[JRP] Potato Mines - Myka x Karta

[bipolar bee]

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Dirt.

There were so many kinds of dirt.

There was dry, crumbly dirt. There was wet dirt that clung together. There was slick, clay-like dirt. There was dirt that had plant-matter in it. There was stinky dirt, there was reddish dirt, there was dirt with big pebbles in it, there was sandy dirt.

Karta loved dirt. Dirt was seriously underrated to most lions in the pride. Dirt was magic. It was malleable. It was multifaceted. You could use dirt to change the color of your pelt. You could use dirt to patch up holes in your den. You could use dirt to build with. You could use dirt to grow things in.

He was always dirty, but when he was around Myka, that didn't matter because she was always dirty too. The plant-grower was fond of her garden, and that meant that Karta was fond of her.

"Myka! It's Karta. I've brought you some mulch!"

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Myka, when she wasn't in her den, was almost always in her garden. It was her own little slice of heaven, and when she was tending to her plants she could lose track of time. In fact, she always lost track of time when she was gardening. Neska helped her to keep track of time; without her dearest friend (who also happened to be a thrall) Myka would undoubtedly forget to eat.

That was how much she adored her garden. Her flowers and plants were utilized as dye and paint by the crafters in the pride, and it felt good to help those who enjoyed her craft.

When Karta called out, Myka glanced up with a grin. He was as dedicated to his dirt as she was to her plants, and it was nice to have someone who shared a similar passion.

"Karta! It's good to see you. You can put the mulch there!"

 

[bipolar bee]

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If his brother or his sister were to ask him if Karta had a little bit of a crush on Myka, he'd deny it outright. That particular claim would undoubtedly be a lie; he'd always thought she was pretty, and she never judged him for being dirty or matted with mud. He took great pride in his skill as a camouflage expert, and Myka always seemed willing to laud his dedication to his craft. They could sit for hours together and speak of dirt, of plants and bees, of flowers and mud.

He felt comfortable with the lioness.

Dropping the large leaf packed with mulch where Myka had instructed him, he quickly padded over to the fawn-colored lioness with interest in his eyes.

"What are you up to today, Myka?"

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Flashing him a sunny smile, Myka gestured towards the large pile of twigs and branches that rested nearby.

"I've got to build some sort of trellis," she chuckled, "and Neska is busy with other duties at the moment. It's difficult to build alone, as it requires two sets of paws. I've this vine here," she lovingly brushed her paw across a long, serpentine plant that rested on the ground, "and it isn't doing well on the ground, so I thought to built some sort of support for it to rest on."

Myka's smile grew larger.

"Thralls come in handy, except when they're doing other things you've requested of them. Neska is on a short journey for me; this is the only time of year that a certain blue-flowered plant drops its seeds, and I've sent her to find some for me."

She laughed abruptly.

"I hate to ask you, but if you're not busy, would you mind helping me?"

 

[bipolar bee]

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Karta returned her smile, moving towards Myka.

"I can do that, Myka," he gingerly stepped into her garden, careful not to trample any of her beloved plants. "Just tell me what needs doing."

He fell silent for a moment, glancing thoughtfully at the pile of branches she'd gathered.

"I have no thrall. Are they really so useful?"

If Myka thought that having a thrall would be beneficial, he might have to look into acquiring one of his own. It would be nice to be able to mix his own muds and dirts without having to worry about cleaning off before running an errand or making a delivery.

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"Oh, Gods, yes," Myka trilled softly, moving towards the edge of the garden before pausing to dig a hole. The dirt was cool on her paw pads, and Myka hummed quietly under her breath.

"I can spend more time doing what I love - gardening - and Neska looks after everything else. I don't have to make deliveries unless I want to, or if I have a large order to make, she can help pack it. You wouldn't think petals would weigh a lot, but they add up when you're carrying around a whole bunch of them! She also carries water for me, helps me dig. She's really very priceless to me."

With a thoughtful sound, Myka pointed at a bare spot a few feet away from where she stood.

"Another hole there, Karta, if you don't mind. Same as the one I'm working on in terms of depth and width."

 

[bipolar bee]

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Karta was quiet as he listened to Myka talk; when she asked him to dig a hole, he obliged with gusto. The earth gave way beneath his rough paws, and he gave a low exhalation of pleasure at the feel of it. The dirt was rich and brown and healthy, proof of the care that Myka took with her plants.

"Perhaps I will find a thrall, then," Karta murmured once Myka had fallen silent. "To aid me in my craft so that I might find more time doing what I love."

He watched Myka as she worked, and hoped that he wasn't too obvious about it.

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"A fine idea, I think, Karta," Myka grinned, moving to pick up a thick branch with her mouth. She positioned it just so before releasing it in the fresh hole she'd dug.

"Hold this, won't you?"

She waited for him to grasp the branch before she filled in the hole around it, firmly anchoring the branch in place. With a giddy giggle, she moved to the next branch, which received the same treatment.

"Perfect. I think it'll work just as I hoped. This vine," she very carefully lifted it before twining it around a few of the smaller offshoots that grew off the branch, "grows berries that add the most delightful red tint to whatever you apply it to."

 

[bipolar bee]

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Karta stepped out of the rather spacious garden, idly pushing a rock back into place from where it'd rolled away from the others that created the border that lined the garden.

"It sounds very pretty," he mumbled, eyeing the dirt that darkened Myka's toes. The sight of it brought a rather large smile to the lion's face, and he lifted his gaze to meet Myka's.

"Well, just let me know if you need more mulch," Karta took a step back, "and I'll take your advice on seeking a thrall."

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"Thank you for stopping by, Karta," Myka absently smiled at the lion, her attention wholly on the plant she was stringing up on the branches they'd just installed. She missed the way Karta gave her a wistful look before he mumbled his final goodbye, but such was the way of things. It was how Myka was. She forgot the world around her existed at times, especially when she was with her plants.

Humming quietly to herself, Myka would remain in her garden until the sun set and Neska returned; only then would she eat and rest, thanks to Neska's watchful eye.