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Post by Ashe on May 30, 2024 14:32:38 GMT -6
Fafnir did a series of barrel rolls before they ran out of room. In the wide open sky, they could do this until they became dizzy, but Ashe didn't want to go too far from the ring or risk being disqualified or having the spectators being unable to see them. One last roll and Ashe leaned back, asking Fafnir to slow down and to fly normally now. All through their rolls, the sparklers burned, hopefully leaving a colorful trail behind them, giving the eyes below something to follow. But the sparklers were at the end of their lifespan and sputtered out. Good timing.
One last thing, Faf, then we are done.
The Sarane thought this had been easy so far, one last thing couldn't hurt. Ashe felt his willingness through their bond and it helped him relax.
Arazi! He said when he was ready. Fafnir did one last swoop over the crowd, then plummeted down toward the ground. He tucked his wings for the extra speed of their weight and gravity, snapping them open when they were close to the ground. All of his power in a couple of flaps to steady and slow, then his legs touched the ground with a thud. It was a little jarring for Ashe, but hopefully it looked good to the crowd!
[Ashe demonstrates "Slow down" and "Land"]
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Post by Star on May 30, 2024 18:32:38 GMT -6
Mercury was settled in my claw, and as I lifted it he began to look up at the ceiling. With a little flick of my finger, he stretched out his wings and took flight. Despite his goopy form, he was able to hold together well enough for mechanical flight.
"Mercury has the incredible ability to be both a solid, and a liquid," I explained.
I had a handful of colorful crystal beads that sparkled in the bright lights of the show ring. I held one up for the audience to see, then threw it straight in the air. It went right through Mercury's body and popped out the top, then it slowly sank back through and dropped out of his belly. I did the same with the rest of the beads in quick succession.
Once all the beads had fallen through, Mercury tightened his molecular structure to make himself temporarily more solid. I could tell that he was successful because the light reflected off of him differently, but just to prove it to the audience, he flew quickly in a loop and caught all of the falling beads on his now solid wing.
[29.55, 25.6] [Using Fly, Crystal Beads, Solidify]
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Post by Star on May 30, 2024 18:54:47 GMT -6
Mercury came back down to land on my claw for the next trick. I surreptitiously inserted a new disc and he began to transform again, losing his tail but gaining sensitive ears.
"In this form, he can sense the most subtle of movement even in complete darkness," I explained. Complete darkness was not possible to achieve in the show ring, since by its very nature it prevented the audience from seeing the show, yet the stage hand I instructed did dim the lights on cue for me.
First, I released a small silver and gold moth which flew chaotically up into the sky. It did not seem to know where it was going, dashing this way and that seemingly at random. Mercury, now a bat, flew up after it, and the clicking sound of his echolocation could faintly be heard amidst the silence. He followed the moth flawlessly, even when it decided to shoot off in a new direction.
[29.6, 25.8] [Using Bat Disc, Echolocation, Metallic Moth]
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Post by Star on May 30, 2024 19:03:07 GMT -6
Time to stick the landing, so to speak. I waited for Mercury to come low and pass by me and tossed the last disc into his squishy body as he passed. At the same time, I gave the signal to the stage hand to bring the lights back up. Mercury transformed once again, this time growing feathers and talons as a gleaming bird.
I gripped an old coin in my claw, briefly reminiscing about Mercury's last show and its emphasis on the very same coins. Perhaps anyone who was there would enjoy the nod to that performance. I tossed it high into the air only for it to begin plummeting back toward the ground.
Mercury honed in on the coin and tucked his wings in, spiraling into a dive. The agility he saw in flight thanks to his new wings was impressive, to say the least. At the last second he reached out with his talons and snatched the coin from the air, then came to safely rest on my outstretched claw.
"Mercury, everyone!" I said with a subtle bow of my head.
[29.65, 26] [Using Crow Disc, Coin]
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Post by Xentus on May 30, 2024 22:01:53 GMT -6
| Tricks | Moves | Abilities | ✓ | Name | 1 | ✓ | Come | 1 | ✓ | No | 1 | ✓ | Tolerance | 2 | ✓ | No Bites | 3 | ✓ | Accept Noise | 2 | ✓ | Carry Rider | 2 | ✓ | Tack Up | 1 | ✓ | Bow | 1 | ✓ | Go | 1 | ✓ | Stop | 1 |
| ✓
| Balefire | 8 | ✓ | Poison Sting | 2 | ✓ | Vice Grip | 3 | ✓ | Coldflame Aura | 10 |
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| Items;
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The show was coming to a close, and they were the last up to go on stage. Xentus gave Nazura a short pep-talk, rubbing its plate and butting heads. The wiurn snorted and pressed its head into his, sending the man a wave of listlessness. "Alright, Naz. Let's go", Xentus muttered to the beast before they made their way to the showring. "Greetings! Xentus brings Nazura to show today!", the leopard announced to the crowd with a flourish. The fiery dragon beside him flared out its wings as if flaunting for the eyes gazing upon it. Now that they had the attentions of the crowd, it was time to begin. Xentus clambered onto the wiurn's back, careful to avoid the blue flames licking off its body as well as the dangerous spikes down its spine. Its scales were hot, though the wiurn did well to regulate its heat so not to harm him. "Take flight, Naz" With a short prance and a heave of the wings, the pair were quickly lifted into the air. A trail of blue flames sparkled after them as the wiurn gained comfortable height over the ground below. [Nazura demonstrates Carry Rider and Fly]
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Post by Xentus on May 30, 2024 22:14:06 GMT -6
Now for some fun. Xentus dug through his pocket to retrieve a winged ball and promptly tossed it into the air. The mechanical wings of the ball fluttered and it took off on its own volition, whirling past them with surprising speed. Nazura huffed, eyes tracking the offending blue sphere. It already seemed to make a decision without the leopard saying a word, pumping its fiery wings hard to gain speed to give chase. A wide, toothy grin spread across the leopard's face as the wind picked up, whistling past his ears. He was sure to huddle as close to the serpent's scales as he could to help lower drag, though it didn't matter much to the wiurn. A rumble echoed in its throat as it strained to keep up with the chaotic movements of the flyball. It dipped down, forcing the pair into a dive to chase after it.
"Brisingr!", the leopard barked over the howl of the wind. With a target in sight, the wiurn knew what to do. An eruption of cold hot flames streamed from its jaws, looking to both freeze and sear the flyball. With the unsteady conditions, however, the flames only managed to lick the fringes of the errant toy.
[Xentus uses the Flyball, Naazura demonstrates Balefire]
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Post by Xentus on May 30, 2024 22:29:33 GMT -6
Part of the man was thankful, for he didn't want the toy to be destroyed by the flaming beast... Nazura, however, seemed only enraged by the lack of death wrest upon the sphere. It huffed and pumped its wings harder, desperate to destroy the menace. Xentus could feel the seething desire of the beast. He egged the wiurn on, pushing it to close the gap between them and the toy. "Grab it, Naz", the man commanded eagerly. The wiurn's claws clenched then unclenched in anticipation. The gap steadily grew smaller as the winged beast adapted to the jerking movements of the flyball. Until finally it was in reach. Both arms lurched out and grabbed onto the sphere, crushing its wings under the wiurn's impressive grip strength. So much for not destroying it... But, with that annoyance cleared, the dragon's flight steadied into a more relaxed state.
"Very good, Naz. Settle in now", the man muttered, trying his best to mask his disheartened tone. The wiurn's wings paused, letting it glide down gently. And once the ground was in reach, it landed solely on its back legs, front arms still grasping its prize. Xentus slid off its back, dusted himself off, and retrieved the mangled toy. With that, their performance was done. Xentus gave a bow, and prompted the wiurn to stoop down too, giving one final flourish before making their exit.
> Exeunt Xentus and Nazura (3)
[Nazura demonstrates Vice Grip, Stop, and Bow]
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