A Snowed-In Cave

So, the setting is in a cave during the middle of a massive snow storm. The chat is with Winter, and I and the characters are currently Nike and my lion boy Jullien.

Jullien

I managed to trudge though about a foot of snow, allowing a low growl to escape me. It was bad enough that I'd gotten caught in a snow storm when I'd decided to stick around and ski some more, but then the storm just had to bad enough that I couldn't move around without making myself shift into a complete lion form. The focus it took to keep that form and keep putting one foot in front of another in this snow was incredible.
Just when I thought I would be better off just lying down and just allowing the snow to cover me, I spotted something a short distance away.
Lucky. I thought, allowing my tail to swish back and forth in excitement.
Pushing myself, I managed to reach the cave within around ten minutes. Relieved, I shook myself, discarding the snow that had caked my white fur.
Now, I just need a way to warm up.

Nike

I shifted in, then dropped to my hands and knees. Into around a foot of snow, apparently. I stayed that way for a second, my breath short, then scrambled to my feet and looked around. I had to keep moving--I wasn't safe yet. Peering through the snow, I spotted what looked like a cave or something. That looked like my best option for shelter right now, so I put on my hood, pulled my scarf up over the lower half of my face, tugged my cloak around me, and hurried to the cave.

I stumbled inside, just about when what strength I had left gave up. I kind of collapsed on the ground, happy to lie there for at least a few moments. I hoped this place was empty.

Uh... my companion started, it looks like you aren't getting your wish.

Jullien

I was about to go see how deep the cave was when I heard something behind me. Turning back around, I almost let go of my lion form immediately. To my surprise, there was a girl laying on the ground, looking like she'd probably just escaped the snow. I hesitated for a moment, only able to stare at the new person.

I could either chance scaring her because of there being a lion in the same cave as her, or I could shift back and risk the chance of being even colder than I was currently.

Nike

It looks like a lion, Ceren told me.

I can take 'im, I thought back, not wanting to get up. At least it wasn't a person.

Jullien

The smart side of me lost, and I let go of my lion form. Easily shifting back into my normal, well, normal for me, self, I sheepishly rubbed the back of my neck and offered the other person a friendly smile.
"Uh...hello," I said.
I began to shiver rather quickly, seeing as the only clothing I could shift with were ones that were slightly tight, meaning my pants and long sleeve shirt I'd been wearing when this storm whipped up.

Nike

Whoa wait what the lion became a person, Ceren thought. I...there's no way I just saw that. There's no way.

I put in the great effort to prop up my upper body, blinking and looking at the person in question.

"Weren't you just a lion?" I asked. I probably wouldn't have been nearly so calm about it if my head weren't so cloudy. But I figured Ceren and I were both probably seeing things anyway.

Jullien

She was surprisingly calm, I noted. That was either a good or a bad thing, seeing as it seemed to take some effort on her part to prop herself up.
"I... yeah, I was," I said, my ears flatting against the top of my head. "I'm normally like this, though."
As I spoke, I gestured to my hears, and moved my tail so that it was visible past my body.
"Are..." I paused, hesitating before continue. "Are you alright?"

Nike

"I'm..." I started, not quite sure of the answer. "I'll be fine." Provided no Sybek followed me and decided to check the cave, anyway. "If I can ask...what exactly are you?"

Jullien

I considered my answer for a moment before responding. While I was thinking I hugged my arms around myself in an effort to warm up a little.
"The easiest explanation would be call myself a were-lion? My family and are aren't descended from demons or familiars like a lot of weres I've met, we're just... normal, I guess? Well, I guess not normal... but..."
I trailed off, realizing that I might not be making much sense. I haven't had much experience with explaining this sort of thing. Normally people tended to pass out or run off, or attack without asking questions. Although, I didn't really have much experience with that, either, I just tended not to shift in front of people.
"You're rather calm."

Nike

"I'll probably be freaking out about it later," I said. "So anyway...you're telling me that werewolves and people like that are real. Like, actually real. Is that correct?"

Jullien

I gave her another sheepish smile, my hand going back to rubbing the back of my neck.
"Uh... yeah, I guess I am. It probably seems a bit strange..." I trailed off again, realizing that my words were probably the understatement of the century. "But... it's true?"
Why did that sound like question? I grumbled mentally.
"There's a lot more than that, too, but I wouldn't want to overwhelm you," I added.

Nike

"Thank you," I told him. I was kind of overwhelmed as it was.

A cold wind blew into the mouth of the cave, and I shivered. Right, wanted to get away from the entrance... There was still plenty of snow lying around the cave mouth. I managed to get to my hands and knees, then crawled deeper into the cave until I couldn't feel the wind anymore.

"Feels like summer out there, doesn't it?" I asked.

Jullien

I snorted at her comment, and hesitated just a little as I watched her.
"Exactly like summer," I said, then continued on as I made a decision. "Do you need help getting further in?"
I was then reminded that I was going to explore the cave to see if there was anything useful deeper in. Maybe there'd be something that could be used to make a fire.

Nike

"I think I'd rather just...hang out here for a while," I said. "But hey, if you find some wood or something, bring it back and I can make a fire. Doesn't matter if the wood's wet--I can dry it out."

Jullien

My eyes widened a little as I took in what she said. Didn't matter if it was wet?
"Alright, I'll go look right now, then," I told her, grinning.
I stepped a few more feet in before focusing and shifting back into a lion. My thick fur dealt with the cold a little better, although it still wasn't much, seeing as lions weren't meant to be in this weather either.
The cave seemed to be even deeper than I thought it would be. I'd traveled quite a bit in, enough that it was rather dark and I was grateful for my feline eyesight, when I began to spot pieces of wood here and their. Releasing my lion form, I gathered the pieces and ran back to where the girl was at, ignoring as the rough floor of the cave hurt my bare feet.
"I found some," I told her triumphantly as I returned.

Nike

"Great," I said, getting into a sitting position. "Let's arrange them here. Oh, by the way, I'm Nike."

Jullien

I quickly stepped over and put them down near her.
"Jullien," I replied with a grin. "Nice to meet you... well, I guess the circumstances aren't the best... but... yeah..."
I trailed off again. Wow, I really wasn't doing myself justice by attempting to talk today. Maybe I needed to think a bit more before I spoke.

Nike

"Yeah, likewise," I answered with a smile. Then I remembered he couldn't see most of my face. I pulled my scarf down under my chin, even if it was colder this way. "Okay, I don't know if your world has people with powers in it, but if it doesn't...don't freak out, alright?"

I reached towards the to-be firewood and swooshed my hand in an upward motion. The water in the wood rose up, hovering in a ball-esque thing in the air. I swept my arm in the direction of the cave mouth, flinging the water out the entrance.

"There," I started, "that should do it."

Jullien

I stared at her for a moment, surprised. From her reaction to me I'd thought she was a normal human. Obviously, though, I was mistaken.
"Are you..." I began, trying to gather my thoughts. "Are you a which...? Or... something along those lines?"
I didn't want to ask about her perhaps being a demon. I mean, that would be insulting if she wasn't, right? I couldn't help but begin running through all the elemental creatures I could think of in my mind.

Nike

"Nope, just a human with powers," I said. "Anyone can get those sorts of powers where I come from. I can control water, but my main thing is earth."

I put my hands out, then formed fists and raised them up. A bunch of small rocks around the cave moved a few feet into the air. I brought my hands closer to me, uncurled my fists, and swirled them around each other, causing the rocks to form a circle. Finally, I lowered my hands, bringing the rocks to rest around the firewood.

"Okay, if you don't have anything to light with, I do."

Jullien

Surprised, I simply watched as she moved the rocks around without having to touch them. When she said something, I was startled, tearing my eyes from the circle to her. If she could do something like that, why had she been so surprised by me?

"Sorry, but I don't," I told her sheepishly.

When I'd stayed behind my family to ski a bit more, I never imagined something like this would happen, and all my things were still back at the ski lodge.

Nike

"Alright." I took a survival firestarter out of my pocket and lit up the wood. Even non-fire types had to carry some source of flame around for reasons like this. "Ah...starting to feel better already."

It was too bad Peter or Sarah weren't here. They could've warmed the place up a lot more easily.

Jullien

As the fire started, I found myself drawing in even closer than I had already been. The warm feeling made me just stand there with my eyes closed for a moment, the comfortable feeling sweeping over me. Next time I went skiing I would bring a backpack with an extra set of clothes and something to start a fire in. At least I could carry that in my mouth if I had to shift, instead of being left in what I had been left in.

"It really does feel a lot better," I finally said, opening my eyes and smiling at Nike. "Thanks a lot."

Hesitating for just a moment, I took a seat where I had been standing, which was just a short distance from where she was.

"So, what brings you out here?" I asked, curious. Might as well have conversation while we were here. "The slopes?"

Nike

"Uh...not exactly," I said. Since we didn't seem to be keeping secrets about who we were, I figured I could tell him the truth. "I travel between worlds. I was running from some enemies on another world and came here to avoid them. Don't worry, I don't think they'd follow me here."