[ PRP ] The Secret Garden ( Vaudrey & Hera )

[Ephebe]

It was definitely a garden. Hera walked by the plants, letting her hands gently brush their leaves as she went, surveying the area. Yes, this was much too neat, too orderly to be anything but the creation of another person. Nature was rarely this neat and even the most slapdash of gardens bore the touch of creeple in their creation.

Or maybe she was pontificating just a bit. The young ghoul sniffed at the thought, dismissively waving it to the side with a hand - she was most definitely not blustering!

"It's the keen eye of an experienced Druid, that's what it is," she spoke to her familiar, only half-turning her head to watch the insect buzz around the plants they'd discovered here. Her reply came in the form of a happy, fuzzy feeling sent her way that she neatly translated to mean 'I believe you'.

"As well you should," she nodded, much convinced of her own theory.

kuropeco

 

[kuropeco]

Ren had told him about the garden just before he'd left for school.

"Its just around the corner of the third building on the left," the gryphon had said, hands on his hips, a grin on his freckled face. "I used to keep it when I was just a first year, and kept it up until I graduated, but I don't think it's been used since then."

He'd clapped a hand on his cousin's shoulder dramatically.

"I'm sure you'll put it to good use."

And Vaudrey was absolutely determined to make good on his promise to Ren, so he'd gone to find the garden soon after arriving at Amityville. It wasn't exactly hard to find, but since he had a tendency for getting lost, it took him sadly longer than it probably should have.

And when he got there, he was surprised to find it was already occupied.

"Ah!" said Vaudrey aloud, then realized he'd actually made a noise, blushed, cleared his throat, and tried to look as though he'd totally done that on purpose. "Ah. Yes. Hello. Erm, I just wanted to, er...well, I saw you and I wanted to come say hello!"

ephebe

 

[Ephebe]

The boil was obviously tongue-tied in her presence; how cute! "And why wouldn't you? I am very -" she paused, a perhaps too confident smile frozen on her lips as she searched for the proper word, "greet-able. Yes, greet-able! Who could pass me by without saying hello?"

If she'd been a minipet, she'd have been puffed up with pride. As it was, Hera held her head high and her posture just so, all but preening. She'd only been in the school for less than a day, and already creeple were flocking to her! Perhaps Mama had been right in sending her here.

"What is your name?" It was more a demand than a question, but a demand laced in silk.

kuropeco

 

[kuropeco]

Considering he'd already floundered stupidly, well, there wasn't much to be done about it now. Vaudrey straightened his shoulders and tried to seem as though he knew exactly what he was doing, beaming a bright smile at the unfamiliar ghoul.

It faltered, only a tiny bit, at her comment, but he was trying to be a proper gentleman, after all.

Vaudrey smoothed down his cloak rather nervously, trying to keep his chin high, like the good, well-bred sphinx he was. "Ah!" he said, and in spite of the demand-not-question, he puffed up slightly, wings fluttering. "I am Vaudrey Scarlett, I am new here!"

He bent low at the waist in a respectful bow, straightened, and beamed at her.

"What is your name, milady?" That was gentlemanly, right?

ephebe

 

[Ephebe]

She gave a gracious nod, pleased smile playing on her lips at his introduction. How nice to find someone with manners! "Hera Mantodae, future Queen of the Mantodae cluster. I am new here as well," she added. "In fact, I arrived just this morning! It is a pleasure indeed that the first student I meet here has such good manners."

She was sounding a bit pompous, really, but she couldn't help it; usually she reserved the terribly formal speech for the members of her mother's cluster but there was just something about Vaudrey's behaviour that goaded her formal upbringing to the front.

Her familiar buzzed closer, landing on a flower near her and observing the boil with the same interest as the Reaper. A fuzzy mental image came to her of her oldest (and loath as she was to admit, also favourite) minipet, a scareon beeutiful. She nodded in response, agreeing with the sentiment; "Atlas," she gestured with a graceful hand to the oversized insect, "says that you look pleasingly fluffy, indeed. I must say that I agree - your wings are very handsome."

kuropeco

 

[kuropeco]

"A pleasure, Hera!"

He had absolutely no idea what future queen of the Mantodae cluster was, exactly, but it certainly sounded impressive. Vaudrey blinked rapidly at the ghoul, trying to figure out if she was really an actual princess, or if she was simply just saying that.

He did, however, preen as she said he had good manners, and well, shucks, that was awfully nice of her, and he did want to have good manners, after all..

Vaudrey's eyes flickered to the familiar, which looked a little intimidating in and of itself. "Ah, and fair Atlas as well! How delightful that you have such a critter to look after, and - oh, you flatter me too much," he added, in a tone that might have been modesty but really was just Vaudrey being terribly pleased that she had noticed his wings. "I thank you, I do make sure they are nice and clean every day!"

ephebe

 

[Ephebe]

She eyed her familiar appraisingly, "he's fairly easy, I suppose. Certainly not as difficult to look after as a minipet." Reaching out with a smile, she ran her fingers over his crown and the familiar leaned into it with a few pleased clicks of his mandibles.

Looking back to Vaudrey, she nodded seriously, "yes, that is quite important; a pristine image is invaluable. My hair takes some care as well, truth be told - it's the volume of it, I believe, makes it pick up fniff-fnaff if one's not too careful." She was very careful, though. But maybe this wasn't exactly the most impressive thing to tell someone on a first meeting, was it? Hera went a bit red in the face, cleared her throat and tried to backtrack, "I, well, that isn't to say that my hair isn't naturally great, it's just not -" she floundered, went a bit more red in the face and then squared her shoulders defiantly. "Yes, well!"

kuropeco

 

[kuropeco]

Vaudrey did not have a familiar, which he found a little sad - having a constant companion certainly seemed like a pleasant thing, after all - but he did have the two mounts back in the village that he was rather attached to, so maybe that counted.

His eyes flickered briefly, interestedly to her crown, before they settled back on her face. Her hair was very impressive; Vaudrey almost envied her glossy red locks, tumbling in elegant waves down her back. His own head of fluffy lightness wasn't exactly pretty, but it was at least tamed by now.

"Oh, no, no!" said Vaudrey hastily, waving a taloned hand. "You are quite right, it's magnificent! You are really quite lovely, you should be proud of your hair!"

There, he'd complimented her as a Proper Gentleman should have! He was really quite pleased with himself, and Vaudrey's gaze moved to the little patch of grass beside them and then back to Hera again, rocking back on his heels with his tail flicking.

"What are you doing out here, if you don't mind me asking?"

ephebe

 

[Ephebe]

If Hera had been a peacock, she'd have been puffed up and displaying all her feathers. As it was, she made sure her posture was excellent and gracefully, calculatedly, moved her head, sending said magnificent hair tumbling in beautiful, colourful waves.

Vaudrey, she decided, was absolutely fantastic. "Thank you," she said graciously - or attempting to be graceful, for perhaps her preening and happy smile was perhaps a bit too obvious for that. She tried, at least. It was hard being graceful when you were pretty sure you'd just met a kindred spirit - how could one boil be so gentlemanly and absolutely astute? Really, the creeple here at school were not at all what she'd imagined them to be before arriving.

"Ah," that was a good question, actually. "I was wandering the grounds and happened upon this. It's a garden, I believe, and well," no good druid could resist checking out a garden? That didn't sound particularly impressive. "I have an avid interest in plants," she settled on. "And you? Are you interested in plants and gardening as well?" Brightening at the prospect of a common interest, she sent him an excited smile. It would be nice to have someone to talk shop with, away from home.

kuropeco

 

[kuropeco]

"You're quite welcome!" Vaudrey declared, beaming brightly. "I am very pleased to have made you acquaintance, you know, it is not often that one gets to meet a future queen!"

Even though he had no idea what that really meant, but that was beside the point. He glanced down at the little garden and then back up at Hera again, his wings folding against his back, rustling and shivering together.

"Ah, yes, it is a garden!" said Vaudrey brightly. "I believe this is the garden that my cousin Ren had when he was here! He asked me to come and look at it, and here I am! I would very much enjoy talking about plants with you," he added, with a grin.

Then he gasped, feathers fluttering. "What if we - would you perhaps be interested in revitalizing this garden with me?"

ephebe

 

[Ephebe]

"And I yours!" Which was said with genuine warmth, both because she liked Vaudrey and also because meeting someone so fantastic after having been convinced there'd be nothing but hoodlums at this school was really quite reassuring.

And also his wings were really quite magnificently fluffy when they were rustling like that.

"I see," she nodded and then smiled at his offer to talk about plants with her; this was great! Usually no-one outside the cluster ever wanted to talk flora with her, so to have someone her own age who shared her interests was quite a new experience.

Well, she'd be certain to treasure it!

And then he continued speaking and the day became even better; "truly? I mean, yes, of course!" She was practically bouncing on her heels now, Atlas buzzing about in an echo of her excitement. "I have several plants I brought from home that would thrive from an outdoor position, as well - we could extend slightly to the side, perhaps? And it should not be much trouble getting the ones already here back into shape; under our skilled care the garden will be back to its glory days in no time." She surveyed the little garden with a critical eye, already planning where to begin and how best to proceed from there.

And surely someone as amazing as Vaudrey would also be skilled in taking care of plants but even if he wasn't, it would be a small matter to teach him, she thought.

kuropeco