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Post by The Jenn on Oct 7, 2007 14:53:47 GMT -5
Fino arched an eyebrow at that 'we'. And yet, the girl looked like the type to consider such a statement before letting it out of her mouth, so it was likely a deliberate move on her part. He didn't really mind. She was old enough not to be obnoxious simply by definition of her existence, and also apparently mature enough to speak about things that might prove at least somewhat interesting.
Really, just talking about bandersnatches would be fine. The walk wouldn't be a long one, but enough that he'd be able to observe the ambitious child, decide if she was something he would have to contend with in later years. Her rank, while nothing to scoff at in normal Card society, was decidedly low on the Court's totem pole. Many of his palace guardsmen were Eights and Nines, assigned to the palace in shifts from the military.
"Very well." He tugged the leash to let Sultana know it was time to start moving and she nearly jumped ahead, pent up energy and displeasure making her more twitchy than ever. "This is not normally behavior for a well-trained bander unless they are extremely excited or anxious," he added dryly. "She's probably both right now."
What's kept you from acquiring a pet so far? Lack of funds? Space? Time?" People came up with all sorts of stupid excuses, wanting to speak with him and then floundering when they realized he knew it was all a stupid fawning game. What would be her reason?
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Post by Spiderfly on Oct 7, 2007 14:56:26 GMT -5
Jenn and Vyn both receive 1 token each, to be redeemed in Ashwin's Shoppe.
This will automatically be added to your recorded totals in the shoppe.
Congratulations, and keep up the good RP!
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Post by Vyn on Oct 7, 2007 17:32:12 GMT -5
Her words were definitely deliberate, Mephitisia rarely spoke unless she had something to say and intended to say it. Her offer to walk with Fino came because she was interested in what this Queen was like and, much like him, wanted to know how much competition he might give. She wasn't about to overthrow him, no...Mephitisia respected him more than that, but she was interested in perhaps her own queenship one day.
Nodding her head to Fino's commentary, the doe rolled her shoulders and kept walking. It wasn't time or space which held her back, Ophelia and even Seki had one, but a mixture of money and her own sky-high standards.
"None of Ashwin's current stock appeal to me, and I cannot afford to order one specifically at the time being." She admitted carelessly. "Once I can, however, I will have a Bander to call my own. I don't see the point in paying for something I might consider sub-par to my standards."
Oh yes, she was an opinionated little thing and she didn't care to hide it. Honestly, she doubted Fino would've randomly purchased a Bander for his stock. Why would a Queen take anything but the finest?
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Post by The Jenn on Oct 8, 2007 6:38:04 GMT -5
The Queen felt his lips turn up in a smirk. He normally didn't like speaking with children, but this one actually managed to entertain him. It spoke well of her future in the Court. "How very astute of you. The stock he sells over the counter is of a lesser quality, healthy and hale but nowhere near as well-bred as I like to deal with. Most of them are obtained from casual breeders more interested in appearances than ability, the cast-offs from their breeding programs. Some of them are quite flashy and attractive, but they can't measure up in a spar without a great deal of time and training under their belt, which most amateur owners are unable to provide. Ideal for pets, some would argue, himself included."
A tug of the leash, less jerky than before, and he looked down to watch his bander eye a nearby bird appraisingly. Were she not restrained, she would have no doubt begun to stalk it. That predator's instinct, so finely honed, was part of what made her a cut above the rest. Several cuts, really.
"The truly exceptional lines all come from the Highland," he told her with a smirk. "They've been breeding and training the longest, specializing their lines and experimenting with matches. High in the hilly region to the north, some of the best breeders in the world are concentrated. Kits from them can cost exorbitant amounts of money. Even the pine martin has trouble acquiring them, and when he does, they're nowhere near the cream of the crop. His Treasach is, though, and Sultana as well. It took me years of negotiation, even with my rank and prestige, to finally purchase her, and even then, there are rather specific rules they make you abide by before releasing one of their top kittens to anyone outside of their little community."
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Post by Vyn on Oct 10, 2007 17:40:16 GMT -5
Mephitisia was grinning slightly, pleased with the conversation she was having with the Queen of Hearts. So many said he was absolutely impossible to get along with but Mephit disagreed; he was quite enjoyable. Her tail twitched calmly in thought, the femme snorting at his words.
"A flashy pet is not at all what draws me to the idea of having a Bander."
The little female piped up before studying the bander at Fino's side, longing to pounce the nearby bird. It made that youthful grin briefly resurface once more. Go figure it took the savagely feral nature of a Bander to leave her smiling. As Fino continued, however, Mephitisia remained rather thoughtfully quiet as she took in his words. By the time he'd finished there was an unusually excited look in the serpent-fanged youth's bright orbs.
She had just decided what sort of Bander she wanted and it wasn't about to be some silly Bander from Ashwin's shop. No, she wanted a proper Highlander!
"Ohh..." Her interest shone clearly in her voice, creating an unusual mix with the still chilly vocals. "So Treasach and Sultana are Highlanders... Then that is the sort of stock I want, they're perfect." The female glanced up, a sadistically decided look in her orbs. Years of negotiation... She would have to test their stubborn resistance herself! "What rules are those, if I may ask?"
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Post by The Jenn on Oct 13, 2007 8:49:32 GMT -5
When the conversation turned to one of his passions... yes, Serafino could be fun to speak with. Few people could bring up the subject honestly, without some sort of ulterior motive that made itself glaringly apparent with every word, and he hated people pandering to his interests just for a moment of his time. The way this strange girl smiled and studied Sultana, however, made it obvious that she was genuinely curious about the subject. It pleased him, especially the absently made noise of interest.
"Quite a few people have an eye on Highland stock, enough that buyers have to be put on waiting lists before they're even considered for evaluation. The top breeders are remarkably exclusive in their sales." He remembered traveling to their small little community in the northern Highlands on a trip planned so far in advance he couldn't not go, whatever the political climate at the time. Seven days was all he could ever spare. The place had been secluded and very pretty, high enough in the hills that it only rarely got visitors, and almost all of them interested in acquiring a well-bred bandersnatch. To anyone involved in the hobby of breeding, racing, or fighting them, the name of the village was spoken with reverence and respect. Chayth, home of the most famous lines and breeders.
"They don't want their lines diluted, understandably. If you ever breed a female bander of theirs to another that doesn't have proper records of a Highland lineage and they find out, the fines they impose are daunting, and your name is smeared throughout the community. Requirements for status and housing are strict enough to make most think twice, as is proper vet care. They rarely sell to anyone under the rank of Ten, for example."
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Post by Vyn on Oct 21, 2007 20:44:34 GMT -5
Every word spoken was eagerly devoured by the young fem, her eyes shining thoughtfully as she mused over the things she would have to do in order to gain access to her own Bander one day. Sultana was perfect proof that a Highlander was worth the effort she would have to put in to obtaining it. Her sharp eyes narrowed musingly at his last words. Rarely given to those under the rank of 10...
"Hm...I won't stay a simple 8 for long, I assure you that."
It would not be surprising if those words were entirely directed upon herself instead of too Serafino, but it was also a promise to the Queen she stood beside. Serafino had warranted her respect and for more than just his title. Mephitisia held high stock in rank, but when it really came down to it, what truly mattered was your ability to impress the female...and to make her not want to maim you. Serafino had done both in a surprisingly short amount of time.
"I suppose that I will have to make use of patience before I can acquire myself a proper Bandersnatch." She mused on this further, her cold eyes calculating. "Once I am a member of this Court, than I will have the rank and funds suited to at least the basic regulations of their trade... Yes?" No matter how one adjusted to Mephitisia's presence, the sight of a child speaking and thinking in that chill and wickedly calculating way was always just a little off-putting. It contradicted everything that one imagined in both aspects. The voice of an adult, and a wicked adult at that, issuing from the mouth of a child...and yet, it also made one wonder what she would be like once she'd truly grown out of her childhood naivety.
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Post by The Jenn on Nov 3, 2007 18:07:48 GMT -5
Had Fino been aware of the little femme's hard-won 'approval', he would have been both amused and insulted. As it was, he smirked at her words and ambition. A starting rank of Eight at least gave her some chance at achieving Court status without selling her soul for advancement. She would find it much easier to rise into the ranks with a proper background and grooming, and a healthy dose of ambition did the trick every time.
"The palace of Hearts is considered an eminently suitable place to house a bander, yes, especially with my known affiliations and involvement in the species. Court living pays well, but only to its titled members. Without a title, you have to either acquire employment within the Court or find your means elsewhere, often through inheritance or lucrative work."
He paused, considering some of the others around him who had risen from less obvious backgrounds. There were many, and he didn't particularly care where they came from, so long as they found their place. And of course, it's not a be-all end-all situation. My current attendant traveled from Morganberry as an Eight, worked herself up to a Ten, and found herself employed as my assistant in the meantime. Now she's a titled Jack, her duties expanded and improved substantially. It's all in the path you choose."
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Post by Vyn on Nov 9, 2007 12:44:18 GMT -5
As usual, that cold aura only proved to make the lop-sided smile which appeared upon her maw wholly more ominous than it was meant to be. There was hunger in her eyes, for power and the precious other things that she craved so desperately. A bander of a high pedigree worthy of her time and her care and the rise through the court ranks which would give her access to such a prestigious Bander. It was all so exciting for the child that her typically brief smile lingered into a sharp smirk.
"Without hesitation, I will rise through the ranks... By the time we speak again, I promise you I'll be a Jack and no less."
Never would there be hesitation in Mephitisia. If she knew what she wanted, then it would be hers. Anything she wanted would eventually be hers, even if it would take some time to obtain along the way. The ambitious female's smile slowly faded from her maw and instead turned into something low and sinister.
"I have so much to offer the courts, I will be honest in saying I do not fear having trouble gaining employment here and I imagine the mastery I have possess now will only grow more...potent...with age."[/color]
Mephitisia's words were accented by a wicked grin which revealed, quite intentionally, the little fangs that were slowly growing toward their maturity.
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Post by The Jenn on Nov 12, 2007 6:48:09 GMT -5
Fino could see ambition shining clearly in those cold young eyes. He idly wondered where she had inherited it, and her brother too. Their father hadn't really seemed the type to pursue anything other than his craft, and their mother blatantly laughed in the face of the Courts from what he had heard through the grapevine. Such unusual children from an unusual pairing.
Those fangs were quite cute, but he was sure they would be less so as she grew into them properly. Perhaps they were poisonous...? Or merely decorative...? It was impossible to say.
"You have your work cut out for you in that case," he agreed mildly, Sultana much more calm at his side now that she'd had a chance to stretch her legs and escape from the prison of his room. "I suppose we won't be speaking again until you're grown. Tell me then, before you leave... what exactly is your talent, that you claim 'mastery' at such a young age?"
His walk was nearly concluded, but he wanted an answer to that one last question before he bid the strange child farewell.
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