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 Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 7:33 pm
Peeking into the stalls where the horses were kept immediately caused Shakuntala to take a step back to catch her breath. A strong pungent smell of horse dung and urine on matted hay wanted to make her gag, but she swallowed her body's reaction to the scent and took a step inside. She glanced around the area that was to be her permanent job at on the campgrounds until graduation. While working with the horses was an added plus, the girl took the job since her mother cut her off completely. She needed some kind of income and, while the pay wasn't satisfying, it was enough to keep her afloat. That's all she ever wanted.
Several horses' ears were perked in her direction as they hung their heads from the gating that prevented their step out onto the grounds. A cat leered at her trek to the back of the stalls as it chewed lazily on a caught mouse before scampering off to its own devices. Shakuntala stopped just before the penultimate stall where the smell was strongest. An old, rickety mare trotted up to her come her approach and lowered her head when the seventeen year old's copper-colored hand gently caressed her muzzle. Glancing around the horse's stall (who, by the nameplate on the front, went by "Velvet"), the girl realized it needed a good mucking. But, more than anything, so did the mare who seemed to be filthy from head to hoof. Unlocking her gate, Shakuntala walked the mild-mannered Velvet out for a wash. She needed it, after all.
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 8:24 pm
Shun was already at the stables, struggling a bit with one of the beasts when Shakuntala came by to wash one of the others. He had come by the area with the intent of familiarizing himself with the horses, seeing how he was likely going to be working with them a fair bit once he was able to join the Scouting Legion. Right now, he was trying to bring one of them back to its stall, but it was being rather uncooperative with him. "Come on..." he uttered while tugging at the reins to try and lead it. The horse nickered and tossed its head, pulling back back. It definitely wasn't going in the direction requested. The man had his back turned to the other trainee, and thus, currently was unaware another was here.
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 8:48 pm
As Shakuntala walked Velvet out, she stopped momentarily to assess a situation that had piqued her interest. A male (by the looks of his uniform, he was a trainee like her) was giving an arduous effort to return one of the horses back to their stalls. Her eyes glanced between several areas on the horse -- it's flattened ears, slightly bared teeth, and swishing tail immediately signaled the animal was angry or rather agitated. The source was obviously from its reins being pulled.
Tethering her mare to a post just outside one of the stalls, the girl hesitantly approached the male from behind. "E-Excuse..." she hesitated from speaking whenever the horse whinnied. "E-Excuse me... E-E-Excuse... me... D-Don't pull... It's... It's not going... to follow if you... do..."
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 11:29 pm
Shun huffed and tugged at the reins more, as if trying to drag the horse forward. There was no way he was going to be able to force the creature if it really didn't want to move, but he tried anyway. "Bloody hell, why won't you come already?" he grunted before pausing as he heard a timid voice stammering towards him. He looked over his shoulder and spotted the girl from the curry shop. Shakuntala, if he recalled correctly. "How exactly am I going to get it to follow, then?"The horse let out a snort and stamped a hoof into the ground. At least the pulling had stopped.
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Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 12:05 am
Shakuntala blinked at Shun, recognizing his face, before turning her maroon-colored eyes to the steed. She couldn't determine if its hesitance was from stubbornness, abject fear, or age. Her mind wanted to disregard the last bit because, as she noted with Velvet behind her, the elder horses seemed to be more lax. Whatever the case, it needed to return to its stall and, with the sudden stamp it gave, it seemed like it was going to remain firmly grounded to where it stood.
Clutching her chin between forefinger and thumb, she dawned on the possibilities again before an idea flickered the light on in her mind. "O-One moment..." she told the male before turning on her heel. Grasping one of the washrags tossed in a bucket off to the side, she folded it in thirds and returned to Shun. Presenting it to him, she added, "T-Try b-blindfolding him... I-If h-he c-can't see... t-then he has no choice but t-to follow you. Y-You can lead h-him into h-his stall then... B-But first... First, walk around t-the barn with him... So he... So he doesn't get the i-idea he's going into his s-stall. It... It might work."
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Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 12:34 am
Shun canted his head to the side as she told him to wait a moment. He stayed put, keeping a grip on the reins while watching the girl go fetch a rag. Taking it, he glanced between her and the stubborn steed. "Well, it's worth a shot," he murmured before walking closer to the horse, who snorted lightly in his face. Then, taking in a deep breath, he went on and tried to get the rag in place over the horse's head and eyes to cut off its vision. The equine tossed its head back in resistance, but Shun still managed. "You sure this will work?" he asked before giving the reins a light tug. The horse took a tentative step forward in turn, answering his question in the meantime. Taking Shakuntala's advice, he began to walk in the direction away from the stall. The horse turned as guided, though it still took some light tugs and whatnot to usher it along. In the very least, it was moving now, rather than stubbornly standing its ground.
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Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 2:39 pm
"I-I'm p-positive..." she replied, though like most statements she etched with confidence, it was actually the complete opposite. She wasn't sure it would work, but applying optimism was the only way she could instill some hope in herself, not so much others. Watching Shun smother the horse's black orbs with the rag and then watching it jerk made the girl jump a bit. For a second, she thought her plan was for naught. However, when the unruly steed started to take some cautious steps, she let out a breath of relief.
A stamp of a hoof behind her alerted Shakuntala of Velvet who she had left tethered to the side. Approaching her, the mare stamped again -- signifying she had grown impatient just standing there as she tended to another. Releasing her lead rope, the copper-skinned girl pulled her along a few steps before turning back to Shun.
"D-Do... you... Do you n-need help w-with anything else?" she asked him, unsure if he did.
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Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 3:55 pm
"Hopefully not," he murmured while continuing to guide the horse around the stable area, "I still have a few more things I need to do in this area, however."At least one of the horses needed to be bathed and he had to toss some fresh hay into some of the stalls if he remembered correctly. "Don't let me keep you from your duties," he stated before giving a pause, "...Thanks for the advice, though. You work with horses a lot?"He vaguely recalled overhearing her mentioning somewhere that she wished to join the Survey Corps because of the horses.
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Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 9:25 pm
"Ah, r-right... It's no p-problem..."
Shakuntala continued to walk her horse over to the wash rack near the back. Tying a quick-release knot for Velvet, she concentrated her attention on her. She ran a hand over Velvet's fur and noted how it felt similar to her namesake. Turning her palm over to her maroon eyes, the girl glanced at the thin film of dust coasting her fingertips and interior cover of her gloves. She let out a small sigh; to be in such a state must've been uncomfortable for the mare. Dipping a sponge in one of the water-filled buckets, she began to give Velvet a good scrub.
In between her action, she realized Shun had shot a question in her direction. Shakuntala nodded her head to herself before replying, "A-Ah, yes... W-When I was a g-girl, a-at least... My f-father taught me... how to care... for them... W-What about y-you? Do you?"
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Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 9:59 pm
After awhile, Shun went on and led the horse into its proper stall. It was then that he took the rag off of its head, allowing it to see again. It snorted out, apparently not too happy to see where it was, but didn't put up any more fuss. Letting out a breath, the man went on to one of the horses, opening up the door and guiding it out so that he could wash it down. This one, at least, was considerably more cooperative. "Seen them around of course. Never had to handle them until recently though," he replied before letting out a sigh, "I'm going to have to learn though. Life's gonna depend on them at some point."
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Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 8:08 pm
Shakuntala continued to move the sponge in circular motions across the mare's body, bending at the waist to dip it into the bucket every so little while. The sudsy water within the pail had turned murky, fallow brown after a few dips and the seventeen year old couldn't help making a perturbed look at it. When was the last time this poor horse even had a proper grooming?
She glanced as Shun led a new horse from their stall. Stopping her motions for a bit, she stepped in front of Velvet and tilted her head. Depend? Did he mean in a general sense or something else altogether?
"Y-You have plans... w-with them?" she inquired curiously. "I-I mean with h-handling horses... Ah-" Velvet nosed the space between her jowl and shoulder due to Shakuntala's sudden halt. Cupping the horse under her jaw, the girl added, "H-How so?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 9:40 pm
Grabbing a sponge and bucket, Shun filled the latter with what was needed, then headed back to the horse, who was standing quite nicely for him, waiting to be bathed. With Tala's inquiry, he glanced back and raised a brow. "Survey Corps," he answered simply, "Which means one day I'll be riding one of these beasts either running at or fleeing from titans."While he'd mostly be riding them, it still probably was a good idea to familiarize himself. It couldn't hurt to do so, in any case.
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Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2014 4:40 am
"O-Oh," she replied rather flatly, though the mutter was hinted with surprise.
In actuality, Shakuntala was surprised to find another who had already made their choice before graduation. She thought herself an abnormality in the situation for a second because, unlike her, most of the trainees she knew had not made their decision yet. Of course, her sole reason for trying for the SC was only horses, so she couldn't help feeding the endless abyss of her curiosity by asking the male why.
"W-What made you choose the S-Survey Corps?" Shakuntala asked. "I... I'd also l-like to join them... T-Though i-it may come off as a bit early to d-decide this... I r-really want to... join them..."
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Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2014 10:32 am
Shun shrugged lightly, not turning towards Shakuntala as he continued to wash the horse down. "I doubt they'd let the likes of me into the Military Police. I'd rather not have to deal with them or the assholes they likely have to encounter," he started, "And I'm probably better suited for Survey than Garrison. I'll admit I'm curious of what's beyond the walls as well."There was a bit of silent scrubbing before he added, "Because of the horses, right? Well, if you're certain of it, you better bust your a** in training. We'll need all the skill we can get to survive."
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Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2014 9:40 pm
"T-That's a valid reason... I think..."
Shakuntala pursed her lips and nodded her head to herself. "M-Mainly the horses... Yes." She knew the reason was childish (largely childish at that), but it's what she wanted, and the girl was longer going to deny herself what she wanted to pursue in life. Shun's added declaration of strength caused her to nod her head again. "Y-Yes. I-I will... N-No dawling... At all..."
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