strangetrip | [GP] Midnight Carnival

Once, back at the beginning, Songrans had started the Carnival at midnight and ended it an hour later at one minute past. At least, it was reasonable to suppose they had, but, in truth, it had been such a long time ago, it was an article of faith rather than fact. Nowadays, Midnight Carnival began when the sun went down and ended when it came up again. It had been wryly suggested by many more than one Songran that it ought to be renamed "All Night Carnival," but somehow it never was. It made for convenient fiction on the Day of Kosal that all licentiousness had taken place in a single, short, non-existent hour, and so it remained as it was.

What it was depended on who did the describing. It might be wild twists of fortune at games of chance tended by sloe-eyed men and women in brilliant costume. Or it might be fine rice wine sampled from one end of the street to the next until the world spun like Samnang's wheel. For lovers of the Youngest, it might be greasepaint and cartwheels or blindfold-tag in a crowd or blowing soap bubbles at passersby. Chanda's devotees spent the night in sexual revels or romantic trysts under firework strewn skies, while enterprising followers of Vanna might find selling candy or trinkets or operating currency exchange more to their delight.

As soon as the sun set, buildings vomited forth a brightly festooned sea of humanity lit by colored silk or paper lanterns. The night smelled of sweetened puffed rice, rich and salty fish dumplings, spicy chili-fried insects. Turn a corner and chocolate, sugar, cinnamon, gave way to sweat, smoke, wine and sex. By midnight, the Carnival resembled nothing so much as a bejeweled caterpillar comprised of myriad masked and painted faces, in wild distortions of ecstasy, agony, and joy.

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Sansa didn't mind the heat so much. It was true that she had spent most of her childhood in Winterfell but the last few years had been spent in King's Landing which had helped her to adapt to warmer weather enough that she wasn't in shock when she ended up somewhere a lot warmer. Still, she was aware of the fact that her hair was damp against the nape of her neck as she walked down the street with a curious gaze going this way and that.

Then she caught sight of someone walking around without a shirt on and she did a mild double-take when she noticed the scars as well. Of course, she recognized the man and she found herself calling out to him before he could get too far.

"Thorfinn!"

Thorfinn turned at the sound of the voice, almost expecting a head of blonde hair to be there instead of the beautiful redhead. Sometimes Sansa sounded like Arneis, he knew she didn't really sound much like her, but the part of him thats always lost in his dark dreams and old memories would overlap the two women, the same as he had once done with Margaery.

When he saw Sansa he smiled for her, he couldn't help it. The smile lit his face up in the rare way that seemed to wash the constant brood away. He moved to make his way towards her, careful not to cut anyone off or walk into anyone. When he came forward, he tipped his head for her, like her the nap of his neck, and his forehead both were damp with sweat, as was his chest but, he was not built for hot places. Even summers for him had always been more like spring.

"Good evening, Sansa." He spoke as he kept his head dipped, at least until the long blond locks started spilling over his shoulder, only then did he staighten his posture and look up at her.

There were times when his quiet, brooding nature reminded her slightly of Jon but there wasn't much else to compare beyond that. Thorfinn was different and intriguing in his own right, especially when he was walking around without a shirt and causing her cheeks to warm when she realized it.

Trying very hard to keep her eyes trained on his face, she offered a sweeter smile while dipping her head in much the same fashion again. "Good evening, Thorfinn."

She liked to say his name.

"If I had known you were coming here, I would have asked to accompany you. This place is very busy, I keep worrying that I might get lost." She wasn't sure what would happen to her if she did.

He smiled down up to her, she was one he didn't mind having to look up to. He had found her beautiful in both worlds, something like a princess from the sagas. Someone to protect. He tried hard not to brood around her but he often did.

He offered his arm as Margaret had taught him so they could walk together. "I hadn't planned to, it was a last moment idea. I spent my youth exploring, so I guess that side of me never died. I would be pleased to walk with you now, if you want it."

"I can't say that I spent my youth exploring but I did often wish to see different parts of the world." Which was why she had pushed so hard to go to Winterfell when her father was made the Hand. It was a decision that she would ultimately come to regret but that didn't quiet the urge completely.

"I have never really seen anything like this before." She added, looking around with an expression akin to awe. Then she was looking at him with a curious smile. "Have you?"

"I can say the traveling was the best part of my youth." A grim tone snuck through before he forced it away, offering her a soft smile as he walked along with her. It was always so nice to be around her.

"Nothing quiet so much, the closest would be Jarvik." He explained. "The market where we all trade."

Sansa studied him quietly for a moment, trying to figure out the reason his tone changed but she didn't know him nearly so well that she could hazard a guess. She did smile when he looked at her, ducking her head to look away quickly so it wouldn't seem like she was staring.

Then she looked up at their surroundings. "There was a market in King's Landing but I wasn't...I didn't go there often."

It also had bad memories for her but she pushed them away with a little shiver.

Thorfinn felt the shiver, and placed a calm hand on her arm, careful not to be forceful. He could tell she was upset over something, he figured it was the same reasons he was. If only because he was so used to suffering and seeing others suffer, it pulled at his heart to think this woman may have as well.

"Well, then we should enjoy this night, as we may not get to find such festivities for awhile."

[GP] Midnight Carnival

Re: Thorfinn - OTA

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