Gardens and the Graves

[hafrogman]

Gus's white face blushes as red as his cap when the fairy lays her hand on his head. However, when the other fairy arrives, he backs off and suddenly suffers from a small coughing fit. In a few seconds he recovers, and bows deeply to both fairies.

"My greetings to you Oribella and Tuk. As I said, I am Gus, and this," he pauses to make a grandiose, sweeping gesture,"is indeed the wonderous garden of the Rashaan, and you are both most welcome here."

He ponders Oribella's request for a moment, rubbing one tiny hand on his chin, wishing he had a goatee to stroke.

"Meeting the others. . . hmm. . . who'll be about. Aha! I know, we'll go visit Grouse. He could do with some visitors, I'm sure. He's usually kinda grumpy, so we can go cheer him up!"

He smiles broadly at his own extreme cleverness, and rushes off for a second to put his fork back into his home. Soon he is back, and toddling off towards the thistle's patch. He gestures behind him, beckoning Tuk and Oribella onwards cheerfully.

"This way, this way."

 

[Ashy]

*Gus finds his mushroom patch growing nicely, and carefully turns the earth with his fork. He can hear the faint sounds of the kitchen maids gathering herbs in the kitchen garden close to the house, but they rarely come this deep into the garden.*

*Grouse gets the ladybugs and butterfly out of his patch of weeds, only to find a rather stubborn moth clinging to a dried stalk of grass.*

"Welladay Grandfather Thistle! How be the mornin' to ya?" it inquires cheekily.

"It'd be just fine and dandy...IF YOU WOULD GET OUTTA MY GARDEN!" The thistle harumphs and crosses his prickly arms, tapping his tuffeted foot impatiently...

 

[Lady Shatterstone]

*As Oribella is talking with the mushroom something sparkles out of the corner of her eye. A Frost fairy sets down near them, Oribella bows to him as he introduces himself. Gus introduces her to the new arrival in a round-about way, she smiles to Tuk with an amused shurg as the little mushroom beckons them to follow.*

"What draws you to this beautiful garden?" Oribella ask Tuk as they walk with Gus.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

"It'd be just fine and dandy...IF YOU WOULD GET OUTTA MY GARDEN!" The thistle harumphs and crosses his prickly arms, tapping his tuffeted foot impatiently...

"Well fine then! I was going to tell you that there were two new fairies in the garden, but now I won't tell you at all!" the moth says, looking miffed. It flies away in a huff.

 

[Ashy]

"Well fine then! I was going to tell you that there were two new fairies in the garden, but now I won't tell you at all!" the moth says, looking miffed. It flies away in a huff.

"What?! Ya think these ol' eyes are dull to th' point o' not being able to see that meself? Bah! Off wit' ya, dustie!" The grumpy old thistle waves his makeshift hoe (little more than a crooked stick) in the air as the moth flutters away...

 

[Steve Gorak]

"What draws you to this beautiful garden?" Oribella ask Tuk as they walk with Gus.

"Well, it turns out that the Rashaan are my kin. Since the elves in the forest where I used to live decided to leave, I decided to find a new home and a new place to look after."

Looking at Gus, Tuk says with wonder: "This garden is indeed beautilful, you've benn doing an awesome job."
Looking back at Oribella, "How about you, what brings you here?"




OCC: Edit: changed color from indigo (hard to read) to orange

 

[Lady Shatterstone]

Looking back at Oribella, "How about you, what brings you here?"

*Looking around the garden, she sighs.* " Same as you dear.... A Home." She smiles gently.

 

[hafrogman]

Reaching the edge of the thistle's patch, Gus stops up short for a moment and glances behind him. Reassured that he has not lost the two visitors along the way he turns back to the patch.

"Grouse. . . oh Mr. Grouse. . . Are you there? I have brought some visitors to meet you."

 

[Ashy]

Grouse looks up from where he has just begun hoeing. "Eh? What'zat? What'cha want, Gus? Visitors??"

 

[hafrogman]

Gus nods enthusiastically.

"Yes, visitors. Oribella, Tuk allow me to introduce Grouse, also known as Grandfather Thistle. Grouse, these are Oribella and Tuk. If I heard correctly, they're thinking of staying for a while. Won't that be great Grouse? The more the merrier, I always say!"