Family feuds really do take their toll on the world.

At first, it was just two families. Then, it was two races. Now, we're all at odds.

The feud began between a privileged family, and a new settler. We were here for years before they realized we existed. Why? We're Shifters. The Shifters blended into the society out of curiosity. This was seen (no surprise) as deception, and when the Shifters finally revealed themselves, the Amani were furious.

How dare this race lie to them and trick their way into the family? Again, it started with one family. A girl fell in love with a boy she thought was Amani. This "Amani" was really a Shifter, changed into the form of an Amani. When the secret was found out, the woman's family was furious. They struck with anger, splitting the family (and the races) into two divisions: Those who supported the freedom of the Shifters, and those who demanded they be contained. I suppose "slavery" won over. We're all marked, branded, and chained now.

Some Shifters remained on the edges of the Amani society, or went into hiding. Some of them are still out there, I suppose. I don't know. I was born and raised in captivity.

We are the lesser race, now. I find that ironic, considering we were only curious about the Amani in the first place. Should have kept our noses out of their business. We are the "lesser beings," the downtrodden, the beaten and the maligned. That doesn't mean some of us don't deserve it. I've met many of my kin who deserve a life of servitude. Me, though? Really? Alright, so I tried to kill my former master. Doesn't make me a beast. I'm still human. Or, by my standards.

The Shifters

See this mark? We all have it. Every Shifter has this carved, burned, or molded into their flesh. It is changed for whichever household owns us ... like a brand on cattle.

The reason? Well, I suppose it was smart of them to mark us. We shift forms as easily as we breathe. We can change into other races, animals, different mixtures of each.... We're difficult to identify. Or, so they say. As a Shifter, we have this sixth sense. We can tell who our kin are by their feel, and their scent.

The Shifters are used as servants, cooks, guards, babysitters ... anything you can think of, we're made for it. We're usually prized because of our appearance. Lucky for us, we can make ourselves far more attractive to those around us. We're special like that.

The Amani

They are the privileged, now. They hold the leashes and the whips, and have a superiority complex that would make the kings of old look like wimps. ((I seriously thought of Slytherin when I wrote this... xD))

Each of the Amani have a good family backing, and if they don't have family, they are accepted into another. There are only a few last names out there due to how each house gains power by having more people within it. The more family, the bigger the influence. Guess they should take it easy on the slaves. We might actually catch up to them in number some day. Not that we can do anything about our lot in life.

The Amani have this ... gift. Some glow. Some heal. Some ... I don't know, do crazy things. I've seen it. I hate it. It makes the air taste like static electricity and peppermint, if you can even imagine such a thing.

Characters Involved:

The Shifters

Sionnach

I am 20 years old
Did you look at me? I'm a male.
Race: Shifter (or, commonly referred to as mongrel)
Additional notes on my appearance: My marking is on the left side of my throat (see the symbol and crest on the front of his shirt). I have various scars along my back and chest, as my former master enjoyed toying with both my endurance and my pain tolerance.
What happened in my life: I was born and raised in captivity. Like every other Shifter, I hoped for the best master possible. I was wrong to hope. I was stuck with one of the highest Amani families out there. I lost the rest of my family there. I tried to kill my master, you know. It got me transferred to another household. I don't know what to expect here, but I know that life was horrible where I came from. I hate them. I hate them all.

The Amani

Anna Royal

I am 19 years old
Did you look at me? I'm a female.
Race: Amani
Additional notes on my appearance: Anna is known for very colorful, artistic tattoos - but they're all temporary. Namely, they're birds and trees. Some days they're on her wrist, others on her neck or leg. She has odd taste for a Royal, and has a small piercing above her right eye.

Anna has brown hair that has a grey tint, and her skin is very pale.
What happened in my life: As my name states, I'm a Royal. My family is one of the highest, and oldest, families around the Amani people. Honestly, I don't even care. I'd rather be given the choice to roam where and when I wish. As it is, I'm subject to all this stupid studying. As if I'll ever need to take my parents' place as ruler! I have plenty of family members more qualified than me in the family.

Being a Royal has gotten me everything I could possibly want in life. Everything but freedom. Oh, they say I'm free, but tell me that again when I try to walk outside. I can't go anywhere without a guard!

Not to mention, I hate my siblings and other family relations. Everyone looks down at those around them as though they all have some private right to put them down. Even me. I'm the youngest of four siblings. I'm the adventurous one that everyone wishes would just settle down. I'm the one who plays pranks on my brother because he's fun to scare.

I'm lonely. None of my siblings want to do these things. Just me. And there is no one my age around anymore. The ones that are here are only interested in classes. Boring. I mean, really boring. I don't want to spend three hours out of my day learning about the migratory habits of mongrels or birds. My parents mentioned bringing in a mongrel of my own to keep me company. I'm surprised they even thought about it.

I wonder what it would be like to have my own pet? Never had one before. I guess we'll find out sooner or later. Unless they forget to bring one in again. They keep putting it off. Gosh, I'm going to die of boredom or old age before I even reach my 25th birthday. Horribly dull life, this.

Characters Involved:

The Shifters

Kasih

I am 20 years old
Did you look at me? I'm a male.
Race: Shifter
Additional notes on my appearance: My marking was made on the back of my neck.
What happened in my life: I guess I got lucky with my lot in life. As lucky as you can get in captivity anyway and being forced to serve someone. The household I was assigned to allotted me to the youngest immediate member of the household. I had been expecting someone bratty, who would abuse the power they had over me. She was about my age. And she just wanted a friend. So...I guess I got lucky. I don't know.

The Amani

Xue-Yi Fan

I am 19 years old
Did you look at me? I'm a female.
Race: Amani
Additional notes on my appearance: Xue-Yi has always been the most...delicate in her family. Prone to getting sick easily and bruising even easier, it's normal for her to be decorated in blue and purple bruises from her daily slips and spills.
Her hair is long, wispy, light pastel bluish-brown color. She has pale skin from lack of exposure to sunlight and large eyes.
What happened in my life: All my life I've been treated like a doll. A possession. The others always told me I was spoiled, a pampered princess. If this is what it means to be a princess, then i don't want to be one. It's really lonely having everyone being wary of even touching me in fear that they'll break me.

I'm rarely allowed to roam freely outside of my "home". It's more like a prison if you ask me. All I have to pass my time with are lessons after lessons on the proper way to act, to think, to do things. It's all rather drab. I just...want to have a friend. Any friends would be nice. We could joke together, or play, or...just talk about things. I don't know. Just someone who will treat me like an actual person.

((Oops. Forgot to create my Amani here...

I'll try to get a post up tonight! We'll see how it goes. I know that I'm having a sudden moment of inspiration, so I'm going to try and hack out as many posts as possible without caving and switching over to League. ^__^"))

((aaaand finally found time to start. ^__^" I hate first posts. They always require the most thought.... But let me know if this needs some changing. I just threw stuff together and let my brain wreak havoc. haha. ;) I took the liberty of introducing someone who is Xue-Yi's father's second in command so we can get a Shifter picked out for her friend. :3))

The air was thick with the smell of cooking meat. It wasn't a pleasant aroma. The tall male frowned and wrinkled his nose, glancing at the signs on the side of the street. It was a disgrace to walk around the market district like this, but it was his job. He was just the messenger. The symbol for house Royal was etched into the armor of his chest piece. He was on duty, too. Rorik, a blond, stern-featured messenger for his household, was looking for one of the Shifters. This dealer was said to know the best, and breed some of the highest quality. Perhaps today he would actually find one for the Royal family.

Stepping into the dealer's shop, he glanced around. Rorik noticed the clean smell first. This was definitely a quality establishment. Most breeders and dealers smelled of mongrel. Wrinkling his nose, the Royal errand runner stepped up to the front desk. A woman in purple entered, a welcoming smile on her face.

"Can I help you, Royal?" Her luscious voice was pleasant, as were her looks. Nothing at all what Rorik had been expecting for a dealer.

"I'm here to find a docile mongrel." The male frowned. "House Royal is looking to find one that's tame for their youngest daughter."

The dealer smiled and nodded, then gestured for the messenger to follow. "We just received a shipment. They're a good-looking litter." She laughed quietly as they entered the wide hall behind the desk. "I would suggest choosing from one of the subjects we've been able to witness. Perhaps one of the older Shifters."

They passed a few doors, which were made of a thick glass-like substance. Looking in on a few mongrels, Rorik realized that they were well taken care of here. Though they weren't pampered, the Shifters had food and clothing, as well as a place to sleep. Many of them looked back with vacant gazes. They were like cattle - useless for anything but common tasks and work.

He frowned, and mentioned this to the dealer. The dark-skinned woman nodded, and then moved on to an adjoining hall. Here were the intellectuals. They passed a few more rooms. It wasn't until they paused by Kasih's cell that Rorik seemed to sigh in resignation. So far, this one was sounding like the best fit. Or, so he hoped.

Glancing at the name plate beside the door, the blond nodded. "This one. He is close to Anna's age. From what you've said, he's obedient." Rorik watched as the dealer used a thin key to open the glass door. He continued to watch as the dark-skinned woman coaxed the Shifter from his room.

"Kasih," her voice was soft as she reached for him, offering a hand. "You have been chosen."
-

"This is all you have in your recent shipment?" The male crossed his arms and raised both eyebrows expectantly. "I'm finding your services to be a waste of my time." From his stern tone and obviously powerful outlook, this man marked himself as a member of the Fan family. Not just any member, either. This was Zinfandel. Zinfandel was second only to the head of the household. He was practically part of the actual bloodline.

"I apologize, m'lord." The smaller male bowed, looking anxious. "The last bunch was taken by another family. I don't have my shipment from the eastern border until next month."

Zinfandel rubbed his face and sighed. "Let's look at them. This one?" He pointed to one of the traveling traders' Shifters, who was cowering in the back of her cage.

"Weak," the trader said, slowly regaining his composure. "Unpredictable as a startled doe. I wouldn't suggest that one. This one might interest you." He gestured to another female, who was sitting in the middle of her cage and gnawing on something that looked oddly like a bone.

"Is she house trained?"

The small male hesitated. "She was rejected for her behavior just last w-"

"Show me another."

The process went on for two or three others before the trader began to look worried. There was an elder Shifter who was only suited to book work, and a snarling creature better left to the cage. There weren't many left. The row of cages as coming to an end.

"Maybe you'd have better luck at the barn, Amani." The Shifter at the end of the row leaned against his cage door like it was nothing. His arms looped through the square openings lazily, and he was watching the trader and his client with a snarky expression.

Zinfandel eyed the boy. He was young, strong, and ... spirited. That was a bad thing for a mongrel, but at least it meant he wasn't the slack-jawed fool that resided a few cages down. A spirit could be broken and trained into submission. It could also keep a mongrel alive through the process.

"Name?"

"I wouldn't recommend that one," the trader stumbled over his words. "He was cast from his family house for his actions against his master. That one doesn't know his manners when it comes to-"

"Name?" Zinfandel's gaze grew cold. There weren't many mongrels to choose from at this point.

"This is Sionnach." The trader shuffled his feet a bit. "He is headed for the slaughter block tomorrow, m'lord. I don't suggest bringing him into your household-"

"If he's headed for death," Zinfandel raised an eyebrow, "then I can't see why you wouldn't give him over without an exchange of currency. I will take him off of your plate."

There was a tense silence.

"Then again, I'm sure the market would love to hear how you've failed to produce your promised shipment on time."

"T-take him, m'lord. Free of charge, of course!" The trader immediately moved toward Sionnach's cage, pushing the boy's arms back inside before unlocking the door.

The entire exchange happened right at the Fan family doorstep. As Zinfandel took hold of Sionnach's arm in a brutal death grip, he gave the trader a less than pleased look and drug the mongrel toward the house. He needed to be cleaned up, and set to work immediately.

It was only a few minutes later when Sionnach's pain-filled scream filled the yard. He was branded immediately, and would be scrubbed clean before he ever set foot in the house. Such was the way of bringing a new Shifter into the service of house Fan.

((Uh. I wrote a novel. But ... maybe Xue-Yi was watching from a window, or was there during the choosing process. I'll have to send Sionnach in later. Hehe, he wasn't meant to be with Xue-Yi originally, methinks. A gentle sort was chosen for her, but maybe that one got sick ... and now she needs someone to be with her, so Sionnach is being chosen. >:3 Then, it will make more sense than just throwing in an aggressive mongrel with such a delicate creature. <3))

Kasih had resigned himself to another day of staring at the ceiling in his room. It was a nice place here, they didn't beat the Shifters up for every little thing, though it didn't help that it still felt like they were cattle. But...he should be grateful that he had ended up with this Breeder at least. He knew that not all were like this, and he could have ended up with one of the traveling Breeders, which would have been a grueling experience.

Partway though the day he could feel his skin crawling, which meant someone was probably looking at him. His eyes opened and he turned his head slightly to glance at the door. As he pushed himself up from the mat he had been lying on, the door was opened and the woman who took care of him and the other shifters in this place entered, holding out a hand to him, telling him that he'd been chosen. He involuntarily twitched at that information, but got up obediently, allowing the woman to take his hand and lead him out of the room.

Outside was a man wearing armor and Kasih's light gaze landed on the crest emblazoned on the metal with slight curiosity. The Royal Family...

"Sir." Kasih greeted, bending at the waist to dip into a bow. As long as he was polite and did what he was told, he could avoid getting hurt any more than he would already be subjected to. At least that's what he figured. Though he had to wonder what he was heading into with this "adoption", he could only hope that his new Master wouldn't be of the unreasonable kind. This man was probably a messenger or errand runner of some sort, since the main members rarely stepped foot into the market, especially those of the higher ranked houses. But it wouldn't hurt to be polite to him either way.

~

Watching from one of the windows that offered a view of the front of the house, Xue-Yi's gaze was distant as she noted the conditions that the Shifters were kept in. Mongrels, Zinfandel had called them. Prisoners was what she saw it as. This new purchase would be the second shifter to be assigned to her. Her first had not made it past the first week after they had branded her. She had been a really soft-spoken thing and Xue-Yi was sad to see her beaten for her mistakes. She had a poor immune system though, and apparently her brand had gotten infected. She was in the sick bay currently, but things looked meek and Xue-Yi knew that her parents would not be wasting resources on trying to nurse her back to health.

Thin fingers were pressed to glass as Xue-Yi leaned closer to watch as Zinfandel dragged a male past the doors and the traveling Breeder shakily cleaned up and left. Had one been chosen already?

She had been forbidden to actually be there when they chose because her parents were afraid she'd get sick from the germs and bacteria, or something or other. She pulled away from the window and rearranged her skirts, looking around to see if anyone had seen her before she set off quickly to the back of the house. She winced as she heard the screams emanating from the yard. Her steps slowed as she neared the back doors and she pulled them open just a bit, enough so that she could look out and see what was going on.

The scent of burning flesh made her nose wrinkle in disgust. Branding. It seemed she had caught them right when they had finished as the pieces of metal and tools used for the process were being thoroughly cleaned to be put away. Her eyes wandered the yard as she sought out Zinfandel and the newest addition to the shifters of the Fan House.

((ahh, I hope this isn't too short ))

((Not too short! <3 Very much perfect!))

"Don't speak unless spoken to." The words were nearly automatic. The fact that Kasih had bowed and showed some form of respect was a good sign. It meant that the dealer hadn't been lying about this one's manners.

Rorik wasted no time in his inspection. Apparently, he'd done this before. Multiple times. He pushed Kasih's head to the side to search for his marking, swiftly finding it on the back of the Shifter's neck. Rorik stared at it for a while before nodding and continuing onward. He inspected the youth for signs of sickness or weakness, and asked a few questions that were easily answered with yes or no.

First, he spoke to the dealer about Kasih's health. Then, about his history. When he finally seemed satisfied, the blond male nodded his approval. "Someone will return for him tonight. Expect your compensation then." Rorik waited as the dealer gently pushed Kasih back into his cell, and then the two of them headed back toward the front desk.

It was many minutes later when the dealer returned. This time, she had the materials for a bath. "The Royal household is a good place," she said, her slight accent lilting as she opened the prison and gestured for the Shifter to follow her. Tucked under one arm, she had a set of nice clothing. The other arm was full of soaps and towels. "You're lucky, Kasih."

The dealer was not unkind to the Shifters, but neither was she particularly attached. She was like the foster mother who would take care of them efficiently, offer them smiles, and speak to them as though they were slightly better than dogs. Conversations were rare, but she didn't seem to shy away from them. She never, ever told one of the Shifters her name. She was known as "mother" or "dealer." Nothing more.

Leading Kasih down the white hall and into a decently sized bathing area, she set the supplies down near one of the pools. They were cold, but they would do. "Wash up well. They will inspect you when they come for you." She watched momentarily, her dark eyes lingering on Kasih as though demanding that he get started while she was watching. Just like a mother, disapproving of a child she was ready to discipline. It wasn't until the male started the task that she turned and left. The dealer would return later, and lead him back to his room. It was the only amount of freedom he would receive - and there were no back doors.

"Fifteen minutes, Kasih."
-

"You will hold your tongue," Zinfandel watched in cold silence as the branding materials were cleaned, his gaze unwavering. "You will find no pity here, nor remorse. Disobedience will put you back where you came from, mongrel." The tall male looked to the Shifter, and a blaze of irritation crossed his face. "Pay attention!"

Sionnach hissed through clenched teeth as he was cuffed, but looked unable to have much more of a reaction. The recent branding left an angry, blistering mark on the side of his neck. It hurt to swallow, let alone turn his head. He sat on a wooden bench, receiving a list of "do" and "do nots" from Zinfandel. Lifting his head so his neck was better exposed to the air, the Shifter fought to regain control of his breathing pattern. One didn't know pain until they had an iron pressed against sensitive skin. The throat happened to be sensitive. His former master had chosen that spot to brand him, which meant the rebranding had to occur in the same place. And second branding was nearly worse. They had to make sure the other was unrecognizable.

Sionnach shivered. It was a relatively warm day, he was covered in a sheen of sweat that made the light breeze feel ten times cooler. It should have been a comfort. It wasn't. Not when his shirt was tossed to the side. Within minutes, he would be forced to bathe. That wasn't going to be pleasant. It wasn't until another cuff to the side of his head that Sionnach realized he hadn't been listening. Again. He bit back a reply, knowing that snapping back at a master was NOT a good way to start the adoption process.

"If you aren't going to listen," Zinfandel looked angry now, and was loosing his cool edge, "then you will suffer the consequences. One such as you should know this." The tall male threw a loosely curled scroll on the bench beside Sionnach. Ah. His "file." It listed his name, past homes, and everything else a master wanted to know. The freshest ink listed his crimes. Crimes that he should have been killed for. He should be grateful.

Sionnach found himself drifting off again. His burn was agonizing. That bath was starting to sound nice. Just as Zinfandel said something about brutal punishments, or whatnot, the Shifter's gaze caught on the double doors only a dozen feet away. Watching for a moment, he found himself looking at a pale face, hardly visible for she hardly moved.

His gaze was forced away from the doors when Zinfandel smacked the Shifter's exposed throat with a dry cloth. Sionnach jerked back, looking stunned. That. Hurt. An angry burn started over the wound with a vengeance. His glare at Zinfandel was, luckily, unseen. His hand flew up to press against the burn. His fingers stopped just inches away, trembling with the willpower it took not to complete the action. Infection was a very real threat. He couldn't afford that.

Sionnach was pulled to his feet by one of the other attendees. Bathing time. He was led behind a wooden stall, where servants proceeded in dousing him and scrubbing a few layers of skin off of him. It was a long, grueling process with lots of struggle and frustration. Soap burned his wound, but the water helped ease it. By the time he was returned to the bench, Sionnach looked like a different creature entirely. His skin was far lighter now, and his clothing was no longer stained with mud and filth.

He looked uncomfortable with the Fan emblem on his chest. Still, there was no complaining. This was his salvation.

"You will meet the family tonight after dinner." Zinfandel grasped the side of Sionnach's face, turning him so he could see the burn. It was a clean branding, luckily. Hopefully it would heal quickly. "Until then, you will be shown to your room, where you will stay until a servant retrieves you. If I find you setting a foot outside the threshold, I will personally see that your impudence is taken from your flesh." Such strong words. He was still angry. Zinfandel turned for the doors, headed inside.

Sionnach would find himself in his room minutes later, left in a better condition than he'd seen in years.

((Pre-dinner meeting, or meeting with the fam? hehe))

Kasih immediately reacted to the words, pressing his lips together into a thin line and following orders, answering only when he was asked a question. And moved voluntarily with every push of his head. This was all so...dull. How long could one even live when they had to tread as if on eggshells with every single step they took? Kasih didn't have any worries about the decision being rescinded, there was nothing in his history to work against him. He was docile. Obedient. The perfect little pet.

And he hated it.

But he lived with the knowledge that he could be killed easily and on a whim. Give them a reason to not want to off him, and he'd live to see another day, no matter how bad. He moved on autopilot as he was ushered back into his cell and he glanced to the door from the corner of his eye as it was closed behind him. How he wished he could run and escape, but he wasn't a fighter. And he understood that as well.

He dropped back onto his mat, sitting cross-legged and slipping into a meditative state as he waited for the dealer to return for him as he was sure she would. He wasn't disappointed. He followed after her without a word even as she spoke to him.

The bathing area was empty, of course it was. His eyes lingered on the water, just barely paying attention to the woman as she spoke, waiting a few seconds after she'd stopped before his fingers curled over the end of his shirt and he lifted it to pull the article of clothing away from his body. As her footsteps indicated that she was leaving the area, Kasih finished stripping and neatly folded his used clothes before slipping into the cold water, wincing at the iciness that washed over his body. He grabbed the supplies that had been left for him and got to work on bathing, washing thoroughly and scrubbing his skin pink.

This was the usual as well. He was glad he could wash himself at least. It was even more demeaning having others scrubbing him down like a beast. Though he hated his situation, Kasih was not built for hate. Circumstances were what they were. If he was ever offered the chance for freedom though...maybe he would take it. Or maybe he wouldn't. There was no saying what he would do as he never said what he thought aloud. There was never a reason for him to say much beyond the formalities or the lessons that he helped his previous masters and mistresses review.

How pitiful.

He could think that his situation wasn't as bad as others, and yet he was no better than a lapdog himself. His hands clenched into fists but he did not lash out, instead he froze in his position, breathing harshly until he deemed it safe enough for him to remove himself from the water and to dry himself off. He had finished putting on his new clothes when he heard the returning footsteps of the dealer.

~

Eyes widened when Xue-Yi realized that the shifter had seen her watching, as his gaze had met hers. She remained stock still though, besides that slight movement, watching as he was reprimanded for not paying attention. That looked like it really hurt...it had to have. It had been right over his new brand... She watched him reach for the mark and then stop, inches away from touching it. So he knew the dangers of infection as well. Xue-Yi's thoughts went back to the first shifter that had been assigned to her. She wished that she could do more to help the woman, but she wasn't even allowed five feet near the sick bay. It was frustrating the extent that she was limited in this house.

She didn't stray from her position near the doors until Zinfandel had deemed that all necessary work was finished and headed for the doors she was hid behind. She turned quickly on her heels and darted back down the hall to a safer spot, still hidden from sight, but that allowed her to watch the attendees lead in the male and she followed silently after them, noting the room into which he'd been forced.

More than the fear of being caught, was the fact that she'd get reprimanded for not having her shoes on. The slippers that she had been wearing that morning were dangling from her hands as she ran around the house in her bare feet. She liked the feel of the cool tiles and wood floors beneath her feet. It was as close as she had ever gotten to walking barefoot anywhere else.

Only after she was sure that the hall was clear did she emerge from her hiding place. No one would be back until the time that Zinfandel had designated. It should be alright if she just...popped in. She wouldn't get into too much trouble...right?

Before she could second guess herself, Xue-Yi knocked softly on the door before opening it and sticking her head into the room far enough that the top half of her head could be seen as her hair spilled over her shoulder.

"Excuse me...is it alright if I come in?"

((early meeting sounds much more fun xD))

The dealer hardly spoke. She gestured for the Shifter to follow her, leaving the damp towel and cleaning supplies where they were on the floor. She led Kasih toward the front of the white building, adjusting bits of his clothing and hair as they went. By the time they were at the front door, there was a messenger from the Royal household waiting for them.

"I don't want to see you back in the breeding house," the dealer said sternly. She hated dealing with repeat Shifters. If they were rejected the first time, it meant that they were flawed. She never dealt with the same Shifter twice. She'd taken Kasih in merely because she hadn't been one of hers before.

The purple-clothed woman pushed Kasih over to the messenger and accepted her payment, bowing slightly to the man. As soon as the deal was complete, the messenger took Kasih's arm and ushered him into some sort of horse-drawn cart. It was extravagant for a mere trip in the city, but it got the point across: Royal was wealthy. The Royal family was just as their name stated, and they weren't afraid to flaunt it.

Kasih was taken to the front of a large, very wealthy home. The mansion had an over-abundant garden at all sides, and smelled distinctly of foreign flowers and blossoms. Many of the smells were citrus instead of sweet. The main colors seemed to be a very rich navy and dark gold - and they were everywhere. The messenger pulled Kasih from the buggy and into the house, where he was passed off to another Shifter.

The male was broad-shouldered and strong, but surprisingly gentle looking. "Ah," he finished wiping his hands on a towel before setting it aside. "Anna's companion. What do they call you, boy?" His graying hair and well-trimmed beard marked him as well off for a Shifter. He obviously held some sort of authority - at least in the kitchens, which was where they currently stood. The room was huge, and the large furnace against one wall was blazing merrily. Smells of all sorts drifted through the air with the strength of potent perfume.

Listening, the older Shifter raised an eyebrow as he waited for a response. When he had his answer, he offered a large hand in greeting. "I am Senri. I run the kitchens, and ensure that most of my kin are effective in their tasks." Senri offered a slight smile, and tapped the patch over his left eye. "Things like this don't happen here unless there's a good reason. Don't cause trouble, and the Royal family will house you as a servant, not a slave."

His single eye drifted to the other side of the kitchen, and his tone dropped to a low breath. "Do not think you will live without pain here. Not everyone is willing to see Shifters in a good light." Senri tapped his eye patch again, shaking his head. "Brutality is not unknown, but it can be avoided."
-

Sionnach felt his features shifting to mimic Zinfandel's as he muttered words that he'd been brutally forced to remember. "I will personally see that your impudence is taken from your flesh. As if I'd want to leave..." His shape-shifted features swiftly returned to his usual appearance when someone knocked on the door.

Looking in that direction, the male frowned. They knocked? As in, asking permission to enter?

"You're the one who was watching," Sionnach said bluntly, tilting his head. Maroon eyes lingered on the girl's pale hair and he smiled a bit. The look wasn't friendly. It was rather ... mocking. "I don't see why you'd want to come in, or why you even bother asking if you can. I can't stop you." He raised his hands in a "helpless" gesture before turning his gaze to the room once again. It was nothing extremely awe-inspiring, but to Sionnach, it was the best thing he'd ever seen in his life. This was what a home should look like, if he were to ever live in one.

The male's ferocity faded as he continued to look around. He reached out to touch the bed covers, fingering the stitching lightly. "Is every room like this?" Sionnach turned to face Xue-Yi, his expression eager.

Being passed around from person to person wasn't new to Kasih, he just went along with the motions, keeping his silence. The extravagance of the carriage that he was ushered into and even the home that they pulled up to were lost on him as he drifted into thoughts about the last house he had served in. He had never really gotten an explanation as to why they had let him go, and he'd never bothered to ask.

Well, no matter. It was in the past anyway. It wasn't like he had any special connections with the place anyway. He was just another background worker in that house. What was there to even miss?

He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard a man addressing him. Anna's companion? He assumed this Anna was to be his new owner then. At least he had a name now.

"Kasih. I'm known as Kasih." He raised his own hand to grasp the offered one and listened quietly to the man's words. "I do not even know the definition of trouble." Kasih murmured in response before dropping his hand back to his side and nodding. "I understand." His eyes wandered to take in the kitchen and the fixtures before he brought his attention back to the older shifter. "What am I to do here?"

~

Xue-Yi knew that asking was probably not orthodox, but she felt a bit better about herself when she did. Despite the mocking response she received she slipped into the room nonetheless and shut the door softly behind her, once more fixing her skirts and dropping her slippers to the ground. She watched the male curiously, not straying more than a couple feet away from the door, not wanting to encroach upon the male who already seemed to dislike her.

"Some are more elaborate, but yes. Most of the rooms are decorated similarly. Mother has a thing for...symmetry." Xue-Yi answered, hesitating a bit with her words as if she were picking each word carefully, reducing her speech to a slow delivery. She didn't often speak with others since there were never really people who had time to spare for her. It took some work, but she was getting the hang of it. Hopefully.

"Perhaps you will be able to see the rest of the house after dinner." She added as an afterthought. He would need to be shown the rest of the house regardless, if he was to be living there it would only make sense. Her hands fidgeted at her sides, fingers curling and uncurling from the cloth as her gaze remained unwaveringly on him. "What's your name?"

((Wooow, I never replied to this. ._. Still interested in continuing? I can't recall if we discussed it or not. ))