Lara Ross | Chester (indirectly), OPEN

“I’mlateI’mlateI’mlateI’mlateI’mlate,” the brunette mumbled to herself anxiously, strutting down the hallway in extremely long, fast strides that were only a stone’s throw from assembling a run. Her black high heels made noises on the tile floor that ricocheted off the cream-colored walls. If she had been running any less behind, she may have stopped to observe the paintings lining these walls, as she stopped to do every morning. She didn’t particularly appreciate the paintings--or art in general--but there was something so miniscule, so remarkable about stopping to appreciate the minute details of her surroundings. She had been trying to do it more as a measure of her own self-growth. Typically she was so focused on efficiency, on speed, on results that she wouldn’t even think to stop and smell the metaphorical roses.

The elevator took far longer than she had wished for it to, and though she rather enjoyed the view from the fourth floor, she briefly considered applying for the lease on the newly available apartment on the first floor just for convenience. Then she recalled the waste of money that would be, and she became troubled. If she had been running any less late, she would have created a color-coordinated, full-stop pros and cons list right on the spot. But alas, she was running almost fifteen minutes behind.

Making her way out to the parking lot, Lara couldn’t help but notice a tall blond man lounging in one of the chairs they’d put out on the lawn adjacent to where she was standing. He was finely dressed, far more so than anyone she had ever seen in this redneck, backwoods country town. She couldn’t help but admire the watch that sat on his left wrist, then the rest of him. The more she studied him, the faster her heart raced, and the quicker she clambered up into her white suburban. She wanted to get out of there before she was seen by Chester Blue, the one and only.

Though she was successful in avoiding his gaze, and thus, his attention, Lara was so anxiously in thought that she forgot to drink her coffee on the drive over. It was cold by the time she got to the farm, and she automatically discarded it in one of the trashcans sprinkled across the property, never once losing her breakneck walking speed until the moment she reached her office. Though nobody was there to draw attention to the fact that she was a few minutes late, she typically would have felt an immense amount of guilt for her tardiness. This particular morning, that guilt was undermined by the feelings of nervousness and bewilderment regarding why in the world Chester Blue was back in Virginia, and in an old beach chair on the lawn of her apartment complex, of all places.

Samantha Starr / Mickey / M: Laurence.
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The young woman almost jumped in shock as Laurence worked his way into the apartment,Her thundering heart distracting from the words leaving his mouth.Although his demeanor wasn't threatening,Sam felt herself begin to panic - Perhaps not at him but how she would react.In a sudden moment her feelings cascaded from the height of flamed fury to being almost smitten and back to the latter,this new attitude taking an immediate affect on her subconscious thoughts.This was the man she had known he was perhaps all along, was she even a little happy to see him start to show it?
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After a moment of contemplation her expression hardened a little,Arms crossing defensively across her chest as she stood cautiously to the otherside of the room,busying herself with tidying away a few dishes as she began to speak,
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"I dont know what you expected from me,Sympathy?Yeah,You really dont have to tell me how wrong it was Okay.Believe it or not I lived it."
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Sam had found herself stuck spinning a plate repeatedly in her hands,Lost in a trance as her words tumbled away,
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"Lived here.On.My.Own - Not knowing where youd gone,Who to turn to.Heck where to even start looking.If you'd gone and done something so ridiculous and actually..- died this time.Do you know what that is even like?To not even have your heart broken?To just have it disappear after an absolutely horrendous phone call,After I was kidnapped and Abandoned for months? For God's sake when.when I.-"
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Somewhere along the lines of her rant,The plate began to slip simultaneously with the tears crawling down her skin and as she found herself unable to admit she needed him it shattered into the sink making her leap out of her skin.A moment of collection later and a few wipes of her eyes,Sam's gaze averted to the ceiling,back still to Laurence as she wondered about how fabulous it would have been to have one more day without drama.Or heartache.It just seemed her bliss was all up.
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"Look - I'm really glad you're okay,Alright?And that you have found whatever thing in you that you were looking for wherever you went.But I just - .. I."
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Her head fell into her hands before she stood up straight again,alternating in many positions of stress before finding she couldnt even turn to look at him.Her feet kept her firmly away,Every part of her knowing that the moment she got too close her anger would disappear and all the feeling she once had for him would rush back.She wouldnt - couldn't do it.
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"It was nice seeing you but I've got to go exercise Mickey in a little while and I just need a little rest before hand.So- So I'd really appreciate if we continued this another time.I - "
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The strawberry blonde had offered Any excuse to make him leave before the torrent of sobs she knew would soon follow started.Sam had to physically clamp her mouth as she finished speaking,shutting her eyes and willing herself uncontrollably not to do this - not to loose her control.Not infront of him.It would be funny ,she guessed in hindsight, how shed wished for someone to cry to all these months,And yet the only one shed ever wanted to appear had,Now only for her to pray for his Lack of attention. She could feel each of her muscles tense within her body at the thought,it wearing on her ability to refrain from letting a few droplets spill.Her body began to tremble, now she was just pleading to any god she could he would leave her be.

Chester Blue / Diablo / M: Open.
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He had hardly opened his eyes to the sound of a car door being slammed and it hastily being raced out of the near parking lot,But still it raised a smile to his lips knowing exactly who's whining engine it would be.
It was true that the gorgeous apartment would have simply sold itself to the right couple - especially those in need of a serious do-over,But for Chester regardless of the situation it was the location that had came up trumps for him.His partner Leah of course had no knowledge of the neighbours as of yet,Certainly not that Lara Ross had happened to be one of them.Upon viewing he had noticed her Car within the assigned parking and decided on the spot this place was it.
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The truth was that he wasnt stupid.He was all knowledge about the fact that this relationship with Leah was hanging by a thread and the only reason he was roped into this pointless therapy holiday was to keep media quiet.Being a largely popular model,Chester couldnt be any more wiser of the fact that critics followed fans like the plague,Any of them ready to pounce on an insecurity like mountain lions.Therefore he was only too aware of the hole any of them could tear into his life - his personal business did not need to be aired.It was perhaps the only one true fear he had - along with going bald of course.
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Besides,It was going to be fun to irritate 2 people daily - Why he just knew his older brother would be all too happy with his return.And well Lara-..She seemed to just be her Sarcastic,Sexy Self.
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"Best try cover this with concealer then I guess."
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He sighed,Smirking to himself as his eyes glanced at the parking lot once more.Oh this game of Cat and Mouse was going to be fun.

Laurence | Sam

Laurence sat at the table, still in a tense but absurdly calm manner. He watched the woman before him, her well-protected exterior crumbling before him like sand. He felt grief deep in his heart, but it was so far from the surface--so easily locked away. The old Laurence would have cried just at the sight of someone else crying, let alone at a conflict situation he had caused. But this one, he was mechanical, he was doing all of the right things to the point where they hardly felt right anymore.

He flinched when the plate dropped, then took a deep breath. He had never liked loud sounds, they brought back too many memories of his dad doing things that inflicted pain on Laurence and on those he loved. Yet, he was learning to be even less jumpy than he had been in days past, even more still. He hoped he appeared peaceful, for he was tearing himself apart on the inside.

Finally, she did it. She asked him to leave. He hung his head once more, his hand reaching for his ring and finding nothing, just as he had for many months. He wondered if it would do him any good to wear a different ring on that hand, or if it would only bring back more turbulence, more pain. He had been overwhelmed by the desire to comfort her, but he promised himself he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t fall back into old habits. He wouldn’t let anyone get hurt because of him. He would simply not exist, not take up space in the world. He would just be.

Yet, when he rose from the chair after a few moments of contemplation, of silence, he faced her for just a moment. He drew nearer to her, eyes pained, and wiped the tears off of her face. He was silent the whole time, peaceful, barely existing. He was still an apparition, and that became painfully obvious within less than an hour of returning to his old life. But he wouldn’t run this time, he couldn’t.

He went to exit, his head still hung low. He paused in the doorway. “I loved you. I hope you never doubt that.” And without another word, he left, headed back towards the parking lot where two horses awaited him.

Lara | Open

Lara sat at her desk, sighing softly. She hadn’t been able to get anything done due to the lack of caffeine in her system and her thoughts, which were still racing six hours after laying eyes on the only person she had never expected to see again. Though, that may have been naive considering the fact that his brother was one of the most beloved eventing trainers at White Oaks, and was engaged to be married to the most beloved person across all categories. It was inevitable that she would see him again eventually, but so soon? Just eight months since he left with little warning?

What had he been doing at her apartment complex, anyway? Was it selfish to think he might have been there to see her? What else could he have been doing there? She suddenly paused, wishing she had stopped to see if there was a ring on his finger. But why would that matter to her, anyway? She had a boyfriend, one that she had convinced herself she loved very much, only because he checked all her boxes.

When Chester had left White Oaks, he had received a phone call from his fiance. She had been curious for quite a while what the woman had said to uproot an entire wedding, but had settled on the fact that she didn’t and wouldn’t know. Chester had vanished overnight and she wasn’t close enough with Tim to get any kind of information from him. She respected him and found their personalities similar in many ways, but he seemed a very private person and she didn’t have the time or the energy to befriend someone in this stage of her life. She enjoyed her job, her horses, and going home to an empty, organized apartment at night--all of these things in isolation, away from anyone who might want to ‘befriend’ her. She just didn’t have time for that. Yet, as she sat in her office, waiting patiently for the last hour to pass so she could go hack her horses, Lara couldn’t shake herself from imagining Chester Blue walking into her office, looking as goofy and clueless as the first time.

(Omg these two 😭😂)
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Samantha Starr / M: Laurence,Open.
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Sam had found herself on the side of breathlessness as Laurence approached from behind her,A feeling of apprehension rising in her gut.She had known partially what he would do,And yet it came as a total shock to feel his skin brush hers even just momentarily.Her eyes flitted to his for what could have only been a second before she pulled herself away,It taking every ounce of her being to keep from wrapping herself up in his arms.Why was it that this meeting was so much more painful than shed imagine.
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Yet she wasnt sure what was worse,The moment he walked away or the words that tumbled from his mouth as he paused.All of her wanted to call after him,Beg him to stop,Elaborate on the past tense hed just used.But It seemed then that she had all she needed to crumble into a total mess,Sam pinned her hands to her face as the meltdown began,collapsing down to the kitchen floor as the sobs wracked her body.
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She wasnt entirely sure how but by the time her hysterics had settled,it was nearing the end of what should have been a few hours break to catch up on her life - and yet she couldnt feel more lost within it.Sam was up and a different person externally as she wandered down the well worn path to the barns,but inside her mind was in still very much in turmoil.Despite being appreciative of a distraction,It was the first time in a while she felt totally unmotivated to ride.It was the first time in almost a year that she had worn makeup for such an irrelevant journey,Part of her needing the cover up to keep it together.It gave her a sense of nostalgia and self hate all the same as she reached Mickeys stable.The gelding stretched his muzzle up to smell her concealer,Flicking his ears and nudging her uneasily.It made her eyes prick with tears as she reassured him with a scratch,Not sure with each passing second which of them she was trying to console.

(Was planning on this being a sort of open lesson/ quick schooling session so anyone that wants to jump in certainly can.If any other instructors wanna jump on this bad boy to turn it into a more 1x1 pointed lesson also would be cool! Leaving it open to anyone ;P )

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Timothy Blue / Eventing instructor / M: Samantha, Open.
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[Timothy Blue] {All Campus staff and students} Reminder for the open jumping lesson this afternoon set to start in 20 minutes.Tardiness is not a good colour on any of you.
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His eyes watched the message shoot off the screen to the chat,The beep from Sam's phone confirming it had sent as Dew shifted sideways between her legs and seeming to catch her off guard.Tim watched as she recovered,Shaking her head just a little and circling the blood bay a few times to take the set of trotting poles at a more controlled pace.His brows furrowed as the gelding thrashed his tail in agitation,slapping it against his hind quarters unhappily.Tim watched his rider for a few moments more,Waiting to see the improvement that never came.
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"Sam he's telling you to relax - you're not allowing natural movement.Remember what we said about allowing with your hands?"
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The blonde ruffled his hair in a touch of frustration as no change came,Infact it seemed that the young woman had simply not heard him at all.It was then he realised that was it - Sam was lost in her own little bubble and seemed to have totally forgotten she was in the middle of his lesson.Tim wished he could say he felt bad for the way his whip twanged off his boot,His furrowed features watching her start and loosen up just slightly.He signaled to bring Him into her,biting his cheek as the gelding halted beside him and nudged him in greeting.He looked up to Sam with what he hoped were sympathetic eyes,Suddenly realising how tall 16.3 seemed to be from on the ground,
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"Look I dont know what's gone on but you need to shut whatever that is out and focus on you and this horse okay?You wouldnt expect a plane to fly everywhere on autopilot - So dont expect him to hold up your part of the team.As much as he thinks hes a unicorn,He's most certainly only a horse Sam."
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He waited for a moment for the smart comment about how planes do fly on autopilot,So long that it actually concerned him when it never came.He watched her hang her head slightly playing with Dews mane in what only could be an act of guilt,before sending her on her way along a complex set of pole exercises.Tim loved this pairing in an interesting way,The fact that he needed to keep both horse and rider so mentally busy to get the best from them it was almost poetic.But he couldnt help but wonder if he was setting up for a catastrophe today with such explosive counterparts beginning to butt heads in the first 10 minutes of warm up.His concerned eyes glanced to the rusted old clock up in the corner of the area,which by some miracle still functioned.Well that was 20 minutes gone - he just hoped a few more would begin to arrive to break up the brewing frustration.

Anastasia Roux Grayson | 28yrs | Fuerte | Dressage/Barrel Racing | M: Blair, Fuerte, Open

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Anne watched the lady carefully as she looked a bit troubled, She hoped her comment earlier hadn't caused it as she stroked the stallion beside her's neck keeping him reasonably calm and allowed him to check out the gelding nodding to her question. Fuerte was okay with other horses just as long as they don't have an attitude otherwise Fuerte's reaction to them can change in blink of an eye but Anne knew the signs and he wasn't showing any, Anastasia couldn't help but feel bad for some reason she didn't make any further comments not wanting to possibly upset her further.

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Once she was gone Anne sighed trying to get back into her working energetic mood, "Alright boy sha'll we?" She asked the stallion even though he couldn't exactly give her his opinion. Adjusting the stirrup slightly she put her foot in holding the reins as she lifted herself up with a grunt, "Man i need to get in better shape" She chuckled to herself as she checked everything was all good before working Fuerte for an hour a few breaks in between so she didn't overdo it.

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The sun setting Anne dismounted the stallion who was sweating just as much as she was, On the way back to untack Fuerte she hoped nobody saw her as the amount of sweat in a few crevasses was gross and she assumed she didn't smell too great either. Once at the cross ties she switched the bridle out for the studs halter after loosening the bridles straps, While washing the bit she chuckled noticing the stallion yawn showing his not so pearly white teeth they still had pieces of grass squished in there.

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MK Muévete Suave (Fuerte) | 7yrs | Stallion | Dressage | M: Blair, Anastasia, Open

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Fuerte after having a rather satisfying yawn which may not have been so satisfying to watchers nearby pawed at the ground a bit showing Anne he was ready to go cause some havoc with his buds, He could hear a horse whinny from that direction (I don't mind who it is) and flared his nostrils as he replied now shifting on his feet impatient. The stud stood still as he felt Anastasia at his side doing something with the girth before the weight was lifted as she was carrying the saddle and pad to the little room everyone always disappeared in

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Fuerte let out a long exaggerated snort as Anne washed him off with a hose before using the comb to get rid of the excess water, After a long half an hour she was finally down to putting his blanket and fly mask on. Quickly taking the treat she handed to him he happily followed her down to the pasture where she took the halter and let him off, Turning tail he loped into the pasture nickering to his mates before greeting them with a playful nip.