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Post by Lethalia on Feb 20, 2021 20:14:05 GMT -6
"Good heel!" came again, and the treat descended down to within her reach. Foggy didn't entirely understand why treats were raining down upon her, but it was still awesome. Wide eyes searched her owner for more, but none were fourthcoming. Allowing Foggy to veer off on her own again, Lethalia resisted the urge to recall her just because the thorns on the roses worried the woman. There were some lessons the pup would have to figure out on her own. "Foggy," Lethalia called again; the houluh's name was something of a necessity if she ever wanted to garner her attention from whatever molehill or whatever else she was sticking her nose in. "Treat? Heel?" The words were foreign, but the gesture of a treat in hand had become unmistakable to Foggy. Turning right back around, the puppy danced and jogged sideways in front of her owner, dodging the oncoming hooves with her theatrical begging. February|18 heel|5
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Post by Lethalia on Feb 20, 2021 20:14:17 GMT -6
"I'd be sayin' y'close, but..." At least the acrobatics Foggy was capable of were pretty impressive; they'd have to consider expanding on that later. For now, Lethalia dropped her arm and 'hid' the treat behind her back, prompting Foggy to wind the leash around her legs to chase it. Stepping out of the doggy bola before it could pull tight, the satyr lured Foggy where she wanted to set the pup up on her left side, front paw falling in line with her owner's hoof steps. "Heel?" The moment they synched up, Lethalia's voice brightened further and she praised "Good heel!" and the kibble of treat was dropped almost straight into the houluh's waiting mouth. Lethalia decided to try it a second time after Foggy took off again, wondering if the odd hand gesture she was unintentionally making was going to be the cue that was picked up on the most. Another treat in-hand, arm dropped to her side where she wanted the pup instead of getting in the way in front of her, she called out "Foggy! Heel!" February|19 heel|6
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Post by Lethalia on Feb 20, 2021 20:14:36 GMT -6
The 'command' was synonymous with a treat for Foggy at the moment, and her response to the word was beginning to come pretty fast. She still whirled in place, doing a few excited circles before seeing the treat wasn't hovering above her head. Foggy stopped, skittered out of the way of the oncoming hooves, and snapped at the treat in her hand as she walked past. "No, asshole. Heel," Lethalia repeated, a smirk playing on her face and her words soft despite what was spoken. Closing her fingers around the treat, she let the puppy make another circuit around her legs - flopping the leash over her own head so the pup couldn't try and truss her up again. Finally coming around from behind her, Lethalia crowed "Good!" and opened her hand as the pup fell into step. Tiny morsel gone in a moment, Foggy remained right there by her side with those big expectant eyes. Foggy lv|12 ly|24 February|20 heel|7
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Post by Jack on Feb 20, 2021 20:55:19 GMT -6
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Post by Lethalia on Feb 28, 2021 19:05:30 GMT -6
"Good heel, baby girl! Someone thinkin' she smart!" she crooned, ignoring the pup's utterly offended look when a treat wasn't offered to her this time. It was a marvel - was this the first time she'd so casually bullshitted around in the mansion? Surely enough it wasn't the brightest month, but the atmosphere was pleasant enough and the soothing scent of lavender only varied in intesnity, but never really faded. Though there was still reason to be wary of the place and it's weird vibes, a puppy is a great distraction from just about anything. Getting caught up playing and teaching Foggy some manners had done the trick. She'd honestly been paying so much attention to Foggy, only looking up long enough to check they weren't walking straight into a magic field, Lethalia realized they'd been deposited somewhere she hadn't the foggiest idea where. Reflexively, she called out to the pup, "Foggy, heel," wanting to keep her close at hand. February|21 heel|8
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Post by Lethalia on Feb 28, 2021 19:05:47 GMT -6
Lethalia swallowed against the rear that rose in her throat, pushing the prey like brain scrabbling before it could get the best of her. The place hadn't eaten her yet, and barring a large anomaly, likely it wouldn't anytime soon. How many times had the mansion wandered her to a completely different place than what she'd been intending? Nothing more than it's usual trickery; in fact, she was coming to recognize the back of the mansion with how often she was led to it. Foggy was still watching her curiously, fallen into step with her out of sense of her worry than anything else. "G'girl," Lethalia confirmed, reaching down to scratch a velvety ear. It took a moment to get her bearings, sight adjusting to seeing further down the rose-planted lane than a grey puppy at her toes. If not for the feeling she was being corralled somewhere, it would've been a rather lovely visit to the place. February|22 heel|9 heel end
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Post by Lethalia on Feb 28, 2021 19:05:57 GMT -6
Already on edge, it almost felt justified when a flurry of wings startled both dog and owner. Bursting fourth from the until-now quiet rose hedges, a black dove fluttered into existance before them. A plump black dove with decorated wings seemed to take a moment to decide his course after the bushed had spit him out onto the grass, still dazedly holding onto a single red rose. Another frenzy of wings later he was airborne, passing so close to them Lethalia could almost make out the golden barring on his wings before the bird dissappeaared into the opposite greenery. Foggy yipped helpfully, and only after the bird had faded from view. "Okay, okay, I hear'ya, shh," Lethalia told the pup, holding a finger in front of her lips and smoothing over the surprised houluh's head. Foggy couldn't help but let out another overexcited yip. "Nooo, shh, be quiet," she repeated gently, even if her ears were ringing. February|23 quiet|1
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Post by Lethalia on Feb 28, 2021 19:06:42 GMT -6
A bit of encouragement to be brave was really all a pup like this needed, settling and quieting when her person knelt nearby and consoled her. "Thinkin' it's prob'ly fine, Foggy-girl," Lethalia reasoned with the houluh. It would be easier if she could talk to all of them, but ribbons like Vidarr's on everybody sounded far too tedious. They'd get along understanding each other just fine with time. Still, when thety got going again, the pup was anxious and let out a tense yip at something unknown in the distance. "Foggy, be quiet," she was admonished gently once more as they came to a stop. Lethalia was unsure what to make of the pup suddenly finding more of a voice. The houluh was intended for tasks like hunting and guarding enough that she didn't want to entirely deter the pup from listening to things or letting her owner know about them, but there was a time and place for it. February|24 quiet|2
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Post by Lethalia on Feb 28, 2021 19:06:54 GMT -6
Look... it was a lot further than she'd progressed with Gold. Between the two of them, their personalities were beginning to shine through a little bit more clearly. Both were high-energy, smart girls, but Lethalia would have to give the commendation for smarts to Gold. Every time they went somewhere new, it seemed like Gold was absorbing all of the information she could with her systematic exploring. Foggy was fearless, and made even Gold look reserved in comparison to the hooded pup's gusto. It would be all about dialing her back to a reasonable level that would be the challenge. Once Foggy quieted and stopped fidgeting, Lethalia started moving again, something that continued to be the pup's favorite reward for doing stinky things like be still or be quiet. She didn't need to learn to hate her lessons if they were purely boring for her! Lethalia hoped moving past more 'still' training would benefit her. Foggy lv|13 ly|26 February|25
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Post by Lethalia on Feb 28, 2021 19:07:47 GMT -6
Soon enough Lethalia could probably start thinking of some stupid tricks for the pup that she could get more engaged with. Like how she taught Gold to jump up and ride along with her on an equillion, that was cute. Maybe Foggy would pick up a similar routine, but the satyr hadn't quite gotten so far as figuring out what would suit this one the best. For now, mastering not being a shit was high on Lethalia's priority list. It was almost like Foggy was testing the waters, barking into the nothing ahead and was especially expectant when she looked for her owner's reaction. She was smart enough to be testing her boundaries. "Bein' quiet, remember?" she asked, low enough that it made the pup's tail cease wagging. Oh, was that what they were doing? Yeah, there was only so much hope of her growing out of being a rambunctious jerk, but Lethalia could hold out and try anyway. February|26 quiet|3
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Post by Lethalia on Feb 28, 2021 19:08:05 GMT -6
Perhaps it would be the houluh's nature that made her out to be a good companion, or - it didn't. The satyr was hoping piling on obedience training would help, she would love to have a mannered older dog to show future pups how to behave. Gold hadn't been it, but the future might tell if Foggy could. Though, to Foggy's credit she did quiet down, even if she did growl at a suspicious looking bush once or twice just as an experiment - and her owner growled back at her every time she seemed tempted to get louder. At least walking made the houluh happy, because it felt like quite some time of wandering before the hedges shifted an inch. Like it tended to do (in a way that made you question sanity,) up ahead the mansion's hedges curved together, forming a huge hanging arch overhead. As if there ever were a beacon to light the way... February|27 quiet|4
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Post by Lethalia on Feb 28, 2021 19:08:15 GMT -6
Lethalia wasn't too pleased that she wasn't given any other choice by the mansion itself; spite made her want to turn back around and leave simply to not appease whoever thought they could dictate her path. The only thing worse was the mansion leaving no sign of change at all, leaving her to transverse endless hedges for.. what? At least this was better than that reality, being stuck in an endless loop just because she upset someone - or something? She'd never been sure. She was about to move forward and go ahead with whatever was expected of her - Lethalia stopped in her tracks, straining to hear beyond the rustling of the leaves and Foggy's slight whine. "Quiet, girl," she bid, impressed with the pup falling silent, still a questioning wet nose pressed into her hand. The satyr could have sworn there were voices in the entryway the mansion so beckoned them towards, but how did one decipher speech over the hissing? February|28 quiet|5
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Post by Lethalia on Feb 28, 2021 19:09:33 GMT -6
Perhaps it'd been there all along and she hadn't noticed it, background noise as quiet as the bees and wind, a serpentine hiss as as undertone to it all. A shy serpent when acknowledged, the undertone began to fade as soon as she took notice of it. It was like the nature of the place knew her in some way. It played so many foul tricks that could've only been conjured up from her own mind - least of all being the way it seemed aware of her sore spots. More than anything it seemed to enjoy fucking with her just to make her look the fool, while someone was back somewhere laughing at her stupidity. "C'mon Foggy," Lethalia told her, perhaps with a bit more force than necessary. Trying to scare her away, huh? Well, she wasn't going to be falling for any of that stupidity - if the arch was the way forward, then that was where she'd go! February|29
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Post by Lethalia on Feb 28, 2021 19:09:43 GMT -6
Foggy was lost to it all, but she'd already follow this human almost anywhere. Her hesitation set Foggy on edge again, but minded as Lethalia soothed to the pup that she was fine and reminded her to be quiet as they approached the archway. It turned out to be a lot of fuss over nothing; the clearing was victorian-trim and romantically sweet. A secluded, sunny bench adorned with delicate twists of someone's favorite serpents - Lethalia wasn't up to snuff on the mythos behind the holidays. The clearing was planted with anything that came in a pale dusty purple, from the roses to huge dried-out sprays of lavender from last season. Early, bright irises clustered with purple-filigreed gladiolus that towered over the former. "G'girl Foggy," she praised the pup, who was stucking her nose in just about everything new she possibly could, but kept quiet about her exploring. Foggy lv|14 ly|28 February|30 quiet|6 quiet end
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Post by Jack on Feb 28, 2021 19:41:14 GMT -6
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