The greenhouse was and always had been one of her favorite spots on the castle grounds. But now that she and her siblings had been allowed to wander the surrounding territories, she didn't spend as much time here as she once had. The excitement of adventure was too tempting, and she had become too busy answering the call of exploration as it echoed through her. Not to say she was never home during the daytime, there was just always so much to accomplish. However, today was different. She wanted the opportunity to see if any of the healers had planted anything new and if she could still spot some of our favorites. As the summer heat faded from the sunshine, it seemed like the perfect day to check things out.

Walking into the enclosed space, she was immediately met with the warm humidity that remained untouched by the outside world. The sunlight almost seemed amplified as it trickled through the near-transparent walls and ceiling. With a quick sweeping glance of all the flora, she quickly picked out the stalks of lavender with her pale blue gaze. Tromping over to its planter, she buried her face into the lightly purple petals to inhale their sweet, floral scent. It took several deep breaths before she got her fill, but when she was ready, she collected herself into a slow-paced walk around the different features their greenhouse held. From raised bed to raised bed, she carefully inspected what was present. Noticing everything from those that she recognized from her previous visits, to the new ones she would have to ask about at a later time. There was so much to take in, the entire time she was subjected to the concern she just might miss something.

While not quite as comfortable in the greenhouse as she was in the library, Meadow had grown rather fond of the warmth. It was like a hug all the time, one that didn't encumber her movements or hold her back. Just the right sensory experience. That, combined with the smell of the plants and the diffused light? This was a space she could feel safe and comfortable within. That, and it wasn't like that many people even came out here-- even better. But today, it seemed, she wouldn't be alone. Having been squirreled away in the storage room hunting for a watering can, she didn't see Talyssa come in. Struggling with an overfull jug of water for some parched-looking vegetable plants, the small girl made her way out into the sunlight. It was only then that she noticed the other girl, somewhat jumping at the unexpected company. Jeeze, she hoped Talyssa hadn't noticed her surprise. Instead, Meadow offered a small, shy smile and went back to her task, carrying the heavy vessel as best she could. "Speech"

It seemed in her sweeping observation of the recent differences among the various planters in the greenhouse, she hadn’t noticed the presence of another girl- one of her cousins, Meadow. However, silently as the girl emerged from whatever place she had been hiding, Talyssa caught the motion from her peripheral and immediately glanced up to see its origin. Just in time to see the soft smile that was offered in greeting. Without missing a beat, the older girl returned the gesture with her own friendly warmth. “Oh, Meadow! I didn’t see you there.” Talyssa admitted, straightening up as she witnessed her cousin carrying a watering can presumably to whatever bed she was tending to. She knew of Meadow but didn’t know her well. However, she was aware that the girl wasn’t particularly talkative. Whether she was physically incapably or mentally reserved, she wasn’t sure- nor would she ask out of respect. Perhaps, she would approach Aunt Fern for advice at a later time. But for now, Talyssa was fully prepared to do enough talking for the both of them.

Maintaining her slow browsing pace, she eventually came to stop in front of a planter that had Yarrow in it. The tall stalks with large clusters of small white flowers were another one of the medicinal herbs she favored. Leaning in to inhale its fragrance, it reminded her of pine needles. “Do you like it here? I do.” Lys announced, her tone gentle as she pulled back from her current occupation. She felt like ’Yes and No’ questions might be safe, because they could technically be answered with a gesture rather than words. However, if that was still too uncomfortable for her cousin, she wouldn’t pressure the girl. So she was quick to answer her own question for herself- giving Meadow a moment to interject just in case she wanted to before going on. “I just wish I knew more than I did about some of the stuff that grew in here, though.” She explained in that same light and airy tone. She supposed that she could pull one of the healers aside for a lesson … but there were just so many lessons that she wanted to sit through. It was hard to organize them into priorities.  

As her attention had remained fixed on the Yarrow planter, she noticed a specific stalk that had some damage on it. One of its main offshoots had begun to wilt. So, in order to give the rest of the stalk a chance to recover, she gently picked the wilted part off. Satisfied with her culling, she sought out her cousin once more, offering another friendly grin as she finished her thought. “I just know my favorites.”

It seemed her surprise had gone unnoticed, and that's something she can take solace in. No need to make things more awkward for herself than necessary, though that seemed to be the case. That seemed to typically be the case, at least. Meadow hadn't spent much time with her cousins. It wasn't that she didn't want to, instead that she found herself putting up unnecessary barriers between them. That, and she wasn't always the best playmate. Between that and her lack of interest in sparring, and desire to be away from too much noise... well, there was a reason that she didn't prefer the company of the other children. All of this and yet, she's glad for Talyssa's company. Talyssa's question came as she gently poured water over some parched lettuce. It was one of the latest fall crops, at least according to the book on agriculture she'd been reading. Lettuce, kale, and the root vegetables. Oh shoot, they'd need to harvest those pretty soon, as they were in the gardens and not in the greenhouse itself. The pup nodded to her cousin, thinking about how she too, enjoyed the greenhouse itself. Satisfied with the state of the lettuce, Meadow moved carefully around to more of the plants, watering the ones that looked wilted or sad. She speaks about wanting to know more about the plants, and Meadow nodded along as she did. There was a book in the store room, and many more up in the library. The taller girl spoke once more, talking about her favorite plants. Meadow drew to her side, watching as she pulled away some of the wilted plant. Softly touching the soil in the planter, Meadow frowned for just a moment. Though the planter looked like it had just come in, it was bone dry to the touch. Here, too, Meadow carefully tipped the watering can. Not too much, wouldn't want to drown the poor thing. Her gaze to Talyssa was questioning. Which plants were her favorites? Her head cocked softly to the side, curious. Taking an interest. Being social. Was she doing this right? "Speech"

While she hashed out her thoughts aloud, she was vaguely aware of Meadow tending the greenhouse in the background. Of course, Talyssa wasn’t about to stare the other girl down- not wanting to make her even more uncomfortable than she probably already was .. but she couldn’t help the desire to watch her flutter around from planter to planter. She hoped that she wasn’t irritating her cousin by talking. Though when she finally did meet Meadow’s sterling gaze, paired with a subtle head tilt, it seemed like cousin was encouraging her to continue. So, she’d happily oblige. “Like Yarrow for instance.” Talyssa began, gesturing to the planter she stood in front of. “I like it because it’s pretty, but Aunt Gwyn says it’s really useful too. She says it's good to fight infection, help wounds heal, reduce swelling.” She explained, hesitating a moment before another fact popped into her mind. “It can even help settle an upset tummy.” Talyssa was by no means a healer, but she did like to know as much as she could. It was easy to memorize what Yarrow did because it was so starkly different than the other herbs in the garden. There was no mistaking it for something else.

With a panning glance around the greenhouse, her attention immediately went back to the purple stalks of lavender that she had first stopped at upon arriving in the interior garden. “I think I love Lavender the most, though.” Talyssa declared, as she quickly returned to the planter where it was housed. “I like to sleep with it when I can, especially when I have a headache. It helps me center myself- calms my nerves- makes things more … peaceful I guess.” Trying to describe its effects was a bit more difficult since it influenced more of a calming state than a healing one. But while thinking of her nighttime routine, she immediately thought of another favorite. Casting a glance in Meadow’s direction, she offered a gentle grin. “And if you pair it with a nice chamomile tea right before bed, it will melt your stress away.” Talyssa finished dreamily … not that she had much to be stressed about. But it was still very relaxing nonetheless.

"Talyssa Carpathius"

It was nice that Talyssa would fill the silence that would otherwise hang between them. The words that came were helpful, all things that Meadow would probably like to know. Things about the plants, as they both peered into them with interest. She talked about all the things that auntie had told her about the plants, and the pup made a mental note that she should probably also approach her about healing things. Right, that would be a good idea. Meadow carefully examined the planter of yarrow before her, sniffing at it with interest. Neat. And onto the lavender, which Meadow trots over to with interest as well. It smelled pretty, even if it was a bit too floral for her. It was nice, and Taly even said something about stress? She considers all the things that stress her out. Maybe she should just eat handfuls of this stuff. That would maybe help... but she wouldn't do that in front of anyone. They had to be secret handfuls of herbs, at least in her mind. Just chomping into them would probably be weird. As Taly finishes talking about her favorites, Meadow considers for a long moment. She thinks about which would be her favorite before bounding over to the sage and rosemary. They may not have been the prettiest, but they smelled the best. Tasted pretty good, too, actually. Expectantly, hopefully, Meadow looks back to her cousin. These, in her mind, were the best. It's okay to overlook them of course, but yeah. They're her favorite after all. "Speech"

As she casually strolled through the greenhouse- dividing her attention between the various plants, Meadow, and talking to fill the silence, she couldn’t help but wonder if her muted cousin even appreciated her presence to begin with. Though every time she found herself glancing over to check in, it seemed that the younger girl’s interest was genuine- taking time to interact with the herbs as Talyssa described their uses to her. Only once she had run out of things to say in regards to the little bit she knew enough to recite, did Meadow break away for a purpose known only to the younger girl. As she moved toward her intended destination, Lys couldn’t help but notice the enthusiasm in each stride. It was enough to bring a grin to her own features as she too casually went to follow the silver and white fae.

As Meadow came to a halt and looked up to her with clear intention in her sterling gaze. Talyssa closed the gap between them, looking past Meadow into the planter she had stopped at. She studied a moment, reeling through her mind in an effort to recall the names of these particular herbs. The rosemary was a little easier to identify with its sparsely tined, needle-like leaves. The other plant was a little more difficult for her to remember. “Are these Rosemary … and …. Sage?” She asked hesitantly, taking a glance at her cousin to see if the other girl knew the answer. Whatever the second one was, it smelled good. “I don’t know much about them. But they do smell nice.” Talyssa commented as she leaned in to inhale the contents of the planter. Nice, indeed.

"Talyssa Carpathius"