sticksandbones | [OPEN] gardening & sewing log for your domestic cottagecore needs

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[OPEN] gardening & sewing log for your domestic cottagecore needs

Who: Ain & You
What: Gardening + new tailor shop log
When: A day or two after everyone gets back from the Grove... people might be dying in the log under this we'll deal with it
Where: The Grove
Warnings: None, this is a peaceful and happy log-

I. - The Tailor Shop Prompt

[The Grove has a new shop when everyone returns from the beach. It's little, the outside sign woven with wooden motifs of leaves and carved text reading "NEEDLE & THREAD", and the windows having displays of mannequins in them, one of which has only fabric draped around its neck and the other which Ain is using to sew a dress. He's also wearing his own as he does this, ten different bobby pins in his hair to keep his bangs out of the way while he works.

Although he looks busy, shuffling about to get the display set up, he'll cheerfully greet people who come in and ask if they want anything done. He doesn't have anything premade yet because this place just opened, but he's happy to take requests — or sew something up, if you need it.]

II. - The Gardening Prompt

[After the tailor shop is fully set up, Ain can be seen walking around in short overalls with a ton of gardening supplies. Flower pots, seed packets, a toolbelt filled with gardening tools he got from Heimr... he has thirty-six packages of seeds, three each of any one type of plant, and he looks overjoyed digging in soil. He has become a Dirt Boy. Which is to say he has somehow gotten swipes of dirt on his face. If you want to help, or just stare at him, you can find Ain either:

a) futzing with flower pots and hanging planters that he's trying to get hung up on the awning of the tailor shop and on the other buildings, once things get planted; and he specifically tells you that the cacti need to be planted in large pots because they grow out too, not just up, and can you help him reach this and that or move this big heavy cactus flower pot over there?

b) digging holes into the actual ground, but not near the sunflowers so he doesn't harm them by accident, around the various buildings. Here is where he's planting lilies and frangipani and a bunch of other flowers, watering the spots the seeds are buried where they immediately spring to life thanks to him asking Moder to make them grow faster earlier. The Guardian herself is lingering in the distance supervising like a mom at the park.

c) Of course, if you didn't want to help with the process of planting things, you can find Ain a few hours later making flower crowns from the lantanas and lilies.]

[[ooc: if it's helpful to anyone wanting to garden, this is the full list of plants bought: cactus, aloe vera, lilies, frangipani, wisterias, fuchsias, begonias, hydrangeas, poppies, lantanas, calendulas, & gardenias. have fun planting plants :) ]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

We bathe. We just don't have...fancy shit for it.

[You bathe with what you have. Sometimes it's water, sometimes it's scrubbing the blood off your skin with sand. He's had to make do with both in the past.

So it's like. A cultural thing, then. He guesses that makes sense. And since Ain seems completely unbothered, and Wolfwood has already cried all over the guy, it's not really like he can make more of an ass of himself than he already has.

Also, he's not a pussy-]

...no. I prolly need to. I'm all gross, still.

[From crying, he means.]

Maybe it'll...help me feel better, I dunno.

A hot bath is nice. We can put our stuff in the cubbies here.

[Okay but for real: Goodbye clothes.]

It's polite to wear a towel around your waist even when bathing in public in the changing rooms. You can take it off when you actually bathe.

[Since Wolfwood has never had fun in his life clearly. Life without a hotspring is not a life Ain wants. He will explain this anyway though, and put his flower crown on top of his stuff and his clean outfit in another cubby like an asshole.

All towelled up, he is leading Wolfwood toward where the bath is. Don't mind the back tattoo that looks like his wings he showed Wolfwood on the beach, it's fine.]

[Listen it's not his fault the planet has no woter :( He'd be in hot springs all the time otherwise, anyway cowboy!Wolfwood wants his location-

It takes Wolfwood a little longer than usual to undress due to his leg, but he manages and gets his courtesy towel wrapped around himself so he can follow after Ain. It's not like they haven't both been shirtless around one another before, it's just. Uh.

Marginally different when there's only a towel protecting you from being balls out to the world. And yes, he is staring at that tattoo, thank you very much-]

Don't look like anybody else is here, at least.

[Yeah Wolfwood and you wonder why Gnosis refuses to use this place, Kjeragi society is also not big on having your balls out in public. Meanwhile Ain is getting into the big basin in the middle of the room and goodbye towel—

He has an armful of those fancy soaps this place comes equipped with and he is immediately taking his braid out to worsh his hair with some. They're all fruity. Wolfwood might smell like he got attacked by a feral fruit salad if he uses these. To be honest, Ain barely read the labels, he just saw fruit on them and said yeah that's good.]

Haha, are you shy? This is just how it is for me. You don't need to be shy, you know! If others come in, they probably already know the rules.

[Well duh that's cause your balls would freeze if they were out in Kjerag!! Meanwhile it's nice and warm on No Man's Land, so Wolfwood would have no reason to complain.

Wolfwood makes a face like he ate a lemon, and as if he takes that as a Challenge, he lets his own towel drop somewhere nearby before heading for one of the showers. He'd much rather take a shower than just immediately get in the tub, even if he's marginally less dirty than Ain is right now.

He will sort of keep his gaze directed forward towards the wall for now regardless as he switches the faucet on.]

I ain't shy. Just ain't used to this.

[Okay, listen. Ain is not... not gonna look at the booty sorry. To be fair he looks when pants are on too? But he will respectfully look away after a second as he worshes him dirty face. Because oh my god somehow he got it everywhere. How did he do this. It's not like he was rolling in the grass?!]

Haha, if you say so.

[And then he ducks under the water to de-soap his hair. Don't mind him becoming one with the bath.]

[The respectful looking elsewhere lasts only as long as Wolfwood thinks Ain is looking his way. It's only when he's sure that he can safely sneak a secret peek will he glance over. He is not made of steel and he's had a hard day, okay. He's allowed probably.

Not sure how much he'll see with Ain in the bath, though. Ain, however...will see Wolfwood's full ass if he looks over, so enjoy that.

He's just going to scrub his own hair now, as well as his face because god he's still so sticky.]

[at one point wolfwood goes to sneak a peek and ain is just under the water—

No, Wolfwood will get something of a peek. No ass, because Ain is sitting in the bath, but he will get a faceful of back and shoulder freckles and Ain's earrings clacking as he turns his head, and his hair being much longer when it's unbraided, and also his lithe form if Wolfwood is into boys with very fine muscles and not much else.

...

He will peep the full ass one more time before stretching out in the warm water like a cat and finishing his scrubbing. See? Perfectly platonic bath between one guy who just went through the worst thing and one guy who has whoremones.]

[Not his whoremones...

It does feel nice to be clean, at least. Wolfwood is still tired as hell and really just wants to go to bed, and the warm water isn't helping in that department, but at least he smells nice now. He smells nice and remembers just how much he likes boys, damn.

Once he's finished washing and rinsing the soap off, he doesn't bother drying off with his towel since he's pretty sure this is the part where they soak, right? He's not sure where that is so he'll just keep following Ain, holding the towel in front of himself instead of bothering to tie it around his waist.]

[This is the part where they soak. There's a separate "clean people soak here" basin. You do not go into the clean people water covered in dirt. This one is further into the bathhouse in a communal area, gender-neutral, where everyone can congregate.

Except it's just them, so y'know.

Ain's towel is thrown over his shoulder for a moment until it gets fully abandoned. It is time for soak. It is time to be a lizard. Honestly Ain's surprised Sesa isn't in here—]

Do you feel a little better now that you're cleaned off?

[Honestly Sesa usually is, but right now he's occupied with his workshop. Probably for the best, since he and Wolfwood would have been giving each other the stink eye if they were both here.

Wolfwood comes up to the edge of the basin where Ain is already getting rid of his towel and becoming one with the water, which prompts Wolfwood to do the same. He'll just throw his towel to the floor and get in he guesses...and hey, guess what, he hasn't had a proper soaking type bath in weeks, so he can't help the way he groans the moment he's under the water.

So you know, if that answers Ain's question-]

Mmh...yeah. A bit.

["A bit", says the man that's sunk into the water now up to his shoulders.]

[Ain is still just sitting up to his waist in the water like girl u ok]

Aww, I'm glad, Mr. Priest. [You didn't get that name drop earlier that wasn't real.] Relax for a bit, and then tell me when you're ready to head to the cafe.

[...

okay yeah he's also gonna sink into the water up to his shoulders now rip. There is a very distant look in his eyes while he observes the, uh... the opposite wall, there's nothing much in here to look at.]

[Other than Wolfwood's titties, anyway-

But yes, sure, he definitely believes that name drop neeeever happened. But the communal silence is nice. He'd almost forgotten how much he appreciates that.

He'll look over at Ain after a while, the steam rolling off the surface of the water between them. At least it does well to preserve their modesty so there's no risk of wandering eyes, mostly.]

Didn't really thank you before. For listenin' to me.

[If Ain were feeling any more unhinged he'd already be under the water trying to do just that, but he's behaving and he's been humbled by all the angst in the air lately. This will only get worse when Mizuki dies later haha—]

I'm a good listener, I like to think. I may not have all the answers, but I can at least hear you out, can't I? And you know I won't go telling anyone that you cried on me~.

[Looks over at Wolfwood and beams.]

You don't have to thank me for doing the bare minimum. You should be thanking me for something more significant, like the flower crown!

[oh my god]

Oh yeah, s'that it?

[Wolfwood actually chuckles at that. He did make sure to take the flower crown off that he was wearing before getting into the water, so.]

Well, I guess...if you ever need the favor returned. I dunno.

[He shrugs one shoulder.]

Bare minimum or no, I kinda do owe ya one.

You humans are so weird. [Sorry soapbox moment] Elsword always told me that when humans do things for each other, it's to be nice, not because they expect something in the future. Is that not true now?

[Please help him he's trying to understand why you're not all The Same.]

Every time I try to do something, everyone reacts differently. I still don't get it. Do you owe me? I don't think you owe me unless you want to owe me.

Well...no. I mean, Elsword's right. S'just...

[Hm. How does he explain this. Wolfwood leans back a little, his head resting along the edge of the bath.]

Everyone reacts different 'cause all people are different. Everyone's got different baggage and shit. Different experiences...different perspectives.

I mean...yaknow Add? [Your Add, not doctor Add] You wouldn't expect him and Elsword to react th'same to everythin' would you? They're super different.

Oh, I know that much, but I mean...

You're telling me you owe me for me being nice to you, but I learned back home that's not a thing. So why is it a thing here? Do you really feel like you owe me? I don't want you to owe me, I just want us to have a normal conversation.

[blows a raspberry]

Don't owe me, just let me talk to you.

Oh.

[Okay, that makes more sense. It prompts Wolfwood to exhale through his nose, slowly.]

Sorry. That's prolly a "me" thing. I'm just...used to everythin' havin' a catch. Even just bein' friends with someone.

[He'll turn his head against his shoulder, giving Ain his attention again.]

...but a'ight. You don't owe me nothin'.

[The catch is being friends with Ain is nearly impossible because he's gay as fuck and has a crush on half the people here haha—

Looks over at Wolfwood.]

Good!

[No owing. :) Happy Ain noises. ...well, would be happy Ain noises, except he's sort of chewing on the inside of his cheek now like he's considering something. Hard to not consider Really Heavily when you've got a crush on a guy who just went through a catastrophic breakup.]

You know human things, don't you? Like... how human emotions work and stuff. You're a smart Mr. Priest, surely you can answer a question I have?

Mmm...well enough, I 'spose.

[Sometimes he wonders, given his track record with dealing with humans. But he knows what Ain is getting at, Ain is talking about basic human level things, he's pretty sure.]

Shoot. I'm listenin'.

[Very basic things, probably! Things he brought up with Mizuki but—]

Is it really common for humans — and I'm using a blanket term here — to try to use other humans when they're hurt badly enough?

[...okay not that basic. What a conversation to have while you're having 5ft apart bathing 'cause you're not gay.]

[Hahah uhmmm...]

I wouldn't say "really" common.

What exactly do you mean by use? If y'don't mind me askin'.

[Well this is about to get really specific so watch out (and watch Ain scoot more feet away because uh)—]

It's hard to explain, because I don't really understand it myself. I already asked Mr. Jellyfish though, before you say anything. Um...

So, humans... mortals, whatever, get hurt by others somehow. That's kind of obvious. [They went over that earlier when Wolfwood said his life sucked.] But what I don't understand is why they make it into a cycle. Is it 'cause something in your human brains break down? Does it make you feel better?

[...]

More specifically, I guess, I know I did something wrong. I didn't know I was doing it at the time, but you remember how at the weird gay contest you had [lol] Mr. Flirtatious invited me back to his cabana? Obviously I said yes 'cause he's pretty, but apparently, this was the wrong thing to do? He said my enthusiasm made him wary of me and made him think I wanted to use him and hurt him. All I wanted was a kiss.

[ :( ]

And I felt really bad about it, and I still do, but he told me he was always using other people back, I guess to defend himself from getting hurt like that again. I don't think he wanted to do that to me, maybe, I don't know. Maybe he would have if I hadn't stopped him and asked him what his problem was.

That's what I mean by use. Is that normal? Do humans do that now?

[Humans will always hurt other humans. Its in their nature. Whether it be intentional or not, psychological or in complete awareness. Nobody is perfect, and no one person is ever wholly good. Wolfwood knows he's of the number who are even less good than most, because the death toll he's created in the name of saving lives he personally cares about is...staggering. And whether or not that can be considered "good" is subjective.

It's a way some people cope. They fall into cyclical patterns they can't break, and more often than not it doesn't actually make you feel better. At least, it never has in his own experience.

He settles back a little with his arms loose at his sides as he listens to Ain, and it...very quickly goes from "normal question about human behavior" to "oh fuck no" in record time. Wolfwood's had his moment of vulnerable, uncontrollable crying, so it's easier for him to keep his abject horror out of his expression at what Ain tells him, his brows knit together. I did something wrong is what he leads with, and...

His teeth grit. He makes an unintentional clicking noise with his tongue before he can stop it from escaping, and if he could bristle physically, he'd be bristling.]

First of fucking all. You didn't do anythin' wrong. He's the one who invited you in, not the other way 'round. Second: I don't know what the fuck kind of explanation he thinks that is, but you do not do that shit to people.

[Especially under the pretense of "using" and "being used". Like, excuse him?]

That ain't normal at all. I think he was being a piece of shit to you completely out of pocket, actually. If he was wary of you, he should have left you alone. The fact he jumped to tryin' to hurt you so, what, he'd get the jump on you potentially hurting him?

Fuck all the way off.

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