The Tribute Youth Programme: June

[etcircenses]

Who| Any Tribute character aged 18 and under. This is ICly Mandatory for Tributes under 18 so your character will be there even if you don't tag in.
What| June's TYP round; school is not out for summer
Where| A private school building within the Capitol.
When| Regular school hours (8 AM to 3 PM) four days a week (Monday-Thursday)
WARNINGS| Mind-altering juice boxes, indoctrination. Place any needed warnings within comment headers.
NOTES| If you would like your character to be caught trouble-making, please contact mods. We are looking for both Mentors to speak of the District they hail from (or represent), and Capitolite characters to talk of Panem's greatness. If you would like your character to stand as a guest speaker for the next round, please refer to this post. The fantastic Tribute Youth Programme uniforms are designed and drawn by Reiko.

The moment Tribute youths start to trickle back in, the Tribute Youth Programme kicks back up. The Teacher took the break to mark your work-- and bring out the special surprise of getting some letters in for all the kids who participated! Did you enjoy your break class? Those watching sure did.

Class will go much likeit did before, anthems, uniforms, and all. By now the new badges should all be sewn right in. You still have the opportunity to earn more, and on top of all this, your letter replies have at last come in!

Comments

[impaledqueen]

The pony snorted softly, her ears flicking as Sandy scratched behind them. Peggy ran her fingers up and down the pony's neck as she gave Sandy a smile. "You should know that horses aren't nearly as fragile as we are. They have thick skin, so don't worry about hurting them by kicking or pulling. The horse's mane is a good place to grab them, because it gives you a good grip and they don't mind if you yank."

Peggy casually nudged Sandy's knees, pushing her into the right stance. "Keep hold of your seat by squeezing with your thighs. Dig your heels into her sides and she'll start walking forward."

[justoutrunyou]

"OK!" She complied curling her fingers in the ponies mane and finding a grip that felt secure. One step at a time she followed the steps till her heels dug in and the pony began to move. The expression of surprise and then delight again was like someone was flicking a switch in her brain.

She wasn't expecting anything too fast of course and it was probably all for the best given her lack of experience. But keeping her thighs tight meant she could feel the muscles this beast hid just under it's thin coat of fur.

Despite herself, Sandy could not suppress a giggle of joy.

[impaledqueen]

The girl's glee was palpable. It reminded Peggy of what a luxury horses were for people outside of District 10. Many people in her District loved and cared for their horses well, but to be excited over one was about as strange as being excited over a chair.

It's charming, really. It makes her want to ruffle the girl's hair, but she restrains herself. "Now, we're going to walk in a circle. When you want her to turn, dig your opposite heel into her side. Horses turn away from pressure, so she will go into the opposite direction of your heel."

[justoutrunyou]

She sat tall and proud on the saddle, gently using her legs as she was instructed and then finding herself delighted when the pony responded accordingly. When it felt like she might be turning it too sharply she used her other leg to straighten it out.

Some nasty little part of her just couldn't help but chime in that the horse was doing all the work and probably knew this routine by heart but she quickly squashed out that voice with the knowledge that for however much training this horse had, it was a real and true pony. A living breathing creature that above all, was not trying to kill her. She felt she could trust this pony.

And she was warming up to Peggy as well flashing her a delighted smile.

[impaledqueen]

Peggy chews the inside of her cheek to keep her smile from getting too indulgent, especially at the way the girl smiles up at her. She was once soft for children, but leading them to their deaths for years and years made her harden her heart for survival's sake. Even so, in times of little danger, she found herself rediscovering the soft spot, and she had to bite it back as much as possible. "You're doing very well. She likes you already."

She crosses her arms behind her back, slowly following the pony around the circle. "Keep your back straight. That distributes your weight more evenly on the mare, and makes it more comfortable for her."

[justoutrunyou]

The knowledge that the pony liked her was enough to make Sandy immediately comply. She used to hate being reminded to keep her back straight when Effie was teaching her how to attend fancy parties. A lifetime of slouching made it difficult to remember how to sit properly. But of course this was much more fun then a fancy party. Another affectionate scratching for her steed thanking her quietly as she enjoyed everything from the sensation of bobbing and trotting along to the sound of the hooves on the ground. Everything about this was a million times better then the classes they had been sitting through before Peggy's presentation.