Secret of Frost and Moon

Putting a Foot Down

Alaia Skyhawk: For those who have asked, I've no plan to give Jack a love interest. It's something I feel would detract from this story, or at least take it in a direction it's not meant to go. However if Jack romances are your thing, you and I all know there are LOADS here on FFnet. This just won't be one of them :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rise of the Guardians, the Guardians of Childhood, or any related characters etc. This story is written purely for entertainment purposes.

~(-)~

Chapter 96: Putting a Foot Down

He whistled cheerfully to himself as he finished up the last of the frostdust distribution for the day, completely ignoring the sparodic ringing sound coming from his tablet computer just below. The same way he'd ignored it every morning since just after the first seminar held by David Bennett.

It was now late January, and in the more southern areas of the North of the World, winter was giving way to spring. But there were still plenty of places further north where frost and snow would still cling on for a while yet. Plenty of places where children would be overjoyed to get a visit and play a game with Jack Frost.

Frostdust done, Jack settled back at his desk to write a few tip-offs for immortals the winds said had things going on in their territories. There were barely a dozen to write; the Bennetts' emergence from anonymity was already doing what they'd hoped. They were opening eyes, inspiring those who had been doubtful, and above all making sure everyone who listened to a speech from one of them became aware of the incredible possibilities that now lay ahead. For the correction of disrupted weather patterns, via reforestation projects with the help of Mother Nature and the Spirit of Spring to reverse Global Warming. For the ending of famine, with cleverly designed farming methods ranging from high to low-tech, and also of poverty. With yet other technologies that would help the needy to lift themselves up to a good standard of living, without harming the environment in the process.

Understandibly some people were worried that a sudden plunge in deathrates among the poorest nations would lead to an equally massive population explosion. While that was true, it was also a noted fact that as living standards increased, birthrates tended to fall. Not only that but hopefully some tactful 'advice' from the Immortals, against having unneccessarily large families, would help everything settle to an equilibrium much faster.

But Jack wasn't going to worry himself over things like that. Human birthrates were Mother Nature's concern to deal with, not his. Nope, right now he was still whistling to himself as he thought about his itinery for the next two weeks... Idly tapping the 'decline' icon on his computer every time it started ringing.

However, after selecting decline for what was probably about the thirtieth time, he sighed with annoyance and hit 'accept'.

"Yeah, what?"

He didn't even look at Marcia's face when it appeared in a box at the corner of the screen, although he didn't need to in order to know she was frowning.

"Jack, why have you been so hard to contact lately? Have you been avoiding contact on purpose?"

The Spirit of Winter sealed up the current note he was writing, and handed it to the sprite that bounded up into view of the camera to take it. After murmuring to it who the note was for, he started writing the next.

"Are you going to say why you were so persistent today, or were you just calling to complain. Because if it's the latter, I end this conversation right now."

She was still frowning, this time at his bluntly dismissive attitude, but did get to the point.

"There's a conference tomorrow, and-"