{HAZE-1} Planting — Initium

Just as the brightest lights crawl across the sky and the darkest deeds lay under the city’s hooves, so too does Calcifer Ichabod VII, the Sanguineous Scourge Upon the Lands’ desire for knowledge fester ever brighter. Yes, there is indeed no obstacle too great for a scholar of the ages such as himself, no deed too dastardly and no price too great…

So, why was he here with a hoe (tool, not person) in the middle of a field behind the Wonderland Casino, sweating over something that WASN’T a book? How does one such as Calcifer Ichabod VII, the Sangui—

“Hey! Calcifer — err, Lord Calcifer the Scourge! Do you think you can help me with this bag of fertilizer? It’s… ooh!” Hops, the Damsel of the Drink, attempted to heft a sizable bag onto her shoulders… but didn’t get far before Calcifer wandered over and took the weight up. Eugh, it was getting on his cape…

“Phew, thank you so so much, m’lord!” Hops did a little bow and curtsy — seems like she’s had a LOT of practice talking to people with… egos, to put it in simple terms. She continued, “I sure do wonder how Miss Angora got a bun like you to help… not like that’s bad or anything, it’s just…”
“You think I am not up to the task, Damsel of the Drink?”
“Damsel of the — uhh, no no no! Umm… a great Lord such as yourself… would have much better things to do, right?” Hops’ brow furrowed as she did her darndest to put her words ‘in neat little lines’ as Angora would say… it roused an amused chuckle from Calcifer nonetheless.

“Your tiger master, the dragon wreathed in gold and fortune… her breath boils a molten million. Even I could not—”
“Uhh…” And Hops was… completely lost.
“Erm. I mean… gah. I made a deal with Angora, okay? She has… SOMETHING I want… and that’s that!”
“Oooh, okay… yeah, that checks out!”
Calcifer could only sigh at Hops’ realization, but… really, he wanted that thing badly. A rare text on the older mythos of fae and the hazeblooms… the price was his help in cultivating said hazeblooms over the course of the month, until the day they bloom… gah. If it’s for knowledge, he’ll do anything… though maybe nowadays he’d need to revise that statement.

“Anyways, Lord Calcifer… time’s a wastin’! If you could… yeah, just open that bag right over here, and spread it out with that hoe. While you’re doing that, I’ll be planting seeds in the areas you’ve already finished up in.”
“Your word shall be true, Damsel Hops.”
“Ahaha…”

Sure he was a BIT hard to talk to, but at least Hops could see that Calcifer was an honest worker… at least, when he knew he was going to see returns from it. Could she say Angora was the same, perhaps? Like horns think alike, huh… not like she could ever say that aloud if she didn’t want the both of them on her horns.

“Anyways… Lord Calcifer, if we pick up the pace and finish these next two areas, we could probably be done by nightfall! And then I can treat you to a fresh drink — you like the ones with fruit juice in them, right?” Hops plucked seeds from the little baggie she carried around and plopped them into the fresh soil, covering them with a little mound of dirt and fertilizer before looking back up… at Calcifer absolutely tearing up the field.
“Mmm… of course, Damsel Hops. A paltry task like this one is nothing compared to my prowess — watch, for it shall be done in half the time!”
“H-half?!”

And indeed, Hops watched—err, planted seeds—as she watched Calcifer work overtime to prep the field for planting… Hell, he even doubled back with his own bag of seeds halfway through.

It’s rare to see a guy that dedicated… Hops hoped that he’d stick around for EVERY part of the harvest.