Unchained. -SNOW BLUES MIX-

Mask of Ice
The woman grunted, "Come on, hurry up." She seemed to grab Iris' arm and pull her along, beckoning the others to follow her lead. "...You all look like you need some rest. Note that I hate you- but I want you to all be in top shape."

Iris, with that same puzzled face, questioned innocently, "Where are you taking us?"

Though it was clear, despite her mask, she had forced a half-smile on her face, the woman snarked, "I'm going to throw you all into a fire. Duh; I'm taking you back to my place."

"Hating us and yet treating us to such hospitable behaviour as taking us to your home is quite contradictory." Jason pointed it out, never missing a chance to pick out something wrong with the girl.

"Why are you dragging Iris?" Yasaka asked, having finally woken up from her beating at the hands of the frost demon.

The woman didn't even bother turning around to answer. "...Because she's fluffy." Such an awkward statement coming from such a stoic woman was rather unsettling. "I used to own a pet squirrel. She was my best friend. Then she died."

Iris froze up. "...Wai-wai-wai-wai-wait! Why do I feel such an ominous chill rush up my spine!?"

The woman continued to snark, "She died because I ate her."

Iris's eyes began to water as she wailed, "Keep me away from herrrrrrrrrrrrrr...!"

Jason lightly tugged Iris away from Momoko, eyeing her curiously as he stroked Iris' ears to calm down her panic. "You're lying." It wasn't a question, it wasn't  a childish jibe, he was outright stating it because he knew she was. It didn't stop him from keeping Iris closer to himself than her. Even Wendy was looking at Momoko with strange eyes.

Momoko grinned under her mask of ice and blatantly admitted, "Of course. Besides, squirrels taste terrible if I do say so myself."

"Can't take any worse than a rat." Yasaka murmured.

Momoko ignored this comment as they reached her house. It wasn't too fancy, nor was it run-down. Just...regular. Nothing of note. "...Well, here it is." She rolled her eyes underneath that mask and chuckled "...I'm living the dream."

Iris didn't seem all too fussed about it. "Well, it's certainly...cozy."

Momoko pointed to the hamster wheel in the corner. "There's your room."

Jason punched her in the head, frowning. "You have terrible jokes."

Momoko spat back as she took two steps back, "At least I don't go to town on children."

Not missing a beat, Jason quipped. "Try it sometime, you'll like it." He looked outside. The sun was already setting. "It's getting late anyway. We'll be turning in now. Ulalia, I'm sure you'd be averse to sleeping directly next to me, so you'll have to think up some solution to that."

Ulalia's eyes focused on Iris's....tail. "Oh, I think I have a plan." She latched onto it rather casually, prompting a soft moan to escape Iris's lips. "I'll sleep with Iris. You guys do whatever, I'm fine with anything now."

Microcrack
It was the middle of the night when Jason woke up. As was per the sleeping norm, the girls was sleeping all around him, Wendy always at his side. However, he was wide awake now, and quietly slide out of Wendy and Vivian's arms, moving quietly through the house. Since he was awake, taking in some fresh night air had it's appeal. As he walked outside however, he saw a feminine figure standing out in the moonlight, Quietly, his curiousity got the best of him and he moved in. He saw it was Momoko, standing outside with her mask off of her face. Taking in her face for the first time...she was actually quite beautiful, and he quietly appreciated her looks in the moonlight. Then he stepped on a crunching leaf...

"Kyaaaaaaaaa!" Momoko squealed rather loudly as she turned around quickly, swiftly covering her face with her hands. "...Don't look at me anymore...!" She hissed at him, continuing, "....You know that now you've seen my face...there's only one thing that I can do..." she seemed rather downput by all of this.

Jason seemed was confused as to why she would cover his face, but this confusion was all internal, his face displayed none of it. "And that would be?" He said it slowly.

WHOOSH! A freezing gust of air blasted towards Jason. "...But if I manage to kill you, then everything will be called off!" She darted forward like a bullet, attempting to slam down on him with a spinning heel kick.

Jason caught her leg, mildly surprised she would launch herself at him blindly, and then he caught on. "Oh, I see. The fact that I've viewed your face without the mask only further cements the marriage doesn't it." He spun her in the air like a top using her ankle to get the motion going, before throwing her by the arm so she slid out onto the snow. "Am I wrong?"

Momoko managed to catch herself, if only barely. Prying her legs from the white, she stood to her feet, snapping, "...Exactly. I NEVER wanted this. I hate my clan so much...It feels like I'm locked in a room with nothing as comfort! Every day, the rules restrict me from doing damn near everything...! You can't possibly understand that!"

"Then come with us." Jason replied simply. "Rebel. Marrying me isn't something you want, quite obviously. And I understand you well. The traditions you uphold, the mask you literally wear as per the norms of the clan, and the mask you figuratively wear as the granddaughter of the elder who must uphold the tribes traditions at all costs...break them both." He ripped his hand over his face, showing Momoko something that others couldn't see. "Masks don't make up the core of who we are." This voice was frightening, and something white shattered onto the ground, pieces of something, bone perhaps.

Momoko immediately ceased her attack, skidding to a vicious grinding halt, still looking away as she resumed standing rather normally. "...You're right. But they say, without me, the tribe would be obliterated in an instant from outside forces. Everyone I love is here...What do I do?"

Jason picked up a piece of the shattered material and tossed it to her, before turning to back into the house. "The choice is yours. You must go only where your heart leads."

Momoko was utterly speechless by those words. "Where my heart leads, huh...?" She didn't do anything but stare into the grey skies, contemplating Jason's words; they clearly had a big impact upon her.

Shatterpoint
''There was a different scene right about now. A rather full-bodied female figure walked out from the kitchen, into the living room. Several small children of orange and blonde hair trailed after her in a scattered fashion. Hearing the door bell ring, she opened it. "Oh, honey, you're home! How was work?"''

''This person...well, it was Jason, wearing a business suit. "...Fine, I guess, Momoko."''

''Momoko questioned. "Now, do you want me to cook your favourite meal, or do you want to spend time with the kids, or-"''

''Jason put his hands on her shoulders, causing her face to redden. "What I want is you, darling."''

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!" Momoko screamed like a banshee, realizing that it was all a dream. "...The hell was that...!?"

Jason walked into her room, foregoing the etiquette that was knocking on a door, and he gave her an appraising look. "You're obviously not dead, and yet you decided it was the right idea to scream as if murder was being committed." This was similar to something he'd said to Vivian awhile back. "Should I be notified of something?"

Momoko spat at him, "Learn how to knock, LaHote. What went on in my dreams was none of your business...and if it was you'd double-take at what happened."

"I'm sure." Jason replied, turning around as he made to leave the room. "The fact of the matter is nothing happened. Either way, the elder sent a messenger up about 30 minutes ago requesting we come down to the main village." This was obviously her cue to get dressed.

Momoko growled at this. "...Stupid woman. Always making me do stuff." Quickly, she reached over to her bedside table and grabbed her icy mask, securing it over her face. Once again, her emotions were frozen the moment that she wore that mask; she wrapped the sheet around her body and stood to her feet, quickly heading into her dressing room.

About ten minutes had passed, and the main group was heading down to the main village. Iris was looking around, scatterbrained as always, while Vivian merely had her arms crossed. Momoko's steps seemed as icy as her element, but behind her cold mask, there was a sad woman contemplating her life's work. "...So, what did she call us down for, hmmmm~?" Iris questioned.