May the Best of your Todays be the Worst of your Tomorrows

[thespaceopera]

The morning of the final day of the year - called Last Eve - brings with it a soft, gentle chorus of bells. No matter what town or city you've found yourself in, the tradition is the same: a simple scale plays every hour throughout the day - a melodic, slow countdown to all the festivities to come tonight. People - especially children! - run through the streets ringing hand-held bells of their own, all in the name of good luck and best wishes for the upcoming year. Don't want to wait for the night to start the party? Don't worry! There's plenty to do all day long, too!


A ringing melody in the wind

You thought the festivals throughout the month were extravagant? Well, they're nothing compared to the parades today! Marching bands, performers, and dance crews show off routines they've been preparing for months, candy flies through the air for all of the parade-goers to catch and keep... The floats are elaborate and grand, with humongous shapes in bright colors. A lot of heart, soul, and expert craftsmanship went into these, and it shows. Some parades have set themes, others are just a representation of the towns that give them and what they've put together to share with everyone... but all of them are full of love, joy, and good luck wishes for the upcoming year. Maybe you're part of the parade - riding on a float, tossing out candy, singing or playing an instrument... or maybe you're just there to watch! No matter which way, it's going to be a good time.

The waters may be too cold to swim in, but that's why boats exist! Once the sun goes down, the natural glow of the water is even more breathtaking set against the black, starry skies -- and local tradition is to spend Last Eve out on the water in some way! From rowboats, paddle boats, and sailboats to motorized party boats with loudly blasting music and flashing lights, or huge luxury liners with all the fancy trimmings of fine dining and entertainment -- no matter what kind of boat you want, you're going to have a great time ringing in the new year on the water. Get your party boat on! Or, spend a romantic evening with your loved one on a crewed private charter! Or, row out on your own and meet up with other rowers. Bring snacks~ and a life vest - safety first!

The best part, though, isn't Last Eve... it's First Dawn. Once it gets closer and closer to midnight, and the bells begin to chime louder, and faster, and more jubilant... that's when the real light show begins.


Light up the skies!

Almost every inch of the night sky is covered in bright lights and brilliant hues as fireworks soar through the black. The breathtaking display reflects in the glowing waters, which seem to mimic all the colors back like a visual echo. And with the backdrop of the bells' song, this is how the new year comes to Libuscha IV.

So - Happy Last Eve, and Happy First Dawn. Enjoy your holiday, dear Fleet. ♥

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(( This post is a mingle for all of your New Year / Last Eve / First Dawn Celebration needs. Go forth and have fun! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us. o7

And on a final note: Happy New Year, Drift Fleet. ♥! Thank you for spending your RP time with us. We're absolutely convinced that you're all the best players out there, and we love you for coming on this journey with us. May the next year be full of fun, happiness, and of course, some shenanigans~ ))

Comments

[rebuildyourruins]

That only proves it was you. You didn't leave any of the honey-roasted nuts for anyone else.

[A crime Thor still takes personally, 1400 years later.]

[dothelokimotion]

You mean, someone didn't leave any honey-roasted nuts for you.

[rebuildyourruins]

It's the same thing.

[As far as Thor's concerned, anyway.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki sniffs pointedly. ]

No it is not. Besides, if you weren't distracted by boasting about yourself, you would have managed to save some.

[rebuildyourruins]

[Crossing his arms, Thor sits back in the chair with a far more stubborn look on his face.]

I had bested a hundred soldiers in battle that week. My victories were worth discussing.

[It hadn't been a discussion, of course. It had been an announcement, repeated several times, to much delight if he's going to be mulish about it.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki cocks an eyebrow at him. ]

Can it be a true victory if all you do is swing an enchanted hammer around? Because technically anyone can do that if they fulfilled our father's arbitrary ideals of worthiness.

[rebuildyourruins]

Are you seriously going to question all my past wins because I used Mjolnir?

[They'll be here all night if they get into that argument.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki merely shrugs. ]

I'm simply saying it can't count for much.

[rebuildyourruins]

Nope! It still counts, no matter how much you want to complain about it.

[dothelokimotion]

[ demurely. ]

If you say so, brother.

[rebuildyourruins]

I do say so.

[With finality, even. He takes up the glass of ale that just got served to him and has a mouthful.]

I still know it was you.

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki merely shrugs. ]

It's too late to do anything about it now.

[rebuildyourruins]

Oh, I know. What would I do about it anyway? It was so long ago, and a small thing besides.

[It might have started out as finger-pointing, a way of highlighting how stealing sweets was something Loki was more than experienced in. In the end it was nice just to remember that time, long ago, when they were both still young.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ small things add up. or at least they did in loki's experience. he takes a sip out of his own drink. ]

Everything was a long time ago.

[rebuildyourruins]

[Thor flicks his eye over to Loki before merely humming his agreement. There's not much he can say to that, after all. For beings as old as they were, childhood was a memory very far removed.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ he takes another long sip. liquid courage. ]

What happened to me was also a long time ago. But it had a hold on me.

[rebuildyourruins]

[Stillness settles over Thor for a moment. He doesn't know immediately what Loki is talking about - his brother's habit of changing tack mid-conversation seemingly rearing its head again.]

What do you mean?

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki's method is to disarm and disorientate. even when he's being truthful. ]

I said I would tell you what happened when I — fell.

[rebuildyourruins]

[He remembers. Of course Thor remembers, after so many arguments about it and skating near the edge of the subject so many times. It was only in backing off and leaving it alone that Thor got anything like a concession out of Loki, insanely difficult though it was to let it drop when it bothered him so much. He remembers, too, that Loki had been on the verge of telling him something at the hot springs only weeks ago.

Thor turns the glass in his fingers, but otherwise keeps his calm.]

You... yes, you did.

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki turns the glass in his hands, a semblance of fidgeting. ]

The Void is . . . nothingness. So I felt nothing. Which — suited me fine, really. I was hoping for something akin to oblivion, but it had deposited me near Sanctuary. And there . . . someone was waiting for me.

[ fortuitous, thanos had said to a shivering, cowering loki on his knees, lost and confused, for you to come to the place of cast-outs. his fingers feel cold, but loki wets his lips, continuing. ]

He had been hunting the Infinity Stones. And he required someone with my powers, someone who could travel between worlds.

[ there is a lot he isn't saying. loki had sneered at first, holding his battered pride together. they laughed at him and left him alone. and he waited for someone — anyone to come. asgard. odin. thor. but no one came and eventually loki realized they were never going to. and despair gave way to bitterness and anger. ]

I bargained for Earth and my freedom. He used the Mindstone to link us together and sent me on my way.

[rebuildyourruins]

["Who controls the would-be king?" Thor's grip on the glass grows tighter with each passing word. A pit opens in his stomach as he realises what Loki is describing. The Stones. The Mind Stone. Used.

He keeps his voice as level as he can but there's no mistaking how dark his expression grows.]

And that's when you arrived on Earth. Doing his bidding. [Thor releases the glass, knowing he'll shatter it if he keeps on the way he's going.] What's Sanctuary?

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki blinks as if he had forgotten he was talking, his gaze flickering over to thor. ]

It is one of Thanos' domains. Where the Chitauri were born.

[rebuildyourruins]

[There it is. The name Loki had refused to give the last time they had this conversation, Thor pressing and pressing to know what was being spoken of and Loki withdrawing back into himself. And Thor knows of the Chitauri, so it isn't a hard connection to draw.

He's silent for a long few minutes, rearranging what he knows. What he remembers.]

You said he linked you to him with the Mind Stone.

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki grimaces in remembered pain. ]

To ensure I do not stray. The consequences were . . . very clear.

[rebuildyourruins]

[His hands curl into fists on the table. None of this excuses what happened next, Thor knows. The decimation of New York still stood as testament to Loki's mad fury, no matter how many chances he had to stop. Now, though, Thor understands better how it came to that point to begin with. Why Loki refused to accept that it wasn't too late to stop. Maybe for him, it was.

He'd like to get his hands on this Thanos. That much, Thor knows for certain.]

The bastard.

[It's a low growl.]