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Post by NPC on May 8, 2021 8:56:55 GMT -6
Show Ring EndsIt is safe to assume that there is a field set up for your houluh to do it's work in that is set up for any job you can think of. If something is missing that you need for your demonstration, the staff will go get it for you. Feel free to use anything within reason in your set up to display what your houluh knows how to do for their job. Please remember to repost your houluh's image, loyalty, levels, and stats in your first post, and put all of the moves/abilities/tricks your houluh does in the post in brackets or parenthesis at the end of your post/s. ![](https://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa42/MML_Staff/MML_items/MaestrediMarq.png) The one with the most points will win the Maestre di Marq and become a Salonne Show Champion. Participation prizes are earned points only. Remember that a houluh with a Maestre di Marq can never enter a Salonne Show again.
The people allowed in this thread are follows:
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Post by Flare on May 13, 2021 2:43:53 GMT -6
The humans who ran the show introduced them all, and now it was time to perform. Looking about him, the other contestants were busy, sprucing up their houlou or some other sensical thing to do for a contest. But Flare only had himself, Grendel, and one of her holey balls in his pants pocket that gave the impression he had something else there instead. Might as well go first. 'Don't trip' he told himself, as the tumaian climbed the stairs of the stage, Grendel jealously taking two at a time. Show off. She bounds onto the platform as his feet reach the place himself. All eyes were on them. Shabby but sunset, Flare took a calming breath, relaxed his stance, and bowed politely to the audience, just an incline of the head. "This is Grendel, I am Flare." he introduces himself and the houlou beside him, very simply. Bark! Grendel's whole body is shaking with her tail calling the shots.
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Post by Flare on May 13, 2021 2:51:45 GMT -6
"You may want to cover your ears." he warns, before taking a breath and tilting his head to the ceiling. His howling call is very... humanoid sounding. At least ssashirk had the ability to do so properly. Awwoooooo! Grendel howled alongside him. A howl! She loved doing midnight howls with her scaly dog friend! He tapered off while she held the howl a moment longer. 'Time to be quiet.' the tumaian tells her, fishing a treat from his pocket. Oooh, treat. The hound doesn't howl again as she is rewarded. "Grendel howls when someone unfamiliar comes to my gate, but thankfully she does know to be quiet when prompted. It also scares off the crows out of my garden." If dogs could grin, she would be. Wagging her tail and nosing his pocket insistently. She knows whats in that pocket. And she likes whats in that pocket. Her ball. Give her the ball! Now? [Howl and quiet] x.20
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Post by Flare on May 13, 2021 2:58:57 GMT -6
![](https://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa42/MML_Staff/Mansion/CornCrow.gif) Something suddenly dove from the rafters at Flare's hand, cawing loudly. TREAT TREAT! Damn... the crow from the garden was back again. A few spectators screamed as the crow made its entrance, but Grendel didn't bat an eye, her gaze following the crow intently, a playful growl bubbling. She liked chasing things in the garden, but they didn't like chasey in the return. She looked at the treat giver, who had gone a bit still at the sight of the crow. It was a known pest. Treat giver did not like pests in the garden. It dove again at his hand for the treat he was offering. BARK! My treat! Grendel sprang up, trying to catch or bat at the crow with her big fluffy paws. Caww! The creature didn't expect to be ambushed! He had flown in through an open rafter window not long ago, and saw humans partacking in snacks! [accepting sudden movements/entrances of small creatures] x.20
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Post by Flare on May 13, 2021 3:04:48 GMT -6
What the crow didn't expect was the dog to follow it up into the air. Climbing the air as if it were steps instead of emptiness, the longhaired animal chased after the crow at growing speed. DOG DOG! BAD DOG! The crow cackles as it flaps out of reach, back towards the audience. A few might have covered their heads in case there happened to be a case of falling dog. Flare regained his senses. Crow, dog in air. Ok. Wait. Dog in air?! He looks up, and sees Grendel chasing after the crow, barking. Well, lets make use of the stupid beast while it was flaying about and wrecking things. 'Kukipa!' the tumian calls up to his houlou. The long ears flapping along as she ran catch the command as she picks up speed, the air not holding her back at all, springing forward and catching the crow in her teeth. [Demonstrates wind avatar and Run] x.20
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Post by Flare on May 13, 2021 3:10:40 GMT -6
'No Grendel, bring the crow here.' he calls as she stands there, a struggling crow in her mouth. Mouth full of feathers and angry crow, Grendel turned about and took the 'air stairs' two at a time to reach the ground once again, coming to his side. She'd caught one pachee before, and he was not happy. But crow was bad, she caught crow too! Was she bad? Whine? He pats her head, and takes the crow from her. It struggles in his rough hands before realizing it wasn't going to escape the talonlike grip of these thick humanoid hands. He didn't crush the crow instead, but dug out the bulge in his pocket, a yellow holey ball. Bouncing it once, it caught the dog's attention, and he called 'Kukipa' and tossed it upwards. The ball only bounced once before he outright swatted it upwards with his tail. Grendel took upwards to catch the ball as it touches the ceiling, and comes down to bounce again. He repeats the gesture in a different area. The crow doesn't get humans at all. "We are finished now." he finally says, and Grendel follows him off the stage, on the ground, where she gets treats and water. The air time didn't give her any issues, surprisingly. He however, had to figure out how to contain a dog who can walk and bound around on air like its the ground. [No, Come, Run and Endurance, no and come isn't officially trained, but obedience through loyalty] x.20 -fin
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Post by Alma on May 14, 2021 10:01:34 GMT -6
“Howdy, contest hall folks! I’m Alma, and today I’ve brought out Rusted Tin Can for your entertainment!” It was easy enough to speak to the indistinct crowd beyond the lights, and her big smile took almost no effort to keep in place when the crowd responded as it usually did. “Who’s a very good girl,” Alma added in a mutter between clenched teeth, Tin’s tail thumping solidly against her leg in agreement as they waited for the crowd to quiet. She had enough time to reach down and give Tin’s head a pat, the movement letting her have a quick second look at the little areas the staff had set up. There was plenty for Tin to work with, and she was glad to see the tall pole with the fake jibiji roosting at the top had made a return.
But the pole would be for a later part of the show. As the crowd quieted down, her gaze caught on the small sandbox off to the side, it’s wooden slats decorated with bright paint. That would be a good enough place as any to start.
“Tin!” she barked at the hound, her tone a bit sharper to cut through any of the crowd’s lingering noise. The houluh looked up at her, the base of Tin’s ears trying their best to stand at attention while the rest dangled inches above the floor. Alma pointed dramatically at the box, and told the hound to “Dig!” Tin took off for the box, hopping over the wooden wall and creating small hills and valleys as she landed. Then the tips of her ears flopped against the ground as she lowered her front half and began to dig. Sand fountained out behind her, making Alma silently thank whoever had chosen to place the sandbox far from the crowd. She stepped around the miniature sandstorm, waiting a few more seconds and for a few more pounds of sand, then told Tin to scamper to the side as she bent down and pulled out a green gem from the sandbox.
Yes, it was just a plastic toy that had been nestled behind the wooden slats, hidden from the crowds' sight instead of somewhere under the sand, but Alma made a show of brushing invisible bits of sand off of it with all the care one might show the real thing. Then she held it up above her head, the stage lights catching it just so that it looked like something more valuable than a piece of plastic from a child’s mining playset, and asked, “But what good is finding a treasure if someone else can just steal it?” Alma looked back to Tin, the houluh watching the gem as though it was a ball, and told her to “Guard it!” The gem was tossed into the sand, and Alma began to walk around Tin. The houluh walked with her, back always to the gem, eyes always on Alma. When she tried to get closer to the gem and houluh, Tin growled.
Sadly, Alma thought with an internal laugh, it was nothing as intimidating as the rumble of something like a drake, but the crowd remained hushed as a step closer turned Tin’s growls into a snarl. Alma backed away and the houluh quieted, and Alma could almost swear she heard a sigh of relief from the crows beyond the lights. She ran her hands over her gloves one last time, testing their thickness, then ran around Tin quickly, always keeping to the houluh’s approved distance. Other than keeping herself between the gem and Alma, the houluh did not growl or snap at the sudden moments. So Alma changed her direction suddenly, pivoting to rush straight at the gem and Tin, the crowd at her back.
The growl shifted into a bark and then into snarl as the small houluh reared up and caught Alma’s outstretched arm with her forelegs, barking and snarling madly though never quite shutting her jaws on any part of her owner. Alma backed away, and the houluh slid off her arms to return to simply barking when Alma stopped retreating. “Quiet,” came the next command, and Alma completed another circuit so that the crowd could watch Tin’s face locked into a silent snarl, muscles taut as Alma tested her boundaries.
“Good girl,” Alma muttered as she surreptitiously checked her gloves for damage, the tiny quiver in the houluh’s tail easy to miss by those focused on her teeth.
“And to get the treasure back, that’s as simple as telling Tin to be at ease!” Alma stressed the second part, walking closer to the houluh. The change in the pup’s demeanor was immediate, Tin scampering away to the side as Alma moved to pick up the gem. She held it up into the air again for the crowd to see, then shoved it into one of her pockets. She would give it back to the staff after the show.
The next few tricks were a little less stressful. Alma set the houluh to fishing, the houluh dutifully yanking fake fish out of a pool before nipping at with with a new command, then had Tin swim in the water to snatch one bobbing in the center of the pool. There was a quick run, first with Tin following Alma, then the houluh sent to run in circles around the arena to first show off her impressive endurance, only for the houluh to alternate running on the stage and running in the air to the amazement of the few viewers unaware of what zephyr houluh were known for. The air run was a little less impressive than it had been in earlier shows due to one of the fancier houluh doing the same thing before them, Alma thought, but she was not going to change the routine now.
“And finally, despite her small size, Tin knows how to hunt!” Alma flung out her arms in the general direction of the pole as she spoke, willing the houluh to hunt the jibiji plush that had begun to chirp and not some beast a mage had snuck into the audience. Tin ran through the air, circling the pole as she ran far higher than she had been commanded to in that performance, and nipped at the jibiji. When the bird did not flapits fabric-covered wings as she expected, she caught the entire plush bird in her mouth and yanked it free of the pole.
A quick command calling for Tin to land stopped her from trying to chew through the fabric, and Alma gently pulled the ‘dead’ jibiji free. She bowed to the crowd, reminding Tin of what a good girl she was as she bowed to the applause, then left the stage with her houluh trailing after her.
[Tin shows off dig, scamper, guard, accept sudden movements, quiet, at ease, fishing, nip, swim, follow, run, higher, land, endurance, hunt. Finished.]
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Post by Nadia on May 14, 2021 12:02:38 GMT -6
Show time was upon them. Nadia took a nervous breath as she approached the centre of the ring, Inky trotting alongside her. The audience always made her heart flutter. " H-hello, everyone! My name is Nadia, and this is Inky," She said, hoping (probably in vain) that her barely raised voice would carry. " His job around my estate includes haulage, and I would like to demonstrate his abilities to you today." Then, all that was left to do was begin. Their equipment was waiting for them, and she made a beeline to pick up the harness - she promptly crouched next to Inky. " Good boy. As you can see, Inky is very tolerant," She narrated as she slipped the straps onto the houluh's body, snapping them closed in the appropriate places without a second glance from him. To make a display of his calm nature, Nadia also ran her hands over his legs and raised his paws, pressing gentle thumbs along his pawpads. He was suited up quickly, and could be led over to the weighted buggy. She situated him in front of it and was prompt to hook him up, giving the clasps a little tug to ensure they were secure. " He has no qualms about being attached to the buggy." [Inky demonstrates Tolerance and Wear Harness.]
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Post by Nadia on May 14, 2021 12:19:20 GMT -6
Everything was ready to go! Nadia clapped her hands, and with a cheery 'come on', took off around the ring with Inky following behind her. The houluh pulled the weight with an ease that came to a creature accustomed to a job, and she couldn't help but smile as she watched him, knowing that it was a good performance. Whether or not they were going to win, she was proud of him. " Very good! Inky can persevere for a good length of time with his training, and often does when we are transporting materials on my estate. Shall we show them, boy?" Her confidence was certainly growing. Though they only had finite time, she intended to push him; they sped up, making repeated laps around the space at a quickened pace to show off his endurance. " Okay, darling. We can relax now." She unclipped him from the buggy, and led him over to a jump that had been set up. " He is also trained to overcome obstacles he may face, such as fallen trees. Inky, leap!" Inky leapt over the jump with a merry wag of his tail. " Good boy! This way, leap!" He jumped back the other way at her command. [Inky demonstrates Pull Buggy, Endurance and Leap.]
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Post by Nadia on May 14, 2021 12:29:19 GMT -6
There was only one more display to be made, and that was carrying a load. Nadia picked up the packs from her arrangement of gear - they were weighted on each side - and draped them over Inky's back, securing them around the chest and stomach. " Inky's last duty is carrying items for me, and he is rather good at it! Let me show you!" She gave him a little pat on the head before straightening up. " Heel, Inky! Let's go!" The houluh stuck at Nadia's side as they went for another lap of the ring. Despite the bulky items in the bag that were visible lumps on each of Inky's sides, he kept pace comfortably, with leisurely swings of his tail. He'd gotten used to haulage in his line of work, and didn't seem to notice! They drew to a halt facing front, and she offered a timid but genuine smile. " That is everything. As you can see, he is a valued member of my family, and very helpful!" A little courtesy. " Thank you for your attention, and good afternoon!" [Inky demonstrates Carry Load and Heel. Done!]
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Post by Morgan on May 14, 2021 20:19:23 GMT -6
The bespectacled human was a bit late to the party, not really late per-say, but more towards the back of the pack. Selene waited patiently, almost boredly- watching the other houluh with mild interest. One of them felt quite similar to herself- a scent somewhat like hers perhaps? She lifts her nose once to take it in, and then calms back down. When it was finally their turn, Morgan simply heads out to where there is a small display to work on protection work, and they slipped on a thick arm covering and mitt to show off Selene's bitework. They waved to the crowd, easily adopting the 'shy reclusive researcher' role that they played so well. "This is Morgan, out of Wiltholm Estate Kennel! This is Bark at the Moon. She is a novitiate in protection work. We're h-h-hu-" Morgan suddenly fell into a small fit of stuttering, which they staunched by pausing for a second to let it pass. "We're here to show off what Selene has been working on!" At this, Morgan steps a few feet back, and calls her name. "Selene!" they say, and then they give her the whistled command to come- and she does.
[1] - [Selene knows her name, and comes on command.]
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Post by Morgan on May 14, 2021 20:30:57 GMT -6
Morgan quickly continues, working Selene easily and practicably through the things that both they and Selene had been working on forever. Selene works through them with the precision and grace that she'd always held- the tomboy princess of a Matronne that still managed to be prim and proper even through the more harsh situations they sometimes went through. They alternated through the hand signal commands and whistled commands that they had trained her with. Selene was called to sit and then stay- then follow Morgan over to a nearby pool. Morgan waved the black houluh across, and she leaps into the water without a second thought. She swims with ease, treading water in a way befitting perhaps of a creature dedicated to the great Order goddess.
Across the water, Selene steps out of the water and climbs onto the floor. Morgan calls her into a stack, and then quickly moves her front legs slightly and then lifted one of them, showing her excellent tolerance.
[2] - [Selene sits and stays on command, follows on command, swims on command, stacks on command, and then shows of her tolerance.]
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Post by Morgan on May 14, 2021 20:41:50 GMT -6
There were only two more aspects of her protection training that Morgan could show off- and then they were as good as gold! The first thing was her dash. Morgan scoots back a little bit- and then calls for Selene to perform the maneuver. Selene shows off impeccable dexterity- about average for houluh but still quite amazing to behold all around.
Morgan then holds out the mitt that they had been holding, and then calls out for her to attack the mitt with a bite. They'd worked on this almost just like this a long while back, and it shows. Like it had been seconds since the last time she had done it and not nearly three months ago Selene lashes out- suddenly the facade of a houluh princess falls off and she's a snarly- terrifying monster. Certainly the latch on the bite was not the only thing an attacker would be terrified of! The chomp lands through, and Selene holds it for long enough to transfer the power through the bite- and then she drops back, watching with a sharp focus.
The pair of them were certainly behind the other contestants, but Morgan didn't mind. They'd been too busy with projects to really continue this training. It showed, but at least they were having fun showing Selene off! She was a great houluh. "That's all everyone! Th-t-thank you all!" With a quick wave, Morgan collects Selene, and they step out of the ring.
[3] - [Selene Dashes on Command and then Bites on Command. Done!]
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Post by Kadin on May 14, 2021 21:01:42 GMT -6
Show name: Stuck in a Rut Call name: Elk Gender: Male Species: Common Houluh Level: 21 [4/5] Loyalty: 45 [3/5] -stats- Stamina: 2 Strength: 2 Resistance: 1 Dexterity: 5 Mentality: 5 Special Abilities: None Moves: Bite Training Tricks Known: Name (1), Beg (1), Fishing (5), Pull Buggy (2), Come (1), Stay (1), Track (5) Well, it was time for another contest. Kadin had finally brought Elk by and they were ready to show off for the contest, having finally gotten some free time to do so between all of the rest of the things he had to do here and there. Kadin couldn't say that he was sure this would all go off without a hitch, but he was going to do his best and that would have to count for something. He brought Elk into the arena, patted the houluh, and tried to think of what a good routine they would have for this. Work, after all, right? They needed to show off what Elk knew, to show that he knew how to do a proper job. Kadin could work with that. "Right Elk?" He said with a grin, looking down at the houluh who looked back at him and wagged his tail, clearly responding to his name. [name]
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Post by Kadin on May 14, 2021 21:05:04 GMT -6
He nodded to himself, figuring that they'd start off how they always did. With something easy. That was typically the best way to start, get the things that everyone knew out of the way first before moving on to the more complicated things, the ones that were more bound to impress and audience. So Kadin wanted to start off with the basic commands Elk knew, things other than his name. The first thing he asked the houluh to do was to stay.
"Stay, Elk." Kadin said. The houluh wagged his tail slowly, watching as the human walked out into the arena, but not moving towards him just yet because he'd been told to stay. Once Kadin was out in the arena, he waited for a moment before calling over to the houluh, "Elk, come!" The houluh raced over to the human, wagging his tail like mad, pleased to be able to do another trick!
[Come (1), Stay (1)]
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