The Start of the Storm

[shardofwinter]

The god hosted Yule party left the Nexus in the state of beautiful Winter Wonderland. With the snow falling softly and steadily, and the beautiful festive lights twinkling in the darkness, the Nexus is left with a sense of serene nostalgia hanging in the cold air. This peace and joy clings to the streets for several weeks, buoying everyone’s mood as they look back on the past year and forward to ringing in the new one. 

It starts in the Wilds, and the outskirts. The cold air suddenly feels like it freezes everything it touches in an instant. Light doesn’t quite pierce the gloom. Gentle snowfall becomes thick and falls hard. One or two people looking for shelter from their uninhabitable homes isn’t too noticeable. People can still enjoy their pretty Winter, blissfully unaware. Pipes freeze solid, paths become impassable, power cuts out, simple walks become baffling in the poor visibility. Soon it’s not one or two people, it’s many, it’s families. There are people coming in, bloody, bruised and scared, saying they were chased. Eventually the kindness of friends and strangers becomes strained. Spare rooms are packed to the brim and the storm that stays just shy of the bizarre torches somehow seems to have a slow, but unmistakable march closer towards a point where the Plaza, Industrial sector and Downtown meet. On top of that, people are complaining about PINpoints acting up or portals freezing over. 

Streets are becoming packed full of people with far more problems than solutions. Huddling together and whispering about ghosts and monsters moving about in the shadows. In a place with no government, no organisation, no collaborative emergency services, chaos and confusion reigns supreme. And with chaos, comes panic. With confusion, comes frustration and anger. The Nexus is a powder keg waiting to blow.

That’s certainly how one Durant sees it. As a manager, Isidor is keen on organisation and order. Both things that are lacking in the Nexus at the moment. Groups pop up to help, but struggle to communicate effectively, or work together. Some people get free food twice, some people are still waiting for some at all. It’s madness, and Isidor can’t stand it. Particularly because she, her brother and sister-in-law are stuck here. So, when nobody else takes the mantle, Isidor Durant takes it upon herself to inject some order into this scrum.

In her fur hat and long coat, leather gloves and thick boots, Isidor can be seen directing people this way and that. There’s something about a confident person taking charge that means people instinctively defer to them. She becomes the point of contact quite easily, with people soon taking her direction regardless of whether or not they know her. Under her instruction, people are directed to a building that has tables set up, queues in front of them, and volunteers behind them taking names and telling people where to go. It might still be chaos, but at least now it’s organised chaos.

The question is: Where will your character go?

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((Below are comments for each desk. Tag any of them, threadhop, or post with your own character. I suggest putting your character’s name in the subject to help keep things clear. Comments marked with a snowflake ( ❅  ) have been coordinated with the mods and I as official event comments. The OOC Post is here! If you have any questions, feel free to message me or one of the mods!))

Threads of Note
Medicine/Illness | Shelter/Heat | Food | Security/Crime | Lost items/people | Misc resources/Donations | Volunteers | Expeditions | Planning Table/The woman in charge | Drulb's Deelz | A Ship in the Outskirts 

Comments

[magpiemythos]

"I'm in." Not like most would recognize him as he was now, blue-skinned, with sharp red eyes, the white hair, and black-ice like horns. Especially since he'd swapped his usual attention-grabbing green and gold clothing for something subtler and a lot lighter. He didn't look equipped for the weather but at the same time looked perfectly comfortable so it was hard to say.

"I was going to see about investigating out past the safe perimeter anyways, might as well see what I can find to bring back at the same time."

[magpiemythos]

He certainly didn't look like Loki now, even outside the magpie shape. Definitely looking like a creature of winter ice, all blues and dark glossy blacks like black-ice, other than red eyes and the sharp frosty shock of white hair. Light, thin clothing in muted colors instead of flashy gold and green, a bag slung across a shoulder as he approached the desk.

He did recognize this woman from his outings with Cricket though. She'd seemed kind, and it didn't surprise him then to see her helping with the medical efforts.

"I can't say my magic is well-suited to healing. However I have found some herbs that might be helpful while I was scavenging." It took a moment of rummaging through the pack before he was pulling out some wrapped bundles to offer over, from sticky cottonwood buds, skull caps, and yarrow, to other smaller cuttings. "A bit harder to find than in warmer weather but better than nothing."

[volurofthehearth]

She covers her mouth to hide her giggle. The way Cricket says it, Lokis almost sound like pets to protect and take care of. What a silly thought. "We're all just trying our best, and that's all that anyone can ask for."

"That isn't too long. If it looks like we might need them, I'll try to give you plenty of warning. I hope we don't need to bother you for them, but... it's a relief to know you're here to help."

[volurofthehearth]

Runa nods in agreement and hurries on. A short way behind the desks are sectioned out areas for initial responses to the various problems coming into the building. Taking the lead, Runa waves Horvath over to a couple sitting together.

"Heather, Jacob? This is Mr. Horvath. He knows first aid and is an experienced healer." She smiles encouragingly for them. "You're in very safe hands."

That's when she looks between the three of them. "If you need anything, you let one of the helpers know, or find me and I'll make sure you get what you need."

[volurofthehearth]

It didn't take much time working the desk for Runa to get used to interacting with people who look and act very different from humans. Perhaps that's part of the reason she was put on medicine duty: It takes a lot to faze her out of treating people with her usual brightness.

So she smiles and waits patiently as the young fae-like man roots through his bag. The bundles are a surprise, but they do make her brighten as she unwraps a couple to see what's inside.

"Oh, thank you!" Hesitating, her smile turns a little guilty. "Do you know what all of them are, or do? Some of these, I haven't used before."

[volurofthehearth]

"I don't think neglecting our own care is an option," Viatorus says softly through a smile that's a little sadder than it ought to be.

Runa glances up at her husband, eyeing his expression briefly before turning back to the god and mirroring his smile. "Would you like snowshoes? We still have a few."

"That's smart," Viatorus says with a nod. "It doesn't seem natural. I know there are rumours of it being caused by a spirit, or a portal opening to a snow dimension or planet. It would help if we knew more about what was going on. If there's a cause, maybe we can fix it."

"You can't fix winter," Runa tells him with a funny look on her face.

He doesn't look convinced. "We don't know that it's just winter. If it's something else, we should know." Turning back to Loki, he's more serious when he says, "I think it's a good idea. If there's anything I can do to help you, let me know."

[weathering_it]

She's got a solution for him. He knew she would. He nods when she guesses his name, and the personal touch is just the relief he needed to bring him the shadow of a smile.

"And you're Runa? I'm glad I finally got to meet you. I'm sorry it had to be like this..."

He keeps his eyes on her rather than his hands as he prepares to follow her lead. He falls silent momentarily until he can't bear being alone with his worries and has to distract himself.

Quietly he starts to mutter, "I thought we'd spend all winter in that castle. I never expected Harrowheart would come and get us. We ain't seen him in a year."

[staticandstock]

"Try to avoid it, because we'll have to take care of the wounds we inflict." Something he's not happy about, either. This is by far one of the toughest assignments he's ever been given. Using force doesn't usually mean taking care of the aggressor afterwards.

"There are safehouses around the place which I want extra security on. They're got a few stockpiles and resources that I expect people are going to get jealous of pretty quickly." Lifting up a sheet he scans the notes with a rough hum. "Katsuya at the shelter desk has one, but I think he's pretty well covered. Which leaves a Mr. Rogers. He could probably use some backup. You can pick up patrols as well, if you're able, but keep in the same area as him to give him some backup."

[volurofthehearth]

It's a short while after he's set up that Runa appears, guiding a young man carefully over to where Azwel sits. Most of her attention is on the patient, talking gently to him in an effort to distract him from the obvious injury.

One of her hands lightly supports Max's. The tips of his eight fingers clearly show the signs of frostbite taking hold of them. The Swede recognised it immediately, and she's hoping Azwel does too.

When they're practically right in front of him, Runa turns to smile gently at Azwel. Her voice is particularly soft when she speaks this time. Everything about her changed in an effort to soothe Max's nerves. "Azwel, this is Max. He and his family travelled through the snowstorm to get here. His hands... Well, I was hoping you could take a look at him."

[volurofthehearth]

His own guess pulls her smile wide and she nods. "That's me!"

The small silence allows her to get her bearings and spot the person she's looking for. Once she has, however, she leads them slowly, carefully. She's certain Max is tired and weak.

"A year?" Runa blinks at him in surprise. "I didn't know... I thought he was still visiting you all every day."

[staticandstock]

"Most of them are just scared or desperate or angry. Scaring them off sometimes works just as well," he tells her as he finishes triple checking the frequency and then sets down his pen. "Remember, a lot of the people causing trouble inside the boundaries aren't like us. They're just civilians. A bullet over their head or a smashed wall usually puts any stupid notions out of their heads."

[weathering_it]

She didn't know. Max quickly presses his lips together and looks away. When he looks back it's with a guilty, pinched expression.

"He didn't tell you? Figure he didn't tell anyone, then. Guess it's... Not really my business..."

He's quiet then, and he keeps his eyes ahead of them as they approach the healer. It seems he's said all he's going to say on that.

"Thank you, Runa. For everything."

[conjuredskies]

Just the two? His eyes flit from her to the potions without his expression shifting from polite goodwill. Still, an item's value depends on the situation. If he hesitates at all, it's mainly because Jim is in the same room. Albeit well out of earshot...

"I can make a better offer than that. In exchange for this luck potion, and half the ginger, I'm willing to give a potent draught of healing and cold resistance each, and one weaker variant of each. If you add the other potion ingredients I'll throw in a potion to restore one's mental and magical energies, too."

[liverfree]

That look of confusion is one that Prometheus is getting used to in the Nexus. Say 'Titan' on his Earth and it means pretty much only one thing. Say it here and who knows what you'll get.

Jim's summation makes him chuckle despite the circumstances around them. "Yes, I'm a plans guy. And no, I won't get buried, although if divine magic is at work here, that could be a concern." The Titans are a powerful, functionally immortal race, but they still lost to the gods, and Prometheus isn't keen to repeat the experience if he's on the losing side.

"Actually, now that I think of it, the Nexus has a Winter deity, has it not? Has no one attempted to contact him regarding this storm?"

[websnextdoor]

Is it going to be better or worse when Steve spies a familiar mask wandering through the building giving folks who come in directions to which queues to get into or where to drop off or receive supplies? Because sure enough, Peter seems to be stuck here too.

Even if he wasn't stuck before he likely is now. More and more PINpoints and portals are freezing over the longer this goes on. When he spies Steve and is recognized in turn Peter wastes no time in making his way over. The people at the desks may be officially in charge, but Steve has a hard time not defaulting to authority he knows and respects above all else.

"I didn't expect to see you here too." What with all his missions and the like. Still, with folks in need where else would Captain America be? "Is uh...is the hideout alright? I might have to stay here for a bit."

[he_put_the_devil_in_me]

Sentry duty isn't too far off from Matt's usual hobbies, and there's a definite need for it, so he just nods. "I can handle that. Rogers, that's Captain America, right? Do you know where I can find him?"

Even as he asks, Matt's already listening for any sign of the man's voice nearby, but there's a lot to tune out if he's got to locate him the long way.

[sumarusfinest]

All the gods here willing he won't have to see firsthand what the officer is capable of then. For as waifish as he looks Katsuya Suou is no slouch on the battlefield. It's not his preferred place to be however, which is why he's organizing and dutifully trying to protect others first and foremost.

He only glimpses at Steve up and down once to understand what the soldier means by that. Katsuya nods. "If our reports are correct, we may well need it."

At the comment about the cold, Katsuya looks around at all of them gathered in this place. His expression is distant for a moment before he sighs.

"It hasn't bothered me at all for the past few years. I rather enjoy it even." He runs hotter than others these days. "But this....calamity, civilization crumbling, this I have seen before. If we don't put up even the guise of command and control the people will dissolve into chaos and panic."

[sumarusfinest]

What a well mannered creature. Katsuya winces when he tries to imagine Tomoe tolerating another animal in her space but they all have to make sacrifices to stay safe. The kneazle will manage just as he will. At least this one seems better behaved.

"Very well." Katsuya bends at the knees and leans over the numel to offer a hand for sniffing and inspecting. "Would you like to spend some time looking over those I will be protecting, little one?"

[sumarusfinest]

"Natalie. Yes, I am Katsuya." He will take that handshake and gesture for her to follow him behind the table. She's in for a pleasant surprise. Standing guard dutifully next to a pile of the drying wood (and in fact helping that process along just by being there) is a Numel that a certain Titan has entrusted to the officer's care.

"Some of our expeditions volunteers have animal companions that cannot be brought along. Pokemon, you called them? This little one is also a fire type but I must confess I know nothing about how to care for them. Prometheus told me this one was a vegetarian but I am still wary of what I can and cannot offer by way of food."

[sumarusfinest]

Honestly it eases many of the officer's fears to see so many capable fighters here, even if it's because they've all been stranded thanks to the worsening weather. Many of them are old, old comrades-in-arms too. People he knows he can put his back to and trust it to still be there in a fight.

These two in particular are some of his oldest.

"I was in that situation until this morning. Now I am also among those stranded here. But I have been preparing the Crossroads to be a shelter for some time now. I thought that if my friends ended up stranded here I would make sure there was a place to house them. Joshua's scouting for supply runs and knows most of the sources we got our food from directly so we've been trying to barter or buy as much as we can. I should be able to defend the building itself if worst comes to worst...."

He's had to kill people before but he hopes it won't come to that. But his face hardens all the same. Katsuya knows what could happen if they're not careful. How far people will fall when panic and desperation to survive overcomes the bonds of polite society.

[juststeverogers]

"They're out back, where the others are."

You don't leave a man behind if you can help it, even once they're gone. They deserve a proper burial but that's not possible with the ground frozen solid like it is now. Most anyone can do now is try to get them identified. No simple task when they're missing their heads.

Steve's dropped his own voice, head bowed out of respect for the deceased. Milrayne wasn't someone he knew well, but the dark elf was quick on her feet and a consummate professional. They're going to have to keep a closer eye on their scouts if even they are being targeted now.

"She wouldn't have been getting close to any action. They must have gotten the drop on her. I don't know who the body was with her. Human, by the look of it but that's all I could tell you."

[smartass_captain]

Jim nods and head over to grab one of the short range radios he's got on hand. It and Jim's own PADD will be handed over to Blaze for Ghost to inspect at his leisure.

"My PADD won't stay charged indefinitely but I'm not sure the radio's going to be new enough for you to interface with to relay back data. Only options I've got, aside from my own faulty PINpoint. Which also isn't going to hold charge forever."

[sweetcandygirl]

"Josh didn't mention it belonged to anyone. But he gave me this..." Harley places down her photocopied map on the table, with the location of the ship circled in red.

"It will be much more than a hike with the current weather situation outside."

"I will take point, leading us there. Furiosa, I would like you to be our rearguard. Palmer... since you are the mechanic, I want you in the middle." That way, she and Furiosa have a better chance of protecting him.

"I am not sure how guns will work in these cold temperatures. And this might go the same for my yo-yos. Furiosa... are you sword trained?"

[mudblood_andproud]

"That sounds like a fair deal." She can use the weaker variant of the potions to learn how they are made. And she reaches into her clutch, to bring out her other potion ingredients, each one has enough in its bag that they will be able to share. (And it might be a little weird, seeing her pull large bag after bag from that tiny little clutch).

"Felix... I also want to introduce you to my Patronus." Hermione gestures with her wand. And a spiritual Otter comes out. The creature swims in the air, contently.

"If I have an urgent message to send, I usually use him."

[smartass_captain]

"I can scrounge up a pair of binoculars I'm sure. Or maybe the goblin outside could find a set easier, though I'm not sure what he'd ask for in price." Jim taps at his arm with the hand gripping tight to it from where they're folded in front of him.

"If you're both volunteering I'd ask you to work together. I need data on what these things are. It would go a long way if I had a pair of scouts who know what they're doing." He means no disrespect to Joshua or the people volunteering here but the Commander's of Starfleet and Delia's no slouch either. He trusts their credentials a bit higher than most.