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Post by Jewel on Jun 7, 2019 18:25:47 GMT -6
Jewel had always been of the opinion that to succeed in endeavours, he had to grasp opportunities with both hands - and that was exactly why he was picking his way across an overgrown farm in search of a man.
He wasn’t in the market for anything sordid. No, no. Those interactions came at far less effort if he had anything to do with it. Today was about Sarane, which was altogether more serious. A hatchling had come into his care, and having never heard of the beasts until recently, he hadn’t the foggiest what to do with it. All it did was scowl at him in its strange, drakeish way, and shriek without warning. From what he could ascertain from pocket guides and a battered volume or two, it would do him no harm as an infant, but was liable to become an enormous pain in the ass when it grew. The violence in the species was well documented, and often utilised for entertainment.
The first place he turned was the fighting pits, and their halls of fame. There, he caught wind of Aster. Who better to do him a good turn than a champion, huh?
Perhaps it was presumptuous of him. No, it was presumptuous; still, he was going to do it. Eilonwi, reeking of disappointment, had refused to make the journey with him. Jewel considered that it might be a good thing to be without her, in case the dude did take offence and go crazy. The Felusine would never forgive him, and what little fondness was bonding them would disintegrate.
The woodland and shrubbery was behind him at last, and he stumbled his way up towards the house, a smirk playing on his lips. He had no right to be as confident as he was. Armed only with a backpack and his charm, he was hoping to weasel his way into Aster’s good books... and secure a deal for borrowing breaking gear when the time came. It was ludicrous enough that Aster may have said yes out of raw shock. If all went well, that would be exactly what would happen.
He rapped out a merry rhythm on the door, and waited. What was the worst that could happen?
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Post by Noa on Jun 8, 2019 9:10:09 GMT -6
Aster nearly startled when he heard a knock at the door.
He wasn't alone. Summer, who had been drowsing on the back of a couch, had snapped awake at the sound, and was now looking incredulously about. A few of the Hara had also poked their heads out from wherever they'd been hiding. They were, all of them, caught off guard by the sound, and most of them could tell from Aster's expression that he wasn't expecting anyone.
That wasn't the strange part, of course. Aster never expected anyone. He didn't entertain. He barely left the confines of his property anymore if he could help it, which he often could now, because he had Rabbit to run all those inconvenient errands for him.
The weird part was that someone had, apparently, shown up anyway.
Cold, irrational dread crept down his back. Aster did his best to quell it, but he couldn't quite force it away. He made a show of standing up and walking to the door, and shooing the Hara away out of sight, but Summer, who could sense his unease, alighted on his shoulder. He felt comforted by her presence, as much because of her warmth and companionship as by the knowledge that she could raze an intruder if it turned out that they, well, needed razing.
Avander, Aster said, reaching through one of his mental links. I thought you were supposed to be on guard.
I am! I am on guard! the drake replied indignantly. Have you considered that I can't actually be everywhere at once? Actually, have you considered electric fencing? ... Though, it's just one man, isn't it? He isn't even a very big one.
"What do I even feed you for," Aster muttered under his breath. He'd definitely have to consider the idea of electric fencing though. Apparently he had more of a need for it than he had thought.
Peering through the peephole in the door, he could see that Avander was right. The person standing just outside it really wasn't tall. He also didn't look like anyone Aster knew, though that didn't mean much. Keeping the chain latched to the door, he opened it ever so slightly. "You're on private property," he said, none too kindly.
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Post by Jewel on Jun 8, 2019 14:12:51 GMT -6
Jewel hadn't been expecting a warm welcome, but was surprised at quite how unwelcome he appeared to be.
Did it not occur to him that Aster might not be one for visitors? Apparently not, and it still didn't, even as he became the recipient of some choice harsh words. Unwavering, he fixed a cheery grin onto his face and offered a one-finger salute.
"Hey! Yeah, I know, I'm sorry about that," He explained, as if he'd knocked over a flowerpot or picked up Aster's mail rather than trespassed on his property. "This is gonna seem really out of the blue, but I heard you've got a lot of experience with Sarane. Saw you're a Pit Champion."
His brain click-click-clicked away as he considered his options. The flirty approach was a solid choice, but it probably wouldn't go over well with someone who already looked like he wanted rid of him before they'd even had a conversation. Still, it was part of his nature to cock his hip and flutter his eyelashes as standard, so he looked like he was trying it on whether or not he was making a conscious effort.
"I don't mean to bother you, sir," He continued - dropping an honorific and waiting to see how it would be accepted was another tactic. "I know you weren't expecting visitors, but I think you could help me. I'd be extremely grateful if you'd hear me out."
God, he was laying it on thick.
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Post by Noa on Jun 9, 2019 21:15:57 GMT -6
Their... visitor... looked surprised at Aster's attitude. Must not have been warned. If this wasn't such an uncomfortable waste of his time, Aster might have felt a little bad for him, but as it was, he was more inclined to wonder who had put the guy up to this, and whether the intent had been to screw with him or Aster himself. "If you know, then you should leave," Aster said. "Or else it's about to get real unpleasant for you in a couple minutes." He had called for Avander to come as fast as the drake's wings could carry him. Avander was no Thundergug, but a full grown drake was usually enough, and sadly, Grunty wasn't the type that could get anywhere in a timely manner.
But as it so happened, the topic of Sarane came up before Avander had even arrived. Aster's countenance didn't soften as he listened to the stranger speak.k. His eyes narrowed. He suspected that this person was playing at flattery, but he wasn't moved. That just meant they wanted something from him, specifically.
He really shouldn't bite. He knew that. He could sense 'ulterior motives' dripping off this guy like the fat on a roast. But, well, he did like talking about Sarane, as much as he liked talking about anything, and as far as visible threats went, this guy barely even registered on the radar. Maybe he was getting complacent, not having run into any serious trouble in years, but he did feel pretty confident that he could get rid of one man on his own home turf if push came to shove.
"You got a question about Sarane?" he said. "I'll hear it if you'll cut to the chase." The last thing he wanted to do was waste time listening to more meaningless niceties, and he suspected this guy had them in great supply.
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Post by Jewel on Jun 10, 2019 14:16:33 GMT -6
Jewel wasn't easily frightened, for the most part. He'd seen plenty in his time, and dealt with just as much - he was familiar with violence and anger, and was good at maintaining his calm facade in the face of it. Even so, something about Aster's raw discomfort with his presence cut deeper than blind rage. The man was beyond unhappy that someone had come to bother him uninvited, and, against all odds, Jewel's heart was touched. He felt bad.
Bad enough to reconsider pestering him, though? Not quite. Not quite at all.
If his common sense had been more prevalent than his curiosity or self-service, he might have considered that a Pit Champion would have strong Sarane on standby, waiting to make mince meat of anyone they took offence to. The thought struck him too late. Well, at least he was dying in pursuit of a noble(ish) cause.
... Or perhaps he wasn't dying at all. The tension that had began to work its way into his muscles relaxed when Aster responded a little more positively, and his smile at last reached his eyes. Good. Now he had to pack it all in as concisely as possible.
"I appreciate it," He replied in earnest; at least that sounded like it had some truth to it. "I'm a newcomer to Sarane. I have a hatchling, a drake, and he's fine now but I know he's going to grow up to be a beast. How do you think I should prepare for breaking? Is there anything I can do to make it easier on him and I both?"
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Post by Noa on Jun 20, 2019 20:17:53 GMT -6
Aster honestly wasn't sure what he expected, but his face twitched when he heard the word 'newcomer'. It twitched again at, 'he's fine now'. By the time the stranger had finished, Aster was rubbing at his face. Gods and angels. He should have just slammed the door when he had the chance.
But it was one thing to slam the door on a stranger who had no business being on his property; abandoning someone to what he knew full well might be their death was something else. Even if they apparently had a death wish, from sheer stupidity if nothing else. "Everyone always starts with drakes," he said, mostly to himself. "Never occurs to them to try a hen first." He knew he shouldn't have been saying that, considering he'd done the same, but by that point he'd had Grunty and Azalea for a while too, and fancied he knew his way around big beasts. And Avander had still managed to surprise him.
Straightening, he adopted a more brisk, business-like demeanor. "Well, you'll want the full set of gear if you want any shot at living through it. If you spend enough time with him, he might remember it a little and go easy on you when he's trying to tear off your head. That's not the kind of thing you want to count on though. It still won't stop them from going nuts."
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Post by Jewel on Jul 21, 2019 12:55:08 GMT -6
A hen...? Aster was right, Jewel had never considered starting with the supposed fairer sex. In his naivety, he had assumed that all Sarane would be a pain in the backside, and that he might as well throw his hat into the biggest ring rather than mincing around working up to it. A stupid assumption. He had beauty in greater supply than common sense.
The other man's description of breaking wasn't encouraging, either. Jewel did his best not to let fear touch his expression, but he felt it - Sarane wouldn't have had their reputation without good reason, and if they were prolific enough to be infamous to him after only a short time living near the Labs, he knew they weren't to be taken lightly.
Was it too late to forget the whole thing? Oh, boy. That would truly make him look like a fool (as if he didn't already).
"I see," He managed to mutter after a second of overwhelmed silence. To think, his hatchling looked so innocuous, and made the sweetest keening sound when he scratched beneath his chin. One day, he could be the death of him. "I, uh... I suppose that doesn't come in cheap, does it? Needs to be heavy duty and all..."
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Post by Noa on Jul 21, 2019 17:31:58 GMT -6
Aster watched the stunned expression that overcame the stranger's face at the mention of hens, and closed his eyes for a moment in exasperation. But it sounded as though the stranger already had a drake whelp on him. If that was the case, Aster couldn't exactly urge him in good faith to abandon the creature either. Then it would just become someone else's problem.
Not that the idea didn't have its appeal, but... No, he had better not.
"Well," he said reluctantly, "if you want loyalty, you can't really get better. Once you've broken them out of their tantrum, they're good as any other big thing with fangs, and they won't just wag their tail for anyone who sweet talks 'em or feeds 'em something nice." That had been the appeal for Aster, anyway. Judging by their exchange so far, he wasn't sure if the stranger had put as much thought into what he might want a drake for, but Aster wasn't going to write off their merits wholesale either.
He undid the latch on the door, but only so he could step out of his house. He was still dressed in his house clothes, but they were clothes, and in this weather he didn't know if he'd want to wear more than a tank top and shorts anyway. "You're already here, so you might as well see some of the grown ones in person. If you want, anyway." He began walking off in the general direction of the stables without checking to see if the stranger was following. "As for the equipment... The whole lot altogether is a little less than two hundred credits." Not a bad price at all considering how much of it went towards saving your hide, all told, but still not exactly pocket change.
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Post by Jewel on Jul 22, 2019 13:55:23 GMT -6
Jewel was deep in his thoughts while Aster spoke. It wasn't his intention to be ignorant - he was simply overcome with the gravity of the situation, now that it had finally become apparent to him. He didn't like to think of himself as a quitter, but he wasn't in an ideal position to be looking after anything at all, let alone a vicious beast in the making who would need frequent undivided attention to prevent it from going entirely berserk.
It would keep unwanted attention away. No one would dare step on his land with that breed of crazy on the loose. Still, was he up to the challenge?
He was in autopilot when he tailed after the other man, and cringed when he heard the price of the breaking gear. 200? It wasn't a lot, not on the grand scale of things. However, he was living out of his kennel and taking odd jobs to feed his pets. There was no justifying that splurge.
"Yeah, thanks," Jewel said, and quickly decided that he sounded too miserable and ungrateful. With a shake of his head, he forced another smile back, and did his best to inject some enthusiasm into his voice. "I'm grateful that you're giving it to me straight, I mean. That's good."
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