[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]

Dorian allows it. Though still irritable, kindness from Toby always sways him. "A bit of it. I didn't really think it'd be your thing."

It takes transient art to an entirely new level.

[monstrous]

"Decadents were never my thing either, but I've been known to make exceptions."

[depicted]

Both flattered and offended, Dorian's expression passes from smile to frown. "Well . . . let's go look, then. If you want to."

[monstrous]

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't." Toby gestures towards the path. "Lead the way."

[depicted]

Dorian does, until they are standing between the Eiffel Tower and Nelson's Column. "Not really fond of either of these. Do you have one you like that we should look for?"

[monstrous]

Toby leans a hand on Nelson's Column. "Any particular reason for the not very fond feelings?"

[depicted]

"They're ugly." He doesn't need more justification.

[monstrous]

"Someone doesn't think so. They actually went through a good deal of effort to recreate them for our enjoyment." Toby tsks Dorian. "It's not good to be ungrateful or judgmental."

[depicted]

"Then I quit trying to be good. Bad art is bad art."

[monstrous]

"And what here do you consider good art?"

[depicted]

"Big Ben's not bad. I think it's over there." He doesn't grab Toby's arm to make him follow, but he brushes closely past him as he heads over to it.

[monstrous]

Toby follows after Dorian. "You know what I think? I think you miss London, hm?" It's not said mockingly or even judgmentally. There's actually the smallest hint of sympathy, but it's too heavily coated with nonchalance to be detected by the uninitiated.

[depicted]

Startled, Dorian's gaze flickers to Toby. "I—I suppose. I don't know. The longer I live there, the more it gets into my skin. But the longer I live, the more I feel detached from it. It's not the city it used to be." He does not even notice that he has moved closer to Toby. "At least Keeliai is new."

[monstrous]

Toby swallows, but gives Dorian a reassuring smile. He had picked Dorian because he thought Dorian might come close to understanding that ache Toby felt from immortality, but he never quite believed Dorian felt it so acutely. That was part of the attraction, too, someone who had lived forever but could still see beauty and novelty in the world around him.

Toby bridges the distance between him and Dorian and impulsively kisses the younger man. He doesn't care who may or may not be watching. "Are there any Keeliai landmarks in this cityscape?"

[depicted]

Toby is drug and antidote; with a kiss, he pushes weariness under the carpet and brings new life to a dead immortal. "Mm, I don't think so. Everything I've seen has been from Earth."

[monstrous]

"That's very limited. Do you know any good local landmarks around this shell? Let's ditch the old nostalgia for a bit of something new."

[depicted]

Dorian takes a moment to think about it, but when Toby is on a whim, Dorian always follows and assists. "Have you explored the Earth Sector much? I have a few favourite statues."

[monstrous]

"Bits and pieces. My nights have been rather full lately."

[depicted]

Dorian sends Toby a sideways look. "Should I try to empty them out? That would leave me rather bereft."

[monstrous]

"The choice is always yours Dorian. You know that." Toby's hand brushes over Dorian's arm before turns and starts walking in the direction of the Earth Sector.

[depicted]

There is no real choice when it comes to Tobias Matthews. Dorian doesn't want anything else. He keeps pace, and his eyes always find their way back to Toby.

[monstrous]

Toby waits until they've walked a distance away from the snow festivities. "Is he anywhere close to out of your system yet?"

[depicted]

Dorian knows the metaphor implicit in that question is absolutely correct, and he sighs, shaking his head. "Do things like that ever get out of you? One minute I want his company, and the next I want to snap his neck. I can't—"

He stops. He can't put it into words. He can't justify it. He can't control it. He can't point to anything and say, 'That, there, that's what's wrong. That's what he did to me.'

Harry hasn't ever hurt him, and looking back on their conversation, Dorian was given every opportunity to leave. Harry has never, would never force Dorian to do something he didn't want to. And he is invariably courteous, invariably respectful, invariably standing to the sidelines and letting Dorian do as he will.

Lord Henry has never done anything to Dorian. Lord Henry has shaped Dorian into what he is. It's like the man is some hidden well of gravity that can only be known by its effect.

"I even wanted his acceptance, a few hours ago, thought about going to find him. But I didn't. I knew better." And yet, when Harry was set in front of him, Dorian couldn't walk away until Toby interceded. The effects of the snow fading, Dorian looks to Toby. "Do you understand?"

[monstrous]

"Even if you don't go out and find him, he's still going to be there." Like today. Toby's hands squeeze the lining of his pockets. He does understand and that understanding makes him hate all of this even more. "You don't have to do it cold turkey, if it's too much. I won't think less of you for it."

[depicted]

Dorian laughs, and the noise is horrible in his own ears. He can hear the jagged heights of despair. "I can't try to ease myself away from him, I'd forget that I hate him—I forget it half the time when he isn't there. God help me, I had an easier time quitting cocaine."

Pressing his face into his hands, he breathes until he can control himself. "I don't know how to hate him as much as I need to. And I hate him for that, too."