madcuriosity | labyrinthum Inbox

[Nina is going to find out that Alice is one, tiny upon seeing the video. Not only is she tiny, she's young. And not young because of time shenanigans, oh no. She is ACTUALLY young.]

Oh, hello Ms. Ironfist. [ Alice offers a curtsy to the camera. The guy... oh, him. Alice scrunched up her nose.] He didn't succeed in killing the dragon, did he? [She frowns and sighs...] He wasn't eaten either, was he? [Just because he's a selfish idiot doesn't mean he should DIE. Alice isn't so heartless.]

... Am I in trouble?

( That is... a child. A very young child. Nina's demeanor immediately shifts, like she's trying to actively reel in her resting bitch face. )

He did. We did. And everyone is fine. ( Nina was there and so was Aemond. The Death Knight didn't need to be thrown under the bus alone. )

No, of course not. I just wanted to try and explain myself — and him, if you have the time.

Oh... [Alice's shoulders fall. She's crestfallen, but, thankfully, not devastated. It's sad though, like hearing about any animal being killed.] So... the dragon is dead? [She presses her lips together.] So he got what he wanted...

[That... that isn't fair. What's to stop him from killing ANYTHING just because "he wants to" if he deems them a beast?]

Explain yourself, oh... you said we...

( That's the thing with the Death Knight - he would. But Nina has been trying desperately to rein him in and, honestly, killing that dragon probably satisfied his bloodlust for a good amount of time. )

Yeah, I helped him. Thing is, Alice, where I'm from - dragons aren't exactly friendly, and I just got here a few months ago, so I don't know anything about what happened before I came here beyond the bare bones notes I read.

That, and I saw those dragons attacking people. I want to protect the town and the Dreamers - the fact that people didn't like that is... confusing.

Was that particular dragon attacking people?

Not initially, but the second it saw us, even before we attacked it, it started to shoot fire at us. It was clearly a danger and not friendly.

Perhaps it sensed your intent. You went to kill it when it didn't even do anything. Why would it allow you just come up and kill it? Would you let someone come up and just kill you if you sensed they meant you harm?

Edited 2024-08-24 19:09 (UTC)

We were fighting each other, why would it matter at that point? It even attacked the guys coming to stop us.

[Coming to stop them? It's sad to know they weren't successful in convincing them, but Alice didn't think that Death Knight could be convinced of anything he didn't already believe.]

Why are you explaining yourself to me, Miss Ironfist? I'm just me. [And Death Knight was perfectly fine with them parting at such a contentious way.]

( She sighs. )

Because I want you to understand where we're coming from and why we did what we did.

...And because the guy you talked to is a lot more complicated than you know. I'm not sure how to explain it exactly, but you talked to the Death Knight, and he shares a body with another guy, Jeritza, who is genuinely upset by the whole thing.

You just explained it, one body, two minds. I understand. [Nina is going to learn Alice can roll with SO MUCH so quickly.] I'm sorry to hear Mr. Jeritza is upset. I hope he knows I don't think poorly of him. Is there a way to make his mind more in charge?

[She tilts her head.]

... Oh... something tells me you're here more specifick- spe-secifi-... [An angry little 'hmph'] something tells me you're not here to speak about Mr. Jeritza?

( Huh. A lot easier than she expected. ) I'm not... I don't think that's how it works? Certain things will bring the knight out. He wants to kill things, kill people, and I'm trying to direct him to other things like monsters. We didn't know anything about the dragons, and he saw something he wanted to kill, and since I figured it was a monster, I told him to go for it and went to help.

The whole reason I'm here is to tell you that I'm trying to keep people safe - including Jeritza - while his alter is in the front. He's dangerous, but he listens to me, for the most part, and it's safer this way. I also just don't know what is going on around here.

I don't know anything about the dragons you raised, I don't know if the one we fought was even related to them. I don't think anyone can say - but I want this town to be safe.

[Alice eyes widened.] HE WANTS TO KILL PEOPLE?! [THAT SEEMS LIKE THE BIGGER PROBLEM, NINA!] I-Is he coming to kill me for insulting him? [Is that what this is? A warning?

It takes several long moments for Alice to calm down, in a bit of a panic about being hunted, only to hear Nina still talking. It takes more time for Alice to hear Nina, and then to absorb the rest of what Nina is saying. She puts her hand to her chest, feeling her heart racing, and takes several deep breaths to calm down like she has been shown to do.

She closes her eyes and tries to replay what Nina said but she can't recall a lot of it. Some key things DO stick out, though.

No, Death Knight is not coming to kill her. Apparently, Nina just points him in the direction of monsters. She's new, she isn't sure if the dragon she killed was Riot's ancestor (or, if these are particularly long-lived beings, maybe just a grandparent or parent). There was something else... ]

There will be no way to know, I don't think, I've already raised Riot, he left and came back to help against Vaeros. But if this dragon was related, then we don't know if Riot will never come. I still remember raising Riot.

I suppose we'll only know if this will hurt the future if I don't remember raising Riot when... or if, things are set to rights. I'm not even sure we will have proof, either, if when we go back Time has to fix things, undo drawings and pictures and the sort.

( IT'S A PRETTY BIG PROBLEM. She's just glad Alice caught on because Nina might die if she scares the poor girl to death.)

For the record, I promise you he will not hurt you or anyone else if I can help it. ( Except maybe Loki, but Nina won't say that to a child. )

It could be that these are all separate bands of dragons, too. Maybe Riot and the other ones that helped aren't related to these dragons at all, and I'm sorry, genuinely, if we killed one that might be some kind of ancestor to the one you know.

Somnius is my home right now, and I don't know a lot of things about it or what happened in the past. But I want to keep it safe so... I just need some help, and some patience from people. That's all I want to say, along with apologizing for upsetting you.

That is a good deal you put on yourself. I hope it's not all by yourself, Miss Ironfist. You shouldn't be responsible for actions not your own. [She MIGHT want to mention Nina wants to hurt Alice's adoptive father.]

As I said, we won't know, can't know.

I'll help you... but... just you... I don't want to go anywhere near Death Knight. I haven't met Mr. Jeritza, so if he doesn't want to be near me, I will understand, but if it's not his mind out and about, I don't want to be nearby. I've been here for a long time, well over a year. But, if you want the MOST information, you will want those who have been here from the beginning. There aren't many of them left, but they know everything about this place.

He's... asked for help from others. ( It's a work in progress, but it's better than it was, if nothing else. )

Jeritza is a good, sweet man. He likes sweets and cats and he's quiet. You'd like him, I think. Maybe you can meet sometime, while I'm there, and we can just see how it goes. I wouldn't ask you to go anywhere near the Death Knight.

You can tell me what you think is most important, I guess? What you think I should know — especially about the dragons and other monsters around. Are there others that people are fond of?

I love cats and sweets! [Focus, Alice. She clears her throat.] But, I shall leave it up to Mr. Jeritza... considering... what I said to Death Knight.

What is important to me mayn't be important to someone trying to protect the town... but, I shall try my best. Princess Jasmine, and Katsuki are going to know best about everything everything, though.

As for the monsters... Well, there are the shadow wolves, they... they are incredibly dangerous, and worse, deadly clever. They won't go after the strong and those able to fight back. They will go after the sick, the elderly, and children. [Alice reached up to her shoulder to rub the scar they inflicted.] They can only be killed if you match their will to be killed. There are also the Skeksis, those are about right now, actually. If they think you're weaker than them, they'll steal things from you, if you fight back... [She idly rubbed her ribs.] They have mind powers as well, though, I didn't experience that part. The Green Knight, were you here for him? Oh, and then there are the frost angels who... are not the least bit angelic.

Sometimes, things from home or things from our heads [She taps her temple.] show up here for a time. Like when the Jabberwocky or the Green Knight come.

But... there are good things, good creatures here too. Brostelo is a stone statue of a white lion with tiger stripes and feathered wings. Brostelo protected us when the shadow wolves first came. He is knowledgeable about medicine and comes to life to support the injured when the town is in need.

( She nodded. Jeritza was likely nearby listening to the whole thing anyway. )

I heard about the shadow wolves. ( Noted absently, not to disregard it. Thing about them was that she hadn't seen any herself, and therefore couldn't direct the knight towards them. Nina frowned at the mention of them attacking children, noted the way Alice held her shoulder. Vaeros was an absolute piece of shit for the things he pulled, but it was especially disgusting when he had things so blatantly going after children. ) I wasn't here for the Green Knight, no. ( and despite being from that world... had no idea what it was. )

I see. That's very helpful, actually, especially since the Skeksis are here and I doubt anyone will care if we attack them. You're safe, right? I mean — you know how to fight at all?

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Video; UN: Liddellest

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CW: Misunderstanding of DID (to be safe?)

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