The Nineteenth Trial

[hot_mess_express]

Who: Everyone
When: Day 43, evening
Where: The Mermaid's Beach

Come on, come on heroes...! Come hither!

[ There's a playful giggle and the sound of splashing as the Mermaid's beach appears in the clearing. ]

Let's play a game...!

Comments

[bowtiedbones]

I'm a very soft and well-behaved wolf.

[daydreamshimmer]

All right. Well, already on the ground, so let's go for pets and cuddles.

[bowtiedbones]

Okay. Get ready!

[holds up her fingers, counting down 3, 2, 1... and turns into A WOLF]

[daydreamshimmer]

[Tenses as she sees WOLF because, well, wolf.]

[Staring for several long moments.]

[Breathe in, breathe out.]

Just like a really big dog, huh? [Reaching out a hand to pet.]

[bowtiedbones]

[lifts her ears and wags her tail. friendly body language!!]

A really big dog that also talks.

[daydreamshimmer]

....that does help.

[Slow petpetpet.]

[A little more sure petting.] Certainly helps the nerves.

[bowtiedbones]

[flops down, soooo much tail-wagging]

It's actually been shown that spending time with a dog or a cat can help reduce stress.

[daydreamshimmer]

Makes sense. Helps their stress too, if they don't want to live in the wild.

[More sure petting. A lot easier talking, her nerves quieting down now. Just Eliza being a big dog, not a wolf.]

[bowtiedbones]

It's win/win.

[being mindful of her teeth and keeping her big paws tucked in, casually hiding the wolfiest bits]

[daydreamshimmer]

Usually is. And pets can help if a pony has too much to do, at least keep them on track.

[bowtiedbones]

Oh, like working dogs?

[daydreamshimmer]

There are those. I think most farms have one or two around. Cows and sheep might argue with a pony, but throw a barking dog at them and they get they really need to let the farmers work there.

[bowtiedbones]

Argue like with words?

[daydreamshimmer]

Yes?

Just cause they like to live a more nomadic life doesn't mean they can't talk.

[bowtiedbones]

But you chase them off with dogs?

[daydreamshimmer]

[She shrugs.] You'd need to talk to a farm pony for the details, but there's this general arrangement. Cows and sheep move into an area and they can stay at a farm because it's safer and less likely to have any conflicts with the town. In exchange, they give milk and wool, maybe help out with other things depending.

But sometimes the herd is too big or maybe the arrangement isn't so steady because of personalities or something like that, but then a farmer needs to be working in an area or get them somewhere for either for safety or work and they're being stubborn about it or it needs to be rushed.

Can argue with a pony. Can't really argue with a dog, and they're usually louder if its a rush, or annoying if it's a stubborn. Maybe some other issues, but I think that's usually how it goes.

[bowtiedbones]

Huh.



That's different.

[MILK???????]

[daydreamshimmer]

How so?

[Herbivore, nooot quite vegan.]

[bowtiedbones]

[PEOPLE MILK??]

Umm well, for one thing, sheep and cows are just animals too where I'm from. Herding dogs are used for sheep because a trained one can move dozens of sheep faster than the shepherd could by themself.

[daydreamshimmer]

[LISTEN]

[Ponies are weird.]

....is this gonna be hearing another horror story? Because like I get animals are more prone to wild emotions and need more guidance, but it's disturbing to hear it for things that can be far more rational.

[bowtiedbones]

I'm not a farm girl, but "rational" is not a word I would pick to describe a sheep.

[daydreamshimmer]

So this would be another horror story.

I get animals need more help, but I mean....ponies are a dominant species. Cows and sheep could have cities if they wanted, they just like things more traditional. It's....disturbing.

[bowtiedbones]

Humans are a dominant species too, but we're the only dominant species on this plane. Almost every animal I can think of is going to be some kind of horror story.

Do you have monkeys? Or apes?

[daydreamshimmer]

Yeah, though they're usually on the fringes of the country.

[bowtiedbones]

Humans are related to those.