timefighter — open

[icarus.]

Icarus had never seen a horse before arriving in these moors. He'd heard of them, of course, mostly in his novels; they were the noble steeds of many ancient heroes, the trusty companions to countless great characters. It makes sense that the Knights of Concord would have such a tradition as to tame and keep them, and still it'd taken him some time to come around to the idea of riding one himself. The tom prides himself on his commitment to the idea of trying anything at least once, but the idea of cats being carried across the hills on the backs of their much-larger equines to be a silly one — he'd soon learned that the Knights actually take it quite seriously. Icarus humored them after that, only to find that he'd actually grown rather attached to his Aethon. Turns out that the appaloosa was a decent enough starter: gentle, loyal, smart — maybe too smart for his own good at times, but swift and well-suited for most clan activities. Then again, it's all the same to the feline; he'd still be sneaking his companion apples from the kitchen if he were the slowest horse in the uplands.

He's spent most of the morning out in the estate's pasture with his horse, grazing and going back over the basic commands. Things within the Knights have always been pretty laidback, at least since his arrival — life in the secluded manor is easy and calm in a way he doesn't entirely mind, but it's always taken a great deal to keep his ever-drifting mind preoccupied. The tabby tom turns to open the pouch kept at his shoulder and produces a sugar cube held in an outstretched alabaster-dappled paw. His appaloosa knows this part too well — he's already leaned down to take it greedily before nudging the feline with his nose and giving an impatient huff, eliciting a fond purr from the Judge. "I promise I'll take you for a proper ride soon," Icarus murmurs with warmth in response. Then again, rides are always more fun when he has groupmates to join him. Tail-tip twitches in thought; perhaps he'll have to see who he can rope into a horseback patrol.

[wormwood.]

☆ HUNG PICTURES OF PATRON SAINTS UP ON MY WALL TO REMIND ME THAT I AM A FOOL. TELL ME WHERE I CAME FROM, WHAT I WILL ALWAYS BE: JUST A SPOILED LITTLE KID WHO WENT TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL —

Unfortunately for Icarus, the first to approach he and his steed was someone who couldn't participate in a horseback patrol. At least, not on horseback, that is. As Aurum had come to learn slowly about the traditions of the knights, he had been fascinated to learn that they kept horses as companions, as well as rode them around. He could definitely see the thought behind the tradition, and as he watched some of his new groupmates bond with and ride their steeds, he could also see how it worked quite well. However, there were some issues that were very clear when it came to Aurum ever considering getting his own steed. For one thing, he was only around the Knights of Concord half the time. His dual alliance made it so that he was commonly flying back and forth, coming and going as necessary, which wasn't exactly ideal for taking care of and training another creature. For another – much more obvious – thing, the angel was simply too big to ride around on the back of the horse. Even the most massive of steeds would struggle with the weight of a full grown lion on their back, and while Aurum did have his mutated canine form he could turn to, that was very small, and more than a bit clumsy.

Despite his own issues with the idea of having a horse of his own, Aurum still enjoyed watching others interacting with their steeds and training them. So, when the winged lion spotted Icarus and his horse down below while he was going for a flight over the territory, he decided to drop in. Wings spread out, the angel landed a few feet away, making his way over with a smile. He flicked a paw upward in a wave not only to Icarus, but to the noble equine beside him as well. Watching as Icarus handed over a sugar cube to the rather majestic – and large – beast, Aurum rumbled in greeting, "Hey there, Icarus. I spotted you from up there and thought I'd come say hi." He pointed up at the sky with a paw before continuing, head tilted in curious thought, "This must be your horse, right? I've heard a bit about this tradition... what's his name?" Perhaps it would've been a little odd to some, the thought of animals keeping other animals as steeds and caring for them, but Aurum didn't really see a problem with it. After all, it wasn't as if the knights were abusing the horses to get them to stay.

[div style="text-align: right; text-transform: uppercase; text-shadow: 0px 0px 2px #1B1B2F; font-size: 24px;"][color=#44437F]— AURUM

#psychosocial.

[GORDON CIPHER.]

[glow=white,1,400]I CREATED A MONSTER, A HELL WITHIN MY HEAD ! — ｡+ﾟ.[/glow]

To be quite honest, the horses scared Gordon a little bit. They were far, far much bigger than her - and sure, horses typically towered over her clanmates too, Gordon being smaller than an average feline didn't really help matters. Her legs were far too short in order for her to properly ride a horse (or so, that's what she believed) and while the creatures looked absolutely stunning and majestic, Gordon wasn't too sure if she'd be comfortable riding one.

It looked horrifying. Ignoring the fact she was small, Gordon was afraid of falling from that height; what if she broke something? What if the horse kicked her off, or fell on her? Actually now those train of thoughts were happening, what if the horse didn't like her? What if it didn't accept her? Gordon bit her lip as those anxious thoughts started running through her head and she forced herself to push them back. Everything's going to be okay. That's what Billiam always told her. Everything is okay.

So why was Gordon so close to the stables anyway? Well, she did rather enjoy the beauty of these creatures. They were beautiful, majestic. The munchkin was in awe at them and was rather afraid of what could happen, not what was happening in reality. When she saw Aurum coming over to greet Icarus, Gordon decided to follow after the winged lion, almost seeming to hide in his shadow. "Th-they're very pretty," The she-cat squeaked out, peeking out from behind Aurum.[glow=COLOR,1,400] ━ ✧*:･ﾟ[/glow]

[icarus.]

The flapping of wings alerts him to another's presence — Icarus doesn't know of any other flighted creatures in the Knights, so it comes as no surprise when he looks up to see the smiling face of Aurum. It seems the tom's hopes of gathering a fully-horseback patrol have been swiftly dashed, though he hardly minds. He's just as easily distracted from his plans; franky, Icarus is delighted to have company in any manner it presents itself. And, admittedly, while the Judge does feel a bit bad that the larger members can't partake in the tradition, considering the wings and all... well, it seems like Aurum gets around just fine without a horse. Gordon soon joins them, though Icarus observes from her careful distance that she might not be much of an equestrian herself — which is perfectly fine, of course. Icarus knows how it can take time to adjust to the horses. Some never do, but he has hope for the munchkin yet.

"Hey," he greets the duo, warm smile easily splitting across his lips. Green eyes glitter like the midday sun, the pensiveness that lingers there washed away by a genuine radiance like gentle waves crashing upon the shore. Icarus offers a nod in thanks to Gordon's direction, tail flicking as his gaze trails back to Aurum and the dip of his head becomes one of confirmation. "Thanks. Yeah, his name is Aethon," he answers lightly, the horse behind him huffing with recognition. Icarus glances back at the appaloosa and his grin widens. He seats himself momentarily, fishing through his pouch to produce a couple more sugar cubes before extending them to the others. An invitation. "You can come say hello, you know. He's nice, I promise," Icarus purrs now, though he keeps the words mild. He can't fault them for refusing, but the thoughtful spark returns to his gaze as he watches the two. Aethon scrapes a hoof against the ground and gives another restless snort, only quieting when Icarus gives a chiding click of his tongue. Nice, maybe, but patient less so.

[wormwood.]

While Aurum himself wasn't particularly perturbed by the presence of the horses within the Knights of Concord, he could see why one would be. Especially someone who was as small in stature – compared to him, anyways – as Gordon. Even someone as large and powerful as himself could be taken down by a well placed and powerful kick or stomp from the equine, so it was natural to be a little cautious. Despite this, the lion couldn't help the soft chuckle that left him as he glanced back at Gordon, his long tail flicking from side to side before eventually resting on her back in a comforting motion. He mumbled softly, offering her a warm smile, "It's alright. I'm sure that Icarus wouldn't allow any harm to come to either of us, especially from his steed." He didn't know Gordon all that well yet, but already his usual familial instinct had kicked in, wanting to comfort and protect her. In the past, he had thought of his habit to get attached easily to be a weakness – and losing Moth had even made him consider that again – but now he knew better.

Turning his attention then back to Icarus and Aethon, he found his smile growing faintly when Icarus introduced the equine. They really were like companions and family around here, weren't they? That was a comfort to the lion, who wasn't sure he would've been able to stick around if the creatures had been mistreated. Shooting a glance back at Gordon for a moment, Aurum slowly got to his feet, moving over to Aethon's side again. He muttered as he lifted a paw, stroking absentmindedly at the horse's coat, "Aethon, huh? That's a very unique name... very fitting, I think. It's a pleasure to meet you." The male then shifted a little to glance back at Gordon, smiling as he gestured at the spot beside him, "Would you like to come say hello, Gordon?" Perhaps with him nearby, she would feel slightly more at ease around Aethon. At the very least he could offer, and if she chose to refuse, that was her decision. It wasn't as if she was forced to be nearby the equines.

[GORDON CIPHER.]

[glow=white,1,400]I CREATED A MONSTER, A HELL WITHIN MY HEAD ! — ｡+ﾟ.[/glow]

Nice didn't necessarily mean that the horse couldn't suddenly haul off and kick her in the ribs. Gordon tensed up whenever Aethon snorted and scraped one of his hooves against the ground, her eyes widening at the action. Aurum's words caught her ears, reminding her that everything was okay. Icarus wouldn't let anything happen to me. He was friendly and seemed to take his position as leader seriously; of course he would protect everyone.

Gordon tried to swallow the fear that was making her heart pounding, gently taking some of the sugar cubes that Icarus offered to her and Aurum. She gave a stiff nod at Aurum's question, waddling to get closer to the horse and Icarus. "H-hi there," She softly mewed at Aethon, holding up the sugar cubes as high as she could.[glow=COLOR,1,400] ━ ✧*:･ﾟ[/glow]