I'M IN LOVE WITH A FAIRY TALE | p, delphinium

[align=center]

i o t a

[b]☾ IOTA [abbr="speech; self-reference; thoughts"]x[/abbr] info [abbr="attacks"]x[/abbr] MEDIC ☾

space

space

Cherry paws tread alongside navy as the duo of laboratory runaways made their way through the dank marshlands of the Tanglewood territory, the scarlet sunset beating upon their pelts as they crossed the grounds. Iota took in the scents of the swamp through her nose as she breathed in the smells of friendly territory. The shabby clan grounds might not has been as beautiful as the field of blooms that the feline pranced through with her companion, but it was still very special to her. It was home. Her home. She wanted the kitsune that tread alongside her to feel the same.

Upon her childhood friend joining her own little clan, she realized the first thing she should do was lead her to her pride and joy: the greenhouse, in all of its broken-glass overgrown glory. The broken-down conservatory was her home as much as any other shelter in the marshlands was to any other Tangler. She spent most of her time there, even falling victim to sleep as she witnessed the dim moonlight caress the many petals and stems of the arrangements that lined every corner of the floral workshop. She definitely wanted this glassy building to be the new home for the winged kitsune.

She nudged the glass door open with her head, inviting Delphinium inside, examining each and every corner of the room as she entered as if she hadn't been familiar with her own home. It wasn't just her home, anymore -- it was theirs. Hopefully, she thought, though she would respect her choice if she decided to live elsewhere. The larkspur in its many pots waved in greeting to Iota and Delphinium as they entered, dancing softly in the breeze that the broken glass walls gifted to them. She peered around the walls of the conservatory, analyzing each detail. The many vines and shrubbery that wrapped around the dilapidated greenhouse took a facade as if it were Mother Nature herself giving the shack her warm embrace, channeling her relentless love into the heart of the greenhouse and giving it life.

The pink feline stretched and leaned into Delphinium affectionately as they made themselves at home, sighing softly. "Well, this is the place. My home. My livelihood." She smiled contently as she padded to her shelf, plucking her floral diary once again and flipping through torn pages as she paced the small space for any changes in botanic activity, keen eyes glossing over every herbaceous detail. Some may have called the feline's fascination with plant life as obsessive, though to Iota it was as much habit to her as it was breathing. Her plants were her family, as much as Delphi or any of the Tanglers were.

Her cherry blossom pelt brushed against the pots of larkspur that she had contained, coupled with what seemed like hundreds of other species of plants, as she made her way back to Delphinium in search of her approval. Impressing the eight-tailed fox was crucial to her in that moment; she didn't even want to think about anything that would discomfort her. She gestured over to a small linen bed that sat in the corner of the room, sunburst pupils looking into olive eyes as she tried to accommodate her companion. "My bed's right there. I can find you something to sleep in for now, if you'd like." She kicked the fertile soil beneath her awkwardly, looking down at her paws. She tried to avoid asking this question as she wanted to remain by the kitsune's side no matter what, but she wanted to respect any boundaries that would emerge. "Or, y'know... If you want to live alone, I'm sure I can help you find a vacant place to live in, I respect that," she muttered softly.

[member=1575]delphinium[/member]

[align=center]

☼ - What an odd place Iota had made herself comfortable in. Even the inhabitants struck her as unusual as she passed them, shying away from direct eye contact with them in favor of staring at the two sets of front paws that marched diligently forward. Delphinium wasn't sure what she had been expecting from the outside world - but something quite so... old? Wasn't what she was expecting. Perhaps it was because she was accustomed to the crisp white walls and up to date atmosphere of the Sanctuary that an aging town like Tanglewood caught her attention. She wouldn't quite call it falling apart, but its age was very apparent. Had anybody got tetanus wandering the streets? A smile flickered across her lips at the thought, olive green gaze turning upward to watch Iota masterfully navigate the streets so unknown to Delphinium. How long had she been here? How long had she wandered without a home after escaping the Sanctuary, before she found Tanglewood?

Rounding corners to homes she was unfamiliar with, the duo came to a greenhouse in much worse condition than its surroundings. Decrepit and broken, Delphinium couldn't help but wonder exactly why they had come to see the greenhouse. As Iota entered the greenhouse there was a moment of hesitation from the ashen kitsune, nervous of stepping on glass. Yet her drive to stay close to her friend pushed her forward despite her hesitations, gaze once again locked downward but instead of trying to avoid the attention of others she was on the lookout for anything that could cut her. Despite the crumbling outside, however, the inside was rather immaculate in comparison. Instead of fragments of glass scattered across the floor there was only bear soil, some well trodden as walkways and some tilled for future planting. Delphinium's head drifted up, following the tall arches of potted larkspurs surrounding the entrance of the greenhouse. Her prejudice drained away immediately as the mythic stretched herself up onto her hind legs, wings spread to maintain balance to press her nose into one of the many flowers on the larkspur. Relatively scentless on its own, the act itself was more than satisfying for the girl, small smile broadening into a grin as she lowered herself back onto all fours and drew her wings back in before turning to Iota to listen to the cherry blossom feline speak.

So this was her home, then? It didn't take much stewing for Delphinium to craft a theory, gaze tracing the jagged edges of the partially shattered walls. Delphi hadn't been so keen on the place at first. But of course it would be Iota's home. In disrepair, overrun by nature, overflowing with life - everything the Sanctuary hadn't been. The heat of the sun magnified by the glass, potted plants and wildflowers alike taking hold in the fertile soils, nature's own creation that Iota was there to assist rather than create or destroy. "I love it," she breathed out. Delphinium remained in place as Iota wandered further into the greenhouse, basking in the sights of the overgrowth. Her friend returned to her shortly with a small book unfamiliar to Delphi, evergreen eyes briefly scanning over the bindings before quickly wandering away. It wasn't quite her place to inquire the meanings of the book.

The conversation quickly moved forward as Iota spoke once more, directing the kitsune further into the greenhouse on a small tour. A small bundle of cloth marked her friend's bed, a curious sight in itself. It was better than the ground alone, but she figured that Iota would have given herself the best of the best, what she deserved, instead of remaining modest. Delphinium could always rectify that for her, she supposed. Rounded ears flicked back as Iota drew her from her thoughts once more as she spoke, this time presenting a roundabout question that immediately caused a smile to spread across her features. Without the offer, Delphinium wasn't sure what she would have done: she didn't know her way around well enough to find shelter of her own, and even if she did, sleeping alone hardly seemed appealing right now. "I've had enough isolation for a while," the eight-tailed mythic commented lightly, choosing to not comment on that further as her gaze slid away from Iota. "You have too, 00- ah, Iota." Delphinium responded to her own words by shifting uncomfortably, having pushed herself into a corner she didn't want to be in. This was supposed to be a happy moment. Flicking her gaze back, Delphi flashed another smile, this one much more confident than any of her prior ones. Iota granted her a strength she had not found in herself in many months. "We can share a bed until I get my own, I promise my feathers are soft." Although it hadn't been phrased as a question, Delphinium felt anxiety take hold in her stomach once more. What if Iota still wanted her space?

Instead of letting herself fret further the kitsune bounded forward into the greenhouse, brushing against the leaves of flowers as she did so. "I haven't ever tried to grow anything on my own, I always stuck to those old books." The kitsune confessed, turning her head back to Iota and tilting it to the right with a grin. "Anything I can help with?"

[align=center]

i o t a

[b]☾ IOTA [abbr="speech; self-reference; thoughts"]x[/abbr] info [abbr="attacks"]x[/abbr] MEDIC ☾

space

space

[div style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: times; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify; overflow: auto; width: 50%; padding: 10px; text-shadow: 0pt 0pt 0pt black;"]Iota knew her shabby greenhouse wasn't much to look at for her companion, as when they first stepped food inside she could sense a strange kind of pity come from her. She smiled, tilting her head back. "I know it isn't much to look at, the place's a wreck. What can I say, though?" She nudged a budding flower with her nose lovingly as if she were giving a small child a kiss on the forehead. "These flowers're family, and when I live here I never really feel alone. But now I don't have to worry about that since you're here. Even if I lose my livelihood, I'll have you." Her gaze landed on the feathered fox, smiling warmly, then shaking her head. "Hah ... Sorry for bein' all mushy. It's gotta be a lot on the senses by now." She rolled her eyes at herself, reaching down and observing the leaves of a flower that had been feasted upon by a small bug -- a caterpillar, perhaps. At least she was providing for more than just her plants.

Her ears perked as she gave her short housewarming tour to the kitsune, the fae giving her an answer she had been long hoping for since they made their rendezvous in the valley of memories that they had found themselves in. She really had no idea that Delphinium wouldn't have wanted to live anywhere else, especially since the amount of shelter in the abandoned town was abundant. Sundrop eyes widened and glowed as they fixed upon the kitsune's, a wonderous smile forming widely across her lips. "Y-you will?" She felt like a kid in a candy store at this reaction, her legs tingling with excitement. "That's wonderful! I know it isn't much, but ..." Her thoughts suddenly hit a brick wall as Delphinium announced her next proposal, and Iota grew hot and flustered. She wanted to sleep with her? Her heart felt as if it were bursting out of her chest as she imagined the loveliness that would be felt as they settled in for the night, cuddling for warmth and comfort. It seemed almost too good to be true; she hadn't felt this kind of love since they were children living amongst each other in their Sanctuary.

"A-ah ... that'd be great." Tears formed at her eyes once more, ready to stream down her cherry cheeks again as the feeling of companionship was overwhelming, but she wouldn't succumb to it once more. She shook her head, wiping her eyes with her paws as the kitsune wished to learn about growing flowers on her own. She wanted to take after Iota's livelihood? The feeling was foreign; not many other people in Tanglewood shared such an affinity for botany, but the feline was happy to oblige in assisting the eight-tailed chimera in learning her ways. "It's a lot easier than it looks, but I'm sure I could help you master the art." She grinned widely, her fangs being exposed. She didn't care about that; she knew Delphi was comfortable with her, no matter her appearance. When asking the feline what she could help with, though, she wasn't quite sure how to respond -- she had taken care of her greenery solely by herself prior to today, and she didn't feel like she needed any help, although she was flattered and gracious for the offer. She decided she'd give her something to work with, so she could feel like she did something to help. Craning her head around the shattered glass house, she formulated a plan of action in her mind. "Hmm ... Well, I didn't water my plants in this row today." She gestured to a row of beautiful tropical flowers -- birds of paradise, larkspurs, plumed cockscomb -- a vivid, diverse palette of colors blooming into an environment of green. "I need t' finish observing the plants in this row here before I water them today. It'd be a big help if you could do that for me. The watering can's on the shelf over there." She was ecstatic to start planting, to start working, to start living with Delphi. She turned to her, sighing deeply. "Thank you Delphi. Really."

[align=center]

☼ - Even without Iota explaining it, Delphinium could see the love that had been poured into her surroundings. The love that the flowers were returning. The Garden in the Sanctuary had been so manufactured, manicured. Trimmed grass and vibrant flowerbeds, blatantly fake but still pleasing to the eye. This was nature in its raw form, not a plot of soil for humans to meddle with, and it far outshined whatever could have been produced falsely. Maybe once, long ago, the greenhouse had simply been a tool for humans. But it had since returned to nature. Fallen into the paws of Iota. Delphinium's chest tightened as Iota referred to the greenhouse as her livelihood, turning her gaze toward the cherry blossom feline with a closed eyes smile. "Don't apologize," the ashen kitsune affirmed, rolling her head to the side. It wasn't the first time Delphi had said those two words to Iota, and they likely wouldn't be the last. "It's..." There was hesitation as Delphinium considered whether or not she wanted to share the whole truth. After a brief pause, the kitsune continued. "It feels... so good to know you still care enough about me to cry," she confessed, the back of her eyes stinging as she fought her own swell of tears. The kitsune stepped forward and moved to press her nose gently against the smaller feline's own, a chaste but comforting touch. Iota's reaction caused her own feathers to ruffle out, instinctually reacting to being flustered in return. "It'll be the slumber party we never got to have."

As Delphi pulled away from Iota, she had tears gathering in the corner of her eyes, but she had successfully managed to keep them from falling. Instead the mythic flashed another warm smile, deep navy ears flicking back as a gentle breeze blew through the openings in the greenhouse, shifting the numerous plants. The sound of organic matter sliding against eac other was not one Delphinium was accustomed to. Delphi matched Iota's grin with one of her own, not noticing the additional length to her canines - not that she would care to begin with. Delphinium had enough odd aspects about her to not bother with the small differences in others compared to what was "natural". Humming pleasantly as her tails coiled and wound around themselves, olive eyes followed the motion Iota made gesturing through her greenhouse. "I can do that," she confirmed, paws moving listlessly forward. The flowers she passed on her path to the watering can were familiar, ones she had intimate knowledge of. Before reaching the watering cans' perch Delphi stopped in her tracks, slowly turning to face a healthy cockscomb reaching toward the sunlight. Argentea. Her gaze grazed sluggishly down the line of flora, identifying each of them as her gaze crossed them. Genista. Strelitzia. Delphinium. The tears she had been holding back flowed freely down her cheeks as she silently grabbed the watering can at the end of the row between her teeth, carefully tracing the outline of each plant in her mind as she re-approached Iota. The bird of paradise lacked it's signature vibrant flowers. It wasn't quite unhealthy, but it wasn't flourishing like the others. Placing the can at her paws once she had returned to Iota, Delphi lifted her teary gaze up toward Iota.

"... Do you have a - a spider plant, as well? Chlorophytum?"

[align=center]

i o t a

[b]☾ IOTA [abbr="speech; self-reference; thoughts"]x[/abbr] info [abbr="attacks"]x[/abbr] MEDIC ☾

space

space

The gentle nose kiss given by the kitsune to the rosy feline sent a shockwave of tenderness through her body, the backs of her eyes tingling as she struggled to combat the tears and emotions that had been at war with her self-control. Why wouldn't Iota still care about Delphi, enough to make her break down emotionally? The mere notion itself of Iota having even an ounce less care for her companion made her heart sink. "Of course I still care. I never forgot about you." Her eyelids closed and a soft smile painted her face. "Hard to forget about someone who meant more to me than life itself. And still does." That was the solid truth; the feline would do anything if it meant keeping Delphi happy. Anything. "I'm glad you didn't forget about me, either." She rested her head under the eight-tailed fox's, cuddling warmly.

The slow parting of the two from their mutual embrace was coupled with a starry glow in Iota's eyes. "Thank you, darling. That means a lot to me, and it'll be a big help." She grinned ecstatically at the acceptance of her offer, and a spark of curiosity ignited Iota's botanically knowledgable mind as the mythic questioned the feline for a specific sort of greenery. Spider plants, huh? They weren't exactly the prettiest plants available, but she was sure that she'd picked some up on her journey to ... wherever the hell she'd been traveling to. "I think I've got one hanging up, right over here ..." She padded to a corner of the room, where some of the chlorophytum had been dangling in its small pot by a hook that had been drilled into some of the wooden foundation some few decades ago, the twine crossing with the rusted hook as if nature wished to take its metallic resources with it. There the plant hung, its viridescent ribbons swaying slightly in the warm zephyr that blessed the jagged glass cavities that the conservatory donned across its tired, stagnant body. She could feel her significant other's admiration of the plant as they approached it, and she nodded her head contently. "Chlorophytum ... Used as a stress reliever in olden human civilizations. Even just looking at it gently dancing in the breeze just soothes my mind." She shook her head as she suddenly sounded like a walking encyclopedia, and turned back to the mythic. "I can see why you love it so much." She leaned into the mythic as they observed and admired the greenery. "I'm sure it means a lot to you, if you were willing to ask to see it." She blinked slowly as her eyes darted across the room, citrus pupils falling back onto the many other plants. "As do the rest of these."

[align=center]

☼ - Ruffled feathers slowly smoothed back down to her side as Iota spoke, chest warming at the cherry blossom feline's confirmation. Without prompting Iota tucked herself beneath Delphinium's chin, a blush spreading across her features but concealed by her fur. Cautious to not damage the flowers on her companion's head, Delphi leaned into the contact and closed her eyes. Old fears met a silent death in their embrace. Long awaited, long needed, aged worries soothed into a soft grave as Delphinium questioned why she had ever doubted Iota's love in the first place. Sanitized floors, blinding white walls, countless needle pricks, none of it could have stepped between the connection the two unlikely friends had forged at such a young age. Impressionable and naive as a child, equally as hopeful now nearing adulthood, Delphinium leaned into Iota's touch with a content smile. The duo separated after an extended pause, and Delphinium considered re-attaching herself to Iota and refusing to move from there. To truly never let go of what they lost once.

Instead Delphinium was quickly occupied by the task given to her, navy tinted ears inclining back slightly as she ducked beneath overgrowing flora to re-approach Iota. The usage of "darling" caused her feathers to ruffle out once more, although this time Delphinium did not respond - not because she was uncomfortable, but rather her mind was occupied elsewhere that even the honeyed callname could not break her away from. Iota had quickly picked up on the weight in the eight-tailed mythical's question, the kitsune responding by letting her gaze drift off of Iota once more to instead float down the line of specially tailored flowers. Chlorophytum was one of the most popular houseplants, but this was not a house. This was Iota's home and she had fixed it up with flowers that would provide her a challenge to provide for. Delphinium's breath hitched in her throat as Iota entertained the idea of having a spider plant, quickly following behind the peach feline on shaking ocean-tone paws. Hanging from a rusted nail on an aged thread was the exact plant she had been looking for, spindly and flowerless but beautiful in it's own right. Just like the girl named after it. "Yes," the kitsune answered softly as Iota commented on Delphinium's affinity for the plant. Unlike the other plants, Delphi could not simply reach up and touch it. Not until she could fly, at least. Instead she had to settle for simply watching the thin plant shift in the breeze.

"... When you named me -" the kitsune kept her gaze fixed solely on the spider plant as she spoke, words catching in her throat before she forced herself to continue. "You named me Delphinium instead of 015. Instead of that number. That was really important to me." An understatement of almost horrific proportions, but Iota did not need further words to know that. If Delphi were to continue with that explanation she would be choking on tears rather than letting them slide silently down her cheeks. "I named the others in the Sanctuary as you had done to me." Though she now knew that it was a laboratory rather than a haven, and it deserved no sort of kind name, calling her old "home" the Sanctuary was a habit that would never die. "It was personal, it was meaningful, and it was beautiful, y- you know?" Delphinium's stuttering began as her emotions began to get the best of her, vision clouded with tears. "My sisters, my family, they deserved something more than just numbers. They were- are- so much more than that." The fact Delphi had instinctually called Iota by her old number made her stomach churn. The fact she had almost willingly referred to her family as truly gone by using a past tense chilled her blood. "So I named them from that old botany book we could hardly understand back then. Genista, Argentea, and - and Chlorophytum." A pause. "They fit their names so well, they grew into them so well."

Delphinium sniffled, pressing her eyes closed as the stinging grew too intense to fight keeping her eyes open. Her head lowered to stare down at her paws, body trembling as she sobbed silently. But she did not want Iota to feel guilt. Did not want Iota to feel bad for making Delphinium feel so intensely. "It means so much to me that you have them here, even if it's only by chance," she concluded, finally picking her head up to meet Iota's gaze once more with a pained smile.

[align=center]

i o t a

[b]☾ IOTA [abbr="speech; self-reference; thoughts"]x[/abbr] info [abbr="attacks"]x[/abbr] TANGLEWOOD ☾

space

space

Iota returned a soft, smug smile at the remarks of the younger blue mythic. She was in awe that something so simple as a name could mean so much to her. A mere moniker for a soul, a vessel to recall memories. She'd given Delphinium her name because of the beauty the name enveloped within it: a vivacious array of indigo hues steadily aligned across a viridescent stalk which stood tall amidst the palette of hundreds of thousands of other colors around it. A wondrous bloom that stood stout and tall, proudly flaunting its beauty independent of anything surrounding it. Perhaps, the pink-dyed feline pondered, a single larkspur could turn even the most unpalatable of sights into a wondrous spectacle which would brighten the eyes of any onlooker.

Those sentiments were exactly how Iota thought of her friend that stood before her, in awe of the plants that had, coincidentally, been the names which she had given her own friends back at the Sanctuary. She sighed contently, knowing that her newer laboratory friends treated her well, given the fact that she'd given them their own monikers, their own memorial vessels. "Heh ... When they called us by our codenames, it was all I'd ever known. We were all known by sets of digits, and all we were had amounted to sets of data, a single numerical value in a vast collection of equations needing to be answered. We were supposed to be those answers, but ..." She flattened her ears, looking down at her paws as the tears continued to burn her ears -- pained tears this time. The memories stung her nerves as a swarm of wasps stung its victims: relentlessly. "... Fate had other plans, I suppose." What a grand feeling of relief it was that her fur was able to grant Iota the facade of being an untouched being, one that had been unharmed in her lifetime. The scars of the laboratory were hidden through the limitless coating of pink that had encompassed the feline's abused skin, as if it were a mask hiding the secrets of a murderer. She was grateful that Delphinium hadn't known about how awfully she was treated.

Fighting the tears back into her ducts, she tilted her head back up, ears flickering back into position and sun-stained eyes gazing upon the mythic once more. "You ... You were better than that. Than some number." She scoffed at the incoming cheesiness that began to spill from her maw. "No mere number could even begin to add up to the beauty, the wonder that resides within you." She gave a weak smile, the memories of a once-forgotten past stinging healed scars. "That's why I gave you that name. You stood out from everyone I knew. Most of all, you're the one who was always there for me, and ... that meant a lot to me. I can't thank you enough for being that for me, even now." Her eyes trained back towards the plants that Delphinium had named, smiling warmly as the mythic monologued about her friends. "I see ... I'm so glad you were treated well, even after my unwelcome departure. It means the world to me that you were happy, even when I wasn't around." She was beginning to sound narcissistic, and she could feel her fur prickle in embarrassment. She quieted down, her gaze fixed on the aforementioned plants as the breeze drew to a close, the leaves and petals growing into a stasis as if they'd been frozen in time.