Life's just a Masquerade [Finished]

[Kari Muffin]

Eurwen skipped happily down the sidewalk, her brother slightly behind her, holding on to her tail. Being blind never really hindered him unless it involved large crowds. He got horribly confused about where he was supposed to walk when people shoved past him staring at his odd coloration and weird mutations.

Really, Eurwen though it was silly of them to stare. With all the weird people how odd was it to meet someone with ivy growing out of them or no eyes in their eye sockets.

Radzimierz would have rolled his eyes at his sisters thoughts if he had eyes and if he could read her mind. Instead the mouse just clung to his sister's tail. This was a really bad idea... all things considered. Mom and Dad didn't know they were out, but they had left anyway. Even their grandparents didn't know about the outing.

"Where are we going?" Radzimeirz asked.

"Not sure, Meir. It'll be good when we get there." She said cheerfully.

His sister's logic just failed on so many levels. He wasn't going to argue though. It was like trying to tell Acantha "no" or Kholoris that ghosts might not exist. It was just impossible to argue with his siblings.

[Kitty]

Another set of children were out and about that day and one was far happier to be then the other was. The autumn themed puppy pranced his way down the sidewalk, head and tail held high and flame wings pinned to his back so he wouldn't burn a passer by. Today was a great day to get out and, well.... socialize! He loved it almost as much as breathing but ... breathing was necessary wasn't it?

Come on Kat, let's go!

He picked up the pace until he noticed a pair of children their own age were directly in his path and came skidding to a stop. Well, it was a graceful stop until a larger, entirely brown figure tried to do the same and, to avoid careening directly into his brother's flames, he'd flopped down on his back and hit his smaller brother with his taloned hind paws, pulling a yelp from the other boy before he fell face first into the ground.

So much for a good first impression.

[Kari Muffin]

"That was made of fail," Eurwen said as she watched the display play out in front of her. Wow. That must have hurt too. Maybe she should ask if they were all right? But Daddy didn't like Lowlanders... or Grandpa.... or two of her Uncles... the list just grew bigger. Her whiskers twitched with contemplation.

Her brother's nose wrinkled. He smelt something pungent. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but it didn't smell "right." "What's that horrible smell," he voiced as he moved closer to his sister. Moving forward just made it stronger so... whatever it was was in front of them.

"Oh, it's just some kids." Eurwen said, she lowered her voice and whispered in her brother's ear. "They're Lowlanders. At least One is... the other is a mix. Should we talk to them?"

"I don't think my opinion matters." Meir said with an honest tone.

"Eh. You're right." She turned the kids in front of her, taking a few steps forward. "You all right there? You could have set something on fire like that."

[Kitty]

He simply stayed on the ground for a moment and peered up at the pair with friendly orange eyes. His flame colored tail even began to wag, beating his brother lightly in the process. his own clumsiness didn't put him off in the least and he just let it slide with a light chuckle.

That's usually why I get kicked out of the house.

His brother rolled over onto his feet, talons clicking against the sidewalk, before he shook himself out like the canine he partially was. His coat was already brown, so it wouldn't do much in the long run, he just ... didn't like to know the dirt was there.

Rounded little rat ear perked when he noticed his brother was speaking and slowly olive eyes peered over his shoulder at the pair. He squeaked and turned his head back around and plopped his rear back on the ground, content to look the other way and hope no one really paid much attention to him.

Nova on the other hand, was delighted to be meeting new people and thumped his tail a little harder as he got up and shook out his own, brighter coat and sending little licks of flame dancing into the air as he did.

I'm Casanova and the big chicken behind me is my brother, Brokat.

He always seemed to miss a question when he was asked multiple ones, or had something else said that was terribly distracting, but Kat was quick to make a stuttered reply to that and it had one of his red lined ears swiveling back to catch it.

W-we're fine ... t-thanks for asking.

[Kari Muffin]

Eurwen tilted her head at the really odd boys. These couldn't be the horrible Lowlanders that Daddy was so scared of and that Grandpa wanted dead. They were too... well... happy for one.

And they had really weird names.

"Casanova is a funny name. Doesn't it mean you're supposed to sleep with a lot women like our Gra--" Her brother slapped her with his wing. She knew full well it was a flower, but it was far too tempting not to make fun of. She gave her brother a dejected look before tossing her mane.

"I'm Radzimierz, and this is my sister Eurwen. It's nice to meet you I suppose. Glad to hear you're all right though. That sounded like a rather nasty spill." The eagle mouse bowed his head and managed not to cringe at the smell. That must have been rotting flesh like Grandpa described. When he got older he would have to experiment on open wounds like that....

She knew that look on her brother's face. He wanted to do one of his experiments and until he either got a pair of eyes or a pair of hands she was forced to help him. Rhris had too much of her own work to do and Acantha was too snotty being a pure Highlander. "You can call him Meir for short. It's easier than saying his really prettily produced oddly spelled name. Anywho... whatcha doing out here in the big old Capital City?"

[Kitty]

She thought his name was odd? Normally people commented on Brokat's but ... his? One red lined ear flicked partially back and the other perked forward a bit more... it meant what? Neither of his parents ever said anything about that meaning ... if it was one, he wasn't entirely sure if the little mouse girl knew what she was talking about.... so he just said precisely what his mother told him about their names ...

We're named after different kinds of roses...

He wasn't entirely certain what else there was to say but he did catch the snicker that escaped his brother's beak-muzzle and whapped him with his tail. Brokat ceased his snickering but a grin rested on his muzzle as he peered over his shoulder at the pair ... maybe they weren't so bad after all?

It's a pleasure to meet you Eurwen, Meir.

Brokat paid more attention to their lessons in manners then his brother did but .... Nova was back to wagging his tail in a happy, friendly manner once more and, well ... Kat was forced to put up with being bopped with it repeatedly.

Actually, we're looking for something interesting. Our sister is boring and momma's busy with his garden ... soooooooo .... we slipped out.

He tilted his head to the side again, peering at the mouse since, well .... she seemed to be the only one who could see although, really, with the cards he'd seen already ... they weren't all that odd.

You two?

[Kari Muffin]

Eurwen brushed a bit of mane out of her eyes. Her tail wiggled a bit as she moved closer to her brother. She wasn't quite sure if she could trust these people just yet. The full Lowlander seemed a lot more put together than the part Morganberry.

"Eurwen and I decided to go on an adventure today without our parents." Meir provided. His nose was still wrinkled at the odd smell coming from the others directions. He couldn't imagine what the Lowlands smelt like at all. Guh.

"Actually it was prompted by you wanting to buy some chemicals when everyone in our massively large family was busy." She said with a wave of a paw.

"Don't blame me for your adventurous spirit, Wendy." He said as his tail's end curled in protest. "Anyway. You said you didn't know where we were going."

"I do now. Let's go shopping. Do you guys want to come?" Eurwen said without so much as a breath between subjects. She looked at both the boys with wide eyes, tapping her brother with a paw for calling her by her family weird nickname. Adventure. Weird adventure but adventure none the less.

[Kitty]

Seeing as nothing was really going on and that the other pair of children seemed to not be the violent sort Brokat decided that it was alright to finally turn around. He put his rounded little rat ears back and slowly turned his body as he stood up and cast his gaze shyly onto the pair of them. He probably should have thought they were both a little weird but considering the children he'd already been thrown in a room with? Well ... they weren't normal, but they certainly weren't strange, not in his, or his brother's book. Slowly his ears started to come forward as the other three continued to talk.

Nova listened to the siblings banter in and out, it was hard enough to focus on things that were directed at him much less the chatter betweens others. He did happen to have good timing with zoning in though, and caught her suggestion about shopping and wagged his tail ever so slightly.

That sounds fun, I'll go ... and Kat will go to cause he's got nothing better to do!

The triple-breed rolled his eyes but didn't disagree ... he'd go even if he really did just want to go back home.

[Kari Muffin]

"Awesome! Just keep up!" Eurwen said with a merry chirp. It was something she had picked up from both of her parents, even if eagles and mice weren't supposed to chirp. She skipped down the street merrily, absorbing the sun happily. What a lovely day.

Her brother gave a frustrated sigh as he grabbed on to the tip of her tail as lightly as possible. He didn't want to get lost in this giant crowd--but he had no intention of skipping like his sister. Honestly, that girl made him wonder.

Then again his whole family made him wonder.

Eurwen stopped suddenly in front of a store. It was something akin to an apothecary. "This looks like the perfect place! We can start here!" she exclaimed as she moved forward to flip open the door without a care.

If Meir had eyes he would have rolled them. "I guess a little spontaneity won't hurt. You two are still back there, right?" He asked just to make sure.... even though he could smell some of the rot. Ugh.

[Kitty]

Always willing to go on an adventure, especially with new, friendly people, the autumn themed canine followed after the siblings cheerfully ... until he realized a certain lump of feathers and fur wasn't following along like he should be. He stopped mid-prance and looked over his shoulder at the uncertain triple-breed, a very soft sigh escaping his maw. He turned and made his way back to the other boy and gave him a whine whilst gesturing to the other two. He wanted to go... but he didn't want to leave his sibling behind.

Brokat flipped his little rat ears back and stared at the retreating forms of everyone else, well ... until Cas realized he wasn't trotting along with them. He didn't catch the sigh, his own hearing not as good as his canine brother's, but he did hear the whine. He shot the puppy an apologetic look, he really didn't want to go gallivanting about the city with a coupe of strangers, he just wasn't comfortable with the thought ... but it looked as if his sibling just wouldn't let it be.

The little wolf gave a huff and stepped behind his larger sibling and began to shove him forward, he was going ... and that was final!

Come on ... they're getting away!

He gave an odd, muffled squawk when he was shoved, and then a sigh of his own before he relented and started moving forward, quicker then his walking pace as well ... they needed to catch up after all.

Nova swished his tail in triumph and sped ahead, claws clicking on the hard surface beneath his paws. He wasn't expecting the pair to suddenly stop though and very nearly ran into Radz, but he stopped himself before he did, a sheepish grin gracing his features for a short time before it shifted into inquisitiveness.

It was Kat that answered the winged boy in his soft little voice though, Cas being completely distracted as was the usual.

Y-yes ... we are.