Inspiration in strange places

She seemed so unsure, so skittish all of a sudden. Had she really changed this much in such a small span of time? Well, it hadn't been that small, but he remembered a different mare. Not that this one was bad at all, just... different, more down to earth. Though he felt a burning anger at the thought that someone might have caused this change in her unwillingly. No, he wished to believe this was her developing into the Serian she'd be in years to come, that awkward inbetween stage of insecurity and curiosity just a momentary stepping stone. He'd been through it, he was still pushing through even now despite all his time alone to try and figure himself out.

"I tend to come here for similar reasons. I wonder how much else we have in common?" The comment was light and playful, social in all the right ways. However, he felt it could have been taken rudely, as him being grossly forward, and a subtle blush made the gold of his fur seem to glow like smoldering coals. He hadn't thought anything of the closeness, he often sat near those he felt comfortable around, as he did with Hellion. She just had a presence that felt familiar and safe. She reminded him of... him, in many ways.

Her voice was a painful chorus of disbelief, who had hurt her confidence and wild spirit so? Such a mare should have been so much more arrogant, but in a good way. He frowned and gave her a look of concern before offering a soft smile, hoping to ease her into perhaps talking about her life since they'd last met, so that maybe he could piece the puzzle together himself.

"Well of course. I... don't exactly have much in the way of social skills and so my companionship is lacking. It is always refreshing to meet a good aquaintance, someone compatible. Though I'm sure it comes as a shock to someone like yourself who I imagine is rarely caught by lonelyness." A lot of what he'd said was chancy, it could be taken the wrong way as an insult if she was looking for a reason to be upset. But she'd never been that way, he'd always found her very level headed. There was no way he thought she'd ever question or second guess herself.

Strange times these were.

He blushed. She had never seen a stallion blush before, indeed hadn't thought they were capable of it really, not even Avalir. But what did she know about anything, closed off from the world as she was. Painfully clear, her awkwardness in the situation, with Spindle filling in all the words and she stumbling along behind. Giving answers, almost like following orders.

"I wouldn't know," she answered, looking out to the sea. She wouldn't look at him, not yet, unless the same fire spread across her cheeks. "Maybe alot, maybe a little."

Her words sounded cold. Too cold. She didn't want him to leave, but she didn't want to be soft either. For the longest time she had prided herself on being untouchable, unmoved by emotion, and that mask was so close to perfection when she realized how much she needed to...feel. And by then, there was no one left to turn to. Except somehow she had run into this stallion who seemed to have no idea what she was, to hold no grudges.

Either he was extremely naive or she had played an unusually cruel trick on him. But at the moment, she didn't care. "I wouldn't mind finding out, though."

It was bold, slightly presuming. Maybe it would startle him, the shy thing he apparently was. His next words, though...she laughed, a tinge bitterly. She must have fooled him indeed to have such a view of her. "Loneliness is a way of life for me, Spindle."

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye; it was easier, if she wore her mask, hiding the insecurity behind her attitude. "You say so many kind things, I fear it's another mare you see in me."

Spindle smiled bashfully at her words, but managed to keep his colour normal this time. He had no doubt she'd noticed, but she didn't mock him for his less than manly attributes, and for this he was grateful. God knows he had enough trouble keeping a positive opinion about himself without someone else laying on the negative observations. When Hellion spoke, he felt a little silly, hearing the strange cold reluctance in her voice. Ah, he had taken it a step too far. Well, he had expected that eventually, verbal blunders were his specialty as of late.

But then she seemed to shift, change, become softer with her words. Had she not meant to sound so stand-offish? Apparently not, and the change in heart was welcome. He would have honestly felt a loss at knowing she didn't wish to speak to him anymore. Though he did always seem to pop up and bother her at the most uninvited moments. Personal moments it seemed, where they were both aiming for solitude. Perhaps it was a sign? Or he was reading into this too much and he should just be grateful she hadn't turn tail and run for the hills yet.

"I would agree with that most heartily. I am happy we feel similar about this." His smile was careful, not wanting to overwhelm with his bold words to counter her own. But then she seemed to draw back into herself, and after a moment of silence he found out why. It was hard to believe, that she would be alone so often. To be sure she was beautiful, and though she could be cold, he'd seen a spark in her that others must have seen as well, surely.

"Then you live amongst fools. I would never have imagined it, though I am not sorry for you, sometimes I find I learn the most because I hold my aquaintances so dear. The few friends I have I am sure to always treasure and cherish, never to underappreciate. I don't think those who have never felt lonelyness are so loving and caring, despite the fact that they have more people to love and care for. Ah, I'm rambling..." He silenced himself suddenly, blushing again and turning his head behind winter-caressed tresses as he saw her glance over out of the corner of her eye. Hmmm, he sure was botching this one, wasn't he?

She was making him awkward now, poor thing, he was probably confused out of his mind. But then again, so was she. It seemed they were doomed to small talk. 'Face it m'dear, you have all the charm of a stone wall.' Shut up, mental voice. She was surprised that he stayed, that he managed to work around her normally cold tone, could notice her subtle plea for companionship. A gentleman indeed.

'Then you live amongst fools.'

Well, she wouldn't say fools exactly, more like the emotionally deprived and slightly insane. She had just...never learned affection, nor learned to seek it. She blinked as Spindle continued his ramble, almost on her behalf. She felt a laugh stir low in her throat, and she allowed the corners of her mouth to quirk into a smile. He stopped himself though, and blushed again.

It should be illegal for a stallion to be so cute...but she banished that stray thought quickly. But it was the truth. The stallions she knew, heh. Cold, arrogant, fiery, chauvinistic, creepy, graceful...but never cute. It was almost...nice. Whatever. Bottom line, she didn't want him to leave, nor make him uncomfortable. Only way to do that was to brush off her sorely out of use social skills.

"It's fine," she said, lightly, turning to look at him in full instead of dodging glances. "I'm...okay with it. Mist does it all the time."

Mist. She hadn't seen alot of the mare lately, and she supposed that's why she had been feeling the desolation sharper than ever. The younger girl was her only friend, after all. Whatever saving qualities she had, she had probably picked up from her. Like her attempts to salvage conversation.

"Your friends are lucky then, I hope they realize," she smiled a little, a rare grace of the femininity she was so used to hiding. "I tend to learn more from my rivals, but I guess it all depends on what you have more of."

He spared a few glances back in the mare's direction, only to notice with some surprise that she seemed genuinely amused. He... made her smile? He had received the impression that not many made her smile on a day to day basis, and he cherished the fact that he was one in a million in that manner. He wasn't used to bringing others joy with his strangeness, normally he drove others away. Divulging secrets about his creative life always seemed to bore, he was too obsessed with knowledge.

"Mist... is this a friend of yours, then? I assume if you see them so often this would be the case." He reasoned aloud, nodding his head and then looking back up at the mare. The winds had picked up almost on cue, tossing her mane about her face like vicious whips that would rend her skin open in deep, bloody furrows. But he saw it differently, more like strands of silk woven about her face by unseen creatures, caressing the soft hairs along her neck and face. It was strikingly beautiful, and for a moment he forgot what he was about to say.

What was it? Oh he'd lost the thought entirely, he was really bad at this. When she commented about his friends he frowned slightly, she seemed to think she was so alone, or perhaps he simply didn't give off enough of a friendly vibe to her. Regardless, he fully intended to make his affection for her known, he most certainly considered her a friend, though perhaps he was a little too entranced by her to be a regular, normal type of friend. He'd never fit into the norm much anyway.

"Well, I suppose now that I've shared my innermost thoughts on the matter, you would realize this?" He paused to watch her reaction with a playful smile before continuing. "You are, after all, someone I would certainly consider a friend. I don't try so hard to appear talented at the skills of conversation in front of many others, you know." This was said lightly, teasingly, his bashfulness momentarily receeding behind a strange attempt at... perhaps flirting? He'd never done it before. It was hard to tell the difference between what was being friendly, and being... well, friendly.

The wind was being vicious today; she tried to shake her strands into some semblance of order. Gods, she must look like a mess. But when did it exactly start to matter, how she looked in front of this stallion? But she caught him looking at her, falling silent. She had forgotten how much power a face could have. But not with him. She wouldn't believe that just yet. Come on, Hellion, keep your cool.

"Mist...yes, she's a friend," she sighed vaguely. "I do not see her often, though, not anymore."

She felt the admittance of her loss flare in her chest, reminder of her weakness. Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she caught herself. No, she didn't want to give the wrong messages, this had nothing to do with him. Argh, why was this all so complicated?

Wait...was he...flirting?

It wasn't as if she were completely ignorant; she had watched Web use her wiles more than once in the past, and while the male may not be quite so forward, there was still a hint of it in his tone. Or she could be completely, so very completely misinterpreting. She had made that mistake in the past, and had no want of doing it again. To be humiliated so...and hadn't Lucid...but no. Spindle was not like that. This was not the mistress's castle of wicked words and mind games. And naive as she may be, her instinct was telling her that there could be a different ending to this story.

"To be considered your friend is certainly an honor," she mused, lightly, returning that playful smile with a muted smirk. "I am glad you deem me worthy of such effort; most would find this lady quite unkind."