 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! |
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[ There's something notably off about her. The congeniality she had shown him back in town feels dampened, that naturally bright personality of hers obstructed by something. As she walks past him to stand in front of the throne, her smile falls away, left with a look of deep contemplation. There's clearly something here, but the fact that she can't seem to find it bothers her. She can feel it in the fiber of her being. ]
I've grown up in halls similar to these; there's no probably about it. But I'm curious what makes you an expert.
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It's a big part of my job back home, and I'm the best in the business.
[ said with full confidence; he moves on without missing a beat. ]
You're part of the nobility, then? You do have that aura about you.
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Are you a detective, then?
[ He seems the type.
Lux doesn't let her attention stray long, looking back toward the throne. She speaks as she removes her gloves, frost-touched fingertips skating delicately across the ice as she tries to reach for what sort of power is within. ]
The Crownguard family has defended the throne of Demacia for centuries. So yes, you could say that. But I don't like to think of myself as a typical noblewoman. [ She looks at him from the corner of her eye. ] We can't help where we're born, and I wouldn't want that to define who I am or what people think of me.
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A detective--?
[ he stares at her, surprised, then returns a hearty, genuine laugh. Lupin's not laughing at her, of course - just the fact that he's been mistaken for a detective (while not in disguise as one.) It's a perfectly valid assumption based on what he's told her about himself; however, the irony is just a little bit too much for him to bear with dignity. With a shake of his head, he continues. ]
No, no, nothing like that. That's a good guess, though. Hmm... I won't answer right now, but how about I give you another chance to guess next time? As thanks for the laugh. [ he smiles good-naturedly, tipping his hat. ] Your job sounds far more interesting, anyhow. We haven't many lady knights where I'm from.
[ he generally has a distaste for the nobility, considering his own background and his delight in stealing from them, but her comments (and her general behavior towards him) keep him far away from casting any judgement on her for it. ]
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But if he isn't a detective... Hmm.
Lux smiles ruefully, trying to push her mild embarrassment aside. ]
Well then, will you at least give me a clue? I'd hate to be wrong a second time.
[ That smile falters when he mentions her "job"—his assumption of what it is, more like. Ah. He misunderstood. It's a logical leap one could make, and she can't fault him for that. ]
My brother is a knight.
[ Lux's smile slips into something more distant, as she makes herself look busy, her attention drawn back to the throne. She can't seem to grasp on to whatever force is bound to it, so at this point her hand movements are more to save face than for any other reason. ]
I do what I can for the people of my country, offering them light and hope in dark times, but my responsibility is to our family.
[ No doubt he can figure out what she means by that. ]
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[ he doesn't like telling people he's a thief if they don't already know it just from hearing his name - it's not a great first impression (or second impression, in this case.)
On the other hand, he feels like he's the one who needs more clues here. So she's just a noblewoman or politician, then? Or is she implying something darker than that? It's hard to imagine her taking up the cloak and dagger; then again, the best assassins were experts at blending in. ]
That sounds like a troublesome position to be in.
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You can't blame a girl for asking.
[ The mystery makes it more fun anyway, and she already has some ideas. But this isn't the time. Later, when she feels more like herself, and they aren't fighting for warmth in a castle of ice.
She should have expected that he would press. It's a subject she hasn't quite broached with anyone here, but more because it simply had not come up—and even if it had, she wasn't sure anyone would understand.
But Lupin gives the impression of class, even if he may not be a noble himself. Which is why Lux sighs, letting her hand fall away from the throne. ]
Troublesome isn't the word I would use.
[ Stifling. Insulting. Unfair. ]
I'm a daughter of a powerful, noble family that has existed for generations. A daughter, Arsène. [ There's bite in her words, but it isn't directed at him. ] I may be important to the people of Demacia, but I know what my purpose is in society, and in our family.
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I've never cared for nobility. Too many little rules and useless traditions - and that's not even touching on what they'll do in the name of honor or to protect their wealth. But I suppose I'm preaching to the choir there, aren't I? [ he rests a hand on the back of the ornate chair, leaning on it slightly to look at her more evenly. ] No doubt this is easy for someone of my sex to say, but... "Society" is just a rigged game those people set up to keep themselves winning. You only get one go at it - there's no shame in cheating when it suits you.
[ he's only just met her, and he doesn't know the details of her situation, but he does know one thing: he doesn't care about the world's rules when they keep good people down. That's why he became a thief in the first place. ]
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Even with the shard firmly implanted in her, his harsh words warm her just a little. Raising her brows, she looks up at him in surprise before a faint half-smirk touches her lips. ]
You'll get in trouble for saying something like that around certain people, you know.
[ It's hard to tell if she's warning him or teasing him at this point. Is he a noble fed up with the status quo, or someone who has been burned as well? She can't tell. But regardless; ]
But I get the impression you don't mind a bit of trouble, do you Mister Lupin?
[ He's a very interesting person indeed. ]
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Oh, I've gotten into trouble for it plenty of times. Fortunately, it just so happens that I'm also an expert at getting out of trouble.
[ even when he gets arrested, he always gets back out as soon as he needs to. ]
Besides, you're not one of those people.
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[ Even with her heart slowly turning to ice, it's difficult not to let a little banter slip through.
It's a brief glimmer, one that appears to fade quickly as she rises to her feet. Lux crosses her arms o we her chest, a look of mild displeasure on her face. ]
But that's good. I think we'll need to keep our wits about us. Whoever resides here is clearly overconfident. Even tyrants have contingency plans.
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[ he could be wrong, of course - though he severely doubts anyone is spry and silent enough to completely evade his notice, the palace is pretty big, and there's a decent chance the castle's master is the supernatural sort, in which case all bets are off. ]
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Even if they aren't here, they can't be far. A curse this powerful needs to be maintained, and that would be difficult to do from a distance.
[ Sorry, Lupin, that's probably not the news he wanted to hear.
Tentatively, she places her hand on the throne once more. ]
Even siphoning power from something like this, that won't last forever.
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Is that how it works? Huh.
[ he purses his lips, thinking it over for a few seconds. ]
In that case, maybe we haven't left the town at all, and this is some kind of grand illusion. I have to imagine the power's coming from the well or some other spot in town.
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Has anything else odd happened near the well, other than people suddenly appearing inside? What about in other areas of the town itself?
[ That in and of itself should be a telltale sign that something strange is afoot, but she assumed that the well's purpose was something like a portal. If it could create illusions as well... ]
Tell me everything you know.