†
For a split-second he freezes when she shortens his name, but just as quickly a slow, delighted smile creases his lips as his eyes pass over her face. He feels, he thinks, happy. It is another indication of intimacy, a level deeper than they had been before, and while she answers his question he considers how he might reciprocate. Shy is so opposite who she is Temblor dismisses it almost immediately, but Loh feels similarly unsuitable. He won't embarrass himself by testing one or the other right now, but he tucks the idea away and smiles more broadly as she teases him about singing.
"Best not," he replies, leaning into her companionably. "I can't hold a note to save my life. Surely I'd send you running for the Ridge if I did try to serenade you." While he did not firmly believe she would reject his offer, it pleases Temblor nonetheless to earn her unspoken agreement. More and more he feels certain of her interest in his company, each acceptance from her adding another block to the foundation between them. And, this time when he tries to cross a previously blocked threshold, Shiloh opens the door.
Temblor does not miss the slight emphasis on my as she references some of the history dwelling in their dense home. It makes him curious about her birth herd's dynamics, and he listens as she shares more. He gets only a vague picture of what she shares, an indistinct glimpse into her childhood punctuated by events that sound inconsequential from this distance. He gives a firm shake of his head as she looks to him. "No," he emphasizes the gesture. "I don't think that's self-centered. It sounds like you witnessed the ripple effect from those events from a distance." He cocks his head, ears pointed toward her. "I imagine the force of that wave when it finally reached you must have been minimal, if you weren't close to the center of it all."
He wonders how large her father's herd was. There is something to be said for having a small, tight-knit herd, where everyone knows the habits of their fellows and everyone, from queen to the newest member of their court, has some level of rapport and camaraderie. an idealist, Temblor turns his head to receive her touch, brushing his muzzle gently against hers and taking the opportunity to draw in a deep breath of her. Damp and fragrant, her scent settles lightly in his nose, pleasing as an orchid. She is warm. He wants to hold this moment forever, this trust and touch, and he closes his eyes as he stores it carefully, certain that if he moves too swiftly it will all shatter.
Her compliment is enough to make him preen, withdrawing only to arch his neck and flex as he strikes an overtly confident pose, eyeing her sidelong to see if his ridiculous stance will entice a laugh from her. Then he relaxes, bumping her shoulder with his own before stepping forward with an inviting nod toward the distant beach. As they walk, he mulls over his past experience as a band stallion. "How large a herd is too large, do you think?"
TEMBLOR
& swallows you whole
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