Event Fourteen.

[awashmods]

Roses bloom and cease to be, But we shall the Christ-child see.

t's very, very cold. It's cold enough that you'll see your breath fog in the air before you, that goosebumps appear on your arms and legs and a chill goes up your spine. You're inside, in a huge palace with sweeping arches and rooms, but it's no real shelter from the cold -- it's just as cold inside as out. There's a throne room, a kitchen, various rooms and even a dungeon to be explored -- and outside, a frigid, frozen garden, a lake that's naturally frozen over, and miles, and miles of snow as far as the eye can see. But be careful while you explore. The snowflake soldiers are naturally dangerous, but even more dangerous than that...there's that creeping sensation of numbness going up your arm, a pang through your chest, and the slow, slow freezing from the inside out. Try not to leave any of your friends behind, okay? Even if they might look a bit too uncannily like some of the statues hanging around for decoration when they're frozen over. Welcome to Awash's fourteenth event log, everyone! Further information on this event can be found here at the OOC post. You are welcome to make your own logs for this event, but please keep in mind the lack of laptop function during this event when it comes to forum posts! If there are any questions, please ask them here. Thank you!

Comments

[oomfies]

[ Lottie rolls her eyes over in the direction of Connor's voice, brows raising slightly. Well, as much as they can.. She's come to find out her skin feels a little tight ever since starting the transition to a real life ice cube. ]

..Connor, if I turn into a ghost, which I will, I will look like this forever. [ She knows this as fact, ever since getting haunted by one herself. ] You'd understand if your hair was real. [ There is a tiny part of her that recognizes the gesture, that vaguely feels the jacket on her shoulders, but not enough to really acknowledge it.

After all, her eyes are already back on her phone, her frozen hand falling onto her lap as she tries to put in her password one more time. ]

I'm really going to haunt all of you if I can't watch a video. [ A pause. ] Maybe not you.

[fineprinted]

I wonder why... Maybe he was going through something and he was just expressing what he'd felt through story-writing? How productive of him... ♪

[ tsumugi remains bright-eyed as ever, clapping his hands together in awe. ]

But I still can't believe you're friends with the Hans Christian Andersen! Were you two friends back in the day?

[fineprinted]

Oh, um... No good?

[ blink blink. probably shy... what was he thinking, really. ]

Ahaha, sorry about that... Here, why not try walking around while stepping on the blanket? Like--

[ he unfurls the blanket that was given to him, drapes it on the floor and stepping on it, before grabbing the edge of it. ]

See? You can still walk around like this. Give it a try. ♪

[fineprinted]

No worries, I don't mind.

[ he turns to the flame, his smile distant. ]

It's... mundane, compared to the other worlds I've heard from other people I've met here. There was no actual magic for one, but my idol unit and I aim to cast the magic of happiness through singing and dancing in concerts and such. Oh, that's what idols do in general, in case you don't know that yet.

daddy?

[fineprinted]

[ tsumugi'd actually stopped crying when someone attacked the knight from him, and he stares in disbelief at the other man just throwing the fallen knight aside like it's nothing. whoa. ]

I-I won't, I... [ CLEARS THROAT ] Thank you! Thank you so much for saving me!

[ followed by a series of short bows over and over. really, it's all he can do. ]

[oomfies]

[ Lottie looks.. confused, to say the least, when she looks her up and down. After the jacket being shoved into her hands, and her near dropping it with her fumbling, she feels gratitude more than anything. She quickly puts it on, zipping it up for good measure as she follows Vriska.

And then, she shuffles even closer to her and the entrance at her gesture, wanting to stay on her good side since she did just rescue her. ] Yeah, sure, of course! [ The cold of the keys do nothing to deter her from grabbing them head on, forcing them into any pocket on her person to be as speedy and reliable as possible. ]

If you need me to do anything, just let me know, okay?

[ Her words are not as loud as she'd usually allow herself, mainly because she doesn't want to be rude. Also because she doesn't want to ruin this escape with being overeager. ]

[fineprinted]

[ hold on vriska he's still trying to absorb this information??? ]

My life is boring, yes, but... You look and feel real?

[ is she? don't mind if he just extends a hand and just. grab her wrist to check if she's still corporeal. either way, she'd still come off as colder as usual in terms of temperature and that greatly worries him. ]

[youwillbeunequaled]

Like master, like sword. In more ways than one.

Tonbokiri knows that he's brushing up against Sakamoto's stubbornness when the man frowns like that, so he won't press the matter any further.

It is a strange statement to him, though, that he doesn't like hurting people with swords, but hurting them with a gun is fine?

"You will not have long to wait, I am certain." As they pass from the hall into a room, Tonbokiri drops his voice, so that he will both be able to hear soldiers coming, and not alert them to their presence. "Although we have defeated scores of them, they keep appearing." When they are about half-way across the room, he points ahead to the end of the grand room where the wide icy doors stand open. The strange sound that is ice armour footsteps on ice floor becomes just barely audible.

Tonbokiri shall let the gunman take initiative. He is curious too, what the gun will do against the snow soldiers.

[fineprinted]

Oh, Miss Saber!

[ tsumugi brightens up considerably at this! from one blanket to another, fufu. ]

You could say that I'm repaying you for your kindness when we first met a few weeks back, but are you doing all right? Do you feel colder than usual, or...?

[hypertoxic]

[ There's an odd look on her face as she watches him try to process this. She even lets him take hold of her hand. There is no pulse, and her skin is cool to the touch. The way she brings her brow down low over an uncertain smile makes it look like she's not sure how to feel. ]

... sorry. I hope I am not freaking you out. Sometimes I forget how strange it must sound to someone from a quote-unquote normal world.

[trepidate]

[ They're one of a kind by gem standards, too, but it's more important to have their beauty recognized without sharing that..! ]

Saber..! Are you named after your weapon? [ An incline of the head; it would be interesting if certain humans are named after things the way gems are named after their own material.. ]

And it's a little strange, since we usually don't feel much change in temperature at all.. There must be something wrong with this place. I've never felt this cold in my life before, but still I don't feel anything from the fire. Is that normal?

[ does one temperature override the other for humans..??? ]

CRONCH...

[trepidate]

[ They don't have it in them to be selfishly relieved that Cairngorm has rushed to their side before Phos can even make a halfhearted attempt at righting themselves. Across the floor are tiny pieces of the softest part of them, splintered between the impact of the ice and their unusually solid alloy. Despite its liquid appearance, it's as almost as if it were frozen solid itself. ]

Sorry, [ is the first thing they can think of to say, more to the atmosphere than to Cairngorm specifically— an apology that sounds as hollow as their expression looks.

For how painful the cold had been, Phos now feels and overwhelming nothingness, completely opposite from the way they always feel too much. The only thing they can make out is the faintness of Cairngorm's gloves on their body, and the uncharacteristic twist in their expression. They're aware of the distant knowledge that they have to give a reply to the question they've been asked, but it feels like (102) years before they can find the will to speak, as lifelessly as they feel: ]

..I'll be fine. Keep waiting.

[passio]

[ dextera nods, but— ]

Maybe I can purify it.

[ dextera doesn’t know exactly what’s wrong, and he doesn’t know if his purification will work because of that, but—he must try. it worked with the werewolves. ]

Will you let me try?

[noholdsbard]

Certainly, it has its weaknesses. [ Not that his own body is entirely human at this point, anyway. ]

But I did not think that the cold would bring you down like this. [ Especially not when Mutsunokami had been so excited about playing around at the first sign of snow. But where the hell did that guy go? Because to Tristan it feels like he’s talking to an entirely different person.

And it’s…very disconcerting, to say the least. ]

[noholdsbard]

Some of them might. [ But he’s already sheathing his sword and pulling his cloak away to give her a closer look, his brows furrowed in concern. ]

But more importantly, are you all right, Miss Shiho? You’ve had quite the harrowing experience.

[noholdsbard]

Please lean on me, my lady. [ He reaches for her hands, to steady her. Hell, he’d offer to carry her outright, but in this frigid castle, a little exercise is probably for the better. ]

Has the throne perhaps sapped you of your strength?

[noholdsbard]

[ Not being the same as King Arthur doesn’t stop her from being disturbingly attractive anyway. Seriously, as if the swimsuit event wasn’t bad enough… ]

I think I would rather avert my gaze from such blinding radiance. [ And maybe scoot away with what little of his dignity managed to remain intact. ]

[tosa]

( Look, he's not putting all of his weight on her.

Standing up straight, he inhales and definitely takes a minute to try to regain himself before really doing anything. Give him a few minutes! He'll look down at his arm and start to wrap it back up, though. )

Real irony, right? ( She'd said that before and so had Ryouma. ) Makes sense if ya get it.

I'm a sword, after all. 'Sides, it's probably better for ya that way or something.

( Iron is good for you!!! )

[tosa]

It'll take more than some cold to beat me.

( And he means that. All of this is definitely more than the cold and he's been thinking about how things started to get worse after he broke his mirror. This must also be related to it. )

That mirror...

[teradaya]

Hurting people with a gun isn't good, either, but it is less intimate. And more cowardly, one could say; Ryouma wouldn't be able to completely deny that.

But he still has his preference and his stubbornness and he intends to do what he can with that. So when they get to the big, open room, Ryouma immediately takes stock of the situation. Which isn't much, honestly. The room is empty, save for the soldiers on the far end. There isn't a whole lot to work with and the pillars holding the room up can only give so much cover. Of course, they won't need cover once they inevitably make their presence known, but it's nice to have right now.

Still, there's practically nothing and Ryouma clucks his tongue. As he focuses on the soldiers, he can tell that not only do they have strong-looking helmets as Tonbokiri had warned, but also quite a bit of armor. It's expected. It's also disappointing.

He lowers his voice, as well, hoping it won't carry. Does ice absorb sound instead of reflect it? No matter. "Do ya think they can be reasoned with? Or do we really have to go in like madmen?" He'll do it if necessary. He ain't scare.

1/2

[regrede]

[ it’s not especially strange to her that he’s a sword. she’s met a talking sword before, though not necessarily in this human form… she doesn’t really feel like thinking about it, though. ]

Thank you, Mutsunokami.

[ and it sounds like she’s going to leave it there, because she sighs, giving herself a moment to collect herself, her eyes falling shut.

when she opens them again, there’s a new dangerous glint. ]

2/2

[regrede]

…by the way, where did a sword learn to kiss unsuspecting maidens without their permission?

[tosa]

( STOP, he's too light headed to be embarrassed. He's a proud spirit but also one that gets bashful a lot easier than he really likes to admit. His cheeks feel a little warmer and he feels a little dizzier as the blood rushes to his face and it's probably why he admits things so easily this time around, )

I told ya not to mention it! But its either that or crying, right? ( He's heard of that working for others here. ) I can't cry so that's just easier.

( HUFFS. )

[scooptimistic]

I think that's definitely a big part of it. It seems like it's the whole town this time, so it's not like the Siren situation where we knew we'd have people trying to find and rescue us...

[ ... poor Jion, this sweet, pure soul. ]

[stripedown]

[ She does, glancing at him a little uncertainly. If just because-- ah.

Isn't he cold, though?? Doesn't he need this?

Well... she can at least use her own, but it's good to know it's slip-proof! ]