It's the most wonderful time of the year :) [Party Post]

[npcyoface]

[OOC: We did this post last year, and it became our highest comment count post ever. 2,267 comments. It doesn't matter if we get up to that number again, but it has become tradition! This is open for all of December through January for any holiday/winter shenanigans. :> Tag in with the same character multiple times, make multiple new threads, think

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[gotbottle]

Rachel Conway is perched on a bench in Grant Park.

Not properly, mind. Oh no, no sitting primly on the seat like most would. No, she's got her Target-knockoff-Ugg-shod feet planted on the seat of the bench and she's sitting up on the back, her eyes lifted heavenward.

But this is no pious display of faith, nor even a wonder-filled tracking of the odd snowflake flurrying its way down from the sky. Hell no. She's scowling in a way that clearly conveys, I want to cut a bitch.

Where by bitch she means the sprig of mistletoe just out of reach above her head, that's resisted all attempts at evasion, argument, and injury so far. Oh, and in the meantime she's been kissed by three men (one of whom also groped her and got a Target-knockoff-Ugg-clad foot to his testicles for his troubles) and one woman and she has about had it with this mistletoe right here, okay

[silentmovielife]

Luckily for Rachel, Nick is not in the habit of kissing strangers, especially ones that look that pissed off.

He does, however, with a curious look, attempt to aid her in throwing a snowball at the mistletoe.

Which it evades, but it's the thought that counts, right?

[gotbottle]

The blur of the snowball in motion catches Rachel's attention, her eyes refocusing on it in flight. She watches it miss and then she drops her gaze to find the person who'd hurled it.

"Thanks anyway," she calls out, with a warm smile. "It seems pretty impervious to attacks from below."

But it's kind of him to try to help anyway. She deeply appreciates that.

[silentmovielife]

He approaches as she talks, being careful to keep his eyes on what she's saying as he does, pulling out his notebook.

Once he's standing in front of her, he flips it open to the message on the first page and holds it out so she can read it: "My name is Nick Andros. I'm a deaf-mute, but I can read lips." Once he's sure she's read it, he flips to the next page and writes, "You're welcome."

[gotbottle]

"Oh."

Rachel smiles, and sits up straighter. She speaks again, slowly, enunciating her words. Not in any condescending way at all, far from it--she just wants to make herself as clear as possible.

"Hi, Nick. My name is Rachel Conway. It's nice to meet you," she says, tucking her hair behind her ears. "I see you're not afflicted with misbehaving plants like I am."

[silentmovielife]

He appreciates the effort she makes; he's very good at reading lips, but the more people try to enunciate, the easier it gets. He smiles at her, shaking his head as he puts the pen to paper.

"Do you have any idea why you are?" he writes.

[gotbottle]

Rachel shakes her head after she reads what's on the paper, pausing to make sure they've reestablished eye contact before she speaks.

"I don't. I mean, besides the general 'this city likes to screw around with you'. This happened last year, too--I wasn't afflicted then. Random, I guess."

She smiles again. She doesn't recognize him but that doesn't really mean much, as long as she was gone. "Have you been here very long?"

I'm so, so sorry this took so long. >< Better late than never?

[silentmovielife]

He shrugs at the suggestion of randomness, and then shakes his head at her question, waiting a moment to make sure she's done speaking before going back to his pad.

"I've only been here about two weeks. Are you from this place, or did you come here that long ago?"

Always, bb, always. No worries. :)

[gotbottle]

Rachel smiles at him after reading his question. "Two weeks. You're still adjusting."

She pauses a moment to think about how best to explain it. "I first came here almost two years ago. I was here for about a year and then the Rift sent me somewhere else for a while. I just got back... maybe two months ago?"

Her smile takes on a slightly sad cast. "I'm still adjusting, too, I suppose."

[silentmovielife]

"I though the rift was one way only," is Nick's first response, as much thinking to himself through the paper as actually questioning her.

"I am. It's pretty different here from where I was before. I can't imagine how hard getting used to it all over again must be." His expression is sympathetic as he turns the notepad towards her.

[gotbottle]

Rachel nods. "I thought it was one-way too. I was surprised to find myself in Reno. And it wasn't as if I was just sent to this world's Reno--I called, none of the people I knew from Chicago existed there. I don't know what to think."

She pauses a moment. "...Enough has changed here that I may as well be starting over. So I suppose our situations aren't all that different. Are you okay, though? Settling in okay?"

[silentmovielife]

"As okay as I could expect, I guess. It's hard to get used to, but I'm doing the best I can." He shrugs, with a small, resigned smile. What else can you do? "Are you?"

[blazetodefine]

David recognizes Rachel even if he is not looking at her face so he can avoid looking her in the eyes. He had been wondering if she'd settled in to the Tower okay, but she doesn't seem very happy at the moment.

He almost convinces himself to not walk up to her, because it may be best to not bother someone that's so angry.

Then he notices the mistletoe over her head, and it all makes sense to him again.

"Hey. It's good to see that you're... around still. It's good to see that you're okay is what I should-- it's what I meant," he says, and then he winces at the choice of words. It's time to change the subject. "I heard... about those from last year. I guess people are taking the mistletoe means kissing whether or not the other person wants it... kinda seriously?"

[gotbottle]

"David--hi." Rachel smiles, despite her current frustration. "It's good to see you again."

She takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly, trying to bring her frayed nerves back to calm. The mistletoe isn't David's fault, after all, and she shouldn't let that color this conversation.

"And yeah, thanks--I've been okay. Settled in and all. How about you?"

[blazetodefine]

"It's... good to see you too," David says, managing to smile back as well. There is definite awkwardness though.

He stares at the mistletoe with a disgruntled face, because he can tell that she's frustrated with it. Yes, if he stares at it long enough, it will fall over and wilt away.

"That's good... to hear. It can be hard settling in, but I guess it's easier when you've been here before." David slides his hands into his pockets. "Me? I'm fine. I-- Good. School's out for winter break. I'm one year too old to still be in high school, but I was held back two years ago after... some stuff happened. So I'm just trying to catch up."

[gotbottle]

Rachel's pretty sure that staring will accomplish nothing where the mistletoe is concerned. But it's the thought that counts and she appreciates his staring all the same.

"It's okay. About school," she assures him. "These things happen. And at least you're catching up, right? That's what matters. Arenyou enjoying your break so far?"