[table] [row] [sup][h3][b][color=2e2c2c] ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ [right]▅▅▅▅▅▅[/right] [/color][/b][/h3][/sup] [/row][row] [cell] [center][color=silver]___________________________________[/color] [img]https://i.imgur.com/jVPF70f.jpeg[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/SKk1c4T.jpeg[/img] [color=#66926F]•• ━━━━━━━ 𓃗[/color] • [color=red]𓃽[/color][color=#9F0C07] ━━━━━━━ ••[/color] [sub][color=silver]𝙲𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚊𝚋 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜[/color] [color=silver][sub]𝙰𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚘 𝚁𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚔 • 𝙲𝚘𝚕𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙱𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚝𝚝 [@Apoalo][/sub][/color][/sub] [color=#66926F]•• ━━━━━━━ 𓃗[/color] • [color=red]𓃽[/color][color=#9F0C07] ━━━━━━━ ••[/color] [sub][color=silver]​𝙸𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚆𝚒𝚝𝚑[/color] [color=silver][sub]𝙴𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝙾𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛[/sub][/color][/sub] [color=#66926F]•• ━━━━━━━ 𓃗[/color] • [color=red]𓃽[/color][color=#9F0C07] ━━━━━━━ ••[/color] [sub][color=silver]​𝙻𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗​​​​​[/color] [color=silver][sub]𝚉𝚎𝚙𝚑𝚢𝚛𝚘𝚜 𝙲𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚔 𝚁𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚑 • 𝙺𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚛𝚊'𝚜 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎​​[/sub][/color][/sub] [color=#66926F]•• ━━━━━━━ 𓃗[/color] • [color=#9F0C07]𓃽 ━━━━━━━ ••[/color] [img]https://i.imgur.com/cGpGe6A.jpeg[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/xoTLJTS.jpeg[/img] [color=silver]___________________________________[/color][/center] [/cell][cell] [center][url=https://fontmeme.com/fonts/hamiltone-font/][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/240803/9d4e56be22e9ba8ee8ad250ad22c3b8f.png[/img][/url] [color=#66926F]•• ━━━━━━━ 𓃗[/color] • [color=red]𓃽[/color][color=#9F0C07] ━━━━━━━ ••[/color][/center] [indent][sup][color=silver] [i]Fuck that mud puddle. Fuck that mare.[/i] [b]Fuck.[/b] The newest filly that Tyler James had tasked his son with breaking was, truly, a [i]rank bitch.[/i] They'd spent weeks.. weeks... doing ground work, and today was the day she was going to have her first ride with an [i]actual[/i] rider. Aurelio being the lucky winner between himself, Colter and Morrigan who Rock, Paper, Scissor'd for the pleasure of breaking her in. He had held on with everything he had in him, but none of it mattered. In record timing within only minutes of having jumped on her back, he was down in the mud. In the last few years that Reli had been helping his father on the ranch to break new blood that came through their rescue, this was a first that had successfully thrown him within moments of mounting. An hour's worth more of getting back on, getting thrown off - luckily with much better dismounts than the first initial throw - and getting [i]back on[/i] to continue the process until both the mare and the boy were covered in mud and sweat, chests heaving and nostrils flaring. He had to admit, even his own stallion didn't have as much spirit in him as she did. The little filly had gained Aurelio's respect by the end of it all. The boy let one of the two Hands that were standing around watching to take her off to go be cleaned up and the other to take care of the tack that would also need tending to, Reli made himself scarce to the bunkhouse where he would rinse off the filth that covered him and change into some fresh clothes. Normally, after work like that, Reli would go on an [s]off-trail[/s] ‘trail’ ride with Baron to reset himself, but today was different. Today he’d have to go without it. Both of them would. Knowing his stallion, Baron would probably give him a workaround the next time he was able to take him out for missing out on their usual routine. Gods forbid the boy skipped their routine. The horse could be hell on four hooves when he wanted to be. As bad as Aurelio felt for skipping out on their routine, he didn’t feel [i]too[/i] bad. With the promise of booze, food and good music.. Who could really feel [b]too bad[/b] about anything, really? Not to mention the fact that Kassandra Arvantis was hosting the party. Aurelio and his sister were some of the few Juniors who were even invited to go, as it was mostly a party for the Senior Class of 2025. Once Reli had finished pulling on his Hey Dudes, he quickly stood up from the Bunkhouse table and dusted himself off, making sure there wasn’t a single horse hair on his fit before exiting the Bunkhouse. Pulling out his phone, he quickly sent a text to Colter as he wandered off towards the dirt lot where everyone typically parked their vehicles, making his way to Colter’s truck. Once there, Aurelio popped the tailgate down and hopped up, sitting himself comfortably on the back of the truck to wait for his friend so they could head back down the mountain for the party. [color=#9F0C07]”That's it Eclipse, nice and steady. I already ran you today."[/color] Leaning down to pat his friend on the side of the head Colter Burnett smiled widely and then raised his arm to wipe his forehead with the clothed crook of his arm. It was a hot day in California and the boy had just finished riding the trails and checking on a few locations to make sure the guided tours would be safe. It was a routine thing and something Colter normally did when he wasn't the one breaking in the newest horse of the ranch. Not that Colter really minded, he found it to be quite enjoyable and it never took him that long, the horses seemed to have a weird connection to him that he could never really explain. Letting Eclipse walk herself towards the stable, Colter let himself just close his eyes and enjoy the feeling of the sun on his face and the smells of a ranch hit him. He absolutely loved it. And while California wasn't quite Texas it was close enough to home that it made Colter's heart swell and a calmness go over him. A calmness that was broken as he glanced over to some of the hands who were struggling with a filly. Colter recognized the horse as the one that Reli had been assigned to and Colter smirked, it looked like it had probably been quite a breaking session. Wandering over, Colter nodded politely to the hands and then gently pressed a hand onto the filly, right on the neck, eyes locked on the horse's own. [color=#9F0C07]”Shhh, it's ok. It's all done. You're fine, it's fine. Shhhh."[/color] The horse began to calm instantly, and as Colter stepped back with a large smile on his face he just barely heard the younger hand whispering about Colter being a horse whisperer. Not bothering to say goodbye to them, Colter just headed towards the main Ranchhouse, the smirk on his face wider than before. He throws a wave to the two at the front desk and goes towards the back where he and another 6's staff member operate out of. As liaisons they only had or needed the small workspace and Colter very rarely was in the room for an extended time, usually coming in as he did now to check e-mails, return phone calls, and pay some bills. With a sigh, Colter handles his paperwork and then glances down at his phone as it dings. Smirking, Colter stands and gives a big stretch before closing and locking the door behind him and heads back out of the Ranchhouse and towards his truck. He arrived to see Reli sitting on the back and threw an empty bottle of water at him that he just finished. [color=#9F0C07]”Ayo, ready for the party Junior?"[/color] It was a multi-level joke and Colter winked at the other boy before unlocking his truck and jumping in. Aurelio rolled his eyes and nodded, hopping off the tailgate before putting it up, rounding the truck's back end to hop in on the passenger side. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he clipped himself into his seatbelt and adjusted himself in his seat as he turned his deep blue eyes over to Colter. [color=#66926F]”There’s never a time where I’m not ready to get [i]fucked up[/i], Cowboy.”[/color] The younger boy laughed, bringing his phone screen to life before unlocking it to send a quick text to his brother asking if they might still need anything for the party. He would have messaged Kassandra, but gods only knew she was already stressing over the whole event and didn’t need to be distracted. Acting host to a party he knew she would never have headed on her own without [i]influence[/i]. He wouldn’t bother her with more bullshit. There was never a time he wasn’t ready to bother his older brother. It was his duty to do so, after all. Once the text was sent, Aurelio dropped his phone into the cup holder below the truck’s radio before rolling his window down, letting his arm hang out from it as he reclined back into his seat. His attention now back on the boy who sat beside him in the driver’s seat. [color=#66926F]”You uh.. you participating in any [i]festivities[/i] tonight, or are you gonna be a D.D.?”[/color] His hand going to turn on the radio, Colter leaned back and stretched, a quick groan and satisfying pop sounding just as the sound of the Country Top 100 charts came from the radio. He glanced at Aurelio as he put the truck in reverse and shook his head. [color=#9F0C07]”I’ll have a few drinks, I’m not afraid of them. But I’ll have precious cargo in the car tonight so I’ll probably stick to one or two depending on the time. You? If you don’t have a D.D I’m sure me and Niko won’t mind you ‘crashing’ in the back of the truck to take you home.”[/color] His smirk could be ‘heard’ as Aurelio knew him that well. Looking both ways as he pulled out of the ranch and onto the public streets proper, he listened for Reli’s reply even as his mind started racing. He couldn’t wait to see Niko. It was strange, he had waited for five years. Five and a half really and now even hours without him seemed to make things difficult. He didn’t want to be creepy, or clingy but he couldn’t help his feelings. That feeling that everything just was made better by the presence of the other boy. Reli shook his head and smirked, giving the other boy a quick smack with the tips of his fingers. [color=#66926F]”I don’t intend on getting [i]that[/i] fucked up tonight, but.. whatever happens happens. Supposedly Kaelah’s got somethin’ special for me to try tonight.”[/color] Speaking of Kaelah.. Reli would have mentioned that if anything, he was sure Kas wouldn’t mind if he passed out on the couch and spent the night there at her place… but knowing Kaelah and her awareness of [i]certain things[/i], it might cause them to have problems later. He wouldn’t, nor could he, blame her though. He was the one who was currently making things complicated between them. With a heavy sigh, Reli sunk back into the truck seat and zoned out into his phone as he scrolled through video reels on Instagram for a majority of the drive. That is of course until they lost service going down the mountain, or when Colter would strike up further conversation with the boy. Nearly two long hours worth of a drive from Zephyros Creek to Naples. Though Aurelio never really minded a long drive, and quite enjoyed them, today he wished it could speed by a little quicker. He was excited to see and hang out with a few familiar faces at the party tonight. There was a brief look of concern as Reli mentioned Kaelah and ‘something special’ but it wasn’t his place. The two of them, Reli and Kaelah, existed as a conversation that could always be tricky to navigate. It was rocky and not something that Colter, even as one that considered Reli a younger brother, wanted to broach. He noted the heavy sigh and then focused on the road. The more mountainous terrain kept Colter on guard more than the simpler roads leading back into the city, and so for the most part the ride was filled with nothing but the various country songs from the radio. There was some brief back and forth about work, and which horses were doing better than others, some quick discussion about the derby races and which jockey’s were doing the best, but overall it was quiet. As they reach the city though, even Reli would be able to sense the excitement and restlessness rushing through Colter. The Texan didn’t even pick up on Reli’s desire for the trip to end as he himself was driving a little more… aggressively than usual. [color=#9F0C07]”Right, we’re almost there. If you need anything later afterwards, seriously just give me or Niko a call. We won’t mind coming to pick you up. Deal?”[/color] He wanted to be clear that Reli could always come to him if he needed and while Colter was looking forward to spending some time with Niko, Reli was important. The Junior couldn’t help but laugh a little, nodding in agreement with his friend. [color=#66926F]”Yes [b]father[/b],”[/color] he mumbled with heavy sarcasm, flashing the other boy a smirk as he dodged a playful swipe at him followed by another laugh. As they started nearing Kas’ house, the dark-haired boy sat up a bit straighter, eagerly awaiting the party that had already started without them. Pulling his phone back out from his pocket, he sent a quick text out to Kaelah, smiling a bit down at his device before shoving it back into his jeans. [indent][indent][indent] [indent][indent][indent] [indent][indent][indent] [indent][indent][indent][table=bordered][cell][color=gray] [center][b]𝙻𝚘𝚞𝚟𝚎🐺❤️‍🔥[/b][/center] [right][sub]- 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚢𝚊 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢? 😜😘 [sup][color=silver]𝙳𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 ✓[/color][/sup][/sub][/right][/color][/cell][/table][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent] Rolling his eyes, but content that Reli got the message, Colter focused on navigating the roads as he honestly never trusted people that drove in the City. It was a feeling he figured that would never leave him. Big cities just made him feel trapped and he much preferred the large open fields of a ranch. But he was adjusting and there were some positive things that came from moving to LA. One in particular invaded his mind just as he turned onto Kass’s road and a goofy smile went to his face as he cleared the daydream and looked for a place to park. It seemed that they were fashionably late, which made sense considering the two hour trip but Colter was still able to find a decent spot and as he shifted into park and turned the truck off he smirked over to Reli. [color=#9F0C07]”Thanks for driving with Colter Enterprises, do make sure to leave a tip and review.”[/color] Chuckling, he got out and headed towards the party house which was already blasting music. [color=#9F0C07]”Oh, and over/under for how long it takes for a noise complaint.”[/color] Aurelio rolled his own eyes at his friend, smirking as he hopped out of the truck to jog after him. Of course, Reli was much faster on his two feet than the Burnett boy… racing him to the front door, he placed his hand out to stop his friend before he could reach the door himself. With a slight smirk, he reached his other hand out and held the doorbell for a 2-beat before knocking on the door loudly with his middle finger knuckle. [i]Dun dun-dun-dun-dun ..dun-dun.[/i] [/color][/sup][/indent][/cell] [/row] [/table]