It's a rather quaint town when you get down to it. At least, that's what the Sheriff would argue. Warm and dry in the mornings and afternoons with a brisk coolness in the evenings. The perfect type of weather to just sit out on your rocking chair and observe the comings and goings.
... Of course, there's not much in the way of comings and goings when there aren't any actual people here to watch. Nevertheless, don't let that get you down! The town is your oyster and those roosters won't stop crowing until everyone's out of bed. Up and at 'em, rise and shine, it's time to make the day yours!
After all, there's nothing wrong with the town today and you might just want to savor it while it lasts.
This post functions as the general mingle post for the week. Wanted Posters and other small events will be posted in top levels below. If there's any questions or requests, please send a PM or shoot a PP to robowest.
[Just when he thought he could get away from everyone ever.
While he doesn't return Yuna's wave (sorry, Yuna), he does pause to watch her approach. He's stubbornly still in the Robin uniform, or half of it anyway. Most of the outer layers have been stripped off to leave him in a black undershirt, pants, boots, and a domino mask.
It's fine, he's actually washed it...
There's a small mound of hay under one arm. He waits for her to get closer so he doesn't have to yell.] What are you doing?
I'm here to pick flowers! [She proudly presents her basket in front of her. The water bottles inside it roll around a little.] Right now what I'm doing is talking to you, though. But flower picking's what I came here to do!
[Pick flowers... By the twist of his lips, he's giving Yuna a strange look. He peers at the basket, the bottles, then at her again.] Why are you picking flowers? Medicine?
No, for pressing! [She's entirely unperturbed by the look she's getting, responding as delightedly as ever.] There are lots of different kinds of flowers here, even some I've never seen before, so I want them for my collection.
[Pressing flowers would generally sound quite boring to Damian; however, he also has a slight affinity for painting, so he supposed he can see the intrigue. He guesses.
For an unnaturally long moment, he doesn't say anything to her. He seems to be thinking, evident by the way he turns his head and glances off in the direction he must have been going before she came up.
He sighs.] I'm going to feed some of the horses. There's flowers in their pasture and by some of the trees on the outside of the fence.
[But then instead of inviting her like he should, he awkwardly turns and starts leaving. He just... assumes she'll come if she wants... RIP social skills.]
[The silence persists long enough that Yuna's definitely about to say something else, probably something obnoxiously peppy, before Damian beats her to it. Social as always (and also kind of uncertain about a ten-year-old kid running around on his own??), she happily follows right alongside him. She has more than enough social skills for them both, it's cool!!!]
I'm glad the horses are getting fed! I bet they're happy you're taking care of them. Have you been out here long?
[If he knew Jon currently, he'd be loathed not to compare him and Yuna. Thankfully, Jon is a future acquaintance set to plague his life. He's stuck with Yuna right now.] Since Tuesday. Everyone else is annoying.
[Bat habit. He prefers the company of animals.] Someone had already been taking care of them, but I haven't been able to find anyone. There's no footprints or tracks. But there was food and water. I don't know if it was the Sheriff's doing.
Aaahhh, have you really been out here since Tuesday?! [HOW DID NOBODY NOTICE THIS MISSING SMALL CHILD???] You must have been working so hard!
[spoilers, yuna is annoying too]
I visited here earlier...Saturday? Yeah, Saturday. No one was here then, either... But it really did look well taken care of then, too! So weird. [She shifts so the basket's hanging over her arm so she can cheerfully clap her hands together.] Since this place is empty now, though, it's good that the horses and cows and everyone have you here to help!
Yes. [Because most people are also morons, and they are too busy being worried about the town to notice him gone.] The Sheriff will obviously tell us there's no way to leave, but I doubt that's true. We just have to find it.
Until then, it'd be stupid to rely only on mysterious food he may be the one providing. [Though... the wildlife could also be suspect, he guesses. Whatever. Taking chances.] What's your name?
That's such a smart idea! [says the girl who has been eating all of this mysterious cowboy town food and feeding it to everyone else all the time since she got here and will absolutely continue doing so, um.] I'm glad you're eating well over here.
Robin. [It's nice to meet Yuna, too, but he's too stubborn and tsundere to say.
Also, he's not to be confused with the other Robin who had got off the train. Yikes.] I'm vegetarian. [Just inside the pasture fence for the horses is a raised trough, and Damian dumps the arm-load of hay inside. There's already a horse nearby, a cream-colored mare with a blond mane and tail.
She whinnies at the two of them before coming over. Out of the end of the stable comes a tip-toeing tuxedo cat, but it stops at the doorway and watches them both carefully, though its tail is up and side rubbing the frame.] Yesterday, I went hunting for wild animals to see if there were any.
I caught a deer. The meat is in town. [A pause. He reaches up to pat the neck of the horse that has come over to eat.] This is Raet.
Did you really go hunting all by yourself?! [WHAT!!!!! Yuna is making the executive decision at this very moment that she is going to take care of this child if and until it kills her; why is he running amok all on his own] You should be careful! There's no way that's safe!
[TAKE CARE OF THIS BOY!!!! except okay Yuna can definitely be distracted by animals; she sure does want to pet that cat and this is an excellent horse.] ...It's nice to meet you, Raet!
It's safe. [The horse is a sweet, middle-aged mare. Still strong enough for riding and hauling smaller things, but wise enough to know that Yuna probably isn't going to do something stupid. She turns her head to lip at Yuna's shirt near the shoulder.] Here.
[From out of his pocket, Damian pulls an apple and a small dagger.] Hold out your hand. Keep your hand flat, or she'll accidentally bite your fingers. [He cuts a slice of apple off, placing it in Yuna's palm when ready.] Hold it low enough to reach.
[Apples are quite a nice treat. Raet is all about that. If done correctly, her searching lips will tickle Yuna's hand until she can pull the apple slice up into her mouth.]
[IT DOESN'T SOUND EVEN KIND OF SAFE but of course Yuna's attention is immediately taken by the horse all up in her business, which gets her to giggle nervously. Before she gets a chance to ask about horse etiquette she's overcome by the need to ask why this small child is carrying around a knife, and before she gets a chance to do that, she's being given instructions (although she definitely makes a little aaahh noise when the tiny child is just!! wielding a knife!!!). But she nods along, utterly captivated; she doesn't see horses very often, let alone get to interact with them, so just the certainty in how he tells her what to do amazes her.
So Yuna holds out the apple slice with immense care to follow the directions she's been given, and laughs as Raet takes it from her.]
That's amazing! Hehe, I've never fed a horse before! [She starts to hold her other hand out, then stops abruptly.] Is it okay to pet her?
Yes. [Instead of slicing off more pieces, Damian gets busy unraveling the apple from the red skin on the outside.] Some horses don't mind if you pet their heads, but you should pet her neck first until she trusts you. Then when you pet her head, pet the jaws and then the center if she lets you.
It's not good to startle them. They may kick you, or rear back. They're herbivores, so their eyes are on the sides of their head; it helps them see predators. They might mistake you for one if you come up quickly or loudly from behind. Always approach from the side and front.
Don't pet them if you're scared. Horses can read emotions well.
[Yuna listens carefully—as ditzy and flighty as she tends to present herself, she's more than capable of taking things seriously, and also she definitely doesn't want to get kicked by a horse. She nods and ever so slowly reaches to pet Raet's neck, light and careful.
She lowers her voice, too, when she speaks to Damian.] You know so much about horses, Robin... That's really cool! Thank you for teaching me!
[With a grunt of acknowledgement, Damian finishes sawing the skin off the apple and lets it drop on the ground.] Here.
[He glances at Yuna, and then he hands out the apple to her while wiping the knife off on his hip so he can put it away. God. HE HATES GIRLS.] There's some flow-- [Before he can finish the sentence, before Yuna can take the apple, the mare stretches its head up quickly and snaps it right out of his hand for herself.
Damian is left holding empty air until he gains his composure. RIP.] That wasn't yours. [But he doesn't sound at all scathing.]
[Yuna is always here for snacks so there is a glorious moment where her eyes sparkle at the prospect of food. She gets about halfway through thanking him before the apple is ripped away from her before her very eyes. She gasps far more dramatically than is at all necessary, glances between the horse and the space the apple used to be a couple of times, and busts out laughing. She's got exactly enough self-control to clamp her hand over her mouth, not wanting to startle the horse, but this is basically the funniest thing that's happened to her all week.]
Aaah, she really likes apples! I bet she's really thankful for the treat!
[Damian tuts under his breath, unsure of whether to be annoyed with the horse or not. It halfway spared him from looking like a caring piece of shit; on the other hand, it stopped him from being one.
Regardless, the horse gets a pat or two on the neck, then a push for it to go back toward the hay he put in the trough.] There's more in the pasture where the flowers are. Birds carried seed from the orchard, and a few apple trees grew.
Come on. [For now, the horse is left to graze on the hay, though it will probably be trotting out to join them later. At the moment, the cat from before decides it's time to pad out of the stable and after Damian like a shadow, keeping somewhere in the middle of him and Yuna.
We can get some more apples for both of us that way! [Flowers and snacks!!! Sounds like the ideal place to be.] Thanks for showing me the way.
[And she follows right along, swinging her basket next to her and humming something cheerful.]
I like your mask, by the way, it's really cool! [She's so here for superhero aesthetics. And then she notices the cat and gasps with happy surprise.] Hi, kitty! [AAAAAA YES SHE LOVES CATS THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER] Have you been taking care of this cat, too?
[Don't juST SAY HIS MASK IS COOL! What the heck! It's supposed t be scary and badass, not "cool."] The cat belongs to me. He was here when we arrived, in the room I'm forced to share with Papika. [Why does she not have a last name??? HE IS A LAST NAME KINDA BOY.]
His name is Alfred Pennyworth. [And Alfred is quite content on getting attention, so he twirls between Yuna's legs when she isn't walking, then pads double-time alongside her to follow when she does.]
Hi, Mister Pennyworth! [gotta be polite to the kitty... She does pause for a moment, crouching to let him sniff her hand before she pets his head and scratches his ears.] It's very nice to meet you. [She loves!! This cat!!!!]
Papika's really nice, isn't she? Sharing a room with a stranger isn't the best, but I think she's a good person to get to share space with.
[Damian doesn't answer immediately and continues walking out into the pasture. Pennyworth follows casually along by their feet, sometimes running ahead to leap into the grass and wait, sometimes lingering behind.
The cows are further out, distant, but visible. A herd of black and white grazing. One or two horses are neighbors to them, doing the same.] I guess.
She's-- [Stupid, the word he wants to use, but thinks better of it.] --naive. She doesn't think about things before she does them.
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While he doesn't return Yuna's wave (sorry, Yuna), he does pause to watch her approach. He's stubbornly still in the Robin uniform, or half of it anyway. Most of the outer layers have been stripped off to leave him in a black undershirt, pants, boots, and a domino mask.
It's fine, he's actually washed it...
There's a small mound of hay under one arm. He waits for her to get closer so he doesn't have to yell.] What are you doing?
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For an unnaturally long moment, he doesn't say anything to her. He seems to be thinking, evident by the way he turns his head and glances off in the direction he must have been going before she came up.
He sighs.] I'm going to feed some of the horses. There's flowers in their pasture and by some of the trees on the outside of the fence.
[But then instead of inviting her like he should, he awkwardly turns and starts leaving. He just... assumes she'll come if she wants... RIP social skills.]
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I'm glad the horses are getting fed! I bet they're happy you're taking care of them. Have you been out here long?
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[Bat habit. He prefers the company of animals.] Someone had already been taking care of them, but I haven't been able to find anyone. There's no footprints or tracks. But there was food and water. I don't know if it was the Sheriff's doing.
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[spoilers, yuna is annoying too]
I visited here earlier...Saturday? Yeah, Saturday. No one was here then, either... But it really did look well taken care of then, too! So weird. [She shifts so the basket's hanging over her arm so she can cheerfully clap her hands together.] Since this place is empty now, though, it's good that the horses and cows and everyone have you here to help!
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Until then, it'd be stupid to rely only on mysterious food he may be the one providing. [Though... the wildlife could also be suspect, he guesses. Whatever. Taking chances.] What's your name?
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I'm Yuna Yuki! It's nice to meet you.
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Also, he's not to be confused with the other Robin who had got off the train. Yikes.] I'm vegetarian. [Just inside the pasture fence for the horses is a raised trough, and Damian dumps the arm-load of hay inside. There's already a horse nearby, a cream-colored mare with a blond mane and tail.
She whinnies at the two of them before coming over. Out of the end of the stable comes a tip-toeing tuxedo cat, but it stops at the doorway and watches them both carefully, though its tail is up and side rubbing the frame.] Yesterday, I went hunting for wild animals to see if there were any.
I caught a deer. The meat is in town. [A pause. He reaches up to pat the neck of the horse that has come over to eat.] This is Raet.
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[TAKE CARE OF THIS BOY!!!! except okay Yuna can definitely be distracted by animals; she sure does want to pet that cat and this is an excellent horse.] ...It's nice to meet you, Raet!
[yuna, please]
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[From out of his pocket, Damian pulls an apple and a small dagger.] Hold out your hand. Keep your hand flat, or she'll accidentally bite your fingers. [He cuts a slice of apple off, placing it in Yuna's palm when ready.] Hold it low enough to reach.
[Apples are quite a nice treat. Raet is all about that. If done correctly, her searching lips will tickle Yuna's hand until she can pull the apple slice up into her mouth.]
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So Yuna holds out the apple slice with immense care to follow the directions she's been given, and laughs as Raet takes it from her.]
That's amazing! Hehe, I've never fed a horse before! [She starts to hold her other hand out, then stops abruptly.] Is it okay to pet her?
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It's not good to startle them. They may kick you, or rear back. They're herbivores, so their eyes are on the sides of their head; it helps them see predators. They might mistake you for one if you come up quickly or loudly from behind. Always approach from the side and front.
Don't pet them if you're scared. Horses can read emotions well.
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She lowers her voice, too, when she speaks to Damian.] You know so much about horses, Robin... That's really cool! Thank you for teaching me!
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[He glances at Yuna, and then he hands out the apple to her while wiping the knife off on his hip so he can put it away. God. HE HATES GIRLS.] There's some flow-- [Before he can finish the sentence, before Yuna can take the apple, the mare stretches its head up quickly and snaps it right out of his hand for herself.
Damian is left holding empty air until he gains his composure. RIP.] That wasn't yours. [But he doesn't sound at all scathing.]
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Aaah, she really likes apples! I bet she's really thankful for the treat!
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Regardless, the horse gets a pat or two on the neck, then a push for it to go back toward the hay he put in the trough.] There's more in the pasture where the flowers are. Birds carried seed from the orchard, and a few apple trees grew.
Come on. [For now, the horse is left to graze on the hay, though it will probably be trotting out to join them later. At the moment, the cat from before decides it's time to pad out of the stable and after Damian like a shadow, keeping somewhere in the middle of him and Yuna.
He gives her a little merowl of greeting.]
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[And she follows right along, swinging her basket next to her and humming something cheerful.]
I like your mask, by the way, it's really cool! [She's so here for superhero aesthetics. And then she notices the cat and gasps with happy surprise.] Hi, kitty! [AAAAAA YES SHE LOVES CATS THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER] Have you been taking care of this cat, too?
im sorry your friends are now dying
His name is Alfred Pennyworth. [And Alfred is quite content on getting attention, so he twirls between Yuna's legs when she isn't walking, then pads double-time alongside her to follow when she does.]
the first in an inevitably long long list
Papika's really nice, isn't she? Sharing a room with a stranger isn't the best, but I think she's a good person to get to share space with.
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The cows are further out, distant, but visible. A herd of black and white grazing. One or two horses are neighbors to them, doing the same.] I guess.
She's-- [Stupid, the word he wants to use, but thinks better of it.] --naive. She doesn't think about things before she does them.