Logs:Low Stakes Community Garden

Low Stakes Community Garden

"I'm everywhere, I know everyone."

Players

Oakland
19 August, 2022

Javi has been asked to help rejuvenate a ghost's community garden in Sherman Park. Miel, Darwin, and Gareth (sort of) help. Ji-Ho tests Darwin('s patience).

The park is one somewhere on the South Side, and while it's certainly not the worst-looking park in the universe, it is probably not surprising why something like a community garden would go by the wayside. Everything is a little //old//, definitely not updated, and with an air of 'forgotten' that a park in not the nicest area of a large city might have.

The garden itself is nearer to the far side away from the main entrance, and while it's a decently large area, there's definitely plenty of overgrowth, broken planters, half-done benches, etc etc, that would necessitate several pairs of hands if people want to get anything done in a reasonable amount of time.

Javi is already here. He's brought plenty of various tools that might be necessary, and he's currently in the process of clearing away everything that can be classified as //garbage//. There's plenty of that.

Darwin shows up, probably with Miel! He's got a loose shirt sporting the mascot of his high school, of such poor quality that the graphic is flaked away, but otherwise, he arrives with GEAR. A belt with spades and hand shovels, a bucket hat, and most notably, a pair of massive garden shears. He demonstrates the power to Miel by clipping into the air, SNIP SNIP. "Oh, I have some bug spray too, if you need it. Hey, Javi!"

Gareth turns up about when Darwin told him to. He is *not* dressed for gardening, nor does he bring any tools other than an oversized pair of gardening gloves stuffed into one pocket of his coat. He gives a wiggle of his fingers to Darwin as he approaches, and upnods Miel and Javi before giving them thoughtful looks, scrutinizing them both. "Hey," he greets, only mildly awkward.

Miel looks faintly bemused by the garden shears and Darwin's expertise with same. He's dressed in slightly frayed jeans and a local band's fuschia T-shirt that he was able to buy for fifty cents at a thrift store. He also looks very well-groomed, comparatively. Neat hair, cleanshaven, regular access to shampoo and soap. Amazing. When Darwin actually identifies Javi by name, his smile blooms in surprise, a laugh catching in his throat; he says: "Oh. Hey."

Ji-Ho stands in the darkness. It's fine. It's not creepy. He's just chillin'. He stands in the darkness of deep, deep shadow in the bathroom of a coffee shop with no light on.

The he walks out. Don't worry: it's not weird.

(It's a little weird.)

Javi looks up when he hears someone approaching, smiling widely when he sees Darwin -- and then it pulls even wider when he sees who his companion is. "Oh, hey!" He sets down the refuse he's holding -- a little haphazardly, it must be noted -- so that he can reach to greet him, and then Miel, with a friendly half-handshake half-high five each. "Didn't know it was gonna be you, how you doing?" He is obviously quite pleased with all these developments. "Thanks for coming, I appreciate it. It's kind of a fucking mess."

And then Gareth is arriving, too! Javi may not know him, but even so, he greets him with a friendly smile and a lifted hand. "Hey, man," he says, then gestures to himself, "Javi. Sup?"

Also he doesn't notice Ji-Ho.

Darwin grins, reaching to drop a fond hand atop Gareth's shoulder. "Miel, this is Gareth. Close friend of mine. Gar, this is Miel, another friend. Miel-- well I guess you know Javi!" He eyes a big, lengthy tangle of vines almost hungrily, and lifts his shears to attack, but stops short when his phone buzzes. "Sec, lemme'-- Another person is supposedly coming along."

Miel clasps Javi's hand. He's clearly paid close attention to his nails and cuticles since the last time they shook hands, if that's the kind of thing you notice. Even if it's not, it's true. "I'm good," he says. "Good to see you. This guy's been letting me crash, so I figured I'd tag along. You know me, I'm a helper." His smile is brief but bright. Taking his cue from Darwin, he offers Gareth his hand next. "Hi," he says. "Miel Feldman." This is all super easy and normal.

Gareth nods to Miel and Javi, taking the offered hand from Miel, watching him closely in case it's the hand of an *axe murderer*. Probably not though. "Nice to meet you, Miel and Javi!" he says, glancing about the park. "So uh... Dar said something about *gardening*?" he asks. "I know literally nothing so you'll have to point me in the direction of something non-dangerous. Preferably as far away from Dar's shears as possible."

No one notices Ji-Ho. It's great! To every single sense, it's as though he's not there, which means the heavy cologne he has applied -- just in case -- is really only stinking up his own nose.

<TXT> From (Alan) to Darwin: So those are your friends, huh?

<TXT> From Darwin to (Alan): yes these are my friends. they're good people, probably have good stories. come on out and join us?

There's a distant sound of furious typing that NO ONE HEARS as Ji-Ho goes clack-clack-clack on his phone.

<TXT> From (Alan) to Darwin: You really thought it was okay to just bring them to someone, you didn't know who, who was looking for them?

<TXT> From (Alan) to Darwin: STORIES?

"Yeah, man, I know everyone," Javi replies to Darwin with another wide grin, "I'm everywhere." Whether he notices Miel's nails or not, he's certainly happy to see the man, and also probably pleased that he's looking generally good. Attention paid to nails also probably indicate other good things, right? "Yeah, you know, I got that from you," he replies with a laugh, just as bright and a lot less brief. "Hey Gareth," he continues, "nice to meet you. Thanks for coming out."

He glances behind him, gesturing vaguely around to...well, everything. "Yeah," he says, "you know. Today I was thinking we'd pretty much, like, clear this shit out. Maybe fix the planters if there's time. Pour the dirt." Of which there are some bags laying around, with only a little spilled! He may be revising the schedule since he suddenly has plenty of assistance. "I got someone coming to take it away later so we just gotta kinda like, make a pile over there." Again, another vague wave to an empty spot on the lot, but he's more distracted by Darwin's texting, though he does keep a little distance from those sheers. "Oh yeah? Cool. Maybe this is actually gonna get done."

Darwin flashes Gareth an exaggerated smile and a little extra snip-snip while he juggles his phone. He squints at the texts. And then he starts too look /indignant/ as he tries to respond. "Okay, I think this guy is a weirdo and not in a fun way." Something occurs to him, and he looks around, tapping into a little concentrated focus as he inhales slowly. Hmm, nothing. "I'm not about to be mad when there's a big mess of crunch vines to snip through, no one's taking this from me." He tucks his phone into his pocket and resumes his attack, yanking vines free and cutting into them when they refusing to give up.

<TXT> From Darwin to (Alan): what? im here, i wouldnt let anything happen to them!

<TXT> From Darwin to (Alan): look buddy, if you're gonna bust my chops and be all vague

<TXT> From Darwin to (Alan): well, do it somewhere else. but i wouldnt let shit happen to my friends

Gareth's head snaps towards Darwin as he says there's a *weirdo* texting him and he glares at the phone. "Give me his name I'll find out everything there is about him and then destroy him," he tells Darwin, already starting to reach for his phone without permission, but then it's gone into his pocket and Gareth glares at him. "I can *clear* stuff," he mutters to Miel and Javi, starting to do just that with his noodle-arms.

Miel slants a sidelong look at Darwin. "Who's a weirdo?" he asks, even as Darwin hurls himself at the encroaching flora. He scratches his head, widening his eyes a little at what Gareth says. He bites his lip and goes, "Uh- okay," he says lightly. "That's not scary or anything. Bags, you said?" He sidles over to scoop a bag. "I'm not like, the strongest guy in the world or anything here, but even I can pull a weed," he says, and grins, raffishly.

<TXT> From (Alan) to Darwin: That's a lot of confidence when I could be tailing them now. Your friends: the tall, pale one, with threats he can't back up. Are you going to protect them with vines?

Darwin's phone buzzes again, and he reaches to fish it out of his pocket, but gloves and vines make this difficult. It tumbles to the mulch. On the screen reads: That's a lot of confidence when I could be tailing them now. Your friends: the tall, pale one, with threats he can't back up. Are you going to protect them with vines?

"Not in a fun way, huh?" Javi snorts, shaking his head. "Sorry, only entertaining weirdos allowed over here." However, he says it with plenty of amusement as he leans over to grab the stuff he'd dropped and haul it away. He's not a big man by any means, but he does seem to have had plenty of practice lifting stuff and carrying it around.

However, when Gareth makes //that// comment, he turns, eyebrows raising as he takes a moment to study the other man with some surprise -- and no small amount of wariness, too. "Uh...okay," he echoes after Miel, casting a bit of a wide-eyed look at the other man. "You'll do fine, man, you're good." As if this could make up for Javi's slight awkwardness now. Does it? Well, Darwin drops his phone instead, so maybe he doesn't have to!

Darwin winces through a faint smile, "Easy, Gar. No destroying anyone. Just good energies here." He shrugs at Miel, stooping to reach for his phone. "Some student named Alan, that's all I know."

Gareth is turning to go do some gardening work when Gareth's phone buzzes and drops to the floor, and the investigator is *far* too nosy to not look at the screen. His hackles rise and he scans the area around them with an angry expression. "What the actual fuck??" he wants to know, staring at the phone and then Darwin. "What the actual everloving fuck is that shit?" he swears effusively. "Someone's fucking watching us what the fuck I'm going to *find* the bastard and..." he trails off before weakly finishing with "...and give him a piece of my mind!" and he stalks off to try and find this.. "ALAN!" he shouts angrily. And off he goes, occasionally yelling for 'Alan', and probably confusing some *actual* people called Alan in the park.

<TXT> From (Alan) to Darwin: That's a really terrible way to find someone.

Miel hunkers low over some weeds to pull some out. He doesn't have gardening gloves, because he's a fool. He opens his mouth to say something and then his teeth click shut over it, following Gareth's whooshing departure. He reaches for some of the plants to yank them up by the roots, tucking them into the bag he's hauled as he says, "Protective instincts, I guess? You inspired some loyalty there, Darwin?" His eyebrows have swept high over his bright eyes. "I feel like my vocabulary has been expanded, honestly."

Darwin goes a bit pale. "Oh my god," he murmurs. "Gareth!" he shouts, then... gives up. "I'll round him up later. I said I'd come to help and I'm gonna' help, damnit." He eyes the phone. And then he gets /angry/. "Miel," he says under his breath. "I think... I might've made a mistake telling this person to meet up. Keep your eyes open." Ji-Ho gets no response this time, but Darwin brandishes his shears in hopes that he's witnessed. SNIP. SNIP.

<TXT> From (Alan) to Darwin: You did make a mistake.

<TXT> From Darwin to (Alan): when im through here, i will find you. you will not be able to escape

<TXT> From (Alan) to Darwin: You're barking up the wrong tree. I'm not trying to threaten you. I'm trying to warn you.

<TXT> From Darwin to (Alan): bullshit

Miel's lips kick up at one corner as Darwin makes this quiet admission, and he tilts his head to one side. "Are you telling me you might have been too trusting of strangers, Mr. Invited Me to Live With You?" he asks in a warm, laughing sotto. He doesn't prick up his ears in any way that can be detected obviously, but his bright gaze does swim along their surroundings, rising alertness.

Javi doesn't really seem to know what to make of...well, any of this. Yes, it's awkward, and there's no way for him to pretend that it //isn't//, is there? Not when Gareth is storming off after whatever it is he's read on the phone, and Darwin is now threateningly snipping the shears. He looks after the first, and then from one to the other of them who are still here, as he tries to figure out what to say, or do. Yeah, it's taking him a while.

"What the fuck?" Always helpful. "Who the hell'd you invite?"

Darwin feels his cheeks going red. "Shut up," he mutters to Miel, finally setting shears aside to pick up a shovel. And then he faces Javi with great shame. "Someone who randomly texted me asking for stories. Like... stories he'd pay for. To write a paper. I thought it was research, he said he was a student. I'm an idiot."

Miel shrugs amiably to Darwin, as if to say: I got nothin. He pulls up another weed. "Stories have power," he says, his eyes glinting as he watches the flush stain Darwin's cheeks frm his crouch. He says, "But what are you worried he's going to do? Lots of things to fear in this world. I'm just checking."

Javi's still watching Darwin, and so he can't fail to see that sudden red face. He may have some comment about it, too, but he manages to keep any thoughts internal -- that is, except for whatever leaks out on his expression, which is always //something//. He doesn't exactly have a poker face. Still, he's //mostly// serious as he agrees, "Yeah, that's kinda fucking weird." It's still more conversational than concerned, though there might be at least a little of the latter. However, he has to gesture to Miel in agreement. "But right? I mean...just block the number. It'll be fine."

<TXT> From (Alan) to Darwin: Blocking the number would be too late at this point, don't you think?

<TXT> From (Alan) to Darwin: You would have already exposed them.

"...Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Both of you," Darwin decides, smoothing down his emotions. Just one more glance at his phone. Whatever's visible drives a nice, icy shard through his heart. He... just mutes his notifications for now. "Wanna' help me empty this planter? Not sure if I can tip it myself," he says, moving to grasp the lip of a big bowl-like pot.

"Uh, sure." Miel knee-walks to the planter on his frayed jean to get some leverage from beneath. Whatever lure might be provided to him by Darwin's strong emotions, it is left lie with only the muddled reflection of his drawn together eyebrows. "So like, are you gonna grow plants and stuff here when all this junk is cleared away?"

"Yep. Don't worry about it. It's fine." However, Darwin's response to that last text has Javi's brows pulling together, his face settling into a deep frown. He nods at Miel's question, though his answer is a little absent, his mind only partly on it. "Yeah," he confirms, "like, vegetables, probably. Flowers. To be honest I dunno shit about gardening either." Which might make this whole outing he'd organized a little odd, but he doesn't seem like he's going to clarify at the moment.

He can't help himself -- when Darwin goes to put away the phone, he leans in to glance at the screen with the text. His frown gets, if possible, even deeper. The inverse of the grins that light him up, this seems to suck all the light out of him, and also plenty of it in the space around him. Not in any supernatural way, though. He's just pissed. He shoves a hand into his pocket and pulls out //his// phone to check something -- and then scoffs. "This creepy-ass motherfucker." He looks up, looking around as he yells, "Ji-Ho! Yo! What the fuck, man?!" And then he's jabbing his finger against //his// phone to send a message.

<TXT> From Javi to Ji-Ho: yo wtf why you being so fucking weird, you're freaking this guy out

Somewhere -- somewhere _very close_, in fact -- Ji-Ho pulls his hoodie down over his face and whines.

<TXT> From Javi to Ji-Ho: i fucking heard you

<TXT> From Javi to Ji-Ho: get out here man

<TXT> From Ji-Ho to Javi: HE FREAKED ME OUT

<TXT> From Javi to Ji-Ho: fucking HOW?????

<TXT> From Javi to Ji-Ho: we're literally just standing here shoveling dirt

<TXT> From Javi to Ji-Ho: you don't see me here? it's fine

<TXT> From Ji-Ho to Javi: Of course I see you

<TXT> From Javi to Ji-Ho: how'd he freak you out?

<TXT> From Ji-Ho to Javi: And he didn't freak me out NOW, he freaked me out BEFORE and anyway he needs to be more careful about who he tells things

<TXT> From Javi to Ji-Ho: oh

<TXT> From Ji-Ho to Javi: I could have been anyone, literally anyone, and he just told me where to find you

<TXT> From Javi to Ji-Ho: so what man everyone knows where to find me lol

<TXT> From Ji-Ho to Javi: OKAY BUT

<TXT> From Javi to Ji-Ho: you worried about me? <3

<TXT> From Javi to Ji-Ho: lol jaykay but fr it's fine, come out

"Oh!" Miel's gaze widens, and he smiles a little, rue-touched with new comprehension. "Sounds like somebody is getting some payback for the heart attack you gave him," he tells Darwin, and he rises, clapping him on the back with one smudgy, vegetation-smeared hand. He also makes a mental note not to get Javi pissed at him, though. Gosh.

"Flowers around the outside would look nice," Darwin decides, dusting the soil from his gloves as he straightens. "Maybe day lilies. Ooh, a blood lily would work right at the center. They bloom into this airy red sphere, it's really fancy. I bet--" He startles when Javi shouts Ji-Ho's name, then looks owlishly at Miel. It takes him a moment to piece it together. "/What/."

Ji-Ho is just kind of there, on one of the benches, hunched over his cellphone and typing. It's not like he walked in, and they definitely glanced past that bench before. It never drew any attention. It still doesn't particularly draw attention now.

But that fucking _cologne_ does. Poor Darwin.

tappatappatappatappa

<TXT> From Ji-Ho to Javi: fine

"Told you, man." Javi's still texting away, and he must be getting replies, because as they come in he starts looking //slightly// less pissed off. A little bit. "I'm everywhere, I know everyone." He laughs, though with the annoyance still lingering it comes out more like a snort. "It's fine. Yeah, he's fucking weird." He looks up to Darwin then, and then to Miel, as he adds, a //little// grudgingly, "We're all fucking weird, though, right?" And then he starts looking around, his eyes narrowing as he scans the area for the man.

Miel leans close to Darwin, stage whispers to his ear: "You're being trolled." He leans back, then, and snorts, his heels taking the balance of his weight as he stops swarming Darwin's personal space //quite// that hard. "Ain't that the truth."

Darwin stares, wide-eyed, at that spot on the bench that was totally empty but is presently occupied. By this little. Fucking. Fairy gremlin troll guy. He tips his head, eyes locked on Ji-Ho as Miel whispers to him. "Not Gareth," he manages through his teeth. "Gareth isn't weird. So... just keep that in mind." He drops his shovel with a dull clatter against dead foliage and stalks over to the bench. The cheap cologne worsens as he gets close, and he wrinkles his nose. "So you planned this whole thing. You took several days to set this up," he snarls. "Just delete my number! And we never have to see each other again!" he snaps.

Ji-Ho more or less climbs backwards over the bench in a sudden startle as Darwin advances, and it doesn't seem like his legs should be quite as long for the stretch they make -- but they do. "You're mad because I'm right. And you're lucky that I'm not dangerous."

Just ... really creepy.

"I mean, to be honest it's kinda weird to say you're gonna fuck up some random dumbass' life," Javi remarks, regarding Gareth's weirdness (or lack thereof). But it's not really directed toward anyone in particular, and he doesn't argue the point too much, because look, here's Ji-Ho! He glances to Miel to catch the other man's eye and shake his head, anger fading into a sort of dry amusement -- until Darwin starts over to the bench.

"Hey," he says, eyes widening, and he starts toward the bench, too. "Look, this is just like...a misunderstanding, yeah?" He looks toward Miel again, as if maybe he's going to be able to diffuse the situation better. Why he would think that is anybody's guess, but it probably has to do with the fact that Javi himself may not be that great at diffusing situations.

"Gareth isn't weird?" Miel's eyebrows speak volumes about what he thinks about that. "He like... threatened random destruction and then went off swearing like a sailor, so... I mean, different strokes for different folks, I guess." He's a breath after Javi and catches a laugh on his breath as they both basically say th same thing. He braces his hands at his hips, even as he trails loosely after Darwin and Ji-Ho, his eyes lingering on the depths of shadow that is Ji-Ho. "Hi again," he says. Miel does what Miel does (questionably) best: he attempts to weaponize prettiness into distraction, by putting his hands on Darwin's hips instead of his own. "You know what he was worried about," he sottos to Darwin in hopes that the heat of his long fingers (stone fingers) against his sides will at least distract him from impending war against the darkness (can you cast magic missile at the darkness?). "You were worried about him, remember? Ease off, huh?"

Darwin prickles slightly when the verdict of Is Gareth Weird is debated. "I meant-- you know, the other kind of weird!" He growls at Ji-Ho, a steady, low sound that's more like a displeased hum, but this can only last so long when he's hit with a two-pronged attack, first from Javi and then from Miel's touch and gentle reminders. Ugh, Darwin /had/ been worried at one point. He sighs, loudly, head rolling to glance skywards. "Yep, yep, Ji-Ho is right, I invited a stranger when I shouldn't have. I risked you two. Fucking sucks," he mutters, then pulls away from Miel to engage in some aggressive tug-o-war with more vines that have wound tightly around a short statue of a lion.

Ji-Ho skitters sideways along the side of the bench as Darwin pulls away to tug-o-war the vines, moving to keep the whole of the bench between them before he finally comes around to perch in a seat on the back with his feet planted on the seat. Maybe he thinks he can jump over Darwin if he has to. "Okay, well. We all learned something today, I think," he says with an absent, distant air, like he is already thinking about not being here. Like not being here sounds really great, actually. Sure wish he wasn't here.

It's always nice to have some backup, and Javi flashes a grin at Miel, lifting a hand to point at him, and then at his temple. "Right?" He's shifted to be vaguely amused by this whole thing -- but it's not until Darwin says //that// that he outright laughs.

"Fucking dramatic, damn," he says, shaking his head and starting toward one of the broken planters so he can clear some stuff away. However, when he passes Darwin, he claps a hand against the man's shoulder, letting it rest there for a second or two before he moves on. "We're in a park in the middle of the damn day, shit. I said you could bring people. Not like you're going around giving out my address." Then he looks over his shoulder at Ji-Ho, tilting his head toward the mess. "You gonna help or what?" Though he doesn't seem to expect it, since that aura of 'anywhere but here' isn't exactly subtle.

"Yeah, fine," Ji-Ho says, sulking in to offer a hand in a deeply and profoundly invisible way. He's helping. It's just -- no one is gonna see him, hear him, or talk to him.

Because someone has raid.

As Darwin moves off and Ji-Ho skitters, Miel rocks back on his feet again, hands athwart his hips and lips tilting up at one corner in a tilted smile. "I mean, I'm not really in a position to complain about kindness to strangers," he says with laughing humility, turning a little. "What'd you learn?" he wonders of Ji-Ho. "Is it that Javi knows everyone? I think that's what I learned." Whatever I wrote this before you posed that. He tilts a glance back at Javi, and then tips his hand towards Darwin. "It's okay to take risks, you know. Sometimes you have to. Life is a risk. Just. Make sure when you do it it's worth it, that's all. Just an object lesson from Professor Alan here."

Darwin seems to chill out when Javi pats his shoulder, though he takes every chance he has to stare directly at Ji-Ho as he does various things with his teeth, like pull his gloves off or snip some twine. "Yeah, thanks Professor Alan," he says, dryly. "God-- surely you guys smell that?" he shudders deeply, awaiting a decent breeze to blow the cologne away. "...I hope your contacts will approve of the design choices," he says to Javi. "Maybe you can figure out their favorite vegetables--?"

Javi nods when Ji-Ho accepts, but //he// accepts that the man doesn't want to talk about things, and so leaves him to do whatever it is he's going to do. "I do kinda know everyone though," he agrees with another laugh, the frustration from before long gone. "Never know when you're gonna wanna know a guy who knows a guy." Like today, for example! "But yeah. Like Miel said. Think this one's probably pretty low stakes."

He continues on, pulling up weeds and tossing them in the pile behind him as he nods. "She'll be happy," he confirms. "She just said, you know, vegetables and shit. 'Cause there ain't a lot of stores around here, right? Like, grocery stores. So, yeah. That was the whole, like...idea, I guess." He glances briefly to Miel again, but ultimately does not explain further about the person who has clearly asked him to do this but is also clearly not here. He //does// lift his head again, sniffing the air, before he snorts. "Maybe a little, I guess." Not like Darwin does, though.

"I like vegetables," Miel contributes more or less randomly to the discussion. He doesn't comment on the cologne choice, but his eyes do crinkle at the corners when Darwin points out his suffering. "I used to know someone who really liked the idea of community gardens," he says instead. "I never... really..." He shrugs, doesn't finish the sentence, and seems to spend a long moment studying the weed it's taking him an inordinate amount of time to haul up.

Darwin snaps his fingers. "Garlic," he says with great sureness, looking at Javi. "I can... find some garlic seeds. Never know when you'll need garlic." He shimmies closer to Miel and bumps shoulders in passing. "I like the idea too. Maybe once this one gets going it'll attract some new gardeners." He kneels to tear a bag of soil open, looking to Javi. "Who's your go-to guy who knows a guy?"

The idea of an entire community garden filled with garlic makes Javi snort, and he cuts a look to Darwin to catch the other man's glance, then ducks his head to suppress another laugh. "Yeah, for sure," he says once he's composed himself a little bit, and he tosses some more weeds over his shoulder, adding to the pile that's growing far more rapidly than he'd expected it to. So, he's happy!

He looks over at Miel and starts to say something else, but it's just in time for the trail off, and it has his smile fading a little bit. He studies him more closely, tilting his head as his mouth pulls a little to one side. "Yeah?" It's not //really// a clarifying question -- but it could be taken as one. He's probably curious. Of course, then he's circling back, so there's certainly some space for Miel //not// to continue, too. "Just depends," he continues as he looks back to Darwin. "When I moved here, right, I was like, fucking broke as shit. Like, with nothing. And I kinda fell into this one dude and he ended up hooking me up with a couple things right at the beginning so I wasn't just like, freezing in an alley. Like, we're not really friends? It wasn't like a whole epic hero arc thing. But he //really// knows everyone. So, yeah. Prolly him first."

The jostle of Darwin's shoulder against Miel's seems to draw him back to the present out of what threatens to be a reverie. He smiles. Opening his mouth to say something, Miel closes his mouth again and looks thoughtful. He rubs the pad of his thumb over the curve of his eyebrow. He sucks on the curve of his lower lip, and he says, "I know that feeling. The broke as shit feeling. It's nice when you can find -- you know. Help." He scrubs his hand over his bejeansed thigh and then says, "I just never really made time. Or thought about it. You know?"

"Sounds like a good dude. Even if you're not friends, which strikes me as /pretty weird/, since you're so easy to get along with," Darwin says, beckoning for some help moving a bench. He looks over at Miel with a softer smile, brows knitting slightly. "Sometimes life happens. It's a current that you can get swept up in, and it doesn't wait for anyone, so don't be too hard on yourself."

"Yeah." Javi reaches up to rub a hand across his forehead as he looks back to Miel, admitting, "I get that." He ducks his head again, grabbing some piece of refuse or other and tossing it in the general direction of the pile. His gaze cuts to the side then, settling on some space in the air that doesn't actually have anything //there// -- but maybe he's just being thoughtful, too. It's Darwin's remark that shakes him out of it, though, and he grins. "Right?" he agrees. "That asshole. I'm fucking great."

The flash if Miel's teeth is quick and bright. He says, "There you go. I sure agree." He flicks a weed decisively into the pile. He draws a deep breath in through his nose, all that earth and cheap cologne, and tips his head. "Anyway, I got no comment about being hard or soft," he says.

Darwin laughs. "Can I borrow your confidence?" He eventually settles on his knees near a plot, and forgoes his hand shovel to just dig with his hands. "Soft," he decides for Miel. Whatever the hell that means. "Oh," he begins, looking back to Javi. "Miel's gonna' be an extra for me. Are you sure you don't wanna'? You get to hang out with Miel. Look at him, he's great."

Javi is undeniably pleased at Miel's agreement, but it's Darwin's comment that has him letting out a snort. "Here," he says, shifting so that he can reach up and dust his hand across his shoulder in Darwin's direction, like some of it might rub off. "Just be careful with it, yeah? Call your doctor if you're still experiencing jumping around like a fucking crazy person after four hours." You're welcome, Darwin. As for the offer, though, he shakes his head, "Nah, for real, I'd suck at it. I'mma come see you, though, trust. In the back yelling all, 'yeah! Sailor number seven, that's my boy!'" He grins, so wide it's hard to believe it doesn't split his face, and lifts his hand up to tap the back of it against Miel's arm.

Miel makes a little snorfling noise and says, "Hey, I've been assured that I don't have to be able to act, so--" He spreads his hands both wide through the air and then scuffs his palms over the backs of his pants. He definitely makes no move to help Darwin dig in the dirt. He seems a little quizzical about it. "I feel like if I'm your selling point you may have a problem. For one thing, I'm not exactly hard to get ahold of."

Darwin lifts his hands to catch the invisible mote of donated confidence, and makes a show of tucking it away in his pocket. "I know of /one/ doctor and he schooled me on bugs today. Surprisingly fascinating." He shrugs at Miel. "Are you? I dunno' what you do during the day, you could be a secret CEO running the company from your brand new smartphone." Then he digs. And digs. He digs like he's in pursuit of something, and he absolutely makes a mess of himself. He pries up a cluster of bulbs. "Wild potato, nice."

"Oh hell no," Javi replies. "Center stage or nothing. Be the best damn extra that high school's ever seen." Unlike lifting things and carrying them around, he doesn't seem to know a whole lot about the actual digging part, but that doesn't stop him from getting down to it alongside Darwin. "I'll hang out with you whenever you want, though." Presumably without joining Miel onstage. He's adamant about that, for whatever reason.

He looks over at Darwin as the other man pulls up that potato, eyebrows raising, and he leans a little closer to peer at it with interest. It's the first part that he addresses, though. "Oh, Sol? Yeah. He knows, like, everything." Complimentary bordering on hero worship.

"I don't--" Miel squints at Darwin. He stats to rub his mouth with his hand and then he kind of-- snorts. "Okay," he says. "Uh, mostly I just... try to find ways to make a little cash, man. I'm not really qualified for much," he says with a little wave of his hand, and then scours both his hands together to see if he can shed some dirt via friction. "Wow. You-- totally found a potato. Would not have called that."

"Tomorrow's lunch." Darwin shakes the dirt from his prize, smiling with a quiet warmth when Javi offers his flexible hanging out services. "Eh, I bet I could teach Sol a thing or two. Admittedly he keeps mentioning weird shit I don't know anything about." He parts his lips to say more, then looks between Javi and Miel, unsure of something. Lack of telepathy makes his questioning, arched brow difficult to answer. "Mm. Oh, shit, I need to go collect Gar! God, gotta' keep him on a leash."

"Hm." Javi looks up, squinting at Miel a little more critically this time, before he shakes his head. "The first thing doesn't mean the second thing's true," he says with a shrug. "Pretty sure you got more going on than 'not really qualified for much." He doesn't ask //what//, but instead shifts his gaze to Darwin again. "Yeah, okay," he concedes, "maybe." If he notices the look between him and Miel, though, he doesn't give any indication of it. So WHO KNOWS. "See you, man," he continues. "Thanks for coming out. I appreciate it."

Miel studies Darwin's features, attempting to translate eyebrow language but without a code key. He tilts his glance back at Javi and fails to really answer that; instead, he opens his hands and says just, "Sure, yeah, anytime."

"Oh I'll be back! Er, if you guys are still out here. Then I we can go get shakes or something. Limeade. If not then I'll catch you next time. Miel-- back before eight." Darwin pauses, serious-faced, then laughs. "Just kidding. Party all night if you want, just be safe." He stands, soil cascading from his clothes. He seems like he /loves/ this state of being.

"Oh!" Javi was perfectly accepting of Darwin going, but that he will be //back// has him grinning again, and he flashes a thumbs up. "Sounds good, for sure. I'll be here at least." He looks around -- while there are still some things to do, the situation is really quite a lot better than it was at the beginning of their adventure. "I mean, it's awesome for you to stay however long you want," he continues, turning to Miel again, "but you know, if you got other shit to do it's all good. I didn't even expect this much help so I'm feeling pretty good."

Miel laughs. "I don't-- actually have much else going on, but we might as well finish the job, y'know?" He gives Ji-Ho, who is totally still here, a little upnod, as he moves to join him in dragging sacks of weeds. But it'll probably be relatively quiet for awhile as they focus on scouring out the remains of the task at hand.