2/18 Instance: Growing Friendships

[tears~fall~like~glass]

timeline: current


Illyana had remembered Pietro talking about the greenhouse at school. She carefully opened the door and started to investigate what all was inside of it.

Michael snuggled into his hammock and pillows. He was having a decent dream.

Illyana was blissfully unaware of anyone else in the greenhouse. She hummed an old Russian tune as she took inventory of the pots and seeds already there.

Michael woke up a just barely and didn't really notice her there. So he laid back down and snuggled his pillow more.

Illyana knocked a garden shovel off of the counter and swore in Russian when it clanged loudly on the floor.

Michael bolted up quickly, which was a very bad idea, the hammock rolled and threw him out of it. "Ahh Fuck!." He tried to pick himself up off the ground. "Who's there?!?!"

Illyana screamed at the sudden voice and hid behind the table. "Ii...Iillyana..." she stammered out.

"Oh.. Uhmm from my math class right?" He got up slowly and moved felt around for his staff. "What chya doin in the green house?"

Illyana stayed where she was, hidden. "I was looking at the place... to see what was out 'ere... why are YOU out 'ere?"

"Oh just me and my plants." He made a couple of the flowers around her bloom and turn to her.

Illyana gasped and smiled. "So pretty!!! Did you do that!?"

"Yup. I uhmm talk to plants... and they listen. What's your favorite kind of flower?"

"Oh, the Russian Red Lotus.... why? Also so cool!"

"Hmm I don't think we have any of those... Here." He walked over to a little pond that was in the corner where there were a couple of lotuses floating on the water and encouraged them to changer to a more red pink hue.

Illyana gasped at the change and grinned. "So so pretty!" She went over to the pond with him to get a better look.

"Not the same but it's as close as I can get without the seeds." He looked around at the different flowers to try and see if any needed tending too.

Illyana reached out to touch one of the floating plants.

"Careful. Don't fall in." He smiled to where he thought she was and walked around to check out some plants.

"...." Illyana froze and pulled her hand back. the last thing she wanted was to be in the pond. "Thanks..."

"So... How are you? Hmm now where did I put those little guys." Michael searched for his little friends.

"I am well... Pietro and I have our own apartment in the city now. 'ow are you?"

"Oh? Fun I sleep well in here. Kinda sucks to be in houses and such." He made a few more plants perk up and found some berries.

"Why do you not like to be in 'ouses?" Illyana looked over at him.

"I can't see in houses." He ate some of the berries and walked around to try and find some more things to do.

"So... you are blind... but not out 'ere?"

"Basically. Plants and animals glow and everything else is black." Michael picked up a dead plant and sat it on a table that he bumped into.

"Oohhhh really pretty then!" Illyana closed her eyes to imagine that.

"It's helpful." Michael waved in her direction for her to come over. "Here lemme show you something really cool."

Illyana headed over to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder to let him know where she was.

He picked up some seeds and made them start to grow. "Cool huh?"

Illyana gasped. "Yes! I love plants... they are so calming... but I cannot make them grow."

"Well probably not the same as me. But I'm sure you can make them grow." He picked a few more berries and ate them.

"At the normal pace sure.... I kind of came out 'ere to see if I could do that."

"Well I kinda make sure all these guys are well taken care of. I won't mind a cute face to help out, even if I can't see it." He made all the flowers bloom again.

"Then 'ow do you know it is a cute face then?" Illyana grinned at him.

"Cuz someone with such a cute voice and as nice as you couldn't be anything but cute." He smiled and ran his hands through the plants. "So you're not from the states are you? You're accent kinda sounds uhmm russian?"

"Awwww that is so sweet, Michael. Yes, I am from Moscow. Where are you from?" She scooped up a pot of plants and inhaled the aroma deeply.

"I'm from Calgary. I can make them release more scent if you'd like." He made them release a little more.

"Oh they are lovely!" Illyana sat down to enjoy the plant’s aroma.

"So what would you like to do? I could show you around the green house if you'd like."

"Yeah that would be great!" Illyana smiled and set the plant down carefully. "I do not think that I could put a flower in my 'air the same way anymore..."

"I think it would make you more stunning. I could grow one into your hair if you'd like. And if you keep coming back I can keep it alive for you."

"But 'ow would that work? Would I be able to take it out for like.... showers... or would it just stay in?"

"Well yes you could. I could just keep it alive for you. I'd say when you take it out you might want to put it in water though."

"Oh that would be so cool! And I could come visit you and 'ave you keep it alive! Oh Pietro will think it's beautiful! Thank you, Michael!" Illyana hugged him.

"You're welcome." He hugged her back and looked around perking up the last of the flowers. "Pick anyone you want."

Illyana blinked a bit at the 'anyone' and remembered he was kind of crazy about the plants, so she left it alone. She looked around. "Which one do you think?"

"Well I could make you a group of them if you'd like. And I can change the colors of certain ones if you like the shape and not the color."

"Ohhh they are all so pretty... and I think just one will be enough. Something maybe white?"

"Hmm well there's tulips, roses, I have some wildflowers but they're small, Geraniums but they don't smell nice, keep the bugs away but don't smell nice, uhmm lotuses. I could probably find some flower seeds but you'd have to tell me the color before I grow them."

"I think a lotus would be just beautiful." Illyana blushed a bit. He was so nice and helpful!

Michael walked over to the pond and used his staff to pull one of and had it release from its roots. "Can you hand me the hose so I can wash it off?"

Illyana hurried to get the hose for him. She carefully put it into his hand. "Shall I turn it on for you?"

"That would be nice. Thank you." He smiled in her direction and waited for the water to kick on so he could wash off the flowers. "Just not too high don't want to damage the flower."

"Ok!" Illyana moved to the faucet and carefully turned it on, just strong enough to get a good current moving. She too did not want to damage the poor flower.

Michael washed off the flower and handed it over to her. "Here just put it in your hair how you like it and I'll make it grow a little more."

Illyana smiled at Michael, though he couldn't see it. She placed the flower carefully in her hair. "I think this will look pretty..."

"Not as pretty as I'm sure you are but it will easily make the flower look better." He joked with her and worked his magic talking to the flower and urging it to grow into her hair a little.

Illyana blushed a deep shade of red at him and smiled as she felt the flower grow in her hair. She checked her reflection in the pool. "It's so pretty, Michael! Thank you."

"You're quite welcome. Come back anytime and I'll make it just as vibrant as you okay." He smiled and went to pruning some berry bushes. "I've been contemplating what to add to this place next. I think I should ask Miss Monroe if we can get the green house expanded."

"Ohhh what if we 'ad more people to 'elp with it?"

"That'd be fine. But we would need more room. And not many people can do as well with plants as me. Not that I would mind the company of more people such as yourself."

"Well, Pietro likes plants too... I bet there are others that are good with plants. And you can fix any er... mistakes, yes?" Illyana brightened as an idea formed in her head.

"That'd be fine. But we would need more room. And not many people can do as well with plants as me. Not that I would mind the company of more people such as yourself."

"Well, Pietro likes plants too... I bet there are others that are good with plants. And you can fix any er... mistakes, yes?" Illyana brightened as an idea formed in her head.

"Depending on how severe yes. Last time we tried to get Pietro in here he freaked out for some reason." He shrugged and looked around for more things to do other than flirt with a cute yet taken girl.

Illyana thought about that for a moment. Why would Pietro freak out about a greenhouse? "Well... things as different now. I think it would be fun if we could meet 'ere regularly and just... 'ang out with the plants, yes?! Yes!"

"Feel free, it's not like I would kick out the company of a cutie like yourself. And the flowers seem to be happier with you around, also this isn't my green house so I can't see that I have the authority to say no."

"Awww you are too nice! I bet we can get a lot of good friends to 'elp us. Then you will 'ave lots of company too! You like company, yes?"

04 01"Of certain people. But only if they're as kind and helpful as you." He smiled towards her and felt along the ground for exposed roots making them bury themselves deeper.

Illyana blushed again. "You are just being nice now... I'm not so 'elpful."

"I think you're helpful. I usually have to wait for the sprinklers to kick on to wash anything. Being blind makes things pretty tough. And a lovely assistant is always welcome. Especially when she becomes a new friend."

"Well I will 'ave to stop by and bring you more people to 'elp so the flowers stay 'ealthy!"

"Feel free to pop in on your own give me a heads up and I will have some snacks. Other than fruit."

"Fruit is a good snack though." Illyana protested.

"That it is. I just wish I could grow apples and oranges in here easily." He smiled and offered her some blackberries he had on hand.

Illyana smiled and took the offered berries. "That is ok. These are delicious!"

"Thank you. They're not as tasty as the mulberries if you ask me but they are more sweet."

"I do not think I 'ave tried mulberries. Are they good?"

"I like them a lot. But they have lots of seeds so they're hard to eat. But they taste very good." He searched for the mulberry bush and made some berries grow.

"Can I try one?"

"That's why I was getting them silly." He handed her a ripe berry. "I prefer them in pies."

Illyana giggled at that and tried the berry. "Mmmm not bad at all."

"Glad you like them. I can get you more if you'd like."

"No, that's ok. I don't want to... 'ow you say... spoil my dinner." Illyana smiled at him. He seemed so sad and lonely.

"Okay." He put them in his pocket for later and felt for his staff so he could get up. "So what do you think I should plant in here next?"

"I don't know... there are so many choices!" Illyana looked around the greenhouse at the variety.

"We could probably get some of your favorite flowers here if you could help me research the conditions they thrive in."

"I would like that. I will look it up tonight!" Illyana figured Pietro would love to help with that too.

[Edited on 19-2-11 by Starfish]