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 Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2025 7:57 pm
Quote: Counting Sheep (12) : All around the city, odd, lumpy mounds of snow have begun appearing--harmless at first glance, until one of them suddenly shifts, shakes itself off, and lets out a loud bleat. A large flock of incredibly fluffy, snow-covered sheep has wandered into town from who-knows-where. Their dense white wool blends perfectly into the winter landscape, and snow clings easily to them. They seem perfectly content in the cold and go about their business without a care, but it’s still startling to watch what looks like a miniature snowdrift suddenly get up and trot away. They're typically not hostile, but they will attempt to flee and avoid capture. They seem good natured--adorable, warm, and only occasionally a little chaotic. Tyndareus was, perhaps, getting a little sick of the strange magical happenings that were natural to Destiny City. Ones that manifested without the help of the magical beings that had the run of the city. The dazzling lights that confused and nauseated, the snowballs that seemed to just hurl themselves at folks unprompted and cause stupid fights, and now, whatever the hell was happening here. He had gone to sit down on a snow bank, sure in the knowledge it had once been... well, not exactly a bench, as in, a piece of furniture crafted to be sat upon, but something he could usually sit on. He couldn't quite recall what the object was, only that he had been absolutely positive it was in this spot.... At least, until the mound beneath moved and bleated in offense at the random person sitting on it. "The <********>?" he exclaimed, just barely managing to stand back up instead of trip over himself, whirling around to look at what appeared to be a sheep completely covered in snow.
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Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2025 8:10 pm
The sound of bleating was what had drawn Carterhaugh's attention, even before he heard a familiar voice start swearing. It was odd that the presence of some known agent of Chaos actually brightened his mood, a little, but...well....the ridiculous edgelord Senshi wasn't so bad, after all.
"Oh, I see you've found the odd local fauna," he said, idly. "Snowdrift sheep seem to be the latest way that Destiny City wants to make our lives...interesting. But they're very friendly." After his last encounter, Carterhuagh had started carrying plain oats in his bag, since apparently that was an easily accessible treat that sheep could eat (and he wasn't exactly willing to go looking for hay or whatever else.) Casually, he scattered some in front of the nearby snowdrifts, and on cue, several more sheep popped out to trot forward and start snacking on his offering.
He pulled another bag out of subspace, and held it out towards the Senshi.
"Want to try feeding them?"
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Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2025 8:49 pm
Tyndareus wanted to roll his eyes and scoff at the abrupt appearance of that... Squire whose name he was now realizing he did not actually know. Huh. The things one forgot, when too busy making enemies... frenemies? Ugh, what a stupid word. He took a deep breath and stepped back from the irritated sheep bleating at him. "I'm not so sure I should," he said with a little scoff-laugh, carefully half-turning to raise his eyebrows at the Squire. "Especially after I just sat on that one. I don't know how much their friendship really extends, given those ********, he really ought to ask the guy's name, right?
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Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2025 8:53 pm
"Oh, especially if you sat on one. Food may be your key to earning forgiveness." Carterhaugh tossed the bag, casually; if the Senshi didn't want it, then....he'd just pick it up off the ground later and count it as a silly little moment. Stubborn foolishness wasn't exactly his problem to fix.
"I'm Carterhaugh, by the by, since we've now run into each other three times." Might as well share Maybe this one would be informed about him somehow, but maybe not; who even knew if he'd been considered significant enough to record, given that he was at best simply a failed recruitment.
If he did know something, well...that was a problem for five-minutes-in-the-future Carterhaugh, not for right-now Carterhaugh, who was hoping to make a connection with someone who seemed like he might need it.
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Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2025 9:36 pm
Tyndareus hesitated only for a moment longer, then bent and scooped up the bag of oats. "You have a fair point," he conceded, kneeling in the snow as he pulled out a handful of oats and held it out to the grumpy sheep. It glared at him, but delicately lipped at the oats and ate them out of Tyndareus's hand. He relaxed a little. "Tyndareus," he said, glancing over his shoulder—when had he become comfortable turning his back on the enemy?—to Carterhaugh. "Nice to finally learn your name. Did you happen to read my mind?" He chuckled at the funny feeling of the sheep's lips on his hand, followed by its tongue as it ensured it had gotten every last crumb. "I've never been to a petting zoo," he said quietly. "This is a... unique experience." He wiped his hand free of the drool and scooped some more oats into his hand to hold out to the sheep. It bleated at him, then burped, and Tyndareus snatched his hand away with a disgusted sound.
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Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2025 10:16 pm
There was something a little bit cute, watching this technically very dangerous man--by his own admission--feed a sheep that seemed a little dubious about accepting snackies.
"Not one of the things my magic makes me capable of, no," Carterhaugh said, lightly. "But I'm glad we seemed to have the same concern." They probably had a lot of similar concerns, big or little, depending on the shape of things. But he wasn't sure how willing someone on the other side would be to open up.
"I haven't since I was little, and we called them farm parks back home," he said, which was maybe a little revelatory. "It's nice, isn't it?" As he said that, one of the sheep gently butted its head against his leg, and he laughed, producing another handful of oats to scatter on the ground.
"Demanding little beasties, aren't they?"
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Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2025 10:40 pm
Tyndareus, despite himself, let out another fond chuckle, as his grumpy sheep finally seemed to forgive him for the earlier infraction and headbutted him in the chest. He let himself fall back so he was fully sitting in the snow rather than on his knees. "Very much so," he agreed, scratching the sheep under the chin. It bleated at him again and he gave in, giving it a smaller handful of oats as he patted it all over, marvelling at the soft wool. "Hungry hungry hippos, rather than sheep," he said dryly. "But, sweet. I..." He sighed, standing up and ensuring his grumpy sheep didn't steal the sack of oats. "Thanks."
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Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2025 11:22 pm
This was nice. The kind of little moment that really gave Carterhaugh hope, that maybe there was some common ground to be found. Even with someone who Carterhaugh had first met making dangerous threats.
There were things they could do. There was hope. It wasn't all just pointless fighting and bullshit forever.
"You're welcome," he said, easily. "We can stay here for a little, until they get bored." He reached out to pet one of the sheep, and immediately found another bumping its way in for his attention. "Just, you know. Enjoy a little bit of magic without any pressure or anything."
This sort of thing...this was nice. And it was, in Carterhaugh's opinion, what he was far better that than throwing punches.
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