The Steppe -- Kirika, Shirabe, Tsubasa, Chris

## Transcript

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PANDOR.

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Exploration commenced.

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Kirika

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Rocky terrain beneath her feet, Kirika fumbles with her footing as she attempts to walk backwards with the group. She's off-key singing horrible road trip songs she learned from Kellyn possibly an attempt to soothe her own nerves and those of her partners. Eyes bounced around scanning for signs of any animals or creatures they might find- Shirabe brought along a notebook for sketching anything interesting they may find. However, most importantly was the relics tucked under the two girls' shirts. Should anything happen, they are the getaway vans. Nearby rustling, perhaps the skittering of hooves or some such (-Kirika doesn't, know anything about animals but that won't slow her down-) across rocks pop up nearby, and she finds herself bouncing closer to the noise. "Nee~ what's goin' on over here?"

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Shirabe

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Shirabe's got said notebook out already, close to her chest, a pencil gripped tightly in her hand. She's also scouring around, relic tucked beneath, lightly chuckling at Kirika's imitation of Kellyn's road trip songs. She remembers, of course, the original ones he taught her, and hearing them so off key is... humorous. It at the very least, lightens the mood. She's quick to follow her girlfriend towards the rustling, leaning lightly against her back as she peeks around her. "Huh. What's over here?" She tilts her head, trying to squint at whatever it may be, but finding her vision fail her. "Where'd it go?"

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Tsubasa

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Tsubasa follows behind Kirika and Shirabe, not entirely sure what to do with herself. It's strange being the one to be protected rather than the protector, a lack of any kind of weapon though leaves her dangerously exposed and that does not keep her at ease. Still she finds herself slightly humming along to Kirika's songs, a smile gracing her face as the off key singing continues. The rustling noise throws her slightly, a hand attempts to grab a pendant that's not there, with the chant dying on her lips as she realises it's still gone. "What was that?" She tries to look for further movement of some kind. Whatever it is, it couldn't have gotten far.

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Chris

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Chris is taking up the rear, glancing around nervously for ... anything at all, really. She's fiddling with the cog that now lies where her pendant once was out of habit. It's nerve-wracking, to be going somewhere potentially dangerous without her gear, the only people having theirs being dependent on- and lacking- LiNKER to function... and that it's her kouhais, too. It's so frustrating to her. She's thankful the group's taking it slow, for her own sake. Kirika's off-key singing is grating, especially when Chris knows the dangerous girl of death can sing better than that. In fact, she has half a mind to tell her to knock it off-- But a sudden rustle makes her jump, and a high-pitched noise like "Uah!" escapes her mouth. She's thankful that rustling diverted everyone else's attention away from her... She tries to look from behind everyone else towards the source of the noise, but her stature makes it difficult until she just decides to go to the side.

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PANDOR.

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You all follow the sounds of skittering on rock and wait for a moment, scanning the area for the source of the sound. One second passes... two seconds... three....

And then, seemingly blinking into existence about 30 feet away from you is a winged horse of sorts, its feathers iridescent and nearly translucent, reflecting the lights and colors of the area surrounding it, making it hard to pin down exactly what color they are meant to be. For a second, it regards you with pale blue, pupilless eyes, before it shakes its mane with a snort, turns on one of its back hooves and, with a swish of its tail, disappears from sight once again.

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Kirika

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"Wh-wh-wah! Shirabe, did you see that? Can you draw it? It was so shiny and wow." With a long and drawn out gasp, she's running towards the spot where the horse once was. "It's eyes and- and the color!" Her eyes sparkle as she examines the area around there- hoping to find any glimpse or glimmer of the same or even more creatures. "Hey, hey! Let's keep goin'! Maybe we'll see her again!" A hop, skip, and jump over some rocks and she's tumbling further down the mountain path.

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Shirabe

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Uh-oh. Shirabe didn't have enough time to draw it, but -- wow, it was really pretty, huh. "I didn't get to..." Too in awe. She'd like to see it again. Anyhow, she follows after Kirika -- who's shouting towards her friends, with a shake of her head. "Be careful! Don't fall!" She's not much better herself, though, focused on following her wonderful girlfriend down the path. "Maybe we'll see her, but not if we get badly hurt first!"

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Tsubasa

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"At least it's not the Noise..." Tsubasa hasn't lost her edge at least, she follows the Zababa duo carefully, intent on making sure they're not caught off guard again. Watching Kirika dive after it and tumble down a mountain path is both a surprise and entirely expected. Without thinking she shouts over to her, "Watch your step!" She'd like to say she's better than that but she's following behind them all the same. "Is it normal to find creatures like that here?"

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Chris

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Chris is enchanted by the beauty of that winged horse for a couple moments after it disappears. Her lavender eyes are practically shimmering. But she shakes her head suddenly, coming to her senses- no time to dawdle, she cautiously follows her senpai and kouhais. "Wait up!" Tsubasa's mention of Noise unsettles Chris a bit- but she realizes that they won't even have to worry about Alca-Noise anymore, and it's something of a relief. Not that they were particularly threatening so long as she had Ichaival... It's a really good thing they aren't here, actually. Rock hopping tires Chris a bit, and she took it rather slow, so she opts to try sliding down the slope after her companions before she gets left too far behind.

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PANDOR.

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The air gets a little chillier as you continue on, away from the Steppe and towards the mountains. But you continue on, managing to keep your footing between rocks and slopes and loose pebbles.  The path winds and twists, but between the four of you, you can basically remember which direction the creature had ran off in before it disappeared from sight, and after a few minutes of clambering and scampering, the rocky path opens up into a bit of a clearing, with steep, cliff-like rocky walls around the sides.

As though it had stepped down out of some invisible portal, the winged horse appears once again, trotting in a small circle before it notices the four of you at the mouth of the clearing. It tosses its mane again, tilts its head in your direction, but does not disappear this time. Pale hooves remain rooted in place, however, neither fleeing nor approaching, but watching and waiting to see what you do next.

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Kirika

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A small gasp- she's beautiful. Kirika nudges at Shirabe and points to the note book, then gestures to the horse. In all of their years of fighting other worldly beings and creatures- she had never seen anything like this. The fairy tale creature isn't running away, just staring, pupil-less eyes mesmerizing. It's without thinking that she decides to take a hesitant yet gentle step forward. Another. A third. Just one more... Turning around, Kirika looks back to the rest of the group for support. Her eyes draw back to the beast, and she almost wonders if it would talk to her or if that idea is a bit too fantastical. Regardless of what the other girls choose to do, Kirika's feet find themselves taking just a few more steps closer and one hand just ever so slightly lifting up.

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Shirabe

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A gasp of her own. The creature is incredibly beautiful. Shirabe slowly follows Kirika, staying much further behind, and sketching it outr. It's... wild. It's just standing there for them to witness. It's... some kind of horse. But it's not entirely horselike, is it? It has... wings. Is it some sort of... pegasus? Watching, waiting, Shirabe keeps her mouth shut as she continues to draw out the creature. How... interesting.

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Tsubasa

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The lack of her gear makes her feel almost naked, it's not nice having lost that safety net that she's grown so used to. Still she's put a little at ease by just how beautiful the winged horse is. Tsubasa isn't exactly well acquainted with animals, but something about it just doesn't seem a direct threat. "Be careful... We don't know what it is or if it's going to do anything." Caution rules the day for her though, she doesn't directly approach it, instead choosing to watch it's movements to make sure it's not making anything even slightly threatening towards Kirika.

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Chris

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Chris is again mesmerized by the horse's prismatic wings. She comes to a stop with the others, trying to catch her breath, and stares at the enchanting colors. But as the more thoughtless of her kouhais begins stepping towards the horse, Chris snaps out of her stupor and grabs the fool's wrist. She breathes, quietly as possible to try and not scare the creature, "Let me." Pulling Kirika back- gently- she begins taking slow paces towards the pegasus herself, staring into its bewitchingly empty eyes, reaching as slowly as possible for the side of its neck with her palm. If this horse freaks out... she doesn't want anyone else getting hurt.

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PANDOR.

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As Chris approaches the creature, it's easier to see, the winged horse does not seem defensive or afraid, but rather... curious. Pale blue eyes move from one to the other, watching each of you just as you watch her. Her tail swishes idly behind her, strands of prismatic white moving in tandem. Her muzzle is poking out towards you, nostrils flaring as though trying to pick up on any indication of who you are.

Chris manages to grab the most of her attention by approaching, by stepping in front of Kirika. You aren't sure how you can tell, but there seems to be some sort of acknowledgement on the part of the creature, that you are attempting to protect one of your own. And so she does not balk when you reach out to stroke the pearlescent fur on the side of her neck. It's warm to the touch, and soft, and though the winged horse does not take her eyes off you, her demeanor is relaxed.

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Kirika

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Kirika isn't bothered by Chris stepping in- not in the slightest. Letting her senpai worry over her is something that brings comfort to both of them, regardless. Shifting foot-to-foot, she observes Chris approach the horse and stroke it. She looks back- checking to make sure Shirabe is still sketching in the book. With hesitant steps, Kirika walks back towards the horse and settles in just behind Chris. She can just watch, but at least up closer. However, for a brief moment she toys with the idea of riding the horse. Would she even allow it? Is that too far? A poke at Chris' shoulder and Kirika whispers. "Do you think we should try riding the horse?"

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Shirabe

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She's still drawing it out -- focused now on the inner details, Shirabe continues to sketch, staying behind Chris and Kirika. Interestingly, Chris seems to have grabbed her attention -- Interesting. That said, Kirika's whisper causes a huge sigh. "Kiri-chan, please don't get on the horse. That's just a bad idea..."

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Tsubasa

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Tsubasa looks to Chris with obvious concern, hoping that she knew what she was doing. She also approaches the creature, but makes sure to stay in it's sight, it's less likely to be started if she does that. Hopefully. She tries to recall anything from her childhood that could help, but finds herself drawing a blank. She doesn't try to stop Kirika, heavens know that's a fool's errand but she keeps an eye on her, trying to keep her safe. "That's a poor idea, unless we're absolutely sure it'd accept it. Though, if it's an option..."

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Chris

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Chris smiles slightly at the horse, petting its neck for a few moments longer before taking a small step back. She's never really had much of any experience with animals, so she can't much tell what's going through its head, but she does know it's not freaking out, and that's good. But then her shoulder's poked. She glances back to Kirika, then looks at the horse again. "Hmm..." Chris doesn't say anything more, considering the idea as her other kouhai and senpai speak up. Looking into its pale eyes... there's something ever so slightly unsettling about those empty spheres to her, but she doesn't let it phase her much. Tsubasa weighs in, then Chris has an idea of her own. "Maybe if we feed it somethin'...?" She misses being able to fly around riding a missile. Maybe this pegasus would be a good substitute in the meantime? If she could bond with it somehow...? "Whadaya think it eats?"

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PANDOR.

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The winged horse remains calm, but curious, ears flicking towards whoever is speaking at the moment. It doesn't seem to understand what you are saying, but overall it appears relatively at ease with the four of you being in its company, tail swishing lazily behind it and wings folding delicately against its back.

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Kirika

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Hmm... she seems pretty content, getting her food might be hard. Who knows what this beast could eat- it could be literally anything from berries, to people, to maybe- who knows, friendship or something? Shrugging, Kirika makes an executive decision. If the horse throws her off, she throws her off- Kirika is going to ride this horse no matter what. She skips around to the horses front and brings both hands up to the being's nuzzle. She saw a horse movie at a slumber party with Hibiki once, she knows what she's doing. Kirika brings her nose to touch the horse's own and looks into the mesmerizing eyes. "I hope this is okay with you." With that, she trots back around and decides to just go all in. With a small "hup" she's jumping up and swinging her legs around the horse- is this right? Is the horse okay? What about the wings? Eh, she probably looks dope, it doesn't matter.

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Shirabe

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And with that, Shirabe's done with the drawing. It's beautiful, too -- not quite as majestic as the creature itself, but still! That said, as soon as she looks up, panic fills her brain. Kirika just got on the horse. "What are you doing?" She says it, but approaches herself. Is the horse okay? She's a little closer now. Kirika's impulse decision is... scary, but maybe she knows what she's doing. She at least looks like she's in the right position. Aside from television, Shirabe's never seen actual horses being ridden by people Kiri's size, after all. "Kiri..." She shakes her head, but she can't help but smile. Her girlfriend is adorable isn't she?

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Tsubasa

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Things seem somewhat stable, it's probably not going to attack them and with that she lets down her guard for once. This doesn't last long as Kirika proceeds to do what she really should have expected and make an impulsive decision. Tsubasa barely holds back panic, tensing up and just barely stopping herself from reaching out. "Akatsuki! Please be careful!" She can't hide her concern though, not that she'd want to. Taking inspiration from her more impulsive friends she steps closer, trying to get the Pegasus' attention by scratching behind it's ear. If this doesn't keep it calm at least she'll be the first for the horse to take it's anger out on.

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Chris

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Chris steps back a bit fervently when Kirika hops on the horse, fearing its reaction. "Why'd you do that!?" Tsubasa brushes by Chris, trying to keep the thing calm, and Chris decides she better act too- so she starts whipping her head around, looking for something, anything to feed the pegasus with, making sure to keep it in the corner of her eye or at least glance towards it every so-many moments. She wishes Kirika wasn't so damn impulsive- she wishes she could think of something to do to make sure this animal doesn't hurt someone- but she has to do her best in the moment. She spots a fruit dangling from a tree, and jogs over to it, leaping to try and grab it.

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PANDOR.

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What about the wings? Indeed. Probably looks dope? Well... About that...

Kirika vaults onto the horse clumsily, and the sudden weight on its back seems to catch it by surprise. If the weight didn't, though, the squirming and shifting and trying to find a way to sit astride a winged horse certainly does. With a huffing sort of nicker, the creature tosses its mane and prances in place, uncertain what to make of the situation. Its wings extend, but it does not take flight. Instead, the creature seems to angle its wings in a way that the iridescent feathers start to catch the light.... and reflect it. In what looks to be a defense mechanism, the illusion of the reflected light almost seems to make everything behind the wing turn invisible, except for a shimmering outline... And right now, that includes Kirika's limbs.

But the horse doesn't take off, somewhere between the scratching behind its ear and the way its eyes lock onto the fruit Chris is attempting to reach. It is unsettled, hooves skittering against the rock, but Kirika remains on its back and it remains close by.

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Kirika

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She is... she is on a horse. She sure is riding a pegasus. Kirika isn't sure if her nor the pegasus are enjoying it- but it is happening. She is... also not going to get off the horse. Be it embarrassment for rash actions, resolve to finish what she started, or some sick mixture of the two- this horse will stay under her as long as she can. From what she can tell, though, the horse seems intently focused on the food Chris is grabbing. "Oh- oh I think she wants that fruit! If you can't get it, maybe somebody can throw something at it, dess!"

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Shirabe

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She's... on, at least. There's a small amount of relief, but Shirabe also can't help but chuckle at what it's done to Kiri. "Kiri -- Y--Your legs and arms are invisible!" Pretty quickly bursting into a fit of laughter, Shirabe nearly drops the journal she's been drawing in, only to catch it at the last second. ... Finally, the laughter subsides. "Ch--Chris, are you able to reach? I can try throwing a stick, if not."

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Tsubasa

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As much as she'd like to join in on the joyful mood, Tsubasa is more focused on keeping the horse calm, but there's no hiding that smile. "Akatsuki, slow movements. Don't startle it too much." She's seen stranger things than this, though even she's shocked slightly by Kirika's limbs briefly disappearing. Still she sticks to keeping the horse/pegasus thing calm for now. It's responded well to the ear scratches so she keeps it up for now.

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Chris

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Chris can't quite reach the tantalizing fruit on her own, even leaping for it. She mutters "Dammit, c'mon...", glancing back at the horse before getting frustrated and and kicking the tree with her heel. Fortunately for her, or maybe a bit unfortunately, a fruit drops on her head. "Ow!" Why is it so hard!? Whatever, doesn't matter! Chris picks it up, rubs it against her shirt a bit in an effort to clean it of dirt, and moves as quickly as her slightly tired self can manage back over to the nervous pegasus, holding the fruit up to it. Softly, she tells it, "Here! Just calm down, okay?" Chris matches its nervousness, worrying for her semi-hidden kouhai and hoping this fruit chills it the hell out.

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PANDOR.

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The creature tosses its mane a few times, front hooves just barely coming off the ground, but through your combined efforts, it doesn't seem afraid enough to leave. In face, when Chris stumbles over with the fruit in hand, the creature freezes entirely, ears perking forward and head lifting in interest. It gives a soft nicker and stretches its head out to sniff the fruit being offered before taking a few careful steps forward and carefully biting it right out of Chris's hand.

...Of course, it does move a little quickly jerking back away to chew its newly acquired snack, which is a little jarring, but somehow, maybe through sheer force of determination, Kirika manages to keep her balance astride the mount as it trots a few steps away from the group with her on its back.

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Kirika

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"Uhhh- wa- oh wowie." Kirika's grip stays firm on the horse- if she can rip through Noise on Shirabe's back, she can manage to stay on a little bumpy horse. Maybe... what can she do now? She sure is on the horse like she planned, though Kirika had intended for the creature to somehow just start flying around as soon as she jumped on. Maybe she can... oh! Of course! She should just tell the horse to fly. Hmph, though she didn't want to keep calling such a cute lil fella "the horse." "Neee~ Clippity Clop!" Somehow, she manages to one-hand grip onto the horse while lifting the other to point at the sky. "Will you take me for a ride? Let's go fly around, dess!" As she talks, she tries to adjust her legs to be out of the way of the wings as much as she can manage while continuing to point upwards.

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Shirabe

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"Clippity Clop?" Shirabe tilts her head, thinking a moment -- she stands planted in place, so as not to intimidate the newly-named horse by surrounding it, "We can call it 'Clip', then, for short." She looks at the horse -- and Kiri -- with a smile. "Don't go too far -- You could get lost, and that would be bad." Shirabe then looks over to Chris and Tsubasa -- hoping they aren't too mad at her girlfriend.

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Tsubasa

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"We're not calling it Clippity Clop." Tsubasa has some standards after all, it sounds... exactly like something Kirika would name it like and she's not letting people think that it was her idea. She looks at the duo of horse and girl in a mixture of confusion and concern. Making sure it's not about to take off of it's own accord first, Tsubasa then runs over to the tree that Chris took a fruit from. Hopefully with enough reasons to stay on the ground they won't find themselves missing a Kirika. "Akatsuki! Don't take off! We don't know if we can get you back down!"

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Chris

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Chris tenses a bit when the horse approaches, and relaxes as it simply bites the fruit whole from her open palm, although she quickly steps back a bit then. "Clippity...? No, no way. We're not calling it that. Let's call it, ah... How about Light Sabbath?" She shifts her weight from one leg to the other nervously. "You sure it's a good idea to tell that thing to take off?" Chris can't help but ... have reservations about the idea, to say the least. After all- she's the one who should get this winged thing! Not Kirika! Yet she's far too worried about what may happen if she tries to climb on it- let alone if she'll be able to. And what happens if Kirika falls off in mid-air? "Actually, I'm not lettin' it happen! Get off it!"

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PANDOR.

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Luckily for about half of you, the results of Kirika's wishful attempts at communicating with the animal don't seem to earn her any sort of response. No, in fact, while you can't tell if the creature is ignoring you or just... not aware of what you're saying, it seems more than content to stay with all four hooves planted on the ground.

Its ears prick upward, eyes remaining fixed onto Tsubasa. Even if it did understand the given command, it seems to have its priorities... and those priorities don't seem to include much other than being fed fruit.

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Kirika

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Pouting, she noted the lack of movement in the horse. Aw man, she really wanted to fly on her back... She'll just have to come back to visit and keep trying. Kirika's head perked up, a light bulb almost physically forming over her head. "Hey, hey, hey! Shiraberry, anybody. You should throw the fruit and see if she'll go to get it! What if she disappears with me on her back? That'd be so fricking cool, dess." Her upper body practically bounced at the idea. "Please, please, please."

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Shirabe

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"I can give it a shot, I guess." A shrug, she goes to grab a fruit -- and tosses it towards the horse, a little to the side. She continues to watch -- with baited breath -- wondering what the horse will do. "Hmm..."

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Tsubasa

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"Only if you'll get down afterwards Akatsuki.." With the fruit in hand she looks for a safe place to throw it, before deciding to throw it around the same place as Shirabe's fruit. Tsubasa's ready in case the horse tries something, as unlikely as that now seems. "Please get down already."

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Chris

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"No, dammit! Get down from this thing!!" Chris's voice is raised, and she stomps her foot, leaning forward and giving Kirika a scolding look. "What if that thing flies off, you can't control it and you get lost when it finally lands!? Then what, huh? Or even worse--" She almost growls, infuriated, and thoughtlessly yells, "GET OFF IT!!" She has half a mind to go and pull Kirika off herself, but she resists. for the moment.

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PANDOR.

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The creature seems excited, almost like a puppy being tossed a stick. She huffs out from her nostrils and waits for the fruit to hit the ground before trotting over to it and reaching down to eat one. Though her gait is a little bouncy, it isn't fast, it isn't wild, and... most notably, she remains on the ground for now, happily chewing away at the slightly bruised fruit. Overall, she seems very comfortable with your collective presence at this point.

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Kirika

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As Clippity-Clop bounced around and played with the other girls, Kirika giggled and grinned and kept her firm grip on the back. She's just like a little puppy! Or, err, a big puppy! "Cippity-Clop is so friendly, dess! I wanna keep her! Do you think I could... but I'd be sad to tie her up anywhere..." Completely ignorant to anything going on around her, she leans forward while wrapping her arms around the neck of the horse as best she can manage. "I wanna visit you all the time!" Kirika swung her head around, looking at the open spots leading out of the area. "Nee, guys! Let's leave a fruit trail down these paths and see if Clippity-Clop will take us to her home!"

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Shirabe

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"I wonder if she'd be a good pet horse..." Shirabe can't, however, help but laugh again at Kirika. "Alright! Let's try it." Shirabe beams, reaching for another fruit to give Clippity-Clop. "I wonder where her home is..."

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Tsubasa

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"Please, can we call her anything but Clippity-Clop." Tsubasa does her best to keep the horse calm, be that through feeding her or keeping Kirika from aggravating her too much. "Akatsuki, can you please get down so she might actually lead us there?"

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Chris

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"We're not calling it that!! I already told you, it's Light Sabbath!!" Chris is just thankful the thing hasn't kicked Kirika off, or flown off, or what have you, but she still fears the worst, even despite the horse being as calm as it is. "C'mon, get down from it... we can follow it around or whatever, sure, but..." Chris quietly mutters, "I don't want anything happenin' to you..." Overbearing, perhaps, but genuine.

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PANDOR.

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Somehow still steady in the wake of its excitement, the creature follows Shirabe as she plucks another fruit -- confused though she seems to be about the shouting back and forth about matters she cannot understand since she is, in fact, not human and has no idea what you're saying. Her tail swishes idly behind her in contentment, but also expectation. It seems the only thing she is currently loyal to is the fruit that these strange, shouting humans keep giving her.

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Kirika

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"WAIT!" Hands flung out, she flops forward on the horse a bit before sitting herself back up straight. Akatsuki brain... turn on. If they take this horsey back to it's home, or try to find it's home... they might never see it again. Or- if there's dragons here- what if they watch cute little Clippity-Clop get gobbled up. Fenix might have a place for her to stay... "Nee.... guys.... let's take her home!" With another nuzzle to the horse's neck as best she can, Kirika shoots her best puppy dog eyes to the other girls. "She really really likes the fruit, and maybe! Maybe Fey can tell us more about her! It'll be so cool!" If only she could get her fake tears to work... "Please! I don't want to leave her!"

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Shirabe

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"Well, I guess we'd have to find a way to bring her... If we collect a bunch of fruit, maybe we can bring her back into the city by making a trail...???" Either way, Shirabe passes along the fruit to the creature, happily providing it with sustenance. She then gently reaches a hand out -- offering it for the creature to sniff. The horse-creature sure is interesting... "Fey might be able to tell us more about her, and... well, it'd be really cool to keep her around, I think."

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Tsubasa

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Tsubasa is stoic, a woman who is hard pressed to be convinced by almost anyone or anything. Puppy dog eyes from Kirika are one of the few exceptions, to her credit she manages to resist for a moment before giving in. "Very well... Perhaps we can all think of a name we can agree on as we lead her back? I don't think she appreciates Clippity Clop." She goes to collect a bundle of the fruit, hopefully enough to slowly lead the horse-creature back to Epoche.

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Chris

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Chris sighs, defeated, and scratches the back of her head a bit. This girl isn't dismounting... fine. At least the thing doesn't look like it has any intention of taking off. "Sure, fine, we can take it back. But it obviously likes Light Sabbath." At the least, the four of 'em could share in taking care of it. Proven too short to be very effective in fruit-finding, Chris elects to walk beside 'Light Sabbath', idly stroking its neck, shooting glances towards it- and Kirika- every so often. Just trying to make sure it's staying calm, mostly.

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PANDOR.

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At first, the creature seems to simply be following you around out of interest in the fruit you are carrying, but as you trek your way through the Steppe, she seems less and less interested in eating the fruit and more interested in just following the four of you wherever you're leading her. Even though she never seemed hostile at any point, she is definitely docile now, walking lazily over the grassy hills and idly flicking the tips of her wings in ways that catch and reflect the setting sun... and sometimes seem to disappear entirely.

As you approach the city, a guard stationed near the gates stops you, giving all four of you and the creature a once-over. "...Might I ask what business you have bringing a prismatasus into the city?"

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Kirika

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Prism... prismatsis.. us.. A fitting name for such a pretty horse! "She's my friend!" With gently closing eyes, Kirika's head leans back into the mane of the horse. "We met her in the Steppe- and, and she was so sweet and stayed with us and we fed her and walked around together!" Ah- answer his question, already! With a long sigh, she stands up a bit straighter and looks down at the guard with as serious an expression she can muster. "I want to bring her in here, to Fenix, and learn more about her and take care of her. If Clippity-Clop decides she wants to go home... then she can leave..." Another stroke down the mane, her attention back to her new friend. "But I think she really likes us too." Now... to hope her friends support her too... just to get past this guard and bring their friend home...

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Shirabe

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Shirabe nods in agreement to Kirika -- her girlfriend's fumbling is cute, and not only that, she's right. "We'd like to take care of her. She'd be awful lonely if she had to stay out here anymore..." Of course she supports Kirika -- not only that... "She's not just Kiri's friend. She's our friend. All of us." A smile, she nods to her girlfriend -- gazing at the guards hopefully. Please, just let this be... Please, let Clippity-Clop come home with them...

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Tsubasa

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There's not much Tsubasa can really do to further convince the guard here... She's never truely been the convincing type. "We're all fully capable of looking after her." At least she can back up the others. That's probably for the best. It'd be nice for the prismatasus to be able to stay after all.

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Chris

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Chris sighs, nearly wincing as the cursed name 'Clippity-Clop' is uttered once again... despite her annoyance, she musters the most positive face she can at the moment, in an attempt to hide it- but her annoyance is still plain as day in her fake smile. "Mm... y-yeah, we all just wanna take care of L-- Cl... Clippity... -Clop." Best to go with it if we wanna get it past the guard, I guess...

```
PANDOR.

```

The guard listens intently, but his eyes remain on the prismatasus, who is looking up at the city with ears pricked forward in curiosity... but not fear. She seems quite content among the four of you, honestly. But more than that, the guard nods in approval at Kirika's explanation for their next steps.

"Right, well, it's not the first time someone's stumbled in with a creature from the Steppe. And she seems healthy and happy enough. Just take her straight to Fenix's Temple to register her with Fey and learn a bit more before you make a decision. I'd help, but I don't know shite about a prismatasus other than they're a pain to find when they don't want to be found."

The prismatasus lets out a small huff, and you'd almost think she understood what was being said about her.

The guard whistles, and another guard appears from inside the walls a few moments later. "Escort these four to Fenix's Temple. No side trips."

The second guard salutes, and turns to you all. "Right this way, then."

```
Kirika

```

Nothing can stop the absolute squeal of excitement that came out of Kirika as soon as she realized the guard was letting them through. The squeal is followed by approximately ten "thank you"s aime at both guards. "Nee, hear that Clippity-Clop?! Soon as we talk to Fey- we can hang out all we wanna, dess!!!" And still, her perch upon the horse's back remains as they're lead through the gates and towards the Temple, one hand maintaining balance while the other mindlessly strokes at the silky mane. "Whaddaya think Fey is gonna say? I wonder if she's gonna like her..." Then her head swings to look directly at her girlfriend on the ground. "After we talk to her, you can all take turns riding her around!" The excitement bubbling from her voice is tangible, it's a shock that she's still on the horse from how much she's vibrating.

```
Shirabe

```

Oh! Well, heading to Fenix's temple did make sense -- Clippity-Clop was, most certainly, an animal, and that much is clear. Shirabe beams happily at the girlfriend and the guards, excited about their new friend, a 'prismatasus'. She bounces excitedly alongside, walking just far enough away next to the horse-like creature. "It'll be wonderful... we can play together whenever we want. I bet Fey will like her a lot too..." There's certainly a skip in her step -- the excitement and joy is so, so obvious and plastered on Shirabe's face, too. "... I wonder what the others will think of her...!"

```
Tsubasa

```

Tsubasa can't help but break into a smile at Kirika and Shirabe's glee, it never gets old. She follows along, occasionally feeding the prismataus as they all head towards the Fenix temple. Though one little thing still preys upon her thoughts. "Are we truly calling her Clippity-Clop? We could have called her Matsukaze? Anything else?" "I'm quite sure she'll be very popular. She's certainly very... unique."

```
Chris

```

Chris grins too. It's nice to see her kouhais so giddy. She can only hope Kirika's mount is fine with all the movement... She follows along at the flank of the prismatasus with a disputed name, occasionally brushing a hand along it's side. And still, Chris insists- "We're not calling it Clippity-Clop, and we're not calling it Matsukaze either. It's Light Sabbath!" She then looks to the poor prismatasus' head, in its eyes, almost trying to gauge how it feels about all this, as if trying to ask its opinion on these names. If only it could have one.

```
PANDOR.

```

While the looks you get trotting through the city aren't indicative that the citizens are seeing anything wondrous or unique, they are definitely marked with some intrigue and surprise at seeing a prismatasus walking down the streets of Epoche. Whatever it may be, this doesn't seem to be a creature that is as commonplace as most house pets, and definitely not seen frequently in the city walls. Perhaps it's the equivalent of walking a komodo dragon on a leash down a busy sidewalk.

The prismatasus seems less than interested in much of what the four of you are saying, ears flickering back and forth to catch all the different sounds in the surrounding area, nostrils flaring to take in all the odd scents of the city.  But alert though she is, and for all the attention she draws, she doesn't give you any trouble as the guard escorting you guides you into the sandy arena of Fenix's Temple. They leave you for a moment and return with Fey in tow, who gives you all a bit of a... concerned look.

"...I'll be damned. You weren't kidding."

```
Kirika

```

From atop the horse, Kirika lifts one hand to frantically wave at Fey, ignorant of the look. "Hi Fey! Look! Isn't Clippity-Clop beautiful? And, and she's been super sweet, dess!" With that, another fruit is pulled out of Kirika's pocket and brought around to feed as she talks. "Uhm, well, we all just really bonded with her and... we're here to learn a little more, right?" With that, she's glancing over at the other girls with a look of hopefulness.

```
Shirabe

```

"She's very pretty and very kind... and I think we could take very good care of her." Shirabe nods, smiling and gently waving at Fey while walking alongside Kirika and the prismatasus. A little bit's meant to try and convince Fey to allow them to keep Clippity-Clop -- but it's all genuine. "I like her a lot. And having her will help us settle a little bit, I think. We'll be able to focus on learning about her -- we can look at stuff and figure out lots of things about her..."

```
Chris

```

"Yeah." Chris nods along with her kouhais- all good points. As she approaches Clippity-Clop- Light Sabbath- the prismatasus' head to stroke its neck, she adds on, "Maybe havin' somethin' for all of us to take care of like this... can make this place feel more like home." She looks to the priestess with a sort of pensive determination. Not to mention it'll be way easier to get around usin' her...

```
PANDOR.

```

Fey waves her hand. "Look, you guys have had a bit of a tendency to get yourselves in trouble since you got here. If there's something that might divert your energy \*away\* from causing explosions and getting in fights and \*towards\* caring for an animal, who the hell am I to say no? They aren't really dangerous animals, just hard to keep track of unless they like you."

The guard that had gone to fetch Fey hands her a scroll of paper on a board, which she jots a few things down onto. "I'll sign a permit for you all to be able to have her in and around the city. There are plenty of stables just outside the walls, find one you like and I'm sure they'll let you board her there. And if you have any questions or need help training her, you can bring her here. Any other questions?

```
Kirika

```

The excitement is coming off of Kirika in waves and she's almost vibrating in place. "Er- uhm! Fey, I'm very sorry that we've been.... we sometimes are a lot! But-" Sliding down off the horse, she nearly stumbles as she makes her way to stand in front of the other priestess, not hiding the enormous grin on her face. "-I promise, we'll take good care of her." The girl looks back to the others, then back to Fey. "And, uhm, thank you. I think I got everythin', but do you guys...?"

```
Shirabe

```

"I... do apologize for that as well." Shirabe bows gently before Fey, a polite gesture of apologize. "I know it can be very difficult dealing with us sometimes..." But as she pulls her head back up, and her pigtails bob up, she smiles, nodding her head along. "Thank you so much! I think I've gotten it all... We'll be sure to take care of her. And I'm sure we will have questions in the future, so we'll bring her here." And another polite bow. "Thank you, Fey!"

```
Chris

```

Chris's throat seizes as Fey mentions the trouble they've made- no, she's made. Her kouhais are innocent there. She looks to the ground, then over to the prismatasus, eyes filled with shame. "...Sorry." Not even glancing back to the priestess she's addressing, she continues, "I... no other questions. We'll take good care of her. Thanks." One more bow, in apology and gratitude.

```
PANDOR.

```

There's a moment of silence in which Fey looks like she's considering her words carefully, but in the end she seems to give up, sighing and running a hand through her hair.

"...You don't seem like bad kids, and I'm sure it's an adjustment living here. Just... hey, who knows. Maybe having an animal to take care of will make this feel more like home to you too, and maybe you'll come to understand what we're trying to protect here."

Fey gives the group of you a weary, half smile. "Take care of her, and don't cause trouble. You'll deal with me personally if that isn't the happiest damned prismatasus in the city, and you'll deal with me personally if I hear that you're using her to wreak havoc.

EXPLORATION ENDED.