A DROP OF SUNSHINE ! open

[( LARAFOO )]

EDEN CALLUM;
Oh now I do recall, we were just getting to the part
Where the shock sets in,
and the stomach acid finds a new way to make you get sick.
I hope you didn't expect that you'd get all of the attention.
________________________________________________________________________

Eden's elbows were flapping again. Godammit, he scolded himself, tucking them back in to his sides as Envy completed another twenty-metre circle. His horse was so lovely, she didn't deserve such a shitty rider. He wished he was better. He had seen a girl jumping earlier and she was perfect. Eden's two-point was still off balance and his toes always stuck out. But he was trying. He had the best trainers money could buy and he was determined to take advantage of that. He would be better. He was sure of it. Envy was getting bored of their endless circles, he could tell. He shifted his outside leg back to the girth and pressed his inside leg just behind the girth, simultaneously vibrating the outside rein. Envy curved away from the circle fluidly. Eden smiled. It was a small triumph, but a triumph nonetheless.

A small jump was set up several feet away, a simple set of crossed poles forming an X shape. Eden straightened Envy onto a direct line toward the jump. Two feet away, he went into his shaky two-point position and Envy leapt the jump cleanly, landing and taking a smooth getaway. Eden landed nearly at the same time. They had done okay. He pulled her back to a smooth trot. I'm sorry girl, you deserve someone much better than me, he moaned. He knew he was just self-pitying, but he felt that he was allowed to. Here he was, at Windsor Academy, the best in the world, and he sucked. Sometimes he resented his father's money and influence. When it got him a pre-release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 before the packaging had even been designed, then yeah, his dad was awesome. But when it got him into Windsor Academy despite his average riding skills, it was somehow not as cool. He would stick out like a sore thumb here.

Eden stroked Envy's jet black neck and reached out his arm, scratching between her ears with the tip of his whip. She let out a snort, fidgeting anxiously. She had been cooped up in the trailer for a while, and wanted to work out her kinks. Eden sighed and straightened in the saddle. Okay, pretty girl. Let's go, he murmured, nudging her. They took the jump again and it was beautiful. A little sliver of hope crept into his stomach. He would do okay. He was getting better and better every day. One day he would achieve the level he was already supposed to be at. All he needed was time. The indoor arena was empty, as it was a beautiful sunny day and almost all of the riders were on the trails, in the outdoor arenas or training somewhere else. It was common for a rider to have a favourite training spot, a 'secret', far away from everyone else so the competition couldn't see what you were up to. Eden liked that. He was almost guaranteed no-one would walk in on him here. He didn't really want anyone seeing him ride. He would instantly be an easy target. His plain black polo was getting damp with sweat and his cream breeches were uncomfortably hot. The temperature was rising. He gave a little sigh and turned Envy around to take the jump again, so focused on what he was doing that he failed to hear the heavy footfalls of another person and horse in the arena.
________________________________________________________________________

Lyrics: Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off
Artist: Panic At The Disco

[sky+]

I'm coming out of my cage
And I've been doing just fine
Gotta gotta gotta be down
Because I want it all
It started out with a kiss
How did it end up like this

Skyla sighed in something close to contentment as she finished saddling up her horse. The big black monster bobbed his head up and down with impatience as the girl struggled to do the last buckle on the moving equine. Finally succeeding, the teenager smiled and gave the beast an affectionate pat before taking his reins and leading him out of the middle of the passage way in the barn. School had been sort of shitty today-it was school so nothing more was expected-and she wanted to ride Dezzy for the first time since arriving at the academy. It was surprising, she hadn't ridden him in two days. That could only mean one thing... he was going to be a handful. The horse seemed to ready her thoughts and snorted in compliance, bowing his head and dancing off to the side, sleek legs crossing over one another. "Shh. Easy Dezzy." She crooned, placing a gentle hand on the gelding's nose. Dezzy huffed out a breath and stopped his antics, ears pricked forward to the arena they were headed to. Sky smirked and began leading him up the path once more.

She had decided to take her horse to the inside arena, the last thing she needed was something like a squirrel moving around in a tree, causing Dezzy to spook. He was already wound up enough as it was, the seventeen year old didn't need him even more high strung. As she entered under the covered riding ring, and felt her knee-high riding boots sink into the soft dirt, she felt at home. This was where she belonged. The girl had her tan jodhpurs on, with a plain black v-neck made of a light, breathable material. It was already pretty warm outside, so she figured anything heavier would make her uncomfortable. Dezzy snorted, and Sky laughed, turning to the saddle to mount. Sticking her foot in the stirrup, she heaved herself over and onto the equine, patting the thoroughbred cross' neck soothingly.

For the first time she looked up and realized another rider was already occupying the arena, astride a simply gorgeous creature. She touched her heel to Dezzy's side, and he broke into a smooth trot. Leading him on the outside edge of the ring, she let him keep at a trot, biting at his bit in a merciless fashion. After getting halfway around the arena, she leaned forward a bit, and he advanced into a canter. Focusing on her posture, Skyla remember to keep her heels down, elbows in, and shoulders rolled back. She turned him in a tight circle to the right, and then the left, stretching out the thick muscles in his wide neck. Finally, her hazel eyes settled a small jump already set up that the other rider had already gone over. Luckily, she had pinned her bangs back today, so they weren't flopping into her field of vision. Dezzy spotted the jump as well and whickered happily. When the neared the jump, she shortened his stride slightly and took two-point. He jumped and landed smoothly, Skyla rocking gently on his back.

Pulling him back, Sky smiled and turned him towards the boy and his horse. She really needed to set that jump higher, but wasn't sure if he would get pissed at her or not. With Dezzy at a walk, Skyla guided him the where the boy and his equine were exercising, and waved a few times. "Err, hi. I was wondering if you wanted to heighten that jump for me?"




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[( LARAFOO )]

EDEN CALLUM;
Oh now I do recall, we were just getting to the part
Where the shock sets in,
and the stomach acid finds a new way to make you get sick.
I hope you didn't expect that you'd get all of the attention.
________________________________________________________________________

The third jump was much better. Eden leaned forward at exactly the right time, loosened his grip on the reins, put his weight into his heels. Envy stretched her neck out and flew over the tiny fence. It was as clean as hand sanitizer. He smiled as he slid back into place and they cantered away smoothly. He was feeling a lot more confident now. He had a huge, dorky grin on his face as they reached the other end of the arena and swung to the right, cantering back around. They were facing the entrance to the indoor arena now and something caught Eden's eye. He looked up and was horrified to see a girl and a horse walking in. She mounted with ease and looked up, catching Eden's gaze for a moment before going about her business, trotting her huge black gelding. The two horses looked similar, same breed, same colouring. Envy was a lot smaller and lightweight, whereas the gelding was heavier and larger. He was beautiful; muscles rippled all down his neck as he twisted in the small, sharp circles.

Eden was terrified. He hated people watching him ride. The only people who had seen him ride went to his old riding school, and they were all around the ages of thirteen or fourteen. Now that he was at Windsor Academy, with riders his own age, albeit riders who were phenomenal, he was more scared than ever. How was he ever supposed to get better when awesome riders were everywhere, completely throwing off his game? Not that he really had any game to begin with, but the small amount of game that he did possess was thrown off when the girl leapt his stupid two-foot fence like it was a pole on the ground. Which it probably was, to her. Eden bit his lip and turned Envy away. He had pulled her from a canter to a halt to watch the new girl and her horse jump. Now, he turned Envy in the opposite direction and began trotting again, attempting to gather some small semblance of dignity.

Oh, wait, no. The girl's sweet voice floated across the arena. Eden had been taught to never be rude, so he turned Envy back to face the girl as she spoke to him, slowing the trot to a walk. He couldn't very well refuse her request. He avoided her gaze and gave an awkward little smile. Oh, yeah, of course. He pulled Envy to a halt and dismounted, leading her to where the jump was set. He dropped her reins and the obedient mare stood calmly, nosing her owner's back as he bent, taking the pin out of the wings and putting it up another foot, lifting the first pole and resting it in the cup, then doing the same with the second. Is that high enough? I can change it again if you want. He said to the girl, fleetingly catching her gaze with his own before looking away and gathering Envy's reins, swinging back up into the saddle. God, that had been embarrassing. He wanted to blurt out, I was only warming up! but that would be stupid. She could already tell he wasn't the strongest rider, but he could jump higher. He was just getting his stride back after not being in the saddle for a week because of travel and settling in to his new home. Eden gave the girl a quick smile, nodding his head toward the newly adjusted jump, inviting her to go ahead. He pushed Envy into a trot and the mare sprung forward, delicate hooves kicking up a little dirt with each step.
________________________________________________________________________

Lyrics: Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off
Artist: Panic At The Disco

[sky+]

I'm coming out of my cage
And I've been doing just fine
Gotta gotta gotta be down
Because I want it all
It started out with a kiss
How did it end up like this

Secretly, Skyla had been watching the other rider out of the corner of her eye as he and his horse soared over the jump cleanly. Dammit. Everyone here is so freaking good. She thought in a frustrated fashion, letting her face slip into a scowl momentarily. It all made her feel pressured and stressed out. Sure, she knew she wasn't the best at what she did, but she certainly wasn't the worst. Sighing quietly, the teenager took a deep breath and counted to five. Who cares if there are amazing people here, there is always someone better than you. Focus on Dezzy and you'll be good. She soothed herself, letting a grin touch her delicate features. As the boy actually complied and did as she asked, she raised her brows a bit. This wasn't exactly what she had expected. The girl had thought, somewhere, that the rider would give her an incredulous look and ignore her request. But this seemed not to be the case.

Now that the boy raised the bar up a whole foot, she let a laugh escape her. Looking back, she really shouldn't have asked him to do that. It was very selfish of her, since the main reason she didn't want to do it was because her horse was so damn tall, and she did not, infact, have enough upper body strength to haul herself up on his back a second time. So, with a sigh, she halted her black gelding and led him over the where the jump was. "Actually, that is much too high. I haven't ridden in awhile-I only wanted to add a few inches." She laughed briefly, shooting him a smile. "Oh, forget it, please. I don't think before I say things... the truth is I didn't want to get off this monster and then haul myself back on. It's rather embarrassing to go to Windsor Academy and have to have something the step on in order to help you mount." She trailed off, hazel eyes gleaming faintly.

"Soooo, yeah." She mused, while undoing the rider's work, and lowering the pole so that it was only a few inches above it's recent location. She stood up, straightening her back with a few small popping noises. Skyla reached back to pat her black equine affectionately on his sleek cheek, then turning to the boy with a lopsided grin. "I'm Sky, by the way."

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[( LARAFOO )]

EDEN CALLUM;
Oh now I do recall, we were just getting to the part
Where the shock sets in,
and the stomach acid finds a new way to make you get sick.
I hope you didn't expect that you'd get all of the attention.
________________________________________________________________________

He felt like maybe he would die of embarrassment as he settled into the saddle, rising and falling easily with Envy's smooth-as-butter trot. One of the main reasons he had chosen her out of the dozens of equines he had considered when his father announced he could have a horse for his birthday present, was her gaits. Envy had beautiful gaits. Everything was smooth, calculated, and sublimely easy to sit to. Even a sitting trot astride the mare was only a little uncomfortable; and as we all know, sitting trot isn't exactly one's idea of a fun time, especially if you're a boy. Eden had fallen in love instantly with the ex-racehorse's keen eyes and cheerful snort. She was lovely, and she loved him as much as he loved her. It was one of those sappy boy-and-his-horse tales, but it was true. Envy was a darling to everybody, although Eden was her favourite human. She was the horse that always stuck her nose out for hello, and the horse that was sweet to little kids. Eden felt a little better as he bounced along smoothly to her soft strides.

The girl was talking again. Eden turned Envy in a half-circle to face the girl, who looked a little sheepish. He was surprised at her words, and before he could offer to dismount and fix the jump to her liking, she was already sliding out of the saddle and striding towards the crossed poles, adjusting them to the right height. His surprise showed on his face. He was under the impression that Windsor riders would be snooty douchebags, and yet this girl was polite and even apologetic. Eden hadn't minded shifting the poles for her at all. Although, granted, he had been in the arena first, Eden had spent his life being the underdog and it was stupid to get annoyed when people treated him as such. He moved closer to the girl, her horse towering above her. The stirrups looked ridiculously high off the ground. Eden felt sorry for her. Envy was the perfect height for him and he had never had to use a mounting block. Eden was just an average-sized dude and Envy was an average-sized horse; they fit together well.

He felt incredibly awkward in this girl's presence; she was ridiculously pretty and although Eden had never even kissed a girl, or spent much time in the immediate vicinity of one, he knew a pretty girl when he saw one. In Eden's experience, however, pretty girls usually knew they were pretty and took advantage of it. On more than one occasion he had written essays or done homework assignments for the popular girls at his old school. Homework and academics was something that came easily to him and he didn't really mind doing a little extra, especially when it earned him forty bucks a pop. But this girl was different; he could sense her self-consciousness, and she was friendly and nice. Eden was completely thrown. He remembered his manners, though, and hastened to introduce himself. Oh, uh, I'm Eden. I can give you a boost if you want, he offered, eyebrows raised in suggestion. He slid off Envy's back and landed lightly. He was surprised; usually he fell to the ground in some kind of awkward, contorted position. He took a step toward Sky and tripped over his own boots. Oh, there it was. He was back to being the clumsy loser that he was. That was better. He walked around the left side of her enormous horse and bent down on one knee, linking his fingers together to create a small step with his hands.
________________________________________________________________________

Lyrics: Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off
Artist: Panic At The Disco

[sky+]

I'm coming out of my cage
And I've been doing just fine
Gotta gotta gotta be down
Because I want it all
It started out with a kiss
How did it end up like this

The sun was high in the sky at this point, shining it's warming rays down mercilessly on the drying earth, causing the ground to become dustier than usual. Skyla could see outside the arena where riders were weaving through trails, clouds of brown dirt flung up behind them defiantly. Why did it have to get hot? That was something Skyla never understood. No one liked it... so why did it happen? And that would probably never be answered. Skyla dragged her gaze from the outdoors and stepped back to look at the jump. The striped pole wasn't raised that high, but it still came to about mid-thigh on her. She sighed heavily, resting one hand lightly on her slender hip. If she wasn't so dang short, mounting Dezzy would be much easier for her. But instead of being simple for her to get atop the creature's broad back, she could haul herself up about one time. The problem was that with the stirrups hitched up so high, she had to use mainly her arms when getting on.

And that didn't go too well. She turned back to the boy as he dismounted once more, and raised her eyebrows in her own surprise. She had seen the shocked look on his face when she herself had slid off of her mount, yet know it was her turn. Err, what exactly was he doing? He stroe over to her, only to trip on his way. Over his own feet, it seemed. Skyla couldn't help the laugh that spilled out of her lips at his fall. It was cute. Like a clumsy little lost puppy sort of cuteness quality. He got up and acted as if he had never faltered on the soft, grainy flooring beneath them. Eden was a name she hadn't heard before. Ever. It was actually kind of odd, though it fit him nicely. Eden leaned onto one knee beside her black horse, entwining his fingers as a sort of step so that she could get back onto Dezzy easier.

Sky raised her eyebrows. No one just offered to help her onto her horse like that. Especially since she was at Windsor, full of guys who had laid way too many girls and one month and had an ego the size of the mount everest. Plus he was a guy. Guys were pigs, correct? So, if all of this was true, he probably wanted a good look at her ass. In all reality, Skyla didn't see her butt as her best feature, but that was her. She narrowed her eyes slightly and tilted her head while she stared at Eden, contemplating what she wanted to do. Then, hazel eyes glinting subtly, she smiled and nodded. She just wanted help onto her horse. "Hi Eden. And yes, that would be great, thank you." She said, starting towards where he was kneeling. Upon reaching him, she gathered the reins in one hand, and used Eden's shoulder to steady her while she stepped in his hand. With one arm slung over the saddle, and the other resting lightly on top of his head where she had moved it, she spoke. "Okay. On the count of three. Well, you're count, that is." She smiled, glancing down at him. Damn. Whatever shampoo the boy used-it was working. His brown hair was soft.
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[( LARAFOO )]

EDEN CALLUM;
Oh now I do recall, we were just getting to the part
Where the shock sets in,
and the stomach acid finds a new way to make you get sick.
I hope you didn't expect that you'd get all of the attention.
________________________________________________________________________

His cheeks flushed a pale pink as her laugh softly rung out. No matter how often people laughed at him, the embarrassment never really faded. You could get used to humiliation, but you would still be humiliated. Eden chanced a glance up at her face, expecting to see disgust in her eyes; disgust and laughing at Eden usually went hand in hand. But he was pleasantly surprised to see her smiling fondly at him, as if he was some sort of cute animal who had done something amusing. She wasn't laughing out of spite; she was laughing because it was funny. Interesting. Eden would have to learn to be less of a self-conscious fool around here, seeing as Windsor was apparently so full of surprises.

She seemed to take a moment's hesitation before agreeing to his offer. Her hand rested lightly on his shoulder momentarily, before moving to his head. It was odd to be kneeling in front of a girl, her foot in his hands, while her fingers rested in his hair. Eden would have felt awkward about their weird position if he wasn't already awkward just being around a girl. There was a pause as she seemed to shuffle through the brown strands connected to his scalp. He was enormously glad that today had been a hair-washing day. After arriving at Windsor and unpacking neatly like the nerd he was, Eden had been hugely grateful for a hot shower and a clean body. That morning he had shampooed his dirty, dusty, travel-hair to within an inch of it's life. Eden's hair was one of his best features. It was a soft, dark brown, and it usually always lay properly. Of course, there was the occasional bad hair day when it would just not obey him, but today wasn't one of those days. He made an odd little face as she briefly fiddled with his hair, before smiling at her words. Okay. One, two, three! On the last number he pushed her foot up with all the strength he had. Accompanied with her little bounce she landed in the saddle of her gigantic horse. Eden straightened and stood up, wiping his hands on his breeches and dusting himself off. There we go, he said with a little smile, clapping her big gelding on the neck before ducking around him to re-mount Envy, for about the billionth time this training session.

As he settled into his own saddle he looked over at Sky. He was starting to loosen up a little and not be so awkward. Envy shifted under him. Now that they were both back ontop of their respective mounts, he looked over at the jump. He was instantly nervous about riding in front of someone again. Sky was really good, and her horse was equally as talented, from what he had seen. He didn't want to be embarrassed in front of her, now that he had somehow managed to make a somewhat decent impression on the first person he'd met here. As soon as she saw him ride she would instantly lose respect for him, and question how he had gotten into the academy, and then he would have to talk about his father, and oh God. What was he even doing here if he couldn't get in on his own accord? This had been such a stupid idea. Eden bit his bottom lip and worried it back and forth between his teeth anxiously, staring at the jump. He glanced back over at Sky. You're welcome to go first. He said softly. Ladies first, after all, and Eden was nothing if not a gentleman.
________________________________________________________________________

Lyrics: Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off
Artist: Panic At The Disco

[sky+]

I'm coming out of my cage
And I've been doing just fine
Gotta gotta gotta be down
Because I want it all
It started out with a kiss
How did it end up like this

The girl stood poised with one boot in Eden's hand and the other resting lightly on the ground, only to be used as and extra boost. And he counted, she tested how she would spring up by bouncing a few times, and on three, he pushed, and she landed in the saddle. Of course, she had let out a surprised scream sort of shout since she wasn't ready on three; she had been thinking about the hydro-pool they had here. Apparently it was a big deal, and she was going to try it out after this ride. But, nonetheless, she was finally up. Hey, that hadn't been so hard. Maybe she should just always have someone to help her in her saddle. No, that would be entirely unprofessional and downright embarrassing. Heck, it was bad enough she had to get Eden's help, next time she would just have to suck it up like a man. It was still nice of him to help her though, very sweet. Smiling at the boy she spoke.

"Yeah, thanks. I should just bring you to all my shows so you can help me." She joked on the last part, chuckling lightly, two-toned eyes gleaming with a mix of several things. Dezzy had been standing quietly the whole time, and now that Skyla was back in the saddle, he seemed to liven up again, raising his head and snorting in contempt. "Dezzy..." She corrected softly, gathering the reins and turning him to the left. Nudging him into a trot, she posted, not wanting to try a sitting trot. Sitting trots were the bane of her existence. Something about them just didn't suit her. Skyla's favorite gait had to be the canter. Dezzy's canter was very smooth, and low impact. So after circling him once in a trot, she clicked him into a canter, leaning forward a bit and turning another circle. Once he was done with that, she pulled him to a stop just in time to hear Eden's words.

Turning Dezzy toward him she urged her black horse into a walk, stopping a few feet away from Eden. "Okay, cool. But don't laugh." She smiled, then back her equine up, his head bowed with his muzzle barely brushing his thick chest. Once there was sufficient amount of room between them and the jump, Skyla made sure they were lined up with the pole, and then leaned forwards, nudging Dezzy into a canter. He sprung into the gait easily, and Sky lengthened his strides. They neared the fence and the pair soared over it perfectly. Despite to fact the the girls posture was lacking. Landing, Dezzy flipped up his head and whinnied, dancing backward. "Crap." She muttered, trying to soothe the black horse.

When he was calm, she guided him back to Eden and his mare. "Enh. That sucked. Hah. Your turn." The girl stopped Dezzy so where they wouldn't interfere with the other pair's jumping, and Skyla watched with a small smile, lost in her thoughts. She was going to the hydro-pool later to cool off, and now she was going to invite Eden. The boy radiated awkwardness, and maybe a good swim would help.
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[( LARAFOO )]

EDEN CALLUM;
Oh now I do recall, we were just getting to the part
Where the shock sets in,
and the stomach acid finds a new way to make you get sick.
I hope you didn't expect that you'd get all of the attention.
________________________________________________________________________

He smiled and let out a little giggle at her joke, watching her rein her horse around and then move off in a canter. Envy attempted to follow Dezzy, as he was apparently called, but Eden kept a tight grip on the reins to stop her moving off. She snorted but tucked her head under, feeling Eden on the bit. Eden smiled. She was such a good girl. His attention was lifted from his horse and placed back on his new companion as she addressed him again, ordering him not to laugh. His lips curled up in a smile. I wouldn't dream of it, he promised her. His keen eyes followed her rhythmic approach, take-off, landing, and getaway. It had been a clean jump, although her posture hadn't been perfect. Even Eden could see that. The jump had still been impressive and he gave a little clap as she returned, bobbing his head in appreciation.

He listened keenly to her words, and shook his head profusely. No, it was good. You went clean. Not every jump can be perfect. He was starting to open up, even critiquing her on her performance. This was unusual. Had it been any other girl he would have been long gone by now. He would have escaped the moment she arrived, to avoid the awkward silence as they rode in the same arena. But Sky was very different. She was welcoming, and friendly, and even funny. It was something Eden was unfamiliar with. He nodded as she announced it was his turn to go, and took a moment to gather himself together, sitting up, collecting the reins, preparing Envy. She pricked her ears keenly. He nudged her forward and they trotted a tight circle around the jump before circling back and moving into canter. He approached the jump properly but got nervous, taking two-point far to early, almost three strides out. Envy balked and came to an abrupt halt in front of the jump, snorting in distress and confusion. Eden lost his balance and nearly slipped out of the saddle, hauling himself back into position using her mane. He had lost a stirrup and quickly slid his foot back in, digging down his heels to cement his balance.

He was extremely embarrassed. Eden bent forward and scratched Envy's neck, whispering to her. I'm sorry, girl. I was stupid. Let's try that again. Cheeks flushed bright crimson, he gathered the reins and straightened up, nudging her forward again and trotting away. He didn't look Sky in the eye; he didn't want to until he had jumped this perfectly. They approached again, Envy a lot more alert and cautious of his commands. At the right time, Eden took up two-point and Envy jumped the fence clean. They landed together and took off in a rhythmic canter. Finishing the getaway and returning to Sky and Dezzy's side, the red in his cheeks had faded somewhat, but was still apparent. He ducked his gaze and gave an embarrassed smile. I got it in the end, he said softly, rubbing Envy's withers with a gloved hand. The sting of the refusal had dulled under the triumph of the second jump, and Eden was left feeling partly stupid and partly proud. It was an unsettling mix of emotions.
________________________________________________________________________

Lyrics: Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off
Artist: Panic At The Disco

[sky+]

I'm coming out of my cage
And I've been doing just fine
Gotta gotta gotta be down
Because I want it all
It started out with a kiss
How did it end up like this

Sky sniffed lightly, dust filtering up her nose from all of the events happening in the arena. Gathering the reins in one hand, the girl drew a hand to her nose, rubbing away the itch that had developed there. Once she was satisfied that she had done away with the annoying sensation, the seventeen year old returned her hand to the reins, moving Dezzy over a few inches so Eden and his horse could get past them. At his words she let a half smile touch her face. "Mhmm. Thanks." She said softly, reaching down to rub her equine's thick neck gently, ending with a rough pat. It had been all Dezzy in that jump. Her black monster rarely ever jumped anything but clean-when they messed up it was purely Sky's fault, and she hated messing up her horse. He was an amazing jumper, and the girl was striving to be just as amazing a rider. She had progressed tons since she first rode the great black horse, and most of it was Dezzy teaching and guiding her through jumps. Of course, the trainers hadn't hurt anything either.

Sky watched with observant eyes as Eden took his horse around, preparing her for the jump. He started her towards it, only the take two-point too soon, which caused his mare to falter, unseating the lad. Sky kept the smallest of smiles on her face as she watched. Obviously, he was incredibly nervous, which Sky understood perfectly. She had been nervous as hell her first few shows, until her mother told her that it didn't matter who was watching her. As long as she focused on Dezzy and stayed calm, they would do just fine. And so she followed her mothers advice, only to find out that it actually worked, surprisingly enough. To open the competition with something not so stressful, she would run by a fast food place with a friend, so she could relax a little before she had to run. It seemed that perhaps Eden needed a little stress reliever or something to focus on while running a course. She kept watching as he jumped his gorgeous mount another time, this round being flawless. He trotted back to where Dezzy stood, head down while he murmured.

She nudged Dezzy over with one foot so that he was almost brushed sides with Eden's horse, and then leaned down, ruffling Eden's hair playfully. "Don't worry about it; happens to everyone. You should have seen me in Dallas last year. Worst day of my life." She grimaced on the last part. Dezzy had refused two jumps, and knocked over three others. "You're just nervous," She continued, removing her hand from his head and resting it on Dezzy's rump. "What you should do, is before competitions or anything, go get something to eat with your girlfriend, or something. It'll ease tension." She finished, now leaned back as she looked down at Eden. "Oh, yeah. After this I'm going to go let Dezzy loosen up in the hydro-pool. You should come. It'll be relaxing."

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[( LARAFOO )]

EDEN CALLUM;
Oh now I do recall, we were just getting to the part
Where the shock sets in,
and the stomach acid finds a new way to make you get sick.
I hope you didn't expect that you'd get all of the attention.
________________________________________________________________________

Envy sniffed Dezzy curiously as he moved up beside her. Envy was quite a wonderful horse; she didn't really balk too often, she didn't give Eden trouble when he tightened the girth, and she always caught easily. Despite being an ex-racer she wasn't really that high-strung, although her thoroughbred tendencies did show sometimes at shows when the other competitors were noisy and messy. At Windsor that really wasn't a problem, as everyone was used to the show circuit and respectful of other riders. The only time Envy really acted up was when water was involved. Jumps involving water were fine, and although they didn't do cross-country too often, she could handle a large water jump. It was fast, rushing, noisy bodies of water, like brooks or rivers, that scared her. Her muscles tensed up and she was paralyzed out of fear for a few minutes, before dancing nervously and throwing her head up. Eden usually stuck to fields and trails that didn't go near water when he went out hacking. But seeing that there was no creek nearby, Envy was quite calm now, nosing Dezzy curiously and blowing out her nostrils in a friendly hello.

Eden smiled as Sky ruffled his hair in a playful gesture, bending down that extra space that her taller horse put between her head and his. Envy was definitely a lot shorter than Dezzy, and it would have made Eden feel weird and short, but somehow it didn't. Sky had a very laid-back atmosphere about her and it seemed that nothing really fazed her or penetrated her shield of easygoing-ness. It was a welcome aura. He nodded at her declaration of his nervousness. Seeing her brace her weight on Dezzy's rump, he also relaxed his stance, taking his feet out of the stirrups and letting them hang down to stretch out his leg. He dropped his hands onto the pommel of the saddle and Envy stretched her neck out with the extra slack in the reins.

Listening to Sky's words of advice, without even meaning to he let out a short laugh at the idea of him having a girlfriend to go eat lunch with, or even having a girlfriend at all. What an absurd notion. Eden caught himself laughing at Sky's words and instantly stopped, not wanting to offend her. To make up for his social faux pas he attempted to explain why he had laughed, his cheeks growing redder and redder as he stuttered. I'm sorry, I didn't- what I mean is, I don't have a girlfriend. That's just- I mean, I've never even- He cut himself off again quickly, before he announced that he'd never even kissed a girl. His face was sporting a wonderful shade of crimson and he coughed awkwardly to cover his embarrassment. Oh, God. Well done, Eden. What a smooth operator. He took a moment to get his breathing back to normal, fiddling with the reins to give him something to do. No, that's great advice. Thanks. Do you... do that with your boyfriend? Before shows? He inquired curiously. It wouldn't surprise him if Sky had a boyfriend, in fact she undoubtedly did. She was one of those wonderful, unusual girls who were so infectious and lovely that they drew all the boys in. Sky probably had a different boyfriend every month, and now here she was, inviting Eden to the hydro-pool. He stared at her. Walking in and joining his training session was one thing, but actually inviting him to go somewhere was completely different. She was a girl, and a pretty one at that. Girls, especially pretty ones, never invited Eden Callum to go somewhere. A smile stretched across his face and his brown eyes twinkled with excitement. Yeah. That sounds... awesome. I would love to. His voice was soft and tingling with excitement. Windsor was already proving to be an adventure. The bad points - being that he sucked - were currently being dominated by the good points - girls wanting to go to the hydro-pool with Eden. He had a bubbly feeling in his stomach. He couldn't tell if it was nervousness or butterflies. He grinned kind of stupidly up at Sky, eyes bright with thanks.
________________________________________________________________________

Lyrics: Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off
Artist: Panic At The Disco

[sky+]

I'm coming out of my cage
And I've been doing just fine
Gotta gotta gotta be down
Because I want it all
It started out with a kiss
How did it end up like this

Sky's hazel gaze settled on Eden's black mare as she reacted to Dezzy's interference with her personal bubble. She turned her head and whiffed at him in a friendly manner, barely touching noses with the midnight colored gelding. Dezzy responded in a likewise fashion, bobbing his head softly, ears pricked forward curiously as he snuffled her velvety muzzle. The two equines were the same color, only the mare had a few exclusive patches of white on her, something that Dezzy lacked. As her horse shifted beneath her she thought about his name, and how it didn't suit the male at all. Red Rum's Rendezvous meant something in the realm of disaster. Red Rum came from the rodeo, and was Murder back wards. Rendezvous was a planned meeting. So it translated to something along the lines of meeting somewhere to murder. Which was not characteristic for Dezzy at all. He spooked at hardly anything, was amazing on trails and the only thing he killed was every single jumping course he ran. So, naturally, Sky had to pick a barn name out of his long calling. Dezzy seemed to be the only original word that semi-fit him.

As Eden dropped his stirrups, she dropped hers as well. That was the only area she envied western riders. Their stirrups were so low, and if you lost one, relatively easy to regain since your foot was right there anyways. Skyla hated losing a stirrup while riding-she had to hitch her leg up, which wasn't easy to do while Dezzy was flipping out because the metal was flapping against his side. It usually just turned out to be disasterous. At her words, her companion laughed, which made her raise both eyebrows in his direction. She listened as he stuttered to explain himself. Oh, so he didn't have a girlfriend, eh? Sky couldn't really understand why. He was cute, and incredibly sweet, which made him even more cute. "You've never even what?" She questioned, reaching up to run a hand through her hair. She couldn't wait to be out of her clothes and in a swimsuit. It would be so much cooler. "Come on, I'm sure I can help." She went further, reaching down to pat Dezzy's sweaty neck. Even though she hadn't worked him out that long, he was a little out of shape, and it was damn hot in the arena.

"Yeah, I used too, a year ago. Then I quit doing that, they liked to do things I didn't necessarily want to do before a show. So it threw off my game. Infact, I haven't even had a boyfriend for like, six months. Crazy." She mused, thinking back to her last boyfriend. It had lasted only four months, her shortest relationship ever. Save the two week fling she had with some kid named David in eighth grade. But whatever. She'd meet someone who could do horses and crap with her here, so it didn't bother her much. Eden turned to her, smile broad on his face as he accepted her offer. Cool, she didn't really want to go there all alone. She had something weird about being alone... she didn't really like it. Plus she was kinda curious to see the boy with his shirt off. What exactly lay under that polo he was wearing? She smiled and nodded. "Okay cool. Well, I'm going to untack Dezzy because he's done here. But I'll wait if you want to jump a few more rounds."


[do you want to start a hydro-pool thread.. or?]

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[( LARAFOO )]

EDEN CALLUM;
Oh now I do recall, we were just getting to the part
Where the shock sets in,
and the stomach acid finds a new way to make you get sick.
I hope you didn't expect that you'd get all of the attention.
________________________________________________________________________

The sweat was tracking an unpleasant line down the back of his neck and his short dark hair was damp. Eden squirmed a little in the sticky heat. He couldn't wait to get in the hydro-pool. It would be heaven. Envy seemed to agree, breathing deeply and digging a hole with her hoof. She was bored and hot, and Eden felt sympathy for her. She had been so lovely this morning, and she deserved a break. They both did. He looked back up to Sky as she inquired further about what he had been about to say. He turned red and bit his lip, shaking his head profusely. No way was he telling her his stupid shameful secret. It was way too humiliating. Her offer to help was well-meaning, something a friend would say, willing to help when they didn't even know what they were helping with. It was a kind thing to say, and Eden relaxed, smiling. Sky wasn't prying, she was just friendly and eager to help. He couldn't fault her, at all. It was just his own embarrassing inexperience that was causing any problems.

He listened to her words, and gave a wry smile as she finished. Six months. What a dry spell. He held back a giggle. He had guessed right; Sky was the type of girl who was used to having a boyfriend, it just came so easily. He envied her that. Girls were such a foreign subject to Eden, he had no clue how to approach them. Sky was different though; he was a lot more comfortable around her, even in this short space of time. The couple hours or so they'd spend together had resulted in more progress than months with the girls in his old high school. Eden was pleased with himself. He had done well. Eden shook his head at her offer. No, it's way too hot to continue. Meet you at the hydro-pool? He suggested tentatively. He still couldn't believe she was willingly going to spend more time than necessary with him. It was slightly absurd. With an excited little smile, he nudged Envy and turned her toward the exit of the arena, keen to slip into the cold waters of the pool.
________________________________________________________________________

Lyrics: Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off
Artist: Panic At The Disco

~ Thread continued: HERE ~

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