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farming in the dead of winter; [OTA]
Who: Jimmy (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
thishurts) & YOU
What: Jimmy setting up his little farm
When: Early-Mid December
Where: Library, Around Town and in the Farmlands, and at his own Farm
Warning(s): dyslexia frustrations and depression mentions
[I've got problems; Not just the ones that are little]
Jimmy’s never been much for reading.
But getting an AI to read him websites out loud really isn’t much of an option anymore. And if he wants to pull any of this off he’s going to have to do this the hard way.
And he hates that, he really does.
He’s in the library. Gritting his teeth. He’s tried to pick out the easiest books he’s been able to find on animal husbandry. He really has. He even has a small notebook next to him, trying to take notes on the important bit like he’s in high school again, like he’s going to be tested on it.
Jimmy can’t even remember the last time he actually applied himself, put in effort into something he wanted to do, and now that he’s actually trying? It’s fucking hard. And discouraging.
The words on the page muddle together like fucking soup and his eyes are exhausted. He sighs. Slams the book shut. Resists the urge to throw the damn thing. He rests his hands in his forehead.
Later he’ll end up checking out a few of these books. For now, he’ll continue to struggle a bit longer.
[It's those people problems; That's something to consider]
You may see Jimmy in various parts of town around the Winter acquiring different things. Mostly purchasing livestock, from the looks of it. Not the whole Noah’s Ark by any means, but certainly enough. Though unless you know Jimmy, you’re unlikely to notice the trend, and honestly, it’s not as if the man stands out by any means.
Or really has any friends to speak of.
Because he doesn’t.
Not many, anyway.
He purchases goats, a few hens, and two bunnies over the course of two weeks, arranging transportation for said animals in the process. You’ll find Jimmy walking across town, one end to the other, carrying individual hens in his arms trying to make sure they don't just fly away, rabbits tucked into his winter coat with their heads sticking out, and at one point pulling the goats behind himself on leads fashioned out of rope.
It’s all going about as well as it sounds it would.
[When you come for dinner at my place]
It wasn’t exactly Jimmy’s brightest idea to set up a new farm in the dead of winter. He’s realizing this now as he’s in his front lawn, trying to fix up the fence around his property. His animals are presumably inside his own home as he’s out with a hammer and nails in hand, a few boards at his feet, hammering away.
His hands are numb and aching. It’s so damn cold out. But surprisingly, this feels, good? He feels good. It feels good to do something with his own hands. His fence looks like fucking shit, frankly, and he knows it, but he doesn’t care. He’s fixing it with his own two hands. It’s tangible results that he can see, in real time, and honestly, he’s impressed with how good it actually feels to be doing something with himself.
It beats the hell out of any job he’s done so far. And it certainly beats the hell out of sitting around in the Oak & Iron, staring at the ceiling, doing nothing, napping the days away.
This feels good. It feels important. Right. If you would have told him a few months ago that he’d be content working on a farm, Jimmy would have laughed. But now. Now? It was starting to feel like an actual real possibility that he might enjoy this kind of work.
thishurts) & YOUWhat: Jimmy setting up his little farm
When: Early-Mid December
Where: Library, Around Town and in the Farmlands, and at his own Farm
Warning(s): dyslexia frustrations and depression mentions
[I've got problems; Not just the ones that are little]
Jimmy’s never been much for reading.
But getting an AI to read him websites out loud really isn’t much of an option anymore. And if he wants to pull any of this off he’s going to have to do this the hard way.
And he hates that, he really does.
He’s in the library. Gritting his teeth. He’s tried to pick out the easiest books he’s been able to find on animal husbandry. He really has. He even has a small notebook next to him, trying to take notes on the important bit like he’s in high school again, like he’s going to be tested on it.
Jimmy can’t even remember the last time he actually applied himself, put in effort into something he wanted to do, and now that he’s actually trying? It’s fucking hard. And discouraging.
The words on the page muddle together like fucking soup and his eyes are exhausted. He sighs. Slams the book shut. Resists the urge to throw the damn thing. He rests his hands in his forehead.
Later he’ll end up checking out a few of these books. For now, he’ll continue to struggle a bit longer.
[It's those people problems; That's something to consider]
You may see Jimmy in various parts of town around the Winter acquiring different things. Mostly purchasing livestock, from the looks of it. Not the whole Noah’s Ark by any means, but certainly enough. Though unless you know Jimmy, you’re unlikely to notice the trend, and honestly, it’s not as if the man stands out by any means.
Or really has any friends to speak of.
Because he doesn’t.
Not many, anyway.
He purchases goats, a few hens, and two bunnies over the course of two weeks, arranging transportation for said animals in the process. You’ll find Jimmy walking across town, one end to the other, carrying individual hens in his arms trying to make sure they don't just fly away, rabbits tucked into his winter coat with their heads sticking out, and at one point pulling the goats behind himself on leads fashioned out of rope.
It’s all going about as well as it sounds it would.
[When you come for dinner at my place]
It wasn’t exactly Jimmy’s brightest idea to set up a new farm in the dead of winter. He’s realizing this now as he’s in his front lawn, trying to fix up the fence around his property. His animals are presumably inside his own home as he’s out with a hammer and nails in hand, a few boards at his feet, hammering away.
His hands are numb and aching. It’s so damn cold out. But surprisingly, this feels, good? He feels good. It feels good to do something with his own hands. His fence looks like fucking shit, frankly, and he knows it, but he doesn’t care. He’s fixing it with his own two hands. It’s tangible results that he can see, in real time, and honestly, he’s impressed with how good it actually feels to be doing something with himself.
It beats the hell out of any job he’s done so far. And it certainly beats the hell out of sitting around in the Oak & Iron, staring at the ceiling, doing nothing, napping the days away.
This feels good. It feels important. Right. If you would have told him a few months ago that he’d be content working on a farm, Jimmy would have laughed. But now. Now? It was starting to feel like an actual real possibility that he might enjoy this kind of work.
no subject
"People like boring." James would know; he would give absolutely anything to go back to his boring, married life. Boring is safe. Boring is comfortable.
He slides into the chair across from the guy, sparing a glance at the books as he does. "Wish I could help, but I've barely ever even stepped foot on a farm. Did you do something like that before... uh, before this place?" Like ok yeah obviously the guys not an experienced farmer if he's checking out books about it but he could've been a farmhand or something.
no subject
He doesn't want to talk about it beyond that, honestly. And it's obvious in the way he crosses his arms and clams up. Fuck space fuck Polle fuck shipping mountains of mouthwash that don't even FUNCTION well as mouthwash for fuck sake.
"I think anything'll be better than shipping. Not like there's much shipping to be done here anyway. What would you do, ship things from one end of the island to the other?"
no subject
Getting a job here at all doesn't exactly appeal to James, but he's willing to put up with it if it means moving closer to their goal.
"Oh. I'm James, by the way." Feels like all he's done lately is introduce himself to people.
no subject
They have matching names. Not that the name's uncommon. But you know.
"But yeah, fuck cubical jobs." He agrees, "Do you know what you're gonna do?"
no subject
"No," he answers Jimmy truthfully. "I just want to get out of here. I haven't really thought about a job yet."
He hesitates, clearly considering if he should say what he's thinking, then: "Do you think it's kind of strange? I mean, the way people seem happy to stay here."
no subject
Oh Mortanne, you bitch.
"I'm fine with staying here, fuck where I came from." He says, and god, it's the truth, "You got something to get back to though, by the sounds of it? You must be from somewhere worth a damn."
no subject
But, qualmless as he is, he's perfectly willing to tell Jimmy the truth, too. "It might sound crazy but I got a letter from my late wife," he explains. "If she's alive, I have to find her."
If. He says it, but he doesn't mean it. She has to be alive. There's no room for "if."
no subject
It's probably one of the most reasonable things Jimmy's said all day.
no subject
He'd hoped she was here, when he'd first arrived. He'd even considered she may have passed through here before returning to Silent Hill — that would certainly explain some things. Now he's not so sure.
"Anyway," he goes on, "Maybe once we do whatever we're supposed to do here, they'll let people stay if they want."
Though... if they're all dead, would that really work? Maybe if you don't go back home you just pass on to an afterlife or cease to exist. Who knows.
no subject
He still wonders if this dude's wife will show up. It seems more likely than him finding her in some special place. Whatever the fuck that means. What's a special place, anyway? And why'd he say it like that?
no subject
"Yeah. I guess so." There's a certain, shall we say, je ne sais quois in the way that he says it, but he's being ✨social✨ after all so he doesn't just leave it there, for once.
"But if we have to go back," he starts, "It can't really be that bad, right? I mean, you can always quit your job."
He has a hunch it's not really just about the job. That doesn't mean he's going to pry, though — it's not his business.
tw suicide mention
Plus he doesn't even know what it'd look like if he did get to go back. He'd probably be stuck right back where he was with no other choice but to kill himself a second time.
No fucking thanks.
no subject
James isn't sure why but something about this suddenly reminds him of his last encounter with Eddie. "Do you know what it's like?" That's what Eddie had said. And the answer was no, James didn't know what it was like to be bullied like Eddie was. He doesn't know how bad shit got for Jimmy, either. The one thing he does know now is that sometimes it's better not to poke the bear.
At least Jimmy's probably not ever going to pull a gun on him. Eddie needed help in a way most other people didn't.
"Well," James says after a moment. "I hope they do let you stay, if that's what you want."
It's an awkward attempt at an olive branch, after he so obviously touched a nerve. This feels like the point where he should just excuse himself from the table and continue his hunt for useful books, but he holds off, at least now.
no subject
Doesn't want to after what happened, really.
"Yeah... I hope so too." He deflates slightly as he says it. He really, really wants to be able to stay here. Either here or death. If the gods here are real Jimmy would actively consider worship to make sure he doesn't have to go back to the godforsaken Tuplar.
"And hey, maybe you'll get to go home and find your wife, if we get to choose." He shrugs softly. Doesn't really matter to him, as long as he gets to stay.
Must be nice. Having a wife that you care enough about to want to go find her even though she's dead. Jimmy wonders what that's like. Having a happy marriage.
no subject
And if it seems like he's implying that he doesn't really care if Pumpkin Hollow can be saved, that he would take a way out right now without fixing a thing here if it meant finding Mary, that would be because he is.
He pushes his chair back, away from the table. "I should let you get back to your reading."
wrap?
He's wondered if he's offended James, but then he realizes he doesn't care too much. Jimmy just gives him a simple wave of his hand. He'll see him around, probably still missing his wife.
"Later."
ye
Not that it matters now, anyway. He's already standing, offering Jimmy one last awkward farewell nod before he wanders off on his way, resuming his search for literally any book that might seem helpful.