#arabian nights tack

[cammy-mcspammy]

New hyperfixation bcccccc errrrmmm why not

[horsesarecreatures]

My terrifying horse.

Someone new came to try Amba today because the girl from last week who I thought was a good match found another horse closer to her. I messaged back and forth with this new lady extensively last night, telling her that Amba is an Arabian and therefore sensitive, and she might be a little forward because she's not being ridden too much, but that ultimately she is a safe, rational horse who doesn't buck/rear/bolt etc. I also made it clear that while this barn has a lot of amenities, it is not a lesson barn, and many of the other boarders don't ride. She said, "Oh that's alright, I've been riding my whole life; I'm from Poland and grew up riding Arabs; I'd love to come ride her." So I said ok and we scheduled for her to try Amba this afternoon.

I met up with her at the barn, and she was too nervous to get Amba, groom her, or tack her up. But she insisted that she would be ok next time and just wanted to see me do it first. Fine, no problem. I got Amba tacked up and brought her to the indoor and rode her for half an hour first. I put her through all her paces and today she actually was able to canter semi-balanced in both directions (by semi-balanced I mean not as uphill and collected as she's capable of without EPM, but no head tossing, lead swapping, or cross firing). She was very obedient the whole time.

I then asked if she wanted to ride. She said she would prefer if I worked her a bit more. Figuring she just wanted me to exercise Amba until she got slightly tired and slow, I rode for another half an hour. We did all the lateral work that she knows plus spins. I ended by walking and trotting her on the buckle with her head down. Then I got off.

The lady said she was too nervous to ride. I said, "Are you sure? You can just walk for today or I could lunge you guys if you want." She said ok to just walking. I lined Amba up perfectly at the mounting block and held her. The lady put one foot heavily in the stirrup, stood there with her full weight in it forever without swinging up, and then shrieked and yelled "I can't do this; she's too nervous" when Amba finally stepped towards the weight. 😠

So all in all she was a huge time waster who misrepresented her ability and is not ready to ride horses outside of a lesson context. Then she said, "Call me when you're at the barn next and I'll try her again!" Like ummm no you will not. It's totally ok to be a nervous rider, but it's very inconsiderate to not be honest about it.

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Lately, I've been enjoying a little documentary called ROTTEN: BEHIND THE FOODFIGHT.

Put together by Ziggy Cashmere, who cobbled together the great book DRAWING FOR NOTHING, it's an hour-long and wild look at the making of an infamous animated travesty. A troubled production of epic proportions...

Strangely, this thing is like the anti-THIEF AND THE COBBLER. Their basic production storylines have a very similar turning point, which is all kinds of wild. They also took forever to come out in some form.

The stark difference is, of course, the sheer prowess of THIEF AND THE COBBLER director Richard Williams and the utter incompetence of FOODFIGHT! director Larry Kasanoff.

Richard Williams initially got onboard a doomed animated adaptation of Arabian Nights folklore in the late 1960s, the stories of a particular character named Nasruddin. When that all fell out in the early 1970s, Williams took the characters he came up with for that picture - such as the titular thief - and started his own Arabian Nights-inspired dream tale... And self-funded this passion project throughout the 1970s and into the mid 1980s, directing so many commercials and the occasional bigger project in-between. It was his impressive, comprehensive reel and his direction on WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT's animation that landed him a Warner Bros. gig, who were at the time trying to get more committed to making feature animation in the wake of Disney's newfound success and the rise of Don Bluth.

Williams, unfortunately, missed the deadline for completing THE THIEF AND THE COBBLER. Williams had a history of not completing films on time, such as his Oscar-winning A CHRISTMAS CAROL adaptation and the 1977 film RAGGEDY ANN AND ANDY: A MUSICAL ADVENTURE, and with THIEF, he was very deep into it. He also, unusually, didn't do any storyboards for the film. A method that he was said to have found "too controlling". When it came time to show a rough cut of the film, they had to force him to get storyboards done and fill in the 15 minutes of gaps. Another story details how he liked a particular scene, and had the crew extend it, and extend it again, regardless of runtime and pace. Williams himself likened his process to working away at a painting or a pot, like an old master craftsman. Laboriously making fine art, but as a film... which isn't the most conducive way of doing things when your animated film - with promotional deals and marketing in place - is expected to be completed within a deadline. It did, however, make for such incomprehensibly amazing visuals that continue to *floor* me to this day.

By contrast, Kasanoff didn't know anything about making animated features, and couldn't be bothered with storyboards. He thought you could just go about it as if it were a live-action film... If FOODFIGHT! was conceived this decade and was being "made" right now? Larry would absolutely have tried using AI to do it. That's more or less the attitude he had when he shifted the production to being a motion-capture film, after a few slow years of it being a CG film with Looney Tunes-esque slapstick, with squash-and-stretch movements.

Both films were made at studios founded/owned by their directors. Richard Williams Animation Ltd., and Threshold Animation... and both films were seized by insurance companies, companies in the movie industry that are meant to step in when a film misses its deadline.

In THIEF's case, it was... The Completion Bond Company. They took the film from Williams and most of his crew in May 1992 after a disastrous screening of the workprint, and with the looming release of Disney's very similar ALADDIN later that year. Handing it to TV animation veteran Fred Calvert, the company's mandate was to have the film finished quickly and cheaply... Ironically, it took Calvert til September 1993 to "finish" the film. After a year and a half of re-imagining most of it, cutting a lot of stuff, giving mute character Tack a voice, adding musical numbers, and animating a bunch of new stuff...

That version of THIEF was damaged goods, and few wanted to release it. It didn't help that ALADDIN had been out for a while at that point. It got out, as THE PRINCESS AND THE COBBLER, in Australia and South Africa. A Philippines release around this time kept the original title... Miramax, owned by Disney, acquired U.S. distribution rights at the end of 1994 and Harvey Scissorhands butchered it even further, and that was released theatrically as ARABIAN KNIGHT in summer 1995... And then on video as THE THIEF AND THE COBBLER...

It's quite something how PRINCESS AND THE COBBLER and ARABIAN KNIGHT flopped and sunk into obscurity, while the original Williams film - in its incomplete form - became beloved over time. I also heard somewhere that Williams, prior to his passing, made peace with the film being incomplete. The unfinished film had garnered a fitting subtitle: A MOMENT IN TIME...

FOODFIGHT! was wrenched out of Threshold's hands by The Fireman's Fund Insurance Company after several missed release dates sometime in early 2008, and it was handed to a venue that took what was - quite frankly - a very crappy skeleton of a film with the most unpolished mo-cap and visuals... and... I guess, did what they "could" with it, as cheaply as possible. It was finished in late 2008, got an MPAA rating sometime thereafter... And sat... The Fireman's Fund even tried to auction it in late 2011, but... Nothing. Until a very limited UK theatrical (!) release in summer 2012, in addition to releases in Russia and UAE. It was a direct-to-video title here in the U.S. in early 2013... Eventually, some bottom-of-the-barrel distributor picks it up, eh?

Much like FOODFIGHT!, THIEF also has a comprehensive documentary covering its lengthy production and what had happened to it, in the form of Kevin Schreck's PERSISTENCE OF VISION, an absolute must-watch.

Sometimes I think of what would've happened had both films been finished, and in FOODFIGHT!'s case, was at least competent-looking.

THE THIEF AND THE COBBLER - when it was still under Warner Bros. - was apparently aiming for theatrical release in late 1991. This would've put it up against Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and also Amblimation's AN AMERICAN TAIL sequel FIEVEL GOES WEST. Maybe it would've vacated late 1991 and got out in early 1992, much in the same way FERNGULLY and ROCK-A-DOODLE did in the states. Any place away from a big Disney movie, at least...

How would it have done circa 1991/early 1992? That remains to be a million dollar question. THE THIEF AND THE COBBLER in its unfinished state is a work of art, a narratively outre picture, in addition to being a little more "adult" in its presentation. Small little things, like the maiden from Mombasa, some war violence, and a flagpole sticking right through a warrior's chest. Probably wouldn't have gotten a G rating, for sure. Its story quality is sometimes debated amongst animation fans, usually in such a boring binary manner, from my perspective. It's a film that defies the "conventions" of good animated feature storytelling that were somehow cemented in place by the early 1990s by the Disney Renaissance favorites, thus I feel it tends to have that "well, the story meanders and it wasn't very good" nonsense slapped at it... when it's a picture operating on a dream-like, lyrical plane that puts it more in line with early Disney works than BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and ALADDIN. It's not an inferior nor superior form of storytelling, it's just not what American audiences have been used to over the last 35 years.

I think it would've gotten praise for its lovely animation, but mixed reviews for its idiosyncratic storytelling... And audiences probably would've been bored out of their minds watching, say, long and hazy stretches of the thief getting smacked about by polo players or trying to get up the minaret. Warner would've probably mishandled the release anyway, as they had flop after flop during that period. NUTCRACKER PRINCE, ROVER DANGERFIELD, THUMBELINA, etc. A film that absolutely, without fail would've garnered a cult following once it hit video.

FOODFIGHT!, had it been given to someone who actually **knew** how to direct an animated feature, but was still based off of the same script by Larry Kasanoff, Josh Wexler, and co.... Let's just say that it's the version from the late 1990s when protagonist Dex was still a human detective, and it was more PG-13 like it supposedly was aiming to be early on... And released in like 2001/2002... That probably would've also had trouble, I think.

Big-time Western PG-13 animated movies had it hard throughout the '90s and into the early 2000s, films such as BEBE'S KIDS and COOL WORLD. They were a rare breed, at that. Still are, even. One of the only exceptions was, well, a movie based on a very popular animated TV series: BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD DO AMERICA. For a more original picture, no, it wasn't easy... And I'm not sure CGI would've helped this version of FOODFIGHT! much, either. It could've done okay in that regard, maybe quite a few notches below a JIMMY NEUTRON gross... It would have to depend on how the visuals looked, too. Then again, look at how HOODWINKED! did in early 2006... Reviews probably would've questioned how FOODFIGHT!'s world works and they likely would've found fault with equating a store-band takeover of a supermarket to freakin' Nazi Germany, so I'd imagine it wouldn't have gotten SHREK or MONSTERS, INC. reception. Another movie that would've probably came and went, and then went on to be a cult DVD rotation for many kids growing up in the 2000s.

THE THIEF AND THE COBBLER and FOODFIGHT! both remain fascinating for these particular reasons, even if the results are a country kilometer from one another...

[twistedtummies2]

The Price May Be Right - Number 3

Welcome to “The Price May Be Right!” I’ve been counting down My Top 31 Favorite Vincent Price Performances & Appearances! The countdown will cover movies, TV productions, and many more forms of media. We’ve entered the Top 3 of this countdown! Today we focus on Number 3: ZigZag, from The Thief and the Cobbler.

This movie has a history like you wouldn’t believe. I could jabber on for AGES about this “lost epic” of animation, but I’m going to try and keep the context as succinct as possible. “The Thief and the Cobbler” – which underwent NUMEROUS title changes throughout its extensive creation – was the intended Magnum Opus of master animator Richard Williams, the man most well-known today for being head of animation on “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” Williams wanted to create a comedic, surreal film – inspired by the legends of the Arabian Nights – that would be the absolute pinnacle of animation at the time. Production started as early as 1964…but no complete version of the film was released until the early 1990s, with the last one being in 1993 (released a month after Price’s death, technically and posthumously making this his final film role). So, what happened between 1964 and 1993? Well, the short version of it can be summed up like this: Williams kept changing his mind on the project’s story, and the funding for the film kept changing from backer to backer. Animators came and went as the characters and plot shifted with the decades. Finally, Williams finalized the story and got support from Warner Bros., who delivered a simple ultimatum: Williams had to finish the project on time and on budget, or they would remove him from his own film and get someone else to finish it. Wouldn’t you know it, that’s exactly what ended up happening: unable to meet the deadline, Williams was fired from his own movie, and producer Fred Calvert turned to the Completion Bond Company to get the movie made. Two completely different “finished” versions of the film were released; neither was received very well by critics, and both failed at the box office. Williams would forever consider the fate of his intended masterpiece the greatest embarrassment of his entire career. There are now no less than four versions of the movie available for viewing. There are the two versions released by Calvert and the CBP, the original unfinished workprint by Williams…and a fan-made project called “The Recobbled Cut,” which attempts to give the film the closest thing to its intended release possible by blending elements of all three together. The Recobbled Cut, itself, has gone through several editions over the years, and is still a work in progress, much like the movie it aspires to breathe pure life into. The film has become something of a legend in animation circles, for a LOT of reasons…but we’re not here to discuss the movie in totality. I’ve rambled about its history long enough; we’re here to talk about Vincent Price. So where does he come into the picture? Well, back when the movie was first getting started in 1964, Price was in his heyday. As it turned out, Williams was a big fan of Price’s work, and he contacted Price to see if he’d be interested. Vincent thought the movie sounded like an interesting endeavor, so he agreed, and his antagonist – first named “Anwar,” then later renamed “ZigZag” - ended up being the first character in the film cast. As the years went on, and the film’s plans changed, Price – who remained devoted to the project – would return periodically to re-record new lines. Apparently, it became one of his favorite projects, and Richard Williams and his team all agreed that ZigZag was their favorite character to animate. What’s interesting is that, with the different versions of the film later released, every character in the movie was recast over the years, with multiple performers playing the roles in different releases. For example, one of the two titular protagonists – Tack the Cobbler – was played by an unknown actor (doing an impression of Sean Connery) in the workprint, Sean Lively in one of the two Calvert cuts, and Matthew Broderick in the 1993 release. The one exception to this rule was Vincent as ZigZag: every version of the movie very wisely kept Vincent’s voice for the character, and it’s a good thing they did. Because while every version of the film has its pros and cons, ZigZag is consistently the best character in every version. The villain is not an especially complex character; he’s essentially Proto-Jafar (very literally, since some of the people who worked on Aladdin also worked on the Thief at earlier points in their career). Like Jafar, ZigZag is an evil magician and corrupt vizier, who seeks to marry the resident princess and take the throne. But it’s Price’s voice that makes the character so great to listen to, and the animation is always glorious to behold in action. One of the odd things about ZigZag is that nearly every single one of his lines are spoken in rhyme. There doesn’t seem to be any REASON for this, but I’m not complaining: I could listen to Vincent Price speaking in rhyme all day and be quite happy. No matter what version you watch of this movie, Price delivers every single time. Tomorrow, I present my penultimate pick, with my 2nd Favorite Vincent Price Performance!

[thespookyboos]

I saw the cobbler and the thief I loved it

[marysunshine23]

Unpopular Opinion: Thief and the Cobbler Edition

So, like... everyone who’s watched it, I love the Thief and the Cobbler. It’s a really good movie that even today holds records. Plus, pretty much every frame is a piece of art. You can basically take a screenshot of any part and it’s just... *chef kiss*

HOWEVER. 99.9999% of the people who love this movie, love the original adaptation and have screamed in joy at the “recobbled” edition (because big companies like Miramax ruin everything apparently). But here’s where my opinion is... unpopular. While I don’t mind Tack and the Thief being silent for the majority of the original cut of the movie, I actually really like the voice given to Tack in the 1995 edition by Miramax (which was called Arabian Knight for whatever reason). I feel like it’s fitting for his personality. I hear it and I know these things about Tack right away:

he’s soft spoken

leans towards being non-confrontational (I say leans because... you know why)

DETAIL ORIENTED

Introverted

Gentle soul

A good listener

AND WE’RE NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT WHAT IS SPOKEN. That’s just his voice. The reason I prefer that voice over the original is because:

The original voice is jarring (which probably was the point)

It sounds slightly disconnected (like, if you looked at Tack it doesn’t sound like something that’d come from him)

I know, only two points. But I’m not really someone who likes “shocking for the sake of shock value”. Tack originally doesn’t talk until the END OF THE MOVIE. So, like... we’re wrapping things up and you throw a curve ball like “HEY HE ACTUALLY CAN TALK AND WHY THE FUCK DOES HE-” end. That’s it. Rather than “yay! Happy ending! Warm fuzzies”, we get “what just happened?” Like... why?

I am aware that I am a bit biased because the 1995 version was what I originally saw. I will whole heartedly admit that. But I will also say that, basically, my only nit pick about the original is Tack’s deep voice for that last line. I like the voice for Yum Yum and pretty much everyone else in the original (and the 1995 version), and I love how much more in depth we get in the original. Like, in the 1995 version, I WANTED MORE. And the original GIVES ME MORE.

So, no, I’m not saying that the 1995 version is better. I’m just saying that to call the voice actors trash because they’re not the originals is kinda purist. Like... can we just view both movies unbiasedly and like elements of both? Or is that not an option?

TLDR: I like everything about the original movie except for Tack’s voice because I don’t feel like it fits the personality portrayed

P.S. I’m bolding and italicizing every time I say “I feel like”/”I don’t feel like” to state that THIS IS MY OPINION. You’re welcome to disagree, because that’s your opinion. But my opinion is equally as valid. Get it? Got it. Good.

[laprasloversassociation]

DO ANY OF YOU REMEMBER THE THIEF AND THE COBBLER. BRO I FUCKING LOVE THAT MOVIE I LOVE TACK. FUCK. MY BOY. BRO THE ANIMATION IN THIS MOVIE F U C K E D ME UP.

Anyways here's some picture of tack you need to look at this babe;

[scout985]

Ngl he was difficult to draw and I used big paper

[focsle]

I’m just going to…transcribe the instances William Abbe talks at length about Manuel [Vieira] because…I care about them and their mutual learning and their chats out on the yards. From Abbe’s journal aboard the whaling bark Atkins Adams 1858-63.

—

“As it being my watch on deck I sat down on the forehatch and began to teach Manuel — a Portuguese boy — with whom I soon formed a close friendship — for he was a clean nice lad — and an excellent sailor — I began to teach him his letters — + was surprised to find him very quick to learn. This work I mean to persevere in till I teach him to read — when his way will be easy to a Captain’s berth.”

. “I took my pan from my bunk and I was horrified to behold a large cockroach sitting on a piece of duff I had left over from dinner. This was the first cockroach had seen in the forcastle and it excited my disgust—I threw away cockroach + duff + hardly ate any supper. I was laughed at by Manuel who told me wonderful + horrible stories about their numbers, their biting toenails +c.”

“Went out with M on martingale chain to flying jib boom + fished for skipjacks with no success. M now near home Brava from where he has been about nine years ever since he was 12. I talked with him out on the boom about home. He thoughtful hoping he would at last catch sight of his native hills.”

“To leeward during night we stood a short distance from shore […] M attentive + sober. I could see his eyes moisten when I asked him about home + what he thought his Father + sister were doing there. He wrote a long letter home in Portuguese. Very fair writer.”

“4 hours out last night when M & I sat on foreyard on the lookout and I spun a long yarn from Arabian Nights. He thought it wonderful.”

“M + I cut up a pot of lemons and put them down in white sugar that the “old woman” sent me by Johnny. We crushed the sugar in lemon juice, cut the lemons in thin slices after paring off the yellow rind, halved the slices, laid them in layers with sugar til the pan was nearly full. Then poured on more sugar then put in some spice from my pickled quince, then some brandy about six tablespoonsful, then as much more aguardiente then more sugar to the top […] And our preserves are done. We shall keep the pot for Cape Horn weather.”

“M + I sat our lookouts last night, lying down on the yard and leaning against the mast it being too rough to stand on the mastheads. I told M the story of Aladdin + the wonderful lamp + this kept us both awake. Fine fun this for Thanksgiving eve as I suppose today is Thanksgiving day at home.”

“M + I first watch sat on foreyard while M spun yarns about his whaling adventures—his descriptions very graphic— I think M a very superior fellow. He learns to read + write surprisingly fast. M talked about seamanship and he taught me the words of command to tack ship.”

“M tells me he shall leave at Talcahuano even if he is made a boatsteerer, and try the merchant service long enough to get together 4 or 5 hundred dollars + then forsake the sea and settle in N. Bedford. He wants me to go with him to China, but I think I shall leave for home as soon as I can consistently with my plans.”

This is where I leave off. Others that follow I’ll stick under a readmore.

[cheekygreenty]

Little Witch - Part 13

The Darkling x Reader

This is more of a filler chapter, I wanted to write something where reader is in action🤭

As much as you loved to keep your personal and work life separate, the life at the Little Palace rarely allowed for such things. Rumors spread and tensions rose and much to your dismay the privacy of Aleksander's chambers only reached so far. Everywhere you went eyes followed you with a sense of interest, poking and prodding for the details of why the Deputy General had stayed in the Darkling's quarters, but more importantly why you raced out of there in the dead of the night, slamming every door possible with loud echoing thuds.

You ignored it all, you had work to do. Currently, you stood waiting in the courtyard for your horses, your recruited Grisha in tow. You had asked Fedyor for the best soldiers, ones who could be ruthless and loyal. Two Heartrenderers, an Inferni and the Squaller you now knew as Zoya waited behind you, shivering from a sudden gust of freezing wind.

The weather had gotten brutal over the past few days but this mission couldn't wait. You had gotten intel that somehow a Kerch merchant kidnapped Grisha while they traveled between camps and was keeping them in a home not far from the Palace, waiting to transport them across the Fold and use them as indentures. This angered you beyond means of explanation.

Your stableboy brought out your beautiful chestnut brown Arabian, and you quickly hoisted yourself up. You would all be going on horseback despite the weather, for a carriage would slow you down significantly.

'Zoya, I'll need you upfront with me, if it starts to snow heavily we'll clear the way.' You addressed the Squaller, patiently waiting as she got up on her horse and came to rest beside you, giving you a curt nod.

'Ready?'

You brought your horse into a quick gallop, cringing as the cold whipped past you.

******

Riding a horse was only comfortable for so long before your tailbone began to ache. It had been around an hour, but you were almost there as a small village came into view over the hill. You stopped your horse and put up your hand signaling the rest to stop too.

'We leave our horses just there, where the forest fades-' You pointed over to a place just to your right, where tree coverage would protect your horses from the cold. '-we walk the rest of the way. All intel pointed to the house being secluded, most likely right before the village grows more populated.'

The thing with these missions was there was never an exact location, which frustrated you and from the loud sigh Zoya gave, it frustrated everyone else too. You all slid off your horses and walked them to the forest, tying them securely to trees and beginning the walk, making sure to stay hidden behind the trees.

'What's the plan?' Asked the Inferni.

'I go in first, neutralize any threats I can see. Fedyor, keep to my side but be behind me. The rest of you, your main priority is to look for the Grisha. Don't kill anybody unless I tell you to.' You could see the surprised look on their faces and you knew why.

Even though Aleksander was extremely powerful and immortal, he never walked into a fight first, he was always the one to walk into a clear path, never cleared it himself. You did things differently, liked to be in complete control.

'What did the General say about this?' He spoke again.

You stopped and turned to him.

'If you have any issues with how your superior is commanding the missions, I suggest you turn around and learn how to be a soldier.' You snapped. Aleksander had these people wrapped around his finger. He stared at you with wide eyes and almost immediately his composure dropped, succumbing to your intimidation.

'I don't have time for this nonsense.' You scoffed and walked ahead to where Zoya was searching for the hideout.

'Is it that one?' She pointed to a cabin about with a man guarding the front door. Bingo.

'He's too far, I need to get closer.' Fedyor's raised hands dropped down to his sides. The other Corporalnik nodded in agreement.

You turned away from the group and concentrated on the man, feeling for his pulse and once you gathered the understanding, gently stopped The flow of blood, watching as he fell to the snow-covered ground with a thud.

'Don't take offense, I'm much older' You patted the Heartrenders on the shoulders and ran to the cabin. You saw Zoya let out a strong gust of wind to open the door, almost knocking it off its hinges.

Shouts erupted all around and shots were fired. You bled shadows into the hallway, rendering the Kerch men blind, hoping they wouldn't shoot in the dark. Simultaneously, you slowed the heartbeats you could make out, hoping the shouts died down. With luck on your side, the cabin turned silent and you retreated your shadows.

Three men dressed in fine vests lay slumped on the floor, a pistol or rifle in each hand. Fedyor automatically bent down to take the guns out of their hands and looked around for something to detain them with. You could hear the rest of your crew search the cabin, the loud squeak of the cellar latch opening. You too went to look around, opening all the doors that could open and listening for the beating of one's heart. Nothing.

You grew angry at the possibility of the intel being incorrect. You came to the last door on the far end of the home which was slightly ajar. You could feel a faint pulse and as you opened the door, ready to protect yourself when your eyes caught sight of a purple kefta. A Fabrikator? The figure didn't move from where they were standing. Their hands weren't bound and neither were their legs.

'Are you here with the Second-Army?' Her voice was quiet but steady.

'Yes. Come with me' You moved away from the doorframe and into the hallway once again to let the Grisha through.

'Who are you?'

'Deputy General, now come on we must get going' You heard Zoya indicate from the cellar that they had found the Healer.

She moved away from the wall and walked to you with her head down, showing no indication of being thankful for being saved. Doubt pooled in your stomach but you let it go. You returned to the main room and stared at the three men tied up in the chairs but quickly averted your eyes to Zoya who appeared perplexed and for once, you shared her thoughts. The Inferni walked out with the Healer behind him and what looked like a Squaller to his right but nobody said anything. What is going on?

'Is anybody injured?' You spoke first amongst the crippling silence. Nobody responded. Suddenly out of the corner of your eye you saw the Fabrikator take one of the disposed pistols and point it at you, not hesitating to take shots. You deflected as best you could, protecting the others from the bullets but quickly realized the girl was a Durast and wherever she wanted to shoot, she could definitely make the shot.

You looked around and to your surprise, your Inferni was lying on the ground as the Healer battled Zoya. Fedyor was seemingly pushed up against the wall by the Squaller. What in Saint's name is going on. These are not my Grisha. Your falter caused your shadow shield to break and you felt a cold bullet lodge itself in your thigh where your kefta peeked open.

The pain was too strong, clouding your mind and momentarily prohibiting you from accessing your powers. Saints this hurts.

You reclaimed your mind, letting the merciless Cut wander out to her. The Durast screamed in horror as her hand dropped to the ground. You ignored it, letting your eyes wander to the Squaller and knocking her out with a wind so strong it rattled the cabin. Zoya managed to subdue the Healer, tacking to the ground and holding her hands above her head. You shot out a tendril of onyx shadow and restrained her, relieving Zoya of the uncomfortable position.

You were beyond angry, you were fuming. You harshly grabbed at the Durast, slamming her against the wall by the lapel of her kefta, your thigh screaming in pain. You could feel blood pooling in your riding boots.

'What is this?!' You hissed

'You're not taking us back. You will not force us to be part of that army'

'You would give up the Little Palace for the dirty streets of Ketterdam' The venom rolling off your tongue was almost paralyzing.

'If I am to serve your kind then of course. You're probably stealing my power as we speak' The room stilled and your pain was forgotten. Zoya held her breath, even the Healer's stomach dropped.

Something in you snapped, and with nothing more than a flex of your fingers, the girl's neck snapped, her lifeless body tumbling to the ground. You didn't say another word. Zoya took that as a sign to tell the rogue Grisha they will be tried as traitors, and restrained them both, taking over from you.

Your previous words came back into your mind, Don't kill anybody. You shame Aleksander for merciless killing yet you just did the same. You broke your own rule because somebody offended you. You fool.

You wordlessly limped out of the cabin, completely forgetting the bullet wound on your thigh.

***

The ride back to the Little Palace was torturous. The two traitors had been subdued and riding with the heartrenderes. Your thigh was in excruciating pain and upon entering the gates, you had felt completely numb. As far as you knew, nobody knew you were shot. You had left them to deal with the mess in the cabin, too blinded by anger and arrogance to help and act as the leader. But now, the only thing blinding you was tiredness which you knew wasn't good.

Your horse diligently walked to the courtyard doors but you didn't get off, you couldn't. Your eyes had shut on their own accord. The tiredness washed over you again and your head spun.

You could faintly make out the sound of your name being called by Fedyor asking about the traitors, but you paid him no mind, focusing all your attention on trying not to fall off your horse. Your head bopped, but you fought to stay awake and pass the wave of tiredness so you could walk to the healers unit, but it was relentless.

You felt somebody pull the reigns of your horse and lift the cloak covering your leg, you didn't argue. Then the shouts started. You couldn't hear what they said as your head bopped again, once, twice, then you let go.

****

The immense itching sensation on your thigh was overwhelming. If that wasn't the reason for you waking up, it was the loud argument taking place at the foot of the bed.

You managed to open your eyes to see a Healer working on your leg, looking very focused. She spared you a sweet smile then went right back to work. Oh Saint's this is so itchy. It took everything in you not to itch the bloody wound. Thankfully, the raised voices dragged your attention away.

'We didn't know, she just left!' Fedyor.

'If you'd have gotten here 10 minutes later she would have been dead' Aleksander.

'We thought she wa-'

'I don't care. Leave before I do something I regret' The door opened and shut. You suspected the only people left in the room were you, the Healer and a fuming Aleksander. If he knew you were awake, he showed no indication of it. You didn't need to look at him to know he was brooding. Was he mad that I'm injured or that the mission went sideways?

Your hands clenched as the itching sensation got worse. You hated being healed, it was even worse than being injured.

'If you clench that fist any harder you'll break your knuckles' His voice carried no anger anymore, it was soft but had an edge of plea in it.

You didn't respond. You didn't know what to say. You hadn't seen him since the other night when you confronted him about Alina, and he made no moves to approach you since then.

'I'll give you a written report mission once I'm done here.'

'No need. Zoya took care of it already' As much as you had tried to convince yourself you disliked the beautiful Squaller, she had really come in clutch today. You were thankful.

'Alright, that's all I can do for now. You did lose a lot of blood, so take it easy for the next couple of days.' The young girl got up and left after you muttered a quick thank you.

'Are you ok?'

'We just got ambushed by rogue Grisha who had personal vendettas against me, what do you think' You sat up and rested your head against the headboard, reaching for the glass of water on the nightstand.

'I should've cross-examined the intel. If I knew what they were I would've given you more reinforcements.' He leaned against the wall next to the door, sensing your hostility and keeping his distance

'I didn't need reinforcements. I was just caught off guard is all'

'You killed a-'

'Please, don't say it. , it wasn't my proudest moment.'

'Zoya kept it out of the report. Said she got caught in the cross-fire.'

I love you Zoya.

'Do you want me to leave?' His question made you freeze. On one hand, you were still angry about the other night and the comment he made, but on the other Aleksander always made you feel safe and his presence brought you peace.

'You probably have work to do. I do too anyway' You got up to leave the bed, but he quickly walked over to you, pushing you back down. You grabbed his hands out of reflex.

'Take it easy for the next couple of days. Is that not the advice you got?' He cocked a smile and traced a small pattern on your hand. You stared into his eyes and tried to find a reason to not fold into his embrace, you badly needed a hug, and he gives the best ones.

'Alright, but you can leave' Your answer surprised him, it surprised you too. Apparently subconsciously you still held a grudge against him.

'Y/N, Next time you get hit, please tell someone.' He whispered as he swooped down to kiss the top of your head lovingly, letting his lips linger for a moment. Just as you were about to give in and wrap your arms around him, his warmth left you.

'It won't kill you to take a day off.' He teased as he walked out the door.

I never got that hug.

Part 14

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[hoseokslefteyebrow]

A Royal Love Story || K.NJ

Pairing : Kim Namjoon X Reader Genre : Fluff, a sprinkle of angst somewhere too Summary : Namjoon has often imagined being the prince in Cinderella, yet he never imagined that his version would have horses in it too. Wordcount: 9.3k [ A/N: Sorry for the shitty summary lol. Anyw, Enjoy!]

You're a royal staff member of your country and you're head of the royal horse care.

Namjoon is the second born prince of South Korea. 

You two aren't really meant to meet, but accidentally do when Namjoon and his family come over for the coronation of the princess of your country, Jisoo.

Unlike the rest of the royal staff members who come to greet him and his family, you aren't there.

Not because you're sick or anything, but simply because you forgot and were busy with the horses.

Namjoon meets you when he walks off into the fields of the palace, where you let the horses graze.

The first thing that catches his eye is how good the horses look.

They look a lot more healthy than the horses in his palace, he realizes.

"Hello sir, are you lost?" 

It’s the first thing you say to him.

It takes Namjoon a moment to realize that you're talking to him and a moment longer to realize that you don't know that he's a royal.

" Ah, no. I went to take a walk around the palace for a bit of fresh air." Is what he finally answers.

He sees you nod and turn back to your own business, which appears to be cleaning up horse tack in the small building near the grazing fields.

He looks at you for a moment before one of the horses in the back of the graze field spots you, and starts neighing.

At first he thinks that the horse is about to charge at him as the animal heads his way in a calm gallop.

But then he's left perplexed as he watches the horse stop near where you are standing, dragging one of his legs over the ground to get your attention.

You complain in your own native language to the horse after a moment as you come out from the tack building, tough Namjoon doesn't know what you say.

He watches in admiration as he sees how you pet the horse and how the horse reacts to you, unlike the horses in his palace, this horse looks a lot happier.

" That's a lively horse." Namjoon comments, trying to start a conversation.

" Yes, he certainly is. His name is Winter." You smile at him.

" I assume you work here?" He smiles.

You nod.

" Yes, I'm the head caretaker of the stables. I assume that you work for one of the royal families who have arrived?" 

Namjoon's breath stutters for a moment, you really didn't know.

" Yes, I'm one of the prince's advisors." He ends up telling you.

" Cool. What country are you from? I don't think I've seen you before." 

" I'm from Korea." 

He watches as you nod along to his words before your expression looks like something akeen to having forgotten something.

" That's what I forgot this morning! The royals from Korea were arriving today! Wait, that means it's the 24th! Excuse me sir, I have to go. There's a new delivery of horse tack waiting and the delivery guy can't get in without a signed paper of mine. Bye!"

And then you're sprinting away.

Namjoon blinks as he looks after your form, that was quite a meeting.

You obviously didn't recognize him, and he's happy with how relaxed you are because you think that he's also part of the staff.

He ends up going to the stables a lot more often in his time off.

He ends up learning a lot about you, and unintentionally about your horse too.

For instance, your horse is a picky horse, and only lets you ride him with little to no trouble.

The black and gray arabian horse is happy to be pet by everyone, but doesn't allow everyone in his stable and certainly not everyone on his back.

He also almost loses his sanity when he gets chased by one of the chickens of the stables and you laugh as he comes running to you while being chased by a chicken, yelling that it wants to kill him.

You laugh and pick the chicken up as she tries to run past you.

" What did you do wrong to Nugget?"

" You named it?" Is Namjoon's only response as he turns to you when he realizes the chicken is now just complaining in your arms.

You smile and nod.

He smiles back evilly.

" The name suits her, she should become a few chicken nuggets."

Namjoon's social skills with women were never really good, but this was particularly terrible, he realizes as he doesn't see you laugh at his joke.

Instead you look at him with a deadpanned expression before putting the chicken down and letting it resume it's hunt.

He does miss the tiny smile that grows on your face as Namjoon is out of sight.

The time after that when Namjoon goes to visit you, he's surprised that Chaeyoung is there too, Jisoo's younger sister.

The both of you are just smiling and talking like normal teenage girls.

You both look like typical horse girls right now while you're both brushing your own horses.

Chaeyoung spots Namjoon before he can turn away.

" Prince Namjoon? Are you looking for something?"

And you look surprised, while Namjoon starts feeling nervous.

" Ah, no. Ehm, I'm just walking by and-"

" Prince?"  You ask, obviously confused.

" Oh, right. Y/N, this is prince Kim Namjoon the second born prince from South Korea, Prince Namjoon, this is L/N Y/N. She's our head caretaker of the stables. He's one of the princes you've missed the arrival of." Chaeyoung whispers the last part to you.

" Wait- you're a prince? You told me you're the prince's advisor." You say, now very confused.

Chaeyoung gulps and starts to feel awkward, so she decides to let her horse out in the meadow to give you two space.

" Why did you lie?" You ask, you don't sound hurt, just confused.

Cause' why would he lie over something like that? It's something you're bound to find out.

" I was planning on telling you at some point, but I like the way you treat me. I don't want that to change. I feel like a normal 25 year old. I knew you didn't know who I was as soon as you spotted me that day, so I decided to just lie." Namjoon gulps, feeling like a little kid caught stealing candy.

You nod before turning your back to him, carrying on with brushing your horse.

" So, am I still allowed to call you Namjoon or do you rather have me call you your majesty?" You ask him, and he can feel the teasing edge in your voice.

He smiles and relaxes.

" So, are you going to the ball?" Namjoon asks you a few days later while the two of you are sitting in the stables at night.

You shake your head.

" No, I'm not invited." 

" Oh, and if I'd manage to get you in, would you come?" He asks hopefully.

" Probably not, sorry. I have nothing to wear to an occasion like that and that's really outside of my comfort zone." You smile a little embarrassed.

Namjoon nods, unaffected.

" And if I get you a dress? A real pretty one. And I'll stay by your side the whole night, would you then come?" He tries.

You chuckle and shake your head.

" Nope. Why are you so set on getting me there anyway?"

He bites his lip, pondering if he should tell you the truth or tell you that it's a suprise and that you could only know if you show up.

He decides to go with the truth.

" All royals are attending the first dance during the ball for the coronation. I wanted you to be my dance partner." 

He doesn't look at you while he's telling you, instead staring at the mare who's just eating hay.

You blush, touched by his answer.

" I'm sorry, and although that does sound nice. I'll just end up feeling uncomfortable at the ball anyway. But we can have your first dance of the night right here if you want?" You smile at him as you get up, holding out your hand.

Namjoon usually isn't a dancer, but he doesn't see why not, and so he takes it.

That night he really feels like a guy his age, as he dances the most random and awkward dance moves with you.

One thing was sure, you both suck at dancing.

And even tough th both of you did, the moment was still very precious for Namjoon, and though you're not aware of it, the moment is precious for you too.

The day of the ball is boring for Namjoon.

His dad, the king, tries convincing him into dancing with the Italian princess who will be present tonight, but Namjoon really doesn't want to.

He goes to visit you in the early afternoon, but you're very busy, because there will be even more people than there already were, so you were supposed to have all your chores done by the time the first guests arrive.

He decides that he'll look for you later.

The main part of the afternoon is spend with dance practice, and him trying not to step on his dance partner's toes. 

Which he does several times, but he doesn't really find it in himself to care, she was getting paid to put up with him after all.

By the end of dance practice, his instructor Hoseok is thinking about just breaking one of his legs and using that as excuse to not dance at all.

When Namjoon looks in the mirror that evening, he realizes that he's not really happy.

He's not depressed either, just not happy. 

He doesn't want to be put under all these social standards of looking good and acting good and just being perfect.

He takes a deep breath before entering the ballroom.

He ends up dancing with a random princess from China.

She is pretty, he admits. And nice too, but she's not...... You.

His breath stops for a moment when he realizes he's got a crush on you.

After the dance he excuses himself saying that he isn't feeling too well.

That's all a lie however, and he's really just going to you.

He hopes that you're still at the stables, but he's feeling disappointed when he sees all the lights turned off.

At first he thinks you're already off to bed, but then he hears hooves and he knows that you never leave the horses outside at night.

He goes to the meadow meant for riding and he's surprised to see you riding your horse without any tack.

He ends up watching you ride for a while.

Until the moment the moment is ruined and someone else approaches the meadow.

In the most chaotic way possible.

Yelling while sipping wine and barely walking on his two legs.

Namjoon feels his heart stop for a moment as Winter raises his front hooves in the air, leaning heavily on his behind legs, the horse spooked by this new stranger

He calms down when Winter's front hooves touch the ground again, and you're still seated.

" Prince James, why are you here instead of enjoying the party?" You ask, not dismounting your horse.

" Realized the pretty girl wasn't there. Decides to come look for her. Aren't I cute?~" James, one of the two princes of England, must know you to talk to you like that.

Namjoon doesn't like it.

You cannot disrespect a woman like that, that's just, wrong.

" No, you're disgusting, honestly. Please go back to the ball." You ask him, and Namjoon sees that look in your eyes and knows the meaning, you're afraid of the prince.

" I don't think I want to-"

He spots a rope halter lying on one of the fences and decides to try and help you out.

" Hello, fancy seeing you here. I assume that there are no troubles?" Namjoon rolls in smoothly, wordlessly handing you the halter.

You seem relieved at his arrival and slip off your horse, gently putting the halter on Winter.

James seems a little less pleased with Namjoon's arrival.

He mumbles out an excuse before leaving, almost falling in the bushes as he walks off.

" I thought you went to the ball?" You asked once James was out of sight.

Namjoon shrugged with a dimpled smile.

" I was, but it was boring there. Decided to come here instead." 

You smiled at his answer.

The both of you went to lead Winter back in his box and walked a little bit around the stables, just talking.

" You know, it seemed as if you knew James. Have you met him before?" He asked at some point.

You shrugged and nodded.

" Sort of. My parents used to work for his stables until I was born, the court here was impressed by how good the horses look and promised my parents a finer stay on the royal grounds, they agreed to go here instead." 

" So, you're born in England?" Namjoon asked.

" Yeah. And I used to be friends with James, but he became too spoilt." You answered.

Namjoon nodded in understanding, he knew more royals like that.

" So, are you coming to the coronation?" Namjoon asked.

You nodded with a smile.

" Of course I am, everyone is invited." 

" That's great! Than I'll probably see you there tomorrow, right?" He asked with a shy smile.

You nodded.

" Definitely."

For the first time in what felt like forever, Namjoon cared about his outfit.

He wanted to look good in front of you.

He knew he had a bad taste when it came to clothing, but luckily his younger brother Taehyung didn't, and so he decided to bother him.

" Oh, what do I owe this pleasure too, your dear royal highness." Taehyung dramatically bowed as his older brother stood in front of his door opening. 

" Stop being so dramatic, drama queen. And I need your help with something." The elder rubbed his neck and looked at the ground, feeling shy.

" Let me guess, you found out that stable girl of yours is coming to the coronation and you want to look good?" Taehyung teased with a smile.

Namjoon looked at him in suprise.

" How do you know that?"

" Know what? Your little crush on her or the reason why you're here?" Taehyung smirked.

" Both."

" Well, I'm pretty sure everyone knows about your little crush because you spent more time with her than you ever did with me or anyone else, and I knew she was coming to the coronation too and my genius brain managed to get that all together and came to a conclusion." Taehyung said proudly.

" Wow, I didn't think your two brain cells could manage." Namjoon teased him.

Taehyung let out an offended 'hey' before getting to work and going to Namjoon's closet.

Because they weren't at home, they had a limited amount to choose from, but Taehyung was determined to let his brother look handsome.

He was supposed to look good after all, especially since he wanted to impress a woman.

Meanwhile you were in your little house trying to decide on what to wear.

You too wanted to look good, your crush was also coming to the coronation and last time you checked, you were kind of unofficial dating.

You two haven't spoken in a while as other royal families had stayed over and you were busy, but you hoped he didn't forget about you just yet. ( He also works in the palace, but he's a butler.)

For some reason, you also found yourself hoping to look good in front of Namjoon.

Whenever you thought of him, you felt shy and warm.

The gentleman has certainly charmed you for sure, but you did not know him well enough to consider him as a romantic interest.

You shook your head and focused back at the task at hand.

You decided to go with a simple red dress, with thin straps and off shoulder ruffles. 

It was innocent, but sexy.

The coronation was beautiful, and you couldn't believe how your best friend was now a real queen.

" Your majesty." You curtsy with a teasing smile as she approached you.

" Aish, stop it you." She smiled as you giggled in response and hugged.

" I can't believe you're a queen now." You told her proudly.

" I know, I can't either. I'm really afraid I'll mess something up." She said honestly.

" That's understandable. I don't know the feeling of standing in your shoes, but I'm sure you'll do great. Besides, even the greatest people make mistakes sometimes. They'll just have to learn to not stand still by it." You reassured her.

" Thank you for being my best friend." She smiled.

" Also, pretty butler at 5 o' clock." She winked before slipping away.

You bit your lip nervously and turned around, happy to see him after so long.

You smiled as you spotted him and approached him.

" Hey, long time no see, huh?" You greeted him.

" Yeah, hey. Certainly a long time yeah." He smiled awkwardly back.

Was something wrong?

" I assume it's been busy in the palace?" You try to start a conversation.

" Yeah, indeed. Not like you understand." He muttered the last part.

You raised your eyebrow at his attitude.

" Is something the matter?" You asked him.

" Yeah, no.- Look, I should apologize. I know we had something, but I have a girlfriend now. And I honestly don't want to deal with you." He huffed bluntly.

Ouch. Now that's a pang in your heart.

" Oh. I'll be go-"

" Hey baby, who's this?" A woman approached the two of you, most likely his girlfriend.

" Just a horse girl." He said it as if it's a bad thing.

You couldn't believe him right now, you felt the need to cry, but refused to cry in front of him.

" You're pathetic." You chuckled while shaking your head with glossy eyes before walking off.

" Spotted her yet?" Jin whispered in his younger brother's ear as he was still searching.

" Yah! Don't scare me like that." Namjoon huffed.

" Isn't that her?" Jin asked, ignoring his complaint, while pointing to a direction.

Namjoon followed his hyung's finger to see where he was pointing, and indeed there you were.

He watched as you chuckled while shaking your head before walking away from a couple.

You looked beautiful, he didn't know just how good you looked in a dress, and coincidentally, the dress was his style too.

" Y/N!" He called, hoping to catch up with you.

" Yah! No thank you for your hyung?" Jin complaint from behind him.

" Thanks hyung!" Namjoon yelled back over his shoulder.

Jin shook his head smiling, his brother was whipped.

" Y/N, wait up!" Namjoon yelled, hoping that you heard him, but you kept walking.

" Y/N?" He asked as he finally reached you, and put a hand on your shoulder.

You jumped at the contact and turned around, only now he noticed your glossy eyes.

" Oh, Namjoon. Hey. Sorry, my head was elsewhere." You  showed his a forced smile.

" Hey, are you okay? Your eyes are glossy." Namjoon asked.

" Sorry, it's not everyday you find out that your crush turns out to be a dick." You smile bitterly.

Namjoon didn't know how to feel when hearing that.

He was obviously not the person you were talking about, because he didn't ( and would never) break your heart, but now you were sad and he didn't like that. 

On the other side of it, he now knew that there would be a free spot in your heart, and he's willing to fight for it.

" Let's take a walk. I'm here for you." He said as he wiped a tear that fell from your eye, moved a lock of your hair behind your ear before eventually taking your hand and leading you through the market whitin the palace grounds.

You told him everything.

From the part where you started gaining feelings for him, to where you two kind of had something, to where he turned out to be a dick. 

And Namjoon listened patiently to all of it.

" Honestly, I just wish that I could leave this place but I have no guarantee that I will ever get a job half this good ever again." You groaned at the end of it.

An idea clicked in his mind.

" But what if you can?" He whispered, stopping with walking.

" What?" You asked confused.

" Come with me. We have stables too, and the horses back at home don't look as happy as they are here. So I'm sure my parents will be fine with it." He suggests.

" I don't know." You think.

" Just think it through for a few days, the pay won't be as great as here and instead of a house on the castle grounds, we've got an apartment building for staff, but if you really want to leave, just come with me. I know my stables need improvement anyway."  He smiles.

" I will." You smile back at him.

After another moment of walking peacefully in silence, the two of you resume walking in the market.

You spent the next few days without Namjoon, and end up thinking a lot about what he said.

By the end of the third day, you made up your mind.

You will go with him.

Not because you're not on good terms with your ex crush anymore, but because you want to.

You want to work somewhere different, somewhere with a challenge.

And you want to stay with Namjoon.

Going with him is easier than you had expected, sure you'll have to learn the language, but finding a replacement was pretty easy as you had all the routines written down for when you were on a day off. One of your most trusted employees will take over your work, while you'll take the same position in Korea.

Your goodbyes were a little teary, but you knew that this wasn't the last time when you'd see your friends.

Your ex-crush's face was incredibly amusing to see too.

According to Namjoon, you were just as important as he is, and so you ended up in a seat on his private jet to Korea.

Winter was on another plane, but will arrive as the same time as you. ( You had to admit that you were a little unhappy with having your horse on a plane, but the drive to Korea was much longer and would be likely less comfortable for the animal anyway.)

During the plane ride, you were sat beside Namjoon in a luxe plane chair, treated as if you were royalty yourself.

Namjoon was all too happy with how you easily got along with his parents and brothers.

Once you're there, you're instantly out exploring, for the first few hours with Namjoon, and a few hours without.

You note on how bad the horses look. They look a little underfed, and unhappy too.

You're happy to know that you'll be properly taking care of them now.

The next day is directly off to work.

Where you talk with the head caretaker who's apparently very inexperienced in taking care of horses.

You're surprised that he even managed to land a job here, this high up.

Namjoon doesn't manage to talk with you for the next two weeks, as you're both pretty busy.

He's busy with classes and formal stuff, while you're busy with creating a different diets for all horses in the stables.

Some horses had too little power food, and some too much.

You have to replace a lot of horse tack too, and some horses actually need some medical treatment.

For instance, the crown prince's horse, RJ, needed quite some medical assistance. ( Which is obviously scandalous, considering it's a royal horse.)

Some of the horses the King and Queen have for guests are already too old to be riding, yet they're very high spirited, and so you choose to send them off to a horse pension.

After the second week, Namjoon tries to visit you in some of his breaks and free time, but you're still very busy.

It's around another two weeks later when things have finally calmed down for you and you visit him in his office.

The stables aren't too far off, and so you manage to locate yourself in the castle.

Though you don't really know how to go from there.

After 20 minutes of walking around aimlessly, you turn around to find someone who's able to lead the way.

" Y/N dear? Is that you?" The voice of the queen sounds from behind you.

You turn around in surprise, quickly bowing in respect before properly greeting her.

" Your majesty, how good to see you." You smile at her, talking to her as if she's an aunt of you.

" My dear, it's good to see you too. I haven't seen you in a while. Is there too much work on your shoulders to be able to breath?" She asks as she starts to stride alongside of you.

" No your majesty, things were just a bit messy but now that everything's sorted out, I can breathe again." You tell her calmly.

" Ah, I see." She smiles gently.

" How are you your majesty?  Had it busy yourself too?" You ask her.

She glances at you before answering.

" Ah, it's been a little stressful. But nothing I can't handle." She tells you honestly.

You nod along to her words.

" I can only imagine." You tell her.

" Are you busy right now?" She asks you as the two of you stop in front of a door.

" No your majesty, is there something I can do for you?" You ask her.

" Would you fancy talking to me over tea? You don't have to of course." She asks, obviously curious.

You smile and nod.

" Sure your majesty."

And so the two of you chat for another 30 minutes. Sure, you were originally going to Namjoon, but talking with his mother is certainly not bad either. Unlike the queen of your home country, Namjoon's mother is a high spirited and curious woman.

" Mother." Someone walks in and nods in greeting to the woman across from you.

"Y/N?" The same voice asks with a surprised, but gentle tone.

" Hey Joon, I was actually on my way to you before I bumped into your mother. " You smile at him.

Namjoon takes in the pleasant sight in front of him with a surprised smile. One that reaches all the way to his dimples.

It's the first time he has ever seen his mother so comfortable to be talking with another woman, not even a princess could bring her in this deep of a comfort zone.

" I assume you want to steal her away from me?" His mother smiles at him before he can actually think of a reply.

He nods.

" Yes, but I can wait if you're having fun together." He tells her.

She shakes her head with a happy smile and shoos the both of you out of the room.

" Nonsense. Have fun together."

You and Namjoon look at each other before the both of you start chuckling.

" I don't think I've ever seen my mother this comfortable around other people." He tells you with a smile.

" How so? She's a pretty fun woman." You tell him honestly.

Namjoon shrugs and holds his elbow out for you to take as he starts walking towards his office, not that you know what it means, as you are a non royal.

You walk alongside him, oblivious to the look he's giving you by not linking your arm in his.

" Not sure." He takes it upon himself to link your arm trough his.

You blush at the contact, and look puzzled at his action.

" It's a way royals usually walk together. You might've seen my parents do so before." He smiles nervously, hoping you get the hint.

He was already crushing on you, hard. But now that he sees how you get along with his family, he's sure of it. He doesn't need a princess to be happy, he needs you.

" Oh, so like this is how you'd walk with princesses and noble women?" You ask.

Namjoon wants to facepalm at your response.

" No, no- Royals walk like this with they're- You know what, nevermind, I just like to walk with you like this. Also, I don't walk like this with a lot of people." He ends up getting flustered at his own answer.

" So, how's the work at the stables going?" He asks, changing topic before you can say something about his behavior.

It works, and the two of you end up talking for the rest of the day in his office, snacking away at his secret snack stash and at some point actually having dinner there too.

" Damn, you're whipped." Are Hoseok's words the next evening.

Namjoon is currently sat with his friends ( his brothers Jin and Taehyung, the royal advisors Jimin, Yoongi and Jackson, dance teacher Hoseok and stable boy Jungkook who they grew up with)

" Yeah I know. But she only just got off an unofficial relationship, I think I need to wait before I can ask her out." Namjoon tells the rest.

" Woah, hold up, my last braincell can't understand this. Unofficial relationship?" Jungkook asks.

Namjoon nods.

" Yes, her crush turned put to be a dick-"

" Joon, I'm sorry to point it out but I get paid for it- don't cuss-" Jackson butts in.

" - they were her exact words tough." Namjoon mumbles.

" If those were her words than she'll move on pretty fast right? I mean girls cuss out their ex when they're officially done with them do they not?" Jimin wonders out loud.

" I think Joon's right, he should be patient-"

" Yoongi, do you actually know stuff about romance?-"

" Shut it brat." Yoongi cuts off Taehyung with a good natured glare.

" I can't wait to see if she stands out to the public." Jin says randomly.

All eyes turn to him, confused by his words.

" The parade is in a two weeks. Considering she's head of the stables, she'll probably be there too right. " Jin points out.

The parade which Jin was talking about is once a year every year, it's a parade in traditional style meant to not forget where the country's origin lies.

Usually Namjoon didn't really like the parade due to the old traditional music and having to sit still for hours, but if it meant that you were there too, it might be a little more bearable.

The rest of the week goes by in a wink. Everyone is mostly busy with preparations and stuff alike. You and Namjoon only have little moments in between to talk and meet up, despite living on a two minute distance. 

It isn't until two days before the parade that he has a free spot in his schedule to meet up with you. You don't have a spot free, but he's bothered you enough to know that you're usually able to talk while working.

" Hey Kook' seen Y/N around?" Namjoon asks Jungkook who's cleaning up one of the horses' their stable.

" I think we just had some stuff for the decorations on the tack in, so I think she's working with it in the tack room." He tells the elder with a smug smile before turning back to work.

And so Namjoon walks towards the tack room. While he walks by the stables, he can see the change of the horses. They look healthier, and his very own horse Koya was actually happy to see him for once ( the mare was usually in a bad mood). Winter recognized him too, and happily greeted him and both horses happily accepted the treat he had brought for them.

" Hey. Things look better here." Namjoon greets you as he walks into the tack room.

You look up from the mess you've made on the table, where an array of white, yellow, black, blue and red decorations are spread out. 

" Hey. Long time no see." You smile as you greet him with a hug.

He returns it all too easy, his nose greeted by your gentle body mist.

" So, what's this all about?" He asks, motioning to the huge amount of traditional styled tack decorations lying about.

" Decorations for the horse tack. I'm currently sorting everything out." You smile at him.

He blinks at the mess on the table.

" This is sorted out?" He asks.

" Some of it. There's the stuff for Koya by the way, the only thing missing is her norigae but I've heard that she's supposed to wear the same one as you. I was planning to go by your office to ask you for it later, but since you're here anyway...?" You tell him, pointing to the white and red tack.

" Yeah of course. Is this winter's tack?" He asks you, motioning to the yellow and black tack which is lying beside Koya's.

" Yes. I'm only missing a norigae, so I might go to the market later today." You tell him.

Namjoon's eyes shine with an idea as he hears that. Maybe he can sneakily get you to wear his custom norigae too? That way you'd both be matching in a way too.

" Hey, if you want, we can go and get the norigae right now?" He asks you, bringing his idea to life.

You look at your work in tough before nodded.

" Sure, that way Koya's tack is all complete." You smile at him as he holds out his arm to you.

This time you don't look confused, you take it.

You miss the way Jungkook's eyes widen when the two of you walk by him, you also miss the vibrant smile on Namjoon's face as he looks at Jungkook.

Instead of leading you to his office like usual, he leads you to a different part of the castle, where the royal' family's personal chambers are.

" Hey, um, are you sure that I'm allowed in here? I don't want to cause trouble." You tell him.

He nods, unlocking his door and stepping aside to let you in first.

" Yeah, it's me who you're with, so it's all cool. Also, you're allowed here always. I'll give the guards a heads up so they'll know it too. If I'm not at my office, you'll most probably find me here." He tells you as he lets go of you arm and instead laces his fingers with yours, leading the way with a gentle smile.

His quarters are bigger than your apartment in the staff building, there's a hallway, a door to the bedroom, a door to his walk in closet, a door to the bathroom and an opening to the livingroom.

" Quite a big apartment you have Joonie." You tell him as you look all over the place.

He doesn't even realize what you're saying, the only thing that reaches his ears is the nickname you've just called him by.

" Joonie?" He asks with pink ears.

You smile with a blush.

" Oh, I'm sorry, your royal highness." You tease him.

He laughs with you, and shakes his head.

" I think I like Joonie better." He winks at you before opening the door to the walk in closet, pulling you in with him.

In the room there are rows upon rows of clothing, each sectioned. There's casual, nightwear, outdoor activities, formal and traditional.

He opens one of the doors of ( what you geuss to be) a closet full with accessories.

You're not wrong, and he pulls out a wooden box with elegant carvings, putting it down on one of the dressers and opening it.

" Pick which one you think looks best by Koyas'." He tells you as he motions to the norigae in the box. Unlike the rest, there isn't a lot of it.

Koya's accessories are white and red themed, like all royal horses' are, and just to your luck, Namjoon owns one which would suit it, the design actually much the same as the Koya's actual tack.

" This one looks nice." You tell him as you point to the white and red one.

" You can take it with you, I know you're a neat person anyway." He smiles, nervous for his own question.

" Anything which you like?" He asks you, the tips of his ears turning pink once again.

You turn to look at him with wide eyes.

" What? I'm not allowed, you know?" You tell him, your eyes holding a sadness he can't explain and turning your head away from him.

" They don't need to know." He tells you softly, lifting your chin up gently.

You blush. Hard. At his actions.

You don't make a move to look at the norigae either, and so he takes it upon himself to do so.

He takes a yellow and black one and shows it to you, the decorative accessory more of an art work.

" What about this one?" He asks you.

You shake your head.

" It's too extravagant.... If you're really okay with it, can I borrow this one?" You ask him, motioning to a minimum decorated yellow one.

" Of course." He smiles as he takes that one off and the same one in black, handing both to you.

" One for your horse, and one for you." He smiles cheekily, not looking into you eyes, but instead putting both of them into your palm.

When he looks up at you again, there's a soft look in your eyes, filled with something he can't explain.

Suddenly the room's a little hot, and his hands start to feel clammy.

Were you two going to kiss?

However, he's left a little disappointed when you clear your throat, clearing the tension with it.

" I should get back to work." You say.

He snaps out of his trance and nods.

" Yeah. Same." He responds lamely.

You look at him again before making your next move.

" Thank you." You say softly as you kiss his cheek before walking away.

The small kiss on his cheek is all Namjoon can think about for the next few days, up until the day of the parade.

The day of the parade starts off hectic as per usual. 

There's Jimin and Taehyung being serious for once ( which makes them very suspicious.) There's Yoongi looking for Seokjin every five minutes, the royal advisor tired of chasing after the future king every day. And then there's Jackson who let Namjoon sleep in for a bit.

Jackson ( Namjoon's advisor) has always been able to balance everything perfectly. Today is no different. Though Namjoon wakes up fairly early, and therefore decides to start the day by himself, he does inform Jackson of where he is and what he's doing.

He knows in the back of his mind that he doesn't really need to, about everyone knows that he's at the stables if he's not in his office or private chambers.

The stables are a mess and very busy. In fact, it's so chaotic that Jungkook doesn't even realize that Namjoon's standing there, who's standing outside and readying the carriages.

It takes around 10 minutes before Jungkook actually notices the prince, who's leaning against a stable wall.

" Oh. Morning hyung. How long have you been standing there?" Jungkook greets him, bowing his head.

" Not too long. An-" 

" Y/N's at the main stables, she's was working on getting Mangs' mane braided last time I checked." Jungkook smiles at his hyung who's speechless.

" Thanks." He says puzzled.

A few minutes later he's at Mang's stable, and you appear to be working on Chimmy's braids now. There's a Bluetooth box in the corner of the stables, playing one of the many songs you've let him hear before.

In comparison to the rest of the stables, it's pretty chill here. It's just you, and a few of your coworkers, who're preparing the tack of the royal horses. Namjoon can spot the norigae you've picked out for Koya standing proud on his bearing strap.

" It seems you've got the situation under your control." Namjoon tells you, making you turn around.

At the sound of his voice, your coworkers immediately greet him with respect, and Namjoon nods his head back to each of them.

You smile and greet him with a hug.

" Yeah, we've been preparing for a week now so we didn't have to do everything last minute for a reason. How're things going in the castle?" You ask him as you move back to Chimmy, going back to braiding.

" Pretty good actually-" He's cut off by the vibrations of his own phone, and he barely excuses himself as he takes it.

" Namjoon, Where are you? I have called you six times already. Your stylist arrived ten minutes ago. Hurry up to your closet!" Jackson's voice screams trough the phone.

" Oh, um, it appears I have to go. I'll see you at the parade?" He asks.

You nod at him, and as he leaves, one of your coworkers turns to you with a silly smirk.

" So, you and prince Namjoon, huh?" He hears her teasing voice, which causes him to leave with pink ears.

The rest of the time passes by in a heartbeat, and before he knows it, he's standing in front of the castle, waving at the press and citizens.

Soon after he's with the rest of the royal family in the royal carriage, and he can see you on Winter on the side, ready to ride off with him.

He secretly wishes that you're seated right beside him, though he knows that that's for now a lot to ask.

Winter's norigae is also proudly displayed, as is yours. He's surprised at how neat Winter's posture is. The horse's head is usually held high with his ears forward, ready to explore the world. Right now his head is bent like the dressage horse he's supposed to be.

Then everyone is setting off as scheduled.

Taehyung's eyes catch someone looking rather suspicious to the side after about an hour or two.

The male was wearing all black, standing out from the colourful festive. He wasn't smiling or cheering, just stood completely still.

He looked at the figure more carefully, not wanting to create drama out of nothing.

He changed his mind as the suspicious male catches his eyes, and smirks at the prince.

He turns to Jin, who's sitting beside him, but before he's even fully turned, there's suddenly a loud bomb going off.

Everyone sets into panic, especially the horses.

Namjoon is worried about not only his people now, but especially his staff and more important to him, you.

He can only watch as the person who's driving the carriage sets the horses loose, and is left perplexed when you run after it with Winter.

And then he's demanding to get off the damn carriage because he wants to help you.

There's the distinct yelling of his title trough his mind, but he doesn't pay any mind to it. All he can focus on is helping you.

" Prince Kim Namjoon! Listen to your king and-" His father's sentence is cut off as he closes the carriage door behind him and walks off into the forest he's seen you disappear into.

He doesn't make it far into the forest before one of the guards is pulling him back to his family, who're now sitting in a bulletproof car.

"Namjoon, what are you thinking?! You've not only put yourself in danger by stepping out of the carriage but us too! Not to mention the citizens. What's wrong with you?!" His father screams at him in anger.

Seokjin and Taehyung are worried upon looking at the panicked look on their brother's face.

"She's out there."

His mother understands what's happening by hearing that sentence.

He's in love with you.

His father gets it too, and sighs before looking at his wife, both of them sharing worried glances.

His father panics, and decides that Namjoon is to stay in his chambers for the rest of the night.

Instead Namjoon sneaks out, making his way to the staff dorms. He halts at the door, not sure on which number to ring.

After all, he's never been at your place.

Luckily for him, one of the maids who just finished her shift spotted him, and asks him if she can help him.

" Any idea what Y/N L/N's house number is?" He asks her sheepishly.

She smiles and nods.

" Yes, but if you're looking for her, She's still at the stables, inspecting the horses." She tells him.

He blinks at her before thanking her and running off.

It's around 23' at night now, and the incident was around 17' in the afternoon.

Worry fills his eyes as he spots you in the stables.

You're now talking with the horses' vet, but your clothes have blood on them.

He's got no idea if it's yours or the horses, but he just hopes that it's neither.

He hears you and the vet greet each other a goodbye and rushes to your side.

" Hey, are you okay?" Is the first thing that he asks you.

You jump as you turn around, your tired eyes making contact with his.

" Woah, you scared me there. And yeah, I'm fine, just a few scratches." You wave him off, though the blood on your shirt tells him another story.

It's not seeping through dramatically, it's mostly dry, but Namjoon can't help but worry as your undershirt is matted with dirt and there's lines of blood on it too, as tough You've been cut.

" Are you sure that it doesn't hurt? We can take you to the doctor in the castle? I'm sure he won't mind-" 

" I'm fine Joon, honestly. The cuts aren't something I can't treat myself." You smile at him tiredly yet in a reassuring way, something that touches his heart.

" Thank god. Also, why're you still here? Are the horses injured?" He asks you.

You sigh and nod, walking over to Rj's stable.

" Some yeah. Especially Rj, he's always been a bad jumper, especially today when he ended up stuck on a fallen tree trunk. And it was about 19' when I had managed to get all the horses with the rest of the staff. I dismissed them all after that and decided to help the vet myself." You tell Joon as you look at the white horse who's leaning heavily on three of his legs, the fourth being stitched and bandaged.

" You didn't even eat dinner yet?" He asks, eyes wide.

You shrug and nod.

" Yeah, but it's fine, don't worry about it. Now if you don't mind, I really want to go home. So I'll be locking up the stables, if you still want to talk, feel free to come with me to my humble home." You tell him as you collect your stuff and turn towards the entrance.

He's quick to catch up to you, wordlessly taking your stuff for you.

Moments later he's stood in the kitchen, exploring your cabinets on what to make you while you're in the shower.

You've told him to make himself comfortable while you'd freshen up, but he wants to make you something so you didn't have to make yourself dinner.

However, Joon can't cook, as he has never been taught. From the three princes, only the eldest knows how to.

And so he ends up following a recipe, which doesn't turn out great either.

And so when you step out of the shower, you hurry to the kitchen due to the smell of fire.

You're very surprised to see the prince just standing there, in front of the stove, looking more confused than panicked.

He's scratching the back of his head and you hear him mumbling "Is it supposed to smell like this?"

His question is quickly answered by you hastily turning off the stove and turning on the extractor.

" You don't cook very often do you?" You ask him dryly, folding your arms over one another.

He's lowkey disappointed by his failure of being husband material, and it shows on his face.

" Sorry. I wanted to make you dinner so you wouldn't have to after such a long day." He tells you guiltily with a small pout, which turns you soft.

You smile at him due to his antics.

" That's real sweet, but I was planning on simple ramen." You tell him.

And so the two of you end up making ramen together ( as he's very set on letting you do as little as possible.)

About thirty minutes later, the two of you are seated on the sofa, each a bowl of ramen in your grasp as he's looking for a good movie, and a blanket thrown over your laps. 

The distance between you two is smaller than it's appropriate for a prince and his staff member, and you both love it.

Moments later, the two of you are done with dinner, and Namjoon watches worriedly as you sleepily blink at the screen and keep switching positions, unable to find a comfortable one.

" You know, if you're uncomfortable, you can lean on me, I don't mind."

The words leave his mouth before he can think about it twice.

No words leave your mouth before you're snuggling against him, legs thrown over the couch, folded sideways, blanket pulled up to your chin and your head resting on his shoulder.

He's only too happy with your reaction, and wraps an arm around you in response, pulling you even closer.

The two of you watch most of the unimportant movie in silence, until Namjoon hears your light snores.

The sight that greets him makes him just realize how deep in he is once again.

You're literally drooling on his shirt, yet he still finds your visuals pleasing to the eye.

He's whipped and he knows it.

He turns off the tv before moving you to the bedroom.

He really didn't plan to sleep over, but once he's dropped you off on your bed, ( literally, almost falling on top of you himself) you don't let go of him.

And so he just sleeps over, and he's happy he came in sweats and a sweater.

The next morning, you wake up without an alarm, you wake up in the prince's arms.

Which leaves you very flustered.

Because as far as you're concerned, you're supposed to take the morning shift at the stables today.

The first thing you do is check your phone, something you haven't done since you called the vet for the horses.

You're greeted by kind messages of the other staff from the stables, and they let you have a day off as you were working from 6 am to 11 pm yesterday.

And so you set on making breakfast.

Meanwhile Namjoon's slowly waking up in your room.

Luckily for him, he's off duty until around 15', and it's now about 10'.

Pleased with the time, he reaches out for you, only to realize that you're not there.

He's not really in the mood to stay lazy in bed, and so he comes to join you in the kitchen.

The sight that greets him there makes him feel fuzzy, again.

You're not even doing anything specific, just flipping pancakes while you're wearing this huge shirt and sweats, your hair pulled up in the most unorganized bun he's ever seen.

But he loves it. He really does.

" Morning." He murmurs lowly in your ear as he hugs you from behind in greeting.

You jump, but relax soon after.

" Morning sleepyhead. Slept well?" You ask him.

He smiles.

" I did but when I woke up you weren't there anymore." He pouts.

Meanwhile his parents were figuring out on what to do.

" Well, what do you suggest? Our boy is in love. And what's wrong with that? She's a nice woman." The queen tells her husband as they're talking in one of the yards, enjoying the weather.

"Of course there's nothing wrong with that, but she's a peasant. He'd be breaking tradition, and I don't want anyone using that against him, nor do I want someone to use the woman's former title against her." The king tells her.

His wife looks at him in surprise.

"You don't have anything against her?"

" Of course not honey, why would I?" The king asks her.

" You didn't really seem to like her in the carriage ride." She tells him pointedly.

"  I admit, I had to think about it, but she's indeed nice. and Namjoon's obviously in love with her." The king said with a small smile.

" Then I suggest we let it be up to him."

When Joon came back home, a fortunate surprise was waiting for him, the 'okay' of his parents.

When he heard so, he was shook, but happy out of his mind.

Soon his group of friends knew it, and not too long after, his staff too (though they lowkey were already).

Next up he started planning everything out, and with everything, I mean like too much.

He's starting to think about on how to ask you, and on what to wear, whenether to take you on a date or straight up ask you out.

It's not until a few days later that he admits his feelings.

The two of you are simply cuddled up together, doing absolutely nothing, simply talking about life and complaining about Yoongi's horse riding skills.

It's already late at night, and it only settles the mood.

It doesn't go according to plan though, instead of being cute and asking you out with a fancy sign and everything, the two are laid on the couch, you in his arms as the two of you lay saggedly against one another. And he literally goes;

" Did you know that I have the biggest crush on you?"

It's not planned, he didn't even mean to say it.

It just happened.

All you did was laugh at a really bad joke he made, and it just came out.

He blushed hard, as you now get up to face him.

" Wait, are you serious?" You ask him, eyes wide.

He swallows, and stays silent, not entirely sure on what to say. It takes him a moment before he answers.

" I, uhm, yeah. I do."

He says it so cutely you have to keep yourself from chuckling at him.

He adjusts his position, now sitting up too, except he's leaning his back against the couch.

You don't take too long to respond, instead being pretty quick.

" You mean, I could've asked you out a whole while earlier, and you would've said yes?" You ask him.

He nods, at first normally, softly, then suddenly vigorously.

" Of course I would! Have you seen yourself? You're one heck of a woman!" He exclaims.

Now it's your turn to blush.

" Okay, uhm, wait- I know this pick up line and- I think you got your pronouns wrong, instead of he/him it should be you're/mine." You pop suddenly adding to the moment.

Joon laughs at that, throwing his head back.

He bites his lip once he's calmed down again.

" I mean, I guess you're right. In a way.- Mind if I kiss you?" 

The two of you are suddenly moving fast, very fast, but neither of you are bothered.

The two of you have been good friends since a while back anyway, and this really didn't bother either of you.

You've simply waited way too long for each other either way, it appeared.

" Oh, yes. Please do-" 

You can barely finish, before he's pressing his lips to yours.

[arthurmorgansleftlung]

Secret Cupid 2021 (Part 2)

This @rdr-secret-cupid is for @outlawsworld ! I’m so sorry about it being a little late. I really hope that you like this, I really tried to incorporate horses and your appearance the best that I could without being overbearing.

Sorry about any formatting issues, I’m on mobile!

Happy (belated) Valentine’s Day!

——————

The Way He Touched You

Arthur Morgan x Reader

Word Count: 2,350

Warnings: None really, but there is briefly some hostile words and behaviors aimed at the reader.

You were a successful seductress and thief. You were making hundreds, sometimes thousands of money from tempting big burly oafs. They always figured you were no threat, with your small stature and physique. And don’t forget about your oh-so-charming Southern Belle act! These men were fools, and you played them like a fiddle.

Your mistake was staying in the same town and seducing every man who lived there. You no longer had an audience. No bites. No money. Until one day, when a new man rode into town on the finest horse you’d ever seen. He was loaded. But he was big, and strong.

You seduced the man, tricking him into buying you two a night at the nicest hotel around. Once you made your way into the room, however, that’s where things went wrong.

You’d gotten to the point in your routine where you would normally incapacitate your victim. Normally you would find an object close by, like a candle stick or a boot that had been kicked off. Well, when you smashed a glass dish over the man’s head, he did not pass out. Rather, he started bleeding profusely and screaming at you. You bolted out of the hotel, bursting through the door and jumping on the first horse you saw: his.

With a quick kick to the sides the Arabian horse went into a full gallop, the sound of its hooves hitting the ground mixed in with the angry yells of the man you just failed to rob.

Pretty soon, the law and the townspeople were on you. But your stolen horse was faster than them. Eventually it seemed that they had given up. You couldn’t hear or see anything. You slowed the horse and dismounted, giving it a nice pat and an apple (which was also stolen).

You must have fallen asleep, because when you woke up to the sound of thundering hooves and angry men the sky was a different shade of blue. Luckily the horse you’d stolen, who you now recognized was a girl, was still nearby, grazing on the overgrown grass. Unfortunately, she was not a very camouflaged horse. She was the brightest shade of white with a pink nose and blue eyes. The mob found you easily.

You ran and mounted the mare, kicking her to make her go. The horse bolted, and you made decent ground, but the howling of nearby wolves spooked her and she threw you off.

“Fuck!“ You were panicking. You had no other means of escaping. Horse theft was punishable by hanging. Is this how you would go? Suddenly a horse skidded and stopped beside you.

“Those friends of yours?” The man asked.

“No! Can you get me outta here?” You were on the verge of crying. You didn’t want to die.

“I can try! Hop on up here, miss.” You hoped you could trust this man. With a prayer you hopped onto the back of the man’s horse, and after grabbing hold of his shirt you were off. His horse galloped faster than the Arabian had for you, perhaps he was a kind and tender man with his horse.

The man, whose name you had learned was Arthur, took you into a concealed part of the wilderness. You were scared of where he was bringing you, but more scared of what would happen if you jumped off. You saw the dim light of a campfire, the sound of people talking, horses snorting back and forth as they noticed a stranger approaching.

You found yourself in a camp full of people. Arthur lead you over to a tent, where a man with jet black hair and a mustache greeted you. You told him your story, and he laughed and recommended you become friends with a girl named Karen. Apparently she was in a similar “business” as you.

That was almost a full year ago now.

Now you were a dutiful helper around camp. You of course did the regular chores that Ms. Grimshaw assigned you, but you had also become the caretaker of the gang’s horses.

Except Arthur’s. He insisted on taking care of his mare. The one time he had found you taking care of his horse he didn’t talk to you the rest of the day! You found it strange but you respected his wishes.

Currently you were grooming Taima, Charles’ Appaloosa mare. You were running a brush through her black and white fur, giving her encouraging words as you went on. You had finished your other chores: washing and drying clothes, washing bowls for the evening stew; the same old routine. A calm breeze drifted through the camp, causing leaves to flap around and Taima’s man to flow, ever so slightly.

You noticed the sound of hooves alongside the rustling of the flora around you. Arthur was riding in. He had been gone a couple of days on a hit. His horse looked exhausted, covered in sweat and mud.

“Hey, Arthur.” You greeted him. He tipped his hat towards you. He hitched his horse and walked towards you.

“Would you mind givin’ my old girl a brush?”

“I thought you didn’t like me tendin’ to your horse.” He sensed the slight attitude in your voice, you’d been holding a slight, although stupid, grudge since Arthur went silent on you.

“Please, (Y/N), she’s filthy. I can’t tend to ‘er right now...” Arthur headed off to Dutch’s tent, followed by the closing of the flaps. You gave Taima a once over; she looked shiny and clean. You headed over to Arthur’s mare, who nickered in response to you patting her hindquarters.

You gently brushed her, caked mud falling off with ease. She would need a real bath to return to her solid black color. You cleaned her as best as you could. Although her white socks were still a beige color, she looked pristine everywhere else.

Arthur soon returned, letting out a low whistle at the sight of his horse. Of course he didn’t like that he didn’t do it himself, but he praised you on your grooming work.

“You wanna go for a ride, (Y/N)?”

“Why?” You eyed him suspiciously.

“Do you wanna go for a ride or not?”

Without another word you got up on Arthur’s horse and wrapped your arms under his, your hands resting on his shoulders. The mare trotted into the woods, and once you all reached the main road you took off towards Valentine.

When you arrived, Arthur hitched his horse up outside of the stable. Was he buying treats? You followed him inside the stable, where he was greeted by the owner who was eyeing you suspiciously.

“Whatcha think about that one?” Arthur pointed towards a palomino American Standardbred.

“That’s a fine horse,” you said quietly. You didn’t have the money for such a creature, which you voiced with Arthur.

“‘Scuse me sir, I’d like to purchase this horse for my wife!” Arthur gestured towards the golden horse. Wife? Wife? Your face flushed red with anxiety and embarrassment. Arthur paid for the horse, your horse. He got you basic tack as well, and made sure you were good to ride. You didn’t know what to say.

You began to leave the stable, but the owner called after you.

“Wait! Here’s a brush and some treats... for... you...” A realization had been made. “Why— sir! That ain’t your wife! That’s the whore that stole all the men’s money in this town!”

“Don’t you call my wife no such thing.” Arthur warned the man, his hand gripping

his holster. You were flabbergasted, both at Arthur’s new title for you and that you had been caught... again.

The man grabbed at the skirt of your dress, trying to pull you off of your horse. You kicked at him, “Stop it!” You hissed at him, glaring him down. You weren’t scary at all, but perhaps Arthur’s presence gave you a leg up in intimidation. He grabbed at you again, his dirty hand gripping your thigh through the fabric. Without hesitation Arthur drew his pistol and shot the man, blood splatter making its impression on your dress and skin. Now you were certain your dress was soiled.

“Let’s go.” Arthur grumbled. Arthur called for his horse and mounted up. You both calmly left the stable, but you felt like you were burning alive with all of the eyes on you two. You could hear a familiar voice, the sheriff. As soon as you and Arthur had made it close to the outskirts, you bolted. You made a detour and headed towards Emerald Ranch, to avoid giving directions to camp if somebody followed you.

The sheriff and his deputies followed you, but gave up easily. Your horse was kind to you, and easy to handle. But he began to spook. You held on tightly to the reins, causing the horse even more irritation.

“Let loose on the reins, keep your ass in the saddle!” Arthur guided you. You already knew this, but you tried your best to follow his directions. Your horse did calm down after a moment, snorting at you after the ordeal. Arthur smiled smugly at you.

“So I’m your wife now, huh?” You teased Arthur, who was flushed a crimson red. He hadn’t really thought about that.

“In Valentine you are.”

If only he knew how you felt about it. You didn’t push it. You thanked Arthur for your horse, who you’d decided to call Flavian, after his golden appearance. Arthur thought the name was weird, but didn’t question it. The two of you rode off towards camp, traveling through the oil fields to get back. It was a long ride, but a safe one. The hot sun burned your skin, turning you pink. You didn’t think you’d be in the sun for so long, you hadn’t really prepared.

In a daze, you felt something hit your chest. Arthur’s hat. You looked at him, his head already facing forward.

“You’re turnin’ red. Just wear it for now.” You put on the hat, the scent of him forcing its way into your nose and causing a familiar heat to rush to your face. You reached the wooded surroundings of the camp, just as the sun began to set.

After you’d arrived Arthur grabbed a bowl of Pearson’s stew and retreated to his tent. You grabbed a bowl as well and followed Arthur, you needed to give his hat back. When you got close enough, Arthur was sitting and holding his head in his hands, frustrated.

“Arthur?”

“Yes, Miss (Y/N)?” He seemed startled.

“Your hat...” You pulled the hat off of your head, reaching it out for him to take. He looked up at you, beet red. He reached for the hat and gently took it from your hand. “Are you okay...?” You stepped closer, into his tent. He seemed a bit concerned about this, his eyebrows knitting together.

“I’m fine, Miss (Y/N). Just tired. Confused.”

“Confused about what, Arthur?”

“You.”

“Well, what about me?” You kind of laughed, trying to conceal any nervousness in your voice.

“Well, I— It’s not important, (Y/N).”

You silently took a deep breath. You stepped closer to Arthur and sat down beside him on his cot. He recoiled a bit. Ouch.

“What, Arthur?” You were hurt at how repulsed he seemed to be by your presence. Sure, he bought you a horse, but probably because Dutch or Hosea told him to.

“The way that man touched you today. I didn’t like it.” He mumbled. He knew of your past, how you used to tempt men. What did Arthur mean?

The thought of you ever being touched by somebody filled Arthur with a quiet anger. He was jealous today. Jealous and protective and possessive. Over a woman that wasn’t his to begin with. He had been for months, and it worried him.

“I didn’t like him touchin’ you. I don’t like... I don’t like anybody touchin’ you!”

“Arthur.” You brought your small frame closer to him. This time he didn’t recoil. You turned your head to look at him, his eyes avoiding you. You brought a gentle hand to his forearm, his bright turquoise eyes met your green ones. “Arthur I’m in love with you... how could you not tell? Ever since you saved me...”

“You can’t be in love with me...” Arthur laughed with a hint of sadness. He turned to face you, your knees touching. He brought a calloused hand to your cheek, looking like he wanted so desperately to kiss you, but pulled himself away. He seemed ashamed.

“But I am. I am in love with you, Arthur Morgan.” You looked down at the ground, fearful of what he might respond with.

How could you be so vulnerable? How could you just tell him you’ve been in love with him for a year? What now? Were you going to tell him how every time he left on a mission that you’d be so sick to your stomach with worry that you were scared you’d vomit? How you felt a twinge of jealousy and then guilt when he interacted with any of the girls? How every time you saw him you’d try to take a picture in your mind, just in case?

Tears pricked at your eyes. Oh, great, you were crying now. Arthur lifted your head back up and wiped his thumb across your cheek, wiping your tears away. He smiled softly at you.

“We can talk about this later, (Y/N)... I can’t stand seein’ you cry.”

You latched onto Arthur, in the tightest hug you could manage. He brought his big arms around you, careful not to squeeze too tight.

You don’t remember much of anything after. Arthur had been right, you were both exhausted from the heat today.

The next morning you woke up, still encased in Arthur’s arms. It was still early, nobody else had woken up but you were sure somebody had seen the two of you. Arthur also seemed to be awake, and ran his fingers through your hair.

“I love you too, (Y/N).”

[horsesarecreatures]

Random Thoughts

- It is so hard to find western stuff for an Arabian, especially a 4 1/2 - 4 3/4 inch bit. The ones I looked at specifically for Arabians had these crazy high ports. I finally settled on a 4 1/2 mullen mouth short shank with a very low port that was $8 on Ebay. I honestly don't know if it will be okay for Amba since Arabians often have low palettes, but I figured the price was so low that there was no harm in experimenting. But then it got delivered to Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico instead of NJ lol. Finding western saddles for Arabs isn't hard, but bridles pretty much only come in one size. I eventually found one with the same browband measurements as my English one though so it should fit.

- While I didn't notice her struggling and her hooves seemed hard to me, the farrier said yesterday that she has some mild bruising from walking on the stones on the trail. So I’m going to start using keratex again because that was really effective. But I was wondering if there are non-carcinogenic alternatives? I think that even though it’s dry being stalled at night has changed Amba’s hooves, and they’re now less adapted to handling the soggy pasture. I recently read a study that seemed to show that it’s better for hooves to be in just one type of environment rather than going back and forth between wet and dry.

-Speaking of stalls, Amba actually really likes hers? The first time I put her in a stall she hated it because I think it made her nervous because the barn she came from had stalls with open walls while ours do not, but now that she’s used to it she really enjoys having her own space. She actually comes galloping up to the staff when they come to put her in for the night. I actually think that even after she gains her weight back I might continue with full board even though it’s more expensive. I like that she gets a third smaller meal at 10:00 and that she’s getting checked on at night. I’m not placing blame on anyone because there are several pastures on the farm over 5 acres that make doing night checks unrealistic for pasture boarded horses, but when Amba had potomic fever and the neurological symptoms I noticed them before anyone else, and if I hadn't come to the barn those days then she would have been in discomfort until??? 

- The Wintec saddle is starting to grow on me. Its not my aesthetic but it is comfy and practically indestructible. I leave it in my car on a small dog crate most of the time because I don’t have room for a saddle rack and don't feel like stopping at the tack room when I can just drive straight to her field. Several times now it tipped over without me realizing and the flaps got bent. But they always reverted back to their original shape on their own without getting scratched or creased. Also, no rub marks ever from my boots. It’s very durable and I’m expecting it to last a long time. 

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

White Knight Syndrome: Four

Bucky isn’t sure when you wound up on his chest, your fingers tangled in his shirt and your head on his heart. Somewhere between his 4th beer and the 2nd movie. When the shock wore off and the depression and exhaustion crept in.

He does know, as he holds you there, that he doesn’t mind in the least. If you’re against his chest, you’re safe. You’re comfortable. You’re warm snuggled into his sweats and the quilt from his bed. He adjusts you carefully, shifting your weight just slightly so his erection wouldn’t be stabbing against you. It was a reaction to being this... intimate with someone. Something he’d not had in a long time but. Given everything that had happened that morning, sex was the furthest thing from his mind. He just kept seeing you running around the corner of the house. Barefoot and half-naked. Your shirt had been half torn off in the struggle inside and your shorts were the ones you slept it. 

You’d come home from a long stretch at work. Tired. Hungry. All you wanted was some food and a night of good sleep. It had probably been easy for Rick to catch you off guard. You’d told the police you were changing in the laundry room. Scrubs come off and go in the wash and the first pajamas you grab go on before you walk into the house. He can picture it from what you told the police. He can still see the way your head snapped back when he grabbed your hair. The hair he had his fingers carding through to keep you asleep. 

He hates that that man is already, as you predicted, out on bail. He holds you a little tighter and kisses your head. He promised to keep you safe. He promised you’d be happy. He wanted that for you. He didn’t want to wake you. He didn’t want to tell you he was out. He wanted you to have just a little more sleep. Some more time to let yourself adjust to this new reality. One where your home wasn’t safe anymore. 

The sudden banging on the door isn’t going to let that happen though. You jerk upright and scramble off of Bucky as quickly as you can without hurting him. Every nerve in your body alert. “Stay here, doll,” he says softly, getting up slowly. He pads his way to the door and unbolts it carefully ready for a fight. What he finds is a pair of not quite elderly folks. The man has snow-white hair and his arm around the woman’s shoulders. The woman is wringing her hands and trying to peer around Bucky. “Can I help you?” he asks carefully. “Oh dear, is Y/N here?” the woman asks, “Rick said she would be.” Bucky opens his mouth to tell them no when he feels your hand on his, “Nora,” you say softly, “You and Bobby shouldn’t be here.” The man chuckles, “You know Nora. There was no keeping her away.” You shake your head, “I’m not taking Rick back. Not this time. Not ever again. I love you both dearly but... I can’t go back to that life.”  Nora pulls you into a hug, “I know that, dear,” she said. Bobby sighed, “We tried to keep him in jail. It’s a disgrace what he keeps doing but... You know Rick. Low friends in high places all over the place.” You nod and sigh, “It’s how he got off the manslaughter charge the first time. And how He got out of paying all the medical bills.” 

Nora brushes hair out of your eyes and smiles sadly, “We didn’t raise our boy to be this way,” she said softly. “I know,” you tell her. Bobby cleared his throat, uncomfortable. Bucky can see he’s a good man. The kind that cares but doesn’t show it very well. The only thing that’s keeping him from throwing them off his porch is that they seemed to have decided to side with you in all this. A rare occurrence, but one he’s thankful for. “Listen, Girlie. You’re still the best damn Bronc Buster that I’ve ever seen,” he said, making you snort. “I’m serious. A damn fine horsewoman... Best decision I ever made hiring you out. You coulda gone to the Olympics if you hadn’t had that accident.” You open your mouth to protest and he holds up a hand, “I know damn well we can’t make up for all the hell that boy caused you. But I can do this.” He pulls an envelope out of his jacket and hands it to you, “In there is everything you need. I picked out a real pretty Arabian. Fast as anything. Good blood. You can pick your own tack. We’ll pay to put her up. It’d be a tragedy for you to get all city-fied and lose that talent. All you gotta do is show them the paperwork and give her a name. You can go ride as often as you want... if you ever wind up Back in Montana, well shit. We’ll move her with you.” You tear up, momentarily overwhelmed and he pulls you into a hug, brushing a kiss over the top of your head, “Don’t you cry on me now. Because you’re gonna cry, then Nora’s gonna cry, and we’re gonna miss our flight. And I ain’t haul my old ass all the way out here to listen to no crying. I was too late to grab Rick before he got stupid, but I can do this. So don’t you worry, Girlie... This ain’t no loan either. It’s preserving a goddamn national asset. You got the best head for riding I ever seen. We can’t have you losin’ it.” 

They don’t stay much longer after that. Long enough for you to promise to send them pictures of your garden when it comes in and not to be a stranger if you’re ever in town. They drive away and Bucky puts an arm around your waist, “Y/N, what the fuck?” 

You smile a little, “Nora and Bobby run a cattle ranch. A damn good one. I used to work for them in the summertime. S’how I got the money for my tack and to feed my horse... and how I met Rick. He’s a couple years older than me. We started dating when I was 17. Right before the car wreck where my momma died. Before i was gonna go try and qualify for a spot on the US team.”  Bucky kisses the side of your head, “So. Their son beat the living hell out of you and what? They buy you a horse?” You smile a little, “And knowing Bobby they’ve got a guy headed over to fix the glass and install a security system for me... When Rick. I mean. That first time. When I pressed charges after. After he beat me until...” You trail off and Bucky doesn’t press. He knows what you’re talking about. He gives you a second to get your composure and kisses your shoulder softly. “Nora brought me the divorce papers while I was still in the hospital... They decided to keep me, I guess after it all came out what he’d done.” Bucky nodded slowly. He can’t imagine doing those things to a woman. Any woman. Let alone one he was married to. Supposed to be in love with. The one he wanted to have a passle of kids with.

Bucky held you gently for a moment, “I didn’t even know you rode horses,” he said softly, “got any other hidden talents?” You smile a little, “I’m a damn good shot with a rifle and I’m good with rope,” you answer. Bucky raises his eyebrows, “Got a whole Cowgirl next door... And here I thought you were just a random hippie.” You snort, “Careful. I’ll hogtie you to the bed and leave you for your boys to find.” He chuckles, “You gotta at least take me for a nice dinner, first doll. I’m not that kind of guy... My mama raised a gentleman. I’m not just some whore.” You giggle and he hugs you close for a second, “On that note, Doll,” he said, “Let’s get you fed. You probably didn’t get a chance to eat, did you?” You shake your head. “My wallet is in my glove box if you want my card to pay for something,” you tell him. He shakes his head, “You’re alright. I was just gonna order a shit load of Chinese.” You smile a little and nod, “I forgot, this is y’all’s Club night, isn’t it?” Bucky nods, “When they get here, we’re gonna have a chat about having someone escort you to work. At least until the cops do their fucking job.” You blush and shake your head, “I appreciate it but...”

Bucky grips your shoulders gently and kisses you quiet. “Sugar,” he says, “The scariest moment of my life was hearing you scream. I went to war. I got shot at daily. None of that ever scared me the way that did. I have never wanted to kill a man as much as I wanted to when I saw that piece of shit chasing you through the yard... If Sam and Steve hadn’t got here when they did, baby, I’d be in jail.” He kisses you again softly and smiles, “I made you a promise, Sugar. And I ain’t likely to break it.”

He kisses you again and for a moment, there’s no talking. He wants to tell you he loves you. To ask you to marry him. To ask you about baby names. But the feel of your arms slipping around him and your tongue against his chase all that out of his mind. All there is, is this.

Tags: @lancsnerd​ @stevieang​ @golddaggers​ @blameitonthecauseway @qxeen-of-hearts​ @process-pending​ @xmarveled​ @beautybyfire, @etherealwaifgoddess, @mschellehitt, @mistressoftorture @thorfanficwriter, @ctinadiva, @innerpaperexpertcloud @amalthea9

[abalonetea]

Ok, first, let me just say WOW because you have the coolest page and I love the theme. This is.... so cool.Ok, but yes, back to the question. I was asking about horses because, yeah, I ride occasionally, but I don't really know cool horse terms. Trying to write about them and didn't know if there's good lingo for such. Or like, long term traveling no-no's. Obviously food, water, and distance, but if there were other tricks of the trade. Have any pointers?

thank you!! i’m absolutely in love with the lay-out of it, and how the theme ended up looking! i wanted something new and figured, hey, why not fully embrace the video game aspect of my wip? c:

i’m always down for horse chatter, no matter what it’s about! i’ve been working on horse farms since i was nine - which sounds strange to say, i realize, but i used to do farm work in exchange for lessons, and then it just evolved to paid farm work, haha. so, yeah, knowing how amazing your writing always is, the thought of you doing some horse related scenes just makes me incredibly happy and excited?

for long term traveling inspiration, i would check out endurance rides! it used to be primarily dominated by Arabians and half-Arabian breeds, but a larger variety becomes prominent in the circuit every year. we’ve had Morgan’s and quarter horses win the Nationals before and everything.

outside of food, water, and distance, some of the biggest things that i see forgotten about (but might not be relevant to your writing!) would be the soundness of a horse, and whether they’re still being groomed. and all this rambling is just! me guessing at the setting and situation! so it may or may not be helpful but - well, i like rambling about horses, so i hope you don’t mind! i’m mostly going under the assumption that by long distance you mean cross country, or something close to that, spanning several days or at least a week’s worth of riding. c:

depending on the setting, the thought of grooming a horse during a long distance travel might come across as strange. but if the same sweaty blanket, cushion, or saddle pad is left on the horse’s back for an extended amount of time, the sweat and the friction can rub sores - which then make the horse irate, and sometimes can even result, depending on the temperament of the horse, in being bucked off. 

solution for a desperate time - hop off, undo the girth on one side, slide the saddle back onto the haunches or up onto the neck (if a well trained horse, otherwise if the horse is young or antsy, the saddle may need to come off completely) and take a dry rag to the coat. if a hard brush or curry is available and time allows, a quick rub down wouldn’t hurt, but a dry rag will work if time and supplies are limited.

then flip the pad over, so the dry side is against the horse and tack back up. if time is extra limited, just flip over the saddle pad and skip the rag.

the other big thing is that a horse can easily injure itself on a trail. i love them, but half the time i feel like horses are held together by used chewing gum and some old string? so even if your horse doesn’t actually injure itself during the story, it might be something to keep in mind. they can pull leg muscles, bruise their frog, damage their hoof, and even cut their coronary band if the foliage is particularly thick and thorny!

so if you’re looking for extra drama, just nudge the horse into a situation that will leave it lame for a little bit, haha!

and some of favorite horse things that i love to include when writing about horses!

*when you’ve been riding for a really long time and your back is starting to hurt so you lean forward, draping yourself over the horse’s neck and it’s sweaty and dirty but the smell of horse is a comfort so you both just stand their silently for a few moments

*after a really hard ride but you can’t get off just yet so you do stretches in the saddle, like bending backwards so your shoulders are on the rump of the horse, and bending your legs in weird ways because they’re cramped

*a horse that’s too scared to walk through tall grass on its own but trusts you so much that as long as you walk in front of it, he’ll follow behind you

*horses playing with each other! halter tag, anyone?

*the specific sound of horse hooves hitting the ground, especially when it’s hard packed earth, especially if there are a lot of them

*hot horse breath on your hand when you give the horse a treat or hold up a bucket of water for them to drink out of

*that one horse who fills its mouth up with water and then purposefully dumps it on the rider’s shoulder

*the sheer exhilaration that comes from galloping a horse through a wide, open expanse where there’s nothing keeping you confined and the wind is cutting against your face and your heart is pounding and it’s like the both of you are the same being

*if you’re going long distance and are able to plan ahead of time, the pack you bring needs more than just food for the horse. pack smart and light! hay string is invaluable. so is vet-wrap (or an ace bandage swiped from the med bay) and duck tape. those three things can fix nearly any problem that occurs during your travels.

some facts from my personal life experience!

*did you know that you can fix a horse’s injured hoof with a preemie diaper and some duck tape

*did you know that you can fix their knee the same way

*did you know that you can make a sweat wrap for a horse’s swollen leg using clingwrap

*braiding a horse’s tail all the way to the tip is actually really ineffective for a horse that’s outside for any length of time. if you braid it down halfway, they still have the loose hair at the bottom to use as a fly swatter!

*horse bites are incredibly painful and not just when they nip your hand. i still have scars and tissue damage from being bit on the shoulder and thrown across the ten foot stall by a horse that was in pain and lashing out at me. it turned into a massive hematoma and i couldn’t lift my arm up past my breasts for almost three months

*getting kicked by a horse is incredibly painful but certainly not a death sentence and might not even leave you out of the field for a long time. i was double barreled out in the field one day, got the stitches put into my chin, had x-rays taken, and then went to finish my day’s worth of work. 

*that being said it absolutely can be really awful. my first trainer was thrown by a horse and landed the wrong way, so it completely shattered her arm and she ended up needing five surgeries. my second trainer was kicked in the face by a horse and it ended up breaking off parts of her teeth.

*night riding is asking for trouble, because the eyes of a horse have a hard time distinguishing things in heavy shadow. it’s why they tend to freak out over seemingly little things; the cones in their eyes just aren’t meant for distinguishing things in the dark.

*if your horse has never seen a cow or donkey before, it will terrify them. 

*ive never met a horse who didn’t like gatorade and that really has no relevance to anything, and probably is no use to anyone, but it’s still something that i wanted to share! i’ve worked with over 500 separate horses at my various farm jobs, and i’ve never met a single horse that turned down gatorade when i offered it to them

*rice bran tastes like vanilla cookies

*bute powder might smell like fruit loops but it does not taste like fruit loops

*sweet feed is edible for humans but the molasses gives it a very bitter flavor. alternatively, non-sweet feed kind of tastes like you’re eating dry bran cereal

i don’t know if any of this is even slightly useful to you, but it sure was fun to write up! and i am always up for talking about horses or answering any questions that you (or anyone else) might have! i’ve basically worked in every aspect of the horse industry at some point or another, and while i’m not a specialist by any means, i am most certainly a jack of all trades when it comes to farm work, barn work, and horse work

[overandbeyond724]

Sonamy Week 2018 Day 4: Arabian Nights

It was foretold before that our blue hero faced many adventures with Tails and Knuckl-err I mean, Alibaba and Sinbad across the seven seas.

But before he could wish Arabia goodbye (literally), the infamous forty bandits of one thousand and one nights stole the King's treasures and the lamp and the genie of the ring, Shahra.

The king of Arabia ordered the heroes to sought for the stolen treasures hidden in the vanishing island at the edge of Arabia.

And upon following a fellow traveller's directions in finding a magical map that will them to the bandits' island, they found themselves sailing towards the sea of monsters.

Sure sounds like death, this conquest of course

But this is Sonic the Hedgehog we're talking about, he's basically living on the edge.

Sonic sat on top of the ship's mast in admiring the midnight sky freckled with countless of sparkling stars and the Arabian Moon guiding their path in these deep, dangerous waters entrapping him in the ship.

Well in comparison to the first time he boarded 'The Emerald', he's getting used to the slow travel.

Homesickness maybe, but he has friends to remind him of home.

Sonic skillfully rapelled down the mast like a firefighter to a pole. Upon his landing, he let ouf his weariness and relaxed state in the widest of yawns.

Might as well call it a night and get himself some shut-eye before the real adventure begins, and head his way below deck.

TACK! CLANG! TACK! TACK!

His senses alarmed him by the sudden clanging noises coming from the left corridor, a piece of an apple came rolling down across him from the ship's rocking.

This is the darkest section of the ship, thus the reason why he kept his ears sharp from any noises as he cautiously tip toed his way to the supply closet found at the end of the hallway, suspicions arising in him as he noticed the closet door properly closed, and untouched from being used recently.

Sonic slowly turned the knob open, letting out a small gap in between.

There's no turning back now.

He kicked the door open and jumped inside.

"Who's there!?" He roared, when his ears picked up a high pitched whimper from above.

THUD!

A heavy figure from above suddenly squashed the blue blur flat.

Possibly because of his reflexes, Sonic immediately rolled over and pinned the person down on the floor.

"Who are you and how did you! ...you..." he really can't see much in dark to take a good look at the intruder, but once his eyes adjusted from the from the leaking rays of moonlight at a small circular window, he immediately realized the identity of the figure and quickly backed away.

It was shortly after then when he heard Alibaba and Sinbad's footsteps rushing towards the door.

"Oi Sonic, what's the ruckus' all about?!"

"Sonic, are you alright?"

The two tried to open the closet door, but it seems to be stuck when it was forcedly shut by their fall.

"I can't open it..." Sinbad shakily stated

"Sonic, are you there? What happened?"

"It's alright guys, I got this is the bag!" Sonic shouted out in reply to reassure them, before turning his attention back at the cloaked traveller they met at the marketplace.

He confidently crossed his arms and began, "Well it looks like you have the same agenda as we do..."

The hooded man didn't answer "Why did you follow us?" He asked, only to be treated with the same silence.

"Heh, so we're playing the silent game now huh?" He continued, when he noticed from the light was a shining red gem, and a trace of pink casted out from the shadows.

Winging on his sudden hunch, he slowly stepped forward, almost seductive as some might interpret and pulled out a sly smirk on his face.

His certainty certainly grew stronger as the figure staggered backwards to keep their distance from each other until the figure leaned their back at the wall.

"You've come a long way my fellow traveller, and I must say I'm impressed that you managed to catch up with us" he stopped his feet from getting too close at the figure, but close enough to intimidate her.

"But did I told you not to abandon your people your highness?"

The figure gulped

"Y-You're highness?! Sonic what in the world of Arabia is going on!?" Sinbad loudly banged the door open

Sonic waited for the hooded traveller pause to admit defeat from being found out and sighed. "I know" she finally removed the hood to unveil her rosy face glimmer against the patches of moonlight, "But that's easy for you to say since you're no royalty..."

Sonic's face was one with seriousness and disappointment, "Why did you run away?"

"I didn't abandon my kingdom, I have to..." she motioned her head as she spoke, before her trembling, deep green eyes met Sonic's emerald ones, that triggered the blue blur's worry in seeing her in such state and silenced himself to hear her out.

"After you, Sinbad, and Alibaba left the kingdom, those pirates returned, stole the crowned jewels and destroyed everything. I begged father to let me leave for the journey and seek for your help" her voice quieted down as she explained, hearing Sinbad's ranting in the background.

"Why didn't you told us before?"

"I was...but I didn't had the chance to..."

Silence fell between them as the princess took a step forward and opened her mouth to say something.

"On three, one...two...three!" Sinbad and Alibaba forced the door open, and landed on their chin.

What a way to present themselves at the princess.

"Princess Badroulbadour..." Alibaba was the first to address the princess, followed by the sailor.

The princess quickly told them to stand, and apologized for causing such a fuss in the night.

"Don't sweat it princess, I'm sure it's fine" Sonic sweetly smiled at her and winked to lift her spirits up, not noticing his familiarity towards her as nobody was present to remind him in this cast of familiar faces accompanying him are completely different personalities.

He turned to the echidna, "Right Knuckles?"

The princess and Alibaba blinked in confusion, as Sinbad scowled, "How many times do I have to tell you it's Sinbad, Si-n-bad!!" And spat out, agitated to whether this arrogant hedgehog was doing it on purpose or not.

"Well you are quite a Knucklehead" Sonic joked as the three of them laughed.

"Why you..." Sinbad twitched in anger and charged, "I should've made you walk the plank when I had the chance!!", but the speedy Sonic circle around the cramped space of the closet and hide behind Alibaba and the Princess.

The chase died down in the break of dawn, whereas the waters the four are about to sail has dangers await for them.