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Description
Arrival image for #HARPG-Outlaw-Trail
Other images:
[link] Sepia portrait
[link] Coloured Portrait
[link] Advert
[link] Bonus Picture next

Played with both lighting and perspective here! And trailers. -shakes fist- I got lazy when it was time to colour the trailer though, so it looks somewhat scant. OOPS! xD Oh well! Hopefully you guys like it anyway! Not the trailer coz that's rubbish. But the other stuff. The stuff I actually did spend time on. -bashes head against wall- Oh lazeh bones.

Also, lineart on the computer takes way too long D: The next few pictures may be inked traditionally because of lack of time. IF ONLY THERE WERE MORE HOURS IN A DAY! Thus, I apologize in advance for wibbly-wobbly, black lines! Dey make da world saaaad. Also forgive my nonfunctional brain. Not Brian. 'Tis dead, 'tis dead. My brain. Not Brian.

I dunno Brian.

ALONSY ALONSO!

Character Index:
Roo - generally easy going, native of Australia, has delusions of cowboy grandeur.
Spawn - high maintenance Nordanner mare; frankly, a bit of a bitch
Chess - long distance friend of Roo's; belongs to ~Tattered-Dreams

Introducing:
Ginny Wright - 11 year old long-time student at Carousel Stables in NZ (mentioned)

Roo yanked at the collar of his gaudy Hawaiian shirt, the one little Ginny had given him for his birthday a few months ago. Everyone at home hated it; it was bright orange and strewn with palm trees and surfboards, and they'd officially banned it from the stable. In fact, if he so much as looked at the Mews while hawaii-clad, he'd be kicked off the property or sent up to Mark's room to borrow what they called 'a real shirt'. One time, they'd made him put of one of Effy's. He'd disliked the frills and lace, and had never worn the shirt again. Just in case.

But now he was nowhere near the Mews, or the stable, or even Matamata in general. He was in Utah. Finally. After a fourteen hour flight into LA, and then another nine and a half hours driving, he was almost there. And he could wear his shirt. Cowboys, horses and hawaiian shirts. This was the life.

He pulled his truck into the road which led up to the Academy (according to the map; though he'd already gotten hopelessly lost once, and trusted the stupid piece of paper about as far as he could throw it -- which isn't far, if you've ever tried to throw paper. The stupid thing always comes floating back) and glanced around, worried. After a moment, the rich fields began to show signs of life: a horse here, a car there, and the closer they got to the academy itself, the more people and horses, tents and trailers were peppered over the lush landscape.

He was late, he realized (not at all surprised) as he drove his truck and trailer slowly off the path and into a grassy paddock. His eyes hunted for someone in particular -- he'd never seen her, but he was sure he'd know her when he saw her. But the farther in he drove, the less likely that seemed. Finally, he eased the truck and trailer to a stop and stepped out onto the soft grass.

Spawn whinnied from inside the trailer, demanding to be let out. Nearly hours in a car was too long for anyone, especially her. They'd stopped a few times for quick rides in rural places, but that had done almost nothing to drain her energy, and Roo knew it. Nevertheless, he ignored her, fishing his mobile out of his pocket and searching through the contacts for Chess' number. They'd probably be leaving again in a few moments anyway.

A loud, metallic clang cut his hunt short, and Spawn whinnied angrily from the trailer behind him. She hated trailers, and considering they had stopped, she had no idea why she was still trapped inside one. It was beyond unacceptable!

His finger hovered over the number when he found it, and a rush of adrenaline coursed through him. He was here, he realized. He was here! In no time at all, he'd be an actual cowboy! Sort of! And as he did with most everything in his life, he was going to go all out. He intended to fake the accent at first, but had practiced alone in the car (four hours was a LONG time when you were stuck alone in a truck) but he'd sounded even to himself like a dying meerkat, so he figured throwing in a random ‘y’all’ or a ‘pardner’ every now and then would be perfectly authentic. Authentic enough for him in any case.

Spawn whinnied loudly once more and snapped him out of his delightful reverie. “Chill your whiskers, Spawn, I’m coming,” he told her, slightly put off by her rude interruptions of his cowboy dreams and aspirations. Spawn snorted impatiently and slammed her hoof into the trailer door once more as her minion hurried to oblige.

Roo quickly pulled down the gate, and Spawn glared at him (as best a horse can) over her shoulder, giving a hard tug to the rope which kept her firmly attached to the trailer. She pulled harder as he came around to untie it, giving him an angry whinny as he worked her free as quickly as he could.

Which naturally wasn’t quick enough. Spawn snorted again and sent him an irritated whicker, stomping her hoof expectantly onto the hey-covered trailer floor. “Yeah, yeah. I heard you the first time,” he told her, giving her a rough pat on the withers.

It felt to Spawn as though a lifetime had passed as she waited for him to lead her out, obliging more than happily as she clopped energetically down the ramp and onto the grass. Grass! her mind squealed as she crushed it beneath her hooves. It seemed like years since she had last touched grass! It was marvelous! It was splendid! It was the most amazing sensation she had ever had, coming out into the light of the setting sun, breathing in the fresh desert air and plunging her dark hooves in and out of the brush. She wanted to run and dance and prance, going as far and as fast as she could. That was a good idea; she'd do it! She'd do it now! Whether Roo liked it or not! With a loud trumpeting call, she made a small half rear (all for show; she was nothing if not an entertainer) and forged ahead -- and was yanked back. She snorted angrily and threw her head over her shoulder, trying to locate her lead line. There it was, tied to the trailer. Tied. Again. Again with the 'tied'. Always with the bleeding 'tied!'

She snorted furiously and pawed at the grass, uprooting it as Roo ran a hand through her firey forelock. "I know, but it's just for a while, yeah? Then we'll take a ride, I promise."

She gave him a defeated snort, but didn't try to bolt again. Instead, she gave him a gentle nip and thrust her head into his chest, demanding to be patted and loved.

Roo stroked her gently as he dialed Chess, running her long mane between his fingers, absentmindedly working out the tangles as he listened to the monotonous ring of Chess' mobile. After a moment, she picked up.

" Chess!" he exclaimed excitedly, pulling his hand away from the mare and pressing it against his other ear. "Hey! How's things? Look, sorry, I'm lost... I think. I'm in a field that looks rather a lot like every other field I've ever seen in my life. Ever. Defining traits -- there's some people here. Aaaaand... I'm here too. Also I think Spawn stepped on a frog. Okay, I'll stop talking. Anyway, where you at?" he rambled, finishing suddenly as he shoved Spawn's broad head away from his hand; it was completely and utterly wrong that she was not being petted. He had one free arm; why wasn't it scratching her behind the ear?! There was something seriously wrong with him, and she aimed to tell him.

Roo heard her laughing on the other end of the line and subconsciously put on a puzzled look as he tried to note all of her directions. Take the second left after the main building, drive straight down some small road, something about some building, there was a flag thrown in there somewhere, and also possibly a hamster. He was lost.

"Right, well, I got none of that," he told her, pushing Spawn backwards and taking a step away, so she couldn't reach his hair -- she had an irritating habit of chewing at it when she wanted his attention, and the last thing he wanted was to finally meet Chess and Cat completely doused in horse spit.

Spawn whinnied angrily, trying to grab his attention as he moved away, and stomped her hoof into the earth. Why was he being so difficult?!

"Where's the... stables...? Erm.... Haven't the foggiest actually," he said with a frown, looking around the field to see if he could spot it. "I don't think we passed it. I hope. I didn't see a building in any case. I think. There's a possibility it's to the left, but then it may be to the right as well. I doubt it's straight; there isn't a road. Just mountains. And probably some -- SPAWN!" he yelped as the mare reached out and chomped him on the bottom. That'd teach him to ignore her. "OW!" he exclaimed, leaping away from her teeth as she called out to him once more.

"No, not -- it's nothing. Just Spawn being a b -- bad horse," he muttered into his mobile. Spawn blinked her big, round eyes at him innocently, as though startled that he could accuse her of ever doing anything of the sort. But Roo wasn't falling for it as he rubbed his aching bum. It was his turn to glare. "I think she needs a bit of a ride. I'll take her out, see if I can find you lot. Wait up for me; coz I'll likely call you back crying in a few hours. Have the rescue team ready. See you later, I hope!"

He hung up and quickly shoved the small, outdated machine into his pocket before daring to approach Spawn again, offering her his hand as a white flag. She shoved her nose into it and waited as he rubbed her gently. Then he slid past her and locked up the truck and the trailer, and untied her from it. She whinnied happily and he just barely managed to throw himself onto her back as she took off down the field. He yanked back on the lead rope and turned her around, back towards the way they had come; she was remarkably well trained, (in theory) not that you'd know it, and with a grumpy snort, she turned around and bolted towards the gate. She may be following his lead, but that didn't mean she was
following his stupid snail's pace. She was running. Finally.

That was ridiculously long. Sorreh >.<
Horse Ref: [link]
Spaw

Description
Arrival image for #HARPG-Outlaw-Trail
Other images:
[link] Sepia portrait
[link] Coloured Portrait
[link] Advert
[link] Bonus Picture next

Played with both lighting and perspective here! And trailers. -shakes fist- I got lazy when it was time to colour the trailer though, so it looks somewhat scant. OOPS! xD Oh well! Hopefully you guys like it anyway! Not the trailer coz that's rubbish. But the other stuff. The stuff I actually did spend time on. -bashes head against wall- Oh lazeh bones.

Also, lineart on the computer takes way too long D: The next few pictures may be inked traditionally because of lack of time. IF ONLY THERE WERE MORE HOURS IN A DAY! Thus, I apologize in advance for wibbly-wobbly, black lines! Dey make da world saaaad. Also forgive my nonfunctional brain. Not Brian. 'Tis dead, 'tis dead. My brain. Not Brian.

I dunno Brian.

ALONSY ALONSO!

Character Index:
Roo - generally easy going, native of Australia, has delusions of cowboy grandeur.
Spawn - high maintenance Nordanner mare; frankly, a bit of a bitch
Chess - long distance friend of Roo's; belongs to ~Tattered-Dreams

Introducing:
Ginny Wright - 11 year old long-time student at Carousel Stables in NZ (mentioned)

Roo yanked at the collar of his gaudy Hawaiian shirt, the one little Ginny had given him for his birthday a few months ago. Everyone at home hated it; it was bright orange and strewn with palm trees and surfboards, and they'd officially banned it from the stable. In fact, if he so much as looked at the Mews while hawaii-clad, he'd be kicked off the property or sent up to Mark's room to borrow what they called 'a real shirt'. One time, they'd made him put of one of Effy's. He'd disliked the frills and lace, and had never worn the shirt again. Just in case.

But now he was nowhere near the Mews, or the stable, or even Matamata in general. He was in Utah. Finally. After a fourteen hour flight into LA, and then another nine and a half hours driving, he was almost there. And he could wear his shirt. Cowboys, horses and hawaiian shirts. This was the life.

He pulled his truck into the road which led up to the Academy (according to the map; though he'd already gotten hopelessly lost once, and trusted the stupid piece of paper about as far as he could throw it -- which isn't far, if you've ever tried to throw paper. The stupid thing always comes floating back) and glanced around, worried. After a moment, the rich fields began to show signs of life: a horse here, a car there, and the closer they got to the academy itself, the more people and horses, tents and trailers were peppered over the lush landscape.

He was late, he realized (not at all surprised) as he drove his truck and trailer slowly off the path and into a grassy paddock. His eyes hunted for someone in particular -- he'd never seen her, but he was sure he'd know her when he saw her. But the farther in he drove, the less likely that seemed. Finally, he eased the truck and trailer to a stop and stepped out onto the soft grass.

Spawn whinnied from inside the trailer, demanding to be let out. Nearly hours in a car was too long for anyone, especially her. They'd stopped a few times for quick rides in rural places, but that had done almost nothing to drain her energy, and Roo knew it. Nevertheless, he ignored her, fishing his mobile out of his pocket and searching through the contacts for Chess' number. They'd probably be leaving again in a few moments anyway.

A loud, metallic clang cut his hunt short, and Spawn whinnied angrily from the trailer behind him. She hated trailers, and considering they had stopped, she had no idea why she was still trapped inside one. It was beyond unacceptable!

His finger hovered over the number when he found it, and a rush of adrenaline coursed through him. He was here, he realized. He was here! In no time at all, he'd be an actual cowboy! Sort of! And as he did with most everything in his life, he was going to go all out. He intended to fake the accent at first, but had practiced alone in the car (four hours was a LONG time when you were stuck alone in a truck) but he'd sounded even to himself like a dying meerkat, so he figured throwing in a random ‘y’all’ or a ‘pardner’ every now and then would be perfectly authentic. Authentic enough for him in any case.

Spawn whinnied loudly once more and snapped him out of his delightful reverie. “Chill your whiskers, Spawn, I’m coming,” he told her, slightly put off by her rude interruptions of his cowboy dreams and aspirations. Spawn snorted impatiently and slammed her hoof into the trailer door once more as her minion hurried to oblige.

Roo quickly pulled down the gate, and Spawn glared at him (as best a horse can) over her shoulder, giving a hard tug to the rope which kept her firmly attached to the trailer. She pulled harder as he came around to untie it, giving him an angry whinny as he worked her free as quickly as he could.

Which naturally wasn’t quick enough. Spawn snorted again and sent him an irritated whicker, stomping her hoof expectantly onto the hey-covered trailer floor. “Yeah, yeah. I heard you the first time,” he told her, giving her a rough pat on the withers.

It felt to Spawn as though a lifetime had passed as she waited for him to lead her out, obliging more than happily as she clopped energetically down the ramp and onto the grass. Grass! her mind squealed as she crushed it beneath her hooves. It seemed like years since she had last touched grass! It was marvelous! It was splendid! It was the most amazing sensation she had ever had, coming out into the light of the setting sun, breathing in the fresh desert air and plunging her dark hooves in and out of the brush. She wanted to run and dance and prance, going as far and as fast as she could. That was a good idea; she'd do it! She'd do it now! Whether Roo liked it or not! With a loud trumpeting call, she made a small half rear (all for show; she was nothing if not an entertainer) and forged ahead -- and was yanked back. She snorted angrily and threw her head over her shoulder, trying to locate her lead line. There it was, tied to the trailer. Tied. Again. Again with the 'tied'. Always with the bleeding 'tied!'

She snorted furiously and pawed at the grass, uprooting it as Roo ran a hand through her firey forelock. "I know, but it's just for a while, yeah? Then we'll take a ride, I promise."

She gave him a defeated snort, but didn't try to bolt again. Instead, she gave him a gentle nip and thrust her head into his chest, demanding to be patted and loved.

Roo stroked her gently as he dialed Chess, running her long mane between his fingers, absentmindedly working out the tangles as he listened to the monotonous ring of Chess' mobile. After a moment, she picked up.

" Chess!" he exclaimed excitedly, pulling his hand away from the mare and pressing it against his other ear. "Hey! How's things? Look, sorry, I'm lost... I think. I'm in a field that looks rather a lot like every other field I've ever seen in my life. Ever. Defining traits -- there's some people here. Aaaaand... I'm here too. Also I think Spawn stepped on a frog. Okay, I'll stop talking. Anyway, where you at?" he rambled, finishing suddenly as he shoved Spawn's broad head away from his hand; it was completely and utterly wrong that she was not being petted. He had one free arm; why wasn't it scratching her behind the ear?! There was something seriously wrong with him, and she aimed to tell him.

Roo heard her laughing on the other end of the line and subconsciously put on a puzzled look as he tried to note all of her directions. Take the second left after the main building, drive straight down some small road, something about some building, there was a flag thrown in there somewhere, and also possibly a hamster. He was lost.

"Right, well, I got none of that," he told her, pushing Spawn backwards and taking a step away, so she couldn't reach his hair -- she had an irritating habit of chewing at it when she wanted his attention, and the last thing he wanted was to finally meet Chess and Cat completely doused in horse spit.

Spawn whinnied angrily, trying to grab his attention as he moved away, and stomped her hoof into the earth. Why was he being so difficult?!

"Where's the... stables...? Erm.... Haven't the foggiest actually," he said with a frown, looking around the field to see if he could spot it. "I don't think we passed it. I hope. I didn't see a building in any case. I think. There's a possibility it's to the left, but then it may be to the right as well. I doubt it's straight; there isn't a road. Just mountains. And probably some -- SPAWN!" he yelped as the mare reached out and chomped him on the bottom. That'd teach him to ignore her. "OW!" he exclaimed, leaping away from her teeth as she called out to him once more.

"No, not -- it's nothing. Just Spawn being a b -- bad horse," he muttered into his mobile. Spawn blinked her big, round eyes at him innocently, as though startled that he could accuse her of ever doing anything of the sort. But Roo wasn't falling for it as he rubbed his aching bum. It was his turn to glare. "I think she needs a bit of a ride. I'll take her out, see if I can find you lot. Wait up for me; coz I'll likely call you back crying in a few hours. Have the rescue team ready. See you later, I hope!"

He hung up and quickly shoved the small, outdated machine into his pocket before daring to approach Spawn again, offering her his hand as a white flag. She shoved her nose into it and waited as he rubbed her gently. Then he slid past her and locked up the truck and the trailer, and untied her from it. She whinnied happily and he just barely managed to throw himself onto her back as she took off down the field. He yanked back on the lead rope and turned her around, back towards the way they had come; she was remarkably well trained, (in theory) not that you'd know it, and with a grumpy snort, she turned around and bolted towards the gate. She may be following his lead, but that didn't mean she was
following his stupid snail's pace. She was running. Finally.

That was ridiculously long. Sorreh >.<
Horse Ref: [link]
Spaw