nexus_crossings | Ho Ho Ho! Happy HP Holidays!

Ho Ho Ho! Happy HP Holidays!

There is something different about the Nexus this Christmas season. There is a light snow falling over the entire Nexus plaza. The snow is gentle, with no real coldness to the falling snow flakes. As one approaches the main gathering area, they will notice that there are many Christmas decorations, including garland hanging from the air, and there are twelve towering decorated Christmas trees, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles. There are also thousands of floating tiny candles in the Nexus plaza, that gently move at their own discretion.

In one corner, there is an orchestra, directed by a Dwarf. All of the musicians are playing music on instruments made from ice. In the center of the Nexus plaza, is a huge banquet table, loaded with holiday foods and treats that showcases a variety of food from different cultures, and some of the different worlds that gather into the Nexus itself. The main delight of the banquet table is that magic can make the food replenish itself, meaning Christmas dinner never has to end. Most will be able to find something they would enjoy. With the added perk that the food is LOL-free.

There are some added little Christmas adventures, for those who get caught up in the holidays. Here are some of the extra options for the Holiday season.

Secret Santa!
There is an added bonus to the Secret Santa gifts this year. The presents will deliver themselves! There are tons of wrapped gifts floating through the air, destined to only drop when they reach the person to which they are intended. Please note that not all gifts will be given in the spirit of the season. There are a few prank gifts floating around too. Be sure to watch out for them!

Christmas Crackers!
There are Christmas crackers scattered among the tables, and in amongst the branches of the trees. They are decorated with festive paper that is twisted at either end like a sweet wrapper. Inside of the tube are prizes, and some contain Muggle prizes such as a paper hat, a plastic toy, and a slip of paper with a joke printed on it. But the rare person will receive a unique, peculiar magical prize, and will envelop everyone nearby in a cloud of blue smoke.

Weasley Sweaters!
Time to try your luck at the Christmas Sweater bin. There is a large rotating clothing rack that seems to have an endless supply of them. Each one more Festive than the last! Pick one and show your Christmas spirit for the rest of the day.

Enchanted Mistletoe!
Be warned Nexus traveler, the Nargles** have hung enchanted Mistletoe all around the plaza. If an unlucky person steps underneath the Mistletoe, they will find that they are magically stuck to the spot, until they can find someone to kiss them. Of course, the kiss can be platonic, familial, or even romantic. For a few unfortunate people, the kiss may be the last thing they would want to do... but it is that or be stuck in the same spot for the rest of the season.

**Nargle Wiki
[Click Here for information on the HP Holiday Event!]
[Your character is free to give other Christmas gifts to people they care about -- HOWEVER, please do not deliver your Secret Santa gift. That will be handled by the Secret Santa moderator. Please post details on your Secret Santa gift in this post please.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The question makes him flick his gaze briefly to the woman who spoke it. Human, from the looks of it, but you never know around here.

"Oh, no," he quips sarcastically. "Who doesn't love an alien with a crass mouth and an ego the size of the Nexus?" He glances her way again and relaxes his frown. "What'd the creep do to you?"

Isidor's mouth twitches as she restrains the immediate response of 'he existed'. To hide the pause, she shrugs. "He opened his mouth." She looks back over at Shark and tilts her head thoughtfully. "Still not the biggest ego in the room, though." Grinning wryly at Caspar again, she asks, "Have you met Naugus yet? I'm pretty sure he's only going to get himself a Yule gift and it will be a giant statue carved of diamond… of himself."

Caspar snorts at her simple reply. "Sounds about right."

The mention of Naugus gets an eyebrow raise. "Haven't had the pleasure," he replies, amused by her prediction. He tries to ignore the vague sense of dread that this is yet another one of Adia's friends that he'll have to make nice with. "Seems to be a running theme around here. Do you know the guy with the mustache in the glittering suit?" He shakes his head. "Real piece of work, that one..."

He looks once more in Shark's direction, but he doesn't seem to be doing anything overtly sleazy to Adia, so Isidor gets his attention once more. This lady's all right. It's been a long time since he's been able to bitch about other people. "My name's Caspar," he says, uncrossing her arms and offering her a hand to shake. "Nice to meet you."

"Not yet..." Her eyes begin to roam for the man in question as soon as he's aired his opinion. She'd been so focused on Viatorus that she hadn't stopped to properly look at the faces all around her.

Caspar's introduction grabs her attention again. She smiles and gives his hand a firm, brief shake. "Isidor Durant. A pleasure." Her eyes slide over to Adia and back, her grin widening. "You wouldn't happen to be a friend of Adia's, would you?"

He doesn't bother to look around. If Reynard is keeping an eye on him, he's not going to give the bastard the satisfaction of noticing.

"Isidor Durant," he repeats, appreciating the strength and brevity of her handshake. He tucks his hands in his pockets and looks her over more thoughtfully. "Your brother Is starting a research center in the Nexus with Adia, right?" But in response to her question, he shakes his head, the corner of his mouth turning up into a wry smile. "Boyfriend, actually. I came back into her life recently."

It might ruin the rapport he's got going with Isidor, but he's not about to deny his relationship. Although if she didn't react to his name, she probably doesn't know the whole story anyway.

Isidor nods once with a smile to confirm his connection. "He is."

The revelation of exactly how much of a friend he is to Adia makes Isidor's smile crawl into a playful grin. "Ahh. That makes sense. I was thinking you'd have to be a close friend to be giving Shark the evil eye like that."

Hmm. Interesting. He wonders if her brother is as confident an individual. "She's really looking forward to collaborating with him," is all he says on the subject. He'll reserve proper judgment for what's-his-name when he finally meets him.

Her comment makes him look over at Shark again suspiciously, but he seems to be behaving himself. For now. "Wouldn't you? She's way too good to be friends with him."

"I know," she says, trying not to laugh. "She's told me just how excited she is, in person." Those two are far too alike. Once the centre is up and running the scholar and the scientist might never be seen again.

Isidor huffs a scoff, turning away to hide her smile with a shake of her head. When her amusement passes, she turns to him again. "Be careful, Caspar. Being the protective watcher doesn't make finding new friends easy, and new friends are more helpful than you know in this place."

That makes him smile a little, his expression softening. Adia's enthusiasm is one of the many things he loves about her, although his opinion of the center may change if it keeps her away from home too much. Perhaps he and Runa can trade off on wellness checks.

"That's what I've been told," he comments dryly. "All the same, I'd like to keep my girl safe. If that means that I can't be Mr. Popular, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it." Not that he needs much sleep to begin with, but shhh. Details.

Isidor nods in understanding and looks over to Viatorus again to make sure he hasn't vanished. "I'm glad someone understands... But as long as you know you have an endless amount of 'you need to stop stifling her' talks ahead of you then you should be as prepared as you can be. Everything else you just have to take in your stride."

Preferably not by getting drunk and nearly incinerating people in public, but that lesson probably doesn't need to be shared with Caspar. It does make her shift uncomfortably on the spot before her smile returns.

She looks to him again. "How have you found the Nexus so far?"

Caspar snorts out a close-mouthed laugh, his mouth pulled into a smirk. "If only that was flavor of the majority of the talks I've been getting." Of course, that won't make much sense to her if she doesn't know his history. Absently adjusting the cuffs of his jacket, he takes a moment to consider his options before adding, "I'm a Cylon. Most people's concern is if I even deserve to be with her in the first place."

Maybe he'll end up with the same speech from her. Who knows. At least he'll make Adia happy for telling (some of) the truth.

He also hasn't missed the direction Isidor's watchful gaze took before she responded to him. Whoever that guy is, he looks like he needs a little protection of his own. One stiff wind and he'll be knocked out.

"I like the Shopping District. We don't have access to the same quality or variety of goods." He looks around, but can't think of anything else positive to say. "Adia likes coming here, so I tag along for her sake."

A Cylon... That's bad, potentially. No, no, Isidor knows she doesn't know enough to judge. People can be bad. Everyone and everything can be bad. That's what makes being a Patron so difficult: There are no obvious Bad Guys. Besides, wouldn't her family think the same of Harrowheart?

Isidor inhales deeply and crooks a smile at him. "I've seen farmboys act more noble than nobility and 'honourable bloodlines' support atrocities. Reputation is earned, and it's as powerful as heritage. Maybe even more."

It's not hard to miss how he gropes for something nice to say. She's been the one in that position more than enough times to recognise it. Though she doesn't usually admit her lack of interest as he does. "You come here for her so you only see the things that she likes. What do you like? What are you interested in?"

So, she apparently knows what a Cylon is, but knows better than to judge. The tension in his frame eases once more. "Not everyone sees it that way," he replies. "And trust me, my model more than earned the reputation it's gotten." He looks over in Adia's direction, his expression softening. "She's forgiven me, though. That's all that matters to me."

More than forgiven, considering that they're a couple.

The question catches him by surprise. What does he like to do? 'Make Adia happy' would be an honest answer, but makes it sound like he doesn't have any interests of his own. "Quality," he quips, an amused smirk pulling at his lips. "I really do like the Shopping District, there are some nice stores there." His gaze flicks over briefly to Adia. "We both like animals. She's been showing some of the areas where those pokémon creatures congregate. They're all right."

"Trust me, you can't please everyone, and making a few enemies isn't that bad. It keeps you sharp." She follows his gaze to Adia and watches her for a minute before turning back to Caspar. "If she's all that matters then everything else that follows will be worth it. So there's nothing to worry about."

It's more than a little odd to be on this side of the question. How often have people tried to figure out who she is beyond Viatorus' patron? And how difficult was the question each time it was asked of her? It makes it easy for her to stay patient as Caspar chooses his answer.

Her mouth twitches into a smile. "The only problem with admiring the animals here is that sometimes they're perfectly sentient, intelligent, and not too happy about being mistaken for anything else." She shifts her weight onto her other foot. "There are a few good places for quality, though. I don't know if you've seen it, but there's a whole street of artisanal shops just in between a tailor and a cafe. Even if you don't buy anything it's a good place for window shopping."

It's a funny sort of smile he gives her, one of amusement crossed with genuine respect. This is a woman who knows the value -- the sacrifice -- of protecting one's loved ones. He looks over again at the young man she had been checking on earlier. "Any advice for keeping her safe in the Nexus in particular? Sounds like you have experience with that sort of thing."

He nods knowingly at her assessment of the animals in the Nexus. "Don't worry, I've kept my distance." Both out of caution and because he really wants to pet the cute ones, but he has an image to maintain. "And no, I haven't been down that particular street. Do you have coordinates or is it pointless to ask? I know that things shift around here."

Advice for keeping people safe? Isidor's smile slips away, a frown tugging at her lips which she tries to hide by looking at the crowd around them. It takes her a fully minute to settle on an answer. "Be prepared." She takes a deep breath in and lets it out slowly. "The Nexus isn't safe, and you can't keep her safe here. All you can do is be prepared for when something does happen, and it will happen. Plan, steel yourself, be ready for anything."

"I have coordinates, but I don't know how reliable they are. You might have to look around a bit, but they shouldn't be too far away." She brings out her PINpoint from her silver silk bag. Once she's brought the coordinates up, she hands the device over but keeps a close eye on him lest he tamper with the thing. "There they are."

That's ominous advice, but somehow it's exactly what he expected. He knows about what happened at the Halloween party, and the Khan invasion before that. This place is dangerous.

"Having magic must be helpful," he murmurs, trying not to sound jealous. Yes, he has his enhanced strength and endurance, his skill with a gun, but that only goes so far in a place that can change its very topography. He sighs and tugs on the cuffs of his jacket before giving her a nod. "I'll do my best, though. I've got a lot to get used to."

PINpoints, however, don't seem to be one of those things. He pulls out one of his own from his inside jacket, and when Isidor hands hers over, he enters the coordinates quickly and efficiently. "You want my contact info?" he offers, looking up from the twin screens. "In case of a Nexus emergency." It wouldn't hurt to have some advance warning for future events.

"You would think so," she replies drily. With each displaced soul and every nightmare void, the irritating reality of her limitations is starting to wear her down. She forces a sigh in an effort to stop herself from being so tense. "I think it's more a case of getting comfortable with not being used to things. You can't rely on anything here. Except some of the people."

The decision is an easy one. The more contacts she can get the better. That lesson was ingrained in her early. Discovering how useful those contacts are can always be done later. She shrugs and nods. "Sure, and then I'll use it to send you mine."

Well, there is is where Caspar is at another loss. He doesn't rely on anyone except Adia. Perhaps another Cylon if things get complicated on Atlantis. Here, he's only just starting to connect with other people, and very reluctantly at that. It'll be a while before he puts his faith in anyone else.

But adding another contact to his PINpoint is a start. He types his information into Isidor's device, then hands it back to her. "Considering everything I've been though these past three years, getting used to things changing on me might not be all that difficult. Who here do you think is worth relying on?" Not as fun a conversation as bashing Shark, but he's curious.

When he hands it over again it's only a few seconds before his PINpoint receives a message with her details in return. With that done she can put it away again and answer him properly. "Steve Rogers," she says without hesitation. "He's noble, good, and he cares deeply for people. He's a man whose word you can trust."

Then she pauses, debating her next choice for a moment. "And Harrowheart. He makes mistakes and he's more difficult than Steve sometimes, but he's loyal, honest, and reliable." She looks around and then nods. "Those would be my top two so far."

"I've met Steve." His expression doesn't change much, but considering how easily he put down Shark and the man in the glittery suit, their interaction went favorably. "That's the impression I got. He reminds me a lot of a guy back home who fits that bill."

He can't say that he likes that particular brand of All-Around Mr. Caprican, but it's true, it's the kind of man you can trust. It makes him feel a little better that Adia is already good friends with him.

Harrowheart's name gets an eyebrow raise, but only because he's heard of him, too. "He's another good friend of Adia's," he notes while he tucks his PINpoint back into his inside jacket pocket. "She says the two of us have a lot in common." His mouth pulls into a faint smirk. "I suppose I should be flattered by the comparison."

The lack of reaction comes across as a little dismissive to Isidor, but it doesn't bother her. Caspar seems like the kind of man who's more used to the kinds of people she knows. That he's a little on the brusque, stiff side is understandable. Steve is kind and noble, but there are times either one can be as much a flaw as a virtue.

Excuse Isidor as she tries not to laugh. Looking at Caspar with his sharp suit, professional demeanour and utter seriousness, he couldn't be further from Harrowheart if he tried. Clearly Adia was picking out what she thought would appeal most to Caspar when she gave her descriptions.

Since she's not doing very well at hiding her amusement, she stifles her smile and decides to give him a little forewarning. "You probably do, but don't worry if that doesn't come across immediately." Her grin reappears. "He grows on you."

His smirk grows in response to her barely stifled amusement. He knows that Harrowheart, in addition to being loyal and reliable, is also loud, funny, and a fan of novelty fashion. Their personalities might be dissimilar, but their past -- that is where they have a great deal in common. Death and destruction followed by a humble return to the grace of their loved ones. But that's not something he's about to mention in polite company.

"Well, I'm bound to meet him sooner or later." He looks Isidor over thoughtfully and remarks, "Funny how you didn't mention yourself, but I suppose that goes without saying." Of course you have to rely on yourself.

It a relief that he doesn't find any badness in her amusement, and encouraging that he joins in. She smiles a little more freely, but his comment gets some hesitation. With a small shrug she explains, "I'm not exactly objective about myself. It would be easy for me to say I'm the most reliable person here. But then almost anyone else could turn around and say that I'm only reliable for my family. I'm organised and professional. That gives me an advantage, but ultimately you'll have to judge me for yourself."

Harrowheart sounds like a real character; he can appreciate the humor of being compared to him. But his smirk drops when she answers his unspoken question, replaced with a sober nod of understanding. He knows what it's like to be focused on family only. He's as dependable as it gets when it comes to Adia, but that doesn't necessarily transfer to anyone else, even people she cares about.

"Adia thinks very highly of you." She also thinks highly of Reynard, and he is the literal worst, but in this case he's inclined to trust his girlfriend's opinion. "And I'm assuming you keep an eye on anyone involved in your family's business. That puts you another few steps ahead of most of the Nexus."

Ho Ho Ho! Happy HP Holidays!

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