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Post by Vixen on Dec 16, 2017 15:42:50 GMT -6
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Post by Vixen on Dec 16, 2017 15:48:12 GMT -6
A few berries were rolled forward into her palms, fished from the treat pouch clipped at her waist, and they were quickly crushed and eaten, leaving nothing but the sticky-sweetness of residual juice. Vixen absently wiped her hand on her thigh, backing towards the center of the ring yet again. "Alright June, tch tch tch," At the sound of Vixen sucking her teeth, Juniper broke into a trot. "Hike hike." Vixen raised the handle of her signal whip, ready to flick it forward, but at the words, Juniper hustled forward with quickened strides- still a bit too extreme of a gait transition for Vixen's tastes. "Ease up, easy..." Vixen pulled back on the rein with gentle pressure, not at a hard stop, but with easy tension. June missed a step, but brought himself down gradually. "Gooood, good boy." Stopping was easier to telegraph than speeding up; at a command to go faster, it was difficult for June to not immediately jump into a sprint. At the speed Chirymas were known for, a gradual increase was something Vixen was very focused on instilling.
((Juniper 4.2 | Loyalty 15
Bridle Knowledge 13
Faster / Slower 3))
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Post by Vixen on Dec 16, 2017 22:22:10 GMT -6
When Juniper has slowed to a stately strut, Vixen once again, at the end of her lunge rein, called for him to speed up. "Hike!" She needn't touch the back of his legs with her signal whip; at the sound of the word, Juniper's strides lengthened, this time at a smoother gradient, speeding up as she slowly uncoiled the rein and gave him his head. As he sped in a circle around the perimeter of the corral, Vixen slowly paced in a circle after him, watching the muscle under his sleek feathers bulge, contract, and lengthen. Such impressive leg strength- but June had such a friendly, gentle disposition, Vixen couldn't quite imagine his success as a fighting animal. Of course, Vixen also didn't know Juniper that well. She knew he liked lizards and his favorite berries, she knew that he chirruped at her when he saw her approach, and she knew he liked the baseline of his crest being scratched... but she didn't get that many details on him, not really. "And... ease up, now." A contraction of the rein, and he began to check himself, flashing his crest up and down.
Had Vixen been familiar with June's genetic makeup, she'd be privy to a little secret of his. Friendly he was, but soft he was not- and in a corner, he became... well, frenzied is the preferred terminology, isn't it? But that wasn't today's secret to learn. For now, Juniper, to Vixen, was nothing more than a beautiful, compact, fast mount that could be more advantageous than an Equillion. "Hike hike!" Ah, but for another time. Back to training for the time being.
((Juniper 4.3 | Loyalty 15
Bridle Knowledge 14
Faster / Slower 4))
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Post by Vixen on Dec 16, 2017 22:44:49 GMT -6
"Bird brain", while a derogatory term, was an inaccurate insult. Birds were notoriously intelligent beings, particularly any sort of carnivore or apex species, such as the Chiryma. Juniper had quickly picked up that a slack rein and a "hike" permitted him to speed along as he wished, but that a gentle tightening around his face and a deep "ease up" was to slow. He wasn't quite sure why his running had now become a structured activity, however- in his short life, he'd only been left in open spaces and allowed to sprint and forage as he pleased. His relationship with Vixen thus far had been symbiotic, though- she asked odd things of him, he complied, and from their deal, he received no shortage of top-tier food items, and the type of adoration and affection his species was designed to crave. So fine, it was strange of her to put him through paces, over and over, in this circular patch of sand... but hey, he was game. So when he gave him his head, he took full advantage to extend himself, but when she called him off, he was now more willing to check himself. Easing up, he had come to realize, did not mean "you will now stand here, still and bored, and do nothing". It simply meant, "take a breather and let's run again". That wasn't unreasonable. "And... ease up now." Hardly had Vixen even begun to put tension on the rein, did Juniper slow himself, all the way down to an easy walk, heavy tail swaying behind him. Vixen approached him slowly, coiling the rein as she neared him. "Hey handsome." Vixen threaded her fingers under the bridle with one hand and scritched the feathers between his eyes. Juniper crooned and tilted his head into her hand, clicking his beak together and gently mouthing the side of her forearm to return the preening gesture. "You're doing so well. Let's do this a little longer, then we'll see about that saddle again."
((Juniper 4.4 | Loyalty 15
Bridle Knowledge 15
Faster / Slower 5))
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Post by Vixen on Dec 16, 2017 22:58:34 GMT -6
With a final scratch, Vixen backed away again. "Let's go. Hike!" As she dropped the rein down, Juniper easily broke into a stout jog, speeding along with each added "hike" until the bird was at a full circular sprint, a golden-brown-crimson blur that dizzied Vixen to watch. I ought to maybe wear goggles when I ride him, she pondered. Ha. That'll be a site Ashe will love. Just going to stride up, riding an overgrown chicken, wearing goggles. Sexy. Irresistible. He'll rip my clothes off after seeing that, surely. Maybe she would just deal with the teary eyes. I'll just keep my mouth shut so I don't swallow a bug or something. "Alright, now ease up... ease up... and ease..." Slower, and slower, sand spraying up in front of each clawed foot. Eventually, he came to a full stop. "Beautiful. Atta boy. I think we got your paces down well enough right now." Some fine tuning could only be accomplished on his back, but in the mean time, he had the basic understanding of "speed up" and "slow down", both through the feel of the rein and on voice command. That was well enough for her- but she didn't feel quite ready to hop on his back yet. Let's do directionals and then go from there. Preferring to alternate her rewards, Vixen opted for tossing him a dead mouse from the "meat" pouch hanging off of her hip, next to the berry pouch. Juniper's thick bronze beak snapped it from the air, and he tossed it to the back of his throat. Just as quickly as it'd been produced, it was gone.
((Juniper 5 | Loyalty 17
Bridle Knowledge 16
Faster / Slower 6 [complete]))
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Post by Vixen on Dec 16, 2017 23:33:42 GMT -6
Juniper having now been satiated, Vixen drew back on the reign length, keeping it just a few yards out. "And... let's go." June started out at a moderate trot, and Vixen allowed him to make most of the circle before tugging sideways left on the rein. "Come by." He froze a moment with a low squawk, steps faltering. As with most animals, where the head went, the body followed, and after the brief confusion, he turned inward towards Vixen. He shook his hed a bit, crest twitching half-heartedly. Now, pulling back and letting loose was one thing- pulling him to the side? Well, he wasn't quite sold on that! He started to bring his foot to his face, like he had after Vixen first introduced him to the bridle. "Hey now! None of that. Get on." She tugged him up and set him into a slow trot once more, circling with him. "Alright, now- away." She pulled the rein to the right, making the Chiryma do an about-face, turning to the right and away from her to make the turn. "Good, yes," she chirped, emphasizing an over-the-top, cheery tone. June was decently motivated by praise, besides just attention and food, and it worked in her favor for occasions such as these. He had just heard his new left and right, and she didn't want to distract him too much with food.
((Juniper 5.1 | Loyalty 17
Bridle Knowledge 17
Left/Right 1))
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Post by Vixen on Dec 17, 2017 0:01:13 GMT -6
Why not use "left" and "right", one may be wondering. Truthfully, Vixen lacked and good reason. Left and right sounded stale to her, and she didn't like "gee" and "haw" except on sleddogs and driving equines, and Juniper was neither of those things. Come by and away to me were shepherding terms, to be sure, but they felt more natural in this setting than anything else, and Vixen was of a mind that madness wasn't mad if it worked. So, "come" and "away" would be the standard for her Chiryma as far as she was concerned. "Come by." Vixen accompanied the command with a tug of the rein towards her, swinging June's head around into the left turn. He shook his head a bit again, but took this turn with a bit more grace than he had his first. He was maintained at a slow trot, so as not to lose his legs out form under him attempting to comply to a sharp turn. For a few strides, Juniper and Vixen paced together, and then, "Away." With rein pressure, Juniper turned about. "Yeeee-eeesss, good, good." Besides the rein pressure and voice commands, Vixen extended her arm with the signal whip to help steer June in the proper direction, never giving him the chance to make an incorrect turn when asked for one. Always set them up for success. It was the mantra Vixen tried to live by when training any sort of creature. Making accuracy a habit had served her well over the years.
((Juniper 5.2 | Loyalty 17
Bridle Knowledge 18
Left/Right 2))
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Post by Vixen on Dec 17, 2017 0:23:03 GMT -6
"Away... Come by... Away... and come..." Each verbal command was followed be a millisecond's pause to offer Juniper a chance to respond before being met with a rein cue. As it often goes, the first several laps and pacings showed no improvement in his cognition. Nevertheless, Vixen was patient. Mount training was her forte, and it was easy to check out and settle comfortably into it once she got started. Besides, after the mental and emotional stress that came with battle-training Aquilia, pacing back and forth in the sand didn't seem so bad. If nothing else, she was getting her cardio in for the day, circling with June and waving him about with the signal whip and rein. Maybe Chirymas can be my new "thing". A relaxing past time. The Equis can be high caliber sometimes, especially given that half of them can roast me or freeze me or whatever the fuck else. Horses, indeed... Of course, Chirymas deserved respect, and had the capacity to throw a mean kick... but they weren't nearly so dangerous or taxing, at least in Vixen's limited experience. "Come by... and yes June!" The Chiryma had just hesitated in the correct direction, not having fully committed to it before Vixen followed through with a rein and touch cue, but the thought had crossed his mind. It was the first evidence she had seen yet of him conceptualizing his directions.
((Juniper 5.3 | Loyalty 17
Bridle Knowledge 19
Left/Right 3))
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Post by Vixen on Dec 17, 2017 0:53:06 GMT -6
"Aw...ay, YES." Juniper turned fully to the right before Vixen had dropped the last syllable. A major success, as far as she was concerned. Her excitement was infectious, and June bobbed his head and whistled and chirruped with her accordingly, lifting his legs higher in a lofty prance and flashing his crest. "You are an awful show off, hm? That's ok. You're a pretty boy. You can show off all you want." A happy bird was a responsive bird, and birds of this intelligence fed off of emotions and dramatics. "You're so smart... alright, come by." Only a moment's hesitation, and he turned into her., gently aided by the signal stick. "That's my boy." She walked close to him, positioned a bit behind him, near the base of his tail, rein in one hand over his back, and signal stick in the other to block and steer him as needed. With his last couple of responses, she dropped the stick down, tucking it under her armpit in hopes of weaning him off the need for additional signals. "Away." They turned together now, in sync, June cocking a vivid blue eye back at her, anticipating a touch signal. When he moved correctly, none was given, and instead he was praised and patted. "You're so good. Soooo good... let's run through this just a bit longer, and then we'll take it to your back." Soon, her first time on the back of a Chiryma... today was an experience!
((Juniper 5.4 | Loyalty 17
Bridle Knowledge 20
Left/Right 4))
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Post by Vixen on Jan 17, 2018 14:54:34 GMT -6
Here they were, the home stretch of turns before Vixen would brave climbing into the saddle. This would be the swan song of their groundwork together; the next step would be a rundown of all the learned commands whilst astride. It was a pity, she thought, that she hadn't had access to a trained Chiryma before winging it on June, as she had the unfortunate task of learning to balance while he was accommodating her. Oh, well. She did what she could, and despite being designed as mounts, Chiryma were rarely utilized as single mounts around the Labs. She'd seen a team of Chiryma pulling a small buggy, a few lone riders, but overall, the market was dominated by Equillion, Galabex, Gallor, and even the larger breeds of Vulticus. Fine, they'd stand out- didn't bother her any. "Come by!" No signal was needed, and Juniper took a left in the pen. "Come by!" Rather than turning in the opposite direction, she asked for a second left, looking to trip the Chiryma up, but she was unsuccessful. Juniper took another left turn, then another, and then two rights, as she called out, "Away! .... Away!" Smooth sailing. Vixen dropped the long line, leaving the rein to flop along Juniper's feet. Now she'd test him on voice commands alone.
"Come by... hike hike! Ease up... hike... Away. Come by... ease up... whoa." As each command came, Juniper swerved and moved fluidly around in the pen. With each "hike" his speed increased, coming down to a stately trot as he was told to "ease up"; each "come by" was met with a left turn, just as each "away" was met with a right. Finally, at the "whoa", he leaned back into a stop, spraying sand forward with his bronze feet. "Beautiful. GOOD boy, what a good, smart bird. Do you want a treat? Yeah you do... What a smart boy. Hey you." She scratched along his crest feathers as he ate from her hand, and her eyes drifted towards the saddle that had been sitting on the post since they had abandoned it much earlier in training "Alright handsome... think it's time I join you."
((Juniper 6 // Loyalty 19
Bridle Knowledge 21
Left/Right 5 [Complete]))
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Post by Vixen on Jan 17, 2018 15:08:05 GMT -6
Vixen retrieved the saddle from where it had been discarded, setting it on Juniper's back after having carefully smoothed down his red crest feathers. He shifted and chirped under the previously-familiar piece of tack, but otherwise was content to stand for Vixen as she adjusted the various straps that went over his chest and between his legs. She wiggled it, felt around it, and after she was content that it was comfortable for June (and could no longer find reasons to stall), she placed one hand at the pommel, hiked a foot to the stirrup, and started to hop up onto it. June screeched and swerved awkwardly away, bringing Vixen with him as she clung to the saddle. "Whoa whoa... Easy. Hey, it's just me.. C'mon boy, let's make this easy." Perhaps she should have tied him up. Vixen brought her foot down, led him to the fence, and aligned him against it, limiting where he could swerve into it. "Alright, now..." She gripped the saddle, and with one, two small hops, and a determined jump, she got the momentum to pull herself up and swing her other leg over, just as June had started to side-step. Astride!
June was, well, rather confused. He'd never had anyone on his back before, and indeed, even the saddle had been new not too long ago. He was swinging himself around, head craned back to look at Vixen, attempting to understand this new, strange game. It was awkward, having an additional one hundred and thirty pounds squared onto his back, shifting around- Vixen herself wasn't particularly comfortable. Chirymas lacked a dip in their backs, and it made her job of sitting light and balanced a difficult one.
((Juniper 6.1 // Loyalty 19
Carry Rider 1))
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Post by Vixen on Jan 17, 2018 15:28:35 GMT -6
Vixen shifted her weight forward and slowly sat up, keeping a careful grip with her legs. Juniper, much to her shock, tilted his chest downwards, keeping a level head as his body became more parallel with the ground. He hadn't done it for her comfort; he had no idea that such an adjustment made it significantly easier for her to find her balance and keep control. It had been a natural response to the pressure on his back; his long neck allowed him to keep a neutral head, while a more parallel body allowed him to comfortably carry weight, in contrast to the backward pull he felt when in his more natural upright position. "Good, good..." Vixen was crooning under her breath, gently scratching at his slick golden feathers from her perch on his back. In his leaning forward, the "trick" to riding Chirymas had become clear to her. With a rider on their back, they were naturally inclined to bring their chest down and have a level back- of course, it made sense! In hindsight, Chiryma mounts had always carried themselves lower under a saddle, becoming more level as they picked up speed, and only sitting fully back when in a stop. Of course, even with such an adjustment, she still was much more "forward" than she would be in an Equillion saddle, but when astride a giant bird, some differences were to be expected.
To his immense credit, June was not bolting or spinning about as previous mounts had. Vixen's petting and praise had helped ward off the prey-animal panic of having something on his back, but he was still confused, and was rather frozen with indecision, unaware of the "protocol" of having a rider, so to speak. Moreover, Juniper didn't seem convinced that movement was still an option. When Vixen swung her leg over and slid off into a dismount, the spell was lifted, and he stomped and scratched in his usual way, shaking himself slightly in a futile attempt to lose the saddle.
((Juniper 6.2 // Loyalty 19
Carry Rider 2))
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Post by Vixen on Jan 17, 2018 15:47:06 GMT -6
June had no qualms with the dismount, but Vixen had hopped off moreso to try the mounting process a second time, as that had been awkward for the both of them. This time, when Vixen wedged her foot in the stirrup, Juniper visibly braced himself and leaned his weight over to his opposite leg, keeping himself steady as his owner pulled herself astride. As she settled into the middle of the saddle, once more, June dropped his chest down to distribute the weight comfortably and maintain his own balance. "Smart baby... See, doesn't have to be a big deal, right?" Vixen took a moment to rub up and down his neck, scratch his head, and murmur a string of senseless baby talk. He accommodated her but still seemed stiff, uncomfortable, and unwilling to move. "Alright... walk on. Let's go." At the prompt, she felt June's muscles shift, twitch, and lock under her. "You can go with me up here. Come on. Tch tch." June took half of a step back and shimmied side to side, forcing Vixen to ride it out. "Come on now, June. Tch tch tch." When she sucked her teeth again, June reluctantly took a step forward, shaking his head and making a series of unappreciative squawks and high-pitched, short screeches. Unfortunately, this didn't seem to make Vixen relent any, and he grudgingly moved his other leg. With each step, the weight on his back persisted... but didn't shake, didn't hinder him, and otherwise seemed to just be with him rather than handicapping him in any way... hm. Interesting...
((Juniper 6.3 // Loyalty 19
Carry Rider 3))
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Post by Vixen on Jan 18, 2018 11:44:12 GMT -6
Each footstep was more confident than the last, and gradually the pair moved from jerky steps forward, to a smooth (if not rather slow) walk, plodding steadily in the corral. For this period, Vixen didn't ask anything of him- not a change in direction, not a change of pace, nothing. It was an opportunity for herself to get used to the rhythm of a Chiryma's walk, and adjust her balance and how she carried herself accordingly. For June, it was a slow realization that while the weight stayed with him, and his owner was, indeed, on his back, he was more or less still free to move as easily as he had before. Okay, so it wasn't the end of the world... but it was still an odd feeling. Perhaps most annoying, he couldn't flash his crest like this! His feathers were forcefully smoothed down, choked by the saddle and his owner's weight above. It was almost a rather... itchy sensation. He drew to a stop, cocking a bright blue eye back at his owner. Vixen, previously content to just sit still and let him feel it out, grew alert. That look was suspicious as hell. "June..." A large, scaly foot came up and began to claw at the underside of the saddle, inadvertently kicking Vixen's foot forward. "Hey- hey, HEY. No sir!" Vixen shifted her weight back and pulled the reins out of habit, and June cowed to the pressure, dropping the foot to take a step or two back. "Knock it off. I'm still up here, ya big chicken. You can't just do what you want."
Ah... so that's what it meant to have a rider.
((Juniper 6.4 // Loyalty 19
Carry Rider 4))
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Post by Vixen on Jan 18, 2018 12:02:10 GMT -6
When Juniper straightened out, Vixen gently squeezed with her legs and clicked her tongue, urging him forward once more. He balked, shaking his head irritably and squawking. He wasn't a particular fan of being policed so heavily- he couldn't scratch?! He attempted to bring his break around to chew at Vixen's leg, but was met with a weak, but firm, boot to the face. There were certain things Vixen had zero tolerance for, and nipping was one. Many an Equillion with the urge to clamp her had been met with a non-hesitant smack in return. Large beasts, especially those with elemental inclinations, could absolutely not be indulged or allowed to tantrum- and never letting them get away with it the first time seemed to do the job. Of course, this kick didn't hurt June; rather, the combination of his face being shoved away by the boot, and simultaneously pulled up by the bridle, was overwhelming and confusing, and soon he was once again plodding forward, left wondering why his attempt had failed and how he had complied anyway.
Vixen scratched at the small crimson feathers that lined his collar bones briefly, mending any hurt feelings between them, and sat back in the saddle once more. "Out of your system, boy? Alright... let's try some directions again, hm?" With a squeeze and some murmured commands, Juniper's puzzlement fell away, leaving him a mind to focus on what all Chirymas enjoyed- speed. The slow walk became a crisp jog, faltering at first with Vixen's weight, but quickly smoothing out into a comfortable stride. Vixen became consciously aware of a very large difference in Chirymas, as opposed to Equillion- they picked up speed much faster, with little to no need for stride transition. June at least, if not Chiryma as a whole, seemed to require reminders to keep a steady pace and his speed in check.
((Juniper 7 // Loyalty 21
Carry Rider 5))
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