#atkh

Just wanted to give you all an update. I had a bit of an unhinged break down to do with my own MH and someone I bumped into then a few days ago my dad had a stroke sooooo it's been shit.

I can't tell you how much I appreciate all your messages, they mean so much to me, so thank you for your kindness and patience, you guys are literally the best.

ATKH Post Thanksgiving Blurb

George winced, and forced himself to smile for the parents watching from the viewing deck. He was teaching a lesson in the front ring, while Matty rode and Jamie taught in the back. He could hear Jamie yelling, and the scuffling of hooves as a horse clearly scrambled. He turned his attention back to Adeline and her pony, wincing again when he heard Jamie shouting for Matty to get on. He hoped that Adeline’s parents weren’t listening too closely to what Jamie was shouting. 

I swear to god Dora, either stop throwing your body, or I will ... I guess I’ll just DIE!

George closed his eyes and turned away from the viewing deck, letting his smile drop. He wasn’t sure if being in the back ring with everyone would be better or worse for his blood pressure. Probably worse— he was sure that Jamie would be shouting for him to get on horses as well. 

It was the day after Thanksgiving, and all of the horses were fresh. Normally, they wouldn’t try to jump school them after a day off, especially as the weather turned cooler and everyone started feeling frisky, but with them scheduled to leave for Thermal on Sunday, they didn’t have a choice. 

“Good job Adeline!” George called, working to keep his tone upbeat and positive. Usually, Polly worked with the pony kids these days, but with her out of town for the holidays, George and Matty were splitting her usual load. Matty had worked with the kids all morning, and now it was George’s turn. Billie and Phoebe had been extremely pleasant in the back ring this morning, George wasn’t entirely sure how things had devolved so quickly. Ross had gone back with a lunge line nearly an hour ago and had yet to return. 

He took a deep breath. Just a few more hours he thought grimly, they just needed to make it a few more hours. 

“Okay Addy,” called George to be heard across the ring and over whatever carnage was happening in the other ring, “I want you to pick up the left lead canter and I want you to get all the way into the corner like we talked about, and get super, super square to the pink jump, then, you’re going to be super straight on the backside then when you get to the rail you’re going to turn right, a big corner, and canter the jump with the flowers then halt  straight alright?” 

Adeline nodded and George said a silent prayer to a god he didn’t believe in as she picked up the canter. 

Please be straight so we can be done, George thought almost hysterically, he had forgotten how trying the younger kids could be to teach. 

“Nice job!” said he called as Adaline jumped the first jump. She might not have been perfectly straight and center, but it was the best he had seen from her all afternoon. “Don’t change your canter, just stay nice and steady through the turn!” 

Of course, George had barely gotten the words out and Adeline spurred Frostie. The pony bucked and next thing George knew he had a sobbing seven year old sitting in the dirt and a small pony, that there was absolutely no way he would be able to get on to school, running around the arena in celebration of his newfound freedom. 

He just sighed, thinking of the beer he had stashed in Matty’s fridge that morning. He was looking forward to having one more than what was probably considered healthy. 

*

“We survived,” said Matty, throwing himself down onto the small couch in his barn apartment. George had let himself in earlier, and he wasn’t hiding regardless of what Waughy might have teased him about when he had been caught sneaking in. 

“Barely,” George said, reaching over the small coffee table to hand Matty that glass of wine he had proactively poured him. 

“Adaline got bucked off Frostie,” George said after a moment as Matty accepted the wine glass and took a large swallow, some of the tension now leaving his body. He hadn’t even bothered to take his boots off, still wearing them and his spurs, his legs splayed out in front of him. He had lost the baseball cap he had started the day in hours ago, leaving his curls hanging sweaty and damp around his face. George was pretty sure he had seen it hanging in a tree in the front ring. 

Matty winced. “Dora fell off Keke and I thought that Jamie was going to have an aneurysm, then I got on Whisper, because she was fucking wild and Bonnie was doing fuck all about it, and then Bonnie got back on so I could ride Diego, but then Jamie fucking got on her because Bonnie was still doing fuck all and he wanted to make a point.” 

George winced, Jamie hardly rode anymore, between the rod in his back and his knee, and if he was getting on Whisper of all horses, he must have been pissed off enough to be really looking to make a point. 

“Billie was really good this morning though?” George said, the words coming out like more of a question. 

Matty nodded, taking another large gulp of his wine. “Yeah, that’s what Jamie said, that she and Ava are the only two he didn’t want to murder today.” 

“Well, the good news is we get to do it all again tomorrow?” George said and Matty groaned. 

“I’m lunging all of them in the dark tomorrow morning, I can’t do this again,” Matty whined, “I rode fourteen horses today, fourteen horses, I’m not even going to be able to walk tomorrow.” 

George grimaced, the nine he had ridden that day very much paling in comparison. 

“I’ll come help you,” George promised, anything to avoid another repeat of today.

Type: Oneshot

Word Count: 1978

Author Note: I finally finished this after announcing I was going on a writing break.... well. Please, please, PLEASE give me some feedback because I need to know if I should keep with the break or not - I basically just need some reassurance because things are so quiet lately... Enjoy lovelies, hopefully this shines a new light on King’s actions throughout JK !!

Things in N.City had been quiet for some time now - at least for you that is. God knows the rest of the city had fallen into shambles, but for the most part people knew that King was the boss. The main guy. The big kahuna. Sure everyone else was at each other’s throats all the time, but nobody dared mess with King. He was a living legend in the city and people knew better than to try and challenge that. So, you’d all allowed yourselves to get comfortable in the silence.

King had grown comfortable with his makeshift family; you were all his children and he cared for each of you more deeply than anyone would ever know - or that he’d ever let them know. He knew you all like the back of his hand, which is why he noticed almost immediately when something was off between Rikky and Johnny.

Hey darling,

I'm okay thank you, doing alright now! So I'm aiming to have it up tomorrow night

So, I told myself (and you all) I probably wasn't going to write anything else in the ATKH 'verse unless it was maybe some kind of prequel one day. I have however, had this idea rolling around in my brain for the last few months and after getting this ask I said fuck it. It might not be one of the October Prompts, but it's technically a request / prompt fill? IDK it's short but it's here, so enjoy a little peek into the future lives of Equestrian / Horse Boy Fictional!Matty and Fictional!George from the All the King's Horses universe. I'm sorry it's short!

---

July 2028.

George could practically feel the anxiety radiating off of Matty as he walked Sally from the warm up ring to the arena. He had warmed up well, both he and Sally forward and seemingly confident. It had been a surprise to see just how visibly nervous he was when they began the trek from the warm up to the arena, Matty nearly trembling in his show coat. 

George was a few paces behind him, letting him have a moment to converse with Jamie, likely going over the final plan for the course. Ross was off to the side as well, ready to wipe Sally’s nose and shine Matty’s boots one last time before he entered the ring. George swallowed hard. He couldn’t believe that they were here, he couldn’t believe he had made it. But at the same time, they had, and Matty had worked hard for it, and George knew he deserved it. 

“Hey,” said Jamie, gesturing for George to come closer, reaching out for the water bottle that George was holding so he could give it to Matty. He nodded in thanks, handing the dented yellow hydro flask up to him. Matty smiled, accepting it with a small thanks as Jamie held onto Sally’s bridle.  

“Good luck,” said George, Sally was pawing at footing in the ingate, clearly annoyed she was being forced to stand quietly, “and have fun.”

“Thanks,” said Matty, his voice small, rough with nervousness, like the word had gotten stuck in his throat, and he had struggled to dislodge it. He took another sip from his water bottle and handed it back down to Jamie who gave Sally a pat on the neck. 

Lana exited the ring, flashing George and Matty a smile as her grooms rushed forward to clip a lead rope onto Norman’s bridle, the stallion prancing as he made his way down the aisle. 

“Time to go,” said Jamie, giving Sally one last pat. Matty nodded, swallowing hard, as he shortened his reins and trotted into the arena, leaving Jamie and George behind at the ingate. THe crowd cheered, Matty and his comeback story becoming something of a fan favorite within the equestrian community, his tarnished reputation shined and Sally earning her own fanclub. 

They had shown in Temecula more times than George could count, they had shown in every ring at Galway Downs. Matty had shown more classes in this ring in particular than George even wanted to try and recall. But he knew that it was different this time, a red and blue coat on Matty’s shoulders, an American flag on his saddle pad and Sally’s bonnet. The expectation of a nation weighing him down as he faced off against the five Olympic rings. 

Hey my darling,

L I S T E N

I'd never heard this song so I looked up the lyrics and 100% it fits soooo well! I love it!

Ngl I had Taylor Swifts The Prophecy on repeat for a lot of this (also Down Bad)

Update tonite queen?

Update tonite???

Yes!