Monster Wrangler

Mara set out her portable cook stove on the dunes. Chopping up various root vegetables she had stored in her pack, Mara added them to a pot of simmering water which already contained a few strips of rehydrating dried meat.

A small weathered blanket was thrown out on the sand a pace or two away with her staguar, Blitz, curled up on it. Blitz rolled on her back trying to soak up as much sun as possible, batting lazily at a feather she'd found and refused to let go of.

3 successes, just need to check diff for basic stew

The thing with being broke as a joke was, it somewhat limited one's options for recreation.

She didn't even have a proper swimsuit- Calico had just repurposed a pair of ragged cutoff shorts and one of her darker shirts preparatory to heading out for a swim, with Orlok fluttering along behind her.

I mean, swimming has to be free, right? Right?

As she headed down the beach she caught sight, in order, of a staguar, and then the staguar's handler- who seemed to be...

Calico's stomach gave an undiginifed growl. Breakfast was included in her accommodation, but it had been some time ago.

Oooooohkay, just play it casual, try not to drool, and leave the lady be...

In the corner of the beach, where a large and odd square circle thing had been drawn with a small tent in the centre, a dragon poked its head out and sniffed the air, before starting to walk out. Crouched down, moving slowly.

While Mara didn't notice the other handler, her staguar did. Blitz yawned and stretched lazily. Bounding over carrying the feather, it stopped a fair distance away, just in case, then rolled on her back in the sand, playfully.

Dawwww!

Orlok spread his wings and fluttered up, seeming to look from the fire-lizard to the staguar, unsure of where this was going.

"Easy boy, easy..."

Calico approached Blitz carefully.

"Hello there."

She kept her tone low and soothing. Staguars were known to be dangerous at times, but this one seemed pretty tame. Still, she didn't press the point.

The dragon kept creeping closer. It wasn't the most stealthy creature, being very large (easily 6 feet long or more) and on fire. However it was moving slowly towards the woman cooking. Or the food. One of the two

Blitz crawled over low and sniffed Calico's hand before offering a friendly lick. She cocked her head at Orlok with her eyes closed and tongue lolling out in pure bliss. Blitz turned to dart playfully back towards Mara, and then her eyes focused on the lizard-thing approaching her blissfully unaware handler, her eyes widening and mouth dropping open.

The stew pot was rather full now and the broth thickening as a rather nice smell filled the surrounding air.

Mara started to set down bowls for herself and Blitz and then.... 'eee!' A surprised squeak as a... what the heck is that? was way too close for comfort and Blitz wasn't on the blanket.

Orlok's wings fluttered in agitation as he flitted up.

Calico sighed and glanced at the fiery reptile.

It had to be some trainer's, it was too... acclimated to humans to be otherwise.

"Okay, everybody, easy... easy..."

Having realised it was noticed, and the human near her target making her noise, the dragon hissed and spread itself out more, the flames on its body growing slightly in agitation. It hadn't moved any more forward, eyes moving from person to creature to the pot of food then back each time.

Mara sighed and held out a hand in a peaceful gesture, before sliding a bowl of stew towards the creature carefully. 'Easy, easy now.... there's plenty here....'

She slowly reached in her pack and produced more battered bowls, a quick look around showed they may be needed. "Come and join if you'd like, I made way too much."

The staguar crept behind Mara, looking a bit nervous before dragging one of the bowls back towards the nice girl and the pretty feather-creature.

Don't look too eager, don't look too eager...

"Well, it certainly smells great!"

Orlok was assessing Blitz. Carefully. But as soon as the creature settled down to eat (and Calico had gone for a couple of bowls in her own right) he settled down.

Sort of.

Insofar as he landed on Calico's back on clung tight.

"Uhm, by the by, my name's Calico. Your staguar's very personable. Can't say the same for Orlok here."

Ashley appeared in a tasteful one-piece. As a rising her star, her parents wanted her at the beach at least a few times for the paparazzi to possibly get some photos. They assured her it would be good for her career. Mr. Wiggles wrapped himself around her. The beach sand was hot, and he surely wasn't going to slithering on it. Ashley wouldn't allow it.

She noticed the crowd and looked, wondering if she should join until she thought she saw a familiar face. She started to head that way.

The fiery dragon jumped back slightly when movement and an odd object was moved in his direction, and he growled. Once the hand was moved away and the bowl was left there it crept forward again, sniffing the bowl before grabbing the edge of it with his teeth and dragging it back towards the circle with a tent nearby to it.

"Sociable critter, isn't it? You might have established a shaky precedent there..."

Mara watched the dragon drag off the bowl with a smirk before turning to greet the other handler. "Hello, my name is Mara, and this is Blitz. She's really friendly and loves to play."

As if on cue, Blitz finished licking the last of the stew from her bowl and dropped the found feather unceremoniously in front of Calico, looking directly at Orlok with big eyes. Blitz rolled on her back, and pawed at the feather lazily, careful to keep claws in. She picked it up again, and set it just a little closer. It was an orange feather, clearly molted and battered, but the color still had some shine.

Spotting the familiar face, "Ashley, is that you?"

Once the Dragon had pulled the food into the circle, it dropped the bowl down again and started sniffing at it before biting into it. Which caused another growl as the bowl didn't give way to the initial bite. A second bite caused a crack. The third bite didn't happen though, as from the tent emerged a girl with fiery red hair and a frown. She started growling in different ways to the Dragon, who seemed to return in kind as if the two were having a conversation.

"Awww, Blitz, Orlok's not the most, well... playful."

Friggin' bug-brain.

The saturnadus stirred his wings. Chittered. And then started fluttering toward the feather.

"Or the little jerk could surprises me... just, uh... careful, he uses the patterns on his wings to, well... hunt."

Mara Froste wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 04, 2023 10:15 am

Mara watched the dragon drag off the bowl with a smirk before turning to greet the other handler. "Hello, my name is Mara, and this is Blitz. She's really friendly and loves to play."

As if on cue, Blitz finished licking the last of the stew from her bowl and dropped the found feather unceremoniously in front of Calico, looking directly at Orlok with big eyes. Blitz rolled on her back, and pawed at the feather lazily, careful to keep claws in. She picked it up again, and set it just a little closer. It was an orange feather, clearly molted and battered, but the color still had some shine.

Spotting the familiar face, "Ashley, is that you?"

"Mara! It is you." Ashley walks over and joins the others. "Hello. I am Ashley Elle." She introduces herself and her monster. "And this is Mr. Wiggles." Mr. Wiggles looks over at the other monsters, a bit wary. Since Ashley seems relaxed, he glows a friendly blue color.

She then turns to Mara. "It's been a while."

"Orlok seems a little shy... I've heard of Saturnadus but I haven't seen one up close before. The wings change color right?" Blitz tapped the feather just a bit closer and backed up a little, blinking with big, curious eyes at Orlok.

Mara noticed the girl and dragon growling at each other and the bowl being crunched. Oh well... "Are you hungry?"

"A few years..." Mara trailed off as she replied, looking a bit uncomfortable, "it's good to see you though." She immediately perked up so whatever that was seemed to have nothing to do with the newcomer. "Want some?" She divided up what was left making sure to make a bowl to push in the direction of dragon-girl, since that thing looked a bit too big to share with. Plus, it's on fire... who wants burnt food?

Mara Froste wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 04, 2023 8:47 pm

"Orlok seems a little shy... I've heard of Saturnadus but I haven't seen one up close before. The wings change color right?" Blitz tapped the feather just a bit closer and backed up a little, blinking with big, curious eyes at Orlok.

"I think it's more in how the light hits them than any real change, but the colors can be dazzling. regardless..."

Orlok fluttered down toward the feather, and fanned it into the air with his wings.