[PP-F1] Fate's Farmhand (Complete)

[Shepherd 0]

"Hm?" Shepherd glanced down when he felt Fae's hand grabbing his. It made him smile to know she trusted him so much, though the feeling that he'd be wrongly labelled by townsfolk nagged the farmer's mind. Ultimately choosing to endure whatever came of it, Shepherd made the girl's comfort one of his top priorities, gently holding her hand in return.

Shepherd's eyes dropped after hearing she'd taken some damage, though his smile swiftly returned as she mentioned her health was nearly back at full. "Happy to hear it! I'm sorry ye had to take two hits back there, I tried t' get the piggy to come attack me instead but the fellow wasn't havin' none of it." Shepherd glanced around at the nearby Boars, keeping a watchful eye to ensure they didn't stray too close. "Ah, hadn' thought about that yet. Hmm... well, I don' know a great place off by heart but we'll find one when we get there! How about this, we'll let ye decide where we eat for the day. What are ye hungry for?"

@Fae

Edited July 29, 2017 by Shepherd

[Fae 0]

Fae looked around her, the boars seemingly getting closer. They were still too far away to do anything. "It's okay, I don't mind taking two hits. It's all part of getting tougher. Besides, I'm still alive, and my health is regenerating. It's like it never happened!" Fae said, trying to lighten the mood more.

She started to get a little more nervous around the boars and opened her menu she scrolled through it and left her dagger as the first option in the menu just in case. The town was getting closer, but she didn't want to take her chances. Then Shep asked what she wanted to eat, and she thought about that for a little bit. "I don't know, any kind of meat works for me, what about you?" Fae asked, she wasn't really that picky over what she ate. Anything worked for her, as long as it didn't look gross.

@Shepherd

[Shepherd 0]

"Aye, could murder a burger myself! Let's see then..." Throughout his time in the Town of Beginnings, he'd amassed an ample list of cafes and taverns, and restaurants and more. Having eaten in less than half, Shepherd still knew enough to pick out his favourites and would recite from them memory, though not before noticing the city gates approaching fast. "In no particular order, we have: Bjorn's Beef and Burgers, run by a wee little man. The Chilli Cluck who make the best chicken ah think I ever tasted. Punka Palace which sells all sorts a' meat pies and finally, Cinnamon, which is kind a' like a coffee shop but with lots more dinner options t' choose from." Shepherd looked towards Fae, anticipating whatever she might decide on.

The soothing BGM of <<Town of Beginnings>> began as soon as they passed through the city gates. Players and NPCs alike wandered the streets, some with friends in tow and others alone, and a few pulling along carts behind them as they moved to and fro the market. Nobody seemed to look over or glance strangely in their direction, leading the farmer to feel far better in an instant. "So, any o' them take your fancy? Ah don' mind us snoopin' around for a while if not, there's plenty t' choose from around town."

@Fae

[Fae 0]

Fae listened to all the food choices Shep offered and thought about it for a second. Almost all of them sounded good to her. "Um, Fae can't really decide. The Chilli Cluck and Cinnamon sound good to me. What do you want to have?" Fae asked as they entered the Town of Beginnings.

The town looked a little busier now than before. But it was still nice to be in none the less. It was safe, and that's all that really mattered. It was just a shame there were hardly any little kids. The only little kids she saw were NPCs. The music made the mood much more positive, and Fae dismissed her thoughts about the kids.

Fae had no idea where any of the places Shepherd had named were, so she looked back up at him with a little bit of a puzzled look. "So, do you know where the chicken place or the cafe is?" Fae asked.

@Shepherd

[Shepherd 0]

"Hmm... tryin' t' make it tough for me, are ye?" Shepherd made a childish smirk and planted a hand on his side. "Well, how's about we get a warm meal at Chilli's and grab dessert at Cinnamon?" Though he'd only admit it much, much later, he wanted to enough time to talk and see if she had a trusted guardian or friend to return to. The fact that she was wandering alone made him think she didn't, and if that ended up being the case, he'd have a troubling dilemma on his hands.

"Pff, 'course ah know! C'mon, Cluck's ain't so far." Shep led the way through town, weaving through the occasional crowd to get to the restaurant. A few pairs of eyes landed on them on their way there and though most were quick to look away, one or two lingered for a second longer than he was comfortable with.

Walking through the wooden door of The Chilli Cluck, a wave of heat whooshed outwards. The interior was in the style of a modern restaurant yet had an authentic medieval theme, with iron-reinforced wooden furniture and a wide glass window between a metal lattice. He looked towards Fae before gesturing at a window table, and let go of her hand to take a seat. "Ah, this place is the best. A lovely lady named Margerie runs it and ah tell ye, she's the sweetest person in this castle!"

On cue, a young waitress with blonde hair approached their table, her smile as warm and pleasant as the Sun. "Hello! Welcome to The Chilli Cluck, how may I... oh, Shepherd? It's so nice to see you again!" As her eyes moved to Fae, the waitress went noticeably quiet for a short second. She crouched to be eye-level with the pink-haired girl and beamed a smile. "And I believe I'd remember a little cutie like you! What's your name, sweetie?"

@Fae

[Fae 0]

Fae nodded her head and followed Shepherd through the crowds a little bit confused by the looks they got from the other people. "I wonder why people are looking at us funny. Is there something wrong with us?" Fae asked as they walked. She just didn't quite get why them walking together was weird.

Fae followed Shepherd into the restaurant and sat down with him. "Margerie? She sounds pretty nice." Fae commented before the waitress walked up to the table. It was definitely clear to Fae that Shepherd had been here a few times as the waitress recognized him almost immediately.

The waitress then turned to Fae and asked for her name. "Me? I'm Fae! Nice to meet ya." Fae introduced herself, beaming a smile back. The staff were definitely welcoming here. Fae always liked that. "Shep, what are you having? I'll just have what you're having." Fae asked, looking back at Shepherd.

@Shepherd

[Shepherd 0]

Shepherd swung his eyes over to Fae, then down to the floor ahead. "N-no, they're just ah... they're try'n' to decide if yer safe with me or not." He could hardly blame them, too. Anybody leading a little girl around town was bound to look suspicious, even when the intention was a pure act of kindness.

"Aww, that's a cute name! My name's Margerie. Listen, if you need anything then you can come tell me, okay?" Margerie's smile held up as she stood up straight, turning back to the green-eyed farmer with a slight rise in her eyebrows.

Shepherd coughed gently and lowered his voice, telling the waitress about where he and Fae met and why they were in town together. Nodding understandingly, both Shep and Margerie looked at each other subtly before returning to normal. "What am I havin'? Quite fancy a Spicy Cajun Chicken Burger mah-self! Warnin' ya now, it's mighty hot."  He winked at Fae and raised an eyebrow. "Are ye sure ye could handle that?"

@Fae

Edited July 29, 2017 by Shepherd

[Fae 0]

Fae nodded her head, that seemed to make more sense of why a lot of people were looking at them. "Alright, Fae just thought one of us looked odd or something like that, that's all." Fae said as she smiled at Shep.

Shep then said he was having a spicy cajun chicken burger, which did catch Fae a little bit off guard. "Yeah, that sounds really hot Shep. I'm fine with having it though. Fae likes to try out new things too. Maybe I'll like the spiciness once I try the burger." Fae said. She would probably regret it, but she wanted to have the same thing as Shep.

Fae looked out the window from her seat and watched the people walking by. It felt nice being inside than outside. Fae turned back to Shep and tried to think of anything to say, but couldn't. "Anything you wanna talk about?" Fae asked scooting a little bit forward.

[Shepherd 0]

Jotting down the order, the blonde waitress smiled and gave the two a nod. As she moved away to tend to another patron, Shepherd looked back to Fae across the table and gave a lighthearted chuckle. "S'pose this is all part of that learnin' experience. We can get ye somethin' else if it's too hot," he reassured.

When Fae asked if there was anything he wanted to talk about, Shepherd stared at the table for a moment, contemplating how to phrase what was on his mind. "A-aye, there's a couple a' things, actually. Firstly, do you have any friends in this game? A person that you really trust? If so, I need to kno' right now so ah can get in touch with 'em right away." That was the more finicky question, and his tone was slightly brighter as he asked the next. "Secondly, how have ye been makin' through the nights, ah assume you've been stayin' in an inn or somethin' like that?"

@Fae

Edited July 30, 2017 by Shepherd

[Fae 0]

Fae rubbed her belly a little bit as the waitress walked away. "Oh boy! Fae can't wait for the burgers to come! I bet they taste real good, can't wait to try them!" Fae exclaimed. She then looked back up at Shep, her smile still present and big.

 Fae listened to the first question Shep had asked her and it surprised her a little. Fae thought about it and realized that she really didn't have anyone she could turn to. "N-No, I don't have anyone like that really. I've mainly just been sitting around in the Town of Beginnings up until now." Fae answered putting her head down a little bit, her smile fading away as well.

Fae listened to the second question, which conflicted Fae just as much. "Fae haven't been sleeping at inns. Fae sleeps in this one alley in the town at night. Some people call it a moping corner, but it's just where I sleep. There's this other girl that sleeps there as well, so it isn't that bad." Fae answered.

@Shepherd

[Shepherd 0]

Shep gave into a silly smile at Fae's reaction to the food, he hadn't seen anyone so excited about anything since before the game began. The gleeful look silently faded as time went on, however, and a frown had all but replaced the farmer's smile as Fae mentioned knowing nobody in-game. Eyebrows pulling closer, his eyes fell down to the table in clear unrest. "A-ah, I see..." An internal debated waged on silently.

Looking up after a short few seconds, Shep listened intently at the girl's next answer, and his eyes became sadder by the second. "Ye shouldn' be sleepin' in the streets, Fae. Do ye kno' how dangerous that can be?" Maybe he was hoping for some sort of divine intervention; The game master granting her free nights in an inn, built-in systems for NPCs to take pity on children or something. "S-sorry, I'm not shoutin' at ye, but ah can't go on knowin' that you're sleepin' in the streets. Here," Shepherd opened up his menu and selected the Col icon, materialising 400 of the game's currency. Eight gold coins sat in his palm which he quickly held out to Fae. "One coin will get ye one night at an inn, this should be enough for a week's worth. Soon as ye start runnin' low, ye just come tell, ye hear?"

(Note: The Col will be officially handed over when the thread ends)

@Fae

 

[Fae 0]

Fae sighed as she saw Shep's smile go away and a frown appeared. Maybe she could have worded it a little better. Fae still tried to keep a faint smile, and maybe keep the mood positive. "Sorry. I
Fae just don't know anyone from the real world in this game." Fae apologized, her smile fading away as well.

Fae saw Shep getting even more sad as she answered his second question. "Fae knows, Fae just never had enough col to sleep at an inn." Fae explained. 

Shepherd then proceeded to hand out eight coins worth 400 col and grabbed them. "Thanks Shep, but you really don't have to do this. I'll be sleeping at an inn then, do you want to stay at the same one tonight?" Fae asked, trying to lighten up the mood some more for both of them. The burgers would be coming soon, and it would be awkward if there were sad vibes.

@Shepherd

[Shepherd 0]

He offered a look of sympathy when Fae mentioned her lack of col, and he felt even greater regret for answering so unreasonably. Of course she doesn't... where would she even get the cash?

"Aye, ah don' see why not! We'll be neighbours, right next door to each other." Shepherd's voice took on a lighter tone as his once bright smile returned. He'd watched Fae's smile gradually fade as a bad energy shrouded the mood, so he at least owed it to the girl to stop dwelling on the negatives.

"Boy, you two sure look hungry!" A cheery voice called out from across the shop, followed by footsteps from the kitchen. "One Spicy Cajun burger for you, aaand one for you. Enjoy!"

Shepherd smiled at Margerie before looking at the food ahead of him, resisting an urge to dig in like a starved pig. Forgetting himself, he leapt right into the first bite and chewed without restraint, sighing with delight as it went down with ease. "Now that's what ah cool a burger! Bit more tender than ah remember," he remarked, tapping into his inner food critic. "How's it taste?"

@Fae

 

[Fae 0]

Fae smiled again when Shepherd accepted her offer to stay in the same in as her. "Thanks, it makes Fae feel more safe with you there." Fae thanked as her smile grew bigger.

Fae got more excited when she saw Margerie coming back with the burgers. "Yes Fae sure is hungry, can't wait to try it!" Fae exclaimed, rubbing her belly hungrily. She imagined the burger would taste good if Shep was having it, so she grabbed it and got ready to take a bite.

Fae watched Shep take a bite from his burger before biting into hers as well. Shep commented on how good it tasted while Fae chewed. After a few seconds, Fae's face turned a good shade of red and her eyes widened. She swallowed the  piece and started taking deep breaths to cool herself down. "Hot! So hot!" Fae panted. She tried to muster a smile, but her cheeks were still red.

@Shepherd

Edited July 31, 2017 by Fae

[Shepherd 0]

Seeing Fae struggle with the heat, Shepherd couldn't contain himself as he chuckled. "Can't say I didn' warn ye!" He toned his laughter down to a smile, "At least ye tried somethin' new. Brave as a Lion!... do ye want some water, lass?" 

The burger suffered 4 bites of the farmer's wrath before half remained, and in a bid to savour what little was left, Shepherd put the rest down and leant into his chair with a satisfied sigh. "Phew, that's better than it has any right to bein'." A mean belch escaped the farmer out of habit, his eyes widening after. "Oh, p-pardon me!" Shep hastened an apology, his eyes closing up as he gave a sorry smile.

Idle seconds passed before he spoke again. "So, Fae," the farmer started, unsure how to phrase himself. "It's okay if ye want to say no, but, would ya like to add each other as friends? I want ye t' know that ye can always message me if somethin' bad happens."

@Fae

 

[Fae 0]

Fae fanned herself a bit and drank some water to cool herself down while Shep chuckled at her. Once she was cooled down, Fae took a smaller bite and put the burger down on the plate. "That was spicy! But it still tasted good anyway." Fae said, still panting from the heat.

Fae picked up her burger again and took another small bite. It still tasted a bit spicy, but it wasn't as effective as the first bite. "Aside from thr spiciness, Fae really like it." Fae commented as she set it back down. A burp escaped her mouth as well, but it wasn't as loud as Shep's. Fae stoll covered her mouth in embarassment. "Excuse me." Fae apologized sheepishly.

Shepherd then offered if she wanted to add him as a friend. Fae nodded her head right away. "Of course Fae will! I'll send the request." Fae replied as she opened her menu and sent Shepherd a friend request.
 

@Shepherd

[Shepherd 0]

As the friend request came through, Shepherd accepted and watched as Fae's name appear in his barren list of friends. Knowing there wasn't a need to worry about her safety when they inevitably split off, he sighed in relief,  and that should anything come up, they were a simple message away. "Got it! There we go, all done. If you'd like, ah can show ye how to send a message? It's real simple, promise!"

After the matter was all said and done, Shepherd decimated what remained of his Spicy Cajun burger in a matter of minutes, and set his plate aside with a slight frown as he pondered how short his meal was. "Think I could go for easy seconds, and thirds, and fourths... thinkin' about it, I don' think ah'd be able to stop myself." He made a silly smile, looking across the table. "How ye gettin' on? Think ye can still manage somethin' at the café?"

@Fae

[Fae 0]

Fae smiled when she saw Shep accept her friend request. Now she felt even more safe. "Thank you so much. Now Fae finally have someone in my friend list!" Fae thanked as she checked her friend list. "Fae already knows how to send a message. But thank you anyway Shep." Fae added as she closed her menu. It was nice to finally have a friend on her friend list.

Fae took another bite of her burger and tried to hold back the urge to fan herself again. She pulled through the spiciness and kept her smile on while she listened to what Shep was saying. Fae giggled a little bit at Shep saying he could have thirds and fourths on his burger. He then asked her if she could have dessert at the cafe and Fae nodded her head immediately. "Fae can definitely handle the cafe. Much more easily than the burger." Fae replied, setting the small part that was left of her burger on the table.

@Shepherd

[Shepherd 0]

Shepherd chuckled lightly, "Aye, promise their desserts won't be quite as spicy." Save for a small group sat opposite them at The Chilli Cluck, all was quiet and barren inside, and Margerie quickly caught on that the two were finished. As she made way to collect their mostly-empty plates, Shepherd tried to pay but was quickly hushed by the blonde waitress, citing their meals were on the house this time around. "Oh, t-thanks! Ah don't quite know what to say..." Margerie smiled and waved at them both before disappearing into the back, and Shepherd quickly turned to Fae with an equally cheery expression. "Well, looks like that's all sorted then! C'mon, if we leave know then we should make it to the closest cafe before sundown."

As he stood up and stretched his arms wide, Shepherd was readying to leave when he looked over at Fae. The farmer offered a hand and spoke, "Only if ye want to - it's not far but we'll be walkin' a fair bit through town." He faced the entrance with a brand new energy about him, "I'll be gettin' a big ol' pretzel for mahself when we get there- and a milkshake, good god their milkshakes are insane!"

@Fae

[Fae 0]

Fae nodded her head and giggled a little bit, "Yeah, we would be having problems if the dessert was spicy! Can't wait for that too!" Fae said as she got up from her seat and stretched her arms a few times as well. The food was good, but the dessert was hopefully going to be even better!

Fae followed Shep back to the entrance of the restaurant while looking around the place. With only one other group, this place couldn't be doing that well. It was probably just a slow day, so Fae dismissed those thoughts. "Alrighty then, let's get a move on!" Fae exclaimed as she walked out the entrance shortly after Shep.

Fae grabbed Shep's hand and started to walk with him through the streets again. "I'll probably have a donut and a milkshake, if they have donuts there. Otherwise I'll have a pretzel then." Fae said as she walked.

@Shepherd