#or well attempted dressage

[adventures-in-mangaland]

Dead Boy Detectives Fic Recs Part 7

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

So I hear there's been some fandom drama? Guess it's time for another fic rec list! This fandom is so lovely, so let's focus on the positive and give all the love to our writers and artists. You guys are so talented. ♥️

Work It Harder, Make it Better by dear_monday, two_ravens

Olympics AU! And kind of Sk8er Boi? Charles is an Olympic skateboarder at the end of his competitive career and Edwin is a rising star in the world of dressage. They fall in love at Paris 2024. Amazing writing, as always, and I also enjoyed Niko and Crystal as members of the skateboarding and equestrian teams having their own Olympics Romance and Jenny as Charles' world-weary coach.

Twin Flame by Leandra

Another "He was a punk, he did ballet" romance! This time, everyone is alive and the boys meet when Charles watches Edwin perform at his little sister's ballet recital. The romance and Charles as a big brother are very sweet, which is great as this fic also covers some heavy themes. It's set in the 90s so there's discussion of homophobia, the AIDs crisis and Charles' canon child abuse. Suffice to say, his bisexual awakening is quite fraught. Recommended!

Love for Hire by lucrow

Edwin hires Charles to freak out his parents with his obnoxious fake boyfriend. What could possible haaappeeen? And yes, it's a ballet/punk romance too. 😅 Anyway, it's giving fantastic banter, lots of emotions and great use of trope! I also enjoyed Edwin's relationship with his mum in this fic, excellent parental feels.

so I try to talk refined by shadowquill17

Charles finds out about the Cat King taking on his appearance and (somehow) arrives at the conclusion that Edwin isn't attracted to him. Charles having body image as well as chronic self-esteem issues was interesting but kind of heartbreaking. Read it for Edwin's agonised attempts to verbalise his sexual attraction to Charles without exploding. That's love right there.

A Royal Pain(e) (series) by handwrittenhello

Royalty AU! I love a bodyguard romance from time to time and this one is lovely. Lots of yearning.

Turnabout's Fair Play by LikeMmmCookies

Edwin enlists Niko and Crystal to teach him how to flirt with Charles. It starts off cute and awkward and ends up Master Of All He Surveys, which is very Edwin.

I will love you (I really love you) by ghostinthelibrary

Charles has a feelings realization and tries to confess to Edwin. Repeatedly. From a cock-blocking enchanted statue to a Hellhound, it's farcical and fun. This fic has been living in my head rent free for months.

seasons of mists by laiqualaurelote

Edwin hires Charles to be the barista in his book shop's cafe. Two cosy AUs in one! And it even comes (appropriately) with its own reading list and fanart! Very cute, excellent autumnal vibes and a superb imaginary book shop. I'm genuinely so devastated it's not a real place. 😭

Ariadne's Thread by hobbitsdoitbetter

In which Edwin is demisexual and trying to make it work with Charles. Love to see some ace spectrum representation!

you know the problem with history (it keeps coming back like weeds) by aletterinthenameofsanity

Amnesia AU! And kind of Secret Relationship? Edwin has Not So Temporary Amnesia that made him forget a whole romantic relationship with Charles early in their partnership. And Charles never told him... Surely this will have no impact on the events of canon?? 😬 I loved this twist on the trope!

scraped to the marrow by Anonymous

Edwin learned black magic in Hell and kind of went to the Dark Side. I love the trope of "Everyone thinks Character avoids violence because they're scared/weak/nice/bad at it, but actually they're a bit too good at it" and this fic does it well. I love regular Edwin, but Lord Bone was also pretty cool.

To Walk Back Into Hell by Asidian

Charles goes to Hell in Edwin's place, so naturally Edwin needs to find a way to rescue him! Interesting Hell lore and I loved all the Charles love in this.

It does not stop by williamvapespeare

Now he's safe from Hell, Edwin finally works through his PTSD. Emotional, but peak Emotional Support Charles for the win!

signed, sealed, delivered by sulfuric

Outsider PoV of the boys and the agency through the years from the perspective of the Ghost Postman. He's kind of underrated as a side character, but there are so many Implications about the Dead Letter Office, so I enjoyed the worldbuilding. And the supernatural community of London gossiping about/shipping the boys (they're just like us, for real). Love that trope.

not so secret by lola_prongs

Social Media/Celebrity AU! In which they're both actors and Charles relentlessly thirsts after Edwin on Twitter. Great use of social media/epistolary storytelling.

Like a record, baby by singtome

Another celebrity/social media AU, but this time Charles and Crystal are budding rock stars and Edwin is their manager. Also Edwin goes viral as the mysterious #HotGuyatUnity after his picture's taken at an event and Charles *tries* to set the record straight. This one's funny, generous with the yearning and UST and is part of a series that also touches on the darker side of the music industry/celebrity, which I appreciated. And it also has this excellent visual representation of the online drama.

@ghostinthelibrarywrites @tumblerislovetumblerislife @shadowquill17 @neurodivergent-fangirling @whatthehorsedoicallthisblog @shazziez @many-gay-magpies @extremely-eager-reader @atariakana @guardianspirits13 @colourmornings @herebehunters @avoiceofnerat @littlepocketuniverse @overlord-of-chaos @fairandfatalasfair @handwrittenhello @every-moment-a-different-sound @williamvapespeare @laiqualaurelote @dear-monday @dear-lucrow @aletterinthenameofsanity @likemmmcookies @bibliomancer7 @c-rowland @nobledragonflying @hobbitsdoitbetter

I've tagged some people again. Let me know if you'd like to be added to the tag list!

[grison-in-space]

well, it's happened. at the ripe old age of four, Benton discovered he had a prey drive. he now believes that he is a mighty hunter and, faced with the loss of his quarry (another... possum? rabbit?) he has gone to stare out the missing plank in the back gate and shriek. prior to that he was circling the perimeter of the fence with glassy-eyed hope.

this is a new and horrible development, but at least pacing alarmedly around the perimeter prevents him from playing his other obsessive compulsive games like "Rattle A Pebble Against Your Teeth While Drooling Heavily" and "Dig Straight Down Into a Frisbee On The Ground" and his old great love, "Object Permanence: The Game." you know what, I'll take it. the newly awakened prey drive has also apparently overwritten Benton's terror of going outside on a summer's night (thanks, fireworks neighbors) so that he's actively resisting coming inside because he wants to hunt rabbits through the fence.

the one thing I also have to stress to you all is that Benton's actual hunting ability is very, very bad. All this got started when he identified that an adolescent opossum had moved in under our deck stairs, fixating on it for days, and eventually dug into its hidehole and evicted it. He had his teeth on that possum multiple times including an attempt at a death shake and as far as we can tell it played dead and we got him inside before it could wake up. He is awful at identifying mice and he gets so wound up that he starts traveling exclusively at a fast collected trot, like a dressage horse in heel. When he gets frustrated he screams like a toddler that fell down while trying to steal an entire pie. It is hilarious.

It's not that I intend to let him practice on the local wildlife, but I confess that his vigilance is not exactly keeping me up at night with concern over the possibility that he might succeed.

[ahorsenamedphoebe]

Ride 120

Frustrating one today. It went badly because of me rather than Luna.

She was very muddy, so I spent a lot of time brushing her out. As I was brushing I found the spot on her back that I thought went away. It’s a small area of lighter hair. I can’t tell if the hair is growing in white because of a pressure spot from the saddle, or if it’s just her roan undercoat coming through. I’ve spent so long trying to get a saddle to fit and I’m so scared that it’s a pressure mark and I’m going to have to fix my saddle again.

Despite my mental state, I was determined to ride. I figured I’d start by ground driving the route to build our confidence back up. Almost immediately we came upon a herd of deer, and they came bounding out of the woods in front of us. Luna reacted well, she did a hard stop but did not attempt to turn and run and didn’t do the duck and spin. Unfortunately the deer scared me a bit more than Luna, and I couldn’t get confident enough to get on and ride in the field.

We ended up in the dressage arena, and did a couple small trot and canter loops under saddle. Couldn’t make myself brave the spooky corners though. I want to be better than this. I want to hop on and ride my horse when the weather is nice without panicking over random things. I want to enjoy my horse even when we’re by ourselves. It’s frustrating because I’m fairly certain I made a very similar post at the end of last year, so it feels like I haven’t made any progress.

On the bright side Luna handled my fear with a fair amount of grace, and was only a tad more nervous than usual. I spent a lot of time checking her back after the ride and she showed no signs of discomfort, even on the mark. She did quite a lot of yawning when girthing up though.

I finally bit the bullet and splurged on JointX and GutX as a gut and joint supplement. So maybe one of those will improve something by some random miracle. I’m trying to be kind to myself. This time of year is always hard. I’m going to try to focus on doing things I enjoy with Luna for the rest of the winter, and worry less about pushing myself to ride every time.

[tiny-cloud-dragon]

FF7: Random Bits 02 - Chapter 2

[Setting- Zack has just noticed the unwanted arrival of President Shinra's Military Inspector. A bit of mischief is in order.]

[Location – The training field, just past early morning. Zack's cheerful mood has just been sullied by the approach of a less than welcome guest.]

Zack slouched as he watched the Inspector cross the training grounds. Tall and whip-thin, the middle-aged man had a long, thin face that fortunately was just long enough to accommodate the deep frown it wore. Thinning brown hair somehow managed to just keep him from being labeled as 'bald'.

The fussy man looked quite displeased as he made his way across the field, walking with a high-stepping gait that he thought would protect his shiny dress shoes from dirt, dust, and other unsavory 'outside' substances. He carried a clipboard on which he made notes as he intermittently shook his head to himself in a dissatisfied manner, setting his wispy hair waving. Combined with his odd walk, it gave Zack the overall impression that he was being approached by a disgruntled dressage horse. 

Hey there, Inspector! Why the long face? was on the tip of Zack's tongue, but he settled for saying, in a voice oozing cheery helpfulness "Good morning, sir! Can I help you?"

"Yes! I am Inspector Percival Pinwinkle Baerbotamm-!" his words were abruptly drowned out by the catchy tune of "Barbie Girl" as Cloud brought the cadets through another circuit of the field. 

"What was that last bit?" Zack asked, raising his voice and cupping a hand to his ear.

"BAERBOTAMM!" Percival hollered in an attempt to be heard over Cloud shouting "I'm a blond bimbo girl!"

"Barebottom?"

"Baerbotamm!"

"Oh, Baerbotamm!"

"Yes, and that is not a regulation-!" The rest of Baerbotamm's indignant tirade was cut short by the column's next round, accompanied by "You can brush my hair!"

Oh, he's one of those 'by the book' types! Zack thought as he watched the man wince as the cadets shouted, "Undress me everywhere!". It was as if any deviation from the rules caused the man physical pain.

"THAT IS NOT A REGULATION CADENCE!",v the Inspector practically screamed into the sudden hush as the column moved on, and he found himself falling victim to what was known as the Inopportune Silence.

Usually native to crowded, noisy public places, the Inopportune Silence feeds on withering embarrassment. It prefers to stalk its victim in places like clubs, parties, restaurants, and the occasional construction site. Anywhere with noise and lots of people. The victim tries to converse over the offending sound and becomes comfortable speaking at a near lung-splitting scream. That is when the Inopportune Silence strikes. All background noise/music ceases, leaving the victim full-throated screaming into the void. The Silence then feasts on the victim's embarrassment.

Percival P. Baerbotamm went stiff with horrified mortification as his scream echoed across the training field, drawing the attention of every soul on the grounds. Windows banged open, officer's paused at their duties, and cadets gawked in curiosity.

"Could you repeat that? I'm not sure I heard you clearly." Zack said as the inspector visibly shrank in on himself at all the unwanted attention.

Inspector Baerbotamm recovered quickly, his embarrassment burning away under the heat of righteous indignation. "That is not an appropriate cadence befitting of a military establishment!" he sputtered, aggressively adjusting his cuffs and straightening his jacket in an attempt to appear authoritative, while his eyebrows did a strange little wiggle. 

"Says who?" Zack retorted in an infuriatingly patient tone as if he were indulging a small child. He suppressed a smile as the man winced once more as the cadets made another pass. Zack wondered what was up with the man's eyebrows.

"It's in the Regulations!"

"Is it? Well, maybe I need to take a look at what's listed," Zack replied cheerfully. He snapped his fingers, and a 1st Class SOLDIER was suddenly standing at his elbow, a book held reverently in his hands.

Hardbound in elegant dark gray starched linen, the cover was embossed with gold leaf letters spelling out the word REGULATIONS. Its air of officialness was somewhat spoiled by the assortment of sticky notes prolapsing randomly from between the pages.

Zack took the book and paged through it, muttering to himself, "Cadences, cadences...Ah! Here we are!" He ran a finger down the surprisingly long list. "Well, I don't see 'Barbie Girl' on the list..." he began in a disappointed tone.

The Inspector relaxed slightly from his state of perpetual tension, comforted by the orderly and  organized stability of The Rules. 

"But...I'm sure we can just add it to the list, right?" Zack said with glowing optimism, seemingly oblivious to the way Inspector Baerbotamm's body anxiously stiffened with a near audible snap! A twitch started in his right eyebrow and undulated  across to the other eyebrow where it made a return trip before it dissipated.

"Certainly not!" he gasped with an indignant shudder for the total disergard for The Rules . "Only Generals can make changes to the regulations! Any amendments must be submitted for their personal approval. And in this case, both Generals must give joint approval!"

Zack was quiet for a moment, his expression thoughtful. He pulled the zipper on his collar down a bit, partly because it was getting a little warm outside and partly to watch Mr. Baerbotamm wince at the blatant dress-code violation. For good measure, he reached down and undid the laces and zippers on his boots, pretending to shake out an annoying pebble. Percival winced again, and Zack wondered how the man was going to react when he found out that Cloud didn't wear boots at all.

"So, you're saying, Inspector Bare...Baerbotamm, that all I have to do is get the Generals' approval?" Zack asked.

"Correct, but I hardly think that either of them is going to appreciate you wasing their time for such a ridiculous request. The army is no place for that sort of tom-foolery!"

"Well," Zack continued, ignoring the insult to his favorite funny song "Since General Strife is busy at the moment, let's just ask General Fair, shall we?"

"But-!"

Zack stood to smart attention and ripped off a smart salute to the empty air in front of himself, adjusting his uniform so that his General and Master Elite rank insignia were clearly visible.

"Yo, General Fair, can we add a new marching cadence to the list?"

He made a sharp 180 in the opposite direction with a precision and efficiency that would have brought a tear of pride to the eye of even the most hardened Drill Instructor.

"Hmmm...what do we want to add?" Turn.

"Barbie Girl." Turn.

"Oh, we love that song! We'll get that update made, along with all the other amendments, and get the manual reprinted by the end of the week!" Turn.

"Thanks, my dude!" Zack said, snapping off another smart salute, " We'll just make a note in the master copy of the 'Big Book of Rules', so we don't forget!" He snapped his fingers once again, and the silent SOLDIER faded back into the foreground and produced a pen and a sticky note for Zack.

Percival stared in shock while Zack scribbled 'Barbie Girl' on the proffered square of paper and unceremoniously slapped it onto the page. 

"But...you can't just make up your own rules..." he quavered, ellipsising into distraught silence. He paled, aghast,  as he arrived at the sudden realization that 1) this young man in front of him was the General, 2) he had screamed at the General, and 3) he had just sassed the General.

Smiling benignly, Zack opened the book and pointed to the very first page. Percival Pinwinkle Baerbotamm looked down at the seemingly innocuous printing, dread nestling down in his bowels like a white-hot lead ball. His eyebrows pinched together as if trying to comfort one another.

The page read, in large, bold, authoritative letters:

Official Rules and Regulations of the Midgar Army

Owned and operated by 

General Zack Fair  and General Cloud Strife

The Three Main Rules:

RULE 1: Generals Zack Fair and Cloud Strife make The Rules.

RULE 2: All rules subject to change without notice.

RULE 3: For questions or complaints regarding any of The Rules, please refer to RULE 1.

"But, but, but," the Inspector stammered, cringing at the blasphemy of this, this disorganization. His mind recoiled from the very suggestion that rules and schedules were just things to be ignored so flippantly. 

Zack tapped his rank insignia, then directed the distressed man's attention to RULE 3. "It's just three simple rules, Inspector. I'm sure you'll have them memorized in no time!" he said brightly as he placed an arm around Percival's trembling shoulders in a manner that was somehow both friendly and mildly threatening. "Welcome to the army, Percy. Let's get started with the tour! 

[yourlocalghoulette]

Part One ~ Grand Opening

Series masterlist~ Main masterlist~ Meet the horsies~

w/c- 3k

warnings- eventual smut so MDNI, this chapter is pretty much fluff, language, reader has riding trauma but not explained in detail (yet), Joel is a softie for horses and Sarah, he's so sweet he'll make your teeth ache!

lmk if you want to be on the taglist!

horses used to be a favorite past time.

a place in your life where you could feel alive, feel comforted, feel free. an escape from reality. home.

happiness doesn't last forever, and you found that out quick. being the best in your hunter/jumper team didn't mean you had it good. hell, it made it worse. more stress, more demanding work, more pressure from trainers to hold up the team and win the gold medals. but one thing led to another, and after a few mentally and physically abusive trainers and a bad fall, you decided to quit.

quit the one thing that made you happy.

sometimes you wish you could go back in time, to when you were five and sat on a pony for the first time at the fair. your mom always smiled at the memory, saying she wished she could see that light in your eyes once more.

living in Austin, Texas, the land of cowboys, wasn't exactly helpful. horses were everywhere, from hunter barns to trail riding stables. although horses are practically shoved in your face in Texas, you've done pretty well with staying away from them. they bring back too many unpleasant memories.

little did you know that a tiny new stable across town would change your life forever.

Joel Miller adores horses. his life, heart, and soul, or at least some of it.

his daughter Sarah takes up most of his everything. she's his sun, moon, stars, and his rock ever since he woke up in an empty bed eleven years ago. well, the horses too. sometimes the only time he would feel grounded was when he was mounted up in the saddle. it's a strange comfort, knowing that you can trust the 1,000 pound animal with your life. most of the time, of course. he's had his fair share of accidents, as would anyone that's associated with horses.

after years of working double shifts for a contracting company with his brother Tommy, he finally saved enough money up to build his own riding barn.

he doesn't want to be like the showy, expensive barns that are found all over Austin, Texas. he wanted his barn to be a safe house, an escape from reality for whoever walked into his barn. he had grown up in the dressage barn his parents owned, and the toxicity among the members was palpable. everything was a competition.

Joel didn't like that at all. he thinks horses should be a man's best friend, not a ticket to a gold medal. which is why he is opening the new stable. he knows it won't compete with the larger barns around it but at least it will be a home to the few people that come to find it.

your mission to stay away from horses is hijacked when you get a call from your best friend, Sōl, while you're driving home from the coffee shop you work at.

"hey, girlie pop!" you answer the phone, jumping as her voice comes through the car speakers loudly.

"hey, babes!" you hear her cheery voice on the other side of the phone.

"Jesus, Sōl. you're connected to AirPlay and about made me cause an accident," you laugh, turning the car volume down. "what's up?"

"ok, you're not gonna like this," she starts out slowly.

"girl, just tell me," you sigh knowingly, hearing her attempted compelling tone of voice.

"I know you don't really want to be around horses anymore butttt there's a new barn opening in Leander and the grand opening sounds super fun. horse rides, food, and games. you wanna come with me?" she questions slyly, using her sweetest voice to convince you.

you let out a long sigh, running a hand over your face as you stop at a red light. "I don't know, babe. i...I haven't been around horses since...since like high school. I don't know if I'm ready for it."

"come on girl, it's gonna be a good time! and it's not like the other barns you rode at, or like Cedar Ridge." Sōl rides for Cedar Ridge, a large jumper barn outside of Austin, and is one of the best on the team. "listen. I'll send you the website and you can look at it, then decide. okay?" you can hear Sōl's grin through the speakers.

"fine. but it's only a maybe, okay, babe?" you let out an exasperated breath.

once you're back home and settled on the couch in your apartment with a bag of cheddar popcorn, you open the link Sōl texted you and scroll the website. the description catches your eye and you click on the read more button.

Sarah's Stables is a small, family-owned barn located just outside of Austin. our goal is to make people comfortable around horses and to bond with these amazing creatures. we aren't about competitions and gold metals at Sarah's Stables. we believe horses should be a second home, a place to rest your head. we also believe that the privilege of being around horses should be available to everyone, so we have affordable prices and volunteer-to-ride programs as well. come to our grand opening on July 26th!

below the paragraph is a picture of the owner, Joel with his daughter Sarah. you look closer to see that he is undeniably handsome. his dark brown eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiles widely in the photo. brown curls frame his forehead, streaked with a few silver hairs. his jawline is specked with salt-and-pepper scruff. his daughter is beautiful as well, with light brown skin and tight curly hair. you can see the resemblance in their eyes.

you sigh deeply. it doesn't look like the barns you're used to. it looks more relaxed, more fun. and it was only a small plus that the owner is easy on the eyes.

you give in and call Sōl. "i read the website. I'm in," you grin.

who knows, maybe it'll be good for you to see horses again.

July 26th dawns bright and early for Joel. he wakes up with a start to the sound of Sarah knocking on his door.

"Alarm!" she calls into his room.

"shit," he mutters, hitting the top of the beeping alarm with his palm. when he remembers what day it is, his hands turn clammy with nervousness. he glances at the alarm clock. 5:40; he has twenty minutes before he has to go to the barn to feed the horses. he rolls out of bed with a grunt, stretching his limbs. he throws on a worn t-shirt and a pair of jeans and walks downstairs.

he finds Sarah in the kitchen, scrambling eggs over the stove. "mornin', kiddo," he grunts, ruffling her hair as a small smile plays on his lips. "how'd you sleep?"

"i didn't," Sarah grins. "i was too excited and scared. scare-cited... scexcited...?"

"scare-cited sounds right to me," he chuckles, pouring coffee into a red mug.

"i was gonna make pancakes for the big day but you forgot to pick up mix. you're gonna have to settle for scrambled eggs," Sarah hands him a plate, grinning knowingly.

"Was I....I was. sorry, kiddo. I'll pick some up later. I've been a bit stressed lately, obviously." Joel sits down at the table and starts quickly eating the eggs. he picks something out of the eggs and holds it up to Sarah. "shell," he says gruffly.

Sarah grins widely with a mouthful of eggs. "calcium."

"lovely," Joel rolls his eyes. "well, i best be off to feed the horses. Uncle Tommy will be by in a few hours to pick you up. love you, kiddo." he plants a soft kiss on the top of her head before discarding his plate into the sink. he grabs his wallet and phone before sliding on his black Ariat boots.

"love you too, dad. good luck," Sarah sticks her tongue out as he slings his backpack over his shoulder.

the short drive to the barn is quiet, with Long, Long, Time by Linda Ronstadt crackling through the old truck radio. Joel pulls into the barn driveway just as the Texas sunshine starts peeking through the darkness, a sight he'll never get tired of. he can already hear the six horses banging against their stall doors from outside, impatient for their morning grain.

he fishes the door key out of his back pocket and opens the door. he's met with a chorus of snorts and nickers as the hungry horses wait impatiently for their grain.

"mornin', ya little glue sticks. you gonna behave well today?" he grins playfully, stopping at Whiskey's stall, the one-eyed, cinnamon-colored Tennessee Walker gelding. he pets the front of Whiskey's face gently, tracing the long white blaze that splits down his face. "guess what, little man? you get to give pony rides," Joel smiles, his eyes soft and full of admiration for this horse. he know Whiskey loves the kids. he's the sweetest horse, always giving you kisses and loving nudges. though he is missing one eye, his other is very expressive.

Joel parts with his favorite horse to go make feeds, scooping a variety of different grains and supplements into the six color-coded buckets.

once the feed is distributed and the horses are happily munching on their food, Joel gets to work. he sweeps the stall aisles clean of hay and manure, then shovels it into a wheelbarrow. while he's dumping it outside, he sees his younger brother Tommy's truck pulling into the driveway. When Tommy and Sarah come inside, Tommy grins, giving his brother a firm hug.

"Ain't this a sight for sore eyes," he whistles lowly. "it's okay big bro. we'll help you get ready."

Joel rolls his eyes. "fuck you."

"da-ad," Sarah grins. "that's a quarter in the swear jar!"

"you're right, kiddo, sorry," Joel mutters, shaking his head.

"alright, big bro, we gotta get to work," Tommy nudges Joel in the shoulder.

back at your apartment, you're awoken by the sun peeking through your floral-patterned curtains. you groan, shielding the light from your eyes with the back of your hand. you pick up your phone, glancing at the time. 10:23. shit. 40 minutes to get ready. a text notification pops up on your phone from Sōl 😜.

Sōl😜~ morning bb! u ready for today?? im picking you up at 11!

morning girlie! just woke up lol. I'll b ready for u! ~you

you turn on your morning playlist and climb out of bed and into the bathroom, where you dance to Take On Me by A-ha while brushing your teeth. you get dressed into faded blue bell bottoms and a yellow tank top with white flowers. you even pull out your blue cowboy boots that you'd stored away in your closet for so many years. you leave your hair down, knowing you'll probably have to wear a riding helmet later.

it's 11:05 when Sōl knocks on your door, and you answer it quickly. She squeals excitedly, pulling you in for a hug.

"babes, you look so goddamn cute! maybe there'll be some hot cowboy at this here grand opening," she smirks.

"as do you, babe! I know one's gonna be there for sure," you grin as you walk out with Sōl and into her car. "did you see the picture of the owner? whoo-ee."

Sōl nudges your shoulder across the center console. "told ya. this was meant to be."

the car ride is full of laughter, Disney songs, and off-key singing, and you finally pull up to the stables along with a few other cars. the barn is a quaint, white wooden structure with periwinkle blue trim around the open barn door and windows. yellow and white flowers hang from around the overhang over the entrance, where a big banner is posted that reads Sarah's Stables in curly cursive handwriting.

"this place is so cute! this Joel guy sure knows how to decorate," Sōl says approvingly, admiring the small concrete horse figurines standing guard outside the door.

you walk into the clean, homey barn to see Joel Miller in the flesh. God, he's even more handsome than he was in the picture.

"welcome in, darlin'!" Joel smiles warmly, shaking your hand. "the name's Joel. so glad to meet you."

you smile widely as you tell him his name. "I'm excited to be here. this place is gorgeous."

"why, thank you, darlin'," Joel grins proudly. he tries to push the thought of how pretty he thinks you are away. "do you ride?"

you bite your lip for a second before nodding. "used to. haven't really been around horses since high school."

"how come?" his dark brown eyes soften, studying your face. Sōl has ran off to see the horses at this point.

"I rode at a few hunter jumper barns on a high level," you explain. "you....probably know how those trainers can be. I didn't exactly want to go back after how they treated me."

Joel nods understandingly. "I know exactly how it is. my parents owned a dressage barn for my whole childhood. everyone's always after everyone's ass and trying to be better than the other and such. it wasn't a healthy environment for me as a kid." "dressage, huh? you seem more like a cowboy to me, Joel," you smile infectiously. "it's the accent, believe me. don't let it fool ya." he chuckles. "oh, there's some new guests. I gotta go introduce myself. there's pony rides, games and drinks outside through that door."

"thanks," you stare after him as he walks away, admiring the way his broad shoulders fill out the sleeves of his navy blue t-shirt. you walk out the door Joel had directed you to, immediately spotting Sōl who is already talking up a storm with a tall, younger blonde man wearing a cowboy hat. you grab a sparkling raspberry lemonade can from the cooler and walk over to them.

"hey, girlie! bout time you made it out here," Sōl grins. "this is Chase. He rides at Cedar Ridge on my team."

he tips his hat to you as you politely tell him your name. you gently nudge Sōl's shoulder. "wanna go look around?"

"sure. see you later, cowboy," Sōl flashes a wink towards Chase, who blushes slightly.

you and Sōl walk the barn aisles, admiring the cleanliness of it. you inhale the mixture of horse, hay, and manure, an odd smell you always found oddly comforting. you take in your surroundings, admiring how beautiful the simplistic decorations are. you peek in the tack room, which is unsurprisingly clean and organized. each intricately stitched saddle sits on its own stand, polished to perfection.

"this place feels...different," you say thoughtfully, peeking into a stall and smiling at the sight of a little chestnut shetland pony.

"different how? awww, look at this cutie." she scrunches her nose up at the shetland, giving his muzzle a little boop.

"I don't know. it feels comforting....like home." you stroll down to the next stall to find a tall black percheron. the small handwritten sign on his stall reads that he's an 18 year old gelding named Amadeus, and he was rescued along with the Shetland from an animal hoarder.

"I see what you mean. feels a lot less fancy and...sterilized than the other barns we've ridden at."

"and the trainer is nicer," you say quietly, tracing the white star on Amadeus's forehead. Sōl raises a knowing eyebrow.

"is someone developing a crush?"

you shoot her a pointed look. "no....no. it's just... refreshing for it to feel like the owner actually cares."

"someone's developing a crush?"

your eyes widen as you hear Joel's voice behind you and you spin around to face him, a flustered expression on your face. "no one," you grin. "just Sōl being a bit of a menace." you try to laugh it off.

Joel smirks and looks over at Sōl who just shrugs innocently. "anyways, I wanted to talk to you before more people come. I'm in dire need of some extra help, having the barn just startin' up and such. you seem to know your stuff, and-" he gestures to Amadeus's calm expression as you pet him. "the horses seem to be relaxed around you."

you purse your lips, taking a deep breath. are you really ready for this? after so long not being around horses....no. you push that thought out of your mind. this place feels good. feels natural.

"of course. i...this opportunity will be good for me. I need to gain confidence around horses again." Joel's eyes crinkle as he smiles, obviously relieved.

"thank you so much, darlin'. you're truly a blessin'. I'll pay you of course. looking forward to see you around."

[virtie333]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love ❤

Thank you for the tag @ivystoryweaver!

This is going to be tough, because I love all my stuff. It's hard to pick favorites.

Naboo: When I first started writing Damerey, I stayed in the canonverse and wrote several stories in a series. This is my favorite. Angst, jealousy, space battles, a bit of mild smut (I got less and less mild as I continued writing). And of course a happy ending.

She Makes Him Laugh: More angst. I can't help it. I love it. This was a story that came into my head with such strength I had to get it down ASAP. Of course, it ended up longer than I had planned, but I really liked how it turned out.

The Invitation: A Modern AU Christmas Exchange fic. It was my first attempt at a short, smutty romance, and I love it. I come back to read this one a lot.

Blind Faith: This one was a labor of love, as it focused on my sport/hobby of choice: dressage. Rey in this story is very special, as well, and I did a lot of research to make sure her disability was honest and believable.

El Halcón: My first Damerey Modern AU and still my favorite. Looking at it now, I think anyone who reads it will think 'Triple Frontier' or 'Narcos' inspired it, but I knew nothing of either of those pieces of media when I wrote this. I did not have Netflix!

I'm tired and super stressed, so I'm not going to tag anyone, but I have a lot of writer moots, so if you see this and think it looks fun, go for it!

[cmentary-drive]

Lore in progress, idk how to title this

Just blah blah blah proper name place name backstory stuff

There was this one girl in your high school, you kept eyeing her. Her style brought some of your attention to her, she looked as if she did ballet. She was one of those mean rich kids, so that's very likely. Luckily you never picked a bone with her and the two girls she always seemed to have around. 

You knew she was mean, often you supported a wall listening how the three of them always had something pissy to say about a group of four girls, honestly, you thought it was deserved. The quartet was loud, goofy and cringy, never shutting up as if they had some main character complex. Hearing the arguments between them all was some sort of entertainment, because Sabine usually had a point calling them out for their childiness as her two minions had her back. 

Such scenes had you wondering if she was actually friends with them. You never heard them talk outside those verbal fights and each break you saw her smoking outside of school, all alone. Nothing weird, you were there for the same reason, borrowed a cig from one another and walked away a few times, no other interactions with her at school whatsoever. You never had many on you, but it was that unspoken rule to return the favor back and forth, you knew how frustrating it was to be left hanging with no nic on a school day. While you always went for the lowest price, her were the good, expensive type. Cig is a cig, she never pointed the low quality of yours out, but hers just looked, smelled and tasted as if they were made of gold and saffron. 

During early teens both of you went to the same summer camp around Moorland Stables. Few times you landed on the same dressage training group as her, got shot eight few insults towards your riding skills. It wasn't that deep, the frustration was understandable, she just did and said what she had to, for you to attempt getting your shit together. 

For her it always looked as if she was a rider for a living, for you it was just a hobby and a way to kill some time during summer. 

One year, she just didn't appear at the camp, neither did she the next year and the year after that. You only saw her in school for few more years, but after graduation it was as if she vanished. Probably went to some private college or whatever spoiled kids do to get into adult life.

As for you, you couldn't bother to get a degree. Your parents worked a lot, you've rarely seen them. Usual form of communication was some cash on the dining table with a note aside - “for the groceries”.

You didn't mind their absence much, as a teen you never got along well - any conversation turned into shouting whether was it the mess your room became or you lack of belief towards your fathers religion. Throughout the months of failed theraphy and medicine having effects worse than powdered sugar the communication in this so called ‘family’ regressed to them just keeping you alive and taking on more shifts. 

It didn't last long, you worked a few part time jobs at once, one day you served coffee, another you fixed a bike or walked a neighbor's dog and watered their plants. A lot of tasks for your start in the adulthood. It wasn't necessary to be said, you didn't want to live with them, they didn't want you around either. As weeks passed in the rush of your working hours, you lived at your parents place and slowly raised your savings to get a place of your own. 

It would take some time to get there and you did your best to hurry the process. What you didn't expect to rush so quickly was your folks’ lifetime. 

Mid your shift at a local coffee shop you got a call - from the insurance company informing you about their passing. 

Both fear and relief flew through you like a river. No explanation about the circumstances of their death. 

You had to suck it up, it didn't upset you much, but it would be a lie to say it wasn't offsetting. Either way you had to make it to the end of your shift, you couldn't let your pay go to waste like that. 

As you didn't have much time to attempt any grieving, you stood through your entire lunch break by the back door with the cheapest cigarettes and processed whatever you remembered from the phone call. 

There was no sadness, or anger. As for a loss of supposedly close to you people, you didn't feel too much. More thinking than feeling the situation through - should you stay at their apartment? If you were to move out, where? Should you run a funeral? Give a speech during? Call other family members? A lot of questions and little answers. As little as remains of your cigarette pack. Ten minutes passed quickly and you had to return to work. 

Throughout the few weeks you handled many phone calls, signed a lot of papers you didn't care to read through. Your mother's cousin took care of all the arrangements luckily for you. They also kept the ashes remaining from after the burial, which you didn't even witness. Tight working schedule and lack of sentiment resulted in you not going to the funeral of your parents. 

Around a month later, which flashed by as you worked your ass of you found a letter by the main door of the cheap apartment you used to share with the recently deceased. 

“From: Esmeralda Holdsworth

      to Odette Nobledew”

As you got out of your uniform you sat upon the no longer shared table and opened the envelope. 

“Hello dear, I'm horribly sorry for your loss, 

I deeply grieve over my daughter's passing as well as her husband's. I'm sure it's a hard time for all of us asnd I write to you with my intentions of help. Your mother mentioned how you were saving for your own place. I know it's difficult to exist in the place holding so many memories - good and bad. I talk with the Moorland's and we found a nice cottage for you. We all believe Jorvik and Aideen can bring peace upon one's mind and soul. I know you've only visited us for summer, but maybe you could consider exploring this beautiful island and learn to love it as much as we do. 

 Hugs and condolences,

from your grandma and old friends.”

[astrea16]

F1 drivers as equestrian disciplines

—an important analysis from a horse girl at heart

If you don't know shit about horseback riding, that's honestly great and I hope you can learn a thing or two from my brainrot.

Charles Leclerc: Show jumping

What’s more iconic than a good old obstacle course with dozens of sponsors plastered every five feet? Aside from Il Predestinato’s very marketable image (Longines is actually a huge sponsor in the industry and they make watches, so,,) I feel like this discipline perfectly reflects his skills as a driver. His raw talent makes him a ferocious threat over the course of one lap and his intelligence is an incredible asset to calculate the best trajectory and angles of attack. Show jumping is thrilling, stressful, and makes you hold your breath until the very last second—just like a good qualifying lap. I feel like Charles would love the attention of doing victory laps around the arena with one fist in the air before spraying everyone with champagne.

Lewis Hamilton: Dressage

I actually had to rethink this one and wonder whether or not I’d picked this discipline because he was British, but I think my point still stands. This man lives for his sport and for the crowds, and I honestly think that as long as his ass is in a car he would drive laps around an empty track all day. Dressage is majestic, it’s prestigious, regal, and the epitome of elegance. This discipline accepts nothing less than excellence and the judges are notorious for being extremely picky, rarely ever giving the maximum score to a movement. It may not look as impressive as show jumping and its counterparts, but it is undeniably just as intense. The goal is to make it seem effortless, like the rider is dancing with their horse and everything else has stopped existing. And look—we all know Lewis is a fashion icon, that one person everyone can’t help but look at when they enter the room. That’s what dressage feels like. It’s classy, sophisticated, sometimes a little bit pretentious—in short, the one that lives under the spotlights. I also think it’s too big of a coincidence that Isabell Werth—the most successful dressage rider of all time—holds the Olympic record of seven gold medals in all equestrian disciplines.

(Also: Nico gets the same assignment ;))

Lando Norris: Show jumping

Something about this guy reminds me of that one friend at the stables that would be there every competition weekend and whose biggest dream was to participate in the Olympics. And yes, that applies to the entire grid, but it feels more prominent for Lando who’s younger and a bit less experienced than some of the older drivers. I don’t want to call it innocence (especially because it must be long gone after five years at McLaren) but there’s something about him that hits you right in the feels and reminds you about the dreams you gave up on. He’s got the drive of a winner and a fun energy that I think suits show jumping quite well. I feel like sponsors would adore him and try to put his face everywhere—probably in an attempt to refresh their image.

Max Verstappen: Eventing

Intense, unforgiving, and hella dangerous, eventing is the perfect discipline for thrill-seekers and people who dislike staying in the same daily grind. Which is funny because we’re talking about Max Verstappen, the guy who spends all of his days glued to his sim chair, but let me explain. The strenuous nature of eventing doesn’t necessarily come from the exercises themselves but from the way they are arranged one after the other with little time to rest in between. This equestrian triathlon often takes place over three days: one day for dressage, one day for cross-country, and one day for show jumping. The goal is to challenge the athletes’ resilience and stamina with various tests. The first one, dressage, determines the ability of the rider to keep their horse in control and perform a series of movements in a relaxed manner. Cross-country is a test of strength. The athletes have to power through an outdoor course of around thirty natural obstacles within a given time range, while making sure that they are saving energy for the third day. Finally, show jumping requires precision and fitness, which—combined with all of the other skills required by eventing—make this discipline the most complete and challenging of all, and therefore the most suitable to our reigning champion imo. As much as I would rather praise other drivers, Max genuinely seems like he never has a bad day and just… knocks it out of the park every single time. And trust me, that’s not something you see often in any kind of sport. Besides, I can easily picture him covered in water and mud, galloping through the forest like a cannonball.

Lance Stroll: Polo

Polo is expensive, classy, luxurious—what more is there to say? Lance would make a great polo player, as long as he’s got the team spirit and isn’t afraid to potentially lose his kneecaps.

Zhou Guanyu: Hunter

Hunter is basically the athleticism of show jumping mixed with the elegance of dressage. The horse/rider combination is judged on their style and technique, and that also comes down to presentation. Both athletes must look neat and well-groomed and have excellent manners throughout the competition. As opposed to show jumping, which can get quite… extravagant at times, hunter isn’t about being the fastest. It’s about who’s got the best equitation and achieves the cleanest performance possible, and that’s why I think Zhou would absolutely slay in this discipline. (Note that my judgement isn’t actually based on his abilities as a driver but rather on his incredible outfits which I KNOW is awfully subjective, but I never claimed to be right in the first place.)

BONUS

Sebastian Vettel

I think Sebastian could have had a career in show jumping before realizing that it wasn’t his thing at all and he retired to do endurance or some western discipline, before getting dragged back into the industry by Charles Leclerc who quickly became his protégé. Although Seb is no longer competing, he’s basically Charles’s mentor and has a ton of tricks up his sleeve from his time as an Olympic rider. He’s actively against horse racing and when he’s not busy coaching, he probably likes to run off somewhere more peaceful—like in a farm lost in the depths of the countryside.

[ellieauthor]

15 Questions | 15 People

Rules: Answer these 15 Questions, then Tag 15 People

tagged by the wonderful @eggbagelsjr !!

have never participated in a Tumblr Thing, I'm sure someone will let me know if I'm doing it wrong lmao

Are you named after anyone? no bUT I was going to have a different middle name until my mother realized that (government first name + intended middle name) was also the brand of maternity underwear the hospital used so she panic changed it while in labor. which is not the question asked, but is a story I don't get to tell very often so

When was the last time you cried?  I cry about everything bc any strong emotion (sadness! happiness! anger! hatred! frustration! fear! severe boredom! overstimulation! etc etc) triggers a teary reaction. and (somehow) even more embarrassingly, the answer is this morning, while writing a gift fic for a Valentine's day fest.

Do you have kids? hard no, hard never. or, well. hard probably never, anyways.

Do you use sarcasm a lot? less so than I used to I feel like????? but still not....no

What’s the first thing you notice about people? how they....interact with other people?? or make people feel?? like if someone is really inclusive in a group setting, or attentive, or going out of their way to make someone else feel uncomfortable, thats always how I remember people I meet

What’s your eye colour? hazel or green or something

Scary movies or happy ending? no scary movies bc I don't love gore visuals or jump scares but I will read anything dark or happy or angsty pending mood!

Any special talents? just uhhhhhh the attempt at writing thing

Where were you born? London, whilst my parents did a couple years of Living Abroad

What are your hobbies? will try anything once, will probably not ever finish it. but that first like 42% of learning any new skill is fucking thrilling

Do you have any pets? one dog, I love her endlessly. I tell her every morning that the day she dies my life is over. it's a v healthy dynamic.

What sports do you play/have you played? ?oh god. lacrosse! field hockey! soccer! softball! distance running! plus dance stuff at a v young age and also lots and lots and lots of horse stuff. only stuck with dressage through college tho, everything else petered out sometime in highschool

How tall are you? 5'4 apparently, after living 30 years believing myself to be 5'2 on a Tall Day

Favourite subject at school? English in hs, rhetoric and logic classes in undergrad, organizational behavior in grad school

Dream job? do not dream of labor etc etc

I don't think I know 15 people on here. I don't even think I know 15 people in...general...?

I think @rattlebag and @katsiperennial Tumblr on occasion?? and also likely lots of people I've forgotten bc I'm generally bad at memory related things. anyone who wants in please feel free!!!!!!

[overhorsed]

I'm helping out a friend who is struggling to ride her horse regularly (not going into too much detail because not my horse and not my life) (ironic when I, also, struggle to ride my horse regularly) so now I'm also riding T, a black thoroughbred gelding, 2-3 times a week. (It is easier to ride T because she agists somewhere with an indoor and outdoor arena under lights).

Our rides to date:

1 (Sunday afternoon): Friend had already lunged and ridden him, so it was a quick ride to just get a feel for his buttons. He tried to duck out of the circle I was riding and head back to the mounting block but I stopped him - ugly moment but he didn't try it again. Steering felt wonky - I didn't realise how much I control F's outside shoulder with the rein, whereas this dude just ran though it. Attempted leg yield and felt like I was trying to move a brick wall but did get him somewhat working on the bit and called it quits as a reward for him. Felt like a messy ride but Friend was happy for me to keep riding him.

2 (Monday night): The next evening after the first ride. Took a dressage whip out with me and did some groundwork first to remind him that leg pressure can be a lateral request and not just a speed button. Found he's actually very sensitive to the whip, on the ground and under saddle. (Not to sound like I beat my own horse, but I will sometimes press the whip - not even tap it - on F's shoulder to remind him not to fall out/in.) T started out very speedy, wanting to run off at trot, but settled to working nicely quicker than the first ride. Did get some leg yields and spirals although he wasn't a fan of turning on the fore while standing still and I didn't push it. Of course it started raining right at that point he stopped rushing so we only did a few circles each way and quit before we both soaked.

3 (Saturday night): Not sure if he'd been ridden since Monday. Settled to work a lot quicker and I tried a canter, where he got quite strong. He got a baked cinnamon treat after the ride - good review.

4 (Monday night): Honestly I was Not Feeling It but I pushed through and rode, although later than I wanted. I'd noticed that T was very sluggish walking up from the paddock which I loathe, especially at night in the dark and cold. Made it clear I expected him to Keep Up, even if he had to trot to catch up, and had a much more pleasant walk up to the stable as a result. Also the light above his assigned grooming stall is out so grooming and tacking up with the head torch as well - yay. Braved the indoor for the first time - I'm not intimidated by the arena, just the etiquette of opening the gates in case someone is riding in there. T was very forward again and didn't settle well, which might have been the indoor or might have been the fact that I keep pulling him out of the paddock and bringing him up to the stables alone. I know I'm asking a fair bit from him. Got some slightly better work then walked on a long rein for a while because even that had him very sweaty. I think he might have gone better after the loose rein break but unfortunately I was out of time and had to get off. Forgot to bring a treat so I gave him the end of my strawberry muesli bar which prompted a lot of head bobbing but he still looked for more!

[prettypurpleponies]

I love my pony so so much. It sometimes feels like an overwhelming amount of time, buts always fun and calming and I just really like her and I’m so glad I bought a horse. Even though my time and money budget are stretching to the max it’s well worth it.

Thursday 5/25 - just a basic ride after work. Trot circles and some good canter work. Did diagonal poles with attempted lead changes

Friday - 5/26 had a jumping lesson. Other people were having worse days so I felt like I didn’t get to go all that much, but we still worked on some things. ALSO at the flat the trainer said my position was looking so much better both at the trot and canter 😊😊😊 it even got said multiple times. I’ve been really focusing on it and it helps to finally have a saddle that really fits too. Both physically but also so much less mental head space.

And then the jumping went pretty well with just small form corrections minus a large oxer to bending line. It made me a little nervous so I would just freeze before the jump instead of squeezing for take off so the good girl pony would squash in another step but still go over. Many ugly tries and then the jump after was also rough because the turn was bad because the jump and landing was bad. BUT on our last turn I actually squeezed and it was BEAUTIFUL and I was so pleased. I can get the hood canter up to jump I just need to remember to actually ask her to jump it. Sergio and most of the lesson horses I rode in California were experienced enough that they didn’t really care, but Luna would like me to tell her when to jump. She has some jumping experience but only like a year or two l. Before that she was a dressage pony.

I asked the trainer what to sign up for the show next weekend and she said 0.7-0.75s so that’s what we’re doing! We’ve been doing it well in lessons at the height but it is like a real jump for her. Where if I set her up for failure she has to give me real heroics to bail me out. She usually will but not always. But here’s hoping to goes well!

Sunday 5/28 - chill riding with trot circles and then just cantering on the rail. Worked in extending and collecting the canter. I can collect it okay but have a harder time getting back extended without doing dumb shit with my body. I like to wave my upper body for forward which is not really helpful. Ended with some sitting no stirrup work.

Dressage lesson tomorrow and then show on Friday!

Still need to figure out her mane. I gave it a wee trim today but I think I will braid for the show. I like her long and wild mane too much to really trim it

[therealbeingpeople]

Well no… those two queerbaits that Senior Chief Whogivesafuck put in contact with me for god knows what reason in a dubious, at best, attempt to provide me with information pertaining to the realities of the military’s cultural norms about sexuality in the force, through a dubious, at best, method do happen to know where I have been… which is in the mouth of gay dude penis first.

I’ve already discussed this experience extensively and have no interest in revisiting my previous acceptance of the needs of the GLBTQ community without their commensurate willingness to accept my need to not accept the sexual overtures of queers and to drive my iron-willed penis erections into my chosen women without them demanding spiritual guidance over the whole of the relationship in order to instruct two heterosexuals in the manner and dressage of “love”, over which they have for some reason claimed exclusive sovereignty

Hey, look kid…

If you aren’t willing to have sex with the dead corpse of a teenager’s mother to prove your commitment to be ready to win, there’s just no place for you in the American military.

[yvesdot]

yves.’s Free to Read Fiction

UPDATE: I NOW HAVE A SET, FILTERABLE PAGE!

I do not have a set, filterable page for this yet because it's just such a massive undertaking, but here's a non-exhaustive list for now of everything I’ve written that’s free to read and does not require any context to understand. That means if you’ve never read my work and don’t know where to start, you can start right here! 

I shall add more as I find it, and the side stories section will expand. Please reblorb with your favorites; mine are marked with an herb. Contest winners or finalists get a trophy. Stories featured in Something’s Not Right, my published book, get a flag 🏴.

Flash Fiction (under 1K)

After the Funeral 

121, realistic fiction; hist-aesthetic; horror

After the funeral, she asked to go to the pond...

IF YOU ARE MADE OF LIGHT.

462, fantasy; romance

As I understand it, Betty Westenra is going to save the world.

Homecoming (realistic fiction)

500, realistic fiction

Prompt: The alpha female in the cool kids crew enters the super secret teacher’s lounge.

The Lover Rises From The Abyss

282, horror

Orpheus and Eurydice meet Izanagi and Izanami.

A Single Cog in a Very Large, Extremely Dispassionate, Stupidly Proper Machine (low fantasy)🏴

845, fantasy

What happens when you pay your seers minimum wage.

Short Stories (under 10K)

Something Weird I Heard About Rebecca 

1.7K, realistic/speculative fiction; vampires

Rebecca is more interested in becoming a vampire than a woman.

Practical Applications

2K, realistic fiction; romance

At Clairmouth, you are either a Tanner student or an Ocean student– and you’re very insistent about your choice, because the two of them can’t seem to agree on anything. Timothy, who missed the memo, is in both classes. Chaos ensues.

The Hands and the Mouth 🏆🏴

2K, fantasy; romance

A classic fantasy chase story featuring two gay boys and a little twist. A personal favorite of the Beta Reader’s.

Dressage 🌿

2.5K, realistic fiction

A story about getting locked in the Sanrio-Claire’s-BtSSB store with your dysphoria.

A Fruit Platter of Unintended Consequences 

1.7K, science fiction; robots

When Annet’s mother steps out for the week, Annet takes the chance to socialize with the family’s housebot, Percique. Percique, having been warned, is well-prepared to argue her way out of being seen as a human, but Annet won’t give up that easily.

codename: violet 🌿

2.8K, realistic fiction

A trans girl famous on an Internet confessions site faces a hacker hoping to expose her biggest secret.

World Got Smaller 🌿🏆

3K, realistic fiction

Charlie, a closeted trans woman, goes undercover as the glamorous Portia in order to save face by posing as her own fake girlfriend in front of her ex and his new date.

Bride & Groom  🌿🏆

1.5K, realistic fiction

Unrequited butch high school crushes, all grown up.

as you were  🌿

1K, science fiction; romance

Friends-to-lovers transgender pining... in space!

Exhaustively 🌿

9K, fantasy; paranormal

A harrowed college student creates a golem to help with her schoolwork... and some other old scars.

Galactic April

3K, science fantasy; romance

A space waitress falls for a lion-lady she is totally inadequately attempting to serve.

The Traveler Wife 🌿🏆

1.7K, science fiction

A Black lesbian in space reflects on her decision to leave home—and her lover—very far behind. For fans of the Twin Paradox.

Novels

See: projects page.

The Summer of Katie (Ch1)

teen, realistic fiction

Thomasina Anderson wants this year’s awkward family vacation by the lake to be just like it always is, but she knows it won’t be easy to keep the peace while being her (bisexual?! she’s still in shock) self… and trying to befriend Katie, the guest who’s just begun her transition.

Forest Castles (Ch1-2) 🌿

YA, fantasy; romance

Senior year’s been bad enough before Eliza gets kidnapped by a sentient forest. She doesn’t care about the evil queen or the magic bartering system; don’t these people know she’s got college acceptances to check?! Red, an untrustworthy runaway, offers to help Eliza get home, but his totally-not-a-boyfriend, Avner, wants her to stay–and the more time passes, the less Eliza trusts herself to decide.

Sometimes it Happens (Ch1) 🌿

adult, realistic fiction; romance

Fifteen years ago, Elle’s boyfriend left town–and Elle–without so much as an explanation. Today, Ephraim has returned with a child: Bren. Bren is clever, quiet, quick, and almost exactly fifteen years old.

Side Stories

Your Father's Son 🌿

3K, KAY, realistic fiction

little!Kay quotes Hamlet at Constantine, and he plays along.

Miscellany

KAY original drabbles

These are not canon, but seeing as the first chapter of KAY isn’t publicly available yet, if you’re interested in the project, it’s where I’d start. It is where I started, actually, when I was first brainstorming these two (and that nasty old man they cart around with them). 

ko-fi | Patreon | all writing | book

[heartfledged]

A Deep Dive Into Avyra's Horses (AKA: you didn't want this detail for our threads but you're getting it anyway)

In any verse that takes place on earth, Avyra keeps several horses on her property, all are detailed below. All horses are trained to ride english or western, and all are trained for mounted shooting, trail riding, and hunting. Lines by Anonymous-Shrew and Tauriiga.

"Windsong"

Registered Name: Melody of the Wind Barn Name: Windsong Sex: Gelding Age: 17 years Breed: Arctic Draft Height: 20 hands Phenotype: Silver dapple tobiano Disciplines: Reining (retired), light draft work Blurb: The oldest horse on the property, Windsong is fairly tried and true, steady in nature. He was diagnosed with congenital cataracts at around the age of ten, which slowly took his sight until he became totally blind after about five years. Despite his blindness, he is still sound, and can be ridden on trails or for leisure. He is well trained and responsive to voice commands, as well as seat aids. His lack of sight doesn't slow him down and he is still eager to please.

"Obi"

Registered Name: Whispering Obsidian Barn Name: Obi Sex: Stallion Age: 5 years Breed: Classic Alfkak Height: 18 hands Phenotype: Dapple grey on black Disciplines: Classical and contemporary dressage, working equitation Blurb: Obi is a difficult to entertain youngster of a horse. He is polite on the ground around people and other horses (including mares) but can get bored and restless under saddle with repetitive work. He is curious and not easily frightened, and requires enrichment and puzzles to keep his mind active when not being worked.

"Fireball"

Registered Name: Shot of Fireball Barn Name: Fireball Sex: Mare Age: 13 years Breed: Australian warmblood Height: 16.3 hands Phenotype: Sooty seal bay (hidden splash) Disciplines: Showjumping, xc, dressage Blurb: Fireball is a well trained, all-around mare. There isn't much she won't attempt, and she does keep her rider safe. However, she has a large stride and power, which can be intimidating for a beginner rider. She is the leader of the herd and acts like it around other horses, being the first to demand pets or food in the pasture. She's smart and can easily manipulate a rider's shape to make her do the least work possible.

"Sorrel"

Registered Name: Garden Sorrel Barn Name: Sorrel Sex: Mare Age: 12 years Breed: American mustang Height: 16.1 hands Phenotype: Sooty buckskin with tiger eye Disciplines: Reining, sorting Blurb: Sorrel can be difficult to handle on the ground, and under saddle she is still in training. She is stocky and thick maned, characteristic of a wild mustang. She has spirit and a general distrust of people, which is being worked on with the promise of treats and a gentle touch. She is intelligent and quick to learn, but still has bouts of wild spirit. She was originally captured in Wyoming.

"Robin"

Registered Name: Robin's Spring Barn Name: Robin Sex: Mare Age: 7 years Breed: Arabian Height: 14 hands Phenotype: Chestnut Disciplines: Reining, endurance Blurb: Robin is the smallest of Avyra's horses. She is hotheaded and easy to startle. It can be difficult to sit her flights, and she doesn't like standing still for very long. She has fast gaits and tends to be quite talkative, especially if away from the herd.

[leiascully]

Fic: Citius, Altius, Fortius (MSR, T)

This ficlet is dedicated to the commercial about the adopted Paralympian that makes me sniffly every time.  I don’t even know what they’re advertising.  All credit to AAVE for the “hip” slang Mulder uses and basically all cutting-edge words in American English.

The Olympic theme was more of a suggestion than a fanfare, but Scully still leaned forward and turned the volume down a few more notches.  She could feel Mulder giving her that crinkly-eyed smile.  She knew the remote worked just fine over the distance between the tv and the couch, but it felt like it worked better when she leaned.  It was like Jackson and his video games, a sympathetic movement.

“I don’t want to wake Gracie,” she said.

“Good plan,” Mulder said, and put his arm comfortably around her shoulders as she leaned back.  Jackson snorted and looked away, but peeked back at them to check in.  Scully was glad she was there for him, the Ginger from his journals, she and Mulder solid presences in his life, bracketed by the ghosts of his adoptive parents.

“I didn’t think you two would buy into all this jingoistic shit,” Jackson said.

“We are still employed by the United States federal government,” Scully pointed out.

“They’re basically our coworkers when it comes to repping the flag,” Mulder said laconically.  “Gotta respect the hustle.  Besides, compared to a lot of national anthems, ours kinda slaps.”

Jackson winced, predictably, at Mulder’s attempt to use slang.  Scully sensed Mulder mentally adding a few tallies to his side of the imaginary scoreboard.  It was all so sweetly familiar, a song she hummed in her dreams.

“Still,” Jackson said.  “It’s all so fuckin’ rah-rah America.  I thought you knew better.  Like you said, you work for the government.  You know all the shit they pull.”

“For two weeks every two years, I support the finest athletes that wealth, health, grueling training, and the opportunities inherent in living in the country possessing the world’s largest economy can produce,” Mulder said, a trace of irony audible in his voice.  “And also anyone competing against Russia.”

“It’s a distraction from all the shitty things happening in the world,” Jackson said.

“It’s a damn good one,” Mulder countered.  “At least they’re not supersoldiers.”

“Some of them might be,” Jackson grumbled.

“Those abs,” Mulder said, sounding a little mournful.  He patted his stomach.  “I should have gone for the upgrade when I had the chance.”

“When I was little,” Scully said slowly, “my mother would tell me that the prowess of Olympic athletes was proof that God loved us.  She said that their bodies were miracles.  I don’t think about it exactly the same way now, but there is something almost holy about that quest to go farther and faster than anyone else ever has.  In a sense, we fly without wings.  We climb higher than we thought we could.  We run faster and farther than early humans imagined.  We lift heavier burdens.  We test our nerve and our resolve in feats of endurance.  We subject our bodies to almost-unbearable forces and conditions.  We test the laws of physics, twisting in the air or gliding over the ice.  For a moment, we defy expectation, gravity, and in a sense, mortality.  The athletes of the Olympics show us the potential of the human body and the human spirit in a way that our daily lives don’t, and we feel like we are there with them as we perch on the edges of our seats, our bodies echoing their movements as if we could lend them our strength.  It’s possible that sometimes a distraction is a welcome respite.  For a short time, the world is focused on something other than war.  Many of the results may be predictable, but astonishing things happen and we learn to expect the unexpected.  Athletes from nations and peoples that have been overlooked and exploited dazzle us.  A runner falls and someone pulls them up.  Someone may shatter their leg and because of that tragedy, someone else realizes their lifelong dream.  The Olympics are a microcosm of our own attempts to strive for perfection, a supercondensed spectacle that reminds us of all our potential.  In pitting us against the people of other nations, the Olympics somehow unite us in the pursuit of a singular goal, reached by various paths: a gold medal, and the accolades of an awestruck world.”

“I love it when you give a dissertation on everyday life,” Mulder murmured, kissing under her ear.

“A spectacle that displaces the people who are already the most fucked-over,” Jackson said, but there was a little less disdain in his words.  “A profit machine for corporations and a propaganda outlet for governments.  It’s a slippery slope from athletic superiority to eugenics.  Only the strong survive.”

“George Orwell said that athletic competitions were essentially a proxy for war games,” Mulder told her.  She craned her head to look at him.

“I thought you liked the Olympics.”

“I do,” he said, “but Jack has a point.”

“Hell yeah, I do,” Jackson said.

“I wasn’t saying the Olympics are perfect,” Scully argued.  “Just that they could be perceived as creating a net good.”

The broadcast cut to commercial, sentimental strings music welling quietly from the speakers.  Mulder looked away, rubbing at his eyes.  Jackson chuckled.

“It’s that easy, huh?” he said.  “All they need to get into your psyche is footage of someone winning something and some sad music, maybe a Morgan Freeman voiceover.”

“Wait until you get old,” Mulder said.  “Then you’ll be welling up at every Visa commercial.  These ads are designed by experts in psychological warfare.  The Olympic mindgames.”

“They remind us of you,” Scully told Jackson.  “You weren’t supposed to exist.  You weren’t supposed to survive.  And here you are, capable of things your father and I could never have dreamed of.”

“Whatever,” Jackson muttered, looking away and definitely not dabbing his face on the shoulder of his t-shirt.

Scully settled back into the couch.  Grace would be waking up soon - she wasn’t an Olympic-level napper - but until then, she had a moment to enjoy the half-scripted pageantry of the Games, savoring the bittersweet combination of impossible victories and unpredictable defeats.  It wasn’t unlike her own life, in a way: she’d accomplished things she’d never imagined, uncovered truths too painful to endure, run up against her own limits over and over and overcome them all to be sitting here, in her comfortable home, with her stalwart partner, dragged back from the dead, and their miraculous children.  The glint in Jackson’s eyes as he argued with Mulder was more precious to her than any medal; the sound of Grace’s sleepy sighs stirred her heart more than any anthem.  She stood atop the podium of her destiny.

She leaned her head on Mulder’s shoulder and watched the marathon swimmers cut through the water, one stroke after another, keeping themselves afloat for hours. She understood their exhaustion.  She understood their triumph.

“I like the dressage,” Jackson said unexpectedly.  “It looks like mind control if you do it right.  I’m not, like, asking for a pony.  I just think it’s cool.”

“I knew we could find some common ground,” Mulder said.  “What’s your opinion on medals for horses?”

“Horse-sized medals,” Jackson said immediately.  “Bankrupt the IOC.”

“That’s your son,” Scully told him.

“No denying it,” Mulder said in a smug voice.  The broadcast changed to gymnastics and they all sat forward, watching in awed silence, as history was made.

[suspiciousmammal]

Have I ever told you guys about the oldest german show jumping competition? It's been going since 1920! The Deutsches Spring- und Dressurderby or german jumping and dressage derby is probably among the more well-known horse related events in Germany.

That sounds pretty boring so far, but I wouldn't be writing about this if it didn't take a weird turn soon! Let's start with dressage.

While the initial test is nothing more than a regular dressage test, the riders that qualify for the final round don’t just get to ride their own horses. No, additionally they have to ride a test with their opponent’s horses. I’m assuming that there’s no real reason for this other than to cause chaos for public amusement.

But sticking the country’s best dressage riders on strange horses and watching them go isn’t the most interesting thing about this competition. On the show jumping side of things, you have a course that’s regarded as one of the most difficult ones you can find in Germany.

The jumps are traditionally made out of natural wood, which is something you’d expect to see in a XC course! The most notable combination of the derby is the infamous “wall”:

It’s essentially an artificial hill in the middle of a showjumping arena. Approaching the “wall”, you’d see something that’s reminiscent of some xc combinations. But the back end of this hill just drops straight down. A 3 meter drop, followed closely by another 1.50m jump.

The course hasn’t been changed since the competition was first held. It’s insanely difficult (13 years passed before someone managed to get a flawless round!).

The show jumping part of the derby has come under fire quite a few times, as the organizers and riders have been accused of endangering their animals just to put up a show.

If you’re interested in seeing how riders and horses deal with this particular combination, here’s a youtube video showing all the attempts made in 2015.