steepwithdead | Folkmore

Thank you. It's seen better days, but we're working on it.

[The house is... well, not entirely in shambles, it's taken a fair amount of damage in the aftermath of what had been happening in Willow the past trial. Many sections of the interior are in the process of being mended (both magically and by hand), a few of the windows are boarded up, and there are patches of rust and rot on the surface of what would otherwise be gorgeous and probably expensive decor. It is certainly a mansion of grand quality, just... temporarily dilapidated.

He leads her in and around the corner to the kitchen, where a teapot is already steeping, fresh biscuits in a tin on the table. It's easy to tell where he's put the most work into, as it looks almost normal.]

Akechi suggested we speak in the roof garden, but it's not quite what it was when he last visited. Kind of a wild disaster at the moment! We can still go up there, though. I figured I'd give fair warning, and let you choose.

[He lifts the teapot intentionally, in a universal "want some?" gesture.]

[Still, even in disrepair it's lovely. Like something out of a fantasy novel, it makes her want to spin and pretend to be a princess. She doesn't of course but it still feels grand to her.

But when she follows him into the kitchen and there are snacks out and tea being made... she stiffens visibly. Her body going rigid and her eyes a lose focus as she quite clearly starts to dissociate.

It wouldn't bother her if she wasn't in the same situation as... When Maruki would give her counseling he would give her drinks and food, it was one of his techniques. While she has nothing against Maruki, she can't help but feel like everything is repeating itself.]

No...I mean-- Um. Wherever, I won't be here long...

[She crosses her arm over herself to clutch at the other - protective, self soothing. She's fine. She's Fine. She's FINE.]

Edited 2024-10-25 21:07 (UTC)

[Caduceus pauses; the reaction is too obvious to miss, even if he's been kind of off lately (trial's fault, and he's working on it). He lacks information, but they can work on that. For now, the message is clear. The usual standard of courtesy is off the table.

Quietly he sets the pot back down, his hands once empty lifted in a placating gesture.]

I'm sorry, I've upset you. Take a few deep breaths, sit down if you need to. You're safe here. Akechi's just outside, right?

[If she's honest, she doesn't really get why he's suddenly placating her, she's fine afterall. She's FINE. She doesn't need to breathe or sit down or needs Akechi, she's perfectly FINE.

Yet, her hand clasps tighter to her arm, defensive, protective, eyes still a little unfocused.

She wants to snap at him, but... then she wouldn't be fine if she did, would she? That's clearly a sign of not being fine, being defensive, right? It wouldn't be polite, she's in his home... he's being gracious. Anxiety starts to grip her chest.]

I'm fine, thank you... You didn't upset me, I-I just... [UH] don't like tea. [...that's not even a good excuse and an even worse lie.]

[Has there ever been a more obvious lie...

Caduceus observes her quietly for a moment, brows furrowing. He looks around. Beautiful the house may be, Akechi was right. This isn't the correct place to do this. It isn't even just the food and drink, he suspects, based on how she's closing in on herself. There are walls, and limited ways to run. This poor girl's trapped by something- or remembering when she was.

Alright. Starting over, then.]

Do you know anything about gardening?

[That makes her blink, because she wasn't expecting it. She looks at him, wondering if it's a trick, if this is another "method" but... she promised Akechi she would talk to this guy. That she would try.

So, she shakes her head.]

No... I-I've always been more of a cook than a gardener.

Ah, that's alright. I bet you're a quick study. Follow me.

[Out of the kitchen! He heads for the tower stairs instead, leading the way up and trusting her to follow. His pace is not especially hurried, so she can take a few beats to decide.]

[She does hesitate, she looks towards the door. It would be so easy to just leave... but--

Shaking her head, she follows him up the stairs.]

Do you have a garden on top of your house?

Mm, I do. It's in terrible shape right now, though. Everything in Willow was aging rapidly, so plants grew, died, and regrew over and over, without care. It really is a wild garden now.

[Thankfully they're not all dead, and the tree, while damaged, could live for centuries, so it's... mostly fine. But it really does need work.

It's a quick trip up the stairs, opening up to his simple bedroom hut, and through a door to the garden proper. It is as he describes: disorganized and untamed, flowers, greenery, and a multitude of colours scattered throughout. It is very pretty, but in more of a field of wildflowers way than a proper garden. This place has always been left a little wild, but not like this. The tree stands tall and strong, 60-feet up like always, but many branches have fallen, and it's lost some of its luster.]

Oh wow!

[She's immediately enamored when she sees it, all panic she felt earlier eased by the wilderness that is this man's rooftop garden. It was beautiful but also a bit intimidating. He was going to try and fix this? It would take weeks!]

It's amazing but yeah... it's definitely kind of more a wilderness than a garden. Are you trying to restore it alone? That'll take you forever.

[He smiles softly, walking towards the tree, stepping carefully around the wild growth.]

I expect to do most of the work, but I won't object if anyone offers to help. It's alright either way. I have time to spare, and nature is in no hurry.

[She follows, matching his much bigger strides to make sure not to step on any plants if she can help it. Looking ridiculous as she has to almost hop between spots.]

... I mean.. I could help for a bit? [A pause and then she admits her train of thought.] Um, if I leave now Akechi will get mad about me giving up or running away. So, it would be better if I spent some time here so he doesn't think anything of it.

[She shrugs.] Besides, I don't want to waste your time when I don't need counselling.

[She certainly is resistant to the idea. It's understandable, based on what Akechi had said. But he wonders at the wisdom of forcing her into this before she's ready to try. Someone needs to be open to the idea in order to talk about their problems.

He doesn't want to trick her into it either - he'd been open on his intentions with Akechi, despite the devious accusation after the fact - but perhaps a gentler way of forging a bond of trust will help lead them towards that needed communication. So:]

I'd love an extra pair of hands, truly. You're very kind to offer. You can just tell Akechi we're taking the slow approach.

[She brightens when he agrees, because he's not trying to force this, wasn't saying she needed therapy or anything, just calmly accepting her help and nothing more.

It might be a trick, but she's keeping an eye out on it. If it at all feels like probing or something she will just leave.]

Sounds perfect and I've always wanted to learn to garden, but... my thumbs aren't very green.

Well then, this is a good place to start learning.

[He crouches down in the section surrounding the tree, offering up a spare trowel.]

I thought I might begin with transplanting the excess growth around our big friend here. It's grown over the shrine, and too many plants can choke at the roots. Many can be returned to the forest below, where they have more space to develop.

[Here she thought she'd be ripping up plants, not transplanting them but... well, she likes that better. It's not the plants fault that they grew there afterall.

She follows after him, crouching down next to him and taking the trowel. ]

Okay, so... but digging them up will be cutting into their roots right? Will they survive that?

Roots for plants of this size generally don't go down too far. If you dig under the majority of 'em, they'll survive just fine.

[He'll demonstrate with one of the overgrown flowers nearest to them, digging his little shovel deep beneath, carefully carving under the dirt to get around the bulk of the root system without cutting through or causing too much damage.]

[Watching closely, she nods once she thinks she's got the idea of it and tries it herself. It's not perfect, it's definitely the attempt of an amateur, a little clumsy and... the flower will probably survive. ]

There's not a lot of space for gardens where I'm from. Too crowded, too much concrete.

[It's probably fine. Any plant that dies will become new growth and fertilizer for the rest. Caduceus looks pleased by the attempt nonetheless.]

Really? That's too bad. Is it a big city?

[Such places are usually terrible for nature, in his experience. Everything chokes too easily, trapped under a sky of too many overhanging buildings.]

Oh yeah, huge. It's a lot like Tides but even bigger and far far more crowded.

[She starts to dig another flower up, a little more carefully this time. Thinking about Tokyo... she doesn't really miss it. She's been getting used to having space, it's more the people and purpose that she misses about home.]

There are some green areas, but not much.

It's hard to envision. I'm still not really used to big cities, even after all this time. I suppose that's why I settled here so easily. The neighbourhood reminds me of home.

[He moves the flowers they both lifted into a small wagon off to the side of the tree, continuing the process. The repetitive motions of digging up plants is soothing.]

Do you miss it?

That must be nice to have something that feels like home.

[She keeps working, placing the plants she digs up in a spot for him to transfer them. At one point a purple flower breaks from it's stem, so she places it in her hair without thinking.]

Not really the city itself... I miss my family. I miss having a goal and purpose, but I think those are normal to miss.

[He smiles when he notices the flower. It suits her well, and he has absolutely no protest. Let her feel welcome in this place.]

I think so, too. I feel exactly the same. A place can feel a lot like home, and remind you of good things, but when the people or purpose is missing, it's not quite the same.

[His family, his purpose, the voice of the Wildmother... there's too much missing to truly call it home.]

What is your family like?

Um...

[She tenses a little at the question. It seems to bother her but she also thinks it's a pretty natural question... but it...]

Dad works a lot, mom too. Grandma took care of us a lot growing up. Normal stuff.

[There's a pause before she takes a deep breath and forces a smile.]

What about yours?

[The tension and pause has him more attentive than before - mostly since she just mentioned her family, so asking about them felt natural - and it helps him key in on a possible discrepancy. Parents who work a lot, Grandma took care of "us"? Who is us?

The immediate evasion has him knowing better than to push on that right now, though.]

We all lived together in our family's temple, so it was quite a full house! My parents and my aunt helped to raise the four of us: my brother, myself, and my two sisters.

no subject

cw: trauma reaction, dissociation

Re: cw: trauma reaction, dissociation

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject