Post #2764712 in Exalted: A Tale in the Time of Tumult, a roleplay on RPG

She sat perhaps a little too long with her hindquarters still submerged in the fountain...an absolutely exasperated air about her. Her face rather matched her elemental aspect at this point, certainly a rather impression shade of crimson. Saying nothing more than she had beforehand, Lux pulled herself free of the cold fountain, feeling the bits of it that’d soaked into her clothing seep further downward as she got to her feet whilst her cloak dribbled and dripped all over the stone and marble flooring—she mentally grumbled to herself as she shook her arms and hands, flecks and drops of water coming from the tips of her fingers. What a sight she must’ve been.... About to meet a Lesser Dragon, and she’d gone and dunked her butt in one of his fountains because she couldn’t stop herself from gawking at pretty things, again! Why could she never seem to get a handle on that...?

While Lux shifted on her feet and made a rather futile effort to at least wring out the water from the lower-half of her cloak, trying to stop it from dripping at the bare minimum, “Oh dear,” Oh, he was just going to have to comment on this, wasn’t he? “Perhaps Nāgasāni can provide you with a change of clothes in a bit. I’m certain they have very fine attire here.” Lux could well hear Artisan attempting to suppress amusement at her predicament. First he’d made the rather unnecessary comment about her and Ashen being ‘lovebirds’ earlier after she’d nearly knocked him over, and now he just had to go and.... Lux huffed to herself, mentally kvetching. At least this time, the comment was somewhat justified, and there was really nothing that warranted her getting peeved.

And, as naturally as things had been going so far, it was right as Lux was in a most undignified stance, trying to squeeze the back of her skirt free of water that the enormous, well-ornamented double-doors that held Fakharu and his in-session court flew wide open...putting herself and the entirety of their small group of oddballs on display to the whole of the spirit court. Lux froze in place, feeling the eyes of many spirits and, what she assumed to be, deities of various sorts. She had only enough time to form one coherent thought before she and the rest of the group was shepherded into the center of Fakharu’s audience chambers by the handmaiden quintet, ....well, this is the single, most humiliating moment of my life thus far.

Deciding to forget her half-sopping wet state for the moment, Lux took in the deepest breath she could, and held it as she shuffled forward to be presented before Fakharu and the myriad of gods and spirits. She stood ramrod straight, her arms stiff and held to her sides as her felt her heart skip a beat. Admittedly, Lux had run-ins before with various otherworldly phenomena and beings, but this...was something on an entirely different level. While under normal circumstances, Lux would lose herself in admiring all around her, taking it all in as she had before but she restrained her senses, both awed and nervous when she finally set her eyes upon Fakharu who was every bit draconic as his epithet of ‘Lesser Dragon’ would indicate. She was honestly at a loss.

....until Nāgasāni begun to formally introduce the lot of them to Fakharu, rattling off their titles, names...and Exalted castes. “Inheritrix, Lady Lux Fiala, Burning Sword, Terrestrial Exalted of Fire.” While Lux did indeed notice the peculiar title tacked onto the beginning of her introduction—something she would definitely ponder over later—her thoughts were more concerned with the fact that her status as a Terrestrial amongst Celestials was revealed before she otherwise had a chance to build a rapport with anyone and hope that would help stave off the bad blood between them. Nāgasāni had no way of knowing her intentions on keeping her status under wraps, so, Lux wasn’t angry just all the more anxious. Ashen had his suspicions, but seemed to treat her fine enough regardless, as for the others. After the meeting with Fakharu was said, done and they were on their way, the topic would properly be broached, she was sure. At least, she was likely safe for the moment since she was sure everyone in the group had the poise to not squabble before Fakharu and his court.

So lost in her own thoughts, again, Lux missed the end of Nāgasāni’s introductions, and the beginnings of Fakharu’s greeting and dismissal of his court, til it was the Lesser Dragon gracefully removed himself from his throne, gliding forward until he was nearly eye-level with the lot of them and she was able to actually feel the power behind his voice as he addressed them so close. “Now then, with my morning schedule cleared, I do hope you will indulge me and join me in a private chamber for refreshments. There is a lovely balcony above where we may watch the waves as the sin rises.”

Only when Lux realized that she essentially had a deity looming overtop her, speaking, did she find herself snapping back to reality, at last releasing that breath she’d been holding since Fakharu’s handmaidens had ushered them into the audience chambers. Realizing how long she’d apparently deprived herself of air, Lux desperately and rather sharply gasped, as she coughed a few times—the whole endeavor rather resembling a dying fish struggling for breath while it was that Ioa took it upon himself to sing Fakharu’s aesthetic praises, speaking before anyone in the rest of the group had even the slightest chance to respond.

Lux was actually rather grateful that she was likely not the center of attention at the moment, she’d had enough of that for the day. With a damp, gloved hand pressed against her chest, she took in a few unsteady, pitifully wheezy breaths as she staved off the wooziness that came with holding her breath far longer than she was used to. So, not only had she managed to make a most fantastic impression upon everyone early, stumbling about like a mindless drunkard and soaking her backside in a fountain, but now also her status as a Dragon-Blooded was in the open and she’d almost caused herself to faint a the foot of a God because she’d forgotten to do something as basic as breathe! Fantastic morning thus far!

After Ioa finished his praise-filled rambles, eager to see more of Fakharu’s palace, Artisan took the opportunity to speak as well, “ Yes, as Ioa said, lead the way. “ making motions to tread after the dragon before speaking once more, “Might I also add; thank you for having us, Lord Fakharu, I’m sure I speak on behalf of all of us when I say we’re pleased to be of service to your grace.”

Following along after Ioa and Artisan both, Astrid trotted on by, still within the form of a black housecat, absolutely no way to discern her thoughts at the moment...while it would indeed be sensical for Lux to follow suit, she currently found herself with the desire to bring up the rear of their little group. Lux was more than aware that she looked an absolute mess, and that her mental state left a lot to be desired. She was sure that if she drew any of Fakharu’s attention to herself now, she’d definitely end up making even more a fool of herself than she definitely had already. While she did not make it obvious that she was lingering behind, beginning to walk along as well, Lux still took slower steps, hunching inward on herself, feeling gooseflesh overcome her arms and legs as the damp state of her hair and heavy traveling clothes made her shiver.

Sighing, Lux reach into one of her pockets, clandestinely sneaking out the piece of chocolate she’d been gnawing on while on the boat before. She knew that Fakharu had told them they were going to have brunch, but she needed something to allay her anxieties, and chocolate usually helped in that regard. There was simply so much going on....

So, while she meandered just a bit, Lux took small nibbles off the sweet substance, hoping no one would notice her impolite action as she followed after a God.

Snippet #2764712

located in The West, a part of Exalted: A Tale in the Time of Tumult, one of the many universes on RPG.

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