Save One Ear For Thane - 3/09

Tartarus would appear to be squatting on the bars of the nearby overhang like nothing less than a monkey. His ratty tail curled around the bars in a very simian manner. For a bear.
(Tartarus Task)
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 He doesn't mind if they don't want to listen. This isn't about them, after all -- It wasn't them who asked what his secret was. His lips pull into a smile, and he steps forward. ---It isn't often that he meets someone who is considerably shorter than he is, and so leaning down to someone instead of leaning up to them is … new.

"The secret is that you already do." He answers - punctuating it with a wink.

"You're already sparkling, you know? But … " He reaches out, tapping the young girl on the chest.

"... So far~. It's just in here."

(Reason)
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 Tartarus Task exclaims, "!"
 Tartarus Task says, "It is rightfully your spot to idle."
Tartarus would nod sagely, pacing away from the wall lean.
(Tartarus Task)
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 Thane says, "How kind of you."
 Tartarus Task says, "I try. Once in a while."
 Tartarus Task says, "World's an uphill battle, no need to throw stones in front of your feet."
 Adrian says, "That's one way to put it."
 Tartarus Task says, "Of course. There'd be no entertainment if everyone saw things the same way."
 Tartarus Task says, "Chaos requires conflict."
 Thane says, "Bit of a reaching metaphor, but I appreciate the effort you put in."
 Tartarus Task exclaims, "Thanks!"
Tartarus Task says, "I'm workin' on the metaphor stuff."
 Tartarus Task says, "It's a work in progress definitely."
Adrian says, "Take it one step at a time... Uphill..."
Tartarus Task exclaims, "So far I've just kinda...confused people!"
 Reason says, "You know, we could probably use some more chairs out here, or something."
Tartarus Task says, "Yeah, eventually it will sound wise."
 Reason asks, "Also maybe a lamp?"
Tartarus Task says, "Oooh."
 Reason says, "Like, good god is it dark."
 Thane says, "I prefer to stand."
 Tartarus Task says, "If there was a lamp..."
Tartarus Task exclaims, "I could lean next to it!"
Reason says, "..."
 Reason says, "Do you mean."
 Reason asks, "This lamp?"
 Tartarus Task exclaims, "!"
 Tartarus Task exclaims, "No that lamp is terrible!"
 Tartarus Task exclaims, "You can't even lean against it!"
Tartarus Task exclaims, "Worst lamp!"
 Tartarus Task exclaims, "!!!"
 Blushes rather brightly. He had the sparkles too!!? That was just awesome! The thing is how did he get to show like he does? The teen just watched while he tapped on his chest. He was fifteen and rather.. flat. Either a flat chested girl or a male.

"How do I get it to show like you?"
(Chi Crow)
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Lonan says, "Evening."
Tartarus Task exclaims, "Mornin'!"
 Tartarus Task says, "I actually have no grasp of day or night in this hat, it's very dark all the time."
 Adrian says, "Have you considered..."
Adrian asks, "Not wearing it?"
 Tartarus Task says, "..."
 Thane says, "That seems smart to me."
 Thane says, "It makes you very unfortunate to look at."
 Reason says, "Hard work, practice. And~"
 Tartarus would look down at the ground with a frown.
(Tartarus Task)
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 Reason says, "...Light magic. "
 Tartarus Task says, "It's worse underneath."
 Reason wink!
(Reason)
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Adrian says, "It reminds me of those soldiers who run around wearing animal heads..."
Tartarus Task says, "My ears look so....stupid."
Tartarus would pout.
(Tartarus Task)
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 Thane says, "Cut them off. Simple."
Tartarus Task says, "...."
 Tartarus Task says, "THAT IS"
 Tartarus Task says, "A GREAT IDEA NEW BEST FRIEND"
Thane says, "You're welcome. Give me one as a gift, when you do."
 Adrian says, "You sh-... You know what. Good luck."
Reason says, "...Lonan, I'll give you 1500c if you beat him, take the bear head off, and then assume his position, because no one can prove that it isn't him under there since they've never seen him before."
 Adrian says, "..."
Tartarus would begin to remove the bear head with a thoughtful tug of his hat, removing it as he began to look for a sharp object with which to slice off his ears. Sadly for him, he could not find one.
(Tartarus Task)
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 Adrian says, "Oh god hes bald."
 Adrian says, "A bald rat."
Thane says, "I see... no wonder..."
Tartarus Task says, "No I have hair..."
 Tartarus Task exclaims, "I just cut it for the hat!"
 Tartarus Task says, "Cause I hate my ears..."
 Tartarus would take a deep breathe, seeming to....somehow spontaneously grow hair by force. What the fuck.
(Tartarus Task)
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 Adrian says, "..."
 Tartarus Task says, "Mmm."
 Tartarus Task says, "I don't like it....everyone can see them...."
Mykael says, "What in the world..."
Thane says, "They are... incredibly ugly, yes."
 Chi Crow asks, "Light magic? That's all it is?"
 Tartarus Task exclaims, "That's why you're my new best friend!"
 Tartarus Task exclaims, "You agree with this simple fact!"
 Tartarus Task says, "These ears? Suck."
Tartarus Task says, "Bear ears, superior in every way."
 Reason says, "And, also, self confidence. Can't forget that part."
 Thane says, "I believe if I'm the only person to say that, then everyone has been lying to you. "
 Tartarus Task says, "Pffffffft."
 Tartarus Task says, "No most people make fun of it."
 Mykael says, "I, for one, purposely ignored the ears until they were pointed out."
 Chi Crow exclaims, "Hmm.. I guess.. and your ears are just fine!"
 Tartarus Task says, "People lie for good or bad reasons, but the truth sets ya free."
 Thane says, "A shame you all use guns rather than knives. He requires something sharp."
 Tartarus Task exclaims, "Mhm!"
 Tartarus would set fire within his palm. He was prepared to do this the old fashioned way. Oh god he had hair now, this was a terrible idea.
(Tartarus Task)
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 Mykael was more than happy to watch as Tartarus would do what any idiot would do. It was like setting flame to an entire forest, burning everything down to the ground in hopes that it would come back one day better. Except, it wasn't used by natural means, but magic.

So he just... watches at what the flames would do with a cringed look upon his visage.
(Mykael)
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Lonan says, "Mykael."
 Tartarus was committed. He was gonna do it, no goddamn fear. Egged on by Thane's firm agreeance that these ears were the worst thing, the young Task would ccondense a pulsating ember within his palm as he prepared to righteously sear his ears right off!

Yet, the moment the boy's fire touched his ears, he'd squeak with sudden, unexpected sensitivity and pain as he leapt into the air, clutching his very sore, very bruised ears that had spent most of their time bunched up uncomfortably in the hat.

In a moment's time, the flame was rewinded, as if it had never occurred in his palm.

"....Rain check best friend. I need to build up....pain tolerance."
(Tartarus Task)
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 Chi Crow asks, "Why do you hate your ears anyways?"
 Well, at least that wasn't going to happen in front of him. There was a thing as pain tolerance after all, and it was as transparent as glass when it came to the Task that he didn't have that built up amount just yet. A brief sigh of contention followed in his wake as he chuckled afterward.

"Try to get surgery first, then maybe consider burning it..." He then goes to acknowledge Lonan, "yes?"
(Mykael)
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 Tartarus Task says, "..."
Shifting to observe as the rat worked up the courage to rip his own ears off, there's a vague sort of amusement across Thane's countenance as he watches. It hadn't been a suggestion made out of kindness, exactly, but the boy seemed to be full swing into it. Admirable, in a way.

"Yes, it would likely be less difficult to let someone else do it," he offers with a glance at Mykael.
(Thane)
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 Lonan spares naught but a passing glance unto the youthful Tartarus, diverting his attention toward Mykael as he spoke on and on regarding matters so incredibly stupid. He hadn't been paying attention, though - he merely assumed them to be as such..!

Kind of rude.

"How've you fared, in your efforts?"
(Lonan)
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 Katrin says, "Evening, mister Adrian."
 Katrin asks, "Don't guess you need anything done while I'm around?"
 Thane asks, "You wouldn't happen to have a knife on you, would you?"
 Katrin asks, "Just like...a mithril one? Or a regular ol' knife?"
 Katrin says, "I got that, sure."
 Tartarus would blow upon his ears rapidly from inside, difficult as it might be because every time he tried to turn his head to blow on them, they shifted position inside the bear head. Favor was not in the hands of this Task, of that there could be no uncertainty.

"Hmm, surgery....so, like, gettin'm removed by a doctor? Hmm..."

The Task would tap his chin softly at that as he sat upon the ground, his mane of tangled, spiky in all the wrong places hair flowing ambiently within the depths of the bear head as he removed it again.

"Hmm....wait. But then I'll be deaf! WAIT I WAS ABOUT TO GO DEAF."

Eyes would rapidly flick to Thane, who had suggested it all. Before he began to break out in a fit of laughter at the high stakes prank.

"Might be worth it to lose the ears....do they make ears out of metal that don't look stupid?"
(Tartarus Task)
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 Thane says, "Mythril might make it easier, but just a regular knife. It's for him."
Thane gestures towards Tartarus.
(Thane)
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 Katrin says, "Oh...Sure."
Tartarus Task says, "Mhm! Gotta do som' trimmin' work."
When Thane spoke of those words, and then looked directly at him, he jolts himself backward. "I'm not burning my friend's ear off while they're conscious, I'm not a psychopath." His head shakes left and right before his countenance faces Lonan with a light roll of his shoulders backward, aligning himself straight.

"Just fine. Went around the park a few times, did some thinking and mana release. No one ever told me that controlling the dark magic was hard, and when people try to assault you, it kinda gets harder.

I'll need a secondary help when things get tough. I still wonder what, though."
(Mykael)
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 Of course she has a knife. Among all the rusty implements at her belt- of which there are a lot, that clash with her new, fancy garb- there is indeed a knife. It's equally rusty.

She flips it out of its cracked leather sheathe and hands it over to Tartarus, handle first.

"Go nuts."
(Katrin)
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Adrian says, "Ah, no. Sorry."
Tartarus Task exclaims, "!"
 Katrin asks, "...So you're gonna cut your ears off?"
 Katrin says, "Hold up."
 Tartarus Task says, "...."
 Tartarus would gesture to his ears.

"Yes."
(Tartarus Task)
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Katrin asks, "That what you're trying to do?"
 Mykael says, "Taartarus-"
 Katrin whispers: ...Okay. I'll let you use this. But gimme your ears when you're done. Yeah?
 Tartarus Task exclaims, "!"
Mykael says, "Don't-"
 Tartarus Task says, "No I promised my new best friend one of my ears."
Mykael says, "Don't---"
 Chi Crow says, "You really shouldn't cut off your ears."
 Tartarus Task asks, "Hmm?"
Katrin whispers: The other one, then?
Tartarus Task says, "Hmm...."
 Chi Crow says, "It's part of who you are."
Tartarus Task says, "Oh I suppose you two could have one each.....hmm."
Katrin exclaims, "That's the spirit!"
 Tartarus would tap his chin thoughtfully, before blinking steadily.
(Tartarus Task)
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Mykael says, "..."
 Tartarus Task says, "Hmm."
Tartarus Task says, "I'm sixteen. I should....-probably think this through."
 Tartarus Task says, "I NEED A BIGGER KNIFE."
Katrin says, "Hey. They're your ears."
Mykael says, "..."
 Mykael says, "DO."
 Mykael says, "NOT."
 Katrin asks, "...A -bigger- knife, you say?"
 Mykael asks, "ENCOURAGE...?"
 Katrin grins. She grins -wide-.
(Katrin)
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 Tartarus Task exclaims, "The biggest! Big ears!"
 Reason says, "This is a lot."
 Thane says, "Well, smaller knives are generally better for precision..."
 Thane says, "You don't want to accidentally cut into your skull."
 Tartarus Task says, "...."
Katrin says, "Oooh. He's got a point."
Tartarus Task says, "Very true...."
Tartarus Task exclaims, "Maybe two small kn ives with a hinge!"
 Tartarus Task exclaims, "Like a scissor but for ears!"
Katrin asks, "Shears?"
Tartarus Task exclaims, "No that's for sheep!"
 Katrin says, "Yeah. Shears'd work. Like for sheep."
 Tartarus Task exclaims, "Am a bear!"
 Reason says, "........Sh-ears....."
 Katrin says, "Bear shears."
 Katrin says, "Special bear shears."


Thane says, "A hot knife is your best bet, honestly. You'll want to cauterize the wound."
Tartarus Task says, "Isn't bear shears just short for bears again."
Tartarus Task says, "..."
 Tartarus was taking notes. Thane's wisdom was heard.
(Tartarus Task)
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Tartarus Task says, "Hot knife, no dirt. Clean.....quick, precise."
 Tartarus Task says, "..."
 Tartarus Task says, "Hmm."
 Katrin says, "Sounds smart, yeah."
 Chi Crow says, "Hmm.."
 Mykael says, "I'm not watching this."
 Tartarus Task exclaims, "!"
 Katrin says, "Hey, I'm definitely not watching."
 Katrin says, "You better not be doin' this now."
Tartarus Task exclaims, "Am not!"
 Katrin says, "Okay, good."
Tartarus Task exclaims, "I don't even have a shear for bears yet!"
 Katrin says, "Blood makes me a lil' queasy."
Reason says, "Please don't bleed out on my front lawn."
 Tartarus Task exclaims, "I'm a time wizard, I can't bleed out!"
 Mykael says, "..."
 Reason says, "... Something inside of me snapped, hearing two of those words together."
Reason says, "Something deep, deep in my soul."
 Thane says, "...ah..."
 Tartarus Task says, "Pfffft."
 Thane says, "I see..."
Lonan whispers something.
 Katrin says, "Anyways."
 Katrin says, "I can see there's no business here."

 Tartarus would blink steadily as he finally processed Chi's words, turning to them as his brown eyes appeared to practically ignite with flame. His fist was balled as he glanced off at their departure.

"These ears....they do NOT define me. I am not some dumb, drug addicted rat who's gonna roll around in the sewers the rest of my life. Am gonna BE somebody."

The Task would spit on the ground with a grimace as he glanced up once more at his ears with a frown.

"I gotta think on it. Hiding them has been easier so far....but some day I'll have'ta make a choice. It won't be easy."
(Tartarus Task)
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 Reason whispers something.
The artificer pauses before leaving, rubbing her chin and looking the rat- not-rat?- over.

"Good attitude, honestly. Hope you keep it, pal."
(Katrin)
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Tartarus would ball his fist at that, raising it in the air.
(Tartarus Task)
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 Tartarus Task says, "Til "
 Tartarus Task says, "I die, I'd reckon."
 Reason had a very good point. If those that were above his work station found blood and all the likes outside in the front, the end of the story will be like the universe; endless. Fortunately, the universe knows that it wasn't the right thing to do, and as such, it was delayed.

But for how long?

"I'll go walk about."

If he's not stopped, he'll just walk off.
(Mykael)
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Katrin says, "Anyway. Business calls. Good luck, guy."
 Tartarus Task says, "Yuh, Tartarus. Nice meetin' ya."
Katrin says, "Kay. Artificer extraordinaire. Real pleasure."
Tartarus Task says, "Makes sense."
Tartarus Task says, "You gotta become extra extraordinairy now."
Katrin says, "You know it. That's the plan."
Tartarus Task says, "*would offer a thumbs up, still considering Thane'"
Katrin says, "All of ya have a nice night now."
 Tartarus would offer a thumbs up, still considering Thane's tips on how to slice his ears off cleanly. This had not been avoided.
(Tartarus Task)
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 Tartarus Task says, "Huh."
Tartarus Task exclaims, "Fancy place!"
 Tartarus Task asks, "This some kinda diner?"
Reason whispers: Good luck.
Lonan says, "Hi there."
 {Item} You picked up Apprentice's Gladius. Dropped by Reason..
 Tartarus Task exclaims, "Oh hi!"
 Tartarus would appear to be trying to jam a gladius at an angle that would allow him to saw off his ears. He didn't actually note that a gladius has no serrations, and was largely a thrusting weapon. He was getting nowhere.
(Tartarus Task)
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 Lonan pries his attention away from the youthfully blind Task, offering the child naught but a wave, before passing a glance toward Thane in particular. He'd not seen them, beyond passing - a fact he'd silently note, before gesturing unto them with nod.

"You guys want anything? I can probably find something to serve you."

He was, technically, on shift. Smoke break, perhaps? More likely, it'd just been a slow night - and he had no complaints about that.
(Lonan)
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 Tartarus would halt the efforts to sheer his ears off for now, putting it down mentally as a work in progress for the time being as he bit his lip with a growl. It was no good, the sinuous fiber and muscle was just to taut to easily slice without a mirror and the right angle. He would sigh in defeat, accepting for the moment that he'd need to leave with these stupid ears.

"What's a place like this serve? I've kinda just been standing outside of it cause I don't know what to do with my legs sometimes. Ya see a spot worth leanin' on, there's no chance of resisting it."

The Task would bob his head firmly at that.

"Hmm....you guys serve any milk?"
(Tartarus Task)
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 His interest in Tartarus sawing off his ears wanes quickly, especially as people begin to leave and head on their own way. If he regrets not going with the group intending to hunt boars, well...

It only shows a little.

He casts a glance towards Lonan, shaking his head.

"I'm good. Think I'll take a walk," he waves towards the both of them as he strolls towards the exit. He pauses to call back over his shoulder towards Tartarus: "Good luck with your... ear problem. Remember to save one for me."
(Thane)
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 Tartarus makes a mental note to save at least one ear for Thane.
(Tartarus Task)
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