[Open] Let's go in the garden...

[perennialpetals]

Who: Rose Quartz and YOU ✿
Where: The gardens
When: Backdated to before the Sleeping Curse Event
Rating: G or PG is my best guess
Summary: Rose is in her element and makin' it grow, whilst trying to keep her mind off of the festered problems between her and Amethyst/Pearl.
The Story:

Of late, this particularly large and pink woman has spent most of her time keeping to the corners of the mansion and the grounds, studying the lifeforms there, both sentient and non. Rose was never one to be entirely opposed to socializing, though of late, her mind had been plagued with concern. Namely, in regard to Amethyst... and especially Pearl. There were obvious bridges burned by her choice to give birth to her son, an exchange that was paid with the price of her very existence. There was damage that she could no longer be ignorant to here in Wonderland, where -once again- she was herself and her comrades were present. There was much work to be done, and only time could begin to truly heal those wounds. Amethyst had been far more upfront about some of those issues, but Pearl? It was subdued, but Rose had no doubts that it would eventually drift to the surface.

And anticipation is an awful thing.

It was that very discomfort which initially lead to her venturing out into the gardens nightly. "Breathing" life into plants was one of Rose's handful of special powers, and helping the bushes, shrubs, and trees to grow and bloom brought a particular peace of mind and spirit. Until today, she hadn't run into anyone, simply tending to and helping the plants to sprout and rise up strong while no one was paying attention.

Today, she was doing much of the same, except this time, she was the inattentive one. A song spills from her lips as she tends to a tomato plant, and over the course of a the song, the small sprout grows tall and strong, buds opening up to reveal yellow flowers.

What a show that would be if anyone were to stumble upon the scene.

Comments

CHARGES IN HERE!!!!!!

[determinedest]

Frisk needs to get away for a little bit, after the revelation Sans dropped on their shoulders (that they kept begging him for anyway, so why does it feel like a burden?), and after Asriel's...manifold problems with Alphys. No, they don't want to talk about it. No, they don't want to deal with it. They just want to think about it for a little bit, that's all. Spend some time to themselves.

The thing is, Frisk doesn't know how to do that. They've haven't been properly alone in a long time, and they're not sure they enjoy the feeling. So it's with a soft sigh of relief that they come across someone else. Or rather, they hear her first. It's a beautiful song, and Frisk lingers behind a few fronds until it sounds like she's done, not wanting to interrupt.

When at last they step out, albeit shyly, they're only momentarily alarmed to find that she's pink, quite literally. But Frisk has met two other women with distinctive shades to their skin and hair, and they've got a hunch.

"Excuse me," they say softly, as politely as they can, like they totally weren't just eavesdropping. Or...songdropping? "I...liked your song."

[perennialpetals]

It shouldn't surprise Rose that someone found her, much less overheard her. Though she had taken precautions to avoid running into people, it truly was only a matter of time until she shared her garden sessions with someone. So many people live in a relatively small space that it would be foolhardy to believe it wouldn't eventually happen.

However, the face is new and young, both things Rose is glad for. Human (or so she's currently assuming) children have always been something Rose regarded fondly, even if she didn't make it common practice to interact with them... or really, any human for an extended period of time. Greg was the exclusion. So, human child is a plus, and so is a stranger; there's no worry about them knowing of her deep issues with her friends and teammates... or the emotions regarding Steven.

She steps towards the child, not too fast as to make herself seem too imposing, and she kneels down closer to their height.

"Why, thank you. That's very kind of you to say. I hope my being in the gardens isn't imposing upon you." She hadn't seen the child before, much less in her adventures in the garden, but it's always good to check. After all, Rose has no way of knowing if this was a regular spot of the child's or not.

[determinedest]

She is...really tall, and Frisk's mouth drops open a bit in awe. She's also really, really pretty? Which makes it harder to Frisk to form words beyond a couple detached vowel sounds for a second.

Their mouth opens and closes mutely before they nod, catch themselves, and shake their head.

"N-no, it's, it's fine," they stammer at last. "I'm just, um...I don't think I've met you. Before."

Then they remember their train of thought, and hasten to add, completely out of the blue, and far louder than they mean to, "w-wait! Are you - are you a gem?"

[beyourrock]

Just like Rose Quartz, Pearl had some internal conflict dwelling inside her very chest. To see Rose in her life once again was fantastic. It was like a dream com true. Pearl felt as though she was on cloud nine. Seeing her face, her smile, hearing her warm laugh... And yet, something tugged at her metaphorical heart strings.

How she left. She fell in love with human. A human that Pearl thought was once a novelty. A passing phase. Rose always flirted with men, and Pearl didn't mind. But he was special to her. He had something in which Pearl didn't. Something in which Rose decided to give up her physical form to give life to her child, Steven.

Steven was a blessing, and Pearl wouldn't give him back for the world. She'd never abandon him. She swore she'd be there for her son. And yet, Pearl felt horrible, thinking back to those days. Those days which she was so happy with Rose. before him.

As night started to hang over head, she wanders into the gardens, overlooking the flowers. Her mind races with thoughts. Peridot, working along side her. Amethyst... being Amethyst. And then, of course, the larger situation being Rose herself. What were they? What was their relationship now? The sound of a voice tugs her out of her mirage of thoughts, snapping back into reality. A voice in which she knew immediately.

Quietly, she pads through the garden, the grass rustling and crunching under ballet shoes as she ventures over to the source of the singing. She emerges from two large bushes, peeking out to see the pink haired woman, and smiles gently.

"Good evening, Rose."

[perennialpetals]

"Oh! Good evening to you too, Pearl," Rose answers, a bit surprised as she looks over at her longtime comrade.

True, it was only a matter of time until she ran into someone on her garden escapades, but she had selfishly hoped it wouldn't be one of her team. A vain and foolish hope, really, but there isn't much that scares Rose. But being here, after all their time on Earth, after Greg, and even after Steven did. Rose had begun to see the damage the previously-youngest Gem, Amethyst, endured because of Rose's choice to have Steven. But Pearl didn't just have that, she had other layers of possible hurt, as Rose had chose to date humans for fun, Rose had chosen Greg, and Rose had fallen for him. It's simple intuition and empathy, backed by countless years of being close to Pearl that leaves her knowing there's a lot of hurt harbored beneath Pearl's pleasant surface.

Perhaps what scares Rose most is that she doesn't know if she can fix that hurt.

However, she doesn't let all that stop her from greeting Pearl with a smile, even in conjunction with the small surprise in her features.

"What brings you out to the gardens tonight?"

[beyourrock]

A feeling of unease settles in around Pearl. While they're reunion was tearful, it's finally settled in that Rose was here. She existed here. She was alive and this was her second chance at life. One thing had been plaguing the smaller Gem these past few weeks.

Where did she fit in?

In the past, Pearl would be latched to Rose's side, hanging on her arm, laughing and joking. And now? She stands yards away from Rose, standing anxiously. At a loss of how to act around her. Did she still have feelings for Greg? Did she ever have feelings for Pearl? Was it all one sided? Was her indirect fight with Greg, when they were younger, all for nothing? What were they now? Were they anything more than just comrades? Was it...even possible?

Pearl swallows all those questions, thickly as she rubs at her arm. While her mind was alight with questions, a simple statement comes out from her mouth.

"Oh, you know. Just wanted to... get out of the mansion a little. Get some fresh air while everyone is usually asleep at this hour."

She offers a half hearted smile. Pearl did wish to get some fresh air, but Rose was a reminder of what made her restless in the first place.

tries to charge in here but trips over baby leash

[fulllifeconsequences]

...They like flowers.

They like gardening.

Not that anyone's asked. Not that Chara's volunteering that. But they had a favourite flowerbed before they went and climbed a mountain that makes people disappear. They had a worn-out blade that was good for cutting vines. They drew pictures of flowers they loved. Flowers that sprouted in the throne room after the royal family lost two children in one night. Flowers that grew in a perfect rectangle over Chara's grave.

...That kind of flower doesn't grow here. But it's... not boring, they guess, to be in the gardens. To crouch down when nobody's looking and get dirt under their nails and yank out the little sprouting weeds before they can really lay their roots down. To deadhead the withering flowers. To look for branches that need to be pruned. It's almost nice.

Or it would be, if there weren't a ridiculously tall Disney princess having a musical number over yonder. Chara stands up, cranes up to their tippytoes, peers balefully over a hedge at Rose.

"Keep it down, Snow White. This isn't your personal concert hall."

picks up baby leash and picks up the baby

[perennialpetals]

Well now, this is unexpected.

Mostly because this child is the first person in Wonderland to show anything beyond their natural capabilities of pleasantry.

It's refreshing. Maybe that's not a healthy conclusion, but given the way she's feeling regarding Amethyst and Pearl, it's oddly helpful to be face to face with someone who isn't going to tiptoe around any of their issues with her... even if their issues are limited to first impressions.

Rose can't help but smile. As cynical and sarcastic as the child is, it's still a little cute. Then again, that's probably just Rose's horrible bias in the favor of humans.

"I'm sorry you didn't care for it; maybe I should sing louder," she lightly teases, though the joking is so flippant, that there's no dedication to back up her threat of singing again.

"Or if you want revenge, you can subject me to your singing." Though it's just as teasing, this time Rose means it; she honestly wouldn't mind one bit. It would be fair, after all.

[fulllifeconsequences]

"...You're patronizing me."

Of course she is. She's big. Chara isn't. She's a little tall to be a human, but she sure does act like one. It's just like an adult. Assume they don't have to take it seriously, because it's coming from someone less powerful than they are. She's just having a laugh at Chara's expense. Poking fun.

They sink down from their tiptoes, shrink behind the hedge again for a bit - only to pop out from the other end. Now that they've come around, they can really see how big Rose is, and therefore how utterly dwarfed they are. That's fine. It's fine. They've beaten things bigger than they are before.

"I'm not singing. Neither are you. What, do you come from a world that's just a Disney movie? Do people burst into song at random all the time where you're from?"

[alphyswhatsabara]

Large pink woman, there is a large goat man wearing a pink flower shirt, and wielding a pair of pruning shears over yonder, by the clematis vine whose blossoms have blown -- it must have been spring blooming -- and who is carefully, and slowly trimming the vine back to encourage new growth for the following spring.

Why is he out here after dark, trimming back a vine? Then again, why are you out here in the dark, singing up vegetables?

It's a bit of an odd conundrum, the two of you, gardening by moonlight.

"Good evening," rumbles a deep bass voice. He's seen you, singing-to-vegetables-woman.

[perennialpetals]

"Good evening to you too," Rose responds without missing a beat, looking back over to him, making eye contact; that's polite, as far as she's learned. Momentarily, she looks back to the plant, and with a wave of her hand, causes it to start to grow fruit. There. Now it's good enough to walk away from.

Curiously, she wanders over to the stranger, noting he looked remarkably similar to another monster who greeted her upon her initial arrival.

"Are you the regular groundskeeper? I hope I'm not infringing upon your garden..." She gestures to his flowers, "Or your handiwork."

[alphyswhatsabara]

Asgore eyes what this large woman has just done with the plant she had been tending. That. Is not something a human can do. This woman must be some sort of monster -- it might explain the size and hair color.

"No, I'm afraid not. I'm just an old monster who enjoys his time in the garden; helps keep me grounded." That wasn't meant to be a pun. Or maybe it was.

"I'm just tinkering around the edges, taking care of some seasonal pruning that I noticed could be done, is all."

[naughty_nurse]

Mikan had only gone to the gardens to get a few flowers - she wanted to put them in a vase for the clinic, maybe making things a little prettier for whatever patients she'd have in the future. She'd only taken a few steps, when the witnessed the... Okay to be fair she had no idea what she was witnessing.

She stares, dropping the vase she'd brought along - it shatters on the ground.

[perennialpetals]

The shattering effectively shakes Rose from her walking reverie, making her keenly and instantly alert and aware of the woman's presence.

However, before she even utters a word, she walks over to the woman and the broken glass, kneeling down to pick up the shards, the glass refusing to cut into her skin as she scoops it up.

"Are you alright?" she asks soft and warm as she helps to clean up the mess, finally glancing up at the woman. "You're not hurt, are you?"

[naughty_nurse]

"Uwah!" Is the only sound that comes out at first - but then she regains some control of herself. Mikan quickly kneels down, trying to take the shards, not caring if she gets cut.

"I'm so sorry!" She squeaks, ready to cry. "I didn't meant to interrupt! Please don't hurt yourself because I was being so foolish!"

[sciencelizard]

Alphys is wandering the mansion, trying to distance herself from... almost everyone that knows her, or at least the ones that know her maybe too well, after the events of a few days ago. There's nothing she can do to fix what's broken, and laying low, removing herself from the equation is better for everyone at this point. So she's out of her room, despite not wanting to be anywhere, when she hears Rose, sees Rose, and immediately tries to hide herself while still watching.

It hits Alphys that she's never actually met Rose face-to-face when she's... well, normal, as she is. The only time they met outside the network they were all in cosplay, and now she's so... different. Tall. Just as pink, really. Amazing hair. Beautiful. And here's Alphys, five foot basically nothing, constantly slouching, labcoat absolutely dirty. She has to get out of here before she's spotted, before she makes an absolute fool of herself.

So naturally, she goes to leave, steps on her own tail, and eats shit on the pathway, tumbling into a heap pretty much right next to her.

"I'm s-sorry!" Alphys immediately jumps, trying to dust herself off and looking for the first opportunity to run. "I didn't, uhm, m-mean to interrupt, or, uh, I wasn't really doing a-anything, in particular, uh, anywaybye!" She looks like she's about to bolt, but can't seem to untangle herself long enough to run.

Great first impressions there, girl. Fantastic.

[perennialpetals]

Rose is certainly surprised by Alphys' sudden presence, but she doesn't have time to dwell on the why's or even embarrassment. There's far more important priorities.

"Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?"

The Gem is far too busy to pettily fret over the little things; she's too preoccupied with hurrying over to Alphys and kneeling down, extending a hand to her reptilian friend so she can help her up. Now that that priority number one is in the works, time to initiate priority number two: reassuring.

"And please don't worry about apologizing; you didn't interrupt anything. Besides, I'm always happy to see a friendly, familiar face."

[sciencelizard]

She jumps a bit, trying to smile but mostly just looking like she's gritting her teeth, before she has to stop, take a breath, and try to salvage this clusterfuck of an introduction.

"I'm f-fine, uh, physically, at least." She forces herself to take Rose's hand, because as much as it scares her, she really, really wants to- Rose is gorgeous, and still for some reason interested in her despite everything, which is remarkable all things considered about Alphys' entire existence. "I didn't, uh, I mean I know you l-looked, uhm, busy, doing... w-whatever it is you were doing. I mean, while you w-were singing. You sounded really great, uhm, s-singing, by the way!"

She's trying. She's trying so hard.

/slips in

[mandrakes]

Night, Regis has always found, is far more accommodating to the various indicators that point out to others he is not quite human, and he finds himself venturing out into the grounds of the mansion often after dusk and well into the evening, when the moon casts milkier light than the sun could ever hope to create.

The singing catches his attention from a distance, his curiosity drawing him towards it and a small smile ticking one corner of his lips up when he finds the impressive woman tending to the tomato plant. He isn't blind to what she is doing, but he chooses not to disturb her, instead seating himself on a nearby wall until her unintended performance is over.

"Begging your pardon," he says, voice low and even. "But that is quite a talent you have."

Ack! I'm so sorry for the delay; hiatus sprung up. Still on it, but trying to help lessen backtags

[perennialpetals]

Well... she knew her time alone would be cut short one of these days. However, Rose can't help but count her blessings, grateful that the voice is an unfamiliar one. Standing, her movements are smooth and even, and a smile graces her lips as she turns her head to look at the source without her mass of pink locks obscuring his form.

"Thank you; that's kind of you to say," she begins, her tone just as practiced and genuinely pleasant as her countenance. "I hope I'm not infringing on your usual space. I'm... relatively new here."

no probs! I am moving house atm so I am also slow <3

[mandrakes]

"Not at all. I would be more concerned that I was intruding upon yours." He had, after all, crept up on her while she was singing and made the decision to seat himself and watch. Aside from her being rather impressive to look at, he had appreciated her singing voice simply for what it was.

He got to his feet and bowed neatly, one arm curled across his stomach.

"Emiel Regis Rohellec Terzieff-Godefroy, at your service," he told her, straightening up with a pleasant, if close-lipped smile. "But simply 'Regis' is more than sufficient."

[assembles]

The issue with having a puppy and living on the seventh floor is that Steve has to take Dodger out often. A dog can't be trained to go in a litter box the same way as a cat, but Steve doesn't mind running downstairs to let Dodger do his business. Dodger himself doesn't appear that sick of it either, what with the excitable way that he sniffs through the flowers in the gardens, looking for new and interesting smells.

Naturally, it doesn't take long for the two of them to come across a large, pink woman who is singing and... growing plants? Steve has seen a lot of strange, impossible powers both back home and here in Wonderland, but this is the first time he's seen someone grow a plant that would usually take months to bloom in a matter of seconds.

He pauses a good distance away and simply watches for a while, keeping Dodger at his heel as he waits for the stranger to finish her song. Once she's done, he brings his hands together in a quiet clap.

"That was impressive. Uhh... all of it." Singing and magical plant powers both.

[perennialpetals]

"Why, thank you," Rose answers before she even glances over. But a grateful smile graces her lips as it sinks in that this is a new voice; what a relief. It's someone who doesn't know about the overly-complicated and complex issues between her and her fellow Crystal Gems.

Countenance warm, she looks over to the human man and his canine. "That was kind of you to applaud; I didn't really do much."

You know, aside from bending the laws of nature and being able to carry a tune. Normal stuff, right?

sorry that this is late!

[mettatonvevo]

What drew Mettaton to the gardens, he couldn't really say. Perhaps he was looking for some quiet place that wasn't the mansion to think over everything that had happened lately. Asriel's attack, Alphys's mental collapse because of it, Sans's secret, everything between the children and Toriel... A lot has happened in the two short months he has been here. So he walks through the garden, uncharacteristically contemplative and quiet.

Then he hears a soft melody, sweet and inviting, and is walking towards it before he can stop and think. Twisting and turning, he follows through the maze he somehow ended up in until finally exiting to see Rose framed in moonlight, crooning to and caressing a tomato plant. He is struck dumb for a moment, her beauty stirring something inside him. Seeing her like this... for a moment, Mettaton can understand why Greg would want to give up everything to be with her.

He pulls himself together, waiting until she is finished singing to speak. "Your talents continue to grow every time I see you."

don't sweat it! my hiatus usurped tag time anyway, so you're perfectly fine <3

[perennialpetals]

"Huh? Oh!" Rose quickly stands up straight, a warm smile instantly pulling on her lips as the familiar voice registers. There's genuine happiness in her grin, but it's tinged with a guilty relief. It's only a matter of time until she has to sort out things with her fellow Crystal Gems, but right now, she can't help but feel grateful that the person who stumbled upon her isn't one of her team, but rather an acquaintance she much admires.

"Thank you, Mettaton. It's... so nice to see you. In person, I mean." Not because he isn't a former servant-turned-partner she has thousands of years of history with or a hurt Kindergarten-grown Earthling.

"What brings you out to the gardens tonight?"