Handling the Hunter (Monster Hunter World) [Clearsight X Javorcek][FxF]

[Javorcek]

(Disclaimer: Both Clearsight and I have limited knowledge of the Monster Hunter series...so if you're looking for something canon you're not going to find it here =P.)

Brezziana was trying her best to school her facial expression and not bounce on her heels as she waited to the side, lined up with the rest of the Handlers. Today was the day that the Hunter's Guild would promote prospective apprentices to the status of Hunter (alright so it really shouldn't be all that exciting for -her- because she wasn't a hunter and had finished Handler training a month prior....but it was a momentous event because today was also the day that she would be assigned to a Hunter and embark on a journey to the New World with the 5th fleet!!)

Oh I hope The Guild matched me with someone friendly... Most of the prospective Hunters that she could see were about her age: in their late teens or early 20s. About half of them were striking serious poses while the other half looked like her: barely able to contain their excitement. There were a few hardened looking older Hunters in the mix, people who had either failed their training ten years ago when the 4th Fleet had been sent out or people who had barely missed the age cut off and had been forced to wait another 10 years before enlisting. Honestly she didn't care one way or another how old or what gender her Hunter was...so long as they were friendly.

The young Handler had quite a legacy to live up to...while her grandfather wasn't well known, the Hunter that he had taken care of was quite famous, known simply as: The Huntsman. How on earth did grandpa get along with -The- Huntsman? Stories that came back from across the sea about The Huntsman who still was fighting beasts in the New World told of a grumpy old man set in his ways. A man who had fought a Teostra and lived to tell of it but still a grumpy, stoic man none the less. Her grandfather on the other hand was much like her: easily excitable (when it came to anything Monster or New World related), friendly, and curious. Maybe there is something to be said for a balance in personalities...

Brezzi was perfectly content to not be an actual Hunter, standing up there near the podium with a full set of ceremonial hunting armor on and baking in the mid-day sun. Hunting itself seemed like a messy, sweaty ordeal of traipsing through the forests after creatures that could probably swallow you in one bite or maim you in some way (she had studied 144 ways of being maimed by the 48 reported types of monsters that they would be researching/controlling the population of). Slaying giant monsters in order to control their populations so that the human and wyrverian races weren't destroyed by rampaging beasts that didn't know the difference between a biped and a tasty snack? No thank you.

Compiling information for a Hunter, organizing paperwork and permits (because you couldn't just go about killing the same monster again and again, then you would be little better than a poacher!), and getting to watch the Elder Dragon migration from a safe distance away was better suited to her curious and organized nature. While her family had dreams of her guiding the next legendary Huntsman, Brezzi would be content just to see the world that her grandfather had woven so many stories about.

 

[ClearSight]

Teyla stood with the other graduating Hunters near the podium, only half-listening to the speech being made about how big an honor it was and how their future journey, blah blah blah. She was focusing a majority of her attention on the Handlers watching them from below. Her eyes roamed across them as if trying to decide which one she most wanted as her partner. A lecherous smile crossed her lips when she happened across an attractive one, her thoughts wandering for a brief moment before moving down the line. She was excited, for mostly the wrong reasons.

She was excited about other things as well, like becoming a Hunter and finally going to the New World, but she had been excited about normal things for months or years. She was focused on her latest obsession. It was to the point that when it was her turn to receive her status she didn't hear the instructor call her name.

"Teyla Rhinhalt!" The increase in volume and irritated tone snapped the latest Hunter out of her fantasies. She took it in stride, laughing out loud as she walked up to the podium to make it official. It wasn't all that special, the moment itself had nothing of note, but what it meant sent an exhilarating jolt up her spine. From the moment she stepped forward and received her acknowledgement, she was a true Hunter!

Teyla was 22 and tall even by Hunter standards. Not compared to men perhaps but she stood a daunting 5'9" with a body sculpted by exercise and the repeated drawing of her bow. Her skin was kissed by the sun's rays and her black hair was braided neatly on one side. Her eyes stood out most of all though, a bright green that shimmered with energy and excitement enough to offset her rather intimidating appearance. Though, it was already rather undermined by the ceremonial armor keeping her in a near constant state of discomfort.

"Thanks!" She grinned as she took a step to the side, joining the rest of those who had already been made Hunters. Oddly enough nobody seemed to mind her attitude towards the entire thing. Teyla was known for being troublesome and her disregard for the ceremony of it all was the least of their worries. That and the fact that she was considered one of the most promising Hunters to be heading out in the 5th fleet. In order for someone like her to make it through she had to be special, or so everyone said.

It wasn't as if she would be the first Hunter with a quirky personality, just about everyone crazy enough to dedicate their life fighting monsters was bound to have a peculiarity or two keeping them going. Her oddities were just more obvious.

The ceremony went on, each and every hunter stepping forward and being inducted into the ranks of Hunters. It was a joyous occasion and by the end the crowd had grown tired from clapping and cheering for the latest batch destined for the New World. There was only one step left before they could depart into the New World, pairing. The Hunter was nothing alone. Their education included combat and survival, and while many had some understanding of the beasts they hunter and the world they were being told to survive in, there were few that could claim to be experts. Honing one's skills to fight monsters was already an incredible task, they needed a partner to share the burden, to be truly capable Monster Hunters. That partner came in the form of a Handler.

Without a Handler even the most powerful Hunter would find life difficult. The Hunter's Guild knew this and saved the most important part of all for the very end. When the ceremony was complete the man on the podium started his next speech, and Teyla barely contained her boredom. It wasn't until he started calling out names that light returned to her eyes. One by one the pairings were declared. Unlike the other Hunters who hoped for a skilled Handler, Teyla just hoped for a cute one.

"Teyla Rhinhalt and Brezziana Yoshimasha." The instructor didn't stop after their name, he continued on as normal, but he was the only one. Brezziana Yoshimasha was a name everyone knew. The granddaughter of The Huntsman's Handler, a legend. Many of the Hunters had wanted her as their own Handler, believing their odds at becoming legends themselves would rise with the assistance of HIS granddaughter. Even Teyla was pleased, but not entirely because of her pedigree, but because she was absolutely adorable. Her eyes brightened as she looked across the way at the smaller woman, an almost predatory grin making its way onto her features. Now she really couldn't wait for the ceremony to be over.

 

[Javorcek]

Brezziana couldn't stay focused on the ceremony for more than the first two hours. She was still half listening as the instructors went on with their speeches, then the General came up to give his speech and call out each person who had made it to Hunter...but now her mind was split between the calling of names and cataloging a few things she had read in one of her new books. The Great Jagras....not a very aggressive monster...but they tend to swallow things whole. Would that be a suitable beast for her Hunter? Something that could be tracked and studied before a careful ambush was planned? The only problem was that the Great Jagras tended to swallow it's prey in one gulp. Maybe the Kulu-ya-ku...at least then my Hunter won't have to worry about being digested, only pecked/clawed/bludgeoned to death on our first go-

"No Hunter is complete without their Handler!" The General boomed, drawing Brezziana out of her thoughts. She had been brimming with excitement at the beginning of the ceremony but even she could only keep interest for so long, especially when the General had recycled the majority of the speech he had given the Handlers a month ago at their ceremony into the speech he was giving to the Hunters now. After hearing the word 'Handler' though, her attention came back to the world around her. Finally, finally they were being assigned their partners! The prospect made her smile and bounce giddily on her toes despite her attempts at being professional.

"Teyla Rhinhalt and Brezziana Yoshimasha!" A soft murmur went through the crowd at Brezziana's name; suddenly the girl felt a hundred eyes on her, causing the small Handler to blush and study her boots for a moment to avoid the surprised gazes. Really, she didn't look anything like her grandfather; she had the light brown hair and fair skin of her mother's side. But her smile...her curiousity...her mind...her intense love for good food, those were all Yoshimasha traits.

"Someone's popular," Deems, one of Brezziana's closest friends murmured out of the side of his mouth with a little grin on his lips.

"Har Har," Brezziana mumbled back, "Which one is Teyla? I wasn't paying attention..."

"The tall one over there that's looking at you like you'd make a delicious snack." Deems gave an almost imperceptible nod over towards the Hunter.

At that sort of description, Brezziana was expecting a meathead of a male hunter (the kind her grandfather had warned her about). Instead, she was greeted with the sight of a tall woman who would probably be attractive if she wasn't so blatantly lecherous to the point of discomfort. "Hmmph."

"Have fun with that one, Brezzi." Deems flashed a brief grin before resuming his stone-faced, seriousness for the sake of ceremony.

------------------

"That concludes the Hunter Initiation Ceremony! We now invite our Hunters, Handlers, family members and honored guests to feast with us to commemorate this momentous occasion, for tomorrow, these new guild members will embark to the New World as full members of The Hunter's Guild and members of the Fifth Fleet!" There were excited roars and cheers from the newly appointed Hunters and their Handlers. Brezziana couldn't refrain from giving a shout of joy herself. Despite her wariness at the prospect of her new partner who may or may not understand boundaries, she was excited to finally be going on the journey she had been waiting for since she was old enough to have a dream.

The crowd dispersed from their seats to grab food from the Palicoes and humans who were now stocking tables around the edges of the city square with delicious foods and beverages. Now was understood to be a time for the Hunters and Handlers to meet up with each other for the first time so family members didn't interrupt, goodbyes could be said later. Brezziana did as she was supposed to do and started making her way towards her Hunter like the other Handlers were doing. When she spotted Teyla she hurried a little bit so that she didn't lose the Hunter to the bustling crowd. "Hiya!" Brezziana chirped, tamping down her discomfort from the look that she had been getting from Teyla earlier and putting on a friendly face. "Brezziana Yoshimasha at your service, partner. You can call me Brezzi for short if you like."

 

[ClearSight]

Teyla was absolutely aware of her own character flaws. She embraced them. Was she a little too involved in her own lecherous pursuits? Most definitely. Yet, why shouldn't she be? As a Hunter he entire life's mission was to put herself at risk. As such, she didn't believe in denying herself pleasures. As grim as it was the truth of the matter was that she didn't know how long she would live in the New World. While The Huntsman and many like he lived long lives there were more that died to the Monsters of the New World. She had to enjoy what she could.

When it came down to it she could be described simply. Blunt, invasive, but ultimately harmless. She wasn't some wanton rapist that would shove her little Handler down the moment they crossed paths, but averting her gaze? Nope!

When the ceremony finally ended a strong hand slapped down on Teyla's shoulder, but it wasn't another student. It was the Head Instructor and he was giving her as serious a look as he could muster, keeping her from running off immediately. "I'm sure The Huntsman would do old man Yoshimasha a favor or two. Try not to die before your first hunt." He grinned and walked off, pleased with the slightly distorted expression on Tayla's face. Finally, some words that seemed to surprise the troublesome student. His mission was complete, he taught the rascal one final lesson.

"Old bastard." She cursed, only getting a wave over his shoulder in response. The smile on her face betrayed her words though. She totally wouldn't die before her first hunt, or after it, she was totally going to live forever.

---

The feast that came after the ceremony was the first time she would meet her partner, and a final meal she could indulge in before going to the New World. Food was always great but she didn't wait to find her Handler, nor did her Handler shy away from her.

The chirpy voice caused Teyla to grin, her eyes getting a better look at "Brezzi". Cute, the perfect combination of small, charming features and the complimenting energy a Yoshimasha was expected to have. Not that she really cared about the whole family thing. If family mattered so much she would be little more than a blacksmith like her old man. She really didn't want to be a damn blacksmith so she had to believe people made their own way, though she was curious how her new Handler would do under the pressure.

"Of course, Brezzi." Despite her lecherous gazes she was far less slimy in conversation. Nobody liked an idiot and showing obvious interest was different than being distasteful. Not that it stopped her from getting close. "You can just call me Teyla, just get formality out of the way from the start." She smiled, appearing quite beautiful when she did. "What do you say we go find a place to enjoy a meal together and get acquainted?"