saveourearth | Baby it's cold outside [mingle]

Entry tags:

Baby it's cold outside [mingle]

Date: 23.12.2018-30.12.2018
Characters: Open!
Note: Timeline behind cut at the bottom of the post!

23-24th December
With the schools out for Christmas, and the last few days of Christmas shopping closing in, there really is no escaping it now. Everyone but the best prepared is rushing to finalise the last little bits. Excitement is gathering as the shortest day of the year comes and goes.

The weather reports for Christmas are standard: grey, with light showers and patches of sun. As usual, a high chance of snow was predicted at the beginning of the month, but as the day approaches it has changed back to the more seasonal and typical (if less picturesque) weather: rain. But, with days to go, that suddenly changes again, as the weather reporters talk about the sudden turning of an artic wind, bringing with it sub zero temperatures, and maybe, just maybe, a white Christmas. Temperatures drop to -5c during the day and -10c overnight, particularly cold for this part of the world. On the morning of Christmas Eve, with less than 24 hours notice, the snow begins, falling lightly at first, and then heavily. By lunch time, the south east, including Mossgate, is a foot deep in snow and chaos has spread. Just a covering of snow is enough to cause panic, with infrastructure and transport unequipped to deal with it, and this is unexpected and heavy, and there has been no time to prepare. The trains have given up, promised refunds, and stopped. The busses have also all but stopped, and in Mossgate town centre just one or two an hour are running to the villages to ferry home those still stuck in town. Gatwick airport, which is having it's worst year since the ash clouds in 2010, has also officially given up and closed, redirecting flights to Stansted or Birmingham. Just after midnight, even the motorways close, and the smaller roads are unpassable much earlier. Panicked shoppers, trying to grab supplies for the unexpected weather, are being shooed out of stores early so that coworkers have a chance of getting home before the last transports stop. And it's still snowing. By nightfall there's almost two feet of snow, an almost unprecedented amount, and the news is talking about the possibility of powercuts and disruptions to water supplies. Sure enough, around 8PM, a powercut hits Mossgate and the surrounding area, wiping out the last of the Christmas cheer in the town centre as the festive lights go black – along with everyone's houses.

Christmas Day
Christmas morning opens to fresh, white snow all around, picture post card beautiful, and small showers keep it fresh looking for most of the day no matter how many snow angels, snowmen and igloos are built. That's probably little compensation for those stuck: the news is full of heartfelt stories of the struggle to get home for Christmas, and of locals in towns and cities along the southeast welcoming people stuck into their homes for Christmas. While the power is back on in Mossgate town centre by about midnight, the surrounding areas, including Moss Manor village, are still without power, with the word from the electricity board that it's unlikely to be fixed anytime soon. Neighbours with gas cookers and stove tops suddenly become the most popular people around (but at least with the temperatures outside dealing with food from the fridge and freezer is relatively easy).

In Moss Manor, the church hall, which has both a gas cooker and gas heating, is opened up for those who are unable to stay in their own homes. People are invited to bring along what food they have to share and join in with a community Christmas. The community feeling is only shattered when the power comes back on at 5:20PM, just before the repeat of the Queen's Speech on BBC2 and Strictly Come Dancing on BBC1 start. A short but fierce battle ensues over which to show on the big screen. With moments to go, Pat Marsh puts her foot down and casts the deciding vote for Strictly, promising that she'll show the Queen's Speech from iPlayer directly afterwards.

As if that isn't enough, Mossgate and it's surroundings have one other surprise waiting for them on Christmas morning. Father Christmas has been through the entire council area, and apparently not one single person has been good. Every fire place has been decorated with traditional stockings full of neatly wrapped coal, one stocking for each member of the family. For those who don't have a fireplace, the oven has been selected as a replacement, and the stockings hang merrily from the oven door instead. If it's a prank, it's seen as bad taste, especially in homes with small children, but it's also generally agreed that given the weather it's rather backfired (not that anyone still has a coal fire but still).

25th-30th December
The snow finally stops overnight on Christmas evening/Boxing Day morning, but it remains cold, the temperatures only picking up at the weekend. Between the remaining snow and the ice formed where it melts, transport remains awful, with the connections to the villages particularly bad. Due to the Highspeed line, the trains from Mossgate to London are back up and running by the 27th, but other routes take days to be cleared. Likewise, the motorways are at least traversable by the 26th, but some smaller roads are still unaccessible until the weekend. Food supplies are slow to come through, and when the stores reopen on Boxing Day after Christmas closures, the shelves are immediately stripped bare again, especially of essentials such as bread and milk (although anything and everything is subject to panic buying, up to and including shampoo).

All of this chaos doesn't stop some people going out to the Boxing Day sales, with queues forming outside Next, which has advertised it's traditional early opening times of 6AM, despite the cold and the snow (and the fact that they don't actually manage to open until almost 7 due to lack of staff).

But as the temperatures rise back to a seasonal temperature in the single figures, things start to return to normal in time for the count down to New Years.

Timeline:

24th: Heavy snow starts unexpectedly in the morning
Transport is badly affected
A powercut hits the Mossgate area at around 8PM
Power is returned to Mossgate town by midnight, the villages including Moss Manor won't have power until well into the 25th

25th: Stockings appear overnight for each member of the family in every home containing coal
Moss Manor church hall is opened to the community
Moss Manor and the other villages have no power until 5PM

26th-29th: Panic buying and lack of supplies affects food availability
The snow continues to affect transport

30th: Temperatures return to normal for the time of year (0-10c)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The teen hums a little, not quite disagreeing but not in agreement either. He has not forgotten how anxious Walter was acting at the time they decided that a device to preserve his voice could become necessary. Benjiro feels fortunate it has not been needed yet.

“Of course,” he answers without hesitation to the matter of texting once the device plan is deemed a potential build. Benjiro had pursued other designs to lessen the burden on Walter, but with so many flaws to them he couldn’t make it work within the limits of modern technology.

Hand dropped from his neck, he takes off his backpack to set to the floor and opens it to fish out the gifts for his close friend and cousin.

In the kitchen, the oven timer goes off, and summons a creaking bedroom door down the hall. Russell shuffles down with mobile in hand, looking at the screen and mumbling to himself, and glances up at the voices by the doorway.

"Huh? Oh! Ben- Benjiro, hi, didn't you coming by," he greets, glancing between both of them for a hint of when his cousin arrived.

Some anxieties fade with time... some only thanks to subjective time being a lot longer than it's actually been.

Some are only just held at bay. Fortunately, the oven and Russell's subsequent appearance halt having to find out for the moment which of these it might be.

"You could say he's just in time," Walter tells his flatmate. Presumably, while the cousins talk no one will notice Walter dash off to fetch Benjiro's own gift...

Default assumptions will simply have to focus on the worse scenario.

Benjiro looks up from his bag with one present in hand as Russell comes into view after the timer in the kitchen sounds. He smiles sheepishly to his cousin at the surprise he caused, and shrugs his shoulders as Walter answers the unspoken query first. Four gift boxes of various sizes stacked and set into the crook of an arm, he stands straight and adds, “Promise I won’t intrude long. Just making a delivery.”

Leaving the entryway finally, Benjiro moves to stand at the entrance to the kitchen as Walter slips off behind. He taps two of the gifts with a playful smile barely restrained from an outright grin, “Had to make sure you’d get these in time for the holiday.”

Edited 2019-02-22 16:10 (UTC)

"Oh, no, intrude as long as you like," Russell says, shaking his head to shake off a little of his surprise as Walter passes by. "My home is your home away from home. Let me just..."

He jerks his head toward the kitchen and heads that way, beelining for the oven, and opens the door. The smell of sweet biscuits with chocolate chips in spreads throughout the kitchen, and Russell inhales with a happy sigh. "They didn't burn, good," he mumbles to himself, grabbing for mittens with which to pull the tray of cokies out.

"You can try a few of these before you go! An early gift. Since," he glances towards his cousin with a deliberate, amused eyeroll, "I wasn't expecting you."

Walter's picture for Ben is an evening scene, of Ben and Sadie on the former's motorbike, a sunset coloring the background and the ribbon of road they're riding.

He gives the other two time to talk before walking back in with the picture (safely rolled up in a tube) behind his back.

"I wouldn't turn it down if I were you!" Walter calls, slightly teasing.

The sentiment is appreciated when he is wary of intruding. He remains where he followed his cousin to and closes his eyes as he breathes deeper when the aroma of the cookies is released with the oven opened. Salivating at the scent, he opens his eyes only to smile at the verbal ribbing in an invitation to partake. Walter simply encourages him further, “One or two shouldn’t spoil my dinner, and it would be rude not to accept such a gracious offer.”

For the moment, aware Russell needs a chance to transfer the cookies to a cooling rack, he keeps the presents he brought in his arm. He gives Walter a glance as he joins them, then a second look as he notices him hiding something behind his back with a curious tilt of his head.

Edited 2019-02-25 02:38 (UTC)

"That's right, it would," Russell agrees, fully onboard with the mischievous air about the snacks. He pulls the tray out and sets it on the stovetop, then begins transferring them to the rack, counting under his breath as he goes. Even with what he was told to bring Christmas day, and the extras he made for his own snacking... There's some to spare, a perfectly good last minute gift.

"And you can bring some extras with you, instead of forcing yourself to eat them now - you know, to share at home." As though the aunts don't have biscuits of their own in the works. Call it a competitive spirit.

Walter snorts lightly, staying out of the space between Ben and Russell.

And once Ben does that double-take:

"Did we agree on who was opening what gift first?" he asks, confusion clearly being faked for the purpose of amusement.

“Forcing myself... Yeah, not going to be a problem,” Benjiro says with a near grin. He does not intend to indulge, but he is a teenager with a healthy appetite. He will take the extras home, knowing Aunt Rosemary will want them as a sample. If nothing more, she might use them as an excuse to demand Russell come over after the holiday for a day of baking fun.

Attention on his friend and the hidden gift, the teen has a flat look for a brief second as he questions his memory honestly for an answer, then narrows one eye after, “....nnnno, we did not. To be fair, we might alternate. My great aunts insisted I bring you each a gift from them.”

Few things are as reliable in life as a growing adolescent's appetite, especially when that teenager stands to grow something like a foot in a year. Russell heads for a cabinet to pull out the clingfilm, when he catches the followup conversation.

"Oh, now, they know I'm going over Christmas Day," he complains half-heartedly to the ceiling, rather than take it out on Walter or Ben's faces. "And that I'm visiting mum, and bringing all the family's gifts then. Why are you all pushing it forward on me? It's all the American commercialism, isn't it. Ads start in November, and before you know it, everyone's giving gifts on Festivus."

Now, the gifts from Ben's aunts are a surprise - Walter did arrange something for the rest of Ben's local family... it's just not the same kind of gift he has for Ben himself.

Still, any surprise leaves his face swiftly, and is briefly overwritten by amusement at Russell's complaints.

"It's already worse back in the States; don't be too hard on him, Russell."

He winks, then brings the picture - blank side facing outward - back around himself.

"Does that mean you should go first, or should I?"

A soft snerk slips out at Russell complaining to the ceiling, appreciative of his thoughtfulness to direct it elsewhere. He holds up his free hand as a pledge of innocence in the matter, "Aunt Rosemary's exact words, 'Call it a teaser'. I don't think this is your actual gift from them. ...mine, however, is because it felt rude to bring Walter his and not yours. You can wait to open it."

American commercialism does indeed go further. Christmas has preceeded Halloween in store shelves these days. Thankfully, Japan is not so committed.

Seeing that Walter has already brought the paper in the tube forward, Benjiro shrugs, "I suppose since Russell is still occupied, I can?" He steps over to the table long enough to pull out a chair and set the gift boxes from his arm down so that he has his hands free at the very least.

Russell laughs a little at 'teaser', seeing the aunts are a few steps ahead of him yet again. Perhaps one of these days he'll win at these things.

"Not too occupied," he calls out, and places the clingfilm on the counter next to the cookies. "Don't want to put thin plastic on anything hot. They'll be cool enough for eating in a few minutes."

Russell stretches and heads to the doorway to watch, rather than admit he was preoccupied enough to nearly forget - and nearly have some plasticky biscuits. Clearly this is a time when multitasking isn't working out so well. The promise of presents is distracting.

Walter steps forward, placing the paper - still flat; the tube for Ben to carry it home in is elsewhere - also on the table.

"Flip it over on the count of three?"

One day perhaps. Then again, Agatha and Rosemary are formidable even separately.

“Oh, well...” he starts in an attempt to coordinate over now that Russell is joining them, but Benjiro relents to the choice when Walter lays the paper out on the table. He nods to show his understanding of the instruction, and taking one edge of the page gently, waits for Walter to count to three. At the word ‘three’, the teenager reveals the drawing made by his friend. The effect is immediately obvious as surprise widens his eyes and his lips part as he marvels without a word at the details. “....wow,” he murmurs as a start, then gathers his thoughts to properly respond, “Walter, this is amazing!” Looking up, his smile broadens to a near shy grin, “I know right where I want to put it. Thank you so much!” And surely Sadie will love seeing it too.

With his gift received, he then picks up a present for both Walter and Russell to hold out to each of them. The boxes are the gifts from him personally. Should Russell elect to open it now, he will find a book about Broadway within detailing the history of the shows conducted on the stage with a focus on activity behind the curtain rather than the scripts or music. Walter, on the other hand, will find a simple USB drive with a folded up note beneath. The note has a list of titles, and at the top, is marked clearly, ‘Alpha Stage Games’.

It's true, they are each formidable. That's why he aspires to winning one of these rounds as something of a showdown, a final boss challenge, more than anything easier.

For now, he crosses the way to look over Walter's artwork and nod approving. When Benjiro offers a gift, Russell ruefully smiles and accepts it - but doesn't begin opening it. He's already taken a stand complaining about how early gifts are getting to be, and doesn't want to add to the trend... at least, until he's the last to open one.

"Seeing that, you agree we have to wait until Christmas morning, don't you?" He says, still smiling, and heads down the hall toward his room, calling out behind him with his own gift tucked under his arm. "That's outstanding work, and I just can't compete. Let me just blend in with the family this year."

His gift to Benjiro will end up being a small wrapped box, holding a picture frame, a card, and a gift certificate in the card. The gift certificate's for a local bike shop - one with motorcycle-related gear as much as anything. The card's a generic holiday wishes, and the picture frame... It's a framed photograph of various Moss Manor relatives - Agatha and Rosemary, Russell, Benjiro, a few other cousins and such - at a dinner following some opening night show, shortly after Benjiro moved in with the aunts. A reminder of family, and times together, for when things get... a little more fraught, and it's a little harder to see those people in mirrors.

Walter takes much delight at Ben's reaction.

"You're very welcome."

He momentarily considers warning Ben that he is never to sell it under any circumstances, another callback to that conversation on his birthday - but that, he considers, would be overkill. No need...

He takes Ben's gift to him and takes care not to rush, but he's as eager to open it as Ben was in receiving his. He deftly opens it to take a peak, reads that paper - and then snaps the box closed and hugs it to his chest, grinning broadly.

At Russell's line, Walter just snorts and shakes his head, bemused.

The illustration is far too personal for Benjiro to even consider passing it to someone else, let alone sell it. At the most, it might spend time with Sadie in her room on loan.

Benjiro watches when Walter opens the gift only to snap the box closed with a grin, and he chuckles at the expression, “I figured you could have some fun with the bugs.” They may only be Indie games, but such titles have been gaining steam in recent years with the gaming audience. It had simply been a matter of calling in some favors to get the early access from some of his favored programmers.

As Russell takes his gift and walks away with it still wrapped, Benjiro is left blushing faintly with one hand rubbing at his neck. He honestly doesn’t think that his gifts can compete either, but he has no intention of badgering his cousin and accepts waiting the extra day and a half. On Christmas, that gift from Russell will inspire similar appreciation to the gift from Walter. The cards are nice certainly, but the picture in the frame is placed along with his other family photos right by his bedside. Things might continue to evolve, yet his life has changed for the better in the time that he has been in Mossgate. He has connected with extended family he barely knew prior, and now can’t imagine not having ever known them. Russell in particular.

The gifts from their aunts wait in the chair while Russell is absent.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Baby it's cold outside [mingle]

no subject

a much belated russell

Re: a much belated russell

Worth the wait

:')

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Handwaving the details on the other gifts... >.>

no subject

no subject

no subject

Best OTP fanart

they're very shipped

/hides face behind hands, squeaks/

no subject