Jeb, Valerian, Jack and Lunatic met by the little waterfall not far from Jeb's home.
The agreed it would be easier for Lunatic and Valerian to meet on neutral territory.
Lunatic: 'Gods - look at him, he's massive! A Clydesdale stud. And I'm just a little Gallineers Cob, he's going to crush me! Please don't leave me alone with him!'
Jack: "He's beautiful and looks sweet."
Lunatic didn't listen: 'And his owner is built like a butcher, I knew it! As soon as you're gone I'm in the display of the local butchery!'
Jack: "Let's go over and meet them."
Lunatic: 'You don't even listen!'
Valerian felt an instant attraction towards the cute Cob: 'Oh, look at him - he's so sweet! He even braded his mane for me! We'll gallop over the flowery fields together and share a haybed and live happily ever after!'
Jeb: "Calm down and remember: he'll only stay for a few weeks."
Valerian couldn't take his eyes from his new mate: 'No, no one's going to take him away from me. I'll never let him go!'
Lunatic reared up: 'The way he stares at me!'
Valerian: 'He's even prancing for me to show off!'
Jack: "I'm going over now."
Lunatic closed his eyes: 'My fate is sealed.'
Jack and Jeb greeted each other.
Jack: "It's so nice of you to take care of Lunatic while I'm on my pilgrimage. I wouldn't leave him alone if it weren't really important for me. I sold all our stuff, spared every simoleon and we've been working night and day to make this possible."
Jeb gave Jack and his torn jeans a once-over and felt bad he was reluctant to take the horse in. Jack obviously gave up everything for his faith, and he admired him for his commitment.
Lunatic looked at the water and had an idea how to save his life: 'Jack, listen. Take me with you. I don't need to be on the small boat - I'll swim!'
Jack: "Now that Lunatic mentions it, I should probably learn to swim before going on a journey on a boat. . . Can you teach me?"
Jeb: "Now?"
Jack: "Ok, why not."
Valerian: 'Don't! When he drowns he won't come back to take my mate away from me!'
Valerian was serious and blocked the way.
Jeb: "Don't be ridiculous. Go over to 'your mate' and meet already."
Valerian: 'Go over and meet? Like just - go over? And meet? What am I supposed to do? And say?'
Jeb: "You're a big boy. Just go."
And so Valerian went over to Lunatic.
Valerian: 'Uhm - hi.'
Lunatic: 'Please don't crush me!'
They stared at each other, Lunatic was shivering.
This wasn't going well.
Lunatic took a deep breath in - to prepare to run or hide or whatever came to his mind to escape this nightmare - and suddenly his hightened senses noticed the unique scent of the massive stud in front of him.
Lunatic is the companion of a werewolf, and his sense of smell is almost as remarkable as his owner's. And dammit, did this stud smell amazing! Of spring flowers, old wood, fresh hay and - apples!
Lunatic had to move closer: 'I smell apples.'
Valerian: 'There are lots of apples at my place.'
Lunatic: 'I really do love apples.'
Valerian: 'Come with me. You can have them all. I'll care for you, you won't regret it. Please?'
Lunatic: 'Mhhh.'
Was that a yes? Valerian was confused. The proximity of Lunatic made him dizzy from want and the warm breath on his neck felt so good.
Meanwhile Jeb tried to hold Jack, who was pedaling his arms and thrashing his legs, over water.
Jack was just as dramatic as Lunatic: "Please don't let me drown!"
Jeb: "I've got you."
Jeb calmed Jack down and reassured him: "You can do this. Don't panic, this will only waste your energy. I'll hold you and won't let you go. No need to be afraid."
Jack wiped his eyes: "Ok."
"Slow strokes, arms and legs move in harmony. You're a werewolf, you can swim for hours if you do it right. Try again?"
Jack nodded, Jeb grabbed Jack's waist to hold him - when Jack jolted and started to giggle: "Argh, that tickles!"
Jeb should be annoyed about Jack's antics, but it was just too beautiful here today. He couldn't even recall when he'd spent time here at the river just to relax and have fun and cherish the wonderful place he was allowed to live. He would work extra hard so Francine and he could stay here. It was worth it.
Jack had mentioned Lunatic had worked too, maybe Valerian and him could help?
Jeb: "What jobs are there for horses?"
Jack: "Oh, lots actually. We lived in Moonwood Mill and Lunatic helped at the sawmill, pulling trunks out of the woods where the trucks couldn't reach. Gallineers Cobs are small but very strong and have lots of stamina, they were bred to pull the wagons of the travelers. He also modeled for the calendar and magazines."
Jeb: "Calendar and magazines?"
Jack: "Don't you have that here?"
Jeb: "Not that I've heard of."
But what even had he ever had heard about 'out there'?
The world was big, and Innisgreen was small.
Enough chatting. Jack started his next attempt.
Jack: "Grrgl?"
Jeb: "Very good. Movement is in sync, you're calm. If you lift your head a bit, you could even breathe."
Jack: "Mrggl!"
Jeb: "Just like that! A bit more maybe?"
Ouf. At least Jack was talented and after the first difficulties, he learned fast!
And just an hour later, Jack was an acceptable amateur swimmer.
Enough to keep him - and his head - over the water surface.
Jack: "That was awesome, I owe you big time, Jeb."
Jeb felt as if he owed Jack, for making him slow down for a few hours and forget about his worries.
While Lunatic was eager to taste the promised apples: 'Let's go already!'
And so Jack and Lunatic followed Jeb and Valerian home.
Lunatic: 'I wonder if Tyalindo and Saiwa are ok.'
Jeb jerked: "What? Did something happen to them?"
Jack: "Eh - I happened to help them find their Little Goat and to better track it, I turned into my wolf - improved olfactoric senses, you know? Turned out they were afraid of werewolves."
Jack: "They both are utterly beautiful, don't you think? I wonder what they are and where they come from."
Jeb squirmed: "Who knows."
He did! But it wasn't on him to share Saiwa's secrets.
And Jack was right, Saiwa was utterly beautiful.
Would he meet Saiwa in his dreams again tonight?
And after they sorted it out with Jeffrey?
Would Saiwa meet other men in their dreams?
Jeb felt nauseous.
In our main story line we had a whole spin-off just about the horses' antics - The Stables!
And Valerian and Lunatic were 'a thing' there ^^'
The episode where they first 'kissed' is -> here
And another remarkable episode is this one -> here
Oh my, I just scroll through, we had so much fun.
This one -> here is sweet too <3
Part 2 is -> here
I love the horses so much. Even though I can just work with what they offer me, it's so much fun to write about them because they have such amazing personalities and the fact I can't control them makes it even more remarkable how well they (inter)'act' <3
In the main story line, after Vlad had died, Jeb fell in love with Jack. Even though he'd been together with Saiwa and they were grieving.
This lead to Sai and Jeb's first breakup -.-
It was just after Sai's 'transition' and he didn't take it well.
And now it happened the other way around!
I don't know how this is even happening? This is still the same save file I left a year ago and they are technically still together/in love with Saiwa and Kiyoshi omg
Jeb and Jack hadn't much screentime together in the beginning
-> here is a funny episode of them from October 2023 I still remember well :3
'Episode' Overview -> here
Next 'Episode' -> here
Last 'Episode' -> here
Read from the beginning -> here