Chiron & Fiore; catch-all

[cheir]

Comments

[horsepowered]

[When the initial pull of a summoning reaches Chiron deep in the Throne, he has to listen twice to the entreaties. This call is not for Chiron, the Heroic Spirit. This call is for a specific Chiron, both Heroic Spirit and adviser. So the Throne chafes at the idea, but Chiron steps forward and is summoned all the same.

There are no oaths to swear, no promise to be sword and shield, no need to reach for the Holy Grail. The request is to simply see him. To let him spend time in the world, and to exist as he was.

Which is all to say that when the smoke of summoning settles, Chiron is there, standing far taller than he did during the Holy Grail War. There is no reason to appear as something other than himself, and so he is a centaur. So he smiles, wide and delighted, knowing that there's only one person who'd be daring this.]

Fiore.

[cheir]

[ It had been... nothing short of maybe a miracle, most would have said, but Fiore knew better. It had been a fierce effort on the part of both Florvedge siblings, with Fiore's knowledge and Caules' newly-acquired Magic Circuits, responding to his wish and his sister's, as well as their connection forged with the centaur.

And now, as the light dies down and Chiron is revealed in his true form, Fiore smiles wearily from where she sits in her chair, her brother standing just as tiredly behind her. ]

Hello, Chiron.

[ Her smile couldn't be brighter, just as delighted. So this is how he looks... it suits him, of course. ]

[horsepowered]

[Miracle, force of will, whatever it is, it has ended here and now, with the centaur trotting forward and making it clear that he's naturally rather loud. It's a contrast to the rest of him, tall and quiet, but there's no war to worry about now.

There's such pride on his face though, beaming at them both. Fiore was always his real student, Caules only earned that designation at the end of it all, and now....well, now they've surpassed everything entirely.

It means they can stand as equals, and that in and of itself is a true joy.]

Fiore, Caules. [He says their names with impossible warmth.]

How long has it been?

[cheir]

[ The siblings exchange glances, Caules' questioning and fondly exasperated at his sister's serene smile, as though Fiore hadn't been the more anxious one this whole time.

"Long enough for my sister to drill me into being a proper head of a magus family," he says dryly, "as if that stuffy mage at the tower wasn't enough. But it's good to see you, Chi-- Arch-- whatever. And my sister's been stupidly excited to--"

Fiore gently clears her throat, shutting him up in an instant. ]

Caules, could you give us a moment?

[ A short pause, and then he grins wryly and shoots Chiron a salute, walking out of the room with a great deal more confidence than he'd had the last time they'd met. ]

[horsepowered]

I think Chiron will do from now on.

[It's the only words Chiron even attepts to get in edgewise, before Caules is politely asked to wait for the conversation so that an appropriate reunion can take place.

Watching the young man go, there's clear pride on Chiron's face. The question of how long it has been since they last saw each other remains unanswered, but maybe that's for the better. Time isn't as important as growth, and Chiron can already see it in Caules just by how he carries himself out of the room.

But some dynamics never change, and that much is also clear. His attention returns to Fiore, and Chiron trots forward, going so far as to lean down and regard her with the centaur version of a knight's bow, as elegant as it possibly can be.]

I'm glad to see you again.

[cheir]

[ She's aware (he's told her himself, after all), that such chivalrous gestures weren't customary of his time, but the intent is warm and welcomed-- even as Fiore laughs, flustered, and waves a hand in gentle dissuasion. ]

Chiron, please-- you needn't bow. I should be the one trying to reach your level.

[ … within reason, given his new (original) height. ]

But I'm... very glad to see you, too. [ It feels a bit like an understatement. ] I'd hoped, of course, but there was no actual guarantee... yet, here you are.

You weren't lonely, were you? [ It's a very obvious tease, at least. ]

[horsepowered]

[Trying to reach your level.

At that, Chiron's eyes move from Fiore to her chair and back to her, trying to divine the meaning of the words. He doesn't dare press and ask does that mean you have your feet beneath you? She shall tell him in time.]

Luck, will, and skill. You exceeded expectations, and I suspect a few written rules as well.

[Heroic Spirits should't be so easy to call forth, after all.]

If I was, that isn't the case now.

[cheir]

... Ah... well, since I'm no longer a proper mage, the Association shouldn't immediately descend upon me...

[ There's still a twinge of sadness there, but Fiore quickly shakes it off. Chiron's silent study of her hadn't escaped her notice, after all. Right... that needs to be addressed. ]

But you could say I've been working on "will" lately.

[ She's nowhere near where she'd like to be yet, but her hands tighten on the chair's arms as Fiore ever-so-slowly lifts herself up. Her legs are shaking badly when she stands, but.

She's standing. ]

[horsepowered]

[Will she says, and all of Chiron's responses to what the association might do is gone. Instead watches as Fiore (and what a joy it is to only call her Fiore) rises to her feet.

Her feet.]

You've done so much.

[How can four words contain such pride? Who is to say. It is there, and Chiron then lowers his forearm, offering it to Fiore to steady herself off.]

Here. It'll be more comfortable than the arms of a chair.

[cheir]

[ It's with no small amount of gratitude that Fiore transfers her grip from the chair to Chiron's arm, sucking in a tiny breath to try and steady herself further even as her legs threaten to buckle beneath her.

For now, she stays upright, focusing on that and the warm glow suffusing her body at just how nice it is to hear pride when it's regarding something that's not just her talent for magecraft. Her own efforts. Her hard work. ]

Thank you. I've been going to physical therapy, but I've still got a long road ahead of me. But I remembered running when I dreamed of your past... and I wanted to experience that for myself one day. Properly.

[horsepowered]

I'll restrain myself from asking about the actual physical therapy. [He's still also a doctor, and thus there's a genuine interest in the technical details. For now, this is much more important.]

But I can say that to be here speaks volumes to what you've accomplished so far. I'm sure that running won't be too far away.

[...actually.]

Are we in a location with open grounds and some privacy?

[cheir]

[ She'll have to give him all of the information at a later date; she remembers his medical know-how, and it wouldn't hurt to hear his thoughts on things, as well as learning any additional exercises to try and strengthen her legs further. If nothing else, Fiore's sure he'd find it all interesting.

But first things first, and she blinks slowly at him. ]

We... are. We don't have neighbors, so it's largely just me and my brother when he has time off from classes.

[horsepowered]

How much movement do you think you have left in your legs, if I ask you to stand on your own for a moment or so?

[He has a plan. But Fiore must let go, if only because he has to shift his current position.]

[horsepowered]

[It's a pleasant enough day spent exploring the sprawling grounds. Chiron is, unsurprisingly, thrilled to have the opportunity to be adrift in nature that is unfamiliar to him, and happier still for a calm, guiding hand through all of it. There's the luxury of having a guide, but there's also the sheer joy of being able to give Fiore far more freedom of movement than she might have otherwise. (She's got so much ahead. She'll do so well.)

The consideration of food happens after several hours more, and Alucard has to set Fiore back into her wheelchair so that they can move into the dining room. (It's probably a no horse allowed place under most circumstances, but this isn't most circumstances.) There's contentment there too, along with Caules' presence for a time, but then the whatever the brunch version of between lunch and dinner is concludes and there is a slightly more somber air.

Paying respects, after all, requires that somberness.

There's no saddle bags available, so a back pack gets used instead. A jar of honey. Water. Wine. And that is all, each packed neatly into the bag. Back into the world, this time with purpose.]

How much further?

[cheir]

Not much further at all.

[ Fiore's grown more comfortable since their initial ride, with Chiron's reassure that he was in no way offended by having her as a rider. And it really does feel amazing, feeling that strength surging beneath her and knowing full well that she's perfectly safe on his back. ]

In fact, you should be coming up on it soon. It's just past that copse.

[horsepowered]

Very well. Nothing's broken in the bag?

[They're carrying a lot of glass bottles after all, and Chiron has been moving at a decent gallop since they set out.]

[cheir]

It's all right. I've been keeping the bag close, just in case.

[ The last thing she wants is to break any of the offerings they'll be using for his family, after all. ]

[horsepowered]

Ah, thank you.

[Chiron's pace slows, as the copse is only a few dozen feet away now. He's happy to be close, but that feels the wrong mood. He hangs left, careful not to overrun the carefully managed land.]

You'll be okay if I let you off my back for this?

[cheir]

Yes, of course. I'll be able to manage.

[ Or something close enough to it. ]

[horsepowered]

I want to be sure.

[They're past the copse now, and Chiron's pace is nothing more than a gentle trot. He is not sure what he ought to be looking for now, but this is about the right spot, isn't it?

He doesn't turn back to Fiore, but he nudges her gently with a hand upon her foot.]</small Do I go left or right?

[cheir]

Left.

[ Her foot twitches slightly, but that's all she can do for the moment. ]

It's a shaded area. The trees are thicker, but there's a clearing in the middle.

[horsepowered]

[Shaded area. Chiron nods, and as he bears left, it becomes obvious where he must go. The shade isn't the giveaway though, it's the trees. They are indeed denser than the rest of the area, and he approaches with a slower, more reverent pace than anything he's shown before. His dead may not be here, but there is clearly someone dear to Fiore present, and that is reason alone to tread lightly.

Chiron continues through the trees, stepping ever-so-carefully. He ducks a few times to avoid branches, and then, then they're there in the clearing.

He's looking for a headstone. A marker. Something.]

[cheir]

[ There's no headstone. No marker. Really, there's no sign that anything was ever left here, but Fiore casts her gaze around the clearing before she rests a hand on Chiron's side and pats softly. ]

Just to the right of that tree. Where the moss is.

[ Her tone is very soft, almost sorrowful. ]

[horsepowered]

[He goes where Fiore has instructed, now treading as lightly as he can on all fours. Chiron's aware that there is a backstory here that he is ignorant of, and when he reaches the moss, he comes to a stop completely.

This place is quiet. More than anything else, it is the silence that stands out to him most. There's a natural desire to be quiet here, it seems.]

[cheir]

[ It's not a story that she thinks would be very important-- but it still settles heavily within her.

Fiore doesn't mention it, though, gathering the backpack closer. ]

Chiron-- I'll be getting down now.

[ It's true, every single movement seems more hushed than usual. ]