Expanding, hopefully.

[ Pancake is taking advantage of the momentary distraction to run up and start pecking amongst the pile of nails Joshua's salvaged from around town. Surely there's something more interesting and edible in there than just a bunch of bits of metal!

Pancake is going to be terribly disappointed, but Joshua digs a crumb of something out of his pocket and throws it to the other side of the yard to distract her. ]

Four laying hens in an entire town isn't very many eggs, honestly. And if we can start breeding more chickens, maybe we can get enough going for meat, too.

[ You know, just don't name the ones he's going to have to kill. ]

I think I've got a decent idea of how this needs to go. It's just a matter of making it happen.

[ He's the man with the plan! And Estelle is here to hold boards upside down and look so good doing it. ]

Hm, well...

[ There are plenty of small things that he's been doing as they go that it would help to have done ahead of time, admittedly. ]

I've been straightening out the nails we're reusing as I need them, but it might speed things up a little if that were already done?

[ Some of the nails are okay, if one looks at the pile, and none are too bad - they tried to be selective as they went - but there are still a fair number that are somewhat bent, enough to impede hammering them into something new. ]

Thanks.

[ He'd feel bad giving Minato the real manual labor, because he looks like kind of a noodle boy and constantly in a state of "about to fall asleep (?)," but nails aren't a big exertion like helping to throw around the lumber would be. ]

It's...

[ How should he describe it? Really, there's something in him that just feels relieved and elated every day the chickens thrive under his care instead of dying, because the idea that he can do something other than kill and ruin things is still hard to get his mind wrapped around, sometimes.

Which he's a little reluctant to admit to out loud, partly out of self-consciousness and partly out of the fact that Estelle is right there and he knows she hates it when he starts putting himself down. ]

...it's kind of nice.

[ Wow, what a boring answer. But he's not sure how he can even explain it. They're living things! They're doing well, and they're making more life every day!

it's amazing ]

I don't think I'd be cut out to be a full time farmer, but it's...a good change of pace, for now.

I...

[ Good...question. ]

Becoming bracers was always Estelle's idea first, so I used to just figure I'd follow her to wherever. But...I think I do enjoy it.

[ It actually leaves him with a good feeling at the end of the day, which is a lot more than can be said about his previous occupation? ]

You think so?

[ It's honestly a bit relieving to hear. Cassius had made a point, back in his first days living with the Brights, that he was welcome to stay, but it was a choice he'd have to make for himself. And he'd agonized over it, because even that one simple decision was more than he'd thought he would ever have to decide for himself again.

If Estelle weren't around, he has no idea what he'd wind up doing with himself, and he's pretty sure most people would call that a bad thing. ]

...I guess that does make sense.

[ It only feels like he's not exercising his human ability to make his own choices if he comes at it from a different angle. When Minato puts it like that, it sounds a lot more...normal?

Normal. Not exactly a word he thinks can really apply to much about him. ]

[ Mindblowing!! ]

I can't imagine going back to life without her, now. She saved me in every way it's possible to be saved.

She'd get along okay without me, which is a lot more than you can say about the reverse.

[ Don't smile when you diss yourself, Josh. ]

Yeah. Thanks, Minato.

[ For the nails? For the brain food? Take it as you will. ]