December/spring catch-all

[feralheart]

WHO: M-21 and anyone!
WHAT: Open + catchall
WHEN: All spring
WHERE: All over the island
WARNINGS: none, TBA if needed. Plotting here!


i. what do you mean 'consequences'

[ On one specific, highly cursed day this month, M-21 can be found lurking forlornly outside the island's little clinic. An internal war seems to be going on; he takes a grudging step towards the doors, then stalks away again. As if unaware he's doing it, he reaches down to rub irritably at his lower back. Maybe someone's a little less suited for farm work than everyone else? ]

This is so stupid.

[ He shoots a mutinous look up at the sky like he'd like to direct a complaint right to the management but doesn't quite dare. Then he's back to his pacing, with an occasional sideways glance thrown in towards the vet. Or he can be found draped somewhat pathetically over the nearest fence-shaped thing he can find, apparently no longer willing to move.

Help. ]

ii. like herding cats

[ On days when the weather is sunny and cooperative, despite all complaints, M-21 is hard at work in his fields. Reluctant concessions to farmcore have been made to spare what's left of his suit, and a sturdy pair of farming gloves covering his hands well past the wrist spare what's left of his palms from the sub-par farming tools. Things are coming in pretty nicely, especially the new stand of trees. They're full-grown and leafy and already showing a crop of... one fluffy orange kitten with oversized paws perched on a branch, chirruping furiously. ]

You got yourself up there.

[ Rescue? Or wait another few seconds to catch M-21 sighing and stripping off his gloves as he goes to climb a tree for what appears to be the five hundredth time that day. ]

iii. wildcard

[ Catch me on my planning link or PM if you want a starter! I welcome any and all bingos or just chaos. Or just hit me with anything, he'll be Around. ]

Comments

[feralheart]

[ Also that little problem, yes.

There's a muffled yelp, and the sound of M-21 throwing a stick with possibly unnecessary force. But he's back a moment later to contribute his own little offerings to Syrlya's pile, looking just a little ruffled. ]

So... how do you usually pass the time when you're camping.

[ Please don't ask about the yelp. ]

[chronosynthesis]

[Syrlya jerks his attention up when he hears M-21 yelp, staring as he waits for some explanation... but he doesn't see what it was about.]

Well... there's talking. The trees are a big dense for looking at the stars, but we may see some wildlife approach. [He carefully tests the sticks as the rest are added, then moves to strike a match against a rock and start the campfire.

[feralheart]

Starwatching. I've got that one on my card too. But Ellis said it was one a day. [ With one person, anyway. He gives a little shrug. ]

There's definitely some wildlife around. Campfire might scare it off. [ Which will leave them with the talking, clearly M-21's strong suit. ]

[chronosynthesis]

[Starwatching. Close enough. As the fire sparks, he drops the match on top of the sticks and then scoots back to sit at a safe distance.] Unless they have become acclimated to people. I suppose we'll see.

[feralheart]

[ M-21 leans in with some fascination to watch the fire catch, though he shoots a quick glance at the night around them. ]

Then I'll run it off if anything annoying turns up. [ Like a bear. Or that damn wolf. ] ...That wasn't so hard. You're good at that.

[chronosynthesis]

Thank you. [He doesn't consider it doing much, but he won't argue.

He rests one arm over his leg, getting comfortable.] So, what sort of world do you come from? Anything like this one?

[feralheart]

Hn. Earth. If this is Earth. [ He sighs, and preemptively adds: ] The planet, not the... ground. I've never seen the countryside like this, but I guess it's about the same. You from Tyria too?

[chronosynthesis]

The planet is called Earth? [That's kind of a boring name, why would you name your planet 'dirt'?]

I am, yes, same as Trahearne. [Though of a... different year. But that seems like a lot to get into with M-21.] We are friends and siblings.

[feralheart]

I didn't name it. [ He knows, he knows. He keeps hearing this from off-world people. ]

...Siblings? By blood? [ A moment belated, he realizes that expression might not quite apply on plant-people. ] You don't look much alike.

[chronosynthesis]

[Syrlya chuckles.] No, rarely do we look so similar except for twins. But my people all come from the same mother tree.

[Mostly. Anyone whose existence is acknowledged in the open.]

[feralheart]

All? Then how many siblings do you have? [ The mental image he is having right now... this 'mother tree' must make Trahearne look tiny. ]

[chronosynthesis]

Thousands. [They haven't really kept up with specific numbers very well, though. Syrlya knows least of all with how far he's wandered.] Trahearne was--is the oldest of us. He and eleven others make up the Firstborn that awoke years before the rest.

[feralheart]

[ He cocks his head a little at that 'was,' frowning a tiny bit. ]

Either he's older or he's not. [ ...Probably. The other reason for past tense doesn't make sense. ] How old are you, anyway?

[chronosynthesis]

Ten years. [Give ot take a season, but long enough he only starts updating his age by the year now.] Trahearne is older, for sure. He is Firstborn.

[feralheart]

Ten? [ Trees... grow fast. Alright. Tree lore will continue overwhelming M-21 until further notice but he'll get there. ] Huh. You seem older. By human standards. Or your years are long.

[ Firstborn, though. ] ...So he's important? Or just special.

[chronosynthesis]

[Syrlya can't help it: he laughs.] Trahearne is special and important.

We are fully grown when we are "born", so ten years of age for me is different than you.

[feralheart]

When you put it like that, you might be older than I am.

[ But the way he talks about Trahearne pulls a smile from M-21 in turn. ] It's good. That you have someone you know here.

[chronosynthesis]

[Syrlya freezes for a second, his gaze averting down to the ground at the weight of that.]

I--yes. [He speaks softly.] I'm glad he's here.

[Genuinely, he is grateful to be able to see--to feel Trahearne again. Even if... it also rips the loss of him back to the surface.

He clears his throat, pulling his gaze back up.] I'm sorry--you are alone here?

[feralheart]

[ Hmm. M-21 blinks slowly for that, tilting his head a little bit. He's not certain he'd sound like that about it for Tao, or Takeo. ]

It's fine. This place is close enough to home for me, anyway. [ So he doesn't need the comfort of the familiar, or something. He jogs his leg a little restlessly and he looks away. ] ...We're all in the same situation here. It's not the same as being alone.

[chronosynthesis]

[Syrlya raises a brow.] ... I suppose you are right about that. We are all bonded by our circumstance, even if our familiarity with the things and people here is different.

[Still, he's glad to not be the only Sylvari here. And he's glad it's Trahearne.]

[feralheart]

[ M-21 nods brusquely, more satisfied by Syrlya's way of putting it. He might not have yet committed to calling the people here comrades like his experiment brothers, but it's... something. ]

That's it. The marriage part might be easier if you knew someone before, though.

[ He turns his head aside again to scan for the motion that keeps catching his eye, missing Syrlya's expression. ]

[chronosynthesis]

[Now, why would knowing someone from home make getting married easi--

Syrlya chokes on a strangled sound tipping sideways and he raises his hands and waves them in the air. His face flushes a pale gold, but it's easy to miss around his vibrant glow.] H-Hold on, I haven't made any plans to marry Trahearne!

[feralheart]

[ Well, that's enough of a fuss to scare off any nearby wolves. M-21 glances back quickly in surprise. ]

Isn't that the fastest? [ There's a definite bemused 'why not' scrunch to his forehead now. Trahearne's nice. ] ...You'd be going back to the same place, though. That's more complicated.

[chronosynthesis]

[Well, not exactly the same place. Which is also a complication.

But Trahearne is nice. He presses a hand to his face, turning away slightly to try and hide it.] Perhaps but--there has never been anything romantic between us. I certainly could not ask him to marry me.

[feralheart]

[ M-21 doesn't know what a plant blush looks like. But flustered body language isn't so unfamiliar, and it makes the impulse to bully a tiny bit irresistible. He lets out a quiet snort. ]

Wouldn't be that hard. [ A beat. He's just watching now. ]