[PQ] Safe As Unstable Houses

koel tryin' to take what's lost and broke and make it right Sitting here, doing nothing, entrusting his fate into the two women, was tough. Especially for Koel, who hated feeling both hopeless and trapped. It wasn’t so much that he didn’t trust them to get him out of this—he did, though it was hard to hold onto that the more time passed—so much as he was the type of person who absolutely needed his own agency. This was his nightmare come to life, and while the sunlight and fresh air had been enough to sustain him for a bit, when the hole didn’t grow and the air grew stale again, his panic came back in full force. He could hear Isla and Phoebe moving around out there, but apparently they’d decided to try a different tactic. It sucked, not knowing: as they offered their best reassurances, he found himself chucking. However, it held a clearly hysterical edge. ”You’ll forgive me for not being glad this happened at all,” he responded, his own voice sounding wild and worried. Shifting, he tried to get a better look, or something, anything, that might make him feel like he could do something other than just sit here, wait, and look pretty. Unfortunately, it was still pretty dark—and he didn’t know his surroundings as well as he should—and he brushed against the pile. It rumbled ominously, and then, in the dark, a chunk of rock fell from the ceiling, going unnoticed by Koel. Unnoticed, that is, until it slammed into his shoulder with an audible crack that would be heard even by the women outside. He screamed in pain and his vision went white and then spotty. Something was broken, that much was clear, but he couldn’t say what. Even worse, he felt himself swaying, almost unable to keep upright. There wasn’t room for him to lie down, or even sit, not without hitting the pile again and risking another collapse. OOC Note: The efforts cleared a small hole at the top, but given Isla and Phoebe were being cautious and given it was well above their heads, it wasn’t nearly as effective as clearing from the middle of the pile. Same options are available as last time!