A day in the life of Jake Dobson

[mean-old-cowboy.livejournal.com]

The kid -- Nat, she said her name was -- was working out really well. She had a knack with horses like nothing Jake had ever seen. He liked her, and he had to hand it to the doctor for finding her and bringing her here where she'd be safe. Especially since he'd heard rumors that there was a pedophiliac bear running loose in the Nexus right now. Crazy kids today with their PINpoints and their Nexus LOL... In his day, the Multiverse had been much quieter and saner.

Jake hoped too much wasn't going to change on his farm. Not that it was really up to him, anymore, since that Dr. Anders was the official owner now, but still...

I'm not curryin' Mary Sue's horse, no matter how many sparkles she throws at me.

Grump grump grump, grouch grouch grouch. He decided to go and finish mucking out the stalls.

Comments

[what_if_alice]

She stays perched on the top of a stall wall and she cocks her head to the side when an old man steps inside the barn, she can hear him grumping all the way over here. Don't ask how she found this place, because she doesn't know either! One minute she was wandering around the Nexus and the next, she was with the horses.

"... Stop that, horses don't like growling!"

[mean-old-cowboy.livejournal.com]

He frowns a little and looks over her way. Doesn't look like a Sue to me... Time will tell.

"They're used to it, Miss. Y'shouldn't be up there, you know. Could get y'self hurt."

He does know how to act halfway-decent around a potentially-paying customer. Plus, for all he knows, this could be a friend of that city-slicker doctor.

[what_if_alice]

She peeks down at the grumpy old man and grins. While she's not really high up, he still looks small from up here.

"Didn't see sign saying no getting on walls." *nods once* "If wanted to get hurt would find easier, faster way to do it than staying high up. Is all the better to look into horses eyes. Shiny big eyes."

[mean-old-cowboy.livejournal.com]

"Long as you're not plannin' on scarin' or hurtin' them. You friends with the doctor or something? Or did you wander in through a portal?" He tries to keep an eye on the portal sensors but damn if they only work some of the time.

Grabbing a pitchfork, he moves to the first stall he's planning on mucking out, still keeping an eye on his unexpected guest.

[what_if_alice]

She narrows her eyes when he grabs the pitch fork. Today is not a good day to get poked!

"If was going to hurt them, would already do it. Am not wibble-wobbly about things like that." *humph!* "What's portal? *she blinks when she realizes he said the D word and hisses.* "No doctors!"

[mean-old-cowboy.livejournal.com]

He starts mucking out the stall, glancing her way as he works.

"Well, if you were gonna hurt 'em, we'd have a real problem on our hands. These are good horses, and it's my job to protect 'em. And a portal is a doorway between one dimension and another. Just one of the way you crazy kids gad about the Nexus, you know. So you're not friends with the doctor?"

[what_if_alice]

The very idea of being friends with one of them makes her bare her teeth and growl. Old man must've gotten kicked by one of the horses!

"No doctors! No!" *pause, sudden mood shift no way!* "You protect horses? But are old, easily snappable."

[mean-old-cowboy.livejournal.com]

"Huh. Just so you know, the doc owns this place. Seems like a good enough guy. City folk. And that's why I carry a piece, Miss. I'm not as young as I used to be, but I can still shoot straight."

She's a strange one, all right. The Nexus is full of strange ones, though. She hasn't tried to sell him on the Healing Power of Love, and she hasn't tried to gas the place, though... so right now she's still in the winning column.

[what_if_alice]

*shrugs* "So don't tell am stealing the wall. Shoot straight, what if person dodges and eyes might not work as good any more. Guns aren't reliable." *nods once* "Too many people in cities."

She turns her attention away from the grumpy old man and reaches out and pats the top of a horse's head.

"Horses aren't so loud, stinkier though."

[mean-old-cowboy.livejournal.com]

"Watch it with that one, he's a biter." He studies her for a moment. "Your mind goes in a lot of different directions at once, doesn't it?"

[what_if_alice]

"Only when he gets growled at but am not growly like some people." *she leans in and whispers to the horse* "Is okay, lotsa grumpy people in the 'verses. It's okay to bite them."

She chuckles and turns her attention back to the old man and gives a big smile.

"Huh?"

[mean-old-cowboy.livejournal.com]

"Hmm. Then again, maybe it doesn't. So, what brings you here? You looking for work, or wanting to ride?"

[what_if_alice]

She cocks her head as she starts to play with the horse's mane. Such soft pretty hair. Horses make sense. If they don't like something, they tell. No five billion words to get to the point. She forces herself to pay attention to the old guy.

"My feet."

[mean-old-cowboy.livejournal.com]

"...Uh huh. What's your name, Miss?"

He might have to see if Nat can talk sensibly with this woman, because she's a strange one.

[what_if_alice]

"If going to lie, grumpy old man, why lie about what brought me here? Tell big lie not little one." *chuckling* "May be grumpy but are funny so will tell name. Am Alice." *pats the horse* "This is Horse and who are?"

[mean-old-cowboy.livejournal.com]

"I'm Jake. And that, there," he adds, pointing to the horse, "is Eagle Feather. Mostly I just call him Eagle. He's a good stallion but he's a wild ride, so only experienced people can take him out. I meant, why'd you come out here?"

[what_if_alice]

*big smile* "Don't want to ride him. Like him better like this, all free. Don't ride things if they don't want to be ridden. Bits should only be with pieces, not in horse's mouths."

*She trails off as she runs her fingers along Horse's cheek. He probably doesn't like being ridden. That's probably why only experienced people can ride. Yeah, that's right!*

"... Came to get away from sex questions or should kill bad people or not ones too."

[mean-old-cowboy.livejournal.com]

"Well, that's the Nexus for you," he tells her as he shovels manure-laden hay out of the stall and into the wheelbarrow. "Everything there's about sex, sooner or later. Havin' it, givin' it, gettin' it, switchin' it, definin' it, comparin' it... the place is obsessed. And as for killin'... well, that's a hot-button issue right there, now isn'it? You ever had to kill someone?"

He glances her way.

[what_if_alice]

She pats Horse for a few more moments then remembers grumpy old men can't hear inside her head, good, stay out of there, so she looks over at him and nods once.

"Lots of things, not grumpy old men though. So no worries. Only kill grumpy old men if they make me." *pause, head tilt* "You?"

[mean-old-cowboy.livejournal.com]

"Had to shoot a would-be horse thief one time, and some would-be vandals. That was before I got this place set up with an A.V.F. You know what that is?" He grins. Maybe she'll be more relaxed if she does.

[what_if_alice]

Means can't give or take hurts. *nods once* Rick explained, says is why the Nexus place is safe. Even if they come.

Haven't tried taking a horse, wouldn't have a place to keep him. So no worries.