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[Wylan shakes his head with a small smile.] Haven't been waiting long at all. Thank you for taking me outside the house. As much as I do enjoy being here, it will be nice to stretch my legs, as it were.

Edited 2024-06-15 17:54 (UTC)

Have you been feeling cooped up?

[ After one last check to make sure her phone, bag, and scarf are as they should be, she leads the way to the door. It is TIME for an ADVENTURE. ... A very low key, chill adventure, she hopes. ]

'cuz we coooould take a detour to the botanical gardens.

I do not mean to sound ungrateful. [Wylan walks next to Korone as they move toward the front.] But I have, yes.

[The question of the gardens earns a curious look.] There are botanical gardens?

It's not ungrateful; it's understandable. I was practically house-bound for most of February and I thought I was gonna go insane [ She was climbing the walls. Sometimes literally. ]

[ But his curiosity nets him a bright grin. ]

Yup! In Blossomcrown, right on the edge of the huuuuuge central park. They've got all sorts of cool plants, and they have an audio tour app.

I have felt much the same. [He's not been allowed out of the house except for Biology Things for the entire month of May.]

Audio? [Well that brightens him up further. No need to try and read signs or anything like that.]

Have you tried talking about it with your dad yet? [ Korone gets how frustrating it can be. It's just that she also gets why Wash (all of them) worry as much as they do. Wylan is stronger and smarter than he knows, but he tips so easily into self-destructive spiralling it's hard not to worry. ]

I'll help you download it when we get there! You can use your own headphones or pick up an earpiece at the garden, and then all you've gotta do is scan the sign at the start of each zone; it'll guide you around and tell you where the plants came from, how they're cared for and all sorts of stuff. Oh, and! If you wanna learn more about one particular plant, you can scan it directly. It's really cool!

[Wylan pauses, considering Korone's question. He figures if Wash got his way, Wylan would be eternally wrapped in packing paper so nothing could ever hurt him. And, while Wylan appreciates the change from his father's disposition of wanting to kill him on every meeting, the swing toward the other extreme is disorienting for someone who knows abuse better than love.

When Wylan realizes he's been quiet for a touch too long, he replies, ] I haven't, no. I suppose I'm afraid he'll impose a longer lockdown.

[But the flowers! He wants to learn about flowers and the different plants.]

I think scanning individual plants may be the best course. [Wylan does droop a little, considering if a tour gets away from him and he ends up in front of the wrong flower because he can't read.]

[ Korone doesn't seem to mind waiting, trotting cheerfully along by his side while he ... thinks? worries?

Probably both, knowing Wylan. ]

Talk to him, [ she encourages, looking up at him with a smile. ] He wants to help you flourish and find happiness, you know? And a big part of any journey, literal or figurative, relies on communication.

[ When she sees his shoulders slump, ]

Why - ah, are you worried about losing track of the tour? You can pause and rewind it. I'll show you how.

[Always both.]

I suppose I should at least try talking.

[Regarding the tour, Wylan perks up just a touch.]

We can do that? Would you help me make sure I'm on track? I'd hate to be off and miss important information about the flora of Ellipsa.

Definitely try. And if it's hard, try to be open about that as well. With yourself as much as him. [ Also known as, "try not to spiral into self-recriminating knots about perceived failures." ]

Of course I'll help! We can take our time with it, and we can always go back if you want.

[Wylan nods. Talking with Wash about missions or projects he's working on is easy. Talking about emotions, feelings, worries he has seems to always give him trouble.] Alright.

Thank you, Korone. Your patience will make this day all the more enjoyable.

[ Her patience.

She only barely keeps herself from laughing, or spiralling around in existential circles. Or both. ]

I don't know if I'd call myself a patient person? But I do know I like spending time with you.

O-oh. [What a pleasant thing to hear, especially unprompted.] I also enjoy your company, as far back as I can remember of the Temple. You've always been very kind to me.

Aww, thank you! [ There's briefly an extra bouncy skip to her step.

She almost adds that he's easy to be kind to, which is true! The thought that she might spook him stops her short of voicing it out loud. ]

Maybe we could do this kind of thing more often? And we both like music and art. Ooh - sometimes I go to the botanical gardens to sketch!

I should bring a sketchbook next time. [He's not nearly as talented as Korone, but it'd be nice to do something together.]

I would love to do more things like this together.

[It's nice to be simply out and about yes, but Korone makes an excellent partner for doing so.]

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