Raphael would never again complain while having to traverse the countryside in the rain or after stepping in a puddle of mud; this was almost as bad as trying to walk through sewage, as everything stunk of rotten food, water, and, if he was being honest, death, although that could have very easily been a trick his mind was playing on him. He'd seen things today he never thought he'd have to see and done things he never thought he'd have to do. He followed her through the water at a close distance, paranoid that her dress would weigh her down but knowing that stopping to deal with it now would only cost them more time. Their best chance was to just try and reach the door...
And then they were there. She reached it first, and unlike the other doors it slid open at the smallest of touches, and Raphael followed suit. He stumbled through the doorway, falling forward a few steps and nearly running into her backside. His hands caught at her waist to steady himself, and once he found his footing very quickly he wrenched them away from her. The water followed behind them, but this room was too large, too vast for any amount of water to fill it any time soon.
It was the ballroom.
He let out a breathy laugh and leaned forward, pressing his hands against his knees as he labored to catch his breath. He was soaking wet, sore, and.... was that blood dripping down his ankle? He dismissed the mounting concern with a shake of his head and resumed his upright position. She looked worse than him, but better than she could have been; she was alive, and they were safe for the moment, and that's all that mattered.
"Are you - are you alright?" he panted, smoothing back his hair over his head. He didn't know what he'd do if she wasn't (but of course now he was the only one with a wand, so he was better equipped to manage the escape than her. He normally would have felt a little smug about that, and he was self-aware enough to know it, but now he hoped the last five minutes hadn't rendered her incapable of moving forward.) "We can... we can rest if you need to." His meaning: he needed to rest.
And then they were there. She reached it first, and unlike the other doors it slid open at the smallest of touches, and Raphael followed suit. He stumbled through the doorway, falling forward a few steps and nearly running into her backside. His hands caught at her waist to steady himself, and once he found his footing very quickly he wrenched them away from her. The water followed behind them, but this room was too large, too vast for any amount of water to fill it any time soon.
It was the ballroom.
He let out a breathy laugh and leaned forward, pressing his hands against his knees as he labored to catch his breath. He was soaking wet, sore, and.... was that blood dripping down his ankle? He dismissed the mounting concern with a shake of his head and resumed his upright position. She looked worse than him, but better than she could have been; she was alive, and they were safe for the moment, and that's all that mattered.
"Are you - are you alright?" he panted, smoothing back his hair over his head. He didn't know what he'd do if she wasn't (but of course now he was the only one with a wand, so he was better equipped to manage the escape than her. He normally would have felt a little smug about that, and he was self-aware enough to know it, but now he hoped the last five minutes hadn't rendered her incapable of moving forward.) "We can... we can rest if you need to." His meaning: he needed to rest.
set by lady <3