Winter

[petty_dabbler]

The winter was miserable. John was tired of the cold. He grumbled as he gathered wood and stoked the fire, magic making it blaze to chase away the morning chill as quickly as possible. He made his tea and smoked his pipe and waited for Winter to turn up. Sometimes he slept late, sometimes John never heard him duck out to bother the chickens or gather dawn mushrooms.

John had a thought and smiled to himself. The midwinter preparations would be well underway in the King's Realm. Maybe he could convince the pixie to come to the market with him.

Comments

[winter_wisp]

Winter fluttered down the stairs, bumping into a wall and apologizing, before yawning and finding his potion. With a little sip he was human sized (nearly), and he stretcher before offering a lazy little smile.

"Morning," he said cheerfully, shuffling off to make some tea.

"You're up early. ...Or I'm up late. I'm never sure which it is."

[petty_dabbler]

"I'm up early," John confirmed.

"And since you're up not terribly late, how would you feel about a trip to the market?" he asked.

[winter_wisp]

"Okay. Can we bring home gifts for the chickens?" Winter asked, holding his tea in both hands and perching himself on a chair close by.

[petty_dabbler]

"For the chickens? What about me? Midwinter is coming up. Chickens. Bah," he scoffed.

He sounded so gruff, but there was a lightness to it that made him need to stifle a chuckled. No one amused him as he did to himself.

[winter_wisp]

"I guess I could get you a present too," Winter grinned impishly. "I will buy you a goat."

[petty_dabbler]

"Because I need a goat? O because you want one?" John smiled.

[winter_wisp]

"...Yes," Winter replied, avoiding answering at all.

[petty_dabbler]

"Get a nanny. Then we can have milk," he said, though he tried to play it off like wasn't interested at all.

"What is your heart wishing for?" John asked as he lit a new pipe.

[winter_wisp]

"I dunno," Winter admitted, putting his tea down and moving to sit right beside John.

"It'll be nice spending the holiday with someone," he admitted.

[petty_dabbler]

John puffed his pipe thoughtfully.

"It's always a nicer holiday with someone to share it with," he noted. "What sorts of things do the pixie do for midwinter? Feasts and such?"

[winter_wisp]

"Yes! Cakes and sweets, and sometimes shiny items to trade," the pixie beamed. "Though I have only been invited once. My village is long gone, and no others wanted me," he added, smile fading a bit. "...This year will be good though. I have you."

And gosh was he smitten. He knew John saw him as a charge or a kid, but Winter did not look at John like a father or brother. ...He just didn't really know how to express that. He got flustered or overexcited, and he knew that only made him look more childish. But he wasn't a youth, he was very grown- He was just also a pixie, and pixies always had a youthful joy to them.

[petty_dabbler]

"I used to have Q," John said. "I always tried to make midwinter less bleak. Bigger fires. More daring spells. And I made this special sweet."

He drifted off in thought a moment.

"I haven't made it in years. I'll make it for you, hmm?" John smiled. "It's better shared."

[winter_wisp]

"I would like that," Winter nodded. "I would like it very much."

[petty_dabbler]

"I have a feeling this will be the best midwinter I've had in a very long time," he said, puffing a bit and then blowing a ring.

The ring shivered as it rolled open to reveal dancing goat in a jolly midwinter scarf.

[winter_wisp]

Winter grinned, reaching to touch it, then thinking better of it and keeping his hands to himself.

"The best! I'll get dressed and we can go," he decided.

[petty_dabbler]

"Dress warmly!" he called, always worrying after him. It wasn't that he didn't trust that Winter could take care of himself. It was just...it was just that he didn't trust Winter to take care of himself.

He got up when Winter left, gathering his magic bag that could carry more than one might think. By the time Winter was ready, John was ready and relaxing with another pipe already.

[winter_wisp]

Winter returned wearing a thick jumper and a proper pair of trousers. Q's old clothes. He grabbed his coat off the rack, but his gloves were nowhere to be seen.

"I'm ready!"

[petty_dabbler]

John looked at him for a long moment, waiting for him to remember something forgotten.

"Really?" he asked, then chuckled.

A wave of his hand and out floated gloves, a hat, and a scarf, a set for each of them, as well as John's warm outer robes.

"Now we can go."

A complicated gesture and a portal opened to the King's Realm where a market was bustling on the cold, clear day. John's lonely tower caught hold of every storm, it seemed. Even cold, the bright sun was welcome.

"I smell food," was the first thing out of his mouth when he stepped through.

[winter_wisp]

"Chestnuts!" Winter said excitedly, still fighting a bit with his hat. "They smell so good. I didn't know I was hungry."

[petty_dabbler]

John knew he was going to overindulge, but that was half the fun of coming to market.

"Find the vendor, I've got coin," he assured him.

[winter_wisp]

Winter caught John's hand and tugged him along, certain he knew where the smell was coming from.

"That's the one," he grinned. "We can share a bag."

[petty_dabbler]

The chestnuts were piping hot as the woman filled the bag full. John took one to hold and let Winter warm himself.

"What sorts of shiny things do pixies like to get?" John asked, being just as sly as he thought he needed to be.

[winter_wisp]

"All sorts," Winter said, eating a chestnut. "And we like not shiny stuff too. Furry things, soft things, comfy things. ...We just like stuff. The gift matters less than being gifted," he admitted.

"What sort of things do grumpy old warlocks like, huh?"

[petty_dabbler]

"I like hard to find things," John said.

"Cat skull mushrooms, jeweldrop petals, quality charcoal, things like that."

Things from the fae lands, mostly. John tried very hard to avoid the fae. Tried.

[winter_wisp]

Winter made a mental note of that. He could find those things, he was sure of it.

"I see," he replied. "You have weird taste," he teased, bumping John's shoulder with his own.