[ Steve isn't going to deny Claude's remark about Sam's charm. His ability to always look out for others, even when they don't necessarily want to look out for themselves, is something Steve has always admired in him.

As Sylvain moves to take a load off, Steve does the same by going through a series of standing stretches. They're a typical course of stretches that he might go through after working out, and given the level of heavy lifting he's been doing over the past week or so, they apply well here too.

So, while Claude and Hilda are from a climate much like this (something Steve had already known about Claude), Sylvain... not so much. ]

So you prefer the cold. Fair enough. I hope the school you all went to was a good balance, at least. What would you consider a real winter hobby?

[ There had been plenty of snowfall in New York, though certainly not year round. He'd had to put up with grueling summers too. The "best of both worlds." ]