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 Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2010 1:14 am
"AMMON! Come here," Amir shouted as he plucked Makiri from his chest and studied him. He had thought he noticed the spot inside the egg getting bigger, and the thin membrane flexing with movement, when he looked into the mirror. It was definitely doing something, and the heir, who never looked through the manual, wasn't sure if that was a good sign. "Ammon, where are you?! Makiri is more important than whatever you're doing." Amir huffed as he brought the pin closer to his eyes to see, "Don't worry, Makiri, I'll figure out what's wrong. You'll be alright," he said as he tried to assure himself more than the egg. Losing it now was not an option; not only did he spend countless amounts of gold on a whole new wardrobe, he was actually very fond of the pin and what it held.
Ammon tossed down his reading tablet with a disgruntled sigh and stood up to see what Amir was wailing about. He probably dropped something and wants me to pick it up for him...but it's about the frog? His brows furrowed as he contemplated what on earth the little pin could need him for, which wasn't going anywhere. Brown eyes rolled full circle and he knocked on Amir's door, "Yes, your highness?" he grumbled and walked in once Amir gave him permission. Ammon surveyed the area and aside from the clothes that littered the floor, waiting to be picked up by a bot of some sort, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. As he had predicted, Amir wasn't calling him over anything serious. "Now please tell me why you were shouting when there isn't a fire or any blood, if you don't mind."
Both Singh boys had been spending most of their time apart, which hasn't happened in their history prior to Maximilian's prince project. Amir was happily plotting ways to get the professor's house and laboratory decked out in the highest quality Biometal without his father catching wind of his deal. There were quite a few close calls, but luckily Abhay was too busy with government contracts to take a closer look at his private company. Ammon was focusing his time on wooing Adelle and trying to find a perfect gift for her that wasn't too flashy. Flowers would be nice, real ones, but he didn't have the luxury of being a perfect human being and he was subjected to extreme pollen allergies. Overall, the two were quite satisfied at how things were turning out, but the time apart, and the reasons for it, made them rather awkward toward each other.
Typically, Amir would ignore Ammon for at least a minute to make him worry that something was truly wrong and then surprise him with the fake-out, but this time was different. The heir shot over to the other side of the room and delicately presented Makiri to Ammon, pointing at the writhing little creature. "Something is wrong with Makiri! He's been doing that all day and I thought it'd stop by now, but it keeps getting worse! I think his shell got smaller and it's smothering him, it's horrible. He has no room to even breathe, what can I do? Why is this happening to Makiri?" Amir nearly cried out as grabbed at Ammon's long sleeve. "I can't screw up on this one, Ammon! If he dies, I might actually have to marry someone and that will be the end of me." Unfortunately for Ammon and Makiri, Amir was still his own number one priority.
Ammon shook his head and stifled a laugh as he took the pin from Amir and patted him on the head. "Didn't you read the instruction manual that Professor Maximilian sent over?" he asked in a calm, mellow tone. The younger man shook his head slowly and Ammon gave him a squeeze, "Well you should read it since the manual covers what's going on right now. Makiri is fine, he just needs to be released from his egg and put into something bigger. Feel better?" He put the pin back in his sniffling ward and pointed Amir toward his disk. "Go set up an appointment with Maximilian and read the manual while you wait. If you don't, I'm sure your business partner won't be comfortable with you taking Makiri back home."
The answer was simple and any other person on earth would feel silly for panicking, but Amir just smiled and stroked his lovely pin. "I see, that's good. I'll have the computer read the manual to me when I'm on my way to Rheinfels but do I really need to read it if you already have? It's kind of a waste of time to have both of us read the manual." Much to Ammon's dismay, Amir was completely serious and the black haired prince kept going. "Besides, I don't think Max will mind since he knows you're here and I'm giving him a lot of money." He shrugged and walked over to his desk anyway to pick up the manual and order the holophone to dial Max...which was picked up by his voicemail.
Amir grumbled as he listened to the recorded message, almost falling asleep at how boring it was. Finally it came time for him to deliver his speech and he was quick with is words. "Hello Professor Maximilian, my egg is ready to hatch and has been that way all day so I'm worried he'll get hurt if he stays in there any longer. I'm heading to your place right now so please expect us in about an hour. If you are too busy, we'll just go to a restaurant until you are ready, but I don't want to make Makiri wait too long if you don't mind. Thank you very much for your time, professor." Amir disconnected the call and headed to the closet to change, waving at Ammon to do the same thing. "I want to leave in five minutes."
"Can you even get ready in five minutes?" Ammon chided while heading toward the door.
"You're wasting time, Ammon. I'll tell Makiri you don't care about him if you keep it up," Amir smirked back.
The two finished getting ready and met in the garage four minutes and twenty-seven seconds later. Ammon opened the carriage door for Amir, both stepped in, and they were on their way to Rheinfels. The ride was quiet; Ammon was looking out the window and Amir was looking at the pin on his chest. There were moments that the two would turn to each other but neither one said a word until Max's abode could be seen in the distance. It wasn't much of a conversation, but it was enough to get over their petty argument.
"If you really like Adelle and Maximilian isn't interested in her, I don't mind if you go see her but this place right here? Don't even go there. You aren't allowed," Amir said as he reached for the door handle.
"Unfortunately Maximilian is interested in her and they aren't related," Ammon sighed, choosing to ignore the latter half of Amir's message.
"Then don't do anything rash and get Max upset with you, I can't lose him as a business partner. Let's go," Amir commanded as he stepped out of the vehicle and up the stairs to Rheinfels' front door.
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 1:59 am
Well, at least it wasn't the middle of the night or some other ungodly hour of the morning. Adelle had come to him at the crack of dawn, crying to him about her Prince. Maximilian's only wish for future Prince allocation was to find owners that loved sleeping as much as he did. At least then, he wouldn't have to worry about early risers noticing their tadpole wildly squirming and proceed to wildly notify him of that fact.
Waking up at 2 PM that day after a particularly late night in the lab, Maximilian didn't mind the time at all--in fact, to him, he still had the whole day ahead left. Sensing his body rising from the bed, his computerized house assistant (who was usually the one responsible for waking him up whenever 'she' pleased) rather helpfully exclaimed that he had one voicemail in his inbox--and also that Amir Singh's carriage was making its way up his driveway.
Max shot out of bed with a yowl, barking at the assistant, "Read mail!"
"Certainly, pro-professor," the assistant replied pleasantly, oblivious to the frantic scientist that was yanking clothes on as quickly as he could manage it. "Is erectile dysfunction a common thing for you nowadays?" she loudly read the pre-recorded message to him, "Is your MOTHERLAND-approved marriage partner starting to wish our benevolent government assigned you to someone else? Well, with Viagrock radiotherapy treatment--"
"SORT BY MOST RECENT!!" Max bellowed, darting out of his room, the speakers following his progress as he rushed through the halls. Soon enough, the assistant finally did something Maximilian approved of and read out Amir's message. Having to skid across the floor to do a u-turn towards the laboratory, the scientist begrudgingly stomped down the stairs as the assistant 'helpfully' read out the remainder of the spam mail he had received that day, something he tolerated for the meanwhile as he rifled through his drawers looking for a jar. Tibalt peered at him curiously, having been awake for a while and his curiosity roused by the mention of Amir's voice.
"Was that Amir?" he called at Max, receding back into the water as his master approached him to scoop out water from his tank. Having been ignored completely, Tibalt started to climb out of the tank, clothes instantly fluffing up as they left the water, the special fibers retaining the moisture underneath the surface. "Can I come along too?" Tibalt persisted, growling to himself as the elder ignored him again and continued up the stairs as though he hadn't even registered the toadlet's presence. That didn't stop him though, he quickly plodded up the stairs after Maximilian, wet, webbed feet splatting against the floor as he ran.
As if Max actually had time to stop and talk with the stupid little thing who asked stupid little questions. With the sealed jar tucked under his arm, he strode towards the front doors and they slid open wide before Amir could have possibly rang the doorbell. Maximilian enjoyed looking omnipresent. Tibalt soon came to a stop behind Maximilian, brown eyes peering up at the pin, knowing what was coming now but oh-so curious about how it would come about. It was like someone giving birth to him!
"Amir, welcome; do you have the pin ready? Do come inside."
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 2:30 am
A loud click echoed through the area as soon as Amir placed his foot on the first step. He turned around to see Ammon sticking his head out of the carriage and he shot a menacing glance toward the disobedient caretaker. The deal made just two weeks prior stated that Ammon would not step foot in Rheinfels and Amir didn't intend to amend the contract at all, let alone this early and without any need. He extended his arm and waved Ammon back into the carriage, not needing to give another verbal command, and turned back toward the stairs. He took in a deep breath and continued walking while he looked down at his poor little Makiri who continued to strain against the confines of his egg. "There there, Makiri. The professor will help you, soon," the heir quietly assured.
Once Amir's foot hit the welcome mat, his hand was in the air and ready to greet the doorman with his identification. He wasn't expecting the door to open so suddenly and he was taken aback by how efficient Rheinfels' sensors must be despite their age. After a brief moment to catch any bit of butterflies that might have come out, Amir took the pin off of his chest and nodded. "Hello Maximilian, yes I have the pin right here. Thank you," he said as he followed the professor inside. "He's moving an awful lot and I'm worried. I would have called you earlier in the day but the morning fog and smog confuse our carriage's sensors and we'd all freeze if we got into a wreck." Amir gave a small sigh of relief, "See Makiri? We made it, as promised."
Taking a moment to take in Rheinfels once more, Amir looked around at the incredible and old architecture. It was dusty and needed rebuilding, yes, but it was also very retro and, judging by the carriage outside, would be right up his alley if it was cleaned up and redecorated. He followed Maximilian at a polite distance and hyperfocused on keeping Makiri close to his heart. His heart was beating so loud that the creature could probably hear it from a mile away, which started to make Amir wonder if Max could hear it. It's never good to look anxious, never. That's when Amir noticed that there was an extra set of odd sounding steps and he turned to see Tibalt. "Oh, hello Tibalt. Why didn't you say hello?" Amir chuckled, "Ammon's still cleaning up, it's very amusing. We look forward to your next visit."
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 2:55 am
Trying to hide it or not, Maximilian could tell that the owner was nervous. He was talking to his egg like a lunatic, and Maximilian couldn't help but eye Amir strangely. He didn't need to travel to the laboratory--he had all he needed here. Striding over to the 'stage' of the grand hall, Maximilian idly sat on the edge of it, placing the jar besides him and motioning towards Amir.
Tibalt beamed up at Amir, his chest swelling from pride at his impressive ability to make messes wherever he went; and he loudly called out a greeting to young man, his hands clasped behind his back in the traditional stance of a troublemaker. "I'm sorry, it was just so much fun to be out! You look awfully worried today," the toadlet almost let a snicker past his lips, beating Maximilian to the chase in saying anything about his mood today.
The scientist immediately silenced Tibalt with a stone cold look, to which was replied with a long, pointed tongue poking back at him from behind Amir's back. Tugging the cork from out the top of the jar, Maximilian had to marvel at such an old technology being used even today. While the cork was slightly porous and allowed little tidbits of air into the jar, it was still waterproof and by all means better than any other lid he could have used to seal the container. Wiping off some dust from the spot besides him, he spoke,
"Do sit, Amir, you're making me anxious." Placing the jar besides him as well, from his pocket he withdrew a small pincer and a pair of gloves, slipping the latter onto his hands before tapping the metal instrument against the rim of the jar. "How long has he been squirming at such a frantic rate?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 3:20 am
Amir's tension eased when Tibalt smiled up at him and he smiled back, trying not to sound like too much of a brat by thanking the little toad for giving Ammon so much work. He deserves it anyway, he thought to himself. Ammon needs to remember that he works for me and is not permitted to do as he pleases. He pried a hand away and slowly tapped his hand on Tibalt's shoulder, being careful of any sudden movements in fear of his poison. "Don't apologize for the mess, Tibalt. I haven't been giving Ammon so much work to do, he was probably really bored before you came on. And--ah--yes, I am worried for my prince." Amir looked at Max before leaning down and whispering to Tibalt, "I didn't read the manual and I don't want Max to think I'm a lousy business partner and owner."
Once Max's voice cut through the younger male's chatter, Amir stood up and walked over to the seat he was offered. "Yes professor, I apologize for my behavior," he said after clearing his throat. "Makiri has been moving a lot more than normal since this morning and his movement became this 'frantic' about three hours ago at noon." He tried to think back in more detail but Amir didn't pay much attention beyond a simple observation, something he should probably work on. Amir looked over at the tools curiously and then looked at the pin in his hand, "The process is really as simple as those tools and a jar? How efficient."
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 3:37 am
Tibalt grinned widely in glee. Didn't read the manual? Well it wouldn't have been a first among the other owners, everything Maximilian seemed to write was frightfully boring. No pictures in it whatsoever and a whole lot of scientific mumbo jumbo that only exceptional grown-ups could ever understand. He looked at the hand on his shoulder, briefly thinking about nuzzling it, the poison pores on his face opening up...
Amir moved away too fast though to take the seat besides Maximilian, and he clambered up onto the stage to closely watch--He had never been present during a hatching before and this was almost exciting for him.
Plucking the pin from Amir's open hand, Max surveyed the wiggling creature inside the film, smirking at Amir and giving him a clap on the back. "At ease, man, you're not a child in a classroom." Holding the brooch carefully above the opening of the jar, he slowly squeezed the very surface of the egg, breaking the surface. His blue eyes looked up at Amir and he grinned lightly, "We try to be as efficient as we can here. There is no point in complicating a simple proceedure."
The tadpole promptly started to bite at the shell, nibbling at the pierced edges until gravity pulled it out of the egg and into the jar, the little creature hitting the bottom gently and then rapidly swimming around in a half circle, admiring its new surroundings. Maximilian continued as he watched, pulling the remainder of the egg from the pin and dropping it piece by piece into the jar, giving the tadpole some sustenance for the ride home, "In nature, it is quite common for them to eat their way through the shell of their egg when they reach a certain age; However, because of the nature of the shell I have formulated so as to make it a little more rugged than intended, this shell is too hard to bite through. Soft enough to be crushed if you stood on it, but not so soft he can chew a sufficiently large hole in it. If left in the shell too long, he would nibble and nibble and eventually die from exhaustion, suffocation.." His eyes followed the excited tadpole around the water; it reminded him of how Triple-oh had moved when she was born, so eager to see the world she'd been brought into. "So while it is quite a simple process, it is a necessary one."
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Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 11:20 pm
Amir gave Tibalt a curious look when the kid started making a move but he wasn't sure what his intentions were so he didn't mention anything. Had he brought the secret weapon, dog biscuits, to the lab, he'd have offered one before the shoulder touch. However, he was barely able to remember that his hair was still down and disheveled when he left and that would have been more harmful to his ego than Tibalt catching him off guard. Amir eyed Tibalt one more time with a smile and then returned his eyes to Max and his tools, perking up in his seat at the man's voice. "I apologize, I'm just interested in what you are doing since I've never experienced something like this before," he said with a shrug. "I'll be quiet now."
The younger man relaxed into his seat and continued listening to Maximilian's explanation of what he was doing. It was boring, biological mumbo jumbo but he remembered Ammon's advice about keying in on certain words and repeating them later if necessary. Apparently it made for a better listener, and this was a good a time as any for Amir to test the theory out but he soon found his ears taking a back seat to his eyes. "So he's out and in the jar now?" Amir questioned as he stood up to get a better view, cocking his head to the side and pausing. "Um.. What is that thing?" He shook his head, "No, Ammon did say something about a pole stage, this must be it."
Makiri was finally free from his prison and wiggled his tail in glee, excited to see that he could actually go places now. It took him a few seconds to figure out how to turn but soon enough he was rocketing around the jar in search of his master. "He's sure...different looking," Amir looked closer as he tried to keep his expressions neutral. "His colors are lovely, though." He watched as Makiri stopped in the water and turned to brush his nose against the side of the jar closest to Amir. "Well, it looks like he recognizes me somehow," he said tentatively before turning back to Max. "Thank you for sparing some time for us, Maximilian. You must be busy so we'll stop taking up your time if there isn't anything else."
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 7:29 am
Maximilian finally pushed the cork into the top of the jar. There wasn't anything more he needed Amir for, unless it was to discuss plans about the reinforcement of Rheinfels walls, something which he was sure they would talk about sooner rather than later anyways. For now though, he'd had enough of the child (no, not Tibalt, though that was a given anyways) and he wanted Amir to spend some time at him with his newborn tadpole.
"There is one more thing, though, Amir.." the scientist chuckled to himself, pulling a palm-sized booklet from his jacket pocket and slapping it against Amir's chest firmly, accompanied with a stern chastisement,
"Read the manual. I know Ammon must be a great servant but there are some things you have to learn by yourself in here." Things that mainly included 'when to and not to call up Maximilian should you notice odd behavior in your Prince'--something Maximilian wanted Amir to take note of. He was still an impulsive young man, barely out of his teenage years by the sound of it and God only knew how impulsive they could get when in a panic.
Tibalt was getting bored already by the meeting. He rolled onto his back and poked his tongue at the tadpole in the jar, who merely answered him with a confused little blink of its eyes. The toadlet wanted to play with Brodi already, but as far as he knew, Adelle was busy with him at the moment, measuring him out for some more outfits, no doubt. Booooringgg.
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 11:19 pm
Amir was already standing when Maximilian corked the glass jar, ready to head home before he wore out his welcome or Adelle showed up. His hazel eyes drifted up to the scientist's face with his brows furrowing slightly in confusion when the man started speaking again, followed by a chuckle. There wasn't an obvious subject matter for this other "thing" and the only thing remotely worth talking about was business, which neither of them looked prepared to discuss. He cocked his head to the side when Max pulled out the book and forced it on him. Amir's body stumbled back a little and his hands fumbled at catching the book as his eyes jolted back to the man's face. "Yes, professor, I'll read it thoroughly this time," he said firmly after a few startled attempts at forming a sentence. "Thank you again for your time, Maximilian."
Makiri spiraled around his new home in between bouts of staring lovingly at Amir and giving curious glances at the strange brown monster. He was a funny looking thing, but so was everyone at this point. Even his beloved master was strange to look at! However, even if Amir looked like an alien to him now, Makiri considered him to be the best looking alien in the world and he couldn't wait to be alone with him, which was soon based on the sudden movement of the water. Amir picked up the jar, brushed it off with his sleeve, and held it close to his chest. "Let's go home, Makiri," he said softly while turning back to Tibalt. "We have to leave now but it was nice seeing you again, Tibalt. I'll be sure to let you and Professor Maximilian know when Ammon's finished with the cleaning." Amir smirked, "I really enjoy your art of destruction, so long as it isn't anything of mine."
Amir smiled at both and waved, "Until next time." It was time to leave and the heir exited Rheinfels with Makiri happily in tow. He opened the door and carefully made his way down the steps and to the carriage where Ammon was still patiently waiting. He shoved the manual at his caretaker and then lifted the jar. "Isn't it odd looking? I had no idea that pole stage looked like this!" he exclaimed, being corrected 'tadpole' shortly after. Amir shrugged and sat down in his seat, "He looks more like a fish than a frog, though." The coming week would sure be interesting for both humans, and the tadpole was very eager to see everything in his master's world. Makiri couldn't understand Amir's words, but he loved the the way they sounded.
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