[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/BQaRYer.png[/img][/center] [hr][hr] [h2][b]Assani 30th[/b][/h2] [b]Location:[/b] Zeno Afraval’s Abode - Some Vineyard outside Ersand'Enise [b]Day of the week:[/b] Victendes [b]Time:[/b] 4:30 HE [b]Characters:[/b] Jomurr [@Force and Fury], Kaspar [@Wolfieh], Vieri [@jdh97], Yuliya [@Suicharte], Zarina A lot of noise could be heard from the cellar below Sienna Afraval’s home. To some it would be cause for worry, but for those of team Sunbeam it was to be expected. Zarina and Marceline had been tinkering with random objects down there for a week now and were now using it as storage space with the blessing of their teacher. The silver lining from this incessant vacarm was the smell of freshly grounded coffee that came with the daily visit. With Marceline gone, the tall Virangish teen joined the home’s living room with her apron still on and her hair crudely tied into a bun. In her arms were not cauldrons or pans, but a bird cage and a couple of bug nets. Her golden, squinting eyes scrutinised every living participant of a relaxing Zeno-day. Something was coming, and she took her time to announce what machinations were being concocted in that mind of hers. [color=C78A2C]“... So, who wants to win the melon derby?”[/color] “I take it you have a plan, and don’t just enjoy tired arms?” Vieri said. This still could be some elaborate joke, no matter how earnest Zarina might seem. That was called paranoid thinking. [color=C78A2C]“Yes.”[/color] Zarined replied. One of the nets was hurled toward the one courageous enough to speak up, [color=C78A2C]“And you will be instrumental in exacting this plan.”[/color] she smiled. “I was afraid of that.” [color=pink]”So, what is plan Zazzy? Don’t think melon fit in cage.”[/color] Yuliya spoke, confused. She was sprawled out on one of the chairs furthest from the window, enjoying the shade of the room. The sun of Ersand’Enise had been getting to her recently, but this was a nice reprieve. Besides that, her brain was wracking. Zarina wasn’t the type to walk around with impractical clothing or equipment. There always seemed to be a method to her madness, and she was excited to see what was about to be proposed. It was Yuliya’s turn to catch a net flying her way, [color=C78A2C]“Oh we won’t be storing melons, Yuli. I’ve got something more … [i]Exciting[/i] in mind.”[/color] she posed the cage over a nearby surface and slapped her hands together to brush off the accumulated dust, [color=C78A2C]“And yes, I’m aware, I’m purposefully withholding this to draw out suspense. I promise, it’ll be cool.”[/color] she paused for a moment, eyes on the Vossoiyan looker, [color=C78A2C]“And by cool I mean awesome. It’s actually getting hotter outside these days. How hot does it get back home, actually?”[/color] she asked her blonde friend. Luckily, dusk was approaching. [color=pink]”Nothing like over here. Much cooler. Hard to move.”[/color] said Yuli, exasperated by the climate and fanning herself as she caught the net in her other hand. She could keep her secrets, she was always down for a surprise. She couldn’t wait for the sun to set. Days were longer here and it annoyed her. Longer to feed and longer to walk the streets. [color=pink]“So, anybody have idea? I do not.”[/color] There was something about the sheer… [i]forwardness[/i] of Zarina that irked Jomurr, but equally something about her moxie that intrigued him. He had no idea what she wanted with that junk and some part of him rebelled at the thought of meekly going along with her plan, but there was ever a tiresome spark of curiosity in him these days. From his place on a divan, where he was lounging most luxuriously, nursing a glass of cabernet, Jomurr merely shrugged. [color=800080]“I imagine you’re about to find out,”[/color] he ventured, swirling the wine once before taking a sip. [color=800080]“And far be it from [i]me[/i] to ruin the suspense.”[/color] He winked in Zarina’s direction as if to say, ‘your secret’s safe with me,’ counting on his masterful control of his face to sell the lie. “I won’t say no to playing along with a well made plan though.” added Vieri. Jomurr had a wineglass in his hand and the two nets were already distributed, so he lucked out. Zarina did a final head count before clearing her throat, [color=C78A2C]“Well, looks like Red’s gonna miss out.”[/color] she shrugged, [color=C78A2C]“Okay, to unravel the first step of my plan.”[/color] she twirled on her feet and ended up facing the entrance door of the Zeno's home and opened it, [color=C78A2C]“We’re going to the local vineyard!”[/color] she exclaimed in a clumsy display of showmanship, arms gesturing to the outdoors, [color=C78A2C]“And, no, we’re not getting piss drunk to cope with our inadequacies.”[/color] She did not speak for Vieri. [color=pink]“Why else would go to vineyard? We catch grapes instead of melon? You are such a tease.”[/color] said Yuli, pouting jokingly at Zarina. As much as she wanted to hear the answer, she could appreciate the theatrics of the situation. Regardless of that, there was a hint of annoyance at the fact that she would be going out with a net to the fields when she was certainly not dressed for it. At least dusk was coming and she didn’t have to worry about the high noon sun staring her down, but it was still an inconvenience enough to make her want to sigh. And so she did, as she stood up ready to hear her pal’s plan. [color=C78A2C]“I’ll let you get one guess. What is so interesting in a Vineyard that it’s worth our time?”[/color] she kept a toothy grin on her visage as the group followed her lead. Cage in hand and the sky orange from the sun setting, it would take a good twenty minutes for them to get to the edge of the city, and with proof of their tuition in Ersand’Enise they were allowed out, albeit before it got too late, [color=C78A2C]“A small hint, it’s not for the pretty views.”[/color] she added, while sticking close to her Vossoriyan friend for idle chit chat and mentions of novel clubs they may have found. This one was a fan of the new girl. [hr] They would eventually get to the location with raisins beginning to mature into blue, Muscat grapes. Everything appeared somewhat normal with nobody in sight, as the field itself was quite isolated with rows of trees surrounding it and a single road brushing East, [color=C78A2C]“Shhhh, don’t wanna spook ‘em.”[/color] she said as she began to crouch a little. Some would begin to notice very quick critters flying about and diving into the plants with brief flashes of light emerging from their supposed point of impact. Burning smells were becoming more obvious with frequent clicking noises coming from the rustling grape plants. ‘What the fuck was that’ was the first thing that came to Yuliya’s mind before she saw more of them bounding around. The foliage made it hard to get a clear look, but she did not have nearly as hard a time seeing in the dark as her team members, so she observed. Little wings fluttered in the sunset, and occasionally she would see the fire that spewed from the holders of those wings. She sighed again, knowing what would have to be done. [color=pink]”I won’t ask why you want them. But I name them when I catch them. And if them burn clothes, you pay.”[/color] she whispered only half jokingly, as she began to get into a position better suited for stealth. She’d done this to humans before, but animals were notoriously harder. Especially flying ones. Then again, she didn’t expect things to be easy. Kaspar wasn’t sure if his apprentice group had noticed him catching up on their way out of Ersand’Enise, but he watched from a few feet behind at the small, swooping dragons. He eyed them passively, watching the small bursts of fire and half-listening to Yuliya’s words. [color=#B8041A][i]This will be good practice for Varmkorv. Though… the size is inaccurate,[/i][/color] he mused, pushing the sleeves of his tunic away from his wrists. Stepping back and glancing around, he noticed one clinging to a group of grapes just below eye level. Its skin was a little more saturated than the fruits around it. Moving slowly, Kaspar pulled against the small cloth tucked into his vest, gripping it by the edges as he closed in. The dragon glanced up, eyes blinking several times as it seemed to stop, searching for the threat. The Binding mage was slow enough to evade detection—and fast enough, as his hands darted forward and swaddled the small creature. Calling on his Chemical skills, remembering the way he’d assisted Zarina with the alpha Froabas, he soothed the small creature as it struggled against the bond. After a few seconds it began to calm down, breathing heavily but still in his hands as he cradled it against his chest, unsure what to do now. His attention was captured by rustling around the bottom of the vines just to his side. Tucking the bundle grape dragon into the top of his vest where it formed a curious lump and peeked out overtop the buttons, the boy leaned down, pulling back the trailing greenery. A red face and rather rotund body stared at him, before springing towards him. Small but sharp teeth clamped onto his fingers and the boy grunted, pulling back sharply and dragging the drake into the open. He grabbed at its tail, causing the creature to whirl and breathe a bout of flames that licked against his skin, burning the upper layer of skin. With new determination, Kaspar grabbed it around its bountiful middle, pulling it off the ground and facing away from him as it twisted and snapped. Thrashing, its tail disturbed the vines and sent several groups of dragons scattering loudly away. It also lashed across the noble’s face, leaving several red lines that would fade in a few minutes. It did, however, throw Kaspar off balance, and he tipped backward to land heavily on the dirt, focus only partially dissuaded from the task at hand—persuading this creature to cooperate. Aided by Chemical Magic, it calmed enough for him to turn around and the two regarded each other with concerningly well-matched pouts. [color=#B8041A]“You are [i]feit og sint[/i]. But you do not know these words. Fat and angry, the Avincians would call you.”[/color] Sitting up, another shape slid into view clinging to his bangs. Trying and failing to scramble up his bangs, the small Blueberry Dragon was plucked from the boy’s scalp and seemed to shake in his grasp. It was easy enough to see the thing was afraid. Soothing it with chemicals, the boy stood, now cradling three of the creatures. Zarina quickly twisted to find Kaspar had actually joined them! And the loud mess he made agitated a few flocks of little dragons, prompting them to take flight. Just as she was readying herself for a catch before most of the critters would retire for the night, Vieri appeared with their own magnificent beast. “So why are we here, Zarina?” Vieri asked. They were weaving their arms to keep a plump little dragon forever running along them towards their hands. [color=C78A2C]“Woah. That’s a thick one.”[/color] she blinked and leaned over a bit to observe the grumpy creature somehow not mauling its new owner, [color=C78A2C]“We’re here because our first trial involves fruits, and finding them.”[/color] she grabbed a raisin from a vine and tossed it over to the raspberry dragon, and it promptly ate the treat, [color=C78A2C]“Am I making sense?”[/color] The dragon carried on along its eternal path. “I don’t think grapes count.” [color=C78A2C]“... They eat fruits and bugs. Grapes are just readily available in vineyards.”[/color] yet another grape is offered to the red, chunky beast, [color=C78A2C]“This is a Raspberry dragon. Notice the lack of raspberries in its mouth!”[/color] she said with a toothy grin, content with having this animal around. “You want to use the dragons?” Zarina gave Vieri a dull stare, [color=C78A2C]“No, I want to collect them all.”[/color] “How droll. What of each peach, pear, and plum in the city? Or every raspberry? Are you a dragon tamer? A whisperer?” The Virangishwoman smiled confidently, [color=C78A2C]“Kaspar as my witness - Because he helped me - I tamed an Alpha in the desert! You were there. But, yes, I have an idea on how to train them. Sort of.”[/color] “Sure… I was there…” Could a memory smell of fear? “Do we get to know your idea?” [color=C78A2C]“Well that’s precisely the idea.”[/color] she crossed her arms, [color=C78A2C]“Train them to sniff out specific fruits. These buggers in particular,”[/color] she nodded at the direction of the red dragon Vieri had claimed, [color=C78A2C]“have a powerful nose for those. It’s just a question of technique and patience.”[/color] Vieri sunk into silence. That was indeed the question. Vieri just wanted the answer. Jomurr, meanwhile, was occupied by his own efforts to collect a tiny dragon. He had ample experience with the larger varieties, of course. He had three of his own back home and, soon enough, they would find their way to Ersand’Enise. Though this may have been - literally - a different beast, he went in with wholly-justified confidence… It was immediately crushed. His attempt to lure one of the little beasts over with a particularly large and ripe grape and some chemical magic resulted in his hair nearly being set on fire. The creature bit at him next, but then it tipped its hand with a predictable stream of fire and, miffed, Jomurr drew it all away and launched it right back, scaring the scaly little devil away. Already tiring of this fruitless endeavour and, after taking a moment to cast about to ensure that he wasn’t being watched, he pursued a second, his shirt being clawed at before he managed to dodge its flaming breath, lune forward, and… trip on an outstretched root. [color=800080]“Blast it,”[/color] he hissed beneath his breath, manain to prevent a faceplant. He whirled on the pint-sized terror and… it landed on his forearm and licked at the grape juice smeared all over it from his near fall. Jomurr blinked. The grape dragon blinked. [color=800080]“Did you really need to make it so hard?”[/color] he inquired. He tilted his head to one side. The grape dragon tilted its head to one side. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/vD7aWk7.jpg[/img][/center] While the others went off, Yuli had taken her time. There were many dragons in the field, but she had one particular target, a rather chunky specimen adorned with raspberries and lacking wings to fly. Perhaps it was the uniqueness that had caused her to go for it, or perhaps it was the fact it was apart from the others. She’d always been better at going for solitary prey, and today was no different. Slowly, she crept through the bush she’d found this one in, and slowly, she made her move, waiting for the moment it’d be distracted and caught unawares. A few minutes passed before she felt confident, but she quickly snatched it up, dispatching its senses with the ever so handy blood type she’d taken from a friend, and shoving it in the net given to her by Zarina. Perhaps these creatures weren’t as wily as she initially thought. It was heavy, and she thought the net might give way to the struggling at times, but the job was done. She went to rejoin the others, only to find that everyone had caught at least one, and there were more than one of her chunky type specimens. She felt a little deflated that she hadn’t caught some outrageously rare specimen like she previously thought, but perhaps confident that her teammates seemed to be extremely competent. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/0NC40yO.jpg[/img][/center] [color=pink]“Good work! Are fat dragon useful? This one grumpy, I have to turn their senses off to stop it making racket.”[/color] she spoke as she emerged from behind the group still keeping somewhat stealthy without even realising it. [color=C78A2C]“Alright, alright, good job.”[/color] Zarina congratulated her team after supervising their approaches, and definitely making note of Yuliya’s peculiar means of keeping control over the beast. [color=C78A2C]“I’ll tell you guys how we’re gonna handle training after I get myself a cutie too.”[/color] she rubbed her hands together and posed the cage to let the others put their recent catches in there. It was time for Zazzy to claim her prize, and it seemed most of the little critters had since left. Luckily, some vines were still bustling with activity. First was a pack of four Grape dragons, and in her confidence she failed to actually catch any with one of her sleeves catching fire and a particularly feisty dragon biting her finger, [color=C78A2C]“Agh shit!”[/color] by the time she regained her composure and put out the small flame on her arm, they had flown away. However, the commotion scared a couple of Blueberries that, due to their proximity, reacted with some aggression. Being relatively frail and unaggressive compared to Grapes, the result would be a couple of scratches from and a blue little critter in the cage, put to sleep by Zarina’s potent chemical magic she had arrogantly withheld from using initially, [color=C78A2C]“Eshi …”[/color] she huffed before turning her attention toward Kaspar, [color=C78A2C]“Hey, Kaspar. Mind helping a girl out?”[/color] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/zu586HI.jpg[/img][/center] Shifting his grip on the animals he’d collected, the binder made his way to his companion, red eyes already taking in the minor injuries she’d managed to accrue. None of them were particularly large or worrisome, so despite his student status the boy was able to repair them with the Nourishment of Oraff-Zept, a skill he’d only recently begun learning. Leaves disappeared off the vines around them, subtly plucked by his bloodchild Gift and lending their being to become part of the Virangishwoman. [color=#B8041A]“Are there any others that bother you?”[/color] he asked, giving a cursory glance to check for obvious wounds. The process prompted Zarina to briefly hiss, mostly from her expectation of it stinging rather than the healing hurting at all. [color=C78A2C]“All good, thanks bud.”[/color] she responded with a grateful nod and a playful wink, [color=C78A2C]“Okay! We've all got our little buggers.”[/color] the teen clapped her hands together to get the attention of the group. The sun had set and the sky was getting dark, with all the little critters now gone to their nests, [color=C78A2C]“Plan is simple: I'll babysit them every afternoon. Kaspar here is gonna find ways for us to maybe replicate some higher value melons so I can train these guys better. We'll be discussing strats soon at Afraval's soon. Good?”[/color] she didn't give much room for anyone to interject, [color=C78A2C]“Good.”[/color] [hider=Summary] Team Sunbeam catches little dragons. Some are chunky.[/hider]