[OPEN] Well. That Didn't Go Quite As Planned

[moneytwin]

Who: EVERYONE
Where: The Temple of Beginnings
When: Immediately After The End.
Rating: PG-13, may vary by thread
What: You fall, you pick yourself back up and you move on. Or at least, you try.


Fished Out Of Water
One minute, you are witnessing the fabric of an entire world implode as it is literally ripped apart by powers unknown. The next, that tell-tale twist somewhere beneath your sternum, before you are bodily YANKED away from Akvos, away from the ocean and the Queen and the King and the Princess.

And land back on (mostly) solid, dry ground.

Welcome back to the Temple of Beginnings. Don't worry, there's no hurry for you to get back up just yet.


Hey, Howya Doin'?
Once you do get back up, now is the time to be taking stock of the situation - yours, your friends, and even those new merfolk neighbours (who may need a hand getting their fins back into the water). There is also the missing members of the Circle to consider: people who disappeared on the journey to Akvos, and those who never made it back..

(There's also that small matter with a certain 'witchess-san' that may be a cause for concern to some more than others.)

Whatever the case, it's a lot to process right now. Take the time you have, because you don't know if it'll be enough for what you need.

---

[[ OOC: Here's an open post for threads reacting to the end of the Akvos world hop. Feel free to use the above prompts, and/or make your own! ]]

Comments

Merfish Bowl

[foundafamily]

[Firo's always been more nosy than cautious, so he doesn't think twice about investigating the call for help. He exhales sharply in alarm when he sees one of the Akvos mermaids--no, not just one, several of them--stranded on the shore. He darts towards one of the smaller ones first--a kid?--and calls over his shoulder to the other Circle member.]

You got that one on your own?

[It'll be faster if they can each take one down to the water, but he doesn't want to leave her in the lurch. He hasn't even noticed the bear yet.]

[moneytwin]

[ Vex has the arm of one of the mermen looped over her shoulder when he calls, struggling a bit to straighten up under his weight without any water to manage it for her. Glancing over, Firo is not recognised, but he doesn't need to be: he's here, he's helping. ]

We'll soon find out. Trinket!

[ The bear immediately lumbers over faster. He doesn't look at Firo, instead lowering himself to his belly so that the merman can grasp hold of his armor and lie across his back. Bear taxi service soon follows, though Vex does pause to wipe sweat from her brow with her forearm, looking back to Firo. ]

How's the kid doing?

[foundafamily]

[Firo hardly gets to process his holy shit, watch out, it's a bear reaction before the bear starts... helping...

Well. OK. At least it's not more trouble?

He turns back to the kid and scoops them up, trying to ignore the sounds of raspy breathing (or not-breathing) all around them.]

Not great.

[Not that any of them are doing well.

He doesn't stop to think about fresh water versus salt water--something has to be better than nothing--before he's dashing down to the shore to slide the mermaid into the water.]

[moneytwin]

Then we'll need to be quick. [bleakly] There's only so many of us, and them now.

[ Salt water, fresh water. Right now, water is water and it's clear the merfolk are struggling on land. Coming here did not grant these now-refugees legs, so they must make do with what's available.

And it helps that at least the adult mermaids are mostly coherent. Trinket looks unhappy to have to wade in and out of the water again, but there's clear relief in the stranded water beings to at least be somewhere familiar.

But it's painfully slow going. ]

..who.. thought this..was a good idea.. dropping them here as well..

[foundafamily]

[Firo tries not to think about how long it can take a person to drown, tries not to wonder if the reverse (drowning on land?) is quicker or slower. He just focuses on moving from one person to the next.]

Beats me. You'd think-- [He inhales as he lifts up another mermaid. It's a harder feat than it should be, given that they're limited in what they can do to prop themselves up.] --they'd shoot for the lake.

And these guys're the lucky ones.

[Compared to anyone who didn't get dragged back to the temple.]

[moneytwin]

I guess we should be satisfied there's a lake here for helping at all.

[ And, depending on your point of view, those trapped here might consider those who didn't make it out lucky - they don't have to live with survivor's guilt thereafter.

It doesn't take much to get Trinket's passengers to safety, and she's soon moving towards Firo. Dividing might conquer the task at hand, but two (three when counting bear) can get others to safety sooner. Coming around the mermaid's side, she offers her arm and shoulder to help brace the mermaid for carrying into the water. ]

On three, get 'em up, and we go. One, two..!

[foundafamily]

You're right about that. [He lifts the mermaid with her.] Thanks.

[As they hustle this one to the water, he focuses his eyes on their goal--the shoreline--rather than the bear, but that doesn't mean it's entirely out of his thoughts.]

That bear's not gonna cause any trouble, is he?

[It seems helpful but. It's a bear. Don't they eat fish? Does that include fish people?]