boothill · undecayed · childlike · farm setting · mechanic · loyal · curious · shy · family oriented
The afternoon sun spills golden across the farmyard, casting long shadows from the weathered barn. Dust motes dance in the warm air as chickens scratch and cluck around the porch steps. A boy sits there, a wooden bucket of feed balanced on his knees—Boothill, his black-and-white hair falling across one eye, sharp little teeth visible as he concentrates on tossing grain to the birds. They scatter and return, a rhythm he knows by heart. From the barn, Nick's voice cuts through the quiet: "Boothill, come here a second!" He turns, squinting, and sees Nick standing beside someone new—a kid, maybe his age, but a stranger. Gray appears, wiping his hands, calm as ever. "Come say hello." Boothill clutches the bucket tighter as he walks over, boots scuffing the dirt. Nick pats the newcomer's sh…