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 Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 4:33 pm
"No, I could not." Raniero replied cooly, his tone otherwise dry as he regarded the mare. Exasperated as she might have been, she persisted in questioning him. While he was not adverse to the additional research he received, her indecision was a little bit of a headache to the stallion. One moment she seemed to desire that he be silent and the next she was possessing another question. If she found that his answers were too complex and long winded, then why bother? It was evident that his immediate responses would be ridiculously long in comparison to her own. That being said, he found it somewhat entertaining to watch as she attempted to 'translate' his words.
"Your statements were not precise and therefore, they could not be answered in a similar manner. To answer with a 'Yes' would indicate that all aspects of the statement were correct," he paused to allow his words to sink in before shrugging loosely. Again he dislodged the blossom in his hair and received a swift 'slap' to the ear via his cohort. After a few moments it appeared that the Squirrel had opted to remain on his head with her paws firmly on the blossom to hold it in place. "This was not the case and therefore I had to specify which parts were accurate."
Ah, there was that mile for an inch thing again!
Nevertheless as she made reference to his little assistants he released a soft snort, "It is not a matter of persuading anyone, we have a business agreement." Alas, further reference to his research and the potential propositioning he might have received was something the stallion was already aware of. He had assumed such a think might happened but as with all things, he would remain unphased.
"As for other males, we shall see if my disguise is quite so misleading in that regard."
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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 5:41 am
'A yes would have been enough though,' Marut had tuned into his words right at the tail end of them, flicking her eyes open and grinning at Raniero.
'What's all this for anyway, I mean, what's the point of all your research thing.' she might have waved a hoof around vaguely at that point, but the antics of his Squirrel 'beautician' caught her eye again and she laughed.
'I like her style.' she winked at the squirrel, and turned her attention to Raniero.
'It might be.' a thought occurred to her and with a look of mischief she asked;
'Can I be with you when you try it out with a stallion? Go on..pleeeease.'
That sounded more fun than most of what he was doing; if he even found it fun at all!
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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 5:54 am
"A 'yes' would not have been enough," Raniero replied smoothly, obviously intent on disputing her views simply because what she requested was something he couldn't do. Simplifying his words had never been his strong point and it had never been necessary either. Generally speaking, those who conversed with him completely understood what he was saying or...they simply disregarded everything he had to say. On most occasions he was non-existant and he much preferred this given that he remained undisturbed while he gathered data for his research.
This would no longer be the case though. His beauticians had transformed him into a very extravagant, enough to attract the attention of many creatures. He would have to accept that from this point forward he would be subject to both scrutiny, unwanted attention and potentially uncomfortable situations. This was not something that horrified or deterred him (if he was honest), the only discomfort he found was in the ridiculous amount of time it took to preserve his appearance! He considered it a waste of a valuable resource but alas...so long as he reaped the rewards he would endure it.
Nevertheless as she made reference to his research and it's ultimate purpose, his ears did pivot towards her voice. He sincerely doubted that she would be interested in his response even if he took the time to explain it. The moment he started to explain it she would tune out again and the point would be moot - it would be a waste of breath. As a result, he chose to disregard her question and shook his head...forcing the poor squirrel to cling for dear life to his mane.
"If you desire to accompany me then do so," he continued with a soft sigh, holding his head still as he felt the tiny paws clawing at his neck again. They had worked hard (admittedly) and he wouldn't spoil that work. Whether people cared to recognise it or not, he did have manners and respect for another's handiwork. "I have no control over your hooves or desires," he pointed out with a hint of finality in his voice.
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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 12:07 pm
Marut chuckled as he did it again.
'Yeees.' she said, just for fun, her nose wrinkling up as she did so. She understood pretty much all of what he said, it was just such a long-winded way of saying the simplest things. Life was too short to speak like that.
'If you so say,' she replied. Maybe it would be a waste of breath, she'd probably tune him out the whole time, maybe count how long she could close her eyes without him noticing, or she could try and pull out one of the bigger knots in the end of her mane.
'Yay! Finally, something fun.' she drummed a hoof on the ground.
'C'mon, c'mon, c'mon..' Marut moved over to him as though she would hurry him, but eyed the squirrel and thought better of it.
'Let's go get you a dat..err do some research!'
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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 1:35 pm
It was highly likely (if not guaranteed) that Raniero would notice that she had closed her eyes but would feign ignorance. For all the stallion cared, she could fall asleep and snore her head off. Regardless of the decisions she chose to make, or the actions that resulted from them...he would barely react. Provided they did not completely disrupt his studies he would hold little concern for them - if they happened to improve the quality of his research then that was even better. Hell, if she ultimately ended up conversing with the unfortunate specimens then he may draw more information out of them than was originally intended.
There were limitless possibilities and more often than not he permitted individuals to act according to their own whims. There was no way to control another after all, they would do as they pleased. Ensuring they acted as naturally as possible improved the quality of his research and the final results. If they were acting under false pretences or by force then it would skew his results and place him in an incredibly foul mood.
Raniero was even less pleasant when annoyed and it took a LOT for him to reach that point.
Nevertheless her insistant behaviour did cause him to raise a brow. She had undoutably found entertainment in his current situation and sought to 'improve' upon this with her own ideas. According to her words it was her deliberate intention to find him an unfortunate male - if anything she would risk jeopardising his investigations merely by the fact that she was acting much like a jittery child.
"I am no fool," he murmured pointedly as he sauntered passed the mare, the Squirrel swaying ever so slightly with his motions. "And I would suggest calming yourself less you desire to utterly destroy my research."
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Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 7:07 am
Marut laughed;
'Never said you were.' she winked at the stallion. Oh she might have thought he was many things; too wordy, slightly pompous, and incredibly girly, but she did allow that he was intelligent. Wasn't that eccentric though? Having intelligence to carry out things that others might not understand, and do anything to further your goal? It was an interesting thought, if she decided to ponder it more..well not right now!
'Fiiiine, I can be a good mare when I want to be,' she poked her tongue out at Raniero before settling herself down, her tail stopped flicking and she arranged her face in a suitably calm expression.
'There, that better?'
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Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 10:59 am
He might have looked like a girl, yet he lacked the feminine wiles that would have been considered 'girly'. Perhaps this was the immediate impression he was going to have to accept. It was unlikely that any would view him as an intelligent creature in this guise - he looked to prissy, too groomed and too delicate. Alas there were many in things in which he had to adapt to in order to ensure success. If he was to be mistaken for a weak female then let it be so... at least he was comfortable in the knowledge that he was far from female and far from stupid.
It was all part of his plan.
Snorting at the mare and her attempts to reign in her humourous expression, he withheld comment for a few moments long. Pausing, he inspected the mare for a little while longer. She could hold her expression now, could maintain that serious facade but how swiftly would she break the second he received the attention she so desperately wanted to witness? He gave her very little time - he would assume that she would only last for a very short period, perhaps a few minutes or so. Then she would giggle and all would be lost. Ah - but it was certainly a unique way to solve his problem. Have the mare snort and giggle for him until the stallion felt deterred or suspicious enough to enquire.
"It will do," he replied at last.
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Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 2:16 pm
Marut thought it likely she would crack fairly swiftly herself, but that was part of the fun wasn't it? To see how long she could keep a straight face whilst Raniero pretended to be a prissy mare in front of another stallion.
But, she would do her very best to stay composed - wasn't that the word? So that the scholar could carry out his research.
Besides, the longer she kept a straight face, the longer said stallion would be absolutely clueless. And that was fun too.
'So generous.' she poked her tongue out at him.
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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 2:58 am
It may have been fun for the mare, but the prospect of having a research assistant with such a lack of composure was not exactly a thrill for the stallion. He was somewhat disgruntled by this little factor, wholely prepared to fail miserably. Her inability to remain in control of her own emotions and expression would be instantly evident - he would prolong it for as long as he could but it was highly likely that this wouldn't be enough. At best he anticipated that the stallion would mistake him for a female and then quickly realise he wasn't the second Miss. Scruffy burst into fits of laughter. It was hardly the most dignified approach or subtly approach that any of them could demonstrate.
"Practical, not generous." He corrected quietly as he drifted away from the mare. Gathering distance between the two, he at least had enough time to chastise the rodent in his hair. It was with another twitch of its ears that it tightened the flowers again and 'dive bombed' into the grass. No doubt it would follow suit behind him, but for the time being he was permitted to be 'alone'. Really, this whole pampered princess thing was completely insane, why mares made a habit of this seemed completely unreasonable - then again in logical terms, they probably had nothing better to do with their time.
Alas, it wasn't long before Raniero became exposed to the public eye. Moving briskly through the grasses, his tall frame was easy to spot from a distance. A female he may look like but there was no squirrel in the world that could make him shrink. Granted, there were no males in the immediate vicinity but at least this way he would be easier to spot...
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 6:18 am
Marut kept her peace, and just grinned behind Raniero as he walked away. She followed him a short distance behind, trying to stop herself from laughing at the picture that must present. From a distance it could even look like they were a mare and a stallion walking together, she being the stallion.
She chuckled under her breath, turning the nose into a cough.
'Scuse me.' she said, and listened out for the sound of anyone approaching.
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 10:52 am
He wasn't dense, but he was a creature who was firm in his beliefs. The stallion didn't cease in the playing of his leaf fluter as he watched both stallion and mare wander onto the plains. Initially he had been momentarily misguided in which was which, but it hadn't been long at all before he'd caught on. That being said, he was not an individual to break the 'routine' and was more than happy to play along for the purpose of entertainment. So the couple had suffered from role reversal, he would respect that!
He didn't cease in his playing for the time being, continuing to blow gently upon the leaf against his lips. The whistle was a soft one, yet remained in complete harmony with the rustle of the grass around him. Ah yes, this particular Uni-Angeni was content. It was only when the pair stopped that he completed his piece and very calmly placed his leaf back into the feathers of his wing. Ensuring that it was snuggly positioned and safe from immediate damage, he began to drift towards the pair with the ever wistful smile upon his equine lips.
He could play this game too!
"Good morning!" He announced merrily, glancing back and forth between Raniero and Marut before sidling towards the real mare. "I don't suppose you would like a song to serenade your loved one, sir?" So natural was his facade, his pretence that he was unaware of their true genders that it was hard to detect. That being said, it was only a matter of time before someone figured it out.
"I must say she is most beautiful, though very tall... Are you both from the hills?"
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Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 1:20 pm
The strange tone that accompanied the gentle noise of the wind moved grass caught Marut's attention, before she actually saw the maker of the noise. A large stallion, wrapped in some sort of material, almost like what she'd seen the two-leggers of the Village wear. She paused, letting her hair fall into her face and stay there, peering out at him through her fringe.
The first words out of his mouth almost made her laugh straight away, and there was a visible twitch as she tried to keep her composure. Being mistaken for a stallion didn't bother her, and she wondered if Raniero minded being called her 'loved one'? But from what he'd said so far she sort of doubted it.
'Err,' she forced her voice down, as it was the one thing that would give her away. Well, a big sound clue at any rate.
'I don't think she's in the mood for music, are you lovely?' Marut found the low voice was grating at her throat and she sounded a tiny bit strangled. She coughed and carried on.
'She's just a big lass. And no.'
Well Marut wasn't, she didn't have a clue where Raniero was from so she winged it.
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 7:24 am
Ha!
It was just as well that Zhu was so good at hiding his true intentions. His ever wistful smile completely masked his amusement as the mare attempted to really play upon role reversal. As a singer, he could already hear the strain grating upon her throat. Brutal and otherwise uncomfortable, he wasn't even slightly surprised when she was forced to clear her throat. Ah, but he did have to congratulate her on her attempts to play off such an unnatural role...especially when it related to the rather peculiar 'offer' that he had made to the pair.
Of course, never one to accept rejection for his lovely music the expression of the Uni-Angeni seemed to 'cloud'. It was of course an act, the subtle puppy-dog eyes developing as he swooped round towards Raniero to inspect him. To say Raniero wasn't particularly receptive of his attention was an understatement, given the manner in which the blue-panda stared up through his hair towards the Angeni.
"Oh ho ho ho! But such a sullen look deserves a song," again he slipped towards Marut and nudged gently at her nose with his tail. "Surely you would like to cheer the beautiful lady up, she would positively sparkle by the end of such a serenade..." he cooed again, coiling his tail around his leg as he glanced between the pair thoughtfully. "It can be any song too...?"
"And just how many songs do you know...?" Raniero murmured softly, his tone quiet so that the 'high' note in his voice didn't grate on him too badly.
"Oooh loads, from all over the world!"
"I doubt that."
"Ah, you have so little faith in the world M'lady..." he replied sagely.
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 7:38 am
Marut was still trying to stifle her laughter, as well as carry on the charade of being manly..well having the voice at any rate! She knew she would need a good long drink after this little experiment.
'Eh, you pick a song then,' Marut tried to sound nonchalant, still peering out at the newcomer from her own mane.
'I don't think anything is going to cheer her.' and Marut's voice slipped as she said that, a grin stealing onto her face before she hurriedly removed it.
'Up.'
It was hard to keep the pretence up, especially as the winged stallion had a nice appearance and she had to forcibly stop herself from casting an eye all over him.
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 8:15 am
"Oho!" The Angeni was most definitely a very animated creature and used every limb on his body to be expresses. No sooner had he gave off the unusual laugh than his long tail had stretched round to cover his lips like a fan. His eyes twinkled in amusement at the pair and it was only after he had wiggled the tiny wings behind his ears that his tail retreated and coiled around his leg once again. He continued to glance between the pair for the time being and chuckled softly as Marut's voice finalyl cracked - well, with such a voice as her's he doubted such a pretence couldn't have been held much longer without a mishap.
"Sir needs to be a little more optimistic!" With a flourish the stallion flicked open his wings to expose his hidden treasures. Tucked away in his wings were a number of odd items, from twigs to ribbons...you name it and he probably had it lodged in there somewhere. Alas, after a few moments he selected his trusty leave and extracted it from the feathers. Carefully placing it between his forehooves he gave a deligthed smile to the pair and nodded.
"Very well then, I shall serenade you with my spectacular showmanship - I call this piece..." he paused dramatically and wiggled his brows...the very motion caused Raniero to raise one of his own. It appeared for once in his life that the blue stallion couldn't gain a complete grasp on the eccentricity of the stallion that stood before him. He was, for want of a better word, completely bonkers.
"You call it...?" he prompted slowly, almost warily.
"I like apples." Zhu stated sagely before lowering his head and beginning to blow upon the edge of the leaf. His original piece (prior to their interruption) had been good and completely harmonic. However, it appeared that now he was deliberately playing badly as the ear pitching squeal erupted from the leaf and seemed to make Raniero recoil in horror. Had he hands it would have been obvious that he would have attempted to cover his ears.
"How does that even relate to apples!" Raniero roared over the mused, his ears flattening against his head. "Make it stop!"
Of course...Zhu had no intention of stopping until he was finished!
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