[PRP] Going Green (Fellah + Didero)

[seekingCylem]

The only thing better than fresh food is fresh food made with fresh food.

 

[seekingCylem]

For all the walkabouts Didero had partaken in, he had rarely bothered to venture away from the city's center. He'd always considered this part of town, or lack thereof, to be rather boring. This night however, he found the route peaceful. It helped that there was actually some kind of event going on, which broke up the monotony some without being overwhelming.

The source turned out to be a regularly-held farmers' market, which explained the steady flow of trolls towards the local plaza. The smell of roasting popcorn hit Didero like a truck. He cast the milling pigeons a glance and, in complete agreement, they fluttered off in the direction of the market. Didero followed at a clipped pace, curiosity piqued.

It was a rather quaint affair for being so close to New Hemisect. Still, it was organized, and clearly enough of a community staple for everyone to look like they knew what they were doing. Didero did his best to not stumble into anyone's way as he gained his bearings, but was clearly distracted by all the sights, sounds, and smells. Didero was definitely looking for the source of that popcorn smell.

Unaru

 

[Unaru]

It had been a while since Fellah had trotted his wagon out to the quaint Hemisect farmer's market. With tools and supplies dwindling, he finally had to start selling his produce again. Even though the farm troll usually gave away more food than sell it, he still would make enough on these ventures to sustain his hive.
The wares were all set up in the back of his well-worn wagon. The redblood's produce was either a huge flocking point for how "authentic" it was, or it was passed up for being so plain. Really it depended on the time of the night. Currently he was hovering over a small fire where he was roasting up some fresh popcorn. Bags of the stuff were lined up around the wagon, for sale dirt cheap. He would sprinkle some spices over the kernels as they popped, it was anyone's guess as to what he was using as seasoning, but it smelled amazing.
Fellah was whistling a bit to himself. He stuck out like a sore thumb, his wagon bookend by two rather hipster looking troll booths, adding to the very authentic feel of his wares. That dirt was 100% real!

seekingCylem

 

[seekingCylem]

Didero could hear the popcorn before he could see it. The pigeons that had been following him in pursuit of free snacks had already abandoned Didero in favor of more immediate gratification. At least one was bopping its way around Fellah's fire, cleaning up the occasional misfired kernel.

Didero appeared at the stall from behind the light stream of foot traffic. He stood quietly for a while just looking over his surroundings with wide, curious eyes. He made a very obvious thinking motion with his knuckle pressed against his lips as he appraised the produce. He wasn't a great cook, but he could at least steam or sauté chopped veggies. Perhaps fresh ingredients would bring his culinary skills up a notch.

Thinking about food did nothing to abate Didero's desire for popcorn. Eventually the smell overwhelmed his thoughts of meal planning. He leaned around the booth to check out the source.

Didero had never seen popcorn being made so... rustically before. He supposed in hindsight that it made sense given where he was. He looked the troll manning the fire up and down. The whole scene was so dedicated to its simple country flare that Didero almost thought he was wearing some kind of uniform. The denim of Fellah's overalls looked a touch too worn to have been anything but the real deal, however. Regardless, Didero's interest was piqued.

"Hello, Hello!" Didero called once softly and then again as a more direct salutation. He waved over at the redblood, staying a respectful distance in front of the booth. "Did you grow all of this yourself, by chance?" The answer appeared to be fairly obvious, but Didero wanted to be 100% sure before gushing. He could barely take care of a houseplant.

Unaru

 

[Unaru]

Finishing up another batch of popcorn, Fellah grabbed a handful and tossed them to the birds with a grin. Actually, it seemed as though a lot of the suburban wild life liked to mill about the farm trolls wagon. A lot of other booths carefully guarded against the "pests," but the simple redblood had no trouble giving free handouts to the critters.

Noticing the rather sharp dressed greenblood at the front of his booth, Fellah set the cast iron skillet aside on a crate; he took a stick and shoved some edges of the wood further into the fire so no embers could escape and catch his wares on fire. Taking the handkerchief out of his pocket, the redblood wiped his hands clean while approaching the troll.
"Howdy there," he said, greeting the guy with a wide country smile. "Yup, everything here was grown on my hive out on the plains. I come into the city every once in a while to sell off some of the produce. The popcorn's new, corn just came in and the first yields cobs were just too small, so I'm trying out something new. Care to try?" Fellah grabbed one of the bags lining the wagon and offered it to the greenblood.

seekingCylem

 

[seekingCylem]

Didero gave a tiny, sly smile down at the pigeons, which had increased with the appearance of more free popcorn. Good. Maybe he'd be able to eat his own food in peace. He turned back towards the redblood, who was now standing/towering over him. While the height difference wasn't abnormal, it did highlight their wildly different body types. Didero had no doubt this troll had been doing farm work for the majority of his life.

"Ah! Yes, I expected as much from a farmer's market, but I wanted to make sure. This all looks quite a bit larger than what I'd fine at one of the chain grocery stores. I can't imagine the corn being that small." Was that a compliment? It was an attempt. Didero didn't know a lick about plants.

"But lucky me, regardless. I'd love some," Didero said while pulling his wallet out of his back pocket. He shuffled through it to try and find exact change. In the meantime, he tried to continue the small talk. "Did you have to travel far to get here? I'm afraid I'm not quite as familiar with the exterior areas of Hemisect as much as the interior," He rocked his head slightly to the side in gesture to the city looming in the distance.

Unaru

 

[Unaru]

Fellah gave a light chuckle at the compliment, "Well thanks. I try to grow quality over speed." The farm troll handed over the bag of popcorn. If their size difference wasn't enough of a contrast, the redbloods heavily calloused hands definitely accentuated the point.
"Don't worry about it," Fellah said, lowering the greenblood's hand going through his wallet, "First bag's on the house." It was almost amusing how such a work worn troll could have such a soft demeanor.

Thinking about the distance, Fellah 'hmmed' to himself a bit. "Well it's not super close, but if I rush the hoofbeasts, I think I can make it to the suburbs here in about an hour. I usually don't rush though, the countryside is gorgeous, so it's nice to take that in when I'm out and about."

seekingCylem

 

[seekingCylem]

Didero had hardly noticed Fellah's actions until his hand appeared over his, causing him to close his wallet. He looked up, surprised and also pleased with Fellah's generosity. "Thank you!" He smiled brightly. He pocketed his wallet and took the bag. Didero wasted no time popping a few pieces into his mouth. His eyes lit up. "Ah! This is really good! Better than it smells!" Didero wanted to ask what made it so good, but he was already chewing on some more. He chalked it up to being home-grown.

He continued to munch on popcorn while Fellah talked. It truly added to the appeal of any story. He stopped at the mention of hoofbeasts and placed a hand against the side of his face--forgetting entirely about the salt on his fingers. He was too caught up in the imagery.

"Ahh~! It sounds just like something from a period romance novel. The star-crossed matesprits riding their steeds across the rolling hills to meet under the light of the moons." It was unclear if Didero had actually been paying attention, but he was at the very least enjoying himself. He was practically swooning over his own imagined scenario.

Unaru

 

[Unaru]

Fellah grinned, pleased to see the other troll enjoying his popcorn so thoroughly. "Glad you like it. I'll have to make popcorn for the market more often." the redblood chuckled. This was what he took up farming for, to see the faces of the trolls enjoy his produce, his food. To see them recognize a difference between careful farming and quick, low quality necessity. It always made his heart warm knowing someone enjoyed his hard work.

The redblood rested his elbows on the counter as the greenblood went on to romanticize the scenario. Fellah would be lying if he said he didn't daydream about the same thing. "I wish it were that romantic," he mused, "Played plenty of dating sims that are just like that. Unfortunately the dating sims and novels don't tell ya there aren't many souls takin' up residence out in the plains. The farms still real nice though. Some times if there's no work to do I'll just lay up on the bales of hay and watch the sky." It was obvious that Fellah was also getting swept up in the imagery. He was a sucker for all things romantic.

seekingCylem

 

[seekingCylem]

Both trolls had taken a moment out of their conversation to daydream. It eased the embarrassment felt as Didero snapped back into the moment. The bag of popcorn in his hand crinkled as he turned back to Fellah with a slight flourish. "...Novels..?" If Didero was being completely honest (and kind of rude), he hadn't expected Fellah to be much of a reader. Maybe a farmer's almanac, but not novels, and not of the romantic variety. Didero hardly found the discovery unpleasant. If it were possible, his eyes would have been twinkling. "Ah! Do you have any recommendations? I'm always looking for something new to read. Expand my horizons and all that. I'm sure you have a good sense of taste for fiction with a more rustic setting."

Didero placed a popcorn kernel in his mouth thoughtfully. "...I can't say I've ever played a dating sim, or any computer games at all, really. If I were, though, those sound like about the only kind my husktop could run." Didero's husktop wasn't much more than a typewriter with a substandard battery life. He wasn't about to pass up on a simulated dating experience just because of an unfamiliar platform, however. Were the simulations examples of romantic scenarios based on specific character interactions, or were they more like a how-to, edutainment sort of thing? Didero would have to do further research.

Unaru

 

[Unaru]

The farm troll was all too excited to have a fellow troll to talk to about the various romance novels, games, soaps, and other various media of trashy redrom, to gab with. Any hint of surprise from the greenblood went completely unnoticed by the bumpkin.
As Didero admitted to not having played dating sims, the farm trolls seemed to get the same glimmer in his eyes as the greenblood did with novels.
"Aw geez, well if you aint never played a dating sim you gotta try it out!" Fellah circled around his stall in order to grab the greenblood by the wrist, ushering him back to the caravan where Fellah kept all his produce. "I never leave the hive without some sims to travel with," he said, pushing some sacks of produce aside to grab a sturdy looking handheld gaming device. "Here, try this one out. Sit down and play a while if ya like," he offered as he flipped the switch on the console.
Handing it over to Didero the title "Passion in the Plains" flashed across the screen as the start menu popped up. "This one's got 'bout five options fer the red quadrant, and about three fer black. I'm a bit of a sucker for the redroms myself,"

seekingCylem

 

[seekingCylem]

Fellah took Didero's wrist and Didero flinched like he'd been electrocuted. He made a solid effort to downplay his sudden change in demeanor. He smiled, albeit a little weakly, and trotted after Fellah behind the caravan. Silently he mourned the handful of popcorn he'd spilled. "O-Oh! How convenient!" The remains of Didero's unease fell away as his curiosity was recaptured by the video game.

He brushed his free hand against his pants to rid it of salt before taking the console from Fellah. A cheery theme tune beeped along with the title screen. Immediately enthralled, Didero began clicking through the intro. "Mm, I'd agree with you, but I feel as though I'm a bit biased," Didero stopped mid-joke as he looked back at the screen. "You can customize your character?" He very nearly gasped as he began cycling rapidly through the modest selection of low-res horn shapes. For someone who claimed to not play video games, he was certainly fast on the buttons.

Unaru

 

[Unaru]

Fellah was not a very bright troll, but if there was one thing he did have a solid grasp on it was being observant of others emotions. Once Didero flinched, Fellah quickly released his wrist. "Oh, uh sorry. I got a bit carried away. Did I hurt ya?" he asked, the concern in his voice palpable.

He let a gentle grin slowly return to his face as the greenblood took to the dating sim like a seadweller to water. "Y-yeah. This one's one of the less customizable ones too," he chuckled, "There are some that you can literally recreate yerself, or whoever ya want in it," he sat on the caravan next to Didero, watching him explore the menus.

seekingCylem

 

[seekingCylem]

Didero blushed at having been caught flinching. He smiled placatingly. "O-oh no, I'm sorry. I just wasn't expecting it as all." Didero waved Fellah off in favor of returning their joint attention to the game.

"Really," he breathed. He'd finally settled on a hair style. His character was also suddenly wearing a scarf. Didero seemed thoughtful for a moment, then excited. "Where can I get one of these?" He held up the console and wiggled it. A whole new medium had just been opened up to Didero. And a fun hobby! "How did you first find out about these anyway?" he asked.

Unaru

 

[Unaru]

The farm troll was beaming as he watched Didero become absorbed into the dating sim. He just loved seeing smiles on other trolls faces, he got to see that some times from farming, but not so much from his other passion of trashy dating sims.
"Oh! Well if ya want you could keep that one. I've got a whole bunch of different gamehusk models," he chuckled, "think of it as a freebie from buying the popcorn." He smiled, apparently completely forgetting that he'd also given the popcorn to the greenblood for free. His generosity might be a little weird, but completely genuine.
"How did I first find out about them?" Fellah echoed, giving a long 'uhhh.' "Honestly I've always been really into 'em. Guess I probably found out about 'em way back when I first came to visit the city. Think I just stumbled by 'em on accident."

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