epidemiology | (no subject)

CHARACTERS: Graham and Chihiro
DATE: IDK!!! :D
WARNINGS: im guessing not much in particular?
SUMMARY: Chihiro wants riding lessons. you can still give those with a hole in your chest, right?

...right?

( it's been a few days since the showdown in the ghost-town. while Graham has since been sutured and stitched more or less back into place, he's a great deal slower than he used to be. unsurprisingly, when he had a hole punched through his chest. the bandages are hidden underneath the clean plaid and orderly cut of his vest, but the fact he's seated when Chihiro arrives for their next lesson is likely already an indication he's not quite himself.

he manages a slight smile when she enters all the same, though. this is not their first lesson, and not even an injury seemed a good reason to miss the next. the horse he has on rental is already ready and waiting next to him, roaming about mildly as far as the lead would allow. she's lacking her saddle, though, which was a good hint of where their lesson was likely to start. )

Ready to start? ( he probably could warn her about his injury, but it doesn't seem relevant to start. the wolf that hasn't left his side since he returned injured whines lowly from the pile of hay he's burrowed in. ) Don't mind him, he's been on that all day. ( yup, whining that his stupid human won't go lay down and take a nap. that wolf brother, what a pain! )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ she notes the difference in behaviour from the start, though her comment is little more than a slight furrowing of her brow and a temporary thinning of her lips. the wolf is startling in his own way, but a way that she can more easily swallow. giant scorpions and sand worms were worse. wolves were familiar in form.

so was the mechanical horse, and it's to her that chihiro's eyes trail after a concerned pass over man and wolf. she's careful in her approach, moving around to make sure she's well in the horse's range, despite the difference in mechanical processing of objects and what a living horse would process from her environment. ]

Mm! Is he okay?

[ she asks, noting the lack of saddle as she comes closer. she has a feeling she knows what it means, though her first glance around is for the polishing rags. ]

( she's right to be cautious, though the Huntsman doesn't bear much of the same uncertainty. it's one thing to be careful, yet open fear was only likely to set an animal off. it's a confidence that will come easier with time. for now, it's wise to treat the mechanical horse much as she might a natural one. the robotic one couldn't react the same way, yet it was good to practice proper form even despite that.

as for the wolf, Graham tries to reach over to soothe him, only to graze empty space when the petulant wolf dropped hi head onto his paws, and earning a slight grimace, even though the pain wasn't particularly sharp. )

Yes, he's fine. ( the wolf made a sound entirely too much like a grumble at that. the wolf was plenty talented at communicating without words, though Graham could indeed hear his brother's thoughts and he was determined to ignore them. ) I'd like you to start by saddling her, please.

[ she notices the grimace, not sure if that's for the wolf pulling his head down below where he can easily reach or something else. she lets it slide away from her consciousness, instead focusing on the task he's assigned her. chihiro glances around to find the blanket draped where she expects, though she pauses to ask: ]

Do I need to wipe them down first?

[ polishing surfaces is a whole different sort of oddity than brushing and grooming is meant to be, but it's yet another habit to understand and practice even now. ]

( it is a bit of an adventure, teaching in a mechanical horse rather than a living and breathing one. it's unlikely that metal could be so sensitive as a muscled flank. in fact it's unlikely the horse was even given sensors to notice if there was hay or twigs or dirt between its back and the saddle. it wouldn't be practical to add that sort of programming.

still, he nods, offering a brush that is more like a sponge. the qorral tend to use it to keep their horses clean. ) Have you ever tried to walk with a pebble in your shoe? ( if she has, she knows how uncomfortable it can be to have something foreign near something so sensitive, ground in deeper with every step. Graham is the sort of teacher that doesn't often say yes or no — he'd rather make her think. he intends their lessons to translate to a flesh and blood horse, so brushing is important. )

[ questions asked instead of questions answered. but she's used to it, and she accepts the brush specific for these kinds of mechanical beasts. she can identify with the discomfort he's prompting her into considering; thus she nods, even as she goes to work on polishing the mechanical steed. every so often, she glances toward Graham, considering him and the way he's moved, and the wolf.

it's all an interesting tableau, but she focuses on the "horse" first. ]

It's uncomfortable. You can even end up pretty hurt.

[ while she doesn't think this holds true in the same way for these mounts, it is a truth she figures holds true with any less metallic animal. ]

That's what we're helping with. Keeping everyone in a healthy state, mind and body, right?

Yes. Imagine that ground in at the speed a horse can run, with the weight of a rider on their back.

( it could grow incredibly painful, cause discomfort and tension and best and sores and infections at worst. a metal horse couldn't be afflicted by such things, and were in a sense more practical for it. still, if Chihiro wanted to learn to ride more than just a mechanical steed, she'd need to be aware of what both might need.

her question in return, though, silences him to ponder. ) As our mission, do you mean? Or as a part of ALASTAIR? ( there was no agreement or dissent, yet, just curiosity. )

( She's evaluating the horse as she continues using the instruments meant for mechanical rather than biological beasts. she even checks out the mechanical hooves, though that's more to look at the shocks (as it turns out) built in right above the hooves. )

Um... both, I think.

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slams in forever late

welcome to the club 😭

LMAO CRIES I AM DEEP IN THIS CLUB