Accidental Admittance

Log Info

• Title: Accidental Admittance
• Emitter: Verna
• Characters: Eztli, Verna
• Place: Memorial Gardens District
• Time: June 17th, 2022
• Summary: Verna is out in the gardens documenting plants for her own research and memorization, and Eztli is wandering the gardens as well to enjoy the day. Eztli offers some advice on plant care for Verna's wish to add to Auranar's family garden, a many generation long conservatory that is added to by family members. Verna brings up the sith-makar's comment from their prior meeting, which makes Eztli uncomfortable, but she admits to the half elf and Auranar's relationship reminding her of one from her own past. Verna reassures and encourages Eztli, but the makari is unsure what to make of her past experiences, or if they will ever be the same.

The garden and its paths are a common place to relax: a casual stroll, a seated conversation, admiration of nature with either. Thus Verna is presently, closely admiring a blooming plant, a small tome in hand and charcoal in the other. "Five-petaled blooms in royal blue, central starburst in yellow..." she records her own quiet dictation in the tome to record her observations and descriptive details. While this may not be what others would consider casual, her attire currently is: absent are her volumous robes and she instead wears a pair of knee-length cotton breeches, a sleeveless linen tunic and a pair of soft leather shoes.

Eztli did enjoy wandering the gardens from time to time, and magical gardens in Alexandria were even more interesting than normal. The small makari didn't move quickly, and stopping to admire the scenery only made things even more of a slow process. The large artifice umbrella obscured them mostly from above, balancing mechanisms causing it to sway with the light breeze through the air.

Her path did lead her to cross near where Verna was. She tilts the umbrella up, so she could properly see, and nods slightly. "The blue is a relatively new cultivar, but it is striking, is it not? I'm not surprised that they have them growing here, with how well kept the gardens are. Still, I like the traditional lavender colors of the wild type, but maybe I'm biased, I always liked the color."

Verna looks up from her note-taking. "Good day... Eztli, as I recall? Or, I should say, peace on your nest." They had only encountered one another a few times, some briefly. "Yes, they are striking. I was cataloging so that I might study and learn to identify by sight. Your day is well, I trust?"

"Yes, it is Eztli. And you never did say if your name was Verna, or if that was just a pseudonym used for addressing you." The small makari quietly chuckled. "And yes, peace on your nest as well, Verna."

The small makari stops to look at the flowers, and after sniffing once, she nods. "That sounds like a lot to remember. Plant identification is hard, especially when you get into plants that share similar looks with other ones. It's an okay day, there are still a ton of concerns in the city, but with all that in consideration, it's a pretty good day, I would say. And for yourself?"

"My apologies. Yes, my name is Verna," she dips in a slight bow as if to formalize the introductions, "and you are quite correct. I have only begun my research and already discovered numerous similarities." A pause and slight pursing of lips. "That or they were, in fact, the same species of flora."

She makes a final brief note in the tome before closing it and returning it to her satchel. A long breath is exhaled. "Indeed, there is no shortage of concerns at present, within the city and without. Still, daily life continues on, as it should. I do equally well while holding similar concerns."

"Ah, so it is your name. As far as I know, and should be concerned." Eztli replies, returning the bow back. "Nice to meet you then, Verna. Botany is complicated, many people make it their lives work to document all the plants they come across. Me? I can appreciate the work, but I mostly just like how pretty they can be."

"Too many concerns, but, I'm trying to not let them leave me in a panicked mess incapable of doing anything." She sighs. "Does seem like you're doing well though. I hope your girlfriend, Auranar was it? I hope she's doing alright as well."

Verna nods. "I hold a better appreciation for those who learn botany, herbalism and similar wildcraft." Verna's lips press more firmly and flatly as she adds, "We must work to remain strong against such trials as much as we work directly to overcome them."

That tension seems to evaporate with the latter comments, and Verna's countenance brightens and splits with a growing smile. "She does well, and is now my fiancee'. It is due to her that I improve my knowledge. She, and her family, are quite attuned to the wilds and she is quite fond of, and adept with, gardening and flowers."

"Oh, I'm not saying that I think botanists aren't important." The small makari quickly corrects. "I'm just saying that I don't have the patience for studying the plants, and that I personally just like looking at nice ones that are growing."

Eztli sighs, but then she allows herself to smile bac. "Oh, your fiancee? That must be wonderful news, I hope you have a good wedding, then. Seems like you really like her, after all."

"So, you want to learn more for her, or for yourself? Though I guess with being your fiancee, it's more of an each other thing, then."

Verna lifts a hand lightly in placation. "I did not believe you meant such. I am in agreement concerning the difficulty of study, as I now realize just how complicated the subject is." There is a pause at the sigh, uncertain of the precise context for it. "Thank you. It is wonderful news to us, certainly. My study relates to that, specifically, as well as her interests, in general. Her ancestors have an ancient garden, with each generation adding patterns of flora to it, as a living tapestry of their ancestry. I am askes to join this..." now her smile waffles into a mostly flat line of uncertainty "and I do not wish to inadvertently kill a dozen generations of significance..." A literal slaying of the family tree would be awkward, at best. Rather than dwell on this thought too long, a brow lifts slightly. "As I recall, you have someone... of interest, yourself, correct?"

"A living ancestral garden? Well, that sounds like it would be a sight to see!" Eztli nods quickly. "I've never seen one, but I've heard of traditions like that before. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll do fine. Just be mindful of what you're planting, that's all. Check the root growth before you plant it, know the growth cycles, and how much sunlight it needs. And take a few soil samples to an alchemist too, to determine the compounds in the soil where it was growing, if any are more than average, or lacking. You know, things like that."

She stops her explanation, awkwardly standing on the spot. The small makari blinks. "Me, someone of interest?" She asks, mulling over the words before she speaks. "Ah, I don't know. Those interests aren't important."

Verna nods with the encouragement... and then promptly retrieves the book and charcoal again to take notes of the advice. It is not until she complets the last and looks up that she realizes that the Makari had stopped. "You commented of another when you departed our last meeting," she notes. There are several beats pause before she forms a hypothesis. "If I was not meant to hear, or misunderstood, my apologies."

"Oh! And acidity, asss well, you know, that's a really important one." Eztli adds when she sees Verna writing again, but then she falls silent. "Well, I can't act like I didn't ssay anything, but, you know, I wasn't expecting you to sspeak the tongue of dragonss and ssith-makar, I guessss." She laughs weakly. "It'ss, alright I guessss, just a bit of a sslip of reminisscing. Sseeing you and Auranar so happy and ssharing a kisss like that, It reminded me of a partner of mine. That iss all."

Verna does not make additional notes this time; not in writing at the moment, at the least. Instead, she looses a quiet "Ah" before noting, "I am a scholar and linguistics can be a key portion of research." Her cheeks lighten somewhat at the mention, though they also crinkle with a slender smile. "I... I am pleased to promote a pleasant memory, even if unintentionally." She regards and studies the Makari a few moments, perhaps considering further comment. In the end, she does not. Makari are not so easily judged, and Verna has enough issues with kinesthetics as they are.

Eztli sighs, and the umbrella dips to cover her head, or would have, if Verna wasn't even shorter than her. "Sshould have known from the robess you were ssome ssort of sscholar, yeah."

"I'm happy for you and Auranar, don't see why I wouldn't be. And with everything going on, it'ss sstill nice to be able to have companionsship like that."

"But a happy memory? I'm not ssure." The small makari admits. "In a vacuum, it iss a moment in time of happinesss, there iss no doubt about that. But to loo back upon thingss now, it jusst leavess a ssense of longing and ssadnesss."

"It is, indeed." As if Verna could disagree about the relationship, nor would Eztli have reason to believe her if she did. Her expression becomes neutral, yet her tone encouraging. "Pleasant memories will also be so, even when there are others related which are less so. Those moments should not be forgotten, and one must know that new moments like them are to be found ahead."

The small makari stops, and huffs, with the tiniest shake of her head. "You're trying to be encouraging, and I appreciate it. I really do, but I jusst can't believe it. People change, and the meaningss of thingss with them. It sshould have been forgotten, it wasss jusst a sslip up to even mention it in front of you and Auranar. After all, no one will look at me again like that."

Verna acknowledges all this with a nod. "You are most welcome, and you are wholly correct. All does change, in time. Thus they can improve as readily as they worsened in the past. That should also serve as encouragement... though I shall leave the matter there."

"There'ss a lot that hass gone bad. Sso much." The small makari sighs. "Too much."

"Godss, I do not now how Un'eth managess it. To be sso relaxed and confident, and ssure of herself." She muses quietly. "I know thingss can get better, but ssome thingss can't change. I'm not trying to be defeatisst or anything, I don't even now why I feel like ssharing sso much. But I jusst know that some thingss are passt the point of improving. All that iss left iss to get ussed to the change."

"I would venture to say that you require no encouragement, in that case," Verna admits, smile reforming as she does so. "Which is just as well, as I am a poor advisor on matters of the heart. If there is one you admire, they would be a better source of wisdom, perhaps."

"No, the encouragement is welcome." Eztli sighs. "Even if it doesn't feel quite right, but so many things don't. Don't worry about it, there's more to things than just a heart at the end of the day."

Eztli attempts to return another smile, which is already difficult at the best of times for a lizard. "I don't know how it would go if I talked to her, or if I should confide in someone else. Bt, I don't know if I admire anyone at the moment."

"I was just coming out here for a walk, I wasn't expecting to think about this more today. Maybe it was still just stuck at the back of my thoughts, anyways. You barely know me, but you've been more than understanding. So, Thank you, Verna."

Verna nods. "You are most welcome. I dare say that recent events, both good and ill, have granted me a better understanding. I shall consider this to be one more boon as a result." One hand gestures generally across the garden paths. "Please, enjoy your walk. I should return to my study. Peace upon your nest, Eztli."