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

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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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Verity had been on her way home from work when the storm hit. Well. Technically, she'd been on a detour to a little chocolate shop she likes, peering in the window like a kid, wondering what to get. Something with strawberries for Naugus, and Matt likes just about everything... It was the wind that convinced her to finally go inside.

Right. The wind.

So the good news is, when she looks away from the chocolates long enough to realize she's not getting home any time soon, she's in a chocolaterie. The bad news is, she's in a chocolaterie.

She is getting those cherry bonbons now, that's for damn sure.

The amount of snow that Chris has had to deal with within the past few weeks is enough to make him consider moving to somewhere warm and staying there for the remainder of his life. This storm certainly isn't deterring him from that option. His weather app, unsurprisingly, doesn't apply to any areas within the Nexus, and he's hardly the type of person to recognize an incoming storm, so of course he went out and had no idea what he was really stepping into until the storm actually hit. At that point, it's really too late to do anything about it.

The bluster of snow hardly makes it easy for him to head to his destination; hell, he can't even walk in a straight line because of it. There's no use fighting against it, so he decides to take cover in the nearest shop, uncaring of what's actually inside.

When he pushes the door open, a sweet smell immediately caters to his senses. Also, out of all the people to be caught in a storm with, he catches eye of someone he actually knows. Being in a chocolate still with a cool person like Verity is definitely ideal.

"Yo, yo, yo!"

Not many people have been coming and going, so everyone looks up when the door opens. Chris is pretty recognizable, much the same way she is: the hair. While he's getting his bearings, he's also getting a bit of a magical assist in getting the snow off. Her ice magic powers are minuscule, but they're very good at coaxing snow out of hair and clothes and back out the door. The wiggling fingers could be confused for a greeting; does he even notice the magic?

"Hey! Fancy meeting you here." Smiles all around, or from Verity at least. "You okay?"

Upon arriving to this place, he may have chose to ignore some magic, but it's been a couple weeks. He's accepted that things are weird here, and that it's all pretty cool. Anything to keep the snow from melting onto him is definitely welcome.

"Yeah, no, I'm awesome. Saw that it was storming, and I thought it would be the best time to hang out outside."

"Oh, yeah, definitely the best time to indulge in chocolate cravings," she agrees with a smirk. "It's warmer over here by the kitchen. You want a hot chocolate? My treat." He's just going to have to live with the fact she's a caretaker and they're stranded together. How terrible is his life right now.

"So, how're you enjoying your stay here?"

Everything is so difficult when you have a friend that makes you soup and buys you hot chocolate.

Sounds like his mom, actually.

"How could I even say no to that?" Who would ever turn down free hot chocolate? Certainly not him.

"It's not bad. Ran into my best friend, realized that superheroes are real." And just about everything else that's fictional from where he's from. "I could definitely get used to being here for awhile." He sounds a bit different from the oh so eager to get home person he was when they first met.

She's literally the worst.

"People have done stranger things." Do not get her started on the weirdness that was her world. So weird. Much better to come and join her hot chocolate party. Surprise twist: it's got wine in it. Because screw marshmallows, they're adults.

(There can be marshmallows too, because again: they're adults. Fuck the marshmallow police they do what they want.)

"You don't have superheroes where you're from?" She looks so sad for him. She is so sad for him. "I'm glad you found your friend, though. That's got to make it easier. Think you'll be sticking around for a while?"

~~BLESS YOU FOR USING PARKS AND REC GIFS~~

He has an unwavering love for marshmallows, so of course he wants them along with his chocolate and alcohol. How did he become fortunate enough to get stuck in a chocolate store with Verity? Because this is great.

"Nope." There's a pause from him, and his eyes crinkle as if an unwelcoming thought had just crossed his mind. "I mean, you really never know, though. There could be." Nothing seems impossible anymore, even where he's from.

The topic of his friend revives his prior expression, and he nods in agreement with a smile. "Yeah, it definitely does." Sometimes easier, sometimes complicated, actually. "It's not like I can hop on a train and go back home, so I guess I am, yeah."

~~You're very welcome!~~

Some people just have all the luck. And all the marshmallows. A WINNER IS YOU, CHRIS.

"You'd probably know. They're brightly colored and usually end up on the news," she points out. "At least, where I come from." Oh, the stories she could tell him. The pictures she can show him. Maybe later.

"Have you two found a safe place to stay yet?" If her best friend were stranded in the Nexus with her, she knows they'd be sticking together for these kinds of things. Loki would, at least, make sure she's safe before going off on another adventure. "I can help with that if you'd like. Make introductions, I mean, to people who have safe places for rent. And before you start again: I was stranded here once too. I'm just trying to do what I wish someone had done for me."

Best snowstorm ever.

Yes, please, show all of the pictures. "Maybe. They could be super secret, though." Weirder things have been kept unknown; he knows that for a fact.

"Uh, kinda? If you'd call a hobo layer safe." Need he explain more? Does hobo layer cover what the place could possibly look like? "That would actually be awesome. Not even gonna try to fight it or call you super nice anything."

"True, that's possible. For a while. But I don't think that kind of secret can be kept for long." Look at those poor kids at the school. They ended up surrounded by Sentinels.

She doesn't need deets about the hobo layer, no. Thanks, but no. No even thankful for the offer, honestly. "Okay, I will call Schön." Out comes her phone. Frown. Poke. More frown. "Once the storm lets up enough for me to get a signal. So much for the robust network here. Guess you're stuck with me for company until then."

Stop trying to ruin his dream that there could be superheroes back in his world. "Guess that makes sense." Bummer.

He hadn't expected her to go ahead and try to make a call right now, and isn't surprised that it doesn't go through. The effort is greatly appreciated, however. "I could always go back outside, freeze to death. But I guess I could hang out with you instead."

She was trying to point out that they'd be public news someday. "Not every world gets its supers at the same time. Maybe someday you'll be telling your grandkids about the day you and the world first saw one." This is a thing she's noticed. Even worlds with very similar heroes sometimes have them starting much later. ~~Lookin' at you, MCU.~~

Ver prefers to try and do things right away before she forgets. Otherwise, she starts to fret and overthink things. "I'll try not to be terrible. Hopefully, the wine will help. So, where were you headed before all this started?"

There's a shine to his eyes when she mentions that it could happen, but his gaze briefly lowers when he considers the implications. He's knows he'd welcome the magnificence of superheroes, but he also wonders if he would consider the safety of normalcy for his own mental preservation.

"Trying to get a feel of the money and barter system. I've collected some junk, and I wanted to see what I could get with it."

She knows that feeling. That's how she felt the first time she met a superhero. Well, on the inside. On the outside, she was awkward af, as per usual. In her defense, being in the same room as Thor and Loki is always volatile.

"Hmm. You'll probably get more if you stop calling it 'junk'. If you don't value the things you're offering, why should anyone else?"

"Another man's trash is another man's treasure, right?" Not to say what he has is literal garbage. He wouldn't go around with an old sock and have high expectations to get something good. "Besides, it's like a beta test."

"True, but you call that 'old junk' an antique or vintage, and you can charge more. People are easily influenced by your choice of words. Language is... tricky and imprecise." He looks hipster enough to understand the crazy markups shopping at the curated vintage shop instead of rooting through the Salvation Army himself.

"Verity." A pause. "You're a genius, you know that? Literally a genius." Maybe he shouldn't loudly profess that he's trying to sell junk. He's trying to sell vintage treasures. That works.

She laughs, but isn't shaking her head at the compliment this time. Progress? "I'm just happy to help."

Oh, look at that, fresh hot chocolate for both of them, liberally libated.

"Want to practice your pitch on me, while we're here?"

Hot chocolate first, words after. All he offers is an arched brow at her suggestion before taking a long sip. The warmth is happily welcomes, and the unexpected tang of alcohol is an added bonus.

"Seriously?" He finally asks.

The hot chocolate is easily the star of the show today. Or at least the next five minutes. In the Parisian style, it's melted chocolate with just enough milk and wine added to make it drinkable.

She gives a little shrug along with her nod. "Why not? Looks like we've got plenty of time to fill."

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Snowstorms and matchmaking: An early Valentine's post

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