[thedistantrancher]

“Love is not a word I’d associate with you.”

animallovergwen

[animallovergwen-blog]

Scowling, she crossed her arms. “The feeling is mutual.”

[thedistantrancher]

“I am making an invisible line between us in the boat. If even a hair crosses it, I will make sure you walk the rest of the ride.”

[animallovergwen-blog]

She pushed her hand nearly to Jamie’s face. “Oh yes, please, I dare you, Miss ‘Got-a-black-eye-and-JUST-BARELY-rung-the-bell’.”

[thedistantrancher]

“At least I rang it,” she retorted, as she sat down in the swan boat. She put her foot up on the front wall, her leg bent at the knee, and crossed her arms. 

[thedistantrancher]

“Love is not a word I’d associate with you.”

animallovergwen

[animallovergwen-blog]

Scowling, she crossed her arms. “The feeling is mutual.”

[thedistantrancher]

“I am making an invisible line between us in the boat. If even a hair crosses it, I will make sure you walk the rest of the ride.”

[thedistantrancher]

“Love is not a word I’d associate with you.”

animallovergwen

[thedistantrancher]

A Trophy (Jamie/Candace)

[thedistantrancher]

“Mm.” Jamie nodded. “I probably will never have space for it. Take care of it.” She brought a hand to her chin upon being asked to name it. There was a lot of weight in a name. Power, meaning, emotion… Even if it was not a living dog, she could see Candace would treat it with the same amount of care.

“Its name is… Sif. That is the name one culture knows the Harvest Goddess as. A strong name. And I have heard it was also the name of a loyal wolf, who guarded the grave of its fallen owner.” 

[un-spooling]

She smiles happily - pleased with the name Jamie picked out. She doesn’t know the deity Jamie is talking about, but all in all it seems exactly like the sort of thing Jamie would pick. Candace nods.

“Sif. I’ll take good care of him, so be sure to visit with him sometimes too, okay? If he’s named for a loyal guardian then I’m sure he’ll miss you, even if I take very good care of him.♪”

[thedistantrancher]

Jamie felt a twinge of guilt, when she put it like that. She looked at Sif’s stupid face and pursed her lips.

It’s just a stuffed animal, she told herself. She nodded to Candace. “Of course.”

[r-a-s-p-u-t-i-n-deactivated2023]

Great grey wolf Sif

(Why do I hate everything I draw?)

[thedistantrancher]

A Trophy (Jamie/Candace)

“If I was not sure, I would not have given it to you.” She crossed her arms under her poncho, pursing her lips into a slight pout. It was true that Candace did not deserve it; she did not win this herself. “Think of it as holding my trophy. As I said, I don’t have space for it at home.”

[un-spooling]

“Mm..”

Candace took a moment to let Jamie’s words sink in - before hugging the plush dog close, smiling to herself. “Okay– I’ll hold on to it for you. And any time you want to come visit, you can– and if you ever find space, then you can have it back, too. But, oh– you’ve got to name it first, okay..?”

[thedistantrancher]

“Mm.” Jamie nodded. “I probably will never have space for it. Take care of it.” She brought a hand to her chin upon being asked to name it. There was a lot of weight in a name. Power, meaning, emotion... Even if it was not a living dog, she could see Candace would treat it with the same amount of care.

“Its name is... Sif. That is the name one culture knows the Harvest Goddess as. A strong name. And I have heard it was also the name of a loyal wolf, who guarded the grave of its fallen owner.” 

[thedistantrancher]

A Trophy (Jamie/Candace)

un-spooling replied to your post:[Claps for Jamie's win from the sidelines, all...

Candace blinked in surprise at the hand-off, holding onto the plush toy at a slight distance, as though it’d come to her by mistake. “W-wait– are you sure? But– Jamie– you /won/ this, though! I don’t– I don’t deserve to–”

“If I was not sure, I would not have given it to you.” She crossed her arms under her poncho, pursing her lips into a slight pout. It was true that Candace did not deserve it; she did not win this herself. “Think of it as holding my trophy. As I said, I don’t have space for it at home.”

[thedistantrancher]

[Claps for Jamie's win from the sidelines, all nervous smiles.] Yay! Go Jamie!

Jamie paused and turned to Candace, genuinely surprised to have run into her here. Then again, it was more surprising for Candace to run into Jamie, at a Carnival of all places. 

“Here,” she said, handing the seamstress the plush. “I don’t have space back home for this.” She hoped the crowd was large enough for nobody to notice. She had an image to keep.

[thedistantrancher]

“A trophy is a trophy, I suppose,” she muttered, holding the plush in front of her. Perhaps someone more appreciative of the craftsmanship would like it more. 

[positively-pete]

*Gleefully singing horribly off key, spinning around with his cow*

The Peeeeete is the champion, my friiieeeeend.

The Pete’s always winnin’ ‘til the end~

The Pete is the champion!

The Peeeeete is the champion!

… Something something…

Of the wooooorld!

[thedistantrancher]

“...” She was remembering why she preferred to not leave town. Worse yet, this guy was technically a neighbor.

[jackafz]

[queefybuttcheeks]

what her name where she stay

[professor-charlesx-deactivated2]

whats the track name doe

[bunnytheswordsman]

#jacob#im pretty sure this is your aesthetic

…you are not wrong.

[thedistantrancher]

[fabledmuses]

[un-spooling]

Small Talk & Sales [Jamie/Candace]

[thedistantrancher]

“There are few towns with tailors,” Jamie explained. “And even fewer with tailors in business. Your competition is small.” She had been making observations about other tailors, when she visited other towns. She was in business with Candace; she would pull her to the top if it was the last thing she did. Being anything less than the best, for her, was unacceptable.

“Show me.” She looked around for the clothes Candace was talking about. 

[un-spooling]

“Hmm,” she intoned non-committally. It was strange to imagine there were few professional tailors in small towns– stranger still to imagine herself in competition with anyone she’d never met. Candace shook her head. “Sounds like something my sister might be better at figuring out, really..”

Picking an outfit for Jamie was far closer to something she could muster together confidence for, however - and she gladly led the farmer toward their formal-wear, lingering in the section designed for semi-formal occasions. “Hats are on the left, there, too– but first, d’you have color preferences? Or should I pick something against your preferences..? ♪” She pulled gently on one of the dresses on display, already trying each on the farmer in her mind’s eye.

[thedistantrancher]

“You should not rely on your sister so much.” She quickly glanced away. “You can easily do this too.”

Jamie followed Candace to the clothes, eyeing the dresses up. While they were not her sort of thing, she could respect the craftsmanship. “Colors...” Jamie’s first instinct was to blurt out purple, but she knew that would give her away. Everyone who knew her knew her favorite color easily. 

“What do you suggest?”

[weeabootrashbabies]

Harvest Moon: Magical Melody Anime Evolution 2015

Photography: Rale Photography and Jay Tseng

[un-spooling]

Small Talk & Sales [Jamie/Candace]

[thedistantrancher]

“Yes. You would not know how much I learned about my rival, when he was not on his farm.” Most of that was not her choice, however. Adam just loved hopping her fence just to talk to her about… whatever it was he did that was not farming. “Learn what drives them. See how it compares to yours… know yours it the greater cause.” She instinctively clenched a fist. 

“I can wear whatever. Pants are more practical,” she crossed her arms. “If I do not want to be noticed, I will need to…” She thumbed her hair. “Do you have hats?” Her lavender locks would give her away easily. The only one with purple hair other than her, that she knew, was the Harvest Goddess, whom she had dyed hers in honor of.

[un-spooling]

Candace listened thoughtfully, pondering this point of view - one so unlike anything she’d let run through her own brain, especially when it came to work. She supposed that it was true that you learned more about people to know them outside work, for sure– but to take “getting to know someone” and to apply it toward beating them at something professionally seemed– well, a little intimidating. 

Then again, that was hardly a surprise. Most anything outside “turn sketch into dress” felt intimidating to her, she mused. And even that sometimes is too much for me, she added self-reproachfully.

“We do have hats, yes.. but if you’re gonna wear one of our hats, it might match a dress better. It’s a little less practical than pants, for sure.. but most dress hats we stock are pretty feminine..” She rubbed her cheek, thinking this over. “All of our men’s hats are pretty– casual. I don’t think they’d match a suit very well.” She smiled, softening slightly. “I think you could pull off a summer dress and a hat very well, though. ♪ And be totally in disguise to boot!”

[thedistantrancher]

“There are few towns with tailors,” Jamie explained. “And even fewer with tailors in business. Your competition is small.” She had been making observations about other tailors, when she visited other towns. She was in business with Candace; she would pull her to the top if it was the last thing she did. Being anything less than the best, for her, was unacceptable.

“Show me.” She looked around for the clothes Candace was talking about. 

[fabledmuses]

Harvest Moon is full of cutesy romantic proposals.

And then there’s Jamie.