Lost in the Crowd [Esfiel/Lucca]

[Esfiel]

The talk of Tulgies wasn't a good subject for her. She didn't have anything to add to the conversation. It was simple: she'd never met one and didn't want or plan to. With the mention of the Courts Aima didn't know what to feel. She'd never been to any of the Courts, though it would probably be a good experience for her to do so. It was on that list of possibilities after she finished her current research.

She was going to joke that you could find all sorts of people from all over the place in the Courts, when Eldy seemed to go completely off-topic, talking about a sister. Well, it wasn't surprising. It would have been more of a surprise to find a Card that didn't have any siblings. With a moment more of thought, she decided it wasn't that off-topic. Dania had mentioned that seeing a Tugley was like seeing a Torquehelm with no binding.

"You have a sister?" she asked, suddenly curious. "How'd she free herself from it? I've heard that's a ridiculously difficult thing to do, though you two are the first from that realm that I've met."

[Harpsdesire]

"Mm." Dania nodded, an expression of mild happiness briefly lightening her eyes. It pleased her to find that she could inspire a look of such rapt attention on Eldy's face. It was rare that the young rat garnered more than a passing glance from anyone, rarer still that she should become, even for a moment, the center of attention. It was a nice feeling (although a tiny bit embarrassing) to see the feline hanging on her words as if she was an expert in the mysterious subject of Tulgeys... even though it was actually far from the truth.

She was about to describe the strange encounter she once had with a Corvistowne/Tulgey mix, but Eldy's offhand comment made her pause, all thoughts of the creepy mix fleeing her mind as a small strangled sound somehow escaped her muzzled and she flinched. A Free Torquehelm. That was... Blasphemy. Terrifying... Fascinating.

She knew it happened, of course, and on very rare occasions a free child was even born to bound parents, but she had never met one of the gold-marked cards herself, and rather hoped she never would. Her father it said it was those cards with the pride and gall to free themselves that were the reason the land was still cursed, even after generations of bindings as penance. For every Torque that went free, he claimed, a thousand more must be bound to make up for the hubris of the free. At this rate, the Torquehelm would be dark and cursed forever.

Surely dear, sweet Eldy couldn't have a sister like that!

Luckily for everyone, Dania was saved from having to think of something non-offensive to say in reply as Amia took up the slack in the conversation. The rat just listened and tried not to look too shocked... while trying harder not to think about how lovely it would be to walk normally, to be finally without the constant pain and shame of her strange binding... to be free, gold-marked and one of the proud few her father so strongly condemned.

She flinched again as the shame of having such thoughts descended on her mind like a large sack of bricks. Perhaps it was her imagination, but it always seemed that the muscles in her tail spasmed and tightened most painfully when she dared to think about one day being free.

[Lucca]

The way Dania flinched and then looked horrified was enough to make Eldy regret having said anything. She didn't wish to have that affect on people, but sometimes things just came out of her mouth when she didn't necessarily mean them to...and if it had been anyone except Dania, she might have been amused at how scandelized they were...but she knew that Dania was sweet and strongly bound by the ideals of Torquehelm, far more so than she herself since the Rat had actually grown up there, and since Dania's parents were actually mostly sane. Peaches and Pravus were the opposite of sane, so Eldy had a very strange outlook on life. But hey, at least she wasn't all mopey all the time, right? Just some of the time, because life really does suck.

Aima drew her attention away from the flabbergasted Rat, and Eldy blinked at the question. "Um. I'm not sure...I think it's more some sort of mental thing...they don't believe the curse has a hold over them, so it doesn't?" She shrugged. "Don't ask me, I don't intend to ever 'free' myself. My binding is nothing I can't work around, and it's...well, it's part of who I am. Losing this thing," she rattled the chain attached to her leg, "Would be like losing a leg, or an eye..." Or an ear, she added silently, her remaining one flicking backwards.

[Esfiel]

Originally when Aima had spoken she'd missed Dania's horrified look. Though when Eldy started speaking she noticed it, and couldn't help but be confused by it. Maybe it was because Aima was Corvistownian that she didn't understand this curse on Torquehelm, let alone the effect it had on those still bounded when someone else freed themselves. She knew of too much magic to just brush the curse off, but still she had troubles accepting it. Part of her couldn't help thinking that it was all in the way they were raised. The curse was so shoved into the head of every Torquehelm that of course removing the binding seemed terrifying.

That could be an interesting experiment. When a Torquehelm child was born one could bind the child but not teach her about the curse and raise it away from Torquehelm. When asked about the binding they could just prolong answering. When they had to answer hopefully the child would be of age to understand that it was there for a purpose, though they could take it off at any time. In the end they could see how visiting Torquehelm effected it and how removing the bindings effected it.

Aima would never suggest such an experiment to either of them, though. The entire prospect would probably horrify them. Maybe just the thought of it would. So instead of giving them any of these thoughts Aima sat there looking sad. The martin really had no words to add. She wished she could help them free themselves, but she'd heard that could cause them to end up worse off than they already were.

[Harpsdesire]

As Eldy spoke, Dania was mainly concentrating on not looking too horrified. "I-I can hardly imagine being unbound, myself." She admitted, "It probably wouldn't help all that much, anyway, after all these years being bound. My leg has no muscle to speak of."

A small part of Dania felt a rebellious little thrill at the idea of learning to walk properly on all four paws, and of using her tail for balance like a normal rat. It was almost tempting... until a larger, frightened part of herself hastily shoved the thoughts away into the back of her mind. Her father would be shocked to know that she even daydreamed about such a thing. In fact, he would probably disapprove of his daughter even associating with the sibling of someone who had the audacity to free herself.

In an attempt to change the subject before she became any more uncomfortable, she asked, "What about you, Amia? Where did you get your.. uh... metal bits?"

The strange metallic dish above Amia's head was almost a bit like a binding... although Dania was sure it was just some sort of insane Corvie experiment the marten had performed on herself.

[Lucca]

Eldy nodded, looking sympathetic. Honestly, if she had Dania's binding, she might try to free herself. Luckily her Mom had been rather 'nice' with their bindings, and neither her nor Xiven had anything too severe. Of course, that could be because she knew what horrible bindings were like, having had to deal with a straitjacket for years. She shuffled a bit, and was overall glad when Dania changed the subject, since the other one had only served to make them all uncomfortable, even Aima...or so it seemed from the sad look on her face.

To avoid saying anything, the Torque nibbled more on the fruit she was holding...she had really already forgotten what type of fruit it was. To be honest, she preferred meat (and pastries, mmm) and so many fruits just tasted the same to her. Sweet, but rather bland and uninteresting. She looked over toward Aima, curious as to how she would answer.

[Esfiel]

Aima was grateful when the subject was changed, and to her joy it went from tragic and awkward to exciting! It really must be how visible her research was, because people always seemed to ask her about it. Well, the tubes on her back and the plate in her head certainly weren't inconspicuous.

At this point in the conversation Aima completely forgot they had food she could be munching on as her brain redirected to research mode. "I had the metal bits installed on me in purpose. The tubes have completely replaced my veins, allowing the blood to flow faster so I only need about fifty percent blood instead of the amount most people have. The metal plate helps me get extra nutrients from the sun to help compensate for the lack of blood."

And onward Aima babbled, oblivious of any odd looks she may be receiving. "What I'm trying to do," she offered on her own without being asked, "is get rid of my blood completely. No more fear of internal bleeding, and no more bruises. You wouldn't even have to eat as much with the way I'm going about it, though you still certainly could.."

[Harpsdesire]

Yup. Insane Corive experiment. Dania had feared for a moment that Amia might consider her question rude, but to her relief Amia seemed utterly delighted to be asked. "Ah, very, erm... interesting."

Dania was again horrified, but in a rather different way this time. Her own blood vacated her face as she realized this 'doctor' was of a very different sort than she assumed. Rather than following the usual practice of trying to prevent loss of blood, she wanted to remove it-- on purpose!

Although Amia was a nice person, the rat resolved to seek other help if any health problems occurred. She may not have been a doctor herself, but Dania was pretty secure in her conviction that blood should stay on the inside of the body as much as possible.

Gross and nonsensical as it was, Amia research was at least rather interesting. Not that she was going to volunteer any time soon, but it clearly made her new friend happy to be asked about it. The only reasonable course of action was to steer the conversation away from the 'blood removal' aspect.

"You get nutrients from the sun? Wow, cool. Are you part plant?" Dania cracked a smile as her curiosity overwhelmed her disgust. "I guess you wouldn't do too well in Torquehelm. It's almost always cloudy and dark there."

[Lucca]

Eldy's jaw dropped and she stared at Aima in something approaching shocked disbelief. Her ears went back and she tried to tell if the Pine Martin was joking or something. After all, Corvies sometimes had weird sense of humor...but, nope, she was completely serious!

"That sounds crazy," she said flatly, and then realized that came out a bit ruder than she intended it to. "I mean, more power to ya if you want to figure out how to live without blood or something, but I like mine where it is, thanks." Her tail twitched and she took a bite of apple...which she nearly choked on. This time it was Dania's fault. Part PLANT? Hadn't the crazy Corvie just said that the radar doohicky on her head was what got her nutrients from the sun? That had nothing to do with plants!

She shook her head, wondering if this whole conversation was a hallucination. Draining a person of blood, freed Torques, Tulgies...it would almost make more sense coming from her own mixed-up brain than taking place in reality. She eyed the fruit she'd been munching suspiciously.

[Esfiel]

Eldy's comment about it sounding crazy almost made her laugh, no matter how rude it sounded. She'd heard plenty of stranger things. There were people in Corvistowne who replaced their entire limbs with mechanical bits! Then there were the ones that did frightening things with genetics. (Never mind the things she was planning to do.) She'd even seen one with a bunch of syringe stuck in them. She never asked for the reason for them.

Aima was used to people thinking she was crazy, though. She'd gotten used to thinking she was either mad or brilliant. She wouldn't be too terribly heartbroken if she were both, though she still didn't understand why so many people thought it was a bad idea.

When Dania asked her about being part plant a huge grin spread from her lips. The rat was a smart one, though the plate in her head was for solar power, not photosynthesis. She still had managed to guess where Aima was planning on taking her research.

"Well no, I'm not part plant..." Then she added dramatically, "..yet. I'm actually starting to look into some plantlike alternatives. I thought of what doesn't run on blood and lives, and plants was the first and most obvious thing I could think of. Figured there's got to be something I can use."

Then she mentioned how dark and cloudy it was in Torquehelm. The martin just barely managed to suppress a shudder. From everything she'd heard of that place, Aima couldn't help but wonder if she could even visit, let alone live, in Torquehelm. She got a good amount of nutrients from the sun. Without that she'd probably get ill. It if continued for too long she'd probably die. Ha! How's that for a cursed place? She wasn't about to joke about it, though.