awashlogs | Event Eight.

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Event Eight.

To thee I'll return, overburdened with care;
The heart's dearest solace will smile on me there.
No more from the cottage again will I roam,
Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.

he Town is quiet this week. No sudden quests on the forum post, no roars of werewolves in the distance... just peaceful, peaceful quiet. Of course, it's hot as hell right now, but that aside, it's pretty pleasant. You probably don't want to wander around the Town right now, but...

Naturally, now's when the Town is going to start thoroughly encouraging you to do just that.

You do want to find your doorway back home, don't you?

Better get searching! And don't mind the other worlds you might end up stumbling into first.

Welcome to Awash's eighth event log, everyone! Further information on this event can be found here at the OOC post.

You are welcome to start your own posts or logs for this event as well. If there are any questions, please ask them here. Thank you!

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Hmm.

[ They hum, not particularly finding their work very impressive, but they suppose it's nice to be thought of as reliable and strong in any case.

What interrupts the serenity of the moment is the gradual appearance of a black cloud against the winter horizon, bleeding out from the skyline in a way similar to how ink moves when dripped in water. It's impossible to miss against all the white and blue, as are the faint and muted sounds of bending string instruments against how calm the silence had been following the ice floes. Nothing comes out of the apparition, but its obvious that something will, with the way their eyes narrow. ]

What a pain... that quickly, huh? [ They're already moving, not uttering a word of explanation as they push the dress in their arms into his chest despite how he's bundled up. There's not time to pick out a different fit and to leave with nothing would be a waste of a trip... ] Here, I need my hands free.

[ If they're being extra pushy and expectant, at least they have a good reason this time. ]

[ string instruments? Lupin recognizes them, but he doesn't recognize that huge dark cloud, nor any possible source of them -- it's unsettling, to be honest. However, even if he's never seen or heard this before, he has one very good guess on what's happening; when Cairn shoves their clothes into his arms, his thoughts may as well be confirmed. Immediately, his expression hardens, although it's mostly worry.

Worry, despite the fact that Cairngorm has been doing this for a hundred years. He doesn't understand what they're fighting, and he hasn't seen them fight enough themselves to feel entirely at ease. He could ask if they'll be okay, but he knows they'd just brush him off for trying - all he can do is frown, and hope they've got this covered. ]

-- Watch yourself. Is there anything I can do to help?

[ probably not... but he's not used to having to be protected. ]

[ As soon as they hand off the garment, they’re unclipping the cover for their saw at their hip, watching the cloud closely. The way they move is routine, but even if they typically act like dealing with Lunarians is just the hand gems have been dealt, there is no denying that they are tense. ]

I don’t know how Lunarians will react to seeing you. They might shoot at you, they might not... [ Sometimes Lunarians didn’t even shoot at gems they didn’t find attractive enough for their ornamental purposes, so it wouldn’t be totally absurd if they were completely uninterested in Lupin. ] But I won’t know until they get close enough. Otherwise I'd just go take out the unit on my own.

[ For all they know, the Lunarians might be way more interested in Lupin than themself, and if they split up now— he'd be defenseless. They're moving towards the door, beckoning him to follow. Looks like they're going back down all those windy stairs. ]

The best scenario would be we get out before they get here. [ So, to answer his question after that roundabout explanation: ] Just stay close to me until we get to the bottom floor.

Edited 2018-08-20 08:55 (UTC)

[ he's glad to hear Cairngorm say that, in fact. It was his first instinct, running away; however, since he's not the one with a literal century of experience dealing with these things, he wasn't going to condescend towards Cairn with his suggestions. ]

Well, I'd rather not find out what they think of me if we don't have to. [ if he has to fight off a bunch of human opponents, he's usually fine; if it's too much, he'd run away. Getting away from a giant monster that has the firepower equivalent of 40 guns, according to Cairngorm? Yeah, he's not going to test his mettle against it. ] I'm right behind you.

[ he never thought he'd be thinking this, but it might be nice to get back into the heat of Chroma, too... he stays behind Cairngorm with a quiet gait, clearly having some practice at not being on the front line, despite the way he acts. ]

[ The walk down the stairs is actually pretty calm, aside from Cairngorm’s slightly hurried pace (which is completely different from their usual I’m Too Tired To Look Like I Care attitude). They’re a hard worker when work calls for it. Outside the arches they pass on the way down the staircase is a scene similar to this, the unit finally emerging from the cloud after growing to it’s full size. It’s only visible in glimpses with the architecture of the building, but the sound of flutes and drums, as well as the sight of hundreds of petals flitting about aren't easy to ignore, and contrast distinctly in mood to the desolate aura of the gem’s home. It’s almost like... a celebration.

There’s a pillar at the bottom of the stairs that they’re about to pass, but as soon as their shoe edges past it, half a dozen or so arrows fly past and strike a nearby wall— they of course, dodge to the best of their ability, inching back behind the pillar and putting a heavy (and icy) hand on the collar of Lupin’s shirt, presumably to stop him, too. ]

...They’re already outside. [ It's a shame, that the unit is already so close that they can fire inside the school, but it isn't impossible to deal with. After a beat of contemplation, they move half a step so they can put a hand at his waist, too. ] I didn't want to split up, but— I’m throwing you. Just run in a straight line back to that chamber.

[ Now it’s their turn to throw him into a plan without asking him, no pun intended. If Lupin protests, they aren’t here for it, easily lifting him up and quite literally quarterback throwing him to the start of the corridor— before darting out themself to take on the imminent barrage of arrows that will follow the pair's movement, advancing towards the unit to draw their fire. ]

[ First off: what the hell is that? Cairngorm's descriptions didn't prepare him in the least for what looks and sounds like a god descending from the heavens to kill them. Lupin is fairly hard to shake; that thing most certainly unnerves him, and the peaceful, celebratory aura it gives off only makes it worse. This world really is like a fairy tale, and he has no idea what the moral is supposed to be. They hold out a hand to keep Lupin from running out past the pillar, but there's no need to - he stops short on his own, accustomed both to taking cover and hiding from an enemy that severely outmatches him.

Secondly -- ]

You're what?!

[ Any thoughts and/or anxieties he has regarding Cairngorm's ability to single-handedly take down this murderous idol are put on hold when they say that. Similarly, any protests he has (and he has plenty) are cut off; he looks like he was probably moving to take their wrist and shake them off, but he doesn't even make contact before he's suddenly getting launched through the air. The good news is that he has cat-like reflexes and manages to tuck and roll into a graceful landing rather than break any bones.

The bad news is that, once he's scrambled to his feet and tucked himself behind cover, he proceeds to ignore Cairngorm's directions. Like hell he's leaving them here to fend off that huge thing on their own. Maybe he can't help directly - not now - but he's at least not going to ditch them here. He presses himself up against a wall, peeking very carefully around the corner when it's safe to get a glimpse of whatever's going on. ]

[ What Lupin will see after peeking from around the corner is a scene typical to this land: that of a relatively small and glittery gem versus the far larger and far more intimidating Lunarians. Immediately after throwing Lupin across the room, they're having to fend off waves and waves of arrows, always maneuvering in such a way that each swipe of their blade will take out enough of them to allow them to continue advancing without being chipped. It's creating quite a racket, and a mess too— even without watching them directly, their path can be followed by the sounds of weapons clashing, and by the littering of splinters of the alien material the projectiles are made of.

Having assumed Lupin has followed their directions, they don't beat around the bush to go straight for the kill, leaping from the ground up to one of the pillars near the front of the school with the similar level of grace and power that Lupin has witnessed a few times before. Once their heel makes contact with the pillar, they shift all their weight so they can push themself off and launch right at the center of the unit, both hands clung to their saw while they glide through the air.

The last thing that clearly happens in Lupin's line of sight is Cairngorm slicing the center of the unit clean in half with a swing of their saw, the upper half falling slowly backwards like a felled tree. From there, the unit begins to disappear almost as abruptly as it had appeared, the center of the unit melting like wax and the rest of it dissipating like mist, each individual Lunarian retaining only some of it's form while slowly whisping away. What's not as visible is where Cairngorm ended up after all of that; between the heavy fog that destroying the Lunarian created and the blinding snowscape which would mask their all white color scheme, it's hard to tell if they're even really there at all, or if they'd disappeared with the unit itself.

Despite the eerie absence of sound and movement, it seems as though the coast is clear to investigate. ]

[ He's never been one for combat, outside of the occasional scuffles that one inevitably has to deal with if they live in the underbelly of society - he hates to get hurt, he doesn't like seeing innocent bystanders get hurt, either, and most of the fights that come his way are avoidable. On the other hand, he has an appreciation for those who are so good at fighting that they make it into an art. Cairngorm is one of those people. Lupin knew they were a fighter, but he'd only really seen them fight from the corner of his vision in that castle, and the night he was transformed, through a haze of hunger. This is different; this is them in their element. This is also a situation with very real danger for them (and possibly himself), he knows; even so, he can't help but watch them move with a sense of awe.

Not that it lasts very long. Any outlaw worth his salt knows a properly-executed fight should be over quickly - he's glad Cairngorm puts an end to things swiftly. (That saw was exactly as scary as he imagined.) Once he's reasonably certain the Lunarian is down for the count, he takes a hesitant step out from behind his cover. They won that fight for sure, right? He's not feeling particularly worried about their well-being. But the fact that he can't spot them in the mist makes him uneasy. ]

Cairngorm?

[ rather than shouting out, he calls their name in a conversational volume, throwing his voice just slightly - all just in case that alien isn't quite as dead as it looks. He doesn't know anything about Lunarians: if it's programmed to launch a hundred arrows upon death at the nearest loud sound, he'd rather have them hit the wall and not him. ]

[ There’s a long pause after he calls out, before their shiny hand pops right out of the snow near the front of the school, the rest of them soon following it. They’re too far away to see clearly, but they’re definitely frowning, huffing while they step over and back into the school, brushing frost from their shoulders and hair. ]

You really can’t listen to anyone, can you.

[ He doesn’t know that if in some horrible accident they’d been shattered in that small fight, they would’ve eventually noticed him there... nothing bad ended up happening, but if they’re being honest, they have a hard time not being listened to in a situation where they definitely know better.

They don’t look at him as they close the distance between them, brushing splinters and snow alike from the edge of their blade. ]

Be grateful that was a small unit. The second one they send today will be way bigger, so unless you’d like to stick around and fight it yourself...

[ Their gaze is sharp when they finally make eye contact with him, knowing that its only now that he can finally see the reality of their way of life. ]

[ he's perfectly aware of the danger - he spends most of his life getting away from it, albeit under vastly different circumstances and from vastly different enemies. The fact of the matter is that he's willing to take on a risk to make sure his friend is all right. They work alone, and they aren't human; maybe they don't understand how difficult it would be for him to turn his back on them to save his own skin.

Lupin was expecting them to be angry, though, so he takes the glare in stride, returning an even amber gaze. ]

Sorry, but I wasn't going to leave a friend behind to fend for themself without a backup plan in mind. If something happened to you, I'd never forgive myself. [ on that, he won't budge, it seems. he won't ask if they're okay, either, because he knows he'd probably just get a sarcastic response. ] You're really something, though. Taking down a monster like that on your own...

[ he may be looking at them in a new (appreciative) light now, even if he also can't believe they take down monsters like this nearly every day for hundreds of years by themself... he supposes they'd have to be this strong to pull it off. He steps aside to let them keep moving onwards towards the exit, intending to walk beside them. ]

[ Strangely enough, their gaze softens, even though they keep their blade in the hand closest to him, like some sort of barrier while they make their way back to that secluded chamber. ]

...You're right. It was an unpredictable situation and you did what was best.

[ For a moment, they seem genuinely reflective— ]

Is that the kind of thing you want me to say? There's nothing you could've done if something went wrong, so stop trying to explain your stupid reasoning to me.

[ Nope, it's back to the cutting words and perpetually unimpressed expression. ]

That flattery won't earn you anything, either. A fight like that— it's nothing.

[ They simply don't care if he won't budge; they're still gonna take the opportunity to say that he's stupid. ]

[ and here Lupin was being surprised at that reaction... for all of two seconds. Then they go back to shooting him down, as usual, and he just sighs, heavily. There are times when he feels happily convinced that he actually has managed to befriend this weird alien, and then there are times like this, where he feels like they're about three comments away from cutting his head off with their big saw. If he wasn't convinced it was mostly bluster, he'd probably be getting tired of it right around now... ]

How do you know there's nothing I could do? You said yourself that you have no idea how they'd react to a human. Besides - you don't know half of what I'm capable of, my dear Cairngorm.

[ he may not be a fighter, but he's an escape artist, if nothing else. Stealing a jewel right from the jaws of danger and getting home without a scratch would be nothing new. Lupin's firm tone softens just a little after that, and he shifts to tuck the bundle of clothes under one arm. ]

You can worry about me all you want, but I'm allowed to worry about you, too.

[ Thankfully, they have to do their job, so they're forced to scan the sky behind them before they can say whatever choice words they were very tempted to lash out at him in response. There's a few beats where the only sound are their foot steps, while they play the responsible lookout. ]

The worrying again... [ They turn their head back, kicking a stray arrow on the ground out of their way. When they continue, more than just aggression, there is a serious weight to their words. ] I don't care what you're capable of. You're not like me. I'm not the one you should be worried about in that kind of situation.

[ They'd tried to protect him by removing him from the situation entirely (because that is the most logical thing to do in this situation), and for whatever reason, he continues to go against them doing what they can to prolong his life. It's aggravating, and confusing.

Now visible in the short distance is that glowy hibernation chamber, which is several levels brighter than how it'd been when they'd left it— the light from the jellyfish inside emits through the curtains, soft and warm looking in comparison to the cold edginess of its surroundings. By the time they've come up to it, it seems as though they've let some of their hostile-concern go, evident only in the marginal decrease of tension in their forehead and shoulders. They speak again to break a thread of tension, sounding more annoyed than as serious as they'd been a moment ago: ]

I told you I'd break you the next time you risk your life for me, so you better watch it.

Feel free to try it.

[ he remains defiant, giving them a challenging smirk. Sure, he gets why they're mad - that doesn't mean he thinks it's a good reason. He also is pretty sure Cairngorm won't touch a hair on his head unless he actually tries to attack them like he did when he was cursed; even then, they managed not to seriously injure him, and even came to apologize afterwards in their awkward way. They're just angry. In the end, Lupin thinks it's simply that the two of them both have dominant personalities; neither one wants to be the one protected, and now they're clashing with each other over it. He's got the perspective to recognize that.

He's also sort of all right with it. People don't usually push back against him so hard... but Cairngorm's not drawn in by his charisma at all. Which makes being with them interesting. They come up on the hibernation chamber, and Lupin's rather grateful to see it, what with how cold he is - although he knows he'll be missing the chill once he's back in the sweltering town. ]

It's true that I'm not like you. After seeing all this, I can't deny that... But we're not as different as you think we are, either.

Get lost.

[ They're in the same boat in that it isn't often that they come across someone who's willing to go against their headstrong personality, so they feel compelled to push back all they can. No, they can't bring serious harm to him like they threaten to, because ultimately they don't want to accidentally kill him. But being egged on like that? It makes them feel like they have to retaliate somehow, even if it's not in a way that matches their threat— they have to suffice for elbowing him in the arm, definitely nowhere near as hard as they could, and moreso using the frigidness of their crystalline skin to make a point than through force.

As soon as they're done doing that, they storm ahead a few steps so they can enter the curtained room, the familiar energizing glow of the fish around them a welcome comfort. ]

Anyway, I have no idea what you're talking about. You're as different from me as ever.

[ They huff while they go about moving curtains back to their original positions, doing so more out of habit than because they want to— it's all so everything will be in it's proper place if they decide to come back again. If anything, seeing their home again after seeing his made the differences between them more obvious, at least from their point of view. ]

[ a hit like that is certainly not strong enough to break him; both of them know it, and it makes him smile a little more, even as he rubs his arm where it feels like Cairngorm jabbed him with an icicle. Maybe he'd been feeling annoyed a few moments ago - but their gentle reactions in spite of their rough words always make his heart soft. As they stomp off, he follows behind with a sigh of entertained exasperation.

There's a lot to consider here; Lupin is well aware of how dangerous the situation they were both in a few moments ago was, and the implications it holds for Cairngorm's long life. But he knows they don't want praise or sympathy for what happened, and they get tired of his questioning, so he keeps his thoughts to himself to be mulled over alone back in his room. What's left to consider is what he learned about Cairngorm themself today. ]

If I told you what I was talking about, you'd get mad at me again, [ he replies easily, because what he's talking about is their cute stuffed animals, the dress, the way they talked about their comrades, the way they throw their all into both protecting him, and, by the sounds of things, the rest of their friends. Maybe they live in different worlds - quite literally - but he thinks Cairngorm has a very human heart, as much as they try to hide it, and one he admires. ]

[ Any similarities they see between the two of them are either 1) things they don't want to discuss or 2) won't admit to seeing. It's hard for Cairngorm to liken themself to anyone to begin with, what with the admittedly shaky grasp on who they're supposed to be outside of "Cairngorm, remnant of Ghost", and "Cairngorm, winter guard". Maybe that's why their doubt that they see what he does is so strong, why they feel skeptic when he insists on the likeness between them. Lupin is a strange and confusing individual, one that always makes them feel exposed for who they actually are rather than the silhouette of someone else, and that feeling is just... too foreign. To push away is always the immediate response. ]

Then don't tell me. It is that simple.

[ When he enters the room with them, they use their free hand to try and tug the dress from him, knowing that people from outside this place can't take items back. Their idle thought is that they guess they'll be hibernating in it, after all. ]

Let's just go. I'm already tempted to leave you here to freeze.

[ and then.... they went back 2 chroma ]

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Event Eight.

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