victory_road | July Catch All

Shrike considers that for a moment or so.

"Maybe it's because you keep thinking about how to ride a horse or a Pokémon when you're riding a bike that it's hard?"

You know, going in with the wrong set of expectations and all.

"Ah." That actually has Dimitri pause a moment, one foot mid-rise as it had been going to brace against one of his peddles. "Perhaps that may be a good part of it... I know in my head, of course, that it is quite a different matter entirely, with no small amount of reminders for it all..."

Like having to move his own legs rather than just keep them securely in place.

"But I suppose there is a part of my brain that was still thinking of such things." He smiles over to Shrike. "Thank you, that is something I can better keep an eye on! You are always so thoughtful."

Boy this sure is a lot of praise and compliments and such in a short span of time. Shrike isn't at all sure how to respond at this point.

"O-oh, um." Wait this is one of those manners things Sandalphon drilled into his head back when he was still here. "You're welcome?"

Unfortunately for Shrike (or maybe definitely fortunately), Dimitri is the kind of person to lavish compliments on those he cares about whenever he can get away with it. And Shrike makes that very easy to do.

But for now, Dimitri focuses on getting back onto the bike, and tries to focus purely on the fact that it's a bike. Something that is all up to him. He was already doing well enough until he tried to do anything but a straight line...

Fortunately, he kicks off decently once again, and manages to not crash into a bush. Progress! He goes to look to Shrike to smile, only too immediately start wobbling because - shoot - hold on he's got this under control again.

"Uh--it's easier to keep your balance if you don't stop? And if you do have to stop, you can just put a foot on the ground..."

Don't mind him being That Guy who seems able to just balance on the bike regardless. Apparently spending a couple years living in the mountains and climbing cliffs and trees helps with your sense of balance, or something.

"Hold on - I know, just - ah!" There he goes, he's gotten right again! He should be fine from now! Probably.

"I wonder - hm - do you think they would have made ways to make it stop without the foot?"

"Oh, I mean--if you stop, you put your foot on the ground to not fall over. To slow down or stop you squeeze the levers on the handlebars."

Did... did Dimitri somehow not know any of this prior to hopping onto the bike?

"Oh, yes - I knew - hold on." Hold on, he's - got it! He's put his foot down without toppling over this time! Dimitri struggles just a moment, to make sure nothing happens, before he loos up.

"So that's what those levers are for! I did not dare touch them, for fear of breaking something."

He's really doing remarkably well for someone who didn't realize how to break like that.

Edited 2023-09-05 10:41 (UTC)

"I think as long as it's not one of those weird weekends it's fine..."

Shrike is, after all, also acquainted with the whole being strong enough to accidentally break things bit.

"Though you still don't want to squeeze too hard at once I guess, if you're going pretty fast."

Nothing like a lot of momentum suddenly being stopped all at once!

Fortunately, Dimitri is more than familiar with the simple logic of physics, and he chuckles a bit. "Yes, I can imagine how badly that would go, especially on a road such as this. But - I understand the idea, yes."

And he's just going to slowly... slowly.... ease into a break just to make sure he has it down before he really needs it.

"It is nice - that they made such brakes so easily available even on the handles."

"I think it's because a lot of people use bikes here?"

Oops, nerd mode has been activated.

"There's so many different kinds, even ones that look really similar can be different, so that means people use them enough to want all those different things, right?"

There's nothing which doesn't make sense in Shrike's words, and Dimitri does his best to listen to them, even as he focuses on keeping in a straight line now that he has balance perfectly set.

"Indeed - even simply going down this road, I have seen many people with all sorts of colors, and things that look different in some way!" He hasn't been able to get a close look or anything for obvious reasons, but still. "Is there anything you would like on your bike in particular, Shrike?"

Shrike already had a chance to look at the options back when Sandalphon insisted on getting bikes to travel faster. Again, in winter.

That said, that question sure is one way to derail the nerd talk.

"Oh, um, I don't know?" He never really thought much about it. "As long as it works it's fine..."

"Well, I suppose I cannot argue with the- ah - the efficiency of such thoughts." Dimitri is much the same way, he supposes, although his preferences are a bit stronger when it comes to actual living steeds.

"But there's nothing about them that you think would make things easier for you as a rider...?"

"I think I'd need to ride more? I mean, it's hard to tell what's easier or not if you haven't done something or not..."

Especially since the kid already has a great sense of balance, which is typically the hardest part of bike-riding for most. How unfair is that?

"Then the good news is that it seems as though we will be riding much in the next day!" Dimitri says cheerfully. "So by the end of the journey, I would be glad to hear your thoughts!"

Maybe, if he actually gets any ideas... it could be a nice gift for the winter season.

Or Dimitri will simply get right back into woodcarving intensively, as usual.

He might... or he might not. Shrike can appreciate the convenience of a bike in some instances, but the appeal of the thrill of riding is somewhat lost on him.

Or maybe he just needs to be introduced to proper mountain biking.

"Okay."

Of course, fancy foods and sweets he's never had before always go over well, though his favorite may remain peppermint bark anyway.

July Catch All - Closed

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