Horses... all the horses...
Sep. 18th, 2016 01:42 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsSooraya finds a way to connect with Maya.
Maya waved a clump of grass at the horse currently grazing a short distance away, but it seemed to be successfully ignoring her right now. She’d heard that this place had horses but this had been the first time she’d actually come looking for them.
Frankly, he was beautiful, a dappled grey with white socks, and she wished she had as easy a time reading animals as she did the spirits of places.
“Come on, horse. See the nice yummy grass? It’s all for you if you come over here and let me pat you,” she called out softly, watching the horses ears twitch.
"He might be extra tempted if you give him this." Sooraya had approached quietly, a bag of grooming supplies and a halter with a lead rope over her shoulder, and she held out a few pieces of carrot. "Pollux loves these."
Maya started violently as she knocked the carrots from Sooraya’s hand but stopped herself in time before she followed through with a more powered reaction. Jennie had been working with her enough that she had some control over her power response, if not the ability to use it deliberately yet.
“Sorry,” she signed as she backed up to put space between herself and Sooraya, she’d moved in close without even noticing during her aborted startle response. “You startled me. I don’t have these things in when I’m alone.”
She waved at her ears to indicate the cochlear implants before she fished them out of her pockets and placed them in.
Sooraya waited till Maya had put the implants in place, busying herself with gathering the pieces of carrot. "I'm sorry, Maya. I didn't think of that. I mentioned Pollux loving carrots. That's all." She offered the girl the carrots again.
Maya shrugged and accepted the carrots from Sooraya, controlling the spurt of anger that always came after a fright these days. Haller had been working on it with her extensively and she’d been getting better, if only slowly. There was a lot in the world to be angry about, afterall.
“Thanks,” she said, switching to verbalisation over sign, much as she’d have preferred the latter over the former. “Do I just hold them out?”
"Just hold out your hand like this." Sooraya demonstrated with her hand. "Make sure it's flat. That way the horse can easily get the treat without risking hurting your hand. Do you enjoy horses, Maya?"
“No, I loathe them, that’s why I’m trying to attract one over,” Maya replied with an eye roll but she did what Sooraya had guided her to do, lifting her hand palm up with the carrots placed so that the horse would be able to reach them easily. “Do you normally ask questions you already know the answer to?”
"Always better to ask then to assume." Sooraya replied easily. "I was gonna go riding. Would you like to join me? Pollux is a little high spirited, but he is a fine mount... or if you don't know how, I can show you?"
Maya took a deep breath and centred herself noticeably, she’d been working on it with various people to control her temper and while she wasn’t good at it, practice was helping.
“I don’t know how to ride, horses are for people who can afford to keep them,” Maya explained with what she hoped was restraint, she attempted what probably looked like a strained smile. “If you’re willing, I’d love to learn.”
"I wouldn't have offered otherwise. But if you are totally new to this, Pollux is not the easiest horse to start on..." Sooraya clicked with her tongue and a few moments later a beautiful palomino mare joined them at the fence. "This is Hana. I usually ride her and she is quite serene for a horse. Why don't you join me in grooming her and tacking her up, then we'll find you a helmet and we'll see what you can do?"
“I can do that,” Maya replied, reaching her hand forward for Hana to sniff, she knew that much about horses. “Is there a lot involved?”
"Quite a bit. Come, I'll show you how to slip the halter over the horse's head." Sooraya put deed to word and then clipped on a lead rope before starting to guide Hana to the stable. "I learned to ride almost as soon as I started walking. It still is easiest for me to ride without a saddle..."
Maya waved a clump of grass at the horse currently grazing a short distance away, but it seemed to be successfully ignoring her right now. She’d heard that this place had horses but this had been the first time she’d actually come looking for them.
Frankly, he was beautiful, a dappled grey with white socks, and she wished she had as easy a time reading animals as she did the spirits of places.
“Come on, horse. See the nice yummy grass? It’s all for you if you come over here and let me pat you,” she called out softly, watching the horses ears twitch.
"He might be extra tempted if you give him this." Sooraya had approached quietly, a bag of grooming supplies and a halter with a lead rope over her shoulder, and she held out a few pieces of carrot. "Pollux loves these."
Maya started violently as she knocked the carrots from Sooraya’s hand but stopped herself in time before she followed through with a more powered reaction. Jennie had been working with her enough that she had some control over her power response, if not the ability to use it deliberately yet.
“Sorry,” she signed as she backed up to put space between herself and Sooraya, she’d moved in close without even noticing during her aborted startle response. “You startled me. I don’t have these things in when I’m alone.”
She waved at her ears to indicate the cochlear implants before she fished them out of her pockets and placed them in.
Sooraya waited till Maya had put the implants in place, busying herself with gathering the pieces of carrot. "I'm sorry, Maya. I didn't think of that. I mentioned Pollux loving carrots. That's all." She offered the girl the carrots again.
Maya shrugged and accepted the carrots from Sooraya, controlling the spurt of anger that always came after a fright these days. Haller had been working on it with her extensively and she’d been getting better, if only slowly. There was a lot in the world to be angry about, afterall.
“Thanks,” she said, switching to verbalisation over sign, much as she’d have preferred the latter over the former. “Do I just hold them out?”
"Just hold out your hand like this." Sooraya demonstrated with her hand. "Make sure it's flat. That way the horse can easily get the treat without risking hurting your hand. Do you enjoy horses, Maya?"
“No, I loathe them, that’s why I’m trying to attract one over,” Maya replied with an eye roll but she did what Sooraya had guided her to do, lifting her hand palm up with the carrots placed so that the horse would be able to reach them easily. “Do you normally ask questions you already know the answer to?”
"Always better to ask then to assume." Sooraya replied easily. "I was gonna go riding. Would you like to join me? Pollux is a little high spirited, but he is a fine mount... or if you don't know how, I can show you?"
Maya took a deep breath and centred herself noticeably, she’d been working on it with various people to control her temper and while she wasn’t good at it, practice was helping.
“I don’t know how to ride, horses are for people who can afford to keep them,” Maya explained with what she hoped was restraint, she attempted what probably looked like a strained smile. “If you’re willing, I’d love to learn.”
"I wouldn't have offered otherwise. But if you are totally new to this, Pollux is not the easiest horse to start on..." Sooraya clicked with her tongue and a few moments later a beautiful palomino mare joined them at the fence. "This is Hana. I usually ride her and she is quite serene for a horse. Why don't you join me in grooming her and tacking her up, then we'll find you a helmet and we'll see what you can do?"
“I can do that,” Maya replied, reaching her hand forward for Hana to sniff, she knew that much about horses. “Is there a lot involved?”
"Quite a bit. Come, I'll show you how to slip the halter over the horse's head." Sooraya put deed to word and then clipped on a lead rope before starting to guide Hana to the stable. "I learned to ride almost as soon as I started walking. It still is easiest for me to ride without a saddle..."
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