Xena glared at me from across the back of her horse. “Don’t try to placate me, Gabrielle.”
“It’s why you have me.”
“I don’t ‘have’ you. I just can’t get rid of you.”
“No,” I agreed. “You can’t.”
It’s pretty nifty to know that this is so aligned with both QAF canon and Xena canon.
I first heard about Xena when I was in high school, leasing a horse down the road at another barn. She’d just moved here from California, and they said she’d been a horse trainer for the movies.
The phrase “horse trainer for the movies” reminds me of the sophisticated, glam aspect of Brian, his control over things, and his professional success.
…Just as I crested the hill, I saw her, a tall woman on a palomino mare. She had long dark hair in a braid down her back, bangs cut straight across her forehead, high cheekbones, and blazing blue eyes under sweeping brows. I was sixteen years old and I honestly thought I’d just seen the most beautiful human being ever born.
Good description--it's easier for me to get drawn into crossovers with unfamiliar shows when an author gives me a very clear sketch of the major characters. I already knew what Xena looks like, but this helped a lot.
The woman rode right up to where I stood staring, and glared down at me. “Are you lost?”
In my mind: “Where you headed?” :-)
I shook my head, still feeling a little breathless. Her denim shirt had three buttons undone and she had a little tan vee where it pulled away when her mare tossed her head. “I’m sorry, I board my horse at the Landry’s over on Kettleman, and people said you were doing a state of the art facility here, and I wanted to take a look. I didn’t mean to intrude.”
The good manners.
“She’s beautiful. And amazingly well-trained. Will you be taking students personally?”
“Maybe.” And then she left. I rode my bike home, and swore I’d go back. And I did.
The determination.
Justin’s POV
We pulled into the parking area of the stable. We’d taken my Land Rover, because the Corvette was allergic to horses.
LOL!
“Oh!” Gabrielle’s face lit up as a tall woman with long, dark hair and blue eyes joined us. She was almost as tall as Brian.
I assumed Xena was tall. Makes sense.
Xena ignored the introductions and crouched down in front of Gus and smiled at him. “Hey, Gus. Want to meet my horse?”
Xena focuses on Gus. Love it.
“Xena can have that effect on people. They’ll just follow her anywhere.”
I was standing next to Mel, who snorted and said to me so quietly no one else could hear, “Yeah, and she should know.” I quirked an eyebrow at her. “Please. Every time she mentions Xena she gets this ‘oh my god I love you, you’re perfect’ look on her face. I recognize it because you spent the first year I knew you wearing it.”
Mel raises a valid point.
“I did not.” I was totally more in control of my face than that back then. Mel just looked at me pityingly.
However, I can’t picture Mel with the look of pity. I can vaguely imagine it, though, and it’s sorta funny.
Gus was being led all over the pasture with his hand tucked into Xena’s. She was so tall she had to stoop down to lead him, but she didn’t seem to mind.
That is—dare I say it—cute.
I was surprised. “That’s the one, how did you know?”
She gave me a friendly look. “I grew up about half a mile from there. I was friends with one of their daughters in grade school.”
Ok, this is when I wish I knew more Xena canon, because I think maybe this point is significant, I just don’t know what it relates to. That’s ok—I’ll figure things out as the fic reveals them.
rambly feedback, part 4
Xena glared at me from across the back of her horse. “Don’t try to placate me, Gabrielle.”
“It’s why you have me.”
“I don’t ‘have’ you. I just can’t get rid of you.”
“No,” I agreed. “You can’t.”
It’s pretty nifty to know that this is so aligned with both QAF canon and Xena canon.
I first heard about Xena when I was in high school, leasing a horse down the road at another barn. She’d just moved here from California, and they said she’d been a horse trainer for the movies.
The phrase “horse trainer for the movies” reminds me of the sophisticated, glam aspect of Brian, his control over things, and his professional success.
…Just as I crested the hill, I saw her, a tall woman on a palomino mare. She had long dark hair in a braid down her back, bangs cut straight across her forehead, high cheekbones, and blazing blue eyes under sweeping brows. I was sixteen years old and I honestly thought I’d just seen the most beautiful human being ever born.
Good description--it's easier for me to get drawn into crossovers with unfamiliar shows when an author gives me a very clear sketch of the major characters. I already knew what Xena looks like, but this helped a lot.
The woman rode right up to where I stood staring, and glared down at me. “Are you lost?”
In my mind: “Where you headed?” :-)
I shook my head, still feeling a little breathless. Her denim shirt had three buttons undone and she had a little tan vee where it pulled away when her mare tossed her head. “I’m sorry, I board my horse at the Landry’s over on Kettleman, and people said you were doing a state of the art facility here, and I wanted to take a look. I didn’t mean to intrude.”
The good manners.
“She’s beautiful. And amazingly well-trained. Will you be taking students personally?”
“Maybe.” And then she left. I rode my bike home, and swore I’d go back. And I did.
The determination.
Justin’s POV
We pulled into the parking area of the stable. We’d taken my Land Rover, because the Corvette
was allergic to horses.
LOL!
“Oh!” Gabrielle’s face lit up as a tall woman with long, dark hair and blue eyes joined us. She was almost as tall as Brian.
I assumed Xena was tall. Makes sense.
Xena ignored the introductions and crouched down in front of Gus and smiled at him. “Hey, Gus. Want to meet my horse?”
Xena focuses on Gus. Love it.
“Xena can have that effect on people. They’ll just follow her anywhere.”
I was standing next to Mel, who snorted and said to me so quietly no one else could hear, “Yeah, and she should know.” I quirked an eyebrow at her. “Please. Every time she mentions Xena she gets this ‘oh my god I love you, you’re perfect’ look on her face. I recognize it because you spent the first year I knew you wearing it.”
Mel raises a valid point.
“I did not.” I was totally more in control of my face than that back then. Mel just looked at me pityingly.
However, I can’t picture Mel with the look of pity. I can vaguely imagine it, though, and it’s sorta funny.
Gus was being led all over the pasture with his hand tucked into Xena’s. She was so tall she had to stoop down to lead him, but she didn’t seem to mind.
That is—dare I say it—cute.
I was surprised. “That’s the one, how did you know?”
She gave me a friendly look. “I grew up about half a mile from there. I was friends with one of their daughters in grade school.”
Ok, this is when I wish I knew more Xena canon, because I think maybe this point is significant, I just don’t know what it relates to. That’s ok—I’ll figure things out as the fic reveals them.