On Fire (Open to all!)

Brows furrowed slightly. Things seemed so twisty when it came to this one. "What've you got against easy?" So what would she make of a happy ending? Probably too boring for her...

Words came softly from him as well this time. "I'm not tried or tested in love, lass. Not that kind." Was it regret that made him speak in the low tone? Perhaps merely lost in thought. He walked closer to her as they left the water, hoarding body heat. "I don't have enough experience with mares for that sort of thing, honestly."

She flashed him her patented grin, as if trying to ease the sudden cloud of tension. "No glory." was her simple answer.

Her suddenly gentle gaze examined him a moment, as if trying to find the source for his change in tone. She frowned, having clearly found a tender subject. She leaned in his direction and carefully bumped his neck with her muzzle.

"Hey... Cheer up buttercup, I'm sorry.. If I said something." Another warm smile was handed to him as they walked together, "You'll find someone. I have no doubt about that."

A step was taken sideways towards him, silently enjoying the heat that he seemed to not object in sharing with her. She was still watching from the peripherals of her vision thought, waiting for signs that a line had been crossed.

"If you're even looking," She shrugged, turning to glance at him again, "You can change the subject, if you want... If it's making you uncomfortable.."

That served only to confuse him even more. "Glory? In love?" He glanced at her curiously, wondering what glorious conquest of the heart she had in mind. Her sudden change in attitude had him interested as well.

"I'm not bothered. Just not sure about all this love business. It doesn't concern me, really. Though it might if I wasn't so content with everything else." He met her peripheral gaze with one of his own and winked. It a bit ironic; he was a pretty uncomplicated guy, and she seemed to be just the opposite.

He watched her watching him, barely suppressing the urge to do something alarming as a joke. It took only a moment for him to settle, though, enjoying the friendliness too much to ruin it. "So what do you do for fun, then? Surely you can't spend all of your time running? The options you gave me earlier - the sparring or racing..?" He tilted his head, studying her a bit more. Still intrigued.

There was silence for a moment while she thought, taking time to let her gaze fall on the distant horizon, admiring the way the waves appeared to melt from the sky...

Long purple mane was ruffled softly along her neck when she finally answered, crimson stare lifting to meet his own.

"My father is a runner, and sparring was introduced to me a while ago," She grinned and subtly returned the wink from behind locks of blowing forelock, "Although, I'd rather not fight you, they're both still rushes."

"As for yourself? And is there anything you'd like to do?" To the little aqua mare, it felt as if their time together was slowly drawing to a close. Yet she tried to find an excuse to stay a little bit longer... Her family would be expecting her home soon..

"I see. So the running is in your blood I guess. I love running as well, but I doubt I do it half so well." Shamrock felt their time dwindling as well; he wished she could stay, but prolonging things just felt awkward.

Getting an idea, he spied two likely things on the ground. One was a daisy, the other a shamrock - his namesake. After a moment of deliberation he bent down and picked the daisy. Nearly crossing his hooves that the care she'd taken in being close earlier hadn't been for her own benefit, he closed the distance between them. He reached over and wove the flower's stem between the strands of hair up by her ear, the white decoration standing out starkly against her coloration. Looking down, he exaggerated his scrutiny of her.

And smirked. "You make it beautiful. Now I know you've got to have somewhere to be. Come find me sometime, and tell me of your victory. I want to see you bask in the glory." Steps took him backward, retrieving some distance as he waited to see if her exit would be as crazy as her entrance.

His gesture made her blush, but almost as suddenly as the blood had flooded her face did it rush away again with swallow and almost bashful turn of her head.

She took the amount of steps he had taken away to close the distance between them once again, before planting the whisper of a parting peck on his cheek. The mare then promptly whirled away from him and grinned back from over her shoulder.

"Thanks... For everything. Don't hesitate to come find me either, for whatever reason you please."

Saphirespin then proceeded to trot briskly from the sandy shores and into the dense forest near by, vanishing quickly among the tree's shadows.