Atlas was finally doing it. She felt the wind whipping around her long locks, ruffling her feathers just enough to tickle her a little, and the warmer than normal temperate hide her spirits higher than ever. She swirled and dipped and giggled allowed, tucking her front legs closer. It was a little lonely after sometime, though, and she decided she would try scouting out a bright red flame on the ground.
Having spent the better part of the day sleeping, the winter sun giving his aching muscles relief, Brande was quite literally doing ntohing. It was probably a high point of his day... Sure, he was awake and it was almost time for the sun to set and he would spend almost the whole night awake but... he felt good now. The stallion decided to take a walk along the beach, walking with steady strides and enjoying the site of his flames reflection in the water.
She knew to head for the beach, and took little to no time to spot the orange glow and black body of her best friend. She grinned, tilting her wings and dipping them to the side, gliding downward next to Brande. "Hey!" She flapped her wings hard, the water beneath her giving to the gust of air she caused, before her hooves plunged into the salty wetness.
He had been lost in his own thoughts, paying no attention to what was going on around him except for watching the dancing flames. he looked super surprised when his best friend landed with a soggy ker-plunk and the smile that he gave her was quick, instantaneous. "Hey yerself Attie-girl... Been busy leavin' me behind, eh?" He really was in a good mood... and now better
"I'd never." She sounded theatrically aghast, wading out of the waves to join him on the beach. She hated the feel of the sand clinging to her wet legs. "Whacha doin?" she grin was spread wide along her face, her eyes bright and excited.
Brande really felt like maybe he should act like a grown up, but the sun was still kind of up, the beach is gorgeous and he really wanted to just.... "TAG YOU'RE IT NO USING WINGS." With that he took off down the beach leaping quickly over a large piece of driftwood. His laughter dancing wickedly back to her.
Atlas growled, "THATS LIKE SAYING NO LONG LEGS, DERPHEAD." she called after, setting herself into a run, her wings tight to her body. She didn't clear the log as easily, which put her down even more. "Get. Back. Here." Giggles burst from her chest as she gained on the fireboy. Her father had explained because she was wind and angini, her bones were lighter than other breeds. She hoped that made up for the fact she was much shorter than Brande now.
Brande really had no intention of letting her win at all. His father had told him that sometimes it was a gentlemanly thing to do – but neither of them really particularly cared to do. “Can you catch up?” He was trying to avoid laughing and focused on running. The beach was only so long and he started trying to figure out where he was going to go when he got to the end of where he lived…. Was he really going to try to circle back in her direction?
She groaned loudly, her frustration of not being in the lead driving her muscles to pump faster. Her neck thrust forward in her back, her wings locked tightly at her sides. "Just. you. watch!" She yelled, grinning that she was almost in the reach of his tail.
Approaching a grouping of rocks, Brande slowed himself down long enough to make a game plan and then slowing down he leapt as high as he could, beginning to climb up a rather sharp baby cliff. “What you gonna do small pint?” The urge to cackle was almost too much to resist.
She grinned wide, finally letting her wings loose, and immediately she was soring up, aiming straight for Brande.
Brande glared and stood staring at her, not worried about being hit by her, "CHEATER CHEATER PUN'KIN EATER."
She continued to glare back, grinning before she felt the contact of her body hitting straight into Brande. It was a hard impact like she could have made it, but sintead using her muscles to make it more of a clumsy tackle.
Brande glared and didn't even think about her possibly tackling him until it was too late and she was flying into him. "OOOF!" He was really none too pleased with being tackled and he went down pretty hard. "You... are... a... cheater..."
Atlas rolled on the ground just laying there laughing uncontrollably. "Did. Not."
He really felt like groaning and making some whining noises, he had finally not been achey and then he got tackled, "Obviously... did... too"
She panted, raising her neck up to grin at him. "Did not." She winked, letting her head thump back down.
He was irritated with her just slightly but not enough to actually get huffy with her, he leaned over and bit her neck lightly, "Brat. Yer spoiled."
Atlas let an interesting noise out, surprised at how much.. she liked that n**. Confused her smile dropped and she rolled over to rest on her knees. "By the way, I know what might help your legs you mentioned the other night."
Since his legs really weren't feeling all that good or bad either way he stayed where he was on his side, looking up at Atlas with lazy eyes. "You.... are a spoiled lass and oh? What've ya got for me?" Being an adult was crap.
She pulled a small plant from a tie that was set under her wing, something her mom had shown her how to do. She set the leaves before Brande, smiling happily. "They said it alleviates the aching if you eat this about three to five times a day, and more before you lay down at night since thats when most of the pains should hit."
He glanced curiously at the leaves and studied them carefully... Whatever the leaves were were something that lived pretty plentifully around on the beach and he would be able to get them without having to go too far. After finishing h is study he went ahead and ate what she had brought, wrinkling his nose at the slightly bitter flavor, "It never tastes good does it... not if medicines, eh?"
Atlas giggled and nodded, making sure he ate every bite. "I wonder how long it'll take to kick in." She studied, watching him curiously, like she would see a visible effect. "I guess this means no more late nights under the moon light." she giggled, thinking back to how nearly every night, or every other night both her and Brande snuck out to their little opening and just spent hours doing nothing.
Brande openly scoffed at her words in regards to them not having their late nights, as if he would voluntarily give up time with one of his favorite people that was alive, "Uh yeah, right... Did ya eat some plant that gave ye a brain fever?" His throat felt kind of tingly, and soon he was betting that he'd begin to feel so much better. "Traditions are the best."
Atlas giggled again, resting her head down on her legs, curling up. "I agree." she yawned, folding her wings closer to her like a blanket. "Except I require naps in order to follow those traditions."
"Naps are a healthy part of livin'... The way I think of it if ya don't nap yer entirely too uptight." His burr had finally settled into a place of it's own... nowhere near as thick as his grandmother's and probably half as much as his father's. He shifted and nuzzled closer, eyes half-way open.
Atlas peeked an eye halfway open to see him cuddle up a little more, responding in kind, letting a long yawn escape her. "mhm. up tight."
The belief of yawns being contagious was true and as soon as she yawned he had to do the same.... "Ohmm... yeup." His eye drifted the rest of the way shut, falling asleep cuddled up to his best friend.
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