#moose (ludus wanderlust)

[lukas-crowsong]

what crimes are they planning

[lukas-crowsong]

may i please put forward Moose? 🥺 (dont mind the dumb sketch lmao)

he's a dramatic crybaby of an Andalusian and is always getting himself into stupid situations <3

ok anyway if any of u have a silly little request of a little sketch of ur sso horse lmk i might do it no pinky promises though

[lukas-crowsong]

"brought along sparky because i'll hit people over the head with a fire extinguisher if they're homophobic" - lukas, when asked since when they started caring about fire safety

[lukas-crowsong]

lukas' soul steed :)

barn name: Moose

show name: Ludus Wanderlust

breed: Andalusian

height: 16.2 hands

moose has carthusian ancestry, which breeders claim to be the purest bloodline of andalusian (though theres no genetic evidence for that)

he's a stallion, 5 years old and raised alongside lukas. lukas' family is quite high-class so they could afford him, as well as his training from a foal. he was sold to them from elite breeders affiliated with silverglade manor, who paired with a wild whispering druid (👀) to sell horses to suitable owners trusted to care for them.

despite all his elegance and strength, moose is a big baby at heart <3

[lukas-crowsong]

my favourite outfit for druid training with nova the beloved <3

and later headed to crescent moon village with moose

[lukas-crowsong]

an offering

[lukas-crowsong]

there was no thought process behind this other than da kids go camping

i hope you enjoy if you read :)

Walking on clouds became more and more plausible as the ground fell away from sight, the path ahead declining steeply and disappearing over the ridge. There is nothing like rising over the crest of a hill and seeing the entire landscape splayed out before you like a drawn map come to life. Windmills and farms dotted the countryside, hazy specks against lush pale fields. Over distant Epona -- a rocky splotch against the ocean -- sunset was just fading, casting a rosey shadow over the island of Jorvik.

Evergreen branches of pine trees laden with snow were packed thickly on either side of the trail, casting long shadows against the light. The first flowers of spring were just beginning to sprout on either verge: snowdrops and daffodils and witch hazels amongst the snow.

Lukas pointed into the trees. "There's a clearing through there. Campsite?"

Judging her map, Lily gave her affirmative. Without much need for prompting, the two horses turned away from the ridge and plodded off the path, heads low to avoid hanging branches. Lukas and Lily ducked under those same branches and let the horses pick their way through the shrubbery.

Emerging into the clearing was like taking a breath of fresh air; sharp in the ice of shade, pine filled Lukas' lungs. The open space was perfectly sized for a campfire and a collection of tents. Young saplings had been planted in the previous places of felled trees now used for seating. The only sign of the campsite being used recently was the ring of grass devoid of snow around the firepit.

Lily stretched luxuriously in the saddle, arms over her head. "This feels like a good place to make camp." She yawned in sync with Milkbread.

Lukas nodded and slipped off Moose's back. Dismounting from the tall Andalusian was no easy feat; the distance to the ground was almost equal to that of Lukas' own height. Only horse riders can truly appreciate the feeling of sitting astride a beast at a point where your eyeline, when stood upright on the ground, would barely graze. It opened so much of the world to your sight. It was jarring to re-adjust to his usual view.

Ankles aching upon impact with packed snow on top of frozen earth after hours spent suspended, Lukas steadied themself by gripping the seat of his saddle. Despite thick boots and thicker socks, the ice beneath their feet was biting. They'd ridden for much of the day to get up here before nightfall; setting out at dawn, riding through a snowstorm and stopping only to rest the horses at thawed streams. Even for a pair of Druids, this was not something they had time to make a habit out of.

Moose snorted and shook like a dog after Lukas stepped away, and Lukas couldn't blame him. Confident that the horse whose thoughts he could hear wouldn't wander off, he untacked Moose entirely then threw on his rug. In expression of his gratefulness, Moose nuzzled their shoulder. Telepathy or not, sometimes words were unnecessary.

Unpacking saddlebags, the two riders found a suitably firm patch of grass on which to pitch their tent, clearing snow while the horses identified the sweetest patch of grass. Some hellish time later, the damned tent was as stable as they could hope for. Lukas was warmer for the activity, at least. Lily rolled out her sleeping bag and nodded appreciatively.

When Lukas yawned, she poked them playfully. "No falling asleep yet. We have traditions in which to undertake!" She took his arm and lead them out to the clearing, where the dormant firepit awaited them.

"We should really get some sleep. Our mission isn't done yet."

"No exceptions," Lily said, and rolled up the sleeves of her thick winter coat to strike a match. The appeal of a warm fire and warm food dissolved any protest in Lukas' mind.

Shadows layered on moon-shadow, surrounding sentinel trees were distorted dark shapes looming at the border of the clearing. Distinction between ground and sky blurred, firelight only deepening cloying darkness beyond its reach. Anything could be lurking just outside the light, drawn by the appetising smells of their cooking... Lukas shuffled closer to Lily on the felled log they shared; she didn't seem to mind as leaves rustled behind them like a thing possessed.

"How about a ghost story?"

Lily shuddered. "I really don't need to be any more creeped out right now."

Lukas tilted their head. "Where's that loyalty to your traditions?"

She glared at them. "There's a time and a place and a mood. This is not it." Lukas shrugged and blew on his burning marshmallow to extinguish the flame.

Soon after filling up on s'mores, they doused the fire and retreated inside the tent out of the cold, leaving the horses in their rugs to stand guard. Moose wickered softly and stepped closer to Milkbread as they were left with only the wind for company.

Before stars had faded from the Jorvegian sky, the rising sun just beginning to warm the island, both riders were in hurriedly buckled saddles. Lighter for the lack of ridiculous quantities of marshmallows, the horses stepped eagerly as they navigated a slim path along the ridge that would lead them down to moonlit Valedale.

Thank Aideen for civilisation, Lukas thought, watching thin tendrils of smoke curl into the frigid air from cheery chimneys below.

[lukas-crowsong]

*GRABS* TELL ME ABOUT LUKAS!! ANYTHING YOU WISH TO SHARE!

(mistfallenjoyer owo)

*hangs there like a cat* ask and ye shall receive 🥰 (tysm)

this kinda got away from me so i'm going to put a read more :x

Lukas grew up and lives in New Hillcrest, Moose is boarded at the stables there

he spent much of his childhood in Germany and so found the move to Jorvik when they were 12yo jarring, which is why his parents bought them a horse: to help them feel more at home with the locals

Lukas had to learn a new language to get through conversations on Jorvik, so he's bilingual, and his accent blends German and Jorvegian

they volunteered at New Hillcrest Stables as a stablehand when he was 14, but he found they didn't have the patience to deal with inexperienced riders

around that time rumours of an ex-vaulter retiring to jorvik began to circulate. Lukas found an interest in the sport and met her in Crescent Moon Village. she agreed to train him and Moose to compete

it was through equestrian competitions that they met Anne: she found that he was competing for moreso an enjoyment of the sport than ambition, while in turn he admired her drive for constant improvement. when Moose decided he rather liked Concorde (much to Concorde's distaste) the two were locked in as friends :)

Anne introduced them to the other Soul Riders, but despite becoming friends Lukas was always withdrawn. Lukas knew they were keeping secrets from him: all rushing off together, excuses never matching, meeting secretly without him. he assumed he just wasnt as close with them as they were to each other, so the Soul Rider reveal was entirely unexpected lmao

in keeping with the sso mc storyline (if my memory serves), but before Anne and Lisa's disappearances, it was Fripp that wanted Lukas to join the Keepers of Aideen, sensing a lifelong bond and the awakening power of Wild Whispering

Lukas actually rejected the offer at first, and circumstances ended up carrying him to Dark Core, which used his knowledge of the Soul Riders against the Druids.

Dark Core began threatening Lukas when he wanted time away for competitions, putting their career in jeopardy and straining his relationship with their mentor. so Lukas pulled a double-agent move and told the Druids all he could about Dark Core's movements :>

Darko despises them for this so because of Lukas' closeness with Anne it adds a little extra spice to her imprisonment in Pandoria

with Anne and Lisa missing, Lukas poured much of his focus into fighting Dark Core, allowing his career to become a much lower priority. his mentor, while understanding he had personal issues to attend to, couldn't be told about Soul Riding so she couldn't understand the weight of what he was facing. she refused to continue training them and Lukas' career became even less prevalent in their life

his parents, annoyed at his wastage, kicked them out. his adoptive older sister Lily had moved out by then so she offered him a place in her home. however it is really only meant for one person to occupy it so once they got his driving licence he invested in a van fitted with living facilities (here in england the main brand is dormobile so maybe. jormobile)

Lukas is usually the go-to driver of the group, everyone bundling into the back and fighting for prime spots. Anne gets shotgun without fail though <3

[lukas-crowsong]

Lukas likes his personal space. Moose also likes their personal space

What is your OC's soul steed (or horse if they do not have a soul steed)'s personality? Do they get along with your OC?

Prancer is a huge brat. If Lucy loses balance and falls on his neck, he'll lower his head so she falls off. He'll throw little tantrums if Lucy pays attention to the other soul steeds cause he's JEALOUS. Even though their personalities clash, though, they do manage to get along. (Or at least they try to, it's definitely clear that Prancer and Lucy are meant for each other though)

I wrote a drabble where Lucy was trying to figure out if Drew's (@praisethelamps OC) horse, Spaceship had some kind of injury and the entire time Prancer was throwing a fit. Pacing around in his stall and making angry horse noises because her attention wasn't on him.

[lukas-crowsong]

i saw someone describe a light buckskin colour as buttermilk and i will now be using that descriptor for moose's coat colour forevermore