[open] Autumn Catch-All Post

[iustise]

Who: Lord John Grey + OPEN
When: September, October
Where: Horizon
What: Open Horizon prompt; as Abraxas recovers from the rift damage, John's Horizon domain is open for visitors
Warnings: none atm, will update as needed!

Comments

[iustise]

Lord John raises a hand in greeting to Adora as she calls out to him. His domain is still fairly newly constructed, and therefore he does not have very many regular visitors. He has left the borders open for guests, however, welcoming them here as much as he would if he were back home.

"Good afternoon!" Lord John greets her, striding up the walk her way. Gustav trots along merrily beside him, letting out a short bark -- his own form of greeting. "Welcome to London. In a manner of speaking."

He offers a crooked smile, turning to glance up at the building in question for a moment before he asks, bashfully, "I do not suppose you have clubs, where you are from...?"

[youmiscalculated]

She's automatically making heart eyes at Gustav, John has become secondary. She wants to pet the animals she's literally never seen before, so badly that she's almost bouncing on her toes. But still, she manages to contain herself. Barely.

"I'm not from a planet anyone has heard of called Etheria. There, a club is a good weapon if you can't find anything else. But not something I would go for, I'd rather punch someone." She can't help it anymore and finally looks at Gustav again.

"What is that?"

She's asking a lot of questions, but there's a lot to know and she makes no apologies.

[iustise]

Lord John glances down toward the dog, who unashamedly wiggles at Adora in return.

"Ah," he says, a smile tugging at his lips in reply to the question. "This is Gustav. My dog. He is a special breed from Prussia, gifted to me by a dear friend of mine, designed to hunt badgers, however..."

Gustav dances happily in place, waiting for someone to pay him further attention.

"He is just as happy to spend his life like this, as a companion here in the city."

[youmiscalculated]

Adora can't stand it anymore, she has to drop to her knees and she immediately reaches out. She has no idea what a dog is, but she does exactly what any animal lover would do and immediately makes friends with Gustav. Her voice goes up to a higher pitch, and John has disappeared completely. Prussia, badgers, none of that makes sense to her, but she has a new soulmate. Somewhere in there, she asks Gustav if he can talk (obviously he can't fly, there are no wings), and when she gets no answer, she tells him it's okay, she'll talk to him anyway.

It's only when she finally stops laughing, the sound dying down like a quiet tinkle that she looks up and sees Lord John again. Blushing furiously, she clears her throat and stands again.

"So, a dog you called him? Are all dogs like this one, or are there different kinds, like with horses?"

[iustise]

Gustav is happy to be greeted in such a way, wagging his tail at her in such a way that his whole body joins in on the wiggle, reaching forward to lick the hand that is offered to pet him as she approaches. If her face comes close enough to the ground and his reach, she will definitely get licked as well.

John stands by and watches the interaction with a fond smile on his face, both for the dog and for the simple joy that the young woman seems to have for the creature. It's okay, Adora. He loves Gustav just as much himself.

"A dog, yes. A dackel, or dachshund, depending on who you ask," Lord John confirms. "And no, this one is... Quite unique, as far as dogs are concerned." He pauses, cocking his head to the side before hesitating to ask, "Have you... Never encountered a dog before, my dear?"

[youmiscalculated]

Shaking her head, she keeps one hand down so she can keep rubbing Gustav behind the ears.

"We don't have an animal like this on my planet that I've ever seen. Horses, yes. Dogs, apparently no." But they make her very happy apparently, and now she wants one. It would look exactly like Gustav though, because it's the only one she's ever seen.

"I have a talking, flying unicorn, though."

[iustise]

John does his best to keep his surprise at that -- a talking, flying unicorn... -- of of his face. He has seen some strange things even here in this place, and if she says they have it in her world, then it must be true. Even so...

"Well," he says, doing his best. "Gustav here is somewhat less -- dog-shaped than others. But he is still a loyal friend."

He flicks the girl a smile. "Do you like animals? We might go to the back of the house to visit with Karolus, my horse, if you are interested?"

[youmiscalculated]

"I love animals, all animals. I miss Swift Wind so much. But...wait, could I make him here?"

No one told her she could make animals, and it's only now that it's clicking into place that obviously John's dog is in the Horizon so he must not be real real.

"And yes please! There's no such thing as a horse I don't want to meet." Ever since she saw her first three years ago, she's been obsessed. "Where I lived most of my life, there wasn't anything alive. No plants, no animals. We lived inside a crashed ship. The space kind, not the ocean kind."

[iustise]

John has no idea who Swift Wind is but he has a feeling this might be the unicorn creature she spoke of.

As to the rest of it -- no he's not going to ask.

"I am... Still not certain I understand the Horizon myself," he admits. "However it is my understanding that it -- appreciates your creativity. The more you customize your domain, the better. I am not sure where, in truth, the boundaries of that creativity lie. But I was able to recreate Gustav and Karolus, so..."

He offers her something of a shrug, before gesturing toward the back of the house.

"Come," he says. "The stables are this way."