Raegan leaned casually against the edge of the stall, though “casual” was a bit of an act when Whiplash’s giant head kept bobbing closer to inspect her, his breath puffing warm across her arm. She gave the horse a side-eye glance that was somewhere between curiosity and mild suspicion, but the tilt of her mouth betrayed the fact she was secretly fascinated.

Charlotte’s first line — about intimidating the most intimidating-looking person ever — earned her a slow, approving nod from Raegan, who didn’t even bother to look at Axl’s inevitable glare. “Impressive,” she said seriously. “It’s not every day someone not only survives being in his orbit but also manages to intimidate him. I’m tempted to take notes. I’ve been working on my methods, but apparently sarcasm alone only gets me so far.” She gave Charlotte a conspiratorial smile, the kind you’d exchange with a co-conspirator just before pulling off a minor heist.

The teenager’s segue into the moon landing debate, though, nearly made her choke on her own laughter. Raegan straightened up, crossing her arms like she was listening to a witness deliver crucial testimony in court. “Alright, I’m just saying — I knew you were dangerous, but I wasn’t expecting the conspiracy theories to come out before we’d even exchanged three full sentences.” Her tone was light, teasing, but her eyes danced with genuine amusement. “Vacuum, flag-waving, the whole thing… you’ve clearly been training for this moment. And I’m with you — the flat earth comment was absolutely bait. He looks like the type who’d start arguments at dinner parties just to watch everyone implode.” She didn’t turn her head toward Axl, but she knew he was listening. When Charlotte declared herself “the smartest kid around,” Raegan tilted her head thoughtfully. “I can believe that. But you should know, being the smartest kid around also comes with a solemn duty: making sure you use those powers for good. Or at least for harmless chaos. You seem to have that down already.”

The 'you two would make a GREAT couple' comment, though… that one hit like a dart aimed with unnerving precision. Raegan’s smile froze for a half-second, her gaze flicking — entirely involuntarily — toward Axl before she snapped it back to Charlotte with a kind of “nice try” expression. “Ah, so that’s your game,” she said finally, shaking her head with mock solemnity. “You get people all comfortable and then — wham — matchmaking ambush. I see you. I respect the hustle. But if we’re making up fictional titles for each other, I’d like to inform the court that I have already cast him as the tragic, possibly royal hero type. That’s a lot of pressure for one man to live up to.”

Charlotte’s over-the-top serious tone about “riding since the break of dawn” made Raegan press a hand dramatically to her chest, as though she’d just been in the presence of greatness. “The dedication! 10/10,” she said, her voice hushed and reverent. “The poetry. I feel like I should be taking off my shoes before stepping into your arena, or bowing, or at least addressing you as Master Horseperson.” She glanced over her shoulder at Whiplash, who flicked an ear in her direction like he knew exactly who they were talking about. “Though I have to admit, Whiplash has the better name. You might want to consider adopting it as a title.”

When Charlotte announced that Whiplash wouldn’t bite unless you pretended your finger was a carrot, Raegan made a face of mock horror and instinctively curled her fingers into her palms. “I don’t intend to pretend my finger is a carrot, but knowing me, I’d probably accidentally give him that idea just by existing. He seems like the opportunistic type.” She studied the horse for a moment, then lowered her voice slightly, as if confiding a terrible secret to Charlotte. “Between you and me, I think he’s already decided I’m suspicious. He’s been giving me the side-eye since I walked in. Can horses smell fear? Or sarcasm? Because I’m definitely guilty of one of those right now.”

Charlotte’s final “kudos” earned her a little bow from Raegan. “I’ll take my medal in the form of baked goods, thank you. Brownies preferred, but I’m flexible.”

While Axl muttered darkly from somewhere inside the stall, Raegan leaned slightly closer to Charlotte, lowering her voice just enough that it might carry but still feel like a shared aside. “You realize he’s pretending not to listen, but he’s probably cataloging every single thing we’ve said so he can throw it back at me later, right?” Her smile was wickedly amused, but there was affection there too — like she knew exactly how the game worked and was perfectly fine playing her part.

When Axl finally emerged, Raegan straightened up, flashing Charlotte a final grin. “Well, Master Horseperson, it’s been an honor to witness your skills and your terrifyingly effective detective work. If I survive whatever dramatic thing happens next, we’ll have to compare notes.” She stepped back toward Axl, still grinning like a madman, holding her hand up in a sort of wave as they left.

And then, because she couldn’t resist twisting the knife just a little, she glanced at Axl with mock deference. “Alright, Your Highness. Let’s go see if this kingdom of yours has any events worth knitting about," she chuckled, kind of bumping his side in nothing but a playful manner. Once they'd turned the corner, she kind of found herself still chuckling. "I like her!" She grinned.