LUX『 ʏᴇᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇ sʜᴀᴅᴏᴡs 』CROWNGUARD (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
interlucere) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
aefenglom2019-09-06 07:49 am
interlucere) wrote in aefenglom2019-09-06 07:49 am
[ VOICE ] - dated before the first ship to Dorchacht
My name is Lux, and I have a favor to ask of a few of you.
A number of us will be traveling to Dorchacht to... smooth over some rough patches in our relationship with them. Say what you will about how they treat others—I have my own opinions, and that isn't necessarily something I wish to speak about here. That isn't the point of this. Talks are bound to be tense, and many of us will be going in blind.
I am looking for a few monsters to align with, who won't shy away from gathering information, by any means necessary. In exchange for this, I offer a temporary Bond, during our time there; and protection if things don't turn out as expected. I will do what I can to keep you safe while in Dorchacht.
I am also looking for a few Witches willing to come together to push for equal treatment of Monsters within Dorchacht. Neither city can afford a war; and while I have experience with this sort of situation, there is strength in numbers. We have the resources—and it only makes sense to gather as many in one place before attacking this problem.
This is asking a lot, I know, but I want to be prepared for anything. I doubt I am the only one. I will be leaving in a few days. I would prefer to have these discussions before then, either in person, or here. Thank you.
A number of us will be traveling to Dorchacht to... smooth over some rough patches in our relationship with them. Say what you will about how they treat others—I have my own opinions, and that isn't necessarily something I wish to speak about here. That isn't the point of this. Talks are bound to be tense, and many of us will be going in blind.
I am looking for a few monsters to align with, who won't shy away from gathering information, by any means necessary. In exchange for this, I offer a temporary Bond, during our time there; and protection if things don't turn out as expected. I will do what I can to keep you safe while in Dorchacht.
I am also looking for a few Witches willing to come together to push for equal treatment of Monsters within Dorchacht. Neither city can afford a war; and while I have experience with this sort of situation, there is strength in numbers. We have the resources—and it only makes sense to gather as many in one place before attacking this problem.
This is asking a lot, I know, but I want to be prepared for anything. I doubt I am the only one. I will be leaving in a few days. I would prefer to have these discussions before then, either in person, or here. Thank you.
no subject
He leans forward to rest his forearm against the table as he takes the cup in his other hand. ]
Find out as much as I can about their leader.
[ Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Morgana Drummond is the kind of person who would have a Palace—only those don't exist here. Still, Akira can't help thinking that, as in previous cases, removing the one in charge would be the way to end it all the quickest. He's not so naive to think that it would crumble without her, but it would probably weaken them considerably. ]
no subject
Morgana Drummond. I'm interested in her as well.
[ There were things she saw and heard in that Coven that made her stomach turn, dredging up memories she would rather keep to the deep recesses of her mind. Annullers. Mageseekers. Dissidents disappearing in the dead of night, for fear that they would tear down that idyllic image Demacia swore to protect. Things she couldn't fight against back home out of fear of what it would do to those who had faith in her. But without that weight on her shoulders, maybe here she could do something. She could try to fight. But she can't do it alone.
And after that night, and their experience in that dream, Lux knows she can trust him. She needs to prove that he can trust her.
Lowering her cup from her lips, she leans forward and sets it down on the table. Her eyes avert downward, as she holds her position. ]
I have a proposition for you. You don't need to feel obligated to decide now, or to take my offer if you don't feel comfortable with it. [ She points her gaze toward him. ] But I may have a way to make it easier for you to move around the city, without having to worry about being chained up or locked away.
no subject
That sounds useful. What did you have in mind?
[ Lux says that he doesn't have to take it, but he can't imagine a scenario where he wouldn't feel comfortable. She's the person he's confided in the most in his time here. If anyone understands his motivations here, it's her. There's little that he wouldn't do to achieve those goals if it means freeing those Monsters from the life he saw in the dream. ]
no subject
[ No beating around the bush here. She respects him more than to waste his time justifying the reasons why this might be a good idea. But there is something that she needs to clarify, and offer before he decides one way or the other. ]
I can understand why you would refuse, after what we've seen in that city. The way that Monsters are treated by the Witches there. Even here, they aren't always seen or treated as equals.
[ And this is where she pauses, the last vestiges of secrecy difficult to shake. But this is important—even if he refuses her offer. He trusted her. ]
...I realize that I haven't been the most forthright with you. Regardless of whether you choose to accept my offer, I want to change that, starting here and now. You've told me your secrets when I asked; it's time that I return the favor.
no subject
Is there a "but"? Not when it comes to Lux. His reasons for not pursuing one so far are purely personal, not wanting to force something so emotionally intimate—and yet, now that it's been put on the table, he realizes that he's already begun to show her glimpses of that even without one.
He's quiet until he sets down the tea cup, following up the soft chime of porcelain with his response. ]
... I'll do it.
[ Akira may not be wild about using that as cover, knowing how the people of that city would interpret such a connection, but he trusts Lux. Despite her admitted caginess, that fact holds true. A small smile creeps onto his lips as he addresses that. ]
Just as long as you're not doing it because you feel like you have to. [ He traces the edge of the cup idly with one elongated nail. ] ... I get that some things are harder to talk about than others.
[ Even Akira himself still has plenty he hasn't told Lux about. ]
no subject
She had no idea he trusted her that much. That makes this much more important.
Her expression smoothing over as she smiles vaguely, Lux looks down at her own tea cup. His words ring true; they've both been through their share of difficult times. It's strange to think that someone else might understand what she's seen or experienced, but that there's a part of her that wants to divulge that is surprising. Hopefully this isn't a mistake. Lux shakes her head quietly. ]
This is something that I want to do, even if there are things that might be difficult to talk about. ...I know that I can trust you, so it's all right.
no subject
There's still a lot that they don't know about each other, but the fact remains that he knows she's a good person. Lux gives him the same vibe that the other Phantom Thieves did when they first met—a kindred spirit, someone who could be trusted. ]
Then I'll listen to whatever you have to say. [ He picks up his teacup again. ] Whether you want to say it now or after we form the Bond.
[ She may want to get it out there before he can feel the emotional undercurrent in whatever she says. ]
no subject
Where does she even begin..?
Leaning forward to reach for her cup, she thinks better of it, letting her arms rest against her legs instead. Don't hide your face, Lux. Don't run away from this. ]
There are a few things that I left out, about myself, and about the work I do. It's true that I help others, that there are times when I'm asked to visit with those who have lost their way, and to give them light in a world that is often dark and hopeless. That is what Illuminators like me do.
...But there's more to it than that. Obviously—nothing is ever that simple. That isn't my only job. I'm often called to investigate suspicious activity around Demacia, where the Circle suspects a mage, or some other magical entity, may be active. It's my job to make sure that the situation is taken care of, as discreetly as possible.
[ He can probably make some assumptions based on that. ]
Illuminators do not play the role of judge and executioner—that falls on the Dauntless Vanguard and the Mageseekers. But we are expected to keep the part that we play a secret, no matter what.
no subject
His eyes flicker wider as she expounds on her work. That certainly puts a twist on her role. How must she feel, having to investigate people like herself, knowing what kinds of fates might befall them if they're found out? Judge and executioner—even if it's not literal, which it could be, he can't imagine the alternatives are much better.
He can make assumptions, but he doesn't want to. Akira is silent for a beat after she finishes up. ]
So do you do your job like you're expected to? [ Or does she take advantage of that secrecy to help them if she can? ]
no subject
Lux pauses at his question—not because she doesn't have an answer, but it's something she's never been held accountable for. It makes sense, she knows why he asks; she isn't exactly painting herself in the best light. ]
When there is a real threat, yes... [ It's okay. Keep going. ] But there are times when people are falsely accused, or when someone either awakens to their power or loses control. I do what I can to protect them.
Sometimes they're given the same offer that I was, and we bring them into the Circle of Illuminators. ...But that isn't always the case.
no subject
Even so, it raises more questions. She says it isn't always the case, but he can't imagine it's a common scenario anyway... which leaves the question of what happens to the rest. ]
What happens when it's not? [ He has an idea, but Akira wants to know for sure, for the sake of understanding her better. ]
no subject
Was she a good person like he said, or would this tip the scale in the other direction.
For the most part, Lux has kept her eyes level with his, even when she might want to look away. She knew this was going to be difficult, but talking about this still knots her stomach with apprehension and guilt. Her gaze shifts downward, brows turned upward. ]
...One of the Dauntless Vanguards step in to deal with them.
[ No. Don't leave it up to interpretation. Don't you dare run away from this, Lux. ]
Demacia does not try mages who are suspected to threaten the peace, or traitors to the crown. Unless they have pertinent information that would ensure the people's safety, they are executed on the spot.
no subject
There's a side of him that wants to protest the passive part she's chosen to play in it all, but the past couple of weeks have put a lot into perspective. The growing issue with Dorchacht alone has taught Akira to appreciate how easy they had it with the Metaverse. They could cause sweeping changes without ever having to raise a hand in the real world. Here and in Lux's world, it's not like that. If they want to free those Monsters, if she wanted to stop the oppression and slaughter of mages, it would require blood to be spilled, one way or another. That's not an easy decision for everyone to make.
His gaze has slipped down as well, but Akira lifts it now, wetting his lips before a thought bursts through on its own. ]
How did you do it? I would've just... snapped. [ Isn't that what happened when his Persona awakened, anyway? He didn't care what happened to him as a result; he just needed the power to save Ryuji. ]
no subject
Her gaze flicks up to him when Akira relents, lowering once more as the corner of her lips tugs upwards. ]
I can't make a difference if I'm dead.
[ Her words come out surprisingly conversational for something so heavy. Resigned, like she may have already given his question thought in the past. ]
Although there was a time when I came close.
no subject
[ Maybe his opinion isn't really wanted here, but it tumbles out before he can stop it. The words lack accusatory heat, only holding that quiet intensity from their last conversation like this. A more apologetic look flickers over it. ]
... Sorry. Not trying to pressure you. [ He knows it isn't a decision she made lightly, nor is he under any illusions that she's truly okay with it now. Not the Lux he's come to know, willing to shoulder it all herself so that others don't have to.
Picking up one of the pastries she had waiting, he wonders if she'll still want to elaborate on that memory. ]
What happened?
no subject
Sitting in silence for a moment, it seems like he might have ruined his chance to learn more. ]
...In a village, on our northern border. There were reports of multiple people experiencing horrific nightmares, night after night. I was called to investigate, along with one of the Dauntless Vanguards. [ A beat. ] Garen. My brother.
When he arrived, he came across a man who had been driven mad by the dreams he had been having, and by the thing that was causing them.
[ Her brows furrow deeply as her gaze slides away. Her voice quiet, she does her best to hold back any residual anger she still holds. ]
Garen believed that he was the one causing the disturbance. He could have subdued him while we investigated the cause, or of he had been behind it. But instead, he cut the man down where without hesitation, "for the sake of Demacia." ...It was all I could do not to act, to fight back then and there.
no subject
Life has been incredibly unfair to Lux.
Even as she looks away, Akira keeps his gaze trained on her. He wonders what he would feel if they were already Bonded. There's an edge of emotion, barely there and heavily veiled in a way that only someone used to restraining it can manage. If it's anger, Akira can understand the source. Just listening like this, he feels a spark of it for both Lux and the victim. ]
... What's the point of the whole system if they make quick decisions on their own like that? It's bullshit.
no subject
Looking up suddenly, she meets his eyes with her own startled gaze. He's not wrong, but can she say that? Can she agree without having to worry about what would happen? ]
My brother believed that what he did was justified, and the people agreed. I don't know if they cared if that man was guilty or not, all they wanted was to see justice served for the suffering that they had to endure.
[ They cheered when he was executed, and that memory still turns her stomach. She should have challenged Garen more fervently, made a big deal out of it instead of riding off in search of what sort of creature tormented that man's mind. But she can't change the past, just like she can't change her own circumstances and the difficulties they cause. The present, however... ]
...That doesn't make it right. I wish I had done more. I should have done more, even if that wasn't part of my mission.
no subject
His hands have curled into fists where they rest behind his crossed forearms, but Akira forces them to relax now. Lux knows it wasn't right. She knows her lack of action wasn't right, too.
At the same time, she's right that it could've led to disastrous consequences for her as well. He's seen how headstrong she is, how little she chooses to rely on others. That brings up another point, actually. ]
You can do more now. But I have a condition if we're going to do this. [ He doesn't wait for her to ask what it is before he lays it out. ] You can't keep acting on your own like in the dream. Teammates rely on each other. They communicate.
[ Lux doesn't get to offer him protection and then not accept his support as well, and Akira can't do that when she makes decisions and carries them out without discussion. ]
no subject
Lux expects their arrangement to be conditional, but that isn't the stipulation that she anticipates. She wanted to go into this as equals, but calling them teammates... she's never had something like that before? She has someone who she reports to, but in terms of having a person to rely on like that, the idea feels foreign and strange. Not unwelcome (not at all), but unexpected. In some ways, it's a relief.
With a brief note of hesitation, she reaches out her hand to him, nodding. ]
All right, I can do that. If you'll still have me, of course.
[ No need to make this sound so formal, Lux. ]
no subject
Extending his own reach, he takes her hand and gives it a squeeze of solidarity rather than a shake. As much as she's phrased this hole thing like some kind of business transaction, just the emotionally intimate nature of it makes it anything but. They really are teammates now. ]
Even more than before.
[ The openness that Lux extended to him today really does mean a lot. ]