2nd Rodeo [Action | Forward-dated to Tuesday morning]

[honestapples]

[Luceti, today, there is a blond girl fast asleep underneath an awning, leaning against the wall of the grocery store. The rain doesn't seem to be bothering her - in fact, she's mostly out of the way of it. But there's a cowgirl hat pulled down low over her face, something to hide behind as she dozes on, oblivious to the world.

Eventually, once she either wakes up on her own or is woken up, she'll be staggering around town like a drunk... or possibly a newborn foal. Just two legs is hard, okay? She'll be trying to get her bearings, which will mean trying to find somepony who can tell her what in the world is going on. And she's also really hungry. But food comes after figuring out what's going on and then finding if anyone's been taking care of her dog for her these last two weeks.

She can be found just about anywhere in town, and later on at the farmlands, occasionally grumbling under her breath when she overbalances on these Just Two Legs. Later in the day, her balance will be better and she'll look a little more at home, being bipedal.

And if she's grumbling, it's bound to be something along the lines of:]

How do all the hue-mans do this...?

[[ooc: Mallynap effect is temporary humanization. Replies will be coming from honestmelons I swear I didn't come up with the name but it was also too funny not to use]]

Comments

[divine_beast]

[He shakes his head.]

No, not exactly. Ranch hand. My village was pretty famous for its pumpkins, though. What about you?

[...'nopony'?]

[honestmelons]

Ah've lived on my family's farm back home my whole life. It's been in the family for generations.

[She's puffing up with obvious pride here.] We're known for growin' the best apples in all of Equestria. Not that it's all we grow, but that's our specialty.

[divine_beast]

[Almost reminds him of home, meeting someone so obviously proud of what they do.]

Apples, huh? Sounds nice... Do you grow them here, too?

[honestmelons]

[She nods happily.] Eeyup! Tryin' to. There wasn't a whole lot ta start with, but Ah wanna try an' get a good-sized orchard goin' here.

[Although not so big that she can't manage a harvest on her own. Lesson learned on that front.]

So, a ranch hand, huh? What all didya have on the ranch?

[divine_beast]

Sounds like hard work. Is anyone else helping you out?

[Who was looking for a stick for Winona? This guy.]

Mostly Ordon goats. They're kind of big and ornery with you at first, but once they know who you are, they're pretty sweet-natured. Once in a while they'll try and run the gate, though.

Oh, we had some cuccos around, too.

[honestmelons]

Well, it's really just me, but Ah've got a few friends in town who've offered ta help come harvest time. That'll be the hardest part.

[Smiling, she laughs as Winona perks up curiously. Stick fetching is a favorite pastime of hers.]

Your goats don't sound too different from the ones we had back home. Stubborn, but they ain't bad once ya get ta know 'em. But what're cuccos?

[divine_beast]

Well, if you need any extra help, I'll pitch in. It'd be a shame to let them go to waste.

[He finds the perfect stick, lets Winona see it, then gives it a good throw across the field.]

Huh? [The question takes him by surprise. Everyone knew what cuccos were, right?]

Well, they're... farm birds, I guess, about this high. Plump, with big tail feathers and combs on top of their heads. People usually raise them for their eggs.

[honestmelons]

[As Winona takes off after the stick, barking happily, Applejack gives Link a perfectly blank look.]

...Ya mean like chickens?

[divine_beast]

Chickens?

[WHAT'S A CHICKEN]

[honestmelons]

About that high, plump, combs on their heads. Usually white feathers? Raised for their eggs?

[divine_beast]

[He takes the stick back from Winona, gives her a pat on the head, and throws it again.]

Sounds an awful lot like cuccos. Except they can be red, brown, or black, too. Oh yeah, and they crow in the morning. They can get pretty loud if you've got a bunch of them in the same place.

[honestmelons]

Sounds just like chickens. Maybe our worlds just had different names for 'em?

[Strange, but kind of neat. Fluttershy will probably be keen to hear about this.]

[divine_beast]

Maybe so. Say, do you know if there are any stables around here?

[honestmelons]

[There's a small frown. She's still getting used to the idea of stables for horses. That came as something of a shock when she first got here.]

There are. Ah heard there's a couple in town, an' there's plenty'a space in the barn here if anypony's needin' shelter. There's even plenty'a room in the cottage with me.

[Horses and ponies welcome, dude.]

[divine_beast]

[For his part, Link looks relieved.]

That's good to hear. It looks like my friend came with me, and I need a place for her to stay, too. Uh... do you have to pay to use a stall? I can help with chores, but it doesn't seem like they use rupees around here.

[honestmelons]

[A friend? AJ picks up on that wording immediately. Not a horse or a pony, but a friend. Instant respect points.]

'Course ya don't hafta pay. Any friend of a friend is more'n welcome ta stay here. 'Sides, we don't have any kinda money here anyway. What's her name?

[divine_beast]

[Link laughs a little.]

Maybe you should meet her before you invite us over. Hold on a second.

[He removes a small, horseshoe-shaped whistle from beneath the layers of his shirt and puts it to his lips, playing a little song. From across the field, there's the sound of a high whinny. Suddenly, there's a large, reddish-brown mare charging toward them; she trots to a stop, nosing at Link to see if he has any carrots. He pats her on the nose in apology.]

This is Epona. We were partners back home, but she followed me out to Hyrule, too. And she's great in a tight spot.

[honestmelons]

[Applejack gives Epona a smile in greeting, Winona giving a cheerful bark. Sure, Epona is way bigger than most of the ponies back home, and there's no cutie mark, but she could still be from Equestria. That "any friend is welcome" thing still stands.]

Well, howdy, Epona. Ah'm glad ta hear both of ya have each other here... it's a lot easier with friends from home nearby.

[Oh, wait, she's being rude.] Sorry, Ah shoulda said... my name's Applejack. It's real nice t'meetcha both.

[divine_beast]

[He nods. Epona, for her part, simply snorts and flicks her ears, but it's fairly clear from her body language that she understands Applejack is a friend.] Yeah. I'm glad she followed me out here.

[He holds out a hand.] And I'm Link. Is there any place for a person to stay in that barn of yours? I think Epona would feel a more comfortable if I stayed with her for a little while. She's usually pretty good with new places... but this is the first time we've been this far from Hyrule.

[honestmelons]

'Course there's room for ya. Ah've been fixin' it up much as Ah can, so it should be comfortable enough for ya, too. [It was a bit drafty when she got here, but that's a thing of the past.

Country hospitality totally takes priority over all else.]

You're more'n welcome ta stay if ya like. Just holler if ya need anythin' an' Ah'd be happy ta help.

[divine_beast]

[He smiles warmly.] Thanks. I just wish I could do something in return...

...actually, do you like riding?

[honestmelons]

[Link, she is. Totally not following your meaning here. Because "riding" usually entails something trying to jump on her back, be it Apple Bloom, Spike, or a diamond dog.

And she usually sends them flying for it. (Although not her sister so much.)

But with her being human-shaped, now she's really confused.]

Uh... beg pardon?

[divine_beast]

[He motions to Epona.]

You know. I can ask Epona to give you a ride. Or you can ride behind me, if you think you'd have trouble staying on.

[honestmelons]

[AJ gives Epona an incredulous look.] Is she okay with that?

[...Okay that came out before she even realized she was saying it. But her point stands.]

Ah mean... Ah couldn't. Ah prefer runnin' on my own legs.

[divine_beast]

[Epona didn't look too put out by the idea, anyway.]

Well, usually I'm the one riding her, but I think she'd be okay with you, too.

[But maybe Applejack was scared?]

She's not going to throw you or anything. But maybe you're right. She does tend to go a little fast...