Oh Bakari, you so 10-years-old
Feb. 15th, 2014 10:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
breezeshadowFor ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
dailyprompt's hilarious prompt "I'll get the first aid kit", because it fits these two SO MUCH.
Bakari had that boyish grin on his face that preluded him being utterly stupid..
"And you swear you're completely sober." Alden stretched out in the grasses with a yawn, frowning at his lover. A clear sky full of stars and the two full moons reflected in the river a few miles away to the north, while a few stray gas lamps burned in windows in the Capital to the south. They were out in the wilderness of the Welen Plains, miles upon miles of grassland full of tall green grasses that turned a rich gold in the summer, with the occasional scraggly trees and bushes to break up the tedium. The only reason a plains cat hadn't eaten them yet was because the beasts were sleeping, like most logical beings.
"Yes. Haven't had a drink in two months." Bakari petted the nose of his too-tolerant horse lovingly; the mare flicked her tail at night time flies and snorted at her owner, which really was a very polite way to protest being woken up and ridden out miles away in the middle of the night.
"And yet here we are, in the heart of the Plains, with barely any weapons to speak of and a tired horse." Alden looked askance at Bakari as the man mounted the horse. "Are we going home? Say we're going home."
"You're such an old man." Bakari rode Subira -- perhaps the most honest name an animal had ever received -- with no brindle or saddle, not even the frailest of reins. He and the horse shared at least a decade of memories together, so Alden supposed that if she wasn't concerned, he should follow her lead. He hated to cede judgment to a horse, though, no matter how many more years she had known Bakari over him.
"I'm not old, I'm rational. There have got to be some noctural predators around here."
"And there are plenty of sleeping zebras and ostriches for them to go after instead." The statement at least was said casually; Alden would have been worried if that was supposed to be comfort. "I brought you here to show you something."
"I know. I've been waiting for the show for the past ten minutes."
"What, you mean I'm not good enough to watch?" With a sly smirk Bakari leaned against Subira's neck, flexing his arm muscles as he reached out to pat her. Two years ago the move would have melted Alden's heart, but this time all he did was roll his eyes. The other man laughed. "Fine then. Watch this."
Before Alden had a chance to bemoan the words, Bakari had kicked Subira into action. She ran gracefully in the gloomy light of the moons, trusting her rider far more than anyone ever should, at any point in time. Bakari brought in her a wide arc as Alden watched, then had her do a few cute canters, showing off her charm and dappled legs. And then she jumped.
And didn't come back down. The ground beneath Alden rumbled ominously, and then as he watched a platform beneath Subira rose, gravel and plants groaning and setting up enough sound to wake the mountains. It sloped up to meet Subira who kept running as the ground continued to rise, leading her higher. Then it stopped aburptly and she made a graceful jump over the edge, grey-dappled body illuminated under the stars and moon, Bakari letting out a fast whoop too quickly for Alden to quite make out the words. It was a fantastic sight that set Alden's heart fluttering as the ground slipped back into place, and another platform rose in tandem to catch Subira--
She hit that platform a bit too hard and veered sharply to the right as she struggled to keep her balance. The poor horse succeeded, but probably because Bakari fell straight off, his triumphant yells becoming a strangled yelp of panic. To his credit, he at least kept making most of the platform to lead Subira to safety as he smashed face-first into the top.
With a heavy sigh Alden got to his feet and jogged over; the ground was already wavering and beginning to crumble as Bakari smacked into the grasses. Subira snorted and shook off, neighing a single protest before trotting away to graze. The ground began collapsing in on itself as Alden reached his lover, who laid in a pained heap even as stray dirt and rocks sprayed over the both of them.
Alden stared down at him as a fine layer of dirt covered them; he couldn't see any blood or other fluid in the dim light, and Bakari's ability to curl into a ball of pain indicated that his back wasn't broken. His nose did not look especially straight, though, and with a sigh Alden knelt down and gave Bakari the gentlest peck on the cheek.
"I'll go get a medic."
dailyprompt's hilarious prompt "I'll get the first aid kit", because it fits these two SO MUCH.Bakari had that boyish grin on his face that preluded him being utterly stupid..
"And you swear you're completely sober." Alden stretched out in the grasses with a yawn, frowning at his lover. A clear sky full of stars and the two full moons reflected in the river a few miles away to the north, while a few stray gas lamps burned in windows in the Capital to the south. They were out in the wilderness of the Welen Plains, miles upon miles of grassland full of tall green grasses that turned a rich gold in the summer, with the occasional scraggly trees and bushes to break up the tedium. The only reason a plains cat hadn't eaten them yet was because the beasts were sleeping, like most logical beings.
"Yes. Haven't had a drink in two months." Bakari petted the nose of his too-tolerant horse lovingly; the mare flicked her tail at night time flies and snorted at her owner, which really was a very polite way to protest being woken up and ridden out miles away in the middle of the night.
"And yet here we are, in the heart of the Plains, with barely any weapons to speak of and a tired horse." Alden looked askance at Bakari as the man mounted the horse. "Are we going home? Say we're going home."
"You're such an old man." Bakari rode Subira -- perhaps the most honest name an animal had ever received -- with no brindle or saddle, not even the frailest of reins. He and the horse shared at least a decade of memories together, so Alden supposed that if she wasn't concerned, he should follow her lead. He hated to cede judgment to a horse, though, no matter how many more years she had known Bakari over him.
"I'm not old, I'm rational. There have got to be some noctural predators around here."
"And there are plenty of sleeping zebras and ostriches for them to go after instead." The statement at least was said casually; Alden would have been worried if that was supposed to be comfort. "I brought you here to show you something."
"I know. I've been waiting for the show for the past ten minutes."
"What, you mean I'm not good enough to watch?" With a sly smirk Bakari leaned against Subira's neck, flexing his arm muscles as he reached out to pat her. Two years ago the move would have melted Alden's heart, but this time all he did was roll his eyes. The other man laughed. "Fine then. Watch this."
Before Alden had a chance to bemoan the words, Bakari had kicked Subira into action. She ran gracefully in the gloomy light of the moons, trusting her rider far more than anyone ever should, at any point in time. Bakari brought in her a wide arc as Alden watched, then had her do a few cute canters, showing off her charm and dappled legs. And then she jumped.
And didn't come back down. The ground beneath Alden rumbled ominously, and then as he watched a platform beneath Subira rose, gravel and plants groaning and setting up enough sound to wake the mountains. It sloped up to meet Subira who kept running as the ground continued to rise, leading her higher. Then it stopped aburptly and she made a graceful jump over the edge, grey-dappled body illuminated under the stars and moon, Bakari letting out a fast whoop too quickly for Alden to quite make out the words. It was a fantastic sight that set Alden's heart fluttering as the ground slipped back into place, and another platform rose in tandem to catch Subira--
She hit that platform a bit too hard and veered sharply to the right as she struggled to keep her balance. The poor horse succeeded, but probably because Bakari fell straight off, his triumphant yells becoming a strangled yelp of panic. To his credit, he at least kept making most of the platform to lead Subira to safety as he smashed face-first into the top.
With a heavy sigh Alden got to his feet and jogged over; the ground was already wavering and beginning to crumble as Bakari smacked into the grasses. Subira snorted and shook off, neighing a single protest before trotting away to graze. The ground began collapsing in on itself as Alden reached his lover, who laid in a pained heap even as stray dirt and rocks sprayed over the both of them.
Alden stared down at him as a fine layer of dirt covered them; he couldn't see any blood or other fluid in the dim light, and Bakari's ability to curl into a ball of pain indicated that his back wasn't broken. His nose did not look especially straight, though, and with a sigh Alden knelt down and gave Bakari the gentlest peck on the cheek.
"I'll go get a medic."
