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]

"That would be a good alternate answer, yes," Reynard agrees readily. In case Josh can't tell, he's quite enjoying listening to his musings while he struggles to get out of his predicament. "Perhaps I'll change the riddle slightly to accommodate your answer and use it on someone else."

[brother_alone]

"What was the answer you were lookin' for, if I can ask?"

He's been able to inch himself forward through the snow. Just a little further and he can reach the ledge he'd fallen from. It's disorienting to have the snow be so deep. He'd have no way of knowing this patch of ground was way lower the way the snow's drifted and settled into a seemingly continuous plane.

"You want me to give you one in return?"

[shardofwinter]

"A boot, or shoe." He holds up a hand and wiggles his fingers. "You were thinking about the wrong five headed creature."

His hand drops and he rests his arms on his knees as he watches Josh scrape his way out of the snow. The offer of a riddle only makes him perk up even more. "Go ahead!"

[brother_alone]

The tips of Josh's fingers catch on something solid and firm but it's not enough to get leverage just yet. He keeps at it, breathing little clouds into the air as he tries not to think about the stinging cold biting at his arms and beginning to nip at his legs.

"Lemme think. How'd it...go. Okay uh," he clears his throat. "I'm thrice again larger than all you can see, yet lighter by far than my weighty ancestry."

[shardofwinter]

If Josh wants an opportunity to do anything he suspects Reynard would disapprove of the now is the time. Once the riddle is said, the Winter spirit strokes his beard and peers off into the distance as he runs through his thoughts.

It sounds vaguely familiar. He knows he has an answer somewhere in the back of his mind. Partially unseen, invisible, hidden. A puppet? Thrice larger, though. A mountain? But lighter… And ancestry? It was something else? What could be larger yet lighter than the thing it's made of? Not something of stone, or wood…

After his long stretch of deliberation, Reynard grins, so sure of himself as he says, "An iceberg."

[brother_alone]

With Reynard distracted, and more importantly not making things worse, it won't take Joshua but a moment to grab hold of the ledge he'd tipped off of and slowly haul himself up. Once he can get himself half out of the snow he can finally get his leg up and haul himself fully to safety and solid ground.

The breeze pierces right through his wet clothes now and Josh shivers but he's still feeling pretty good about pulling himself to safety to go running inside just yet. Accomplishment is a rare thing for him and he's determined to enjoy it. He peers up at Reynard from the ground before slowly getting to his feet and trying to brush off whatever snow he can from his clothes.

"Yeah. You got it in one. I shoulda known I couldn't get anything over you, but hopefully you enjoyed it at least."

[shardofwinter]

"I did, very much." He tips his hat at Josh with a broad smile. "Thank you, my dear."

Setting his hands on his hips, he tilts his head at the young man. He gives him a moment to breathe before he asks, "How are you doing there? You've survived your excavation."

[brother_alone]

"You can use it on someone else. I don't mind."

Josh offers a crooked smile up toward Reynard. His own smile has always been unsure of itself and ill practiced though much more genuine than the smirks and grins that settle across his face when he's pretending to be confident and social. Things he's very much not at his core.

"I'm cold as a witch's tit, bro. Gonna have to take the moped and head back to the cafe to warm up. It coulda been a lot worse. I've been in some pretty cold, dangerous places before."

A snow bank, no matter how large, is at least less dangerous than the abandoned mines and freezing water he's been trapped in before.

"I'd ask if you wanted t'come with an' get a drink but I doubt you'd wanna with all the...Winterness...out here right now."

[shardofwinter]

Reynard's grin widens and there's something not entirely pleasant about his low chuckle. "I bet you have."

Suddenly bright and cheerful again, he straightens and sets his hands on his hips. "I have plenty to do out here, but a drink is a good idea." Casting an eye back to the moped, then to the snow around them, and finally to Josh again. "Bringing the moped through this weather... might not be so clever."

[brother_alone]

"Walk it back, I mean."

Josh tilts his hand and makes two of his fingers mime walking while he talks. He sure as heck isn't getting back on the thing with the ice and snow as bad as it is.

"I dunno how easy it'll be to move though. Mostly I just don't want to leave it out unattended. It's not mine, you know?"

He gives another little shiver. Standing still out in the wind like this his damp clothes are only inviting the chill.

"Ah, hell. I gotta get moving one way or another or I might as well have stayed buried in the snow."

[shardofwinter]

"Even walking it back won't be easy. It will just slow you down." He shifts his weight onto one leg and tilts his head at Josh. "Leave it where it is and it will be buried in snow soon enough. No one will even know it's there."

[brother_alone]

"You're probably right..."

Joshua doesn't look pleased about it but he lets go of the moped then and fishes out his bag from it's little basket and slings it over his shoulder. He'll make sure to tell Ice Bear where he had to leave it and hope his landlord bear understands the circumstances. Before he leaves he turns and gives one last look to Reynard.

"Hey, I know you didn't have to. And, it's probably not all that important to you in the grand scheme of things but...thanks for keeping me company while I was stuck. You helped me keep my head on straight."

[shardofwinter]

Reynard gives an almost inaudible sigh at Josh's decision. Forcing people to abandon their vehicles and possessions for their own survival? Now that's a sign of a strong Winter.

He's still eyeing the moped when Josh speaks again and he turns to face the young man properly. A grin curls his lips and he tips the brim of his hat. "You're very welcome. Enjoy your Winter."