(closed) all this time

[sparsity]

Who: mikazuki (sparsity) & pals.
What: some good ol' fashioned farming.
When: early may.
Where: wyver, mika's residence outside the city.
Warning(s): extreme domesticity.





I. FARM FRESH

[ By some miraculous feat or alignment of the stars, there are a bunch of people here today. It's a miracle because Mikazuki definitely isn't the sort of person to organize a gathering at his place (in so many words), but maybe he's just happened to talk about it with enough frequency and to enough people to make this possible. As it is, he might be a little more adept at navigating a group than he lets on. Which comes in handy, because it means he doesn't immediately chase everyone off his lawn. And because he's had a goal in mind, and there's still a lot left to do to get the "farm" portion of this farmhouse going.

It's a typical, bright Wyver day. Out here, just beyond the city's cavernous limits, it's just his residence, a modest house backed up against a thick patch of jungle with a lay of farmable land all around it. A brook cuts some distance behind the place, along the lay of the wooded slope. That and the thick plumes of clouds in the sky make the air seem denser.

Also, there are bugs. Sorry about them.

Here to help, in spite of that? There's plenty to dirty your hands with: ]

A. FIELDS
[ Mikazuki has taken care of many of the difficult parts already, truth be told. Call it pride, or maybe restlessness. Backbreaking work is natural to him, and he's often out here late into the evenings after he's finished work in the New City's marketplaces and out in the Fields with Thali. He hasn't bothered to fence off his land, given the secluded location, but there's very clear boundaries in the soil where's already dug sufficient ditches to section off what grows where.

Most of the jungle brush has been cleared away, but the area still needs weeding and a once over for other debris. (Careful, even weeds have deep roots out here.) Once that's done, it's time for tilling! You can break dirt with a hoe or pickaxe, spread compost, or just get digging and turning earth.

With that done, the fresh earth needs to be leveled and fertilized before planting can start. Make sure those seeds are even!

Also, take a break. It's hot out. ]

B. GARDENS
[ Off to the side of the house, Mikazuki has reserved a small piece of land for something that requires a more delicate touch. Or it will, once it's built. He's got it all mapped out and prepared, down to the materials needed to build the foundation and fence. It's a smaller garden, meant for a variety of plants and flowers that don't need all the room that a field provides. By the time help arrives, Mikazuki already has the foundation and posts for the fence in place, but needs an extra eye or hand when it comes to setting the wire in place, and other woodwork.

After that, the real fun can start, as the land inside has already been broken and prepped, giving off the heavy fragrance of wet earth. Off to the side, there's a number of hand gardening tools to get started with, alongside sachets of seeds from Thali, and several live plants — cacao, vanilla orchid, lilies, peonies.

He also accepts suggestions for what else can fit in here. Mikazuki is eager to experiment with what works and what doesn't. ]

C. WATCH THE HORNS
[ All throughout this little party, there will be an extremely tiny deer milling about, attempting to follow Mikazuki and gets its nose into anything that it can. It looks to be a fawn, save the fresh crown of antlers on its head. Its territorial streak wins out over its anxiety today, and it will trot around trying to headbutt people in the shins while they work. Though small, the antlers are tough and sharp.

Just to show who's boss. But it accepts snacks as bribery, much like its owner.

Mikazuki helpfully named it Weird Dog. ]

D. FREELOADERS OPTION
[ Maybe you just wanted to come crash at Mikazuki's place without all the dirt and such. It always seems to be empty save for him, except for today. Inside, the house is spacious and fashioned out of dark wood, the parlor and kitchen running the entire length of the floor. There's an open hearth in the corner, burning quietly throughout the day. Rooting around in his kitchen will produce mostly fresh fruits and vegetables, packages prepared for him by shopkeeps who worry he's not eating enough, and whatever is closest to Wyver-brand Capri suns. Maybe... looking at this, someone ought to cook...

(Does he even cook. It is a mystery, but not a difficult one, given the clean state of the cast iron kitchen utensils the place came stocked with.)

It could also use an interior decorator. Someone bought curtains (who??) and there's furniture, an odd Wyver fur thrown here and there, and lots of plants, but not much else. Talk about bachelor living. Aesthetics: not his forte.

If Mikazuki catches you inside, there's no guaranteeing he won't try and hand you a garden trowel.

But we'll jump that hurdle when we get to it. ]

E. GOOD WORK TEAM
[ Whatever the outcome of the day's work, farmers and freeloaders alike, the help has actually, physically made Mikazuki happy. Exhaustion, sweat, dirt under his nails, and all. It's not really a common emotion for him, here or anywhere else, but there's a tender sort of liveliness for what was accomplished that he doesn't question. The rarest of all gremlins, with his dream taking shape outside the four walls he worked hard to have.

If it's too late to travel back to the city or further, his home is open now without fear of getting hustled back out. There's two extra rooms and a stoked fire. (And yes, contrary to popular belief, he does own a bath that's not the hose.)

Basically, this is the sleepover prompt. ]



(ooc: closed to close cr/those who know where he lives, but that can be worked around for harvest moon. just shoot me a note! prompts meant to be mingly!)

Comments

c + anything + ota... idk i'm a force of chaos i guess

[gekkajuu]

[It's not often that Atsushi goes to Wyver, but recent events have reminded him of how important his friends are, even if they seem to have drifted away from him - and with rival nations seeking to form closer bonds, what excuse does Atsushi have to let the distance between Mikazuki and him linger? He's overdue for a visit.

The improving political climate aside, it's still a little weird to step into Wyver. Atsushi has somehow built up a bit of a reputation in Olympia, and between that and having recently joined the Royal Guard, Wyver feels a bit like enemy territory. It's not that he hates Wyver - not at all! But... he feels like it wouldn't be strange for Wyver to hate him, and he's a little too sensitive to that kind of intense animosity.

That said, the danger is mostly in his head, no doubt. It's not that difficult to cross the border unnoticed - he does choose to leave Daifuku at home, though - and he makes sure not to wear or otherwise display anything that would mark him as an Olympian, in case he runs into some Wyver nationalists on the way to Mikazuki's.]

It's beautiful!

[The house; the land..! Atsushi enjoys city life, but in a location like this, he can definitely see the appeal of the alternative.

Right until something sharp hits his shins - uncovered as always.]

OUCH!

[And they say Weird Dogs don't bite!]

[sparsity]

[ Hearing both exclamations, Mikazuki straightens from where he's on his knees at the edge of the field with a hm? noise. Brows raising at the sight of Atsushi, he seems to notice the "greeting" the other boy received as a secondary thing. Sighing, he rakes his wrist beneath his bangs to clear away the bit of sweat that's gathered there, and climbs to his feet to approach.

Once close enough, the deer comes trotting over to round his ankles, looking mighty pleased with itself. Mikazuki casts it a glance, chiding quietly. ]

You know who that is, come on.

[ Though that doesn't mean he's not curious too, bright blue eyes flicking back to Atsushi. ]

I didn't think you'd come out here. Hey.

[gekkajuu]

[Seeing the source of the attack, Atsushi backs up, holding his hands up defensively... which not only doesn't convey its meaning to an animal, of course, but is quite useless at literally fending off something so small, too. What's more: backing up only seems to encourage it to keep going by confirming the success of its actions.]

Don't -... I'm sorry I took this long!!

[Yeah, that'll be the problem. Or it could be the fact that, after God knows how many months, the deer doesn't recognize him.

Check this fierce tiger being chased off by a miniature deer... but fortunately Mikazuki comes to his rescue. Atsushi sighs in relief, more for seeing Mikazuki again than because of this legendary delivery.]

... Hello.

[He smiles. Maybe his friendship with Mikazuki has always been a little unusual, their pasts similar yet their reception almost impossibly different, but the way they can't seem to get any closer to each other has never bothered Atsushi. It's not the kind of friendship he's become used to, where opening up results in your lives bleeding over into each other to some degree. But that actually makes it pretty comfortable.]

Sorry, I've been meaning to visit, but...

[But life, and war, and kidnapping... The usual. Even now, he feels a little bad for leaving the city - the Empire - that's become his home. But his friends are important to him, too.

Still, being called out like this makes him feel oddly guilty about being so slow to visit... and about visiting at all.]

... I brought you some mochi!

[He gets his little backpack off his back to dig around in it, because clearly this weird guilty feeling will pass if he just buys it off with food.]

A

[braidedwonder]

[ Duo may be a small, wirey guy from a colony that was mostly city and not a whole lot of green space, but if there's one thing he's good at, it's working. Back breaking or not he's not afraid to dig in and not let something go until he's got it all sorted out. His choices of clothing, as per usual, aren't all that practical, and soon he's tossed off his black shirt, his braid rolled up at the back of his neck with the straightest stick he can find jabbed through it to keep it in place.

Getting a little bit of light isn't the worst thing in the world, and Duo can appreciate working until he's exhausted, that's for sure. Of call things, he's not all that concerned about Mika seeing scars, either, white against flesh that turns red with sun and exertion.

He reaches the end of a row and stands up to wipe the sweat from his bangs, gesturing to Mika with a smile. ]

That good for you?

[sparsity]

[ you take manbun to a whole new level my guy ]

Yeah, that's perfect.

[ Though Mikazuki had been preoccupied with carving out his own rows in the freshly upturned earth alongside Duo, practice made him come out a little ahead of his fellow pilot. And he wears the mantle of someone who'd grown up with his hands in the dirt almost as well as he wears that of his more warlike roots. But roots are roots. These ones just happen to get his spirits high.

Standing straight, he perches his grimy hands on his hips, looking out at their work so far. ]

There's only a few more left in this section. You did a lot.

[braidedwonder]

[ Well when it's either a man bun or a sweat soaked braid that gets in the way, a guy learns a few work arounds. For a moment Duo takes a pinky and shoves it through the rows of his braid to scratch at his scalp, squinting slightly as he does it. Really, he should've brought a pair of his sunglasses, but it's not the worst thing in the world to just take in some sunshine.

At worst he'll end up with a little bit of sun burn, but it's so novel to a spacer Duo isn't going to mind. ]

Eh, figure there's no use in waiting around on it, right? [ Throws a little smile over his shoulders as they rise in a shrug. ]

'Sides, it's not too bad to get some energy out either.

B

[fiendennor]

[He'd mentioned it to her at one of their most recent study sessions-- that he was working on having his own place, and that he wanted to do some farming. Really, there was no way that Diana wasn't going to at least visit him. He's a friend of hers, and the countryside around Wyver makes her think of the land around the Cavendish estate, back where she'd grown up.

It's actually a rather impressive bit of land, she thinks, seeing it from the air; she notices a figure working in the garden and brings her broom down to land.] Mikazuki-- is that you? [She calls, as she approaches the ground.]

[sparsity]

[ Out here, with a brilliant sky that arcs clear overhead and acres of untouched land, it's almost easy to forget where they are and how they came to be on this planet. At least it's that way for Mikazuki when he has something like this to focus on. He's busying himself packing in the foundation for the garden when he hears the gentle swish of the broom and Diana's footsteps in the grass.

Glancing up and spotting her, he tucks one of the heavy rocks he's using into its spot and climbs to his feet. His expression might be muted as usual, but there's a definite impression of a smile. ]

It's me. What are you doing out here?

[fiendennor]

Flying, mainly. You told me that you'd purchased some land. I wanted to come see it for myself. [The broom deactivates, turning inert in her hand as she settles firmly on the grass.] Your garden is beautiful. You should be very proud of it.

C

[doomedtheworld]

[She really doesn't know anything about farming. Back home, food had largely come from skaa plantations which were perhaps even more well-known for their cruel treatment than a life on the streets of Luthadel. She does know how to work though, and she knows that she should do something to help after Mikazuki had lent her some space in his home. So she'd come out, fully intending to contribute to the farming effort.

Except she's not exactly getting anything done right now.

A handful of tools are scattered around the base of one of Wyver's tall trees and Vin is crouched on a high branch of that very same tree, glowering downwards. Down below the tiny... creature paces around the trunk and stops to look up at her.]

Go away. [She tries the command again only for the little monster to stamp a hoof and scrape those awful jabby little antlers against the trunk. She jumps, hopping back to a different branch and glares daggers down at the animal as it stomps and huffs up at her.

Help?]

[sparsity]

There you are.

[ Noticing that Weird Dog wasn't around terrorizing his helping hands, Mikazuki had gone in search of it. It's not like the creature to wander off from him for too long. When he comes up on the scene, brows knitting at its pacing, he approaches with a flat hum. ]

You're not supposed to run away.

[ Leaning over, he reaches out and picks it up by its middle like one would pick up a dog or cat, letting its dainty legs dangle. Only then does he take notice of the tools, pausing.

Then, a shift in the leaves. He looks up. ]

— ah.

[ Hm. ]

Are you okay?

[doomedtheworld]

[From her place up in the tree she can see Mikazuki approach, naturally, and watches him approach the tiny beast, her frown deepening when he picks it up without any effort. That figures.

When he looks up at her, she jumps a little bit, peeking out from behind the tree's trunk high above the ground. One finger jabs down toward Mikazuki and the animal in his arms.]

It was trying to kill me!

wildcard????????

[insist]

[ i was trying to decide between a cute thread about the meaning of flowers ... and... this. you get this. ]

[ As unlikely as it sounds, Rohan is actually quite interested in horticulture. He's a guy fascinated by the natural world, and something like setting up a garden patch doesn't sound boring to him in the slightest. It's all in how you look at things. Not only will there be plenty of plantlife to look at, but the plants are likely to attract many insects that he has an interest in too.

Sadly, after about 20 minutes of digging through soil, his delicate mangaka hands are now tired, so he's taking a break, relaxing and sketching some flowers. He spots something that catches his fancy. ]

Come here for a second, Mikazuki. Look at this.

[ It's a grasshopper ......... trying to drown itself in a bowl of water. ]

[sparsity]

[ you never let me down caps ]

What?

[ Not known for this mystical thing known as taking breaks, Mikazuki is still hard at work breaking ground with a garden hoe when he hears Rohan. Giving a glance off to the side, he sets his tools down and approaches, wiping sweat from his brow. ]

What is it? [ ah... tiny splashing ] Oh, that.

[ He squats down on his haunches to get a better look. ]

You aren't going to help it?

[insist]

[ This scene is so interesting, Rohan is pulling away from his half-done drawing of some vines to stare intently at it. ]

It's not my practice to meddle with natural behavior. [ Says the guy who fucking mind-controls people. ] If I do so, then it won't be authentic.

[ The grasshopper continues to stagger over the edge of the bowl, little feet making littler ripples along the still water. For some reason, it seems reluctant to actually do this, struggling against itself with all its strength. Yet, it keeps going, teetering further and further over the edge. ]

Do you want to guess why it may be doing this?

E

[notwagging]

[ it's... well, he's a little dirty. yard work is easier when one can transform into something that can literally shake the earth with a few stomps, can hoist big rocks and throw them into the wilderness or another person's yard, and drag other things off to be pounded into mulch.

and this is why he's staring at the empty bathtub, clothes clean but his body dirty.

transforming is certainly magical. ]

Hm.

[sparsity]

[ Very magical.

Given that Keaton left the bathroom door open, Mikazuki's passing by with a couple extra blankets and such for the living area when he catches sight of him. Just... standing there in a staring contest with the tub, a handsome spattering of dirt at his feet. Pausing, he backs up to the doorway. ]

What's wrong?

[notwagging]

[ his tail, which was not moving before, immediately perks up and starts to sway. his ears do the same, swiveling before he turns his head to look at Mikazuki with a gentle frown. ]

I didn't know you had a torture chamber!

[ he points at the bathtub. ]

That's what this is for, right?

a.

[defenses]

[ honestly, it's nice to toil away sometimes, the feel of soft, delicate soil beneath your fingers. it definitely carries that feel and smell of home somehow, and so it's why despite working pretty hard at hoeing and everything else, he finds himself in pretty high spirits. ... not that vane was ever that dispirited or out of energy, but it still counted, didn't it? it's as he turns his back from his present work that he locks eyes with mikazuki momentarily.

honestly, he's probably had a lot of embarrassing moments in front of him, but the little guy didn't seem to treat him all too differently, and it's. ... kinda nice in that way. almost like they're sharing a secret without actually really having one. vane was fairly transparent, after all.

still, it's when he looks over does he realize mikazuki has some dirt on his cheek. ] Mika! Ya got a little something there. [ he says, pointing animatedly to his own cheek as if to tip mikazuki off. it's then that he reaches over...

only to realize his hands are definitely dirtier than mika's face. ]

a beautiful hard worker... hoeing away...

[sparsity]

Huh? What is it —

[ Surely Vane can't mean dirt. Dirt is everywhere out here, but before he can mention it, there's definitely a thumb intruding against his cheek, smudging it all over the place. He puffs a useless breath, accepting the touch for as long as it takes Vane to be satisfied with what he's done.

Mikazuki can feel dirt crumbles falling off his face. His brow darkens. ]

[sparsity]

...now that you mention it. You have some too.

[ He's on the warpath now. If he can even reach Vane's face, which he's gonna go for before Vane can get away. ]

hoes myself out for you...

[defenses]

[ the more he moves his hand the more that's actually smeared all over mika's face...


ah.


it's a slow work in progress to realize he isn't doing much to help, and when he withdraws his hand, he notices that look in mikazuki's eyes. considering that vane was leaning in, mikazuki's hand moves quick enough to touch his face. ] H-hey! [ he jumps back a little, playfully laughing. ]

Don't tell me you're trying to get back at me?

if u look at the timestamp you die in real life

[shikomizue]

[Daylight shrouds Mikazuki's home in normalcy. Takasugi narrows his eye to the sight; there's no mystery to the plot of land, recently tilled and overwhelming the jungle stench with its earthen aroma.

A few people mill about, some he recognizes, and others he doesn't. None of them catch his interest (a certain blonde makes him contemplate coming back another day, but it's a long trek). Takasugi passes all of the work by to climb the stairs of Mikazuki's porch.

There he sets his gift - a few tobacco seedlings - to be tended to when convenient.

He's not here to help, just to visit. At least, that's his plan.

Rather than wander the farm in search of its owner, he lingers on the house front, relighting his pipe as he leans back to watch the teeming life with dull antipathy.]

same honestly

[sparsity]

[ When he'd given his location to those he knew, Mikazuki didn't really anticipate anything out of the ordinary happening. That his home is now alive, lively, is something out the ordinary, but he takes it in stride and has spent the day making sure everyone knows where they can trample and where they can dig, where to break earth and where to sow it.

It's only on his way round the house from the back that he catches the familiar sting of tobacco smoke in the air. Dusting his hands, dirt caught in every crease and groove of his knuckles and nails, Mikazuki glances aside at the porch as it comes into view, unsurprised that it's occupied.

Daylight has shifted the atmosphere, all vibrancy baking in the sun. ]

You look like you're trying to hide.

[shikomizue]

[The porch affords Takasugi a wide view of the farmland before him. From tilled earth to wooden fencing not yet constructed, it's easy to regard the landscape as scenery in progress. That so many hands would delve into its creation isn't what Takasugi would have expected; Mikazuki reaps and sows for himself - for those he's loyal to.

Some may consider the act to put them in his debt.

Maybe that's why they're here. Or maybe they're just idiots.]

You're working hard. [His attention settles easily on the farm's owner, a plume of smoke exhaled along with his dismissive greeting.

Accusing him of hiding in plain sight isn't wrong - but only Mikazuki can deliver it with confidence tempered enough to accept. As with the gentle sun washing the fields in warm light, there's no cause for severity.

Or argument.]