Seeing a Moto About a Horse (expecting)

[Moto Ichiro]

Ichiro chuckled a bit as he slowly led the beast about in a large circle going slowly "Well I can think of worse places to be, I'm not going anywhere. Relax, I've got you Otomo-san." he said with a smile as one hand was on the horse near her and one was on the reins as they walked "Is it as terrifying as you thought it would be?"

[Otomo Nobuko]

"I thought we already agreed that Nobuko was not too familiar," she chided playfully, averting her eyes in an effort to control her blush, but unable to dim her smile. "And it is not so terrifying with someone so experienced leading the way. And surely it is your fine eye that ensured a well-tempered beast for me to learn with."

[Moto Ichiro]

He chuckled to himself "Right you are Nobuko-san we did." he said with a playful tone of his own in return.

"As for my 'fine eye' the choices were slim enough, this one here was the smallest of the bunch and was really nice when I tried talking to him. Figured he'd make a good horse for a first timer, glad I was right." they continued in the same large circle for sometime before they eventually stopped and he looked up "would you like to take the reins Nobuko-san?"

[Otomo Nobuko]

She had grown comfortable with riding with her hands on the front of the saddle to steady herself. Lifting them off to take the reigns seemed the natural progression, but it was still a bit nerve-wracking to actually do so.

"Ah... yes. That would be the next step, wouldn't it?" she said aloud, flexing her fingers before slowly raising her hands and turning them over to accept the straps of cloth. "Will I then be telling it where to go? Or will you still walk with me?"

[Moto Ichiro]

He took the reins and laid them in her upturned hands, his own large ones settling on top of her smaller one for a moment resting on them before he pulled back "Dont worry I'll be right here the whole time, just give him a very gental pull the direction you want to go and he'll turn for you. When you're ready to go kick your heels into his side but not too hard and just once. Most training uses one kick per gait or speed more kicks equals more speed. But let's stay at a walk for now."

[Otomo Nobuko]

"One kick per speed," she repeated, stuttering a little as her hands clenched around the reigns once his hand left hers. Gosh his hand were so big and could probably hold both of hers at once if he wanted...

No! Focus!

"And pull to turn," she added, nodding firmly. Then she took a deep breath and tapped her heels against the side of the horse as if she were merely trying to shake some dust off her shoes.

The horse flicked its ears back like it had been buzzed by an annoying fly, it's tail swishing up in reaction. But otherwise... it stayed right where it was.

"...did I not kick properly, Ichiro-san?"

[Moto Ichiro]

"You have the theory of it but you need to give it a bit more power, horses are hardy animals it'll be hard for you to hurt him just give the kick a little more power and you should be good." he said with an encouraging smile his own hand tingling a little remembering how soft hers were. "One more time."

[Otomo Nobuko]

She didn't want to hurt it... but then again... it clearly hadn't felt her first attempt. And if it was true they were hardy and could take a little more effort... And why wouldn't it be true? Ichiro said so and he was the Unicorn, grew up around horses, and rode them in quite a dashing fashion.

Another deep breath and this time she 'clicked' her heels against the side of the horse a bit harder. The horse jumped forward half a step in reaction (or, at least, felt like it did) before it started to walk at that same easy pace it had before, dottering along placidly. She remained upright in the saddle, a bit stiffer since she had the reigns in her hands, but she was doing pretty well all told for a first time rider.

After several feet, she attempted to pull one rein to one side and was met with resistance. Nobuko laid the opposite rein down on the neck to try an pull a little harder and the horse moved as if trying to turn away from the one on it's neck...

"Oh! I made it turn!" she exclaimed, excitedly looking over at Ichiro.

[Moto Ichiro]

The unicorn boy nodded "yes good job, we might make a battle maiden out of you yet." He said walking beside her. His tone was neutral but if she looked into his eyes there would be a twinkle of mirth there.

[Otomo Nobuko]

"I think I shall leave that to those born to the blood of Shinjo-Kami," she laughed. This was one of those full-bodied ones she rarely allowed herself in public. Though they were hardly in public, were they?

She pulled back on the reins as she had seen him do and brought the horse to a stop. Then she sat for a second, turning to look at him, "Would you help me down so that I might practice getting back up? It feels rather high and I would not want to fall out of my seat without someone to catch me."

[Moto Ichiro]

He smiled at her laugh, it was a pleasant thing he hadn't heard before. He hoped he'd be able to hear it again.

Ichiro paused at her request but only for a split second, he swallowed a little but nodded "Of course, I suppose that really is the most basic part of riding." he said with a small chuckle "Just take your away foot out of the stirrup and swing it around holding onto the saddle and use your arms and legs to gently set down. Basically the reverse of getting on. I'm right here to catch you if you fall."

[Otomo Nobuko]

The reverse of getting on. As if it were that easy.

She placed her hands on the saddle and leaned forward, then slowly swung her leg back over the saddle. At that point she was mostly laying out across the back of the horse and trying not to slip down.

"'Should I let myself fall... slowly?"

[Moto Ichiro]

Ichiro nodded slowly getting slightly distracted and then cleared his throat realizing she couldn't see him he said "y-Yes Nobuko-san let yourself down slowly I'm here to get you." he said and placed a hand lightly on her side so she could feel him there and know he would make sure she was ok.

[Otomo Nobuko]

She took a deep breath, feeling a bit centered when his hand came to rest on her side. Not so much flustered by it, either, as it was very grounding when she couldn't see the ground. With one foot still in the stirrup, she started to slide downward, until her other food just grazed the dirt beneath them. Then she released herself to land firmly before bringing the other foot down.

Nobuko let out the breath she had held and leaned her forehead against the saddle.

"Yes, I think I will need to practice that a few more times."

[Moto Ichiro]

Ichiro chuckled "it can be hard to get used to, they make steps for mounting and dismounting to help shorter people do it more easily but i think its good to figure out how to do it without that in case you need to get on or off in a hurry." He explained and noticed he hadn't let go of her side and his hand quickly shot back to his own side.

"Think thats enough for today or do you want to continue?"

[Otomo Nobuko]

"I think I should like to practice the mounting and dismounting a bit more," she said, keeping her face turned away from him and toward the saddle, where her hands brushed against the cloth as if smoothing it of wrinkles that did not exist. Better he not see her face so red from the blush that colored it before she had exerted herself enough she could blame it on that instead.

"If you would not mind staying with me while I do so?"

[Moto Ichiro]

he shook his head "course not, I'm here until you decide you don't want me around anymore." he said with a chuckle

[Otomo Nobuko]

"That could be a while," she murmured, unable to stop herself from grinning in the moment.

But then... to work. She did want to learn. Not just spend time with him.

/Scene?

[Moto Ichiro]

"we'll see about that." he said grinning back before they indeed got back to it.

/scene!