[PRP] Good lord, -what- are you? (Auster x Phaedra)

[.Tortured. .Pumpkin.]

Phae thought, almost in awe. "Can you go... Like... Higher than the clouds? That would be so cool!" She thought a moment before speaking again. "But... Amitola and Dichali both have wings. But theirs are like a bug's. Will they be able to fly, too? They say they will, but they're so thin..." Nodding, she added, "They look like they'd break off. Auster, can you show me how to fly? Mamma doesn't have wings, and I only got to see Daddy a few times. Mamma says that I get my wings from him."

Her tiny front hooves raised in the air as she jumped in excitement. "Really, Auster? Do you mean it?" She was half in disbelief that he even answered her, so she had to confirm what he'd said.  

[Kaitaia]

He nodded at her, a small smile crossing his face. "I can, yes." He paused, considering her words. Like a bug's? "Ah, flutters, you mean? They can fly, yes, but you'll be able to fly higher than they."

At her reguest, his eyes widened a little. Teach her to fly..? How did he do that? He couldn't even remember how he learned to fly. Who had taught him, his mother, his father? Someone else? Had an anyone? His brow furrowed as he tried to remember something, anything. But nothing would come. "I.. could try, Phae. I'm not much of a teacher."

Her excited reaction amused him and he nodded.  

[.Tortured. .Pumpkin.]

She quickly took note of what he said, and planned to use it against the two mean boys. "So we can fly higher than them? So like... When I learn to fly, and they try to play tricks on me, all I have to do is go way up where they can't get me?" Though it would have seemed the expression on the filly's face couldn't grow brighter, it did, and she grinned. "And then, I could drop stuff on them. Especially Amitola. He's got a horn. Mamma and his daddy are best friends, and she sticks apples on his horn when he's mean to her."

The furrowing of his brow made Phae thing something was wrong. "What's the matter, Auster? Did I say something wrong? Oh, if I did, I didn't mean it! I take it back! I'm sorry, Auster!" Panic struck Phaedra's heart. She was so worried about losing her new friend she didn't even hear what he'd said. Tears began to fill her eyes as she looked up at him. "I really didn't mean it!"  

[Kaitaia]

He couldn't help it. The thought of her dropping apples on the smaller flutter's horn was amusing and he laughed. "You could do that, yes. I don't think he would appreciate it much, but then again, I don't think you appreciate being picked on."

His eyes widened more as he looked down at her. Why was she panicking? He didn't like the tears welling in her eyes, they bothered him. "No.. You didn't say anything wrong, what made you think so?" he asked, confused.  

[.Tortured. .Pumpkin.]

She sniffled and caught her breath some before answering. "Well, you got this funny look on your face, like Mamma does when she gets upset or something, like right before she gets mad at me. I didn't want you to get mad at me. That would be awful. You're my only friend, and I wouldn't want to make you not like me. Not many Soquili like me. Not boys, at least. They say that girls are inferior, and I'm just another stupid filly." Phaedra quickly moved closer to him, burrying her face in his long mane and nuzzling against his front leg. "I'm sorry Auster. Are you mad at me?"  

[Kaitaia]

Well, he wasn't sure to say to that. He often looked down his nose at mares himself. "Er.." He started, but when she moved forward and snuggled against him, he stopped and nearly jumped back. He was not used to affection, especially not from a child. It would have startled her however, if he, the big brute that he was, had jumped, so he forced himself to regain his composure.

"No, I am not mad at you, Phae," he murmured, looking down at her bewilderedly. "And, er, I'm sure that if you set your mind to it, you will greater than they are someday." He felt awkward for saying that.  

[.Tortured. .Pumpkin.]

"You really think so?" Her voice was muffled by the hair. She somehow managed to get her head out without getting tangled in the dense mass. "Hey, Auster, will you show me how to fly?" The filly had seemingly forgotten that she'd asked the question earlier when she had her panic attack. "You don't have to, but I would really like it if you did. I don't know any other grown-ups with wings."  

[Kaitaia]

He shifted uneasily. He really had no idea how he would teach her to fly, but at least she had stopped crying. Worried that she would start again, he nodded slightly. "I can try, Phae. That is the best that I can offer."  

[.Tortured. .Pumpkin.]

"All you need is to try! I'm sure you'll be a great teacher!" She grinned and bounced a bit on her front hooves. Her still damp wings stretched to their full span, and she flapped them a bit. "I'll show those mean boys! I'm going to learn to fly first, and they're going to be jealous, and then maybe they won't laugh at me and call me stupid!"  

[Kaitaia]

Auster was still uncomfortable with the idea. How he would teach the child to fly, he had no idea. He couldn't remember how he had learned, and he was far too proud to ask someone else how they learned. So he said nothing more, just nodded to her as she bounced about excitedly.  

[.Tortured. .Pumpkin.]

(How 'bout we try to get out of this two-three sentance funk? XD)

The tiny filly's green orbs lit up as Phaedra pranced around her new-found teacher and friend. She shook her still wet, short mane to remove some more moisture from it, drops of water spraying everything surrounding her. Only when the filly got a better look at Auster's wings did she settle down.

"Hey, Auster... How come your wings are kinda see-through like that and mine aren't? Can stuff go through 'em? You know... Like a ghost?" Her eyes widened, and she stepped closer to the stallion. "You're not a ghostie, are you, Auster?" She whispered this, afraid that if there were any other 'ghosties' around, they'd come out and scare her. "Y'know, my Mama says that two-leggers sometimes talk to ghosts. But they don't call 'em ghosts. They call 'em spirits." Phaedra nodded, feeling proud for knowing this information.  

[Kaitaia]

( xD; Sounds like a plan. )

"Hm?" He turned and looked at his wings. Why were they transparent? He'd be damned if he knew. Frowning, he flexed them and swept them out to block Phae from his view. The feathers didn't quite manage this task, he could still see her faint outline.

"No.. I am not a ghost or a spirit. And no, things can not go through my wings." He swatted at her lightly with one to prove his point. "I am as real as you. And on any hand, don't flutters have see through wings? Mine are not as transparent as that, are they?" He tilted his head at her. Were all foals this... curious? He had never wondered why his wings were they way they were. For the first time he could remember, Auster was curious to know how others thought. "Phae, you ask a lot of questions. Why?"  

[.Tortured. .Pumpkin.]

She ducked when he swatted at her with his wing, nodding. "Yeah, but flutters don't got feathers on their wings, neither. Or bones. We've got bones in ours, I think... Or at least mine have bones in 'em. Phaedra simply giggled at his question. Why did she ask so many? "Well, Auster, if I don't ask lots of questions, how am I s'posed to learn? I guess I could find stuff out on my own, but some things aren't worth learning by doing. Like..." The filly furrowed her brow in thought. "Oh! Like, if I had just bitten your wing or somethin' to find out if stuff could go through it. That could'a ended up bad for both of us, right? I probably would'a gotten a swift kick, or a bop on the nose, and you would'a had a bitten wing. Aren't you glad I asked, now?"  

[Kaitaia]

Auster frowned, but it wasn't an unpleasant one. He was simply thinking, that was all. "I suppose that does make sense," he mused, watching the small filly. It was true, he wouldn't have liked it if she had bitten his wing. He probably would have kicked her. "And yes, my wings do have bones. They're the same as yours, as I have already said."

Auster gave Phae a considering look, before dipping his head so that he could peer at her. "Phae, are all foals like you? Do they all ask silly incessant questions?" Again, he wasn't angry.. He was just curious.  

[.Tortured. .Pumpkin.]

Phae frowned when the Angeni did, but quickly brightened once more. "Well how come your bones are see-through? Are mine like that too, under all these feathers?" She spread one of her wings and looked at it curiously, wondering what they were made from, other than bones and feathers.

The filly tilted her head to the side in thought. "Um... I dunno. What's in... in... incessant mean? But all of the foals I ever met asked bunch of questions. I've only met two, but they ask all the time. Besides, what's a better way to learn stuff than to ask grown ups, who have already been through what we have, and know so much?"