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Save Our Earth Mods ([personal profile] ourearth) wrote in [community profile] saveourearth2018-12-23 02:49 pm

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)
warped_replica: Temporary sketch icon (Human: Huh?)

2/2

[personal profile] warped_replica 2019-03-23 08:02 pm (UTC)(link)
"え??" breaks his silence as the confusion compounds. Benjiro has never had such a sentiment extended to him, and he fails to make the necessary connection, "...I’m your boyfriend. We’re not... I mean legally someone becomes part of a family through marriage but..." He hasn’t earned that privilege yet.
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2019-03-23 10:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Sadie blushes a little at Ben's mention of marriage but tries to clarify her point for her confused boyfriend.

"I love you, and my family loves you, and even if we're were still only best friends you would still be a part of my family. Like how I consider Walter an older brother."
warped_replica: Temporary sketch mode until I can make better icons (Human: Happy)

[personal profile] warped_replica 2019-03-27 01:48 am (UTC)(link)
His blush deepens when he sees her own hint of color, and he briefly glances to Amber beside him instead then looks back to her as she clears his confusion. It makes sense to him placed in context with an example, “Ah, okay! ...Walter would be a great older brother.” He shares in that sentiment without hesitation.

Found family...that seems familiar.

Then with a bit of humor he adds, “You must have quite the extensive family network.”
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2019-03-31 01:27 am (UTC)(link)
"He is," Sadie agrees, "Though I called him Big Brother in the Network and trigged an Echo so I'm holding off on saying it again for a bit."

Sadie snorts, "Well, you know us Spaniards are notorious for our extensive family networks, though I need to claim 7 more people before I meet my Spanish Family Size Quota."
warped_replica: Temporary sketch mode until I can make better icons (Human: Happy)

[personal profile] warped_replica 2019-04-01 07:57 pm (UTC)(link)
“You could always say it in Japanese if you think English was any component of the trigger,” he offers with the knowledge Walter speaks Japanese fluently.

He laughs lightly at her hyperbole, “I can’t tell if that means you’ve been slacking or if you’re ahead of the curve.”
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2019-04-07 01:04 pm (UTC)(link)
"Walter speaks it fluently now, there's no fun in that. Maybe I should say it in Catalan and see how long it takes him to figure it out," Sadie giggles, "Historically? I'm behind the curve, but by modern standards, I'm doing rather well."
warped_replica: Temporary sketch mode until I can make better icons (Human: Happy)

[personal profile] warped_replica 2019-04-07 02:05 pm (UTC)(link)
“Not long based on contextual cues. That said, if you used words from the same language to address other people in a similar way, that might confound your new manner of addressing him,” he suggests.

“Best not to look at historical standards for much of anything.” Technology and healthcare have advanced so far as to make drastic leaps from a mere century ago.
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2019-04-07 07:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Sadie raises her eyebrow before smiling, "So I should call you 'obra maestra' to throw him of the scent?" She asks, fluttering her eyelashes at him.

"I wouldn't worry, you know me, I'm a thoroughly modern person."
warped_replica: Temporary sketch icon (Human: Curious)

[personal profile] warped_replica 2019-04-08 03:33 pm (UTC)(link)
“Thaaat depends. What does that mean exactly?” he asks in a playful tone matching his curiosity. She is being far too obvious about it not to ask.

There is definite truth in her words, though he had no honest concern to begin with regarding her perspective. Sadie is too poised and intelligent to placate the more traditionally minded.
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2019-04-08 03:57 pm (UTC)(link)
"Masterpiece," Sadie states bluntly, clearly delighted with it and watching Ben very closely for his reaction.
warped_replica: Temp sketch icon (Human: Surprised)

[personal profile] warped_replica 2019-04-08 08:30 pm (UTC)(link)
The impact of the translation is immediate. Benjiro’s eyes widen as a blush surfaces with equal force and speed, and the teenager looks away from Sadie in the flood of embarrassment that causes a strangled laugh to slip from his lips before he protests weakly, “...Sadie!”
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2019-04-10 03:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Sadie's grin is best described as shit-eating at Ben's reaction, "It's true! I think you are!"
warped_replica: (Only Her)

Keywords

[personal profile] warped_replica 2019-04-11 12:44 am (UTC)(link)
Sadly for Amber, Benjiro has to remove his hand from petting her to cover his face in embarrassment to keep from squirming and disturbing the lot of them tucked into the kotatsu. Her insistence only makes the blush spread further, and he shrinks downwards slightly as he waffles between snickers and speechlessness. Turning back to Sadie, he immediately tries to bury his face in her hair to hide, “T-that’s not even remotely accurate...but it is nice.

If anyone else had said such a thing, he would have brushed it off without a second consideration.
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2019-04-11 12:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Sadie giggles in delight as Ben tries to hide his face against her hair, "Clearly, I should call you obra maestra more often."
warped_replica: Temporary sketch mode until I can make better icons (Human: It’s Me)

[personal profile] warped_replica 2019-04-14 06:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Somehow, Benjiro collapses even smaller between Sadie and the bed at the threat, “Thank you, no thank you,” and he clarifies a beat after, “I prefer to not turn the color of my blood.
Edited 2019-04-14 18:52 (UTC)
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2019-04-15 10:52 am (UTC)(link)
"Awww," Sadie coos, "But I love seeing you blush like that."
warped_replica: Temporary sketch mode until I can make better icons (Human: Happy)

[personal profile] warped_replica 2019-04-20 08:58 pm (UTC)(link)
He grumbles quietly from her hair, "It's rather uncomfortable when I do." On so many levels...

Given a little time to recover, he'll shift to instead snuggle at her shoulder and wrap both arms around Sadie.
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

Wrap up soon?

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2019-04-22 10:19 am (UTC)(link)
"Alright, I'll stop, I'll stop."

Sadie is more than happy to be snuggled more by Ben, even with Tigger wedged between the two of them.

"What sort of time do you have to leave?"
warped_replica: Temporary sketch icon (Human: Done)

Yeah <3

[personal profile] warped_replica 2019-04-26 10:05 am (UTC)(link)
The respite is welcome from the teasing, yet the threat looms in the future.

A quiet groan slips at the mention of leaving, and he takes a deeper breath to answer accompanied by a sigh, "A little over an hour. If I want to arrive on time." Which in his case means being prepared to start around five minutes before his assigned time to clock in for the shift.
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2019-04-27 11:37 am (UTC)(link)
"Well, at least we have a little bit of extra time to relax together. Do you want anything to eat before you head to work?"
warped_replica: Temporary sketch icon (Human: Huh?)

[personal profile] warped_replica 2019-04-29 08:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Being a teenager, Benjiro can eat at just about any time. Manners and comfort however, dictate a different response, “If you’re hungry we can, otherwise I’ll be alright.” Her shoulder is simply too comfortable to be the reason they leave this position.
dragoonrouge: (Sadie)

[personal profile] dragoonrouge 2019-05-04 09:11 am (UTC)(link)
Sadie snorts, so that's a yes then on the food front.

"Let's relax here for a little bit more and then head downstairs, no sense going to work hungry, Ben."
warped_replica: (Only Her)

[personal profile] warped_replica 2019-05-06 10:07 pm (UTC)(link)
“We’re teenagers. When are we not hungry?” he asks rhetorically with a smile.

Able to stay a short while longer in the comfort of her arms, he manages to doze briefly in the warmth before rousing to cook. Food in his belly when the time comes to depart, he promises to return on his way home to pick up his generous gifts and leaves her with a kiss.