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Post by Kristofor on Feb 28, 2021 13:41:01 GMT -6
Dated: 01-12-2021 - #21
On the Board
There is one notice on the board that is visibly larger than the others. It is heavily decorated and painted by hand in large letters.
Sled Race!
"Welcome to the first annual city sled race! Meet up at the top of the tallest hill in the public park for a cross-city race. Bring your fastest pet to pull the sled and see who can cross the finish line first. Sleds will be provided, so just bring yourself and a pet who can pull you."
In a tiny font squeezed in at the bottom, it says: Sponsored by Supply and Demand.
In Order to Succeed: Show your pet how to pull the sled and try to win the race! (No actual training required.)
Prize: Quest Points only
Challenge Rating: Medium
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Post by Kristofor on Feb 28, 2021 20:03:52 GMT -6
Somehow, some way, the fox found himself invited to afternoon tea with the master of the estate. Afternoon tea for humans seemed to be quite a to do, even sitting down at a table with some silver that Kristofor had never seen before. Who knew that forks could GET that small. Knives as well. Partially crouched by the table, he examined the silverware with awe. A stifled amount of mirth behind him; what, was the servant child amused by this? At the head of the lavish table was the master, reading his afternoon newspaper with a cup of tea in his free hand. A plate of some sort of sweet half finished in front of him. "There's to be a sled race in the city this year.... sponsored by the general store it seems." the servant child mentioned as he refilled his master's cuppa. 1
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Post by Kristofor on Feb 28, 2021 20:30:20 GMT -6
"Our company could do some early advertising in terms of Faelot." the master mentions absently, examining the ad as if it were boring. "The factory has a limited time line of chocolate eggs that would sell well in the coming month." Occasionally he glanced up over the edge of the newspaper, inspecting his guest. The fox had a little orange cat in his lap, holding a regular square of cookie in his paw while trying to convince the cat to not take his fingers along with the cookie. "And he could be useful in that venture." "Oh?" the child asked, glancing at the ad himself. Oh... so it was a training suggestion. To teach an animal companion ot pull a sled and then pull you in the race. To draw others into teaching their creatures to pull them around the city. And that snit of a cat thing wouldn't even pull houseflies. 2
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Post by Kristofor on Feb 28, 2021 20:49:18 GMT -6
"Ouch." pulling his fingers away from the snapping jaws of the kitten, Kristofor abandoned the cookie to the maw of Yolko. Greedily and messily, the cookie broke apart in its mouth. "Sharp little brat cat." The kitten's mouth opened with a little amount of cookie falling free, showing sharp teeth not unlike a shark. Though did he know what a toothy fish was. How did salmon eat their food anyhow. Teeth! Those teeth went through their food, and seemed to enjoy fingers as well. The sharp edges hurt and made his pawpads bleed. However, manners told him it was impolite to lick his wounds at the table. Treating injuries is a private affair. PIcking up a napkin, he gripped it carefully to blot the pinpricks. He looked a bit guilty for doing so, but would rather not have to get blood out of his fur a second time. 'I am sorry, for bleeding on your cloth.' he mumbled. 3
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Post by Kristofor on Feb 28, 2021 20:54:54 GMT -6
'Thankfully I assign laundry to someone else on the household staff.' the servant with the coattails thought to himself while presenting a winning expression. "Do not trouble yourself, sir. We launder our cloth on regular occasion, and blood removal isn't as difficult as you think." Those expressive ears twitched backwards briefly as he looked a bit shamed. "However, take a look at this." The master glanced at him with those piercing sapphires called an eye and handed over the newspaper with a bit of irritation. Coattails walked the paper down the table to hand off to the fox, pointing out the ad in question. 'A race?' he asked, tilting his head in a confused canine fashion. 'A sled race?' "Yes, a sled race. My master is considering entry, but we are far too busy to participate. Its a good chance to provide advertisement of the factory and its goods to the people of this city." 4
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Post by Kristofor on Feb 28, 2021 21:13:09 GMT -6
"What does ...your factory make?" he asked, having a hold on Yolko. "Sweets, toys, mainly it caters to the younger ages of children." Coattails answered. "My master's father used the factory to make other things, but that was in the past." The master glared at him. "Forgive my loose gossip, sir. I shall begin preparations for dinner. Please enjoy your tea." he bows to both of them and leaves. "Your servant is quite good at his job for being so young." Kristofor told his teacup, trying not to look the master right in the eye. His instincts screamed each time he tried. "A hell of a servant, he called himself? Thats a very lofty title." "He calls himself that quite frequently." the man mutters, taking a sip of his tea. "He speaks the truth though, the most honest one I've in my services in years." The teacup clinks on the saucer after he drinks. 5
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Post by Kristofor on Mar 1, 2021 5:45:28 GMT -6
"To business then. My company, Phuntom Confectionaries, is looking to advertise more for the coming month of Faelot, and the sled race is an excellent idea. However, neither my staff nor I have time to do so. You do." And he's just going ot assume this, the fox considered to himself, "I will lend you a puller if you run the race for me. The ad claims sleds will be provided. My stabled animals do know how ot pull a large carriage but you may have to convince them to pull a child's sled instead." the man says to his newspaper. "The runner I provide you is stouter of body then your stuffed cat there, and resourcefully fast." Would he be mentioning outrunning cannibalistic mythical creatures in his carriage? Noooo Before the black fox across the table could voice a complaint- "This isn't without payment, for handling my runners is not for the faint of heart." 6
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Post by Kristofor on Mar 1, 2021 5:51:02 GMT -6
Not for the faint of heart? He'd seen enormous people sized cats, birds and plenty of strange beasts being coddled by humans in this city. Surely not a problem...right? "From what I am told by my staff, the mansion and grounds frequently spit up strange souvenirs. There's a small pile I've kept around. If you win, you may keep the prize, and return later for the pile of loot my plane of existance likes to send people home with." As if a jar of caramels(still at the apple tree outside) and a bird wasn't enough. "If you do a decent job advertising for the company, I may ask for your service another time, and I do pay well." In house barfed trash items? 'Let me consider. I do need to figure out specifics.' Kristofor finally said. Honestly didn't see a reason to do it, but the risk ran greater in the fact that he and Yolko were in the belly of the house. 7
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Post by Kristofor on Mar 1, 2021 5:56:18 GMT -6
"When my servants return, do give your answer." the man responded, noncommital. There were plenty of other suckers willing to do errands for a rich person. He acted like doing a job for him was an honor or something. They both fell silent, more to the chewing of cookie in the other corner of table. Occasionally crumbs fell to the floor at the fox's feet as his 'stuffed cat' ate their snaps. Occasionally the man watched over the rim of his teacup at the interaction. The kitten still quite young, but already all teeth and claws, praticallly biting food out the master's hand. If he was here, in this strange city, then likely strange beasts inhabited his care. They (these people outside) all seemed to be the same case. Beast tamers. A sharp reminder of Betty and Beast.... but different. Not circus animals. More of... like keeping a dog, only it was ten times the size of a 'dog'. 8
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Post by Kristofor on Mar 1, 2021 6:01:24 GMT -6
The tea drained itself quickly enough on both ends of the table, seeing the kettle across from each other, still steaming. How was it doing that, the fox wondered. A sharp whistle from across the table, and a door opened. As white as he was black, a kid almost the same height as the crowlike boy, in a stained set of lavender finery, bounded into the room, across the floor and nearly rammed into the table head first, for he ran on all fours. Huh? The animalistic one took corner sharply and screeched to a halt at his master's feet, all tousled and all mane. His red eyes were bright with eagerness. "Help master?" he all but barked. Instead of a tie, a loose green string, nearly as thick as the pawpads were wide was preent. "Tea." the man gestured at the kettle. "Be careful, it is hot. Serve me and my guests, your fellow is busy." 9
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Post by Kristofor on Mar 1, 2021 6:06:36 GMT -6
His movements, heck his manner, it all screamed 'dog'. Dogs chased foxes. But the doggish boy wasn't seeking him out like a hound, but clumsily gripping onto the teapot and bringing it over to his master, to pour nearly onto himself and the table. A clever push with a fork, and the dark liquid splashed into the cup until he waved off stopping. "Do good?" practically wagging in place, the doggish boy looked by all intents and purposes, like one of those 'not old' hunting beagles. "Serve the guest now." the gloved hand gestured at the other side of the table. He trotted over, and Kristofor half expected him to put the teapot's handle in his mouth to carry, but that wouldn't work. THe tea would drain out onto the floor. "Serve guest!" he barked, and took the empty teacup to splash tea into it. Distracted from the cookie, Yolko saw the doggish one... 10
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Post by Kristofor on Mar 1, 2021 6:13:09 GMT -6
"Thats enough, thank you." the fox instructed the doggish boy before he poured tea over the rim of the cup. He pulled the fineryware back with a big toothy smile. "Do good?" he asked, a hopeful wagging wiggle in his stance. "Uh, yes. You did good. Do you like treats?" He didn't respond to the watching across the table, because the boy's big crimson eyes lit up like fireworks, he put the teapot on the table and sat back on his knees, wagging in place. Fishing into his kitty confections bag, Kristofor put the cookie on the table, avoiding Yolko's reaching paws. "Its a cat cookie, but you may like it-" The cookie disappeared wihtout much warning, and if he hadn't been careful, so might've his pawhand. Messily, the child inhaled the confection, wiggling with delight. "Master! Got treat!" he shouted, bounding across the table to sit at his master's side. "Do good?" 11
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Post by Kristofor on Mar 1, 2021 6:17:44 GMT -6
"Pluto, I thought I asked you to stay in the the foyer while Master had his tea party." a disappointed voice came. The crowish one was back, his finery a bit ruffled, and...chewed on? "Go on." Brownish red stared unblinkingly at crimson before the canineish child bounded out of the room, his cookie in hand. "Finding tack for the runner in question took longer then I initially believed master, my apologies for being late." His eyes raked the splash points around both cups of tea, and the moved teapot, dangerously close to the edge of the table. He moved with grace to catch the offending finery and set it back on the table. The fox looked lost for words. "Who-" "Another of the staff." the 'crow' mentioned with the air of impatience. "Do you have your answer for the master? Will you run this race for the company? I'm sure you discussed terms." 12
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Post by Kristofor on Mar 1, 2021 6:30:09 GMT -6
"I haven't handled anything larger then a small dog before, but I am willing to try." the fox finally answered. If it was too much a risk, he'd just leave the race early. Yes. "Excellent. The tack required is outside. Please follow me. Excuse us master." the master waved them past with distain, drinking his tea and taking his newspaper back at last. Outside, tethered to the stairs, was the strangest deer Kristofor had laid eyes on. -on loan, no loyalty gained- Give or take the beast's head met his ears, and the rest of the height went to the antlers. Imposingly large of body, the deer had scales on half its back half, spread out like someone had sewn a human's finery shawl to its hindquarters. The deer thing pawed the ground, shaking its antlers to try and rid itself of an abnoxious itch around the ears. That being the bridle stuffed into its mouth. "This is our finest puller in my master's estate." the crow answered, patting the beast deer carefully. Kristofor noted the large fluffy tail that nearly rivaled his own. "A repointe of finest domestic breed." Couldn't have anything normal, huh. The kitten, shoved under his arm, busied itself with licking crumbs off its face. 13
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Post by Kristofor on Mar 1, 2021 6:36:55 GMT -6
"I have some warnings for you, Kristofor, before I let you try hooking up Bristol." that must be the name of the beast before him. "First, observe his choice of meal." A whistle, and the deer's head swung towards him, suddenly sharply attending. Two things appeared in his hands, an apple, and a chop of meat. Not even seeing the apple, the deer lunged at the piece of meat, which got tossed to him. The deer's jaws opened, and Kristofor saw sharp, pointed teeth. Like someone had mixed a predator and a deer together, but kept the deer skin. A wolf in deer's clothing indeed. "Repointe eat meat strictly." the boy regarded the beast. It sneered at him with stained fangs, the jaws unable to open fully with the length of metal jammed inside. "Bristol isn't a finger eater, but don't piss him off to let him try. His mate is a lot more hot tempered, but they pull our carriages with aplomb." Was this deer supposed to be a 'I'm better then you' kind of puller? "Master wasn't terribly fond of the choice of 'horses' the city appears to carry on with, and opted for soomething a bit more... interesting." The deer hissed at him. 14
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