lostcarnival | ⇨ THE HUNT

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 173, the Afternoon
Where: Heartstone Manor Courtyard
What: Everyone goes into the forest with arrows, swords, and horses and is told to hunt and the kill the biggest beast they can find. Best kills win a prize! Or, if you'd rather not, you can wander around the forest and pretend to hunt instead.
Warnings: Violence and ethical quandaries.

BEASTS OF BURDEN↴

Come the day of the Hunt, everyone will be brought to the courtyard forest and provided with arrows, bows, and blades as requested. Magic and other weaponry can be used to hunt, but it is suggested by the Prince that the best kill is the one done in a gentlemanly manner, which probably means he will be most impressed by those using the tools provided.

The "Best Kill" will be determined from a mixture or whatever beast the Prince decides is best, and the method in which it was killed. The less damage done to the body the better - tearing the body apart will receive poor grades.

The corpses are not yours to eat or keep, and all must be returned to the Prince at the end of the day for judgment.

The servants are especially nervous, tense, and solemn today, and unless they have no choice, most of them will be trying to give the courtyard a wide berth. Those that have to serve will have stony expressions, or at best will be trying to put on a cheerful face.

If casually asked why they are upset, most of them will say something vague about the Hunt making them nervous, and how dangerous it is to participate.

OOC: Those who make top levels will have a chance to be randomly selected for a couple particular plot events, so be prepared for that.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

End it...?

"I don’t know." It’s the most honest answer she can give. "If there’s a chance he’ll recover, even if it’s slim, then..."

But Rita knows it’s a lot to hope for. If they leave the horse like this, he could get eaten alive by a predator. He could lie here in pain until he starves. Or he could get found by someone, brought back to the stables, given proper treatment... or would he? "No... even if he survives, the Prince might not bother helping him..."

If there's anything she knows about the Prince, it's that he has little compassion and plenty of vanity. If the horse returned in this state, would he allow him to be treated? If he was treated, would the Prince deign to keep a scarred, injured horse among his steeds?

It's a pity, but it's looking more and more like keeping the horse alive will simply cause him to suffer more. 9S crouches down and reaches over to give the horse a pat on the muzzle, hoping that somehow, the horse will feel a bit better. The horse does press his muzzle into 9S' hand and snorts, but 9S doesn't know what that's supposed to mean; he doesn't speak horse.

9S rises to his feet and backs away, sword pulled from his back and hovering at his hand, wrist encircled with light. "Stand back, Rita."

He's done this before, when a moose he'd been riding had been shot down by one of the machine lifeforms. Usually the machines leave the creatures alone, but apparently the presense of an android had been enough to spur them into action. It had been better than letting the creature suffer. ...Plus, the parts could be used by androids.

Raising his hand, 9S' sword flies up. Putting his entire body into the action, 9S slams the blade into the horse's skull, metal tearing through flesh and bone and brain. The horse twitches and goes still in an instant.

The deed is done.

Rita doesn’t argue when told to step back. She walks to her own horse, taking its reins with one hand and stroking its head with the other, trying to calm it. This also serves as an excuse not to watch the moment the sword plunges through the other horse’s head. She winces at the sound.

It probably seems silly for her to be so concerned about an animal when they’re out on a hunt of all things, but these horses are helping them, and that just makes it feel different. Maybe 9S feels the same way...

But what’s done is done, and there’s no use dwelling on it any longer than necessary. “We should go,” she says, turning to face him. “Think we can both ride on this horse?”

"...Pod, check the horse, will you?"

A pause, before Pod 153 reports back.

< Mount vital signs have ceased. Death confirmed >

"Good." Then it was fast. He hadn't been sure... horses are similar looking to moose, but he wasn't sure if their internal anatomy was similar enough to be quickly killed the same way.

9S wipes the blood and remnants of brain off on the grass before returning it to its usual place at his back. He looks at their remaining horse, appraising. "I've never tried, but we can give it a shot." It's really a question of whether the horse will put up with two riders. "If the horse can't take me, I'll travel by foot."

At the pod’s report, Rita lets out a silent sigh, her shoulders sinking. Part of her still wonders if he could have lived. At least he didn’t suffer long...

Right, not dwelling on it.

“By foot?” She makes a face. “Sounds like a pain. Riding double should be fine, shouldn’t it? I mean, we’re both only...” Trailing off, she studies 9S. “...How much do you weigh?” Outwardly, they’re both only a fraction of the size of the average adult. But it’s easy to forget what 9S is actually made of, and what a difference that can make.

Hey, that's his line!

Also, wow, you don't just ask a guy his weight!? Except 9S totally doesn't mind.

"129.9 kilos. Or 286 pounds. Are those units of measurement you're familiar with?" If not, well... 9S gives Rita an appraising look before commenting, "I guess I'd be about two to three times your weight."

"Wait... really?" Rita's eyes widen. Yep, she's familiar with kilograms. She knew being an android would skew things, but she really didn't expect that number, given 9S's size.

And then it becomes apparent that 9S is trying to guess her weight, and she hastily clarifies in a dismissive tone, "About three times. Yeah." In truth, Rita doesn't know how much she weighs, particularly now that she has a few new appendages... but she'd rather not give it too much thought.

Anyway, the question is how much a horse can carry, and unfortunately, Rita doesn't know much about horses. "It... should be fine, if it's just for a little while. We can disembark next time we're close to a target, so the horse isn't subject to unnecessary stress." And so they don't get a repeat of what just happened to 9S's horse.

9S also doesn't know much about horses. And he's never tried to ride double on a moose or a boar. 2B probably wouldn't allow it, even if he made the suggestion.

"Alright." How are they even gonna do this...? "You get on first. I don't usually use a saddle, so I'll be the one to sit behind."

Hopefully the horse doesn't mind? The saddle really doesn't look like it'll fit two...

"You sure?" Rita was about to suggest the opposite, to spare him from getting a face full of feathers... but at least he's a little bit taller than she is, so maybe it won't be a problem. In the end, she's not going to argue. It's her horse, and she prefers being in front, anyway. "All right."

She steps into one of the stirrups and hoists herself up, sitting side-saddle and shifting to get her weight somewhat centered. "If we weren't going straight back to that furball and his entourage after this, I'd just tear this stupid skirt apart," she grumbles as she positions herself. Why is it so damn long?

Having seated herself in as stable a way as she'll get, she gestures for 9S to come on up.

9S watches Rita get up onto her horse. He's so used to the short skirts of the YoRHa androids that the long dresses worn at the manor had been quite a surprise. But Rita looks better in her normal clothes, anyway.

"Maybe they wouldn't notice if you made a cut along the side? You could pretend the dress was a casualty of the hunt."

Show some leg, Rita.

But once she's on the horse, 9S eyes the remaining space on the creature. With Rita on the saddle -- it even looks different to the one his horse had -- he's going to be sitting further back than he's used to. Well, there's nothing for it.

"Alright. Here goes!" he says, before hoisting himself up onto the horse -- pushing aside her wings, if they get in the way -- and hoping the horse doesn't throw them both off.

⇨ THE HUNT

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i legit forgot all about her wings