ibara no ame
Phantom
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ibara no ame
Phantom
ibara no ame
Phantom
- ⊱ Ｓ Ｈ Ｏ Ｄ Ａxx ｍ ｉ ｚ ｏ ｔ ｅ ⊰
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀xx▀x▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀x▀▀
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ﹝ тнє ｔｒｏｕｂｌｅｄ sριяιтυαℓ ɢυιᴅє ﹞
- The day was far too warm for Shoda, who was used to staying among the shelter of the trees in the mountain shrine near the seaside city he was raised in. The seaside was always somewhat chilly as well, and the sea breeze cooled the buildings. It was different in Horizon, where the sea was far away. The looming forest gave some shade, but not much. They'd built the village so the sun would fall on it during all seasons. There was some relief to be gained along the river banks, but the water was fast in places and Shoda wasn't good at swimming. The shack he lived in with the Healer, which also doubled as their makeshift business locations, if that's what they could be called, was dark and stifling. A small fire had to be maintained inside in case there was a need to quickly boil water or make tea. He was sure a better system existed, but they didn't have the ability to seek them out now. They needed to figure out life there so they could all survive the winter. A bit of discomfort was better than full suffering.
He sat outside, in a shady space caused by shack as the sun rose higher and higher as the morning progressed. He sat with his arms folded over his knees and his chin resting upon those. There was bound to be something he could do to make himself useful, but he was tired and had been for a season. His tiredness was both physical and mental, which made it even more difficult. His job made him one of the council members of the village. He hadn't chosen it, but he did interact with the villagers and knew their concerns and worries well. He was a good person to suggest solutions and the direction of the village, he supposed, but it was so much responsibility. His job alone required him to take on more than he could deal with sometimes, but here there was no way to escape it or relax. There was always work to do and things to worry about. There weren't many of them. Some were lost along the way. Perhaps the population would increase a bit in the coming year, actually - he knew it would - but it would be a few years before any children could help. Maybe more people should've come with them, but it was a huge risk. He hadn't even been sure he was brave enough to come, and he still woke up some mornings wondering if he'd made a mistake.
Too many worries and too many responsibilities. That wasn't going to stop him, he just had to find the will to distract himself with work. The village had been peaceful lately, and they'd even built a wall along the forest's edge. It would probably not keep the native people's away from them, they were encroaching on their land after all, he'd be annoyed too, but it did give the people some hope and peace of mind. He had to admit, they'd made a lot of progress in the short time they'd been there. The first days had been exhausting as they worked to build shelters and get a store of food and materials. They had to get the animals penned up and the crop fields started though it was late in the season. Thankfully it was a good location and nothing had failed beyond their abilities to save. Everyone was too busy working to do much else. He only knew a handful of the villagers well, particularly Mary, who did general work here and there, mostly at the farm. They'd become fast friends on the trip there and he was looking forward to their friendship improving even more.
It was hard to find time to make friends and socialize with all the work there was to do. He tried to interact with her when there was time but she was...cranky lately. Being around her made him stressed because he didn't know what to do to make her happier or calm her mind. That was his job, that's what he was good at. There was too much going on between them, and not going on, to make that easy. Whenever he tried she got upset. They were still friends, he was sure of it, but things were difficult. They had to keep to themselves. Mostly. It was surely hot though, even if the morning was just starting. He looked around the small village to the people milling about. The land was flat, which was good to locate people easily. He found her quickly, her brown hair glinting lightly in the sunshine. He couldn't tell her, he was too embarrassed, but she did have pretty hair. Was that a strange thing for someone in his position to think? He had a responsibility to the people as a whole. He lived for them. He really wasn't supposed to let himself have anything too nice, or love anyone, or...well, it was too late now, wasn't it? He didn't think he loved her, not yet, but had they had the chance he wondered if it would be easy. If she didn't push him away half the time they interacted and if there wasn't so much to do. He pushed his silver-blond hair out of his face and sighed. The circumstances were terrible, he was a horrible person, but the least he could do was try to do the right thing.
He looked up again, locating her in the same place.Of course she was working, like everyone else. She was a hard worker and was determined to keep busy it seemed, contribute to the community and become valuable. She did a lot of work at the farm, having had lots of experience back home. It was good to have people who could help out in that area, as it was very important. He was useless with animals and plants, as far as he knew, but he sometimes helped with maintenance and watering, easy things that he couldn't mess up. He stood up, his legs stiff from the bend-knee position he'd been sitting in for ages, dusted himself off and walked to the river with one of the canteens. Each household had two of them. They'd had the foresight to bring along some useful materials such as that. It was good to have water on hand, but he usually let his go empty because he liked the excuse of going to the river. It was peaceful there, and he liked the sound the flowing water made. He walked there quickly, nodding to people he passed who were hard at work. None of them approached, which he took as a good sign. That meant nothing was wrong. He liked to see the people at ease.
Reaching the river, he paused for just a moment to watch some fish swim around. The fisher was already out throwing in some netting. That would be a good job, to be at the river all the time where it was quiet and cool. He filled the canteen up, shivering at the cold water as it touched his hand despite the hot air around him. He wondered why the water was always so cold. They needed to use it to bathe and wash clothes in, but it was always chilly. He used to like baths, but now it was both a relief and an uncomfortable chore that left him shivering for an hour. He didn't want to think about what would happen once winter came. They'd have to boil water and take sponge baths. He frowned at that awful idea and again questioned his decision to leave civilization. Too late now. He pushed the idea away and focused on the task at hand. Returning the stopper to the canteen, he turned his back on the river and walked toward the farm. He paused on his way to check out the crops, which were growing pretty well, as far as he knew, and to comment about the hot weather with the workers who were weeding the fields. He stopped to pet one of the horses too, still not sure if he was afraid of them or if he liked them. He did like their soft noises and friendly personalities very much. One of the horses belonged to Mary, he thought, but he didn't know which one. Maybe one day she could tell him more about the creatures.
He found her feeding the chickens, her back to him as she scattered the feed around. They'd brought a supply with them, until they could grow the grain, and he thought the chickens mostly foraged on bugs in the grass. The feed was just to supplement their diets, though they'd probably only eat that once winter came along. He hoped they'd have enough. The chickens fluttered around, pecking up the seed from the ground. He didn't really like them, they seemed stupid and made a damn mess. They were useful though, since eggs didn't run out. They were noisy too, especially when feeding. Remembering his intentions, he announced his presence to the busy form before him. "Good Morning, Mary. I brought you some water." he said. Preparing himself for either a cheerful greeting, the sort that had lead them to be friends in the first place, or the darker, grumpy Mary who could nearly make him flee the area for fear of her wrath. He prepared a smile, though it was hard to do in the heat and through the exhaustion, to voicelessly convey his good intentions.
- FARM - CHICKEN AREA ▶ WITH MARY ▶ FEELING TIRED AND NERVOUS ▶ [JOURNAL]
Melnil
Greedy Trader
|| General Helper || Mary Hartford ||
The sun glistened down upon Mary's back as she worked the farmyard, making her sweaty and sticky. It wouldn't have been anything too bothersome, as she was use to working in such heat back home, but the lack of the coastline did make their new settlement warmer. Where there had been a cool breeze to greet her back home, to help ease off the heat and make working much more pleasant, there was only a light one flowing about the settlement now. It was a nice, light breeze, but warmer than she was used too, and it barely did anything to relieve Mary of her present, bothered condition outside working in the dirt. And, with the addition of the growth in her stomach, the heat was even worse to deal with!
By the time she had weeded two rolls of carrots and potatoes Mary already needed a break! She was beginning to feel useless and it was just the first season of her pregnancy! It was so frustrating! Oh what she wouldn't give to have some trees around the farm. At least an apple tree to rest under! Grabbing her few digging tools and stuffing them in her apron pocket, Mary went and sat on the small steps to the farmhouse. It wasn't much, but at least the shade from the house made her a bit more comfortable. After cooling off a bit she'd finish her chores in the yard. Too bad she didn't have the time to take a dip in the creek! Not even enough time to sneak over and wet her feet. The long dress she wore was bothersome too! How else was she to hide her ever growing stomach though? At least it would make more sense nearing Autumn with the cold. Oh what was she going to do? How was she going to keep her secret up? Their secret?
Mary had been too busy to really confined in, or even spend much time with, Shoda. He was the settlements Spiritual Guide and that left him with a lot of duties to attend too, but beyond that he was even part of the council and many people often sought him for advise on everything from where to build to their religious needs. It wasn't like Mary blamed him for the gradual distance that come between them, she had so much work to do herself after all! There was always something to be done with the town starting to dig its roots into the new settlement and when Shoda did find time to seek her out, she was usually tired and emotional, which led to her fussing at him. She felt like she was driving him away sometimes, but she couldn't really help that she was cranky. The baby was really giving it to her recently. Growth spurt or something in there!
She didn't have anyone to seek out for advice, much less to confide in either about her secret! Most days she felt alone and some nights she found herself with damp eyes, but too afraid to cry and draw attention to herself. Of the times she'd went to actually visit with Shoda, or just to chat with him, he'd been busy, or there where too many people around for them to properly talk. How was she to go about talking with him about the child anyways and what they where to do? How could she confess to a religious man about her sins when said man was him? Was it really even a sin? Probably! She knew how it would look to the settlers anyways and how could she let that secret get out when it could hurt her friends reputation? Shoda was her friend before anything after all. They had started as friends and, well, maybe too good of friends right off. On thing led to the next and she thought she was fine and had handled the situation correctly but her stomach said otherwise!
The young woman was tired, stressed really. At least the rest of the crop rolls where starting to look better. Perhaps she should get lost in though more often when working? Mary didn't really remember getting up and walking back over to continue weeding actually. Oh shoot, did she just pull up a carrot? Oops, nothing she couldn't fix. Looking around she noticed a few other crops uprooted, she'd have to fix those too! Perhaps it was time to move onto her next chore, least the fields end up as more weeds than crops. Next on her list of things to assist with was to tend to the chickens, and the chicks! Mary much preferred working with the smaller animals as to the bigger ones. Cows and sheep where cute, but she just found chickens so adorable! Cuddly too! Horses had to be her exception to this however, as she owned one. Mary had always loved riding growing up, but she hardly had the time to take her mare out. Most of the time her lady was helping out by plowing the fields, kind girl as she was.
It didn't take her long to look over the chickens, give them a quick check up of sorts. Not anything as good as a real vet would do, but enough to see that they weren't sick or had lice. No worries there, even the little chicks peeked away at the light feed she gently threw out for them. As boring as the job of feeding chickens might seem, Mary found it very calming, soothing even. The chickens were loud eaters, but the light peeking of the chicks was just too cute. Each little peep was just as good as a sweet wind chime to the young woman. Soothing so much so that Mary didn't even notice Shoda walking over to her.
"Good Morning, Mary. I brought you some water."
The sudden presence of his voice in her ear gave Mary a little start. She jumped lightly and gasped, hugging the small bowl of chick feed to her breast and spilling the rest of it down her dress. Mary felt a mixture of emotions come over her at once. She felt everything from a light scare, slight annoyance, and happiness at seeing who it was that had spoken to her. She felt a little nauseous too, however, but it quickly passed. Taking a breathe to calm herself before she spoke, Mary tried to reign in the feelings she knew would come as they usually did when she saw Shoda. Usually she would get annoyed, mostly due to hormones, also due to how impossible their situation seemed sometimes. Not that it was really his fault, Shoda just seemed to get the butt end of her rage most days.
There was also the longing. How it easy it would be to just step forward and embrace the man she liked. If only it where that simple! But she couldn't! It was frustrating and it hurt! And it was making her sad too! Holding the bowl with one hand, Mary dusted off the chick feed as the small chicks went to claim the food that feel from her dress. “Oh, hey!” She finally spoke, trying to remain as cheerful as she could muster. “Sorry, you startled me! I was to focused on feeding the wee ones here.” Mary explained with a light chuckle as though feeding chickens took much effort. Nearly forgetting that he'd even offered water, Mary spoke, “Thank you! I've not had the chance to head to the creek to refill my canteen yet.”
Mary waited for Shoda to offer the canteen he brought to her. She would have taken it when he offered but out of fear, and embarrassment, in the off chance that she might touch his hand she just waited. Thinking about it, she become more self aware. Oh a sight she must be covered in dirt and all from working outside, plus the chicken feed that now clung to her dress. Mary brushed her hair back from her face with her free hand quickly. Hopefully she wasn't a sight! At least she was acting normal for once though. She was tired, and hot, but that was just from working. It was really hot today though! More so now that the sun was reaching on up into the sky.
She was filling a little light headed and her stomach was a bit fluttery. The latter was probably just Shoda though. She couldn't help but glance at his features a bit, as they stood there. It things weren't so awkward between them, if their lives had been a bit different, maybe she'd have the courage to tell him how she really felt. You'd think little peep, as their code-name for the baby was, would give her that spring in confidence she needed but Mary just stood there, waiting for Shoda to offer the canteen and hoping she'd at least stay in a half decent mood until he left her to return to work.
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where - farm - chicken pen
with - Shoda
etc - ----
Tsubuyaki
Quote:
ibara no ame
Phantom
- ⊱ Ｓ Ｈ Ｏ Ｄ Ａxx ｍ ｉ ｚ ｏ ｔ ｅ ⊰
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀xx▀x▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀x▀▀
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ﹝ тнє ｔｒｏｕｂｌｅｄ sριяιтυαℓ ɢυιᴅє ﹞
- Shoda jumped at the same time Mary did. He felt bad that he’d startled her, and it took him a moment to control himself. He didn’t usually have a jumpy nature, but he was nervous around her, afraid to do or say something wrong. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin this strange, delicate relationship they had. It felt so fragile, and it kept him up at night worrying whether the next day would be the day which would make or break it. He’d gone his whole life not caring about the bachelordom of his profession. It wasn’t a rule, per se, more of a choice and a side-effect of putting others before himself. Yet, the instant he’d met Mary, after living almost 30 years of life feeling in control and confident about his future, suddenly he found himself thinking of alternative possibilities. He’d dated in school, before he took on his job, but they never had any permanence to them or meaning. There wasn’t any connection there. Maybe it was a bond formed by the hard journey from the coast they’d shared, or maybe it was some other mysterious force that drew people together. It was something he’d heard of but never thought was real or thought he’d experience himself. As if he didn’t have enough to think about!
“I’m sorry, Mary!” he cried, exasperated that she was upset. “I should’ve made more noise. I’ve always been told I walk too quietly.” He added. It was true, he used to scare his family, sneaking around corners and surprising them. “Are you alright?” he asked, taking a single step forward before stopping himself. He glanced toward the crop fields where the other workers were. Curses. They couldn’t show how close they were. Not yet. They didn’t want to burden the community. Maybe it wouldn’t be a burden, but he didn’t know what would happen or how they’d react. It wasn’t even for his own sake, though people trusted him and saw him as a responsible person. His current situation was the opposite of responsible!
He couldn’t care though. If he was honest with himself he didn’t care at all. He just wanted to hug her, though maybe not now. It was too hot, and they were both dusty and melting in the heat. He didn’t mind that though, he felt a bit better just seeing her and being near her. Happy that she was being reasonable and communicating with words! He watched her brush a hair from her face and a wave of…something…floated through him. She probably thought she looked gross. Maybe she did, but he was probably nothing to look at either. He should’ve just told her all the things he wanted to say ‘You’re pretty no matter what, Mary’, ‘You’re such a hard worker, Mary’, ‘You’re so brave, Mary!’. All the nice things that he wanted to tell her. He was too embarrassed to say so, too worried it was the wrong thing or that she didn’t feel the same way. His hand even left the canteen he was holding, just briefly, as he had the wild idea to brush away another stray lock that was sticking to her face. He didn’t care at all, but how could he say so when there was so much else left unsaid and so much that needed said?
“Well, they are pretty cute. They run about so, it’s mesmerizing.” he said finally, watching the chickens swarm around Mary's feet where she'd dropped the feed. He held out the canteen for her to take, though very carefully, knowing that if their fingers so much as grazed against each other that he would simply have to embrace her and show her that he still cared. He felt himself trembling lightly, but for which emotion or reason out of many he wasn’t certain. “It’s okay. I needed to go down there anyway, it’s too hot. I saw you out here and thought you’d want some. Especially in this weather…I…” he paused, knowing what he was about to say was one of those things that could be good or wrong. “I worry.” he said, watching her expression to see how she’d react. She didn’t immediately reply, so he jumped right into what he’d been thinking about saying, making sure to keep his voice down. “I know you’ll hate it. I don’t want to annoy you. I promise it’s just because I want you to be okay. But, maybe you could check in with the healer? Since we live together, I know the Healer can be trusted. They are required to maintain confidentiality. It’s just so warm here, and it’s an environment we’re not used to…I don’t want you to get sick.” He said quickly so she wouldn’t have time to stop him. “If nothing else, at least promise you’ll go to the Healer if you feel even a little bit off color…” he added.
It probably made him sound self-concerned, or like he was trying to control her. He knew that, but it was nearly time for her to start considering that everyone was going to know eventually, and the timing was bad, and if the peep was going to survive the winter they would need to make sure everything went smoothly. Yes, ‘they’. He certainly wasn’t going to abandon her or anything of the sort! Even if she pushed him away, he would help from the sidelines if he had to. He frowned, waiting anxiously for her response and half expecting her to throw his canteen at his head instead of drink from it. Maybe he should’ve waited to bring it up until after. She must be hot in the long dress she was wearing. How nice it would be to wear something else! He himself only had long-sleeved clothing, to look more formal and approachable to people who would seek his aid. No matter how she took his words, he would insist she have the water. He would refuse to leave even! If she was feeling up to actually talking about it, how he hoped!, he would stick around a bit. Maybe he could help do some farm work, since the only other option was to go out and try to gather some wild foods. That was always nice, giving him a break. He wished he could invite Mary to go too. The area near the tree-line was bound to be cooler, but she would likely refuse and he didn’t know how to convince her. Especially if he’d just angered her. All he could do was see what she said, and it wasn’t long until he got his answer.
- FARM - CHICKEN AREA ▶ WITH MARY ▶ FEELING TIRED AND NERVOUS ▶ [JOURNAL]
Melnil
Greedy Trader
|| General Helper || Mary Hartford ||
“No, no! It's alright, I just wasn't paying enough attention is all!” Mary blurted out nearly as quickly as Shoda had spoken. “I'm.. I'm fine!” She added, but felt like she was lying. In truth, she was fine with the scare, it was an accident, and she wasn't pay attention. In reality, she wasn't fine, it was hard to be fine when so much went unsaid between them and it was harder to even say what needed to be said with others around. At least their rambles hadn't drawn attention, much anyways, from what Mary could see. The others went about their work, not really within eavesdropping distance of the two of them.
She hadn't noticed that Shoda had slightly bridged the distance between them as she was too preoccupied with trying to keep her emotions in check. Mary felt like she wanted to talk to him, but not here. She didn't dare start a conversation out here where she knew she could say the wrong thing at the right time for others to hear. Mary had half a thought to just take the canteen a leave before she blew up on him but she just stood there biting her lip at the awkwardness between them.
“Hmm?” Mary responded a bit confused at first. Oh he'd meant the chickens she'd just mentioned! “Yes. They can be pretty distracting too, especially when the little ones get to peeping really loud.” Good. She had something to focus on, something to drain away what fuss seemed to build up in her. She'd nearly forgotten about the canteen though, again! Without much thought she reach for the canteen and her forefinger brushed against his hand lightly as she took the container quickly away. She'd noticed her error in judgment just as she'd touched him but quickly brought the canteen to her lips before her mind could linger on what ifs. Maybe she'd just touched the leather strap bound around the canteen? Maybe she was just fooling herself so her mind wouldn't linger?
Worry? Mary let her mind wonder as she blushed lightly, but quickly glanced around at the others working nearby. Was he worrying about her? About the baby? Of course he was! This was Shoda she was talking about, but, just like Shoda there he went flowing into his next sentence and telling her to go and visit the healer again! Oh but he was just worried about her! About the baby! Their baby! Shoda was talking so fast, he wasn't giving her time to even respond!
“Okay! Okay.” Mary blurted out, but tried to keep her voice down. She didn't want to take the risk but she wanted Shoda to stop talking about it too. He was raising too many emotions in her at the moment and too many things where swimming around in her mind, grasping for her attention. She also didn't want to get mad! This was about one of the longest conversations they'd had in a while! Heaven forbid she ruin another conversation!
“I. I don't hate it... I just.. worry.” She quickly added as she turned to the side, not being able to look at him without having a flow of emotions bombard her. Mary tried to busy herself with flicking off the rest of the bird seed stuck to her clothes, having put the bowl under her arm. It wasn't that she hated him trying to help her. It was just that she was worried with the healer finding out, others would. They would soon enough but at least she wanted to be ready for that! At least she could find other places to work if things turned bad, but, what about Shoda? What would he do? Would he stay with her? She was worried about ruining his reputation. At least he was doing something meaningful and worthwhile with his life! How could she take that away from him?
“I'm sorry. I'm not..” Mary had to pause and breathe to contain her emotions. She felt herself annoyed at their present predicament at not being able to properly talk and she kinda wanted to cry. “I'm not mad at you okay!” Okay. That sounded convincing with her raising her voice. She really couldn't talk to him here. She just had fifty things to say to him at once! If only she could explain how she felt with the baby and how it affected her. How it make her emotional and that, that was what was making her seem distant! Mary thrust the canteen back at Shoda, not sure what to do with it. She hadn't meant to thrust it at him but she was getting cranky again.
Things where turning sour, Mary felt it, and it was her fault. Mood and all. Quickly she dug around in her apron pocket for a shred of hope in the form of a scrap piece of paper. “Here. If you want to help out, here is a list of things my work partner and I where to do today, but she had something come up.” Mary said trying to salvage the situation in the hopes of possibly continuing the conversation with work related distractions to focus her anger and frustration on and not Shoda. The list had a few things not marked out. What was left of chores consisted of tending to the sheep, helping prepare food for the workers out in the field, and heading outside the settlement nearby to gather herbs, and other edible and medical sources. “Pick one and we'll do it. If. .if you have time that is, or want too.”
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where - farm - chicken pen
with - Shoda
etc - ----
Tsubuyaki
Quote:
ibara no ame
Phantom
- ⊱ Ｓ Ｈ Ｏ Ｄ Ａxx ｍ ｉ ｚ ｏ ｔ ｅ ⊰
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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ﹝ тнє ｔｒｏｕｂｌｅｄ sριяιтυαℓ ɢυιᴅє ﹞
- Shoda tried not to flinch when their fingers touched. Instead he let himself be relieved that she was drinking something, and turned away slightly to watch the workers in the field. Such a little thing it was, but with things as they were it was the little moments that could make him feel smothered and hopeless. It was a mixed feeling of relief and frustration, though the way she grabbed the container away after it happened gave him a bit of hope. Maybe it wasn't just him. After he'd spoken about the healer, her response nearly made him regret it. It was the wrong place and the wrong time. It always was, but people around were busy in the morning, and still blinking away the sleep and getting into the rhythm of their work. Wouldn't it make sense that they'd pay less attention at such a time? Mary shooed away his words quickly, seeming slightly irritated. He was used to her getting too emotional over things and she had even more reason to do so than he did, but the fact of the matter was it was going be out in the open sooner or later. He didn't really want to announce it to the world himself, but it would happen. He thought it was better to do it over time instead of all at once, so people could get the idea in their minds, maybe wonder on their own before being blasted with the truth.
He glanced again over where the workers were. They weren't paying any attention! She'd turned away and he figured the conversation was lost. She must be upset, since she was fidgeting. He didn't want to push it. It would ultimately be her choice and that didn't bother him, but there'd been no mention of it at all, the future. Not that it could be discussed plainly in the open. Not that they had time to talk about it, but the longer they waited the more stressed they'd be in the end. He wished he could find a way to comfort her, like he did everyone else who needed help. He wasn't concerned at all about what the news would do to him. He hadn't taken any vows or made any promises. He'd done nothing that was so wrong it couldn't be forgiven. He should be married, perhaps, but though they were currently camping and living at the edge of the world, it wasn't prehistoric times. The coastal areas were getting pretty laid-back about people and their personal decisions concerning such things. He wasn't a bad person. It wasn't going to hurt anyone. It wouldn't take food or resources away from anyone else. He would learn how to fish himself if he had to. He'd learn anything so he could contribute more if they wanted him to atone for it. As for his reputation, he'd proven himself already, he was sure of it. They could take him off of the Council if they wanted to. It wouldn't keep him from doing his job. Maybe it would make him seem more human, more relate-able.
She said she wasn't mad at him and forcefully returned the canteen. "I know, I'm sorry." he said, holding the container lightly. That was probably it, the end of the conversation. He would have to find something to do to keep his mind busy for the rest of the day, or find someone to talk to. He stifled a sigh, not wanting to seem like he was irritated or anything himself. He looked up to find Mary searching in her apron pockets for something. Curious that he hadn't been chased away, he watched as she retrieved a piece of paper. She said it was a list of chores, and he took it from her to squint down at it. At least it would give him something to do. At least she hadn't totally shunned him for the day. He glanced over the list quickly. He knew nothing about sheep and was barely good enough at cooking to sustain himself. Half of what he cooked he burnt. The idea of trekking toward the shade of the forest seemed like a nice idea, at least it would be cooler, and he'd have to focus on searching for specific things.
He nodded and was about to return the list to her when she spoke again. Her words surprised him, being completely unexpected. He'd assumed he was being sent away to do the chores, not that she would come along too. "Together?" he asked, not managing well at keeping the joy out of his tone. "I have time. People seem pretty cheerful, with the success of the wall being built. We can take a look at it as we pass it if you like. I haven't seen it yet." he said. It was barely enough of a wall to keep animals in, but maybe it showed the people meant to stay. It at least seemed to give people some encouragement to work harder and made them feel like this dusty camp was becoming a home. He realized as he thought about this that he hadn't informed her of his choice of chores. "Ah, I mean we can go look for some herbs and plants. Toward the forest. It's been quiet lately. I don't think the natives would hurt anyone either." he said. They probably just wanted to try to scare them away. Thankfully, living with the healer, he'd learned a bit about what sorts of herbs to look for and the summer sun seemed good for them. They were plentiful and they'd been gathering lots to dry and store. "It'll be cooler along the tree-line too" he said. "And quieter, if that sounds good to you." he finished, waiting to see if she agreed.
- FARM - CHICKEN AREA ▶ WITH MARY ▶ FEELING RELIEVED ▶ [JOURNAL]
Melnil
Greedy Trader
|| General Helper || Mary Hartford ||
Mary waited patiently as Shoda looked over the list of chores she had left to work on for the day. She wasn't sure what he'd be in the mood for, but the chance to get out of the settlement and have sometime alone together was tempting. Maybe she should have just asked him to come with her instead of resorting to the list? “Of course silly!” Mary retorted lightly as she puffed her cheeks and put her hand on her hip. “I'm not that mean! I wouldn't send you off to do my chores!” She couldn't miss the hint of happiness in his voice when he realized she meant to go with him, but still felt like whacking him on the arm for being so silly as to think she'd send him off to take care of her work alone!
“Good! We'll give the wall a look see once we get there, depending on what you want to do.” Mary replied as she walked over and returned her feed bowl to a table near the farmhouse, making sure to close the feed bag before she returned to Shoda. The wall didn't really interest Mary all that much, not that she wasn't thankful for it, but the thought of getting to do something with Shoda, even if it was just wall gazing, was brightening her mood. Hearing his reply to venture forth near the forest to gather supplies continued to brighten her mood until he mentioned the natives. Mary didn't have anything against them, but she was afraid of them, seeing as they bothered the settlement from time to time. Most likely they where annoyed or scared by the settlers moving out here on what could be their lands, but she wasn't sure what they where capable of to just put it off as them trying to scare the settlers away.
Shoda seemed sure that the natives wouldn't harm anyone, however, and Mary trusted his judgment. It wasn't like they where going off someplace dangerous anyhow, just near the woods and still in sight of the settlement. “A much welcomed change from what I was doing. I ought to recommend to the farmers that we start an orchard next year if we can.” Mary commented to keep up the pleasant small talk. “They probably know what their doing though. Have their own plans and all. It's not like the trees will grow overnight and cool the workers anyhow.” Mary sighed lightly at the thought of fixing everything up and then having to wait for the trees to grow. She'd wanted an adventure and a new start but maybe this was too fresh a start for her?
“Getting a break from the constant clatter of hammers and workers would be lovely! It's a nice morning but one would like to hear the birds for once over the settlement chatter!” Mary huffed this time. She was still in a pleasant mood, but her frustration was showing. At least it wasn't directed at Shoda this time. If anything, he seemed to be helping her calm down somewhat. “Let's go to the stream first so I can refill the canteens though.” Taking the lead, Mary opened the wooden fence that closed off the chicken pen and waited for Shoda to follower her out before closing it and grabbing an arm basket, heading towards the stream.
It only took a minute or two to walk from the farm to the stream and Mary wasn't much worried about being seen with Shoda since they where just walking and talking normally for once. Everyone else seemed to seek him out to speak with him in such a manner and Mary knew they'd probably see the two of them walking together as no different. If things where different though, perhaps they would hold hands? Or lock arms and stroll along as a couple? Hopefully the two of them would get the chance to talk once out in the field. Mary was very unsure about the future. She knew the two of them had become close friends since the journey, but the sudden presence of little peep had, well, complicated things. Moved things along faster than they where ready for?
“Canteen please!” Mary somewhat asked and ordered at the same time as she knelt down to refill her container. She looked back up at Shoda and waited for him to hand down his canteen so she could refill it. Taking the lid off one she stuck it into the water and gasped suddenly. “Gods that's freezing!” She said, gritting her teeth. After filling up the canteens though her hand was used to the cold, but she didn't' feel like soaking her feet anymore. The shade from the treeline of the forest was much preferable. The two didn't exchange much chit chat through the small settlement as they straight for the wall separating the small houses from the forest.
The wall the settlers had built wasn't anything fancy but Mary found it quite quaint and pleasant to look at. She'd seen them gathering up stones, mostly flat and colored ones from the creek to build the wall. It barely come above her waist and she had a mind to plant flowers along it next year if she found the time. “A similar wall around a house would be pretty.” Mary commented without thinking. She wasn't really trying to hint at anything, just thinking about the wall in general. A similar stone wall would be pretty around a house she'd want, while any animal fences would be wooden. As the thought of a future home dawned on her though, so did other questions about their relationship.
Shoda went out of his way to make sure she was doing well, as was the child. Would he want to be a dad? What did he want in his future? There where so many questions she didn't' know where to start! How could she just blurt out, oh hey, you want to be a dad? Want to get a house together? She should start out with the more simpler things, right?! Mary rubbed the back of her foot with her other shoe. Now that they seemed to have a bit of alone time to chat she had no idea where to start! And they where just standing here admiring the wall! “Come on!” Mary said pulling at Shoda's sleeve to lead him along. “Day lights wasting and we ain't even located any herbs yet.” She commented as they made their way around the wall and over to the forest.
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where - near the forest
with - Shoda
etc - ----
Tsubuyaki
Quote:
ibara no ame
Phantom
- ⊱ Ｓ Ｈ Ｏ Ｄ Ａxx ｍ ｉ ｚ ｏ ｔ ｅ ⊰
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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ﹝ тнє ｔｒｏｕｂｌｅｄ sριяιтυαℓ ɢυιᴅє ﹞
- They first walked down to river to refill the canteens. Maybe it had been silly that he thought she'd send him off alone. He'd thought she was asking him to do something for her, to lessen her work load and get rid of him so she wouldn't have the stress of his presence. He was incredibly happy he'd been wrong. It was the first time in nearly a season they'd done something together, and if it was work then no one would question it. Under the shelter of the trees at the edge of the forest, they could maybe even talk a bit. He wasn't going to pry or push her to discuss anything, but maybe the bit of extra privacy would make her feel more comfortable to do so. Even if that didn't end up being the case, he would just be glad to spend time with her, and he didn't try to hide that he was happy about it. There wasn't too much to be happy about lately, with all the worry and work and lack of sleep. They should take what little happiness they could find.
As he waited for her to finish putting away the bowl she'd been using and preparing to go, she made small talk about the wall and presented an interesting idea about future farming methods. An orchard? He'd never thought of that himself, despite all his thinking about how to improve the village. Then again, he was certainly no farmer. "An orchard is a brilliant idea...it would take time to grow them but afterwards they would be reliable across multiple seasons, if they survive." he said. Maybe if they planted them along the river. Even if the trees wouldn't grow quickly, it would be something to aim for. A orchard would be a nice addition, and a place to seek relief from the heat and a peaceful place to rest that was safe and within the village. He hoped they could one day manage it.
The peace and quiet would be nice, he silently agreed as Mary mentioned birds. He hadn't thought about birds for far too long. As someone who's beliefs valued the natural world highly, he felt a bit bad about that. He used to love to listen to birds, and his grandfather had been an avid birdwatcher. He agreed silently though, not wanting to be the sort of person who continuously agreed just to fill the silence. On the way to Horizon, they'd spent a lot of time just sitting together and not talking at all, just keeping each other company. He also didn't want to say anything strange that could damage what was turning out to be a fairly decent day. He followed her to the river silently, letting her lead the way. She carried a basket, made out of some of the reeds that grew by the calmer end of the river. He admired again that she always seemed to know just what to do and moved with such confidence. Even when he was sure she was just as uncertain and lost as he was, she kept her head up and bore it all with dignity. There was no way he'd ever be like that. He put on a good act but he always had a bit too much anxiety and worry lingering in the back of his mind, even over the smallest of things. She made it look easy.
At the river, they stopped to fill the canteens up. He handed her his when she asked for it and looked downriver while she filled them up. The sun was glistening off the water and there were some fish swimming in the shallow area nearby. It was lucky that they'd found a thriving ecosystem to settle by. He hoped they wouldn't overfish and have to travel along the river to catch them, but he wasn't too sure how fish moved either. He looked back to Mary when she gasped at the temperature of the water. "Oh, I should have warned you." he said with a smile. He'd had the same reaction not too long before, though he'd let it slip his mind and hadn't told her to be careful. He took his canteen back once it was filled, thanking her for doing so and tucked it into his belt. He had no other way to carry it. It probably looked silly, and it always fell out while he walked, but it made a sound and he'd never lost it before. He really should find a way of making some sort of basket himself, or having someone do it for him.
They wandered toward the wall and paused before it. He'd wanted to see it, since he'd talked to some of the workers and knew how positive they'd been about it, but it wasn't all that interesting. "Eh..." he shrugged, not wanting to disrespect the hard work that had gone into it, but not honestly able to be too excited about a waist-height wall that was probably not going to do much to stop anything from bothering them. "It looks pretty good at least." he said. He nodded when she mentioned the wall would look good around a house. "It would, wouldn't it? It's the perfect height." he said, thinking about it. The houses they had now were all wood, or a mixture of mud bricks and wood, or just mud. They had to use what was available, and the river was their only source of stone at the moment. They were smallish and smooth, perfect for making walls with, but not ideal. They'd travelled downstream with one of the carts from the journey to collect the stones and bring them to the village, which had been pretty easy. He wondered if he'd ever be able to build a house. Currently he just shared a small shack with the Healer, much like everyone else did. They were hastily built structures mostly made for shelter rather than aesthetics, though some of the more experienced and stronger workers had managed to build things more closely resembling a house. It would just take time.
"We're bound to have the village looking much more homely next year. We just have to be patient. Maybe if I work hard enough I can build a house." he said, sharing his thoughts. He had no delusions that she'd live with him or anything, that would be up to her. Of course, he wished she would she he could help out with the little peep, but until that time came and she was more stable about the whole situation he wouldn't dare bring it up. Frankly, he had no idea what would happen. He'd never thought about it before and doing so lately had just taken him in circles. His own father had been terrible. He spent all his time at the shrine and rarely visited he and his mother, who lived down by the seaside until he took on an apprenticeship at the shrine to follow in his father's footsteps. He like the idea of being out in nature, away from the hustle and bustle of the town, and having something to tend to, the intricacy and meaning of the ceremonies held. It was all perfect for him and his quiet, calm personality. Of course he'd wondered what else he could do with his life. He thought about becoming a sailor, but he was too afraid of the sea, having seen far too many storms and hearing too many tales told by widows of ships lost and lives destroyed. He was all about life, actually. He liked to see the springtime, when the trees and flowers bloomed, and like baby animals and the happiness that new beginnings and the passing of milestones brought. It was the most precious thing to him, but he'd always thought he'd view these things as an outsider.
He'd never been near a baby before. He'd heard them crying, disrupting his sleep at night or startling him with their sudden loudness when families brought them to the shrine for the first time. Their voices would break through the silence and completely shatter it, and he had to admit it had annoyed him. He always wondered why the parents wouldn't just hug the child, feed it, pay attention to it. They always seemed caught up in their own business or not sure what to do, but how hard could it be? Babies only needed a few things that were simple to give them, it was just that the things they needed were constant and the parents got no break at all. At least, that how he'd viewed it. He wouldn't want to be the sort of parent who ignored their kid. He also didn't want to be the sort who ever said 'I don't know" when asked a question. He remembered growing up and wanting to know about everything. His father would shrug away his questions, but his grandfather, who he barely remembered, would always try to find the answer to his questions and always try to show him and share his knowledge. Shoda didn't have much knowledge to offer the little Peep, but if Mary would let him he would certainly try. He would hug the kid if it cried, or feed it, or care for it, and try to teach it all the good and nice things the world had to offer and how to appreciate the little things and always respect and be in awe of nature. That he was certain, and the decision came easily to him. Anything else was too far beyond his understanding to comprehend, but he was sure it would come to him. People had been parents for thousands of years. He could do it. He was certainly caring and determined enough to do his best.
He thought these things to himself as they walked toward the forest, not sharing them with Mary, since it may be too soon to talk about such things. It was more important, he thought, to determine his own feelings and plans, what he was willing to do considering the situation than blindly discuss it without having put any prior thought into it. He wondered what she was thinking. Was she planning on doing it all herself? Would they just stay friends and nothing else? He couldn't say he was excited about the looming transition to parenthood, but he'd already thought up some names and had spent time imagining how he'd handle scenarios. He just wished they could discuss it together as a couple, as adults, than keeping to themselves and wondering what the other had in mind. He, personally, didn't see it changing his life at all. He would keep up his role as a priest. His father had been a priest and a father, though a poor one. He could put in the extra effort. Especially with the town being small, much smaller than his hometown, he didn't see it being any trouble at all.
"So..." he began, breaking the silence as he bend to check a plant growing at the base of a tree. It wasn't what he thought it was, so he passed it by. "Do you like your work? It must be nice to have a variety of things to do. I mostly wander around and talk to people and see if I can help them. It gets a bit tedious sometimes. I don't know if I really help much at all, work-wise..." he admitted. He didn't know much else besides his priestly work, and he didn't yet have a shrine to care for. "I was thinking, once the year turns, of trying to build a small shrine. Nothing big, but something...I don't know if it would be a waste of resources or not." he said, picking up a handful of something he thought was sage. He smelled it and recognized the strong scent. "Found some!" he grinned, presenting it to Mary so she could put it in the basket. "It really is cooler over here..." he remarked. Though the sun was still beaming down as midday approached, the cool air from deeper in the forest radiated outward and got caught in the sparse trees at the edge where they wandered.
He wandered away a bit, but not too far. He'd said there would be no trouble from the natives, and he hoped he was right. He truly believed they wouldn't bother them if they were around, but he looked up and peered into the forest anyway. It was quiet in there, and the sweet sounds of songbirds echoed out. "The birds are nice...I'd somehow forgotten" he commented, mostly to himself. "There are some dandelions over here...those are edible." he said, settling down on his heels to pick some of the leaves. He didn't really like dandelions. He thought yellow flowers were ugly, though he didn't know why. There were sunflowers in his mothers garden and he hated them. Maybe he just didn't like the color yellow. He liked a flower called wisteria...or was it a tree? The way the flowers dangled down always seemed magical to him. He liked the color purple anyway. He also liked roses, and remembered his mother would put rose petals in tea and mix them with leafy vegetables to eat. They also smelled nice.
"Mary?" he asked, hoping what he was about to say wasn't too silly. "What flowers to you like?" He felt much calmer out at the edge of the village. At a glance, you could see all the villagers working on their tasks, but they were toward the southern part of the village and well out of earshot. They could take here among the scattered trees, so he felt brave enough to ask her something personal. They'd gotten to know a bit about each other's backgrounds on the way there, but the little things that you learned over time and through companionship had been overlooked. He looked up so he could watch her face as she considered her answer, and realized he hadn't looked at her much since they'd arrived. Maybe he felt too awkward or afraid someone would see something in the way he looked, but right then he let himself admire her. He wasn't sure if she was pretty or plain, but he thought he could never look at anything else ever again and wouldn't miss a thing. He felt embarrassed at himself but didn't drop his gaze. They were being overly cautious and silly. What did they have to lose anyway? "Mary, he said then, before she'd answered his first question. "We have nothing to lose." and he left it at that, smiling at her and reaching out to place the leaves in the basket.
- THE FOREST'S EDGE ▶ WITH MARY ▶ FEELING OPTIMISTIC & COOLER ▶ [JOURNAL]