All-Skate: Out of the storm

[mergich_singer]

Tonight, there's a storm coming.

As the wind picks up, howling like a lost soul, the canopy of the Forbidden Forest pitches and rolls, surging and roaring like a great green sea. And as night falls, the huge waves of the Forest gain their own form of seafoam, as the heavy raging clouds above them finally break open... and fall in glittering snow.

The snow falls all night, long after the storm has at last sighed itself into a whisper. When morning comes, the first shivering light falls on huge, perfect glittering drifts - from far over the mountains right to the door of the Bar.

Perfect, that is, except for a double set of pawprints, steadily marching to the door... where they become a single set of bootprints belonging to a beautiful, blue-eyed woman in a huge rosette-spotted white coat.

At the door she turns to survey her work, and smiles with the gentle satisfaction of a long night's job completed.

Welcome to Winter, Milliways.



[OOC: Welcome to the All-Skate: Winter Edition! All are welcome - yes, that means all. Whether they're retired, deleted, AU, original or already being played by someone else, bring 'em along. The snow will last until January-ish, both within the All-Skate and in the bar proper - but you're welcome to ignore it if it doesn't work for you.

Usual all-skate rules apply:
1. Everyone's stressed out of their mind right now, so have fun! Participating in theme/holiday shenanigans is also not required. <3
2. Communication is key.
3. Gratuitous behaviour (either of a violent or sexual nature) will not be tolerated in the bar proper. Take that to an OOM, and then Content Warning the hell out of it before you link it.
4. Please don't be a dick.
This post is open forever.]

Comments

[darkeryetdarker]

Gaster sits outside, gazing at the snow and smiling. He's reminded of his home, back in Snowdin.

Though in Snowdin, he never got to see how the colors of the sunrise glint off of the snow.

[element_wizard]

Alec has done the... semi-sensible thing. He's set up a cauldron of hot apple cider. Outside. It's sitting in the snow. There's no fire. But it's still hot and steaming and smells good. Alec is sprawled on an improvised snow couch and doesn't seem to be uncomfortable. Despite leaning against what is clearly snow and not in any sort of clothing to keep himself warm. A cup of cider clearly shouldn't work.

However the spot just around him and the cauldron is warmer. There are mugs and a few other snow made seats. If anyone would like some.

(hope it's not too late)

[bornofgodandvoid]

The Vessel is glad to be out of the cold. The lack of fire certainly makes the space more appealing - too much like a certain sun goddess.

They recognize this creature - Alec, he was called. They give a small bow as they approach.

Re: (hope it's not too late)

[element_wizard]

"Oh. Hello there again," Alec says, leaning down when he sees the small knight. "Would you like to get out of the snow? I can make something for you if you'd like?"

He offers his hand, crisscrossed with scars, for the vessel to get on if they'd like.

Re: (hope it's not too late)

[bornofgodandvoid]

The vessel is no stranger to scars - they have many beneath their cloak, along with the one running down their eye.

They nod, stepping up carefully, more confident than the last time someone offered their hand to them.

[element_wizard]

They match on the eye department! Alec's is over his left eye. He carefully picks up the vessel and puts them down on a seat sized just for them, and not made from snow or anything cold. "There you go. Do you drink?"

[bornofgodandvoid]

The Vessel shakes their head. But they appreciate the warmth, and the seat, all the same.

They pull out their slate.

Thank you. The smell is pleasant.

[element_wizard]

"Probably a good thing." He pokes the cauldron. "I'm not sure if it'd be safe for you to drink, even if you could. It's hard to tell what's safe for various entities."

[hothellier]

"Oh em gee! Is that snow?"

Charlie has never seen snow before - not snow this clean and white and made of frozen water before (don't ask her to elaborate). She rushes eagerly to Bar t make sure she's appropriately dressed, and then, in red wool and white fur, in an outfit not that far off a traditional gift giver, she throws herself into the snow.

Literally. She's just lying there making snow angels at the moment, even though she has no idea that's what she's doing.

[sunbaked_baker]

Someone is laughing. Not a mocking laugh, but the light laugh of one glad to see what she's seeing.

The sound is coming from the red-haired woman leaning on the rail of the small porch in front of the kitchen door; she is wrapped in an electric-blue coat and has a bright yellow scarf around her neck.

"How is it?" The snow looks delightfully powdery.

[hothellier]

Charlie folds at the hips, sitting bolt upright in an instant, and grins a bright shining grin. Her cheeks are rosy to match her red coat, and the hood over her blonde hair is flecked with snow matching the white fur.

"It's so. Cool," she says. "I mean, obviously it's cool, because it's cold, which by the way is awesome, but cool as in good as well, you know?"

Realising she may be babbling, she grins sheepishly and stands up.

"Hi, I'm Charlie."

[sunbaked_baker]

The woman steps down from the small porch and comes over. Her snow boots are likewise yellow, bright against the winter landscape.

"Good to meet you, Charlie. I'm Rae. Most call me Sunshine" she grins back. "Your snow angel turned out really well!"

Sunshine always had trouble getting back on her feet without messing up the outline, as a kid.

[hothellier]

"Snow... what?"

Charlie turns around to look at the shape she's made, when she was just cheerfully lying in the snow, and she laughs.

"Oh, yes, it does, kind of look like a picture of an angel."

She tilts her head, critiquely. Obviously it doesn't look like a real angel.

"It just seemed like the right thing to do. I've never seen real snow before."

[sunbaked_baker]

"That's what I've always heard them called," Sunshine shrugs, smiling. She never thought to question the name, figuring it was just some reference to what it might look like if an angel fell into the snow.

"You don't get snow where you're from? New Arcadia gets a good bit every winter. Makes the early morning commute an interesting excursion, if the snowplows haven't yet been by."

Four in the morning is just as rough for the plow operators as for bakers, she suspects.

[hothellier]

"No," Charlie says, brightly. "We're kind of famous for it, actually."

Her grin is mischevious, like she's keeping a secret, but because it's fun, not because she doesn't really know whether 'I'm from Hell' is a good way to start a conversation with a living human.

"Is a snowplow - not, don't tell me. It moves the snow out of the street so you can get to work."

They have something like those in Pentagram city, usually utilised after Exterminations. They're not used to move snow.

[stakedmysoul]

"Oh fuck no."

Husk does not share his boss's boss enthusiasm for the cold. Or for snow. He's a cat demon who lived in the desert before going to Hell. He is not a cold weather person.

He makes himself at home at the bar with a hot whiskey toddy, leaning back with his feathered wings flattened against the bar as he watches the comings and goings around him.

[element_wizard]

Alec has hot cider in hands. He walks by the cat demon and then lets out a horrible sneeze jostling his cider. It splashes a little and he grumbles before looking around. Upon spotting the cat demon he gave an annoyed, "Oh. Come on now. Really?"

[stakedmysoul]

Husk narrows his black eyes for a moment, quirking a red eyebrow at being addressed like that.

"Problem?" He asks dryly.

[element_wizard]

"Sorry, not exactly you. Mostly me. I've got cat allergies and you're cat enough to trigger them." He gives an apologetic look. "Which is ridiculous, I know."

[stakedmysoul]

Well. That's fucking great, isn't it? Husk hates not being human enough as it is, now people are fucking allergic to him?

He huffs a sigh.

"Well, sorry, I guess."

He bets Angel doesn't have to deal with people being arachnophobic.

[element_wizard]

Alec waves his hand dismissing the apology. "It's one hundred percent me. A quirk of my powers. A stupid quirk, but a quirk. I'm allergic to anything cat shaped. Or cat related. I'm allergic to a ghost cat."

It doesn't even effect his powers in anyway, it's just in the worlds where he's powerless he's not allergic to cats.

He wouldn't be surprised if Angel did have to deal with arachnophobia; spider is spider. Even if they're friendly looking.

"Can I buy you an apology drink?" There's a sniffle but apologetic smile.

[stakedmysoul]

Husk's wings twitch irritably, but a free drink is a free drink, so he turns slightly to fold a wing up and let Alec reach the bar.

"New York Sour," he requests.

"What powers?"

Because that didn't go unnoticed.

Lucius Verus II / Gladiator II

[luciussonofmaximus]

Lucius is walking past the doors of Rome toward the bar. Snow landed on his head and around him, making him realize he'd been gone from the bar longer than he'd thought.

Re: Lucius Verus II / Gladiator II

[clawsworn_to_serve]

There is someone standing in the doorway of the bar, looking out into the snow-covered landscape with their arms crossed.

Something, in fact. Seven feet tall, armored, with a cloak of dark blue. The head and hands show scaled skin, wickedly sharp claws, a head like a dragon, a pair of horns curving back alongside the long skull.

She is looking out into the wintery weather with distaste.

"There should be a bonfire at least, if it going to be this nasty outside," she remarks, the warm rumble of her voice carrying wry sympathy for the stranger wearing what looks like garb from a warmer climate.

[clawsworn_to_serve]

Akra knows she has found the bar again well before she sees the building emerge from behind the trees.

It's the snow that gives it away. It is late spring on the Sword Coast and the temperature change is precipitous.

And gross.

Akra can't say she enjoys the cold. She knows under that particular snowdrift next to the forge is a tarped and dry stack of firewood, though, and she has her axe if needed, so she is absolutely going to be clearing a space and stacking up fuel for a bonfire.

Tis the season, after all.