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Post by Lethalia on Apr 15, 2020 16:34:13 GMT -6
It was uncertain whether of would be a bad thing to instil even more bravery into the fiesty pup, but she would stand a better chance at running away from the larger critters in her care if she didn't freeze to fear. As such, Lethalia had brought out her scariest and yet least-scary creature she had. Esti. Of course, on the surface a fire-breathing temperamental hen was fairly daunting, but Leth and her had reached some kind of understanding quite a long time ago. Esti might've hated the pit, but she fell into the role of a dominant broodmother beautifully - as did never setting claw on the sands again. That being said, she knew her hen wouldn't ever be the type to bring any harm to a puppy, of all things! The hatchlings under her care would be more annoying than this pup ever would, especially considering the smallest of the sarane hatchling were probably the same size as her right now. Rounding the corner of the hen shed to see a huge, brown hen lounging in the grass, Gold stopped completely short. Clearly, she didn't share her owner's assessment on what a harmless creature Esti was, because Gold turned straight back around into her owner's legs. Esti lv|33.1 ly|33.1 Gold lv|14.1 ly|28.1 hardy|1
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Post by Lethalia on Apr 15, 2020 16:34:31 GMT -6
"What, baby? Something scary?'' Lethalia asked as Gold hid behind her legs, cowering at that huge dragon. Of course she knew they were on the property since the sarane were kind of a huge trade-off to living here... but never up close. They oozed of predator and Gold was enough of a survivalist to know she's get swallowed up by one of those oversized birds of prey any time; the satyr appreciated that such common sense hadn't needed taught. She'd have to look out for regular birds of prey anyhow, never mind the 'roided up labs' variants! Hopefully this wouldn't make the pup bold enough to do something disrespectful to her collection of pseudo-dragons, but she still felt it safer than letting the pup get caught to go belly-up for the terrifying creatures. Esti wasn't doing much her part to look terrifying though, not having moved an inch from where she had been sunning herself before the houluh showed up. "Yeah Gold, that's a terrifyin' one, thanks for lettin' me know," Lethalia soothed, even as she kept walking towards the brown hen. As she got even closer and didn't seem to be letting up, the houluh stopped following and let the satyr walk the rest of the way up to the super-scary hen. She hit the end of her leash and staggered a few terrified steps forward as she had to. hardy|2
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Post by Lethalia on Apr 15, 2020 16:34:38 GMT -6
Esti hardly saw it fit to even look up when her human approached, thick tail flattening blades of grass as it swayed along the ground, doing little more than grunting a greeting. Nevermind the puppy, it would be akin to moving a mountain if the pup had tried to do anything with mama-bear Esti. The hen did flick her tiny ears at the crinkling of butcher paper; most of her creatures full well knew what that sound was in pretty short order! While the sarane tended to 'serve' themselves dinner out of their choice of fodder animals, it was always a special treat to get something delivered to them. It was a special bribe today, just to ensure the hen's cooperation with Gold. One of the nicer looking murp steers had recently been butchered, and the haunch she laid down on the ground for Esti was almost too sinfully pretty for this purpose. But it definitely got Esti's head up! Leth ripped the butcher paper down the side to tug it free from the wedge of meat, and the hen looked at her with some reproach. No tricks, no training for such a large treat? "Yeah, just because y'good, Esti," Lethalia lied, throwing an arm over the hen's thick neck and scratching both sides of it to assure her all was fine. Gold still cowered as far away as the leash would let her, but even her little nose was set to twitching at the appearance of that hunk of meat. hardy|3
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Post by Lethalia on Apr 15, 2020 16:34:46 GMT -6
Once she'd decided there weren't any tricks behind this offering, Esti reached out with a massive set of talons to paw at the narrower bone end of the haunch. It sent Gold skittering at the end of her lead as the hen's claws skidded and scraped along the bone and looked an awfully lot like they were reaching out for the puppy as well! Lethalia smiled to herself, patting Esti's sinewy neck as the hen settled down with her treat. Gold didn't know how safe she had it, since she would be far too much of a nuisance to catch for how bony the resulting snack would be! Esti had a much better treat that wouldn't be running away from her. The satyr grabbed up the butcher paper and a few of the meat scraps around it, making a minuscule portion of the raw meat off to the side. Though the hen didn't even seem to care that the satyr began scraping a few pieces off the haunch itself, she began to growl and grumble delicately about it, just out of principal. Lethalia's joking admonishment of the hen was cut short, for someone else didn't find the hen's response quite so charming. Gold had hit the end of her leash, flailing against the collar and letting out a cry like she was utterly convinced this was the place she was going to die. hardy|4
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Post by Lethalia on Apr 15, 2020 16:34:57 GMT -6
"Gold, jheeze," Lethalia breathed, coiling the leash up to gather up the whirlwind of a puppy. She only had to weather a few little nips while setting the pup between her knees, facing away from the very scary hen that was laying only yards away. "There we are, good now," she continued calmly, reaching over for the meat scraps while she remained kneeling with the puppy. "See? All better!" the satyr prompted as Gold took the generous hunk of meat from her palm. Once the treat was devoured and Gold had her wits gathered, Lethalia slowly rose to her feet - revealing the hen still loafing around behind her. Though Gold froze at the sight of her, her little nose was also set twitching over the buttery meal that Esti had. "Y'cam c'mere and get some," Lethalia informed the pup, back to kneeling nearby the sarane at the end of Gold's leash. Scary dragon-thing! But also - really good treat in hand! There didn't seem to be a lot of inner debate before Gold headed for the treat. She didn't do it all at once, and definitely skittered away when Esti lifted her head to inspect the approaching puppy, but eventually Gold's stiff-legged shuffling brought her to snatching the meat out of Lethalia's hand. The satyr shortened up her leash, but didn't seem to really need to since Gold stuck around and sniffed down her hands for more treats. Since she had such a good day, Lethalia brought the pup out once more the following one to have another nice 'meal' with Esti. Like with most things, her houluh made her feel a fool for even trying to confirm she'd learned something... The second time, she had to save Gold from trying to take a bite directly from Esti's meal. Too bold for her own good, maybe this was going to be a problem... Esti lv|34 ly|34 Gold lv|15 ly|30 hardy|5 hardy training accepted!
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Post by Lethalia on Nov 8, 2020 12:35:21 GMT -6
Lethalia never failed to get hung up on a name. Never knew why, especially since she tended to remember the interesting names she'd heard in her adventures, even if the face didn't remain imprinted in the same way. Some just weren't quite right, epecially when she considered hollering them across the farm at a critter. She'd been given the same advice about naming her child; you were supposed to yell it downstairs as a test. At the time living in a caravan, she'd have probably found it funnier if she had ever lived in a house, let alone one with stairs. Though 'Red' is always tempting with a critter with such a firey coat, there was absolutely no way the innocent houluh pup was going to be named that. Not that there was anything wrong with it (she still called her other houluh "boy' for godssake) but it was likely better to not name a pet with an ex's name. Maple lv|2.1 ly|0.1
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Post by Lethalia on Nov 8, 2020 12:35:45 GMT -6
There were plenty of people for Leth to stay hung up over, and she was determined that Saira 'Red' was not going to be one of them.
So then... Lethalia watched her newer red pup wander around the perimeter of the yard, clearly still unsure of the new place and situation she found herself in. All new critters had some adjustment period to go through, some more than others. Little red here was going to get all the time she needed to get used to the place, but was definitely going to take her time about it. This was just one of those pups that skittered and spooked at every little thing; it was amazing that she had progressed to adventuring the yard instead of frozen on the porch. Lethalia had to quite firmly shoo off a curious Boy and Gold since their prescience completely disabled the newbie, even with the curious noses safely on the opposite side of the fence.
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Post by Lethalia on Nov 8, 2020 12:36:05 GMT -6
Even now with the place to herself, the little girl pup still flinched and tucked her legs when the fodder murp would low at one another in the distance.
Lethalia sat cross-legged in the middle of the yard like she would often do with a new creature, letting the pup get used to her presence, her smell. Even if right now little-red flinches every time the woman even readjusts her seat. Everything with time, but this one might be a challenge of sorts. There was a passing thought that it would be kinder to let the nervous girl live out her years somewhere more peaceful than a farm, but it was rather early to be entertaining such a thought. The satyr was well aware the pup hadn't been mistreated thus far, which made it seem likely she was going to keep her nerves as part of a personality instead of a passing thing. They would just have to see how she settled into this life.
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Post by Lethalia on Nov 8, 2020 12:36:20 GMT -6
After quite some daydreaming on the pup's bright orange coat, Lethalia settled on naming her for the brilliant sugar maple trees she'd gotten to see from time to time, as the fall festivities brought on memories of the opposite season. Those with the biggest sweet tooth on the Caravan - and Leth was among them, of course - knew what townships and little cities had the best sugary treats. They knew which towns were maple-tapping towns, among one of the most anticipated stops for the satyr. If they were lucky and really pressed to get to town the moment winter lightened enough for the Caravan, they'd make it. It wasn't as if the whims of a single teenage girl could alter it's progression, so relying on luck and the whims of traveling traders meant the times she did catch the sap-run were special indeed. Since the towns weren't particularly large or lucrative, it wasn't the most common stop.
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Post by Lethalia on Nov 8, 2020 12:36:55 GMT -6
Back then, sugar had been an expensive luxury to spend too much coin on, but it was her favorite thing to pine over when she could. Coming upon a town deep in sugaring season without any extra coin was a travesty indeed. The air would be heavy with the smell of thickening maple syrup, tiny towns where the scent was so all-encompassing that they may well have had every capable stovetop leaden with tree sap. Some places even cooked the nectar down even further into grainy-but-creamy maple-leaf shaped candies that melted as soon as they hit your tongue. They were basically just sugar cubes at that point, just so much better because they were maple. Though the trees took on a coat of reds and orange for the fall, sugaring season didn't come around till earliest spring. As she'd heard some of the maple-workers put it, maple season is like the very last breath of winter. Maple lv|3 ly|2
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Post by Lethalia on Nov 8, 2020 12:37:40 GMT -6
Somehow, Lethalia figured Maple could forgive her for the misalignment between her red coat and sugaring in spring. Accuracy didn't really seem to be the 'deal' with houluh names, anyhow. It charmed Lethalia anyway, and that was all that really mattered in the end. Nostalgia of another life conjured up the idea to match Maple's deep red-orange coat. It would suit her just as well as Gold was named for her almost-gilded appearnace. "What d'ya think little girl, Maple?" Lethalia posed the question aloud - apparently too loudly, at that. It was the first time she'd spoken to the houluh the entire time they'd been out here after all - and Lethalia had likely been sitting in the morning sun just thinking for near half an hour. Whoops. Sorry pup. The mere lit of her voice caused the pup's tail and butt to drop as she whirled around to face Leth. "Woah now, y'okay. Maple, Maple-pup?"name|1
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Post by Lethalia on Nov 8, 2020 12:37:59 GMT -6
"Goodness Maple, what'd they do to ya?" the satyr continued to joke, even if Maple didn't much appreciate her talking. This one came from a good home, so she felt comfortable making cracks about the pup's nerves. There were some things she'd let her critters get away with if it made them uncomfortable, but being made nervous by talk wasn't one of those things. Unfortunately, she'd just have to get used to it. Not a soul had gotten the satyr to shut up thus far, seemed unlikely to happen now. Normally she might try and go soothe the critter she'd spooked, but Maple wasn't quite 'there' yet by the looks of it. The houluh would warm up eventually as was their nature, but in the meantime there was no reason to push it. "Right, Maple?" Leth piped up again, as though the pup was privy to the inner churning of her mind. name|2
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Post by Lethalia on Nov 8, 2020 12:38:24 GMT -6
If she was expecting a response, the side-eye she got instead would've been disappointing. As it was... at least that wasn't a flinch this time? Baby steps! Even if the response this far was merely reactionary to the mere fact that she'd opened her mouth and not quite for her name, they were still working towards something. But.. just looking up at anything wasn't going to cut it, either. Lethalia furrowed her brow, giving herself a moment to watch Maple's attention wane and consider her idea. There was no reason it shouldn't get her the results she wanted! Thus, she only waited as long as it took for Maple to fully move on, and just enough content for her to start talking about something. "Y'like playin' with th' murp, once 'ya brave enough," she settled on, since thinking about the houluh's future was an easy one for now. It would give her plenty of content to speak aloud instead of just mulling over. name|3
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Post by Lethalia on Nov 8, 2020 12:38:45 GMT -6
Maple was becoming less reactive to the sound of her voice, but that didn't mean she wasn't reacting. The satyr's voice didn't inspire quite the scare it had at the beginning of the day, but the houluh was skittish enough that she had to whirl to face the noisemaking. Concerned, laid flat ears relaxed just slightly once her eyes settled in the woman. It was just the lady who had been making a lot of nose, it was fine. If not annoying. Soon as Maple's rapt attention was dropped, Lethalia started up again. "Then again, dogs are kinda' born bein' 'cow-y' or not, huh?" she asked to the air, as though she had no clue she was driving the puppy absolutely mad. "Maybe y'be the start of somethin', pup. A whole buncha' red cowdogs sure would be cute..." Lethalia found the longer she meandered over the thoughts that came to mind, the less Maple seemed bothered by her drivel. If she paused long enough, Maple would flinch a little when she started talking again - but that reaction lessened gradually as well. name|4
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Post by Lethalia on Nov 8, 2020 12:39:55 GMT -6
Not wanting to stress her pup out, she eventually left the pup alone for the remainder of the day once she'd come a little more accustomed to the lay of the land (yard) and her talkative owner. It was no small transition for critters to make, and she was more than willing to give Maple some berth in the meantime. ... When Lethalia opened the next day with taking Maple outside and beginning to talk at her again, the houluh flattened her ears and glowered, whining along with the constant noise. The moment passed, and Maple moved on to doing her own thing. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to essentially train the puppy to ignore her, but something about having a neurotic mess on her hands every time she talked was far less preferable. Perhaps with time Maple would have grown out of it on her own, and while Leth was patient enough to let the houluh become adjusted, neuroticism was best tended to quickly, before it became a habit. Maple lv|4 ly|4 name| 5
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