[OPEN] November Catch-All

[fishflakes]

Who: Toge Inumaki and YOU!
Which: Open Log
Where: Farmlands and Treehouses
What: Quests: Harvesting, squirrel wrangling, and tree pruning
Warnings: N/A, will update as needed!

Harvest Time
[Toge isn’t really much of a farmer, but he’s taken care of the gardens around the Jujutsu High campus, so he knows a thing or two about gardening. So when the call goes out to help out with the farms and harvest the fruit, Toge is there to lend a hand.]

[His short and lean frame doesn’t look like it would be much help with something as labour-intensive as harvesting, but Toge works quite diligently, filling baskets with salvageable vegetables and fruits and bringing them over with the rest of the harvest. He works alone for the most part, softly humming to himself as he works, and might not even be noticed at first due to his quiet nature. But if someone is in need of some help, whether it be needing help carrying baskets of veggies or pulling up weeds, he’ll approach them with a wave, before pointing at their task.]

Tuna mayo?

[By the end of the day, he can be found sitting near a pair of baskets full of food that he was allowed to take home, going through a couple small pouches of seeds. Maybe he can start up a garden closer to home…]

Pesky Squirrels
[Back when Toge had arrived, he had somewhat befriended a squirrel while exploring the rubble and ruins. That squirrel ended up living close to Toge’s chosen treehouse, and had become a familiar figure for Toge to keep an eye out for. So when winter began to set in, Toge decided to help the hungry squirrel, rather than chase it away like others. It was a friend, after all, so why not help it out?]

[The squirrel decides to use a little hollow in the side of Toge’s treehouse as a storehouse for extra acorns and nuts, which is fine; Toge doesn’t take up much space, so he doesn’t mind sharing. However, it seems as though, as “reward” for his help, the squirrel has been dropping off all kinds of trinkets and objects at Toge’s windowsill and door. Objects that most definitely belong to someone else. Toge’s grateful for the thought, but he should… probably return these items. So, he will put out a little PSA out on the journals.]

If anyone’s lost anything small, I might have it at my house. I have a squirrel living in my tree who’s been leaving me gifts.

Treehouse Pruning
[With winter coming, the treehouses have begun to get… interesting. They seem to be getting more excited, or at the very least warmer, which is nice for the encroaching cold but has also led to a couple nights where Toge has woken up sweating from the heat. Something’s gotta be done to regulate this.]

[After seeing a few people trying out their dreamotion powers on the trees to help cool them off, Toge can be found outside of his chosen treehouse, arms crossed and foot tapping. He’s just… gotta channel dreamotion energy, right? But how can he do so? Is it like channeling Cursed Energy? And if it is, will he suffer a backlash for it?]

[He knows the only way for him to test this out is to… do it. But there’s a hesitance to do so. There’s a reason he doesn’t venture out of his chosen safe words and commands very often, after all.]

[So focused on staring at the tree before him, he might not notice others approaching him.]

Wildcard
[Permissions for Toge's Cursed Speech, if it arises, can be found here. If you’d like a custom starter or would like to plan something different out, feel free to PM me here or hit me up on plurk at pocketnoivern!]

Comments

[lethechained]

[ There's always a line somewhere - it's just a matter of finding it. Still, it's been Naminé's experience that that endpoint usually seems to be much farther out than she ever truly wants to go. She doesn't know the limit of even her own power, and to add yet more on top of that... anyway, it doesn't bear thinking about now.

The girl's own eyes blink a bit wider open at Toge's look, an instinctive sympathy of hers as she watches him realize the side-effect of his magic. She may not know his vocabulary well enough yet to translate the words directly in her mind, but she can recognize the sentiment in his flushed face before he hides it. (His timing in closing his collar again might be telling in itself.) Her reflex to soothe his obvious embarrassment gets held off only long enough for her to wait out his writing, her lips shaped into a wry, apologetic smile. ]

Then you must be used to it working that way, [ she observes understandingly, by way of agreement. ] But maybe you don't have to anymore.

[ Work on those kinds of emotions, that is. Faltering, she offers a bashful look with her amendment, ]

Not that you seem like a negative person to me...!

[ He's been nothing but kind in her presence, after all. She takes just a second to mentally chastise herself for her phrasing, then pulls her smile back together. ]

We'll both have to keep learning new things, just like everyone else who came here with us. So-- I'm sure there'll be plenty of mistakes to go around.

[ She's trying to commiserate, here. ]

[fishflakes]

[Toge waves a hand at Naminé, indicating that he doesn't think that she actually thinks he is a negative person. Using negative energy didn't necessarily make one negative. Being trained to use cursed energy from such a young age, Toge was more than adept at finding negative emotions to channel and boost his cursed technique. That was how cursed energy worked in his world; two negative forces created a positive result, and the stronger canceled out the weaker. Like a poison neutralizing a weaker poison. A little barbaric, but it was the way of his world.]

[But he's never had to think how to channel positive emotions before. It's like the inverse of what he's grown used to. It'll definitely take some time to get used to. He nods in understanding.]

Tuna mayo.

[She may look demure and small, but she's very wise. Toge can see that. So, after a small pause, he takes a moment to write something down before showing it to her.]

You seem to have a knack for this kind of stuff. Is it ok for me to ask for some help once in a while?

[lethechained]

[ Although she'd been able to surmise from what she knew of his personality that he'd be unlikely to hold the comment against her, Naminé's brow does ease a little as he waves away her concern. Her tentative smile returns, though her eyes grow curious as she watches him write. Once she's read the results, she looks up with her, ]

Me? Really?

[ Since she's not exactly accustomed to receiving any kind of praise for her skills beyond wonder at her natural ability to do horrible things to a person's memory, it requires a bit of extra effort to process such a statement. More still to wrap her head around the idea that someone would want her advice on a related skill, but when she does, she has to admit, ]

I guess I do have some practice...

[ Both with her own magic and with a few other kinds, now. As strange as she might feel about the idea, though, the answer was always going to be, ]

... All right. I do-- sort of owe you.

[ For his generosity the first time they met. Curling a hand against her chest, Naminé looks a bit hesitant, but the more she considers it, the less she doubts. With a hint of regret, ]

And it's not easy to learn all on your own. I found that out the hard way.

[ In fact, with power like his, maybe-- it would be advisable for him not to work alone. Or at least, she can easily see how things could go very wrong, and having someone else around - like herself - who can heal potential injuries certainly wouldn't hurt. Rather seriously, ]

So... I'll do my best to help you how I can whenever you ask.

[fishflakes]

Salmon.

[Yes, he means her! He may be an expert in matters involving cursed energy, but it's clear he still has a lot of room to grow here. And since she's got the hang of things here, he's happy to learn from her if she's willing to teach him. So his expression softens and he nods to her, giving her a peace sign.]

Mustard leaf.

[He'll do his best to be a good student!]

[lethechained]

[ That sounds enough like a vote of confidence that some further amount of the tension in her expression ebbs in the wake of it, and falls away entirely at Toge's funny little gesture. Naminé's exhale in reaction sounds a bit like a laugh, her smile returning and settling in along with it. ]

I look forward to working with you?

[ she tries, because what exactly is one meant to say in such a situation? She certainly doesn't have any experience to tell her. Yet her features are warm enough; it might sound like a question, but she means it. Something seems to occur to her, then, and she gives a small, 'oh.' Glancing toward the nearby trunk to indicate her meaning, ]

By the way - did you accomplish what you set out to do?

[ Since it looked like he was clearly trying to work with the tree before she disturbed him. ]

[fishflakes]

Tuna mayo.

[He honestly looks forward to working with her, too. Even if he can't verbalize it completely, he wants her to know that the feeling is mutual. Though, given her warm expression and smile, he has a feeling she understands what he's trying to say.]

[At her question, he blinks and looks up at the tree. Well, he was still figuring out the basics of it, but... yeah, he had. He nods, turning back to her.]

Salmon, salmon.

[lethechained]

[ She gets enough of the point, going by those exact indications. Even with her natural hesitation about assuming too much when it comes to how welcome she is, Toge is the one who asked for her help. It's hard to have it spelled out any more clearly than that, having seen it written on the page in plain words.

Naminé echoes the nod in response to his affirmative, looking pleased - and maybe a little bit proud. ]

Good...! With any luck, maybe you'll be more comfortable from now on.

[ Both with the new power they've all been afforded and the temperature in his treehouse, since she'd surmised that problem as well. Her weight shifts back, then she turns to retrieve her basket from where she set it down, both hands grasping it carefully. ]

In that case - I should probably keep moving. [ Aware of the container she's holding and its contents, she looks momentarily bashful with her, ] I'd offer you some of these, but I'm sure you've already got more vegetables than you know what to do with, too.

[ Since they both helped out at the farm, that is. ]

[fishflakes]

Salted cod roe.

[It definitely looks like he can make this at least a little more comfortable. And if there's adjustments or mistakes made along the way, well, he knows he can ask her for help.]

[He looks over her basket, humming a bit and nodding. Yeah, he definitely has his own haul of veggies from helping out at the farm. He pauses to write some stuff down, showing it to her.]

I managed to grab some seeds from the farm too. If you wanted to try your hand at some gardening I can give you some.

[lethechained]

[ Naminé holds the basket a little higher for Toge while he has a look, then lets it sink again once he seems to have come to a decision. His offer appears to surprise her, her brows lifting as she brings her eyes up from the message. ]

Oh, you garden? [ That seems to be the implication if he saw fit to gather seeds. Or-- perhaps he's just now taking it up? Humming thoughtfully, ] Well... I hadn't really thought about doing that.

[ It'd be very practical, though, and it's not like they're having any shortage for room to grow things. (Having lived in dire circumstances before, in fact, Naminé can't help thinking maybe she'd be silly to reject the idea when the skill could prove valuable later.) ]

I, um, don't think I'd know where to start, but... it does seem like it would be a good idea to learn, if you have some extra seeds you can spare.

[fishflakes]

[Toge offers her a small shrug, before he writes down another sentence for her to read.]

I'm not an expert, but I used to take care of the plants around my school back home. So I could show you a few things

[He knows there's also the communal gardens, but he does like the idea of his own personal little garden project. He gives her a nod and a thumbs up.]

Salmon.

[lethechained]

[ Glancing back up from the paper, Naminé gives a small nod in response. ]

That's still more experience than I've got.

[ So he's as suitable a teacher as any in that respect. ]

Now that I think about it - this makes it kind of like a trade, doesn't it? I help you with magic, you help me learn to garden...!

[ Everything's a little more balanced, this way. ]

[fishflakes]

[Huh... when she puts it like that, it is like a trade, isn't it? He nods to her, smiling under his collar.]

Salmon, salmon.

[It sure sounded like a fair trade to him! Both of them helping each other out was a good thing, wasn't it?]

[lethechained]

[ Seeing the indications of Toge's smile over his collar, Naminé offers a warm one in response. Perhaps they both feel better when things are even...? ]

Alright, then. If we're in agreement...!

[ What a lovely day it's been so far, to have been able to help so many people in one afternoon. ]

I suppose I can't do much with seeds until you give me a lesson, so-- unless you'd like to teach me now, we can meet again some other day?

[ Gotta give the poor fellow the chance to attend to his business after she's distracted him this long already. ]

[fishflakes]

Salmon.

[Toge says it with a nod and an arching gesture with his finger; trying to indicate that he's okay with teaching her another day. He doesn't wanna keep her longer if she's busy, and plus he does still have some practice to do. But he's looking forward to it. It's not often he gets to be the one to teach someone else something, after all.]

Kombu.

[lethechained]

[ There's a hesitant expression that flickers across her face at his gesture, but she can make the connection well enough. Smile coming back, she lifts her hand to offer a small wave as she takes a step away from Toge. ]

Okay. I'll-- see you later...!

[ Some other day, indeed. Though she feels a bit shy, the curve to Naminé's mouth widens a little with her parting, ]

And good luck. I'm sure you'll do well with some practice.

[ With her encouragement thus provided, she'll turn to go on her way. ]