I was following the [open.]

[sweartoyou]

Who: Rachel Gardner and [insert name here].
Where: Winter Vacation Land Lodge.
When: WINTER EVENT.
Rating: PG-13+ because probable language and dark themes.
Summary: Ray hasn't had a fun winter in years, so get that cute snow stuff in here.
The Story:
[ a - angels of death snow.]
[She reaches her arm out into the cold air for a minute, eyes wide and almost wondering. Snow. A lot of snow instead of a few bags of small snowballs. Once that settles in, she retreats back inside to think about this.

About twenty minutes later, she's back out in the snow, this time in weather-appropriate clothes, and dipping her mittened fingers to pack a snowball. Or flopping back to stare at the sky while there's a muffling layer after a crunch of snow. Or writing big letters by digging grooves out or walking out a path.

She isn't a kid spinning, and laughing, and enjoying herself like she should, but she's doing her best, here.]

[b - books and beverages.]
[This is way more her speed. Her face still hasn't come down from the frigid pink and her hair is frazzled from the winter hat she's since hung up to dry, but Rachel doesn't seem bothered at all by that. She's huddled herself corner of an armchair, bent over a large book with small writing and looking more relaxed than she normally would. She doesn't even glance up when someone else enters the room, and yet every few minutes she looks over to the water boiler and the packets of hot cocoa with a curious look on her face.]

[c - wildcard.]
[you know what to do. if you want to discuss things on plurk, I'm humbugger.]

Comments

B

[mcgucket]

... Do you want to try a cup of the hot cocoa?

[Someone's noticed the amount of times she keeps looking over in that direction.]

[sweartoyou]

[Her grip tightens around the book's frame when she's addressed, but...this isn't a new person. He'd helped her before. That in mind, she gives a small nod.]

Would that be okay...? I haven't had any in a really long time...

[mcgucket]

Of course it's okay: you're free to take as much as you want while you're here.

[Or at least he assumes so, given that it seems to have a never ending supply of packets over there.]

Do you know how to make it?

[sweartoyou]

[That's true... There were definitely a lot. She carefully closes her book after making note of the page and swings her legs down from the chair.]

I think so... They have instructions on the pack, right? [In the days they had bought hot chocolate, she hadn't been allowed near that hot of water. It had mattered, then.] Um... Is there any dark chocolate kind?

[mcgucket]

Well let's see...

[Fiddleford will walk over to check, picking up different packets and examining them until...]

Aha! Looks like we're in luck!

[He holds out the dark chocolate pack for her to take and look over. Will this work for her?]

[sweartoyou]

[She doesn't look particularly happy about it, but her movements drag less as she comes over and takes the packet to confirm.]

Oh good... I've wanted to try this flavor. It's more mature, isn't it?

[Real adults go for dark chocolate, and she was independent like a real adult. Pouring the hot water and everything!!]

Do you want me to make you some, too?

[mcgucket]

[Good job Rachel, you do that adulting and everything.]

Sure! I must admit, it's been a while since I last got the chance to try that flavor myself.

[sweartoyou]

[She's doing it soooo good. Which means it's not long at all until she presents a mug of dark hot chocolate to Fidds.]

I don't think about these things except when it's cold... And when it's cold at home, we can't afford any... Well, couldn't. So it's sort of nice, that everything turned to snow...

[mcgucket]

[Oh no, that's really sad to hear.]

Yeah, it is pretty nice and relaxin', especially in comparison to other events we've had before.

[sweartoyou]

[Is it? She doesn't seem particularly sad about it. It's normal. It's fine!!!]

I haven't heard a lot about other events yet...

[mcgucket]

And that might be for the better: some of them can be mighty inconvenient, or downright nasty if you're not careful when they happen.

[There are so many bad things that can take place here you have no idea Rachel]

[sweartoyou]

Tell me.

[She cradles the cup between her palms, but all of her focus has been pulled toward the conversation. The lazy lilt of her voice hardens a little, turning it to what would normally be a level tone, but for her it's almost stern. Gotta love that lowered baseline.]

If that's what usually happens, I should be prepared.

[mcgucket]

[At first, Fiddleford's attention seems to be entirely focused on the cup in his hands, before he finally speaks.]

It's hard to be prepared: the only way to guess what's happenin' is from one of those stranger residents that live here. [The true denizens of Wonderland] And these events seem to draw inspiration from the memories of people livin' here. One person's memory may of a pleasant winter vacation like this, another's may be of nightmarish horrors no one should ever have'ta experience.

[sweartoyou]

I see.

[Ray considers this another moment, then takes a drink as if all of that is fine.]

And there's no way to stop certain memories. It's random, as far as anyone can tell. Is that right?

[mcgucket]

Yes, as far as we can tell.

[there's a pause, before he speaks again]

There is somethin' that I've been workin' on though to try to help out and make the events a little less frightenin' sometimes.

[sweartoyou]

[She levels her eyes on him again, looking about as interested as a rock.]

Really. [Her voice is flat, too.] That doesn't sound possible by normal means.

[mcgucket]

I'm a scientist: inventin' new ways to make one's life easier by what might not be considered normal means is my job. At least, I try to find and come up with new things to do that.

[sweartoyou]

A scientist... What field?

[mcgucket]

Engineering: to be more exact, my degrees are in Hyper-Advanced Engineering and Fifth-Dimensional Calculus.

[... He's really good at math and building stuff, basically.]

[sweartoyou]

[She pauses to take another drink while she processes.]

Those fields... If I remember correctly, those would actually be useful for what you're trying to do. That's lucky... Can you tell me more about your project?