Cecilia and Sooraya | Diversion
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xp_logsSooraya takes it upon herself to make sure Cecilia gets some air. Cecilia doesn't love what she has in mind.
"You know, you spent way too much time inside, Cece. I'd almost say you look too pale..." Sooraya leaned on the door of her medlab office. "It's great weather outside today and I was thinking we could have some fun."
"Pale? Me?" Cecilia raised an eyebrow as she typed notes in an electronic chart. "You might need to get your eyes checked, girl." She pushed her chair away from her desk and then turned to consider Sooraya. "Define fun."
"Oh you know... go outside, catch a little fresh air, some sunshine... maybe spend some time on a horse?" Sooraya shifted to reveal the bag of riding gear over her shoulder. "I know you've never done it before, but I also know you enjoy a new challenge."
"Oh lord." Cecilia wrinkled her nose. "I do love a challenge, but horses? I mean, me, on a horse? Doesn't that feel like a recipe for disaster?"
"Why would it be a disaster?" Sooraya raised an eyebrow at her friend. "I mean, you are pretty calm and steady. Horses like that. And the horse will be much the same. Calm and steady. I promise I won't put you on Pollux."
"I don't think horses will like me. I'm, you know, a city girl. Not into that bucolic vibe. Can't they sense that... fear or whatever?"
"Some horses might be bothered by it, but I promise you, the horse you'll be riding won't mind. And we'll be grooming her first, so you've the chance to get to know her a little bit." Sooraya explained calmly. "Come on Cece, where is your sense of adventure?" She gently needled her friend a little.
"It died," Cecilia said dryly. But she sighed. "But fine, fine, I give in. Let's try new things."
Sooraya grinned at her victory. "Go change. I'll see you at the front door in a few minutes."
***
"This is Donja." Sooraya stroked the black mare's head, holding the lead rope firmly in one hand. "She's very fond of carrots." She fished one of her pocket and offered it to the horse on flat hand. The mare gently lipped it from her hand, crunching contently.
"Your turn." Sooraya held out another piece of carrot to Cecilia.
Cecilia gave Sooraya a skeptical look as she took the proffered produce. "Hi Donja." She held it out somewhat tentatively, waiting for the horse to make a move.
The mare eyed Cecilia just as warily before scooping the snack out of the woman's hand, which sparked a kind of startled noise from Cecilia.
"See... it's not so bad." Sooraya handed Cecilia another piece of carrot and set about fastening the lead rope to metal ring in the stable wall. Then she reached for her bag of grooming supplies and pulled out two curry combs. "This is called a curry comb. You use it on his muscles to remove loose hair and dirt. Like this." She demonstrated how to move against the growth direction of the hair.
"This is beyond remedial," Cecilia observed, "but I can't say I don't appreciate it." She followed Sooraya's motion. "What's the point of all this?"
"It helps to get rid of dirt, loose hairs etcetera and it's kinda like a massage for the horse. But what I like best is that it gives you the chance to bond with the horse and get comfortable with it." Sooraya explained. "It just makes a nice quiet place to start when you are uneasy with them."
"Uneasy?" Cecilia quirked an eyebrow. "Who's uneasy? My shoulders are naturally this tense."
"Well... there's is also that you're holding the brush like you can drop is every moment and jump away from the horse." Sooraya quirked her own eyebrow in return.
“Well, I—“ Cecilia abandoned what would have been a very defensive sentence and just sighed. “I dunno,” she said. “Horses kick and buck. And are generally wild and uncontrollable.”
"Okay, try to picture it like this. Say you are a patient and the doctor who comes to you acts jumpy, not sure of their case etcetera. How would the patient react?" She paused a moment to let the picture settle. "And how would the patient react if they come in calm and reassured?" Again she paused for a moment. "In my experience the horse is the patient."
"If I listen too closely to that," Cecilia said with a wry smile, "I'd think you were telling me I'm a horse."
Sooraya had laugh. "Oh no... you're the doc in this scenario. I have you seen being plenty confident as a doctor so many times. Even when I was sure that you partly 'faking it'. You need to summon a bit of the same part for yourself to deal successfully with horses."
"It's easier to fake it with people," Cecilia sniffed. "People are idiots. Horses are intuitive."
"Uh huh." Sooraya hummed, seemingly agreeing as she began to tack up Donja. "Looks like we're doing the other way then."
"The... other way?" Cecilia shot Sooraya a quizzical look, watching as the other woman prepare the horse for riding. "Oh," she finally said. "Oh. Oh."
"Oh indeed." Sooraya carefully checked if the saddle was not cinched too tight and if the bridle was secure. Then she guided Donja over to the box that was sometimes used as a mounting block. "Up you go." There was a challenge is her eyes as she gestured Cece over, knowing her friend was not one to back down from a challenge.
Cecilia stared at Sooraya for a few seconds, then shook her head and sighed. "Fine." She walked over to the box, studying Donja the whole time. "Go easy on me," she finally said. The horse whinnied, and Cecilia tried not to look uneasy.
She glanced at Sooraya for some sense of encouragement, then stepped onto the box. "Okay. Here we go."
"Right foot in the stirrup and there you go. Excellent." She watched with satisfaction as Cecilia climbed on. "See, that wasn't so bad."
"Sure," Cecilia admitted. "But we haven't started moving yet. Which, I assume, is what comes next." She tried to settle onto the horse, but she thought she could feel the thing moving and breathing heavily beneath her, which made it hard to truly get comfortable. "This is why cars were invented, you know."
"Cars can't match the sense of freedom you have when you're galloping with a horse. But we'll keep it to a walk for now." Sooraya eyed Cecelia, noticing she had found both stirrups with her feet. "Good. Now try to sit up straight. Your seat bones have to be in touch with the saddle. Just focus on that for now."
Cecilia took a deep breath as she adjusted her posture and moved slightly on the horse. She closed her eyes for a second, before realizing it was probably foolish to close one's eyes while sitting atop a beast of burden. But she still did her best to relax the way Sooraya was telling her.
"You know, it's stupid." She looked over at her friend. "I'm not going to break a bone or anything. I mean, 99% unlikely. I just know what horse accidents or whatever do to people, and I know it'll hurt like a bitch if I fall."
"Not stupid..." Sooraya shook her head. "It's just... when you've converted, that will just go to the back of your mind and you'll just enjoy the ride. And talking about riding, do you feel ready to start walking? I'll just guide her around a bit."
"Yeah," Cecilia said after the slightest hesitation. "Yeah, let's just do this." She pet the horse, because it felt like the thing she should do. "Be gentle," she murmured to it.
"Alright, here we go." Sooraya clicked her tongue and Donja started walking slowly. "You doing okay?"
"Sure," Cecilia said, trying to sound nonchalant despite her continued unease. "Doing great." She could feel the horse breathing beneath her, and it didn't help. "Just, very casual up here."
"You're doing just fine."
"You know, you spent way too much time inside, Cece. I'd almost say you look too pale..." Sooraya leaned on the door of her medlab office. "It's great weather outside today and I was thinking we could have some fun."
"Pale? Me?" Cecilia raised an eyebrow as she typed notes in an electronic chart. "You might need to get your eyes checked, girl." She pushed her chair away from her desk and then turned to consider Sooraya. "Define fun."
"Oh you know... go outside, catch a little fresh air, some sunshine... maybe spend some time on a horse?" Sooraya shifted to reveal the bag of riding gear over her shoulder. "I know you've never done it before, but I also know you enjoy a new challenge."
"Oh lord." Cecilia wrinkled her nose. "I do love a challenge, but horses? I mean, me, on a horse? Doesn't that feel like a recipe for disaster?"
"Why would it be a disaster?" Sooraya raised an eyebrow at her friend. "I mean, you are pretty calm and steady. Horses like that. And the horse will be much the same. Calm and steady. I promise I won't put you on Pollux."
"I don't think horses will like me. I'm, you know, a city girl. Not into that bucolic vibe. Can't they sense that... fear or whatever?"
"Some horses might be bothered by it, but I promise you, the horse you'll be riding won't mind. And we'll be grooming her first, so you've the chance to get to know her a little bit." Sooraya explained calmly. "Come on Cece, where is your sense of adventure?" She gently needled her friend a little.
"It died," Cecilia said dryly. But she sighed. "But fine, fine, I give in. Let's try new things."
Sooraya grinned at her victory. "Go change. I'll see you at the front door in a few minutes."
***
"This is Donja." Sooraya stroked the black mare's head, holding the lead rope firmly in one hand. "She's very fond of carrots." She fished one of her pocket and offered it to the horse on flat hand. The mare gently lipped it from her hand, crunching contently.
"Your turn." Sooraya held out another piece of carrot to Cecilia.
Cecilia gave Sooraya a skeptical look as she took the proffered produce. "Hi Donja." She held it out somewhat tentatively, waiting for the horse to make a move.
The mare eyed Cecilia just as warily before scooping the snack out of the woman's hand, which sparked a kind of startled noise from Cecilia.
"See... it's not so bad." Sooraya handed Cecilia another piece of carrot and set about fastening the lead rope to metal ring in the stable wall. Then she reached for her bag of grooming supplies and pulled out two curry combs. "This is called a curry comb. You use it on his muscles to remove loose hair and dirt. Like this." She demonstrated how to move against the growth direction of the hair.
"This is beyond remedial," Cecilia observed, "but I can't say I don't appreciate it." She followed Sooraya's motion. "What's the point of all this?"
"It helps to get rid of dirt, loose hairs etcetera and it's kinda like a massage for the horse. But what I like best is that it gives you the chance to bond with the horse and get comfortable with it." Sooraya explained. "It just makes a nice quiet place to start when you are uneasy with them."
"Uneasy?" Cecilia quirked an eyebrow. "Who's uneasy? My shoulders are naturally this tense."
"Well... there's is also that you're holding the brush like you can drop is every moment and jump away from the horse." Sooraya quirked her own eyebrow in return.
“Well, I—“ Cecilia abandoned what would have been a very defensive sentence and just sighed. “I dunno,” she said. “Horses kick and buck. And are generally wild and uncontrollable.”
"Okay, try to picture it like this. Say you are a patient and the doctor who comes to you acts jumpy, not sure of their case etcetera. How would the patient react?" She paused a moment to let the picture settle. "And how would the patient react if they come in calm and reassured?" Again she paused for a moment. "In my experience the horse is the patient."
"If I listen too closely to that," Cecilia said with a wry smile, "I'd think you were telling me I'm a horse."
Sooraya had laugh. "Oh no... you're the doc in this scenario. I have you seen being plenty confident as a doctor so many times. Even when I was sure that you partly 'faking it'. You need to summon a bit of the same part for yourself to deal successfully with horses."
"It's easier to fake it with people," Cecilia sniffed. "People are idiots. Horses are intuitive."
"Uh huh." Sooraya hummed, seemingly agreeing as she began to tack up Donja. "Looks like we're doing the other way then."
"The... other way?" Cecilia shot Sooraya a quizzical look, watching as the other woman prepare the horse for riding. "Oh," she finally said. "Oh. Oh."
"Oh indeed." Sooraya carefully checked if the saddle was not cinched too tight and if the bridle was secure. Then she guided Donja over to the box that was sometimes used as a mounting block. "Up you go." There was a challenge is her eyes as she gestured Cece over, knowing her friend was not one to back down from a challenge.
Cecilia stared at Sooraya for a few seconds, then shook her head and sighed. "Fine." She walked over to the box, studying Donja the whole time. "Go easy on me," she finally said. The horse whinnied, and Cecilia tried not to look uneasy.
She glanced at Sooraya for some sense of encouragement, then stepped onto the box. "Okay. Here we go."
"Right foot in the stirrup and there you go. Excellent." She watched with satisfaction as Cecilia climbed on. "See, that wasn't so bad."
"Sure," Cecilia admitted. "But we haven't started moving yet. Which, I assume, is what comes next." She tried to settle onto the horse, but she thought she could feel the thing moving and breathing heavily beneath her, which made it hard to truly get comfortable. "This is why cars were invented, you know."
"Cars can't match the sense of freedom you have when you're galloping with a horse. But we'll keep it to a walk for now." Sooraya eyed Cecelia, noticing she had found both stirrups with her feet. "Good. Now try to sit up straight. Your seat bones have to be in touch with the saddle. Just focus on that for now."
Cecilia took a deep breath as she adjusted her posture and moved slightly on the horse. She closed her eyes for a second, before realizing it was probably foolish to close one's eyes while sitting atop a beast of burden. But she still did her best to relax the way Sooraya was telling her.
"You know, it's stupid." She looked over at her friend. "I'm not going to break a bone or anything. I mean, 99% unlikely. I just know what horse accidents or whatever do to people, and I know it'll hurt like a bitch if I fall."
"Not stupid..." Sooraya shook her head. "It's just... when you've converted, that will just go to the back of your mind and you'll just enjoy the ride. And talking about riding, do you feel ready to start walking? I'll just guide her around a bit."
"Yeah," Cecilia said after the slightest hesitation. "Yeah, let's just do this." She pet the horse, because it felt like the thing she should do. "Be gentle," she murmured to it.
"Alright, here we go." Sooraya clicked her tongue and Donja started walking slowly. "You doing okay?"
"Sure," Cecilia said, trying to sound nonchalant despite her continued unease. "Doing great." She could feel the horse breathing beneath her, and it didn't help. "Just, very casual up here."
"You're doing just fine."
