fourth snowball ❅ voice → video (open to both courts; backdated to the 16th)

[winterwork]

[Nothing appears on the locket except complete darkness—simply pitch black, if you will—and all that can be heard is a deep, rumbling voice that echoes harshly.]

They didn't believe in you, Jack. That's why they sent you away ...

—no! Shut up! That's not true.

[This voice is of a certain winter spirit, though one that might not have been heard in quite some time. He sounds strained and frustrated as if he's been listening to this for quite some time now.]

Why else would they leave you all alone, Jack, stranded in another world? They spent a mere week without you here, but you— two-hundred and eighty-five years all alone ...

No! Leave me alone, I'm not afraid of you. They can see me. They believe in me. I'm a Guardian now and you can't scare me. Not anymore.

[There's a flash of light and suddenly the image appears crystallized as if ice covers it, though the faint sign of a silhouette appears beyond it.]

Don't be mistaken. You're still alone. People will leave. People will die. And it'll be just you in the end. Just you and the darkness ...

[Another flash can be seen, the sudden shooting of ice from a staff before a growl, dog-like in its nature is heard. Several more flashes of the ice-like bolts are shot before the growling comes to a stop.

Several moments pass before the figure moves to pick up the locket, rubbing a finger over it to wipe the layer of frost off. Revealed is the face of the known winter spirit, surprised as he is as though he hadn't realized the locket was on until just now, looking the same as he always has in appearance though his expression reads him to be more worn, more aged. The brown cape he used to wear is gone now as well, replaced with a more modern looking blue hoodie, decorated with flecks of frost at the edges.

He breathes out a sigh before he finally speaks again.]

It's me. I'm—I'm back.



( ooc: for those who hadn't known, jack had gone through an enchanted sleep just before this where he was canon updated from 1727—only fifteen years of being a spirit—to 2012, post-movie. so while he was only asleep in the drabwurld for a week, he spent 285 years on his own in his own world. )

Comments

[smithwork]

Do it again. Please?

[winterwork]

That's surprising, for someone who whines so much about snow. [But the request has him touched, a wide grin spreading from cheek to cheek as he ducks his head for a moment to hide how pleased he is.

He leans over to once again gather snow, repeating the notion of forming a ball and tossing it upward. This time when he hits the ball with his staff and the flakes scatter, he blows an additional wave of frost amongst them, causing them to flow around the camp in a lasting breeze rather than simply falling to the ground.]

[smithwork]

[ Jack has obviously had a lot of time on his hands to perfect such tricks of the trade. Hiccup looks on in wonder, loving the sparkling blue glitter that the frost produces, and he lifts his face a little out from Toothless's shielding wing to feel it melt against his hot cheeks, chuckling quietly. ]

This is so much nicer than normal snow, though.

[winterwork]

Good. Because with the weather getting colder, you're gonna see a ton more of it.

[He might even find it hard to resist making it snow in Hiccup's room for the chuckles, but shhh.]

[smithwork]

You mean a ton more of you. I'm truly terrified.

[winterwork]

You should be. You got rid of me once, but don't think you can do it again so easily.

[smithwork]

What are you even loitering over there for? I've got a blanket and a hot dragon, I'm fine. [ Hiccup shifts Toothless's wing lower, patting the rock at his side. ] C'mere, you.

[winterwork]

[It has Jack chuckling again as he hops off onto his feet, jumping again to fly around the fire before settling down next to Hiccup, giving Toothless a petting at his side.]

Just don't go on shivering and complaining. [Giving a nudge to his arm, he brings a hand up to his neck, sneaking beneath the hoodie to pull out a familiar necklace.] Though I do have this thing again. It didn't come with me on the vacation.

[smithwork]

Don't put that on, you'll catch frostbite without at least a few layers if you turn all brunette on me.

[ Instead, Hiccup tightens the blanket around himself and flops a bit of it on Jack's shoulder, hunching down with Toothless's wing curling over them to block out the worst of the wind and chill. ]

There, that's better. I'm not going to catch a cold with just you next to me. You're actually blocking out a draft, so thanks.

[winterwork]

Ha! I get it now. You're using me.

[He leans over closer to pinch a cheek with cold fingers. Take that, son.]

I wasn't planning to. Not yet, anyway, since it's been a pretty long time. Besides, it'd be weird since ... [A thought crosses his mind as he pauses. He takes a moment to consider whether he should speak about it before he decides he'd probably just tell Hiccup eventually anyway.] I haven't told you yet, have I? How I remember now—I remember being human. My life before I died.

[smithwork]

Ow, stop that.

[ Bitching quietly as he rubs his pinched cheek against the blanket, he ducks a look at Jack when he speaks again, surprise evident. ]

You really were human? Like — Like that necklace makes you appear? Jack, that's insane, what was your life like?

[winterwork]

The hair and eyes, skin and all. That was really me one time. [Jack chuckles a bit, recalling the things he learned just days prior from his timeline.]

I don't remember all of it, it's more like random flashes that show up every now and then, but—I lived in that same little town I woke up in. A pretty small place, barely settled but I remember having a mother and a sister.

[He imagines her face even now, a bit similar to Jamie's features if he recalls, plus the same assortment of freckles he had on his own face that he could see when he transformed. He smiles at the faint memories.]

She was the greatest. I'd spend a lot of time with her and the kids her age, you know, causing trouble like I do. [He chuckles with a wiggle of a brow.] Mom would get so mad when I dragged her around, but I wanted to make sure she was happy, through all of it. I even—I even died saving her.

[smithwork]

[ Hiccup's expression softens the longer he listens, until he slips a hand over one of Jack's and gives a squeeze. ]

None of that surprises me in the least.

[winterwork]

[Distracted with his thoughts for a moment, he's brought back to attention when his hand is touched, causing him to focus his attention back on Hiccup.]

Definitely not the trouble making part, right? [He chuckles a bit with a soft smile before continuing.]

I had taken her ice skating—on that same lake I woke up in. The ice broke and I managed to get her out of the way in time, but I—I didn't make it. [There's a shrug, indicating he's come to terms with the fact.] But I mean, that's what got me picked to be a Guardian in the end.

[smithwork]

To become a what?

[ A guardian of assholery and shenanigans, maybe. ]

[winterwork]

[A very accurate description, actually.]

It's this group of spirits whose job is to protect children. Their hopes and dreams, memories, that kind of stuff. As for me, I'm the Guardian of Fun. Appropriate, isn't it? [He grins wide with raised eyebrows before chuckling and running a hand through his hair.]

I actually became one only about a day before I came back here again.

[smithwork]

'Fun' is a bit of a broad term for you, isn't it?

[ Heh. ]

[winterwork]

That's cause I can make just about anything fun and you know it.

[Just sayin'.]

[smithwork]

Now who has the big ego?

[ Grumbling, he slumps against Jack's side and pulls the blanket tighter to stave off the cold. ]

[winterwork]

Still you.

[Emphasized with a poke to a nose, leaving a speck of frost there.]

[smithwork]

[ Hiccup sneezes, giving Jack a shake of his head. ]

You're a terrible draft-blocker, for the record.

[ Even if he isn't letting him go just yet. ]

[winterwork]

That's not in my job description. You'll have to call up the Draft Blocking Spirit for that one, but I can guarantee, he won't be better company than me. So you can either try to have something warm or settle with something cool. [Ahahahaha puns.] We all know the better option there.

[Even if he subtly apologizes for his cold state by reaching over and tugging the blanket tighter around Hiccup.]

[smithwork]

You say that like I didn't live on a freezing hunk of rock for twenty years. [ Letting Jack tuck him in, Hiccup's smile widens. There's never a lot of caring gestures blithely done on Berk, unless they come from Astrid sometimes, so he really appreciates them when they slip out of someone as cool as Jack. ] This is practically toasty.

[winterwork]

[The smile can't help but be returned and Jack's reminded of how much he missed having company around, especially Hiccup in particular. 285 years was too long a time of not having all the jokes and the banter.]

Well, this— [nodding to the tucking] isn't in the description either. But I figure I owe you one. Or two.

[For taking care of me when I was gone..]

[smithwork]

I could get used to it.

[ Hiccup!burrito won't be coming out for at least twenty minutes, until his toes have the feeling back in them again. ]

Wouldn't you rather be back there, being a Guardian and ... all of that?