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Jack sat fingering the feather in his snowy hair, outwardly perfectly at ease as he leaned back in his chair in an effortless sprawl. Inwardly though he was sweating bullets –of the metaphorical kind, an ice based existence didn't lend itself to perspiration after all, internal or otherwise.
The feather's presence had caused quite a stir, and he tried to ignore the eyes on him from where he sat amongst the upper most of the middle ring of the terraces that composed the cavernous amphitheatre like room they were all sitting in.
Jack just didn't do crowds. Something about having that many pairs of eyes on him just made him itch. From where he was sitting he could see thousands already, and more were flooding in with every minute.
His balcony was located some ten of the possible eighteen levels above the distant ground, almost directly level the elevated central platform that was occupied by Mother Nature who had the exhausting job off keeping everything orderly and on track.
Gatherings like this were always fraught with unease which was part of the reason they were so rare. It was an excruciating effort gathering up all of the Spirits in the world and getting them into a room together for a powwow.
Thankfully the gigantic arena was large enough for rivals to be kept far apart from one another. Mother Nature had enough problems keeping things from devolving into pointless squabbling over imagined slights and who got to sit where without having to deal with fireballs being launched over stupid feuds no one cared to remember the details of except the ones involved –who it was worth noting, sometimes ended up forgetting themselves after the first hundred or so years of bitter enmity but seemed perfectly happy to punch each other in the face and start a brawl if they got the chance.
In short calling a meeting of the world's Spirits was nothing short of a headache in the making. Small wonder they were so rare.
Alas it seemed like the human's hadn't learned their lesson the first time and the ridiculous list of war reparations they'd imposed on Germany were looking like they were going to come back and bite them on the rear.
A second World War wasn't something anyone was looking forward to. Jack had to agree with Mother Nature on this one though –and his boss was usually right about these things, but a second war was looking likely and calling such a meeting no matter how headache inducing was therefore probably a prudent idea. Better safe than sorry, the last one had nearly wiped them all out after all.
Jack tried not to think about how things were probably going to go this time now that science and technology had grown beyond making better swords and digging bigger holes in the ground. The innovations begat by the last war hadn't been very reassuring.
The staring wasn't helping him keeping his cool either...
Really, it was just a feather.
Blocking out the stares and thoughts of impending doom Jack for his part focused on maintaining his appearance of nonchalance as Spirits continued to pour in hailing from every corner of the world imaginable –easier said than done with a half dozen eyes on him at any given moment.
It was important he kept up the appearance of being unaffected. No matter how much Jack enjoyed his freedoms and eccentricities his role as a Season was something he took seriously, and that meant keeping his cool no matter how much the stares made him want to fidget.
He could have gotten rid of the feather, put it away for safe keeping or when there were less eyes to see, but Tooth had given him it, placed it in his hair herself, and there it stayed. No matter how many eyes bore into his skull at the sight of it.
Jack very rarely received gifts, and he intended to treasure Tooth's. Jack knew she was immensely proud of her feathers and she would have never parted with one lightly. It was a princely gift, beyond princely.
Speaking of the Tooth Fairy... Jack could just make her out among the cavernous stands across from him, a small cloud of fairies was darting around her like attendants around a queen. Idly he fingered the feather again.
The other Guardians and Seasons were scattered across the room. From where he sat he could make out North and the 'Kangaroo' at opposite ends of the room on either side of him.
Jack frowned to himself as he noted that Sanderson was missing. Normally he'd be sitting near Jack, opposite Tooth.
Jack glanced at central podium where Mother Nature stood, as always her face was impassive. Mother Nature was rarely expressive, and especially not in what amounted to a public showing.
The minutes ticked by slowly, more Spirits pouring in by the moment, and still the Sandman did not show up.
Discreetly Jack began to manipulate a small flurry of snow, forming from the air small clumpings. Jack allowed himself a small smile as tiny pixie shaped figures the size of small moths formed, giving great stretches and yawns as they emerged, blinking sleepily, tiny wings fluttering.
With a whisper and a gentle blow he sent them on their way, doing his best to dismiss the creeping worry that was starting to make itself known.
Jack found himself breathing a silent sigh of relief when Sandy slipped in silently beside him half way through the conference.
The dream weaver gave him a nod in acknowledgment before turning his attention to where Mother Nature was speaking, and Jack felt the well of panic that had been forming inside him ease.
It seemed he'd worried for naught. Normally he wouldn't, Sandy was more than capable of handling himself in a fight, and his friend was perpetually busy maintaining the ever shifting webs of Dreamsand he insisted in overseeing in person.
These weren't normal times though Jack reminded himself bitterly, suddenly aware all too clearly of the empty spaces scattered throughout the crowd where once Spirits stood, now empty and silent.
Fadings and Fearling attacks, as well as other... unsavoury things were becoming all too common of late; and as always the moon was silent.
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An: The room for the Spirit assembly was inspired by the Senate Chamber from Star Wars which I always loved the design of. Say what you want about the prequels but they had some great location designs.