(Untitled)

[1struleiscardio]

In the interests of full disclosure, let's get one thing straight from the beginning: I was never a normal child. I don't know what my parents would have done with a normal child; they barely coped with me. Given the choice, I never went out to play in the snow and there is a lot of snow when you're growing up in Columbus Ohio. Winter would roll

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[groovytechchick]

Claudia Donovan was in friggin heaven. She loved the snow, for the most part. But the fact that the whole island looked like it had been literally ripped right out of The Grinch Stole Christmas? Oh holy crap! It was so beyond awesome!

Granted, she'd probably get sick of the whole thing in a couple of weeks, maybe even a couple of days - but at the moment, she was bundled up like an Eskimo, mentally trying to design a working igloo, so she was kickass good!

Turning to head back down the boardwalk, so she could test her 7th design, her eyebrows shot up seeing a dude slip and land flat on his butt. She couldn't help but chuckle. She wasn't doing it to be mean! But seriously! It was kinda funny.

Clearing her throat, she trotted over to where he was sprawled out and leaned over a little, offering him her hand. "Dude, you might wanna look into getting some butt-pads if you plan on doing that more than once."

[1struleiscardio]

Which. Yeah. Nobody plans to fall on their ass. I just...do it more than most. I'm not exactly graceful. Honestly, it's a miracle that I've survived for as long as I have. Nobody's more surprised than me.

"Yeah," I say, starting to scramble to my feet; thankfully, I'm pretty used to humiliation. "I'll...look into that."

[groovytechchick]

Claudia grinned, keeping her hand out incase he decided he needed some help up. "But seriously, dude. You ok? That looked like a pretty painful fall. And I know painful, believe me, do I know painful."

[1struleiscardio]

I manage to get to my feet without her having to help me; I've embarrassed myself enough, frankly. I dust off the ass of my pants. Snow gets everywhere.

"I've had worse," I admit, shifting my weight a little. I'm probably going to bruise brilliantly.

[knowthyexits]

Sarah's not one to enjoy this winter wonderland. She's used to deserts and heat and she likes the arid feel of it on her skin, like it reminds her of the war she's waging. This cold isn't for her and the decorations, likewise, make her cringe.

Still, she's not about to ignore someone on her way back home, especially when they've taken a spill like that. Bundled up tight as she can be, she lingers over to his side, gingerly stepping on each patch of snow. "Need a hand?" she offers.

[1struleiscardio]

I'm pretty used to humiliating myself, so it doesn't really phase me that she's watched me...you know...fall flat on my ass. I've got gloves on, so I manage to get my hands under me.

"Yeah," I say, clearing my throat. "I mean, yes. Thanks. That's...very nice of you."

[knowthyexits]

Sarah offers something like a genuine smile. He's not that much older than John, by the looks of it and she can't imagine she or John would fare that well on the snow. "I'd want someone to help me up if I took a spill," she admits. "The golden rule drives me forward. Plus, maybe it'll build me some good karma so I won't take a fall in this stuff."

[1struleiscardio]

Despite the fact that she's offered me her hand, I manage to get to my feet myself. I dust the snow off my pants and manage to smile. Sort of.

"Better shoes," I tell her. "I...yeah. That's what I need this afternoon."

[pylean_cow]

"Maybe you should try shoes with better traction," Fred suggested, approaching the guy who'd fallen on the ice, her own heavy boots making indentations in the snow. Of all of the things that had happened on the island since she'd arrived, this was definitely her favorite. Never mind that snow storms on tropical islands and massive sudden architectural changes were about as far from logically possible as it got.

"Oh! It's you! The clown guy! Not that you're a clown...I mean the one that was in the bathroom that day," she said, recognizing him from when they'd met before. It really wasn't the kind of thing that was easy to forget, after all. "Do you need some help?"

[1struleiscardio]

The boots are too big; honestly, I hated giving up my sneakers, but I hate having wet socks even more. It's something abou the texture, and the way your skin ends up clammy. I am the person who wears flip-flops in my own bathroom.

At least I know I have issues.

The clown guy. Fan-fucking-tastic.

"Columbus."

[pylean_cow]

"Sorry. I didn't know your name, so I... sorry." Fred said, feeling a little guilty about it now. If she were him, she probably wouldn't have wanted to be called 'clown guy.' "Fred."

She pointed at herself and extended a hand to offer him help to his feet if he wanted it.

[1struleiscardio]

And now I feel like an assole. I'm really not good at feeling like an asshole - the guilt kicks in really quickly.

"Okay. Hi, Fred. I'm...really sorry for being...uh...kind of an asshole," I say. "Wait. Your name's Fred?"

Says the guy named 'Columbus'.

[backward]

It snowed in Bristol, on occasion, but never quite like this. Still, if forced to choose, Effy would say that she prefers the cold to the heat, never too fond of sweat and humidity. Besides, if it means people will be falling on their arses in her line of sight for the next month or so, she can't exactly complain. Anyone who doesn't outright laugh is only holding it in, and she doesn't see the point at this particular moment.

"Impressive," she teases, boots kicking through the snow as she walks over to where the man is splayed flat on his back, until she's practically hovering over him. The smallest of smirks tugs at the corners of her mouth.

[1struleiscardio]

Wichita didn't laugh a lot, but Tallahassee and Little Rock definitely did; people have always laughed at me. I'm pretty used to it. She's pretty in a way that reminds me of Wichita and that's enough to make me even more ridiculous than I usually am.

I lie on my back in the snow and look up at her.

"Uh...thanks?"

[backward]

"Getting comfortable or will you be needing a hand?" She asks as if it's obvious, yet still an inconvenience to her, like she has buck better things to be doing. Like she has anything at all to be doing. For the most part, though, Effy asks because looking down at him from where she stands makes her feel vaguely uncomfortable, like staring down at a kicked puppy. He reminds her a bit of JJ, in that way.

[1struleiscardio]

"I'm..." Pretty sure I can get up off my ass on my own, actually. Because I'm a fucking idiot wo can stand on my own two feet. And the last thing, the very last thing I need is a hot girl helping pick me up and thinking tat I'm even more pathetic than I am.

"...I can get up, thanks."

[fullmetaldarlin]

The snow was a serious pain in her ass.

Maybe if it hadn't been some nauseating Dr. Seuss wonderland, she might've been able to take it, but under the circumstances, it didn't really matter what the place looked like. Walking on crutches in the ice was the perfect way to break her pretty little neck, but after nearly a week of being trapped inside the cheery Compound walls, she'd bundled herself up and hobbled out onto the front steps, making a slow, awkward path toward the Hub.

Cherry saw him go down in the distance, a vaguely familiar shape in all that white, and she smirked, leaning her weight on her good leg and calling out, "I didn't think it was possible, but it looks like you're having a worse time than me."

[1struleiscardio]

Cherry might scare the shit out of me but she also kind of reminds me of Tallahassee and there's something totally comforting about that. I manage to struggle up to sitting. I also manage to kind of find a smile for er.

"I'm...kind of...a real mess."

[fullmetaldarlin]

"Understatement of the century," she drawled, but under the sharpness, there was something friendly and familiar about it -- a hint of amusement that wasn't completely mean-spirited.

She hobbled closer. "Suggestion? Find some better boots. Unless you're trying to kill yourself in the most painful and awkward way possible."

[1struleiscardio]

"...Yeah. Thanks," I say, but I'm not actually...upset. I can't really blame her for the truth, can I?"

And she's right - it'd be a real shame to live through the apocolypse just to fuck myself up thanks to winter weather.