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 Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 1:38 pm
Fireheart glanced at her reflection in the still pond she and Vodnitvar were standing beside. She looked rather silly with mud dripping down her face, but she could really only see her bright eyes peeking out from the dark muck as she blended right in with the dark reflections on the water. She grinned at how easy it was to become one with her surroundings. Just roll in some mud! It didn't feel that great, but if it came down to getting a meal or escaping a pursuer, she'd do it in a heart beat. Glancing back at the male - now also completely brown - she stood to mirror his actions. "Complicated?" she echoed. How much simpler could this be? She looked around and wondered if they'd be finding other things to roll in. Or maybe using parts of the landscape to stick to the mud. That could be interesting. As she glanced back down at her paws, she noticed they were already growing sandy just from the motion of standing. This was great! "Enlighten me," she said with a grin, her serious nature set aside for the time being. When she was learning she was excited and incredibly happy. Hopefully the older lion wouldn't hold it against her.
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Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 7:39 pm
Her less than sincere nature was still heartwarming to him, in a very non mushy, i'm a dude sort of way. But he sure as heck wasn't going to show it. He needed to man up! Start acting like the male she imagined he was, and that he truly was at one point. All of this awkward silly business, while cute, was also unfitting for his previous title.
As much as he tried to hold back the grin, he imagined a small portion of it still managed to get through.
"Maybe complicated was a poor choice in words. Annoying? Yeah, that might be more fitting." Grinning an evil sort of grin, he continued on.
"It took me many, many tries and even more temper tantrums to get this tactic right. Because it has to be all about your timing. If you come off even a minute too late, you'll likely have to start again." Looking around him he took note of his surroundings, taking in the colors, and textures that surrounded them.
"Alright! Time to judge your ability to make a decision." He eyed her, with a strict look, allowing it to lighten as he realized she would likely ace this easy question. "Name the first thing that comes to mind - DO.NOT.HESITATE. Where would you hide if you needed to at this very second?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 7:42 am
Fireheart let her tail bob slowly back and forth as Vodnitvar continued on. She was excited to learn and, as his voice changed, realized she was being put to a test. She stood a bit taller and let a more serious expression slide over her features. She enjoyed tests and did fairly well at them when they were given. In this pride that wasn't very often, but she always rose to the occasion when the opportunity presented itself.
The question itself wasn't hard. The tone in which it was delivered let her know she needed to give an answer immediately, and it was only thanks to the fact that she frequented this pond quite a bit that she didn't even have to glance around to know where everything was. They were on the south side of the pond, which meant that just over there to the left...
"In the cattails growing on the bank behind you," she said nearly instantly, never once taking her eyes off the older lion. There was a nice, thick patch of reedy cattails growing in a fairly large group, and the mottled browns and greens would allow her to easily disappear and become just another shadow, thanks to the mud currently slathered all over her body.
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Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 7:50 am
Impressive. Quite impressive. Truthfully he wouldn't have though of the cattails for himself, he would have taken a more obvious route. But that didn't mean it wasn't an option.
"Excellent choice, now tell me how you would do that." He looked over to the cattails to give them a quick once over. There wasn't anything really special about them, they were just cattails. But, with cattails came water, and with water came cleanliness.
Turning his attention back to Fireheart once more, he dabbled one of his paws into the pond beside them. The mud slowly began to melt off of his fur, revealing his blue pelt once more.
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Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 8:03 am
Fireheart turned her gaze to the target she had selected and began to calculate just how she would go about hiding. She knew the water would be her enemy in this case, but the plants grew right up against the bank of the pond. She could wade in just a bit so only her paws got wet, and those could easily be hidden in the thickness of the roots should the water prove not murky enough to hide her coloring.
"I'd enter from the bank to minimize contact with the water," she said, glancing over at Vodnitvar's paw. "The reeds are tall enough to where I wouldn't need to crouch too low, and I could keep my tail out of the water fairly easily. There's more mud near where I'd enter to cover my paws again once I exit."
A bit complicated and probably more work than she needed to do, but if she had to hide right at this moment, it would do. If she had a bit more time, perhaps she could bound off into the trees to blend in with the darker foliage there, but the reeds were - as far as she could tell - the best option for quick hiding spots.
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Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 8:30 am
She had the plan down to a tee, or so it seemed. Her only real issue here, was that she was looking over the smallest detail. It really was a small one, and he'd only learned it through the help of another as well. So he knew better than to fault her for it. Instead her merely nodded in understanding as she laid out her plan. Everything was in order, and she even remembered to recover her paws upon exit.
"A well thought out strategy, and one that would likely work in most cases. But let's say, you were being followed by an above average predator..." He paused, trying to play the scenario out in his own head. "You tip toe through the bank and into the cattails, and you are well hidden. But one little thing -" Raising his paw once more he squeezed his little toes together. "Could be your downfall."
The male heaved a grunt, as he forced his joints to move once more. He hated standing still for long periods of time, it only worsened things. As he moved, he headed to act out her plan. If only for the first part.
As he stepped into the cattails, he played the scenario as he would expect she would. Delicate to a point, but not noticing the fatal flaw. As he dipped his paws into the water, the mud beneath the surface began to pool to the surface. Reacting with the water and creating delicate spirals that flowed out from beneath the cattails and into deeper water.
"A highly skilled warrior or hunter knows it is important to always watch their surroundings. This little detail would not escape them." Exiting the water once more, he was careful to cover his paws in mud once more. Taking extra care to hide the prints as he did so.
"Now truthfully there is not real way to prevent it. But you can lessen it's impact, by taking small, delicate strides. Yes it is more time consuming, but it leaves you with less of a trail."
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Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 11:51 am
Fireheart watched intently as Vodnitvar moved to execute her strategy. It seemed to be going well, but she kept an eye out for anything that might give her away, as the other lion had suggested it might. Watching him move into the reeds and disappear, she really couldn't pinpoint what it was. She was about to voice her confusion, when little swirls of mud began to slide out from his hiding place. She watched them float along with the tiny current in the pond caused by the slight ripples, understanding now the tiny flaw in her plan.
She nodded slightly as the other lion emerged from the water. "I see...I'll be sure to step lightly in situations like this." She had been practicing her stepping for a while now and could walk through the jungle without so much as a rustle. She was confident she'd be able to keep the mud from leading her would-be attacker right to her.
"I never would have thought of that happening," she added truthfully once Vodnitvar a was covered in mud again. "Thank you for pointing that out...I doubt it would have crossed my mind."
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Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 7:01 pm
I have no doubt that you will." He smiled letting her know he had faith in her. "Now, let's get on to the next one. The fun one." He let out a small chuckle at his own sarcasm.
"You know how to blend yourself into the dirt, how to blend with the water. But what happens when you need to hide in a hurry?" He quickly scanned the area once more, noting the vibrant green plant life around them. Perfect. Stepping forward, he motioned for Fireheart to follow him.
"There are tons of ways to disguise yourself with your surroundings. Even more, if you dedicate yourself to the art..." He looked back, lending a swift wink. "Some won't be as useful as others depending on your surroundings, but we'll start with the most obvious hypothetical. The present." As he stood before the leaves, he picked up a large branch with his teeth, yanking it swiftly and causing a clean break. "Now, take this branch, and hide with it. I want to test your basic skills." Walking off behind a tree, the male lay down gently and covered his eyes with his paw.
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Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 11:46 am
Fireheart followed Vodnitvar, eager to learn more. She had already learned tactics she would have never thought of before. In just a few hours, she had gained more knowledge than she had in years. It was honestly incredible. And the fact that the blue lion was just scratching the surface...well. It was a good thing she enjoyed being around him. She got the feeling she'd be hanging around him a lot more now that he was willing to teach her.
She observed Vodnitvar as he ripped a branch from a tree and tilted her head a bit. Once he explained what he wanted her to do, though, she took the branch with a look of excitement. Right! She could do this. She glanced around as Vodnitvar moved away, trying to find the perfect place.
Finally she spotted it. There was a dark hole in the brush by the same kind of tree that the male had ripped the branch from. She didn't want the leaves to not match her surroundings. She had already made a small mistake with the water, so she wanted to blend in perfectly and impress her teacher.
She made sure not to drip any mud on the ground as she moved into her hiding place. She also knew to rely on the mud on her body to act as cameo. The way the light was coming through the leaves and branches into her hiding place would help mottle her outline and keep her hidden. The branch was left to help cover her head once she crouched down, keeping her eyes out of the light so they didn't give her position away. And now...she waited.
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Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 4:21 pm
Having waited a fair amount of time, Vodnitvar stood on his haunches once more. His joints creaking as he did so. Upon a rough first glance, all seemed well, wherever she had chosen to hide, had been a good idea. He nodded in approval, but went about his business of checking for mistakes. She was a quick learner so when he found hardly any mistakes, it made him proud. Proud enough to allow himself a small smile. But it didn't last long, he had to find her. Though he had to admit she had done a fine job with this attempt.
"Very good. I dare say a little too good for a first attempt. You are a fine student Fireheart." He purred the words, allowing them to slowly lull from his throat.
"Now, come on out of there and lets start on the next lesson shall we?" Ignoring his stiffened joints, the male playfully jumped close to the hiding place the female had picked. Hoping to spook her a bit, but knowing she probably knew exactly what he was doing.
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Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:36 pm
Fireheart watched as Vodnitvar came out from behind the tree and grinned to herself as he searched around. Obviously there were only so many places she could hide, but if he were pretending that he were a pursuer, perhaps he might think that she had continued on and was no longer in the area. Success, then! She was glad she had picked up so quickly, even though she was finding a lot of it to just be common sense now that she knew the finer details of hiding.
As the blue lion lunged forward she stiffened a bit, but otherwise didn't move. It wasn't until there was a silence after he spoke for a few moments that she emerged, a happy smile on her face. "That was kind of fun," she admitted as she stepped over the branch she had been used to shade her eyes. "Reminds me of playing with my siblings when we were younger. Hide and seek. Just at a new level."
She shook herself a bit to get rid of the leaves stuck to her before giving the older lion another smile. "All right. What's next?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 7:04 pm
Silently nodding in approval at Fireheart's anaology, he prepared himself for the next task. If she thought it easy to compare this test to a game, she would likely highly enjoy the next task. He could only hope she wouldn't enjoy it enough to lose sight of the point of it.
"Camo art." He stated bluntly, turning his body and motioning with his tail for Fireheart to follow. "If you can easily master this lesson, then you'll be ready for all those would be predators." He smiled, slowing his pace as he reached the water once more. "Now the point of camo, is to hide yourself from those you don't want to be seen by. For the most part this can be easily achieved with the knowledge to back you up. But what happens when your surroundings are a bit more colorful than you would have hoped?"
The male gazed around the area, trying to find a perfect example. Though for the most part the landscape was pretty simple. There was a small patch of flowers blooming from the other side of the bank... Perhaps those would have to do.
"Take the flowers over there-" Motioning with his paw, he turned his attention back to Fireheart. "Not exactly easy to cover yourself in mind and hide among those colors is it? That's where the art part comes in. You have to use your surroundings in order to blend yourself into the background as best as possible." Vodnitvar paused, allowing everything to sink before he continued on. The last thing he wanted was to bombard her with too much information at once.
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Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 8:40 pm
Fireheart followed Vodnitvar without hesitation, keeping his pace as she glanced up at him. If anyone were to come to the pond right now they'd probably think they were crazy, but she really didn't care. She was learning more than she ever had and she was completely fine with being thought odd.
She listened intently as the blue lion continued to speak about cameo. Blending in was a lot more than just rolling in mud and hiding in the bushes, as he had basically said. She looked around as he mentioned flowers and nodded to show she was understanding.
"So...just picking and choosing?" she guessed as she turned her attention back to her mentor. "A little bit of this, a little bit of that?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 6:12 pm
"Well sort of.." He mumbled, still trying to figure out exactly how to explain this part. He'd been pretty bad at it until he actually got his paws into it. But something told him Fireheart would pick up much sooner. Already from what he had taught her, he knew she was a quick learner. She had yet to disappoint him, and he doubted now would be the time she would.
"To an extent you may pick and choose, and it is as simple as a little of this and a little of that. But the key is to blend.
For example - you wouldn't choose tree bark as a good camo for the flowers now would you?" He paused a moment not really expecting an answer.
"No of course you wouldn't." Shaking his head as he spoke to himself he trudged over to the flowers he'd been speaking of. Noting that Fireheart as well as himself still had a decent coat of mud on them he continued.
"The trick is to take away from your scenery, but not enough to cause anything of notice." Delicately he picked petals from each flower, thankful that Frozenheart had chosen such a convenient area. "Then you take it, and blend with what you are given."
Lowering his head slightly to the pile before him, he nudged himself in her general direction.
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Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 6:31 pm
Fireheart nodded slightly as Vodnitvar explained himself a bit more. She had to smile slightly as he suggested using bark to hide among flowers and shook her head a bit. No, of course not...that would be silly. Unless she were trying to hide with half of her behind a tree or something. That would be too difficult to manage in a short amount of time, though.
She followed him over to the flowers and watched intently as he began to pick petals off various flowers. Ah, not just ripping one off and using the petals off that...a wise choice. A skillful tracker would know to look for broken branches and things, so just ripping one or two off would give her away fairly easily. Of course, if she didn't have time to pluck petals like this, she could always take one out from the inside of the bush or the thicket of plants. Make it a bit harder to see that it was broken.
"I see," she said, mimicking his moves and began placing them on her shoulder. She kept a somewhat random but organic pattern to them, understanding now that she needed to make sure it looked 'real'. "How's this?"
She moved closer to the plants, glancing down at her shoulder and down her front leg, which disappeared a bit among the plants. She looked up with a tiny smile on her face. Not only was this fun, but she felt as though she were pretty good at it.
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