Welcome to Choteau, Montana, in 2018. What was once only a small city focused on fossils, has now started to turn into an equestrian mecca. Everyone still knows everyone, so the question remains, what will you become?
06/04 - Site opened 18/04 - Update log #01 including new features! 27/04 - A New skin has been released!
Exhaustion was a real thing. At least, that's what he was feeling after having finished the school year and waved off his students to work at the rescue he owned. The only break he got was enough to stop at a restaurant so he'd have something to eat while at work. His chores, once there, consisted of cleaning the stalls and feeding the animals. That, alone, took quite some time. He finally got a chance to stand behind the desk, a couple of the cats wandering around the shop freely, and was able to eat his now soggy burger. Yum.
Letting out a loud yawn, he looked down at the newspaper and popped a fry in his mouth, letting out a soft sigh. One of these days, he was going to cook this big, home cooked meal and eat something real. In the meantime.. it was cold fries and soggy burgers. At least school was out and he could spend more time at the rescue. Not that it was overly busy. Lifting his head, Ezra watched the empty parking lot in hopes someone would stop by. Looks like God was on his side again, he thought with a chuckle. "Smart-ass," he mumbled to the Man while straightening to put away his food and at least look professional just as the customer walked through the door, causing the bell to chime. Cats in the store front peered from their little condo thing as Ezra greeted the customer, "Welcome to Bright Eyes! What can I do for ya today?"
Post by Kristian Magnussen on May 24, 2018 2:19:31 GMT
If the sound of a car pulling into the parking lot wasn't enough warning that someone was approaching, then the frantic barking of a dog was more than enough notice. A man's shouting in a foreign language could be heard which only silenced the dog for a few seconds. And with that, the door opened accompanied by a little bell chime. The man who walked in was tall with slick blonde hair and unnaturally blue eyes. Beside him was a border collie crouching in herding mode.
"Hi, we texted a bit earlier. You've got my wallet. Embra, down. Name's Kristian Magnussen. Black leather bi-fold wallet, one hundred and eighty dollars in cash, grey Visa credit card, library card, army ID card. Phone number is 406-255-4160."
He spent more time looking between the cats and his dog than at the person behind the counter. Embra's tail thumped eagerly against the ground, and she stared intently at the cats with only a few glances back at Kristian as though asking for permission to herd them.
Ezra watched the dog for a moment, chuckling at his antics. "Hey, man. It's a pleasure," he offered the man his hand to shake before reaching under the counter to pull out the wallet in question. He slid it across the counter and leaned forward, resting his forearms against the counter's edge. "Do you do much sheep herding? Embra there looks like a natural!" Small talk never hurt.
It was a bit odd, but Ezra didn't own any animals. Not really. He fostered many times, and loved the animals he worked with here but hadn't found that perfect match. Besides, his busy schedule prevented him from committing to a living critter like it deserved. Better to love from afar.
Post by Kristian Magnussen on May 25, 2018 14:04:58 GMT
Kristian quickly switched the lead into his other hand and reciprocated the offered shake before slipping the wallet back in his pocket. Embra didn't seem to notice anything but the cats. And Kristian firmly believed that if anyone could successfully herd cats or at least get enjoyment out of trying, it would be this dog. "Goats, actually. Her herding instincts are insane. She managed to herd about a dozen goats into the bedroom once. We got her from a breed rescue. Previous owner couldn't handle her herding drive, and she gets destructive when cooped up too much. Farm life suits her."
Embra's story was unfortunately all too common. The high physical and mental demands of a working dog like a border collie were poorly suited to being a lazy family dog. And for as much as Kristian enjoyed her company, he wasn't about to get a second neurotic dog that probably needed a lot of work. Embra had come far in the past year, and the home demolition had nearly stopped. Ivarr had Merlin and Desmond, and Kristian had Embra. Callie was too much of a diva to bond closely to anyone, and Jackpot...he still had a ways to go.
"And like I mentioned in my text, I'd be fine with fostering some dogs or cats. About the only requirement is that we can't have any animal that's dog aggressive. And...I heard that you guys have some livestock?"
“That’s good. I’ve heard a lot of city folk trying to get shepherds or working dogs and fitting them in apartments. It’s never a pretty sight. A lot of what we have is a result of that. They don’t take into consideration that these animals need a job.” He didn’t like how people just assumed things would work out. He ran a hand over his beard, thinking about the man’s request. “We have a puppy in the back, a german shepherd puppy that needs a foster home. He won’t be aggressive unless it’s food aggression. That’s an easy fix.”
He stepped out from behind the counter and motioned for Kristian to follow him back to the dogs. “We do have livestock. Cows, goats, you name it. I take it you’re looking for more goats?” he asked, flashing Kristian a grin over his shoulder. They passed a couple of kennels with grown dogs. He stopped short at the puppy’s kennel. He was curled up on his back with his feet in the air - asleep. Strange pup. "This guy is who I was talking about. We have a husky girl, but if I'm honest... I think she's going to go home with me."
Welcome to Choteau, Montana, in 2018. What was once only a small city focused on fossils, has now started to turn into an equestrian mecca. Everyone still knows everyone, so the question remains, what will you become? 
