[Open Log] The Turning of the Year

[thewatchers]

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.

Comments

[shockingblue]

[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?

[unlogic]

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.

[shockingblue]

[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.