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Post by Kadin on Sept 30, 2020 18:42:58 GMT -6
But then Kunzite's senses picked up on something else. Another gem! As the last one had been white, this one was black. Pitch black. The pocket pet seemed to want to take it for itself and add it to its collection. Kunzite quickly swept it out of the way. Just like the other gem, it took this one into its shadows and hoarded it away. No pocket pet would one up a mining familiar!
After Lux had passed through around four times, he raised the hoop a bit higher.
Now it was about six inches off the ground. Lux could probably step over this, but it would be more difficult and he’d have to be careful to do it. “Through!” Kadin encouraged, showing Lux the treat he’d get for a job well done. The puppy knew what to do! He stepped through the hoop, yelping a bit when one of his back legs clipped against the edge of the hoop, but he wasn’t hurt! He took his praise and his treats just fine, after all, tail going a million miles a minute.
Kadin shook his head, resisting the urge to laugh, and had Lux practice a few more times.
Through Hoop: 5
130 *level up
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Post by Kadin on Sept 30, 2020 18:43:25 GMT -6
Once all the gems and living things were stored away, Kunzite could suddenly feel something else. Something familiar. Something larger. Something more magical. It must be another crystal! Now that it had found all the gems and its senses weren't muddled, it could feel it bright as day! Unlike the other crystal, which had been whisper quiet and water smooth, this one burned in its mind's eye.
The second time, he stepped over again and managed not to trip himself, this time. The third time, he whined a bit and eventually hopped through the hoop. Kadin gave him extra praise for this one. Lux was practically glowing with how happy he was to get such affection from his human! The fourth time, Lux hopped through again and received just as much praise as before. By the time it was the fifth time, he jumped through the hoop without any hesitation! Kadin had him jump through twice more at six inches before deciding that that was good enough.
Now for a challenge. Next he raised the hoop even higher, a whole foot off the ground. Lux could definitely jump this, Kadin had seen him jump higher, but it wouldn’t be easy.
Through Hoop: 6
131
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Post by Kadin on Sept 30, 2020 18:46:52 GMT -6
It searched everywhere for it. The crystal seared further and further into its mind as it got closer. It searched in the walls, in cracks in the stones, until, eventually. There it was. In a pile of flipping ROCKS, just like most of the gems it had found so far. With a swelling and shrinking that looked like a sigh, it quickly swept up the crystal before the pocket pet or anything else could take it. This was ITS.
“Through!” Kadin called, watching to see what Lux would do about this new height. The pup squared it up and LEAPT through the hoop, soaring to the other side. “Great job, Lux!” He certainly got extra treats for that! Kadin, of course, still had Lux practice several more times just to make sure that wasn't a fluke. He had the pup jumping through the hoop up and down the tunnels, all through the mines. He'd try higher heights, too, if he wasn't worried about Lux falling and hurting himself. Kadin kept him at it until he was satisfied that he had the trick down. "Great job, Lux! You did great with this one!"
Now it was time to try to think of the next thing.
Through Hoop: 7
132
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Post by Nadia on Sept 30, 2020 18:48:58 GMT -6
That's some neat looking ore!
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Post by Kadin on Oct 1, 2020 16:44:14 GMT -6
Kunzite swept away from the pocket pet that chased after him. The damn thing could also sense the crystal, no doubt, but it would not share its prize, especially one so hard won. It swept away into a deeper, darker corner to brood over the crystal alone, enjoying how the magic of it seemed to thrum through its very core, into its very soul. Crystals were so precious.
So Lux knew so many jumping tricks and seemed to be having a blast learning them. Kadin figured he could just roll with that, he certainly had more jumping tricks that Lux could learn! Kadin stood close to the puppy and held up a treat. “Leap up!” He said. This wasn’t quite what he’d been telling Lux before, but Lux recognized at least one of the words there, so he took to the air just like he had been doing before! He also jumped straight up, which was perfect since Kadin reached out to catch him.
“Good! Good boy, Lux!” Kadin laughed at he held a squirming houluh, giving him a treat and plenty of pets before putting him down. Lux had NO CLUE what just happened! But it was fun so he’d try it again!
Leap into arms: 1
133
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Post by Kadin on Oct 1, 2020 16:45:05 GMT -6
It did not want to give this one up either. It tried to turn its thoughts away from doing so, already upset at both the idea and the necessity. It could not stay here in its corner and brood over the crystal forever. Like before, it would dull its senses and make it difficult to find more gems and ores and even crystals. It could not doom itself to that fate, it was too cruel to imagine.
Whatever it was!
“Leap up!” Kadin said again, stick sticking close to Lux and indicating that he should jump straight up into the air. Lux did just that, performing the command he knew, and Kadin reached out to catch him again! Since Lux wasn’t jumping to be caught just yet, it was actually pretty awkward. He wasn’t jumping in quite the right direction or in quite the right height so Kadin had to keep making an awkward catch, but they were trying to make it work. Kadin gave him another treat and pets before putting him down.
“Leap up!” He said again and, again, caught him when Lux jumped up into the air. It was a bit difficult, but he managed well enough.
Leap into arms: 2
134
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Post by Kadin on Oct 1, 2020 16:45:50 GMT -6
The only thing that was more cruel than giving up the crystal, no doubt. It swirled around itself more and more, faster and faster, fighting with itself and not wanting to give up its prize! But eventually it deflated and removed itself from the shadows, slowly slinking back towards the human and the houluh to show him its find. It did not want to, but it had to.
Right now he was just trying to get Lux used to the idea of being caught and held after jumping up. It wasn’t too bad since Kadin had carried Lux around before and Lux already knew the command leap, but it sure was awkward for Kadin to have to try and grab Lux midair like this. He gave him another treat and more praise for following his directions regardless.
Kadin repeated this a few more times, having Lux leap up into the air while he caught him. Eventually, it started to feel less awkward as Lux began to anticipate it. He still wasn’t jumping into Kadin’s arms, but he was less squirmy about being caught and held. There were a few times where he leapt up but it was a bad angle.
leap into arms: 3
135 *level up
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Post by Kadin on Oct 1, 2020 16:46:15 GMT -6
Other objects were already calling to it in the deep and the dark, but it could not find them with dull senses. Once the human hit a pause in the training, it handed the crystal over. He paused for longer than usual this time, more affected by this crystal than the other. Eventually he bared his teeth at Kunzite and turned back to the houluh, allowing it to get back to its work.
So Kadin couldn’t catch him at all when that happened! But they kept practicing until Lux was comfortable with it.
Now to get him to actually Leap in the right direction. This time, Kadin held the treat over his own head. He’d been using his hands and treats to direct Lux to where he was supposed to jump. Now that Lux was used to the feeling of being caught, he hoped he’d be able to bypass any hesitations Lux might have had about leaping AT Kadin. “Leap up!”
The houluh barked and leapt up in front of Kadin, not quite understanding what he wanted him to do just yet. When Kadin didn’t catch him OR give him a treat, Lux was a bit confused.
leap into arms: 4
136
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Post by Kadin on Oct 1, 2020 16:46:53 GMT -6
It already missed the crystal. But now that the human held all the nearby gems, it could sense something else out there, calling to it. It searched quickly and quietly, thinking that perhaps once it found this it could spend some time with the crystal. Only until it sensed something else, of course. It dug down into a crack in the ground, glimmering and glittering all around, searching for what was valuable.
Kadin just shook his head and said the command again, “Leap up!”
This time Lux walked over and stood on his back legs, placing his paws on Kadin’s legs. He whined, wanting the treat, and bounced up and down on his back legs. “Good, Lux! You’re getting closer! Leap up!”
This time Lux huffed and he DID leap… right at Kadin! With a laugh, he caught the pup right against his chest, giving him a treat and plenty of praise for a job well done. That had been a tricky one for a moment there, but it was a LOT easier to catch Lux when he was actually jumping in the right directions rather than whatever they’d been trying before. Before had been awkward. This? He could work with.
leap into arms: 5
137
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Post by Kadin on Oct 1, 2020 16:47:13 GMT -6
And then it found it. Green and bright and precious. A metal, actually. It swept it up in its shadows to add to the collection. It had found other ore like this before and undoubtedly the human would be pleased to see this, too. He could add it to the collection that Kunzite kept finding for him, hiding it away and keeping it secret and safe from anyone who might try to take it.
Kadin put Lux down to practice some more. He wanted to make sure he had this down before they called it quits. “Leap up!”
Lux leapt up at Kadin again, but not quite high enough. He couldn’t catch him easily. Not discouraged, Kadin just said again, “Leap up!”
And Lux got it this time, jumping into Kadin’s arms. “Good! Great job, Lux. Good up.”
He sure had improved! It was fine to not having it right away, especially if he needed to practice judging the height. They kept practicing for a while longer, Kadin putting the pup down and asking him to leap up over and over, until Lux could do it without missing and without fail. He got plenty of praise and treats for practicing his new trick well.
leap into arms: 6
138
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Post by Nadia on Oct 2, 2020 9:20:42 GMT -6
This stone looks rather serpentine.
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Post by Kadin on Oct 4, 2020 19:32:02 GMT -6
It brooded over its finds, wondering if it could bring them to the human now. Hmm. Maybe not now, but soon. it wanted to look for more, to find more, to have more to have and show off once it did bring it to the human. So instead of going to him right away, it went back to searching, eager to see what else it could find. And Kunzite could sense more other there, more stones and things to have and hold and keep.
Since they had so much success with leaping, Kadin figured he might as well continue with the trend. Now that Lux could leap into his arms, he also wanted the pup to be able to leap OVER him. Maybe not his full height, of course. Even when Lux was grown that might be a bit of a big ask. But he could start with leaping over parts of him. And, eventually, maybe Lux would be good enough to leap over his back?
Thinking for a minute, Kadin sat down and stuck out his legs in front of himself, ignoring the cold, hard stone floor of the tunnel they were in. "Leap!" He encouraged to Lux, holding the treat out over his legs.
leap over me: 1
139
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Post by Kadin on Oct 4, 2020 19:32:21 GMT -6
It followed its senses, knowing that something was close. It could feel it, but it could not "see" it. A human's senses, which were exceptionally dull, likely would have even more problems finding it. Because what it was looking for was hard to see in the dark, being dark itself with greens and blacks, molted so they blended in perfectly with the surroundings. But Kunzite could find it.
The houluh looked at him curiously, tilting its head. It sniffed at Kadin's legs and stood up on its own back legs to try and get at the treat, but Kadin just reached it out further until it was at the opposite side as the houluh. So! Lux walked around Kadin's back to get to the treat. Rolling his eyes, Kadin backed up against the wall and tried again.
"Leap!" He asked of Lux, holding the treat on the opposite side of his body. Lux happily trotted around his legs this time, not seeing the problem, although he was certainly SUPPOSED to understand the word. Kadin held back his frustration, reminding himself he was just working with a puppy, and tried again. Lux looked like he was also getting frustrated from not getting the treat for so long!
"Leap!"
Leap over me: 2
140 *level up
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Post by Nadia on Oct 7, 2020 12:30:08 GMT -6
How are you supposed to mine with all of these rocks in the way?
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Post by Kadin on Oct 7, 2020 16:54:14 GMT -6
Lux whined and spun in place. Finally, not knowing what else to do, but recognizing that word, he leapt in front of Kadin. Totally not going near him at all. Still, that was something. "Good, Lux." Kadin praised, but he didn't give a treat for that one yet. He held up the treat and watched Lux trot over it it. Then he held it right over his leg and slowly lead Lux over his leg, saying, "Leap!" As he encouraged Lux to walk over his leg. "Good! Good Lux." Kadin said, relieved. Lux hadn't leapt over his leg, but they were pretty close! He held the treat over his leg again and, once again, lead Lux over his legs saying, "Leap!" Lux handily hopped over his legs this time. Not quite a leap, but they were getting closer.
It swept over the gem eagerly, sweeping it up into its shadows. It nestled it there among the others, spreading out its senses widely for a moment to see if it saw anything else nearby. It searched around in the shadows, spreading out its senses further and further, but it was having a lot of trouble finding more. Disappointed, it curled up into itself and brooded for a moment.
Leap over me: 3
141
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