Chiron & Fiore; catch-all

[cheir]

Comments

[horsepowered]

[He turns right, as instructed, and keeps moving along.]

There have to be books you can read to start with. Introductory sorts, which might help you find parallels with what you're already familiar with.

[Chiron doesn't look back, but there's a soft, confident hum.]

You'll find something. That much I know.

[cheir]

I don't think you'll ever stop being a teacher, Chiron. You speak with so much faith in me.

[ She says it with a small laugh, though, fondly. ]

I do have to say that I think I've learned more valuable things from you than any of my professors at the Clock Tower.

[horsepowered]

When have you ever proven unworthy of such faith?

[And here he does turn back, a smile on his face to show the sincerity of the question-that-isn't.]

I do have to wonder if some of that is because Clock Tower and mages in general insulate themselves so much from the rest of the world.

[cheir]

[ Fiore smiles back, a tad rueful. It's not a question he's expecting an answer to, she knows, so she focuses instead on his comment. ]

... We-- they dedicate themselves to a certain sort of lifestyle, and they're expected to hold it close and keep it within their lineage. It's to protect magecraft from dying out, and to prevent us from letting our blood become diluted by mingling with anyone not a part of a magus family...

[ Fiore pauses, because to say this much feels kind of like blasphemy, after the life she was born and raised into. ]

Maybe even back then, I was starting to disagree with it. If they found out we'd summoned you like this, so... flippantly, I can only imagine the consequences.

[horsepowered]

I do understand the logic and the reasoning behind it. I just...wonder if complete isolation is truly wise, in the long run. The world always seems to find ways to butt it's head into places where people try to keep things out.

[Perhaps it is blasphemy. Perhaps it's simply the opinion of someone who lived on a mountain but was not truly away and out of the world.]

It seems to me like the smarter thing ti do is to find a balance. Never mind the fact I'm here, that much would absolutely cause a stir.

[cheir]

I'll have to tell Caules not to mention it to the Association once he returns, but I'm sure he already knows that...

[ Her brother is definitely prepared, given how much he's been grumbling about it this whole week, but Fiore won't mention that. ]

I do think a balance would be ideal... although convincing them is another matter entirely.

[horsepowered]

It doesn't hurt to remind him, I agree.

[But he'll leave Caules be for now. Ahead Chiron can see the door that leads outside, and he picks up his pace just a little bit. Better to adjust to the speed now.]

Perhaps the only way to accomplish any of this is to be the example for others to follow, even if it means making mistakes.

[cheir]

[ Fiore wobbles a bit, but does her best to not just latch on to him again, working on maintaining a better sense of balance by leaning forward by a small amount. ]

You do realize that just by transferring my Magic Circuits to my brother, who didn't possess that kind of ability in the first place, no one is going to want to look at me as any sort of example.

[horsepowered]

I think you'll still turn some heads. [Again there's that confidence. They're at the door now, and Chiron's hands rest on the handle.]

And if not that, you'll have satisfied yourself. That's the most important part of the whole thing, I think.

[cheir]

[ It's still a confidence she doesn't quite understand, but she's since learned that he doesn't say anything he doesn't believe. Maybe one day she'll believe it herself. ]

... I'll try. I do think mages need opportunities to experience the world.

[horsepowered]

As someone who lived on a mountain for much of his life, I can say with confidence that it does a person good.

[With that, Chiron opens the front door, careful not to hit himself with it.]

Which part of the grounds should we explore?

[cheir]

[ To that, she smiles, moving one hand to give his flank a quick pat. ]

If you'd like to stretch your legs, how about all of it?

There's also a little copse of trees off to the north that you might like.

[horsepowered]

All of it seems plenty ambitious. Why don't we start in the north?

[As Chiron moves out into the open air, he's careful to actually figure out which way north is. More than that, his eyes sweep over the grounds, drinking in the landscape. It's one of the true pleasures of being summoned - seeing new parts of the world that are not Greece.

So north he goes, still at walking speed.]

Are you feeling comfortable enough for me to break into a run?

[cheir]

... If you won't find it troubling if I have to press myself against you...

[ She won't be able to grip with her legs, after all, and she'd hate to worry him with the thought of her possibly falling off. ]

[horsepowered]

Not in the slightest. I'll progress slowly, so that you can adjust in increments.

[Chiron turns back a little, and the grin on his face has a different texture. It's excited. There's a little bit of deviousness in it.]

[cheir]

[ ... Has she seen that kind of look from him before? If Fiore thinks back far enough, it's almost similar to the look he'd warn when he'd thought of facing Achilles-- not as his teacher, but as his opponent.

This, though, seems more mischievous, and Fiore laughs softly under her breath, leaning forward to wrap both arms around his waist again. ]

It's all right. You can run, Chiron.

[horsepowered]

[There's no more words from the centaur. At the word run, his pace picks up. A speedy trot at first, nothing too fast. Fiore needs to adjust to the movement, and he is careful to make sure that all of his hair does not smack her in the face.

It's after a few minutes of that that Chiron really breaks into a run. His hooves thunder over the ground, slamming down again and again, speeding ever forward. To run like this for no reason at all, there is such a lightness to it that Chiron has nearly forgotten the sheer joy of it all.

Conversing over this much noise is hard, but not impossible.]

How are you doing?

[cheir]

[ A very soft yelp may escape once he shifts from a trot to a gallop, her hands tightening their grip, but it's mere seconds before she registers that they're really, truly running. There's a strong breeze whipped up from the centaur's speed that has her hair flying behind her, her eyes growing wide at the sensation of such swift movement. It's almost like they're flying. ]

... Incredible...

[ The word emerges, almost breathlessly. Before Fiore can properly curb her excitement, a delighted laugh escapes her. ]

This feels wonderful, Chiron!

gonna get to bed now it's been a long day!

[horsepowered]

[That laugh means everything.]

It'll be the best thing to using your own legs for a while longer!

[But that was the point. To run and remind her that soon, sooner than she may hope, the world will be under her feet in full and there will be no wobbling about.

Chiron keeps running, urged on by the glory of Fiore's reaction.]

How much further to the trees?

sleep well! I hope tomorrow is more restful

[cheir]

[ It's a good motivation. Just feeling this way has Fiore that much more determined to stand firmly on her own two feet and run-- never this fast, of course, but that sense of liberation is intoxicating.

For now, she savors the rush. ]

Not much-- at this speed, you're only about three minutes off.

[horsepowered]

Very good!

[It's tempting to speed up, but Chiron fights that urge with total ease. This pace is perfect, and even with Fiore on his back, she feels so much lighter for just having this wild, mad, perfect run.]

Your home's grounds are beautiful.

[cheir]

Thank you. It's been awhile since I've been back, but even then... I don't think I ever had the opportunity to appreciate it like this.

[ Definitely not ever like this. ]

[horsepowered]

[Chiron can only laugh at that. It's a deep, warm, rich tone, all lightness as they continue onwards.]

Then I'll make sure we cover the entire area!

[But for now, trees. Chiron's run slows down as they approach the same trees Fiore mentioned earlier, and that becomes a trot, until they're at the trees themselves and the centaur is doing little more than walking.

He pants, just a little, resting one palm on the nearest tree trunk.]

There.

[He turns them both around, overlooking the ground that they have just covered.]

[cheir]

Chiron... are you all right?

[ He'd taken most of that distance at a run, and she's leaning closer to him, slightly concerned. She can't exactly reassuringly rub his neck like she would an actual horse... ]

I wasn't too heavy, was I? You ran all this way...

[horsepowered]

Quite fine.

[He can feel the concern just by how Fiore leans on his back. One hand reaches around, seeking hers to help reassure.]

I perhaps challenged myself a little too much with how fast I dared to go.