tushanshu | 11 ❄ ( VIDEO )

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11 ❄ ( VIDEO )

[ Jack looks better than he has in months and the combination of his newly cooled 3-A treehouse and the wearable unit Jack kept under his hoodie for when he went out meant he was back to his usual good (ahem) spirits. He was busy during the Yard Sale and may have borrowed some of his "allowance" from his shares of SI to fund a few of the things, but he thinks they'll be well worth it. All gifts are delivered overnight with no excess fanfare, just his initials in the corner of each simple folded card. ]

So, someone should catch me up on what kind of summer holiday things should be happening around here. Not that they'll be nearly as good as winter activities, but I'm gonna be gracious and give them a chance.

[ private to Tony Stark (MCU) / basic encryption; ]

[ There's no evident trace of Jack's consternation from a few days ago in Jack's voice -- nor his expression, though he doubts the man has acquired the ability to see him yet. ]

So I wanted to apologize for the mix-up when you arrived and introduce myself properly. My name's Jack, it's nice to meet you. Don't worry about the whole not-seeing thing, that'll probably wear off, it's kind of part of the spirit thing. Also, please don't mind the bed that's in the Stark Building freezer if you go in there, kind of a long story. Anyway, it sounds like Pepper and Bruce have got you settled in, so maybe we'll run into each other at SI some time! Catch you later, Tony.

---

((OOC: Since we have lots of new people, don't forget to check out Jack's permissions post for whether your character can see/hear him or whether they will view an empty feed/audio only/etc. ))

Bean: A small study book of beginner's Greek and a box of assorted sweet treats.
Bruce B: A little fountain for meditating that moves fire as a liquid, similar to the ones in Fire Sector.
Clark: An audio file sent to his console with approximately 30 min of basic sentences first by the Wind, then translated by Jack.
Costigan: A pair of baseball gloves and a ball.
Damian: A fill in the blanks book for creating your own story and a box of assorted sweet treats.
Finnick: Rent in full on the fishing shop paid for a month and dinner at Finnick's favourite place to get food.
Henry: An (according to the kedan, at least!) endless-ink pen.
Ivy: A simple music box shaped like a bird.
Kara: Tickets to a local kedanese play.
Korra: A note for a prepaid outfit of her choice from a seamstress in the Earth Sector willing to match Water Tribe style and a coupon book for "10 free bedtime stories".
Leonardo (2012): Directions to a restaurant where he can get damn-near-accurate-pizza free for a month.
Midii: A book on string games and a box of assorted sweet treats.
Pepper: A large coffee mug with cute sayings like "remember that you make someone smile!" painted in rings on the inside, so the more coffee drank the more of them are revealed.
Percy: Reservations for him and Annabeth at a high-end kedan restaurant where tables are impossible to get and a note marking their dinner paid for in advance.
Renly: Another bottle of the wine he purchased during their conversation at the Yard Sale.
Rose: A paid visit to a local spa.
Santo: A series of hyper-buoyant belts and rings made from a special kedan "foam" that can keep even Santo's weight afloat so he can go swimming if he wants.
Traci: A paid visit to a local spa.
Vanessa: One of the recipe books she had been eyeing at the Yard Sale when they spoke.
Victor: A crate of every sports ball and accessory Jack could think of.
Victoria: A jenga tower and a box of assorted sweet treats.
Zatanna: A new tin of her favourite tea and tickets to (basically) kedanese opera, complete with formal wear required.

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[She didn't mean to cause any unpleasant memories for him. In fact, the point was to highlight how much fun she--and some other people--actually had.]

I wouldn't mind.

[Her eyes jerk upward, smiling at the personalized snow clouds still blanketing them in a soft, white powder. Her hair glistened whenever she moved with partially melted crystals.]

I wonder why your snow never had an affect on me.

Probably because you didn't need it, if I had to guess.

What do you mean?

Well, the aim of it is to help people have fun. If you're already having fun, you don't need the help.

...yeah, I guess that's true.

[It seemed almost too easy, considering what a hard time Kyle had given the both of them over the whole incident.]

[Her smile softens, and she shifts a little in her seat. Shoulder just barely brushing against Jack's.]

Hey, you know, I just realized I never got to tell you how the story ends.

[ And yet it really was that easy, making the whole thing... kind of anticlimactic. ]

Oh?

Well, it turns out that the guy who thought he got left behind eventually found somebody of his own. Somebody who he really deserved, and who deserved him.

[ He squeezes her hand through the gloves. There isn't any sadness visible in him, but there is a quiet sort of acceptance. ]

You tell good stories, Zatanna.

It's not just a story, Jack. It'll happen.

[By now, she was fairly certain he knew she knew, and they both knew it was more than just a joke any longer.]

The good guys always get the girl in the end. Sometimes, it just takes a little longer to find the right one.

[ That was how all the stories with happy endings went, wasn't it? But the spirit doesn't break "character", even though she says it's not a story, even though they both know, even though the ruse is transparent. ]

I have all the time in the world to see how it plays out.

You're a far more patient person than I am, Jack.

Me? I'm one of those people who would always try to sneak peak at my Christmas presents ahead of time. Or read the last chapter in a book first so I knew where the story was going.

[Not that she didn't enjoy a good surprise every now and then. To her, they translated to challenges .]

[ He doesn't have much of a choice on the patience part, but he appreciates the sentiment. ]

North would be appalled, you know. I'm going to tell him, just for that.

[She mock pouts. Overemphasizing the lower lip to make sure he's gotten the point across.]

You'd really tell on me?

Traitor.

I could be convinced otherwise. Maaaaaybe. What's it worth to you?

Jack Frost, are you actually blackmailing me?

[GASP!]

Not my fault if you didn't think I had it in me.

That's it. I'm taking back your August-mas [or whatever} present right now and buying you a big bag of coal instead.

[Except she's not pulling her hand away.]

[ He grins at her, calling her bluff. ]

Go ahead.

You asked for it.

[He called her bluff, and she can't be having any of that. So, this time, she really does let go of their hands. The snow immediately stops falling, ice and powder already on the ground already taking on a shimmering effect as the top layers begin to melt.]

[Then she moves to stand up.]

[ With a gleam in his eye, Jack neatly whirled the staff over into both of his hands and drew inward, drawing cold off the mechanical tubes and forcing it out through his staff which glows a light blue. The magic seems to waver for a moment but it begins snowing again, less hard than before but the ice coating seems to be firming up again, tiny new crystals hardening and glittering like stardust. ]

[She wants to look annoyed, but the amusement at what he does overtakes her. Both at the gall, and the fact that he suddenly has enough power to do so. Her head tilts upward for a moment, taking in the sight, before she turns back.]

...am I supposed to be impressed?

You could be jealous, that works too.

I could have always done this, it just would have taken... a lot more energy.

[ and probably made him sleep for three days ]

[The momentary pause makes her wonder just how much energy. She considers being worried for a second, but instead maintains the smile and turns back around to kneel down in front of him.]

But then who would you share it with, if you did this all by yourself?

[ Don't worry Zatanna, he (probably) wouldn't have expended the energy needlessly. ]

No one, probably. Guess that's why I didn't do it.

[It's the probably that brings about a mental eyebrow raise.]

If you could pick one person, though. Anybody at all, for any reason...who would it be?

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