[Jedi]

Melanie

It had been years since she had left her farm. Melanie had been nearly driven stir crazy from a decade of working fields. It was a hard trying to live up to her parent's life of labor. She needed this.

Set up under a green umbrella, she rested on a beach towel, watching the sun rise from the horizon. She dressed modestly, uncomfortable with showing any more skin than her arms and face. The black sand of the beach was a wonder she couldn't have imagined.

[Kitsumi]

Walter

He wore swim trunks and his shirt was off, displaying a farmer's tan that looked out of place in such a tropical setting. Most of his necessities - things like sunscreen and snacks - were in his plain grey backpack. His towel, however, was slung over one shoulder, and he had a football tucked under his arm.

As he caught his first glimpse of the black sand beach, he let out a low whistle. "Well dang, that's a pretty sight," he spoke in a deep voice, with a noticeable southern drawl.

[Jedi]

With the sound of a whistle, Melanie was alerted to her private moment vanishing. It shouldn't matter to her, as she well knew. She didn't own the beach or any special rights to it. But she did like to be alone for the most part. In some ways, it was her comfort blanket.

She made no move to show discomfort, as she lay back against her towel. She looked briefly to see who joined her on this coast.

Her tan skin was spotted with pink freckles across her cheeks. Her green eyes were tired, as she had almost drifted asleep in her solitude. When she saw him, she gave a friendly smile, but turned away, hoping he wouldn't approach.

[Kitsumi]

It took Walter a few moments to realize that he wasn't alone. He was too busy simply staring out at the gorgeous view in front of him. But then he spotted the umbrella, and the woman laying underneath it. He wouldn't have paid her any mind, but she smiled at him, and he took it as a gesture welcoming conversation.

"Hey there," he said, offering her his most dazzling smile. "This resort sure is nice, isn't it?" He took a moment to glance around, noting that this was one of the more empty spots on the beach. "You don't mind if I set up my little picnic spot right here, do you?"

If he had known that she wanted her privacy, he never would have asked. But as far as he knew, this woman was a potential new friend.

[Jedi]

He called to her, and she regretted the smile. But she didn't want to be rude, especially since he wasn't coming off as rude himself. "Sure, you can set up here," she said. She struggled for a few awkward seconds, trying to find anything to say.

Not wanting to assume he was here for the same reason, she asked "So, are you from around here?"

[Kitsumi]

"Thank you kindly, ma'am," he tipped his head to her as she granted him permission. In the silence that followed, he spread out his towel, setting his backpack and football in two separate corners. Then he grabbed his sunscreen, starting to rub it into his skin to protect it from the sun.

When she spoke again, he turned and grinned. "Oh, no ma'am, I'm from Sekudui myself. It's a lot of hard work makin' a living out there. I decided I was long past due for a vacation."

[Jedi]

When he mentioned her hometown, her eyes widened. "What are the odds? I'm from Sekudui also." She took off her straw hat, laying it beside her as she revealed her short, dark brown hair. "My family has a farm there. Well, I mean, I have a farm there. Sometimes I forget it's just me." She sat up and turned to face him. "My family grows melons primarily. So what did you do there?"

[Kitsumi]

His friendly smile widened into an excited grin when he realized that they were from the same place. "Really? Shoot, we're practically neighbors then!" He laid down on his side, propping his head in his hand with his elbow resting in the sand, so that he could look at her as they spoke. "I tend to prefer working with animals, although I do have a personal garden that I take care of. Lately I've been keeping busy breaking and training Cavallions, but I'd love to get into raising steer."

Realizing he hadn't introduced himself yet, he held out one arm towards her. "I'm Walter, by the way."

[Jedi]

Thinking back, Melanie remembered a lot of the trips she took, delivering her produce to sell in Nabias. She remembered seeing a wide open ranch, with at least a dozen cavalion. She took his hand in return. "My name's Melanie. Just wondering. Yours isn't the one on the way to Nabias, is it?" She could be wrong, there were probably several cavalion breeders in Sekudai that she didn't know about.

[Kitsumi]

Walter immediately began nodding enthusiastically. “Yes ma’am, that’s my place!” His chest puffed out a little as he felt a surge of pride for his little piece of land. “I bought it off my uncle a few years back after he started havin’ back troubles. He couldn’t work the fields anymore, and he wanted to keep the land in the family so he let me have it at a bargain price.” His eyes took on a slightly dreamy expression as he continued. “Most of it was just farmland, so I had to put up all the fencing for the cavallians, and it took a few years to get the grass in the pastures growin’ just right. But it was all worth the work, in the end.”

Realizing that he was babbling, he looked back to Melanie, a sheepish grin on his face. “Aw shucks, I’m probably talkin’ your ear off, aren’t I?” Wanting to turn the conversation back towards her, he asked, “So is your place somewhere near mine, then? How funny would it be if we actually were neighbors!”

[Jedi]

"No, it's fine," she started. "I don't mind if you want to talk." She meant it. She wasn't the type to talk a whole lot. And it was nice to find someone to really talk to. "But if you want to know about me, I guess I can share a little. My place isn't too close. I mean, it's about a day's walk from your ranch." She thought about the trip from Sekudui to Nabias that she took every autumn for the past decade. "My parents worked the melon patches for thirty years. I work them by myself now, and every autumn I take them to Nabias to sell, I pass by your ranch."

Having brought up her family, she sighed a little. It had been a while since she'd seen her folks. And she was an only child, so she didn't have much company after they left. "It get's lonely on the farm. Maybe when we get back from our vacations, I could stop by and say hello."

[Kitsumi]

Normally people told Walter that he talked too much. So it was nice that Melanie didn't seem to mind him carrying on most of the conversation. Still, he did want to hear about her, and was happy when she obliged.

"Well dang, that's actually pretty darn close," he said. "A day's walk is probably only an hour or two by cavallion." His smile faded when she talked about being lonely, but before he could make any sort of offer, she was making one herself. "I'd love that," he said. "Do you ride? If not, I could give you some lessons. I thought it might be fun to go on a trail ride. There's a nice picnic spot that I could show you, too."

[Jedi]

This conversation was going faster than she'd anticipated and she started to feel a bit uncomfortable when she realized she'd only just met him. "Well, I mean... Maybe we can talk about that if we get to know each other a little better." She didn't know if her uneasy feelings were unfounded or safe. She didn't know anything about this man. "I mean... I don't want to be rude." She grabbed her straw hat and put it back on her head, trying to hide her embarrassment and confusion.

[Kitsumi]

When Melanie suddenly began pulling away a bit, Walter frowned. "Shucks, I'm sorry," he said, sounding sincerely apologetic. "I'm over here moving too fast, aren't I? What can I say, I like makin' new friends." He paused for a moment, thoughtful. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm here for two weeks. What if we spent some time together here at the resort, get to know each other? Then, if you decide that I'm good company, we can make plans for when we get back home. How does that sound?" Before she could answer, he added, "I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable or pressured or nothin'. You're more than welcome to just tell me to screw off, and I'll leave ya be."

[Jedi]

She had shied away, sinking below her hat, but stopped when he realized her discomfort. She peeked out a bit, hoping to get over her own insecurities. "I'd..." She hesitated in her response, her emotions getting the best of her. "I'd like that. I'm sorry. I'm just not use to talking to people."

Of course, she could talk with others if she were discussing prices for her product, but when it came to actual social situations, she found herself a mess.