Cottonmouth

Paragon's End [Modern/Fantasy/Anime/Adventure]

"Eager? I wouldn't say that. I'm sure it was a great loss, a loss he wouldn't like to endure twice. The things which prevented him in the past are now gone as well. He's an apostate now." Nemo replied.

"But, I could always be wrong, maybe you're right. I don't really mind either way." Nemo confessed.

"I think it's time for me to get going," Nemo noted as he looked up to the sky. "if you've got anything final to say, I'm listening, otherwise I look forward to our next conversation." Nemo finished as he began to walk back to the dirt path.

Paragon's End [Modern/Fantasy/Anime/Adventure]

Nemo's kindly expression went blank as Raiya rejected his gesture, which was probably the closing thing to looking hurt than Nemo could show. It didn't last long however, Nemo slipped his glove back on and wiggled his fingers, now sporting a small grin of his own as he looked back at her. "No... no, saying I'm 'only using you to protect myself' would be a vast misrepresentation of the nature of our relationship. You only asked me why I picked you." Nemo replied.

"You really think I keep you along just for my own safety, my future? No, no, no. I didn't pick you to deter Felix for my sake... it's for his. I don't fear a conflict with Felix, I long for it. I will bring the full force of my talents down onto him like a tidal wave of destruction. The only thing you could say I fear is the terrible acts I will do unto him should he ever give me a reason to. He's the only one who's proved to me he's worth my time without any payment at the end. But I think you'll make it so it never has to come to that."

Nemo's grin dissipated in response to Raiya's tone during the end of her exposition. "Don't beat yourself up, Raiya, I've found that bonds between friends, even family, people that you trust with your life, are broken easier than some may think. It's not your fault, it's not because Felix didn't care about you, it's because he cared about something more than you: himself. It usually comes down to the same thing, goals, dreams, the feeling of being in the right is often enough to get somebody to burn the people they care about for. In the society you and I occupy you'll find no shortage of people like that."

"If Felix would of came to you and said something similar, something that would of forced you to torch everything you knew, your dreams, your reputation, the people close to you, to live your life in fear. Even if they're right, would you? Or would you find it easier to just abandon that person instead?" Nemo asked.

Nemo reached out and patted his left hand on the right shoulder of Raiya's jacket, he ran his sharp fingernail through the small chain tassels of her epaulet as he spoke. "Bonds with another person put you in a great danger, they make you just as vulnerable as they can make you strong. My lack of them is something that made me so uniquely successful in my work. But the way I see it, without their danger, they wouldn't be beautiful. Just as without them, we become something hideous as well."

Paragon's End [Modern/Fantasy/Anime/Adventure]

"Very well." Nemo stated.

"Your name on the list was what originally peaked my interest, and I wasn't lying when I said I sought companionship. It isn't often I get to converse with someone like this, for that I'm grateful. But you're right, the above reasons are too simple for me to go out of my way just for you. One might guess I did it for the challenge, but this time that would be incorrect." Nemo explained.

"You're insurance, the second coming of Gandhi up there might be pretty zen, but I don't think he'll ever be zen enough to let me off the hook with a slap on the wrist once this is done. I surely wasn't picked by his free will, he only tolerates me because I'm on Santa's list, but once this is all over, with our history, the incident with ole' Garvian and his squad, I think he has no reason to continue our truce. With that contingency in mind, you make the perfect choice. Because now Felix knows that if he intends to cross me, there can be consequences that don't even involve me having to duke it out with him for the fate of the universe again, as fun as that sounds. I don't think he's a man who will respond to the fear of what I could do to him, or anybody else here. But I think he will fear what I could do to you." With his answer finished, Nemo paused for a few moments.

"I understand that's probably an uncomfortable pill to swallow, for that, and my intrusion upon your work I deeply apologize. It may seem like a dastardly notion, but please understand it's only what I want Felix to fear. Fear is one of my greatest agents I have at my disposal. Something that despite it's wickedness, is often key to my survival. If I were to actually hurt you, it would be a betrayal and failure, to you, to our partnership, and my word. Preserving that is something I value much more than preserving my own life. But that's something Felix doesn't have to know."

Nemo seemed to be considering something for a moment before continuing. "Amidst all the terrible things, one thing I'm known for is that I always keep my word. So I'm going to offer you, should you choose to accept it, the age-old Japanese tradition of yubikiri. Otherwise known as the 'pinky swear'." Nemo said as removed his signature glove, something he had gone through great lengths to keep on so far. The nails on his right hand weren't sharp and pointed like his left, instead they smoothed off where his fingertips ended. "I promise I'll protect you, Raiya." Nemo said, extending his un-gloved pinky out to her.

Paragon's End [Modern/Fantasy/Anime/Adventure]

Nemo's upbeat expression gradually began to spoil into a melancholy one as Raiya told her story. "I guess both of our bodies have sustained more damage than they show." Nemo commented, pausing to think for a moment, then suddenly slamming his palm into his cheek to rest his head. He quickly let out a sigh, giving no explanation to his aggressive action against himself. Then he groaned and rolled on top of the picnic table from his seat.

"Your story was totally more traumatic than mine! I look like a fraud." Nemo got out before fulling rolling off the table, colliding harshly with the other bench before hitting the ground and going out of Raiya's sight. After a few moments of silence he crawled back up to the table and back into view. He loosely draped himself over the table and laid his head down by his cheek. "I knew I should of picked one of my later stories, this is the last time I choose just because it's chronological..." Nemo noted, his voice slightly thrown off from being pressed into the table.

Nemo sat back up, glancing at the time on his manadial before swinging his legs out from the table and getting to his feet. "I feel as if I misjudged you. For that I'll offer you a unique opportunity." Nemo walked over to Raiya, his tone and expression going to one of total seriousness now. "I'll answer any one question you have with complete honesty. I can already think of so many things to ask you, so I presume you have at least one thing to ask me. I do hope you make it interesting." Nemo proposed.

Paragon's End [Modern/Fantasy/Anime/Adventure]

"I've been captured before, as you know. However Felix's extended time out is dwarfed by some of things I've seen, I know what people are really capable of." Nemo leaned back into the table as he spoke. "Most people think murder is the most evil thing that can be done to someone. But as a killer I disagree wholeheartedly, I've found the opposite, the most vile things one could do often don't involve death at all. That's why I don't like seeing people captured." Nemo explained.

"I almost died once when I was young, before I had gained any of my abilities. I was fifteen at the time, I lived in a abandoned home outside the boundaries of a village. One day livestock began to go missing, then people. They began to suspect me, they thought because of how I looked, and my aversion to light, that I was a vampire and the cause of their misfortune. After the third person had gone missing, they sent a mob after me."

"First the mob pounded at my door, demanding I come out. I knew what they planned so I boarded up the doors with whatever I could at the time and hid inside. When I refused, they lit my home ablaze, forcing me out. I fled on foot into the woods for about... eleven miles before I was caught. Then I was told what my fate would be, a stake through the heart." Nemo said, pausing afterwards.

"Getting staked is an experience... worse than I originally imagined. It's not like getting stabbed, that's much quicker and easier. In my case they hammered it into my chest with a mallet. Each hit is like getting stabbed all over again. I passed out once it was over, but I didn't die, to my own surprise. When I woke up I found out why. The stake barely missed my heart and instead collapsed my left lung. I could barely breath, not to mention all the blood filling my throat. I had to crawl about a mile before I could finally get to my feet. Then there was of course the problem of the big stake in my chest, which was equally unpleasant coming out. Finally came cauterization with whatever I could find for tinder out in the forest." Nemo recalled.

"I spent multiple nights recovering out in the forest, I had nowhere else to go now. But during that time I learned that the only person I truly had to count on was myself. That people we're cruel and barbaric. I learned that the only way to survive is to be even crueler, to show them barbarism that they couldn't hope to match. I promised myself I would never endure such a hopeless defeat again." Nemo finished before letting out a small chuckle. "However I always did find it funny, after I discovered my abilities, it proved my prosecutors right in ways."

Paragon's End [Modern/Fantasy/Anime/Adventure]

Nemo halted after noticing Raiya, he turned to her before replying. "Where am I headed, is more appropriate for right now. You're staying here." Nemo stated before walking over to a picnic table outside the cabin. He sat down, "It's not because I fear you'll try to sabotage me to get out of our deal, or because you might be even more uncontrollable than I am, it's because of of where I'm headed. On one hand, it might be to the lead we're looking for, it might be a dead end, or... it might be an ambush. Should it be a trap, they'll be bringing enough force to accommodate every member in this group. So bringing you would only bring you down with me." Nemo explained.

"I'm an expendable person, getting caught or killed wouldn't bother me too much, and it certainly wouldn't bother anybody else either. That's why I'm perfect for these kinds of jobs. But the same doesn't go for you, and that's why I'm going alone."

"While we're on this topic, how about another story, hmm?" Nemo proposed, seemingly intent of continuing their exchange of information.

Paragon's End [Modern/Fantasy/Anime/Adventure]

Nemo sat in his room, he had clearly been renovating the space during the waiting period. While it clearly wasn't done yet, he had made some substantial progress. However at the time he was clearly preoccupied with something else, as he hunched over a table, working on some sort of small unknown device with classical music playing fronm a vintage record player off in the corner.

Nemo's work was interrupted when a small beeping noise emitted from the other side of the room, causing him to raise from his seat to check it out. The sound came from a small gadget which seemed to be some sort of stationary modified manadial, as it had the same integral manacrystal design. Nemo sat down on a chair and pressed in the crystal, causing a life sized hologram bust of a person to display on the table. Nemo gave a small grin in response.

Chapter 2: Paragon of Fantasia

"Cypox, you have no idea how glad I am to see you, tell me, should I pronounce it with a zero instead of the o too?" Nemo asked, resting his head on his palm.

The hologram displayed a faded amount of color, but the person on the other end was rather hard to identify regardless. From what could be seen they work a large baggy black hoody that looked more like a cloak, a thin navy scarf, and a thick black latex half mask that covered their nose, mouth, and neck. The mask also extended upwards on the right side, fully covering their right eye. Leaving only their left eye visible, with an indiscernible eye color. But they did have a small amount of light blue bangs peaking out below the hood on the left side.

The figure, apparently going by the name Cyp0x, frowned with the remaining fourth of their pale face that was visible in response to Nemo, but didn't humor him any further. "I've done as you asked, tracking the recent movements of-" The figure stopped, falling into a short sickly coughing fit before resuming. "-the arcanocracy." They spoke with a very raspy voice, much akin to someone who had died and risen back up weeks later. However their voice seemed to be running though some sort of voice changer, making it sound more distressed and garbled than it should.

"Oh? That's splendid news, I trust you've found something interesting then?" Nemo answered.

"Yes, after looking into the movements of high ranking members, I found two have made a rather un-routine stop."

"Which ones might that be?"

"Stockton and Galvadon, at Ulysses Canning Co. located by the Chicago bay." Cypox explained, going into another small hacking fit afterwards.

Nemo gave a small laugh, sounding rather excited now. "And what might two high ranking fathers of the church be doing at a fish canning company?" Nemo stated, sounding like he already knew the answer now.

"That's for you to find out, and for me to have no part in anymore, isn't it?" The raspy figure responded.

"Very well, more fun for me then. Though you really need to get out more, Cypox. Seeing the beauty in life isn't the same when you see it through a screen. Might I suggest a nice dinner with a view? Maybe somewhere in Poland?" Nemo recommended as he got up from his chair.

Cypox didn't bother to respond, cutting off the feed without saying anything. Nemo didn't waste any time, putting his jacket on and leaving his room, locking the door behind him. He made his way down the stairs and out the front door. Nemo began to walk off on foot.

Paragon's End [Modern/Fantasy/Anime/Adventure]

After Felix cast his spell Nemo's manadial displayed a automatic warning message in reaction to the intrusion. After inspecting the spell, Nemo pressed a holographic blue button to accept the temporary addition. Alternatively, the other red button would've purged it. Nemo only hoped the aura Felix spoke of wouldn't get immediately dispelled on contact with him, should it ever be used.

"Oh I understand Felix, stealth is my middle name." He stated.

Paragon's End [Modern/Fantasy/Anime/Adventure]

"If you keep making that face it'll get stuck that way." Nemo joked before giving a small sigh and tilting his head back to rest, quietly humming to himself for a few moments before the tune died out entirely. Soon enough Felix and Travis were done with their meeting and now he was up to bat. Nemo got up from his chair and walked inside the room.

"It's no trouble." Nemo replied to Felix as he sat down on a chair. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure, Felix?" He inquired with a pleasant expression.

Paragon's End [Modern/Fantasy/Anime/Adventure]

So those PC problems I mentioned before? They came back. Ran more tests and determined that it was not recoverable so I just got my new computer today. Still at work but I intend to post later this evening. Sorry for the delays on my part.

@ShiningSector

S'all right, Prodigal has been mia for the past few days too.

I actually just got a new computer today too. About to set it up.