doubledollar | IC INBOX

[ he kept his promise!! even if he looks tired and kind of frumpy, instead of the slick-looking otherworldly cosplayer Jun had met him as, the Garden itself was in better shape than when Jun had first left him to his own devices.

it was just far more exhausting work than Vash had expected--partially because he didn't realise what hard work it actually was, and ... because he felt off? As a Plant, he doesn't entirely need sleep, so staying up for long hours to maintenence the garden wasnt the issue; it was that he somehow felt weaker than normal. Just like how he had realised he was missing the ability to tap into many of his latent abilities, he felt weaker than he should be. ...At least, he hoped it wasn't all in his head.

Regardless, at the sound of a familiar voice and people approaching, the gun-toting giant all but spins on his heel towards the voice--immediately letting loose a somewhat loud, definitely goofy laugh in his embarrassment. Shit. Did they hear him? oh no, quick, try to look cool.

Vash grips the rake in his ungloved hand, and gives it a little thump against the ground as he raises the other, covered hand to give a hearty wave at his visitors. ]

Whoa, hey! Unexpected visit, you should have called! I would have cleaned up a bit! [ does he mean the cottage or himself. mystery. ]

I'm alright! I'm super alright, hey, what's that worried look for?

....

Gardening is a lot more heavy lifting than I thought, huh.
Anyway, who's your buddy?

[ nailed it. he's totally fine, see?! ]

[The garden did look better than when he first brought Vash here, Jun was noting that. But Jun was also noting how absolutely exhausted Vash seemed. He was still full of energy according to Jun's senses but-- maybe he couldn't tap into it right now. That seemed to happen with recent isekais.]

Haha, sorry. I wasn't sure if your phone would be charged enough to take calls. [What with the no electricity and all.] I have the day off from school, so I thought I'd check in to see if you were doing alright.

[And yeah he doesn't totally buy Vash's act at all. Sir they saw you pleading with weeds. But he won't immediately call him on it, instead addressing Vash's question]

This is Mikleo, he's my roommate. [That feels like the easiest way to explain it for now] He likes to research ancient places, so I thought he'd like to see this place. And that it'd be nice for you two to meet, of course.

Edited 2023-03-16 13:29 (UTC)

[Mikleo smiles a little as Jun explains his concern. He's... perhaps not so secretly very happy that his friend is out there making other friends! It's good to see Jun come out of his shell a bit.

He raises his hand as a hello when he's introduced.]

Vash, right? It's nice to meet you. I specialize in religious sites, but most ancient places are of interest to me if I'm being honest.

[please let him look around please let him look around please]

[ okay so maybe he did get caught but like, hear him out. he had no idea some plants tried to strangle the life out of other plants, and he'd really like it if they kept to their own lane. it'd likely taken a lot of willpower for him to even start tearing them up in the first place. ]

You know, that's a fair assumption. The battery on it is pretty good, though. I've been going to the library every other day to charge it and bring back books I'm reading, though, so don't worry your head about that, alright?
[ hes gonna flash him his best smile!!!! ....with his hair down and all messy, it's definitely not half as impressive as it might usually look when he's trying to look cool.

His attention turns now to the soft, seafoam-coloured man Jun has brought along with him, brightening again by inches as he's introduced. ]

Nice of you to use your day off just to come all the way out here, though. I appreciate the company. And that's right, Vash the Stampede. Any friend of Jun is a buddy of mine.

[ he's gonna offer a hand for a shake--instinctively using the ungloved hand--to where he promptly almost drops the rake. enjoy the comical yelp and fumble as he grabs for it--and instead offers the gloved hand. ....It's completely cold to the touch, don't mind that. none. ]

Ancient and religious, huh? I don't know if this place is any of that, but. [ he has no idea this is a God's garden. Jun. ] it's got some real amazing plants that the "internet" mentioned are from pretty old times. Stuff that shouldn't really be able to grow in a place like this?? it's pretty interesting.

[Well, he might have failed miserably at looking cool, but Jun will still brighten and praise Vash]

Ah, so you already found the library! That's great! I should've expected a professional wanderer to adapt quickly.

[You did good Vash! But that won't stop Jun from covering his mouth to stop himself from snickering about Vash's fumble with the rake. Smooth moves there stampede. He'll clear his throat and continue]

So you noticed those plants. [He nods. He might as well divulge a little] Like how you wound up here from another world, there's also been places and things that've been transported here from elsewhere. This cottage is one of those places. It came from the same era as the Ancient Greek civilization -- which is about over 2000 years ago? So, there's a number things here that've long been lost to time.

Edited 2023-03-16 17:03 (UTC)

[Mikleo, being a huge nerd, is also pleased to hear that Jun's new friend likes books and visits the library often. Vash's manner is... contagious. It reminds him so much of Sorey, especially in their past lives. Living in a way people saw as rough, but honestly, and with a rustic and friendly touch... yeah, they definitely need to meet sometime.]

I could say the same.

[Mikleo sees that fumble, and hides his own smile behind his free hand. The other shakes Vash's prosthetic one with a firm grip, if not a strong one; Mikleo is left-handed, as it turns out.]

Ancient plants? [The mere mention is enough to make Mikleo brighten on his own, and he almost launches into a volley of questions before visibly composing himself. Right. Be polite. He's practically vibrating under his skin, though. When Jun speaks up, Mikleo pays rapt attention.]

Don't tell me... does this place have silphium? With a proper sample, we could finally put its true identity to the test. I've studied the relevant parts of Ancient Greek history and visited some very important sites myself, but I unfortunately wasn't able to procure anything pertaining to this mystery.

[ look, he's not at all used to being praised by people he didn't risk life and limb to save, so it suits him just fine. But... he lifts his hands to wave at Jun with a small, awkward laugh. ]

I can't take credit where credit's due--I'm sure i'd have found the library on my own, sure, but it's actually thanks to a nice lady named Yasuho that I learned about it. She told me about wifi [ he pronounces it wiffy. ] and the internet. It's fascinating. [ they didn't have anything like that back home--even when he was on a ship hurtling through space. Just databases--and databases only had so much on them.

His attention is once again back on Mikleo, and he's... quietly absorbing all the information that Jun was (late) telling him. This... this suddenly. Makes so much sense. His prosthetic hand is flying up to grip the side of his head as the face he makes is one of mixed shock and embarrassment, snapping those metal fingers and pointing!!!! At his visitors!!! in a sudden Eureka moment. ]

So THAT'S why -- I've got things like Olives and Laurel growing here, and by all the research I've done, those sort of plants, by right, shouldn't even be able to grow in a place like Kaisou. And yet I've been eating olives for days, they grow like crazy.

[ He... gives mikleo a funny look, now, though when he mentions Silphium. His hand moving from where he'd been rapidly pointing, to sliding along the side of his face, deep in thought. ]

What's it... look like. Now that I know that the plants here are subject to being ancient or unidentifiable, I have to admit there are a few I can't quite put the name on. I was planting some red geranium seeds a few days ago, and the part of the garden with the flowers in it have this big swath of flowers that I thought were some off-breed of a wort flower, or daisy.

["Wiffy"....cute. He won't correct him on it.

He gives a nod to both of them, smiling a little at their infectious energy. ]

Mm, that's right. There's plenty of extinct plants. They're also probably helped by the fact that the original creator of this garden...well, let's just say their mastery of plant magic makes my own look like child's play. I'm sure they enchanted this place to help with the plant growth and climate.

[Yeah, that's the easiest way to explain it without outright saying that a god created this garden. He'll look over at Mikleo specifically.]

Just be careful not to disclose this place to anyone in your research, okay? I rather the peace of this place not be disturbed. [For everyone's sake] Though I'd be curious to see if you'd be able to grow any seeds produced here elsewhere.

[Wiffy. Mikleo notices this too, and glances at Jun briefly. Vash is just so... warm. So sunny and warm, like this little cottage and its garden. Even Mikleo with his inherent distrust of people can't help but be charmed by this adorably honest string bean.]

A lot of things that seem out of place in Kaisou are here due to the Spirit Vein's influence. If the creator of this cottage enchanted the place, it would explain the rapid growth as well...

[He's already put the pieces together, but since Jun is being vague, Mikleo won't outright name them either. He does straighten a little when Jun calls him out, though.]

Of course, Jun. I think it would be far easier to transport seeds and experiment with them off premises anyway. Even if someone wasn't living here, I would want to see the peace preserved too.

[Speaking of seeds... He turns back to Vash.]

Part of the reason why silphium has been so elusive to historians is that we only have ancient depictions on currency and descriptions of it to go on. No specimen or remnant has ever been excavated. It could be a type of fennel, wild carrot, or something else. Scientists can't even agree why it died out in the first place.

What we do know is that it was used in early medicine for many ailments, as well as cooking and trade. It could have been the Greco-Roman equivalent of willow bark, but without a sample, we'll never really know.

[ magic of any sort is still a complete mystery to him, so fortunately he doesn't really feel the need to question Jun too deeply on the fact that he'd been given a literal magic garden. because well damn okay that EXPLAINS a few things, for one. ]

Magic that can control the climate and soil, too, huh. This magic stuff can really flip a guy's entire world upside-down. [ he's used to being worried that his own nature would freak people out--but compared to magic, his own existence is starting to feel relatively normal.

(thats probably a good thing?)

His attention is pulled away from where he'd pointed out the flowery part of the garden and its half-dozen plants that aren't quite the same as what good old google says to expect. And now his attention drops, accusatory, at the carrots he'd been battling hard to save from encroaching chokeweeds. ]

Usually when a species dies out, its because their environment isn't suited to them. Something changes, or something is missing. I'm afraid I'm from a planet that isn't quite anything like Earth, so I can't say for sure what could have done it. This is all pretty new to me, too.

But if you wanna take a tour around and take a few samples of things to see if you can't find this ancient, elusive plant, I'd say feel free.

[ he nods at Jun, though. eyebrows furrowing. ] I wanna agree with the sentiment of protecting it, too. Last thing I wanna see is people flocking here to over-harvest some mystery plant for its powerful properties.

Plants also die out when overtaxed, yanno.

[He's been around Mikleo to pick up on when the other is putting pieces together, but he's glad for the guy keeping quiet about it. It's easier that way. So Jun will give a nod towards Vash]

Mm, it really can. Though a person having this level of magical power is extremely rare. Persephone, my friend's mother, was "one-of-a-kind gifted" types. I wouldn't expect this level of power out of the magic users in this city.

[But wow, these two are hitting it off with their nerding. He's glad to see that, clasping his hands together]

Glad we're in agreement then, I can look into wards that should help further protect it. [he can never be too careful]

That said, you two seem to know what you're doing with those ancient plants. So Vash, how about you show Mikleo those plants while I try my hand at the weed problem you're having?

[Because yes sir. He DID over hear your bemoaning.]

[Vash at least doesn't have whistling air between his ears, which is a comfort. Not that Mikleo minds those types either. He's pleasantly surprised by the Stampede's acuteness when it comes to figuring out why exactly plants disappear... His world, whatever it was, might have gone through something.]

You're right on the mark. The two leading theories are desertification of the area and overharvesting, since it seems the original silphium plant had a very narrow range. It could even have been both.

Because of that, I wouldn't divulge the location of the samples even if pressed. Verifying the plants comes first, then we can talk about sustainable cultivars.

[There is no hiding that ✨sparkle✨ in Mikleo's eyes when Vash gives permission to run around. He doesn't take off just yet because he does want Vash to show him around.]

Thanks, Jun. That would really help. Wards aren't my specialty unfortunately... [However.]

There's no running water here, correct? It's just the well? If that's the case, you've done admirably with the watering.

[ vash is an idiot when it matters, it's fine. when it comes to things he actually fully understand, he can nerd along with the best of them. he gives Jun a sort of surprised expression when the guy mentions the owner of the garden is out of the league of most magic users and he finds himself wondering, again, if it's really okay for someone like him to look after it. A hand moving up to scratch the back of his head as all he can really do is have a sort of goofy laugh about it.]

Look, I'm totally fine with weeding and stuff! But I'm not too proud of a guy to turn down help, either. ...I'm normally a lot stronger than this, though, I gotta admit. I don't remember feeling this worn out this... fast. Something to do with this world maybe ? ...Different gravity...

[ He mumbles, a bit to himself, but then offers jun the rake he's been holding.]

Yeah, there's no running water but there's a well, over here, with plenty of water in it. Come on, I'll show ya.

[ and without a second given to wait, the tall noodle man is jogging off to the far side of the garden, towards the well. ]

You gotta toss the bucket in then pull it up.

Haha, don't worry. I don't mind helping! And what you're describing is normal for new arrivals...but I'm sure your strength will come back to you eventually.

[In the meantime, he'll be taking that rake with a "thank you" and kneel down to the carrots to work on the weeds strangling them. Good news, he knows what he's doing! He does have small garden back home.

But yeah go ahead and chat on nerds he'll be over here weeding]

[Mikleo lets Jun explain, since he's been in Kaisou longer and is a little more familiar with what people from other worlds go through from watching it happen. Mikleo's read papers; it's different in that respect.

He gives Jun a little wave, then runs after Vash. It's kind of adorable that he's explaining how to work the well to Mikleo, who has memories of this from his old life but never bothered learning. This will be a fun surprise.]

Right, right...

It seems like there's a healthy amount of water in it. The water table isn't too low.

[He says all of this without even looking in the well. ?????]

You have a lot to water, so I'm wondering if there's an easier way to do it. Maybe a second well, or something to catch runoff... The Greeks and Romans both utilized rainwater and runoff to provide amenities for their cities... Like a temporary cistern?

[He makes a thoughtful noise.]

But for today, I can take care of watering for you.

[ hooo, boy the sigh of relief that vash gives when Jun says it's 'normal' for otherworlders to experience this. That's a load off of his shoulders, for one.

Having left jun to his ~~[ vash's ]~~ weeding, though, he's taking a moment to look down into the stone-hewn well. With the sun high as it was, it's easy to see that Mikleo was indeed right; the water was at a near perfect level without having to worry about it drying out anytime soon.

However... ]

Making something to catch run-off would actually be a brilliant idea. I read about one, once, that collects water through condensation? It doesn't even require rain...
[...he was like, maybe a year old when he read that book, though, so his memory on it is a bit foggy. ...Next thing to look up next time he was at the library, then. ]

It takes about four, five buckets to water the whole thing.

If you wanna do it for me, you'd be doing me a huge favor.

I can bring the buckets up, at least? [ he has no idea what's about to happen, here. ]

Oh, that's a great idea. This climate is pretty wet, so you might as well make use of it. I imagine we'll get at least one more round of snow before the weather turns nice for summer.

[It might be fun to build stuff, like a science project. He hopes Jun doesn't mind helping Vash if it's necessary. Though, in terms of height... Vash is kind of on his own.]

Four or five buckets... That's not as bad as I thought, but it would take some pressure off if you had a way of storing it. Let gravity do the work.

[He smiles at Vash, and this time there's just a little bit of mischief in it.]

Don't bother. I suggest stepping back from the well, though.

[He waits for Vash to comply, and then he gets to work. Mikleo closes his eyes and sweeps his arms through the air, which probably seems very strange to someone not knowing what's happening... but it isn't more than three seconds later that the water comes gushing out of the well like a fountain, except it doesn't run everywhere or waste a single drop. It gathers into a glittering sphere in midair that is, in fact, about five buckets' worth.

The seraph makes a circle gesture with his left hand, and the sphere begins to spin and flatten into a sort of disc shape. A few seconds later the sphere explodes into millions of droplets, raining pleasantly over the plants in the area yet also leaving Vash and his guests untouched. There is a Jun-shaped dry circle where he's standing.

A rainbow hangs in the air where the mist is still dissipating. Mikleo brushes his hands together.]

That should take care of it for the next day or two.

I'd like that. I've never seen snow before, I'd like to experience a snowfall before it goes away.

[ because while rain was one thing, the thought of the big, fat fluffy snowflakes he'd seen only on a fuzzy computer screen seemed like some sort of wild dream. ...Not as if he didn't have a different kind of reckoning for his brain coming to him as Mikleo suggests he takes a wide berth from the well.

He has the bucket-attached-to rope in his hands and to put it gently he looks baffled when he's told to move. The bucket is pretty big--likely meant more for watering than it was for retrieving water, so five buckets of it was a considerable amount, but.

What was? The point of moving away? He puts the bucket down on the lip of the well, and with the help of rather long legs it only takes a stride or two to back up from it--only for Mikleo to start... dancing?
He works at Zulius' theatre at night, he's seen this sort of thing before, and almost has a moment to question it.

Almost.

The words stolen from his throat as the sound of rushing water fills his ears, and he has to watch in startled wonder--shocked disbelief--as the other controls a sort of magic he was fully not prepared for.

the water moves and flows through the air as it has a life of its own--controlled by the gesturing and flourish of his new friend's hands. Vash nearly afraid to blink, in case he misses a moment of it. He's sure he DOES blink, though, as that large, flat disc of water suddenly disappates; falling over the garden miraculously. Doing a job that would have taken Vash maybe an hour, maybe two to do on his own.

And he's left, staring, mouth agape at the man as if he'd just witnessed an act of god. ]

[ Give him a moment to recover.
He goes from shocked and silent, to laughing. Raucously, like a madman--both hands in front of him, squeezed into tight fists before he's all but racing over to Mikleo.

Personal space? Vash doesn't know her. He's grabbing the Seraph by his shoulders and SHAKING him, an experession as bright as the sun itself on his face. ]

That was.

Hands down.

The GREATEST magic feat I've ever seen?? How did you do that? How did you--

Did the--
Jun didn't even get wet, I

All of the plants, that's more effective than even I--

[ he can barely get his words out before he's laughing again, and it's taking every ounce of his restraint not to lift this tiny man up into the air like he belongs there??? ]

[Jun had been focusing on the weeds, but looked over when he heard the sound of water being moved around. Even though he was a holy knight and a vessel to Mikleo and had even seen Mikleo water their apartment garden many times- it's still a sight to behold. No wonder the seraph would get worship

He's got a smile on his face as he raises his voice so he can be heard]

Pretty impressive, isn't it? Mikleo's really talented!

[Mikleo looks over at Vash only to see the other man running at him. He gets shaken but it's a happy kind of shaking, and reminds him terribly of the Sorey he saw in his memories, which does very little to help how dizzy he is when Vash lets him go.]

Whoa! [Okay, okay. He's embarrassed, but a little happy all the same. He tries to fix his cape, which is all over the place.] Don't worry about it. I-it was nothing.

[If he gets lifted up then he'll just have to accept his fate. He weighs like ten pounds wet.]

I'm a water seraph, [he says by way of explanation.] So water is a part of me, or maybe it's more accurate to say that I'm a part of the water. Seraphim are nature spirits born of natural phenomena like waterfalls, mountains, lightning storms, that sort of thing. But, I was born a human in this world and became a seraph later, like most people who end up remembering things suddenly.

[He glances briefly over at Jun.]

... He says I'm talented, but he hasn't even broken a sweat over there.

[ he won't overdo it--mikleo is just a guy, not a martini. He'll even smooth over part of his sleeve before taking his hands back to himself to look over the garden space with a beaming grin on his face, the sparkling mist really adding to the beauty of the thing, even if just for a minute. ]

Nothing? Maybe not for you, but you just did the work that'd take me at least an hour about. What was that, Jun, ten seconds??

Talented doesn't even cover it!

[ he's absolutely listening, though, as Mikleo drops the deets on why he was so talented with water, and for a moment, he... actually looks amazed. His eyebrows lifting up past his messy hairline, and a warm smile moving up onto his face. ]

I didn't know such beings existed. A spiritual being born from water, huh. Anything really is possible in this world, isn't it.

[ his boss being half-zebra, people with cat-ears and dragon wings--it's... doing wonders for his mental health, that. While he isn't about to offer up that he's not human either, mikleo
please know
youve just done the lion's share in making him feel like he isn't out of place here. and that's a lot.

He casts a long glance over at Jun now, who is doing a good job at finishing the weeding issue, waving his prosthetic arm with a grin.]

Well, I assume if Jun can make plants, he can pull them up pretty good, too.

They're related, right.

Just about, yep!

[Jun was staying out of the conversation besides confirming the time, continuing to focus on weeding. It's only when Mikleo brings him up to try to draw the attention off Mikleo does he look back over at them once more. ]

...Orrrrr its because I've only been weeding for two minutes. If I was already getting sweaty, it'd be a sign I was really out of shape.

[Come on guys I know neither of you are humans but still this isn't crazy even by normal people standards.]

[He's glad when his wild ride is over. He's still blushing a bit, though. It seems that Mikleo has a hard time accepting praise.]

If you look around and listen, you'll find that a lot of us aren't completely human. Some people are cursed, some were changed because of the Spirit Vein, and some were just born looking different. Everyone gets treated the same since we're all in this together.

[Which is far better than normal society. Mikleo might have an inconvenient life, but he knows it's charmed in a way that he couldn't have imagined as a boy.]

That's true, but—he's just strong.

[He places his hands on his hips and wrinkles his nose at Jun.]

Are you calling me out of shape? This is the shape I've always been!

[long

and

stringy]

Has it only been two minutes?

[ that whole water thing felt like it took much longer, but maybe he prolonged it in his head because it was... well. it was damn pretty, and he still hasn't fully recovered from it.

He's thinking about what Mikleo said, though, and the smile on his face is becoming warm--even though the water spirit is saying some concerning things about being cursed. ...Being treated the same feels... fine. It's, for once, a weight off his shoulders that he didn't realise he'd been holding. Maybe one day he'll feel he can tell his own secrets. For now he'll just nod his head. ]

I work at a bar at night, in the city. And my boss actually told me that people can change suddenly, overnight after being human. It feels startling to me, but. So long as people can be comfortable with themselves and others...

[ . . .. . . . . . .

. . .. . . . ..

. .. . . .

he's gonna poke Mikleo's side. string bean. ]

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