.] Mnn...maybe it's just you have small feelings...

[Small child is...Suspicious. She also has four seemingly innocuous bracelets on one arm. Totally normal. Yep.

They're fae sprites]

[priforprince]

[ Four on one arm....

That's not an aesthetic choice Hibiki would have made. Give her a moment. Maybe she'll notice something. Once she's done lamenting the style decision.

The butterfly, however, is super helpful and decides to land RIGHT ON the thing it had just been directed to look at! Here it comes. ]

[soft_focus]

Heh..?

[Well, congrats, you're on the bracelets. And-

Well one of them mists down into a large, flemish rabbit sized...

Moth? Rabbit? Both? Kinda almost as cute as this-]

Oh. ...I don't think Moon liked that, [she remarks, the violet moth thing fluffing up for a minute before settling.]

/dramatic hamster

[priforprince]

[ Oh! The butterfly still doesn't feel startled, due to the whole no-feelings-thing, but it does dart up to get out of Moon's way.

Then closer, to say hello (and get a good view). It begs your pardon...um....?

Hibiki's eyebrow quirks. She looks away for half a second and something interesting happens? Perhaps....mere surveillance grows insufficient.

Perhaps she shall have to do this

herself... ]

lmffffhgjkf rip hibiki???

[soft_focus]

[oh no

s...socializing.... WITH CHILDREN...

Well in any case, Reira's busy petting Moon and scooping the moth-thing up, which is rather impressive given how big they are. She is also, apparently, going to take some time to introduce them so that's rather considerate.]

Moon, this is a butterfly. Their feelings are really small, smaller than normal butterflies, [She explains, incorrectly, but helpfully at the same time. Anyway, for the butterfly-]

This is Moon. They're one of the sprites.

[informative...]

[priforprince]

[ Indeed. The butterfly waves a wing. Then has to right itself, because doing that kind of thing while flying really isn't recommended.

Which is right about when a voice resounds behind Reira: ]

You've quite the striking companion.

[ OH GOSH, IT'S A MOVIE STAR

This information shall be helpfully supplied by someone walking past, Just In Case. "Yikes! Isn't that Hibiki Shikyoin - the movie star?????"

Hibiki just smirks, like convenient exposition about her amazingness is just a typical part of her day (as well it may be). She keeps her eyes on Reira.

Or perhaps on Moon. ]

[soft_focus]

[There is a tragic problem in all of this.

Reira does not know what a movie star is. Her reaction is entirely non-existant, beyond to simply stare at the one addressing her.

(Maybe one of the stars in the sky was in a movie??? why is no one looking at the stars then)

Reira looks to the butterfly, and then back to Hibiki.] Mnh...they're okay. They didn't hit anyone, and I don't think it would hurt if they did.

[no not that use of 'striking' reira-]

[priforprince]

[ A-a limited vocabulary....

No. She must persevere. Hibiki Shikyoin is not so easily dissuaded from her goal!

Hibiki stamps down an immense, sudden feeling of dread (laced with judginess) and puts on a bright smile. ] They must have other fascinating abilities, then. Like a deeply-rooted flower, hiding its strength....

[ The butterfly is left hovering, unsure whether it's to return to surveillance if the person who's supposed to be watching is setting herself up for a gag busy here instead. ]

[soft_focus]

[The side effects of learning English second; she might be able to mimic the pronunciations and enunciations perfectly, but it's still a bit by bit lesson that's hampered by literal thinking.

Also Russian language.

Also EXCUSE-

Reira squints, just a little.This is a bit why she's not very fond of most people after all.

Their faces lie about what their feelings are. But....maybe they're just scared? There's some kind of Edge there she can't put her finger on but mostly...]

....You don't have to be scared of it. They cant even lift the beanbags. I had to throw for them.

[priforprince]

I'm not afraid.

[ She says, smiling harder, as the pit of her stomach drops in despair for humanity (or perhaps just because She has found Herself in this situation). The air is sparkling now. ] Now, illuminate my heart with their brilliance.

[ Make the creature do something. Anything. She had hoped to be subtler, but she came out here to scout Talent, and sometimes Talent is.....lopsided. The sooner she can make a judgment call the better.

...She may just like Moon because Moon is purple. ]

[soft_focus]

Eh?

[wait uh-

Oh. She thought they were talking about the butterfly, but they're talking about...] ...You meant Moon?

...Mnh. ...Moon's power won't do a lot here though...they're mostly for hiding from dead things...

[Moon just happens to balance out the relative uselessness by being very invested in everything ever. Which is to say they're curious and are probably digging at the ground.]

[priforprince]

[ The sparkles waver, as if in danger of falling. Hibiki grits her teeth. ]

....You've idiosyncratic priorities, haven't you.

[ SHE CAN SALVAGE THIS

SURELY

SURELY

EVEN IF THE CHILD IS NOT BRIGHT AND THE CREATURE IS HERE FOR NO DISCERNABLE REASO--

SHE'S GETTING A HEADACHE ]

[soft_focus]

[hah?]

...Idiosyncratic?

[Notably, the way that word was repeated was identically to how Hibiki said it.

Also notably is she's pulling out a Daybreak issue translator device, plugging it in, and repeating the word- again, exact intonation- to the device after getting a headphone in.

Is....she not fluent in-

She gets what she needs from the device, and looks to Hibiki with a frown.] ...I think that's you...

[WOW!!!]

Why do you want to know what just Moon does? The other three could do stuff a lot easier. But Moon is just Moon. Even using my body, it only works for dead things, like skeletons and ghosts.

[priforprince]

[ That does it! The sparkles all fall out of the sky and crash to the ground below. Hibiki's outer and inner composure snap together in a sudden surge of irritation. ]

Any will suffice! What about a request for a power display is so incomprehensible?!

[ hibiki that sentence itself contained a six-syllable----

oh, forget it ]

i'm,,,sorry,,,hibiki,,,

[soft_focus]

[Well, she knows That word. It's just a matter of getting it all translated out. Anyway, Reira's getting a bit irritated, but whether it's morme with Hibiki herself or whatever is going on is questionable.]

The part where you won't say why. [she says rather calmly. She has a point Hibiki, she did ask about why you wanted to know to begin with.]

People who ask about power want to do things with it. Like use it...or make it stop working. Normally it's not a good reason.

So why do you want to know?

[At the kid's evident stern distress, the other bracelets react- a pink, green, and yellow version of the rabbit moth thing all tumbling forward and chittering nervously.]