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Post by Runa Deadear on Sept 2, 2024 20:44:53 GMT -6
It wasn't that Runa thought the creature was being stubborn, it was just that Runa would have liked to get to the Park a little faster than the Lamadidron appeared interested in going. They were patient creatures, she forced herself to remember, perhaps not necessarily given to moving at the top speeds that she would have liked to see from them.
She had goals in mind for the day, did Runa. Goals for the creature that she was currently (impatiently) waiting to follow her as she held out the rock. There had been a new contest announced, Runa had read about it off a flyer. Surely a creature that was primarily made of rocks would have to be tough? She had considered enrolling a different pet - that new Thundergug, for example, but she suspected that the Thundergug would perform better in a competition designed to measure strength rather than one that was biased toward toughness.
She wasn't sure where she wanted to begin exactly. The first priority, certainly, was getting the Lamadidron to the park to begin with. Once they were there, she would have to consider how she wanted to start training. Forrest was a blank slate at the moment but that was all going to change.
Runa: 10.9 Forrest: 1.0 // 4.0
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Post by Runa Deadear on Sept 4, 2024 10:00:06 GMT -6
First and foremost, Runa wanted to make friends with the creature that was before her. They had not spent much time together, he would have been the newest addition to her kennels were it not for the purchase of Boulder. She thought on Boulder ruefully, that was one that she would certainly need to spend time with before she made any attempts to start training him. And, like as not, she would want to have some heavier duty leashes on hand before she began working with something that could easily kill her. Even Gallant, she suspected, would be hard pressed to find the bravery to face down a rampaging Thundergug.
She turned to look at Forrest, taking in what she saw. The creature was...unusual, a genuinely good example of the oddities that were produced by the labs here within Pethia. They were not a particularly violent creature, she suspected, and Forrest certainly had taken her menagerie well in stride, not reacting to the taunts of Belladonna nor seeming phased by the darting madness of Gremlin or Luna beneath his feet. She could even leave him unsupervised with Gremlin and expect to return to the little Shiku not eaten. That was not something she could say of most of the rest of her kennel.
Forrest appraised her right back, his head canted. Lamdidrons were beautiful, she thought to herself as the sun caught him; it was not a sentiment she had expected to feel.
Runa: 11.5 Forrest: 1.2 // 4.2
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Post by Runa Deadear on Sept 5, 2024 8:50:35 GMT -6
She offered the magnificent creature a rock as she approached him, careful not to move so quickly as to make him nervous. He appraised her with unconcerned eyes, no indication that he was going to offer her any trouble whatsoever. She reached out her hand toward him and he drew back slightly and she withdrew her hand. That was not unexpected, she would not necessarily appreciate being touched by a stranger either. She tossed him the rock when it became clear he was not going to take it from her hands and he gulped it down without hesitation.
She lamented the fact that she had not yet been able to afford any ribbons of telepathy or anything that she could use to communicate with creatures like Forrest on a deeper level. She intended to procure one for each of her animals and she had contemplated offering them sentience as well although...she had heard rumors that such a thing could cause an animal to chafe at belonging to anyone. She reflected on Belladonna and Victory momentarily with that. She was unclear how much of Belladonna's attitude was because of her creation - certainly Runa was not holding her against her will.
Forrest was eyeing her again, perhaps wondering if any more rocks were forthcoming.
Runa: 11.6 Forrest: 1.4 // 4.4
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Post by Runa Deadear on Sept 5, 2024 9:49:39 GMT -6
The nice thing about creatures was that their desires were rather straightforward and simplistic. There were no guessing games necessary for animals - their drives were very straightforward and understandable. It was not like with humanoids who cloaked their true desires at times and were manipulative in what they truly wanted. No, animals were obvious and their needs were straightforward. It was why, she suspected, she had never had any issues with the animals at the stable.
Forrest was certainly suspicious of the rock she held in her hand. Understandable to Runa who also considered bribes to be fairly suspicious. And there really wasn't another word for it, she thought ruefully, it was a bribe. An effective one, she noted as Forrest took a half step toward her. He tilted his head, considering her offering and then reached out his head for it. He hesitated for a moment and she opened her hand, the rock sitting on it. When she made no move to touch him, he lowered his head and grabbed the offering to gulp down.
She nodded to herself. Sometimes, it could be difficult going from an animal that she had worked with to one that she had not even taught to trust her.
Runa: 11.8 Forrest: 1.6 // 4.6
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Post by Runa Deadear on Sept 5, 2024 11:06:58 GMT -6
She was determined, still, to touch the creature and have him tolerate it or potentially even enjoy the sensation Also she was curious. She had read, of course, about the way their skin felt but she couldn't quite envision it for herself. Most of the creatures she spent time with had fur. They weren't...living rocks? She supposed that was about correct although it seemed an odd thing to say. Rocks did not breathe or eat so how could they possibly be living.
While she was mulling that over, she had taken a few steps toward Forrest who did not seem to be inclined to dart away. Well. Dart may have been the wrong word anyway because she was fairly certain that Forrest would never do anything that even sort of resembled a dart. Vixen would. Luna to be sure. Gremlin absolutely and perhaps also even Goewihg or Gallant. But the living embodiment of rock and moss? No, she did not think so.
She held a rock out again (a pebble really because she didn't want a fat Lamadidron on her hands!) and this time Forrest did not hesitate to take it gently from her hands. She moved a step closer and was pleased to see he did not so much as move and gave no indicators of stress.
Runa: 12.0 Forrest: 1.8 // 4.8
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Post by Runa Deadear on Sept 5, 2024 11:22:31 GMT -6
She reached out a hand and gently touched the cheek of the Lamadidron, ready to back off if he gave indication that this was not something he was willing to tolerate. To her satisfaction, he did not give any such indication and rather, allowed her to stroke his cheek. She took note of the oddity of the texture of his skin. Slimy was expected but somehow not. As she brushed against some of his shell such as it were she noted that it almost seemed as though...was it moss actually growing on him then?
She set that thought aside, feeding Forrest another rock so that he knew she appreciated his tolerance and his cooperation in this. She was planning on working on clicker training next, now that he had allowed her to touch him. She figured that the clicker training would just be another exercise in bonding between them. She felt that the clicker also gave her a much better means of communication for all of her animals - demonstrating to them what was and was not desirable behavior.
She fed Forrest another treat as she continued to stroke him, smiling when he tilted his head up slightly to allow her to scratch more beneath his chin.
Runa: 12.2 Forrest: 2.0 // 5.0
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Post by Runa Deadear on Sept 5, 2024 12:19:41 GMT -6
Time to begin working with the clicker, Runa decided as she pulled it out of her pocket and held it out for the Lamadidron to sniff at. She scratched him under the chin again as he tilted his head up to provide her better access to more of his neck. She really was growing quite fond of him. He was a fairly laid back animal and surprisingly easy to handle. Perhaps she should get another one of his kind?
That thought in mind, she clicked the clicker and fed Forrest the treat after doing so. He tilted his head to look at it in confusion but accepted the treat happily. That was a great start, very promising. She was certain that the Lamadidron would pick up on what she was doing about as fast as any of her other creatures (Gremlin had, perhaps, taken longer than others but not much longer). She clicked the clicker again and fed another treat. She had discovered, with time, that roughly 12 to 15 repetitions of click + treat would successfully train the animals to the clicker.
Another click, another treat. Forrest was alert now, his eyes pinned on the clicker as he seemingly puzzled over the association of clicker + rock treat.
Runa: 12.4 Forrest: 2.2 // 5.2
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Post by Runa Deadear on Sept 5, 2024 12:32:44 GMT -6
Another click and another rock for Forrest. He was certainly getting into the game now, pressing his muzzle against her hand that held the clicker and then looking at her with open expectation on his face. She enjoyed this level of cunning - puzzling through what she was trying to train them to accept. She would have, perhaps, been frustrated by animals of lower cunning than those in her kennel but since she avoided them she was not certain.
She clicked the clicker again and fed the waiting Lamadidron another treat, reaching up to scratch his neck as he took it. The sensation was definitely never going to be a pleasant one. She had briefly considered training the Lamadidron to be ridden if they grew larger later on in their life stages but she wasn't certain such a thing was going to happen if she could not even tolerate the feeling of their skin against the pads of her fingers.
Of course, perhaps a saddle would help? Or would she then have to clean the saddle so much that it wouldn't even be worthwhile. For that matter, she thought as she eyed the large thing. Was there a saddle that would even fit such a one structured as Forrest was. She clicked again and held out the rock.
Runa: 12.6 Forrest: 2.4 // 5.4
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Post by Runa Deadear on Sept 5, 2024 12:47:35 GMT -6
Runa had grown weary at some point and opted to take a seat under the shade. It was, she reflected, quite a bit too hot out for her to be spending so much time in the sun and standing. Forrest seemed to agree and he lay beside her, holding his head erect and watching her through somewhat sleepy eyes. She was not certain if he truly was sleepy or just content to be in her presence and therefore no longer on guard. Whatever the reason, she was happy to just be in his presence.
She clicked the clicker and the laziness disappeared. That, too, was expected. She fed him the rock she held and he ate it with satisfaction. She stroked his side as he ate his treat. He was not warm to the touch as she maybe would have expected one of his kind to be but rather room temperature. She wondered what sensation he felt through the thickness of the "rock" that grew on his skin (or was it part of his skin?) if any. She clicked the clicker again and offered the treat.
She wished she could find more information on the many creatures that roamed Pethia. Basics were all she was offered but she craved an understanding at a deeper level. She gave another click and offered another treat to Forrest who swallowed it happily.
Runa: 12.8 Forrest: 2.6 // 5.6
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Post by Runa Deadear on Sept 5, 2024 13:46:53 GMT -6
Runa considered the Lamadidron as she stroked him gently. He was not the only creature that she knew very little about although she felt she knew less about him than most of her others. But perhaps no one knew much about Lamadidrons. She supposed as she spent more time with him, she would come to understand the creature better. Perhaps one day she could write something on the topic. She twisted her lips at that thought. Provided she got better at writing, she supposed.
She clicked the clicker again and handed a rock to Forrest. How had they discovered that Lamadidrons ate rocks, she wondered. Or had that been an intentional incorporation into his genetic make up and not needed to be discovered at all. Seemed like an odd thing to do intentionally although she supposed it did make them rather easy keepers. Rocks were free. She didn't have to go and purchase anything special for Forrest's diet, anyway.
Not true of any other creature in her stables. Feeding them certainly wasn't free or, she mused, even free. Ah well, they were well worth it. She clicked the clicker again and watched another rock disappear. She couldn't find it in her to resent a single one of her menagerie for the amount of credits she spent feeding them. She clicked again and fed Forrest a treat.
Runa: 13.0 Forrest: 2.8 // 5.8
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Post by Runa Deadear on Sept 5, 2024 16:58:32 GMT -6
Forrest was nearly good to go on clicker training, Runa realized as she clicked the clicker again and fed the creature a treat. Perhaps it was also about time to return to the mines with him - a place he had clearly enjoyed during their last visit there. A successful shopping mission had meant that she now possessed some tools with which to explore the mines.
The sun was also getting lower in the sky so it may be time to head home. She clicked the clicker again and fed an additional rock to Forrest. That would mean she could head out to the mines again with her proper equipment. Nothing said she wasn't allowed to work on certain skills within the mines either. She nodded to herself at that thought. Forrest wasn't nearly as hot tempered as most of her crew and he seemed a laid back sort which would be preferable for spending time in the mines.
She clicked the clicker a final time and offered another rock, getting to her feet. Forrest stood as well, most likely unwilling to be parted from the treat giver. She would not fool herself into believing he held a great deal of affection for her. But he would. One day.
Runa: 13.2 Forrest: 3.0 // 6.0
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Post by Runa Deadear on Sept 5, 2024 17:19:10 GMT -6
Name: Gallant Stamina: 7 Strength: 7 Resistance: 4 Dexterity: 5 Mentality: 2 Level: 5 Loyalty: 13 Special (Passive) Abilities: Pack Instincts, Hardy Special (Active) Abilities: Fly (3) - currently untrained) Moves: Claw (2), Peck (2), Wing Buff (3), Snatch (3) Note: Runa and Gallant have True Bonding, giving Gallant an additional five loyaltyTrained Tricks: Watch Me (1), Follow (1), Come (1), Carry Rider (2)
That morning Runa was feeling like working with Gallant some more. She was happy with his progress so far, he was one of her best trained creatures, after all, and she enjoyed working wit him. Their bond was certainly the strongest and when she had let him out of his cage that morning, he had pushed his face against her chest much to her amusement. She had agreed to a cuddle session, rubbing behind his ears as he seemed to prefer and feeling the rumble that indicated happiness against her hands.
Now he plodded along at her heels. She wasn't sure if she had anything specific in mind today. She still needed to get a hold of some equipment before she began training him to do certain things. He did know how to carry a rider now which was nice but she wanted to get tack before she tried to teach him any movement commands. Perhaps she could work with him on kneeling down to allow her on his back? She had a feeling that the proud Gallor would be uninterested in such an action.
They arrived at the park. Gallant had darted ahead at one point but a quick snap and the come signal (an open palm toward her chest) and he was prancing back over to her, his wings held up. A playful mood then.
Runa: 13.5 Gallant: 5.2 // 13.2
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Post by Runa Deadear on Sept 5, 2024 18:25:28 GMT -6
Runa was not quite prepared when Gallant pounced on her out of nowhere. She so rarely played with any of her animals (not quite trusting them not try and harm her but for real yet) so her initial response was panic but, when the Gallor dropped his head and rubbed his beak against her cheek she recognized it for the playful action that it had been. She shoved at his leg and he moved away, stirring up a small wind as he flapped his wings at her.
She still needed to teach him how to fly. She frowned at that thought. She had assumed that Gallors would have learned to fly from their parents but she suspected Gallant had not been afforded that opportunity. Which was a shame because Runa certainly didn't know how to fly. How was she supposed to teach a creature that was much, much larger than her to fly. It wasn't like she could just toss him out of a tree.
And she wouldn't, anyway, she reflected because he could get hurt.
Gallant was stalking her again, she noticed. He was doing a pretty poor job of sneaking up on her though. She was going to have to teach him how to hunt too if she ever wanted him to be able to do so.
Runa: 13.8 Gallant: 5.4 // 13.4
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Post by Runa Deadear on Sept 5, 2024 19:35:13 GMT -6
The pounce did not catch her off guard this time and so Runa moved out of the way as the large animal leapt at her, managing to evade him and getting a flick of the tail in response. She smiled at the look on his face - clearly he had not been expecting her to move so quickly. She leapt at him and he jumped sideways, giving her a shocked expression. Oh, so that's how it was? He could dish it out but he couldn't take it.
He was back to stalking her, lowering himself (comically) into the grass. He was very, very obvious. Runa watched him with amusement dancing in her eyes. This time when he pounced, she let him tackle her and fell the ground while he rubbed his beak against her face. She pushed him away after a moment and then slid out from underneath his legs. She leapt onto his back and landed astride him, almost wondering if she should try and get him to move. Gallant threw his wings up though and distracted her from her thoughts as she tried to stay on with the sudden, unexpected movement.
After a moment Gallant settled, his wings dropping back down. He pranced a few feet, content to let the girl sit astride him for now.
Runa: 14.1 Gallant: 5.6 // 13.6
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Post by Runa Deadear on Sept 6, 2024 8:46:40 GMT -6
Gallant being a menace aside, Runa was thoroughly enjoying the day she was having. The Gallor had taken a break from his antics to lay next to her and bask in the sun and she had come over to him, laying next to him. Gallant was upside down, amusingly enough, his legs in the air. It was very hard to take him seriously as a majestic, prideful animal who perhaps would have been the leader of a pack when he behaved this way.
She returned her sights to the skies. Perhaps that was what he was looking at, thinking about the day that he would, with any luck, hopefully take flight. She hoped to be with him when he did so although the thought simultaneously terrified her. What if he dropped her. A risk, she supposed, that she would have to take. She could potentially train him to grab her mid flight so that she didn't tumble down to her doom though.
But that wouldn't be a pleasant sensation, she thought eyeing the absolutely wicked long talons that Gallant had. Better than dying but definitely could cause pretty significant injury to her. Perhaps it would be best if they didn't take flight until she had a good saddle in her possession.
Runa: 15.3 Gallant: 5.8 // 13.8
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