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[scoobys_heart]

Even though this was his fourth winter on the island, Xander still couldn't believe the snow. He was a Southern California boy, could you really blame him? He'd seen snow once in his life before then, when it had snowed one night due to some magic thing. Giles had explained it but since when did Xander ever stay awake for those

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[rhymingdevil]

I was a California guy, through and through, and the sudden snowfall had me a little out of sorts. I'd been skiing before, so it wasn't like I'd never seen snow, but I was the kind of guy who visited snow, didn't have it to come visit him. Still, after a week of moping about it, I decided Savannah might be sick of me kicking around in her space and decided to go out in it.

"Is there any reason everything went all Seussical or is that the usual?"

[scoobys_heart]

Xander looked up from where he was lifting the snow ball head onto the body. "Not usually. It goes on a different theme every year. One year, it was right outta a snowglobe of the North Pole and last year it was a Russian winter wonderland. This year it's unusually....weird."

[rhymingdevil]

I nodded a little. Good to know that this wasn't the usual version of winter wonderland. Still, the fact that I accepted that so easily said something about my state of mind and the sheer ridiculousness of this place.

"I am really not used to all this snow. It's okay and I'm not going to pitch a fit or anything, but I really want the hot stuff back."

[scoobys_heart]

"Southern kinda guy? I'm from southern California myself, so I know what you mean. I like the snowy white stuff, but when push comes to shove...give me the warm and sandy anyday." Xander said agreeably as he pulled out a pile of pebbles and shells from his pocket.

[rhymingdevil]

"Me too. Newport Beach," I said, glad to have found someone with a similar outlook on climate and what it should be. "I'm okay with visiting the cold, but not having it on my doorstep. Give me beaches and suntans."

[scoobys_heart]

"Sunnydale." Xander said in reply with a knowing nod, "And I don't know if you heard, but it's just a month. Everything will be back to normal come January." He picked out a couple pebbles and started setting them into the face of his snow man. "I admit, I can enjoy it knowing that it's only temporary. If this was all the time? Oh that would not be of the good."

[rhymingdevil]

I shook my head, agreeing with him. "I'd probably revolt and steal a boat to get out of here. I can't take this weather for too long. I like playing ball and being outside too much for this to fly for long."

I nodded toward the snowmen. "Getting in touch with your inner child?"

[scoobys_heart]

"And if you stole a boat and tried to escape, it would just lead you right back here. I've seen people try it. It's kind of vicious cycle." Xander explained this with little emotion, just a small helpless shrug. He'd been on the island too long for it bother him anymore.

He followed the guy's gaze to the snowman and grinned as he pulled out a carrot for the nose. "Nah. I just like buildings things. Thought the snow would be a good change of pace."

[rhymingdevil]

"I guess snow makes a more interesting construction material than sand," I said, by way of agreement. In many ways it was true, since sand tended to get everywhere and snow was a lot easier to pack.

"Have you ever tried the whole boat thing?"

[scoobys_heart]

"I grew up with sand. Sand is boring." Xander said with a nod, which was really his true motivation. "That and snow doesn't get in unfortunate places." Or at least when it did, it had the decency to melt. Sand just itched.

Then he shook his head. "No, but I've heard of people trying. I heard Han Solo tried it for months when he was here."

[rhymingdevil]

I arched a brow. "Han Solo from Star Wars? He was here?"

I didn't bother to ask if he meant Harrison Ford instead; I had been around long enough to know he meant the fictional character and not the actor.

[scoobys_heart]

"Oh yeah. For a couple years even."

Xander paused for a moment as he concentrated on smoothing out the components of the snowman's face, including pulling a carrot nose out for another pocket.

"I don't think he was very happy here. It was kinda sad."

[rhymingdevil]

"I guess he wouldn't be, being stuck here," I mused, wondering when it became commonplace to muse on the mindset of fictional characters. Then again, I was on Grinch Island right now, so. All relative.

"I like it here, but I've never really felt the need to...roam, or anything. I can imagine he would hate it."

[scoobys_heart]

"I tried roaming once. Didn't work out so well. Of course, once I got home, I ended up here so I...yeah. Not so much with the successful road trip." Of course, he'd learned a lot of things in Oxnard that now helped him on the island but that was a whole other story.

But then Xander nodded. "Yeah, you can tell the people are used to roaming and doing their own thing. The island makes them feel trapped. They never really get settled like the rest of us do." And he'd seen it, many times in the past 2 and a half years.