Ain't Used to Lookin' Domesticated

Serenity Motion's Equestrian Festival

Featuring:
Justin McBride with SRR Ill Booten Gotty

Erkki Kaupilla with 1045 NRR Aegerine

Class: Extra - Vet Check Inspection

Placed: --

Follows sometime after:  

(story summary below the wall of text, feel free to scroll on down for all your non-reading needs~)

     A strange car pulled up at RidgeRunner, a fairly downbeaten-looking thing, it wasn’t ancient, but it certainly wasn’t brand new either. A functional vehicle. Out of it, stepped a pale blonde lady, she wore jodhpurs and a light, long sleeve top. Pretty grey-blue eyes surveying the stable for a moment, before she headed up toward the main office… she’d rang ahead of time, to check that there was possibly a position available, and now to just hand over her credentials…

     Although he was just stopping through at the stable with Sydney, Justin couldn’t help himself to be the friendly barn greeter, especially when a lovely young lady strolled down the aisle. Call him a typical single-cell dude, but the man wasn’t going to just be rude and ignore her. By the looks of her confident walk, she looked like she knew where she was headed. He knew RidgeRunner had been pulling in some more riders to fill the ranks and help bolster the reputation but he swore he would have known if he had seen her before. Even if she was in the “tight pants” crew, Justin didn’t discriminate!

     Justin smiled and waved her down, “Howdy, miss. I was hopin’ you could help a feller out here. Have you seen the real tall, blond Texan?” Sure, he usually just waited around for Sydney to finish up but he had to have some reason to spark a conversation. “Some choose to call him Sydney, others might have come up with their own name for him,” Justin chuckled. It was also a kind of litmus test to see if she was new around here or not.

     Erkki glanced up briefly, to see a handsome brown-haired man with a clear southern accent coming his way, giving a slight smile. “Ah, no, unfortunately. I’m only new around here… I’m just dropping in about a job.” She explained, remaining perfectly friendly. “Though you’d think he’d be quite easy to see, a tall blonde Texan in these parts.” She joked a little.

     Justin settled his eyes on hers, leaning on the rail of the arena. So she was new! “Pardon my confusion, miss. See, this place only hires the finest and you fit the bill. Here I was thinkin’ you were a regular. I ain’t from ‘round here neither. My buddy works here so I come and visit every now and again. How’d you manage to land here?” Justin's chatty nature wiggled its way in to smooth over his faint flirt. He couldn't help it. A pretty lady… he must throw at least a couple of flattering lines.

     Erkki gave a smile at the compliment, she wasn’t one for letting flattery get to her too much, but who didn’t enjoy bits here and there, after all? “Ah, not so different of a story, following a tall Scottish man. Though he’s an ex-employer with an eye for good jobs rather than...well…” she had no idea what she was saying, other than trying to cover her back. She probably shouldn’t have made the assumption that Justin was looking for a boyfriend, it came from being surrounded by gay or bi men back at her previous barn… shit, recovery “a friend.” Good enough. “So tell me, do you have a name at all?” She grinned a little, deciding to change the topic before she blew that one up anymore.

     “Where have my manners gone?” Justin laughed. A tall Scottish man could only mean Tristan - the one and only tall Scottish man of the RidgeRunner realm. “Sorry, miss, you got this feller all jumbled up,” he laughed again. He straightened up, hooking his thumbs in his belt loops, looking friendly as he always did, “Name’s Justin. I’m afraid I don’t quite meet the standards of a place like this to get a job here, but shoot, I know I wouldn’t wanna pass it up if it were offered to me.” He tipped his hat to her, “Not an opportunity a refined, smart lady such as yourself will be missin’, Miss…” He left the window open for her to fill in her name.

     “Erkki, my name is Erkki.” She responded warmly, giving a slight chuckle. “As for not reaching the standards… have you asked?” She wasn’t exactly getting the feeling that he was a greasy little nobody hanging around. He had the calloused hands of someone who worked with horses, she noted, giving a smile. And equally, he seemed friendly enough, and honestly, stereotypical cowboy, with his hat. She was aware, from research, that RidgeRunner had a branch that specialized in western, and even so, each branch had some kind of western program large or small. “After all, you seem pretty upstanding, a nice guy like yourself.” She said warmly, giving a grin.

     Justin scratched his nose, smiling, a little color filling his cheeks, “Aw, Miss Erkki, I may be standin’ upright, but I wouldn’t go callin’ myself an upstandin’ fella. I’ve scrounged my entire life for my earnin’s doin’ whatever it takes to support my mama and my cousins back home. I ain’t cut out for fancy or nice things like this place.”

     Erkki gave a light smile, “And maybe that’s why you don’t have the fancy or nice things…” she pointed out. “You seem nice after all, I come from a working-class family too…” She was honestly surprised to see someone else with such a background around here… “Bills aren’t quite so bad on the family front though.” She certainly masked her background well, however, an estranged fishing family back in Finland. You wouldn’t think it from the classy lady who stood there in her long riding boots. “Anyhow, I’d best get on my way before Jennie wonders where I am… it was nice meeting you though, I hope to see you again, and I hope you find your tall blonde Texan.” She joked.

     She thought he was nice!? Hang on. She hoped to see him again!? Justin was completely invested now. No, don’t go now! They were just getting introduced! He let her get a few steps away before he hurried after her like he was on a leash in her pocket! “Well, like I said I wouldn’t pass up anything nice if I thought I worked hard enough for it! I just might have to take your advice and raise my standards.” He grinned, walking beside her for a moment. “Sure would make it worth bein' that upstandin' guy,” He said while glancing over to her.

     She wasn’t wholly surprised that he came after her… so he was interested. She gave an inward smile, glancing over to him. “Well, I’m glad you’ve come to your senses.” She chuckled, glancing back with a sincere look. “The day you stop short-selling yourself is the day that good comes your way,” Erkki commented sweetly, though she did give him a coy look. “A fine upstanding fellow such as yourself deserves the best.”

     Justin wished he had come to his senses! If anything, they were all sorts of jumbled up now! She was doing a number on him! Maybe it was because of Georgie pouring compliments onto him, his head got too big and he sort of mentally humbled himself - no way could he really be something that special. But there he was, hearing it out of another woman’s mouth. He- he was so flustered as he was so used to being the one to fluster the lady - not the other way around!

     “Yes ma’am,” Justin blurted out without thinking. “Ah-“ Justin glanced ahead and saw Jennie’s office just ahead. He didn’t want to lose her just yet. Not now. “Tell you what, Miss Erkki. Not only will I take your advice, but I wanna put it into action. You’ve gone and inspired me.” He was taking the plunge. He was used to the adrenaline rush from riding hundreds of bulls so he could handle himself under pressure. “I’m gonna march in there as soon as you finish up and I’ll ask for a job, myself. And then later on, I can take you around the town since you’ll be workin’ here. Maybe you can give me some more of that wisdom of yours? I sure am trying to get to that day somethin’ good comes my way and I think you’ve got the answer, Miss Erkki.” Justin didn’t lay it on too thick. He didn’t want it to sound like he was just looking to score. That wasn’t what he was after at all. He just wanted to get to know her more. She was something else, that was for sure! He was hooked. “We got us a deal?” He put on his charming hopeful grin.

     “Well, I suppose…” she paused momentarily in thought. “I don’t have anything else going on, and maybe I could use a tour guide.” She gave him a friendly smile, though there was definitely an ulterior motive behind her words. “I tell you what… you get that job, and we’ll head out this evening… sound good?” She questioned. It was rare to find a guy so honest and sincere and sweet, and yet so approachable, he was interesting (and he didn’t exactly look bad either). She was interested!

     “Miss Erkki, you have yourself a deal!” Justin swiped his hat, laid it over his heart, and gave her a little bow. He smiled from ear to ear, shoving his hat back on and watching as she entered Jennie’s office. Justin’s smile didn’t even fade when she was out of sight. He was going to get to see her again! He sealed the deal! Wait…what did he say he’d do…? And then his grin faltered a little. Get a job here? Justin only had to glance around and see the kind of work going on behind him to know he really didn’t stand a chance. He was by no means a horse whisperer trainer, a consistent competitor, or anyone who should be giving riding lessons. His gut sank a little. Well, how in the hell was he going to pull this off? He had a lot of standards to change in just a few moments.

     And there she was, unmistakable at this Serenity Motion’s Equestrian Festival. Just as pretty as the first day he saw her walking down the barn aisle. He had seen her name registered to a stall with the RidgeRunner Stables name tied to it. She got the job. He felt a small sense of pride as a quiet fan of hers. Not like he knew her that well to even know how she rode, what her credentials were, if they could afford her, etc. But he just got a feeling from her the first time they talked that she was a “real one”.

     “Howdy, Miss Erkki,” Justin greeted her with a smile. Erkki glanced up, she'd been giving Aegerine  one final inspection before their vet check, and certainly hadn't been expecting to hear anyone drawling her name…

     The fates had teased Justin the last time. He shouldn’t have made a promise so soon. His “job interview” turned into quite the long interview and at the time, Jennie didn’t really have a spot open for what he’d be qualified for. He wouldn’t call it a huge failure but it was more of a “maybe sometime down the line” kind of talk. And it had been sometime down the line now. “Don’t know if you remember me from before. I-”

     Justin felt a jerk on the reins and looked back, hoping the mare he was leading didn’t just try to bite at someone else’s horse or worse. She wasn’t the most tamed creature, still had some residual feral side to her every now and again. But Pierce had other feral ideas on her mind. While Justin had been distracted, the mare saw the opportunity to rid herself of the soapy stink on her coat. She had plopped down onto her side and gave a hefty roll, coating her whole side in sand.

     “Oh no, I-” Erkki was about to cut Justin off, reassure him that of course she remembered - how could she forget the friendly and all too attractive cowboy who had been so kind as to say hello the last time they had met. She remembered his charms, and yet before she could reassure him, his horse decided that was the moment where she would mess around. Erkki let out a chuckle at her antics…

     Justin couldn’t help but laugh, “You get yer butt outta that sand, young lady! Yer gonna stand up straight and act like yer domesticated!” He shook his head, still laughing at the goofery, “I’m still workin’ on raisin’ those standards I told ya I would. Once she gets to her feet, I’d call us upstandin’! Howdy Miss Erkki, I been hopin’ to see you again. Yer lookin’ at yer newest employee of RidgeRunner. If it ain’t too much to hope for, I was wonderin’ if you’d still be interested in that deal of ours. I’d be more than happy to show ya that end of the arena to that end,” he pointed from end to end of the vet check going on. “Might be the best tour of yer life,” he chuckled.

     Erkki smiled, raising her eyebrows and watching as the mare hauled herself to her feet before looking back to Justin with a mock-calculating look. “Are you sure you aren't just trying to charm the competition?” She queried, folding her arms with a sly smile. “After all I can only imagine you are quite the showjumper…and as for my reining, well…” she tailed off with a grin.

     Justin fanned an arm over Pierce's coat, returning the sand from whence it came. "Shoot, ya know, I left my special pants back at home. Guess I'll need all the charm points I can get. Ain't used to havin' to look like a professional. Dirt ain't gonna fail a vet check I hope," he laughed. "She ain't used to lookin' like a professional neither. I'm thinkin' I might jus' have to copy off you for a while 'til I get my bearin's right. Think I'll stick to the cows where I belong, though. Cowboy hat ain't for show, ya know?" He flashed his charming grin.

     Erkki let out a laugh at his antics, glancing over Pierce “Well, she certainly looks sound enough…” She chuckled, before pausing to think, taking in that charming smile and his rogueish good looks. “Well…” she began, pensively. “I don't know about a tour of the arena, I think I can find my way…” she paused, gauging his reaction before continuing “...but I hear the local area is quite nice, and as I recall our deal was that we’d go around the town…” she trailed off, looking at him coyly with those pretty, piercing eyes. “...And I can't say I know my way around too well.”

     Justin was all giddy smiles like he was thirteen all over again. Did he even realize how dumb he looked, twirling the end of his reins like he was fixing to lasso a miracle. "I reckon I am just the man that can do jus' that for ya, ma'am." She had him "yes, ma'am" this and "on my mother's honor" that.

(2544 wordcount)

we are sorry

TLDR SUMMARY;

--Hello, "new character" introduction - this is Erkki (saoradh's character)

--She rocks up to RidgeRunner to get her job, following from Tristan's stable

--Justin being Justin "hallo, pretty lady"

--Erkki and him have a little back and forth over being able to work for RidgeRunner; it's a big deal for a nice stable

--Justin not so sure he'd fit in

--Erkki encourages him to give it a try

--So Justin being Justin "okay, pretty lady"

--Doesn't get the job initially

--They see each other again at the show for the vet check

--"Hello again, pretty lady" : D "I got that job~"

--And now Justin owes her a tour of the town they both don't know but who cares : D

--Wholesome content?

Previous: Hands Need Held || Next: TBA

     @Saoradh bullying me into panic entering a show so we could finally mush these two together 😭  Erkki isn't a "NEW" character by any means! She's a happy background character that just so happened to cross paths with Justin and she didn't just ignore him and now he's "huuuh what? hang on, you're out of my league but you're still talking to me, i must investigate, i am the nervous but i am also the interested af" xD he's a simple man.

     So that means getting a job and looking the part of a stable man that's not just rodeos and yeehaws??? idk he's been on the cusp of trying to be a little more "his age" rather than his carefree youth. Only just now figuring out that stability might be attractive too?? Got him dumped the last time a woman (Tequila) threw his soul into the dumpster.

     So have a cute vet check I scribbled over the weekend with some goofery and fun <3 Aegerine is an angel, Pierce is a...horse and the two goofers in the middle just living~

     Actual entry coming soon~

Justin/Pierce/Sydney/Jennie/RP Words/Art © @Drasayer

Erkki/Aegerine/RP Words © @Saoradh

Georgie (c) @decors

No specific refs for the goofy chill squad or chill scenery~

Inspiration for the arena provided by host @allestudios

Procreate/PhotoshopCS6