This is How You Remind Me [open]

[S.LiNGSH0T]

Rylie coasted her truck onto the rocky plot of land where the trailers parked by the arena, trailer in tow. She came to a hault and rolled the windows down and switched the ignition back, so the radio still played - loud.

Speck (click) whinnied from his open window in the trailer. Impatient in his box, and a bit cramped even though he wasn't big in size.

Finally, slender blonde slid out of the cab after switching the key back to just plain ol' off position. With a bang of the slamming door, she walked to the back of the trailer to retrieve her whiny appaloosa.

I'm comin' dammit, relax, boy.

She shook her blonde head, feeling rather pissy today. She swung the big door open and jumped into the trailer and leading the spotted equine out. He skipped a step then stuttered, then is hind dropped and it was pie from there.

She led him to the hitching loop on the side of the rig and tied him to it. She grabbed a curry comb and brushed off his back where the saddle would eventually sit. After a while, he was tacked and ready to ride, but she wasn't.

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[toxic]

The red pick-up made its way into the parking lot. Inside sat a lone Xavier. He looked over to another truck with a trailer holding a horse. He stopped the truck and watched a sly grin appeared as he watched the blonde pull out the appaloosa.

They had a little spill at first and he prepared to go and help but they seemed to gain control. He parked the old rig and shut the engine down. Xavier opened the door and got out and pulled his ol' guitar out of the passenger seat. Why was it with him? Just incase he felt like playing.

Once it was secure on his back he headed out torwards the expo. He stopped a few feet behind the girl and took a better look at her. She was pretty cute. He took his gaze off for a moment or so waiting for her to finish.

"Hello there. What you up to?" he questioned with a warm smile. Xavier extended a hand and chuckled, "I'm Xavier. The new guy in town. Mind if I watch you ride?" He really didn't have a horse yet. Not enough money to afford one. But he loved watching them and that would be enough to keep him entertained.

Of course she seemed a little aggrivated. He prepared for the worst. Most of the girls where he was from were very dangerous when they were pissed.

[S.LiNGSH0T]

She saw out of the corner of blue eyes, a red truck rumbling up in the same vicinity as she and her horse. She patted him as she allowed herself to breathe from the short little spaz she had just relieved with the anxious gelding.

She turned over her shoulder to watch the male fumble in his truck and saw the sillhouette of a guitar and he crawled out with it on his back. She turned her attention back to Speck and rigged his headgear securely, and removed the halter completely. She held reigns, debating what to do now.

She turned swiftly at the coo of a stout voice - definitely not her own. Unless she was going slightly insane and it was Speck - also, highly unlikely. She turned to see the guy she was just observing closer to her. She listened to his words and thought about what to say for a split second,

Hi, nothing really.

She was almost sarcastic, but not really. She smiled kindly, to contradict the smartass-ness and greeted Xavier.

Riley Martin, nice to meet you. Sure thats fine I guess. I don't know exactly what I'll be doing today on Jughead over here.

She threw a thumb to her appaloosa and patted the saddle seat and the horse flinched a bit - she expected that. She moved herself and the horse around to where they both faced Xavier in about a whole 2 minutes of time.

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[toxic]

He was a little suprised at the reply. Not entirely since he sensed a bit of smartass in it. He shrugged off that though. Everyone had their bad days. "Nice to meet ya too, Riley."

He chuckled when she spoke of the appaloosa. "Good lookin' horse and a fine lady." Maybe a little strange to say but of course, he wasn't always the one to think before he spoke. And he couldn't help it. She was hot.

He stuck his right hand in his pocket and rubbed the back of his head with the left. "Er... Sorry. Probably not the best thing you should say to a new face." He looked torwards the building and back to the Riley. If she got mad he'd probably leave so he wouldn't annoy her more. If she didn't care, he'd try to be a little more careful about what he would say.

[S.LiNGSH0T]

She nodded with a smile in a likewise fashion. She linked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear and Speck nudged her shoulder, still standing impatient. When he fed her a compliment, she blushed and was almost flattered. Rhyder didn't do that often, she wasn't used to handling these kind of situations.

Well, thank you.

She said with a soft laugh after her words, trying not to eat up the remark too quickly. She shook her head. If anything, she was a sucker for sweet talk - but she wasn't going to let him know that - right off the bat anyways. She threw her hand behind her in the direction of the covered arena.

Wanna go ahead and head that way? Speck here is getting a little impatient under the belt.

She scooted the gelding around and began stepping off, turning her head over her shoulder to see if Xavier would follow or would just go ahead and leave or not. With him here, she was liable not to ride too long. New company was nice to her.

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[toxic]

He laughed when he saw her blush, well she must not be in too bad of a mood. "No problem."

When directed to the arena he shrugged, "Sure." He waited though till she was ready and followed quietly behind watching her. He caught her looking back to and jerked before chuckling nervously.

Once they got in the arena he found him a bench and sat down and watched. He pulled around the guitar over his chest and started strumming the strings. No actual tune. He took a look up to see what she was doing before turning his attention back to his guitar.

Xavier began playing a song he wrote himself. It was upbeat but not all that loud. He tried to keep it soft so as not to frighten the horse. He would constantly look up to see her and the gelding. A warm smile stayed there as he closed his eyes and kept playing. Music was his passion.

[S.LiNGSH0T]

She mounted her spotted gelding and stuck him in the sides softly with playful spurs to move him into first gear. Her soft hands held a firm, yet relaxed grasp, on the leather strip of roper's reigns.

After a lap of just walking, she focused on her horse's steady and rough trot but also on the random music echoing from the guitar. Not very many knew, but she sang. It was just karaoke here and there, but it still happened. Everything she ever made was never really public or really known, but it still counted.

Speck lunged his head with each dancing step below the saddle. She shook her head slightly, this annoyed her and made her remember why she brought him here to begin with. She sat as straight as possible while nearly bouncing all over the seat in his rough and uncollected motion.

After about twenty minutes of the duo warming up, she finally haulted him before Xavier, quietly. The one decent thing about the horse was that he stopped on a dime and was subtle about the ordeal. Infact, he was typically a quiet animal, impatient, but quiet unless he was getting really anxious.

Whatcha pickin' there?

She questioned the tune he was playing on his guitar. Only curious because they had something in common, even though he was probably unaware unless he had been to Waterson Hall on a karaoke night. She sat comfortably in the saddle as the gelding stood still and solid beneath her, sound and tired - perfect.

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[toxic]

He looked up again to find her putting the horse in a rough trot. He kept his eyes on them watching him trot around and her bouncing. He strung a wrong note which brought him back to reality. He looked back to the neck trying to figure out what he hit. He tried to get back on track but it didn't work out too well. "Crap." he mumbled with a shrug.

He looked up hearing her voice and smiled. "Oh... Well It's just something I wrote. Needs some work still though." He looked back down to his ol' guitar he had since he was 13. "Have a song you would like to hear? I might know it." he questioned with a wide grin. Back home he always played his audience's favorites. Of course a girl and horse wasn't much of an audience but that didn't stop him.

"You like music? Sing or play any?" he questioned. He was truly curious. It would be great if he found someone here with the same interests.

[S.LiNGSH0T]

She smiled as he spoke, he was easy to converse with - something new. She nodded, then he asked if she wasnted to hear anything particular. Way to be put on the spot, Rylie. SHe giggled a bit,

I have not a clue..

She smiled a bright grin,

I attempt to sing.

She just figured she'd blurt it out, nothing to really be shy about. She never heard any complaints of her sounding like a dying cat or anything so she must be decent. Rylie adjusted herself in her seat again just as Speck adjusted himself underneath her, he rested his hind leg lazily.

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[toxic]

He smiled when she giggled. "Alright..." he paused to think of something to play. Something that had been playing on the radio the last few days caught his attention.

A few strums and 'Small Town USA' echoed through the expo. Seemed fitting enough.

The music suddenly stopped when she said she sung. "You attempt to sing," he smiled, "Wanna attempt to now?" He started playing the song again. He wasn't too sure if she knew it or not but it was a possibility. "Where do you attempt to sing?"

[S.LiNGSH0T]

She beamed a sincere grin to his strumming tune. She knew this song well.

I can try.

She shrugged atop her gelding, whom was silent underneath her. She stopped for a split second to answer his question,

Waterson Hall. Karaoke Night.

She laughed at the end of her words. It was almost corny, but there were no recording business in this small town so that was as far as things got. She hummed the tune as he played, softly hitting the notes under her breath awaiting his response.

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[rain]

Just checking to see if this thread is active. Unless I hear otherwise, it will be moved to the archives in 3 days. :-)