[Comm] Flying Through Hoops

"Glimmer, through the hoops, not - oh, shit!" Astro had started to chase after his wayward chirop as the little winged imp flew away from the course, but before he'd taken two steps, his foot caught on a stray discarded leash nearby, sending him face-first towards the ground. "Ow," he groaned softly, turning his head so it wasn't pressed directly into the leash.

He heard a series of worried chirps and looked up to see Glimmer fluttering around nearby, clearly worried for his caretaker. Despite himself, Astro couldn't help but smile - the little guy cared after all! And even though he'd been struggling to get the imp to complete the hoop course correctly, he always came back to him in the end.

Astro pushed himself up slowly, deciding as he did that maybe he could just try this from a sitting position for a bit instead. Much less dangerous, he thought to himself, cursing his clumsiness as he drew his feet up and crossed his legs. His chirop landed on his knee and trilled inquisitively, little wings nearly vibrating from the sound. "Yeah, Glimmer," he told him, "I really gotta get used to grabbing my cane before I go chasing off after you…or, well, before I do anything, really. I already trip over my own feet half the time when there's nothing else on the ground, even. But I'm fine! I'm fine. Don't worry about me, little guy." He smiled, reaching out to scratch the imp under his chin - or the best approximation of one, he figured. Still, Glimmer seemed to enjoy it, fluffing out happily and purring as Astro gave him scritches.

Deciding to keep staying seated for a bit, he held up an imp treat for Glimmer, shaking it as the little imp flapped his wings and took to the air again excitedly. "Okay! Look at me, Glimmer!" He pointed to the hoop course he'd set up, hoping that maybe his chirop would go the right way this time. "Hoops!" If he flew through just one, Astro decided, he'd consider it a win.

Unfortunately, the imp had other plans, as he had every other time today too. Glimmer took off in a looping flight, straight for the other end of the park. Astro sighed heavily, pushing himself up to his knees and, this time, remembering to grab his cane before going after his pet.

He made his way across the park to the tree where Glimmer had flown to, reaching up as the chirop launched himself off the branch and back into his arms. Making sure he was settled in the crook of his arm, Astro started back across to their blanket and course, leaning more heavily on his cane as he did and taking his time lest his awkward feet cause another fall for the both of them this time. He tossed himself back down once he got there with a little oof, though much more controlled on his descent back to the ground. Glimmer stayed in his arms, chirping softly and nuzzling against him. Astro had to wonder if the little imp was simply seeking out the treats he'd hidden in his pockets, but…

Surely not, he decided. Glimmer was one of his more affectionate imps, after all. He petted the chirop's rounded little head, smiling as he responded by pushing his head even more insistently under his fingers.

They spent a few minutes like that, sitting together calmly and just bonding. Hutch had taught him that sometimes, when imps just weren't getting something, you needed to take a break - as much for yourself as for them, he remembered them saying. The imp picks up on the owner's frustration, Astro thought, hearing it in their voice, soft but gently chiding. And they were right, he had to admit. So he stretched out, unfolding his legs to relax for a bit in the park. It was a lovely day, after all, and he'd barely even noticed how much so, he'd been so absorbed in their training session. He glanced up, watching a wild corvat flying overhead as he kept petting Glimmer absently.

The park was bustling at this time of day, but he'd managed to find a quiet corner, hoping to minimize distractions as much as possible. Other succubuns, he noticed, were engaged in training their own imps, and after a tiny freign trailing a line of wispy snow went galloping straight through the hurdles they were supposed to jump, he was secretly glad to realize that many of them were struggling just as much as he was. See? Not just you, Hutch's voice echoed in his mind, reassuring him.

After a few more minutes of relaxing and watching the goings-on around him, and Astro felt confident enough again to give the whole endeavor another shot. He took his cane in one hand again, pushing himself up slowly and awkwardly, but he made it to his feet without crashing back down, which he took as a good sign. "Okay, maybe this time-" he murmured to himself, signaling his chirop to take to the air again. He had an idea.

Digging in his pocket, he pulled out a little container, and Glimmer's attention was immediately piqued. The chirop fluttered over to him as Astro opened the mochi package he'd been saving for a special occasion. Clearly, it was quite the incentive to his pet, because the little imp started doing circles in mid-air excitedly. But Astro had a different plan. He walked to the beginning of the hoop course, waving the mochi on the other side of the first hoop - and to his delight, Glimmer dove right through the hoop, just as he'd intended. He whooped happily, letting the imp take a small bite of the sweet dessert, before moving to the next hoop and holding the treat just beyond it.

Glimmer was now catching on, and his usually lazy flying style was replaced by the determined swooping of an imp on a mission. Astro didn't try to move too quickly, fearing for his clumsiness, so he led the imp through the whole series of hoops one bite at a time, letting his pet have their full reward only after they'd finished the course. And finish it they did, together. Astro buried his face in Glimmer's little body, giving him praise and delighted kisses as the imp gobbled up his treat with equally happy little squeaks. "I - mwah! knew - mwah! you - mwah! could do it - mwah! Glimmer! mwah! Good, mwah! good - mwah! boy!" He kept peppering the chirop with kisses and praise in equal measure, delighted that his plan and training instincts had finally worked.