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 Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:02 am
"Oh, just keeps pests from destroying my garden.
Pausing, he added words with a wry grin at Natalie, "Insects, that is. The more human sorts of pests haven't been too interested in the garden."
At least he didn't have to worry about toddlers running around, ripping up plants...
"Though I'm not sure if I like it or not. It'd be nice if at least one of them had an interest in gardening."
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Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:08 am
A laugh. "Well, that's good. But I agree - you could use some help. Like I said, I'd offer, but... I'll be swamped with work soon, paperwork and otherwise. I can ask around, if you'd like, if anybody would want to volunteer to help out now and then."
A couple more pulls, and that small bed was finished. She looked down at the small pile of weeds she'd made.
"... hm. Have a compost heap or something to put them in?" Witness Natalie's amazing foresight!
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Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:10 am
"That would be helpful, thank you. I don't know too many of the guardians, and the kids obviously aren't big enough yet."
Maybe when they were older, one of them would gain an interest in gardening. That would be nice...
"Oh - yes, it's this way."
Dacian pulled a small bag out of his pocket that (from the plant residue in it after he'd unfolded it) had been used for this purpose before. Then, helping to place it all in, he began to lead her towards the compost heap.
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Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:16 am
Natalie tagged along, walking barefoot on the path. She'd left her shoes somewhere back near one of the stands of day lillies, and she'd get them later. For now, she enjoying the feeling of skin against sun-warmed stone paths.
"I don't know too many, either. Four or five." Of course, she had no idea how many there actually were, and that she had met a good proportion of them. "Not sure if any of them are into gardening, but I know Eve is an expert cook. So maybe she dabbles in gardening, if only to grow her own vegetables?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:18 am
"Really? Well, if you could contact her for me I'd like that."
Dacian really could use the help. As much as he enjoyed the garden, sometimes it could be a lot of work. After walking for a bit, they reached the compost heap - he had put it in a back corner of the garden, out of the way and hidden by a tool shed.
Not that he really used tools all that often, but it was something every large garden just had to have.
"Here we are..."
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Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:21 am
Natalie pointed to the bag. "You have the weeds," she reminded him. She'd just come along for the walk, really, and the company.
"I'll be sure to ask. I was thinking of going to visit her, or something, anyway. We didn't get much of a chance to talk, before." And a good mother figure would be a nice thing. It'd help keep Natalie grounded, focused on the coming child. Yes.
Plus she needed cooking tips.
"Do you want any more help for the day? I wouldn't mind sticking around for a few hours."
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Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:29 am
Placing the weeds and such residue in the compost heap, Dacian eyed Natalie for a moment before giving a nod.
"If you're up for it, I wouldn't mind the help. I need to do some more maintenence work on the garden - mainly weeding, and some watering."
He'd take care of the watering. He had a feeling she wouldn't be familiar with how he watered the plants - which, it was a bit strange, he had to admit. How many people watered plants by using magic to create a false rain over the garden?
It did explain why the garden was always so fresh though, even in summer.
"So if you'd like to help me with weeding..."
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Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:35 am
"Okay! I can do that. Where do you want me to start, Gardening Master Dacian?" Things really were looking brighter. She had had no idea how much her worries and sadness had been pressing her down.
"Back where we were, or...?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:57 am
"This is a good area."
Moving over to a flowerbed, he knelt down and gave a playful wink toawrds Natalie, "I like that name. But we'll need to start calling Hadrian the paperwork master, then."
And Ahneta - oh, he knew what she was the master of. But that wasn't exactly something he was willing to say around a school girl...she didn't need to learn of the female mages - activities - just yet.
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Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:05 am
"I'll be sure to address him as such," she said as she knelt near him, going to work. "It'll probably confuse him." And in a good way. Maybe it'd cheer him up?
"He's been having a hard time, lately. I think he needs some funny in his life, right?" It might not fix everything, but it could take his mind off of it for a while. At least as long as it took for him to stop her from calling him that.
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Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:10 am
"Hard time? What's been going on?"
Dacian peered curiously at Natalie as they worked, wondering what it was that was going on. He hadn't seen Hadrian recently, come to think of it...that usually happened when the other man had a lot of work, though.
He had just recently learned of the other man being involved with Marc though, so it's pretty obvious how little they truly communicated.
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Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:14 am
"... Personal problems." She wasn't quite sure she should say much else. "... I think it's better if Hadrian told you. I don't want to go blabbing about his love life. But he's been working himself to the bone down in the labs for a while, now."
Pull. Pull. She got to a particularly tough one, and when she reached to grab it, she pulled her hand back immediately. "Ow!" Tiny little thorns.
Haha.
Steeling herself, she went back in, grabbed it near the dirt, and yanked it out.
"Come to think of it, Hadrian and I have both been having problems with our love lives," she said, laughing, trying to lighten the mood. "Maybe it's contagious."
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Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:28 am
"I hope not," With a wry shake of his head, Dacian made a mental note to go visit Hadrian sometime, and drag him out of the labs, "I don't want to start having problems too."
So far, his life was blissfully free of such problems and drama. And that was just the way he liked it - simple.
"So have things been getting better for you?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:33 am
"Well, they got worse before they got better. That's for sure. But being out here helped me realize a few things. And now I'm feeling a lot better."
Something Carver had said tickled at the back of her mind. She wanted a second opinion.
"... Dacian, do you think it can ever be okay for a younger woman and an older man to have a relationship? Can it ever work out?"
She had to know. After all, she had a thing for older men. And if it was impossible that it would ever lead to happiness... well. It'd be good to know that now, instead of learning it through heart break after heart break.
She wasn't thinking of any specific older man. Not consciously, anyway. Not yet.
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Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:41 am
"Well, sure."
Dacian stopped what he was doing, thinking it over for a moment before speaking.
"It would be difficult. And you'd have to be damned careful that the older one just wasn't using you...but aside from that, I don't see why not. It's just that most the time, the old man and young girl pairing tends to be where one is just being used."
Whether the old man using the young girl for sex, or a girl trying to get money from a rich old man, it was the same.
"But if you're gonna go for relationships like that - you'll need to be careful."
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