[Closed]

[hornedomen]

Date & Time: July 16
Location: Civic Gardens
Characters: Keith Gandor and Ico
Summary: More gardening!
Warnings: None


[Once the plant was big enough, Ico moved it from the housings to the Civic Gardens. He planted it around the same place he used before. There it grew bigger until it blossomed. He waited patiently for the first fruit to ripen though he could no longer tell when the calyx grew over it. He wanted to peel it away but it was not his. It was for Keith.

It should be ripe, he assumed. Now he only had to find Keith. He saw him in the Gardens before so he hoped he would visit again.]

Comments

[silenceandcards]

[Although Keith has grown more comfortable around his own apartment and began spending more time there than before, he still comes by the gardens on occasion. He doesn't usually expect to meet anyone here, but today, he recognizes that horned helmet that he saw months ago.

He approaches when he sees the boy, curious as to what he's up to now.]

[hornedomen]

Keith, look over here.

[He waved for him to come closer and he sat by the plant.]

It's the plant you helped me with. It grew and now it has fruit. Do you want the first one?

[silenceandcards]

[He blinks. He definitely remembers that plant as much as he remembers the boy, but he wasn't expecting such appreciation or even a gift to come out of it. It's touching. It reminds him a little of how his little brother used to be just a few years back, and even a gangster like himself has family. It would be ruder to turn down the gift here, so he crouches by Ico and nods quietly.]

[hornedomen]

[He plucked the fruit from the plant and he gave it to Keith.]

It's inside these leaves. It's called a lot of different names. I've heard it called a cape gooseberry and a golden berry and a lot of other things. I don't know why it has so many names.

[He watched Keith to see if he would eat it now. It was clear to Ico that he did not speak much but he looked for other signals to see what he was thinking.]

[silenceandcards]

[He's never seen a fruit like this before, but he takes it from the boy and turns it over in his hand to look at it. It's an interesting one, and the thought of the berry being enveloped inside the leaves like this makes him curious. Any other time, he'd take such gifts home and share it with his wife -- rather, his brother would accept gifts with a spoken word of thanks and explain that they'll have it once home -- but he can feel Ico watching him, so he nods and begins to peel the leaves away so he can take a bite right there.]

[hornedomen]

[The berry was ripe like he had assumed. It was round and yellow. The taste was sweet and a little tart.

He watched Keith to see if he would like it. The plant had two more fruit growing. If he liked it, he could give them to him.]

[silenceandcards]

[Keith takes that bite, and although his expression doesn't change too much or too often, the fruit tastes pretty good and he expresses his liking for it with a nod of his head and a softening of some of that tension he's always got in his face muscles. Ico did a good job on it.]

[hornedomen]

[He noticed the small changes in Keith's expression. Ico smiled.]

I'm glad you like it. Here, there's more. They're younger but it should be ripe in a few days. Do you want to take these with you?

[silenceandcards]

... You grew it. You should keep your own fruit.

[He appreciates it but you were the one who worked hard on it buddy.]

[hornedomen]

[He wanted to share it but he did not argue.]

Maybe I'll eat this one and I'll plant this one. Do you want to grow something? We can plant it together.

[silenceandcards]

[That's an idea he can roll with. Ico can keep his fruit, and something good will come out of it. He nods an answer.]

[hornedomen]

What do you want to grow? A fruit? Vegetable? Flowers?

[silenceandcards]

[You talk too quick. Keith holds up his hands in a calming motion. Slow down, Ico; he'll nod to whichever option he thinks is good!!]

[hornedomen]

I'm sorry.

[He asked again, this time much slower to give Keith time to respond to each question.] Fruit? Vegetable? Flowers?

[silenceandcards]

[He waves his hand in an "it's fine" gesture, then nods when Ico says vegetables again. Fruits and flowers are nice too, but vegetables will be the best for doing something with. That is to say, eating.]

[hornedomen]

I like vegetables, too. [Rather, he liked growing plants that he could eat over pretty flowers.] Which one do you want to grow?

[He waited for Keith to give him an answer. It would be difficult to guess in this situation.]

[silenceandcards]

[He folds his arms across his chest, thinking. Any vegetable would be good to him, really...

He waves his hand toward Ico, though. Which one does he want?]

[hornedomen]

[He hummed softly.]

How about cucumbers? Do you like those?

[silenceandcards]

[Cucumbers. They're good for salad.

He nods, twice, to indicate that he thinks those are very good vegetables!]

[hornedomen]

I'll get a lot of seeds. We'll have enough for both of us!

[silenceandcards]

[That's definitely a good plan. Keith now reaches into his pocket for his tablet. He really could have talked this way before, but it felt a little rude to use a machine for this conversation... but oh well.]

I can go with you.

[hornedomen]

What's that?

[He leaned in to read the text. He did not think it was rude although it made him curious as to why Keith did not speak to him.]

I'd like that. There's still time left, let's go now.

[silenceandcards]

[One day, Ico will learn that it's really nothing more than preference. Keith nods in agreement and get to his feet while putting the tablet away, sticking out his hand to help Ico up. Now is good.]

[hornedomen]

Thank you.

[He stood up with Keith's help and he brushed the dirt from his clothes and hands. He led the way from the gardens to a small store that had flowers on display at the front. As soon as he stepped inside, the owner stopped him. He scolded Ico and he quietly directed him to go to the back where other customers would not see him.]

[silenceandcards]

[... That confuses Keith. He gives the owner a strange look and then follows them regardless of whether he's been invited or not. What's going on?]

[hornedomen]

[The strange look Keith gave unsettled the owner because he believed Keith was scowling at him. Yet once they were in the back, the owner became much friendlier. He seemed to know Ico by name and Ico knew him.

The owner explained how it was bad for his business to be seen serving Transports. Ico did not argue about it. He looked for the cucumber seeds.]

[silenceandcards]

[People like that are everywhere. As long as the owner isn't going to do anything to harm Ico, Keith stays silent about it, although he keeps a careful eye on both of them so nothing bad happens]

[hornedomen]

[After asking the owner about cucumbers, Ico had a sachet of cucumber seeds. The owner seemed nervous around Keith and he kept the conversation minimal. Ico did not want to upset him any longer so he finished as soon as he could. He reached for Keith's hand as he walked out.]

Do you want to plant these now?

[silenceandcards]

[Keith doesn't argue against Ico taking his hand. He's aware, although not very guilty, about the effect he had on the owner and he's sure the man wouldn't treat Ico so roughly even as an act anymore (at least he hopes, and if it doesn't work, he'll return) so he gives him one last look before following the boy outside, nodding in affirmation to his question. Right now is as good a time as any.]

[hornedomen]

[Ico observed Keith as they left. He was quiet for a while, only smiling back when he nodded. Was Keith watching over him the entire time? He thought it over on the way back to the gardens. It was difficult to tell what he was thinking, though he had only been kind to him.]

Thank you. I don't think he'll do that again.

[He crawled through the small cracks in the building and he pushed aside loose beams so Keith would have an easier time going through.]

[silenceandcards]

[The man better not. Keith nods, yet again, and raises a hand, curling into a fist as if to say that if that owner tries anything funny he'll take care of it (that is exactly what he's trying to say). Then he uses the same hand to hold up the beams as he enters after Ico.]

[hornedomen]

[He knew what that gesture meant.]

You don't need to do that! He hasn't hurt anyone. If he does it again, I'll talk to him. He'll understand.

[It was because he was an elder that Ico had not done so earlier. He trusted the man's advice, even if he was strict about it. He returned to the gooseberry plant. Occasionally, he cautiously looked around.]

Let's plant it here.

[silenceandcards]

[... Well, if Ico says so. Keith lowers his fist while breathing out a quiet sigh, nodding and following to the plant. He wonders why the kid is so cautious as he looks around, but at Ico's spoken suggestion, he points to a patch of dirt a couple feet from the gooseberry plant. There will be good.]

[hornedomen]

Could you look around, please?

[He dug through the patch of dirt that Keith had pointed at. He did not want the both of them to be distracted.]

Do you come here a lot? Some of the people here are dangerous. Did you know? A man tried to attack Kano and me yesterday.

[silenceandcards]

Kano?

[So the two of them knew each other, huh. Keith does as he's told, standing to keep a lookout while his attention is still partially on Ico.]

[hornedomen]

Yes, he comes here a lot too. We were looking through one of the rooms up there yesterday.

[So focused on his task, Ico did not look away from the dirt while digging. After he finished digging, he placed the cucumber seeds in the ground and he mounded the dirt on top of it. He wiped his hands on his new tunic.]

It was my fault. I made too much noise and he must have heard.

[silenceandcards]

[That confuses him. Was it a bad thing for Kano to have heard? Or was he talking about something else? Keith raises an eyebrow at Ico as he steps closer to hold out a handkerchief to him to use instead of his tunic.]

[hornedomen]

Thank you.

[He used the handkerchief to wipe the dirt from his hands. He was young and he did not think it inconsiderate to get it dirty.]

That man must have heard. He found us. Kano kept me safe. We ran away before he could hurt us.

[silenceandcards]

[He doesn't even have to. Keith wouldn't hand it to a kid with dirt all over his hands while expecting him to not get it dirty.]

... Why? [Why would he need to hurt you for just some noise? Unless he was one of those natives that disliked Transports...]

[hornedomen]

He looked drunk. And there was a really fat cat in the room. Maybe he was mad because I tried to pet it.

[silenceandcards]

... [In Keith's opinion, still not a good enough reason to scare anybody. He sighs and puts a hand on Ico's head to give him a pat. You take care of yourself now.]