sixthiterationlogs | if the sky can crack [OTA mingle]

Hail had been falling for two days now, peppering the ground and shredding the grass but rather than melt away like a late spring storm it had only intensified, growing in diameter and moving from a mild annoyance to damned near deadly. As the storm raged, ice flew up through updrafts and was forced back to earth in the downdraft, accumulating layer after layer of murky debris until it went hurtling toward the earth with wicked accuracy.

Shingles were ripped from roofs, the wind howled and lightning cracked. The hail had driven both humans and animals into the safety of the indoors, to the dark corners of buildings that might withstand the assault. With only candlelight and the hushed voices of villagers to stave off fear and boredom, the storm raged like a sentient being heedless of those who might be caught in the path.

After the storm, a calm came over the land and weak sunlight glinted off smoke-tinged ice. Steam rose from the melt and humidity was thick in the air; petrichor hung heavy, a soothing scent after a savage display of natural fury.

[OOC: Your hail mingle post. Feel free to have characters on the run, gathering animals or inside the Town Hall waiting out the storm.]

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With another storm to flee and wait out, Margaery had at least come prepared to entertain herself. A basket of clothing that needed mending, cards, books, wine, everything she might need. It was only when she spied Elizabeth were her corgis that she wondered if she should have brought Gilbert as well. He didn't enjoy being left on his own during a storm.

The thought was pushed away as she smiled at Elizabeth, kneeling beside her to hold out her hand for the dogs to smell. "Did they just arrive for you?" She asked in amusement.

Edited 2017-05-15 16:45 (UTC)

"They did, poor things. I was afraid they'd get injured when I tried to carry them here but I managed to get them inside safely with no harm."

Elizabeth touched her cheek, wincing at the pain. That was going to leave a mark and it was going to be bruised for some time; she had never seen hail quite like that before. It truly seemed like the Biblical plague and she wondered if she ought not sing a hymn or offer a prayer.

"They're tough little puppies."

"What a horrible welcome for them." They didn't have time to get used to the village before a storm arrived. "You were lucky. I can't imagine how painful the hail might be to animals."

She quickly realized that Elizabeth had been struck by the hail, the flinch indication enough. Considering the options, she gave an amused smile as she gathered up a piece of her mending and darted outside. She returned a few minutes later, pieces of the ice wrapped in the cloth.

Margaery offered it to Elizabeth. "Press it to your cheek. It will keep it from swelling."

Elizabeth took the bit of cloth gratefully and held it against her cheek, enjoying the cold against her bruised flesh. She managed a bit of a smile and offered her free hand to the other woman, wanting to make a proper introduction.

"I'm Elizabeth. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said. "I just wish it could have been under better circumstances than this horrific storm. I hope the weather clears soon."

"Margaery Tyrell." She took her hand and gave it a firm shake. It was one of the few new greetings she had been pleased to learn. Not everyone kissed hands or greeted with hugs.

"So do I, but this place is strange The weather can last for days. There was a lightening storm that seemed to stay for a week. It's better to wait here and let the storm pass. How is your cheek? Any better?"

"It's much better, thank you," Elizabeth said. She chanced taking the ice off it since her skin felt positively frozen and the pain didn't seem to return. That was a very good sign, honestly, and she had no concerns about whether or not it would heal.

"As to the weather, I thought it was bad enough when London had a fog for four days. I couldn't imagine hail for an entire week."

"London? Is that where you are from?" The name sounded familiar. With the number of people in the village, so many of the worlds and places were no longer foreign to her, even if she never saw them.

"You arrived recently? You must forgive me for not greeting you sooner."

"I only came a few weeks ago," Elizabeth said. She hardly wanted the woman to be upset that she'd not made the introduction yet considering Elizabeth herself hadn't met very many people. She was sociable, yes, but she also spent much of her time working and now that she had the puppies, she'd have to work at training them.

"All is forgiven, believe me. This place doesn't let up on excitement, does it?"

It wasn't a terrible mistake then. She was still in the process of settling in rather than having been here over a month and Margaery never noticing. With the growing number of arrivals, that was becoming a possibility. It wasn't a habit she wanted to fall into.

"Were they your first gift?" She nodded to the puppies. "If you would like to train them, I know some in the village who could help?"

"Yes, this is the first time I have received a box. As to training them, I would like a bit of help. I know how to housebreak them, having had similar dogs back home, but I imagine we will want them to work and earn their keep here."

Elizabeth picked up Honey, who had started to whimper and whine as the wind picked up outside. "There, there. No sense in that, Honey. You're inside and you're perfectly safe."

"You might want to speak to the Starks." Margaery glanced around, curious if one were here. There were so many, it was an extreme possibility. "They helped me train Gilbert. I never had a pet before him."

If they were here, she couldn't see them. "I could introduce you to them, unless you have already met them?"

"I met one called Robb," Elizabeth confirmed. "He was a nice fellow, if a bit somber. I can understand being a little subdued in this place, though. It doesn't lend itself to cheer."

As if wanting to give the lie to what she'd said, one of the puppies started chewing on her bootlace in earnest.

"Whiskey, stop that. I'll get you a proper bone later."

"Robb," she smiled softly. "Yes, he is somber, as most of the Starks are. This place doesn't grant much in the way of happiness save for the kind we make for ourselves. Or if our family joins us."

She wasn't that fortunate, but it was gratifying to see others were.

As the dogs started to chew on her bootlace, Margaery excused herself for a moment, only to dig out a bit of meat from her basket. "I brought something to eat. They might like it more than your boots?"

"Yes, I think they're both hungry," Elizabeth said. She was grateful for anything to be able to give the poor pups, considering they'd shown up at the worst possible time. Normally she wasn't the sort to give table scraps to her dogs - it spoiled them, naturally - but Elizabeth couldn't deny them anything right now. Not with the storm raging outside and them hungry.

"If you would be so kind? I wouldn't normally feed them scraps but I think there's nothing to feed them with except what we eat."

if the sky can crack [OTA mingle]

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