2167/The Language of Flowers

The Language of Flowers
Date of Scene:	14 December 2024
Location:	Radiant Heart Academy
Synopsis:	Laura runs into Seiko and the conversation goes between Christmas and Flowers.
Cast of Characters:	Seiko Akai, Laura La Mer

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Seiko Akai has posed:
Its a cool day in Tokyo. The sky is grey and threatening to rain. At least the weather isn't really all that inclimate. The gardening club is out and around the school, working in the flower beds, clearing away the dieing plants that have been ravaged by frost. Among the club members, Seiko Akai is out pulling some dead annuals and working on cutting back perennials.

"My latest sun is sinking fast
My race is nearly run
My longest trials now are past
My triumph has begun
Oh come angel band
Come and around me stand
Oh bear me away on your snow white wings
To my immortal home..."

Seiko sings happily as she works. Most of the others in the club ignore her or seem to be enjoying the singing. She pulls out a dead annual by the roots and sets it aside. Then she moves on to a perennial that she trims down, making it look pretty even though it looks mostly dead.

Laura La Mer has posed:
Laura had learned there was such a thing as Christmas here in the dry lands just a few days prior, thanks to the incessant clamor there was for this event among shops. It sounded quite weird to her, and looking it up on the internet hadn't really improved her opinion much.

Why would an old man choose to live in such a cold place? why not pick a warm place that doesn't require you to sink into the snow? And she kind of pitied that reindeer only being able to stand up for himself thanks to the others finding a use for his nose.

Though, it was apparently a time when you prepare gifts for others, so she had gone back to Grand Ocean to better gather ideas on what she could give. One such idea was putting together conches and seashells in a form that resonated with her friends, but she was still kind of working on it.

Walking back on campus ground, the sound of someone singing attracts her attention, and she of course knew who the songstress was. "Hey, Seiko", Laura greets the other pinkette. "How goes the training?"

Seiko Akai has posed:
Seiko perks up when she hears a familiar voice. She turns and smiles to Laura as she finishes with the perennial. "Hey, Laura!" She responds with a smile. "Its going well enough. I am enjoying it. We are cleaning up the flower beds for the winter. The plants are dead or dormant at this point." She smiles as she stands up and wipes her dirty hands off on her pants.

"Ahhh better." She comments as smiles. Her jeans are dirty and so is her top. Turns out school uniforms aren't the best for doing this type of work so they wear some other clothes while doing it. "If I wasn't hoping to become a pop idol, I would wanna grow plants for a living. There is something to be said about the simple life. You know? Just planting things, watching them grow, watching them flower and go to seed. Its really something how nature works like that."

The dirty girl laughs and smiles, "So umm, Are you ready for Christmas? Its a really fun time of the year." She smiles and puts a hand on her hip. "Its going to snow soon. That always makes the season feel bright."

Laura La Mer has posed:
"I see, so Hoshi could have hatched into a gardener too?", Laura asks, imagining the little Chara Guardian in a typical gardening uniform holding tiny hedge trimmers and a small showel. She smirks a little at the thought, finding it amusing and cute in equal measure. "Look out, my passion is blooming!", she breaks out in a decent impression of the Chara's voice.

"Christmas stories are weird, and it is a really troublesome custom. I just found out about this a few days ago and there are lots of things that I have to do now. I would have appreciated more time to prepare, really", she raises her arms in a gesture of resignation.

She doesn't really comment on the state of Seiko's clothes, though she doesn't know how the other girl can stand being in those conditions. Had it happened to herself, she would have stuck herself in a bath with the speed of lightning.

"I guess it is simple when you put it that away, and flowers are beautiful. There is this garden of bubble flowers at Grand Ocean that is my favourite place. I stayed there all the time, basking in their fragrance, singing among them...", the mermaid sighs with a dreaming smile on her face, lost amidst past memories.

Seiko Akai has posed:
"That sounds like a really beautiful place. I love gardens. They are all different. All unique! Each one is just like the people that designed it. The fragrances all blend into a beautiful perfume. Not to mention the colors and the wildlife that comes with it. From the cute little bees that pollenate the flowers to the ladybugs that eat aphids off the the leaves. Not to mention the butterflies." She smiles dreamily.

"HEY! I couldn't be anything but a pop idol!" Hoshi comes flying out of Seiko's bag. She flies to Laura and pokes her tongue out. "Sure there could have been another kid who hatched out of an egg that was all about plants but I'm the one who hatched!" She smiles trying not to sound too prideful.

"Christmas is a big time of the year. Its not as big here in Japan as it is in America. Its crazy big there. There they usually have a big feast of ham and mashed potatoes and all sorts of stuff. Here they get chicken for christmas. I blame KFC." She laughs. "But the real point of the season is just being together with friends and family. That and giving gifts to each other. Its a time when everyone smiles a little more. They are friendlier and just trying to be the best version of themselves." She smiles a little.

Laura La Mer has posed:
"I don't see why you would need a holiday to be with those you care about", Laura replies, still not really sure she would be big into this Christmas stuff. "If I wanted to be with my friends, all I would do is go to them, or call them with a phone here, or a mirror in Grand Ocean. And then there are the presents. I would have wanted a lot more heads up than this", she frowns at the rush she is in.

"You know, I was doing you a favour by thinking it would have still been you. Singing is awesome, but would you really have been fine with the thought of Seiko hatching someone who isn't you?", Laura asks staring at the Chara, not taking kindly to the little fairy sticking her tongue out at her.

"I think not limiting yourself to chicken is much better. Wouldn't that get old fast?", the mermaid tells Seiko. "I am not sure I even like fried chicken all that much. A variety of things to please everyone seems much better to me", she nods with convinction. That would seem much natural to her. Isn't that the point of hanging out? Making sure everything is enjoyable?"

"There are no bugs in Grand Ocean. The bubble flowers practically care for themselves, and they don't rely on them for spreading either. They really are self-sufficient", Laura lists the flowers' features proudly. "They also have a lot of uses: the perfume ring I have uses their fragrance, and their fruits, these small pink-blue spheres, are what Kururun's shell cookies are made from. Do you have anything special like that?"

Seiko Akai has posed:
"You don't have to get anyone anything. You didn't know about it. Its okay." Seiko kindly explains. "The point is being with friends. Its not about the gifts we give or receive. Its about enjoying each other's company. Being with those we love." She smiles and nods. "Just be yourself. You don't need to get anyone anything. We will understand."

Hoshi smiles, "I wouldn't trade being Seiko's chara friend for anything. She is an good friend. I'm still learning how things work but she is really helpful." Hoshi smiles and flies around Laura and then over to Seiko.

"Oh its just a tradition to have chicken on Christmas. Its not something you eat every day. In America they do Ham, potatoes, gravy, stuffing, veggies... and stuff like pumpkin pie for dessert. My mom used to make christmas dinner like that." She smiles fondly about her past. "Christmas is different here but its still Christmas."

"Oh we've got all sorts of plants and flowers that we use for different things. For instance, Roses are used for Perfumes and they are just beautiful to look at. Ones like strawberries flower in really pretty little white flowers then they develop into the fruit that we eat. Most plants flower before producing fruits. Like Melons and Pumpkins. Even Cucumbers that we use to make pickles have flowers. Its the circles of a plants life. They start as a seed, they grow into a plant. The plant flowers to attract pollenators like bees and wasps. Once pollenated they go to seed. Birds sometimes eat those seeds, or we do and the seeds get spread and the cycle repeats." She smiles.

"Each type of plant has its special purpose. Some are to look pretty. Some are to supply food, or drinks... Even the names of the plants can symbolize different things. Like a daffodil symbolizes rebirth. Or a rose symbolizes love and beauty. There are so many different flowers out there and all of them have their own meaning."

Laura La Mer has posed:
"But that's important. Yeah, of course, being with friends is the important part, which is why I think the whole holiday is iffy, but you are going to give your friends gifts, right? I can't be the only one to skip out on it", Laura huffs stubbornly, before extending a smile to Seiko. "Don't worry, though. I think it's absurd still, but I have it all handled. Worst case scenario, I will send Kururun to apologise for me. Right, Kururun?" Laura grins towards the teapot.

The seal fairy pops out of it, a surprised look on her face that changes into a sighing "Kururun...", looking down and shaking her head. "Of course, I was just joking, Kururun!" Laura exclaims, pouting at it falling flat. "I wouldn't do that for real. Seiko said it too, that friends are the important part."

A confused look appears on Laura's face when she doesn't quite just how Hoshi's reply connects to her statement, but she lets it go, not really finding it that important. "I hope you have been teaching her too, her dream depends on you", she remarks instead.

Laura listens intently to all the information Seiko brings out, committing it all to mind so she can break it down later, showing an interested and curious expression over the Chara Bearer's explanation. "I don't really know if we have ever given a meaning to the bubble flower, but that's something I should go check, and maybe check if it overlaps with any flower that grows here on land", she smiles.

Seiko Akai has posed:
"Okay!" Seiko responds concerning Christmas and the giving of gifts. "Yes of course I will be giving gifts. I grew up with Christmas though. Surely there are holidays that you have in Grand Ocean that we don't have here on land?" She smiles happily." She laughs at the idea of sending Kururun to apologise. Then seeing the seal fairy's response she tries her best not to laugh at the pair.

Hoshi flies over to the dead plants and frowns. "They don't look like much to me. Certainly not much to get hyped up over. I remember seeing them when they were pretty. They look dead now."

Seiko takes a her clippers to one of the lifeless stems of one of the plants. She snips it at an angle. "Look. Its green underneath. Just because the plant looks lifeless doesn't mean it is. These ones survive all winter and come back next year. They will be all green and will make flowers again."

Seiko looks at Laura and smiles to her. "There could be a meaning behind them. Or maybe they are just waiting for the right meaning to be given to them." She smiles happily. "This plant that I just trimmed to show you the green, Its a Chrysanthemum. They symbolize friendship and happiness. Well all but the yellow ones. Those have a different meaning."

Laura La Mer has posed:
"We do have our holidays, but it's not like I have checked whether you humans would have them. I'd say that's probably the cause though, we have really made much contact with humans ro overelf ", Laura replies with a shrug of her shoulders. That, and they were so connected to Grand Ocean's general culture that she would know how humans would be able to share them in this eventuality.

"You are right", Laura watches close with happy amazement at the proof of its life. That's really a persistent little plant, and she can't help but feeling a sense of closeness with that little plant. "Life really is marvelous sometimes, I would have never been able to tell", she smiles widely.

"I like the meaning the Chrysanthemum has, it's something really important it has. I guess it has to be a really important flower here on land, right?", she looks at Seiko expectantly.

Seiko Akai has posed:
"Well I'm guessing our holidays are not like yours. Its not bad. Just different. I would love to visit Grand Ocean some day. Though I dunno how I'd breathe under water." She laughs a little at the thought. "I can at least swim." She giggles.

Seiko looks at the mum and gently touches it. "Other flowers do the same thing. Its a Perennial. That means it comes back every year. Some of them get really big. My favorite flower comes from a bush. Its called a Lilac. They smell amazing. The air is thick with the smell of them when they are in bloom. They mean renewal." She smiles a little.

"Well Chrysanthemums are really popular. They are super common in Autumn because thats when they bloom. They are a hardy plant that stands up to the frost really well but can't handle freezing temperatures. So yeah, they have importance. Roses are the big flowers though. They are among the prettiest. But here." Seiko gets out her phone and brings up the image of Chrysanthemums in full bloom. "This is what that plant looks like when it blooms. I think that one I snipped is red when it blooms."

Laura La Mer has posed:
"We foresaw something like that, of course, we are not that isolated", Laura grins proudly at the consideration Seiko makes towards breathing. "Our human guests may be a rarity, but we made sure they would be able to breathe underwater if they came visit. My Aqua Pot works under a similar system, only on a much smaller level."

"Kururun", the seal warns slightly, poking against Laura. "Oh, right", Laura exclaims in realisation. "I have to go now, but it has been nice getting in touch, Seiko! I should give a last look at the work for Monday, I promised myself I would triple check it. See you again soon!" the mermaid tells her, waving a hand at the other pinkette and heading towards the dorms in a hurry.