video; un: weishappened

[weisshappened]

Type: Video
Sender ID: weishappened (Davrin)
To: All
Subject: Horse Training
Warnings: N/A


[The video is of a rocky shoreline, under a grey autumn sky. A small handful of the demon horses can be seen grazing on washed up seaweed.]

[Davrin slowly lowers the camera back down, turning it to face himself. Both he and Assan the griffon, are perched on a couple rocks higher up. Out of immediate view of the horses.]

I know we're supposed to be gathering clippings from these things but... call me crazy.

[Assan lifts his head from where he'd had it balanced on his foreclaws, looking skeptical.]

- Not you. [Then back to the camera.] Anybody tried maybe... taming one of them?

[They're no halla, but maybe it'd be a good idea to have a horse around for land-based travel.]

Comments

[weisshappened]

[Davrin holds his hands up.] I didn't make the decision. I'm just the messenger.

[This guy sure is... he's something. Davrin hasn't seen anything - anyone - like him before.]

If it helps, apparently, the guy who tamed one was a... [This is almost painful to say.] Vampire. So you might fit right in. Who knows? Right now, I'm just trying to get them used to seeing me as scenery - not a threat.

[laminitis]

[A crackly little laugh, and he swats a hand through the air to dismiss the thought.]

[One eyebrow arcs nearly off his head and he whistles.] Getting some spicier types out here finally! If ya want some extra weird scenery, you can holler at me, once they get used to you bein' out there.

[weisshappened]

Probably need to, down the road. I'm more familiar with other animals, but I hear you've got to get horses used to all kinds of unexpected things.

Like... holding cats up to them or cloaks. Spook them just a little so they get used to it. Maybe we can have you pop out of a barrel.

[laminitis]

[His entire body wiggles as his tail proceeds to wag in a slow circuit behind him.]

They're big and weird shaped so a lot of stuff freaks them out, I guess? Like cats with cucumbers. I think sound is a big factor, and they can't see red or green like humans do, so I'm probably a good next level of things to test their spook. [A beat.] Or, well. Normal Earth horses, at least. Dunno if these have different traits.

[weisshappened]

Not sure - I know horses are prey animals. That tends to make any creature very, very aware of their surroundings... anything's a threat. Even a bag, or a hat.

[That's why he likes halla so much. They're smarter than horses.]

I'm doing a lot of guesswork here. They might not have the same instinct - theirs might be more fight than flight.

[laminitis]

[A slight frown-- just barely visible on his face.] Yeah, that does tend to be how it goes.

[As something of a "prey animal" himself, Blitzø realizes maybe this is part of why he likes horses so much.]

Either way, I volunteer for whatever y'need. I'm an assassin for hire so I've probably had worse than some trampling, but I like horses, so whether it's fight or flight they aim for, I'm not bothered.

[weisshappened]

[He almost asks if this guy is a horseman, but uhhhh. Maybe a different phrase.]

You have a lot of experience with horses?

[ - and then the brakes slam on.]

An assassin?

[laminitis]

[A different sort of frown, where he's thinking about the question.]

Nnnot so much experience as I just like 'em? I grew up in a circus and we had some, but it's been a while since I've had active experience.

[He tilts his head.] Yyyeah, that'd be what I said. That a problem?

[weisshappened]

Fair enough.

[But then...]

Killing people for money never struck me as a decent profession. [To say the least.] Just a fancy way of saying somebody's a murderer.

[Somewhere Lucanis is slowly beating his head into a wall. Davrin may have gotten over this for that particular assassin... but someone he's just met makes the feeling come rushing back.]

[laminitis]

[He sticks his tongue out, thoughtful, and then shrugs one shoulder, tipping his head into the gesture.]

Never claimed to be decent, but even shitty people have bills to pay. Nevermind that I'm from Hell so it's not exactly a paragon of decency in the first place.

[weisshappened]

So do something else.

It's just murder with a fancy title.

[We are so sorry for his attitude -]

[laminitis]

[He laughs-- a loud, brassy honk of sound, not quite mocking but nearly.] Oh that's-- that's funny, that you think I care about the morality of my job. No, no I don't think I will, I worked hard to make my business what it is. Though, if it helps you sleep at night, I haven't killed anybody in a little over a year since gettin' here.

[He's honestly not bothered, he has zero problem with being a killer for hire or with people who disagree, really. It is, in fact, murder! He's just not gonna be handing out gold stars for that awareness..., Really, his attitude is no better, just in a different direction.]

[weisshappened]

Yeah, well, good for you. A break in the murder business.

And, I mean, clearly, you don't care, otherwise you wouldn't be doing it.

[Even Assan is looking exasperated in the background. As much as a griffon can. Clearly, he'd thought his guardian was done with this whole thing.]

[laminitis]

[His mouth pulls crooked in a grin, and he waves a hand sort of flippantly.] I'm gonna cut you some slack for talking like you know anything about where I'm from, mmkay? The morality you're touting doesn't really apply to me.

[He shares a meaningful glance to Assan, but overall seems amused.] You got a name?