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[hopticulture]

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RESIDENCE ✦ Emerald District - Government housing
GEMBOND ✦ Emerald

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[penitents]

[ Something about the Emerald District sits a little better with him, though maybe that's entirely to do with the great flush of flora. Konoha is technologically advanced by his world's standards, but it's still nestled in a forest. And beyond that, Sasuke has spent most of his life in the wilderness and floating between small villages. The sheer scope of Sumarlok is an affront to the senses in that respect.

He passes through the Farmer's Market just to browse and acquaint himself with what he should come to expect, but only stops long enough to buy a stuffed bun before diverting from the crowd. He isn't averse to them — he doesn't feel anything particular about them at all — but he's a private person and the relative quiet of the gardens is a balm after all the noise of the city. It grants the illusion of being somewhere else, when he knows full well they're still within it's limits.

Though he's abandoned the clothes he arrived in, his fashion sense hasn't diverted very much. It doesn't stand out quite so badly as before, and still serves to hide the left side of his body. All that black is still eye catching against all the bright colorrs when he crouches at the edge of the pathway. There, he reaches out to lift a flower up from where it had bent from it's tending cage to keep it from being trod on by a careless passerby. There's nothing all that special about it, but he lingers despite himself. On occasion, if his wife knew he would be returning, the flowers in the house would be fresh. He wonders if she went back home from Sansvoir. He wonders how Naruto's greenhouse is coming along. ]

[hopticulture]

[Haru comes from a much more technologically advanced world than some others here, but even then this place's technology is at times so radically different she finds herself itching for an escape from it. It makes her feel like how her parents must have felt when smartphones first started coming to the market.

But, even with the strangeness of this new planet, with foreign animals and flora alike, Haru still finds solace in the greener parts of this city, taking to the Emerald District's lush decoration which is a high contrast from the crater they woke up on and the lab they were taken to on first arrival.

She's dressed down in weather appropriate clothes, sensible baggy pants and a cheap-looking jacket that is just asking to get dirtied up, and already is making herself at home and well acquainted with one of the District's local gardens. She's volunteered to help out, been given some gardening gloves to help pull any weeds, and is just finishing up her round when she spots a human couched over.

At first she thinks he's looking to pick a plant for himself, and in her boots she all but tromps over towards him to tell him to stop, but notices instead he's propping up a flower with no intention of taking it for himself. So, here's a rabbit, wearing children's gloves and wearing baggy clothes, staring at a guy and frowning.

She tilts her head slightly, sounding a bit sad when she speaks.]

I can't believe someone already tromped over them... [she had just helped tidy up the flowerbeds beside the path.]

[penitents]

[ He senses her approach, and without looking over he assumes she must be a child just for the height he catches in his periphery. Crouched as he is, it puts them nearly eye to eye when he raises his head to look at her when she speaks.

What he finds, of course, isn't a little girl. It startles him enough to make him pause — not because he's never encountered a talking animal, but simply for the unexpectedness of it. Sasuke hasn't met someone like this for quite some time. His knee-jerk reaction is to assume she's some kind of summon, here on behalf of someone else, before he reminds himself his own experiences can't necessarily be reflected in this city. For a moment it makes him wonder how he could have missed this anomaly, but she's so small that she's probably often overlooked. ]

It might have been an accident.

[ He pulls his attention back to the flowerbed. ]

Were you tending to the garden?

[hopticulture]

[Being looked at like she's a child is something she's pretty used to. She knows how she comes across to others, especially to these humans who openly expression affection for rabbits as a species, commenting easily on how "cute" they are, it's just another reality she's going to have to come to accept. Same goes for his look of surprise when he looks at her.

She's used to it.]

It could have been...a lot of large animals don't often think to look where they step. But flowers aren't like people, where they can move out of the way if they need. [The empathy in her voice towards the flower is obvious. As though she understands what it's like to be helpless to the whims of the world. Her mind wanders, thinking about what to do to help this bent flower, but Sasuke's follow up question brings her back.] Ah-- yes! I've started volunteering to help with this garden.

Is there something I can help you with? I'm only a volunteer and I just started, but if you need anything I can try to help.

[penitents]

[ A lot can be read between the lines in what a person says. Sasuke doesn't need to look at her to note the empathy, to hear the way it softens her voice in a manner that's nearly self reflective. From her word choice alone he can hazard that her world is populated by others just like her, animals in all shapes and sizes; that from her stature alone it must put her at a disadvantage. It shifts something in him, and keeps him where he is instead of spurning the conversation and walking away at the earliest opportunity.

He ignores that direct question, simply because he has no answer for it. Sasuke had come out here to walk and admire the garden, not because he was looking for something specific. ]

A friend of mine is good at this sort of thing, too. I've never had the talent for it.

[hopticulture]

[She seems to perk up at his comment, ears centered and conveying her interest.]

Is that so? Gardening is more of a skill than a talent. You just have to listen to and try to understand the plants, and learn from your mistakes.

[Haru smiles as she speaks, the melancholic way she was speaking dissipating the more she talks about gardening in general.]

If your friend is good at gardening, it's probably because they've learned to listen. You seem to be listening too-- [Gesturing to the crooked flower he's helped to prop up.] Most people would have just let that flower be instead of trying to help.

[hopticulture]

At least the communal housing this place offers makes it relatively easy to find and visit Legosi whenever she wants, without really having to ask for his location or availability. A part of her wonders if they should room together, whether she should even broach that topic with him, but with what Legosi was saying to her over the network--

I'm sure I'm just worrying for no reason.

Still, her heart beats rapidly in her chest, as it's natural to do for a rabbit under unknown duress, and she's at Legosi's room, knocking on his door before opening it a crack to peer in, seeing if he's even in his room to begin with.

What do they need to talk about? Is he having second thoughts about them? Is he going to propose for the third or fourth time since they've been together? Is something wrong?

All these thoughts are racing in her head, and surely the rapid beating of her heart can be heard by any carnivore with keen ears, even if the one she's looking for is missing a chunk of his ear.

[andthatscalledjazz]

I'm sure I'm just worrying for no reason.

That thought echoed in Legosi's mind as well. Whereas normally his tail would be haphazardly wagging about at the idea of Haru coming over to his place, now his tail anxiously flicked to the side every now and then. He just wanted this to go well. There were so many ways it couldn't, as his brain was all too happy to paint images of. He tried his best to brush the mental pictures aside and focus on what was ahead.

But, he didn't have more time to prepare. A knock at the door signalled his ears to stand straight up before the door eased open. At the first sight of white fur, the funk was knocked out of his tail and regained its joyful wag. "Haru!" He strode over to the door to greet her.

He couldn't tell if the heartbeat he was picking up on was his own or hers. Either way, this was much more anxiety inducing than he'd intended. Legosi eased the door fully open for Haru. "Uh, welcome to my place. You can come in, sit down, uh, make yourself comfortable?" Why did he pose it like a question? Of course Haru was gonna do that; the whole reason she was here was to talk. What was she gonna do, stand outside his room and talk to him?

[hopticulture]

Her heartrate can't help but to increase further when he greets her at the door, her whole body feeling like it was going to vibrate out of her skin. But her nerves ease slightly into a feeling of warmth and happiness to see him, and she smiles even with the strange anxious cloud hovering over both him and her.

She tucks her smartphone-like device away in her overlarge skirt's pocket. "Thanks Legosi." Said while removing her shoes before coming inside, already walking on over to take a seat right as he offers it. The furniture of these spaces were of a standard size, not really accommodating for a small mammal like her, but she's able to scoot up onto his bed and sit on its edge, feet dangling from the floor.

Attempting an air of casualness, she swings her feet slightly, hands resting on the comforter, but it's hard for her to fully hide how she's feeling with the way her nose twiches rapidly and her ears remain straight upright and tense as though on the alert.

"So, what is it that you want to tell me? Or should we get a picture for your profile..." she pulls out her device again, scrolling through her photos. "I think I have some pictures of you already from when we first got here that could work..." It's not that she's deflecting, but more just trying her best to make herself comfortable.

[andthatscalledjazz]

Her smile eased more of his own anxiety. He liked being the reason she smiled. He watched her pass by to find a seat and gently closed the door. They were sealed in, now. Just the two of them. Legosi scratched the back of his head as he walked further in, after the rabbit.

Seeing her sitting there on the bed, too big for someone her size with her feet swinging... It was unquestionably cute. Not that he'd say it out loud. She didn't like being called cute.

Legosi carried himself over and sat down next to her, causing the bed to shift with his vastly different weight from the one already settled on it. "Uh, I think... we should talk first. I might look distracted in the picture if we take it before. So, after we talk!"

How to... talk about this? He wished he had Louis here to talk about it. Or Haru on his side to explain it for him. But he was talking about Louis to Haru. So, neither of those were an option. It was just him. "I found Louis here! I found him when I went to get new clothes."

[hopticulture]

Being with him now, closed off and in an intimate atmosphere of his room, continues to alleviate some tension. Still, the weight of him and the way the bed shifts down beneath him still catches her off-guard and she flops a bit against his arm. She catches herself, device still in one hand (and stopped on a random picture of a foreign plant that caught her interest earlier) while her other rests against his arm, then straightens herself up.

He sounds serious...

One long ear twitches slightly, and she sets her device screen down on her lap, pressing her knees together and leaning forward slightly so she can look up at him. She's quiet as she waits for him to come up with what it is he wants to talk about, only for her ear to twitch again when he mentions Louis.

She gives him a funny look. "It took you that long to find him?" The funny look turns into amusement; seems like a silly thing to want to talk about, running into an old friend. "I saw him when we were recovering on that space station. That isn't really news to me, Legosi, though I guess you haven't heard from him in awhile."

Mr. stand-offish CEO that he's seem to become, only calling her to tell her what Legosi has done in a super ominous manner.

[andthatscalledjazz]

Oh, she had run into him, too? Even before Legosi had! Wow, well, at least they didn't need a big reunion or anything. Legosi tapped the side of his muzzle with a clawed finger. "I mean, that is what I wanted to say, but, just a part of it. Cause, I wasn't just in there to buy clothes. I mean, I was, but, while I was there, I was thinking about other stuff, right?"

Legosi leaned back, laying on his back so that he could stare at the ceiling. It brought him back to that moment in the shop, staring at belts. "I was thinking about the syncing stuff... and then Louis showed up! We talked and it felt like nothing changed, but..." His hands flopped onto the comforter beside him. He drummed his fingers along the fabric. "I imagined him, uh, making Manna. A-And I couldn't look at him, so I faced the wall, but, Louis knew something was up and asked me..."

He lifted his hands up in front of himself to look over them. It reminded him of being on the floor of the Drama Club. Juno had sidled in next to him and... His hands were so different than they used to be. They were rougher and he could see small knicks and sparse patches where he'd been scarred or injured. "It made me remember when he visited me in the hospital, one of the times I got really hurt. I told him about it. Cause, I'd seen him and had the thought that..." He gently turned over to look at Haru; his cheek fur rumpled under the weight of his face. "Herbivores are so... beautiful... That he was beautiful. And I admitted I thought about him making Manna."

Legosi dragged his hand up into view to look over them. He could see Haru's vague shape in the reflection of his claws. "I expected him to just call me a dumb dog and brush me off like he usually does, but... He touched my face and he sounded so... open, like I'd never heard him before. He teased me and called me a pervert, but, there was none of that Louis bite to it. I don't know why, but I found myself asking what he thought of me. Cause, Louis is so secretive. He walls himself off, so much. If he was open like that, I wanted to know."

Louis, the untouchable Beastar candidate. Louis, the drama star. Louis, the head of the Shishigumi. Louis, the Horns CEO. Louis, the child of the Black Market. Louis... his friend. "He called me strong, but inexperienced. And..." Legosi's ears seemed tense with concentration as he recalled Louis' words. "That I changed him so wholly that he didn't like the idea of me not in his life. That he was worried I'd ruin that with how reckless I was."

Legosi brought his eyes out of the reflection and back to Haru's face. "You've always been the most important person to me. And I don't ever want to lose you. But... Louis has been so... unreachable and sad for so long. I see it whenever his mask cracks. And I just... wanna see him smile, the same way I get to make you smile." Legosi's brows knit together in confusion. "Is that... bad? I can't just be two people for you and Louis. How do I... I asked Louis for help explaining this to you, but he said I had to do it, and as soon as possible. I guess I... got caught up in a few other things, but, I tried my best."

[mousquetaires]

[ It's not too difficult to slide a letter Haru's way, while she's busy at work tending to the flowers in the Night Gardens. The letter pokes out just so in her bag, just so the petals on the single gardenia flower attached don't get squished! ]

To the Kind-Hearted Horticulturist, Haru,

You are most cordially invited to attend the soft opening of Le Chat Noir, a new coffee shop in the Emerald District. Please visit at your convenience, make yourself as you would at home, and enjoy a variety of complementary comfort dishes and hand-picked coffee blends prior to our public opening later this month.

The vegetables that I've been planting here make for a delicious garden salad. I hope to see you, so that you can try it for yourself. I have a feeling you'll be quite impressed!

Most sincerely yours,
Haru Okumura

CODED BY TESSISAMESS

[ There's an address listed on the reverse side with business hours, and it's accompanied by a little logo , too! ]

text; un: adler

[disasdeer]

Haru - it's been awhile.

[read]

[hopticulture]

ok so it's not a FULL day, but a good 12 hours later...

[hopticulture]

Has it been? Usually it's pretty normal if I don't hear from you months at a time, so I hadn't noticed.

he's like HMMM

[disasdeer]

Is it?

[ gonna act like it's not ]

I was just... checking in, I guess. Since Legosi left.

[hopticulture]

He's been gone for a few weeks now. I'm trying to figure out what to do with his clothes.

[a minute later:]

I had a feeling you weren't messaging me because of that, tbh. You tend to go dark when something's up. Everything all right?

[disasdeer]

I'd just get rid of them. There's no sense in keeping them here, right?

[ And, without skipping a beat. ]

Everything's fine. It's just seems quiet, I guess. And that makes me suspicious. I don't think quiet here is good.

[hopticulture]

I don't know. He's not someone who really cares much about his clothes, so I can. But some of them still smell like him and it's nice having that around. Even if wolves stink.

[mmmm. she can tell he's being intentionally dismissive.]

Maybe I can come your way and make things seem less quiet? Or you can come over to my place. If you're on edge about something I'm all ears, you know!

[Rabbit Joke.]

at emerald park

[jinlingers]

Jin Ling has only ventured to Emerald Park a few times. But now that he has his dog Fairy with him he goes to visit again, this time with the spiritual dog at his side. There's a lot about this place that reminds him somewhat of Yunmeng, even if it doesn't have the same waterways or lotus plants everywhere. It's still alive. He's dressed in gold robes and in one hand is his sword Suihua in its sheath. He doesn't go anywhere without it if he can get away with it.

It's not Jin Ling that notices her first. There's a bark from Fairy who bounds up to Haru, sniffing. Jin Ling jogs after her the short distance and glances at the.... bunny girl...? That's a new one for him! Though, he did once dance with a cat of some sort...

"Fairy, stop," he commands, cupping his hands in front of himself and bowing politely. "My apologies."

[hopticulture]

Unlike the stranger with his spiritual dog and his fancy gold robes, the bunny girl whom Fairy bounds up to is dressed very mundanely. She's been helping out, trimming some overgrown hedges in the more cultivated part of the park, and because of the stray twigs and dirt she's opted to wear some baggy overalls and a large wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun from her eyes, holes having been meticulously cut to make room for her ears.

She's gotten relatively used to the ways animals here differ from those at home, but it still doesn't mean she's all that thrilled to suddenly have a dog barking and running up towards you. She fumbles, accidentally cutting a larger chunk of branches and leaves than intended, dropping the shears as she minds the dog sniffing her, holding her hands up to keep its muzzle at bay from her face or wherever else it tries to sniff.

"Oh! Ah, that's ok!" It's...well, it is what it is, and she huffs a bit, contrary to her saying it's 'ok'. "But you're going to have to apologize to the bush I just cut...I promised I was only going to give it a trim..."

[jinlingers]

Fairy does, thankfully, listen to Jin Ling and she backs up, tail wagging and obviously wanting to sniff some more at the bunny. Jin Ling glances at the bush and then raises his brow at her comment.

“Why would I apologize to a plant?” He asks a bit incredulous. Why would he bother to apologize to a plant. It’s just a plant after all! Those don’t have feelings or anything.

It’s even weirder that that comes from a talking, bunny. Is she always one… or is it some sort of transformation…

[hopticulture]

Haru, thankfully, seems comfortable enough with dogs to not freak out in the way you'd expect a rabbit person to react. Any time Fairy comes up close to sniff her, Haru's hand meets the dog's wet nose to push her gently aside. How to deal with animals like these is still...weird, because parts of them remind her so much of animals back home, but they act a lot like children who can't talk.

"Because I'm telling you to apologize to it? Plants feel things." And partly because Haru wants to make this guy feel bad for making her mess up. She knows the bush will recover, after all.

[jinlingers]

Fairy woofs softly one of the times she's gently pushed away but finally stops and just sits on her haunches near Haru, clearly still trying to figure the rabbit person out.

"Plants don't have feelings. Why would you even think that?" Jin Ling scoffs a bit. When has a plant ever shown emotion!