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

[fineprinted]

i. cuddle puddle quest

[ right. tsumugi's been so distracted in trying to adjust in the town, rearranging the books in the library and making more clothes for himself and everyone else that he'd forgotten about the list of quests he'd seen on his laptop upon arriving here.

he knows that the only way to break the curse according to the snow queen story he'd gleaned before was to either kiss them or cry on them, but he'd had his doubts on whether there should be any meaning in those sentiments. kissing someone that he barely knows would only make him panic so he'd rather cry on them instead, but despite being able to cry twice in this month alone, tsumugi's not sure if he'd be able to shed tears on a whim.

he is a defective human being, after all.

but hey, enough about that! whether you're one of those sensible people who haven't broken their mirrors yet, or someone who may already have shards in their hearts that haven't lost themselves in the numbing cold - you might find themselves be draped by a blanket without warning, along with a comforting hand on their shoulders and a warm smile in tsumugi's lips. ]

Ah, I hope you don't mind. This is the only thing I can do for you right now, so if you'd like I could keep you warm for a little while.

ii. (natsume voice) good(k)night ♪

[ one can also find tsumugi being chased by one of those frozen fuckers. it's easy where he is though from all the screaming he's making until he's trapped at the corner, cowering as he's about to meet his maker in the form of halberd through the chest, maybe. idk. ]

Uuu, I don't want to die yet! Not like this...?!

[ i mean hey at least he's crying now? go get 'em tears while you can. ]

i

[hypertoxic]

[ Vriska's shoulders give a jolt when he touches her, pulls the blanket around her, but she doesn't stop him. Instead she just looks up at him and for a moment simply stares, inscrutable, as if she can somehow discover answers in his eyes.

In the end she lets out a slow sigh and tucks herself close to him. She's cool to the touch in a way that feels unnatural. ]

Tsumugi, are you just ... seriously going around cuddling with people to warm them up?

[fineprinted]

Eh? Is there something wrong with that?

[ oh god what if he's being too forward -- but then vriska snuggles closer and his heartrate ticks up juuust a tad. aaaaa aaaahhh okay, he can handle this. ]

I forgot I needed to do this for the quest I saw in my laptop. Better late than never, I suppose. [ shrugs ] You seem kind of cold yourself too, so I just approached the first person I'm familiar with, so here we are.

[hypertoxic]

[ Vriska snorts. ]

So I was just a convenient target, huh? I'm hurt, Tsumugi. I should obviously have been your first choice for creepily-mandated cuddling.

[ gives him a nudge. she's just being rude, she doesn't mean it.......... ]

I am always kind of cold. Don't worry about it.

[fineprinted]

[ okay good because he was about to freak out about being called a creep for this... whew. please let him rest.

but hm. ]

And it's not just because of the weather? [ a chuckle. ] It's all right. I guess even trolls do have those moments too? I'd say that it just makes you human, but...

[ yeah let's not start on the alien racism thing again ]

[hypertoxic]

[ Groan. Vriska huffs and, despite her words, gets herself a little more settled against him by wrapping both her arms around the one of his she's leaning against. Look, she's done a lot of cuddling and is kind of getting used to it by now?! Anyway. She gets comfy, but also shakes her head at him. ]

You are lucky I've gone through enough nonsense not to find that kind of comparison offensive! But no, it's not just the weather. I'm a ghost, stupid, of course I'm not warm.

ii ......... you called for a father?

[eusford]

[ Crowley's not on the search for tears or kisses (for once), so their meeting is made out of pure coincidence. A voice that echoes through icy halls reaches his ears and the only reason why he even bothers to investigate is because it's relatively close... otherwise, yes, he would have left this poor child to die.

But instead there's a sharp blade piercing through the chest of the knight. Dropping their weapon, Crowley hoists them off their feet and promptly tosses them to the side to slump against the wall. ]

Hey, you can stop crying now -- if you don't you're just going to end up calling more over.

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. ]

DO I LOOK LIKE

[eusford]

[ Oh good Lord it's one of THOSE types.

Crowley only brings his blade to his shoulder, brows curving ever so slightly. ]

There's no need to thank me. [ It's not like he's a knight in shining armor. ] It'd be a setback on the rest of us if our numbers fell, so you'd probably be best grabbing a weapon...

[ But one look at this poor kid says a lot. ]

Or at least pick better places to hide.

im not fuckin blind

[fineprinted]

[ he does look like a knight in armor, shh. tsumugi shakes his head at that, though - ]

It'd be easier for me to run and hide, yes, but I'd still like to help in my own way. A lot of people are freezing up so I've been collecting blankets --

Though I suppose I should at least find a weapon to defend myself with. It's hard to find one that suits me, you know? I'm not exactly built for physical combat.

[eusford]

Wrapping people up when they're frozen isn't going to help any.

[ Like... just being logical about this. ] If anything they'll get back to normal by the time this is all over, but at the same time... [ He stops. For a moment he thinks it's best to remain pessimistic, but in the presence of a child -- well, it's not difficult, but he'd much rather save the inevitable headache to come with the typical "you can't just let people DIE" conversation. ] I guess if you wanna be optimistic trying to melt them wouldn't be the worst idea.

[ Speaking of ideas, he gives the young boy a once over. ]

You could at least do with a shield. If you use the muscles in your legs then you can at least knock them down a little.

i;

[neronian]

[ Draped by a blanket without warning...she did sense someone coming by, but quickly discerned that it wasn't someone malicious or particularly troublesome, since he isn't trying to conceal his presence.

But she lights up when she recognizes the voice of said blanket-draper. Umu! ]

I will graciously allow it!

[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...?

[neronian]

[ She shakes her head to his question. ]

I have been fine, and I am blessed with the ability to keep myself warm despite the cold here.

[ Nero is quite lucky, she knows, because some strange things have been happening all over to the people in the castle. If only a certain grumpy-grandpa-in-a-little-boy's-body Caster were here right now to explain things... ]

What of yourself? You ask because you have also noticed the strange affliction going around, correct? A sharp one.

[ A strange affliction that renders someone cold, with no amount of fire able to warm them up, it seems. ]

[fineprinted]

Yes, it's quite worrying... [ he cups his chin in his own hand, brows knitted in thought. ] I do think it had something to do with that Snow Queen story - someone had told me in the library that all these strange happenings are based from well-known fairytales, and the fact that there's a snowy castle with an empty throne and other people feeling colder than usual...

[ yeah, it's been rough. seems that tsumugi's all but bundled up extra nicely just in case, but only because he's that allergic to the cold. ]

I'm relieved that you're still up and about on your feet, but that's the emperor for you. ♪ Please, take this blanket anyway. You never know when someone else might need it.

[neronian]

[ The Snow Queen story. It's true that it rings familiarly to her...most likely the work of that one fairytale author Caster in particular. If only he were here to explain or provide his insight. Then again, maybe it's not a good idea to have that prickly fellow here, mouthing off with no care for who he's talking to.

Nero tilts her head at the blanket offer first. ]

Are you certain? Will you not be cold as well? You count as "someone else" too, you know.

ii

[good_ideas]

[Shiho hears him first before she ever sees him but her first reaction (contrary to what she'd say) is to go and try to help.

Thankfully the knight has its back turned towards her which makes it easy for her favourite kind of way to engage with an enemy.

An ambush.

Flicking the knob on the gun to capture, she aims for the head, wires wrapping around the knight's helmet. Then she throws her entire weight in the opposite direction, feeling the wires tighten to the point where they'll start cutting in. The knight's head comes off and the whole creature melts away into a swirl of snow.]

[fineprinted]

[ it's as though he's watching a cool fight scene from a movie, with the way shiho moves so gracefully, the way she utilizes her weapon, and the knight's been reduced into mush by the time tsumugi even registers what'd just happened.

and then he turns to shiho with starry eyes because of course. ]

Sannomiya-san, that was soooo cool! I didn't expect that you can actually do something like that! ☆

[good_ideas]

[Looking at her with starry eyes is always a good reaction, as far as she's concerned.

Is she preening? A little.]

A cute girl has to have one or two tricks up their sleeve, you know?

[fineprinted]

That's more than a couple of tricks up your sleeve! I didn't think someone of your stature could pull it off, honestly!

[ feel free to preen some more, because tsumugi won't stop running his mouth over this. he's just glad he's safe for the time being. ]

[good_ideas]

If I wrapped wires around your head and threw my whole weight into it, it would probably come right off you know?

[Which is what she tends to do. She doesn't have the stamina for a drawn out fight but sneak attacks and things that use her opponent's weight against them? Always fair game.]

ii

[sirnyxalot]

[Sorry, kid, the rescue is probably just as traumatizing as the attack, let's be real here.

Nyx is getting real tired of hearing these kids under his care screaming in fear and pain. This place is getting another tally on his shit list that he'll remember for the day he has the mastermind at the edge of his kukri.

Until then, however, he's following the screams as quickly as his chocobo can run without losing traction, and doesn't even bother to stop as he comes upon them. Heroically, for a chocobo, Chocobob pushes right between Tsumugi and the frozen knight, screeching a challenge and flapping her wings. Sure, the knight doesn't seem to even care about the warning, but it sure notices the fifty pound cat attacking its head from top speed.

Rahm topples it over, hissing and generating mini sparks of electricity as it tries to find something to sink her claws into. Nyx knows it won't do much to it, but all they need is time.

Twisting to look at his housemate, Nyx reaches a hand down to him.]

Get on!

[fineprinted]

[ YEAH, THAT. sure is a spectacle. tsumugi remains frozen on the spot, eyes focusing on the cat making a meal out of the snow knight before nyx's voice snaps him out of his initial shock. ]

W-Wait, ride that?

[ he can ride a huge chicken?! but the knights that are streaming in to avenge their fallen comrade stops him from questioning any further and he grabs ahold of the older man's hand to lift himself up and sit himself down right behind him. oof.

okay, let's ride. ]

[sirnyxalot]

[Said chicken settles so that Nyx can help haul Tsumugi up behind him. He can imagine it's awkward; he remembers Tonbokiri's first reaction to seeing a chocobo, and his own curiosity at seeing a horse for the first time. But Nyx also knows Chocobob is more than capable of carrying the both of them long enough to get away from the knights.

He whistles, wasting no time in wheeling her around back to open space. The knights are approaching fast and Nyx casts Fira in the midst of them to create an opening.

Seeing freedom, the chocobo weaves through the melting knights. Not wanting to be left behind, Rahm dashes behind them, claws clicking against the ice.]

[fineprinted]

Eek! N-Not so fast--!

[ he knows that they can't slow down though, so all tsumugi can do is hang on tight to nyx's back as they gallop away with rahm in tow, and his dull eyes wide in awe as nyx casts some sort of fire magic at those pesky knights behind them, watching them melt. ]

That's-- That's real magic! You can use magic?

[ obviously?! but don't mind him, he's just firing questions one after another to distract himself from being utterly terrified in this chase scene they've found themselves in. ]