104. [Video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[As is fairly regular with Heather, who never really plans AHEAD when she turns her feed on, the video opens with a brief glimpse at something entirely-unrelated!]

[Two large Houndooms, one bare-necked and the other wearing a large, studded leather collar-- are at play in a sunny patch of park. Or more accurately, the big collar-wearing one is TRYING to get the other to play, in a show of big-dog posturing, and the uncollared one is sort of just mild-manneredly humoring him.]

[Right before the camera shifts, though, a blur of blue and yellow barrels into the larger of the two hellhounds and the one-sided playtime promptly becomes an enthusiastic wrestling match between Tricia (the Manectric recently inherited from Cooper) and Huan (the Houndoom even more recently inherited from Otacon).]

[But then it's Heather's face dominating the screen, because she apparently has other things in mind than just showing the network a bunch of dogs running around the park.]</sub>

Hey.

So.

If there's anyone around who knows much about horses... riding horses, specifically...

I'm looking to learn. Any advice's appreciated. Thanks in advance.


<sub>[... Well that was unusually businesslike and to the point. ... For someone like Heather, anyway. There's not much humor in the usually-goofy girl's voice today.]

[Before she can flick the 'Gear off, there's a commotion offscreen and she looks off in the direction of the noise, clearly exasperated.]</sub>

... TCH, god dammit Cujo.

<sub>[The view shifts as she gets up and it becomes apparent that Cujo the Hulking Behemoth of a Growlithe (tm) had decided to join the fray and promptly plowed straight OVER at least two of the participants, who are now chasing after him in a big herd of barking chaos across the park. OH THOSE CRAZY DOGES.]

[End feed.]</sub>



[PRIVATE MESSAGE TO JEANE]

HEY. How did you do that shit at the party?

_{[... well wtf is that supposed to mean, Heather. Clarification is apparently not going to be provided until she gets a reply.]}

Comments

[video]

[quickattackjack]

_{[SUP HEATHER. Have a wistful-looking old man!]}

Aaaah, I remember taking riding lessons in my youth. The most important thing to remember is they can smell fear.

[video]

[foolishwren]

_{[.... <8[ Jack that is really not helpful at all.]}

... Well, thanks.

Now I'm really confident.

_{[PART OF HER TROUBLE IS THE FACT THAT SHE IS KIND OF TERRIFIED.]}

[Private]

[begetsvengeance]

To be fair, I did a lot of shit to you. Might wanna be more specific.

[Private]

[foolishwren]

you pinned me down and kept me there.

tell me how you pulled that off

<sub>[... Or... SHOW is more what she means, but what is coming right out and asking like that?]

[It took enough sacrificed pride just to MESSAGE the charming woman who gave her a black eye with anything that wasn't a clipart image proclaiming her bitchitude.]</sub>

[buckyouup]

You better make sure that she wants you t'ride her, first.

[Seriously, what is with you humans.]

[foolishwren]

_{[Urk. AJ IT'S NOT WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE.]}

I... don't think that will be the problem.

Carousel's chill.

The reluctance is kind of on MY end.

Video

[for_realsies]

Um... the hands at the Moo Moo Farms can probably help, they taught me.

...Saddle, saddle is a very good thing, start with that. So much less painful with a saddle.

Video

[foolishwren]

_{[... That girl looks familiar. HM...]}

A saddle... yeah, that'd be a good idea. I'm pretty far away from the Moomoo Farms, though.

Hey, so if the saddle was for, say, a Rapidash, do you think the fire would... you know...

_{[BURN IT?]}

[video]

[darkenedgales]

[Crow tilts his head to the side, giving Heather a questioning look. What kind of request is that supposed to be?]

Why would you need to ride a horse when you can fly...?

[ISN'T THAT AN OBVIOUS SOLUTION?]

[video]

[foolishwren]

_{[She heaves a sigh, because SHIT MAN SHE WOULD REALLY MUCH RATHER FLY. If she could just like... not touch the ground for the entirety of the weekend she's SURE is approaching, she'd be happy. But...]}

It's... kinda complicated.

And doesn't really have anything to do with traveling.

[video]

[thevveribest]

[Eridan looks utterly unamused by the shenanigans of the barkbeasts, because Eridan has yet to learn how to ease up and just enjoy life. Along with the silly shenanigans of beasts. Her request is far more in line with his interests.]

I can't say I'we ridden any hoofbeasts, but I'm a skilled rider regardless. My steed was a skyhorse--a flyin' warient of a seahorse.

[Yes, he rode around trying to be all intimidating on a levitating seahorse. Fear him, for he is truly impressive and terror-striking.]

[video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Obviously Eridan needs to be present for barkbeast shenanigans at some point, because the best way to learn how to enjoy life is to be engulfed by a wave of happy dogs. ... It's also the best way to have a heart attack if you turn out to be dog-phobic, BUT THAT'S NEITHER HERE OR THERE.]

[But oh yes, she remembers you. Kool-aid Hair Kid.]</sub>

Well, I'm talkin' specifically about the kind with hooves.

You rode a flying seahorse?

_{[There's a few ways that could come out intimidating in her head, seahorses are pretty weird-lookin' after all, but mostly it just sort of looks hilarious.]}

text;

[doitrockapella]

Did someone say learning?

[HI, HEATHER.]

Text;

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Did you know? If you stand in front of a mirror and chant "learning" three times, Carmen Sandiego comes out and steals an important landmark in your town!]

[Either that or Bill Nye shows up. Accounts were conflicted.]</sub>

oh snap... apparently I did. OOPS

oh well

got any riding wisdom to impart?

[video]

[soggypastry]

[Hi, Heather. There's a Rapidash face on your screen now, and a flash of pink hair just in the corner. He's a big boy, that's for sure.]

Get a saddle if it's your first time. Riding bareback isn't as easy as it looks.

[video]

[foolishwren]

_{[--Whoa. Even bigger than Heather's. Carousel is sizable, but still rather petite in comparison.]}

I-- yeah.

Someone's suggested that already. I'll have to look into it.

But... uh, hypothetically, what if there's no time in a situation to saddle up?

Wouldn't it be... like, a good idea to try and learn not to rely on one?

[licentious]

I have ridden a horse before. It was one of the prime ways to get around back in the day, before you children and your fancy automobiles became common. [ Her voice is dry and sarcastic.

Oh the joys of being immortal and it's only god damn 1913. ]

[foolishwren]

_{[Not having been previously aware of Lust's immortality, that catches Heather somewhat by surprise. She'd always just assumed Lust was modern.]}

Really?

... When are you from?

[video]

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy definitely notices that Heather's tone is unusual. He hasn't been feeling very normal lately either.]

First rule is don't piss off the horse.

[SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE.]

[video]

[foolishwren]

Well gee, thanks, Captain Obvious.

Plan A was calling her an ugly glue-factory and then smacking her a few times with a two-by-four before trying to ride her. Better come up with a Plan B.

[newberktown]

Shouldn't be much harder than riding an owl.

...Not that you were too great at that, at first.

[foolishwren]

... I'm never gonna be able to live that down, am I?

[video]

[no_ufo_ending]

_{[Henry is actually off in town TOTALLY NOT SMOKING when he finds the video on the network.]}

When you learn, can you teach me?

[video]

[foolishwren]

Teach you?

_{[She's surprised at that-- she's always known Henry to be jumpy around large Pokemon. She has no idea he's secretly been wanting to ride Carousel.]}

Uhh... sure, I guess.

I gotta learn how myself, first...

voice;

[likewatson]

I know a thing or two about horses. What kind are you trying to ride?

[Fire horse, electric zebra...]

voice;

[foolishwren]

<sub>[It's a little startling to hear just the speakers but no video-- Heather's so used to communicating either on camera or through text. It's so rare to just use the phone anymore!]

[... But then she remembers where Harry comes from, and who ELSE she knows who'd always preferred to talk on the phone the old-fashioned way. :(]</sub>

Uhhh...

Well, the species is Rapidash...

She's kind of a flaming unicorn, if you've never seen one of those before...