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Description
If this piece looks rough and a bit of a mish-mosh, it is. Playing around with Krita's brushes and trying new techniques, while starting to lay out some details of the farm. Have to say, I like the sketchiness of the barn side and as much as the crape myrtle made me struggle I like the end result! Just a little sketch.

Horse is OM Contemporary / Cecilie

Story:

Richie slowly came awake, barely acknowledging what woke him up at first. Then he heard it, his normal morning alarm clock: Kate's cat. The door to the garage opened, then a series of "ba-dumps" as the cat ran back to the bedroom before screaming her starving status. A sprinkle of cat food in one bowl, and then the pouring of the last pieces in the other bowl. As the cat started eating like she hadn't had food in a week, instead of about 12 hours before, he could hear drawers open and close. Kate was getting dressed, but she stepped so softly he couldn't hear her moving around. In seconds she was back out of the bedroom and he smiled to himself. His head ached a little, the aftermath of a night out at McGrath's, but Monday morning meant brunch. Then he remembered: Monday morning meant brunch. Groaning to himself, he tried to get the strength to get out of bed, knowing before too long Kate's little house would be filled with people, and he didn't particularly want them to see him naked.

Kate turned on Spotify, and started pulling things out of the fridge. Post-McGrath's brunches had started out innocently enough, just something she did for herself and Richie after post horse-show McGrath's, but it had steadily grown from there. It started when one of their friend's had crashed in her guest bedroom, naturally she fed him. The next time, they brought two friends home, and she fed them. The next time, even though they hadn't had to crash at Kate's place over night, they asked if she was cooking again. Then, as news does amongst the horse world, news of brunch had spread. Now, Kate never had any idea how many people to expect on any given Monday, but they usually had around a dozen people show up, tired, hungry, some hungover. It could be a lot of work, and her house wasn't really meant for so many people, but Kate wouldn't have it any other way. She loved that her home was now the place all their friends, and friends of friends, came for a meal, a beer, or a conversation.

Bacon was starting to pop and spit in her cast iron skillets, and Kate was starting to knead out the biscuit dough when Richie appeared, followed by Belle, the cat. The tall, thin Irishman came behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. Kate smiled and angled her cheek up to him. "Good morning," she said, purposely a little more chipper than normal. Richie chuckled, kissed the top of her head and walked over to the coffee, measuring out the grounds and starting the pot. "How're you feeling this morning?" she followed up, laughter on her voice. McGrath's was the bar everyone at the horse shows went to on Sunday nights, and as such could get rowdy. In reality, neither Richie nor Kate wanted to go often, 2-3 times a year was more than enough for them, but they were often peer pressured in to going, which was the case last night.

Richie just smiled but declined to answer, walking to the space that operated as storage and laundry room, also where the door to the garage was located, and started to pull out all the silverware, plates, and bowls Kate kept for their Monday routine. "I have to say, I do think I prefer Monday brunch without the hangover." He walked towards the sliding doors that led to the back deck, letting Belle out. "But it was fun last night, better than its been in a while," he heard Kate say, sounding vaguely distracted as she focused on her biscuits. Richie chuckled and walked outside.

Kate had just popped the last batch of biscuits in the oven then she heard the front door open. She looked up, wiping her hands on a towel and smiled at John and Mikey. "Y'all are early, nothing's ready yet." Mikey worked for John, and neither of them missed many Monday brunches. Mikey tried to reach for a piping hot biscuit cooling on the rack, but Kate slapped his hand. "What did I just say?"

As the bacon, eggs, biscuits, grits, sausages, and fruit started ti make their way to the back deck, so did more people. By the time Kate sat down, there were abouut a dozen people, and half the food was already gone. Kate took a mug of coffee from Richie, and smiled at the chaos of 8 or so Irish, two brits and a handful of Americans all talking around the food. It was chaos, and her back deck was the only space big enough to somewhat contain the chaos, but Kate wouldn't have it any other way.

*****

After everyone left, Richie and Kate cleaned up, then Kate went to her home office and Richie went to his farm. He put in a quick ride on Cecilie, checked in on the new import that he was going to show to Kate soon, and talked to Darragh about the status of the other horses and that weeks plans. By early afternoon, he had returned to his apartment over the barn, staring alternately at yet another cup of coffee, and out over the grass of the farm. The farm was beautiful, recently renovated but keeping a lot of the old charm. And there was quite a bit of land. There was even a house, not that Richie lived in it. Though Richie's ex hadn't lived in the house more than a month, she had been the one to renovate and design it, and the whole thing just felt too much like her. Kate refused to step foot in it, which is largely why he virtually lived at her little house, but it wasn't ideal. Neither was living in the smaller of the apartments over the barn, the larger of which he had given to long time manager and trainer in his own right, Darragh, and groom David.

As he sat there, looking out over the empty field past the arena and paddocks, he knew what he needed to do. He just hoped Kate would be on board.

Description
If this piece looks rough and a bit of a mish-mosh, it is. Playing around with Krita's brushes and trying new techniques, while starting to lay out some details of the farm. Have to say, I like the sketchiness of the barn side and as much as the crape myrtle made me struggle I like the end result! Just a little sketch.

Horse is OM Contemporary / Cecilie

Story:

Richie slowly came awake, barely acknowledging what woke him up at first. Then he heard it, his normal morning alarm clock: Kate's cat. The door to the garage opened, then a series of "ba-dumps" as the cat ran back to the bedroom before screaming her starving status. A sprinkle of cat food in one bowl, and then the pouring of the last pieces in the other bowl. As the cat started eating like she hadn't had food in a week, instead of about 12 hours before, he could hear drawers open and close. Kate was getting dressed, but she stepped so softly he couldn't hear her moving around. In seconds she was back out of the bedroom and he smiled to himself. His head ached a little, the aftermath of a night out at McGrath's, but Monday morning meant brunch. Then he remembered: Monday morning meant brunch. Groaning to himself, he tried to get the strength to get out of bed, knowing before too long Kate's little house would be filled with people, and he didn't particularly want them to see him naked.

Kate turned on Spotify, and started pulling things out of the fridge. Post-McGrath's brunches had started out innocently enough, just something she did for herself and Richie after post horse-show McGrath's, but it had steadily grown from there. It started when one of their friend's had crashed in her guest bedroom, naturally she fed him. The next time, they brought two friends home, and she fed them. The next time, even though they hadn't had to crash at Kate's place over night, they asked if she was cooking again. Then, as news does amongst the horse world, news of brunch had spread. Now, Kate never had any idea how many people to expect on any given Monday, but they usually had around a dozen people show up, tired, hungry, some hungover. It could be a lot of work, and her house wasn't really meant for so many people, but Kate wouldn't have it any other way. She loved that her home was now the place all their friends, and friends of friends, came for a meal, a beer, or a conversation.

Bacon was starting to pop and spit in her cast iron skillets, and Kate was starting to knead out the biscuit dough when Richie appeared, followed by Belle, the cat. The tall, thin Irishman came behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. Kate smiled and angled her cheek up to him. "Good morning," she said, purposely a little more chipper than normal. Richie chuckled, kissed the top of her head and walked over to the coffee, measuring out the grounds and starting the pot. "How're you feeling this morning?" she followed up, laughter on her voice. McGrath's was the bar everyone at the horse shows went to on Sunday nights, and as such could get rowdy. In reality, neither Richie nor Kate wanted to go often, 2-3 times a year was more than enough for them, but they were often peer pressured in to going, which was the case last night.

Richie just smiled but declined to answer, walking to the space that operated as storage and laundry room, also where the door to the garage was located, and started to pull out all the silverware, plates, and bowls Kate kept for their Monday routine. "I have to say, I do think I prefer Monday brunch without the hangover." He walked towards the sliding doors that led to the back deck, letting Belle out. "But it was fun last night, better than its been in a while," he heard Kate say, sounding vaguely distracted as she focused on her biscuits. Richie chuckled and walked outside.

Kate had just popped the last batch of biscuits in the oven then she heard the front door open. She looked up, wiping her hands on a towel and smiled at John and Mikey. "Y'all are early, nothing's ready yet." Mikey worked for John, and neither of them missed many Monday brunches. Mikey tried to reach for a piping hot biscuit cooling on the rack, but Kate slapped his hand. "What did I just say?"

As the bacon, eggs, biscuits, grits, sausages, and fruit started ti make their way to the back deck, so did more people. By the time Kate sat down, there were abouut a dozen people, and half the food was already gone. Kate took a mug of coffee from Richie, and smiled at the chaos of 8 or so Irish, two brits and a handful of Americans all talking around the food. It was chaos, and her back deck was the only space big enough to somewhat contain the chaos, but Kate wouldn't have it any other way.

*****

After everyone left, Richie and Kate cleaned up, then Kate went to her home office and Richie went to his farm. He put in a quick ride on Cecilie, checked in on the new import that he was going to show to Kate soon, and talked to Darragh about the status of the other horses and that weeks plans. By early afternoon, he had returned to his apartment over the barn, staring alternately at yet another cup of coffee, and out over the grass of the farm. The farm was beautiful, recently renovated but keeping a lot of the old charm. And there was quite a bit of land. There was even a house, not that Richie lived in it. Though Richie's ex hadn't lived in the house more than a month, she had been the one to renovate and design it, and the whole thing just felt too much like her. Kate refused to step foot in it, which is largely why he virtually lived at her little house, but it wasn't ideal. Neither was living in the smaller of the apartments over the barn, the larger of which he had given to long time manager and trainer in his own right, Darragh, and groom David.

As he sat there, looking out over the empty field past the arena and paddocks, he knew what he needed to do. He just hoped Kate would be on board.