EVENT | LET IT GROW, LET IT GROW

[ironwood]

Characters: All!
Date: March 15-31
Location: Large, open spaces in Keeliai, at the outskirts of the city, and near some of the fields
Situation: Assembly and construction of new hydroponics facilities and expansion of the greenhouses is in full force. Time to grow some food!
Warnings/Rating: None

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The past few months have been difficult for growing food; it has probably come to the attention of some that perishable food, especially greens and fruit have been in short supply. Using technology acquired in Tavimbi, a large number of hydroponics systems are being set up, and the existing greenhouses are being expanded in order to make up the shortfall of good growing conditions. The past few months have been focused on getting all of the pieces ready, and now it's time to assemble and plant.

It's important to take advantage of the warming weather and begin growing as soon as possible. As such, everyone who's available to help is asked to do so. There are opportunities to assist with major components of construction as well as assembly of hydroponic equipment. While it's not required to volunteer, there's a certain air of expectation that anyone available to help will be helping. After all, if there's not enough food, Keeliai is in big trouble.

Comments

[spoilsfun]

"Okay! That sounds like something I could do."

As Conan starts walking to the end of the row he gives Kratos a quick assessing look. Military, was his first thought. Possibly a veteran. Although from the way he moved and the calluses on his hands, it was not the same as the modern army Conan knew from his own world. He was obviously used to heavy armor and perhaps a shield.

"Conan Edogawa. I've been here a few months now."

[simulsimul]

"I am Kratos," Kratos answers. "I've been here two." Roughly. The months here are counted in a different way than they are on Aselia. "Have you an interest in gardening?"

Best to ascertain how much instruction the boy might need, if at all. He seems attentive in observation, at the very least; it's possible he's learned something just by watching already.

[spoilsfun]

"Some! I helped with gardening projects a few times at home."

Which was to say that a few of the numerous detective boys field trip he'd been dragged along on had featured community gardens.

[simulsimul]

"That's good. You'll have some degree of familiarity, then." They come to the end of the empty rows, where some seedlings had already been planted. Kratos steps over the pipe so he can face Conan and reach over, if need be, but give Conan the room to work as he needs without either someone hanging over his shoulder or being relegated to mere 'assistant'.

He pulls the potting mix close enough for the both of them, and sets the box of seedlings down on the unused side of the hollow garden beds. "First we need a base in the new pot," he says, shaking out some potting mix into his side and then pushing it closer to Conan. "About half to three quarters, for now."

[spoilsfun]

"A little, I guess. We spent a lot more time going on camping trips and field trips." And extensive as Conan's knowledge of plants was, his studies had been almost entirely focused on the effects of toxic plants on the human body and their known antidotes.

As Kratos sets the box of seedlings down, Conan kneels down to inspect the pipe and the garden beds. After peering over everything to his satisfaction he reaches for the bag of potting mix and scoops some out onto his side.

"Mmm, I can do that! We practiced planting at school."

[simulsimul]

Not quite gardening, but still better than having never put hands to soil. There's something to be said for being among the plants. Kratos waits for Conan to familiarise himself, impressed by the conscientiousness.

Hm. More time camping, and yet practiced planting at school. There seems to be a discordance there; why say one thing, if the other is true? Either he lacks experience or he doesn't. Interesting.

"Did you spend much time examining plant-life, while camping?" Kratos asks, spreading the mix around and making sure there's room for the roots. 'Camping' seems like a strange past-time, for school; but so many people here don't seem to be from a planet with which Kratos is familiar. After a moment he adds, "Did you learn how to remove the seedlings safely from their first pot?"

[spoilsfun]

"Hmm, sometimes. And sometimes at school too."

Conan hadn't yet realized that that there had been a slight miscommunication. Trips with the detective boys and the professor were hardly part of school, after all.

"Mmm, we learned how to do that a while ago. The professor took on us on a trip to help out a community garden a few times."

Perhaps wisely, Conan doesn't mention what else happened those trips. He'd slowly become aware that most people would get concerned if they heard about a kid finding vandalism followed by a body in the garden.

[simulsimul]

Kratos's experience with school is exceedingly different to modern Earth; to him it sounds like a dissonance in education. Conan's comment now makes him pause, and reorient the previous comment as being some kind of early training, separate from tutoring.

"I admit I'm not wholly familiar with school as an institution."

It had developed, in Aselia, but when Kratos was a boy he'd been privately tutored. The community garden makes far more sense to him than the idea of a schoolhouse.

As he speaks he grips the base of a seedling and upturns the pot to remove it gently, and places it into the tub. He does it a bit slower than he needs to, this time around, in case Conan does need to watch and doesn't wish to call attention to the need for help. "What's the next step?"

It's a question, at this point, he expects Conan to be able to answer.

[spoilsfun]

The problem, the biggest problem, with having to pretend to be a just a kid was when he got treated like a kid.

He was sure Haibara would say that it was good for his ego.

"It needs more soil to be packed around it, doesn't it?"

[simulsimul]

"Correct." Kratos drizzles some soil from the sack round the seedling and then pushes the sack over to Conan for his use. It seems fairly clear that Conan knows what he's doing; Kratos declines to give further instruction, unless asked for direction.

"Tell me about your school." This isn't an attempt at a probe, but genuine curiosity. Kratos has heard something about school, from travelling with Raine and her students; but surely there are some differences between dimensions.

[spoilsfun]

"It's probably typical for an elementary school." Conan keeps working as he talks. "It's the first level of schooling where I come from. After a few years, we will move on to the next level."