Closed Welcome to my home pv Simon Kincaid

The travel time from London, England, to Carlisle, England was 5 hours and 33 minutes, that would be the entire duration by car without stopping. That was the first plan. Aunt Maggie hadn't driven in forever and she wanted to travel the open roads and head up North to take him to his friend Clair Fernandez's farm. Because she hadn't driven in forever, Simon didn't think this was the best of ideas.

She didn't even own a car and it was her intentions to rent one. Now, Simon was never one to spoil someone's good time - especially his dear aunt - but he just knew that this wouldn't end well. Besides, he could help occupy their time for the 5 hours and 33 minutes to Carlisle (complete with singing along to songs from his iPhone and having random dance parties in the passenger seat) but there would be no one to occupy her and keep her awake on the trip back.

No, the alternative was better. Simon was able to talk his aunt into allowing him to take the train which now turned his commute to 3 hours and 19 minutes that would bring him from London, up near Birmingham, between Liverpool and Manchester, and up to Carlisle. This would take him to the Carlisle Railway Station, or more commonly called Carlisle Citadel. From there, he would pay a ride to Clair's family farm.

Along the train ride he felt he had gotten a taste of what he would find at Clair's farm. He saw pastures with cows from a distance, some sheep, and lots and lots of...open land and green. It was very different than what he was used to being smack dab in the middle of the city. Still, when the car pulled up at the farm, and he saw chickens roaming around in one area and a closer-up view of a pasture of cows, he wasn't quite sure what he had gotten himself into. He thanked the driver and paid him, then got out his bag from the back and headed to the front door of the house where he rang the bell.

Wearing; dirty blue shirt and jeans
Clair had been in her bedroom when the doorbell had rung, Belle had shouted that she could get it but Clair had tore down the stairs and to the front door, flinging it open she smiled widely, and hugged Simon, he had come!
"Oh my gosh you came! I'm so happy!" She said, in a flurry of words, she let go of him and waved for him to come inside, "Please come in! I have a room ready for you."
If Clair and Simon had been four they would have been able to share a room, but Misty, Clair's mother, had forbidden it with them being 12.
"You two can have plenty fun while your awake, sleep is important too" she had said when Clair had whined about having to stay in different rooms,
The room that had been made ready for Simon was the biggest bedroom in their house, Belle's old bedroom down in the basement.
Clair had requested this room for Simon because she knew that he would like how dark and cozy it was.
"Welcome to my farm!" She said "I can show you your bedroom and then we can go see so e horses, Chickens, Sheep, Cows, Donkeys, and other animals!"
Leading Simon down the stairs of her house she looked back at him, the house was warm and smelled of ginger bread cookies. "Just so you know, Izzy is still not talking to me, so she might be a little rude to you if we even see her, she spends way to much time in her bedroom mopping about having to come home from Hogwarts, Mum would not let her stay there!"
As they walked down the hallway and into the family's downstairs Living room Clair waved to Belle, her older Sister was sitting reading a book and eating popcorn, of course Belle was not eating it like a normal Muggle would, she was using her wand to lift each and every oei e i to her mouth, Clair laughed and pointed to Belle, "that's Miss Belle, who is a little piggy!"
Belle made a face but did nothing more.
Clair walked on, leading Simon to his Room,
It was cozy, three of the walls had bookshelves, with a mix of magic and muggle books, then there was the bed, a big queen sized bed with a yellow and Blue quilt, on the wall above the bed there was a poster, 'Slytherins rule' it said in big green letters.
Clair smiled "Sorry about the poster, Belle loves it though and refuses to take it down."
She waved around "Please make yourself at home. Mum said that we can stay up late and I have a few movies picked out if you wanted to watch them, later."
(Wc 462)
@Simon kincaid

Simon smiled when the door was answered, glad to see his friend. Things like Christmas holiday sent such odd feelings now that Hogwarts too felt like home. He was grateful to see his aunt again, take in some time at some of his favorite places, and visit with his muggle friends, but he also missed the friends he had made at Hogwarts and the Hogwarts Castle itself. It had become a home away from home.

He was eager to stay at Clair's for a little while - as she always talked about her farm and how great it was. To Simon, it sounded like an awfully large amount of work and also a lot of animals which was something he didn't have much experience in.

Simon followed Clair to where he would be staying during his visit and he took in the smell of gingerbread, a very sweet smell, and then saw her older sister eating popcorn with the use of her wand. He smiled and gave a Belle a wave on their way down to the basement.

With the Slytherins Rule poster, it could have been Izzy's room. He remembered that Clair had told her about her older sister, just a year ahead of him, and had even pointed her out but Simon had never spoken with the girl. "Poster is fine. Slytherins can rule. That doesn't mean that Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws can't rule as well." He had his bag over one shoulder and his guitar in his other hand and he placed them both onto the blue quilt of the bed.

"I love movies." Sometimes they had a great plot and when they didn't, it made it all the more fun to watch. "Sounds like a plan," he said, knowing that soon they'd be going to see her animals. That he was a bit hesitant of, but he made no mention of it.

Once Simon had put his stuff down Clair smiled and stepped out of the room,
"So, I am not sure about city sl-" she stopped herself from saying the rest, and tried again,
"I don't know about you City dwellers, but here there is a few, rules and ways we do things that you should know." She took a breath, some 'rules' could save your life while others could make no sense to a non farming child, "I'll start with the more Important rules, 1, There is a Bull in with the cows, unless you want to be flatted don't go in the cattle pens without an adult.
Rule 2, don't stand behind a horse or cow, for a cow don't stand to any angle of their butts, they kick on an angle, if you go near their behinds then go close so that if you get kicked it does not hurt as bad.'' she looked at Simon to see that he followed what she was saying.
"Rule four, if it seems dumb don't do it. Rule five, Diner is at six more or less, miss it and your hungry till breakfast." She laughed a little at the last rule which she never followed, if she missed dinner there was a field of veggies to eat from. "Rule Six, if you have to pee find an empty stall and use it. Rule Seven, Chores are at 5:00, no matter the whether, you can choose to help or not I don't care" she looked at Simon, "if you forget or need a reminder on a rule I'll be glad to tell you, or if I forgot a rule and you do something dangerous I'll tell you that too."
She smiled at Simon, "ready to see some animals?"
She planned on showing him the sheep and goats first, starting small and then getting bigger
(wc 313)
@Simon Kincaid

Some rules could save your life. He focused on the first words of his friend's speech so much that he didn't know if he had followed along with every word of what she said after that. Something about don't going with the castle, don't stand behind the animals, if it seems dumb don't do it (...why would he?). Dinner at six, miss it. Rule six he paused at. What?

"Wait, do you not have a bathroom here?" he paused. Simon had never peed in an empty stall, let alone anyone that wasn't a bathroom. Even when playing outside with friends and being a boy, if one had to go, they found a nearby friend's house or business. NEVER outside.

It was his focus and while there was still another rule, he could handle that one - he helped out around the house back home in London. Little did he know that the chores would be MUCH different.

WAS he ready to see some animals? What sort of animals? Ones that were going to kick him? "Uh, animals, yea. Yea. Let's go..." but he paused. "Maybe I should use the loo first. You've got one....yes?"

Her house surely had one. It was such a nice house. Still, he was a little hesitant. Why the need for Rule Number Six. He surely didn't want the need for Rule Six while he was visiting.

Clair started to laugh when Simon asked if they had a bathroom, wiping her eyes from the tears of laughter she smiled at him trying to make her face straight, "No, we don't" she said as a joke, of course they had one! But Simon seemed to think that they did not, this was funny to a farm kid!
She smiled at him and decided to make the joke go on, by... Acting as if she did not really notice.
"So, I was thinking we could see the Goats and Sheep first, than work up to the bigger animals such as the horses and cattle, and lastly the chickens." The way she had said it had made it sound like the chickens were the biggest, and she had not meant it that way, she just figured that Simon's first farm animal impression would not be the best if he seen a chicken first.
She led the way up the stair again, not bothering to point out that there was a bathroom at the top, she walked right by it, a house tour could be later when she felt the joke had gone long enough.
Walking out the door she held it open for Simon,
Then she remembered to tell him, "The bar s are a little dirty, if you don't want Muck on your boots then you can change into some barn boots."
She pointed to a smallish barn about thirty yards away, "But you can think about it while we walk!"
She started to walk to the Sheep and Goats' barn, by far she guessed Simon would like these cute animals best.
(Wc 274)
@Simon Kincaid

Simon tried not to fixate on Rule Number 6 but it was still difficult. He tried his best though, following her up the stairs from the basement and back to the main level of the home before going outside. She mentioned working up to the big animals - probably a good idea. He was a little hesitant already so easing in did seem to be the best.

She then mentioned how the barns can be messy and if he didn't want anything on his boots he might want to change into something else. His boots? Simon glanced down to his brand new blue addidas shoes. He and nice crisp clean shoes were sort of a thing. "I'll uh," he paused, "I'll definitely want to change."

They got to the Sheep and Goat barn and Simon stood right within the doorway. To go in or run... He glanced to the side. No, not run. Running wasn't an option. No, a taxi would take a good hour to get out that way and he'd have to call it in first. Better to go along with it, because he also didn't want to offend his friend. This was her world and he agreed to visit it, so he would try his best.

"So hit me, where are these boots? I'm about to make them look sexy as hell."

[Word Count: 225]

Clair still found the joke funny so when they entered the sheep and goat barn she pointed to a empty stall that had just been bedded up with straw, "There is a good stall for using" she said grinning a little, when Simon asked for some boots claiming he could make 'em look as Sexy as Hell Clair Smirked she had just the perfect pair for him! She nodded at him and ran a side room by the door, she slipped inside and got a pair of old boots, they were covered in sheep poo and they had a crack in the back she placed them in front of Simon
"Ok, let's see!" She said laughing a little, she grinned at him, "Make 'em Sexy!"
There was no way in the world these boots would ever look good, and Clair knew this she smirked and decided to be nice, "There is more boots in the Horse barn, but these will have to do here."
The boots were old and ragged, Clair started to walk on, she led Simon to the first pen of sheep, these were the Lambs and Ewes, their soft fuzzy coats were still on, and the little lambs were having a nap, Clair opened the gate and shoved Simon inside,
"These are the babies and their moms, the Females are Called Ewes, the babies are called Lambs."
Bending down to one baby she wrapped her arms around it and lifted it up, so Simon could see it, the little Lamb looked around but made no move to struggle,
"this is G12, I call her Bette." Clair said placing the sheep back on the ground and picking up another, this on she shoved into Simon, expecting him to hold it,
"this one is G26, I call her Giggot."
(Wc 301)
@Simon Kincaid

There had to at least be an outhouse. Now Simon was pretty sure that Clair was just messing with him. In all the shows he saw about country life (not that it was a lot), he knew there were at least things like wells to get water from and outhouses for other necessities. Clair must have been playing him.

When she brought over the pair of boots, he didn't hesitate in removing his nice new shoes so that they wouldn't get anything on them. He did figure there could be quite a bit of ways to get messy when it came to farm animals and he wouldn't protest.

Before long he was shoved into a sheep barn. Literally. Clair had opened up the gate and shoved him inside. Wouldn't mother ...ewes try to protect their lambs? And didn't sheep have horns? Simon glanced around at the furred beasts...was it even fur? He knew sheep had wool but did wool constitute as a kind of fur or was it something entirely different? He didn't ask.

"Wait, G...12?" he asked, pausing a moment. That was weird. Again, he was a little hesitant as to why they would be called something like that and found it a little more reassuring that Clair decided to give the living creature a name. "Hey, 'Sup, Bette," he said as he looked to the animal and then over to Clair. They seemed a little heavy for her to try and pick up but they didn't seem to mind it either.

Next thing he knew she was picking another one up and introducing him to G26, Giggot. Simon smiled, preparing to do the same thing with this one and wondered just how many there were and if they were going to meet each and every one of them. "Hey. 'Sup Gig..." but he cut off as the animal was shoved into his chest and he didn't feel as though Clair was going to keep holding it so he took hold of it.

This is where he needed a Safe Sheep Handling Guide. The last time he had held any sort of animal, it was his friend Gabriel's cat who then proceeded to flip out, scratch up his arm, and then dart underneath Gabe's bed. He wasn't really sure if a sheep would do the same - as far as scratch up his arm - but he really didn't want to take a chance. Hooves were probably far less forgiving than small cat claws.

If he did have a Safe Sheep Handling Guide, it would tell him to avoid lifting sheep if all possible. He had already gotten to the point of having a sheep in his arms so that suggestion would have been void. He should have the sheep positioned so that it's back was to his front and he was holding just at the top near its two legs with one hand and the other hand at the middle. That's how Clair initially had it, but when she tossed it into his arms, it was completely the opposite way. Would this matter?

"Giggot, I'm your friend, alright?" he whispered to it, trying not to move. He wanted to set it down but he felt he had to do it in just the right manner. No. Sudden. Movements.

It all would have gone really well, if it weren't for a particularly curious sheep who stepped forward, wanting to investigate Simon. It took a sniff from him before shoving its head right against his hip and that startled him. "Woah!" he said, moving to the side.

The louder voice and sudden movement was enough to make poor G26, Giggot, flip out. She began thrashing about in Simon's arms, her little hooves moving like rapid fire. "Woah, woah! I said we were friends, Giggot!"