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Post by Emery on Sept 30, 2023 18:56:43 GMT -6
"He is a simple creature. Small. Unintelligent. But like most creatures, he can be acclimated to performing tricks and obeying his master. For example- he has been taught his name. Klik!" She said, and as described the small crawling creature turned himself to face Emery, having heard the word he knew meant he needed to pay attention. It wasn't an impressive trick by any means, but it was indeed something he knew. She then backed up a few steps, getting a bit of distance on him. "He has other, more mobile abilities as well. I shall display them now. Klik- come." She said, giving a short hand gesture in combination with the spoken command. Klik crawled over to her immediately. He was, admittedly, not very intelligent- but that meant that she didn't have to worry about him coming up with a "better idea" on what to do like some of her cleverer creatures would.
(Klik uses Name, Come)
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Post by Emery on Sept 30, 2023 20:04:43 GMT -6
She threw him a treat for his cooperation, which he happily ate. Then, she held up another treat where he could see it, before throwing it a few short feet away- for her. For him, it was at least a couple body lengths. He began to scuttle towards it, but Emery stopped him with a command. "Klik- stay." She said. He stopped for a moment, his body still straining forward as if restrained by an unseen force, but eventually he settled down in place. Emery waited a moment so the audience could properly see his obedience before giving him a nod. "Good job, Klik." She said, and the fossil scuttled forward to grab his treat. While he ate, she pulled out the only "training tool" she brought with her to the contest hall- a small red rock. It was unassuming in appearance, but was surprisingly light to hold- a lava rock she had mined up.
(Klik uses Stay)
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Post by Emery on Sept 30, 2023 20:15:01 GMT -6
It was big enough for the audience to see it easily, but not so heavy that she couldn't throw it with her noodley arms and Klik couldn't retrieve it with his small pincers. "Klik- fetch." She said, holding up the stone so he could see it. Then, she raised her arm to shoulder height, with Klik's gaze following the stone, and she tossed it about ten feet across the arena. It wasn't a fantastic throw as she wasn't very strong, but it got the point across. To his credit, Klik went after it like a shot from a gun, and soon he was tugging the stone across the arena floor again, dragging it in quick bursts rather than picking it up. A bit odd to look at, but it did the job and soon the stone was left at Emery's feet. She carefully leaned down to pick it up, and held aloft for the crowd- a job well done.
(Klik uses Fetch, Emery uses the lava rock.) (Done!)
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Star
Full Member
Posts: 136
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Post by Star on Sept 30, 2023 20:20:40 GMT -6
I took one last look at the squishy lump of metal in my claw before heading out to the show ring. It was an odd creature, if one could even call it that, but I had grown fond of him during our time rehearsing for the contest. He was rather unique, and I truly believed that the crowd would see his strengths with the show I had planned.
I floated gently into the ring, since my claws were otherwise occupied, and announced my arrival. “I am Star,” I said in my most sing-songy, dramatic voice. It was important to establish myself as the commander right away. Often, Tat-lung were the subject of the show rather than its architect. To think of something as incredible as a Tat-lung doing petty tricks for the entertainment of people. Disgusting.
“Today I will be showing Mercury,” I said, holding up the metallic blob. “Do not fret, for he has some interesting things to show you, I promise you that.”
[21.6, 3.4]
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Star
Full Member
Posts: 136
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Post by Star on Sept 30, 2023 20:21:22 GMT -6
I rolled the blob out of my claw and onto the stage. He flattened, then quickly reformed into something that vaguely resembled a living thing. I was used to him doing this, of course, but I watched to see how the crowd reacted. They seemed curious, but otherwise unimpressed. Not that I could blame them.
“You see,” I said, revealing a shimmering disc in my claw. “Mercury has an incredible ability, and it is all to do with this. Let me show you.”
I slotted the disc into Mercury’s side, and his amorphous body slowly grew over it until it was completely enveloped. His body began to change and morph, like a viscous liquid being poured into a mold. Part by part he began to resemble something recognizable. First a tail, then some legs, and finally a head on a long, thin body. He shook his head, sending a ripple vibrating through his semi-solid body.
[21.65, 3.6]
[Using Lizard Disc]
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Star
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Posts: 136
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Post by Star on Sept 30, 2023 20:21:45 GMT -6
“As you can see, Mercury can freely rearrange his body to become just what I need at any given time, making him a truly versatile companion. Today, I will be showing you just a few of the things he can do.”
I held up a tarnished golden coin for everyone to see. “Mercury loves coins,” I explained. This was not strictly true, but it was the framing of the show.
I pulled a fishing rod out of my sack of supplies and tied the coin to the end of the line. I hovered the coin just over Mercury’s head to get his attention. He snapped into place, watching it carefully with the pits where his eyes should be. It was unclear to me just how much he could see, but it did not matter in the end.
I quickly flicked the coin over to the side of the stage where a false wall had been set up for just this purpose. I dangled the coin there halfway up the wall, far out of reach of the short little creature.
“Up the wall,” I instructed, and without a second thought, Mercury clambered across the stage and straight up the wall, sticking to it easily with his newly formed claws.
[21.7, 3.8]
[Using Old Gold Coin, Fishing Rod, and Wall Walk]
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Star
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Posts: 136
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Post by Star on Sept 30, 2023 20:22:04 GMT -6
Mercury clamped down on the coin with his sharp little teeth and let go of the wall completely, freely hanging in the air. I was certain this would not hurt him, so I let him hang there briefly while I used my spare claw to obtain the next disc.
“Good catch, Mercury,” I said, loudly enough for the judges to hear me. It was important for them to know I was in complete control. This was the obedience trial, after all.
I reached up to where Mercury hung from the fishing line by his teeth and slipped the next disc in, grabbing the old one on the way out. Switching discs was awkward, but I spent a decent amount of time perfecting the process.
Mercury’s legs quickly split in two, forming eight as his tail shrunk back into his body, swelling his elongated lizard body into a round and bulbous abdomen. Now he was a spider, and a huge one at that.
“Catch this one with your web, Mercury,” I instructed, flipping a new coin into the air. Mercury let go of the original coin just in time to shoot a sticky web at the copper coin. He pulled the web inward, clutching his prize as both he and the coin tumbled safely to the ground.
[21.75, 4]
[Using Spider Disc, Copper Old Coin, and Web]
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Star
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Posts: 136
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Post by Star on Sept 30, 2023 20:22:39 GMT -6
There was no time to waste. I tossed the fishing pole aside and grabbed another disc, as well as a golden streamer that glittered when thrown. I did my best to hide the streamer from the crowd as I switched the discs again just as Mercury rolled to his eight spindly feet.
Yet again he morphed around the new disc, a distinct creature forming rapidly. It had a long, thick tail, four paws, and big ears. Now he was a fox, and he was ready for the next trick.
“You will have to be fast for this one,” I said, tossing the streamer across the stage. “Dash to catch up with it, Mercury!”
Without hesitation, Mercury dove after the coin, his long and flowing tail becoming just a silvery blur. He caught the streamer in his mouth and brought it back promptly. “Silly me,” I said, feigning ignorance. “This is not a coin at all, just a golden trinket. Let us try again.”
[21.8, 4.2]
[Using Fox Disc, Glittering Streamer, and Dash]
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Star
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Posts: 136
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Post by Star on Sept 30, 2023 20:23:06 GMT -6
Another trick and another disc swap. This time Mercury lost his legs entirely, becoming just a long tail with a head at one end. The serpent was one of my favorite forms. There was something about it that was elegant yet powerful.
I rolled a bright yellow ball onto the stage. It glimmered with a supernatural light, just like a mini sun plucked from the sky. Clever observers would notice that this was not a coin, either, but it was eye catching nonetheless.
“Better stop it from rolling away, Mercury. Constrict!”
The snake’s lack of speed was obvious in contrast to the almost impossibly fast fox. It glided along the stage the same way a drop of dew rolled off a blade of grass on a misty morning. The light shining from the ball reflected off his shimmering body, making him appear to be made of liquid gold. He wrapped his body around the gold, eclipsing all of the light in a stacked ring of coils.
[21.85, 4.4]
[Using Snake Disc, Eversun Ball, and Constrict]
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Star
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Posts: 136
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Post by Star on Sept 30, 2023 20:23:38 GMT -6
As much as I liked the snake form, the best ones were saved for last. One of the rarest experimental forms was the dragon. It came as part of the war effort, or at least that is what the person who sold it to me insisted. Running and climbing were fine, sure, but flying was sure to impress the crowd.
The dragon drive was much different from the discs, instead being some kind of strange electronic box. I did not really understand how it worked, but that did not matter. I swapped it with the snake disc and watched the serpent grow horns, then form functional wings.
It perched on the ball, watching me carefully for another command. I revealed a glowing balloon that resembled the moon. I hoped the judges would enjoy the cleverness of the contrast between the grounded sun and floating moon.
“You will have to fly to get this one,” I said, letting the balloon go. On cue, Mercury flapped his new wings and took off into the sky, keeping pace with the glowing balloon.
[21.9, 4.6]
[Using Dragon Drive, Moon Balloon, and Fly]
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Star
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Posts: 136
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Post by Star on Sept 30, 2023 20:24:00 GMT -6
“Where is the last coin, Mercury?” I asked. That was his signal to leave the balloon and come back down for another form change. He tucked his wings in and spiraled down, landing firmly on my outstretched claw.
Just as I had with the other tricks, I prepared another disc to replace the last one. It was a shame to switch into an inferior form, but the new one had an ability this one did not have. I silently swapped the discs, watching Mercury melt over my claw. He reformed upside down, cloaked in his own wings and hanging from my claw upside down.
“It might be hard to see this one, so use your echolocation,” I instructed as I tossed the black coin high in the air. Mercury took off after it, and the sound of his clicking could be heard by those with good enough hearing. He identified the coin and swept in to grab it with his sharp little teeth, the same way a real bat would snatch a distressed moth out of the air.
[21.95, 4.8]
[Using Bat Disc, Black Old Coin, and Echolocation]
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Star
Full Member
Posts: 136
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Post by Star on Sept 30, 2023 20:24:25 GMT -6
“Good job Mercury, you found all of the coins,” I said as he landed on my claw yet again. “I think he deserves a medal for that,” I said, pulling a medal out of my nearly empty sack of goodies.
I went to place the medal on Mercury’s body, but it was much too big for him to wear. “Oh my,” I said as if this surprised me. “Looks like he might need to be a bit bigger for this to fit. What do you think about one last form change?”
The steam sample was by far the most dramatic of all the transformations. As soon as the hologram touched his body, Mercury began to swell in size until he was as big as a small Equillion. He resembled a horse made of steel plates, but of course it was all made of the same odd goo as the others. The level of detail achieved by this form was no doubt impressive, however.
I placed the medal on Mercury’s neck, but it merely melted through his body and clanked to the floor. I did this just to show the judges that what he did next was impressive. “If you want to wear it, you will have to solidify.”
Though nothing visually changed, I placed the medal on his neck again and this time it stayed in place. Just to make the point clear, I climbed up on Mercury’s back, gently perching there and allowing him to hold me up. I had just enough time to bow and thank the judges before hopping down and exiting the stage.
[22, 5]
[Using Steam Sample, Medal, and Solidify]
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Sept 30, 2023 21:04:36 GMT -6
Fiera was one of the last to go into the arena, but in her opinion, her creature was the most obedient one here. Of course she was- she couldn't disobey if she tried! Peninnah was, a few weeks ago, a perfectly content little vespa grub. But like most creatures, she had hit puberty, which for Vespa meant that she had made herself a cocoon. A cocoon made of crystal. Now she was perfectly preserved in a glittering prison while she developed her adult form. It was a beautiful sight to see, but a little difficult to tell if she was doing tricks, so Fiera got her something else- a collar of speech. Peninnah wasn't sapient of course, but the simplistic language that came from the psychic interpreter of the collar allowed Fiera to tell if Peninnah was able to hear her or not- and as a result, if she was making a decision to obey her. (Collar of Telepathy Speech is used/explained.)
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Sept 30, 2023 21:15:28 GMT -6
"How you doing down there, Pen?" Fiera said. A dreamy sigh came from the collar- that was happening a lot lately. It seemed like Peninnah existed in a sort of fog lately. She was still capable of hearing Fiera and comprehending what she was saying, but it was like the little creature was drifting through an endless dream and nothing in the outside world had much value to her. This made sense- Fiera wasn't expecting her to be particularly lucid while her body was breaking itself down and building it back up into a winged state. But still, it should be good enough for this contest. Speaking of, Fiera turned to the audience- and the judges. "Ladies and gentlemen! May I introduce to you today- Peninnah!" She said, and the spotlights circled around to gather on the juvenile vespa, sending beautiful multicolored fractal light across the floor. It was a beautiful sight- now the performance just had to make up for it.
(Peninnah responds to her Name)
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Post by Flare on Sept 30, 2023 21:19:29 GMT -6
Where there were few comers to the contest desk when Flare had applied, contest day found the waiting line to be bustling with a variety of the most unusual creatures. Some masters of their beasts focused on what they can do, others put on a show. Well, contests are usually 'shows', right? What was 'showy' about his canine companion. But before giving that much thought, the previous performance ends. Its his turn. Shabh hip-nudges him as they walk up the stairs together. Confident he walks with tall shoulders and his wings folded in a...y'know... way they weren't open. Easy for him to believe. He's not needing to speak to the humanoid populace who is watching him. Flare himself did his best to clean himself up, so he doesn't look like the hermit that he is. Deep breath in. hold... deep breath out. "My name is Flare." He gesture to himself. Shabh attempts to itch at his ear with the thumb of his bone wing, distracted briefly. "This is Shabh, my rakai." His ears perk while his partner talks, looking over at him at an angle that doesn't hook the winghook on his ear. "Sit, Shabh." There's the slightest shift of his shoulder as the giant canine sits on his haunches, then itches his ear like a proper dog. With his foot. Stupid fall. [shabh reacts to his name, sit]
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