nexus_crossings | Cleaning up after chaos: A post Khan event question

Not everyone who frequents the Nexus was unfortunate enough to be caught up in Khan's attack. Reynard had ended Winter in his own world and engaged in his usual annual seclusion that, as it always did, ended once he had run out of alcohol. The sight of an obliterated Nexus was not the pub crawling paradise he'd remembered it as. It seems that he's missed the action and stumbled into the aftermath. People are tired, disoriented, upset and in shock, or powering through their emotions by helping organise everyone else. Without much of a thought, Reynard falls into a group that is already working to set everything right again. Or as right as things can be set. As it turns out, an atmosphere of destruction and tragedy does wonders for a Spring-sick Winter spirit.

He looks as awful as he feels, and far more sober than he'd like to be. He's forgone his coat, but kept his gloves on and a makeshift mask for the work at hand. Reynard has volunteered for the grim task of working with the dead. In a shaded area he helps move bodies to rest side by side, covered in shrouds that have started to vary in colour as they run through their supplies. These are the ones who have not, or cannot, be identified.

It's been a long day, and it's been hard graft, and everything feels hotter than it is, especially with the cloth around his face. Reynard takes his gloves off, leans against the edge of a table, and pulls away the mask, revealing an unkempt beard. "What would you like to happen at your funeral?"

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"Maaaaaaaayyybeee?"

Though judging by her forced smile and shrug of her shoulders she honestly has no idea. They don't exactly have public schooling out there. Everything she knows about the world is from her own experiences or things people have told her.

"It's not exactly a prison planet, but I've heard bad people get sent there before. I was born there. So, iunno. It's just Home to me."

She's already working out what kind of generator she'd need to run cooling lines all around the chair. This is the sort of thing she does for fun and for once no one is going to get blown up because of it (probably!) so it's best to just let her scheme.

"Aww, you don't hafta. You're coming out to spend time with me. It means a lot." Says the lonely girl who desperately wants some human contact that isn't' trying to peel her skin off and wear it.

Reynard smiles and nods. There's no need to press any further. Like she said, it's just home to her. Even if other people see it as something else, Tina won't.

"Ah, but honouring me with your presence is just another gift to me," he says playfully. "I need to give you something in return. It's the least I can do."

His joking subsides for a moment as he eyes the youngster. "Is there anything you'd like? Any comfort you want? Blankets? Cushions? A warm jumper?"

Oh.

Oh wow. The question throws Tina completely off guard for a moment. She stares up at Reynard with something akin to confusion and wonder on her face, before she ducks her head for reasons that definitely aren't emotions Tina doesn't like to share with others.

Sniff.

"A blanket would be nice, please." Her manner of speech has become fairly ordinary and polite, all of a sudden. Quiet and reserved too. "Or a pair of rain boots...."

It's only natural that such a young girl surviving so well in such a harsh world be unused to kind questions, but the breaking of Tina's facade with such a simple thing sends a pang of sadness through Reynard. He doesn't want to intrude, but he doesn't want her to be sad, either.

He smiles gently and nudges her softly with his side. "A wise young woman." Then he stretches out a leg, toe pointed up and waves his foot from side to side in as silly a manner as he can. "Let's see what size you are, then."

Truthfully on Pandora, the invention of rubber shoes serves a much larger purpose than simply to waterproof one's feet. Tina regularly has to gather dangerous things that get distilled and included into her explosives. Frankly having non conductive shoes is going to make harvesting the shock-cacti a lot less dangerous of a prospect.

Though they are also cute and practical for being out in the rain. Tina's smile returns as quickly as it left and she giggles while leaning back and tugging off her shoe. A child's foot in a striped sock emerges before she presses her foot flat against the bottom of his boot. Complete with her little toe poking out of a hole in the well worn stockings.

"This big, yo."

He takes a mental note of her size ~~and her holey socks~~ and waves his foot some more, making hers wobble with it. "You're getting big... But I don't think you'll have stomping feet like me."

She giggles at the wobble and tries to wiggle back, but her much smaller foot can't press too hard against Reynard's boot. After a moment or so she tugs her shoe back on.

"The better to kick butt with, Reynard. And don't you forget it none." She will not hear of anyone trash talking her good friend and Winter Spirit. None of it. No sir.

"Y'all feeling a bit better with some food an' drink in ya?"

He looks to the plate, then smiles at Tina and nods. "Much better, thank you, my dear. You've brightened up my day considerably."

The boisterous thirteen year old hops up out of her chair and comes over to give Reynard a hug round the middle. No care for the smell of work, dirt, or drink that clings to him. She's smelled worse, let's be real.

"I gotsta finish up an order of mothahumpin bombs before Lilith comes back tonight, so I better scoot. You let me know when yas wants to come over for tea. I will make sure only my most prominent guests are in attendance."

The hug surprises him a little, but he quickly eases into it, patting her on the back until she lets go.

"I will, I promise. And Tina?" He levels a look at her that is direct enough to show that he serious, but it's softened by a gentle smile. "Thank you."

She smiles then, something soft and more her age.

"Anytime Reynard. I'm here for you."

And with that, she spins on her heel and trots back off toward her (quite intimidating) door back to Pandora.

Cleaning up after chaos: A post Khan event question

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