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nyanderenekoWord Count: 2,206
Summary: Neither Nova nor Tressa know how to ride a horse, which makes the decision about how the group is going to advance through the perilous cliffs of the Frostlands a bit difficult. Coming around to the realization that they’ll have to share a mount with someone else, Nova fights a losing battle in an attempt to end up with anyone but the one person everyone else is determined to make sure she does.
*Author’s Note*: This is such an old prompt oh my goodness, it’s been sitting in my drafts for months (like many of my other fics) so I finally got it edited and put out. It’s one of my fave Cyrus fics I’ve written, another one kind of inspired by ANS since Shirayuki had to share with both Zen (I think) and Izana at one point (which is actually the scene I got my ship name with him from :3c) this kind of stuff is my fave, so dramatic and awkward and sweet…not sure I have too much more to say about it though, so thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!
“Do you know how to ride?”
“I can probably figure it out.”
Obviously, that meant the answer was no. But Nova was confident that it didn’t matter, because she was fairly competent when it came to picking up new things like this. Transportation in the Coastlands typically involved boats or small carts, things that were easily maneuverable across the rocky or sandy shores and unpredictable ocean waves. The islandic nature of the region meant that there wasn’t much of a necessity for strictly land-dwelling vehicles, and in truth, trying to keep or maintain anything like that ended up proving to be a veritable hassle.
It was a waste of resources, and the region received most of its livestock related goods or services via trade routes connected to the Highlands. There were a few settlements near the base of the mountains where modest farming communities had cropped up and somehow managed to thrive. Whatever couldn’t be fostered there was delivered over the small gap between the Coastlands and Flatlands, or between coastal islands, but most residents of the region subsisted on fish and other oceanic byproducts, anyway.
All of that was to emphasize that Nova did, in fact, not know how to ride a horse. But she was excited by the prospect of getting to try, and eager to prove that she had the ability to quickly and easily acquire new skills. And this wasn’t her first time seeing or meeting one. Although she’d never had much of a personal interest in riding one before now, she’d known plenty of people that could and did use them to travel almost everywhere across the realm. If they could do it, she was certain she could, too. But apparently in this instance, her self-assurance wasn’t going to be enough to convince everyone else.
“I’m not sure if ‘probably’ is an acceptable enough answer,” Primrose contended, a hint of something else, something devious glinting in her expression. “We’re going to be traveling through the mountains, after all. The trails with be perilous, not to mention all the snow and ice we’re bound to face. This seems more like a task for experienced riders only.”
Nova pursed her lips in defiance. “What am I supposed to do, then? Since I can’t learn how to be the expert you expect me to be in just a few hours, according to your oh-so-foolproof judgement.”
“I guess you’ll just have to share,” she replied with an innocent smirk, and Nova felt her stomach start to twist.
“I’d rather not,” she blurted almost too quickly, her delivery clearly suspicious and indicative of a deeper conflict. “I can just wait here until you guys get back or something.”
“I didn’t think we’d be returning to this area until after we’ve visited the other regions?”
She jumped, startled by his sudden appearance, her fur puffing up like a cloud. Nova wasn’t stupid; she could tell what Primrose was planning because the same idea had been drifting along in the back of her mind. But the implications, the physical proximity…she wasn’t sure if her nerves could handle it. If she was already this flustered by the mere thought of it, there was no way the execution would be any better; if anything, it would be embarrassingly worse. She knew the moment someone suggested it he’d agree to the proposition, and once the idea had been planted, he was likely to insist. Not because he understood the situation’s subtle insinuation, but because it would seem like the most logical solution, and there wasn’t any point in trying to sway him once he came to such a conclusion.
“Or I can share with you or Ophilia or Tressa.” Just anyone else, literally anyone else. You can even lead me behind on foot like the other horses if you want. Her eyes were screaming in panic, desperate to find any alternative she could possibly latch onto. But Primrose and Tressa weren’t going to budge…she supposed that was partially her fault for being obvious. She also failed to recall that Tressa was just as inexperienced as she was; her friend was probably going to end up having to ride with one of the other two, anyway. Which really only left one option for Nova, in the event that Ophilia didn’t feel confident enough to carry them both. But she also couldn’t help grasping for another nonexistent solution, and it was times like this when she wished she’d never asked him to accompany them in the first place. As far as she could tell, Ophilia was too preoccupied with finalizing their preparations to notice the young mage’s dire predicament, the losing battle she was fighting in vain.
“We won’t be,” Primrose was the one to answer his question, directing her attention behind Nova. “Returning to this area, that is. Nova’s just being silly. I think she’s more anxious about riding than she’s letting on.”
“I’m not!” she shouted, fists clenched and tail thrashing. The more they provoked her the angrier and more desperate she became, and she was determined to ensure that the retribution for their abhorrent betrayal was devastating. Primrose may have been the ring leader, but Tressa was acting as her trusty sidekick, conveniently keeping her mouth shut and allowing Primrose to carry out her scheme unopposed.
“I don’t think it’s something worth getting this upset about,” he advised as he stepped forward, placing a soothing hand on her shoulder. “It’s not an issue for me, I’d be happy to help if it’s something you’re concerned about.”
Her face erupted with a blush like a volcano. He’d done their job for them…there wasn’t really any way for her to refute him now. Well, she could still try to go through with her plan B of asking Ophilia, but seeing as the cleric appeared to be taking on the bulk of the group’s luggage, the likelihood of that happening was slim. She was trembling in an effort to keep herself from combusting, from acting out in exasperation. She could barely hold her emotions together when she felt like this, which only made anything else that happened around her seem unbearably difficult. Interacting with others, making decisions…she was practically useless when she was like this, choosing to dedicate all of her energy to keeping herself composed.
“I just…whatever,” she conceded, knowing that if she didn’t let some of this stress go soon, it was going to make her dizzy. “Yes, fine, I agree. I’ll ride with you.”
Her tone was incredibly deadpan and a little dismissive, almost as if she’d been defeated. Cyrus furrowed his brow and removed his hand, worrying that he’d somehow done something to upset her. “I’m sorry if that proposition is disagreeable to you. It was just a suggestion; you’re not obligated to take it.”
The sound of his voice made her heart crack. She turned around to face him, ears folded back in guilt. “No, I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant. I don’t have a problem with it, I didn’t mean to make you think that. I’m just tired…it’s got nothing to do with you.”
She swore she could hear snickering from behind her, but she did her best to block it out. The professor still seemed a little skeptical of her explanation, but they were on a schedule, and if they didn’t decide what they were going to do soon the trails were going to become inundated by the weather and too dangerous to ride. Without argument or fuss everyone pitched in to help finish setting up, retracing their route and confirming their plan and emergency protocols one last time.
The horse was big…at least, it was to Nova. She knew before she’d even made an attempt that scrambling up onto its back was going to be a struggling nightmare of flailing limbs. Fortunately for her, she didn’t have to tackle this challenge alone. Cyrus mounted the creature in one fluid, elegant movement, a demonstration of both his height and experience. Without her even having to ask he lifted her into the space in front of him and let her get settled. He’d never seemed very physically strong to her or given off any kind of implication that he was. She was sure part of it was just because she was small. But having him lift her like that, even for a moment, reignited the rose red blush in her cheeks.
“Thank you,” she muttered as she situated herself, trying not to be too much of a nuisance.
He could tell that something was still bothering her, but he decided not to pry. Things already seemed tense enough, and he didn’t want to make this leg of their journey any more difficult. “Of course. If you feel like you’re starting to slip, grab onto me. I’m going to have my arms around you most of the time anyway, though, so I should be able to help steady you if it comes to that.”
He could steady everything but her heart, her untamed emotions. She took a deep breath and tried not to focus on the sensation of his arms on either side of her, the fact that she could hear and even feel his breathing. It was just a simple ride to their next destination, nothing more. He was doing this out of necessity, out of kindness…but she couldn’t keep her thoughts and feelings from reeling. She couldn’t deny that as nervous as she was, being held by him in any capacity was wonderful.
Primrose and Tressa took the lead, with Nova and Cyrus following close behind. As insignificant as she realistically knew this exchange was, the same things that’d made her want to reject this plan so vehemently in the first place still came true. He was warm against her back, which was nice…his arms resting on either side of her waist in order to hold the reins also contributed to the sensation. She was, for all intents and purposes, surrounded by him, and it was simultaneously the best and worst thing to ever happen to her.
Cyrus wrestled with his own inner turmoil while she remained much too preoccupied to even notice or consider his feelings. He was doing her this favor out of the goodness of his heart, because he wanted to help her, and keep the group from having to make any greater concessions. But he, too, couldn’t get his mind off of her presence just in front of him. She was short enough that he could rest his head on the top of hers when they were sitting like this…he had to remind himself how rude such an action would be if he conducted it without asking. He swore he could feel her trembling a little, but he automatically wrote that off as a reaction to the harsh cold they found themselves in. He drew his arms just a little closer around her, anyway, stopping himself before he went too far with it.
Why was he struggling with anything in the first place? And what could he possibly be struggling with? There was nothing unusual or special about this situation…he’d ridden horses with other passengers dozens of times before. So why couldn’t he stop his mind from straying to the individual in front of him instead of focusing on what he was here for, the path he needed to be aware of to avoid making any mistakes or causing any problems? She smelled nice, some sort of light scent that instantly reminded him of the place he called home, which had probably infused itself into her attire by now…no, why was he thinking about that? Why was he bothering to notice anything of the sort about her at all?
But he couldn’t seem to help himself. He didn’t want to admit that he was actually glad that if she’d had to rely on anyone, she’d ended up relying on him. He didn’t want to acknowledge how right and reassuring it felt to have her so close to him or understand why his thoughts started trailing off to things he’d never once even fathomed in passing before. He was embarrassed with himself, and confused, and a little annoyed. This wasn’t the first time he’d dealt with these foreign feelings, either…how long were they going to keep cropping up? If he could, he’d get to the bottom of this curious dilemma with some self-examination and neatly snuff them out. But…part of him didn’t want these feelings to end. Would it really be that beneficial for him to discover the source, or just end up causing him more grief? Only he could be the judge of that, unfortunately.
He made her feel safe, but also self-conscious, and she knew that last part wasn’t really his fault. She was just so smitten with him, completely helpless when it came to knowing what to do with her feelings. The best thing would be to get rid of them, to pretend like they never existed and move on with her life and relationships. But moments like these were too good to abandon. Instances when she was nestled against him so closely, enveloped by his embrace, engulfed by the certainty that, somehow, she’d fallen in love with him.
Summary: Neither Nova nor Tressa know how to ride a horse, which makes the decision about how the group is going to advance through the perilous cliffs of the Frostlands a bit difficult. Coming around to the realization that they’ll have to share a mount with someone else, Nova fights a losing battle in an attempt to end up with anyone but the one person everyone else is determined to make sure she does.
*Author’s Note*: This is such an old prompt oh my goodness, it’s been sitting in my drafts for months (like many of my other fics) so I finally got it edited and put out. It’s one of my fave Cyrus fics I’ve written, another one kind of inspired by ANS since Shirayuki had to share with both Zen (I think) and Izana at one point (which is actually the scene I got my ship name with him from :3c) this kind of stuff is my fave, so dramatic and awkward and sweet…not sure I have too much more to say about it though, so thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!
_____
“Do you know how to ride?”
“I can probably figure it out.”
Obviously, that meant the answer was no. But Nova was confident that it didn’t matter, because she was fairly competent when it came to picking up new things like this. Transportation in the Coastlands typically involved boats or small carts, things that were easily maneuverable across the rocky or sandy shores and unpredictable ocean waves. The islandic nature of the region meant that there wasn’t much of a necessity for strictly land-dwelling vehicles, and in truth, trying to keep or maintain anything like that ended up proving to be a veritable hassle.
It was a waste of resources, and the region received most of its livestock related goods or services via trade routes connected to the Highlands. There were a few settlements near the base of the mountains where modest farming communities had cropped up and somehow managed to thrive. Whatever couldn’t be fostered there was delivered over the small gap between the Coastlands and Flatlands, or between coastal islands, but most residents of the region subsisted on fish and other oceanic byproducts, anyway.
All of that was to emphasize that Nova did, in fact, not know how to ride a horse. But she was excited by the prospect of getting to try, and eager to prove that she had the ability to quickly and easily acquire new skills. And this wasn’t her first time seeing or meeting one. Although she’d never had much of a personal interest in riding one before now, she’d known plenty of people that could and did use them to travel almost everywhere across the realm. If they could do it, she was certain she could, too. But apparently in this instance, her self-assurance wasn’t going to be enough to convince everyone else.
“I’m not sure if ‘probably’ is an acceptable enough answer,” Primrose contended, a hint of something else, something devious glinting in her expression. “We’re going to be traveling through the mountains, after all. The trails with be perilous, not to mention all the snow and ice we’re bound to face. This seems more like a task for experienced riders only.”
Nova pursed her lips in defiance. “What am I supposed to do, then? Since I can’t learn how to be the expert you expect me to be in just a few hours, according to your oh-so-foolproof judgement.”
“I guess you’ll just have to share,” she replied with an innocent smirk, and Nova felt her stomach start to twist.
“I’d rather not,” she blurted almost too quickly, her delivery clearly suspicious and indicative of a deeper conflict. “I can just wait here until you guys get back or something.”
“I didn’t think we’d be returning to this area until after we’ve visited the other regions?”
She jumped, startled by his sudden appearance, her fur puffing up like a cloud. Nova wasn’t stupid; she could tell what Primrose was planning because the same idea had been drifting along in the back of her mind. But the implications, the physical proximity…she wasn’t sure if her nerves could handle it. If she was already this flustered by the mere thought of it, there was no way the execution would be any better; if anything, it would be embarrassingly worse. She knew the moment someone suggested it he’d agree to the proposition, and once the idea had been planted, he was likely to insist. Not because he understood the situation’s subtle insinuation, but because it would seem like the most logical solution, and there wasn’t any point in trying to sway him once he came to such a conclusion.
“Or I can share with you or Ophilia or Tressa.” Just anyone else, literally anyone else. You can even lead me behind on foot like the other horses if you want. Her eyes were screaming in panic, desperate to find any alternative she could possibly latch onto. But Primrose and Tressa weren’t going to budge…she supposed that was partially her fault for being obvious. She also failed to recall that Tressa was just as inexperienced as she was; her friend was probably going to end up having to ride with one of the other two, anyway. Which really only left one option for Nova, in the event that Ophilia didn’t feel confident enough to carry them both. But she also couldn’t help grasping for another nonexistent solution, and it was times like this when she wished she’d never asked him to accompany them in the first place. As far as she could tell, Ophilia was too preoccupied with finalizing their preparations to notice the young mage’s dire predicament, the losing battle she was fighting in vain.
“We won’t be,” Primrose was the one to answer his question, directing her attention behind Nova. “Returning to this area, that is. Nova’s just being silly. I think she’s more anxious about riding than she’s letting on.”
“I’m not!” she shouted, fists clenched and tail thrashing. The more they provoked her the angrier and more desperate she became, and she was determined to ensure that the retribution for their abhorrent betrayal was devastating. Primrose may have been the ring leader, but Tressa was acting as her trusty sidekick, conveniently keeping her mouth shut and allowing Primrose to carry out her scheme unopposed.
“I don’t think it’s something worth getting this upset about,” he advised as he stepped forward, placing a soothing hand on her shoulder. “It’s not an issue for me, I’d be happy to help if it’s something you’re concerned about.”
Her face erupted with a blush like a volcano. He’d done their job for them…there wasn’t really any way for her to refute him now. Well, she could still try to go through with her plan B of asking Ophilia, but seeing as the cleric appeared to be taking on the bulk of the group’s luggage, the likelihood of that happening was slim. She was trembling in an effort to keep herself from combusting, from acting out in exasperation. She could barely hold her emotions together when she felt like this, which only made anything else that happened around her seem unbearably difficult. Interacting with others, making decisions…she was practically useless when she was like this, choosing to dedicate all of her energy to keeping herself composed.
“I just…whatever,” she conceded, knowing that if she didn’t let some of this stress go soon, it was going to make her dizzy. “Yes, fine, I agree. I’ll ride with you.”
Her tone was incredibly deadpan and a little dismissive, almost as if she’d been defeated. Cyrus furrowed his brow and removed his hand, worrying that he’d somehow done something to upset her. “I’m sorry if that proposition is disagreeable to you. It was just a suggestion; you’re not obligated to take it.”
The sound of his voice made her heart crack. She turned around to face him, ears folded back in guilt. “No, I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant. I don’t have a problem with it, I didn’t mean to make you think that. I’m just tired…it’s got nothing to do with you.”
She swore she could hear snickering from behind her, but she did her best to block it out. The professor still seemed a little skeptical of her explanation, but they were on a schedule, and if they didn’t decide what they were going to do soon the trails were going to become inundated by the weather and too dangerous to ride. Without argument or fuss everyone pitched in to help finish setting up, retracing their route and confirming their plan and emergency protocols one last time.
The horse was big…at least, it was to Nova. She knew before she’d even made an attempt that scrambling up onto its back was going to be a struggling nightmare of flailing limbs. Fortunately for her, she didn’t have to tackle this challenge alone. Cyrus mounted the creature in one fluid, elegant movement, a demonstration of both his height and experience. Without her even having to ask he lifted her into the space in front of him and let her get settled. He’d never seemed very physically strong to her or given off any kind of implication that he was. She was sure part of it was just because she was small. But having him lift her like that, even for a moment, reignited the rose red blush in her cheeks.
“Thank you,” she muttered as she situated herself, trying not to be too much of a nuisance.
He could tell that something was still bothering her, but he decided not to pry. Things already seemed tense enough, and he didn’t want to make this leg of their journey any more difficult. “Of course. If you feel like you’re starting to slip, grab onto me. I’m going to have my arms around you most of the time anyway, though, so I should be able to help steady you if it comes to that.”
He could steady everything but her heart, her untamed emotions. She took a deep breath and tried not to focus on the sensation of his arms on either side of her, the fact that she could hear and even feel his breathing. It was just a simple ride to their next destination, nothing more. He was doing this out of necessity, out of kindness…but she couldn’t keep her thoughts and feelings from reeling. She couldn’t deny that as nervous as she was, being held by him in any capacity was wonderful.
Primrose and Tressa took the lead, with Nova and Cyrus following close behind. As insignificant as she realistically knew this exchange was, the same things that’d made her want to reject this plan so vehemently in the first place still came true. He was warm against her back, which was nice…his arms resting on either side of her waist in order to hold the reins also contributed to the sensation. She was, for all intents and purposes, surrounded by him, and it was simultaneously the best and worst thing to ever happen to her.
Cyrus wrestled with his own inner turmoil while she remained much too preoccupied to even notice or consider his feelings. He was doing her this favor out of the goodness of his heart, because he wanted to help her, and keep the group from having to make any greater concessions. But he, too, couldn’t get his mind off of her presence just in front of him. She was short enough that he could rest his head on the top of hers when they were sitting like this…he had to remind himself how rude such an action would be if he conducted it without asking. He swore he could feel her trembling a little, but he automatically wrote that off as a reaction to the harsh cold they found themselves in. He drew his arms just a little closer around her, anyway, stopping himself before he went too far with it.
Why was he struggling with anything in the first place? And what could he possibly be struggling with? There was nothing unusual or special about this situation…he’d ridden horses with other passengers dozens of times before. So why couldn’t he stop his mind from straying to the individual in front of him instead of focusing on what he was here for, the path he needed to be aware of to avoid making any mistakes or causing any problems? She smelled nice, some sort of light scent that instantly reminded him of the place he called home, which had probably infused itself into her attire by now…no, why was he thinking about that? Why was he bothering to notice anything of the sort about her at all?
But he couldn’t seem to help himself. He didn’t want to admit that he was actually glad that if she’d had to rely on anyone, she’d ended up relying on him. He didn’t want to acknowledge how right and reassuring it felt to have her so close to him or understand why his thoughts started trailing off to things he’d never once even fathomed in passing before. He was embarrassed with himself, and confused, and a little annoyed. This wasn’t the first time he’d dealt with these foreign feelings, either…how long were they going to keep cropping up? If he could, he’d get to the bottom of this curious dilemma with some self-examination and neatly snuff them out. But…part of him didn’t want these feelings to end. Would it really be that beneficial for him to discover the source, or just end up causing him more grief? Only he could be the judge of that, unfortunately.
He made her feel safe, but also self-conscious, and she knew that last part wasn’t really his fault. She was just so smitten with him, completely helpless when it came to knowing what to do with her feelings. The best thing would be to get rid of them, to pretend like they never existed and move on with her life and relationships. But moments like these were too good to abandon. Instances when she was nestled against him so closely, enveloped by his embrace, engulfed by the certainty that, somehow, she’d fallen in love with him.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-09-12 01:03 am (UTC)also lol primrose knows whats up
damn this is such a THING tho.. its so good, A+ plotline. like "She was short enough that he could rest his head on the top of hers when they were sitting like this…he had to remind himself how rude such an action would be if he conducted it without asking." THIS IS SO CUTE