gimme your name and number [OPEN]

[Delany [HAMPTON]]

The girl slipped down out of the pickup and glanced around. A broad smile touched her lips. This was such an exciting prospect! Altogether new and totally unknown, but bound to be a ton of fun, right? SHe heaved a small sigh, tossing her curly brown hair over hers houlder to keep it out of her eyes

She stepped into the barn and glanced around until her eyes landed on a stall sheet. She walked over to it with a long, bouncing stride and examined it closely with large hazel eyes. SHe smiled as her eyes lit on her horse's stalls, the names reading their official names, "Kadience" and "Black-Fire Jupiter" She had to smile slightly. Black-Fire Jupiter would always be Jupe, or Jupiter. She'd never really thought of him as his registered name. He was Jupiter. Just Jupiter.

SHe turned on her heel and walked back out to the trailer. SHe quickly pulled the back open and stepped inside. The black horse snorted, tossing his head. Delany rolled her eyes slightly. "Jupe, you're such a prick sometimes, you know that?" she said with a shake of her head, reaching in and untieing the gelding. He backed down as quick as he good and stumbled off the back. "Dufus. Pay attention" Delany scolded without really scolding. It was apparent, even though the girl stood only 5 feet tall, that he was massive horse. And he was. He stood nearly 18 hands, and he towered over the girl. He was one of those horses that lots of people, especially short people like Delany, were a little intimidated by. Delany had been around horses in general, andt his horse in particular, way too much to be intimidated by him, though. Especially since he was just a big oaf. He didn't really mean harm to amyone.

She let the prancing, jittering, high headed black horse into the barn without an ounce of fear. SHe marched ahead of him with the sort of presence that said "if you step on me, it will be hell to pay" and clearly the gelding believed it, for he kept a fairly safe distance away, his nose not quite touching her shoulder, and, being so large, his feet didn't come close to hers.

"That's a boy" Del praised, patting him as she sent him into his stall. He turned and she took the halter off, hanging it ouside and closing the door, throwing home the bolt. The gelding snuffled around, exploring his new domain.

With a smile, the girl took off down the barn again to get the other mount, her dear Kadience. The chestnut mare wasn't quite as big as the gelding, but she was still massive, standing at 17 hands. Delany had to laugh a little bit. SHe liked 'em big. This horse she tied in the cross ties. Jupiter could just explore a bit. She left the mare there, but returned a few moments later with a saddle and bridle over one arm and brushes in the other. She quickly brushed the mare down, going over every inch thoroughly, then spent a little time saddling and checking her equipment. Everything seemed to have held over the journey over-seas, but one could never be too safe.

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word count; 537
tag; none
notes; none

[amy hall;;]

parker;;

xx___ a boy on horse-back walked through the grassy area surrounding the stable block, holding the reins in one hand. though the boy was quite tall for his age, and he palomino mare he rode was a small breed, they looked right. parker rode bareback; he had felt the need for a relaxing ride on his peruvian paso mare, delilah, and he always loved the strong connection he felt when he was actually touching the mare's back as he rode. delilah certainly looked like she had enjoyed the ride as well, her head was raised but her ears flicked back to listen to her rider, and she walked with a spring in her stride but waited for the cue from parker before she sped up. as they rode past a few of the pastures, parker clicked softly with his tounge and delilah moved forward into the graceful, floating gait that was a trade-mark to her breed. he patted her neck, noticing how thick it was becoming ( it wouldn't be long until she and the other horses would be wearing full-fledged winter coats ), and he ran his fingers through the silky, lighter strands of her mane. it was as they were approuching the stable yard that parker noticed the truck.

his hands gently pulled on the reins and delilah slowed almost instantly. parker couldn't help smile as he praised her with another pat. he had had the mare for at least ten years, she was his first horse, and he loved how responsive she was. it was more than he could say for her son, his other horse, a seven year old paso cross. as he cooled delilah off, parker couldn't help noticing a girl, his age maybe, she was actually quite petite and tiny, bringing in two horses into stable. he was suprised by how large the two horses looked next to the girl; they would look large next to anybody. parker had never seen her before and his family owned autumn hills, so this must be a new boarder. knowing he had to be polite, and honestly he was curious to meet this new girl, parker slid off of his palomino mare and led her into the stable. he ran a hand through his thick mob of brown shag-like hair, which he hadn't bothered to comb this morning. he also hadn't worn a helmet on his ride, something that would surely cause a fit from his parents, but they weren't here anymore. parker was wearing jeans, a green sweatshirt with the sleeves pushed up, and his brown barn boots.

parker smiled as he put delilah into her stall and removed her bridle. his black paso cross, romeo, was gazing at him through the bars of the next stall over. parker knew his younger horse wasn't a favorite in the stables, even his extreme horse-lover sister jen avoided roro. the truth was that romeo was hard to handle, grumpy, a one-man horse who might or might not have trust issues. whatever the reason was, romeo hated almost everyone but parker, including other horses. so that is why parker tied the black stallion in his stall instead of bringing him out in the aisle were another horse was being tacked. parker left romeo's stall, shaking his head slightly at the hot tempered snort that sounded behind him, and started toward the tack room. of course, the new girl was between him and the tack room, which gave him a chance to take a better look at her and her horses. he smiled kindly, his bright blue eyes friendly, as he spoke. hi, I'm parker hall. nice horse's you have there - what breed are they? while jen was good at guessing horse breeds, he wasn't. but then again, jen was so reserved these days that she hardly spoke to anyone while he didn't find meeting new people awkward at all - maybe he and his sister were just opposites.
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[ w o r d c o u n t ] 657
[ c o m m e n t s ] sorry, I kind of rambled on about nothing
[ s t a t u s ] finished

[Delany [HAMPTON]]

She glanced up as she heard another horse enter the stables. It was apparent by the clip-clop of hooves on the hard aisle. She had to smile. It was such a familiar sound, that of horses coming and going. She loved it.

She eyed the pair as the two came in with a practiced eye. The mare was certainly a good looking horse, not quite what she would have looked for in her own horses, but not ungainly at all. She smiled slightly. The tall boy would have been well matched to her own horses, who towered above her, and she, standing only five feet, probably would have made the little mare look like a decent sized horse. She made ponies look like decent sized horses. And she made her own horses look simply massive, even bigger than they were, if that was possible.

Kadience snorted and shook her head, but didn't dein to acknolwedge the other horse. Some said Kadience was a rather stuck up horse, and, in some ways, they were right, but in other ways she was a complete sweet heart.

She grabbed her bridle and Kadience dropped her head so Delany could reach to take the halter off and slip the bridle on. She accepted the bit. She gave the mare's neck a nice little pat then glanced over as someone, she assumed the boy who had ridden in on the little palomino mare, spoke. "hi, I'm parker hall. nice horse's you have there - what breed are they?" She offered a small smile. A friendly, open thing, genuine, but not overly bright or cheezy. "Hanos" she responded with a slight nod. "Hanoverians" she added, realizing some people didn't always understand her abbreviations for things. She offered a slight smile. "And I'm Delany Hampton." She gave a slight nod. She had a thick English accent, showing everyone that she was hardly a native of the area.

Kadience towered over Delany, her ears pricked toward the conversation with curiosity. "Parker....I know the name...Oh, they own the barn, right?" She said curiously. She liked to make connections if she knew people's names. She liked to know how everyone might be related, or how they knew everyone else. SHe wasn't sure why. It was just a thing of hers. She offered another smile. "Care to ride with me?" she asked curiously. "I honestly don't know where I'm going" she laughed a little self conciously.

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word count; 403
tag; parker hall
notes; bah, sorry. i'm a little bit pressed for time. :/

[amy hall;;]

parker;;

xx___ his bright blue eyes took in the girl's smile, and he nodded as she spoke. he nodded as she answered her question - hanoverians. he's heard of that breed before, his mother even had one a while back. of course it died a few years ago and all of his memories of the horse included a graying muzzle. though he had to admitt the gentle mare still moved with grace in her old age. clearly these two horses were still young and elegant looking. it was very obvious that the mare in the aisle was interested in the words being passed between the humans and parker couldn't help lifting his hand to let the large animal sniff it. as he did so, the girl offered up her name. delany. it was a nice name, though parker had never met someone named delany before.

as she took a pause in her talking, parker couldn't help but ask another question without wondering if it would seem rude. where's your accent from? I'm about as good as guessing accents as I am horse breeds - which means not very well. again, parker wondered if jen would take on opposite qualities as him and be able to guess where delany's accent was from. of course, his sister would never ask such a question these days. romeo made an impaitent sqeal from his stall, demanding parker's attention. with an almost unaudible sigh the by turned his head for a secound before turning his gaze back to delany as she asked a question. he nodded, then preceeded to answer her question. yeah, my parents - well, my oldest sister runs the stable now. parker was more open then his two sister's after the accident ( but of course, anybody next to jen would seem open ), but he skipped over the explaination of his parents. it was something he just didn't feel like sharing, though he was sure most of the boarders had heard of their death by now.

he brightened at the mention of a ride, relieved that the conversation had changed from the ownership of the stables. he nodded. if delany had no idea where she was going, what better person to guide her than someone who had actually lived on the grounds his whole life. of course. romeo needs exercise anyway - maybe a trail ride will relax him. of course, doubt clouded his tone at the end. though romeo was best with parker, the stallion was always tempermental and spunky. parker couldn't remember how many times people have suggested he geld the horse, but parker always disagreed. he could handle romeo fine, and he honestly admired the stallion's pride and beauty. I'll just tack up my horse real quick, parker said as he disappeared into the tack room and collected his tack.

as always, romeo made hot tempered snorts as parker tacked him up. he snapped his teeth once as parker tightened the girth but he still pretty still has he slipped the bridle over his finely shaped head. with two hands on the reins, the boy emerged from the stall and started toward the stable door. as he adjusted the tack, parker turned his blue eyes onto delany, keeping a tight grip on romeo incase the beautiful stallion tried anything funny. so, the trails? he asked, looking at delany with a smile as he waited for an answer.
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[ w o r d c o u n t ] 565
[ c o m m e n t s ] um bad, and very late. sorries
[ s t a t u s ] finished

[Delany [HAMPTON]]

Delany smiled slightly as she checked her cinches one last time. Kadience seemed totally relaxed, not one of those cinchy horses who snapped at anyone who tightened the cinch...Unlike someone else Delany knew, she thought, with a glance at her black gelding, Jupiter.

where's your accent from? I'm about as good as guessing accents as I am horse breeds - which means not very well. She chuckled lightly. "Britain. London, to be more exact" She replied easily, giving Kadience a last pat. yeah, my parents - well, my oldest sister runs the stable now. She noted the change from parents to older sister. "Oh" was all she responded, without pushing the issue at all.

She smiled as she watched Parker go to tack up his horse, a feisty looking black stallion. Delany admired the horse from afar. He was certainly a spirited thing. Bypassing the helmet she knew was stashed away in the trailer somewhere, she swung onto Kadience's back with less struggle than one might expect for one so short getting on a horse so tall.

She watched Parker lead his horse out, sitting quietly on Kadience's back, her back straight and yet somehow managing to look completely relaxed. so, the trails? Parker asked. She smiled and nodded. "Sounds great to me" Delany replied with a nod. "Lead on" she said with a smile.

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word count; 225
tag; parker hall
notes; Gah! If you wanna reply to this go ahead. I gotta fly right now, and I'll add more later if you haven't replied yet. Sorry for the crappy post!

[amy hall;;]

parker;;

xx___ parker nodded when delany replied that she was from london. wow, how exciting to have someone from a different country at the stables. parker had lived in the same place his whole life, at autumn hills, and had only been out of the country once or twice. but he mentally shrugged - he loved autumn hills and has never grown tired of it. as their conversation continued, parker was glad delany let the subject of his parents drop and didn't press him for answers. he was sure she would hear about his parents soon, even if it wasn't from him. he met delany outside after he had tacked up romeo. she was already mounted on her mare and parker couldn't help but notice how tiny she looked on the large horse. it was almost like they had the wrong horses since parker looked a little big on delilah with his long legs - luckily romeo was larger, around 15.2 hh, a whole hand larger than his dam, delilah.

like his earlier ride on his palomino, parker didn't wear a helmet as he mounted his black stallion. people may call him crazy, espeically if they knew roro, but believe or not the stallion rarely threw parker. however, the stallion seemed to hate other people and constantly threw them if someone other than his owner rode him. parker sighed as the stallion pricked his ears at the sight of a mare for a moment before the triangle shaped objects lay flat against his head, warning the other horse not to get too close. parker sighed, collecting the reins and urging romeo forward. honestly romeo. I don't understand why you're so tempermental all the time. but even as he was saying the words, parker reached down to give the horse a fond pat on the neck. it was apparent that someone took time to give the stallion a careful grooming, his black coat shone even though it was starting the get colder and his winter coat should be coming in.

parker aimed his horse down the path that led to the trails. romeo walked eagerly forward, the horse loved going on trail rides, and instantly moved into a flowing gait that resembled a trot a couple miniutes later when parker loosened the reins a bit. the black horse arched his neck as he smoothed his trot and moved into a trots equivilant for a peruvian paso horse, which is what his mother was. anybody could almost forget the stallion's nasty temperment at times like these, when he was moving gracefully and his finely chisled head that he inheirited from his arabian half was sat upon an arched neck. parker felt proud that he owned this horse, even though he was constantly wishing for him to convert the temperment he had with his owner to how he acted around other people. parker glanced at delany, admiring her horse. he knew he should probably start up another conversation but he wasn't sure what to say.
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[ w o r d c o u n t ] 498
[ c o m m e n t s ]
[ s t a t u s ] finished

[Delany [HAMPTON]]

Delany let Kadience fall into step a safe distance back from Romeo. While Kadi could hold her own, Delany didn't like to put her in situations that might get someone, anyone, hurt, not just herself or her own horses. It's not like those situations were that hard to avoid most of the time, if one was careful.

They rode along in comfortable silence for a while. Delany listened to the sounds around her, animals scurrying and birds whistling their songs. She loved it. She loved being outside and suddenly she wondered why she'd bothered tacking up. Why hadn't she just gone bareback? Oh well. It was too late now. There would be plenty of time for bareback rides later.

She nudged Kadience into a long trot as Romeo fell into his gait. Delany rose and fell easly to the motion, even though it wasn't exactly a smooth trot. It was the typical bouncing English horse trot, but Delany didn't mind. It was what she knew. She let the mare fall in beside Romeo, a safe distance away, as the trail widened out to allow two riders.

"So what grade are you in?" Delany asked curoiusly, just to get a conversation going. It wasn't that she minded silence. She was actually quite comfortable with silence, especially when one was in the presence of horses, but other people weren't always so comfortable with it. And it wasn't like it was that hard to carry on a conversation. Although Delany leaned toward the quiet side a bit, she wasn't shy, per se, and she was actually pretty good with people when she set her mind to it. She liked people, after all. She just wasn't a huge talker. She had never been the sort to talk a mile a minute. Even when she was little, she'd never been the sort of kid who talked a lot. Nope, she had been a quiet child. She still leaned toward being quiet, but she was better now at knowing when to talk and when not to.

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word count; 340
tag; parker hall
notes; Ugh. Sorry. I'm dead on muse. :/

[amy hall;;]

parker;;

xx___ parker relaxed as he noticed that delany put a safe distance between the horses. though romeo was usually pretty well behaived when he was riding him, the black stallion was still unpredicable. parker would feel just awful if his silly horse managed to kick delany's mount - how embarssing that would be, and everyone wanted to avoid an injury. just then, as if to prove the riders were right to be careful, romeo lifted his hind legs into a small buck. instantly parker adjusted his seat so he wouldn't be thrown. almost as sudden as the buck came, the black horse settled down and looked around with pricked ears as if nothing had happened. seeing this, parker couldn't help but give out a short laugh. what was that, romeo? did you see a rabid butterfly or something? still, a soft pat on a sleek black neck showed the boy wasn't angry.

the stallion soon calmed down and his gait became much looser, as if the trail ride was relaxing him, which was quite possible. the horse didn't even seem to notice when delany moved her horse next to them, still a safe distance away. parker was just trying to think up a good conversation topic when delany offered one of her own. he smiled an easy, friendly smile as he replied. I'll be going into the tenth grade. what about you? it had always seemed odd to parker that he was taller then his sister jen, who was a year ahead of him in school, and he basically had his twenty-five or so year old sister caroline beat as well. the boy couldn't help but wonder where he had gotten his height from. his father was pretty tall, so maybe from his side. it didn't really matter any way.

parker took up his reins in one hand, and used the other to run through his hair. he was once again reminded he wasn't wearing a helmet. though his sisters didn't always wear a helmet, espcially on trail rides, they usually sided with his parents on the helmet wearing situation when he rode romeo. though, they always seemed to forget that the infamous black stallion was always calmer when parker rode him, and though he had taken his fair share of tumbles from the horse's back. still, the tall brown haired boy felt comfortable on the stallions back - but then again, if he didn't, romeo probably wouldn't be here any more. as romeo countinued in his weird trot-like pace, sometimes bouncing like a trot and sometimes smooth like the peruvian paso's gliding gait, parker thought back to his and delany's conversation in the barn. you said you were from london, right? if it isn't too personal to ask, why did you move from europe to virgina? parker wondered, but if she didn't want to answer he wouldn't press her. after all, she hadn't pressed on the subject of his parents.
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[ w o r d c o u n t ] 488
[ c o m m e n t s ] eh. my posts are getting shorter each time
[ s t a t u s ] finished

[Delany [HAMPTON]]

The big chestnut glanced over as Romeo threw in his random little buck. She snorted disdainfully as if to say "crazy horse." Delany laughed. "Like you should talk, sister" she told the mare, giving her an affectionate stroke on the neck. "Generally, you're pretty crazy yourself" As if to prove Delany's point, the mare flung her head up and skittered sideways, toward Romeo, her head turned toward the trees. "Oh, knock it off" she said dismissively, giving the mare a sharp kick to get her away from Romeo before they had a wreck. Delany really hated those, especially when her horse caused them, because then, being Delany, she felt ridiculously guilty about it, especially if someone got hurt.

I'll be going into the tenth grade. what about you? She laughed a little. "Same here" she responded with a grin. The smile remained on her lips as she turned her attention to Kadience, who was still jittering and trying to run into Romeo. "Oh, quiiiit" Delany said with a shake of her head. She sat the trot, letting her seat drive into the saddle and collecting her reins a bit to keep contact with the mare's head. The horse snorted, prancing. Delany shook her head. "I'd say she's the one who caught sight of the rabid butterfly" she said with a shake of her head. "She's great in the show ring, with tons of people screaming and flags waving, but God forbid a leaf should rustle in the tree" Delany said, shaking her head and sitting easily as the mare turned almost sideways and began to almost sidestep down the trail, still facing the trees. "Oh yes, Kadience. That's simply lovely. Except you're just being a butt about it. Next time we get into the ring and I ask you to side pass, you remember this, okay?" Delany spoke to the mare as if she could understand. Sometimes Delany suspected her horses could. They had an almost uncanny ability to understand, although she knew it probably had more to do with tone than actual words.

you said you were from london, right? if it isn't too personal to ask, why did you move from europe to virgina? Delany smiled a little as she finally got Kadience straightened out. "Autumn Hills did, to be honest" she responded. "I mean, I've been riding since I could walk, so it's not so much the riding, but just to get out of the house, you know? My mother's really into the whole elite party thing, so she was constantly shoving me in cocktail gowns and making me be pretty and polite and the perfect little daughter." She shrugged a little, then grinned. "It was never my style, but I did it for Dad, and he did it for Mum, since she put up with our riding, you know? But of course, when they offered the out I was all over it" She laughed a little, then paused. "Well, now that you have my life story" she grinned, shaking her head. "Generally I'm not a huge talker, but once you get me going....Well, I don't shut up. Obviously" She laughed.

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word count; 523
tag; parker hall
notes; none

[amy hall;;]

parker;;

xx___ parker couldn't help but smile at kadience's reaction to romeo's little buck. though he had to put both hands on the reins again when the mare started to come closer. romeo reacted by laying his silky black ears against his head so that they were hidden by his mane. his neck lowered and he shook his head. parker could hear the swish of the stallion's tail, the motion sounding angry. romeo didn't make a move to bite or kick, which made parker feel relieved. if a buck had worried kadience, he didn't want to know what an inflected bite or kick would make the taller horse do. romeo didn't lift his ears, but he was no longer swishing his tail or shaking his head. parker patted his horse's neck again as he smiled at delany's answer. they were in the same grade, how about that.

kadience was still jittering a bit, and romeo's gait had stiffened as he watched her. a snort surged through the stallion's soft nostrils and parker was quite surprised romeo hadn't tried anything yet. delany started talking again, and though he wasn't making fun of her horse's antics, parker couldn't help but laugh at her comment about the rabid butterflies. the sound was light and throaty, one that displayed how relaxed parker was despite both of the horses acting up. to be truthful, he was used to horses spooking and such. it would be quite stupid to ride a high-strung horse like his arabian/peruvian paso stallion if you couldn't handle a few bucks and bad temperment. he nodded as delany spoke about being in the show ring and once more as she talked about the side pass. though he wasn't all that great in dressage, his sisters did the discipline and he understood the term. I'd have to say that romeo isn't wonderful in the show ring. but then again, I don't really show my horses much. delilah is a paso and romeo is half paso, and I haven't taken them to many shows.

romeo protested the other horse's closeness with another small buck, his teeth clanking on the bit. parker reined his horse in, making sure none of the black's hooves hit kadience. settle down romeo. there's no need to throw a temper tantrum. the stallion's ears flickered, a he relaxed a bit, though whether if it was because he heard his master's voice or because delany had once again put distance between the two horses. parker looked up as delany spoke the reason for her move, his blue eyes widening a bit as she said autumn hills was the reason. he hadn't known word of his family's stable had reached overseas. that was really interesting. he laughed with delany as she said that she had just told her life story. your life has been more interesting then mine. I've lived at autumn hills my whole life and have only been out of america once. though he loved the grounds he grow up on, paker thought it would be nice to travel sometimes. he spoke again as delany made another comment. I don't mind. my two sisters are usually so quiet, its nice to have a long conversation with someone. parker smiled - he had always been the most outgoing of the three siblings.
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[ w o r d c o u n t ] 547
[ c o m m e n t s ] I just realized I have been calling amy jen in this thread. oops.
[ s t a t u s ] finished

[Delany [HAMPTON]]

The mare finally settled completely, and Delany let herself relax a little. Kadience could be a handful sometimes, but she was a good horse. Well, Delany thought so anyway, and most people would agree, despite the mare's slightly ditzy temperament. She was good and level headed in the show ring, but could seem a little skittish everywhere else. Still, she jumped her heart out, and her Dressage was pretty good. Mostly thanks to Delany's father, of course. Dressage was her least favorite part of eventing, although she didn't mind it. But it was her father's thing, and so he'd gotten Kadience pretty well trained to the discipline.

She glanced over as Parker talked about her life being more interesting. She laughed a little bit, shaking her head. "I really doubt it" she told him. "Don't get me wrong. Britain's great. I love it. But America's way more interesting." she laughed. "But then, I guess you grew up here, and I grew up there, so it would seem that way to me. I really can't understand why so many people want to come tour Britain, but it's my home, so of course it doesn't seem that interesting." She laughed a little. "But this is the first I've been outside Britain, so I guess we're even that way."

She nodded when he said he hadn't done much showing. She knew some people didn't like it, but Delany, at least, thrived on it. She loved the energy of the crowd and, truthfully, the pressure to put in a good performance. But she'd always done well under pressure. Some people didn't like the spotlight, but she had never minded it.

She smiled and nodded when he said his sister's were quiet. "Yeah. I guess maybe I've never been in many situations where I actually could talk, you know? I mean, at all the parties and banquets and blah blah, I was always just the daughter. My mother really did hold to that "children should be seen and not heard" and I guess the same goes for daughters, until they're married." She laughed. "So I never did a lot of talking, just because it wasn't "proper"" She lined proper with air quotes and a roll of her eyes. "I'm really so glad to be away from the whole scene. Girls are so catty and all they do is gossip" She shook her head. "Give me a horse over another girl any day" she laughed. "Well, at least the popular girls" she amended after a second of thought.

She glanced away from Parker ahead to the trailer as Kadience's head came up. "Ah" the girl murmured as understanding flickered across her face. Kadience had spied a fallen log up ahead, covered with moss and obviously having been down for a while. Of course, the mare had decided she needed to jump it, which, Delany noted, they might have to. Unless they wanted to pick their way through trees, which Delany wasn't a huge fan of. Especially when Kadience would fight every step of the way. The girl wouldn't have admitted it, but she was a little claustrophobic, and even just the trees along the trailer made her feel a little closed in. There was no way she was going through the thicker trees when she could stay out in the open. She glanced over at Parker. "Shall we?" she asked with a slight grin, and legged Kadience into a canter. The mare's ears pricked as her strides lengthened. "Hey, don't rush it" Delany's voice floated back. "Easy, easy" she breathed, sitting back and applying some pressure to the bit. The mare slowed grudgingly, and then gathered herself. She popped over the log without an ounce of trouble, and Delany brought her down to a slower canter, circling back and finally bringing her to a stop to wait for Parker and Romeo. Delany leaned down to stroke Kadience's neck firmly. "That's a girl" she said. The mare snorted, ears pricked back toward Romeo. She shifted a little, not liking this whole standing still business, and Delany straightened so she wouldn't get piled if the mare tried any tricks.

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word count; 689
tag; parker hall
notes; none

[parker hall;;]

parker;;

xx___ the stallion beneath parker relaxed his tensed muscles, obviously satisfied that the other horse wasn't planning to breach his "personal bubble" again. parker had always loved riding bareback because you could feel almost every shift the horse makes, but he was surprised how much he felt with the saddle in between him and his black horse. it seemed like the trail ride was taking the effect on romeo parker had hoped. odd as it sounds, the stallion was usually his best traveling the woodland trails despite all the distractions and noises/movements that could spook a horse. but it was true. even now, the horse was relaxing back into a flowing gait that was showy, like the stallion had finally realized the horse next to him was a mare. his ears were pricked again and parker could feel romeo's mouth soften through the reins. if someone were to see romeo for the first time now, they might guess the black horse was a push-button pony.

parker glanced at delany as she continued to speak. he shook his head when she said america was more interesting, laughing softly. yeah. someone else's home always seems more interesting then your own, but I guess you can argue that home is always were you feel the most comfortable. at least, thats how I feel. though parker had lived in the same house all his life, he didn't think he would ever want to move out. he loved the "ranch", as his mother used to call it. delany went on to talk to more, which was fine with parker. it was interesting to hear her talk about her past. though he did twist his face in a look of sympathy when she mentioned her mother's policy. those parties don't sound very fun. I'm glad my mom wasn't like that - she used to pester my sister amy about talking so little. parker paused, glancing at his reins for a split second, painfully aware he was talking about his mom in past tense. not a moment later, though, an easy smile appeared on his face. I have to agree that horses are much better company then catty or bratty girls.

parker leaned forward slightly, his hand brushing at a fly that had landed on romeo's sleek neck. one thing he was looking forward for winter for was the absence of flies. parker was mulling over how much he hated the creatures when he heard a soft mutter come from delany. he looked up and followed her gaze to the log. he nodded energetically, his reply to her question. though he was by no means a pro at jumping, what with a gaited horse and a hot tempered stallion as his mounts he didn't do many courses, but he loved jumping. his sisters were sometimes nice enough to let him jump their horses, celtic cloud or spartan, who seemed large compared to his smaller horses. parker halted romeo, giving delany room to take the jump first. though kadience obviously wanted to choose the speed, delany kept nice control over the chestnut. when she was done and halted, parker called out. nice jump!

parker then shifted his leg and romeo leaped into a canter right away. though the stallion got frustrated with the colorful designs of an actual jump pole, he loved jumping cross-country. parker guessed the trail was his favorite place. the stallion was being surprisingly responsive and attentive, not fighting at all. parker kept the black at a moderate speed since romeo obviously wasn't a highly trained show jumper; he didn't want the horse to hurt himself. but romeo lifted his legs neatly, like he had practiced it many times. of course, he ruined by giving a small buck once his hooves touched the ground. parker couldn't help but laugh at his horse's antics. of course, it was even more funny, and unusual, that romeo was currently looking around with an innocent expression. I should have known he would do that. romeo was being too good. you guys are good jumpers by the way - how long have you been riding? romeo shook his head, obviously bored with standing already even though delany and her horse had been standing for longer. parker backed his horse a step, reminding him to behave.
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[ w o r d c o u n t ] 712
[ c o m m e n t s ] I got my muse back
[ s t a t u s ] finished

[Delany [HAMPTON]]

Delany laughed and nodded a bit when Parker said the parties didn't sound very fun. "They weren't" she responded lightly.

Kadience stood quietly, and Delany sat relaxed in the saddle, watching Parker take Romeo over the jump. She watched the little black stud snap his knees like any well trained jumper, laughing slightly when he threw in the buck at the end. Jupiter had had that habit for a while, but she'd finally broken him of it, considering it docked a pretty huge amount of points from their score when he did it during shows.

I should have known he would do that. romeo was being too good. you guys are good jumpers by the way - how long have you been riding? She laughed a bit, watching Romeo toss his head, and gently laid her heel against Kadience's side. The mare turned neatly and settled into a walk again. Delany grinned. She knew that feeling with Kadience sometimes. The mare was ditzy and a bit of a trouble maker. "Oh, thanks" she said, in reply to the compliment. "A pretty big part of it is Kadience" she said, giving the mare's neck an affectionate pat. "And I've been riding since, like, before I could walk, I guess. My dad rode a lot, so he would take me with whenever he went to the barn, much to mom's dismay. She was always worried we'd get hurt" She shrugged a little in a "what-can-you-do?" sort of way. "So yeah, I grew up around the whole eventing scene. My dad showed eventers, so I got taken along, and I got a pretty good net of people around me to show me stuff. It was pretty cool. I think that's probably what I miss most about England"

Her gaze glazed over for a moment until Kadience noted her mistress's attention wandering. She snorted, bucked, and exploded forward, bursting into a gallop. Delany shook her head, shifting her weight back and applying pressure to the reins. "I know my mind was wandering, and that is my fault, but that is certainly no way to behave" She shook her head as she circled the mare back around toward Parker and Romeo. "What was that about behaving too well? she asked with a shake of her head. "What about you? When did you start riding?" She asked curiously as she brought Kadi into step beside Parker and Romeo once more.

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word count; 402
tag; parker hall
notes; meh. i musta given all my muse to you, because mine is dead. xD lol

[amy hall;;]

parker;;

xx___ thankfully romeo walked forward easily, having settled down again. the stallion was busy twisting his velvet-like ears, absorbed in the sounds of the forest with interest. it amazed parker that his horse relaxed on the trail and he was such a hard-head everywhere else. well, he was still tempermental, but so much better here then in the arena, paddock, or even the stables. of course, parker realized with a smile, romeo put up with him more then any other person and had never actually tried to bite him. heck, he never let any of his sisters, or even his mother, who were some of the best riders he knew, ride him. parker always suspected that romeo liked him because he had been there the night the black colt was born. of course, then as a long-legged, floppy eared, and downright awkward newborn the stallion had tried to be the boss right away. he was quite the little spitefire, even as a foal, and parker never thought the stallion was mean.

parker let romeo have his head, and the stallion lowered his head a bit, but his ears were pricked forward - not at all the look of a horse about to buck. still, parker didn't let his attention wander too much as he tilted his head to listen to delany. he nodded, listening to her talk and once again noticing the difference between his mother and delany's. yes, his mother was worried about their safety, but she was also always encouraging them to try new things on horseback. though he didn't remember it, his first ride, as with both his sisters, was when his mother had perched him in front of her in the saddle on a beautiful bay mare. there was a picture of this in his room, him as a brown haired infant on his mom's prized eventer, twister, who was in fact the dam of his mother's equally prized horse, pegasus. inwardly shaking his head, parker snapped back to the present, mouth opened to reply to delany when suddenly she wasn't there.

kadience exploded forward with a buck, surging into a gallop. romeo shied, obviously startled, before trying to follow the mare. parker reacted instantly, tightening the reins and his black stallion slid to a stop, tossing and shaking his head to show how much he loathed the hold on his mouth. he snorted, acting offended, though parker knew the stallion wasn't hurt - his mouth wasn't quite that sensitive. the stallion still wanted to chase after the other horse, and showed it by twisting his body and side-stepping. parker hoped delany was okay, but he couldn't look up to check since romeo was acting up. doing something similar to a pully-rein, parker pulled his right rein to bring romeo into a tight circle, stopping after the black paso had calmed down a bit. by the time that he had stopped the stallion, delany had made her way back and was making a remark on the horses' antics. smiling, parker nodded. romeo was convinved that it was a race. you ok?

though delany looked fine, he had to ask. parker glanced down at romeo, though the stallion was walking as thought nothing had happened. he smiled, amazed. pushing a strand of brown hair out of his eyes, parker looked back at delany as she asked a question. I've been riding since before I could walk as well. my mom grew up here - autumn hills has actually been in her family for a long time. my parents were both eventers, though my mom defiantly showed more, but they would put me up in the saddle with them. in fact, pegasus, the lesson horse, used to be my mom's eventer. he paused, wondering if he had said too much. delany was sure to notice how he kept using past tense when talking about his parents. he shrugged, trying to draw the conversation away from any possible questions about his parents. my first horse was delilah, my palomino - she's romeo's mommy. I've had her for a long time. he nodded, thinking about the palomino mare when she was younger.
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[ w o r d c o u n t ] 688
[ c o m m e n t s ]
[ s t a t u s ] finished

[Delany [HAMPTON]]

Of course, Kadience wasn't ready to just settle down and be good quite yet, as Romeo seemed more than content to do. The mare snorted, shaking her head. Delany let her focus stay on the mare, even as her ears took in Parker's words. She'd seen the big gray horse in the barn. He was a beauty, that was for certain. Kadience continued to prance and jitter, and Delany frowned. She was used to the mare's antics and moods, but this was flat out embarrassing. "Would you quit?" Delany asked, feeling herself begin to lose patience, which was always a bad thing.

The mare snorted, swinging her hind quarters around before stopping dead in her tracks and lifting her legs in a half rear. Delany leaned forward with the motion, gritting her teeth as a release for her frustration even as she tightened her reins and dug her heels firmly into the mare's sides. With a snort, the mare jumped forward again. A frown still lit Delany's thin brown eyebrows as she choked up on her right rein and pulled the mare into a sharp circle.

"You know better than this" Delany said, her voice low and dangerous. The mare flicked an ear back, recognizing the tone. It was almost like a warning squeal from a lead stallion before he snapped, lunging with ears flattened and teeth bared. The big chestnut knew it was a warning that she would do well to take note of, but she wasn't ready to be done yet. She snorted, dropping her head and throwing in a good sized buck. For once, Delany wished she rode with a crop. She detested the things, and had never found use for them herself, seeing them as an aid used by bad riders, another "fix-it" tool that really didn't fix anything at all. Still, she could see where it might have its place, in the hands of a decent rider, of course. Kadience, currently, would deserve ever nip from a crop that she got. "Quit" Delany hissed again through gritted teeth as the mare continued to buck.

The girl's face softened into a puzzled frown. "Easy, easy" she said softly, pulling the mare's nose around to her knee until the horse stopped, her sides heaving. "There now" Delany murmured, kicking her boots quickly free of the stirrup irons and swinging down before the mare go start her tantrum over again.

In quick, fluid motions, Delany had yanked the cinch up and loosened it, and tugged the saddle off the mare's back. She looped the reins over her arm, then balanced the saddle on her knee, running her hand over the fleece saddle pad, searching for burs or stickers or something that might be making the mare irritable. A concerned little frown still darkened the girl's face, although it was a cute expression rather than a grotesque one, an expression that showed her truly sweet nature, all concern and puzzlement.

She found nothing on the saddle blanket that should have been causing the mare to misbehave. Just because there wasn't anything there, Delany was a bit ashamed she hadn't thought of it sooner. It was her job as a rider to take care of her horse. She carefully set the saddle down, and began to run her hands over the mare's satiny back, checking for other things that might have caused irritation or pain. She found nothing, and she continued with her impromptu exam of the mare, running her hands up and down the mare's neck and across her chest and hindquarters. Finally, she ran her hand down the mare's legs, lifting each one and examining her hooves for stones. Of course, the last hoof she lifted bore the stone that had been the cause for the mare's misbehavior.

Delany nodded slightly. "So that's it, my girl" she said softly. Her fingers worked at the stone for a minute or two before she managed to work it loose. She rubbed her hand over the sole of the mare's foot, but it didn't feel inflamed to the touch, so she assumed it hadn't caused too much damage. Just the discomfort that Kadience, Miss Queen of the Country, was bound to object, and object violently to.

The girl shook her head with mild amusement. "It really wasn't such a bad thing, was it girl? Still, you've always been dramatic" she said, sounding amused. She glanced up at Parker as she lifted her saddle and dropped it onto the mare's back again. "Stone in her hoof" she said with a slight roll of her eyes. "Nothing awful, but God forbid Miss Royalty here suffer discomfort of any sort" she said with another shake of her head as she cinched the mare up. She stepped to the mare's shoulder, took a step forward and lunged nimbly onto the mare's back, having to wriggle a bit before she managed to actually get into the saddle.

"Sorry about that" Delany apologized to Parker as she lifted her reins and sent the mare into a walk. Kadience was quieter now, though still a little high strung, tossing her head and breaking into a nervous little prance every so often. "Anyway, you were saying your mom evented?" she asked. "That's cool" she said with a nod, and then smiled. "Yeah. Jupe is out of one of the mares my dad has had for ages. Kadience and I have been together for a while, I guess. She's sort of a ditz, but she's good in the arena" she said, amusement and affection coloring her tone. Again, she didn't press about how much he talked of his parents, especially his mom, in the past tense. It wasn't any of her business anyway, after all, although she could feel the beginning twinges of deep curiosity.

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word count; 958
tag; parker hall
notes; This is a really long thread about pretty much absolutely nothing at all. Haha. Sorry.