open | force to break, blow, burn, and make me new

[necrosaint]

WHO: Harrowhark Nongaesimus, open
WHAT: Saddling up without a saddle and other prompts.
WHEN: Late January/early February
WHERE: Cadens

at the stables
Harrow has finally achieved part one of her role in their plan to move to Libertas: she has a horse.

She has a horse who is entirely skeletal, but that doesn't mean he isn't a very good horse. He may also be purely construct and not have a mind of his own—she isn't sure where to find Spare Horse Soul to imbue the construct with—but that isn't stopping Harrow from personifying him to some extent, the same way she has many of her other constructs.

Katharos the skeletal horse has his own stall in Cadens' stables, for the time being, since shrinking him and regrowing him is quite a pain, but anyone who spends time around the stables might see Harrow at a mounting block, eyeing the situation she has built herself here. She has a skeletal horse who has no tack, meaning he's not too comfortable to ride.

She also doesn't actually know how to ride a horse.

She just managed to figure out how to make one.

Harrow and Katharos stare each other down, somehow. It's obvious he's watching her right back, even if he doesn't have eyeballs.

the horizon
For anyone who wants to visit Harrow's domain, it's always open to visitors.

Or perhaps she wanders or chases a skeletal bird into yours.

wildcard
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Comments

Stables because why not

[cryptsleeper]

The stables are a shortcut to one of the suppliers Alucard had made good use of for his graveyard project. It shaves a good five minutes of walking through narrow streets that are always too crowded, and if the exchange is the smell of horses, so be it.

Truth be told that today, he's cutting through the area to pick around the dregs of the fruit and vegetable market, when the sellers are ready to get rid of whatever they can for the day, but no matter. A short cut is a short cut, and none of the the horses have ever minded.

Except now apparently one of the horses is a skeleton, and wait.

Alucard can't help but stop, if only to confirm what he's seen out of the corner of his eye. That--

--That is sure a skeleton. Of a horse. Just standing there. Vertebrae out and everything. Which is possibly the only reason the first words out of Alucard's mouth, before consideration of anyone else even being around him, are: "You are going to be shockingly uncomfortable to ride."

[necrosaint]

The way the skeleton horse moves his head, it's as if he's tossing it about and letting out a snort—except what with being a skeleton and all, it completely fails to actually produce sound.

Then Harrow's voice fills in the void with, "Yes, I was just realizing he needs some sort of ... tack."

Her voice is racked with the bewilderment of someone who isn't sure how that works, but Alucard the graveyard keeper is someone who has earned her respect simply because of that, so Harrow isn't masking her cluelessness with pride, here.

[cryptsleeper]

"Well, yes, but I meant more--"

Alucard pauses, folding his arms across his chest. There is a diplomatic way to make the point he wants to, but how to do it and how not to offend the horse which clearly has opinions and feelings is important as well.

After a moment, he gestures at the horse's back.

"Padding. An awful lot of it, I suspect."

[necrosaint]

"Is that not what a saddle is?"

Harrow was pretty sure she had this straight. Now she is second-guessing basic principles, like how saddles work. Thankfully, she always looks paranoid at a baseline, so she doesn't look any more squinty or mildly concerned than she already did here.

Katharos the horse, who may or may not have opinions, simply raises up a leg and then sets it down. He's paying attention. At least a little. He is actually not an independently-minded construct, yet, but that doesn't mean that in everyone's hearts, he can't have opinions.

[cryptsleeper]

"Well, there is typically padding on a saddle, as well as a blanket underneath to assist, but," and at this point, there's really no being subtle. He gestures at the horse's back as politely as he can. "You can understand why I suspect you'll need more than just one blanket here if you intend to move at any distance."

It has been some time since Alucard's dealt with real horses. He's usually a wolf or a bat if he must go places, and imaginary horses in the Horizon don't count either. The last ones he deal with were in Dracula's stables, and those were a very particular breed in and of themselves. (Okay they were vampire horses.)

Katharos' movement does not escape his notice. In response, the dhampir raises his eyebrows and turns to the animated bones. "Yes?"

[necrosaint]

The way Katharos' head moves, along with the thoughtful step, it's as if he would be letting out a snort. A horse with the capacity to make sounds would be snorting here. But since he neither breathes nor has vocal chords, he simply ... is.

"Punctuating the conversation," Harrow explains the equine's actions, and pats the front of the horse's snout gently. "He has very few ways he is able to express himself, after all. I—suppose I had not considered it, since I know his ribs and spine are strong enough to hold tack and myself," and even Gideon, though Gideon's height might be a little awkward, "The fact the seat may not be all that manageable for a rider is more of an afterthought."

She squints at Katharos' spine again, then glances back at the stables.

"We'll start with a series of blankets."

This is going to be fine.

[cryptsleeper]

"Ah, I see."

And he does. The movements are deliberate and pointed, and once Alucard considers what he is seeing, so much more slides into place with the horse's behavior. He should ask for the creature's name, but that will inevitably come up in conversation.

"I might consider a pillow, just as a point of experimentation. The saddle will likely fit ill atop all the layers, but--"

Alucard thins his lips. He is not so crude as to say it's your sore ass, not mine but the thought is very much there. But--

Wait, the matter was an after thought?

"Have you done much riding before?"

[necrosaint]

Oh. Harrow hesitates, because she doesn't want to admit the truth; she hates to seem weak, or uneducated, or—anything that isn't knowing exactly what she's doing. But Gideon trusts this man, and also, it's going to go a lot better for her if she tells the truth.

All that is why she looks away (trying to do so nonchalantly) when she says, "No. None at all, actually, though I have researched the practice enough to understand how it works."

And then, "And that is probably why I hadn't considered a pillow. That would help. It may never be removed again, but if it's white it might just match him—"

[cryptsleeper]

"My father's horses were fairly aesthetic themselves," he offers, trying to make the words sound as casual and conversation as he possibly can. The fact that Harrow isn't looking him in the eyes is the reason why - someone must have miscalculated. "For now, I'd focus a little less on that and more on comfort."

It as blunt as he can get about what the real issue is going to be without being rude. That said, the dhampir lets out a soft sigh, then glances around. "Best to start finding some then. Am I wrong to think you have some control over your companions temperament?"

[necrosaint]

"No," Harrow says, unclearly, and then nods, which makes it more confusing, and then finally clarifies, "No, you are not wrong. I have no well for equine souls, so he is largely a puppet."

Though she gives Katharos a nearly fond look that is the Nonagesimus equivalent of adoration, so she is definitely personifying him to some extent. Or soulifying, really, since he is not a person.

"Were I able to find a horse graveyard, I would try to give him one, but I—think Cadens' population might object a bit more than they do to his looks." She doesn't spot any pillows at first glance, it being a stable, but her look around is caught by a pile of horse blankets. Maybe they're public use horse blankets ..?

[cryptsleeper]

"That will make traveling easier then, if you have that much say in the temperament. Far better than vampire horses, at any rate."

Vampire horses bred by Dracula are actual nightmares, aesthetics not withstanding, and only useable for half a given day. Alucard can understand why a horse like the one Harrow has in front of her deserves fondness. It is easier to love upon something that isn't going to nip and demand blood.

"In the interest of Cadens' population having some sort of a reaction to a large horse skeleton going down the streets, have you thought of a cover story?"

He has a feeling the answer is no, but Alucard would be thrilled to be proven wrong. In the meantime, he casts his eyes beyond the immediate area, assuming that there's a tack room somewhere. He's about to suggest heading over there to look, but the dhampir's keen eyes catch where Harrow's have gone.

A little borrowing never hurt anyone. Without missing a beat, he just walks right over, and scoops a few up in his arms. "If you don't mind my putting these on, you can then test the comfort levels."

augh I missed the notif for this i am sorry!!

[necrosaint]

Vampire horses gets a look more boldly curious than Harrow would normally be willing to express. She catches it quickly and schools her face back to neutral, but the mere concept of vampire horse is a little bit—well. It's intriguing and startling to Harrowhark. It might have been alarming to someone else.

"They ... have other constructs here, do they not?" Harrow isn't quite grasping at straws. She sort of thought about it. She's seen some of New Magic and what people do with technology. "He is a form of using magic to create faster methods of travel. But I think, with the way people are often fascinated by skeletal relics here, they may not actually ask."

Really she's hoping people just see her Summoned pin and smile and nod. It's the bravest she's been about her necromancy since they fled from Thorne. It's probably still true that Harrow would be better suited to Solvunn, but Gideon is so much happier where they are. The offer of assistance with the blankets is met with an accepting nod that has an appreciative undertone: "Yes, thank you."

no problems it happens and HOPEFULLY THIS WILL OFFSET ENCOURAGING DRUNK TEXTS...

[cryptsleeper]

A small, brief upturn of the lips responds to Harrow's temporary and fleeting response.  She's welcome to ask if she likes, or otherwise he'll advise that she head over to Jaskier's domain to meet the two things that the bard's let the dhampir introduce to the space.  They're absolutely ridiculous and impractical, but fun.

"That's..." he pauses, testing the explanation for a moment or two in mid blanket haul.  "Actually, I think that would work."  The part about skeletal relics is what cinches it in Alucard's mind.  The museums are chock full of the darn things, so why wouldn't just seeing if there could be some kind of reanimation be a worthwhile experiment?  There can always be weird lies about invisible wires or electrical pulses or something.

He's careful as he piles the saddle blankets onto all of the bones, unsure of their strength.  Alucard's assumption is that they won't break given that this all seems an elaborate extension of the concept of will in magic, but he doesn't want to take the risk either.  Once enough blankets are on there, he gives the padding a very cautious pat.

"Before I go borrow more tack, come over here and put your hand in the center of the blankets?  That should be an indicator of how comfortable the ride is if no more more are added."