DAMN I should have taken Ashamin for my date!! I wish I had known he wanted to go. Usually I’m pretty good about you know, asking everyone but this was kind of a last minute gig for me and I really missed an opportunity. But however he got here, I was thrilled to see him. Really, my face just lit right up when he joined me and I’m pretty sure the Sun God ain’t got nothing on how bright I was shining. “And you as well, Ashamin! How’s the wee Lochan? Still fast asleep?” I felt a kinship to the little companion because that was my favourite way to spend the day too.

Well okay third favourite. The first is with some fine company and the second… well.

Others come too and I’m happy to see the lot of them, not quite so happy as I was to see my Basin brother but you know, happy. And hey, guess what! Turns out that Miss-Tea also is a Harupex! What are the chances. I do wish that Maren had given into those urges and gone in for a nibble. Do you know how nice it feels to be nibbled on? It’s the strangest, most wonderful sort of tickling sensation. When in the right area, of course. Luckily I have plenty of hair to spare and that’s usually the scent that catches everyone - the peppermint.

Conversation starts up around me and for a moment I’m happy to listen to it but then - the sweet voice of my painted friend timidly asks after the mare on my other side. First, okay, check out this Johnny sandwich. I’ve got a graceful, tiger-stripe-icecream mare on one side and a chocolate-dip-cone stallion on the other. I’m daydreaming and just in BLISS standing there between them when I realize they’re like, bonding and stuff.

Oh man. OH MAN. Okay so like, this Maren girl is pretty smokin’ and so is Ashamin and you know I’d like to get up on both of them or under them or wherever I could be but you know what would be EVEN BETTER? Seeing these two little kiddies making kiddies of their own. Oh my god and I could be the fairy godfather that brings candy and sweets and then sends them back home once they’ve had their fill on sugar?! Like seriously this is probably the best plan I’ve ever come up with and all it took was a brush of Ashamin’s tail to get the fire started.

Metaphorically of course. I won’t get any closer to the real flames but that’s not going to stop me from poking at some sparks of some imaginary ones either.

I decide to take up the invitation to join the conversation, so that I can monitor them more closely. And because I like Ashamin and enjoy being in his company.

I move to join them on Ashamin’s side but don’t walk immediately beside him - I hang back a bit. I don’t know, there’s a lot of conflict. I want to be a part of the conversation but I recognize that I have little to add to it - I want to give them space but I’m also super nosy so you know. Not too much space.

I really am pretty interested in the topic anyway. I don’t know a lot about the Helovian Gods and these two seem like the type of minds to learn from.

That’s my excuse if they ask, okay?

I do grumble a little bit about Ashamin’s talk about the weather. a) snore buddy you gotta do better than that b) WINTER IS WHERE IT’S AT I’m so not looking forward to discovering what it’s like during the hot season here. I hope that the Basin at least stays a little cooler since it is so far north.

Maybe I have to help the conversation along?

No, no, Johnny give it a minute. Give her a chance first maybe she’s got this.