[OPEN] Content the spirit feels...

[wintershepherd]

Characters: Jack Frost & various
Date: February
Location: Assorted around the city
Situation: Catch-all log for Febraury
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.


I. WELCOME CENTER
Since his announcement last month about the Welcome Center, Jack had gotten even more offers for help and suggestions for services that could be offered to help the Foreigners. He was working on implementing some of them which meant a lot of scribbling notes and contacting people. However today his work was interrupted by a kedan woman in the Center, talking with Jack and a young kedan girl with bright blue hair playing with Baby Tooth. "Yeah, of course," he was saying with a smile, glancing at the girl. "It's not a problem at all to watch her."

II. FISH SHOP
When he wasn't working at the Welcome Center, Jack could often be found at the fish shop. As it was the beginning of the month again, he was doing payroll. Paperwork was definitely not the spirit's strong suit but thankfully, he'd gotten pretty good at this. Since the shop had done well in January, he had also set aside some money for his own savings and had a surprise of an extra 50 juulan for each of his employees. He'd left messages for each of them to drop by when they had a chance and was looking forward to making them happy but in the meantime, he was tending the sporadic flow of customers.

III. SNOW CUSTODIAN
Though February was hardly spring, Jack was careful about managing the snow that still fell intermittently across Tu Vishan. Every few days he'd crisscross the city by air, using his magic to pull the majority of the dampness out of the air. So even though it was cool, it was also drier and more pleasant for people to be outside. On the ground, he'd stroll around and refreeze the messy slush on the sidewalks into clean snow again or, if it were spread too thin, just whisk it away to leave the walkways bare and dry. (Snow was awesome, slush not so much. He was a Seasonal, he was allowed to be vain about his element.)

IV. SPRING THAW
As the turtle turns his course southward, the weather begins to warm and take with it the snow layering the city. He found it a little ironic that the thaw had begun not even a week after his announcement of there to be six more weeks of winter but then, he knew he was connected to the seasons in his world, not here. It was a small consolation to know that people back home (Jamie, Sophie) were still able to enjoy a bit of snowy fun even if he wasn't there.

He sat on the edge of a muddy field, already having lost most of its snow cover except for a few hollows in the grass here and there, one of the last patches of white gathered beneath him so he wasn't directly in the muck. Soon it would be all melted away and the grass would begin regaining its vibrant greenery. "Your turn, Baba Marta," Jack sighed to himself.

Comments

II.

[alphatar]

After checking her messages, Korra headed off to the fishing shop. Even though Jack let her know that her absence was covered and not an issue, she couldn't help but get the nagging feeling this might end in a talk. Even though her conversation with Bianca went much better than she expected, it still made her worry about her other jobs.

Except for the Brazen Turtle.

Once she got there, Korra patted Naga on the neck while she was looking at the painting Julie had made for the shop. Guilt plopped in her stomach for resuming work like nothing had happened and simply dropping fish off discreetly the way she used to when Finnick was running it.

Holding the door open for an exiting customer, Korra walked in.

"Jack...?"

[wintershepherd]

"Hey Korra," the spirit returned, carrying a basket of fish out from the storeroom on the side, setting them out in the cases and waving a hand to coat them with a fresh layer of ice.

"Do you have a few minutes? I was hoping we could talk."

[alphatar]

Even though she was expecting it, the 'T' word made her bite the smallest bit of her inner cheek.

"Yeah, I got time. What's going on?"

[wintershepherd]

"Great," he replied easily, gesturing to the office door. "Come in and pull up a chair, okay?"

Once she'd seated herself, he leaned against the desk. "So, about last month..."

[alphatar]

The office wasn't a place she'd been in often, and she sat down after taking a sweeping look of the room. Her blue eyes finally settled on Jack and set her knuckles on her thigh at the words.

"I know, it won't happen again. If anything like it comes up, I'll let you know as soon as I can." Why she constantly tried to stem a talk before it started she wasn't sure; it never worked.

[wintershepherd]

From the desk, Jack had picked at an envelope bearing Korra's name on it in his distinctive handwriting but rested it on his knee as she spoke before he had a chance.

"It won't happen again?" he echoed skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

[alphatar]

The letter was glimpsed as she looked down at the floor, and her brow knit together; not in anger.

"I hope not..."

Waiting wasn't what she wanted right now. Trumping Jack's chance to give her the notice, she got to her feet.

"Thanks for letting me work after Finnick left. It was fun."

[wintershepherd]

Jack's mouth parted slightly as Korra got to her feet; his intention had been to be playful, not realizing that this would evoke entirely the wrong emotion in Korra. He reached out and caught the Avatar's hand before she could take a step, pressing the paper packet into her hand, blue eyes kind.

"Korra, open the envelope."

Trust me.

[alphatar]

Only the heel of her boot got to leave the floor when she felt the familiar chilled touch and her fingers twitched. Taking a measured breath through her nose, she looked from the envelope to Jack's ice blue eyes.

Opening the envelope and looking inside only made her confused.

"-but, Jack; you already paid me."

[wintershepherd]

Inside the envelope was a string of ten five-juulan pieces, tied through their centers as was the kedan custom for carrying them. Fifty juulan or the modern equivalent of about $250, though Jack honestly had no idea what that'd translate to in Korra's native currency.

"I know," he replied. "The store did really well last month, so everyone's getting a bonus."

He got to his feet, setting a hand on her arm and waiting until she looked back at him. "Come on," he said, faintly concerned. "You didn't really think you were getting fired, did you? What kind of boss do you think I am?"

[alphatar]

"Thanks Jack." After a moment she closed the envelope back up. "I think this should be donated to the Welcome Center or the Natu Clinic." The money felt undeserved for missing a third of the month.

The smallest of shrugs was all she sheepishly give since she was fully convinced she was being fired. Even though he contacted her after Zatanna delivered her message, something could have changed between then and now.

"Too good of one actually." She let him lead her out of the office and back to the main room where the fish were on display for sale.

[wintershepherd]

"You're welcome," he answered. "As for donating it... it's your money, I'm not going to tell you what you can do with it. But like you said, I already paid you wages. If I'd thought the money was needed at the Center or the Clinic, I could have given it there. This is because I thought it would give you a chance to do something extra for yourself. You deserve that, after everything you're going through right now."

[alphatar]

Making a mental note to bring the envelope when she had to go to the clinic, Korra stuffed the envelope in her pocket and only her eyes moved from Jack's white hair down to catch his eye.

Stiffening for a moment, she tentatively asked "Zee told you?"

[wintershepherd]

Jack shook his head. "Zatanna hasn't told me anything, Korra. You haven't been yourself... you hardly ever smile. I don't need to know the reason to be worried about you."

[alphatar]

"I'm sorry." The number of apologies she'd given so far were enough that the two words were worn down. "I didn't mean to worry anyone. I'm working on it; it's just taking a little more time than I was hoping it would." She had no idea that she smiled that much before.

[wintershepherd]

"What? No, I-- didn't mean it like that..." Way to go, Jack. Make her feel bad for feeling bad. "I just... thought it would help."

He rubs the back of his neck, wondering if maybe he should have approached the whole thing differently. "Anyway, that was... what I'd called about.

[alphatar]

Looking away for a moment, Korra took in a deep inhale. Wearing her heart on her sleeve wasn't doing her any favors and now she was aware of it. When she looked back at him neutrally and nodded.

"It's the thought that helped. Thank you, Jack. I'll make sure nothing gets in the way of work, okay?"

[wintershepherd]

Jack opened his mouth to say something and then hesitated, finally closing it and nodding. This hadn't gone at all as he'd hoped and he felt suddenly awkward about it, as though he'd been somehow unkind.

"Yeah. No problem, Korra."

[alphatar]

Parting her lips briefly to say something in turn, Korra just closed them and returned the nod. For some reason it felt like her body suddenly wanted to move in to direction at once.

"...see you at the Welcome Center tomorrow. I had a question about my hours, but it can wait."

[wintershepherd]

"All right," the spirit agreed. "See you tomorrow."

[alphatar]

"Yeah. Tomorrow." That somehow got more awkward than she was expecting, and Korra was out the door to go home and think.