Twice Baked Potatoes

My favorite vegetable is definitely potatoes. Oh, and my name is Claire.

[leiathemermaid]

"Uh… I’m a mermaid!" *grins* "You Humans are silly. Have you never heard of us?"

[hityouwithmyhoes]

[Blinks rapidly, reaching up to rub her eyes.] W-well, I mean, yeah, I heard stories when I was a kid… bedtime ones, but I always thought they were make believe… I ain’t never seen a mermaid in my entire life, not even when I visited the shore with my pops on a vacation…! [Struggles for several minutes to string together a coherent sentence.] I… well, I, uh, guess I’m bein’ rude, aren’t I…? I go by Claire. [Hesitantly reaches a hand out for her to shake.]

[leiathemermaid]

[Stares at hand a bit, then reaches her own out to mirror the gesture without grabbing it. Her smile is enormous.] Hello Claire, I’m Leia! I’m glad to meet you.

[hityouwithmyhoes]

[Shakes hand gingerly, still trying to piece together proper sentences if appearance is anything to go by, her mouth opening and closing almost like a fish.] I... yeah. Good ta meet you, too. You, uh... you come by to visit the town? Or just out for a swim, perhaps? 'Fraid the town is mostly cobblestone, not much river at all...

[hityouwithmyhoes]

"Why do you like potatoes so much? They... they live in the dirt..."

Ugh, I dunno why, it’s just something about all that delicious starch… and maybe the fact that dad used to make an awesome twice baked potato when I was a kid and did a good job on a test or something. Didn’t happen often, but what can you do? And lots of things we eat grow in the ground. Unless you eat only meat or fish, which I don’t make a habit of… [Suddenly gets an eyeful of her tail and wigs out, pointing and stammering.] W-w-w-wh-what… the heck? Why do y-you have a fishtail?!

[leiathemermaid]

"Uh… I’m a mermaid!" *grins* "You Humans are silly. Have you never heard of us?"

[hityouwithmyhoes]

[Blinks rapidly, reaching up to rub her eyes.] W-well, I mean, yeah, I heard stories when I was a kid... bedtime ones, but I always thought they were make believe... I ain't never seen a mermaid in my entire life, not even when I visited the shore with my pops on a vacation...! [Struggles for several minutes to string together a coherent sentence.] I... well, I, uh, guess I'm bein' rude, aren't I...? I go by Claire. [Hesitantly reaches a hand out for her to shake.]

[hityouwithmyhoes]

[Grins, resting the basket against the side of her hip and hoping that she's convinced Claire enough to stop by the Inn.] Let's see here--I can make just about anything you'd wanna eat! What kinds of food are your favorites? Dad has a menu inside but we don't follow it strictly. I can whip up something you've been craving?

[Deadpans.] Potatoes. Anything with potatoes, and I’m yours, you can do whatever you want with me. [Smirks slightly, shrugging her shoulders.] Honestly, I ain’t too picky with foods. I learned early on to eat what was on my plate. Not too fond of spinach though. I’m okay with it raw, but just the sight of boiled spinach makes my stomach turn… [Sticks tongue out, making a ridiculous face.]

[hityouwithmyhoes]

"Why do you like potatoes so much? They... they live in the dirt..."

Ugh, I dunno why, it’s just something about all that delicious starch… and maybe the fact that dad used to make an awesome twice baked potato when I was a kid and did a good job on a test or something. Didn’t happen often, but what can you do? And lots of things we eat grow in the ground. Unless you eat only meat or fish, which I don’t make a habit of… [Suddenly gets an eyeful of her tail and wigs out, pointing and stammering.] W-w-w-wh-what… the heck? Why do y-you have a fishtail?!

[hityouwithmyhoes]

PSST TMI TIME

[reaping-the-harvest1]

New Town, New Me

[reaping-the-harvest1]

Molly stared at the woman she bumped into,a brow quirking at the attitude she flung at her. Pursing her lips, she kept her thoughts tucked away in her mind.

Bringing her hand to the side of her cheek and pressing a finger against it as she chewed the inside, she nodded her head at the woman’s question.

"No, I’m not from anywhere around here, though I currently live in Castanet." She spoke, shrugging her shoulders.

"I hopped onto a boat and took it to the first destination." the young farmer rocked on her heels, glancing over the woman before speaking again.

"Oh, uh, call me Molly!"

[hityouwithmyhoes]

She raised an eyebrow at that. "Castanet? Never heard of it. 'Course, I never heard of Mineral Town until I saw that ad in the paper, either... Well, Molly, I s'ppose it's nice to meet ya. Name's Claire."

She shifted her bags to one arm, managing to balance them with little grace before sticking out her hand to shake and offering a slightly crooked smile.

"So, you here sight seein'? I know there's a nice patch of forest not too far south, and a hot spring they've got in good condition on the hill right above it. Otherwise, they got an Inn a little ways from here, with good service and better food... I'm still learnin' my way around here, so I can't say much else in the way of tourism or attractions." She grinned faintly, shrugging her shoulders in a helpless sort of way. "Plus, I was on my way back to my farm..." It sounded so weird, to say it was her farm. But her name was on the deed, after all. "I was just stockin' up on provisions before heading back to work weedin' and all. Place is a mess from the way the Mayor's been lookin' after it." She rolled her eyes, prickling with more than a little annoyance at the mere thought of the man.

[hityouwithmyhoes]

Wha-- Dad did?! Of course he did! [Lets out a chuckle, shaking her head at the image of Doug pointing her out to Claire. Nods at the farmer and returns the shake with a chipper smile.] Pleasure to meetcha, Claire! You must've been toiling away all day at the farm, it looks like. Have you taken a break and eaten something? I can grab you an order at the Inn and deliver it to you, free of charge, 'course! [Grins.] Like a welcoming gift! ♪

[Smirks slightly at the reaction she got, putting her hands on her hips and leaning back slightly, her spine creaking and popping lightly.] Welp, if I’m s’pposed to raise any kinda animals or crops or anything on this farm, I gotta work at the biggest problem… although there are a couple things need fixin’ on the coop and the barn, too, from where I’m standin’. [Immediately perks up at the mention of food, her mouth beginning to salivate.] R-really? Well, geeze, I sure can’t say no to free food, and the smells comin’ from the kitchen at yer Inn sure do smell good… better than the muck I make. What’cha got? [Tilts head inquisitively, grinning widely.]

[hityouwithmyhoes]

[Continues blinking straight at Claire - before she finally registers that someone had been right in front of her practically this whole time! Eyes widen a notch, but she's quick to mirror the wave with an enthusiastic one of her own.] Good morning! Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to intrude or trespass - or anything like that! I didn't know someone had moved in here. [Takes the opportunity to move closer - and grins at Claire.] I'm Ann, by the way. Nice to meetcha! ♪

[Claire dusts her hands off, wiping them on the coveralls she purchased in bulk before making the big move, reaching out to shake hands.] Yeah… yer dad Doug pointed you out ta me when I stopped by last. And yer hardly intrudin’ - I haven’t put up the No Trespassin’ signs, just yet. Yeap, I just moved in, tryin’ to make some order of this mess our lovely Mayor left for whoever took the darn place… [Lets out a quick sigh, blowing her bangs up and out of her eyes.]

[hityouwithmyhoes]

[Gazes upon Claire's vast farmland, blinking in bewilderment. A basket of produce is tucked underneath her arm, but she only continues staring at the fields.] Wow. What a sight to see! I wonder if someone lives here now--

[Pushes herself up from the ground, having been mostly obscured by a tangled mess of weeds wrapped around boulders that she had not been able to move or get rid of just yet. Moving her hand, she wiped sweat off her brow, managing to skew her bangs and dirty up her already not-so-clean face.]

Phewee, that is one stubborn weed!

[She chewed her lip, staring at it a moment longer before a flash of red caught her eye. She turned to spot a young woman, the Innkeeper’s daughter, she wanted to say? and raised a hand in silent greeting. She’d never been introduced proper, only saw her when Doug pointed her out on her way upstairs to clean.]

[hityouwithmyhoes]

Around Town

Claire let out a heavy sigh as she settled into her chair. She'd walked all the way to the Inn for her lunch, and boy, was she starving! Who knew eggs were so hard to cook? After screwing up scrambled eggs three times, she gave up, popped some bread in an ancient toaster that spit out smoke and the occasional spark, and got to work cleaning out the field that she was meant to be using as her livelihood.

After working her hands raw pulling weeks and piling up branches and stones, she felt she deserved a wholesome meal, definitely not something she could just chuck in the microwave and be done with it. She tapped her fingers against the table, drumming them quietly as she waited.

[reaping-the-harvest1]

New Town, New Me

Molly let out a sigh, her breath visible as she walked down the path into the unfamiliar town. It was cold, snow high on the ground as the sound of it crunching under her feet hit her ears. She was bored, wanting to venture out and visit new towns; she had been living in Castanet for a few months and had only stayed there (unless she made a visit home for business purposes).

She had never heard of Mineral Town, finding the name interesting as the ship’s captain called out the destination. She knew it had to be worth visiting if the ferry was making a stop there.

Crossing her arms over her body, she cursed the chilly weather and the fact that she was used to Mediterranean winters. “Why did I think this was a good idea?” She asked herself, before accidentally bumping into someone.

"Oh! Mi dispiace! Er- sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. Are you okay?"

[hityouwithmyhoes]

Claire let out a huff of frustration, swinging her arms full of grocery bags back and forth and muttering to herself.

"Just who does that Jeff guy think he is! Telling me I should start with crops and all that jazz... I don't see him runnin' a farm! Everyone knows the monies with the milk... but... I guess I could pick up a few bags of potato seeds..."

Her grumbling trailed off as she settled down, barely a week into living at her lonely little patch of land and she was already getting riled by the locals' friendly advice. She knew she shouldn't be; friendlier people couldn't be found, but she couldn't help thinking they were laughing at her behind her back.

She collided with something solid, something that apologized in a sincere voice.

"Ooof! Hey, watch where yer goin'!" She grimaced, managing to maintain her precarious balance, a good thing although there wasn't anything fragile in her bags; mostly frozen foods and quick meals. Thank goodness she'd thought to bring her microwave.

She raised an eyebrow at the other young woman, huffing another quick sigh.

"... 'pology accepted. Hey, you're not from around here, right? I was sure I'd met everyone by now..."

[hityouwithmyhoes]

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE INANIMATE OBJECT?