The full seasonal event can be read here! Below are the main seasonal items for quick reference:
1. A thread reacting to the season's weather in some ways.
2. A thread in the part of the city your character doesn't live in!
3. A thread relating to your vocation.
Of The Season
Quote
"Tell Dr. Nate that Gale sent you, and he still owes me for the mushrooms. Except that it takes you a while to reach the clinic, and by the time you do your fever is spiking, and so instead of the requisite message you instead tell the poor soul who greets you that 'A gale'a m'shrooms sent me cus'a my hands.'" - Zephyr in Oh help me, please doctor, I'm damaged
i was raised as a scorpion, being pulled by the moon in high tide that's why i'm broken, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
A quick dive through the alleys has become nothing more than routine for the young Bratena. Early enough that it’s morning when he departs, afternoon when he returns, and this time is no different. Only, he hasn’t seen Nate drop by lately and he knows that with the sickness running rampant that the doctor’s been busy. So busy, in fact, that he wants to at least help out in one way or another. He can see the lines of people moving through the clinic with the amount of time that he stays in the spot Nate’s got him set up in, even if it isn’t close. It seems nonstop, and the fact that the doctor even makes time to come and drop off things for him spoke volumes.
So today’s routine shifts when he drifts through the alleys, stopping to grab a bag of food on his way back, and rather than follow the careful line of alleys he’s memorized to get back to his place, he decides to pay the doctor a small visit.
He rounds the corner of the alley, dressed to the nines in the cloth mask he wears, the hat that covers his head, the jacket that covers most of his skin, along with dark pants and boots, blending in enough to also make sure he was safe from whatever the sickness was that had been going around – and luckily, despite his tumble in the mud, he hasn’t started showing any signs of it.
And he hopes, as he dips into the alley that runs along the back of Nate’s clinic, that he might happen to catch the doctor out on a smoke break.
I'm just here flying off the deep end I'm just here for the fall I'm just here to be the best yet
Sunjata is in luck, something in rare supply in the Drench, and even rarer for those who don’t belong in the Drench. Nate’s had a momentary pause in patients, the offices within held down by assistants and relief so he has a moment to sneak outside and smoke. It’s the closest thing he’s had to a break all day, and at least the bitter herb keeps him from feeling too much hunger.
A long, damp breath tugs into his lungs, Nate holding the smoke inside for longer than he should, long enough that it burns. Long enough that he nearly chokes when footsteps approach, exhaling in a gasp and tugging his mask back up, turning to scowl at whoever had interrupted him with thin coils still wafting around his face.
Seeing who it is makes it hard to keep up the heat though, Nate relaxing again and looking back out at his view of walls and wires. “Shouldn't you be inside?” His voice is raspy, rough from how he’d choked and from the sores around his mouth.
i was raised as a scorpion, being pulled by the moon in high tide that's why i'm broken, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Even as the mask blocks his face, there’s a soft smile that settles beneath it when he spots Nate. What he doesn’t mean to do, however, is spark that bit of panic, watching the waft of smoke dance around the doctors face as the mask is pulled up and Sunjata clutches the bag a little tighter but keeps his distance at the tone.
He realizes a second after it’s because of the way he’d choked on the smoke, at least.
He lifts the bag in his hand to show it, nodding lightly. “Well, yeah, but I thought maybe I could bring you lunch today..?” He pauses, stepping forward just enough to set the bag on the little table outside in the alley before he steps back to shove his hands in his pockets. “You’ve been busy, so, just wanted to return the favor of all the time you’ve spent dropping stuff off for me.”
I'm just here flying off the deep end I'm just here for the fall I'm just here to be the best yet
Seeing Sunjata out only sets Nate's heart hammering, all the risk of this thundering down on him at once. He takes a deep breath and pinches his eyebrows, forcing a sterner edge to his voice. "You shouldn't be going out." It's not something he can maintain long, especially not with the way the other man looks like a kicked puppy.
A sigh heaves out of him and he sits, forehead resting on his hand and dark hair curtaining his features. His other hand reaches out to grab the bag and draw it close, lifting his head and flicking his hair back so he can squint suspiciously at it. "What's you get?" He asks, flipping the bag open without looking, too preoccupied by staring directly at the other.
i was raised as a scorpion, being pulled by the moon in high tide that's why i'm broken, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The sterner tone does little to deter the young Bratena, instead he tries to square his shoulders a fraction, fix up his posture (though not too much, he doesn’t want to come off like a Plater, after all). “Well I can’t stay in there all day every day.” He mumbles, but he hears the sigh that slips from the doctor and it helps to perk him up, thankful for the mask to hide the way he chews at the inside of his lip when Nate grabs the bag.
“Some fried rice and the guy said that the mole centipede was popular.” He’s heard other people say it too, but he stands there and rocks back on his heel a little, trying not to look a little green. “Didn’t wanna try it, though.” It wasn’t his cup of tea, really, even if it smelled delicious. But he shrugs, trying to find it in him to tear his gaze away from the doctor’s bright blues, but finding it increasingly more difficult to do so – waiting to see if it’s a good lunch.
I'm just here flying off the deep end I'm just here for the fall I'm just here to be the best yet
Another gruff sigh leaves Nate, his jaw setting. Sunjata’s right, obviously. His plan, what little there is of it currently, hinges on Sunjata being able to blend in at least a little convincingly, and the best way to do that is for him to actually sink into the Drench life. Still, the threat of being found out sends icy needles of panic into his spine.
Instead of dwelling on the pressure though, Nate opens the bag and pulls out a container that smells absolutely heavenly, his stomach growling and reminding him he’s human no matter how he tries to ignore it. “It’s popular for a reason.” Nate rumbles, all but salivating as he pops open the lid and drags his mask down, shoving a spoonful in his mouth before he makes a face and frowns down at the box. “Maybe you do need to get out more. Guy fuckin’ scammed you.” A hand stays up to hide away the worst of the scans on his face, Nate staring at Sunjata for an entirely different reason now.
i was raised as a scorpion, being pulled by the moon in high tide that's why i'm broken, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
It’s true – he can’t learn the mannerisms of Drenchers without getting thrown into it – sure he can watch from above, but there’s little to no benefit unless a larger group wandered down the alley which was few and far between these days, leaving the Bratena youth to remain in the quiet, cold apartment, alone trying to figure everything out. Going out and about, however, learning the alley cut throughs, those are what would help him blend in.
That and the way his hair has started growing out again, the way he finally allows a bit of stubble to grow on his face, evidenced only when he removes his mask to rub at his jaw, humming a small sound of concession to Nate with a shrug. “Guess so.” He agrees, but still doesn’t want to try it.
Despite the bite, he does notice the slight edge of the rash that’s on the doctors face, but he makes no comment on it, pretending to not have noticed especially when the answer comes of the merchant scamming him. His brows pinch together and he steps forward, confused. “What?” He asks with an audible frustration in his tone, staring down at the box and away from those bright blues of Nate’s.
I'm just here flying off the deep end I'm just here for the fall I'm just here to be the best yet
A snort leaves the doctor, his head shaking and a green tugging balance at his lips. “Yeah, it’s not centi. Here.” Without giving the other man a chance to protest at all, Nate scoops up another spoonful of god and orders it out, all but having the utensil against Sunjata’s lips until the other man relents and opens his mouth. Bright eyes watch the noble carefully, waiting for his reaction.
He can only stare so long before he has to shift though, shoveling more of the fried food into his mouth and chewing it loudly, so glancing up at the other man slyly now and then. “Y’see what I mean?” half chewed bits of rice spray from between his lips, Nate taking a moment to finish chewing and swallow. “It’s not bad.”
A coy grin crosses his face, tugging uncomfortably at scabbing. It’s not a truck he’d pull often, but the noble brat could use some help coming out of his shell fast enough to keep them safe, and he’s more than willing to hover around with a sharp stick. Someone has to.
i was raised as a scorpion, being pulled by the moon in high tide that's why i'm broken, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The first mistake Sunjata makes is believing Nate. The second mistake is when he opens his mouth to protest that he was sure that he didn’t get conned out of getting the good meal. Because, the second he starts to open his mouth, Nate’s suddenly there with the spoon pressed against his mouth, and he’s got no choice but to chew on it and test it out.
He seems frustrated by it – incapable of telling the difference as he chews, brows pinched as if trying to detect it. But all the air in his sails of frustration flatten out the second Nate very proudly mentions that it’s not bad, with that coy shit-eating grin on his scabbed face, and Sunjata swallows down with a huff before he looks a little green at the realization and folds his arms tightly across his chest, staring at Nate for an explanation.
“Asshole.” He grumps, clearly looking quite annoyed by this realization, but realizing he doesn’t have much of a choice to not eat the things that are supposed to be good down here. And as he thinks on it and mulls it over, it really wasn’t that bad, if he doesn’t think about what went into it.
He still looks defensive as he huffs a sigh and looks away from Nate when he mutters “no, it’s not bad.” With a clear sound of defeat ringing through his words.
