Laurence | Dajana, all other trail ride peeps

Dajana and Laurence sat at the designated meeting spot roughly ten minutes early, just for good measure. Laurence was seated on a bright albeit disgustingly muddy gray, the rope halter under his bridle and the rope reins connected to it indicative of the gelding's young and green nature. Dajana was riding a reddish seal brown gelding with lots of chrome, who was extremely tall and somehow shorter than Laurence's mount. Both were chatting amicably when Kierstan and Julian rode up, each on their respective schoolhorses. The dark palomino under the young lawyer was agressively threatening Kierstan's strawberry roan, who seemed to have no ability to care less than she already did.

"Hey guys," the dressage instructor greeted.

"You guys switched horses? That's so neat," Kierstan grinned, gesturing to the gray and the bay the two trainers were riding.

"Yeah, and somehow I definitely got the bad end of this deal," Laurence teased. "Just kidding, her youngster has been great so far. We'll see what happens later on." He met eyes with Julian directly, offering a warm smile. "I'm glad to see you here. Did your meeting end early?"

"Cancelled," she replied abruptly. "I heard the hurricane is hitting the south pretty hard. I hope it calms before it gets here..."

Dajana looked cluelessly between Laurence and Kierstan. "What is...hurricane?"

"It's like, a lot of rain and wind and stuff. A storm, but way worse."

"Oh. It is coming...here?"

"Supposedly..." Laurence said with an eyeroll. "The news here in America seems to make everything more dramatic than it needs to be. Hopefully it'll be nothing."

As he felt a vibration in the pocket of his slate gray riding pants, Laurence excused himself and walked the green sport horse back down the driveway towards the barn in order to get away from everyone. His sister never called him, so his surprise and concern were inevitable. In fact, he wasn't close with anyone in his family--he'd made his own long ago.

"Rain? What's going on, are you okay?" Holding the phone slightly away from his ear while he guided the green horse with the other, he couldn't help but think that this was fairly dangerous, and he was grateful for the sound mind on the gray tobiano.

"What do you mean they're getting un-divorced?! Why are you happy about this?!" Sighing deeply, he tried to center himself but couldn't. How he always got dragged into family drama he had no business or desire being in. "Rain? I gotta go, I'm working. I'll call you later and we can discuss this. I need time to process."

Hanging up and heaving a sigh of pure annoyance and disbelief, Laurence stuck his phone back in his pocket and toyed with the ring on his finger, taking a slow and deliberate ride back to the group to avoid showing the feelings he was attempting to bury under the rug.

Simon / Flame / M: Sam,Trail ride.

Having spent the last few minutes shooting Sam harmless deathstares inbetween racing to finish tacking up,Simon was now glad to be finally nearing the meeting place and gradually getting to know his school mount.From what he could tell so far,the gelding was pleasant enough and a welcome change from Flame.He was quiet but energetic beneath the saddle,yet lacking the headstrong capabilities his Flaxen Stallion could flick on without thought.It was refreshing to say the least.

He couldnt help but notice that Sam seemed to be having a very different experience in the saddle,Was it cruel to find it funny?The mare she was riding was obviously very different to her push button gelding,and he was finding how flustered she was getting over using so much leg amusing.Very Amusing.Sky was nappy,and how tense her rider was in the saddle didnt seem to be helping.

"Hey Guys - Sorry for holding you up."

He offered the small collection of riders a slight grin,his expression largely friendly and hiding his evergrowing suspicions very well.Only two riders in this group seemed to be acting strange,and it seemed only fitting that it was interlocking somehow.Simon guessed he had a 60-40 chance of being correct,but couldnt help but feel the pieces fitting together.He wondered if Chandler thought the same - Or was he just finding another excuse to look at her?

Chandler | Trail ride gang

"Simonnn, what's up?" Chandler beamed, the black blanket gelding beneath her gentle but alert. She worried slightly about taking Ben for trail rides, only because of his stubborn nature. He was calm and perfect as could be until something caught his eye, then he'd never move past it. This had always showed up in the worst moments.

Aodhan had been riding Hero around in circles casually, getting a feel for him. He'd heard that the Trakhener was supposed to be ridden by a very talented rider who'd never shown, and thus, Aodhan had been allowed to ride him for the time being, until he could be more properly assigned a schoolhorse. He parked next to Sam, if nothing else to be annoying.

"Howdy, stranger. Or, as the Americans say, 'what it be like, cuz?'" Chuckling, he kept his tight grip on the bay, for he could tell he had an excessive amount of energy. He wasn't sure that if he let the horse go, he'd ever get him back.

Laurence gave a small smile towards everyone who'd come, catching eyes with Sam in the process. He gave a warm smile. "Hey Sam, Aodhan, glad to see you guys join us!" Obviously, something was off with Laurence, but Aodhan found it primarily hilarious.

"Is it just me or is mister 'happy all day, no emotions but the good ones' a little wacky today?"

As the group began riding down the road, Chandler pulled Ben next to Ren, exchanging a glance with Simon. "Are you feeling tension in the air too, or is that just me?"

Samantha Starr / Sky / M: Trial Gang.

For once she was very glad to have Sky beneath the saddle,the aching of her Thighs already keeping the majority of her attention.Even so,It was very hard to ignore the bundle of energy that was soon planted beside her - both horse and rider it seemed.Over the last few weeks,she had come to realise the australian's exhuberant nature never faultered or even seemed to stabalise.It just seemed to rocket each day to new levels.

"Lord Help if you were my cousin."

She deadpanned with slight narrowness to her eyes,a harmless harsh glint.It was more so aimed in another direction than her companion,and she neither wondered or cared how obvious she was being about it.But an inkling in her stomach as she watched him force on an expression,spurred on by Aodhan's amusement began to grow as the group set off.Within a few strides she had managed to get Sky moving enough with her ridged frame to catch the front of the group,where Laurence was riding alone.Sulking she guessed.

"So you're not dead then huh?Although i think I've seen Happier looking Corpses."

She asked rather pointedly,trying her best to remain in an untouchable composure but struggling heavily.His scent was so familar and yet excitingly new to her,and each rare occasion it came near it seemed to go to her head.Of all the expensive aftershaves Sam had experienced throughout her life,His just seemed different - and never ceased to send a painfully strong tingle up her spine.Even prodding at him scared her in a way that no one else ever had,her gaze occasionally flitting over to his direction when she dared.Irritably it always fell to his ring.Always.It was the ponient arguement in her mind - He didnt seem the type to make up a marriage that obviously meant so much to him.So would he make up those words about his feelings?Or was he just another Slick Rick trying to pull the wool over her eyes?

The Raven-Haired Man had offered Chandler a knowing Smile,Relief crossing his features.This woman continued to amaze him,was she always so adept at reading thoughts?He leant over in playfully secretive way,Ren tightening the gap in an attempt to check out the other gelding,in the process allowing their knees to brush slightly.

"Very Much so.Do we ask?..Or would you rather take a punt on which one does something crazy first?.."

He gave a chuckle,his eyes watching Sam who was sat incredibly tall and tense,but her seat seeming to have settled a little more now.Simon just couldnt tell if it was because the mare as waking up,or her legs had gone numb.The thought only made his amusement heighten.

Marley - Roze | Nirvana | M: Open, ( like a book )

Marley finished up her short shift and was wiping down tables. The bounciness of the fellow Aussie was playing on her mind. It was.. to put it lightly.. slightly off putting. Shaking her head lightly she finished off the painful chore and looked down at the slight marks on her hands.

Marley threw the used cloth in the bin then waved goodbye to her fellow staff members before pulling out her phone and texting the large groupchat.

[ Marlz : Yoo. Just got off my shift! Anybody up for a ride down to the lake for a swim? ] She slipped her phone back into her pocket and sighed lightly. `` Nope. `` Marley muttered as negative thoughts filled her head. Doubting herself was done too often, but she couldn't help it.

___

Marley finished tacking up the buckskin geld and swung the reins over his neck before holding his bridle lightly. The two walked side by side down to the large jumping arena. Nobody had replied yet so she figured a little bit of jumping never hurt nobody. She mounted the geld then nudged him in a trot towards the trot poles.

Heather Proudstorm | 20 | Eventing | Espresso Silhouette "Mystery" and Titanium "Storm" | School Horse: WO Descendants of Khan "Khan" | M: Open

-Heather would be staring blankly at the screen on her phone, looking at the pictures of Prince that she has taken when he was once live. She swiped each one until the brunette stopped on one....the one where they were competing against the best riders and horses at the Olympics as they were finishing up a round in Show Jumping which caught the moment of both her & Prince clearing a difficult obstacle....he looked so happy & proud in the photo that a single tear ran down her face. She would be just hiding out in a stall that use to be Prince's stall that now became Storm's stall as the stud was calmly eating his hay while he swished his white tail a bit as Mystery would be drinking some water from her bucket in her stall-

sorry loves, unexpected hiatus is over [we hope] :) also i just completely spontaneously decided that Luke is gonna be a people but I'm gonna fix him up sorta. stay tuned.

who the heck knows | trail gang + marley

Laurence glanced to his side, giving a gentle smile in Sam's direction, more of a nod to her presence than a true smile. He was internalizing the mistakes of his family members, taking them upon his own shoulders instead of what he knew he should be doing--realizing that they didn't want him and he didn't want them, and just because they call every time they need something does not make their problems his. Laurence had always been the glue of their family, the rational, soft, lover of the family. Rain was very vain and image-focused, a lover of conflict where he couldn't bear it. His mother was stern and rigid, his father exactly like Rain, but so deep into his business he didn't know how to feel anymore. It wasn't a surprise to anyone when they divorced, or when they kicked Laurence to the curb for some 'poor' life choices. Still, being soft and caring as he was, every time they came running to him, he accepted and took the weight of their burdens on himself. No matter what he needed or wanted, no matter what he was going through.

He was so lost in thought he couldn't remember if she'd spoken or not, so he let the silence continue, seeping into the dark crevices of his soul indifferently. Dealing with his family made him quite the opposite of his usual self--lethargic, disorganized, messy, and distracted. He couldn't remember his lesson schedule for the day, so he would check his phone, forget to actually pay attention, turn it back on, and forget what task he was trying to accomplish. This cycle continued several times before he sighed heavily, jamming his phone back in the pocket of his breeches, and paying attention to where they were going, hardly remembering to enjoy the scenery in front of him, which was the entire reason for the hack.

..

Chandler gave a delighted smirk. "Say something and ruin the fun? C'mon, we want to drag it out a little, don't we? What if we both individually mess with them? I just don't know what to do..." She chuckled, not unfazed by the brushing of their knees, but trying her darndest to hide it. Ben focused his attention on Ren, seemingly very intrigued by the other gelding. He was the kind of horse who became a barn favorite with the four-leggeds and the two-leggeds with his friendly, puppy-like persona.

..

Luke Bellini | Marley

Luke had stepped on property only eight hours prior, yet it seemed his phone hadn't stopped buzzing. Some talk of a trailride, then a hack to the lake had emerged. Although easily exhausted by social events, he decided it wouldn't be bad to make some friends, and he felt obligated to reply since nobody else had.

[Luke]: Hey, not sure who everyone is--I'm a new boarder. But, I'd love to go for a hack down to the lake, where do we meet up?

Marley - Roze | Nirvana | M: Luke, Open

Marley nudged the gelding over the large jump, his muscles rippling as he landed. She smiled gently and bent down, petting his neck. Amidst all the fun she was having with Nirvana she missed the fact that her phone had buzzed.

She pulled it out from her pocket and read over the message, her eyebrows being drawn together in confusion. Marley had zero clue who this " Luke " dude was but figured they would be ok.

[ Marls : Meet me by the open jumping arena, we'll go from there :) ]

Marley unmounted the sturdy gelding and led him in tight circles, the horses need for constant movement affecting him. She watched the surrounding areas, keeping an eye out for anybody that would look like a Luke. Eventually she saw somebody, horse being towed behind them. Marley perked up and waved him over, Nirvana also perking up at the sight of another horse. He got over excited and started pulling on the reins, causing the woman to appear " unprofessional "

Cameron Fairfield | 19 | SJ | Lucifer | Heather

Cam lounged against the stall door, wondering how long it would take the brunette to realize his presence. Despite being very emotionally unintelligent, even he could tell that something was up with the young woman.

"Anyone home?" He knocked on the wooden wall gently, peering into the stall. "Havin' a bit of a down day, hey?" Cam let himself in, dodging the silver stud with the ease of years of owning Lucifer. His eyes showing a hint of concern, the blonde crouched down to meet Heather's tear-filled gaze.

His fingers drummed across the straw-streaked floor, beating out a steady rhythm. De-dum dum. De-dum dum. It filled the tentative silence stretching between them, until Cam spoke again. "Are you gonna spill, or should I leave?" As usual, it was spoken with perfect honesty - the best thing about Cam was that he rarely had hidden agenda.

(I'm sorry, this is terrible, but I need to write <3)