She'd fallen into the rhythm of taking care of the gardens. Different plants had started to stand out- she liked the irises, and the succulents, but her favorite still remained the honeysuckles. That was evident across her pelt, with their vines winding around her child body, woven and braided over one another.

It was in the gardens that she spend most of her times. It was really shaping up, she thought- but, there was a lot to take care of. A few of the hedges have grown out of place, though, and a few other plants needed tending.

Thank goodness for tools. Pollen had started going about the place, using over-sized shears and barely reaching up to get the hedges. An edge of overgrown leaves were still on the top, and there was no way she could reach over to level out them without falling over. A grumble rose in her throat, high pitched and squeaky, and she huffed.

Fine. Moving on. She continued about the garden in this fashion, working around in sections, making sure the crystal statues didn't have any vines growing over them (if it didn't look like they were meant to have them). Things weren't bad overall- the deer made sure to that- but she liked helping! She gave the garden new directions, made sure they had room to grow, all with the energy of a child at play.

She loved this job. She really did! She wouldn't trade it for anything- well, she did want her sisters to visit. But, it'd only been a few days, so, maybe soon! She hoped so, at least.

And so, as she trimmed along the outer hedge wall of the garden, Pollen let out a little hum of a tune, dancing lightly in her work.

@V-Zoisite-One

The world had become complicated. Or, at least, Zoisite had found that she was starting to understand the world, and now was starting to pick at the pieces. It made her skin crawl, tugging at where it connected to carapace under coarse fur.

Today, Zoisite did not want to face the difficulties at her doorstep. They were left forgotten, in wake of a mission that had been spent too long on the side lines, waiting for the perfect moment. Destiny, finally, preciously, was being reached toward. The six legged, insectoid creature crept far from home (less far than previous ventures, but--) to a new land, one that was lit in a unique, strange light.

Zoisite had to hold her head back to watch her step, but she stopped every few moments to admire the view, reaching up on to her hind legs so she could stare more easily. The plant life that grew here lived in a different light... Had Venari ever been here?

The Palace drew her attention, but it felt like a place that her stained talons shouldn't touch, and so she tread around it, past it, beyond until a wall of plants blocked her way. They were strangely organized, hedges in straight lines like the perfect walls of the Palace. Curiosity held her heart for a moment, and then...

Bravery. Daring. Desire: Zoisite wanted to see what was beyond, and this harmless request that fired in her mind was met with a simple, deadly whisper. Why not? And so, the talons reached up, and with a scuttling motion, the insectoid creature climbed over the hedges and entered into the most beautiful place she had ever seen.

Flowers in patches and waves, colors blending into one another, all perfectly placed as though by some diligent designer. If the wildflowers had been beautiful, and Venari's patchwork garden breathtaking, this? It was indescribable. The hand of a goddess must have decided what truly should grow and where to make this perfect garden, and Zoisite? Zoisite immediately felt a thousand unseen eyes lock upon it.

It was a trespasser. But immediately, she knew. This was the place where the flower she needed would be growing. If something as small and miserable as a crime stood between her and her -------- if-- if that-- then so be it. Was the Zoisite not also a killer who could not stomach the responsibility? What, then, was something as insignificant as treading on holy ground? She already had made so many worse mistakes.

The Zoisite crept along the edge of the garden, sticking to the shadow in a low, stalking crouch, head tilted sideways to squint at the rows of flowers as she passed. And then, her big dumb head bumped into something soft and squeaky. Every inch of her froze, locking up like a bug under a recently uncovered rock suddenly exposed to sunlight.

@Pollen

Pollen moved with the grace of a child just learning to dance- and that was to say, not a lot. It was hard to reach up all the way to the tops of the hedges, and she had to balance on the veeeery edges of her paws, lest she crash down--

At the lightest touch, Pollen went tumbling, a loud squeak escaping her as she rolled in the soft grass. Aaa! A monster, coming to atta-

No, wait, she was fine. Patting herself over, Pollen twisted up, sitting in place as she looked at the strange Zoisite. Who was this? Definitely not a monster- they looked so pretty! Pollen giggled out at her own tumble, sweeping her hands over her legs and back, cleaning the fresh dew off of her. "I'm sorry!" Her voice cracked in the middle of that, which sent her into more of a giggling fit. "It's really hard to reach the top! Are you okay?"

Because, the totally still and definitely not affected being was definitely, probably hurt. Pollen grinned up, leaning forward and planting her hands on the ground, round, innocent eyes staring right into all million of this being's eyes.

Except, they were the false ones. Oops?

@V-Zoisite-One

Zoisite did not move a single muscle. If she did not move, maybe no one would notice that she had bumped into something. Maybe it would be fine.

Someone squeaked at her. Head twisting, the Zoisite's golden eyes found the source of what she had bumped into: a perfectly innocent looking little green creature. A... A child, even, given her proportions and... "I'm sorry," she said back, mandibles clicking. This was terrible. Immediately, the Zoisite crouched down low to the ground, so as to not tower like a huge, terrifying monster.

... but... then she asked if she was okay? "... Me?" She blinked each of her six eyes one at a time, huddled on the floor. "I'm... fine..." Why was this little creature asking if she was alright? Surely she had knocked her over, probably bruised her...

"... I... I'm sorry," again with the apologies. "Are these your flowers...?" Oh, no.

@Pollen

When the other head moved, Pollen's eyes locked onto that one, instead, perking up. Oh! Two heads? Cool! Pollen smiled, drawing her paws in closer. "It's okay! I'm not hurt," she assured the stranger, nodding.

They seemed very... quiet. That was okay, too. Tilting her head, Pollen watched when the stranger lowered themselves down, onto the same level as her. "It's okay," she said again, one paw coming up and waving. She'd be fine, and they were fine, so everything was good!

Pollen stared up to the hedge, though. "Umm- it's the Palace's! I take care of them." She pointed up to the alabaster structure, in ways of explanation. "I think Miss Isra owns them." She scooted closer just a little bit, eyes wide with interest.

"What's your name? I'm Pollen, and I'm the Gardener here, so I take care of the flowers and plants and everything!" Nevermind if she'd already said that last part, but she was eager to meet someone else- did they live at the Palace, too? Why hadn't she seen them around, before?

@V-Zoisite-One

The little one tried to reassure her, much to the cold shiver down her spine and the quiet, subtle rattle of her quills. The flowers didn't belong to Pollen, but she took care of them, so... it was her responsibility to tend them? But she was so young... She reminded her of Oliver, except more oblivious and naive... oh...

Miss Isra? Who was that? The insectoid creature lowered her head, staring down at her front talons. "My name is..." Did she dare claim a name? What would her family think? But this little gembound, well... If she called her that name, she could claim that it was a nickname, maybe?

"Zoey," she whispered. "... my name is Zoey." Pretty, and beautiful, and lovely, all the things she wasn't quite yet-- but it reminded her of little Mary, that name, and she adored it with a soft, guilty pleasure in her heart. "I'm so sorry," she said again, clicking quietly, moving her mandibles as little as possible so as to not scare the little gembound. "I'm looking for a rare flower to bring to my friend... But, I-- I didn't meant to try and steal Miss Isra's flowers."

Hopefully she wouldn't get in trouble...

@Pollen

Pollens head lowered with this being's, enough to the point that she fell over to lay down on her side. Wow, their eyes were low. But, at the pause, Pollen realized- did they prefer their number? She opened her mouth to ask for that instead, but Zoey spoke before she did.

"Zoey's a pretty name!" she agreed, thumping her tail down into the grass. "It's okay, Zoey. I'm fine!" Pollen held up her paws, shrugging. She folded them back when Zoey talked about flowers, and Pollen perked up. "We have a lot of flowers! It's not stealing- flowers come and go, anyways. You can't really steal them when we can grow more!"

Shuffling up, Pollen shoved up to balance and pace further into the Garden, beckoning with her hand. "I can show you some really pretty flowers, and you can say if you've seen them before or not?" She'd have to get the spade, or perhaps a basket to carry a pot... Could Zoey carry baskets? She turned back, considering, before disappearing around a corner.

Flowers of any kind would have been along the path- purple irises, flowers that shone with voidlight, shimmering bushes- anything within the realm of feasible possibility for Zoey to pick out.

@V-Zoisite-One

Zoey's a pretty name.

Her name. Pretty. She-- she didn't deserve it, yet, but how it made her heart swell. Private, far away from her family, she could be... Pretty. She could be Zoey. The guilt she would later feel could swallow her whole, but in the moment, all she felt was joy.

"Are you sure...?" The kaiju asked, jaws clicking together. Pollen offered to help her, and cautiously, the larger gembound crawled behind as they trekked through the garden. "... I don't have anything for you." It seemed unfair to ask something of Pollen without giving something in return, especially when this flower could do so much for Zoey.

Pollen's kindness was somewhat lost on the Zoisite.

She tried to look around for something along the path, while hunching down and trying to keep attention to where Pollen was, but it was difficult with her upside-down head to keep track of everything at once. One of her talons snagged on a root somewhere and she stumbled, her massive body tumbling into one of the flower beds.

Panic took hold, and she scrambled to her feet, talons slashing the plant life underneath as she tried to right herself. Her quills rattled with alarm, her eyes wide, and she froze in place, covered in mulch and staring down at one of the delicate flowers she had destroyed. She looked up at Pollen, mandibles parting, but no sound came out of her dry throat.

@Pollen

"Oh, no, it's fine!" Pollen assured her, waving a paw dismissively. She giggled, like little chimes, her other paw coming up to her mouth. "We have plenty of plants, anyways, and I can always grow more."

She continued stomping on through the garden, looking at the various plants. What did Zoey think of them? She slowed down for a moment, picking up a basket she'd left out in one of the small areas. "Do you mind dig-" she began, but startled when Zoey went right side up. "Ah!" Her gasp was small and quiet, and she trundled on over, ears up as Zoey panicked.

What could Pollen do..? Raising one hand, Pollen put on the gentlest voice she could, smiling softly. "Hey, it's okay! You have a lot of body to get used to," she chuckled, grinning. "I'll fix that up when you leave, okay?"

Hesitantly, Pollen offered a hand for Zoey to take, either with help righting herself or for just a pat on the head. "Do you want to keep going? I promise it's okay, okay?" And she did go to pat Zoey on the head, very slowly and considerate. If she flinched away, she certainly wouldn't press it- but it seemed the poor giant wasn't having that grand of a time, anyways.

They just had to find the perfect flower to help.

@V-Zoisite-One

As Zoey flailed and stared, bloodsoaked-colored jaws slacked wide, Pollen has only raised her hand and... well, cooed at her. Again, she was promised that it was okay, but a sweeping glance about the trench she had carved out with her mass told her that it would be a lot of work to fix the flowers she had trampled.

Pollen reached out with her soft, small hand, and the bed of quills lining her body clattered even louder at the sight. At her other end, her tail pincers clacked together, and her talons dug deep into the soil as she steadied herself. She shied away, pulling her head back from the muta. Six, huge golden eyes stared forward, like spotlights shined right at Pollen's outstretched limb.

"Careful," she warned with the barest clip of her mandibles, keeping the deadly scissors held tightly closed so that a swing of her head in a panic wouldn't slice any of the young gardener's limbs (or head) from her body. Pollen showed no fear of her-- foolishly, unfortunate, as it was-- and she retreated back another few, clumsy steps to create space between them, but thankfully the gardener did not push the issue and insist on bringing that soft, squishy hand too close to the deadly pincers. After a few moments, quite slowly, the rattlesnake-esqe rattling of her quills hushed, and she raised her head, craning her neck to peer about the garden.

"... thank you," she spoke in that same, cautious and slow fashion. "I'm okay to continue. I'll be more... careful," she looked back down at her feet, slowly stepping forward on to the path once more. "... Okay." It would be a bit hard to search for the perfect flower while watching her own feet, but the last thing she wanted to do was cause more trouble.

@Pollen