Greenhouse Picnic!

[Shinrya Riko]

The Nimbus Delectatio was within the Village’s borders yet was unique enough in geography to allow for a biome that was entirely its own. Riko hadn’t told Honome where she had intended to take her today. ”Just Trust me.’ she had answered. The truth was, Riko wasn’t entirely sure that Honome would enjoy this little outing. She tried to keep the signs under control, but her nervousness was exuded in ways that she didn’t predict; the sweat on her skin, her temperature, the rate of her heart beat. No, she wasn’t having a heart attack, it was just really important that she somehow Honome had a good time. They wound through the path of the Park and made their way towards the greenhouse. Was it off limits to civilians? Perhaps, but Riko had actually dropped a few Ryo to rent the place out for a few hours so she could enjoy her time with Honome. The gravel crunched beneath her feet as she lead Honome through the winding paths in the large grassy field on the edge of the Ancient forest. Was it a dead give away? Damn that girl’s ears. Well they were cute ears so she couldn’t be too angry about them. Hm. Maybe she should be mad at the gravel? But no, it looked like it too was in the right. There was simply nothing to blame except herself and Riko didn’t like being in the wrong. At least not in this instance, when she had thought she had planned everything out. Somehow she had forgotten to take Honome’s hyper-sensitivity into account.

At least it was more spacious here and there wouldn’t be the noise pollution of the hustle and bustle of the city and the shinobi who dwelt here. The caretaker caught sight of Riko and saw her holding Honome’s hand. He didn’t say anything but gave a mischievous wink as he unlocked the building and tipped his hat to her and Honome before departing. His feet crunching equally as loudly as Riko’s had on the way here. Riko lead Honome into the Greenhouse. There were no poisonous flowers here. All of these were the kinds that were sold to civilians for the purpose of generating some cash during the romantic seasons in the village. These were just about ready to be picked. The scents of the flowers and the controlled temperature of the greenhouse must have hit Honome like a wall. Riko watched her face eagerly hoping to see what expression she would make when she started to realize where they were.

”There’s a grassy patch in the center of this place that I have something special planned… but we don’t have to hurry. Why don’t we take a leisurely stroll through the flowers first?”

wc: 464

 

[Hashigaki Honome]

Riko's cat ears twitched and swiveled on her head, she had obtained them only recently from her Kami contract and they helped a great deal with hearing her surroundings using the Hashigaki bloodline to its fullest. She tugged at her clothing, wondering whether or not it looked presentable or not. She could tell, from the tells that Riko had when she was nervous about something, that she wasn't comfortable with the situation, but instead of trepidation and guilt, she could tell from the 'just trust me' that it was something that was good. This put Honome at ease, and it seemed the cooler she was under the pressure of the surprise, the more worked up Riko got.

It was quite cute when Riko got herself worked up over these little things. Honome herself got worked up once in a while over small details, but rarely if ever as much as Riko did. She wondered whether they were going to have lunch or whether she was being taken to listen to the birds that were all around them, or whether it was just going to be a nice relaxing stroll. She walked along, her head bobbing to and fro to pick up the scents and sounds until they hit the gravel. She hadn't ever been here, she realized and her ears perked up, twitching twice, wondering what kinds of things they were going to experience here.

Another person, a man by the gait, the weight on the gravel, and the footwear she could tell with her heightened hearing. She wondered, now, what Riko truly was up to, but being the type to not want to ruin a surprise, she kept her mouth tightly shut until she had been led through the doors and the warmth and smell very much did hit her like a curtain, the sweet smells mixing with the earthen smells of the potting soil and the slightly tangy smell of the fertilizer. The other thing that hit her was the change in humidity, as it made the fur on her cat-ears stand up and out, and added volume to her hair. She ran a hand over her own arm, quite humid indeed as she could feel the small droplets of water that had collected there turn to moisture as she ran her fingers down her arm.

"Greenhouse?" She asked, the word hanging between them before she nodded to the leisurely stroll through the flowers, "My mom used to have a garden, out back, that my dad used to take care of with her." She remembered, running her thumb over her fingers and bringing to mind the smooth pebbles running between them. "It was a Zen garden, so it had a water feature, some aquatic plants, some fish that loved to play between my fingers, and some mountainous plants that would bloom in the spring, but were quiet and thoughtful throughout the rest of the year." She smiled, closing her eyes and tilting her head back, the tension in her muscles ebbing away like she was in a sauna or an onsen, "This has a very different feel from that."

She did, however, keep on the back-burner that Riko promised a surprise waiting in the middle, and now it was her turn to feel giddy, it was seen in the way she walked, the gentle biting of her lower lip, and the incessant twitching of her ears, seeing if she could spoil the surprise by hearing it before she was supposed to.

[Wc 579]