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 Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2025 3:03 pm
Quote: Ice Bath (2) : Rainfall is rare in Destiny City during Winter; there have been a few light showers between the occasional snow but it’s never been enough to be significant. In some places, it’s just enough for a thin layer of ice to cover the ground and make it a little slippery, but ultimately it’s not enough to worry about. In an inconspicuous place in town, you step into one of these icy puddles and the thin layer of ice shatters. The hole itself seems maybe three feet wide and if you’ve ever been in the area before you know it’s just a pothole a few inches deep at most. Except, when the ice shatters, you fall, plummeting into it as if it were a lake of icy water. It’s pitch black around you and only pale blue lights shimmer above you. The darkness is never ending and you can’t make out the details of anything except the shrinking hole above you. Maybe you remember how to swim and pull yourself out, maybe you black out and feel someone else pulling you out--either way, your frozen, soaking body is pulled from the puddle. The chill is immense, but if you look at the hole after being pulled out, all you can see is the ground below. There’s no sign that what you just experienced is real--except for the fact that you’re still soaking wet. While Basil was more hesitant to head out after that last mishap, he did want a few more of the apples from one of those green trees. Maybe if he were quick about it, nothing else would pop up and chase him. So after finding the first aid supplies and wrapping his wrist and forearm up as best as he could on his own, he pulled all the layers of shirt, sweater, coat, and scarf on to keep warm before heading out into the snow. This time, he decided on a different path, one that would keep him away from where he'd seen the wolf thing but hopefully with more of those apples still somewhere nearby. There were patches of snow and ice everywhere, something he kept his focus downward on so as not to slip or fall, as he'd seen at least one person do so far. It wasn't very nice out, the cold wind biting through his layers to have him shivering, but at least that seemed like something that was just normal and not magical. Not every planet had the same climate, which he had learned very quickly, at least. Maybe he might bump into that nice man who had helped him with the apples, at least then he could try again to thank them and maybe do something in return for their help. Some of the humans he'd met were odd, so secretive or deceptive with their actions and words. Maybe that was part of things here, but it wasn't his place to judge or comment much on it, only to be aware and act accordingly without causing too much of a ruckus.
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2026 7:08 pm
Basyl was working long and late days to justify the fact that he would not be working on a night that was arguably one of the most prolific at a hospital. Nataniel understood the necessity for a little sacrifice to get the day Basyl wanted off, however... As with most people, he was generally not enthusiastic about sacrifice and took to finding ways to... alleviate... the emotional burden of being left entirely to himself for days- days at a time. As such, at this moment he was maybe just a very, very tiiiiny bit... inebriated. His friends had joined him earlier in the night. Tanwyn and Gideon both had something like government jobs, so they were generally agreeable to Nataniel's summons. But as the hours waned on, the pub became less and less of an enticing locale. They eventually left, making Nat swear that he wouldn't linger, and that he'd call an Uber to get home. They could meet back up tomorrow to grab everyone's vehicles it was literally barely even an inconvenience. Nataniel, in his immeasurable wisdom, had decided that his house was not that far, and since he'd promised not to drive, he would simply walk. It was only freezing, and he stumbled and slipped with near every step, but, like. Exercise. Good for him. And he'd consumed many calories at the pub. Needed to... get rid of those. And he was not cold. He was actually quite warm. So it was fine. He was fine. Everything was fine. Er... it had been. Mostly. Sort of. But he was probably exactly a block from his house when the whole ******** Earth cracked beneath his feet. Nataniel didn't even mentally register it in time to flinch. One second he was (mostly) upright, and the next- he'd been swallowed up, doused in cold water, sinking toward a bottom he couldn't see and arms flapping rather ineffectively to claw himself back up- There was an uncomfortable lack of any emotion, any sensation. Just dark... sinking...
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2026 10:33 pm
Basil hadn't been far behind in his wandering when he saw a familiar face. If he had known their name, he would have called out to the man. Something seemed wrong, though; their steps were all wiggly, and they didn't look like they were doing too well. Hurrying along, he caught up to them just in time for the ground to open up beneath them. In a panic, he yelped and plopped down to try to reach for them. How had that even happened? It had him confused, but he had to help! The water was so cold, and even as he leaned into the puddle to reach for them, he couldn't understand how this was happening. The ground felt solid beneath him, and on the other side of the puddle, it wasn't even that much larger than the man had been. Finally, feeling something flailing and moving in the dark water, one hand or something bumped him, and he grabbed on with both hands around their wrist and pulled as much as he could. It wasn't easy, given his size and how his arm still hurt from the wound the wolf had left, but he had to try. They'd helped him, and it was the right thing to do. "I... I've got you!" Finally getting to the point he had their hand out of the water, he leaned back and tried to kick against the ground to get them further out and away from the ice. By the time he had them halfway out, the water that had come with him had him soaked, blood leaching slightly through the wet bandages and his sleeve, but he didn't pay it any mind as he looked at them. "Are you okay?! I've almost got you out!" Fretting more as he tried to keep pulling, moving to grab their other hand so he could pull without hurting them, and trying not to drag them too roughly. They were clear enough that he leaned closer, trying to see if they were breathing. Looking around for anyone to help, someone human that might know more about what to do, he found that the last few stragglers that had been out were gone, and all the stores and buildings' lights were off.
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Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2026 7:38 am
Something grabbed him, and Nataniel’s experience told him that there was probably a fifty-fifty chance of it being an enemy or a friend. Well, no- Actually it was probably a slightly higher chance of something trying to hurt him. More likely to be some creature dragging him down… But whatever had his hand tugged, and in his state of incoherence, Nat couldn’t actually tell if he was moving up or down- just being pulled. He scrabbled with his free hand, notching it against whatever had a hold of him to at least try and pose… some resistance? It didn’t matter in any significant way. Nataniel wasn’t clear on his own goal in this situation or where he was going, or what the thing holding him was doing, so he effectively achieved nothing against it, and it was only a matter of- seconds, probably- that his head poked through the water, and he sucked in a gulp of air and laid eyes on a boy with green hair. The boy gave a yank, and Nataniel was lurched toward the near edge of the water, half out from the waist up. He stared blearily at the panic-stricken boy, almost unidentifiable through the droplets of water freezing over his lenses. “…You’re Basil,” Nataniel croaked. Remembered only because of the recency of their meeting, from the boy that shared a strange name with his fiance. The icy water was starting to weight him down significantly. He shouldn’t… stay here, probably. With a quiet grunt of effort, Nat allowed Basil to help him pull free of the iced-over puddle. Though being out of it was hardly any great gift. The water clung to his heavy layers, cold crusting over every fiber of his being. This wasn’t the first time this had happened, so he wasn’t concerned exactly… but he probably shouldn’t stay like this. …It just didn’t help that he was having significant trouble figuring out what to do. “I-I need to…” An annoyed little huff, a brisk little shake of his head as Nataniel tried to remember how… what he should do. He’d been here before. It was fine. Just… Frozen fingers scrabbled for the buttons on his coat. Get these heavy, oppressively soaked layers off. They would only trap the cold close.
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Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2026 10:42 am
"Ah! You remembered!" Snapping to as they started to say what needed to be done, they had to be cold, though. He could see the water frosting up already, and while watching them fight with the buttons, he got an idea. Pulling his coat off, wincing when it took some of the bandages with it, he then helped with their coat buttons. His sweater underneath wasn't as wet, at least with water, so losing his coat wasn't too bad; he still felt warm enough besides his hands. When the little clang of the metal thermos in his coat pocket rang out, he thought then if that it might help, but shook his head and focused on the first task. "Need to get your cold coat off... what else?" Looking back up as he managed to get the buttons undone, he used his scarf to try and wipe some of the water from their glasses. "Ah, sorry, I should have asked." After all, he wasn't sure if they were delicate or not, but he was just trying to help.
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Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2026 12:24 pm
All of his clothes were soaked, the air was cold, each breath stinging down his throat as Nataniel sucked them in. His fingers were uncooperative, but the other boy, Basil, at least seemed to understand in some part what he was doing, because his hands joined in Nat's as they worked off the buttons, and it wasn't long before his coat was off, shucked to the ground. He sat on the pavement for precious seconds, taking quick, harsh breaths while periodic tremors racked up his spine. He'd achieved the thing he needed to achieve- removing his coat- and what he was meant to do after wasn't springing to his mind as quickly. But eventually: "A-all of it," Nataniel demanded tersely, fumbling for the hem of his sweater and long-sleeve ********..." It sure was going to be great, sitting here half-naked on the pavement. Rakovanite would have this situation handled already. He had clothes in his space pocket. But he'd have to power up. And if he powered up, he might as well just teleport home, to safety. ...He was not going to power up with some stranger right next to him. And so if he glared at Basil for preventing what would be the most convenient resolution to this conflict, Nataniel was barely in control of his actions. And Basil probably wouldn't see it through the frost already reforming over his glasses, anyway. Fine. This was the situation he was in. Another solution, besides teleporting. He'd been walking home. And it would be safe and warm and well-supplied. "My house. It is close." Nataniel gestured vaguely down the road. If he had to walk alone, he was sure his numb limbs would simply give out, but there was another person here... albeit a scrawny one who would almost certainly be of no assistance. But it was the only reasonable option. -Well, not even reasonable. The only option period. Nataniel slung an arm over the other's shoulders. Worryingly, that was the only sort of grip he could offer, as his fingers now seemed absolutely incapable of grasping anything. "Help me get up."
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Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2026 3:45 pm
Watching as they pulled at their shirt, he helped again, but then worried about how the cold might cling to them more. But they seemed to know more, so he helped with what they were doing while keeping the wet clothes close. With the mention of their house and how it was close, Basil nodded and understood what the plan was. Pulling his scarf and coat off, he did his best to drape the dry articles of clothing over them before working to get them up off the ground. Reaching down as he stood to grab the wet clothes so they wouldn't be left behind. It wasn't exactly easy to help, but he did his best to juggle the wet clothes and keep the man upright. "Where do I go? I'll help you get there." Looking down at the ground to make sure he wasn't going to step on the ice and end up falling in with them, he took a few steps forward while helping them out. If anything, he was determined to help.
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Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2026 9:29 pm
Basil's coat did not fit him- but given that everything Nataniel had was soaked, a small, dry garment was better than no garment at all. And he should appreciate the lack of resistance the smaller man gave him as Nat was forced to rely heavily on him for movement. It had only been a few minutes: a handful of seconds in the water, and then scattered moments of... relative clarity to decide how to progress. Those moments were reaching their end. He'd been cold and disoriented. Now Nataniel barely felt anything at all, and a fog was starting to creep in. What was he doing here. Who was this stranger walking with him. Not important. Just get home. Hang on to that one objective. "Blue. My house. It's blue," Nataniel murmured as he shuffled along in... a direction. Probably the right one. Probably. ...And his house was more like blue- ish. Mostly grey, kind of blue. Hopefully the guy with him understood the distinction. Why were his limbs so heavy. Legs barely stepping, one arm limp over this rando's shoulder, the other hung at his side. His breath didn't leave a fog as he exhaled- that was weird, gave him reason to notch his chin down lower into the scarf wrapped precariously around his shoulders. "There- there. That one." They lurched up the pathway to the front door- which was admittedly not the path Nataniel usually took, as he was usually on the bike, which he parked in back, and so both he and Basyl usually entered through the back door. ...Subsequently, the walkway had not been cleared of snow and frost, and they had to slosh through it to get to the door. The guy with him would surely be exhausted. Nataniel just felt nothing. He pressed away from the smaller boy, knocking his shoulder against the doorframe and fumbling for the wet, frosty pockets of his jeans with uncooperative fingers. "Get my keys."
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Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2026 9:53 pm
"Blue?"A simple enough thing to look for, as he realized he had to help the man more and more as they went. The cold was getting to him as well now, his teeth starting to chatter without his layers and from the cold bundle he held in his other hand. It kept thumping into his leg, leaving an icy and wet splotch on his pants that didn't help him with the keeping warm goal. Sweeping his eyes back and forth over both sides of the street, he spotted the home only a moment after they spoke up and picked up the pace as much as he could while helping them up the pathway. When they pushed away, he almost lost his balance from the shift in weight, but avoided falling by leaning into the door as well. "Oh! Uh Keys! Okay!" He'd seen them trying and failing to use their hands, just like with the coat, and he did his best to get the keys out of their pocket without invading too much of their personal space. However, that was easier said than done as he himself fumbled with the slightly frozen pocket and then the ice-cold metal ring of keys. Looking between the keys and the man that still seemed to tower a bit over him even as they leaned into the doorframe, he began to fumble with them until one finally fit into the lock. "Okay, let's get you inside." Offering a sheepish smile, he moved to let them lean on him again or at least to push the door open themselves. This wasn't his home, and he also didn't know what or who else might be in there. It was rude to just let himself i,n wasn't it?
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2026 10:03 am
The front entryway opened directly between the living and dining spaces, facing the stairs up to the bedrooms, where all of his clean, warm, dry clothes would be. Getting them would require making it up the stairs, which Nataniel decided he was going to pass on. If he couldn't be comfortably disrobed in his own home, what was even the point of being a homeowner? He braced a hand on the wall, then pushed off it to the right, toward the living room area. Where was Basyl. Basyl was useful and would know the proper ways to warm him without shocking his system and would decide if the situation was dire enough that he should go to the hospital- The hospital. Right. Basyl was at work. At the hospital. And Nataniel should probably not try and use his phone to summon him until it had had a chance to suitably dry from the dip he'd taken. He glanced behind him toward the other Basil, standing in the doorway, the apparent annoyance on Nat's features dampened by how soggy and sloppy he looked. This one would have to do for now. It was all he had to work with. "Kitchen that way," Nat muttered, flicking an arm to indicate the left-side dining room area and the doorway into the kitchen- His and Basyl's house was old. It wasn't laid out quite as open and prettily as more modern designs were. "Warm water, tap is fine. Tea bags in the cabinet by the fridge. Make some." He didn't hang around to see if his suggestions were heeded. Nataniel stumbled from the wall, catching onto the back of a lounge chair for support as he found his way into the living room, toward the fireplace. It wasn't lit, but he was lucky that doing so was no more complicated than flicking a switch on the side on the wall. No, it wouldn't warm up as well as a true wood fireplace, but this was what he had. Much like Basil, it would simply "have to do." He snatched a blanket from the couch and slid to the floor, kicking off his wet pants to curl up on the rug like some wounded, defeated creature.
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Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2026 6:53 pm
Following behind the man, he was sure to close the front door to keep the cold and snow out. It wouldn't be good to let the weather into their home, even if they didn't seem to be doing well enough to focus on something like that. With a glance back at him, he perked up and noticed the look they gave him. It wasn't pleased, not at all, and if his ears were showing, they would be drooping along with his mood. The instructions they gave were short and to the point, something he could do since it didn't seem like what he'd done so far had been good or at least good enough for the man. So with a nod, he hurried along in the direction they'd indicated. The kitchen here was different, but when he considered how different every human he'd met was, it made sense for homes and kitchens to vary as well. There was a metal kettle on the stove, at least it looked like one, and he rummaged around in the cabinets. Fridge.... that was the ice box thing, right? He looked at it and figured out the right cabinet, pulling down tins and smelling each one until he found one that seemed right. Turning the tin around, he committed the name to memory so he could ask for some once he was back to his current living space. That settled, he fiddled with things and got cups down and set a bag in one for the man, and he debated if it would be alright to make one for himself as well. He went back and forth on the matter until the kettle made a loud sound and he jumped slightly, nearly dropping one of the cups onto the floor. Well, he did need something to warm up since his own clothing had gotten wet, and he was still helping them. So with the water boiling, he poured it over the tea bag in each cup and then turned off the stove. Feeling pleased with himself, he smiled widely as he smelled his cup and turned to bring both back towards his friend. "I hope this is okay, Chamomile and Vanilla?" Stepping into the room, he was surprised to find them on the floor. Hurrying over, he carefully set the cups down and looked them over. "Are you okay? What can I do to help?" They still looked cold, maybe not as much as before, but he worried that it wouldn't do them any good. The fire seemed to be warm at least, but something about it didn't seem as warm as the wood fires he'd had back on Feronia. Was it an Earth thing? It smelled different, too, but that wasn't something to comment on now.
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