[GP] SNOW DAY

[st_ratagem]

Thor and Loki got an early start, because there was a lot to do. Almost two weeks to the day since their first small-but-successful experiment with snow, Loki was confident that he'd improved enough for a bigger experiment. Still snow, because Thor wanted it and it did seem like a decent way to try something big-ish without causing Loki unnecessary grief with the other residents. (It was an arrival day, so there would perhaps be some grief with any new arrivals, but that was entirely acceptable.)

It was before dawn when they went out into the grounds. Thor called up clouds and loaded them with water so they hung low and heavy, covering the sky so that the sun, when it rose, wouldn't ruin the event. Loki took his frost giant shape and staff (now very familiar to his hand) and concentrated on dropping the temperature. Just around the Inn and grounds, but that was enough to be serious effort.

When the snow first started, the flakes were big and wet, and melted as soon as they hit the ground, which was still on the warm side. As they melted, they cooled the ground. After an hour or so, the flakes were smaller and more powdery - real snow, not glorified slush - and they were starting to stick to the ground.

By mid-morning, the Inn and grounds were covered with a thick layer of snow, and it continued to fall.

***

Meanwhile, indoors and inspired by the snow, Hurley and Xavin decided to try and make cookies. Cooking together was fun, since neither of them exactly knew what they were doing apart from 'follow the recipe', but since the point was 'try to make cookies' they ended up with a lot of cookies. Sugar cookies, gingerbread, all kinds.

There was no way they'd be able to eat all of them.

Instead, they loaded them onto trays and hauled them to the cafe, then brought out various frostings and candies for decorating. This had been completely intentional. Completely.

Comments

Loki - OTA

[st_ratagem]

Loki was neither dressed for the cold nor playing in the snow. Maintaining the freezing outdoor temperature, while not taking up all of his personal resources, was enough effort that his method of participation was currently ‘walk around and occasionally cause extra snow to fall on Thor’s head.’

Bit by bit the load was becoming easier to manage, though, which in turn meant he minded being blue in public less than he might have otherwise.

Re: Loki - OTA

[st_ubby]

Thank Pelor for the armor Vex had received in her egg in the spring. The enchantments worked into it meant it adjusted to fit her expanding belly, and being made from the scales of a white dragon gave her some resistance to the cold. Otherwise, trying to find clothes that both fit and would keep her warm when there was an unexpected snow day would have been a fool's cause.

"Do we have you to thank for today's more seasonable weather?," she asked, when on her way to the forge she came across Loki looking bluer than usual, and not in the somber scowly way Thor had once described him.

Re: Loki - OTA

[st_ratagem]

“And my brother,” Loki affirmed readily enough. Anyone who felt insecure enough to casually wear armor at the Inn, of all places, probably needed a little care in dealing. “The clouds are his doing, the freezing is mine.”

Re: Loki - OTA

[st_ubby]

"Then I should thank you. And your brother. Winter sneaks up all too suddenly without snow." Winter's Crest was only a few days away, and yet without magic, there wouldn't be any snow here at all.

"Last year Pike gave us all a snowy day as a Winter's Crest present. I'd been thinking we wouldn't get similar this year, now she's gone. On the other hand, I wouldn't have to resort to my armor for warm clothing. The flip side to every coin."

Re: Loki - OTA

[st_ratagem]

“Everything is a trade.” Put something in, get something out. “I will note, however, that there’s no merit in this. I needed the practice and to shut Thor up about snow for a while, nothing more. Thank him if you’ve a mind.”

Loki and Liz

[st_hotflashes]

Liz approached with a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows. She smiled as she walked up to Loki, not really bothered about Loki's skin tone.

"I thought you might be thirsty." She held out the cup to him tentatively.

Re: Loki and Liz

[st_ratagem]

Loki blinked at the cup once or twice, as if puzzled. (He was, a little.) From the steam, it was hot, so he held up a hand in a polite decline. “I’m sorry, not anything isn’t a particularly good idea for me at present. And there’s every possibility I’d just shatter the mug. But thank you.”

Re: Loki and Liz

[st_hotflashes]

Liz paused, a little embarrassed, but the scientist in her meant that her mind began to figure out exactly what he meant. Her brow furrowed a little. "Are you saying you're cold to the touch?" Was that why his skin was blue?

Re: Loki and Liz

[st_ratagem]

Loki held out a hand. “Try it.” Cold enough to burn, very far below zero.

Loki and Bo

[st_unaligned]

"Nice look." Bo strolled up with a plate of half-eaten funnel cake. "Kind of disappointed you never pulled this look out on me in bed." While her eyes and smile were flirtatious, they were sincere too.

Re: Loki and Bo

[st_ratagem]

“There are reasons.” Loki quirked a little smile and held out a hand, offering it to Bo to touch. Freezing cold, literally burning, a touch that could shatter armor.

Re: Loki and Bo

[st_unaligned]

Bo's interest was piqued. She reached out to touch him and almost instantly felt the cold. It wasn't just cold, it was the sort of cold you knew you couldn't survive for very long in without dying. She pulled back her hand - that was new from him. She shouldn't have been as surprised as she was since Bo was sure she hadn't even begun to scratch the surface of what Loki was capable of.

"Well... that's one way to get a girl's attention." It was a bit of a double entendre which might be easy to catch - since Bo wasn't a bra wearer, the cold had caused her nipples to harden against the fabric of her shirt.

Re: Loki and Bo

[st_ratagem]

“And that’s never not a goal of mine.” It was also never really a goal per se, even if he enjoyed the attention. “However, doing this in bed would seem to defeat the purpose.” Apart, of course, from the fact that he wasn’t especially comfortable in the blue skin, causing Bo to need to heal as she fed seemed rude when feeding was the point.

Annie | Loki

[st_ayedhidden]

"I didn't know you could change the way you looked," She said excitedly as she bounded toward him.

Annie was wearing a hoodie, but that hoodie was covered in snow. Annie had gotten into a snowball fight.

Re: Annie | Loki

[st_ratagem]

“This is technically how I really look. Sort of.” Loki tilted one hand, balancing. It was complicated. “Don’t touch, though. I’m very cold.” Not as snow-covered as Annie, though, but she seemed happy, which was more than a little bit pleasing.

Re: Annie | Loki

[st_ayedhidden]

"I think it's neat." She answered, smiling. "And even cooler that you're cold. Sometimes I wish I can change the way I look with my powers."

Clarice & Loki

[st_rongernow]

She had no idea who was behind the snow, the inn or a person, but Clarice actually didn't mind it. While normally, Clarice wouldn't be caught dead in pink, these were desperate times. She had frozen her ass off,so she'd gone inside and 'bought' a pink Madonna Inn hoodie. Bright side, there weren't sparkles.

When she saw Loki, her eyebrow arched. Blue? Nice.

"Hey." Clarice greeted him,then smirked. "Nice color though the cool kids are magenta." Her fingertips touched the markings over her eyes.

Re: Clarice & Loki

[st_ratagem]

Of course Clarice wouldn't blink, her markings were as nonstandard-human as his own, either the blue or the geometric lines adding texture. Loki spread his hands as if showing off; he wasn't comfortable with the blue, but acting like he was seemed like a possible way to get there. "The cold kids, however, are blue. Magenta's too warm."

Re: Clarice & Loki

[st_rongernow]

Her being okay with her markings had more to do with making sure the assholes didn't see she wasn't okay with not looking 'normal'. So she saw just the hint of it in Loki, but Clarice ignored it easily as she knew that he would in her.

"Good come back." Clarice said with humor and approval, then teased, "why Loki, are you saying I'm hot?"

Loki & Val

[st_allionofdoom]

Seeing a Jotun meandering about making merriment for men, women and children...if someone told Valkyrie she'd live to see that sight, she'd have doubled up on whatever glass she had in hand. "The product of that tree consuming the hallway." She stated, jogging up from behind to pass Loki.

"I'm proud, honestly."

Re: Loki & Val

[st_ratagem]

"It is indeed. The tree, some carving, a little blood." Loki held up the staff to invite better inspection. He'd been carrying it all day, switching from hand to hand, occasionally slinging it across his back. He was still pulling power through it like the crutch it was, so he didn't quite dare set it down or stash it over there, but he had no need to death-grip it or concentrate on it particularly.

The runes were glowing faintly blue-white, evidence of being in use, but it was light enough in the day that they weren't too noticeable. As for pride, "And yes. Nagging is one of my brother's little known powers. Worth some pride, when it isn't amazingly annoying." He was well aware that wasn't what Valkyrie had meant.

Re: Loki & Val

[st_allionofdoom]

Valkyrie rolled her eyes, but said nothing. She offered up a plate that was almost entirely consumed by the sizeable Midgardian confection she'd taken seconds and thirds off, tearing off a piece and hovering it near Loki's lips.

"Merry Christmas." She recited, placing an improper amount of emphasis on the 'mas' part.

Bucky

[st_ranger]

The former soldier walked up to Loki, smiling slightly. He was quiet, not wanting to startle Loki. The man looked different, a way he'd never seen him before. If he had to guess, between the blue face and the God of Thunder, he had a good idea who was behind this.

"This your gift?"

Re: Bucky

[st_ratagem]

"Gift? Heavens, no." Loki flashed a smile at Bucky, suppressing his persistent discomfort (slowly increasing with time, oddly; one would have thought he'd get more used to it, not less) at showing his frost giant appearance in public. "This is me temporarily shutting my brother up on the topic, and stretching some atrophied muscles. More or less."

Re: Bucky

[st_ranger]

Bucky smiled back as well. It was good to see Loki in his true form, if that's what he had to guess. Not hiding, in any case. "I don't know, you look like you're having more fun than even you want to let on."

He was teasing. Mostly.

Bucky picked up a handful of snow and slowly shaped it into a snowball. "Come on. Doesn't it feel good to do something nice for everyone here? Look! People are having fun."