bottlecaplogs | April Catch-All

... Sorry. I know. [ Laios deflates, sounding like a child being reprimanded for using can I instead of may I. If he had just paused a quick second sooner, he could have kept himself from falling, he thinks, but too late for that now. Surely they couldn't be the first this has happened to. There had to be a way to get out of this, but the lack of thumbs was going to make it all the more difficult. Then, his ears twitch as the rain starts to hit harder. Of course. ]

My lower body and left arm are pretty snagged. [ He tries to wriggle slightly to adjust himself, but the creaking above keeps him from moving much more. For now, he's very much just a dog awkwardly stuck in a precarious baby swing. ] I don't think the vines are going to give for now unless the bridge goes.

[ The sudden light emanating from Siffrin catches him a bit off-guard before he can ask about how they're feeling. He squints, going slightly off-topic instead. ] What is that? What're you doing?

[This is new!! It's not that Siffrin hasn't been in danger before, but this is the first time it's happened since they recovered from being fog-sick. Apparently their body was conserving its energy.]

Um. Glowing?? [Apparently??]

[They wriggle again, alarmed and trying to figure out where on their body the glowing is coming from. (The answer is: all of it.) And also again, they have to stop abruptly as soon as their foot starts to slip.]

[Okay, if they don't figure this out in the next minute or so, they are going to fall. Worrying about the glowing in a second! Priorities! At least it makes it easier to actually pick out vines from the dark surroundings, and easier to tell which ones are close.]

[Siffrin finds the nearest sturdy-looking vine - definitely out of reach - and resignedly tracks the length of it down to where the end dangles near Laios's right forepaw.]

[Their shoulders hunch up awkwardly, but they do ask:] Can you reach that vine? To your right? [And pull it closer?]

Ah. So cool... [ He stares, maybe for a bit too long. Fully distracted now, he muses over the monsters in his mental catalogue to find one with a similar ability, as if there aren't more pressing matters first. ] Like a defense mechanism. Maybe even some sort of distress call. [ Seeing Siffrin struggle and almost slip snaps him out of it, though. Startled at first, he lets out a sigh in relief, glancing at the vine in question. ]

Y-yeah, I think I can— [ He leans himself toward his right, brows furrowing when he finds it just barely out of reach. ] —ugh.

[ The vines wrapped around him start to sway again. He works quickly to nip at few of them, just enough to loosen their pull, before trying again. With a bit more mobility this time, he reaches with his free arm, awkwardly wrapping it around the vine and leaning back. For good measure, he bites down on it once it's close enough for more stability, grimacing at the taste as he looks back up at the Shinx. ]

Mmf? [ Now really isn't the time to be talking, so instead he looks back and forth between Siffrin and the vine, hoping this is what they had in mind in the first place. ]

[...what? What is he talking about?]

[Okay, no, no, focus. Siffrin very carefully stretches out a paw, trying to move the back half of their body as little as possible, and just barely snags the vine with their claws. They tug it closer, transferring over their other forepaw, then the dangling back one, and then -]

[Freeing their wedged paw relieves pressure, letting blood go rushing back in, and abruptly it is extremely painful. Siffrin yelps involuntary, their grip on the vine loosening. They catch it again before they just drop, but they're sent sliding down, claws not having a chance to dig in as much as they should.]

[There's several much less sturdy vines in the way, ones that wouldn't have held them up if they just fell right onto them - but sliding down, like this, only makes them tangled. They jerk to a halt practically right over Laios's head, now equally caught.]

[...really?]

Urgh. [At least their paw is free. And they're not dangling vertically anymore.]

[A second or two later, Siffrin's eye widens, and then they're squirming around to flip themself over inside the vines. All of that didn't knock Laios loose, right? Or - yank out his teeth, or something? Can they see?] Are you okay?

[ Instinctively, Laios startles at the yelp, almost losing his hold before stiffening up again. All he can do is look up to watch helplessly as Siffrin drops, lower and lower, until the light gets almost too unbearably close. He shuts his eyes, teeth digging in harder into the vine as it tugs away at him.

With all the sudden movement, parts of the tangled mess he's in start loosen, while others tighten. It's a strange feeling, one he doesn't want to resign himself to, but there's not much else he can do until, slowly, it settles. Even so, he hesitates to finally open his eyes again until he hears the groan just above.

He lets go with a similar eurgh, tongue flopping out in disgust to get the bitterness out. Squinting, he looks up at them in relief, even if this wasn't the outcome they were both hoping for. ] ... 'm 'kay.

[ He spits out a piece of vine that caught in his teeth. There it goes, falling into the depths toward the forest floor. ] You didn't get hurt either, did you? [ He lifts his snout up, pressing his nose softly against Siffrin for reassurance before letting out a sigh. ] I guess it could've been worse. Maybe someone will see your glow before morning?

No, I'm fine. [Well. Their foot isn't, they're holding it very gingerly, but it's not like it's bleeding out or broken or anything. So. They're fine!]

[Siffrin flinches when Laios noses them, startled - very like how they jumped when they suddenly found Laios in front of them on the bridge - but don't otherwise react negatively. They do, however, make a face at the idea of waiting for someone to see the glowing.]

[They really don't want to do that. They don't want to immediately pick up a reputation as a deadweight! (Nevermind that they're not remotely thinking of Laios that way for also getting caught, and weren't even when they were annoyed.)]

There's gotta be a way to get us out of here before that. I don't want to get soaked through waiting. [Well... that's technically also true.]

[They look up - that's a no-go, though they might have been able to manage something if they were on a tree trunk, rather than tangled. What about down? Maybe if they snap vines strategically to try and lower each other to the ground, though that feels dangerous...]

[ Laios pulls back quickly when Siffrin startles. Somehow, he's not entirely convinced about their status, but he doesn't know them well enough to question it. Instead, he closes his eyes, head tilting side to side in thought. They are right about the rain, especially not knowing how much it was about to pick up. ]

... Alright. Let's think this through. [ He shifts himself to get a better look below. It's hard to pinpoint from high up, but likely there'd be another spot for them to land on if they could manage it. Another bridge would be ideal, but a thick enough branch would at least give them back their footing. ]

Between the two of us, you're more built for climbing. [ He hesitates slightly, unsure how appropriate it would be to have Siffrin pull out the acrobatics. ] But if we can untangle ourselves a bit, we can slide down and swing toward something more stable. [ The vines are holding up well enough, but he knows a wrong move could easily change that. ] I can bite through the knots, but we'll need to react quickly.

...will you be okay? If your claws aren't meant for climbing? [Siffrin's not too worried about themself - they usually seem to make it out of things fine ~~they say, not thinking about things like getting blinded in one eye~~, but with Laios so much bigger... it'll be even harder for him to slow to a stop.]

[And. As much as they would like to say otherwise.] I think you're too big for me to catch you.

[Hmmm.]

Let me try to loosen some of my vines first, there should be some that aren't tangled with yours. [Whatever it is the two decide, it'll be easier if they have some more range of motion.]

[Siffrin's already starting on that, bapping very carefully at vines and peering upward to see where they connect.]

[ That is the question, and one Laios hasn't quite puzzled out the right answer to yet. His bite is particularly strong—unusually so—but that doesn't mean he'd be able to support his weight with that alone. Maybe, with enough upward momentum from a swing, he could launch himself toward a tree and pull himself up onto a branch quick enough. ]

... I might not have good grip, but I do have speed to help push me up, if I can manage it. [ Not really an answer at all, really, but it's the best he can think of for now. Siffrin being the smaller, more flexible of the two certainly gives them the best outlook at this point. ] I just need to get onto some good footing. Then I might able to make a few jumps down instead.

[ Laios watches quietly as they test a few of the vines above, only chiming in once one catches his attention: ] Oh, that one look good. Want to give it a cut? [ He's anxious about what the chain reaction might be, but that one seems like the best option so far. ]

[Mmmgh. Siffrin's starting to feel worse about insisting that that the two of them get down rather than waiting.]

Maybe if I got down myself, I could find someone to wake up and help pull you up...?

[They're really tangled together now, though. Sif doesn't say it very hopefully.]

[Well, either way, they should start with that vine. Siffrin tries to take a claw to it - when that has limited luck, they try gnawing on it like Laios. They don't have quite the same bite strength, but they do have the actual move Bite, and it's just enough to let them snap it.]

[They sway precariously, but nothing else seems to snap, or happen in general. Okay. They keep going with a couple more vines that feel relatively safe.]

[...there. That's everything that they feel like they can get away with. They're still tangled, but all their limbs have almost a full range of motion - they give Laios a nod.]

[ Meanwhile, Laios is still more than a little concerned about Siffrin's foot. He appreciates the thought, and while he wouldn't be opposed to waiting for them to find help, he doesn't want to immediately push them into another dangerous situation, either.

He shakes his head, both in response to their question and to shake off some of the rain. ] It's not a bad idea, but it's still a little tricky. Especially if we both wind up lowering down together anyway. [ His ears twitch at every snap of a vine, but with the final one done, he lets out a small sigh of relief. ]

Perfect. [ Seeing them get their paws free does make him hopeful! ] Now if we want to get lower... [ Laios looks up, squinting his eyes against Siffrin's glow until he spots what may be the culprit holding them up this high—a tangled knot of natural vine and rope from the bridge. He motions toward it with his snout. ] What do you think about that? Looks like a snag we might be able to loosen. A bit out of reach, though... my only ranged move is more of a blast than a straight shot. Do you have anything?

[Siffrin squints their good eye at the knot, tilting their head to and fro to try and figure out how far it is without depth perception. (Their giant ears flop from side to side.)]

[After a moment, they decide:] I should be able to hit it with lightning.

[It's probably a good thing both of them are Electric type, because Siffrin is absolutely not thinking about how conductive wet vines might be. They count down from three aloud, for Laios's sake, then -]

[ BZAP ]

[It's... a miss, striking the tree beyond it instead! Siffrin, huffs, frustrated, and tries again. BZAP - oh there we go.]

[Even a tiny little Thunder Shock packs more of a punch in the rain. The tangle bursts apart.]

[ If Siffrin looked down at just the right moment, they might have seen a sparkle in Laios's eyes. Despite the precarious situation at hand, he can't help but be excited when he sees one—no, two—strikes of lightning coming from the Shinx above. As a fellow electric type, he's fully impressed, even with the first miss. But he doesn't have much time to ask about it, much less think, when the second hit lands perfectly.

Tangle no more, the duo drops with the full speed of gravity pulling them down, just as intended. The suddenness of it, though, makes his heart stop almost immediately. All he can do is hold his breath until the movement eventually stops, vines going taut when they're finally dangling far below the original bridge now. They're swinging around far more than earlier, but he lets out a relieved sigh over the fact that they didn't completely snap off all together. ]

... Th-that was a perfect. [ He's still a little shaken, but he's trying his best to keep calm. Anxiously, he glances back up at Siffrin. ] You still okay up there?

[That was... not very fun! Not a fan! The swinging is much preferable!]

[But:] Y-yeah. I'm okay.

[They're dangling upside down again, but at least this time it's not by one foot. Siffrin takes a deep breath in and out, giving their heart time to stop racing. (Mostly, anyway...)]

...you think we can swing somewhere now, or do we try to snap another vine? [They squint upward, trying to pinpoint the next likely prospect.]

G-good. [ His voice is still trembling, just a bit. ] I know we-we're trying to beat the rain, but l-let's... let's take a small break. Catch our breaths. [ He follows Siffrin's lead, matching the pace of their breathing exercise, trying hard not to focus on the sounds of the vine swinging back and forth. ]

If we're lucky, there might be a watchtower somewhere a bit lower, or at least maybe a platform. I'm pretty sure I passed one on my way up tonight. [ He looks up at the vines too, unsure of how much they could hold if too many get snapped off now. ] First, do you want to try to re-position? That doesn't really look comfortable. [ To be fair, none of this is comfortable for either of them. ]

[Okay. They can do that. Siffrin breathes in and out a few more times, now that they've noticed Laios is following along. His voice is still a little shaky, too - now it's Siffrin's turn to give Laios a concerned sniff.]

[Do they want to try to reposition? Siffrin shrugs, or... some approximation of it, considering their limb configuration, and tries to wriggle a bit.]

[...and then wriggles some more. Their heartbeat picks up again.]

[...]

I'm pretty sure I could get loose now, if I tried??

[ Laios tilts his head at Siffrin’s shrug but says nothing once he notices them start to shift around regardless. Briefly, he catches just how slack those vines around them look, and he startles all over again, until the Shinx speaks on it. Relief practically smacks him on the face when he realizes they aren't just coming undone entirely. ] —oh!

Then maybe... [ His ears perk up in thought. At first, he looks past Siffrin and up the length of the vine. Then, he cranes his neck to look down behind himself, trying to pinpoint where they can go. ] If you got loose enough, would you be able to make a jump over—over there? [ He motions his snout toward something poking out from a tree, though he can't tell if it's a full platform or just a thick enough branch. ] We can swing a bit to get momentum. Even if you miss, as long as you catch the tree, you should be fine to climb up.

[ As for him... he's still figuring that one out. ]

[The Shinx nods, tentatively. It's gonna be tricky, with nothing all that solid to push off of - the thought of jumping off of Laios's back doesn't even cross their mind - and one of their back legs wrenched like it is. But they'll make it work. They have to.]

[They start squirming their way out, carefully.]

What about you, though?

[They think about it, as they wriggle. Then they peer below Laios, using their own glow to look for a snapped vine that's still attached to the Bolthund. And long enough. Is there anything like that dangling...?]

[Yeah. There is. They jerk their head toward it.] Can you pull that up, so I can reach it?

Huh? You can use me to jump off, if you want. As long as it helps, I don't mind.

[ He completely misinterpreted that question, but it's a genuine response by his tone. Siffrin being injured makes him a higher priority to get to solid ground, after all. He watches the other pensively, ears twitching with each movement. When they suddenly ask about the vine, his eyes light up, following their motion to look down below as well. ]

Let me see... [ Trying to grab it with his mouth directly doesn't get him far; he's just out of reach. Pivoting, he swings a bit to kick at, eventually building enough force to get it closer for him to snap at. He bits down on it carefully, tugging it up a bit before lifting his head toward Siffrin to grab. ]

April Catch-All

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