Completed Monster Behavioral Therapy II [Job]

Tailyn takes Lucky on some errands about town

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Syka is a new settlement of primarily humans on the east coast of Falyndar opposite of Riverfall on The Suvan Sea. [Syka Codex]

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Monster Behavioral Therapy II [Job]

Postby Tailyn on August 16th, 2018, 6:38 pm

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Tailyn’s Parrot Preserve
Summer 9, 518
8th Bell

It was hot in Syka, but then again it was always hot. Maybe it just felt worse because the summer had brought the temperatures even higher than normal. Sweat poured down the back of Tai’s neck and rolled across her shoulder blades and spine. The parrot tamer would have liked to believe that the reason for the amount of sweat was only related to the heat. Unfortunately, the true answer was both that and the fact that she was attempting to carry a monster in bird form around on her shoulder as she did her daily chores.

The woman walked over to the chicken coop and undid the hatch, grinning as Essie trotted out the front of the coop and down the ramp, the majesty of her brightly colored visage trailed by her entourage of drab brown chickens companions. Lucky watched the birds with interest but made no attempt to interfere with them. Good...it was nice to see he had learned that lesson at least. Tai distracted her chicken friends with some chicken feed, which they rushed towards with loud and clucky excitement. Tai seized the opportunity to check inside their coop, hopeful but doubtful. Since she had acquired Essie a week previous she had began to think the bird laying a gemstone had been a fluke, as each day she only seemed to get normal eggs. But as Tai peered into the darkness of the coop, something bright glittered in what few shafts of light pierced the darkness. When Tai’s hand grasped the object and pulled it into Syna’s bright light, a pearl glittered in her hand.

“So it’s not a fluke then,” Tai hummed to herself.

“Not,” Lucky agreed. Tai glanced at Lucky for a long moment, brow furrowed in contrmplation.

“What do you say buddy? Want to go into town and see how much we can get for this?” Tai asked the bird brightly.

Weeks ago, Tai never would have considered taking the bird into town. Lucky had come leaps and bounds in the time that the inarta had put into him. Tai had spent many long hours handling the bird, playing with him, and talking to him. She had spent a crazy amount of time with him considering that just a season ago she had been considering writing the bird off as a loss. But Tai’s pride, as always, refused to allow her to back down.

She would make Lucky a sociable bird, one that any rich man living in Riverfall would be proud to have. He was certainly pretty enough now. His feathers had filled in as he aged, revealing a beautiful plumage of red, blue, yellow and green. As reluctant as Tai was to admit it, the bird was probably the prettiest out of her aerie. If she could just curb his temper a bit more than he would sell in a heartbeat. And taking him out to see new things was the next smart step. Exposure was key after all if you wanted a bird who could see strange things and not be frightened.

(Words 512, Total 512)
Last edited by Tailyn on August 29th, 2018, 11:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Tailyn
Crazy Parrot Lady
 
Posts: 95
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Joined roleplay: January 22nd, 2018, 10:28 pm
Race: Human, Inarta
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Monster Behavioral Therapy II [Job]

Postby Tailyn on August 22nd, 2018, 6:32 pm

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As Tai’s footsteps carried her outside of her five square acres, she felt the bird on her shoulder stiffen. She reached up to scratch him on the back of his neck to reassure him. The only time he’d been outside of their three acres had been when Tai had taken him from his nest. It had been a very long time ago for him, and he’d been a tiny, whiney, featherless baby back then. He probably didn't even remember a time where he wasn’t on Tai’s land. As Tai moved her hand to scratch his stomach, he moved his beak to her hand. Unlike the previous season, Tai didn't flinch. As expected, he only nibbled for a moment before releasing her. How long had it been since he’d actually drawn blood? Definitely some time, that was for sure. The old scrapes on Tai’s hands from the bird’s sharp beak had long since healed.

Although Lucky was definitely tense at this new and unusual experience, he also kept turning his head to look at the new sights and so his ears could catch the new and unfamiliar noises. Tai kept to the beach for a little while, a setting the bird was familiar with. She bent down to retrieve a few small chunks of driftwood nestled in the sand and offered them to her shoulder companion. He mouthed them a few times, but soon tossed them away with a squawk, causing Tai to chuckle.

“The world is too interesting right now for you to be interested in toys, huh?” she chuckled, tickling him underneath his chin and causing a whistle of Tai could only assume was agreement.

When the bird was a little less tense, Tai left the beach and headed towards the Syka Mercantile. The route from her land took her on a few twisty roads, winding besidw the rentable bungalows and past the Syka Mercantile. Tai waved at a few familiar faces who returned the gesture, but simply called out a word of greeting before moving onwards. A few loud screeches echoed from the trees above them, and both Tai and Lucky bristled as one. But Tai not only didn't have her bow, she also didn't have time to deal with monkeys today. So, she chose to ignore them.

As Tai walked she talked to Lucky, punctuating her words with scratches and pets on his tense body. The bird was tethered to Tai’s wrist, and he knew better than to try to launch off from her shoulder lest he get a painful jerk backwards. But if he was badly enough startled he might not be able to stop himself. So Tai coddled him as they walked to keep his nerves under control.

“Yes and this is the Syka Commons,” Tai told Lucky in a cheerful, almost sing-song voice. “People gather here to work on things and talk and gossip. Yes they do! They talk about all sorts of things happening in the settlement. If you want to hear the latest news this is where you go! All the people are really nice here, so you don't have to worry about them. They’re good good people, yes they are!”

“Good,” Lucky mumbled. But to Tai at least he sounded a little less than convinced.

(Words 544, Total 1056)
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Tailyn
Crazy Parrot Lady
 
Posts: 95
Words: 87326
Joined roleplay: January 22nd, 2018, 10:28 pm
Race: Human, Inarta
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Monster Behavioral Therapy II [Job]

Postby Tailyn on August 27th, 2018, 7:01 pm

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For the moment, the weather was pleasant. Syna hadn't yet reached her full height and the jungle hadn't quite yet had the time to soak up the heat of the day. Noon was often a time for rest and recuperation, and Tailyn planned on getting her errands done before then. If she was lucky, she might be able to take a nice nap in her hammock for a few hours. If she didn’t make it back in time, maybe a stop at the Tidepool Bar would be in order. The water hammocks there were very tempting, and it would give Lucky a chance to get some exposure to more people. Maybe have a drink or two...sleep it off in the sun. It sounded to Tai like pure perfection. The Inarta cheerfully whistled a few notes of some old forgotten song, and Lucky tilted his head and repeated them slightly off-key, making Tai laugh.

The two of them mimicked songs back at each other, and before long Tai found herself standing in front of the stilted building of the Syka Mercantile.

“Anybody home?” Tai called out, and she felt Lucky jump slightly on her shoulder from the force of the inarta’s voice. A moment later Juli peeked her head out of the shop and waved.

“Hey Tai. C’mon in.”

Tai trotted up the wooden steps, taking them two at a time. Once inside, Juli smiled at her. It was a good-natured smile, but behind it Tai could feel a hint of tiredness.

“Long day?” Tai asked. The woman waved the question away and her expression took on a more carefree smile as Juli slipped back behind her mask. “It’s nothing Tai. What can I do for you?” Tai glanced around the Mercantile and supposed she could guess at the reason for Juli’s strained expression. The amount of goods in the store was a bit...lacking. When Tai had first entered the shop seasons ago, the place had been filled with all sorts of goods. Now there seemed to only be bare essentials, and a few spots on the shelves were even empty.

There was no graceful way to bring it up. No doubt the absence of the Veronica was affecting poor Juli’s business, not to mention the worry she must be feeling for her father. Tai wasn't convinced she could navigate the topic with tact so she willfully chose to ignore it.

“This is Lucky,” Tai told Juli with a smile, gesturing to the parrot at her shoulder. “I’m taking him around Syka so he gets used to things he hasn't seen before. Figured I’d stop by here since my weird chicken laid another gem.”

Juli smiled at Tai’s first statement, her eyes wrinkling up a little bit as her gaze met with that of Lucky, and then her eyebrows shot up with surprise at the second thing the Inarta woman said.

“She laid another gem? Show me!”

Grinning, Tai produced the pearl from her pocket and laid it down on the counter in front of Juli. Lucky fluffed up defensively as the woman moved close, but there was enough space between the two of them for him not to lunge or try to bite. Juli, fortunately noticed and kept her distance as she picked up the pearl to examine it.

(Words 551, Total 1607)
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Tailyn
Crazy Parrot Lady
 
Posts: 95
Words: 87326
Joined roleplay: January 22nd, 2018, 10:28 pm
Race: Human, Inarta
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Monster Behavioral Therapy II [Job]

Postby Tailyn on August 27th, 2018, 7:40 pm

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Juli turned the pearl this way and that before finally setting it down on the counter and smiling faintly. “I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between this one and one a pearl diver got for me. Are you sure your bird laid it?”

“Well either that or Essie learned how to unlatch her coop from the inside, goes swimming at night, and hordes what she finds in her coop,” Tai replied cheerfully.

Juli laughed. “Hell of a chicken you found Tai.”

“How much can you give me for it?” Tai asked. The parrot keeper wasn’t exactly hurting for cash or anything, but on the forefront of her mind was the loan she still owed the Founders. The sooner she could get it paid off the better. In truth, she was starting to have some exciting ideas about how to progress forward with her parrot business. Once her loan was paid off, she could start plotting some new things.

Juli eyed the pearl with a practiced eye befitting the woman who all but ran the mercantile. “I think I can give you four hundred gold mizas for it,” the woman said after a moment. “But you’ll have to wait till I can talk to some sverfra traders to see how much they’ll take for it. Do you mind if I hang onto it?”

“Not at all,” Tai replied amicably. Trusting the people within Syka came as a second nature, not just to Tai but to pretty much everyone who lived here eventually. Tai hadn't met a person with a mean or conniving bone in their body. The Inarta expected Juli to do right by her.

“Thanks,” Juli said gratefully, moving the pearl behind the counter. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

Tai grinned and rubbed the back of her head with embarrassment. “Actually, I have kind of an odd request. Would you mind terribly if I took Lucky around to see all the objects in your shop? I’m trying to expose him to new things.”

Juli laughed. “I don't mind at all!” she replied. “Go for it!”

During the interaction with Juli, Lucky had ducked down close to the woman’s shoulder, feathers fluffed up defensively. Tai had ignored him, though she had been ready to pull at his tether if he tried to lunge at the shopkeeper. As they moved away from Juli towards the shop’s interior, Tai felt the bird relax a fraction. She scratched his neck and cooed at him.

“Good bird Lucky,” she told him, showering him with affection. Attention was one of the best motivations for birds, even better than food in a lot of cases.

Tai approached one side of the wall, where a coiled rope rested on the floor. Tai sat down on the floor beside it and gently moved Lucky from her shoulder to her gloved fist. The bird bristled automatically at the unfamiliar object in unfamiliar territory, and Tai had to hold back a laugh. “It’s just rope,” she teased him. “I have it holding up the tent back home! It's just in a different shape!”

Lucky clicked his beak suspiciously as he stared at the snake-like object. After a moment he lunged at the object but didn't make contact. When the 'snake’ didn't react the bird seemed to relax and peered at the object curious. Tailyn kept him fair enough away that he wouldn't suddenly decide to turn it into a chew toy.

(Words 576, Total 2183)
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Tailyn
Crazy Parrot Lady
 
Posts: 95
Words: 87326
Joined roleplay: January 22nd, 2018, 10:28 pm
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Monster Behavioral Therapy II [Job]

Postby Tailyn on August 29th, 2018, 11:08 pm

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One by one, Tai introduced the nervous bird to the objects in the store. After the rope was a set of hanging machetes, which Lucky didn't seem to terribly keen on and Tai didn't press. She showed the bird some shovels and hammers next, which earned an intrigued cock of the head and a tap with his beak. Tai shot a quick look at Juli, but the woman looked more amused than anything, and gave the inarta a reassuring nod through a grin.

Lucky in particular seemed to be fascinated by a roll of paper that Juli had sitting on the counter. Tai held the bird well away from it, and Juli laughed as Lucky squawked with dismay and strained against his tether.

“This may seem funny to you,” Tai told her. “But if I let him close to that paper he’ll tear it to shreds! I don't want to have to pay for it!”

“I can take it off what I owe you for the pearl,” Juli teased Tai.

“Absolutely not!” Tai replied firmly, tugging on Lucky’s tether. “That’s just a waste when I can pick toys up for him off the beach! Driftwood is just as good as paper!”

Lucky turned savagely towards Tai in a flash and began gnawing at his tether.

“Hey no! Stop that!” Tai told him sharply. The bird gave her what Tai could swear was a disgusted look, then snapped at her wrist. Lucky didn't connect with Tai’s skin. He had learned that particular lesson. Unfortunately, the reflexes of previous seasons could not be so easily forgotten. Tai flinched, and seizing his moment Lucky surged forward, yanking the tether out of Tai’s hands.

As she watched the scene, Tai quietly contemplated her relief that the bird’s attention hadn't been captured by something more valuable. As shreds of paper gently blew in the sea breeze, Tai began gathering them up from the ground with a sigh.

“How much do I owe you?” Tai asked with resignation as she gently lifted a happy cackling Lucky back to her shoulder.

At least Juli was a good sport about it. She was grinning. “Your bird tore up five sheets there...so I think two gm should do it.”

“Take it off the price of my pearl I guess,” Tai mumbled. Juli could only laugh in reply at her sullen face.

“At least your outing seems to have worked,” Juli told Tai. “Look how happy he is!” That was true, Tai supposed wearily. The bird was bobbing back and forth on Tai’s shoulder, cackling madly to himself as though there were no happier parrot in the world.

“Think I can just get him used to things by letting him destroy something?” Tai chuckled wryly. “I don't think I envy the person who buys this bird! Well, at least he doesn’t bite anymore. And now I suppose he’ll be alright going about town. I don't think there's much left till I can sell him.” Despite the trouble the bird had put her through, Tai felt a slight pang of sadness at the thought of having to let him go eventually. Still, that was what this was all for right?

Tai said her goodbyes to Juli and let Lucky play with a few collected scraps of paper while she missed. They were getting there. But what else did she need to turn this monster into a proper pet?

(Words 568, Total 2751)
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Tailyn
Crazy Parrot Lady
 
Posts: 95
Words: 87326
Joined roleplay: January 22nd, 2018, 10:28 pm
Race: Human, Inarta
Character sheet
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