songerein | [Catch-All]

Entry tags:

[Catch-All]

Who: Old Man Nier and YOU
Which: Open Log + Interactive Dream
Where: Reverein fields, the town itself, Nier's home village
What: Catch-All for March 2022. Old Man tends fields and mends fences. Old Man picks up orange hate feathers. Old Man picks herbs for Jude and co clinic. Old Man dreams of his home town where no one there seems to know him at all.
Warnings: Probably nothing worth mentioning. Will update as necessary

01. 'Spring'ing into Action

[Just the thought of working in the fields makes him think of older, more simpler days. Although he supposes in retrospect, there was nothing simple about them. Yonah had once asked him to grow her watermelons and somehow, he'd managed to accomplish it. Never does he consider himself an accomplished man of gardens and growing, but when he thinks about the amount of time he spent trying to cultivate a Lunar Tear, then he supposes he might be underestimating himself.

It's provided him a great reason to busy himself. To busy his thoughts. To think less about what happens when he leaves. If he leaves. If the others leave. He wants none of this. Instead, he's focused on the situation at hand. Or at least, he pretends he is. Honestly, he's more caught up in his thoughts than he'd like to be.

Fences are where he's chosen to begin. A decent number of them were damaged and before any planting can begin, they'll need to be tended to. He's in the process of covering some breaks, knelt down, pensive and probably up until the next few moments, has likely been a little quiet. Whether it's approaching footsteps or those being led elsewhere, he's not shy about speaking up.]

Get me that hammer, would you? I left it back there somewhere.

[He jerks his right hand over his shoulder indicatively. Help an old man out?]

02. I'm Not Angry; You're Angry!

[There's no shortage of things to be done in Reverein and Nier is usually more than happy to keep himself occupied by taking on any number of requests from the locals, which seem to be growing in number as the days go by. Gathering feathers seems like a relatively monotonous and unexciting task, which means it ought to be something he can get done in short order.

He's wandering around the town and along its outskirts to gather them, looking high and low. By this point, he's already managed to collect a few, which he has tucked into his somewhat barbaric-looking garb. Nier's a man with a lot of heart, though more than once he's lost his cool in the face of the circumstance. Where he'd normally be a rather patient man, it seems said patience is in absent supply today.]

Hey. You just gonna stand there, or do you feel like moving?

[He's had days where he was nicer.]

03. Go Green or Go Home

[When Jude announced the opening of the clinic, Nier was very quick to jump onto the idea of being able to supply him regularly with useful herbs, plants, and other like things in the forest. It reminds him of the times he's done something of the same for Popola. The names might change, but the situation always seems to be the same. In that respect, it's kind of nice. Something familiar. Just the thought leaves him comforted.

Whatever reason you might have for being out there, it won't be hard to spot him. Nier doesn't blend in well with the surroundings. On the contrary, he kind of stands out. And if he finds you, there's a very good chance he'll be nosy and want to figure out what you're up to. Why not lend him a temporary travelling partner?

Don't mind him as he's huddled down close to the ground, trying to get up a plant without destroying it completely.]

04. Home is Where the Heart Is (Unless You're Nier) - Interactive Dream

[...What is this place? It's a seemingly quiet and laid-back village, many of the structures appearing rundown and touched by the elements of time. There are people by the fountain not far from a dilapidated house.

Up the hill, along a variety of wooden steps that are in slight disrepair, there's a library with no shortage of books and a room that doesn't seem to make much sense.

Gates exist in different cardinal directions that lead outside of the village, each guarded for the safety of the village inhabitants.

Down in the market plaza, there's no shortage of item shops, and a plethora of relatively friendly villagers, who are ever willing to ask for assistance with their daily errands. A tavern, where a pretty girl named Devola plays music and sings a song. And on the docks behind, a little boat willing to take you to places called Seafront and some other main settlements that exist outside of the village.

It's a nice place, if not a little bit sparse. But it's the place that he calls home. He can easily be found wandering through the town, into the library, but spends the most amount of his time at his house, perhaps with his face in a very particular diary. His daughter, Yonah, is also here, and she may seem a little perplexed about what you're doing in her house, but she'll be very polite.

It's no real big surprise to him personally, but it seems like no one in this town knows a Nier. Not even Yonah. Who could this mysterious man be?]

[OOC: Please feel free to wander around the village by yourself, with a friend, or visit Nier. Character thoughts and feelings may affect the surroundings and the things witnessed, or experienced in this place.
Please also forgive how small these images seemed to be. Evidently larger images from Gestalt are difficult to come by. I may update these at a later point.
There is no restricted access to the town and its inhabitants. Do note that given this is also Brother Nier's home village, he has the same influences that Old Man Nier has here.]

05. Wildcard

[If the above don't strike your fancy, please select this option for whatever something special we might be doing. You can plot with me via PMs, discord (available upon request), and by contacting me via ofthesky.]

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It sounds like such a simple thing, but I don't think it is. It takes a certain kind of circumstance to warrant that kind of growth and I don't think many of the people here have had that.

[It's a little presumptuous on his part. Not in a malevolent or ignorant sort of way. Everyone has a different struggle. It doesn't make anything he's gone through less or more than someone next to him. It simply makes him different. And this, the desire to console himself through the company of another? That's a very human aspect.

In 76, he finds a kindred spirit. Someone he suspects could understand him in a way that many others cannot or will not. Nier can't help but take that into consideration.]

Either way, you're right. It's nice and that's an understatement. I'm not the type of guy to take something for granted. [Or someone, for that matter.] A little kindness will go a long way and if I'm honest, I'd rather make friends than enemies, no matter how good I might be at dealing with the latter.

Likely haven't, and this might be a head first sort of learning experience- some can take it, while others. Well, a bit of a hand doesn't prevent them from learning at the same time. [Easy way or the hard way, sometimes a skill was a skill and needed to be learned. Easy to figure out just from keeping an eye on the journals some were from a technologically advanced world and others weren't.

Some did need a little more help than others to get their foothold. Where that sense of community and helping each other could step in and work some wonders.

For now? Well—]

We're all better off saving any fighting for what we're up against than having to worry about fighting each other. Keep an eye out for those trying to cause a problem and just- deal with it, I suppose. [Even he worried the relative peace, with only a few mishaps was temporary amongst the people brought here.]

You're right. It's not really something you can be prepared for or practise. I think it's entirely reactive. You and I have had our experiences because it's the circumstance of what we've seen and experienced. I'm pretty willing to bet most haven't been through what you have.

[Or what he has either. Either way, it is what it is. If this world puts them in a situation like that, he's confident he and 76 can handle it. Anyone else outside of their world? Not entirely certain about that.]

I'm not gonna fight anything unless I have to. I think we're stronger as a union than anything else. I don't know anyone troublesome myself. Yet, anyway. Seems like everyone else probably feels the same way. Or just want to keep to themselves, which is fair. It's not something I'm going to lose sleep over. Not when I'm finally getting the chance to get some.

[Blue ran ahead of them- or to be more accurate, she took a running start before leaping with wings spread to soar a few feet above the ground- climbed a little higher. She apparently knew exactly where 76 intended to go, probably smelled the water ahead.]

Hope they never have to- hell, your own experiences, too. Some things are unique, others similar. Can just hope this my be the most difficult thing some of the younger folks here have to prepare for. [One he figures couldn't really be held on to.

A world of dreams would always have nightmares. Bring out the very worst fears for some, and age wouldn't matter to forces like that.

Gloved fingers idly scratched where the Yetox's horn met his head, down near an ear and back again as he walked.]

I do, and so far he's behaved himself. [Other than their personal fights, and finding ways to get under the skin of those who knew 76. Just how Reaper was when he wasn't being violent.] Some might be biding their time and, well. Never know who else could find themselves aware in this place.

Rather keep the peace, but I'd also knock some heads together if some got it in their heads to cause more trouble than there already is here.

That's the ideal, right. Not getting involved unless it's necessary. [After a pause, Nier grins. That's probably the way Weiss always wanted him to live. A way that Nier never had been able to abide by.] At least, that's probably the right thing to say. I apparently like getting involved in everything, especially when it shouldn't involve me.

[That's simply the way he is. Nier does not at all seem inclined to change who he is. There's nothing wrong with wanting to lend a helping hand. He doesn't force his meddling on anyone. He simply offers. It's the right thing to do.]

Let's try to hold onto the peace as long as we can. The moments like this one? I'm living for them.

Somehow? It always seems necessary, and can't just walk by when something you can do anything about is happening. [He wasn't a hero, far from it as far as he was concerned. Even more when he knew he hesitated between taking a grenade or going after the thugs that threw it, no matter the seconds it took to realize the kid couldn't get up in time to avoid it- that it took for him to realize she was even there.

... He had still taken the blast to get her out of there. The hesitation or not.] Just can be everywhere at once, and deal with that.

[But that was life, wasn't it- Well, maybe not for most folks. He'd run himself thin and past the breaking point when he was younger, to the point he started going gray early. Even know when it came to his mission the moment he got a lead h jumped right in the middle of whatever was going on, even in to live gunfire.]

Won't argue there- got a hard time keeping still, and this is... nice.

[They'd do a good job playing with rocks in the lake, after all.]

That's exactly what it is. Can't just walk by when there's something that we can do.
[As usual, 76 gets it. Nier doesn't have to explain much of anything to him or justify why he is the way he is.] Could probably handle everything if there were multiples of us. Honestly, I think there's only enough room for one of me, though. It'd be hard to handle more than that. I like to think I'm difficult enough on my own.

[And in a way, he kind of likes being restless. Sort of. Maybe he just likes being busy. Giving back. Having those opportunities to do so.]

And an army of yous sounds terrifying. In a good way.

[Oh, there had certainly been days when he'd had that thought, where he'd been stretched out so thin that he wished there was a way he could be in multiple places at once. Not even a young man could keep up with everything that had been heaped upon him as a rope grew tighter around his neck-]

Better off with just one, I think. [That easy sort of well humored drawl to his tone.] Reckless enough most of the time, any more than one would be a nightmare on multiple levels.

[His hand eased away from the yetox then, only moving so that the cart was close to the lake and the yetox could graze where he stood. Blue was in the lake itself, wings tucked close and- well, diving underwater to try and catch fish for a snack, it seemed.

Started moving to place a few blocks wedged against the wagon wheels to help keep it all in place as he spoke- and hell, after one Nier'd be able to get the back wheels if he felt like helping with it.]

I'm an army of one as is- scientists made sure of that.

Maybe a nightmare to anyone who'd have to endure multiple you's.

[Nier took some time to survey what he could see of the lake. Peaceful. A little bit the large river that eventually ran out from the village and beyond. Carried all the way down to Seafront and beyond, to places he'd never seen. Places he couldn't even begin to imagine in appearance.

After watching 76 for a breath or two, he moved in suit, shifting to provide the same stability to the back wheels. Easy enough to keep it in place. And it would give them the opportunity to enjoy the sights and the sounds. Although he suspected 76 had likely already done that more than once.]

You and me both. Minus the scientists, that is.

Very, very true.

[All the better to keep the wagon from rolling forward or back- not startling the yetox for something moving while it grazed- not just on the grass around. 76 was pulling bundles of weeds that the critter could eat to drop there for it. Nothing thick and full of thorns, as those would be burned and collected for compost.

Would help get the soil to a more neutral zone, and he figured all the help would be needed to prep soil for planting.

Once the bundle of weeds for the Yetox were down, he did move up in to the wagon to get the back of it down. All the better to get the larger rocks -or smaller boulders- out of it.]

Know how to get the job done either way, yeah?

[Poised by the back of the wagon and offering up his arms to help carry whatever 76 saw fit to offer him. After all, he was there to help and the guy wasn't finicky.]

How hard could it be? Just a bunch of rocks. We putting the real big ones in the water, too? I know we said something about putting them around the perimeter. Could probably put some of the smaller ones, too. Just because it's outside doesn't mean it can't look nice.

[Not... that he knows anything about making bodies of water look nice. 76 probably has an idea for it all.]

[Made it easy for rolling the rocks near the end of the wagon where Nier could grab a few and 76 could get a few himself once he got down. Make this a good line of work, easier for the both of them working together than not.]

Yeah, can get them in places to help anyone who might decide to fish- ensure that the current isn't too strong to wipe out places fish have settled to spawn and all.

[Make it better to populate, keep up that bit of food supply and all. Chuckling softly-]

We could, because making it look nice is just the bonus of this sort of work.

[No one asked, but 76 felt it was better to do it than not. Future proofing as it were.]

So people like you and me.

[Because Nier loves a good afternoon out fishing. But if he fishes too often, he can deplete the population and he has to keep that in consideration. Fishing in moderation.

It doesn't take him long to lug a decently-sized rock, which might as well be a small boulder in his opinion, and he draws in a breath before he starts eyeing the layout of the water. Trying to decide where to begin, he settles on one very simple spot at his feet. The key is a hardy foundation, right?]

Pretty sure no one is going to care as much as we do, but if I'm gonna do a job, I'm gonna do it the whole way through.

Basically, yeah.

[Easy to start big, since their placements would be the most important and more for foundation than just looks alone. Be helping keep enough sediment in place while allowing current to naturally carry silt and the like away, try and help keep the shore from eroding in too much.

Wanted to try and keep the lake- well, easily gotten to and fished in. Keep healthy growth within for fish spawn.]

May as well if you're going to do it at all, honestly. Good job is what should be the end goal.

[Going to do it at all? You damn well do it well.]

When you say stuff like that and I realise it's something I'd say, too, it just reminds me how old we sound.

[And where was the dispute there? Both of them were old. If they weren't, they it just looked like they'd seen some shit and time had its way with them.

Somewhat satisfied with where he began, Nier began trekking back for another, thinking the whole exchange seemed like something he could easily get himself into muscle memory of.]

Not a bad thing if you ask me- things learned from experience and all that.

[His tone was light, even with a touch of the teasing dry tone he could take. It was truth, but it was also just a light ribbing aimed at the both of them. Old men.

Still, he made it a habit of makin sure he rolled several of the larger rocks near the end when it was him getting the last within reach. Taking advantage of that strength of his? Maybe. This was still some work he could fall in to easily, hold conversation while doing----and hell, easy to toss around suggestions in placement if it was needed.

They'd get this looking right- as far as either of them were concerned, at least.]

I guess that is what being old is all about.

[He was going to save that one up for Kainé the next time she made a joke about his age. Not that she didn't have the place to be doing so.

Hoisting another sizeable rock over near the one he'd already put down, he swept an arm out indicatively.]

We've got a good start so far. Can't wait to see it when it's done.

At least one of the things being old is all about- the other is purposefully misunderstanding slang, or some term, those younger use to see what they do.

[Sometimes? It was hilarious to use a term in such a way and just turn and look someone younger in the eyes and seriously ask "Was that a yeet?" And so on. There were so many other ways to work that, too.

76 made sure the rock was in a good position, nodding before he was returning for another.]

I can't either, be a nice side surprise for those that notice it.

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[Catch-All]

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Getting to a good wrapping point to leave off the old men playing with rocks you think?

Yup!

These good old men ヾ(⌐■_■)ノ♪