Get Over It.

[Niko Archembault]

T oday wasn't going quite as planned for Niko. He'd intended to wake up, eat and shower, and then go for a ride. He'd gotten as far as showering before his mother called him, frantic.

Your father is in another state, Nik... I don't know what to do!

[/size]I t wasn't his responsibility, though. His father took medication that he would often conveniently forget about. Niko's mother Imogen also wasn't very proactive at helping her husband stay on track with his medicinal schedule, and for these reasons Niko felt no obligations regarding his fathers mental state.


[/size]E ver since the lawsuit that had ended his father's horse career, he had been in and out of a deep depression that sometimes came across as catatonia. Niko had grown up used to it and had learned young to fend for himself, so to speak. His mother paid the necessary bills and sometimes they barely had enough for food - so Niko had begun to work. He spent his earnings on riding lessons at a local reining barn and on food, when times were really bad. When his dad wasn't depressed, things weren't quite so bad. But he had still grown up with an unreliable father, a flaky mother, and very little in the way of material items or even necessities.


[/size]S o now that his mother was calling him and interrupting his day, whining about how she had failed yet again to keep the man they both loved on track, Niko felt nothing but annoyance.

Mother, there's only one thing you can do. Give him his meds, and stop bothering me. I can't help you. I don't want to help you. You know that... After all we've been through, you understand that I have to help myself first, because if I don't, nobody will.

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[/font][/size]I mogen had hung up so violently and suddenly that Niko wasn't sure if she had caught the tail end of his sentence. Guilt ran through him. She will call back in a few days. She knows you're right. The fact that she always forgave him for his jackass remarks didn't make him feel better, really. It simply helped to dull the ache in his chest when he was cruel to his mother. His father hadn't asked for what had happened - but it had happened and Niko didn't know if he could ever forgive his father for his weakness.


[/size]N iko shook off the bad feelings with a brief session of deep breathing. He then dried his hair off, dressed in jeans, cowboy boots, and a tight plain black tee. He was off to the barn - nothing was going to stop him now that he was in a relaxed state of mind.


[/size]T he drive to Aspire's stable was mercifully a short one. Niko didn't have time to ponder over the specifics of the phone conversation he'd had with his mother. He parked his run down Acura Integra in the parking lot and strode purposefully into the barn. Before going to check on his horse and begin the welcome routine of tacking up, he entered the locker room and grabbed his breeches, boots, and helmet. Once he was properly attired, he grabbed his tack and placed the saddle and bridle on the racks in the cross-tie stall. His polo wraps he had also retrieved from his locker were placed atop the saddle.


[/size]R etrieving his favourite boy was difficult sometimes. Kadar liked work and he loved Niko, but he also liked playing games. The pinto leaped around his stall like a maniac before Niko even slid the bolt back and entered. Niko's patience were shot - he didn't want the stud to put him back into a terrible mood so he didn't put up with any of Kadar's crap. "Enough," he commanded the stallion, who, flattening his ears mildly, snorted and stood in the corner of the stall. Niko haltered him and tacked him up without incidence.


[/size]T he outdoor was quite empty which surprised Niko - the weather was fantastic today. He wasn't complaining, though. He'd done some more breathing exercises but still felt somewhat uptight. The stallion galloped and bucked on the end of the lunge line while he focused on the singing of the birds and the warmth of the spring sun in an attempt to reach his former state of complete calm. Niko didn't believe in holistic crap but he did know that breathing could change a mood completely. He inhaled deeply through his nose, inflating his lungs to full capacity, and then exhaled in just as long of a gesture. He didn't notice that Kadar had broken down to a walk and then a halt until the stallion, tired of standing there, walked up to him.


[/size]N iko wrapped up his lunge line and placed it on the hook by the entry gate, tightened Kadar's girth and checked his stirrup lengths, then mounted in a practiced motion. The stallion felt broad and powerful beneath him. Niko's thighs gripped the saddle, and Kadar stepped forward in a relaxed walk on a loose rein. Niko wasn't planning on working him too hard today. His goal for this ride was to get Kadar to soften and round into the bit, and he wanted to improve their leg yields. The stallion was young and was improving every day, but Niko felt the slow progress to be his fault - he wasn't the most experienced rider. Niko was, however, open to advice and criticism - that was what assured him he was in fact ready for his own green horse in the first place.


words -- 1,264 with coding.
for -- anyone; open.
character -- niko / 23 / single / interested in girls[/color]

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[California Leone]

The day was perfect. The sky was a beautiful, bright blue with little to no clouds flitting across it to flaw it's wonderful perfection. The sun shone high in the sky, a lovely orange and yellow ball of light giving its warmth to the living creatures of the planet named Earth. Animals were alive and everywhere, and one could clearly tell that the season was spring. Three squirrels ran around a fallen tree, the two in the back fighting often, symbolizing that the other must be female. Birds, hidden away in the thick branches of the trees, chirped loudly to one another, the males singing their beautiful mating songs. A large farm sat in the middle of all this perfect spring weather, and because it was filled with horses, it made the place that much more beautiful. The farm was more like a school, for there were dorms and classrooms and such, but you could have your own horse there. That was one of the many good things about Aspire Equine Academy. Or at least, that's what California Hope Leone thought, anyway.

California Leone was a beautiful young lady of about seventeen years of age. Her hair was a beautiful light blonde color and her eyes were bright blue. She stood at about five feet, six inches and weighed no more than ninety-eight pounds. A skinny thing she was, but she was an excellent rider, and she rode at the Aspire Equine Academy with her horse Dust In The Wind. On this beautiful, spring morning, she wore her black breaches, a hot pink tank top, and her black riding boots to the barn. She didn't feel comfortable changing in the locker room yet, and so she changed in her home before arriving at the barn. Her hair was pulled back in a loose, messy bun, but her make-up was done to perfection.

As she arrived at the barn, her light pink convertible rolled to a stop before dying as she turned the engine off. The ride from her home to the stables was tremendously short, and sometimes she wished that it was just a little longer. She loved the barn and rider, there was no doubt about it, but her horse, Dusty, was a very rowdy mare that didn't really like to be caught and ridden. Dusty had never truly been taught that humans were okay, and so she ran from them in the fields, and hardly ever let someone get close to catching her. That was one reason why California tried to keep her in the stall. Though she still tried not to get caught, she wasn't as hard to catch, and she couldn't easily move in the stall. Although, trying to catch a wild horse in a stall is a very dangerous thing to do, and it would probably be better for California to just leave her in the fields at night so that it was less life threatening to her if Dusty tried anything.

The young blonde sighed and climbed out of her convertible, not bothering to shut the top, for there was nothing in the car for someone to steal. Pushing the door shut, she walked into the barn, moving straight to the tack room. She walked straight to where she knew Dusty's halter would be hanging, and grabbed the aqua halter and lead off of the hook before moving over to her saddle and bridle. Throwing the bridle, halter, and lead over the saddle, she picked up everything and walked out of the tack room to one of the cross-tie stalls and slinging everything over the side of the stall. Grabbing the halter and lead rope, she walked slowly to her mare's stall, peeking in at her. She was surprisingly calm in her stall, and she stood in the back corner, her large brown eye looking up only for a moment at California before looking away.

The blonde girl walked easily over to the door and undid the lock, keeping the door tightly closed. When Dusty didn't move, California opened the stall door and slipped inside, shutting it tightly behind her. California took a step toward her mare, but as soon as the horse saw the halter, she reared slightly, kicking out at the stall. Cali cooed softly to her, but she continued to kick out at the stall. Continuing to coo gently, California took a step closer to the mare. Dusty reared again, this time kicking out at Cali. "Easy girl... Easy..." She said, taking another step toward the mare. She reared again and moved swiftly around the stall in a circle around California, rearing several times as she did. A loud whinny came from the horse's throat, and she bucked, kicking the side of her stall. "Bloody hell Dusty! Settle down!" California all but shouted at the mare in her British accent. For a moment, she quieted down, and then she reared again and moved swiftly in a circle around the blonde again. California just let her be rowdy, trying to make her lose her energy so that she could be caught.

A long while later, Dusty finally settled down, having only her ears pinned. While she had the chance, California quickly haltered the mare up and led her out of her stall, happy to have her under control at last. Of course, as soon as they got out of the stall, the mare reared, making California turn sharply and get out of the way. Dusty landed hard, shorting loudly with her ears pinned in irritation. Cali rolled her eyes before leading the mare to the cross-tie stall and tying her up there. California moved quickly, brushing the horse swiftly and checking her hooves for rocks while she was still too worn out to move. By the time all that was done, though, the mare had found her energy again, and started to rear slightly in the stall. Cali shook her head and threw the aqua saddle pad and black saddle on the mare's back, and she immediately quieted.

California finished tacking up the mare, having little to no trouble after she got the saddle on her, and led her out of the stall and out of the barn, hanging Dusty's halter on her stall. The mare was relatively calm as they walked toward the outdoor arena, but as soon as she saw the stallion, her hooves picked up into a prance. Cali rolled her eyes at the horse and led her into the arena. She tightened the girth on the mare quickly and mounted her. As soon as Dusty felt the extra weight on her, she reared. California balanced easily on the mare and tapped her easily with the crop. That only angered her more, and as Cali pulled back on the reins to try and steady the mare, she turned completely in a circle, rearing again. The blonde gave another tap of the crop, this time much harder, and the mare settled slightly, knowing that Cali was in charge. The young girl smiled with satisfaction and moved the horse into an easy walk, nodding slightly to the other rider as she moved.

"talking like this"
think like this

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been a long cold 1185 words. lonely winter finished. feels like years Niko. since its been clear ]too lazy to make an outfit. slowly melting sorry for the horrid post... definitely not my best.. its alright REAL SLIM SHADY !? @ caution 2.0

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[VINCENT CORDOVA]

BEEP!! BEEP!! BEEP!!

"UGH!!! SHUT UP!!" Vince hated being woke up in the morning by that annoying beeping noise his phone made as an alarm to wake him of a morning. He had been meaning to change it but hadn't exactly 'gotten around to it'. Really he'd just been lazy about it.

Sitting up in the bed, he ran his hands over his face, trying to remove the sleepiness from his eyes. He looked over at the clock. 6:30 in the morning? What was he thinking setting the alarm for that early in the morning?! Nevermind, he was semi-awake now. Might as well get up anyway. Vince took a quick minute to check his messages and emails on his laptop before hurrying off to the shower. The warm water would do wonders to wake him up.

After the nice warm shower, the dorm room felt awfully cool to his damp skin. If he wasn't awake before, he was now. Ruffling through his dresser, he pulled out a pair of dark blue jeans and a white shirt with a design on the front of it. The design was of a tribal raven in grays and blacks. Pulling on these articles of clothing, he set about the long task of combing out his hair, jet black and reaching to just past the middle of his back.

Once all that was done, he grabbed his keys, wallet and cell phone and headed out into the brisk morning air to his truck. Getting in the truck, he drove down to the stables, something he did every morning. Once out of the truck, he could hear the various snorts, neighs and other noises of the horses housed in the stalls. Walking the length of the barn, he soon came upon the stall he had been going to ever since coming to the academy. It housed his horse, a cremello paint mare named Lily.

Lily stuck her head out over the stall door, nosing at Vince's hand to pet her. "Morning girl," he said, obliging the mare with a pet and a scratch on her wither. "Ready for a little exercise?" Lily just snorted a reply. Vince went to the tack room to get a halter and the rest of Lily's tack. Coming back, he slipped the halter over her pale colored head and lead her out of the stall, careful to watch out for another mare that was acting out a little ways down the barn. Lily stole glances at her from her tie at her stall while Vincent tacked her up. He even wrapped her legs in a purple colored band to support her legs during their work out.

Once Lily was all tacked up, Vince led her out to the outdoor arena, where the girl who had been dealing with the horse from earlier and another guy were already out. He climbed aboard Lily's back and waited his turn at the jumps in the ring.

Horse: link
Truck: link

[Niko Archembault]

K adar pranced excitedly underneath of Niko as the wind blew through the trees. The warmth from the sun was truly relaxing. He felt so much better now that he was in his element - on horse back, fantastic weather, the smells of spring in the air. He didn't know it but he was smiling broadly. Kadar stepped lightly toward the center of the ring when Niko cued for him to yield to his leg. The young stallions leg yields had improved so much that Niko believed they'd be able to work on something else today. He'd been aboard for less than twenty minutes and already the horse was light, supple, and clearly in the perfect state of mind for learning.

H e let the reins slip through his fingers, allowing Kadar to stretch his neck out and relax briefly before they got really serious in their lesson. Niko took the opportunity to pull out his cell phone. No missed calls - Imogen had left him alone, which pleased him for whatever reason. Niko's mood had finally improved enough that he felt completely calm and serene. He didn't need his mother ruining it for him again, now that his day was finally back on track. Kadar tensed suddenly underneath of him and Niko had only a split second to shove his phone in his shirt pocket and tighten the reins with his other hand. The horse flew sideways in a half-assed attempt at a spook. There was another horse coming out from the barn, with a girl beside it. He didn't recognize either of them, but he hadn't been around Aspire for a long period of time, anyway.

T he girl was kind of cute. Petite, blond. Not really Niko's type, but that didn't mean she was perfectly friendly. When she mounted the mare got a bit uppity - she began rearing. Kadar fed off of the mares anxiety and began to chomp at the bit. He started to prance on the spot, and Niko sat deeper in the seat of the saddle, sinking deeper into his stirrups. His pinkies wiggled the reins, and Niko was pleased to feel Kadar come back to him. The stallion wasn't entirely attentive - the horse rearing was feeding him negative energy and Niko assumed it was a mare - but he was at least trying to pay attention. The mare reared twice before coming under control of the girl. When the horse seemed to be more relaxed, he moved Kadar forward into a collected walk. The blond nodded at him and he returned the gesture politely before pushing Kadar into a stretching long trot, his reins loose enough to allow Kadar to use his engine and truly push his stride. Niko sat deep in the saddle, cuing with his thighs and calves for the horse to step out and extend. His extended trot needed work and Niko figured today was a good day. Kadar's extended trot at liberty was fantastic - it was just gathering up that power and unleashing it in an extended trot under saddle that needed the work.

I t had been no more than five minutes with the girl in the ring and Kadar leaped straight into the air, whinnying excitedly. Niko thanked his instructors for teaching preparedness and how to read your horse, for he had barely braced himself when the stallion had gone straight up. Niko's eyes wandered, and alas, it was yet another horse coming out to the outdoor - this time with a long haired fellow in tow. The guy brought in the dilute mare and mounted up, appearing to wait for something. Niko wondered if he was waiting for the jumps. He thought about telling the guy that nobody was jumping yet, but he didn't know what the girls plans were, so instead of calling out to him, he just smiled at him in passing when Kadar finally settled into a steady forward - not upward - rhythm.

words: 787 with coding.

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[California Leone]

It was fairly quiet in the arena, both horses doing as they were told with little to no fuss. California had noticed that the guy's horse had been feeding off of Dusty's negative energy, and she felt horrible for bringing her in the arena with them knowing that she would act up. Thinking about this, she made a mental note that she would apologize to him as soon as he wasn't busy. Cali walked Dusty gently around the arena, steering clear of the stallion and guy as she let the mare stretch out her legs. She was just about to head over the the shorter jumps when Dusty reared high, pinning her ears. Being lost in thought and unprepared for the mare to react negatively at something, California's feet slipped from the stirrups and she clung to the horse's mane and neck, knowing that if she let go, she would fall and be below the mare's pounding hooves. Dusty reared a few times before calming slightly, her ears still pinned. California took this time to get her feet back in the stirrups and take on a more firm position in the saddle.

At first, California had no clue what could upset Dusty so much, but then she spotted a new guy on another horse. He had just mounted and seemed to be waiting for something, so Cali tried to make Dusty go over to him. The mare wouldn't move, though, so Cali slapped her gently with the whip. This action only made the mare rear in agitation, and when Cali tried to turn her toward the guy and his horse, Dusty spun in a complete circle, rearing slightly. "Bloody hell, Dusty!" California said, slapping the mare with the crop again. The horse settled slightly, but her ears were still pinned at the new horse and rider. Cali moved her forward, taking her around to the cremello horse with her guy rider. She pulled the mare to a stop a little ways away from the pair, knowing that if she got any closer, Dusty would freak again. "Hello. You seem to be waiting for something. If it be the jumps, you could take the large ones and I could stick to trying to get Dusty to jump the smaller ones." California said gently, smiling a little at the guy.

Suddenly, Dusty reared, and California clung to the mare's mane with strong hands as she waited for the horse to settle. Only a moment later, she was calm again, and Cali sighed and smiled sadly at the guy. "Sorry about that, but as you can see, this bloody horse isn't ready for the larger jumps..." She shook her head before turning her horse away from the guy on the mare and pushing Dusty towards the smaller jumps that were set up. Dusty performed well in the shows, but when practicing, she was the worst possible horse that anyone could ever have. Sighing, Cali lined Dusty up with the first jump and moved the mare into a trot. As they approached the jump, Cali took on her position, and Dusty sailed cleanly over the jump with practiced ease. A smile lit up Cali's face, and she moved the horse toward the next jump, realizing that these jumps were almost too easy.

"talking like this"
think like this

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been a long cold 546 words. lonely winter finished. feels like years Niko & Vincent. since its been clear ]too lazy to make an outfit. slowly melting horrible post... sorry guys. its alright REAL SLIM SHADY !? @ caution 2.0

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