thespherelogs | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Who: Everyone!
What: November open log
When: November
Where: The Merchant Dome/The Pools
Warnings: NA
Notes: NA

Holiday mingle log

It’s the most wonderful (welcome) time of the year

Christmas is coming earlier and earlier every year, which isn't a surprise but hey they're starting the Christmas/Winter stuff the week before thanksgiving. Because why not. this month’s party takes place in the Merchant dome. But it’s not the everyday appearance of the merchant dome. No, for the next five days the Merchant dome’s appearance has been altered to look like a sort of Bavarian Christmas Market. There are small clusters of tables every so often, so people can just sit and chat and eat and drink.

Some enterprising person has even managed to make it snow through some unknown means. It’s not cold, but the snow is soft and steady and slowly building up.

The entire dome, all of the streets and all of the merchant stalls are practically glowing with white fairy lights that are strung everywhere. Vendors in their stalls gleefully cry out to paterons passing by, offering them free food or drinks. The food consists of the sort of things that one might expect to find in a place like this: sausages on buns and on sticks, pretzels, pizza, loads of cookies of every variety that one could think of, including elaborately decorated gingerbread, chocolates, fruits, french fries. Think winter fair food, and be as absurd and as complicated and extra as you want. It is a fair, after all. Go nuts. Drinks are also along the same line: hot cider, mulled wine, hot buttered rum, hot chocolate both with booze and without, as well as all the normal things: water, coffee, tea, milk, soda, and a variety of fruit juices that you’ve both heard of and not.

But food isn’t the only free thing that people are giving away! They’re also offering characters hats and gloves and scarves, small toys, books, delicate ornaments, perfumes, wine… it’s a giant welcome party after all, and these people are cheerful and happy. Even offering to pay just gets met with laughter and being told not to worry about it.

Fun and frivolity.

There are even carnival rides set up! A medium sized ferris wheel, a carousel, a giant slide and ice skating ring are all along the outside of the stalls.

At the far end of the dome, the snow has fallen deeper and held to several inches. Wouldn’t you know it just happens to be perfect snowball snow! So, there of course needs to be a snowball fight! What did you think those free mittens and gloves and scarves are for after all? The snowball fight can be organized into teams, or one on one depending on the player’s choice. This is a friendly fight, of course, so no rocks or slush balls or anything. Well, probably not. No one in the Sphere is your mother.

So you want some summer?.

While the welcome party rages on in the merchant dome, people have made a smaller party in one of the recreation domes. Around the pools, as a matter of fact. There’s almost like a small barbecue clustered around the largest of the three pools, and the light is constant and sunny here. The large pool is olympic sized, and is a sparkling blue. It’s fresh water, and probably clean enough to drink. I still wouldn’t drink it. The second pool is slightly smaller and more kidney shaped with a gradual sand mound at one end of it. This pool is salt water and looks a bit more like a beach than a pool. The third pool is a kiddie pool, complete with a splash pad, that’s running. Buckets drop, it’s got one of those mushroom things, and sprinkler jets. There aren’t any kids though, so people are welcome to go nuts.

Bathing suits and towels are provided in the changing rooms. There’s frozen and fruity drinks flowing freely, along with finger food and snacks. Loud music is playing from a local band that’s just generally of a pop sort. There’s people dancing rather in a rather haphazard fashion, but the dance floor is there and present!

Oh yeah, and there's definitely the baths and everything too!

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Yummies and Shinies
If there was one thing that Tommy could get behind at an event like this, it was the food in the markets. Especially after the difficulty over food during the failing of the Sphere. He loved the food, and all of it hot. One might be shocked to see him at a table on his own near the stalls, his table covered with mounds of food, like he was trying to set up his own stall. Sausaages and pretzels, a whole pizza, a few cookies, french fries, and just about every not-warm drink. Those he had to go for when he needed more. Currently he was working his way through a hot buttered rum, his face in a physics text book, covered in scarves and gloves and a warm hat, and with a small selection of the 'gifts' there, wrapped up at his side.

Clearly someone is enjoying himself.

"If you haven't yet," he'll mention to whoever stops to look at him as he shoos some snow from the page of a notebook he was jotting things down int, "you should try the buttered rum. Stuff is amazing."

Fun and Games
Winter was a time for play, and Tommy was pleased with it. All the snow on the ground meant he was a snowball fiend. Left to his own devices, and faced with an unsuspecting victim, he stoops and makes a small mound of snowballs at super speed, the extra heat generated by how fast he moves meant that the snowballs end up with a pretty good form, and solid. But don't worry, he won't cheat with something more than just a quickly thrown snowball aimed at someone's back. And oh the way he'll laugh after it finds its mark. Surely this means war.

Later on, though, there is something entirely else for Tommy to do on the ice. Tommy is normally about speed, but that didn't mean he lacked his own grace. Nowhere was that more obvious than when he put on skates and got on the ice. Tommy glides around with ease, going back and forth from speed skating around the center, his turns as sharp and precise as someone could get on the absolute wrong sort of skates. But sometimes it's just a slow glide around the edge, until he moves with a burst of speed to catch someone about to fall.

"Hey, I've got you."

Rides and things
Frankly, Tommy wasn't very comfortable with heights, but this? This was something he was more than excited to do. He could handle a ferris wheel because he felt secure in it, but if whoever was sharing with him dared to shake the seat they were in, he would elbow them in the side.

And the carosel probably shouldn't delight Tommy nearly as much as it did. He was faster, right? But he didn't care, there was something amazing about mounting up on a fake horse and letting the world move around him. Yeah, that was great.

Summer Mood
In the end, cold was not Tommy's thing, not really. so after all the cold and chill and food, he finds himself slipping over to the other party, donning swim trucks, and flopping down into the sand of the fake beach. Being here, like this, was absolutely peaceful. At least, it was until he jumped to his feet and ran under the falling buckets of water. Each and every time. Advantages of super speed was that you could always be there just in time.

Later in the evening he abandoned his splashy fun to instad make his way over to the bbq and more importantly, dancing. Didn't matter who was there, he would find time for them. But never quite as close as he used to dance. He didn't want to upset his boyfriend.

A King In The Markets
Even when winter came to London back home, it never had a sight quite like this. The warmth of the Isle did much to make sure that snow didn't make it all the way to the ground, especially around the palace. So this was a strange delight, the snow falling around him. More than once Rhy paused and stuck his tongue out to catch snowflakes.

But mostly he moves slowly around, smiling and stopping at every stall to talk briefly with the merchants. He was a member of the council, and he really wanted to make sure people knew he appreciated them.

What he hadn't bee expecting was the small gifts offered onto him. It doesn't matter that it seems like everyone is getting them, he's still clearly touched, especially as he holds a small glass ornament in his hands, marvelling at the construction and the swirl of red and gold within.

Carnival Rides
As a man from a world with no advanced technology, it's rather impressive to see these two constructions. Rhy looks toward the spinning wheels and doesn't know how to react to them.

"Are people certain such constructions are safe?" he asks, clearly concerned.

But What Is A Beach
A beach was something he'd never really experienced. London was inland, even if it was on the Isle. And given he had so rarely been allowed out of the city, and even then always under carefully controlled situations, a beach was a new experience for him. Very new.

"What are those?" he asks as he looks toward the kiddie pool and all the complicated mess there. It was so strange.

Open To All: Bavarian Market - ‘Reminds me of better days.’

Early day

Llewellyn really didn’t like the winter months, at least he hadn’t in his own world. They were cold, and nights were long and the darkness was heavier. So he might have stopped to eye the snow piling up with vague levels of concern, his thick brows furrowed lightly as though it might be a problem. It wasn’t cold though, nor was it dark. So the concern was at least fleeting as his spirits rose as he took in the rest of the market, his wandering a slow and leisurely thing.

There were better things to focus on, after all! The theme was a familiar one to him, so merry and reminding him very much of a sight he’d seen in his travels back home. His small basset hound pup was trotting along at his heels, occasionally tugging on the leash when a particularly interesting mound of snow apparently called for him to shove his snout in it curiously. As they wandered, Llewellyn stopped here and there, looking at stalls as he tried to decide what to sample first.

That was easy, of course, the traditional pretzel stall will always win in the man’s heart. They were his favourite snack. He even stopped to glance at another person who was lingering near the stall, a clumsy smile on his face as he waved a hand at the food. “Oh— if you’re hungry, I highly recommend you try these?”

Later

If someone happened upon him later, his attention was fixed absentmindedly on the fairy lights. Llewellyn had to take to carrying Pretzel at this point, the pup too excited about everyone and everything going on around him. Not to mention the fact that he’d gotten quite used to the snow at this point and had upped his game to trying to break free dash through the stuff like he was possessed by some mischievous spirit. A case of the zoomies... They would be the death of Llewellyn one day, certainly.

Of course, holding on to a wriggling dog got a little more difficult the more he was stopped by people intending to give him practical winter-wear or decorative baubles. That in itself was a strange experience for him, the detective really wasn’t used to people giving him gifts and anyone looking at his face could see it, expression a little awkward and uncertain.

Still, it left him with no other option but to set the pup back down. Which meant Pretzel had the chance to tow him around at occasionally more rapid speeds, stumbling a little here and there when Pretzel got distracted by something. If you were particularly unlucky, the man might even have nearly run into you or tripped into your path. “O-oh! Um... Pardon, I was a little distracted.” Was uttered with an animated gesture to the puppy.

Open To All: Skating Rink - ‘Do you really want to see me fall on my face?’

Llewellyn stared at the skating rink, hands wrapped around a cup of hot cocoa both because he enjoyed it and because it was a very good excuse to not accept invitations to join people out on the ice. The detective was already a clumsy sort on a good day. So, as one could imagine, putting him on a slippery surface like ice for entertainment purposes tended to be more for everyone else’s entertainment than his own.

He was more than happy to watch those more skilled than himself, sipping his cocoa on occasion and waving to someone he recognized while occasionally holding the cup aloft if asked to join. It would be a shame if someone more stubborn (or someone he had a harder time saying no to) came along and dragged him into the fun activity.

“I can say with reasonable certainty that I’m not made for flying around on bladed shoes, you should take my word for it.” He said with the tone of someone who is (not scared!) mildly concerned that they might not take his word for it.

Open To All: The rides - ‘Are these fun?’

Head tilted up lightly, Llewellyn stared at the Ferris wheel as it went around. He’d seen the likes of it before, though he had never been up in one himself. They seemed a bit tall and questionable in the safety department... But people seemed to be enjoying themselves? His eyes darted to the other rides; the carousel, and its lively music piped through speakers as it moved around and around... The horses painted to look eye catching, fancy and appealing to anyone who might wander by. “Funny...” He mused out loud as he glanced between both rides, squinting a bit at them. “The basic idea is sort of similar, they go in a circle? Only uh— in a rather different way, I suppose.”

The question was: Is it as fun as everyone made it look?

Open to All: Summer fun - It’s warm and bright!

Later in the day, Llewellyn had finally found himself drawn to the other party that was going on. Sitting off to the side of a pool and sampling some of the fancy drinks, he was content to enjoy the bright sunny atmosphere and watch everyone else enjoying themselves. It was... still a little weird for him, considering bathing suits were very different here from the ones he was used to. They were a lot more immodest than the sort he was more accustomed to seeing. So he’d passed on that idea for now, still a bit shy about the idea and happy to simply lose his coat and roll up his shirtsleeves. He didn’t tend to overheat much anyway, so it wasn’t like the warmer temperature of the dome would bother him much.

Putting his hat next to him, he held up his drink to gesture lightly at the next person to happen upon him. “I’m not sure what this is? It’s very sweet though, if you like that sort of thing.”

(ooc: I can match with action brackets if you prefer!)

Edited (Listen I found a cute winter pupper icon, I had to update to use it.) 2020-11-03 04:16 (UTC)

Llewellyn was struck by a strong sense of nostalgia today, and it was (for once) the good kind. A light smile on his face as he wandered with (or was towed along by) Pretzel on his leash through the snow. The market had been decorated so nicely, and the lights were a nice addition that he hadn’t seen the like before...

They were a vast improvement on the string lights that Detective Murdoch had invented. Apparently those had knocked the power out of an entire hotel once.

The theme, the atmosphere... It reminded him of a lighter, better time. A little like home, and a little a place he had visited during his brief travels abroad one year. The positive, delighted feeling was only strengthened when he caught sight of his boyfriend staring at the lightly falling snow, and catching it on his tongue?

That was... very sweet. It held a sort of wonder that he couldn’t help but grin at, perhaps looking a little like the lovesick fool that he was.

The fact that Pretzel didn’t bark for once (though he did happily tug on the leash to go and see Rhy) gave him the opportunity to wander up quietly, head tilting lightly as he spoke up softly. “Enjoying yourself, dear? I recommend snow with maple syrup, if you’re really in the mood for something cold.”

Rhy was just enjoying the way the world was at the moment. And frankly, it was such a wonder. Hearing his lover's voice as he enjoyed the snow was even better. He grins and moves forward to catch Watts in his arm.

"I am. Snow never fell in London. I had heard of it, and there were plenty of water magicians that could make it so the nicest of places for parties had it, but... Oh Watts, it's so beautiful."

He reaches up to dust some snowflakes out of the other man's hair.

Llewellyn was happy to tuck Rhy’s arm in around his own, listening to the explanation with a delighted smile. Yes... He thought he would enjoy winters a little more if he had such bright company.

Pretzel wiggled around Rhy’s ankles happily in greeting, the dog quite covered in snow himself from romping around in it. The pup hadn’t really seen the white stuff before either!

“It is rather pretty, isn’t it? Especially like this.” He responded, a little absentmindedly, as he let Rhy dust some of the snow from his curls. “In Toronto we see a lot more than this, especially in the late winter. Didn’t think I’d see it here though.” It was actually something, almost made him forget they were at the bottom of the sea.

Bright, yes. A candle burning hot and bright while hte world around him sparkled. He loved it. Rhy moved to catch the pup up into his arm and nuzzled his face in delight.

This was so new, so beautiful, that he couldn't stop moving.

"What do you do in the winter? What delights can we find?"

Pretzel was much happier with the attention and with the fact that he was now much taller again. Yes, people should carry him like this more often. He even thanked Rhy with a couple little licks to his face appreciatively.

Meanwhile, Llewellyn was just shaking his head a little with a silly grin. The pup was definitely getting to be a little operator, in his opinion. But... Rhy looked so happy, and it seemed a crime to discourage such a cute sight.

So with a soft laugh, he reached out to wrap his arm around Rhy as they began to move through the glittering wonderland. “What? Hm... Well, when I was young I used to make snowmen with my brothers. Some people enjoy snowball fights, which I think I’ve seen happen around? Snow is easy to pack and stick together, so people like to throw it or make things with it.”

He gestured with a free arm as he explained. “Then there’s skating— at least if one has a good balance, it’s fun? Sleigh rides in the countryside... Oh! And the food during the winter is excellent.” Because of course it was.

What a good boy, with all those licks. Rhy coos at the pup, holding him tightly and rocking him back and forth. But when he finishes he leans forward to give his boyfriend another kiss.

“How does one make a snowman? What are snowball fights? And how do you skate? Are sleighs like carriages? Oh all of this is so very exciting!”

He doesn’t much know what he’s doing with snow, and he’s just wanting to try it all.

So caught up in watching the adorable exchange between the pup and his beau, he almost missed Rhy leaning in for another kiss. Almost, but not quite... Llewellyn smiled lightly, leaning down into it while Pretzel was satisfied with the earlier attention to sit in Rhy’s arms contentedly while his humans went about their silly face smushing ritual.

This is something, Llewellyn absently thinks, that he wouldn’t have been so relaxed and quick to enjoy out here like this months ago... It makes the man feel lighter, somehow. Like it’s not one of the things he needs to worry about anymore. No looking over his shoulder this time, as he had back when they were walking towards the market for pretzels.

The flood of questions should have been expected, but he’s glad to answer them. Well... At least as well as he can. “Mm... For a snowman, you pack the snow together into a small ball? Then you roll it in more snow so it gets bigger and bigger, then you do that a few times and pile them? You decorate them with whatever you can find after that. Sticks for arms, an old scarf or hat to complete the look?”

With his own hands free, he gestures at the snow and continues animatedly. “Snowball fights start with the same idea? Make a ball of snow with your hands, then— well, then you just throw it at someone. It sort of spirals from there?”

How do you skate gets a vaguely awkward little expression as his hands sort of flap a little anxiously. “Skating is done with shoes that have blades fixed to them, that you wear on a layer of frozen ice. Usually over frozen lakes or ponds where I’m from, or on manmade rinks like they have set up today. You sort of... balance on the blades? And glide over the ice to move around.”

Llewellyn moved on rather quickly from there, sleigh rides were much nicer in his opinion. Even if he wasn’t one for sitting still for long periods of time, at least it didn’t involve falling down a lot. “Sleighs are a lot like carriages? They don’t have wheels though, instead they have flat, curved pieces called runners that slide over snow and ice. But! they’re still pulled by horses.”

Edited (Typos) 2020-11-06 04:14 (UTC)

"Horses," Rhy sighs. "They are not things I have dealt with often. I do have a better relationship with them than my brother does, but it was never really needed in the city. Anywhere I wished to go, I could walk."

Still, being in things for official processions worked for him.

“I admit that I’m not particularly good with them myself? Though I’ve had to have some experience with them for work.” The constabulary never really checked in on if any of them could ride or not, but it did come up on occasion. “Whoever I’m partnered with usually drives the carriage, though.”

Shrugging a little, he gestured at the snow with a smile. “Either way, there are no horses here... So we’ll have to find a different winter activity from the list to enjoy.”

Edited 2020-11-07 00:00 (UTC)

Wouldn't it just be such a shame, the absolute shameyest, if someone skating around the rink were to come up and stop suddenly by Watts, his skates kicking up shavings off the cold surface.

"Oh, should I?" Tommy asks as he grins at the stranger. "Seems cowardly to me."

Oh yes, that little display was so impressive, Tommy.

No, really. Llewellyn is impressed, even if he’s also startled. The startled reaction unfortunately wins out over the impressed one, his cocoa almost spilling over the side of the cup in his hands as he stepped back a bit. His surprise followed quickly by a vaguely stubborn answer...

“Yes, otherwise I wouldn’t have said it?” He responded, brows raising slightly. “And I wouldn’t say cowardly, it’s just good sense. I would know what I can and can’t do, wouldn’t I?”

Skating is firmly placed in the category of ‘can’t’ in his mind.

Oh come on, it's pretty impressive, it's okay to be impressed.

"Cowardly. Come on, put on some skates. I'll make sure you don't fall."

Anyone can learn to skate.

His expression is a bit awkward, cheeks puffing slightly at the realization that the guy was going to be stubborn about this.

“Not cowardly. I believe in using common sense.” He can be stubborn too, Tommy! Although one could argue that Llewellyn tended to ignore his common sense quite often in other scenarios.

But he is looking to the free skates that were being provided, like a man who knows he’s doomed. Or reminding himself that ages ago, he’d been told he should try new things in this world. Darn Beverly and her advice that he took far too seriously... Still, he has to add, “You say that, but uh— you’ve never seen me on ice before.”

Doom is something you should probably not embrace too quickly. But Tommy would appreciate the choice anyway.

"Well, I do know that I move faster than you are capable of thinking. Just basic fact. I'll catch you."

He paused, glancing at Tommy again. Oh, “You’re the fast person, with the... sloth?” Yes, he’s heard of Tommy between Beverly and keeping an eye on the world around him. Just little random details that haven’t slipped through his mind’s faulty filing system. He just doesn’t know the guy much more than that.

Lacing up the skates, brows furrowed lightly as he considered the ‘basic fact’ more seriously. “You’ll catch me, but I’m very good at falling over. You could just as easily get dragged down too, couldn’t you?”

Always with the questions, Llewellyn. Just go with the flow!

Tommy laughs. The fast person with the sloth. Yeah, that describes him.

"Yeah, Speedy. He's back at my dome, it's warmer there. He can't handle this cold being a tropical creature and such."

Good at falling over. Tommy grins again.

"Dude, I might look lean, but I could bench press a motorcycle."

“No, I can’t imagine the snow and cold is good for something like him.” As it was, he’d had to take Pretzel to his office to warm up. Poor little thing’s paw-pads were too cold after a while. He was pretty sure he had to get Pretzel a coat too, if this was going to last.

Still, it might be neat to see a real sloth in person at some point.

He raised an eyebrow, “So you’re fast and strong?” Even if he wasn’t imagining the same kind of motorcycle Tommy was, it was still a large clunky metal thing. So it’s still an impressive statement!

Finally laced up, he stands. Or sort of stands, sort of wobbles. He’s not even on the ice yet.

"Oh, carriages I could do, but..."

WAit, no horses?

"If there are no horses, how do the sleighs run?"

Yes, the councilman doesn't know in the slightest.

Smart man if he can put that much together.

"What I am means my muscles are super specialized, which lets me go faster. But the same time to be faster, they have to be stronger. It translates to my arms. Though my legs are a lot stronger than my arms."

Still, he considers the man, and he's at the guy's side in a blink, offering him a hand.

"Let me help."

Llewellyn blinked, brow furrowing a bit as he realized that he’d gotten a little distracted when Rhy asked his question earlier about winter activities. With an awkward, apologetic little duck of his head, he responded, “Oh— well... I don’t think sleighs are an option here, horses or not. When you asked about winter activities, I’m afraid my mind sort of got caught up in all the things I remembered about winter where I’m from?”

It happened now and then, his brain would just leap from one thing to another and if it connected in some way it popped out of his mouth. It did frustrate some people, so he wouldn’t be surprised if Rhy got annoyed. “Everything else I mentioned should be possibilities, though?”

Llewellyn appreciates the explanation, it gets to the point. He can understand that without his attention span sliding. A certain detective in his own world could stand to learn a lesson from Tommy. “That makes sense? About your legs being stronger, you probably work those muscles more. I noticed that when I was in a running club in my world. Er— not like you, of course.” The detective doubted there were many as fast as Tommy, if there even were others.

He paused, wobbling a little before Tommy was suddenly next to him. Which admittedly he’d have to get used to. He startled easily to begin with. “Oh! Thank you, just need to get to the ice and then I can fall down properly.” He responded with an awkward grin at his joke, before taking Tommy’s hand in an attempt to steady himself.

Dude, attention spans are lies created by neurotypicals. But he'd be wrong about just how many people were like Tommy, at least back home. Here? No one could touch him.

"I'm not going to let you fall. Sure, the falling can help you learn, but success can be better."

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 1 of 18

(no subject)

Tommy Shepherd - Marvel 616 - OTA

Rhy Maresh | Shades of Magic | OTA

Llewellyn Watts | Murdoch Mysteries | OTA

King in the Markets to start >w>

Re: King in the Markets to start >w>

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Skating

/laughing so much/

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject