[ it hurt to wake up; it was cold, dark, heavy, falco couldn’t hear a thing, and when he gasped for air with more surprise than anything, his lungs burned— only after the fact that he realized he wasn’t possessed, or in a place where he couldn’t conventionally breathe. he was in water.
it took a few seconds to understand what was up and down, if not a quick rise to panic. not only was he in water, not only did the cold hurt to the point that he could only feel numbness, but he was under ice. harming himself to bring about his abilities (biting his tongue and keeping his mouth shut; he wouldn’t dare try to bleed freely in another ecosystem) was fruitless and he didn’t know why— perle, his pygmy falcon omen, was in a shrieking distress on the other side of the ice, urging him to break through.
breaking through was not an option by himself, and with little time remaining before he drowned, falco tried to follow her; he swims and searches for a hole, a crack, some greater light—
[That someone else is Robyn, who at first is merely unconscious as she floats underwater. Soon, though, her whole body jerks and she wakes up with a start; her eyes widen and her mouth opens in shock before she quickly closes it upon the realization that she's actually underwater.
She looks around to see if she's anywhere close to the surface, hoping that she can at least push herself upwards...but then she catches Falco's eye. It seems she's not the only one down here, but how did that happen?]
[ it was hard to find out at that very instant, but falco kicks and waves his arms through the water to get to her. his eyes sting and his vision blurs— but he could definitely make out that it’s a girl.
looking up and then back at her, he points to the surface with urgency and holds out his hand. they needed to do something about it. ]
[Robyn has never met this boy before, but that's still easy enough to understand, even underwater. All she can do is nod and take his hand in response.
She looks up at the surface, trying to see if there's any openings in the ice they can take advantage of. Hopefully there's some way to break through...]
[ he kicks and spreads his arms wide to give himself momentum, but once they are close enough to the ice to touch and search . . . there’s nothing. as bubbles of air escape past his lips, with perle on the other side frantically pecking at the surface— there are no holes. there’s no escape from it no matter how much he spreads his hands around and searches.
he’s beginning to panic and this point. there’s no way out, he can’t shift to blow the ice slabs away— in his last ditch effort, he pulls fingers into a fist and hammers into their imprisonment with everything he’s got.
[When they get to the surface and find no openings, Robyn feels like panicking herself. They need to get out to the surface, and if they don't...
But soon she finds herself trying to rationalize the situation. There has to be a way out somehow; she can't think of how they both could have ended up here otherwise. And even if Falco's attempts to break through the ice don't do anything, maybe...
At some point, Robyn will start banging against the ice as well. Maybe it could work if they both do it together.]
[ when they both manage to bang at the ice with the bottom of their first, the surface gives the smallest of audible and visible cracks. you could see the line, the little air bubbles fluttering from them and sticking to the tight fractures. falco's eyes rush open wide, and without further ado— he hits harder with her.
[It seems they're on to something, even if the solution is fairly simple. The more they hit against the ice, the more it cracks, and while the cracks are small at first, they steadily get bigger as they apply more force.
Robyn's not sure how much longer she can hold her breath underwater for, but at least this is distracting her from thinking too much about that.]
[ the loudest crack was a beam of light in their panic, and relief so big that falco could barely wait to breach the shattered ice surface to gasp loud and harsh, then a second time, and another as he gathered himself on a sturdier piece of ice with his arms sprawled across it to bare his wait— and let’s not forget the girl.
he’s shivering madly through his breathing, but the boy finds the air to say, as he turns to find her: ]
[Robyn feels a similar relief when the ice finally breaks apart into a hole big enough to swim through. She's shivering as well, but it hasn't registered to her yet how cold she is--she's just glad she and this stranger managed to make it out alive.]
I'm...I'm alright. Are you...?
[She also hasn't realized yet that they've somehow ended up at a random street in Trench, and they're also somehow halfway out of a manhole.]
I’m— o-okay, now, [ but he’s threatening to stutter every word he speaks at this point! so cold. no amount of hugging himself will help unless he goes and gets a hot bath. where were they even? perle, his tiny falcon omen, lands on his shoulder with great big puffs of shivering feathers. i was so worried, she coos. ] W-we’re both okay then, I’m glad—
[Well, that's certainly something that can take her mind off of how cold they both are. It isn't too long before Robyn's own falcon, Merlyn, swoops down to land on her arm, even if she shivers while holding it out.]
[For the first time since they came up for air, Robyn tries to get her bearings on where they are.]
Um, do...d-do you know where we are right now? [She's only just realized they're on a random street in Trench, and with everything that's happened she's not entirely sure where it is.]
[ he has to look around better to confirm that, and sadly, nothing is really ringing a distinct bell. trench was so big, and it was certain that even in a year of being here, he didn't know every corner of the city. ]
I d-don't, but— If we walk a bit, I'm sure we'll find somewhere I've been.
[ i can help with that, perle adds, and takes to the sky to find their way around. ]
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wolfhunted) wrote2022-11-07 09:23 pm
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deercountry
COLD AS ICE
it took a few seconds to understand what was up and down, if not a quick rise to panic. not only was he in water, not only did the cold hurt to the point that he could only feel numbness, but he was under ice. harming himself to bring about his abilities (biting his tongue and keeping his mouth shut; he wouldn’t dare try to bleed freely in another ecosystem) was fruitless and he didn’t know why— perle, his pygmy falcon omen, was in a shrieking distress on the other side of the ice, urging him to break through.
breaking through was not an option by himself, and with little time remaining before he drowned, falco tried to follow her; he swims and searches for a hole, a crack, some greater light—
he does see a frame. someone else— ]
no subject
She looks around to see if she's anywhere close to the surface, hoping that she can at least push herself upwards...but then she catches Falco's eye. It seems she's not the only one down here, but how did that happen?]
no subject
looking up and then back at her, he points to the surface with urgency and holds out his hand. they needed to do something about it. ]
no subject
She looks up at the surface, trying to see if there's any openings in the ice they can take advantage of. Hopefully there's some way to break through...]
no subject
he’s beginning to panic and this point. there’s no way out, he can’t shift to blow the ice slabs away— in his last ditch effort, he pulls fingers into a fist and hammers into their imprisonment with everything he’s got.
alone, it does nothing. ]
no subject
But soon she finds herself trying to rationalize the situation. There has to be a way out somehow; she can't think of how they both could have ended up here otherwise. And even if Falco's attempts to break through the ice don't do anything, maybe...
At some point, Robyn will start banging against the ice as well. Maybe it could work if they both do it together.]
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it breaks a little, each time. ]
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Robyn's not sure how much longer she can hold her breath underwater for, but at least this is distracting her from thinking too much about that.]
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he’s shivering madly through his breathing, but the boy finds the air to say, as he turns to find her: ]
H-hey—
no subject
I'm...I'm alright. Are you...?
[She also hasn't realized yet that they've somehow ended up at a random street in Trench, and they're also somehow halfway out of a manhole.]
no subject
no subject
[Well, that's certainly something that can take her mind off of how cold they both are. It isn't too long before Robyn's own falcon, Merlyn, swoops down to land on her arm, even if she shivers while holding it out.]
I-I'm alright, Merlyn. We got ourselves out.
no subject
[ except perle is squeaking and preening on top of the boy’s head now! trying to pamper him! ]
And I’m Falco. [ fitting! they’re all birds here. ] Maybe we should find some place to get warm— a-and dry.
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[For the first time since they came up for air, Robyn tries to get her bearings on where they are.]
Um, do...d-do you know where we are right now? [She's only just realized they're on a random street in Trench, and with everything that's happened she's not entirely sure where it is.]
no subject
[ he has to look around better to confirm that, and sadly, nothing is really ringing a distinct bell. trench was so big, and it was certain that even in a year of being here, he didn't know every corner of the city. ]
I d-don't, but— If we walk a bit, I'm sure we'll find somewhere I've been.
[ i can help with that, perle adds, and takes to the sky to find their way around. ]