[Baobabel]

Username: Baobabel
Show Name: A Gleam of Treasure
Barn Name: Gleam
Gender: Mare
Height: 13hh
Halter Color: Eye color/gold/shimmery
Prompt:
Gleam was feeling uncertain in her new home. She new it would take some time to being on land before but in the short time she'd been here she had already seen, heard, and smelled so many other animals in the distance. She'd been friends with horses before. Though all had been fellow sea trotters like herself. She didn't know if the other breeds and species would be similar or would they just find her strange? Despite the conditions, she actually hadn't minded the pirates too much. She had been living on her own for a while so didn't have a family to miss. That plus her boat had had some of the kinder ones and she enjoyed listened to their songs and tall tales. This new place was going to be an adjustment. What if the others didn't like her or she broke some unspoken rules or they thought she was a thieving pirate?

It was a little rocky at first for two main reasons. First, assuming no one would like her, she kept away for everyone. Second, the humans assumed she'd want quiet, time and space alone to adjust to the new place so they gave her her own space and kept the rest of the crew away.

But being alone only made things worse and Gleam fell into a slump. She realized how much she missed the noisy crew and the constant activity. And even if all the horses weren't happy about their predicament, they could still commiserate together and share stories of previous lives. Gleam actual had become treasured among the sea trotters for her fantastical stories that sucked the listeners in and made everyone forget where they were. She missed telling stories. Assuming the others weren't around because they didn't like her and missing the hustle and bustle of the ship her mood worsened and her coat dulled. Her new owners noticed her behavior change and after doing some thinking, they realized how foolish they had been. They took a horse surrounded by life and isolated her. They quickly switched tactics. Although they tried keeping the introductions small and slow at first, they quickly realized how much Gleam needed the company of others and how much the others loved her already!

Turns out, everyone had been not-so-patiently waiting to meet her! They were excited to finally trade sniffs and stories. Afterall, they had never met a pirate horse before! The young animals begged Gleam to tell them stories of life aboard the ship and at sea as well as her life before capture. The owners had never seen so smooth or quick of an integration. Everyone loved Gleam with her sweet and vibrant personality. And her storytelling! No one had met another who could weave a tale half as captivating as Gleam could. It quickly felt like she had been part of the crew her whole life. The days passed and Gleam grew joyful and animated again. Her eyes sparkled and her coat shone as never before. She knew she had found the greatest treasure of all. A loving family of all shapes and sizes (and a captivated audience who begging for stories all day long).

[♥ soft]

Username: Embergleam
Show Name: RRS Better Days
Barn Name: Eden
Gender: Mare
Height: 11.3 hh
Halter Color: Artist's choice
Prompt:
Given Eden's decidedly unhappy past, the inhabitants of Raven Ridge assumed she'd hate everything that wasn't another mer-trotter. With this in mind, they went to great lengths to prepare a safe and accommodating space for her. Her 'decompression pasture' was set up well away from the hustle and bustle of the main stable buildings. The windows of her stall were covered in drapes, the turnouts next to hers were emptied, and a white noise machine was set up to drown out any errant voices.

Imagine their surprise, then, when Eden marched off the trailer, whirled around, and promptly stuck her muzzle in the nearest human's hands.

The pirates hadn't so much as dented Eden's love for the world and everyone in it. If anything, they'd magnified it.

Within hours of her arrival Eden's stall more closely resembled an ark. One of the barn cats immediately took up residence beneath her manger. Swallows and mourning doves began nesting in the rafters, occasionally swooping down to steal beakfuls of Eden's grain. Elk- rare in the high desert, and near as tall as Eden herself- ghosted in and out of the brush at the far edges of her pasture, peering at the new arrival with bright and curious eyes. Even the stables' compliment of shepherds found excuses to linger around the mer-trotter's home, as enamored of her as she was of them.

Eden was visibly thrilled by all the company in her new home, and showered them with as much affection as they showed her. She scattered grain for the birds, stepped carefully over dogs and cats, moved slowly so as not to scare the elk who grazed alongside her. The humans of Raven Ridge became her friends, but the animals became her family.

Entirely without meaning to, they showed her that there was life and light on the far side of trauma.

congrats embergleam! c:
i loved your vivid description of how eden interacts with her new environment and her seamless integration into her new home. i'm glad that she could find her new family at raven ridge and that there is life and light on the far side of trauma ♥ i'm totally stealing that quote for my own life!

i'm awarding HMs to arcadia and archaeopteryx ♥
arcadia - i loved the twist of how drift found contentment in the hustle and bustle of your fundraiser, and her relationship with the sparrows was a sweet touch c:
archaeopteryx - when i wrote the prompt i was thinking of the other animals on the ship and hadn't considered the other horses! thankyou for the interesting perspective of how this affected pyrite's relationship with other animals, and her sweet spot for children

thankyou everyone for entering and making this competition a wonderful challenge to judge, as always c; and for your continued support for our events! hope you've had a good one x