Snowed Under [ LOCKED for inactivity ]

Authenti took a deep breath and heaved a wide yawn, warm breath melting some of the snow around her and making it trickle in rivulets over her muzzle. She sneezed irritably and uncurled from her tight ball of warmth. The wolf hadn't been sleeping; she knew that it could mean certain death in a place as cold as this; but she still felt groggy, as if she was waking up from a nap.
She rolled onto her back and kicked at the ceiling of her makeshift chamber. It caved in and she was covered in snow. Spluttering, she scrabbled out of the hole and stood upright, shaking herself in the brisk morning air. The blizzard had lessened slightly, but the skies were overcast... She sighed and turned south, switching to all fours and beginning a steady lope towards the horizon.
Authenti wondered if she would see anyone else. It felt lonely out here. She took a deep breath and let it out in a melodic howl, broken only by her scratchy morning throat. She pricked her ears up instinctively to listen for a reply even though one was unlikely, and continued moving south.

Levis slowly lifted his eyelids. The intense pain was immediate, a burning fire starting in his eyes and washing through his head and down his spine, snuffing out all other thoughts or intentions he might have had. He writhed. He was only barely aware of his open mouth, or the racket he made with his howls of pain. A distant thought noted that he sound awfully similar to a wolf, but as said the thought was distant and only shortly lived.

It would be a good while before he was able to move a finger without yelping, at which point he gradually worked the muscles in his body. They were weak and stringy, almost as if he'd never used them before.

Ah. And it was so. He hadn't ever used his body or his voice in the 'real' world. Heaven had been spirit and mind, and the Cosmos were a different dimension altogether. This was...this was cold.

Levis sprang to his feet abruptly, kicking up snow around him, instinctively unfolding his wings. It hadn't been instinct in Heaven, but it was certainly what his body wanted to do now. When he had been expecting it to be painful, stretching them was a sweet release, making him sigh with an almost orgasmic pleasure.

A slight smile spread across the angel's lips, and with it came a slight increase of rays from the sun, and the snow around suddenly seemed to sparkle a bit brighter. Just a bit.

Levis titled his head toward the patter of paws. His wings folded back into their comfortable position lining his spine. While his posture--with his feet squared and his hands rested open-palmed on his thighs--did not communicate challenge or threat, there was an air of dignity and command that was unmistakable.

If he was listening well enough, Levis might detect a slight change of pace. Authenti skittered to a halt for a brief second, then twisted round lithely to spring over a small bank of snow and straighten up to use a bipedal gait. She didn't like having her nose on level with people's knees.
Ears had pricked up seconds before the change of direction as she caught the sound of his painful shouts. Now, they lowered slightly, returning to a more natural position behind her hair.
Authenti caught sight of a vague form through the snow, and slid to a standstill with her nose mere inches from Levis' torso. She retreated backwards, tail towered apologetically.
"Salutations," she chimed, giving a casual salute with one snow-covered hand. "I'm sorry for almost knocking you; I think I might have a spot of snow blindness."
The wolf gave Levis a long, intrigued stare up and down. Eyes drawn to his wings, she raised a brow in admiration and, not for the first time, tried to imagine what it would be like to have wings.
She mentally dismissed this thought. Authenti was not one to wonder at anything for long without good reason.
"I heard you calling out, you see. I'm the investigative type, so... Here I am," she stated. "The name's Authenti, before you ask. You don't need to tell me yours. Lots of people don't." The wolf smiled reassuringly, serrated teeth suddenly a lot less like a shark's and a lot more like a teddy-bear's.