[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]

"Yes. I can tell the difference between a demon and a bad trip." He is confident about this after a lot of experience with both.

[monstrous]

Toby puts his hands up in appeasement. "Steady on, no reason to get out of sorts. It was just a question."

[depicted]

Dorian is only somewhat mollified. "Of course it was."

[monstrous]

"So what sorts of demons possess cocaine. Are they just restricted to cocaine or can they possess any substance?"

[depicted]

"I didn't stop to ask them questions."

[monstrous]

"Yeah," Toby said thoughtfully, "you probably wouldn't have." Toby searched his own pockets before turning to Dorian. "You've got any cigarettes on you?"

[depicted]

"Of course." Dorian digs into his pockets and takes out his cigarette case.

The case that Harry gave him.

For the first time in his life, that disturbs him.

But after a moment, he shakes himself free of it and offers a cigarette to Toby.

[monstrous]

The cigarette case catches Toby's eye. He says nothing about it, only placing the cigarette between his lips and silently waits for Dorian to light it for him.

[depicted]

He obliges and takes a cigarette for himself. The lighter is an old gift too, this one from a lover in the 1960s. It's only that Dorian has never really thought about these people after he finished with them. If he didn't have a perfect memory, he could have so easily forgotten that lover's name.

But Harry, of course, is different.

Wreathed in smoke and symbolism, Dorian pulls the remaining cigarettes out of the case and shoves them into his jacket pocket. And he lets that pretty cigarette case, as old as any of his sins, fall to the earth streets. He doesn't stop walking.

(If his life really were a novel, he'd have cast it into the river, but a craftsman like Lord Henry can't be so easily thrown away. With a silent apology to Oscar, Dorian can only call on weaker metaphors, and leave behind a surface sign of that man's art.)

[monstrous]

Toby couldn't hide his surprise at the dropped cigarette case as he stopped in his footsteps even as Dorian continued walking. Toby glances back up at Dorian's retreating form, and jogs to catch up with him. He catches Dorian's sleeve and pulls him into a nearby specialty shop.

"I'm not going to have you complaining about not having a cigarette case, come on."

[depicted]

Startled and pleased, Dorian comes along with him. "I was just going to ask you to hold my cigarettes."

(This is not true. But he knows better than to thank Toby for kindness.)

[monstrous]

Toby pulled Dorian towards a display with the Keeliai equivalent of cigarette cases, their styles and designs all clearly the creation of those who were native to the Turtle. "I figured you would, so I beat you to the punch."

(This is not true. Toby just can't openly admit to his own displays of kindness.)

[depicted]

"I get to pick?" Unfortunately for Toby, there is no crushing Dorian's spirits at a time like this. His grin is broad, and he's almost bouncing on his heels.

[monstrous]

"Unless you actually want something I find aesthetically appealing."

[depicted]

"I'm definitely picking." In aesthetics, as in most things, Dorian wastes little time on thought and follows instinct instead. He quickly picks a case and presents it to Toby—a simple design, elegant decorations, and a strong sense of refined craftsmanship in the make. "This will serve."

[monstrous]

Toby rolls his eyes at Dorian's choice. "Not at all surprised." Toby looks through the selection and finds one that suits his tastes. The case is ornate and intricately designed, with representations of each sector etched in. Some may find it a bit busy or ostentatious, but Toby just thinks it's sexy. "And I'll have one as well so I don't have to keep poaching off of you."

[depicted]

Dorian presses his lips together, suppressing a smile. Toby's choice isn't surprising either. "Sounds fair to me."

[monstrous]

"As long as everything is fair, I'll let you pay." Toby smiles as he walks his case up to the shopkeeper to pay.

[depicted]

"Wait." Dorian is already running after Toby. "What?"

[monstrous]

"You're paying. Unless you can't, of course."

[depicted]

"I'm going to refer you back to what I said at the start of this conversation." He takes the second case out of Toby's hands, none too gently, and pays for both. He is sulking the entire time.

[monstrous]

Toby can't help but sport a self-satisfied grin. "Oh? What was that?"

[depicted]

"That you're an ass." Purchase complete, he pushes Toby's case back into his hands.

[monstrous]

"Cheers, Dorian!" Toby says with a huge smile as he takes his case back. He stuffs it in his pockets and then ruffles Dorian's hair. "And you're very sweet."

[depicted]

Dorian rolls his eyes, and rather than responding, restores his house to order by putting his cigarettes in his new case.

Strange as it is, Dorian had never until this moment thought much about the fact that he has kept Harry's case for a century. And yet it is a relief to now possess something of his own, chosen through his own tastes. He feels better.

(Yet the tastes were shaped by Lord Henry, and the vice was that which Harry always recommended.)