songerein | This Flame That Burns Inside of Me

Entry tags:

This Flame That Burns Inside of Me | OTA

Who: Soldier: 76 & Anyone
Which: Open Log | March Catch-All
Where: Farmlands, Wildlands, room attached to The Wild Harvest
What: Helping clean up the farm lands for the farmers, falling back in to old habits of spending a lot of time out in the wildlands and visiting bees, and a flower surprise that 76 has brought back to his room that's attached to The Wild Harvest pub.
Warnings: N/A, will add as any come up

Days in the Sun
A.
[76 was no stranger to farm work, far from it; he was born and raised helping out on the arm his family owned on the outskirts of Bloomington. Wasn't a big one, but enough so that he always had farm chores to do every day growing up before and after school. Weekends, too. Always had free time with that, too.

Reason that he was more than eager to get out there, burn some of the anxious energy out of himself in cleaning up the planting fields and mend broken fences to make sure none of the cows or other grazing animals kept could get in to them that easily. Also mean shoring and patching up fencing for the fields those animals would be let out in to as well.

There was a yetox close by where he was currently working on clearing a field. Grazing on a pile of weeds he'd gathered and gave to it. Still wearing a harness, but the topless wagon it was hitched to was closer to 76, filled with other debris he'd been collecting already.]

Hope you've got multiple empty stomachs, big guy. You're goin to be eating well and burning it off today.

B.
[The yetox that was out with him was currently resting in the sun, while 76 himself had spread out some fabric to sit in the shade of the wagon itself, checking over the amount of nails he had and the condition of the hammer. Just beside him was a covered basket.]

Hey.

[Passing by? There was that gruff voice-]

If you feel like it, should sit down and relax a bit. Even if not working it's quite the walk to get out here. Got a bit of food and drink. Rest up for a minute, won't kill ya.

Shade of a Forest
[Was keeping himself far more bus than usual, more so after- well, felt like a good two months or more where he just couldn't get out here like he wanted. Given the work he was doing out by the farms? He was taking it a little more easy. Not camping out in the Wildlands as he had been, but it wasn't stopping him from re-visiting some places.

Been a while since he'd gotten a good eye on the dreamhoney bees after all.

Still would be a bit of a walk, stopping by other areas in the Wildlands between each hive he knew of.]

Should probably see what I can hunt-up to bring back to the Harvest with me.

[On occasion? A rather large dreamotion made wolf would be walking either alongside or a little ahead of 76. Blue eyes scanning the area and ears on the swivel. Sometimes there'd be two more to make it three total. Moving together as a unit and sometimes one scouting ahead if something caught attention.

Rather peaceful looking should they approach someone, at least.]

Thorns & All For A Blazing Dawn
[Once the second half of the month hits, and when not working in and around the Wild Harvest itself, 76 could be found in a room connected to the pub itself and the garden as well. The walls of windows that could be easily looked in to from either passing by or from the garden itself was blocked off by various plants in pots and some rows of very colorful jaws that acted almost like stained glass by how they were arranged; a rainbow of colors and patterns. Both the plants and filled jars gave him enough privacy, so he felt.

But he was sitting on one of the cushioned benched with a pot on the table, what almost looked like a golden rose bush with glass-like blooms and buds sat before him. A gloved hand cradling one of the blooms carefully, blue eyes narrowing as he'd taken off the tactical visor part of his mask once he'd gotten it in and sat down.]

How the hell did these come from me?

[He'd gone back out, looking for the area he'd finally been pulled free and, well. 76 had found a single rose bush, just a bit below his knee in height. Looked like it had actually grown on the trip back.]

What does this even mean.

(OOC: Feel free to hit me up/PM me if nothing here catches interest. I'll also be putting some planned threads in here throughout the month.)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[His head tipped in greeting before there was a small gesture towards the covered basket near him.]

Hey, kid. Like I said, if you want something to eat I've got food packed in that basket, one of the farmers passed it on to me from their wife. [It was a stack of sandwiches, along with some biscuits and a jar of preserves to eat with said biscuits.

Few jars of fruit juice, too.]

[Toge's eyes widen at the bounty of food hidden in that basket. Holy shit, look at that spread.]

Ikura..!

[That's one hell of a spread! With one last glance at 76 for confirmation, he reaches into the basket to fetch himself a sandwich and a jar of fruit juice. Hell yeah, this all looked delicious..!]

[He does pause, spying a jar with a familiar-looking substance inside. He picks up the jar and shows it to 76.]

Tuna, tuna!

[It's a jar of that rainbow honey that Toge's come to love.]

[76 nodded in a 'go ahead' sort of way, leaning back against one of the wagon wheels as he let one leg stretch out in front of him, the other bent at the knee so his foot rested on the cloth he'd spread out.

His head tilted back, resting against wood, and could easily turn his head to look—]

That's a fresh jar, figured it wouldn't hurt, and it mixes well with the preserves that was given to me for lending a hand out here. Can spread it on one of the biscuits if you'd like.

Salmon, salmon.

[Toge nods to 76, helping himself to the jar and some biscuits. He might have a bunch of food around him, but even for his small demeanour, he's still a hungry teen who's been working in a farmer's field all day.]

[He tugs down the zipper of his mask and lowers his collar, revealing the lower half of his face as he does. Not like he can avoid it if he wants to eat... but others around here have seen his markings, so he's not exactly hiding them. And besides, 76 is an acquaintance. He takes a bite out of the sandwich, and one look at his expression can probably tell 76 just how tasty it is.]

[While he chews, he'll reach into his pocket to pull out his journal, flipping to a blank page with one hand. He'll slowly scribble out a couple of words before sliding the journal over to 76.]

Pretty nice of the farmers to offer us lunch. Stuff tastes better when it's fresh

Bit of common courtesy to feed to folks working for you- that and it's one of the ways to pay in a place like this I suppose.

[Good way to keep people coming back, them knowing they didn't have to worry about food or something to help keep hydrated while working. More so if they didn't want to go through the long walk back and fourth.

Most would probably call it early anyway.

For the moment 76 was good with just taking a break, rest a little.]

[Toge hums a little, before reaching over to write one more line.]

I thought that was a farmer stereotype, but it's nice.

[And then he also falls into his own silence, broken up by the occasional sounds of his own meal. It's a good sandwich, the biscuits are fresh, and the honey and fruit preserves are absolutely delicious. Unless 76 says anything, there's a good chance of him polishing off one of those jars of fruit preserve all on his own. It's a comfortable silence between the two, and it's honestly pretty nice; even getting some fresh air on his lower face feels refreshing.]

[Though, after a moment, his curiosity gets the better of him, and he quietly reaches over to write a couple of words down in his journal while he finishes off the last of his sandwich. He hums a little to get 76's attention, and then, when the old man is looking at him, he nudges the journal closer to him.]

So does that thing actually help you see or what?

Depends on the farmer, and how long you've been working for them- hours in a day.

[It was a silence easily kept, even when Blue the dragon eventually came over to settle in the shade beside 76, curling and wings rucking close, her head resting on the popped up knee given her size and neck length. Comfortable for her, and meat 76 could scratch at the patch of scales at her forehead easily.

Break was a break-]

It does. Pinpoint targets or areas of weakness in structures, better vision at night. Tactical visor.

[The dragon that comes to settle near 76 definitely gets Toge's attention, and the Cursed Speech user definitely does his share of staring at the creature as she gets comfortable. He wants to go over and pat her, but she looks all cozy and curled up like that. It kind of reminds him of a giant cat in a way. Cute...]

[He gives 76 a surprised look, probably easier conveyed now that his whole face is visible. Wow, that glowing face mask could do all that? That's actually pretty impressive. He's heard of those cheap gadgets sold on American infomercials that were marketed as "tactical", but it sounds like the thing 76 has would actually provide a tactical advantage. He shoves another bit of biscuit in his mouth before he writes down a few more words.]

Woah. Sounds high-tech.
Does it help with your vision, too?

Yes and no.

[Blue's tail curled in such a way it partly flopped over 76's outstretched leg and his propped foot, the feather tufted end brushing over the blanket he was seated on. A little smoke curled from her snout as the dragon's breathing slowed to something deep and dozing, taloned claws tucked beneath herself and folded wings.

A very comfortable dragon indeed.

76 still absently moved gloved fingers over that spot of scales on her forehead, moving to feathers.] It does sharpen my vision a bit, but more in a way to spot movement- not like how glasses help vision. Any improvements are all meant for the battleground.

[Huh. That's pretty interesting, Toge has to admit. Advanced tech like that wasn't exactly common in his world, for all the modern advances it has. It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie or video game. It's still pretty interesting.]

[Still... a part of him can't help but be curious, and after a brief pause he does end up writing something down for 76 to read.]

Does a farm count as a battleground?

Only if some pests capable of destroying crops and devastating a harvest invade.

[One of the few times it was definitely a battlefield- in keeping it light. There were other times, ones that- well.

Cutting off a food source was one hell of a way to try and win a war. Destroy the farms, starve out the people slowly.]

[Toge wasn't expecting an answer like that, and the teen looks at the old man with a wide-eyed look for a few seconds. He was fully expecting 76 to tell him to mind his own business, or some other sharp remark about his prying, not... that.]

[After a few seconds, he writes another line.]

You've really seen some shit, huh?

As a farmer's son, and spending a majority of my life as a soldier.

[At least the usual farm pests could be dealt with a little easier, but some of them could truly ruin a harvest to the point nothing could be saved.

His head tipped back towards the wagon he was leaning against.]

Been a few seasons where entire crops were lost, if not from out own farm but neighbors- or those of other states. From burrowing animals to various insects, or even disease that targets specific plants. [There were various reasons he liked to check-in with the farmers here.]

Mentaiko...

[That honestly sounded pretty shitty. Not only would it just be sad to see all those plants get destroyed, but having all that food go to waste is just rubbing salt in the wound.]

That's rough.
The most I've ever taken care of before coming here is our school's garden, but even losing that to bugs or worse would suck.

[And then, just because he's a little curious, he adds one more line.]

Soldier I get, but I wouldn't peg you as a farmer.

It's always rough, and even then most farmers band together to fight and try to save as much as possible. [It was a good community, one he saw rebuilding out here as farmers came back, or just picked it up.

Honestly, they were needed and he hoped the more the town grew the more some might take up farming. All the more reason to get as many fields cleared out as possible; make plenty of room for crops. Maybe see if there were any orchards that needed help.

His had tipped.]

I was 18 the last time I stepped foot on a farm- or technically, that was when I left home and joined the military. Didn't have time, or a chance, to go back.

[He ended up career military, despite it not being the original plan.]

[That honestly sounded pretty nice. Having a community band together like that... he hums and nods in acknowledgement. But wow... Joined the army when he was 18? And this guy looked pretty old, and yet still looked like he was built to actively fight. Toge gives him a look, before writing out a few lines.]

Woah. So you were a year older than me when you joined the army? And you're what, like, 85 or something? That's a pretty long time to be a soldier.

[But all jokes about the old guy's age, there's some more sentimental words underneath it.]

But that's pretty inspirational. You must be pretty tough. I'm not a soldier, but back home my classmates and I do our own kind of fighting against monsters, so I hope I'm able to survive as long as you.

[It what he always liked about Overwatch- or at least the part of it he knew. The way they could and would come together, help each other out and take that out in to the world where they were needed most.

... Guess it was no surprise some people felt like they weren't getting something they were owed when that wasn't the point of things. As far as he'd been concerned, anyway.]

58, just got the numbers turned around.

[No offence in that tone, hardly mattered.]

Survival is all you can hope for sometimes, and I didn't expect my own half the time.

Tuna mayo.

[Toge kind of shrugs and waves a hand casually. 58 was still pretty old to a 17-year-old! But he's glad that 76 wasn't offended by his light jab.]

Yeah, that's a mood.
Brushing close to death isn't exactly as cool as the movies make it out to be.
But if you're all that stands between a Cursed Spirit and an innocent bystander, there's not much choice in the matter, you know?

Always seems like it's a younger and younger generation that has to step up when things go to hell.

[Said the man who went off to join the military as soon as he could because there was such a Crisis that could have very possibly ended life as they knew it.]

More reason it seems more like some dumb luck and a miracle to reach old age.

Hey, not our fault old people cause all the messes that we have to clean up.

[He doesn't mean 76 himself, but even in his own world, it always seemed like the older generations were the source of a lot of grief for the younger. It was especially true of the older members of the jujutsu sorcerer clans and their traditionalist views; it was thanks to such views that Maki had been stuck as a 4th-Grade sorcerer, rather than a 2nd-Grade or even Semi-Grade 1 like she deserved. Not to mention how Principal Gakuganji of the Kyoto branch of Jujutsu Tech had been so fervent in trying to assassinate Yuuji just for being Sukuna's vessel...]

[But not all old people were bad. 76 is a prime example of that.]

Nah, give yourself some credit. You don't last long on dumb luck alone.
Luck's nice and all, but if you don't have skills to back it up, you're just asking for your luck to run out.
Honestly, I'm kind of curious about how tough you are. I wouldn't mind a practice spar with you sometime, if you were up to it.

Ain't that the truth. Even long dead ones to the point of having to play by rules to move up and find ways to help people that should be simple, but no, gotta do some song and dance or risk breaking a few rules and hope hell doesn't fall on your head for it.

[Politics put in to place by long dead old people, and generation after generation no changing shit because it benefitted certain people over others.

Then some younger generation could very easily fuck it up worse by thinking their way was the only way and become that older generation to a different younger one. A cycle, really. The young benefitted by the olders' set-up happy to play along for the same benefit.]

I was made for fighting against machines created by AIs to wipe-out humanity, if that gives you some clue to toughness. [And a lot of dumb luck thanks to taking advantage of his survival rate.]

Ikura??

[Fighting against machines that wanted to wipe out humanity? What kind of sci-fi world is 76 from? But damn, yeah, he definitely sounds tough, if he's going up against killer machines and whatnot. Toge lets out an impressed hum, before writing down more words.]

Sounds pretty tough to me.
We may not have killer machines, but we do have evil spirits we fight against. How's that match up?

Judging by the 'evil spirit' I've been chasing down?

[It wasn't wrong to think of Reaper as that, even if it was just something joking despite the tone- but that didn't mean 76 was disregarding. No, he knew somewhere that had to mean something fuck awful.

More so if it was a world filled with such things. Anything at all compared to things going on here. If the Noctaere were anything similar to what this kid had in his world-]

Different methods, but still matching up enough I'd think.

[Toge does perk up a bit at that, because wait. 76 has also been chasing down an evil spirit of his own? His mind immediately jumps to a Cursed Spirit, and wonders if maybe such a being somehow managed to get into this world. He actually speaks up in wonder.]

Tuna mayo?

[His brows furrow, before he remembers, ah, right. Give him a minute to write a question.]

There's a Cursed Spirit here?

Think the Noctaere might be closer to one of those.

[If he was understanding from name alone at least. He let out a huff, hand moving to brush over one of Blue's horns with a playful sort of shake as she started leaning in heavily against him.]

One I mean is more... mix of science than anything, and as dramatic as he is he'd call himself one. Suppose my mention of him is more a bit of a joke. [Dramatic as all hell.] We've got at least a couple of spirits back home, all the same. I knew a young man who could summon a dragon spirit, and his brother can supposedly do the same.

Only saw one of them in action, personally.

This Flame That Burns Inside of Me | OTA

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