Hard, But Good Work

    The Peko Farm has opened back up to the public once more. Picking up the pieces after the war, which means there is things to be done!

While probably those who watched over it have done their job, Xander isn't just satisified to leave things alone. Oh no! The Salamander has to put in his personal touch in helping clean up the place. After all, this /is/ Rylen's place and well-- reasons.

We leave it to reasons.

So, anyone walking by may get a friendly wave from the dark scaled Salamander, as he goes back to pulling some of the weeds out from the main dirt path.

Yeowang has heard that the Peko ranch is open again, and, so she will visit for the first time since she's been on the game. She's avoided the pekos for the most part during her two years in the game, for multiple reasons of her own, but perhaps with the ouster of the Palace Landers, she needs to get a bit of a grip before things proceed.

This has brought her to the Peko ranch, where she calls out, "Hello," in a loud, clear voice from the entrance, and then will proceed in to try and find someone. Spotting Xander doing some clearing up, she calls, "Hello," again in a more normal tone, and says, "I am Yeowang with NWA." She takes a look around, and asks, "It doesn't look like the Palace Landers did you too badly here?"

    "Not from my knowledge, no, they didn't." Xander says as his draconic eyes look at Yeowang. "Also welcome to the ranch. Sadly, the one who would have the logistics on how well the ranch held up or didn't would be Rylen, but he is currently occupied at the moment."

He then places the weeds into one hand, which they ignite into flames, before he crushes the fire out with his hand closing around it, then tossing the ashes to the side for fertalizer for the grass. "Anything I can help you with--" He does a head tilt as he inspects her, "Yee-ou-wang is it? Is that how you pronounce your name?"

Yeowang nods at the Palace Landers not doing too much here, and agrees, "It looks more like a place that's been buttoned up for a few months than had any bad things done to it." She looks around, over to Uta's section, then back to Xander. She corrects Xanders pronunciation a bit, it sounds a bit more like "Yow-wang," when she says it, but it's clipped, like she's almost trying to cram it all into one syllable, or at least as short a sound as possible.

"I'm Uta's partner in some of her financial ventures," she explains, "but I never really considered the rest of the Ranch when I came to speak with her before. I apologize for that oversight. "I see you're only starting in getting things set back up," she says hesitantly, "and I have no idea when you will get totally back to operations." She leaves that dangling, for the moment, then shrugs and continues, "I know little about the animals in this game, and I believe you train people in their care and use? You said Rylen handles the logistics. If you need a loan, let him know the Ninetails Bank may be able to assist him. But it doesn't look like you need anything financial?"

    "I am sure he is financially fine, really." Xander says with a gentle smile. "He has an outstanding relationship with the Peko army, so I believe most of his backing comes from them." He shifts his weight a little, "And yes-- people can have their tames rest here. I actually have one of my own here as well, but I tend to not let him out to often... He is a bit hard to control at times."

He hrms at that, "More-- it requires a good deal of focus when I am not riding him, but when I am using him as a mount, it is far easier." Then shrugs softly. "Monster handling issues."

"Would you like to see a Peko then by chance?" Xander asks as his scaled draconic tail behind him flicks slightly.

Yeowang nods about being financially fine. She had figured, but thought it courteous to ask. She arches a brow curiously at the mention of the Peko Army, and says, "That's a strong backing." She nods again as the purpose of the ranch is explained, and ohs at Monster Handling Issues. She seems curious, and asks, "So, you yourself ride a Peko? Or an actual monster? We encountered several in the Palace Lands that seemed quite fierce, and one unique one in the mountains in the south-central area, the like of which I've never seen in Yamato."

She nods slowly at wanting to see the pekos. "I've never done so, up close, apart from once in a race, and I'm sorry to say I was thinking more about the race than the riding. I did not do well," she declares, and her tone says she is not pleased to have to admit that, "but I do not know what must be learned for riding. My skills are more suited to people."

    Xander smiles a bit more, "Yeah, Rylen has some friends in big places." He then ahems gently, "But as for my own mount, it is actually a rare creature. Like a tiger and a drake fused together." The Salamander explains.

"Very powerful creature, very strong willed as well, but he does well to ride in on during battle." He says with a nod of his head. "As for the Pekos, well, you seen them in the race then you know of them. They are actually rather neat, but I never got into them, even in the old days."

Xander rubs the back of his neck. "I always liked to stand out above the crowd back then. Now-- It seems I try to fit in or... try to be forgotten some days." The Salamander then looks her over, "You know, if you /did/ want riding lessons, I could put in a word to Rylen for you. Maybe he could show you a thing or two."

Gwen is having to check up on her herb farm now that things are settling down with the whole Palace Lands in Yamato, at the very least. However she's gtot other things to worry about, and she's got a Salamander to check up on. A certain child PKer, no she'll never let him live it down.

"Hey Xander! Are you behaving now?!"

The towering black armored woman waves to Yeowang.

"Hey!! I jsut came ot talk some business!"

Yeowang listens, impressed, as Xander describes his mount, and Rylen's allies. "Very impressive," she says, probably meaning both things. "It sounds like your training affords you many options in a fight," she agrees. "I was quite awkward in the race," she admits, and at the offer to teach her, she hesitates, but then says, "I think that would add too much to my already complicated life. If there was ... something simpler. But my duties with NWA and with everything going on, I do not think I have the attention to spare." She would like to, by her tone. "I wish I could," she admits. "Tactically and logistically, it is absolutely a force multiplier. But I am too used to being on my feet, I would need another ten years to learn to ride correctly in a fight."

She looks over as Gwen arrives and smiles in reply. "Good day, Gwen," she says. "If you have business, I can leave you two to speak privately?"

    "I am always behaving." Xander retorts back to Gwen as he looks over toward her as she approaches. "If I wasn't, Rylen would have me hanging upside down from a tree."

He looks to Yeowang, "Nah, Gwen is a regular. Its all good." He says with a smile still and then he rubs his chin studying Yeowang a bit more. "And you really should /just/ try. It can't hurt to take a lesson or two, you know. Do something for /you/, instead of others and like-- you never know when it could home in handy!"

Gwen says "Eh It's not anything private. Wanted to talk about some draft Pecos for a possible farm expansion on my herb farm." She grins widly and bouces in place a little bit. "I can get how that is, I miss my quad some times. Nothing quite like going hunting in that. Good, and if he didn't I would. Even knowing some basics things could help a lot you know. I really need to properly learn myself but my magical studdies keep calling me now..."

Yeowang nods to Xander about not rushing off. "Very well, thank you," she says. But as to the Peko riding, she nods again after a moment, and says, "If you can give me some passing familiarity, I may find it useful," she agrees. "If not true riding expertise, a bit of familiarization will probably at least serve some usefulness." As far as something for her, she looks perplexed. "/Everything/ I do is for me," she explains with a wry expression. "I try to benefit others at the same time, but that is a courtesy rather than an end goal." Though it's only partly true; she does occasionally do things to help others with no benefit to herself. But in the main, she does things for her own benefit. She was taught that at a young age.

She ahhhs as Gwen mentions her herb farm and the draft pekos. As to knowing the basics, she nods at the utility, smirking as Gwen's excuse of magical studies sounds very close to her own excuse of higher priority training.

    "Well, as I said, Rylen will be the man to ask." Xander says to them both. "On riding and regarding the draft pekos." He crosses his arms over his chest. "I am just the sometimes helper boyfriend, who also isn't around as much as he should be, because we were both busy with the war."

He then lowers his arms. "And in essence, still am." His voice takes a more serious tone, before he tries to smile once more. "But that isn't why we are here! Now is it!"

Gwen says "Most people are in it for themselves and just don't admit it. It's a sign of good character of wanting to drag others up a rung or two with you." She grins. She watches with intrest as Yeowang would work away and things seem to be going good so far. "I'll do that and I guess just hang out for a little then as I'm already here maybe I could cook up something for you two as well mmm?"

Yeowang is now a bit puzzled by Xander deferring to the absent Rylen for the offered peko briefing. "I understand Rylen is the one to see about formal riding lessons, but I had thought you had meant you could conduct a familiarization ride?" she asks Xander. "I am willing to try that, and have time now, if that's convenient. If not, I will return when I can, but as you know, schedules are complicated to synch up."

Gwen gets a puzzled look as well, but at the offer of cooking, she admits, "That sounds wonderful, if Xander has the space and facilities to cook?" She looks back to the Salamander.

    Xander hrms a little in thought, "I mean, I could." He says softly before giving a shrug. "Why the hell not." He then looks over to Gwen. "You know where you can cook, so feel free."

He then hops over the railing to the ranch before he goes to walk over to one of the stables. He reaches in, giving the peko a gentle touch of the head, before leading the bird out from where it was.

"You ever ridden a horse in real life?" He asks Yeowang looking at her. "They are kinda like riding a horse. They can sense your movements and were you lead. The key too, is to kinda get in sync, you know? To trust them, as much as they trust you."

Yeowang watches Xander head off into the stable and return with the peko. She shakes her head about having ridden a horse. "A few of my classmates did," she admits. "I never even learned to ride a bike, though. I've ridden on the back of a friends's bike, is the closest I've come to that." And she rode sidesaddle then, so it's probably not even a good starting off point. But she /did/ race in a peko race, as she'd mentioned previously. She just had no idea what she was doing.

So now, with a small idea of what to do, she will reach out to pet the peko, in case they're like dogs and like a bit of reassuring physical contact, and then she will clamber aboard the saddle as she did at the race. "Where I lead?" she wonders. "In sync?" The sync is almost never going to happen, she has zero trust in the animal, and rides stiffly at best. Still, it's a fairly docile animal that was chosen, and with a bit of coaching, she can ride it in a small circle. "This isn't too bad," she admits.

    Xander focuses on making sure she can get up alright. "For now, I'll lead, you just ride." Which he did, keeping hold of the reigns as he walked the Peko around with Yeowang on it.

Eventually he would give her the reigns so she could then try to lead herself while on the back of the bird. "You need to relax, your to stiff. They can sense that. If you are uptight, they are uptight. Just breath and calm."

He would eventually take back the lead and then help Yeowang get down, "You'll get the hang of it, if you keep practicing. If you so choose too." He says with a warm smile, then goes to put the Peko back up.

Gwen says "Well then I'll have to see what ya'll have then won't I?" She seems in good spirit for a moment as she looks to Yeowang and stares. "Wow that's kinda a basic thing, of when you don't want to walk, right? I should get to cooking for everyone. So I'll see you all in a bit!"