[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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[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!
no subject
[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???