RP:A Discussion in Frostmaw

Part of the The Rise of Pandorum Arc

Frostmaw

Nemisis was standing on a nearby cliff watching the Legendary Frost Dragon from a safe distance. His form was covered in furlined cloak that swayed with the blowing unrelenting blizzard. The demi hated the cold and he would not visit this land if he didn't have to. However, he had plans that required an observation of this dragon and its patterns. His face was covered by a mask and hood and his body was cloaked amongst the blowing snow. The random scratch to the side of his head was the only action he would make as he stood perfectly still observing the beast in its natural habitat. How can one stand still and not freeze to death? Only if you got close to him would you realize the amount of heat he was emitting from his body. Not only did the fur help, but it was insulation that kept his body temperature rising. Yes, the draconian was quite toasty.

Verse blinked, though, no one could have seen her blink, unless of course there was some sort of glasses that made one able to peek through the Veil - Hmmm, had anyone peeked through the Veil with glasses the likes of which she thought? Perhaps in this realm - Yes, there were curious things running about, full grown men with fancy hairstyles running around with things they called machines - Geenomes, yes, that's what they called them. The girl scratched her chin - Had the geenomes invented glasses that allowed one to peek through the Veil? - The child pondered so hard she forgot to focus... Slip! Suddenly, as if a sheet blew forth from somewheres that doesn't quite exist, the thread snaps and the child is dropped through the Material. Plop! Into the snow she goes, only wearing a small frilled dress. The outline of a body in the snow is half visible as she sits up and blinks her eyes heavily. Her legs are still snug in their fallen places. The girl grins as she sees the draconian, she parts her lips and offers a loud, "Heya! What are you doing in these parts?" The girl's voice seems to echo into the surrounds.

Nemisis was talking to himself, rather the personas were having a conversation. Intelligence turned the bolt in his head as he watched the fierce dragon in all its might. A few clinks is heard with each turn as he says, "We cannot take that thing head on. Even with our power, one slip up and we could be a snowman." Honor layed in his corner sprawled out as usual saying, "Frost is nowhere big enough to deal with that...What about Madness....?" Intelligence twisted the bolt in his head again before saying, "Madness is a possibility, however there's a high percentage of him just being out backfiring. Not only will his power probably sent the dragon into a blind rage, but it may crush the eggs and Satoshi and her forces may be alerted from a strange phenomenon of everyone going crazy and trying to kill themselves all of a sudden." Madness would only chuckle at the thought saying, "Sounds like a fun time to me." Mischief drummed his fingers together saying, "Maybe a trap would suffice?" Intelligence caused another clink saying, "Maybe...it would have to be a highly extensive and fast one. And still there's the percentage it might not work. Either way this is a high risk task." As the draconian remained still on the outside, Verse comes tumbling into the material world, sliding into his view. Almost like an owl, does his head turn to look at the girl through the imp mask. Her loud voice that traveled through the wind cause him to narrow his eyes and scratch the side of his head with the energetic greeting. Looking at the dreamwalker he says, "You will give our position away with such a loud voice. Hello Verse."

Verse blinks, her eyes darting this way and that, fleeting bolts of blue, shooting around through falling snow. The child smiles and jumps to her feet with glee - At first one might think this is due to Nemisis' greeting... But alas! The girl's eyes are full of joy due to the falling snow! There's so much of it around her! So much! Oh... So much snow! There's just so much! Do you see it all? The girl scoops it up with her hands, "Do you see it? So much snow!" The girl shakes and shivers due to her excitement before she tosses the handful of snow into the air. Catching a flake on her tongue the girl blinks and her expression changes - Eyes narrow, slits of blue through the snow. Little hands brush away white and wet from her clothings, her gaze is set on the draconian and she allows herself a smile, a different kind of smile than that offered the snow. Clearing her throat, the girl walks closer, flakes fall into her hair and reveal how dirty the tangled mess really is. "Afternoon," the child states sternly, "Has progress progressed as predicted?" Cough, she allows, cough, cough.

Nemisis stood there quietly looking at the girl as she played in the snow. A scratch is given to his head again as Intelligence says to the others, "This one is highly dangerous......And quite interesting." Honor said with all seriousness, "Yes....she has quite the capabilities......" All the personas knew what the other two were talking about but remained silent, except Madness of course. He laughed at such situations. After the period of silence, Intelligence then asked something else, "How did she know it was us....?" To find out for sure, the draconian asked out loud after answering her excitement form, "Yes we do.....We are not such a fan of snow. How did you know it was us?" The man was wearing a mask and a hood. Unless he was caught putting it on, someone would have to at least think twice before being clear cut. But then there was the aspect of power Intelligence rather not be so obvious about. While Verse goes turn to a familiar attitude she gets down to business. Nemisis grinned under his mask before saying, "Progress never goes as predicted with us. However, we have come up with a plan; you should like this. We are searching for a way to place everyone asleep. You can have the followers of Aldred and we can safetly remove everyone else. Anyone that is missed shall be dealt with by a small army before the second phase begins."

Verse coughs again - Cough. Cough. The girl blinks her eyes heavily and laughes to herself, her laughter rings out and seemingly amplifies with the distance it covers - Oh yes, she wasn't suppose to know who this fellow was - How unsettling for him, no doubt, wearing his disguise so wonderfully and sneaky-like. The girl lets out another laugh and this time slaps her knee for good measure, "Oh! I knew it was you because I can see things, you know, I just know. I recognize you from the other part of you, not the part sitting around this drab place. Looking at dragons and getting all warm and... weird..." The girl coughs before allowing a shriek to escape her lips, she then promptly falls over in the snow and begins to make the sounds of dying - Oh! Man! Goodness! Gods! This one is loud! The dragon glances over at her and shakes his head, one could swear his voice can be heard in the distance, "Why's she always so loud...?" The girl is suddenly silent and still... Did she hear the dragon's voice? He has disappeared for the time being... Due to her silence? The child opens her eyes and glances at Nemisis, "Sleep? Ah, why'ant ya say so earla? I can git that're done in asecon' er so!" The girl allows laughter to ring and following this the dragon comes back into view, "I get to keep the Sleepers tho, no?"

Nemisis scratched the side of his head again as his ruby red eyes stared at the girl through the mask, "What other part of us if you don't mind explaining. And we are observing the dragon for future plans." Found himself observing Verse now. She called him weird? Calling the kettle black no? Her attitude or anything about her has yet to be reasonably explained. Neither of the two had any room to talk. Her laughter puzzled him before saying, "What is so funny?" But then she falls silent, which causes his eyebrow to raise in question. Back to business, he responds, "You get to keep all those who oppose us. There's a high possibility everyone will not be opposing us. And it seems as if you have a plan yourself.....Do tell."

Verse straightens her back and stretches her arms to the side. As she does this, the girl rocks back and forth on her heels, they make a small crunching noise that is quickly swept away by the whistling wind. Allowing her fingers to brush her hair from her face - A constant pain it is! Always blowing around all the time! Have a right mind to shave it off! Yes, yes, not a joke, not a jest! - Curious, this child is, muttering to herself in the snow - Even queerer, if one looks closely, only wearing a small dress with rather short sleeves and a medium length hem... The girl doesn't shiver a bit in the cold, in fact, one would swear the flakes pass right through her... An optical illusion no doubt... Focusing attention after a long pause following the other fellow's first words, the girl offers her first reply, "The other part, well, that's hard to explain see, guess you'll just have to trust, trust little old me... Tho I'm not old really... A predicament no doubt..." The girl falls to silence, her eyes rolling around in her head as she ponders her words most carefully. Clearing her throat and shaking her head back from inaction, the girl parts her lips, "Funny? I never said anything was funny..." The child stares at the draconian stoically, her little brow knitted together in frown. Rolling her eyes as if to pass the subject over, the girl offers her plans, tho jumbled they be... "Well, my plan is rather simple, simple like the snow - In fact, it'll be much like the snow, if you see... But, it'd b better if you couldn't see, else you might just fall asleep. You see? It'll fall, and if you must go running around, you'll have to cover faces and all that rot... And after it falls..." The girl pauses and clears her throat, her next words coming in a yell, "And after it falls!" Her tone drops more quiet... "They all disappear as quick as it appeared... Taken by figures in a swirling spectacle in night!" The girl allows laughter to ring here, laughter full of glee... In the distance the frost dragon turns his head toward the pair...

Nemisis looks at Verse with even more curiosity as the girl fails to explain how she knew it was him. To be somewhat of a smartass he says, “You are making it hard for us to trust you with your random appearances and weird unexplained attitudes.” The man scratches his head and says, “It does not even look like you are actually in this realm at the moment despite being able to move solid matter.” The draconian was on a brief rant before turning back to look at the frost dragon abruptly. Once she begins explaining her plan he raises a brow at her explanation. Inside his head Intelligence mutters, “A vague explanation…go figure.” However, the persona was good at deciphering such mysteries and reluctant explanations. Nemisis opens his mouth to speak again saying, “So….you will drop some sleeping like snow from the air much like how you feel from sky we’re assuming.” A brief moment would be taken to look up and observe the white sky wondering exactly where she fell from but to no avail. Yes, you sure can see a lot in a blowing snow storm….But Intelligence is a curious one, he can’t help it when things interest him. The chaosborn continued as he scratched his head again for the countless time, “Everyone caught in the sleep storm will fall asleep so we will have to wait until it’s over before moving in? And even then, we will have to cover our faces because……if we breath it in we will fall asleep too? If inhaling the substance is how it works….” He looks away again scratching before giving her a questionable look as much as possible through the mask. But then an abrupt sentence began, “And all who fall asleep will vanish?” He looked at the girl as if looking for reassurance of his translation.

Verse giggles maniacally at the sound of the draconian's voice, at the words which leak from the fellow's mouth. Popping her eyes wide open and grinning, grinning, grinning, the child nods her head before cracking each one of her fingers... One... Two... The girl's nose twitches - Ah, perhaps not cracking each one of her fingers as attention gets quite lost after the second. The girl laughs again, laughing at the games playing in her mind... Mindless... Cough... The girl focuses her curious gaze upon the other, her little snowy brow arches at the man before she parts her lips to speak, "I am quite in this realm at the moment - Did you not see me falling through the sky? Can't be my fault if you think otherwise, though doubting that which is me, standing before your eyes... Argh!" The girl sneezes and the spittle is swept away in a large gust of wind... "Inhaling... Eh, I suppose you can say that..." The girl's words trail off and are quiet, as if she is addressing no one in particular... Her voice becomes more clear in order to answer the final question however, "Well, yes, pretty much so. No so much a poof! More like a swirl really..." The girl traces the air in from of her in a spiral pattern, "Get it?"

Nemisis looks on as Verse giggles and grins hard at him. Even Intelligence was losing his patience with her. On the inside, Honor mutters, "It is blatantly obvious she is going to take some getting used to.....She is more annoying than Kirien....." Intelligence chuckled before saying to Honor, "You officially cannot say anything about my choice is people." Honor flared his nose before responding to the other persona, "At least my choices can be serious.....It takes dire circumstances for Kirien to even try to act serious, and even then, it doesn't last long...." Intelligence grunts saying, "She still annoying....." Back on the outside the man responds to the girl, "We're sorry, you are kinda shady still, no pun intended." On the business aspect he continues, "So what is the difference between a person not inhaling during the fall compared to one who walks in with their mouth covered after it? And those who vanish can reappear if needed, yes?"

Verse lowers her body to the ground and sits cross legged in the snow, the Blade of the Grandfather laid across her lap, the metal a strange clash with the color of her bare, near-white skin. Peering up at the draconian (which, no jokin', is quite a look up for girl) the girl offers the fellow a grin before parting her lips to speak, "Shady? Well, there is an awful lot of snow shadow around here... Perhaps that could be the reason I appear such?" The girl glances at the skin of her arms, studying it closely, "Do I really look all that dark?" The girl continues to stare and stares for quite some time - Suddenly, as if sensing something, the girl bounces up from her position, sword in hand and grasped tightly. Gazing at the draconian, her face no longer light, but instead serious, deathly so, the girl speaks, "The difference will be little if I understand right - Some simply aren't effected... Perhaps goggles too? I mean... Who knows? The geenomes have a lot of goggles I hear... In fact, I was wondering about them earlier..." The girl's voice falls in amplitude as she continues to ramble - After she falls silent, she snaps her attention back to the situation at hand - Her face is more serious than before, "Those who vanish can reappear... Yes, of course... For the price of a replacement, any can be restored... Until I choose otherwise of course..."

Nemisis made no official movements but became more on guard when the Blade of the Grandfather appeared. Intelligence commented with frustrating, "Exactly what is the point of the sword being present at this point in time?" The demi was inclined to ask out loud but his patience for her quirks ran short and one question only lead to another. What genomes? What are they? Another question appeared. The man opened his mouth saying abruptly, "What are genomes? And what do they have to do with anything? Are they the producers of this 'sleeping snow'? The girl's expression was cast off with his onslaught of questions, "Are you planning on using something that you don't have full knowledge of upon the land? And price? Why should there be a price when you already getting something in return from the overall process? Our job is still to protect the land and its inhabitants, the innocent shall not be harm under any circumstances. There will be no price for their safety. You do know this? No matter from the stand point, it makes sense. If does make sense to you right? If not, please explain your confusion." Yes, an onslaught of questions. That is Intelligence's annoyance factor, silent, abrupt, and nerve wrenching.

Verse sits, blinks, stares at the other and his flurry of questions falling almost as thick as the snow all around. The girl clears her throat when the man is done, her face still calm, collected - Yes, there is something curious about that face, how it flashes from madness to the utmost seriousness when the time seems most dire. With throat cleared, the girl eyes the man before she offers her answers, "The geenomes are a group of beings in this world - One would think you would know more about them than me... They are curious, dream of curious things, make things the move with just the power of steam - Such stuff like that... Near littler than I most times..." The girl pauses, not allowing herself to follow a tangent as her companion seems more on edge this eve than the prior night of the prior meeting - Cranky... The girl continues, "I have full knowledge of a lot of things, especially the things in my realm - Things are different in different places, especially when the places are so different as the places which we speak - Yes, your men will be fine but they must cover their faces - Inhaled, sure, if that's what your want to call it. Specific, pacific... Pacific? What's that specifically?" The child arches a brow at this before shaking her head and continuing, "No price for safety, yes, yes - As I said, they can be returned in exchange for replacements - Everything isn't cut and dry all the time, sometimes its wet... And sometimes you don't need to cut anything at all..."

Nemisis looked at the little girl sternly as he absorbed the information she said, "Genomes are you world's scientist it seems." This little encounter caused the man to derive from his original object, the frost dragon. He even forgot he was standing so still. None the less he began to move, cracking his neck at first before finally sitting down. It must be strenous on the girls' neck staring up at him. As his cloak shuffles, a strong gust of heat escaped that cause some brief melting; toasty may have been an understatement. Getting comfortable, he continues, "They shall be wearing gas masks so everything should be fine. The subject of the innocent still tinkers with us. However, maybe we should hold them until after the production of the town. It should not take no more than a week. By then you should be able to get everyone back safely, no?"

Verse keeps her gaze fixed hard on the man, clearly she is displeased at the other fellow's words - Oh, the doubt he seems to place on the girl... As if she's out to get him, as if she's got something up her sleeve... Oh, they all have something up their sleeves, all the time no doubt - The child's finger traces her lips as her left brow is arched high on her forehead, "Your innocent will not be touched as long as they are marked... I will keep those I take, and I will hear nothing else of it. If you do not mark them, then what happens is no fault of mine - How you mark them doesn't matter, as I will know the mark." The girl pauses, her body quite poised, her eyes rather wild, "Also... I do not appreciate this eye turned 'pon me, fellow - I am offering you your answers and you are returning them with rude agitation... Tis impolite..."

Nemisis was the one to chuckle this time. The entire scene was so funny to him it actually turned into a laugh. His ruby red eyes lit up as he tried to compose himself. The look of the little girl scolding him was funny, plainly because she looked like a little girl talking down to an adult despite it not being the case. She might have been older him.....might've. Once he finally calmed down he said, "Ugh, that is quite tedious. We have to sift through them now and mark them? That defeats the purpose of the cleansing. Those whom we don't know about still hold the possibility of both sides. Problem, isn't it?" Stretching out closer to the girl until he is actually laying with his stomach flat on the snow (which is melting now) while resting his head on his chin he continues,"And haven't we been over the whole polite thing? It's not our 'thing', too much of it is icky and tedious. And we did say it was hard to trust you, but bare with us. You take some getting used to. You are a vague one."

Irin enters and is promptly attacked by the legendary saurian beast, however quickly spies a means of escape with which to avoid the wrath of the anicent one. Upon hiding, the hermit realizes he is not the only one here, aside from the various frost dragons of course. Taking the presences as unknown, as well as his own visage and markings hidden by his armor used for hunting, the demi feline attempts to stay hidden for the time being and observe the goings on.

Verse blinks as the man allows a roar of laughter to escape his throat - A curious thing for this fellow to do, laugh and all that, he never seemed one much for laughter, always so stern... Shaded. The girl, plopping herself cross legged in the snow once more (curious her sitting - her dress is hardly wet...), glances toward her companion, the draconian that dwarfs her size so much so. Allowing him to finish up his laughter, the girl hears his words before supplying answer, the words seem to slither and snake from her mouth, hang in the air - It is strange, some sort of optical, audio illusion... "Hm, I see what you're sayin'. Well, you know, if we would have gone over all this already, I could have told ja! Say, what if I had my ideas do the sifting - You just tell me the traits were trying to weed out and my fellows'll find em! Sound good? It might take a couple days to go through that many heads... Being as to how we can only do it when the moon's up, be-it..."

Nemisis was indeed a curious fellow. Verse had only met two of the many personas within this man's head. Each with their own quirk and traits. As she made a comment about their timing on planning, he says, "Well I guess we are going over it now." Little did Irin know that the man was observing the frost dragon before hand. Intelligence was too meticulous not to notice the changes in the dragon's behavior. Its violence was always justified by an intruder, promptly why they stay hidden and above its sight. Those eyes caught the feline and a sly grin of the familiar face appeared upon his lips. As the girl continued with her plan, he gave her a look, assuming she knew maybe before he did of the newcomer. Inside his head Intelligence commented to the others, "Now isn't this a twist of events?" Honor showed little care besides saying, "I doubt he will be around a lot to pay much attention to......." Intelligence chuckled before turning the bolt saying, "Yes, there's a high percentage of that." On the outside the man said, "That sounds like a plan. We still have other loose ends to tie up anywho. The traits are simple. If they follow Aldred and their loyalty seems as if it is unwavering, take them. There are all types of people in the realm, so there are no specific looks." The demi did not react to the presence of Irin just yet, he will spy upon the spy for a bit longer.

Irin remains silent and as hidden both from view of the frost dragons and the odd couple conversing in this remote locale, although he can't help but notice that one of those present he himself had assisted in beheading. Damning the logic and arcane mysteries of Hollow he still has yet to comprehend at times, the hermit knows it's likely a futile endeavour to listen for long without being noticed if he hasn't been already. Still, the feline heritage within his bloodlines refuse to allow him to leave quickly, so he stays put and focuses his keen ears to hone in on their conversation. Plans? Heads? Aldred? Overall for the moment it's lost upon Irin, however still he sits and listens while trying not to get snow in his leggings.

Verse nods her head in response to the man's words and grins a little grin at the feeling in her head. Coughing, and glancing in Irin's direction for only a moment, the girl turns her attention back toward the draconian, "Very well, sounds swell... Indeed. That I can do - And don't you worry your... pretty... head about it. I'll put my best ideas on it, not a single mishap! Everything'll go fine, not a doubt." The girl offers the other a reassuring grin before allowing her sapphire gaze to wander back toward the feline. With her words still directed toward her companion, the girl's lips part once more, her little voice coming out in visible breath due to the cold - Has she finally gotten cold? Curious... "But, I must be wandering along fellow - I have much to get to doin', you know, getting my ideas ready and whipped into shape, sifting through some subconscious and all that rot..." The girls pauses, "Beside, that fella over there's unsettling..." As the girl trails off her words the wind and snow begin to swirl swiftly around her, as if her body was the center of a hurricane - The child's hair seems to be flying in every direction - Twirling, twisting... Growing longer...? It grows down to her feet and covers each part of her - Her body is no longer visible... The hair dissipates as snow snatched by the breeze... The little girl disappears in every direction and none of them, all at the same time.

Nemisis couldn’t help but chuckle at Verse’ lack of secrecy to the knowledge of the Irin. Still, it couldn’t be helped, the feline must not know of such plans. As she spoke to him he scratched the side of his head, “Okay. We’ll deal with anything you can’t get.” But just as he was going to ask her another question, she began to vanish! The demi finally sat up and said, “Oi! Wait, we still have something important to ask you.” Looking towards Irin himself to let him know his cover is blown, he says to the girl, “Will you be in the material world throughout this entire thing?”

Irin sighs somewhat as the repeated looks in his direction are telltale to his failed attempt to sit for very long and listen. Awaiting a moment for the Frost Dragons to calm themselves again, the demi-feline deftly manuevers up to where Nemisis remains, the girl having scattered into the wind. Removing his helm and visor to reveal his human facade, marred by a scar covering his shut left eye and ears of almost elven figure, he shakes off some snow from his shoulder. "I never was one to be able to hide too well when I'm hunting typically mindless beasts that terrorize the locals. So, who was the girl? I've not seen her before, or at least not that form of her if I have."

Nemisis turns to look at Irin before finally standing up. The man removed his mask not too long ago causing his disguise to be revealed. Pulling back his hood, his red eyes glowed within the blizzard before saying to the feline, "You need not worry about who she was Irin. Last time we met, you threatened us. We doubt we should be thrilled to see or care that you are infront of us." The demi seemed to be slightly irritated at Verse’ abrupt exit, the question he asked her was crucial to the plan. Madness was not something to not consider when out.

Irin ponders for a moment, trying to recall what and if he had threatened the being before him and if so what for this time? So much of his life on impulse, the hermit can't pinpoint what event is being spoken of. "Hmmm. Well, to be honest I don't even recall this said event. Then again, for a while I was succumbing to a somewhat toxic compound for its effects in my hunting routines that threatened to consume me, so much of that time is a blur to me even now. I merely came to Frostmaw seeking new employment in hunting, I haven't been here since first discovery of the area. If there was an issue in the past that I felt the need to threaten you, I'm sure something at the time seemed off. As for now, I myself should be going. The frost dragon below seems to be more aware of us as the mood grows thick."

Nemisis just simply turns and walks away.