expiationlogs | beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young [OPEN]

beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young [OPEN]

Who: Law & YOU
Where: Aldrip and the surrounding area
What: Settling in, getting up to hijinx, with a timeline anywhere from shortly after the TDM to the end of the month
Warnings: Probably nothin'.

Prompts in the comments, some open and some closed! Please feel free to drop any wildcards in the comments as well if there's something else you'd like to do. Law also has a toplevel at the Day of Devotion log, here!

If you'd like to plot something out, you can reach me on discord at tarocchi#8388, or on plurk at

astrologies!

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[ There are plenty of things Law could be doing to help out around Aldrip, either just because he likes helping people or because he's trying to curry favor, gather information, and earn himself something of a living. Other than punching things, working over on the farmstead is probably the best use of his time, given how inexplicably prodigious he is at it. Not the growing crops part—he's basically useless at that. But managing the animals? You betcha.

Everything goes great the first few times he heads out there. He really has a way with the livestock, the herding dogs, even the barn cats. Production's up and the animals seem happier, and his laid back attitude makes it easy for others to feel comfortable asking him to jump in where he's needed, everything's awesome.

And then someone* leaves the gate open.

* not Law**

** allegedly

It's chaos. The sheep make a break for freedom, cascading out into the field and spreading out to graze. Then the chickens get in on the action and sprint for the hills. Everyone working the barns is running and yelling, frantically lassoing cows, the cattle dogs are basically going in circles, there are feathers everywhere. Madness. It takes awhile to restore some semblance of order, but there's still plenty more frantic running around to be done. Hope you weren't thinking of coming by for a tour today.

Law comes sprinting past, holding a struggling chicken in both arms. He looks like he's seen some shit. Or... hasn't, as it were. ]

Hey! Did you happen to see a sheep go by here? A big, wooly one? Answers to Lambchop?

[ Don't know why anyone would know the sheep is named Lambchop but don't worry about it. Anyway, the sheep he's looking for is about 40 yards over yonder, innocently milling about. Ya dude needs glasses. Also, he's just having a heck of a time. He could clearly use an extra pair of hands. Or eyes. ]

[Kisara's meant to get a better look at the farmlands, just for a better understanding of the area. She doesn't really work in that kind of field and there are multiple reasons as to why she ought to look into it. It'd be an excellent way to keep her hands occupied. And her mind. It'd let her learn something new. She's very likely to run into Law while doing so. All upsides, really.

Today, however, is a little more than what she's been prepared for. Whooping and hollering ensues and goes on around her. There's a sheep that practically propels its way past her and she's turning to watch it run in the opposite direction of the gate for the habitat.

When Law addresses her, she looks back to him.]

There was one that just passed me, but if you seriously named it after a food item, no wonder it's running away.

[Honestly, if she was called something like 'Nugget' or something, she wouldn't want to stick around either. Maybe the sheep thinks it's going to get stuck on a dinner plate.]

Do... you need some help?

[She gestures to the chicken that he's holding as it attempts to flap its very impressive chicken wings. At least, they look pretty impressive to her. Considering she knows nothing about chickens, she is probably not a very good judge of this.]

Crap.

[ "Just passed," she says, but when he looks around, squinting fitfully against his mediocre depth of vision, he can see no wooly beast responsible for making his day Difficult with a capital D. To his credit, Law only looks a little bit like he's been run ragged, the slightest bit flushed and sweaty, smudged with dirt and maybe a few errant chicken-talon scratches. It could be worse. One of the local farmhands got a pair of billygoat horns to the ass and he's probably not gonna be sitting anytime soon. ]

—Oh, they're all called stuff like that. This is Omelette.

[ A little less aggressively offensive, since the egg's already hatched into a moderately-sized chicken, but still kinda fucked up when you think about it. Which, as usual, Law isn't, or wasn't, nor will he ever. Said moderate chicken alternates between acting as though it hopes to take flight from the secure grip of Law's arms and seemingly being quite comfortable there, an unpredictability that has led him to decide to just not ever loosen up on the poor thing for anything. Last thing he needs is a fleeing chicken, too.

Again. ]

Actually—yeah, if you've got time. Do you wanna hold her while I try and wrangle Lambchop back in the paddock? That's the last escapee. Other than getting the chickens back in the coop, I mean, but that's the easy part.

You named all of them after food?

[Law, that's just cruel.

Wait. Maybe he's not the one who named them, though she would believe if he was. That just seems like peak Law energy. She's following his gaze for the woolly renegade that she's certain she saw earlier. But to be fair, the whole chaos of the farm was a bit distracting and it's not like she was looking for any of the farm animals.

She makes a note for the future to maybe become more acquainted with the animals here.

When he asks her to hold onto Omelette, Kisara looks back to him and her eyebrows raise. He means her, right? Well, duh. There's no other blonde-haired ladies here.]

I can do that, I think. Anything special I need to do for this?

[Because excuse her while she's awkwardly reaching for the chicken in question. Surely nothing can possibly go wrong. Everything's going great.]

Well, I mean, they are food.

[ That still doesn't technically answer the question of whether he named them all, but the evidence is pretty damning. The only real thing one could possibly say in his defense here is that any other names he'd come up with would be a whole lot less creative. They'd all be stuff like Frank, or they'd be named after his friends, and considering the "they're all food" thing, this... is for the best.

As soon as Kisara starts to reach for the chicken, Law immediately moves to hand it over, only to stop just before the Transfer of Chicken can occur. ]

Oh, right. No, yeah, it's really easy! Chickens are pretty harmless and Omelette's not one of the feistier ones in the bunch. All you gotta do is put one hand over her wings, and then put your under hand— underneath. Like this.

[ He explains as he passes Omelette over, gesturing with a tip of his head, then gesturing with his free hand once he has one. Omelette clucks and tries to flap about, but there's nothing (mostly) to fear with Law passing her off. ]

Got her? Then just hold her close to your body. She'll settle right down.

Well, yes, but...

[Looking down to Omelette the chicken, Kisara realises it's a little harder to be faced with the realisation that this one very special chicky is going to end up with thighs, breasts, and drumsticks on a plate. It'd be different if the chicken was a pet, admittedly. After all, it's not like she goes and looks at fish the same way.

...But maybe a fish isn't as smart as a chicken?

Let's just not bark up that tree, shall we? Kisara tries to take into consideration his directions. The one hand over the wings and the other hand underneath, presumably for support. A chicken not supported is probably not too different from Zareh, honestly, or any other animal. Lack of support would cause fear. She doesn't want to scare Omelette.

The flapping catches her a little off guard, but Kisara is a fiercely determined woman and in the end, she feels more like she is protectively now hugging this chicken to her. In the future, she'll have to reconsider wearing her armour. This is probably not the most comfortable hug Omelette has ever had.]

She's a lot softer than I imagined her being. How do you know Omelette's a girl? Don't the girls and boys look the same?

[CHICKEN 101]

[ If Law's time working the farm in Menancia has taught him anything, it's that even though just about everything there is for food or resources, that doesn't mean they should be treated like they're nothing more than livestock. That borders on drawing some uncomfortable parallels between animals and Dahnans that he'd rather not think about, but all that aside, animals deserve love too. They deserve names to be known by. And to be pampered and looked after with the utmost care.

Until you eat them.

With Omelette safely transferred, Law grins, encouraging. Although the bird does look a little like she's had her feathers ruffled in more ways than one, there's no immediate unhappy clucking; just a few soft braaaawks before she scrunches her neck down and makes a loaf of herself in Kisara's grasp. That's the best reaction you can ask for, really. ]

Oh, there's lots of ways to tell. Roosters have more feathers around their neck, and their tails are kinda more spiky. They also have different color patterns sometimes. The biggest tail is that rubbery red stuff, though. Hens don't have as much of it. Their combs and wattles are bigger. That's—uh, the stuff on the top and under their neck.

[ Don't ask him to explain "wattle" better than that. He can still barely keep a straight face when he says it. Chickens aren't all serious business. ]

I think she likes you! You can pet her if you want. Just keep your hand underneath, then rest your arm on her back. They usually like their necks scratched.

[...Can chickens experience affection? She has to wonder that as Omelette loafs herself in Kisara's grasp, which... considering Law isn't issuing some kind of warning probably means that everything is, so far, going according to plan. Aside from the renegade woolly one that is probably still on the run somewhere, enjoying life, and has no real deep thoughts regarding what its future might consist of save rolling around in grass and eating flowers.

...Assuming that's what they do. That's what she'd be doing if she was a woolly.

Law describes the differences between roosters and chickens and the descriptors are difficult not to laugh over. Somehow she manages to refrain and instead just grins. Law is really in his element here. Is this what she sounds like when she talks about fishing.

(How does anyone put up with her?)

Combs and wattles, hm? She'll be mature about this.]

I didn't realise there was so much to know about them. You're a real expert, Law.

[At his guidance, Kisara is incredibly careful about how she keeps Omelette safely supported against her, and with the free hand, she gently presses the weight atop the back, just to let her know she's definitely there. And then she carefully tries to gently ruffle the feathers at Omelette's neck.]

Something like that, maybe? I don't want to be too rough with her. I wouldn't mind having a pet chicken... As long as I didn't have to eat it, I guess. I don't know that I could do that.

[...People don't just eat their pets, after all.]

[ It's going to be a whole Thing when he remembers that escaped sheep, but for the time being, he's been sufficiently distracted from completing his mission in favor of Chicken Education. In particular, it's especially hard to keep a straight face about "wattles" when even Kisara doesn't manage it entirely, but by the grace of pursing his lips against a laugh, he manages to hold it in. ]

Oh, yeah, I know a lot about wattles.

[ Just kidding, he snorts.

Just one. Just one snort. Listen, there's a bonding moment taking place here between Kisara and Omelette and he's not out here about to ruin it! Said chicken makes a soft... sort of purring sound, some low brrrr noise, feathers ruffling. Law nods his head in approval then, his grin softening a little. ]

Yeah, she likes that. Look, she's already starting to fall asleep.

[ Sure enough, if Kisara takes a peek at Omelette's face, she'll find a pair of beady, half-lidded chicken eyes. ]

I guess chickens wouldn't be too bad as pets... I mean, you couldn't ever keep them in the house. They're super messy and gross. But they don't bite or anything, not like geese. Not too sure how they'd do on a leash, either. But baby chicks, they'll get in a line and follow you around if they think you're their mama. It's pretty cute.

["Oh, yeah, I know a lot about wattles."

For all that she's trying to keep a straight face over this, just hearing that makes her laugh a little harder, only restrained because she's intent on not causing Omelette too much distress. Thankfully, she seems to be... Well. Making whatever noise it is that she's making. Kisara didn't know chickens could even make that sound. Not that she's an expert in chicken sounds, of course.

She looks between Omelette and Law, the softened smile he gives contagious. As she's mirroring with the turn of her mouth, she seems to relax a touch, too. One could say it's as much a bonding moment for her and Law as it is for her and Omelette. She really can see herself with a pet chicken.]

That sounds cute. I'd love to have chicks following me around...! I wonder where I'd keep them, though, especially if I couldn't bring them inside. Not sure Shionne would be too happy with their little peeps either.

[ Born and raised on raw practicality and having spent most of his life practicing extreme acts of resourcefulness in order to survive, Law can't quite think of most animals as anything other than edible, or something to train for a purpose, like messenger pigeons and tracking dogs. Still, he's always wanted an animal friend to just have as, y'know, a pet, so why not a chicken? Why not eschew practicality in favor of a feathery friend? There's nothing wrong with that. Even if the feathery friend does already have a food name. Names don't mean anything. I mean, his name is Law and he is not even remotely law-abiding in the least. Sometimes irony is fine too. ]

Mm, you could build a little henhouse for them outside! They don't need a whole ton of space, just a yard to run around in with a fence to keep them in. Chickens can't fly very far, so you don't even have to worry about them getting over the fence once it's tall enough. Usually they just wanna stay cozy in their coop or peck around for worms and stuff.

[ Ah, the life of a chicken. Omelette is over here half-asleep, neck completely sclornched down, in total Loaf Mode in Kisara's arms. Who wouldn't want to be a chicken at a time like that? Just maybe not at dinnertime. ]

I bet Shionne would think they're cute, too. She just wouldn't admit it.

That's a good idea. I wonder if the locals would let me have a personal one, especially if it's not going to take up much space. Sounds like they wouldn't be very difficult to take care of either.

[A good beginning for Kisara into the world of... farming? Chickening? She's not sure what one would call a person who specifically takes care of chickens. And it's not like she wants a huge flock or anything. Maybe... just a few to begin with? She could name them after people from home. Probably name one after Law since he's the one who presented the idea to begin with.

She's still turning the idea over in her head when he makes mention of Shionne. Her smile lessens just a touch, but is still just as warm. He's probably right about that, too. Shionne does try very hard to seem... Well. Hard. Sometimes the hardest exterior gives way to the softest interior. Not that she'd be so inclined to say that openly.]

Guess we could find out. Think you'd want to help me put together something for the chicks? I can't think of anyone better to do that, after all.

Can't see why they'd mind... I mean, just as long as they know they're pets and not for sale, or for eating, that is. But the folks in Aldrip don't really seem like the type to, uh, chickennap.

[ Maybe during the food shortage, but even then, they're so... well, it's not like it was in Ulzebek, where you couldn't ever seem to keep a chicken present and alive for very long before it'd get scarfed up or just plain disappear. Of course, as a kid, Law didn't really know or care very much about it being strictly for food; he just wanted to play with it. ]

You could always get a guard dog, though... just in case. Dogs and chickens get along great, y'know.

[ He would know. Also, if he's glowing just a little bit about being the best suited for the job, no he isn't. Everybody's gotta have a Niche, okay. ]

Yeah, I'd love to help! We shouldn't need too much by way of materials. I'll look around the farm and see if we have any extra laying around, too.

That’s true. I’m sure if I said something they’d probably make sure there was proper notice put up. I don’t think I’ll have to fend anyone off from them.

[At least, she hopes not. But the people so far have been incredibly kind and understanding. She doubts anyone would mind if she did some errands for an egg or a few and incubated them. That’s… what one does with eggs, right?

Law makes mention of a guard dog and that’s a good idea, too. Unless of course he’s talking about himself or Alphen, because the two of them could be likened to such things. He probably isn’t talking about it in that way, though. Still, it’s worthy of some consideration.

He agrees to lend her some help and she brightens up.]

If you tell me what we need, I’ll help get it together. There’s no reason for you to try taking it all on yourself. You might be the expert on this and that’s what I really need. The knowledge to make sure that I’m doing things right. You can guide me if I start going in the wrong direction. If the two of us work together, then that’s all that matters.

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beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young [OPEN]

OLD MCLAWNOLD HAD A FARM - OPEN

ROOSTER 101 EDUCATE HER

IT'S CLUCKIN' TIME

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