I walk along (open)

Part of why Dante had decided to settle here in Breckenwood was because of its location, namely its coastline. Albeit it was small, and the ocean was much calmer than the one back home where he had spent most of his childhood, but the sound of the ocean waves crashing against the shore was comforting to him all the same. Since coming to town, he'd taken some time to get settled. Acquiring an apartment, finding a stable for his horse and giving her time to adjust to the new environment. He had been itching for a chance to get out and see it, relax in the sand and breathe in the salty air and now he finally had a chance to do so.

He guided Sasha through the long dune grasses towards the sea. The beach was empty as far as he could see, understandably so with it being night time. He would have tried to get here earlier in the day, but Dean had kept him more than busy at the ranch and he hadn't been able to get away until now. Luckily, Sasha didn't mind the darkness, nor did he. It was fortunate that he had come across her, more a case of right place right time. She'd been listed at an auction he had stopped at while passing through a small town. One look and Dante hadn't been able to say now. Her quiet temperament and solid build. She was perfect.

A sudden glow from his left caught his attention and he turned to look. A campfire on the beach and he could just make out the shadow of a tent and the silhouette of someone tending the site. He was surprised to see anyone out this late, camping no less. While the temperatures had been rising in the past several days, it was still cooler and Dante wouldn't consider camping himself. He had to respect anyone who would be out here. Turning Sasha towards the fire and squeezing her forward, he tried to approach slowly so as not to startle anyone.

As he approached he saw it was a girl who looked vaguely familiar. He might have seen her around town but he was pretty sure they hadn't spoken. Maybe she rode at the barn or he had seen her at the music store. She was sitting on a log and he briefly contemplated dismounting to sit next to her but then decided not to. He was a stranger and just inviting himself to her campfire might be odd. Halting Sasha, he cleared his throat. "Hi..." he said awkwardly, "Nice night for a fire."

April who had been lost in her own world, was enjoying what the beach had to offer her that night. She was glad that she had decided to take the overnight camping trip by herself, but then she heard noise and a stranger started speaking out of no where. She stole a quick glance at them. "Umm yeah it's a nice night for a fire," April said. April then offered a small smile. "You can sit down and join me if you want," offered April.

April took her stick and poked at the the fire and she added some fire wood into the fire. "Would you like some marshmallows to roast? I've got plenty of them to share. I ended with a big bag because that's all the store had at the time," April said with a laugh as she held up the bag of marshmallows.

April put the bag down and waited to see if the stranger was going to join her and eat some marshmallows.

Dante felt his cheeks flush, the blood rush warming his face. If he had startled her, or interrupted her, he should apologise, but he found the words stuck in his throat. He coughed lightly instead and could only manage a nod and a small smile. He dismounted from Sasha's back and dropped his reins onto the sand. She knew how to ground tie and he wasn't worried in the slightest that she would wander off. Or if she did get spooked, he was confident that he would be able to find her. Especially if he called for her.

Quietly, he found a seat on a log bleached white from the sun that rested in the sand next to her fire. "Thank you," he said. The wood was warm from the heat given off by the flames and he was grateful for it. He was still adjusting to the colder climate of Breckenwood, and while he was properly bundled up, it still wasn't enough to keep the biting chill at bay. He looked up at her voice and met her gaze before they drifted downward to her hand.

Marshmallows were not his favourite but he felt it would be ruder to refuse her offering so he reached across the space to take the bag she was holding out to him. He took a handful of the squishy treats before handing the bag back to her. He stuffed most of them in the pockets of his coat, intending on giving them to Sasha later. Taking one, he carefully arranged it on the end of a pointed stick he found laying next to his feet and held it out over the open flames. "So are you new around town or live here your whole life?" he asked.

April Smith

When the young man thanked April for the marshmallows, she gave him a smile. Your welcomeApril Said. April then helped herself to more marshmallows. Then when she heard the guy ask her question.Oh I lived here my whole life, and I'm April by the way. So what about you did you just move here or did you live here and we just never meet. Also i got stuff to make smores if you don't just want to eat marshmallows.said April.

As April waited for the young man to answer her, she opened the bag beside her and pulled out a bottle of pure leaf sweet tea and took a sip from it. As she took a drink from her tea, April went back to enjoying the sound of the sea.

A shy smile appeared on Dante's face, just a slight upturn of the corners of his mouth. At least the girl seemed nice enough and he didn't feel quite as bad for interrupting her solo camping trip. Mostly. "Oh. It's nice to meet you April," he said, then almost fell backwards off his makeshift seat at the amount of followup questions. He coughed and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I just moved here. Me and Sasha here," he started, gesturing back towards the grey mare who was standing quietly behind him. The mare turned and blinked slowly when he pointed to her but otherwise ignored the conversation at present.

The marshmallow he was holding over the open fire slowly turned a light brown, then darker and darker until it had melted entirely and was dripping onto the flames. Oops. Dante dropped his stick, letting the fire transform it and the sugary treat into ash. He paused briefly and then nodded at her offer. "I'll take a graham cracker if you have one." Still sweet but not as bad as the marshmallows. "So do you ride? I couldn't help but notice that most of the people in this town seem to ride or at least are affiliated with either of the stables. Not that we can't still be friends if you don't..." he trailed off, biting the inside of his cheek. Why was he so awkward? Maybe she wouldn't care.

April Smith

April gave a friendly smile to Dante.<font color="#ade619">" Yeah I ride and your horse is lovely. My horse her name is Majesty she and I hang out Sweetridge. Welcome to town by the way."</font> April said. April gave a chuckle as she saw Dante's marshmallow melt and fall into the fire. She reached into bag and grab the box of graham crackers and offered it to him.I hope you don't mind these are the honey graham crackers. Personally I think these are the best version of graham crackers." April said.

April looked over the gray mare in the background and gave a even bigger smile.Also feel free to share some graham crackers with Sasha" April said. It was obvious to tell April had a big soft spot for horses.

Oh good, he thought. She did ride. That made things so much easier and at least he didn't have to worry that Sasha might scare her. Which maybe that was an odd conclusion to jump to. He knew better than to automatically think that everyone was scared of horses but it did happen. He'd met plenty of them while bouncing from town to town. Then again, it was probably silly to assume such a thing here. Breckenwood was full of horses and horse people. So far he hadn't really met anyone who wasn't a rider and definitely no one who was scared of horses.

He nodded along and blushed at the compliment she directed toward Sasha. "Oh you ride at Sweetridge too?" he blurted out, "I just started boarding there. And thanks for the welcome." He turned and accepted the offered package of graham crackers then, taking one carefully from the wrapper and handing it back to her. "I don't mind. The honey ones are my favourite."

"So your horse is named Majesty. I like that name. What kind of horse is she?"

April Smith