The rancher smiled and shook his head, and replied?? "I go to Stob once a year for breeding purposes, both cattle and horses. Can't have inbreeding". He smiled at her, "Name's Jim Cobbs, you're welcome to come visit my farm. Spring is foaling and calving season if you want to see the babies". He stuck a hand out to shake, and let her get to her stew. She seemed awful hungry.

She knew her manners, and Bettina set her spoon down to take his hand.?? "Bettina," she told him, "tinker and whatnot!"?? Words her father had used ever so long ago.?? "I'd love to come see the foals!"?? As Aury returned, she tucked back into the stew, she needed to eat so she could get to work and show him he hadn't made a bad choice.

"Mirriam."?? Bettina smiled at the other young woman, although she could tell that she was not only surprised that she was getting a roommate, but didn't seem especially thrilled.?? "I neither dance nor sing, but I know Cat's Cradle and can pull a coin out of yer ear," she declared proudly, "and fling payin' cards, too, but them's just tricks."?? Her grin widened.?? "By th' end of th' day I'll be makin' adobe bricks with th' best of 'em!"

The rancher smiled and shook his head, and replied? "I go to Stob once a year for breeding purposes, both cattle and horses. Can't have inbreeding". He smiled at her, "Name's Jim Cobbs, you're welcome to come visit my farm. Spring is foaling and calving season if you want to see the babies". He stuck a hand out to shake, and let her get to her stew. She seemed awful hungry.

He smiled at Aury, it seemed his stew it seemed was a hit.

Just then a fourth person joined the conversation. Coming down the stairs from the second floor was a striking young brunette in a bright red dress with bare shoulders. Her dark hair was up in a bun behind her head, a heavy application of eyeliner calling attention to her hazel eyes. She greeted everyone with a charming smile.

"Alright, Aury, what's up? I didn't even time to powder my cheeks," she declared as she closed the distance between her and the trio.

"Your cheeks are exquisite my dear. I just wanted you to come down and meet your new roommate," Aury grinned.

"I beg your pardon?" Mirriam blinked.

"Yep, you already know Cobbs here...don't worry he's not your roomie. And this here is Bettina, she is!" Aury did the presentations.

"Bet, this here is Mirriam Starbright, singer extraordinaire and she does some dance numbers too."

"Hello," Mirriam eyed the newcomer, still not quite sure what was up here?

Cobbs raised his hand in greeting to Mirriam, he did so love her singing. Almost as much as he loved Aury's whiskey.

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When Aury came back with a tray and a big bowl of steaming stew on it, he found his new temp employee and one of his regulars in full conversation discussing horses. He himself wasn't much for horses, didn't normally have need of one. His business was in Brea, he lived in this building, and he seldom had to travel outside of town. The Paradise was pretty much his life.

"Here ya go, Bet, hope you enjoy," he set it before her and kept the tray.

Just then a fourth person joined the conversation. Coming down the stairs from the second floor was a striking young brunette in a bright red dress with bare shoulders. Her dark hair was up in a bun behind her head, a heavy application of eyeliner calling attention to her hazel eyes. She greeted everyone with a charming smile.

"Alright, Aury, what's up? I didn't even time to powder my cheeks," she declared as she closed the distance between her and the trio.

"Your cheeks are exquisite my dear. I just wanted you to come down and meet your new roommate," Aury grinned.

"I beg your pardon?" Mirriam blinked.

"Yep, you already know Cobbs here...don't worry he's not your roomie. And this here is Bettina, she is!" Aury did the presentations.

"Bet, this here is Mirriam Starbright, singer extraordinaire and she does some dance numbers too."

"Hello," Mirriam eyed the newcomer, still not quite sure what was up here?

He was sore disappointed when the young lady said her Dobbins was a gelding. Although he couldn't help but smile when she said he knew some tricks. "Oh, I was actually hoping he was an old stud... I have a ranch, getting different bloodlines are always good" he explained and gave a shrug of his shoulders.? "Jim Cobbs, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'd be right happy for the company. Aury stew is mighty hearty".

"Passing through or planning on staying in Brea for the long haul?"

"Gonna be stayin' on," Bettina answered, "so long as it suits me." A playful grin crossed her lips.? "Can't imagine as there's anything so awful here as ta change my mins, but ya never know.? As for th' horse, he's got an intact brother back in Stob that's a fine animal, if you've a mind ta look that far."

Her stomach growled again as a steaming bowl of stew was set in front of her, along with a chunk of bread.? It smelled amazing, and she forgot manners and dug into the meal, downing a couple of bites before looking over at the man again.? "Breed horses, do ya?" she asked.? "I'd like ta see them some time, if it ain't a bother. Always did have a likin' for horses."? She laughed and shrugged. "Well, all manner of animals, at that!"

The time jump would take us to the evening of the autumn equinox.

There will be several established threads for people to join or they can go off and do their own thing.

Are people ready for a time jump or would they liked to carry on with the current threads?

If the game does jump I will set it up for 1^st December and run it through the holiday period

Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan

?

?

The memory that Aidan invoked was not exactly a pleasant one, it is never pleasant to see someone you care about sick, but it was tinged with fondness that Sinjin would class it as a good memory. Even if there was a lot of hacking and phlegm involved!

“Truly? That was what it took? I used some of my best material on you!” he exclaimed in mock horror. “I would never have given up on you,” he said softly, a little shyly.

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Cobbs raised his glass in a salute to Aurelian, the man was a mindreader. Or at least he was attentive to his customers wants and needs, which made him a good business man. "Just making sure, you never know when a shortage might rear it's head" he said with a smile. He wouldn't get too happy with the bottle because his daughter wouldn't be happy if he came home falling out the saddle. He couldn't help but eavesdrop on the conversation between the young lady and the barkeep.

He was sore disappointed when the young lady said her Dobbins was a gelding. Although he couldn't help but smile when she said he knew some tricks. "Oh, I was actually hoping he was an old stud... I have a ranch, getting different bloodlines are always good" he explained and gave a shrug of his shoulders.? "Jim Cobbs, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'd be right happy for the company. Aury stew is mighty hearty".

"Passing through or planning on staying in Brea for the long haul?"

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Date:?20/09
Time:?Late Morning
Location:?Hanami
Characters:?Starla, Ella

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Ella smiled happily at Starla; they had interacted before, as had everyone in Brea, they had just not spoken on a more personal level. Ella was pleased that Starla seemed on a similar way of thinking as Ella herself when it came to cats and companionship.

“Black tea and lavender cake sounds delicious, I might join you.” She ordered the teas and cakes from the staff there before turning her attention to the herbs and flowers Starla was presenting with interest, “My thanks!” She took them off the other woman to have a closer inspection, “Such a lovely variety! These are all from your own garden? Rosalind will be most pleased.”

With the teas and cakes already Ella led them into the cat room, carrying their treats carefully on a tray. “I have several cats in the room with me today. They are a variety of ages from a year to eight years old, they are all friendly and like humans, and all have their own personalities.”

She carefully bumped the door open striding purposefully into the room and setting the tray down onto a small table. The room was a medium sized room with lots of light and full of places for the cats to laze around, chase each other, and generally be cats. There were two well stuffed comfy high back chairs with a small table between them. Ella had placed the tray of treats on the table.

“Please make yourself comfortable.”

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"Thank you."? She managed to catch herself from calling Aurelian 'sir' again, then turned her attention to the older man.? "Yes, sir, he's a gelding...stallions are too unpredictable," she explained.? "And he's...fifteen, sixteen, something like that. We had a caravan, and he's steady pulling a wagon."? That was truth, the horse was mild-tempered and congenial, and still looked mighty fine hitched to a wagon!? "Oh, and he does tricks!"

He'd been just a yearling when they'd gotten him, and she'd crawled all over him, and had even insisted on sleeping with him on occasion.?

"Can I join you while I eat?" she asked.? "I have work to later, but Mr. Aury is letting me have some stew first, so I don't keel over too early!"

"You know we got whiskey. I'll pour you a shot and keep the bottle on the bar in case one shot won't do," Aurelian reached down under the bar and produced a clean shot glass and one of his liquor bottles. All his stuff was made in his distillery, he'd gotten quite good at it.

He hadn't forgotten Bettina though turning to her, "You discuss horses here with Cobbs and I'll go get you that bowl of stew. If a young woman with brunette hair and a fancy dress comes down the stairs....just tell her you're her new temporary roommate."

So that's why he had pulled that hanging cord behind the bar. With a nod to them both, he left them to chat while he went to fetch the stew.

Cobbs wanted to laugh when the young woman referred to Aurelian as?sir.? Stroud wasn't one for formalities. But Cobbs kept his opinion to himself to save either of them from embarrassment. The older man nodded his head a little too eagerly when the saloon owner asked if he wanted a drink. To the point, bless him "Whiskey or the closest thing to it, Aury" Cobbs replied knowing it all depended on what was available. He wasn't too picky most of the time.

Turns out the grey was the girl's and she boasted the animal's merits. And admitted she had had him since she was little. Cobbs rubbed the whiskers on his chin giving the girl a once over trying to determine her age and there by the age of the animal. Leaning on the heel of his hand he asked, "I don't suppose you would know the age of your fine Dobbin?"

Holding up two fingers he made a snipping motion, "And if he's gelded?" Cobbs hoped Aury didn't mind if he conducted a little of his own business in his saloon.

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"Certainly, bring your gear with you. I just need to do something," Aury nodded then reached over to pull a plush cord hanging from the ceiling, in the distance if you had good hearing you might take note of a bell ringing for a few quick seconds.

"And yes, I will get you a bowl of our stew of the day. Piping hot and thick, folk love it," he again proved agreeable.

"Thank you, sir..."?? Well, it was habit, and until she knew him a lot better, 'Sir' was just going to come out!?? And it was a god sign that he was willing to let her have the food before she started work.?? Might not be bad here, and her stomach grumbled a little at the thought of stew.

An older man approached them, and she shifted slightly so he could address Aury directly.?? A small smile crossed her lips as he mentioned the horse.

"Hey Aury, you know who owns that dapple grey monster over in the livery?" Cobbs asked before he realized there was a young woman who seemed to be conducting business.

"Can't say that I do. You lookin' to wet your whistle?" Aury smiled as by then Cobbs had noticed the woman also present.

??"Begging your pardon, missy" he grunted and touched the end of his hat at her politely.

"Sir."?? Giving a nod of her head, she smiled brightly.?? "The dapple is mine, his name is Dobbin...best horse in th' known lands!"?? Sure, it was a big boast -- the horse was old and steady, but that was about it --
but bragging about what was yours was expected, right? "Been with him since I was a little girl."

"Yes, sir...Aury...that way I can put my gear there."?? She indicated the saddlebags that were slung over her shoulder.?? "And of course, where I'm workin'."?? She just hoped that everything she would need would be there.?? "And I'd appreciate a small bit to eat first, if you've a mind."?? Offering a cheeky grin, she added, "Can get more work done with a bit of fuel, right?"??


"Certainly, bring your gear with you. I just need to do something," Aury nodded then reached over to pull a plush cord hanging from the ceiling, in the distance if you had good hearing you might take note of a bell ringing for a few quick seconds.

"And yes, I will get you a bowl of our stew of the day. Piping hot and thick, folk love it," he again proved agreeable.

About then one of his regular customers approached the bar, it was Cobbs. He liked to drink but he always paid for it in good quality beef. Aury and the man got along just fine alright.

"Hey Aury, you know who owns that dapple grey monster over in the livery?" Cobbs asked before he realized there was a young woman who seemed to be conducting business.

"Can't say that I do. You lookin' to wet your whistle?" Aury smiled as by then Cobbs had noticed the woman also present.

?"Begging your pardon, missy" he grunted and touched the end of his hat at her politely.

Hitting the Paradise thread with the old man so I can catch you both at once.

Cobbs had come to town and Paradise to take in some entertainment and alcohol, but mostly the booze. His boy had been living over in Hanami now, but he still popped over the ranch to give him a hand. He really should go to one of the other towns to trade some horses to keep the bloodlines from getting mucked up. So spotting a strange old stud in the local livery immediately caught his eye.

He knew Aurelian back when the place was called the Full Glass. And had a running tab at the tavern that he paid off every month of so with a slab of beef from one of his cows. Aury always got first pick, even before trading with St.John for produce. "Hey Aury, you know who owns that dapple grey monster over in the livery?" he asked before he realized there was a young woman who seemed to be conducting business.

His brow furrowed because he didn't recognize her, but she was much younger than him so it probably wasn't that much of a surprise. "Begging your pardon, missy" he grunted and touched the end of his hat at her politely.

el tags
(ooc:I couldn't help to put an AU Kaylee and Jayne together at least once, lol)

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I'll have Bettina out back of the saloon making adobe bricks, so if one of your gents wants to happen across her playing in the mud, that could be fun!

Bongo