Take a Trip Into My Garden

[bringinghopewithme]

Who: Anyone who needs something in the garden, and/or a hug
What: Bunny is at work in his slice of the garden and friends are hanging out.
Where: The gardens, under the oak tree where Bunny and Gadget live.
When: Amid Christmas shenanigans.
Warnings/Notes: n/a yet



Maybe you're here because Jorgmund is a stressful place and the garden is a calm and bright and green refuge against the dingy unpleasantness of the rest of the Rig. Maybe you're here because Jorgmund is stingy with the fresh fruit and you want a snack, and sometimes the easiest thing to do is bypass the cafeteria and go to the source.

Or maybe you are just here to talk to Bunny, who is hard at work applying his plant-growing powers in his small space by the garden's only oak tree, where he sleeps in a hollow under its roots instead of in the room they assigned to him, way back when. The oak tree helps to make up for the lack of space by functioning as a hanging planter, but the rest of the space around it is still built up in stacked tiers of plants efficiently potted to support each other, the dry-loving plants lofted high to drip into the ones that like their toes wet. It's an efficient use of an incredibly small space to grow an incredible variety of magically useful and food-bearing plants.

Right now, Jorgmund has insisted he grow poinsettias en masse for the executive decor, and the inefficient use of his plot is annoying him more than usual. He's applying his power to the oak tree, adding strength to one branch to be able to hang more poinsettia planters from it, when company arrives. Or he's roaming the rest of the agriculture, evaluating that for efficiency and evidence to argue for or against the botanical tactics Jorgmund is already employing, when he comes across company.

Comments

[trialbyliar]

[Hope you're not busy with anything delicate there, Bunny. The initial approach is quiet – someone very good at sneaking around – but then there's the sudden rush of footsteps from the edge of the garden and a small body jumping onto that furry back.

The surprise attack is accompanied by distinct, familiar laughter, so it's probably not an actual threat.]

[bringinghopewithme]

[Fortunately for Kokichi, those ears are good for more than standing on end, so Bunny recognizes who's coming. He gently deflects Kokichi, rolling Kokichi over his back to catch and hold the boy up by his armpits, instead of panicking and slamming him into the ground as he would an actual stealth attack.

He doesn't . . . entirely trust Kokichi yet not to be edgy enough not to have carved a shiv. So he keeps Kokichi held up at arm's length, glancing at the vetiver half-spilled out of its dropped pot, then back up to Kokichi.]

You could have asked first.

[trialbyliar]

[He isn't expecting to be tossed around like that, so there's a surprised little shriek as he's immediately rolled over and lifted. He seems genuinely thrown for a second before gathering himself again and grinning at Bunny, legs kicking back and forward contentedly where they're dangling in the air.]

Woahh, that was so cool! I didn't think the Easter Bunny would be so prepared for a sneak attack!

[Completely unrepentant. But he doesn't seem particularly threatening either, so...it could be worse?]

[bringinghopewithme]

Yeah, I hear that a lot.

[He could maybe work harder to play in to being a solely nurturing figure, keep peoples' guards down, but he doesn't see why he has to. People generally underestimate him a lot no matter how he presents in person. It can be pretty convenient.]

I dunno why. It's not like rabbits aren't known for being nervous. You got any weapons on you?

[Kokichi doesn't SEEM threatening but the only thing Kokichi consistently seems is dishonest, so -]

[myagents]

Price walks through the garden at a leisurly pace, admiring the plants. While he is the quiet type, he only likes quiet environments when in nature. Otherwise getting sucked in his own thoughts saddens him. He misses Project Freelancer, he was absolutely having the time of his life and today he would redo all of it except for the getting caught part. That one, obviously, was the Director's fault. Every mistake ever done by the project was, actually. What a pathetic, insane, stupid old man he was. Price wants a refund for having liked him. There was so much potential, and then? It all turned to dust and he went from one prison to another, both environments full of violent people who distrust him...Except this time there are freelancers that dislike him personally! Sharkface was one person, and he was an idiot, talking him in and out of stuff was easy.

He sighs, gently running his fingers through the dirt without touching the plants. As much as he likes animals, seeing them be something other than prey bores him. He knows, however, that being treated as less than because he is 'not human human enough' is something that of course the Easter Bunny would relate to, although for different reasons from his own. He can use this to his advantage to find an improbable ally.

"Thank you for tending to this garden." he smiles softly "It's beautiful."

[bringinghopewithme]

"Thanks."

Frankly he thinks the compliment is a little unwarranted. Nature is always beautiful, but his garden isn't arranged for aesthetics, it's arranged for the maximum amount of variety and yield, and the elements of the garden that aren't purely functional weren't designed by him. Some other Jorgmund landscaper signed off on those, and he frankly has opinions to share with them.

But a compliment is a compliment and it's rude to turn them aside. Plus, maybe this guy hasn't had the chance to interact with a lot of planned gardens in his life. Even though everything is looking WAY too Christmassy right now, with all the poinsettias he's hanging from the oak tree to finish maturing for the Executive wing.

"It'll look a lot better when they let me get back out of producing a monoculture." His flower bower, of roses and gardenias and violets, is looking rather underbloomed with so much attention put on the poinsettias. Bunny turns away from the oak tree and its hanging baskets, evaluating the new face. He hasn't met this one yet. "What's your favorite flower?"

Maybe someone needs to see something pretty that they haven't yet. He can keep that in mind for when his power levels are a little more freed up again.

[myagents]

"I'm not sure I could pick one, there are many. Maybe lilacs, irises..." he glances at the few violets in the bower, because he needs another name to show that he cares or something "And violets, too."

Youthfulness, the emotions of first love. Wisdom, hope, trust and valor. Modesty, faithfulness, humilty. It's not like those qualities, linked to the flowers he listed, are not something he possesses. Or at least used to possess. Before he even turned ten years old, he was already working on recreating emotions and studying them through his surroudings, with an almost scientific interest before he even knew about the field he was going to specialize in. There's something strange but nice about all of this. There has to be, he sensed a glimpse of pity for just tiny second.

"I simply have a fondness for beautiful things in general." he pauses briefly, dramatically even, before closing the thought to pretend he didn't plan to get into a conversation "As everyone does, for that matter."

[whethertheyshould]

Ian had not spent any time in the outdoors since his unfortunate encounter in the jungle, having been brought here in its immediate aftermath. This is a different environment, though, of course; it's a cultivated garden and the oak tree signals it is definitely nothing like the jungle where he nearly lost his leg.

He notices the Easter Bunny walking among the plants and he gives a small wave in greeting. Once they catch up to each other he nods.

"I don't suppose it's possible to get everything needed for a salad here," he says. That might be just a touch greedy, he thinks.

[bringinghopewithme]

Bunny hasn't met Ian off the network yet so he does his quick once-over for body language, attitude, and raises his eyebrows at the request. A salad's basically crunchy water with nutrients and Bunny might not know a ton about overall human nutritional needs, but he does have a strong suspicion that more of the people here should eat them.

"Yeah, I could arrange that," Bunny says, scratching his neck. "What do you want in it?"

[whethertheyshould]

"Oh, I was just gauging to see what you were willing to give up," he says with a chuckle. "You're generous."

He pauses, then inclines his head.

"Though actually, ah, it does sound good. But I don't suppose there are bacon bits available."

[credit_not_blame]

"Bunny!"

Even if he didn't recognize her smell or her voice, Stacia still calls his name like she's a regular teenage girl spotting a regular rabbit in the underbrush. She bounces toward him, careful not to disturbe any of the plants, holding her arms out for her daily dose of Bunny hugs.

[bringinghopewithme]

"Stacia!"

Stacia's manners are simply impeccable, the way she knows he must be able to identify her approaching by smell or sound every time, but still announces herself so there's no chance he'll ever tense up at a whiff of wolf before identifying the clarification that this wolf is a teenage girl who's very sweet and cute at all times.

Bunny gives her a full feet-off-the-ground hug, squeezing her arms a little even as he sets her back down and lets go. "How's your day going?"

[credit_not_blame]

Stacia shrugs, not even attempting to pull free from his grip.

"Could be better, could be worse," she says philosophically. "I almost got a reasonable amount of sleep last night, which is always a plus."

Nightmares suck. Stacia's had them every night since her First Change, her time under Raphael's protection excepted. She's got a magical blanket back home that helps, but it didn't come with her. She wonders if the Stuff or whatever is leaving them the little gifts like her key takes requests.

[hallelujahjunction]

Unlike some others, Dan's here for business, and that business is stockpiling certain plants and herbs to ward off creatures and spirits that, as far as he knows, aren't here on the Rig, but could be. And Dan's a paranoid person.

Especially paranoid after the waltz through other people's memories for Christmas, which was a decidedly unappreciated gift and a good reminder that everyone here comes from a place where horrors of all sorts exist. Some of the things he saw are hanging heavily on Dan's mind, particularly Kokichi's death by hydraulic press, which plays - over and over again, with an encore of Dan's siblings' deaths - in his mind every time he closes his eyes for more than a few minutes. Dan's eyes have dark circles underneath them, and he's shown up to a few of Planker's much-too-early training sessions having been just awake the whole time.

But he likes Bunny, and the garden is relaxing, and he got some alcohol and cigarettes from the cafeteria staff so he's sated his chemical needs by the time he comes down from the room to Bunny's plot, lurid with poinsettias. "They're only poison if you eat them, right?"

[bringinghopewithme]

Dan may be coming around for business but Bunny always likes when Dan comes by. No matter how much nicer the garden is than the rest of the rig, it's impossible to forget that this isn't home, when the noise of the rig is always grating at the edge of his hearing. It's only possible for him to relax a bit when someone else he can trust to be also keeping an eye out comes by, and Dan proved himself trustworthy and attentive so much faster than anyone else on the rig managed to.

"Well you'll get a rash if you rub on 'em, but I can't imagine why you would." He pauses, as one more poinsettia fully unfurls. "Hey, what kind of rumor do you think it would take to get Dickwash to give it a try?"

[hallelujahjunction]

Dan much prefers the garden to anywhere else on the Rig besides the roof. "Do you want me to start spreading a rumor about them being good luck for promotions? Because I reckon I could pull them off."

He grabs some plastic bags he's brought, giving Bunny a questioning look before he starts grabbing rose petals from the humble little bush starting to reach for the sunlight.

"Say, I wanted to ask you about Christmas."

[ragefeathers]

Mackenzie misses green. She misses being surrounded by the living world and the rig feels claustrophobic at times. It's those times that Kenzie seeks out the garden. It's organized and regimented, but it's still green. Still earth. Still Mother. She wanders through the garden, her shoulders hunched and radiating Rage. It's not that she means to, it's just what she is and how she is.

When she comes up on bunny futzing with poinsettia planters, she freezes for a brief moment. She's not sure what to think--what to do. This is the Easter Bunny, practically a totemic spirit as far she's concerned. She's not quite sure what to do, though. Mackenzie's never really talked to him and she probably reeks of wolf, even more than Stacia.

"Uh." Crap.

"Nice flowers?" Nailed it.

[bringinghopewithme]

[Bunny smelled her coming, and only did so because he's been, intrusively, in her memories where he wasn't invited.

Ah, strewth. It's time for THAT conversation. Well, it was inevitable.]

G'day, mate.

[He does Kenzie the diligence of facing her, turning away from his work to have this conversation.]

Reckon this is a while in comin', you bein' a wolf, me bein' a rabbit, us bein' on the same team. How you farin' today?

[She may not be a child anymore - by her standards, almost not by his - but who hates to be asked how they're doing?]

[ragefeathers]

[ Kenzie fidgets awkwardly. She isn't quite sure how to address Bunnymund. Yeah, he's some kind of bigtime spirit she guesses but also he's stuck here and corporeal and taller than her by like a foot and he has an Aussie accent what the fuck? She shifts her weight. ]

I've dealt with spirits of prey creatures before.

[ It's said defensively, as if warding off some accusation of misunderstanding or lack of comprehension. ]

Caribou guided my pack.

[ Another pause. Right. He asked a question. Her hands are shoved deep in the pockets of her jumpsuit for lack of anything else to do. ]

I'm okay, I guess.

[humandroid]

[ Data, to borrow a human turn of phrase, has been meaning to get around to seeing the gardens. Between adjusting to his arrival and the run-in with Rose Tattoo, he's found that even he's had difficulty partitioning the time to do so.

Which is unfortunate. The Enterprise has devoted more available space to its Arboretum, but the principle is more or less the same. He spends his share of time there when he's where he belongs. And there's scientific value in potentially seeing a new plant or variant from another reality.

The Enterprise assuredly does not have a huge anthropomorphic rabbit magically growing seasonal flowers. But, well. Can't have everything. Can't even have a tricorder to collect data on how these plant abilities work.

Data makes himself at home. Which is to say, he stays politely and respectfully in his lane.

Which is further to say, Data considers public areas a one-lane road that may be traversed at will unless or until established otherwise. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, socially speaking. So here he is, venturing. Staring at some poinsettia planters from an unnecessarily close proximity. ]

Do you allow questions in regards to your growth process?

[bringinghopewithme]

Mate, do you allow questions?

[Bunny did a cursory sniff before answering, but that cursory sniff turned into multiple that were not cursory in the slightest.]

Sorry to say I ain't familiar with your kind. How about we introduce ourselves?

[The respectful distance Bunny chooses is about six feet apart. Seems enough for him to react to.]

I'm the Easter Bunny. And you are?

[humandroid]

[ Bunny, social distancing king. That's fair. Data knows full well that this isn't the first time someone's been taken aback by him for some reason.

He opts not to cross any of that distance, the better to preserve goodwill. ]

My name is Data. I am an android. And I am typically amenable to questions, personal or otherwise.

[ He tilts his head. ]

It is safe to say that I am likewise not familiar with your kind. I believe in my reality, the title of 'Easter Bunny' is relegated only to human mythology. A fictional construct to entice the creativity and imagination of developing minds. I suppose now I must question if it holds a theoretical basis in fact after all.

[ Some strange ritualization of a chance alien encounter in pre-industrial times. Intriguing, if true. ]

[infailtration]

York has only just arrived and is still getting the lay of the rig, wandering aimlessly and seeing what's where, learning his way. The gardens are actually really nice, and not something he's used to -- he's lived on ships ever since he enlisted, and since then has been on a fairly barren planet. He strolls through the garden enjoying the scent of plant life, until he comes across the plethora of poinsettias. More for the holiday theme of the place, huh? He kneels down to touch the petals of one, a plant he hasn't seen since he was a child, and catches a flash of movement off to his right.

Is that.... a giant rabbit? With a trowel? It seems to be. Another new hire? He clears his throat softly so he doesn't startle the... rabbit. Right. That's a thing.

"Hi. Did you plant these?"

[bringinghopewithme]

"I grew 'em," Bunny responds, stabbing the trowel in the ground. It was a little bit of an oversight of Jorgmund to let him have access to gardening tools when they make a big deal about not letting the New Hires have their weapons, given that there's all sorts of ways he can think to do some, ah, self defense with a trowel. Or a rake.

Not that he's looking to defend himself here, but one of his ears was tilted towards York as he approached before York spoke or Bunny acknowledged him.

"Haven't seen you around before," he points out, standing up to his full 6'1, his Australian accent thick enough to dig through with a trowel. "What brings you by, exploring? You hungry?"

His tone is not without reservation yet, but neither is it hostile as he evaluates the new New Hire with a prey animal wariness.

[infailtration]

"Exploring," York confirms, straightening up as well. The bunny is almost as tall as him, and York wonders if that's Stuff intervention or if this is just. How he is. It's kind of bizarre but there's no reason not to be friendly.

"I just arrived, I didn't know anyone would be working in here. It's nice... you grow food here?"

He seems pretty harmless, at least, just friendly and curious.