[GrayGriffin]

"I am meant to serve," replied Ajor. "It does not mat-ter what Mas-ter calls me. I will still serve him un-less he sends me some-where else."

Huul shook his head. "Ajor...can you not listen to this part?" She nodded, placing her paws over her ears and laying flat. Huul continued. "I just don't think she should hear this next part. She's been given...a servile personality. She literally has to serve someone-it's all conditioned in her. And partially in me as well. But our employers mean well. They would let us go if we asked. But part of that conditioning means we can't ask. I'm trying...trying to help her get as much free will as she can with all these restrictions on us."

He paused as Halvard asked about consent. "I can't remember if I gave consent or not. I know that I want to accompany Ajor now, and prevent people from taking advantage of her. But I don't know if that's also due to alterations that have been made, or if I agreed to those alterations due to wanting to protect her." He rubbed his face with a claw, clearly stressed.

[49, 49]

[Freezair]

A dark frown crossed Halvard's face. True, there was some sense in which no one could really be responsible for their personalities--everyone was born or conditioned to be one way or another, and that was difficult to overcome. But at the same time, to have no choice about being... servile... the notion that someone would do such a thing sickened him. He himself preferred to serve and was happy helping others, but he did so because that was how he had chosen to live his life after seeing all the options available to him. But moreover, it made him concerned.

"Forgive me if my question troubles you, but... if you are conditioned to serve and be loyal, how sure can you be that your employers have your best interests at heart? We... we are often blinded by... by our own beliefs about people; about who we think they are, and what we wish they were." His eyes flicked to Hector, and then down to the ground. "...I know this from experience. And if... if miss Ajor was created this way, I do not know if I can call that willful employment. I am not sure what I would call her, specifically. But with that information, I cannot help but worry that she is being taken advantage of."

"Whoever they were, I'll tell you what--they're a real jackass," Hector snarled. "Tweekin' with someone's brain to make them serve you; that's just not right. I say you go and find 'em and bring 'em to justice, Hal. That's straight-up wrong!"

Halvard looked back. "Easy, easy. We don't even know who they were or if they even still exist or continue to... make... creations. I'm as disturbed as you are, but we don't have all the facts."

[GrayGriffin]

Huul tapped his claws together thoughtfully. "I...I don't believe Toxshae is a bad man. He is...a bit odd in some of his ways of thinking, but he is also quite kind to us. I'm not sure he even realizes the type of conditioning that has been put on us. And...the maid who trains Ajor, she is..." He paused, then nudged Ajor. She lifted her paws off her ears.

"Can you tell them about Akse?" he asked. "Then...still don't listen to what I say next."

"Yes. O-ther Maid is se-nior to me. So she tea-ches me how to clean. Some-times I do not get the clea-ning right the first time. Then she has to show me a-gain. But she says I am a good stu-dent. She says that I help re-duce her work-load." She covered her ears again.

"Akse is...a bit odd as well. Repeating things until they're done right is simply her way of thinking. I don't mind her teaching that to Ajor, and she is actually quite patient with Ajor, unlike how she treats the rest of us when we mess things up." He still wasn't sure how to explain their whole living situation, or the weird way almost everyone in their home was.

However, when Hector mentioned that whoever did this to them should be brought to justice, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "Don't you know about the Metamorphose Clinic?" he asked. "You know, the one run by Einsor? It's legal, you know. The species that come from there are all listed as legal items of sale. Me...I guess I counted as a free accessory." His voice definitely seemed bitter when he mentioned the word "legal."

[50, 50]

[Freezair]

"Toxshae?" Hector scratched his chin and ran his fingernails through his stubble. "Funny name. But... I dunno. Do you think what they're saying is trustworthy? Do you think this Toxshae guy is on the level?"

"I wouldn't know without seeing their home," Halvard replied. "And I don't know where they came from. If it were possible, I would visit this Toxshae individual and be certain. Certainly, it doesn't appear to me that they bear any signs of physical abuse. With them in non-human form, I can clearly see that they bear no bruises, nor malnourishment, nor untreated illness or wounds. But psychological abuse and magical abuse... They're far more difficult to detect. And as much as I'd like to help them, I worry that I would do their cause more harm than good by barging my way into their house."

"So what you're saying is, you don't trust their words about their employer?"

"Sometimes, the abused make excuses on the part of their abuser."

"I dunno, what they've said doesn't sound so bad."

Halvard's teeth gritted. "Nor did what Jade told me about Gottfriede, at first."

Hector froze. "Oh. ...Oh. I, uh. ...Never mind, bro." He swiveled away from his brother, and turned to comfort Ajor and Huul.

"I know what the Metamorphose Clinic does is technically legal, but it walks a lot of lines. I know that the walk-in pets are OK'd because they do it of their own free will, and I know the people in charge don't wanna put restrictions on what mad scientists can and can't do with their creations because they say it'd be like making laws about how to raise children. But that's just... I mean, they gotta be able to bust someone who works there; that's gotta be some kinda human and pets right abuse situation."

[GrayGriffin]

"Just because Ajor isn't listening doesn't mean I'm not," pointed out Huul. "And...if you wanted, you could visit, I suppose. But we live all the way in Nabias, which is quite a distance from here. It would be...kind of inconvenient to you. But...I don't think you would find anything wrong."

As he continued to listen, he caught two names. "Who's Jade?" he asked. Perhaps they did have some experience in this kind of thing beyond just "wanting to bring justice." However, when Hector turned to directly talk to them, his ears drooped slightly.

"The only thing I've thought of is that Wombears aren't a species legally listed as one they can experiment on. But there's a clause that states they can do 'prototypes' before officially offering the service. And...I don't want to go back there. It's too frightening. For me and her, even if she can't put it into words."

[51, 51]

[Freezair]

Hector chuckled. "Nabias. Fancy that. What was that about being far away?"

Halvard chuckled a bit himself. It was quite a coincidence. "As it so happens, I make my home in Nabias. And Hector is staying with me there briefly. There are services to travel around Evelon quickly, as it happens. I don't know how you two came to be here, but we made use of these magical services. We could certainly..."

Halvard swallowed his tongue. Already, his words were running off without him. He was spinning together a plan in seconds as soon as he heard where they were from: He would track down this Toxshae's place of residence--he had a (unique) name and a city, after all, and given that he was rich enough to have servants from Metamorphose, that narrowed down things considerably. And as... rough as it was, to assume, at times, Halvard had to admit that his third form had some... stealth benefits. If he could see things as they were... But then he heard Jade's name from Huul's mouth and all his thoughts stopped.

But Hector had gone off in his own direction, and had latched on to Huul's statements. "Well there you go! You were worked on illegally! Loopholes, schmoopholes! I'm sure whoever worked on you, they could be convicted based on the spirit of the law. Prototypes is probably meant to cover those species they create on their own and..."

"Hector." The other man stopped and turned to look back at his brother.

Halvard swallowed. Saliva fell down his throat like thick, bubbling lava. "Jade is... Jade is a very good friend of mine. But she... she made a... she was in a very poisonous relationship. One that... that lead to something bad happening to her. And... and even though I noticed that things were strange, I... I did nothing about it. And it... it..." His eyes quivered.

Hector threw himself in front of his brother. "And a lot of bad things happened because of it but they're both better now. Right."

[GrayGriffin]

Huul tilted his head to one side. "This time, we took more mundane transportation. If the fish was effective, we would have been given permission to use magical transport for future visits to this place. But we have a budget to think about. I suppose if you insist on it, we could show you there." Luckily, he could not read minds. He had a natural desire for privacy, after all, and Harvard's plan would definitely have had a negative effect on that.

Upon hearing Hector's ramblings, he raised an eyebrow. "You'd be willing to take it that far?" he asked. He was sure that Metamorphose had friends in high places. As well as plenty of clients who were all too eager to keep the services of that accursed place, and who would most likely protest. "Even though you know the public would most likely disagree..."

However, he soon realized that Jade was apparently not a good subject to talk about. Even though Hector interrupted before Harvard could get any further, he quickly realized that he should not have brought that up. "Sorry," he said quickly. "I'm glad that she's fine now. We don't have to talk about that anymore." Perhaps that event was part of what inspired the man's desire to protect.

[52, 52]

[Freezair]

Halvard gave Hector a quivering, relieved glance. He swallowed heavily and stood up more straightly. His towering brother stepped back in beside him. He was the guard of the family; the one who served and protected, the oldest, and the one who never let anything happen to anyone on pain of his blade. But somehow, he felt safer in the shadow of his pacifist younger brother than he had in a while.

Hector tossed the topic of Jade aside. "Well, I'm not saying we would go alone! You can't be the only people wronged by Metamorphose. Get a group going! A grassroots effort! You could probably get a pretty good support group set up, and you could make some noise! If you can gain some publicity, people would take more notice of what goes on there! Get the media's attention--"

Now it was Halvard's turn to step up. "Ah--I'm not sure we have the time or resources to do that right now." Halvard stepped forward. "But we do have the capability to provide transport back to Nabias. We travel over Barakka frequently, because we go shopping in the larger cities and because we make deliveries. Myself especially. I have a pass I can use to transport people. And since I often take my children with me, it's a family pass. Up to three others are permitted to come with me. So yes... I would be willing to go quite far to ensure your safety." He pressed his hands into his hip, with his palms laid flat and face up. It looked somewhat like he was fishing for high-fives, but his proud stance made it clear it was some sort of military salute. "I never joke around in matters such as these."

(("Hi, my name is Halvard Henderson. Busting into unknown mansions to ensure the personal safety of people I just met? All in a day's work!"))

[GrayGriffin]

"An organization to stand against Einsor?" hissed Huul. "I...I don't know if I can do that. I...I like my privacy very much. I'm not a public figure. I'm not a leader. I couldn't do something like that." He paused. There was something in his mind, some sort of latent conditioning... "Of course. Mental modification to lessen the possibility of rebelling against your creator." He shook his head.

"Whatever. We can speak of that later. If you are willing to provide transport...then I suppose that is a benefit for us, as well. But before we go back, we do need to find that fish. The market might be less crowded by now, at least..." He nudged Ajor, and she peered at him.

"These people have offered to deliver us back home. They have a special pass they can use for that." Ajor nodded, then looked at Halvard and Hector.

"Thank you," she said.

[53, 53]

[Freezair]

"Ah. Yes, of course. That fish," Halvard agreed. "If your master is a good person, as you suggest, I wouldn't want to send you home without it. And it was what I offered to help you with in the first place. I suppose I had better keep my word."

He turned himself back towards the market. "Now. My directions haven't changed. I still think we need to look in this particular portion of the market." Halvard began to clamber over the stones, but looked back once again to make sure that the others were following. Hector seemed to have taken up the defensive position near Huul and Ajor. He walked closely next to them, watching their progress, and seemed to overshadow them as if they were children. Perhaps it might offend them that Hector apparently seemed to think they were weak or needed all the help. But Halvard saw kindness and concern in his brother's eyes.

Strange. I'm the oldest, but he's the one who acts like a father to everyone. Heh.

[GrayGriffin]

"Ajor," said Huul softly. "You need to disguise yourself again." She nodded, rising up and slowly shifting into her humanoid form. Then she touched the amulet, and the illusion was complete. The two of them started after Halvard, Huul keeping an eye on Hector. The Wombear did see a bit of overprotectiveness in Hector's stance, but as long as he didn't act too overly chivalrous, he supposed he could take it.

"At least there probably won't be as much people there now," he said. "That should also make the fish easier to find."

[54, 54]

[Freezair]

Halvard lead them back along the boardwalk, skimming shops as he passed. There were fewer and fewer stalls up this way, with a larger proportion of the space taken up by full-sized shops with proper storefronts. Hector, still walking in step beside Huul and Ajor, started pointing to stores as they passed. He made small noises and called Halvard's attention back to them. Halvard shook his head at each storefront they passed, or paused and considered. But he would, in the end, decide against it, and they carried on.

Until, that was, Hector pointed to the bright blue-and-purple paint on the storefront of a tiny, secluded-little shop with small display windows.

"CATCH OF THE YEAR - Rare and Specialty Fish," the sign proclaimed.

Halvard scratched his chin. "Hmm... I don't know if they look big enough to have a very good freezer, but if the fish is for fertilizer, it doesn't need to be as fresh. I'd say this is our best bet. Shall we?"

[GrayGriffin]

"That makes sense," agreed Huul. "Hopefully, they're not sold out." Then again, Mein had done quite a bit of research into various kinds of fish for this-it was likely that not many farmers knew about its properties. "Ajor, why don't you open the door?" he added.

The Kirund in human disguise started, turning to him as if she was not sure about the idea. He waved a claw, encouraging her, and she pushed the door open. A bell jangled, and they were hit with the smell of slightly-ripened fish.

"Ah! Hello!" called a voice. A Rengosett leapt out from behind the counter. "Sorry, I don't get many customers at this time of day, you know!"

Huul nudged Ajor again, and after a pause, she took the picture out of her pocket.

"We are loo-king for a fish like this."

[55, 55]

[The Rengosett is an NPC, so you can control him as well. I just didn't want to hog all his reactions in one post.]

[GrayGriffin]

"That makes sense," agreed Huul. "Hopefully, they're not sold out." Then again, Mein had done quite a bit of research into various kinds of fish for this-it was likely that not many farmers knew about its properties. "Ajor, why don't you open the door?" he added.

The Kirund in human disguise started, turning to him as if she was not sure about the idea. He waved a claw, encouraging her, and she pushed the door open. A bell jangled, and they were hit with the smell of slightly-ripened fish.

"Ah! Hello!" called a voice. A Rengosett leapt out from behind the counter. "Sorry, I don't get many customers at this time of day, you know!"

Huul nudged Ajor again, and after a pause, she took the picture out of her pocket.

"We are loo-king for a fish like this."

[55, 55]

[The Rengosett is an NPC, so you can control him as well. I just didn't want to hog all his reactions in one post.]

[Freezair]

Halvard followed in behind, with Hector at his heels. Halvard's deep voice boomed inside the confines of the tiny shop. Everywhere on the boardwalk smelled a little like fish. It was fairly unavoidable. But the inside of this establishment was so strikingly pungent that it made Halvard glad he was in human form. Even painted, the wood boards that made up the walls were still somewhat porous. He could've removed every fish from the store, and the building would still smell for years.

"What time of day do you usually get customers?" Hector asked, rubbing the tip of his own nose in an attempt to blunt out the smell.

"In the morning, usually," the Rengosett replied. "That's when the catch is the freshest! But it's also a weekday, in the middle of it... sometimes people out for lunch stop by around midday."

"Don't you sell rare fish here? I'd imagine you'd have to keep them frozen. So aren't they always..."

"Well, I have to pay the bills in-between the big sells, you know," the Rengosett replied. His ear-tufts bristled. "But if you've got the goods, the customers find you! Now, let's see here... Ahh, yes. The Fatty Lung-Puffer. Very bony; not very tasty to eat, unless you're desperate. But invaluable to gardeners due to the high nutrient contents of its body. Stocking that one can be tricky, since it's not very tasty. It is mainly those gardeners who want it."

Halvard's face fell. "Does that mean... you don't have any?"

"Well, now, I didn't say that," the Rengosett replied.