A Snowflake in the Desert

[desertpowered]

There’s a young man hanging around the Plaza with two owl-griffins perched on his shoulders. Paul Atreides isn’t particularly used to snow, but he doesn’t seem that bothered by it either, wearing a coat to keep out the cold and holding a small bag of meaty chunks. Occasionally he tosses one to the griffins, who eagerly snatch it.

He’s careful only to bring out animals who have tolerance for the winter - Paul himself can adjust to it, but it took him a little time and he is still learning things about the season. Not so much serious things, since this winter doesn’t seem to be so serious. He’s more interested in the ways people entertain themselves. Oh, he knows about snowball fights and Yule goats, but his hunger for knowledge is never easily satisfied.

Paul rubs one of his griffin friends under the chin and rewards it with a piece of meat, then turns to anyone who approaches him. “Tell me, what is your favorite thing to do during this time of the year?”

Comments

[jarheadclan]

"Plenty dangerous in my forest, plants and animals alike. 'specially if you don't know what you're doing," Jake adds, and laughs a little at his own private joke.

"So, what, you looking to pick up something new? Only thing I cared about in winter back on Earth was whether the sidewalks were clear enough I wasn't gonna get my wheels stuck going to the bar."

[desertpowered]

"That's true for my forests, too. On one visit I almost got poisoned, and on another I was almost killed by territorial snake-creatures. Both times I would have died without outside help."

Paul tilts his head. "Where I come from, humans left Earth long ago, and it's a wild planet now. It's still on our charts and its location is known, but very few go there. I've never been, even to visit. My homeworld is called Caladan."

[jarheadclan]

"I got chased by a palulukan my first day in the jungle," Jake shares with a fanged grin. "I got away from that on my own, but I got stupidly lost. If it wasn't for Neytiri pulling my ass out of the fire, I would've lost my avatar that same night."

The thought of Earth being wild and abandoned is unfathomable to Jake, and he blinks those big golden eyes, peering down at Paul. "Wha -really? You all must've gotten offworld earlier than we did. Even if there was somewhere else to go, evacuating the planet would take more resources than they've got."