puppy play, forced proximity 👀
Geralt and Lambert fighting once again. Eskel is in a bad mood, maybe he has a headache or it's just one of those days. Eskel putting the pups in their collars and clipping them together with a very short leash. Telling them to behave or else there'll be consequences.
Entirely up to you what "good behavior" looks like 🤭
Okay I’ve been thinking about this all weekend, and I welcome your thoughts too. I had more to say about this than I thought I did >.<
Now, I was having lots of thoughts about how witchers walk the path alone normally, and because of this, they get used to doing things their own way, and no one would tell them otherwise. They’re also very precious about their stuff, their armour, their potions, anything they carry with them. They’re always travelling and everything they carry is special to them in some way – even if its disposable, it’s theirs.
So that got me thinking about their mindset when they get to Kaer Morhen. How long it takes Eskel to get both of these big wolves to sit nice at his feet, relaxed and taking little scritches like good puppies.
And that got me thinking about Geralt and Lambert having issues with “resource guarding” and how having a full year of having their own things and being on their own schedules means that when they’re back, for the first few weeks they do not want to share. Toys, blankets, Eskel.
But Eskel needs them to share, because part of being a close pack, and part of having two well behaved puppies, is knowing that they can share their things, and knowing that they both belong to Eskel. So, when they start growling at each other over who’s allowed to lie on the blanket that’s absolutely big enough for both of them, or when they get bitey over who had their head on Eskel’s lap first, Eskel knows that it’s time for consequences for their behaviour.
Eskel will let them get all of their grumbly behaviour out of their system for the first few weeks, because he knows it’s hard for them to re-adjust. But once he knows their ready, and once he simply can’t take any more of their head butting, part of being a good owner is setting proper rules for his puppies to follow so that they know exactly who’s boss.
Just the visual of the very short leash to both of them is usually enough to give of signals in their brain that this is the last night this behaviour will be tolerated. Seeing it in Eskel’s large hands, and with one click of his fingers both of them kneel in front of him with no pushback.
Knowing that this will be the last time they can act out obviously makes both of them want to put up a fuss, growling at each other like they might bite through the leash itself to run away. But just the feeling of both of them being that close, the weight of the collars with the obvious tug at their necks every time one of them moves is enough to make them both yield.
Eskel just sitting in his armchair, reading by the fire, “ignoring” his poorly behaved puppies when they pull away from each other. “I know I didn’t train you two to act like that. Don’t know where it’s come from, but it wasn’t me.” It’s a well-practiced disappointed tone that puts them in their place without even having to lift his eyes. After weeks of guarded behaviour, it only takes minutes before both of them are pressed against each other on the floor.
Once they’re actually willing to let each other in, Eskel always lets them do what they want. It takes a lot for them to let that guard down, so if they want to scent each other, groom each other, take each other, Eskel simply makes sure they’re both warm, comfy and very well praised.
Eventually, Eskel will unclip them, but not before letting them know knows boss.
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