Thread: A new land, a new life, a new love. (Shiningknight x MercuryRisen)

colorFFCC99 When one lived in the country, especially in a town as small as Maple, people werent really threats. The town wasnt big enough to have the typical hoodlums you may catch in a city such as L.A. or Houston. Sure, Maple had its troublemakers, but they were harmless. Everyone knew everyone else here, and if Johnny Appleseed decided to pain some graffiti on Miss Cafes storefront, his mom was going to give him a few good licks with a willow switch and then Miss Cafe was going to make Johnny work for free to cover her pain and suffering until Johnny knew never to do anything of the sort again. Hell, if there was a fistfight at the tavern, the sheriff hauled them off overnight and then gave the sorry suckers a ride home in the morning with a slab of beef over their eyes after they got out of their systems whatever they were fighting about. It was just that sort of town. And everyone was back to being friends in the morning. Except Darryl. Everybody hated Darryl, that son of a bitch. Outsiders like Elliot were not treated much differently. There was a lot of speculation and curiosity, of course, because who didnt love a hot new round of gossip in a small town, but he would never be ostracized until he did something to make everyone feel that way. Elliot would be treated fairly, and warmly, with the same hospitality one would shower visiting relatives with - maybe even more warmly. You catch more flies with honey after all. So when Elliot started asking questions about the house, the most apparent one was if he bought it outright how soon could he move in. Leilani paused with her mouth hovering over the rim of her coffee mug matching mocha eyes studying Elliot curiously before she sipped and set the joe down. Fully furnished, and I keep it clean. There are no problems that Im aware of but the house has sat empty for quite some time. If there are any issues, theres a handyman in town who can usually fix things next day if hes got all the materials. Leilanis conscience weighed on her a little bit knowing damn well that 50,000 was a hefty asking price for that little apartment. Especially when it came with no land of its own, and laundry and kitchen needed to be shared with the main house. But its what they needed. After Leilanis grandfather died, her nana had gone through some health scares herself. Leilani had only been thirteen at the time, but shed stepped up and started running the show. When the medical bills started coming, Nana had to make the hard choice to put the ranch up as collateral with the bank for a loan. Once Leilani turned eighteen, shed gained access to her inheritance from her parents, but even then it wasnt enough to gain the ranch back and pay their debt. It was just enough to keep the bank at bay, but now, three years later and her inheritance had run out. They were running on borrowed time, and they needed at least 35K to break even. Licking her lips, she downed the rest of her coffee and then stood up and turned from Elliot dropping her mug in the sink before turning and heading for the small closet by the front door. She pulled out her grandfathers old jacket and held it out to Elliot. This should cover ya. Its not a long walk, but with the weather pissin like it is I wouldnt suggest the walk without it. Once Elliot took the jacket, Leilani stepped over to the living room to make sure Nana was warm and comfortable before she stepped out the front door and held it for Elliot. This way. The walk was short, but the sky was dumping water in buckets. Leilani didnt grab a jacket herself, but then again they were on her property. She could throw her wet clothes in the laundry and curl up on the couch by the fireplace whenever she wanted. Stepping up on the front porch, she twisted the door handle and pushed inside stepping out of the way for Elliot to join her. It was a small two-story home, with a covered front porch matching the one on the main house. The two were clearly meant as a single entity, but with only Leilani and Nana on the property, the detached mother-in-law house was sitting unused. Right when he walked in, to the left there was a living room space that surrounded a large fire place with a loft hovering above. There was a three-seat couch, loveseat and rocking chair next to the hearth. A small hand-carved table sat between the couch and sofa, and a stairwell was visible from the end of the small hall separating the living space from a very small galley kitchen to the right. There was a large storage chest full of blankets behind the couch, as well as a hall closet for jackets and the like right before you walked into the kitchen. In the said kitchen, there wasnt enough space for an oven and stove, or dishwasher, but there was a small sink, a microwave and several cabinets and a pantry for dry food where a fridge should be. The old fridge we had broke down, so we built shelves in the space. Theyre easily removed, so if you would like a fridge we can take those apart and install that. Otherwise, we have two refrigerators in the main house. The small kitchen was also attached to a slightly larger dining room. An oblong table with rounded edges stretched in front of the window looking out over the ranch. Four chairs framed the table with the same hand-carved design as the coffee table in the living room. Leilani waited for Elliot to circle the dining and living room, answering his questions about this and that before leading him to the stairs and up onto the loft space. At the top of the stairs, the loft space was open and cozy. There was a desk up against the wall, facing a large window that looked up the hill and mountain side that the Hart Ranch was nestled against. The scene was beautiful, and the sort of thing youd expect to see in a painting. There was a fold-out couch also situation in the loft, facing a small old rabbit-ear antenna TV on a small wooden media center. Turning on a dime from the staircase, a very short hallway sported two doors. One lead into the master bedroom complete with queen bed, closet and dresser, and the other to the master bathroom with a bathshower, toilet and sink. Leilani kept to the stairs, looking over the hand made furniture with affection as Elliot explored. Like I said, theres an extra shower in the main house if this one ever gives you trouble, and we share the kitchen as well. Everything is clean, and operational when I last checked on the first of the month. You can move in today if you want. Ill just need a check made out to Hart Ranch. color