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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Just as he'd blinked the last of the snowflakes out of his eyeballs, another shot assails him in its place. The powdery ammunition he'd been amassing in his gloves descends back to earth in a silent poof. He hisses through his chattering jaws and glares dimly at the vexingly carefree sorcerer before him.
"Jus-st leave me alone. I don't wish to t-talk about that, and I n-never will."
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He's not sure how well it would go over if he were to say that the feeling carried on the wind in that dream intrigued him. It brought him back to a time he can never forget, though it felt entirely unique.
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Nonetheless, Soren's feelings were what they were. "Even though I know not all half-beasts are heartless or savage, I guess that doesn't change what you went through," he concedes, his arsenal of snowballs hanging above his shoulders. "It's just, it kinda reminded me of something, so... The cats were swell and all, but..."
It wasn't quite the same, but the denial reminded Henry of neglect. It's tough, being small and without the ability to take care of oneself... If the wind mage was reaching beyond his species for recognition, Henry has no doubt that humanity turned their back on him as well. But unlike Henry's experiences, Soren didn't even have animals to rely on, if his memory was anything to go off of. Henry assumes a lot based on a small snapshot, but it stuck a chord with him; he doesn't think very hard before blurting something else.
"... Must've been hard, fighting for yourself, by yourself."
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But he still detests being analyzed this way by a stranger. An off-putting one ready to hurl another magical snowball at him on a whim, at that. He clutches his arms to conserve what little warmth he can maintain.
"It reminds you of s-something, does it?"
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"A bit, sure."
Punctuated with a nod, Henry begins his gradual approach now that Soren doesn't seem as mad at him for his earlier blunder.
"I didn't know any half-beast people, growing up... but I know a little about what it means to be rejected by people. My parents treated me like unwanted baggage, and my entire village ignored me completely," explains the sorcerer through a smile, recalling his history with not a single shred of difficulty. "I guess I was surprised that even bearing traits of animals would give you the cold shoulder; personally, I made my own family with the wolves! So you see, you give me the impression of somebody who would be welcomed among them... Dunno why."
Henry giggles at his own observation, though he doesn't know why he gets that feeling. Maybe it's the feeling of being rejected by society that makes him feel like Soren would have found companionship among animals, or at least half-animal people.
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Suddenly, the smile the sorcerer wears grows more twisted in his eyes by this knowledge of his history. Based on his bare-bones description of it, their childhoods sound awfully similar, save for being raised by wolves. Soren could never find it in him to smile about his. All that had shaped him in life might be why his face is frozen so mirthless. How can anyone smile like he does? Is he coping? Overcompensating? Or just deranged? One thing can be certain: he hasn't been socialized very well from a young age.
(Just like him.)
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...Did he just say that? A pang of guilt overcomes the sorcerer, and he winces, grimaces, baring his teeth and freezing in his spot ankle-deep in the snow. He can't tell what this feeling is, but it's not a very comfortable one. His breath hitches as Henry searches for something to say, wavering in place.
It would be a disservice to say that nobody in the Shepherds cared deeply for him, the way he does them. It feels entitled or presumptuous to think of himself as cared about, but his last glimpse of them across the mirror still aches. Do they notice he's gone missing? Of course they do: Tharja must be sparing a glance toward every silvery glint paired with shadow, while Cordelia heaves sighs when she knits yet another scarf she can't offer to Chrom. They must wonder where he's disappeared to. His fist tightens.
"I mean... Agh. Humans are very, VERY caring. They can be. But still. Animals and humans can form bonds that run deep. Deep enough to tear you apart if you lost 'em."
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The image of broken mirror shards on the floor, silent and still in the dark house as they reflected dozens of twin moons, flashes into that echo chamber of his mind. Those moons, taunting him with the intimate and unmistakable suggestion that Ike is close enough to feel on the wind itself, how he radiates through his whole being and fills him with a hope that was never fulfilled. How he feels none of him now, and how empty that leaves him. His body shifts with the days and he grows claws and teeth and soon there will be horns and spikes, and the more he longs to rend others apart, so, too, will he do the same unto himself.
But it's not his transformation that rips into his very self nearly as potently as the loss of the only person he's cared about on any significant level, enough to die for without sparing a second thought. The only person who dared to care about him for the longest time. He can't bear being severed by distances quantified like stars and dreams. When will they see each other again...?
He's so cold.
The snow really seeps into his bones now, his flimsy frame wracked by shivers.
"I suppose there is... t-truth to what you s-say..."
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For all that it's mildly rewarding, it's equally as disconcerting, so Henry tries to lighten the mood.
"Uh-huh. It took a while to understand it, but I'm positive that the feeling's the same no matter who you cherish," he responds with a brightness to his tune. "From the looks of it, you really get it."
Soren's expression reads more vulnerable than he knows what to do with. Henry raises a finger.
"...Say. I know there's a place around here that keeps warm for people who aren't so great at handling the cold. Do you wanna go there instead of freezing out here? 'Cause you look seconds away from becoming a human popsicle."
CRAAAAAAWLING IIIIIIN MY SKIIIIIIN (chin up emo kid)
Wherever Henry goes, he follows lifelessly as he clings to his arms, not particularly caring about what happens to him next, even if Henry ends up guiding him into another cold trick. He's numb to it all, even life itself. But the basic desire to not end up a victim of hypothermia drives him along. Heat sounds nice.
oh boo hoo branded boy
The dragon boy doesn't seem the type who would like it if he offered too much help, and he doesn't have much else to give. Not muscle, not reliable levitation magic, not teleportation. Though he knows the Haven is closer, its warmth is pitiful compared to the offerings of the Western Residential District, Henry thinks. And if his magic can be of any help at all, he knows just how to do it.
Henry leads Soren toward the river that separates the Western Residential District from the Aristocratic District and mutters a spell, which freezes over the surface of the torpid waters with a thick sheet of ice. He follows by example, ushering Soren to trust in his handiwork by skipping along. It would melt in time, but it seems sturdy enough to support Henry's weight easily.
"It's a shortcut, since it would take forever going all the way around," he explains, gesturing toward the district ahead of them. Ahead, the snow grows patchier and thinner.
no you don't know what it's like, to be meeeeeeeee
He watches the river bank go sparkly-still at Henry's bidding, a trick he could have been able to perform himself if he had a pulse of magic all his own any longer. Numb in body, that feeling transfers to mind: he feels nothing, not even the whispers of bitterness or regret at his current position in a world overflowing with arcane energy that even non-practitioners can harness with ease... provided they are fully human. It simply is. He follows the witch's lead, listens to the gentle crackle of his mean weight bearing upon it as his eyes fall to the swish of his ornate cape.
He hasn't said much on their journey, even if Henry had been the type to prattle away. "The less I have to m-move, the better," he murmurs. "My muscles have grown awfully stiff..."
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In short, carrying him isn't the wisest idea. He really hopes it doesn't become necessity.
It shouldn't, because even crossing the bank gets them that much closer to the district housing the greatest concentration of Monsters. There, accommodations for Monsterkind are plenty: warm foods, enchanted rockery, and plenty of warm clothing intended for those with more developed Monstrous features line the streets the further they get from the river. Henry rushes ahead of Soren, leaving him in the dust so that he can chat up a Faun who dishes out cups of spicy soup. She gives Henry a strange look at first, but he says something to her in smiles and enthusiastic gestures that gets her to smile back, and she pass him a serving. Henry rushes back to Soren, soup in hand.
"Here! That should warm you up. You're not a vampire who can't eat anything without blood in it anymore, right?" He has sharp teeth and tipped ears... But scales tell a different story.
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"Thankfully, no." At this stage, he's not quite sure just what he is save a shivering reptilian monster of some kind. He has a feeling he knows, no matter how rare it is supposed to be. He studies the sorcerer for another moment, his wariness returning along with the heat in his veins. "First you pelt me with a snowball, now you go through all of this effort to warm me up. Are you this way with everyone, or have I earned some sort of special treatment?"