[He's figured that might get her attention, because it sure isn't a case of Nier knowing how to talk to the ladies.]
I was thinking about picking some for the locals. Sounds like someone wants some that sing or something. Seemed like it was right up your alley. Thought you might want to come along.
No pressure, though. If you're spending time with Eustace, take advantage of that.
No, I'd love to go! I'm just working on some details at the bar, but I could use a break for the afternoon. Been almost non-stop so far this week.
[Besides, it's been some time since she spoke to him! He's just woken up from a slumber, hasn't he?]
Thought I heard something about that on the board and wondered how much Eustace would like them. [Spoilers: he probably won't.] They're out in the Wildlands, aren't they?
[He's not surprised at all to hear that she's been keeping herself busy with the bar. He'd love to hound her for some more details, but not today. He can track down Eustace and use it as an excuse to talk with him. Maybe see about offering some buff not!dad manual labour or something.]
I bet he'd love them. [Nier, though he didn't know Eustace well, has a feeling he would, in fact, not love them.] But yeah. Think you're right. You want to come with? It'll give you a break from the bar for a bit.
I'd love to! Do you mind if I bring one of the dogs along? Idris has been helping me out at the bar today and I'm sure he'd love to go on a little adventure outside of town.
Like you even have to ask. Of course I don't mind. The more the merrier, Tifa. Where do you feel like meeting at? You name it and I'll see you and Idris there.
Not a problem at all. You can borrow my horse if you want. She's tame, and very sweet. Didn't know much about riding horses myself until Eustace showed me how. Wouldn't call myself an expert, but I'm getting there.
[Close enough that she can at least show him the ropes!]
Or you can ride the horse and I can walk. That way no one's being put at risk. I can probably keep up.
[It might sound like he's just trying to avoid causing problems, and of course, a part of him is, but he's probably not wrong about catching up either. For an old man, Nier is confident in his physical capacity. He's certainly not weak.]
I'll let you see them first and then you can make a call, but whatever you're comfortable with. I don't mind walking out there either, but the horses just make it easier to travel.
[And 'there,' he certainly winds up. In approximately one hour later, Nier arrives on the scene, two-handed sword strapped to his back like it practically lives there. For having spent a year in this place, he sure doesn't look it. The guy is still largely wearing what he arrived in, like it's his preferred wardrobe.
The stables are worthy of his investigation and he uncertainly pokes his head around, getting a look at what's taking residence there, but as equally careful to keep his distance. Tifa can be the expert with horses. That's not his forte at all. He's sure he'll only look silly on the back of one.
Or maybe he'll look as gallant as only a man like him could.]
[He'll find several horses stabled there, many of them with manes brilliantly decorated in vines and flowers. They mostly keep to themselves, a few lifting their heads from where they graze or sleep in the grass, but as soon as Tifa makes her approach, a certain pair of horses will lift their heads—a large, black stallion, and next to him, a white mare, her mane donning pink blossoms.]
Sorry! Did I keep you waiting?
[She calls out to Nier once she's close enough, and behind him, the two horses will trot up to the fence to meet them both, the stallion sniffing at his swords with curiosity and some wariness as he puts himself between him and the female.]
[It's when he hears her that he turns his attention from where he's been eyeing the various horses. He can definitely say that he's never seen a horse before this moment. Rolling his shoulders with a quiet little pop, Nier moves to close the distance between them, but when he hears the approach of the horses, he looks back to them. He takes a step back just to give them some proper distance and lifts his hands.
Just to show he means no harm.]
Not long at all. So these are horses, eh? [He points over his shoulder to the two who've come closer to the fence.] Seems like I disturbed them. Wasn't tryin' to.
[Tifa tips her head at him. Has he truly not seen them before...?
But the two that trot up alongside them to greet Tifa pull her attention as the mare whinnies gently, her hooves tapping gently on the ground like she's waiting and eager to be greeted back. Patience...!]
Not at all. These are mine and Eustace's horses. Nyx and Freya.
[With a smile, Tifa pulls out a small bag from her pocket filled with little cubes of pumpkin, and both of their ears prick and turn in her direction when they hear the baggie tear open.]
They just know that I come bearing treats, and a ride.
[Tifa gently takes Nier by the wrist so that she can lift his hand and place two cubes into his palm, and now both horses are looking at him.]
[Nier looses a laugh, watching Tifa withdraw the couple of cubes of pumpkin. Horse food, he assumes, though he didn't even know horses ate pumpkin. Today's just a whole misadventure of learning, it seems. Come to think of it, every time he's with Tifa he learns something new. Is that just coincidental?]
Oh, I don't— [She sets the cubes in his palm and he doesn't bother trying to hide his uncertainty.] Come on, they don't like me. I don't wanna upset 'em. Big burly barbarian feedin' delicate horses.
[Tifa encourages him gently with a smile and motions to the pair. Freya tosses her head a little, waiting for him to offer her the treat, and she looks to the black stallion next to her, as if the two of them are communicating.]
Once you give them the pumpkin, they'll love you. They're like any other animal, really.
[The fastest way to any animal's heart is through their stomach.]
[He watches the way she motions. The horses seem... Well. Probably impatient, which makes sense considering he's holding their food and just kind of standing there like a very well-built tree.]
Gonna have to admit that I don't know very many animals. There were some dogs in the village. Some chickens that wandered through my garden, but nothing that was actually mine.
[That is to say, Nier knows pretty much nothing about animal care. Despite that, if Tifa's guiding him, he's got no reason to disbelieve her. As carefully as he can manage, he extends his hand, as flat as he can muster, offering the pumpkin cubes up to Freya and Nyx.]
Nyx is the first to approach, but he doesn't take a pumpkin piece. Instead, he sniffs at it briefly before backing away, and he rustles his head before nudging it gently against Freya, who stomps her feet gently and walks up to take one piece of pumpkin. Nyx follows shortly after, taking the second...
...
....?
While Tifa watches on with a confused arch to her brow.
What in the world are they doing...
Anyway.]
See? Not so bad.
[As she gives the white mare a soft pat on the neck.]
We can take Freya out to the woods today. Nyx has had some exercise lately, so it's her turn.
[...Ladies first, maybe? Nier has no idea how horses operate or just how close their feelings are to that of humans. He watches them with an idle curiosity and realises he has no idea what to make of things. Maybe he shouldn't overthink it.
His attention turns onto the way Tifa so gently reaches over to pat Freya. For a woman he's seen do some slightly terrifying things in dreamscape, it's so interesting to see the dynamics that embody her as a person.]
Is there a reason you don't take them out together? Wouldn't it make more sense to let them get exercise together.
[The stallion watches as the white mare taps her hooves again, pleased with the treats, and he's already looking at Nier and Tifa as if asking for more. Which Tifa obliges to... although Nyx steps back again and lets Freya take the piece that she holds out in her hand.]
Nyx is a little too big for me though, so we'll just take Freya out for now.
[That, and the two of them get a little... distracted when they're together sometimes. Freya, moreso, and she'd rather have Eustace around to deal with that than have to do it on her own.
But Tifa motions to the gate just a little further down.]
[Ah. If he was better with horses, the implication is that he could probably take Nyx and she'd take Freya. He makes a note to do some research on them. Or something. A smarter approach would likely be to spending some more quality time with them, but he already knows he's not keen on doing so without someone else's company. Preferably someone like Tifa who knows more about horses than he does.
She gestures to the gate and he nods.]
Oh, yeah. Sure thing.
[Doesn't take him more than a few moments to do precisely that. Like he's been opening gates all his life and is, in fact, a grandiose gate opener. (He's not, but he can pretend.) And as he's opening the way, he gestures with a hand.]
Are we gonna need anything else, you think? I rode a boar once back home, but this is probably nothing like that.
[Also, that boar was a significant pain in the butt.]
Not really. I'll just need to grab the saddle in the shed on the way out and then we'll be good to go. I don't think the ride will be far?
[They were just going a little further outside of town, weren't they?
Freya follows Tifa along the length of the fence with Nyx trailing behind, watching the pair of them with a steady eye, and as Tifa brings her out and shuts the gate behind her, the mare stomps her feet and looks back at Nyx.
...?
Tifa stares between the two of them and leads the horse and Nier to the shed where she'll grab their things, and Do The Things that include putting on the saddle and bridle.
With that out of the way, she looks at Nier with a smile.]
Wanna give it a try? I promise it'll be a lot smoother than the back of a boar.
[Nier takes a moment to ensure the gate is properly secured after Tifa retrieves Freya. He can guess what the reaction between the two stems from, however. Must be hard for them to be separated from one another. He feels, for several moments, an empathy. Hard to be separated from anyone that one loves.
Maybe horses aren't so different from humans.
He's distracted by watching Tifa prepare the horse. He definitely didn't use a saddle with the boar, which is probably a portion of the discomfort. Aside from the idea that the boar just really, really did not want to be ridden.]
Uh. [He squints. He did agree to this, so he should probably do it, right? He's gesturing to a stirrup.] Usin' this, eh? [He can just picture this going a hundred different ways topsy-turvy.]
[She gives him an encouraging nod, and an equally encouraging smile, and Freya, sensing that touch of nervousness that buzzes around him, politely lowers herself a couple of inches to help ease some of that. She's waiting and she's eager to go for this walk!]
[What he's not expecting is Freya to be sensitive to him or responding accordingly to it. Smart creature, that. He's incredibly careful in how he steadies himself before hoisting himself up and over, onto her back. With all of the gentleness that a guy like him can even harness.
He doubts any of it was graceful. But whatever. At least he's up there.]
You sure I'm not too heavy for her?
[Although he suspects if she couldn't, he'd know by now.]
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I was thinking about picking some for the locals. Sounds like someone wants some that sing or something. Seemed like it was right up your alley. Thought you might want to come along.
No pressure, though. If you're spending time with Eustace, take advantage of that.
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[Besides, it's been some time since she spoke to him! He's just woken up from a slumber, hasn't he?]
Thought I heard something about that on the board and wondered how much Eustace would like them. [Spoilers: he probably won't.] They're out in the Wildlands, aren't they?
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I bet he'd love them. [Nier, though he didn't know Eustace well, has a feeling he would, in fact, not love them.] But yeah. Think you're right. You want to come with? It'll give you a break from the bar for a bit.
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[Close enough that she can at least show him the ropes!]
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[It might sound like he's just trying to avoid causing problems, and of course, a part of him is, but he's probably not wrong about catching up either. For an old man, Nier is confident in his physical capacity. He's certainly not weak.]
But whatever's easiest on you. I trust you.
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But I can meet you there in an hour?
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An hour sounds great. I'll be there, Tifa.
[And 'there,' he certainly winds up. In approximately one hour later, Nier arrives on the scene, two-handed sword strapped to his back like it practically lives there. For having spent a year in this place, he sure doesn't look it. The guy is still largely wearing what he arrived in, like it's his preferred wardrobe.
The stables are worthy of his investigation and he uncertainly pokes his head around, getting a look at what's taking residence there, but as equally careful to keep his distance. Tifa can be the expert with horses. That's not his forte at all. He's sure he'll only look silly on the back of one.
Or maybe he'll look as gallant as only a man like him could.]
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Sorry! Did I keep you waiting?
[She calls out to Nier once she's close enough, and behind him, the two horses will trot up to the fence to meet them both, the stallion sniffing at his swords with curiosity and some wariness as he puts himself between him and the female.]
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Just to show he means no harm.]
Not long at all. So these are horses, eh? [He points over his shoulder to the two who've come closer to the fence.] Seems like I disturbed them. Wasn't tryin' to.
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But the two that trot up alongside them to greet Tifa pull her attention as the mare whinnies gently, her hooves tapping gently on the ground like she's waiting and eager to be greeted back. Patience...!]
Not at all. These are mine and Eustace's horses. Nyx and Freya.
[With a smile, Tifa pulls out a small bag from her pocket filled with little cubes of pumpkin, and both of their ears prick and turn in her direction when they hear the baggie tear open.]
They just know that I come bearing treats, and a ride.
[Tifa gently takes Nier by the wrist so that she can lift his hand and place two cubes into his palm, and now both horses are looking at him.]
They love those.
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[Nier looses a laugh, watching Tifa withdraw the couple of cubes of pumpkin. Horse food, he assumes, though he didn't even know horses ate pumpkin. Today's just a whole misadventure of learning, it seems. Come to think of it, every time he's with Tifa he learns something new. Is that just coincidental?]
Oh, I don't— [She sets the cubes in his palm and he doesn't bother trying to hide his uncertainty.] Come on, they don't like me. I don't wanna upset 'em. Big burly barbarian feedin' delicate horses.
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[Tifa encourages him gently with a smile and motions to the pair. Freya tosses her head a little, waiting for him to offer her the treat, and she looks to the black stallion next to her, as if the two of them are communicating.]
Once you give them the pumpkin, they'll love you. They're like any other animal, really.
[The fastest way to any animal's heart is through their stomach.]
Just hold out your hand and they'll come to you.
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Gonna have to admit that I don't know very many animals. There were some dogs in the village. Some chickens that wandered through my garden, but nothing that was actually mine.
[That is to say, Nier knows pretty much nothing about animal care. Despite that, if Tifa's guiding him, he's got no reason to disbelieve her. As carefully as he can manage, he extends his hand, as flat as he can muster, offering the pumpkin cubes up to Freya and Nyx.]
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Nyx is the first to approach, but he doesn't take a pumpkin piece. Instead, he sniffs at it briefly before backing away, and he rustles his head before nudging it gently against Freya, who stomps her feet gently and walks up to take one piece of pumpkin. Nyx follows shortly after, taking the second...
...
....?
While Tifa watches on with a confused arch to her brow.
What in the world are they doing...
Anyway.]
See? Not so bad.
[As she gives the white mare a soft pat on the neck.]
We can take Freya out to the woods today. Nyx has had some exercise lately, so it's her turn.
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His attention turns onto the way Tifa so gently reaches over to pat Freya. For a woman he's seen do some slightly terrifying things in dreamscape, it's so interesting to see the dynamics that embody her as a person.]
Is there a reason you don't take them out together? Wouldn't it make more sense to let them get exercise together.
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[The stallion watches as the white mare taps her hooves again, pleased with the treats, and he's already looking at Nier and Tifa as if asking for more. Which Tifa obliges to... although Nyx steps back again and lets Freya take the piece that she holds out in her hand.]
Nyx is a little too big for me though, so we'll just take Freya out for now.
[That, and the two of them get a little... distracted when they're together sometimes. Freya, moreso, and she'd rather have Eustace around to deal with that than have to do it on her own.
But Tifa motions to the gate just a little further down.]
Think you could open that up for us?
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She gestures to the gate and he nods.]
Oh, yeah. Sure thing.
[Doesn't take him more than a few moments to do precisely that. Like he's been opening gates all his life and is, in fact, a grandiose gate opener. (He's not, but he can pretend.) And as he's opening the way, he gestures with a hand.]
Are we gonna need anything else, you think? I rode a boar once back home, but this is probably nothing like that.
[Also, that boar was a significant pain in the butt.]
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[They were just going a little further outside of town, weren't they?
Freya follows Tifa along the length of the fence with Nyx trailing behind, watching the pair of them with a steady eye, and as Tifa brings her out and shuts the gate behind her, the mare stomps her feet and looks back at Nyx.
...?
Tifa stares between the two of them and leads the horse and Nier to the shed where she'll grab their things, and Do The Things that include putting on the saddle and bridle.
With that out of the way, she looks at Nier with a smile.]
Wanna give it a try? I promise it'll be a lot smoother than the back of a boar.
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Maybe horses aren't so different from humans.
He's distracted by watching Tifa prepare the horse. He definitely didn't use a saddle with the boar, which is probably a portion of the discomfort. Aside from the idea that the boar just really, really did not want to be ridden.]
Uh. [He squints. He did agree to this, so he should probably do it, right? He's gesturing to a stirrup.] Usin' this, eh? [He can just picture this going a hundred different ways topsy-turvy.]
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[She gives him an encouraging nod, and an equally encouraging smile, and Freya, sensing that touch of nervousness that buzzes around him, politely lowers herself a couple of inches to help ease some of that. She's waiting and she's eager to go for this walk!]
Don't worry. I'll be right behind you.
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He doubts any of it was graceful. But whatever. At least he's up there.]
You sure I'm not too heavy for her?
[Although he suspects if she couldn't, he'd know by now.]
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