Why people don't like spirits

[shardofwinter]

The weather has been irritatingly unpredictable this year. Sunny one day, a blizzard the next. It's almost impossible to plan for. Today Reynard has made sure the Nexus is smothered in a thick blanket of snow, and it's nearly perfectly smooth. The Nexus might as well be a different landscape. It's hard to tell what a person is stepping on until they take the chance to wade in. Bins, boulders, benches, street curbs are all probably the most normal things a traveller might find themselves cracking shins and toes against.

At a very strategically chosen point however, some poor people find themselves in a bit of a bother. After getting this far all it takes is one step and they find themselves chest deep in the snow. Struggling will only testify to how packed tight the freezing blanket is. Digging themselves out might be possible, but slow.

It doesn't take long before a sing-song voice comes through the air.

"A house for a five headed creature,
A tool that carves rock and earth,
A measure against misadventure,
A gift often owned from birth."

Reynard walks on top of the snow with his usual confident stroll. He crouches in front of his unfortunate victim, tilts his head and asks, "What am I?"

Comments

[shardofwinter]

"Annoyed, by the looks of things." The grin on Reynard's face isn't necessary to point out he's purposefully twisting the man's words, but he just can't help himself. He folds his arms and tilts his head at the stranger. "You know, if you were more polite to the snow it might be kinder to you."

[gorogorogoro_chan]

"More polite. Are you tryin' to be a smart ass? It's goddamn snow, buddy." At this point Reynard gets a proper, irritated once-over.

"How the fuck are you walkin' around like that? You one of those magic types?"

[shardofwinter]

"Snow has feelings too," he coos, his grin only growing larger.

He follows the stranger's gaze, staring down at his feet and the way he's perched on the snow as if it's as sturdy as stone. Then he looks back at the man and shrugs. "I eat well, no snacks after six, and speak nicely to the snow."

[gorogorogoro_chan]

That cheeky response gets a growl. "Fuck off. Yer some kinda magic guy. Normal people don't go 'round spewin' cutesy riddles and walkin' on snow like it ain't shit."

He resumes attempts to excavate his device. "Can ya at least gimme a hand here, pal? I'm freezin' my balls off an' I ain't gettin' home without my PINpoint."

[shardofwinter]

Reynard eyes the snow for a second. "It would help if you weren't digging to the left of it."

Other than that he's happy to watch the man scrabble for his device. "If you did answer a riddle or two then I wouldn't have anything better to do than help you."

[gorogorogoro_chan]

Majima's single eye rolls up to give the strange, magic man an exasperated look.

"Really? Riddles are more important than savin' me from frostbite?" His shivering is starting to come through in his voice. He adjusts his digging based on the feedback. "I'll do one."

[shardofwinter]

He lifts a shoulder in a shrug. "They're more important to me..."

"I'll give you an easier one, shall I? You look like you don't do well with difficult things." Reynard takes his time to look off thoughtfully before he finally clears his throat. "What is easy to get into, but hard to get out of?"

[gorogorogoro_chan]

Majima stops pawing at the snow to rub the feeling back into his hands. He frowns deeply at both the shade thrown and the new riddle.

"I dunno. Marriage? . . . Oh, wait! Debt? Yeah!"

[shardofwinter]

Reynard blinks at the man and lifts a shoulder in a shrug. "Debt was not the answer I was looking for... It could work, I suppose... But why don't you try another answer?"

[gorogorogoro_chan]

Majima starts blurting more stream of consciousness answers, pausing after each one to breathe into his hands and await the man's response. He's so fucking cold right now.

"... An addiction?"

"Quicksand?"

"Really tight pants?"

[shardofwinter]

Trying to guess correctly by giving many answers instead of thinking carefully for the right one is an honoured tradition in riddle games, so Reynard smiles while the man spouts his guesses.

The last one, however, catches him out. He barks and then howls with laughter. When he's quite done he waves a hand and shakes his head. "Alright, alright. I'll give it to you. Some of those are perfectly good answers. Still not the one I had in mind, but I'll give it to you nonetheless."

[gorogorogoro_chan]

Majima is bouncing on his feet, trying to keep his body moving against the creeping cold. "Oi, oi. I'm turnin' into a f-fuckin' p-popsicle over here! Now hurry up an' use whatever b-bullshit magic ya got an help me with that PINpoint."

[shardofwinter]

Reynard peers at him and tilts his head. "Help you? Why would I do that?"

[gorogorogoro_chan]

Majima crosses his arms, shoving his hands into his armpits. "Ya ain't got nothin' b-better to do now, right? I answered that g-goofy-ass riddle."

[shardofwinter]

"I don't have anything better to do," he agrees slowly. "But I don't have a good reason to help you, either."

[gorogorogoro_chan]

"Ya need a reason to help somebody?" he shoots back with a roll of his eye. "Is this some k-kinda grift, pal? Ya want money or somethin'? Or do ya get some weird j-jollies hearin' people answer riddles?"

[shardofwinter]

"Well apparently you need a reason to be polite, so I'd say we're both in good company," Reynard tells him cheerily. He glances down to the snow and meets his gaze again. "Either way I'm getting something. I'd rather something better than your toes, in all honesty, but I'm not picky."

[gorogorogoro_chan]

Majima huffs out a foggy breath. "Okay, hurry it up and n-name yer non-toe price, pal. I'm d-dyin' here."

[shardofwinter]

Reynard looks him up and down thoughtfully before gesturing to his own face. "What happened to your eye?"

[gorogorogoro_chan]

Majima looks startled by the question, then sighs sharply, pulling out his usual answer for strangers: "Lost it in an accident."

[shardofwinter]

He raises a single eyebrow and then waves a hand at him. "Go on..."

[gorogorogoro_chan]

Usually people are polite enough to drop the subject at this point. "Yanno how they always say 'd-don't run with scissors'? They ain't k-kiddin'."

[shardofwinter]

"Ah." He nods slowly and then gets to his feet. "If you're not going to be honest with me I might as well be on my way."

[gorogorogoro_chan]

"W-wait." Majima is starting to turn blue, and he regrets trying to be cute. He really does. "It was c-cut out. With a knife. After I p-pissed a guy off."

[shardofwinter]

Majima is left to endure Reynard's cool, apathetic stare for a minute. Then, suddenly, he breaks it, barking a laugh and offering a hand. Even through the gloves and leather, he's cold, but it's better than sitting in the snow for so long.

"And you survived!" Once Majima is out of the hole, Reynard looks him up and down. "You know, I had my eyes gouged out once. After experiencing that it's hard not to respect people who have survived the same."