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Post by Jack on Sept 6, 2020 20:48:46 GMT -6
For some reason... Jack was nervous and kept running her fingers through her hair as she waited on Nina to arrive at the Kennel. Alexei laid in the background, tail twitching from side to side, watching for her to come. Still though, the woman wasn't sure this was the best way to do this, it didn't matter now though, Nina was on her way, or, well, was supposed to be at this point. Ah, there went her thoughts, all scrambled and scuttled together while she waited on her friend to get there to pick up her gift. She was an offspring of Alexei, the Drake who Nina had broken as well before he'd come to the woman, and so she wished she knew what was going to happen. The little whelp laid at her feet as she paced around the bench outside of the Kennel, watching her and waiting for something to happen. Usually if the woman was this pent up, then something big would happen, and she was confused as to what it was going to be. Giving the tiniest of shrugs, the whelp closed her eyes and then lowered her head onto her front paws, whatever happened, she was sure she would roll with it. Jack smiled a little and forced herself to sit down, she was always so lonely if it wasn't for her animals, it was nice to have a friend. [Jack: 1/5] |
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Post by Silver on Sept 6, 2020 21:00:25 GMT -6
Nina couldn't be sure what was about to happen. She let Jack convince her that this was a good idea, and she wanted to trust her friend, but she was still a little hesitant. The world had changed so much yet so little at the same time. Was she read to come face to face with a fully dominant Sarane? To come so close to something she considered a huge failure? She had broken and trained Alexei a long time ago, but that felt like another life. She wasn't afraid of him - she had already proved to everyone in the world that she was stronger than he was! - but she was afraid of what he represented. She lost that tournament and the scars might fade fast from his scaled skin, but not as much from her memory.
Nina had never been to Jack's kennel before, but she was good with instructions. She paused for a second as if she was catching her breath. 'It'll be alright,' she thought to herself. Then she wandered down the path and waved once she was within sight of her friend. Something about seeing someone familiar instantly made her feel better, even if she was still a bit anxious.
[35.2]
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Post by Jack on Sept 6, 2020 21:13:24 GMT -6
Sitting there for awhile was nerve wracking still, and she could feel her leg bounce as she sat there. Shoving her hand onto her knee, she stilled herself for a moment or two before sighing and standing up to pace again. What was wrong with her anyway? She was meeting Nina and she was going to give her a hatchling, a whelp, a female even, tier two so she wouldn't need to be broken, that was the point of all of this, wasn't it? Frowning, she looked at the little whelp who she hadn't even named yet, she was leaving that for Nina to do, and wondered what was going to happen between her and Nina, the whelp that is. She hoped Nina would fall in love with the little one at first sight, but she knew better to hope about something like that since she knew a bit about Nina's past.
Alexei snorted out a smoke ring and his tail twitched behind him again as he saw the TROD in the distance. He wasn't sure how he felt about her... but he was much more attentive to the woman at this point. Jack glanced at him when he grunted and then looked around and waved when she saw her friend. "Hey Nina!" she called to her with a smile and a big wave. She was nervous, but looking forward to this.
[Jack: 2/5]
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Post by Silver on Sept 6, 2020 21:45:39 GMT -6
"Ah, hey!" she said, returning the wave. "It's good to see you," she said once she closed the gap between them. Did she go for a hug or something? No, better not. She was not that good at hugging anyway. Something about being impossibly strong, and... well, it just didn't work out that well some times.
"And, ah, you, too," she said, looking down at the whelp. That's why they were here, right? A single little Sarane, recently hatched and hoping for a new home. They were so tiny and cute at that stage. She had actually not ever raised one from a whelp into an adult. When she purchased Alexei in the market, he was already a huge...
That's right, Alexei. Nina let her eyes wander off the purple and gold hen up to her father. She didn't expect to feel that way, but she was actually a little relieved to see him. Giving him to Jack was the right choice. She had raised him into a champion, something Nina herself could never do.
[35.4]
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Post by Jack on Sept 6, 2020 21:49:57 GMT -6
Chuffing, Alexei nodded, a very human like movement he had learned from the woman, partially from their time together, and partially from her explaining what it meant through the Ribbon they shared. He lowered his head onto his front paws as his tail twitched behind him and he looked at the whelp with pride in his eyes. While he knew what was going on, it felt a little weird actually going through with it. Fewer Sarane for the woman to deal with though, he supposed was the point of it all, and he didn't really much care what happened with his whelps as long as they were cared for. He was more interested in the actual, well, mating part of it.
The little whelp stared up at the TROD with sleepy eyes before she stood up on wobbly legs and wandered over to Nina. Jack chuckled a little and reached out to offer a hand to shake for the TROD, "Good to see you, Nina! This is the little one I told you about." Her eyes went from Nina to the whelp and back before glancing back at Alexei too. Somehow the TROD seemed... relaxed now that she'd seen him? That was an odd observation, but maybe it was the way she held herself or something. The TROD wasn't always rigid like most robots were, Nina could be a bit more fluid and relaxed, or at least the woman seemed to notice it a little. "Are you doing alright?" she asked, tilting her head.
[Jack: 3/5]
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Post by Silver on Sept 7, 2020 5:56:09 GMT -6
Nina watched Alexei as his eyes moved from her to the whelp. It almost seemed like he was trying to tell her that he was happy for her to take the little one. She wouldn't have been able to guess how much that actually meant to her. Her stance became less stiff and she started to relax a little bit. If Alexei didn't hold her failures against her, maybe she could learn to forgive herself after all.
A handshake? She could manage that. She cupped Jack's hand in her glove (surprisingly warm for belonging to a robot) and wiggled it a little before letting go. "Right, hello there," she said, looking down at the little whelp. She had to admit that she was awfully cute. It was hard to say no to a baby animal, even if it would grow up into a huge fighting machine.
"Wha...? Ah, yea, I'm fine, just thinking..." she looked back at Alexei, then down at the whelp again. "It's a lot to take in is all, sorry."
[35.6]
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Post by Jack on Sept 7, 2020 19:20:42 GMT -6
With a little smile on her face, she reached out to pat Nina's shoulder and then gestured for her to sit on the bench if she wanted to. She herself sat on the bench and reached out to put a hand on Alexei's shoulder. The big Drake grunted and opened an eye before snorting out another smoke circle and smiling a little in his own way. It rankled him a little to be around two people who had bested him in the arena, but it was pride in him when he gazed upon the both of them, both Jack and Nina. It was fine at this point, he knew, and he scooted just a bit closer to the woman before reaching out and poking the whelp a little, getting her to scoot closer to the robot with a squeak.
Jack looked over at Nina with a little concern in her eyes, "It's alright you know, to be a little overwhelmed. I'm here for you though, and I wouldn't have tried to get you to come if I didn't think you could handle it." There was pride in her own eyes for a moment or two, and fondness when she looked over at her first Drake ever, laying there, smaller than the others it seemed, but still regal in his bearing.
[Jack: 4/5]
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Post by Silver on Sept 28, 2020 6:38:33 GMT -6
Yes, sitting down was a good idea. Better than standing there looking like she had no idea what was going on. Nina gently sat on the bench next to Jack. She was always careful when she sat down not to squish anything or even crush the bench itself. There were a few times in her life where she had done that before, though not since the upgrade which made her much lighter and more agile. Nonetheless, it was an old habit she held on to.
It made her feel strangely comforted to hear Jack say that it was okay to be overwhelmed. Nobody in her life had ever told her something like that before. It felt weird to dwell on it, though, so she just nodded, then eventually said. "Thank you, I appreciate all you've done for me. I'm sure I'll get used to it some day."
Nina looked down at the little whelp and held out her gloved hand. She made a clicking noise like humans often did when they were trying to call a small animal over. "How are you, little one? Do you want some scratches?"
[35.5]
[Miscounted before, this is correct.]
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Post by Jack on Sept 29, 2020 20:16:18 GMT -6
Alexei stretched himself out, a little uncomfortable the way he was laying for a moment, and then settled back down. She had told him to be nice, so he was, and that was all he could really do. There was an ounce of fondness when he looked at the woman sitting there with the TROD, the whelp at their feet. He had done well on that one, he knew it, and he knew she was going to go to a good home. It didn't bother him too much, but one who had bested him, well, that could be good for the little whelp.
Giving a laugh, Jack pushed a hand through her hair and then shook her head, "Naw, I've not done that much, at least not that I've noticed. I've just tried to be a good friend is all." Was that really all? She frowned slightly at herself and then gave an inaudible sigh, she didn't know what to say... The little whelp heard the clicking and wandered over to the TROD, reaching to put her forepaws on the TROD's knees so she could sniff at Nina's hand.
"To be honest, Nina, it's just been kind of lonely lately with my animals. I guess I'm overcompensating with the friends I have. Maybe I think you guys will all run off or something?"
[Jack: 5/5 +1]
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Nina
Junior Member
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Post by Nina on Apr 17, 2021 0:56:30 GMT -6
Nina's ears and antennae perked up at the little whelp when she wandered over for scratches. She loved when creatures did that. It reminded her of a puppy or something. Not that she would stay that cute and harmless for long. Nina glanced back at Alexei. Sarane were really strong and quite vicious, really. Nothing like puppies at all.
She let the little one sniff her gloved hand and thought about what Jack had to say. If she was honest, she didn't know how to respond. What was Jack saying, really? There was an undertone to what she was saying that Nina could pick up on, but not really understand. She hoped that she wasn't overthinking it.
"I do not think you need to worry," Nina said. She rested her free hand on Jack's shoulder. "I will not run away from you. I... I know what it is like when someone important to you leaves, and it is not good. I do not want to do that to my friends."
[0.4]
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Post by Jack on Apr 17, 2021 1:01:44 GMT -6
Smiling, Jack nodded and patted Nina's hand. She was happy to have a friend like her, though... She shook her head a little as she thought about it, that wouldn't do right? Even though this was the Labs and things like that were...
No.
Right?
Jack frowned a little as she thought about it and then shook her head again, unsure of where to do with this. Nina said she wouldn't leave her, which was definitely good to know, but... did that mean someone had left her to begin with? Her head hurt and she forced a bit of a smile before patting Alexei for a bit and then smiled, "That's good to know, it's good to have people like you around I think..." But what was she to the woman? Jack chewed on her lip for a moment before looking down at the whelp and giving a smile, "She certainly knows who she wants to be with." The little one certainly did it would seem, and she sighed a little out of relief.
"Other than this, anything new...?" she ventured after a moment, chewing on her lip again as she looked at her friend, the TROD. She didn't think of her that way though, which was probably a good thing.
[Jack: 1/5]
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Nina
Junior Member
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Post by Nina on Apr 17, 2021 1:11:00 GMT -6
It didn't seem like Jack fully believed her. She still had some reservations in her tone. Maybe it was something else. Nina wasn't sure. She never was that good at reading people. Jack changed the subject, though, so she decided that they should talk about something else.
"I am glad," Nina nodded. She clicked at the Sarane again and rubbed her head gently. It was nice to feel accepted, even by a baby lizard. It was becoming more and more real in her mind. She was going to have to take this creature and raise it. She would have to train, and maybe even battle it. That was a lot to think about.
"You know, I want to say... I want to apologize. I think that, before, when you asked me about Sarane, I was not... I did not act in the way I would have wanted. I greatly appreciate your gift, but I was afraid. I think if I decide to raise Sarane again, my life will be different than it was before..." What did she mean exactly? Well if Jack was willing to hear it, perhaps she would explain a little bit about herself, and the odd life she lived.
[0.6]
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Post by Jack on Apr 17, 2021 18:26:40 GMT -6
"I mean there's nothing to apologize for! I really sprang her on you I think, so it's completely understandable that you might have reservations about the whole thing," Jack told her with a smile, there was nothing for her to do right now for it, but that was fine she thought with a nod. Scratching the back of her head a little, she put her other hand on Alexei's side as he laid there, lazing about in the sun. She was pleased with what she had done with him, he was a proud Sarane, but rather laid back when around others unless he had to keep them in line.
The woman frowned a bit and looked at Nina carefully, "You know... if you need anything, I'm always here. I hope this isn't going to make things hard on you..." Trailing off, she chewed on her lip and hoped that she hadn't made things difficult for her friend, that was all she needed right now. She had done this to try and get her back into the swing of things and because she liked her. A lot. A faint blush hit her cheek as she thought about that and then shook her head, no, no time to think.
"I mean, please let me know if I made things difficult."
[Jack: 2/5]
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Nina
Junior Member
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Post by Nina on Apr 19, 2021 17:20:30 GMT -6
Jack was so calm, so understanding. Is that why she got along with Nina so well? Nina had never found another person she felt less awkward around than Jack. She always worried about what to say and how others would think of her, but she didn't have that fear with Jack. Well, not the same way, anyway. There was definitely some nervousness about her friend continuing to like her mixed in there.
"Oh, no, no," Nina shook her head. She didn't want Jack to think this was her fault! That's the last thing she wanted. She wanted to be grateful, and to explain how her life was different than it used to be, but that could be a good thing.
"You see, I..." How did she explain it, actually? Perhaps she should start at the beginning. "I, ah, I assume you know what... what I am. What a Trainer Replacement Droid is, that is?"
[0.8]
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Post by Jack on Apr 19, 2021 17:40:07 GMT -6
There had been brief wonderings about whether or not her outer self would come up in conversation at all during their friendship, and while she didn't care what her friend was, just that she was her friend, she tried to balance the delicate wire of making herself look like a fool and outright upsetting her friend. Jack tapped her chin a little and looked her over, "I know what you are, of course, but I guess it's never occurred to me that you might have a different perspective on things and abilities than I do about things I suppose? It's just what you are though, not who you are, at least to me." She smiled and reached out to pat her friend on the shoulder a little. She didn't realize it made things so much different for her though, which upset her a little bit that she hadn't considered it in the first place.
Jack smiled a little and looked up at the sky, well, "Whatever you need to see, you don't have to tiptoe around it, I like you no matter what you know. Please tell me what you need to okay?"
[Jack: 3/5]
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