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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jul 9, 2017 16:42:21 GMT -5
The midday sun hung high above the island, bathing Bonsai Village in its warm rays. The air was stiff and dry with not a cloud in sight. The blistering heat was nigh unbearable, prompting the town's residents to stay inside or grab a drink from the shops or tavern. Whatever it took to stay cool. On days like these, most would agree that it was just too hot to work, let alone do much of anything.
Well, not Sanuta. Weather was never an issue for him, nor was it an excuse. He had a garden to tend to, one that demanded his attention each and every day, and neither rain, sleet, snow or sweltering heat would keep him from his duties.
And so, underneath the blazing sun, sheltered only by his bamboo hat, Sanuta tended to the earth and plants around him. It had taken him a good chunk of his morning, but finally it seemed like he had finished pulling out the weeds that had rooted themselves in the tomato patches. After inspecting the ground with a nod of approval, the hanyo stood up and grabbed his water jug, pouring some for the vines before taking a swig himself.
He wiped off his brow and faced north, staring off into the distance, tired yet knowing. Just because he had to work, and even though he genuinely enjoyed doing so, he was still very much affected by the heat. He would've liked to move onto a chore that offered some shade or otherwise cooler conditions, but... he knew he couldn't put it off. It was that time of year. The kanetsu trees needed their annual controlled burn.
With a deep breath, Sanuta began a brisk walk, ready to set out for the northernmost acres of Kisono Fields and get this over and done with...
Along the way, however, he couldn't help but notice that the aqueduct that watered the kakuyaku plants had run dry.
Sanuta slowed to a halt, awkwardly staring at the dry canal and the surrounding perennials. He knew that this should probably be dealt with immediately; kakuyakus didn't fare well in dry heat like this. But he also knew that the controlled burn of the kanetsus would take him a long while, and he had many things he still had to do that day. Those trees needed his attention first and foremost. Maybe Kensuke would have time to do this for him.
Or maybe...
He quickly reached into the inner pocket of his robe, pulled out a pen and notepad and started writing.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jul 9, 2017 16:59:20 GMT -5
Before he even finished writing his message, a troll came dashing into view up ahead, clad in a flowery scarlet robe and a bamboo hat with holes that gave way to her large, rabbit ear-like horns.
It had taken her a little while to adjust at first, but once she had, Lagola had found herself right at home in Kisono Fields. The enormous garden was absolutely beautiful, and to spend each day in it was a wonderful experience. Sure, the work was often hard and sometimes overwhelming, and sure, she wasn't entirely comfortable working in the sunlight, but she just couldn't find it in her to complain. She had finally found a place where she could put her talents to use, not to mention a friend in her new employer and hivemate.
"Hey San!" The little troll girl skidded to a halt in front of the hanyo. She looked dirty and sweaty, but chipper nonetheless. "I-I was just about to start picking blackberries, but... did you need me for something first?"
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jul 9, 2017 17:10:36 GMT -5
"Ah! Lagola!" Sanuta smiled down at his new farmhand before promptly finishing his note, tearing it out and handing it to her. "Glad you're here. I was hoping you could do me a favor. I need to start my controlled burn in the kanetsu grove and simply don't have the time to do it myself."
He gestured towards the patch of greenery, concrete and pipe next to them, pushing his glasses up as he explained, "The aqueduct that feeds the kakuyaku plants has run dry. I was wondering if you could add some water to it so they can be efficiently maintained until the water level in the river rises again."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jul 9, 2017 17:16:45 GMT -5
Lagola accepted the note with a nod, the slip of paper disappearing from her hand soon thereafter as she sent it back in time to herself one minute ago. She then took a good look at the kakuyaku patch and the dried-up canal, nodding as Sanuta explained what he needed her to do. "Oh, sure! I can do that, absolutely!"
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jul 9, 2017 17:29:26 GMT -5
"Oh, fantastic..." Sanuta breathed a sigh of relief at having that weight off his shoulders. Then he gave Lagola an encouraging pat on the arm and started racing along the path. "C'mon, I'll get you set up!"
At least the shed wasn't far from here. This would be Lagola's first time carrying water, after all. Might as well make it easy on her.
"You should be able to pump a sufficient amount of water out of the well. I'm guessing it'll take three trips to fill that aqueduct to a decent level. You think you can manage that?"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jul 9, 2017 17:37:22 GMT -5
"Yeah, I... I can probably handle that," Lagola responded as she chased after Sanuta. She was used to lugging watering cans around. She was willing to carry one a little farther than usual for his sake.
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jul 9, 2017 17:47:54 GMT -5
"Excellent!" Sanuta slowed to a halt, threw the shed door open and stepped inside. Dozens upon dozens of gardening tools were lined up and hanging along the walls, and after putting away the ones he had used to weed with, he moved to the back of the shed to grab what Lagola needed. "Should be easy enough, all things considered. Here we go!"
With a cheery grin, Sanuta picked up a carrying pole, the ends of which had two wooden buckets suspended from them, and offered it to Lagola. "Just take these over to the well and fill both of them up three times each, okay?"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jul 9, 2017 17:56:17 GMT -5
"..........................."
Lagola stared at the pole Sanuta was trying to give her, her wide eyes locked on the two pails tied to each end. She knew what her task was and was at least subconsciously aware of what he was asking her to do, but did he actually expect...? Were these things meant for...?
"YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT WITH THESE?!"
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jul 9, 2017 18:04:19 GMT -5
"...?" Sanuta backed up slightly, taken aback by Lagola's reaction. What was she so worked up about all of a sudden? Was she nervous about using the carrying pole? If anything, he would've thought it would make carrying the water easier on her. "Um... You know, just... fill them up with well water and... take them down to the aqueduct. Is... there a problem with that?"
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jul 9, 2017 18:15:44 GMT -5
"Uhhhhh..." So these things were used for water? Was that it? Lagola supposed she shouldn't have been surprised by that, given what she knew about humans (and what little she knew about yokai, by extension), and clearly Sanuta clearly didn't see anything strange about this.
Still... the thought of carrying these things around and filling them with anything... She couldn't help it. It just disturbed her to no end.
But... she promised Sanuta she would.
"N... No, there's... no problem. I-I can handle that."
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Post by Pink Moon Wolf on Jul 9, 2017 18:30:59 GMT -5
"Well... alright, if you say so..." Sanuta was obviously still worried about Lagola. He didn't want to upset her in any way, as this task seemed to be doing, but he was also very anxious to get back to work himself. She was a skittish kid, he had figured that out a while ago, but this needed to get done one way or another. As long as she was willing, he had to trust her to carry this workload for him.
Doing his best to keep her feeling at least semi-comfortable, Sanuta gently balanced the bamboo pole on Lagola's shoulder. "Sorry to take you away from berry picking for this, but with the carrying pole lightening the load, it shouldn't eat up too much your time."
He patted her free arm and gave her a smile. "Thanks again for your help, Lagola. I should have this burn completed in a few hours. Jā mata ne!" He then waved to her and dashed out into the field again.
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Jul 9, 2017 18:46:07 GMT -5
Lagola reflexively tensed up when Sanuta placed the pole on her shoulder, but did her best to push past the discomfort and grab it to keep it balanced. She nodded to Sanuta and watched him leave to conduct his controlled burn, hesitantly calling out, "O-Okay! See you later! I guess..."
She looked down at the pails hanging from her shoulder in dismay. Here she was, forced to carry these things around and fill them up for the sake of nourishing life. An organic imperial drone... albeit with a much nicer boss.
With a deep sigh, Lagola shook that thought out of her head and marched over to the well. That wasn't what Sanuta used these pails for. Then and there, she had to focus on what he needed her to do rather than how she interpreted the situation. Maybe she would explain where she was coming from later, but she had a job to do first.
She promptly dropped the pole, sat one of the buckets upright and, with a fair amount of effort, started pumping the well, grunting with each push and pull of the handle, water flowing from out of the spigot and splashing into the wooden receptacle.
Her cheeks flushed a deep brown.
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