under restriction [closed/Cavvy]

[Ripley]

February Week One.
Lethal Dose and Laura DeComte

Laura was feeling distinctly annoyed today as she slapped her helmet down on her head. This was twice in a week that Ripley Marsh had sent her to The Wire for a workout. At least Laura knew she had a partner this time. Last time she'd had to find one for Midnight Thriller. Ripley had mentioned some Kyle Landing guy would be meeting her aboard Restricted Access, the most fascinating bridesmaid three year old filly in the country. Laura was interested to meet the half-sister to Lynara's Kingdom. Someday Restricted Access would put it altogether and be a threat to reckon with.

Laura heard the clash of hoof on metal, flinching visibly as she turned toward the noise. And this was other portion of the annoyance. Laura placed her hands on the hips, blue eyes blazing with the fury to match the fury within the big filly's eyes. This was the newest filly to come in through the Witch Creek and Intrepid partnership. She was heavier set than Supernatural, the top dirt filly in the country, and had muscles on top of her muscles. Her bold attitude only seemed to make her look larger. The combination allowed for toughness, ferocity and undoubted challenge. Laura was familiar with this type, thanked God for her past year's experience with Whipped Cream. Ripley would have been able to handle Lethal Dose, but she was too tied up currently with Hourglass. Laura had chomped at the bit at the sight of the hot fire the second the filly came off the trailer.

She only regretted it until she managed to tame this wild soul. Laura approached the filly brazenly, knowing respect would command respect with Lee's type. Lee bowed her head, pawing with a flint-hard hoof. "No pretty words for you. Just what is. You're the head honcho Miss Lee. For the time being. When we get on that track we're partners. Until then, you can pretend you're in charge." Lethal Dose, tossed her head, stood alertly. This human talking to her was exactly like the humans at Intrepid's private sector. At least she thought she was. Laura could see the calculating dismissal flicker through Lee's eyes. By the end of today, Laura hoped to have every inch of her respect.

She looked up as she went over Lee's tack. She wouldn't hit the track until Intrepid's Landing guy came out to Witch Creek's normally rented barns. That was Ripley's demand. And when Ripley demanded something you followed orders. She expected Nick Landing would order this younger Landing to suit his business partner's wishes. After all, he's sicced this devil filly on Witch Creek. Albeit on Ripley's request. But whatever... that was besides the fact.

[Cavallo]

Restricted Access & Kyle Landing

Lately everything seemed complicated. He huffed as he saddled up the filly and the brazen looking chestnut filly returned the gesture as nimble fingers tightened the girth. "Yeah, Yeah. I don't want to hear it. When you start winning, then you can continue your diva act, but I'm not believing it until then." The filly looked at the man with wide, trusting eyes, oblivious to the man's frustration - surely it wasn't directed at her? Kyle rolled his eyes and checked his watch. They were right on time.

Nick had ordered his cousin to meet up with a new Witch Creek horse, one that Nick had once again pawned off onto Ripley and would probably once again be another horse that would suddenly shape up and give Intrepid hell on the tracks. "You know Oro. Nick really needs to stop letting all the good horses go out to other stables." He teased the filly and the chestnut shook her head with a sudden fire, demanding that Kyle work the filly a bit from the ground. "Not to say that you're not a great horse." The man teased as he strapped on his helmet and then untied the filly as the pair began their trip over to the other side of the barns. Intrepid liked to rent the backside row of The Wire barns, for the privacy, but Kyle had a secret theory that Nick was just trying to make all the jockeys exercise more.

Oro danced like a living flame, her sleek form reminding Kyle of a grey hound. She was sleek and slim, but this sleekness wasn't to be misunderstood as being flabby. It was hard to see when the filly stood still, but the moment Oro was in motion all you could see is dancing muscles. Her rump was his favorite part of the filly. Sleek and shinning and deceptively hidden muscles that sneaked appearances when in motion. She was his secret weapon and with each race and each performance, Oro was becoming more and more of a threat. Good things were bound to come their way - they had to be with seven second place finishes. If only places were wins...Kyle mused. Oro now had solid experience and it was going to pay off soon. It had too. Kyle traveled on the ground with the filly, her head bobbing and eyes taking in everything and boldly nickering out to horses they passed, her tail whipping in an invitation of a challenge, but no one seemed to be taking her up on it...she was tacked and ready to go. Her eyes were eager, looking for the track, for the dirt that called her name. Her traction had greatly improved and Kyle himself was eagerly anticipating a good run with Oro, but what he couldn't get was why he was being forced to face off with some rival horse.

But the boss' orders, were the boss' orders. Kyle looked at the barn banners as they walked down the shed rows and his step quickened when he spotted the Witch Creek colors. The sooner they started this, then the quicker he could be prepping Acantha. He had too many horses on his plate...an issue he was going to bring up soon to Nick - boss or not. He shook his head and brought himself back to the job at hand. It wouldn't do to be distracted , after all, he couldn't let this WCS rep. beat him...even if this was just a workout...

He spotted a tacked up filly and assumed that this was the crazy filly Nick had pawned off on Ripley. She was hard to forget. She had a fierce look to her that was for sure and so he halted Oro a respectful distance away. His eyebrows arched as he looked for the rider. Oro snorted suddenly defiant to the dominant energy waves coming off this filly and she wasn't having it. Didn't this filly know she was the first in everything? Kyle rolled his eyes and managed to keep the filly's head down. He fingered the flashband, glad that he'd put it on. It looked like he was going to need all the leverage he could get in this workout and maye, just maybe this rogue looking filly could pull out something new in his mount. Having settled Oro, he again went to look for the rider and found the annoyed looking woman waiting.

Someone pissed in her cornflakes. He smiled handsomely. Just because she was annoyed didn't mean he had to be. He was here to do a workout and to kick butt too...
"You must be the horse and rider, Nick told me to find? I'm Kyle and my cousin is a spazz and didn't tell me who would be riding Lethal Dose..." He shrugged his shoulders and waited...

[Ripley]

Laura and Lethal Dose looked up at the muffled sounds of hooves on gravel. A sneer settled itself on Laura's face, one that always seemed to find its way to her features when she didn't know other people. Distracted by the human and horse, Laura missed the near identical look on Lee's features. The oddly colored bay had her large ears pinned flat to her neck and her body angled in threat. Tension flew through the leather reins that were gripped in Laura's gloved hands, but Laura did nothing to comfort her mount.

Lee's stance was protective and cocky at once. She eyed the gorgeous copper filly, all the while remaining between the male human and her tolerated female. Laura stepped around Lee's powerful shoulder, eyed the good looking guy before, felt instant distrust. Good looking guys were asses from her previous experience. Irritation filled her voice, making her Irish accent more pronounced.

"Nicholas Landing is your brother, I presume? From every recollection I've had with him, I believe "spazz" is an incorrect term." She placed a hand on her narrow hip, blue eyes aflame. "But yes, you're here to meet me on Ripley's orders. I'm to thank you for coming with your filly." Laura's sharp eyes skimmed the horse, lighting with knowing. Restricted Access... a beautiful filly and one that was very underestimated on the racetrack. She was a half-sister to Lynara's Kingdom and only promised to get better with age. Laura was hoping the same for her relatively untried mount.

"She's a gorgeous filly, isn't she? Unlike the mule, Landing sent to me." Laura switched her jet blue gaze to Lethal Dose, affection filling them. Lee wasn't the prettiest of fillies, but she was quick, tough and brilliant. Her brazen attitude and fierce gallops more than made up for her mulish disposition.

Laura waved a hand at Kyle Landing before pulling on her helmet and latching it. "Oh and you might have looked up your competition today. My name is Laura DeComte. I was an apprentice jockey last year... And I believe I'm only one of two apprentice jockeys, Valencia Andrews being the other, to win a Breeders' Cup race."

Prickliness and pride threw thorns in Laura's lilted voice, but when her eyes flickered to Kyle Landing, a trickle of playfulness also was in their depths. "But... I guess you won't really know me until my horse and I kick your asses out on the racetrack."

[Cavallo]

His momma had always taught him to treat a lady with respect, but as soon as this woman had looked at him with a sneer and sheer disdain in her voice, he wanted to throw his good "southern upbringing" out the window. He had to focus on not rolling his eyes as the woman spoke and was even more frustrated that this woman's words were getting under his skin in the first place. What was this? High school? He gave Laura a steely smile, one that bespoke of confidence and forbearance. She felt the need to prove herself with her acclamations? Well, he didn't feel the compulsion to defend himself in the slightest to her. AND what was with everyone thinking that Nick was his brother. That would be the other Landing. By now being mistaken as Nick's brother shouldn't bother him...it was a common misconception, but still to hear this snotty, hoity-toity woman assuming that...he once again had to compose his thoughts, lest they leak into his facial expressions.

Well then, Laura.. He tried not to let his playful annoyance seep out as he spoke the woman's name, Why don't Oro and I here follow you and your mule to the tracks to settle this then. I'm interested to see what happens. And by seeing what happens, he completely meant to annihilate this woman and leave her and her horse in the dust. He felt bad for her mount, because even if she wasn't the prettiest, or nicest horse from the glare he had received, Lethal Dose looked like she could turn into something good. Too bad she had Laura. Or maybe...they were the perfect match for one another. Grumpy and ornery, but he could still tell the woman had developed a fondness for the filly - he didn't know if the filly had done likewise yet for the girl. He chuckled inwardly at the thought.

He wasted no more time in banter and in one fluid motion, that testified to his prowess in the saddle, mounted the sleek thoroughbred specimen that he had the privilege to call his. Oro's eyes had immediately locked onto Lee and sensing the competitive edge coming from both the horse and her human, she was suddenly in no mood to be compliant or friendly to the competition. Her thorns laced back in determination as she immediately stepped into motion at Kyle's slightest touch. The two were of one mind for this exercise: be rid of the ornery females.

Kyle threw back a waiting look as Oro trotted forward towards the dirt track, Well are you coming, Oh Mighty Jockey Apprentice? I'm dying to see your skills. He gave her an infuriating wink and let Oro loose into a warmup gallop. He'd let Laura pull her foot out her mouth and catch up and then he'd let her set the pace... He and Oro had all the time in the world.