pontmercyfriend | Before the world dies at my door, I'll break the sky.

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courfeyrac

Before the world dies at my door, I'll break the sky.

Somehow, Marius gets it in his head that he wants to venture out horseback riding. If he's honest with himself, he doesn't know where this urge comes from, but having a rare Friday off, he finds himself indulging said urge. And as it has proven a criminal amount of time since he's last had an adventure with his best friend, Marius invites Courfeyrac along without a second thought.

He waits for his friend at the stables, watching the instructor, a lovely young woman that will, no doubt, appeal to Courfeyrac's tendency to flirt with every attractive woman he happens upon, as she grooms one of the seemingly younger mares in one of the rings. She'd already assured Marius that she looked forward to taking them out to the best trails in the countryside; he smiles, breathing in the country air and delighting in this reprieve from the city, for the moment.

Running a hand through his usual, tousled hair, as he leans against the fence, Marius catches sight of himself in the mirror of a puddle by his feet. Against the increase in his freckles thanks to the season, the love marks on his neck stand out more prominently; he flushes, but he smiles at the sight. Though he knows such alterations to his appearance will draw even more teasing remarks from Courfeyrac than usual, Marius finds himself welcoming such commentary.

He glances up again when he thinks he hears footsteps approaching. Pulling himself off from the fence, he waves and heads towards where he thinks he spies his best friend.

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Courfeyrac looks horrified - or would, if the expression were not marred by a distinctively playful twinkle in his eyes. “What sort of brute do you think I am, Pontmercy? You speak as though I intend to pounce upon her the moment we meet. Women like to be charmed, and that takes time.” He winks. “But you will introduce us, won’t you?"

Courfeyrac attempts to look put out, but Marius knows well enough the familiar twinkle in his eyes by now. He manages to refrain from rolling his own eyes; a talent cultivated from years of observing Combeferre with Courfeyrac. "Courfeyrac," Marius says, trying not to smile at his friend's blatant enthusiasm. "I do know you, after all. You're not so much a patient man, especially when it comes to beautiful women."

As they approach Violet, who walks toward them to meet them halfway, Marius gives in to the urge to smile.

"Of course I'll introduce you," he promises.

“Ah, but I am a strategic one,” Courfeyrac insists, his blinding smile returning in full force as they approach the woman in question. “I swear to you, my friend, no matter how charming she is, I will not so readily ruin our outing - and my chances.”

He switches to English for the sake of the woman in question. “Ah, mademoiselle, Marius tells me you will be our guide this afternoon? It is entirely my pleasure."

Edited 2015-09-05 15:40 (UTC)

"That, I will grant you," Marius admits as Violet approaches, looking every bit as well-versed in nature and horses from the stains prominent throughout her clothes. "You do know how to bide your time with the fairer sex."

"Oui," Violet answers with a playful sparkle to her eyes. "And you must be monsieur Courfeyrac? Marius has told me something about you." Her tone of voice is such that leaves plenty of room for interpretation, for however Courfeyrac sees fit. Marius has to stifle a chuckle at the scene. "I assure you, the pleasure is all mine."

"Now," she says, gesturing for them to follow her. "If you two will follow me, I will lead you to your horses. Courfeyrac, you shall be riding Paladin today. Marius, you'll be with Pikachu."

“Alors, has he been spreading rumors about me already?” Courfeyrac winks at his friend. Marius, he learned long ago, is incapable of intentionally saying a bad word about anyone. The way the woman is smiling certainly confirms Courfeyrac’s suspicion that Marius has only said good things about him.

“We follow your lead, Violette.” Falling in step beside Marius as Violet takes them to the horses, he causally puts his hands in his pockets and shoots his friend an amused look. Pikachu? he mouths - for surely that is the most absurd name for a horse he has ever heard. Thank goodness both were not named so ridiculously.

"Only good things, I assure you," Violet remarks with a grin and a wink, taking everything in stride. Marius gives Courfeyrac both a pointed look and a slight rolling of his eyes, as if to say, 'I told you so.' As much as he might ridicule Courfeyrac for his flirtatious ways, but he could never actually speak seriously ill of him to anyone, lest of all to a kindly woman who is providing them with the favor of her company today.

Marius shakes his head as Courfeyrac mouths to him, blushing faintly as he does so. Of course, his dear friend winds up with the elegantly named companion and he winds up with a stallion named Pikachu.

"Here we are then," Violet leads them into the ring outside, where three horses await them. "Paladin is this one here, and Pikachu is that lovely brown one over there."

Marius' eyes threaten to pop out of his own head when he sees his horse. Tall, broad, and exceedingly stamping his foot in between snorts, he seems eager to be out of the containment of the ring. Marius visibly gulps.

"Jesu, are you certain it is safe for me to ride this creature?"

Though a lovely looking beast in his own right, Paladin is positively demure in comparison. Courfeyrac strokes his stallion’s nose as he eyes his friend and the mount he must tame. “The name does not quite suit, does it?” he observes with obvious amusement, though he has no inkling of precisely how ridiculous the name is for the creature. Courfeyrac only knows that anything called Pikachu should be sweet and childlike, surely. By the look of him, Marius had assumed the same.

“Baron Marius Pontmercy, I have seen you stare down Paris’ best national guardsmen. You will not be frightened off by an equine.”

Surreptitiously, he winks at Violet.

"I admit, I don't know the origin of a name like 'Pikachu,' but it seems a bit small for this creature," Marius muses, gradually creeping closer to the unnervingly tall horse he's expected to ride. Slowly, he offers his hand to the horse to sniff. Pikachu eyes him warily at first, but he does condescend to sniff him, before deciding that the hem of his shirt looks much more interesting. Before Marius knows it, the horse is chewing on his shirt. He attempts to smile and back away at the same time. Pikachu follows.

"You've never heard of Pikachu, really?" Violet gives them both an arched eyebrow as she moves to help Marius out. "Where are you two from, the nineteenth century?"

"Something like that," Marius says, with a sly smile to Courfeyrac. "But really," she assures him. "He's a sweetheart. He just likes to eat everything in sight."

Marius gulps. Courfeyrac does have a point there. "I suppose you are right."

“Perhaps while we are riding, you can grace us with the tales of the great Pikachu, and how this beast came to earn such a title,” Courfeyrac suggests playfully. Based on Violet’s reaction, he suspects that they are right about the name’s diminutive origins. He flashes a grin, and then faces his own horse, hesitating ever-so-briefly. Now he must confront the fact that he has not sat upon a horse in a dozen years, and must do so without entirely embarrassing himself.

Choosing, as ever, to face his predicament head-on, Courfeyrac puts his unscuffed boot into the stirrup and levers himself up - or, at the very least, attempts to. Lacking the proper momentum, he is unable to get his leg over, and ends up clutching the saddle with his foot still caught in the stirrup.

“Putain."

"I would be glad to," Violet says with a laugh and a shake of her head. Her entire ease at the situation reminds Marius of Courfeyrac, actually; he manages to stop fidgeting as Pikachu gnaws on his shirt, bringing his hand to start stroking the back of the creature's neck. Pikachu makes a noise that seems to indicate satisfaction at such attentions, so he continues. "Pikachu is a horse of many tales."

Marius bursts out laughing at Courfeyrac's sudden predicament, as Violet makes her way over to him.

"Need some help there?" She lifts an eyebrow at him before glancing back at Marius. "And don't laugh yet. You still have your own mount to ride."

Marius immediately stops laughing, watching Pikachu once more with apprehension.

Courfeyrac might have his pride, but he also knows when he has been bested. “I would be quite glad for your help, mademoiselle.” He takes the hand she offers, and allows her to help him return to the ground. Then he lets her lever him up, this time succeeding in mounting the horse. The animal, meanwhile, continues to stand placidly. Courfeyrac wonders if he should not have asked for a more spirited beast.

As soon as he settles into the saddle, Courfeyrac is full of contented cockiness once again. “You are a miracle worker, cherie,” he tells Violet, who looks none impressed with her upgraded diminutive. “Now, why don’t you help our poor friend over there?”

He winks at Marius.

Marius doesn't miss the eyeroll Violet sneaks in after she helps Courfeyrac mount his horse. Clearly, Courfeyrac's usual flattery will not win this woman over so easily. And he can't help but feel just a bit of envy for the way Courfeyrac's horse remains so still, even as Courfeyrac nearly makes a fool of himself on it.

Marius doesn't even bother hiding his eye rolling in response to Courfeyrac's winking.

"Thank you, mademoiselle," he tells Violet as she moves to assist him in climbing up and settling upon Pikachu, who snorts again and stamps one hoof in response. He gulps; he can feel his stomach rolling about.

"Well then, monsieurs," Violet addresses them with a teasing arch of her eyebrow before gracefully mounting her own ride. "Are we ready to ride then?"

Courfeyrac’s eyes twinkle in reply, inclined, as always, to assume that chere Violet is laughing with them, not at them. He tugs on the reigns, pleased when his horse responds - and never mind that the beast is likely trained to follow its leader, not its rider. “We are indeed.” He grins at his companion. “Do not look so distressed, Marius. I do not think Pikachu will defeat you today."

Marius doesn't need to see himself to know that he's blushing; he can feel the warmth of it on his cheeks. Already, he's preparing for whatever embarrassments seem inevitable to follow on this ride. "I'll let Pikachu decide that," he says, grateful that he at least manages to sound dignified in response.

"Follow me," Violet calls over her shoulder, beginning to lead them out of the barn.

Marius gently presses his heels into Pikachu's sides and holds on the reins.

So, naturally, Pikachu sets off at a gallop.

To Courfeyrac’s credit, he stares in genuine horror after his friend for a good five seconds before he bursts into laughter. “Ah, mon Dieu- Alors, nique ta mere-“ he swears in two or three other languages, cheerfully flabbergasted, and then looks to his guide with wide eyes. “Was that meant to happen?” And then, “Will he be all right? By God, leave it to Marius…” He chuckles again. “Oh dear."

His own placid horse takes advantage of the halt to nibble on some grass.

"Pikachu is a, er. Rather more sensitive horse than most," Violet explains with a shrug. "That's kind of why I thought he'd be a fit for your friend there."

Marius is petrified. The first thought he manages, as he clings to dear life to his horse, is a prayer for his own life, tethered as it currently is to the whims of an excited horse. "Help?" He calls out, in between cursing in three different languages. He doesn't have to look back to know that Courfeyrac is laughing at him, which, as indignant as it makes Marius feel, is also oddly comforting.

"Hold on, freckles, I've got you!" Violet shouts, instantly galloping up to his side. "Pikachu, whoa!"

Pikachu snorts, and shakes his head, but eventually slows down and halts. Marius, white as a sheet, refuses to stop clinging to the back of the horse's neck.

"Thank you, mademoiselle," he tells her reverently, as though she's just saved his life.

He turns back to look at Courfeyrac. "And thank you for your concern back there!"

“Bah, I knew you could handle yourself!” Much to Courfeyrac’s chagrin, his own horse follows its leader with a careful plod, but he is grinning as he joins Violet and Marius. “And here you are! What did I have to worry about?”

He winks at Violet. Freckles. He’ll have to remember that one.

"Thank you for that vote of confidence," Marius grumbles, finding himself a tad grumpy after nearly falling off his horse. The sort of petulant grumpiness he tries not to indulge in when he can help it, but that always flares up after certain sorts of disappointments. "Oh, I don't know. Possibly me losing a limb or two."

Blessedly, he finds himself calming down as their horses begin a gentle pace towards what looks like some sort of trail in the woods. The fresh air, and airing of his grievances, does Marius good.

He doesn't miss that wink, either.

"I suppose that's what you'll be calling me now, is it?" He asks, his tone much less mullish than before.

Well acquainted with Marius’ moods, Courfeyrac waits out his friend’s grumbling without ribbing or complaint. As they set out down the path, he begins to whistle quietly under his breath, tipping his head up slightly to enjoy the blue sky and bright sun. He might be a city boy at heart, but the unpredictable wildness of the countryside has an appeal to him, certainly. At least in small doses.

He raises his brows innocently at his companion. “Well, Monsieur le Abbe no longer suits you. I was in the market for a new nom de guerre.”

Much to Courfeyrac’s growing dismay, his horse appears to be much more poorly named. Where Pikachu is all nerves, Paladin plods sensibly along, head drooping slightly. “Le bon Dieu,” Courfeyac sighs, half laughing, “have you given me an old soldier, Violette? Our brave knight seems to have lost some of its vigor.”

As though aware he has been insulted, Paladin stops abruptly. Laughing again, Courfeyrac gives the horse a swift kick in the sides.

“Don’t-“ He barely hears Violet’s protest, for the horse bucks in response, sending Courfeyrac tumbling to the ground.

Marius gradually relaxes as they begin to head out into the countryside in earnest. Courfeyrac's whistling lends a sense of whimsy to the blue sky above and the clear air around them. Marius feels his shoulders sink as the tension and fear of a few moments earlier finally begin to leave him. He even manages to pet Pikachu without offending the creature; indeed, the horse snorts and tosses his head back in what Marius assumes is a gesture of thanks.

Marius blushes at Courfeyrac's remark, but the pink on his cheeks is decidedly less vibrant than it was before, and he manages to meet Courfeyrac's gaze head on. "I don't suppose I get any say in this new nom de guerre, do I?"

Marius is in the midst of rolling his eyes at his friend's antics when Paladin suddenly bucks and Courfeyrac is tumbling to the ground.

"Mon dieu, Courfeyrac!" Marius pales, moving in a hurry to get out of his saddle to check on his friend.

Naturally, he trips over his own ankle and winds up face first on the ground himself.

"Jesus," Violet says, shaking her head as she comes to both of their aid. "I did warn you."

It is, perhaps, a strange sort of luck that Courfeyrac gripped his horse’s reigns only lazily, and so only slides from the saddle at the first shake, instead of being thrown head over heels. Still, falling off a horse isn’t pleasant, and the young man groans and swears as he pushes himself to his hands and knees. His head rings, and the side of his body that took the impact aches, and his new clothes are a disaster. When Marius comes to his aide, he clutches at his friend’s hand and lets him pull him to wobbly feet. “Ill-behaved mule,” he quips with a grin, wheezing a chuckle.

“Well, well. That was…unexpected."

Marius is covered in dirt by now himself, and he can feel his lip bleeding from where it hit the ground. At the sight of Courfeyrac, however, and his entirely ruined new outfit, he can't help but laugh, even as he helps his friend up. "I think your horse disapproves of your fashion choices," he says. Not that he has any room to talk, with how utterly country he must look himself.

"I told you," Violet says, shaking her head as she checks them both to make sure they're all right. "Are you boys ready to get back in the saddle then?"

"Yes," Marius says, a tad ruefully. He manages to clamber on to Pikachu to a much more successful result, this time.

“Oh, now who’s finding merriment in his friend’s troubles,” Coufeyrac complains, though he continues to beam quite cheerfully for a man who has just been thrown from a horse. Laughing, he brushes himself off, and then brushes dust and mud from Marius shoulders, before turning his grin on Violet. He offers a cheerful salute. “Ready to proceed, cherie!"

"I take my amusement where I can find it, thank you very much," Marius informs Courfeyrac, grinning in spite of his bleeding lip. He almost protests Courfeyrac brushing dirt from his shoulders, before resigning himself and letting his shoulders sag beneath his friend's attentions. He tries to imagine the warm bath that awaits him once this adventure finishes.

"Well, if you boys are done rolling around in the mud now, I can finally lead you on the trail," Violet says, rolling her eyes, but in a way that clearly displays weary affection. Marius interprets this as a good sign.

Inclined to treat everything as a good sign, whether or not he should, Courfeyrac salutes again and returns to his horse. The creature blinks innocently at him, but Rene will no longer be so easily led astray. “I will be watching you, Paladin,” he informs the old stallion solemnly, though Paladin seems not at all impressed. “Marius, give me a hand, my dear fellow. Violet has requested no more rolling in the mud, and I would not want to disappoint her.”

From time to time, Courfeyrac does learn from his mistakes.

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