❝ DOUBTLESS —
when choi jinri sees a man stumbling about the halls of the main lodge, she feels obligated to help. why? because she's capable, perfectly capable--being sober, awake and with time to kill--and in her world of seemingly simplistic ideals, that's good enough of a reason to.
wide eyes and tentatively curled lips mark the face of the aerokinetic as she approaches the man, tapping lightly at his arm before catching a handful of a staggering shoulder--ethanol emanated off him in waves, stench strong and a bit sad in the middle of the day--a small, breathy, "woah there, sir," parting from her mouth. "let's get you steady." before you hurt yourself.
idle conversation is what she maintains with the man, mind stretched between finding a place to seat him before pressing onwards on her mission to see him off somewhere safe. the
"look," the mutant mumbles, pulling them to a pause and giving a seemingly moist squeeze to the brunette's shoulder. when he jerks his head upwards, jinri follows the direction with her gaze, confusion marking her fair features--mistletoe? so what?--those which are quick to twist into surprised panic as he turns her around, gripping her shoulders with a surprising insistence.
it stings, it really stings and so she struggles, motions of the dull, feeble strain that accompanies shock. rough hands slip up the girl's neck, licking cool flame across her skin; hot, foul breath brushes against her face, carrying words equally as vile,
"haksaeng-ah... shouldn't we kiss?"
it's as if his words are thunder, and she's the fool who could only freeze in the face of lightning; it's the menacing rumble of his murmurs and laughter that prompt her to get to her feet and plow through his chest, zipping down the halls and out the door.
he did something, he did something--she knows, because her skin burns and her head spins and the air won't take her, she won't take to the air; her flight is sloppy, her breath is ragged and she continues to dip, dip and rise before she finally wipes out, hitting the ground with a thud and rolling.
it burns, everything burns; but she sighs into the snow, preferring its cold caress, it's frozen flame over what finally pushes her into unconsciousness.