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

GREENHOUSES

[ironwood]

The greenhouse expansion is primarily outside the city, along the outskirts. Some meadowed areas and other open tracts of land not currently being used for cultivation have been sited for this purpose. Rather than trying to construct all of the greenhouses out of glass, which is heavy and expensive, most of the new greenhouses are built with a wood and metal framework over which sheets of translucent material are draped and secured. The result are long, tube-like buildings with sections of the sheets along the lower parts of the walls that can be raised or lowered to adjust airflow and temperature.

For about a third of the greenhouses, that's it - the produce will be planted directly in the ground, rather than in trays or pots, such as root vegetables and tomato-like vine plants. Another third are to be filled with long rows of raised tables for shallow-rooted plants, and the rest will house flat hydroponic beds and tubes.

Almost as soon as each building is constructed, the process of bringing in trays, pots, guide lines, soil, and seeds begins!

HYDROPONICS

[ironwood]

There are hubs for hydroponics in most sectors of the city, with several in Water, and a few tucked in with the greenhouses outside the city. These are smaller than the greenhouse hydroponics facilities and designed to be used just about anywhere that there's space. The largest, dedicated hydroponics operations are modeled closely off the Tavimbian design, with vertical rows of grow tubes that can be rotated to ensure even light coverage. These structures maximize on vertical space, but are a little tricky to put together to ensure that the water and nutrient delivery pipes are properly secured.

In places where there isn't enough room for the wall structures, there are two kinds of grow towers. The towers are great for use both indoors and outdoors, and while most of these towers are overseen by agricultural specialists, some are also being offered at a moderate cost to be used in people's homes. It is worth noting that there's also a maintenance cost to the towers; they're not cheap, but they're not exorbitant, either. If anyone is interested in purchasing one, there are workshops that will be offered both this month and in the future.

[bostonhowler]

When Brigid had told the Arbitrator that she was raised to take care of the less fortunate, she hadn't been lying. She often volunteers for things because she feels that it's her duty to do so.

Helping grow food? Well, she's never done that before and is happily taking orders from whoever is in charge, working with the kedan to grow the food they all need to survive.

While she could put on displays of werewolf strength, she doesn't. Instead, she carries just as much as other people, and soon works up a sweat, going back and forth.

She's actually enjoying herself.

[celticromanstone]

Heather has a black thumb when it comes to growing things. However, she'd volunteered to come out here and be on the medical team. Big scale projects like this? There's always someone with splinters, bumps, bruises, and more to be seen to. Plus, she's making sure people stay hydrated and what food there is to be distributed, is distributed evenly.

So, she can be found, wandering through the area, offering water to those that look like they need it, pulling out splinters, and generally helping without actually doing the planting or building.

[ten_zero]

Bisi was already helping with the hydroponics construction, but since the counselors started to contact her she's feeling even more... is pressured a bad word? To help more.

She lets the Kedan director her wherever Valkyr's physical strength is best needed, content to act as construction equipment for as long as needed.

Workshop

[ten_zero]

Bisi is interested in buying some of these small indoor towers for her home. She doesn't have a lot of expenses, so she focuses on saving up for one or two.

Bisi pays strict attention during the workshop, taking numerous notes and asking lots of questions.

OTA

[lasergrenades]

Pepper's always been the type to want to help people. That usually constitutes fighting bad guys, but in Keeliai that's also meant storm cleanup and now greenhouse construction. The armor is on standby in case there's a need for heavy lifting, but most days she's out on her own, chatting and laughing and generally having a good time doing the work.

On some days, her ka, Vee will also join in, particularly when there's a need for someone tall. Vee stands at nearly ten feet, and while she's usually armed to the teeth, she sheds some of her plating and leaves the swords intangible to seem less imposing.

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis didn't arrive to help with the construction or planting, heavens knew she was better at death and destruction than anything else, but she could offer aid in other ways, such as organizing her forces as guards to watch everything over night. Ensuring that there was no tampering to the buildings or materials. There was less need of them during daylight, so Valdis was on her way home when she saw Pepper and the young woman's ka working away at putting up another greenhouse.

[spoilsfun]

Conan's curiosity had drawn him to the greenhouses, following people around and finding his way into every corner of the site. With construction like this there wasn't much for a kid his size to do, but he was more than interested in learning about everything that was happening.

[schrodingersghost]

Almost as soon as he arrives, Danny is making his way over to check out the hydroponic equipment. He wasn't an expert, but one of his friends back home was a greenhouse nut. She's shown him around all the equipment in her private greenhouse more than once. Between that and all the time he'd spent helping his parents with their inventions, he figured he had the best chance of being useful there.

Later in the day, he returns as a ghost and offers to help out with any heavy lifting that needed to be done.

[lasergrenades]

Pepper's never been much of a builder, but she was social, and this was a project that benefited the city as a whole. As such, she spent as much time as she could lend away from work and training.

When she spotted Valdis, Pepper waved at her, and Vee turned to look over her shoulder as she raised another section of piping overhead to kedan on a temporary wooden platform.

"Hey! Checking on the progress?"

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis walked over, stopping a few feet away and looking at the manifestation of Pepper's ka when she answered, "Not exactly. I was organizing some of the officers to guard the site tonight. I'm worried about vandalism."

She still didn't trust the cultists not to screw with something, no matter how quiet they had been as of late.

[lasergrenades]

"Makes sense." The greenhouses could be a ripe target for cultists, Pepper knew that, but she didn't want to voice it and tempt any fate that was listening. "This is Vee," she added with a smile, noticing that Valdis was looking at the ka more than her. "I showed her card to you a while back, remember? Normally she's got more armor on, but it makes some of the kedan a little edgy."

Once Vee had handed off the piping, she turned to Valdis and inclined her head. It is a pleasure to meet you.

"Oh. Yeah. She doesn't talk with her mouth."

[of_deduction]

Sherlock is not here to be a good samaritan he's here for one reason and one reason alone: Research. He needs an updated knowledge of flora and fauna so he's here to collect samples. A few small test tubes full of stolen soil and leaves won't hurt the project and if he's asked why he needs the samples he'll explain it's for a very important case.

[redlightgreenlight]

"I remember," Valdis replied, unfazed by the voice in her head. She looked at Pepper, "And I'm used to hearing others in my head, remember?"

It was said teasingly, she was feeling fairly good right now as things were going well.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Vee."

[lasergrenades]

"Right. Still, most people aren't," Pepper replied with a shrug. "It took me some getting used to, anyway."

And now it was as easy as breathing, honestly. She'd grown accustomed to having another presence around at the edge of her mind all the time.

"Why don't we get out of the way of traffic," she suggested, edging away from the greenhouse they'd been working on; Vee followed.

You have been to the Shadow Realm, the ka observed after a moment.

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis followed Pepper away from the greenhouse, greatly aware of the rather large ka also following Pepper. Valdis inclined her head at Vee's observation.

"Several times, none of them pleasant."

The first time she had been trying to save Bakura. The second Bakura had been helping save her. And the third, well, she had failed at finding her own ka, though the exact details of that event were still fuzzy.

[lasergrenades]

"It's... not really meant to be a nice place for us, period," Pepper said. Her own experiences had not been pleasant, either, although they hadn't been as disastrous as Valdis' visits. "I can't feel the Shadow Realm directly very well, so Vee keeps me up to date on when things happen," she added, to explain the reason why her ka had made the observation in the first place.

"Hopefully the next time you go back, it'll at least end better. The tests aren't meant to be fun." Pepper was assuming Valdis would try the test again, since she hadn't yet heard differently.

[redlightgreenlight]

"I know."

She fell silent for several heartbeats.

"I hope so, Bakura is willing to help again, and I want to try." She shrugged, "Sometimes I wonder about him. He's rough around the edges, doesn't really want to get close to people, but he can't seem to help it. In a strange and twisted way, he's actually a kind person." She laughed and shook her head, "Though that doesn't mean that we won't kill each other if the need arises."

Valdis had weird relationships.

[lasergrenades]

Vee raised an eyebrow and then looked at Pepper expectantly. It would seem I am not the only one ready to remove him if necessary.

"Don't get any ideas," Pepper chided, and then sighed, but it was more fond than resigned. "Yeah, he's... well, I compared him to a cactus once. Prickly." Twisted is not the word she would use, although it probably wasn't inaccurate. "You just have to know how to get past the spikes. He's been through way more than anyone should." And he wasn't the only one on the turtle who had. "He must think you're worth the risk."

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis arched a brow at Vee, wondering how Pepper's ka, which was essentially part of her soul, could disagree with the girl in such a manner.

"Cactus is a good descriptor," Valdis commented, "And yes, he has had more than his share of suffering. He turned out pretty well considering all he's been through." She sighed, "I still don't really understand why so many people here seem to value a life that can't truly end. Not even the Shadow Realm could kill me."

A short pause.

"I'm glad though...that people think I'm worth the risk."

[lasergrenades]

The answer to that question was that Pepper herself knew, very deep down and covered by many layers of stubbornness and denial and affection, that there might be a need to fight Bakura some day. She tried not to think about it, though recent events had brought it up again.

"Death is scary," Pepper remarked, with all the philosophical affect that a teenager could muster. "Most people don't stop and think beyond that part of the whole 'immortality' thing."

She looked curiously at Valdis. For all that the woman was powerful beyond measure, her self-esteem seemed pretty low. "That's what friends do for each other. No risk, no reward, right? Gotta take the leap." Which had been Pepper's strategy for a while, since coming to Keeliai. "Also I'd seriously appreciate it if neither of you try and kill each other, for the record."

[redlightgreenlight]

"Death isn't so bad," Valdis replied, "I certainly don't fear it. But it and I have walked together for a long time..."

It was more practicality than low self-esteem. Worry about those who die permanently, not those who are guaranteed to come back. Life had little meaning when one couldn't really die.

"I certainly hope it won't ever happen," Valdis said, "An all out battle between us could cause some serious damage." And she didn't even know if Bakura could die or if he'd just go into the Ring. "I think we're mostly at a truce, so you don't need to worry about that at any rate. I don't have many friends, I like to keep the few I do have."

[lasergrenades]

Bzzt. Wrong answer. Life is life is life, and still matters whether it goes on forever or gets snuffed out after a few decades. Pepper would be arguing so hard with Valdis if she knew that was her mentality.

"'Serious damage' sounds like the understatement of the century. Yes, please, to avoiding that," she agreed. They had enough challenges without a pitched battle between those two. Her head tilts to the side. "What do you mean about 'walking with death'? That's not just a metaphor with you, is it." Not with the immortality. It could mean a lot of things.

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis laughed at that, "Yes, I suppose it is a bit of an understatement."

She wasn't even entirely certain she could win, Bakura had all sorts of tricks in those cards of his. She hummed softly to herself as she thought of the best way to explain what she meant. It took a few minutes before she came up with something that made sense, at least in her mind.

"The literal translation of my name is 'Dead Goddess', and I have wielded death as a weapon for a very long time. Death and I may not get along, but we are companions, if only because I brought death to the dying. One might call it merciful, if not for the eternity the souls face, not in Heaven or Hell, but within a creature who will consume their life force for power." She sighed, "Interesting, isn't it? How I can wield both death magic and a blade forged by angels?"