S1:Ep5 - Life from Red Clay

[Rian Carpenter]

Rian flinched at the shotgun being leveled. He forced a smile despite the situation(s).

"Hey, sorry to barge in on you. I heard y'all might need some help with the wild hogs runnin' loose. Me and my... associate was hopin' for permission to walk your land and use this rifle on my shoulder to send a few souls to piggy heaven."

He stumbled over what to call Mattie. He almost said "partner" but he is in charge kinda. Not kinda. Definitely. Well Probably. Carpenter was only certain of one thing: his desire to distract himself from his current conundrum by turning some pigs into pork. He held both hands up at shoulder level, trying to be as cool and still as possible.

"But we can get back to walkin' if you're cross at the notion. My name's Rian, this is my uh colleague: Mattie. "

One of Rian's hands held up in surrender pointed back behind him at the blonde. He heard his cortex beep again at the message being forwarded from Darling. Hopefully, it was work. A job waiting for them on the ship meant something to keep them busy, on task. Why stop and think about things or process them? Why do that when you can just sprint ahead and not deal with your feelings?

The acting Captain smiled big for the shotgun like it could take his picture. As much as one can smile at two barrels of buck-shot.

[Viktor Söderberg]

Town Squad

Walking behind Tabby and Arlo, Viktor waved and passed greetings and blessings to people he knew and those he didn't know but who'd been kind enough to say hello first.

Talbot's was not a very large shop but it was extremely well stocked. It was worn but clean and smelled faintly of spearmint. Viktor saw the owners Eira and Andri. Eira, a tall stocky woman with brown hair down to her knees, was minding the till. Her long hair was tied back in a thick braid exposing a stark, white scar on the right side of her neck.
Her husband Andri was putting new snowshoe stock on the shelves in the back of the shop. He was an equally tall but slim gentleman with short greying hair and heavy limp. Viktor was surprised to see a new young man at the counter as well. He was fit and muscular. It was sorely obvious that he'd never even been near a mine. Lucky boy.
The Talbot's must have been getting enough business to hire the help they've desperately needed for a while. Their luck was hopefully turning around as well.

The young man nodded to them, "Welcome to Mr. and Mrs. Talbot's. What can we help you with today?"

Viktor waved to the boy and walked right up behind the counter to the woman, his arms open for a hug. "Eira, my wonderful friend! It has been far too long." They embraced like family and she smiled and patted his cheek in greeting. "These are my friends and shipmates, Tabitha and Arlo. They will be staying with us for a spell and are, unfortunately, ill equiped for our beautiful weather."

Eira looked at Tabitha in her too-big coat and Arlo in his mismatched layers. She appeared to chuckle to herself, smile sadly and sigh as if to say visitors are never prepared for our weather. She stretched out her hand in offering to Tabitha.

The new employee said, "Mrs. Talbot will get you all settled Miss Tabitha. And Mr. Arlo, if you will follow me. My name is Carius and I'll be happy to help to find what you are looking for."

As the men and women parted way to their respective sides of the shop, Viktor made his way down the middle to say hello to Andri. Even though he was certain he didn't need to purchase anything here, he double checked his mother's list while he walked. He had the distinct feeling he was forgetting something.

[Note: I'm not sure if it's clear enough here, but Eira is mute - severed vocal cords. She and her husband were both injured in a mine explosion many years ago]

[Thackery Arlington III]

"We should get a rabbit, or seeds for the garden! And where is New Dunsmuir? Did you enjoy Mayton Prep? Do you have lots of friends from there? Should we dress fancy for dinner?"

"I'm not sure that a rabbit is— It's the capit— I'm quite— I haven't— Do you have anything 'fancy'?" Arlo blurted. Oh, dear. Overwhelmed by the onslaught of questions, he'd rather lost track of minding his words and the rude question just slipped out. He honestly hadn't even expected to be able to finish speaking, but Tabitha chose just the wrong moment to pause to consider her current ensemble, leaving Arlo's voice hanging loud on the air.

"I want to impress your Mama," she finished brightly to the vicar, leaving Arlo entirely in the dark about whether she was hurt by the implication or had even heard it at all. Even so, he snapped his treacherous mouth shut and quickened his pace to keep as much distance between the two of them as possible until they made it to the store.

"Mr. Arlo, if you will follow me," the shopboy said. "I'll be happy to help to find what you are looking for." Still not trusting himself to speak, Arlo nodded brusquely at the lad and followed him into the shelves.

[Lomari]

Ship Time: 1255
Ship Location: Secondary Claim, St. Albans

Hunting Squad: Rian and Mattie

"But we can get back to walkin' if you're cross at the notion. My name's Rian, this is my uh colleague: Mattie. "

"We're Father Viktor's friends," Mattie added. Having grown up in a small backwater town herself, she knew the people could be mistrustful of strangers, and sometimes namedropping a member of the local community helped with that.

The barrel of the gun wavered, lowered, lifted again, and then finally lowered to point at the ground. Its owner stepped out, an elderly man with fatigue written all over his wrinkled face, his eyes narrowed in mild suspicion. But they had mentioned that they were friends with the Söderberg boy and that seemed to count for something. 

The pair of them were eventually invited into the home, whereupon they were forced to enjoy a pot of coffee the Missus had whipped up before heading out with the Farmer, who introduced himself as 'Mister Gail,' his son Arman, and their neighbor who Mister Gail jokingly referred to as 'the City Slicker'. By the time evening fell and a mild snowstorm made them quit, they'd dispatched several of the aggressive boar, enough to split between the two families and the crew of the Darling. They'd won themselves some dinners (if they made sure to preserve the meats well back on the ship) as well as some good will among the locals.

Town Squad: - Arlo, Viktor, Tabby.

Tabitha and Mrs. Talbot got on like a house on fire. Tabby did all the talking, although it seemed as though they were communicating just fine that way. By the end of it, the doctor had made a new friend and come away with a few winter outfits and a 'fancy dress' that was markedly more fancy than anything she owned, but likely still 'quaint' and 'simple' to Arlo's eye.

Arlo and Carius worked well together in their own way, both of them ignoring each other to their heart's content. It was as civilized and polite as Arlo was going to get out of the Core planets, and his own paltry winter supplies were stocked with the best a store on a planet like this had to offer.

The three of them stayed late into the afternoon with the Talbots, enjoying polite conversation, before finally heading back to Viktor's home with some snacks and trinkets from the market to bring home for his family and the rest of the crew.