Ain't much here.

Member of Harvest Season RP Bank Balance: 2500 G

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

A Moment’s Solitude| Open

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

seashore-tea

“A day like this would have probably been better spent inside, don’t you think? I mean, if you have nothing to do, why be out here?” After speaking, she realized that she was also out here because she didn’t have much to do either. As much as her stubbornness told her not to admit it, it was better that she did. Didn’t need him walking away now. “Though,” she paused, reluctantly, “I’m out here for a similar reason.”

“Just a little travel.” Iluka adjusted her new hat to give her something else to do. She was so used to walking with her sister with linked arms and whatnot that she almost didn’t know what to do with her hands. It could also be that the lack of conversation and personal intrusion made her uncomfortable. She was usually the one to ask blunt and sometimes rather personal questions. If there was something to know, she wanted to know it. “With an extended time off, I took the opportunity to travel for something other than work.” She smiled. “I almost said you know, but you wouldn’t. You travel for work.”

Vaughn listened for a moment and then sighed. “Suppose so. Ain’t got much to do inside either, though.” He muttered. Vaughn really didn’t tend to be indoors very often unless it also was pertaining to his job somehow- such as taking care of animals in their barns, et cetera. In all honesty, he just preferred being outside to inside.  “Reckon I see it this way, why do nothin’ inside when I can do nothin’ out here? I’m already soaked and all that, so it’s not like the rain is botherin’ me at this point.” He said, looking over to her. So she didn’t have much different of a reason either, after all.  He nodded to her in acknowledgement. That was fair enough of an answer, especially considering she worked without getting the chance to travel around while doing it.  The silver-haired man grunted a little bit. “Huh. Yeah, suppose I wouldn’t know how to relate to that. But I’ll admit, I don’t think I could stay in the same place for a long time without at least traveling some. I’m too used to it at this point. Feels like I’d get antsy. On the off chances I am on some sort of break at work, I tend to stay at the Sunshine Islands for a few days to rest a little bit. Though I guess I work there too, so it doesn’t make a big difference.” He said, realizing he was talking a lot and huffed, hoping he didn’t go off on some tangent about work. 

[fawkesontherun-blog]

This is Business| Vaughn and Johnny

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

“Sure, no problem.” He glanced down the road leading west from his farm, down the dusty path that led to Miss Eda’s side of the property. Johnny lingered for a second or two, wondering if he ought to try asking his neighbor if the cattle ordered had been for her farm. It didn’t take long for him to decide against asking, however, and he quickly dismissed the curious pang of pain in his heart that the realization invited with it:

Johnny doubted Eda would ever order any more cattle than the ones she currently had. In fact, he’d be very surprised if she didn’t begin downgradingsoon– like she had been when she’d gifted him with his current cow, Hanako. She seemed to slow down more and more with each passing season.

He sighed, put on a smile once more to cover up that dark little thought, then turned back to the stranger. “I think I know where we can try. I’ll head on into town after I get you hooked up, too– there’s a couple chores I can get done. Two birds one stone, yeah?”

Once he’d verified the man’s job, Johnny offered him a handshake in greeting. “Sweet. Remind me to have a conversation with you when you’re not on the job,” he continued. “I’ve been looking to talk to someone about buying a horse. I’m Johnny, by the way.”

“Hmm....I see.” He muttered, getting slightly frustrated  that he even made the trip all the way up here. He should have known the cattle wouldn’t have belonged to the first farm he might have guessed.  He nodded at Johnny’s response. “Huh. Reckon that’s right.” He grunted. Although Johnny seemed quite a bit different from him, he certainly could appreciate a worksman’s attitude of getting things done efficiently.  Vaughn let out his hand in greeting as well, even if he never was comfortable or understood the real reason for it- common courtesy, he supposed. He blinked a little bit, frowning some at the idea of talking to him off the job, then shrugged. “I’m not too interesting of a man to talk to off the job, but yeah, I reckon you’d be comin’ to the right person if it’s about getting a horse.” He said, shaking the blonde man’s hand firmly. “Name’s Vaughn.”  

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

When Ten’s a Crowd || OPEN

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

Her features brightened at his positive response, handing him the small present. “Trust me, in this weather there’s nothing I can do besides decorate my bedside table with it.” she shrugged, taking a seat on the other end of the bench where her bag sat. The pain in her hand had calmed significantly, so she decided against refreshing the helping of snow in the handkerchief. “And thanks for letting me keep this!” She gestured to the make-shift ice pack. “This is the first handkerchief I’ve ever owned since I usually hoard tissues in my backpack, but I’m not exactly sure why. Come to think of it- they’re more environmentally friendly! Should’ve got one sooner myself!”

Swinging her legs back and forth, she watched as she gradually stripped the ground of the white blanket, leaving dirt patches where her feet sat. When her hand felt completely healed (partly due to the fact that they were so numb she could barely feel anything), she emptied the soggy cloth of the remaining snow and folded it neatly in her pocket.

“Well, I’ll be heading home now. It’s was nice seeing you.” She smiled, standing up and wiping her hands on her jeans as she retrieved the plastic bag. She offered him a small wave before turning and heading toward the bridge en route to farm island. Just as she was about to step on the wooden boards, though, an idea came to her mind that made her spin on her heels and walk right back to Vaughn.

“If you haven’t had dinner yet, would you like to join me?” She signaled toward the bag of food in her hand. “I prefer eating with someone, but if you’re not up for it it’s totally cool!”

Vaughn stared at it for a few more moments before tucking it away in his pocket gently. “Alright then...prolly’ gonna receive the same treatment at my room in Mirabelle’s, though.” He answered, not being able to imagine doing much with it other than as a bedside decoration of sorts. 

The silver-haired man raised an eyebrow. How was this possible her first handkerchief? “Well, it ain’t no problem...but dont’cha always got a handkerchief on your head? Or is that different somehow?” He inquired, genuinely a bit curious despite his sarcastic tone. He took another sip of his drink. “Yeah, though...reckon they end up bein’ a bit more useful than wads of tissues, when you could just keep some handkerchiefs and clean ‘em.” He muttered, not really having ever thought about it that way. 

He watched as she walked off and uttered a single “Bye”, before she was back in not too long, and he raised an eyebrow. Did she forget something, maybe?  Vaughn looked at her for a moment, a bit confounded. He’d hardly expected that to come out of her mouth, although, he supposed he should have expected it. She was more outgoing than most, so it wasn’t exactly a crazy thing for her.  “Well....No, I haven’t. But I don’t want ya to have to cook for more than one person...” He muttered, trying to ignore his grumbling stomach due to the fact he still hadn’t eaten. “I....well. I guess it’s up to you. I can come, if ya really want that. But if you’re just tryin’ to be curious or something, then forget it.” He grumbled, taking the last sip of his drink, which had long since grown cold. 

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

When Ten’s a Crowd || OPEN

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

His answer was, as always, concise, though the situation was already self explanatory given the cup in his hand. Her question seemed to only serve as an expression of shock rather than a pursuit of an answer. When he offered the handkerchief her attention drew back to her stinging hand, prompting her to place her belongings on the bench before accepting the piece of fabric.

“Thanks! It hurts a little.. nothing I can’t handle, though!” She dabbed it gently against her hand before moving to the part of her shoes closest to her ankles to stop liquid from seeping through to her skin. “I’m sure It didn’t make enough damage to scar or anything.” She reassured, scooping some of the snow off the ground and placing it in the middle of the handkerchief to create a make-shift ice pack. A sigh left her lips once it made contact with her skin.

“I’ll wash it and give it back to you tomorrow, I promise.” She smiled, his next question making her peer over his shoulder to observe the single flower swaying with the gentle breeze. “You see that red magic flower over there-” She pointed with her wounded hand. “It’s hard to find during winter, since it’s primarily a fall plant. I wanted to grab it before heading home.” A thought popped into her mind.

“You know what, hold on-” She put up a finger to signify a quick return and headed toward her object of interest, picking it off the ground and looking it over. It seemed surprisingly healthy given the weather conditions, which was an interesting observation. Heading back to her original spot, she extended the flower toward him. “You can have it. Consider it a token of thanks for the handkerchief.”

Vaughn grumbled under his breath a little bit. “Clumsy, as always.” He muttered. “Not a problem.” He added reluctantly, typically not really liking to be thanked, as he didn’t like...well. The feeling of it, he supposed. No one owed him thanks or anything like that. 

He raised an eyebrow at first at what she was doing, and then immediately realized as she put it on her burned hand. “Smart.” He acknowledged, taking another sip of his drink. 

He shook his head however at the prospect of her giving it back. “Nah, it’s yours now. Keep it. I got tons of those things.” He said with a definitive nod, as if he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He looked in the direction that she pointed to and saw the stray flower; she was right. It really wasn’t common to see that many types of flowers around this time of year at all, much less one of those red ones that seemed to set fire to the earth in autumn.  “Huh. Interesting. Real late bloomer, I guess.” He said, staring across at the flower; he had to admire its tenacity to survive in this weather. He watched as she went over to grab the flower and his eyes widened a bit as she handed it to him.  “For me...?” He queried, though he didn’t expect an answer. “I mean...I don’t really need it. Ya sure? You might get more use out of it than me.” He muttered, looking at the flower in brief fascination. Both of their speculations had been right; it really was a surprisingly healthy flower for this time of year. “Well, thanks I guess. Though it really ain’t any big deal.” He sighed. Normally he really would make her keep it; after all, if she had gone out of her way to fetch it, surely she had wanted it. But the day had been long, and he wasn’t in the mood to argue. 

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

When Ten’s a Crowd || OPEN

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

ball-of-sunshine

There was something about Mondays that drained every last drop of energy Chelsea could muster. Perhaps because it marked the beginning of the week, and the lingering feelings of dread and fatigue from her school years haunted her. Or it could’ve been due to the fact that it was harvest day for most of her crops as well as the day she did most of her house chores. Regardless of the reason behind it, though, she usually found herself too exhausted to cook when night drew near and hunger persistent. The diner over on verdure island served as a refuge at times like those, and soon enough Chelsea witnessed her visits becoming nearly regular on that day of the week.

The brunette was flabbergasted at the amount of people crammed into the small diner. It wasn’t usually that crowded, but then again Chelsea usually came in a few hours later to pick up her dinner, so it could’ve been rush hour. Not being in the mood to wait, Chelsea asked Nick to prepare whatever would take the least time, or to pack up any canceled orders. Unfortunately, the latter was not available so a waiting time of five to ten minutes was mandatory. She ordered a warm apple cider to aid her patience.

Paying what she owed, Chelsea thanked Nick before leaving the building, a hand clad around her second cup of piping cider while the other swung the bag of take out at her side. As she began to walk back home, the sight of a red magic flower stopped her in her tracks, taking her off her original route. Red magic flowers only bloomed in fall, so finding one in winter was extremely rare. Just as she was about to pass the backside of the diner to reach it, a sudden movement through the shadow cast by the street light made her jump. A small yelp ensued as she spilled some of her drink on her hand and shoes, which will probably end up leaving marks for some time. Looking up, she realized that the movement was caused by Vaughn who was lounging behind the diner, having a drink of his own.

“Dear sweet goddess, what are you doing here alone in the dark, Vaughn?”

Vaughn looked over to the brunette upon hearing her yelp of surprise- he suppose it was rather an odd place to be, but not really anyone had been around until now.  “Havin’ a drink.” He muttered nonchalantly, as if that was a completely normal thing to do. He looked to her for a moment and then stood up, pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket.  “Here, use this to wipe it off your hand and shoes....” He said, sighing. “That’s gotta burn....” He said in an almost sympathetic tone of voice before he sat back down, leaning on the diner wall again.  “What are you doing here alone in the dark, Chelsea?” He asked back, even if it was semi-obvious, he wasn’t exactly sure what had brought her on the track she was on behind the diner; if she was headed home, she usually would just take the path. 

[rvduckie]

BOOM! [Open]

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

mechannized

Vaughn explained the situation going on with his… wall? She was pretty sure he said wall. And Ann nodded along, pretending that she could tell what he was saying until the ringing in her ears subsided, and the gears were turning in her head until she could fully process from the information she pieced together. “Oh, a wheel!” She said.

“Yeah, I can definitely help you out with that, if you’ll let me take a look at it. Wooden wheels, I’m guessing?”

Vaughn simply stared at her for several moments, as she seemed to be entirely out of it, even if she did nod as if she understood. At first he wondered if there was something perhaps severely wrong with her, but he chalked it up to it probably having to do with that explosion.  Her sudden realization almost surprised him, but then he nodded. “Yep, that’s right.” He said, before raising an eyebrow and having a bit of a cautious look. “It’s....not gonna explode, right?” He asked, only half joking. 

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

When Ten’s a Crowd || OPEN

The silver-haired man seethed a bit, sitting at a table with cup of tea, tapping his fingers impatiently on the wooden furnish.  He was at the Diner on Verdure Island; and for some reason, it seemed like the entirety of the population of the Sunshine Islands was here, and as of right now, he couldn’t stand it. It had been a long day, and he really had just wanted to come here to grab a bite to eat and relax, but the latter idea was obviously shot.  He stood up, making his way over to the front counter. “Cancel my order for the  food, Nick....forgot there was somethin’ I needed to do.” He lied, just wanting to get the hell out of there. Although, he reckoned it wasn’t necessarily a lie- the thing he needed to do was get out of there. Nick simply nodded and refunded him and he took his tea and left.  He walked out into the chilly night; it was somewhat of a relief after the stifling feeling he had felt while inside the diner. He didn’t mind chilly weather much anyways- it felt clean and refreshing.  He literally just sat down behind the building of Nick’s diner, sipping his hot tea that was quickly cooling off from the outside temperature. He leaned his head back and sighed. He didn’t want to go back to Mirabelle’s right now. Maybe he’d go to Meadow Island....that was one of his preferred places to go to relax, all-in-all. 

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

A Moment’s Solitude| Open

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

seashore-tea

For a moment, Iluka didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t help but stare at him before taking the hat with a small nod and smile. “Thank you.” Him giving up his hat was not what she expected from him asking, but she was pleasantly surprised. It was a real gentleman act that’s hard to come by these days - a small act like those women only see in movies now.

A short, quiet chuckle escaped from between her lips as she placed his cowboy hat on her head. She knew that this did not suit her at all, yet, it was quite comforting. The small amount of rain that it kept off her head did make a big difference for her comfort level. But… She looked up towards the cowboy to see that now his head was getting uncomfortably wet as he no longer had something to cover himself with. Maybe later I can convince him to let me make him some tea.She didn’t get the feeling from him that he was the type to hang around, but it’s the least she could do.

As quickly as he started walking, he stopped. Confused, she looked up at him with a slight frown unsure about what the problem could be. She hadn’t done anything wrong, unless this guy was extra sensitive about something or perhaps it was his hat? Honestly, she could never tell what he was thinking when he rarely shows an ounce of emotion. A smile painted itself on her face as she was relieved that the simple introduction was the reason for stopping. “Well, Vaughn, thank you for accompanying me today,” she replied, taking his hand in hers.

Vaughn grunted his acknowledgment. “Not a problem.” He said as he continued forward.  He blinked a little bit at the chuckle....was it because of the hat? He assumed so- after all, it wasn’t necessarily her style, he was sure, but she was glad that she had accepted it from him. There had been too many times where people refused to accept things just for the sake of seeming nice.  After introducing themselves and removing his hand, he nodded. “Sure thing...not like I got much to do now anyway.” He said, turning around again as they made their way now towards the mystical looking place they had seen across the river.  “Speakin’ of nothin’...what brought you here anyhow?” He asked curiously, even if it was none of his business. If they were going to accompany each other, he might as well try to make some form of conversation. 

[childlike-mermaid-blog]

Scrub A Dub in the Tub || [Open]

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

childlike-mermaid

Pia smiled in response to him turning down her offer. Poor guy didn’t realize that she’d do it anyway.

“Ohhh, you’re a lifesaver, Mister! Thank you, thank you!” She promptly pulled herself up to sit on the edge where she had placed the dog earlier. There was a chair in the corner that she could try to make it to, but seeing a half-human, half-fish squirm across the bath floor probably isn’t something a customer would want to see. Even Pia had common sense at times. She didn’t always use it, but at least she had it.

“Aha! I knew it, I knew it~” She clapped excitedly as she cheered for herself. It wasn’t everyday that someone agreed with her. “No, no, no, not mine! My sister brought it home before leaving on another trip again. Said she didn’t want to have to watch over it while trying to work.” She reached over to give the dog a quick scratch behind the ear before answering his last question. “Until I’m dry. The time varies.”

Vaughn simply grunted and nodded. He looked at the dog and pet it gently, seeming to calm its nerves a bit. He imagined that with this girl it was probably....well...very excitable? She seemed to have a similar cheery personality, in that aspect. 

He blinked, looking to Pia for a moment. “What? That the dog was young, or what?” He asked, not sure what she was referring to right at that moment since she hadn’t said much other than to ask for help.  “Oh...alright, then...so it’s....your sister’s dog?” He asked curiously, tilting his head. “Or did y’all just rescue it?” He continued as he watched the strange mermaid girl give it a quick scratch. The dog seemed to like her.  “I.....I see.” He said, raising and eyebrow before looking down into the bath water area. He always had a hard time understanding things on this continent, even if it was all the same in all reality. The animals or “monsters” were different, but they took on the same traits and personalities as any other animal. Perhaps it was the human hybrid thing that he just couldn’t get used to. He had to admit; it was intriguing. He just didn’t understand it and knew that he could never begin to. He continued to pet the dog absent-mindedly. 

[fawkesontherun-blog]

This is Business| Vaughn and Johnny

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

Johnny did all of his socializing down in town these days. The thirty minute trek that separated him from the hustle and bustle of city center was the time he spent putting his face together and making himself feel human again. He found this a surprisingly necessary step after spending the better part of his morning interacting primarily with animals - or laboring quietly over crops.

Visitors were scarce, and usually caught him off guard. Some days he thought he heard someone call out to him, and spent a few seconds of confusion staring off into the empty horizon before returning to work. Some days he did actually get visitors, usually in the form of Fritz (those were the best days) or Miss Veronica (those days were slightly less good).

And very occasionally, as on days like today, Johnny found himself turning in the middle of work and blinking dumbly at a completely unknown face. It took him a second or two to cobble together an expression that didn’t completely screamI’m a bumpkin.

“Oh, hey! Cows…” he repeated thoughtfully, straightening out his back and leaning on the hoe he’d been putting to use only moments before, using it like a crutch temporarily. It was a gesture he’d seen a million times in movies, and a gesture he’d become more and more familiar with over the last few months. The ache in his lower back demanded the support as he took a break from turning over soil.

“Not mine, no… but I bet I can point you in the right direction. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind taking a break and stretching my back, either. I’ve been at this since six in the morning.” He set the hoe to the side, resting it against one of the stakes in his fence, then hopping over one of the lower sections to meet the stranger on the other side.

“You the guy who delivers animals when people order them?”

He watched for a moment as the man did his own thing; clearly busy, which he could highly appreciate. Hard workers deserved respect of sorts. 

When the blonde-haired man finally noticed him, he stared at him for a moment as the other gazed at him as if he were an alien. He had the feeling he maybe didn’t expect visitors too often. 

The silver-haired man nodded in response as the other leaned back on his hoe. “I see...” He muttered, slightly annoyed with himself that he hadn’t found the right place. Perhaps he shouldn’t have guessed after all.  Vaughn gave a small nod of agreement, tipping his hat down a little bit and rolled his eyes. “Tell me about it. It’s always either 5:30 or 6 for me.” He grumbled. “But yeah, a point in the right direction might be nice.” He said.  Vaughn nodded, his violet eyes gleaming in the sunlight. “Yep. Reckon  that’s me.” He said, pulling his hat down a little more again. 

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

A Moment’s Solitude| Open

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

seashore-tea

An animal trader? Iluka was surprised to hear his response, although it did make sense of his way of dressing. His attitude didn’t lead her to believe that his occupation would have him dealing with animals that required a large amount of attention and, at times, affection. Then again, if he spent most of his time around animals it could explain why he doesn’t talk much.

She brushed her hair off her shoulder and nodded while following him. “A little.” Stuck in her thoughts before, she didn’t notice the slight breeze that accompanied the rain giving her a slight chill and goosebumps. However, now that he brought it to her attention it was all she could think about. If she wasn’t bothered by it before she figured that by the time they got to the pond, she would have forgotten about it again. What’s the worst that can happen? A cold?

“I apologize for my rudeness.” She quickened her pace for a short time in order to walk next to him. “My name’s Iluka. I should’ve introduced myself earlier.”

He looked to her for a moment and raised an eyebrow and sighed as they walked. He took his hat off and handed it to her. “Here.” He muttered. “Ain’t gonna do much, but it’ll at least keep your head a little drier.” He said, almost scoffing. He wasn’t about to let this woman suffer in the cold rain, either. 

He began crossing the bridge, thinking about this and that as he heard her introduce herself, then stopped and turned around, the typical emotionless frown on his face. “Name’s Vaughn.” He said, holding out a hand to shake. He may not be the nicest person around, but he did value some manners of sorts. If they were going to go to the strange mystical looking place across the way, he didn’t see much harm in introducing themselves. 

[rvduckie]

BOOM! [Open]

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

It took about two whole minutes for the larger part of the ringing to die down in her ears, and in that time the man who came in had tried to ask her something. And she just stared at him, dumbly, trying to figure out what he said by reading his lips.

“Yes, I’m fine! Just a little mishap!” Ann said, loudly so she could hear herself, only able to figure out the first thing he said, even though she knew the man had said more. “Could you repeat that last part, please?”

Vaughn simply stared back at the girl for several moments; to some people it may have seemed rather awkward, but as of now Vaughn was just a bit perplexed and calmly waiting for her to come back to her senses.  “Alright, then....” He huffed at the girl’s practical screaming. “I came to get a wagon wheel fixed. I mean to take some of the horses somewhere, and the wagon is full of feed and all that. I’d do it myself...but I ain’t got any wrench right now.” He said, folding his arms and staring down at her. She seemed so...well, not shocked that something likely just exploded. Did this...happen on a regular basis? He was suddenly nervous as to whether or not he should put the fixing of the wheel in her hands, although, that would be kind of hard to blow up.  But something about her made him almost doubt that very impossible concept. 

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

Activity Check

Paycheck (Animal Trading) +2000 G

Updated Information: +500

New Balance: 5000 G

[rvduckie]

BOOM! [Open]

Ann was well-known through Flowerbud Village as the ‘Explosive Girl’, given the tendency she had to accidentally set ablaze any mechanical object that she came into contact with.

Constructing a shell for an object was simple to her, yes–but if she ever was to offer to fix something for you, you should politely decline, unless you wished to say goodbye to it.

She wouldn’t let her failures get her down, however. Just as she didn’t when a loud, yet contained BOOM was heard coming from the back of the Junk Shop as someone came in. She wouldn’t hear them, however, since all she could hear after the blast was ringing.

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

Vaughn blinked as he entered the shop, wincing a bit at the boom sound he heard almost as soon as he entered. Had....had he come to the wrong place? He looked around.  “Hello....?” He asked aloud, before he spotted the ginger-haired girl. He looked to her, but she almost looked as if she hadn’t heard him speak at all. “Uh...” He muttered, taking a step towards her, but still staying a fair distance away.  “You alright?” He asked, the noise finally having died down, but he crossed his arms, looking at her expectantly. “Did I come to the right place? Reckon I just needed a wagon wheel fixed...” He muttered. 

[childlike-mermaid-blog]

Scrub A Dub in the Tub || [Open]

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

childlike-mermaid

Pia giggled when the customer came into view. He had a funny way of dressing in her opinion. “How about bubbles then? You might not need it, but it’ll be oodles of fun~♪” Ever since squid ink was ruled out by Sakuya, Pia has been trying to find new ways to improve the bath and customer satisfaction. This week’s test was bubbles.

“Oh, oh! I almost forgot! Silly me~” She placed the small dog on the edge of the bath and watched as it began to run around and shake off the excess water from its fur. “I need your help watching this dog. It’s hard when, you know,” she flicked her tail upward to show the stranger. Being a mermaid wasn’t something that was hard to her, but chasing a dog on land while being a mermaid… now that was the hard part! She guessed the dog might be young since it’d get tired for a short period of time and then a sudden burst of energy. Whatever the reason, she can’t keep up with it without her legs!

Vaughn blinked. Bubbles....? Oodles of fun...? He shook his head, dismissing the strange suggestion and offer. “N-nah, that’s alright, really. Appreciate the offer, but I don’t like takin’ things for free.” 

He looked down at the small dog and then to her and nodded. “Alright, I can do that.” He said, leaning down and making a whistle for the dog to come, and thankfully, it did, while promptly giving itself another shake and getting quite a few water droplets on him, but he didn’t mind. 

He began petting the dog, smiling a little bit. “It’s still young.” He said, unintentionally mimicking the girl’s thoughts. “Where’d ya get it? Is it yours, or?” He asked curiously, violet eyes turning back to her as he calmed the dog down a bit. He raised an eyebrow. “Also...how long does that last then, exactly?” He asked, nodding his head towards her tail. 

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

A Moment’s Solitude| Open

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

seashore-tea

Iluka stood in silence for awhile. She had never met someone this quiet before and it honestly made her feel a little awkward. Should she say something? Should she leave him alone? The latter seemed to be the one he’d choose, but walking away after a short conversation would make her feel even more awkward than she already does.

Moments passed and she grew tired of being quiet. Iluka figured that the best way to keep what’s left of this conversation going was to ask a question. So what if he’s not comfortable with it? I’m not comfortable with standing here when there’s perfectly good company around. “What is it that you do? Unless you’re a farmer, which you don’t look like one, I’m not sure why the rain would be much of a bother.” She didn’t trouble herself to look at him while asking, certain that he wouldn’t look back at her. As she waited for his response, she let her eyes follow the path of his to across the river. The first thing she saw was the large tree that stood firm and looked as if it has been growing for hundreds, maybe even thousands, of years. If someone wanted to they could probably live in there comfortably. Next was the pond next to it that seemed to have its own aura as if it were alive. It was truly captivating.

“No wonder you keep looking over there. It’s so pretty!” She took this moment to face him as she came up with a plan. Now that she has an acquaintance in town there was no way she was going sightseeing alone. “We should go check it out!” Iluka paused to let him think about it, but spoke again before he could answer. “You wouldn’t let a young lady who’s never been here before travel alone, would you?”

Vaughn continued to look ahead, though his eyes narrowed a bit as he flashed Iluka a brief glance for a moment. Perhaps any other time he might tell her it was none of her business, but, considering it had been several days since he had much conversation, he figured it couldn’t hurt too much, at least.

“No, I ain’t a farmer. I’m an animal trader of sorts and help ship ‘em around different places and round ‘em up and all that and make sure they’re cared for on the trips over to often farms and ranches and whatnot.” He replied a bit despondently. “Can get messy when you’re trudgin’ through mud and all that with animals that usually ain’t too happy to be in the rain.” He said with a short nod.

Her comment about the area ahead surprised him a little bit; he had been so focused on looking over there, he didn’t really register that he must have been obviously staring at the beautiful area across the way. He bit his lip slightly- he must have looked like some kind of idiot. 

He was even more surprised when she came up with the idea for the both of them to go over there. He honestly would have said no, but his mind was too curious about the almost spell-binding allure the  little area had, and he supposed now he had an actual reason to trudge on over there now that this lady had asked him. He frowned a bit at her last comment and rolled his eyes a tiny bit. Cheeky. He thought to himself, then stood up, brushing his pants off a bit and simply nodding. “Reckon I wouldn’t.” He said with the vaguest semblance of a smile, before looking to her for a moment and starting to walk.  “Aint’cha a tad cold with the rain soakin’ your hair and whatnot?” He asked, looking behind him to be sure she was coming. 

[childlike-mermaid-blog]

Scrub A Dub in the Tub || [Open]

“Waaaaaaaaaah! Come back here you little-” Pia dashed across the bathhouse floor to catch the furry companion that needed a bath. 

It was almost a quiet morning in the Paradise Bathhouse until Sakuya came in to drop off one of her latest findings during her travels. All she said was that Pia had to watch it until she came back from her next trip, however long that would be. At first, the mermaid was happy to have a small dog to keep her company while everyone else was away, but it’s proving to be more trouble than it’s worth right now. She doesn’t even get to keep it! 

As the dog began to run more circles with Pia right behind it, it soon tracked around enough water where Pia could no longer dodge the puddle. “No, no, no, noooo!” With a sigh, she sat in front of the counter looking at her tail. It was hard enough to catch the troublemaker with feet, now what! But it wasn’t long before the curious, small beast came to check out what changed. Sniffing here and there, the dog’s tail began to wag and it barked happily. “Oh! You like fish, huh? Me too!” She giggled and picked it up. “Oh, my! You’re a girl! Come on, sweetie, let’s go bathe like fishies do!” 

After hours of running around, Pia finally got to wash the dog… and herself! It seemed that the only way for her to stay in the water was with a mermaid. Who knew! Though, she’s had some customers say the same thing but it’s weird when they say it and Shino throws them out.

“Hmmm, what do you think of the name-” She started before the chime of the door rang. “Oh, hello! You have great timing! Come help me with something.” The mermaid called out from the back. “I’ll give you a free hot towel with your bath. Just don’t tell Shino~”

[wanderingcowhand-blog]

Vaughn blinked and narrowed his eyes as he had entered the inn and walked  towards the bathhouse- a strange cheery ask to help with something was hardly what he had expected.  He didn’t come around Sharance a whole lot, as there was more work to be done on the Bokumono continent; it wasn’t his first time here, but for some reason, he always had a hard time remembering the layout of the town.  He opened the door and reluctantly walked in. Although he really wanted to walk on by and pretend he hadn’t heard, he also didn’t want to leave some poor lady struggling with....whatever it was she needed help with. 

As he looked to the girl, he simply stared for a moment, hardly expecting a mermaid tail, but then again, this was Sharance. He saw a dog, and was just thoroughly confused more than anything. Did she need help with the dog? That certainly wouldn’t be a problem if that was the case, since he’d dealt with his fair share of animals on a regular basis.  “I don’t need nothin’ free....whadd’ya need help with?” He asked, tipping his hat up a little and sort of examining the area before looking to her again.