#checkered notes

[checkeredflagggs]

Other Places to Find me!

As always seems to be the case, there’s a new scare about tumblr going down. I fully believe this site will out live us by far but just in case I do have a few back up social sites — I encourage you to make an account for at least one of these sites and try to find the tumblr refugees there BEFORE anything happens here

Bluesky — checkeredflagggs.bsky.social

Pillowfort — checkeredflagggs

Dreamwidth — checkeredflagggs

I’m not sure how active I’ll be on those sites but I’ll be there!

I’m also on AO3 as Checkeredflagggs — it’ll be slow going but I am going to move all of my works over there too.

I’m also on discord in f1 themed server hosted by @/sinofwriting.

[checkeredflagggs]

Awww thank you babe! It’s been fun interacting with you 💙

@sinofwriting and @ice-man-goes-bwoah it’s been great getting to know you guys!

[fidgetspringer-art]

Equestrian AU part 1.

"Martin!" Casey jogs up to him. He doesn't bother replying, just keeps adjusting Achilles' tack, making sure everything is looking how it should.

Casey continues unprompted, just how he'd expected. Never one to be put off by his silence. "Got a new potential client for ya. Figured since we're sending two horses back home next week we'll have room for one more, just wanted to check in with you before agreening to take them on."

Welp, there goes his plan of taking it easy for a while. He's been dealing with more pain than he's used to recently and it's been wearing on him. He's been looking forward to lowering his workload for a while now. He figures he might as well say as much. "Wasn't going to take on any new ones for a while. Got plenty as is."

"You've got four." Casey deadpans. "Soon to be two. You can handle another. And besides, those last two won't need to stay long anyway. With them finished up you can focus on just the one. Take it easy for a while."

He turns away so she can't see him roll his eyes. "I'll consider it."

"Trust me. You don't want to turn this one away."

"How so?"

"Ever heard the name Noah Powell?"

"No."

She scoffs at that. "Of course you haven't, you hermit. He's been getting a lot of attenion the last few years. Does eventing at a high level and is damn good at it too. Wins just about everything he signs up for."

The name still doesn't ring a bell. Nevermind that Martin barely even knows what 'eventing' is. He doesn't keep up with sports. "Why's he need my help, then. If he's so good at it?"

"Because," Casey leans in. "He lost his best horse last year. The one that took him up the ladder. Freak accident at home apparently." She gives Achilles a pat. "Got himself a promising young mare out of quality lines, was supposed to be the horse of a lifetime. They were doing well for a while, coming up the classes how you'd expect with a young horse like that. But the last few times he's entered they haven't made it a quarter of the way down the track before having to retire."

Martin is trying not to let on how he's actively listening now.

"His mare throws these tantrums. Stops dead in her tracks or turns into a proper bronc. Not even gonna mention their dressage." She cringes. "He's been out of competitions for a while now, almost a year. Got thrown pretty bad at the last one, dislocated his shoulder and hit his head real hard. He's been radio silent since. Until now. Just got a call from his groom."

Martin doesn't really know what to make of all of that. "And he wants me to fix his horse?" He finds that very hard to believe.

Casey wobbles her hand. "Well, not exactly. His groom is a fan of yours apparently. Says he's heard a lot of good things from friends and the like. He's the one who wants you on the case. Apparently you're their hail Mary. Says that if you can't fix her, no one can."

High praise. Too high. "I'm not a miracle worker." He huffs. "I don't know this mare. I can't guarantee shit."

"And they know that. They just want to give her one more chance. Figured you're the best man for it."

Martin picks up Achilles' reins and hauls himself up into the saddle. Christ he needs a smaller horse. Something that isn't wide as a barn door and tall as a fucking toolshed.

"You willing to take them on, or what?" Casey badgers on, poking his thigh.

He sighs, resting forwards with his arms across the saddle horn. He could turn it down. It's his choice, after all. But he knows as much as Casey does that he needs the money. And while he's got a fairly steady supply of clients, someone with those kinds of connections could set him up with a few new ones of his own, if he does a good job that is.

Best bite the bullet on this one, no matter how badly he wants to turn it down. He can't really afford to. "Fine. Book him in from next week. After those two colts have gone home."

"Good man, Martin. I'll call Gabriel back to let him know."

Martin wordlessly steers Achilles down across the length of the farm towards the path that will take him on a loop around the property.

The two young colts he's spent the last few weeks working with both whinny and come trotting up to the fence as soon as they spot him. They follow him the full length of the fence line, kicking and bucking and acting like the teenagers they are. Martin watches them bounce around the field, play fighting as if showing off in front of Achilles, who doesn't so much as lift his head up to look at them, just keeps ambling along, enjoying the sun on his back.

Martin closes his eyes and tips his head back, letting the warm rays hit his face. It's in moments like these that he truly appreciates this life he's carved out for himself. It hasn't always been easy, and it still isn't. But he's been lucky, and he's got passionate people there to help support him, to encourage him to keep going when he's tempted to quit.

Ten years he's been running this business now. Taking on problem horses and trying his best to help them through whatever it is that's haunting them. It's rewarding work, most of the time, even if it means dealing with people more than he'd like.

If it was up to him he'd never talk to another human soul ever again, aside from those he holds dear. But unfortunately for him, an important part of setting a horse to right is to educate the owner on how to do so as well. So that all his hard work won't go to waste as soon as the horse is returned to them.

It's his least favorite part of the job. Having to deal with assholes who think they know better than him. Forgetting why they've come to him for help in the first place. Other times they're nice enough, but some people just don't have a knack for training horses, in a way that makes explaining the process to them a pain in the ass.

Most times, it's the owner that's the problem. And just fixing the horse isn't going to solve that.

Martin blinks his eyes back open when Achilles turns right at the end of the path, striding onto a part of it that's less of a gravel road, and more of a deer track through tall grass. This part of the property line is only ever accessed by horseback, and Martin hasn't ever felt the need to change that. He halts Achilles a little ways down the trail, near a few clusters of stubby trees.

The farmhouse is visible in the distance, set atop a small hill that lets it look out on its surroundings. He can't see the barn from here, nor the cabins that sometimes house clients during seminars and the occasional youth camp put on by Casey. But the farmhouse's windows gleam where they catch the early morning sunlight.

It's quiet out here. Just the hushed whispering of the tall grass against Achilles' sides. And the clinking of his bit as he chews a handful of straws.

Martin urges the gelding onwards. Best finish up and get back to work. Before Casey catches him slacking off out here. He's got colts to work, if he wants to get them sent home before his new client arrives.

[themissingmango]

Celebrating the release of Drive to Survive S7 with some memorable moments + favorite quotes! 🏁🏎️💨

[celestialbruise]

despite L insisting everyone - especially Light - call him Ryuzaki, Light would always call him L when they were alone together because he's petty but in a very passive-aggressive way. but L's playing a reverse psychology game and actually giggled to himself every time Light would call him L because Light was unknowingly calling L by his real name, the name he so desperately wanted.

[bleakfated]

meme call !! like for ten(ish) memes from these boneheads for ✨ variety ✨ while i try to get into a more steady rhythm of things with all my blogs

delete the ones you don’t fuck with and also feel free to specify a smaller number! also specify muse(s) on both sides or fill out my interest checker so i’m not sending you anyone you aren’t interested in! otherwise it will be random

[wombrion]

HEY who is that feller you did in post 719868046861385728 I need to know everything I possibly can about them Immediately that's such a compelling and amazing piece

yeag shes an oc of mine:) i know nothing of her other that shes a failgirl and experiencing some dantes inferno shit (gets dragged around by dubious being ((other oc)) on a fucked up realm)

i dont know much abt the whole universe i want them to be in but the main theme is that they live in a giant being that is currently dying of starvation, and theyre trying to escape it before it dies and rots up lol

heres some more art i did, shes pretty fun to draw^_^

[checkeredflagggs]

A pole purely for my own sake

Fatherhood looks good on you

And is there a particular reason it was your favorite? Favorite driver, better written, better plot…?

[kokichaai]

I DIDN’T MEAN TO BLACKWASH ANYONE ON THEERE !! but i didn’t have white back to school here i come more stylish the ever (no pride)

[lsunstreakerl]

here U go! The collection of birds grows

REPRESENTATION FOR MY COMMAS

@ahappycrow idk if you wear glasses or not but you do now!

[elliesbelle]

Hi Bellie, I wanna donate to palestinians and I’m not sure where to start? I don’t have much but I wanna help in some way and I’ve been seeing you nd a lot of people teblogging posts with links, but I’m not sure which ones to trust?

hi lovely, so i definitely understand your confusion, no worries. there are a LOT of fishy links going around out there, so pleaseeee research first before you donate.

i’d suggest either buying an e-sim or donating to care for gaza. care for gaza is amazing cause they’re non-profit AND have been proven to actually be providing aid to palestinian families. you can check out their instagram page or donate to the paypal link they provide (they have a gofundme as well, but they aren’t accepting donations through their at the moment to my knowledge). the buying an e-sim route was confusing for me for a second, but they thankfully do provide a step-by-step process on their website!

[beneathsilverstars]

this is my having fun enjoying ramen on a lunch date with my wife face 😊 i look like i'm about to slaughter a sadness

[birinboom]

🫂🧠🫀💿🌵💧🕰️♟️(not checkers...)🍁🐚

🫂 - i wanna hug you 🧠- i love hearing you talk. you should ramble to me more often 🫀- i love you in a deeply concerning platonic way 💿- i wanna listen to music with you in a treehouse in a summer night 🌵- you could stab me and i wouldnt mind as long as its you 💧- you are an important presence in my life 🕰️- ill love you until the end of time, dear friend ♟️- you, me, board games. 🍁- im so glad you're my friend 🐚- our souls are linked in ways i cant put to words

... I know how to put it into words tho... it's soulma-- *gets shot*

Emoji ask game

[2pookie]

[magstorrn]

thinking again about gothenburg chess... wondering what on earth possessed anders glenmark to sing pity the child Like That

[motoroil-recs]

Hello!!! (.///.) Could I potentially get a moodboard for a non-canon Fairy-Type Pokemon Trainer fictive with neon / bright colors, dyed hair and maximalist fashion? Feel free to add more from there :) Tysm !!! Your blog is really nice :)))

Absolutely, my friend! Thank you so much for your kind words, this request was delightful to make! You may find it right here! I hope I did you justice!