[Room 1001]

[2goodarms]

Curtis is getting better at remembering they have unfettered access to water. He still forgets to shower sometimes, but when he does remember, he makes up for it by indulging for a good long while.

Sorry, Edgar. It's probably gonna be another forty-five minutes before you can get into the bathroom this morning.

Comments

[dejah_thoris]

"His pendant. My bracelet. They're very powerful artifacts that in the wrong hands, could do a great deal of harm. I want you both to be safe. And I don't want you singled out as a target."

[2goodarms]

"We'll be careful," he says, low. Curtis presses Dejah's hand again. "Promise."

If the topic weren't so serious, he'd throw in a dry Edgar managed to keep a secret for a whole week once. But this isn't even remotely the time.

[hate_gettin_older]

Edgar's nodding in agreement. "No one's gonna hear anything about them from me."

[dejah_thoris]

Dejah squeezes Curtis's hand back, and nods. "Thank you. Both."

A moment later, the mischievous twinkle is back in her eye.

"Enough serious talk for now. Have you two been to the stables?"

[2goodarms]

His smile returns. "Yeah," he says. "Went there...I guess a couple days ago?"

Curtis still has trouble telling time. He's resigned to it by now.

"X introduced me to one of the horses."

[hate_gettin_older]

"Yeah?" He glances at Curtis. "I never saw em. What're they like?"

[dejah_thoris]

"I've only seen them from a distance. I have yet to make contact. I understand they can be quite gentle."

John has told her stories of the various mounts he owned.

[2goodarms]

"They're, uh..."

Curtis does his damndest not to look too embarrassed. He mostly succeeds.

"They're really fucking big. They didn't bite me?"

[hate_gettin_older]

Edgar gives him a wary look. "Just how fuckin big are we talking?"

[dejah_thoris]

"Almost half the size of a thoat, I believe. They can carry a significant amount of weight, but they do better without it. And they have an amazing range. Though they need quite a lot of water. And they're not predators, but they can bite, if they don't like you."

Someone may be geeking out over horses, just a little.

[2goodarms]

As with quite a lot of Dejah's reactions so far, it's also pretty damn adorable.

"The one I met was taller than me," he says. "By, I don't know, half an arm? Something like that."

[hate_gettin_older]

That is entirely too big, says Edgar's face.

[dejah_thoris]

"Yes, so smaller than a thoat. Still, that's quite large for a mammal. Are you interested in learning how to ride?"

[2goodarms]

Right there with you, says the look Curtis sends back to Edgar.

"Not yet. I, uh." If he still had his other arm, he'd be rubbing the back of his neck right now. "I can't read 'em that well yet. X suggested bribing them with apples first."

[hate_gettin_older]

"That'd probably work on me," Edgar says cheerfully.

[dejah_thoris]

Dejah chuckles. "I'll remember that."

[2goodarms]

"No more steak," says Curtis with great solemnity. "Just apples every day forever. Got it."

(Hey, better that than protein blocks.)

[hate_gettin_older]

"... I wonder how long it would take to get tired of apples."

[dejah_thoris]

"We could always find out. My guess? One day."

[2goodarms]

"A day? Nah," says Curtis. "A week. A month."

All of Curtis' issues with food aside: fresh fruit? Still pretty fucking phenomenal.

[hate_gettin_older]

"Definitely more than a fuckin day," Edgar agrees firmly. "Have you tried apples?"

[dejah_thoris]

"I had one once, when I first got here. So intensely sweet. I could only eat half of it."

She slips under Curtis's arm and loops her arm around Curtis's waist as she walks.

[2goodarms]

Curtis shakes his head, telegraphing a genial you're weird Dejah's way. He settles his arm comfortably across her shoulders.

"So do you guys wanna see the horses now, or leave it for another day?"

[hate_gettin_older]

"... maybe another day," says Edgar. "We'll bring apples."

[dejah_thoris]

"That sounds like an excellent plan, Edgar. I like this idea very much."

The ground is starting to slope upwards from the lakeside. There's lush forest on one side, and an area where someone's cleared away a spot for an archery range.

"Edgar? Did you ever decide whether or not you wanted to see the water specimens through a microscope?"