ConYuu for Sherry
Sep. 13th, 2006 06:09 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dethoratsTitle: Learning to Ride (oh how I wish this fic was as fun and suggestive as the title. but it's not.)
Rating: Completely G
Pairing: ConYuu
Word Count: 864
There weren’t many horses in Japan. With land at a premium, the large animals tended to serve either as accessories in period amusement parks or were reserved for the very rich. No longer did each farming village have its share of draft horses, loads being handled by machine instead. And Tokyo and the other metropolitan areas were too clean, too cramped, too narrow to allow for mounted officers of the law. Yuuri had a vague memory of seeing horses, petting one even, when he was very young and in America. But beyond that his only experiences were limited to the plastic ponies that sometimes were parked outside of groceries or department stores. His mother had had, still would if he hadn’t put his foot down with some help from Shouri, a penchant for dressing him up like a pretty little girl. Several traumatic incidents, the last from when he was about nine or so that had ended with scrapes in uncomfortable places, of being forced to sit sideways on a bucking mechanical horse while skirts and petticoats flew up around him had left him with a rather unpleasant view of the animals. And then he’d been sucked down a toilet.
Shin Makoku was a land on the verge of an industrial revolution, or so he suspected the boring old man with the walrus mustache who taught his history class would have said. Annisina was doing her best to start one all on her own and Yuuri had to admit he was grateful to several of her inventions but on the whole the land of the Mazoku got by on horse and humanoid power. He had ridden a horse the very first day, several in fact. Being slung over the back of Adelbert’s had been distinctly uncomfortable and even riding with Conrad had left his thighs weak and sore the next morning. If nothing else, all the walking and time on horseback had made his legs stronger.
For weeks he had alternated riding with Conrad and Wolfram, often taking the pillion position. The safest and most expedient way to teach him his seat, he grew to enjoy his time in the saddle, or rather behind it. It was admittedly a different experience with each brother. Wolfram had his height and so he could see easily over the blond’s shoulder. His horse also possessed higher spirits, a match to the young lord’s own temperament. He grew used to the quick gait changes and sudden turns; if nothing else it kept him alert. Riding with Conrad, he had a broad back to rest against and Sir Weller had an even hand with his calm horse, giving Yuuri a ride so smooth he often dozed off. Once in a while, too, Conrad let him ride up front. There was nothing in the world quite as safe as being seated between those arms but he couldn’t stay there forever. As king, he needed a horse of his own and he was finally getting one.
“Ao, over here! I’ve got some carrots for you.” The heika’s voice took on a wheedling note as he offered out a treat to the horse.
Conrad leaned up against the fence that hemmed in the stable yard, usual placid smile gracing his features while he watched Yuuri try to bribe his horse. It wasn’t necessary; Ao was superbly trained and was a match in temperament and intelligence to his own steed. But Yuuri was Yuuri and even his horse had to be his friend. Wolfram was getting antsy, muttering under his breath for the “silly idiot” to “stop making like a fool” and just “mount up already.” Yuuri must have heard him, for he turned to grin at his fiancé, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head with one slobber covered hand before he remembered himself. Conrad didn’t move, though his smile widened briefly, and he tensed slightly in readiness as the young king set his foot in the stirrup.
But Yuuri didn’t need his help, didn’t slip or fall or manage to accidentally throw himself onto and over Ao. Instead he sat comfortably, easily, in the saddle with a grin that stretched from ear to ear. Ao didn’t do more than flick an ear back when the Maou leaned forward to hug his neck and Conrad relaxed back against the wooden post with only the tiniest flicker of disappointment. Truly Yuuri was growing up, becoming the king he had always known the young man would one day be. His role would diminish little by little until his place would no longer always be at his majesty’s side…
Before his train of thought could become too melancholy, Conrad found it interrupted by the presence of a horse’s long nose nudging his arm as Yuuri beamed down at him.
“Come on, Conrad! Let’s go riding!”
As it turned out, real horses were a thousand times better than plastic ones that fed on yen. And riding next to Conrad (who would forever cut the perfect figure of a mounted knight in Yuuri’s eyes), as his equal rather than as just another burden, made him feel ninety-nine point nine percent as good as riding between his arms.
Rating: Completely G
Pairing: ConYuu
Word Count: 864
There weren’t many horses in Japan. With land at a premium, the large animals tended to serve either as accessories in period amusement parks or were reserved for the very rich. No longer did each farming village have its share of draft horses, loads being handled by machine instead. And Tokyo and the other metropolitan areas were too clean, too cramped, too narrow to allow for mounted officers of the law. Yuuri had a vague memory of seeing horses, petting one even, when he was very young and in America. But beyond that his only experiences were limited to the plastic ponies that sometimes were parked outside of groceries or department stores. His mother had had, still would if he hadn’t put his foot down with some help from Shouri, a penchant for dressing him up like a pretty little girl. Several traumatic incidents, the last from when he was about nine or so that had ended with scrapes in uncomfortable places, of being forced to sit sideways on a bucking mechanical horse while skirts and petticoats flew up around him had left him with a rather unpleasant view of the animals. And then he’d been sucked down a toilet.
Shin Makoku was a land on the verge of an industrial revolution, or so he suspected the boring old man with the walrus mustache who taught his history class would have said. Annisina was doing her best to start one all on her own and Yuuri had to admit he was grateful to several of her inventions but on the whole the land of the Mazoku got by on horse and humanoid power. He had ridden a horse the very first day, several in fact. Being slung over the back of Adelbert’s had been distinctly uncomfortable and even riding with Conrad had left his thighs weak and sore the next morning. If nothing else, all the walking and time on horseback had made his legs stronger.
For weeks he had alternated riding with Conrad and Wolfram, often taking the pillion position. The safest and most expedient way to teach him his seat, he grew to enjoy his time in the saddle, or rather behind it. It was admittedly a different experience with each brother. Wolfram had his height and so he could see easily over the blond’s shoulder. His horse also possessed higher spirits, a match to the young lord’s own temperament. He grew used to the quick gait changes and sudden turns; if nothing else it kept him alert. Riding with Conrad, he had a broad back to rest against and Sir Weller had an even hand with his calm horse, giving Yuuri a ride so smooth he often dozed off. Once in a while, too, Conrad let him ride up front. There was nothing in the world quite as safe as being seated between those arms but he couldn’t stay there forever. As king, he needed a horse of his own and he was finally getting one.
“Ao, over here! I’ve got some carrots for you.” The heika’s voice took on a wheedling note as he offered out a treat to the horse.
Conrad leaned up against the fence that hemmed in the stable yard, usual placid smile gracing his features while he watched Yuuri try to bribe his horse. It wasn’t necessary; Ao was superbly trained and was a match in temperament and intelligence to his own steed. But Yuuri was Yuuri and even his horse had to be his friend. Wolfram was getting antsy, muttering under his breath for the “silly idiot” to “stop making like a fool” and just “mount up already.” Yuuri must have heard him, for he turned to grin at his fiancé, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head with one slobber covered hand before he remembered himself. Conrad didn’t move, though his smile widened briefly, and he tensed slightly in readiness as the young king set his foot in the stirrup.
But Yuuri didn’t need his help, didn’t slip or fall or manage to accidentally throw himself onto and over Ao. Instead he sat comfortably, easily, in the saddle with a grin that stretched from ear to ear. Ao didn’t do more than flick an ear back when the Maou leaned forward to hug his neck and Conrad relaxed back against the wooden post with only the tiniest flicker of disappointment. Truly Yuuri was growing up, becoming the king he had always known the young man would one day be. His role would diminish little by little until his place would no longer always be at his majesty’s side…
Before his train of thought could become too melancholy, Conrad found it interrupted by the presence of a horse’s long nose nudging his arm as Yuuri beamed down at him.
“Come on, Conrad! Let’s go riding!”
As it turned out, real horses were a thousand times better than plastic ones that fed on yen. And riding next to Conrad (who would forever cut the perfect figure of a mounted knight in Yuuri’s eyes), as his equal rather than as just another burden, made him feel ninety-nine point nine percent as good as riding between his arms.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-09-13 05:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-14 01:38 am (UTC)Seriously, you captured Yuuri perfectly. Also, the overall tone of this piece was just so romantic and sweet - just like the show itself!
As it turned out, real horses were a thousand times better than plastic ones that fed on yen. And riding next to Conrad (who would forever cut the perfect figure of a mounted knight in Yuuri’s eyes), as his equal rather than as just another burden, made him feel ninety-nine point nine percent as good as riding between his arms.
^______^
no subject
Date: 2006-09-14 10:19 am (UTC)