Title: Day 2 Journal Entry Author: Sling_Swivel Pastebin link: http://pastebin.com/FmNjTHUc First Edit: Sunday 26th of October 2014 08:59:20 PM CDT Last Edit: Sunday 26th of October 2014 08:59:20 PM CDT Day: 2   All in all, things have been going pretty good. May only be my second day here, first on the job, but it was a good day. The other farmhands are pretty decent folk, showing me the ropes and all. We had a nice dinner together before going our separate ways for the evening. Pretty tired, the hay sure is comfy tonight!     Got that bath in today, after finishing up dinner. Feels great to be clean again! Just wish I could have gotten the water a bit warmer. Next time, perhaps.   Funny thing was, Hoof walked in on me in the tub. Didn't mind, though. Was good to see him. I hadn't seen him all day. Unfortunately, he seemed pretty down so I hopped out of the bath to see what was up.   Got to talking a bit, while he filled up some bottles with that Ale of his. Pretty much agreed that my staying in the barn through the winter wouldn't be the best idea of all time. I'd probably freeze with as cold as it gets up here. Don't want to do that again.   There was that public housing option that Aurora mentioned when we first met, but I think I might prefer freezing solid over sinking to that level. Hoof mentioned public sleeping halls, too. Been there, done that, lived in a room with fifty other dudes, wasn't fun then. He says folks are liable to screw right next to you while you're trying to sleep, too. Yeah, I'll pass.   Apparently, he built his farmhouse and the barn himself, with some help from friends. Said I could likely do the same. Now that sounds like a plan! I'm no architect or anything, though. Definitely have some ideas, but I'll have to find someone up here with the proper know-how to draft me up a plan and whatnot. Gotta stake a land claim, too. Hoof makes it sound like the local Gov't's pretty much out to lunch for good. Staking a claim might be as simple as putting up a fence. Will have to see.   Winter's coming though, and I don't think I'll have time to get anything planned or built before it starts to snow. Going to have to figure something out in the meantime. I'll work it out. Always do.   Hoof started on back to his farmhouse with a couple of bottles of that beer and, well, I do feel a bit bad about doing it, but he did seem down at the time and I wanted to help, so I sort of invited myself in for a drink.     He didn't seem to mind, so in we went. Didn't have any issues hopping up on the couch this time, being all clean and such. Nice couch, too.   Decided to ask him a few things – how long he'd been in town, how many other farms there were about and such. Turns out he's been here almost from the start. Really made me wonder if I'd have been better off sticking around when the Guards rounded us up instead of slipping away. Maybe I'd have a nice house and a farm like Hoof by now. But there's no point in dwelling on the past.   Hoof told me about the other two farmers (or would be farmers) around town, one's a friend of his – Rain – and the other, a fellow named Titus, is just getting started up here. I admitted I did feel bad asking him that, it kind of came off like I was fishing for a better job opportunity. At least I felt it did. Hoof didn't seem to mind. Said he's got enough help on his farm at present and that I might be better off working for the new fellow anyhow.   Not sure how I really feel about that. I hope he didn't just hire me to give me a job or something. Though I really don't think Hoof would do something like that. He seems like he's got his head in the right place.   Did sound like this Titus guy needs some help. I'll have to track him down at some point and see what's up. Either way, Hoof said I could stay in his barn. Though that's still not going to suffice come Winter.   We did talk for quite a while. Managed to finally get to the bottom of what was eating Hoof, too. Turned out I was way off base with my assumption. He and Aurora weren't together as I'd suspected. Apparently that was news to Aurora, too and she took it pretty hard. Really hard.   Hoof seemed pretty remorseful over it and I didn't really know what to say. Wasn't really any of my business, but I felt I had to offer something. I dunno if it was the best idea, but I asked him if there was anything I could do. Really pains me to think the two folks who helped me out so are hurting.   Said I could deliver a message for him, told me if I found myself around this “Pathfinder Lodge” to tell Aurora that he was sorry. Agreed without a second thought. Told him I'd head over there first thing after work tomorrow. I assume Aurora's at this Pathfinder place. Hoof described it to me decently.   Reckon I can find the place alright. I'm just worried I might make things worse. Not sure if I really should have involved myself in this. I want to help Hoof and Aurora, for sure, but then, I've only know them for a day or two and visa versa. Don't know if Aurora's really going to appreciate me playing messenger. Hope I don't screw this up.     Was pretty late around then and I headed back out here to the barn to write a bit and then hit the hay. Was a good day, all in all, for sure. Dunno how tomorrow's going to go, though.   There was something Hoof asked me when we were talking that really gave me pause, though. He asked me “what my plans were.” Really didn't know how to answer that. Food, shelter and a job have been my only concerns for so damn long I really haven't thought beyond those bare necessities since I showed up here in horseland.   What are my plans? That's something I'm really going to have to think about. It's just really striking to think I can have plans now. I think I really did make the right choice in coming up here.   Well I've prattled on long enough for tonight. Lamp's getting dim and it's starting to get cold. Cozy bedroll's looking mighty warm right about now.