just wanted to take pictures of horses

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe really just wanted to take pictures of horses. She'd heard that there was a stable, which she hadn't recalled hearing about yet. It struck her as odd that she'd have missed something like that, but she supposed that the school was likely to be growing, adding on additions and the like for a while now. Or perhaps this was just something that Zoe hadn't gotten around to seeing just yet. Either way, she knew she wanted to take pictures of the horses. Truthfully, part of her wanted to ride them too, but she wasn't sure that they'd let her, or that she even could.

The picture taking would likely have been simple enough, had Zoe not been placed under near constant supervision. That meant that Zoe had to ask permission from the staff to venture outside of her dorm or class, and the stables certainly counted as that. So, despite the stables being the eventual destination and all, Zoe actually had to begin her little trip at the closest school entrance. She had been told to wait until a staff member approached her. Zoe'd heard that a few of them had "volunteered" to accompany her, since at least most of the staff seemed sympathetic to Zoe's plight.

So the slim British girl stood near the entrance, fidgeting with her camera. Said camera was expensive, professional grade and ready to take pictures onto actual film. The impressive thing hung around Zoe's neck, adding another layer on top of a lace choker that Zoe had attached. her collar tucked in to the bottom of it, meaning that she'd left only her face uncovered by cloth. For her shirt was as long-sleeved as ever, and both hands were encased in leather gloves. She'd opted for sturdy boots, and her skirt had a slit, meaning that she could, if allowed, actually ride, though Zoe doubted that.

She heard someone approaching and she actually jumped. They just sounded... big. Zoe's eyes went wide as she turned, looking around, figuring that her 'staff supervisor" must be coming close. They sounded... large.

[Slade Konrad]

Slade Konrad was an unhappy person these days. Since the announcement of the SPECTRE Initiative caused the growing paranoia and fear within the Academy his nightmares had gotten worse. Sure, the big man was an avid hunter and occasionally fought in some rinky dink MMA outfit that put on shows in Kalispell every once in a blue moon, but it had been over two years since he'd taken up arms against another human being with the intent to kill. It'd been that long since his last deployment to the sand box, as his Army buddies called it, but sometimes he felt he'd never left.

When everything went down and the Academy went to hell Slade was the first to sign up for extra duty.  He was one of the few staff members who'd been trained for this.  As reluctant a participant as he would be, Slade Konrad was made for war and he'd be damned if one of his students would get caught up in it.  More than likely that trigger is what sparked his nightmares again.  He could smell it in the air, feel it in every nerve of his body.  War was coming.  

Given his extensive training on the subject, it would stand to reason Slade would be upset at drawing a personal security detail and not something much more widespread.  It wasn't so when it came to the curious case of one Ms. Wallerstein-Smythe.  Slade had read the reports.  He knew what had happened while the rest of the Academy had congregated to the auditorium to hear the headmaster break the unpleasant news.  The talks in the Academy offices were still on politics.  He never cared for that side of war.  Until the shit hit the fan Slade was perfectly content with having boots on ground, helping where he could.

Rounding the corner he caught sight of Zoe.  He dwarfed her in every way imaginable.  "Ms. Wallerstein-Smyth."  He said with a faint nod as he approached her.  His demeanor was that of a hired professional, not a teacher.  He was on the clock now.  She could have her fun doing cartwheels in the hay, or whatever it was she wanted to do out here but was switched on.  He would treat her security like a life or death situation...  even while smack dab in the middle of the secure confines of the Academy.

"Carry on."  He said with a slight wave of his hand.  His attention turned to the mental perimeter he'd set up.  He scanned the horizon from behind his black sunglasses.  He'd opted to forgo the track pants he normally wore in favor of a pair of black jeans, heavy black boots, and a matching t-shirt.  Zoe would glimpse a large, intricate tattoo etched into his right forearm and the chain from a pair of dog tags that hung around his neck glinted in the sunlight.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

The man was scary, really scary. He kind of reminded Zoe of a giant shaved-bear or something. A shaved bear that had gotten tattoos and spent a few too many hours working out. Zoe felt like she should know who this was, since he looked rather official and imposing and such, but she didn't find a name floating up to match the rather surly looking face. She ended up standing still instead of immediately moving, sort of shuffling her feet and alternating between looking down at them and shyly up at the big man.

Carry on, he said, gesturing. Zoe moved for a moment, shuffling toward the door, then looked back up at the big slab of a man. She couldn't help but wonder if his mutation was that he was very, very large or something along those lines. Was that a legitimate power? It sounded legitimate.

"Um, you could call me Zoe if you... want," said Zoe, trailing off at the end and looking toward the door. She took a few more shuffling steps toward it, then looked back up at the man. Then at the door, then at the man yet again. "So, um, is there anything special I'm supposed to do? I wanted to go to the stables and get some pictures or something..." her words sank in volume as she went on, till she was nearly mumbling the last few, clutching her camera like the protective talisman it had become. She shifted again, looking away and taking a halfhearted, shuffling step toward the door.

[Slade Konrad]

When you've spent as much time seeing the bloody toll of war as Slade had, it was easy to forget not every victim of a conflict sustains injuries on the battlefield. For a moment he was back in Afghanistan, charged with the protection and transport of a key political leader. He was half expecting to find the girl cowering inside the stables as a strike team closed in on the building. He sighed heavily, the expression ont he girl's face as she peered up at him immediately softened his demeanor. War may still be on the horizon but it wasn't here yet.

"Mister Konrad." He offered his name in return. There was no reason to get too casual, he was still a teacher here, after all. "Come on." He said, putting on the best smile he could given the circumstances. "Let's get you inside then." He gripped the handle of the large door leading into the stables and pulled it open. "Sorry if I scared you." He said, brushing his hands against each other. "You know why I need to be here and I can overreact."

The big man wasn't above recognizing and owning up to his mistakes. He'd approached the situation much more aggressively than he should have. Sometimes it was difficult to keep the soldier pushed down and let the teacher take charge. "Do you ride often?" He asked, quickly moving forward with a topic of conversation in an attempt to warm their initial frigid meeting.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Mister Konrad; it suited the big man. he sort of looked like a Mister Konrad, or perhaps a Colonel Konrad. Zoe was struck by that for a moment, and she was half tempted to ask. That felt forward to her, however, so she simply logged it away for later. She nodded as Mr. Konrad opened the door, offering to effectively hold it open for her. She ducked around him, careful to avoid touching the big man any more than she had to. It seemed almost strange, considering that he loomed over her and was probably twice Zoe's size, yet she was afraid of hurting him instead of the other way around. She nearly sank into her clothing, even as she stepped into the stable.

The horse smell hit her almost immediately, though it didn't bother Zoe. She hadn't spent much time in stables before, but she certainly recognized it. The large Mr. Konrad no doubt hovered just behind her. Overreact... wasn't that a good thing in an escort? Or bad? Zoe took a few hesitant steps into the building while she mulled it over, pausing just shy of the first horse. The light in here was good, but part of Zoe wanted to go past to the area just outside, where they let the horses out.

"Hmm? Um, no, not really," admitted Zoe, flushing. "I, um, mostly wanted to take pictures," she held up the camera shyly, then lowered it, tapping it for a bit. "I... like to take pictures of things," she said, again nearly mumbling and sort of trying to sink in to herself. It felt silly now that she said it, coming to the stables to take pictures of horses instead of riding them. True, she was dressed to ride, but she wasn't even sure if her guide could really do that. He did have a sort of warrior-esque look to him. Actually, Zoe found herself looking at him, mentally painting a picture of him in armor.

the modern knight
guards the shy princess
his sternness is his armor
his steel he wears inside
he looms like a bear
but if he is a bear, it is a papa bear
a bear that growls
a bear that guards
a bear in armor.

[Slade Konrad]

The smell of the stable was an all too familiar one for the hulking teacher.  He had a bit of a country boy streak in him and he'd spent his fair share of time on the backs of horses.  He stepped up to flank Zoe, carefully reaching an upturned palm to the horse she had shyly refused to approach.  The large animal's ears twitched as it sniffed curiously at the presented hand.  Slade smiled a little.  "There ya go."  He said quietly as he petted the horse's muzzle and forehead.  These horses were much more docile than the last ones he'd dealt with.  At least they had that going for them.  "It's alright."  Slade glanced to Zoe and nodded toward the horse.  "She's friendly."  He silently wondered if there'd be a horse large enough for him to ride.  It'd been a while, but he didn't think it'd be too difficult to get the hang of it again.  

With his arm extended Zoe could fully see the tattoo inked into his inner forearm.  It was an intricate, brightly colored piece of a sword stuck into the ground flanked by a trio of flags.  The largest was the traditional Stars and Stripes that flew just above the blade's handle.  Beneath it, on either side, were the national flags for Iraq and Afghanistan.  Some sort of list inked in small print scaled down each side of the blade.  Closer inspection would reveal it to be a list of names.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe watched tentatively as Slade approached the animals, obviously more comfortable around the horses than she herself. He seemed almost at home here, which really only reinforced her earlier knight image. Without thinking about it, or asking permission for that matter, Zoe lifted up her camera, aimed carefully, and took a snapshot of Slade tending to one of the animals. She lowered the camera slowly, still watching and listening to Slade. She'd noticed the tattoos and such, and thought she vaguely recalled them meaning something.

Zoe opened her mouth to ask or say something, but instead found that the words were not coming. She opted instead to close them and cautiously approached the nearest animal, looking up at it. Surprisingly, it didn't seem that nervous about her, simply whinnying and shaking its head in that manner horses often did whenever approached by someone new. Zoe held her hand out slowly, before caressing the side of the horse's face.

"Um," she said, glancing over at Slade. "You seem... comfortable around them," she looked at the animals, then at Slade, and she couldn't help but smile a little. "I keep thinking that you look like a knight or something," she said, chuckling nervously. "Sorry, I'm, um, not great around.. people," she bit her lip and patted the horse again. She just wanted to pet the animal a little more, then maybe take some more pictures. She was beginning to think that she certainly couldn't ride today; she didn't really know how to get them prepared...

[Slade Konrad]

"Yeah." The big man nodded as he patted the horse on the forehead. "The mountains of Afghanistan are too high for choppers and the roads too narrow for trucks." He grinned a little at the memory. "It was either learn how to ride a horse or be the only one sitting on a donkey." He still had the pictures the guys took goofing around during the off hours with the donkey.

"I'm no hero, if that's what you mean." His tone sobered. He wasn't a knight. They were supposed to be noble, marching into battle, willing to die for nothing more than God and Country. Slade was just a man doing his job be it overseas for Uncle Sam or in Montana for the Academy.

Slade dropped his arms to his sides and glanced down the length of the stables. "Come on." He said, heading for the last stall where the equipment was usually stored. "Let's see if we can't get you on one of these things." He glanced over his shoulder to Zoe. "Unless you just wanted to take pictures." Slade didn't think there'd be a horse large enough for him to ride comfortably and he certainly didn't have permission to saddle a horse and take it out, but the poor girl was going to be under constant surveillance until further notice. She might as well have fun when she could.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Afghanistan... Zoe did recall that America had been at war with them. It had started before she'd come here, and she hadn't really been one to get that much into such things. It was slightly surprising to hear that they still used horses, but Zoe could understand the logic there. She actually smiled at the thought of the burly man on a donkey; it did sound like something out of a cartoon.

The hero comment sobered Zoe though, making her shift for a moment, looking away. She did find words sort of drifting out of her though: "You're a soldier though, and soldiers are the ones that know what it's really like to fight and protect..." she trailed off. She did admire soldiers, true, but she knew that she also poetized them, as she did so often. she couldn't really help it: the world looked that way to her, so that's how she communicated it back.

Zoe actually yelped as Slade walked past her. she stood stock still while he talked about getting a horse ready. "Um, I'm not--" she tried, taking a few steps closer, her hands going to her camera. "I don't know if I should---don't you need permission?" she looked at the horses. They seemed strangely calm around her, which surprised her. She would've thought that her mutation would've made them jumpy. "I do want to ride, but I had just sort of figured that I should just take pictures," she murmured, shuffling her feet. She was dressed for riding though, obviously. But she wasn't sure what she should do with her camera. She hadn't thought to grab its protective case, and she didn't just want to set it somewhere. She started halfheartedly looking now, wanting at least some place to put it.

[Slade Konrad]

Slade had the war wounds and a box of medals tucked under his bed that proved Zoe's point. He still wouldn't relent. War, real, actual war, was something he didn't need to burden this girl with. She had her own burden to carry he'd be damned if he'd add to it. All he would do is offer a nod. "I was a soldier."  His own words echoed within his mind.  "I'm just a teacher now."  He didn't mean to sound like that was a step down.  Guiding the next generation into adulthood was a noble profession.  It should give him a sense of accomplishment being a teacher and mentor but he couldn't fool himself.  He missed war.  He missed his war.  His rifle.  His mission.  His men.

He actually visibly shook of the thought as he strode through the stables.  The focus has to be on the girl.  He told himself.  The mission always came first.  A thin smirk cracked on the big man's face.  "I don't have permission."  His hands gripped the wooden door of the equipment room and pulled it open to reveal the ample supplies at the Academy's disposal.  "But I won't say anything if you don't."  He ventured into the room and looked over the community saddles hanging on the wall.  His eyes narrowed some as he tried to recall the correct procedures for making sure the horse was as comfortable as the rider.  Then, as it came to him, he nodded.  "Yeah."  Another smile touched his lips but this one Zoe couldn't see.  He was too busy pulling a saddle from its hooks.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe was tempted to suggest that teaching could have easily counted as war too, but she didn't want to say anything. Mostly because she could see the memories playing out on Slade's face. He unnerved her, and she didn't want to do anything to upset him. He likely carried quite a bit, and Zoe didn't want to burden him any more than she already had.

He stalked down the stables now, clearly not caring about permissions or what have. Zoe decided that she might as well go along with it, not least of all because she wanted to. She followed close enough to see all the supplies. To Zoe's credit, she recognized quite a lot of it: reins, tackle, muzzles, saddles and the like. She had gone horseback riding before; that had been part of the draw. she'd just had someone else saddle up the horse for her at the time. she watched him carefully, considering his every move.

Definitely a bear, one that lumbered but had an idea of its own weight. "Um, thank you," Zoe managed after several moments of silence, "for doing all this. You don't really have to," she fidgeted again, finger her camera. Eventually she saw a little cubby section where people could leave valuables and the like. She very carefully removed her camera, wrapping it in her scarf and then making sure to pad it further before gently setting in into a section. She still felt nervous about leaving it, but she figured she'd feel worse if she had it around her neck while dealing with the horses.

Zoe nodded as she had everything situated, then turned back to Mr. Konrad. "Alright, um, is there something I could do to help? I have ridden a horse before," she tried, as well as taking a few tentative steps forward. She was much shyer in regards to the hulking teacher than the animals, that much was certain.

[Slade Konrad]

"Don't worry about it." Slade replied dismissively as he looked over the saddle with a wary eye. Eventually he nodded, satisfied it would suit their needs. "With everything that's been going on lately it'll do us both good to relax." He slung the saddle over his shoulder and made a point to gather any other necessary items for Zoe's impending ride before heading back toward the horse they'd first interacted with. He would pause, however, as he stepped out of the supply room to ensure he never ventured too far from the girl. There was still a mission to be fulfilled, after all.

Even when apparently relaxed (and disobeying orders) Slade moved with a sense of purpose. Not a single motion was wasted and there was no hesitation. Once his mind was set, his body followed with unyielding efficiency. "Have you saddled a horse before?" He asked, glancing down to the girl. He was still piecing together the entire procedure himself but he'd figure it out easily enough. Maybe teaching her would help ease her mind. Slade was starting to worry he'd intimidated the girl beyond repair when he'd first approached her.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Oh, so he needed to relax too. Of course he did: he was a member of the staff, one with training and experience. Zoe was willing to bet that Mr. Konrad could feel the breath of battle nearby or something similar to that. She could certainly see him fighting to protect the students and, if she were being honest, knowing that someone like that would do so made her feel a good deal safer. not everyone at this school was a wilting flower like her.

Though this flower did have a deadly touch, she supposed. Zoe watched Mr. Konrad as he gathered the gear, taking note of everything, mentally reminding herself of most of it. He asked a question, and Zoe felt reflex kicking in: teachers asked, you responded. "No sir," she practically squeaked, "I did ride one before, but someone else prepared it. I do sort of know how it works though," mostly from reading romance novels and, well, actually riding a horse or two. She understood the basics, and she moved tentatively forward now, feeling that she should at least make the offer to help, even if Mr. Konrad seemed fairly determined to do this on his own.

"You did say that you rode horses before, sir," she ventured, again sounding tentative, "but maybe you had a squire to prepare it? I mean a helper, a, um, quartermaster," she flushed, feeling embarrassed that she'd mentioned it. she tried to take another step toward the horse, then realized that she hadn't been asked and really didn't know what to do next, so she ended up awkwardly shuffling about.

[Slade Konrad]

"Alright." He said with a short sigh as he stopped in front of the chosen horse's stall. "We'll go through it together since I'm a little rusty too." With a grunt he slung the saddle over the top of the stall's gate and unlocked the latch. "Where are you originally from?" Slade asked as he carefully approached the horse. The small talk would serve to keep Zoe's mind off why he was there in the first place (he hoped) while also giving him the opportunity to learn a little more about her.

Despite his size Slade was remarkably precise as he deftly saddled the horse. It came back to him easier than he'd hoped. "No, we had to prep everything ourselves." He said while buckling here or tightening there. There was only four of us most of the time." Slade wasn't prone to telling war stories, although he was more inclined to if prompted. In looking over the girl he didn't know if she'd be able to handle many of the tales he'd have to tell. "We were so far out the horses were the difference between life and death." He reached up to lightly pat the large animal on the forehead. It was a gentle gesture as if he was thinking the creature for the services its long lost cousin had provided.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe nodded, glad to help get things situated. She did as Slade did, moving to get her own gear and position it on her own horse. She didn't seem to have an issue doing this, beyond struggling a little with the weight of some of the heavier gear. "What? Oh, um, I was born in London," she volunteered, moving to adjust the blanket and get things together, still looking over at Slade and following as best she could. "My father moved to the states after my mother left us," she moved to adjust, "and he married my stepmother," she nodded and adjusted a little more.

That was some basic knowledge, though Zoe supposed it was probably more than Mr. Konrad really needed. He'd already shared though, and started sharing more. Zoe listened, ending up nodding at his explanation. "Oh, that's right, you said it was because you were in an area that required such transportation. I almost forgot, sorry," she shifted again, tugging at things before moving to lift up the saddle. She struggled to get it into position, wobbling and suddenly very glad that she'd left her camera in a cubby. She realized her balance had been compromised and altered her situation so she at least landed into a soft pile of hay, though with the saddle on top of her and that very familiar blush rising to her face again.