Into the Dreams - *Literate RP* (Open and Accepting)

[Cuwen]

((Well, it's mainly about educating kids and giving them first-hand experience on farming and livestock. It was created in a town 8 miles from where I live, and we're still a huge farming area. Hell, almost all of Iowa is. I picked 4H for Reed to be in since it's a farming group. smile ))

Reed laughed and hugged her younger sister around the shoulders, her head resting on the top of Akira's. She actually had to stand on her tippy toes to do that now. Her sister was getting so tall, almost as tall as Reed was right now.

"I'm so glad you came here and joined! Now you get a goat for doing it!"

She laughed again and then pulled back from her sister. "It'll be so much better than just staying at home, and it's only 40 minutes long, every other school day. And the occasional fairs, of course. And of course we won't neglect the other animals! Spider will always be my main priority. In fact, 4H usually teaches you how to do your chores more efficiently. So, we'll take better care of the animals and we'll be done faster. Well, you will. I've already learned quite a few tips, but they're always coming out with new ones!"

Her eyes were absolutely sparkling and a large smile was on Reed's face. For once, she did not appear to be the shy young girl that walked the halls of their high school.

[Mitsuki10191]

((Ah, I see. That's why I was never in it, then. We own a freaking farm. No need for a club.))

Foster set down his briefcase, glancing around his kitchen and remembered he was scraping the bottom of the leftover bin. Great...Well, that's what takeout was for. Takeout and a good book. That's what he needed. Since Micky was over at her father's today, she wouldn't be sneaking over to his house to hide out for a few hours. That meant he'd be eating alone. Well, no matter then.

With a sigh, he rang up the Chinese place just a few blocks away, ordered his shrimp egg rolls and General Sau chicken. He ordered three times what a normal human could ever eat. It would just last him that much longer, so all he'd have to do was pop some in the microwave...and wasn't that pathetic?

Shaking his head, he laughed at himself as he hung up the phone, went into the livingroom. And there was his book, right where he'd left it last night. It was a mystery novel, from the point of view of a detective investigating a string of murders. Lord knew good ol' Roy Steele always had the answers. This guy always knew what to do in the end, and everything always ended up working out. If only real life were that simple.

[Cuwen]

((And I live in Iowa, but no farm. I live in a town, thank God. lol. I like farms, but I wouldn't want to live on one. And, IF you have Foster help out with 4H, would he already be in it and just forgot about the 1st meeting? Or would you want Reed and Akira's dad to go to him and ask him to join? Again, IF. lol. smile ))

[Mitsuki10191]

((Well, I suppose I'd prefer if the dad came to ask. Foster doesn't strike me as someone who forgets things very often.))

[Cuwen]

((Gotcha! He'll stop by his house after supper. smile ))

[Cuwen]

Finally, Reed and Akira's father was done conversing with the other 4H leaders and he started walking back with them to his truck. He swung an arm around both of his girls' shoulders and squeezed lightly. He gave a deep chuckle and smiled brightly.

"Well, I have to say that I can't wait to see you two start taking care of your goats. Quite a bit different than taking care of cows. You have to keep the goats' coats clean and trimmed. But I know you both will do a fine job."

He then glanced down at Akira and gave her another light squeeze. "And I'm so proud of you for joining us in 4H, Akira. You'll learn so much, and I know that you'll have a lot of fun. Just like your sister."

He squeezed Reed's shoulders lightly, enjoyed her laugh in response, and then opened the passenger door of his truck for his girls to get in. Once they were in, he shut the door and went around to the driver's side and got in. Once he made sure everyone was buckled up, he started his old but faithful red Ford pickup and headed home. Unfortunately, they'd be a little late for supper. Dave had talked with the other leaders a little bit longer than he had planned to and he knew the girls would want to see their goats in the barn before they went inside. But Sarah was such a patient woman. She could be very fiery when she had a reason to be, and she'd probably jokingly give her husband a hard time for coming in late, but she was a very reasonable and loving woman.

Once they were back on their farm, Dave shut off the truck, which he parked, as usual, in front of the triple door shed behind the barn, and unbuckled his seat belt.

"Alright girls, we're home. You can see your goats now, but we can't be too long. We're already late enough for supper as it is, and I have to go visit someone afterward. We need another leader for 4H."

That was what he had been talking so long with the other leaders about. There was a larger turnout of students this year than they had anticipated. It was wonderful, but they needed more help now. They had talked about possible candidates, but most of the teachers at the school already had previous commitments after school and they already had the only 4 farmers who were willing to sacrifice time away from their farm for this important group. However, Dave had remembered his daughter Reed talking about a new faculty member toward the end of the school year last year. It was the guidance counselor Foster Coltaire. Reed really admired him, and since he came in so late last year, he certainly didn't have another engagement after school. Well, David hoped this was the case. He would drive to his house after supper and speak with him.

[Cuwen]

Reed was practically jumping up and down in excitement, both to see the new goat and to finally get to see Spider again. She waited while her father worked at unlatching the barn door, looking over at her sister with wide, sparkling eyes.

"Akira! Our own goats!"

[Heaven91]

Akira had simply smiled back and had nodded, speechless since the look on her older sister's face just really made her day. The brunnet secretly hoped to see more of her sister like this, and not the shy, closed in girl she would be at school or around a lot of people.

When their father had came over and had placed his hands on their shoulders, Akira snapped out of her little daze and grinned at Dave.

"It does seem like a lot of fun, i'm sorry i didn't join earlier!" she had told her father, as she had jumped into the back seat of the truck she loved oh so much.

When they'd arrived back home, she could hardly believe her ears, when their old man had said they could go see their baby goats right away!

She had jumped out of the truck and now waited impatiently next to Reed, as Dave attacked the barn door.

"I know right!? This is gonna be awesome!"

[Mitsuki10191]

Micky was pulled out of her book when the doorbell rang, and she swore. The gorgeous hunk of man meat had jsut been about to beat the s**t out of a chauvinistic, abusing b*****d who'd been after the girl-still unnamed. Now she'd have to wait.

Grumbling under her breath, she dog earred the page, tossed it on the floor before trooping down the stairs. Opening the door, she nodded at the delivery boy, threw him a twenty before grabbing the food with a nod. Carrying the large brown bag into the kitchen, she reached in, puleld out with some confusion about half a dozen shrimp egg rolls.

Narrowing her eyes, she looked in, saw the General Sau, and swore, glancing at the calendar. She'd forgotten, it was takeout night at Foster's house too. Their addresses tended to get mixed up every now and then because her father's house was at 125 South Street, and Foster's house was at 125 South Av. It annoyed the hell out of her, seeing as that meant she had to make a trip across town to get her food, since General Sau made her and her father wrinkle their noses in disgust.

"Da! Da, the orders got mixed up! I'm biking to Foster's! I'll be back!" She called, took her father's curse and a dull thump as an answer before she loaded everything back into the bag, carting it out to her bike and hanging it on the handlebar. Rolling her eyes, she began the short trek to Foster's house, since the two roads she lived on were on either side of the school, so it was less than half a mile to Fosters. Still, she wanted her sweet and sour chicken and beef rice, damn it. Instead she had some nasty chicken wannabe and seafood.

Cursing the whole way, she pulled into Foster's driveway, didn't even bother knocking, jsut strolled in out of habit. She found Foster giving a death glare to her actual, which was spread out across his kitchen table. She stiffled a laugh, knowing how much he despised those little white boxes of rice. "Damn it, Foster." She said, leaning against the doorframe, and he barely even glanced at her, merely pointed at the carton of rice.

"It's taunting me." He muttered darkly, and Micky rolled her eyes, grabbing a pair of chopsticks and snatching the rice. "And you say I need therapy." She said, digging into the rice, and smiled in satisfaction. She knew that, when he'd been little, Foster's mother had considered smushed white rice the cure to any ailment. Since then he'd taken a vow against it completely.

Snorting, Foster grabbed his food from her, shoved hers to the other end of the table as he dug out one of his egg rolls, bit into it with a groan of pure ecstacy. "Now that's food. Unlike that white trash you call edible." He said, shooting another glare at the rice, and she did laugh then, though it hurt the rib she'd taped up. Rubbing absently at where it hurt, she began stuffing her food back in her own bag, then decided her father could wait a bit longer. Hooking a chair leg with her ankle, she pulled it out, sat carefully to satisfy her ribs. Grabbing her rice again, she looked at Foster, who was stuffing General Sau in his mouth, then wrinkled her nose.

"Don't see how you can eat that spicy crap. Anyway, what do you think of our new right fielder? His name's-get this-Farley. Frigging pansy name, but the boy's built like a frigging redwood. Comes from a family of lumberjacks, and they're all Irish as Paddy's pig." She said, smiling slightly at the thought of the six foot-something seventeen year old with hands the size of Christmas hams and a laugh that boomed out across the whole field.

[Cuwen]

((LOL! Mitsuki, your post made me really laugh. biggrin I loved it! And you know, just about everyone in the story is reading right now, but we haven't implemented the magic where they get sucked in. I was actually thinking they'd all be at the library at some time and get sucked in together, but I don't know. If you all want to start it now, be my guest! biggrin I mean after all, when will they all actually be in the library together at the same time? lol.))

As soon as their father opened the barn door, he laughed as his daughters raced past him in a blur. He barely got a glance at them before they were inside.

Reed was looking around anxiously, her eyes darting to every corner in the barn. That's why she probably didn't see that the goats were right out in the open: in the first pen to the right as soon as you come into the barn.

When she heard a sound she wasn't used to, she turned her head in the direction of the sound and gasped when she saw her adorable little goat! It was young, but it was more than old enough to be away from its mom.

She ran over to it, sank to her knees on the clean straw in the pen that they had never used before, and wrapped her arms around the neck of the goat. She knew it was a female because at 4H, they were learning how to not only take care of goats but also how to milk them and to properly prepare the milk. Only female goats gave milk.

"Oh Dad, thank you! I love her! She's so pretty!"

[Heaven91]

Unlike Reed, Akira had found her baby goat right away and was already kneeling next to the baby animal and stroking her beautiful white and black fur, smilling.

"I wuuuuv her! Ack! I need to name you! Err...Umm...Lucky? Nah...used to much...Oh oh oh!!! I got it! Yumi! There, that's a perfect name for you!" the brunnet announced proudly.

[Cuwen]

Reed giggled at her sister's indecision on what to name her goat. She was so glad her sister really was enjoying 4H and all it had to offer. Maybe should would stay in the group.

Before Reed had a chance to name her goat, though, their father clapped his hands and spoke up, laughter in his voice. "Alright you two. You can come and take care of the goats and the other animals after supper. We're already late enough as it is. You don't want your mother to skin me alive now, do you?"

He hadn't labeled the goats or anything to let the girls know which goat was theirs. He wanted the girls to pick out which goat they wanted instead of David picking it out for them. And it looked as if he had done the right thing. Both girls loved the goat that they each had picked out.

Reed turned to look at her father with a smile on her face and laughed when she saw the twinkle in his eyes due to the comment he made. She turned back to her goat, hugged her one last time, and then jumped up and headed over to the bard door. She stopped before heading outside and hugged her father tightly.

"Thank you for the goats, Dad. I know it wasn't just you who got them for us, but thank you, still. We know you had a big role in getting the goats."

She leaned up and kissed her father on the cheek before bounding outside and racing to the house, trying to beat her sister.

[Heaven91]

Akira hugged her goat gently and giggled when Yumi nuzzled her cheek, then promised the baby goat to return soon, as she ran up to her dad and practically tackled him with a hug after Reed had let go.

"What she said, tones of thanks! Your the best dad ever!! But you know, if mom did skin you alive...Well- Ack! Reed! W-wait up!!!" Yelled the younger sibling, as she rushed after her older sister, easily catching up.

[Cuwen]

Reed laughed as she tried to run even faster to beat her little sister who had caught up to her easily. "I don't think so! I'm going to beat you!"

It wasn't that long of a distance from the barn to the house, though. Enough for the barn smell to not touch the house, but not far enough to allow for a good 'race'.

Both girls practically tumbled over each other when they entered the front door at practically the same time. They were giggling when their mother came around the corner in an apron and a towel in her hands, her eyes sparkling with mirth but her arms crossed over her chest.

"Girls, I've told you before to wipe your shoes off on the shoe rack outside before you come in and to come in as ladies, not roughians."

She smiled at both of them, though, and gestured to the dining room around the corner. "Now come on. It's time for supper and I don't want it getting any colder than it already is. Your brothers are already at the table."

By the time the girls were in the dining room after washing up, David had come into the house after latching the barn door back up. He grinned bashfully at his wife, slowly walked up to her, and kissed her cheek. She pretended to have a scowl on her face, but as soon as she looked into her husband's puppy-dog eyes, she simply sighed, laughed lightly, and gently whacked him on the butt with her towel.

"Go on now. Get in there. You're lucky I didn't give your supper to the animals."

David laughed and started walking in the direction of the kitchen to wash up. "You are most certainly right, Sarah. I am very lucky, and not just because you didn't give my supper to the animals."

He kissed his wife once more and then greeted his sons when he came back into the dining room. He ruffled the 4 year old's hair and clapped his eldest child on the shoulder. Then, he went to sit down at the head of the table. They all bowed their head in prayer and then began eating and catching up on each other's day.

After supper, the boys started clearing the table and the girls did the dishes, allowing their mother to sit down and relax for awhile. David had told everyone at supper that he was going to Foster Coltaire's house after supper to invite him to join 4H as another leader.

Reed had tried not to look excited when her father had said this. She normally would have asked to join him, but that really would have looked suspicious then. So she remained quiet, practically bouncing in her seat at the thought of Mr. Coltaire becoming a 4H leader.

So when the children were doing their chores and Sarah was relaxing in the livingroom, David cleaned up again, put on fresh clothes, combed his hair, kissed his wife on the cheek and then headed out to his truck. He started the old girl up and then made the trek into town and Mr. Coltaire's house. He knew where it was, having gotten directions from one of the other 4H leaders. It was a small town. Almost everyone knew who lived where.

After awhile of driving, David finally found the home that he believed was Mr. Coltaire's house, according to his directions. So, he parked at the curb, shut off his truck, got out and walked up to the front door. He knocked on it and waited for someone to come to the door.

[Heaven91]

Ever since their father had mentioned that Foster dude would hopefully be joining 4H when he'd go to ask, Akira grinned, devious plans already stirring in that head of hers. Even now, as she dried and put away the dishes, she was still grinning and said slowly, after making sure nobody else was around but her sister, "Soooo, sis, eager much? That smile's practically plastered to your face now!"