[Job Thread] Paws for Thought

by **Jeremy Casing** on February 11th, 2015, 11:04 am

Paws for Though
Mithryn Outpost, 31st Winter, 514AV

The cat yowled. Noisily.

Jeremy glanced up from his book to scowl at the animal. Jip sat innocently upon Jeremy's neatly made bed. Mere ticks ago he had been sleeping, but now he stared at his two-legged companion unblinkingly.

A phylonura gnosis was not needed for Jeremy to realize that Jip was requesting something. The feline could be... demanding at his best, and downright spoilt at his worse. Jeremy had no clue who had been Jip's previous owner - assuming he had even had one - or if he had simply been born with his sense of prideful entitlement. Either way, when Jip decided he wanted something, he would meow continuously until the object of his desires appeared in front of him.

Having a phylonurist as an owner probably did not help matters. So Jeremy had decided to try his best to ignore Jip for the time being, in order to teach the cat the importance of patience. "I'm not listening to you." He murmured with amusement, turning his eyes back onto the book he was reading.

A blank set of parchments rested on the armchair of his seat, a quill keeping the paper sheets flat and weighing them down so they wouldn't slide off the chair. Jeremy picked up the quill, his narrow fingers grasping it deftly. Glancing at the book, Jeremy drew a single line down the centre of the page. Another one followed, though it looked slightly wonky and did not run perfectly parallel to the first. He joined the two lines at the bottom with a tight semicircle.

Jip continued to meow

Golden eyes flashed to the book again. One page was full of text, headed with the title Lavandula. The opposite page contained a single image of the matching flower. A single stem - which looked ten times better than the one Jeremy had just drawn - gave rise to hundreds of tiny purple petals. When Jeremy drew these, they looked more like blobs, but they would do.

Then he began to read, scanning the paragraph quickly and picking out the words he deemed most important. "Belonging to the mint family... Several subtypes.... Used in perfumery and cooking..."

Jip meowed again, and this time he jumped off the bed and sat right at Jeremy's feet.

Only when he reached the alternative medical uses of lavender did Jeremy finally slow down and begin to take notes.

Lavendar oil can be used in aromatherapy to primarily aid sleeping and relaxation. The oil may also be used as a light antiseptic in moderate injuries such as scrapes

and burns. However, improper or over use of lavender oil or dried herbs may lead to skin irritation.

by **Jeremy Casing** on February 11th, 2015, 6:30 pm

When Jip meowed, for probably the thousandth time, Jeremy finally put down his book. His eyes met those of his pet and Jip communicated his desire to leave their home to survey his kingdom outside. Finally, the Kelvic obliged, a bemused expression of his face.

As Jip trotted away from the door, Jeremy noticed a small boy peering at him shyly. He was unfamiliar with children, not quite sure of what classed as suitable communication or behaviour around them. Nevertheless, the obvious introversion of the lad standing outside Jeremy's front door was so much like himself at that age that he immediately felt a connection with the boy. He tried to smile, but the bird-like nature of his expression did suit such human expressions. "Yes?"

The boy practically leapt out of his skin, but he padded closer to Jeremy and stuttered out a fragmented sentence. "M'sister h-has a d-dog. We always th-though h-he was a boy. B-but. She-ain't. She's 'avin p-pups. Rightnow!"

It took Jeremy a tick to string together the words into something that made sense. But when he did, he started into action suddenly. Puppies! He had not birthed an animal yet, had no real clue how to really, but he had read about it. Seasons ago.

Caiyha help me!

The lad bolted suddenly, scampering ahead of Jeremy so the Kelvic had to also burst into a jog. They came to a stop at a home similar to Jeremy's, but thrice as big. A home given to farming families, he suspected. Still, the place contained all the same furniture as his, just more of it. The boy dashed towards a far corner before coming to a sharp halt, pointing his arm rigidly to the ground.

A wooden box, filled with towels and other soft things, contained a dog. Jeremy recognised her as one of the dogs used on the farm to herd. She was restless, circling continuously in her box and every so often groaning with discomfort. "She certainly looks like she's welping." He muttered, trying his best to disguise his absolute terror.

He dropped to his knees, keeping his distance but slowly approaching the dog. When he spoke, he did so in a low, calm voice. "What's her name? It might help."

"Steve." Jeremy glanced behind him to the boy with a raised eyebrow, but the lad simply grinned, revealing his uneven teeth, "We thought she were boy."

They could not have had her for that long, then. The dog was not as fat as Jeremy would have expected a heavily pregnant bitch to be, but he knew better than to start assuming the worse of her current owners. Most likely she had been swapping owners for her entire life -- for however long that may have been.

"Okay. Steve." He had no choice but to go with the name. Still keeping his voice similar to a purr, Jeremy began to approach the dog. "Steve, stay calm. I'm here to help."

For once, it was strange for him to be communicating with an animal aloud and not via Nura. But he was not close enough to touch her yet, and Steve would not made eye contact with him either. Old-fashioned speech would have to do.

He turned back to the boy, sitting on his haunches. Stupidly -- frustratingly stupidly -- Jeremy had arrived completely unprepared. "What's you name?"

The boy beamed proudly. "Steve. It's a good name.

Jeremy felt the undeniable need to roll his eyes, yet somehow he managed not to do so until he was once again facing Steve the Dog. "Okay. I need some cloths, or... bed sheets. Anything soft but it needs to be clean."

by **Jeremy Casing** on February 11th, 2015, 7:13 pm

The boy Steve dashed away and up a creaking flight of stairs. The dog jerked suddenly in response to the noise, and Jeremy managed to reach out a hand and touch her left ear. In that instance, he listened to her concern and fear. She had not had pups before, and as he expected she had never truly found a lifetime home. Her last owner had bred her with his other dog, but when no pups arrived in the short span of time he had expected them to, he had simply sold the bitch on.

Her concern overwhelmed him, and for a moment Jeremy rested back on his haunches to consider his next move. It was always more preferable to leave an animal to give birth herself, but stress and panic could pose as great a threat as unnecessary interference.

"I got some beddin', ser."

The boy appeared at his side, stooped down much like Jeremy and also speaking in a low voice. Jeremy smiled tautly to him, appreciative of having such an efficient assistant. The lad left two multi coloured covers to Jeremy's left, then slowly snuck away. "My name's Jeremy, by the way. I am no ser, I promise you."

He scooted forwards again towards Steve Dog, who was now lying down and licking herself obsessively. She let out a slow, desperate whine. Jeremy saw her abdominals tense minutely and the dog began fidgeting again. "Good girl, Steve. I'm here."

Dog and man met eyes again, though this time Jeremy prepared. He stressed his own dedication to helping her, though made it clear that he would not intervene unless she wanted his aid.

Somewhat bashfully, she whined again in response. Jeremy responded by touching her ear again, running his fingers over the silky fur repeatedly. It bought her comfort, and with her next contraction Steve Dog was not as concerned.

by **Jeremy Casing** on February 11th, 2015, 9:23 pm

Her contractions came sooner and more intense. Soon Steve Dog was panting with anticipation - and Jeremy was not faring much better. His previous confidence had fizzled away into nervousness, but there was another emotion underlying in his gut too: excitement.

This would be both Jeremy's and Steve Dog's first birthing experience, and their shared naivety had created a bond between them.

Another contraction hit, and after a tick of great discomfort and panic, a pup spilled out of Steve Dog's rear end. Both mother and Kelvic stared at the slick looking newborn with a mixture of amazement and horror. Fortunately, maternal instinct kicked in and Steve Dog began cleaning her newborn.

Shortly after the pup began suckling, another contraction developed. Another pup, followed by a third. At this stage, both Jeremy and Steve Dog were somewhat familiar with the proceedings, but when the fourth pup came, both were a little overwhelmed. The third pup was not yet clean, and had not started breathing on its own, when his younger sister was born. Steve Dog glanced between her two pups, torn about which to focus on.

Jeremy's own confidence waned. He did not want to overstep his mark and disgrace his Goddess by assuming his rightfulness to help her creatures. But he could hardly abandon Steve Dog now, not when her loyalties and maternal instinct was torn.

So he reached out slowly with both hands, one of which was covered with a cloth. Steve Dog glanced at his fingers warily, but accepted his aid and turned her attention to the older of the pups.

Having scooped the pup up, Jeremy had to real clue what to do. The newborn was slick with... stuff, and it lay motionless in his hands. The umbilical cord was still attached. He glanced to Steve Dog, who was busy licking her third pup and cleaning out his airways.

Rub. I need to rub her.

Jeremy did so, carefully folding the cloth over and stroking the material up the puppy's spine. The majority of the stickiness came away with the cloth, revealing the pup's

mottled grey, white and sandy fur. He rubbed again, maintaining a light pressure so as not to damage or hurt her. Again and again Jeremy rubbed life into the pup, until she squeaked and finally moved. Relief washed over the Kelvic, and he speedily returned pup to mother.

by **Jeremy Casing** on February 12th, 2015, 9:21 am

Steve Dog accepted the pup back, and for several chimes she routinely inspected her four pups. All were healthy looking, no deformities, no sign of injury or anything to even remotely concerning. For a first timer, she was doing well. So was Jeremy, for that matter.

"It's looking good." Jeremy murmured breathlessly, glancing to the boy who had watched the entire scene with an open mouth and wide eyes. "She'll be tired, and I think it's best if I stay here with her for the next bell or so. Just to make sure."

His excuse was to monitor Steve Dog, but in truth Jeremy was amazed. He had held a newborn puppy in his very hands, bought her into this world and helped her breathe. Without him, she may not have lived. He had actually helped a living creature!

"Right. I'll get her some water, shall I?"

Jeremy nodded, standing up and straightening his legs with a wince. His bones creaked and muscles burnt from crouching for so long, but he was ultimately glowing with pride and delight. "Food would be ideal. What do you normally feed her?"

"Leftovers, really. I think we have some rabbit stew left from last night..." The boy stood and left, but only to the opposite end of the large living-room-cum-kitchen. He began clattering around noisily, humming a song to himself as he did.

"I was wondering..." Jeremy started, sharp eyes looking down upon Steve Dog and her offspring once more, "do you know if your father is planning to keep any of the pups? I would like to adopt one."

The boy shrugged his shoulders. "I guess he'll sell some. We didn't expect any pups at all, so..."

Jeremy nodded. He would usually be frustrated with himself for asking a child a question that only the man or woman of the house could answer, but his good mood simply could not be shifted. "When should your mum or dad be back?"

"M'mum helps my dad milk the cow and goats. She usually come home 'bout midday."

It didn't help much; Jeremy had no idea what time of day it was, though due to the distinct lack of a woman in the house, he assumed it was still morning time. Eyes still on the dog, he sat down into a well-cushioned chair. The seat dipped in the middle to form a long-imprinted arse shape. He guessed that this chair belonged to the father of the family; he could imagine a haggard farmer sitting there each evening after working the fields.

Steve the Boy re-joined Jeremy. He placed a bowl of lukewarm stew in front of the basket before also sitting in one of the chairs. "How do you help the animals? My ma' said you were different. That you could talk to them."

Word travelled fast, apparently. Jeremy shifted in seat in response to the question. He did not usually speak plainly about his gnosis, aware that humans did not always react well to it. A Phylonurist was a Witch blessed by Caiyha -- but was still a Witch. People were wary of them, but in truth Jeremy's ability was limited to simply communicating with plants and animals. He could not bless them, as one with Bala's gnosis could, nor could he heal like one of Rak'keli's followers. But Jeremy could learn, and for the time being that alone would have to do.

"Caiyha has blessed me with her gnosis -- do you know who she is?" When Steve nodded sharply, Jeremy carried on. "So I can speak Nura, the language of plants and animals. But it's not... speaking as such. I can feel and hear what they want to tell me."

by **Jeremy Casing** on February 12th, 2015, 9:50 am

The boy listened intently, brows furrowed as he considered what Jeremy described. To communicate with animals - and even stranger, plants - was unfathomable to him. Jeremy smiled as he watched Steve Boy's face twist and transform into several difference expressions. Confusion, surprise, admiration, wonderment. Children did not become suspicious over the things they did not understand like adults did, instead they approved of them, were excited by the strange opportunities that such odd events created. "It's kind of like...." Jeremy mulled over how best to describe the experience, "when you know your mum is gonna tell you off, that you're in trouble. You know just by looking at her face that she's after you."

The two chuckled over this explanation, and the shared experience of exact what Jeremy had just described. His own mother had been lenient, knowing that her child's childhood would be a short one. It had been Jeremy's father who had handed out punishments when they were required. He had been a quiet, subdued boy though. Jeremy was not confident enough to be rebellious, even after his blessing from Caiyha.

"M'mum always tells me off. Says I'm a little shit."

Jeremy could imagine that; Steve was spirited and lively, two traits that the Kelvic had always lacked. He would have responded to the boy, but his canine patient was now standing up and picking her way carefully through her snuffling pups.

She approached the dish of food slowly, but when her snout was in amongst the gravy, Steve Dog could not lap it up fast enough. Her tail began wagging, and afterwards she looked up to Jeremy and Steve Boy with an appreciative doggy smile.

"I think she liked that." Jeremy murmured to the boy happily, relieved that the canine seemed to be bouncing back from her giving birth already.

He thanked Caiyha yet again.

oocI'd like Jeremy to eventually adopt one of the puppies, so it would be great if the result of this thread was that he owned one Sheepdog pup for 10GM

by **Sayana** on March 1st, 2015, 12:37 am

Your Grades Have Arrived

Jeremy

Skills:

Skill	EXP
Animal Husbandry	+5
Drawing	+1
Botany	+1
Herbalism	+1
Writing	+1
Observation	+5
Research	+1
Socialization	+5
Medicine	+1

Lores:

Lavender: Description and medical properties
Animal Husbandry: Helping a mother dog with its birthing
Animal Husbandry: Rubbing life into newborn pup
Animal Husbandry: Comforting a dog with Nura

Ledger :

Comments :

Don't forget to edit/delete your grade request in the grade request thread. However, make sure to keep the link so that the DS can review graded threads with ease.

If you have any questions or concerns about your grade please feel free to send me a message.

Enjoy.