songerein | OPEN | I Wanna Cut Through the Clouds

Entry tags:

soldier: 76

OPEN | I Wanna Cut Through the Clouds

Who: Soldier: 76/Reaper & You
Which: Open Log
Where: The Wild Harvest
What: Help Wanted! May also use this as a catch-all for June
Warnings: TBA as needed.

With so few hands on deck these days, breaks were a bit further and further in-between to where he could just sit down here and there after spending hours in the kitchen cooking. Reaper did come in and offer him a moment from time to time of course, simply so 76 could get some water or sit down long enough to eat something himself.

Still, it was enough that there had been a sit down about it and a decision made to actually put out something of a help wanted ad; even if just on the door so that it would spread by word of mouth through those ho noticed it. Later nights and earlier mornings could just wear them down that much quicker when it was kept a constant, in a hot kitchen, on top of all the other little chores around the place- not to mention the chores that 76 and Reaper had at home as well.

All the more reason that sign had detailed to go to the counter and ask about a job just under the larger words. Someone would always be there, even if not visible right away. There was, however, a large and friendly cat that smelled of sweet hibiscus, watching any that approached, sitting by the register on the counter.

Wildcard 🃏
[If you want to bring your own Harvest inspired starter feel free! Can PM for something specific otherwise. For Help Wanted here you may get either 76 or Reaper unless you specify in the header which one you want.]

(PS. I will match you if you bring action brackets over prose.)

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Najaran... still felt guilty about how everything had gone. So when she saw the sign that guilt got so much worse.

Of course some of that came from not really understanding modern society all that well. So she ran in panicked, holding a stick she found outside like a weapon.

"What help do you need? Who is attacking?!"

She'll calm down and think it through properly. Later. Maybe.

Pauline needed something to do. Compared to home, where she had an almost constant stream of busy work, over the last year or so, she had been feeling a little idle and lacking in purpose. So, when she sees the sign on the door of the Wild Harvest, it definitely peaks her interest. She's never had an actual job before, but maybe this is just what she needs.

Though it takes her a little longer than is probably ideal to really talk herself into it, with a bit of trepidation, she finally enters and approaches the counter.

"Um, e-excuse me! I saw that you were needing help?"

There was a long stretched from the large and fluffy red cat, tail flicking over the bell in such a way that it would be so difficult to tell if it had been on purpose or not.

Which was why someone from the kitchen leaned through the large window used for passing things through; an older man judging from the near white hair, a red visor fixed over over his eyes- Ah. "One sec!" He'd heard the question, and was just rounding from through the kitchen doors to slide behind the counter easily enough.

"Sorry about that," apologetic, but friendly toned. There were only three hands on deck, including him.

Still, offered a soft smile—

"Yeah, we are needing some help. I'm just called 76; happen to be the main cook- along with owner and manager these days. You are?"

She stood up straight and tensed a little, nervousness starting to bubble up inside her, despite how friendly he sounded. She ate at the Wild Harvest often enough, but she had never had a chance to really talk to anyone that worked there. Everyone always seemed so busy and far be it from her to interrupt someone in the midst of their work.

"Um, I-I'm Pauline! It's, uh, nice to meet you, Mr. 76!" She offered a slightly stiff handshake. "What kind of help where you looking for, exactly?"

"Pauline. Nice to meet you, too." There was a firm grip in turn, nothing near painful, and given with a soft chuckle as 76 kept eased there on his feet.

The cat there curled near the register then as 76 let an arm rest against the counter, leaning to rest part of his weight there.

"Nothing too hard- waiting tables, helping with clean up, a hand with the greenhouse upkeep, or even some help in the kitchen if someone has that sort of know-how," His head tipped a bit, some small gesture towards a room that nearly always seemed closed. "Can take you to a break room if you want to go over things with less chance of eyes, I'm sure my partner can keep eyes on anyone else coming in." Rather than give anything close to an 'interview' there at the counter.

"Oh, that would be great, thank you," she replied, briefly glancing over at the room and nodding politely. "Um, I really hope this wasn't like, a bad time."

She started to relax, just a little. Most of what he had mentioned seemed pretty doable and she figured the rest she could learn at least adequately. Probably.

There was a scritch between the cat's ears before 76 was pushing himself from the counter in order to walk round it. "Not a bad time at all, in one of the slower hours right now. Quiet enough I'll hear Missy here ring the bell if someone comes in, too." A small gesture towards the odd red cat that smelled of hibiscus, a few petals here and there amongst its fur.

Which gave a meow of acknowledgement.

He directed them both towards the door, opening it as he walked on through—

The room opened up, a separate part of the greenhouse with a large wall lined with a rainbow of glass jars to block the view from the outside; sunlight catching the glittering colors of honey held within each one. Walls lined with various pots and hanging plants, and even pieces of tile pulled up and away for plants growing from there. Various herbs and flowers, a few vegetable plants as well. In the middle of the room was a coffee table, a couple of padded chairs, and a bench-like couch.

76 did gesture for her to sit, himself sitting down there on the couch as shoulders rolled- "Make yourself comfortable."

As she walked towards the room, she gave the cat a curious glance. So it did ring the bell on purpose; given the unusual things she seemed to run into around here, she briefly wondered if the cat was a pet or if it was technically an employee.

She followed him through door, taking a deep breath as she looked around. It was much different than what she thought it would be. She was expecting something sterile and impersonal, but she was glad to be wrong. She sat in one of the padded chairs, straightening her posture, those feelings of nervousness creeping up once again.

"So, um, I've never waited tables before, but I'm sure I can learn. And I've got lots of experience with cleaning."

The visor was unhooked and taken off, 76 rubbing fingertips along the bridge of his nose with eyes closed so they had a brief moment to adjust. It was rested there on the coffee table before he sat back, letting himself relax there. Hand smoothing down over trimmed mustache and beard-

"Tricky part, if things get a little busy, is remembering which table ordered what. The extra hand cleaning is always welcome, given the plants we've got growing inside and some people forgetting how to use a trash can." His tone was warm, and just that sort of mixed exasperation with amusement; been doing this long enough here, after all. "So if you're willing to learn? We're happy to help out there.

"When this place first opened we were learning as we went, too. Just wanted to give folks some taste of home, without worrying if it was safe or not since folks have their reason for not trusting fae food," talking about Dreambucks, of course. Not a bad place. "Look after each other in some way."

A taste of home. It wasn't the first time she had heard that. It was part of the reason she had started coming by the Wild Harvest; it was nice to be able to eat something without worrying about falling asleep or sprouting dog ears or something. The idea that she could help with that in some way, that she could lend even a little support to the people around her, made her feel a little more sure of her decision to ask about the job. Though still obviously a bit nervous, she took a deep breath and tried her best to sound a little more sure of herself.

"I-I'm totally willing to learn whatever you need to teach me! Before I ended up here, I was used to being pretty busy all the time, so I'm sure that, um, won't be a problem!"

"You'll still get plenty of times for breaks if we aren't swamped too bad- I get here pretty early, as does my partner, and we stay a bit after closing so you'll have time if you need a bit of extra hands-on time for learning something," even if it would be mostly 76, Reaper likely to be looming and grumpy about it in the background. Man had a reputation he wanted to keep after all, given he worked as their bouncer if it was ever needed.

"You are also welcome to suggest items for the monthly specials menu- these are dishes we'll have prepped to go, while otherwise we're still a 'order what you want, we'll me if it we've got the ingredients' type place."

A reason that he made sure to keep them stocked up on goods that weren't grown in the greenhouse; either part of it.

"I'll probably need as much training as I can get...um, b-but I'll try not to be too much trouble! And I can be here any time, so whenever it's like, convenient for you!"

At the moment, she couldn't think of a way to say I don't really have anything else going on that didn't sound incredibly lame.

"Um, I'll probably need help learning about the greenhouse for sure, though. I mean, I used to water plants for the botany club, but this is probably like, totally different, right?"

"We travel in from the farm lands, since we moved out there a month or two ago," Blue the dragon and Specter the peacock-dragon-thing made that easy enough to do; flying was nice. "So I can message you through the journals if we're ever goin to be late- there's also someone living up stairs, who also works here. You'll likely meet him sooner or later if you haven't before; Ryunosuke Naruhodo, can ask him if you need help." Kid wouldn't mind, good head on his shoulders.

There had been a small gesture towards the upstairs area that could be seen through the glass ceiling through the vines and leaves just enough as 76 spoke. The Harvest was in the downstairs area of a large tree house after all.

"Get here as early as you can, while getting some decent sleep- there will be breakfast waiting for you since I have it going all morning." 76 ensured every worker was fed throughout the day, every meal they were there for. Snacks as well, of course.

Then he did gesture a little towards the larger part of the greenhouse, "About the same thing there. Make sure things are watered, check for pests, and you can help feed the critters we have as well if you want. Garnish Noodles, Spicy Noodles, the various Koi fish in the pond and the Axoloturtle in it as well. The flower fairy cats, too. We've some snakes that act like guardians, they're curious but harmless as long as they know you work here, along with the small pack of flower wolves."

Missy the Hibiscus tea cat, and the cherry blossom shib as well. Really, the greenhouse and friendly people coming in and out had certainly attracted a few animals over the years.

Pauline listened intently, doing her best to make mental notes. She turns her gaze upwards at his gesture. Despite it being a tree house, she somehow never thought someone might actually be living up there. There was a brief tiny pop of glitter when he mentioned breakfast. She had always enjoyed the food at the Wild Harvest, so the idea of being able to eat it whenever she worked was pretty exciting.

She glanced around the greenhouse; she liked snakes and cats well enough, but the rest she wasn't not too sure of. She supposed if they were living in the greenhouse they were probably fine, but still...she had never had so much as a regular pet. Fairy cats and flower wolves — or even regular wolves — were a little outside her wheelhouse.

"They're not like, terribly hard to care for, are they? I don't actually have a lot of experience with animals..."

She was willing to learn of course, but there was a difference between learning to care for a plant and learning to care for an animal. After all, only one of those can bite. Usually, anyway.

"Not hard at all- we've actually got pre-prepped food for them that we keep in a special ice box that keeps it cool. All pre-portioned, just gotta add it to bowls," mostly because he had found it easier to make the feed for the wolves, dog, and cats himself. Knew they were eating healthy that way. "And remember, you do not have to help with that bit if you don't want.

"Heck, can decide if you only feel comfortable helping feed some and not others." A little reassurance there, "They are all friendly, and some are more quiet than others. Learned to keep it toned down when we're open for business, smart critters." Because they weren't entirely normal in the first place.

"The flower wolves mostly sleep when around, and do go off to hunt, so their main meals aren't here. The cats might want to play, but we've got a few toys for them around, or want some company- which is also when they come inside."

"I'd like to be able to help with it, though! ...Plus, it kind of sounds like the sort of thing I should learn how to do just in case, anyway."

If Pauline has learned anything, it's that if something can possibly happen, there's a good chance it will at some point. Taking care of a bunch of animals isn't really the sort of thing that can be easily put off and it's probably better she learns how to do it in case of an emergency.

"Um, sorry I keep asking you like, all sorts of questions, but...just wondering, you won't need me to use dreamotion for anything, will you?"

It's a little embarrassing, but even after a year, she hasn't managed to do much in that regard at all. She's sure what little she can do would hardly be useful.

"It's something I've tried to help make easier with so few hands always around to help- I'm sure you'll get the hang of it."

Something reassuring there; not one to press someone into doing something they wouldn't like, but there to help along the learning process. Somethings it was easier to see and do than simply explain of course, and the animals could get up to a little mischief here and there.

"It's better to ask and learn than not know, right? You're fine- and no. You won't need to use dreamotion. Most I use it for around here is helping start up the stove or grill, and helping quick freeze things, but that's all just me in the kitchen." He'd had more than enough time to get used the idea of it back in the storybook world, and the only reason he'd adjusted well to this place. Bit of a foot hold.

"Also give some of the flowers and herbs in this particular room a jump start, while everything else grows naturally."

She relaxed a little after being told she wouldn't need dreamotion. She still intended to learn it, but it was nice to know that the need wasn't terribly urgent. She glances around the greenhouse once again.

"So dreamotion can be used for stuff like that, too...All I can really do is kind of warm the air up a little..."

She hadn't even started yet and she's already learning things, it would seem. However there were more important matters at hand. She could have idle musings about dreamotion later. She's not even certain this is a sure thing at the moment.

"Um! So! When would you need me to start coming in? I'm totally available any time! Right away, even, if you need me!"

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OPEN | I Wanna Cut Through the Clouds

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