lifeaftr | [Open Log] parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme

Entry tags:

[Open Log] parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme

Who: Muffet and YOU (plus closed prompts for a couple people).
What: Gardening and home improvement, island-style.
When: The 15th.
Where: Islet 3, and various points around Enso.
Warnings: ~~Arachnophobia?~~ None I can think of, but if any come up I'll add them.

remember me to the one who lives there:
[If you're passing by Muffet's house that afternoon, you might see her up and about- emphasis on up.]

[Her repairs to her little islet home seem largely completed, with half of the building covered by a neatly repaired wooden roof, over a comfortable little room... but the other half is deliberately open to the sky.]

[Instead of putting a roof over the other half of the house, Muffet has strung a large web of her own silk over the top, blocking entry to curious animals but letting the sun and rain through. The reason for this will become obvious with a bit of looking- she's turned the uncovered half of the house into a walled-in garden.]

[The roughly-made wooden floorboards she put down stop where the roof does, leaving the bare dirt free for planting, and she's taken advantage of the space to grow bountiful amounts of various edible plants somewhere she can keep scavengers from getting at them. In the very center of the garden, pride of place is given to a healthy young pear tree.]

[And as for the lady of the house herself?]

[Well, she is a spider- which is probably why she looks perfectly comfortable walking around on top of her web. She surveys the garden from her rooftop vantage point, standing casually on a single silken thread. She seems pleased with how her work is coming along.]

and sow it all over:
[Or maybe you're at one of a dozen different spots on the main island- by the lake where blackberries grow, a spot in the marsh that has carrots, or really anywhere that an edible plant can be found.]

[She works carefully, taking only a very small amount of any one thing to transplant into her garden. Still, there's more than she can carry alone, which is probably why she's very carefully tying the latest portion of her gardening haul onto the back of a...]

[Wait, what is that?]

[For all its' odd appearance, though, the... cupcake beast? Muffin monster, maybe? Well, whatever it is, it seems pretty docile, calmly accepting whatever Muffet has it carry and following her lead around the island unprompted.]

tell her to buy me an acre of land [closed to Taako and Lup]:
[Oddly enough, there seems to be one area out in the front of the house that she's cleared neatly but hasn't planted anything in, a decent-sized spot in the shade of a nearby coconut tree.]

[She's been saving that spot for a while- specifically, for as long as she needed to make sure the rest of her house was in order, so she could be sure she wouldn't have to move again too soon.]

[Because as much as she appreciates Taako's offer to build her an oven, she knows the twins are probably going to charge enough that she won't want to pay it twice.]

[Now seems like a good time to start negotiating.]

answer as many for me [closed to Ignis]
[The bulk of her garden is kept within the house walls, where she can keep it safe, but Muffet isn't one to waste space. All along the sides and back of her house she's planted more crops, and she hums softly to herself while she tends to them.]

[Passing by, someone might just happen to hear a pleasant little tune...]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Even before losing his vision, Ignis was good at listening to what was going on around him. In his view, there is so much people miss by talking just for the sake of talking. For instance, a little listening today brings him word that a certain Muffet has been doing a lot of gardening around and in her home. Considering he is looking for a good place for a few special plants that have come into his possession, this is very valuable information indeed.

He's been across the rickety bridge to islet three a couple of times now, so traversing it isn't as hard as it was the first time. Listening closely for some indication as to what house she's at nets him a gently hummed tune as his guide. After listening to her for a moment, he clears his throat softly to get her attention.]

Someone is certainly a busy bee today. Would you like a little assistance?

[Well, that sounds like a run of the mill greeting, but what can it be he's hiding oh so innocently behind his back?]

[Muffet blinks curiously at the way he's standing, then smiles as she realizes. Somebody's up to something, hmm? Looks like he's having fun, she'll play along.]

Why, what a thoughtful offer- although, I've gotten most of my work done today already. Did you have something specific in mind?

Something specific? No, not really. It's hard to have specifics when you're acting on information gleaned from rumor.

[Ignis looks toward her garden as if he is trying to 'see' what's there. Of course, he can't and it's clearly all an act.]

Though, I'm rather curious to know if there is any space left in your garden. Perhaps a corner where you can make sure there is good drainage? Some plants are dreadfully picky, you know.

Rumor? Nice to know that I can still make myself the talk of the town- or the islet, as it were.

[Muffet replies in a cheerfully amused tone, matching Ignis' own act.]

Hmm, now that you mention it, I can think of a couple places. Does your curiosity tend more towards sunny areas or ones in the shade? After all, one should consider all a particular plant's needs.

Splendid! It just so happens my curiosity tends toward liking light, but we must also make sure it doesn't roast, as the case may be.

[Really? Ignis, must you?]

Constant tropical heat can get to be a bit much for anyone or any-plant, so a little shade won't hurt.

[Ooh, she's definitely curious about this one.]

Of course, moderation is a sensible way to live for anybody- floral or otherwise. If partial shade would be best, I believe there's still a good spot here, around the corner...

And there is room for growth?

[Ignis finally reveals what he is holding behind his back. The coffee plant already has some ripe beans on it making it more easily recognized for what it is.]

A dear friend of mine made a very generous request of the Storyteller because he knows I function better when most of my blood is replaced by caffeine. However, considering we haven't been here long enough to learn weather patterns and the like, I feel very uneasy planting them all in one place. It would be terrible to lose his generous gift all in one fell swoop should Mother Nature turn against us.

[Muffet smiles in delight, seeing the coffee plant for what it is.]

Ah, what a lovely specimen. It would be my pleasure to make sure that it thrives.

To be entirely honest, that sort of concern is the reason why I started this garden in the first place- I thought it best to have a good supply of food here, in case there was ever some kind of trouble on the mainland.

It's never wise to keep all of one's eggs in the same basket as the saying goes. We have no way of knowing if we may lose access to the main island at some point or even the islets themselves as terrible as that would be. I certainly don't want to be forced to start from square one again.

[And while he doesn't say it out loud, Ignis really doesn't feel comfortable being completely dependent on the good will of the Storyteller either.]

Where would you like me to leave this little one for you?

Quite.

[He doesn't need to say it, as it happens- Muffet is reasonably fond of the Storyteller as a person, but she has little to no trust in them as an authority figure. She's not going to be unkind to them, certainly, but the less any of the castaways have to depend on them, the better.]

How about... ah, yes, right here should do nicely.

[Muffet deliberately doesn't try to walk quietly as she heads over to the spot she's chosen, her footsteps clearly audible and easy to follow. Ignis should be able to hear a scraping noise as she marks a deep X over the spot with the tip of one shoe, the furrowed lines deep enough in the dirt that they can easily be found by feel.]

[Ignis is thankful in her forethought and follows quietly to the spot she indicates. Once there, he kneels down, resting the pot nearby and then looking back up at where he believes Muffet to be standing.]

Do you have a small spade or shovel handy or am I doing this the old fashioned way?

[His gloves were originally for driving--not that he can do that anymore--but they will help protect his hands well enough from dirt should the need arise.]

I've managed to cut a rather rough one out of wood- it's more of a shallow bowl than anything, really. Carpentry is not a skill I was terribly familiar with prior to all this.

[She retrieves the makeshift shovel and sets it down beside him, kneeling neatly on the either side of the mark in the dirt.]

It should go more quickly with two of us, at least.

It's not one of mine either, so you need not worry about complaints.

[He feels around until the bowl comes to hand, then pauses.]

Would it be easier for you to use it, than me? I don't mind getting my hands a little dirty. After all, that's what I have these for.

[Ignis tugs on the bottom of one of his gloves to illustrate the point.]

Nonsense, you're the guest here- and you brought me this lovely gift, besides.

[She reaches into the dirt, scooping out a handful and putting it neatly to the side.]

I don't mind getting my hands dirty, either, or else I wouldn't have tried gardening in the first place- although I admit in my case, I did have to take my gloves off before I started. The stains would have been absolutely unmanageable, otherwise.

[Honestly, even with her sense of caution and actual, literal magic, the question of how all six of Muffet's frilly white gloves still looked neat and unsoiled after a good three months on this island was a mystery for the ages.]

[Ignis can't help but laugh as he picks up the bowl and sets to work digging.]

We don't exactly have the best laundry facilities here, do we? I'm amazed what I have has lasted as long as it has, though I do believe my poor gloves--work ones as they are--will succumb to the water and salt here soon enough.

[Keeping something white here of all places? That is definitely a talent, magic or not.]

How long have you been gardening for?

Ah, that's a shame, they're quite stylish.

[Being more magic than biology means she doesn't really need to sweat the way a human would, but she does still wash her clothes for hygiene's sake.]

I suspect most people have been using the river, although that has its' own share of problems- I once did some unintentional fishing there by trying to wash my shirt and pulling a rather unfortunate little creature out along with it. A decent dinner, at least, but it meant I had to wash that shirt out all over again.

[She makes a vague, uncertain noise as she thinks over the answer to his question.]

Mmm, casual gardening I've done for quite a while- after all, it's always nice to have some fresh ingredients on hand to do my baking with, not to mention a good way to save money. More serious efforts like this, though, they're new to me. There's rather a large difference between growing your own food by choice and growing it because you need to, it seems. Still, one adapts as one must.

Well, perhaps when we don't need all our favors from the Storyteller to go to more important things, I will ask for another pair. I don't think that would be too hard to conjurer up.

[Ignis can't help but chuckle lightly at her tale.]

Oh, I have plenty of stories of that nature I can share as well. Such interesting things happen when you have four city boys, for all their training, camping out in the wilds.

[Knowledge is one thing, applying that knowledge is another when ego and the need to 'one up' each other get in the way.]

As much as I like fresh ingredients, I've never had the time to try even casual gardening before. The best I've been able to do is read about it and chat with the vendors at the market where I get my supplies. Even if it's something needed to survive right now, it's still nice to have the chance for once.

That seems fairly minor to me, yes. ...Actually, it occurs to me that there might be people on the island who know how to work with leather, if you could find the materials- some time ago I helped a man by the name of Laurent deal with some rather aggressive wild canine creatures, and he mentioned taking the pelts to someone to get some use out of them.

[She politely muffled a laugh at the image his admission conjures up.]

Oh dear, I can just imagine. Not that I can blame anyone for preferring city life, really- my hometown was the most industrialized region of the entire kingdom. I've just been lucky enough to able to use magic to make up for my inexperience.

[She nods thoughtfully, even if he can't see it.]

I think I know what you mean, a bit- there's something oddly soothing about this kind of thing, knowing that you're planting something that will keep growing and provide for you.

In all honesty, there's plenty about this island I find quite pleasant, the real problem is not having any choice about coming here or going home. If there was... some way of connecting the mana pools to our worlds, let's say, so I could keep running my business and being with my family and friends, visiting this place would be a delight and I'd likely do it at every opportunity.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Open Log] parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme

answer as many for me [closed to Ignis]

Re: answer as many for me [closed to Ignis]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject