[OPEN] All a settlement of snow...

[wintershepherd]

Characters: Jack Frost & OPEN
Date: Catch-all for December threads
Location: Keeliai and Landfall at Bresilyk
Situation: General prompts are in the post, prior discussed starters to be set up shortly! Message me if you want me to add a specific starter for your character or just tag in with any scene.
Special Note: Jack will have Baby Tooth with him unless noted otherwise and her visibility follows the UPDATED!! belief guidelines as Jack's do.
Warnings/Rating: TBA in threads if needed.


[ A. LANDFALL LINKS ]
→ Snow Glitter Shenanigans
→ Chilling on the pier with bitty at Aihsohlow

[ B. WELCOME CENTER ]
As officially announced at the beginning of the month, Jack's commenced running a small welcome center located in central Keeliai for Foreigners arriving into the city. Today he can be found sitting cross-legged on the floor, sorting a pile of donated books from various vendors around the city. They're in various languages and the ones that are in kedanese are of a beginner level so that the basics of the language can be attempted. Baby Tooth is flitting nearby, checking a list of supplies that they'd compiled, thinking they'd need.

"I'm glad we got so many volunteers," Jack was in the middle of saying to the faerie. "Between here and the fishing store, it's going to be really busy." Baby Tooth fixed him with a dry, droll look as though to remind him which of the two of them was used to working 24/7 and he laughed. "Right, right... can you imagine if Tooth were here?"

[ C. DOWNTIME ]
When he does manage to find some free time, he surprisingly spends it... doing nothing. Or rather, soundly sleeping in a snowy bough of a park tree, feet propped up against the trunk, staff balanced lightly across his stomach, seemingly without a care in the world and utterly unbothered by the cold.

Comments

BART - Turtle's Head;

[wintershepherd]

It had been a few days since the explosive conversation on Dick and Zatanna's party post and he'd been contacted by both of them since then. For the most part, Jack had tried his best to let it go and not think too much about it. He knew that it had been a kneejerk reaction, that he probably shouldn't have gotten involved.

There had been snowflakes left on his doorstep and he wasn't sure whether that was related, but he liked to think it was.

In his dream with Asti, he'd promised the boy -- Jack thought of him as that, having seen him as human shaped -- some stories that were new. So today he was laying on his stomach in a fluffy drift of snow he'd conjured up and was in the middle of recounting some of the tales of other spirits like himself, trusting that Asti was able to hear him.

"--because the Groundhog also uses tunnels to get around which right there, that's going to get Bunny up in arms. Or, ears. They've been at odds ever since and every time they get together, they're just rehashing the same old argument! Not to mention the time they tried to start something at one of Mad Meg's big tournaments, I mean she spends decades organizing each of them. She was just so livid, she hauled them both out by the fur and you've never, ever heard someone get so verbally dressed down as that. I wasn't technically invited to the party but I was kind of lurking so I saw everything. To this day if you say 'hey Mad Meg!' within earshot, I swear Bunny gets about six inches shorter, just wilts like a flower."

[backinakidflash]

Life on the turtle had caused strange coping mechanisms to develop. In the six months that he'd been here, Bart learned to appreciate exactly how big Earth was and how wildly different the landscapes could be in an instant. He missed having lunch in a foreign country, just because he could. Even the barriers getting moved further outward didn't help - it just gave them extra water to work with. Running on water is supremely boring, and frankly Bart was worried he'd get a lecture about upsetting the fish if he did it too often.

So. Coping mechanisms. Visiting the turtle's head was a favorite. It did nothing to slow him down, but it chilled him out. It took the edge off and quieted the part of his mind that was shouting more and more insistently that he was trapped and it was sosmall and whatiftheturtleisshrinkingIthinkit'ssmallerthanitwasyesterdaywhydoesnobodyelseseeit.

He's on the stairs that lead up to the head when he heard someone talking. "-was just so livid."

Grife. Speaking of upsetting things... and lectures... that's definitely Jack talking. Bart couldn't see anyone else, but Jack was quite obviously recounting something to someone. He doesn't want to interrupt, and he wouldn't know what to say anyway. 'I'm sorry' should be somewhere in there, but, if he knew how to apologize without starting a defensive argument, he would've done that already. It would be better to turn and go. Besides, it's colder here, with no city to shield them from some of the wind.

[wintershepherd]

Before Bart can make a decision, that wind slacks to nothing as it takes notice of him and whispers it to the spirit. Jack sits up from his reclining position and gives him a smile and a casual wave.

"Hey Bart."

[backinakidflash]

Or Jack can figure out that he's there because, hey, why shouldn't everyone he knows have some sort of super ninja hearing. And eyes in the back of their heads. It's getting so you can't get away with anything anymore. "Hey Jack."

For a supposed speedster, Bart spends a remarkable amount of time waving at opportune moments as they pass by. But this one's gone, so he might as well come up onto the platform, although he keeps a distance from the snow. "How's it going?"

Welcome Center

[whitelotustile]

Iroh is settling in quite well, but he did remember Jack's interest in a welcome center. And, well, Iroh is a welcoming kind of person. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

[wintershepherd]

Jack looks up from his organizing with a bright smile, recognizing the man from their previous conversation and getting to his feet. "I am," he answered. "It's nice to see you again, Mr Iroh."

[whitelotustile]

"It's nice to finally meet you in person, Jack," Iroh said, bowing. "How are you doing?"

[wintershepherd]

"I'm good," the spirit replied, gesturing around the center. "Now that this place is open, things are a little busier. But the people who've come by already seem to like it. Now I just need to finish getting things organized and it'll be all set. What about you? Did you find your game board?"

B.

[watcheslanterns]

As previously discussed, Rapunzel had made her way to the new welcome center. In her hands she carried a bucket of paint and several paint brushes of varying sizes. Her hair was braided, thanks to Cinna, in knots at the base of her neck. She wanted her hair to be as out of the way as possible when she began with paint.

With her hand still holding the paintbrushes, she waved at Jack, and when she saw her, Baby Tooth as well.

"Hello!"

[wintershepherd]

Baby Tooth chirped brightly in greeting and Jack grinned. "Hey Rapunzel! Come on in, get out of the cold. Well, the outdoor cold. Want me to take some of that?" he offered, nodding at the paint and brushes in her hands.

[watcheslanterns]

"Oh, thank you!"

She handed the brushes over for Jack to take, but kept the paint with her. Thanks to the warning she got along with the gift, she was extra careful about how it was handled. Paint brushes exchanged, she stepped inside.

"This is nice," she said with a nod. Plenty of space for her to paint.

[wintershepherd]

Jack grins, feeling rather proud of himself. "The money that Tony provided went a long way to making it look like this," he demurred. "Otherwise it would be a lot more... you know, spartan."

Later on; (if it's okay)

[alphatar]

After talking with Kyle, Korra set out to find Jack. Leaving him like he was isn't the most responsible thing for her to do as the Avatar, the connection between humans and spirits. They needed to talk and Korra was already restless. If she could stop just one more thing from weighing down on her mind, all the better.

Finding Jack isn't hard. A simple two words to Naga; "Find Jack." and they're off in the right direction.

The center of Keeliai is familiar to Korra, the Brazen Turtle is one of her jobs at night. But she finds Jack at her newest place of work. The Welcome Center. Without even having to tell Naga, the animal settles onto the ground outside as Korra enters.

"Hey." Her voice is even, though a little tired.

[wintershepherd]

Jack's sitting crosslegged behind the desk, several piles of papers in front of him and dutifully folding each one. He's had one of the local kedan make up some flyers that new arrivals can take with them with instructions on the consoles, for people who aren't familiar with this type of technology. Cheat sheets, if you will.

He glances up at Korra as she enters; the dark rings seems to have mostly retreated from his face, and a look of casual disinterest as though everything is boring has taken over his expression.

"Hey Korra," he says.

[alphatar]

Simply seeing him like this makes her wish he still had those dark hollows beneath his eyes, that uncertainty in his voice, and not this uninvolving tone that greeted her. Lifting a chair with one arm, Korra brought it so she could sit opposite him. Part of her wants to ask if he’s okay, but that was obvious.

After a few moments of watching him, Korra began folding them as well. She would keep going until he felt like saying something, anything or until there were no more piles left. Whatever she had on her schedule was pushed back, it could wait as long as she needed it to.

[wintershepherd]

They worked in silence until the stack of flyers were folded and then Jack picked them up, beginning to set them out on the shelves.

"Have you had many people stop by while you're working?" he asked.

(C)

[imaginate]

["Downtime" finds Kyle waiting for him outside his door, dressed in several layers, humming I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas softly. He's given it a few days, mostly so the spirit can calm down after that hullabaloo. Jim told him as much as he could - they didn't keep secrets from each other.]

[wintershepherd]

[ And Jack does indeed seem calm, shutting the door and running his fingers absently over the painted wooden snowflakes adorning the outside of the door. When he turns he doesn't show any surprise at Kyle standing there, shouldering the long staff and stepping off the stoop. ]

There's a saying about manners and doorways, I think.

[imaginate]

[Mildly:] Is there. I lose track.

[Haven't been on Earth for a while.]

How're you doing?

[He puts both hands in his pockets to warm them up, bracing himself for any backlash.]

Dec. 22nd, late evening

[alphatar]

After leaving her message for Jack, Korra went over to her bedroom and opened the window. As far as birthdays went, this year's had gone mostly quiet and unnoticed; which was perfect to Korra. Christmas alone was enough to overshadow any attention to it and Korra used it every chance she got with great effect.

But she did want to have at least something for herself before she would finally decide to go to bed, and Jack had given her the means back in August. Even with her romantic disaster with him on that day, Korra knew Jack was still on good terms with her as a friend and this would do just fine for a quiet gift.

[wintershepherd]

Jack arrived shortly after he saw the message, late in the evening. The thought of the coupons he'd given her were lost amid everything that had happened since, he'd been surprised to see them on her message. But like Korra, he realized that this was the perfect thing he needed right now, and though Baby Tooth declined to join -- she was tired and dozing her nest -- took to the air not long afterward to the Avatar's suite.

"Evening," he greeted, alighting on the window ledge and balancing there on the balls of his feet.

[alphatar]

The cold air didn't give Jack away, the winter weather had officially made its way through Keeliai. Korra was standing next to her dresser putting away the coupon book next to her stuff sky bison plushie and small stone statue of Naga when Jack arrived.

"Hi." With a seemingly simple grin, she beckoned him inside with the hand that was holding the coupon. "I almost forgot I had these." She didn't, Korra had the book where she could see it every day. Since there were only ten, she had decided to save them for special occasions. Like this one.

for ELSA;

[wintershepherd]

After speaking with Elsa on her introduction, Jack quickly took to the air. His head was still spinning with her words I can control ice and snow and her demonstration across the video feed, so very similar to his own creations. Even though he'd seen it, Jack was having a hard time believing it.

Until he saw the giant snowflake that was showing exactly where she was located and, unable to help himself, let out a whoop of laughter, angling down to land lightly at her doorway.

"Queen Elsa?" he called, not sure if he should keep using her title and erring on the side of caution for it.

Re: for ELSA;

[snedronningen]

Her door is swung open with equal excitement. She'd been on the tips of her toes since that transmission came in. And Jack will be greeted by the sight of a smiling queen... Who is just a bit taller than him. Especially with those heels.

Though once he says her name she's quick to flush with embarrassment.

"I haven't even asked for your name yet."

Whoops the queen-facade falls just a bit.

[wintershepherd]

"It's Jack," he replied, chagrined when he realized that his excitement over meeting her had overtaken his usual remembrance to introduce himself. She's really pretty, he couldn't help but think particularly when she blushed.

Then since it was evident that she had no problem seeing him, he elaborated. "Jack Frost."