[PRP] Soaking in sun [Truly Mine x Born of the Sun]

[Beejoux]

By the Motherfather, this winter was a strange one with the way the weather was bouncing between extremes. Sun wasn't so keen on the cold snaps, the biting wind felt like it chilled him down to the bones. He did like the heat, though. Always had.

They were in the middle of one of those unusual heat spells, and Sun had found himself a lovely little clearing outside the hustle and bustle of the Winter Market where the canopy was open and light spilled down through the trees. There was a little stream close by, he couldn't see it but he could hear the water talking as it rolled over and through smooth stones.

It was a wonderful spot for an afternoon nap in the sun.

[seru_ame]

Truly Mine had, in her time at the winter market, found herself enamored of all the festivities. She, and a few others, had flocked from booth to booth, participating in some, simply spectating in others. She'd made friends whose names she wouldn't remember and faces she would not see ever again, exchanged her trinkets for this and that. A clay bowl for a meal, a mouthful of pretty crystals and gemstones for a story. She'd even gotten her hackles raised up about a loudmouthed contestant in a wrestling match.

But, even extroverted Kin had their limits for socializing, and she had found herself souring in the midst of the crowd. So, as politely as she could manage, she had excused herself, taken a few moments to walk herself around, and found herself a moment of peace. The babble of a gentle stream, to clear the chatter from her ears was just what the healer ordered, she had decided, and so, she let her senses guide her to the water. She stood on the bank, neck stretched up gracefully, and let the sun warm her hide a moment before placing her hooves carefully into the water, humming a soft stone-song she liked to use when she went seeking shinies. One such pebble caught her eye, and she put her face clean into the clear, cold stream, and came up with her prize.

Daintily, she retreated, shaking her head, and began to seek someplace warm and dry, to become both those things, and to, perhaps, start to chip at her prize. Truly's first-found clearing, however, was not first found by her, but a dark-haired, pale buck. She almost passed by the clearing, but- it was only one buck. And the sunlight was perfect here. So, silently, she entered the clearing, and carefully set down her prize.

"Hello. May I join you in this sunning-spot?" Her voice was mellow, her words flowing over each other like a brook over silt.

[Beejoux]

He'd heard her coming, not entirely lost to the world around him, so when she stopped, lingered, spoke to him he wasn't startled by it. Instead Sun half opened teal eyes to look up at the doe that was standing nearby. A dainty thing, soft brown in coloring but piercing blue eyes.

His head lifted, and he nodded towards the wide swath of sun soaked ground around him. "Of course. There's lots of warmth to share." Sun wasn't often so quick to share company with others he didn't know, but she was polite, seemed calm. His sister was always telling him he needed to be more outgoing, so here was the perfect opportunity. To be more engaged, rather than simply observing from the sidelines.

"Were you visiting the Winter Market?" He asked after a thoughtful pause, offering up an almost shy smile.

[seru_ame]

Truly Mine offered him a warm smile, and then dipped her head to pick up her river-rock again. Her face-fur and fore-hooves were slick with the water, and it dripped from her hair as she approached. She set down her rock in the sunlight, admiring the bands of color there, turning it with her front hoof softly. Truly curled her tail about her haunches as she settled back on them, and then let her hind legs kick out slightly.

"Indeed, I was. It is lovely to see so many kin gathered around in these times. Have you been participating in the booths?" Truly Mine asked softly, watching him. He had a pleasing smile, she decided, and offered up her name in exchange. "My name is Truly Mine- what may I call you?" Mentally, she was already running through her collected trinkets, measuring them against his hide. Picking out colors she had to offer.

[Beejoux]

She seemed like a graceful thing, almost delicate in the way she moved. Motions carried through with precision and care, effortlessly. Sun watched the water dripping from her hair, his chin lowering again to rest on one of his legs, not entirely aware, at first, that he was staring.

He realized it once she'd settled and spoke to him again, and it might have been possible to see the faint flush of pink under the pale fur of his snout. He blinked at her, a deer caught in headlights, before his brain kicked in to answer. "Watching," he amended with a small smile. "I'm Born of the Sun.

His attention flicked down to the rock she'd been carrying, curious. "What are you going to do with that?"

[seru_ame]

Truly Mine was not unused to staring gazes. In fact, she encouraged people staring, and sat up a little straighter under his gaze. It was cute, how he lowered his head to peer up at her more. Cuter still, his faint blush- a small smile settled more genuinely across her muzzle. The doe rested her hoof, one over the other, and then tapped the rock with her free hoof, musing on it a moment.

"Mmm. Those here are rather fun to watch, aren't they?" she chuckled softly, and then looked down at the rock quietly. "Well, I haven't decided yet. Once it's dry, I'll see if it's particularly pretty, and, perhaps I'll try to chip it into a shape like the ones in my hair." To show him, she tipped her head down, and then turned it to the side, letting the clay and stone catch the sunlight and gleam. "Don't worry, I've no intention of trying to chip it here and disturb your peace."

[Beejoux]

He made an agreeing sound before the tilt of her head brought his attention up to the trinkets in her hair. He'd peripherally noticed when she arrived but hadn't made them a whole lot of attention at the time. Now he looked, taking in the craftsmanship and detail. "Those are very well made." And she'd made them all herself.

He glanced down at the rock again thoughtfully. "Do you ever find the ones that are full of crystal on the inside?" He'd seen the gems growing from the backs and horns of other kin, and he'd seen them loose, but he'd yet to actually see the rocks he'd been told some come from.

[seru_ame]

They were smooth, and the clay gleamed with flakes of gold and bits of stone worked in, carefully coiled to fit her hornless head, and to hook into the thick coils of her locs. They looked hard as stone- indeed, she'd figured out how to make the clay harden, all on her lonely. "Thank you. It took me a long while to get it smooth." She was _extremely_ pleased with her forehead decor especially, but she didn't linger overlong on showing off.

Do you ever find the ones that are full of crystal on the inside? That question had her perking up, a sly smile on her face. "I've found one or two in my time- but they're found more in caves, I hear. I might look into finding some kin outside the swamp. Trading is so hard, but I've heard stories of so many lovely gems outside the reach of the swamp, you know? I want, so badly to find some way... Ah- but. Yes, the ones with the crystals inside. I love cracking open stones, just to see if I can find any." That she could crack any was, somewhat impressive, given the daintiness of her hooves.

[Beejoux]

He smiled again, a quick twitch of the lips, at her gratitude. He was used to talking to his family, was comfortable with his siblings. This was a more rare occasion. She was very nice though, and very pretty.

Slender ears perked at the mention of caves and trading. "I hear there's a way for kin in the swamp to travel to places far away. I've heard a lot of rumors the last few months." Kin busting the plains, the mountains. Kin going all over the place before the ache pulled them back home again. "Maybe you could find your own, if it's true."

[seru_ame]

Truly Mine's small ears perked up just the tips peeking from her mane, and she focused on his words for a moment. A way to travel outside the swamp- and, more importantly, gossip she hadn't heard yet. She canted her head, tipping her snout up for a moment, humming thoughtfully. "Now that would be a fascinating journey. Mayhaps I'll ask around. It's been a fair while since I last went a wandering," she mused, turning her head to the side and peering into the woods off towards where she knew her home to be.

A soft sigh, her eyes closing, and she turned her attention back to him. "But, I doubt it'd be safe for me to just run amok without a plan, hm? It shall have to wait a while, if it's possible at all." A conspiratorial glint in her eyes, and her ears pinned back. "Plus, present company is rather pleasant."

[Beejoux]

His ears folded slowly back as he watched her thinking over what he'd just shared with her, that look of eager fascination filling her eyes as she looked off into the trees. It seemed to him like she was on the verge getting up and seeing off immediately, but instead she closed her eyes, settling.

He was surprised to find he was relieved she intended to stay, at least for now.

"Is it?" Sun smiled, his ears perking forward again. "I mean, it is from where I'm sitting."

[seru_ame]

Truly tipped her head down and peered at her demure host. So cute, the way his ears perked up when he found out she was sticking around, at least a little longer. She rolled her hoof on the rock a moment more, and then nudged it towards him. "Would you like to see if it has hidden crystals inside? You can keep half, if you like. It'll be a momento of our first meeting."

[Beejoux]

He blinked at her offer, gaze dipping down to the rock under her hoof before lifting again as he nodded. He'd very much like to see if there was anything inside the rock she'd picked from the stream. Sun had never seen one with crystals inside, only other kin with them growing from their bodies -- fascinating in it's own right, to be sure. "Do you thing there's gems inside that one?" She'd said she'd seen a few, was it easy to tell, or was it all a gamble? The buck was filled with curiosity.

[seru_ame]

Truly Mine picked herself up delicately, and gave him a warm, playful smile. "I have a pretty good feeling about it," she assured him, and then lowered her head briefly, to size up his hooves. "Hm- I can show you the motion, so you can cleave it yourself, or I can break it open myself, show you how it's done?" She straightened up, and then tipped her head some. "You want to keep your head up a little, and your eyes mostly closed, so no chips get into them, either way."

[Beejoux]

He followed her up to his feet after a moment, eyeing the rock in question a good long while as he considered the options she'd laid out for him. earnest eyes flicked up to her serene smile, down to the stone, then back up again. He wanted to know what was inside, but it didn't matter to him how it was broken open, not really. And if he tried and failed? Well...he didn't want that.

"Would you show me?"