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Description

Featuring:
Dave, Chris, Abigail, Daniel, and Detti
Tristan
Blake
Jim
Cobalt
(Doing this from phone so hopefully most things work… I'll fix what I need to when I can...)

Immediately follows:

Dave first looked to his children and noticed they weren't there. One of them must have needed the bathroom. Then Dave looked at the scoreboard. Great! They were in the time! Should be a clear...round...then… Dave's eyes set on the fault number. For a moment, he couldn't even register what that number could possibly even mean. They were in time so… he glanced across to the last jump as the HCL arena crew picked up the jump. Funny, the wind hadn't been that strong. Why else would it…
And then the replay footage came on. Detti, clear as day through the London rain and muck, taking poles with him. Dave's cold eyes dropped to the bay's neck. The horse didn't realize it, but he had just earned himself a one way ticket to another barn, a different owner, maybe even a different discipline. Dave didn't honestly care. As soon as he was out of the arena, he wasn't his horse any more.
Dave gave the bay one more glance as the groom took him back to the stall to get his tack off and hosed down. The muddy, filthy thing. A waste of a good bay. But a Burton did not settle for less than what they wanted and a faulted horse had no purpose in his stalls. Young Detti had met the end of his career as a Burton mount. He clearly wasn't able to perform the task asked of him. They weren't a match, after all.
Dave was already formulating the next horse he'd try out. Perhaps, Bell would have been the better choice. She had way more experience. Not the looker Detti was, but a solid athlete. He nodded to himself as he wrote on a large white sign, Detti's new name: “SALE”.
“What in the…” Tristan had been trying to track down Jarin in privacy after he had stripped down and gotten involved with the infectious hype Dave's fans gave off. He was somewhat shocked and yet not shocked at all to see the sight of Dave writing out the sign, arching an eyebrow at him "Huh? You're selling Detti?" Who else? It was Dave's history to sell horses he didn't feel matched his standards. "How much? I'll take him off your hands..."
“To the highest bidder,” Dave responded dryly without even having to look up.
Tristan grinned a little, shaking his head. Only Dave would sell such a fine horse for what was an absolute genuine mistake; everyone made them. But if he wanted to give up a nice horse, Tristan wasn't one to say no!
This was how Dave rolled. This was how he got to the point he was at. He wasn't going to push a horse into a style and discipline if it simply could not keep up. He dragged Detti out of his stall with his new sign, out to the public where he was in the best setting to get sold. Right around a crowd of other very talented jumpers that may take their chances for the bay. Dave was not one of them.
And that's where he crashed into the rest of his team. They had come around to see if Dave was down for a little socializing that evening. Cobalt was hoping to thank Dave for letting him borrow tack when he thought he wasn't going to be able to make it. And what they saw was… one of the horses that had sailed through Tokyo for sale?
“Dave? You're not the type to be short on funds…” Blake smiled politely under Jim's umbrella (that he might have stolen from a child).
“Short on brains,” Tristan crossed his arms and raised a brow. “Selling Detti over some poles?”
Jim stopped short, his grin faltering as he put the picture together… “Wait, seriously?”
Dave adjusted his tie and stood up straight, “Of course. I was wrong to bring the bay to a show of this level. He's clearly not suited for it. Perhaps he would do well in a lower level but I'm afraid he's reached his potential under me.”
“Oh yea?” A cool voice mocked from behind Dave. His very own swag teenager, Chris, with Abigail and Daniel in tow.
“Is Detti going bye-bye?” The sweet little Daniel asked, covered in mud from playing in puddles. It was impossible to keep the slippery creature clean.
“Of course he is,” Abigail scoffed. “He's no good. Daddy can't ride him anymore.” She was old enough and smart enough to understand the pattern. She wasn't impressed with how her father showed. She hated being in the rain and muck to watch him knock a fence over. She just wanted to go home already.
“It's okay, Daddy,” Daniel smiled sweetly, “You'll get better one day!” Not that he actually understood scores and points. He figured Dave just needed to practice more like he had to practice his letters and numbers.
Chris snorted, “Yea, Dad, maybe ride on your level for once.”
Jim joined in with the lecture, holding his chin up firmly, “Well, I was taught to always search the error within myself so maybe you should sell yourself, Dave.” Only a true friend would ream him with such levels of wisdom and truth.
Chris grinned, flipping his shades on because he was too cool. He liked Jim already. Anyone that sassed his dad and bruised his ego, really. “Hear that, guys, guess we have to get a new dad. This one's no good anymore.”
“Wha-” Dave scoffed. “That is not-”
“New daddies!!” Daniel squealed and charged after Jim! He had the coolest umbrella and the prettiest hair!
Jim laughed at the little boys antics, at first. Such exuberance. But then the mud came. And then the climbing. And OH GOD THE HANDS AIMED FOR THE HAIR! “H-hang on there, kiddo!” He set Daniel back down but the kid was like a loveable spider monkey, giggling and latching onto him, hoping to swing from his mane like vines! Jim, normally pretty chill with kids around him was finding himself overtaken by the miniature monkey-Burton. He was sending out his telepathic SOS to his Falcon brethren, Blake, to save him! HELP ME, BROTHER!!
But Blake had a warfront on his hands already. The Princess of the Burton family: Abigail. She had stuck her nose up at her father and swanned right on over to the very handsome replacement father, Blake. He, at least, made it to the podium. She grabbed his hand and with that, declared him as her rightful father. Blake was defenseless against her adorable pink hat and bold declaration. She was too precious for his soft, Canadian soul to fight against.
Dave put a hand on his hip, flabbergasted his children were playing along, “Don't be ridiculous. Daniel, Miss Abigail-”
“Sorry, Mr. Burton, we've decided to upgrade,” Abigail held her ground. She knew where to hit his weak spot. She was his weak spot. Dave felt the blow to the dad quadrant of his heart.
Chris leaned up against the temporary stalls, scrolling through his phone, “It's a real shame. You had so much potential too. But I bet you'll do okay in some lower levels. We believe you've reached your potential. You just aren't suited for it.”
Ow. Another blow to Dave's soul as Chris lashed his own words against him. “Now-! I'm doing the horse a favor! Retiring him from a competition he's not ready for!”
Daniel giggled, hugging Jim's leg, “Bye bye, Daddy.”
Dave gasped, his jaw falling open, “No, it's bye bye, Detti!”
“Daddy and Detti, sitting in a tree, L-O-S-I-N-G!” Abigail sang with great weight on Dave's heart.
“L-losing?” Dave stammered. “We didn't lose!” Dave took a step to Detti. Wait, why was he defending the horse!? He was the one that plowed through the poles! This was confusing! “He just needs a new job!”
Chris flicked through his new snaps, “Yea, what are you gonna go for, dad? A one trick pony show? How to obliterate jumps?”
“What? I don't need a new career-”
“Smash em all, Daddy!” Daniel cheered!
Dave was at his wits end with the three of them ganging up on him! They were nightmares! He dropped to his knees, “We aren't losers! Give daddy another chance!”
"Yes, excellent Dave, you're really providing the father figure look they want and need. Grovelling on your hands and knees." Tristan stated sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. He was terrible. His children owned him for all his worth.
“Just give him another chance!” Dave reached out to his babies, his heart, and soul. “He doesn't need retirement or a change of discipline! He's perfectly fine, I swear! He had the best intentions! Don't sell him!”
Dave caused quite the scene but it seemed they finally got through to the stubborn snobbish man. Jim held the muddy child back as best he could while he held up his nose to Dave, “You best be talking about your horse, Dave.”
Dave paused his pleading, looking up at the bay. Detti. He honestly hadn't been thinking of the horse at all. But now… maybe he did feel a bit of pining for the horse. It was an odd feeling he had never known before. A horse was a horse. Not a best friend or family member. But right now… he actually did feel...sorry. Maybe he was quitting on the horse too soon. He'd never quit on his children or wife. Hell, he hardly quit on anything until he got his way… the warm brown eyes looking back at him didn't look like they held any remorse or guilt.
Dave hung his head and sighed heavily. He got to his feet and brushed the loose sand and mud from his knees. He took the lead from Tristan and looked at his team members sternly, making his resolve, “Of course.” He felt a little nauseous at first. “I...won't give up on the horse.” He took the SALE sign off Detti. “We all make mistakes… and I won't be making this one…” Dave felt like he was moving a mountain for the horse. It was like getting an addict to admit they had a problem (one flaw at a time…). But if he could change his entire lifestyle for his family, he could find forgiveness for the horse next to him that did nothing but his best for Dave. The least he could do was return the favor.
Abigail looked up to Blake with her serious businesswoman demeanor, “I humbly apologize, Mr. Levoie. While you are most certainly the stronger candidate here, I must remain heir to Mr. Burton, I'm afraid.” She grinned a little, a rare sight from the far too serious child. She loved her daddy very dearly. “Even if he is a bit of a loser.”

For the first time in Burton history, a horse that knocked a pole… didn't get sold. *cue sunset and dramatic music, roll credits*

(1828 word count)

So, we all know to have a truly rounded character, they have to have flaws. And then they have to overcome or at least try to better those flaws. It's no secret Dave is a bit of a snob. A good guy, but the man has some strict standards when it comes to quality of living. So a Burton struggle is settling for less than what they expected xD I've always had the running joke that Dave may be slow but he would never knock a pole, weeeeeeelllll HCL thought different and I just couldn't leave it be xD
AND HELL NO, I DON'T HAVE TIME TO QUALIFY ANOTHER HORSE. So, it was time to pull Dave's big boy pants on and give the man a reality check! I.e. guilt trip him with his children and friends so he could see how silly he was being.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!!!
And that's how Detti made it to Pula:

(Also, sorry for shit art xD but I don't have the luxury of time to churn out beauty for this atm and I didn't want to wait until January when I'd have the time lmao so...whoops!?)

Dave/Chris/Abigail/Daniel/Detti/Jarin/Bell/Art © Drasayer
Tristan © Saoradh
Cobalt © do-draw
Jim © Shotechi
Blake © Aliyska

SAI/Photoshop CS6

Description

Featuring:
Dave, Chris, Abigail, Daniel, and Detti
Tristan
Blake
Jim
Cobalt
(Doing this from phone so hopefully most things work… I'll fix what I need to when I can...)

Immediately follows:

Dave first looked to his children and noticed they weren't there. One of them must have needed the bathroom. Then Dave looked at the scoreboard. Great! They were in the time! Should be a clear...round...then… Dave's eyes set on the fault number. For a moment, he couldn't even register what that number could possibly even mean. They were in time so… he glanced across to the last jump as the HCL arena crew picked up the jump. Funny, the wind hadn't been that strong. Why else would it…
And then the replay footage came on. Detti, clear as day through the London rain and muck, taking poles with him. Dave's cold eyes dropped to the bay's neck. The horse didn't realize it, but he had just earned himself a one way ticket to another barn, a different owner, maybe even a different discipline. Dave didn't honestly care. As soon as he was out of the arena, he wasn't his horse any more.
Dave gave the bay one more glance as the groom took him back to the stall to get his tack off and hosed down. The muddy, filthy thing. A waste of a good bay. But a Burton did not settle for less than what they wanted and a faulted horse had no purpose in his stalls. Young Detti had met the end of his career as a Burton mount. He clearly wasn't able to perform the task asked of him. They weren't a match, after all.
Dave was already formulating the next horse he'd try out. Perhaps, Bell would have been the better choice. She had way more experience. Not the looker Detti was, but a solid athlete. He nodded to himself as he wrote on a large white sign, Detti's new name: “SALE”.
“What in the…” Tristan had been trying to track down Jarin in privacy after he had stripped down and gotten involved with the infectious hype Dave's fans gave off. He was somewhat shocked and yet not shocked at all to see the sight of Dave writing out the sign, arching an eyebrow at him "Huh? You're selling Detti?" Who else? It was Dave's history to sell horses he didn't feel matched his standards. "How much? I'll take him off your hands..."
“To the highest bidder,” Dave responded dryly without even having to look up.
Tristan grinned a little, shaking his head. Only Dave would sell such a fine horse for what was an absolute genuine mistake; everyone made them. But if he wanted to give up a nice horse, Tristan wasn't one to say no!
This was how Dave rolled. This was how he got to the point he was at. He wasn't going to push a horse into a style and discipline if it simply could not keep up. He dragged Detti out of his stall with his new sign, out to the public where he was in the best setting to get sold. Right around a crowd of other very talented jumpers that may take their chances for the bay. Dave was not one of them.
And that's where he crashed into the rest of his team. They had come around to see if Dave was down for a little socializing that evening. Cobalt was hoping to thank Dave for letting him borrow tack when he thought he wasn't going to be able to make it. And what they saw was… one of the horses that had sailed through Tokyo for sale?
“Dave? You're not the type to be short on funds…” Blake smiled politely under Jim's umbrella (that he might have stolen from a child).
“Short on brains,” Tristan crossed his arms and raised a brow. “Selling Detti over some poles?”
Jim stopped short, his grin faltering as he put the picture together… “Wait, seriously?”
Dave adjusted his tie and stood up straight, “Of course. I was wrong to bring the bay to a show of this level. He's clearly not suited for it. Perhaps he would do well in a lower level but I'm afraid he's reached his potential under me.”
“Oh yea?” A cool voice mocked from behind Dave. His very own swag teenager, Chris, with Abigail and Daniel in tow.
“Is Detti going bye-bye?” The sweet little Daniel asked, covered in mud from playing in puddles. It was impossible to keep the slippery creature clean.
“Of course he is,” Abigail scoffed. “He's no good. Daddy can't ride him anymore.” She was old enough and smart enough to understand the pattern. She wasn't impressed with how her father showed. She hated being in the rain and muck to watch him knock a fence over. She just wanted to go home already.
“It's okay, Daddy,” Daniel smiled sweetly, “You'll get better one day!” Not that he actually understood scores and points. He figured Dave just needed to practice more like he had to practice his letters and numbers.
Chris snorted, “Yea, Dad, maybe ride on your level for once.”
Jim joined in with the lecture, holding his chin up firmly, “Well, I was taught to always search the error within myself so maybe you should sell yourself, Dave.” Only a true friend would ream him with such levels of wisdom and truth.
Chris grinned, flipping his shades on because he was too cool. He liked Jim already. Anyone that sassed his dad and bruised his ego, really. “Hear that, guys, guess we have to get a new dad. This one's no good anymore.”
“Wha-” Dave scoffed. “That is not-”
“New daddies!!” Daniel squealed and charged after Jim! He had the coolest umbrella and the prettiest hair!
Jim laughed at the little boys antics, at first. Such exuberance. But then the mud came. And then the climbing. And OH GOD THE HANDS AIMED FOR THE HAIR! “H-hang on there, kiddo!” He set Daniel back down but the kid was like a loveable spider monkey, giggling and latching onto him, hoping to swing from his mane like vines! Jim, normally pretty chill with kids around him was finding himself overtaken by the miniature monkey-Burton. He was sending out his telepathic SOS to his Falcon brethren, Blake, to save him! HELP ME, BROTHER!!
But Blake had a warfront on his hands already. The Princess of the Burton family: Abigail. She had stuck her nose up at her father and swanned right on over to the very handsome replacement father, Blake. He, at least, made it to the podium. She grabbed his hand and with that, declared him as her rightful father. Blake was defenseless against her adorable pink hat and bold declaration. She was too precious for his soft, Canadian soul to fight against.
Dave put a hand on his hip, flabbergasted his children were playing along, “Don't be ridiculous. Daniel, Miss Abigail-”
“Sorry, Mr. Burton, we've decided to upgrade,” Abigail held her ground. She knew where to hit his weak spot. She was his weak spot. Dave felt the blow to the dad quadrant of his heart.
Chris leaned up against the temporary stalls, scrolling through his phone, “It's a real shame. You had so much potential too. But I bet you'll do okay in some lower levels. We believe you've reached your potential. You just aren't suited for it.”
Ow. Another blow to Dave's soul as Chris lashed his own words against him. “Now-! I'm doing the horse a favor! Retiring him from a competition he's not ready for!”
Daniel giggled, hugging Jim's leg, “Bye bye, Daddy.”
Dave gasped, his jaw falling open, “No, it's bye bye, Detti!”
“Daddy and Detti, sitting in a tree, L-O-S-I-N-G!” Abigail sang with great weight on Dave's heart.
“L-losing?” Dave stammered. “We didn't lose!” Dave took a step to Detti. Wait, why was he defending the horse!? He was the one that plowed through the poles! This was confusing! “He just needs a new job!”
Chris flicked through his new snaps, “Yea, what are you gonna go for, dad? A one trick pony show? How to obliterate jumps?”
“What? I don't need a new career-”
“Smash em all, Daddy!” Daniel cheered!
Dave was at his wits end with the three of them ganging up on him! They were nightmares! He dropped to his knees, “We aren't losers! Give daddy another chance!”
"Yes, excellent Dave, you're really providing the father figure look they want and need. Grovelling on your hands and knees." Tristan stated sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. He was terrible. His children owned him for all his worth.
“Just give him another chance!” Dave reached out to his babies, his heart, and soul. “He doesn't need retirement or a change of discipline! He's perfectly fine, I swear! He had the best intentions! Don't sell him!”
Dave caused quite the scene but it seemed they finally got through to the stubborn snobbish man. Jim held the muddy child back as best he could while he held up his nose to Dave, “You best be talking about your horse, Dave.”
Dave paused his pleading, looking up at the bay. Detti. He honestly hadn't been thinking of the horse at all. But now… maybe he did feel a bit of pining for the horse. It was an odd feeling he had never known before. A horse was a horse. Not a best friend or family member. But right now… he actually did feel...sorry. Maybe he was quitting on the horse too soon. He'd never quit on his children or wife. Hell, he hardly quit on anything until he got his way… the warm brown eyes looking back at him didn't look like they held any remorse or guilt.
Dave hung his head and sighed heavily. He got to his feet and brushed the loose sand and mud from his knees. He took the lead from Tristan and looked at his team members sternly, making his resolve, “Of course.” He felt a little nauseous at first. “I...won't give up on the horse.” He took the SALE sign off Detti. “We all make mistakes… and I won't be making this one…” Dave felt like he was moving a mountain for the horse. It was like getting an addict to admit they had a problem (one flaw at a time…). But if he could change his entire lifestyle for his family, he could find forgiveness for the horse next to him that did nothing but his best for Dave. The least he could do was return the favor.
Abigail looked up to Blake with her serious businesswoman demeanor, “I humbly apologize, Mr. Levoie. While you are most certainly the stronger candidate here, I must remain heir to Mr. Burton, I'm afraid.” She grinned a little, a rare sight from the far too serious child. She loved her daddy very dearly. “Even if he is a bit of a loser.”

For the first time in Burton history, a horse that knocked a pole… didn't get sold. *cue sunset and dramatic music, roll credits*

(1828 word count)

So, we all know to have a truly rounded character, they have to have flaws. And then they have to overcome or at least try to better those flaws. It's no secret Dave is a bit of a snob. A good guy, but the man has some strict standards when it comes to quality of living. So a Burton struggle is settling for less than what they expected xD I've always had the running joke that Dave may be slow but he would never knock a pole, weeeeeeelllll HCL thought different and I just couldn't leave it be xD
AND HELL NO, I DON'T HAVE TIME TO QUALIFY ANOTHER HORSE. So, it was time to pull Dave's big boy pants on and give the man a reality check! I.e. guilt trip him with his children and friends so he could see how silly he was being.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!!!
And that's how Detti made it to Pula:

(Also, sorry for shit art xD but I don't have the luxury of time to churn out beauty for this atm and I didn't want to wait until January when I'd have the time lmao so...whoops!?)

Dave/Chris/Abigail/Daniel/Detti/Jarin/Bell/Art © Drasayer
Tristan © Saoradh
Cobalt © do-draw
Jim © Shotechi
Blake © Aliyska

SAI/Photoshop CS6