XX4 Entry

[roseofmay]

Sender: Beatrix
To: Everyone
Subject: Oriphi's Grove


This may seem a silly question, given that her grove is largely capable of caring for itself, however I planted some roses there a month ago.

Has anyone been paying visit to care for the plants? If not, I will be making a visit there.

As an aside, I would like to issue a reminder that I do not like my things being touched without my permission. Please refrain from doing such.


[She will be going to the grove anyway, regardless of whether someone has been taking care of the flowers or not.]

Comments

[sermom]

[Kisara sets free a quiet laugh, shaking her head.]

I've avoided your thorns so far, I think I'll manage. But I'll take your advice all the same.

[She suspects Beatrix may be exaggerating. Either that, or she's had very good luck. The woman's been nothing but polite since they met, even when she'd been on the blunt or quiet side.]

[roseofmay]

I just so happen to like you.

[A sliver of amusement seeps into her voice. It is likely more true than she should like it to be. If she didn't like Kisara at all, she certainly wouldn't seek out her companionship, after all. Beatrix, even since her time here, has not made it a habit to do things she doesn't enjoy on some level.

Or at least 'tolerate.' Although companionship in the form of one Kisara is far above tolerance.]

If I did not, I would be considerably more prickly, I think. Although I suppose there has never been anyone here I disliked in such a way. Perhaps I am simply growing more patient than I anticipated.

[sermom]

Lucky for me.

[Hey, she'll take it. But she's a simple woman with fairly simple needs; spending time with friends is an easy one to satisfy.]

I'm interested in learning more how to care for flowers, actually. Back in Menancia we mostly let them fend for themselves in the wild. Though plenty of Dahnans specialized in caring for them. [Most of them worked in the palace, though, so she only observed them at a distance or spoke to them in passing.]

[roseofmay]

Did you get a chance to know Oriphi much?

[Beatrix asks her curiously. The subject is a sore one for certain, but if there was anyone who knew about plants, it was the tiefling.]

She is not here anymore, if you did not know. But she was quite knowledgeable on plants. We used to come tend to these ones together. Back in Alexandria, I only ever admired the flowers from my window. From the grounds. I think in being here, I have come to appreciate them more, and their intricacies. I have also come to find that we as people are not so different from them. Perhaps we will both learn together, Kisara.

[sermom]

Our paths never crossed, sorry. But she clearly helped develop something beautiful, here. I'd love to learn more alongside you.

[She'd been learning more about flowers and the language they can convey over time, from Dohalim, from Tifa, from various others she speaks with. She's sure Beatrix has something to offer as well.]

I think anyone would be a fool not to look around this place and not appreciate the effort that went into their growing.

[roseofmay]

A shame. You both would have gotten along very well.

[She puts that as another piece for the pile of wishes and dreams involving Oriphi. The same pile of 'could-have-been's and 'should-have-been's. Beatrix's smile is wistful and a bit sombre, but perhaps that's not so different from many of the smiles she holds.]

Either way, I agree with you. Does not take an expert in flowers to appreciate their beauty or the work that goes into making them this way. Not sure who is to thank for these ones in particular, but I have certainly appreciated visiting them as often as I can permit myself to.

[She'd probably visit it more if she could.]

What are your favourite kinds of flowers, Kisara?

[sermom]

[Kisara begins pruning as gently as she can around the flowers with the shears, mindful of the blooms.]

Tifa asked me the same question at the wedding. I hadn't thought of it much before then, or I might not have had a good answer for you.

[Not that it's a question that could make or break a conversation, but she's glad to have one already in mind.]

Back home, a small white flower grows in scattered fields all over. They were great for cross-breeding colours, and could adopt shades and patterns from the blossoms around them. I don't know the specific name, only that they were windflowers.

[roseofmay]

[She's not at all surprised. Tifa is the type to ask a question like that. It's a worthy one, as well. Beatrix might not put much stock into flowers, but she does know Kisara. She seems the type who might like such things. Not because she's 'gentle' or anything like that, but rather because Kisara would have the ability to see a flower for all that it is and more.

Flowers, after all, are not simply beautiful things to behold. Neither are people, for that matter.]

Windflowers. [She echoes thoughtfully.] I am not certain I have heard or seen them before. Perhaps we will have some here in Reverein before too long. If we do not already. I have heard about others having flowers from their homelands show up here eventually.

[Dreamotion, perhaps.]

[sermom]

Tifa suggested I think about them more, with something from home that reminded me of them to help out. I've been trying it with Zareh, but I haven't seen them yet.

[She glances around at the garden, and the flowers beginning to bloom in earnest.]

It might be too late in the season, though. They're winter flowers.

[roseofmay]

I think Tifa is onto something.

[Of course she would be. If anyone there would be, it'd be Tifa. Always feels like Tifa has a rather good head on her shoulders. As if she understands things on a level so much more intimately about this world and how it works than others do or would. Maybe it is just because she is genuinely that in touch with her own feelings.

Beatrix doubts she'll ever truly understand that connection or from where it comes.]

It is possible that season may not play into this. I was always under the impression that if we wanted something badly enough, we could manifest it here.

[But maybe that's all wishful thinking. Beatrix looks thoughtful as she's carefully trying to present some flowers in Kisara's direction for pruning. As she's promised, she'll try to keep the thorny nuisances from getting too familiar with her blonde companion.]

[sermom]

I'm sure we could, but it would be important to me that they be able to thrive even when I'm not thinking about them. I'm not sure how long dreams could keep one alive out of season.

[Not that she's opposed to trying, either, she just would prefer they be given the best chance, if it happens.]

[roseofmay]

A valid point. If we discovered a means to emulate dreamotion or provide a constant source of it, such a thing would not be a concern. Although that might perhaps defeat the purpose.

[Thought and emotion, after all, seem to be driving characteristics of the world. If they were able to emulate such a thing, it would possibly hollow out the meaning of said feelings and their power. Beatrix may not be a fan of such things, but... she understands their value and that she ought not to demean them.]

It is merely wishful thinking. Still, dreamotion is not my forte and better left to those who can wield it more effectively.

[sermom]

That was my thought as well. I'm still working through plenty of kinks when it comes to dreamotion, so I'd rather not having a living thing depend on my thinking about it or wielding magic to keep it alive. [She pauses, and glances meaningfully in Beatrix's direction.] Not to mention, if I could also fall into a deep sleep for a long time, that would put them at risk.

[She doesn't want to end up killing her precious nostalgic flowers through accidental neglect.]

[roseofmay]

[Beatrix gets it well enough. She's a rather good demonstration of that, isn't she? Not just once, but twice now that's happened. Almost makes her wonder if there's reasoning behind it.]

It would not be as much a concern, perhaps, if such things were still fuelled by our subconscious thoughts. I do not see why that would not be at least a remote possibility. I wonder if anyone has ever done any sort of research on that. Certainly we have had more than a few fall to those restful moments.

[Hans did, after all. She's certain others have as well.]

[sermom]

I'm not sure. It's hard to research the before and after of something that comes upon us unexpectedly. Those long sleeps seem to start suddenly, don't they? Unless you had some kind of sign beforehand that something was about to happen.

[She assumes Beatrix would have at least left a note if that were the case.]

[roseofmay]

[She shakes her head.]

No. Nothing that I would interpret as a sign, that is. I do not think anyone has experienced a sign prior, but I have, admittedly, not asked. I would agree that the onset is sudden. I think people only make the discovery that someone has succumbed to it when going to check on them.

[At least, that seems to be how others have made discovery with her. She's fortunate to have people who would look in after her.]

[sermom]

That also means that if someone is here without people around who would check in on them, they could be sleeping for a long time and no one would be the wiser.

[Which could be really unfortunate for both researching this situation but also the more humanitarian issue of would they be okay.]

[roseofmay]

That is… unfortunately true.

[Beatrix doesn’t like the thought of that in the slightest. How many times has that happened? Has it happened at all? How would she even know? She isn’t sure she’d want the answer even if she did start inquiring.]

I think it would be a worthy pursuit to see if that is a service that can be provided to those who may need it. For those who would want it, that is. I imagine there are some who would be less than keen to have such attention.