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Description

    There was a chill in the autumn air as Benji stepped out of his ride from the hotels, landing himself at the main attraction of the night in the downtown streets of Tokyo. Harsh neon lights blinded him as he made his way towards the temporary stabling for the event, his stall map showing that he was placed in the far corner of the grounds, one of the many spaces reserved for stallions attending the competition.

    As he rounded the last corner to find himself at his stall and tack-room, he found Zoe already grooming Q. Benji had been voluntold that someone from Amallium (Benji) was expected to go to the Tokyo Olympic showjumping, and it came as no surprise when none of the other riders took that bait. Zoe was busying herself with gaining confidence on Jack, Alicia was taking some down-time after her therapist very strongly suggested doing so. Ashton was off in a honeymoon phase with his boyfriend? Fiance? Benji couldn’t keep track anymore. Reya had just blatantly said no, not feeling up to riding someone else’s horse while she has one to work with back home. So, that left Benji to represent as one of Canada’s members, having no real prior grand-prix experience beyond the few weeks of schooling he had done leading up to the event.

    Obviously, he couldn’t have brought any of his own horses with him, both Feria and Martha being far too small to compete at 1.50-1.60m. So he had put out feelers around, with all of Amallium’s regular grand-prix horses being on well-deserved breaks at the end of the season. It had been in passing that Zoe brought up Q, that he fit the bill to a t being a well-mannered and athletic horse with a pretty mellow attitude for being a stallion at 8 years old. And it was settled, Benji would be heading off to Tokyo with Q and Zoe in-tow.

“He’s pretty well clean, I’ll re-scrub his socks with some green-spot before you head out,” Zoe popped up from behind the stall wall, holding a grooming kit that was overflowing with products and brushes.

“Thanks. I’m going to head down and walk the course, then I’ll be back to get ready. I’m 21st on the order, so I’ll have plenty of time to warm Q up and calm my nerves.” Benji made a quick stop in the tack room as he spoke to Zoe, grabbing his copy of the course that he had drawn up to help him memorize, before turning back and heading to the main arena.

~~~

Zoe knew that she was putting a lot on her own plate by coming to Tokyo with Benji. She knew the people that would also be attending the Olympics, and she knew damn well that Benji wouldn’t stand a chance if something were to go wrong in the warmup without Alicia or Ashton here to help. So she did the most logical thing in her mind, the thing she had done for herself a handful of times before.

She walked up to the stalls that were kept clean and proper, putting out a hand to pat Hyde as she walked past the stud who seemed upset that she didn’t have Frankie trailing along behind her. She made her way into the Hawthorn Hill tack room, where she found Lance zipping up his tall boots.

“... Didn’t expect to see you here. Are you still pushing your luck with that deadly creature?” Lance turned towards her as he spoke, making his way back out of the tack room and towards Hyde’s door.

“He’s not deadly, he’s just… unique. And no, I’m not the one putting my life on the line tonight. That’s actually why I’m over here. Benji’s got my other RPW stud here and I was wondering, if he gets into any trouble in the warmup--”

“No.” Short, sweet, and to the point, Lance erased any questioning that something had gone on between him and Banji in Zoe’s brain.

“... no? Why not? Q isn’t Jack, he’d probably just need to be told to hold his reins and kick the horse, but I can’t be the one to say it.” Zoe followed behind Lance, watching as he ran a quick brush over his already-groomed horse.

“No, because first of all, I have priorities higher than helping a helpless kid, and second of all, if I say anything to him he will break down in tears, no matter the context. So no, not for all the money in the world or for my closest friends will I stand out there and coach that kid.” Lance’s face was dead-serious when he looked back at Zoe, motioning for her to hand him the tail brush that was resting on the ledge in front of her. She handed him the brush as she nodded, not fully understanding the situation she had somehow placed herself in the middle of, but she wasn’t one to press.

Making her way back to Q’s stall, she just prayed that he was well behaved tonight so Benji could stand some sort of chance against his competition.

~~~

Walking down to the warmup, Q carried his head low, content to go wherever Benji pointed him. He had been looking at the RPW breed for a while, having a handful of them around the stableyard at Amallium and watching many perform at the shows he attended. He was slowly setting money aside to purchase his own horse for competition, something taller than 14.3hh. He was looking for something similar to Q, quiet and reliable, yet athletic enough to carry him around a course of grand-prix fences.

“Fancy seeing you here, on a horse of all places,” A familiar voice sounded from beside him, a hint of teasing behind it. “So much for being ‘no grand-prix rider’, huh?”

Looking down towards the voice, Benji was met with brunette hair and brown-green eyes of Oliver. A smile quickly found its way onto his face.

    “Hey!! Yea, I didn’t really intend on being a grand-prix person, but here I am. Someone’s gotta represent my boss’s stables.” He brought Q to a halt as they came up to the entrance of the warmup ring. He could see a blur of horses cantering and jumping, preparing to go out into the main arena, where they would have to endure the steady rainfall that had been getting progressively heavier as time ticked onward.

“Well, I’ll be sure to keep my camera ready when you head in, maybe get a few candids while I wait. And before I head off, one last thing..” Grabbing onto the collar of Benji’s jacket, he pulled him down and met him halfway in a quick kiss. “Good luck!”

As Oliver walked away, a haze settled over Benji’s thoughts. He urged the stallion underneath him to walk into the bustling warmup, working his way through an easy school around, and before long he was being called to the main arena. His eyes caught a glimpse of Lance in passing as he made his way down, and he could truthfully say that there was no reaction. Lance held nothing over him anymore, not when someone was giving Benji the attention he rightfully deserved.

Walking into the main arena, Benji only had visions of a successful round and celebration afterwards coursing through his mind. He was actually looking forward to the afterparty, the part he usually dreaded the most.

    Maybe he’d stick around Oliver, and see what may come of it.

Description

    There was a chill in the autumn air as Benji stepped out of his ride from the hotels, landing himself at the main attraction of the night in the downtown streets of Tokyo. Harsh neon lights blinded him as he made his way towards the temporary stabling for the event, his stall map showing that he was placed in the far corner of the grounds, one of the many spaces reserved for stallions attending the competition.

    As he rounded the last corner to find himself at his stall and tack-room, he found Zoe already grooming Q. Benji had been voluntold that someone from Amallium (Benji) was expected to go to the Tokyo Olympic showjumping, and it came as no surprise when none of the other riders took that bait. Zoe was busying herself with gaining confidence on Jack, Alicia was taking some down-time after her therapist very strongly suggested doing so. Ashton was off in a honeymoon phase with his boyfriend? Fiance? Benji couldn’t keep track anymore. Reya had just blatantly said no, not feeling up to riding someone else’s horse while she has one to work with back home. So, that left Benji to represent as one of Canada’s members, having no real prior grand-prix experience beyond the few weeks of schooling he had done leading up to the event.

    Obviously, he couldn’t have brought any of his own horses with him, both Feria and Martha being far too small to compete at 1.50-1.60m. So he had put out feelers around, with all of Amallium’s regular grand-prix horses being on well-deserved breaks at the end of the season. It had been in passing that Zoe brought up Q, that he fit the bill to a t being a well-mannered and athletic horse with a pretty mellow attitude for being a stallion at 8 years old. And it was settled, Benji would be heading off to Tokyo with Q and Zoe in-tow.

“He’s pretty well clean, I’ll re-scrub his socks with some green-spot before you head out,” Zoe popped up from behind the stall wall, holding a grooming kit that was overflowing with products and brushes.

“Thanks. I’m going to head down and walk the course, then I’ll be back to get ready. I’m 21st on the order, so I’ll have plenty of time to warm Q up and calm my nerves.” Benji made a quick stop in the tack room as he spoke to Zoe, grabbing his copy of the course that he had drawn up to help him memorize, before turning back and heading to the main arena.

~~~

Zoe knew that she was putting a lot on her own plate by coming to Tokyo with Benji. She knew the people that would also be attending the Olympics, and she knew damn well that Benji wouldn’t stand a chance if something were to go wrong in the warmup without Alicia or Ashton here to help. So she did the most logical thing in her mind, the thing she had done for herself a handful of times before.

She walked up to the stalls that were kept clean and proper, putting out a hand to pat Hyde as she walked past the stud who seemed upset that she didn’t have Frankie trailing along behind her. She made her way into the Hawthorn Hill tack room, where she found Lance zipping up his tall boots.

“... Didn’t expect to see you here. Are you still pushing your luck with that deadly creature?” Lance turned towards her as he spoke, making his way back out of the tack room and towards Hyde’s door.

“He’s not deadly, he’s just… unique. And no, I’m not the one putting my life on the line tonight. That’s actually why I’m over here. Benji’s got my other RPW stud here and I was wondering, if he gets into any trouble in the warmup--”

“No.” Short, sweet, and to the point, Lance erased any questioning that something had gone on between him and Banji in Zoe’s brain.

“... no? Why not? Q isn’t Jack, he’d probably just need to be told to hold his reins and kick the horse, but I can’t be the one to say it.” Zoe followed behind Lance, watching as he ran a quick brush over his already-groomed horse.

“No, because first of all, I have priorities higher than helping a helpless kid, and second of all, if I say anything to him he will break down in tears, no matter the context. So no, not for all the money in the world or for my closest friends will I stand out there and coach that kid.” Lance’s face was dead-serious when he looked back at Zoe, motioning for her to hand him the tail brush that was resting on the ledge in front of her. She handed him the brush as she nodded, not fully understanding the situation she had somehow placed herself in the middle of, but she wasn’t one to press.

Making her way back to Q’s stall, she just prayed that he was well behaved tonight so Benji could stand some sort of chance against his competition.

~~~

Walking down to the warmup, Q carried his head low, content to go wherever Benji pointed him. He had been looking at the RPW breed for a while, having a handful of them around the stableyard at Amallium and watching many perform at the shows he attended. He was slowly setting money aside to purchase his own horse for competition, something taller than 14.3hh. He was looking for something similar to Q, quiet and reliable, yet athletic enough to carry him around a course of grand-prix fences.

“Fancy seeing you here, on a horse of all places,” A familiar voice sounded from beside him, a hint of teasing behind it. “So much for being ‘no grand-prix rider’, huh?”

Looking down towards the voice, Benji was met with brunette hair and brown-green eyes of Oliver. A smile quickly found its way onto his face.

    “Hey!! Yea, I didn’t really intend on being a grand-prix person, but here I am. Someone’s gotta represent my boss’s stables.” He brought Q to a halt as they came up to the entrance of the warmup ring. He could see a blur of horses cantering and jumping, preparing to go out into the main arena, where they would have to endure the steady rainfall that had been getting progressively heavier as time ticked onward.

“Well, I’ll be sure to keep my camera ready when you head in, maybe get a few candids while I wait. And before I head off, one last thing..” Grabbing onto the collar of Benji’s jacket, he pulled him down and met him halfway in a quick kiss. “Good luck!”

As Oliver walked away, a haze settled over Benji’s thoughts. He urged the stallion underneath him to walk into the bustling warmup, working his way through an easy school around, and before long he was being called to the main arena. His eyes caught a glimpse of Lance in passing as he made his way down, and he could truthfully say that there was no reaction. Lance held nothing over him anymore, not when someone was giving Benji the attention he rightfully deserved.

Walking into the main arena, Benji only had visions of a successful round and celebration afterwards coursing through his mind. He was actually looking forward to the afterparty, the part he usually dreaded the most.

    Maybe he’d stick around Oliver, and see what may come of it.