#christmas 2024;; adrasia

[mannythejaguar]

The illusion shattered soon as they separated, time and reality resuming around them. Manny's face burned full red now as he quickly ducked his head in an attempt to hide the color or, well, convincingly blame it on the cold. Curiouser that he noted a similar reaction in different forms from Adrasia, watching the celestial out of the corner of his eye a moment until he lifted his head. The cold at least soothed the heat under his skin. He held no expectations for a repeat of what happened between them during heat week, though that didn't diminish any desires to if Adrasia felt the same. It was difficult to say if the older man did or didn't, not without asking anyway. And even as the berserker's lips parted, those weren't the words that came out.

"It's all right," he reassured Adrasia with a warm smile. He cleared his throat. "Even if you had injured me I heal pretty quick. And you wouldn't be my first ice skating-related injury. We should keep moving." The younger of the two gestured with a tilt of his chin towards the rest of the folks on the ice and how they'd stopped in the way of traffic. "Think you can give it a go on your own?" he asked, pushing off his foot and moving forward slow enough for Adrasia to keep up.

The trouble, Adrasia was realizing, with making exceptions for extraordinary situations was that even once the situation passed, the memories lingered. His lips had found Manny's only once before in the midst of the shifter's heat and it had been easy enough to explain away his own interest through the offering of aid. But the fact remained that the celestial knew what it felt like to kiss the other man and he shocked himself in that moment, with Manny flushed and close, by thinking of it again. His smile grew a little nervous, a little amused still. "We will not get very far if this is what I have to resort to every time we stop," Adrasia replied, scolding only playfully. He straightened on his wobbly skates and made himself let Manny go, trying to play off the strange bashfulness he felt as he pushed his hair back behind his ears. "I should not have done that, really. If I'd actually fallen you would have been doomed with me. I would hate to injure you in an attempt to teach me something new."

[adrasian]

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[mannythejaguar]

"Adrasia, hey!" Manny called out, waving down the celestial slave he spotted. With Adrasia being claimed now and possessing a cell phone, it made it easier to make more definitive plans to meet up in town during the Christmas party. "You look good." Like, really good, actually from what he could see of the other's outfit underneath the outer layers. It wasn't what he expected Adrasia might wear yet the greens and golds suited him. "How're you enjoying your evening so far?"

@adrasian

[familiar-finn]

"Revenge fantasizin'," Finn amended with a crooked little grin. He hardly held any power to actually follow through. It was nice to dream though. "I'm positive. Like I said, I've got something upstairs for when I leave. I'll survive the night just fine. You go, enjoy the rest of your Christmas without worryin' about me, angel face."

Adrasia watched Finn navigating the device with admiration, appreciating the familiar's ease as it far outstripped his own. "I'm flattered," He replied, only a little amused as he took it back, "And I will look forward to being party to your hospitality." If the celestial had his druthers, they would spend the holiday that way, bundled away somewhere private and friendly away from the uneasy crowds of the village. But he would gratefully take something to anticipate. "I'll leave you to your drink and your... revenge-plotting, I can only assume." Adrasia said bemusedly, eyes roving over Finn's outfit one more time with a clear longing to get the other into something else written all over his face. "Are you sure you don't want my jacket before I go?"

[valehkin]

Vitaly could practically smell the undercroft on the other. Unfortunate that two such creatures should be stuck out in the cold. "Is dog smell. They smell me, I smell familiar. I smell safe. Alpha scent is unmistakeable. Is not always compliment for such tiny creatures to come running. I never wanted to be parent. But pack leader? Who knows." He offered as he kept the pup in his jacket. "And you? Need warmth? We should get indoors. Is cold this time of year."

Adrasia came to a halt seeing such a large form bent over that smaller one, worry grasping the angel until he could make out the grumbly but warm tones of the other man's voice. Relaxing a mite, the slave crept closer, straightening immediately as Vitaly turned to him as if he'd been caught out at something. "No, no, not mine. I heard him whining a small while ago but couldn't get ahold of him. So I thought..." Adrasia sheepishly held up the small paper cup in his hand, a few bites of crumbled hamburger he'd begged off a nearby diner at the bottom, "Though he seems to like you well enough to not need to be bribed."

[familiar-finn]

Finn snorted in amusement and shot Adrasia a quick grin as he took the phone, easily plugging in his name and number into the contact information with one lace-covered hand. He wasn't the best himself with technology but he'd integrated himself more into society throughout his years and learned the basics along the way as things evolved. He could send a text, an email, google things, he even had Facebook and Instagram that he didn't use much any more (even before his abduction). "You're smart, I'm sure you can crack the code on this one," he chuckled as he handed the celestial's phone back to him. "If not, I know just enough."

Adrasia fumbled for the device in his pocket, a sheepish look on his face. "He has, but I'm quite useless with it. Put your information in and then I can find you." The celestial hadn't even begun to fiddle with all the functions on it, the thing wasn't even locked properly and Finn could scroll right through. It wasn't like Adrasia had anything to hide other than the previous messages he and Manny had exchanged.

[familiar-finn]

"Grand, we'll make it a friendly date then," Finn declared, grinning again. "After the New Year, of course, I think that would be the best time. Has Rochefort given you a phone? What's your number?"

Adrasia perked up immediately, nodding at the offer. "I do! Very much so." For one who depended little on food, the angel had always enjoyed the strongest flavors: potent spices and sour citrus, the decadent creaminess of certain cheeses on his tongue. It never failed to pleasantly surprise him, the things humanity was capable of concocting. "Though I'm sure anything you make would be delicious."

[familiar-finn]

"Ooh, cuisine of the Americas, I certainly do," Finn said, grinning. "Fried chicken, hamburgers, mac and cheese, cornbread... Or we could go further south with some Mexican or Tex-Mex like chicken enchiladas? You like spicy food?"

Adrasia grimaced in agreement with Finn's statement, not liking to think about the exorbitant sums Roland had access to any longer than necessary. Much better to focus on Finn's apparent domestic streak. The familiar's question had him thinking of he and Manny's conversation on Halloween, then of that far off first encounter with Mateo and the novelty of the firebird's voice. Adrasia still knew so little of the librarian's country, even his continent. "Perhaps something I have not tried yet," He answered after a moment of careful deliberation, "Do you know any of the cuisine of the Americas?"

[familiar-finn]

"Eh, I'm sure he could easily replace whatever's lost," Finn said, waving his hand. The councilmen all had stupid amounts of wealth that dwarfed his own savings account. And Finn had owned three properties across the US and Europe and multiple cars and motorcycles before getting kidnapped for Krovs. He briefly wondered if he could recollect those assets if he ever got out... Something to think about later.

"I wouldn't call myself a professional in the field by any means but I'm pretty decent in the kitchen," he replied, grinning again. "I'd been cookin' well before ovens and stoves came along and took charge of it in when I was with the coven. Then havin' a kid... and I just like it, find it relaxin' as it keeps me busy." He took a swig of beer. "What food are you into? Anythin' special you'd like me to make you?"

"It certainly is," Adrasia agreed grimly, obviously a bit taken aback by how to feel about having such an expensive thing on his arm. Such displays of wealth were alien to the celestial, at least the ones one might carry around casually on their person. "You're likely right. I shall have to be careful not to lose anything; I doubt he would be impressed." Not that replacing such an item would strain any of the Rochefort holdings in the slightest. Adrasia looked up from the gold band with a sigh, straightening his sleeve over it only to raise his brows at Finn's proposition. The angel was still struggling with deciding what amount of gratitude would be proper for this situation. "You're a chef now?" It was the least emotionally complex thing he could ask, and the idea did genuinely amuse him.

[familiar-finn]

Finn let out a low whistle upon viewing Roland's gift on Adrasia's arm. Leave it to the councilmen to flaunt their wealth in the most obvious ways. The accessory wasn't to Finn's taste –– he personally found it over the top and a little tacky –– but he knew that piece of jewelry cost a fucking fortune. "It's certainly fancy," he commented. "I expect that won't be the only gold jewelry you'll be receivin' from Rochefort." He grinned a little, propping his cheek in gloved hand, elbow resting on the bar. "Y'know, we'll 'ave to celebrate your newfound claimin' soon, perhaps after the new year when all the holiday shit settles down? What d'you like to eat, I can cook you somethin' at my place."

"I'm getting there," Adrasia allowed with a soft huff of laughter, relaxing enough to creep up onto the barstool next to Finn. If anything, the familiar's outfit would immediately draw any of the attention the angel had been trying to avoid by lingering too long. He grimaced at Finn's question, shucking up the sleeve of his velvet blazer to show off the gold and turquoise cuff the master had gifted him. "I daresay it is more to his tastes than mine, but that's hardly shocking, all things considered..." Adrasia remarked. Roland liked pretty things and now that he himself had become one of them, the vampire would only want to ornament him more.

[mannythejaguar]

Manny immediately saw the disaster the second he heard the click of jagged blade points against the ice and saw Adrasia's balance shift. He reached out for the celestial at the same time in... well, he wasn't really sure what he was doing except trying to keep the older man from falling. It was only when they stopped, both still impressively on their feet, did he realize he'd grabbed onto Adrasia's waist and now the two of them were very, very close. Pink colored his cheeks from a rush of heat against the bitter cold. "Yes, actually," he laughed in response, still holding onto Adrasia despite the two of them clearly sturdy on their feet. His gaze flickered over the other's features, Manny dragging his bottom lip between his teeth as a grin spread over his face. "I mean, no one fell. I don't think you could have done it any better than that."

Adrasia had been so fully enjoying the movement itself, he hadn't even considered the logistics of stopping. He copied Manny's movements: toes out, knees bent, eyes narrowed in concentration only for a tiny bump in the ice to jar his skate just the celestial attempted to shift his weight. Too far back, and Adrasia hastily overcorrected, dropping Manny's hand to grab instinctively at the shifter's shoulder and just as quickly realizing they were both in trouble now. They did stop - after an eternity's worth of wobbling in the span of a second, Adrasia's skates scraping against the ice as he half-turned, bumping his hip into the other man with a soft yelp. Then all was still and the celestial realized a beat later he was still clinging, laughing sheepishly as his muscles unfroze themselves. "There we are. Perfectly executed, yes?"

[mannythejaguar]

"I have full faith we will survive it," Manny agreed. He felt Adrasia had it down enough that they could relinquish each other's hands but the younger of the two rather liked it for more than just support. "Well, now that you've got the movement down, think it's a good time to figure out how to stop without falling. Easiest way to go about it is just turn your toes out just a little bit, bend your knees slightly, and just kinda..." He did as he explained to show Adrasia. "Lean back on it."

Cold as it was, the wind on Adrasia's face felt heavenly. He felt an intense pang of gladness in that moment to be able to enjoy it at all, out of the bowels of the Undercroft, underneath the pale grey sky promising more snow for the festival-goers at any moment. The glide of the skates made pressing forward feel effortless. "Different." He smiled, feet wavering only slightly as a sideways breeze plucked at the celestial's scarf, "But good." Manny kept him upright until the movements felt natural and he could lift his eyes properly again, holding the shifter's hand more for the pleasure of it than needing the support anymore. "I daresay we will survive this."

[familiar-finn]

"Smart lad you are," Finn laughed lightly. He'd learned that lesson too that some places in Krovs Town were tamer than others when a holiday struck. It was why he preferred hanging out at Cannabites; the place was tamer than Euphoria, he knew the crowd, and it was closer to home. "I'll 'ave a think on what you can give me." He grinned and winked playfully at his old friend, drinking once more. "Did Rochefort get you anything special for Christmas?"

Adrasia's answering smile was a bit more rueful, but still fond. "I'd offer whatever you'd like - that's within my ability to give, of course. Not a coat, apparently, since you've got your own." A light tease. He looked surprised to hear Finn say so with the attitude he'd had when the celestial first approached. "Truly? I'm glad to hear it. Mine has been... surprisingly tame. Which isn't to say I haven't done some strategic ducking around corners tonight to keep it that way." He swore he kept seeing Raphael in his peripheral, but the angel had been determinedly avoiding Euphoria like the plague.

[mannythejaguar]

"We've become pretty clever," Manny replied, grinning crookedly. Well, he wasn't technically human but he had once been mortal like them. Not the point anyway. He kept a hold on Adrasia's hand as they skated side by side, Manny's confidence and bravery growing by the time they finished their first lap around. He picked his feet up in sweeps to push himself forward, still leveling the amount of strength behind to stay slow with the other man. "See, I feel like you're getting it down, yeah? It's not as hard as it seems, it's just different than walking."

Adrasia was watching the skaters already at home on the ice, taking note of how they carried themselves and placed their feet. His eyes roamed back to Manny just in time for them both to step out, smiling slightly at the look of intense focus on the shifter's face. The initial change was not so bad. "Slow is good." The celestial could feel different muscles engaging than those used in the simple act of walking, but they were still in the service of carrying him. He kept a careful grip on Manny's hand, letting the other's momentum carry him forward with no input at first, a noise escaping him until Adrasia centered his weight again and tested a sweep of his feet. He had to be careful not to jar Manny's skates with his own when they were so close, but the movement seemed intuitive once he got a hold of the pace. "Such remarkable things humans devise," Adrasia remarked, still tracking the gestures of Manny's feet and doing his best to mimic him.

[mannythejaguar]

"It's similar in the sense of added height and the shift in balance, but your foot is still more flat in skates than heels," Manny explained. He led Adrasia carefully to the ice, walking slow and taking normal steps as if he were just wearing a heavy pair of boots. He stepped onto the ice first and paused to take a second or two to adjust. It'd been a long while since he'd done this himself and he needed to remember how not to fall on his ass. His feet never left the ground as he did what he'd said and glided, keeping the blades on the slippery surface. He was no graceful skater by any means but whatever he did kept him vertical. "We can go slow," he said. "Just kind of slide one foot and then the other."

"Fair enough!" Adrasia snickered, expression shifting to trepidation just as quickly as he threw his arms out to steady himself again. It wasn't so bad then, his reflexes seeming to kick in and find his center once more. He gave Manny a grateful look at the offered hand, holding it tightly just in case as they navigated to the entry onto the ice. "I have never walked in heels, no," Adrasia said after a moment's thought, "Not in the manner of this age, at least." He felt very sorry for the women of the current day if they were all wearing Finn's footgear, though he doubted those shoes could be deemed average in height. "Glide, I can do. I will follow your lead."

[mannythejaguar]

"Then neither of us will have any room to judge the other," Manny said with a breath of laughter as he laced up the skates he'd been handed. It took him a moment to remember how to do it from the many childhood birthday parties at the ice rink. Once they were on nice and tight (but not too tight) he stood up, smirking a little. He could see Adrasia's uncertainty already before they even hit the ice. "Here, I can help you," he offered, walking over towards the older man with his hand out to assist with his balance and possibly even onto the ice. "It's like... I don't suppose you've ever walked on high heels before, have you? It's not too far off until we get to the ice. Then we just glide."

Having been shopping with Roland so recently meant Adrasia actually did have a few numbers floating around his head, enough to size up the right pair of skates and join Manny on one of the low benches to lace up. "And what if neither of us can stay on our feet?" He asked ruefully, though it was hard not to smile at those already out and struggling on the ice. He tried to get himself started on reasoning his new center of gravity, wobbling on the hard mat while Manny finished his ties.