the horse is a very handsome black horse. it does not move or freak out upon harrow yelping, just kind of vibes. gu yun laughs, a little, though it's not meanly. ]
Sorry - suppose a warning would've been good. [ hehe ] Ever been on horseback before?
[ somehow, that glare feels really ineffective? he is instantly reminded of chang geng. +10 affection points.
gu yun gives the horse he's got a pat on the neck, and then dismounts, coming over to reach for harrow's horse's bridle instead. it responds easily to him, and he holds it still where they stand, reaching out with his other hand and letting it stay a bit behind harrow, in case she needs to be steadied. ]
He's probably more spooked by you than you are of him - I've got it, so go ahead and sit up, it's alright.
Right, right. [ he says like he completely believes this.
anyway. ] This is the rein - it's how you control direction. Grab onto it with both hands, right here, and right here. [ gesturing! he's still got his other hand on the horse's bridle, holding the horse still. ]
And then, put your feet in the stirrups - here, and here. [ wow, he's actually being helpful for once in his life... more pointing out how to do the thing. ] Make sure you sit up straight, too, and look straight out at the horizon, between the horse's ears.
[Well. She's actually a pretty diligent student, and listens when he tells her what to do - putting her hands and feet where he says, sitting up and projecting confidence despite her obvious uncertainty.]
It isn't hard, no. How do I keep it from running away?
[ the way he just instantly is going to adopt harrow now too ]
Well, it's a simulation, so it probably won't. [ dryly. ] Not only that, but it's a simulation of a Black Iron Camp horse, and we don't take anything that isn't well trained.
[ all joking aside, she does get a real answer. ] But - in a more practical manner, you'll want to use a combination of your legs and your hands on the reins. Horses are smart animals. If you give them smooth cues, they'll listen. Just a squeeze from your calves to its sides, or you can bump your heels against its sides to get it start moving forward slowly - and then you can shift their direction left or right as you move with the reins. You can pull up on the reins, and move your weight back in the seat of the saddle to get him to slow down or stop.
I can let go, or I can walk with you for a couple steps. Up to you, if you want to try.
[ good answer. he grins, and pats her horse on the side of the neck. ]
Well said.
[ and with that, he lets go of the bridle to hop up on his own horse. since it's a simulation, this is the horse he usually takes on the battlefield, or when he's traveling from the front to home - it's a familiar mount, and the motions are effortless as he scoops up the reins. ]
Let's go towards the camp, shall we? Though that's not usually where I do my thinking.
[ the simulation room's not huge, either, but that's okay. he gives his horse a nudge and starts to move forward, glancing back to make sure harrow's got it too. ]
[Her sin might not be pride, but she certainly has plenty of it. She'll follow, finding it easy to guide the horse now that she's no longer thinking of it as a large living creature and instead thinking of it as a construct she has some control over.]
Mmhm. Part of it, anyway. This is my direct command. [ gu yun's not even holding the reins on his horse, leaning back a bit in the saddle as he looks out on the scope of a room that shouldn't be nearly so wide. among the white tents, there's a black flag as clear as day - the symbol of a crow is sewn into the center, proudly looking forward to the horizon, wings outstretched. ]
It's known as the Black Iron Camp - this is the Northwestern border of Great Liang. To the north, beyond those trees, is the lands of the Heavenly Tribes - within a day's ride or so.
[ the closer they get to the camp, the more obvious it is this simulation has placed them before reveille - the soldiers are all asleep in their beds, and the camp itself is dead quiet. gu yun doesn't get much time to think, otherwise. ]
You said you had a Cohort, didn't you? [ good memory! he's as sharp as a tack. gu yun leads his horse easily past the rows of tents, towards ostensibly where the edge of the simulation room is. ] What's that?
There are nine, but the first house is the seat of the Emperor, and no one resides there but a few of his most devoted priests. So eight houses populated and ruled over by necromancer families. Mine is the smallest of the eight.
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the horse is a very handsome black horse. it does not move or freak out upon harrow yelping, just kind of vibes. gu yun laughs, a little, though it's not meanly. ]
Sorry - suppose a warning would've been good. [ hehe ] Ever been on horseback before?
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[She's never even seen a horse! Yikes. She tries to sit up, while giving him a glare for putting her in this situation and then laughing!!!]
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gu yun gives the horse he's got a pat on the neck, and then dismounts, coming over to reach for harrow's horse's bridle instead. it responds easily to him, and he holds it still where they stand, reaching out with his other hand and letting it stay a bit behind harrow, in case she needs to be steadied. ]
He's probably more spooked by you than you are of him - I've got it, so go ahead and sit up, it's alright.
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I'm not spooked whatsoever. I simply haven't done this before.
[Fine, fine! Sitting up.]
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anyway. ] This is the rein - it's how you control direction. Grab onto it with both hands, right here, and right here. [ gesturing! he's still got his other hand on the horse's bridle, holding the horse still. ]
And then, put your feet in the stirrups - here, and here. [ wow, he's actually being helpful for once in his life... more pointing out how to do the thing. ] Make sure you sit up straight, too, and look straight out at the horizon, between the horse's ears.
Not so hard.
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It isn't hard, no. How do I keep it from running away?
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Well, it's a simulation, so it probably won't. [ dryly. ] Not only that, but it's a simulation of a Black Iron Camp horse, and we don't take anything that isn't well trained.
[ all joking aside, she does get a real answer. ] But - in a more practical manner, you'll want to use a combination of your legs and your hands on the reins. Horses are smart animals. If you give them smooth cues, they'll listen. Just a squeeze from your calves to its sides, or you can bump your heels against its sides to get it start moving forward slowly - and then you can shift their direction left or right as you move with the reins. You can pull up on the reins, and move your weight back in the seat of the saddle to get him to slow down or stop.
I can let go, or I can walk with you for a couple steps. Up to you, if you want to try.
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[She listens to what he says, but when he offers to let her practice with the training wheels on, she isn't going to accept.]
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Well said.
[ and with that, he lets go of the bridle to hop up on his own horse. since it's a simulation, this is the horse he usually takes on the battlefield, or when he's traveling from the front to home - it's a familiar mount, and the motions are effortless as he scoops up the reins. ]
Let's go towards the camp, shall we? Though that's not usually where I do my thinking.
[ the simulation room's not huge, either, but that's okay. he gives his horse a nudge and starts to move forward, glancing back to make sure harrow's got it too. ]
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This is your military?
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It's known as the Black Iron Camp - this is the Northwestern border of Great Liang. To the north, beyond those trees, is the lands of the Heavenly Tribes - within a day's ride or so.
[ the closer they get to the camp, the more obvious it is this simulation has placed them before reveille - the soldiers are all asleep in their beds, and the camp itself is dead quiet. gu yun doesn't get much time to think, otherwise. ]
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[ he's not wrong! gu yun glances off to the horizon, looking far away, just for a moment. ]
It's the duty of the Black Iron Camp to be the first line of defense for our nation, and a duty that I take very seriously.
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[Jerk.]
It is my duty to protect my House. From threats external and from decay.
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Decay? [ that's a new one. ]
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[ bloodlines... ]
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[ he really does. gu yun gives his horse a nudge, turning it back around to walk slow and easy down the line of tents. ]
Are there are a lot of Houses? How big's yours?
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