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Description

This angle absolutely killed me, but I had to try because this pic got in my head and I had to get it out. So after the AusWB trials, Aashi travels to Europe with her mother, father and Logan to begin knocking out her Olympic qualifiers.

I had put out a request for an RP partner for some awful amazing plots and this is the beginning of those plots >8) 4TheLoveOfAnimation offered up her professional, quiet guy, Oscar, to fill the role and I can't wait to see where this goes!

Wood Texture Used

Story ~
(1,650 Total Word Count | Taur's section - 1,100WC)

Aashi

  This is what Europeans called summer? Aashi exhaled and tucked her hands further under her arms, fisted into her thin pink sweater to keep out the brisk morning chill. Irritation brewed within her as she sat in her wheelchair, waiting not-so-patiently for her ‘travel companion’ to retrieve Kona from the small turnout paddock she was granted to use an hour a day. It wasn’t as cozy or convenient of a location as her uncle’s estate, with the old cobblestone stable and quaint guest house, but she knew she couldn’t travel from home to every show. Stockholm was simply too far from Hanover, and so they'd made due with hotels and boarding stalls.
The sound of hooves coming up the gravel walkway turned Aashi's attention and she sat up straighter, glancing down at her watch. “What took you so long?”
Ignoring the sour tone to Aashi's remark, Logan led Kona into the groom stall. “They had her out in the farthest paddock, it was a bit of a walk.” Clipping the cross ties to the mare's halter, he gave her an affectionate pat on the neck. “If you need me, I'll be right over in the guest lounge,” he dismissed himself, knowing Aashi preferred to groom and tack Kona on her own, stubborn woman that she was.
“Alright,” she answered curtly, already grabbing her hoof pick and hard brush from her tack box. It wasn't always the easiest of tasks to groom the big roan, but Aashi always made do. It was slower, but she was well aware if her limitations and made sure she had the time she needed.
It was a good hour later before Kona was fully tacked and ready for their warm up. Putting away the mare's halter and lead, Aashi took the reins and led the mare into the arena. Kona had long grown used to the wheelchair, following Aashi like a shadow. Some days Aashi doubted she need to lead the mare at all.
Though it was only a warm up, Aashi knew her parents would be diligently waiting in the stands. They attended everything they could, the well earned results of her father's successful career. Family inheritance didn't hurt either. As the months passed and she climbed the ranks, she knew the stands would fill with her uncles, aunts and cousins as well.
Her mother's voice nearly startled her, but Aashi smiled as her mother immediately began to fuss and dote, helping her up from her chair. “Mummy, I can get up in my own.”
“Oh pish,” her mother dismissed her rejection, as always. “What else should I be doing but helping you? Sitting in the stands and listening to your father gripe about the seats, the lighting, the noise?” Folding Aashi's chair, her mother quickly moved it aside, out of the way of others sharing the arena, while Aashi stood braced against the patient mare.
“Is Pita coming down to help me up?” Aashi asked, looking for her father in the stands.
“Oh, no, he hurt his back sleeping on the hotel bed, you know how he is. We'll get someone to help.”
“Maan, just get Logan, he's in the lounge,” Aashi remarked, horrified as she watched her mother already making her way towards the stands. “Maaaan! I don't need help from some stranger!”
“Nonsense,” her mother called over her shoulder, approaching the first strong young man she laid eyes on. He looked like a quiet fellow, eyes locked on the arena. “Excuse me,” she leaned into his view. “May I ask you a favor? My daughter could use some help getting on her horse,” she smiled warmly, pointing towards Aashi, who had now buried her very red face into her palm. “She has MS, wonderful rider, but she needs a hand now and then and is too shy to ask herself.”

Oscar
  Oscar was taken aback for a moment when an older Indian women caught his attention. He was so entranced with what he was watching, he missed the first few words that were spoken, but as he looked to where she was pointing, he filled in the blanks.
He was rarely approached by strangers on outings like this, let alone any women. He was often told he looked too focused and business-like to want to approach. He could understand that, it's not like he was here to make friends.
He was away from home, on a business trip. He hardly saw any point in making acquaintances, it's not like he'd ever see them again.
His cold attitude and the natural crease of his brows often led to him not having many conversations with people when out scouting, despite there being so many around.
He blinked at the woman in silence for a few moments, the cogs in his mind turning. MS? He wasn't sure he'd ever met anyone with disabilities in his line of work. There definitely weren't any people like that in his home stable’s country.
Oh dear, he hoped he didn't say anything offensive. A flash of nerves traveled through his gut.
“Um, of course.” He smiled at the confident women, trying his best to seem like a normal, friendly human being.
Out of all his staff members at WCEC, he was the only one that traveled around, and therefore the only one that ever got practice socializing, due to the desolate surroundings of the Falklands. He was far from an expert however...more like a novice.
The girl, her daughter, didn't look too pleased about the situation, and he hesitated. Do I really have the right? He thought.
He was sure she'd protest to him just picking her up like a child, so he turned to the woman again, looking between them with a subconscious frown.
“How do I help?”

Aashi
  The embarrassment was clear on her face as she gave a side glare to her mother that clearly read a sarcastic ‘thanks’. Any opportunity to get her talking to a man, her mother would take it.

“I’m so sorry, my mom doesn’t understand personal boundaries sometimes,” Aashi raised a brow like ‘mompleaseleave’. The hint was taken, and with a smug motherly smirk, her mother retreated to return to the stands.

“I uhm, I have weak muscle coordination in my legs,” she explained simply. “I can’t raise my foot into the stirrup or swing my leg over her back on my own. I just need a boost up,” she smiled awkwardly, cupping her hands and making a little rising motion to show what she needed. “But really, you don’t have to. My groom is right down in the lounge, but parents like to embarrass their children, so here we are,” she looked down at her boots, then back up to the man, thankful he had at least patiently played into her mother’s scheming.

Oscar
  “Oh, it's okay, I can manage, if you don't mind.” He smiled politely, trying not to show how unsure he was feeling.
She's not going to break if I drop her, right? He thought to himself as he took a few steps closer, then shook his head slightly to get rid of those silly thoughts.
“Do I give you a boost from your knee or…” he trailed off, wondering if he should say ass. That was in inappropriate right. Surely not?
Oh dear.

Aashi
  “From the heel is fine,” she smiled, more than understanding the awkwardness. “Lift hard, don’t be shy, dead weight takes a bit of force.” Placing her hand on his shoulder as her heel settled into his locked fingers, her left hand grasped the cantle of her dressage saddle. With a small bounce, she gave a nod and heaved herself upwards, a smile lighting her face as the man quite forcefully lifted her, allowing her left leg to swing over the big roan mare for her to settle into her seat. “Now that’s how it’s done,” she laughed lightly.
Reaching down, she manually settled her boots into the stirrups, before sitting up and squaring her seat. Looking down at the stranger, she nodded. “Thank you for the help.”

Oscar

  “Okay then.” He let out a small sigh of relief, and then glanced at the horse properly.
It was a fine animal, very healthy, and it made him take a moment to consider her riding level. Would she have use for such a powerful animal?
“Are you riding today?” He asked a very obvious question, and then frowned at himself. “I mean, the class, what level?” He tried to recover from his verbal trip up.

Aashi
  She couldn’t help but smile at his inquiry. It was only natural to wonder about her skill level, considering. His interest in Kona wasn’t unnoticed and the small smile at the corner of her lips curled into a mildly arrogant grin. “I am, yes. I’ll be riding around three pm, in the Grand Prix class.” Holding the reins tight, Aashi looked down at the gentleman as Kona impatiently champed at the bit. Well mannered as she was, the mare had energy and power and knew when it was time to work. “We’re working on our qualifiers for the Australian para-lympic team.”

Oscar
  Oh.
He coughed, startled.
“I see.”
A blink.
He regarded the girl, the woman, again. “That's... amazing. Well, I won't get in your way any more then.” He took a firm step back, and composed himself.
“It was nice meeting you.” He put on a confident smile, feeling slightly guilty about his previous assumptions.

Aashi
  “You as well,” Aashi smiled again, “thanks again for the lift.” Urging Kona forward with a click of her tongue, the pair walked on, loosening up as the other rider finished their warm up. Once clear, they really set to work. Focused and in sync, the pair swallowed the arena with each long stride, letting the mare work out her excess energy. In a few hours, they’d be one step closer to Aashi’s dream.

Description

This angle absolutely killed me, but I had to try because this pic got in my head and I had to get it out. So after the AusWB trials, Aashi travels to Europe with her mother, father and Logan to begin knocking out her Olympic qualifiers.

I had put out a request for an RP partner for some awful amazing plots and this is the beginning of those plots >8) 4TheLoveOfAnimation offered up her professional, quiet guy, Oscar, to fill the role and I can't wait to see where this goes!

Wood Texture Used

Story ~
(1,650 Total Word Count | Taur's section - 1,100WC)

Aashi

  This is what Europeans called summer? Aashi exhaled and tucked her hands further under her arms, fisted into her thin pink sweater to keep out the brisk morning chill. Irritation brewed within her as she sat in her wheelchair, waiting not-so-patiently for her ‘travel companion’ to retrieve Kona from the small turnout paddock she was granted to use an hour a day. It wasn’t as cozy or convenient of a location as her uncle’s estate, with the old cobblestone stable and quaint guest house, but she knew she couldn’t travel from home to every show. Stockholm was simply too far from Hanover, and so they'd made due with hotels and boarding stalls.
The sound of hooves coming up the gravel walkway turned Aashi's attention and she sat up straighter, glancing down at her watch. “What took you so long?”
Ignoring the sour tone to Aashi's remark, Logan led Kona into the groom stall. “They had her out in the farthest paddock, it was a bit of a walk.” Clipping the cross ties to the mare's halter, he gave her an affectionate pat on the neck. “If you need me, I'll be right over in the guest lounge,” he dismissed himself, knowing Aashi preferred to groom and tack Kona on her own, stubborn woman that she was.
“Alright,” she answered curtly, already grabbing her hoof pick and hard brush from her tack box. It wasn't always the easiest of tasks to groom the big roan, but Aashi always made do. It was slower, but she was well aware if her limitations and made sure she had the time she needed.
It was a good hour later before Kona was fully tacked and ready for their warm up. Putting away the mare's halter and lead, Aashi took the reins and led the mare into the arena. Kona had long grown used to the wheelchair, following Aashi like a shadow. Some days Aashi doubted she need to lead the mare at all.
Though it was only a warm up, Aashi knew her parents would be diligently waiting in the stands. They attended everything they could, the well earned results of her father's successful career. Family inheritance didn't hurt either. As the months passed and she climbed the ranks, she knew the stands would fill with her uncles, aunts and cousins as well.
Her mother's voice nearly startled her, but Aashi smiled as her mother immediately began to fuss and dote, helping her up from her chair. “Mummy, I can get up in my own.”
“Oh pish,” her mother dismissed her rejection, as always. “What else should I be doing but helping you? Sitting in the stands and listening to your father gripe about the seats, the lighting, the noise?” Folding Aashi's chair, her mother quickly moved it aside, out of the way of others sharing the arena, while Aashi stood braced against the patient mare.
“Is Pita coming down to help me up?” Aashi asked, looking for her father in the stands.
“Oh, no, he hurt his back sleeping on the hotel bed, you know how he is. We'll get someone to help.”
“Maan, just get Logan, he's in the lounge,” Aashi remarked, horrified as she watched her mother already making her way towards the stands. “Maaaan! I don't need help from some stranger!”
“Nonsense,” her mother called over her shoulder, approaching the first strong young man she laid eyes on. He looked like a quiet fellow, eyes locked on the arena. “Excuse me,” she leaned into his view. “May I ask you a favor? My daughter could use some help getting on her horse,” she smiled warmly, pointing towards Aashi, who had now buried her very red face into her palm. “She has MS, wonderful rider, but she needs a hand now and then and is too shy to ask herself.”

Oscar
  Oscar was taken aback for a moment when an older Indian women caught his attention. He was so entranced with what he was watching, he missed the first few words that were spoken, but as he looked to where she was pointing, he filled in the blanks.
He was rarely approached by strangers on outings like this, let alone any women. He was often told he looked too focused and business-like to want to approach. He could understand that, it's not like he was here to make friends.
He was away from home, on a business trip. He hardly saw any point in making acquaintances, it's not like he'd ever see them again.
His cold attitude and the natural crease of his brows often led to him not having many conversations with people when out scouting, despite there being so many around.
He blinked at the woman in silence for a few moments, the cogs in his mind turning. MS? He wasn't sure he'd ever met anyone with disabilities in his line of work. There definitely weren't any people like that in his home stable’s country.
Oh dear, he hoped he didn't say anything offensive. A flash of nerves traveled through his gut.
“Um, of course.” He smiled at the confident women, trying his best to seem like a normal, friendly human being.
Out of all his staff members at WCEC, he was the only one that traveled around, and therefore the only one that ever got practice socializing, due to the desolate surroundings of the Falklands. He was far from an expert however...more like a novice.
The girl, her daughter, didn't look too pleased about the situation, and he hesitated. Do I really have the right? He thought.
He was sure she'd protest to him just picking her up like a child, so he turned to the woman again, looking between them with a subconscious frown.
“How do I help?”

Aashi
  The embarrassment was clear on her face as she gave a side glare to her mother that clearly read a sarcastic ‘thanks’. Any opportunity to get her talking to a man, her mother would take it.

“I’m so sorry, my mom doesn’t understand personal boundaries sometimes,” Aashi raised a brow like ‘mompleaseleave’. The hint was taken, and with a smug motherly smirk, her mother retreated to return to the stands.

“I uhm, I have weak muscle coordination in my legs,” she explained simply. “I can’t raise my foot into the stirrup or swing my leg over her back on my own. I just need a boost up,” she smiled awkwardly, cupping her hands and making a little rising motion to show what she needed. “But really, you don’t have to. My groom is right down in the lounge, but parents like to embarrass their children, so here we are,” she looked down at her boots, then back up to the man, thankful he had at least patiently played into her mother’s scheming.

Oscar
  “Oh, it's okay, I can manage, if you don't mind.” He smiled politely, trying not to show how unsure he was feeling.
She's not going to break if I drop her, right? He thought to himself as he took a few steps closer, then shook his head slightly to get rid of those silly thoughts.
“Do I give you a boost from your knee or…” he trailed off, wondering if he should say ass. That was in inappropriate right. Surely not?
Oh dear.

Aashi
  “From the heel is fine,” she smiled, more than understanding the awkwardness. “Lift hard, don’t be shy, dead weight takes a bit of force.” Placing her hand on his shoulder as her heel settled into his locked fingers, her left hand grasped the cantle of her dressage saddle. With a small bounce, she gave a nod and heaved herself upwards, a smile lighting her face as the man quite forcefully lifted her, allowing her left leg to swing over the big roan mare for her to settle into her seat. “Now that’s how it’s done,” she laughed lightly.
Reaching down, she manually settled her boots into the stirrups, before sitting up and squaring her seat. Looking down at the stranger, she nodded. “Thank you for the help.”

Oscar

  “Okay then.” He let out a small sigh of relief, and then glanced at the horse properly.
It was a fine animal, very healthy, and it made him take a moment to consider her riding level. Would she have use for such a powerful animal?
“Are you riding today?” He asked a very obvious question, and then frowned at himself. “I mean, the class, what level?” He tried to recover from his verbal trip up.

Aashi
  She couldn’t help but smile at his inquiry. It was only natural to wonder about her skill level, considering. His interest in Kona wasn’t unnoticed and the small smile at the corner of her lips curled into a mildly arrogant grin. “I am, yes. I’ll be riding around three pm, in the Grand Prix class.” Holding the reins tight, Aashi looked down at the gentleman as Kona impatiently champed at the bit. Well mannered as she was, the mare had energy and power and knew when it was time to work. “We’re working on our qualifiers for the Australian para-lympic team.”

Oscar
  Oh.
He coughed, startled.
“I see.”
A blink.
He regarded the girl, the woman, again. “That's... amazing. Well, I won't get in your way any more then.” He took a firm step back, and composed himself.
“It was nice meeting you.” He put on a confident smile, feeling slightly guilty about his previous assumptions.

Aashi
  “You as well,” Aashi smiled again, “thanks again for the lift.” Urging Kona forward with a click of her tongue, the pair walked on, loosening up as the other rider finished their warm up. Once clear, they really set to work. Focused and in sync, the pair swallowed the arena with each long stride, letting the mare work out her excess energy. In a few hours, they’d be one step closer to Aashi’s dream.