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The Cabin; It's a safe little cabin ... or IS it?
Topic Started: Dec 13 2009, 04:12 PM (1,658 Views)
Silverlineing
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Jumper looked up at Karl as he quickly explained Aisha's situation. It almost looked like she wasn't paying attention at all until she quietly mimicked a word.

"Protector...?" That seemed to be the magic word for at that moment, the wood and dust shifted behind Karl, reviling her friend’s true status. Next to her friends disheveled form was someone she didn't recognize at all. The snow and wind seemed to pass right through him yet he stood up right and chipper like he didn't feel a thing, not from the cold or the poor girl standing next to him. This man was no protector.

With little effort, the ghost guy pulled Karl back into his former mood, making him stand at the ready with Arma in hand.

"No!" Jumper yelled with her scratchy voice. She forced out her arms through the top of the blankets and grabbed onto Karl's leg. He was the same temperature as the wind that blew around them yet the scared girl held on tight, afraid she's loose him to the almost invisible man.

"No f-fighting! ... Karl s-s-stay! N-no go! ... P-please!" Her face was hidden in the cranny created by her arms and Karl's leg. She begged like this, arms shaking with chill and fear as snowflakes lightly landed on top of her exposed skin, each melting in turn when they touched her burning body. "D-don't leave! D-don't!"

Her time was coming any minute now, Jumper could feel it. The next time she fell asleep or closed her eyes might be her last. Melody did not want those last moments to be filled with her two friends fighting each other.
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Digitaldreamer
Going slightly mad, but only on Tuesdays.
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It should have been easy to pull away. On a good day Jumper's grip wasn't that difficult for him to throw off, and weak as she was the effect should have been nothing. He wanted so badly to just rush across the room and smash Aisha's face in, and a human's words should have been nothing against that.

It should have been nothing, yet the small, shivering girl's shaking hand and stuttered words carried more weight than any anchor.

Gray eyes went from his opponent to the small girl on the floor. Stone teeth ground together as Karl looked from Jumper to Aisha and back again. He wanted so badly to finish the job, to crush the little blonde girl into little more than a bloody smear on the cold floor. She deserved to die just like the rest of them did, and this one more so since she'd hurt Jumper. He'd been unable to properly give into his violent impulses in so long, and here was the opportunity. Certainly he was weakening, but so was Aisha, and it seemed so vastly unfair that he should be expected to give this up. Wasn't this his job anyway?! He was supposed to protect Jumper, that meant removing the threat! If it meant destroying one of Arco's toys, that was all the better!

But here she was, begging him not to. It didn't make sense and it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair for him to miss out on this! Really, the end justified the means, and if in the end Jumper was safe did it matter if he went against her word? It was for her own good and he had to do something! The whole point of this was protecting his toys and having fun, so he had to do it. Any other time he wouldn't have even given a second thought.

"Oh... bleeding hearts of the world unite!" Karl grumbled as he relaxed his fighting stance, letting Arma transform back to normal. Apparently things really were different now. He wanted so badly to keep fighting... but the instant Jumper had spoken, it was as if all his strength had drained away. He couldn't keep going, not if it would make her sad.

He had promised to protect her, after all. In the end, that even meant protecting her from himself whether he liked it or not.

But what did that leave him with?

The blond glanced around the room, eyes going to the swirling mess of spirits. It was highly unlikely that The Maestro was going to allow any sort of truce, but he was also blocking what was left of the door. That was frustrating... then again, Karl prided himself on his ability to wing things when necessary.

He could make this work.

"Hey, hey, relax Shortstuff... it's okay, there's not going to be anymore fighting, I promise," Karl murmured as he knelt down and scooped Jumper up from the ground. He continued to speak in soothing tones as he took hold of the blankets and pulled them tight around Jumper's shuddering frame, making sure everything was covered. "I'm sorry for scaring you, don't worry, I'm not leaving you again. You're going to be fine, it's going to be okay..."

Karl then looked back to The Maestro. "Kids, huh? What can you do?" He gave a shrug and gave a light wave. "Well, sorry, but as you can see my Protege here could really use a doctor. I'll have to call for a raincheck on our little fight, alright?"
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Kirokokori
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The Maestro had been ready for Karl's attack. He'd planned the whole scenario out already (it ended with a rather satisfying bit where the statue was shattered to pieces). However, plans tend to fall apart when the first step isn't carried out, and Karl wasn't attacking.

"Well, sorry, but as you can see my Protege here could really use a doctor. I'll have to call for a raincheck on our little fight, alright?"

The demon sighed, "Oh, yes. Perfectly understandable. It's like all those times wars were fought and then the soldiers decided to call it off because- wait, no, that never happens." He grinned cheerfully, "What are you going to do by running away? Oh, I'm sure the horribly ill little girl will do wonderfully out in the snow."

Next to him, Aisha's arm was raised, poised to send the spirits hurtling towards the two. Silently, the blond was urging the statue to just leave. The Maestro was going to do everything in his power to stop them getting away, the sooner they ran the better their chances were. She strained to lower her arm, but it did nothing save perhaps increase how much she was hurting. The Maestro threw her an exasperated sidelong glance, not needing to tell her it was useless. She glared back anyway. The Maestro chuckled, and Aisha's arm lashed out (rather harder and more painfully than it had too), the spirits rushing forward.

"I'll just take the liberty to put you both out of your misery now."
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Digitaldreamer
Going slightly mad, but only on Tuesdays.
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The Maestro's response was to be expected, though Karl still flinched slightly at the comment about how poorly Jumper was likely to do in the snow. He knew perfectly well that the situation wasn't ideal, he certainly didn't need a reminder. But what choice did he have? Aisha's eyes made it quite clear what she wanted, but obviously that did little in the current situation. He spotted the spirits sidelong, exasperated glance, and took that as his cue to leave. The statue's grip on Jumper's shoulders tightened and he leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"Hold on tight, kiddo."

And then the spirits were rushing at them as he made a break for the window. There was a loud 'crunch!' as one spirit caught him squarely in the shoulder, sending pieces of resin flying, but Karl ignored them as he rushed for the aged glass.

'CRASH!' went the window as the blond smashed through it with ease, tucking his body over Jumper so as to keep her from harm. He hit the snow amongst a hail of shattered glass, heavy body sliding as he struggled to stay on his feet. Fortunately he managed to stay upright after only a bit of skidding, and without a single glance behind him Karl took off into the blizzard.
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Silverlineing
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Again, Karl fitted the blankets around Jumper. His words of assurance and agreement did wonders as she looked up at him from the ground. Melody gave a weak smile before getting scooped up in his arms, still shaking but content. Everything felt like it was going to be okay again. A fleeting feeling, quickly shooed away by the ghost guy next to Aisha. He had no intention of letting the fight die, something made even clearer by his next attack.

"Hold on tight, kiddo." she heard Karl say as his grip tightened. On cue, Jumper retracted into a ball, tucking her chin into her chest like an armadillo. Her eyes squint together, waiting for the moment to pass. She flinched at the sound of a loud crash and then, wind. Gust after gust blew past her covered form, all the while her stone friend continued his mad dash away from the cabin. After a minute of listening to wind whistling by, the sickly girl peeked from her shell, curious to see where they had ended up.

All around them was the same white terrain, powdered with the snow and hail that surrounded her. Even though the wild wind continued on their way, at the speed Karl was carrying her, it looked like the snow was parting just for them, like it knew of their urgency. It was strangely beautiful. Jumper’s eyes began to droop again at the calming sight but the light brunette caught herself quickly.

"Nn... no!" She tucked into her ball again, shaking her head as she talked. "N-n-no sleep! Can't. I c-can't!... W-won't!" Jumper continued to murmur these words repeatedly as Karl took her further into the winter world. "Won't... w-won't!"
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Kirokokori
Junior Novelist
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The Maestro watched Karl leap through what was left a window. He blinked, nonplussed. Well, not only was that futile, it was perfectly unnecessary. There were good open holes in the wall for that sort of thing. He chuckled, running a hand through his well-kept hair. The things people do...though, Karl wasn't really a 'people'.

The Maestro walked forward, expecting Aisha to mirror his movements. At first, she did, just like before. Then, her legs buckled under her and she fell silently to the snowy floor. The Maestro whipped around, staring at the girl, disbelief quite evident on his usually serene features. He jerked an arm up testily, willing Aisha to stand up. The blond twitched, her legs spasmed, and she once again fell still, whimpering.

"Absolutely useless." The Maestro muttered contemptuously. Aisha, collapsed on the ground and in more pain than she'd ever been in, smiled. She understood. He had pushed her too far, and even his puppetry could not keep her going at this point. That meant that Karl and Jumper could get away. And maybe the demon would finally give up on her and leave.

That was really too much to hope for, though.

"Oh, Aisha, you know I'd never leave you." He sounded much more like himself now. Oh, right. He could tell what she was thinking. The blond tilted her head painfully, just enough so she could see. The Maestro was leaning over her, smiling kindly. "We'll have to get you home so we can fix you up, hmm?" The spirits began circling around them and he stood up, watching the retreating forms of Jumper and Karl.

"Right, well, seems as though I've won!" He called mockingly. "I'll be happy to offer you a rematch next we meet though, Aisha and I will be looking forward to it oh so very much!"

The swirl of spirits grew thicker, and then they were gone. So were Aisha and The Maestro.
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Digitaldreamer
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Karl barely heard The Maestro's mocking call over the roar of the whipping winds, though he caught enough to gather the fact that they weren't being chased. This was a small blessing, but he'd take it for what it was. He supposed the term "out of the frying pan" was an accurate description, but what else could he do? He heard Jumper mumbling something about refusing to sleep and found himself nodding, clutching the girl closer to him. "Damn straight you're not going to sleep!" He hissed through clenched teeth. With the sort of cold they were facing and the way the illness had been spreading, it was highly unlikely Jumper would wake up. He had to hurry... but hurry to where?

The blond skidded to a stop in the snow for a moment, gray eyes narrowing as he glanced around at the winter world. Where could he go? Jumper needed shelter, but there was none to be found. Though really, it didn't seem shelter would help much... she needed that cure, and she needed it now.

"Arma... I..." His voice dipped low for a moment, sounding almost hopeless as he glanced up at the crow. Gray eyes met red ones as he held Jumper close, feeling that familiar something twist as her shallow breath hit his chest. For once in his life, Karl was utterly lost as to what to do. There was no plan, no ridiculous harebrained scheme, nothing. Just him and a dying girl in his arms, lost in a frozen wasteland.

He was broken out of these thoughts by Arma landing on his shoulder and nudging him. The blond shook his head. "Yes... yes, you're right. We haven't lost just yet... and we cannot afford to lose here." Gray eyes narrowed as Karl looked to Jumper, then toward the upper cliffs of the mountain. Somewhere up there was that temple, and more importantly, Hyoji. If anyone had that cure, it was going to be him. Sure, it was a hell of a trek, but he'd have to manage.

He may not have had a plan... but this was how he worked best, wasn't it?

The blond nodded to himself as he shifted Jumper's weight to one arm. He then shrugged off his coat and pulled it over Jumper, adding it to the many layers. "You take care of this, alright? I'm expecting it back," He muttered as he tugged the bright material tightly around her, then looked to the mountain again. "Don't worry... we're going to get you some help. You're gonna be fine, kiddo. I promise."

And then they were off.

Karl wasn't really sure how long he ran for. He knew roughly where the temple was from Arco's descriptions, and he knew it was a good couple hours or so from the cabin, but that was about it. The lack of information did little to deter him, though. He just ran, pushing himself faster than he'd thought possible. He'd slip and skid on the snow, only to force himself to keep his balance and keep going. His limbs shook with effort and the snow whipped against him, but still he kept going. He ran and he ran, occasionally whispering things to get Jumper's attention. Lame jokes ("Isn't this cool!? ...Haaaa yeah, alright, that was bad, I admit it."), promises of all the fun things they'd do when she was better ("I'll take you to ice cream and the movies and amusement parks and the zoo! You like the zoo, right? Of course you do."), desperate murmurs that they were so impossibly close ("Just one more hill, I promise. Just one more hill, Mighty Mite! We'll get there and stupid Hyoji will have the cure and there'll be a party in your honor and there'll be cake and streamers and it's going to be great! Just one more hill..."), anything he could think of. Whether it was to keep Jumper awake or to assure himself, after awhile even he didn't know. But still he kept going.

Occasionally his thoughts drifted to the battles going on above and below him. He knew Ruel's group had left early on, and he figured it was safe to assume that the battle was still going. Were they doing alright? Ruel had seemed so shaky, and their fight hadn't helped very much. She was certainly determined, but what if she had been right about things being impossible? And then there'd been Ellie, there had been so much tension between her and Ruel... would she listen to Ruel? Jake would be chipper enough... or at least Karl hoped he would. He'd already done so much damage to the boy, he could only hope Jake's spirit would survive. Hyoji would fight, but would he even find the cure? What if Arco had been bluffing and it was another trap? And then of course there was Bumaga, who had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and Irisis who he'd completely forgotten...

The statue shook his head. Thoughts like that had never gotten him anywhere, and he had no intention to start worrying and doubting his own decisions now. But here in this moment, it was hard not to think about it. The deck had been so stacked and he'd been winning so much... the odds had to work against them all eventually, didn't it? He didn't like the idea of what that meant.

His thoughts were so muddled that he almost didn't hear the growling coming from behind them. He did catch the blurred white form in the snow though, the gleaming blue symbol irritatingly familiar. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me..." Karl muttered as he ran, eyes flicking about as he began to count. Twelve, easily, and that was being nice when he considered the fact that ferinus fur blended irritatingly well with the snow. How was he supposed to deal with this? He couldn't stop and fight, Jumper did not have time for this.

Unfortunately, he really didn't have time to think on battle plans. His body had been teetering on the edge as it was, though he'd been doing his best to ignore it. His limbs were shaking with each step, and though he'd managed to keep Jumper steady it was clear he wasn't doing well. His split focus was apparently enough to mess with Karl's footing, and one unfortunate twist of the ankle sent him slipping. Gray eyes widened and the statue let out a cry, Jumper flying from his arms as he finally hit the ground with a loud 'thud!'

There was a moment of silence as the wind roared around them. Karl lay there in the snow, suddenly frighteningly still. Arma circled above him for a moment, then landed next to him. She nundged him once, then again.

He wasn't getting up.
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Silverlineing
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Jumper shivered in her blanket cocoon as Karl darted through the frigged air. Swirling wind whistled past the bullet that was Karl, constantly pushing them back in vain. The falling snow they interrupted, mixed and faltered in their wake until the wind took it again, leaving only the streaking footsteps in the snow as their trail. Jumper squinted at the wind, the intensity in which it passed making her face cold and rosy. Every now and again, she'd close her eyes to protect them from the elements. Before sinking into comfort, Karl's voice boomed above her, bringing the swaddled girl back. This pattern continued until suddenly, Jumper found herself on the cold ground, small bits of snow finding their way to her neck and back. Clenching together the opening of her blankets, the shrouded brunette got up from the snow, looking around to see what had happened. When her eyes found Karl, face in the snow and unmoving, With clarity and volume, Jumper screamed.

"KARL!"

Arma was already fluttering about him, making her own judgments about the situation. Staggering, Jumper wobbled her way over to the fallen statue, still stuttering out his name as she went.

"K-k-karl n-no! Karl ... p-p-please! K-karl! No! N-n-no! N-no!" Jumper shook his shoulder the best she could but it was useless. His resin body stayed still, quickly being covered in snow. That's when melody realized there were a few more eyes then usual. Out in the same, dismal white surroundings they had been traveling in, circled numberless wolf like Ferinus. If the stories she'd heard didn't expose them, the symbol that replaced their eyes did. Their teeth gnashed and hair spiked as they came closer to their week and fallen pray.

"K-karl?" Jumper said, resting her head on his back, " A-arma? I'm s-scared." a tear escaped her eye, only to roll half way down her cheek and freeze in place.
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Digitaldreamer
Going slightly mad, but only on Tuesdays.
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The world was fading.

He knew that much. The world was fading from him, darkness closing in, and in that instant he almost didn't mind. There was something in the back of his head insisting that he had to get up, but his limbs just felt so heavy and he just wanted to rest for a minute. If it had been any other situation, he might have stayed.

But he could hear Jumper's voice, terrified, and that was enough to bring him back.

Karl forced himself to sit up, limbs shuddering with the motion. "Alright, up we go," He grunted as he shook his head, letting the snow fall to the ground. He then looked to Jumper, forcing a smile as he reached up to adjust her many blankets. "Hey, hey, why are you crying? Calm down, I'm alright, see? We're just fine..." He said, his cheerful tone a testament to his lying abilities.

With those words the statue glanced around them. The ferinus were indeed closing in, though they seemed to mainly be behind the two of them. As much as he insisted he was fine, he was well aware he didn't have the energy to fight the ferinus off <i>and</i> get Jumper to the temple... and for that matter, she probably didn't have time.

The statue got to his feet, grabbing Jumper and pulling her up with him. "Come on Mighty Mite, I know it's hard, but you have to get up, alright? That's it..." He tugged the blankets around her again as he tried to keep her steady on her feet, his heavy hands on her thin shoulders."Okay Jumper... I'm sorry to do this to you, but we don't have a choice right now. The temple's close by, and you don't have time to wait... I need you to run, alright? I know it's hard, I know you're tired, but you have to promise me you'll run. Run as fast as those little legs of yours can, and <i>don't look back</i>. Do you understand me? Promise me you'll keep running. Just keep running and I promise I'll see you soon and everything's going to be fine, okay?"

Gray eyes met Jumper's wide teary ones as Karl struggled to communicate the seriousness of the situation. After a moment of silence, he flashed that same smile that he always did and patted her shoulder again. "Alright... run, get out of here. Make sure you take care of my coat, I can't really replace it." With those words he pushed her lightly in the direction he'd been running, then turned to face the ferinus.

"It's going to be alright, Melody, I promise. Just run and don't look back."
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Jumper jolted back at the sudden movement. Just like that, Karl was alive again, shifting and talking like he hadn't just dropped dead on the ground. Amazed but happy, Jumper watched as Karl brushed himself off and attended to her.

"Hey, hey, why are you crying? Calm down, I'm alright, see? We're just fine..." He carried the same level of calm he always did as he tightened the blankets around her body. It was his same old trick to keep Jumper from getting to upset but it worked like a charm. Jumper sniffled and stifled as she swallowed her tears, putting on a brave face for her statue. Thing were bad, there was no way of hiding it but she needed to believe him. Melody needed to believe it would be alright. As Karl got to his feet, so did Jumper. He pulled her up as he went, adjusting and compensating as she struggled to stand.

"Okay Jumper... I'm sorry to do this to you, but we don't have a choice right now. The temple's close by, and you don't have time to wait... I need you to run, alright?-"

"No." she thought, her eyes saying what she couldn’t.

"I know it's hard, I know you're tired, but you have to promise me you'll run. Run as fast as those little legs of yours can-"

"No! I want to stay with you! Jumper's grip unconsciously tightened on her blankets, a mix of confusion and concern on her face.

-and don't look back. Do you understand me? Promise me you'll keep running. Just keep running and I promise I'll see you soon and everything's going to be fine, okay?"

She shook there, looking up at Karl with wet eyes. She knew what was going on, there wasn't any way around it. Karl was going to stay and fight wile Jumper ran away. Her mind raced, trying to think of different ways they could get away. Anything but what was happening would work.Anything but this! She was brought out of her own thoughts by Karl patted her shoulders. He was smiling.

"Alright... run, get out of here. Make sure you take care of my coat, I can't really replace it." With a light shove, Jumper was on her own two feet, struggling to keep herself from falling. She looked down, watching her feel balance her weight. When they seemed to be doing their job, the shaking brunette looked back up at Karl but he wasn’t facing her any more. The Resin man was towards the approaching threat. The Furenus that, with their very presence, pulled them apart.
"It's going to be alright, Melody, I promise. Just run and don't look back."
At first, nothing happened. The monsters slowly gained ground, gashing their teeth and drooling at the mouth. Then, Jumper took a step back, then another. All at once, Jumper sprinted away, not looking back as ordered.

”I’ll run, and you’ll be okay.” she thought as the winds fought her every move. “As long as I’m running, you have to be safe. You promised!”
She repeated this over and over, quickly disappeared into the white, gray surroundings.
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Digitaldreamer
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Karl almost let out a sigh of relief as he heard Jumper's footsteps in the snow. She'd been looking at him with eyes that were so painfully defiant, welling up with tears and saying what her mouth couldn't. She'd stood and she'd stared and she'd looked at him with pain and confusion, but in the end she'd listened.

"Heh... why yes Arma, she is indeed a good kid," The blond murmured as the crow transformed into a sword, a smile coming to his face even as the ferinus closed in. His fist tightened around the weapon in his hand as the footsteps faded away, replaced by the sound of unearthly growls. "But let's not lose focus, shall we? I know I'm not exactly a man of my word, but I'd hate to be a liar in this situation."

With those words he turned to the ferinus, expecting an attack... only to find they weren't attacking. They were circling him, closing inward in a mess of gnashing teeth and shining claws, but in spite of their bloodthirsty snarls they kept their place. Upon realizing they weren't going to attack just yet, Karl blinked in confusion. Then he laughed, his cackling echoing through the winter wasteland.

"Alright Skittles, I get it. Joke's on me, haha. Why don't you come out now?"
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At first, nothing happened. The ferinus kept on circling Karl as if readying a fulminating attack, but not actually going through with it, while the snow continued to fall, accumulating on the beasts' back and on Karl's shoulders. Then the Obsessive Fangs simply stopped with the act, halting where they stood and then sitting like obedient lapdogs, but still making sure to keep an eye on Karl. Without the snarls and the ruffling of their paws on the snow, a new sound could be picked up, distant at first but approaching slowly.

Footsteps.

"Oh, you're no fun. I was really enjoying the drama. I almost shed a tear for that child's struggle, but I reminded myself of how I despise her." Said a very familiar voice coming from the distant whiteness until a body started to surface amidst the falling white flocks, coming from the general direction of the cabin. Soon the strong colors of Priest Arco Baleno's furred snow coat were evident even if his face still wasn't. He simply walked towards Karl in a calm and collected pace, hands clasped behind his back and his usual smile of false cordiality printed on his features. The priest stopped between two Fangs, and it was possible to notice two things: a) His coat was now purple with green fur and blue tribal details and B) The snow wasn't actually falling on him, but floating down as if each flock was actively trying to avoid him.

"It's been a long week but it seems our match has come to an end, wouldn't you say so, Karl?" Arco said in a casual tone of voice, in manner of someone who was exchanging witty banter about common sports rather than twisted games of trials and survival. The young man shrugged and reached for his hood, pulling it down while looking up slightly. His amber colored hair looked more like brown under the shade of the gray sky, but not even complete darkness would take the sheer gaudiness away from that colorful being. "You'd probably be happy to know that your origami friend managed to stabilize the irregular of this world. Also, the battle has ended and our favorite macho man is hacking his way through Obsessive fangs with the last vial of cure in tow even as we speak."

Despite basically telling Karl what would mean his defeat in their game, Arco's smile did not waver.
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Digitaldreamer
Going slightly mad, but only on Tuesdays.
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Upon catching sight of the colorful man in the snow, the statue nearly lost it. After everything that had happened, after everything he'd seen Jumper go through, knowing that somewhere out there things were so much worse... knowing all that and seeing the man behind it all simply smiling as if it had been nothing was downright infuriating. His fist tightened around the hilt of his sword again, stone teeth grinding together as he struggled to keep himself in check. He couldn't afford to lose it here.

After all, that would be breaking the rules of the game. And for all of his caring, for all of those ridiculous feelings he hadn't been aware he was capable of feeling, it still came down to a game that he had to win. Whether it was for himself or them he couldn't entirely say anymore... but he knew he could not lose.

So he stayed uncharacteristically silent and he listened to the words the priest had to say, forcing a smile into place. When he heard the news of the irregular rift and the cure, his smile became genuine. A part of him had expected this, yet at the same time he couldn't ignore the sense of relief that washed over him and nearly stole what little strength he had left from his limbs. "Is that so? Well, that's certainly good news... though not necessarily for you, I suppose. Sounds to me like that makes me the victor of this little game, doesn't it?" He flashed a grin at this, clearly feeling quite proud in spite of his obvious exhaustion.

"And what of the little fight down at the village? Did Jakey boy's little secret weapon come in handy after all?" He inquired, cocking his head to the side as he spoke. With the calmness of his tone, one would think he and Arco were two colleagues discussing some trivial matter over lunch as opposed to bitter enemies discussing people's lives.
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The ferinus did nothing, not even moved as their master approached the walking talking statue a bit more, standing only a couple of meters apart from him. This confidence that there no absolute danger in standing right in front of the being he had decided to torment plus the way they spoke to each other like poker friends, made the scene all the more surreal. Arco himself didn't seem so exalted like he usually is, instead remaining silent as he listened to Karl with nothing but a serene smile on his face. He did avert his gaze from the statue for a moment when he said the outcomes of recent events determined him as the winner, however...

"Really now..?" He asked nonchalantly in what was almost a whisper, not meant to be answered, and indeed he didn't interrupt Karl as he asked about the battle at the village.

"..." At this Arco turned around, his back now facing Karl with his hands still holding each other behind him. The priest, very unlike himself, chose to remain silent. His smile was still in place, and he had an aura of joy surrounding him, but aside from that he completely ignored Karl's question. Even the Obsessive Fangs found this strange, by the way they now averted their focused hunter gaze from Karl to their master, curious about the non-odd behavior of that clearly odd person.

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Going slightly mad, but only on Tuesdays.
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Karl's brow furrowed at the priest's silence, watching as the colorful man nonchalantly closed the distance between them. His anger returned as the man drew closer, narrowing the space between them to little more than a few feet. Though they often circled each other and would occasionally move closer and farther away, aside from the one instance of true conflict in the previous world the two had never been this close before. The fact that Arco was willing to draw so close and seem so entirely at ease was honestly somewhat insulting, as if he felt he had nothing to worry about. This breech in their usual etiquette threw the statue for a loop, chipped away at his sense of triumph as he found himself wondering if the priest knew just how weak Karl was at the moment.

This concern was lost in favor of his mounting rage at his unanswered question, however. The smile had been infuriating enough, but when Arco turned away his sense of triumph gave way to anger. He nearly snapped there, but managed to reign himself in as he forced a laugh. "What is this, some sort of terrible sitcom? Oh no, dramatic pause! Come on Rainbow Brite, answer the question," The statue's tone became quite clipped at the end, making it entirely clear that he was not in the mood for games for once,
Signature, yeah.
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Destine Enormity