chasing the sun ( semi-open )

[interlucere]

Who: Lux Crownguard and others!
When: Throughout June
Where: Around town.
What: Quests and catch-all.
Warnings: N/A (will update if/when necessary)

o1. HAVE BIKE, WILL TRAVEL (talk travels).

[ Lux believes she's prepared for everything, and being a postwoman doesn't sound too hard. It could even be fun! What better way to get to know the city and the people living in it than by delivering mail. She's even dressed for the occasion, her hair tied back in a braid to keep it out of her way. A Demacian is always, always prepared—and for the most part, she is.

But Lux has never ridden a bicycle before. This is the first time she's seen one more than in passing, so that might put a damper on things. But she will not be deterred! It can't be any harder than riding a horse, right? That takes an immense amount of balance and upper body strength, so she should be fine.

Over the course of the first few days of the month, Lux can be find in various stages of either learning how to ride, wobbling slowly down the sidewalk (the mail bag is heavy and it's throwing off her balance), or simply pushing bicycle and bag like a cart while huffing. This poor girl could probably use training wheels, but they don't exist... or she's too stubborn to use them. Probably both. Help her or stay out of her way. ]

o2. HEARTS DANCE IN 3/4 TIME (arrangements for you).

[ Normally, Lux wouldn't be caught dead in a place like this. A respectable young lady like herself has a reputation to uphold, but there's no one here from Demacia to report back on what young Lady Crownguard chooses to do with her time. Which, as it turns out, is learning one of the local dances. So much could be said about a culture just by observing how they celebrate, and if asked, that's her reason for being here.

But honestly, it's been a long time since she's been able to enjoy something like this. The parties and galas around Snowdown were always so reserved, and as she got older, it became less about having fun, and more about who she would talk to. Who she would dance with. For once, she gets to decide, and that makes coming to this area of the city worth it.

Approaching the closest person she finds without a partner, she beams at them, looking like she's genuinely enjoying herself. ]

Did you want to give it a try? I think I've got the steps down.

[ She probably won't step on your toes, at least. ]

o3. FITTING IN LIKE A GLOVE.

[ Keeping herself busy, Lux chalks up the odd feeling to fatigue. She goes to great pains in order to keep her emotions in check, and after years of mantras and meditation, it has become second nature to her. But for some reason, she finds it more difficult to keep things even keel. Lux may not be blowing up at others, but she can feel her mood fluctuate, and with it a very familiar sensation that she had assumed would have gone away with the change in her powers.

Feeling like she could lose control, like the magic flowing within might force its way to the surface if she isn't careful. She can't let that happen; even if she knows she isn't in danger here, Lux isn't going to shake that fear overnight.

Which is what brings her to the shopping district, and as she stands in front of the window display of a somewhat high-end boutique, she vaguely fidgets with her hands, as if trying to make a decision. That was always where it started in the past, her light bubbling to the surface and shimmering unnaturally underneath her skin. She could deal with the physical discomfort, but she can't let people see her like that. But... ]

...I didn't think finding something would be this difficult.

[ There she goes, mumbling to herself. It's fine, no one is pay attention to her. Probably. ]

( OOC| Character specific top-levels can be found in the comments. If you would like to plan a thread, feel free to contact me at impearls or via PM. Otherwise, feel free to hit this post up with a top level. )

Comments

[interlucere]

[ Lux assumes she will get a vague answer. Not because of the sort of person Souji is (no, he's been anything but closed off), but from her own experiences. She can't talk about things like this back home—not just for her own safety, but because she swore to keep the veil in place. The reason why the Illuminators were able to function as they did was because all members agreed to keep their mission a secret.

So it surprises her when he speaks so freely, offering more information than she asked for without hesitation. Listening in silence, she can't help but see the similarities. Perhaps... ]

Sometimes, those sleepy towns breed the darkest shadows.

[ Looking away, putting some physical distance between him and her words, the Bond they share tells a different story. She's purposely leaving her mind an open book; understanding and sympathetic... but with an odd note of discontent that almost seems out of place. ]

There was a similar situation I was assigned. Not murders, per se, but mysterious disappearances, and reports of recurring nightmares within the town. The church suspected that a mage was the culprit, and both my brother and I were sent there to investigate.

[ Even thinking about it still rankles her, although she does her best to keep that unrest from trickling over to him. ]

We found out later that a dark spirit had been looking for a physical host, driving the people mad and drawing them out in hopes that one would be a suitable candidate. In the end, roughly half a dozen lost their lives... including a suspected mage. It could have been much worse.

[ Then why doesn't she sound satisfied? Quite the opposite, in fact. ]

[socials]

[ For almost a full year, Souji kept everything a secret from those that weren't involved directly with the Midnight Channel. He navigated around his uncle, his cousin, and he did his utmost best to ensure that they would be safe in their obliviousness. But then he'd gotten the letter of warning, then Nanako had been taken, then everything had gone downhill. Dojima never fully learned the truth about the kidnappings or murders, save for Adachi's involvement in them, and that was probably for the best. He's not sure if he fully believes everything.

But this is another world. This place, he's finding there are people like him. People who have a Persona - people like Akira with more. Others with similarities, like Lux herself.

He's going to be honest. The Bonds are meant to be open that way, aren't they? ]

And the best places for those shadows to hide.

[ There's a little wry humor to his tone, as well as the Bond, showing that the choice of words is relevant to the situation. He doesn't go any deeper into it right away, though, and instead regards her as she looks away. For as out of place as the discontent is, as he listens, he feels the familiar chord of it, for as faintly as their temporary Bond allows for it to be. Souji felt it, before. He's talked about it with his friends, with Naoto on a snowy night as the two of them worked through their possible, true culprits. Dissatisfaction, despite a supposed resolution.

Yet he has a feeling that hers wasn't because they'd had the wrong person. ]

There's no such thing as an acceptable casualty, no matter how much worse it could've been. [ His voice is soft, in volume, but firm with conviction. Understanding and that same conviction are there in his emotions, bare for her to feel on her end of their connection as they continue their trek. The world is so quiet, in the no man's land. ] Was the mage the one responsible?

[interlucere]

[ It's funny. Normally she would shy away from speaking at length about such things to others, but being able to do it here feels almost freeing. Like letting a part of herself that she kept hidden out into the light, without that mounting sense of paranoia building in the background.

The corner of her lips pull slightly upward at his comment, even if she doesn't look Souji in the eye. He understands, and feeling that both in his words and in the subtle undercurrent of their Bond begins to wash away any hesitance she might have.

They really are similar—far more than she imagined—and that fact puts her at ease, lifts her gaze upward to look at him without hesitation. ]

No, he was innocent. But being accused of practicing magic against others is still considered a crime. My brother did what he believed was fair and just.

[ Lux doesn't make any effort to hide her discontent. Souji could easily figure out what happened, from her words and the flickering heat radiating through their connection.

But she doesn't want to dwell in this place. Even in this place, her emotions have power, and that isn't necessarily something she wants Souji to see. Lux pauses briefly, drawing her lips together as she considers her words. ]

Did you end up catching the culprit? I imagine it must have been difficult, if the police refused to believe what they saw.

[socials]

[ Understanding is easy, when the information is available - even when it's under the surface, Souji has always been good at finding it. So she speaks of her brother and what he had to do, and he knows, knows exactly what happened. The displeasure of the knowledge twists a little in their Bond, but nothing more harsh than that. They did what they had to do with the information that they had. But it's still... not unjust, but wrong.

Even if something is just, doesn't always mean it's right. It doesn't negate a punishment, especially when innocence was known, on some level.

But he doesn't linger on it, because it's obvious that Lux doesn't want to. Even if they didn't have their temporary Bond, he feels like he would know, just from their similarities, just from observation. She doesn't say it, but the information is at the surface there, too, and he won't press when she doesn't want to be pressed.

Still, a wry laugh leaves him. A bitter note slides across the even side of his Bond. ]

The kidnapper was the husband of one of the murdered, driven to commit the crime because he thought he was saving them from his wife's fate. Turned out, his way of saving them had been the same way they'd been murdered - he'd been pushing them into another world that only a few people could access, the same as the killer had done to the first two victims, as well as the copy cat killer. He didn't realize that by doing this, he was putting them in danger, not saving them.

Because he'd called in to the police, and my uncle's partner was the one that answered. Had told him it'd be saving them. [ He looks up at her, grey eyes steely. ] He killed a married woman trying to take some time away from a marital scandal in a quiet small town, and the teenage girl that'd found her body, just because they wouldn't accept his advances. And then he'd worked alongside my uncle every day on the case of the murders, the kidnappings, as if he hadn't done a damn thing.

Both my uncle and baby cousin almost died because of him. My entire team, save for three, were kidnapped because of what he'd done. Three people died needlessly, and an entire town was pushed to fear from his actions, and so many fell ill because a fog from that other world bled over to our side as the veil grew thinner between the two. Because he was bored, because he was rejected. And he had the nerve to come to our house for dinner, laughing and smiling, while he was lying to a man who trusted him.

[interlucere]

[ None of what Souji tells her comes as a surprise, knowing that something similar could have easily happened in her world, in some capacity. These things are seldom simple matters, despite what others may want to believe; but knowing the details of what happened, Lux can't help but feel angry on his behalf. That heat pulses through their Bond, even if her expression remains decidedly neutral.

This man was evil, simply put, and she hopes that he was punished for his crimes. ]

...Hiding in plain sign, making friends with the people who could bring him down. Despicable.

[ What could she say? It felt gauche to give her simmering fury more breadth, knowing that Souji could likely feel it reverberating through their shared connection.

Offering a quiet, sympathetic look, Lux takes a breath, pushing her anger down. She understands his frustrations at a broken system so, so very well. This man would have gotten away with murder, had Souji and his friends not been there to solve this mystery. ]

It's fortunate that you and your team were able to bring him to justice, before he could do more harm.

[ Even those deaths were unacceptable, but belaboring this fact felt gauche. Returning him to his world and his team suddenly felt much more pressing.

Shifting the conversation to something less heated, a quietly encouraging smile breaks through the dark mood, as she redirects her attention to the trail in front of them. ]

Thankfully, this task should be much easier, once you know what to look for.

[socials]

[ The anger is - familiar, in a way. Souji remembers the hospital room with Namatame, all of them angry, upset, grieving for Nanako. It was a Molotov cocktail waiting to ignite, and it could have. Namatame could have been pushed into the TV, by Souji's own hand, if he'd given into the despair that Izanami had chosen the man to represent. It's an anger directed at injustice, and the inherent wrongness that comes from someone causing harm to those that can't protect themselves.

He gets it. He finds himself liking Lux more and more, each time he learns something new about her, each time they talk to one another. Were this another life, where they were in one anothers' worlds, maybe they would have been friends there, too. Teammates.

Another reason for him to do his best here in Aefenglom: these are Bonds that will stick with him whenever he returns home, these are people that he would stand beside. ]

We almost didn't. [ Softly, and he doesn't necessarily hide the unease that pulses through him every time he thinks about it. Calming Yosuke and Kanji down had kept him from giving the kidnapper a taste of his own medicine. Walking through the clues with Naoto had brought them to Adachi. But Souji had almost done it. ] And there was so much more than we could have ever expected, behind the why and the how.

[ But he smiles something small, inclining his head a little in response to Lux's own smile. ]

But we did it. And no matter what happened... well, we're both here to tell the tales, right? [ With ease, he falls into step with her, keeping pace. ] How do I know what to look for?

[interlucere]

[ It takes a certain brand of injustice and self-righteousness to drive her to anger, and a perfect storm of evil for her to show it. If placed in that situation, Lux would like to think that she could keep a cool head—if only for the sake of those around her. Perhaps it was the same for Souji, forcing himself to act rationally, to be a rock for a team that very well could have been crumbling around him.

It's admirable; and she finds herself liking him more and more because of it. She would be happy to call him both teammate and friend, if they were from the same world.

Shifting to speak on motives, Lux tilts her head to the side, looking up at him curiously. The why he explained, but the how..? ]

How did he manage to pull this off?

[ This man is still guilty without question, his actions beyond deplorable, but she can't help but wonder about the details.

At his question, her smile grows, a slight flare of pride rippling through their connection. ]

A few different ways. Looking at tracks and figuring out how old they are. Snapped branches or broken brush.

[socials]

[ Motives... well, this certainly does dive deeper in. There's curiosity about the suspected mage, the dark spirit. But he'll hold onto it, for now, and give Lux an answer for his situation. Perhaps if he opens up about his, she'll feel more comfort at speaking further on her own. ]

The other world. [ Wry, again. ] It gets more complicated from that point, really.

[ Souji knows he's never told anyone the full truth about this. But Lux is trustworthy, and this is another world entirely, where there's no Izanami, no Amenosagiri, no Adachi, no Namatame. He thinks the secret's safe, just outside the walls of Aefenglom. ]

We learned that it was a world that was a... a projection of human thoughts. The collective consciousness, basically. And the portals into that world where televisions.

[ Something he's also prepared to explain, simply because he knows that this place doesn't have them. At least they have the Looking-Glass House to reference, for an example of what it is he's talking about. But at least they have something a little more lighthearted, and the interest is obviously there.

His eyes drop from Lux to look at the ground - not directly beneath or ahead of their feet, but scanning ahead of where they're going. Looking for signs, curious, immediately wanting to learn and know more. Try more. ]

You need to have a keen eye for that, don't you?

Gmail didn't notify me of this, how rude

[interlucere]

[ At this point, talk about other worlds hardly gets a reaction out of her—even something existing parallel to his own. But something influenced by the thoughts of man, that gets her attention. Taking a brief break from scanning the terrain around them, she hums in thought. ]

That sounds like how magic works in my world. [ Ah— ] Well, as I understand it. It works a bit differently for me, at least that's what I've been told.

[ But for a person's cognition to change an entire world, and to be able to create a portal to that new existence (through... whatever a television is) is a terrifying thought.

Stepping toward the edge of the path, she briefly investigates the underbrush, picking up a nearby stick before gesturing him over. ]

Yes and no. Knowing what to look for is the key, which comes from practice, and learning how to tell if things are out of place. The rest is intuition.

[ Sure enough, pressed into the peat just beyond the path is a cloven footprint. ]

denied our Feels, curse you gmail

[socials]

Magic isn't supposed to exist in ours. Before I arrived in Inaba, I had never encountered it, never even considered it a possibility.

[ Bringing his hands up, he makes a frame out of his thumbs and index fingers together. ] A television is a device that allows you to watch recorded and broadcasted images. They could be fiction and nonfiction alike, sort of like... if you wanted to watch a fairytale, you could. If you wanted to watch a biography about someone, that had reenactments about their life and accomplishments, you could. News reports, art, music... even something like a family gettogether for you to personally watch, if you saved it yourself.

And because of humanity's focus on television and how it influenced them, gave them insight into the world around them and a distraction from their lives, they influenced it. So TVs were made portals between that world and ours.

[ At least, that's what he took away from what Izanami told them. Souji is smart, but he's not sure he's so clever as to understand everything going on with the Midnight Channel. A part of him wants to dissect all of the goddess' words all over again.

He instead focuses on his explanation, just as much as he does Lux's instruction. His eyes scan the ground, and then he perks up, looking from the print and then quickly to her with a more sincere smile. ]

I think we'll get the chance for me to practice some, then.

[interlucere]

[ As Souji launches into his explanation, Lux listens intently, taking in every word. It sounds almost fantastical; it's too small to be a theater, obviously, and shadow puppets don't quite have the same grandeur as he describes. But one thing seems to stick out above the others: ]

...You can watch fairytales on it? Really?

[ There's a kind of childlike wonder that travels between them, despite her attempts to play the question off as simple conversation. That... actually sounds wonderful? Stories like that always were some of her favorites, even now. It's embarrassing, and not at all like the kind of persona she exudes on the day-to-day, but she would love to experience something like that on one of these televisions someday.

Curling a hand at her chin, Lux lets his words soak in, giving his explanation some thought. ]

I'm not sure even Piltover has something like that. And these are common where you're from? I can't imagine what your world must be like. [ A world seemingly without magic, and one so technologically advanced, it's impossible for her to wrap her head around.

Souji's smile is contagious, and Lux finds herself matching it, endearing as it is. Giving him a quick nod, Lux crouches down, gesturing for him to follow suit. ]

See how you can still make out the shape? That means it's still reasonably fresh. We're on the right track.

[ ...Was that on purpose? ]

[socials]

It's one of the most popular adaptations that we have in my world. They're usually animated - drawn, so that's where the artistic aspect comes from in many instances. But some of them are performed and recorded with live people. [ Charmed by the wonder, Souji smiles. It's - good. Cute. It shows him the depths that Lux has, that he knows are there and has occasionally seen in their exchanges. But this is a new type of it that he hasn't seen just yet.

And he wants to see it grow. He's sure that she would have liked Featherman. He might be able to reenact some of the episodes, if he thinks about it... ]

Practically every home has one, nowadays. And there are different channels and networks that have different kinds of shows on them, so if you have something you want to watch you can find a channel for it. [ Hands fluttering, dropping, he shrugs a shoulder. Maybe he can find some kind of equivalent so that she can get an idea of what he's talking about... the Looking-Glass House, and the watches, sure, but something else.

Easing down next to her, he considers the track, attentive and obviously curious. Lux offers him something to learn, and he wants to absorb it.

... even if he lifts his hand up, barely covering a laugh behind his fist. ]

Well, if we want to stay on the trail, we'd better hoof it, right?

[ my time has come with shitty animal puns ]

[interlucere]

Animated? Like moving pictures? And you say there isn't magic in your world.

[ That certainly sounds like magic to her, and while Lux doesn't come out and say it with words, the playful quirk in her smile speaks volumes. She's on to you, Souji.

As she tries to visualize this fabled television, Lux hums contemplatively. ]

I can't imagine having something like that. They must be fairly large, then. At least a few bookshelves wide. [ Books are the closest point of reference she can think of. ] I'd love to see one myself.

[ At first, she doesn't react to the joke, and it seems like it might have gone over her head. But she can't hide the way she beams on the inside, shining through clear as day despite the way she curls her hand at her lips. She's evaluating the tracks, obviously! ]

Let's hop to it, then!

[ Pushing herself to her feet, Lux steps out of the clear path they had been taking, slowly leading the charge through the underbrush. Follow her! ]

[socials]

Mm, they call it animation, or cartoons. [ A small laugh leaves him at the playfulness, but he removes his hand from the hilt of the sword at his belt to reach into one of his pockets as he stands up after she's to her feet proper again. He pulls out his flip phone, using his thumb to open it and hold down the power button. Its little jingle as it starts up plays, the screen dim to save its battery, and he can't help it - he smiles down at the picture of himself and his friends as his wallpaper, Nanako, all of them crammed together for the selfie. ]

There's a lot of them that can get that big, for sure. They're very expensive at that size, though, so not many middle- and lower class homes have them. Our family room one was about the width of my shoulders and more box shaped, while the one in my room was a little bit smaller in width and thinner. [ Pulling up his gallery, he selects a video - one of them goofing off at the Samegawa, Yosuke and Chie arguing over something with Yukiko cackling like a hyena to the side. Their Bond is filled with warmth, a powerful fondness that comes with forged bonds. ] But you can have videos on a screen as small as this, no problem.

[ Offering it to her to watch, as the video plays - Yosuke running from Chie, now, kicking up water at her as he flees, Yukiko bent over with her arms around her stomach - he files away the way that she almost lights up at her core with his stupid pun. If she liked that, he'll pull out all of the best ones he can think of for her.

In the meantime, Souji follows her through the brush. ]

[interlucere]

[ It seems like both of them are learning something new today. A fair exchange, and one that takes the rest of the edge off of their Bonding. The sense of pride and warmth that ripples off him, warm like the summer sun, flows through her, and she can't help but smile in return. It's contagious.

His world is so different and interesting, so compelling in its mystery and novelty that she's thoroughly charmed by his explanations. She still doesn't understand how something so small could fit so much, but who is she to question something she doesn't fully understand. (That can wait for when she's finally worked her head around it.)

Guiding him through the brush, she slows to a stop when he offers the phone for her to watch. Letting Souji continue to hold it, she quickly clasps a hand over her mouth, pressing her lips together to keep from laughing. The shimmer of bubbly warmth radiating through their Bond gives her away. ]

Where was this?

[socials]

The Samegawa River. It's a short walk from my uncle's house, and you can walk along it to get to the schools in town. We spent a lot of time there - I went fishing, which I mostly did on my own, but some of my best memories come from walking that river with my friends, my little sister.

[ His steps are as sure as his words, as he follows her, his eyes occasionally dropping down to take in the scene on his phone. It was just like any other day, and the video is hardly anything exciting to the things they faced. But Souji loves the memory regardless, and treasures it here where his friends are absent. ]

Chie is the girl with brown hair. She likes action movies, eats them up - the stories where people have a cause worth fighting for. Short temper, big appetite, even bigger heart. She wants to do her best for everyone. [ Afraid of bugs; he doesn't share that secret. ] Yukiko is the dark-haired girl that's laughing, she has the actual worst sense of humor ever. Anything you'd groan at, she'd snort and fall into peals of laughter. But she's one of the most graceful people I've ever met.

Yosuke's the one that's running around with Chie causing a scene. His heart's always in the right place, in a way that really helped us figure out the investigation, and I don't think I could've asked for a more loyal friend than him. Even if sometimes he says things that aren't thought through, he means well.

[ He watches Chie launch herself at Yosuke in a flying kick, sending them both crashing into the water and leaving Yukiko cackling even as she rushes to the shoreline and Souji's voice can be heard calling out to them with muffled laughter. ]

[interlucere]

[ Lux listens intently, trying to split her attention as best she can between everything going on. Setting a reasonably slow pace, careful to keep her footing, her gaze flicks frequently between the world in front of them and the one on the screen.

This is what having tried and true friends was like, wasn't it? Moments like the ones playing out on the phone in her hands. She's envious. But he said himself that they should be friends; and they are.

Maybe one day they would be able to share moments like this as well. ]

You didn't go to school in the city? [ Schools in the smaller towns were unheard of in Demacia. She seems to realize almost immediately how that must sound, a quiet flare of apology flickering before she watches a murder most foul take place on the screen.

Lux isn't prepared, and doesn't have time to clamp a hand over her mouth to hold back her laughter. It's brief, but it ripples through the thread between them, light and bubbly. ]

Oh!

[ Oh indeed. She takes a a few deep breaths, trying to push through and regain her usual composure, mildly embarrassed at her own outburst. ]

They're so lively. It looks like you were having a lot of fun.

[socials]

[ Used to this kind of multitasking in the Midnight Channel, Souji keeps careful track of where his feet are leading him. There's a lot underfoot that could trip them up, and something out here that could very well be dangerous, whether it's the thing they're looking for or not. But he's also trying to pinpoint a trail, or any trace - he wants to learn more about tracking.

There's no negative reaction to her question, and instead the feeling equivalent of ah, where he acknowledges their different worlds, with their similarities but moments where things are shifted, just so.

He smiles, instead, effectively waving off the apology. ] I've been to a lot of different schools, in bigger cities and smaller. Inaba is admittedly the smallest, as a town proper, but it was still big enough to have schools for young children all the way up to teens at eighteen. Nothing for further learning, though. You'd have to go to a neighboring bigger city for that.

[ And then Yosuke meets his doom, and even knowing it's coming - the memory and image alike make him laugh, and Souji feels warm with Lux's own laughter, as restrained as it is. The Bond tells him enough.

When the video ends, he takes the phone back and powers it down. He hasn't perfected charging anything yet, so he'll continue to conserve the battery. ]

We were. Them, and our other friends... they all changed my life. Things could get pretty crazy, with the investigation and everything, but we were still able to do things like this.

[interlucere]

[ That's nice. Admittedly, the idea of closing avenues of learning off to those who lived in the cities (and could afford to attend) bothered her. But it sounds like there's more opportunities to learn in his world, and that thought is encouraging.

Attentive to the trail in front of them, Lux redirects her attention fully once he closes his phone. ]

That's good. It's important to have something like that to look forward to, especially in darker times.

[ And from what he's explained to her, searching for a murderer on the other side of a television certainly qualifies.

Quietly musing to herself, her smile turns surprisingly somber, as she leads them further into the woods. Lux speaks quietly, cautious even this far away from Aefenglom. ]

I usually worked alone. We are agents of the church, and most of our "volunteers" had to stay in the city, to keep up appearances. Occasionally, I would be sent to outposts near the Noxian or Freljordian border, to help care for the injured and boost the morale of our troops... [ She looks up at him, the smile she wears conflicting with the loneliness of her words. ]. It must be nice, having a team like that.