The Winter Solstice Celebration
Some may have learned to fear the television buzzing to life while others will simply ignore it at their own expense ( Though it rarely does any good: Choices matter not here, & the snakes will force you to listen to their demands ), but the sing-song ‘hello’ from a lesser-heard voice does wonders to catch the attention & snap a soul up by the ear.
Your greeting comes from the Princess & the elder Prince rather than their progenitors -- & it seems in good spirits, which couldn’t mean anything other than something awful was bound to come… right?
“ Hellllooo -- can you hear me? Testing, one, two -- well, it’s not like you can answer back, huh? ”
“ Haa? You never know -- They may very well try to throw themselves through the screens one of these days. ”
“ Wuuh? No way! That’s like something from a horror movie Onii-chan, it’s not a fun thought at all! ”
“ Ne? & here I thought you’d enjoy something as gruesome as that,” His palms splay out as his shoulders rise & fall in a careless shrug, one that’s far too relaxed. “Oh well ~. ”
Maeru only offers a close-mouthed snicker in apparent amusement before crossing her arms & casting a pink-hued gaze camera-bound yet again. This banter between the two felt unprofessional, but at least the comedic value made it feel more like a light-hearted channel than two murderers running a podcast.
“ They’re not terrible , but creepy little kids are a whole different thing! But we’ve wasted enough time -- so guess what, guys~? ”
“ Though a Christmas celebration would be absolutely blasphemous for us lovely serpentine hosts, we ARE happy to introduce you all to our culture’s winter solstice celebration~! There’s nothing bad and you get to dress up too, so it’ll just be a nice break from all the torment you’ve been through lately ! -- Right, Onii-chan? ”
Although his eyes had rolled during Maeru’s monologue -- whether it be in genuine exasperation or harmless teasing between two siblings was unclear, & truthfully, didn’t matter all too much -- he offers the camera a much more coy, crooked grin and a narrowing of his eyes that was all too much like his father’s.
“ Right, right -- It really isn’t all too bad, you know. Celebrating death & being reborn certainly sounds grim to you humans, I’m sure, but any fear you all have is way too hypocritical! That is what your,” He waves a finger as his brows knit together. “ Own holidays celebrate, isn’t it? ” His shoulders raise in another shrug, & his head tilts to the side slightly. “But of course, who are you all to say no at the offer of food? There is a promised feast, drinks, & activities -- though I wouldn’t consider it kindness on our part. Just tradition. ”
“ Even so, this isn’t one of those things you’re FORCED into either -- so just come to Hanami Recital in Invidia if you want to have some fun & relax with your friends or get to know those who’re still strangers! We’ll play Three Kings to exchange gifts, decorate a tree, have a dance… it’ll be great~! That’s just the beginning of it too, so just come & see for yourself -- but bring a coat! Shiro is a good snow maker with a little assistance, so maybe it’ll help you feel at home? ”
The two exchange a glance, red eyes meeting pink & their smiles parallel before they turn their focus back onto the camera once more. With the briefest of snickers hissed behind their teeth, they offer the camera a wave each --- Maeru’s with the daintiest wave of her hand that one would figure she’s mocking you, & Toumetsu with an insincere salute as the screen fizzles into nothingness.
UPDATES :
✘ all around the invidia ward are fairy lights of different colors that will flicker to life once the sun sets -- which it will . for the duration of the event the invidia ward solely is on a proper 24-hour cycle. ✘ there is a large tree erected in hanami recital and multiple boxes of decorations can be found by a few picnic tables along with all the materials and fabric needed to make your own. the tree already has lights on it, but is otherwise bare. you wont find anything remotely religious in the boxes however, so no angels nor crosses -- mostly things like poinsettas, stars, and other traditional ornaments. ✘ it’s snowing throughout the duration of the festival as well. the royal family is kept warm thanks to kagerou, but all snakes outside of it may feel themselves slipping into brumation because of the temperature, making them lazy and otherwise overly relaxed. the snow does stick to the ground except for on the walkways of invidia, so by the 21st there will be at least over a foot high of snow -- perfect for snowball fights or building snowmen! ✘ there’s a large feast of meats, fruits, and desserts galore with no strings attached -- but... huh, where did seto’s cow go? ✘ finely aged wine is provided to everyone courtesy of Favoring Eyes -- but any muses under the age of 15 can’t have more than a half glass. ✘ at 3PM EST there will be a three kings (secret santa) event, so feel free to either send an ask or message a mod on the discord what gift your muse wants to throw into the “pot” so that we can randomly generate who gets what gift. even the snake NPCs can join in! ✘ from 5:00PM EST through 12:00AM EST there will be a dance! it’ll be in hanami recital with a live band of snake npcs playing songs in the style of Hadestown. ✘ your muse is provided with traditional clothes to wear for the duration of the festival upon entry into invidia -- so you can choose what outfit they get, but just make sure it’s either MEDIEVAL or GREEK in design! ✘ gattaisareru and saeru seem unrecognizable -- they’ve reverted to their true appearances just as yakitsukeru has and dressed for the occasion too! it’s almost jarring how amiable they’re being by taking part in the festivities, but you could almost aliken them to mirror images of persephone and hades judging by saeru’s horns and gattaisareru’s crown of pomegranate blooms. ✘ the fighting ring won't be up this weekend, so all asks are on hold until the following weekend! ✘ this is only part one of the festivities -- the second and main event will happen sometime on the 21st, however!