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When she was small, Imo had loved princesses. Princesses were good people who had adventures and many friends. They got lots of dresses and owned horses. And they always always ended up dancing with one true loves who they then went on to have happily ever afters with. So as a young one Imo had begged for two things from that list passionately; either to go riding or to learn how to waltz.

It being much cheaper and easier, for there hadn’t been a stable near where they had been living then, for Sarah Farrago and her family to band together to send Imogen to dance classes. From the fabled waltz she’d gone on to the much more lively swing dance and she mostly grew out of her princess stage (she was still a romantic). By the time she had she’d been great at dancing but Imo’d never actually gone horse riding in the end.

Except now it turned out her new friend Skye loved horse riding and had been riding since she was very little. Crystal being such a very upper-class rich school had quite a lot of girls who also rode, and it didn’t take long for Skye’s Choci to be sent to the local stable at his owner’s request.

So, here Imo was, entering a stable at last in borrowed riding clothes.

“Alright!”

Imo had gone to get what she assumed was all the tack she needed from one of the holders along the end of the stable. It had a little brass plate engraved ‘Gunshot’ above it and she carried it back to the stall that had a matching little brass plate. She had some idea how it went on; that the saddle went on his back, the stirrups at the side and the bridle ended up on his head. But what order it was supposed to go on and how you adjusted it, she had no clue, so better to wait for Skye.

The steely grey horse inside had been fussed over while she waited, petted as she’d been told horses liked by Skye. Gunshot seemed content enough. As Skye led Choci over, Imogen half turned to flash her friend and her horse one of her smiles.

“Please! And you didn’t say how handsome Choci was…or how big. He’s bigger than Gunshot.”

Gunshot was likely a school horse because he really was just so laid back and patient. The woman Imogen had seen about taking out one of the loaners had been sure that he’d be a good choice for her, because he was not easy to startle. Not even when you were an energetic and erratic redhead happy to try out horse riding for the first time. She was trying not to be too excitable and she followed Skye’s direction without complaint, but she was as she so often was like a kid at Christmas.

Gunshot, luckily, didn’t so much as toss his head. He was bright enough and alert but not at all spooked. He’d seen it all before.

She got out a band and pulled back her hair into a ponytail rather than her usual half-up half-down. Then she shoved on her helmet and following Skye’s direction again, managed to get up. So so fun.

“This alright?”

It was surprisingly easy to ride a horse, Imo thought, as she eagerly listened to her companion and (as always so far in their friendship) did as Skye told her. Okay so she wasn't ready to go jumping over fences but just getting on and walking wasn't so hard. She wasn't sure she was doing the controlling with her knees and thighs quite right, perhaps too lightly, but if so Gunshot seemed to know what she wanted anyway and she'd learn in time so she didn't worry.

It didn't take long for the pair to join Skye and Choci outside.

"You said you'd been riding and hunting for ages but I was wondering, what is it you love about it? Is it being outside, the horses, or...?" She asked, obviously curious not just politely asking. When her eyes weren't on Gunshot and what was going on with him, she was looking intently at the other redhead.

"Oh I know what it's like to enjoy the adrenaline, the thrill, of something. Though I get mine from dancing, which I daresay is quite different." She grinned. Her hunting was for that higher kick, that neater backflip, to pull off that tricky aerial step or one really difficult move she'd yet to learn. Very different from hunting on horseback. But the epinephrine rush was probably similar, same delicious chemical reaction, even if the activities themselves weren't alike.

"He's fine. He's probably done this a thousand times." Imo turned her attention back to the horse who indeed, had done this more than a thousand times. The school horse was well used to having less experienced riders and knew what was expected of him well. Everyday Gunshot was ridden on one of these trails after all.

"I started out doing ballroom, but I'm a jitterbug at heart." Imo laughed, happy to claim the lable, then explained what that was. Her passion for it was quite obvious in her voice and expression. She lit up. "I swing dance, and do so whenever I can. My favourite is called the Lindy Hop...it's full of backflips and twists and really throwing yourselves around. I love it."

Imo did as she'd been told earlier and coaxed Gunshot to go faster. The school horse took a moment as if he were considering it - or perhaps he felt too lazy? He seemed more of an ambler than a runner, which was probably why he was loan horse. Gunshot was slow n' steady seeming. Safe as sitting in an armchair, up on his broad back. If Imo came out riding with Skye or other friends who rode often and got good enough, she'd eventually probably have to borrow a less sedate horse.

As she started getting used to the trotting, getting the hang of it roughly quite quickly, she called over; "I'm surprised I've never mentioned dance before! It's such a part of my life."

"And I'd love to take you swingin' somtime! There's a really good club in town we could go to. Some people come into Destiny just to visit it because the music is great and the regulars are so friendly, like from the next city come over where I used to live." The girl beamed over at her friend, because so few people wanted to come try dancing, too shy maybe or too busy. It'd be wonderful to show Skye the dancing she loved. Just as she thought it was wonderful to try horseriding when it meant a lot to Skye or going to see that antique map thing with Aggie or - sharing what you loved with people you loved, y'know?

Thinking of horseriding things were getting a bit more bumpy.

"Is this right?" Imo asked, because while she'd settled into the rhythm of trotting it was getting less smooth up on Gunshot's back. Maybe he'd sped up or slowed down just a tad and she needed a minute to fall back in rhythm? Maybe she needed to sit a little differently or move her weight? She was just trying to copy Skye and do as she'd been told really.

"Sure!" Imo already knew when she was next going dancing, but Skye'd have to come along the next one. It was her first time seeing her old dance partner since she 'died', so she wasn't sure it'd be the best time to introduce her friend to swing. So she was sort of fibbing...and Imo pretended to be focusing on getting the hang of this cantering thing so her soft frown wouldn't give her little white lie away. She knew she was easy to read as an open book.

"So, we'll follow this trail a while more before heading back right? This is fun, I don't want tos top yet." She asked after a while, enjoying the ride.

((Wanna tie it up with them cantering off into a fade out, or got any ideas? =) ))