Closed Post: Meticulous Planning

[sporesprouter]

Dark is thankfully over and the mansion is slowly returning back to normal, and it's honestly not a moment too soon. They'd gotten through it, because clearly the mansion spirits didn't want everyone dead, but since everything had happened without any real warning, and in the middle of winter at that, there hadn't been a real way to know to be ready for it.

Clearly, though, that wouldn't be the case next time.

Tress did still have her notebook that she'd brought from home, full of her original notes on sprouting, as well as a bunch of notes she'd added since arriving here, but it seemed to her that a long term project that's going to be quite as wide-ranging as preparing for next Dark would probably need one of its own, so she had found another notebook in her closet. (And she had smiled so brightly upon discovering it, with its charcoal gray cover and pristine pages. It was another sign that things were going back to how they had been.) She had then proceeded to jot down what ideas she had this early on on the first few pages.

She also knows, though, that this isn't a one-person project, and it absolutely can't be. Obviously not everyone here is going to be interested in the extremely early planning stages, but not everyone really has to be involved in those, either. She knows exactly who will be, though.

So she's off to find Susan.

Comments

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Oh, interrupt away. I'm officially between tasks," Susan says, warmly, slipping her notebook into her pocket.

[sporesprouter]

"Even if I'm technically bringing more tasks?" she asks. "Not just for you, and nothing that needs doing very quickly. I was just starting to think about how to start preparing for next Dark, and I thought you'd probably be the best one to include on it this early."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

The look that Susan is giving Tress in this moment is deeply appreciative. "I was thinking the same thing this morning," she says.

[sporesprouter]

And it's met with a relieved smile. "Oh, good. Obviously, I know that not much has to be done yet, but if no one starts thinking about it, we'll be just as unprepared next time and that would be foolish."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"It would indeed," says Susan. She doesn't want to get too ahead of herself but she does have loads of opinions about how best to proceed. Still - "Have you got initial thoughts about our options? -- Wait, would you rather have this conversation in a more comfortable room?"

[sporesprouter]

"I do have some thoughts, but they're obviously early ones and can be changed. But yes, there's probably a better place for this."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Perhaps my parlor? It's just down the hall."

[sporesprouter]

"That sounds perfect."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

So Susan leads them both to her parlor. She supposes it's not technically hers, and it is a little queer to re-enter it now - she's spent considerably less time in there in the past month, as it's been distressing that the room stopped shaping itself little by little every day to her preferences. But it feels like hers. She's set up everything here, and the Mansion has even supplied a fresh box of tea next to her kettle, almost like an apology for Dark.

"Tea?" she asks, nodding to the box.

[sporesprouter]

"Tea would be lovely, thank you."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan fills the kettle from the wet-bar sink. "How do you take yours?"

[sporesprouter]

"A little sugar is fine, thank you. Or honey if you have some."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"I've got sugar." Susan retrieves it and sets it out next to the mugs. The water will take a few more minutes to boil, in the meantime, she pulls her notebook from her pocket.

[sporesprouter]

Tress opens her own notebook. "I haven't worked out any plans in too much detail yet."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"What have you got so far?"

[sporesprouter]

She looks down at her notes, paging through thoughtfully. "A very loose schedule. The year being so long helps get things in place and find sufficient storage space, but everyone's going to have their own individual needs and wants as Dark approaches again, which makes the time a bit of a disadvantage, so I think also as it gets closer, we post periodic reminders for people to make a bit extra of the things they might need not for general use. Maybe something in the middle of fall, and then more, a bit more frequently, as winter starts.

"But as far as general supplies, it will help to have a timeline of what to store when. Obviously canned goods and other preserved things, we can start to accumulate early, and then keep in mind shelf lives of other things to generate as it gets very close. Compile a list of people's biggest wants for general supplies, and maybe coordinate with Magnus for greenhouse space for a supply of fresh produce through the season."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"I agree. I also wonder if we oughtn't create our own preserved foods -- harvested and grown, and the like. Perhaps there's less likely to be new foolishness if we're not relying on canned items from the Mansion itself."

[sporesprouter]

She nods. "It's a good idea. I had considered it for a bit before wondering if that might just be overpreparing, but you make a good point to put as much in our control as we can. In case next Dark tries to rise to meet the challenge."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Between you and me, I can't see a single thing wrong with overpreparing," Susan says. "If we've got surplus, then that's just more set aside for a rainy day."

[sporesprouter]

She nods and writes in her notebook. "I wonder if it would also be worth putting together storage rooms of non-food items that might break down or something else when the mansion won't provide. The smaller appliances and things."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Appliances! That's such a good idea," Susan says, warmly. "I'd thought, also to compose more first aid kits. We've got healers in our midst, I suppose, but as we soundly learned this month, when the healers are the ones injured it does leave us in a bit of a lurch." She pauses, then adds. "I expect the first aid kits will be useful year-round, I believe."

[sporesprouter]

"That would be helpful, yes. Maybe put kits in some of the most used public rooms in addition to storing more. Also, maybe gathering a collection of some basic clothes, in case someone arrives during Dark and can't build up anything to start off with."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Kitchen, bars, and the cafe, at the very least," Susan agrees. "Doesn't the strange man in the attic collect clothes? Perhaps we might loop him in on that front."

[sporesprouter]

"Oh, yes, that would be a good idea, too." She looks thoughtful. "Also supplies for the animals, especially since there's going to be a third horse by next Dark, not to mention any others that might emerge over the next year."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"A third horse!"