The Doctor had slowly trudged his way back to the snowy domain of his kin. It was as he reached the Frozen Arch that d'Artagnan realized that the realm of winter might not be the best place to look for the plants he needed. The red boy was especially intrigued by the properties of the milky flower, were these ingredients the Moon needed to gift him his magic? He chewed on the thought whilst travelling up the rocky path that led to the Heavenly Fields, the one place he had yet to venture to. Dual coloured pools brimming with intense curiosity and excitement at all the possibilities that could be growing up here. He was short of breath at the peak, not realizing just how far up the rocky path went. With a grimace, the shade carried on into the Meadow.

Winter was harsh and d'Art wondered if there were any plants that survived so far up. Maybe it was only those hardier types that would be worthy enough to give him the magic he sought. The Nightshade lowered his head and scanned the earth, scrutinizing each scrap of dirt, grass, plant and weed. Noting anything new he came across and growling in annoyance when he couldn't find the ones he needed. Would he have to scour Helovia to find them? The red scowled. How did the Moon expect him to find them with no guidance, even the guidance of the Earth God couldn't help him here. "Fuck it."

The growling and grumbling continued on as he continued to look. To any onlooker he may look light a complete mad man, talking to himself whilst sniffing the off plant.

Whose gunna dig you out when you're
s i x f e e t u n d e r

d'Artagnan watched whilst he was joined by what appeared to be a young unicorn who quite calmly started scouring the ground with him. The Nightshade watched sceptically for a moment, wondering whether he should interrupt the boy's unspoken help to ask him 'why?' Instead he shrugged and left him to it, quietly glad for the extra company and the increased odds of finding his prized flowers. He seemed to be enjoying himself anyway, veinly trying to pull a stubborn root from the ground. d'Artagnan smiled faintly then returned to scouring the fields intently.

Aviya still lingered behind him, her father sending one eye to watch her ever so often. Happy that she was here too, learning the ways of poison and the might of her race. She would grow to be a great mare, he could see it everyday. The offspring of the Doctor and the Nurse were surely bred to fight with a cunning to be feared throughout. d'Artagnan did hope that his child did develop some of Kou's good sense and not all of his madness.

It was as he turned back to check on his daughter once more that the Nightshade spotted one of the plants he was after. It's sturdy stem peeping out of retreating snow complete with a sickly looking flower. The shade paused. This one was the flower the Goddess had said could paralyse him, and so he stood there regarding it for a moment before turning his head to Aviya. Projecting his voice loud enough for the grey boy to hear as well. "You see that flower over there, that is what I was looking for" he proffered his head to indicate his prize. "If you touch it you'll be paralyized"

With that the shade moved forward, eyes narrowing and horn placed low to the ground. He then continues to carefully slice the plant from the earth with the sharp points of his glass weapons. Gingerly holding his body away from it and, if successful, jamming it between his two horns. For there it would remain whilst he found the other.

Whose gunna dig you out when you're
s i x f e e t u n d e r

Finally having the nerve to pluck it once skewered, d'Artagnan gingerly held it in his mouth. Watching some of the milky liquid drip from his horn and onto the ground below. With a swiftness, d'Artagnan moved off to the stream and dipped his twin swords in, cleaning them free of all poison. Just in case. With that he returned to his young crowd of admirers.

"That. Young colt. You do not need to know" d'Artagnan answered for his child. Giving Vermillion a look of warning. A thought appeared in his mind however and the shade moved towards the cream babe with a glint in his eye. The Goddess had said this flower poisons those who touch it and, if the Mender really was honest with himself, he was curious as to how that would affect a horse. Was their whole body paralyzed? Or was it not as strong as that? Standing before the colt he allowed an eye to check on Aviya, hoping she wouldn't think him too cruel. Maybe it would do her good, he thought himself a master of poison and admittedly he showed scarce mercy. It came with the job. She would have to learn that. Although given her aptitude already, d'Artagnan didn't think it'd take all that long. If at all.

"Here... Touch it." He offered the flower's head, watching with interest. "I'm a healer, I can heal you later" he baited this time, testing the colt's bravery. His eyes judging and watching him with intense scrutiny. The Nightshade hadn't decided whether he would heal him or not as of yet, it depended on how entertaining it's effects were. The child needn't know this however. His head tilted, he wondered if he'd have to force it onto the colt. It wouldn't take long, not with his feeble body before his might.

Tail swished and ears flickered and he waited expectantly.

Whose gunna dig you out when you're
s i x f e e t u n d e r

Vermillion listened obviously - he nodded and smiled at all of the right places, politely appearing interested, but clearly not listening. If he had been, several warning lights would be going off in his little mind. Or should be at least. As he realized that d'Art was no longer speaking, he ceased his head bobbing to words which were no longer being spoken, and shook his head, righting him of his stupor. Here…touch it Vermillion's mind offered, replaying d'Art's words. "Oh yes! Touch it! Right. Good. I'll just ehm, pick it up with my mouth, shall I?" Promptly, Vermillion stepped forward, lowering his head towards the flower. As his lips reached to pluck it, finally his mind sensed something was wrong.

Bringing his head swiftly up, he tilted his head to the side, frowning slightly. "Sorry. Quick question - " he began politely, "but didn't I hear you say that if you touch it you'll be paralyzed?" He forced half of his lips into an awkward smile, hoping he hadn't come across rude. "Surely you don't actually mean for me to pick it up?" Noting d'Art's expectant tail swishing, he realized all too quickly that yes, that's exactly what he meant. "Right. Because…well, because you said you were a healer so you could heal me….later? How much later - " Sensing that he was rambling, and was bordering on being rude, Vermillion promptly shut up. His breathing increased as he looked down at the flower with a mild terror in his soft gaze. "Right. I'll just pick it. And be healed. Pick it, and be healed." Looking at d'Art one last time for confirmation, he slowly lowered his head, scrunching his eyes closed dramatically as his lips closed around the head of the flower.

[OOC: I don't know how strong it's supposed to be - imi, would you mind describing the effects on Verm? Anything you like.]

& if you were going to crucify me,
I wouldn't want 'nobody to see.

The boy hesitated like d'Artagnan thought he would, the shade kept his cold calculating gaze on the child as he fumbled with his words. The alabaster boy sure did talk a lot. It was almost amusing, how he talked himself into eating the plant, if the child didn't talk so much d'Artagnan could almost like him. Almost. His diseased eyes grew wide then as the colt finally placed his lips around the plant and ate it's pale form.

He waited.

The boy seemed still and the more the flower was digested the stiller he got. d'Artagnan flicked his pitch tail into the face of the boy with a sharp slap, watching with interest if there was any physical movement. Vermillion truly was paralyzed. The mender's eyes narrow, did it only extend to the physical part of his body? Could he still feel and speak? Or were they suspended in time too, silent like a statue. d'Artagnan had to admit, it would be an affective way of shutting up those who like to talk too much. First he had to test it. "Can you talk Vermillion? Can you feel your body? Does it hurt?"

d'Artagnan wasn't even sure if Vermillion would be able to give him an answer. He looked around to check Aviya was watching, it would be good for her to see how a poison worked. If she should so desire to walk a similar path as he had, then she would be well equipped to do so. It was his duty as her father after all, to teach her this knowledge. It may even save her life one day or give her the means to be prompted to a higher rank. Poison was a handy thing to have in one's arsenal and this one in particular was rather curious. d'Artagnan was almost trembling in excitement, where most went to the beach or sparred as a hobby. The shade found his spare time being taken up in poison research, he wondered if there would ever come a day when he would find all the poison the Earth God had stored in his mind that day. He seriously doubted it. That was even more reason to pass this on to his children, maybe one day they would take up were he left off. He wasn't immortal after all, death would claim him and d'Artagnan highly doubted he was going anywhere good after.

[ooc; sorry for the wait! D: But I played it out as if the effects were general paralyses, so he can't move his body but he can talk. It's up to you to decide if it hurts or not ^^]

Whose gunna dig you out when you're
s i x f e e t u n d e r