[open] apples and quinces, lemons and oranges

[nedofpies]

Who: Ned, open to all
What: Here be species-swap logs involving Ned the unlikely fertility god.
Where: Anywhere (preferably outdoors).
When: Duration of the event (58 - 61); put date in header, please.
Warnings: Blood, kidnapping, creepiness and general Ned-terrorizing? [will add more as necessary]

Ned wanders the town barefoot, leaving a path of fruit and flowers and vegetation behind him. There are daffodils and bluebells, hyacinths and crocuses, irises of all colors, primroses and poppies and periwinkle in profusion. When he stops to sit quietly under a tree, by the edge of the woods, the vines spread out from his body like paint creeping through water. They slowly wind their way up the trees, or else sprawl across the ground, swelling with strawberries and blackberries, grapes and kiwis, passionfuit and cherries.

He doesn't understand why it is happening, but from the sound of the messages over the communicator, everyone has been going through some strange changes. As far as Ned's concerned, being some kind of plant conjurer is better than some options.

Since he can't think of much else to do with his time, Ned lounges in the dappled shade and makes bouquets. All he needs to do is rake his hands through the soil and a few minutes later, up come the snapdragons, up come the cala lilies. He finds that, if he focuses on a particular kind of flower as he does it, sometimes it is mixed amongst the others. As he sits the hydrangeas are bubbling up around him, shielding him from view.

Ned isn't worried about resting in the woods, despite all the dire warnings he's heard in his short time here. He is at the very edge, just in the shade of the first few trees; the lions and tigers and bears can't possibly have any objections. So he lounges in his cozy bower, hazy, half-awake (he hadn't exactly slept well, the previous night), weaving crowns of camellias and garlands of gladiolus.

Comments

[thezerothlaw]

Ned and his plants -- Daneel can't pretend to understand it, except so far as to know that strange things are happening beyond his own situation. He looks at Ned a moment, curious about what this must be like for him, how it might be possible.

Watching Ned, watching his own bare toes through the frigid water, swaying with each rush of water. The shore is an alien thing; Aurora, like most Spacer planets, is a world of gardens. Gardens are tame, orderly, safe. This is... chaos, wildness. Spacers snubbed it in favour of safety, and Earthers feared it and went underground. Daneel finds it fascinating, dark, dangerous and primaeval. Aurora must have been like this once, and Earth too, long before.

This train of thought is abruptly cut short as one particularly big wave. He's used to robotic strength and robotic weight, and he has neither of these now. The water -- surprisingly strong -- sweeps him off his feet entirely, and with a startled, frightened yelp, Daneel goes under.

[nedofpies]

That cry is enough to snap Ned out of his reverie, and when he whips around, he doesn't see Daneel. It's as if the bottom has dropped out of his stomach. Without a second thought, he plunges under the water and opens his eyes, sting be damned. It takes him a moment to spot Daneel, and then he is rushing over, half-swimming and half-running, against the pull of the wave as it comes back out. He moves quickly, and yet it feels like an eternity before he is there, grabbing Daneel and hauling him above the water, getting him upright. Ned doesn't stop there - keeps his arm around Daneel's back and walks him towards the shore, not stopping until they are on dry sand.

"I'm sorry," he says in a rush, "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, are you hurt? Did you hit your head?"

[thezerothlaw]

Daneel clings to Ned out of reflex while he chokes and sputters on a mouthful of seawater. He breathes, hard, feeling sick; salt sits uneasily on the stomach, he's discovering.

"There is water in my nose," he tells Ned -- which is probably besides the point, but it's uncomfortable and it stings and it feels like his head is full of salty water. "I don't believe I'm injured."

He just got saved. He might have been able to right himself, but he knows he can't swim. Daneel looks at Ned in astonishment and gratitude. "Ned. Thank you."

[nedofpies]

"Don't thank me!" Ned says, distraught, pulling away now that he's sure Daneel is steady on his feet. He's relieved that Daneel isn't injured, but that look on his face - so scared and yet grateful - makes Ned feel sick with guilt. This is all his fault. Why isn't Daneel angry with him? He should be furious.

"I don't know what the hell I was thinking. I nearly got you killed," Ned rakes a hand through his wet hair, "Your first day as a human and I nearly killed you. That's great." He lets out a shaky breath, tamps down on his ramble before it gets out of hand.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

[thezerothlaw]

"You are not at fault," Daneel protests. It was nothing more than bad luck, an unfortunate step in rough water. "I still don't know the limits of my human body. I swallowed some water. I hope that will cause no permanent harm. It was distasteful."

Still, it would probably be for the best if Lydia didn't hear of this. She had been so worried for him.

"I am very wet." And cold, too; he's beginning to shiver a little in the wind.

[nedofpies]

Ned doesn't keep arguing the point, though he knows Daneel is wrong. This is why he is usually so cautious, why he doesn't try being impulsive, being fun, being reckless with his safety and the safety of others.

"It shouldn't do you any harm. Probably," Ned says, hopeful that it is true, that there isn't some additive in the water that will make him terribly sick from just swallowing a little bit.

Seeing Daneel start to shiver, Ned nods, pushing the wet hair away from his face and collecting himself. "We should get you back so you can dry off properly." Because being wet and cold and miserable is not exactly the slice of human experience that Ned had meant to share with Daneel.

Ned walks with him back up the beach, pauses to pull on his clothes and allow Daneel to do the same, before he's shepherding him back towards his house. He doesn't say anything at this time, chewing on the inside of his lip, wondering what came over him back there, how he could just zone out like that, wondering how Daneel can continue not to blame him.

When they reach House 7, Ned rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. "You should probably take a hot shower to warm up. If you start to feel sick from the seawater, let Bruce know, I guess? He's a doctor." Ned smiles a little, and it's rueful around the edges, "I guess I'll see you later."

[thezerothlaw]

Walking has warmed him up a little, but a hot shower does sound beneficial, as well as being one more interesting experiment. Perhaps he had a close call, and perhaps not, but no harm came of it, and that's what matters.

"Yes," Daneel says, and he's smiling back. "Thank you for the flowers, and the pie. It has been... instructive."

How to properly say goodbye? Rather hesitantly, Daneel offers his hand to shake.