Re: A Time To Heal - Makshim, Shiezin 119 4A

by **Nara-pyon** Wed Aug 24, 2016 8:40 pm

"True," Wren agreed, "and not just here, but in the Four Lands as well. The other lands don't really know it - or at least, haven't until recently, but in the main continents it's the universal language. I should probably warn you, though, those of us traveling with Kyrie have all been given the gift of languages. Most of us don't even realize what language we're speaking, and if we hear or are thinking about something in another language we'll start speaking it without realizing it."

She gestured towards the room. "This is Holly's sewing room. Or rather, it was created for her, but she's been joined recently by a few others."

by **Kara Winters** Wed Aug 24, 2016 8:45 pm

"Ah... so you even have clothes made here, that's useful," Hikaru murmured, "Would it be okay if I took a peek in?"

He made a mental note about the languages, all other languages he had to learn from scratch and a lot of practice. Some languages were easier than others, and others he wasn't sure if he would ever master. When he was alone though, he would talk to himself in Japanese.

It was the one language he didn't get a lot of practice in.

by **Nara-pyon** Wed Aug 24, 2016 9:03 pm

"By all means," Wren smiled, motioning for him to go in.

She almost never went in there, so she also took a peek inside. She wasn't entirely sure what she would find at this point.

by **Kara Winters** Wed Aug 24, 2016 9:32 pm

The workroom was actually very large, in part because there were several people who needed to be able to work in there, and in part because there were a lot of materials that had to be stored. There were large cabinet drawers full of small things like needles, thread, lace, pins, paper, chalk and so forth. There was a set of sliding doors on one wall that would open up to a closet full of cloth, carefully put away. There was a work station just for painting onto cloth (with paints set up) and on the other wall was where clothes either still being made or finished kept.

In the far, far back of the workshop was Holly's workstation, which also included a desk and space to pin up designs. There was a door beside her workstation for the dying room.

As Hikaru stepped through and took a look around, he couldn't help but be drawn to the design sketches. They were quite interesting.

by **Nara-pyon** Wed Aug 24, 2016 9:40 pm

Wren stepped slightly inside the doorway but didn't go any further into the room.

"Holly has made quite a change to our wardrobes and the way we think about clothes," she said conversationally as she let Huron look around. "The first thing she did for everyone was make us swim clothes from her home country. Unlike anything we had ever seen before, but very comfortable."

by **Kara Winters** Wed Aug 24, 2016 9:52 pm

His eyes lingered on the wa lolita design that Holly had meant to do for her master project. It was clear by the model's hair that it probably was meant for Miyuki, but it was unlike any kimono he had ever seen before.

"What is her home country like?" he asked.

It was hard to pin down where everyone was from, but for all he knew they were all from a trading hub of some sort.

by **Nara-pyon** Wed Aug 24, 2016 10:04 pm

"To be honest," Wren murmured, "I've not been there, and from what I hear about it, it's pretty fantastic. People of every description, technologies that will likely never come here ... there are things about it that I think are wonderful, but I fear there are things that are best never to come here."

She smiled softly. "When we reach Caras Galadhon again, it might be several years yet, but we are making our way back there ... and when we do, we'll be heading back to the Four Lands, and those from Holly's world will be going back there. So that would be ... let me see ..."

She started to count on her fingers. "Earendil, I suppose, even though he's not originally from there, his family is ... so that's Lin, Miyuki and Andarien ... Shoneah, Eron ... Holly, Shiro and Kaito ... and I think that's it."

Her expression turned thoughtful. "Somehow I doubt Rose will be going all the way to Gaia with Holly ... she seems to be growing a bit fond of Geran," she murmured to herself.

by **Kara Winters** Wed Aug 24, 2016 10:14 pm

So Wren knew enough to know about Gaia in general, but not enough to possibly have idea where specifically in the world they might live. Well, that was fine, it wasn't important in the end.

Though that did make him think, those from Gaia would go back eventually. That was interesting to know, but that didn't answer whether or not he wanted to go as well.

"That's understandable, if you find something or someone to stay for, there would be less of an urge to move somewhere else," Hikaru did admit.

But did he really have a good reason to stay? His lifestyle was probably not the best.

"At any rate, let's keep going, I feel like it would take weeks to explore this whole place."

by **Nara-pyon** Wed Aug 24, 2016 10:39 pm

"Oh, it could," Wren grinned. "But you're right, we should keep going."

She stepped out into the hall, and once Huron was out there with her, she slid the door closed again.

"So that's one side of the hallway, and now for the other." She turned around and slid open the door to the gardens antechamber. "Gardens are through here. And you could spend hours in each and every one of them, just to give you fair warning, so you may want to prepare yourself not to give in to your awe and curiosity."

The antechamber was as it always was: a circular room with seven doors, one for Miyuki's practice room, and the others for the various types of gardens, each labeled in Common Tongue in several different writing systems. There were several aprons and cloaks hanging on hooks, and a chest of gardening tools.

"Choose a direction," she invited Huron, gesturing towards the circle of doors.

by **Kara Winters** Wed Aug 24, 2016 11:08 pm

"Huh....."

Now that was a tantalizing warning, though since she said gardens, he imagined it was something like a greenhouse of sorts.

"That door?" he pointed to the one that was labeled for Miyuki's use.

Mainly because he knew she dealt with plant magic and wanted to see what she had done.

by **Nara-pyon** Wed Aug 24, 2016 11:11 pm

Wren's eyes sparkled. "Oh, I'm glad you said that. It'll be the only room in the entire tent that I know as much as you about it going in. I don't think I've ever peeked in there."

Still, she knew Miyuki wouldn't mind - it wasn't as if she had claimed it as a private area.

"Onwards," she grinned; and she strode forward and opened the door to Miyuki's garden and led the way inside.

by **Kara Winters** Wed Aug 24, 2016 11:47 pm

Miyuki's 'garden' if one could call it that wasn't as orderly as a real garden. Simply because she had used it as a practice ground. Really it looked like a meadow, as it had long grass and lots and lots of wild flowers. This included creeping bell flowers, buttercups, butterfly weed, wild yellow lilies, cuckoo flowers, day lilies, and foxglove to name a few.

Interestingly enough, they were all in bloom, which meant she purposely grew them out of season and made them bloom. In the middle of the meadow was a growing tree as tall as Hikaru that Miyuki had grown from a cherry pit for kicks.

"It's... very colourful and confusing," he admitted.

by **Nara-pyon** Thu Aug 25, 2016 12:02 am

"It's where she does her experiments in plant magic," Wren explained, looking around as well. "To be honest, I never realized she'd gotten so far with it. She doesn't really do anything with it on our travels, I mean aside from here."

It was quite pretty in there, and unlike any meadow she had ever seen.

"To be fair, it's been a while since we've been attacked," she admitted, "and the intention was for her to use plants to slow up attackers, or use the plants defensively. So it does stand to reason that we wouldn't have seen it."

It was impressive, though.

by **Kara Winters** Thu Aug 25, 2016 12:08 am

Hikaru nodded, he wasn't sure what Miyuki would have planned for something like that, but he was sure she must have something. Perhaps it was a question to ask Miyuki sometime.

"It is very pretty, it's just strange because these flowers wouldn't all bloom at the same time like this," he explained.

by **Nara-pyon** Thu Aug 25, 2016 12:12 am

"That's the beauty of magic," Wren grinned. "Nothing has to make sense. Just wait until you see the rest of the gardens."

And she didn't mean something like this meadow - as beautiful as it was.

Well, she would let him see when they got to them. She considered briefly warning him about the cold in the first two gardens - especially the wet and cold one - but then she reasoned that being Fire Elven as he was, the cold wouldn't bother him.

"You'll have to ask Miyuki if you have any particular questions about this space," she murmured. "I can probably answer more questions about the other ones for you. Khetal and I are mostly the ones who take care of them."

by **Kara Winters** Thu Aug 25, 2016 12:17 am

As he followed Wren to the next set of gardens, he nodded at this, "I'll keep that in mind."

The cold was jarring, but he was comfortable in showing that. Fire elves were immune to extreme heat and some fire, not to cold, that was the realm of the White elves. It was tempting to summon up some heat. Normally he was on the move before winter set in anywhere where it got cold or he stayed away from the territories that were normally cold (like far up North).

Well, it was certainly no greenhouse.

by **Nara-pyon** Thu Aug 25, 2016 12:35 am

Since they weren't planning on being in there long, Wren didn't bother grabbing a cloak before going in either. It wasn't much different from winters back home for her, and she was used to coming into the garden on a regular basis, so it didn't bother her as much as it might have. Still, her breath left her lips in white clouds of vapour, and she did have to keep moving to keep warm.

The ground was covered in good packing snow, but despite that, there were plants growing here, there and everywhere. Some were winter flowers, there were some trees - not big ones, but fair sized. Evergreens only, since growing deciduous trees in a permanent winter would be pointless at best.

"It's amazing what can grow in a climate like this," Wren murmured softly, looking around. There was a smile on her lips and a glow in her eyes, a tender look that showed just how much she loved the work she did.

by **Kara Winters** Fri Aug 26, 2016 12:24 am

"Plants can be pretty stubborn," Hikaru agreed, "Some species only need very little dirt to grow."

Which caused plants to grow in some odd places, but it was kind of neat really.

"This is pretty," he added.

by **Nara-pyon** Fri Aug 26, 2016 2:41 am

"Thank you," Wren smiled at him. "I can't take all the credit. Lancaeriel of course created the gardens, and helped get some of it growing ... and Khetal helps to tend them now."

She rubbed her arms lightly. "But perhaps we should keep moving. I know Fire Elves can keep themselves warm in such weather as this, but I'm afraid I'm getting a bit cold already."

Not that she wanted to hurry him along, but there were plenty of other places to see, and he could see this place again later if he wanted to - she just wasn't prepared to stay in it for long.

by **Kara Winters** Fri Aug 26, 2016 2:54 am

"Let's go then," Hikaru motioned for them to leave.

He was getting quite cold as well since he wasn't summoning any heat to counteract the temperature. Once they were back in the main chamber, he rubbed his hands together to get feeling back in his fingers.

"So, next garden then..."

by **Nara-pyon** Fri Aug 26, 2016 2:59 am

"The next one is nearly as cold," Wren told him, heading to the next door, "so I hope you don't mind if we don't stay long in there either."

She noticed him rubbing his hands, but didn't think anything of it: she simply opened the door to the cold, dry garden and led the way inside.

Like the previous garden, it was a wide open space, and there was snow on the ground; but immediately the differences were obvious. The air in this room was far drier than the air in the previous room, and Wren knew that staying in there too long could lead to nosebleeds or dry skin. It wasn't her favourite garden.

But the plants that grew in there, though fewer than any of the other gardens, were equally as important, and she she bore through it, usually, of course, with cloak and gloves on. Again, there were evergreen trees of various varieties, a few flowers, and a few herbs.

by **Kara Winters** Fri Aug 26, 2016 3:03 am

"Ah...." Hikaru looked around.

It was still cold, but it was a dry cold (he wasn't sure if that was any better).

"The kind of place where you'd want to make snow sculptures," he commented.

Once he had good look around, he headed back out with Wren. Pity he wasn't dressed for that kind of weather, and he never kept clothes meant for that kind of weather.

by **Nara-pyon** Fri Aug 26, 2016 3:08 am

"With ice, I suppose," Wren mused, "though for snow sculptures, I find the other cold garden much better. The snow packs quite well in it. In here ... to keep it together, you would have to cut it out of drifts, though it doesn't get deep enough for that."

Next she brought him to the garden that was temperate and moist, and the change from the previous garden was stark. Butterflies flitted between flowers, shining blue ones that were almost as big as the palm of Wren's hand. There were trees of all kinds here: maples and elms and oaks and poplars, as well as a few varieties of evergreens (though far fewer). There were also flowers aplenty, and in a large area, separate from the 'wilder' plants, herbs, vegetables, and spices were planted in neat rows.

"This is one of my favourites," she confided to Huron as she led him around. "It's always comfortable in here, and it holds a good portion of the plants we use the most."

by **Kara Winters** Fri Aug 26, 2016 3:10 am

"Did you collect butterfly eggs and raised them?" Hikaru asked trying to get a better look at the butterflies.

He was pretty sure they were real, but it was hard to imagine anyone raising butterflies in an enclosed space like this (especially since most butterflies tended to migrate before mating).

by **Nara-pyon** Fri Aug 26, 2016 3:14 am

"Not me," Wren chuckled, "though I appreciate it. It saves me a little bit of work. I don't know how they were caught or when or even by whom. I just came in here one day and there they were."

Suddenly she remembered something. "Which reminds me," she added, "some of our other gardens have bees in them. I know not everyone likes bees, so if you want to avoid them, let me know and I can just tell you about those gardens."

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