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 Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2020 6:57 am
prompt Destiny City is hosting an annual scavenger hunt during the Star Festival to encourage people to get out and explore their city. The prize for turning in a completed scavenger hunt is a coupon booklet and a few free tickets to upcoming city events. Even if you aren’t interested in the prize, the scavenger hunt is specifically designed to take you through the city to showcase a few historic buildings, some art installations, and some of the city’s greatest accomplishments. While many of the places are familiar, during your explorations you come across a building you’ve never seen before--something that feels out of time. You’ve been in the area countless times before, so how did you miss this place? When you lay eyes on the building, you feel a strange timelessness and have the distinct sensation of being a part of something bigger. Briefly, you may see flashes of some distant past--a flickering memory that you can’t quite place or fully form. It’s hard to make out, but at some point in time you have the distinct impression of a faded figure taking your hand and telling you to do something. They sound hopeful and encouraging, like they really believe in you. By the time you blink, the visions are gone, the building is gone. The only thing that remains is a beautiful little garden and a plaque so faded that you can’t make out the inscription.
It was nice to get reacquainted with the city again. Most areas January was familiar with, since he had walked these streets for most of his life. He knew the outlet malls and roads around and leading into campus. He knew the nicest parks where he would take his younger siblings to play. He knew the school districts, the business districts, the downtown shopping areas. He was not a foreigner to Destiny City, for all that he'd only been back for a handful of months.
But after so many years of being away, there were undeniably new things that he wasn't familiar with, or things he'd just outright forgotten. He didn't remember ever doing a scavenger hunt during any of the previous Star Festivals, and it felt like he surely would have if he'd known about it? What a cute activity to enjoy with his little brothers and sisters...
They weren't so little, anymore, and January doubted they'd enjoy it now as they might have when they were younger, but it was still something they could do together, an experience they could share.
He laced his fingers with September's as they strode down the sidewalk of the arts district. "You know the museum is actually across from the office my work rented out for me. Since it's not like I need it very often, I don't think I showed it to you, yet. I'll point it out when we walk by. But it's a bit dreary. I'm so glad I can do most of my work from home. It would be so dreadful to have to go to an office every day." Though, admittedly, there was something about being home all the time that made a peculiar sort of achy sadness well up in him.
It was nice to be out in the sunshine with his little brother, for once.
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Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2020 1:37 pm
As much as January loved the sunlight, September did not. Yes, he loved the outdoors, but he did not like the feeling of sweat dripping down his back, or the way his shirts clung to his body whenever he tried to move. He could already hear the leacturing, nagging words of his eldest brother about his attire being the fault, not the summer sun but it wasn't as if September would listen.
No, he liked his dark clothes, and he liked the night far more than he liked the day. And even now, he refused to admit Jan was right, and hid his narrowed, glaring eyes behind his dark sunglasses.
Besides, he had little curiosity about the city, even back then when he was a little kid. His eyes were always focused instead on something else. Something moving, someone laughing... Why should he care about old buildings anyway?
It wasn't until Jan began to speak did his hateful glare at the bright white sidewalks shifted and relaxed, deciding to settle instead on the man by his side. They were certainly a pair that contrasted one another, atleast color wise.. Were he to put it to words, he could almost describe January as sunlight itself, bright... Blinding... Something that was needed to counter his own Moonlight self. Not that his attitude often reflected his black clothing. Despite what many people might think at a first glance, his soul was not, in fact, as black as his clothing.
"Though you don't use it, I'm sure we could set it up to be something more... Welcoming. Add a few extra chairs, some more darkness and black-out windows.. Then I think I'd come by and spend time there with you more often.." The thought of it seemed cheerey enough. They wouldn't be able to share it often of course, since he worked at the bar rather than at home, but it was a thought. And it was a fun little teasing thought.
Black-out curtains seemed the very opposite of what his brother's personality wanted. This whole city felt that way. Even with the idea of the 'Star Festival' having everyone be nice together being a nice thought, it didn't change the death toll the city had, nor did it feel as comfortable and breezy as California did. ... It was something he kept to himself, unwilling to ruin January's mood over it.
"It's... Hot." he finally admitted, gently pulling his hand away to better fold what little brochure they got into a makeshift fan. he cared little that it was pretty close to being ruined, all that info could be pulled up on there phones anyway. When was the last time he did any of this...? Once his fan was made, he reached back down, taking Jan's hand before the other got too offended. Sweaty palms or not, habits were hard to break. Plus, he had been courteous enough to wipe his hands off on his pants like a proper gentleman before touching Jan again.
"Does the hunt have us go inside somewhere? I wouldn't mind something cold to drink, how about you?"
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Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2020 3:03 pm
"I'm not very tempted by your idea of 'welcoming,'" January retorted flippantly as he moved ahead with long, confident strides. September may enjoy being lonely and blinded by darkness, but it was hardly anything January would wish on himself or anyone else. The thought of sitting at home or at work, in the dark, in the quiet, alone made dread claw at his insides. It was like a threat, persistent and inescapable. He could barely stomach night in his own home without delving into a place of his own insecurities.
God, he would hate to be at work feeling like that... But January was talented at putting up fronts. He was sure no one would notice if it came to that. Of course no one would.
But he didn't want to dwell on how he might feel, if something else were to change. Rationally, he knew it was ridiculous. It should be so easy to stay grounded in the present, with all the pleasantries available. It just didn't always work out like that. September's hand slipped away from his, and January folded his arms. "We will simply have to settle for the time we can spend together at home," he replied with a shrug, "And the times like this."
September reached for him again, and January's arm fell back to catch his. "I believe it's more of a 'location-finding' and not so much of a 'exhibits-experiencing' one. I think we will be outside, mostly. But I can get you something out of a soda machine? Or maybe we'll pass by a food truck..." He squinted through the brightness and the mingling crowds down the street.
"Yes, I'm sure we will. What were you in the mood for? Something fizzy or something creamy? Or maybe a nice tea... Hm..." He checked the time on his ridiculously unattractive apple watch. "It may be too late for me to be having too much caffeine, already. I'm old, you know, and I don't want to be awake all night being kept from my beauty rest."
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2020 7:58 am
"I know, I know, it was a joke." The idea of someone like Jan wallowing away in darkness seemed almost sacrilegious. He belonged in the sunlight, where the world could know his radiance and beauty.
That though alone put a kinda teasing smile on September's face.
"Location finding... Hmm.. Well, it's still kinda touristy, so there's a good chance there will be something cold and cheap nearby... A tea sounds good. And come off it, you are not old in the least. If you were old, I'd be pushing you around on a wheeler instead of struggling to keep up with your spritely strides, you know."
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2020 9:31 am
"I know it was," and he didn't want to think about it harder than that.
He brushed a curly bang out of his face and focused on the thought of a drink. "I kind of hope there are milkshakes nearby," January admitted as his pink gaze trained on the small shops and clusters of people near food trucks ahead. "But is it really a good idea? They're a bit heavy to be walking around after drinking them..." But so cold and so sweet. September had said he'd wanted a tea, but January couldn't help but at least propose an alternative. "Maybe you could get one, and I could just taste it off of you."
September was young. His body could handle that much dairy while still walking around in the heat and sun. January was sure of it.
With that thought, January's expression was immediately one of some cross between mortification, horror, and outright offense, with his brows pursed and pretty lips parted just ever so slightly. " A wheeler? God, I hope it never comes to that," he huffed. "Surely it would be better to just be dead, if I couldn't even walk on my own..." He spared a quick glance down to the five-inch lace-up wedges he wore and let out a soft hum.
"These probably don't help very much, though..." He tapped a forefinger to his lip in thought. "With being able to walk very far for very long, I mean. But they're very cute."
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2020 8:11 pm
"It sounds like it would curdle in your stomach. We could compromise and go for a strawberry smoothie instead. same thickness, can have some sort of almond milk or frozen yogurt added to it. But if you're really feeling the shake, we'll wait until we can actually sit down for a while. The last thing I want is for you to feel ill any part of today." How often did they really have time alone these days? Between work, dealing with the craziness of the city, and still trying to track down everyone, it seemed impossible to find some time to just relax.
A frown found its way to September's lips, and he stopped Jan, gently grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him in close for a quick hug.
"If it gets to that point, I'll just carry you around in my arms. And no, those shoes don't help, and yes, they are cute. But you know what's cuter? Functioning legs when you're 88 years old."
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