Elysium was used to seeing Behemoth under the weather. She didn’t always enjoy the curse she lived with, and as her father, he did his best to cheer her up. When he heard there was a large-scale fair happening across the lands, he didn’t hesitate to drag her along. After all, a fair was brightly colored and full of life and energy; if that didn’t help her mood, nothing would. To boot, it wasn't very likely that anyone would notice her color stealing - if any parts of the fair looked dull, it wasn’t out of the norm for others to paint it back up. There was more than enough color to go around, and he figured this would be one of the best places for her to relax.
Thankfully she went along with it. The glasswork female must have been feeling down if she offered no argument. Truth be told, Ely had half expected her to just disappear - she had a nasty habit of doing that and then turning up days later when she wanted to avoid something.
The gray colored vay grabbed a cloak, covering the majority of her markings. She was self conscious about them, the way they swirled and grew more vibrant as they stole color from her surroundings. She also grabbed a pouch with a few decks of cards. She loved tarot, and a fair would be a great place to exercise that part of her. Approving of her choices, the yellow male led the way.
He at least didn’t stand out even here. His colorful pelt was right at home among the fair-goers, the attractions standing out as much as he, and colorful face paint and costumes only added to the festivities. It didn’t take long for him to take on a pelt full of glitter, mimicking the pink opal male nearby, and he dragged his daughter along to enjoy some of the sights the fair had to offer.
***
Truth be told, Behemoth only agreed to go with because she felt she had disappointed her father far too many times lately. As he dragged her through the fair though, she realized he had a good idea after all. It was warm and she finally shrugged off her cloak. Her markings wouldn’t stand out in this crowd. For once, she felt almost free and could forget about her curse - even if just for a little while.
In fact, her own pelt didn’t seem to blaze with extra color as the day went on. She assumed it was a trick of the fair. There was no way her curse was gone just like that, so perhaps the fair had its own magic to keep things like this at bay. It made her rejoice, at least until she noticed some things starting to dull ever so slightly.
If she was still stealing color from the fair, why was her own pelt not alight like fire as the day went on? Was there someone else stealing color? No, the dulled areas seemed to be just where she was, and as she moved, the color didn’t return like normal. Something was very wrong.
Was her own curse changing before her very eyes? She wanted to leave, tell her father and go, but he would never understand why she wanted to leave already without knowing for sure what was the cause. Besides, as she watched him juggle some apples for some children’s entertainment, she knew she couldn’t tear him away just yet.
Her eyes befell on a pink vay that drifted closer and closer to the pair, his eyes glinting. Had he seen her pelt shifting colors? Was he going to call her out on it?
***
Amour had only come to the fair because he knewone of his own bratty children was here somewhere. He had an itch to fill his craving, steal some more life for himself from his own opal son. His children had proved themselves resilient to their father’s curse, the opal sparkles of his own pelt fading away with the color steal, only to return over time. Everyone else grew patches of white, and the more he stole, the more their pelts were bleached out, often being mistaken for albinos. Unlike Nephrite who was here somewhere, their color never returned.
Nephrite and Star Dust had been a blessing to Amour, although he hadn’t realized it at first. He wasn’t sure how long he could keep running into his children, but he would continue to drain the color and add onto his own lifespan for as long as possible.
The fair was also a good opportunity to steal some more life along the way. No one would notice if they grew a tiny white patch here or there, if their tobinao marking just seemed to expand slightly. There were so many here that he could gain years in a matter of minutes, which made it too good to pass up.
When he ran across some glasswork vays threading their way through the fair, he thought their vibrant colors would be a wonderful addition to his own color stealing curse, and he followed them for a while, intend on capturing some of that brilliant essence for himself. It took him a while to notice that the grey one’s color did not dull the way he intended, often blazing back up with color as she stood around.
Amour’s quick eyes noticed that she too seemed to have a similar affliction - color draining from their surroundings instead of from living creatures. Suddenly it was like he had found a second infinite source of life, and he was determined to keep it.
Theft was not beneath him, he had stolen for his own life so many times across the years. As the pair of glasswork vays welcomed him to join them on their fair festivities, Armour realized today was about to be one of the greatest days of his life.
Content to let the glasswork vays lead him around the fair, Amour was willing to do anything to keep the grey female in his good graces. Stealing her color filled him with energy and he practically skipped through the fair as that trickle just slowly invigorated him.
At some point, he noticed a bag she carried was starting to rip. Determined to keep her on friendly terms, he spoke.
"Hey, whatever you have in that pouch might come tumbling out if you're not careful." The pink opal reached out to grab said pouch, wondering if he could palm a few coins while he was at it.
What he didn't expect was the lack of currency as he held the pouch up. Ely was frowning, clearly something was bothering him about those contents, and Behemoth practically flipped as she quickly inspected the pouch.
When she hauled out decks of cards, Amour was even more confused as he puzzled over the contents. Who would bring a game to the fair with plenty of activities? A card game at that, when pieces or cards could get lost or stolen among those here.
***
Elysium knew that tarot and spirituality was one of the few things that Behemoth cared for most in the world. He was grateful the opal had pointed out something was amiss, as Behemoth would never forgive herself if she lost some of her cards.
His daughter laid out her cloak to place the decks upon, counting out the cards to make sure none had gone missing. The act in and of itself started to attract a crowd. Everyone was curious what she was doing after all. Was she another event here at the fair?
Behemoth seemed oblivious to it, absorbed in her cards. Amour had been giving them a weird look, which caused the paler glasswork vay to explain.
"Behemoth dabbles in tarot, a kind of spiritual energy she can tap into through her decks to make predictions and guesses to life's questions. There's more to it than that, but that's the gist of it."
He whistled softly to grab her attention, and gestured to those gathered around when she looked up to meet his eyes.
"Sweet pea, why don't you do some readings for those gathered?"
Immediately some fair goers started lining up, some tossing coins onto her cloak and others crowding close to see what would happen next.
***
Her father often forgot that it took a little bit out of her energy wise to do some readings. While they weren't poor, the extra krones was tempting, and the female decided she could do some simple readings.
"One question apiece you may ask, one card will be pulled. Please do not ask a yes or no answer question, as the cards will not answer in that way."
Someone nearby made her a makeshift sign with her rules, and added at the bottom that donations were welcome. A few more coins jingled as they were tossed down and she grabbed her favorite deck, a swirling pattern of gold leaf and butterflies on the back, and prepared to read.
Many of those attending asked about their love lives, or how to achieve success at a job. Most of the cards turned up things like perseverance, being truthful, overcoming self doubt. There were very few negative feelings she got off her readings, which she attributed to the general energy of the fair itself helping to shape the flow.
Elysium saw she was tiring through after a fair few readings, and decided to pack up the krones and the sign, letting fair goers know she might do more later but for now she needed a break.
He did though steer their new companion over, letting him sit in front of her for a reading of his own. The opal protested slightly until she smiled.
"I can do one more for you. What question do you have for me?"
Amour frowned and Behemoth wondered if he considered the whole thing hogwash with his attitude. He was silent for a while before he finally spoke.
"What can I do to continue to maintain good energy levels?"
The question threw her off. It was unlike any she had answered yet today. She half expected a question about his love life, as she couldn't help but notice the vay seemed alone here at the fair. Even Ely seemed taken aback, but he grinned as he crowded in around the pair, curious to see what sort of card she might pull.
Focusing her thoughts on the deck, she pulled from the middle, following her instinct as she turned the card up.
A laughing skeleton holding an upturned bottle of mist floating up and away stared back at her. A broken clock in the background signaled impending doom. It faced her, meaning it was reversed for the pink vay, an additional meaning indeed.
She hadn't had Death pop up in a reading like this, and had to collect herself. Her father held no such reserves as he gasped audibly, and the opal glared at her. He looked about to snap at her, but she held up a paw as she contemplated the meaning.
"You're on the brink of change. Positive change, a cleansing to help you become your best you. Your energy will return with this change, don't be afraid to embrace this and become who you were meant to be. You're the only one holding yourself back."
While perhaps he was angry he didn't get an answer he liked, the sparkling vay nodded.
"Thank you."
She smiled back at him as she packed up her cards, wrapping her bag in her cloak to prevent any chance of losing any cards as the three vays returned to normal fair activities.
In a fair this large, Amour wondered if he ever would run across his son. Not that he needed to, he had Behemoth to steal from after all. And unlike Nephrite, the two glasswork vays were completely unaware of his theft.
It would be by chance he saw a familiar sparkling green vay through the crowd hanging out with an odd bunch. They met eyes in the crowd and Nephrite stubbornly held his head tall, his gaze speaking of his disapproval of his father being there. The pink opal needed only to subtly gesture to his companions, who held no trace of the color theft, to leave the younger opal looking confused.
What he did notice though was his son wore farm more accessories than he left home with. His pelt had glittering gems and rhinestone jewelry that accented his opal sparkles perfectly. It was Amour’s turn to be confused, but he spotted the costume tent nearby and was determined to drag his companions with.
Ely went with no protest, while Behemoth hung back, wary. If there was anything Amour was, it was vain, and he was determined to look as good or better than his son.
He entered the tent first and set to work looking for accessories that would outshine what he saw on the rosette male. He made a beeline for boxes of jewels and sparkling things, determined to make himself sparkle even more.
***
Elysium was more than excited over the costume tent. He marveled at the costumes and dawned over the face paint, almost oblivious to the other two.
He faintly saw Behemoth hanging at the back of the tent, avoiding most everything in here, and he realized she was worried about stealing color from the festivities. He'd have to help her somehow. But later.
Amour was already digging into boxes and closets, trying to find whatever it was he was looking for. That left Ely himself to decide.
It was rather easy, truth be told, for the male. He sauntered over to the attendants helping with paint, and plopped down in front of them, using his tail to sweep away any accessories that might block access from those gathered.
"Can you paint my glasswork tears into butterflies?" His voice was full of confidence, and there was no mistaking that he was dead serious about this. He wasn't girly usually, but he felt the butterflies might fit with him well, and might make his daughter smile.
His request sent up some giggles and more than a few hands and paws went to work decorating his hide with smooth lines to make it look as if the beautiful winged creatures were popping off his pelt.
The effect was immediate and perfect as his markings came to life, their color imitating those of monarchs as little veins were drawn over them, really adding to the illusion.
***
Behemoth had her cloak, and didn't intend on wearing anything to draw more attention to herself. She always preferred to stay in the background, and already today she had stood out much more than she had liked.
While her father sat getting his pelt painted, and Amour dug for new sparkling things to add to his overall glistening appearance, Behemoth mostly kept to herself at the back, staying out of everyone's way and hoping they'd be out of there soon. She could already see color fading from her surroundings, and could only imagine would it would look like if she was here much longer.
A heavy weight settled on her shoulders, and she jumped, startled. She looked around to notice Amour nearby, having settled a different cloak around her. This one was embroidered with stars and constellations, a deep navy with silver thread.
"Found that and thought it might work with my sparkles, but fits you and your tarot stuff better."
The older male snorted softly then turned away as he kept looking for things to bedazzle himself with.
Behemoth stared at the cloak in awe. It was beautiful, and she'd love one of her own, if only it wouldn't dull like the rest of her belongings.
As she glanced around, she noticed a pile of accessories set aside that might match the starry cloak. A hairpin with a crescent moon, a broach in the shape of a star, a ring with some costume gems that sparkled like the night sky. The opal vay was nowhere near the pile but she suspected he made it anyway. He was kind, and she couldn't see past the face he put on for her. If only she knew the sinister thoughts below the surface, the fact that he had lived an extraordinary amount of time by stealing color, that he was only being nice to her because he saw her as a ticket for many, many years added to his lifespan.
"Oh yes that's stunning." Her father made his way over to her and she smiled as his movements made the painted butterflies appear to fly. Amour had found himself enough sparkling items that he practically blinded anyone who looked in his direction.
With a smile, Behemoth lead the males back into the fair before she could drain the beautiful costume pieces any further. She glanced back regretfully, wishing she could keep the items, or perhaps have some made for her someday. Maybe they can find something for her that is resistant to her curse, or break it once and for all so she can keep beautiful things again.
The group of reoseans eventually dropped their costume pieces back off so others could enjoy them. Behemoth was reluctant to get rid of her starry apparel, but now it would stay beautiful and unaffected by her curse. She lamented the fact she could never have pretty things, and took care of the few things she did have so they would be unaffected, usually keeping them inside layers and moving frequently when she had them so bits that she stole bled back out.
As they moved through the fair, she kept an eye on her surroundings, wondering why the color returned much slowly that normal or not at all. It made her continually worry about her curse progressing, and it took a lot of prodding from her father to snap her out of it.
“Come on sweet pea, let’s have some fun!” The blonde colored male raced ahead, eager to try out some of the games the fair held in store. She shrugged and followed him, although at a much slower pace. Amour gestured for her to go first like the perfect gentleman she though he was, and the pair walked side by side until they caught up to Ely.
Most parts of the fair were jam packed with fair goers, and the games section was no exception. At one point, the opal male knocked both the glasswork vays to the side, making sure they all avoided being run over as they crossed a race track that wound through the fair. She thanked him profusely, then heard her father's exclaimed yell. Clearly he found something he wanted to do.
The three of them were runners, so games of strength weren't normally for their kind. Still, everyone seemed to get involved in all the games, and the blonde male pointed excitedly to a large mud pit where teams tried to pull one another in.
Amour was the first to balk at the idea, and Behemoth didn't blame him. His beautiful coat would be drenched in mud with the wrong team. Why her father wanted to play this game was beyond her.
***
Ely had been more than excited to see the giant mud pit. The odds of their team winning when not a single one of them had the strength of a puller was slim to none. Which was exactly why he wanted to do it.
First off, Ely was a practical man. Not everything had to be won; one didn't have to come on top in every situation. Secondly, he had noticed how often Behemoth glanced at her coat. Her curse bothered her far more than it should, they were here to have fun and forget about it. Covering the teardrop patterns with mud would only help.
He turned his muzzle towards the opal male. "Is someone afraid of a little mud?" The teasing tone did just the trick, or perhaps it was his shit eating grins, because the other male gave him a cold stare that left an icy feeling in Elysium's toes before striding forward to join in the next team to drag their rope.
"You're on." The pink male gestured for the blonde one to join in on the other side, and Ely happily obliged, striding over to where a team was forming.
That left Behemoth, who still had yet to decide. She was clearly wavering between the two before her father shrugged. "No hard feelings if you drag me down. I'm sure at least once in your life you were mad at me for something that warranted it."
He swayed her enough, and the grey female trotted over to join Amour, their team gathering together and trying to pick a line up.
***
Pullers were mixed throughout the group of vays that had assembled, and Amour was trying to judge if their side had more of them or not. They seemed evenly matched, and he really did not want to end up in the mud. He tried to thread his way to the back of the line, but those gathered had different ideas, putting his sparkling coat in front. Ugh. He had more than a few insults in his head that he was trying not to mutter aloud when the whistle blew.
The rope started to slip from his teeth but he grabbed on tight, doing his best to pull. This close to the front, he could see his paws already start to slide towards the mud puddle, and he fought frantically to stay away from it. Ely only grinned at him from across the way, the cocky bastard.
With such a large group, one might think that it would take a while before enough gave out to make a difference. Almost as soon as he thought that, there was a sharp tug, and he found himself wheeling forward. He tried to duck out of the way, but a body landed into him, and a voice now becoming familiar gasped out.
Behemoth was on top of him, and she scrambled to get off him, and only managed to coat both of them even further with mud. Still, through the dirt, he caught her blushing. Perfect. He had only known her for a few hours and she was already like this. He would have her eating out of his paws, and giving him years of life, before he knew it.
Laughter caught his ears, and he found Ely joining in with some of the other team, laughing at the pile of reoseans that all fought to get out of the mud. Behemoth and Amour got some of the worst of it, but there were a few others that were almost as bad. Giving Behemoth a smirk, Amour lobbed a pawful of mud at the blonde male, getting a laugh in himself as it hit his target.
Sure the group would need to clean up before they wandered the fair further, but to Amour, it was worth it to get these folk to trust him.