walking in a winter wonderland. (MINGLE)

[mirroromirror]

Who: Everyone on the planet!
Broadcast: N/A
Action: Snow planet, it's a winter wonderland~
When: From when the planet is in reach until it's time to leave!

[ ooooh the weather outside is frightful

but the fire is soooo delightful

and since we've got places to goooo

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! ]

[ ooc: link to planet info! ]

Comments

[catamite]

[he just... blinks and starts trying to brush the snowy remnants from his shirt]

It's cold...

[not that it really bothers him that much more than being underdressed for standing around in the snow already is. it's probably more the laughing that gets him.]

[payback]

Nel... haven't you ever had a snowball fight in your life?

[... okay, she can see how maybe he wouldn't have, but... c'mon!]

[catamite]

A fight? ...No?

[yeah no he doesn't have any idea what she's talking about, really.]

[payback]

It's where you throw snow at another person until you're both tired.

[But since she could see Nel being pretty lousy at anything involving actual fighting...]

Why don't you just make some snowmen with me?

[catamite]

[yeah, he looks pretty hesitant about the snowball idea... so snowmen are automatically preferable.]

Make snowmen?

[payback]

[She points... at the weird, featureless little snow totems she was working on before Nel brightened her day.]

Snowmen. These are snowmen. I made them, Nel.

[catamite]

...Oh.

[--to all aspects of that revelation.

and he still doesn't get it. back to square one.]

What are they?

[payback]

[jfc]

... They're snowmen! Little snow... people, Nel. Made out of snow. See, the lower part is the body and the top part is the head... [She's gonna come over and try to pull Nel into a crouch to get closer to it all...]

[catamite]

[his legs obediently fold underneath him like a baby deer, but it's mostly because he's still thinking.]

But... what are they? Like... what are they for? Why did you make them?

Is it, like... religious?

[payback]

[s-sigh... so impossible... she rubs one hand over her face. It's cold.]

They're... people... they're not for anything! They're just cute... I just wanted to play in the snow... it's not religious. [what the heck

she takes one of his wrists and tries to push his hand into the snow.]

It's fun! It's just for fun.

[catamite]

[his hand mushes into the snow and does very little there, while he tries to puzzle the rest of this out.]

Just for fun? Like... do you play with them? ...Is it a game or something?

[payback]

You just make them and then you leave them there... you can give them eyes or arms or whatever...

[Jeez, when he makes her explain like this it doesn't sound fun at all.]

[catamite]

Oh, like... you leave them there to scare people?

[he's trying so hard. he really is. and how his hands are getting cold in the snow...]

[payback]

No... no...

[Hhh.]

You just leave them there to be cute. Look, Nel, why don't you try making one? [And she lets go of him and starts packing snow.]

[catamite]

Oh...

[and boy he's going to pretend like he gets it! he starts mimicking how she's packing the snow together, but he's also wrapped up in just how cold and wet his hands are. he keeps breathing on them and trying to wipe them off on his clothes instead of just surrendering to it and letting them go all the way numb.

fingers bright red with frigid white knuckles in an instant, he... smushes snow together with absolutely no grace at all. but at least it's... slowly... building up into a lump shape...]

[payback]

[This is so sad... it's just so pathetic. Rin sits back on her heels and watches him work, inwardly sort of in agony. Nel, oh, Nel. But she'll let him do it... let him finish the snowman...]

[catamite]

[he's trying... but he's soooo bad at it...

building something, being creative and making something with his hands... he probably hasn't done this since he was literally a tiny child. Rin's primitive snow people are expert sculptures next to his clumsy attempt.

he eventually mounds it up tall enough to have more height than width, but that's the only resemblance it has to a human figure.

and then, he actually demonstrates some feeble attempt at creativity--sticking two smaller shapes up out of what is probably serving as the creature's head. and he finally sits back and looks at Rin to see what she thinks.]

[payback]

[H... mm.

No, she does a good job at beaming at him. Oh Nel, he tried!]

You did good!

[And she reaches out and pats him on the back.]

What do you say we go get some hot cocoa?

[catamite]

...Yeah? This is what they're supposed to look like?

[and being that hot cocoa isn't a thing he really recognizes, it kind of glides right through his radar. he doesn't even hear it.

instead, he pokes at the two stick-outy things on the snowman's head.]

See, these are the ears. ...It's a snow-elf.

[he thinks he's clever.]

[payback]

[... That... is genuinely pretty cute. In return, it gets a real smile out of her. She edges closer, flops an arm over his shoulders, pulls him a bit closer, tilting her head towards his.]

Yeah, you did good. Now get up, I can see your hands are freezing.

[catamite]

[aww, he likes that. he soaks it up until she brings attention to his hands.

his long, pretty fingers all frozen red and covered in slush.]

Ah, yeah... okay... I can't really feel them anymore.

[time to go somewhere warm. who knows where he'd been originally intending on going. it's been long forgotten.]

[payback]

[She'll find them something. She slides her arm off his shoulders to link her elbow with his and tugs to get them moving. Hopefully there are cafes on this planet...?

How does anybody get warm when all the buildings are made of ice.]

Is your crew nice, Nel?

[catamite]

[there are all kinds of things on this planet! some of the cafes even have cute little lights in the icy windows, and woodstoves on the inside.

and nel folds up his arms and hugs his hands to his body as they walk, trying in vain to restore feeling to his fingers.]

Oh yeah, they're super nice. There are two girls and this really tall blonde guy named Vash who's really cool.

[payback]

Good. [Nel ought to be surrounded by nice people.

And she won't take them far, then. One window is full of little globes of light in different colors, not just white; she turns her head and looks in as they pass by. Cafe enough for her, so she takes Nel straight through the door and marches them to the counter. She's not exactly rolling in credits, but she has money for this. A little treat.]

Two hot chocolates, please. Do you have those?

[They do. Oh, good, some things are recognized everywhere, she thinks. She draws Nel to the side to wait for their drinks to be prepared.]

You like sweet stuff, right? [Who doesn't like sweet things?]

[catamite]

Oh, yeah. Sweet things are great.

[answering while his head swivels around, looking at all the things. new faces and new shapes, the elven visual brain buzzing along on its own agenda while he's mostly just along for the ride.]

...I can't believe how cold it is here.