Triple F Ranch Pt. 04

The flickering of the bonfire filled the area with soft light, providing a heat source in the already-too-hot night. But there was still something magical about sitting around a campfire at night. All the campers had gone to bed at this point leaving the group of trainers on their own to enjoy the evening. They were used to the hours so staying up a bit later didn't really affect them.

On one side of the fire sat Lila, she'd decided to come up and join them for a little while. She was dressed in a pair of comfortable pajama pants with a loose-fitting top and her hair let down around her in a cascade of blonde. She'd finished up for the day and had cleaned up but had zero interest in getting dressed to go out again. So she'd brought a big old bag of marshmallows and was roasting one over the fire as all of them chatted.

Not including Lila, there were six trainers in total. However, with how Ashley was currently sitting, one of them had been relegated to the position of armrest. Liam sat quietly on his knee's the woman's arm resting comfortably on his head while her nails dug gently into his scalp. On her left side was the woman with chocolatey-smooth skin from earlier, sitting in the oversized camping chair cuddled up to Ashley. The pair were quite close.

"A lovely evening, wouldn't you agree Belle?" Ashley asked the woman cuddled up to her. Belle mumbled softly, obviously a bit tired from the day's activities but eventually she did speak, "Yes. Though it's a bit hot with the fire."

Ashley chuckled, "True. But such nights are enjoyable even with the heat. Right, Liam?" She asked, turning her gaze to her armrest.

Liam kept his eyes trained downwards and gave his head a small nod in response, not uttering so much as a word.

Lila chuckled from across the fire, "What did Liam do to warrant such punishment?"

Ashley rolled her eyes, "Do you even need to ask?"

The pair shared a soft laugh, "That mouth of his DOES get him into trouble once in a while doesn't it?" Lila said simply.

Off to the side, a vibrantly red-haired woman chuckled, "I can remember a time when I wasn't so different. However, we can't fault him for being friendly at least. Liam does a great job at making people feel welcome even if he can be a bit.. over-enthusiastic." The redheaded woman had a vibrant Scottish accent which rolled off her tongue easily when she spoke.

"Quite true Claira. But at least you learned to filter yourself when appropriate." Ashley chimed in.

Claira huffed, "Hard to not filter yourself with a bit wedged between your teeth!"

On Clara's left, a young man wearing what seemed to be a traditional cowboy outfit smirked, "Aye. But y'looked SO good with that bit between your teeth Claira. When do we get to see Blush again anyway? I quite enjoyed her spunky attitude."

Claira tossed a marshmallow at the man, "Hey, you know full well I'm not allowed in hooves until my knee is fully healed. But when it is, perhaps Blush will come out to play for a little while. I do miss polo and derby."

The cowboy nodded, "I'm just teasin' Claira. All in good time. It's been a good time seein' you grow as a trainer. Y've got some talent for wrestlin' personalities into submission."

Ashley spoke up, "Speaking of which. What sign-offs do you still need Claira?"

Claira furrowed her brows, "Uh...good question." She glanced towards the cowboy with his boots kicked up on a handmade wooden stool, "A little help here Flint?"

The cowboy, Flint, let out a soft chuckle, "One of these days, y'll remember yer damn notebook." He reached into a leather pouch attached to his belt and pulled out a worn-looking notebook that he flipped open. He took a few moments flicking through some of the pages.

"Lessee. Y'still need Whip Circle, Flower Dressage, and Carting. Then yer all signed off!"

Claira motioned to Flint, "What he said."

Ashley smiled, "Alright. I'm betting we can get at least one of those signed off this week with some of these newbies. Speaking of which, seems like a decent bunch we've got this year! I'm excited to see how they do."

Lila chuckled as she swallowed the marshmallow she'd just finished roasting, "You're always excited to see how the newbies do. How is this any different?" She asked in obvious amusement.

Ashley dug her nails ever-so-slightly into Liam's scalp, massaging it softly as she tugged Belle in tight to her side, "A couple of them seem to have solid fitness levels, that Charlotte gal did the entire walk-around of the main facility today and didn't pass out immediately upon her return to camp. Oh! And Cyrus, I even convinced him to pull a cart of supplies with Liam earlier. Draft material for SURE, very strong legs. They're all a fair bit promising this time around."

"I'll accept that reasoning." Lila mused, leaning back and turning her eyes skyward. It was a beautiful night, with no clouds in the sky and a sea of stars twinkling above as the small pillar of smoke from their fire rose. In the distance, she could hear the soft crack of a whip from one of the indoor training areas. Some ponies had to be worked at night due to heat sensitivity or even allergies like pollen which were much more present during the day. Lila smiled.

Liam looked up from his spot at Ashley for a moment and then nodded his head towards the cabins. Most lights were still on at this point.

Ashley looked down at him for a long moment, rocking her head back and forth as she considered his unspoken question. She knew how Liam was. He had a big mouth, but an even bigger heart. He cared about people's experiences, and how they were feeling and was kinder than just about anyone on the property. She really couldn't fault him and since it wasn't terribly late she smiled, "Fine. But you owe me four hours of pull time next week. Deal?"

Liam nodded his head.

Ashley gave him a small pat, "Get on with it then. You've permission to speak freely."

"Thank you, Miss Ashley." Liam said, climbing to his feet and hurrying off to stop at his own cabin and tug out a backpack full of supplies before heading to the first in the horseshoe of cabins.

Flint raised an eyebrow, "Releasing the boisterous one upon em' so soon?"

Belle spoke up instead of Ashley this time, "Why not? He's the best welcome wagon we have. He generally knows where the lines are that he shouldn't cross."

Flint waved a hand, "Bah. He'll be all night..."

Belle smirked, "Just because you want to take the stallion for a roll in the hay doesn't mean he shouldn't have time to do his job." She said rather poignantly.

This brought about a round of chuckles from the group. It was no secret that Flint and Liam were quite fond of one another.

The group went back to their previous conversation. Discussing plans for the week as well as the division of responsibility.

Liam on the other hand made his way around the cabins, sitting and having conversations with anyone who wanted to. Asking if they needed anything and generally making sure everything was good. He fetched a few spare pillows, took a few minutes to fix a rebellious A/C unit, and made arrangements for snack trays to be brought to a few of the cabins by pressing a button on a small intercom located inside the door of each cabin. Twenty minutes later and the snack tray would be delivered by pony-express cart. Which was just a delivery cart with a pony pulling it looking rather proud of themselves.

Eventually, Liam reached Charlotte's cabin. The light was on inside which was his signal it was okay to knock, which he did.

It took a few minutes but eventually, the strawberry-blonde woman eased the door open, she was standing there in a cozy-looking bathrobe while drying off her hair with the towel around her neck.

"Hey Liam, what's up?" She asked, the tiredness quite obvious in her voice as she spoke.

Liam smiled, "Well. I'm kind of the welcome wagon around here, so I try to go around after the first day and see how everyone is feeling. I know you haven't really DONE anything play-related yet. But even just seeing the place can be a bit overwhelming for some. So I like to check in, see where your emotional state is at, and of course, see if there's anything I can get you to make you more comfortable." He motioned to the doorframe, "May I come in?"

Charlotte nodded and motioned him inside, nudging the door shut behind him so she didn't lose too much cold from the interior of her cabin.

Liam settled down backward onto one of the chairs to face Charlotte as she sat down on the lower of the bunks built into the wall, "So! First off. Anything you need? Blankets? Stuffies? Pillows? Extra blankets..." He repeated blankets twice as he'd noticed that Charlotte had dialed her A/C WAY down. To like icy temperatures. He was more fond of the heat so this was like the winter to him.

Charlotte giggled, "No blankets needed. I've got two. I dunno if you have any say over food though...But I'm rather hungry."

Liam tilted his head, "Did dinner not fill you up?"

Charlotte blinked, "...Dinner? Was I supposed to eat somewhere?"

Liam slumped a bit in his chair, "Nobody brought you dinner, did they? It's supposed to be delivered to the cabin.."

Charlotte shook her head, "Nope. Unless dinner is comprised of the bar of soap in the bathroom. I mean, if it's too late I'm sure I can survive until morning. It's really no trou--"

Liam held up a hand to stop her, looking a bit annoyed, "No no. It is trouble. We take care of those in our care and having a meal forgotten isn't exactly top form on our part." He looked towards the clock on the wall, "The kitchen will be winding down for the night. But let me see what they can do."

He hurried up to the intercom, pressing the numbered button for the kitchen, moments later a voice crackled to life.

"More snacks Liam? Really?" Came a rather annoyed-sounding voice.

Liam snorted, "Not this time. How many meals did you prepare for the evening?"

The voice took a moment before answering, "Eleven, why?"

Liam sighed, "Because we have twelve campers, my dear Lotus. I've got a camper who did at least a ten-kilometer hike today who is more than a bit hungry. I'm going to need a meal sent up pronto." There was obvious annoyance in his voice.

"I was told eleven, my list has eleven. Not my fault. But, all the equipment is off and wiped down Liam. What do you want me to do?"

Liam reached up, rubbing his temples gently, and looked over his shoulder at Charlotte for a moment. She looked up and flushed slightly, "Really...it's ok." She protested.

Liam frowned, "It's not, but the stoves are off. So there may not be many options except snack food and that's hardly a meal." But then an idea popped into his head and a small grin slipped onto his lips.

"Say, Charlotte. How would you like a small taste of the pony life before we get you in hooves tomorrow? I know something we've ALWAYS got on hand food-wise." Liam smiled almost innocently.

Charlotte blinked, unsure what exactly he was getting at, "I mean...if it leaves me full I'm happy. I'm not here on my own dime though...so please don't go out of the way."

He could understand how she felt. Like a burden asking for anything because her trip here had been paid for by the ranch. He offered that bright smile of his to cheer her up, "It'll fill you up. Promise."

Turning back to the intercom he'd unmute it, "What flavors do you have in the fridge Lotus?"

There was a pause, a bit of noise, and then a response, "Uhm. Meatloaf, Breakfast, Turkey dinner, Roast with potatoes, and slop. Why?"

Liam chuckled, "Warm up a turkey dinner, will you? It should tide over our forgotten guest until tomorrow! Oh, and make it a bit more liquidy, please. I don't have the hardware in the cabins."

The chef sighed, "The whole package?"

Liam nodded even though there was no camera on the intercom, "Yes please."

"Fine. It'll be up in fifteen." The intercom clicked off and Liam turned back to Charlotte who was looking more than a bit confused as Liam flopped down into the chair again.

"What was that about?"

"Just getting you SOME form of food so you don't waste away on us. You'll need lots of energy for tomorrow. It'll be a little bit of a different meal, but it's one of my favorites. You like turkey and stuff...right?"

Charlotte nodded, "I love turkey. Thanksgiving and Christmas are my faaaavorite for meals like that. Turkey dinner and all the fixings. Yum."

Liam grinned, "You are SO in for a treat then."

"You ordered me a whole turkey dinner?" She asked in exasperation.

"Not exactly." He left it at that and then quickly changed the route of the conversation, "SO! Getting back on topic. How are you feeling? You're the only one who took the big walk around today. Overwhelming? Underwhelming? Somewhere in between? See anything you liked or were curious about?"

Liam fired his questions off quicker than Charlotte could answer, but when she finally got a gap in the the questions she would try and answer to the best of her ability, "I'm feeling good. Maybe a bit overwhelmed, but I think that's because there is so much to see and it's crazy to be seeing it all in person. Most people only dream of getting to come to a place like this. It's pretty amazing."

Liam nodded enthusiastically but stayed quiet.

"I mean, I liked all of it. As silly as that sounds. Those memorial stones were really pretty. There were a lot of names there. Clearly, this place has a beautiful history. Oh! And I got to meet uh...Sir James and Sky. They were super nice. Sir James explained a bit about her steeple runs to me! It was really nice of him." Charlotte nodded, feeling like that completed most of the thoughts she wanted to get out.

Liam clapped his hands together, "See, This is why I encourage the newbies to go out and explore when they first get here. Running into someone like James is a perfect example of an impromptu learning moment as well as making you feel comfortable. I'm glad you met him! He's a very kind trainer, most ponies here like him. I'm rather surprised he didn't make you jump a few steeples to try it out, that's something he would do." Liam took in a breath as he stretched.

"As for Sky. She's one of our full-time mares. She's a competitive steeplechase mare. She's pretty much at the top of the scoreboard for anything steeple-related around here. Her derby runs are a lot of fun too."

Charlotte tapped her chin, "Well, I think he was kind of in a hurry. They were off to the barn for some...grooming."

Liam let out a small chuckle, "Bet you saw more of Sky than you expected to when you got to the barn."

Charlotte blushed and nodded.

Liam smiled at this, "Nothing wrong with that. Our grooming routines are quite thorough. We take good care of those in our care, as I'm sure you've heard. That extends as much into proper grooming as everything else. So don't be too embarrassed at seeing Sky naked. You'll be next to her soon enough in the same position."

Charlotte shuffled, "We shall see." She said simply.

Liam nodded, "That we will. Consent is key here after all. You'll never do anything you're not comfortable with. Remember that. However, that doesn't mean we won't playfully tease beforehand. Or at least...I will. I'm rather more talkative than most."

"Until Ashley smacks your backside." She mused.

Liam grumbled, "Ouch. Caught that did you?"

"You walked out of her cabin rubbing your butt while she was holding a crop. I can put two and two together."

Liam smiled, "Observant. I like it. Keep that up."

Charlotte opened her mouth to say something when a soft knock came upon the door. Charlotte climbed to her feet and walked to the door tugging it open, the pressure from the cool air and hot air rushed out with a whoosh. On the doorstep was Belle, smiling up at Charlotte, "Seems your meal has arrived." She said, holding up a tray with three different bottles on it.

Charlotte blinked and took the tray, "That is...not what I imagined."

Belle grinned, "It never is. I do apologize that you didn't get dinner this evening. I will make sure you are on all the appropriate lists going forward." She offered a polite nod of her head.

Charlotte shook her head, "It's really ok. Not a big deal. After all, I'm here for free. So a little thing like that is no big deal."

Belle frowned, "Try to adjust that attitude. Just because you were sponsored to come, does not make you less than anyone else. You deserve the same treatment. Understood?"

Charlotte nodded and watched as Belle gave a curt nod and headed back to cuddle with Ashley at the fire. Charlotte turned about and headed back into the cabin, taking the seat opposite Liam at the table who was smiling ear-to-ear.

"Word travels quickly." He mused.

Charlotte nodded, "So it does. So uh...what am I doing with all of this?" She asked, staring at the three bottles in obvious confusion.

Liam clapped his hands together, "So. Generally speaking, these would be clipped into holders in your stall with little hamster straws on them for sucking and eating at your leisure. But we don't have any of that here so I got the chef to mix them a bit more watery." He picked up the bottle filled with dark green liquid, "This, is a bit of a power shake. It's a liquid supplement in the water, It's chock full of a special superfood mix. It can be a bit hard to palate, but it helps balance out your diet." He then tapped the bottle filled with just water, "This is just plain old water, for washing everything down."

He set the bottle down and picked up the one that looked like it was full of liquidy mashed potatoes, "And this is Mash. Everything a pony needs! It's a slurry of milled oats and a whole bunch of other stuff I can't pronounce. They've been working on it in this scene for ages to the point that they can make it taste like almost anything. A turkey dinner for example. But just hope you never get to taste slop. That's for the bad ponies."

Charlotte looked over the three bottles with obvious curiosity.

Liam tapped the table, "Alright then. I'm going to leave you to it. Surely I don't need to supervise you eating. Or drinking in this case. I expect those bottles returned to me empty in the morning." He said this rather firmly.

Charlotte flushed a bit and nodded, "I will make sure they're empty." She repeated.

Liam grinned, "Don't play with that wording. I expect them consumed, not dumped." He winked and then headed for the door, tugging it open, "I'm in cabin three if you need anything at all or have any concerns. Please let me know, ok? Never hesitate to speak up."

"I'll drink them. Promise."

Charlotte unscrewed the lid of the green-filled bottle, "Thank you, Liam. For everything."

He gave her a thumbs up, "No thanks needed. It's my job!" He winked and then tugged the door shut leaving Charlotte to her meal.

After Liam departed, Charlotte took her time trying each of the bottles. Liam wasn't lying, the green stuff was hard to palate. But she could also feel it filling her up in a good way so she forced the bottle down as best she could and then moved on to the main meal. If you could call it that. It didn't feel like a meal and it certainly didn't smell like one. But she took a small sip and then held the bottle back, staring at it as she rolled the soft slurry around in her mouth.

It really did taste like an entire turkey dinner. She could taste the turkey, hints of potato, hints of cranberry, and gravy. It was like someone had injected the taste of everything that came with a turkey dinner into her mouth all at once and she had to admit, It was amazing.

It was a pleasant enough experience to end the day with and Charlotte found herself going to bed with her belly full and a pleasant taste in her mouth. She had to wonder what sort of stuff tomorrow would hold. Tomorrow was when the real first steps would come.