<div style="text-align: center;"><a class="postlink" href="https://i.imgur.com/cdBJRir.png"></a><a class="postlink" href="https://i.imgur.com/hdaHkeL.jpg">[ img ]</a></div><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 200%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #400000">ꃅ ꍟ ꌗ ꓄</span></span></span></span></div><br/><br/>Hest was already up in the creature's personal space, examining every inch of fur and fluff with his curious gaze. Alida then suddenly drew back some,<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #008000">"I do not think being right on his being is a good idea. Marmalade is a little....cautious of other's outside of Izu and me,"</span></span>she explained while the agitated cat began to emit a threatening growl. Hest drew back slightly, but only so that he could raise his own hackle's and growl right back at Marmalade.<span style="font-weight: bold">"-He is very sweet and cuddly if he gets to know you---but otherwise, he is a bit hostile,"</span>Alida admitted a little bashfully. Hest made no comment, but simply drew back and plopped himself on a large pillow as the last bit of smoke (or whatever.) cleared out of the room.<span style="font-weight: bold">"Well, either way. The creature is back and I'm still-"</span>Hest shuffled around a mass of make-up and brushes and a few body paints,<span style="font-weight: bold">"I'm so very, very far behind!</span>" The winged creature gave an exaggerated huff, opening a container of bright yellow make-up and applying it around the bottom of his eyes. (make-up is weird)<br/><br/>Izu had made his way to a corner of Hest's room and was now leaning against a wall, though still only a few feet from where Hest was now sitting.<br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><br/><span style="color: #BF0000">"Can't you just go how you a-"</span><br/>"No."<br/><span style="color: #BF0000">"Do you really need that m-"</span><br/>"Yes."<br/><span style="font-style: italic">(Alida leaves to take Marmalade away sometime about now)</span><br/><span style="color: #BF0000">"But your fur-"</span><br/>"Is fantastic, I know."<br/><span style="color: #BF0000">"So why the p-"</span><br/>"To enunciate."<br/><span style="color: #BF0000">"What the FUCK does that even-"</span><br/><span style="font-style: italic">(Alida returns after a bit)</span><br/>"To make my natural features pop, more."<br/><span style="color: #BF0000">"That's stupid."</span><br/><br/><span style="color: #008000">"Shall we go...?"<br/></span></span><br/>Hest turned to the woman mid application,<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #400000">"Does it look like I can go yet!?"</span></span>The winged creature half choked on his own words as his eye's screamed for help from Alida. It wasn't Alida that answered his plea though,<a class="postlink" href="https://imgur.com/JtEHtEQ">it was another woman</a>who turned the corner as the gentle scent of linen filled Hest's room. As she entered, iron chains clanked as her feet seemed to effortlessly step across the floor. The woman walked on her toe's, as if she couldn't actually make contact with the ground on her heels.<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #BF8040">"Oh my, you look fine to me though. Skin isn't falling off, arm is still attached. You know though, the freshly risen among my people are actually choosing to show their bones as a sort of fashion statement now. Can you believe it? Why not just bend over and show everything...?"</span></span>The woman had quickly went off into a tangent, her chains clanking about as she became more animated with her arms, bloodied bandages slowly coming unraveled.<br/><br/>Izu mustn't have been paying much attention, because the Unliving woman was right up in his face now. She was only slightly taller than Alida was, even considering that she was sort of just walking on her tip-toes. Her sudden appearance startled the young man, but he had nowhere to go now that he had cornered himself near Hest. "Oh come now, I'm not that frightening. Under all this bandage and cloth is skin, meat and bone just like you. Sure, it's stitched together here and there and tends to bleed if you rough-house a bit much, and it's certainly lacking any heat..." She paused before shuffling on her toes back towards the door, "Oh! I almost forgot why I stopped by!" Reaching inside her tattered robes, the woman fooled around a bit before finding her parcels, two small stone coins with the cross of the Unliving Royal Family. With a smile, she forced a coin into Alida's hand. "I'm sure you don't need me to explain what this token is, but let me do it anyway! I almost never get to deliver these!"<br/><br/>With an excited ruffled and clear of her throat, the Unliving woman spoke loud and clear,<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #BF8040">"It is with great honor that I, <span style="font-style: italic">Tia</span>, present Princess Alida and Prince... Ah....Something, with this Soul Coin! With this coin, you may gain entrance to the palace of the Unliving to commune with the dead with the aid of an <span style="font-style: italic">Unliving Priestess!</span>"</span></span><br/><br/>Tia practically floated to Alida, grasping her hands into her own icy grip. "Please Princess, think long and hard on who you will use your token to contact, as our priestesses can only perform the ceremony once per soul coin." With that, Tia bid the group farewell, stating that she must get ready for the festivities. Hest, who had been ignoring everyone and doing his makeup this entire time, was just putting on the final touch ups before getting up and quickly ushering everyone out of his room. His explanation, he had shit to do!<br/><br/><br/><br/><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;">~TIME SKIP~</span><br/><br/><br/><br/>The festival was unlike anything Izu had ever experienced before, his gaze not knowing where to fall as his attention raced from detail to detail. Wisps of twinkling lights flickered and pulsed all around in varying intensities and colors, dancing to the beat as they weaved between the festival participants. As for the festival participants themselves, there were more than Izu could comprehend, all surrounding a massive magical bonfire. The dancing participants spun wildly to the beat around the fire, some playing an instrument as they danced. Upon further inspection, Izu noticed that not everyone was like Alida. There were many different creatures, beasts and races partaking in the festival. Everything from Centaurs, Ents, Unliving, Wood Nymphs, Hob-Goblins, Moss Giants, you name it and it was there! They even had a dozen or so<a class="postlink" href="https://imgur.com/k9ZpJCh">Ash</a>-<a class="postlink" href="https://imgur.com/CCLzoiK">Bringers</a>circling the magical bonfire, using their abilities to keep the fire going on dead, smoldering wood and not living wood. According to Alida, it was the only time Ash-Bringers are not openly hostile, as they use the fire to birth their young.<br/><br/>There was so much happening, and then a horribly familiar voice pulled Izu from his wonder. There was Yehuda, addressing both him and Alida as if a few honeyed words would make everything okay. It didn't, no surprise. Alida set the man straight, and honestly Izu felt a bit smug because of it. If was a complicated feeling, but it was a good one for sure. Izu shivered as he departed, though bit his tongue and decided to keep any comments to himself. There was enough going on, plus a festival! They should be having a good time, not worrying about Yehuda or something!<br/><br/>Izu looked to his mate, grabbing her hand and pulling her in closer so she could hear him well over the festivities. "I'm out here, so you might as well show me how to have a good time. Okay?" He was half shouting as a naked man spun by him, furiously beating on something resembling a snare drum. Now that Izu noticed, pretty much everyone was stark naked, except for identifier armbands and the natural adornments that came from their bodies. Izu was one of the only people wearing some form of clothing, even Tia who was dancing with a crowd of the Unliving nearby was wearing only a few clean-white bandages. Izu looked over to his mate, eyeing her body before speaking up, "Do I look weird...?"<br/><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #BF0000"><span style="font-size: 200%; line-height: 116%;">I Z U</span></span></span></div><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="postlink" href="https://static.zerochan.net/Tetsu420.full.1576579.jpg"></a><a class="postlink" href="http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e327/steusloffa/Junk/9b4c67d7-5e06-4750-8d35-191de0acc40c_zpsagryk5tp.jpg">[ img ]</a></div>