Prompt 11 (Marshmallow Snow): Fresh-fallen snow coats Destiny City. It’s pristine and crisp, and it crunches as you walk through it. It may be a few inches deep, but it doesn’t seem to go above your calves when walking. At first, it’s easy enough to walk through, but gradually you realize that it’s getting harder to move. Every step you take feels like the snow is pulling you back in, and if you get a good look you might realize that sticky white fluff is clinging to you. The more you walk, the more it pulls, until you’re almost completely stuck. Something about the snow smells oddly sweet, and the tacky, marshmallow-like snow seems like it’s suddenly become a prison. The more you try to break free, the stickier it gets, and you’d better hope you don’t fall down. The more you struggle the harder it is to escape, but if you manage to stay still for a few minutes, the marshmallow will freeze and crystallize. When you move again, the snow will turn into a powdery dust and you can break free easily. The only good thing about this is that you won’t starve if you get trapped–the snow tastes just like marshmallows.
A simple thing it should’ve been, to shovel out the walkway till the ice grew thin. Tenoch could only stand so many a night huddled up with their crew round a fire, listening to wonderfully envisaged retelling of their glorious commander saving Christmas. It was — quite animated — worth a read or two, especially if one watched Vyn long enough to catch the gleam of flushed joy in his bright eyes.
Tenoch would find a way to tease him about that, someday. On this day though? He’d bundled up and down, waddled out into the brisk snow sloughing down from the sky, and started making progress on getting a path going..
Foolish maybe, especially if the snow was bound to keep coming down, but maybe they’d at least be able to get their door budged open enough to say good morning to the fresh Christmas dawn. To let cold air in and the heated smoke of some new over-cooked and slightly charred dish out — though, Tenoch thoroughly admired Naerias attempts at combining various vegetation into meals and stews, almost more than meat even. Which he found some of the thicker cuts of mushrooms had a similar taste to..endlessly fascinating what something labeled a fungus could do!
How it hardly seemed a task at all — until he stood still and stared up into it — thought of the attack a month ago, or was it now two? Stuck his tongue out to capture a snowflake upon it — an indelicate action, going ‘awwhhh’ at the air. Liked the brief moment of reminiscing what had been before, and would never be again. A time when he’d thought rain could be condensed into candied drops if only it fell from the right kind of sky, like lyrics from children’s mouths.
Tefla
Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2022 9:31 am
Shiningamisgirl
Nessaela had been feeling the bane of being cooped up for too long in the house that Lyndin had provided for their needs while on earth and so when Nessaela had glanced out of the window that adorned her room she caught movement outside and glimpsed a familiar face before stifling the laughter that wanted to emerge. What on earth was Tenoch doing? Had he gone and heard some other rumor? She recalled the time at their base camp before the battle that had changed everything in which he'd taken to trying to catch raindrops - claiming that they were something that they weren't. She sighed and pushed aside her work for the moment and grabbed her coat before activating her glamour. She was aptly curious about what was going through her comrade's mind this day and it seemed as though although he seemed to be fooling around that he was also trying to accomplish something as well.
Stepping outside Nessaela glanced at the sidewalk that seemed to be partially clearer than it had been in days before snorting in amusement, "Tenoch, what on earth are you doing?"
At least with going through what they had after the battle it was a relief to know that something like the chance to express humour hadn't been destroyed.
Tenoch looked over at her call, surprise caught across his face --seared there -- for, being caught. Of all things. It was silly, he hadn't thought anyone would see. Yet he didn't have it in him to stop. Committed to the act of eating snow straight from the sky, while stepping heavy into the deeper patches of white drift - seeking that one perfect, fluffy, piece.
It was harder to catch than he'd assumed. For how the brisk wind howled and conspired against his actions born of innocence.
He held up a finger to Nessaela, called for pause with a single hand like he'd seen so many humans do before. Aimless little gesture that he held, until he ultimately missed. Felt the snow melt - cold - sticky - across his cheek.
Oddly sticky actually?
The fibers of his glove pulled when he touched it. He dismissed it as being overly cold, as a trick of warm skin and water and frost.
"I am, doing the most earthly thing I can imagine Nessa. Catching snowflakes on my tongue. Its in all the movies..the-the 'Frosty Shows'? I think, maybe I was being a bit nostalgic, too." and his usual melancholy smile, for her, became warm. Would always be warm. He counted Nessa closer than the others, tigh-nit were his feelings for this one. The way they wound round his heart like they did for Eso. Similar, yet different all in one.
"You should consider trying it. It certainly makes picking snow off the walkway more entertaining." and the next step Tenoch took, to veer back onto the path he'd cleared. It nearly took his boot straight off. Had him flailing midair, with arms akimbo to catch himself before he fell to his knees.
Absolutely embarrassing! Was all the snow outside their walkway usually soo deep!?
tefla
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2023 2:04 am
Shiningamisgirl
"Catching snowflakes on your tongue?"
Nessaela sighed before glancing upwards at the flakes that continued to fall. She had not been curious enough to partake in Tenoch's adventures before with the rainfall that one day because it only appeared to be water that had been collected in the various containers that he had set out in hopes of catching lemon drops and other sugary confectioneries. Raindrops were also a lot harsher pelting down onto one's skin than a dainty snowflake was. Almost with a slow acceptance did Nessa's head tilt back far enough that she was allowing her face to be peppered gently with the pristine, yet delicate snowflakes.
I'll humour him this time, was the thought that went through her mind even as she allowed her bare hand to catch one such flake to observe it as it melted before sticking her tongue out to wait for the opportunistic flakes to land on its surface. Even as flakes struck her tongue did she keep on waiting for more to do so.
I have to look like a fool in doing this, but if it can bring a light-heartened moment between us, then I guess I'll have to endure the endless teasing that might come of this.
Nessaela's gaze could barely keep level with Tenoch's form as she stood facing the sky but she did catch the windmilling arms and it brought her eyes back down to what was happening on the pathway were Tenoch stood. "What's wrong?" It was then that the tiniest surge of sweetness flooded her mouth. What had been the cause of such a thing. She hadn't eaten anything that would have lingered.
He was caught off guard in his musing by how adorable Nessa looked; his smile wide and genuine for once. He felt the laugh bubble up from deep within, like a small brook, then re-began awkwardly waddling along through the snowy depths. He knew the image of her catching snow would stay in his mind an eternity. A memory of one good day. Then the snowflakes he’d managed to miss by a mile still remained just beyond his tongues purview, especially now, as he knee walked through the increasingly sticky camps of piling cold. It couldn’t possibly have been this thick before he’d started shoveling it all!? When had it gotten so deep, so clingy, so —
“Nothing!!” swiftly spoken in a flustered huff of breathy fog, and the next time he lifted a knee it stuck, and the next time it stuck more deeply — his warmer gear pulling, his striped scarf knitted by one of the crew getting snagged and dragged down by fluffier and fluffier flakes. “Nessa—ness—I think the snow may be tasting me?” offered with confusion, with shock, as he glanced between the white ground before him and where Nessalea stood. Was this the Earths revenge born of the sky? Was this him being eaten by the snow as he’d tried to eat it himself!
“Or trying to eat me whole—it’s—it’s very heavy out here—“ and with a sigh he held his hands out, up, made a grabbing motion in her direction because pulling himself out of whatever drift he was stuck in was becoming increasingly frustrating at this point. If he was going to taste the snow then maybe he would taste it from a proximity closer to the main home, or maybe he’d get a cup and try it that way!! Like melt water instead of frozen flakes of ice cream.
tefla
Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2023 3:03 am
Shiningamisgirl
It was the calling of her nickname, the one of her true name that brought Nessaela's attention back to Itztenoch as he seemingly struggled with the effort to move through the accumulation of snow that even after attempting to shovel continued to defy logic and remain on the pathway. Her gaze left the sky and the clouds that were above them before turning back to her comrade. How on earth had he managed to come to that conclusion that the snow was trying to taste him back? Shaking her head at Tenoch's continued folly did Nessaela move completely off of the steps before trying to reach and connect with Tenoch's hands that were clearly trying to reach for her.
"I think your imagination is working overtime again. The snow can't possibly be trying to eat you whole," although could it be considered being eaten if one fell in a giant enough snowbank, "c'mon give me your hands and I'll try to pull you out. But if you struggle we might both end up looking even more foolish."
Nessaela took one more step further into the snow and found that her own foot seemed to be weighted down and she glanced towards the trapped appendage before turning her attention back to Tenoch. Even as she attempted to catch hold of his hands that were eagerly reaching towards her did Nessa feel her own balance shift a little. Precariously in danger of falling into the snow too did Nessaela move to stand straight up again. Her mind went back to the taste of sweetness that was on her tongue moments ago before she absently turned her face towards the sky again. Was she even entertaining the idea that something beyond normal was happening? Too right she was. Otherwise how would one explain one's feet suddenly feeling like it was stuck to the ground when there was nothing that acted like an adhesive in which one would get stuck to. "Tenoch, this is going to be harder than it looks. But reach for me again and I'll try to use my momentum to shift you closer this way. Just be ready to brace yourself on something that isn't the snow."
“It’s trying to eat me by half then, or maybe a quarter?” the words a wry suggestion, as the weight coalesced around his ankles and seems to harden somewhat — surely that was his imagination still — it was definitely laughable, and even as he struggled he snickered for it, let himself enjoy the embarrassment for what it was. He’d live it down later, once he was back inside and warming himself by their homes fire, drinking heated liquids and waiting for the next blanket pile to empty — fill — refill — with the various bodies that came and went from their abode lazily; Aliez, or Eso, or Naeria would come in from some project or another and he’d do his best to convince them of the wonders and dangers both inherent in shoveling out their walkway—
“Ooh, we could look even more foolish you say? We’ll then Nessa—“ and he was both more and less careful, playful with the first grasp, the way his fingers slipped nearly by hers and caught nothing but more gently floating flakes, a wonder how slow they were to melt on his skin. He paid no mind to it, nodded instead, did his best to become lengthier and grab hold — “honestly finding something solid here that isn’t snow, like air? Like—ah—“and he had been kidding at first. Realized she was serious as typical and decided to try for the parts of the walk that were cleared haphazardly, he wiggle inched like a shuffling worm on his knees, felt everything harden more, but still he reached — to snag a hand, the hem of her coat sleeve, anything at all that his slowly numbing fingers could wrap around.
tefla
tefla generated a random number between
1 and 10 ...
9!
Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2023 3:55 am
Shiningamisgirl
Nessaela's fingers barely grasped her fellow cadet's own outstretched ones as Itztenoch tried to follow her command to do his best to reach out for her. If only she weren't locked into place in an attempt to not find herself in the same predicament that Tenoch appeared to be in. Already it seemed as if one of her feet had been stuck to the ground via the mysterious aspects of this snowfall and she muttered under her breath as she tried to reach out even further; to strengthen the connection she would have with Tenoch when he reached for her again. "I cannot see why you find this so hilarious. What would the Commodore say if he saw you floundering about?"
Perhaps it was not proper decorum to bring up their Commodore in such a time but Nessaela wanted to get Tenoch to focus on what she had asked of him to do. Instead he almost looked as if he were purposely trying to make the smallest amount of gain up the walkway as he could. Maybe, and just maybe, did a small kernel of unease flit through Nessaela's mind on the whole aspect of this situation. What would happen if Tenoch couldn't get himself unstuck, what would happen then?
Almost as her ability to focus in the present deserted her did Nessaela feel the hardest of tugs on her coat sleeve and she glanced down to see Tenoch's fingers grasping at the fabric and she yelped before she was brought off balance and went crashing into Tenoch's side. The sensation of being glued down registered next and she glared at Itztenoch before trying to shove herself away: only to realize that she was just as stuck as he was, but in her case her fingers seemed to have stuck to the snow that was holding fast to Tenoch's legs.
"Oh. ... oh, this isn't good."
(( does Nessaela get stuck in the snow as well. Odds = yes, evens = no ))
It was the least good--that Nessa said it aloud though? Maybe if he was feeling a little less compressed, Tenoch would've guffawed, out loud, as it was? He was squirming to fix himself into a better position to draw enough air to huff away the clingy marshmallow mass that couldn't decide whether to squinch them together or -- orrrr -- he didn't know what. If the snow had become sentient and deadly, if this was just how snow sometimes *was* on this planet!
"The least good--" fondly gruff, though not perturbed as he wiggled beneath the feel of her weight against him, he had the nerve to smirk, even. Letting his mouth run away with his thoughts while his body was busy puzzling out the predicament at hand. "I think---I think that the Commodore wouldn't say anything at all. He would give us that look, you know the look? The one you can feel even when he's not looking..." He dared to speak because he always dared to do something, to say something, useless as it was -- sometimes -- for better or worse they were in this together as with all things. For better or worse? Tenoch had made a choice and hew as sticking to it. Quite literally sometimes.
"I still bet -- that the snow tastes more like marshmallows than it does like glue -- or water -- what do you say?" Wry mirth and Tenoch wondered, briefly, if they would freeze to death before they would starve to death? If sweetly sticky snow were enough to sustain them the way the nourishment of the food from their home-station or the energy of their pods...."Do I get to say I told you so if we survive -- no -- maybe we can eat our way out if we get too stuck -- is that the answer?" he wasn't sure what to touch, whether to make it worse by moving even more, or to wait it out, or to simply shove his hands into all the white and do what he'd not considered doing from the start --- by eating the snow that'd already fallen.
Every idea he had was equally more ridiculous, clogged and fluffy like what fell from the sky.
