nexus_sages | Snowstorms and matchmaking: An early Valentine's post

Winter in the Nexus has been especially present this year. The weather has presented plenty of hardships for the past few months, something which numerous people have bemoaned. It doesn't look set to change, either. If anything, Winter seems to be going stronger than ever. There are no signs of it winding down at all.

Everything seems normal at first, the usual hustle and bustle has the Nexus thrumming now that people have adapted to the cold conditions. Then, rather suddenly, everything kicks into gear. The wind starts to howl, battering people to and fro. Not long after that, the sky becomes thick with snow, making it nearly impossible to see, the biting cold driving people back inside. It soon becomes completely inhospitable to all wandering around outside.

In the hurry to get out of the storm, people end up scurrying to the nearest available shelter. Apartment lobbies, houses, cafés, shops, restaurants, the library... Anywhere and everywhere that offers some shelter. Peculiarly, people seem to end up in pairs as they hide away from the cold. Looks like everyone is going to have to huddle close together. For... warmth... We'll say it's for warmth.

((This is entirely an excuse to shove characters together and force them to spend time with each other. Feel free to have as many threads as you like, trying as many combinations as you like, where ever you like. Brave souls can try and berate Reynard if they really want to.))

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Iphigenia hadn't been minding the cold as much lately--let's say she got used to it.

Until now.

She was headed out to get a cup of tea at a cafe (she's recently discovered the joys of warm beverages in cold weather) when the storm hit. Now she's in a tiny clothing shop, the closest warm place she could find, and she's still cold. The wind seems to be coming into the shop through any drafty spaces, and she can see the snow whirl around outside.

The princess shivers, wondering how she's going to get back home.

The door to the clothier swings open again, probably to the dismay of the princess. There's a redhead shuffling in with her shoulders up to deflect the weather as best she can.

"--going to cut out. Weather's giving me trouble." Natasha stops talking to herself, but pulls a small device off of her ear and deposits it into her jacket pocket. She actually has to give effort to get the door shut again in the gusting wind, and when it does finally close Natasha looks miserable and nearly frozen.

"I thought this place didn't get weather." Someone is not happy.

Iphigenia shivers when the door opens, her teeth chattering. She would give you a friendlty smile, Natasha, but she's freezing right now.

"Yes, it's so awful outside!" she exclaims. "How did it get like this so quickly?"

And then:

"Who were you talking to?"

Someone doesn't understand modern technology, hey!

"Magic, I'd wager." Natasha says the word as though it's an inappropriate slur. Considering how her job normally goes down? It probably is.

She gives the princess a look before her poker face is momentarily broken by another tremor that shakes her form head to toe.

"The people I work for." She fishes out the earpiece and holds it out for Iphi to see. "It sends messages."

"Oh," Iphigenia replies, sounding genuinely amazed. "And I do wonder about the magic, or what gods rule over this place. From time to time, strange things seem to happen here, and I don't understand why."

She shivers again.

"I'm still cold." Cue a little pout.

"As am I." Natasha's eyes skim the door but there don't seem to be any apparent cracks or gaps for the wind to get in. Instead the cold is a seeping one, spreading as though it has a will of its own through door and window alike.

She wastes no time in sizing the princess up before rummaging through the clothing store and returning with a shawl that she drapes over her shoulders.

"We're just borrowing it." She says, too used to the judging looks she would normally get from those she works with.

"Oh, that's a good idea," she says with a smile, clearly grateful. She wraps the shawl around herself, but pauses a moment.

"Do you want to...share it? If you're still cold?"

Natasha pauses, still looking back toward the door.

"We should get as far away from the windows and doors as we can." No telling how long they'll be holed up there, after all. She guides Iphigenia further into the store and sits against a back wall.

It's only then that she thinks about the princess's request, and shge holds a hand out to guide her highness down to sit next to her.

"It'll be okay." She assures Iphi. "I'll make sure nothing happens to you." That's what heroes do, right? Her. A hero. Jesus, Nat.

Iphigenia takes Natasha's hand and sits down next to her, comfortable with the shawl on.

"I know," she replies, a little bit of a fierce look in her eyes suddenly. "I'm not too afraid." She's been through worse, after all.

"it's already a little warmer," she says, helpfully.

"Yep." She makes sure to pop the 'p' sound so Iphigenia knows she's teasing.

"Ever had to deal with weather like this before?" She'll pull the princess shoulder to shoulder with Natasha to better keep the heat between them.

Iphigenia smiles a little.

"Not really, no--at least, not until I arrived here," she replies. "It was never this bad back home."

"It's not so bad. We're in a shelter, we've got each other, and I'll make a trek outside later if we need food or water. There's not much for containers in here to melt snow, but we'll manage."

Natasha sighs and lets her eyes slip shut for a moment, head resting against the wall.

"Tell me about your home? It's okay if you don't want to. I'll understand."

"No, I don't mind," she says gently. "It's not so bad to remember it."

Iphigenia smiles for a moment, lost in the past.

"Mycenae was a very grand city--heavily fortified, and wealthy, too. My father was very rich and powerful, and therefore, I lived in luxury for most of my life."

Until Aulis, she thinks.

"I miss my family the most, I think."

Snowstorms and matchmaking: An early Valentine's post

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