Logs:Meet Nature Halfway

Meet Nature Halfway
Dramatis Personae Akihiro, Noah
In Absentia	2019-11-09 "It’s good to take power back here and there."
Location Guerrilla Garden
<NYC> Guerrilla Garden - Lower East Side Situated on the lot directly adjacent to the distinctive sleek form of the Mendel Clinic, this space was once abandoned. The chainlink fence around it is still rusty, dilapidated, and the signs affixed to it less than welcoming -- rusty as well, once reading KEEP OUT, and PRIVATE PROPERTY, though they've since been graffiti'd over -- a raised fist clutching a carrot painted over one, and PRIVATE X'd out to read COMMON on the other. A slitted gap has been cut out of the fence to allow for entrance. Neat and cleaned of any garbage and weeds, the once-abandoned lot has been rebuilt. Packing crates have been broken down for their wood to create raised beds full of rich soil, each bed neatly tilled and tended. Stakes label the different plants growing -- a wealth of vegetables growing three seasons of the year in the carefully tended soil. Around the edges of the lot, smaller beds have had brightly coloured flowers planted, lending even more cheer to the little hidden garden. Very eclectically mismatched seating has been brought in; old packing crates, chairs scavenged from curbs, though it's all been brightly painted. The sun is out in full force today, doing it's best to counteract the oncoming winter cold and slight breeze. That does nothing to stop Noah from silently cursing wintertime in general when he steps out of the Mendel Clinic with (what he hopes is) helpful pamphlets in-pocket. He's in his work boots and heavy jeans, top half layered in a flannel-hoodie-leather jacket combo, and about to turn toward home when the lot across the street catches his eye. Or rather, a sign on the fence, the graffiti'd raised fist holding a carrot over what once said 'KEEP OUT'. The bright orange and purple stick out, a spark of color on what seems like an otherwise drab lot. Curiosity piqued, Noah crosses the street to look closer. “You’re the guy from the range, yeah?” Akihiro asks as Noah steps closer. Black pea coat wrapped around his form the man is leaning against the fence, a cigarette hanging between his lips. “It’ll be a little bit before the garden really picks back up with all this frost, but the wait will be worth it.” It takes a bit of staring and mental searching for Akihiro's face to click. Noah nods, grunting an affirmative "Yeah," before he steps up to the fence to peer through it. The sight of dirt, a place to grow, makes his heart jump in his chest. "Who's this for?" he asks, leaning back to look at the signs again. PRIVATE COMMON PROPERTY reads another, making a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. “All of us. It’s a community effort.” Akihiro makes an sweeping motion with his hand. “I’m sure if the owner actually bothered looking in they might say otherwise, but fuck ‘em.” “There’s places like this all over. It’s good to take power back here and there.” He takes one last drag from his cigarette before crushing the cherry between his ungloved fingers. "Huh." Noah studies the garden beyond the fence a bit more, taking in the flowerbeds surrounding it with obvious appreciation. He turns to Akihiro to ask something about other locations, just in time to see him put out his cigarette. Eyebrows abruptly rising, his question changes and comes with some alarm. "Shit, man, don't that hurt?" “Not really.” Akihiro raises his hand to show off the burn, which quickly fades away. “I’ve got a pretty high pain tolerance.” “There’s a spot across town I’m looking at. I’ll probably put starting that off until my quail are ready to be eaten though.” He raises his slender shoulders in a shrug and shoves his hands into the pockets of his coat. Noah's eyes widen in shock before narrowing as he leans closer to watch the last of the burn fade away. "...Huh," he finally comments again. He straightens once Akihiro puts his hands away and turns back to the garden. "Where d'ya keep quail? 'Nother place like this?" he asks with interest, pointing to the reclaimed lot. "You sellin' eggs by any chance?" “Have then caged near my house. I can, want to get a pallet or a jar of pickled eggs?” Akihiro asks, attention briefly turning towards one of the nearby building’s windows, cocking his head to the side like he’s heard something interesting. “In a few months I’m butchering some of the males, so I’ll have meat for sale too.” "Hell, I was gonna pickle 'em myself but if y'already got some," Noah answers, thrilled. "I ain't had pickled quail eggs since I left Georgia." For a moment, he follows where Akihiro is paying attention, or at least tries to. There's nothing to him but usual city noise. "Y'got a number I can use t'get back t'you 'bout that, or somethin'?" “Yeah, let me see here...” Akihiro digs a small blue flip phone out of his pocket and squints at it for a few moments before managing to pull his number up. “Here we go. I’m usually up and around, so feel free to call whenever. I’m not so great with the text messaging though.”