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Post by Azrie on Jul 3, 2024 20:23:05 GMT -6
Training:
Saladonia 1.0 / 8.0
Cunning: 3 Animal Average Top Speed: 45 mph Power Levels: 5 (old)
Stamina: 8 Strength: 7 Resistance: 5 Dexterity: 3 Mentality: 2 Special Abilities: Run Moves: Buck, Nip
Trained: N/A
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Post by Azrie on Jul 3, 2024 20:54:30 GMT -6
A new start. A fresh start. Maybe just a change of scenery. They needed something - both of them - and Azrie wished he knew what it was. The gods knew he felt bad enough as it was. Well, okay, when did he not have something to feel rotten about? But today was worse. He had just moved in the day before. It was a small and cramped place that he'd signed the lease for. Somehow he hadn't realized how small it was going to be. That didn't bother him a whole lot, but there was no way he was going to get Sal in there, and that was more of a problem, especially now. So he'd dropped off the few boxes of stuff he'd bothered to pack and had spent the night in the stable with her. Maybe that was part of the reason he felt so bad - his neck was hurting. Azrie: 0.1 Sal: 1.2, 8.2
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Post by Azrie on Jul 3, 2024 21:03:32 GMT -6
Sleeping on a bed of hay, using her as a pillow... That had been a lot easier a few years ago. But no, that wasn't why he felt bad. He felt bad because when he had opened the stable door, she jumped, and he had to work hard to settle her before they could sleep.
He felt bad because today, even as they just were taking a walk, she kept turning her head around on high alert. He knew her like he knew no one else. He knew her quiet signs - the little things - the subtleties in her body language that could only come from years of companionship. He knew she wasn't enjoying herself at all. Things were different. He hated it. He hated even more that it was his fault.
But this was new. It was new and it would be good, and they were still together, and that was what mattered.
Azrie: 0.2 Sal: 1.4, 8.4
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Post by Azrie on Jul 3, 2024 21:17:56 GMT -6
He had to believe that or he'd lose his mind. Things would get better again.
She was on a lead today. Did he need it? Well, he certainly wouldn't have before. Now, he wasn't sure of much. It seemed safer. Maybe in a small way, holding her lead reassured him that they were here together, and not just coincidentally walking side by side. It was a physical representation replacing what they'd lost.
But it also just made him feel worse. They had been thick as thieves. (That was really a funny phrase, if you asked him. In his wealth of experience, thieves weren't all that reliable, especially not as friends.) He could read Sal and she, him. They could anticipate each other. They were a seamless unit. And now, they were starting over. It was almost like they were strangers. He felt like he didn't know her anymore. Who knew what she thought of him?
Azrie: 0.3 Sal: 1.6, 8.6
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Post by Azrie on Jul 3, 2024 21:37:55 GMT -6
But she had forgotten things. No, that wasn't quite right. He didn't think she'd forgotten, exactly. Just before they moved, as he was packing up her stuff, he'd asked her to stay in place for a moment as he walked away. It was simple. It didn't even require a word with them, just a hand gesture and she knew what he meant. The nonverbal way they could communicate had sure come in handy from time to time. But he'd taken a few steps, glanced back when he heard footsteps, and found her tailing him. Then, at least, she hadn't wanted to be away from him.
He'd justified it. Maybe she saw him wince, heard him make a soft, pained noise as he bent over and lifted a little more than he was supposed to. But that wasn't the only time it happened. He didn't think she was forgetting, but that she was too anxious to even listen.
Azrie: 0.4 Sal: 1.8, 8.8
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Post by Azrie on Aug 1, 2024 18:20:03 GMT -6
And that meant she didn't trust him anymore. That was really what all of this boiled down to. They had that bond from years of working and playing together and in just that one moment, it had all been twisted and changed. It wasn't just her, either. It had changed him, too. He had dreams about it sometimes. Heck, the other day he spilled some water on his shirt and that had been enough to spook him.
But that was going to change. That was what he had told them too - that he was a changed man. They'd laughed at him and told him no one changed. But that didn't really seem fair to say. After all, he and Sal had both just changed. Unfortunately, for both of them, it had been for the worse. That had to mean it could work the other way too, right? He glanced over at her.
Azrie: 0.5 Sal: 2.0, 9.0
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Post by Azrie on Aug 1, 2024 18:56:16 GMT -6
They had reached a quieter part of the park down by a pond. A memorial bench had been built here. Or maybe it was just one that was sponsored by some local corporation. Azrie didn't look that closely at the inscription. Either way, it was going to help them out today. Today, he was bound and determined to get back on Sal's back.
"Alrightie, Sal," he began, guiding her up alongside the bench. Or... that had been his plan. As soon as they got close, she started shying away. The equillion tossed her head and stared it down sidelong. It was such an unexpected reaction that he stumbled, holding the other end of the lead. "What are you doing?" he teased her lightly, trying to mask his disappointment at seeing how deep her anxiety ran. "You've seen a bench before, girl. Come on," he encouraged her. But she didn't want to budge.
Azrie: 0.6 Sal: 2.2, 9.2
Carry Rider: 1
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Post by Azrie on Aug 1, 2024 19:06:19 GMT -6
He let out a long, slow, breath. Patience, for both of them. Azrie stretched the lead as long as it would go, plopping down casually on the bench. He leaned back, spread his arms along the backrest, looked over to the equillion imploringly... "Come on, Sal," he urged her. She looked around once more, skeptical, but - as he held his breath - she finally approached. He expected to feel the pressure of her nose against his knee, but that didn't come.
That's okay. Roll with it. "Hey, Sal. Good girl." He reached up to her instead, petting down one side of her neck. At least she didn't shy from that. "Okay, next step, yeah?" The mammalian swung his legs up onto the bench and then stood upon it. Instantly, Sal pulled back again, whinnying softly. But at least this time, the comforting words barely began to exit his lips before she calmed herself.
Azrie: 0.7 Sal: 2.4, 9.4
Carry Rider: 2
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Post by Azrie on Aug 1, 2024 19:36:00 GMT -6
That was a good sign. At least she trusted him a little. The problem was that she was facing him, perpendicular to the bench. In the old days - y'know, like a couple months ago - he would've been able to swing or leap his way around and land astride her with no problem. Now, some instinct that he was choosing to trust told him not to dare.
So how was he going to get a massive equillion to turn herself sideways? He was realizing now just how little formal training she had. "Okay, Sal, come over... like... this way," he struggled, tugging the leash gently to one side and trying to urge her into the correct parallel position with his other hand. All seemed to be going well, she followed the lead easily enough... and then all of the sudden it seemed to click in her mind where this operation was leading.
Azrie: 0.8 Sal: 2.6, 9.6
Carry Rider: 3
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Post by Azrie on Aug 4, 2024 10:02:50 GMT -6
At that moment, he had one hand on her lead and the other on her back. His mind had just started to work over how to get to that crucial next step when she shook her head and yanked herself away again, turning back to face him. Her nose butted into his stomach and she snorted. He laughed a little to himself sadly. Here was the nudge he had been looking for. But this one was not a greeting or an affectionate gesture - or not only affection - but a nervous one. She was checking on him. It left a dull ache in his stomach, and not just because of the emotion. He tried not to show her his physical wince.
"Sal..." Azrie reached up, petting along her head and around her ears. He repeated the gesture over and over until he could feel her ears stop pivoting and slowly relax.
Azrie: 0.9 Sal: 2.8, 9.8
Carry Rider: 4
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Post by Azrie on Aug 4, 2024 10:18:33 GMT -6
He, too, took those few moments to remember to breathe. If he was relaxed, she would have a better shot at relaxing and staying there. Breath by breath, the pulsing pain in his abdomen was fading as well. "Okay, Sal, come on. This is easy." Azrie pulled gently on the lead, turning her parallel to the bench once more. "Okay, easy," he murmured. Then, cautiously, he laid an arm over her side.
It was not his full body weight, by any means, but he could feel her tense all the same. "It's okay. You're okay. I'm okay. Look, Sal, it's a beautiful day. The sun's out. Do you feel the breeze? Look at that little vulti over there. Those are some crazy colors, huh? You wouldn't see that at home." If there was one thing he could do, it was talk, and so he did. He talked and he petted her with his free arm.
Azrie: 1.0 Sal: 3.0, 10.0
Carry Rider: 5
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Post by Azrie on Aug 4, 2024 10:31:52 GMT -6
And it was a beautiful day. Amidst the emotional storm, he almost hadn't noticed how clear the skies were. That was kind of a funny thing, wasn't it? It all had gotten to him.
He wasn't sure if something happened, but Sal suddenly shifted and side-stepped once away from the bench. This motion pulled him with her, into a comically large lean, feet on the bench, arm on the equillion, and upper body suspended over the space between. "Whoa, Sal --" He teetered and had to throw his other hand onto her side to keep his balance. She whinnied at this reaction, but... this time she did not bolt or revolt, but pushed back closer to him. He righted himself on the bench, and a grin broke over his face. "Atta girl, thank you. That's more like it, huh? Like it should be?"
She snorted again as a response, and he felt an ounce of hope returning.
Azrie: 0.1 Sal: 3.2, 10.2
Carry Rider: 6
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Post by Azrie on Aug 4, 2024 10:50:51 GMT -6
This was an improvement. But now they had to bridge that final gap, and Azrie did not know how to do that. He tried to think back to when he had gotten Sal, all those years ago. She had been mostly grown then. Who had trained her to carry a rider? He didn't remember going through any kind of training process, so he didn't think it was him. Was it possible that they had just grown into it together?
Of all the creatures the Labs had made, an equillion had to be one of the most obvious mounts. In some way, it had to be in their blood to understand the process, didn't it? As far as Azrie was concerned, whether a creature's genes were spliced together by scientists or they had come from the wilds didn't really matter. The end result was something living, that could love and fear and make memories.
Azrie: 0.2 Sal: 3.4, 10.4
Carry Rider: 7
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Post by Azrie on Aug 4, 2024 11:08:31 GMT -6
So maybe it was best not to overthink this either. "Okay, Sal. We're gonna ride," he tried to encourage her cheerfully. Azrie considered himself a pretty good liar, but he wasn't sure he could pull one over on her. She could probably hear or smell things on him that humanoids couldn't that would give him away, like a living polygraph test or something.
Slowly, carefully, he began to step over her, sliding one leg up and over her spine, trying to watch her for -- Nope. She didn't bolt, exactly, but she wasn't about to stay still for that, either. Sal trotted a few steps forward, leaving him to drop unceremoniously a couple of feet to the ground. Immediately, she turned, and it was clear that her evasion had been in an effort to access him and to see him again.
"Yeah... that was probably the weirdest way I could've tried, huh? Slow was weird," he agreed.
Azrie: 0.3 Sal: 3.6, 10.6
Carry Rider: 8
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Post by Azrie on Aug 4, 2024 11:19:54 GMT -6
He'd definitely never climbed on her back quite like that before. Of course, with everything else having changed, one more difference wasn't going to help. That was dumb. Hadn't he just said it? Don't overthink it. "Okay, okay. We're just gonna go for it," he decided. "C'mere, Sal." He positioned her alongside the bench once more, climbed atop it, and paused. Azrie's eyes shifted over each part of her, looking for those old signs that he knew.
It wasn't Old Sal, but it wasn't Panicked Sal, either. She had calmed a little since they got here. She was watching that colorful vulti again. It was cute. Azrie wondered where that lady had gotten it. Maybe he'd ask after this. "Here we go," he said aloud, to encourage the both of them. Then he hopped onto Sal's back.
Immediately, she whinnied, throwing her head back. She began to turn, trying to get her eyes on him.
Azrie: 0.4 Sal: 3.8, 10.8
Carry Rider: 9
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