(no subject)

[not_his_pa]

William's been out at the stables all day doing everything from mucking out stalls to just watching the horses in the paddock.

One of the things he likes best about Milliways in Winter is that, it looks and feels more like the winters he used to know when he was little. Arizona gets cold and gets snow but winter there just means more work.

In Milliways, there's work but not the same pressing need to worry about the herd getting sick or Mark coughing again. Soon he'll head inside, but for now, he's enjoying being with all the different and loved horses of Milliways.

(OOC: Catch him at any point during the day or any place in the general stable area. Open until it scrolls.)

Comments

[katyafeline.livejournal.com]

The barns are Olga's territory, and thus it's a slightly wary gal who's perched on one of the stall dividers, watching William work.

[not_his_pa]

He finishes the stall he's working on and wipes his forehead, which is when he spots her,

"What are you doin' up there?"

[katyafeline.livejournal.com]

"Watching you." It's an honest answer, if not terribly illuminating. "What else?"

[not_his_pa]

"Why? I'm just muckin' out stalls," It's probably the most boring job in the stables.

[katyafeline.livejournal.com]

"Why not?" She shrugs, her singularly fluid shrug, and fails to come down.

[not_his_pa]

He shrugs and starts strewing some hay before saying to the floor of the stall,

"The mermaid came to my last happy hour and did somethin' that pulled me in even worse. I resisted as much as I could and it still didn't work."

[katyafeline.livejournal.com]

The nearest horse spooks, slamming heavy hooves against the wall of his stall when the battle mage snarls. That poacher just doesn't know when to quit, does she?

[not_his_pa]

"Hell, don't do that. Teja scared her away before anything bad happened,"

The hay is forgotten as he goes to the stall of the spooked horse to try and calm it down.

[katyafeline.livejournal.com]

"Something bad did happen, silly boy. Or do you enjoy being hunted?" Katya's opinion of the Watch here certainly isn't improving.

[gotpoetryinme]

Meanwhile, a gambler has been wandering about the snowy, wooded hills behind Milliways. He still has no idea what this place really is or why he's here, but the snow, the wind, and the evergreens are at least familiar to him. Such reminders of home are a bitter comfort to him amid the insanity of this place.

He has decided to stop beside the stable to rest and take in the peaceful scenery. He is currently leaning against a wall, smoking a cigar, and looking out at the horizon.

[not_his_pa]

When William sees McCabe, he nods and drinks some of the coffee he's brewed himself, "Hello, sir."

[gotpoetryinme]

McCabe exhales deeply, releasing a steady stream of cigar smoke.

"Afternoon," he says. He looks the kid over briefly. "You a stable boy?"

[not_his_pa]

"Yeah, could say that, sir. You need some help?"

The way this man holds himself reminds William of men who's caused him trouble back home, sure of all they have, but this is Milliways. There's not much to William that makes him stand out, his clothes are dusty and worn and he looks as if he doesn't get quite enough to eat.

[gotpoetryinme]

"Naw, just takin' in the air," McCabe says, still chomping his cigar. "Feels like home." He sighs a bit as he says this.

[not_his_pa]

"Where's home for you, sir?" He drinks his coffee as the man eats his cigar.

[gotpoetryinme]

"Washington State," he says. "In the Cascades."

Though perhaps it wasn't so much home as it was simply his most recent place of residence.

[not_his_pa]

"I've heard there's good land out that way. I'm from Arizona Territory near Bisbee."

[ostro_goth]

At some point while William is working at the stables, Teja comes and leans in a door jamb, watching him.

[not_his_pa]

William finishes putting water and food in the horse's stalls before he sees Teja,

"Good day, sir."

[ostro_goth]

"Greetings, William Evans," Teja says. "One hopes you fare well, now there is no mermaid here to confuse you?"

[not_his_pa]

"Yes, sir, I am. I'm tryin' to think of ways to not let her put me in danger again."

[ostro_goth]

"Is she using magic upon you against your will?" Teja asks, trying to construct a way that she may be breaking actual rules.

[not_his_pa]

"I think so but I don't feel her doin' anythin' until it's too late. I try to not look in her eyes as that helps sometimes."

[ostro_goth]

"You might wish to accuse her of this, when she does it again," Teja says, "and call for my help, and then I may lock her up, and warn her to not ever approach you again. If you come near her on your own, then you know it was your own doing."

[not_his_pa]

"I'll try, sir," Though she does a good job of making it hard for him to think.