Topic: Green hair's not quite the same as a green thumb...

Lydia Loran

Date: 2008-04-25 01:03 EST
One really nice thing about having your own house and your own land as opposed to an apartment or inn room was just that; having your own land. There are opportunities for landscaping and gardening! Beautiful flowers and bushes and growing your own food! These were all things Lydia had looked forward to with the coming of spring - there was just one minor problem.

The girl lacked a green thumb. It was probably more of a brown thumb, possibly even black, with the way her gardening adventures had gone.

Late snows in the season had wiped out some seedlings at one point. The planting of seeds too shallow or too deep in the soil had wiped out chances for them to sprout properly. More seedlings she had finally sprouted again met an untimely demise at the hands of Aeriel who decided they'd make a good bed to wallow around in. No. Every endeavor made in gardening by the green haired elf met in failure. It left the area around her porch and to the side of her house looking bare and left Lydia feeling ever so disappointed.

She wasn't quite ready to throw in the towel just yet, however. But first and foremost, she had to restock up on some supplies - namely some more seeds since she had lost so many. Again. Lydia made a long trip this time, a little ways north of Rhydin to the greenhouse where Zeme worked. Zeme, most certainly, had a green thumb. Radiant green! So Lydia spent some time asking her advice about gardening and growing things. After that, she picked up many a seed, a brand new spade, then ventured out of the greenhouse to wander back home.

That was her intention at least.

Outside the greenhouse, Lydia spotted a small crowd gathered. Since she was naturally quite curious, she meandered closer that way, waiting for the crowd to part enough so that she could see just what, or who had everyone's interest. It turned out to be the latter; a who.

A goblin, to be exact. Short and spindly, with greenish brown skin and yellowed eyes and teeth. He was adorned in a garish yellow and orange pinstripe suit and proudly gestured to his displayed wares, resting within an open suitcase. It reminded Lydia of Poppy, and when she had first seen the woman peddling her wares in the Outback. The goblin himself... he reminded her of G. Not because G had always warned her not to talk to goblins, but because of his smile, which was strangely charming in spite of his yellowed teeth. The way his eye ridge waggled at the ladies also reminded her of G. Just a little...

"G'day madam!"

The others gathered about seemed half interested in the goblin, who was now looking Lydia's way, addressing her. G had always said 'no goblins!'. But what did G know? This was the same man who called her a freaky deaky elf. She frowned at the memory of it before remembering manners and smiling pleasantly to the goblin, offering a nod of greeting.

Just what was it he was selling anyways?

Lydia Loran

Date: 2008-04-25 15:43 EST
The brightly clad goblin took notice of Lydia's attentions upon his briefcase. Within said briefcase were small, white, unmarked canisters. It didn't appear to be much of anything, really. No razzle, no dazzle, no bright labels. All that did though, was make Lydia all the more curious.

"Y'interested in buyin' m'dear?"

"Mm?" Pale blues rose from suitcase to goblin, and back again. "Just what is it you're selling?"

Taking a side step closer to the elf, the goblin flashed her his most winning smile and seemed about to explain it all. That was, before he caught a look at the bag she carried. "Ah. I see y've picked up some supplies from the greenhouse." Thin hands were raised in the air as he shrugged. "I don't think y' need what it is 'm selling then, madam. Surely y'already know wot'y'r'doin'."

Lydia tilted her head at that, studying the goblin curiously. "Know what I'm doing..?"

"'n gardenin'!" The goblin gestured to her bag with something of a flourished gesture. "'m sure a lass like y' definitely know wot'y'r'doin' when it comes to gardenin'. I bet yer yard is full of beautiful flowers. Why, I'd bet y'could start yer verra own floral shop!"

Fiddling with the bag in her hand, Lydia frowned a touch. "Not quite..."

"Oh?" The goblin's expression seemed almost exaggerated as his eyeridge lifted and eyes widened, studying the elf with the utmost care.

"I'm only buying more seeds now because I wasted all the other seeds I got." Lydia lifted her bag up and shook it some, rattling said seeds. "Any time I've tried growing.. anything it's ended up being a disaster." She sighed before glancing back to his suitcase. "Just.. what does what you're selling have to do with gardening, anyways?"

The curious and exaggerated gesture the goblin had quickly shifted to a broad grin, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "It has ev'r'thing t'do with it, m'dear."

The goblin seemed ready to explain once more, before a man at the other side of the table spoke up and raised a hand towards the goblin. "Oy! I'll take a couple cases!"

His grin only broadened before he lifted a near skeletal finger to Lydia in something of a 'one moment' gesture. "Please excuse me for just a moment m'dear."

Lydia Loran

Date: 2008-04-27 04:08 EST
While the goblin tended to customers Lydia turned her attention back to those simple little white cannisters. Pale blues shifted back and forth before she finally reached out to pick one up, looking it over. There was absolutely no way to tell what was inside unless she actually opened it, but she wasn't quite brazen enough to do that- it'd be rude, after all. So instead, she lifted it close to a pointed ear, shaking gently as if somehow hearing whatever was inside rattle about would help her to distinguish what it was.

"Careful m'dear. Tha' some pretty potent right there." As the goblin approached her again, he reached out to gingerly take the cannister away and set it back down.

"Sorry..." Lydia's response was sheepish, much like her expression. "...what did you say it was again?"

He beamed only his best, biggest, and brightest smile to the elf once more . "Y' don't have t' 'pologize." Waving her apology off with a dismissive gesture. "And I don't think I told y' just wot'i'was m'dear..." There was almost something sly in his gaze as he studied Lydia more carefully now. She was starting to look mildly annoyed with this game that he was playing, so he continued. "T' put it simply- fertilizer."

"Fertilizer?" Lydia's tone indicated she was just a little more than let down. Her nose crinkled at the thought of it. Fertilizer. Wasn't that.. manure?

"Yes indeed m'dear." The goblin gave a very firm nod before lifting a finger as if to halt any forthcoming comments or questions. "M' verra own special home-made fertilizer." Thin lips curled into a grin at that. "There's not a thing quite like it..."

"Oh." Lydia glanced to the cannisters again. "How well does it work?"

"Verra well indeed!" The goblin seemed to swell with pride, much like a parent would over their child. "'ve never gotten a complaint about i' not helpin' a garden grow. Why, I think this might be something y' could use, if y'r'avin' a hard time of things."

She most definitely was 'having a hard time of things'. At least when it came to the fine arts of gardening. Lips pursed, Lydia mulled it over a few moments. What did she have to lose? "I.. suppose I could get one of those..."

"Just one?" The goblin reached over and slid a cannister in front of her. "One will cost y' thirty silver crowns. But?" Reaching over, a second cannister was slid in front of the elf. "Two would only cost y' fifty silver crowns, on account o'a special I got goin' on now."

Thirty was steep enough, but fifty? That was a pretty big investment in something she wasn't certain would work to her favor. "Fifty? ...I dunno..."

"Hm.. alright. Since I like y' so much m'dear, 'm willin' to cut the price back to forty silvers. Y' can't beat a deal like that." He smiled broadly, watching Lydia as she thought it over.

She still wasn't quite certain, especially since lately she had been trying to save money in the event that she might actually need it in that off chance Matthew approved her design for the Watch uniform. There was a deficit there, and she had promised to be the one to take care of it, should the design be the one approved. Though.. perhaps if this fertilizer was as good as the goblin said, that investment would pay off?

"Okay, I'll take two then..."

Lydia Loran

Date: 2008-04-27 04:38 EST
Since Lydia was armed with nothing but free time that day upon her arrival back home she set to work immediately. Or at least after changing into something more appropriate for digging around; overalls (that she'd never admit to owning to anyone), a t-shirt beneath that, and some old boots.

Weeds were cleared out from the areas she planned to work in, sans dandelions. She had something of a weakness for them, thinking them more flower than weed. It may have been one contributing factor to one of her failed attempts at gardening, but she was otherwise oblivious to such. At the front and around her porch she sprinkled about a couple packets of seeds. They were a wildflower blend that Zeme told her would grow easily and didn't require too much in the way of maintenance- a plus for the inept gardener that was Lydia...

Now it was time to plant something in her.. food garden, located off to the side of her house. She had a variety of seeds for it. Strawberries and carrots and turnips and lettuce and even watermelon. However, she figured it best to start simple, and what could be more simple than a potato? Really, those things started to sprout and grow all on their own if left in storage for too long. So for now? Lydia planted a bunch of potato seeds. If she managed to get them growing successfully she figured she'd branch off into the more complicated fruits and veggies.

Last but definitely not least (or cheapest...) was the fertilizer she had purchased from the goblin. The first cannister had been opened with caution before she peered inside. While Lydia wasn't sure what to expect, it wasn't what she found in the cannisters. It appeared to be nothing more than sand, save for the fact it was a crystalline-like blue-green color. Pretty yes, but she wasn't entirely sure how that would help her garden to grow. Best she try though before doubting, right? So one cannister was sprinkled on the flower garden, and the other was sprinkled on the potatoes. Overkill, but hopefully it'd do the trick.

And after so much work? It was definitely time for a shower, dinner, and some restful sleep. She had every intent of sleeping in the next day too...

Lydia Loran

Date: 2008-04-28 02:58 EST
Upon waking up Lydia went about her usual mundane routine of the morning. A quick shower was had, comfortable clothing was donned, and breakfast was prepared. Well, not so much prepared as it was simply poured into a bowl and milk added. Really, it was hard to mess up cereal and she didn't feel like cooking or burning up anything in the pursuit of breakfast. She had very nearly opted to simply eat a couple brownies instead, but could practically see and hear Bane chastising her for such. The very thought had brought a warm smile and quiet chuckle to herself, as well as inspiring her to opt for the more healthy choice.

It was paying off too- eating right. She was feeling.. better, as of late. It was easier for her to fall asleep whereas she used to have trouble doing so. Sleep in general was more restful, so she didn't sleep as much. Giving up the brownies and cookies (at least some) really was worth it, especially since Bane otherwise kept her well fed as often as they ate out.

After Mellon was watered and fed Lydia gathered together a basket of berries and a strip of jerky for Aeriel. It was such a nice day out too, that she gave some thought to taking Aeriel out for a ride in the woods. Assuming, of course, the gryphon was actually somewhere to be found. Armed with the basket of goodies she ventured out of her house and onto her porch to start calling out for her.

"Aeriel? Are you.. out.. here..."

Words trailing off, pale blues grew wide as saucers as she took in her surroundings. Flowers that certainly weren't there the previous day were now... everywhere! A plethora of variety and colors, and gods, that smell! That wonderful floral smell! Inhaling deeply Lydia couldn't help but smile in spite of her shock and surprise. She loved flowers, so very much. Aristocrats could have their jewels and gems, but she was happy with nothing more than soft petals and sweet smells.

A grin started to spread across her face as basket was set aside. Enthusiastically the green haired elf hurried down the steps of her porch to better take a look at the flowers that surrounded it. Beautiful. And such growth in such a small amount of time? It meant that the goblin's fertilizer really did work! Fingertips trailed along petals as Lydia laughed to herself, thrilled with such results.

Attention shifted away from the flowers then, as she heard the sounds of familiar chirping nearby. Turning around, the elf smiled brightly to Aeriel as she spotted her. "Aeriel, did you see this??" She gestured to the flowers as if the gryphon understood or would care. "This is amazing..." Another moment was spared and dedicated to the admiration of her new garden before Lydia took notice of something Aeriel was.. batting around? What was that anyways? A rock? A toy? No, Mellon had toys, not the gryphon.

"What do you have there?" The inquiry was spoken as Lydia started to approach her. She very nearly developed a feeling of dread it would be a small woodland creature of sorts, as she's heard that gryphons can be somewhat predatory. Was it a mouse? A rabbit? Squinting, she leaned closer to catch a look.

A potato?

"...where did you get a potato from?" With a look of befuddlement, Lydia glanced upwards at Aeriel, almost as if she expected a verbal reply from her. She did nothing more than tilt her head at Lydia though. "Oh!" Lydia glanced over her shoulder then, towards her house. "Right, the potatoes... those grew too?"

With a grin, Lydia turned to round the corner of her home and check on the status of her food garden. Aeriel picked up her own potato within her beak and turned to follow and observe from a distance.

Lydia Loran

Date: 2008-05-03 19:34 EST
Much as she had anticipated Lydia discovered that the fertilizer had done wonders for the food garden, which was nothing more than potatoes. The plants were all tall and had an occasional cluster of periwinkle flowers in bloom. Wandering closer to examine them she couldn't help but notice there were a couple potatoes on the ground here and there.

"That's kinda odd...?" She quietly remarked to herself as she paused to take in the potatoes on the ground. However she didn't worry much about it since she didn't know the first thing about growing potatoes. Maybe they unearthed themselves? That could be normal?

With nothing more than a shrug Lydia moved closer to the plants, smile broadening into a grin. Aeriel seemed strangely wary and kept her distance from the garden to amuse herself by batting around an errant potato or two. "I can't believe this all grew so fast..." Reaching up, she plucked a cluster of flowers from the plant to look them over. "I thought if it worked maybe I'd get some sprouts in a day or two... but nothing quite like this." Although inwardly she had to admit to herself there was a faint tinge of disappointment. In a sense? It felt like... cheating. And one of the joys of gardening was to nurture the plants wasn't it? So it's like she just skipped a few steps just to get to the end. It sort of related to why she preferred walking over teleporting, even though she had the means to do so.

Potato fell from Aeriel's beak as she screeched suddenly and started to back peddle. Fluttering her slightly askew wings she leapt effortlessly into one of the nearby oak trees to perch and... hide? Lydia had watched it all quizzically. "Aeriel? What's wrong?" She took a few moments to glance around and make sure no one was approaching, but even then Aeriel usually welcomed company, often expecting treats from strangers. "Crazy..." Not thinking much on the gryphon's odd behavior Lydia sighed to herself before moving back over to the potato plants.

She may as well dig a little and see if she could find some potatoes, right? Moving to her knees Lydia started to reach down towards the soil around the plants but paused as she caught sight of something just mildly peculiar. The soil was.. moving? Rather slowly, but surely it moved, as if pulsating. Not all over, but in a few isolated spots.

Now, she may not know much about gardening, but Lydia had a pretty good idea that was most certainly not normal. Frowning to herself, Lydia started to stand so that she could move back and retreat from the plants. But alas, it was too late. With a muted *pop* a potato of the rather large variety launched itself out of the ground.

She didn't even get a chance to screech or squeak or cry out with exclamation before it beamed her directly between the eyes. "Ow!" Luckily for Lydia it was a potato, and it wasn't moving at especially high speeds. So while it didn't feel pleasant, it certainly wasn't enough to knock her unconscious or even off her feet. The potato onslaught didn't stop there though. Another popped forth from the ground and into the air. Then another. And another. They just kept coming!

Arms raised over her head and face to shield herself from any potatoes that shot her way, Lydia turned to run back around her her house, up onto the porch, and then inside before the door was quickly shut behind her. With little else to do she moved to take a seat on her couch next to Mellon, wincing occasionally as she heard the occasional dull thud hit the side of the house. Not long after that though, the thuds started to sound from above as potatoes hit the roof- the noises not entirely unlike hail. Even the cat eventually shot off in a panic in some random direction.

With a heavy sigh Lydia leaned back into her couch. Seems she'd just have to wait things out. Perhaps G was on to something when he had said no goblins...