outside the dorms | late morning | saturday | 19 december

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

Jonas hadn't seen snow since leaving the Community. Even then, he'd been more concerned about the damaging effects the extreme weather was having on himself and Gabe rather than just enjoying it. Today, though, he had no such concerns. He'd managed to get through a semester of school on his own, without completely breaking down, and it was almost like the snow was his reward.

He was standing there, a few steps away from the dorms, hands stuck in his pockets and face upturned, letting the light flakes hit his face and stick to his jacket. With the vague memories he still had, he remembered snow making everything sound so quiet and still. He remembered it being wet and making your cheeks pink.

Despite nearly losing his life and nearly watching Gabe die to due extremely cold conditions, Jonas found that he still liked snow. And, with no consideration to the cold, thought just walking around outside the dorms and enjoying it was a nice way to pass the morning.

[the weather channel says there's snow so there's snow! open post, of course!]

Comments

[provostsdog.livejournal.com]

An empty bread bag under her arm, Beka was returning to the dorms. "Hello, Jonas," she called as she recognized him. "Not too cold?"

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

"Not too cold," he replied, bringing his head down to squint for a minute and then smile when he saw Beka. "Hello, Beka. Are you enjoying the snow?"

[provostsdog.livejournal.com]

"I'm... tolerating it," she said, grinning at him. "How about you?"

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

"I like the snow," he said, grinning boyishly. "I went sledding for the first time a little over a year ago. It's cold. It's wet. I like it."

That time, he'd been in one of the Giver's memories but he'd held onto it and kept it and brought it out when he needed something good to concentrate on.

[provostsdog.livejournal.com]

"Tis fun to throw at someone's head," she agreed. "The pigeons don't like it as much as you do."

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

"You can use it as a weapon?" he asked, peering down at the snow and then up at her again.

[provostsdog.livejournal.com]

"Only a harmless one," she said with a laugh, though she could think of uses for it in a fight. Distractions, but still useful. "You don't believe me?" she asked, ready to take up a challenge.

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

Jonas was leery only because he'd never seen it done before. "But, it's...how? You can't throw rain and this is just a more solidified version."

[provostsdog.livejournal.com]

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You've much to learn, my friend," she teased him. She stuffed the bread bag in her pocket. "You've got gloves on?"

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

"Yes," he said, pulling his hands out to reveal the dark brown gloves. "I bought them a few weeks ago when I learned the seasons would be changing soon. They're very warm."

[provostsdog.livejournal.com]

"Good then," she said. "Then you're ready to learn how to have a snow fight."

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

"Is it difficult?" he asked, clenching and unclenching his fingers to warm them and watching her. "I don't know how to fight at all."

[provostsdog.livejournal.com]

"How's your aim?" she asked, bending down to scoop up snow and knead it together in a snowball.

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

"I don't actually know," Jonas confessed sheepishly. "I've never really...measured."

[provostsdog.livejournal.com]

She chuckled. "We'll figure it out then." She held up the snowball for him to see. "Still think you can't fight with snow?"

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

"Oooooh," Jonas said, getting it now. He hadn't realized, despite seeing the snow accumulate on the ground, that it could be packed together and stay together. He knelt down, slowly packing the snow together in a haphazard ball and stood back up.

"Like that?" he asked.

[provostsdog.livejournal.com]

"Yes," she nodded in approval and tossed the snowball up, catching it again. "Tis just a matter of knowing how to aim from there," she explained afore she threw the snowball right at him.

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

Jonas didn't have the reflexes to move or dodge so the snowball smacked his shoulder and had him taking a step backwards.

It didn't hurt but it definitely surprised him into a laugh and a grin. "Is that all it is?"

Still grinning, he heaved his snowball right back at her.

[provostsdog.livejournal.com]

"Yes," she was grinning and didn't attempt to dodge. His aim was well enough as he hit her in the torso. "Tis actually a fight you can enjoy."

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

"I never learned," he said, kneeling again to gather some more snow together. "I learned about sledding but that was it. The only memory I can recall from when I first discovered snow."

[provostsdog.livejournal.com]

"Tis a popular game in the Lower City," she said, imagining it was anywhere else as well. She bent down, quickly making another snowball to toss at him again. "At least until it melts and turns to sludge, but then we'd not let that stop us from throwing it at each other."

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

Jonas tried to get a hand up to block any incoming snowball before awkwardly tossing one at some spot near her knees.

"It didn't snow like this in the Community ever," he said as he threw. "I never learned."

[provostsdog.livejournal.com]

Beka laughed, unconcerned as the snowball hit her. She grabbed a handful of snow and jumped forward to toss the halfmade snowball from a closer range. "You'll learn now."

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

Jonas turned his head in time to catch the snowball on the back of the neck and made a little sound of surprise because that was cold. Very, very cold.

He stumbled to a knee, trying to hastily gather more snow and compact it together so he could throw it towards her.

[provostsdog.livejournal.com]

"You're leaving yourself open to a lot of attacks," she warned him, getting a mouth full of snow for her taunting. She shivered and quickly reached down, grabbing as much snow with two hands to throw at him.