recolle | sticks out the leggie

[ eren is the epitome of a softhearted lol right now, but keep in mind: soft and heart, because he says his next words fondly. ]

He’s good at that. [ he helped out with carrying when eren was still getting the hang of his 3D maneuver gear! as they let zulu walk along, eren places his hands light over elliot’s, loosening the tense hold, but not by too much. just enough to stay firm. ] Besides pulling in the direction you want to go, [ a tug to the right, to evade a steepened elevation below them, ] this is all there really is to it. Think you can pull off a trot?

He is, it was a surprisingly smooth ride. [John could totally be a flying uber driver if he wanted, just saying. He looses up his hold while Eren encourages him to. ]

Really? That's all? [but that seems so simple...] I dunno, maybe? How do you do a trot?

This is gonna be a little harder, so you don’t have to do it for too long.

[ don’t feel pressured! but at least giving it a shot will be fun, and eren’s happy to keep showing him all the way into a canter. ]

Just make him pick up the pace the same way you made him start walking. You’re gonna give him more reigns, but still give him a limit. You’re still in control.

[ eren reaches down to pat at elliot’s legs. ]

Don’t keep them clenched tight. I know you’ll want to, because it makes you jump, so— try and put your balance in front of the saddle.

[ there should even be a place there to hold. ]

You have to spring up with him and use the seat to balance as you go. And pull if you want him to stop. [ eren’s alsoaware that that’s a lot to take in at once, and it’s near impossible to get on the first try (it’s easy to fall over), so— ] If you want to see after, I can take the lead.

[Yeah, that is so much to take in at once, especially when it's harder for Elliot to imagine it all. He's got a memory of horseback riding, but he was riding behind a guy taller than him- so he didn't see much.]

Um...

W-Would you mind showing me first? I'm not sure I understood a lot of that.

[ —okay, look, as much as eren wanted to teach him, he’s also excited to show him more than anything. with a grin, he obliges, pulling the horse’s reigns so that he could switch up. ]

Sure.

[ he’ll swing himself off and get back on, this time with elliot behind him. it might’ve been easier for elliot to get off and on again, but hush. eren makes it happen. he just has to adjust s few things for his height. posture, rein position, all in check. zulu starts walking the minute he gets the signal to. ]

We’re going to run too, okay? So just hold on and follow my lead.

[ yes he said run

he speeds in all forms of transportation bae ]

[Elliot is...frankly relieved when Eren agrees to show him. He did learn a lot today!! But he'd much rather see once more what riding a running horse is like in this lifetime before he tries controlling it himself.

So he lets Eren get back into a proper position before he wraps his arms around Eren's waist. He'll at least make sure to lean in a position so he can see over Eren's shoulder more easily]

Haha, alright. Show me what you got.

[He caught the "running", and honestly as long as he's not in control of this several ton animal while its happening? He's okay with it]

[ so, they start off with the casual walking, both for the horse to get used to him, and for him to get used to the horse. eren’s got posture and enough technique to come off like he’s done this plenty of times, even if he hadn’t in this life. being on top of one again almost felt a little nostalgic, like getting into a bike for the first time in years. you never forget, though.

once he’s ready, he gives a pleasant but excited smile over his shoulder to elliot. ]

This is the springing I told you about. [ and with a clench into the horse’s stomach, he begins to trot. it can get bumpy if you’re alone and inexperienced, but with elliot holding onto him from behind, all he had to do was let himself rise and fall the same way. eren’s got sturdy balance enough to feel safe, like a pillar, his arms loosened up just right to guide zulu and give him the space he needed to move his head with his gait. ]

[Now that Elliot's in the passenger spot of the horse, it's much easier for him to relax and smile back. He does take care to watch Eren's demonstration, and keeps holding on]

Haha, it does feel springy alright!

[Eren meanwhile seems...so at ease doing this. It was impressive considering he didn't learn it from this life]

You've really taken to this!

Yeah? [ it felt pretty natural, very natural even. he lets zulu trot just for a little while longer to help his warm up. ] It’s like— bikes.

[ you know the deal with bikes already, yes. you don’t forget, all of that. but feeling a content smirk pulling at his lips even harder, eren kicks the horse’s belly with his heels, once, twice— until the animal has changed its jumpy paces into a gallop. ]

Eheh, I guess? But most people don't get their biking knowledge from a past life.

[So it's nice you managed to gleam stuff from it! And whoop we're now galloping. Elliot remembers this speed, as it's the speed Rean loved going at. While he holds on just a smidge tighter, he laughs as the wind starts blowing through his hair. It's so freeing. ]

Now this is more like it!

You think that’s it?

[ you thought wrong, love of his life— eren kicks zulu’s belly a few more times, bolting into racing, the pace of his gallop at its highest as they speed through the forest to bosuma. hold on tighter, because they’re going fast, the speed eren has come most accustomed to.

for a distressing reason, but it feels better to run in this scenario, with nothing after you. just you, your boyfriend, a massive horse huffing under you, and the wind. ]

[Oh leave it to Eren to find a way to get faster even when he's riding a horse. Elliot's holding on tighter, but he's laughing and enjoying himself as they are riding. This really does feel amazing.]

Yeehaw!

[THATS RIGHT HE SAID IT. Your love of your life is a nerd]

[ omg

as nerdy as it was, eren has absolutely nowhere to complain. they were nerds of different topics, eren himself has probably pulled a let’s ride in memory of optimus. so here, he just laughs, wanting to bonk his head with elliot’s but not in a good position to.

at least zulu is pretty athletic and manages to run for a good amount of time without stopping. eren wouldn’t know the difference between bosuma and normal forest right away, but maybe some landmarks would show up? ]

[Elliot spends most of the ride just enjoying it. It was really nice once you got going, being on horseback. Especially when he was with someone he trusts.

Soon they'll cross the threshold into bosuma, and the changes are pretty distinct. The trees become a lot more towering- some even having faces in their bark. Large mushrooms litter the forest too. There's just a strong feeling of magic in the air. ]

Oh, I think we're here.

[ eren pulls zulu into a trot eventually, slowing his gait into a a fast walk, then a natural walk to get a better look at their surrounds. grandmother willow looks much better in person? in fact—

the whole area of green looks different. feels different. the air to it is a bit inspiring, like something out of . . . a titan forest. the horse can catch his breath now, the massive chest expanding between their legs and breathing out. at least it was a work out he wouldn’t forget. ]

Can’t wait for it to get dark.

[ everything looks so beautiful already— eren looks awed with the fact that they could, like.

camp under a giant mushroom. ]

There aren’t any dwarves around, are there?

[Elliot grins at Eren's reaction. With the horse slowing down, he'll loosen his grip on Eren into a more relaxed one. ]

Haha, should be a couple hours? It's really pretty a night...

[Camping under a giant mushroom is for sure something they can do]

Maybe? There are dryads and satyrs out here- oh look! [He points in one direction where a bit off, there's a rainbow deer eating some foliage]

[ he feels like he’s in the hobbit or something right now, at this very moment. they need to find the perfect mushroom.

eren pulls the reigns when he sees something move, although zulu doesn’t seem to startle. elliot doesn’t have to point too much out when his eyes spot a beautiful multicolored deer. he can’t even bring himself to want to shoot something so beautiful, even for food. ]

How can I eat that? [ eren’s awed, and having more than a blast already, a bright smile to his face as he surveys the surroundings and begins to go ahead. ] Any dangers we should know about?

[Zulu is a good horse. Elliot too feels in awe as he looks at the deer. He'd heard abaout it from the other groups, but he hadn't gotten to see one of the rainbow deers before]

I know...it's so pretty. [What an amazing pride deer] Uh, well, there's bears. And don't do damage any trees unnecesarily - they might get mad?

But we should be okay. Just treat it the same way you'd treat a national park. [WITH RESPECT]

sticks out the leggie

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