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Bite Me
Aug 19, 2020 1:51:59 GMT -6
Post by Nerius on Aug 19, 2020 1:51:59 GMT -6
[Schism - Danger Sense - 12]
<Ugh, do you have to?> the drake complained, not thrilled at the idea of being blindfolded.
<Considering I can't turn invisible like you, yes,> Nerius explained, tying the cloth around the drake's face. It could be possible with a spell, and it might be something to look into later, but for now, his attention was on the sarane. Once the cloth was attached, and he was sure Schism couldn't see, he stepped back, loading the slingshot and firing a rock at the drake.
Schism was able to hear it, and he did move, trying to get out of the path of the flying stone, but unable to see, it still struck him, and bounced off his shoulder. <Try it again,> Nerius grabbed another rock, and used the slingshot to launch it at the sarane. Again, he tried to move out of the way, but it still hit, leading to a grumpy growl.
(Nerius: 4/10) (Schism: Lv: 63, 229/230 | Lyl: 43, 219/220)
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Bite Me
Aug 19, 2020 2:18:42 GMT -6
Post by Nerius on Aug 19, 2020 2:18:42 GMT -6
[Schism - Danger Sense - 13]
Again Nerius grabbed another rock, shot it at the sarane, and watched as it bounced of the drake's scaley hide. He was having more trouble with this than the earlier training, but Nerius supposed he couldn't blame the drake, Schism didn't have the same sensing abilities as himself.
So he wasn't too surprised or upset when the next few rocks bounced off the blindfolded sarane, but finally, he managed to evade one, the stone flying over his head.
<Did that miss?> the drake asked, a good sign as it meant he knew something had been shot at him.
<It did, that was good!> Nerius praised the drake. No treat this time, as Schism wouldn't be able to catch it without looking, and he didn't trust a blindfolded drake's teeth near his fingers. At least Schism seemed proud enough of himself that the praise served as some sort of encouragement for the drake.
(Nerius: 5/10) (Schism: Lv: 64, 230/235 | Lyl: 44, 220/225)
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Bite Me
Aug 19, 2020 2:29:33 GMT -6
Post by Nerius on Aug 19, 2020 2:29:33 GMT -6
[Schism - Danger Sense - 14]
It would still take quite a bit more practice, so Nerius loaded up another rock, and fired it at the drake. This one, sadly, hit Schism in the chest, but he hadn't really expected the drake to master it immediately after one miss. So he readied the slingshot, and fired again. Schism managed to evade this one, but it might have been luck rather than skill. Either way, he praised the sarane, encouraging him, too many failures and he'd get frustrated and irratable.
Nerius continued the practice, shooting the stones and the blindfolded drake until he was able to, mostly, avoid them successfully. It didn't take too long, but the stones were also all coming from the same place, Nerius hadn't moved since he'd started firing at the drake. That would have to change, as a foe in the Pit wouldn't stay still. So without warning the drake, Nerius took a few steps, this time firing from the front of the drake.
(Nerius: 6/10) (Schism: Lv: 64, 231/235 | Lyl: 44, 221/225)
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Bite Me
Aug 19, 2020 2:35:17 GMT -6
Post by Nerius on Aug 19, 2020 2:35:17 GMT -6
[Schism - Danger Sense - 15]
Schism hadn't seemed to notice the change, and when he attempted to dodge, stepped forward, and the stone struck him in the chest.
<Ow, what?> he was confused, and somewhat offended, not appropriating the sudden switch that had been pulled on him.
<Another drake in the Pit isn't going to stay put,> Nerius explained to the drake, <So I'll be moving around, shooting at you from different angles.>
The drake wasn't pleased about this, but didn't have any argument to put forth, and Nerius moved to a new spot before firing again. Schism tried to dodge in a different direction this time, but the rock still struck him, a glancing hit at the base of his tail. He growled a little, more complaint than anger, and Nerius moved to fire the slingshot again. As before, his dodge wasn't quite successful, and Nerius was able to land a glancing hit. He was still doing better than at the start, at least.
(Nerius: 7/10) (Schism: Lv: 64, 232/235 | Lyl: 44, 222/225)
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Bite Me
Aug 19, 2020 2:44:51 GMT -6
Post by Nerius on Aug 19, 2020 2:44:51 GMT -6
[Schism - Danger Sense - 16]
Not good enough though, and Nerius had him continue their practice, moving around, and shooting stones at the drake from different angles. While Schism always moved, over time he got better at tracking the sounds, and slowly Nerius started scoring less and less hits on the drake. Eventually, Schism was consistently avoiding the stones, and not because of poor marksmanship.
Nerius was ready to call it good at that point, and walked over to the drake. <I think you've got it,> he praised the drake, then warned him before reaching up to the drake's face, <I'm going to remove the blindfold now.> He didn't want Schism biting on reflex or something at a sudden touch to his face. Whether or not the warning was necessary, he behaved as Nerius removed the cloth, blinking at the sudden exposure to light. He gave the drake several treats, a reward for a job well done, before starting the trip back to the kennel together.
-- Nerius and Schism leave --
(Nerius: 8/10 +Added!) (Schism: Lv: 64, 233/235 | Lyl: 44, 223/225)
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Bite Me
Sept 28, 2020 23:00:53 GMT -6
Post by Nerius on Sept 28, 2020 23:00:53 GMT -6
Macchiato
Cute as houluh puppies were, Nerius had to admit he was a bit out of his depth. He was much less experienced a trainer than many citizens of the Labs, and what experience he did have was mostly with large reptiles or plants. The small puppy napping in his arms was neither, but at least they were supposed to be one of the more agreeable to being trained species, 'designed to follow the laws of man' or something like that.
He wasn't sure what exactly that would mean for training, but it had to be better than training a notoriously ornery species. At hey, at least she wouldn't try to kill him or remove a limb during training, if he could handle a sarane, he could handle a puppy. Even the trip to the park was easier than with some of his other pets, the pup snoozing most of the way there.
(Nerius: 1/10) (Macchiato: Lv: 0, 1/5 | Lyl: 0, 1/5)
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Bite Me
Sept 28, 2020 23:17:11 GMT -6
Post by Nerius on Sept 28, 2020 23:17:11 GMT -6
But it wasn't long before she woke up, quickly becoming excited by the new surroundings, and wiggling around in his arms. Nerius wasn't supprised, he'd already learned she was an energetic little thing, and rather than juggle a wiggly pup for the rest of the walk, double checked to make sure the leash was secure, and set her down. He started second guessing that decision very soon, as she immediately went to sniffing around the grass, giving absolutely no care to the fact that he was trying to get somewhere.
Not that he had a specific place in mind, it was rather quiet this early, with lots of free training plots. Mostly he just wanted to get off the main path, so she wouldn't be startled (or squished) by a large creature walking by. He was able to coax the pup into following him without too much trouble at least, choosing a spot where a row of hedges blocked a direct view of the path.
(Nerius: 2/10) (Macchiato: Lv: 0, 2/5 | Lyl: 0, 2/5)
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Bite Me
Sept 28, 2020 23:30:04 GMT -6
Post by Nerius on Sept 28, 2020 23:30:04 GMT -6
[Macchiato - Name (Maki) - 1]
There were many things that would be helpful to teach the pup, but the best place to start would be her name. Names were a little more complicated with houhuh than other species, with their show names and call names. He'd chosen 'Macchiato' for the pup, as her colors and markings reminded him of a latte macchiato, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to use that as a call name, or work it into a show name somehow.
He did know he'd want to use 'Maki' as a quick, easy way to get the pup's attention, so Nerius decided to start there. The puppy wasn't paying any attention to him at the moment, which worked for training this particular thing, and was much more interested in the grass around his legs. Given the tiny size of the pup, he knelt down before calling "Maki!" That caught the houluh's attention immediately, though only due to it being a new sound, and him being closer to her level.
(Nerius: 3/10) (Macchiato: Lv: 0,3/5 | Lyl: 0, 3/5)
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Bite Me
Sept 28, 2020 23:40:44 GMT -6
Post by Nerius on Sept 28, 2020 23:40:44 GMT -6
[Macchiato - Name (Maki) - 2]
Still, it was the response he wanted, so Nerius gave her a treat. "Good pup!" He praised her as well; he often wondered if his creatures in training really cared about that, but houluh were supposed to be eager to please. And sure enough, the happy tone of his voice was enough to cause a few wags of the tail, which was much more of a positive response than praise had had ever gotten from something like a sarane. Schism liked his ego boosted, sure, but it wasn't the same.
Also unlike a sarane, the puppy wasn't about to take his hand off either, and while she eagerly ate the treat, Nerius had no concerns about his fingers remaining intact. The treat quickly disappeared, but she continued to stare at him, hoping for more treats. That was hardly unusual, but she seemed to watch him for longer than his sarane whelps usually did.
(Nerius: 4/10) (Macchiato: Lv: 0, 4/5 | Lyl: 0, 4/5)
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Bite Me
Sept 28, 2020 23:56:51 GMT -6
Post by Nerius on Sept 28, 2020 23:56:51 GMT -6
[Macchiato - Name (Maki) - 3]
With no more treats forthcoming, it didn't take too long for the energetic pup's attention to drift, and soon enough she became more interested in a large leaf laying on the ground. He let her investigate it for a little while, before calling "Maki!" The pup looked up at the sound, but again it was just because of a new noise, and not because the word actually meant anything.
Still, he told her she was a "Good pup!" and gave the houluh a treat. While she had a snack, Nerius thought over how he was going to go with this training. Usually, the challenge was getting the critter to pay attention to him at all, while Maki looked at him whenever he said anything. It might be more of a case of desensitizing her to non name words, which he supposed wasn't too different, he often ended up with pets that would look at him for anything once they'd picked up on 'attention' equaling 'food'.
(Nerius: 5/10) (Macchiato: Lv: 1, 5/10 | Lyl: 2, 5/10)
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Post by Nerius on Oct 2, 2020 2:08:01 GMT -6
[Macchiato - Name (Maki) - 4]
It was a matter of acclimating the puppy to the sound of his voice, he supposed, while keeping a response to her name specifically. He'd just.. need to talk to the pup? "You're going to look at me no matter what you say, aren't you?" Sure enough, Macchiato stared at him, giving a slight wag of the tail. "Which is exactly what I do not what, but I suppose my speaking is more interesting than a fallen leaf." More staring puppy. "And I am running out of things to say to you, this would be much easier if you were a plant."
Oh right! He'd brought along a magazine all about houluh, he could read that out loud. Nerius flipped though, until he landed on an article about the salonnes, which sounded like an interesting enough article for him, at least, and begun reading, "Any creature may enter a contest, only the noble houluh in the prestigious salonnes..."
(Nerius: 6/10) (Macchiato: Lv: 1, 6/10 | Lyl: 2, 6/10)
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Post by Nerius on Oct 2, 2020 2:15:45 GMT -6
[Macchiato - Name (Maki) - 5]
The writer clearly had a bias for houluh, and the more of the article he read, the more pretentious it became. Still, annoying as it was, reading the article did what he needed it to, and after a few paragraphs, Macchiato's attention started to drift. He couldn't blame her. He let the pup's attention fully fade, before pausing his reading to call out "Maki!" The pup didn't respond, the word not yet sticking out from anything else he'd been saying.
"Maki!" Nerius repeated, this time taking out a treat, rustling the packaging. That caught her attention, and she looked right at him, sniffing at the treat just out of reach in his hand. The treat was soon given as reward, as well as being praised with "Good pup!" He'd heard using a consistant 'praise word' was helpful, so he'd stick with that. That was usually what people praised their dogs with, right?
(Nerius: 7/10) (Macchiato: Lv: 1, 7/10 | Lyl: 2, 7/10)
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Post by Nerius on Oct 2, 2020 2:23:25 GMT -6
[Macchiato - Name (Maki) - 6]
Nerius waited a few seconds, before going back to reading the magazine. The pup watched him at first, but as before, her attention slowly faded, and after a while she was more interested in trying to chew on a stick that listening to Nerius. At this point, he paused reading, and called out "Maki!" while taking a treat out of the bag.
She was still more interested in the food, but did pay attention to give, so he praised the puppy and gave the treat. The idea was sort of working, he just needed to repeat it until she was looking at him just because of the name being called, and not the food. So he did, continuing to read the article until Macchiato lost interest, then calling her name while holding up a treat. Then, when she looked over for the food, was praised, and given the treat as a reward.
(Nerius: 8/10) (Macchiato: Lv: 1, 8/10 | Lyl: 2, 8/10)
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Post by Nerius on Oct 2, 2020 2:33:55 GMT -6
[Macchiato - Name (Maki) - 7]
Nerius repeated the process until she was regularly looking at him the first time he said her call name, without checking to see if he had food first. At that point he changed to a simple trick he'd used before with other critters, and only pretended to be holding a treat while calling "Maki!" The pup, being used to having a treat, looked at him, and was confused when she realized he wasn't holding anything, as the critters he subjected to this often were. He quickly took out a treat and gave it, praising her with "Good pup!"
She no longer looked at him whenever he started reading, and Nerius repeated this part, calling her name without holding a treat, continuing until he felt confident that she would respond to her call name, and only her name, with or without food being visible. He was glad to be done with this part, mostly because the article had gotten tedious pages ago.
(Nerius: 9/10) (Macchiato: Lv: 1, 9/10 | Lyl: 2, 9/10)
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Post by Nerius on Oct 2, 2020 2:58:44 GMT -6
[Macchiato - Sit - 1]
In addition to the more pretentious articles, the magazine also held more useful information, such as suggested basic obedience, and tips for teaching them. Nerius hadn't wanted to use that as a distraction, as it would be potentially confusing later for the pup with command words like 'sit' or 'stay'. He sort of had a plan for this, and 'sit' was next on the agenda. It wasn't something he had a ton of practice with, it was a bit odd for a sarane, but common for a puppy. With any luck, the training article would be useful.
"Maki," he called, as the pup had lost interest in him as he fussed with the magazine. She looked at him, at Nerius took out a treat. He didn't give it over quite yet though, and held it above the puppy's head, just out of reach. He slowly moved it backwards, the pup's attention following it, calling out "Sit," just as the pup overbalanced and plopped into a sitting position.
(Nerius: 10/10 +Added!) (Macchiato: Lv: 2, 10/15 | Lyl: 4, 10/15)
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