Bugul had arrived in Sacramento a month ago now, following the trail of two parents distraught from the loss of their child. False as he was, the kid was real to them, even if the Goatman knew better.

When they picked up sticks, he followed as well as he could, though it took longer with all things considered. Still, he made it. Stuck around a few camps for a week or two before he scrounged up enough cash for a nice little apartment. It was distant enough from Mom and Dad to be out of sight and out of mind, but close enough for him to come across them with some frequency as they went about their day and vice versa. They lived in a nice townhome down the street, piecing together their lives, just like he was. Only difference is his was a lie.

Word eventually got around that Bart Bishop knew a thing or two about dogs and gardening. Didn't take long for him to get a knock on his door by Pete, a portly guy who owned a diner and had heard about him from some of his regulars. Pete's mother lived on a larger property down the bend, a bit further from the hustle and bustle of greater Sacramento. Gardening had been a favorite activity of hers and her husband's, but following his death in the summer, Belinda was having a hard time getting all the work done.

Introductions were brief and tense, Pete wasn't the best talker and ol' Belinda sure as hell didn't want someone she didn't know in her garden. That was until her little Yorkie Belle came up. Bugul didn't know people all that well, but dogs? That was another story.

1 success
Date Action Roll Result
2019-12-01 00:57:27 Bugul rolls 5 to First Impressions with Doggo! (Pres+Animal Ken+Canine Spec) (10 Again) 5, 7, 3, 5, 8 1 success
       





With Belle warming up to the quiet weirdo from down the road, Belinda eventually relented. Thus, Belinda got to work with him while Pete parked himself in a seat on the deck. They said it was to be able to see him work, but Bugul knew it was different than that. These people in the world of Men had a fear of what they did not know and Bugul was an anomaly. They wanted to make sure he was on the up-in-up and not doing things he shouldn't, like drugs or searching out a place to squat. Moreover, Belinda wanted to ensure she would be safe. Being a Beast, Bugul knew that want more than most.

However, once he got to work, it was apparent that he knew what he was doing.

2 successes
Date Action Roll Result
2019-12-01 00:58:29 Bugul rolls 5 to Gardening (Int+Craft+Gardening Spec) (10 Again) 8, 7, 7, 10, 1, 7 2 successes
       





That shown expertise exercised a certain comfort in the retired woman. The two of them and Paul got to talking. Mostly it was them asking questions though, with Bugul answering them politely.

"Are you a local boy?" asked Belinda.

"Hmm? Oh... nah. Nope. Just came here near a month back. I'm originally from Denver."

"Where'd you learn to garden like that?" Pete asked, prompted as he was by his mother to engage.

"Used to grow my own food, I did. Fruits, vegetables, others..."

"Oh so you worked on a farm?"

"Something like that. No machines though, we only used our hands and a few tools. Only had to feed ourselves after all."

"We? Did your whole family farm together?"

"Nah, didn't come into it until after I had left my parents. They don't have a garden if I recollect."

And so it went. The questions turned to pleasant conversation as the three of them reminisced about how good gardening felt and the benefits of knowing how your food is harvested and how it was farmed. Most of what had to be done was harvesting the root vegetables, but, thanks to the milder California winters, most of the crops were doing well and just needed some maintenance. In time, the sun began to set and Belinda invited Bugul inside, offering tea to close out the day. Soon though Pete needed to return to work to ensure the closing of his business went well. Seeing as he was Bugul's ride, his departure happened soon after.

"If it suits, I can take some stuff out with me," he said, "Got a compost bin at home I'm working on."

The request was reasonable and Belinda was all too happy to grant him some of the plants that did not suit her standards. Nonetheless, it was a half-truth. There was a compost bin, but it wasn't his and some of the vegetables (and some bits deemed less-than-edible) found a place in Bugul's fridge. In the end, it got ol' Bugul dinner, $50 in his pocket, and a client.

However, the experience left him with a hollow reminder as he sat in the living room of his abode. He needed more than clients and acquaintances. He needed friends and some of them had to be similar to himself. They had to be changed. His old friends and Denver had told him where to look. It was time to keep his ear to the ground and introduce himself.