Balder's Gate 3 PSLs/Overflow

[smartass_captain]

Onward to adventure, whether you like it or not!

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[smartass_captain]

"--Stuck!" He manages to croak out when the mage hand gets his head up above water briefly. He'd been tumbled arse over teakettle in the water. Out of sorts already and with silt kicked up it had been impossible to tell up from down. He'd found the bottom and had such relief only to get his boot wedged in between two rocks as he'd tried to kick himself free of the muck.

It won't take long for a strong swimmer like Gale to catch up with him, but freeing his foot is another matter entirely. The ranger is panicking while he tries to wrench himself free. He'd rather lose his boot than his foot but both are pinned at the moment.

[stoplickingthedamnthing]

Thankfully, this is no raging river, or else Jim would be doomed. It still isn't easy, not even once Gale makes it to his side. Jim is moving, the water is moving, and it's difficult to see anything below the surface. If this was before the orb, Gale could cast air bubble or water breathing to keep Jim from drowning, but the wizard doesn't have access to those spells anymore. He can curse himself over that later, for now he has to worry about the ranger. He grips his body, moving his hands down and down so as not to lose track, following the line of his torso and legs. He takes a knee to the chest, breath bubbling out of him with surprise more than pain, but stays below the surface until he can find Jim's stuck foot. There has to be some clever magical solution to this, but if there is, he can't think of it as his lungs burn. Instead he just yanks, and yanks, and yanks.

[smartass_captain]

It's a vicious twist on the moment they met, in some ways.

A helping hand pulling the other free from a prison of stone. The currents of warping magic are different than those of a river but no less deadly to one caught within its clutches. The mage hand holds Jim's head aloft once more and he gasps for air again. Gale's hands are on him, he's pulling--and Jim squirms with all his might to slip free.

It's only a few seconds but feels like an eternity. The rock finally shifts with Gale's added force just enough for Jim's boot to slide free and then they're both crashing past the surface in a mad gasp for air. Coughing a little and dragging themselves to shore. It leaves Jim on hand and knee at the bank of the river, coughing up a lung before he sinks down a little into the grass on trembling limbs.

"Balderan's b..balls..."

[stoplickingthedamnthing]

Half drowned himself by now, Gale coughs as well. That doesn't stop him from making his way over to Jim on hands and knees. He sits up on his knees, hands on Jim's back, his shoulders, his face, checking for damage, trying to soothe. "Are you alright?" He's still almost as desperate as he was in the river, wanting to do more to help, though all he can do is wait for Jim to cough up the last of the water he inhaled. "That's it, take it easy, there you go," he murmurs while he rubs his back.

When it finally seems like Jim can breathe easy, Gale helps him up and hugs him so tightly it almost hurts. "Gods, you scared me," he says all in a rush of breath.

[smartass_captain]

"I--hgck!!"

Jim tries to answer him too quick but doubles up almost immediately and keeps coughing. Wracked, wet hacks that do end in him bringing up river water once or twice before his body seems to be convinced he's once more on dry land and all the unauthorized Wet has been evacuated. Throughout it all, Gale's hand is there at his back. Rubbing, soothing. Keeping Jim from panicking when he can't seem to get himself under control.

At the last he's wobbling to try and find somewhere clean to move to, Gale scoops him up into a clinging hug that Jim can only fall into. He's dead weight in Gale's arms for a second or two before he even tries to support himself.

"...A...all that..." Another softer cough just for the scratch in his throat. "All that damned drama and I didn't even..ngh. Get the fish...!" Jim slumps again into Gales grasp. He feels well and truly foolish in the moment. A noble arse who's made a prat out of himself as though what happened was easily avoidable and not a legitimate accident.

"S...sorry about that.." He murmurs quietly.

[stoplickingthedamnthing]

The fish. The fish! Gale can't help but laugh, guffaws that wrack his already exhausted body. Illithid tadpoles in their heads, cultists after them, and yet they almost die to mundane drowning. And Jim is still worried about the gods damned fish. It's all so ridiculous. Gale pulls back from the hug just though to plant a kiss on Jim's still cold, wet lips, firm but quick, glad he's alive. "Next time, just let go, alright?"

[smartass_captain]

Jim is worried about looking like a fool in front of his Very cool and impressive romantic interest is what he is. The fish got away long before Jim's boot got caught between the rocks. But the wizard has a bit of a point. He might not have fallen in at all if he hadn't dove for the pole in the first place.

He scowls a little for the laughter, but is left reeling by the kiss, brief though it is.

"You're right...I just wanted to impress you. Is all."

[stoplickingthedamnthing]

Gale is still exhausted and laughing a little bit when Jim says that next part. "Ridiculous. You've impressed me every day since we met."

He gets to his feet with some effort, weighted down by wet clothing, and holds a hand out. "Come on, let's dry off before we catch a cold."