Re: [Portal: Holly & Noah]
He knew what it would be like inside. Holly. Holly knew. Objectively. What was that falling? Snow? Laughter. Him, he was laughing. He'd seen the schematics, the readings the probes had taken, and he'd tried to make sense of them in his head. He was currently kicking himself for not pushing Dietre or Dietre's boyfriend for details, but that guy had survived, right? There was no reason he shouldn't survive too. Which was maybe a lot like bargaining, but it was also not his acceptance from a few minutes ago that dying was a'ok! He wasn't sure whether that was good or bad.
But the helmet thing? Totally not thought out. He held his breath once the thing was on the ground, littered yellow at the tips of yellow boots. His face was turning red, and he turned around and went for the gaping maw that was the seemingly-living gate... portal... whatever. Paninpanicpanic. He scrabbled at the opening with glove-covered hands, but it wouldn't give. Like the thing had swallowed him willingly and wasn't as willing to spit him back out again. Hurthurthurt. His chest ached, bursting, ache a bursting ache, and then he finally inhaaaaaaaaaaaaled. Sharp, hard, and bent over at the belly. His stomach turned over, splattering on those yellow boots, but he was breathing. Okay, okay, okay, breathing and not dead. He could hear them in his ear, asking him what he could see.
He could feel the slack chain keeping him effectively immobile, and then he heard Noah. Words on words, and it was loud somehow. Okay, yeah, and Holly looked up, as if it was overhead. But it wasn't exactly. It was that way. He glanced down at the chain again, at the insanely expensive blowtorch in his hand, and he burned the metal and walked toward the voice. The voice and the RINGING. Ringing which was getting louder and louder and louder.
Noah? Are you home? I'm gonna be late.
Chill, right? He tried to think it chill. Also loud, but chill as his feet squelched through the snow-ash, vine-eaten darkness. Coldcoooldcold. So fucking cold. Inside and out? Yeah, like that, like it was coming from inside. But he still moved. Maybe all that training hadn't been for nothing. Maybe. Maybe, maybe, fucking maybe. What was that? Pivot. No, keep walking. He kept walking.