singillatim | Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow

Thomas has made his peace with the creature in the water. And some nights, when he’s a little drunk, a little too merry, or just lonely, he walks out onto the ice in bare feet and shirtless. It’s a quiet night, but the serpent comes, as it always does, and Thomas, as he always does, has an offering of a braid of rope or a fish or a sliver of thread or a sock, and the creature accepts.

He usually brings a torch with him, which he holds tightly as he sits down beside the hole in the ice. And, from there, he talks to the creature, legs crossed as his attention is focused solely on it.

Thomas is out and about around Lakeside, but occasionally he does make the trip to Milton to the hot springs. It’s the only place he can find relief, and he’s not particular about who goes with him and why. He has no shame anymore, especially not when the hot water is concerned.

Thomas ventures through the dark most of the time, but he doesn’t really care much about it. He’s in his shortsleeves and his trousers, tromping through the snow. He doesn’t like anyone to go hungry, though, so he can be a little nosy with people, ensuring that they have enough. And if they don’t, he is more than willing to offer some of his stores that he’s prepared.

[OOC: After Thomas leaves this thread in early December.]

He leaves the cabin and practically runs across the lake and the ice and the creature to the Doctor’s cabin. He knocks frantically, trying to regulate his breathing even though he feels like he’s going to fall apart. He hasn’t had something like this happen in months. Years, perhaps. A woman, upset, someone who isn’t Wynonna and who is a little emotional about something very upsetting.

It isn’t Kate’s fault.

It isn’t anyone’s fault.

But he still stands at that doorway and knocks and knocks while his breath comes in ragged and short. He doesn’t have a coat or even his boots on, just the comfortable shirt and trousers he had in the warmth of the house. There’s no time for things like practicality when the world has narrowed to the head of a pin.

“Try this tea,” Thomas says with a smile, holding out two cups to the Doctor as he makes him a little meal in his own cabin. “Wynonna decided that they would make the perfect gift, and I am eager to hear what you think of them.”

One is a berry flavored and the other is more tart. He doesn’t tell him which is which.

He just wants to do things for him, work for him, hear him laugh and smile. He wants to bring joy to the man who has brought so much joy to him . Thomas also has something else for him, something that he’s nervous to give him. What sort of present do you give someone who has been through the depths of time and space?

The Hot Springs; OTA

Thomas is out and about around Lakeside, but occasionally he does make the trip to Milton to the hot springs. It’s the only place he can find relief, and he’s not particular about who goes with him and why. He has no shame anymore, especially not when the hot water is concerned.

Hickey's got a system for wolf days. Bring a pack of clothes to stash away in a hidden location, explore the woods and wilds as a wolf, go to the Hot Springs, shift to a person and enjoy the hot springs without the worry of getting his clothes wet, back to wolf, run around, change clothes, go home. It's a system that works perfectly fine!

Except for when other people are in the hot springs. Hickey's lost what little bit of shame he has, but it's an objective fact that there are just some people here who he'd rather not deal with when he's buckass naked. Case in point: Thomas Jopson.

As Jopson relaxes in the hot springs, a familiar looking wolf trots to the entrance. Hickey, as a wolf, looks at Jopson and lets out a little doggy grumble of annoyance before walking further into the cave.

Thomas sits up and groans. "Do you always seek to darken whatever room I am in? To shatter my peace?"

He splashes the wolf as it passes.

Hickey gets splashed. But in true shithead form, he walks over towards Jopson and starts to shake, splashing him with his nasty wolf wetness.

And then, after being a jerk, he shifts back to human form. It's weird seeing Hickey's body shift to human form. It's annoying seeing Hickey buckass naked, dick out, right next to Jopson.

"You shouldn't be surprised that you'd have company here. It's cold enough for anyone to seek out warmth."

Michonne's gotten used to life beside this lake, and that means she's gotten...not used to the fact that there's a creature at all, but accepting. It's there, and she tends to give it a wide berth. But when she sees a familiar figure as she does a nightly routine walk, she decides to walk out onto the ice, to risk it, all because she's gone and gotten attached to some of the people here.

She doesn't mean to interrupt, so she pauses a few feet back; she hasn't been trying to keep quiet, giving him a chance to tell her he'd rather be alone.

"Here you are talking to a creature out of a science-fiction horror novel, just like a certain roommate I have."

One hand is braced on her hip, a hint of a smirk teasing her lips.

It's strange to think he's developed a sort of...semi-consistent routine in the evenings, when he's at his cabin. A routine; imagine that. He's not the routine type, he doesn't do that, and yet here he is, preparing to settle in by the fire with a bit of tea, something he vaguely realizes he does most nights if he's not with Thomas. Though, he hasn't started to brew the tea just yet when that urgent knocking disrupts everything, and he's quick to hurry over and fling open the door.

Worry floods him immediately. "Thomas — what's happened? Inside, inside," he reaches out with a hand to his shoulder, gesturing to bring him in, and closer to him.

Not for the first time, certainly not the last, the Doctor quietly notes how comfortable this feeling is, how almost familiar it's become now, spending this time with Thomas more regularly. Of course, eager to hear what you think gets him curious and excited. It hardly takes much.

He inhales the aroma of both, briefly with his eyes closed, although he can't discern anything so notable other than they both smell lovely. As his eyes open, he picks one to sip from first, and hums at first in those few seconds, but then quickly scrunches his nose up a bit, one eye squinting. "Ah, that's, that's very good. Bit of a plot twist in it, though — it's got you quite sure you're in for one thing, something sweet and soothing, and then a sudden punch of sour and you're off in another direction entirely. I love its boldness," he laughs a little, now taking another sip to examine it, but making a show of puckering his cheeks a bit. He loves sweet more than the tart, but he can appreciate the depth of flavor.

Now the other one has him equally curious, and he reaches for it. "I can only imagine this one. Did you have a favorite?" He asks as he brings this one closer, letting the mug warm his hands a moment.

He ducks into the water at the splash, rubbing the dirt from him. He wrinkles his nose, glaring over at him from the light of the torches.

"You are the only company I would protest," he grumbles. "And the cold doesn't touch me."

Thomas looks back, over his shoulder, his face reflecting the flickering light of the torch beside him.

"Ah, yes, well, this is not the only strange creature I have encountered here. And he is - predictable. Perhaps he takes things because he is lonely," he adds with a chuckle.

It is very unlike Thomas, but he reaches for the Doctor as he stumbles inside and he pulls him close, tight against his chest.

He can't talk, not yet, but he can do this, hold him like this, and regulate the fear that's beating at the edges of his vision.

"Of course I do, but you don't get to know it," he tells him, plaving his hands on the Doctor's shoulders, leaning against him.

How domestic and strangely intimate this feeling has become, he thinks to himself. "Not until you tell me which you prefer."

Hickey's eyes shine a bit with excitement as he muses, "So that's the gift you've got. Been wondering about that."

He slips into the hot springs, enjoying the comfort. Look, Jopson's annoying, but he's not going to just leave. He came here to relax, he's going to relax.

"Wonder why some of our lot have these gifts and others don't. Perhaps the Aurora finds us most fitting."

Her smirk turns into a hint of a smile, taking his small laugh to mean he doesn't mind the company.

"Never have thought much about this water creature, but I guess that could be. Lake doesn't seem big enough for two. Wonder if there's another one like it out there, some other body of water away."

She didn't know she'd care enough to wonder, but here she is. She wonders what that would be like, if it even knows that much about itself.

Despite knowing Thomas isn't affected by the cold, seeing that he'd trudged over here seemingly in the middle of something is as worrying as his lack of a response. It's not difficult to string it all together — the urgent knocking, his general state of what seems like needing to get away from something quickly.

He nudges the door shut as he quietly acquiesces, wrapping his arms around Thomas as tightly as he seems to need. He doesn't think he's always the best at this sometimes, knowing how to comfort, but he can follow the silent need, to be held. After a moment, he moves one hand lightly to the back of Thomas' head, his neck, both to soothe and just to check he wasn't injured, that no one and nothing had been attempting to harm him.

"No rush to talk," he assures him. "Just tell me you're not hurt."

A very poor attempt at being sneaky, but it's worth it for the easy chatter it promotes. He's quick to lean into his touch with little thought, briefly patting one of his hands before he sets the mug down. Deciding to dip the tip of his index finger into the liquid first rather than taking a big gulp, he's pleasantly surprised by the sweetness; a very concentrated berry flavor.

"I'd almost think I were eating a handful of berries and not just drinking tea," he hums, and very swiftly sips indulgently at it now.

"This one," he indicates the berry tea, but then seems to hesitate, and now he takes the tart tea and dumps some of it into the mug with the berry tea. "But I'm curious..." Now he smiles widely, sips it, nods and hums happily, and then holds it up to Thomas. "On to something I think!"

Edited 2025-01-06 00:06 (UTC)

"Perhaps there is. But it has been here a very long time," he agrees with a smile. "But I like to sit here and talk to it some nights. Perhaps that will alleviate its annoyance at us. I'd like to know what it does with the gifts that it's given."

Thomas imagines that maybe it's got some sort of home deep in the water where it guards its treasures, like a dragon. It's a nice thought, but he's not certain how realistic it is.

He rolls his eyes.

"The fact that I occupy any part of your mind while I am so far away is vexing, Mister Hickey. And telling."

But it is an interesting question. "I think it has to do with the dreams."

He breathes him in, that familiar scent invading his nose and wrapping around him tighter and warmer than any blanket ever could. He shakes his head, giving him that answer, at least, and then finally, after a long moment of clinging to him like a life preserver, he is able to pull away.

"I don't know what happened," he admits in a whisper. "I - I suppose I am simply under a little stress."

His laugh is soft and breathy in his ear and he goes to sit beside him, his hand on the Doctor's knee. The easy touch comes so much more naturally now to him, and he just focuses on those hands moving the tea from one cup to combine with the other.

"Oh that is cheating!" he declares with absolutely no intent at all, and he really ruins the image by laughing. "But let me try. I will tell you what I think."

They can eliminate physical injury, which is a relief, but only just. He'd been upset enough to rush over here in quite the hurry, and that will keep him worried until he knows more.

"A little stress..." He glances over him now, taking him in with a worried frown. He brushes some of his hair back, clocking how pale he may or may not be, then gently reaching for his hand. His lips briefly press to the pulse at his wrist; the action is multi-purpose, allowing him to note his pulse, and to soothe a moment. He thinks he knows what this is, but first...

"Just checking," he says softly. "Here, sit first and settle." As long as he needs. He guides him towards the sofa, near the crackling fire. "What were you doing, just before you came over here?"

"Possibly, from a given perspective, but I prefer to think of it as innovative," he teases easily, though he's quick to hand the concoction over for Thomas to try. With him sitting close, he leans in a bit more, naturally shoulder to shoulder.

Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow

The Lake; OTA

The Hot Springs; OTA

Wildcard; OTA

Aftermath; Closed for The Doctor and WAY backdated

Gift Giving; Closed for The Doctor pt 2 and NOT backdated

Re: The Hot Springs; OTA

Re: The Hot Springs; OTA

Re: The Hot Springs; OTA

no subject

Re: Aftermath;

Re: Gift Giving;

Re: The Hot Springs; OTA

no subject

Re: Aftermath;

Re: Gift Giving;

Re: The Hot Springs; OTA

no subject

Re: Aftermath;

Re: Gift Giving;

no subject

Re: The Hot Springs; OTA

Re: Aftermath;

Re: Gift Giving;

Re: Aftermath;

Re: Gift Giving;