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Post by Kristofor on May 7, 2024 3:58:31 GMT -6
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Post by Kristofor on May 7, 2024 4:04:49 GMT -6
'Reminds me of drool, if rain were a little thicker'. The rain splatters on the cobblestones as it runs in rivulets off the colorful market 'awning' in front of the grooming shop. Unlike the rest of the world, Kristofor enjoys watching the rain. Not so much on the being in it, as his tail volume triples, forcing a good hour of drying the fur and taming it back down with his products. One would think regular treatments of soft product to keep the fur healthy and thick would help but no. Not exactly. The quill in his hand stops scratching down words and numbers, he's finished ledgering for the day. Rainy days don't bring customers. The book is closed before taking a look around the shop. The dogs are upstairs, taking a rest from a romp. And sitting on a dampened slab of rock by the windowsill is the craggy tort-le he'd adopted most recently. Oogwai doesn't do much; Eat, sleep, glare outside. Do tort-les like rain? 1
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Post by Kristofor on May 7, 2024 4:12:48 GMT -6
The door jingles, catching his attention. Someone has run inside, dripping wet. Humanoid, young, and out of breath. Cursing in Common at the weather. "Just my bloomin' luck, a downpour right as I'm getting back." they snarl, setting down shopping bags to start wringing out a long plait of hair. Sneezing once. Boom-ka! The stranger pauses in their accursed wringing, slowly turning to look to their left. Oogwai's pale mint-colored gaze stares right at them. Lightning flashes outside. Boom-ka! So they're not going mad, the turtle did actually 'say' something. "Welcome" Looking up from the cat-sized tortoise, there's a fox man, his silvery and black fur catching the light, like someone who made salt and pepper hair look 'good'. "Can I help you?" A frustrated exhale. "Just stepping in out of this damn rain." Impatiently tapping the toe of their shoes on the mat. "Won't be in your fur for long." There's a shuffle before being presented with a towel. "I would be a very rude shopkeeper if I let a passerby catch cold." The friendly tilt of his head with closed eyes. A very humanoidish reaction. And decent on the Common too. 2
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Post by Kristofor on May 7, 2024 4:21:05 GMT -6
They've only had this nice of hospitality from the general store or the kindly old women who ran the garden shop, accepting the plain blue towel to start rubbing themselves dry. Giving the fox time to see who'd stopped in. Nobody to write home about, humanoid, long brown hair, short temper, moderate height but not specifically able to tell male or female at that time. Wearing a blue overcoat. Amber eyes glance at him. "Your business must be boomin' if you have time to give towels to a passerby." their tone is sarcastic. "Sadly the opposite." Kristofor shrugs, taking back the damp towel, and offering another one. A huff before the towel is accepted to dry off further. "Did you forget an umbrella?" The story comes out reluctantly as the passerby describes the errand to buy some dirt for a local umbrella store that would sell them an umbrella for nearly dirt cheap. Credits don't come easily, depending on the job. Oogwai's attention doesn't linger on the wet stranger, but back on the occasional flash and boom of lightning and thunder outside. "Wasn't raining that hard earlier, now the dirt gonna be a complete muddy mess." 3
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Post by Kristofor on May 7, 2024 4:27:47 GMT -6
On being asked to clarify, the passerby describes the local umbrella and parasol stall that opened recently. They must have a secondary product because the parasols are almost consistently given away for petty chores. Because they'd go out of business making no money. "I'm sure that is a thing; supplementing a shop with a secondary income is required if you're too specialized, like myself and the umbrella store." Kristofor has his back turned, tossing the wet towel across a dry and empty tub for washing pets. "Once the downpour's over, I'll help you carry the dirt there." He's noting the occasional shake in the individual's right arm, as an injury occurred. "Sure, whatever." Normally the passerby would fling the towel rudely at the offerer but the movement of pulling the towel free of their head makes a pain run through their right forearm. "Who keeps turtles that big anyways." A sour glance towards the moving tort-le of Oogwai, meandering his way onto the wooden slat boards down to a small cart. Boom-ka! He wants to go outside. 4
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Post by Kristofor on May 7, 2024 4:36:27 GMT -6
"I refute with who keeps carnivorous deer that big." What this passerby doesn't know is the fox OWNS one of those carnivorous deer. Piscivorous on some days. "Just a different sort of creature; if I want to be able to offer grooming services to all pets in the city, then I need to know how to take care of them." "Tousche." The passerby nods to the agreeable answer. Following Oogwai's progress down the home-fashioned bridge with those thoughtful amber eyes. "I'll have to keep an eye out for your reptile services. I've got a little one that could do with some scrubbing." And no thank you on doing it themselves. "Rain's lightning up." Boom-ka! The voltitan's answer as the sky lit up outside almost matched, a bit of energy sparking his tail. Could he catch lightning? "It would be faster to load the dirt onto the buggy and go there while the rain's light." Kristofor takes the other towel, tossing it carelessly on the other to help load up the wagon, including the tort-le, and making a break in between cloudbursts over to the little stall. "Welcome!" The female who greets them is wearing something thick, shiny and pink to save herself from the rain. Kristofor's not wearing the proper clothes for the weather at all, his vest and fur soaked. "Put the dirt through the gate there please. I was starting to get worried on you." She catches the bluecoated individual in conversation while they pass back the change for the purchase and get an umbrella in return. "If you need another odd job, just drop by. I'll always have something." with a wink. 5
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Post by Kristofor on May 7, 2024 4:40:39 GMT -6
Wait a minute, what was he supposed to 'do' with the dirt, now that the bluecoat had their umbrella and left on their way. Rotten opportunists. Kristofor's ears cant back with annoyance. "Why did you want dirt, ma'm?" he asks politely as the pink female comes around the stall to unlock the gate for him (it was locked). "Because my garden is a muddy mess. Heard from a buddy that if I added a better drainage soil to my beds, they wouldn't turn into mud holes each rainstorm. That one didn't have the credits to buy an umbrella and I couldn't leave the shop, as I do sell more when its rains like this, so it was trade of convenience." a narrow eyed look from those curious fox eyes as he pulls the wagon into the pebbled path. His shoes squish in the wet. Ew. The rain pattering across Oogwai's shell sounds like music to his earholes. He likes the feeling and the sound. What the shopkeeper didn't count on was their 'help' leaving with their umbrella a soon as possible instead of stickign around to actually spread the dirt out. She' would've paid extra. 6
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Post by Kristofor on May 7, 2024 4:47:45 GMT -6
Kristofor explains to her that he's got some time on his paws, as the grooming business isn't the fastest in this weather. A nod of understanding, that would work out. Poor boy needs a raincoat more then an umbrella but she'll take the help. Is this a prime example of humanoid laziness? Why not do this when it was sunny? "My tulips are going to drown." ah. Not the tulpis. He nods and takes the wagon inside the garden to close behind him. Around him, the large oak towering over the small side garden dribbles water onto his ears every now and then. Forget them, he's the one who will be soaked to the bone after this. It might be worth a trip to that strange mantra shop to get a soak in the hotspring once he finished this job up. Using his claws, Kristofor opens the plastic dirt bags once under enough cover that he can see what he's getting into. "Well drained soil" is literally printed on the bag. The voltitan's cart is parked at the right height to get out of even. But would he. 7
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Post by Kristofor on May 8, 2024 4:34:53 GMT -6
Oogwai blinks in surprise with the raindrops falling on his snout. Turning his gaze up to the crying sky. Its gray, gloomy, rumbly. Occasionally lights up with boom sounds. The twolegs are making noise at each other while the odd one with a tail is tearing open something, by the sound. He's no idea really whats going on; focus. Focus on the sounds of the weather. He can feel the patter of water against his shell, like some sort of rhythm. Slowly opening his mouth, a few drops fall inside. Its not a cold wet like the water he gets indoors. But... wild water? He's not sure how that works. But who cares. Kristofor, getting soaked to the bones, and his fur is half his bulk, is asking the shopkeeper why she hadn't just dug up the tulpis and brought them indoors till the rain stopped. Getting a withering look of why dig up perfectly happy flowers only to have to replant them again? Happy? They're sitting in over an inch of soggy soil, like soggy enough to wash your hands in. 8
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Post by Kristofor on May 9, 2024 3:28:25 GMT -6
Now the very wet fox doesn't claim himself a green thumb by any stretch of the imagination but he's preetty sure the soaked soil isn't good for the tulpis but if she wants to just mix in dry dirt instead, whatever? He'll be spending a few hours picking dirt out from under his nails with a glass file then. The soil bag has some dampness already while doling out handfuls until its light enought o pick up the bag and start sp- NO no no, by hand! She cries from just under the overhang. You'll break the tulips! 'Are you serious, I'm wet enough' he grits his back teeth together in annoyance, putting the rapidly getting wet bag of soil down again at his feet to dole out the dirt by hand and hand and hand again. Tulpis must be a very delicate plant. His aunt would know more; maybe he would call her afterwards. Mothers day was right around the corner after all. The sky lights up briefly, keeping Oogwai's attention off the fox in a pool of water. Oooh, lights. 9
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Post by Kristofor on May 9, 2024 3:38:43 GMT -6
"Hm. I should've given you the parasol to use while you were working..." the shopkeeper ducks out into the shop garden once theres a slight break (by that, she means a light drizzle) in the rain, a few parasols under her arm and one open to hang over her. The kind fox who had been spreading soil for who knows how long is soaked to the bone, most of his beautiful fur plastered to his body, water dripping off his nose and ears. He sneezes. Oh well. Lessons learned. "I should be giving you money to buy a poncho or something but heres a parasol instead." shoving a random one at him without looking him in the eyes. "Thanks." Kristofor doesn't bother with replying; he's a pretty placid person but his patience is wearing quite thin; no wonder the passerby who had ducked into his shop had such short patience. Forget just drying off in front of a heater; he'd need a full on bath; the dirt is crusting into his fur. Collecting his voltitan and the wagon-cart, he heads out to his own home again. Sneezing every few minutes. Ugh... Aww, the rain was stopping. Oogwai liked the sounds drumming against his shell. But he's pretty wet too. A shell isn't an umbrella after all. 10 +2 Oogwai -fin-
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