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This is a private RP for ArashiX (Teepee) and Cajmera (Teepee).
Please do not post without permission. <3

Saffron took in, and let out, a deep breath as she stood on a small rise, surveying the spreading sands of the beach. It was a gorgeous sight on a gorgeous day, the sand sparkling in the sun like a million diamonds. It was a lovely sight, and she wanted to take a moment to appreciate it. But it was only a moment; with a wild, enthusiastic "WHOOP!" the mare charged down the rise into the sand, racing across the beach in a wild flurry of sand.

She was a wind, of course; one only had to look at her to see the wings held tightly against her sides. But she had always loved to run, to feel the ground underfoot, to be close enough to see and smell and touch the world around her. Wings were great for traveling long distances, and occasionally for having a bit of good-natured, heart-rate lifting fun. But when it came to truly enjoying a place, she wanted it to be via solid physical contact.

So she ran, crowing out her enthusiasm and delight with wild abandon. This was living; this was enjoying life. Not holing up in a cave, seeing the same things and the same people day after day. This was the way things were meant to be.

Having run herself breathless, she laughed and fell over into the sand. What a great day to be alive!

Saffron had never been one to worry about things like poise, or dignity. Having grown up with parents who were loving but overprotective to the nth degree, she had embraced the freedom of adulthood with both hooves and indulged herself in numerous things which had been denied to her in childhood. Things like traveling; seeing the world from the heights of the mountains, or enjoying the feeling of warm sand under her hooves.

Or, as in at the moment, under her back.

She was quite comfortable, taking advantage of the warm sand to rest and get her breath back after her run. She wasn't really thinking about anything in particular, not focused on anything in particular, just enjoying the sensation of being alive. So it there was nothing for the dark stallion to intrude on when he ambled over.

"Fine, fine. Just getting my breath back is all. Are you ok? That was a pretty loud huff just then." She raised an eyebrow at the stallion, completely unbothered by his presence, or the fact that he was standing while she was down, or anything else. What was there to be bothered by, anyway? It was a free beach.

Saffron couldn’t resist the impulse to c**k an eyebrow at the stallion. She wasn’t sure why, but he seemed awfully skittish and…overly apologetic. Well, overly considerate anyway; in her mind, they were the same thing. She wasn’t used to being apologized to, particularly when there was nothing to apologize for. She had no idea what thoughts were running through his mind, but so far she was feeling he was a very odd fellow.

Still, she wasn’t going to stomp on another’s need to apologize, as weird as it may be. So with a quick flip, she bounced up to her feet and tossed her braid back over her shoulder. “Well, thanks for your concern, I guess, and don’t worry about it. All I’m doing is enjoying a nice day at the beach, no real plans or anything.” She shrugged her shoulders in a no-nonsense way, then flashed the stallion a grin. “Glad you didn’t hurt yourself while checking if I was hurt; that would have been the source of a cosmic snort of laughter, I think. And I’m crap when it comes to healing or comfort of any sort.”

Saffron’s conversational style was a bit terse and forceful, but that had always been her way. Ever since she was a child, she had failed in the ‘feminine’ department; she didn’t know how to giggle and toss her mane, or bat her eyelashes, or anything like that. She’d never been coy, never been flirty; what she was, and always had been, was direct and to the point. Never once had she considered the fact that such direction could be considered rude!

It was debatable just what Saffron’s ego might have felt if she knew she was remarkable in being the first mare to NOT be an attraction to Alis. On the one hoof, she had never courted the attention of any stallion, and she would be quick to clout any that she felt was getting too ‘fresh.’ Still, no mare liked to think she was unattractive, even if she wasn’t trying to allure. So it was just as well that they weren’t having that conversation; keeping the topic simple, straightforward, and innocuous meant there were no feathers to ruffle!

For her own part, she thought Alis seemed a nice enough fellow, over-eager apologies aside. At least he didn’t seem to be the type to take offense at everything; she hated Soquili like that. As though she and the rest of the world didn’t have enough to do without figuring out how to sugarcoat their words! Honestly, people could be so touchy…

But that was neither here nor there. He was having a chuckle at himself; for that, she approved. He might be a bit…fancy when it came to his looks, but if he could laugh at himself then he couldn’t be a bad fellow. So she laughed, the expression softening the sharp edges in her face just a little bit. “I like you, Stallion; it’s a sensible Soquili who knows their own weaknesses and can admit them. If only we could all be so sensible.” So saying, she stuck out her wing in greeting; in her family, they had always touched wingtips as a ‘hello.’ “I’m Saffron. Also not worrying about paying attention, though my unobservant-rescue skills seem less well-developed than yours.”

"Hrm...well, I guess there's something in what you were taught, but I'd say you might want to rein it in a little. Though this is a good place we're at now; no more apologizing." Chuckling, Saffron withdrew her extended wing and folded it back along her side, flipping back the scruffy braid of black hair that hung down beside her face. "It's always tough being around Soquili who take themselves or whatever too seriously, and it's extra hard to respect them."

Tact had never been Saffron's strong suit, and it didn't once occur to her that what she was saying might be construed as rude or obnoxious. Honesty had always been her policy, although her mouth might benefit from a thought-filter once in a while!

"But I think we'll get along just fine, Alis, and while I might object to some company, you can feel free to hang out as long as you'd like! Nothing says 'day at the beach' like taking it easy with strangers who might later become friends, right?" She managed to rattle that off with a straight face, then she burst out laughing once again. "Seriously, I have no idea what you're supposed to do at a beach, but you're welcome to help me figure it out?"

Yep, Saffron approved of Alis. He might have been a bit stodgy at first, but he was proving dexterous at rolling with the metaphorical punches. Any Soquili she spent any time with had to be able to handle...well, handle her, which meant handling anything; Saffron had always been a bit mercurial when it came to social interaction, easily getting bored or frustrated with her conversation partners. And, if she were being honest, scaring off a few at the same time. She might not realize she was often brash and tactless, but she didn't have to be a genius to know that sometimes, her social interactions ended very abruptly.

But so far, Alis was passing the test!

"Valid point, Alis; there's no way anyone is going to enjoy a place even as pretty and different as the beach if they're trying to force themselves to fit into a mold. If your idea of proper beach activity is yelling war whoops and skipping over crabs, then why not try it, right?" Chuckling, she followed Alis over to the edge of the water, going past him and wading into the water up to her knees. "Chilly!"