[PRP] Learning the Power of Gentleness

[Jackariah Beckett]

This is an rp for the rp prompt of May.

The players

 

[Jackariah Beckett]

Deinos plodded half sullenly down the trail he had found. It hadn't mattered where it led, only that his herdmate had angrily told him to find some other project to ruin. He sighed and his shoulders drooped further as the memory replayed in his head. He had been tasted from one of the gardener ivysaurs to fetch some water. "Leave it by the rows when you return" he mimicked sarcastically, trying to ignore the disappointment in himself. Unfortunately he hadn't listened when he returned and grew bored waiting for the Gardner to return from its own task.

He was strong enough to bring a large cask full of water from the nearby stream. It was why he had been tasked with bringing it from the flowing bank to begin with. Unfortunately, living in a Herd of minis, he still hadn't learned how to control his strength all the time. And the tomatoes had looked so dry! He winced as the next scene played through his memory. A few of his vines eagerly lifting a pail filled to the brim from the cask and drenching the poor plant. Almost all of the fruit being landed off the vines by the falling water.

The mini had come back at just that moment to find branches of his precious plant snapped and bent every which way. Deinos had been almost shocked at his quickness as he yelled at Deinos. Snapping his vine whips against his hide as he frustrated claimed he'd use Deinoses hide as a sun shield for the lost plant next time he saw him near his rows.

Deinos scuffed a hoof through the dirt and walked through the small cloud. He really wished there was some way he knew how to control his clumsiness. There was nothing more in the world he wanted more than to be able to help the Herd that had adopted him when he found his basket alone in the forest.

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[Jackariah Beckett]

The path he was currently walking in would lead right to Niobe, not that she was paying any attention at the moment.

Piles of leaves and other items she used to protect her garden during the winter months, now needed to be cleared off and the small new growths given a breath of fresh air and the kiss of sunlight.

And that was exactly what she was in the process of doing, she was buried in leaves as she used her wings to fling them everywhere away from her garden now, she'd deal with that mess later; right now all she was focused on was clearing her beds.

In this patch she had a mix of different berries and herbs planted, and a few flowers that she couldn't help but add to garden, each plant had a purpose though. Maybe not the strawberries she thought with a sigh, those were just a favorite treat of hers.

After she cleared the beds, she would need to check out her water paths and open those back up, she wasn't strong enough to carry large things of water to keep her plants hydrated and healthy, so she had worked out another method.

Humming to herself as she tossed away more leaves and twigs, tunneling around as she did so.

WC:: 216  

[Jackariah Beckett]

A slight breeze flowed over Deinos, bringing with it a multitude of delicious smells. The wafting breeze flowing through his nostrils brought him out of his reverie and made him pause on his path. Lifting his head and purposefully bringing it into his lungs, he gave a small smile. The variety calmed him. Some might have been overwhelmed by the mixture, but to him it reminded him of home.

His vines started tugging him further down the path, breaking his moment peace with the breeze. His only thought being maybe they had tasted something else on the breeze, but they were silent in his minds eye, keeping whatever information they had to themselves and hurrying him along. Deinos shrugged and continued on the path once more.

He could hear soft rustling now. His curiosity building as a soft grunt mixed in. His vines gave off no sense of danger, so he continued on. After rounding a bend, he finally understood his vines reactions and smiled happily. It was the small mare he had met over the curious rabbit. Had she planted all these wonderfully smelling plants? He couldn't help breathing in a lung full of the smells before nervously calling out to her. "Mi-miss Niobe! It's a pleasure seeing you again". He waited at the edge of her clearing, not wanting to step on anything, but also not wanting to intrude on her before being invited closer. He could see she was busy, and even though it would sadden him, he would leave her to her work if she needed to concentrate. His chest binding subconsciously as he wished she would ask for his help. Being of help to anyone of his friends or family had always been a small dream of his. Any time he could fulfill it sent tingles of happiness through him.

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[Jackariah Beckett]

At the sound of another's voice, Niobe popped her head out of the pile of leaves she has been tunneling through, leaves sticking out of her mane haphazardly as she smiled happily. "Deinos! What a surprise!" She called out to him, motioning with her head to join her. "Come, come; Welcome to one of my gardens, it's time to wake her up and get her ready for spring and summer." She trotted her small frame out of the middle of the garden.

She shook out her mane and tail and sent leaves flying everywhere. "What brings you to these parts?" She asked with a slight tilt of her head, she'd been tending to this garden for years, she surely would have seen him before if he frequented these parts.

Right? Again sometimes she had tunnel vision when it came to tending to her gardens.

She beamed at his vines, "and hello you gorgeous vines, looking healthy and strong" she complimented them. She couldn't forget about them, that would have been rude to say the least.

It was nice to have a chance to visit without the unknown threat of a possible psychopathic bunny. She still couldn't believe how untrusting she had been over a bunny, her brother has not been amused by the story to say the least. Benoni was a bit too protective she thought with an inner eye roll.

WC:: 231  

[Jackariah Beckett]

Deinos stared in wonder as he listened to her. His gaze traveling overwhelmed different varieties grouped together. When he finally found his voice again, he swallowed the surprise down and spoke up. "There are MORE of these?" He asked. "How do you find the time for it all?" Even in his Herd there were more than just the one gardener to look over and care for all the plants. Making sure each one was pruned and weeded for the best optimized growth it could have. He gave a small gulping swallow and continued, his eyes landing on a small path that led from himself to her. "You-you're sure I'm not disrupting you? Or mess anything up?" His eyes remained on the path as his voice became a little quieter. "I made today's gardening mentor angry so he banished me from the fields" He paused for a breath as the scene replayed in his head. "So I started walking and I guess I ended up here." He looked up then to geev a small sheepish grin.

His vines couldn't be bothered with his lamenting story. One was more interested in already giving little kissy faces towards Niobe. It tugged at him slightly, but luckily the pull of one vine wasn't enough to move him before he had definite permission from her. A few others were still moving around as if they were taking in the sight of all the different plants, interest piqued in what they all could be. One smaller vine stealthily creeping towards a berry plant, a ripe, juicy berry in its crosshairs as it inched forward.

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[Jackariah Beckett]

Niobe glanced at her garden and let out a laugh before she gave a smile and an impish shrug of her shoulders. "They are my babies, I love plants and not all of them are active at the same time. I stagger them through the seasons so that I don't get too overwhelmed with them. Though occasionally my mate will help out but I'd rather tend to them, myself really. Keeps me out of trouble honestly." She laughed a little.

" Oh honey you're not going to hurt anything here. Plants are a lot more sturdy than most give them credit for, it's not like your a hard frost." She tsked and shook her head "It's a shame that he let his anger cloud his judgement and banished you instead of teaching you. Gardens teach patience but yet it seems he has little, I wonder if his plants taste bitter." She fluttered her wings almost dismissive in fashion.

For a moment she was distracted by his vines, "Enjoy the berries little one, there are plenty more to come" she cooed at his vines, she was just so taken with them.

She looked back up at the much larger stallion and smiled " Gardening is such a tranquil and accepting hobby, plants are amazing friends. And very non judgmental.." she nodded " Would you like some gardening lessons? Maybe some tips? I could use some help clearing her out, I may have gone a little too crazy bundling it up for winter." She glanced back at her garden, plenty of it still covered.

WC:: 259  

[Jackariah Beckett]

Deinos nodded as he stepped closer to her so they wouldn't have to raise their voices to talk with each other. The berry loving vine scowled at him for moving out of the range of the plant, then peered around for something else to nibble.

"Oh" Deinos smiled down at her. "That's smart. It never acured to me to stagger them." He looked up, his gaze landing on nothing as he thought. "It's smart though." Then his eyes drifted down to her again and a soft chuckle escaped his throat. "For some reason I had could picture you flitting around as garden gnomes chased away hogs from a mushroom patch."

His expression softened as she spoke of her plants surviving him. It made his chest warm at the thought she had such faith in him. He nodded, agreeing with her statement on his mentors anger. "Gardening is where I feel most calm usually. The others keep me away from helping to build any huts as I'm not very good at it.... and honestly it kinda gives me anxiety. But gardening is so peacful.... even when I do it wrong." He giggled then at her question on the taste of the plants. "Luckily he isn't the only one to tend them." Smiling again to her he looked around. "Where do we start?"

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[Jackariah Beckett]

She laughed as the image of garden gnomes chasing hogs away from her mushrooms. "If I could find garden gnomes to aid me, I would jump on it." She giggled. "I do have patches where I grow mushrooms, some though I wouldn't advise that you eat until you're looking for a different kind of adventure. I grow them for some healers that swear they're helpful."

She nodded her head in agreement, "Honestly you can't really garden wrong, even the death of a plant brings some sort of life to follow." She reassured him with a light bump of her nose against his shoulder, but she sent him a quick mischievous smile.

"Let's get these guys uncovered and start waking them up. I'll teach you my secrets!" Her wings gave a happy wiggle as she trotted back towards the garden hidden among the piles of leaves.

She spent the rest of the day happily teaching and guiding him in the ways of tending and waking plants up from their winter slumber.

WC:: 170