Induction {FP}

[Nathalia]

The rain pattered down softly, after a hazy and humid day. A thick, heavy mist was rising from the hot ground; it was warm, damp, and swirling around the base of a high stone wall crawling with ivy.

The masquerade watched the mist rise from her perch on top of the wall; she was at least fifty feet in the air, a silent observer of those who might trespass in her realm. She lay her aquiline head on her front paws, a smile tugging at the corners of he beak as she watched the nearly invisible tendrils of haze climb up the wall.

She wasn't bothered by the rain. It was what made the grapes grow, after all, and she did love them so. She tucked her back legs in a little tighter. Breathing deep the heady smell of thick loam, wet leaves, and fresh rain. She did love to get away from the hustle of life in her Court every now and again. She was just glad it had cleared out for a bit.

Atreju was off with that Tiskajeko...she delighted in the fact that they were probably mating. The silly boys, how needy they were. The new little female was off playing with the horde of Lapine children; thank deity...the little monsters were enough to drive her up the wall. The others were either napping or keeping watch at the exits with Mulsej and Furl.

Ah, home.



Her smooth white, purple, and green fur blended with the ivy and limestone fairly well, especially at that height, and she slowly began to catnap.

She left one eye open, a trick taught to her by her father...and it's point driven home when her mother slew him the one night that he forgot.

Dayobi rested, gazing out over her quiet realm, at peace with her home and her makeshift family.

[FlyingPanther]

It wasn't long before Dayobi would see two Euclides walking alongside the marbled wall. She was to high up for them to see her, but she could see them, though the fog might have obscured them slightly. They both looked very damp, especially the youngest one, who seemed to be having some difficulty walking. On closer inspection, she might realize that they had to be related, a father and a daughter.

Caesarion struggled to walk, her limbs aching horribly. As she grew older she began to feel the effects of her type more heavily. It was a sight that made Juliusr ache just as much as she was. He had a fling with a very pretty Agony, and was so happy to have children, as he loved them, but now he began to feel guilty. How could he have let such a mix into the world. In his heart of hearts he knew she probably wouldn't last very long into adulthood if she even made it that far. None of his children would, not even with the help of his ansestory. It seemed to only help him...and none of his children.

Almost as if on que Caesarion stoped, buckling slightly. Juliusr stopped, looking very concerned. "Caesarion...are you...?" he didn't even have a chance to finish his sentance before Caesarion began gagging and finally projectile vomited a rather large amount of what would appear to be blood. By the end of the episode she was gasping for breath, and the blood around her would make one wonder if she had any blood left in her body at all. "No...I really dont think I am..." she said pathetically, her body lowering as she couldn't hold herself up any longer from weakness. Juliusr looked forlorn at his daughter before looking around where they were. "Let's rest here for a moment...yes?" he said licking her face to get rid of some of the blood. It had a putrid sick taste to it, but he knew how OCD Caesarion got when she threw up all over her face. Caesarion merely noded, unable to do much else.

He dragged her by her scruff, which didn't really hurt her at all, but she was suprised he didn't take fur along with him when he let go. She was falling apart, she knew this, and she sighed. While the rain was slightly warm, Juliusr didn't want to take the chance that she might get cold. He dragged her to the wall, and placed himself next to it, curling her up between his legs, and placing his tail over her like a blanket. They would rest a bit until Caesarion could walk again.

Caesarion Kaebi: 12 / 15 [25 / 100]

[Nathalia]

A noise...noises.

Dayobi's open eye rolled in its socket, whilst her other snapped open, there was no other movement from the Patchwork, just her eyes. She remained still until she had identified that the noises were coming from below her and to the left, she then risked tilting her head to see who, or what, it was.

Two Euclides, a parent and child by the looks of the size difference and similar colors. She peered through the mist, trying to get a better look.

No good, they kept moving in and out of deeper patches of mist. They halted, quite abruptly, directly beneath her. The small one began to hack and cough in a most unpleasant fashion, it’s back arched and its head lowered as it tried to clear its throat. Dayobi watched with curiosity, the mist pealing away from them, what with the adults movements and the child's shuddering. They appeared to be Canines...foxes almost, the adult was bandaged and thin looking. The child...

The Masquerade watched as the child coughed up a terrible amount of blood, before leaning against her wall, panting. She watched as the adult, cleaned its face carefully, before curling around it. She watched them huddle.

She had heard a creature cough like that before. Biyuse, the Lapine who had joined her ranks so recently. That Agony was always coughing up tiny pools of blood; her Di was constantly covered in small flecks of crimson…nothing like this though. Was the child an Agony mix? Dayobi sniffed the air tentatively.

Then she arose.

Padding down to them as quietly as she could, Dayobi waited until she was on a ledge off to the left, she then seated herself and raised a forepaw. This she delicately flicked, letting the tiny, purple balls of metal tinkle against each other.

She then smiled politely, inclining her head.

"Good day, my friends. Might I be of any help?"

[FlyingPanther]

Fox-like heads turned to face the chinking of bells in unison. The little female looked in utter pain. Her eyes were bloodshot, and nearly as red as the fur that covered her body. Blood was still slightly splattered against her muzzle, despite her fathers efforts to get rid of it. She was normally very OCD about all the blood on her face after such an episode, and indeed, discomfort could be easily seen in her features, though she was far to weak to attempt to keep herself spotless at the moment. Her discomfort not only came from this, but also the fact that she was falling apart from the inside out.

She soon rested her head back where it had previously been, either confident in the fact that the female that had just greeted them ment them no harm or in such pain that she hardly could care what the female's intentions were. The male, who was obviously the father of the pained baby continued to look at the female for a moment before bowing his head slightly. "Greetings, M'lady. You are very kind to offer your services, but honestly I don't know if there is truely anything that can be done. My daughter suffers from the pains of her genetics." The blame in his eyes as he finished the last sentence was plain. He looked back at his daughter for a moment, who just lay, curled up between his legs and tail lamely, and licked the top of her head gingerly. It was rewarded by a low moan of unsuccessful resistance.

In the world like the Euclides, it was hard to find individuals that were not weary on first meetings, but Juliusr had never been that way. If one approached him, whatever was going to happen was going to happen. At least this was his opinion, so it was best to greet oncomers with kindness then with skepticism. It made painful encounters less likely, not that he wasn't prepared for those as well. As one might be able to tell from the band around his head, he was rather proficent in the martial arts. "I am Juliusr Kaeril, and my daughter's name is Caesarion Kaebi," he said nudging the bundle with his nose before turning back to the female, "but who is this lady who greets us and offers help?"

Caesarion Kaebi: 13 / 15 [26 / 100]

[Nathalia]

Dayobi listened with her head cocked politely as the older Euclides related to her their names and tale. She had to admit to certain feelings of pity. The girl was clearly in a bad way, and looked pitiful, her father looked the worse for wear as well...they smelled oddly familiar. The Agony she could place but the other....

Torn.

They were Torn. Well, what a surprise. She had only ever met one Torn before, that being her hand servant, Mulsej. How very interesting...he simply must meet them. Now they had to come in.

She moved down to the pair, seating herself a few feet away and raising a paw to place on her chest.

"I am the Lady Dayobi." She murmured, extending the paw to Juliusr. "I am afraid that your daughter does not appear in the best of condition, are you certain you are wont to refuse assistance? My home is quite close by."

She nodded toward the large, ivy covered wall. "In fact, it's just beyond this wall. My home is warm, and comfortable, and I have friends to assist you." She let her gaze rove over the male's form, stopping on his head band. "I am certain that you can defend yourself, but you need not worry, I harbor no ill will toward you or your daughter, I wish only to help." She bowed her head, voice quiet. "I offer food, drink, and a warm place to sleep for the night. Please, follow me."

[FlyingPanther]

Juliusr watched as the female seemed to be inspecting them further. He did not move as she approached, as there was nothing in her movements that alarmed him, and he was not the skittish type. Their was a look in her eyes of realization, though he wasn't sure what it was that she was realizing. It was quite possible that he was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he was oblivious to something that was going on around them, that or the thought of hers was purely her own, and he had just happened to read the process of it.

"I would not say that I am wont...I am just not sure what can be done..." he said, his voice having a subtle sadness to it that he could not hope to have her understand. "Though, a nice warm place to rest would be very welcome...Thank you Lady Dayobi." he said bowing his head slightly. He was not like other Euclide, and that was something that was easy to see. He was very polite for one, and for another thing, he really didn't exaggerate his possition. He knew he was a puppeteer, and that this was not a rank that was extremely prestigous, and he was happy to give credit where it was due. Unlike his daughter, he was not at all upset with what he was given in this world, but that was probably because he didn't care for power...and he was not at all in the shape his daughter was. He knew the female in front of him was of a higher rank just by looking at her. The fact that she owned whatever was behind the Ivy covered wall helped with the image.

He got up as the female began moving...showing them into her home. Caesarion remained huddled on the cobblestone floor, completely unmoving. He sighed a bit, saddened greatly by her state. Juliusr was not a depressive type, actually far from it...but any parent would be saddened by the deterioration of their offspring. He bit gently at her scruff to see if it was about to fall off like the skin of a cooked chicken, but it stayed firmly planted to her neck. He picked her up by it, and she immidiately curled into fetal position, ready for him to carry her.

Caesarion Kaebi: 14 / 15 [27 / 100]

[Nathalia]

The Patchwork nodded in acknowledgement of his acceptance. "Please, come this way." She murmured, a smile gracing the edges of her beak. She moved slowly around to the side of the large slab of stone, pushed at some of the thicker strands of ivy, and seemed to disappear.

Upon closer inspection, however, it could be seen that the ivy grew, in huge concealing clumps, over a crack in the stone, wide enough for two medium sized Euclides to pass through. On the other side though...

The small tunnel opened into an underground Court. A large room, lit by a few small candle lamps, set to the side of a doorway off to the left, this doorway appeared to open into another hallway, and wind off. Around the room were placed various little rugs and a few cushions and chairs. The chairs were upholstered with moldering velvet, and though the carpets appeared worn, they were of good quality and taste.

Four large, old stone pillars held the ceiling, and twined around each of them were vines...grape vines. There were grape vines growing up the sides of the pillars, on the walls, and on what looked like a small stage, set up on the far right side of the room.

Dayobi tuned to her companions and smiled, waving a paw about herself. "My friends, welcome to the Court of Dayobi. If you'll hold on for just a moment, I'll call for someone to bring us food and drink, please make yourselves comfortable." She gestured to the cushions and rugs. "Don't worry about getting blood on anything." She murmured to the girl, expression softening slightly. "I know my way about Torns and Agony's."

Dayobi turned and moved off down the lamp lit hallway, her footsteps fading away as she sought out some assistance.

[FlyingPanther]

Juliusr and Caesarion followed her, finding their way around vines so as not to entwine the young Caesarion as she hung helplessly from her father's maw. She was far to involved with her inward pain to pay attention to her surroundings, but Juliusr took in the sights like a greedy kid in a candy store with shelves full of sweets. The walls were magnificent, the vines graceful, and the overall architecture devine. It was not long before they were in thier final destination, a room full of comfortible pillows and chairs. Dayobi spoke to them again, telling them that it was perfectly fine to rest here, and not to worry about ruining anything. Juliusr bowed his head greatfully, careful not to touch his precious cargo to the floor. Caesarion found her voice, despite herself being to weak. She just had to thank the lovely lady for her hospitality...

"Thank you....you are very kind to offer both my father and I a place to stay for a while...even after seeing me..." vomit all over the place, she wanted to finish, but was to discusted with herself and her affliction. Her voice was pained and soft, but she had hoped it was a proper thanks. Her father had taught her politeness and she certainly wouldn't be acting otherwise.

Juliusr rested his daughter down on a clump of pillows close to a chair, then sitting himself upon it, and looked around as Dayobi left the scene. Juliusr could hardly believe their luck! A beautiful place to stay for a while, and such wonderful service! It seemed all to good to be true, though he wanted not to be the skeptic. He wanted to believe that for once kindness was being shown towards his daughter. She had recieved so much hardship from the simple fact that she was falling appart, it was painfully unfair.

"Nice place she's got here, huh love?" he said with a smile. Caesarion nodded, as if by being in this lively room she had gained some of it's life and activity.

Caesarion Kaebi can now grow, however, will be postponed until she recieves 100 points. [28 / 100]

[Nathalia]

Dayobi paused in the doorframe at the child's words.

Even after seeing me...

She turned to look at her. "My dear, I know it may not feel like it, but there is worse, and I have seen it. You are quite a beautiful young girl. Keep your chin up; there are many wonderful things that can happen when you have charm and beauty on your side...no matter what the circumstance. Now just a moment, I'll fetch someone to bring dinner."

She moved off down the hallway, not bothering to be quiet in her own domicile, her back talons clicked on the stone and hard packed earth. She had already taken a liking to the pair; she would be extending them invitation into her Court...possibly even her Cast. Depending on how they made themselves out to be.

The girl reminded her...so much... Not now though, not a memory for now. It was enough to know that she would stay. Stopping after a small walk, she reached a door, hanging off of its hinges a bit, but perfectly serviceable. She knocked, lightly.

The door opened almost at once, an eager face poking out. "Yesh, M'Lady? Wha' kin Ah do fer yehs?"



The old Torn face of Mulsej, poked itself out of the door. He squirmed inside as his Lady smiled at him.

"Mulsej, we have some guests, would you run out to the cupboard and grab something serviceable?"

"Weh've shtill got summat smoked meat from a night or two back." He muttered, rubbing his chin. "Or Ah could git sommah the guys tae go out an git summat fresh?"

Dayobi thought for a minute. "The smoked flesh will be fine, bring some cheese too, will you?"

The old Torn nodded emphatically. "Ahf coursh M'Lady. Ah'll be out in a bit, then." He then pulled himself out of the room and headed off down the hall, away from the main room. Satisfied, Dayobi turned and moved back out to her guests, who looked much more comfortable. She chose one of the velvet chairs and seated herself.

"Are our lodgings to your liking?" She enquired, smiling. "Can I offer you something to drink? Water for your daughter, perhaps you would like some wine?" She gestured to the right, where a large shelf stood; it was filled with variously sized glass bottles.

[FlyingPanther]

Caesarion liked Dayobi a great deal, or at least she had decided this. Not only was she beyond kind for letting them into her home, but she also reminded her a great deal of her father and she liked to believe what her father said wasn't complete bullshit. In the world she was forced to live in, she had begun to be a sceptic of what her father was telling her. Only one's parents would say one was beautiful, or talented, or whatever when one really wasn't. The world had begun to prove her father false in all his words. He said she could be anything she wanted to be, if she only tried hard enough. Yeah, well she wanted to be living a happy, long life, but that certainly wasn't happening despite her efforts! She wasn't getting any closer to showing that...bitch, that she could be just as great as her.

Dayobi showed that there was other people like her father out there, so that maybe her father's words need not be so criticed. She smiled at the female as she left to go get things for her father and herself. She awaited eagerly for her return, as she was very curious about this lady, and wanted to know more about her. Dayobi had come back rather quickly and setted herself opposite of them. Caesarion grined at her question about her home and noded. She was feeling much better then before. Still in pain, granted, but feeling better none the less. Juliusr's mood had also improved quite a bit, though it really didn't take much to make this fox happy.

"I would love some water, thank you."[/b] Caesarion said genuinly. Juliusr smiled, "You have an absolutely marvelous home. I had been eyeing those wine bottles, quite the lovely selection. I sure wouldn't mind taking some off your hands."[/b] He chuckled the last sentance, he was a bit of a party animal and it really wasn't far from the truth. Hey, anyone heard of drunken style? He practically created that!

Caesarion Kaebi: [29 / 100]

[Nathalia]

Dayobi grinned and nodded, standing in an arch, stretching her back, and then moving over to the bookcase. She moved to the left side of it, and pulled open a partially hidden door, revealing a small opening in the wall. It was dark, moist, and cool inside. She reached in a purple scaled paw, and pulled out a small flask of clear liquid. Setting this down for a moment, she moved back in front of the bookcase.

Rearing onto her hind legs, she reached up to the third shelf and let her paws wander over a few bottles. She finally selected an old, green-ish glass shape, filled with dark liquid. Its top had been stuffed with a makeshift cork, sealed with wax, easy enough to open with a claw, but enough to stop spilling.

Scooping up both containers, she made her way back over to her guests. She smiled as she handed Caesarion the flask. "Here you are, dear." She murmured. "My servant, Mulsej will be along with food shortly."

She then passed the bottle to the older Fox-like Euclides. She grinned, and tilted her head to the side. "I caution you, it's quite strong. Still, you appear as one to enjoy it. Most of its contents are grown in my court, some is "borrowed", and one other ingredient is...donated, shall we say? By the local humans..." She smiled, knowing he would understand once he opened the bottle and smelled the unmistakable aroma of blood mixed in the wine.

She seated herself on the chair once more, making small talk with the two of them. It was quite a change to have a pair such as them in her home. Genuinely polite, the male genuinely happy, both quite grateful. They were without the sultry air she was used to though, many of her Court and Cast members were as polite as could be desired...but the underlying tone to their thanks or inquiries, led you to believe there was something else behind the pleasantries.

These two seemed somehow more simple...more real. If it weren't for their obvious types...she might have pegged them as disguised Amuni.

An idea occurred to her, and she leaned in toward the adult Canine. "Juliusr?" She murmured. "Has your daughter ever seen another Torn, besides yourself?...Do you think seeing another might upset her? My servant...Mulsej, is a rather old example of the type...if you grasp my meaning."

Mulsej pulled himself back inside through the hidden entrance a good ways away from the entrance to Dayobi’s Court. He tugged a leather bag behind him, humming softly to himself, fully motivated by the picture still in his mind.

His Lady’s delighted, and approving features…the way that she smiled, the way that it was him she requested to run such errands, to entertain guests. It was he that she relyed on and trusted. It was he who would always remain. Grunting slightly, he pulled his mangled body slowly down the hall.

[FlyingPanther]

Caesarion was happy to open the flask and take a small swig of the cool water. The first sip was not pleasent, as it tasted of her own blood, the remaining blood that she had thrown up, but had not managed to swallow when cleaning herself. But slowly, the blood diluted...and slowly, it became water. Nice cool, refreshing water. She could feel her body thank her repeatedly for rehydrating. Now it could slowly rebuild the blood lost. Her body was feeling much better from just the water. But she did have to drink it slowly. She knew that the gag reflex was still present...and drinking to quickly could trigger it again. She would absolutely HATE to get blood all over Dayobi's wonderful home. Especially after being so kinda as to let her and her father stay here for a little bit.

Juliusr uncorked the bottle, curious as to what the lovely female could mean. He mildly wondered how much of the wonderful bottle he should drink. If it stayed in his paws for to long...it would be all gone...and he certainly didn't want to be rude and drink more then was alright. Politeness was something he tried to practice...however uncommon it was in the Euclide world. Juliusr was just, rather peaceful in nature, and really didn't see the sence in wasting energy on fighting unless his life or one he loved was in danger. Might as well save all his energy for those occations.

He took a wiff of the wine, and his eyes rolled slightly, obviously pleased. The wine smelt wonderful, and he was extremely excited by it. Homemade stuff was always stronger, and he was ready for that challange, though again, this was a meeting...and not so much a party...so he would have to make sure he didn't get beligerant. Then the aftersmell struck him...and he chuckled. Blood, what an interesting choice in ingredients, though he had to say he was rather excited to see what it could do for the wine. He had never had Blood wine before. He wondered why he had never thought of it. He smirked and gave it a nice long swig, whiping his mouth with the side of his arm. The taste was more then he could have imagined. It was absolutely intoxicating...like a drug. "Oh dear...I'm afraid I'm hooked." he said with a rather strong joyous laugh.

The laughter died down a bit when the female asked him the question about her servent. He bit his bottom lip, and looked at Caesarion who looked back at him before turning to Dayobi. "My father and I like to keep to ourselves mostly, there are not many Euclide that...um...are kind enough to see past my illness, and ignore its grotesque nature...". Juliusr noded and continued..."She has siblings, and of course her mother was an agony, so she knows that aspect...but...I don't know if she knows..." just how bad it can get he wanted to finish...but he felt...uncomfortible saying it in front of his daughter. He was not full torn, he knew this because of his strange coloration, and for the fact that he hadn't gotten as bad a case of decay as other torns. He was sure it would take a very long time for him to get to the point that most Torns get to. Caesarion, however, was quickly getting there before it was her time.

"Do...you want to see...?" he asked his daughter...worried for her mental health after seeing what was eventually going to happen to her at an unfair rate. Caesarion looked at her father and Dayobi then said, "It's going to happen, and there isn't anything I can do to change that...maybe it's best to see...at least...then it wont be a horrible suprise when it does finally happen..." she gave a smile to both Dayobi and Juliusr, attempting to make it reassuring that she would be ok after seeing something 'odd'.

Caesarion Kaebi: [ 49 / 100 ]

[Nathalia]

Dayobi smiled at Juliusr, she was always pleased to receive compliments on her wine...it was nice to know that her efforts were appreciated. Especially when some of the wines were made to such specific tastes.

The Masquerade could not help but smile at his claim that he was "hooked". She loved the way that this creature seemed to relate so openly to her. It wasn't too often that she could get Euclides, especially males, to relate to her as though she were simply a casual friend. She had to admit...he had quite a bit of charm.

She watched his face fall slightly as she inquired about Mulsej. She had expected it, he seemed the sensitive sort toward his little daughter, while Dayobi might normally have found it amusing in this situation to simply pull Mulsej in...she was finding that she rather liked the company of these two Canines. Therefore, politeness was a must.

She listened with a wry smile to the girl's reply. How mature... What an interesting child, it wasn't often that Dayobi took such interest in a child without wondering what it was that the child could do for her in the future.

"As you will, my dear. No need to head off poor old Mulsej, then." She turned her head toward the hallway, past the flickering lantern light. "He should be here soon with some further refreshment, I asked him to bring us some-"

There was a hollow dragging sound that began, faintly, down the corridor. Chunk! Scraaaaaape! Draaaaaaaag! The sound was heavy, slow, hollow, and fleshy. Slight wheezing could also be made out after a few moments, as a low-slung form pulled itself up behind the lantern. Once it had heaved past the direct glow it became visible.

It was Mulsej. The old Torn had a thick leather strap in his mouth and was dragging a bag, the bag smelled of human.

He looked up at the gathered company, loose blackened lips hanging from his face, a few thick ropes of drool clung to the rubbery surfaces. His eyebrows lifted slightly in surprise at the looks of the other two, and he smiled mismatched teeth protruding. It was his legs that drew the most attention though, they always did. Even more so than his odd noseless face and hanging furless belly, it was his hindquarters that caused people to stare.

His legs were a god-awful mess...what was left of them. Most of the structure had given up and fallen apart. One limb was broken off near the knee, a large chunk of proken bone proturded from the fur and made a hollow sound when pulled across the ground. The other limb was just a mass of stringy, rotting flesh; nerveless and smacking the ground as he moved. His front paws fared little better, looking as though they were covered in onion paper, ivory structure showing through.

He bowed his upper body to Dayobi and then pulled off the bag strap, lowering it and smiling at the other two. "Whell hallo, yew two." He said simply, his voice sounded raspy, thick, and old. "Ow's abou' sum food, eh? Makes yeh feel better than the poor chap it's made out ahf, righ'?" He laughed thickly, shoving the bag toward the two Canines.

Dayobi smiled and nodded acknowledgment to her servant. "Thank you, Mulsej. Please, stay, I think there may be some questions for you." She turned back to her guests. "Please feel free to help yourselves, it's smoked human...about three days old, well salted and kept." She smiled and awaited the reaction with interest.