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

Huh- oh, no. You're good, kid.

[At least that 'kid' was still warm, same as when he tossed it at Kazuma. He did sit up a little, rather than hunching over, still cradling one of the larger blossoms on the smallish-mediumish sized bush in the pot rested on that short table in front of him.]

Just decided I needed to try and figure this thing out a bit. You can come sit down here.

[Free hand patted at the extra space on the padded couch of a bench he sat on himself.]

[ She doesn't think much of it, and she's certainly been called worse. He clearly means it in an endearing way. She just quietly steps in, taking a seat where Jack indicates as she glances over the impressive bush before them. ]

Kazuma brought one back, too... I think. I saw my father take it to the clinic.

[ He hasn't mentioned it since, but maybe they'll find something? ]

Did they really come from you?

I...haven't seen any like this around here before.

[The gold coloring of the stems and thorns, the way the leaves was a mix as if gold under glass- really, they would stick out like a sore thumb amongst even the plants in this place. They had a bit of a glow of their own, but even the light coming through the windows made the ones close to that glow brighter.

His brow was furrowed a bit still.]

Yeah, apparently. Fit what Reaper described them as when he mentioned flowers growing around my neck- a mix of Glowing Dawns and these. [So of course he had gone looking the moment he could. See if there was any trace left of the more unusual ones.] They look like roses almost, shape wise.

[ One hand reaches up to rub at her own neck when he mentions it, and she reaches forward with the other to admire one of the blooms up close. The petals glisten in a way that remind her of the Glowing Dawns. It seems fitting that they would have been found together. ]

They're pretty. [ She almost feels guilty for thinking so. ] Then again, I've always thought so of the Glowing Dawns as well. Perhaps if they're able to find anything in their clinic research, we can grow these, too.

[ If they're related to the Glowing Dawns... or mutated from them, they have to be beneficial, surely. ]

[He hummed, the sound soft-]

They honestly are rather pretty. [Couldn't deny that, strange as it was to think about too much.] Might be a bit easier to grow than the Glowing Dawns given they seem to be doing pretty well. Thing doubled in size already.

It was smaller when I found it, had only a couple of small blooms.

[Easier was better if they were useful in any way similar to the Glowing Dawns, right?]

[ Well, the one Kazuma brought back certainly hadn't been so healthy, but that was for obvious reasons. She wonders now what became of it once it made it to the clinic, but now... now they have more, right here. ]

Could it be your influence...? They could be reacting to your presence somehow. [ If they came from him, this makes sense, right? ] Perhaps I could bring back a sample to keep at our greenhouse and see how it fares.

Might be? Could be something like how those Ents seemed to be able to grow so many Glowing Dawns. [Their presence influencing the growth further, cultivating them to that environment of the cave.

What could that mean for these, he wondered. He let his hand fall from the bloom, instead arms resting against knees, still leaning forwards somewhat.]

Can grow them from clippings- I know a trick that involves honey to help encourage root growth from there.

[That would be a yes.]

[ Her face seems to light up slightly, remembering the familiarity Jack had with flowers through his mother. Various clippers and other gardening tools seem widely available around the Wild Harvest garden, even in this hidden room, so she has no problem grabbing one just lying around. ]

Hm. Well... since they are growing so quickly now, perhaps I should take several. [ Or, at least a few. ] Do you mean rainbow honey?

[ Rainbow honey aka I Put That Shit on Everything^TM. ]

[He nodded, pulling gloves off -even if it showed the skin of his fingers were a dark bluish black, and he had claws- to better sort through the stems. Find a good place to clip from-]

I think that's a good idea, yeah. Have to cut them in certain places t give them the best chance. [He'd point where and let her cut. What better way to learn to identify the best places to clip at?] Yeah, I do. There are other tricks, but dipping the cut end in to honey and then planting it in some good soil encouraged the clippings to grow roots and continue to grow from there. I think the rainbow honey will be the best to use in this situation.

Needs to be soil with good nutrients in there- I can give you some of the compost soil I've been fiddling with in here. [His parents could possibly be proud of that one.] Give these the best fighting chance to root up and grow in to their own bushes.

[ Susato has had some experience with this, helping Yujin with the original Glowing Dawns, but the (literal) pointers are always appreciated. She cuts where Jack indicates without question, seeming fascinated and very interested as he explains.

The end result is a handful of blooms, which she admires for a few moments before setting them down on the short table in front of them. She pulls out a stray notebook which she always seems to carry around and starts jotting down quick notes, about the honey and general tips about where she should be clipping. ]

Thank you... I'm sure father would appreciate that, too. We've learned a lot together and we've tried lots of different soils, but without a library, every little bit helps.

[ A pause, and... suddenly she gets an idea. ]

. . . Have you ever collected pressed flowers?

Edited 2022-03-15 03:00 (UTC)

[He fished out a jar, and next there was a bit of ice held between fingers as he melted that to get water in to the jar, sliding it over once it was filled enough. Clearly for the clippings to help keep them hydrated for the trip they were goin to take.

Dried fingertips off just by rubbing them against the cloth over his knee.]

I've just been combining what both of my parents taught me- a cross between gardening and farming. Food and plant waste being left to compost really enriches soil, and there's earthworms being good for gardening so long as there aren't too many in said garden- just little things like that.

[He was rubbing a and, chasing away the bit of stiffness from the cold of melting ice in his fingers.]

Not personally, but I always liked how they looked. Had a bookmark that had a few used in making it. Why?

. . . [ And here she was thinking it was her job to melt ice. She takes the jar, though, continuing to listen. There's no sense of urgency in the way she places the blooms in the jar, splashing the tips of their stems into the water, but she may be repeating some key words from what he just said until she can commit the information to paper.

Hm. Why, indeed? Was it strange of her, to suddenly think about it? She seems to shake her head. ]

It's not important. I like how they look, too, and it is a common way to preserve them, in Japan. [ At least, last she checked. ] I do not wish to be wasteful, though. These are special, and rather difficult to grow. [ They're lucky to have the blooms they do. ]

[All the better to give the clippings as much of a fighting chance to grow.]

Think it'd be a good idea to see if you could press some of these- like can take a few extra just for that. [To have that on hand, even if just to show what they were and have it preserved and just- well.

Despite the shit he went through? He wouldn't deny how beautiful these were.]

You should see them in direct light- the petals almost like like they're up in a blaze, like there's a fire burning within them. All of those colors in it stand out that much more.

[ She sets the jar aside, satisfied with the blooms she's chosen, and she's writing those notes as Jack speaks. She hadn't even realized she'd essentially been asking him for permission, but she's staring at the bush in front of her again, and then back at the jar.

More?

She's at a loss, though she reaches forward to angle one of the flowers on the bush differently, and she thinks she can understand what he means. ]

It sounds like you have the makings of an appropriate name. [ He'd named the Glowing Dawns, hadn't he? Well, either way. ] Are you quite certain I can take more?

Blazing Dawn, maybe. [It was hummed, and maybe the name could be fitting for more than looking like glass petals burning brightly in the right light.

He reached out, letting fingertips rest just underneath a bud that had yet to bloom- within seconds it was opening up with a bright glow, the center of it burning brightly in a mix of dark and light blues before taking on that normal almost colorless glow. He let his hand fall away, resting on his knee. Just from that as well the places already clipped from seemed to heal over.

New golden branches and leaves of a darker color that would soon match the rest.]

... Yeah, I think it's alright. I don't know if it's me or what, but it seems like samples can be taken from this one safely. [He felt a little.. lighter? Hm. He'd have to look more in to that later.] One more won't hurt.

[ Susato doesn't react much to the name, but she continues to watch in awe, mouth hung open. By now she is all too familiar with the color of fire, having to shield her eyes slightly as the bud opened up. She doesn't want to just miss the show, though, so she's squinting her eyes as the transformation finishes.

She sucks in a breath, a gasp that quickly turned into a delighted squeal. WHAT DOES HE MEAN, "if it's me or what?" ]

That was incredible! Of course it is because of you. [ She will quickly reel in the excitement though, clearing her throat. ] I mean... it will make a wonderful specimen to start my collection.

[ Apparently this is a thing she is doing now. She hurriedly picks up the clippers again, and she doesn't think she has to wait for Jack's direction this time. ]

[Being the point of origin likely had something to do with it- was this how the Ents had such an easy time getting their cave-full of these things? Or maybe it was that and something else. All the same, it had definitely grown between the time he found it and brought it here, even re-potting it.

... Maybe it wouldn't hurt making more of an in-ground growing bed for it in this room. Give it more room for roots, see how it went from there.

Corner of his mouth did twitch in to a soft half-smile at her excitement all the same. Even when she did her best to reel it back in.] I'll keep seeing how far it cn go with this Blazing Dawn bush then.

Go for it, I believe you know where to cut. [He let Susato have at it as he sat back a bit. There were still a good many blooms on there, and other buds just waiting. Could hope it meant those clippings would do well.]

[ She clips another bloom she'd been eying, taking the time to admire it and turn it over in her hand more thoroughly this time. Blazing, indeed... She looks down at her notebook, and sees no reason to wait, so she flips past her notes onto a blank page.

She glances back at the bush for a moment, before grabbing her quill again. ]

You may need a bigger pot. Or... perhaps we can dedicate a whole row to them in the garden somewhere? [ She taps at the blank page, still mentally grabbing at ideas. ] Do you think they're as bitter as the Glowing Dawns are?

[ Like, in tea.....?

Without thinking, she finally writes on the blank page: New idea - pressed flowers? ]

Was just thinking about that myself, honestly. Think I could clear a space and make it more of a growing bed than just a pot like the rest. [Felt a need to keep them a little closer- his personal room rather than the rest of the garden. Easier to keep an eye on what was influencing their growth that way between that and the Mikotoba greenhouse.

Keeping his as something of a control group, per-se.]

They smell like citrus, so they've got a chance of being a bit sweeter or just as bitter going from that.

[76 pushed himself up to stand, already clearing a space within the room as he kneeled down and- well. He was prying up the stones that made the floor to get at the earth beneath, and claws did well to soften up the soil. Getting right to work apparently.]

Going off their appearance being similar to a rose they might be safe to eat if you want to try a petal. [Would taste of a delicately sweet citrus, but also have an almost warming sensation. Cozy, almost comforting.

He piled the few tile-like stones on top of each other, getting a decent sized space in the corner that he used his claws to loosen up soil, grabbing a bit of the compost mixture to churn and mix in a bit, some layer on top. It'd get sun there, at least.]

[ She'd turned another page, intending to leave the previous as a "cover page" of sorts, but seeing Jack stand and kneel over again certainly piques her interest. She didn't think he meant like now, but she'll scoot to the side slightly, just to give him more room--even if she wasn't really in the way in the first place.

She sniffs the Blazing Dawn most recently cut, the one she's just about to press. It does indeed smell citrus-y. ]

I was thinking tea, actually. I wonder if it still has the same nightmare-repelling properties the Glowing Dawn does.

Yet to test that one- all I know is they were apparently around my neck like the regular ones.

[The way that Reyes had described it was graphic enough to get the idea of what it looked like.

He dug in to the area made, a hole the size of the pot just about, only stopping once satisfied as he did carefully lift the plant up and got it out of the pot, soil and all. Fit it in to place, sitting back on his heels once it looked like the Blazing rose bush had been there the entire time, hands rested on the soil.

Couldn't miss how the plant perked up further, as if it seemed right at home in it's new spot. Sunlight came through easily and it was a very warm glow that each flower took. The pastel colors of the petals shining and glittering as if they were roses made of glass with transparent colors molded within.]

That looks better, doesn't it? [Under and around is hands a bit of greenery was also pushing through the soil; a few small lavender flowers, pinks, and even catmints spreading. Made the freshly dug and softened earth look less bare, but 76's eyes were lifted, not really noticing.] Still, their presence means they have to in some way.

Going to have to test it.

[ She continues watching and ignoring her notebook for the time being, noting the warm glow of the flowers and the new kinds that popped up, peeking out of the freshly dug bed. Of course she will nod, even if it doesn't give her the same level of surprise. ]

I will be sure to let you know of any changes, at the greenhouse or the clinic.

I... I would offer you my help, but it doesn't seem like you need it at all. You've even managed to cultivate some new blooms under there. [ She points, helpfully. ]

I'd appreciate it. I'll note down it's progress here- and you can come see for yourself at anytime, too.

Huh? [Did take 76 a second before he was glancing down, sitting back and pulling hands away as the other plants had continued to push up from the soil and grow as if they'd always been there. Even filled up the spot his hands had been.

The lavender that sprouted up dotted about here in there in a few almost circling spirals in the area. Left enough room for the pinks to go along with the pattern on either side of the lavender. Seemed like the catmint was happy to take up a bit of the other spaces. None crowded the bush of Blazing Dawn, rather leaving room for it to grow further as well and just- well, as if they were other purposefully to help encourage that.

He looked a bit... confused.]

I- these are flowers that can grow well with roses... [So his mother had told him, at least. Encouraged a rose bush's growth as well. The mix of scents were pleasant, sweet even.] But I didn't- I wasn't- What?

... This is new.

[ ...There's something about seeing a 59-year-old super soldier stammering and temporarily at a loss for words. A quiet giggle manages to escape, and the notebook continues to be ignored, for now. She'll actually get up to get a closer look at the new flowers, closing the distance between them as well. ]

Well, I don't recognize all of them, but I know lavender when I see it. [ She uses it for tea often enough. A pause-- ] Actually... you've just managed to choose all my favorite colors, haven't you? I could hide in this bush.

[ No, she couldn't, but she can't deny the allure of a nap among flowers. ]

[At least Jack was taking a moment to wipe the soil from his hands, still puzzled over the appearance of flowers that made pretty good rose companions while growing. Was it because of how much the Blazings resembled roses...?

All the same, with the flowers appearances the colors already in those glass-like petals picked up on them; made the pinks and purples stand out a bit more.]

The pinks are a little obvious and- well, they're usually just called that, pinks. Other one there is a catmint and can be used for tea that can calm nerves and even relieve coughs or congestion. [~~and craps or that time of the month, that's pretty neat~~Rattling off little things, simply because- well, he remembered from what he'd been told.

There was a laugh, some positive mix of amusement and a faint bit wonder over the flowers' existence still.] Guess I have, huh- an you could.

Honestly, this little patch looks better than I had planned.

[He was literally just going to lave it as a patch of dirt and the Blazing Dawn bush.]

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