|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 6:22 pm
Return the favor? Juan grinned. It seemed that a fellow prankster had literally stumbled into his little trick. That was always fun. Assuming, of course, that she was any good at it. He carefully moved to settle directly behind her before he spoke again. He could keep this little game up all day, but it wasn’t going to hold his interest for all day. Time for more choices. He could admit to being the cause of the trap, but that would be like tossing his dice before he had placed his bet. For all he knew, she was playing him. Nope, not going to do that. Then again, denying it was just as risky, if he got caught in the lie. He wasn’t sure how he could get caught, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t happen. Instead, he opted to give her the runaround. That was always more fun, anyway. “What if I did?”
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 6:24 pm
"If you did, then I'd know who I was up against," Amaya answered, lightly. "It's always best to know the face of your opponent. Or... y'know... voice."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 8:26 pm
Sinnamin picked her way through the forest, carrying a basket filled with various herbs and plants she had found along her walk. Most were plants that she was quite familiar with, but a few were new to her. She had picked them with the intention of identifying them. Provided they weren’t poisonous, she was going to see what kinds of tea they made. Identification was very important, she had learned that the hard way. Fortunately, no one had been hurt, and she had never made that mistake again. That didn’t deter her from trying new herbs in her teas, though. It was the bigger motivation behind her daily walks. She loved finding new flavors for her teas. When the sounds of voices caught her attention, she debated going around the speakers. Sinnamin wasn’t exactly anti-social, but she also didn’t need to surround herself with people. Her walk had been rather pleasant. On the other hand, it had been awhile since she had spoken to anyone. Perhaps these strangers would be interested in a spot of tea. The idea brought a smile to her face and she kept her course. If her path crossed with theirs, then she would interact. If not, then it was not meant to be.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 8:28 pm
Juan started to reply to the claim Amaya presented. He bit his lounge when he heard someone else wandering down the path. He hadn't anticipated two people coming across his little trap at the same time, though he realized he really should have.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 8:31 pm
When Sinnamin made her way around the bend in her path, she was greeted by a curious sight. A mare seemed to be standing in the middle of the path doing… nothing really. Sinnamin paused, wondering if perhaps the mare was waiting for something. Cautiously, she put the basket she carried down and said, in the friendliest tone she could manage, “Hello, there.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2015 8:39 am
Amaya managed, barely, not to jump at the sound of the new voice. She spun to face the strange mare and, for a split second considered the possibility that this was the one who had set the trap in the first place. She quickly dismissed that possibility, though. The voice she had associated with the creator of the trap was most definitely male, and had a bit of a purr to it. This mare had a very pleasant, very feminine voice. The dark mare smiled brightly. "Hello," she greeted.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2015 9:17 am
Sinnamin tried to give the other mare a smile that matched her friendly tone, though she wasn’t sure if she was pushing it. Sinnamin wasn’t the most socially adept mare around. She was tempted to keep chattering until the stranger started to respond, but was that really the most appropriate thing to do right now. Maybe that simple greeting wasn’t an invitation to engage in conversation, but rather a terse hint that the stranger wanted to be left alone. She could offer a comment about the weather, perhaps, and see if the stranger was willing to engage or if she just gave another short answer. But Sinnamin wasn’t really a big fan of small talk. It always struck her as more uncomfortable than a personal conversation. Just when the silence was starting to get awkward, Sinnamin decided not to push her luck. Keeping the smile in place, she continued on the path. She would just keep going as if her stroll hadn’t been interrupted. If the stranger wished to converse with her, then the other mare could be the one to instigate the interaction. Sinnamin made sure to seem as approachable as she possibly could, just in case the other mare was shy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2015 9:22 am
Juan settled into the bushes, waiting to see how this interaction played out. He wasn’t so much interested as curious. Within a few seconds, he had already pegged this new, orange mare as socially awkward and maybe a little shy. There was nothing wrong with that. Some of the best toys… er… companions… he had had over the years had been shy. It was often fun to pull them out of their shells. Assuming, of course, that they weren’t actually happy in their shells. Juan had experienced a few of those relationships as well. He didn’t really get it, but he wasn’t the type to push his views of the world on the unwilling. Why had him curious now was to see how these two, very obviously different personalities would mesh. If they meshed at all. The orange mare seemed quite content to just wander on her way. No doubt, she was leaving the choice to the black mare as to whether or not they actually talked. Which led to the other thing that had Juan curious. While the black mare had disturbed his trap, she hadn’t quite destroyed it altogether. Would this orange mare fall into it? Would she see it? Would the black mare warn her? What was going to happen next? His tail twitched with the curiosity bubbling over.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2015 9:25 am
Unaware of Juan’s anticipation, Amaya started to step aside so that the other mare could pass her, when her hoof kicked one of the acorns. “Ah, might want to be careful,” she cautioned, brightly. “There’s all sorts of stuff on this part of the path.” Normally, she wouldn’t have warned someone of an impending trick, but this stranger didn’t seem like the type that would really appreciate being the butt of a practical joke.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2015 9:27 am
Juan’s tail stopped drooping and his head dropped a bit. He just barely managed not to faceplant into the ground. Doing so would have been undignified, not to mention, it might have given away his position. So much for curiosity.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2015 9:28 am
“Oh, thank you!” Sinnamin said, gratefully. At least she was confident, now, that she hadn’t offended the stranger. She paid closer attention to where she placed her hooves and found, as she had been warned, that there were acorns scattered all across the path. Had the other mare not cautioned her, she most certainly would have fallen and had possibly hurt herself. What a kind stranger!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2015 9:28 am
Juan waited until the orange mare had disappeared around another bend before he spoke again. It had occurred to him to say something sooner rather, before she faded from sight. It might have been interesting to see her jump. But she didn’t quite strike him as the sort that would be fun to startle. Not that she seemed like the kind to retaliate, but rather that it would be like stepping on a bunny. Amusing for all of two seconds, then tedious. Besides, he wasn’t quite done with the black mare yet. Once he deemed it safe, he drawled, “Well, that was interesting.” He didn’t bother trying to mask the sarcasm in his voice. After all, what would be the point?
“Yes, it was,” Amaya chirped, either not noticing or choosing to ignore his sarcasm. “She seemed nice. Was she a friend of yours? Is that why you didn’t say anything while she was here? Or were you trying to make me look crazy?” She grinned a bit, impishly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2015 9:32 am
“Not a friend,” Juan replied. “Not an enemy. Not anything, really. I’ve never met her before.” Though, now that he thought about it, he did recall seeing her in these parts more than a few times. She was always wandering around, seeming happy in her own little world. She had that basket with her each time he had seen her before, also. Maybe she had some sort of garden or home nearby. He was relatively new to the area, so that was distinctly possible. He shook his head slightly and carefully moved to another location. On a whim, he returned to the same bush where he had been hiding when the black mare originally showed up. “Now… where were we?” he murmured, more to himself than to her. With that question asked, he eased his way to yet another bush.
Amaya continued to turn, trying to follow the voice. “I believe you were about to tell me all about your trap. And give me your name. That would make things more pleasant, don’t you think?” Idly, she kicked an acorn that was resting near her hoof. She was quickly beginning to think that this particular prankster was benign. That meant that she had a chance at making a new friend. That was always fun.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2016 10:19 am
“Are we making things pleasant now?” Juan asked, a mixture of curious and amused. The mare seemed to have decided he wasn’t a threat in a short period of time. No doubt it had something to do with the mare that had just left. Maybe she thought that he was a friendly imp due to the fact that he didn’t try to prank the orange mare. Or maybe something else was going on in her head. Who knew? A mare’s mind was uncharted territory, and he knew better than to try and figure out how one worked. He considered her proposal for a moment. Was there any harm in telling her his name? No, not really. Though she could use that to track him down later, and he hadn’t decided yet if he wanted her to know who he was. Nah, he decided. He’d keep his personal information to himself for the moment.
“Why not?” Amaya asked, unaware of what he was thinking. “I can appreciate a craftsman like yourself. My name is Amaya, by the way.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2016 10:26 am
That startled a laugh out of him. “Craftsman?” he repeated. “What about me, exactly, makes you call me a craftsman?” As predicted, he seemed to be having trouble following this mare, Amaya’s, jumps in logic and conversation. He was usually so good at following verbal twists and turns. There was no following the irrational, however.
“This trap, of course,” Amaya giggled. “I’m a dabbler in traps myself, remember? We’re a small circle, and those of us who are actually good at it are even fewer and farther between. It only makes sense that we should be on friendly terms.”
That… he couldn’t quite dispute. She was perhaps only the second or third soq he had met that seemed to find traps as amusing as he did. Though, he imagined her motives were different from his. Each person had their own reasons for doing anything, after all. Still… “You’re proposing a… partnership?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
