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[pussywhips]

Who: ann tacomocky (pussywhips) & clair nolastname (cajolery) & co.
What: a catchall for march!
When: always i wanna be with you
Where: and make believe with you
Warning(s): and live in harmony, harmony oh love

[

anyway please hmu @ matriarchy for a starter!! ]

Comments

[cajolery]

[ I CHANGED MY MIND, I CANNOT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE NAME THIS POOR CREATURE JEAN. Anyway, Aquilo tosses his head a little bit while Clair pets him, her ready fondness for him evident in her gaze. ]

His name is Aquilo. Is that not majestic?

[ Whatever, she's proud of it. Sensing JJ's hesitation, she gestures for him to come closer, reaching out to grab his wrist and physically tow him towards the pegasus. Then she steps aside, giving him more room. ]

Come, come! He is very gentle, I swear to it.

[underwhelms]

Aquilo! That's a great name.

[ He sounds very fancy, and JJ is all for pretentious sounding names. If he had a pegasus he would probably name it something dumb like Maximus or Striker.

He doesn't protest when Clair takes his hand, tentative at first, but warming up as he presses his hand more firmly against Aquilo's muzzle. The pegasus doesn't seem bothered at least, and JJ's always had a fondness for animals, so it doesn't take much for him to step closer, brushing a hand through the beast's hair. ]

He's so calm... Has he already gotten used to you?

[cajolery]

[ Striker........................... ]

Oh, yes! I have spent a great deal of time with him already.

[ It's just been so long since she last had this... she's been helping to rebuild the city, of course, but her every other spare moment is spent with Aquilo now, taking care of him and putting him through his paces.

Giving him another pat against his neck, she now moves to open the door to his stall and guide him out. ]

Let us go for a ride!

[underwhelms]

[ Aquilo is bigger than he had first looked through the gates of his stable, and JJ's eyes go wide as he steps out, seeing his wings for the first time and feeling slightly disoriented for it. Even though it's been months now, it still strikes JJ occasionally that he lives in what he would've considered before to be a fairy tale.

He's definitely living some little girl's dream right now. ]

Yeah, let's go!

[ He's not scared in the least?? There's no seat-belt on Aquilo, but he'd survived on a gryphon while deathly ill, so this should be a cakewalk. ]

How fast do you think he could go?

[cajolery]

[ JJ seems pretty enthusiastic to try, much to Clair's delight. Even though she was never particularly afraid to fly even when she was first learning, there are plenty of people who feel the exact opposite—it's nice to know that JJ isn't one of them.

She makes a humming noise while she retrieves Aquilo's bridle and saddle, then goes about readying him for flight. The saddle is not so different from a normal one, except with a few more straps for stability in the air. She does them up quickly and efficiently, always tugging on the ends when she's done to test their hold. I mean, it probably wouldn't do for them to come undone in midair... ]

I believe I cannot rightly say. Perhaps it would be more effective for me to demonstrate for you.

[ She smiles at JJ, a teasing twinkle in her eye. Since he's being such a good sport, she will gladly take him along on all her most dangerous maneuvers.

Now she stands back, motioning for him to come closer. ]

Come. Place your hands on either side here, then set your right foot in the stirrup and swing your opposite leg over.

[ She'll even push him up if he needs a little help. ]

[underwhelms]

[ What a bit of ominous commentary...

JJ isn't apprehensive in the least however, as he stands back to watch Clair secure the saddle with a smile and his hands on his hips. It's perhaps indicative of what little understanding he has regarding what he's signed up for, but he's always assumed that it's best to start something new with optimism. He doesn't see any reason to be scared anyway: Clair's got enough confidence to assure him that there's nothing to worry about. ]

Okay. Shouldn't be any different than getting on a horse, eh?

[ Except for the massive wings.

He does as instructed—and thankfully it's barely been a month since he last had to climb onto a horse, so the memory is still somewhat fresh. The stirrup doesn't feel too steady, but he doesn't focus on it, hands grasping the saddle as he hauls himself up. He settle into the saddle as neatly as he would've liked, but he doesn't grimace, instead taking a second to get comfortable and... ]

Wow, you could really get used to the view from up here.

[cajolery]

[ When it seems like JJ is as secure as he's going to get up there, she hoists herself up next, the motion smooth and comfortable. She sits in front of him, if only to give herself more control, and takes up the reigns, patting Aquilo's neck fondly as she does so. ]

Now place your arms around me. [ Here, she lifts up her elbows for him. ] Do hold tightly.

[ None of this are you ready? stuff. That's as much warning as he gets before she spurs Aquilo into a gallop. It's a short distance, just to get enough speed for takeoff—he unfurls his wings, stretching them out to their fullest width, and rises into the air.

They climb up and up and up. There's a certain rhythm to the beat of a pegasus' wings as it ascends, a swell up and then a dip down, like the push and pull of sea waves. She leans forward slightly as they surge upwards, her knees tight against Aquilo's side as she rolls with the movement.

Her heart soars alongside them, as usual, and she laughs aloud, delighted and carefree, as she urges Aquilo to even out their flight. The ground is far below them now, making the people and animals on the ground look small. ]

[underwhelms]

[ JJ appreciates that Clair doesn't bother to baby him, though his cool, confident persona does slide right off the second that those massive wings unfurl and Aquilo gallops right into the sky. It's not like anything JJ could've imagine, and he was too delirious the last time he was in the air to even notice what was going on.

Aquilo is incredibly strong beneath them, and JJ doesn't doubt that they'll stay in the sky but his arms tighten around Clair's waist all the same in alarm, his stomach unused the up and downs of a pegasus. He refrains from ducking his face against her shoulder at least, emboldened by the sound of her delight and well.

He trusts Clair not to put him in danger either. For all that she can be abrupt, Clair is kinder than one might expect from a woman of the nobility.

Carefully, he shifts his gaze to something other than the sight of her hair in front of him, to look ahead and it's breathtaking. ]

Clair... This is amazing.