|
|
Post by MAKARA SOM on Dec 17, 2013 20:32:04 GMT -8
If his fate had gone a different way, Makara liked to think he'd have spent his life in the rural parts of Cambodia. He'd have relaxed under the kapok trees, and maybe helped with a family farm. He'd always liked the outdoors, and while there was a certain amount of peace to them, anything too similar to the jungles of Cambodia made him nervous. Out in a forest, even a different kind of forest, it was often hard to avoid thinking back. Was that a gun he saw poking around the edge of a tree? Was that a mine half buried under some leaves?
So he stayed away from forests. Parks were a bit better, and parks in the city best of all. There were still the familiar sounds of the city nearby, and the trees were far enough apart and so different from those in Cambodia that it was hard for his mind to connect the two. That wasn't to say it didn't wander back on occasion, but it wasn't anything as bad as a walk through the forest would have done.
It had a calming effect, being around nature, even if the park was't particularly natural. There were trees planted in neat rows, with a little walking path cutting through the grass, and benches here and there with little plaques on the back indicating whose memory they had been purchased in. Little shrubs lined the path, and here and there were little gardens filled with flowers just starting to show their colors.
It was one of the shrubs that had caught Makara's attention on the walk. It was early in the morning, and anyone supposed to be at work was already there. Those that weren't supposed to work were no doubt still in bed, but Makara never slept for long and it wasn't strange to see him out even earlier then six. The path was mostly empty when he'd spotted it, a shrub that had been knocked over by something. It might have been an animal, but Makara suspected it was a person. Something had hit it hard enough to knock it right over, the roots dragged up and out of the spoil and hanging exposed in the air.
He could have ignored it, but he didn't, heading over and kneeling beside it. It wasn't very big, almost to his waist, and he was careful as he reached into the shrub to grip at the trunk, or what was closest to a trunk on the damn thing. Righting it was the first order of business, and then getting the roots all underground was the second. |
|
|
|
|
Post by ALEXUS LOVELL on Jan 2, 2014 14:50:02 GMT -8
As per usual, the morning was rather uneventful for Alexus. She woke up early so that she could scout amongst large throngs of people on their way to work (nothing happened, surprise, surprise) before picking up a light breakfast and heading to the zoo to begin her job.
She had to admit that she loved her job even if it often meant dealing with annoying tourists and people that could care less about the animals and even less about the amazing variety of plant life their planet had to offer. When she didn't have to deal with people, all she had to do was take care of the plants in her area including her beloved trees. Plants were nice. You give them proper care and they in turn gave you fresh air and supplies and beauty and never forced you. Or talked. Or complained for that matter.
Now that the early morning crowd was gone, the park that Alexus was walking through was quiet and devoid of people and it was perfect. How she wished that she could live in the woods away from the city. Then she could have a large garden and only have to interact with her family people when necessary.
She hadn't expected to see anyone else until she noticed a tiny figure hunched over ahead. In his (it was a he right? He was rather tiny and had long hair) hands was a shrub and from the looks of it it had been uprooted.
"What happened here?" Alexus asked. If it had been this person that had uprooted the shrub she would be incredibly upset.
|
|
|
|
Post by MAKARA SOM on Jan 2, 2014 19:17:04 GMT -8
If she had thought he was a woman, it would hardly be the first time. In Cambodia people didn't make that mistake, but in America, where people were used to men being significantly taller then he was, the mistake was made more often then Makara would ever care to admit. He knew that he was small, but it was still mildly annoying to be mistaken for a woman. Most people were tactful enough not to say much of anything, and it was rare that he was forced to actually deal with such a situation.
Makara heard footsteps and paid them little mind. It wasn't until they stopped walking that he tensed, waiting for them to pass. They didn't, and for a brief moment, he feared they were going to attack him. His back was exposed--it would be easy to strike him where he squatted, to take advantage of his kindness towards the shrub to relieve him of his wallet.
But his old instincts proved to be unfounded. The voice was female and fairly soft, and was simply inquiring. Probably she thought he had lost something, and was checking to make sure he was alright. Makara couldn't have said he would do the same, but he paused, the roots half buried, and considered straightening up to greet her properly before deciding that doing so would simply undo the work he'd already done with the plant.
"Someone knocked the plant over. I'm just reburying the roots." Was he using the right words? Probably not, but it was close enough that he assumed most people would be able to understand what he was talking about. He disliked being in such a prone position, but he'd decided that he'd have to live with it around the time that he'd decided to try and replant it.
ALEXUS LOVELL | MAY 16TH, 9AM |
|
|
|
|
Post by ALEXUS LOVELL on Jan 6, 2014 11:18:27 GMT -8
Alexus had found it a bit odd that he had automatically stiffened as she approached but decided not to put too much thought into it. It was suspicious but to look further into it not only implied that she highly cared about her job but it also made herself feel much too paranoid for her liking.
Upon closer inspection it was obvious that the person tending to the shrub was a man - albeit said man was incredibly tiny and thin. Alexus was glad now that she hadn't called out something along the lines of "ma'am" or "miss." That would have been incredibly awkward.
The man's response brought a small smile to Alexus' face. She wished that she could have been there to prevent the shrub from being knocked over in the first place but there's no way to go back in time and it wouldn't have been good to have gotten in trouble for fighting over a plant. Still, it was nice to meet another human being that actually cared for flora. Most people would have just left the shrub to die because they didn't care enough to upright it.
"That's really kind of you. Would you like some help?" She was dressed casually this morning in only jeans and a shirt so she didn't mind a bit of dirt. She never minded getting dirty as long plants were involved.
|
|
|
|
Post by MAKARA SOM on Jan 6, 2014 15:17:07 GMT -8
The woman was thin, but Makara was too familiar with thin bodies to think she was hungry thin. Even though he could only see bits of skin, it was easy enough for him to see that she was the athletic type of skinny--the kind that probably went for a run every morning before breakfast, and never felt the need to count calories. For that matter, she'd never starved either--you didn't build that kind of muscle without being able to eat decent food regularly.
He hadn't thought of it is particularly kind, but he supposed that someone could see it that way. There wasn't an exact reason that he'd opened to fix the bush. Because it made it look better? Because he believed plants deserved a chance? No, it was something more basic--something like 'he felt like it'. It was impossible for him to explain why he had chosen to do it to himself, let alone to anyone else, and he didn't bother to correct her statement, even if he did feel that it was wrong. He simply chose to respond to her offer of help, shifting slightly to give her some room.
"I'm pressing the roots down, but I'mm having a hard time keeping it in place while also burying the roots. Can you just shovel the dirt onto the roots?" While he held it of course, which would require burying his hands in dirt, but Makara had absolutely zero worry about getting dirty. ALEXUS LOVELL | MAY 16TH, 9AM |
|
|
|
|
Post by ALEXUS LOVELL on Feb 13, 2014 7:13:43 GMT -8
Alexus was being scrutinized. She could tell. She hadn’t gone through hell and back in training just to be let loose in the world with nothing but a lighter and some incense. Being able to read people was just as important when it came to finding those that have been awakened. While she wasn’t perfect - and she was far from being as capable as some of the higher ranked members – she could do this much at least.
However, just being able to read posture and expression could only do so much. She had no idea what he was thinking or what in the world she was being scrutinized for. She half expected him to decline her offer but was pleasantly pleased when he shifted slightly to provide room for her.
”Yes, of course.” Alexus knelt down next to the plant and began to shovel the dirt onto the roots while the man held it in place. Arguably, unlike Makara, Alexus actually cared about the plant and felt that it deserved the chance to live. Plants provide so much for the world and yet humans were so careless with them. It doesn’t hurt to give plants a bit of love. They do keep the entire planet alive, after all.
Alexus studied the shrub while performing the mindless ask of shoveling dirt. ”Now that I look at it, she began. ”Ee might want to be careful when touching this. This kind of looks like flannelbush shrub.”
|
|
|
|
Post by MAKARA SOM on Feb 16, 2014 17:49:29 GMT -8
Well, it was a bit late for that. He was already touching it--pressing the roots down with thin fingers, keeping them flat as the girl shoveled dirt over them. As the dirt built up, he slid his hands out, careful to avoid dislodging it all as he patted the dirt down, doing his best to make sure the shrub didn't flop over and undo the work they'd just done.
"Too late for that. I've never heard of it though." What was a Flannelbush? Was he supposed to be worried? Was that bad? He was smart enough to keep his hands away from his body, frowning at them as if they'd suddenly become poisonous, even though they showed no ill effects at the moment. "Roots or leaves?" He asked, familiar enough with the dangers of poisonous and irritating vegetation to know that most plants tended to be one or the other, as opposed to both. He was hoping it was leaves--his contact had been mostly with the roots, and unless it was a particularly bad plant (which he doubted--something that was horrible wasn't going to be planted beside a path)--he would be fine.
If not, well, there was a hospital not too far away.
ALEXUS LOVELL | MAY 16TH, 9AM |
|
|
|
|
Post by ALEXUS LOVELL on Feb 16, 2014 19:22:07 GMT -8
Alexus pitied the man. Truly she did. Not only did he seem to care about plants, he made the mistake of mentioning that he did not know what a flannelbush was. Cue a somewhat long speech detailing information about the shrubs that most people could care less about.
”Flannelbush refer to two known species of shrubs that can be found in the Midwestern United States and Mexixo. The ones most common to California are known as Fremontodendron Californicum. The flowers really are quite pretty when the bloom.” Flannelbush really were so underappreciated.
”Oh don’t worry,” Alexus continued in lieu of the question. ”It’s just the leaves and at most it will cause some mild skin irritation. Some hydrocortisone should do the trick if you do happen to get some on your skin.”
|
|
