middaeg | [Closed] Trails of Snowed In

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[Closed] Trails of Snowed In

Who: Trails House Residents + Visitors
When: Deceuer 6th - 10th, during the snowstorm
Where: Trails House
What: Snowed in!
Warnings: Will mark as necessary

It was safe to say that the Zemurian house was always lively, but the heaviest day of snowfall was particularly so. Everyone was home, and some had invited some friends over for dinner or socializing. It was too late before they realized just how heavily they were snowed in, and that they'd be stuck together for awhile. Best to make the most of it!

With all these people, at least it was a roomy house. There was:

The Main Floor which has a living room with a functional fireplace, kitchen (half stocked with useful cooking ingredients and half with "random things the other roommates thought would be cool"), a dining room, and the music room that's been transformed into Elliot's bedroom - because of course it has.
The Second floor which houses Towa, Crow, Machias, and Fie's bedrooms. Some of these rooms have a worrying amount of weapons, try to guess which. There is also a spare bedroom with a full sized bed, for any guests. Too bad you'll probably need to share.
The Attic, which was Rean's room and made up to be comfortable for a harpy. Shiny things are all over the place, and the bed is more like a nest of blankets.
The Basement which contains Randy and Lloyd's rooms. Coincidentally, this is the easiest place to find dirty magazines in the house.
The Cellar, which houses any alcohol that hasn't been drunken already, as well as a 200lbs wild boar carcass. Lovely.
And lastly the Courtyard which is...covered in snow. What else did you expect.

Make yourself comfortable or try to make a break for it. It's gonna be a long storm.

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[Well if being trapped in a house with a lot of people wasn't bad enough, it seems one of them is sick. Throughout the days, Elliot can't seem to shake whatever cold or fever he's managed to catch. He's pretty low energy, often curling up on the couch near the fire or staying in his room.

Luckily, whatever he has doesn't seem contagious. His housemates know what's really going on, but the rest of the guests aren't given much of an explanation. It's cold and flu season, right? Maybe it's nothing more than that.

At least when he's awake he seems coherent enough for a chat.]

Be Prepared

[As soon as the problem is identified, Towa's doing her part to make sure that they have everything they need. She has to take inventory of what food they have and can work with under these circumstances-- taking into account the potential blackouts and the winter cold... So when it begins, you'll find her flitting about the house, gathering and preparing things just in case.

She's muttering to herself under her breath, but don't hesitate to chime in.]

Okay let's see... matches, candles, blankets... we could probably use some extra pillows just in case... as for what's in the pantry...

Cooking

[They have plenty of meat thanks to Fie, but soup is also great for the cold. And it's easy to prepare over a fire. There are a lot of people to cook for though, and Elliot's out of the picture. So even if you're not a usual cook around the house, you might have Towa turning to you with an apologetic smile.]

Do you mind giving me a hand? I could use some help getting the meat cooked.

[That way she can season the soup and cut the vegetables they have.]

Get Cozy

[With everything they have, they're more than prepared for the worst of it. But it's terribly cold and they do have a fair share of extra guests. Without her magic, she feels a little lost, honestly. It's funny how used to it she's become over the months.]

I just have this blanket, but you're more than welcome to join me.

[ those weather reports will never get things right and we all know that!!!! the night before the sixth, at least, all the smaller animals seem to be making a run for it. birds seek shelter and smaller mammals scurry out of sight to whatever deep hole they could hide in— some were eren’s, what’s slowly become rather large underground layers filled with twists and turns to trap them all and have a snack— if he were hungry. the cold just zaps his appetite clean.

that isn’t to say, he doesn’t feel it coming either. the only sensible thing to do was go where his witch was, the enchantments weren’t lasting long to begin with if they had to work all day and all night. so, this leads the dragon here. eren climbs silently through one of the windows, jams the lock (read, completely dents it) open and lets himself in. no other warning that he’s here, beyond elliot feeling it would be made, so . . . if no one got word, then one might be in for a surprise.

the cold makes him sluggish, but it also makes him cranky and sour whether he can find a spot or not. everywhere just happens to be Too Cold and he seethes for that. sharp objects begin to go missing, certainly the smaller ones such as darts, kitchen knives, unattended blades and the like. paper cutter? tacks? it’s gone. magic. perhaps you’re just trying to find a warm spot to nestle into, wherever you may be.

main floor, second floor, your room? the basement, of course. your bed, where you rest, your body is warm. or perhaps under it. your untamed laundry. small as he was now for energy conservation, eren easily fits under covers, blankets and layered fabrics or crackling fire wood (yes, already on fire). anywhere warmer than the walls may be. the kitchen. the fireplace. the stove will growl at anyone who enters, short and more of a faraway rumble of thunder, or a hiss from the blowing winds outside.

uplift your clothes, your blankets, or even opening the stove will mean being face to face with a toy-dog sized dragon, disgruntled to have been awoken and clutching— oh, are those the missing objects? he moans, but the only other warning he gives is a slow rattle of the barbed tip of his tail.

maybe you can convince him to go somewhere warmer. all you need are the right words. ]

[Elliot had picked up on the presence of his first bond arriving, but with his fever he hadn't been fully cognizant of it as the sensation blurred with the other bonds that were always closer by.

So when Eren found his bed, Elliot had been up for awhile in the living room. But eventually he felt worn out enough that he needed rest, so he makes his way back to his room. He's sluggish and low energy compared to usual. So when he pulls back the covers to see a small dragon with a sharp object, his reaction is to pause for a moment as he assesses if this is a fevered hallucination, or...]

....That's my razor.

[He says with a very tired and resigned tone. When you're other bond is Fie, you get pretty used to bonds regularly invading your space and stuff. ]

[Coming over for dinner and socialization with Fie's family was one thing. He'd met them before, they were fine, he got along with them decently well. But then the snow had begun. And kept going. And didn't stop. And for as much of a homebody as Shinjiro may act at times, taking away the option of retreat is a surefire way to make him feel closed in, especially in someone else's house and surrounded by the found-family of the girl he's? dating?

Well. It's definitely not how he would have chosen to spend his weekend.]

Oh, the weather outside is frightful! (but the in-laws are much more so.)

[In the first early hours, he'd busy helping everything get set up. Dragging blankets out, making sure candles were plentiful, all the works. But then everything that could be done, is and they're all still stuck here inside with snow gradually piling up and darkness taking over. Sure, the house is huge, there's plenty of space for as many people are here-- but that doesn't mean there's any real retreat.

Even if one takes a moment to lean against a window and stare out at the blank expanse of snow-covered streets barely visible through the window, forehead and horns pressed against the glass. The streetlights flicker and spit a few times, a clear sign that the magitech of the city is being strained.

Yeah. They're definitely in it for the long haul. At least this is a winter storm he gets to wait out inside, though. As though casually, he'll toss out the question to whoever is nearby:]

...You guys get storms like this back home?

But the fire is so delightful! (until we run out of wood.)

[This is probably the first time in Aefenglom that Shinjiro's been glad for his copious amount of fur. Between that and his coat, he's content to stay a bit farther from the fireplace, letting other more cold-natured people take the closer spots of the blankets. Sure, it's still cold, and he keeps pretty huddled up during downtime, but all the witches with their magic on the fritz probably have a harder time keeping warm than him.

If offered, he'll take a blanket, or a turn keeping an eye on the fire to make sure it doesn't go fully out, or whatever's needed. And hey, maybe they can even figure out how to hang a kettle and make some tea or coffee to share! Might as well do something to pass the time, even if that something is huddle for warmth and still try and look cool.]

And since there's no place to go- (guess this is where we die)

[By the second day, surely everyone is a bit stir-crazy, there's only so long you can sit around picking junk out from between your hooves (which is absolutely something that has happened, feel free to be appropriately disgusted at this) before the need to just do something becomes overwhelming. Which is why by then he can be found all over the house.

For the most part he's just exploring. Bedrooms are off-limits of course (because it would just be creepy to be rooting through someone's dresser) but he'll still poke around most everything. Primarily of note would be:

-The Music room, looking at the instruments, having never really examined one before. A piece of sheet music may end up with the corner bitten off and gnawed on, sorry Elliot. goats gotta goat.

-The cellar, though perhaps surprisingly for a faun, he doesn't seem too interested in the alcohol other than reading the bottles because it's fucking something to do, before deciding the dead boar staring at him is too weird and he's gotta leave,

-Out someone's (Fie's) window to carefully sit on the snow-covered eaves on the house, getting some freezing air and a touch of freedom, even though the sun is too obscured behind the clouds to melt any of the snow. It's freezing, the wind is terrible, and he has to keep the lapels of his goat up to keep his ears from freezing, but its as much of a break as he can ask for.

But he can be encountered basically anywhere doing most anything. Enjoy!]

[Really, being asked to help with the cooking is a relief. It's something to keep him occupied and something he actually knows he can do. So when Towa called for aid, he's quick to get up, rolling a shoulder as though casual, like his response hadn't been immediate.]

Yeah, sure. You still need it cut, or has that been done?

[Even as he speaks, he's moving to examine the cookware available, nosing into cupboards to try and find a pot or wan or something that would be suitable to cook enough for as many people as they have. Maybe multiple batches will be needed.

But, like a good sous chef, he'll look to Towa for direction!]

You gonna throw it in there fully cooked, or you just want it seared for it to finish in the broth?

I. Snowed In.

[ It's not like Crow never saw snow back home. Jurai was a northern coastal city, snow certainly existed. But it had never been in the kind of volumes he's looking at right now, staring out the window. Not that there was much he could see through it at the moment as the line of snow kept creeping up higher and higher. He'd never seen this much snow in his life. And personally? Crow's not a fan. He's never liked the cold, never liked the snow, and nothing about the current state of things was changing his mind.

He pulls away from the window, tucking his hands behind his head. ]

Damn. It's really not stopping, huh?

[ This is ridiculous! ]

II. Blanket Fic Zone.

[ There are many ways to keep warm and certainly everyone's got their own ways. For his part, Crow has taken a cup of hot chocolate and is warming his hands on it with a blanket draped over his shoulders while he leans against a wall. He's close enough to talk to anyone and is certainly smiling and willing to chat, but he's not really opting to cozy up to his friends at the moment. ]

III. Stir Crazy.

[ Crow loves his friends, he really does. But he needs space sometimes! He needs space and he swears to Aidios the snow hasn't melted even a bit. He's taken to the point where he's eyeing the entrance to Rean's attic room more than once with the serious thought of breaking out for a bit. The only thing keeping him is that it is still, in fact, colder outside than it is in here.

But that just means he has a lot of keyed-up energy and nowhere to put it. He's still smiling and chatting casually to anyone who wants to, but those who know him recognize the signs of a bored bird. ]

Hey, anyone wanna play cards?

[ Please distract him! ]

Edited 2019-12-07 21:27 (UTC)

[Once they realize they'll be snowed in, Fie's quick to start her preparations. The first thing she does is brave the courtyard to pick and salvage as much food as she can: vegetables, fruits, roots, leaves, you name it. As much as the inevitable flower death pains her (she worked hard on those), she's a practical person, so those are dutifully ignored. Those bonded to her might feel a slight twinge of regret, though.

The rest includes bringing wood up from the cellar to the main room, fetching blankets from places for people to grab, blocking off door frames to the outside to keep heat in, and trying not to think about what's to come.

All of that taken care of, she's set to make the next however long work as well as it can. Sometimes she retreats to her room for some alone time-- bonds excluded-- or to catch a nap somewhere with a mattress. If anyone checks on her, they might notice her blanket nest is significantly lessened due to her contributions towards their numbers.

Other times she's among the rest playing cards, chatting, eating, or just lounging. While most of them are somewhat stir crazy, she actually seems okay. Jaeger life had her hiding out on more than one occasion, and with her "pack" here, her turnskin instincts have her more settled than she might be otherwise.

Still, on the occurrence that someone looks not super well off, they might find her leaning against them to offer the warmth of her higher body temperature for some time. Though, that still doesn't mean she's not cold herself. When she is, her go-to's are Shinjiro and/or Louis, whether it's just resting or leaning, she seems content enough.

It's going to be a long few days.]

[Elliot was normally a very nice person, very reasonable. But every man has his limits, and walking into his room to see someone eating his music is his. So excuse Elliot as he gets VERY loud.]

HEY!! What do you think you're doing?!

[During Towa's preparations, the door to the courtyard opens, and Fie enters covered in snow with an armful of food she managed to salvage. Her eyes meet with the President's (never former), then she drops it on the kitchen table, shaking her head off.]

See what we can use of these. There's more out there, so I'll grab what I can. Not sure how long the magic fending off the cold is going to last. [She pauses.] And Louis is a deer, so he doesn't eat meat. Save what you can for him, okay?

Edited 2019-12-08 00:56 (UTC)

[He hadn't been paying attention (which is likely why the sheet of music had gotten chomped, since he's bored and poking around and not really paying much mind to the way he just sort of unconsciously tends to chew on whatever he has in his hands at times--) and so at the loud noise of Elliot's shout, he just freezes for a moment, staring up at the room's owner like a possum in headlights, and just as incapable of getting away.]

Uh.

[Eloquent, as always. He pauses, looking at what he'd been doing-- flipping through pages on the music stand, wondering how the hell all these marks actually meant anything to anyone, and, hey a whole corner is gone and--]

...Oh. This yours?

[He'll just. Set it back down. As though that makes it any better at all.]

This is perfect, thanks Fie! Here-- I have some towels, you should dry yourself off.

[That's just another one of the things Towa prepared just in case. You never know if there would be people seeking refuge from the weather after all.

Towa's quick to sort through the items so she can add it to her inventory.]

Right. I should ask the others if they have any dietary restrictions as well. We should have enough fruits and vegetables for the week at least. It's a good thing we shop generously.

[The fact that they had a generally large household helps, in this case.]

[That's right, you set down the music. Elliot is very unhappy at the moment, walking over at a brisk pace to check on his music. The music sheets get picked up and start to be examined to see just how much got eaten]

Of course it's mine! This is MY room!

[At least he doesn't try and defend himself or anything...! He just takes a step back as Elliot approaches, cautiously watching him as he decides... just what to do about it. And maybe tries to get some paper out from between his teeth with his tongue as Elliot goes through the sheets.]

Oh yeah? I figured this was just where you did your music stuff.

[Clearly missing the fact that someone very obviously lives here. Either way, he holds up a hand, something between placating and apologizing, maybe.]

But hey, I'll get out if you need.

[The living room was the warmest place in the house while the magic's gone out again, so Elliot has dragged himself to get as close to the fire as he can. Which means more like huddling down on the floor in front of it and disappearing in his blankets as much as possible.

The only sign of life coming from the lump of blanket? Is a very discontent moan about this situation. Why is it so COLD??]

[Shinjiro there is a BED in here. Maybe hard to notice among all the instruments, but still- A BED!

Elliot meanwhile ignore's Shinjiro's existence for a moment as he checks on the state of his precious music. No sheets seem to be missing, just a corner chewed. He's pretty sure there weren't any annotated notes on that corner So....not a catastrophe. He breathes a sigh in relief]

Ah...no, that's alright. It looks like we got lucky and you ate a blank corner. And the snow's still too dangerous to risk anyone out there.

[Shinjiro had meant get out of the room, but clearly Elliot had been considering throwing him out into the snowdrifts if he was going to harm his music that badly]

Just.... why would you do this?

[ Crow glances at the lump of blanket, then down at his hot chocolate for a moment before he sighs and shakes his head with a smile. A moment later, the lump may or may not sense someone sitting down next to him. ]

Want some? I haven't had any yet.

[ He'd been more interested in using the mug to warm his hands than actually drinking it. ]

[The lump slowly moves as he realizes someone is sitting next to him, lifting his head up and peeping out of the blanket to look at Crow.]

Huh? You sure?

[Elliot hasn't had any hot chocolate yet, or probably anything else to eat today for that matter, but he still hesitates to take someone else's drink from them.

It's fine, I can get more later.

[ He doesn't mind giving it up to help out a friend, especially when he's sick. And even if Crow knows and understands the reason why, that doesn't make him any less concerned for his well-being. If anything he's a little moreso, but he's Crow and thus he can't just come out and say it.

He holds out the mug for Elliot to take. ]

[And that's how you get out of shit without once ever saying that you're sorry.]

[He should take the opportunity to just leave when Elliot is fussing with the papers, going through all the pages to make sure they're there. And he even takes a step or two in that direction, farther from the music stand. Mostly because... well. This sort of thing is embarrassing as hell. It's one thing when he's in his own place and munches an entire flower off one of the potted plants-- but now? Having to actually explain himself?

Aggressively avoiding eye contact, he just... shoves his hands in his pockets, doing his best not to look like a scolded child and likely failing completely.]

...I didn't really notice.

[At least it's honest, as stupid as it is.] Just a goat thing, I think. Look, it's fine, right?

[Welp. Even if Crow doesn't come out to say it, Elliot can recognize the action for what it is. Crow always took the roundabout way to show his concern, and Elliot knows fully well he gave all his friends something to fret about.

So, he won't argue, even if he can't say he has much of an appetite. He moves himself so he's in a more proper sitting position, and take the mug]

...Thanks.

[It's warm in his hand, and taking a sip does bring a warm taste to his mouth]

Ah, it's really nice and warm.

Thanks. I made that batch myself.

[ Hot drinks weren't his specialty but he'd managed not to screw it up, and that's the important part. ]

So how are you holding up?

[Bold of you to assume he wouldn't just hunt you down after he finished checking. But hearing that it's a "goat thing", he does...relax a little. Right, monster instincts. Shinjiro's not just a paper loving weirdo]

Oh...one of those urges...

[He gives out a sigh, but doesn't seem weirded out. When you're bonded to three monsters, you get pretty used to odd instinct quirks. Sure, chewing on paper is a new one. But not the weirdest he's heard]

Well... [Fine, he's got an idea. He walks over to his desk (which looks like a desk he stole off a curbside), and pulls out some blank music scale papers, offering it to Shinjiro]

If you need to chew, please eat this blank paper instead. I get it's a monster impulse, but I really don't want one of my compositions eaten.

[At this point, he's not even embarrassed at being huddled close with Fie in front of her family. At first it was weird, sure-- Not exactly the impression he wanted to make, what with the first 'family gathering' since they'd starting going out. But a few hours into the deep freeze, temperature dropping, and an easy way to make sure there's enough blankets to go around is so share, and so here we are.

He'd retreated off to the kitchen for just a few minutes, though returns to where she's curled up underneath the blanket, having managed to completely curl up within the entire thing in the timespan since he's gotten up.

And so, both hands occupied, he'll just nudge whatever side of the blanket lump is closest with a hoof.]

Hey, get up. I made you hot chocolate.

Eheh, you did a great job! It's soothing.

[He's not surprised at the idea that Crow can make a good hot chocolate. He was was a better chef than a lot of the people in this household, after all.]

Well, I feel like crap ... but so far no urges to eat people, so ... that's good?

[He's joking but not nearly as much as one wishes he were]

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[Closed] Trails of Snowed In

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lets cook...!

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And since there's no place to go - Music Room

lion king song

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II

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Re: II

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