(no subject)

[at_heart]

Who: LiliS + visitors
Where: LiliS Dorm
When: Day 460, post-game

[ Lost one, won one, processing and plans and updates and whatever! ♥ ]

Comments

[wayofthehousekeeper]

[ Buddy. ]

You two having a moment?

[at_heart]

[ Lupine jumps a tiny bit, then turns a very crooked smile on Aster. ]

What, me and the horse? I dunno, you'd have to ask him.

[ GIVING THE HORSE A PAT. Not self-conscious at all, thanks for asking.

The horse whinnies and flicks its tail. ]

[wayofthehousekeeper]

[ Cocking his head at the horse. ]

Looks like he's interested.

[at_heart]

[ Snort. ]

He's interested in sugar cubes.

[ Which, same. ]

Did you come out here to clean up?

[wayofthehousekeeper]

Was planning on just checking to see how they were doing. Seems like they're getting some much needed exercise.

[at_heart]

[ Shakes his head a tiny bit, then turns to regard Aster thoughtfully. ]

—Wanna give me a hand? [ There're eight stalls, so probably eight-ish horses? ] It'd go faster.

[wayofthehousekeeper]

Oh- sure? I've got some free time.

[at_heart]

Cool.

[ And up into the saddle he goes. ] [ It is absolutely needlessly athletic. Somehow there's a flip involved. Sorry, Aster, he's just like this. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ]

[wayofthehousekeeper]

[ Lupine please you're gonna knock someone out one day doing that. ]

[ Prepping a horse for himself before getting on with one wide leg swing. ]

[at_heart]

[ Only on purpose! ] [ Watches, and shoots Aster a grin. ]

So you do know how to ride. I was wondering.

[ Could've just directly asked, but like, ]

[wayofthehousekeeper]

Honestly I had no idea either.

[ Hooray for faking it until you make it. ]

[at_heart]

[ A chuckle. ]

...Yeah. Guess that's me, too. No actual memories of riding whateverback, just... noticed the stables seemed familiar. And I guess I used to be a knight, so that makes sense.

[wayofthehousekeeper]

You were a knight?

[ Genuine surprise. ]

[at_heart]

[ —People being surprised about this is fine. It's neutral. It should be a compliment, hell. So why does it tense him up a little. ] [ Lupine tugs the reins, an easy gesture that gets his horse moving! ]

Apparently! I only lasted three months, though, so. No need to totally change how you think about me.

[wayofthehousekeeper]

Huh, you do seem to have a good temperament and nature for it.

[ But Aster doesn't seem to give it much thought either way, following Lupine's lead. ]

[at_heart]

[ ...................That's weirder! He's not sure he likes that, either! ]

—Thank... you?

[wayofthehousekeeper]

[ What's weird about it?? ]

Wow, you sound really hesitant about accepting that compliment.

[at_heart]

[ bleeeeehhhhh he needs to buy more memories ]

Yeah, sorry. I don't know, I've gotten back a few memories of run-ins with them...

Knights aren't all bad, I guess.

[wayofthehousekeeper]

Knights also aren't all the same though, right? They're individuals, just like all of us.

1/

[at_heart]

...That's true.

[ Leading his horse over to the, like, exit, that will get them down out of the building, etc. And still frowning to himself. ]

—There's only so much good individuals can do in a crappy system, though.

[at_heart]

...Man.

[ SCRUBS A HAND THROUGH HIS HAIR, gives Aster an apologetic half-smile. ]

I'm sorry, I think I'm having an argument with someone else.

[ The words coming out of his mouth sound, feel, strange to him. ]

[wayofthehousekeeper]

[ Giving a little smile of understanding in return. ]

No problem. It seems like knights is a loaded term for you and that's fair.

[at_heart]

Heh. You could say that.

[ Though he immediately thinks of Zari, and by comparison not at all. ]

...I, uh. Appreciate the patience.

[wayofthehousekeeper]

[ Giving a playful wink since he can't nudge Lupine from atop his horse. ]

I've been told it's one of my best traits.

[at_heart]

[ ffff ]

—Yeah, well. If there's anything that's loaded for you... or, rather, when you figure out what is? I'll do my best to handle that at least half as well.