Why did the Fox stop to smell the Roses?

[Gerrit]

Gerrit hadn't expected R'lyeh to follow up on his invitation, but he was looking forward to it anyway. Business was winding down in the late afternoon, so while they were still open he hoped that the Elemental wouldn't feel too out of place. And in case she did? He had already produced a pair of gloves and an apron for her - maybe she could relax a bit by pretending to work here.

Then again, who really understood those Elementals anyway?

He was wearing the blueberry colored apron above a simple pair of jeans and a dark grey shirt himself and was just handing over an arrangement to a girl in her early twenties (who seemed to have developed quite the interest in floristry lately). Did she mean to touch his hands like that or was it a coincidence? Gerrit didn't know and didn't care, but he kept a professional smile anyway. What was a little bit of pain or shame when it meant a happier customer?

He didn't know when R'lyeh planned on coming by, but he wouldn't really be going anywhere anyway. So he cleaned his workspace a bit and waited for her.. or for other customers.

[Rlyeh]

She'd passed by the building twice already. Already cycling back around the block. The enormity of what she'd done, dawned on her as she read, 'Roses'. Roses, plants, flowers. Beautiful things that she's not. She's. Not. She takes a shallow breath looking over the plants, flowers, vibrancy set out of cute shelves and stands and -

this was a bad idea
but she promised - and -

Wringing her fingers together, she calls forth her unnaturalness, and hardens the glamour around her, protecting the pretty delicate flowers from her...her gross-bad-wrong.

Okay. yes. Okay. She nods, and walks forward. The dress and sweater she'd worn to the Winter Coronation, feels weird-different when she's dry-skin and not matted-fur-oil-wet, she feels weird-awkward-strange without the drip-drip-drop of oil onto her shoulders. And that's....
......huh.

When did she actually step into the building? But here she was, and there he was and oh boy - !

".....hi."

[Gerrit]

It took him a moment to realize the girl standing there was R'lyeh - if it weren't for her clothes he might have had a way harder time. The professional smile was soon replaced by a more natural, slightly more muted one though. "Hello. I'm glad you've decided to come. Do you want to sit?" He pointed at the two chairs, slightly covered by a shelf and therefore offering a little bit of privacy.

"Do you want some water? I'm afraid I don't have anything else here right now." But at least that was readily available in a few small bottles below the counter. He waited for the Fox' decision, sitting down across from her if she chose to sit. "So, how are you? It seems like you've decided to stay in Sacramento?"

[Rlyeh]

She tried to smile when Gerrit smiled at her. She didn't know if she was successful. But she felt the muscles move. So. Something happened. And she was nodding before she even realized as she took the seat. And even if it was out of the eyeline-way it doesn't feel like he's stashing her away. Making sure no one else sees her, knows he'd invited her amongst his pretty-pristine-planters.

"Water's good. Great. I like it." Tumble out when she remembers she needs to flatten her skirt when she sits, so it's not her bare legs on the seat. It wouldn't be good to do.

"...I chose to stay places a lot." she says fiddling with a loose string, "But a lot of times....people," she stresses, "Club members," she fumbled for the phrase. Trying because the store was open and there was a Winter in front of her, "Don't want me to stay. So I leave." she says. Almost sure she'd said something like this to someone - probably Sera-Queen, who is nice and kind and she wanted to talk to - still talk to - R'lyeh. "But here's....strange-weird-different. I don't....know what to do with that."

[Gerrit]

Gerrit handed R'lyeh a bottle of water before sitting down. Her story made something stir beneath the sheet of cold inside of him. Pity, anger. Sorrow. His face remained neutral as he answered the Fox. "I'm sorry to hear that. You'd think that people could relate to.. well, to whatever had happened to you." He could only partly relate, but after looking around the empty store he pointed at himself anyway. "I haven't faced the same issues. Similar issues - a certain expectation and hesitation because of the way I look - but not the same."

He smiled again, this time wounded muscles moved more readily. "But I can assure you that you aren't.. inherently wrong." Just as much as he was inherently violent. Probably. "I do think that this city is special in a way, there are many tolerant people sitting at the right positions. And I can think of a few people who'd accept you just the way you are." He breathed out in a bubbly sigh. Maybe that was too much goodwill for her, maybe it would only cause her to not believe him. But in the back of his mind he still remembered his first unsure weeks and months in Sacramento. It was his turn to pay it forward.

[Rlyeh]

She hums, playing with the lid of the water bottle, "It's. Sure. We - my uh group...? and I share similarities. But they're great-big-impressive-vast. Mountain's high and oceans deep. Fires and sky and - beautiful-primal-glorious. They are-I'm not. We go through Same-similar-knowing. We're kin-cousins, but I'm the opposite of that. They know that. marrow-deep. Itch-irritant-ick." she shudders out a breath, and uncaps the bottle, taking a drink.

"Sorry." she says, recapping it, "And you look fine. Good." taking in the scab-scar-bruises, "Like you're here and real. And solid." she nods, waiting for the drip-drip-drops but flinches when she realizes she'd hidden them away.

She breathes out a huff as Gerrit continues to speak. There's a lot she could say, a lot that she doesn't.

"How long have you been here?"

[Gerrit]

"Why does there have to be a fricking hierarchy?" There was a tinge of irritation in Gerrit's voice - but it was easy to recognize that it wasn't R'lyeh herself that provoked it. If one hadn't an affinity to beat oneself up, that is. He realized himself that this outburst could be taken the wrong way and cleared his throat with a raspy sound. "I'm sorry. It's just.. those things are outside our control. Anyone's control."

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2022-02-08 15:34:13	Gerrit rolls 5 to keep cool (Comp 3 + Res 2; curse)	2, 5, 3, 3, 6	failure

First was the pity for the Elemental, but the oh-so-beautiful skies and her off-hand comment about his appearance - the same way a beautiful woman made of sky and wind had once commented on his appearance - just made him see red. His right hand clawed at his left, breaking scabs and skin and producing a fine spray of blood. "Oh yes I'm real, all right. And people are just raving about me being here." The outburst wasn't loud and explosive, it was cold and cutting. And he regretted it the second he finished his sentence. Pain throbbed from his hand, all the way up to his shoulder.

After a few awkward beats he spoke, barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry. I'm-" What a fine and welcoming fellow he was. He couldn't blame R'lyeh if she just decided to leave then and there. "I'm sorry." Her last question was left unanswered. He wasn't sure if she still wanted to know the answer.

[Rlyeh]

By some miracle R'lyeh sees and doesn't assume and internalize, it wasn't about her. And that was...novel. It wasn't about her. Still doesn't stop her from thinking about a picturesque mountain scene, calm lake and then a drum of crude oil being spilling into it.

She's quiet for a while, blinking at the Ogre-anger-Winter-dichotomy, fiddling with the label on the bottle.

"Do you have any ga-ood fruit?" she asks, "...do you need one? After...?" hesitant, unknowing if the questions could-should be asked.

She doesn't speak after that, but she keeps sitting, brows furrowed, lips in a weird smile-frown-twist, and concern shining in her eyes.

1 success, forgot the no ten again, but I didn't get a ten so imma keep it.....

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2022-02-10 12:34:12	Rlyeh rolls 2 to Can she tell? (Wits 3 + Empathy -1Unskilled) (10 Again)	9, 5	1 success

[Gerrit]

"Good fruit?" Embarrassment and the residue of the jolt of anger took a toll on Gerrit's understanding. After what?

Then it dawned on him. Or at least he thought it did. "Oh. No, I'm fine.. thank you. I found out it's just sweat." Although that posed a question too explicit to ask here in the open: it really was blood, wasn't it? So was R'lyeh actually spoiling things or did she not have a lasting effect on her environment? It made him reevaluate the situation some more. "Uh, so I think I see your point now. I'm-" Sorry? No, that was neither right nor helpful. Some silver lining though: her not acknowledging his melt-down did wonders not to spoil the mood at least.

So instead he cleared his throat and changed the topic. "I heard Mr. Rhodes asked you to join his club. Have you considered it?" She talked about it after the Coronation. Gerrit wasn't here to talk anyone into a Court, but frankly he was curious.

[Rlyeh]

Just....sweat...? "Oh," her head tilts one way, then the other. An unconscious movement that shades her Human Mask in the Riddleseeker beneath. "Fascinating." before shaking her head, and grimacing. "...." she opens her mouth but nothing come out. She closes it with a click.

"He. He did." she mumbles. Eyes returning to the bottle. She uncaps, take a sip, recaps, just so she has some time before she has to answer. "I....thought I would. Eventually. I like. Questions and Answers and I'm scared all the time.," she whispers. "But, I don't...." she shrugs. "I don't think I want to drown in that....suffuse everything about me with those...attributes of Mister Rhodes' club. I always, assumed. I would, I mean. But I never took the plunge so. Maybe...I...." she trails off, not knowing how she wanted to finish that sentence.

"What. What about you....why'd you join your club....if-if that's okay to Answer...."