[Open] Sh'Ka In Bloom

[stitch_witch]

WHO: Lark, Open
WHERE: Sh'Ka Greenhouse and Estate
WHAT: Lark's Gathering Party
WHEN: May 9th through June 11th (Namely, during Calibrations)
WARNINGS: N/A
NOTES: This is Lark not going to Calibrations. Anyone who signed up to hang with her project, who would otherwise be in Sh'Ka, or who was in Sh'Ka before returning to Temba and getting trapped in Calibrations, is welcome.

I. A Comfortable Base Of Operations | Location: Estates
Sh'Ka was, in Lark's opinion, a bit more welcoming than Temba. But with everyone preferring Temba, she spent much of her time there. This, though, was a trip that gave her an excuse to indulge in this place. And indulgence in this place meant the wonderful shelter of the place the little drones moved around in, fretting for people who were not there. Except there were people here now.

"Well, I think we should get rooms near each other," Lark tells her companion, one of those who had come this far with her. She smiles as she moves forward, dog at her side, bag on her back. "I have come to Sh'Ka a few times to gather supplies, and in the time since Sh'Ka came available to us, these little devices have set this place somewhat to rights. There is comfort here that even Temba seems to lack at times."

Of course there's also a sign near a place that is clearly a dining room declaring tea time is about to start and there is nothing out for service of food, but hey, you took what victories you could.


II. Hunting For Pigment | Location: Greenhouse
This was exactly what she was after. A lovely morning, the air pleasantly warm in the greenhouse but humid in that lovely way that reminded her of home. So did this part, the harvest. Normally it was Rosethorn's work, but she had grown used to helping her love over the years.

For now she moved around, Little Bear following at her heels, with a large woven grass basket under one arm. The trees were lovely, but not her goal. In fact, she rounded a bend and...

"Ah!"

And there was the tree she wanted, one draped with vines drooping with pods.

"Here they are. I needed more blue," she says, putting her basket down and carefully taking out her shears. Carefully she takes grip of the vine below the pod, in spite of how sticky it is, and carefully cuts above it.

"You are going to be a glorious color," she tells the pod as she carefully lowers it, by the vine, into her basket.


III. Communication Fretting | Location: Sh'Ka Fountain Square
There had been no real communications from Temba for days. It had been working Lark up to quite the state of anxiety, but not enough to drive her to take the train back. It wasn't often that she could be away and not hear from anyone, but going back without hearing also seemed dangerous.

"I don't know how I'd even save any of you if something has gone wrong," she told her communicator, frowning at it. "Someone, please answer."

Her concern must be contagious, because Little Bear whined from where he laid beside her. He even rose up, his head coming to rest on her leg to try and comfort her.

Comments

[lionunchained]

Not nervous, per say. Just trying to respect her space. Even if he wasn't interested in that way, he was still a guy. But since she had invited him, he followed her inside.

He considered that for a moment and then smiled. "Yeah, I guess there is. There is something more personal about a hand-written letter than getting an email."

[stitch_witch]

Well, that is kind of him then.

"There truly is. I prefer it to a messenger," she said, setting her bag down by the bed. Which, of course, Little Beart promptly jumped onto. The dog clearly liked the bed. And Lark sighed.

"I'd move a mattress in here for him, but the little hovering machines put it back every time."

[lionunchained]

"Written words over a messenger?" He paused for a moment to consider. "Then I guess you could hear the words in that person's voice rather than someone else's."

He chuckled, watching as Bear decided to take over the bed.

"Well, I can see their point. The mattress belongs somewhere else, but at the same time, there are clearly two occupants."

[stitch_witch]

"And the details are conveyed more exactly. ANd the words can be held onto with a letter," she points out. Yes, heralds weren't her sort of thing.

"There are," she says with a sigh. "I shall have to figure out a way to make him comfortable."

[lionunchained]

"That is also true. If you have a letter, you can hold on it physically. If you have a messenger, its only as long as they are talking."

He considered that for a moment. "Any large pillows around here? They might be less likely to take that back."

[stitch_witch]

"Exactly," she said. The spoken message was fleeting, you could forget the words, they could get twisted, they were faster perhaps, but less fulfilling.

"I haven't seen any, but I suppose a search would do no harm."

[lionunchained]

"Yeah, I think a search would be good. Shall we go look? I'd like to look around this place more anyway."

[stitch_witch]

"Indeed," she smiles. No reason to call the dog after them. She happily rises and leaves her bag where it lays. "Let's see what we can find."

Sorry, was on hiatus. Feel free to continue or drop thread as you wish.

[lionunchained]

Shiro stepped aside so that she could leave first and then began to follow after her as they headed through the building.

"Strange that I looked in so many other places in this section, but never came to this building yet."

[stitch_witch]

"I quite understand that feeling," Lark admitted with a nod. "The first time I came to Sh'Ka I saw it in the distance but assumed it would still be in quite a bit of a state of ruins. But instead..."

She gestures around to the comfort.

"And this place seems more suited to people than Temba does, for it is our height, more or less. And it does not scale upward on top of spires and columns and trees, like most of Sh'Ka. This place feels different."

[lionunchained]

"It is very strange. Sh'Ka, compared to the rest of the world, seems to be in fairly good shape. Not to mention the dimensions of the buildings are different. Makes me wonder why there would be so much difference between the two. I haven't seen a lot of people here doing repairs."

He glanced at the wall as he said this as though the answer might be written right there for the taking, but it wasn't.

[stitch_witch]

"Not Sh'Ka in general. Just this place."

The rest of the city seemed almost... more damaged to Lark.

"I just wish I understood any of it. Instead I sit around and make clothes. Though I suppose that is valuable too. But yes, not many people seem to come to this city."

[lionunchained]

"There are a few places that seem oddly put together. As a whole though, it is very similar to the rest of the world."

There was that base that seemed to have been a communications center before. Some of the screens were still playing.

He nodded with a sigh. "I wish I did too. I don't like not having answers, but the more we look, the less we seem to find.

[stitch_witch]

"Yes," she agrees with a sigh. "I just wish I knew where to look. Going home is something I want. I have people there. But so long as I am here, I intend to support each and every one of you."

In part because she doesn't think some of them know how to take care of themselves.

[lionunchained]

He nodded. "I wish that we could go home as well. I know there is much that I need to do in my world, but obviously here, we aren't able to do that."

He sighed. "There's really no good answers... or reliable ones."

[stitch_witch]

No, there are not. And she pauses to look at him.

"I could use a hug, Shiro. Would you be so kind as to allow me one?"

[lionunchained]

Shiro paused as well as she stopped looking back at her. At her question, he didn't even hesitate, just nodded.

"Of course."

And he held out an arm to offer her a hug.

[stitch_witch]

He deserved such gratitude. And she moved to embrace him. It wasn't as much comfort as she would have wanted, but it was enough to help.

Every moment of help, even small, was wonderful.

[lionunchained]

He put his arms around her as she stepped into his embrace, holding her close. Just like she had comforted him when he had been upset about Adam, he could comfort her when she was upset about missing people from her home. He was happy to help and offer a shoulder or hug for as long as she needed it.

[stitch_witch]

Yes, that was a very fair thing for him to do. It's... It's soothing. It's nice too. Especially since it had felt like it had been so long since she'd been properly hugged.

"Thank you, Shiro."

[lionunchained]

"Of course. I'm glad that it is helping."

He smiled faintly, willing to hold the hug as long as she needed.

"We'll see them again. I know we will."

[stitch_witch]

Once she was content with the hug, she pulled away, offering a weak smile before looking to him.

"Thank you, Shiro. You are... a boon in my life young man."

[lionunchained]

When he felt her step back, he loosened his grip so that she could step out of it.

"I'm glad I could help. And I'm glad I have had the chance to meet you here."

He hoped that he remembered her when they all finally got to go him.

[stitch_witch]

"As am I," she agreed with a warm smile, before she gestured for them to get moving again.

"You know, we could use more young men like you back home, outside of the Circles. The confidence mixed with the gentle wisdom."

[lionunchained]

Shiro smiled back, walking with her as they started to walk again.

"I'm glad to hear that you see this in me. Hopefully you find more of them in your world when you go home."