Hollowheart Keep Time to really enter the world

@Mapplethorpe; Training thread that follows Hell in his eyes?

everything that kills me makes me feel alive <b style="font-family:georgia; color:#8182A3;">Karpos was anxious, nervous and even terrified. He tried his best to hide it but it was hard to hide. He was scared that he would ultimately fail with the pointers Sir Mapplethorpe said he would give. He took a deep breathe and waited. They had just finished packing up the remains of the moose that Karpos had tracked maybe an hour before. He liked Sir Mapplethorpe, reminded him a lot of others that he considered family. He wasn't pushing his luck though; Aponi seemed scarcer by the day. It was the solitude that he embraced that made him finally decide he was sure. He really liked Aponi; he couldn't say loved. The Slayer Curse, as he called it, if he said he loved her she would disappear. She would fade away. Karp wouldn't do that. He waited anxiously for the man teaching him to speak. Karpos was always trying to improve except it was strange to learn skills from an adult. He often tried to learn them himself. Hunting even, he had figured most of it out himself rather than from his Aunt. She taught him important things about the big prey. Tace. Tace Karpos. He told himself when he thought about speaking. His ears were perked up in curiosity as to what kind of things he would learn from the man that he was growing to admire. There was not a smile on his face, no, the boy didn't want to smile. This isn't some play session. This is the time to learn. He was forcing himself to eliminate any forms of fun he might think would come from this. It was time for him to wake up and really enter the world.

Dude. You are awesome; I was just about ready to 'set the stage' for this thread, but ya beat me to it. xD Feel free to set up a "fight request" if you feel like using rolls to determine success/intensity rates of the training session moves. <3 If not, that's cool, Mapplethorpe and I'll do my best to help Karpos shape up for a Guardian role.

December 29th; Light Snow; 12° F/-11° C

It had been a few hours since the discovery of the half-eaten moose but never did the Keep Leader let himself forget or brush away the promise he had granted the young Slayer. Allowing a wisp of vapor rise up from his parted jaws he stared at Karpos once they had come to a standstill somewhere near the pack borders. "Stand there," he instructed when the boy continued to hold his tongue. In an orderly fashion he walked in a wide circle around the youth, then stiffly stood in front of him, tail up and muzzle somewhat level.

"First things first," he began. "Take a deep breath. Your body needs air, oxygen, in order to think clearly." His rib cage expanded beneath his rough winter coat as he momentarily closed his eyes, feeling the chilled airs reach into the furthest reaches of his lungs before being ushered back out into the late December air. When he reopened his eyes again they bore into Karpos' coffee-hued irises. "Now, as a Guardian, if you are going to be defending yourself or protecting someone, you'll need to always be aware of your surroundings and where your opponent is. For instance... watch." He placed heavy emphasis on his last word, scanning Karpos' face for any sign that the lad was attentively watching.

"If I'm a rogue who's going to charge you and you're just standing there," he continued, "I'm going to come at you and try to get my jowls into your throat. Square your shoulders and lower your head..." As he instructed Karpos, he did the same thing, leaving his tail the only thing to occupy the air that lingered above his head and back. "Make sure you mind your ears, I don't care if you're mad or angry beyond measure, if you don't put them back, your opponent will easily target them. Do that now."

"If you do that, now I only have one option, I'm more than likely going to try and make you offbalance. The quicker I have you on the ground, the faster I can achieve my chance of making you submit or become vulnerable to a killing blow. The same goes for you, the faster you have me on the ground, the better your odds are in controlling a situation. Understand?" He observed the boy for a short while before lowering his tail by a few angles.

"This is a physical exercise," the Leader made sure to remind his pupil, "and we're going to do this very slowly so you can get the gist of it all. Alright? Now, prepare yourself. Watch me." In a few slow strides and moving as though he was being seen through the slow-motion playback video, Mapplethorpe came forward, his body curving around so that he could almost touch his nose to Karpos' left shoulder. In mid-attack he stopped in his tracks, his right fore paw lifted in the air, frozen as though it were moments from finding purchase on the Slayer's back or side. "If I'm going to bite here," he stated, his lips barely brushing against the youth's thick pelt. "Look at how I'm positioned, is there a place you see that could be an ideal target? Position yourself accordingly, as if you were going to evade me, touch your nose to that spot... now."

As the masked Leader patiently waited for the young Guardian-in-training to make a move, all he could think of were the several instances when his sister @Cezanne had subjected him to her bullying, dominating wrath, and cruel games of "singling out" her only brother by harassing, embarrassing, and physically wrestling him to the ground in front of their sisters.

[[I'd prefer if we didn't use the fight system for this one :) I had extra time so I figured I'd start it xD <3]]

everything that kills me makes me feel alive Karpos was told to watch carefully and so he did. He needed to pay attention and absorb the lessons that Sir Mapplethorpe ran involving fighting. He was going to be a guardian, this he was confident of. He was told to take a deep breathe and so he breathed in the chilled and sharp air of the winter into his lungs and let it go. Sir Mapplethorpe wasted no time in telling him how to set himself in order to protect his neck; it was the best defensive strategy he knew. It was indeed the only defensive strategy he knew so it was the best he had. He set himself accordingly to Mapplethorpe's instruction. His shoulders were squared and his head was lowered. His eyes narrowed lightly in determination to get everything right the first time. He was nothing if not a perfectionist. At the very least he tried to be a perfectionist. Sir Mapplethorpe explained why this defense was necessary as it would leave only one plan of attack. Sir Mapplethorpe said he would try to unbalance Karp and Karp instantly tensed, he needed to look at things from a realistic standpoint. He responded to Mapplethorpe with a cool and calm voice. <b style="font-family:georgia; color:#8182A3;">"I understand sir." When Thorpe went to attack Karpos was about to react and then he stopped in midair. It was part of the instruction he supposed. He thought ahead to when he would have to attack when he was told to position himself accordingly. He toyed with the idea of backing up and lunging but he figured they would take a similar stance of defense so he couldn't get to the neck. He moved lightly to the left so the teeth would barely miss him and he froze. <b style="font-family:georgia; color:#8182A3;">"I could move off to the side like this and then there would be a shot at the enemies back." He explained his reasoning to the mentor whom agreed to teach him. Karp was unsure if he was right or not but it was the best idea he had at that time. He waited for his mentor to speak and finished the attack he had. Karpos had done what he thought was best. This is when he really started to learn. When learning, it was important to learn from your mistakes. Better in training than in battle. The wars of many would not be very kind to him.

Thank you for being so patient. <3

Karpos voiced what he thought was a feasible maneuver and to Mapplethorpe's approval, the youth had given him a reasonable answer. The Leader kept still and from the corner of his eye took a glimpse at his "opponent." "Good," he momentarily praised. "Though keep in mind that attacking your opponent's back with your jaws won't do much. If you were to put weight on my back or on my shoulders, I could be weighed down and that might be something worth noting if your target is about the same size or smaller than you."

For a second he rose up to take a good look at how the lad had shuffled back in the snow to evade him. Hmm. "Alright," he mused. "Say you had managed to shove me away --" a pause for a somewhat dramatic effect as he shifted back into his previous position and stance, "--I could easily target your limbs." His eyes went forward, focusing on Karpos' swarthy hind legs. "My goal and your goal is to get my opponent on the ground or to successfully convince him that they will not win with whatever tricks and blows I can manage. Growls, nips, posturing... and it's almost always about posturing. If you are apart of this pack," he quickly gazed to the youth's midnight-black face, "They, outsiders, will know... especially if you use your confidence, determination, and force to convey your strength as a Guardian... that you will not be upended or stripped of your status."

He went back to focusing on his next move. "Now, concentrate, think," he instructed. Just as slowly as he had before, the agouti-pelted man crept forward, angling to his left as he made to touch his nose to Karpos' left hind leg, aiming for the slender point of his ankle. "Weak points," he stated. "I have several... Point them out to me." Mapplethorpe had frozen in mid-step, stretched out in a gentle arch as his tail held out behind him slightly raised while both his right fore paw and his left hind leg was suspended above the snow.

[[Sorry this took so long, I spent a very long time trying to figure out these weak points cause I suck <3 <3 <3]]

everything that kills me makes me feel alive

He listened carefully to the alpha's words and he nodded. He had to stand fall and prove that he was the top dog when at the borders to deal with lone wolves. He listened about how to do that and it was all in one simple thing. Posturing. Especially if you use your confidence, determination, and force to convey your strength as a Guardian... Dud he really have these traits? He hoped so or else he would look like a fool next time he had to go through another question, which appeared to be right about.... oh, there it was.

Anticipation overtook Karpos, he was learning so much that he wasn't sure how much he could seem to contain and he had only said one thing. He was nervous about answering questions because while he had common sense he wasn't the smartest wolf in the lands. He was nervous about getting a question wrong and so when he was asked where Sir Mappthorpe's weak spots were he made sure to think it out before responding. He was aiming to grab onto Karp's left hind leg, a slender ankle part. The way that Mapplethorpe was laid out seemed to be well defended to Karp but he had to try.

Think boy, you can do this. Alright, so Sir Mapplethorpe said that posturing was everything. He also talked about being able to force down but he is so much bigger than me so there is no use in trying that. What about his legs. If while he was trying to bite he stayed like that and then I could somehow knock him off balance? WAIT. That wasn't even his question. What are his weak points? The inner conflict was starting to show as he profoundly searched for the answer. "I-- er... um. The weak points are... your two raised paws and your general stance because if some wolf were to knock one more paw out then you would be left on one paw and then be knocked over?" He was so nervous that it was all he could think of.

B'awww, poor Karp'. xP I heartily apologize for his nervousness! lol. <3 Here, we'll make up for it.

Karpos was starting to seem hesitant and though the boy had answered nervously, Mapplethorpe found his response satisfactory. If only the uneasiness hadn't shown through... The Hollowheart Keep Leader nodded, but later added, "If you're quick enough... and I'm sure you are if you put your mind to it." All four of his tawny paws were in the snow now and he straightened up, head held high and tail kept level with his spine. "Guardians rarely think," he articulated. "They already know... They know what to do, they know how to act and, sometimes, they know exactly what to say. Even in the absence of their superiors."

"Why do you fear me, boy?" his tone rumbled in his throat. "If I had been the stranger on the borders, would you have feared me then?" His head canted slightly to one side, assessing Karpos' body language, the expression on his marking-less face. "I've told you once and I will tell you again, Slayer, I believe that you hold much potential, and you will be an asset to this pack... our pack." Half of a crooked smile crept up alongside the right side of his muzzle, "If you are to one day serve me... Lady Naira... Princess Aponi... you will be brave. You will be confident; you will be brash. As a Guardian it is expected of you. You mustn't let anything, like intimidation, get the best of you."

His golden-eyed gaze raked up along Karpos' lanky, still-growing physique. "I might not have known your father, who he was or what he had done, but apparently his most valuable asset has found his way into my care. I am the way I am because I care, Kar-pos." His voice stumbled over the boy's name, but in verbally acknowledging the young Slayer by his given name, he could only hope that the lad found the means to confide in him at last... to trust him the way Taima had. The inner strength was there, Mapplethorpe knew, all he had to do was coax it from the pup and fortify it by any means possible. "I am the way I am because my father expected it of me, even when he believed that I would ultimately amount to nothing. I don't have my father anymore either, but look at me now..." A Leader. A father. A mate. A far cry from the cub he had once been all those years ago. Perhaps Karpos would make the connection...

"You have a long way to go just yet," he now fully smiled, the tenor tones of his voice finally rounding out in genial, heart-warming notes. "But I can already tell that you have the makings of a fine wolf. I will tell you that time and time again if you ask it of me; but, you must not forget it." He briefly scowled as if expecting Karpos to counter what he had said. "Come on, stand up straight and let me see your best defensive stance. Face me and give me your best growl..." His tail began to lilt from side to side, the tip of it prominently pointing from left to right and back again as he further encouraged, "Let us see that snarly face."

(This post was last modified: Feb 25, 2014, 09:11 PM by Mapplethorpe.)

Nothing to be sorry about <3 Karp's just a worrier xD

everything that kills me makes me feel alive

The leader had picked up on his nervousness and mistaken it for fear. Perhaps it was fear, fear of Mapplethorpe? Probably not, more like fear of messing up when it actually mattered. He took a deep breathe and listened as Sir Mapplethorpe explained to him that he had to be afraid of and that he couldn't be afraid of anything to be a Guardian. Well perhaps not everything, but he needed to learn to ignore his fears. Everything would be fine because he would ultimately be the better wolf at the borders, or so he hoped at least. He let his nervousness fade away and answered the man who had just given him a litany of everything. He needed to pretend this was some sciamachy. He took it all in silence.

He was about to explain that he wasn't afraid, but he decided it was better to go along with the fact that he was, even if it meant leaving out that he was just afraid of the actions not the wolves. He was told to give his best snarly face and Karpos tensed up with a serious manner. His teeth were barred and he was snarling. His eyes blazing with anger as he brought up all the anger that he had felt for months. His hackles raised and his feet spread out, his shoulders squared and his head down as he had been taight. He felt the fur bristle along his spine and he pushed his ears back. He waited for Sir Mapplethorpe to respond and just held his defensive stature as well as his 'snarly face'.

The boy obeyed and, much to Mapplethorpe's satisfaction, Karpos put up quite an impressive display. His gold-ringed pupils swept over a sight of bared teeth, a black wall of fur that could have been immovable and convincing if it weren't for how the boy's ears were held. The growl might have said otherwise, but either way the Keep Leader as pleased. "Good," he both approved and heartened as Karpos' growl had trailed off.

"Good, mind those ears," he directed before further taunting the lad, wanting him to identify with the feelings he was harnessing, "If you aren't scared of me, Slayer, then show me." His own body had begun to tense up at the sound of Karpos' snarls, a scrutinizing gaze apparent on his face as he stared hard into every aspect of the youth's stance.

"Don't lock those knees and elbows for too long... Shift just a bit but do not sway. If you want to be intimidating, lift that tail." He started to walk around Karpos in a wide circle again, his face never leaving Karpos' face until he came around on the boy's other side. As Mapplethorpe crept about to face his pupil again, he, too, raised his hackles and flashed his teeth.

He allowed his own growl to intermingle with the Slayer's own voice. "Louder," he goaded, attempting to drown out the yearling's growls with his. "Protect Aponi! Protect the pack! Tell them who is the Guardian of these Woods!" He snapped his jaws, his teeth menacingly clicking together once. "Show me that you're willing to do what it takes..."

everything that kills me makes me feel alive

Karpos held his stance and obeyed every command that was thrown at him by his leader and mentor. He fixed his ears by moving them to be erect and forward. His eyes direct and opened wide. He slowly shifted so his knees weren't locked all the time but he did not sway. His entire body was erect and tall as his neck arched. His head was held high with his mouth open and canines bared. He let his tail raise up so it curled atop his back. He hissed and as he was challenged to make his growl louder he did just that. What really set his growl to as loud as he could get it was Mapplethorpe's words. "Protect Aponi! Protect the pack! Tell them who is the Guardian of these Woods!" He was the guardian of the woods and no wolf could take that from him.

Karp was constantly thinking and worrying about Aponi and apparently his watching and affection was noticed by some wolf. It was noticed by her father. Whether or not that was a good thing was yet to be determined. As far as Karp could tell, Sir Mapplethorpe liked him and had a good opinion of him. But then again, Karp was never too sure with that. The man was hissing orders at him and Karpos held his stance, making sure not to lock his knees too long. "Show me that you're willing to do what it takes..." Of course he was willing and he was ready to prove him. He held it, his snarl as loud as he could muster.

The growl emitted from Karpos' very core boomed and rumbled through the forest. It made Mapplethorpe look upon the youth in a new light. The Karpos Slayer before him was not the youth he had first encountered nor the boy who merely skirted about his scent trails and followed his daughter around at all hours of the day. This was a young Guardian in the making; there was no doubt about that...

For a while, the Leader merely stared, his own posture just as daunting as he tried to feed the youth a good dose of confidence, wordlessly egging him on to keep up his menacing display. After several minutes, Mapplethorpe's shoulder relaxed and his tail came down from its lofty position in the air. His ears relaxed atop his skull and a few swipes of his tongue over his nose had him snorting and smirking in approval. Truth be told, he had sorely underestimated the boy, but he couldn't have been more proud.

"Very good, Slayer," he nodded in approval. "Come now, that's enough..." The hair at the back of his neck stuck up, bristling in anticipation as he waited for Karpos to unclench his jaw and calm down, hoping all the excitement and encourage aggression hadn't given the boy enough courage as to launch a full-blown attack against him. He swallowed hard, doing his best to obtain and retain the usual calm and assertive air he usually possessed. His golden eyes fixated along the contours of the boy's spine, watched for even the slightest movement of his tail and the smallest movement of the wrinkles along his muzzle. If worst came to worst, Mapplethorpe tried to mentally prepare himself. If Karpos prompted him to act in kind and put the ward back in his rightful place... he would.