Cold as Ice PV Kaegen Deathmote Closed

"Everyone is worthless. Some just have more optimistic delusions than the rest of us."
-unknown

Feeling useless is something strange. Often, you want to cherish the feeling while hating it at the same time. You run away to somewhere you feel safe, and feel miserable there. Because you’re simply too busy, or too terrified and worried, to feel it anywhere else. That was what Kaegen was doing. Sitting in a tree staring at his hands, pale and grey, slender and scratched up, tipped with long, slightly pointed fingernails. He was staring at the hands that weren’t good enough to protect his friend, the hands that weren’t strong enough to make her want to stay next to him. The awful, miserable hands. Now and then, a leaf would blow past, snapping his tired eyes wide away, sending the pointer finger of his left hand into a harsh jerk of a twitch. It would fade, and he would look for the awful feeling he was trying to lurk in. It wasn’t hard to find, and he soon found himself slipping off in an awful tangent about his hands once more.

Or at least, he was until a girl snuck into the little cleft between the trees and started to make herself comfortable, eventually taking a nap. Kaegen stared at her constantly, scared of what she might be doing, of who she was. He assumed she must know he was up there, else she wouldn’t have chosen this place to lay down in, right? The coincidence was far too large, and besides, coincidences didn’t really exist. A coincidence was often just evil in disguise, and when it wasn’t, he preferred to call it happy circumstance.

By the time she finally woke up, he was starting to feel the cold. The cold didn’t bother him as much as it seemed to bother other people, but he was definitely feeling it by then, chilling wind blasting through his light scarf like a swarm of gnats through the holes in old bug netting. He could see the girl as she leaned back up against a tree, surveying the landscape and in general looking like she was ready to kill something. But he had been watching, and hadn’t found anything out there. Could she see something he didn’t? After a few more minutes of staring, he concluded that yes, she could definitely see something he didn’t. And yes, that was extremely worrying.

There was some monster out there dangerous and powerful enough to warrant this girl trying to stare it down, and he didn’t even know about it. Unless she was just expecting something. Regardless of what was there, or of what she was expecting, she doubtless knew of something he didn’t. And if there was something even scarier out there, then the fear the girl instilled in him felt rather paltry in comparison. An insignificant worry about someone who was waiting for something, preparing to stare something down. In fact, he would almost be she was trying to look strong to scare off whatever that something was. Maybe something invisible, something unseen. Something terrible.

The boy grabbed his umbrella, and gently hopped off the branch, floating down until he landed behind the girl. He wasn’t about to put her at a disadvantage by tipping off the creature with a lot of noise. Just in case it was sound or movement that alerted it. He made a bizarre sight, to say the least. Skin pale and grey, looking like it was taken off of a corpse contrasting starkly to messy unkempt hair and the few leaves that the knots held hostage. Dark shadows marked the lower border of his dull blueish grey eyes that stared ahead with a horrible intensity, a tangible hunger for information on anything in front of them. He wore a patched black cloak, clearly too large for him and a grey scarf. A blue and black cape was strapped to his back, over a unusually long umbrella.

In a voice that barely registered, a sound that might remind you of the voice of the wind whispering through tree branches on a dark autumn evening, he asked a question he believed to be very, very relevant.

”What are you looking at? Are we safe here?”

The eerie sound from the voice of the other caught the female off guard. She was so busy studying on what was in front of her that she had completely forgotten about what hid behind her. Her back straightened and her head shot over her shoulder, her hair soon to follow; bangs covering over her eyes yet briefly, when the wind blew against her face, her brown hues were seen staring over into the males.
He looked different in ways but it was his skin and eyes that stood out to her the most. There was definitely something up with him.
Rather than returning the question with an answer, she simply looked forward once again into the forest, not feeling that same tension that she had felt before. It was him that she felt, surely... In reaction to this, she remained calm, hoping the other wouldn't pick up on her change in body language.

'' ... I... I don't know what you are t-talking about. I was just enjoying the peacefulness, up until you arrived. '' She cursed under her breath from her stutter. It was sure to give away that she had become more on edge at this point. Being startled like that really wasn't something she was expecting. Her concentration was focused on what was only in front of her and to keep up the 'tough front' she always wore. So the fact that this boy had made her not only jump like a coward but made her stutter too. She was far from impressed.

Her normal reaction now would be to just walk off, or ignore the other completely; give him the cold shoulder. But she had already made herself look weak, so choosing from one of those two choices just wouldn't help her out in the long run. She needed to do something...different. And so she did.

With her palms resting on the rock, she pushed herself off and jumped down onto the floor, rubbing the dirt from her hands onto her jacket. It was already dirty, not to mention covered in tears here and there, so making it that bit dirtier didn’t bother her in the slightest.
Her fingers ran through her hair, something that she had a habit in doing. It was wild and had a mind of its own, so keeping it under control throughout the day was a task. In the process of doing so, she had made her way up to Kaegen, her head raising just a bit to get a good look at his face. He would have stood taller than her, with her only being 5ft, something she hated, having people look down at her. It made her feel even smaller than she already was.
But either way, she brushed the thought off by snapping at the boy, her accent seemingly hard to understand with her pronunciation on certain words. “ Why ‘ave you come here, out of all the places to go? I haven’t seen you around these parts before. It’s my area, and I don’t share it.” Her eyes narrowed and her choice of words were defiantly that of what a child would choose. She was mature for her age, but when it came to being protective or possessive of her grounds, she never thought things through properly. Luckily it was only her choice in words today that she was unable to control, and not her actions. At least not yet anyway.
“ So will ya get lost.. I don’t want to be bothered right now.. ”
Falentra really did have a way of pushing people away, being cruel to them. The thought of sharing any sort of personal space with another made her uncomfortable. She had no idea how she would react. It was just how she was. Although it was intentional, it was also something she knew no different from. Kindness was defiantly her weakest trait, and pushing away others was here strongest.

Her hands sunk into her pockets and her head lowered before she turned her back once again from the other, wandering back to her comfort spot, that being ‘her rock’.

He scared the girl, which was something he didn’t think he was going to do. He had assumed she knew he was there, or if she didn’t, that she wouldn’t care. And besides all that, he hadn’t really thought of the possibility that he had been concealed, hadn’t thought at all ahead. He had been worried about whatever monster the girl had been looking at, and had come down to ask, and to see if he had to run away, and if so, in which direction he would be able to run. It was no big surprise that he had messed up, though. It wasn’t a shock to find he had scared her, even when he hadn’t meant to. It was just another item on an inventory list of things he had messed up.

The girl wasn’t being mean, at least. She was just telling the boy that he should get out of her territory, her area. That was understandable, although it was kind of annoying that there weren’t any signs posted to warm newcomers such as himself that the tiny grove and the rock did, in fact, belong to the girl. She probably just didn’t have anything on hand to make a sign with, and was too tired to look for materials. That was okay, he could probably help her out with that. It wasn’t like he had anything better to do. Signs weren’t too hard to make.

She followed up by asking the impossible. How could be get lost intentionally? That just didn’t make any sense. You got lost on accident, that was part of the definition of being lost, wasn’t it? That you didn’t know where you were going and didn’t have any means of finding that out? So how did one set about getting lost? He supposed he could close his eyes, and cast fleependo over the trees until he passed out. But he had a map, so that probably wouldn’t do him much good at all. It was a sorry state of affairs to be sure, and not one that he could see himself solving any time soon. At least not without an explanation. Although, that was something else he wouldn’t be able to receive, because she had also said she didn’t want to be bothered.

After a moment or so of internal thought, the boy decided to just ignore the part about being lost and consider that far beyond his natural abilities. He would make her a nice sign, not talk to her, and then be on his way. Besides, if he was here working on a sign, then if a invisible monster came calling, she would probably alert him, even if she wasn’t trying to. Having an invisible monster come charging at you often manifested itself in obvious body language that even the ravenclaw felt confident he would notice. He began by taking out a small knife and shaving a square of bark from a tree, then working the blade around it to peel it off of the trunk just enough to slide a piece of paper inside like a natural picture frame.

Then he started pulling out a bag from the inside of his robe. It took him a second of fiddling, and when the leather satchel emerged from the large sleeve there were several loose buckles attached. He started pulling out parchment, quill and ink, all without saying a word, careful to do so quietly so as not to bother the girl. But his eyes still kept her clearly in his peripherals. There was no way he was going to be caught off guard just because he didn’t think she was a threat. He wasn’t that stupid.

He started scratching out the words for the sign.

“This place claime…”

She was about to close her eyes once more but heard the footsteps of the other nearby. He wasn’t leaving, but instead seemed to be rustling around by a tree nearby. She was intrigued, but not enough for her to move from her seat. Instead, she remained seated, her eyes not leaving the boy. What was he doing?

It had only been a few minutes, if that, and she couldn’t help herself. Her curiosity got the better of her. She jumped from her rock once again, not bothering to wipe her dirtied hands this time. She was too focused on what the boy was doing.
“Oi, what you playin’ at? Didn’t I ask you to leave?” She grunted under her breath, annoyed. Not at him, but herself. She was being social again, going out her comfort zone.. something she never did, but this boy seemed to bring it out of her and she didn’t know what to think of that.

When arriving nearer to Kaegen, she stopped, stepping on to her tiptoes and trying to peer over his shoulder to see what those scratching sound were. Her shortness stopped her from seeing the view, so, hesitant at first she took two steps foward, then another, each become faster and bringing her closer until she was close enough to see. It looked like a frame or a sign of some sort. Falentra couldn’t help but smile. Was... that for her? Her smiled faded quickly after that thought. She highly doubted it but knelt on her knees anyway, watching him work with the knife and the ink. It was a talent, that not many would do.
She didn’t realise she had been staring so long, staring at the brief detail that he carved, then at the words he began to write. ‘This place claims…’ She swallowed hard and blinked for the first time in minutes when seeing those words. “I....uhm...” She knew now that he was making her a sign but had no idea how to react. Even though it was only a small thing, that highly had no meaning behind it, but to her, it gave her a nice feeling. It was like a present to her, even though it was forever since she got one. The last present she got would have been from her mother when she was only about 8-9 years old. Those were the good old days as most would say. The only days that she could remember feeling happy.
“Falentra. My name is Falentra Black..” She spoke more confidently this time, but her tone was more quiet, still not over the fact that he had made her a present.

Falentra sat herself down, getting herself comfy on the muddy ground as she continued to watch in silence, examining his work, as well as his clothing, and his hair, along with everything else. It was something she did with everyone. Staring unintentionally whilst she guessed their persona. It was fun, and she loved to judge, but hated to recieve it.
It wasn’t until she noticed his hands, his nails particularly. They were long... unusually long. Of course, being blunt, she didn’t hesitate on asking what was on her mind. “Your nails are long aren’t they? What’s up with them?” She asked with eager in her voice, and her hands reached out to touch them, but stopped herself halfway and instead reached for the sign he had now finished. Her fingers ran over the corners. It was smooth and no splinters where to be felt. The corners were sharp, but not enough to cut yourself on. Was he an artist of some sort, or those who worked with wood? Either way, she was impressed with it.
“... Ta... I like it. It’s... uh... it’s really..nice..” She struggled to force the compliment out. She meant it, but wording it was difficult as she never had gave one out before. “Thank you...”

He thought he heard her say something, but couldn’t be sure, wasn’t positive. He had been focusing, after all. He couldn’t be expected to keep track of every little sound. It sounded a bit like she was asking him if he was playing or not, which didn’t make a whole lot of sense. But then again, he could have heard her wrong. He must have heard her wrong, there was no real reason why she’d say something like that when he was clearly making a sign. What game involved making signs, anyway? It bugged him that he did such a horrible job hearing what the girl had to say. How was that even possible? You would think that he would have at least gotten close. But what sounded like game?

As he contemplated what she could have said, she watched him until she made a little sound and then introduced herself. And that meant he was allowed to talk back, right? It wasn’t bothering if the other person initiated the conversation. It just meant that he was being polite and responding, right? He hoped so, anyway. It would be pretty stupid if he ran about bugging a girl that hadn’t done anything wrong. She introduced herself as Falentra Black. His mind searched for less than a second, and came up with a good name. Fallen.

That’s what her name reminded him of, anyway. A fallen tree. But fallen tree was a bit of a mouthful, so he didn’t really see a point in saying the whole thing. After all, if he had to call out her name quick it didn’t make much sense to have to resort to calling out two of them. It would take a lot of valuable time, and frankly just be a bother. Fallen would have to work. It sounded nice, anyway. He was reasonably certain she would like it, and even if she didn’t, it wasn’t like it was going to be her name. Just what he was going to call her.

He gave her his name, speaking quietly as he had done before.

”My name is Kaegen Deathmote, Fens-Born Scarf-Wielder. He who was called fat tadpole as a babe, suicidal idjit as a toddler and he who earned the name Eeh before arriving at Hogwarts. He who lost two and gained one. He whose names are given authority by Grandfather, whose authority is given him by the conqueror of the 14th dark place.”

She pointed out his nails, asking what was up with them. It took a second’s hesitation to really grasp what was wrong or unusual with his nails, but once he finally understood it was another moment’s hesitation as he thought about what the reply was. What was up with his fingernails? Well, they were useful, so he never bothered to cut them. That was really all there was to it. No hidden ulterior motive or secret. So maybe that was what he could tell her.

”They help me climb, I guess.

He was especially pleased when she said thank you and that she liked the little sign which now read

“This place claimed by Fallen Tree”

In the best handwriting he could manage, which wasn’t saying a lot. He slid it into the little frame where people would be able to see it, looked at the girl, and stared for a second. It seemed all he was doing lately was hesitating and it bothered him a lot. He knew he wanted to convey a feeling of happiness, but it took him a bit to think through what on earth he could do. His face scrunched up into a weird kind of smile.

”You're welcome. ...I’m going to leave your area, I’m sorry for not knowing. The sign is yours.”

His welcome overstayed, Kaegen turned and started to walk away

Thread left, unless prevented.

Gifts were something Falentra was all too unfamiliar with. She had received them from her parents throughout her childhood, but only on those special occasions. Those being on her Birthdays and at Christmas time, and at those times only. She was lucky to get a surprise present, although it was never much of a surprise to her. She knew if she wanted something desperately that she had to work for it, and so she did, without question. She had always been a hard worker and never minded the feeling of being tired after a hard day in her Father's shop, despite her being pretty lazy deep down. It was one of the main reasons now why she is always seen moping around either in her room, in the library or by the forest.

Before she knew it, the boy had finished with his wooden sign that he had made for her, and had already gotten up and started to walk in the opposite direction that leads out from the beginning of the forest.
'' Hey! '' She shouted out, her voice loud and sharp so it somewhat overpowered the high winds that screamed out throughout the high trees. '' Where are ya goin'? '' She had no idea why or how she had even made those words come out of her mouth, because never had she ever asked someone, or had to hint to someone that she wanted them to stay around and keep her company. She didn't really know how to feel about it, but she knew she had made the right decision in saying it.
Falentra wasn't too sure if she spoke loud enough for the boy to hear so scanned around the area, trying to think on what to do next. Unlike most people that would probably just run up to them and stop them, Falentra found it hard to process on how they would react if she did. She knew if someone was to do that to her, she would most likely throw a punch at them. Was she to throw a rock over at him or shout out again? Or maybe he did hear her and just decided to 'pretend' that he hadn't heard her.
She thought negatively all too often, and in most cases, it had caused her to become the introvert she was. This was the reason she struggled so much in making friends.

So, for once, she did the impossible. Of course, her thoughts her sometimes overdramatic, but to her it was serious.
Hesitant from the thought, she followed slowly behind the other before picking up her pace until she was at the side of Kaegan. She grabbed his arm and tugged it harshly, which was unintentional and meant no harm or threat in her actions. Fal continued to tug, hard enough until she stopped in her tracks with him. She released her grip on his arm and smirked ever so quickly. Now she knew she had his attention. Whether or not she was going to get a good or bad reaction, she did not know. But either way, she continued on with what she had planned in her head.

'' Hey... uh... Do you wanna hang out for a bit? '' She looked over her shoulder towards the forest, feeling awkward with their eye contact after so long. '' How about goin' in the Forbidden Forest? '' Falentra couldn't help but smile mischievously. She knew what she asked was wrong and could lead them both to trouble. But her time here at Hogwarts had been boring, so she wanted to spice things up a bit. Besides, this was the time to see whether or not Kaegen was a 'scaredy-cat' or a big old softie.
'' ...Well, what do you say? It isn't too far from here, plus it's still light so it shouldn't be too scary for ya! '' She joked with the other and let out a small chuckle beneath her breath.
She was starting to loosen up around Kaegen and didn't mind the feeling of doing so either. Maybe making friends wasn't such a bad idea after all.

He heard her call out asking him where he was going, which did nothing but confuse the ravenclaw.
He was leaving her alone, like she wanted him to. He was leaving the dangerous area and going to a different dangerous area. But then he heard approach, he heard her coming up behind him. He was about to turn around and see what she wanted when she grabbed him and pulled hard. His mind seemed to blank out as he ripped free and spun to face her, eyes as wide as dinner plates, one hand up in a defensive gesture, the other poised to grab her arm, or claw her or something. His eyes were trained on hers, and they were very much black, and very much moving. His pupils had expanded far into the whites of his eyes, and they were moving and morphing like amorphous puddles of ink. He was crouched, and one of his fingers twitched. With unkempt hair and corpse like skin, The boy looked nothing like a boy should look.

His hand twitched his time, slightly, in the direction of his robe as if it wanted to grab something. His hands felt empty and useless without a blade, or a rock, or a slingshot. Heck, even a stick would serve his purpose. He just needed something, something to make him feel like he had a chance at a fight. But she had a smile on her face, didn’t that mean that she was happy? Was she happy that he was about to die, happy that she had him on the ropes? But when she asked him to hang out, he faltered. He knew what that meant. Friends did that with each other, right? Or at least allies did. He had heard the phrase passed back and forth a few times in the great hall.

She looked relaxed, at ease. She looked away from him towards the forest, she wasn’t worried, she didn’t think he was going to hurt her. But if she was trying to hurt him surely she would expect retaliation. It was only then that the boy exhaled, only then did he calm down a little bit, calm down enough for him to think about the situation. Was he safe, then? Or was he still in danger. He didn’t know the answer to that question, but he somehow figured that there wasn’t a threat. She knew something of his laws. She had seemed nice before, right? He was still scared, but it might be alright, just maybe. He would wait this out. She may have just been trying to stop him so she could offer to hang out.

And besides, quite honestly he was curious. He hadn’t even hung out before, or at least he didn’t think he had. It would be a new experience. And if Kaegen wasn’t trying to survive until the next day, it was because he was curious about something. Like two warring factions in his mind fighting for control. It had been far too long since the curious side had gotten the best of him, but here it was resurfacing. And then she asked him to go into the forbidden forest, which was one of the few things Kaegen didn’t think was too overly scary. It was okay in there, the unknown lived in the trees, and protected him. Although, it wasn’t completely safe. Last time he had started to wander in the forest, there had been complications. The person he was with had almost gotten him killed.

But even as he thought of the forest, the black receded, pupils shrinking back to their original size and shape as if nothing had just happened. As if nothing was wrong. Something was still wrong, he was still nervous. But at least it wasn’t all that obvious any more. Now it could just be seen in how tense he was, in how his eyes twitched to the sides to look for something that wasn’t there, before snapping back to the girl. She said it was still light so it wouldn’t be too scary for him, and that made him feel a bit better. If she was worried about him being scared, and she wasn’t, then she was probably even more adept than he was. There was nothing to worry about.

“I think I would like that. Hanging out sounds fun. But let’s not go too far in. The unknown grows fangs where the trees grow thick.”

Kaegen would follow the girl if she headed off into the forest, otherwise, he stood there waiting, and still a bit shook.

Falentra had taken Kaegens actions into account. It was weird for her to witness. She had never seen anyone act that way before. He was definitely different, that she was certain of but she didn't mind it in the slightest. The fact that he was different from your day-to-day student made her feel all the more at ease if anything. She knew she was not to be judged for her own actions, or how she worded things across to people in conversation.
But more than anything, she was more interested in what he actually was. He wasn't human. He had unusually sharp nails and his skin was paler than most, even her own. And to top it off, she had just seen his eyes change.

By this point, he had agreed to follow Falentra into the forest, up until he mentioned the unknown that lived there. She knew it wasn't the safest of places to visit, but if it was that bad, why would the Headmaster allow such a place to still be here, to be surrounded by young children and easily accessed? She didn't understand it, and at this point didn't care either. '' It's 'right... we won't go too far, okay? '' She reassured him and was being honest when saying it. It came across that he was scared. He may not have been, but it was the vibe she got off his question.
With that being said, she motioned her head for him to follow her towards the Forbidden Forest.
It didn't take them too long. Falentra was a fast walker without meaning to be. It had become a habit for her over time. To walk slow meant people had a better chance of stopping her for a chat.

'' 'ere we are, Kae. '' She shortened his name, almost like a nickname although it wasn't all too different and extreme, so she hoped he didn't mind. He, after all, gave her one, so it would only be fair to give one in return, right?


⠀⠀⠀ The sky had darkened upon their arrival. It was as if the sky had purposely done it to match the eerie feeling you would get when taking a first glance at the Forbidden Forest. Surely though, it wasn't that late. It was only morning time when they had first met.
The trees were presented differently from Falentras usual comforting trees held in the Ground. These trees grew higher and more wildly, arching over the entrance and following down the pathway as far as the eye could see. It was as if the trees were watching over your every move. Creepy, but right up the Slytherins street.
Falentra took a few steps forward and into the more darker forest.
There was a slight mist that held throughout the trees. It was thick and made the air feel wet and all that bit harder to breathe in. The young girls' eyes slid closed enjoying the pure silence. There was no breeze here. Not even the sound of birds chirping. It was wonderful.
'' Kae...?'' She opened one of her eyes and looked over towards his direction, her mischievous smile reappearing once more. '' Comin'? We can just stand near the entrance if you want? ''

The girl hadn’t noticed, or hadn’t cared, about his slight demonstration of fear. He wasn’t sure if that made her comfortable to be around or if that made her scary to be next to. If she didn’t notice that, then she definitely wouldn’t notice something worse, something like a monster coming out to kill them both. It could be anything, and the little ravenclaw had no idea what to make of it. Still, she reassured him that they wouldn’t go too far, and headed off towards the forest, followed by Kaegen, who was more than a little bit freaked out by everything, and couldn’t make heads or tails of any of it. He kept pace with the girl, moving a lot quieter than she did, trying to use her as a partial cover against whatever may or may not be coming after him

The forest loomed up ahead, marking sanctuary of a sort. A light fog stuck to the forest floor, petering out by the time it reached the grounds. He liked to hide in the outskirts, or at least he used to back when he had time to spend on more frivolous pursuits. Now his time was absorbed with finding death witches, with surviving and finding new ways to combat his foes. Finding new ways to not be found. She announced they were there a bit in front of the slowly billowing fog, a fact that hadn’t been lost on him, but he appreciated the clarity. If she followed this pattern, then she would probably alert him to any other points of interest. Some of which he may miss in the future.

She asked if he was coming, moving a bit farther without him, but offering to just stand there by the entrance if he wanted to. The ravenclaw certainly didn’t want to go deep inside the forest with someone he didn’t know, or really even with someone he did know. Trust was such a fickle thing, coming to him in times of strength and leaving again as soon as real danger happened to befall the boy. There were exceptions, of course. And twists that didn’t fall into those semi strict guidelines at all. He loved to protect things. Even if it was just himself, the ravenclaw was always trying to keep something safe. He just happened to decide how to go about doing it a bit strangely.

He moved ahead next to her, as quietly as he could. He was incredibly light, and incredibly quiet, slinking up next to the more confident, and in his eyes more powerful girl. One hand reached to grap one side of his cape, then the other, pulling them together in front of him like a barrier to whatever was waiting for him past the first few trees. Sure, it was just the outskirts. The real terror of the forbidden forest, that which gave it it’s pretty obvious name was still hidden away back there, concealed in denser trees and thicker fog.

“We can go in a little farther, if you’re sure”

If she moved farther forwards, he would follow her closely, keeping an eye on their surroundings, but also on the girl next to him. He wasn’t entirely convinced she wasn’t just going to turn around and rip out his eye, laughing about it maniacally and then running away, leaving him bleeding and alone in the outskirts of a dangerous forest. Being alone didn’t worry him, it was the blood. All manner of creature would flock to him, hoping for an easy corpse, but satisfied with an easy victim. And that was not how he wanted to go. Just thinking about the possibility got him more scared. Scared enough to have him end up spending more time looking at her than at his surroundings