Winter's Crest Snow Day [GP]

[st_ockandbarrel]

The Inn was decorated in, if possible, an even more outlandish style than usual. Garlands of evergreens and bright berries competed with gold angels and cheerful small grinning creatures with pointed ears and shoes. A large fir tree had appeared seemingly from nowhere and was now draped with lights and hung with colored glass balls. At the top perched a figure in white robes with wings.

It was, Percy mused, probably for whatever the local holiday was, but it was also close enough to Winter's Crest decorations for him to feel a bit homesick for Whitestone. After all, it was only a year ago that he'd been able to celebrate Winter's Crest in his home city for the first time in years.

Something was still missing - or rather, many things were missing but one thing that he could solve for. Winter's Crest called for snow, and better snow in abundance. To solve for that last problem, he turned to a gnome of exceptional talent. While he didn't know how Sarenrae's power worked, he did have complete faith in her cleric. And thus, together, they concocted a plan: to turn the weather to a more appropriate clime.

The morning of December 20th dawned as it often did in this place - heavy with clouds that would burn off before noon. The clouds were important. They would make the spell casting easier, and Pike knew that she needed all the help she could get. Weather magic was not her forte. Like all clerics with powers as advanced as hers, she knew the right spell but when you had a druid around, there hadn't been much need for her to use it.

Dressed in a warm coat and a big floppy, knit cap, she sat on the ground with her legs crossed. Holding her holy symbol in both hands, she concentrated on the sky. As the Celestial incantation took root, golden rays of light encircled her and rose into the air. With each heartbeat, she could feel Sarenrae's power drawing warmth from the clouds above and into her body.

It took ten minutes to cast the spell and another twenty minutes for it to take effect. The spell would fade if she didn't maintain concentration all day, but it was a small price to pay.

And that's how, before the sun had completely finished rising, it was snowing on the Madonna Inn.

Comments

Re: Coby - OTA

[st_rummer]

"It's all good, just go with the flow?" Coby suggested. It was how he got through his own fucked-up-ness, and the rest that crossed his path. "That's the truth."

Re: Coby - OTA

[st_illfleshandblood]

"That works, yeah," Jackson agreed with a short nod. "Still hopin' I'll never have to apply that philosophy to brand new appendages."

Didn't mean he wasn't looking forward to examining Coby's wings, though.

Re: Coby - OTA

[st_rummer]

Because he could, and because they had been keeping off some of the chill, Coby manifested said appendages again, stretching them wide before folding them into place. "I'll second that. But they do have some advantages, once I got used to having them."

Re: Coby - OTA

[st_illfleshandblood]

"They look wide enough to carry you," Jackson stated, and looked back at Coby's face with a questioning look.

Re: Coby - OTA

[st_rummer]

"They are." Because that had obviously been a question, statement or not. "Took awhile to build up the strength for that, though. At first they were fucking heavy just to have without letting them drag on the floor." He'd spent a pretty miserable month or so, with his back muscles screaming or in knots.

"Human body isn't made for having wings. Go figure."

Re: Coby - OTA

[st_illfleshandblood]

"I can't even imagine the sort of muscles you've had to develop," Jackson let out, his tone making it clear that he wanted to figure it all out.

Re: Coby - OTA

[st_rummer]

"Imagining's fine," Coby said, humor to cover any seriousness. "You can look or even touch. But since I haven't seen an MRI around here, that's as far as any anatomy studies get to go."

Re: Coby - OTA

[st_illfleshandblood]

One of the fancy machines Butters had told him about, Jackson figured. Remember their acronyms was a bit difficult. "I ain't much used to anything but look and touch," he answered. Well, and dissecting, but that was only once people were dead, and he was damn well hoping he would never get to dissect Coby.

Re: Coby - OTA

[st_rummer]

"But anyway, yeah, if you want, you can see what you can figure out about them." It wasn't like Coby really knew much, and before he'd come here, he couldn't exactly go to a doctor about them if he got hurt or anything. "Some time if you aren't too drunk to trust your own eyes."

Re: Coby - OTA

[st_illfleshandblood]

"Some time you ain't enjoying the snow," Jackson told him with a smile that crinkled his eyes. "I'll leave you to it for now, wings and all."