diatu | OTA and Adventure

[a - the long long line]

[For some reason, there is a long, long line at the Golden Heron -- stretching around the block and then some. Whatever is going on must be amazing, but you'll have to find a way in that doesn't involve waiting, or else you'll be out here till dawn and miss everything!

Inside, Sora will find that a famous gambler, 'Deuce-Queen Jack," is jovially taking all comers on in a vicious game of Griphand Poker...

Guilty as Sora feels after cutting into the line in various places just to worm his way into the place quickly, the feeling quickly vanishes in the face of utter confusion as he realizes what all the crowds are coming in for. It... doesn't look like anything particularly exciting, and certainly nothing out of the ordinary... maybe he's missing something?

He cranes his neck to peer around-- an attempt to find anyone familiar, or at least anyone else who looks like they could be a student. He doesn't know anything about playing Poker, the only card game he's good at it Slap and that's because it's less of a card game and more of a reflexes game. He doesn't exactly want to go in there guns blazing right away and demand to know what's going on, suspicious at it looks... maybe people here are just super into Poker? He wouldn't know!

He edges his way over towards someone, tapping them on the shoulder. Even if they're not here strictly to investigate the line, at least they might be able to provide some info.]

Uh, all of this... isn't normal, is it?

[b - maybe invest in some falconry gloves]

[Bonding with his familiar isn't going very well. In fact it's going very, very poorly, though Sora doesn't quite want to admit that yet. Grand Hyperion doesn't listen to a word he says, and as a matter of fact it seems like the falcon purposefully goes against his requests more often than not just out of spite.

Such is the case today. Sora's very diligently trying to instruct him on why it's wrong to shatter windows (though frankly he doesn't quite think he knows enough about ethics to attempt to teach a bird the concept), but Grand Hyperion sees very little use in listening to his lecture. He does, however, see great use in the spiky nest that is Sora's hair.

Sora doesn't really Get this line of thinking, of course. It seems to him more like the falcon's trying to yank all his hair out.]

OwowowOW, hey...! [Fortunately (for Sora, at least) Grand Hyperion gives up the attack very quickly as he instead spots another student nearby; it's a perfect opportunity to a) ditch Sora and b) show him what actual respect looks like (if he isn't being worshipped they're not doing it right). In the blink of an eye, the bird's taken off and is circling the other student repeatedly in a silent demand for them to offer up an arm to perch on.

Sora cautiously cracks one eye open as he realizes his familiar's ditched him-- again-- and luckily it doesn't take too long to find the bird making his way over towards somebody else. With a defeated groan of exhaustion, Sora's quick to give chase, waving with an arm as he calls out to the other student.]

Wait, just ignore him!!

[c - wildcard]

[Have something else in mind or want to plot something out? Feel free to either post a toplevel or get in touch with me through PMs or on plurk at

jaxisms!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Really, Daniel had just been trying to get from Point A to Point B. Not in any sort of rush or anything, but it wasn't like he was wandering either. But even with his cloak's hood up it's kind of hard to miss a falcon coming to circle around him. He stared at the sight in confusion, not quite sure what to make of it- then another student's voice caught his attention and he looked that way instead.

"Wait, just ignore him!!"

...Alright, but he can't resist a half glance to the falcon, still presumably circling.]

Having a little trouble today...?

[In other moods and other times that'd come out snarky but nah, just point blank confused.]

Today? This happens every day!

[As he makes it the rest of the way over, he jumps in the air a couple times, waving his arms wildly about in the bird's general direction in an attempt to catch him. Grand Hyperion looks distinctly unimpressed. But at least he's not chasing after any more students for the time being, so Sora leaves him be, glancing over his shoulder at the other student. He figures he should probably offer an explanation, and gestures sort of helplessly at the falcon.]

He keeps, um, trying to convince people to worship him... it's really hard to get him to let go of people once they've let him land. So, uh, thanks for... not letting him do that.

Yeah, no problem.

[He's just going to keep his arms down near his body then, thank you.]

Have you checked around? Maybe there's books on- [ohhhh what's it CALLED] -falconry that might help.

Falconry? That's a thing?

[His first impression of falcons isn't exactly favorable. He doesn't see why anyone would want to work with them to the point of making a hobby out of it.]

Uh, no, I guess I haven't... [but he hasn't read a book in like two years and he's certainly not picking one up now, so] ...does it teach you how to talk to birds or something? That'd definitely come in handy.

Um, well.

[He had to think about that one.]

I'm not exactly versed in falconry, I just know it exists. But I think it's got something to do with retrieving and hunting? I know you learn to recall your birds and teach them how to land on your arm, stuff like that...

Sorry I can't be of more help.

[Catching the shadow of the bird of prey circling above, Fluttershy glances up and is already holding out her arm for the bird to land on when she hears the voice call out.

Then she turns towards, though still has her arm out for the bird to land.]

Oh, Sora...! Is this one yours?

[Are birds capable of looking smug? Because either way, Grand Hyperion is definitely managing it as he accepts the offered arm before Sora can even protest any further. By the time Sora makes it over he's out of breath enough that he doubles over, resting his hands on his knees as he recovers for a couple seconds.]

Uh, yeah, sort of... I mean. Yes. But he doesn't ever listen to me, so not really? [He's pretty sure the falcon thinks Sora should be the one taking orders, actually.] It's complicated. We've... been having some communication problems.

[She can't help stroking the feathers on Grand Hyperion's chest, because he was still a magnificent bird. But she glances at Sora with a concerned frown.]

Oh? So you two are having trouble getting along?

You... could say that, yeah. [He laughs, a little sheepish. 'Trouble' is an understatement, actually.] I don't really know what to do about it anymore. It's like he's trying to get both of us in trouble. You have no idea how many windows he's tried to break this week, and I already got a note from a teacher about him flying into a classroom and trying to take it over.

[She frowns deeply, glancing at Grand Hyperion with disapproval.] That's not very nice. What has you acting out so much?

Willard hopped off of V's arm to make room for the other familiar as it looked for a perch. V wasn't sure why Williard had left until suddenly....

"Have I inadvertently cast a bird attraction charm at some point in my not too distant past without realizing it?" V asked Williard who was now flying circles above them. Willard, the brat, offered a mid-air shrug.

Hearing the voice, though, V turned. "Why exactly should I ignore him?"

"I'm trying to train him and he's not listening to me. He just wants attention, I think," Sora sighed. "Well, uh, actually he wants people to worship him... which I guess is still attention..."

He'd only really found out about that particular detail a while ago. It was what convinced him that he did need to work on bonding with the familiar in the first place-- to keep things from getting out of hand. The fact that the bird kept bailing on him just... wasn't exactly helping anything.

"Anyway, it'd be easier to work with him if he stopped ditching me to land on other people."

"If he wants attention, why would your advice be for me to fail to give him some. I admit that I am new to the practice of caring for a familiar," not having one, just caring for one, "but it seems to me that denying one something so simple that he desires would make him more intractable, and more likely to, as you said, ditch you. Perhaps rather than that, some basic respect and attention would garner."

Blackwing would be proud.

"I do give him attention! I mean, usually... I'm just trying to keep him out of trouble, and bothering other people usually means he's up to something," Sora crossed his arms. "He's already broken like three windows trying to show off to get people to admire him. It kinda seems like nothing's ever enough for him, I guess."

V offered up a three fingered hand for the familiar to inspect. "Do young ones not do the same at a certain age? Perhaps this is why parents often in pairs, though I will admit, my spouse little needed my aid with our offspring."

[Louie doesn't even look up at Sora - the voice registers as familiar, but he's positively entranced as he watches Deuce-Queen Jack collect his latest winnings.]

I don't know, but wow! How do you think he's doing it?

IIIII... don't really know anything about cards, actually. [He shrugs as he watches the proceedings, head tilted.] Maybe he's just had a lot of practice? Or he comes from a family of really good Poker players.

[A beat.]

Or he's cheating. Donald cheats at Go Fish sometimes. [So, you know, it's not out of the question.]

Oh, he's definitely cheating.

[Sora really is so naive, the way Louie sees it. That is definitely something to remember.]

I just want to know how.

Uh... magic gloves. Magic sleeves? Wait, they probably would've caught him if it was that obvious. Hm...

[He was going to suggest they just watch him really, really closely, but there's so many people around that he's sure any cheating would've been spotted by now.]

I guess just asking him wouldn't really work out.

Definitely not any of that. I'm guessing this guy's too smart to do something that obvious, anyway, or he wouldn't have thought to cheat in the first place.

[Because, yes, Louie does consider thinking up the con to be a smart move to start with.]

OTA and Adventure

B

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B

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B.

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A

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