Event Thirteen.

[awashmods]

To love a human face was to discover The cracks of paint and varnish on the brow; Soon to distrust all impulses of flesh That strews its sawdust on the chamber floor, While at the window peer two crones Who once were Juliet and Jessica.

t's a regular morning here in the Town. The sun isn't shining at all, snow is falling like crazy, and...there may be the sounds of shouts coming from the well, thoroughly muffled. Okay, so it's not a regular morning at all, but you'd better go help those people! The newcomers are here again. Of course, once you get to the well, you'll notice that there's actually no real help you can offer -- it's totally frozen over. As for the newcomers, well... hopefully being suddenly dumped into freezing cold water in the middle of November in a dark, damp well is your idea of a good time, because that's your life now! And that's not even taking into account the mirrors in everyone's homes that are about to wake up and start chattering... Welcome to Awash's thirteenth event log, everyone! Further information on this event can be found here at the OOC post. Please keep in mind that while this is a general event log, it is also an intro log; be sure to pay plenty of attention to our newcomers! If there are any questions, please ask them here. Thank you!

Comments

[interlucere]

You're very different from the people I know back home.

[ Is that her definition of not holding back? No, but she assumes Ryoji is expecting to hear something from her. But even with full permission, it feels awkward to be so open with anyone. Lux isn't used to it, so this will have to do.

She doesn't return his squeeze, but he might notice how warm her hand is—almost unnaturally so. ]

[appraiser]

[ He was expecting to hear something, but being very different wasn't it. Just plain different would have been understandable- there are so many unique people in the world, each one diverging onto their own paths as they gain different sets of experiences and meet different groups of people, so something like that is inevitable. But being very different, perhaps that's Lux's intuition hinting at something more fundamental than that. ]

I'd love to hear more about everybody you knew back home. But first- [ Without letting go of her hand or stopping his walk, he turns to Lux and reaches out with his other hand to brush back her bangs and press the back of his hand to her forehead. ]

Hot... Do you feel ill? We should hurry along; being outside for too long with wet clothes can't be good for you.

[interlucere]

[ She means it as exactly that: he is very different. Her country is governed by law and order, unquestionable absolutes painted in stark black and white. While she understands that not everyone thinks that way (she doesn't think that way, and that is a Problem), this is the first time Lux has encountered anyone who doesn't outwardly follow that rigid path.

Lux doesn't get a chance to elaborate. The moment he brings his hand up to her forehead, she seizes up. She stops, legs getting tangled as he continues to walk, and she stumbles with him for a few steps. ]

Sorry I— [ Think of something! ] It's probably because your hands are cold. I feel fine, really! Don't worry about me!

[ It isn't a lie, she naturally runs warmer than most, something he can probably notice when he touches her forehead. But the reason for that... is something she would like to avoid discussing, especially after his reaction down in the well. ]

[appraiser]

[ She would fit well in this town of lawless kids, Ryoji would think if he knew that was on her mind. If he knew, he would probably be shaking his head, because there are still certain laws of the universe he abides by and will always, and he is constantly working under the confines of certain rules. He's just used to doing what he wants because the most important ones for people, like longevity, does not apply to him, granting certain freedoms on his part, but also concerns for those around him who care about health, happiness, and keeping their place in the world. ]

Silly, of course I'm going to worry. That much is natural.

[ But he lets his hand drop and instead presses his shoulder up against hers- not that it's any better in terms of warmth in her case, just his. ]

[interlucere]

[ When they were down in the well, Lux worried that she might have trusted him too early. But every time she believed that would backfire on her, Ryoji pulled through for her. But somehow this is what makes in glaringly obvious. He could have left it alone, or pushed further.

But instead, he's giving her space. Even if he's still close, his shoulder pressed against hers, it's a small gesture that speaks volumes. She doesn't pull away this time, even if it's clear that she's not used to that kind of closeness. ]

...My body has always been a little warmer than normal. I'm sorry if I alarmed you.

[ He deserves an explanation. Maybe that will ease his mind. ]

[appraiser]

[ She tends to do that, he's noticed, returning back to a point where Ryoji had been content to let go and move on, because she finds importance in it. Even if it was something she was reluctant to talk about before, she would go back to it, and it could only be for his sake. That's something that warms him, so much more than the hand in his. ]

It's alright. You're a warm person, inside and out, and that's something wonderful you should never have to apologize for.

[ He could tell, from how she never pressed him for flying or disappearing or having cold hands, from how she promised to keep him safe and how she made to catch him when he'd fallen. Slowly, he lifts their held hands to hang in front of their faces, just for a moment, before letting them swing back down, back and forth with the momentum of the drop. ]

In contrast, I've always run a little cooler than usual. [ Colder. Stiller. If he weren't constantly chattering, one might notice his chest doesn't rise and fall with breath as often as it's supposed to either. Nobody pays that much attention to any of that but himself, though, and back when he didn't realize why he was that way, he'd turned his thoughts away and forced himself to stop worrying over it. ] But it's not something that bothers me anymore; I can feel the warmth that much more this way.

[interlucere]

[ It is important to Lux to be honest and forthright whenever possible, especially after worrying him like she did. Existing as a source of light and hope for others, Lux could never bring herself to come off as anything other than what others need her to be. Strong, bright, warm, but also distant. And it's that warmth that makes her different, drawing others towards her, but forcing her to keep them at an arm's length for her own safety. Her people could never find solace in her if they knew the truth. They would always lash out against things that are different, or that they don't or refuse to understand.

So it's such a quietly powerful thing for Ryoji to not only accept her vague explanation without question, but to accept her without question as well. For a moment she's at a loss for words, watching their hands rise and fall, keenly aware of the feeling his (colder) hand wrapped around hers. Lux doesn't look at him, but as their arms swing, her thumb gently presses against his. Thank you. ]

Then I suppose it's a good thing that I found you when I did. [ The understated smile on her face isn't one she wears often. It's a far cry from the usual light she puts out into the world, but it's so naturally warm that she practically glows. She may not know where she is, or what to do... but maybe that's a good thing. This might turn out to be exactly where she needs to be. ] Even if it doesn't bother you, someone needs to make sure that you don't freeze out here.

[ She did say that she would make sure nothing bad would happened to him, after all. ]

[appraiser]

[ A soft smile teases at Ryoji's lips, because he knows that if she hadn't found him, he'd very well be liable to wandering off like he will be in the rest of these threads, hopping up onto the rooftops or poking his head into the forest without so much of a care as to what happens to him or what he'd find; it's only ever with other people that he feels that life his direction, and it's something he takes comfort in, the novelty in having other people to think about and worry over and be with, and it's something he never wants to let go. ]

You're right. Being together with you like this, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world.

[interlucere]

[ Normally, she might scoff at such a blatant attempt at flattery. But he isn't being malicious or predatory about it, and instead manages to lighten the mood. Lux can at least be grateful for that, even if does come off a bit cheesy. She gives him a wry half-smile, with eyebrows raised. ]

I wouldn't go that far. Besides, isn't it a little soon to be making that kind of a judgment call?