14 ♐ Are these your horses? Not anymore

[aim_exorable]

Who: Darkleer, some horses, and anyone who goes to visit his backyard
Where: The backyard of the highblood hive
When: Not too long after the petting zoo announcement
Status: Open
Style: Anything you like

Initially, Darkleer had been content to keep his hands completely clean of the petting zoo escape. It had nothing to do with him. Hopefully the whole mess would be cleaned up soon.

And then one of his camerabots spotted the escaped horses and ponies.

So.

Here we are. Him and a couple of horses in his backyard. They totally just wandered in here, he swears! He didn't lead them here. With robots bearing treats. Or anything. Really. He is as innocent as the day he was hatched.

Besides, he'd like something good for once. So anyone wandering past Darkleer's hive or going to check in on him or anything may just realize that there are two equines back there. A rather gorgeous painted horse is content to munch on grass and occasionally be pampered by Darkleer. The other...

Goodness gracious that thing is tiny. Compared to the giant that is Darkleer, it is even tinier. But it is a happy and excited little pony foal, prancing about excitedly. Guess who is head over heels in love with it? It is surely not the grown troll happily playing with it and giving it tentative little head pets.

God he loves horses.

Also, sons, he may or may not have shoved the Chocobos inside the living room so Darkleer the Chocobo would stop bothering Darkleer the troll's new darlings. Dural at least is well behaved and just occasionally perches on the horse's back.

Comments

[420]

[Gamzee had just been innocently making a sandwich for himself, not even realizing anything had been amiss. Just innocently making the delicious sandwich be. He didn't start until Darkleer (the chocobo not the ancestor) was suddenly leaning over his shoulder pecking the bread out of his hands.

Which was... odd.

They didn't let their featherbuddies in too much anymore. They were kinda too big. And Darkleer (Again, chocobo, not ancestor) was a menace. Shoving Darkleer's beak away from the bread so he can make himself a replacement sandwich for the one he lost, Gamzee then calmly wanders to the backdoor --might as well let the chocobos out again, right? Maybe they just got in by mistake-- opening it to-- huh.

Wow.

That's not something you see every day.

Oh hey, sandwich.]

[aim_exorable]

[Looking up as the door opens, Darkleer beams at his son. Look at him, Gamzee. When's the last time you saw him grinning like a dork? Nightmares and Mindfang had been putting him on edge.]

[But.]

[Look at this tiny pony.]

[LOOK AT IT.]

Hello, Gamzee.

[420]

[He really likes that smile. It makes him feel happy too!]

Hey motherfucker. What you up and got there?

[aim_exorable]

Hoofbeasts!

[Sometimes it pays to be Captain Obvious, because his son is Gamzee. Happily, he takes the small foal in his arms where it gives a happy little nicker. Good thing it doesn't seem to fear much of anything at all, even giant muscular trolls.]

I was very fortunate today. The beasts at the... petting zoo, I believe, all escaped.

[faiofmisfortune]

Fai will be peeking over your fence now, holding a library book in his hand. He didn't even realize you lived here.

Not that he visited that area very much, considering he had only begun to explore more of Vatheon, but some part of him never expected to find where Darkleer lived so easily. Nor was he expecting there to be horses in the backyard. That seemed... odd. Still, it was nice to see the elder troll looking so content after what Fai had been hearing over the network.

"Um, hello Mister Darkleer."

[aim_exorable]

Trolls are odd, Fai. It's okay, you'll get used to it.

At Fai's voice, his ears quirk up in a manner almost hilariously similar to the two horses' and he looks towards him. Darkleer does his best to calm the ridiculous smile on his face to something more manageable. He needs to at least pretend he's still mature.

"Hello, Fai." The little pony foal trots about excitedly. It is a very social pony. "How have you been doing?"

[faiofmisfortune]

He's definitely working on it.

Darkleer doesn't have to try too hard to look mature, or at least more so than the two eccentric vampires he lives with. Smile as ridiculously as you want. Fai thinks you deserve it.

He watches that tiny foal and begins to smile faintly. It's just too cute. "Okay, I guess. People that matter to Mister Rayflo, uh... Johnny, they left. And then he left too. We were talking about moving but I don't know if we're going to do that anymore."

[aim_exorable]

Ah, that's a good way to calm down his overly excitable mood. Darkleer manages to look less excitable now and shakes his head. "I heard. You have my condolences." This is obviously not the most pleasant of conversation topics, something even Darkleer can recognize. Letting the pony run circles around him, he pushes himself up onto his feet.

"Would you like to come inside for a drink or snack? You can meet the animals, if you like."

[crabbygenius]

[It just so happens that Washu is helping to track down some of the escaped animals. As she's looking around, she can't help but hear the tell tale sounds of small hooves.

A peek over the fence confirms her suspicions but at the same time, she can't help but find the scene cute~.]

So that's where they went~. I hope they aren't bothering you.

[aim_exorable]

[There's a small jerk of surprise, and Darkleer rushes to reign his expression back into proper neutrality.]

[It would be so much easier to play it cool if there wasn't a little pony going through his long long hair and nibbling at it a bit.]

Ah. Hello. No, they are not bothering me at all. Things are perfectly fine here.

[crabbygenius]

[The pony nibbling on his long hair ruins any image of neutrality he wants to project. Washu giggles a little as she watches the tiny pony.]

Oh~? He seems to like you.

You know~ I'm supposed to be collecting these animals and bringing them back to the petting zoo.

But, I can see they like you~.

[aim_exorable]

...Please don't.

[He's named them and everything. Almost in embarrassment, he rubs at his face a little. ]

It would be much appreciated if they were left here. We have enough room.

[They can also always make room. Trolls are industrious.]

[bestestfurrend]

"Dadleer! Dadleer, Darkleer and Pounce got into the house again...ooooooh!" A certain kitty-daughter has appeared in the backyard and quickly understands all once she sees the giant blueblood fawning over the two horses.

She quickly bars the way for the chocobo squawking to get out again - Darkleer, of course, as Pounce is quietly roosting on the living room couch - and closes the door securely on him before launching herself at Darkleer-the-troll. "You found ponies! Oh my paws, that one is so tiny and cute!!"

[aim_exorable]

Previously rather calm, both horses get a little excited and nervous when such a high pitched blur of troll gets involved in the backyard shenanigans. The painted horse is a bit calmer, skitting a bit further into the backyard before calming down to watch Nepeta carefully. The pony, however, is a limb of clumsy flailing limbs as it prances off.

Darkleer looks after them with all the adoration a troll can give even as he deals with a kitty troll attached to them. "Yes, I did, Nepeta. Thank you for the astute observation."

[bestestfurrend]

"Oh, oh, are you going to keep them?! Will you introduce me?! I want to say hi!" It's obvious to her that Darkleer is in a much happier mood than he has been in weeks and anyone who knows a Zahhak can tell that it's all down to those two horses. She's all for anything that will make her not!dad a content troll once again.

...also that smaller horse really is, as Equius might say gosh-darn cute.

[aim_exorable]

"Calm down, Nepeta." Seriously, kitty, stop freaking out and then you too can be a barn kitty. Gently petting her on the head, he makes a soft nicker to the horses to let them know it's all going to be just fine. After they're both looking considerably calmer and the miniature is trotting back a little curiously, Darkleer looks to Nepeta.

"The miniature is named Svaeth. The painted is named Apalla- I want Summoner to have her when he wakes up." You know. If their quadrant hasn't fallen apart completely.

[shippingmath]

[Recent events considered, it's probably not a good idea for Dirk to be anywhere near Darkleer's house, even if Equius and Gamzee don't currently have a grudge against him. And he hadn't been planning on going close, really. He was just passing by. Only, as he was, he heard something that sounded an awful lot like a horse, and he wasn't about to pass up a horse without at least taking a look.

He sees the horses about the same time he sees Darkleer. The best thing to do would probably be to turn around and leave before he gets spotted. Instead, he walks up to the fence near the painted horse, and clicks his tongue to get its attention. If it comes closer, he might even pet its nose.

Darkleer and the pony, on the other hand, are ignored.]

[aim_exorable]

[The painted horse looks up in curiosity and after a moment of thoughtful ear flicking finally strolls a bit closer. If there are no treats, she is going to be so disappointed.]

[Darkleer's ears, on the other hand, go low and stay low. His poker face goes back into place, even with a little pony trying to keep his attention.]

Mister Strider.

[shippingmath]

'Sup?

[Casual as casual can be. Luckily for the painted horse, he does in fact have a treat, in the form of a sugar cube. He holds it out to her on his open palm.

He still won't look over at Darkleer. Who has time for grudges when there are horses?]

[aim_exorable]

[Trolls always have time for grudges. Always.]

[Darkleer doesn't seem too pleased that Dirk is successfully stealing the attention of the horse, but he keeps quiet on it.]

Can I help you? I assume there's a particular reason you're at my hive.

[toreadorkabull]

-=guess who's showed up to find horses, his eyes all wide and shiny and full of amaze.

guess who's draw to the painted one because it's oh so pretty and would make a beautiful and amazing steed for any cavalreaper.

guess who's already trying to commune with it.

this guy is who=-

[aim_exorable]

[For a brief second at seeing his new horse react strangely in a way he's seen before, Darkleer nearly gets hopeful. When he realizes who else is now in the backyard with him however, his shoulders slump. He gives a small tired smile to Tavros and lets him do as he likes.]

[The painted looks up curiously at feeling the commune, stopping the idle grazing she had been doing prior. Interested, she begins to slowly approach him. What's this now?]

[toreadorkabull]

-=he's not commanding it, just having a chat. one consisting of many compliments towards said horse!

he grins over at Darkleer, animals are so cool!=-

[420]

[You know who just kinda has been chillin' around the yard like he ain't got no fuckin job cause you know what, he ain't got no fuckin' job, and watching ponies being silly is the height of enjoyment?

Yeah, this guy.

Fuckin' mooch.]

Heeeey, bro!

[toreadorkabull]

-=who needs a job in this place anyway?

not these douchebags=-

Gamzee!

-=grinning because animals and omg they're so fun!=-