(Untitled)

[desig_survivor]

Characters: Rogue (desig_survivor ), an NPC griffin named Windmere, open to anyone
Date/Time: We'll say...  well, sure, January 31, midafternoon.
Location: The stables on Melee Island, or more precisely a cleared space outside of the stables.
Rating: PG?
Summary: Rogue is training himself on griffin riding.  Is there anyone in the neighborhood?

Comments

[monoideist]

The last thing he had expected to see was a... beast for lack of a better word, running over the ground, extending its wings, and, to tie this oddity together, a man riding atop it. He had seen the giant birds (chocobos, he had been informed_ the last time he had visited the island, but hadn't explored enough to see these massive, flying beasts. Dyad had stopped to watch the man dismount, surprised to recognize the man.

"Ah... Rogue, correct?" As he stepped up to the fence, he called out softly, still watching the creature in curiosity. He knew what it was supposed to be called- A griffin. But he also knew that they weren't supposed to exist. They were the stuff of mythos... not that Edensphere seemed to care about possibility.

It was enough to intrigue him and draw his attention, curious as to how Rogue managed to goad the beast into allowing him to ride it. And part of his mind continued to wonder why it existed in the first place, but that was hardly a place to start.

"Is this your job here?"

[desig_survivor]

Windmere was fairly calm, for a horse-sized flesh-eating bird creature, but she still bridled and made a minor threat display - more stamping, flaring her wingtips, lashing her tail - at this stranger. Rogue motioned for him to wait while he soothed her, even preening some of the plumage on her neck with his fingers. "Easy girl, easy. That's it." He suspected that the threat display was nothing more than a bid for attention, since she'd been silent about it, unlike the young griffins who hissed furiously while doing these same things

[monoideist]

He stepped back warily as the griffin made a show- not out of fear, but rather simply giving the animal the space it obviously wanted. He would be the first to admit to being clueless about most animals, especially mythic and exotic ones. As Rogue addressed him, though, he nodded faintly. "That's correct." Though he spoke to Rogue, however, he continued to watch Windmere. She was a beautiful creature, of course-- but more importantly, probably a dangerous one.

"I see... it's good that you know her so well." His head tilted in curiosity- at least the animal was tame enough that he seemed to trust it. Cautiously, he took a step back forward to his original position, but refrained from advancing further. This was Rogue's territory and show, and he wouldn't want to upset the animal.

"Wolves?" Finally seeming to trust the griffin for a moment, he turned to make eye contact with Rogue instead. "I don't believe I understand. Granted, I don't know much of animal behavior to begin with."

[desig_survivor]

Rogue's attention was divided, but his situational awareness was good. He nodded as Dyad stepped back. "If you make eye contact, don't stare. They take it as a challenge. Windmere won't try and dominate you, but the younger ones will." He was basically just repeating part of the griffinmaster's spiel here

[buchananneket]

Now that Arthur had his mask, he felt much more comfortable being out in public and had decided to spend the day taking in the sights on Edensphere. His wanderings eventually led him to Melee Island stables. From a distance, he had initially thought that the figure was riding a horse of some sorts. However, when the creature hopped a post, he saw it stretch its wings for a moment before landing again.

"Now that's interesting," Arthur mumbled to himself. As the rider dismounted, another figure approached the fence and they seemed to strike up a conversation. As Arthur slowly approached, they seemed to finish up their talk. It looked like the other guy was getting invited into the stables, so Arthur raised his voice before they could walk away.

"Hey, guys!" Arthur yelled to them, waving his hand wildly in the air. "Soooo...what are those things? Can I ride one? It looks fun!"

[desig_survivor]

Windmere surged up to all fours and threat-displayed at this new stranger. She didn't hiss or scream, but from the way she swung her head and snapped her beak, this display was more sincere than the last. Wincing, Rogue put his hands on the throatband of her saddle and spoke to her in the low seductive tones griffins responded to, trying to catch her eye - she recognized him as dominant, and this would distract her.

When she'd met his gaze and calmed down a bit, pinpoint pupil widening to a more normal size, he half-turned towards the masked man. Keeping his voice calm and civil with a little effort, he said, "If you upset her she's probably going to bolt, and then I'll have to catch her. Actually - Cush." Windmere lowered herself, letting him swarm up to lie on the saddle, winding the reins back around his arms. She stood again without his order, all while staring. "She's a griffin, and you'll have to track down the stablemaster."

[buchananneket]

While the large creature stamped and lashed about, Arthur stood watching her, one eyebrow cocked under his mask. Arthur's body slackened a bit as the man spoke to him reproachfully, having had the wind taken from his sails.

"Oh," Arthur said, and then, in a forced whisper, "Sorry, I didn't mean to piss off your bird. She's pretty. So, who's the stablemaster? And what does Cush mean?"

[desig_survivor]

"You didn't know," Rogue said, patting Windmere's neck and making her turn her head to look at him. "Just be careful, these things are skittish."

"The stablemaster's at home," he said, remembering the note. "She got a memory crystal and there are bells on all of her clothes now, so she didn't want to spook the animals. But there's the stable master, and then there are masters for each of the mounts here. If you head into the building someone can find the griffinmaster for you, and he can set you up and tell one of them to obey you. 'Cush'-" he said it without the proper tone, and Windmere didn't move -" is just a command. She'll only obey it if it's given by one of her riders."

[trustsyou]

Curiosity, of course, was what led her to the stables. She was quite certain that she had never seen a griffin before-or at least she thought she was; it was always somewhat frustrating when she couldn't explain exactly why she felt that way-much less rode on one. But ever since she had that conversation with Rogue over the journals, she had been wondering whether she truly had been a pilot in her previous life. Perhaps if she saw how one flew a griffin, then she would know. Thus, here she was.

And it was quite a sight, to say the least. Her eyes widened as she spotted the large animal, watching in silence for a while as the man riding it led it around the place. This must be it, right? The griffin? But she didn't really want to bother the man so much so she simply stayed on the sidelines, and it was only when he had stopped and dismounted that she approached him.

"That is quite an interesting animal," she commented, still a bit awed.

[desig_survivor]

Rogue had been getting on and off Windmere for most of the afternoon, and even though he'd been letting her rest, she was old and starting to tire. Maybe because of that, or maybe because Stardust's posture was different, or maybe this particular griffin just felt less threatened by women, but this time Windmere's threat display was rather halfhearted. Rogue had to soothe her anyway before he could turn his attention to the newcomer.

"She is," he said, stopping a little ways from the fence. "Fussy, vain, and rather lazy, but I can't deny that she's interesting." Windmere turned her head and stared at something he couldn't see, as if either studiously ignoring him or presenting Stardust with her distinctly griffinish profile - heavy beak, forward-set eyes, two feathery crests like ears.

Looking the young woman up and down, remembering the description his roommate had given, Rogue gave it a stab. "And you would be Biggs' sister Stardust, right?"

[trustsyou]

She stared some more-she seemed to be doing that a lot lately-committing the image to mind as best as she could (that's all she could really do here, after all, in a place without memories: To remember everything that happened here so she could create memories of her own). For a moment she wondered what it was like to run her fingers through the feathers on the griffin (they looked nice to touch). She wouldn't dare do it in actuality, though, in case she only managed to anger the rather extraordinary beast.

She jumped a bit upon hearing her name. "Ah, yes, that would be me." She blinked, giving the man a curious look. "Have we met before?"

[desig_survivor]

"Oh, sorry. I'm Rogue," he said with a big, sloppy Corellian grin. "My wingmate told me what you looked like. How are you settling in?"

The griffin yawned hugely and made a low rumbling in her chest, almost a moan. "Stop that," he told her, more amused than irritated. "Everyone gets left out of a conversation now and then. She's Windmere, by the way."