[RQ] always on the upswing

the first cut was the deepest, but it healed up whole

Between the two large burial mounds, sat the level portion of Meadowreach. He can see the roof of the House of Midnight from here and the road that slips through the ground, carving out a little easy to follow path that prevented random routes being taken all over the flat portion. There’s a few wild unicorns off to the left in the distance, grazing amongst the grasses and flowers, swishing their tails as Sunjata preps for the day, a wagon with an ox attached to it that he’s scratching the neck of gently.

Settled in the wagon is a multitude of baskets, for everyone to spread out and collect, as well as whatever tools they needed to get them out – root and all. The morning itself is a bright one, a sign of Longheat on the horizon, warm and calm with a wonderful sweet breeze as the flowers bloom and dance with each gentle gust. It’s only when those he’s invited arrive that the Flood turns to Colt and Hawthorn with a lopsided smile.

“Thanks for coming out. We’ve gotta collect some flowers from here and put them in the wagon so we can plant them in the Barrows next. So we’re gonna need basically a shit ton of them.” Gesturing to the baskets in question and how big the wagon was, it only seemed to make sense that they’d need a whole fuckin’ lot of them. “Oh, and root and all. So, we can spread out if that might cover more ground or stick to one path.” Leaving the option open for them, the Flood’s content to go either way depending on what they thought.

---

Lets go get some flowers!

the flood

and the next one was a soft touch, but i bled out below

totally sniped from odd ilu

COLT

She had donned a sundress for the work, a rarity that she could wear something other than a shirt and jeans, especially when the boys had stopped coming to her doorstep to take her out dancing at night. Losing your dad and becoming a workaholic bitch to everyone who tried to be nice tended to do that. The boots and hat remained though, nearly part of her skin at this point, and the spurs faintly tinkled with a metallic beat with each step. She'd been too lazy to take them off.

She glowered a bit at the sight of the wild unicorns. They were always around here, and she'd rather them than a plethora of predators to fend off against, but her broodmares would be coming back into season soon and she did not look forward to having to chase off some rowdy studs once more. She should really invest in some better fences soon, it was getting ridiculous. The thought came and went, replaced by a warm smile she offered Sunjata in greeting as she spied him, and she moved to stand near him and the ox. The warming breeze stirred, the tips of her free blonde hair shuffling against her back, and the scent of the still blooming wild flowers sighed against her nose. And—BBQ? Her nose crinkled with aroma and she leaned in a bit closer to Sunjata, sniffing deeply, then accusingly. "Have you been eating ribs without me?" The incredulity was a joke, mostly, punctuated by some hands propped on her hips. She was fucking hungry now.

She crossed her arms over her chest once Hawthorn arrived, dipping her hat towards him in a nod. She recognized him, but from where? The thought plagued her as she glanced at him, gaze darting between Sunjata as he outlined their work for the day, then back to the familiar stranger. "I want all the blue ones," she called out to the boys playfully as she reached for a basket and a rooting tool. It didn't matter really, but blue was her favorite color and it might make the mundane chore a bit more exciting, the way that sorting out M&Ms by color made them taste different.

---

Colt grabs a basket and flower puller thingy

Go and fix your makeup girl, it's just a breakup
Run and hide your crazy and start actin' like a lady
Gotta keep it together, even when you fall apart

// i am heaven sent, don't you dare forget —

Thorn wasn’t wearing much out of the ordinary. Baggy, sheer clothing that allowed for the glimmer of his dark tattoos along his back and sides to appear through the shimmery pale shawl. Comfortable pants are adorned as well, paired with boots to make sure he doesn’t get stuck in any lingering mud from the rains of early Flowerbirth.

He spots Colt beside the Archon, approaching with an easy and casual smile, even if he lingers a bit closer to Sunjata than Colt. Flashing her a grin of greeting and a dip of his head, the breeze picks up against his wild curls and he shakes them out easily. “Heya.” He greets them both, realizing for a few moments after that he recognized Colt, solely for the visits to the bar for a drink, or dinner on the rare occasion.

Hearing the instruction, Thorn bobs his head a little excessively, snagging a basket from the wagon. “Blue ones, huh? Guess I’ll take the pink ‘n red ones.” He trills out, before he starts sticking with where Colt was, using the rooting tool to pluck the poppies and other red and pink wildflowers throughout the expanse they’re currently drifting through.

---

Thorn starts plucking flowers!

thorn

— i am all you've ever wanted,
what all the other boys all promised //

the first cut was the deepest, but it healed up whole

As they approach, Sunjata’s prepped and ready, leaning against the wagon easily as he greets Colt with a nod and Hawthorn with the same, pleased to see them both. They flank him separately, so his gaze drifts between the two of them, first to Colt who mentions BBQ which has a deep laugh leaving him. “You and your ribs. You think I’d have a barbecue without you?” He teases her back, before they’re making their decisions.

Without an answer to his previous question, it seems as if they’re all sticking together, so the Flood is content to snag a basket and trail behind them, plucking any of the other colors of flowers that they’ve missed. It leaves his basket with a variety of purple, yellow, oranges, and the rare few green blooms among the mix. It looks like a sunset in his basket as they drift through.

“Alright let’s unload and keep on going.” Sunjata says when it seems like their baskets are full, snagging the ox to follow along with him so they can unload their flowers into the wagon and continue the search.

---

Keep picking flowers!

the flood

and the next one was a soft touch, but i bled out below

totally sniped from odd ilu

COLT

She was positive that Sunjata would have a barbeque without her, but she let the offense slide, for now.

Making her way from blue flower to blue flower, root tool in hand to make the gathering clean and to keep her from having to stoop much, she found her basket filling quicker than she expected. It was soothing, in the way mind-numbing kind of tasks could be. It didn't require much thought or effort, and the work could be clearly seen getting accomplished. It was repetitive, but that's what helped lull you into it's serenity, becoming almost automatic and therefore, peaceful in a way.

She lifted up in a stretch, smiling at the work they'd accomplished, as she moved to the ox to do as Sunjata bid and empty her current trove. "Say," she said sidelong at Thorn, waving her tool at him for a moment as her gaze assessed him openly. "I've seen you at the House of Midnight before, is that right?" She hadn't been really thinking about it while they plucked flowers, lost to the mindlessness of the task, but she seemed to remember that his face was itching her mind when they shuffled together near the cart again. "I'm Colt," she said with a warmth at odds with the tool she was brandishing. Speaking of. She pivoted towards its owner, tilting her head, golden hair splashing against her shoulder. "Got anything new on the seasonal menu worth coming in for? I don't think I'll feel like cooking tonight after all this."

Not standing still for his answer, because they were here to work and she could gab and pick blue flowers at the same time, she stalked back to the fields. She'd adopted a scanning pattern and fell back into it easily as she nabbed up each blue petal and stalk, meanwhile she kept an ear free for his response.

Go and fix your makeup girl, it's just a breakup
Run and hide your crazy and start actin' like a lady
Gotta keep it together, even when you fall apart

// i am heaven sent, don't you dare forget —

Collecting quite the variety of pink and red blooms, Thorn’s basket also starts to fill a little quickly, much to his surprise. He’s lagging behind Colt, likely because there seemed to be a lot more clusters of these red flowers back here as opposed to the blue ones she’s focusing on. Not that he’s complaining as he straightens up and heads back to the wagon to unload the flowers when he hears Colt’s voice presumably ringing out toward him.

Seafoam eyes slip to her as he dumps his contents into the wagon, flashing her an easy smile. “Yeah, that’s me.” He says a touch proudly. “Hawthorn, but everyone calls me Thorn.” He offers before he’s inclining his head, his wild curls dancing against his neck. “Nice t’meet ya officially, Colt.” Ah, but then she’s spinning on her heel to talk to Sunjata and the courtesan’s gaze flits toward the owner of the brothel.

Interjecting briefly before Sunjata can respond, its with a playful and curious smile on his face that he offers his own answer. “Think I heard somethin’ 'bout pineapple?” He tosses out before he’s getting back to work, smirking to himself in spite of whether or not it was true as he starts collecting the red and pink flowers again.

thorn

— i am all you've ever wanted,
what all the other boys all promised //

the first cut was the deepest, but it healed up whole

They fan out, collecting root balls of a variety of plants, returning to the wagon so that they can unload them. And he listens easily as Colt and Thorn speak, not interjecting or finding the need to while they meet each other officially. But then Colt’s looking directly at him and asking what kind of seasonal menu options they might have, and while Thorn offers his own answer, the Flood snorts a little and rolls his eyes to the humor of it all.

Collecting his basket, he returns to the flowers, tugging the ox and wagon along with him this time so he doesn’t need to go back to grab him, plucking more of the rainbow of colors to mix into the ones Colt and Thorn pick up on their own. “Not a lot, since the season’s ending soon. But I think we’ve still got some of the usual stuff with a spin. Mouseshroom with a spinach strawberry salad.” He hums thoughtfully, snagging yet another purple flower from the mix and adding it into his basket. “Thorn’s right for the Longheat menu, though. Got some pineapple coming in from Torchline that’ll make some nice sweet sauces and drinks.” He glances up from his work to look over at Colt and see how she takes the news of the menu updates.

“Of course, you know if there’s anything fancy you want made for helping me out with this, I’m sure we can make it work. Even barbecue if you’re craving that.” He says it in a chime of a knowing tone, like he knows something she doesn’t – even if he’s pretty much forgotten about his passive magic that makes it so he smells like whatever she wanted him to. Maybe she was really into ribs?

---

(Insert Holes joke here: KEEP ON DIGGIN') Keep on collecting flowers! If your baskets are too full, you can unload at the wagon right by Sunjata!

the flood

and the next one was a soft touch, but i bled out below

totally sniped from odd ilu

COLT

He has a certain beauty to him that Colt imagines earns him a fair pay at the Midnight House. It's not her preference, too lean, but she can still admire the professional for his capable work. "Is that because you have a habit of getting caught in people's sides?" she asks with a twist of a smile, amused at herself, as usual, and meant nothing harsh in the quip.

Before she set back to work, Thorn's answers earns a delighted laugh. She turns back to him with a knowing gleam in her eyes before heading back to the fields. "I should hope pineapple is on the menu every night there."

The flowers pile in her basket, as do the answers. Sunjata's is much more thorough, as she is hoping for, and she muses as she works. Mouseshroom and salad could do, but it doesn't hit the craving bone in her. It does however hit the, I don't have to spend time cooking or doing dishes bone, which will win out every time.

At his next suggestion her laugh peals free again, stopping as she deposits a final flower into her full basket. "You do know the way to my heart dear Archon, but you don't need to do anything special on my behalf. This work benefits us all, I don't need to be paid in ribs for helping our people." She smiles at him as she returns to dump her haul in the cart. She hopes he can see how difficult it is for her to have turned that offer down, but she meant what she said. "I'm just being lazy," she sighed with resignation as she set back to the grassy hills and their colorful bouquet. "Besides, a spinach salad is probably better for me anyway." She wrinkled her nose at the thought, disapproving.

---

More flowers are picked!

Go and fix your makeup girl, it's just a breakup
Run and hide your crazy and start actin' like a lady
Gotta keep it together, even when you fall apart

// i am heaven sent, don't you dare forget —

Her joke hits the nose, Thorn’s smile brightening as a laugh leaves him, nodding. “Yeah, jus’ like that.” Nevermind the tattoos that spiral from his wrists and along his body, the thorned cuffs visible with each pluck of flowers. He does snort to her follow up about it being on the menu every night, and while it was, something about the freshness of Longheat pineapple was far more tantalizing.

He’s fairly certain the Archon would be able to answer that better, though.

“Oh but like… I could go for ribs.” The courtesan says as he plucks flowers, reaching in to grab the next bundle of red and pink flowers to toss them into his basket. His seafoam gaze lifts toward Colt and the Archon in turn, dark brows lifting thoughtfully.

Once he’s loaded up the basket, he returns to dump more flowers in, and get back to work, using a bit of his telekinesis to help loosen the roots of the next series of blooms.

thorn

— i am all you've ever wanted,
what all the other boys all promised //

the first cut was the deepest, but it healed up whole

“It is, obviously. But.. There’s nothing like fresh pineapple.” Sunjata trills, flashing his lopsided smirk over toward Colt with a huff of a laugh. Retreating slightly to place the basket of flowers into the wagon, Sunjata looks back over to the two of them as they decide dinner plans for after.

Snorting, because it sounds as if the decision is made, he shrugs his broad shoulders before letting the wagon go for the ox to graze some before they continue. “Guess it sounds like ribs.” He muses, summoning some water to flick little jets of water toward Thorn and Colt in turn, keeping them distracted while he produces a bag from the wagon that has a few lunch options.

Like a picnic, of sorts, a variety of sandwiches and juices, chips and veggies to snack on. “This’ll have to do though, for now. Can’t summon ribs from thin air, sorry guys.” He teases, expecting some amount of retaliation but hoping it’s softer for the food he produces.

---

Snack time!!

the flood

and the next one was a soft touch, but i bled out below

totally sniped from odd ilu

COLT

Colt spun to eye each of them in turn as they echoed the sentiment of barbeque over vegetables. Her dress swirled against her boots with the motion, as light and lofty as her heart buoyed by their easy natures and pleasant quips. Although the ranch was why Colt was in this kingdom, the people of it would always be a reason worth staying too.

"Ok ok, I'm not so dumb as to say no to ribs twice." She held up her hands in surrender, her flower basket slipping to the fold of her elbow, her head bowing equally in defeat with a laugh. Leaning down to pick up some of the blue fronds that had slipped free with the motion, Colt did not see the spray of water that playfully cut across the field. It's splash was cold and a squeal erupted in response, her body twisting away from the onslaught as all flower tools were abandoned to protect her as best she could with her arms (which was poorly) and the tilt of her head, her hat like a shield. Blue flowers sailed in every direction as the basket swung in wild abandon.

"FLOOD!" she accused with playful vehemence, daring to tilt her shield away for a moment and look towards him. She'd frozen on the spot, accepting her vulnerable position, at least while the spray had been mild. She likely would have run and hid behind Thorn for cover if it continued. Her caramel eyes burned with the outrage of meticulous hair care, for which she was certain he knew nothing about. "Don't you dare get my hair wet or we'll be roasting you for dinner." A bluff, given his extensive list of skills and experience that far outweighed hers, but a seriousness that also dared him to see how lucky she might be. "I can lasso your foot so fast you'd never even know until the grass was in your mouth like a damn cow."

His offer of food sweetened her up, and carefully she uncurled and straightened out, collecting her scattered wildflowers with a distrusting eye kept upon him all the while. She hoisted the basket and the tool to the cart not long thereafter and busied herself with perusal of his offerings, taking small portions of everything. "This hits the spot," she nearly groaned over a mouthful of sandwich, unaware of how hungry she'd been as she happily munched on the offerings while leaning near the wagon seat.

---

Colt threatens to eat Jata if he ever gets her hair wet and has to pick up all her dropped flowers and drop them off, then chows down.

Go and fix your makeup girl, it's just a breakup
Run and hide your crazy and start actin' like a lady
Gotta keep it together, even when you fall apart

// i am heaven sent, don't you dare forget —

“Kay good.” Thorn says easily with a breathy laugh, pleased about the ribs and fully distracted by the thought of them as Sunjata’s water magic comes flinging at them. A screech leaves him, arms coming up to block it as well, basket falling as he uses a tiny bit of wind from the breeze to try and alleviate some of the water coming his way but its absolutely zero match for the strength of the Flood’s magic.

Just about to also yell at him, Colt’s screech gets the point across as Thorn huffs and runs his hands through his hair before he picks up the basket. “Oy, y’made me drop all my flowers!” Comes the dramatic whine, the courtesan picking the flowers up and sticking them in just in time to return to the wagon to dump the flowers in and gratefully take the snacks offered. Plucking a roast beef sandwich from the mix and a variety of vegetables, he still seems to give Sunjata a cautious look. “Long as ya don’t keep getting us wet.” He mutters playfully – given the situation, and seems to calm down a little more from it.

Leaning against the wagon, he snacks on the sandwich and the vegetables, sipping from a container of juice, happy to leave the flowers alone for the time being.

thorn

— i am all you've ever wanted,
what all the other boys all promised //

the first cut was the deepest, but it healed up whole

Snorting at the retaliation, Sunjata is not worried at all about the threat Colt poses to him for the idea of getting her hair wet. So unaffected is he by it that her threat of lassoing him comes with a playful smirk, edged with taunting and amusement that is almost a symbol of just how Sunjata had been picked to be this version of Frey’s demigod. “I kinda wanna see you try, now.” His accented voice rings out, unbothered by the threat as he hands her the basket full of options, letting her pick.

Turning his attention to Thorn, it’s with a playful wink and a soft laugh. “Sorry for taking your job away from you.” He mutters with a laugh, settling in to take a sandwich that was left to devour easily, even if half of his cheek didn’t quite move as well as the other did from the scar that bisected it. Silence overcomes them and he watches the unicorn herd in the distance start to move on, seeking out the shade from a nearby tree instead of being so out in the open.

“Hey, Colt, do the wild unicorns cause you any problems?” He asks curiously – not that they could do much about it, preferring to keep the unicorns as wild and free as possible, but if she needed help eventually securing the ranch, he’d be happy to help. The thought lingers while he finishes the meal and reaches down to snag an orange flower he’d missed prior.

---

Moar flowers after we eat!

the flood

and the next one was a soft touch, but i bled out below

totally sniped from odd ilu

COLT

Mischief flashed in Colt's eyes when she glanced at him while selecting her food. Unfortunately she had left all her gear at home, not having thought a lariat would be necessary for picking wildflowers. She should have known better. She also wasn't above stalking home and grabbing it, just to prove a point, but she'd probably fare a great deal better when she tossed it at his toe in passing on some random day, when he'd since forgotten this banter and she could surprise him. Colt never forget when she had a score to settle. "Yeah, you keep that mindset when it happens," she grinned, the bravado her only armor for the time being. His smirk was horribly daunting though, and she was secretly grateful she was emptyhanded for the time being.

As they eat, she nudges Thorn with her elbow. "You screamed nearly as well as I did," she laughed faintly and sipped on her juice, regarding him with a growing warmth after sharing the flower fields with him all morning. With a name like Thorn she thought he'd be a bit more prickly, but turns out he was mostly sugar so far, ready to melt when wet. Nibbling on the end of her sandwich, Colt glanced over to the herd Sunjata watched. "Yeah," she said with a drawl, part sigh, the resignation of a war she knew she'd never win but would keep fighting. "The stallions always try to break in and fuck all my mares. Try and steal them off into their herds too. Feels like I'm repairing fences daily, especially this time of year." She dusted her fingers off on her thigh and sucked down the rest of her juice. "Might be nice to electrify the fence one day, but it's a lot of work. We got acres and acres you know... I figure I can deal with this at least, for now, since predators are so few and far between." All things considered, she'd rather find a surprise foal in winter time than a half-eaten corpse. Though, the later had been happening a time or two due to all the infected animals. Thanks Family.

She shoved off the wagon and picked her tools back up, striking out for a nearby blue flower with renewed vigor. "Bet you know all about dealing with horny motherfuckers, got any tips?" a wry smile as she glanced over her shoulder. She doubted his methods could apply for her, but worth a shot. Hire a bouncer? Her dogs did their best.

---

Colt eats and starts to pick more flowers

Go and fix your makeup girl, it's just a breakup
Run and hide your crazy and start actin' like a lady
Gotta keep it together, even when you fall apart