A Chill in the Air

[toocoldforthis]

The Nexus may have seen a glittering and glorious ball the night before, but every party must end. Every overindulgence has its morning-after regrets. The pains of burning eyes and revolting stomachs have visited more than a few people like malevolent fairies. And then the lucky denizens of the Nexus get another treat.

Cailleach may well be the grumpiest looking grumpy old lady ever. If she'd been sucking on lemons for a thousand years she could not look more sour. White hair fragile with age is hidden beneath a scarf and within the hood of her raincoat. Her glasses are old-fashioned, her makeup is out of style, and her shoes are sensible. Do not ask her for candy. She is not your granny.

What is is watching the goings-on with increasing vexation. Something about everyone passing by seems to set her to an ever-increasing amount of angry muttering. Finally, she can't contain it anymore. "Why don't young people prepare for the lean times coming? Do you all think it'll be sunshine and flowers forever?"

It doesn't matter who answers. She's grumpy and demands an audience.

((She's going to be 100% mean to just about everyone, be warned. #sorrynotsorry))

Comments

[damn_yourself_early]

A little boy steps up next to her, imitating her posture to warn, "there's a nip in the air. Cold like this won't be good for my crops." He can't quite keep a straight face, but finishes the quote through a grin; "it never is."

:P

[toocoldforthis]

Kid Loki is no doubt familiar with this reaction: the narrowing of eyes, the folding of arms, the quick intake of breath before everything he just said is dismissed with a "hmph".

"No, it won't."

She must have left her sense of humor in her other scarf.

[damn_yourself_early]

Yes, that's a very familiar reaction. Still, most people find him charming. Or confusing. The only people who don't rise to his bait are... "Sorry, have we met before?"

[toocoldforthis]

The question is deliberated, and when she realizes she's not certain, she adjusts her glasses and leans down to peer at him.

Staaaaaring. Creepy old lady staring.

"I know the type," she determines after an uncomfortably long staring session. Is she impressed by the godling?

No. No, she is not.

[damn_yourself_early]

How can anyone not like that face? That smile? "Oh, do you? Then we'll get along famously!" he declares. "I'm Loki, what's your name?"

[onemorebounty]

*The question catches Samus' ear. In the culture that raised her, the Elders are respected and (relevantly) heeded. She diverts from her current course to ask a question of her own.*

Are these some specific lean times you know are coming, or just lean times in general?

[toocoldforthis]

Should the list of ways be alphabetical or weight?

She hmphs at the idea of their getting along, nevermind famously. The boy's a tricky one, and she has no patience for that. "Cailleach. Loki, eh? I've heard of a Loki. He was a grown man, not a little boy."

She didn't like him.

[toocoldforthis]

Is that how her elders raised her, to sass back? Cailleach is not impressed. Not with the sass, and not with that wardrobe. In her days...

"Both. It's near winter now, the snows will be falling soon, and what have you done to prepare? Silly girl, you don't even have a proper coat!" Cailleach shakes her head in that particularly infuriating mixture of patronization and regret.

[damn_yourself_early]

Chronological, perhaps?

"Cailleach, that's a pretty name. It sounds a little... Celtic?" He looks hopeful, as though the query will tease forth some bit of lore about the lady. Fat chance, he knows, but even a rebuff can be informative. "Ah, yes. Everyone's heard about that Loki. Good news, he's dead. Bad news if you were hoping to kill him, though, I'm afraid you missed it. Pardon me if I don't wish you better luck next time."

This kid, seriously.

[onemorebounty]

*Samus wasn't even trying for sass, it was a sincere question. The condescension is a little irritating, but there's still some ingrained respect of Elders keeping the Hunter's demeanor respectful.*

Ah, winter. This is a vacsuit--it can keep me at a comfortable temperature down to ten degrees below freezing. My armor can handle deeper cold, but I don't usually wear it around here because it tends to make people nervous.

[toocoldforthis]

By the number of time Odin's beard is taken in vain?

"Aye." That's as much agreement as she intends to give him about anything for the rest of forever. Just because. If he wants lore, he'd be better off going to a library for it. "I had no particular issue with that one, but I am glad to hear he's gone."

This boy! To have to hear such glee at the thought of death. Not even doing the killing, just the idea of a god dying. She's almost... smiling.

[damn_yourself_early]

By Ymir's craggy britches!

The gods of Asgard are a bloody bunch, if truth be told. For all their merriment, they have a great love of death. The hailing of it is a sound that rings familiar in little Loki's ears. "Yes, that's what everyone says. Usually before talk of an encore. You wouldn't do something like that, would you?"

[toocoldforthis]

The old woman isn't quite sure what a 'vacsuit' is, except indecent-looking, which only makes her grump about it more. Damned technology going and changing things!

"Aye, and your food stores? Your medicines? Have you put up for winter?"

[toocoldforthis]

Look even she has standards.

True, his kind are bloody-minded. How much does he really know of hers? "No, boy, your time is not yet come. But." Her gaze shifts to the side, where surely there is not a bird sitting and preening while he pretends not to listen. "A season for all things, and everything in its time."

[onemorebounty]

*Yes, in Samus' time, technology has changed so very much.*

On what I have stashed here and there, I could eat for years--assuming I didn't bother to hunt anything to supplement that. Where medicine is concerned, if I can stay conscious through it, I have the tools to put myself back together from it, and possibly more if I have needy guests. I like to be prepared.

[damn_yourself_early]

Loki follows her gaze. "You can see him?"

[toocoldforthis]

"Of course, I can see him, boy." Hmph. Kids today. Not even knowing what their elders can do, never mind respecting it. There was a time...

[toocoldforthis]

Let's not say that Cailleach doesn't like how everything's being destroyed, poisoned by progress. It's kind of her jam. But does it have to be so noisy and stinky? Must they act so smugly superior about it? Smug superiority is her thing! She's been doing it since before forever!

And now here's a sass-backer who's prepared. What's she supposed to grump about now? Not having anything to grump about, of course! "Yes, well. Your big plans won't always work, missy."

[damn_yourself_early]

"Well! That's all sorts of interesting. You hear that, Ikol?" he adds to the bird. "You'll have to be on your very best behavior." The bird humphs, ducking its head into its body and fluffing up indignantly. To Cailleach, he adds, "he likes you!"

[onemorebounty]

*Is she annoyed that the progress-poisoners eventually started trying to find ways for the progress to not be poisonous and destructive? As for preparation, well...*

Of course not. So I make more plans for the chance that they'll fail, and more for if those fail, on and on, and still keep myself as ready to improvise as I can. If something's going to kill me, it's got a long, hard fight to look forward to, and I intend to leave a crater when I go.

[mosthonest]

"And what of those born to lean times, good mother? There are plenty who have known naught but a kind of sunless wasting."

He may be questioning her, but his tone is perfectly respectful--a wise tactic, coming from a culture of indomitable nonnas who would not hesitate to slap some decency into you no matter your age if they thought you needed it. They all had a vein of iron running through them beneath a sunny and generous disposition... this one clearly just wore it on the outside.

[toocoldforthis]

He missed out on the sunny and generous half of the year. Try again in the spring.

Does he hope that being respectful is going to get his cheek pinched? Well, it's not getting him slapped, so maybe it's a successful tactic. The question gets a tired 'hmph' from her before she answers. "Better to never know what others must lose. It makes a person stronger."

[toocoldforthis]

Of course she's annoyed. She'd be annoyed if they didn't, too. There's literally no winning with this one. Especially not today.

"Sounds busy," she grumps. "How're you supposed to remember all those plans when you need them?" But all grumping aside, that idea of leaving a crater when she goes almost, almost gets a look of approval.

[toocoldforthis]

She can hmph right back at you, Ikol, and don't you forget it.

"Don't tell lies, boy, you're no good at it." Really, these two, they don't even add up to one proper god. No wonder things end so badly.

[damn_yourself_early]

"Can I quote you on that?" Loki asks hopefully. "I could really use a good reference like that."