isleofavalon | [Closed threads]

Entry tags:

[Closed threads]

🧙 WHO: Gaius and friends
⚔️️ WHAT: Hanging with a friend and a quest!
🕒 WHEN: When these things happen
🗺️ WHERE: Various places
⚠️ WARNINGS: Rated A for Awesome, clearly

Horse Care with Izuku

[The relationship between Gaius and Izuku had developed into an interesting friendship. They were both very close in age and had been some of the first people each had met upon arrival in this new world.

However, because Gaius had a few more practical skills that Izuku didn't, he also accepted that at times, he'd be teacher -- or sensei to use Izuku's term -- and took that role as seriously as their friendship.

Which is why, a little bit outside town, Gaius has led Izuku along with two placid horses he's rented for the day.]

I know this will seem a little new for you, but I think you'll get the hang of this quickly. So to start, do you know anything about horses at all?

Vital Venoms with Link

[Sometimes the nature of the network system allows connections you wouldn't normally expect. Like admiring one person's bird friend leads to an invite to a quest. This seemed like the type of quest you'd definitely need two or more people for, so Gaius asked Link if this would work.]

If I understand everything correctly, we either need to capture a spider with magic or get bitten and then quickly get to a healer so they can extract the venom.

I don't know about you, but I'd much rather catch a spider than get bit. Do you have any magic that might help in this situation?

((OOC: I am all up for flipping coins to determine how awesome or poorly this adventure happens.))

Gaius goes where the winds take him with Akira

[He's only been here a few weeks and still settling in, but at least things might be getting better. Still, it's not quite the same as Thors Academy in Trista, where he had his classmates and friends nearby.

He has his spear in hand and deciding what to do for the day. Maybe check on a bounty? Maybe just wander around town and get familiar with the layout?

Then he spots Akira, one of the few familiar faces and he brightens.]

Hey, Akira! How are you?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He is still a little embarrassed about the whole sensei thing. If anything Gaius should be his senpai since they're so close in age... Just something about Gaius makes him think of a teacher? Maybe it's because he's tall? Or his general outlook on how he sees things.

Because here he is still helping Izuku and with horseback riding of all things. Izuku smiles when he sees them, a little awed that he's going to get the chance to ride a real horse for the first time in his life! But he's a little nervous too. They're big and those hooves look lethal if they need to be...]

... I- I know the basics about horses. They're used for riding, transportation, sometimes farmwork... They eat hay? Things like that? But about riding one... Not a lot at all.

I'm going to try make this as easy as possible. First thing is to just be kind and make friends with the horse. The ones I rented are pretty calm, but all horses like to know they're appreciated.

[Gaius demonstrates by patting his mare on the muzzle and also patting its shoulder.]

Why not give it a try?

Eh? Making friends with the horse?

[Izuku can't help but look nervous at that. Making friends is great! He can do that! But what if it kicks him if it doesn't like him?!

He does step forward, raising a hand in greeting and maybe... trying to pet it...

But because he's so nervous the horse seems to nicker nervously back...]

Are- Are you sure about this?

Of course. Horses are sensitive enough to sense a bit of the feelings of their riders. Making friends is a good way to have a better ride.

Here, hold out your hand.

[He'd thought ahead and bought some apple slices to feed their rides. He places one slice on Izuku's outstretched palm.]

Just keep it flat and the horse will eat right off your hand. Giving them treats is also a good way to build a relationship with your horse.

[Izuku still looks fairly nervous. Looking from the apple slice in his hand and to Gaius and then back to the horse. He's going to lose a finger...]

R-right... Okay, Gaius-san. Y-you're the expert so I should be okay. Horses are sensitive so try and... build a relationship with the horse. Got it.

[Sometimes it's easier for him to repeat instructions out loud. And it helps him calm down slightly as he offers the apple slice to the horse. It nickers at him but... does it take the apple? Izuku is still sort of sweating unsure bullets, here...!]

Here you go, Horse-san...

[The horse seems to appreciate the treat and neatly takes the apple. She chews on it and then gently pokes Izuku in the face with her muzzle.]

There, she seemed to like it a lot. I believe your horse is named Smoke and mine's Ashes. I suppose they had a theme going.

Since she likes you, she'll definitely let you ride.

[For a very first time, Gaius set up all the tack and saddles himself, so he knows they're where they need to be and perfectly safe. He ties Ashes' reins to a tree branch and holds on to Smoke's reins.]

I'm going to hold on to her and I want you to try to get on the horse. Put your left foot in the stirrup and then lift yourself up and your right leg over the saddle.

[Izuku might have a point about Gaius being a good teacher. His natural speaking voice is very calm, but encouraging. He looks at Izuku with every confidence that this will go well.]

[OH GOOD. Izuku was sure he was going to screw up somehow and get a whole hoof to his stomach for it. He lets out a small embarrassing squeak when he's nuzzled by the horse but he does get to pat her neck gently! Pat-pat!]

Thank you, Smoke-san! Was that a good apple?

[The nuzzles start making Izuku chuckle which eases his nervousness a bit more. So, once he sees Gaius mount his horse he feels a little more confident about it. He moves to hold onto her saddle.]

What do I do if she starts stepping out of place? You'll hold her still? I don't want to spook her again.

[But here he goes. Putting his left foot in the stirrup and going to hoise his weight up and--- He starts flailing a little and the horse starts walking sideways in confusion!!]

Wait- Wait! Wait! Horse-san! Smoke!

[Uh-oh, he should have planned for that. Before things get too out of hand, he makes sure he has a good hold on Smoke's reins and stands still, making sure the horse stops dancing around.]

Sorry about that, Izuku. You're doing fine, just put your leg over and fit your foot in the stirrup once you're done.

N-no, it's alright. I think it's me...

[Izuku is absolutely the issue here. His nervousness making the horse start to move without being ready for it.

He tries to take a deep breath and then tries again. This time holding firming to the saddle and trying to swing his leg over in the correct way.]

Please, hold still-!

[And this time he makes it! Mounting the horse with a small yelp and trying to settle there with a few pats to her neck.]

There...there?

[Please don't toss him.]

[Gaius' expression doesn't change, but he's VERY thankful he picked some placid horses for this test.]

There you go. It's always hardest the first time, but you'll get used to it.

[With Izuku safe, he unties the reins to Ashes and mounts that horse easily. He walks around so that he pulls up next to Izuku on his right side.]

Now the way to move is to gently nudge with your legs and control your direction with the reins. It's very important to have a light touch since the reins are connected to a bit in the horse's mouth. You wouldn't want someone to yank hard like that for you, so don't do it for the horse.

Now just watch what I'm doing with my hands and my legs while I control the horse.

[Because he knows Izuku seems to learn best by example. He does know his friend is fond of notebooks, but he's actually got that covered once they're done. So he nudges Ashes forward and turns him around, making sure to show what his hands are doing and how it affects the way the horse turns.

It doesn't seem to take a lot of effort to make the horse move the way Gaius wants.]

Do you want me to try it again or do you want to attempt it yourself now?

I guess it's because it's a live animal that I'm a more worried I'll do something wrong.

[The last thing he wants to do is hurt the animal or do something that might annoy it and thus get thrown off into the mud. Horses are really smart creatures and he's trying really hard not to screw this up. He is still stiff and mechanical with his movements but Izuku carefully tugs on the reins which turns Smoke in the right direction towards the path with its partner.]

I- I think I can try it?

[Those movements are a lot simpler that Izuku first thought they would be. Maybe he's overthinking as usual. So he tries to mimic Gaius but nudging his legs next and Smoke goes to move forward into a light trot.]

Ah-! Okay- How do I... make her stop?

[Because she's just trotting away now!!]

[Perhaps they were supposed to make comments about how hot people were, but... Link wasn't going to complain about the final results. He got to show Red around to other people and.. he made a friend? As promised he brought his bird with him, the once huge bird now more or less the size of a large dog as he followed his partner on land, and packed what he could for the quest at hand.]

Huh... I'd rather catch a spider instead of being bitten as well... [He hummed. Despite being a good fighter and completing a quest of his own... Link still didn't like to fight that much if it wasn't friendly sparring.] I have animal magic, so... that may help? I'm just not entirely sure if the spiders will be... well... it may not be easy to convince them to give us their venom just like that.

(Ooc: Same! I'm absolutely okay with things going smoothly or Link being bitten!)

That's true, but I started to develop another kind of magic. I think it's healing? So that would certainly help us if things happen to go awry.

[Gaius, don't tempt the winds like that. Meanwhile, his familiar, a brightly colored hummingbird with a super long tail, zips around Red.]

But maybe we'll be all right. We could definitely try your way and then only fight when necessary.

Oh, hi there.

[ Akira doesn't really have any plans for today either; wandering around the city is a pastime he enjoyed back in Tokyo as well, so once in a while he just takes his time and looks for new places to visit. ]

Good, thanks. Looking for a place to have something to eat and maybe relax. Are you busy right now?

[ He points at the spear. ]

Oh, no, no, just given where we are, I kind of feel strange if I don't have it with me, even if I don't have to use it?

I was thinking about getting some lunch too. Is...is it all right if I tag along?

Better safe than sorry they say. I'm carrying a knife from home on me, so I get it.

[ You'll never know when a battle might happen. ]

Sure, it'll be fun. How about we come up with some requirements for the place where we eat? Something like...it has to have some weird decorations.

[ It's not just about the food, experience counts too! ]

I've...don't think I've ever picked a place based on requirements like that.

[Since for the majority of his life, he's eaten whatever his parents made. Or maybe for festivals where everyone would contribute. But he's open to this new method.]

But weird decorations...uh...and at least one person inside has to be wearing a very nice hat.

You're getting a hang of it pretty fast. Let's do this.

[ Actually, there's a cafe just a few steps from where they're standing. It might be a little weird that Akira is just standing there, trying to peek inside but at the same time, he doesn't seem to be thinking much of what people passing by might think. ]

It looks pretty normal, unfortunately. That would have been too easy.

Edited 2021-05-02 12:04 (UTC)

So the challenge is to make it deliberately hard to find something that qualifies so when you do find it, you'll be nice and hungry for whatever this place has.

Interesting concept and I accept this challenge.

[That is not at all what this is about but it makes sense to Gaius so he's happy to follow along.]

Well, if you get hungry in the meantime, we can get a snack somewhere.

[ They aren't hard to come by and exploring isn't as fun when one's stomach is empty. ]

Unless you really want to go for hard mode.

I feel if we can't find anything in the next hour, then we're not looking hard enough.

Let us hope for a blessing from the winds on our quest for food.

[ Thankfully, there are lots of cafes around here, so they should find one fitting the description they came up with sooner or later. Looking around gives them plenty of time to talk about things, too. ]

What is your world like? Similar to this one or completely different?

Well...the country that I went to school in is a little bit like this, but with the technology a little further back and no active magic. Here...

[He pulls out a curious device from a pocket and hands it over to Akira to inspect. It looks like an overlarge pendant or compact about as big as his hand and it pops open. Several colorful quartz sit in holes, which appear to have lines radiating from a central, larger quartz in the center.]

We used to be able to use Arts and powers by swapping out various quartz in our ARCUS units. We could also work together with other ARCUS users to create more power. But it stopped working as soon as I came here.

Oh...

[ Akira examines it with utmost care—it might not be working anymore, but it doesn't change its importance as an item. ]

Technically, we can try combining our magic so it might work similarly? I'm not sure. But that's really cool. So all the power was stored in the quartz?

Yeah. Depending on the unit, sometimes you had to insert a quartz of a particular color into a particular slot. Nothing else would work.

But we can combine powers?

[He brightens at the thought. It wouldn't be exactly like combat links through his ARCUS unit but it would be fun to try.]

What kinds of magic can you do? I have elemental and healing, which is a bit like what I used to have.

It's more complicated than I thought.

[ Akira gives him the device back carefully. ]

I have elemental and got animal recently. I wonder if healing fireballs could be a thing.

[ Not to mention Gaius could make them by himself. ]

A healing fireball? That would...certainly be something.

[So would it burn you and heal you? Wouldn't they cancel each other out and thus render it useless? Akira gives Gaius rather odd things to consider.]

What does animal do? Can you talk to animals?

[And then he immediately brightens.]

Can you talk to horses?

[ Here's hoping that healing replenishes more health than fire damage takes...anyway: ]

I...kind of, yeah. Still figuring out some things. Do you want me to talk to a certain horse?

[ Akira did notice how happy Gaius looks about this. ]

I'd like to see if you can talk to ANY horse. Tell them how much I'm fond of them and ask if there's anything I can do to take care of them better than I already do?

[He's certainly good at guessing a horse's mood, but flat out knowing what they're thinking would be amazing.]

We can try that anytime, honestly. Even if we bump into a horse before we find the place to eat.

[ Considering the requirements they have come up with, it might be easier to spot a horse, honestly. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Closed threads]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

I'm ready for the coins to troll us hard

sorry for late a tag in!! ;;

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject