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Post by mAdDiE! on May 2, 2009 23:11:23 GMT -5
Skye placed her hands on her hips as she stood back to admire her work, her bright blue eyes examining her mare's gleaming coat. The chestnut thoroughbred whinnied and stomped her right hindleg impatiently, tossing her crown and sending her tresses cascading down her crest. Stepping forwards, the nineteen year old stroked the horse, which stood at 16.2 hands high. Snorting, she flicked her whipcord and tried to walk out of the stables. Skye sighed as she watched her struggle as she fought against the crossties eagerly. "Shawnee, I promise that we'll get out of here and go riding in just a minute. Just hold still and stop pacing, and we'll be on our way even sooner." Her soft voice was soothing and reassuring. Shawnee pricked her auds and turned her dial towards her human so that she could see her as she spoke. Skye stared into her deep brown orbs which were filled with mischief and curiousity, then leaned in and kissed her mare's muzzle gently. Shawnee jumped and pawed the concrete floor with her daggers. Laughing softly, Skye ran a hand over Shawnee's silky barrel and lifted the saddle pad onto the horse's back, lining it up with her withers. After making sure the saddle was in place and adjusting the stirrups, she tied the girth.
Skye approached Shawnee's head and watched as the mare eyed her suspiciously. Nickering loudly, the equine sidestepped away from the bridle as far as she could, twisting her physique at an angle. Skye sighed and whispered calmly, massaging the mare's nape in an attempt to make her relax. Shawnee half closed her pools and breathed lightly. Sliding the reins over her crown and down her boa, she unclipped the crossties and slid off the mare's halter. Shawnee bolted forwards and Skye looked slightly frustrated, knowing that she still had a lot to work on with her horse. Gaining back control, Skye placed her thumbs in Shawnee's mouth and made her open her mouth, sliding in the bit. Pulling the headpiece over her ears and pulling her forelock out from under the browband, Skye triumphantly buckled the throat-latch, patting Shawnee. Taking the reins and walking out of the barn, the mare anxiously walked after her, trying to speed up. As soon as Skye got outside she tightened the girth and collected the reins and mane in her hand, placing a foot in the stirrup iron and jumping up, swinging a leg over Shawnee's back.
Making sure that the stirrups were long enough, the girl gathered the reins and kissed to the mare. Shawnee instantly leapt towards the racing field, and Skye slowed her down, a little nervous. Feeling her horse's muscles ripple underneath her legs, she warmed the mare up, turning her counter-clockwise and walking around the front of the stables. They gradually moved into a trot. Skye looked around for the man she loved. "Axel?" she called out in a sing-song voice. She loved how happy and sweet he made her. She was excited now, because he had agreed to teaching her how to race. It would be smart to learn, and fun, especially because her horse was a thoroughbred. Offspring of two great racers. She did lack their patient and gentleness, though. Shawnee half-reared as she chewed on the bit, and Skye saw that she was excited too. She had the feeling that Mudslyde was quite capable of jumping, but that would be assessed later. Blue eyes scoured the terrain for her love. |
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Post by I Am Agent Z on May 3, 2009 7:09:47 GMT -5
Axel was already on the training field, He was on the back of his brown stallion, Snap. He would have taken Knight, but, Knight wasn't very good at racing, let alone jumps. He had gone around the track three times, and was currently on his forth time around. Snap was doing very well, he had come a long way in the short amount of time that Axel had owned him. When he heard Skye call his name, which, it took a moment to register as Skye's voice, he stopped his horse and tuned him around. The stallion pawing at the ground to inform his master that he still wanted to run. "Good morning, Skye, my love." He said, waving at her. He nudged his stallion into a trot until he had almost passed Skye, then turned him around so that he could keep in step with the mare and both horses were now trotting side by side, a few feet distanced from each other, but still beside each other all the same. "So, Vhat did you Vant to learn first? Jumping? Flat track racing? Or perhaps a combination? What was that called... steeplechasing? I think..." He said softly, scratching the back of his neck.
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Post by mAdDiE! on May 3, 2009 19:15:29 GMT -5
As Shawnee swiftly trotted around the field, Skye experimented with how much rein she gave the her and how tightly she held the reins in comparison to the speed of the mare. Like she had predicted, Shawnee instantly sped up whenever she felt the slightest possibility of switching into a faster gait. Sighing, Skye wondered what had led her to buying and rescuing two young horses. She must have been out of her mind, though she didn't regret becoming their owner at all. Mudslyde was four years old, and Shawnee was two and a half. They were both sweet, but not fully trained by any means. Mudslyde had the potential to be a great competitor, but she spooked at absolutely everything. And Shawnee was definately fast and smart, but she was also terribly impatient, tricky, and could be a bit of a bully. Nonetheless, Skye still loved them both with all of her heart. She was actually considering breeding Mudslyde sometime soon. She made a mental note to bring that up around Axel. After calling Axel's name, she grinned when she saw him on Snap. Waving back, she beamed. "Good morning to you too. Sleep well?" she asked. She watched Shawnee whinny in greeting to Snap and smiled. The mare had taken well to Snap, which was great. She didn't usually get along too well with other horses. For the longest time she had hated even Mudslyde. Now she didn't mind her, of course. Becoming even more high strung as they trotted, she chewed at the bit and tossed her head, wanting to run. "I was considering breeding Mudslyde earlier. What do you think?" she asked suddenly. Shawnee flicked her whipcord at a fly. When he asked her what she would like to learn first she shrugged. "You're the boss, remember?" she winked. "But I think flat track racing might be fun, since you enjoy it so much. And Shawnee's full of energy. I'm just nervous that she'll hurt herself since she's so young and anxious. She'll be hard to control" she laughed. "But i'm used to that. Still working on her stubborness" she admitted. |
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Post by I Am Agent Z on May 3, 2009 19:55:39 GMT -5
"Mudslyde, eh? Your paint horse?" Axel asked, smiling. "And yes, flat track racing is enjoyable, so ve'll start vith that. Zough, -almost- nozing beats the zrill of jumping over horse chest-high jumps vhile you're in a race." He said with a smile. "I've been in a couple Steeplechase races, but I decided zat zey vere a little -too- exciting. I almost died of over exertion at one point in the middle of a race, zat and too much stress." He said softly. "Alzough, I'm alive and vell today, so, I got one last steeplechase race left in me." He said with a grin. "Zough, I may vait a bit longer, Snap is not quite ready for steeplechasing. He does very vell over jumps, don't get me wrong, but it's speed and concentration ve need to vork on." He said, smiling. "And I figured you'd vant to start vith a flat-track. So, that's vhat I set up zis track for. If you can beat my record on zis trck vith your horse zat I did with Snap, you'll be ready to enter in an actual race. Though, you'll need to train hard, and your horse vill have to be faster Zan Snap. And Snap is relatively fast." He said, smiling at her. "So, zink you're up to it? You can still walk out of the track and I'll understand, zough, I should varn you: Ve Germans hate quitters, nobody in our proud and stubborn past has given up very easily vithout trying until zey vere almost dead. Once you start training, you cannot turn back." He said, holding up one index finger and wagging it side to side. As though saying 'You know better.' But he was smiling all the same even though his voice held a very serious tone. So, was he playing or being serious? Hard to tell with this guy.
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Post by mAdDiE! on May 4, 2009 16:51:39 GMT -5
Skye nodded and shook out her hair, letting it become a little wilder and settle as it spilled down her shoulders. "Mhmm. That's the one. So who or what breed of horse do you think she'd make a good foal with?" she asked curiously. She adored foals. Skye thought it would be sweet to have one around. Then again, she had to remind herself that this was a racing stables, and the baby horse wouldn't be a thoroughbred, at least not fully, if it were Mudslyde's. Maybe she would be better off just buying another thoroughbred. "Or... Shawnee's almost old enough to breed." Skye then sighed. If Shawnee became pregnant, then she wouldn't be able to ride her, which meant no more training. There always seemed to be complications. Maybe getting another horse and breeding it was a better idea afterall. She pushed the thoughts out of her mind and focused back on Axel. Fascinated, she stayed quiet as she listened to him describe steeplechasing, posting out of habit as Shawnee continued trotting in step with Snap. She laughed at his last comment. "Wow, sounds like such a thrill. But if you've only got one more left in you before you die, you'd better not risk your life" she teased playfully. "I'd be lonely without you!" She became silent again as he talked to her about his horse's strengths and weaknesses, and the requirements to enter a race. She and her mare had to beat Snap's time. That could be challenging, especially since she'd never raced before. Shawnee had, but not in a real race. She knew better than to expect her horse to pull her through alone, though. "I'm always up for a challenge" she smirked. Hearing him say that the Germans hated quitters she smiled. "Don't worry, I've raised myself not to give up. And I tend to be quite competitive" she warned him, giggling. "You might just have your work cut out for you, trying to teach me, though." Messing around with him and being sassy, she encouraged Shawnee to pick up the pace a little so they strode infront of Axel and Snap. She turned around and blew him a kiss teasingly. |
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Post by Frenzi™ on May 4, 2009 17:31:33 GMT -5
;; A silver-grey horse was flecked with black from the overhanging trees from the forest, it's rider, the same. However, the rider wasn't wearing something that someone normally would. Black pin-striped pants, a white shirt with a small and tight black vest, the ones that only accent the shirt, and a pin-striped fedora upon her head. Wavy brunette hair flowed down behind her shoulders, and no eyes could be seen from under the hat. "Blazing Fame Stables... huh." she said, holding up the piece of paper that she had been holding in her left hand, and in the right, the reins. She turned the paper to the side, and then to the side, trying to make heads or tails of the paper that some clerk in a store had given her, and then behind it, stapled, was the acceptance letter. This girl was quite peculiar, but the thoroughbred under her looked completely at ease, and pricked her ears up enthusiastically as the trees cleared and a ranch spread out before them.
;; "Wow, big place," Akira said, patting the mare's silvery neck. From here they could see a small bit of a racing track, the ranch-house, the barns, and some pasture, though it was clear to Akira that there was much more than what the first glance. Besides, they hadn't come in the front way, so it was natural that everything didn't appear to them immediately. To announce their presnce, Akira let out a long whistle that was quite high-pitched, but it definately wouldn't startle even the most prone-to-spooking horses, for it cut off before the horses could get riled up. She wasn't a dummie, and she had thought of her arrival and how to put it. Besides, first impressions were the ones that left imprints on other's minds. As Verse walked into the open, and turned to the right, two figures could barely be seen, but they were there, and by the looks of it, each riding a racehorse. "Shall we meet them?" Akira smiled, patting the silver-gray mare on the neck again, but not waving to the figures. Although Akira didn't want to make a scene, she did want to be noticed at this moment, and wanted to make sure the acceptance letter was meant for here, though all signs pointed to yes. Verse loped into a canter and stopped before the male, presumably the owner of the ranch. "Are you the owner of Blazing Fame Stables?" she asked, not much emotion in her voice.
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Post by I Am Agent Z on May 9, 2009 14:43:57 GMT -5
Axel jumped slightly, turning his head to look at her, his amethyst eyes slightly wider than usual. Then he calmed down after a second. "Vhy, yes, yes I am..." He said, smiling slightly He looked at her horse. "Very nice horse, and vhat might I call a couple lovely ladies like yourselves?" He then glanced at Skye with a small smile that assured he was was just being polite, then turned his head back to Akira and her horse. "You are ze new recruit?" He asked, smiling a bit. "I am Axel." He said, nodding in greeting, then held his hand out for her to shake.
In his mind he wondered -And vhy do I bother even being friendly when I'm supposed to be ruthless?- He shoved the thought out of his head and smiled at akira as he waited for her to take his hand and shake it.
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Post by Frenzi™ on May 9, 2009 15:21:20 GMT -5
;; Akira glanced towards the girl on the horse, and then back to Axel, face somewhat bored, though her eyes shone. When Axel jumped, a small smirk, almost appearing as a smile, crept onto her face, yet she didn't laugh. His eyes caught her attention immediately, and she was drawn to them. Amethyst? How the heck did he end up with amethyst eyes? Maybe they were contacts? But she didn't ask, a slight mental note saying that people must ask him that all the time. "Thank you," she said, nodding her head slightly to his comment about Verse, though her eyes narrowed when he said lovely ladies. Was he referring to her and Verse, or comparing her with the horse, but she shrugged it off as being 'polite' when he smiled towards Skye. Akira smiled slightly and shook Axel's hand, once again nodding her head, "Yes, I do believe I am."
;; "I'm Akira, and this is Written in Verse, and the only horse I own," she stated, lifting her chin. Unfortunately she had to give him her name, even though she didn't particularly like her name in the first place, it was only cordial, and quite necessary at this point. Her eyes shifted to Skye, wondering who she was, if she worked here, and what her name was. Yes, yes, despite being something of a jerk sometimes, she was extremely curious, though she tried to keep the curiosity at bay. Of course, to no avail. A slight shiver ran through her, and though Akira didn't move or shift in the saddle, she hoped it wasn't noticeable. The winters here were terrible... although her luggage should arrive here any moment.
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Post by mAdDiE! on May 10, 2009 2:13:40 GMT -5
Skye smirked as Shawnee pranced forwards, head held high as they passed Snap and Axel. Suddenly the mare stopped, snorting and looking behind her. Skye turned her around curiously and pulled back on the reins slightly, making the mare halt again. Shawnee flicked her whipcord and neighed softly as a silver-gray mare and her unfamiliar rider approached. Skye raised an eyebrow curiously, wondering who the girl was. Maybe she was another new employee coming to work at the stables like Rowan. Skye sighed, she wasn't sure if she could handle too many more females around here. She was already aware of Axel's habit of being a little too friendly with girls, but it was just his nature. It bothered her, but it wasn't like he was trying to upset her. She watched silently, blue orbs observant as they exchanged greetings. She bit her tounge to keep from saying something when he said that the girl and her horse were 'lovely ladies', though she was quite surprised to see the girl narrow her eyes. Maybe they would get along afterall.
When Axel turned around to glance at her to let her know he wasn't flirting she smiled back, trying not to look frustrated or hurt. She shouldn't get so worked up about a simple sentence. She decided to shrug it off. Verse and Akira. Skye thought their names were nice. She had never heard of anyone named Akira before; it was original and unique. When she noticed that Axel and Akira were done introducing themselves she realized she was being rude by not saying anything. "Nice to meet you Akira, I'm Skye. Exercise rider, stablehand, and soon to be jockey in training" she smiled. "If my horse doesn't throw me off first. This is Shawnee" patting the mare fondly, Skye looked back up, being friendly. "So do you like it in Nevada?" she then thought that might have been a stupid question, because it didn't mean that Akira was new here just because she had just applied for a job. "And have you gotten a good look around?" she asked curiously, then laughed at herself softly because she had just arrived as far as she knew. "I think i'll shut up before I hurt myself" her voice was humorous and she smiled. |
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Post by I Am Agent Z on May 10, 2009 11:19:57 GMT -5
Axel smiled, nodding slightly, "Nice to meet you, Akira. And Verse, as vell." He said, smiling and then asked, "So, what position have you applied for, I wonder? Ve have a grand total of about four people here including myself, the owner of this fine establishment..." Axel then realized he must have come on as being full of himself, then laughed humorously and then muttered "I'm kidding, of course, it's not ze very best ranch in ze vorld, but, you can try, and zat's all you can do," he then looked at Skye "Yes?" he asked, looking back and forth from one to the other, in regards to his comment of trying, not really expecting an answer from either of them. He then chuckled and patted Snap's neck, "Oh I almost forgot, zis is Snapping the Chain. Also known as Snap." He said, smiling over at Akira as he stroked his horse's neck fondly.
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Post by Frenzi™ on May 10, 2009 11:39:31 GMT -5
;; Akira immediately assumed that the two were somehow together, mostly due to Skye's look when Axel said 'lovely ladies', and then Axel's smile back to her that was somehow reassuring. However, that fact didn't displease Akira at all. In fact, it made her slightly calmer in the presence of both of them. As Skye introduced herself, Akira smiled, quickly wondering how they would get along, even though Skye seemed bubbly. Maybe it was just because she was around Axel? She rose an eyebrow curiously when she was asked if she liked it here in Nevada, "Yah, it's great... do I... look out of place or something?" she asked, an eyebrow still raised. Maybe Skye was just assuming, or maybe she did look out of place, but whatever the reason, Akira just wanted to know, she wasn't offended in the least. Besides, she liked to stick out with her own styles.
;; "For looking around the ranch, no, I didn't snoop, but I did go into town before I came here. It's a nice place," she smiled, trying her best to be friendly, and not come off as crass. She laughed softly at Skye's comment, but then almost immediately another question flew at her from Axel. "Jockey, who's the other person?" Akira asked curiously. There were only three of them here right now, including her, so did that mean there were two others? She waited for Axel to introduce his own horse, and smiled, "They're both beautiful," she said, nodding to each horse in turn just to make it clearer.
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