Log: Paige, Rahne, and Jamie, 5 AM Thursday.

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In which horses are ridden, much getting-to-know-you-ness happens, and Paige promises to read fiction occasionally. Includes mention of pink, blonde pet lizards from the Amazon.



Jamie: *Jamie wanders into the stables, hair still vaguely wet from a quick shower, peeking into the stalls as he passes* Paige? You here yet?

Paige: *Paige peeks out from one of the stalls near the end, spots them, and comes out into the aisle* Good morning, you two. *she smiles* Sleep well?

Rahne: Usually do. *smiles back*

Jamie: Real well, yeah. *grin* So, what's the plan?

Paige: Well, have you met any of the school horses yet?

Jamie: Went riding with Sam once when I first got here. *looks around* He had me on . . . aha. *points* That one. But I have no idea how to put the saddle on.

Rahne: *shakes her head* I havena been here until now....

Paige: *smiles kindly at Rahne* That's all right. I had two of the best picked out for you both. Luckily, Sam and I have similar tastes, so you get to ride Cricket again. How about I introduce you to your horse, Rahne, and then I'll give you a quick tack up course?

Jamie: Sounds like a plan to me. *grin*

Rahne: *nods and follows Paige to meet the horse*

Jamie: *goes over to pat Cricket and slip the horse an apple slice while Rahne gets acquainted*

Paige: *Paige stops in front of a sweet dapple grey, Dixie reading on the name plate* This is Dixie. She seems like a doll so far, and the grooms agree with me. Care to be her best friend? *hold up a piece of apple with a grin*

Rahne: *Rahne laughs a bit and takes the piece of apple* Should I let her smell me first or just hold it out?

Paige: I don't think she'd nip you, but the smelling thing is a good habit to get into. Good for you. *nods* Remember, fingers flat when you do give her the apple. *she pauses* I'm going to start bringing in Nem's tack. You follow when you're done.

Jamie: *Jamie, having finished getting reacquainted, looks up* Should I come now, then?

Rahne: *offers the back of her hand for sniffing as if the horse were a dog, then offers the apple uncertainly on the flat of her palm.*

Paige: Anytime, chickpea. Or you might want to keep the girl company. *she smiles and turns to the tack room*

Jamie: You all right there, Rahne?

Rahne: Aye. Well... Dixie's taken the apple, anyhow.

Jamie: Cool. *smiles over the stall door* We should probably go find Paige and see about saddles and stuff.
Rahne: *nods and turns from Dixie, who whickers*

Paige: *Paige calls from the tack room* Come on you two, before lunch now.

Jamie: *calls back* On our way, Miz Guthrie!
Jamie: *walks into the tack room* Reporting for duty. What next?

Paige: That's Paige to you, Mister. *grins* We're just going with simple tack. Bridle and saddle. Come on, pick up your stuff and we'll get it on and out. *she picks up her own things, carrying the heavy saddle with practiced ease*

Jamie: *lifts his just as easily* Uh, d'you want a hand with yours, Rahne? I can come back in a second.
Jamie: *blinks* Or duh, even better, I can leave a dupe. I'm slow this morning. *grin*

Rahne: I think I've got it... *Rahne is more awkward with the tack, but not dropping it*

Jamie: Righto, then. *Jamie walks back to Cricket, then grins over at Paige* Okay, I get that the saddle goes on top and the bridle goes over her nose, but beyond that I'm pretty lost. We never had enough money for horses at home.

Paige: *Paige has brought all the horses out, clipping them out in the aisle so she can teach by sight* Well, put the bridle on the sill of the stall for now. We'll do that after the saddle. You're right though, saddle on back, horn to the front. *shes does so and holds up what appears to be a giant elastic* This goes under, hooking up like so. You try, I'll come and check.

Rahne: *watches carefully and then tries to lift the saddle onto the horse, running into immediate trouble due to being short*
Rahne: *and probably using the wrong leverage*

Jamie: *Jamie follows instructions.* So, big family, Sam says? --Rahne, hang on. *bangs his fist against his thigh and sends the resulting dupe to help*

Rahne: Oh... thank you....

Jamie: *the dupe grins* Not a problem.

Paige: *Paige trots over to help as well, gently pointing out what to do with Rahne while still managing to keep an eye on Jamie and hold a conversation* Yes, we're quite the bunch.

Jamie: I always kinda wanted brothers and sisters myself, but Mom and Dad never managed it.

Rahne: *quips* So he took care of it himself.

Paige: *Paige laughs*

Jamie: *both Jamies grin and speak in perfect unison* We are Jamie of Borg. Resistance is futile.

Rahne: *eyes nearest Jamie warily*

Paige: *Paige demonstrates how to put on the bridle, still chuckling. She assists Jamie with Cricket's as he seems to have decided not to want to open his mouth today before dusting off her hands* Well, I think that's about it. I brought out some helmets for the two of you already. Put those on and we can take them outside.

Jamie: *the dupe grins at Rahne cheerily before walking back over and getting reabsorbed; Jamie nods at Paige and puts on the helmet*

Rahne: *puts on helmet and waits uncertainly*

Paige: *Paige puts on her own helmet, if only to set a good example, and clicks at Nem, walking out*

Jamie: *Jamie attempts with limited success to click at Cricket, but the horse follows him outside anyway*

Rahne: *takes a step, eyes Dixie, puts hand up to horse's neck for a moment and then follows as well*

Paige: *Paige leads them to an open field where she circles around to face her two "students"* Okay, foot in stirrup, up and other leg over. *she demonstrates, pauses and dismounts and goes to Rahne first*
Paige: You first, chickpea. Here if you need me.

Jamie: *Jamie grins and swings up into the saddle reasonably gracefully* This, Sam did show me how to do.

Rahne: *mutters something about the horse being too tall and puts her foot in, hands on the saddle horn, then takes a breath before trying to hoist herself up*

Paige: *Paige grins at Jamie's words, keeping her eye on Rahne* Good job.

Rahne: *steps up, a bit wobbly, and tries not to kick Dixie getting her other leg over*

Paige: Good girl. *Paige mounts easily, and puts Nem into a walk* Heels down, kick with your heels. Reins loose, like this. Good... Pull back when you want to stop, reins to the direction you want to go to turn... Very good, both of you.

Jamie: *grins over at Rahne* What do you think?

Rahne: I don't know yet. *flashes a cautious smile* Dixie seems nice though. ...I doubt she'd much like me transformed, though.

Jamie: Heh. Probably not. 'Course, it'd be hard to stay in the saddle that way, too.

Rahne: *laughs* Just a wee bit.

Paige: All right you two, explain what she means to the newbie.

Rahne: Och... sorry... I turn into a wolf. *says this a bit awkwardly, though she's getting used to the idea*

Jamie: It's really neat.

Rahne: *grateful glance at Jamie*

Paige: I'm sure you're beautiful. The wolves near our farm were.

Rahne: 'Tis interesting... *laughs* I went down to watch some others play basketball, and one of the littlest students came up and scratched my ears.

Paige: *laughs* So long as you wagged your tail like a good puppy.

Rahne: *shrugs, trying not to move the reins* Not just then, but she was sweet.

Jamie: I still think it's one of the niftiest powers here. *grin* So what about you, Paige? I never did get through all the comments on your first journal post. Do you fly like Sam?

Paige: I wish, but no. No flying for me. I just do a very good snake inpersonation.

Jamie: . . . What, like Rahne only snakier?

Paige: *Paige grins* I shed a layer of skin and reveal a new form underneath. Sort of like a metamorph. I'm not very good yet, mostly because it's so messy, but it should come in handy.

Rahne: What kind of new form? --If asking's all right.

Paige: Of course it's all right, don't be silly. Lots of new forms, but I've so far played it safe and stuck with humans with benifits. So, a human made of rock, or perhaps diamond.

Rahne: ...So you change from the inside out?

Paige: *Paige nods slowly* I think so. I haven't got it totally figured out myself. It's pretty new, late bloomer and all.

Jamie: So you could sort of be a shorter, female Piotr with a lot of spare skin lying around if you wanted? That's kinda neat. Except messy.

Paige: Yep, on both accounts. Could probably be a shorter, male Piotr if I really wanted and with some training. But I don't think I really want to. *grins*

Jamie: Heh. Yeah, brings new fear to the "watch out, you'll freeze like that" saying.

Rahne: *chokes at that, then manages* Wouldna think so.... The way you talk, it doesna sound as if it hurts... I hope?

Paige: *giggles somewhat out of character of her normal self* Naw, it doesn't hurt. Just be kind of creepy to look down and find myself as Piotr I think. All that hair.

Jamie: What happens to the spare skin?

Paige: It just decomposes like regular skin. I try to throw it away before it has a chance to do that though. Kind of gross. *she grins and circles Nem around* Come on, let's continue this conversation on the trail.

Jamie: Works for me. *follows* That's gotta make for some interesting surprises for the garbage guy.

Rahne: *snerks* Best tie the bags well before ye put them in the bin?

Paige: Oh, you bet. That, or pretend you have quite a few reptiles as pets.

Jamie: Pink reptiles. Blonde pink reptiles.

Rahne: Very unusual. *agrees solemnly*

Paige: Only from the Amazon, don'tcha know?

Jamie: *laughs* I'll take your word for it, you're the one with all the reptiles. So how do you like the school so far? You've met about everybody by now, right?

Paige: Just about. Missing a couple people, but only been here a few days. It's a fantastic place though, I never seen anything like it.

Rahne: It is very nice. *laughs a little* Very confusing at first.

Paige: Oh yes, I'll give you that much. But the classes look fantastic. I'm only disappointed that I don't have Jamie's power so I could take them all at once. *smiles kindly*

Jamie: Heh. I'm not sure they'll let me, but I'll probably try to finesse my schedule just a little. Used to do that at home.
Jamie: There's been a few classes already, actually--self-defense and . . . well, psychic self-defense, really, I guess. And Ms. Braddock had a poetry thing, for this creative writing class she's putting together. That was pretty fun.

Rahne: *nods*

Paige: *smiles* So both of you like it here?

Rahne: Pretty well....

Jamie: Yep. Long's I'm not in trouble, anyway, and I'm working on that. *rueful smile*

Paige: *gives Rahne a little look out of the corner of her eye, but decides that if she want to explain she will*

Jamie: *sympathetic glance at Rahne* Well, I guess things've been pretty unsettled here for a bit--from before I got here anyway.
Jamie: They're probably still getting back to normal.

Paige: *nods* Living at Mutant High is hardly considered normal anyway. Guess it's the price we pay for being so very cool.

Jamie: This is true.
Jamie: *grins suddenly* Y'know, I think you're one more for the Give Dr. McCoy a Big Physics Headache brigade when he gets back. Kitty says he isn't sure he should be teaching us the laws of physics when we keep on breaking them.

Paige: Dr. McCoy?

Rahne: He's a scientist... and a doctor. He's away just now though.

Jamie: Big blue fuzzy science teacher. He's nice. He's also the guy responsible for the journal system. But yeah, he's off in a conference or something in Japan.

Paige: *sighs in what could almost be relief* I can't wait to meet him. *she blushes* I'm a little bit of a geek, but shh. That's a secret.

Jamie: My lips are sealed. Physics baffles me, especially when Dr. McCoy and Kitty start going on about impossible subatomic particles.

Rahne: And energy wells. It sounds interesting, though....

Paige: Oh, excuse me while I drool.

Jamie: *grin* Well, you and Kitty'll just have to get together and talk shop sometime, if you can pry her away from finals.

Rahne: *smiles* There's always after finals.
Rahne: Though then I suppose the new classes will all start.

Paige: I wouldn't dare pry her away from finals. My inner geek would smack me! *grins*

Jamie: Or at least tear out through your skin and go study, huh? *grin*

Paige: *grins* Well, it's getting close to breakfast. You guys want to head in?

Jamie: Fine with me. And we're all supposed to go to Ms. Munroe's study hall after--I mostly just bring a book and a CD or two since us newbies don't have to worry about finals.

Rahne: I've been reading too. ...Not that I packed many books, but the library here's very nice.

Paige: *almost looks disappointed before perking up* Maybe I can get a heads start on next terms textbooks.

Jamie: *snorts* I'm sure you can, Hermione.

Paige: *looks confused* Hermione? What does the daughter of Helen of Troy and Menelaus of Sparta have to do with this?

Jamie: . . . You've never read Harry Potter? Must be about the only person in the world.

Paige: *looks somewhat embarassed* Would you consider me a snob if I told you I haven't really had time for fiction books?

Jamie: *grins* Nah. Just a geek. Which you already admitted to. But come on, gotta feed the imagination sometimes.

Paige: I promise to read them. Just for you, okay?

Jamie: That's the spirit. I'll even lend you my copies.
Jamie: *grin* I keep saying they need to use it to help advertise this place, I mean, the series is about this kid who finds out he has special powers and ends up going to a school for 'em.

Paige: Well, now I'm certainly reading them! *Paige squints* I see the stables up ahead. Come on, let's pick up the pace a bit, I want to teach you grooming before we go in.

Jamie: Cool. I'm game.

And they all went happily back to the stable and groomed the horses and went in to breakfast, the end.