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 Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 5:42 pm
It was late in the afternoon, but the Gardens appeared still alive with the flourishing color of green. Once again, Del had payed the area a visit, but not to spend time with herself. Rather, she had decided to be a gardener. Choosing an area where dirt seemed to be unused, she poked her finger a good two inches into the soil. Slipping her finger from the dirt, she made another hole within the richly fertilized soil, about an inch away. This repetitive motion went on for a while, until seven holes were dug deep into the dirt.
The reason being for Del's sudden change into a farmer held a meaning. Within her side pouch, she always carried around a mixture of herbs, dried leafs and seasoned nuts. Each were separated by being put into a plastic bag before being stuffed into the leather pouch. Unfortunately, Del was running low on each. Especially her nuts, since she had been snacking on them much more frequently than she should be. To make up for her lack of needed essentials, she decided to play farmer and plant the remnants of her last batch in hopes of having more to harvest.
Del was not smart in the science of agriculture, but she could pass by with common knowledge. She knew a plant needed air, sunlight, soil, and water to grow and that watering a plant too much could ruin the roots. But the time elapse for each plant was quite unknown to the Mongolian. To her, if it grows big, it is done growing. Moving her hand into her pouch, Del dropped a seed from her herbs into the first four holes, two seeds from the dried leaves into the next two than one nut into the last hole. She patted the dried dirt each over to close the holes such before turning around.
Picking herself, Del walked over to a large bowl of water she had retrieved from the kitchen in the North Hall. Pushing it over with her feet, she accidentally kicked it too hard and some water went splashing out. Del ignored it as she cupped her hands amongst the clear liquid and drizzled it over the seven holes. Once again, the repetitive motion of her dipping her hands into the bowl and drizzling it over the holes continued until the bowl went dry. Del kicked the bowl aside again before turning to sit upon a bench a short distance away. Folding her hands over her laps, she drummed her fingers together.
It was time to play the waiting game.
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 2:26 pm
Alberto stretched as he emerged into the Gardens for his daily intake of fresh air. The bright green of the vegetation at this time of the year reminded him of the rainforests, and along with that thought came the pang of nostalgia. How long had it been since he'd tromped through a forest? He couldn't remember, but he compromised with himself, saying that a stroll through the Gardens would have to do.
It was as he walked casually down the path and allowed his mind and eye to drift that they washed over a completely different form. A young woman, clothed in shades of green herself, was watching a small, bare patch of earth.. very intently.
.. Who's this? He raised an eyebrow at her behavior as he slowed his pace, a smile forming on his lips. She looked familiar, although it had seemed like so long had passed that her name was vague in his mind..
What was she watching? His eyes found the empty bowl a few feet from her, turned over and forgotten, and the dirt that clung to her clothing and fingers was a tell-tale enough sign for him. Alberto felt himself grin as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and began to approach the bench, being sure to give her enough noise so that he wouldn't startle her but not sound intrusive.
"Takin' up gardenin', eh?" Gardening... his sister was into that. Whenever she'd drag him around the other side of their small home to the patch of mud (she may have liked gardening, but she wasn't very good at it) he knew he'd come away from it with a ringing ear, dirty clothes, and a sore cheek from where she'd slapped him after he called her on her mistake. A lesson learned none too quickly, however, as he always seemed to forget when she came in, her eyes pleading for help. "Whatcha growin' there?"
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 2:57 pm
Del turned her head towards the footsteps that alerted her someone was in her presence. Once again, it seems to be another male who entered into her company. Archer, who was obviously a male, was the first person she met while visiting the green area. Now, she seems to have met another. In truth, there was a familiar air that danced about him. However, Del's brain could not mark off who he was. She was always stuck with a clumsy memory. If she didn't write things down, there was a high chance she would forget.
Smiling light, Del answered, "Only for a little while. I need to replace essentials." Drumming her fingers, she only moved her gaze to answer the male before turning back to concentrate on the seven holes poked into the soil. A real gardener would know that plants take a couple of days to grow. But not Del. She was enough convinced that if she concentrated upon the planted seeds hard enough, they would sprout out of the ground and offer what she needed.
Turning her head back to the male, a smile cracked on her tanned face before replying, "M-Medical herbs, seasonings and...nuts." Del cursed to herself as she once again turned her gaze back to the seeds. It had been quite a while since she stammered on her English. It angered and disturbed her greatly on the inside that she stuttered, though it was a small mistake. Sighing to let her annoyance pass, she started some small talk. "What's..do- up?" she asked, almost messing up the lingo.
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Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:30 pm
The stutter was not passed on Alberto, but he smiled his lopsided smile. He found it kind of cute. After she addressed him, it seemed a solid enough signal that he could come a little closer. He made his way towards her casually, his hands in his pockets as he came to a halt to her side and leaned forward to examine her work.
"Nothin' really with me." He leaned back on one of his heels as his eyes traveled over the neat little holes, perfectly lined up, that she was so intensely watching. Idly he wondered if she realized how long it actually took a plant to grow.. by the way she was watching her work, he wasn't quite sure. A stinging sensation arose gently in his cheek as he recalled what had happened whenever he'd pointed out his sister's mistakes, and he was apprehensive to say anything to this girl, lest he receive the same reaction.
But that was almost a lifetime ago, wasn't it?
"It, uh.. it'll take a while before anythin' grows though." The words rolled smoothly out of his mouth after the first stumble, and he looked skyward as he said them, unsure if he was quite ready to see his sister mirrored in another girl's reaction. "Looks like the weather's good though, so y'never know."
Alberto shrugged and glanced around the garden. Greenery shone brightly from around them in different hues - olive green, emerald green, spring green.. but interspersed between them were bright sprigs of colorful flowers. Most of them the boy had never seen before coming here, but they were all different.. intriguing.
Maybe seeing them would prove to be a nice distraction for the intent girl he was keeping company with.
"Let's go for a walk," he offered as his gaze moved from the plants to her face. "Maybe you'll see somethin' else worth lookin' at while these plants do their thing."
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 12:02 am
Del returned a smile as she nodded her head. Smiles were certainly contagious and it was reflex more than choice of her to move the curves of her mouth up. Del really did not want to smile. She was still annoyed with her mistake and it was a ticking thought inside her head, annoying her everytime it was brought up while she was thinking to herself. "Walk sound much lovely." Del answered as she picked herself up off the resting surface of the bench. Moving her hands in a swift motion, Del swatted away the loose ends of dirt that clung to the bottom of her olive base colored dress. Another motion was carried as she fixed the sash about her waist.
"R-ready go!" Del chirped as she pointed her finger in front of her in a pirate-like fashion. Since they were apparently going out on some kind of adventure (if walking amongst the vicinity of the garden was considered an adventure), her motion was completely called for. However, her gesture was implied as being serious than it was a joke. She had saw the motion done once, on the telebox. A man wearing an intricate feathered hat pointed his coat hanger hand towards the sky and announced the same phrase Del spoke. Afterwards, men in very skinny pants and shirts the colors of red, blue, purple and yellow danced and sang ( The Wiggles reference. xD; ). Del came to believe it was something truly done on normal terms, though the show was directed towards those of the younger generation.
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Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 11:31 am
Alberto couldn't keep the smile off his face around this girl. Her enthusiasm for the suggestion was endearing. Not to mention the follow-up motions of pointing straight down the path was also rather amusing. He idly wondered where she had learned such a silly motion, but thought best not to ask, should it embarrass her too much.
"Then let's go," he added, as he led her down the path. He made sure to stay close by her side (and in doing such, he felt himself wondering how long it had been since he had walked with a girl in this fashion - he decided he'd been long overdue for some female company). However, his eyes began to wander as they started their trek.
He had to hand it to whomever cared for the gardens; they were very well-kept, and had such a different assortment of plants than he was used to. The trees retained a bit of the green shade familiar to him from the rainforests of his home, but the flowers seemed so different. He had seen pictures of some of them in books, and even armed with that knowledge, he couldn't completely recognize them.
The presence at his side reminded him that he should be speaking to his companion, rather than letting his eyes wander. She was quieter than the women he had known before, and it disoriented him a little when he thought back to the gossiping women of his household during his younger years.
"Have you ever been out here before?" Alberto asked casually, turning his head to address her properly. "I haven't really.. but the plants are very different." It seemed to him like a rather lame way to start a conversation, but all things had to start somewhere before they could grow.
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 11:02 pm
A small smile brightened Del's face as she turned her caramel gaze about in the viridian ambiance of the Garden. " Yes, I been here many time." she answered as her feet carried her in in offbeat steps with Alberto. Stopping for a but, Del bent down to examine a small pinkish flower that had caught her sight. Directing the front of the nose to the middle of the bud, Del inhaled lightly and a sweet fragrance tantalized her nostrils. "The plants are different. I never seen most of them before. Do you know what this one is called?"
Beckoning the other male down, Del smiled. "Smell flower. It smell sweet like fruit. I don't think edible. But the smell is pretty." she said. Shifting the weight on her legs, the charms set in her hair chimed. Del pushed the trinkets upon her hair out of the way to make herself more comfortable. However, she knew not to make herself too comfortable. Seeing as it would be best to continue the walk, Del picked herself up after her talking.
"The one who take care of this garden must have beautiful hands." remarked Del as she cast herself into the beauty of the garden again. "They did marvelous work, they must be proud of work. Must be very hard to take care of too. But their hands make all these plants live. They must care a lot."
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Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 5:30 pm
"I was thinkin' the same thing." Alberto looked at her with both eyebrows raised when he kneeled down next to Del. Their thoughts had been following the same course, but then again it wasn't anything too far-fetched to think in a garden like that. The care and time put into the place was showing proudly, from the set up of the gardens to the well-tended plants and varied species.
At the offer to smell the flower, he felt his cheeks flush slightly. So what if it was a bit girly? It wasn't like she'd hold it against him. It was only smelling a flower, no shame in it. He clung to this thought as he leaned forward and took a small sniff of the delicate flower. She was right - a gentle, sweet scent filled his head. It was a tiny thing that looked as though one would have to take care not to crush it.
"Smells nice," he replied with a smile (one he hoped didn't look embarrassed - he liked to think he hid it well). "Not sure what kind of flower it is.. I haven't seen a lot of the others either. Whoever takes care of the Gardens has a way with plants." He stood up and dusted his knees off. With her brisk movements, the woman at his side looked as though she were ready to keep moving, and he obliged her wishes kindly as he took a step forward and beckoned her to follow.
"I heard that one o' the Elites takes care of this place.. a woman." He tried to recall what he had heard when he was traveling here, but the memory was a little fuzzy. "I only heard it when I was coming here though so I can't remember her name." A soft birdsong and a flutter of wings directed his attention overhead, where a couple of songbirds flitted by over their heads, calling to one another. The twittering put some of his earlier embarrassment behind him and he started to relax. There was no need to impress anyone. "It kinda reminds me of home - makes me feel relaxed."
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 5:36 pm
Bringing her feet to movement to follow after Alberto, another smiled cracked on Del's face with a soft murmur of a giggle. "What was your home like?" she asked with great curiosity and interest. A small flicker of nostalgia simmered through Del's thoughts that moment as she remembered home.
The serene memory of wide, flat grasslands decorated with wild flowers with a large dull grey mountain stood in the background. Closing her eyes, the memory seemed to come more alive as she followed after her company, the vegetation that brushed passed the edging of her skirt giving her the feeling of walking through feet tall grass. The birdsong seemed to bring the resurrect that moment as the small twitter and tweets reverberated into her ears.
Opening her eyes, the moment from the past diminished back into her mind as reality twisted back to the scene of the garden. A small ping of sadness and homesickness pinched her heart as she tried her best to bring another smile to her face. Del did not want to bring up the fact she missed home. Heck, maybe most of the people who resided in LOTUS missed their usual lives. There was no way to fix the moment now and she had to accept it.
But the sadness she felt still existed in her eyes. She decided to shrug it off and enjoy the moment now. It was indeed something to smile about after all.
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Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 4:20 pm
"My home?" Alberto paused for a moment in thought. "Depends on which home. But I guess they both had the rainforest in common." He stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned his gaze to the sky. The fresh air of the gardens was cooler and lighter than the water-drenched air of his home. "It's.. kinda like this place, I guess. Warmer there, though." The feeling of mud and water slapping against his legs as they marched came to mind, as well as the feel of branches clinging to his clothes.
"I lived in a town.. lots of people and it was always crowded." He nudged some of the gravel in front of him as they walked. The call of the marketplace and the shouts of soldiers to the gossiping of wives and schoolgirls.. it really had been that long, hadn't it? He smiled. "There was always somethin' goin' on, and when there wasn't, we'd go out into the rainforest or go fishing." Clinging to the happy memories as he would, things certainly weren't like that anymore. Things do change, and his childhood home probably felt the full effect of the passage of time: from the revolt to whatever may have occurred since then. He fully accepted the fact that life is made of change, but the changes from his past life were something he still felt he were dealing with. No word about his father.
Time could be a real jerk sometimes.
"But yeah." He ended his musing abruptly and brought himself back to the conversation at hand. Rambling about himself the whole time, the poor girl might have been bored. He returned his gaze to her and smiled. "How 'bout your--" The voice trailed off when he noticed the slight contradiction in her features. She was wearing a smile but her eyes betrayed a small glimmer of sadness. "Somethin' wrong?"
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Friendly Conversationalist
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