Strawberries ily strawberries (#2)

‘Ronin. Slow down.’

‘For God’s sake- why did you follow me?!’ I spun around to stare at Kieran, his platformed boots all but stomping towards me over the grass. ‘I told you to wait by the car for Vic.’

‘You told me to do something I had no obligation for, seeming as we didn’t even arrive together. So I ignored you and followed.’ He stepped past with his hands in his pockets, easily falling into stride with me.

‘Okay, whatever. Which pony are you going for?’ I sighed, shrugging and kicking the stem of an already-plucked flower in front of me. ‘I quite like one of the stallions. Little bay thing, long hair.’

‘Mm, I know the one you mean. There’s a lavender mare somewhere that I’m looking at, for Lakshya.’

‘Ooh, nice. I think I know that one. They’d like it.’

‘Yeah.’

We walked in silence for a while, taking in the scenery. People passed us from behind and in front, going to and fro from the herd or even just the farm itself - it was still a working flower farm, so it made sense for them to still be running business as usual; more so in fact, since the business had a sudden opportunity to boom with the herd’s attraction.

There were plenty of people still around the vast herd (they usually range from ten upwards, and this one had around twenty or so), but as the sky began to get dark in hues of orange and purple, it was clear the crowd had started to disperse. With the rising popularity of Teddy Cobs as a breed, there’s been a lot more research into them and visitors that went to view or claim some of the wild- ah, yeah, semi-feral - herds that lurked around almost every corner of the country. They’re small and friendly, what’s not to like? Even a top-level competitor might want a soft, round companion for their show horse.

‘Nice ribbon.’ Kieran eyed the pink peony-shaped ribbon that sat in my hands, an eyebrow raised. He snickered when all I could do was sigh.

‘Vic made it.’

‘I assumed so. I’m almost impressed she focused that much for it.’

‘Yeah, to be fair…’ I flipped it over in my hands, grimacing at its jingle before smacking it gently against Kieran's shoulder. 'You should use it, I want whatever you've got. This is embarrassing.'

'You're the most miserable man alive. Keep it. Use it. Who cares? Maybe you're getting it for your daughter.' Kieran purposefully pointed his gaze elsewhere at the last comment.

'Hello? I'm like, twenty-four, I don't look responsible enough for a kid. Jeez.' I whacked his arm and glared, plum-dyed hair in raccoon stripes falling over my eyes until I pushed them away again. 'You could, though. You look like you're greying.'

'If I am, it's because you stress me out so much.'

'You're such a comedian. Ha-ha.' 

We got to the gate of the teddy's new-found field and by the looks of things, we were going to be waiting for a while. Hoards of kids, teenagers, and families in general came pooling out of the paddock, some people occasionally pushing through to get to the other side, but it was to little success. My eyes darted around to a fence that distinctly had a sign fastened to it reading 'do not climb', but lo and behold, Kieran was stood before it and studying the quality of the wood anyway.

'Dude, c'mon. What are you-'

'We could get over it. Technically.'

'Legally?'

'Legally, no-one will stop us coz no-one really cares that much. If other people follow after us and get spotted themselves that's a them problem.'

'No, no you are the problem. You-' I was left to splutter briefly as he was already stepping up the fence and swinging his leg over. 'You are the problem! I'm sure of it! If we don't get any of these ponies, it'll be your fault. If you get yours, it'll be purely because you've already declared it's a confession of your love to Lakshya.'

'....... did you just make a pun, or are you trying to mock me for having a friend?' Kieran deadpanned, pulling his white-blonde hair into a ponytail behind him.

'... why would it be a pun?' 

'Because the pony I'm trying to get is nicknamed Confession on the site?' At my half-hearted way of expressing that I was in fact mocking him, he glowered at me and didn't bother helping when I almost fell off of the fence. If he wasn't.. well, Kieran, I'd assume that he'd laugh at me, but emotions aren't really a thing he's any good at showing, so I got to miss out on that embarrassment. 'Whatever. Strawberries' that way.'

'Who?'

'Christ, do you look at the site at all? Vic must have shown you all of them. The one you want is called Chocolate Strawberries.'

'Yeah, she showed me. Do you think I listen?'

'I can hope.'

'Keep trying.' I pat his shoulder and walk towards the vague direction that he'd previously pointed in, and there he was; a stocky little cob of a reddish-brown colour and long curly mane and tail.