Longshot had managed to get some time by himself in the sneakiest manner he knew. He spent some time working with Rivenstar. Since Alison was not even remotely fond of horses, it was an easy matter to get some time to himself.
It also gave him time to have Rivenstar jump the fence and race around the countryside with Longshot enjoying every moment of freedom that came with wind in his hair. He had let his horse rest for a little bit before heading back. After he had his horse jump the fence into the paddock, Longshot noticed the visitor.
He grinned and steered Rivenstar in that direction. "Hi!"
Slightly awkward turn of phrase, but it seems more appropriate than something formalised. His hands clench as though to hold the case he doesn't have with him for once.
"You were comatose? I was not aware you had suffered a significant head trauma." And this is Star behaving and not doing what he's been taught to by making a jibe out of that.
He doesn't really understand. Stories say that Longshot could see the future and the past but little else. "Reading baby stuff? Explain." He pauses. "Please."
Longshot gets a small smile in return. Longshot's smiles are infectious like that. "Yes, I have."
"I can read, uhm, sense things about an object or person's past by touch. So, when I hugged Tasha, I learned some things about her pregnancy and how it would turn out. And it ... woke some of my own memories." He shifted uncomfortably in his saddle. "It overloaded my mind. Too much pain."
He sighed and shrugged. His smile was back. His own son was happy to see him for once. There was even a little smile to prove it.
"Does it - this ability - does it happen uncontrolled?"
He thinking of the times he's handed Longshot his swords and the things that blade has seen and done. He doesn't want to remember most of those, let alone have someone else inflicted with it.
"At least you have remembered another piece of who you were. For better or worse."
He shook his head. "No, I can control it. And most times, I keep it turned off so I don't overload myself. But I drop my guard around Tasha."
He shrugged. "I don't know why I don't resist my ability with her and make sure I keep it locked tight around Ali. It must be on the worse side of memories. I've gotten bad memories before, but I've never had one I wanted so bad to forget. I hate seeing Ali in pain."
"That is a wise choice. This is a dark world. It is enough to carry the burden of one's own memories, let alone the sights of so many others."
He stares off to the horizon for a long moment, looking every one of the two lifetimes he's lived. "Perhaps, you wish to remember on your own, not from what she has seen."
Longshot nodded. "Though remembering on my own seems to be traumatic for Ali. She's been within two steps of me since then. Except when I'm dealing with Rivenstar here."
He patted the horse's neck. "She doesn't like horses much, and it's a pity. They're good nuzzlers."
"Humans seek to alleviate the suffering of their loved ones by staying close, as though their proximity will be enough to stop the pain. It is easier to hurt yourself than see your lover suffer and be able to do nothing to help them."
It's one of those rare moments where Star knows something about human emotion. "I have never spent much time with horses. Or any animals."
Longshot smirked. "See? Smarter than your father already."
He chuckled. "I have another horse if you want to ride him. Mordred is a bigger horse. Tamer than Rivenstar, here. I find animals easier to deal with than humans. Their wants are simple and their vocalizations are easier to figure out."
Star eyes off the horse, slipping off the fence to stand in front of the horse and look up curiously. "I have always been best on my own. James said I could not be entrusted with the well being of an animal's life, that I would forget to care for it."
He carefully strokes along Rivenstar's face, still staring intently at the animal's face. Not eyes. "I would like to try horse riding."
Longshot offered his hand to pull Shatterstar up. "C'mon, then. We'll go round up Mordred for a ride! I can teach you how to ride a horse and not get sore from it."
He tilted his head.
"I think Arize made me a shiny horse on Mojoworld. It hurt my knees to steer that one bareback." He shook his head to dispel any more memories of Mojoworld quickly. "Though I got a saddle for riding a warhorse, so it'll be easier."
Star climbs up behind Longshot, holding onto his waist for balance. He might not have been horse riding, but he had been on the back of a motorbike. It had similar principles.
It also gave him time to have Rivenstar jump the fence and race around the countryside with Longshot enjoying every moment of freedom that came with wind in his hair. He had let his horse rest for a little bit before heading back. After he had his horse jump the fence into the paddock, Longshot noticed the visitor.
He grinned and steered Rivenstar in that direction. "Hi!"
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Slightly awkward turn of phrase, but it seems more appropriate than something formalised. His hands clench as though to hold the case he doesn't have with him for once.
"How do you fare?"
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"I'm not comatose anymore, so good! What brings you out to the wilds of Italy?"
Okay, so maybe he wasn't human...
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"I came to visit you."
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He blinked at Shatterstar's answer. Then a slow grin spread across his face. "Me? Well, you found me!"
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Longshot gets a small smile in return. Longshot's smiles are infectious like that. "Yes, I have."
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He sighed and shrugged. His smile was back. His own son was happy to see him for once. There was even a little smile to prove it.
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He thinking of the times he's handed Longshot his swords and the things that blade has seen and done. He doesn't want to remember most of those, let alone have someone else inflicted with it.
"At least you have remembered another piece of who you were. For better or worse."
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He shrugged. "I don't know why I don't resist my ability with her and make sure I keep it locked tight around Ali. It must be on the worse side of memories. I've gotten bad memories before, but I've never had one I wanted so bad to forget. I hate seeing Ali in pain."
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He stares off to the horizon for a long moment, looking every one of the two lifetimes he's lived. "Perhaps, you wish to remember on your own, not from what she has seen."
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He patted the horse's neck. "She doesn't like horses much, and it's a pity. They're good nuzzlers."
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It's one of those rare moments where Star knows something about human emotion. "I have never spent much time with horses. Or any animals."
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He chuckled. "I have another horse if you want to ride him. Mordred is a bigger horse. Tamer than Rivenstar, here. I find animals easier to deal with than humans. Their wants are simple and their vocalizations are easier to figure out."
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He carefully strokes along Rivenstar's face, still staring intently at the animal's face. Not eyes. "I would like to try horse riding."
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He tilted his head.
"I think Arize made me a shiny horse on Mojoworld. It hurt my knees to steer that one bareback." He shook his head to dispel any more memories of Mojoworld quickly. "Though I got a saddle for riding a warhorse, so it'll be easier."
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"I do not get sore from anything. I regenerate."
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