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[lianmp]

It was weird and yet not, to be carrying someone on his back; he may have appeared thin, but Lian was surprisingly strong; sometimes, he wondered how much of that was just good genes or if his mother's divinity had something to do with it; probably the latter, he thought, because he couldn't imagine a normal person enduring what he had during captivity and still be able to work what many would consider to be a physically demanding job. Whatever the case, he was thankful for his health and strength which allowed him to do the things he loved to do.

Carrying her on his back was easy as he hooked his arms beneath her knees and stood, seeming not at all taxed by the added weight that was evenly distributed. Likewise, he wasn't in any particular rush to reach their destination either, walking at a steady but leisurely pace through the orchard toward the barn.

"...Yingyue..." he echoed with a nod upon learning her name. "...pretty...the name, I mean." He blinked, catching himself. "...ah...I mean, that that you aren't pretty, too...because...because you are, but so is your name. You're both pretty." Oh, this was awkward, wasn't it? He winced a bit at himself. "...sorry...that sounded better in my head..." A quick change of subject was in order! Diversion topic!

So why was she in the forest if it was so dangerous? Well, he got his answer. She heard about the monsters and went anyway? Sounded very brave of her! He smiled a little bit, though, when she said he was the sole witness to her 'stupidness'. A brief expulsion of air escaped his nostrils on an amused snort. "...still might be both...out there...monsters and treasure, just...maybe...don't go alone next time?" he suggested as he carried her through the barn doors and toward a stack of hay bales, crouching before one of the bricks that could easily be used as a bench upon which she could sit.

Lian had already done more than enough for the demigoddess. The fact that he was willing to do more, Yue was impressed by his character. Would she had done the same? Yes. But not everyone would. Where Yue could have been a burden by her forced entry upon his day, he treated her well.

When he crouched down, she leaned forward just as he requested her to, wrapping her arms around his neck. She never shied away from touch, especially when it meant she would be carried. Snug at first, once he seemed situated, she loosened her grasp to ensure that she was not accidentally choking him. Nearly immediately, she could tell how sturdy the rather thin man was. Did he have super strength? She wondered silently. Would make sense for a farmer to have that kind of ability? Regardless, the ease in which he carried her, Yue was a bit too comfortable.

Looking over at him, she smiled. "Lian, the pleasure is all mine! It's not everyday that I get saved by a handsome man." She states with a slight tease, chuckling to herself. Resting her head on the part of her arm on his shoulder, she responded. "My name is Yingyue. Or Yue. Whatever you wish to call me."

Her smile became sheepish at his question. Her curiosity had literally almost gotten her killed. "People kept telling me the woods had monsters. Means either two things. One, there are actually monsters in the woods... Which I clearly found out. Or, two, there was something cool enough to scare people out of the woods. Still possibly true, just not worth exploring anymore." Pausing for a second, she chuckled. "I guess, I have learned my lesson. And, you are the sole witness of my stupidness."

[lianmp]

Lian didn't mind sitting in the quiet; the stranger seemed nice enough...even if the farmhand didn't understand what was being said. It didn't really matter to him, at least. The beach was huge...by Lian's standards anyway, considering he'd never seen one or been to one before coming to the island. The ocean was truly something to behold, but staring up at the stars in a sky so clear, he could finally understand why sailors were so enamored with the constellations as a guiding tool--

--wait.

Were the constellations MOVING?!

Shocked, his eyes widened and he immediately scrambled to stand, sand falling of his blanket as he held it tighter around him. Truthfully, he didn't know whether he should be terrified or mystified by the phenomenon...and perhaps he was both in that moment, to the point that he looked back to the stranger, then to the sky, then back to the stranger. A hand poked out of his blanket to point to the sky, excited. "...do you see that?!" he asked in Mandarin with quiet but enthusiastic disbelief, continuing as he looked back to the sky. "...the stars are moving!"

Dao took a moment, puzzled briefly over the non-verbal response. He plopped down, considering reasons why the other might not. It seemed like he'd been heard at least so for the moment he ruled out the possibility the other was deaf. It's possible that they might be mute but the son of Nut thought that could have been expressed with sign or a note pad.

With a shrug, the Egyptian demigod opted to sit quietly for the moment and lifted his hands to focus on a section of the sky away from where the other demigod was looking. He didn't want to disturb the other's star-watching too much after all but the stars were clear and Dao couldn't just not play with them.

He first made some of the constellations he remembered from back home, his usual beginning when he played with the stars.

[lianmp]

[lianmp]

The confusion and unease was practically palpable as it radiated from and surrounded the quiet and reserved country bumpkin who appeared so very, very out of place. It was strange enough being in a new place, but what was far, far worse than that...was the creeping thought that he actually...missed...that room, that one room he had lived in for over a decade--because it was jarring, having so much freedom at once.

Lian hated that he had that thought; he hated that he missed that room sometimes--when in reality, it wasn't the room that he missed, but the certainty of it, the stability of it, the routine, the placement--and here? Even if confined to one island, it was still much...much larger than that one room; with more to do, interacting with more people--people who spoke a language he didn't.

Honestly, he was far out of his element; Lian wasn't smart, he knew that, but he was at a loss on how to proceed. He wanted to learn, he did, but he didn't know how. He'd thought that going to the library would be helpful, but truthfully, he didn't know how to proceed from there. And this woman? He didn't understand a word she was saying, just that it was clear he had to have done something to make her unhappy.

But then someone else spoke, someone he could understand--it started with the English, recognizing the words drew his attention to the figure who spoke to him. There was a little bit of hope there--until the stranger then spoke another language Lian didn't understand. But then another language...that sounded vaguely familiar, but it was the last one that stood out the most, a bit of relief finally settling in his expression as he looked to this stranger.

"...sorry," he quietly fumbled over his words, speaking Mandarin since was the most comfortable for him, "I don't...I don't know...what she is saying...I don't...understand anybody...I thought I could learn...at the library...but I don't know where...what...to do..." There was a weak plea in both his tone and sad eyes that appeared more empty and lost than anything.

A shift successfully finished at his new work place, Liu Wei in a sense was eager to go back into the confines of the university library and be buried under the books. Nothing seemed to calm him more than the fact of endless knowledge staring down at him in forms of books, news papers, bound research material and the world wide web. He was, unusually, in a superb mood and it was due to the new job feeding him daily dosages of sheer chaos and uncertainty. Never before had his skin glowed not his bleach blond hair, which seemed natural and not his small teenage rebellion.

Approaching the building, step light and something akin to a smile on his lips, the male didn't even avert his gaze if he caught someone looking at him. His stormy grey eyes shone under the early spring sun and the unsettling affect he had on others bothered Liu Wei little today.

Coming closer to the entrance, which was seemingly blocked, he started to sense a new round of chaos swirling around the people outside the door. As he pushed through gawking people he heard snippets of gossip and commentary, which sounded on the level of high schoolers and nor proper university students. "..some hobo came in..." and "...do you see him? What a pumplin!..." or "...is he mute? If he cared about his looks, I would date him.." - Liu Wei rolled his eyes and pushed to the door to enter.

Finding a man, who clearly had wandered off a farm somewhere, looking confused and the staff being rather rude with customer service. The sheer delicious amount of confusion and chaos was like a fresh sip of cold water on a hot day, giving Liu Wei a new round of energy. Yet the situation seemed wrong, unbalanced even for his eye and a small part of him remembered his childhood with the same dynamic. The need to gag came to him, which he set aside and strode up without even thinking and the first time Liu Wei cared to stand up for someone. What was Mount Pheonix doing to him?

"What is going on?" he asked the clearly nervous man first in English, followed by French, Cantonese and Mandarin.

[lianmp]

Being so captivated by the constellations and having his ears filled with the roar of the sea, he did not notice at first that someone had approached him, he didn't notice that someone had even sat near him--it wasn't until he spoke that Lian was pulled out of his reverie and had his attention shift to the man who had joined him. Unfortunately, the words he had spoken were in a language the farmhand did not understand, so he couldn't reply--at least, not verbally.

Instead, he offered a weak but polite smile; the guy seemed nice at least; Lian could deeply appreciate that. Pulling his thin blanket a bit tighter around himself, he returned his gaze to the stars. He wondered if his uncle was out there, too, somewhere, gazing at the same stars he did. Maybe they would find each other again someday...at least, he hoped they would.

With Taavi on a date with his boyfriend and Prince working for the night, Dao didn't have much to do. So, he opted to take a walk to the beach. He always liked seeing the clear skies and the stars shining brightly above. Though the constellations were not the same as the ones back home, the son of Nut still made it a point to learn every single one of them.

He paused as he spotted someone sitting on the beach and staring at the sky. He smiled a little too at seeing what he could assume was an expression of trying to figure out where a certain constellation might be or something along those lines. He opted to approach them, plopping down nearby and speaking out loud. "The stars are really pretty tonight."

[lianmp]

If only she knew the rather significant impact she had on his life! His uncle may have argued that it was a negative impact, however; Xiao Sun would have insisted that if Lian had never healed that poor girl, then no one would have ever discovered the boy's ability to heal others, they would have never have had to leave, never had to work for the Lu family and thus a child would have never been held captive and exploited for over a decade. Lian saw it differently, though. Lian saw her as a girl he had saved, someone he had healed, a first real positive impact he had made on the world. To Lian, this girl--now a woman--was a symbol of hope.

The kindness she showed him even now--just by holding his hand, just by smiling--it was more than enough to rekindle something in his heart, something he thought he had lost a long time ago. He sniffed quietly as she cleaned the smudge from his face and murmured a meek "thank you" in response--though how much of that gratitude was for her cleaning his cheek and how much of it was appreciation for her being nice?

"...not in the way..." he assured her as he stood, still holding her hand while his other grasped the basket of discarded weeds to carry with them. It was weird though, standing beside her--he'd been much smaller last time they met. He motioned with his head in the direction of the greenhouse as he started them in that direction. But finally, he spoke. "...I'm Lian...by the way..." Back then, he had never actually introduced himself, nor had he learned her name.

Esther was quite surprise to see the emotion that he fought down. Concern flickered over her gaze. She had not expected he would be pulled to this when he saw her, not expecting she had any real impact on his life. However, it did not seem in any means that he was unhappy to see her, and she would welcome any role he wanted of her in his life to continue some type of positive impact for him.

Nodding her head, she kept on hand on his before letting her other hand move to clean away that smudge he had left when wiping his tears. In moments like this, she wanted to strip off her gloves and have true physical touch. However, it was for the best that she not stray. "A greenhouse? How lovely." She warmly states. "I'll accompany you. As long as I do not get in the way."

Slowly, the demigoddess stood up, hand still on his helped him to get off of the ground. She waited for him to stand before her. Softly, she chuckled to herself. He had grown quite a lot since they last met, though she was quite different than she was then too. "Lead the way, please. "

[lianmp]

Open starter for anyone in the mountains

Though it was technically his day off, Lian could not be idle. Instead of resting inside is sparsely-furnished apartment, he found himself in the wilds of the mountains foraging for herbs, roots, berries, and mushrooms--just as he used to do with his uncle when he was a child. Though it felt like a lifetime ago at this point, they were still happy memories to which he had clung throughout his years of captivity. Now free, he wandered through the trees with a wicker basket on his back and a short-hoe in his right hand. Bare feet did not mind contact with the dirt, rocks, leaves and sticks that littered the floor of the mountain forest, nor did his toes mind the cold of the early spring. His jeans were stained with soil and grass, two sizes too big and secured only by braided twine that he had tied through the belt loops around his slender waist, the sleeves of his too-big hand-me-down hoodie pushed up to his elbows.

Now and then he stopped to use the short-hoe in assist when it came to digging up wild vegetables--particularly greens like polygonatum, leeks, hollyhock and fish mint, all of which found themselves in his basket as he continued on his way. About to crouch down and dig up some aralia elata shoots when he heard someone appropaching, prompting him to lower his tool as he looked up curiously in the direction of the stranger.

[lianmp]

Open starter for anyone on the beach

It was a chilly morning, but he did not mind. The truth of the matter was...Lian had never been to the beach before arriving on Mount Phoenix. Before arriving to this island, he had never seen the ocean. It was truly a humbling experience for him to stand there on the water's edge, to let the cold waves wash over his feet as they sank into the wet sand, soaking his oversized jeans up to his mid-shins. He didn't mind it, though. It was awe-inspiring.

How BIG the sea was! He had thought the mountains of Wuyishan had been vast, but the OCEAN? It just kept going...and going--for as far as he could see, it just kept going FOREVER! Sure, he had seen pictures in books and on television, but wow. For a moment, he just spread his arms out to his sides, closing his eyes as he breathed in the salty air, feeling that sea breeze as it rustled his loose locks.

This was great.

He liked this.

[lianmp]

He wasn't oblivious to the looks and comments, but he couldn't say that he was also impervious to them; he wasn't unfamiliar with being looked down upon by those of a higher class, but he also didn't seem to mind too much. He had met a couple of friendly people on the island--at least those he could understand--while most everyone else either ignored him or, well, he assumed they said not nice things to him; he may not have understood their words, but he understood the looks of disgust and the tone they used. It was fine, though. He was fine.

Until he wasn't. Moments like this? When he was lost? He could really use a friendly face or a kind stranger to help him. And then, by some miracle, she appeared--that kind stranger with a friendly face who moved closer and looked at his map. He froze, turning his head a bit to stare at her. And stare. And stare.

Even when she spoke to him, he remained frozen; he may not have understood what she was saying, but she seemed nice at least. He finally peeled his eyes away to looked at where she had pointed on the map. "...ah...uhm..." he started quietly, not really grasping what she meant. "I...don't..." he murmured slowly in Mandarin, glancing between the street name where she had pointed and then to the sign, back to the page, and...then to the businesses nearby, back to the map...oh! Oh! That was where he was! Relief washed over his expression as the tension visibly melted from his shoulders. "...thank you..." he managed to whisper with genuine appreciation as he looked back to her, even if she may not understand him, hopefully she would be able to see the gratitude in his face.

Davina had been on the search for a few gifts to give her precious staff who had wholeheartedly took to handling the new wave of customers that now flooded her little stall. Their clientele typically were an easy bunch, but it did not necessarily mean the work was easy. So, she had taken to the posh district to see what would be both usable and lovable for her staff. Even if this was in some way work, Davina loved a good shopping trip.

Walking down the sidewalk, the demigoddess had been eyeing her surroundings, following several feet behind a man who she at first did not pay much mind. Though, Davina did notice the reactions of several rather rude individuals, and she bit back an annoyance at the looks those individuals were giving, though a few glares were shot in their directions. People on the island were really miserable at times. Trying not to let it ruin her mood, she was about to find a shop when she noticed him stop. Lost? He definitely seemed to be in a dilemma, and based of everyone else's harsh judgments, she doubted anyone would come to his aid.

Cutting through the crowd, Davina moved before the man. Her eyes looked down to his map. Not speaking for a moment, she finally located their location, and she poked the paper, holding her finger in place. Finally, she spoke in Korean, looking up at him with a smile. "We are here. Do you need help?"

[lianmp]

His smile grew just a bit at the dog, not at all concerned it may attack the baby chick in his hands--but Lian was naïve like that, not even for once thinking that a friendly animal would try to eat another friendly animal, convinced this was a safe space. All he really saw was a cute and excited puppy!

Unfortunately, that was about as far as his understanding went, because as the stranger spoke to the canine, Lian became confused; it sounded like Korean. Was that Korean? He couldn't make it out either way--but he hoped the sign could provide the answers to whatever the guy was asking.

But oh!

The stranger spoke English! And suddenly the recognition was visible in his eyes and upon his face as his smile was evident. "Yes!" he promptly replied as he took a step forward. "...leashes are...fine..." he continued, just happy to be able to understand someone. "...are you...do you need help...finding...something?" he asked, still gingerly cradling the baby chick in his hands, the little bird having gone quiet and seeming to drift into a snooze due to his comforting touch.

Toffee suddenly got agitated by Tsukiko's side. Attentive, her eyes fixed on the boy and her tail wagging furiously. She whined , sniffing the air a little. It took a minute for the nurse to notice the little chick in the young man's hands and he smiled. The little creature was adorable, soft chirps escaping it. 

"You want to see the chick closer, right ?" the son of Konohanasakuya-hime asked, patting his dog's head gently. "If you behave well, maybe they'll let you see the coop, what do you think ?" Toffee gave a soft bark, keeping her eyes on the chick. She probably would have a lot of things to say to Sundrop about it when they would see him again.

But then it was more than clear that the garden boy wasn't understand him so Tsukiko looked at the designed sign. It gave a lot of informations but not the one he needed at the moment. He had no idea what language the young man was familiar with so he simply tried one of the most popular one. 

"Are dogs allowed inside ?" Tsukiko repeated in English, with just a touch of Thai accent. He hand't used the language in quite a while now and the words sounded weird to his ears. "I'll keep her on the leash and she's really nice. But I imagine that everyone must tell that ?!"

[lianmp]

When it came to his life before, even when living at the resort, with all the guests who came through, he never really expected to see them again; there had been a few regulars who came back every year for tea ceremonies--since the oolong tea of Wuyishan was what made the area so famous--but for the most part, when it came to visitors, he had come to accept they would just come and go.

But this time...

This time, he had seen her again, well over a decade later--someone from his past; someone associated with a positive memory; someone who had been kind to him--and honestly, the emotions he felt in that moment were overwhelming. He could feel the tears welling up as she took his hand within hers; but oh, those were nice silk gloves, wasn't she worried about getting them dirty? Still...his fingers instinctively curled around hers.

"Oh...uhm...no?" he stumbled slowly over his words, unsure of how to answer. He wasn't busy--well, he was in the middle of weeding, but it could wait. "Uhm...you wanna...I mean...we can go...to the greenhouse?" he asked carefully, lifting his free arm to wipe at his eyes with his sleeve, leaving a faint smudge upon his cheek. "I'm...I need to...check on the...herbs..."

Esther did regret breaking up his song. While she thought she had a decent voice, she did not have any confidence in singing herself. Lian appeared to sing well with little effort, a natural talent. Appreciative, the musician hoped to hear more in the future, but her budding exciting allowed her not to worry too badly about her interruption. Just seconds after she finished her question, she could tell he recognized her. What started as feeling a bit odd, the unease melted away, and Esther happily look on to him.

While her parents never were kind to those they considered 'the help,' Esther had never been that way. Lian had taken care of her in the past, and the whole ordeal had been one that was never forgotten but overlooked for the true severity of it as a hallucination from the fall. Yet, since she had realized of her own godly blood, Lian had popped up in her thoughts from time to time. So, though she was shocked to run into him in this moment, his presence here was not necessarily a shock. Those subtle suspicions just were correct.

"I know. It must seem so odd!" She spoke with a brightness reflective of the woman Lian had met those years ago. Gently, the demigoddess reached out to take one of his hands in both of hers. She had no care about any dirt that might get on her gloves. "Are you too busy? Do you have time to talk with me? Maybe, somewhere out of the sun." She asked, hoping for a more private spot than the open farm with people were passing by.

[lianmp]

When she agreed to being carried, he nodded. The ladder could wait; more than likely, it would still be there when he came back for it after she was gone; though, honestly, he didn't think very much far ahead. It didn't even occur to him to wonder how she would get home--but then, he was also fighting the urge to immediately heal her then and there. "Hnn-nn," he hummed in protest when she asked if he minded; he wouldn't have asked if he didn't intend to follow through with his offer.

"It's nothing." he said with a dismissive shake of his head when she said she would owe him. No one owed him anything, not really. He was just happy to have his freedom and he didn't need anything other than that. He moved to a crouch down a bit before her. "...lean forward?" he urged and, if she did, he'd tuck his arms under her thighs to lift her with him as he stood upright again, carrying her piggyback as he started the trek back in the direction of the barn. Despite how thin he was, he didn't seem taxed at all by her weight.

Turning his head a little to look at her in his peripheral vision, he finally introduced himself. "...I'm Lian...nice to meet you..." He paused...

"...why...were you in the forest?" he asked carefully, curious as to what she could have been doing to have earned the attention and ire of a monster that big.

Yingyue watched him with interest. She had noticed his stare, but she understood why he might be. Yue thought she had to look like a mess. Hair loose from the ponytail it had been in, dirt smudges on her face. Plus, her beloved thick workout leggings and athletic jacket and top were now soiled with a combination of dirt and rips from the branches had got her. Yue did not mind getting dirty, but what a bad first impression!

The demigoddess seemed to become more aware of the aches on her body as time had passed and the man pointed it out. Her eyes drifted down to her ankle as he pointed out her limp. She could see the swelling, and she felt it, having all her weight shifted on her other leg. She definitely did not think she would be able to make it over to the barn without assistance. Even further, how was she even to get home? Yue knew the hospital could fix this rather fast, but she would have to stumble there.

Though she felt she had already caused enough trouble, she was greedy enough to ask for more. Yue was not one to ever turn down an offer like the one he presented her. "Do you mind?" The demigoddess asked, taking one last step to him no matter the pain that punished her for the movement. Looking up at him, she offered him a warm smile. "I will definitely owe you after this."

[lianmp]

[lianmp]

Closed starter for another astronomical friend @saengdaomp

Prior to arriving on the island, Lian had only seen beaches in pictures and on television. Now? Now, he had wandered there in the evening. There was a slight chill in the sea breeze, but he did not mind it so much, wrapped in a thin blanket as he sat on the dry shore, bare toes buried within the sand.

The sky was clear, the stars twinkling, and his peridot eyes gave a subtle iridescent shimmer in the darkness as he attempting to pick out the constellations. The northern dipper was easy enough to find. And Orion. And Sirius. He couldn't really remember many of the others. There was an archer and a lion somewhere, right? And a dragon? But he couldn't remember what they looked like or where they were.

[lianmp]

He didn't mean to stare at her, not really, but he was; Lian was still processing what had just happened. She had obviously been running from the monster, he could understand that much--but what was she doing out in the forest to begin with? Didn't she know it was dangerous? Or maybe she did know and she just met with some unfortunate circumstances?

It didn't really matter, though, did it? She was safe now. That was the important part.

"...uh...huh..." he replied quietly to her when she expressed her gratefulness toward him and the safe haven of the farm...though he pressed his lips together in worried thought when she went on to ponder her fate. Dinner or concussion? Or a concussion that could have ultimately led to her being incapacitated and thus becoming dinner anyway. At least there was a small chance she would be unconscious while devoured. Nevertheless, he didn't plan on telling anyone what had just happened, he was more concerned with the fact that she was covered in cuts and she had a limp.

He did smile a little bit when she seemed appreciative just to be alive; being hurt could be placed on the backburner. His lips did part, about to ask if she wanted him to heal her but paused when she changed the subject. A place to sit? "...yeah..." he continued, motioning toward the barn in the distance. "...do you...want me to carry you?" he asked, peridot eyes shifting back to the swelling ankle. "...you're limping..."

Adrenaline pumping, Yue barely registered what the other stated. Her brain lagged just for a moment, but she did just in time prevent herself from full undoing her meteor hammer from around her hip. If it was running away, this ordeal was over, for at least as long as she was at the garden. So, she tried to catch her breath as she tucked the loose pieces back in the place, and she zipped back up her torn athletic jacket that had gotten loose. Thank god.

With safety established, she turned her head to the man who had stopped her fall. For someone who had been strong enough to catch her abruptly and with no warning, the male seemed to be rather quiet and gentle. "I am grateful. For you and this magical place. I was going to either be dinner or with a concussion." Instead, she had a sprained, or rather quickly swelling, ankle and several cuts from her sprint. In many ways, she was lucky. Though, this was going to be their little secret. There was no way she could tell Vitas about this. She did not want a lecture.

When he seemed concerned about her injuries, she waved them off. "A bit, but I am alive. I'll take that any day." And, it was not Yue's first time getting hurt like this. Though, it was rather embarrassing to do so in this manner, but it would not take long for her to regain her confidence. The demigoddess took a step closer to him, but quickly, she winced. Yue tried to hide it, not wanting to worry her new savior. "Anywhere I can just sit for a moment? I ran so fast I think my legs are about to give out."

[lianmp]

Lian had been on the hunt for a baby chick that had strayed from the flock--only because a kid had attempted to sneak out with it; not that he could blame the little girl; it was an adorable little bird. Of course, when she was caught by her guardian and her pleading did not sway the adult from saying she could not keep the chick, she then put the small bird on the ground with a light shove and told it to RUN FREE AS THE WIND! And now...now it was Lian's job to find and catch the poor little creature, eventually leading the lanky farmhand to the entrance.

Aha! There it was! Located! He smiled just a little bit as he crouched down to scoop up the chick, cradling it carefully within his palms as he stood once more, listening to it peeping happily now that it was no longer on its own and lost in the grass far from its mother. Gingerly, he stroked the bird's head and neck with the side of his thumb and turned to head back in the direction of the coop when he saw another visitor to the farm...and with a dog no less and offered a small smile. Cute dog!

He didn't usually talk to people when they came to the Happy Garden, but this stranger now moved closer and seemed to be talking to him. His smile faded, expression becoming more like a deer in headlights as he didn't understand. "...huh?" he quietly asked as he continued to subconsciously soothe the baby chick with strokes of his thumb. Was this stranger asking him about picking vegetables? Or the orchard maybe? Or eggs? Goat milk maybe? There was a sign around here wasn't there? With arrows pointing in the directions of things? Confused, he looked around to find it, and finally nodded in the direction of it since his hands were occupied.

garden fairy

for the new gardener @lianmp

Tsukiko had been wanting to visit Happy Garden since it opened. And now that the snow had finally cleared (he already missed the ice rink though), it was the perfect time to visit the place. He needed some herbs for his kitchen and maybe he could get some tangerines or kiwis for his boyfriend Sundrop.

The nurse still couldn't believe the way their relationship had suddenly evolved, reaching a point it should have a very long time ago already, if bigotry hadn't taken the son of Artio from him. 

So it was with a big smile on his face that Tsukiko walked to Happy Garden, Toffee by his side. She was happy to be out too, trotting near him, as gentle as always. As they arrived, the Japanese demigod immediately noticed the handsome young man at the entry, his beautiful and unusual eyes shining in the bright light of the day.

"Excuse me ?" he asked the other, moving closer. "Are dogs allowed inside ?"

[lianmp]

Lian was most content when in the garden. Getting dirty as he sat on his knees, staining his jeans and feeling the soil between his fingers as he sang softly in that haunting tenor; the plants just...felt happier when he sang around them. That, in turn, put him at ease.

Around his waist, he had tied an apron in which was filled with gardening tools, his spade in his left hand to break up the dirt around the roots while the right tugged the weeds free of the soil to toss into the basket beside him. Not to worry, the weeds would not go to waste, likely to find themselves among the feed for the goats.

This bed in particular did not look like much just yet, just some long but lush green fronds as the bulbs had sprouted; however, come the autumn, the space would be quite lovely with tall stalks of pink belladonna lilies. He had become accustomed to people walking by, just admiring the view or on their way to pick some fruit or vegetables, mostly ignoring his presence, but he was NOT accustomed to someone suddenly crouching beside him, pulling him out of his little song.

He looked up from the bed to gaze upon this woman's face...a face that looked familiar, to the point that it SLAPPED him in the back of his mind. HE KNEW THAT FACE!!! But the last time he saw it, the expression it wore was a lot of pain...so much pain--that had been her, the girl who was nice to him, the one he healed so long ago. He had passed out after...and life had become rather crazy after that, but he had always wondered...if she was okay.

And she was there! She was right there! For the first time in a long time, some life returned to the peridot eyes, his smile reaching his gaze. "Yes...!" he answered with a soft excitement. "....hi!" he finally managed to sputter out, happily shocked. "...you're here...?!"

Old Face / New Spaces

@lianmp

As the snow left the island, the demigoddess found a bit of relief from the cold weather. Though the island still was rather cold, the lack of ice seemed to make things at least feel a bit warmer. So, with spring on the horizon, she felt it was a good time to see what produce might be blooming in the new gardens on the outside of the residential district. So, the demigoddess dressed comfortably as she was sure there was going to be a lot of walking but warmly.

When she got there, she was blown away by how beautiful the gardens were and how reasonable the entrance fee was for such delicious looking produce. The demigoddess took care as she searched to see what all the gardens held. And while she had been there for vegetables and fruits, she found herself frozen in place when she overlooked a man on his knees, weeding from what she could tell.

Could it be?

Esther took a few more steps before squatting down beside the man. Her head tilted, and her eyes widened with the look of recognition. It was! But, for the life of her, she could not remember his name. It had been ages ago. But, she did know him, and in that, it was a miracle.

"Hey." She speaks quickly in mandarin, a light crimson pulling on her cheeks as she knew she may have been a bit odd. Well, now, this was a bit awkward. "I'm sorry. You looked so familiar, cause you are! Do you remember me?"