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

closed to syrlya

[feralheart]

[ M-21 admittedly knows next to nothing about camping. But it's camping in the mild spring weather, so how hard can it be? His careful preparations after a few chats with the locals include a stash of marshmallows, a few sandwiches, water, and firewood from a stump he hacked up while he was cleaning up his fields. So... really, the essentials are covered, right?

He frowns in some focus as he clears away more leaves from the ground at the spot they've picked in the forest. This is probably loosely how this works... ]

You know if that's enough to keep anything else from catching fire? I think there are supposed to be rocks?

[ He probably should have asked how much experience a plant guy has with building fires. ]

closed to satoko

[feralheart]

[ It had sounded like a good idea in his head. They both need this square in particular. He likes her company, and she's seemed... okay, he doesn't have any confidence in his ability to read her in return, his experience in this area being less than zero. But a simple date for the bingo should be easy. Not weird to ask. Good for both of them. Right?

The short walk to Satoko's farm gives him entirely too much time to mull over whether this is a bad idea, and somehow not enough time to actually prepare what he's going to say. He's still fiddling with the pink primrose in his hands and trying not to shred the stem when he comes to knock on her door. ]

Satoko.

[ If her housemate answers he is fully prepared and committed to dive into the nearest shrubbery. ]

[chronosynthesis]

[Luckily, camping actually is something Syrlya has experience in. Long stretches of time spent away from societies makes learning to live on the land important. Though... it helps when one's biology is also closer to the land.]

Right. [He sets a makeshift pack from a pillow sack on the ground, with what supplies he could get from his farm: blanket, matches, water canisters, and some dry food. It's just for one night, he doesn't think they need any serious survival tools.

Once the pack is dropped, he's checking the ground for stones that can be circled around.] And we will want all of the foliage cleared from that spot, including the grass. Digging up just the surface is easiest.

[feralheart]

[ M-21's expression brightens when he spots the matches, then turns sheepish. The only downside of spending time with competent people is having his nose inadvertently rubbed in his own shortsightedness. ]

Alright. Sounds simple enough.

[ Not that he brought something to dig with, either. But with a quick glance to see if Syrlya is occupied, he flexes his fingers and turns his nails into claws to start cutting through the grass down through the soil. Overkill, but it makes quick work of the job. ]

You've done this a lot?

[chronosynthesis]

Mmhmm. When the next town or waypoint is days away, it is important to know how to survive. Even creatures that do not eat plants may respond to movement.

[Also, starvation sucks a lot worse than things tasting bad.] But we should be safe here, and the farms are only a few minutes away. I know someone on this side well if we did need any assistance.

[feralheart]

Waypoints. Trahearne mentioned those. What's the point of teleportation if you have to hike all the way to them anyway?

[ He's clearing out a good-sized space pretty rapidly, brushing the dirt smooth and eyeing his handiwork. ]

Safe enough, probably. I don't think the goddess would've put us down in the woods with something that would eat us.

[ ...Or so he says, but he casts a kind of suspicious glance towards the trees again when he thinks he sees movement. ]

[chronosynthesis]

[Syrlya looks up, expression twisting with amusement.] It is not easy magic. The Asuran gate system needs a physical anchor somewhere, so it is mostly used to connect cities, trade hubs, or havens along the roads. Not so much if you're deep in the desert.

[He circles the camp spot to pick up a few more rocks, until he thinks he has enough, and then returns to the pit.] You've cleared that well.

[feralheart]

Oh. He could've said that. [ M-21 coughs a little sheepishly into his fist. Was that what all that "aetherically" or whatever nonsense meant? Anyway, ] Could use something like that here, anyway. Everything's on foot.

[ But he perks up a little at the praise and sits back, dusting dirt off his hands. ] That everything we need?

[chronosynthesis]

Everything except the wood. [He starts to set the stones along the rim of the dirt.] I don't believe it has rained recently, so finding the wood dry shouldn't be an issue. Sticks, branches, pieces of bark...

[feralheart]

I brought some bigger pieces. Figured the goddess might not like us chopping up pieces of the woods here. [ Look who's devout all of a sudden! He goes to unroll the messy bundle of Stuff he brought tied up in a blanket. ] I'll find some smaller stuff to start.

[chronosynthesis]

[Would the goddess have an issue with them cutting up trees? Surely the homes will need to be kept warm somehow in the winter, unless it just never gets cold.]

I'll look as well. About this long is good. [He holds his hands roughly a foot apart.] We don't want them too short or too long.

[feralheart]

Got it. Us burning the woods down would probably be more of a problem than borrowing some trees.

[ M-21 looks up to compare, then nods, trotting off a short distance to start rummaging for bark and sticks. The 'fetch' joke practically writes itself. ]

[chronosynthesis]

Mm, yes. [Also because a forest fire would probably take them with it.

He doesn't wander too far to find suitable sticks and chunks of bark. What he brings back, he stacks up in a careful pile, dusting a couple dead leaves at the very top to help jumpstart the fire.]

i

[bluminescence]

[ It would be easy to assume that Kaspar doesn't notice the man draped over the fence. He walks past the first time without pause. His glance is for the trees above them and not the farmer or his suffering.

But Kaspar returns, eventually yet suddenly. His neighborly curiosity, and concern that he hasn't moved, gets the better of Kaspar, though not before he freed his hands of wildflowers and other findings at home before coming back. He leans or squats down enough to comfortably and casually ask-- ]

... would you, like some help?

[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. ]

[feralheart]

[ M-21 has been just a little dead to the world. People passing back and forth aren't worth lifting his head for without a really compelling reason. The voice finally gets him to stir just enough to turn an eye towards Kaspar in bleary assessment. ]

Make it stop.

[ Not his most cogent, but that's probably a resounding 'yes.' He's sulking. ]

i

[associative]

[ Gaku happens to find M-21 draped over a fence.

How odd. This guy seemed to be the motivated type, so he's surprised to see him in this state. ]

What's up?

[feralheart]

[ He lifts his head mournfully to assess. Gaku, huh? Not that he feels like keeping up appearances in front of anyone. Succinctly: ]

Goddess. Probably.

[associative]

What'd she do?

[ He gives M-21 a once-over, just to see if he can spot the difference... ]

[feralheart]

[ On the bright side, it's not visible this time. And his speech is normal! But he puts a hand to his lower back and straightens gradually with a grimace. ]

Back hurts. [ It sounds so minor like that. ] ...And it won't stop. [ ...Still can't convey the gravity of this, really. ]

[associative]

Have you tried icing it? Or putting heat on it?

[ That usually works for him. ]

[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.

[bluminescence]

[ Kaspar tilts his head, pausing for a beat. It is nice that they have to freedom to laze about over a fence while dealing with apparent pain. But the other man has given him permission, his curiosity is piqued, and Kaspar had lived too physical a life not to eventually recognize the signs of soreness. So, he nods with finality and rises again to move closer. With his light being restored, so too comes the additional strength. There's nothing but steady confidence on his part when he reaches over to try and casually lift M-21 off the fence with gloved hands and set him carefully over a broad shoulder if he lets him. At least he's wearing his soft blue flannel today.

The quiet and only explanation: ]

... ice, and rest.

[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. ]

[feralheart]

...Is that what you're supposed to do? [ So: no. ]

Thought I'd get some painkillers for it, but... [ He trails off, temporarily stumped on how to end that sentence in a way that isn't 'I don't know if they have painkillers that work on werewolves.' ]