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 Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:48 pm
You’ve been separated by the storm! Farlest, Nathaniel, Elijah and Edward have found themselves huddled together on an ice field, with nothing around them but snow.
You can either head onwards, into the fog, or look around for a better option. What do you do?
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Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 11:56 pm
Instinctively, Edward had raised his arms to protect his face when the harsh winds picked up, the blinding snow making it impossible to see anything. It was a great relief when the storm died down enough that he risked lowering his arms. Edward gave his body a shake and brushed the snow from his shoulders. He had decided to wear an extra layer of clothing, but the cold still reached him. Hugging his arms around his body, he took a moment to look around at his surroundings. A sense of dread sank inside him as he saw the white field stretching out all around them. How was he supposed to reach the White Tower all alone?
Alone?
Panicked, Edward spun around, eyes darting over every inch of the land. Relief filled him when he saw three other boys with him. He would have felt better if the whole group had remained together, but he decided this little miracle was far better than being stranded alone out here. He wasn't even sure which way would take him back to the town, much less to the White Tower. Alone, he wouldn't survive. But with these three boys, he had a chance.
"Are any of you hurt?" He approached the other boys, hoping they suffered the storm unscathed.
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 9:32 am
One moment he had been standing protectively next to his boyfriend, and the next his boyfriend was gone. Despite the goggles over his eyes, Nathaniel's instinctively closed them and had crouched down, curling up close to himself for protection while everything went amiss. No matter how much he was wearing, his face was still shaking with frost, as it had been the least covered of the rest of him. When finally he dared open his eyes again and stand up, panic rose through him. "Jade?" he called softly at first, not noticing the others in his haste. "Jaden?!" his voice called louder, fury and fear hinting at the edges of it. His fists clenched and he spun around, as if that would help him see through the snow. Damnit! He shouldn't have let the American go on this stupid field trip.
What if something happened to him? Who would protect him? Was he with other people? Would he be all right?
Everything else mattered very little to him. When at last, after five whole minutes, and he was able to slightly calm himself, he noticed where he was. An ice field? Ridiculous. It was at that moment that he noticed the others. Farlest looked familiar, someone he'd seen before. The other boy wasn't well known, perhaps they'd met once. And the other man was a complete stranger, perhaps one of the tourists who had dared to come along.
Through the howling wind, he heard the man's voice and shook his head in response. "I'm fine, are you?" This didn't look like it would be pleasant, not at all.
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 5:30 pm
Farlest had become completely disoriented...knowing only that there were people somewhere close, could sense their movement, touch them, and that meant that he wasn't completely lost. Well, at least that was what he assumed until things cleared, and he felt the hard crunch of snow and ice beneath his feet. Let's see...Nathaniel...Elijah, someone he really didn't know...but no one else. Fear welled up instantly in his chest, and green eyes widened.
Dimly he could hear Nathaniel calling for Jaden, but Far felt too dizzy to really understand properly the signifigance of the fact. Ka'hmesh...Ka wasn't here. He was all right though, he had to be, surely. Ka could take care of himself...he was stronger than Farlest...and if Far had had the good fortune to be stranded with at least three others, then surely Ka had someone too.
Swallowing hard, he wrapped arms around himself, trying to regain full control of his senses. This was ok, they'd figure it out. Oh...new guy was asking questions. "I-I'm all right." He replied quietly, seeming a mite shaken. "Where on earth is everyone?" A fleeting glance towards the impressive fog bank, the very sight of which made him scowl. Rotten thing.
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 6:20 pm
Once wide eyes were narrowed down protectively while thin arms attempted to shield the youth from the billowing storm, the snow collecting about every part of him. The moaning winds brought with it flurries but they were hardly seen against the dim nature of their setting. Even if he could see further than a few feet in front of him, the boy was certain his eyes would meet endless white with little change in their setting. The quickness of their separation had happened at such a rapid pace that he was left confused and bewildered; the addition of the harsh environment only added to his fogginess.
The voices were little more than whispers to him, something that sounded as though hundreds of feet away. The screaming calls of Nathaniel to the question from the stranger, everything was hardly audible. But realizing he had indeed heard something, it then dawned on him that he wasn't alone at all. In fact the boy dressed in red was surrounded by three other figures, two of which he recognized immediately, and the third a unique newcomer. Relief rushed over him, mimicking the fluttery wind. But with it came a strange distance. Farlest he hardly knew -but friendly enough with- however, Nathaniel wasn't well known, but their brief meeting he could remember vividly. Maybe the student wouldn't remember their small confrontation. The other man he would start with a new clean slate...always an intriguing experience.
Unlike some of the others he hadn't anyone particularly partial too. Though he knew some students more so than others, he wasn't in the sort of relationship that both Farlest and Nathaniel enjoyed. Elijah mused over the impact this separation, and how it was affecting the both of them. Shaking himself, he walked forward. The crunch of the snow was thick beneath his boots (thank God for that ridiculous red outfit he usually only took out during the Christmas holiday) as he approached, huddling his arms around himself while his bright eyes seemed dulled by the environment. "I'm okay," he answered softly, giving a nod in case his voice wasn't directly heard. And with Farlest's question, he looked around, not sure how to answer or what to say.
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 6:37 pm
It seemed the others were unhurt, and that lifted away some of the worry weighing down on Edward. Being separated from the main group was bad, but the situation would have been far worse when injured members. He certainly didn't have anything that might be used to help any who had gotten hurt. Nothing could have prepared him for a situation like this.
"I'm okay," he answered in return. Other than the freezing cold trying to reach all the way down to his bones, he had suffered no injuries as well. He stared into the field of white. He had no answer for the other question. It was impossible to know where the others of the group might have ended up, or maybe they were the only one unfortunate enough to be separated. So he offered a shrug and a shake of his head in response.
"What should we do now?" He didn't like the prospect of sitting and waiting in this foggy place.
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 6:48 pm
"Well we're all okay," Nathaniel said after the others had stepped forward and made claims to being alive and well. Gently, he looked around, worry echoing in his eyes. Jaden. Jaden. He didn't know that being separated from the American would cause him so much panic and grief. Would it be okay? Would everything end up all right in the end? It had to. Right now, he had to worry about himself and these people. They needed to survive. Nature couldn't get the better of them.
"We're not gonna get anywhere by just waiting here," he went on, "But I am unsure how smart it would be to go walking right into the fog, we could get separated again unless we find a way to keep together." He adjusted the goggles over his eyes and looked around onto the white landscape. Despite the bright colors of his own and perhaps the other's jackets, it was still very foggy and very dangerous. But staying here was worse, wasn't it? They had to do something.
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 7:15 pm
It was a relief to know that everyone was all right, that having been the second thought that had come scampering at the heels of losing Ka'hmesh to the snow and wind. Tilting his head as he considered Nathaniel's statement only for a moment, he nodded quickly, eager to do something beyond just sit here and fret for everyone's welfare.
He could sense, somehow, that that same worry he held for Ka'hmesh was echoed eerily in Nathaniel's worry for Jaden.
"Uhm...I have a rope that I packed." He piped up, "If we all keep a grip on it, or attach it to ourselves in some way, then we won't get separated. I don't know about all of you, but...it's bad enough that we've lost the rest of them, it would be horrid to be out there alone." An unreadable emotion flitted across his features...he could but hope that Ka'hmesh wasn't out there alone, that any of the others weren't completely isolated. A dismal fate, to get lost in the snow.
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 7:16 pm
A good question. What should they do now? What was the best course of action? Certainly standing around wouldn't solve anything for them -the cold would eventually kill them if they waited much longer- and the idea of what little warmth would be generated through the use of energy sounded pleasing enough. Gaining ground was the only option they really had. His eyes darted between the students, listening as they talked and contemplated. Elijah's own mind was trying to paddle through the fuddled mess of his active mind, so close to panic.
Rope. Farlest actually had rope. While he hadn’t even thought of the provision –as useful as it would prove- not thinking it necessary in the confines of his already stuffed backpack. Elijah looked at the raven haired student with awe in his eyes. “Thank God,” he murmured delightfully, not pausing to watch the breath puff before his face. “This is wonderful, Farlest,” he piped and moved closer to the boy. They could easily tie it around their wrists in order to keep them together.
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 8:38 pm
Farlest. Not a name he had ever heard before, but at least he knew what to call one of them now. It occurred to him now that they had never made introductions. Not that he could blame any of them for ignoring that. The seriousness of their situation took precedence over such social courtesies.
"I never would have thought to bring something like that," he admitted, overwhelmed with relief that someone had the foresight to bring along something as useful as a rope. Things would only get worse for them if they ended up losing track of one another in the heavy fog of this area. He glanced at the other boys. "So do we just head out into the fog?" He didn't particularly like that idea. Unless someone magically pulled out a compass and knew the direction of the White Tower, they might end up going in the completely wrong way, getting themselves even more lost than they already were.
But what could they achieve just standing around here?
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 8:53 pm
Rope! Yes that would work nicely. Very nicely. It was smart of the other to have thought of something like that. Something that Nathaniel himself had neglected to think about. Whatever had possessed him to forget such a thing was silly. Or maybe he had remembered but simply didn't have any to bring. Well no matter the reasoning, Farlest had some. That would be good enough. Now they wouldn't be separated, even if they got more lost.
"If we tie ourselves together, it should be okay. Better than just standing here," Nathaniel responded to the situation, taking a step towards Farlest as he did so. He looked at the other man as well as the student he didn't know. What could they do? He didn't intend to take charge of this train wreck, but he would certainly give in input. Though if he had to admit it to himself, he was more worried about Jaden than anything else. It took all of his willpower to concentrate on the now. Straightening his posture, he looked around critically.
Yes. They should move. If they went out into the fog, they might at least reach something. "And," he continued his thought process aloud, "We'll freeze to death if we stand still much longer."
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 10:13 pm
Far was so startled by Nat's last comment that he laughed softly. It wasn't really something to laugh about, but it was instead, a release of tension. Quickly heaving his pack off of his shoulder, he dug about in it for a few moments before coming up with a fairly sturdy coil of rope. It wasn't particularly wondrous or extensively long, but it would serve the purpose. Going about his task with the enthusiasm of the adrenaline-pumped, he began to attach the rope to each individual, placing Edward and Nat at the front, as they clearly had a better idea of what they were doing, or at least, Nat seemed to, and placed Elijah next and Far himself last, as it was simpler that way since he was the one with the rope.
Grinning, he then put a fist up in the air jubilantly, "Come on! Let's go find the others! I'm sure they'll head to the Tower as well." Best to be optimistic about things, wasn't it?
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 10:17 pm
The optimism seemed ever so slightly misplaced in their current situation, but Nathaniel couldn't quite say he didn't understand. Everyone needed to have hope in the most dire of situations, and their situation seemed to be a very dire one at the moment. Since he was closer towards the front, he gave a light tug on the rope to make sure everyone was secure and began to walk forward into the fog, taking his partners along with him.
"Stick close everyone," he said. Here we go. And with that, he pressed forward into the unknown, hoping that they would make it to the Tower soon enough. Hoping that they would be okay. Hoping that Jaden was okay, and hoping above all... that they lived long enough to make it back alive, tower or nor.
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 10:20 pm
Into the fog you go, and what do you find only a few hundred yards in, but a wolf! Do you try to go back the way you came, or do you try to sneak by the animal and head onwards?
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 10:38 pm
Somehow, being tied to the other boys made him feel a lot better; the rope seeming to act like a safety blanket in a way for him. As long as they were tied together, they had a better chance of not being separated from each other. And in the fog, he didn't doubt that they had a high chance of separating.
Edward glanced around as they pushed forward. Perhaps they would see some of the other people from the group if they kept a lookout for them. There seemed to be nothing out here as far as he could tell.
Then he thought he saw something up ahead of them. He squinted into the distance, trying to identify the blur. "What's that?" he asked, coming to a halt as he pointed at the shape.
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