It was early evening by the time Margaretta dared peek her head out the door, though the last of the sun's rays still lit the underside of the clouds overhead in wonderful hues of pinks and oranges. It was safe enough, she supposed, and decidedly opened the door and stepped through the entrance-way, taking a moment to stretch and take heed of her surroundings. It was time to meet Tivi at the ranch and change the guard, as it were, so she began her journey from the city proper toward the outskirts of town and eventually, to the jungle beyond. It wouldn't take long, since she was going by motorcycle this evening, so she donned her helmet and kick-started the engine, pulling out of the alleyway with as much speed as she was reasonably allowed.
Music blaring, she pulled into the driveway of the ranch with a skid and dismounted, removing her helmet and resting it on the seat for future use. She spotted Tivi immediately, feeding a herd of hadrosaurs that had decided to stop by for supper. The dragon seemed content, patting the dinosaur closest to her with a gentle touch as she watched Margaretta approach. “Nice of you to show up,” she teased, sticking her tongue out at the vampire.
Margaretta scoffed. “Hey at least I showed, yeah? How are things here,” she asked, hopping up to stand and lean on the wooden fence that stood between them and the feeding dinosaurs.
“Not bad. Kinda slow today,” Tivi replied with a shrug. “The eggs are almost ready to hatch.”
“Which ones,” Margaretta asked.
“The raptors I think. The little ones you got last week,” Tivi explained.
“Right, right. Those are the ones. I’ll give ‘em a peek and see how much farther they have to go. You’re right it shouldn’t be long now,” Margaretta said with a nod, hopping down off of the fence after giving one of the hadrosaurs a quick pat on the neck. With that, she left Tivi and the dinosaurs to their own devices and headed toward the ranch's main building, where the eggs were kept in an incubator in one of the main rooms.
There were lots of different eggs there, each in their own clutch with a little placard stating which group was which. Herbivores, omnivores and carnivores each had their own rooms and Margaretta took the time to examine them all before finally coming to the velociraptor eggs she’d been incubating. Lifting the lid of the incubator, she took a flashlight and candled each of them, tapping their shells and giving a little whistle to see if they’d respond. Little peeps could be heard from inside the shells and it gave the vampire a reason to smile. Cute little things. Too bad they'd be proper murder machines in just a few months. Like kittens but much, much worse.
Music blaring, she pulled into the driveway of the ranch with a skid and dismounted, removing her helmet and resting it on the seat for future use. She spotted Tivi immediately, feeding a herd of hadrosaurs that had decided to stop by for supper. The dragon seemed content, patting the dinosaur closest to her with a gentle touch as she watched Margaretta approach. “Nice of you to show up,” she teased, sticking her tongue out at the vampire.
Margaretta scoffed. “Hey at least I showed, yeah? How are things here,” she asked, hopping up to stand and lean on the wooden fence that stood between them and the feeding dinosaurs.
“Not bad. Kinda slow today,” Tivi replied with a shrug. “The eggs are almost ready to hatch.”
“Which ones,” Margaretta asked.
“The raptors I think. The little ones you got last week,” Tivi explained.
“Right, right. Those are the ones. I’ll give ‘em a peek and see how much farther they have to go. You’re right it shouldn’t be long now,” Margaretta said with a nod, hopping down off of the fence after giving one of the hadrosaurs a quick pat on the neck. With that, she left Tivi and the dinosaurs to their own devices and headed toward the ranch's main building, where the eggs were kept in an incubator in one of the main rooms.
There were lots of different eggs there, each in their own clutch with a little placard stating which group was which. Herbivores, omnivores and carnivores each had their own rooms and Margaretta took the time to examine them all before finally coming to the velociraptor eggs she’d been incubating. Lifting the lid of the incubator, she took a flashlight and candled each of them, tapping their shells and giving a little whistle to see if they’d respond. Little peeps could be heard from inside the shells and it gave the vampire a reason to smile. Cute little things. Too bad they'd be proper murder machines in just a few months. Like kittens but much, much worse.
After her incident with Snake and the dinosaur pit, Renza had been very, very careful about who she dealt with in Harbor. Everybody wanted something. Everything came with a price. And more than half the people here would probably stab you in the back if it meant a bigger payday.
No honor amongst thieves, she thought to herself bitterly. Well, some thieves had honor... Let's hope the people at this particular dinosaur ranch did too.
It was early evening and the jungle was starting to cool down a bit without the sun's incessant rays beating down overhead. That, and the lack of insidious rumors about this place had Renza feeling better about her choices. Crew seemed solid. Product seemed consistent.
Let's see if they live up to their reputation. Approaching the ranch's main building, Renza confirmed that yes, they were open pretty much every freaking hour, before pushing her way inside.
"Hello?" She was sure she heard movement from one of the rooms. Renza pulled back her hood so she could hear better if need be. "I'm told this is the place to go if you have a need for a dinosaur..." She distractedly wandered around one of the incubators, noting the name of the species on the placard. Triceratops. Cute. But not what she had in mind.
No honor amongst thieves, she thought to herself bitterly. Well, some thieves had honor... Let's hope the people at this particular dinosaur ranch did too.
It was early evening and the jungle was starting to cool down a bit without the sun's incessant rays beating down overhead. That, and the lack of insidious rumors about this place had Renza feeling better about her choices. Crew seemed solid. Product seemed consistent.
Let's see if they live up to their reputation. Approaching the ranch's main building, Renza confirmed that yes, they were open pretty much every freaking hour, before pushing her way inside.
"Hello?" She was sure she heard movement from one of the rooms. Renza pulled back her hood so she could hear better if need be. "I'm told this is the place to go if you have a need for a dinosaur..." She distractedly wandered around one of the incubators, noting the name of the species on the placard. Triceratops. Cute. But not what she had in mind.
Hearing an unfamiliar voice from the herbivore room, Margaretta set down the egg she was holding and turned her attention to the newcomer. She stepped outside to the other room and took in the person standing there, seemingly unimpressed at first, though she smiled politely and offered her hand. "Name's Margaretta. This sure is the place for dinos," she added casually, nodding her head toward the nearest incubator. "You looking for one in particular? I've got eggs currently. Unless you're looking for one already trained?" She paused, leaning on one leg as she got another look at her new customer. She hadn't seen this one before, so she was hoping they were someone with a good reputation.
After all, there were plenty of people in Harbor who would turn a dinosaur into a proper killing machine, using them for fights and arena royales. Some might even use them as private monsters for sport. She and Tivi tried their best to avoid selling to such people, but without a proper background check, it was hard to say outside of vibes.
This one didn't seem to be a dangerous dealer in dinosaurs... At least, not yet.
"You got a name," she asked at last, curiosity getting the better of her. Maybe she'd heard about them in passing.
After all, there were plenty of people in Harbor who would turn a dinosaur into a proper killing machine, using them for fights and arena royales. Some might even use them as private monsters for sport. She and Tivi tried their best to avoid selling to such people, but without a proper background check, it was hard to say outside of vibes.
This one didn't seem to be a dangerous dealer in dinosaurs... At least, not yet.
"You got a name," she asked at last, curiosity getting the better of her. Maybe she'd heard about them in passing.
Renza looked up at the new voice, blinking a few times as she took in Margaretta's appearance. Pale skin, red-haired, almost the same height? Gods, they could've been twins in another life. Doppelgangers in this one, apparently. Hopefully that wouldn't feedback loop reputation issues onto each other. If reputation issues arose. Which shouldn't happen because Renza had yet to get caught doing anything untoward. At least by anyone that mattered.
"Margaretta? Pleasure to meet you. I'm Renza," she responded. "Doubt you've heard of me. I'm a 'newfish,' as they say, in comparison to the other denizens here. This ranch though? Been hearing some solid things. Mostly about how you treat your dinos, which is 'well.'"
Glancing towards where Margaretta had come from, she noted that there were other incubators in the other rooms. Mayhaps separating different categories from each other?
"I was rather hoping for something in particular, yes. I don't suppose you have any allosaurus eggs in stock?" From what she'd observed, they weren't the most popular dinos around but she knew from experience they could be intelligent and dependable mounts.
"Margaretta? Pleasure to meet you. I'm Renza," she responded. "Doubt you've heard of me. I'm a 'newfish,' as they say, in comparison to the other denizens here. This ranch though? Been hearing some solid things. Mostly about how you treat your dinos, which is 'well.'"
Glancing towards where Margaretta had come from, she noted that there were other incubators in the other rooms. Mayhaps separating different categories from each other?
"I was rather hoping for something in particular, yes. I don't suppose you have any allosaurus eggs in stock?" From what she'd observed, they weren't the most popular dinos around but she knew from experience they could be intelligent and dependable mounts.
Margaretta nodded as Renza spoke. These were all things she'd heard before, mostly because of Tivi's care and attention, though it was always nice to hear that their reputation was a good one. Her brows raised at the mention of an allosaurus however and she openly stared at this newcomer with some suspicion. "An allo? What do you want with with one of those," she asked pointedly, her arms folding as she leaned against the incubator table.
Honestly this girl might as well have asked for a tyrannosaur egg.
"Unfortunately, I don't have those in stock. They're big and feisty beasts. Very cranky if you get too close to their nest," Margaretta explained, scratching the side of her head as she thought about the possible repercussions of just trying to get one of those on hand. Smaller predators were fine, but those giant ones? Forget it. Unless...
The vampire stood in quiet thought for a moment, heaving a sigh before deciding to speak again. "I might have a way to get it. But it won't be easy. Or cheap," she added bluntly, hoping to deter Renza a bit.
Honestly this girl might as well have asked for a tyrannosaur egg.
"Unfortunately, I don't have those in stock. They're big and feisty beasts. Very cranky if you get too close to their nest," Margaretta explained, scratching the side of her head as she thought about the possible repercussions of just trying to get one of those on hand. Smaller predators were fine, but those giant ones? Forget it. Unless...
The vampire stood in quiet thought for a moment, heaving a sigh before deciding to speak again. "I might have a way to get it. But it won't be easy. Or cheap," she added bluntly, hoping to deter Renza a bit.
Renza raised her eyebrows a little at the question of why she wanted an allo and the look of suspicion. Most people around here knew better than to pry too deeply beyond assessing the needs of the customer, but she supposed that could be all Margaretta was doing.
She also had no reason to lie. "I need a mount," she shrugged. "I used to have one back where I came from, but he was already tamed and rideable. I plan to spend a fair bit of time in the jungle and I need a mount that can take care of itself - and me."
A sigh escaped her lips as she was told allo eggs were not in stock. Not that she was entirely surprised. It was still disappointing though. Although, Margaretta seemed to be thinking the possibility over very carefully. Renza brushed hair a strand of hair from her eyes as she waited patiently for a decision to be made.
This time, she was not disappointed. "I wouldn't have come here asking for something like this without an offer of my own, if it helps. I ran into some allos upon my, uh, entrance to this world, so I know the general direction to go in to potentially find some eggs. I'm willing and able to help with the acquisition of one of these eggs, if that will help mitigate the price."
A T-Rex egg usually went for 2 jade, which was... a lot of money. Utah Raptor eggs were 5 gold. Allos were big but not as big as T-Rex, so... Hopefully they could come to some sort of agreement that was in the middle.
"I'm also willing to get the egg alone, if you're still comfortable incubating and helping to train it once it's acquired."
She also had no reason to lie. "I need a mount," she shrugged. "I used to have one back where I came from, but he was already tamed and rideable. I plan to spend a fair bit of time in the jungle and I need a mount that can take care of itself - and me."
A sigh escaped her lips as she was told allo eggs were not in stock. Not that she was entirely surprised. It was still disappointing though. Although, Margaretta seemed to be thinking the possibility over very carefully. Renza brushed hair a strand of hair from her eyes as she waited patiently for a decision to be made.
This time, she was not disappointed. "I wouldn't have come here asking for something like this without an offer of my own, if it helps. I ran into some allos upon my, uh, entrance to this world, so I know the general direction to go in to potentially find some eggs. I'm willing and able to help with the acquisition of one of these eggs, if that will help mitigate the price."
A T-Rex egg usually went for 2 jade, which was... a lot of money. Utah Raptor eggs were 5 gold. Allos were big but not as big as T-Rex, so... Hopefully they could come to some sort of agreement that was in the middle.
"I'm also willing to get the egg alone, if you're still comfortable incubating and helping to train it once it's acquired."
Margaretta blinked. "A mount, you say?" She cupped her chin with her hand as if deep in thought. That was a possibility. They certainly had herbivorous mounts in the past, but carnivorous? "Well, if you're going to use it as a mount and for protection, I'd suggest you raise it yourself. Most dinosaurs form a strong bond with the first creature it sees. They're like baby birds that way. Otherwise I can't guarantee it'll care enough to protect you from harm," she said with a shrug. "Imagine a giant goose, essentially."
"That said, I do have an idea. I just need someone to be the bait... So if you know where a nest is, I can help. Tonight even, if Tivi's up for a little adventure." She gestured toward the door, referring to the dragon outside. That is, if she hadn't gone home already. Tivi wasn't one to stick around terribly long after the sunset. "If you want to help, I'll knock the price down for you. I can still train it for you if you want, or I can give you some pointers. It's up to you and how much coin you've got."
"That said, I do have an idea. I just need someone to be the bait... So if you know where a nest is, I can help. Tonight even, if Tivi's up for a little adventure." She gestured toward the door, referring to the dragon outside. That is, if she hadn't gone home already. Tivi wasn't one to stick around terribly long after the sunset. "If you want to help, I'll knock the price down for you. I can still train it for you if you want, or I can give you some pointers. It's up to you and how much coin you've got."
"Hmm..." Renza couldn't say she'd ever had a bird pet before. Definitely not a goose of any size. She hadn't considered the idea that they'd bond with the first creature they saw. That might make things a little trickier... but she was still determined to find a way to make this work. There had always been the possibility that she'd have to do all or most of this herself anyway.
"If what you're saying about them bonding with the first creature they see is true - and I have no reason to doubt you - it might be better if I take on most of its upbringing. So, pointers would be appreciated."
As for being willing to go as early as tonight and needing bait, Renza couldn't help an amused grin. "Well, I'm certainly willing to be the bait, if that's what you're getting at. I certainly wouldn't ask you or your compatriot to put yourself in harm's way more than you already would be just going out there."
She supposed that it was a small miracle that her last large-ish purchase attempt didn't go as planned, funds-wise. "I don't want to short-change your efforts, nor your advice. And since it looks like I'll be taking primary care of it, I'll need to save some funds for myself. Does 50 gold sound acceptable for our adventure here tonight?"
"If what you're saying about them bonding with the first creature they see is true - and I have no reason to doubt you - it might be better if I take on most of its upbringing. So, pointers would be appreciated."
As for being willing to go as early as tonight and needing bait, Renza couldn't help an amused grin. "Well, I'm certainly willing to be the bait, if that's what you're getting at. I certainly wouldn't ask you or your compatriot to put yourself in harm's way more than you already would be just going out there."
She supposed that it was a small miracle that her last large-ish purchase attempt didn't go as planned, funds-wise. "I don't want to short-change your efforts, nor your advice. And since it looks like I'll be taking primary care of it, I'll need to save some funds for myself. Does 50 gold sound acceptable for our adventure here tonight?"
"Sure, I can do that," Margaretta agreed, holding her hand out to seal the deal with her new client before continuing. "Tivi is an asset to the business. She helps with more than feeding and incubation. A lot of our capture efforts are a success because of her. We might need her," she explained as she headed toward the entrance of the building, ushering Renza along with her. "For a mission like this, we can never be too careful. Allosaurs are big and toothy, and I'd rather not lose an arm again if I have to." She grinned, giving Renza a quick pat on the shoulder before stepping outside.
"Tivi? You there," the vampire called out, looking to where the hadrosaurs were still eating. Thankfully it looked like the dragon hadn't left yet and she turned her attention to the two standing just outside the entrance. "Yeah? What's up," Tivi asked, dusting off her hands as she approached the duo.
"We've got a mission," Margaretta said with a wide grin. "Soon as Renza here gives us the coin, we're all going to find some Allosaurs."
Tivi's eyes widened as she looked between the two. "A-allosaurus? Well, if you think we can handle that..."
"Sure we can," Margaretta assured them both. "With our skills and a suitable distraction, I think we can nab an egg or two."
"Tivi? You there," the vampire called out, looking to where the hadrosaurs were still eating. Thankfully it looked like the dragon hadn't left yet and she turned her attention to the two standing just outside the entrance. "Yeah? What's up," Tivi asked, dusting off her hands as she approached the duo.
"We've got a mission," Margaretta said with a wide grin. "Soon as Renza here gives us the coin, we're all going to find some Allosaurs."
Tivi's eyes widened as she looked between the two. "A-allosaurus? Well, if you think we can handle that..."
"Sure we can," Margaretta assured them both. "With our skills and a suitable distraction, I think we can nab an egg or two."
Renza was relieved to shake hands with Margaretta, sealing the deal for 50 gold. She'd half-expected a haggle for more than that - not that 50 was cheap by any standards - but this way she wouldn't be breaking the bank either. Best not to look a gift dinosaur in the mouth, she thought to herself.
"If she's that good, then I'm all for having Tivi with us. She sounds indispensable." Renza didn't know what to make of the 'lose an arm again' statement, but clearly that hadn't been a permanent issue. How interesting!
Following the pale woman outside, Renza looked around for the source of Tivi's voice, surprised she'd missed the dragon on her way in. She'd been pretty thoroughly surrounded by hadrosaurs, to be fair. If she was being honest, Renza had never seen a dragon like Tivi before, but that was the beauty of this place, she guessed.
Renza started fishing out the aforementioned coin as the other two talked. Margaretta sure was confident. Tivi seemed a little less so, but Renza didn't blame her. They were about to do something dangerous, and not everyone had a thrill-seeking issue like Renza did.
"Tivi, pleasure to meet you. I'm Renza, and I believe I'll be your bait tonight." Holding out a pretty stuffed pouch of gold, Renza looked between the two, wondering who would be the one to take it. "I'll be getting us close to where we need to go. You two just tell me what else you need me to do and I'll do it. I'm ready to go when you are."
"If she's that good, then I'm all for having Tivi with us. She sounds indispensable." Renza didn't know what to make of the 'lose an arm again' statement, but clearly that hadn't been a permanent issue. How interesting!
Following the pale woman outside, Renza looked around for the source of Tivi's voice, surprised she'd missed the dragon on her way in. She'd been pretty thoroughly surrounded by hadrosaurs, to be fair. If she was being honest, Renza had never seen a dragon like Tivi before, but that was the beauty of this place, she guessed.
Renza started fishing out the aforementioned coin as the other two talked. Margaretta sure was confident. Tivi seemed a little less so, but Renza didn't blame her. They were about to do something dangerous, and not everyone had a thrill-seeking issue like Renza did.
"Tivi, pleasure to meet you. I'm Renza, and I believe I'll be your bait tonight." Holding out a pretty stuffed pouch of gold, Renza looked between the two, wondering who would be the one to take it. "I'll be getting us close to where we need to go. You two just tell me what else you need me to do and I'll do it. I'm ready to go when you are."
Tivi was the one who took the bag of coins, opening it and giving it a quick inspection before closing it again. "Fifty gold! Nice," she offered before moving toward the building, leaving the other two to their own devices for a moment. Margaretta smirked. "She's my treasurer. Very good with money as well as dinosaurs."
"So, what's the plan then," Tivi asked once she'd returned, having left the bag of coins somewhere behind. "You do have a plan, yes?"
"Of course I have a plan," Margareta scoffed. "Like Renza said, she's the bait. I'll grab the eggs. You can be backup if things get hairy, yeah?"
The dragon grumbled a little, though didn't seem inconvenienced enough to say anything further on the matter.
"Excellent," Margaretta said without taking notice. "Then let's get going! You're free to lead the way, Renza. Tivi and I will be right behind you. No gear necessary for this run. Just good old hands and feet."
"So, what's the plan then," Tivi asked once she'd returned, having left the bag of coins somewhere behind. "You do have a plan, yes?"
"Of course I have a plan," Margareta scoffed. "Like Renza said, she's the bait. I'll grab the eggs. You can be backup if things get hairy, yeah?"
The dragon grumbled a little, though didn't seem inconvenienced enough to say anything further on the matter.
"Excellent," Margaretta said without taking notice. "Then let's get going! You're free to lead the way, Renza. Tivi and I will be right behind you. No gear necessary for this run. Just good old hands and feet."
Renza nodded as Margaretta explained that Tivi was their treasurer. How... thematically appropriate! As Tivi came back out and asked about the plan, Renza made sure she was paying close attention. Not that.. not that there was apparently much to said plan. She tried to keep her expression from looking too skeptical.
I sure hope there's more to the plan than that, she thought to herself, but maybe there'd be a fuller plan once they got closer and scoped things out. Tivi seemed to be of a similar mind, so at least Renza wasn't alone.
Still, not to be deterred, Margaretta said they were good to go, so Renza took the lead. "It's a little bit of a distance so let me know if we need to slow down or take any breaks." She'd been closer to the Thunder Meadow than town, after all. It was going to take them at least an hour, hour and a half on game trails to get close to where she'd seen the adult allosauruses and then some time to find them again. Or rather, find where they'd have made their nest.
With the sun down, it was cooling down, but cool in the jungle still meant it was warm enough and humid to boot. Large bugs flitted about overhead and around them. A little fire was occasionally required to dissuade the mosquitos, but otherwise, Renza tried to lead the other two with as little disruption to the area around them as possible. At one point, Renza swore she heard the growl of a jaguar in the trees and they all walked around staring up for a good several minutes. A little while later, large footsteps were heard and they all had to hide as something big moved around nearby. Carnotaurus, but the brief glimpses Renza could get of it. Also worth noting for the bounty looking to capture a live one of a certain age and size... but that was for another time.
At last though, the reached the landmarks that Renza remembered from her initial run through the jungle. "They should be somewhere around here. I think I see some tracks over there. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for danger." With that warning, Renza stealthily tread towards where a large swath of undergrowth had been trampled. New growth was already coming through but hopefully the tracks would still be visible enough to follow, whoever happened to find them first.
I sure hope there's more to the plan than that, she thought to herself, but maybe there'd be a fuller plan once they got closer and scoped things out. Tivi seemed to be of a similar mind, so at least Renza wasn't alone.
Still, not to be deterred, Margaretta said they were good to go, so Renza took the lead. "It's a little bit of a distance so let me know if we need to slow down or take any breaks." She'd been closer to the Thunder Meadow than town, after all. It was going to take them at least an hour, hour and a half on game trails to get close to where she'd seen the adult allosauruses and then some time to find them again. Or rather, find where they'd have made their nest.
With the sun down, it was cooling down, but cool in the jungle still meant it was warm enough and humid to boot. Large bugs flitted about overhead and around them. A little fire was occasionally required to dissuade the mosquitos, but otherwise, Renza tried to lead the other two with as little disruption to the area around them as possible. At one point, Renza swore she heard the growl of a jaguar in the trees and they all walked around staring up for a good several minutes. A little while later, large footsteps were heard and they all had to hide as something big moved around nearby. Carnotaurus, but the brief glimpses Renza could get of it. Also worth noting for the bounty looking to capture a live one of a certain age and size... but that was for another time.
At last though, the reached the landmarks that Renza remembered from her initial run through the jungle. "They should be somewhere around here. I think I see some tracks over there. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for danger." With that warning, Renza stealthily tread towards where a large swath of undergrowth had been trampled. New growth was already coming through but hopefully the tracks would still be visible enough to follow, whoever happened to find them first.
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