Bantha Gettin' Down on the Farm....

[thefinaljedi]

Who: Luke Skywalker, Giovanni, Applejack, House 44 & 46, and anyone else who is interested in Luke's farm project.
What: Lets play Harvest Moon: Luceti Edition
When: August 21st
Where: Farmland outside the village
Summary: Luke Skywalker has decided that the farmland should be put to use. Rather than let the land go fallow, and despite the lateness in the season, he's asked people for help putting together a small farm project. The aim is to plant a lot of crops so the soil doesn't go wild from disuse.
Rating: BP for Bantha Poodoo.


Anyone who's interested in this, feel free to just jump in. Luke's been asking around, and doing quite a bit of work to get things set up. Barrels of water, some seeds, gathering tools. If you want to help out, please go for it. Just...don't kill the Bantha, ok?

Comments

[redjacketthief]

[Lupin was tired, having trudged the way from the village to the farmlands under his own steam despite his friend's insistence and the presence of the repulsor sled. He hadn't done much walking beyond the village since June, and his balance had improved even if his stamina hadn't. It was surprising how fatigued a balance problem could make a person. The debacle with the chaos god, his injuries, and his overall stress over the last two weeks hadn't helped, but he was glad to be outside on a sunny day.

He was going to consult with Luke about the game plan...but there was a rather large something that took presidence, and whose presence was strangely comfortable.]

Luke.

...

When did we get a Bantha?

[thefinaljedi]

[Boy he was waiting for that question...]

Yesterday. I requested him from the Malnosso. D'you like him?

[redjacketthief]

Do I like him?

[Lupin laughs and leans up on the fence, careful because of his injury and 'condition'.]

I barely ever saw them even when I worked with you--city boy, all of that. He's really cool!

[thefinaljedi]

Well, now you've seen one up close. I've given him a bath in the river. He seemed a little surprised though, seeing that much water.

[redjacketthief]

Of course he would be--it's water!

--Could I, uh...?

[How does a grown man ask to play with a really cool animal?]

[thefinaljedi]

Could you...what? Pet it? Yes, go ahead. He's a pretty friendly, well domesticated Bantha.

[redjacketthief]

Oh, that'll be--

Just let me get over there.

[It takes him a moment to figure out the how of getting over the fence. It was going to be harder than he thought with one fully functional arm and a crippled sense of balance.]

[thefinaljedi]

[Unbidden, Lupin just begins to float over the fence]

Have at it. Bantha like sentient affection.

[redjacketthief]

[Oh, Luke.]

...I dunno who's worse, you or Law.

[But there was laughter in his voice--he was teasing. Mostly. While he wasn't sure that he would ever get used to his friends' powers, they were still intriguing to witness.

Grinning like a kid half his age Lupin ambled over to the bantha eagerly and reached out to touch his nose.]

Most animals do. Wonder if he's anything like the horses I used to jockey back home.

[thefinaljedi]

I somehow doubt that. Bantha are extremely sharp, though they look rather dull.

[The Bantha's dexterous tongue shoots out and licks Lupin's face, tasting him]

Watch out...they...like to lick.

[redjacketthief]

[dat tongue--

Covered in bantha slobber, Lupin just laughs.] I can see that!

Oh, he is so much better than Washington-chan! [As much as he liked that race horse, it wasn't a friendship that was to last. Washington-chan was a prize winner, and Lupin only ever dabbled in races. Even if the horse did assist him, they couldn't stay together.

Lupin scratched the bantha on his nose, obviously taking far too much glee in the task.]

[thefinaljedi]

[The Bantha drools a little bit but seems quite happy, its tongue wagging around. It likes attention. A lot!]

Heh, and he's only going to get bigger too. They cap out at five meters high.

[redjacketthief]

Five meters, huh? That's huge!

[His hand wanders underneath the bantha's jaw to scratch his chin.]

How did our keepers let you get away with this?

[thefinaljedi]

I asked nicely, and dealt with a lot of Third Party soldiers on my mission. I'm not sure Sirry Crags will be quite so much trouble after the last one.

[redjacketthief]

That works.

[Leave it to Luke to turn an opportunity to vent his frustrations into something more gainful than catharsis.]

...It's just nice seeing everything settle down again. If we can rig up an easier way to get out here, Bantha-chan will be delightful to come visit. There's something about animals, especially nice ones, that's good for morale--and we really need a morale boost around here.

[thefinaljedi]

We do. Another reason I figured he'd be a nice thing to have around. He's friendly, requires little maintenance, and is in general just nice to have around.

A little piece of Tatooine. One of the pieces that doesn't want to eat you.

[redjacketthief]

And how rare is that, right?

[His tone sobered when he thought about the recent crises and the sheer weight of them. Though it was resolved barely more than a week ago, he still felt the lingering effects. His arm. His stamina.]

...I know this is important to do, but could I ask a small favor from you?

[thefinaljedi]

Extremely so. Krayt Dragons, Sandworms, Womp Rats.

[He blinks]

Whats that?

[redjacketthief]

Don't stray too far?

[He flashed Luke a sheepish grin.]

I want to help, but I'm not sure how long I'm gonna last in this heat.

[thefinaljedi]

Of course. I've got my eye on you, Lupin.

[redjacketthief]

Thanks...I just don't like not being able to do things without help. Days like this? No problem normally.

It's a little annoying, and very weird.

[thefinaljedi]

I know the feeling. I've had injuries before.

[A kind smile]

Don't worry, I'll keep my eye on you.