Gotta train your...eye-mouth, coordination, Eren. The huffy noise gets a little bit of an upturned quirk at the corner of his lips. It's actually pretty funny, teasing him like this. Levi's enjoying himself.
They finally reach their little training ground area they've more or less taken over in the past few months. It's a wide clearing, with several large and sturdy trees around the perimeter, a few boulders here and there. The lake is visible not so far off, glittering blue already in the early morning.
Levi stops and slings a bag from his shoulder that had been hidden beneath his cloak. Inside is a bright yellow ball.
[Oh shit? Eren's reflexes as a wolf are faster than that of his human or titan forms - and four legs are faster than two. He races off across the clearing after the ball the instant it's thrown. Kind of embarrassing, but he only has one thing on his mind right now - ball is life.
[It's tricky, though, trying to catch it. He jumps for it and thoroughly misses, the ball landing a few feet away - talk about embarrassing. His ears go back and he gives a little growl. He could just pick it up now, but Levi said he wouldn't touch anything that had been in his mouth...
Well that answers that question - how strong the wolf's instincts are.
It's fine, he's got a handkerchief now in his hand.
"Just bring it back, Eren," he calls, pulling a few other things out of his bag and laying them on the wooden bench they'd brought out here ages ago. Are those...socks?
[Another bark - "Sir!" And he snatches the ball up in his mouth and bounds back. He's exceptionally quick in this form - all he's really done the last few months is run around when he's in it.]
[The ball is distracting, but Eren knows a command when he hears it. He takes off on the Captain's "Go!" this time, running as fast as he can - but he keeps his eye on the ball. He leaps to catch it, snatching it out of the air with his jaws. He doesn't hesitate to run back to Levi, putting all his power into his legs once again. He waits for the handkerchief to drop it.]
"Good." Levi definitely sounds pleased, looks it, if you knew what to look for. He gives Eren's head a ruffle, much like how he's done in his normal shape, and repeats the process of wiping off the ball after signaling the direction he'll throw it in.
[It's fun, but more importantly, it looks Levi definitely has a reason for throwing the ball, and that's reassuring that they're actually doing something important. Eren sees the value in it too. Without his titan, he's felt sluggish and weak. He enjoys the feeling of quick reflexes and powerful muscles, driving him across the ground at speeds much faster than a human can run.
[He catches the ball midair again, stumbling slightly when he hits the ground again. He'll repeat the drill as many times as Levi commands it - all that running he's been doing has built up his endurance in this form.]
Admittedly, he's never much seen the appeal of having a pet, per-se. And of course Eren isn't one, but Levi's beginning to understand why people enjoy having dogs around. There were some working dogs kept by the Survey Corps in some of the less urban outposts to help keep vermin and other things away, but Levi had never really interacted with them much. He likewise kept his distance from the strays and feral cats that prowled around the barns, because they likely had fleas and who the fuck knows what other sort of disease-carrying parasites that could transfer to him with just one touch. Hard no.
Horses were a necessary part of their routine, but strangely, he'd taken to them quite quickly. Having Moon in Somnius has been wonderful, really. Maybe they'll have to do this again and put her through her paces, have her run along with Eren and make sure she hasn't completely lost her unflappable demeanor in the face of danger.
But this - yeah, all right. He can understand why some people like to keep them around a little more, now. Is it possible to not feel a little bit better doing this? Seems unlikely.
Levi throws the ball several more times, trying a few different ways of throwing it - a high lob, an underhand, bouncing it off a boulder, until Eren seems like he's tiring, and they can move onto something else.
[It's definitely exercise. Eren only drops the ball one other time. He has just as much reckless energy as ever, and that's always best suited to an actual goal. If it's just catching a ball, then it's just catching a ball - it makes him feel like he's working toward something, at least; he's so tired of feeling like he just sits around doing nothing worthwhile.
[And it's fun. Eren wonders if he might like a dog someday.
[He comes back to Levi panting, but nods his big furry head. He's not ready to quit yet (if he actually needs a break, he's not likely to let that on in any form).]
"Good." Another head ruffle, scratching behind the ears.
"Listen up. I buried some stuff out here yesterday, so I want you to use that slobbery wolf nose of yours to see if you can find them. They're in boxes, like this one." He taps a small box made of pine wood - it's a repurposed tea box. "Three of them. They're all out around the edges of the clearing in the woods."
There's three socks also sitting on the bench; one blue, one green, one gray.
"Inside each box is the match to these socks - they probably smell extra ripe to you. See if you can find each one."
Levi's also curious if Eren can tell who the socks belong to (Hange, Erwin, and himself - not that it would be hard to guess.)
[He's never stopped to consider what sort of socks his superiors wear, so he might have a harder time guessing than Levi expects - although, he might recognize their scent?
[He hadn't even considered an exercise like this. Sense of smell could be extremely useful...
[Eren gives one heavy nod, then steps up to the gray sock. Ripe indeed. He really can smell everything like this - but even something buried in a pine box? He stands alert, eyes narrowing on the woods - then, he's off, nose pressed to the ground as he disappears into the trees. It was smart of him to start with one sock at a time. He knows exactly what scent he's looking for, but there's only the smallest hint of it. It takes him about fifteen minutes to find and dig up the box. He lets out a howl from the woods (cannot open - paws).]
They gray sock should smell very familiar, at least, since Levi is right here. It might be a bit of a challenge yet, for Eren to sniff it out between time and the box acting as a barrier, but if that's the case, Levi will have to adjust the exercise to try again another time.
Luckily it seems like that won't be necessary. He watches Eren track around the area for a little while. Eventually, he closes his eyes and just listens to the sounds around him - Eren rustling about, the light breeze through the trees, birds calling. It's nice to just...detach for a bit.
He dozes for a few minutes, arms folded in front of his chest before waking to a now-familiar howl, and trudges off in that direction - it's the right one, so he can only assume Eren found what he was looking for.
"Found it, huh? Not bad." Levi picks up the box, dusting off the excess dirt, and opens it to show Eren he had the right one (which Eren probably realizes by smell, rather than color).
"Next one. Get going. I'm timing you now." There's a gold chain and pocket watch in his hand.
[When Levi lifts the box, Eren nods at the sock and then gently butts his head against Levi's knee - "That one's yours!"
[Then it's back to work. Eren runs off to the socks Levi's laid out and goes for the green one next - more challenging now that the owner isn't standing right next to him. Is this...Hange's?
[Off into the woods once more. This time, it only takes him about 13 or so minutes. Not bad, but not great...]
"Oi..." ok, he gets a little head ruffle. Fond, maybe definitely.
A two minute improvement is still pretty good, and Levi even says as much with a pleased "not bad", opening the second box to show Eren he's right again. It's definitely Hange's, because it's the dirtier of the three. The last one, therefore, is Erwin's.
Levi gathers everything together, and waits for Eren to be ready.
"Think you can find Erwin's bigass sock in ten minutes?"
Go!
Edited (always closing my strike tags with i tags rip) 2024-03-16 03:44 (UTC)
[Is it Eren's nature, or the fact that he's in the mindset of a dog that makes him so happy to be doing "not bad"? He must look like a total dope with his tail wagging at Levi, but he doesn't really notice much himself! On the "Go!", he zooms off into the woods. He thought he'd caught the whiff of a third, unfamiliar smell on the last round, so he doesn't need to sniff along the ground to find the general area he needs to be in.
[Ten minutes...Eren moves with urgency. He's never been all that good at trying to time shit in his head, and he's focused on the scent, but he doesn't allow himself to waste any time on this run. He can do it. He will do it!
[Levi should hear him howl from the woods only seconds before the time limit's up.]
Eren looks no more dopey than a real wolf or dog, and since that's an expected thing, it doesn't strike Levi as odd at all. If anything, it's a good thing, to see him enjoying himself, even as a mutt. Maybe that's the benefit of being able to change into an animal, to let go of too much thought and just rely on instinct.
Levi tracks Eren to where he's found the last box, exactly where he'd buried it, and maybe even cracks the faintest of pleased smiles. It's more in his eyes than anything, but he gives Eren another encouraging ruffle, shows him the stopwatch, paused with three seconds remaining.
"well done, Eren."
He retrieves the box, and inside is indeed Erwin's sock.
"Sorry, didn't bring you any mutt treats," he says as they make their way back to the clearing. "You'll have to be satisfied with some cookies Erwin made, later."
[Eren hasn't necessarily acknowledged why there are nights he'll spend hours wandering around in this form. Levi's instincts are correct, though. It's easier, this way, to find some semblance of peace.
[When Eren sees the stopwatch, paused with only three seconds remaining, he rears up on his hind legs and howls in victory. Flump. Back on the ground, and then they're on their way to the clearing.
[He doesn't look disappointed at the lack of treats, at least, merely nodding his big furry head.]
They'll keep going with that for a little while until he wears Eren out again, and that'll probably be it for the day. Another time they can test out Eren's bite strength and maybe play tug-of-war with some rope. Wolfren against Humanity's Strongest, who will win???
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They finally reach their little training ground area they've more or less taken over in the past few months. It's a wide clearing, with several large and sturdy trees around the perimeter, a few boulders here and there. The lake is visible not so far off, glittering blue already in the early morning.
Levi stops and slings a bag from his shoulder that had been hidden beneath his cloak. Inside is a bright yellow ball.
He chucks it to the other end of the clearing.
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[It's tricky, though, trying to catch it. He jumps for it and thoroughly misses, the ball landing a few feet away - talk about embarrassing. His ears go back and he gives a little growl. He could just pick it up now, but Levi said he wouldn't touch anything that had been in his mouth...
[Bark! Help.]
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It's fine, he's got a handkerchief now in his hand.
"Just bring it back, Eren," he calls, pulling a few other things out of his bag and laying them on the wooden bench they'd brought out here ages ago. Are those...socks?
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"Go!" Better get running Eren, if you wanna catch it this time.
Throws it hard in the same direction as before.
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"Again-"
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[He catches the ball midair again, stumbling slightly when he hits the ground again. He'll repeat the drill as many times as Levi commands it - all that running he's been doing has built up his endurance in this form.]
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Horses were a necessary part of their routine, but strangely, he'd taken to them quite quickly. Having Moon in Somnius has been wonderful, really. Maybe they'll have to do this again and put her through her paces, have her run along with Eren and make sure she hasn't completely lost her unflappable demeanor in the face of danger.
But this - yeah, all right. He can understand why some people like to keep them around a little more, now. Is it possible to not feel a little bit better doing this? Seems unlikely.
Levi throws the ball several more times, trying a few different ways of throwing it - a high lob, an underhand, bouncing it off a boulder, until Eren seems like he's tiring, and they can move onto something else.
"You good, mutt?"
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[And it's fun. Eren wonders if he might like a dog someday.
[He comes back to Levi panting, but nods his big furry head. He's not ready to quit yet (if he actually needs a break, he's not likely to let that on in any form).]
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"Listen up. I buried some stuff out here yesterday, so I want you to use that slobbery wolf nose of yours to see if you can find them. They're in boxes, like this one." He taps a small box made of pine wood - it's a repurposed tea box. "Three of them. They're all out around the edges of the clearing in the woods."
There's three socks also sitting on the bench; one blue, one green, one gray.
"Inside each box is the match to these socks - they probably smell extra ripe to you. See if you can find each one."
Levi's also curious if Eren can tell who the socks belong to (Hange, Erwin, and himself - not that it would be hard to guess.)
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[He hadn't even considered an exercise like this. Sense of smell could be extremely useful...
[Eren gives one heavy nod, then steps up to the gray sock. Ripe indeed. He really can smell everything like this - but even something buried in a pine box? He stands alert, eyes narrowing on the woods - then, he's off, nose pressed to the ground as he disappears into the trees. It was smart of him to start with one sock at a time. He knows exactly what scent he's looking for, but there's only the smallest hint of it. It takes him about fifteen minutes to find and dig up the box. He lets out a howl from the woods (cannot open - paws).]
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Luckily it seems like that won't be necessary. He watches Eren track around the area for a little while. Eventually, he closes his eyes and just listens to the sounds around him - Eren rustling about, the light breeze through the trees, birds calling. It's nice to just...detach for a bit.
He dozes for a few minutes, arms folded in front of his chest before waking to a now-familiar howl, and trudges off in that direction - it's the right one, so he can only assume Eren found what he was looking for.
"Found it, huh? Not bad." Levi picks up the box, dusting off the excess dirt, and opens it to show Eren he had the right one (which Eren probably realizes by smell, rather than color).
"Next one. Get going. I'm timing you now." There's a gold chain and pocket watch in his hand.
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[Then it's back to work. Eren runs off to the socks Levi's laid out and goes for the green one next - more challenging now that the owner isn't standing right next to him. Is this...Hange's?
[Off into the woods once more. This time, it only takes him about 13 or so minutes. Not bad, but not great...]
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definitely.A two minute improvement is still pretty good, and Levi even says as much with a pleased "not bad", opening the second box to show Eren he's right again. It's definitely Hange's, because it's the dirtier of the three. The last one, therefore, is Erwin's.
Levi gathers everything together, and waits for Eren to be ready.
"Think you can find Erwin's bigass sock in ten minutes?"
Go!
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[Ten minutes...Eren moves with urgency. He's never been all that good at trying to time shit in his head, and he's focused on the scent, but he doesn't allow himself to waste any time on this run. He can do it. He will do it!
[Levi should hear him howl from the woods only seconds before the time limit's up.]
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Levi tracks Eren to where he's found the last box, exactly where he'd buried it, and maybe even cracks the faintest of pleased smiles. It's more in his eyes than anything, but he gives Eren another encouraging ruffle, shows him the stopwatch, paused with three seconds remaining.
"well done, Eren."
He retrieves the box, and inside is indeed Erwin's sock.
"Sorry, didn't bring you any mutt treats," he says as they make their way back to the clearing. "You'll have to be satisfied with some cookies Erwin made, later."
lmk if you want to wrap or move to smth else!
[When Eren sees the stopwatch, paused with only three seconds remaining, he rears up on his hind legs and howls in victory. Flump. Back on the ground, and then they're on their way to the clearing.
[He doesn't look disappointed at the lack of treats, at least, merely nodding his big furry head.]
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Levi picks up the ball and CHUCKS it again.
They'll keep going with that for a little while until he wears Eren out again, and that'll probably be it for the day. Another time they can test out Eren's bite strength and maybe play tug-of-war with some rope. Wolfren against Humanity's Strongest, who will win???