Precious little guy, Ive got sweet treats 4 you

Lavis did not think herself to be particularly bold and yet, perhaps foolishly, she hoped luck would favour her.

She ran the coarse, lavender coloured ribbon through her fingers once more. Its texture was no coincidence- the local tailor had promised its chances of sticking were higher than those of soft silk, so Lavis naturally went with that one. But if it would actually hold, only time would tell. And lady luck would decide.

Her eyes lay on a particular gelding; Poppy Seed. He had been up for adoption before, but never found a home. And was never available to the public, until now. Lavis had adored him from the first photo she'd seen. His dark brown eyes had been kind and warm.

He wasn't very difficult to find. Unlike some of the more feral ponies, Poppy Seed seemed to prefer ambling about the more visited areas. It looked like he had been doing some people watching from atop a little hill- which incidentally was covered in poppy flowers. Lavis felt giddy, though her face betrayed little of it. She might have squealed a bit, had she not worried it might startle him.

The gray gelding was more adorable in person than quick phone photos or videos could convey. An art piece would do him much more justice- if Lavis only had a bit of paper, she could sketch him. Badly, seeing her skill level, but the intention was what mattered.

Poppy Seed greeted her arrival with a steady gaze and some curious flick of the ears. The wind had picked up, was in her back- likely that he could smell other horses on her. Lavis had often felt rather vulnerable around animals who were much too perceptive about scent, they could tell she wasn't quite what she pretended to be. But whatever he was able to make out, Poppy Seed didn't mind it. His gaze remained just as calm. 

After little consideration, he took a step or two towards his visitor. There was a bit of caution in his eyes now, people tend to be this close to him. Lavis stopped her approach and gave him some time, she spoke to him; about this and that and he seemed to take to it a bit. He made another step forward and let his ears swivel. Lavis was certain he could hear her heartbeat now, perhaps the excitement with which it moved. Maybe this would make him think that everyone's hearts sounded like that, at least until he met another person. 

Lavis reached out a hand, Poppy Seed was so close he could almost bump it now. He sniffed some more, swished his tail. As a pony, he had no real expectations of what people were supposed to be like, other than slightly distant creatures that shambled about on two legs. But somehow, he could have sworn they would be taller. This meant he and his visitor were on eye level and it was a curious feeling to be seen by her. 

He could tell she was excited to see him. It was reminiscent of a new member joining the herd, one who immediately picked a resident pony and knew they would be the best of friends. This sort of expectant adoration lay within the two leggeds’ eyes, which seemed just a bit like those of the feral barn cats that sometimes roamed the area. Not in colour, but in manner.

Poppy Seed bumped Lavi's hand. Curious, as the bone and skin structure were foreign to him. But he didn't mind much, accepting it like a new plant, a fallen branch or a rock that had tumbled down the hill. It was what it was and certainly no cause for concern. As such, he didn't startle when Lavis touched his muzzle. Her fingers were a little cold and she quickly pulled back to warm them in her pockets. Poppy Seed, who had for a moment felt like autumn returned on that specific spot on his nose, simply watched her.

Soon after she tried again and started to give him small pets. It wasn't a bad feeling, not at all. Poppy Seed quite liked it actually. When Lavis stepped closer to pet his neck, he was happy to find those hands of hers were perfect to give him scratches, just where the mane begins to grow. Other ponies rarely understood that he wanted that spot groomed, so this was a very welcome thing. Of course he had to return the favour and began to nibble Lavi's shirt, which had possibly the strangest texture he'd ever encountered. Very stretchy and not easy to get ahold of, but as long as he received scratches, Poppy Seed was determined to keep trying. 

Lavis found him to be most endearing. Meeting him had come with a flurry of emotions, she'd wondered how his character would actually turn out to be. Standing with him now, the so-called semi- feral gelding, who was enjoying scratches and returning them even, she knew he was more than she could have ever hoped for. It was one of the reasons why she kept returning to this place, these ponies. 

The bell ribbon jingled in the wind. Lavis showed the item to Poppy Seed, who calmly noted his existence just as he did with everything else. He huffed and began to graze, not bothered by Lavis moving towards his tail. His mane was short, Lavis theorized another horse might have gnawed it off, but the tail was long enough for a nice braid. She checked to see if Poppy Seed really was at ease, then went on to fix the bell ribbon into his tail. Hoping once more that luck would be on her side, she felt her heart ache a little. They two might not meet again. Once the bell ribbon was as secure as it would get, Lavis said her goodbyes. She gave him a final scritch of the neck and pressed a kiss onto the gelding's soft muzzle.