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Post by kaiyacksoda on Feb 17, 2018 22:07:04 GMT -6
"Yer a Medic?"
Gulliver, Newt, & Cricket
War-Colt & kaiyacksoda
Mid Morning, Gray Skies. Set before Chapter 5.
Newt & Cricket
Farmers
Stepping as light and as quick as capable, the dual pair of farmers each tried to squeeze between the crammed marketplace while collecting as little attention as possible. Newt tugged at their collar, an idle attempt to hide both them and their brother's mutation. The effort was futile, of course, for those looking hard enough, but sometimes in the busy rushed moment, they'd go unnoticed in passing. Cricket had crammed some jumbled maps back into their father's saddlebags which were draped across their spine, pushing their dorsal fin down flat with their hair. It wasn't necessarily comfortable, but they'd live. The maps, of course, he couldn't read. Neither of them could. But Cricket found them interesting and they were told the things held the entire contents of both Onea and Eithne. Newt figured they'd be helpful eventually; eventually, they'd be able to decipher them. Of course, Cricket had mentioned finding someone to read the papers for them, but that would surely be a hard jab at their pride. They rolled their eyes at the thought, how much more incompetent could their current state get? They were farmers. Mere farmers.
Cricket didn't mind, however, he even liked farming. Newt loved the smell of the Earth, but the job bored them, and their household infuriated them. Yet kindly enough, Cricket seemed to cater to his twin's rebellious mind, at least for a little while. He did find most of their expeditions interesting, after all, there was enough fair evidence in the rattling saddlebags across their hide. Trinkets and things others would relate to garbage, but at least the taller twin found them enjoyable. If they could keep their treasures out of the grubby hooves of the rest of their brothers, they'd be in alright shape, if not... Well, Newt would regret spending their hard earned money, and they doubted Killian would be dropping them a raise anytime soon.
Newt let out a huff of annoyed breath, they'd been tipped off to find some medic, they'd heard about the stallion a good few times before, and after the reoccurring name, Newt figured the guy ought to be of some worth. Finding him on the other hand, was a project in itself. Still, they were lucky to hear of him bustling about a trader's market when they'd manage to get down to Skeldr unsupervised. They were eighteen, they were adults, sure, but try telling that to the rest of their family. Their father was strict with each of his boys, but the twins especially, and their brothers... Well, they just liked getting under their skin, and their mere presence was sure a good way to go about it. Newt was positive a few of them were still scouring the place in search of their own interests, but for now, the twins were left at peace.
"Peace". Yeah, right. They had work to do. Real, beneficial work. Not planting some stupid seeds, and that started by finding this damned medic. A hippocampus, dark bay, dipped in splash-white markings, old. "Let's just scream for him." Cricket had mentioned. At this point, if their frustration built up any more, they'd consider it, but their gaze soon settled on a scruffy looking mane with a protruding green and orange fin. Dark bay, splash-white, and old.
"I think that's him." The smaller of the two mumbled to their brother until Cricket's eyes found the same stallion. "Let's go ask then!" He chirped before pulling Newt forward. They pushed up to the guy, he was only an inch or two taller than them, but he was built in bulk, while the twins seemed to be perched on scrawny stilts. "GUlliver?" Newt sputtered awkwardly, an obnoxiously loud bark for already nearly plowing into the unfamiliar figure. Smooth. They weren't good with horses, they knew that. Everyone else preferred Cricket anyway. "Like... The medic? Yer a medic, yeah?" They coaxed again. C'mon, c'mon. They could only hope this find would end their search.
first post, 661 words. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2018 22:29:22 GMT -6
 It was that time of the week again.
Shopping day.
Gulliver tried his best to keep out of busy areas. He enjoyed his little home, tucked into the side of the mountain. It was secluded enough for him to enjoy his private time, but open enough for those needing medical assistance to find him. He could see the lights from Skeldr Town from his window, smell the scent of the bakery in the mornings, but didnt need to socialize every time he stepped onto his porch. It was perfect, in all senses of the word.
However, he couldnt stay holed up forever. His house was small, unable to hold much food or supplies. He would have to pull himself from his home and descend from the mountainside to do his shopping, as much as he despised it. He needed food, herbs, and other medical supplies that he often ran out of (such as bandages, he used a lot of bandages).
With his saddle bags slung across his back, he made his way through the crowded market. Many of the usuals knew to stay out of his way, as the stallion, while not very tall, was strong. He would not hesitate to shove others out of the way if they decided to step in his path, and there were many who learned that the hard way. He also had a great way of making others give him his space, as he puffed on a thick cigar and didnt bother to keep the smoke from swirling into the faces of other horses. Yes, he was the master at avoiding contact, even in the most crowded of spaces.
It didnt take long for his bags to be full of food and he had stopped at a stand for herbs. He made small talk with the seller, a sweet old mare who seemed to be the only one in the market that could make the grouchy medic's lips twitch in a smile as he picked out what he needed.
Just as he was reaching for a batch, he heard his name called out from behind him. His small ears pressed back, his head cocking to the side so he could just glimpse behind him without actually turning. Maybe they, whoever it was, would go away.
"Yer a medic, yeah?"
No such luck for the medic, as the voice spoke again, causing the stallion to grumble under his breath and start to turn. What kinda dim-witted-
He froze in his tracks as he found not one, but two pairs of eyes staring back at him. His jaw went slack, his cigar dropping from between his lips and falling to the ground.
"Oh shit." The sound of the cigar finding the cobblestone street brought Gulliver back to attention, his gaze dropping to his fallen smoke. A frown found his lips as he stomped the smoking cigar out, making sure it was completely put out before looking back up to the colt.. colts before him.
"What do you want?" He snapped, obviously irritated as he puffed a piece of his forelock from his narrowed red eyes.
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Post by kaiyacksoda on Feb 17, 2018 23:25:33 GMT -6
Newt & Cricket
Don't stare, don't stare. No such luck. As the stallion swiveled to look at them, the shock was obvious on his face. Not uncommon, but irritable. At least to Newt, as the reaction seemed to easily roll of Cricket's shoulder by now. They merely blinked as the cigar fell from the strang-- Gulliver's mouth. What an idiot. Whatever hype was built up around this guy, well, it better be worth it.
"We've been... Uh, lookin' fer ya." Newt's expression was mostly blank with a tinge of lacking comfort. Their blue eyes shifting sideways under furrowed brows, dark ears laid sideways. "We!-- Yeah." Cricket had started in almost exact unison with his twin, only to be overshadowed by Newt's more immediate wording. He scrunched up his near-identical eyes. "We want to talk to you about heal...ing-- and-- we want to be two, ya kno--" "--Criickeeett." Newt groaned, snapping back at their brother with newly pinned ears. A muffled growl, but the lax scolding was more than readable to those close enough. After a slight jump, Cricket merely met them with the same scowling look, dark ears pinned creating a mirror-like effect between the two.
At least to Newt, the topic was a sensitive one. Hard enough to get out to a medic on their own, rather than in the presence of a bustling market. Hell, they don't think they'd actually mentioned the idea to anyone besides vague hinting, and those were still mere strangers. They'd suppose really admitting to their weakness, however obvious, was a bit of a punch in the gut. Cricket was more blunt about these types of things.
A deep, regaining breath, Newt tried to recollect themself. "Medical practices, yeah? We heard you were good at them... Surgeries 'n stuff too, or you know a bit, is that true?" Cricket's ears still pinned back, but his features were beginning to soften in present interest as they shifted back to the larger stallion, "heard you were good at them... that's true?" The boy's voice nearly echoed under Newt's. Bad habit, but they both did it. Cricket's ears were rocked forward now, brown curls bouncing over his forehead with oozing curiosity. Newt looked less enthusiastic, more suspicious. Their nerves were humming, they weren't eager to get brushed off again, and they planted their two front feet as a result. A silent projection of their own stubbornness and forced strength. Still, there was a faint glimmer of outward interest, and much more was fuming inside. Perhaps a spark of hope too, for anyone looking close enough. They'd waited a long time to be "fixed". Dreamt about it even.
"We want to talk to you about it, alright?" Flat, and cold, and demanding, but-- Newt got to the point. "Somewhere private, how 'bout?" Cricket merely nodded in agreement, though the words were not meant for him. A lopsided grin pulling at the corner of his mouth, lightening his twin's glowering attitude.
second post, 489 words. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2018 23:47:14 GMT -6
Words bounced back and forth between the pair, enough to give Gulliver an ache in his temple. However, once he got past their terrible grammar, he got the point of what they were trying to say. There were two heads on one body, and they wanted to be separate. No big deal.
Except it was.
He loud a deep sigh, his lips pressing together in thought, ears shifting back. After a moment of quiet thinking, he nodded. This seemed like an interesting case in itself, especially with the mention of surgery. They had wanted to be in private, and so did he. Gulliver could only take so much of the market noise.
"Okay." He finally said, his voice rough and deep. "My house is not far from here." He didnt tell them to follow him, but he figured they would get the hint. He turned and dropped a few shards on the merchant's table before scooping up the herbs he needed. He gave her a nod for a farewell and turned, stuffing the herbs into his bags as he set off down the crowded street.
It didnt take them too long to get to the medic's house. As they approached, the looming building sent a shadow over their forms. Bones lined the doorway, held on by raggedy ropes and lopsided nails. The door itself was heavy, splintery wood, which Gulliver had to slam his shoulder into just to get it to pop and creak open.
He pulled a match from his bags and lit candles as he entered, leaving the door open for the twins to follow. A cool breeze drifted through the house, fluttering papers to the floor. The house was a mess, to say the least. Papers were scattered, dust covered anything with a flat surface, and even bolts from a crossbow stuck tightly in the wall.
Gulliver didnt seem bothered by it, however, he was completely oblivious to the fact that this was not a normal way to keep one's home.
He stepped over the bear skin rug that laid before his fireplace, lighting the last candle as he went. The small house was now lit, candle flame making their shadows dance. He turned back to the strange pair, whiskers dancing at his chest.
"Tell me, then." He said, leaning against the wall, his hair falling over one eye. "How do you expect.. separating to work?" Gulliver was never one to just hand out answers. He wanted to see how much these two had thought about this.
"Sure you have your own head and pair of front legs, but you share the rest?" He paused, brow raised. "I sure hope you dont think this will be easy, anyways."
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Post by kaiyacksoda on Feb 18, 2018 15:22:22 GMT -6
Newt & Cricket
Pulling up to Gulliver's house gave Cricket the chills, and Newt could feel them running up and down their spine. "It's fine." They insisted quietly, their voice was more nagging than anything, but it was reassurance none the less. Clambering up steps and stepping through his doorway behind the large stallion, the two pairs of eyes flicked curiously, perhaps a bit nervously, around the place. Bones, dust, paper, clutter. Their home wasn't necessarily up to date, but it wasn't a mess like this. No, this place seemed... Eerie.
and it made Cricket fidget.
After a few lit candles, Newt's head raised back toward the dark stallion, their brows furrowed in attempted serious maturity. Gulliver was an interesting sight propped up against the wall, not one they were accustomed to, to say the least. Their father had threatened to cut off Cricket's hair more than once, they could only imagine his thoughts on the medic's eye-covering mess.
Blinking, they stood awkwardly for a moment, until Cricket's shaking voice rang out in the dim atmosphere, "aren't you supposed to know that? How it 'works'?"
Newt merely frowned. Of course, they agreed with their brother, but they'd be a fool not to have thought on the question during their own time. It seemed to have wracked their brain more often than not, especially over the last few years.
"Potions? Surgery?" The smaller of the two spoke up, neat brown bangs rocking silently over determined blue eyes. This topic did interest them, they liked the feeling of working their brain, no matter how little they seemed to understand it. "Donors perhaps... Prosthetics for our hind legs. Ah course, I'm sure we could do without for a time." They were rambling a bit, ideas they'd considered a possible fix after many late nights. "We're attached at the shoulder... but we split off equally. Each gotta hind leg." Newt mumbled dryly as Cricket lifted their right high leg to prove a point. They could each move both of them, but it was easier for the one on their specific side. Neither of the two were a wart, attached to the other like a blood sucking leach. No, though Newt was the obvious runt, the two were a team, equals, and if separation was to be considered, they'd need to be split as such. Neither wanted to be pulled off at the shoulder.
"I know it won't be easy, or we'd be fixed already." Newt had to refrain from rolling their eyes. "B-but we can pay you." A slight sense of desperation cracked their initial words. They were already beginning to place too much faith in a stallion they'd only just met, no matter how much they tried to hide it. Still, Gulliver seemed interested, and that was farther than they'd gotten before.
"It's possible... Right?" ... "Right?" Cricket's voice echoed Newt's own words again. In reality, they were making the procedure out to sound more dangerous than not, and he wasn't quite sure what to think of it. Cricket didn't necessarily know that he wanted to leave his twin, even though Newt's constant reassuring reminded that it was a good thing. They'd be able to move better, run even, be normal. Separation didn't mean being apart, yet there was a small sense of hurt that Newt seemed so enthusiastic about it. Cricket was already growing uneasy, and chewed at the inside of his lip accordingly.
third post, 568 words. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2018 22:06:43 GMT -6
A smirk picked at the edges of the stallions lips as one of the boys questioned him. Was he supposed to know the answers? Yes, and he did, he just wanted to know if they knew them. He was awfully impressed by the ideas that bounced between the pair, his brow arching in amusement at their scrambling to find an answer to his otherwise impossible question.
"Prosthetics are rough on the equine body, but not impossible." He said, deciding to pick apart the twins' suggestions one little bit at a time, ignoring their offer of payment for the time being.. "Luckily, it would be a hind leg, so you have that in your favor. Less weight, and such." He paused, thinking.
"A donor would be.. interesting.." He took a glance to one of the papers on the floor as it fluttered with a draft through the window, only momentarily stealing his attention. Interesting was quite the understatement. Had Gulliver had the technology, he would be ever so eager to try it out himself, but he knew his old herd would not take him back to try. Or, they wouldnt recognize his medical licence again, anyways.
He sighed.
"There is nothing i can do for you personally, if im being honest." He picked up his gaze and looked back to the pair before him. They were desperate, he understood that. In a way, he was too. He so eagerly wanted to know how this would all play out, if it even did at all. However, his excitement was hidden behind an even tone and a poker face that would put a Valore gambler to shame.
"You could have all the money in the world, and there would be nothing War-Forged technology could do for you." He sounded bitter at this fact.. better yet, disappointed, his tone like that of a father who's child had not lived up to his expectations.
"However, I do not think this is necessarily impossible.." He grinned, the smile small on his thick face. "What do you know of Valore?"
The name of his old home was rough against his tongue. He had left there on his own will, and the reason had been his fault and he knew it.. However, that didnt stop the bitter taste the name left on his tongue. Oh, how he longed to go back, but still held distaste for it's people.
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