abraxaslogs | ( open & closed ) july catch-all

[In Aloy's continuing bid to not end up working on a farm, she takes it upon herself to venture out of the primary settlement and see what she can find. Traveling between settlements seems to be easy enough, especially for a seasoned survivalist like her, and it's not like she's short on time, when it comes to making the journey. What she finds is more woodlands, and then eventually, more farms. To be expected, maybe.

It's the screaming that gets her attention--her first thought is that someone is in danger, so of course she heads in the direction of the noise. When she follows it to its source, however, it's not what she expects, and Aloy stops just short of actual intervention.]

Are you, uh--

[Not hurt, clearly. The plant is the thing that's screaming. That's. Okay. Aloy keeps a healthy distance, craning her body towards the scene like she's deciding whether or not to get closer.]

--do you need help with that?

[She has no idea what to do, but it seems appropriate to offer.]

( there's a sharp turn of her head, but the sound of the voice comes just slightly over the sound of the wailing from the plant; it's someone that she doesn't recognize, but that doesn't mean that it's anyone dangerous. the woman looks--well, she looks like she belongs and yet doesn't, which means that she's likely an outsider, just like herself. that much is something of a relief.

still, the weed isn't going to make any concessions--it's still shrieking as she tries to stuff it back into the dirt, though all that seems to do is slightly muffle its cries. )

I--I think so! ( there's something almost comical in her voice; she plucks the weed right back out of the slanting hole, and it screeches in her face--immediately, she sits up on her knees, presses the plant into her palms and--

--gives it a nice toss, right in the direction of her new friend, the stranger. the weed's wailing goes up into an arc as it passes through the air, almost like a whistle. )

Catch~!

[Oh, this is terrible. She hates this. Her first inclination is that someone should just stomp on it, or otherwise destroy it, but the fact that it’s making a noise indicates some kind of life, doesn’t it? Can it feel pain? Is it screaming because it’s being torn out of the ground? Putting it back, however, doesn’t seem to do anything either.]

Wait—

[The good news is that she has excellent reflexes, and before she can even process the situation, Aloy has her arms open to receive her new charge. She doesn’t fumble it, but the fact that it’s still screaming means she’s very tempted to drop it, event hough at this point she suspects that might just make it worse. Aloy had offered help, but now that she’s got the thing in her hands she realizes she has no idea what this is. Or what she’s supposed to do with it.

She holds it as far away from her body as possible.]

What were you trying to do?

( there is some reprieve, having the weed so far away, but it's still yelling, and at this point, she almost worries that they're going to draw the attention of someone else, who might come out and scold them for what they're doing. still: she can't help but laugh a little, unbidden, seeing the stranger hold the weed out so far away from herself.

cheerfully, she cups her hands around her mouth to be heard over the sound of the shrieking: )

I was trying to dig up its whole family and end them all...!

( there's a grin, and then--she can't really hold it, waving a hand in front of her face as though to immediately erase the idea from their minds entirely. )

No, I was only gardening! Do you think we should take it somewhere else? Dig a bigger hole? Or is it lonely?

( playfully, aerith sits up on her knees, stretching her torso up: dramatically, she wraps her arms around herself, though they're dirty and caked with soil. )

Maybe give it a--a hug? See if that works, first?

[Aloy absolutely believes her for a split second--if this is a screaming plant, it kind of makes sense to stop the screaming. Even now, as she holds it at arm's length, she wonders if she shouldn't kill it. Probably she should kill it! Unfortunately, Aloy is more empathetic than that, and doesn't want to murder an innocent animal if there's something else they can do.

The more it screams, however, the more she's tempted.]

I'm not giving it a hug!

[Aerith cannot be serious. In fact, between the joking and the laughing, Aloy is wondering if she understands the gravity of the situation. What if it never stops?]

What is this thing, anyway?

( it's amusing, in a way, because the stranger reminds her of some of her friends: the way that she looks aghast at the suggestion, as though it's the most ridiculous thing she's heard; she must be the serious type, then, something that makes aerith laugh again, but mostly in pleasure.

still, there's work to be done: at this rate, they really will draw the attention of the garden keepers, and she pushes up onto her feet, brushing dirty hands against the skirt of her dress. )

It looked like a weed, when I pulled it up...! ( she's still shouting, but at least now, she's looking to close some of the distance between them; she's carefully maneuvering around the lines of crops in the field, stepping over them on the toes of her boots. ) Oh, what about a pot?

( maybe it would feel better, smothered neatly in dirt? hugged by the ceramic? with a wincing smile, aerith points out with one soil-smeared arm towards a small shack, just a few feet away, full of gardening tools and the like. )

Let's head there...! Be careful with him!

So you...didn't know it was going to do this?

[Maybe that's more forgivable. Aloy can't imagine ever setting something like this off on purpose, but even if Aerith hadn't, she's still laughing about it. For someone who so often simply wants to get down to business, that only servers to agitate her further.

Still, she complies, with the promise that Aerith maybe knows a little more about this thing than she does, and also the hope that they can shut it up. Aloy follows, still holding the plant at arm's length, not terribly interested in being careful with it when it's certainly not being careful with their eardrums.]

I take it killing it is out of the question.

[Not that she wants to, and Aloy is pretty sure Aerith isn't going to go for that either, but. She does think it's worth bringing up as a course of action.]

Edited 2022-08-15 16:44 (UTC)

( it's a shame that it continues to wail, but like any noise, it's almost like she feels she's gotten used to it, in a sense: her ears are ringing, but at least the surprise is gone; for now, she makes her way carefully across the field so that she can approach, though the sound only gets louder the closer she gets to the stranger.

she's holding it out away from herself at a distance, as they move, and aerith thinks that's probably a smart choice. )

...No, of course we can't kill it!

( maybe it's being closer to aerith, that's the danger: affronted, she reaches out to swat at the stranger, hitting her in the shoulder gently. ) It's not like it did anything wrong!

( by the time they hit the door to the shed, though, she can feel her temples pounding, a small headache of protest. with proper manners, she holds the door open so that the stranger and the shrieking plant can come in first--she shuts the door behind them. inside, the little shack is quite crowded, dusty and dirty and relatively dark; aerith reaches up with one hand to crank the knob of a lantern, illuminating the small space for them. )

Okay! I'll get a pot! ( she's shouting this over the plant, of course. ) You get ready to put it in! Gently! Like you're tucking it into bed!

Right. Of course.

[Said more under her breath than anything else. No, she doesn't want to kill it either, if she can help it, but maybe it was worth a shot. For now, she has no other choice but to follow Aerith's instructions.

She seems to know what she's doing, at least insofar as gardening is concerned, so Aloy provides no further input and simply follows the directions. The good news is that all she really has to do is hold the plant away from her, waiting for the pot that will hopefully shut it up.]

Gently. [Like she's tucking it into bed. Unbelievable.] Okay, ready.

( there's the heavy sound of a pot clanking onto the work table, as aerith lifts it from the back shelf and thumps it down onto the surface--it's large enough to have to have been carried with both hands, at least, and to her dismay, it leaves the front of her dress caked in dust and dirt. no matter, at least now for now: she nods to the stranger, gesturing towards the pot with an open palm. )

There's dirt in it...! ( she instructs, shouting over the plant's wailing--but just in case, she's also stepping sidelong to investigate the bags of soil, here, looking for something that might cover up the top.

--then, of course, she spares her gaze sidelong, and scolds at the stranger, playfully: )

I said be gentle! Maybe you should sing to it after all!

[Well, good. Aloy hopes there's dirt in it, if that's what will make this thing shut up. As soon as the pot is on the table, she wastes no time in sliding the plant into it, perhaps a little rougher than necessary, given the way Aerith immediately chastises her.]

You don't want me to sing to this thing, trust me.

[Probably that would just make it worse. For now, she keeps the weed in place while Aerith looks for something to dump on top of it.]

Are you sure this is going to work?

( open & closed ) july catch-all

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