Summer's First Snowfall
Juril comes in as hot as Iuneril did - muggy, humid, tense. The city buzzes softly with rumors of accidents and incidents, the faint pink skies lasting far too long and starting far too early only bolstering these. I burnt my buns last month, it goes. I never burn my buns.
The flowers haven't been growing as well as usual, it goes. It must be because we had red skies during Litha.
Such superstitions might be laughable - but in a world of magic, maybe they hold a little more truth than one might want to acknowledge. Still, for as many rumors as there are, there are just as many people who refuse to let the omen get them down. They might be a little more cautious, but they're hardly stopping what they're doing: sailors in the harbors carry good luck charms as they work, households hang sprigs of chamomile above their doors, Witches pound out extras of finding, luck, and safety magics in enchantment and potion form... Aefenglom is a superstitious city, but it's also a hardy one.
It's the superstitious nature that leads some intrepid young Witches to think everyone needs a little distraction from thinking about the color of the sky, however, and as the sun crests over the bay, white flakes begin to fall. The air grows colder, and throughout the day, the snowfall grows heavier and heavier until it blankets the city - or a few key parts of it. The snow shows no sign of stopping either; while it lightens up periodically, it still flurries on.
That might not be entirely intended - and the snowstorm that hits near the end of the month definitely isn't. Enjoy a peaceful snocation while you can, Aefenglom.
As noted on the calendar, this phenomenon will last all of the month! Feel free to set your threads and logs at any point during the month of July; all activities listed in the prompts below will also be going on throughout it. |
I. THE COVEN
For the first week of snow, the Cove calls off classes. It's not exactly a secret that the Head of the Coven proper has a fondness for the cold, so it doesn't come as a surprise to the students she'd put a temporary hold on instruction-based learning so she they could all enjoy it properly. There are just as many Witches deciding to study on their own as there are enjoying the respite from their professors, however - every opportunity to practice is a good opportunity.
For the rest of the month, it's back to business - but students still find time to have a little fun with the cold weather both during and after their classes, and their professors don't discourage it too much.
a. Winter's Touch It should come as no surprise at all that when Witches get involved with snowball fights, they use their talents to their advantage to send multiple chilly missiles at one another. They float, they fly, and some of them even latch onto the closest heat signature they can find - whether or not that was the intended target. Keep your wits about you, return fire, or cajole others into joining in! There's no such thing as "allies" when it comes to the Coven's brand of snowfights.
b. Enchant Snowcreature Snowmen aren't the only things that get created during the winter; animals of all shapes and sizes do too, and it's not uncommon to see the snow version of animals both of the regular variety (birds, deer, squirrels, cats, foxes, and so on) and rare (the fairytale depiction of dragons, unicorns, sphinxes, and pixies, to name just a few) roaming around along with a Frosty or two. There's even a sled ride hosted by a pair of snow pegasi for those interested in getting off the ground.
c. Ice Spires Instead of building forts and castles like regular people, Witches at the Coven use a mixture of transfiguration and conjuration magics to simply draw them from the surrounding snow and ice themselves, Elsa-style. Their creations range from the beautiful and intricate, to the hardy and hard-to-navigate - for safety reasons, naturally - and some even draw up elaborate staircases to the skies to expand on their creations. Make your own or simply explore the creations with a friend - but be careful, as at least one Witch has the had the inspiration to magic up some sprigs of mistletoe to hang in their snow fort.
d. Winter's Respite Not everyone is happy with the snow, however; in particular, those tending the gardens of the Coven are quite frustrated - plants, even magical ones, are quite delicate and sensitive to the cold!! As a result, there are warmer spots even around the Coven's courtyard; the snow is melted, and the Witches there are doing their best to save the chilled plants. This is also where one can take a break from all the cold and get some hot coffee that'll keep you warm for hours after finishing it and clothes enchanted to adjust their temperature depending on the temperature - for those who don't want to ruin their sporty short-sleeves style for heavy winter clothes. These enchantments only last a few hours, however.
For the interested: yes, the Witches are more than willing to teach those who'd like to learn how to do this - though their version of teaching seems to be more "watch and learn" than actual instruction. |
II. THE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS
Encompassing the Residential District proper on both sides of the River Temese, the Aristocratic District, and the Haven, the housing districts are similarly covered in snow - the Aristocratic District has gotten the worst of it in particular, being in the perfect place to center the massive weather spell the Witches responsible have set off. While the streets are quickly being cleared to make foot and hoof traffic a little easier, there's still a lot of snow and ice to take part in, and just as many people willing to have a good time in it. Children in particular are having the time of their lives in all the districts, and the sudden cold weather seems to draw people together -
perhaps a little too literally, with long scarves grabbing the nearest person to make a pair, mittens that won't let you stop holding hands until you've gotten somewhere warm, and wooly hats that suggest in quiet whispers to you that you should definitely go give that person you just locked eyes with a hug, they look so lonely... Whether they actually do or not.
Someone might've had a little fun with their sewing.
a. EASTERN RESIDENTIAL In addition to the usual snow fun (with a significantly less magical spin on it than the Coven - magic is still present, but not to the same wild extent), there are hearty soups, hot chocolate, and fires to warm oneself around. Take a seat and relax a little; almost everything is free, though those wishing to purchase some (secretly enchanted) clothes to stay warm in a more permanent fashion than what's offered at the Coven.
b. WESTERN RESIDENTIAL Compared to the other housing districts, the snow in on the western side of the Residential District is much less - and that's due to the presence of heated stones. Alone or grouped together, those more cold-blooded in nature gather to rest and keep themselves awake while the chilly weather marches on. Nagas, Chimeras, and even the exceptionally rare Dragon or Fae can be seen here, with Vampires lurking around in similar spots with umbrellas and tarps up to shade them further from the darkened snowy sky. Spicy foods are popularly handed out around these areas, while in general everyone seems in favor of cuddling up a little.
c. ARISTOCRATIC DISTRICT While there are still rumors of pickpockets and petty thievery about (and the suspicious looks that come with such words from locals in the area), it hasn't dampened the spirit of those who really, really enjoy snow one bit. There's less activity than in either Residential District (and a lot more complaining about the weather), but what activity there is makes up for it: igloo-making, ice skating on makeshift rinks in the middle of intersections, sledding on the massive piles of snow, and taking a jingle bell-filled ride in a horse-drawn sleigh through the stunning Aristocratic District. The latter is especially good for those traveling to and from The Haven and don't want to get their feet too cold (or who can't handle the cold temperatures at all).
d. THE HAVEN While most of The Haven has been relatively untouched, minus anything anyone living within it might have done - that's you, mirrorbounds - the barracks have been extra dressed up with lanterns and blankets to help keep out the cold a little better, and keep the warmth in. Some kinder Witches have also conjured up a few extra water fixtures, but not for skating on: hot springs populate the larger areas that aren't already taken up by houses, and for those not willing or unable to get in the water, there are sauna options as well in the same areas. Don't get too steamy, though - people getting a little too heated in these areas will automatically have cool water poured on them by some magical means in an effort to get them cooled off. It's a spell designed to keep people from overheating, but it isn't very picky with what it considers "too hot".
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III. THE HARBOR DISTRICT
Like the southern half of the city, the Harbor District is relatively untouched - relatively. It's an area much more based around industry and work than anything else, and interrupting it isn't looked on very favorable. With that said, though, the harbor is fairly large, and Witches finding a place to practice their own ice magic (inspired, evidently, by the going-ons at the Coven) have managed to bring of the winter cheer to the otherwise dreary district.
The orphans, a mix of humans and Monsters, are more than delighted by this turn of events, and they're a common sight playing in the snow summoned around their orphanages when they're not working in the many factories of the Harbor District. What's notable about them is that they don't use any magic at all when dealing with the snow - they've never had any learning in actually utilizing it for themselves, only in feeding it through the magitech used in their workplaces. Any and all shows of the stuff for purely fun reasons, therefore, bring forth grins and awe, regardless of the kind shown. Provided it isn't used to hurt anyone, of course.
a. ICE FISHING The areas of the bay that are iced over - either gotten by permission or by careful people watching to see how much use the area actually gets - are home to a surprisingly popular activity: ice fishing. Fishing rods, spears, ice chisels, and boots made for stepping on the ice are easy to obtain from those who've set up shop in the area, and many people have already taken to the frozen ground to try their luck at catching something further out than the piers. There are places to cook and eat what's freshly caught as well, but mind your step; the places where holes were are less thick, even as Witches routinely make certain to refreeze them every hour or so to encourage fresh activity in the area.
b. ICE SKATING The other not-as-surprising popular activity for such large swaths of frozen water is, of course, ice skating - and of course, unlike other areas which assume you already have the gear to do so, people have specifically (and quite quickly) set up stalls to sell their skates and sleds for prime ice fun. A little early for their winter line-up, but they're making do. Decorated with small bouncing lights hung on strings, not to mention the tents set up with blankets and pillows, the Harbor District's ice skating area is meant for those who'd like to take to the ice during both the day and night - and the latter is particularly enchanting in its beauty, the soft lighting allowing the frost to glitter in multi-color glory.
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Besides, he has done his homework. ]
It used to snow, in my world, [ Lex tells him, turning to follow. Dogmeat rises with a shake, more than willing to no longer be sitting in the snow. ] After the war... not so much, around the Capitol Wasteland. Just hot and dry and dead.
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it always had to be war, huh. ]
Did you fight in it?
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[ It's not even said sadly, just simply. The Great War was, and they deal with the consequences. That's just how it is. ]
There were plenty of wars before that, but the Great War- they nearly destroyed the earth. The whole human race would have died, if people hadn't prepared.
[ Still simply. These are facts, history lessons. They're horrible ones, but- Lex cares more about the state of her world now. ] We live in what's left, back home. That's enough of a fight.
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eren’s hands are in his pockets, but he’s aware of how much their elbows keep bumping and decides to slip them out. better to give that up than the proximity, right? ]
I knew you were a fighter. [ he doesn’t mean to outright flatter her, he’s just . . . stupidly honest. and seeing that in her was like looking into a mirror. ] Is there enough to rebuild?
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[ She lifts a hand - the one furthest from him - to gesture. ]
There's a fraction left of the population. It's hard to grow food and a lot of water is basically poison. There are ruins everywhere, taken over by raiders or super mutants or hostile creatures. But...
[ There's so much bad in her world and she knows it. That isn't all there is, and her hand drops even as she smiles softly. ]
There are settlements; guarded buildings, an aircraft carrier, homes built from the ground up with scrap. There are trade caravans and radio stations. If it worked, I turned on a water purifier just before I came here that will help provide clean water for the entire Capitol Wasteland.
It's never going to be like it was, but- I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.
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Making a difference like that is more than a start. [ there was hard as hell work put into building even the smallest of bases back up. perhaps far from a job well finished, but there were people in the right mind to put things on the right track for the rest of them. ] The world is going to be cruel, doesn’t matter which one it is.
[ he inhales and looks up. somewhere ahead of them, steam rises in mass. the heated stones and free foods of the western district are over there. ]
But it’s beautiful.
[ something about it still is— that’s why they’re always moving to preserve it somehow. ]
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If I can prevent another world from ending up quite as bad off as my own... it's worth it.
[ She can't change what happened to her home, but she can fight it here. ]
...where are we going, by the way? [ Beautiful as it all is, and as much as she trusts Eren not to lead her astray, she's not sure what his plan is. ]
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They set up heating stones and food, in the Western District. This way, [ he says, his fingers grasping for the fabric of where the jacket sleeve ends and her hand begins. ] you can see the snow from there, and I won’t fall asleep.
[ it’s the truth without much humor meant to it but so seriously said that it’s probably endearing. any colder and he’d freeze over. ]
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Just tell me if you need me to keep you awake. [ There’s a bit of a tease in it, but she knows that the cold can be dangerous- more so for a reptilian. She shifts her arm in the sleeve of his jacket, popping her hand out further to take his. It’s partially to keep a more informed eye on his physical state, partially so he can more easily direct her... and partially just because she wants to. ]
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I’m almost worried how.
[ almost. a tease back? a tease back, softened by the way his fingers twine subtly with her’s. she had half the mind to hit him upside the head with the butt of a gun, he’s sure.
there’re plenty of rocks once they get to the district’s entry. al they have to do now is pick one that isn’t taken. ]
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Color creeps right up Lex's face to match Eren's; easily explained away by the cold, sure, but Lex feels the heat from it. It's soothing to feel Eren's hand in hers, to feel that he's warm and not suffering for gently urging her into warmth and out of the snow. If he were to fall ill, if it were her fault...
Well. He isn't, and that's what matters. ]
I've got a few ideas, [ she laughs, letting herself walk a hair closer for more warmth and more contact. ] Depends on if you wake up when I'm nice or not.
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he meets her halfway, if anything, shoulder to shoulder. his stomach is tumbling around at this point and it almost feels stupid, but, it’s a good kind of stupid. you’d think getting involved with people was a worry, but— it’s so different, how things work here. complying would probably even help their case, not hinder it. it doesn’t mask away some sort of shyness he has, though! he’s held hands with people! with friends, with bonded, but . . .
listen, the butterflies never get easy to handle.
he does sneak a peek at her ducked head, and he’s glad he did? her flushed cheeks against the chilly air was charming no matter the origin, making him want to spend a little more time around her than they would at the volunteer quests outside bright wall (even if he’d stare, and talk every so often). they’re a stone that’s free and just waiting for them, and just to test it, eren places his free hand over the smoothed surface.
it’s warm, like a sauna without the humidity. ]
Now I’m just curious. [ sit with him? he’s shuffling to do so.
he just can’t believe he’s on a date. ]
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With her fingers twined in his, sitting with him feels natural - far more natural than awkwardly standing there, which is what she otherwise might have done. Dogmeat hops up on the stone behind them, immediately curling up. ]
If I tell you, you might be prepared and not wake up for me in the future. [ ...which, she realizes suddenly, implies him sleeping around her in the future, and her blush doubles down. ]
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she’s not alone in would-be awkwardness. before here, it would have been slightly difficult for eren to pinpoint a reason for blush— not because he was clueless, but way too focused on other things to think about the rest. he has awareness at least, thank god. and thank god it’s being put to use. it takes a moment for him to register the implications, and while it wasn’t too big of one (sleeping around someone, that happens), but scarlet his cheek scales go anyway, lips partially agape.
yeah, he’s— there, too, thinking now, god damn it. a beat comes as he presses his lips more firmly together, his tongue accompanying with a flick across them. ]
At least I take risks.
[ . . . he’s digging himself deeper, isn’t he. it’s warm, it’s warm here and he’s just going to. lay back, and sigh with some slight surprise when the heat creeps around his clothes. ]
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(Distantly, she's aware that she isn't usually quite this distracted by attractive people. Maybe it's the change...?)
But there's a note of challenge in what he says, and Lex laughs, quiet and low and warm. ]
You saying I don't take risks?
[ She stretches out, hand still tangled in his. Dogmeat is a comfortable presence, a sentry so that she can relax, can focus more on Eren and the warmth from the rock. ]
Pretty sure I could disprove that. Everything from scars to the next time we leave the city.
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I don’t doubt that. Just— thought you should know I’d sleep around you to find out. [ regardless if he got nice lex or mean lex and that dumb honesty makes him duck his head and try to clear his throat because that sounded even more implying and he almost didn’t mean it!!! to sound like that!! he meant like like sleep with her there not sex but, listen, he would, and that’s what isn’t helping his case HE’S GERMAN ] —Like, here, I.
[ MM mm that’s some grade a 👌 flirting (god please save him). eren begins lifting their hands above their heads, so they could see them. the curl of his digits pull lex’s to better light for them, and it looks like she has bite marks too, different from his and contrasting to tell another story completely.
he needs to say something else before his face probably melts off, too, and to keep himself from smacking his head. ]
What’s this one from?
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Another laugh bubbles out and Lex shifts closer instinctively, drawn to his fluster and by the tangle of their hands. There's a scent here, too, that she can't quite identify. There's also an undeniable urge to rub the side of her jaw along his arm, and she's halfway to doing it when he asks his question and instead she pauses, re-angles her head to look at the scar in question. ]
Ah- radroach. Irradiated cockroaches, about the size of a... hmm, a cat or a small dog. They would get into the vault, sometimes, and they were in all sorts of ruins. First thing I ever shot, when I was ten.
[ Her fingers flex, the tip of one of her talons softly dragging over the back of his hand. ]
All the really good ones are lower- [ and she pauses, realizes that what she means by 'lower' is 'under her clothing', and laughs again. ] -and have real fucking badass stories.
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her laugh is sweet like honey. the points of talons gets the flesh under his clothes to feel a pleasant shiver that rises up to his orange shaded nape. the back of his hand is scaled, but they’re smooth and react to every drag like ticklish animal’s hide. not to mention the story! giant roaches . . . lmao he wishes it were only giant roaches.
you can’t tease a man into you like this, it is illegal. the smile and the way his eyes go down, back up, and how his scales don’t dim from the bright sunset colors, tsk. ]
You’re going to out-scar me by a mile. [ they’re going to turn this into story time.]
I couldn’t get scars, callouses. Anything I had would rapid heal back home— or grow back. I’d get upset when I’d look at the rest of my squad when I was still a cadet. [ but he does bring his hand closer to her eyes so she could see. ] Except this one. This one’s from here.
[ suspense!! ]
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His scales make her a little bolder, make her touch a little firmer; she's less afraid of slicing him open on accident, and she wants to keep touching him. He tells her how he would heal back home and her grip changes from the tips of her claws to the pads of her fingers, seeking out any scars or blemishes that he may have missed, happy to explore. ]
What's that one from?
[ Her question is a little more breathless than she had intended, and she clears her throat - even as she gently tugs his hand closer, the heat from her breath ghosting over the back of it. ]
I could heal pretty well, with help, [ she continues, trying to keep some of her focus on the conversation and not on Eren's presence in front of her. ] But sometimes that was what left a scar.
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A desperate idiot. [ he smiles, sheepishly even, before he continues with an inhale that’s slow as it is intended to hold, tongue pressing to the roof of his mouth for more of a crazy scent/taste mixture. he was always one to look eye to eye to someone when he speaks, but for a few seconds— it’s awfully difficult. he digs up an answer in his head, though: he wanted to look at her everything. lips, hands, eyes, talons, the way her hair fell.. ] I wanted to test an ability I had. I had to draw blood, and when it didn’t work, [ he holds his other hand up to her, showing the other identical scar. ] I bit the other.
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You know, most people just use knives.
[ But blood is blood, no matter how it's drawn. Desperation can lead to strange, ugly things and she swipes her fingers over the scar again. ]
But when I showed up, I was near dead with radiation poisoning, so it's not like I can talk.
[ They are both desperate, messy things; fighters who don't know when to quit. No wonder they get along. No wonder they are, now, tangled up as they are. ]
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I didn’t have a knife.
[ he just. finds a way to do things. either way, eren hasn’t forgotten about the o t h e r scars, curiosity gets the best of him. ]
What’s radiation poisoning?
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[ Her voice is softer this time. She understands the overwhelming need to do, even do-or-die. It's why radiation poisoning is being brought up, after all. ]
Radiation is a type of energy. In small amounts, it can power devices or be used as heat. In large amounts... it can make you mutate. It can kill you, make you shut down from the inside out. It's all over, where I'm from; nuclear weapons using radiation are what destroyed everything.
[ And as much as talking about the war doesn't bother her, there is something slightly unsettled in her voice as she talks about radiation. Her hand squeezes his a little tighter for a moment, then relaxes as she exhales. It's not here. Her changes aren't based on radiation. She's fine. ]
It's not something I recommend doing, as much as I think you might recommend not biting your own hands.
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and then, it’s all easier to fathom. even though nuclear is a brand new word to his vocabulary, the destruction it entails is more than enough to gain his understanding, as superficial as it was. he wasn’t connected to her the way he was his bonds, but he’s keen when it came to catching her distress in her breathing, the taste it gave off (yes, that’s possible) and the pressure in his hand. he squeezes back, for sure, and somehow his fingers are able to cradle most of her hand. he’s tall, as he is a little large. ]
I’d— [ he wets his lips, and while his expression is straight, ] recommend it as a last resort.
[ again, he was serious, but . . . ah, dang. his lips curl just a little bit after and he drags longer locks of his hair back like he wanted to tie it. maybe later, he forgot to grab string.
(he feels dumb and fluttery still) ]
That’s something humans created, wasn’t it? I know about photographs and electricity— and blimps.
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[ Because that was what humans did. They took things, twisted them, made them weapons. It had been their greatest strength and it had nearly killed them all, destroyed everything. ]
It poisoned... everything. We don't have many plants or clean water. The animals are either dead or different - the cows all have two heads, that sort of thing. My parents- [ and again, she falters. It's worse this time, and Lex squeezes his hand tighter. Keep it together, Lex. ]
My mother had an idea. Project Purity. Create a massive, nuclear-powered water sanitation system to provide clean water for the Capitol Wasteland. But she died when I was born, [ a falter- guilt? definitely guilt, ] and my father took me to a vault - a secure location underground that had been built for people to survive the bombs. Vault 101 was never supposed to have been opened, but they let us in because he was a doctor and they needed one.
I grew up there. After I turned nineteen, my father left to finish what he and my mother started - and I followed, because the Overseer wanted to kill me for it.
[ Why is she telling him this? Her fucking life story - she can't imagine that he wants to know, but she can't quite stop. ]
He died for the project. And when we took it back from the people that killed him, it was damaged. I had to turn it on manually.
[ A pause, a lick of her lips. Her grip on his hand is tighter still, and Lex takes a deep, shuddering breath. ]
If I hadn't come through the mirror, I think I'd be dead from it.
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