[OPEN EVENT] Weekend Winter Wonderland

[wintershepherd]

Characters: All?
Date: March 8th-11th
Location: All of Keeliai
Situation: It's been a stressful month thus far for a lot of people, but Jack is determined to Make All The Happy and decides he needs to get back to his wintery roots by giving the city a proper snowing.
Warnings/Rating: People high on snow glitter?
NOTES: Actionspam OR prose, whatever is preferred! (Settings were just easier to prose.) Make your own thread headers if none of these suit! ♥



Jack had spent the last three hours balanced motionlessly on the top of a flagpole, head tilted back as he listened to the wind and the sound of the city below. Where is Winter? it asked. I'm here! the spirit replied, but he knew it didn't mean his physical presence. He'd had too much on his mind and too much in his heart and in that sense he had indeed been absent these last few weeks.

Eyes closed and thoughtlessly trusting, he tipped forward into open air, letting the wind catch him and hurl him upward into the misty cloud cover that scudded across the stars tonight. At his touch they thickened, fat and pale grey against the indigo backdrop and Jack swirled them up, the motions so ingrained in him they felt just like breathing. In the small hours of the morning snowflakes began to fall on the sleeping city, specks at first but then quickly becoming heavier.

Now with a fresh canvas to work with, Jack was really in his element. He could never have done something like this back home, not anywhere in his world. It would have been too strange, too inexplicable, drawn too much attention. But here on the turtle, things were different. There wasn't really a semblance of normal and Jack poured his imagination and heart into the things he wanted most to share, and from the snow rose gleaming swirls of snow and blue light, forming things of exceptional detail and delight.

By the time the sun rose, a solid three feet of the snow had blanketed the city, glistening and crisp and Jack went rocketing down the streets, rapping on doors and windows to leave spirals of frost on every surface.

"Whooohoo! Snow day! Get up sleepyheads, everyone come out and play!"


THREAD STARTERS
Ice Skating | Snowball Battle | Sledding Hill | Ice Cityscapes | Kids Playground | OOC Plot Post

Comments

[depicted]

A child with strength, yeah, I can see why that'd be a little frightening.

[poeticverses]

A child with strength that is the size of a small house.

[Jehan laughs. He still has a hold of Dorian's hand]

He does not breath fire, however, so there is no fear of being roasted alive.

[depicted]

[Jehan's laugh does something to ease the tension in Dorian, as does the hold on his hand. Dorian has always valued human contact, in one form or another.]

[He decides not to talk about his experiences in being roasted alive.]

Don't tell me you asked.

[poeticverses]

Of course I did! I've never met a dragon--did not ever expect to either, since they do not exist in my Paris. Why wouldn't I ask?

[depicted]

Don't you think that's a little forward?

[said Dorian Gray to the boy he'd propositioned in public.]

[poeticverses]

[Jehan begins to protest before blushing and laughing again, this time much softer]

That is a bit much coming from you, Dorian.

[depicted]

[He'd like to tug Jehan up to his feet for a very public kiss, but Dorian for once exercises some discretion and sits instead, still holding Jehan's hand. (But it isn't really discretion. It is a different kind of restraint.) He does raise his eyebrows.] I'm not ashamed of my desires and see no reason to be. Are you?

[poeticverses]

Ashamed? No, not really.

[Jehan glances down at the snow]

But I am used to being much more discreet whenever I take another man to bed--or let him take me. My family is society and very Catholic and there is always a risk involved, when I...

[He trails off, shrugging]

I am not ashamed, just cautious, I suppose.

[depicted]

Oh, I understand your caution. God knows I lived it for too long. I don't really begrudge you it. But after years of my friends being imprisoned, or forced into chemical treatments, or beaten to death on the streets, English law at last protects this freedom. In theory, at any rate. A little discomfort at public affection isn't half of what the world owes me for decades of suffering.

[poeticverses]

[Jehan is silent for a long moment. Even if it wasn't illegal in France, there were still repercussions regarding sodomy and all associated things. He's know one or two who haven't been as lucky as he has been.

But according to Dorian, that's another thing that's changed in the future.]

What of French law?

[depicted]

[Dorian half-smiles.] French law, as usual, took the liberal path before the English. Levelled out the ages of consent before we did and put in anti-discrimination laws in the same decades that we came up with new laws for discrimination. Those were only repealed recently. France will probably permit marriage between couples of the same sex before we get to it, too.

[poeticverses]

[Jehan gives Dorian a Look. It's a mix of awe, confusion, and disbelief.]

Marriage? Between to men? Or two women? Now you're having me on. The Church would never allow it!

[depicted]

[He has to grin at that.] That's the funny thing about the modern Church: it doesn't get half as much say in the law as it used to. Not that it has no influence, that'd be a naïve idea. But for the most part, there is a very firm belief in France that the government is to be secular. A handful of countries already allow such marriages.

[poeticverses]

I had heard America had a desire to keep the Church out of government, but I did not honestly believe it would happen. But it has, you say, to the point that two men can marry each other?

[depicted]

It hasn't in America, as it happens. They're a little backwards. But among the French, I believe they call that secularism laïcité.

[poeticverses]

All that talk of progress and America is backwards now?

[Jehan chuckles]

But I am glad that the Church is no longer involved in the government. It never had any place there to begin with. I am still not certain I believe you about a marriage between two men, however.

[depicted]

Next time you find someone from about my era, you can ask for a second witness.

So. [Dorian lifts Jehan's hands to his lips for a soft kiss.] Forgive me my indiscretion?

[poeticverses]

[Jehan blushes, smiling softly]

There are many people from the 21st century, it seems, so it shouldn't be hard to confirm it.

[The smile doesn't fade, but he glances down]

There's nothing to forgive, Dorian.

[depicted]

[Dorian reaches over his fingertips that he might tilt Jehan's chin up and meet his eyes.] And in the matter of my immortality?

[poeticverses]

I am alive when I should not be. There is a dragon who fought Bonaparte here. I will admit that your display shook me, but...I do not think an immortal man is the strangest thing about this place.

[To be honest, Jehan is going to try and simply not think about it. It's simpler]

[depicted]

[Dorian takes him at his word.] Thank you. You don't know what it means to me.

[poeticverses]

[He wants to ask about Toby--does he know and all--but now might not be the best time.

Jehan's smile brightens a bit]

It's nothing. You are a--a friend.

[He has no idea what else to describe Dorian as, or even if he should try to find something else]

[depicted]

As are you. [Dorian rises again, and this time the tug on Jehan's hand is to get him to his feet.] Now, if you are rested, why don't we see if we can find any other fragments of Paris? You Romantics love fragments, don't you?

[poeticverses]

We do.

[Jehan follows]

You will have to point out any monuments from Paris that come after my time. I imagine they finished l'Arc de Triomphe?

[depicted]

Yes, before I ever travelled to Paris. I didn't realize that it hadn't been completed in your time.