She liked horses well enough, unlike her youngest brother, and she was glad she did. Mica’s life had become very unpleasant after he mustered enough courage to tell their mother and father that he couldn't tolerate helping in the stable any more, never mind with the blacksmithing, where even otherwise gentle horses could become nightmares. She was glad that she liked horses, so that her family wouldn't go through the shouting and the weeping, the accusations and the blame, the demands that had made it so unpleasant to go home for the last six months that she'd wound up escaping to the stables more and more. That, of course, only made it worse in some ways, because then she became the excuse that they pointed to for Mica. Your sister, half your size (even if older), look at her! She likes the horses so much that she goes out even when she doesn't need to. It was on one of those unnecessary trips, though, that she saw the shining horsebeast. They lived in a not well traveled town internationally, though those from smaller towns often visited.


Inspiration: "Climbing High" by Daniel Merriam
Story potential: Low
Notes: And she decides that she earnestly decides to join with a horsebeast--some sort of creepy symbiosis? The houses on their backs are a human-trap? Who knows!

The string was in his pocket when he got the call to flee for his life. He touched his fingers to the smooth surface of the collapsed space ball, and thanked his lucky stars that he was able to take the bulk of his assets with him. He'd been on his way to see an owner, and owners liked seeing what they were getting, so he tended to bring along the ball to give them a little view of his property. He had only his own horses in the stables right now; some owners were paranoid about letting others see what they were bringing up for the upcoming races. He wasn't even stealing property. He could pick some out-of-the-way planet to hide out on, and in time, he could--

Inspiration: "string"
Story Potential: High?
Notes: It's an interestingly different set-up, I think. Hmm. Ends up on a planet with some sort of nomads-with-amazing-horses or some such? Maybe it's not so interesting. Le shrug.