Bonding time (open)

[EMMA LYNN MICHAELS]

It'd been a rash decision, sure. Buying a horse she'd only ridden once, but Emma didn't care. The mare was young, spirited, and beautiful. Yes, she'd needed a firm hand and a lot of leg, but she was only four, so Emma had laid down the money right then and there. She needed a challenging project anyway. Her other mare, Masq, was a seasoned competitor with many blue ribbons under her proverbial belt. Emma whistled softly to herself as she slipped into the Broodmare barn. She'd heard that Foxtail had just been blessed by two new foals, both within a day of each other. And since she was the yearling barn manager, she was positive she'd see both of them in the stalls at her barn as soon as they were ready. Quietly, as not to disturb the new mothers and their respective foals, Emma peeked in the first foaling stall. A lovely cremello gazed back at her quizically, and next to her, laid a sleeping colt. Emma was surprised to see that the foal was the same rare color as her mare Masq- a black silver dapple. He didn't have the same flaxen mane and tail as her Masq, but he was handsome none the less. "Good job, mama," Emma whispered to the mare. "He's a cutie." In the next foaling stall, a dapple grey mare stood, nuzzling a pretty grulla filly. She smiled at the bonding the two were doing, and decided it was time for some bonding of her own.

Arctic Breeze, formerly known as Irish Whiskers, was pacing nervously in her stall. Breeze was a large mare, standing at 16 hands high. She was taller than any horse Emma had ever owned. The grey mare shifted uneasily as the redhead watched her. "Hey Breeze, what's the matter?" She asked the horse in a soothing tone. "Everything's all right." Breeze paused for a moment, ears flicking as if she was listening to Emma. Then, the Dutch Warmblood tossed her head violently, and continued pacing restlessly. Thankfully, her new mare was a few stalls down from the new mothers and their foals, so she (probably) wouldn't disturb them. Emma left the grey mare's stall, to grab her grooming box from the small tack room. When she returned, the mare was just as anxious. Making sure her movements were slow and calm, Emma slid the stall door open and stepped inside. Much to her dismay, the mare flattened her ears and shook her head angrily. Emma slowly took the leadrope she had slung over her shoulder in her right hand, and stepped closer. She'd been taught caution when it came to agitated horses, but not fear. Murmuring to Breeze all the while, she offered the mare a peppermint from the pocket of her grey breeches. The mare sniffed it suspiciously, but lipped it up, and seemed to look at her expectantly, as if to say "where's more?" When Breeze let her touch her shoulder without flinching or pinning her ears, Emma knew she'd done well. She rubbed the mare's shoulder gently, admiring the ripples of muscle beneath her light grey coat. She clipped her leather leadrope onto the mare's matching halter, and lead her into the hallway to a pair of cross ties. Emma picked up a currycomb from the grooming box she'd left by the stall, and let the mare sniff it thoroughly. Once she started currying, the mare relaxed by a fraction. Although Breeze wasn't all the way settled, she seemed to accept Emma's company more with every brush stroke. "There now, I'm not so bad, huh? You'll see, we'll be best friends yet," She told the mare as she worked. Emma had put Breeze in the broodmare barn with the intention of breeding her right away (if she could find a stallion she liked), but now, with Breeze being so nervous, she wasn't so sure. Maybe she'd hold off and compete with her until she settled down. "I'll ask the foaling manager what she thinks when I meet her," Emma said, more to herself than the horse. Breeze snorted as an answer, swishing her grey tail emphatically.

OOC |
open to any :)
Click here for outfit
Arctic Breeze

[STELLA MARIE CARTER]

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TELL ME, DID THE WIND SWEEP YOU OFF YOUR FEET
did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day

[/size][/i]AND HEAD BACK TOWARD THE MILKY WAY
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Archer ran playfully ahead of Stella as she walked back to the broodmare barn with her mare, Cherry. Though she wasn't currently in foal, Stella planned to breed the mare later this season. Her schedule was too hectic at the moment for her to have proper time to plan her mare's first foal. The thoroughbred mare was wet all over from the trip the three took to Maelstrom Lake. It was painfully relaxing being able to go out on a simple trail ride on Cherry, without having to worry about training, or paperwork, or her two new babies in the barn for thirty minutes. Unfortunately, reality called, however, and with no sign of her stablehand when she left, the mare's were due for a feeding, and she was the only one to do it. The ten minute walk back (slowed down by the fact that Stella preferred not to look like she had wet herself by riding Cherry back) was terribly hot however, and she a breathed a sigh of relief as they neared the barn doors. Whistling for Archer, she sent the dog into her office and closed the door behind him. The collie was well behaved most of the time, but she preferred her dog not be the cause of any accidents in the barn. Better safe than sorry. Tying up the bay mare to a washrack, the petite brunette quickly scraped off the excess water clinging to Cherry's hide and worked the tangles out of her mane and tail. She placed a messy kiss on the end of her nose, rubbing her fondly. There, all pretty, aren't you, girl? Cherry looked at her with what must have been akin to exasperation and snorted, sending snot in Stella's general direction. Ah, calm down, you. I know you're hungry. Wiping off her face, Stella took the mare down to her stall at the east end of the four-aisled barn. Snatching a carrot out of her bag on the way there, she barely noticed the redhead and mare tied up in the other aisle. Once Cherry had gotten her treat and was safely inside her stall, Stella grabbed two flakes of hay for Wind and Marzipan and carried them over near the woman and her horse. After giving each mare her food, and giving Princess and Titan a good once-over, Stella brushed off her hands and turned to the pair. Stella Carter, barn manager here, pleasure to meet you. She eyed the newly boarded mare momentarily before continuing. You must be Emma Michaels, Arctic's owner. I was hoping you would turn up soon so we could properly meet.

TAGGED: Emma
OUTFIT: outfit
WORDS: 450
MUSE: pretty decent
NOTES: the amount of time I spent trying to find a decent banner is ridiculous
LYRICS: drops of jupiter by train.
CREDIT: mrs. robert downey jr.

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[EMMA LYNN MICHAELS]

♥ EMMA LYNN MICHAELS ♥

24 | Yearling Barn Manager | Straight | Single

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Emma smiled jokingly, "A pleasure to meet you as well. I'm also the yearling barn manager, so I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of each other eventually." She turned back to Breeze, who, now that the grooming had stopped, was swishing her tail agitatedly. Emma glanced back at Stella, "So, how has Breeze been?" She asked, half-knowing the answer. She highly doubted that the mare's attitude had been any different before she'd come to visit, although it would probably be a bit upsetting if the mare was totally at ease with everyone but her.

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come on skinny love, what happened here?

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[/b][/SIZE] Stella
WEARING Click
HORSE Arctic Breeze
NOTES all done <3
CREDIT erin aka lowearthorbit @ caution

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[STELLA MARIE CARTER]

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TELL ME, DID THE WIND SWEEP YOU OFF YOUR FEET
did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day

[/size][/i]AND HEAD BACK TOWARD THE MILKY WAY
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Stella shook Emma's hand, smiling at the young women's quirky sense of humor. She liked her already. At the mention of the girl's job, Stella's eyes lit up excitedly. Well, that's just absolutely perfect, I was planning on heading over there to meet you some time this week, but you just saved me the trip. The two would be working very closely in a few months, working with the new foals, planning their weaning, and transferring them into a very different atmosphere than the one they had experienced next to their mamas. Glancing at the two foals affectionately, she sighed. I'm not looking forward to the day I send them over to you, that's for sure, though. I'm afraid I've gotten a bit attached already. The two of them had both developed quite the personalities within the short time they'd been around. Princess was, as her name implied, quite the lady, and sweet as could be, unless you didn't give her her mandatory neck rub that was required as soon as you laid eyes on here. Being paid attention to was key. The dark silver colt, Titan, on the other hand, had a bit of an attitude and was a little nippy, but only time would tell if he would carry it into adulthood. Running her hand through her curly mop of hair, the manager leaned on the post beside here, looking Breeze over again. Oh, she's been alright, as well as can be expected, she assured Emma in her lilting British accent. A bit restless when she's been in her stall for a while and testy when it comes to new people, but she's just one of those horses that doesn't take a big move well. I don't think it will be a problem in the long run, though. She just needs to be able to call here home. Lifting her hand slowly, Stella held it out, waiting to pass Breeze's inspection. The mare lipped at her hand, looking for a treat, and Stella laughed. See, she's already got me and food all sorted out up there, since my stablehand is nowhere to be found, my face usually means mealtime.

TAGGED: Emma
OUTFIT: outfit
WORDS: 376
MUSE: good
NOTES: none
LYRICS: drops of jupiter by train.
CREDIT: mrs. robert downey jr.

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[EMMA LYNN MICHAELS]

♥ EMMA LYNN MICHAELS ♥

24 | Yearling Barn Manager | Straight | Single

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Emma pushed her red hair behind her ear and grinned. "I'm sure you'll get another batch sooner or later, maybe even one of Breeze's." She looked at the grey mare against, admiring her near perfect conformation. She was a lovely mare, all muscle and lithe limbs. Emma wasn't sure if Breeze was ready for a foal just yet, and reminded herself to ask Stella's expert opinion on the matter later. Of course she was looking forward to when the two foals came to her barn, but she understood where Stella was coming from. She wouldn't want to give them up either, although she'd have to eventually as well. But, luckily there always a new crop of young'uns on the horizon, so the two of them always had something to look forward to. Emma dropped the comb she'd been using in the grooming box, and grabbed a hoof pick, twirling it absentmindedly in her fingers. Listening to Stella's wise words comforted her... although part of it may have had to do with her beautiful accent. "Well that's good, I was beginning to think it was just me," It sounded silly, even to her own ears, but it was the truth. She and her other mare Masq had always had an instant bond, and Emma had been worried that Breeze would never warm up to her. The redhead watched the interaction between her new horse and Stella, and nodded approvingly. Clearly, this woman was a seasoned expert. She giggled at Stella's remark about her missing stablehand and leaned in closer to other woman, in a mock serious voice. "I haven't seen my alleged stablehand yet either. I think it's a conspiracy to see how well we do under pressure."

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come on skinny love, what happened here?

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[/b][/SIZE] Stella
WEARING Click
HORSE Arctic Breeze
NOTES finito <3
CREDIT erin aka lowearthorbit @ caution

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[STELLA MARIE CARTER]

-----------------------------------------
TELL ME, DID THE WIND SWEEP YOU OFF YOUR FEET
did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day

[/size][/i]AND HEAD BACK TOWARD THE MILKY WAY
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[/center][/font]

The manager gave Breeze a soft rub on the nose before withdrawing, laughing along with the mare's owner. Luckily for you, I have no real say in the matter. No way to stop the inevitable, but yes, there's always more to come. Breeze'll produce some pretty ones when she's ready, I'm sure, and if it ever goes to long without a baby around, I always have my mare, Cherry, down there aways that I've been wanting to breed. As if on cue, the Thoroughbred mare let out a soft nicker, as if to let them know she was listening and knew they were talking about her. Tilting her head in the horse's general direction, Stella continued. That's her you hear, 'round the corner. I normally wouldn't put her so far away from the other horses, but she's in one of the few stalls I can see from my office, the brunette divulged with a laugh. Hopefully she won't be lonely for too much longer. With all the new riders in town, I'm hoping this places fills up a bit more. Watching Breeze again, Stella grinned at Emma's comment. That would be terrible, the woman mused, if your brand new horse loved everyone 'cept its own rider. Oh it's just you and every other new horse owner. Just takes a bit of warming up, that's all, she reassured her. She recalled the day she had decided to purchase her other mare, Firestarter's Revenge. It certainly wasn't her name that had attracted Stella to the horse; she had an attitude that most certainly matched. Perhaps it was the challenge. And of course there was the fact that it had been the mare's last chance before the slaughterhouse. Either way, despite all the difficulties the two had faced with each other, she would never regret it. At least not anymore, her father wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Live and let go, he would always say. Returning from her momentarily wandering thoughts, Stella raised her eyes from the ground beneath her feet, quite ready to say a few choice words about her alleged help, yet knowing that she ought to bite her tongue on this one. She held back a smile at Emma's conspiratorial tone. Well, if that's the case, it's a right awful test. Might as well fire them for all the help they are... though when i'm done with him, he might wish he'd been fired, the woman added with a mischievous gleam in her eye.

TAGGED: Emma
OUTFIT: outfit
WORDS: 431
MUSE: meh
NOTES: none
LYRICS: drops of jupiter by train.
CREDIT: mrs. robert downey jr.

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[EMMA LYNN MICHAELS]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,width: 350px; padding: 10px; background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/w6MZf.png);] come on skinny love, what happened here? After Stella withdrew her hand from the mare's nose, Breeze craned her neck around as much as she could while being on cross ties to gaze at Emma. It seemed that up until now she'd just been tolerating Emma's presence, but had now grown to actually enjoy it. The redhead smiled happily, satisfied with the progress she'd made. "Oh, you'd keep them all to yourself if it was up to you then? I know I would," Emma joked to Stella. "You're lucky you get them while they're cute. I get them when they're hormonal and feisty." She gestured in the direction of the cremello and her colt's stall. "Like that colt for instance, you can already tell he's going to be a handful." But truthfully, she didn't mind. She enjoyed being kept on her toes by the youngsters. Emma nodded in agreement at Stella's comment about Breeze. She personally wasn't sure if the grey mare would be ready any time soon, but who knew? She was only an expert on yearlings, not necessarily the breeding or birthing processes. Emma laughed when Stella's mare responded to her name. Her other mare Masq had the same habit. "Is she the pretty bay in the other aisle?" Emma was fairly certain she'd walked by a lovely Thoroughbred when she'd checked on Breeze the other day, but hadn't seen the bay when she'd come in earlier. Emma cocked her head to the side, red hair falling into her eyes. She brushed it aside impatiently, wishing the hoof pick in her hand was a hair tie. While Stella seemed to be lost in thought for a few moments, Emma took that time to grab a pair of lavender bell boots from her tack box. Gently, she ran her hand down both the mare's legs in turn, safely securing the boots with velcro. She was planning on taking Breeze out to lunge later, and didn't want the mare to overreach and injure herself. Since Breeze had stood quietly the entire time, Emma offered her a peppermint as a reward. The mare's warm breath tickled as she lipped the mint off of her flattened palm. Although she was excited to ride the mare again, she knew lunging her first would be the best thing for both of them. The more they bonded, the better they'd work together. As they discussed their missing in action stablehands, Emma bit back a grin at the look on Stella's face. Emma felt the exact same way, but was a tad more vocal about it. "Yeah, it is pretty terrible. Luckily I only have one yearling, although she's a piece of work, so she counts as two. But I can't even imagine having four mares and two foals to look after by myself." As she said it, Emma truly realized the time and effort her counterpart had to put into running the barn by herself. It made her respect and like Stella even more. "In all seriousness, if you ever need help with anything, feel free to holler down to me at the yearling barn. I know this must be tough." outfit: click - horse: Arctic Breeze tagged: Stella

†

[STELLA MARIE CARTER]

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TELL ME, DID THE WIND SWEEP YOU OFF YOUR FEET
did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day

[/size][/i]AND HEAD BACK TOWARD THE MILKY WAY
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Stella peered into Marzipan's stall at the young colt, who was currently investigating the mare's raised grain bin, biting at the rubber surface. Titan? he's already a handful. Watch out for his teeth, I learned the hard way. She held out her left hand, which still showed the spotted bruising from the colt's nips earlier in the week. Looks much better today, thankfully, though I personally think I look diseased. she added with a laugh. Stella reached up, and toyed with a few of her loose, curly strands of hair that always seemed to be escaping. She grinned at Emma's compliment on Cherry.Yeah, that'd be her, my first love. she joked, half-seriously. Watching the interaction between Emma and Breeze, the woman couldn't help but smile as she saw their bond growing before her very eyes. She would bet her last dollar that the two of them would make a fierce pair once they entered the competition ring. At the redhead's comment on her work, she shrugged nonchalantly. Lucky for me, I've had practice dealing with several horses at once. I managed a thoroughbred breeding barn before, and these horses are alot less spoiled and pretentious than most of the ones I dealt with there. Kentucky, you know, she reminisced with a sigh, momentarily missing working where her father once had stood. But if I ever need the help, I'll be sure to call you, Stella answered thankfully. She doubted she'd take the woman up on her offer; Stella knew too well how busy everyone else's schedules tended to be around here, but it was sweet of her to offer. She planned on hunting down her hands soon, anyway. So, is Breeze here your only horse? What do you plan on riding her in?

TAGGED: Emma
OUTFIT: outfit
WORDS: 305
MUSE: good
NOTES: none
LYRICS: drops of jupiter by train.
CREDIT: mrs. robert downey jr.

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[EMMA LYNN MICHAELS]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,width: 350px; padding: 10px; background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/w6MZf.png);] 24 | Yearling Barn Manager | Straight | Single Emma winced sympathetically when Stella held out her hand for her to examine. "Yikes. I guess his name suits him then. Luckily, I'll already have tons of practice when he comes over to me." She pulled up her sleeve to reveal a similar bite mark on her right shoulder, courtesy of the yearling in her barn. She rolled her eyes exasperatedly at the memory. She'd been grooming the roan chestnut sabino, and that was the thanks she'd gotten. That yearling was a pain in the rear. Or the shoulder, more appropriately. Leaving Breeze for a second, she looked into the cremello mare's stall at the colt, who was tirelessly biting at the grain bin. She shook her head affectionately, he was lucky he was so damn cute. He'd be trouble when he came to her, no doubt. Thinking back to what Stella said and the bruise on her hand, he was trouble already. It really was amazing to see how early every horse's distinctive personality developed. She fervently hoped that she'd get some sweethearts as well, they were always a nice break from the brats. But, then again, it could always be an age thing. She'd known plenty of terrors who grew up to be impeccably mannered show horses. She walked back to Breeze, and let the mare sniff her palm before stroking her pretty face. Emma laughed at Stella's comment about Cherry being her first love. Masq certainly wasn't her first love, but she was by far the best one. The mare had been through all of the recent break ups and disappointments with her, and Emma found that the horse was the best thing by far to help nurse a broken heart. Emma nodded as Stella spoke of her past experiences at a Thoroughbred breeding farm, slightly awed. It was no small feat, managing a whole breeding farm. Emma felt momentarily embarrassed for offering her own help when Stella so clearly knew what she was doing, and hoped the brunette wouldn't take offense. "Wow, that's amazing," Emma enthused. She was fairly relieved when Stella responded warmly to her offer, but she was also pretty sure that she wouldn't take her up on it. But, as long as she knew the offer stood. When Stella asked about her other horses, Emma's face lit up as her lips curved into a smile. "I have my mare Masq, short for Lady Masquerade Soleil in the main barn, I've had her for about 5 years. Her best class is dressage, but she's no slouch when it comes to jumping either. And I'm not sure where Breeze's skills are, so I'm not sure exactly what classes to enter her in. I'll probably just dabble with her until I find her strengths. What about you? Is Cherry your only horse?" Slightly winded from her little speech, Emma took a deep breath, and waited for Stella's response. outfit: click - horse: Arctic Breeze tagged: Stella

†

[STELLA MARIE CARTER]

-----------------------------------------
TELL ME, DID THE WIND SWEEP YOU OFF YOUR FEET
did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day

[/size][/i]AND HEAD BACK TOWARD THE MILKY WAY
----------------------------------------[/size]
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Grimacing at Emma's matching injury. Yikes, who d'ya got down at the yearling barn right now? At the woman's expression of awe, Stella blushed slightly and looked away. Nah, it's nothing. It's alot more glamorous from the outside looking in, she added with a nervous laugh. But other than Cherry, who I originally competed in barrels and reigning on, once I moved to English, I got a Friesian stallion, Midnight, who's my dressage champ, and my current project horse is a Lipizzan mare that I got a few years back. Fuego. She got alot of spirit and energy, so I do show jumping and cross country with her. It's the only thing that'll wear her out. As she though about it, the absurdity of her whole life struck her, and Stella let out a burst of laughter. Doubling over, she struggled to compose herself so as to not look completely insane infront of her new friend. Oh god, I'm sorry, it's just, I never thought about what a challenge my whole lifestyle is. Caring for three horses, plus my collie, not to manage my own life, and now managing a barn. which I mean, yeah. I've done it before, but I was a manager under another manager, and I had alot more help...Brushing her curly bangs up out of her face Stella glanced at Emma. I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm pouring this all out on you, forgive me.

TAGGED: Emma
OUTFIT: outfit
WORDS: prob 200ish
MUSE: bleh
NOTES: ok, this is shit because olympics and cboxer were distracting me BUT I TRIED
LYRICS: drops of jupiter by train.
CREDIT: mrs. robert downey jr.

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