(no subject)

[fathoming]

[1: Video]

[Naija is blurry with darkness. The ice on the lake is beautiful, thick and shining to bursting with light that looks like it'll drip into the water at any moment, droplets sinking bright into the depths. But the light is mostly trapped there. Only when she swims up close to it can you really make out her face. She's a little gaunt looking. She sighs.]

Can anyone help me get out of here? The ice has frozen too thick for me to blast through.

[She's humiliated. She's been trying to get through for days like a true metroidvania protagonist, missing her classes.]

[2: Action]

[When they finally fish (har har) her out of there, she looks cold and hungry. Which is not all that surprising, given that she's still wearing the glorified bathing suit that is her normal clothes. She clings to her good samaritan, trying to pull as much body heat from them as possible.]

Comments

[fathoming]

The lake. My house is down here.

[video --> action]

[wherethelightwontfindyou]

I'll be just a minute.

[He's not sure where exactly in the lake this house is, but... he's got a pretty nifty skyhook for smashing a nice hole through the surface.

Assuming Naija doesn't mind all the chunks of ice getting shoved around in the process.]

[fathoming]

[There is the sound of singing and ka-thunks from the lake, vibrating the crystals of the ice and helping him break it apart. It's hard work because it's very thick but eventually enough of a hole opens up and she bobs up to the surface, looking cold and hungry but not nearly as worse for wear as someone who spent days under frozen water normally would]

[wherethelightwontfindyou]

[Well, he saw her face before, but seeing her in person is an... experience. Still, she's not the strangest thing he's ever seen. He shakes the thought off pretty quickly and holds out his free hand to help her up.

His clothes aren't particularly designed for warm weather, but he figured he'd only be outside for a short while. At the very least he can offer the winter coat he is supposed to be wearing himself.]

You alright, miss?

[fathoming]

[She takes his hand and scrambles onto the ice.]

Thank you, but I'm fine. I was just getting bored down there. And hungry.

[She smiles, despite looking tired and hungry.]

How did you do that?

[wherethelightwontfindyou]

[He shows her his arm, still equipped with his skyhook, and turns it away from her to spin the hooks until all remaining chunks of ice have left its gears.]

It ain't really designed for this sort of work, but it worked out just the same... though I'll probably need to check it for damage afterward. This here's a skyhook. It's, uhh... old technology. The sort from about a hundred years ago.

[Which is simpler than explaining it's from an alternate dimension that he thinks exists but actually doesn't.]

[fathoming]

[Naija, who grew up among Atlantean relics, accepts that without hesitation.]

Oh! How interesting! How does it work?

[She leans in to look at it with intense curiosity. She's momentarily forgotten that she's cold and hungry, though she shivers a bit anyway.]

[wherethelightwontfindyou]

[Well, far be it from him to refrain from nerding about weapons to a pretty lady.

He shows her the grip his hand is placed in, not unlike a gun trigger but with rings for each finger to relieve pressure. The whole thing is basically designed to prevent the user's arm from being ripped off when it hooks onto something.]

It's designed for hanging onto skyrails, but it works about as well for combat. See, it's motorized here... and with a little pressure on the trigger - [The hooks spin to life, fast and heavy enough to easily smash through a skull if need be.] - I wouldn't touch it while it's running, it comes in handy for breaking necks. [He releases the trigger and lets it slow to a halt, before the hooks curl back up and retract into the arm.]

[fathoming]

[An arm good for killin'? You have Naija's full attention. She leans in disconcertingly close to the hooks. She's forgotten she's cold and hasn't eaten in days.]

Oh, wonderful! I almost wish I had one myself, though I'm sure it would rust.

[wherethelightwontfindyou]

[He'll just... casually move the hooks away from her so she doesn't hurt herself. Smashing her head into a pulp isn't really part of his plan for today.]

Might be able to replicate it with stainless steel... [He scratches his stubble as he thinks it over.] Maybe you can ask McCoy about that. Assuming you've got a good use for it.

[Not that he has much of a use for it aside from the occasional attacks on the school, these days.]

[fathoming]

[Her curiosity sometimes overwhelms her common sense]

It's alright. As long as I can examine it, I'll be happy.

[Her stomach growls, loud and resonant, a side effect of her power.]