❀ diamond in the rough, a flower blossoming in the slums

[gardeningaia]

Perhaps getting thrown down here was part of the plan. The great quest. The attempt to woo sweet Agrabah princess, or just fetch what that weird rug merchant asked you to get.

More likely this particular stop wasn't on the itinerary. Boy is that Saucer of Wonders picky! The moment you--or a faithful but not always reliable animal companion--got distracted by something shiny, it was down the hatch to a natural desert prison, surrounded on all sides by quicksand. There's evidence that people have been here...and evidence they died here. You're not about to find anyone alive and kicking in the rundown shacks anytime soon.

Look long enough, though, and you'll find a dusty watering can lying on its side. The weathered metal has certainly seen better days, but maybe it could be cleaned up with a little polish?

Or maybe you're more interested in the "water" part of "watering can". This is a desert, after all.

Pick it up?

[ No? But thou must! Not much is going to happen until that can's picked up, and Aerith might get a bit impatient if your character ignores her. Oh yes, indeed, she's in there as the Genie.

In a little spin on the theme, I'm using the Disney take rather than the classic version itself. Also, if you want to find the watering can in a completely different place to better fit your own character's quest, that's fine! (And I do mean completely different, never underestimate the power of cosmic ...powers.) The Gold Saucer/Corel Prison just happened to suit the Cave of Wonders sequence nicely. ]

Comments

[drinkandforget]

[The desert is home to her, the guardian of the desert river of Oblivion. Lethe appears not far from the watering can. There don't seem to be many plant or flowers nearby, but that's also the case in her home.

Exploring has its dangers, and Lethe makes a misstep that leads her plummeting down into the quicksand trap. She narrows her eyes; a trick? A trap? She knows the ways of quicksand, and carefully makes sure to avoid it. Her way out will have to be elsewhere. For now: forward.

To a watering can? She's sure there's no use for one in this place. She picks it up idly anyway, and turns it over in her hands as if she'll gain some hint of how it came to be left here.]

[gardeningaia]

[ There is sole drop of--no, that's not water, the glimmer is too strange. But before it can be seen closely it's already falling from the watering can, quickly consumed by the hungry ground.

And in the next second, a plant rises out of the ground, sprouts a pink, unfurling flower, and instantly withers. The still-fresh blossom falls from the stem upside-down and lands on the ground, that mysterious glimmer once more poking out before the blossom quivers and starts to--rise, growing and changing its shape subtly but quickly as a sound something like a woman's voice can be heard growing louder and louder.

--ooooooo-- [ with three holes at the top and a few changes lower, now the "blossom" has taken a more dress-like shape; two arms each with a gold bangle pop out on the side holes ] --ooooooooray! [ --and there's a face now! A rather ordinary face considering how it emerged, but those green eyes are lit up with delight. ]

I'm out? [ She claps her hands--and sends up a spray of fireworks when she flings them out open to the sky. ] I'm out! It's been millenia! Maybe even eons. --Oooh! My leg... didn't anyone think about little old me cramped up in there?

[drinkandforget]

[Lethe has seen many strange things in her long life, but this is certainly one she has not seen before. She stares openly, without even the presence of mind to interrupt as the being (a fairy? another senshi? - no not that).

She takes a few steps closer, carefully and slowly but without fear. She is bold.]

Who are you? [What are you? The genie's own question is all but forgotten, but of course Lethe remembers it.]

I didn't know there was anything like that watering can here.

[gardeningaia]

And I didn't know this place could get so dry. Whooo! You could really use some fans here. [ Don't mind her magicking up a fan--a magically eco-friendly one of course. Instead of metal and electricity, it's palm fronds that wave themselves. ]

As for who I am...I'm Aerith! Good ol' genie of the watering can. But not that old!

[solvings]

[The knight is only passing by, really, and he would've kept on had his steed not gotten distracted by a gleam and turned off-course to look closer.

Thus, they're both stuck.

But the thing is, Sir Sherlock Holmes is very well-known for his keen perception, so it's not long before he finds the watering can. It's also not long before he wonders why there's a watering can, and picks it up out of sheer curiosity.]

Sorry, I took myself off hiatus sooner than I should've.

[gardeningaia]

[ And that sheer curiosity will get Aerith emerging in a cloud of smoke...or is that steam? Maybe that watering can feels a little warm, because as things become clearer, it appears as though...Aerith has been happily humming away in her daily shower.

(Girl's gotta look her best even if there's no one to see!!)

Before things can become too clear from the steam dissipating, she lets out a little "Huh?" and noticing she's no longer in the lamp, the shower disappears in favor of a towel. ]

Oh no, no! Don't look, just--give me a second! [ And after that second, the towel disappears in a flash for a dress...leaving the question of why she bothered with the towel in the first place when she's completely dry in a second. (She's a little scatterbrained sometimes, okay?) ]

There we go. You didn't look, right Master? [ She turns to face him, taking stock for the first time. ]

[solvings]

If I wanted to look at naked women, I'd borrow John's books.

[Translation: No, he wasn't. It doesn't stop him from being rather intrigued by her, though.]

[gardeningaia]

[ She bites her lip slightly. ] ...I'm sure glad you rubbed and not John, then.

[modernholmes]

Treasures or quests had never interested Conan much. On the other hand he never had been able to resist a mystery. Hearing of the mysterious disappearances here, he had followed it out and gotten trapped himself in turn. It doesn't take the young detective long to find the watering can.

Sorry for the delay, I came off hiatus too soon.

[gardeningaia]

Nor does it take Aerith very long to suspect there's someone near her watering can, judging by the sound of little footsteps. She tries to wait, but she's all too eager to be let out; it's not long before a tinny "Hello-o-o-?" emerges from the spout.

No worries!

[modernholmes]

He stops and crouches down near the watering can as he inspects the area for the source of the voice.

[gardeningaia]

...Do her ears deceive her, or is he coming closer? Aerith almost cheers, but there was that one ancient history incident where she kind of scared off a potential master that way. So she tries to take it nice and gentle.

"Pssst-- Aren't you thirsty? Try the can!"

[midgarhorizon]

[Deserts depressed him like nothing else. Reno hated extreme whether, either cold or hot. Thirst was a dry, rough feeling in the back of his throat, so that watering can was a welcome sight. Maybe it had a few drops in it left over from the rain season.

He bent down and picked it up, feeling it to see if there was water inside.]

[gardeningaia]

[ Sorry Reno. Rather than water emerging, there's--a giggle, the can shaking in his hands before it jumps back with Aerith shooting out headfirst. Like this she's very acrobatic though and manages to get both feet in front of her for the landing after a little flip.

But she's still laughing, doubled over with her hands at her sides. ] Hey, that tickled!

[midgarhorizon]

[Surprised, he drops the can and takes a step back, readying for anything, especially an attack, but-]

Aerith?

[He's slightly skeptical at this. Now he's seeing Aerith in the dreams. What next? A talking chocobo?]

The hell are you doing in a watering can?

[gardeningaia]

How does anyone ever find themselves in a bottle? Or....a bottle-like thing, anyway. I'll give you three guesses! [ She raises her hand with three fingers raised. ] By the way, that's an important number, three.

[one_one_se7en]

A knight in armor painted green finds something in the midst of this desert, in what was meant to be a haven before he continued walking, and instead turned out to be a trap. He leaves his horse nearby as he wanders to inspect the object.

He lifts the can to his helm, testing its' weight. It's a little heavy. It definitely contains something, but until he finds something to pour the water at, he'd be wasting resources.

The knight puts it in his rutsack before returning to his horse.

Sorry, took myself off hiatus a bit soon.

[gardeningaia]

Aerith is just lounging in her little chair in her watering can when she feels it. She's moving! Someone is picking her up!! She's up against her pseudo door (or for non-genies, the watering can's spout), waiting for that little rub to let her out when...

Wait a second. She's being put in a bag?!

No no no, this must be a mistake. She can't come out this way! Maybe he's just... giving a little shine and polish. ...Except she chose the watering can model, not the high-maintenance lamp model, so she doesn't really need a shine... and she's not feeling that polish anyhow.

She tries to be patient. She really really does.

But after a few millenia, even the most patient genie would be twitching at such a near-call--Aerith and her watering can are squirming like a worm in that rucksack. Anything else in there is getting jostled.

It's cool!

[one_one_se7en]

The Spartan may be inside of an iberic set of plate armor, but he notices his rutsack moving -- hence why he grabs a dagger as soon as he opens it... to see nothing else inside, save for the watering can.

Which happens to be moving.

Shaking.

The knight picks it up to stare at it, keeping a weapon ready. The water may be polluted for all he knows...

... So expecting a rat, he taps it.

[nohometown]

[Somehow, while trying to escape from his tower, this tall, forbidding princess ended up in the midst of a wasteland. This was not the kind of escape he'd had in mind, and his animal companion (be it puppy or chocobo) is nowhere in sight.

He's been wandering for some time, and though he doesn't fear death, he doesn't enjoy being trapped here. It's as bad as the tower, in its way. Has he only left one form of imprisonment for another?

When, in the midst of all this nothingness, he catches sight of a watering can, it seems like a joke. But it's something, seemingly the only thing here. Of course he picks it up to examine it. He's naturally curious (which is probably how he ended up here).]

[gardeningaia]

[ This time when the mist emerges, it coils about Sephiroth's head, seeming a bit thick. It might seem menacing at first.

That impression gets ruined at the first gasp from behind. ]

It's so smooth and shiny! What kind of shampoo do you use? Or is it the conditioner? I mean I think my hair is pretty nice already, but this is just something else. Is the color natural?

[ ...Actually, maybe the chattiness is menacing. ]

[nohometown]

[He studies the mist with more curiosity than trepidation, wondering what is happening here, then turns at the sound of the gasp.

This topic is something of a sore point, however slight, and it brings him back to himself somewhat. He didn't care for the write up about his hair in the Silver Elite newsletter. (He still wonders how they get that personal information, and it's unsettling--although not as much as it would be if he knew the answer to that question.)

However, he remains entirely polite in the face of all this chattiness.]

Ah, it's manufactured by ShinRa. [Not exactly avoiding the question there.] Thank you.

Yes, this is my natural hair color.

[simulatedsummer]

[ One moment, he's hanging on the streets like it's no one's business. The next, he's landed in prison of all places. What's the deal with that? Seriously, come on. It's not like he was doing anything wrong.

...

...Oookay, so he might have been stealing all his life. And he might have been finally caught red handed enough times for them to make a case of it. Or maybe it's simply because he's older now. Either way, this street urchin's gonna pay their dues now. ...Sometimes, he kind of wishes they had just taken his hand in-Oh. Oh, they did now. Well, that's great. Why didn't he realize it before?

Well then. After the initial sinking feeling, Roxas is at least relieved to see it's bandaged up, so welp. After a passing sigh, he decides maybe he ought to explore where he's at. Maybe just maybe, he'll find a way out. Of course, he doesn't realize how thirsty he is until he sees the watering can (wait, what is that even doing down here?) So, he tromps on over to inspect it. Maybe there's a bit left... but he doubts it. It looks like it's been sitting there for centuries. ]

( ooc: Yep, Roxas got a hand lost to the chopping block just in this dream. Nothing permanent. 8D; )

[gardeningaia]

[ There'll be a giggle when Roxas first touches it, blowing into full-blown laughter at more touching, and bursts of puffing smoke with each sound winding together into a fully-formed girl who bobs backward so playfully when her feet hit the ground that it almost seems like she's dancing. ]

Hello hello! And how are we tod--oh, no! [ Aw heeeck no. Even if it's been bandaged up it's obvious to see it was recent and she can't imagine it feels fine. ] What happened? Let me-- [ She reaches forward, but the next second, her hand stops as her cheeks puff out. She...can't. Not unless he wishes it. ]

Raaaaj~

[simulatedsummer]

[ Wait... Is he already starting to hallucinate from dehydration or did he just hear that watering can- OH JEEBUS WHAT IS THAT. He jumps back as the laughter escalates and smoke starts to spout from the can. What did he just get himself into? He takes a few more steps back, his footfalls clumsy, but eventually he just stops and stares.

Whoever this mystery girl from the magical watering can is, she sure is spunky and- h-hey! He pulls his bandaged stump back on instinct before he cringes at the feeling of the motion. He cradles it with his remaining hand, looking at her uneasily. ] It's fine. Just- fine. [ He scrutinizes her. ] Who are you?