|
Post by Evainmoire on Sept 19, 2021 3:11:29 GMT -6
It was around such a time when the fickle mood of nature decided to make itself known. Not in great swaths of expression, at first, but in small drops which fell from the skies and began to land upon the garden. Thus, betraying little of the future to come. Some of the first ones landed upon the lepus' gloves, even as he continued to inspect the fruit within his grasp. The closer the season drew to fall, the more regular rain showers were, though the skies had not been clear but an hour ago. Eyes cast skyward, he could then see the approach of a dark cloud bank, laden with moisture and promise of a deluge. It was not long after that it crossed far enough to cover the sunlight, thus casting the garden into overcast dimness.
To his mind, it appeared no stranger than mere promise of rainfall. However the serpent might have sensed something greater, for she suddenly began to move through the grass, abandoning her vigil.
|76| Summer: 76 Morelle: 18 (1/5) / 15 (1/5)
|
|
|
Post by Evainmoire on Sept 19, 2021 3:31:51 GMT -6
Where society offered the opportunity for a higher form of consciousness, it likewise created a stronger separation from the natural. The raindrops continued to fall, and for many a civilized soul they might not have seemed different to any other droplets of their kind. And yet the serpent knew them to be different. She knew them from the variation of their fall, the temperature of the air, the gust of wind and even the season in which they fell. She had to, for such a language was part of survival, particularly when certain threats could be lingering on the horizon.
But the lepus did not, for his foray into the natural had always been scientific, of observation from afar and seeking to understand through study. He placed the fruit into the wheelbarrow and laboriously got to his feet, having a mind to fetch an umbrella upon the chance the rainfall got stronger.
|77| Summer: 77 Morelle: 18 (2/5) / 15 (2/5)
|
|
|
Post by Evainmoire on Sept 19, 2021 3:36:14 GMT -6
It would, of course. The serpent knew that, though she made no effort to alert the mammalian of such. Indeed, she might not even had means to, had she tried. A call for danger offered little room for variance which could include specifics as to which kind. So her goal remained the same as before, to opt for safety of herself, alone.
The lepus was not yet some steps away from the barrow, only a fraction of a distance towards the tool shed, when the droplets steadily began to increase. Light drizzle became rain, and rain became heavier and heavier as the moments passed. With some alarm, he perhaps realized the falseness of the initial assumption a little too late. By then the skies had pried open their hinges, and the waters were cast down across the whole of the garden, smattering tile, burrow, thicket, tree, bush, and field alike with a terrible strength.
|78| Summer: 78 Morelle: 18 (3/5) / 15 (3/5)
|
|
|
Post by Evainmoire on Sept 19, 2021 3:44:07 GMT -6
A hand was brought up across the rim of the cap, to offer further protection to his sight as the water cascaded down. Distance was a difficult measure, for a grey rain curtain cut off vision even to sharp eyes not some meters off. Likewise, to navigate or locate the serpent by sound was a hopeless process. It was clear to him she had as likely predicted the shift of weather, and taken to seeking cover. Thus, he can but hope that she was successful as the grassy field became increasingly softer from puddles and pools.
There was little need to save the insects or lotine, as the rainfall had alerted them much the same, and each had already sought shelter beneath tree or rock. But the wheelbarrow remained exposed, and he set to pulling it towards the copse of trees behind them, near the compost boxes, braving the softer ground with steady, measured footing.
|79| Summer: 79 Morelle: 18 (4/5) / 15 (4/5)
|
|
|
Post by Evainmoire on Sept 19, 2021 3:53:21 GMT -6
It had been but some moments, and yet the barrow was already beginning to fill with water. A factor which didn't cause issue with the wheelbarrow itself, though it did contain much of the plants he had encountered and stored thus far. Some he would wish to study further, and too much water or too heavy a rainfall could damage them irreparably before it can be done. As such, the wheelbarrow's path through the soft grass was slower than common, the pools and puddles making the wheel slip and stuck. It was fortunate the lepus had seen a great deal of life facing manual labour of some form or fashion, whether through the craftsmanship of stone masonry or as carpenter. As such, he was not unaccustomed to tasks which required more strength of arms, and the barrow was pushed loose from each mud trap with relative ease.
Once beneath the trees, he set the barrow down closest to the trunk, draping the burlap across it as additional cover. Somewhere out there was still the nightshade, though he suspected she could manage the sudden shift of weather far easier than he had.
|80| (counted) Summer: 80 Morelle: 19 (0/5) / 16 (0/5)
|
|
|
Post by Evainmoire on Sept 19, 2021 4:10:44 GMT -6
In truth, the nightshade had not managed to find escape as easily as she had noticed the oncoming danger. As a result of a smaller stature, the pooling water on the ground posed that much of a greater threat, for her ability to swim was minimal. As such, her better alternative was to find a path through the increased flooding, to seek higher ground rather than deeper shelter. A burrow would not do, a hollow would only become filled with water. Indeed, her own make-shift nest should likely require rebuilding, once the flood recedes once more.
The visibility through the rain was poor, and so the lepus did not know her fate at that moment. Instead, he could see the changes the deluge was causing within the garden around, as more and more water was thrown from the skies. Even the canopy of the tree above rustled angrily as droplets fell on it, making it poor shade, but better than none.
|81| Summer: 81 Morelle: 19 (1/5) / 16 (1/5)
|
|
|
Post by Evainmoire on Sept 19, 2021 4:17:10 GMT -6
Quite simply put, there was no scenario within such a situation that would have allowed him to escape dry. And there was no scenario that would have meant sparing the garden from yet more work to be done, as pools and puddles became rivulets, rivulets joined into a floodwater, and floodwater gradually carried itself across to the rest of the garden. A wast part of it was inclined towards the center, as much he knew. As such, the water was likely to be carried to the pond, and then further off, out of the garden, by the stream which cut through it.
The better hope, then, was that it would not carry too much with it.
At last, through the haze, he could see a vague shadow cast across the pale rocks in the distance, and it seemed the nightshade had managed to climb to higher ground, safe from the flooding below.
|82| Summer: 82 Morelle: 19 (2/5) / 16 (1/5)
|
|
|
Post by Evainmoire on Sept 19, 2021 4:23:22 GMT -6
As abruptly as it had begun, the rain let up just as unexpectedly. Some raindrops and a light drizzle still remained within its wake, but the main bank of the cloud seemed to have passed, as the grey curtain lifted around them and left the world flooded, muddy and in rhythmic silence to water drops cascading from tree and rock. The lepus stepped from beneath the tree and cast his eyes skyward, to see the grey clouds still hold sway above, but the air itself clear as the haze moved further east. To the west, there was but further clouds, no curtains to follow the torrent they had already endured.
The nightshade, too, shook water off herself. There would have been opportunity to return to her hiding, but the grassland around was much too flooded, so she remained perched upon the rock, as if proverbially trapped for the time being. In time, the water would recede, and in time she could escape once more.
|83| Summer: 83 Morelle: 19 (3/5) / 16 (3/5)
|
|
|
Post by Evainmoire on Sept 19, 2021 4:31:58 GMT -6
Thus, as the rain curtain receded and the air became clearer, the lepus and serpent had opportunity to properly have each other in sight. He had seen her before, and she had kept a vigil on him throughout the hours, and yet neither had properly seen each other in quite the same manner as then. A moment that would have been tense before felt happenstance then. Unexpected circumstances for each leading them to quite unusual predicaments. Perhaps even similar dilemmas. As fates had it, the lepus had not anticipated to participate in handling wetland that day, so the rubber boots remained in the shed. The shoes on were working-grade and well-made, but far from waterproof.
In turn, the nightshade was trapped on her perch with little means to escape into the tall grass, particularly as the tall grass was still quite flooded. And yet she did not feel as threatened as before, as if the lepus' constant presence had made him more familiar to her.
|84| Summer: 84 Morelle: 19 (4/5) / 16 (4/5)
|
|
|
Post by Evainmoire on Sept 19, 2021 4:41:02 GMT -6
It did not equate to absolute trust, for that was a much longer road. But, for such a time as the present, it was a form of tolerance. An acceptance of presence, if not fully in actions. And a test, in many respects.. For if the lepus betrayed even as much, the nightshade would surely not forgive the transgression.
The serpent's look and eyes did not explain it in so many a term, but the mammalian assumed to have understood the scope as well as the stakes. Perhaps, then, a show or approach might help. A means for her to leave the rock without having to take on the water. Which, in truth, meant that he would have to assume the responsibility of clearing the damages to the garden. And it would not be so simple a job..
Much of the water continued to flow away from the field, as it pooled towards the pond in the distance. To hasten its retreat, the lepus took him shovel and began to push it into the earth at intervals, creating small gaps and fissures which could allow the soil to absorb the water that much quicker.
|85| Summer: 85 Morelle: 20 (0/5) / 17 (0/5)
|
|
|
Post by Evainmoire on Sept 20, 2021 1:40:40 GMT -6
The gaps were deep, but only the shovel blade's width and size, making it simple enough task for nature to overgrow with time. Thus, no lasting damage would be done to the garden. It could have loosened the soil if the line of cuts ran too frequent, but he made sure to affix them only in places where the flood took time to retreat, thus hastening the drying process. Given the breath and depth of the field, the initial steps could hardly make a dent in the effort, since the lepus strove to reach the shed before taking on the main issue. For every job there was a proper tool, and he required many more to achieve this specific feat of mending.
The nightshade observed his slow retreat towards the shed, taking the elevated path beneath trees and their roots, for the hope of drier land. It was far from dry, yet not quite the pond parts of the garden had become.
|86| Summer: 86 Morelle: 20 (1/5) / 17 (1/5)
|
|
|
Post by Evainmoire on Sept 20, 2021 1:46:54 GMT -6
Steady on, the lepus passed beneath tree from tree, until the paved road was in sight. The path there was far softer and muddier, leaving little choice but to brave it in working boots alone. With shovel as support, he took step after careful step in the uneven ground, until the stony path was firmly underfoot. The shoes were greatly ruined, requiring a good deal of cleaning and drying to become usable once more. However, he had made it to the shed.
The distance made it difficult for the nightshade to see many details, though from her perspective, the mammalian entered a wooden construction, spent a time within, and returned outside slightly altered. The feet had something else worn on them, a shine of a material she did not know. And a jacket thrown across, to compensate warmth from the patches where the shirt had soaked. Both strange objects to the nightshade, though as a whole she none the less recognized it as him.
|87| Summer: 87 Morelle: 20 (2/5) / 17 (2/5)
|
|
|
Post by Evainmoire on Sept 20, 2021 1:51:26 GMT -6
In truth, he would have much preferred to wait out the receding of the water and take his leave early. However, the nightshade's predicament required fixing first, and to the same principle, he might yet need to check upon the other garden residents for issue or damage the rain might have causes. A small fortune in the passing drama was that he had not heard the sound of broken glass. Thus, however heavy the rain, it had likely not done much damage, if any, to the greenhouse. The glass panes had been designed to be resilient, though even resilience can relent given enough force of nature.
Slowly the lepus trod his way through the soft grass, with mud and soil mingling into the water with each step. However, he had changed the working shoes for rubber boots, making the process of crossing through water that much simpler. In addition, where one hand used the shovel for support, the other carried additional tools upon his shoulder.
|88| Summer: 88 Morelle: 20 (3/5) / 17 (3/5)
|
|
|
Post by Evainmoire on Sept 20, 2021 2:26:25 GMT -6
Once he had reached the wheelbarrow, he took the soaked burlap and discarded it to the side. It had spared the barrow the worst of it, but had not let it entirely dry despite it. Tilting the barrow, a portion of the excess water which had pooled to the bottom was poured out, careful to avoid spilling the plants within along with it. Then, to further protect it from the water falling from branches and leaves from the tree above, he fitted a proper tarp across it.
Thus the immediate concern was satisfied. Of the following nature was the nightshade and the marshland which then surrounded her. The tall grass left the true depth of the water something of a mystery, though the trimmed parts betrayed some notions of it. The ground was generally quite flat in this field, though slight changes in the elevation would have surely created pockets of deeper water, now trapped.
|89| Summer: 89 Morelle: 20 (4/5) / 17 (4/5)
|
|
|
Post by Evainmoire on Sept 20, 2021 2:33:43 GMT -6
The nightshade did not shift from her rock perch, appearing content to remain there, though her eyes stayed clearly locked upon what the lepus would do next. To be sure, it gave him indication that perhaps the surrounding overgrowth was still flooded enough as to be against the serpent's liking. She would have had to remain patient a little while longer, however, as the process to drain the water would have taken some time.
As the first objective, and in helping with the cleaning of the field, the lepus picked up a rake from the gathered tools. He waded toward the edge of the overgrowth and began to gently pull together the drifting debris, both floating free as well as those caught between the taller plants. Some of it was remains of the weeding process, while others uprooted or torn down by the torrent of rain. So long as the water kept each aloft, it was a much easier time to clear the mess, before gravity would ensue and trap them between the overgrowth proper.
|90| (counted)
Summer: 90 Morelle: 21 (0/5) / 18 (0/5)
|
|