Aurelian was behind the bar, a place one could often find the owner of the Paradise manning. He wore many hats when it came to keeping the place going from making the liquor in stills to brewing the beer to carpentry fixing things within and outside the building. And of course handling the customers. He was used to it all and seemed to relish the work. His eyes took in the latest customer. A young woman he did not recognize and he knew an awful lot of folk in Brea. If not by name, at least by face. But every stranger was a potential customer.
He moved down the bar toward her, "Hey there. Can I help you any?"
The odds were the woman did not know how things worked in Paradise. So he always liked to explain the workings to the new folk. She was easy on the eyes too, that helped.
TAG
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"You're welcome," she replied even as she collected another loose tomato then placing it in it's proper basket.The poor guy was still rather spooked and apparently eye contact was just too much for him so she kind of gave up on that and concentrated on the task at hand. It didn't them more than a few seconds more to finish.
"There, easy enough. And I didn't mind the interruption - after all if I had dropped something, I'd certainly hope someone would be willing to assist me," she smiled even he didn't see the gesture.
She then stood up, "Besides you have good taste, I love tomatoes also. Cooked, made into sauce, in salads."
TAG
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Hey, I'm not going to be on the discord for a while. There's an unrelated personal issue that's causing me stress when I go on, and I'd just prefer to not be on there and have my anxiety go up.
I hope this is okay and I apologize for the inconvenience.?
Sam
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Date: 20/09
Time: Mid-Afternoon
Location: Hanami
Characters: Devon, Rosalind
Devon: Her question about his selection had him glancing back to the menu board. The honey wine had sounded tempting, but Devon had never been a fan of drinking on the heels of being angry. ¡°I thought just the sage chamomile tea,¡± he answered.?
?
Dev turned back to Rosalind. As usual, she was quite fetching - not uncommon for Rosalind, though he felt it was as much about her presence and warmth as her appearance. ¡°May I say that you look lovely today?¡±?
------------------------------------------------------------
?
¡°The sage and chamomile is an excellent choice for relaxation after a long day,¡± Rosalind said, and ran her hand down his arm in a friendly manner as she made her way behind the bar to pick out a mug and put the kettle on. Tea at Hanami was served freshly brewed, it had been one of the things she was adamant about.?
?
¡°You may,¡± Rosalind said, giving Devon a smile over her shoulder, ¡°And you look quite well yourself today, Devon. Though I daresay that if you give me free reign, you¡¯ll glow by the time I¡¯m done with you,¡± she added with a laugh, and picked out the sage and chamomile blend he¡¯d wanted.?
¡°I promise, I¡¯d be as gentle as possible,¡± she added in a slight tease. One of these days, she¡¯d manage to talk him into trying an aromatherapy massage, and maybe today would be that day.??
Tags
?
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Date: 20/09
Time: Midday
Location: Paradise
Characters: Bettina/Open
Pausing for a moment to look at her reflection in the window, Bettina wrinkled her nose up at the smudge thereon, then rubbed away the dirt with her sleeve. She had done the best she could under the circumstances to clean up, but circumstances hadn't been all that good!
She'd only just arrived in town an couple hours ago, and her first task had been to find food and shelter for her horse, an ancient dapple grey beast that was about all she had left of her past, at least with her. There were some things in storage at what used to be the family store in Stob, but she had pretty much decided that she would never see those trinkets again. Of course, she had the most precious things stuffed in with her scant clothing in the saddle bags slung over her shoulder.
With a wry grin, she shook her head. After spending the better part of two hours mucking stalls in exchange for board for Duke, she'd done the best she could to clean herself up with the pitcher of water that the stable owner had provided, and she could only hope that she didn't stink like the stalls she'd been working in, and that she could find some sort of work to do in exchange for, at very least, a meal for herself.
Taking a breath, she pushed open the doors, unconsciously brushing her hands along the legs of her coveralls as she walked across the room to the bar, where she found a spot as far away from the patrons as she could while she waited to be acknowledged.
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Date: 20/09 Time: Mid-Afternoon Location: Hanami Characters: Devon, Rosalind
¡°Mr Bellflower,¡± Rosalind said, having spent only a few seconds to place him, and a friendly smile spread across her lips as she approached him. ¡°You are a welcome sight. Have you decided on your selection from the bar yet? The honeywine is especially good this season,¡± she said, her smile widening just a fraction.
Devon turned to look at the person speaking to him, and smiled to see that it was Rosalind. Actually, it was more her insistence on calling him ¡°Mr. Bellflower¡± - they weren¡¯t all that different in age, and they¡¯d both grown up in Brea.?
¡°Devon,¡± he reminded her in his gentle way. ¡°Mr. Bellflower makes it sound as though I¡¯m far more dignified than I am.¡°
Her question about his selection had him glancing back to the menu board. The honey wine had sounded tempting, but Devon had never been a fan of drinking on the heels of being angry. ¡°I thought just the sage chamomile tea,¡± he answered.?
Dev turned back to Rosalind. As usual, she was quite fetching - not uncommon for Rosalind, though he felt it was as much about her presence and warmth as her appearance. ¡°May I say that you look lovely today?¡±?
Tag
Date: 20/09
Time: Mid-Afternoon
Location: Hanami
Characters: Devon?
Devon: At the tea bar, Devon reviewed the herbal teas on offer - they changed with the seasons and whatever was available - and decided on sage chamomile tea. It wouldn't make him tired, but it should help his muscles relax.
The soft chime at the door had Rosalind look up from the book she¡¯d been perusing. It was a quiet day so far, which was hardly a surprise as most were still busy working. The evenings were when Hanami did their best business, especially during and after celebrations. A customer coming in during the afternoon was a welcome break from routine, and she replaced the book in one elegant movement before leaving the pause room to welcome whomever it was.?
¡°Mr Bellflower,¡± Rosalind said, having spent only a few seconds to place him, and a friendly smile spread across her lips as she approached him. ¡°You are a welcome sight. Have you decided on your selection from the bar yet? The honeywine is especially good this season,¡± she said, her smile widening just a fraction.
Tags
?
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Date: 20/09
Time: Mid-Afternoon
Location: Hanami
Characters: Devon?
Devon: At the tea bar, Devon reviewed the herbal teas on offer - they changed with the seasons and whatever was available - and decided on sage chamomile tea. It wouldn't make him tired, but it should help his muscles relax.
The soft chime at the door had Rosalind look up from the book she¡¯d been perusing. It was a quiet day so far, which was hardly a surprise as most were still busy working. The evenings were when Hanami did their best business, especially during and after celebrations. A customer coming in during the afternoon was a welcome break from routine, and she replaced the book in one elegant movement before leaving the pause room to welcome whomever it was.?
¡°Mr Bellflower,¡± Rosalind said, having spent only a few seconds to place him, and a friendly smile spread across her lips as she approached him. ¡°You are a welcome sight. Have you decided on your selection from the bar yet? The honeywine is especially good this season,¡± she said, her smile widening just a fraction.
Tags
?
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Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan
Aidan chuckled. "The townsfolk of Brea thank you in advance," he teased. "For a man so talented in the kitchen, I'm not sure how your puddings never quite come together as they should. We use the same recipe."?His family had never been big on sweets, so the recipe was actually Sinjin's family's.?The last attempt at a pudding had been watery, not thickening the way it should have. Aidan had taken it away and given it the proper burial it deserved.
"I can try my hand at sweets this year. I'm sure Starla will be happy to help me." Aidan preferred to cook, not bake. He felt like there was more room for trying new things. "I wonder if I can talk her into those apple cakes that I like." Aidan had never developed a real sweet tooth, preferring desserts that didn't make him feel like cavities were instantly forming. Still, he'd somehow developed a weakness for any dessert that featured apples.?
TAG
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Date:?20/09
Time:?Late Morning
Location:?Hanami
Characters:?Starla
Starla had been slowly getting to Hanami that day, despite the basket of fresh baked bread, dried herbs and flowers that she carried. As was her habit, Starla had a short conversation with everyone she came across, checking in on them and their family with the sort of gentle warmth that made most people comfortable sharing. Of course, keeping her fingers on the pulse of the community was how Starla felt connected to everyone in Brea, without having a family unit of her own.?
In Hanami, Starla indicated that she was scheduled to meet with Ella. Starla wanted tea in the company of a cat, and she was considering allowing a cat into her home. Starla wanted company, but not the sort of company that?needed? her all the time, like a dog would. A cat would be happy to share her space without always needing to be?in it. Ella would be the best person to help Starla figure out which cat, if any, would become Starla's companion.?
TAG
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Date:?20/09
Time:?Mid-Afternoon
Location:?Hanami
Characters:?Devon
Devon let his eyes adjust to the relatively low lighting in Hanami once he'd ducked into the building and close the door behind him. His slouch was more emphasized today than usual - some of the public areas of Hanami had that effect on him. He felt overly tall, like his head would brush the ceiling. He made his way to the tea bar, deciding that he'd have an herbal tea in an effort to find a measure of relaxation. He'd spent the morning chopping firewood for the family house, in quantities enough to satisfy his father. Da was having it rough that morning - he'd woken with a merciless migraine, and it had made him snappish and angry. Devon's mother and sister had escaped to a neighbor's for lunch, leaving Devon to bear the brunt of Da's displeasure.
Devon didn't mind on a typical day like this. Da would usually snap out a few demands for work to be done and then go back to his darkened bedroom to wait for the migraine to ease. Today, Da had felt the need to fight through part of it, and had ended up saying some cutting things about Devon's lack of effort to find a partner and have grandchildren to whom the family craft of carpentry could be taught. Which wouldn't have been a big deal either, but Da had then insinuated that he needed those grandchildren because Dev's skill wasn't up to par.?
Only the knowledge that Da was being driven by the pain kept Devon from lashing back at his father. So when Da finally headed back to bed, Devon kept chopping wood, and when he couldn't add another stick to their stock, had gone and started in on a table that had been ordered. He'd managed to work off his irritation and anger, but then his muscles had protested the abuse. So Dev had washed up, changed into clothes that didn't smell of sweat and sawdust, and made his way to Hanami.
At the tea bar, Devon reviewed the herbal teas on offer - they changed with the seasons and whatever was available - and decided on sage chamomile tea. It wouldn't make him tired, but it should help his muscles relax.
TAG
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Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan
¡°She always did have good taste,¡± he teased. He
liked Starla; she was good company and she clearly cared for Aidan and Aidan
cared for her. Even if Sinjin did not like her he would try for his partner¡¯s
sake. He was glad that he did enjoy her company and he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to
call her a friend.
¡°I haven¡¯t decided what to cook yet; I have
some promises of meat and vegetables and labour already. Since I won¡¯t have to
peel all the potatoes and veg, I was considering a stew? With some herb
dumplings, perhaps a vegetable chilli, there are so many choices! I will stick
to the savoury this year; I have accepted that I am no good at puddings!¡±
Tag Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan
Aidan laughed at Sinjin¡¯s teasing. ¡°I will appreciate that," he replied. "And I will be sure to return each one of them." He dropped a kiss on Sinjin's hair when his head was on his shoulder. It was thinner than it had been when they met, but neither of them were the men they'd been then. And Aidan wouldn't have it any other way. They had twenty eight years together, marked in every laugh line and grey hair.?
"Mmm, both dishes sound delicious. And Starla will appreciate either, and the company. She's alone entirely too much lately," Aidan observed. He'd worried, but she seemed content enough. Sinjin was good about helping him ensure that Starla got some social interaction.?
He took a bite of his lunch, savoring the flavor and the time with his partner. ¡°Any thoughts for the Equinox? I know I should have realized it was coming up, but we¡¯ve been busy this last few weeks.¡±
Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan Sinjin probably should have felt more chagrined than he
actually did. He merely shrugged with a ¡®what can you do?¡¯ smile which was a
shade too innocent to be sincere.
¡°Remind me which shirt is that? I thought you liked all my
shirts one me, or even better off me,¡± the tone was teasing and accompanied by
a cocked eyebrow and the beginnings of a leer. The leer soon turned to a
genuine smile as Aidan scooted closer and settled against then pressed a soft
kiss to his lips. Sinjin treasured every touch and soft word from his partner
because he knew the love that was behind them.
¡°Ah, an oversight for sure,¡± he pressed the line of his body
tighter into Aidan¡¯s, ducking down a little so he could briefly rest his head
on Aidan¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I will endeavour to wake you each morning with a kiss ¡
in a variety of places.¡± He stayed there for a moment enjoying the closeness
before sitting back up and returning to his lunch.
¡°Shall we invite Starla over for dinner this week? I still
have some minced pork; I could make some meatballs in a mushroom cream sauce,
or a chicken with mushroom and chestnut stuffing?¡±
Tag? ??
Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan?
¡°I thought they¡¯d provide some variety to our table, and Starla¡¯s,¡± Aidan replied. He smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve mending to bring her way, since someone keeps getting caught on odd things and putting holes in shirts or losing buttons.¡±
His tone was teasing. Sinjin truly was no harsher on his wardrobe than Aidan. It just seemed like this week¡¯s mending was all Sinjin¡¯s apparel. Next week, it would be Aidan¡¯s. ¡°That green shirt I like on you ?needs some attention, too.¡±
He shook his head to the offer of sharing the curry and reached under the foraging bounty to bring out his own sealed container, kept secure and warm by being wrapped in a cut of fabric, bento-style. ¡°I brought my own. I thought I¡®d be out this long, even if I wasn¡¯t so fortunate as to catch up with you.¡±
Aidan scooted a little closer, just so that they were pressed together from shoulder to elbow. It wouldn¡¯t stop either of them from eating, but Aidan relished even the smallest displays of physical affection. He¡¯d grown up in a family unit that didn¡¯t value overt displays of affection, so even now he sought it out with Sinjin.
Before unwrapping his lunch, Aidan turned his head and stole a soft kiss from Sinjin. ¡°There,¡± he said with satisfaction. ¡°Since you were out of the house before I was properly awake.¡±
Tag
Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan??On Wed, Oct 30, 2019 at 7:41 AM Jo < eommods@...> wrote: Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow
outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan?
Sinjin was brought out of his thoughts by a familiar voice
calling his name. A fond smile came to his face and he turend his head in the
direction of the voice; there were a handful of people that called him Love and
he knew that particularly voice intimately.
¡°Hello,¡± he called out, watching his partner walk over and
settle himself on the blanket. Curiously he leaned over to look into the basket
and gave an exaggerated sniff, ¡°Mushrooms? A good haul, they look delicious. Are
you hungry? I have some of the leftover curry from last night.¡±
Tag???
Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan
Aidan followed the trail leading to the meadow. He'd been foraging mushrooms and wild fruit and berries that morning, for his and SInjin's table and Starla's. In exchange, she'd take their mending and work her magic. Aidan had no talent whatsoever with needle and thread, and relied on his friend to keep him and Sinjin from looking ragged.?
He found himself smiling as he saw Sinjin in the meadow. Not that there was any surprise to it. This meadow was where his partner tended to drift. "Hello, Love," he called. Though his partner went by Sinjin, Aidan did like to use his proper name when the occasion warranted. This was one of them.
Aidan joined his partner in the middle of meadow, setting down his basket on a corner of the blanket. He also toed off his shoes, and then sat next to Sinjin. "Lunch break?" he asked rhetorically.
TAG
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Date:?20/09
Time:?Morning
Location:?St. John's Market
Characters:?Snicks, Mirriam
Mortified Snicks fell
to his knees to collect the errant tomatoes. He flinched when he felt another
presence by his side but calmed himself enough to stutter out a ¡®thank you¡¯. The
tremor in his hands was still pronounced, it made picking the tomatoes up
individually impossible so he brushed a few together and scooped them in his
hands before depositing them back in the basket.
The methodical act
helped calm him somewhat and by the time the task was done he felt more in
control of himself. He found a spot over Mirriam¡¯s shoulder, the closest he
could look ¨C eye contact was just too much at this point,
¡°Thank you for your
help, I appreciate it. I did not mean to interrupt your shopping,¡±
Tag
On Thu, Oct 31, 2019 at 5:35 PM M H via Groups.Io <joseph.cade= [email protected]> wrote: Date:?20/09
Time:?Morning
Location:?St. John's Market
Characters:?Snicks, Mirriam
You would have thought she carried some highly contagious disease or had suddenly sprouted a second head the way the man reacted to her simple reply and then hurried away from her presence, no attempt at eye contact. Not exactly a social type, Mirriam frowned. Oh well, the man was an adult and free to live his life as he pleased. On second thought maybe he had mental issues. It happened. For a long time the Paradise had a customer who kept trying to bring his horse into the bar itself and claimed the horse was the only one he could have meaningful conversations with. Aury and her tried reasoning with the old fellow but in the end there was no way around it and rather than yet another long winded argument, Aury simply informed him he was banned from the place. The man then claimed he would take his business elsewhere where they would welcome his horse. Good luck on that.
She had forgotten the whole thing of a few minutes earlier and kept shopping for necessary food items when there was a noise. Looking down the produce aisle there was a full basket of tomatoes scattered on the floor and that very same man stooping down to reach for them. Apparently an accident, it could happen to anyone. Mirriam moved toward the man.
"Here, lemme help you with those," she magnanimously offered, bending down to snatch the closest loose tomato to her, they had scattered quite well it seemed.
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Date:?20/09
Time:?Early afternoon
Location:?Crane farm
Characters:?Cai, Anna
Anna pursed her lips for a moment and tilted her head, regarding Cai for a moment. They didn't talk, short of the times Cai came up the property, but Cai was respectful, and a good neighbor, and didn't ask too much of her, and that was pretty much all Anna could ask for given her current situation. She kind of felt for the younger hunter, the way she had to figure out how to run things all on her own, and the way the Mordecai Farm was a challenge in and of itself. Plus, hunting in the Out There beyond the boundary was dangerous. Hell, living?near the boundary was dangerous.?
After a moment's thought, she shrugged and tapped Cai's shoulder with one hand. "Come on. We'll talk about that on the way." she said. "As much as I'd love for the two of us to just stand by the fence, you have work to do, and I have a few things I'd like to show you." Anna turned back towards the road and led Cai down the path to the lesser-used barn, smaller, a shade of green that almost looked black with a sliding metal door and a red lightbulb mounted above the entrance. "Non-harmful would be interesting, but two of those Scree fuckers got through the shield the other night and got three of my ewes before I grabbed my rifle from bed, so I'm not exactly in a charitable mood." She paused. "Two survived, but they're laid up and that's more work and less time when the next season gets here."?
As they reached the door, Anna slid the metal aside and switched on the lamp. "But you two can take a look, certainly. This close to the boundary, I can't keep wasting bullets." Already on the cutting table were the remains of two scree. "You're welcome to any goods from the kills I made."
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Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan
Aidan laughed at Sinjin¡¯s teasing. ¡°I will appreciate that," he replied. "And I will be sure to return each one of them." He dropped a kiss on Sinjin's hair when his head was on his shoulder. It was thinner than it had been when they met, but neither of them were the men they'd been then. And Aidan wouldn't have it any other way. They had twenty eight years together, marked in every laugh line and grey hair.?
"Mmm, both dishes sound delicious. And Starla will appreciate either, and the company. She's alone entirely too much lately," Aidan observed. He'd worried, but she seemed content enough. Sinjin was good about helping him ensure that Starla got some social interaction.?
He took a bite of his lunch, savoring the flavor and the time with his partner. ¡°Any thoughts for the Equinox? I know I should have realized it was coming up, but we¡¯ve been busy this last few weeks.¡±
Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan Sinjin probably should have felt more chagrined than he
actually did. He merely shrugged with a ¡®what can you do?¡¯ smile which was a
shade too innocent to be sincere.
¡°Remind me which shirt is that? I thought you liked all my
shirts one me, or even better off me,¡± the tone was teasing and accompanied by
a cocked eyebrow and the beginnings of a leer. The leer soon turned to a
genuine smile as Aidan scooted closer and settled against then pressed a soft
kiss to his lips. Sinjin treasured every touch and soft word from his partner
because he knew the love that was behind them.
¡°Ah, an oversight for sure,¡± he pressed the line of his body
tighter into Aidan¡¯s, ducking down a little so he could briefly rest his head
on Aidan¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I will endeavour to wake you each morning with a kiss ¡
in a variety of places.¡± He stayed there for a moment enjoying the closeness
before sitting back up and returning to his lunch.
¡°Shall we invite Starla over for dinner this week? I still
have some minced pork; I could make some meatballs in a mushroom cream sauce,
or a chicken with mushroom and chestnut stuffing?¡±
Tag? ??
Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan?
¡°I thought they¡¯d provide some variety to our table, and Starla¡¯s,¡± Aidan replied. He smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve mending to bring her way, since someone keeps getting caught on odd things and putting holes in shirts or losing buttons.¡±
His tone was teasing. Sinjin truly was no harsher on his wardrobe than Aidan. It just seemed like this week¡¯s mending was all Sinjin¡¯s apparel. Next week, it would be Aidan¡¯s. ¡°That green shirt I like on you ?needs some attention, too.¡±
He shook his head to the offer of sharing the curry and reached under the foraging bounty to bring out his own sealed container, kept secure and warm by being wrapped in a cut of fabric, bento-style. ¡°I brought my own. I thought I¡®d be out this long, even if I wasn¡¯t so fortunate as to catch up with you.¡±
Aidan scooted a little closer, just so that they were pressed together from shoulder to elbow. It wouldn¡¯t stop either of them from eating, but Aidan relished even the smallest displays of physical affection. He¡¯d grown up in a family unit that didn¡¯t value overt displays of affection, so even now he sought it out with Sinjin.
Before unwrapping his lunch, Aidan turned his head and stole a soft kiss from Sinjin. ¡°There,¡± he said with satisfaction. ¡°Since you were out of the house before I was properly awake.¡±
Tag
Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan??On Wed, Oct 30, 2019 at 7:41 AM Jo < eommods@...> wrote: Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow
outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan?
Sinjin was brought out of his thoughts by a familiar voice
calling his name. A fond smile came to his face and he turend his head in the
direction of the voice; there were a handful of people that called him Love and
he knew that particularly voice intimately.
¡°Hello,¡± he called out, watching his partner walk over and
settle himself on the blanket. Curiously he leaned over to look into the basket
and gave an exaggerated sniff, ¡°Mushrooms? A good haul, they look delicious. Are
you hungry? I have some of the leftover curry from last night.¡±
Tag???
Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan
Aidan followed the trail leading to the meadow. He'd been foraging mushrooms and wild fruit and berries that morning, for his and SInjin's table and Starla's. In exchange, she'd take their mending and work her magic. Aidan had no talent whatsoever with needle and thread, and relied on his friend to keep him and Sinjin from looking ragged.?
He found himself smiling as he saw Sinjin in the meadow. Not that there was any surprise to it. This meadow was where his partner tended to drift. "Hello, Love," he called. Though his partner went by Sinjin, Aidan did like to use his proper name when the occasion warranted. This was one of them.
Aidan joined his partner in the middle of meadow, setting down his basket on a corner of the blanket. He also toed off his shoes, and then sat next to Sinjin. "Lunch break?" he asked rhetorically.
TAG
|
Date:?20/09
Time:?Early afternoon
Location:?Crane farm
Characters:?Cai, Anna
Cai grinned as Anna approached; she liked the other woman, there was a mutual understanding that she enjoyed. They didn¡¯t really talk but it was still a comfortable relationship.
?
¡°Yes, good haul today! There are more creatures coming close to the border, my traps have been picking up a few. More and more are coming through I have noticed a few things around the farm.¡± that was a little worrying. It was one thing to choose to go into the Out There to hunt, it was entirely different the Out There coming in.
?
¡°Let me know if you want any deterrents putting up around the place. I am talking to Snicks, the nervous engineer guy in town? Big tattoo on his throat, jumps at loud noises? Anyway, he is trying to find some non-harmful ways to discourage them. He was talking about a motion sensor noise or air thing, I¡¯m not sure. I am just suring up my fences right now, blighters dig and gnaw.
?
Do you want anything today?¡± she indicated her haul again.
?
Tag
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Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan Sinjin probably should have felt more chagrined than he
actually did. He merely shrugged with a ¡®what can you do?¡¯ smile which was a
shade too innocent to be sincere.
¡°Remind me which shirt is that? I thought you liked all my
shirts one me, or even better off me,¡± the tone was teasing and accompanied by
a cocked eyebrow and the beginnings of a leer. The leer soon turned to a
genuine smile as Aidan scooted closer and settled against then pressed a soft
kiss to his lips. Sinjin treasured every touch and soft word from his partner
because he knew the love that was behind them.
¡°Ah, an oversight for sure,¡± he pressed the line of his body
tighter into Aidan¡¯s, ducking down a little so he could briefly rest his head
on Aidan¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I will endeavour to wake you each morning with a kiss ¡
in a variety of places.¡± He stayed there for a moment enjoying the closeness
before sitting back up and returning to his lunch.
¡°Shall we invite Starla over for dinner this week? I still
have some minced pork; I could make some meatballs in a mushroom cream sauce,
or a chicken with mushroom and chestnut stuffing?¡±
Tag? ??
Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan?
¡°I thought they¡¯d provide some variety to our table, and Starla¡¯s,¡± Aidan replied. He smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve mending to bring her way, since someone keeps getting caught on odd things and putting holes in shirts or losing buttons.¡±
His tone was teasing. Sinjin truly was no harsher on his wardrobe than Aidan. It just seemed like this week¡¯s mending was all Sinjin¡¯s apparel. Next week, it would be Aidan¡¯s. ¡°That green shirt I like on you ?needs some attention, too.¡±
He shook his head to the offer of sharing the curry and reached under the foraging bounty to bring out his own sealed container, kept secure and warm by being wrapped in a cut of fabric, bento-style. ¡°I brought my own. I thought I¡®d be out this long, even if I wasn¡¯t so fortunate as to catch up with you.¡±
Aidan scooted a little closer, just so that they were pressed together from shoulder to elbow. It wouldn¡¯t stop either of them from eating, but Aidan relished even the smallest displays of physical affection. He¡¯d grown up in a family unit that didn¡¯t value overt displays of affection, so even now he sought it out with Sinjin.
Before unwrapping his lunch, Aidan turned his head and stole a soft kiss from Sinjin. ¡°There,¡± he said with satisfaction. ¡°Since you were out of the house before I was properly awake.¡±
Tag
Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan??On Wed, Oct 30, 2019 at 7:41 AM Jo < eommods@...> wrote: Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow
outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan?
Sinjin was brought out of his thoughts by a familiar voice
calling his name. A fond smile came to his face and he turend his head in the
direction of the voice; there were a handful of people that called him Love and
he knew that particularly voice intimately.
¡°Hello,¡± he called out, watching his partner walk over and
settle himself on the blanket. Curiously he leaned over to look into the basket
and gave an exaggerated sniff, ¡°Mushrooms? A good haul, they look delicious. Are
you hungry? I have some of the leftover curry from last night.¡±
Tag???
Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan
Aidan followed the trail leading to the meadow. He'd been foraging mushrooms and wild fruit and berries that morning, for his and SInjin's table and Starla's. In exchange, she'd take their mending and work her magic. Aidan had no talent whatsoever with needle and thread, and relied on his friend to keep him and Sinjin from looking ragged.?
He found himself smiling as he saw Sinjin in the meadow. Not that there was any surprise to it. This meadow was where his partner tended to drift. "Hello, Love," he called. Though his partner went by Sinjin, Aidan did like to use his proper name when the occasion warranted. This was one of them.
Aidan joined his partner in the middle of meadow, setting down his basket on a corner of the blanket. He also toed off his shoes, and then sat next to Sinjin. "Lunch break?" he asked rhetorically.
TAG
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Date:?20/09
Time:?Morning
Location:?St. John's Market
Characters:?Snicks, Mirriam
You would have thought she carried some highly contagious disease or had suddenly sprouted a second head the way the man reacted to her simple reply and then hurried away from her presence, no attempt at eye contact. Not exactly a social type, Mirriam frowned. Oh well, the man was an adult and free to live his life as he pleased. On second thought maybe he had mental issues. It happened. For a long time the Paradise had a customer who kept trying to bring his horse into the bar itself and claimed the horse was the only one he could have meaningful conversations with. Aury and her tried reasoning with the old fellow but in the end there was no way around it and rather than yet another long winded argument, Aury simply informed him he was banned from the place. The man then claimed he would take his business elsewhere where they would welcome his horse. Good luck on that.
She had forgotten the whole thing of a few minutes earlier and kept shopping for necessary food items when there was a noise. Looking down the produce aisle there was a full basket of tomatoes scattered on the floor and that very same man stooping down to reach for them. Apparently an accident, it could happen to anyone. Mirriam moved toward the man.
"Here, lemme help you with those," she magnanimously offered, bending down to snatch the closest loose tomato to her, they had scattered quite well it seemed.
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Date:?20/09
Time:?Early afternoon
Location:?Crane farm
Characters:?Cai, Anna?
Anna heard the whistle and looked up. She'd spent most of the morning and some of the afternoon in the barn tending to her cows. One had become pregnant, and the others were just stubborn for some reason. Spooked, maybe, since they were so close to the boundary. So part of the morning she'd spent calming them and soothing them, and then the rest of the morning getting them into the stalls so she could milk them. It was difficult work without an automilker, but the repetition was soothing to some degree, and she could filter out the background noise, hear everything around her, and just be aware of her surroundings. It was useful when you dealt with grazing animals, she could shut out the cows, and the creaking of the barn, and listen for the far-off baas.?
Or in this case, a whistle. Anna knew what that meant as the sound ripped through the air, and was already halfway to the door by the time it echoed and the cows again started mooing. With a sigh, she tugged off her heavy gloves, adjusted her cap, and picked up the battered not-quite-leather flight jacket from the hook by the door before greeting the afternoon sunshine. Sure enough, through the squint, she could see Cai waiting just at the gate. With a wave, she headed up the dirt road from the dark green barn to the gate, keeping a nice walking pace, tightening the tied sleeves of her bright red coverall as she reached her neighbor.
"Ma'am." She smiled. It was her usual greeting, somehow feeling both easygoing and formal when she said it. "I take it you're here to cut?" Anna leaned on the gatepost, "Room should be clean today, just tidy up when you're done with it. I'm going to be in the barn most of the time, but I can help if you need."
On Wed, Oct 30, 2019 at 9:21 AM Jo < eommods@...> wrote: Date:?20/09
Time:?Early afternoon
Location:?Crane farm
Characters:?Cai
It had been a successful hunting trip into the Out There and Cai wore her trophies slunk over her shoulder, some inside a thick canvas haversack and some strung together and slunk over her shoulder.
Her traps had taken a few blooms, screes, a few that looked like long, wrung out rabbits, and another creature she had not yet named that had delicious meat when roasted. It looked similar to blooms but a little larger and darker with blunt claws and stubby snouts.
Her bow and throwing daggers had downed a few birds, even a few tree gerbil like creatures. It was a decent haul. The pelts were so so. Blooms coats were waterproof and insulted against the cold, a few more and she would have enough to make a coat or something to protect her when hunting. The rest were mostly soft, though the bloomesque creature¡¯s pelt was coarse and a little prickly. She didn¡¯t know what she would do with that.
The meat would be worth the hassle though. Ella with her cats would take any offal or off cuts she had, Sinjin at the market would take well cut pieces, she could scrap the bone marrow from the bones for stock or soup, keep a little meat to freeze for the future, the possibilities were endless. She just had to butcher first.
Mordecai farm had not been designed with butchery in mind. There was a small amount of space in the kitchen for domestic butchery; a chicken or maybe a rabbit, nothing on the scale that Cai needed. Thankfully her neighbour, Anne Crane, had such a facility and they had come to an agreement over its usage.
Approaching the farm she gave out a loud whistle quickly followed by: ¡°Anyone home?¡±
Tag
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Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan?
¡°I thought they¡¯d provide some variety to our table, and Starla¡¯s,¡± Aidan replied. He smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve mending to bring her way, since someone keeps getting caught on odd things and putting holes in shirts or losing buttons.¡±
His tone was teasing. Sinjin truly was no harsher on his wardrobe than Aidan. It just seemed like this week¡¯s mending was all Sinjin¡¯s apparel. Next week, it would be Aidan¡¯s. ¡°That green shirt I like on you ?needs some attention, too.¡±
He shook his head to the offer of sharing the curry and reached under the foraging bounty to bring out his own sealed container, kept secure and warm by being wrapped in a cut of fabric, bento-style. ¡°I brought my own. I thought I¡®d be out this long, even if I wasn¡¯t so fortunate as to catch up with you.¡±
Aidan scooted a little closer, just so that they were pressed together from shoulder to elbow. It wouldn¡¯t stop either of them from eating, but Aidan relished even the smallest displays of physical affection. He¡¯d grown up in a family unit that didn¡¯t value overt displays of affection, so even now he sought it out with Sinjin.
Before unwrapping his lunch, Aidan turned his head and stole a soft kiss from Sinjin. ¡°There,¡± he said with satisfaction. ¡°Since you were out of the house before I was properly awake.¡±
Tag
Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan??On Wed, Oct 30, 2019 at 7:41 AM Jo < eommods@...> wrote:
Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow
outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan?
Sinjin was brought out of his thoughts by a familiar voice
calling his name. A fond smile came to his face and he turend his head in the
direction of the voice; there were a handful of people that called him Love and
he knew that particularly voice intimately.
¡°Hello,¡± he called out, watching his partner walk over and
settle himself on the blanket. Curiously he leaned over to look into the basket
and gave an exaggerated sniff, ¡°Mushrooms? A good haul, they look delicious. Are
you hungry? I have some of the leftover curry from last night.¡±
Tag???
Date:?20/09
Time:?Noon
Location:?Wild meadow outside town
Characters:?Sinjin, Aidan
Aidan followed the trail leading to the meadow. He'd been foraging mushrooms and wild fruit and berries that morning, for his and SInjin's table and Starla's. In exchange, she'd take their mending and work her magic. Aidan had no talent whatsoever with needle and thread, and relied on his friend to keep him and Sinjin from looking ragged.?
He found himself smiling as he saw Sinjin in the meadow. Not that there was any surprise to it. This meadow was where his partner tended to drift. "Hello, Love," he called. Though his partner went by Sinjin, Aidan did like to use his proper name when the occasion warranted. This was one of them.
Aidan joined his partner in the middle of meadow, setting down his basket on a corner of the blanket. He also toed off his shoes, and then sat next to Sinjin. "Lunch break?" he asked rhetorically.
TAG
|
Date:?20/09
Time:?Morning
Location:?St. John's Market
Characters:?Snicks, Mirriam
Snicks gave a quick nod of acknowledgement then scurried past her, keeping his eyes firmly on the ground. The voice wasn¡¯t one he recognised and he was in no fit state to chat to strangers. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears, his breathing become rapid and shallow, and the faint tremor in his hands became uncontrollable. He started to clench his fists as he rounded the corner, when that didn¡¯t work he hugged himself tightly, thumbs rubbing painfully into his arms as he tried to calm himself.
He needed one thing! One thing! Sinjin had already given him the go ahead. He wanted some small tomatoes, cucumber, and a head of lettuce, it would be enough to keep him fed for a few days and then he was going to use the leftovers to start a little vegetable garden near his home. Or at least that was the plan.
?Next to the fresh vegetables were little woven baskets of varying sizes, grabbing the smaller one, he had to grasp it firmly between his two hands to stop it shaking uncontrollably. Approaching the large basket of tomatoes he started to carefully pick them one by one and put them in his basket. It was taking all his concentration to keep his hands steady.
He heard the sound of the door whoozing open and that one distraction caused him to lose his focus and the basket and tomatoes tumbled to the ground.
Tag
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Bethy
Jo