Be a Man (Darren)

[Growl]

70 Spring, 511 AV There was a knock at the door. Three gentle ones, little more than a tap. Silfer smiled as he pressed his hands into the back of his latest customer, and the woman's flesh melted into his hands. "Come in," he called, through the thin sheet of smoke that hung in the air from the candles that sat in clusters in every corner of the room. They were all white candles, with flickering orange flames that only added a little heat. They smelled faintly of vanilla and sandalwood. They stood at varying heights, some clearly towering above the others. "Make yourself comfortable," Silfer said to his son, as soon as Darren had made his way through the door. Silfer had begun to move his hands in small circles at the center of the woman's back. Her shirt had been lifted up so that he may work, and her long black hair with the occasional purple streak had been tied back in a bun so it wouldn't get in the way. Her eyes was closed and there was a wide grin upon her pale lips. "That feels good Silfer," she murmured as he lifted the ends of her shirt back down, to cover her back. "Glad you enjoyed it," he said simply with a smile, allowing the woman to take another moment to relax. It was all she needed before she sat herself up. "You're all paid up, so whenever you're ready," he gently prodded with a glance towards the door. She nodded slightly, before walking out. When she was gone, and her footsteps had faded away down the hall, Silfer turned to his son. "It's good to see you Darren." There was a slight pause, "it's not often that we see each other these days. Was there a reason for your visit?"

[Darren]

Darren stumbled inside the room nervously, taking much care to not make any extra noise before taking a place in front of his father. Looking around unsure about the ominous yet familiar surroundings, Darren took a quick minute getting used to the room before he nodded back in response. There's is a reason for that he thought quietly to himself before speaking. "Hello, ...Sifler. I'm here to inform you on some interesting news. Interesting in the sense that most people would not take this course of action and that it is rather sudden, some might say swept off ones feet or even spirited away. Of course not literally since I'm telling you myself, asking even. Now I know I should do this by myself but I know that I-" Darren stammered on, his words becoming more panicked and worried with each statement given. Finally taking a deep breathe he summarized why he came to visit in the first place. "Dad I'm leaving Avanthal and I need your help. I know you have a horse and the related equipment that is needed for a prolong trip. I was just wondering if I can borrow them for a small time while I go along the country with the new Konti that recently joined Avanthal. She asked me of all people to take her away Sifler and I can't turn her down" he said in a huff. He knew that his reasoning wasn't the most convincing points ever constructed but he had to try nonetheless. "Think about it, I'll learn all sorts of new things outside of Avanthal. Meet the people outside Taldera. Explore. Make a name for myself. Perhaps even get married..." he stopped at that as he shook his head trying to dispel the thought as quickly as it came. "I have to do this." Darren stated looked straight into the other man before him now. "There isn't anything else for me to learn in this fair city. Your teachings, your trails, even in real life events I was able to make use of what I learned from you." He paused trying to decide if he was to press the point or let Sifler make a decision. "I want more of my life then this... Give me any task and I'll be able to complete it as you asked. I'm more then ready to go out and make decisions for myself..." Darren then glanced down respectfully, still showing his father great respect and reverence even though he was acting out of character. oocSorry I took a bit for this

[Growl]

Silfer stared at his son in silence for a long time, considering his words. He raised his right hand to his chin, and began rubbing it between his fingers, deep in thought. Yes, it is about time Darren learns to act his age. To be a man. It is about time he learns some responsibility. But how to get someone as immature as my own son to do something like that... Finally, he dropped his hand to his side, and walked over to his son. He placed each of his hands on Darren's shoulders, and shook him a little. He was staring deeply into his son's eyes when he began speaking. "First of all Darren, you need to stop calling me Silfer, I am your father. You should remember to refer to me as such, it is far more polite." There was another long pause as Silfer took in a deep breath, preparing himself mentally for what he was about to ask his son to do for him. "Now, as for the horse, perhaps some day it will be yours, when you learn to respect it. When you learn how to ride, and treat it with care." There was a slight pause, "now as for this task you requested..." Silfer's voice trailed off as she took his hands off his son's shoulders, and let them fall to his sides. "Your father is getting old son, pretty soon, he will need someone to look after him, or something. It is spring now, all the new animals are being born. One may buy one in the menagerie, although they can be quite costly there, although they are good animals." There was a pause, "your father needs a companion Darren, and that is what you shall bring me, if you want the horse, you must bring me a companion to replace it." There was another short pause, "you will go into the wilderness and you will find a family of wolves. Bring me one of the pups to raise, and you may have the horse, if you can prove to me that you can take care of it. That it deems you a worthy rider." There was a long silence before Silfer slapped his son's shoulder affectionately with his right hand, "can you do that for your old man son?" Silfer asked. OOCIt's ok.

[Darren]

What his father just completely took him off balance. What did he just say? Darren found himself struggling to suddenly laugh at his father. He wouldn't have guessed that his old man was getting feeling like a lonely outcast of all things. He was barely able to form a sentence, much less a intelligent reply to Sifler's demand, "What?" he managed to choke out as he tried to get his composure back to normal. The trial was almost perfect to him...but the way he said it was so awkward to Darren. "Erm...Dad? Are things okay with Mom?" he stammered out, finally able to string words together. He tried his best to find a respectable medium for his father but this might have been too much. An image of his father being related to a lonely cat lady was constantly bombarding his thoughts, sending out feelings of humor through his system. Finally it was just too much for him to bear. Darren laughed loudly, his chest convulsing with a rare type of sound that made it hard for him to breathe. "Hahahaha..." he paused and the image of his father surrounded by cats was suddenly in view. "HAHAHAHA!" he laughed even harder this time, a tear forming on his cheek. "Hah... Haha...hah...Alright Daddy. Any directions to where I can find and track these things or will I just go all gunto and hope to get lucky?" he asked, putting stress on Sifler's request to call him father. Last time he had such an encounter with a pack of wolves he had an old mentor help him out, he was a bit worried about the task but sure of himself all in all. I'll just have to be smart about this he thought, trying to think of a guileful way to complete his task.

[Growl]

"Of course son, why wouldn't everything be fine?" Silfer asked, as he raised his right brow. His son was laughing uncontrollably, making a complete and utter fool out of himself all over again. Silfer's brow took on the shape of a triangle without a base, as he shook his head lightly. When will Darren learn? Silfer wondered as he stared intently at his son. There is a time and place for everything, and this is neither the time, nor the place to laugh at nothing, as though he were a fool. "Are you alright son?" Silfer asked, as he watched the edges of Darren's face turn red. "Is there something you want to share? Or would you rather take a moment to compose yourself before you move along to your task?" Silfer inquired, a strangely icy edge to his voice.

[Darren]

Darren looked at Sifler with a witty look before waving off the thought. "No. No. It's nothing, just a bit surprised by your the way you said your request is all. Nothing more." he explained waving his hand in a dismissive fashion. He mentally rolled his eyes at the tone his father used. Of course he was going to laugh at him when he worded the trial like so. Darren always expected a measure of professionalism from him, Perhaps he's having one of those mid-life crisis things? Either that or he hasn't been close to mom recently he reasoned. "In anycase let's focus, shall we? If I do this task that's it then? Your not gonna bother with anymore convoluted ways to run me ragged?" he asked. Darren knew they had a love-loathe relationship usually always centered around his addiction to power or whatever it was he wanted. Darren didn't mind but it is always taxing to grow up with that same man pushing his ideals on you. "If so where do I begin?"

[Growl]

Silfer simply smiled one of his more mysterious smiles. He seemed thoroughly amused by his son's questioning, his inability to reason. His lack of knowledge on how to do things on his own. He will never grow, this one, Silfer told himself as he replied with, "no, as I said, if you bring me a wolf pup to raise as my own, you may have the horse." And slightly more respect. Perhaps then you will have earned it. "This will be a great opportunity for you to learn, and to grow Darren. It would not be fair if you received any help from your old man. This is your time to prove yourself, to demonstrate your level of maturity..." or lack thereof. After he had finished speaking, Silfer walked over to his son, and pushed him out the door. "Good luck Darren," he called, after he had walked through the frame. A second later, Silfer had gone back inside, and closed the door to his work room behind him. May Morwen protect him, Silfer thought, as he waited for his next customer to come by for their massage. OOCSorry for the short post. Things will get better after all the set-up type stuff.

[Darren]

"Hmm? Oh...okay then." he said in an aside as he was led out of the door. Darren felt a bit annoyed by the random task with no directions but nonetheless accepted it philosopically. "One day I might end up looking like one weird individual doing such odd jobs unquestionably" he said to no one in particular as he exited the hold. He already had an idea where to go to start such a task, The Menagerie. Not too far away was the beast market, but he still had to keep a decent pace if he wanted the task completed by the end of the day or the week for that matter. Taking long jogging strides, he made decent time to his destination, with a enthusiastic sprint as soon as the market was in sight. Taking a moment to catch his breath before doing any actual investigative work or information gathering he looked around as he noted the familiar sights of the market. He smiled as he realized that the trip from the hold to the market took him only a short time, not even the better part of 20 chimes and he's still ready for his task. It seems that taking a steady pace should be preferred if one is making a long trek he thought, trying to store off the mental note regarding travel. "Alright there's some work to be done" he said trying to rouse himself. He knew the right place for information regarding wolves and now he just had to find the right person to talk to, that of course was Farren. Trying to make himself look inconspicous he went along the U shaped community, he walked alongside the usual animal sounds the place had to offer. Looking like a disinterested customer as he weaved in and out of the stores occasionally taking a closer look at the familiar animals he remembered. He offered a friendly hello to Daluna and Reikanni as he normally did before he went of to a different part of the store, entering a different store then usual. Entering Farren's store for what seemed to be the first time he offered a slight head nod as he saw the man come to view. "Hey Darren it's me, Farren" Darren joked, giving a quick notice to the similarity of both og their names as he gave a quick smile at the man. "Anyways all kidding aside....I got a few inquiries about the wild animals in the area and was wondering if you can help me out" Darren explained as he walked closer to the fire in the center of the room. He looked intently at the fire, warming himself as he awaited Farren's response. oocFarren's an npc in the linkmap if you didn't know.

[Growl]

Farren had been sitting towards the back of his shop, in a small wooden chair that was set in front of a small table he often used for business. He did not rise when he heard someone come in. Instead, he chose to wait for them to come to him, assuming they had any questions or concerns. Which, was a good portion of the time. His hands were folded in his lap, as he sat in silence; waiting. He was not kept like this for long, considering the fact that Darren made his way over to the table rather quickly. "What sort of inquiries?" Farren asked, as he lifted his right hand to his chin, and began to rub it thoughtfully between his fingertips. His eyes glanced up and down Darren's body, trying to figure the boy out. He seems somewhat... flustered, Farren thought to himself, as he waited for a reply. OOCAgain, sorry for the super short post. I don't really know what else Farren would say though, considering he is somewhat quiet and more to the point. And you haven't exactly asked anything yet.

[Darren]

Darren's eyes waxed over as the man started to rub his chin "thoughtfully." For some reason he always finded that he disliked that motion to a fault. It was just a behavior people do, it's soothing and can help one relax but for some reason he just didn't like it at all. That was probably the reason Darren tried to not have facial hair, that and facial hair were a known hot spot for dirt and bacteria to populate. Ugh... he cringed slightly at the motion, easily mistaken for shivering at the cold. "Yea I was wondering if you can tell me about the wolves in the area" he said without skipping a beat. He put his right hand behind him to rub the back of his neck, trying to relax himself before he continued. "I'm planning on moving pretty soon actually, possibly today or even tomorow even." He explained, going slowly to make sure he didn't miss anything important. "So I made a deal with my dad. He said he'll help me out with the supplies and whatnot but first I have to do something in return. Finding his a new companion, a baby wolf that he can raise." he said, his tone suggesting he found the reasoning behind the task somewhat odd still. "Yea I know weird. You'd think he's trying to raise a new kid or something." he said giving a short chuckle. One that's probably better raised also he thought to himself with a smile. "Either way, the questions were... "Where can I find a baby wolf?" and "Can you offer any advice or help?""