Illuminated

[in_extremis]

WHO: Open! Treat this as a mingle, there's a big thing in the middle of the city
WHERE: Right in the middle of Temba, by the fountain
WHAT: A big display of festive spirit. Bring your own traditions!
WHEN: After freed from the ships
WARNINGS: That's up to you. Mark your threads accordingly.


a. the fountain
The brief had been 'Rockefeller Centre', and Tony wasn't going to deliver anything less when Jan asked, but the impact was still yet alien, and honestly underwhelming in the glare of sunlight. The tree selection had already been slim, between their strange colours and threateningly putrid sap, and complicated further by the blanket of ash that still clung to many boughs and had left swaths of the nearest forested area suffocated and brittle. The ultimate selection was more purple than Tony had been envisioning, and while he would readily call it coniferous, if that was a reasonable designation given the circumstances, its 'pines' were tiny cups that had to be shaken vigorously in its transfer into the city to divest it of gathered ash and bugs.

It was impressively massive, though, and those cups, now stationary, could be made festive. At least, Tony hoped that was how they would look, once the sun went down. At the moment, the lights that he had installed throughout the branches and the water that glowed with pollen from Sh'ka didn't make much of an impact unless he cupped a hand over a branch, careful not to disturb it too much and spill all of the water out, to check that any of it had actually made it into those little leaves. Maybe he could salvage this with the rest of the decorations before Jan got back to check on the progress. They were scattered around the pavement by the fountain, mostly scraps from the forge that caught the light well, or had been dunked into the wealth of glitter so generously provided by the Agrii. There were strips of fabric, bent utensils, and baubles that for the most part looked like stars, though in a great variety, from dimpled copper suns to strings of glass constellations. There might have been enough to make the tree look richly cheery. Now that it was securely upright, the problem was going to be reaching the top of it. Someone was going to have to reach those upper branches, and find something to crown the Christmas tree at the very top to really finish it off.


b. make a wish
"It's how it works," Tony encouraged. "The tree isn't complete until you've made your wish. Whole thing will fall apart without it."
Everything had been prepared and the process couldn't be easier, so you might as well make a wish. Take an envelope from the basket at the base of the tree and write the thing you hope for the most inside. Maybe it will come true once you tie it onto a branch with the attached big, red bow.

Comments

[cactusy]

Ah. So hers isn't premade, but he's apparently going to put it together right here and right now. Watching impassively, she shifts the mothcat in her arms, trying to keep her forearms from falling asleep.

"I've been told I'm pretty good at being surprisingly calm," she says. "Think that makes up for you all telling me I'm surprisingly bad at having a jolly Christmas spirit?"

[deal_me_in]

It'd be creepier if it was premade and she was new! Cayde likes having faces to put to names, even more so meeting people in person. You get a better feel for people that way, and he can already tell he might like Shaw. Very practical. Reminds him of some people back home. Good ones.

"Calm's good to be. But I was being sincere, excuse you!" He says this with a grin however. "I know not everyone can get into the spirit of things, especially when we're out in the middle of who knows where and without getting a chance to opt out of the invites. But people've been here long, and they need a reason to not be too stuck on that whole notion, they see that every day."

[cactusy]

"Sure, I get that. Not my thing, but I'm not looking to tear it down; don't worry."

She bounces her chin at the letter pile.

"But I guess you can put me up if you feel like being a completionist."

[deal_me_in]

"Well, I'd hate to leave anyone out," Cayde says, grinning. "Your arms okay there? I'll take him back in a sec-"

He picks out a few more letters and then tries to stick them into position. "There needs to be a better system for this thing- ah, there we go! One Shaw coming up!"

[cactusy]

"FYI, I like dogs better," she deadpans - but she's still here and still holding onto the thing, so!

[deal_me_in]

"If I find a puppy around here, it's yours."

Cayde brings the press down with a satisfying clunk before pulling out the finished tag. He puts a bit of twine through it and ties it off before he holds it up to her, other hand trying to coax Tumble back over.

"Here, you can do the honors."

[cactusy]

"I said you could put my name up; don't push your luck trying to get me to hang it," she retorts as she hands Tumble back - with a gentleness that is perhaps surprising, all things considered. Even though the creature has wings, she hasn't actually seen him use them yet, so she'll make sure his back end is supported until he finds his footing with Cayde.

[deal_me_in]

Laid back was putting it lightly; Tumble is absolutely lazy. He gives a plaintive meow in protest but moves towards Cayde until the Hunter's got him secure enough, his arm tucked under the mothcat while the furball decides on whether to stay there or make an effort to climb back up onto the guy's shoulder.

"Can't blame for trying!" Cayde laughs, giving the tag a twirl around his finger before he catches it and eyeballs the tree for a good spot.

[cactusy]

"Up a couple inches," Shaw suggests flatly. But she's right; there is an open spot there. Helping! ... Kind of.

[deal_me_in]

It counts! Cayde steps closer to the tree and reaches out to hang the tag up. "There! Perfect."

[cactusy]

"Only four letters. Pretty easy to fit in anywhere." She inclines her head at Cayde, raises an eyebrow, and says in a dry, faux-lofty tone, "I aim to please."

[deal_me_in]

"Oh, I can tell! Good team worker." Cayde grins right back, his own tone much the same as when they'd started, jovial and mischievous.

[cactusy]

Well, this guy's less sensitive than Stark-or-Shepherd (she's still not sure which TS he is), at least. Shaw isn't yet sure if she's really a fan of anyone here except for maybe Link, but Cayde is maybe okay-ish. She doesn't grin back, but she does snap off a lazy little salute.

[deal_me_in]

He's been alive for some 600 years, it'd be a bit silly for him to get his feelings hurt over something like this. Besides, he's getting a feel for Shaw- straight-laced and to the point. Guardians came in all sorts of flavors too, so it's hardly the first time he's had to work with anyone like her.

"Anything else, or do you wanna babysit Tumble some more?" he offers, giving the mothcat a meaningful bounce.

[cactusy]

"Can it fly?" she asks, instead of answering the question posed.

[deal_me_in]

"This little guy seems to like free rides unless properly motivated, but yeah. The wings aren't for show. If you ever drop into the library you'll probably see plenty flying mothcats in action," Cayde chuckles.

[cactusy]

"Are they native?" she asks, studying the creature but making no move to take it. "To here, I mean. You said a kid found them."

[deal_me_in]

"Yep! I think they came from the woods but the local librarian ended up with one following him home and then it all went downhill from there."

The Exo pats the mothcat, readjusting his arms around the furry green load. "They may be green and have weird antennae and wings but they're very much cat. Oh, and they like shiny things."