aterat | Winter log

Entry tags:

Winter log

Who: Everyone!
What: Open Log
When: December
Where: The Hunter's Lodge
Warnings: N/A
Notes: This is a mingle log, so people are free to set up their own TLs under it. So tag in and tag around!

Snow has fallen outside and while it's not heavy it's set just enough down to gently cover the wooden benches and ground outside. The chairs have been removed but the lanterns are still out and lit (as well as the little lights that have been replaced with more festive ones) if people want to walk around outside and have private chats among the snow, the trees and the lighting.

Potluck - Food is all around. Got a story about how the food you brought is part of a long standing family tradition? So much the better! But Ignis for his part has been researching and working on bringing the foods he's heard about. So here you'll find an appetizer platter along with a cream cheese tree, turkey, ham, his version of the Crown City roast, stuffing balls, roasted potatoes and roasted vegetables, and of course a few different desserts.

So you can find him making sure the table is decked out in christmas colours and full of food. But as he sets the last appetizer tree down on the table, he nods. "Quite glad to see that you could make it."

Trim a tree A small group of freshly cut green trees are sitting in a corner with room to go around the back. Simple lights are already in place, but there are ornaments with hooks sitting in silent invitation to decorate the tree and gather around as well as different coloured garland too.

But there's plenty of supplies and being able to decorate a tree with Nida last year was all sorts of fun as it will be again this year. So the advisor is definitely happy that nature can come inside at least temporarily.

Ignis stands back and takes a look at the trees with a satisfied sort of nod. "I suppose after the holiday, I will see about replanting it outside." Turning to his guest, there's an easy smile. "It won't do to simply throw it away do you think?"

Gift exchange - Gifts aren't required, but people are free to do so. This can be as private or as public as wished! The royal strategist is busy arranging gifts under the tree, trying to make some sense as to how they should be grouped, so he's on his knees trying to keep the order straight. As soon as someone approaches, he acknowledges their presence with a smile. "Would you mind handing me that blue wrapped gift sitting on the chair right next to you?"

Wild card- Dancing? Snowball fights outside? Feel free to make up a thing here!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

1. Food For All

Christmas had never really meant much to Tommy, before or after his time with the Kaplans. So this little gathering, it didn’t mean too much to him either. But still, the boss man needed some help, and there had been deliveries to do to the Lodge as well so that people could have their gathering, and why not stay after that for food?

And what a wealth of food it was too. The most recently added to the table for the potluck was a large pot of Tommy’s own cooking, something he’d done in the kitchen. Chicken paprikash, the way Wanda had taught him how to make it, in a nice big pot that smelled like spending time with his mom. Tommy even took a moment to sneak himself a small serving.

Only to pause when he noticed someone looking his way.

“Uh, I hope it tastes good. I’m still learning to make it on my own.”

2. Meet The Sloth

Tommy hadn’t come alone, either. He had settled at a table near a fireplace because he needed it for his companion for the evening. A table had been lifted up onto the table and climbing over the struts of that chair was a baby sloth. Speedy was busy hanging off the thing with three legs and using his fourth to clutch a stick of celery and munching on it.

“Little spoiled brat,” Tommy smiled at the sloth, reaching out to stroke its back.

Mono had been in and out of the lodge all day. Trying to figure out this Christmas thing, then needing a break from figuring out Christmas to play in the snow, then back in for snacks... It was a cycle.

But he eventually had spotted his boss settled at a table, with a hair on top of it? Mono had wanted to say hello a few times, but he knew Tommy also worked at the lodge as well as the delivery service, so he hadn’t wanted to get in the way of that.

But now seemed like a good opportunity to say hello!

But then, as he got closer to the table, he realized why there was a chair on it. What a strange (but adorable looking) creature, just hanging out there. He stared for a moment, forgetting to say hello before he raised a hand to wave. “Hello, Tommy!” He turned his attention to the celery munching creature, unable to contain the question that immediately followed. “... Is that Speedy??

“Hey Kiddo!”

Tommy smiled and waved when he saw his favorite little employee approaching. Kid was a good one, and Tommy was glad he was here. He’d brought the kid’s winter present after all. The rest of his little fleet of workers would get theirs soon, but he’d had a feeling he’d run into Mono here.

“Yep, this is my little one. He hasn’t liked the temperatures here very much, but I couldn’t leave him at home today because my boyfriend is around here somewhere so, Yano, no one to watch him and make sure it doesn’t get too cold for him.”

Mono definitely was not expecting presents for various reasons, even if he heard gift giving was a common occurrence for this holiday. It sounded like there were some rules to it, and the whole good vs bad kids made it a bit confusing. He wasn’t sure if that was just with the suspicious sounding Santa fellow, or all adults.

He stood on the tips of his toes, peering at Speedy where he was hanging off the rungs of a chair while he listened. “He’s really cute… And small!” He observed in a slightly hushed tone. Mono could see what Tommy had meant when he explained the sloth to him before. The creature definitely did not resemble a raccoon at all.

Considering the temperature of late, Mono could understand why the little one might not be as comfortable. “Yeah, even if he’s fuzzy, I bet it’s cold. I had to start wearing warmer stuff when it started snowing.” He found himself wondering if you could find little sweaters that were sloth sized.

Yeah, well Tommy took care of his employees dammit. Plenty of people had used him in life. He wasn’t going to do the same to others. Not at all.

“Very small. He’s a baby. But he’s bigger now than he was when I first got here. The last world he didn’t seem to age in. Here he’s growing.”

And Tommy didn’t know what to do with that. What if Speedy grew up and didn’t love him anymore? So much fear when that unchanging thing you love starts to change. Change was sometimes really bad.

A baby! Mono eyed the creature again with a little smile. “No wonder he’s so little, then. I wonder how big he’s gonna get? Things grow really big where I’m from.” He commented thoughtfully. It was something he wasn’t entirely sure was normal. Even crows could get larger than he was.

Mono could understand what Tommy was afraid of though, sometimes change was really bad… But since arriving here, he’d seen some change that was good as well. It didn’t really make it any less scary, though. “But he seems really happy with you, though. Just eating his vegetables, hanging around. I get kinda tired when I hang from stuff for a long time.” Ah, the casual rambles. He’s still working on his conversational skills.

A baby indeed. Tommy smiled at his little pet, because frankly he was more than happy just to have Speedy here. Even more than Gar, the little guy had not failed him yet. And Tommy cared for Speedy in return.

“No clue how big he gets. Don’t know a lot about sloths. And my original care manual for him, well it didn’t come with me. I guess I could try researching them some, see if the library thing here can help.”

Very happy with him, that’s his Speedy. The sloth made a squeaking noise and then continued with his food.

“He likes leaves and flowers and carrots too. I do my best to keep him healthy. As for the hanging, from what I understand of it, the muscles in their hand, the ones attached to those claws? They are hooked up so that when the muscles are relaxed, the whole weight of him rests on those curled claws. So it doesn’t tire him out at all.”

Edited 2021-12-28 04:52 (UTC)

The care manual hadn’t come with him? Well, Mono tilted his head a little… He was more curious about sloths now too. “Maybe the guy that works there now can tell you where to find books on it. He seems okay, not too scary or anything.” And more helpful than the last thing that had been there to tell people where to find books.

The kid couldn’t help but let out a little gasp at the cute little squeaking sound that Speedy made, such a tiny little voice!! Yeah, Speedy definitely had a new fan. Mono had never seen anything so small and cute before, the nearest being the odd moth-like creatures he’d happened upon in his world once. And maybe the nomes you sometimes happened upon… But they weren’t the same, not at all.

Listening to the explanation, he grinned his clumsy little grin. Flowers, leaves and carrots? That was honestly pretty neat too and made the creature seem all the more harmless. If it didn’t eat meat, then there seemed like fewer chances of it growing into something big and scary, not that he could even picture that after meeting Speedy. But it was a nice fact to back up the belief.

Mono had to blink in surprise at how Speedy was hanging for so long. “Wow! That’s really neat. No wonder he seems so comfortable just hanging around.”

So nice, really, seeing how excited the kid was over Tommy’s little pet.

“People say it’s weird that I have him,” Tommy explained as he stroked Speedy’s back before. “Sloths, they live their lives more or less super slowly. And me? I live in the fast lane. We’re opposites. And for something slow to depend on something fast is weird.”

But there was Tommy, being a good sloth dad.

“I think the last place gave him to me as a lesson.”

Mono really was fascinated with small creatures. He’d been pretty excited to see some of the animals and birds at the park, too. The poor kid didn’t have a lot of experience with things that were normal sized or particularly friendly. This was thrilling.

“They do?” Mono glanced away from the sloth to Tommy curiously, listening to the explanation. “Oh! I guess that’s kinda true… I guess sometimes it doesn’t matter if you’re really different to be family though.” Because Speedy seemed pretty darn happy and content.

Glancing up under the brim of his hat again, he blinked. “Really? What did the place want you to learn? To relax more and eat veggie snacks?” An honest, genuine question from the kid, yes.

A sloth was about the friendliest little thing someone could have. It wasn't a predator, it wasn't really scared as much as other things, and it was all just a restful thing.

"You're not wrong. Sometimes being different actually makes you more family than otherwise. And he's helped me, a lot. He's good. So gentle and kind. And patient. But I think it was trying to show me that I'm just, you know, working on life. Being what other people are."

It certainly made it a very interesting and pleasant little creature in Mono’s eyes. It was nice to get to know something that was just peaceful and friendly.

Mono nodded, “Yeah, so I think it’s good that you two are family. He is really nice, at least compared to other animals I’ve met before. He just seems really peaceful.” He smiled a little before tilting his head to listen to the explanation. He wasn’t sure how a place would decide it wanted to teach you something… But he guessed that sounded like an important lesson. “And he helped to teach you that?”

Speedy finished his celery and then made a demanding noise. Tommy pulled a leaf out of his bag and held it out to Mono.

"Offer him this. He'll like it. But yeah, he taught me, without meaning to."

Tommy - OTA

Meet the Sloth!!

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