If I get up, I might fall back down again

[protects_the_small]

WHO: Kel and whoever runs into her
WHERE: De Chima mostly
WHEN: Month of August
WHAT: Open prompts
WARNINGS: perhaps sparring violence, eta: kissing

[Kel has settled into a routine now, and it’s starting to show. She is easily found on the road to De Chima, on her way to or from work, or accompanying Lucy to her duties as Ambassador. Perhaps she’s in one of the many parks meditating to pass the time, if so, her gelding Peachblossom will probably not be far away. He’s been clever about getting out, so it’s better he’s close to keep an eye on, AND SHE HAS HIM UNDER CONTROL, YES THANK YOU.

…If Peachblossom wants something from you, he may start tapping his hoof impatiently.
For those with previous appointments, Kel can be found at the Pevensie farm, ready and willing to spar. Or maybe just grab one of the horses for a ride, who doesn’t love trail rides?]


(ooc: need a prompt or don’t like these? I can be found at Kithnkin for plotting!)

Comments

ADVENTURE TIME

[irassible]

[ If Peachblossom has been paying attention, he'll have been noticing recently that Hassle has been trying very hard to get into Six's specially planted field, which is now covered with particular vegetables. This includes escaping the stables in the early morning, before any of them have been put out to pasture.

Today is one such morning. Hassle stirs early, rising from his nest-like pile of straw in his box stall, and sticks his head out to start tugging at the latch of his door with his beak. ]

Re: ADVENTURE TIME

[protects_the_small]

[Peachblossom cannot help but notice, if only because Hassle is the only other animal who is almost worth talking to. So when he hears the rattling of the latch, he puts his head over his stall door and snorts

Can't you do that quieter?

....Talking to doesn't mean being NICE...]

11th

[dirtyredneck]

[Daryl did not associate Peachblossom with Kel as of yet. So while he was aware of the woman he'd seen hanging around Lucy the two times he'd seen the woman, he wasn't aware her presence near Peachblossom was anything particularly important. It wasn't like the horse was nuzzling up to her or even within arms reach when Daryl spotted him.

And since Daryl didn't have any food on him that the horse would care for, he simply went close enough to catch the guy's attention and waved as he called out his hello with a wry smile.]

Hey, Peachblossom. You keeping out of trouble?

[He didn't expect much in the way of greeting, maybe a snort. If he got more, he'd call it a victory. If not, well, he wouldn't have his hopes up so disappointment would be hard to come by.]

[protects_the_small]

[Peachblossom's head goes up at the greeting, his ears forward. He huffs loudly and taps a hoof once. At the noise, Kel looks up from her book to check that he isn't about to pull his tether and go after someone. Since the gelding doesn't seem to be ANGRY, she glances past him to see what is so interesting.]

[dirtyredneck]

[Ears forward this time? That was a change. Daryl had paused outside Peachblossom's radius, but with that greeting (not really warm, but not really cold either) he decided to come a little closer. Walked over like he was talking to a friend, adjusting his crossbow strap as he went.]

You still got that code? It keeping dry?

[Because if he needed a new bag for it, Daryl could go get it. And that's when he noticed the tether. Confused he tilted his head at the sight.]

How the hell'd you get caught and tied up? Shit, hold on, I'll get you out of there.

[Yes, he was definitely reaching for his knife with the full intent of cutting the tether and letting Peachblossom loose.]

[protects_the_small]

[Peachblossom tilts his head the show the bag, a little beat up but still functional, still hanging from the braid in his mane. Extending his nose, he whiffs in the direction of Daryl's pockets inquisitively, not even minding the reaching for a knife...

Kel, on the other hand, speaks up loudly at this]

He's not for stealing.

[The fact that Peachblossom is showing an almost FRIENDLY side to this stranger speaks of where he might have gotten lessons on morse code... But still, tethers must be paid for]

[dirtyredneck]

[Daryl's hand was just reaching the tether and his fingers barely touching it when her words came. His head snapped around to look at her, eyes narrowing. His knife came out to hang at his side, grip firm, though not defensive. The horse's nose at his pockets didn't bother him at all. But Peachblossom would find they smelled of nothing more than Daryl. No fruit to be found.]

Ain't stealing.

[He called over to her, chin lifting.]

Setting him free. You the one that done this to him?

[protects_the_small]

[Kel raises an eyebrow, shuts her book, and gets to her feet]

He's tethered, not caught. And truth told, he can unravel it any time he chooses.

[She glances at the now disappointed looking horse who has started cropping the grass in a disgruntled manner]

But people here feel nervous about horses running free as they like.

[She turns back to Daryl and raises the other eyebrow]

So who are you and why isn't Peachblossom taking your arm off?

[dirtyredneck]

Tattoo he's got says he's as much a people as you and I. Means he has as much right as either of us to run free all he wants.

[Daryl's hand fell away from the tether and he put his back to Peachblossom (not the smartest move, but he wasn't all that worried at the moment). Guy wasn't fighting to get free by any means and after a glance at the knots, he knew the girl was right. Those wouldn't hold if Peachblossom wanted to get away.

Sliding his knife back into it's sheath, he let his hand rest there while he looked her over.]

'm Daryl. And you'd have to ask him why he ain't. He knows how to talk.

[protects_the_small]

I never said he wasn't a person, simply that people feel better about it.

[Kel keeps her expression and tone mild, something about this man's speech and stance reminding her strongly of her convict soldiers back home. To be over-bearing or too much on her noble dignity would almost certainly put him off. When he mentions his name, however, her eyebrows come together fast, and she glances over at Peachblossom, who is innocently snuffling a tree branch]

D-A-R-Y-L?

[Peachblossom switches his tail]

[dirtyredneck]

Other people can get over themselves. He got every right to live how he wants.

[Daryl was definitely not liking the direction of this conversation. It was made more frustrating, though, by Peachblossom's complete lack of trying to prove the woman wrong in any way. He was apparently perfectly fine being tied up by her for the sake of others.

He turned his head to watch the horse and gave a divisive snort at the innocent act. Saw right through that. Didn't quite roll his eyes over it when he looked back at the woman. Damn fool horse. Probably meant she was the one taking care of him. Feeding, grooming, all that shit. Of course he wouldn't be out to completely piss her off.

Daryl's hands went to his hips and he took a step away from the tether.]

Yeah. That's how you spell it. Guess that makes you D-B-M.

[Well, 'K E L' but he didn't know that was what they were in her code language.]

[protects_the_small]

[Kel frowns and looks down at Peachblossom, who has come to poke his nose at her belt]

D-?

[She's interrupted by Peachblossom scraping his hoof at the dirt]

Oh, he did try that code first.

[Absently, she pulls out a bag of dried apples and feeds one to the horse as she looks Daryl over]

I'm Kel, Peachblossom's been looking after me since I was ten. [Perhaps leaving off the 'he's my warhorse' will mollify for now]

[dirtyredneck]

Yeah, he did. Figured our words must be pretty different if it weren't making no sense to me. He caught on to morse code fast, though. Only took a few hours to work out the kinks.

[Peachblossom sure was being nice to the girl. Someone he'd been taking care of, though? Well, Daryl shouldn't really be surprised by that. Just that he'd have figured it for the other way around in it's entirety.]

You got any peaches? He likes them.

[illuminescent]

[It's very late, and Lucy is very tired, as is obvious from her drooping a bit in the saddle. This was the kind of day where Athos used to sit her in front of him, because she would droop until he worried she would fall off.

She's not falling off, though. She nudges her horse a little closer to Kel as they ride home.]

Do you think me unkind?

[protects_the_small]

It's a military code, it was more to learn to communicate with our animals than a universal alphabet.

[At the word 'peaches', Peachblossom head comes up sharply and he looks between the two of them with obvious interest]

...No, I hadn't considered that.

[protects_the_small]

[Kel's own head wasn't drooping only through virtue of learning to ignore the tired in a specific way. Even so, she was glad that the saddle that had come with Peachblossom was her tilting saddle with the high front and back. She's more focused on the road in front of them, so she's only slightly aware of Lucy moving closer...and then the other woman speaks, making her start obviously]

My-my lady?

[The question actually penetrates her exhaustion fogged head]

...You are the kindest person I know, I'm not sure why you would ask.

[illuminescent]

Because sometimes I think in kindness I can be neglectful of the needs of others.

[Because sometimes she only sees one side of an issue, because it tugs at her heartstrings.]

And I worry I am being casually neglectful.

[protects_the_small]

[Kel hums softly as she considers this, briefly sparing a thought to wish it could take place over morning coffee instead...]

It's possible, I suppose. Being caught up in necessary work often causes something of a tunnel vision.

[irassible]

[ Hassle pauses and lifts his head, big black eyes blinking at Peachblossom. The chocobo doesn't answer in words, per se; at least, not anything more complicated than single syllables. But there's impressions of sounds and smells and sights, which in this case imply outside in the late summer sunshine.

No.

And, after a pause:

Sorry.

With a noticeable clang, the latchbolt hits the floor. ]

[glowsferatu]

[ It's regrettable that Kanaya hasn't had more time to devote to her training, but trying to establish an independent fashion house takes a lot of work and attention, a little bit more than fighting monsters. She hasn't even been to the farm before, and wonders how much Ashiah might like it. Though this probably wouldn't be the time, she'd probably want to supervise how she interacts with the animals. Better not to invite disaster through negligence.

She arrives in a green tank and a long, light blue skirt. (Because what good is she if she can't learn to fight in a skirt? Sure, that may be for someone, but that someone isn't her.) Following her threads to work out where on the property Kel is when she doesn't read her in the house, and greeting her with a smile when she finds her. ]

You've a nice place here, Lady Keladry.

[illuminescent]

But you do not so agree.

[She's wavering a bit in her seat, now. She's had A Day.]

[protects_the_small]

I'm not sure what you're referring to, exactly.

[She glances over and says very gently]

And I would guess it doesn't help that you are most unkind to yourself on days like these.

[illuminescent]

But you are kind to me always.

[She nudges her horse a bit more, so they're close to each other now.]

[protects_the_small]

I have had much practice with people who make it harder than you do.

[Riding closer seems prudent, since to her eye Lucy is still swaying a bit in the saddle]

[illuminescent]

[She looks down a bit, and sways a little more. It doesn't help that Lucy is riding sidesaddle like she always does, and it takes even more considerable skill to keep her balance.]

La-

Kel.

[She pauses.]

Do you still feel for me?