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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jan 20, 2024 17:34:40 GMT -5
As they continued past the school, Saylor glanced at her watch. She was shocked to see it was already eleven thirty-seven. They had been walking for more than thirty minutes already, and had only seen half the campus.
As she had the thought, Grace called out, “Halfway around, kids. On your right is pasture four, where you seven will be pasturing your horses for the year. And on the left here is the path that leads to the Academy's secondary barn, as well as pastures five and six. You won't see much of that barn. It's where our young horses are kept, those who have graduated from the Training Facility but require three years more experience before they become school horses at eight. It's also where the school horses stay on their year off, and where the teachers house their horses. Not all the teachers have a horse, but a fair few of them do.”
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jan 22, 2024 17:12:34 GMT -5
"Of curse you will," Grace snapped. Just like that, she was back to being grumpy. "What, you think I'm just going to walk when I take you on trail rides? Or show you the cross-country course? You're even dafter than I thought."
A very long building — or was it two buildings, side by side? Saylor couldn't quite tell from this distance — had appeared ahead. But before they reached it, Grace pointed out yet another path branching to their left.
“This leads to the meadow trails,” Grace told them curtly, her step unfaltering.
This path didn't look like a path for long. The gravel led away from the path, but quickly faded away until all that was left were two vague tracks that looked like tractor treads. The grass was clearly trying to cover the barely-there path, likely because it hadn't been used much over the summer.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jan 22, 2024 17:59:51 GMT -5
( The students don't need to know yet, but yes, they will get to see her show. xD )
Minutes later, they reached the end of the first building — for now it was clear that it was, in fact, two separate buildings side by side. Even before Grace said anything, Saylor had a guess — based on the size of the buildings and the lack of windows — as to what they were.
“These here are the indoor arenas,” Grace said, confirming her guess just as they reached an intersection in the path. To the left the path led to the space between the indoor arenas. They were connected by a patio-like area that was fully walled in the back, but in the front were two half walls with a wooden gate between them. The patio-like area had a roof that was half as high as the arenas to either side of it, and was big enough for six or seven horses, though they would be quite close together, closer than a lot of horses liked being to each other. From the patio, riders could enter either arena.
To the right was the path that would take them to the east wing of the barn. Straight ahead, the path continued toward a pair of buildings near the administration building. Grace headed that way.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jan 22, 2024 20:21:44 GMT -5
( No problem. 😉 )
Now that they were past the intersection, Grace pointed to the right without slowing her step. “This is pasture one, currently being used by the fourth-years. Entrances to these pastures, in case you were wondering, can be found on each of the four roads that lead to the barn. Each pasture has two gates, so you can always use whichever one is closest.
“All four pastures are roughly ten acres, and typically hold seven horses at a time. They all have two shelters, a maintained pond, and they're seeded every summer with a variety of grasses and other horse safe plants so they have plenty of food, even during the winter. We only feed hay if the horses are having a rough year and finding it hard to keep weight on. Or whenever they have to be stuck in a stall for any length of time.”
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jan 22, 2024 20:57:33 GMT -5
( That's fine. We're pretty much done with the tour now. xD )
By the time they reached the two buildings — one was slightly behind and to the right of the other — it was nearly noon. Saylor was used to a lot of walking, but after lugging her suitcase over the gravel path for the last hour, she was tired, hot, and ready for a break.
“Last but not least — student housing.” Grace spread her arms toward the building — which really did look like a large house that was a strange mix of Victorian-style and ranch house. “This is where you kids will be living for the next four years, if you're lucky. You'll each get your own room — boys in the east wing, girls in the west — but you'll have to share one of two communal bathrooms, one on each side of the house. Before you ask any questions about housing — don't. Housing isn't in my job description. Come along, and I can hand you off to George and Mary. They're your house guardians and are in charge of you whenever you step foot inside their house.”
She marched up the porch steps — it was a wraparound porch — and pulled the screen door open. The wooden door was already open, letting the breeze filter through the screen. Large bay windows, curtains drawn back, sat on either side of the door.
Inside was a grand foyer. A dark-colored carpet — Saylor couldn't tell if it was blue or green — covered the hardwood floors. The ceiling was high, with a glass and metal chandelier, currently unlit because the sunlight pouring through the windows didn't need any help. To the left and right were two rooms, separated from the foyer by arched doorways that had no doors. On the left was a large sitting/living room, with a fireplace, a TV set, and enough seats for at least a dozen people. On the right was a sunroom, with more bay windows lining the far wall, and a pair of patio doors open to the porch. It had plenty of seating space as well.
Directly ahead was a hallway leading further into the house, and on either side of it was a staircase. One went up and then to the left; the other went up and to the right. From where Saylor was standing, it looked like the two wings of the house were completely separated, and to get from on to the other you had to come down one staircase and up the other.
The house was clearly huge, and that was only the impression of the front half. It was also surprisingly clean. Saylor had a feeling that wouldn't last once it was full of horse-riding teenagers again.
As the last student — a very disgruntled Khloe — entered the house, the screen door closed with a SLAM behind her. A moment later, a woman in her mid to late sixties appeared at the end of the hall and hurried toward them.
“Grace! You're just in time. Lunch is ready and waiting.” She smiled warmly at the students, wiping her hands on her apron. “You kids look to be in need of some cold drinks. I'm Mary, and I'll be your house guardian for the year. Leave your things beside the door. There's time to bring it all up to your rooms later. Come have something to eat and drink.”
Saylor gratefully shrugged out of her backpack and placed it and her suitcase — both felt ten pounds heavier than they were an hour ago — off to one side of the door.
“If you've got them, I'm going to head out,” Grace said, already backing toward the door. But before she left, she gave the students one last order: “I want you all to meet me at the indoor arenas at one o'clock. Anyone who gets lost doesn't get a horse. Anyone who's late doesn't get a horse. Capiche?” She didn't wait for anyone's answer. “Good. I'm out.” And she spun on her heel and left.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jan 23, 2024 15:29:35 GMT -5
The class collectively looked around their new lodgings with a mixture of reactions, but Melanie, for the first time that way, was in awe. She hadn't expected the student house to be as large and nice as it was, and they hadn't even seen the entire place yet. At least they would have plenty of room around to spread out and be in close quarters with their classmates all the time. And they each got their own rooms. That was even better. She felt some of her hesitancy for the place ease a bit. So long as she had her own space to relax in, things couldn't be too bad.
Following the instructions of Mary, she placed her bags, a rolling suitcase and backpack, by the door with the others. Once she was burden free, she weaved around everyone else to stand in an empty space. She didn't want to head to eat without everyone else, so she waited until a couple of the others were heading that way before following.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jan 23, 2024 17:07:34 GMT -5
Saylor followed Mary and the other students down the hallway. It was fairly long, speaking again to the size of the house. Halfway down they passed two doors; the one on the right was closed, but the one on the left was half-open, giving them a peek at a decent sized bathroom.
The hall ended when they entered a spacious kitchen. A wood-top island dominated the center of the space. On the far wall was a doorway into what looked like a mudroom, and the back door beyond. On the left was a dining room, with a long table running down the center of it. The table looked like it was big enough to seat thirty people. To the right was a sunlit library, with tables and reading chairs scattered about the middle of the space. There was even a window seat that looked out on a garden in the side yard.
Most everyone’s attention, however, was stuck on the kitchen island, for it was covered with food. Platters of finger sandwiches and mini subs; fruits and vegetables with dips; cheeses and crackers. A pitcher of ice water sat to one side surrounded by seven empty glasses, and plates and forks were stacked neatly on the end.
“Help yourselves to whatever you want,” Mary told them, circling around to the far side of the island. “Would anyone like something to drink other than water? I have fruit punch juice and iced tea.”
“I’ll take an iced tea,” Khloe said instantly. She was already helping herself to the food, being very picky about which foods she took.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Jan 23, 2024 20:12:53 GMT -5
And Melanie was two for two with being surprised by the student house. She had expected almost a cafeteria type setting with several smaller tables scattered around. But this looked more like a dining hall for a mansion. Granted, it was probably cheaper to buy one massive table than many small ones, and it did look a lot better.
"Fruit punch, please!" David answered, following right in line behind Khloe. He was starving, which wasn't normal. He had a large appetite, but he did try to keep his portions to a somewhat normal size. David did, however, help himself to everything. SO by the time he was done, his plate was full. The light finger foods weren't going to fill him up, but he wasn't about to be greedy and take too much of everything. If there were leftovers, he would circle back around. If not, he could wait for dinner.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jan 26, 2024 9:32:53 GMT -5
Mary smiled. "Honorable as your intentions may be, the rule still stands. Nothing short of a life and death situation is allowed to override it. And we haven't had any of those in all the years I've been here.
"Now." Mary folded her hands on the table. "If any of are are caught breaking on of these rules, the repercussions will be simple enough. You’ll be grounded.” When that answer brought out snickers from multiple people, her hand shot up, silencing them. “That may seem funny to you, but I assure you, it is not. I have been given permission from the school and your parents. If you’re grounded, that means confiscated electronics, no hanging out with friends, and no riding. The duration of your grounding is up to me or George, and not even your coach has the authority to argue it. Do we understand each other?" She sounded like she hated delivering this news, but her expression as she met everyone's gaze briefly said that that wouldn't stop her from punishing any rule breakers.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jan 27, 2024 12:57:35 GMT -5
"You'll see for yourself soon enough." Mary stood and started handing out sheets of lined paper and pens. If a student was getting food, she placed both on the table in front of the chair they had been using. And when they returned with more food, Mary sat back down.
“I’d like you all to write down your food preferences. I’m in charge of providing you all with breakfast and dinner every day. The school will provide you with lunch. On weekends you can either use the school, or you can make your own lunches. But to do that, you need to tell me what to buy. I go to the market every Monday morning, so if you want certain foods added to the list for tomorrow, you better write them down. You should also let me know if you have any food allergies, and you can give me any meal suggestions you’d like to have while here. There are twenty-six people living in this house, though, and it’s my job to cater to everyone. I’ll do my best, but I will not be making multiple meals every night so you guys will need to start trying new things, or make your own food. You are allowed to do that. I only ask that you don’t try doing so while I’m in the kitchen. You also can’t use any of the food someone else requested. Deal?”
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