Radar O'Reilly (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
incomingchoppers) wrote2024-05-17 04:41 pm
incomingchoppers) wrote2024-05-17 04:41 pm
IC INBOX
visits + mail deliveries: 486 Juniper Drive, Northwest Hollow
visits + mail deliveries: 486 Juniper Drive, Northwest Hollow
Oh, a good bit. We didn't keep any in Ottumwa but Mr. Rambo's got a couple and Colonel Potter used to be cavalry, so I know what to do with 'em pretty well. Why?
Radar's brow knits.
"'Course," he says. "Sure."
"'Course," he says. "Sure."
...I agreed to drive a pair in a little over a month's time and I have no idea how to interact with a horse at all.
[then why did you-]
Please, whatever you know, I'd owe you big time.
[then why did you-]
Please, whatever you know, I'd owe you big time.
[...oh, Fever. it's kind of funny, her being so stressed about something like this when she hardly seems scared of anything most times, but Radar's kind enough to keep those thoughts to himself. he makes a small, thoughtful noise.]
You never been around one? Not once?
[no judgement! he's just thinking.]
You never been around one? Not once?
[no judgement! he's just thinking.]
Not in the sense of getting acquainted. Not even a fragment of a memory. All my adventuring was on foot.
[beat.]
I'm not really good with animals in the first place.
[beat.]
I'm not really good with animals in the first place.
[loyally:] Hey, no, I seen you with Chills, you do all right. Anyway, horses aren't too bad, they just look it sometimes 'cause they're so big. Um...
[the sound of a door opening, followed by distant yapping, chiming, and purring from the O'Reilly menagerie]
Tell you what. Meet me at the ranch when you got a minute? I think it's gonna be easier if we got an actual horse you can meet.
[the sound of a door opening, followed by distant yapping, chiming, and purring from the O'Reilly menagerie]
Tell you what. Meet me at the ranch when you got a minute? I think it's gonna be easier if we got an actual horse you can meet.
[before she can argue that Chills is merely a beast who won't leave her alone, she hears the sounds behind him.]
Okay. I've got a free afternoon tomorrow, I'll be there.
[this is going to take time, and she needs to start now, and she already foresees her winter schedule being a little hectic.]
Okay. I've got a free afternoon tomorrow, I'll be there.
[this is going to take time, and she needs to start now, and she already foresees her winter schedule being a little hectic.]
Okay! I'll see you then. Bye! Bandit, no, that's TJ's -- !
[click]
-----
The next day, Radar heads over to Baker Ranch early enough to coax Danforth out of his stable and have a nice long talk with him before Fever shows up. Look, I know you're worried about Helga, but she'll be okay for a couple hours. And you gotta be nice today, okay? Fever might be a little scary but I promise she ain't gonna hurt you, so just... be gentle. She's still learning. No nipping, no kicking, no nothin', got it?
Danforth snorts. Radar's pretty sure that's a yes.
By the time Fever arrives, he's all set to go, standing near the fence line with Danforth on a lead rope.
[click]
-----
The next day, Radar heads over to Baker Ranch early enough to coax Danforth out of his stable and have a nice long talk with him before Fever shows up. Look, I know you're worried about Helga, but she'll be okay for a couple hours. And you gotta be nice today, okay? Fever might be a little scary but I promise she ain't gonna hurt you, so just... be gentle. She's still learning. No nipping, no kicking, no nothin', got it?
Danforth snorts. Radar's pretty sure that's a yes.
By the time Fever arrives, he's all set to go, standing near the fence line with Danforth on a lead rope.
She shows up, but the caution is in her posture, how she lingers near the gate instead of coming in. The horse is...well. He's a horse, and that's fine. Why'd she agree to do this again? Probably because she was so baffled to be asked in the first place that agreement had just slipped from her mouth.
Okay. Okay. The low hum of anxiety is something she'll have to ignore.
"Thanks for meeting me. You were the first person I thought to call."
Okay. Okay. The low hum of anxiety is something she'll have to ignore.
"Thanks for meeting me. You were the first person I thought to call."
"So I know you know about the ship," he says, "but I don't really remember, did I tell you anything about the fairy castle where I was before the ship?"
He moves to sit down on an upturned crate, and picks up a couple pieces of discarded straw, mostly just to have something to fiddle with in his hands.
He moves to sit down on an upturned crate, and picks up a couple pieces of discarded straw, mostly just to have something to fiddle with in his hands.
Radar looks a bit shifty. (And has the good grace to look a bit guilty, too.)
"You didn't say nothing, but, uh... I overheard a little. You know." He gestures toward one of his ears. "On accident."
"You didn't say nothing, but, uh... I overheard a little. You know." He gestures toward one of his ears. "On accident."
Say this for Radar: few things brighten his day more than hearing he's indispensable. He perks up and says, cheerily, "Of course, ma'am, glad to help."
A soft cluck of his tongue, a small tug on the lead rope, and he and Danforth walk toward the gate. Slowly, though. He can hear that anxious hum like an electrical wire and doesn't want to spook Fever or the horse.
"This is Danforth. He's Mr. Rambo's stallion. Sometimes he's a little persnickety but I gave him a good talking-to so he oughta be all right today. We're just gonna start slow and it'll be fine, okay?"
A soft cluck of his tongue, a small tug on the lead rope, and he and Danforth walk toward the gate. Slowly, though. He can hear that anxious hum like an electrical wire and doesn't want to spook Fever or the horse.
"This is Danforth. He's Mr. Rambo's stallion. Sometimes he's a little persnickety but I gave him a good talking-to so he oughta be all right today. We're just gonna start slow and it'll be fine, okay?"
Okay. Just...open the gate. Inch closer. So far, so good - keep your hands to yourself. He's with Radar, it's fine.
(the worry crystalizes as he comes near, the clearing of static. I don't want to hurt you.)
Careful. Careful and slow, her hands shrouded in gloves, one coming to brush fingertips against his mane.
"What should I..."
(the worry crystalizes as he comes near, the clearing of static. I don't want to hurt you.)
Careful. Careful and slow, her hands shrouded in gloves, one coming to brush fingertips against his mane.
"What should I..."
"Oh," he says, and "uh."
And of course immediately into his mind leap half a dozen vivid memories guaranteed to be at least a little embarrassing to him, or to Radar, or both. He does his best to yank the curtain closed on them, and focuses on what he had in mind to say.
"So there was, um. This girl. Completely gorgeous, sweet to everyone. She saved Max's life one time, when he got hurt, and ... I was there, that's sort of how I met her."
(He isn't trying to picture her for Radar's benefit, but nonetheless there's an image in his mind: a delicate heart-shaped face, long ivory hair tucked behind pointed ears, deep blue skin with paler tracery along its curves, lights dancing along the lines as she smiles.)
And of course immediately into his mind leap half a dozen vivid memories guaranteed to be at least a little embarrassing to him, or to Radar, or both. He does his best to yank the curtain closed on them, and focuses on what he had in mind to say.
"So there was, um. This girl. Completely gorgeous, sweet to everyone. She saved Max's life one time, when he got hurt, and ... I was there, that's sort of how I met her."
(He isn't trying to picture her for Radar's benefit, but nonetheless there's an image in his mind: a delicate heart-shaped face, long ivory hair tucked behind pointed ears, deep blue skin with paler tracery along its curves, lights dancing along the lines as she smiles.)
To Radar's credit, he doesn't go quite as red as he would've before he spent a week in the VIP suites with Dahlia. But he does avert his eyes pretty fast like that'll stop him from hearing the sudden slideshow popping up in Edgar's mind, and makes a small strangled noise that he quickly turns into a cough.
"Sorry," he mutters before Edgar goes on. He probably just shouldn't've said anything about overhearing stuff, huh. Oh well. MOVING ON. Pretty girl at the fairy castle, sweet as anything, knew both Edgar and Max, and...
Oh. Yeah, she really does look like a heck of a girl.
"She sounds real swell," he says, softly.
"Sorry," he mutters before Edgar goes on. He probably just shouldn't've said anything about overhearing stuff, huh. Oh well. MOVING ON. Pretty girl at the fairy castle, sweet as anything, knew both Edgar and Max, and...
Oh. Yeah, she really does look like a heck of a girl.
"She sounds real swell," he says, softly.
"You're not gonna hurt him." Soft. "He's tough. So -- you're doin' good, staying on one side where he can see you. Horses got a blind spot right in front of them, so you always wanna come at 'em from the side, not straight at the front or back. And see what his ears are doing?"
Danforth's twitched an ear in her direction, upright and alert.
"That means he's paying attention, but he's not scared. So you can keep patting his mane if you want."
Danforth's twitched an ear in her direction, upright and alert.
"That means he's paying attention, but he's not scared. So you can keep patting his mane if you want."
Slowly, it turns from the barest touches to an actual patting, the anxiety loosening some when nothing seizes her, when Danforth is as well and calm as he was when Radar brought him over. It's actually okay. This can work out.
"How do you know when he's unhappy?"
He's being very tolerant right now, and she's grateful. She can't do this for the town if she can't make herself relax some - he'll tell her if he's decided he has enough, right? Some signal she can watch out for. But this...this is nice.
"How do you know when he's unhappy?"
He's being very tolerant right now, and she's grateful. She can't do this for the town if she can't make herself relax some - he'll tell her if he's decided he has enough, right? Some signal she can watch out for. But this...this is nice.
As she relaxes, Radar does too. Not that he was tense, exactly, but -- he wants this to go well! It's just like any other time you introduce two friends and hope they'll hit it off, except one of those friends is a horse.
"He'll push his ears back against his head, kinda like -- " Radar demonstrates, setting one pointer finger upright against his temple before swiveling it backward to imitate a horse pinning its ears. "Sometimes he'll start swatting his tail around real fast, too. And if he's really scared or mad his eyes'll get so big you can see the whites around the edges of 'em."
None of which Danforth's doing right now, luckily. Though he does blow a raspberry at Radar, who just laughs.
"He'll push his ears back against his head, kinda like -- " Radar demonstrates, setting one pointer finger upright against his temple before swiveling it backward to imitate a horse pinning its ears. "Sometimes he'll start swatting his tail around real fast, too. And if he's really scared or mad his eyes'll get so big you can see the whites around the edges of 'em."
None of which Danforth's doing right now, luckily. Though he does blow a raspberry at Radar, who just laughs.
It makes her laugh too, and she finds herself breathing deeper, easier.
"Yorick says the horses I'm going to meet are quite calm, and I believe him, of course. I just don't want to have no idea what I'm doing when the time comes. I feel like they'd know, and then choose not to behave in the first place."
Fever shakes her head.
"Usually I've just passed by this ranch, never stopped over. Maybe I should have, months ago."
"Yorick says the horses I'm going to meet are quite calm, and I believe him, of course. I just don't want to have no idea what I'm doing when the time comes. I feel like they'd know, and then choose not to behave in the first place."
Fever shakes her head.
"Usually I've just passed by this ranch, never stopped over. Maybe I should have, months ago."
"I was gone on her for a while. And I thought, next chance I got I'd see if maybe she was interested. Cept I guess I din't move fast enough, and before I got the chance to try, I found out she was with somebody else."
This long after, it's easier not to feel the selfish hurt of that moment.
"And when we did talk after that, at a party, she said she was hoping we could still be friends. And that she'd still go to bed with me, if I wanted."
This long after, it's easier not to feel the selfish hurt of that moment.
"And when we did talk after that, at a party, she said she was hoping we could still be friends. And that she'd still go to bed with me, if I wanted."
"Oh, you know you're always welcome," Radar's quick to say. "Any time you want! Mr. Rambo won't mind. And if you ever wanna meet any of the other animals too all you gotta do is ask."
He starts to rummage in one pocket. As he does, he asks, "So it's all official and everything, huh? You're gonna be driving the carriage on Mourner's Night?"
He starts to rummage in one pocket. As he does, he asks, "So it's all official and everything, huh? You're gonna be driving the carriage on Mourner's Night?"
"Yes. It's still a shock they asked me at all - I would have thought it'd be the Mayor again. She's got experience, after all, and she's from here."
But something had compelled a yes from her lips - something she could not have stopped if she had thought to try. Danforth offers no clarity, but he's being calm, and she can imagine maybe driving him around if he stays just like this.
"I wonder if anyone else is being asked to come along. People who aren't already involved, I mean."
But something had compelled a yes from her lips - something she could not have stopped if she had thought to try. Danforth offers no clarity, but he's being calm, and she can imagine maybe driving him around if he stays just like this.
"I wonder if anyone else is being asked to come along. People who aren't already involved, I mean."
Huh. Radar listens, rapt, doing his best not to listen so hard he hears the rest of the story before Edgar finishes telling it.
"So what happened?"
"So what happened?"
"They might be," he says, thoughtful. "You know, I bet they're trying to include a bunch of off-worlders too so they know we're welcome. Even if this ain't home forever it's still home for now, you know?"
And from what he's heard about Mourner's Night, it's a nice thing for everybody to experience -- no matter how long they've been on Marrow Isle -- when they're all stuck under the barrier and can't die for long.
Radar finally unearths what he's been searching for: a quarter of an apple, the core sliced away. Immediately, Danforth's nostrils flare as he tries to bend his head closer. "Okay, next step," he says to Fever as he hands her the apple and muscles Danforth's head back a few inches. "Hold that out for him, but keep it right in the middle of your palm with all your fingers flat and together. Otherwise he might think one of your fingers is a carrot and nip you."
And from what he's heard about Mourner's Night, it's a nice thing for everybody to experience -- no matter how long they've been on Marrow Isle -- when they're all stuck under the barrier and can't die for long.
Radar finally unearths what he's been searching for: a quarter of an apple, the core sliced away. Immediately, Danforth's nostrils flare as he tries to bend his head closer. "Okay, next step," he says to Fever as he hands her the apple and muscles Danforth's head back a few inches. "Hold that out for him, but keep it right in the middle of your palm with all your fingers flat and together. Otherwise he might think one of your fingers is a carrot and nip you."
Edited 2024-12-20 02:33 (UTC)
"It felt weird. And I couldn't figure out why it felt weird, cause like -- there were other people there with the same kind of arrangement, right? Like they were together, committed --"
(He cannot prevent Max's face from shining in his mind right there, or two other closely associated faces: a young man with longish blond hair and a laughing grin, a person with short-cropped dark hair and a face both delicate and strong. He misses them so damn much.)
" -- and they'd all of them gone to bed with me one time or other, so what was different? And then I thought, like ... maybe what's different is I knew they wanted to, and weren't just asking cause I wanted to."
He twists the bit of straw in his hand, starts coiling it around one finger, grimaces, and stops.
"So I asked her was that it, was it something she wanted or just something she thought I wanted. And she din't know." He breathes out. "Never thought about it. Kind of upset her when she did."
(He cannot prevent Max's face from shining in his mind right there, or two other closely associated faces: a young man with longish blond hair and a laughing grin, a person with short-cropped dark hair and a face both delicate and strong. He misses them so damn much.)
" -- and they'd all of them gone to bed with me one time or other, so what was different? And then I thought, like ... maybe what's different is I knew they wanted to, and weren't just asking cause I wanted to."
He twists the bit of straw in his hand, starts coiling it around one finger, grimaces, and stops.
"So I asked her was that it, was it something she wanted or just something she thought I wanted. And she din't know." He breathes out. "Never thought about it. Kind of upset her when she did."
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