Partners In Peril: Felix and Loki

[hot_mess_express]

[Whether willing or just, there comes a magical shove to force you and someone else through the door leading down into the earth.]

[The passageway is cold, but at least it's well lit. Albeit with flames of blue fire.]

[It goes down, down, down, until you reach the first part....]

Comments

[malignstar]

[ Trying to steady breathing again ]

I've been better...

... look, it was a 50/50. Do you want to end this or not?

[bestbrotherever]

[He makes a sympathetic noise. On the one hand, he'd rather someone else feel the pain. On the other, after having gone through it, he doesn't really wish it on anyone... well, not on Felix. On the third hand, Felix is probably in a safer position than Loki is...]

Did anything change where you are? No new grids of pain surrounding you now?

[malignstar]

The grid is the same as always. But now we know what to do when we reach the pedestal spots.

Do you prefer doing sections of just one direction or a lot of directions at once?

[bestbrotherever]

Hm...

I think sections of two directions would be a good balance between speed and caution.

[malignstar]

All right. Try four to the right and one north.

[bestbrotherever]

I have reached the north square without incident. [He's trying to play it cool, but there's still a sense of relief in his voice that he can't hide. Plus, if Felix was watching him, he was in a crouching scoot the whole way, not very dignified.]

[malignstar]

Looks like they went okay. Three more steps right should bring you to the next pedestal.

[ Oh joy. ]

[bestbrotherever]

So. Two east, then wait for... the signal?

[malignstar]

Nah, three east. The fourth is the pedestal.

[bestbrotherever]

Ah, I see. Tell me if I am in the wrong position so I may correct myself before you push any buttons.

[bestbrotherever]

[He doesn't even get one square before stopping and screaming, though it soon turns to curses.]

[malignstar]

Wait, what happened? Those squares are yellow!

[bestbrotherever]

Yellow... like the portal... which also hurt?

What color... were the other squares?

[malignstar]

The ones you've been using this whole time are yellow. I don't understand...

[bestbrotherever]

[A long sigh.] Neither... do I...

[He closes his eyes.] You are certain... the only path is to the east?

[malignstar]

Yeah... I can try to push my pedestal button again. Maybe that will help.

I didn't mean to get you shocked again. Was it worse than before?

[bestbrotherever]

[He shakes his head.]

It was more like the transfer between rooms.

Which pedestal button will you press? The previous, or the one I will approach?

[malignstar]

The one you're aiming for. Maybe it can do something about the squares next to it. It's all I can come up with.

[bestbrotherever]

It seems the most likely.

[He stands up and sizes up the distance between edges in his current square to compare them to his stride.]

Press it, and I will endeavor to travel four east as quickly as possible.

[malignstar]

[ Teeth probably sound like they're chattering ]

W-Well, I'm f-freezing. Maybe g-give it another g-go now.

[bestbrotherever]

I am at the pedestal square. [He hurried so Felix wouldn't be writhing in pain for too long. Though it turned out to be a different punishment.]

I feel no temperature change here. It is cold, but not overly so. You are still cold?

[malignstar]

K-Kinda. At least it worked. And b-better than s-shocking.

[bestbrotherever]

Indeed.

How far is the next pedestal? I would recommend throwing the switch in advance, but how soon? One straight away, two?

[malignstar]

It's a g-good ways away. Y-You're going to have to g-go far east and then n-north and then e-east again and t-then up again. About 10 s-squares.

[bestbrotherever]

[He considers for a second, then nods decisively.]

Give me the directions for the first east and north segments.