Post by strider on Jul 23, 2022 0:03:41 GMT -5
Newt heard Varianโs laugh, surprise coating his features at the noise. If he were honest with himself, he had taken the guard to be someone too tough to laugh with relief at much of anything, even if it would save his life. There was something almost human about the sound. Something that reminded Newt that they were all just kids trying to get through this. They may have been playing the role of guard and prisoner, but when it came down to itโฆ he didnโt want the guard in front of him to die in this blizzard, and he found it difficult to believe the guard wanted him to die either.
Relief flooded him as he stepped through and found the ground more solid, the air just a touch warmer than it had been in the biting wind.
โWeโre safe,โ he whispered, lifting a hand to brush snowflakes off his eyelashes.
Zuko was torn, eyes locked on Sal as he stepped further away, something moving to his other side drawing his attention instead. Eventually, he let his attention move over to Juuzou. Juuzou was part of his family, and as much as he didnโt want to let one of the prisoners die in the middle of nowhere out of stubbornness, he also knew if he add to choose, he would choose Juuzou every time. He wouldnโt regret it, either.
After a moment, Zuko decided to stay where he was, doing his best to decipher Juuzouโs words. If he moved to follow Sal, would he even be able to see Juuzou? If he moved closer to his friend, would he lose sight of Sal? The thought of the other boy freezing to death on the side of a mountain forced a vile taste to the back of his throat. He wasnโt going to let that happen.
โA cave?โ Zuko shouted back, eyes wide as his brain managed to parse out what Juuzou was saying. It clicked, suddenly. A cave. Shelter. Safety. โIโll be right there!โ He screamed, not certain his voice would be carried by the wind. Juuzou was in just the right position that his voice was magnified by it instead of stolen away. It didnโt matter, though. Heโd catch up to Juuzou later, if he had to. What mattered now was getting Sal and getting the hell out of there.
โSal!โ he shouted, running towards the blue-haired boy as fast as he could through the snow. He just had to hope the blizzard didnโt blind them both and leave them lost.
Nico forced himself to keep moving. It was harder than he wanted to admit. He knew he wasnโt as well fed as some of the others from Monoiditan - he had been sent on too many missions by his father where the only thing he could eat were restaurant scraps that werenโt always in the best shape - and he was all too aware of how his thin frame made it more difficult to force his way through the cold. He knew his lack of body fat would also mean he would succumb to frostbite and hypothermia more quickly, even if he didnโt know the details.
He didnโt dignify Ronan with a response. He could yell at him all he wanted to keep moving, but they were both just trying to survive. There wasnโt much Nico could do about the way he was worrying at the restraints. If he wanted to rub his skin raw in this bitter cold, that was his problem. Once they got close enough for it to matter, Juuzou, Zuko, and Hunter would be able to keep him in check. He stumbled, foot catching on a rock hidden beneath the snow. He barely had time to process before he was on his hands, the skin red from the cold.
Noah heard voices come nearer. He would have preferred it be Ronan, but if that wasnโt possibleโฆ at least it wasnโt only guards. And at least it meant that there would be people who felt like they should be in charge who could explore the cave instead of him. He may have pretended to be brave as often as he could, but the truth was that he was a coward sometimes. His heart pounded at the thought of having to go back into the cave by himself, searching to make sure that threw auntโ something in there that wanted them all dead. Or, more realistically, something hungry that wouldnโt mind a free meal just waltzing in of its own volition. He stepped back, closer to the entrance.
Newt. He released a breath, relief flooding him. That meant there were only five more of his friends that needed to get here before they were all safe.
The cave was in sight. Fully in sight. Wylan didnโt let himself hesitate for even a second as he pushed through the snow, ignoring his frozen feet and frozen legs and frozen hands and frozen thoughts. All that mattered was that the dark opening in the ground was safety. It meant that neither he nor Spook was going to die out here. They were going to make it, just like they had been promising each other with no real reason to believe it.
โWe did it,โ Wylan whispered, the sunlight (there, but mostly obscured) now completely blocked by the overhang of the cave. They still had their captors to contend with, but at least they werenโt going to freeze to death in the mean time.
The desperation sunk off of Wylan as he let his knees fall to the floor. They were okay. They were alive. And they didnโt have to worry about walking any further.
Hinata knew it was a terrible idea to waste his energy. That didnโt mean, however, that he much liked the idea of going slow. He forced himself to wait, forced himself not to run ahead, forced himself to watch as the nice guard and the mean guard consulted aboutโฆ well, whatever they were consulting about. He wasnโt sure it was going to be good news, but there was urgency in the mean guardโs steps as he came closer. Hinata decided to withhold judgment until he found out what it was. It was difficult to hear over the howl of the wind, but if he stuck close, it wouldnโt necessarily be for eavesdropping - for all they knew, he just didnโt want to lose sight of the only other people they could really see.
โJuuzouโs prisoner found a cave!โ Hunter shouted as soon as he figured Kenma could hear him. He had seen the other boyโs mouth move, but he hadnโt actually been able to make out what he was saying. Whatever it was, it could wait. Kenma may have been a genius at strategy, but you didnโt need to be a genius to see that the most strategic way to survive this was to find a way out of the storm.
Relief flooded him as he stepped through and found the ground more solid, the air just a touch warmer than it had been in the biting wind.
โWeโre safe,โ he whispered, lifting a hand to brush snowflakes off his eyelashes.
Zuko was torn, eyes locked on Sal as he stepped further away, something moving to his other side drawing his attention instead. Eventually, he let his attention move over to Juuzou. Juuzou was part of his family, and as much as he didnโt want to let one of the prisoners die in the middle of nowhere out of stubbornness, he also knew if he add to choose, he would choose Juuzou every time. He wouldnโt regret it, either.
After a moment, Zuko decided to stay where he was, doing his best to decipher Juuzouโs words. If he moved to follow Sal, would he even be able to see Juuzou? If he moved closer to his friend, would he lose sight of Sal? The thought of the other boy freezing to death on the side of a mountain forced a vile taste to the back of his throat. He wasnโt going to let that happen.
โA cave?โ Zuko shouted back, eyes wide as his brain managed to parse out what Juuzou was saying. It clicked, suddenly. A cave. Shelter. Safety. โIโll be right there!โ He screamed, not certain his voice would be carried by the wind. Juuzou was in just the right position that his voice was magnified by it instead of stolen away. It didnโt matter, though. Heโd catch up to Juuzou later, if he had to. What mattered now was getting Sal and getting the hell out of there.
โSal!โ he shouted, running towards the blue-haired boy as fast as he could through the snow. He just had to hope the blizzard didnโt blind them both and leave them lost.
Nico forced himself to keep moving. It was harder than he wanted to admit. He knew he wasnโt as well fed as some of the others from Monoiditan - he had been sent on too many missions by his father where the only thing he could eat were restaurant scraps that werenโt always in the best shape - and he was all too aware of how his thin frame made it more difficult to force his way through the cold. He knew his lack of body fat would also mean he would succumb to frostbite and hypothermia more quickly, even if he didnโt know the details.
He didnโt dignify Ronan with a response. He could yell at him all he wanted to keep moving, but they were both just trying to survive. There wasnโt much Nico could do about the way he was worrying at the restraints. If he wanted to rub his skin raw in this bitter cold, that was his problem. Once they got close enough for it to matter, Juuzou, Zuko, and Hunter would be able to keep him in check. He stumbled, foot catching on a rock hidden beneath the snow. He barely had time to process before he was on his hands, the skin red from the cold.
Noah heard voices come nearer. He would have preferred it be Ronan, but if that wasnโt possibleโฆ at least it wasnโt only guards. And at least it meant that there would be people who felt like they should be in charge who could explore the cave instead of him. He may have pretended to be brave as often as he could, but the truth was that he was a coward sometimes. His heart pounded at the thought of having to go back into the cave by himself, searching to make sure that threw auntโ something in there that wanted them all dead. Or, more realistically, something hungry that wouldnโt mind a free meal just waltzing in of its own volition. He stepped back, closer to the entrance.
Newt. He released a breath, relief flooding him. That meant there were only five more of his friends that needed to get here before they were all safe.
The cave was in sight. Fully in sight. Wylan didnโt let himself hesitate for even a second as he pushed through the snow, ignoring his frozen feet and frozen legs and frozen hands and frozen thoughts. All that mattered was that the dark opening in the ground was safety. It meant that neither he nor Spook was going to die out here. They were going to make it, just like they had been promising each other with no real reason to believe it.
โWe did it,โ Wylan whispered, the sunlight (there, but mostly obscured) now completely blocked by the overhang of the cave. They still had their captors to contend with, but at least they werenโt going to freeze to death in the mean time.
The desperation sunk off of Wylan as he let his knees fall to the floor. They were okay. They were alive. And they didnโt have to worry about walking any further.
Hinata knew it was a terrible idea to waste his energy. That didnโt mean, however, that he much liked the idea of going slow. He forced himself to wait, forced himself not to run ahead, forced himself to watch as the nice guard and the mean guard consulted aboutโฆ well, whatever they were consulting about. He wasnโt sure it was going to be good news, but there was urgency in the mean guardโs steps as he came closer. Hinata decided to withhold judgment until he found out what it was. It was difficult to hear over the howl of the wind, but if he stuck close, it wouldnโt necessarily be for eavesdropping - for all they knew, he just didnโt want to lose sight of the only other people they could really see.
โJuuzouโs prisoner found a cave!โ Hunter shouted as soon as he figured Kenma could hear him. He had seen the other boyโs mouth move, but he hadnโt actually been able to make out what he was saying. Whatever it was, it could wait. Kenma may have been a genius at strategy, but you didnโt need to be a genius to see that the most strategic way to survive this was to find a way out of the storm.
