Fandom Museum, Sunday December 21st

[apologizeswithpie]

The reasons for the disguise were somewhat muddied at this point, but Gregorith still normally felt more comfortable when out and about with it on. Today he was amused by the notion of a big scary demon wearing a snuggie so he decided to forgo the disguise.

Though he was wearing it backwards because he just found it easier to do things that way.

There was cocoa and coffee in case people needed help warming up if/when they came in.

Comments

[hasaknightjob]

Sometime in the afternoon Steven popped by. He was dressed for the weather and carrying a small wrapped parcel. He noted Gregorith's appearance but simply noted it in terms of Gregorith's comfort level.

"Greg, hello! How are you today?"

[apologizeswithpie]

"Steven! I'm well, and you?"

Perfect timing, Greg had just finished wrapping Steven's present.

[hasaknightjob]

"Very well, thank you," Steven said. He came over to the desk where Gregorith was. "Er - I don't know if you celebrate any holidays this month? But Llewellyn and I have something for you. Two somethings, I suppose, depending on how you count them."

[apologizeswithpie]

"Thank you! We do a kind of general celebration. I'm actually headed home for a few days for that soon. I've got something for you as well. I...I'm afraid I didn't get anything for Llewellyn, mostly because I realized I don't actually know him."

He'd also thought of trying to get something for Marc but he also didn't know much about him.

[hasaknightjob]

"That's more than all right," Steven assured him. "Though he prefers Watts unless he's said otherwise. And I'm glad I caught you before you left town then. I'll be heading out as well for New Year's. We both will. Bit of a tradition now. Suppose that means after today it'll be an entire year before I see you again."

Steven grinned at that, because he did not tire of that sort of humor.

[apologizeswithpie]

"Oh! Watts. Got it, thank you." And then he had to parse out the joke. Because linear time was still something that went above afterlife denizens' heads sometimes.

"A whole year? Oh. Heh, right." he chuckled. At least he knew about New Years.

[hasaknightjob]

It was good that Greg got it because there was a non-zero chance Steven would be making the joke again the next time he saw him.

"Shall we?" Steven said, holding up what he'd brought. He put two packages on the counter. One a plastic container in which gingersnap cookies could be seen, the other a wrapped gift.

"The biscuits are baked by Llewellyn," Steven explained. "And the gift - well you've no obligation to open it now. Whenever you fancy."

[apologizeswithpie]

Not adhering to any particular holiday made for a wonderful excuse to not delay gratification in terms of opening one's gift.

Though of course he handed over what he'd gotten for Steven first.

[hasaknightjob]

It was still the holiday for Steven. Plus he had no problems opening gifts where people could see his reaction. So he happily unwrapped it and then smiled when he saw what was inside. "Oh brilliant! Thank you. Look forward to reading it."

[apologizeswithpie]

"Likewise." Greg smiled his own pleasure, and also at the fact that they both got each other books about history. "I went down a bit of a rabbit hole with yours, which I intend to delve a bit deeper into back home."

He wondered what the Mesopotamian deities were up to these days.

"If you don't think it would make him uncomfortable, tell Marc happy holidays for me will you?"

[hasaknightjob]

"I thought since you've been learning about how things work around here you might appreciate something about local history," Steven explained, in case Greg wondered why he'd picked that particular book. "And I'll pass it on, thank you. I'm glad you had a chance to meet him. And that you got on well."

Of course it helped that Steven and Greg got on well. Marc might not be the most personable or outgoing of people, but getting along with Steven was a bit of an instant ticket to Marc's good graces.

[apologizeswithpie]

Many folks back home might be surprised at how personable Greg was being, if not outgoing. He himself had been somewhat shellshocked at the friendliness of people here. someday the mun might stop mentioning how SCARY Greg was seen to be back home, but it is not this day

"I appreciate it, yeah. We get a somewhat general view of the mortal world back home, so before coming here I don't think I'd even heard of Baltimore. So this does interest me.

"Oh, and, do you celebrate a particular holiday?"

[hasaknightjob]

"It's right across the causeway," Steven explained, in case Greg hadn't learned that yet. "And yes. I'm Jewish so right now is Hanukkah for me. Marc and Llewellyn as well."

[apologizeswithpie]

That much he knew, but that was...kind of all, so the further information would be interesting.

"Happy Hanukkah then, to all of you."

[hasaknightjob]

"Cheers," Steven said. "Will you be back home long?"

[apologizeswithpie]

"About a week I think. I'll be back in time to work next Sunday at least." Which gave him, if he estimated the "time zone" difference correctly, a few days to recover from the big bash.

[hasaknightjob]

"Looking forward to it?" Steven asked. "I know sometimes home can be complicated for people."

[apologizeswithpie]

"I am actually. I miss my friends and family." The complicated bit would be being back home without being back on the job. He'd taken vacations before, even long ones. But this was different. He'd always known when he'd be back. The open ended nature of his "ambassadorship" occasionally gave him pause. "Also I miss the weather. I know winter doesn't last forever but sometimes it seems like it is."

[hasaknightjob]

"What's the weather like back home then?" Steven asked. "Home for me is a different dimension but London, England. So it's winter there as well."

[apologizeswithpie]

"Well home home is Hell. So it's warm there all the time. Usually about 80 or 90 degrees Fahrenheit, or so Lily estimates. The universal hall is more temperate, it's designed to be comfortable for a wider range of beings...though I guess it also appears like it's indoors so maybe weather isn't the right word there. Then it gets complicated because of all the other realms."

Even most of the Asgardian worlds didn't get much below freezing. Jotunheim maybe.

[hasaknightjob]

"No, I can understand that," Steven said, since in a way it sounded a little like Midnight. "Sort of like a heating and cooling system but for the entire realm. So is today a good day for you then? Knowing it's the last of the long nights? Or is it the cold that's not your preference?"

[apologizeswithpie]

"It's the cold. I've been to realms in the afterlife that had lower temperatures but never for this long and even they didn't get as cold as some days here have been." Oh poor Greg, still thinking 20's was the coldest it would get.

[hasaknightjob]

"We'll be in for that for a while at least," Steven said, giving Greg an apologetic look. "A few months more, likely. Summer's very warm though, you've that to look forward to."

[apologizeswithpie]

Greg sighed. "Well at least I'll be prepared now. I plan to get some extra cold weather stuff while I'm home. When I first arrived I didn't even know I'd be in the land of the living so I wasn't fully equipped for climate stuff."

[hasaknightjob]

"You'll find layers are helpful," Steven said. "Easier to put them on and take them off to adjust for indoor and outdoor temperatures. Oh! And a hat. Keep your ears and head warm."

[apologizeswithpie]

"That's on the list." he nodded. "Just gotta find ones that can accommodate the horns." If all else failed he could commission something. "Failing that, a long scarf like on Mr. What."

[hasaknightjob]

Steven looked at Gregorith thoughtfully. "You're not the first I've met with horns. I'll ask where they get their hats from."

Did Darkchilde wear hats? Steven would find out!

[apologizeswithpie]

"Thanks, even if I get one or two from home, I wouldn't mind some variety." He wasn't exactly a clothes horse but a collection of hats wouldn't be bad. Probably not baseball/trucker caps though.

[hasaknightjob]

"Do you have a particular style you favor?" Steven asked. He held up the knit hat he'd worn over to the museum. "Something like this? Or more formal, like a fedora?"

[apologizeswithpie]

"A knit hat wouldn't be bad, I think a more formal style might suit me better, but I've heard that fedoras are very out of fashion." He wondered how he'd look in something with a wide brim but that might be impractical if it got windy.

[hasaknightjob]

"Not as common as they once were, but some still wear them," Steven said. "But knit can be more comfortable it's true. Better for keeping your ears warm as well, I find."

Gregorith might be a demon, but that didn't mean Steven didn't fret about things like cold ears.

[apologizeswithpie]

"Do deerstalker caps have ear flaps?" Would that mar the outline or something? Maybe Angel would know. "Although, only half kidding I do kind of like the image of a long dark coat and a black knit cap so I can stand brooding out at the bay." Be the ominous dark figure that you want to see on the horizon.

not that the mun has ever imagined themselves in an emo music video while walking along the boardwalk in the off season

[hasaknightjob]

"I have one like that!" Steven said, perking up considerably. He gestured with his hands to indicate a square-ish cap with ear flaps. "Not a deerstalker but one that has flaps and all. I got it in Canada."

Steven drew himself up proudly, as he thought he looked rather smart in that hat. It was a touristy kitsch type of thing so arguably nobody did, but Steven was oblivious to such things.

[apologizeswithpie]

"I think I've seen pictures of those, a few different styles. Not certain it would suit me, but I'm not ruling anything out." He did like the practicality of those though.

[hasaknightjob]

"There's earmuffs as well," Steven said, just to give Greg more options. He held his hands up by his ears. "Keep those warm but your head free other than the band? Might help you get around the horns more?"