Author Topic: Derivation  (Read 706 times)

Offline Darrus

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Derivation
« on: January 08, 2014, 09:36:28 am »
A quick pop into the tavern to listen in on a couple of ponies drunkenly point out how they both felt that the other had somehow copied how they were dressed, even though they were both naked, had led Darrus to believing that he had possibly chosen a bad time when it came to looking for leads on available and paying work. Abandoning that location for now, the pegasus decided to hit up the "best place to start" as according to the mare who'd helped him find his way around, him trotting back outside then taking back off into the sky... only to realize that wasn't the best method of travel with his wings still aching, the easy to ignore pain still serving as a clear enough warning that he shouldn't push himself too far... again. Returning to having his hooves on the ground, the stallion was forced to go by the simple directions given to him and shortly lived flights upwards to try and catch a glimpse of any apple trees in the distance to guide himself towards the farm he searched for.

Even without the constant aid of his wings, it wasn't too difficult to find his way, the apple trees he was scanning for being quite plenty and managing to draw him close enough to be within the farms land. However, in a slightly wily move on his part possibly driven by hunger, Darrus had, instead of following the road, wandered into the trees him happily letting his eyes be just as adventurous as they skipped their focus from apple to apple, his mind starting to become more and more interested in the fruit as his belly reminded him of how he'd only had grass to eat the last few days. If the cider he was hoping to try was as good as he'd heard, then the apples used to make it should be pretty gosh darn tasty too... Only now lowering his gaze from the hanging natural sweets, Darrus noticed the trees now were starting to have crates and other containers set around the base of their trunks, the apples of those trees having been picked clean then gathered so as to transport them. Well, seemed this was the part of the orchard being harvested at this time, which meant he'd probably bump into somepony eventually... And all those apples just sitting there at the moment... Hmm...

Darrus began to hear a small part of his mind akin to a devil sitting on his shoulder start to tempt him with the idea of sneaking just one of the smaller itty bitty apples away to try for himself, both to satiate his new hunger and to test to see if the advertised cider was indeed as promising as he'd heard. But with every devil there came an angel to match, another part of him just urging him to simply Friggin wait until after he knew if he'd be given work by the fruits owners, then just ask on a lunch break or something to have a couple apples or maybe pick one off of the far trees if he was sent away... Either way, there was no harm in at least enjoying the smell of them, right? Trotting closer to one of the gloriously full crates simply stuffed with apples, Darrus took a long sniff, mouth beginning to water due to the close proximity of so many red delicious... Darrus was starting to stare now, his cautionary glances around to see if anypony was nearby ceasing as he started to have silly thoughts such as "just one bite. One bite, then they can cut around it and it will still be perfectly good, right?"

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Offline Applejack

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Re: Derivation
« Reply #1 on: January 09, 2014, 08:58:26 am »
Grinning a bit, Applejack tossed a ball up with her hoof a few times, gaze locked onto a tail-wagging and tongue-lolling Winona as her eyes followed the ball being tossed. Playfully, Applejack moved as if to toss the ball, but paused halfway through the tossing motion, causing Winona to turn on a paw and start to trot away to follow it. She paused upon realizing the trick Applejack played on her, to which she turned back around and barked in protest at Applejack.

Applejack gave a giggle in response and said, "Gotcha again girl! Who's a silly doggy~? A'ight, go get it!!" she urged, cocking her hoof back before tossing her ball far into the orchard. Winona dashed off after it, and in the meantime, Applejack took up the almost-empty glass of lemonade and chugged the rest of it. She gave a quiet sigh at the tastiness of the drink, then grinned once more as Winona returned, dropping the ball at Applejack's hooves before licking Applejack's face as she scratched Winona behind her ears. "Ah think you mighta broken yer record, Winona. Good girl," Applejack said, hugging the collie against her for a moment, only to blink as Winona broke away from the embrace and moved away a little bit to move in a couple of circles, then look at Applejack as if expecting something.

Usually, Winona only did that when she wanted Applejack to follow her... "Ah swear Winona, if yer just gonna show me another place you buried a bone... Well, Ah dunno what Ah'll do, but Ah got a job ta do," she whined as she began following the dog into her orchard, her mouth quirked to the side from expecting it to lead to nothing special. To her surprise however, it wasn't nothing. Winona had apparently caught the scent of a strange stallion in the orchard, who... from the looks of things, was glancing around a little shiftily in front of one of her baskets filled with apples.

Pushing her hat a little further down on her head, Applejack approached the stallion, her head dipping briefly to pluck a longer weed up from the ground, which she set in the corner of her mouth, teeth idly and gently chewing on the end of the weed. When she got close enough to the stallion she cleared her throat, hat mostly blocking her eyes from view. "Ya know, we don't appreciate thievery 'round these parts. Most folk tend ta think askin' first is the right thing ta do. You mind explainin' what yer doin' here, stranger?" Applejack asked, Winona standing beside her with her tail still wagging and her tongue still hanging out of the side of her mouth.

Offline Darrus

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Re: Derivation
« Reply #2 on: January 09, 2014, 10:19:27 am »
If he ate the core and just spit the seeds out there would be no... serious evidence left behind... Nothing that could be traced back to him at least... And Darrus doubted that the apples were counted very carefully when they were picked, just pulled off the branches then dropped into a container to be moved. Would waste time to try and keep track of the exact number, time that could be spent just picking more apples, so unless the ponies in charge around here were really good at keeping an increasingly large number in their minds at all times as they went from tree to tree, an apple or two going missing probably wouldn't even cause the tiniest of ripples in the pond of life. "Do eet." The devil on his shoulder urged, poking him with his trident and whispering fiendishly. "Neigh, wait." The angel opposite demanded, most likely glaring at the devil if either actually physically existed.

Then Darrus heard the sounds of barking, which he promptly ignored as his eyes stayed glued to the feast of fruit before him. It wasn't until the barking grew louder... and he was directly challenged by the sources owner that he was able to look away, the angel laughing at both him and the devil now that they'd been caught before the two conflicting sides left the stallion be. Turning away from the apples he'd been almost drooling over, Darrus, having been caught red-hoofed doing much worse in the past, tried to play it off as no big deal, smiling and taking a few steps away from the fruit before leaning on the tree it had grown from, though he doubted she was fully able to see what he was doing from under her hat since he couldn't see her eyes.

Well. She didn't look very happy. Catching a pony contemplating theft of somepony else's property tended to do that, though, so he couldn't really blame her, and farm ponies from his experience can get pretty hostile from having so much property to protect. Still, despite his slight concern that he'd possibly blown his chance to get some work, he took comfort in how the dog with the mare seemed happy enough. If both weren't happy by his presence, well, that would just be unpleasant for all. "Uh, yeah, sure. Of course." He said in response to explaining himself, trying to be as casual as he could. "I was actually hoping to bump into somepony to talk about these here apples and more, so I'm glad we found each other after I randomly got myself lost by leaving the road.

"My names Darrus, I'm recently arrived in town and was asking around about a few things that could help me out while I'm here, one of those things being a steady flow of bits, and I was directed to this here orchard of yours to start looking for work. I assume you work here," his eyes flicked to her cutie mark, it being a pretty obvious sign that she wasn't just seeing the sights, "are you the farm's owner, or can you point me in their direction? I want to wow either you or them and convince them that they've been waiting all their lives just to hire me."

Offline Applejack

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Re: Derivation
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2014, 07:42:35 pm »
Applejack perked her ears up a little bit as the stallion began speaking, her gaze held to the side underneath her hat and onto Winona. It wasn't so strange for her to be acting so happy around a stranger, but usually when she found somepony lurking around, she looked a lot less so... She rolled her eyes underneath her hat when he mentioned 'randomly' getting lost. Likely story, that was about as believable as any one of Rainbow's embellished tales. As Darrus continued, Applejack continued to hold her gaze on the collie beside her, the long weed in her mouth slowly rolling to the other corner of her lips. Another pony looking for work, probably thinking it would be an easy job...

When Darrus finished with his arrogant words, Applejack rose a hoof to tip up the edge of her hat, her gaze calculating as she examined him, the weed in her mouth rolling back to the other side of her mouth as she contemplated. This pony wanted to show her why she wanted to hire him? He barely looked like he'd stepped on a farm before, his mane was unkempt, and what was the deal with the cloak? Tipping her hat further back on her head, Applejack straightened her posture up a little bit and brought a hoof over to gently scratch Winona behind her ears.

"The owner o' these here orchards would be me, stranger. Name's Applejack. Yer gonna hafta do some perty good convincin' if you really want me ta even consider hirin' you. Me an' mah brother kin do most o' the work 'round here just fine, Ah ain't sure if Ah want or need another set o' hooves to hafta worry 'bout. So tell me why you think Ah should hire you. An' maybe while yer at it, you kin tell me how you 'randomly got yerself lost' if you were lookin' fer mah farm in the first place..."

Offline Darrus

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Re: Derivation
« Reply #4 on: January 09, 2014, 08:27:47 pm »
Gosh darn, Darrus thought at the mares suspicion over his gotten lost, her being named Applejack which he probably could have guessed from what Honey had told him earlier. Well... Maybe he wasn't completely lost. Having traveled around as much as he had the stallion had developed a pretty good sense of direction. If he needed to he could probably easily find his way back to the road he'd abandoned, but at the same time if shown a map he'd be unable to point out where exactly he was nor how to plan out how to get anywhere using it. So he was still... technically lost... Maybe?

"Ehhh... I guess I should be a bit more clear. I've got a bad case of the wanderlust deep down in my core, you see, so often times I'll take the scenic route when going places. I was looking for your farm, yeah, but I strayed off the road and got a bit distracted by all the trees and apples. Wouldn't have happened normally since I usually fly because, well, obvious," the stallion extended a wing, it protesting this with a dull throb but being again ignored before being folded back under his cloak, "but I've spent the last few days doing nothing but flying all day so they needed a break. I was still looking for your farm, and I'm sure I'd have found it eventually, but the detour through the trees just kinda happened. Sure worked out this way though, right?" He said with a small shrug, still appearing confident with a big ol' smile, "just happened to bump into you out here in this particular part of your rather sizable orchard. And hey! We even have the same colored eyes. This must surely be a sign of either you and I being meant to be together, or that you'll hire me.

"And why would you want to hire me, you ask? Why, that's simple. It's because I can do any job you've got, can probably do it better than most other walk ins, and am willing to work for small change. So, hard and dedicated worker that doesn't even cost much. Go ahead, give me something to do right now and I'll do it for free just to show off and possibly cause you to invite me to dinner." He dusted off his shoulder as he said this, there, of course, not having been anything for him to hve dusted off to begin with.
« Last Edit: January 09, 2014, 08:38:39 pm by Darrus »

Offline Applejack

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Re: Derivation
« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2014, 12:38:44 am »
Applejack stared idly at Darrus as he explained himself further on his words, gaze still judging of him and every word he spoke to her in an attempt to get her to hire him. A case of wanderlust? That wasn't good for his chances. If she was hiring, she'd need somepony she knew would be reliable... She still had to admit to herself she was a little bit confused by his story... But whatever. Was it really that big of a deal? How he got there barely mattered. The why did matter though, and Applejack only continued to stare as Darrus offered his large grin, and mentioned their similarly colored eyes being some kind of sign between them. Flattery now? What kind of mare did he think she was?

Then, confidence. He said he'd be able to do any job he was given better than any other pony off the street; something Applejack had heard before. Plus the whole 'I'll do whatever, just give the word'. So far, this was seeming like every other attempt to get what most ponies thought might be an 'easy' job on the farm... "You ain't the first pony ta come along lookin' fer a job 'round these parts. Each one of 'em said a lotta things similar to what you said, an' Ah turned every one of 'em away. Work on the farm ain't easy," she said, having moved over to one of the nearby trees. As she said this, she turned her back to the tree and slammed her back hooves into the bark, the bounty of apples falling cleanly into the crates and baskets below, her gaze locked onto Darrus for a moment to gauge his reaction.

"An' it ain't perty. Ya gotta sweat, get yer hooves dirty, make yer body ache. Ya gotta be efficient and not movin' like a turtle tryin'a swim through a pool o' molasses... So don't count yer apples before they bud. Follow me," she ordered before heading off further into the orchard. She waited until he caught up to her before continuing. "If you got a 'bad case o' wanderlust', how do Ah know you'd be a pony Ah could count on, if Ah hired ya? How do Ah know you wouldn't just disappear the next time ya got bored or things got too hard 'round here--which they will? An' why don't you tell me about some o' the last jobs you've had in the past, an why you've moved on?"

Offline Darrus

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Re: Derivation
« Reply #6 on: January 10, 2014, 01:35:21 am »
Darrus wasn't the first pony hoping to get a job on a famous farm? No surprise there. Each one said a lot of things similar to what he had? Ha! Maybe, but they didn't have what it took to back it up he was sure. She turned all of the others away because shed been waiting for him to arrive even if she didn't know it, or so Darrus was silently joking in his mind. And, of course, Applejack warned the pegasus that the normal physically demanding work expected on a farm was no walk in the park. Darrus, while not exactly an expert on this kind of career, wasn't expecting anything less and firmly held his confident smile, him knowing he was in excellent physical condition and probably well prepared for the tasks that would be given to him.

Watching AJ buck the apple tree to harvest its fruit in one blow only caused the stallions brow to be raised slightly. Huh. So that's how its done. Was a lot faster than picking each apple as he'd originally assumed, but, thinking about it, it would have probably taken waaaaay too long to do it that way. The whole bucking a tree thing would take some serious getting used too... He wasn't worried about it hurting or anything, but he was trying to figure out how exactly one went about doing such a thing without either harming themselves or shaking free only a few apples.

"I hope I haven't given the impression that I spend my free hours at the spa," he replied as he pushed himself off of the tree and began to follow the mare, "getting dirty and breaking a sweat while on the job is no issue with me, and, once my wings are feeling better, you'll be seeing me zipping about like a bee busy at work. No being stuck in molasses for me." Catching up to her, Darrus gave Applejack's pet dog a glance then went back to looking around at the surrounding apple trees. Darn, he'd just met the mare and she was already worried he'd just stop showing up to work after she hired him...

"The lust is only a real problem when I don't have anything to focus on." he answered with a side glance at the mare with a smirk, still not looking very bothered or worried but having his features take on a more serious shade as he spoke. "Unfortunately, since I'm new in town and you're the first pony I came to about this, I don't have any past employers who can be used as references that can be contacted without spending a few weeks sending letters out, so I have no way of giving anything beyond my word when I say I've never abandoned a job before. Whenever it was time for me to move on, I always let my employers know beforehoof and finished whatever I was doing for them." He was being honest, but, because he had nothing to show to verify it, he could only hope the tone of his word and his efforts should she hire him would be enough to prove it to her.

"As for previous work, its mostly just labor. You know, a construction sight looking for an extra pair of hooves to carry things around, a moving company wanting a temp to take some of the load off of their shoulders, painters working on a shop willing to throw some money at a pegasus looking to make a quick bit, that kind of stuff. I've also done other things like retail and assembly, though I doubt that'll come in handy at all. I also know how to make candles. So I'm a perfect fit!"

Offline Applejack

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Re: Derivation
« Reply #7 on: January 10, 2014, 08:07:00 am »
Applejack idly glanced to Darrus out of the corner of her eye as he began to explain his wanderlust, saying that he'd never abandoned a job before. He at least sounded like he was being serious about it, so she could give him the benefit of the doubt there. Even if it was still a large risk. Still, maybe an extra pair of hooves around the farm might not be such a bad idea after so much time. She didn't need it before, but with everything that had happened to her just in the past year... It might be nice to have some sort of contingency plan, so the work would still be manageable if she had to disappear suddenly.

Regardless, she did have to see if he was worth his salt. No sense hiring help at all if he couldn't do it. He sounded like he was confident in his abilities, but who was to say he didn't just do the bare minimum work needed? First off, she needed to test his strength, so... "Pick up that crate and carry it back with us on our way to the house. Or do yer best, at least," she said after stopping and pointing to the crate full of apples in question. "An' while yer at it, tell me about yer last job, an' tell me why yer interested in workin' here on mah farm. What kinda schedule were you lookin' for--how many days workin' and how many days off?"



Offline Darrus

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Re: Derivation
« Reply #8 on: January 10, 2014, 08:47:26 am »
"You got it," Darrus replied without missing a beat, trotting towards the crate, "and, psh, I might just do my worst and still impress, just you watch." He added with a wink at the mare before sizing up the crate before him. It was big, full, and doing a good job of reminding him how he really really wanted to try one of these apples... Looked heavy. No surprise there. Shouldn't be too bad though, he figured as he reached down to pick it up. With a small grunt, the stallion lifted the crate, him having underestimated its weight by a small margin but adapted quickly and managed to get it up and onto his back, him then lifting up his achy wings so as to keep them on both sides of the crate and keep it firmly in place, the act managing to cause his cloak to be lifted up as well. He continued to look confident as he returned to the mare, steps heavier from the added weight but not slowing him down.

"No problem," he boasted once he was near her again, "heck, this is nothin. If you wanted, I could probably carry both the crate and you all the way back to your house too if you wanted the ride." Darrus added with a smirk before moving on to her  question. "Welp, I wasn't randomly picking that candle making thing out of my past from nowhere. The last job I had was helping a chandler at his shop. Worked after hours to help him make his candles and refill his stock. Was a pretty nice job, could get fun and messy in occasion, and it always always smelled sooooo good in his shop.

"I'm interested in working on your farm because its something I know I can handle," he continued, gritting his teeth slightly as he readjusted the balance of the crate in his back, "you were recommended to me as being the first pony I should look to for work, and then the fates decreed that we should meet among the trees so I personally believe this was a good call. Right now, I've got absolutely nothing else going on in this town, so my schedule is non-existent, making it pretty darn flexible really. I can and am willing to work however you want whenever you want for as long as you want..."

His tone was a bit lower as he said this, him again shining a smile in Applejacks direction but sounding and looking a bit more flirty now, though a stumbled step after hed caught his hoof on a rock cut that off rather quickly as he worked to keep his balance, him losing a couple apples as he struggled for a couple seconds and having them fall to the ground. Without comment, the stallion, looking slightly sheepish now, picked up each of the fallen fruit, tossing them into the air above him without looking to be paying that much attention to the but having them all be tossed right back into the crate where they belonged.
« Last Edit: January 10, 2014, 12:09:42 pm by Darrus »

Offline Applejack

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Re: Derivation
« Reply #9 on: January 11, 2014, 08:26:20 pm »
With a critical eye, Applejack watched Darrus as he approached the crate of apples, mostly ignoring his c'ocky joke and his wink as she waited for him to lift it. She crossed one of her forehooves on front of the other as she stood and watched, eyes examining him and every movement he made when he finally lifted the crate onto his back. Didn't seem like he had too much trouble. Not quite as strong as Big Mac, but then, he also wasn't quite as big. So he passed there. Well, so far. Now he just had to walk with it.

Turning to continue walking towards her house, Applejack walked beside Darrus, gaze moving over to him out of the corner of her eye every so often. So his last job was working for a candlemaker. She wasn't too sure how that would really tie into working at a farm, but the working after-hours thing sounded good. Must have been nice smelling all those different kinds of candles though. And he 'knows' farm work is something he can handle? He's almost as bad as Rainbow Dash.

She wasn't surprised when Darrus mentioned somepony recommending her for work. It made sense from an outside point of view, even if it just wasn't something she really needed. But that was good about his schedule. If he was going to work for her, she was going to ride him long and--she shuddered a little bit as she quickly shook her head to clear. Not what she meant. When he stumbled over the rock moments after his ridiculous attempt at flirting, Applejack gave an almost inaudible, derisive snort in response.

"Real smooth, stranger. How 'bout ya focus on the prize, instead o' me? You ain't gonna do yerself any favors tryin'a flatter me. No offense, but ya don't exactly seem like mah type o' stallion. Few more questions--these should be the last ones. What motivates you an' gets you up in the mornin'? What kin you offer that somepony else cain't? An' how d'you handle pressure?"

As she asked these questions, Applejack had brought them back to her house and had begun walking around it to lead them to a tree stump, where a pile of uncut timber lay. She walked over to the pile and took one of the logs to set on top of the stump. Time to test his manual dexterity. "Just one more task for ya. Ah want ya to chop a couple o' these logs inta firewood fer me," she told him, taking the nearby axe and dragging it over to him. 

Offline Darrus

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Re: Derivation
« Reply #10 on: January 11, 2014, 09:57:39 pm »
"Heh, maybe not yet," Darrus said in response, now taking a bit of extra care in watching what his hooves were stepping on as he continued to follow who he hoped would be his future boss, the idea being appealing in more ways than one , "but I'll warn you, I've been told I can grow on ponies" Keeping up beside Applejack, he kept the crate on his back balanced as she led him up to then around her home, asking more questions as she brought him to a tree stump then ordered that he shop some wood. "No problem," he confidently replied, carefully removing the crate from his back and setting it down on the ground before taking the axe in his hoof and stepping over to the stump. Picking up and placing a log down on the stump, the pegasus bounced the axe in his hooves for a moment to get a feel for its weight then lifted it up and over his head before bringing it down and through the middle of the log, cutting it in half lengthwise as he thought about how to answer the questions asked of him.

That first one... hmm... He... never really had to answer that kind of question very often... "Well, aside from the already explained dedication, enthusiasm and full tolerance to being paid in pocket change, I'm a really good shot?" He decided to answer her second question first and let the first sizzle on his mental back burner, "Dunno if that will ever come in handy, but my special talent is accuracy. I could probably hit the stem of one of those apples on those far trees over there with a bow or some such. Other than that, I've of course got wings so I could make quick flights into town for you if ever you needed it. Maybe play with the weather a bit or something whenever you wanted. Do you already have pegasi working for you?

"And pressure? Ha!" He laughed, another log being chopped to punctuate the sound, "This farm could be hit with an earthquake, be in the path of a tornado and be getting attacked by an Ursa Major all at the same time, and you'd still find me here chopping this wood nice and steady for as long as needed if It's what you wanted me to do." He finished with another one of his smiles as he side glanced at the mare then turned his attention back to the quickly split log. Unfortunately his smile didn't last once he wasn't looking at AJ, it being lost as his mind went back to that first question shed asked him. What motivates and gets him up in the morning?

Another log was chopped and now Darrus was starting to slow down slightly, not out of fatigue but instead out of him trying to think of something to say as an answer. It was possible to be able to tell even from where Applejack was that the wheels in his head were turning if she was to notice, the normally, well, normal question for most being an odd bump in the road for the stallion. "Uh..." He tried, now almost forgetting what he was doing as he mechanically continued his work. Why did he get up in the morning? He... couldn't really think of a reason... It's not like he was ever looking for a permanent job or place to settle down... he'd left his family in a whole other city to go see the world, but he didn't actually have any set goal in mind for himself... "I guess... I get up because... that's just kinda what I do... Sorta... Hmm..." He said, axe being buried into the stump as another log was split and sent falling to the ground into the like of chopped wood that had begun to accumulate.

His tone was a little slower and quieter, something he himself picked up on and immediately tried to change as he picked his work speed back up to its original pace and threw on another smile. "Uh, I mean, I get up because I always need to find something interesting! There's so much out there in the world today, and I want to be a part of at least 'almost' all of it, but right now I want to be a part of your farm." He finished one more log, then rested the axe on his shoulder as he turned to fully face Applejack, eyes half lidded and smile migrating more to one side of his face. "Shall I continue? Just say the word and ill chop this whole gosh darn pile and make you enough fire wood for seven winters."
« Last Edit: January 11, 2014, 10:20:37 pm by Darrus »

Offline Applejack

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Re: Derivation
« Reply #11 on: January 29, 2014, 09:18:41 am »
With a critical eye, Applejack stood a little to the side and just watched Darrus as he took the axe and bounced it in his hooves. Every movement he made, she examined and evaluated, all while perking her ears up to listen to what he said. She took the 'dedication, enthusiasm to being paid in pocket change' comments with a few grains of salt, knowing full well that little details like that could simply be lies to try and color himself in a better light. Special talent of accuracy may or may not be useful though. She'd have to think a little bit on that one.

His point about him being a pegasus was a good one, though. Having a pair of wings around the farm would be fairly useful, and even though she didn't really like messing with the weather ponies' plans... Maybe she could have a little chat with Rainbow, see if there was some kind of compromise they could come up with. Then, he began talking about how he handled pressure, resulting Applejack just staring at him with a neutral, almost distant expression. That was kind of overdoing it. He could've just told her he was just tenacious when it came to that kind of thing. But whatever, she supposed he got his point across.

One of her brows raised when Darrus slowed down his chops, eyes scanning to see if he was getting tired or something like that. But that didn't really seem to be the case. Just seemed like he was thinking hard more than anything. Which... kind of made sense as he soon began speaking hesitantly, as if not really sure of an answer to the question she'd asked him. A wanderer who didn't really know what motivated him to get up in the morning. Not really a good combination. She'd have to keep a close eye on him over the next few days. And she had a fairly decent, risk-free plan for hiring him.

After he asked if she wanted him to keep chopping wood, she scrunched her nose slightly and held up a hoof as she spoke. "Uh, no, Ah think that's plenty. Ah saw what Ah wanted ta see," she said, before beckoning him to follow behind her with the same hoof in the air, then began walking over to the barn nearby. "So, Ah got good news, an' bad news, Darrus. Good news, is Ah'm gonna give you a shot," she told him, immediately stopping to poke a hoof at his chest. "But don't let this get to yer head. You showed up at just the right time fer me ta consider lettin' you stick around." After making sure she'd made her point, she continued to move towards the barn once more.

"The bad news is, Ah'm gonna be puttin' you through a lil' bit of a test trial. That means, for the first while, Ah won't be payin' you bits. However," she said, stopping in front of the barn door. "Ah'm gonna be givin' you room an' board. You'll get ta sleep in the barn--we kin move a spare bed in here for ya--an' you'll get three meals a day. Ah'm makin' you sleep in the barn fer now 'cause Ah don't know ya, so don't take that personally. And like Ah said, Ah won't be payin' ya bits, at least not 'til you prove all o' what you said. How's all that sound?"

Offline Darrus

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Re: Derivation
« Reply #12 on: January 29, 2014, 10:25:08 am »
'Saw what she wanted to see'? "Oh, I bet yo-" cutting himself off with a hoof clamped over his mouth while trying to play it off as if he'd just been coughing, the stallion decided that maybe he'd best tone that down a little... for now at least. Figured making sure her final evaluation of him here would be a bad time to joke and what not. But it was hard, so very hard, to keep his tongue in check with his usual attitude just trying its hardest to claw its way back to the surface after being pushed to the back of his mind and locked behind rather flimsy bars. Keeping his mouth shut, the Pegasus followed AJ as she led him to the barn, him glancing up and around as he got a good enough look at it on their approach.

Good news and bad news, hm? Well, Darrus would admit to being a fan of good news, and bad news tended to just roll off of him like droplets of rain on a rubber poncho, so he was ready for her news. At the good news, he grinned happily preparing to comment with a "sweet" but being cut off after only "swe" as the mare poked him with a hoof. Glancing down at the Lomb then back uo at her face, he just offered another smile as she explained the reasoning behind giving him a chance. Seemed he was lucky he came when he did at least, and he was still confident he'd be able to prove that hiring him on wasn't a bad decision, hopefully, so he just stretched his smile a little further to show some teeth. Teeth which slowly became less visible at the bad news.

No pay... Hmm... Well, he of course had been hoping for a steady supply of bits from the get go, that being the point of getting the job obviously, but... being a stranger who just kinda showed up... he guessed he couldn't blame her for wanting to make sure he wasn't just trying to get a few quick bits for the train then ditch... Looking down at his hooves, he took a few seconds to think. Room and board... That would certainly solve his problem of having no money to pay for a bed at the inn, and it would also prevent him from being stuck eating grass everyday. And actually staying on the farm itself would allow for plenty of opportunity to be around whenever he was needed.

Seemed fair enough, though he couldn't help but think back to Lamplight at the Guiding Light. He wouldn't need the room she was offering him anymore, which means he didn't owe her anything and therefore didn't need to go help out in the tavern later that day. But, still, she seemed nice and he'd given his word that he'd come back around later, so, unless he was needed to stay here, he supposed he could still come help out just as a friendly gesture and as thanks for the offer shed made him.

"... Okay, sure." He answered, smiling again at the mare and nodding before taking a few steps past to look up at the barn. For some reason, and he wasn't an expert or anything of course, to him the structure looked... recently built.... "Sounds good... As for proving myself, I'm ready and willing whenever you say the word." He boasted again before quieting down some and taking a more sincere tone, "and... Uh... Thank you, Applejack, for giving me a chance. I promise I won't let you down." Again catching his own shift in the tone of his voice, the stallion cleared his throat then gave his wings a short stretch to check on them before turning back around and giving the mare his usual confident smile.

"So, is there anything you need doing around here right now, or did you just want me to get familiar with the barn? Maybe I can help you with those other crates out in the field, or check on the water shoot up there? Treat you to a candle lit dinner or picnic of grass maybe? Or possibly pull a plow out in the fields?"

Offline Applejack

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Re: Derivation
« Reply #13 on: January 29, 2014, 08:29:53 pm »
Applejack only nodded once to Darrus when he acknowledged her compromise, glad that he found no problems with the suggested plan. This way, she didn't haveto worry about him just getting a few bits and then scampering off, and she could easily find him if she needed to, except for when he went into town. "How 'bout you thank me by doin' a good job 'round here," she said to him after he thanked her for giving him a chance, raising a hoof to her head to adjust her hat. "Remember, faster you prove yer not gonna be dead weight 'round here, faster you start gettin' bits."

He then asked about anything he could do, even slipping in a suggestion of a candle lit dinner in the middle of it, causing her to roll her eyes and turn back towards the house. "Calm yer hooves, stranger. Ah'd appreciate if ya stopped tryin'a come onta me like that. Ah ain't interested. As fer things ta do... Well, Ah still gotta repair some o' the fence on the west side o' the farm, an' Ah still need ta inspect the roof o' the house ta make sure it's still holdin' tight an' keepin' water out... Ain't really any point in tryin'a plow any fields yet 'cause it's so close ta cider season, an' when that happens we really gotta hunker down an' focus on the apples. Guess there's also bringin' in all the baskets of apples Ah've filled so far... Guess if yer feelin' adventurous taday, you could do that. But Ah ain't gonna force ya to, not 'til tomorrow."

She hummed for a moment before waving for him to follow her once more. "C'mon. Gotta introduce you to everypony else so they don't think yer a trespasser," she told him as she walked over to the house, that... Just looked like another barn. She lead him into the doorway before calling out, her voice easily carrying through the house. "Apple Bloom, c'mere a sec!" She waited for a moment before the filly came down the stairs with, "Yeah, whatcha need, sis?" Applejack then gestured to Darrus and said, "Apple Bloom, this's Darrus. He's gonna be workin' on the farm with us, an' stayin' in the barn fer a while." After glancing between the two of them, obviously thinking there was something between them, Apple Bloom waved to Darrus before inspecting his cloak. "Oh! Ah got a cape like that, too! Be right back!" she cheered before darting back upstairs. "Uh, ya really don'--" was all Applejack got out before Apple Bloom disappeared, causing Applejack to rub at the back of her neck.

"She gets excitable sometimes. Sorry," Applejack told Darrus, moving over to the kitchen and peeking inside as if to see if there was somepony in there. After humming to herself, she moved back into the living room just as Apple Bloom came dashing back down, her cutie mark crusader cape tied around her neck. "See? Capes're so awesome, don't ya think?"

Offline Darrus

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Re: Derivation
« Reply #14 on: January 30, 2014, 03:57:26 am »
"You got it! I can almost hear the clink of bits already..." Darrus joked, confidence, of course, still clear as day. For a moment he wondered where exactly he was going to be having his bed set up within the barn that he was evidently going to be growing quite familiar with in the coking days. It didn't matter to him the placement, of course, as being used to just grabbing any random cloud whenever he needed to sleep, having a roof and an actual mattress to stretch out under and over respectively meant that regardless of where it was set up he was probably going to be getting some better sleep over the next few nights.

At Applejack's request for him to "cool it" in a sense, the stallion raised his hooves up in a gesture to show that he understood. "I'll...try." he replied, not really trusting himself to make a full fledged promise to not flirt in the future. He knew himself pretty well, and he knew filtering his speech for those kinds of things would be difficult. "As for those chores, well, I am a rather adventurous stallion..." He said, nearly wagging his eyebrows before catching himself and attempting to, again, hide what he'd done, this time behind the act of pretending like he'd gotten something in his eye as he rubbed a hoof over his vision marbles. This was going to be even harder than he'd originally thought... "Uh, *ahem* I could probably handle one or two of those today. I could at the very least get started on something."

Following behind Applejack after she waved for him to do so, Darrus kept back a small chuckle. Gee, they just met and already she was taking him home to meet her family? They seemed to have skipped some steps and- WOW! This was actually going to be a LOT harder than he'd originally thought! Trying to focus on something else for a moment, Darrus thought about the upcoming cider season and the beverage that he'd wanted to try so badly that it had brought him here looking for work just to be able to afford it. Mmm... Cider...

Reaching a second barn... or no actually, it was a house now that he was getting a closer look. Huh. Well, if that's the style they wanna go with... Reaching the mares house, Darrus stepped inside and took up a spot next to AJ as she called out for and was then answered by a small filly whom, if the Pegasus' incredibly developed and accurate detective skills were anything to go by, was her little sister. Darrus gave a small wave and friendly smile as he was introduced to the filly, him picking up that her name was Applebloom and then blinking from her reaction to his cloak and subsequent departure. He gave a small chuckle once shed gone from sight, his smile growing a little at AJ's apology as he only shrugged in response, glancing over his cloak as she checked the kitchen to see of something may have triggered the reaction it had earned only to find it as the same old thing he wore everywhere.

Looking back up at the sound of the energetic filly's return, this time sporting a little cape of her own, he smiled again at her enthusiasm over the article of clothing. "Heh, definitely," he replied to her question with a nod, "a pony looks their best when they've got themselves a cool cape billowing epicly behind them in the wind. I like yours better than mine though, its a better color and less worn down. Really well made and kept in good condition it looks like. Also, you've got that awesome patch on there." He sat down, and exaggerated the act of crossing his front hooves over his chest and looked away in playful jealously. "Wish I had a patch like that. What's it mean?"

 


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