steepwithdead | Folkmore

[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.

Oh wow! Four of you and your parents and aunt?! That's so many.

[And she thought her house was full growing up, that's nothing compared to Caduceus' family. And so many siblings too, having Kasumi was enough to keep her hands full.]

Did you get along well? Or fight a lot?

A bit of both, for sure. My brother Colton and I have never really seen eye to eye. Calliope was more sensible, but it was hit or miss if we got along most days because she loved winning at every opportunity. My sister Clarabelle and I were thick as thieves, though.

Oh! You all have names that start with C too! And that's so fun... I--

[She hesitates again, because... she wants to mention Kasumi but he's a councilor, this could be one of those tricks. It's why the mention of family made her tense up. But... right now this seems like such a normal conversation.

It's safe right?]

My sister and I were close, though we had our moments at times.

[Ah. There it is. He makes a thoughtful noise.]

I think it's very natural to fight with siblings at times. Live with someone for long enough and you have to fight about something. [Especially when you've lived with them for like a hundred years. You can have so many fights in a century.] What was she like?

[She gives Caduceus an assessing look, unsure if she's being therapied or if he's just honestly curious. But she brought Kasumi up and normally she wouldn't have too much issue talking about her sister, bit it's the fact that he's a councilor that has her on high alert.

He wasn't safe.

She doesn't feel safe.

But she turns away to focus on digging up a flower and takes a breath.]

She was really wonderful - smart, funny, outgoing, talented. We're twins but... we had similar interests, but we were very different people.

[Caduceus either doesn't see or doesn't notice the look she gives him, focusing on a particularly stubborn thick root beneath a larger fern bush.]

It's nice when that happens- when you're close to someone so different from yourself, yet you find common ground regardless. Clarabelle was like that with me. She was headstrong and loud while I was quiet and more... well, malleable. She loved to argue with our parents when she didn't get her way, which was often.

Yeah, it sounds like you both evened each other out... ying yang kind of thing. Kasumi and I were like that too.

[She feels torn, hurt, so she shakes her head and changes the subject.]

Do you mind if I ask what you are? I've never seen a person look like you do. Is it normal to have such big families?

[He accepts the shift - and the question - gracefully.]

I don't mind. [He hears it often enough.] In my world we're known as firbolgs. Some others call us fey-giants. Many live in big familial clans isolated from civilization, others like to strike out on their own. It sort of varies. Ours is an old family, with an important duty to fulfill. Much easier if there's more of us around to do it.

[His folks were just kinda overachievers.]

Firbolg. [She tests how the word feels on her tongue.]

So you're a fey? Giant makes sense, since you're so tall. I guess fey does too with your wings and how magical your home seems.

[She gives him a nice smile.]

It's so interesting how we're all from such different places here. It's amazing.

I think it's more fey-descending, technically, but to some that's close enough I guess! [He chuckles.] The wings are from this world, though. And you're right, it's a fascinating thing, how many worlds exist and how different everyone is. And so many are kind, generous souls.

Oh! Of course, that makes sense. I guess never seeing a Firbolg before made me unsure what was a part of you normally or not.

[She digs up another flower, getting better at it with each try and hands it to him.]

Maybe Thirteen has a type for that kind of person?

Besides the vines and the wings, what you see is what a firbolg is. Though I'll admit most are less pastel.

[Don't catch a lot of firbolgs out there with pink hair. He accepts the flower with a murmured thank you, tucking it gently next to its previous transplanted neighbour.]

Could be. Perhaps her idea of our true potential is enduring adversity by helping one another.

[She giggles at the joke? It seemed funny so she laughs gently.]

I.. I could see that, but... I already did all that back home. I don't see how else I'm supposed to get better.

[She frowns.]

And what about the people who are dead back home? How is that fair?

No one is perfect, in this world or any other. We can always be better. What counts as "better", however, shouldn't be decided by someone else. It's up to us to determine what manner of person we're meant to be.

[That's not even his counselling, just his wholehearted belief.]

Have you asked them?

[She nods, because she agrees... it should be up to them and not Thirteen to decide that. To take them from their homes and force them to... get better by her definition. She... could always get better yeah, but she rather follow her own life journey for that.

Then he asks that and she frowns and looks down at the flowers.]

No, guess I haven't. I just... it seems unfair.

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