chlorophylliac | 20 || Video + Spam

Since the vampire and now the angel have both resigned their posts but thoughtfully left the door unlocked, I'm adopting the greenhouse and garden.

At least, until one of you idiots decides I'm turning them into my own personal fortress and threatens to hose me down with herbicide.

[Or, more pragmatically, until another Warden gets a key. Of course she can't access the gardening tools, but…she's not the kind of person to be inconvenienced by that.]

[Private to Zev]

There's enough space to seed some of the excess from our collection. Do you have any preferences? I can make chemical adaptations to the soil as necessary.

[Private to Morgana]

I've heard you returned.

Do you remember anything?

[Open spam]

[It's raining lightly on deck, the shower a soft constant drumbeat on the glass overhead. Ivy's still damp from crossing the deck to get here, but the rain and the humidity inside the greenhouse are pleasant, even rejuvenating.

All she's got to do today is basic maintenance. She's mapping plants and soil types in a notebook, occasionally deadheading the spring-flowering plants, and checking for early indicators of disease. Nothing so far; Castiel knew his work. Still, it's nothing to reach into the more vulnerable species and rethread a few strands of DNA, decreasing their susceptibility.

Not having access to the greenhouse equipment cupboard is only irritating insofar as it's also where the less dangerous resources - seed trays, watering cans - are kept. So she's liberated both from her own cabin, along with some fertilizer she made herself, and spends a little time readying a few trays to grow seedlings for the outdoor garden.

It's all easy, meditative work, and it would be quiet if not for the hum and chatter of the plants all around her.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She reaches down and scoops it up, cradling it against her chest.]

No. I didn't often have the chance to get attached.

Ah. Yes, I know how that can be. [ He straightens, and extends his hand letting, letting his brianbot rub against his knuckles. ] Here, though, no? They're not in danger here.

You can't say that's entirely true. [She strokes the long, soft leaves of its ears.] Anyway, it's habit now. They don't need names.

[And a name is an emotional investment, and emotional investments are weaknesses.]

No, suppose that is, or that they do. [ He shrugs once, scritching his brainbot along it's jaw. ] anyway, the lights will take about four days to construct, less If I get everything I ask for promptly, and a couple of hours to install. The power cell will be the tricky bit.

[Ivy glances up at him.]

Tricky in what way?

Just getting the materials from our esteemed Admiral, mostly. He could give me one whole cloth but I always prefer to build myself. We will see what pans out in the meantime.

[She nods.]

The Admiral does seem to allow some grace periods between instances of madness in his crew. We're probably safe for a few weeks at least.

By my measurements, we should have a Flood before the end of the month. Fits the pattern, at least. Or maybe he won't be quite as drunk at the wheel as usual and we'll make it to may without taking on water.

[ He's not a gambling man, though, and wouldn't take that bet even if he was. ]

[She scoffs quietly.]

And how likely do you think that is?

We'll hit something before we see May Day.

Sound a little less like you're looking forward to it, would you. [She raises her eyebrows.] Do you have everything you need?

Sorry. You can take the mayhem out of the villain, but not the villain out of the mayhem. [ Plus, anything to distract the barge with a new problem. He was so glad things were dying down around Tosh, but Rorschach and Chris, well, they weren't helping anything much. ] Yeah, I've got it. Four or five days, tops, and you'll have new lights.

[Ivy nods.]

I'll owe you a favor.

[This is not a small thing from her.]

[ There is a huge culture gap in the way heroes and villains deal with each other. ]

[ A hero goes, "No need for repayment good citizen!" and is happy to help just for the good feeling it brings. Megamind has been practicing that! Restoring Metro City at home has given him a growing sense of altruism and nurtured that helpful urge in a big way. ]

[ But this is Poison Ivy, and she's a villain. He remembers that, too. Nothing is free, favors are owed, and nobody feels like they're being 'helped', it's a transaction. And he has pride in his work enough to know it's valuable, to know it's important, and knows that Ivy knows that too. ]

[ So, in the interest of being cultural bilingual and not being a hero to her face, he instead speaks to the villain inside himself, who is still very much a part of his identity and says: ]

Excellent. [ with the proper moment of steepling his fingers and thoughts to yes, yes, that is useful indeed and no small thing. It's the cultural equivalent of effusive thanks in the sight of being richly paid for work you'd do anyway, but by God, you will be grateful your patron has deigned to favor you so. ]

[ In short: he's still a villain. He just-- does evil awesomely for good reasons. So far, it's working. ]

So, yes, four days. I'll go get to work.

20 || Video + Spam

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