back and better than ever

[makeachoice]

An eye cracks open, the other soon following, vision bleary as it adjusts. Chris is met by a pale sky, and the raising fog of his own breath as he exhales. Snow descends slowly and gently, but it comes down in bunches like frozen cotton balls, and they cover his face and his glasses like cold, haphazard kisses. His palms are flat against the ground, chilled by the layer of snow he's laying on top of, and his clothing, a casual sweater and jeans, are not fairing too well as what melts beneath him begins to seep in.

He sits up with a look of a vague confusion, his brow knit and his mouth curved into a pout. But realization soon sweeps over his expression after a quick inspection of the area with a couple turns of his head. Mismatched furniture left out into the open? That is much too coincidental for this to not be the Nexus, really. So, with eased resignation, he figures that the Nexus is exactly where he must be.

Most ungracefully, he stands, hands swatting at the snow clinging to himself as he moves to his feat. With hunched shoulders, he draws in on himself for warmth, and his hands clasp and rub together.

Now what? There are questions to answer, he thinks. He had once stumbled into this place, and then, recently, somehow, he had accidentally and unintentionally stumbled out. And now, here he is again.

"Is there, like, a guidebook to these doors or gateways or whatever..?" He half mumbles, mostly to himself. Of course there isn't. Some people are lucky and can easily come in and out as they please. Some are stuck here forever. Or they visit once, and then they leave, and they stay gone. Or, like Chris, they trip in and out of the place.

Okay.

Priorities.

Those questions can be asked later. Or ignored. It doesn't matter right now.

He has some people to find.

[ ooc; oh my. it really has been awhile, hasn't it? to the new, hi, i'm linds, i play chris from until dawn. to the old, hello, i've missed you all dearly. familiar and unfamiliar faces are both welcome to chat or pester this nerd. somebody please give the guy some mittens. thanks ♥ ]

Comments

[chiron_survivor]

It's not as if Adia is trying to make a habit of acclimating (or re-acclimating, in this case) people to the Nexus, but the Plaza is her favorite place, and as such, she spots Chris shortly after he enters the Nexus. "I wish there was," she says sympathetically, overhearing his rhetorical question. "Do you need help finding your portal?"

He looks cold, and she wishes she had something warm for him to wear. She's dressed appropriately for the weather, although her hat and gloves look worn and shabby. Her scarf, a warm blue knit, is the nicest article clothing she has on. "There's free coffee just over there. Would you like some?" A hot cup of coffee to hold isn't as good as a pair of mittens, but it has to be better than nothing, right?

[makeachoice]

There's a noticeable flinch; Chris' mind had clearly been preoccupied, most likely by the predicament that he has gotten himself into once again. His shock is fleeting, and he recovers with a lopsided smile. "Kinda."

The prospect of a hot cup of coffee is much more enticing, really. "That would be awesome." The blue of his eyes somehow seem even brighter as the corner of his mouth tugs into a grin. "Get some heat back into my bones. Pretty sure they're almost frozen solid right now."

[chiron_survivor]

It's not often that Adia makes someone else flinch. "Where did you come from?" she asks, hoping that might narrow it down. Not that she can do much to help him find his way back home; she has her own way of getting to and from the Nexus.

Fortunately, he takes her up on her offer of coffee. That way, at least, she can help. "They have hot chocolate, too," she says, the concern in her expression tempered by a friendly smile. She gestures for him to follow her to a spot near the vending machines. There is a coffee machine, like one might find in a small office, along with some cups and other related items. A large umbrella keeps a nearby cafe table shielded from the snow.

"Do you know how to use one of these?" She asks. Chris looks modern, but one can never be too sure. "I can make you a cup if you want."

[makeachoice]

"Nah. I got this." He is as modern as he looks, and, as an obsessor over technology, he would probably figure it out anyways.

"I came from home." There's a vague hand gesture at that as he fiddles with the coffee machine. "Canada." As if that actually means anything to the woman. The fact that not everyone here is from (or even knows of) Earth is an almost fleeting memory that he catches after a beat. "On Earth. Lotta trees and junk."

[chiron_survivor]

She steps back and lets him handle it, tucking her hands back into her coat pockets to keep them warm. "Oh, I know someone from Canada," she says, pleased that she already knows this particular Earth place. "He's from... Alberta? He said there were a lot of trees."

Unfortunately, that doesn't help Chris's situation. Josh has been stuck in the Nexus since he arrived. Her smile dims a little at the thought. "He said it was very pretty."

[makeachoice]

Now that is quite too much of a similiarity to be an actual coincidence. "That's the place, and I'm pretty sure you're talking about my friend. He, uh, still around here? Do you know?" There's an attempt to be calm, to be nonchalant, but the worry is clear in his tone.

[ sorry for the delay! life made me unavailable last week! ]

[chiron_survivor]

"Do you mean Josh? Yes, he still lives in the Nexus. I saw him not too long ago, he helped me out of a bad situation." There is warmth in her words, but concern, too, Chris's worried tone being reflected in her expression.

She offers her hand. "My name's Adia. I was... well, I used to regularly visit the Nexus, and then I wasn't able to get back for some time. Josh is one of the first people I met here when I returned. He's been a good friend."

((I forgot to add, don't worry about it! Life has a tendency to do that.))