daybreakacademy | [Open Log] The Turning of the Year

The Turning of the Year
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New year, new you, same old world. Assuming you manage to keep it intact, at least. But hey, your track record’s been pretty good so far. That’s the nice thing about having preventing the apocalypse as your mission statement: as long as the world is still around to complain, you can tell them you did your job just fine.

A. Sweeping Out The Old
Like any old institution, Daybreak has accumulated a great deal of random clutter in its massive storage rooms.

Unlike any old institution, a lot of that clutter is cursed as fuck.

You know, to use the technical terminology.

As per tradition, the last day of the year is generally spent going through the stockpile and carefully dispelling, re-binding, exorcising, or outright destroying anything that needs to be dealt with- all the better to start off the new year by not leaving the future you some alarmingly malevolent artifact to deal with.

More advanced students and faculty are recruited to handle the legitimately dangerous items, whereas less experienced students are given the more obnoxious but less threatening ones to practice with. You never know when you might need to break a curse, after all...

B. In With The New
Of course, it’s not all work- under the circumstances, Soleil is celebrating the New Year with the kind of vigor that only comes from having made it through something you weren’t entirely sure you were going to survive. The students are permitted to come down to the town and join the festivities as they please, although the Academy will have some stern words if you cause any trouble.

...well, too much trouble.

More trouble than they were expecting you to do, at least.

C. Minutes To Midnight
Still, in the end, some people are a little more solemn about it all. And that’s fine, too. Daybreak’s pointedly non-denominational chapel has been carefully swept out for the New Year, and many people are taking the opportunity to use one of their quiet, empty rooms for some quiet contemplation and inward reflection. Meditate on the absolute chaos that is their daily lives.

...At least one of them is probably just here to nap away from their partying roommates. Please try to ignore the snoring.

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[It's been a long year. ...A long couple of years, truthfully. Last year, Gunvolt was anything but ready to celebrate the holidays. His life had been yanked out from under him, thanks to Asimov's betrayal, and his quest for revenge and to save Monarch. It led to a months-long awkward alienation from QUILL, though fortunately those fences had slowly been mended. But even with that, he wasn't sure he could ever go back to QUILL in earnest. Even beyond that, the past twelve months have been a whirlwind of work, constant threats to humankind, and the second pair of Heralds threatening humankind.... the Veil falling, and more.

In truth... so much of it is a blur. While many of the events are crystal clear, many memories both good and bad, Gunvolt has found himself constantly asking where all that time went. Even his anniversary with Desidera felt like it came faster than it should've. How many dates did he really have with her over the past year that they could share without too many worries?

So when New Years finally came, while some people took it somberly, Gunvolt decided... it was a day he would take to celebrate. The previous New Year was a rough experience, wounds too fresh to enjoy, even if he gained new figures into his life. This year, though... this year he would go down to Soleil, with as many of his friends and acquaintances as he could gather, and have fun. During the evening and until about an hour before midnight, Gunvolt will be all over Soleil, sharing a meal with whoever he could gather, before rolling over to the arcade to take it over for a few hours.

There will be gaming, DDR, Pump It Up, Skee-ball, and whatever else you can dream up there. Alternatively talking over dinner would be great!]

[Private for Desidera]

[Following that though, at about 11:00, he breaks off from the main festivities with his friends... taking Desidera and instead going some place a little quieter. One of the smaller, more remote cafes in town, where the two of them sometimes went in the past. There they could be mostly alone, with what few patrons were there, along with the broadcast of festivities on a single TV mounted in the corner, behind the counter.

He took a sip from his cup of hot chocolate, not coffee for once, before taking Desidera's hand into his silently.]

[She had realized where they were going when they were about halfway there, and had no objections to it for several reasons.

It was somewhat odd seeing Gunvolt not go for coffee, but also he probably didn't want to keep himself awake all night. Desi, for her part, has a hot chocolate of her own; she doesn't normally like hot drinks, but tonight, she felt she could stand to make an exception.

She does kind of freeze for a moment when GV takes her free hand—her other hand still holding her mug as she'd just taken a sip from it—before glancing down at that hand and then to him. She doesn't say anything yet, though; coming here was his idea, so she'll wait to see if he was planning to do or say anything himself.]

[It was strange, all of a sudden. He felt like he had a lot to say coming into this, some kind of good idea for a somewhat romantic night. But now that he was here, it was harder to come up with what he wanted to say to her. Maybe he didn't need to say much of anything? He wasn't sure. Truth was, he wasn't very good at being very romantic, though it didn't stop him from trying.

He squeezed her hand, gently, eyes still a little distant and lost in thought, if only for a moment. A blink brought him back to the present.]

I'm glad we could be together like this tonight. Especially because we didn't really do anything nice last year.

But after everything that's happened, I....

[The thought sort of trails off, petering off in his throat for a moment before he can really say it. A gentle shake of his head, followed by glancing over at her.]

...There's no one I wanted to be with more than you tonight. ...Only you.

[Yes, a lot of things have happened in all of that time, and yes, one or both of their entire worlds could be turned up on their heads—again—with no real warning and at any time. They're still here, though, aren't they? Still going.

They do spend a lot of time together as it is, considering how they've been roommates ever since Marise brought her here more than a year ago, and how they've occasionally gone out when they find the time to actually do so. But, there's a little something about the year's end.]

It is a time best spent with family, isn't it? [Look, okay, they basically are one at this point; them and Monarch. ...And that's all she really thinks she needs to say, for the moment.]

[Maybe for some people, that would be a strange answer to get. But for Gunvolt, knowing Desidera as he did, it was an answer that brought brightness to his eyes. It was as honest an answer as he could have, and it filled his chest with a very warm sensation.]

Yeah, it is. And I know this isn't really anything fancy or super special. Not like going out to watch fireworks, or go to a big celebration, or something... but...

I think this is the best New Years I've ever had. ...And hopefully, it'll be the first of many, right?

It doesn't need to be anything fancy. I mean, I won't object to fancy, but anything we can manage even with everything else that's going on is perfectly fine.

[Then she pauses for a moment, glancing aside briefly before facing forward again.]

I think this is the first one I've ever actually celebrated, by the way, even in a way as small as this. Madre and I never did much when I was back home, and you know how last year was. So yes, hopefully we have more like this one.

[Gunvolt was quiet for a moment, hand still in hers. He calmly sighed, relaxed... and as at peace as he's known for a long time. Maybe ever, in spite of the fact that there would always be more to do.]

...So maybe it is pretty special after all.

[Almost funny that something this modest could feel that way. But he was the first to admit, he wasn't the best at this sort of thing anyway. His eyes turned toward the television. Still a few minutes until midnight.

What a twelve months. Mostly good in the end, barring a few things that had mostly been wrapped up. There were still unresolved matters with Vivi... and those problems had no easy answer. Daybreak's counselors had given him the warning that he might need to be prepared to grieve the loss of a friend in the coming year if some answer wasn't found. It was a dark thought that plagued him sometimes, but he still held out hope something would work out even if his own ideas washed out.

...It was all he could do. And it's certainly what Desi would want him to do. And right now, she was the most important thing to him.]

I'm kind of having a hard time expressing myself, but...

[This wasn't really new. Admitting it was newer, though.]

...You really helped pull what was shaping up to be a very dark year into something brighter. Grazie, Desi.

[Of course Lia was coming along with Gunvolt! Something like this sounded just like what they all needed after everything the year had been.

At some point, she stands near one of the air hockey tables, waving Gunvolt over.]

Hey! Want to play few rounds?

Oh, you know it.

[GV beamed a confident smile and walked on over taking one of the paddles up before shoving a coin into the machine, bringing the table to life.]

Your serve first, Lia. I'm not gonna let you beat me as easily as you did last time.

[Lia grins and takes the puck, nodding as she picks up the other paddle.]

Alright! Let's go!

[Serving!]

[Lia's arm still was nothing to be trifled with. This time though, Gunvolt wasn't going to be taken off guard. His eyes followed the motion of her serve and he readied a solid defense, striking the puck back with a bounce off the side wall.

He quickly reset himself, eyes quickly jumping back and forth between the puck and his opponent to try to read her moves.]

[Open Log] The Turning of the Year

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