The Final Stand of Kauria

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DeletedUser37114

Inn
Thank goodness, Feronia took the bait, though Kitten didn't quite like the look on her face as she did so. More like someone who knew exactly why she'd changed the subject and wouldn't let it go that easily than someone gushing over their dream job. Was worth a try at least, and hearing about Feronia's working life was nice. Really nice, actually. And then it was over and Feronia was pushing the uncomfortable questions, followed by something she really didn't expect: pity. That set something off deep in Kitten's chest, where too many memories lived. She'd begged, she'd performed on the street, but she'd never liked being looked down on, seen as someone unfortunate or some garbage like that. And from Feronia, of all people, that made it all worse. "I don't need your help," she growled at the other girl. "And if you think for one fire-blackened second that I'm going to-"

She was interrupted by the sound of the window exploding inward, shards of glass and wood flying across the room. Following those was a hulking grey blur, which surged toward Kitten. The Kitsune swung her hands toward the incoming threat, the motion obviously reflexive from the panic on her face. A surge of heat through the room and the creature was staggering backwards into another creature, this one more lightly built. They'd found her. And they had the absolute worst timing. A glance at Feronia's panicking face was all it took for Kitten to make her decision, her girlfriend would have been up and in the fray about a second ago. So she needed to keep the less experienced girl safe. Telling her to run would be useless, escape was a no-brainer. But these things were fast enough to catch them and there would be too many other casualties downstairs, so that meant... Kitten rushed forward toward the larger creature, mentally preparing another spell and slapping the thing on its front before dodging back out of the range of its claws. A sigil the color of embers flickered to life where she'd made contact. She could keep it occupied long enough for this spell to work, then take down the hunter. Hopefully they wouldn't decide that Feronia was a worthwhile target...
 

Deleted User - 819397

Wow...Feronia had anticipated silence, or perhaps another change of subject, but the outright hostility from Kitten was unnerving, the Stillblood rocking back on her tailbone out of instinct more than anything. She needed to figure out some way to calm the Kitsune down, surely there was a way to backtrack...

Feronia's window shattered. At first the girl thought Kitten had done it, some sort of burst of magic done out of anger. Then...something...attacked the Kitsune, a mass of exoskeleton and dangerous limbs. The young woman replied with a burst of heat, knocking it back into another, more lightly armored creature. The Stillblood found herself frozen. What the hell were these things? Why had they burst into her room? Why were they...oh hell. The second buglike thing that had entered her living space had turned towards her, ignoring the fight that was now ongoing between the Kitsune and larger creature. She began to scramble to her feet to run, only for that to elicit the foe to leap at her. A scream was past her lips before she had time to consider whether or not she wanted to, and as an instinct she drew on her power. Metal flowed around her like liquid from her mismatched leg, forming the steel bird shell she'd used to help Uwe get through the crowded streets of Torpolis. The creature hadn't been prepared for the shift in body mass, claws striking the metal at an awkward angle. It didn't seem deterred though, turning and launching itself again. Inside her crafting, Feronia closed her eyes in fear, feeling the thing take a decent chunk out of the side of it. It wasn't going to stop...it was going to kill her. Oh hell...oh hell...peering out through the eye slits she left herself, she could see Kitten still struggling with the larger creature...she would likely die if she fled...that meant...oh hell. Screaming again, the sound horribly distorted by the steel surrounding her, she ran at the lesser bug, looking to crush it under the weight of her contraption. It attempted to dodge, but the close quarters they were fighting in meant it didn't have far to go and a talon caught its leg. It was a glancing blow, but the wound slowed it enough for the next attack to catch it solidly. Not thinking clearly, the Stillblood tore at it with the bird form's talons long past it being dead. She couldn't process this, she couldn't...the panic, the fear, the effort of holding her form through the damage it had taken...she wouldn't be able to take another hit without it knocking her out from the energy loss, so she let it drop, steel vanishing as suddenly as it had appeared. Defensive that form might be, but agile it was not.

Feronia staggered over to the destroyed window, deciding that would be a better way to exit than the door...the remaining creature could get after the other customers...but then again, all sounds of combat had ceased. A quick glance showed her that Kitten had dispatched her opponent as well. "What...what the hell were-" The Stillblood's infuriated question was cut short by a cry of pain as something soft and malleable wrapped itself around her throat, circles of burning agony arcing their way into her skin. The rational part of her mind told her that this new thing had suckers that had latched onto her, but the rest of her couldn't care less. A second tentacle forced her arms to her sides, eliciting another yelp from the young girl, tears springing to her eyes. A voice came from behind her, a mouth not made for the language it was speaking distorting the words.
"Attack me and this one dies." Not trusting herself to speak, Feronia's eyes darted over to Kitten, terrified. She didn't doubt after the ferocity of the other two attackers that this was a genuine threat...and besides, she'd been grabbed so that she was directly between whatever horror had her and the Kitsune...any magic burst would hit them both. She...she was going to die, wasn't she?
 

DeletedUser37114

Inn
Dodge, deflect, dodge, another rune, dodge, dodge, deflect... Kitten's mind stayed calm as she fought the creature, focusing on staying on the defensive and not getting hit while the runes worked. As well as the chitin worked for deflecting blows, it didn't do very much for dispersing heat, which meant if she could keep raising the thing's internal temperature, it wouldn't be able to handle it. She couldn't afford to panic right now, couldn't afford to do anything less than apply every bit of her training and experience and handle the thing that was trying to kill her. A small part of her wondered where the hunter had gone, why she was only facing one opponent, but she wasn't able to follow that train of thought until the thing stumbled and sagged to the floor, steam leaking out of the joints in its armor. That was the point that she remembered that the person in the room with her wasn't her girlfriend and that she might need help. Or not. Apparently, Feronia had taken care of the hunter, though the mess she'd left probably wouldn't have been identified as one of those creatures. Good for her, one more of those monsters meeting a violent end was a very good thing. What wasn't so good was Feronia stumbling over to the window and then a tentacle wrapping itself around her from below. The thing that hoisted itself up and into the room was a horror, all tentacles, giant half-lidded eyes, and ugly, mottled skin. Worse than that, it spoke, its voice a horrible, warbling rasp. "Attack me and this one dies," was about as clear as a hostage situation could get.

Kitten's first reaction was panic, the thing had Feronia. Her second was rage. It was using the serving girl as a shield and, from the feel of the magic in the air, it was preparing something to kill them both. She couldn't let that happen, couldn't let herself be killed by these things. But Feronia was in the way of anything she could do that might... Cinders... She didn't have much time... "I'm sorry, Feronia," Kitten said, closing her eyes. She let her magic surge, out into a bright flash that would blind the thing. Kitten felt the thing's spell falter as she rushed forward, letting her magic flow into her hands, the heat building to almost uncomfortable levels, even for her. The distance wasn't that far, but she needed to cover it quickly, one step, two, three... and her hands met rough flesh as her magic found an outlet, rushing into the stunned mage. Steam trickled from somewhere in the thing's head as something gave out and it slumped back, staying mostly upright. The sensation of magic being gathered slowed to a stop. Dead, then. Adrenaline continued to course through Kitten as she kept her magic ready, moving between Feronia and the window, but as the seconds ticked by and nothing more came, she forced herself to start calming down. Deep breaths, you're safe now, you're fine, Feronia's fine... Speaking of, the girl was probably waiting for Kitten to help her out of the tentacles that still gripped her. Should probably take care of that and let the girl recover before she spent too long cooling down. Concentrating on drying the things up into shriveled masses and not touching the girl took most of her attention until Feronia was free, at which point she stumbled over to sit against one wall, staring at the ruined window. Heat rolled off the Kitsune in waves, the air around her shimmering as she took deep, ragged breaths.
 

Deleted User - 819397

After a horrible pause, Kitten simply said she was sorry to Feronia, and a sense of finality hit her. Struggling wasn't a possibility with the suckers latched onto her...she'd tear large chunks of her skin if she tried to pull away in a reckless fashion. She was going to die. A blinding light seared the Stillblood's eyes, leaving her unable to see anything but pure white. The horror behind her seemed similarly affected, forcing her back away from the Kitsune to get away from the gleam. Things became a mass of confusion, her sense of sight completely removed. The tentacles gripping her started to get warm, then uncomfortably hot...and all of a sudden she was supporting both her weight and the monster's. She still couldn't see a thing, but with her throat still constricted there wasn't much extra air for her to voice any sort of question. A few increasingly uncomfortable moments later and the lumpy flesh wrapped around her began to heat again, this time painfully hot. It wasn't until her own skin began to cool that Feronia realized she was no longer in the thing's embrace, and that she had been imagining it still clinging to her due to lack of vision.

A few moments of rubbing her eyes later and the Stillblood was able to see enough to take stock of the situation. Kitten was slumped against a wall, the air around her shimmering in a heat wave. Behind her, the creature she had been taken captive by was dead, smoking somewhat, mainly the tentacles she could only assume had previously been wrapped around her. The areas where she'd been grabbed felt and looked as though she was sunburned, her top having been ruined across her stomach, charred to non-existance. Several circles of tight pain were visible in these areas, reminders of the suckers she'd been held in place by. She felt shaky and the rest of her skin was pale as though she was coming down with a cold. But she was alive. Her room was somewhat destroyed, but she was alive. Holy hell...

Sinking to the floor as she tried to make sense of all this, Feronia took a few moments before speaking up. "Kitten...thank you...you saved my life. What...what was all of that...what were those?" Her tone was soft, uncertain. A lot of her energy had left with the danger it seemed, leaving behind a girl who had been through all too much. She looked over at the Kitsune with eyes that were having a bit of a hard time focusing, still dazzled by the light. Though with her current state of mind, it was doubtful she'd have the force of her usual presence behind any look she gave anyone at the moment. "What in the world is happening anymore?"
 
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DeletedUser37114

Inn
Calm down, you're safe, Feronia's safe, calm down, you're safe... Kitten kept the litany going through her mind like a mantra, trying to convince her hands to stop shaking and her mind to stop racing. The creature was dead and she was pretty sure that any others would have attacked by now. She needed to calm down and stay calm, for Feronia's sake. Speaking of the serving girl, Kitten's eyes remained locked on Feronia, her stare carrying a heat that had been missing before. She wanted so badly to just pull the girl down against her, hold her and make sure she was alright and nip and play and show how happy she was that they were both alive... But that was a bad idea on so many levels. So Kitten focused on Feronia thanking her not in that way, you pervert and kept taking deep breaths, trying to cool down before she did something they'd both regret. "Every life they don't take is one that can fight against them." The response was mechanical and tired, like she'd repeated it enough that it was almost automatic by now. Once upon a time she'd never thought she'd get tired of being thanked, but in circumstances like these... "They were after me anyway," Kitten continued, with a little more emotion. "My responsibility. If you would've died, it would've been on me." That hurt, and not in the little twinge of guilt way like when she thought about her parents. More in the panicky I can't think about this way. "This is how it started last time, when they came through, they went for any refugees from the other world first." Though if they were coming through already... Nope, no straying or searching. She'd stay here until the building fell down, if that was what it took. "Are you okay, by the way? I'd check myself, but..." Kitten shuddered, looking away. "Bad idea. Really bad idea."
 

Deleted User - 819397

Kitten didn't respond to Feronia's panicked questions for a moment, staring at her with some sort of fervor instead. The Stillblood wasn't sure what the purpose of the gaze was, maybe just reassuring herself that they were both still alive...in any case, they weren't in danger anymore and that trumped any rationale for an almost uncomfortable amount of eye contact. The girl had been about to speak up when Kitten broke the silence, stating that a life saved was one that could be used against them. There wasn't any passion in the statement, to the point she sounded bored saying it. What kind of life had she been leading that saving someone's life was rote? Feronia almost didn't tune back in in time to hear the Kitsune explain that they'd been after her specifically, that they'd started last time by going after survivors as well, and that if the Stillblood had died it would have been her fault. "That's not..." she began, but let the thought trail into silence rather than risk offending the woman who'd saved her life. If that's how she wanted to think...there really wasn't anything she could say to change her mind, not when she'd been the one standing there used as ransom. She'd need to do better next time...playing the damsel in distress was awful...she'd tried so hard to be self-sufficient, but the first time things had gone bad...

Kitten asking after her well-being shook Feronia out of her thoughts...though what did she mean by it being a bad idea for her to check for herself? "I'm ok on the whole...where the tentacles were I feel a little sunburned, I've got minor sucker wounds where those were latched on but nothing serious...most aren't even bleeding. My shirt's ruined, not that I'm going to complain about that when it was my shirt or my life. Oh, and I used a bit more magic than I intended, feeling a little run down right now, but that's nothing I can't fix with some rest." She chuckled wryly. "Oh, and of course, I've just survived an attempt on my life from creatures that I don't understand and who terrify me more than anything else ever has. And that's saying something." Her room may not have been hers as much as it was on loan from Adin, but it had still felt like hers...and those things had invaded it...her window was broken, there was blood all over the carpet where she'd trampled the one...it was a terrible breach of her inner sanctum, and she didn't want to dwell on that more than she had to. Towards that end..."how...how about you? You don't look like you're giving off heat anymore...feeling ok?"


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Streets

Lensni had kept a polite conversation about her family on the way back to Uwe's room at the inn, answering the posed question of what they all did. Most of them were in some way dedicated to the shop that she had chosen to depart from. Her brother however had departed from the family business to instead start a fishing company. Her father had called him a fool as much as he'd done for her, as there were no shortage of fishermen amongst the aquatic Nuseni. However, it seemed as though their family were just shrewd businessmen all around, as he too had a success story, finding a niche spot in the market for certain hard-to-catch fish after discovering a kind of bait that said fish found irresistible. The story had brought them all the way to the inn, and Lensni flushed a little as she realized she'd dominated the conversation for that long. "I'm sorry, I got carried away there. It's not often I get asked about my family, was good to reminisce. Your turn now, what are your family like?" She smiled, waiting for Uwe to both lead her to his room and begin his family account...she'd done enough talking for the time being.
 

DeletedUser37114

Inn
Apparently Feronia was okay, which was very nice to hear, for a number of reasons. She'd apparently burned the girl a bit when she'd removed the tentacles, which was unfortunate, she still wasn't quite where she wanted to be when it came to controlling her magic. Fire never really liked being told what to do. The part that concerned her was hearing that she'd used more magic than she'd intended and was feeling "a little run down." She knew enough about Stillbloods to know what Feronia wasn't saying and that the joke that followed the statement was a dodge more than trying for humor. So when Feronia asked how she was doing, saying that she didn't look like she was giving off heat any more, Kitten got to her feet. She wasn't entirely back to normal yet, her skin would probably feel almost uncomfortably warm to someone else, but she'd been through this little song and dance before. Better to force the issue now rather than later. "I'm fine," she said, moving over to sit next to Feronia. "Would you be okay if I cuddled with you for a little while? Just wrapped my arms around you from behind? Helps me calm down all the way if I have someone to hold, and since my girlfriend isn't here..." With Feronia's reluctant acceptance and a little positioning, she got into a comfortable spot, her arms around the Stillblood's middle and face resting against the girl's shoulder. Her tails settled around their position, mostly draping over Feronia's legs. Kitten closed her eyes as she relaxed against the tense girl, just enjoying the feeling of being safe and holding someone, even if that someone wasn't the right person. "It's okay," she murmured after a long moment. "Take what you need."
 

Deleted User - 819397

Rather than an immediate answer, Kitten stood and moved to sit next to Feronia, in no particular hurry. Once there, the Kitsune told her she was fine, then continued on with a request that sounded all too familiar. Had she lost her mind? She'd been inconsolable after the last time, and Feronia had caused enough issues in the young woman's relationship. The Stillblood was in the process of opening her mouth to shut that train of thought down when Kitten explained that all she was looking for was to hold her, that she was used to cuddling with her girlfriend after a fight and she wasn't around. This was consistent with Feronia's analysis that Kitten was a very tactile person, and on the surface was an innocuous enough request. If the Kitsune pushed, tried to make something more of it, consciously or not, Feronia would shut it down without hesitation. She wasn't going to let the woman who had saved her life do that to herself. "Alright...here, let me shift..."

A moment later, Kitten was relaxing, arms around Feronia, head on her shoulder, tails draped over her legs. The Kitsune felt warm, just on the border between uncomfortable and soothing. Despite herself, the Stillblood found it a comfortable situation, enough of one that she started to come down from the adrenaline rush, revealing that she was indeed worn out. She'd need to excuse herself to rest before much longer...it wasn't as though she'd used enough energy to kill her, not even close, but staying here for too long would only exacerbate the issue. Still, she'd agreed to help Kitten come down from her own rush, so no backing out of that.

"It's okay. Take what you need."

Gone was the relaxation, the peace, anything but shock didn't register anymore. "Wh-what?" Feronia managed after a second, tenser than she'd been when her life had been in danger. She tried to pull away, only to have Kitten's arms tighten around her. "K-Kitten, you...you can't...you can't know...what...what the hell!" That simple statement had all sorts of nasty connotations, some of which were dangerous for her, some of which reached far beyond one person. "L-let me go, please. You...you're making a mistake..." She wanted to deny it outright, but after the reaction she'd had...there was no way the Kitsune would believe her. "If you...if you know, then you should know I don't need to. Hell...I don't want to...I would never...please...let me go." She'd ceased her struggles within the first couple moments, not wanting to hurt Kitten in her panic. Instead, she'd gone mostly limp, misery taking over. "Kitten...I don't know how you know...but...I won't...I can't. Especially after you saved my life...that's...far too steep a price. No...please...let me go..."
 
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DeletedUser37114

Inn
Feronia didn't quite react how Kitten had expected. She'd forgotten how difficult it had been to get her own girlfriend to accept this. This wasn't even something she should know about, let alone be intimately familiar with. So when Feronia tried to pull away Kitten tightened her hold almost out of instinct. The Stillblood didn't get any more coherent as she struggled either, going from shock to reasoning to quiet begging. That was hurtful enough by itself, but then the girl just went limp in her arms. She was used to dealing with struggling, with arguments, not... whatever this was. And it made her worry. "Yeah, I know," Kitten murmured, the volume of her voice the same as when she'd told the girl to relax. "I know that you'll be perfectly fine with just an hour or two of 'resting.'" The last word carried the frustration and anger of too many arguments about that exact topic. "But I'd rather end up spending the night in a bed, too tired to move, than listen to your muffled screaming. It's my fault you're this tired and not exactly my first time going through with the consequences." She hated this so much, hated having this argument every time her girlfriend told her she was feeling "run down." Stupid stubborn Stillbloods were going to be the death of her one day. Closing her eyes, Kitten gave Feronia a squeeze and a pat on her bared stomach. "Sooner you get started, the sooner we get this over with."
 

Deleted User - 819397

It seemed Kitten was determined to 'help' Feronia, not letting her go and explaining she knew the process, down to the last detail. Who the hell was this woman, that she knew this? There shouldn't be anyone who knew...above all else, that rule was respected. And yet somehow this Kitsune knew, and even stranger was ok with it, hell, was even willing to offer to assist. That just didn't happen. And on top of all that, the arguments were reasonable enough that the Stillblood found herself struggling to find a reason to disagree for a moment. No...no, she couldn't. It was barbaric, and she'd have no part in it. Kitten may claim to know what she was getting into, but Feronia wouldn't let her do that to herself. It was too much to ask of anyone. Besides, wasn't this cuddling thing supposed to be something to relax the Kitsune? It seemed it had turned into more of the reverse, complete with soothing motions around her midriff as administered by the young woman. No...Feronia needed to set the record straight for her, it wouldn't be fair to let her continue on with misconceptions...and it would definitely be unfair to take advantage of such overdone kindness.

"Kitten...it's ok, really. I'm not that worn out, it'll only take a little while. You...you won't hear me either, not from your room. No one's ever complained. You...apparently know so I won't try to hide it from you, but you don't understand the cultural significance of it. We...those of us who...take...from the other races...they're the lowest of the low." Feronia's tone, which had been dejected, gained a little heat as she explained, some long-instilled fury rising to the surface. "You don't do that to someone...to anyone. Else we're no better than beasts. We are what we are, and it's a burden we all bear out of sight for fear of what the other races would say if they knew. Some find ways to take from wildlife or farm animals, but if you're civilized you do not take from another race. Whoever told you otherwise is wrong." She shuddered at the memories of what kinds of people had broken that sacred law. "I don't let it get bad enough to take all night, so...I've had experience getting through it. Taking now would be the worst possible way to pay you back for saving my life, and I'm not going to do that to you. Now can you please let it go so that you can relax?" The Stillblood leaned back, closing her own eyes, hoping that Kitten would let the subject drop...she didn't know what she was dealing with, at least not from a cultural standpoint. Her people may be idiots on so many levels, but that law was one thing she agreed with without reservation. Whoever had told Kitten it was ok had been using her, and that was unforgivable.
 
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DeletedUser13682

Uwe listened politely as Lensni told several stories of her family, including one of her brother. He had also turned away from the family business, though his choice of employment was that of fisherman. Through some sort of luck or ingenuity or dedicated research, he had discovered a type of bait that a very rare yet very tasty fish found all but irresistible, bringing him much fortune. Most of the rest of Lensni's stories involved the family restaurant. It seemed that aside from Lensni and her brother, there was little to no rebellious streak flowing through the Flendls veins. The stories painted a picture of a happy family that dealt with the usual bumps. But they seemed happy despite their problems, and Uwe couldn't help but be a little envious of that mostly stable life. These tales had brought them to the alley that led to the inn. Lensni began turning the most curious shade and began apologizing for talking so much about herself and her family. “Please, don't be sorry” Uwe was quick to reply. “I thoroughly enjoyed listening to your reminiscing. Being able to hear the stories of people from around the world is one of the reasons I began to travel. I could listen to you talk through the night.” Lensni, though, seemed to prefer to become the listener, and asked Uwe to talk about his family now. That subject just so happened to be just about the only thing Uwe didn't want to even begin getting into. Though the events that led to his parents being killed had happened years ago, and though it could be argued that those events had set Uwe on the path that had brought him to this night, the wounds from that dark time still hurt. Those wounds might never truly heal, and besides, Uwe highly doubted that he would ever find someone with whom he would desire to discuss that part of his life. He stopped in front of the alley entrance and tried to answer.

“Lensni, I...” For the first time in a long while, Uwe was finding difficulty in expressing his thought the way he intended. Part of him did wish to share with Lensni the good parts of his childhood. But those last few days of his family had put a lock on all those memories, forbidding them from ever coming out. “There is no story there, Lensni. The closest thing to family I have is my mentor and teacher, Jakob Suss. I could talk of him all night. Here; let's crack open that oinos and I'll regale you with the legend of Suss.” Uwe offered out his arm and led Lensni to the inn. As they got closer, Uwe got the feeling that something bad had happened at the inn. Very near the building, the darkness was no longer able to keep hidden the broken window, the window of the room next to Uwe's, Feronia's window. There was hardly a sound in the air, but that could mean so many things, including the death of everyone in that inn. The cause of the broken window might still be in the building. It was a necessity to proceed with the utmost caution. “Lensni, stay behind me,” the order went out, as Uwe threw his jacket off and drew his sword. “I don't know what's going on, but remain on alert. Point out and stay away from anything strange.” Uwe cautiously opened the front entrance, peaking around the door as he opened it up. Nothing strange yet, except for that stain from the Stillblood's death. Keeping his sword in front of him, and his head constantly looking around, Uwe headed up the stairs and down the hallway until he was just outside Feronia's room. Listening revealed that the only sounds were the wind and two people talking. It was impossible to make out who was behind the door, leaving Uwe with two options. Knock, and ask if Feronia was alright, or break down the door and ensure that she was alright. There had been two people in there when Uwe left, so he felt that it was safe to assume that this mystery person was still there. “Feronia, are you ok?” he asked, while knocking on the door. “I saw your broken window from outside, and just wanted to check up on you.” Straining his ears, Uwe listened closely to make sure there wasn't anything out of the ordinary in that room. If he sensed the smallest sign of danger, he would burst in and deal with whatever was there.
 

DeletedUser37114

Inn
Kitten listened without a word as Feronia explained that she wasn't that worn out, that it'd only take a little while, she wouldn't hear anything, blah blah blah. The usual half-lies and excuses. And then it got worse, with Feronia lecturing her about how anyone who took from another race, for any reason, was some sort of uncivilized monster. No matter who they happened to be. And then she told her to just let it go and relax. If Kitten hadn't been actively trying to restrain herself, Feronia would be well aware of how stupid that request was. Time for another lesson, then. With casual strength, Kitten twisted the girl around and down, letting her weight press Feronia's face into the floor. Both of her hands were easy to pin over her head with one of hers from there, leaving Kitten on top of the pinned Stillblood. "If you were anyone else, I would be hurting you right now," Kitten growled, lips right by Feronia's ear. "Your people have an amazing, useful ability and if it weren't for some stupid taboo, maybe more of them would have survived. So before you begin judging me and insulting the love of my life, maybe think about where I came from and why I'm so willing to let you take whatever you need. And once you're done thinking about that-"

Kitten's head whipped up as the sound of knocking came from the door. The same busy-body as before, checking up on Feronia, having seen the broken window. Cinders and ash, he had bad timing. And she couldn't risk Feronia panicking or the man deciding to actually check on the girl. If it came down to it, Feronia wouldn't tell a relative stranger what was going on between them there and she needed to tell the inn's owner about the damage to the girl's room. Maybe offer to cover the costs and dispose of the corpses or something. Letting the girl go, Kitten got up, moving to the door and opening it. "Excuse me, I need to report this to the innkeeper..." Kitten mumbled as she slid by the well-dressed man and his apparent lady-love on her way downstairs. From the lack of noises downstairs, the mage must have done something to cover its tracks, keep things quiet enough that nobody had heard the attempted assassination. Good, that would make her job easier. Just explain that there were damages that could be repaired in the morning, offer to pay for those damages and let Feronia sleep in her room for the night, dispose of the bodies, and get some time alone with the serving girl. Oh, and maybe do something about the couple she'd left Feronia with. Hopefully they'd stick around long enough for her to convince them not to say anything. Finding the man in charge wasn't too difficult, with business just starting to wind down, and Kitten got straight to the point once she'd flagged him down. "There may have been some damages to Feronia's room, window broken, some damage around the sill. Nobody's hurt and I'll pay for everything, but I hope that we can get it fixed tomorrow morning. And Feronia can stay with me tonight, least I can do since the damages were my fault."
 
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Deleted User - 819397

Streets

Lensni nodded at Uwe as he insisted there wasn't an issue, grateful for his understanding. It seemed there was some sort of familial issue on his end though, one he didn't want to discuss in depth. Instead he focused on his mentor, promising there was a good story or two to be had there that he'd share over his wine. However, these plans got at the very least disrupted when he noticed there was a broken window on the second floor of the inn. This was cause for great concern according to the Human, and he protectively ordered her behind him as he drew his sword. "Uwe, what's going on?" she asked, a little unnerved by the sudden change in behavior. "It's just a broken window, right?" Still, the man wouldn't be dissuaded, and a cautious trip through the inn that seemed completely normal to her later and they were standing outside the door of the room that had the broken window. Voices were heard inside, though not clear enough to make out the words. Lensni found herself looking over her shoulder as Uwe knocked on the door and inquired if a Feronia was ok...something bad was going on if the man she'd gone to dinner with had gotten so serious, and that knowledge scared her.

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Before she really had a chance to react, Feronia found herself once again being pinned by Kitten, but this one wasn't charged with good energy. A brief struggle showed that once again she was at the Kitsune's mercy, though unlike before there was no excitement, only worry. She didn't have long to wonder why. She'd hit a nerve. A big one, it seemed. Enough that Kitten would have started hurting most people by now. That was scary, and prompted Feronia to wonder why she didn't qualify as most people. Any subsequent thoughts on that end were torn apart by the Kitsune's next words. She thought that the greatest shame her race had was a gift. That it could help people, and that they were hiding it because of a taboo. That was...that was so backwards...how could it help anyone? Plus, more Stillbloods would have survived if they'd done so...that too, was an awful thought. And then the bombshell...her girlfriend was the one taking from her. Oh...oh crap. That explained why she was so angry, that explained why she knew about it...but wait, Kitten wasn't much older than she herself was...who the hell had left their home without getting pursued like she'd been? She should have heard of them at least...

Kitten's angry words and Feronia's train of thought were both derailed by someone knocking at the door. Uwe again, asking if everything was ok. He'd seen the window, which had raised his concerns. The Kitsune was off her in an instant, explaining her plan of telling Adin what had happened. She was gone before the Stillblood had gotten upright again, leaving no room for argument and leaving her to deal with Uwe. He'd need an explanation, something to explain the window and why she'd been spending so much time with a stranger in her room. The truth then, or at least as much of it as she was willing to say...besides, he'd wanted to be kept in the loop as far as Vulx and the dead Stillblood, so she was more or less obligated to tell him that much. A quick trip to the door later and Feronia would see the friendly Human with a nervous Nuseni she hadn't met before behind him. "Hi Uwe," she greeted him, voice tired. "We were attacked by...hell, I don't know what. Turns out Vulx exploding is a time reference, not a cause of anything. The man from last night, the woman who just left...they're from somewhere else, not sure on where exactly. They've gone through the same thing we're about to...and the...the things that cause it...they're hunting down the survivors, they came for her...I...got a little involved myself." Here she gestured to her ruined shirt. "They...look, it'll make sense once you see it. Come in." She opened her door and let the pair slide in. The Nuseni let out a choked sound as she saw the trio of corpses, but didn't run for a bin of some sort, which was impressive. "The Kitsune who was telling me this killed those two," she pointed to the heavy chitin one and the tentacled creature. "I...other one's my fault." Here she gestured to the mess that didn't look much like the lighter armored monster anymore. "I'm ok, got a little burned but nothing that won't heal, just tired...enough that I've managed to keep calm for the most part. Scared as hell, but...we survived." She looked up at Uwe with unfocused eyes, still reeling from what Kitten had told her about her peoples' supposed gift, though for him it would hopefully look like a reaction to being attacked. "I don't know what's happening in full yet, but it's going to be bad. From the sounds of it Kitten...er, the Kitsune...is one of relative few survivors. If those things have come here...it's...it's going to be bad." She sighed and stepped away, shaking her head. "I don't have any answers beyond that, Kitten's been slow to tell me things, too painful for her to reminisce. Still, she seems to want to continue to inform me in due time, and I'll pass along anything I learn...you're involved enough I don't want to leave you in the dark. I'll...I'll be ok, promise. Just need to rest is all." She looked over at the Nuseni, who was still frozen in shock, mouth and eyes both wide open. "Sorry your girlfriend had to get involved..."


--------------------------------
Desk

Adin looked up as Kitten approached him, recognizing her as the one who had helped Feronia relax. He smiled at her and was about to ask what he could do to help her when she explained there'd been damage to the room, that it was her fault, no one was hurt, and she'd let Feronia stay in her room to make up for it, as well as pay for everything. A worried frown appeared on his face as he considered. "I didn't hear anything so it couldn't have been bad, but...what in the world happened that you broke the window?" He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "No, no...Feronia's a good judge of character, she wouldn't have spent all day with you if she didn't trust you. I'm guessing it was an accident?" After receiving confirmation that it had been in the form of a nod, he returned the gesture. "Ok then, I won't ask questions, especially since you were so forthcoming and are willing to pay for it. Besides, if it had been something really bad Feronia would've insisted coming with you, knowing her. I'll assess the damage first thing tomorrow, it's too late to get anyone out here today, especially with the Games. As for Feronia's lodgings...if she's ok with staying with you, I have no complaints. Thank you for thinking of her." His amicable expression hardened for a moment. "Though I will ask you to please try to refrain from causing more damage to my inn...especially around her...poor girl had a bad day yesterday as I told you earlier, she doesn't need more issues right now...as much as she'd kill me for saying that. Are we clear?" Once Kitten agreed, he'd nod in acceptance and bid her a good night, though he'd watch her head back up the stairs, a little worried about what had transpired...
 
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DeletedUser13682

Lensni was understandably panicking behind Uwe as he climbed the stairs and waited in front of Feronia's door. He wanted to reassure her, tell her nothing was wrong, that he was overreacting. But there was no glass outside. Which meant that something had broken in, not out. After a few moments of tense silence, the door opened just enough to allow a Kitsune to slink out, muttering about reporting something to Adin. A moment later Feronia herself appeared, clothes singed, sporting several marks, and appearing very tired indeed. Satisfied that the Stillblood was alright, Uwe sheathed his sword and listened as Feronia tried to explain what had happened. Though he managed to make out that they were attacked, Feronia was unable to adequately get the story across and offered to just show them the aftermath. The door was opened and behind it was revealed a battlefield. There was a shrivelled up octopus like creature near the window and a giant insectoid nearly burnt to a crisp. The floor was nearly covered with blood and crunchy fragments, which Feronia explained was the one that she had dealt with. “And the Kitsune took care of the other two. And you say they're killing survivors?” The story Feronia was trying to tell was confusing to say the least. Insectoids attacking survivors of an event like the eruption of Mt. Vulx. The Kitsune who left Feronia's room and the Stillblood that walked into the inn mutilated and dying after a few short minutes were two of those hunted survivors. The arrival of them heralding the beginning of more bad events that they were all now involved in. This story didn't make much sense, unless one allowed themselves to come to the conclusion that there was an event far in the past and that the Kitsune was a time traveler. Or maybe another mountain had exploded and nobody in Torpolis had heard of it yet. But then how did the Kitsune get here faster then that news? There definitely was something strange going on here, and, as Feronia mentioned, he had completely accidentally brought Lensni in on the thing. "Lensni, I'm sorry that you've seen this," Uwe said as he went over to comfort the Nuseni, who'd frozen in shock. "I had no idea anything like this would happen. Until now, all I knew was that a mountain exploded, and caused the earthquake. It seems like there's much more here than anything we could have imagined. It looks like you've already had a bad night, Feronia, and this room is nearly uninhabitable. Lensni, I don't know if it's safe for you to head back to your house tonight. I see no safer option than for both of you, well three of you. I guess your Kitten might need a place as well. The three of you sleep in my room tonight. I'll stay awake and guard you all. Don't worry about me; I've stayed up for a week before. Now that I'm here to do something, if anything did happen to any of you, I'd feel terrible. And I have that oinos to help calm everyone's nerves." Uwe began to walk towards the door, offering out his hands to lead the two next door.
 

DeletedUser37114

Inn
The innkeeper was understandably confused about the situation. Which, of course, was because Kitten wasn't telling him everything, but the man apparently didn't want to push her for any sort of explanation. He did seem to be fairly protective of Feronia, warning her that she'd had a bad day yesterday and that she shouldn't do anything more to distress her. Whoops, too late. Few enough regrets about some of it, way too many about the rest. "I'll take care of her," she said, smiling and nodding in reply to the innkeeper's question. "As much as she'd kill me for making that promise." Heading back up the stairs, Kitten made a beeline for Feronia's room, arriving just in time to hear the last of Uwe's offer. Nothing personal, but she didn't trust him. She didn't trust anyone except her anymore, really. So instead of letting Feronia go with him for the night, Kitten decided to intervene. "Oh, didn't realize you two would be here. Nice to meet you both." Her tone was polite, but dismissive, perfect for sounding like she hadn't heard anything and was just concerned with the girl. Funny, how some lessons only stuck years after the fact. "Feronia, I talked with Aiden and you'll be in my room, we'll be able to talk more there. I'm guessing Feronia told you both what happened and that we're both exhausted, so I hope you'll excuse us." That last statement was accompanied by a formal bow, the kind that was more respectful than subservient. With any luck, that would convince the two to go off and bug someone else instead so that she could get some alone time with Feronia...
 

Deleted User - 819397

Lensni shook herself out of her shocked stupor in time for Uwe to apologize to her for getting her involved, her eyes somewhat unfocused. "If what...Feronia...says is true, I doubt those things are going to stop at survivors...I was going to be 'getting involved' soon enough anyway. No apology necessary." She smiled though as he explained that she should stay with him for her own safety. "Under other circumstances I'd think you were only pretending to be altruistic. As is...I have to agree. Though I hardly think you need to stand guard all night." She looked as though she wanted to say more, but fell silent instead, shaking her head in some unexpressed emotion.

Uwe took everything Feronia had to tell him...almost too well, all things considered. After comforting his Nuseni girlfriend, who spoke to him in a voice too soft for Feronia to make it out, he returned to where he could talk to everyone without straining himself. He proved to be a bit overbearing by claiming he'd take them all in and stand guard all night. Fortunately his girlfriend, who he'd called...Lensni, or something like that, called him out on that. "Seriously, that's a little much..." Feronia agreed, wondering what his rationale for that kind of claim was. She'd known the man for a day and a half...that was a little weird for him to be going that far for her. Of course, Kitten chose that moment to pop back in, saying she'd cleared the Stillblood staying with her with Adin, that they had more to 'talk about,' all while putting on an act of almost servitude levels of good manners. Well, crap. That put her in a bit of a corner. She'd told Uwe (truthfully) that Kitten only wanted to talk to her about what had been happening, so he'd want her to go with the Kitsune to learn whatever they could. And she did trust Kitten more than Uwe...she may have known her for less time, but Kitten had saved her life when she didn't have to. It would have been easier to fry her and the tentacle thing, but she'd chosen to risk herself to save Feronia. Uwe may claim to have that level of trustworthiness, but showing it was a whole different game. It's just...when Kitten said 'things to talk about', she probably meant their last conversation...so was that alone enough to go with Uwe instead?

Feronia had been silent too long. Shaking herself out of her train of thought, she looked at Uwe, her mind made up. Safety was worth an awkward conversation. "I'll go with Kitten...that way I'm not imposing on you two. Her room is next to mine, so she's diagonally across from you...you'll still hear it if something happens, and we're not bothering you. Besides, like she said, there's more to talk about...too many things don't make sense yet. I'll keep you in the loop though, I promise." She nodded, then added, "is there anything else you want before I head out? I know I didn't explain everything all that well, with us both here if you have more questions now's a good time..."
 
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DeletedUser13682

Uwe was intercepted in the doorframe by the Kitsune, who was entirely too calm about this situation. She introduced herself, kind of, and offered to take Feronia back to her room. Perhaps unsurprisingly, she had already told Adin about the room and offered to watch over Feronia in her room. Uwe was about to protest when Feronia herself stepped in to agree with Kitten. This was the type of situation that probably required all of them to be together; safety in numbers and all that. But Kitten's room was right across the hallway from Uwe's own room, increasing the likelihood that he would hear something should another group of evil entities desire to bring death upon the two. He still had reservations about the two groups separating, but if Feronia was alright with it, then Uwe would have to go with it. "Alright," he said to Feronia, hesitancy still sneaking into his voice. "But please tell me everything you learn. There's much, much more to this situation than we know, and it now seems that we've gotten our lives involved as well. I know we'll see this conflict end up in our favor. None of us will meet our ends to those creatures." Shortly, Uwe and Lensni retired back to his inn room, and he allowed himself to relax a bit. "I'm sorry for that, Lensni. I've not seen a scene like that for many a year. I don't doubt that I have good reason to worry, but I don't want you to worry. I'll make sure no harm comes to you." Uwe walked to his backpack, and rummaged around for a minute, eventually pulling out a bottle of green liquid. "Here we go; the promised oinos. I know this night is pretty much ruined, but we can at least have a drink." Two glasses were poured, and one was offered to Lensni. "There isn't much I truly worry about, but I think I've found one tonight. I've never seen those insectoids before; I have no idea what they are. That doesn't change the fact that I'll guarantee your safety. Jakob Suss was my mentor and my guardian. He saved my life when I was young. He taught me how to be a good merchant. He encouraged me to start my travelings, sensing that I desired to see the world. He's still around, helping keep the economy of his hometown strong. He's a great man, and I hope to one day be as great as he is."
 

DeletedUser37114

Inn
Kitten watched Feronia hesitate for a moment before declaring that she'd go with Kitten. Not that she'd expected anything differently, but it didn't hurt to give the girl her chance to turn the "invitation" down. Though she didn't quite expect the Stillblood to go with a full explanation of where Kitten would be staying and check for any questions. Who was this guy? Kitten wouldn't have assumed Feronia would let anyone keep close tabs on her without snark, much less keep them updated on whatever's going on. Maybe she should've actually paid attention to what he was saying rather than staring more at Feronia... Regardless, with the Human and his girlfriend gone, she was alone with Feronia again. "Let's get to my room," she said, taking Feronia's hand and leading her out into the hall. One door locked, the other unlocked, and Kitten was leading the girl into her room and shutting the door behind her. "Like I said earlier, we need to talk. Taking care of your energy problem is a priority, but I'm willing to answer some questions first if you have them."
 

Deleted User - 819397

Uwe bowed to the idea that Feronia and Kitten would be going their own way without much complaint, which was a little surprising to the Stillblood. Sure he wasn't committed to the idea, but he'd been so confident that this sudden change of heart was...refreshing. He did ask her to promise that she'd keep him in the loop about anything she learned, which she agreed to with a nod...she'd said she would already, no need to repeat herself. After one last ludicrous statement about there only being good outcomes in store for them, he departed, taking his girlfriend with him. Kitten wasted no time, taking Feronia's hand and pulling her into the Kitsune's room. The young woman leaned against the door, restating the need for them to talk and that while her 'energy problem' was not forgotten, they could talk about other things first. Feronia bit back the scathing initial response she'd thought of...antagonizing Kitten would be rude and contrary to her recent actions. Instead..."I...I'm involved now. I've seen those...things. I even freaking killed one. I want to know what I'll need to know to stay safe...because I'd've been dead without you there tonight, and next time you won't be there to bail me out..." The Stillblood shuddered, losing a lot of her vocal energy. She looked like a young girl, tired and scared at what was a very real possibility of death. "I don't want to die...and you know those things, you have to. So tell me what I need to know to be ready next time. Please." Feronia winced as the last word came out more pleading than she'd wanted it to sound...she'd been aiming for firm and calm, not thready and scared. Still...she'd gotten her point across, and with any luck such a broad question would keep Kitten occupied long enough to forget about the other topic she had wanted to discuss...

-------------------------

Uwe's Room

Lensni let out a soft, mirthless laugh as Uwe told her not to worry despite him worrying, that he'd keep her safe. "Come now, you've known me less than a day. Chivalry is all fine and good, but don't make promises you might not be able to keep." The Nuseni shuddered a little as she thought over the scene in the room across from theirs. "Did you see the Stillblood's neck and stomach? Looks like one of them had her, and was saved by the Kitsune burning it off of her. If there'd've been two of that kind, they could've both died. I appreciate the gesture Uwe, I do, but I also don't like promises that aren't reasonable. No matter how comforting they might be." She let the matter drop as the Human moved to the promised oinos, accepting the glass she was handed with grace. It was quite good, he hadn't talked it up unreasonably. He then, in a quick, brief, fashion, mentioned his mentor. Uwe respected the man, almost to a degree that sounded unreasonable. However, from what the Nuseni could understand, he wasn't the kind of person to do things halfway. If he committed, he was good for it no matter what. "You've done well for yourself from what you've told me, I'm sure he's proud of you," she replied, honesty plain in her tone. "Always nice to have a role model, even if they do wind up being an antagonist figure for a time." She chuckled a little wryly and took another sip of her drink. She wasn't one to have enough to let the alcohol cloud her judgement, but a little haze could only help block out the images she'd had engraved into her mind, and the confused, stumbling story the adolescent Stillblood had given them as an explanation.
 
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DeletedUser37114

Inn
Thankfully, Feronia came with her without protesting. Though at the same time, it looked like the girl was taking advantage of her offer to ask the most baffling question she could think of. What she needed to be ready the next time... Kitten walked over to her companion, sitting down beside her so that she was rubbing shoulders with the Stillblood. "You want to know what you need to be ready next time?" There was an obvious answer, of course, but pressing that right now would be stupid. "Flexibility. That metal bird thing works as a go-to thing, but you're not always going to have time to pull that up and start fighting. You need some options to work at a range, too. Not every enemy fights up close. You're going to need to get better at moving around during a fight, you can't afford to be slow regardless of your leg and you're going to need to learn how to do at least a little hand-to-hand if only because-" Whoops. Probably too much explanation. Kitten sighed to herself and leaned into the serving girl, resting her head on Feronia's shoulder. "Sorry, same things I bug my girlfriend about." But what was most important, what she had that Feronia didn't have... "Experience," she said after a pause. "You just need to get used to fighting and responding to a fight. No freezing up. No panic. You protect yourself and you kill whatever's trying to kill you. And I can help with some of that, but... maybe tomorrow morning." Kitten wouldn't be able to do everything, she didn't exactly want to throw the girl into a war zone, but maybe she could smooth out a few rough edges. But more importantly... "But before any of that, you've got an energy problem that needs an answer. And none of that 'you won't hear anything, you won't see anything' smokescreen." Not this time.
 
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