gardening [dictated]

[beastisbeauty]

Um, hi. I have an idea, but I could use some advice. I don't want to step on any toes or get backlash from the castle. I'm thinking of setting up a sort of meditation garden...like a zen garden, but with more plants? I thought it'd be nice to have a quiet, comfortable place outdoors, where people could go to meditate or pray...somewhere quiet and peaceful. With all the stress the castle causes, we could probably use a good place to relax.

Um. I could also use some gardening advice. I've never been in a position to have a garden before.

Comments

[kungfuwitch]

Oh absolutely. Anything I can do to help just let me know.

[beastisbeauty]

How good are you at not killing plants?

[kungfuwitch]

Not too bad, though my older sister, Piper, was always the one putting new plants in the conservatory.

[beastisbeauty]

Hm. I have no plant experience, but I figure, if I can do lab work and mess with dangerous radiation, I can hopefully keep a plant alive. I did manage to keep a dog healthy. How much harder can a plant be?

[kungfuwitch]

[She laughs]

I think that's a fair assessment. Maybe between the two of us we can manage.

[beastisbeauty]

[He grins.] I'm sure we can. Do you have a favorite plant?

[kungfuwitch]

Roses are nice. I'm not especially picky, though.

[beastisbeauty]

[Bruce laughs.] Everyone says roses. They can't be the only flower people like! How about lavender? You can make some really good tea with that.

[kungfuwitch]

[She laughs]

I suppose you're right. Lavender is good for relaxation, too. Both for aromatherapy and magic as well. Magically speaking lavender is good for calmness, love and bringing good dreams. Rose is, obviously, used for love but can also be used for healing, calming stress, creativity, balance and it helps boost psychic abilities, among other things. [a pause] It also supposedly attracts fairies but none of the fairies I know seem to have a flower preference.

[beastisbeauty]

Fairies? You know some real fairies? What are they like?

[He grins, more than a little eager to learn something new.]

[kungfuwitch]

[She laughs, grinning right back]

I've met them, yes. They're cute, very playful. They like to hide things on adults, like car keys. They're very protective of their own.

[beastisbeauty]

What are they really like? I mean, not small with gossamer wings, surely?

[kungfuwitch]

That's right, actually. Though they tend to wear full dresses, not the teeny little outfits you often see them pictured with.

[beastisbeauty]

[Bruce shakes his head, grinning ruefully.]

Y-you're teasing right?

[kungfuwitch]

[She laughs, shaking her head]

No! They're usually only seen by children and usually in what's called "the in between" like the space between doorways or during dusk - between night and day - things like that.

[beastisbeauty]

[Bruce laughs wryly, shaking his head.]

Okay, I've learned something new. Why are they seen in "the in between?"

[kungfuwitch]

[She shrugs]

Why are unicorn horns solid magic? Why do mermaids have cold hearts? They just do. There isn't always a logical reason for anything in the magical community.

[beastisbeauty]

I see what you mean. Though, you say there horns are "solid magic." That means magic is a substance, with mass and volume! Does it only exist that way as unicorn horns?

[kungfuwitch]

Their horns are the only form of concentrated magic like that that we know of. There are loads of magical items but unicorns are special. We've only seen one once and it was a gift.

[beastisbeauty]

[Bruce nods, understanding.]

So, how would you define magic, then? I mean, even a magical item would have to have some particles of magic, wouldn't it?

[kungfuwitch]

[She laughs]

Oh you're trying to get scientific on it, now? Magic doesn't usually have an explanation. Take sage for example. People use it as seasoning in food and for decoration. Nothing magical there, right? But used properly it can be used to purify a person or a location.

[She pauses for a moment, thinking]

There is some degree of science that can be put to it, I guess. Like the time a doctor got a hold of blood samples of my sisters and I... he detected something weird in them and did something to a trio of apes who then got our powers. It was a huge mess.

[beastisbeauty]

[Bruce grins.]

It's what I do best, yeah. Things without explanation don't make sense to me.

[He winces at the blood incident.]

You...might want to be careful with your blood. Maybe you can come up with a spell to disguise it? Believe me, there are plenty of scientists who would be glad to exploit you. I'm glad you don't have a version of Ross after you.

[kungfuwitch]

Ross? [she looks confused for a moment before shaking her head]

Don't worry, I don't make a habit of giving out blood samples.

[beastisbeauty]

General Ross, a man who would love to get his hands on my blood and create more, army-controlled Hulks.

That's good, but you'd be surprised at how easy it is to get hold of a person's DNA, if you're unscrupulous and determined enough.

[kungfuwitch]

That's horrible! I'd ask why anyone would want to do that but it seems to be a military thing, doesn't it?

[She sighs]

Honestly that's also why you're one of the only ones here who knows about that little fact.