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Post by Ashe on Nov 8, 2019 3:43:01 GMT -6
Stephen looked at Ashe in horror, and the man realized he might have gone a little too far on the description. "It's okay! They can heal from all of that, if given something else to entertain them and work their minds. Do you ever get bored and chew on a pencil, or bite your fingernails?" Stephen looked at Ashe with wide eyes, but shook his head no. Shit. What age did kids go to school? Was he in school? He couldn't think of another childhood bad habit. Adult? Yes. Alcohol, drugs, sex, rock'n roll. "Well, ah, some kids do that out of boredom too, when their minds aren't challenged enough. Good thing you must have a good teacher at school!"
"So what you're saying is... Poppy is just bored?" Stephen asked, puzzled. Ashe gave a short nod, watching as Akop ripped the squeaky ham away from Inyala. The Imp was very grumpy about this turn of events and put her fists on her hips and started chattering angrily at him. Akop, sufficiently scolded, dropped the squeaky ham, which Poppy snatched up and ran away with. "But I play with him a lot! I promise I do!" He looked desperate now, wanting Ashe to believe him.
"I know you do, and that's very good. Sometimes, puppies like other playmates, too. Or different toys. Sometimes, they might be in the mood for a rope. Or a ball. Sometimes a stick. A great toy is a ball with holes in it. Put some treats inside and let them figure out how to get them. Or some peanut butter in a hollow bone..."
Akop: 3 1/5 Inyala: 3 1/5 Ashe: 0 16/20
Post 16
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Post by Ashe on Nov 8, 2019 3:48:45 GMT -6
The boy still looked a little upset at the idea that he was the cause of Poppy's stress. Ashe thought of a way to word it so he might understand. "Well, you see... You love your mom, right? And she helps take care of you and Poppy and makes sure you have what you need. But you like to play with Poppy, not just your mom all the time. And soon you'll have a sibling that can play with you, too. Poppy doesn't have that, he just has you, and while he loves you a lot, sometimes we need to spice things up a bit. That's all. You're doing a wonderful job!" He reached out and ruffled the kid's hair, earning a shy smile from him. The puppies were running all over now, chasing each other and tackling each other.
"I don't suppose Mom would let you get another puppy...?" Ashe asked. Before Stephen could answer, he heard a loud scoff and an exclamation.
"Absolutely not! We are not a zoo! Two would be too much right now..." She bounced the baby on her hip, shaking her head. Stephen looked sad all over again, as if Mom were crushing his hopes of making Poppy better. She saw this and sighed, relenting. "We can see about getting new toys, though. I think we can afford that much. We'll try some new things..."
"Some treats, too," Ashe suggested. "Instead of just playing all the time, maybe you could spend your time together training him? Start with little things like come, sit, stay, lay down. You can train these guys a lot of cool tricks!"
Akop: 3 2/5 Inyala: 3 2/5 Ashe: 0 17/20
Post 17
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Post by Ashe on Nov 8, 2019 4:01:11 GMT -6
Stephen nodded eagerly at the idea of having a task to do to help improve Poppy's quality of life. "I can do that!" He said, between nods. Poppy, sides heaving with exertion from playing with Akop, took a break from the game to return to his master's side. He sat, panting, tongue lolling, and eventually slid into a laying down position at his feet. Stephen stooped down to pet him and scratch behind his ears.
"Alright, so - new toys, treats for trick training... If you don't mind, could I look and see what kind of food you've been giving him, too?" Ashe asked, as Akop came over and collapsed almost on top of his new best friend. They'd left Inyala alone on the couch, and she took advantage of their fatigue to gather up all of the shiny new toys back into the couch. Slobber was covering the ball and the squeaky ham, and she shook her soaked fingers with disgust.
Ashe and the other two went into the kitchen, where the mom was busy getting out a bag of Rakai chow. Ashe looked at it, then frowned. "This isn't the worst kind of food," He said, knowing it was the cheapest and cheapest was all they could afford. "But this is for grown Rakai, and we might need the puppy version. It has more nutrients in it which will boost Poppy's energy, and more added meat. The adult version recommends adding meat yourself, since some tend to be picky about Murp or COD."
Akop: 3 3/5 Inyala: 3 3/5 Ashe: 0 18/20
Post 18
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Post by Ashe on Nov 8, 2019 4:06:57 GMT -6
He gave a few more recommendations of food, including just going full "from the butcher, it's cheaper, but raw looks kind of nasty" etc. He personally invested in a Murp ranch, and for his investment he got a decent amount of meat. He needed it, for sure, with the amount of carnivorous pets he owned that needed to be fed daily! Gods, if only he could give his pets an injection or a pill that made them never be hungry again, he would be able to buy the city itself!
To her credit, Mom seemed to be taking notes and paying rapt attention. Anything to keep her from having to get a second puppy, it sounded like. And Stephen was very attentive, eager to help and promising to help feed Poppy properly, even if it meant helping prepare raw meat. In the end, it appeared to be a success, but Ashe had one last issue he wanted to address. "On the note of playmates... If you don't want to get a second, which is totally understandable, would it be possible to see if one of Stephen's friends have a Rakai, or a Vulticus, or a Houluh? They might like to play together sometime."
"Jamie has a Vulticus, mom!" Stephen said suddenly. "Remember? It's a Wild!" That sounded to Ashe like a great game plan. Even if the Vulticus in question wasn't a puppy as well, they would hopefully get along in the spirit of play. Now it was time for him to find his own playmates... Akop was still passed out on the floor with Poppy, and Inyala was sitting on the couch with the toys.
Akop: 3 4/5 Inyala: 3 4/5 Ashe: 0 19/20
Post 19
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Post by Ashe on Nov 8, 2019 4:13:22 GMT -6
Ashe made a choice on the whim, and decided to leave the toys he'd brought over with the kind family. It wouldn't hurt for him to have an abundance of toys, and it would lessen the burden of what the mom had to run out and buy. He'd walked over to the couch and thanked Inyala for her service, then welcomed her up onto his shoulder. He braced her with a hand and stooped to pick up the abandoned leash, which he attached to Akop and gave a tug. "Get up, lazy bones, we got a long walk home!" The Mur got up, but pulled on the leash out to the kitchen, where he immediately found the water bowl and quickly drained it. "Sorry!" Ashe apologized, but Mom waved him off.
"That's fine, he was a big help today! Wasn't he, Stephen? Say bye to the nice puppy." She smiled at her son, then looked at Ashe again. "Please, if there's anything we can do to pay you..." Ashe shook his head, saying the care of the Rakai was enough. But in the end, she'd pushed something into his hands, saying she had no need for the silly old thing and maybe it could help Ashe one day.
After a few more moments of goodbyes all around, Ashe and company made their way out of the house and back to the street. With hands lifted in farewell on both sides, he made his departure. Akop seemed revived, and Inyala seemed relaxed; and Ashe felt accomplished.
Akop: 4 0/5 Inyala: 4 0/5 Ashe: 1 0/20
Post 20
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Post by Renathan on Nov 8, 2019 11:53:33 GMT -6
Excellent job! Your QP will be added to the bank, and your prize will be sent to you shortly!
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