selfhelp | [IC] Appointments Post

The kitten should be simple. I can bring her over and she can simply be with her littermate, yes?

Vakri...

If you would be willing to learn I will show you. The volunteers will take care of cleaning his stall, but I need someone he has been told is safe to feed him and help him exercise. I know it is an imposition, but I trust you as I trust no one else but Rogue, and she will be on the draft as well. (As will Sabriel, or I would ask her.)

[Exercising that big terrifying foot-stomper...

....

...Well, at least he's not going on the draft. And Vakri was nice, just... big. And terrifying. And foot-stompy.

Hoo boy.

Still, that trust business is coming back into the picture, and when someone like Loki calls one trustworthy, you really ought to be listening. He knows that much.]

It's not an imposition, I just feel unqualified. But sure, I can do it. At least you'll have one less thing to worry about out there.

Precisely. And I think Vakri will take very good care of you. :)

If you've the time, I can meet you at the stable now.

[.....]

Someone taught you emoticons, I see.

I'll meet you there, sure.

I am very observant.

I shall see you there.

[And there he is, at the stable, waiting by Vakri's stall.]

[Billy arrives not long after, spotting Loki near the stall and heading over.]

Hey. Feeling better?

[Vakri gets an offered hand to sniff as a greeting, somewhat cautiously, but less so than their first meeting. He knows he's gentle enough, but... eh-heh.]

[Loki turns when he catches sigh of Billy and gives him a wry smile. He missed part of the question, but he can guess. It's standard.]

Somewhat.

[He hesitates, but then continues on. It's not as if he can have much of a conversation with Billy without this coming out. Better to be out front of the situation, particularly since he did already tell Billy he trusts him.]

I'm deaf now.

[Billy looks momentarily startled by that, eyes widening in alarm, and he lifts both hands, making a gesture as if scribbling on his palm, mimicking the act of writing.]

Do you need me to write?

[Loki seems to have gotten the gist of the first question, but that doesn't mean that a lengthy conversation won't have misunderstandings if he hasn't perfected lip-reading in such a short time. As for him, he knows he has a habit of rambling and looking away too much for this to be easy.]

As long as you look at me when you are speaking, I ought to be all right. I've been practicing quite a bit over the last few days.

[His lips pull in a wry smile.]

That is part of why I did not want to speak with anyone when I was returned.

...Mm.

[He looks down at that, briefly, not really wanting to get into it, then after a moment reminds himself to look up again, though he pulls his journal out anyway, jotting down "Horse Care" on the top with a couple of underlines and showing it to Loki with a weak smile. Maybe this can be his peace offering.]

I'll do my best. Just give me a poke if I forget.

[Loki gives him a curious look, wondering if Billy will say anything more on the matter, or ask anything. It's something of a relief when he doesn't. Perhaps Billy understands enough. He can hope.]

A gentle poke. [A crooked smile.]

All right, let me reintroduce you properly to Vakri.

[He waves Billy over to the stall, gesturing for him to hold out his hands to the horse.]

[...Well. Here goes nothing. Billy extends his hand again, giving the animal a chance to sniff before gently rubbing his nose.]

Hey, horse-lips. We meet again.

[Loki says a few words to Vakri as the horse inspects Billy's hands. After the fourth word, Vakri carefully sniffs at the hands, then Billy's hair and his chest.]

All right. He knows to trust you. [Loki pats Vakri's neck. There's no mistaking that this man loves his horse.]

If you wish to give him treats, apples and carrots are best. [With slight of hand, he pulls an apple from the air and deposits it into Billy's pocket.] Though cut up the apples into slices first for the sake of safety.

He should be fed... [And he goes through the entire feeding process including times and amounts.]

[The treat business is easy to remember, so Billy keeps giving the horse little pats and strokes to try and get used to where he likes to be touched, but once Loki gets into the feeding schedule he starts taking notes, letting the horse sniff where he likes. With such obvious affection between the two it becomes even more obvious that he really needs to do a good job with this.

No pressure or anything...]

[After the feeding instructions, Loki pauses and gives Billy a calculating look.]

How resistant are you to the notion of riding?

...Is... that a requirement for taking care of him?

[Okay, yep, this is going to be the death of him. He just knows it.]

[He can smell your fear, Billy.]

Ah... no. If you are truly too intimidated for the idea, I shall show you how to exercise him on the lunge line.

But you'd prefer a rider.

[He's assuming, anyway, by the question. He lifts a brow and gives the horse a wary, questioning look. Because hey, on one hand? An opportunity to ride an Asgardian horse.

But on the other hand... horse. Big, kinda scary, probably hard to control, big, bone-breaking leg kicks, did he mention big...

....

...but. Asgardian horse. Can't quite get over that one.]

I think Vakri would prefer to have a rider. It's the difference between running laps on a track or going for a nice run in the countryside.

[Loki smiles.] But our time is also limited. So perhaps it would be best if I should you how to use the lunge line and gave you several routines he might work on.

If you decide you like horses by the time I have returned from the draft, I shall teach you to ride then.

[The relief on Billy's face at that is pretty obvious, and he nods. His idea of riding at the moment involves maybe doing slow laps around the stable; racing through the woods makes the very idea even more terrifying.]

I think I can live with that.

All right. [The smile Loki gives Billy is not unkind. As much as he likes messing with people, he doesn't have an interest in seeing either Billy or his horse hurt.

Loki fetches the line and a bridle, and carefully goes over how to put the simple tack on Vakri, then has Billy do it to make certain he's understood everything.]

[Maybe he'll feel differently about riding when he has his magic back and can fly himself out of his (presumably) inevitable launch off the back of the horse.

He does pay close attention to how things are set up, however, again taking notes for anything he finds might be easily forgettable later. It's not like it's rocket science, but he wants to be sure he'll do it correctly.]

[Once Loki's certain Billy knows what he's doing with the tack, he leads Vakri outside and shows Billy how to run him at the end of the line. He tells Billy the commands that will signal the horse to do different gaits and other little tricks, and goes over how to do a good workout for the horse.]

I think you would be all right to learn to ride on him. He is meant to be a magician's horse.

[He gets Vakri loping in easy circles around them and is silent for a long moment. Finally, he says:]

I was very depressed, Billy.

[It's so easy to lose oneself in the graceful, loping steps of the horse that Billy almost doesn't want to let things get so serious, but once the words are out, he's glad of it. He'd been worried that Loki wouldn't talk to anyone about what happened, and while he doubts he's the first choice, at least this way he knows about it.]

We all were. After what happened, who wouldn't be?

[This would be a much easier conversation to have if Loki could focus his eyes on Vakri. Unfortunately, he has to watch Billy's face closely.]

Indeed. I would have been surprised were that not the case.

[A small shrug.]

Though I had also expected blame for the debacle would fall to me. A lifetime of experience told me that would be the case. [A slight, humorless smile.] As did the person who threatened me prior to the experiment.

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