The Stables [afternoon]

[bloody_luck]

"Hi Pips hi

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[findingelena]

Elena was exploring. This island was strange. Lots of sky, and sunshine. It was so bright out.

She stopped by the stables, fascinated by the sign. "Is that a real pony?" she asked.

She'd heard of ponies, but that was from books. They were a lot bigger in person.

[bloody_luck]

"Well, it's a horse, but I couldn't spell that," Mat admitted. "His name's Pips!"

[findingelena]

Elena had not entirely believed horses were real, so she was going to wander in and look over the horse to make sure the boy wasn't teasing her.

"Hi, Pips," she said, staring at it uncertainly. "He's ... tall."

He looked like he could probably eat her. Did horses eat people?

[bloody_luck]

"Yes!" Mat said. "His legs go all the way down to the ground."

Five year old logic was special.

[findingelena]

Elena inspected his legs and determined that the boy was right.

"They would have to," she insisted. "Otherwise he'd fly, and he doesn't have wings."

Which was both accurate and dumber than paint.

"Is he mean?" Elena asked, lowering her voice so the scary horse-thing couldn't overhear and attack her. "Does he ever bite people?"

Those were big teeth. They weren't all that pointy, but they were certainly big.

[bloody_luck]

"Only bad guys," Mat said. "He's really well-trained."

By an older Mat.

[findingelena]

"I'm not a bad guy," Elena reasoned. Sure, if you were okay with grey moralities and all. "Does that mean I can pet him?"

She wasn't sure if she wanted to or not, just yet. Couldn't hurt to ask.

"What's a kyss?" She pronounced it as if it rhymed with ice.

[bloody_luck]

"Kiss," Mat said. "And of course you can pet him. Just be gentle."

[findingelena]

"Oh, kisses!" she said. "Dad says I'm not s'posed to kiss strangers."

This was mostly in response to the creepy pedos riding the trains in the slums, but she hadn't figured that out yet.

"Like this?" she asked, approaching the horse with an exaggerated tiptoe. She held her hand out and put her fingertips against his side, only to squeak and jump back again quickly when the dangerous, scary horse shifted position.

[bloody_luck]

"Yes, but do it longer," Mat said. "Pips isn't going to hurt you."

[findingelena]

"He looked at me!" Elena said, shivering from the adrenaline rush of her near-death experience. "He was all mad like 'GRRR'!"

It was theoretically possible that the horse had noticed her existence.

She looked at him again. "Does he really eat bad people?" she asked.

Because ridiculous fear or no, having a giant scary people-eating horse would be badass.

[bloody_luck]

"And kicks them all up," Mat added, eyes wide.

Pips snorted.

[findingelena]

"Coooooooool," Elena said. She approached carefully and this time? This time she actually touched the horse. With her hand. For a few seconds before yanking it away.

And then felt brave enough to put it back for a second or two, and yank it away again.

Apparently petting horses was similar to touching a hot burner, if you were Elena.

"Do you really ride him?" she asked. "What if you fall off? Wouldn't you die?"

[bloody_luck]

"I'd probably die," Mat said airily, "but I'm a good rider. I don't fall off."