Barnyard Blast v2 Wip 3

You thought I was dead. But it was me. DIO!

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“Hi Lord Yerren! Hi Miss G.!” Mindy said loudly. Ragger giving a wave as the Lord looked up at Ophelia, the servant, and Lord’s eyes both widening at her. Ophelia gave them a patented angelic grin, though her tail was visibly agitated behind her as her ears twitched too.

“Greetings Lord Yerren, I am Ophelia Belise, Heiress to the Belise Merchanary Company. My Father, Antelus Belise, has many important matters to attend to, so he could not visit. But you can rest assured I will take care of things properly.” Ophelia was all smiles as the young Lord gulped. Doing his damnedest to look at her face rather than her chest or her feet. (Finally I will be free of this little bug. I do feel pity for her story, but she hasn’t stopped talking once! How do people like Doblins so much if they never cease blabbing everyone’s ears off? Hmm… The young Lord doesn’t seem to have any proper etiquette. Is there a village custom I am missing? Father seemed pretty irritated when it came to this tiny town, though his anger was at the previous Lord. Still if he’s the son, he should be able to deal with some of his father’s problems. He must be inept…)

“Ah yes! Sorry, I’m Devon Yerrin. The um, the Lord of Dairfall!” The young man looked like he was half trying to convince Ophelia and half convincing himself. Mindy gave two thumbs up as Ragger could possibly sense Ophelia’s irritation.

“Lord, you gotta welcome her in. Miss G, ya gotta help ‘im out here.” Ragger said roughly. Ophelia’s ears twitched. Her smile of irritation had bloomed into a full grin of ‘These people are all stupid!’.

“Ohohoho! It’s all right. I can forgive some leniency in manners. After all, we are here to make a wonderous new contract! Such an occasion warrants some breaking of formalities, does it not?” Ophelia smiled broadly at Lord Yerren and ‘Miss G.,’ but anybody who had ever dealt with horses could see her tail and ears practically shouting her annoyance. The middle-aged maid took the initiative before Ophelia could hit her breaking point and throw the contract on the ground and leave!

“Of course! Forgive is Miss Belise! Please come inside. I will prepare a room and snacks. Come, Devon, welcome your guest.” Miss G. said as the young Lord looked like a nervous wreck and welcomed Ophelia inside. (He looks just like Kayle… pathetic… did no one teach these boys to have a spine?) Ophelia bit the biting remarks in her head as she slowly walked up the small hill to the Fanciful, even if small, Estate. That is, till she realized something and tilted her head.

 “Forgive me, Lord Yerren. Is the flooring grounded, enchanted or holding capable?” Ophelia asked. Lord Yerren looked completely at a loss for what to say as Miss G. quickly came to the rescue.

 “Oh, dear. No, the Estate’s flooring isn’t enchanted, but it is made of fine quality wood and there is no basement Miss Belise!”

 “Th-thank you Glenda.” Lord Yerren gave a quick thanks to her. (I see… He relies on her like a Mother. Haaa, Father why must you always give me the headache-inducing contracts!)

 “That is wonderful. It would sour the mood quite a bit were I to crack the floors upon entering your home.” Ophelia said. Though it would be shameful on her part, it would also show an extreme lack of forethought and planning on the host’s part too.

“That would be terrible! I mean- of course. We will do our best to show someone of your status a… good welcome?” Lord Yerren kept looking to Miss G. for affirmation his words were passable. Ophelia nearly sighed audibly before her second stomach growled again, a bit louder than before. Her face reddened for a moment as her fluffy ears twitched before she composed herself. As if sensing this would be the most irritating moment to speak up. Mindy gave an excited shout from behind them.

 “Miss G! She’s real big and hungry! Make sure she gets lots of snacks okay! Her beautiful tummy was grumbling the whole way here!” Mindy said, all smiles as Ophelia turned her head 180, a look of pure horror and shame on her face for a moment as she’d just been called out in perhaps the most humiliating way she’d ever experienced. Even after turning back, her face twitched at the blatant disrespect as her tail swished left and right. (Did… did this little vermin just-!? The nerve! The nerve! This whole town can rot for all I care! To talk about me like that!?)

“Oi, c’mon honey, that’s rude. We’ll be leavin’ now. Sorry, Miss Belise. Mindy’s just a big sweetie.” Ragger scooped up his small curvy wife and carried her away, trying to hide a grin on his face as Mindy was all smiles. Ophelia nearly wanted to scream before she bit her tongue. Flustered, hungry, and feeling her temper starting to get the better of her. The whole ‘Centaurs have four moods, skittish, excitable, proud, and angry’ stereotype playing true as Ophelia’s temper bubbled and boiled. Ophelia fought to control her temper as Miss G hastily did damage control.

“Do forgive us. It is a very small and close town where everyone is quite- a bit too comfortable with each other, really. What would you like for lunch?” Miss G. asked as Ophelia followed Lord Yerren to the doorway. Ophelia was worried the raised porch would crack when she stepped onto it, but despite her misgivings, it held firm. Though it did creak a bit when she got both front legs on it. Ophelia looked down and hastily spread her legs more as Lord Yerren and Miss G. both looked ready to panic. The porch began to bend as Ophelia stepped fully onto it, but she quickly stepped inside, and the inner flooring held her perfectly.

“Perhaps I should leave through a different means.” She said out loud, realizing the porch may not survive her weight again.

 “Y-yes. Now um… let me show you to my Father’s- I mean the meeting room. Please forgive me for the height. The town doesn’t have many higher than human height!” Lord Yerren panicked a bit as Ophelia was visibly squished down to enter the fanciful home. The ceiling of the entrance was seven feet tall, comfortable for most of the races of the town, But Ophelia stood a little over nine feet tall and was hunching both her legs and waist uncomfortably to fit in. Each heavy thud of her hooves in the home only made her more irritated and uncomfortable until finally the ceiling opened up and Ophelia could relax and stand up tall once more.

 “Miss Belise, we have many different things I can cook up for Lunch. Do you have any preferences? I do not know if Centaurs have any-“ Miss G. began.

“It is no matter. We aren’t horses. Anything you make will be fine.” Ophelia snapped before looking at Miss G. again and correcting her behavior despite her temper. “Please, whatever you usually make for lunch will do just fine.”

“Of course. Devon dear, one to ten, how hungry are you?” Miss G. said, though she knew her young master was far too nervous to eat. Instead, it was code. ‘How much should I make for our titanic guest?’

“A ten. Thank you, Glenda.” Code for ‘Throw the whole kitchen at her.’ Lord Yerren pulled out a seat before nearly smacking himself at the stupidity as Ophelia stared at him.

 “Do not worry. I am perfectly satisfied with lying down. Do you have spare blankets?” Centaurs usually had large bedding to sleep on rather than the traditional beds humanoids enjoyed; she could lay on the floor just fine, though her pride absolutely forbid it unless they were in danger or some other occurrence.

“Ah yes! One second I will fetch them. Do you wish to take off your saddle and weapon? I can-“ Ophelia bristled a bit.

 “It is not a saddle. It is a Caparison made by Dwarven and Cyclops blacksmiths for me, and I require it for the two carriers on my lower back.” Ophelia said coldly as Lord Yerren almost shouted out an apology.

“Of course! Forgive me I meant no disrespect! It is quite lovely! I am just used to the farmers of the town. The most the horses usually have is saddles and sheet skirts.” Lord Yerren hastily grabbed two blankets from the storage closet and carefully placed them on top of each other in front of his table. Ophelia’s gorgeous green eyes bored into him as she sighed quietly and very carefully lowered herself onto the blankets, folding her front legs in and to the side as she rested her horse half sideways. Turning her human half to the side to talk to Lord Yerren properly, Ophelia reached around and grabbed the attached Satchel on her left flank. (Haaa, I don’t care anymore! These people have been rude and irritating and have no idea how to treat someone of my status. Even if he isn’t his Father, he can take the damned contract Father gave me first.)

“Here, the Belise Company contract. Please sign here and I will be on my way.” Ophelia said, a noticeable drop in her hospitality compared to before. The young lord tried not to panic as he looked at the definitely angry Centauress and the large red and brown scroll she held in her hand.

(Shit shit, what would father do? What would brother!? I sent a letter to the Belise as my father so they would send us help and people, but they sent the Heiress instead of some employee, and we have no idea how to welcome a company Heir. Would she be like a princess? Isn’t she actually much more important than I am even though I’m a Lord? Glenda, please come back already!) Lord Yerren fought the urge to throw up rising in the back of his throat as he swallowed his nerves and carefully grabbed the contract. Once she’d gotten rid of it, Ophelia huffed quietly but audibly and began to look around the room. Her temper had won over, and she no longer cared, even if her Father would be furious at her for behaving in such a way. If these people showed no respect, why should she! She scanned the various portraits in the room, seeing a young man and his son in in a few.

(That must be the late Lord and this child. He is younger than I expected…) Ophelia took in every detail, from the well-furnished but old corner to the paintings atop it as she kept scanning. Her ears were fully alert as, despite her irritation, her curiosity easily distracted her.

“I… What is ‘ceded property rights after ten years of service’?” The young lord asked. Ophelia’s irritation appeared once again as she cocked her head at the Lord and the Contract her Father had made.  (You don’t even know that? How much of an idiot can a Lord be? Does your servant do everything for you? And… that is an odd thing for Father to put in… I hadn’t actually checked the contract before I gave it to him. Hmph, as if I care what happens to this town.)

“It means after ten years, we would own whatever the contract asks.” Ophelia said. Now curious to see what was in the contract, it definitely wasn’t the normal one. Did the former Yerren piss off her Father as much as his child annoyed her?

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WIP END