Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 12:52:57 GMT -6
AmonuroStamina: 2 Strength: 0 Resistance: 0 Dexterity: 5 Mentality: 8 Special Abilities: Ethreal, Empethetic Link, Wind Immunity Moves: Telekenetic Powers, Wind's Blessing
There's not too many people in the world who hear the word 'PHIL' and don't get nervous to some degree (at least, among those who know what one is). The reputation of these beasts oft precedes them, and worse so, gets added to by ever increasing accounts of various 'incidents', even uses in warfare. All that and more make this particular type of creature something most people are uneasy about, and prefer to avoid..
Not quite so with the sphinx, as she approached the front of the house where the woman lived, shijin in tow. The ad was not, perhaps, the most conventional among ads, in large part as it seemed hardly fitting for so old a woman to be able to manage so chaotic of a force as a PHIL. Not that the mammalian had room to judge, even if she wanted to - it wasn't like her own array of beasts were exactly on the 'safe' side, either.
(1) Amonuro: 74 (1/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 12:53:19 GMT -6
Which was, perhaps, why there was an odd sort of calmness in her step, a particular kind of determination, and ease of being. While she had no prior experiences with PHILs specifically, the little grassy corner where they did their trainings could spoke volumes of the numerous different times one could have very nearly broken a thing or two, been turned into cinders, nearly squashed, or torn into by tooth and claw.
Needless to say, out of many of the jobs the board had posted in recent times, this was perhaps one of the few she actually felt familiar with.
Plus, appearances weren't always everything. Just because the PHIL appeared mean-spirited in the photo didn't necessarily mean that was their nature in life as well. After all, the old lady's writing and face in the photo certainly spoke of someone soft and kind. Such natures didn't often tame overtly violent creatures easily, if at all.
(2) Amonuro: 74 (2/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 12:53:41 GMT -6
It was already midday, only slightly past the time the lady had mentioned leaving her house, as the sphinx and shijin approached it's front. There was little point to knocking on the front door, as there would be no-one home to open it, so instead the two circles around to the back yard where the fence door was appropriately left unlocked for them. PHIL being as big as they are, there's really little means of keeping them within the house itself, but to the sphinx's mild surprise it seemed the backyard was made to compensate for it.
A part of it was a finely tended rose garden, with a mishmash of other flowers and potted plants here and there, while the other half mostly dirt patches surrounding some trees and a large open awning. Things lay strewn around, such as ragged wooden poles, logs, tattered remains of cloth and even a tyre or two, seemingly making up the PHIL's collection of 'toys'.
(3) Amonuro: 74 (3/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
|
Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 12:54:00 GMT -6
Meanwhile, the awning looked as though someone took the concept of a house and decided to remove all but two walls - one in the back and one to the side - as if to solve the space issue regarding houses and PHIL. There was a measure of a floor, but it was covered in various pillows and patches of hay, and probably something else as well. Darky couldn't quite tell what else in large part because the rest of it was covered by a PHIL.. sleeping for the time being.
Well.. finding Fifi certainly didn't take nearly as long as she feared, and with her sleeping there was hope the whole job could run smoother than expected. Of course, the first hour had only just begun, so the future was certainly not set so firmly in stone.
Quietly, both sphinx and shijin sneaked in and closed the yard door behind them, making sure to latch it. Worst than messing up their job at this point was to accidentally let the PHIL loose on town, after all.
(4) Amonuro: 74 (4/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 12:54:39 GMT -6
As out of place as the collection of toys and awning were, there was still a very distinctly lady-like touch to everything. The awning was painted in bright pastel colours, the various toys still high-quality materials despite their ravaged appearances, and the pillows looked almost silky. Even the PHIL herself having a small bow-tie tied around one of it's head spikes, and a collar of well-crafted gold chain around the neck.
Both sphinx and shijin almost expected there to be a jewelled tag attached to it.. Something which they were able to very quickly confirm, when the PHIL's ear twitched, and it suddenly began to rumble to wakefulness. The eyes slowly pried themselves over, the head rose and there was a mighty yawn, showcasing each and every sharpened tooth within the maw, before the lips smacked closed and Fifi pushed herself to her feet..
..ending up staring down the pair in the middle of the yard, semi-frozen.
(5) Amonuro: 75 (0/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 12:55:03 GMT -6
Around the PHIL's collar? A neatly jewelled steel plate with a finely engraved word in the middle - 'Fifi'. The decorations were only slightly disappointing in that some of the bedazzled pieces were missing, likely from the occasional rough treatment the collar received during play, but none the less continuing to match that same overall aesthetic.
The shijin began to worry, as the PHIL's expression was quickly switching from sleepy to confused, and starting to verge into that very specific territory where a large predatory beast is starting to understand that something new has entered its grounds entirely uninvited. Even incorporeal, the shijin felt like perhaps retreating to the house seemed the better option at the moment. But the sphinx stood her ground. Running only confirmed the creature's suspicions, and likely would have prompted her to chase after (a mistake she'd certainly made a fair few times with other things she'd tried to train).
(6) Amonuro: 75 (1/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 12:55:29 GMT -6
Instead, she kept her presence calm and purposeful, taking out a bag of feed (helpfully given to them by the old lady herself) from the shoulder bag and moving over to where a large set of steel plates made up Fifi's eating area. There was a growl from the PHIL when she began to approach, as if to warn, but the sphinx's motions were very deliberate, keeping the feed visible at all times, even rattling it a little bit to entice interest.
One at the bowls, she opened the package and filled the dish to as much as it could fit, picked up the other dish and filled it with water from a nearby barrel, and placed each side by side, backing up. Animals could be territorial of many things, none more so than food. But food also made for an excellent motivator, and if she could present herself as the bringer of food, well.. Then the PHIL might not see her as so great a threat.
(7) Amonuro: 75 (2/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 12:55:48 GMT -6
The tactic was more a gamble than anything, but certain things worked in their favour - the type of food, the way it was given and the timing of it. All three something advised by the lady herself, bringing to Fifi something closer to familiarity. In essence, the process worked the same way it had all the other days, just this time the person performing them was taller, younger and fuzzier, with a weirder scent.
Fifi lumbered over to the dish, still not quite ready to let the mammalian and her ghost out of her sight, however.. The gesture might have saved them from being instantly mauled, but it's a long way towards earning the creature's trust in even the most basic of ways. And ultimately, they didn't even need Fifi's trust so much as her attention span. After all, the task was to keep her entertained and occupied until the old lady could return from her errands, rather than train her.
(8) Amonuro: 75 (3/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 12:56:28 GMT -6
A bored PHIL can be a destructive PHIL. Even a non-bored PHIL can be destructive, technically, but a PHIL who realises their caretaker isn't home and is bored? It would be a wonder to see the house still standing after that.
Fortunately, the sphinx came prepared. While Fifi ate, she rummaged through her bag again, bringing out a corded ball and a wooden stick figure. They didn't make for the best of toys, sizes compared, but they weren't intended for chewing. Instead, the sphinx looked to Amonuro, "Alright, you ready to do what we discussed?"
The shijin's form fluttered in readiness, the head nodding - Ready.
"Alright, let's wait for her to finish eating, first. Be ready to kick things off at the signal," and the sphinx slowly began to back up towards the house, even under the PHIL's baleful gaze from over the edge of the bowl, like a predator waiting.
(9) Amonuro: 75 (4/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Mar 15, 2022 12:57:14 GMT -6
Eventually (and much faster than they anticipated) the bowl ended up emptied with one final slurp, and the PHIL kicked it aside. The metal dish clattered across the field, and Fifi approached them with a slow, but grumbling step..
..Until something colourful flew through the air. The corded ball landed in front of her, much to her puzzlement, but certainly attention. When she tried to sniff it, it moved away. When she tried to swipe at it, it suddenly flew through the air in slow loops, guided by Amonuro's unseen hand. Suddenly, the sphinx and her ghost were forgotten, and Fifi only had attention for this strange new toy she had never seen before.
As she chased after it Amonuro floated it through the air and across the open area of the garden, like a laser dot to a cat. A fair bit of entertainment that should suffice them until the lady returns, though the stick-figure could always play for additional time in case she ever happened to be a little late.
(10) - (added) Amonuro: 76 (0/5)
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Post by NPC on Apr 18, 2022 9:41:06 GMT -6
Looks like Fifi has been well cared for! Congratulations, you have successfully completed the quest! Your QP has been added to the bank and your prize will be sent shortly.
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