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(Setting) World's End Garden, Temple-1
| >The muted sound of footsteps approaching the temple can be heard, and slowly someone can be seen drawing nearer to the building, throwing many a cautious glance over each shoulder as they do so. As their appearance becomes clearer, one can see that the upper part of their face is obscured by shadow, a product of the gray, beaten up flat cap they're wearing. They're hunched over under the weight of the very large bag perched on their back.
"... place gives me the creeps..."
| >Finally they make it towards the edge of the temple's garden, and they straighten up to look around a bit. Real flowers, huh... The figure takes a knee to look closer and reaches towards a lily as if they're about to touch it, then seems to think better and withdraws their hand.
"Better not... thing's probably worth a lot more than I'm expecting..."
| >The person in the red coat slowly swivels around as you speak up, revealing the face of a young woman with a complicated expression.
"The price isnt that important, to suits flowers are worth nothing more than the runners they employ, it's how it goes down in this shithole"
>Her voice is beautiful, but somehow it feels off, almost like it hurts her to speak up
>She gets closer and gives a small bow
"Hello, I'm Falschen, I assume you are the one I talked to"
| >>551729
>The person looks up to meet Falschen's gaze, and for a second Falschen gets a glimpse of their face-- or at least the lower half of it. Their expression is one of slight confusion and wariness, but it fades as they stand up and face her.
"That's me. Nice to meet you... Falschen."
>Their voice is low and a little gruff sounding, but it definitely belongs to a woman. She extends her hand for the white haired girl to shake.
"Think I've heard your name before."
| >>551760
"A vigilante goes by the same name, as for me it's just my middle name, and pen name"
>Falschen says and shaked the extended hand, her skin is cold, very cold.
"It doesn't have a particular meaning anyhow, my father just liked it"
| >>551855
>The woman shivers at Falschen's touch. Her fingers are like ice, and she can't decide whether to end the handshake or wrap another hand around Falschen's in an attempt to warm it.
"Guess the person I met back then was that vigilante. Do you... want to go inside...?"
>As the words leave her mouth, she regrets asking. What a stupid question. Would anyone actually want to take shelter in a building that's in ruins the way this one is? She looks towards the temple.
| >Falschen slowly turns toward the garden's main building
"Sure, There are lots of kind of flowers inside, most of which are of a more tasteful variety"
>She gives a wry smile with her eyes closed as she says:
"I wouldnt want your friend's new apartment to smell like lilies, that'd just be a bad omen now wouldn't it"
>She walks towards the building, make a sign for SEG to follow her inside
| >>551871
"Bad omen? ... I'm missing something here. Why offer white lilies to me if they'll bring misfortune?"
>"SEG" frowns slightly but follows regardless, interested in what other flowers Falschen has growing within the temple. A sanctuary rotting away, but still housing life within... poetic. She adjusts her backpack as she walks over to Falschen.
"Is that like... that old "language of flowers" stuff?"
| >>551875
"It is exactly as you say, the language of flowers or well it's application"
>Falschen says as she keeps walking
"Lilies symbolize purity, innocence and acceptance, but mostly;"
>She takes a small look back at SEG
"They symbolize death, passing on and being accepted into heaven, the people of old stuffed funeral homes with lilies in hearses and bundles, the smell itself was associated with loss, 'The smell of lilies is that of death' is a quote that originates from this"
| >>551877
>"SEG" jams her hands in her pockets and looks around at the outer garden uncomfortably. The many snow white lilies sprouting within the yard seem to have gone from being elegant and mystifying to chilling her right down to the bone.
"... Good to know. Don't want her thinking I'm a plague doctor in my spare time or something."
| >>551879
"Well, i'm sure most people wouldn't know or care, at least I would not"
>Falschen chuckles
>As you enter withing the temple garden you see a gradual shift in tone, the flowers here are colorful and vibrant, a nice smell of fresh flowers permeates the area, it looks quite derelict still, but the mix of old ruins and flowers proves to be quite beautiful indeed, light falls softly all around, blanketing the area in a pale ghostly hue.
"Here we are, have your pick friend"
| >>551882
>"SEG" carefully surveys the inner garden of Temple 1, walking slowly between rows upon rows of flowers. Some of these varieties are unknown to her, and she stops frequently to get a closer look. She seems fascinated by anything that climbs-- up a trellis, the wall, neighboring plants...
"You... cultivated all of these? All of... >>>this?"
>She makes a wide sweeping gesture with her arm at all of the plant life around the two of them.
| >>551900
>Falschen simply looks around
"No, I simply tend to the garden outside now, this all was grown by a friend, although I take care of it now."
>She says simply
| >>551956
"I'm sure they appreciate it... you said you were... paying off a debt?"
>"SEG" tries not to pry into the little history Falschen disclosed on the forum, but she finds it hard not to. After all, this is a very unique "IOU".
"I need something for like... luck, or prosperity or... love..."
>Her tone darkens significantly.
"... something for protection..."
>She knows the flowers won't bring these things, but the thought of having something that signifies them is calming.
| >>551987
>Falschen nods
"Well, it was a very forced promise, but if anything, the only thing I've ever had was my honor"
>She lowers her head a bit, but she's smiling earnestly
"I'm sure they knew, thats why they had me take this on, to give me a reason"
>She then shakes her head and looks at SEG, now that you get a better look at her, she's certainly beautiful, almost too beautiful, like a doll...
"Protection is it? I think I can arrange that"
| >>552333
>"SEG" isn't entirely sure of how to respond. Give her a reason? A reason for what? Should she really be picking flowers from a garden with this much sentimental value? Looking at Falschen smiling so gently and listening to her talk about this so candidly is almost painful. She bites her lip.
"Y-you can?"
>She was never one to be superstitious and believe in wards and things like that, but she finds herself feeling hopeful hearing Falschen's offer.
| >Falschen walks forward into the sanctum, nearing a patch covered by pink flowers on somewhat tall stalks.
"This is Snapdragon for example. It's name is odd, but it's been thought to ward off evils for a long time, ever since the first pagan druids even."
>She points to the door, and you can see the same flower is growing around it, almost like a bulwark of sorts.
| >>552437
>"SEG" follows close behind, quietly "ooh"ing and "ahh"ing at the patch of snapdragons Falschen has led her to. She bends over a little in an attempt to get a better look at them, but finds the brim of her hat is interfering with her view. She cautiously lifts it a bit, trying not to show too much more of the woman underneath.
"Looks hardy."
>She nods her head towards the towering blossoms closest to the doors of the temple.
| >"SEG" touches the petals of one of the blooms gingerly. She's only felt such a sensation a handful of times in her life, and most of them took place when they were very small.
"Do they require any special care?"
>She slides her fingers down one of the stems and runs them over the surface of a leaf before withdrawing her hand and returning it to her pocket. The bag on her back has shifted upward from her bending over, and she stretches her back to get it in it's right place.
| >>552642
>Mid-stretch, her phone vibrates-- she's surprised to be able to receive any sort of message while in the confines of the temple. She looks at it quickly, and almost drops it in shock. Looking around wildly for a second, she dumps her backpack-- which makes an oddly hollow "thunk" as it hits the ground.
"Falschen, I'm sorry, but I gotta bail. Stay safe. I'll come back."
>She takes off for the door, either not noticing or not caring as her cap flies off her head.
| >>553015
"The power outage is it? Trouble is brewing on the horizon"
>Falschen simply says, with a wave
"I do not mind, Take the flowers, they do not require much care but love and water"
>She says simply
"Be safe out there"
>She turns towards the sanctum again
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| >Deep within the temple district stood a lone, almost derelict building, showing an old sign board bearing quite the ominous name
>It was the World's end Garden, a place forgotten by most, but visited now by a single figure, that of a sole standing person wearing a red coat with shoulder length white hair.
>Many lilies bloomed around the building, a sight most rare in such a town, almost a miracle in a way