Summary:A chance encounter at the gardens… Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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It's a rather busy Friday afternoon here at the Botanical Gardens. Spring is still in the air, and it hasn't quite gotten to summer yet. Several groups of kids are busy staring at the flowers, or perhaps some of the hummingbirds that dart back and forth among the flowers.
Near one of the rose bushes is a rather unassuming figure, though the presence of a few suits nearby seems to demonstrate there's something more about her. She wears a green silk blouse and darker green slacks, and her long red hair is currently loose, as she seems to almost be communing with nature. Or at least the roses. Occasionally a hummingbird flickers close to her, far closer than they would to anyone else, then buzzes away just as quickly.
Thea's been at loose ends. Her current target is on vacation, and there's not much else cooking. She's in an airy, floaty dress in muted pastel florals, over gray leggings, feet in sandals. Tips and toes are both a soft, blooming pink hue, matching her lipstick. Her hair is currently an auburn color, curling loose over her shoulders and down her back.
She'd gone to some of the pavilions to recall various places in her travels, and now she's enjoying the quiet sunshine, walking among the flowers. It's almost like she's not even in the City, here, and she's losing herself in the flowers, gently touching leaves and petals with an abstract appreciation, until she almost stumbles upon the redhead.
Pamela blinks out of her reverie, and smiles a little at Thea, "Oh, hello. Didn't see you there." Her expression seems to just scream that of a lazy cat caught napping in a sunbeam, as she chuckles softly, "You alright there?"
Even though she does appear normal, the redhead that Thea bumped into is anything but, as her biochemistry is… definitely not normal. And wait, is that chlorophyll?
Thea blinks back, out of her distracted thoughts. That biosignature is so not of the norm, like nothing Thea has seen before in a human. But her smile rises like a fish to lure, flashing across her face, as eyes turned brown with contacts look at her. "I'm fine. I was just daydreaming. I didn't mean to intrude. But this… it's the perfect place to daydream, on a sunny day, no? Roses rising to bloom, the sun shining softly.. it's a bit of an Eden."
Pamela hmms, "Ah yes, Eden… a perfect place, and of course they blamed a woman for ruining it." She smirks, "Sorry, just… not my favorite creation myth, I suppose. I'm Pam." She offers Thea her hand, "And it's no intrusion, I was just daydreaming a bit myself. Communing with nature."
Thea laughs. "I prefer to just think of the beautiful garden, and not the misogynist myth that ruined it." There's a hint of wicked mischief in her lingering smile. There's no real hesitation as she reaches out to shake Pam's hand, though her powers are on high alert. "River. A pleasure." She glances around at the rose bushes. "It's an excellent place to just be, and feel the plants radiating that life. Listen to the pulse of the earth."
Pamela grins, "So rare to hear someone else that truly understands that." Yup, that's cholorphyll she has in her, as she shakes Thea's hand, giving the fingers a slightly friendly squeeze. But she also seems human, just as a baseline, but well… are dryads actually real?
In any case, Pam continues on, releasing Thea's hand, "And yes, I do take quite a delight in visiting gardens, whenever I can. How did you come by such an appreciation for them? It's pretty rare these days."
It is a very curious puzzle for Thea's powers, trying to work it all out, how it happened, how it all functions. A hand will smooth down her skirt. "Mind if I sit?" Assuming Pam doesn't mind, Thea will join her on the ground without a fuss.
"Well, I spent a lot of time alone, in a lot of places. The desert really gets a bad rap. I would sit outside, no one around for miles. Just listening to the rocks hum and the sand whisper and shift. I learned to listen everywhere."
Pamela mmms, "Yeah, that's way too dry for me. Though there are some interesting succulents that grow that way, I prefer more humid climes." She smiles and makes a little more room for Thea, "Just a place where you can sit and listen to the plants, the rustling almost sounding like breathing, the life stirring in them."
Thea just lays back in the grass, letting her hair spill through the blades. "True. Desert is not for everyone. It really makes you appreciate the pull and force of life. The fight to keep living, thriving… it is very real and very present in the desert."
She chuckles. "I had a bird that took a liking to me, in the Amazon when I trooped through. He would follow along, the guide was amused. But the air.. it's so soft and warm, like a hand that brushes against your skin in greeting. There's beauty all over the world."
Pam nods, "Very true. Even in a city, though finding it can be tricky. Seems to be a lot more rooftop gardens these days, which is nice enough." She hmmms, "So if you don't mind my asking, what do you do, River?" She glances back down over at Thea, arching a brow slightly.
"In many cities, it's impossible to find something like this. We're lucky to have several places in New York City to find green spanses." Thea closes her eyes, enjoying the way the sun feels on her skin. "In some of the bigger cities I've been in, the rooftop gardens of the wealthy are… astonishing."
She will rock her head to the side and open her eyes to look up at Pam. "I'm a translator, freelance. I've done a lot of work for politicians, and some businesses. "
Pam wrinkles her nose a little, "Pity they aren't available to everyone, but… well, that's a long rant you don't want to hear I'm sure." She hmms, "Translator? This is the right city for you then. I'm a… consultant, for the government." Well, technically true, really…
"It's probably nothing I didn't think, myself. " She smiles gently. "I was born here in the city. I've thought about using connections I have to work for the U.N., but I like being… my own boss."
Her head lifts, a glance at the suits. "Well, that explains the entourage. Something with environmental issues?"
Pamela hmms, looking like she's hedging a bit, then finally says, "Oh, it's relating to the Disaster Zone, and trying to get everything straightened out there, environmentally. Which is definitely work, it keeps me very busy."
Which, well, if Thea pays attention to the news, it wouldn't be hard to put two and two together regarding "Pam" anyway.
"Hmm. I can tell you're very suited to the work. I am sure if anyone can start to help nature recover in the Disaster Zone, it's you." There's just that faint tone of knowing, as Thea keeps her eyes on the woman. "Shame about the suits. I think that would be a little.. inhibiting."
Pam arches a brow at Thea, "… oh, yes. Well, it's part of the deal. As much for my protection as anyone else's, if I was recognized anyway." She chuckles faintly, "This is the part where most people would yelp and run in the other direction, so I'm glad that you're not."
There's a slow, lazy smile… but more like tiger than kitten. "Now why would I be a coward like that? You've not offered any harm towards me, though I can sense easily enough that you could. I'm not the easily scared type. You tend to lose that when you run around the world, and some places are far, far from civilized."
Pamela laughs softly at that, "You ain't kidding about that. But yes, the government offered me a fair deal for my services, and I accepted. It beats being in a small cell away from what I cherish most." She shrugs a bit, "Besides, I much prefer growing things to… what I was doing before."
"I don't kid about such things. And so long as you're content with your deal, all the better. And growing is part of the cycle, just like destroying. " There's a shrug. She looks a little young to be so philosophical about birth and death, but there you have it. "We do what we have to do."
Pam nods, "Indeed. That's all we can do, I suppose." She pauses, and tilts her head as she notices one of the agents glancing towards her… which is just the time that her phone begins to chirp with an incoming message.
"And speaking of what we can and can't do, I'm afraid that's my queue to leave. But, if you ever wish to visit, I have a small area on the edge of the Disaster Zone. Rather hard to miss, honestly." She smiles wryly, "Just look out for the plants that are actually growing, and you'll find me eventually."
"So long as you haven't trained them to be like Audrey two from Little shop of horrors, I may take a stroll that way. Be interesting to see, I have no doubt." There's is a hint of curiousity in her gaze, before she smiles. "I wish you well, Pam. Good luck with your…project."