[Solo] A Juicy Treat || Shikoba, Rajiv, & Vanille

[DeeJaye]

This is a PRP between Shikoba, Rajiv, and Vanilla Cream Puff (Vanille).

 

[DeeJaye]

Shikoba frowned. He was getting increasingly irritated; he had met a mare awhile back and become friendly with her. Which he didn’t mind at all. While he kept to himself, he didn’t mind talking to others and opening up after all. What he had an issue with, however was… She was so clingy. He could not go anywhere without her wanting to tag along and follow him. She was like an eager dog following her master and he was not keen on filling the role. He was unsure what to tell her either; should he be straightforward and potentially upset her and ruin their odd friendship? Be an a** and tell her off and demand her to leave? Maybe sneak off when she wasn’t paying attention and see if she’d get the message? Or let her down easy… If that was even possible.

He furrowed his brows. He was surprised he was even to be able to get away from her for the past few hours. He was sure she was going to start looking for him some time ago. Ughhh, how do I get myself into this conundrum? he thought to himself, slowly pushing himself onto his hooves. His mind kept racing, preoccupied with his current situation. Shikoba didn’t find himself to be good at breaking down and understanding people’s intentions. He couldn’t decipher if she was just a clingy friend or… if she was possibly infatuated with him. He didn’t want to deal with that possibility either – he was not ready to sit her down and tell her to stop this odd young blossoming romance she was possibly building up in her eyes. He was not at all into that idea; perhaps if she had come into his life at a sooner time, when he himself was younger and more naïve, more eager to fall in love…

He shook her head and sighed. No point in thinking about some sort of possibilities, especially ones he would not entertain now. The stallion decided the only think he should do is focus on the present so instead he eagerly glanced up, noting how the sun was starting to dip down. He, of course, ought to be returning to his home soon. Afternoon was starting to set in and he was not very eager to make the trip back to his home in the dark – he was always cautious of this area in particular, since he had heard of dangers that lurked during the night, ready to pounce their unsuspecting prey. Giving the spot he was resting in one more look over, he nodded to himself satisfied that he was not leaving anything behind and darted off in the direction of his home.  

[DeeJaye]

The mare smiled to herself, giddy. Her life was feeling good. She was feeling great. She had met a stallion and… He was wonderful. Quiet and sometimes a little rough around the edges, but she enjoyed it a lot. She could not deny she was eager to spend all her time with him. Sighing gently, the mare tucked her wings in, letting them sit against her sides comfortably. Shikoba had left a while ago, saying he wanted to take a walk around and get some thinking done, and despite desperately wanting to tag along with him, she had opted to stay back. Instead, she had traveled to a nearby location that contained a plethora of apple trees – eager to make the stallion happy with her, she decided it would be perfect to pick some apples for the two of them.

After picking a bundle of them and returned back to the stallion’s home, where she sat there eagerly waiting. As time started to creep forward and several hours started to pass, she started to doubt herself. Rajiv wondered if that would seem too forward – was it alright to treat him? Did it seem too intimate of an act? Or would it only be perceived as a friendly gesture? She did not want to scare him off, as she done to previous horses she had fallen for. She curled her tail around her leg nervously. Perhaps she should dispose of the apples… But that would be a waste of some perfectly fresh and ripe fruit. Her ears flattened, stressing herself out.

Tightening the bundle against her side, she decided that she would instead take them away and stow them away in a place where Shikoba would not discover them – that way, he wouldn’t be able to get potentially agitated with her. Or… something. Rajiv huffed softly. She needed to keep reminding herself to take it slow but… He just seemed so kind; and the mare was unaware of how eager she was to crush and become infatuated with whoever gave her the time of day.

As she reached the small forest where she had met the stallion initially, she approached an old tree whose trunk was hollowed out. Circling it eagerly to find the well concealed hole, she dug her hoof in it slow before dumping the bundle into the trunk. She stared at the apples sadly. Was this the right decision? What if… what if he really would have appreciated the gesture? Her eyes kept staring at the apples, doubting herself once more. Perhaps she should regather them and bring them back? Or maybe just two, one for her, one for him? Deep in thought, the mare didn’t even hear the soft thumps of a stranger approaching her.  

[DeeJaye]

Today is the day – seize the day!

That’s what the young, newly adult usdia had told himself in the morning. Today was the day where he’d finally explore around without a guardian. He was finally mature enough in his parents’ eyes! Eager to see the world, he had informed his mother that he was going out for a stroll because he was finally old enough to explore without the accompaniment of his family. Of course his mother had given him an amused expression and granted him permission whereas his father stood to the side and shook his head in his normal grumpy sort of ways.

Not that it mattered! He had stowed off for the day, exploring the lands with great curiosity. Having stumbled across a small forest, he had decided to play some games with himself to keep himself entertained – see if he could find something of this color, how long it’d take to find this bug, if he could spot this flower, if he could find another horse… He had managed to find everything on his small list except for the last and he was eager to fulfill the list before heading home.

As he darted about, he noticed a horse larger than himself lingering around a tree. He watched the horse curiously; from close inspection, he could discern it was a female. She was a deep red violet color, with cream stripes –cream stripes! He had cream stripes — decorated her body. Wings sprouted from her back. She appeared to be some sort of mutant too – her ears appeared to be more feline than equid and she had a long cat tail to match. He tilted his head curiously, wondering what the femme was doing, lingering around the tree. Flicking his ear, he decided the only reasonable thing to do would be to investigate it. He bounced over to her, his hooves making soft thump’s! on the hard ground.

“Hello there!” he said eagerly. Getting a better look at her up close, he did find her to be a lot more appealing. Letting his flirtish charm slip, he questioned, “What’s a lovely mare like yourself doing skirting about this area?” he asked, leaning his body to the side to get a glimpse of the tree. He could see a glimpse of bright red… Apples? His mouth watered – he loved apples. “Hiding some juicy treats, I’m guessing? I wouldn’t hide it there, I’m pretty sure the bugs’ll get to it… And it’d be a shame if that happened. I’m sure you spent so much time and hard work picking them all,” he added in. Unfortunately, once Vanille started talking, he had a hard time shutting up – part of his genes, he supposed. Before the femme could even say anything, he quickly interjected, “My name is Vanilla Cream Puff, though a lovely mare as yourself could just call me Vanille. May I be graced with your name, fair maiden?”  

[DeeJaye]

"A-ahh, yes.. They were possibly for a friend but...I think I changed my mind on giving it to him. If you would like one, go ahead," she said, her voice rather quiet. Rajiv couldn't deny that she felt a little speechless thanks to the stallion; while small, he was certainly full of personality. Inhaling deeply, she said. "I-I'm Rajiv. And I'm not a maiden, but thank you," she replied. She was rather taken aback by this small horse's words - she couldn't help but turn her head to the side, as she felt her cheeks turn rosy. "It is nice to meet you, V-Vanille." Flicking her blue eyes towards him, she could see he was watching her intently with his own golden eyes. Such confidence! It made her feel a little jittery on the inside.

Realizing that he was probably waiting on her to retrieve the apple for him, she squeaked out a, 'oh, sorry!' before quickly withdrawing one from the tree and placing it infront of him.

"The pleasure is all mine. Very nice to meet you." As the apple was brought to him, he bowed his head politely. "Thank you," he said with a slight smirk, emphasizing his charming qualities. He leaned down and started to crunch on it, enjoying its crisp texture and juicy flavor. Finishing it in a few large gulps, he straightened himself up and looked at the femme once more with the same smile. "You know, I had no idea that my day would be brightened by such a beautiful mare. Do you come here often, Miss Rajiv, or has fate secured our meeting?" he said. It was obvious by now that Vanille was a bit of a flirt - while neither of his parents seem to have that particular trait, he had developed it young, as he was always eager to please his parents. It made him wonder how they would react to this - he imagined his mom would be a little fussy and his dad... Would probably just shake his head disapprovingly. Vanille made a soft 'tsk' sound, trying to expel the thoughts from his head. He redirected his attention to the femme, eager to see her reaction.

Gathering himself to his hooves, the stallion set off in the direction of his home, ever so alert of his surroundings as he did so. The trip was rather uncomfortable - the smallest rustle of a tree made him jump a little and any sort of creak made him look around nervously. Taking a deep breath, he thought to himself, Just relax, nothing out here but you and yourself. Narrowing his green eyes, he decided to tread through a familiar but longer path rather than take the shortest route. Nothing could sneak up on him if he did that, right? Setting off, he was already feeling a little more at ease, being in part of the forest he was more comfortable going through.

He wasn't even sure why he was so afraid. There were plenty of others that went out and about with no fear. He gritted his teeth, frustrated with himself. When did he become such a scared baby?  

[DeeJaye]

"B-beautiful...A-ah, I never really considered myself to be... Just t-thank you," she replied, feeling her cheeks turn red. She was not used to being complimented or flirted with; she generally tried to stick to herself... Even ones she tried to become infactuated with never seemed interested in her. Folding her wings neatly against her back, she beamed. "I-I haven't seen you around before. Are you new to this area, o-or..?" she asked, eager to make some sort of small talk with Vanille, now that he had grabbed her attention.

He tilted his head to the side. "Never considered yourself to be beautiful? Why, that's slanderous. You ought to work on your self confidence to, madam, because I know beauty when I see it." He grinned confidently. Motioning his head to the apples, he added in, "Why don't you gather your apples and let's head somewhere nice. I know a lovely lake around here that sparkles beautifully under the moonlight. Come, come~" Trotting in the direction of his home, he looked back towards her to see her trotting to keep up with him.

"And to answer your question, yes and no. I'm from around here, but I don't generally venture far out from my family. I enjoy sticking with my family, if you can understand that. Plus, my mother might have a heart attack if I disappear for more than a couple hours." Vanille laughed heartily.

As he was trotting down the path, two figures caught his eye; one was the figure of his clingy friend, Rajiv and the other was...? A much smaller horse. Who was that? A foal or...no, it looked too mature. So probably an usdia, and not one he recognized. "Hm," he mumbled to himself quietly. His attention was piqued and he couldn't help but want a closer look; not to interrupt the pair's conversation, but rather see what was going on. And then he could stop by, say his hello, and leave, if so allowed and was appropriate. Slowly approaching the pair from afar, he flicked his ear up, trying to catch their words, but found himself unable to do so. But they seemed to be heading somewhere... Was this a friend of Rajiv he was not aware of? Not that that was a bad thing... And watching them seem to take their leave, he tilted his head. Should he pursue them? He hesitantly started to move forward, unsure if he should just head home instead.  

[DeeJaye]

Hearing him mention his mother struck something in – it made her heart hurt… Thinking of the children she bore but was unaware of where they resided now… She flicked her eyes down sadly – fortunate for her, the small flirty mini wasn’t able to catch her small reaction. So instead, she followed behind him, somewhat quiet, as she debated her words, feeling rather solemn all of a sudden. “So… Are you, erm, close with your mother?” she asked, trying to seem innocent and purely curious about the question. “Or parents… Or are you eager to get away from them?” She started to stammer over her words, somewhat nervous about approaching the subject – he was genuinely nice, and she was afraid that her questioning was going to scare him away.

Feeling committed, the stallion silently pursued the pair, watching them with scrutinizing eyes. Though he could not understand the words being exchanged, he could see the body language between the two. He focused on Rajiv’s in particular – and he was able to immediately able to pick up on her nervous and subtle twitches… her hesitant steps. She was clearly nervous – but why? Was the mini bullying maybe? Despite finding the femme excessively clingy and her infatuation with him to be perturbing, he could feel his overprotectively –and perhaps possessive- side kicking in. He puffed his chest and ready to intervene, Shikoba started to approach the pair with heavy steps. He would clearly be heard before he’d even reach them, though he was fine with that. Better to intimidate the little pest, because that would scare him away a lot quicker.  

[DeeJaye]

The pair had just reached the lake, and even though she had yet to receive her answers from the mini, her mind had dipped away from those thoughts – instead, she focused on the beautiful scene set infront of her. The lake, perfectly clear, had the setting sun casting its light across the surface. With the purples, pinks, and oranges of the evening sky, it looked like one of those beautiful paintings she had seen two leggers make. It was breath taking! Turning to the mini, who was grinning smugly – he had clearly gotten the reaction he wanted – she told him, “V-Vanille! This view is gorgeous. How did you find it?!”
As she uttered the words, something else caught her attention – heavy steps. She tilted her head towards it to see a familiar horse: Shikoba! Her heart fluttered – she had almost forgotten about him during her fond conversations with the mini. Her feline tail snaked around her leg and she called out to him, hoping he was planning to come and chat with them.

The stallion reached the two and he looked towards Rajiv, concern in his eyes, but doubt now in his heart. She appeared to be fine.. After all, she was smiling at him happily. He harrumped and ignoring the mini, said directly to Rajiv, “Are you fine? I didn’t see you back at my home so decided I’d check around for you,” he said. It was a bit of a lie – but he didn’t want to get bogged down by the details. Eyes flicking towards the mini, he finally acknowledged the small horse and said, “Who is this? A friend? Or is he bothering you? Should I tell him to leave you alone?” He couldn’t help but be a little protective of her, but it was more like a big brother trying to ward off unwanted suitors than a jealous boyfriend.
 

[DeeJaye]

He tilted his head at her question. She seemed overly nervous about asking - it made him curious why so. "Hmm.. Yes, I am fairly close with her. With both her and my father. And rest of my family. They're all good folk." He smirked. As he was about to ask her about herself, he was surprised at the interjection of another stallion. Vanilla Cream Puff gazed between the two in a lazy manner, mouth corners flicking into a small smile. It appears that he had made her suitor jealous? Or...was he a suitor? Clearly they knew each other in an intimate manner... He flicked his eyes from horse to horse, trying to gauge their relation. His newly made friend seemed to have that look, as if she was struck by a love arrow. And he...it was hard to tell. He seemed conflicted.
Not that he minded. Honestly...he kind of liked a challenge. Leaning ever-so-slightly towards Rajiv, he seemed to purr out his introduction, "Why, hello~ I'm Vanille. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Shikoba continued to glare at the mini. "Nice to meet you, Vanille," he said, rather guarded. He attempted to size the mini up, to understand if he needed to be concerned. He glanced once more at Rajiv, seeking her approval. "So?" he asked, seeing if she had anything to say about the situation. He was not sure if he would be fine with leaving if she asked him to do so - he wanted to say he would be, but perhaps he had the mentality that he wanted what he could not have, and if this mini diverted Rajiv's attention from him, he would be... A little troubled, perhaps.

Rajiv seemed to blush, though it was undecipherable if it was out of embarassment or something else. "S-Shikoba!! You.. Can stand down, haha... Vanille was just showing me around and stuff. he's my new friend. He's very sweet. I think you would like him - if you gave him the chance, of course," she said, bashfully tilting her head down.
She couldn't help but take Shikoba's protective nature as his way of asserting his feelings towards her - even if it wasn't the case. She couldn't help herself - she loved to fall in love. And...well, if Shikoba shared no mutual feelings for her, she couldn't deny that the young mini was looking mighty pleasant to her right now.  

[DeeJaye]

"Stand down, eh? Don't be alarmed, Sir Shikoba. I don't intend to steal your mistress," he said with a soft chuckle. "Assuming a fine lass like this is your girl, anyway. Because, let's be honest, anyone would be blessed to have her as a girl, am I right?" the mini said. He knew he was potentially pushing the envelope, but that's just how he rolled, to say the very least. Plus, he loved getting reactions out of others, and Shikoba definitely seemed the type to get a rise out of.

"We... We're not together," he stammered slightly, his green eyes lowering into a glare. What was with this mini? He was very sure that he already did not like the small horse. Harrumphing, he turned to Rajiv, saying somewhat firmly, "I think I'll head home. Are you planning on staying here with..... Him... Or did you want to follow me?" Of course she was going to choose him - she had fallen head over heels for him in the brief time they had spent together, so he wasn't concerned.

Rajiv's eyes widened with surprise at Shikoba's forwardness... He was adamant that there was nothing between the two, but wanted her to leave this new companion of hers? It confused the poor lovestruck mare...and honestly upset her a little. He gave off too many mixed signals. Sometimes he seemed resistant to her attention, and other times he wanted her attention all to himself... And...well, maybe she didn't deserve to be stepped on. Deciding to take a stand, she whine a little and she responded. "W-what... Well actually... I think I'm going to stay with Vanille. I'm enjoying my time with him. I'll return home later though." She looked towards the mini, seeking some sort of approval - which, given by the big smile on his face, she believed she had received it. She smiled at him back. "so...yeah. I guess I'll see you later then, Shikoba. Travel safely, friend."

What. Shikoba narrowed his eyes. "I... Okay. I see. Fine then. You have fun I guess. Just don't get into any trouble. Or get hurt. The last thing I want to hear is how some a** hurt your feelings," he said. He slowly backed away from the duo before spinning around, stamping away. Whatever. He didn't need this. It didn't matter.