(All hail the Unconquered Sun)

[scarred_grin]

There's another, smaller party going on down by the lake, in honor of the longest night of the year.

Well, religious celebration complete with 'sacrifice' (no animals were harmed during the making of this party) and sunset-to-sunrise music and dancing. And feasting. Totally free food and drinks, if you don't mind Roman cuisine.

If you can find the place, that is. Sure, there's a small bonfire, and there's activity going on, but it's off on the far side of the lake, more secluded. This isn't a lighthearted thing, here. This is a throwback to the time when people knew how vital the sun was, and didn't just take for granted the fact that it would come up tomorrow. Worlds are born and worlds die, and you just never know when.

And if it's after midnight, and the sacrifice has been made, you just might be able to catch the Norse god posing as the Syrian-Roman priest-emperor whose shindig this is, if you're so inclined. (He'd be the one covered in blood and flowers.)

[ooc: open all week, what with holiday business and whatnot]

Comments

[no_mere_marble]

It looks familiar to Antinoos as he comes wandering closer. Sol Invictus -- now, finally something normal and just as it should be!

[scarred_grin]

Here, have a priest-emperor.

He looks a bit like he should be covered in glitter, but he isn't. Not this time.

And right now he's enjoying a big cup of Falernian wine. Sacrificing is thirsty work.

[no_mere_marble]

Antinoos knows nothing about 'emperor' -- Elagabalus is after his time, and his emperor is Hadrian anyway. But he's curious about the flavour of religion, so after watching and dancing along, he approaches the young priest.

[scarred_grin]

It's an eastern religion. Well, to Rome anyway.

But he approves of anybody who voluntarily takes part in the dancing, so he smiles and raises a hand in blessing.

"All hail the unconquered sun," he says.

[no_mere_marble]

Ah yes, so that's what it is!

Antinoos has seen that cult, on his travels in the east, with Hadrian.

"All hail," he replies. "What a gorgeous sacrifice and festival!"

[scarred_grin]

"Thank you," he says. "We do try. I'll be honest with you, midsummer's my favorite--that is our god at his height--but it's a cycle, and it never holds still. You need this, the darkest moment, in order to have the triumph later; and even in that triumph, the longest day, you know that this night is coming."

[aleister_author]

Tyler can follow the feeling of the fight against an endless night.

Also, the smell of the bonfire and the sound of the music.

He might be from a forcefully modern city, in a modern country, in a modern time (and if that isn't a moving target...) but he knows that there are things out there who would end the sun and take fire with it for an encore.

[scarred_grin]

In fairness, while Loki has been involved with and is fated to finally accomplish plans to destroy the world, it's with fire and not ice. He'd never take the sun away, nor cast whatever few survivors there might be into eternal darkness. That's not how he rolls.

So, (currently) mostly-harmless god posing as a mortal posing as a different god, covered in blood, helping himself to a cup of wine, over by the feasting. It's a shame they couldn't do proper Roman couches, but carrying them all the way out here, in the snow...

[aleister_author]

The darkness is nuclear winter flavored, because it's a cyberpunk apocalypse, so there is a bright light beforehand and plenty of fire before you start running out of things to burn...

And making the guests carry them out would ruin the image. Besides, it's too cold for proper lounging anyway.

"Greetings!"

[scarred_grin]

And the more setup there is, the more cleanup there is later. And gods can be lazy too.

"Welcome to our little celebration," he says with a smile. "All hail the Unconquered Sun!"

[aleister_author]

"Hail and thank you. It's quite the setup."

[crabbycustomer]

Karkat did not intend to be here tonight. In fact, if he's not concentrating hard, Karkat doesn't tend to be anywhere right now. He's... something halfway between a ghost and a memory, most of the time, lately.

But whatever he is, he's still a hero of Blood.

And so, very suddenly, he is not just anywhere, but here. Very much so. Much more so than he's been anywhere at all in a few weeks. On his hands and knees in the mud, and gasping for suddenly-necessary air, and listening to the pounding in his auricular spongeclots that he never missed until it was gone.

---chirurGeneralist [CG] is not available to chat because he is lying outside in the mud!---

[bloodyvirgo]

Kanaya's grown used to seeing Karkat's screenname flickering on and off line since he began learning to control his existence in Bar. So, the status update is enough to catch her attention.

---grimAuxiliatrix [GA] began pestering chirurGeneralist [CG]---

GA: Karkat
GA: ?
GA: Hold On
GA: Im Coming

She's outside soon after, shivering in the cold as she searches the area to look for him. Eventually, she's drawn to the bonfire by the lake, and nearly ends up tripping over her friend in the process.

"There You Are," she says gently, stooping to help him to his feet.

[crabbycustomer]

"YEAH, WELL, YOU WOULD BE THE EXPERT."

He shudders; he's in his basic CANCER WARD outfit, and the long-sleeved t-shirt does exactly jack shit to stop the wind from blowing straight through him.

(It's only because of his bedrock conservatism and crankiness that he's not naked. Karkat is ALWAYS dressed, even when he doesn't specifically exist.)

"ALLOW ME TO EXPRESS A COMPLETE FUCKING LACK OF SURPRISE THAT YOU FOUND ME. OH WOW, A SPACE PLAYER KNOWS PRECISELY WHERE A THING IS LOCATED, LET'S ALL DROP OUR MANDIBLES INTO OUR STEMDIVOTS IN SHSHSHSHSHSOCK. FUCK."

[bloodyvirgo]

She merely rolls her eyes at his words and, hauling him up and off his feet, Kanaya heads back towards the faint light from the Bar.

"It Could Be Accounting For A Rainbow Drinker Always Knowing Where A Food Source Is," she says dryly. Like Karkat, she's not exactly dressed for the cold, and while yes, she's shivering right alongside him, at least she hasn't been laying around in the wet mud. "Now Let's Get You Inside."

[crabbycustomer]

That would be a good idea. While Karkat would like to know what the fuck just happened, there is an adult drenched in candy-red blood over there and that makes him extremely nervous. He feels like any answers are going to be tied up in that, and in that case maybe answers aren't as great as everyone makes out with them to be.

He nods violently at Kanaya's suggestion and tries to lean on her without giving the appearance of weakness, failing utterly. "THTHTHIS WHOLE SLAUGHTERBRATION REEKS OF BLOOD."

It doesn't, really... unless you're tuned into that particular power source, as both of them happen to be for disparate reasons. "I THINK I AM CLIMBING MY ECHELADDDDER JUST STTTANDING HERE. WITH A LITTLE LUCK I WILL BE ABLE TO REACH THE RUNG, 'FAINTLY AMBULATORY' ANY SWEEP NOW."

[onceaviking]

Tonight is the night of the vampires. Darkest night. Longest night. The very best argument for living in the cold North any creature of the night could ask for.

The bonfire, the music, the smell of blood - it is all like at home.

Close enough any way.

And where blood has been spilled and spirits' been poured, a good meal is often easy to come by.

Quite frequently, it will come to you.

And so he stalks the shadows and the flickering light. A tall, blond man with pale skin and hungry eyes.

[no_mere_marble]

Antinoos notices, as he is taking part in the celebrations, and peers into the flickering shadows to see if there's really somebody there, stalking the people at the fires.

[onceaviking]

Somebody is. Somebody suddenly looking straight at him.
And smiling.

It's a nice smile. Friendly. With no hint of fangs.

[no_mere_marble]

"Why are you skulking in the darkness instead of celebrating with us?" Antinoos asks the smiling stranger.

[onceaviking]

Eric steps closer.

"I was curious to see if the celebrations here looked anything like the celebrations of my own people," he replies. "But I did not wish to intrude."

[scarred_grin]

The blood of the bull may not technically be real, but for all intents and purposes it is, to sight and scent and taste.

And stickiness. The young priest-emperor doesn't seem particularly bothered by that though--or by the cold, or the snow.

Why should any of that slow him down? He's done his sacrificing and now he gets to celebrate, and he's starting with some wine.

Probably a lot of wine, before the sun comes up.

[onceaviking]

And what a pretty picture he makes, all drenched in red.

Eric moves closer, still in the shadows. Breathing the scent of animal blood. Which is not what he is after. Its decorative virtues notwithstanding.

[scarred_grin]

It's a good thing the royal family just discards their clothing after a single wear, because there's not enough laundry soap in all of Rome to get the blood out of that loincloth.

He peers off into the shadows, over the rim of his cup.

[onceaviking]

The firelight makes Eric's hair shine in the darkness. That gold, his nose, his cheekbones, all speak of his ancestry.

As does the way he meets the eyes of blood-smeared centerpiece. Very sure of himself.