and flowers filled the room

[mermaidcursed]

 WHO? Gardening Club and those who may be interested or visiting! 
WHAT? A catch-all and mingle of sorts for the gardening club, though its not necessary to restrict club activity here!
WHEN? Through the month of August!
WHERE? Room 3-E! 
WARNINGS? None yet!

and the place got smaller as they grew taller

and taught me to bloom


 

 

 the flowers of the gardening club seem to be thriving! what with the, um, nutrient-rich water and the abundance of plant food and sunlight, and experienced members there to keep a helpful eye on things for the new gardeners! a pot and a planter seem to have been removed from the room, however- and a small potted tree has joined the group, carefully labeled with a sign requesting it not be touched. nene's own private flowers carry a similar sign on their planter as well. turing's jade plant is unofficially in her care, as is hinata's flytrap until he at least knows it belongs to him. the wisteria tree outside is hauntingly beautiful, and the sky rains ash sometimes. it's fine. they're fine. in a world of turmoil and the occasional week-long disappearance, sometimes you have to stop and make sure the roses are still blooming.

gardening club open posts to follow!

Comments

[carpevinum]

[Lucifer is very lovingly tending to the plants when Ishimaru walks in and, upon hearing his voice, turns to glance over his shoulder and offer a friendly nod.]

Come in, then. There's no need to stand in the doorway like that.

[His tone comes across as calm, even if the words themselves want to be clipped and curt.]

[moraloutrage]

Ah... A splendid suggestion, Lucifer-san! I shall enter at once!

[With a brief, nervous chuckle, he shuffles into the room. Seeing Lucifer tending to plants is a welcome change of pace from talking him about grisly subjects during class meetings.]

So you are another member of this fine club. How are things faring?

[carpevinum]

[Lucifer would much rather talk about plants than discuss murder anyhow, even if he is a demon. Some things just aren't to his extremely regal tastes these days.

That aside, the plants themselves seem well-maintained, and Lucifer — meticulous as he is — has taken to measuring the growth of stalks and leaves with a tape measure and logging his findings down in a small notebook.]

After we were able to get out into the courtyard, they've been a lot better. Windows don't provide as much sunlight. I'm in the habit of moving the plants back inside at night, but when the weather is good, [and when it isn't raining ash,] I do tend to let them sit outside for a spell.

[He logs down a few centimeters of growth on one particular plant before turning back to Ishimaru, offering a friendly, calm smile.]

Are you interested in gardening at all? Or are you just checking in to see how clubs are operating as a student council member?

[moraloutrage]

[Ishimaru's knowledge regarding plants is not extensive, but from what he can tell, they seem to be quite healthy! He looks fascinated while he looks at the plant and listens to Lucifer's account about the care of the plants.]

I see... [Deciding when to take a plant outside and bring them back in - it seems like gardening requires a lot of thought!

There's a hint of a smile on his face as he answers Lucifer. A curious smile, one that seeks knowledge!]

You could say the answer is a bit of both! I do want to check up on the operations of the club, and Yashiro-kun also invited me to see how the plants are doing. I do find myself quite curious about gardening in general, at the same time! It is an area that I do not know much about, so I wish to learn more. And now, while school is on summer break, it seems like a good time to study this splendid subject!

[carpevinum]

As part of my own chores back home, I was one of those responsible for tending to our garden. [A great deal of that work fell to Satan as well, but normally if Satan was around outside, that meant that at least thirty feral cats were also around...] I also once crossbred a new genus of rose to give to someone dear to me, so you could say I have a certain expertise in this area.

[Those are his credentials he listed, basically. Why he's a good choice for a mentor and all that, if Ishimaru wishes to learn about gardening. What better way to learn than from a man who's thousands of years old, after all?]

You're welcome to try your hand at gardening, and I'd be happy to teach you more. Actually, I could use someone to help me take the plants that require daylight outside from time to time. There are many varieties of plants that require certain light levels, and fluorescent bulbs don't exactly do the trick; at the same time, I hesitate to simply leave the pots outside where they will be unattended and wilt lest we get locked inside again.

[moraloutrage]

[Ah yes, that was one early thing he learned about Lucifer that ensured Ishimaru's respect: that he knows the value of chores! He looks quite impressed as Lucifer talks about his feat.]

A new genus of rose? That's incredible! If something like that does not qualify you within this field, I do not know what would!

[As a novice in the area of gardening, Ishimaru feels like he's found possibly the best person he can learn from!]

I would surely be honored to learn from you, Lucifer-san! I look forward to learning as much as possible, working hard and experiencing the joy of raising a plant! I will certainly lend a hand when it comes to carrying plants to and fro! It is a very understandable quandary. The last thing anyone wants is for a plant to be left helpless without its caretakers! So I shall gladly help out!

[carpevinum]

[Ishimaru would love to see Lucifer in his natural habitat, yelling at his siblings about doing their damn chores and their homework and berating everyone for failing their classes. In fact, why doesn't Ishimaru just come be Lucifer's new brother and then he can kick all the others out?

...kidding! Half-kidding.]

Wonderful. I'm glad to hear it. The first thing to know about plants other than light level is how often you have to water them. [He's already onto the lessons, but hey, that's what Ishimaru came here for! Lucifer flips through his notebook and pulls out a couple of empty seed packets, flipping them to show Ishimaru the care instructions.] Most seeds you buy will come with tips on how to properly care for them, but that does not account for the more niche little details, which I can explain in a moment. These are the basics, however, and they're good to write down somewhere when starting a garden.

[These are just regular ol' seed packets, so naturally they have things like light levels, watering times, how far apart to plant seeds, and a "difficulty" rating. Lucifer hands one such empty packet over for daffodils to let Ishimaru look it over. The easiest place to start after all is with basic instructions straight from the package itself!]

Unfortunately, I don't have any extra seeds or anything to plant them in currently, or I'd have you start your own pot. I imagine when the faculty comes back after summer break, we'll be able to request more supplies.

[moraloutrage]

[It would be incredible to behold! He would never imagine that he could end up idolizing someone who was particularly, well, devilish! ...But applications for brotherhood are not made lightly for this guy!

Ishimaru practically stands at attention while he tries to commit all of Lucifer's words to memory.]

Ah yes! I do know that water and light are the basics of sustaining plant life, but the required frequency is something that I do not know for sure. [His eyes scan over the seed packets when presented, and then he claims the one that's presented to him. He holds it up close as he reads them all.]

Fascinating! So much goes into the care of such simple plants, that people can take for granted so easily... Truly this is an act of hard work! [Which makes Ishimaru want to do this even more!] I understand the situation. I suppose my request is somewhat abrupt, after all! But I do not need to start right away, of course. I can definitely wait until class is back in session and try to obtain such seeds through the proper channels! In the meantime, I appreciate all of your instruction, and of course I will commit myself to helping out around here!

[carpevinum]

A standard gardener will care for their plants by watering them appropriately and giving them enough light to live a prosperous life.

[Lucifer nods, appreciative of the enthusiasm. Ishimaru's work ethic has always given him hope for the rest of the world; please, please rub off on others. He's begging.

In the middle of that train of thought, Lucifer picks up a pair of small gardening shears sitting nearby and begins snipping off dead leaves with a practiced, steady hand.]

A pro, however, remembers to properly care for the plant itself in other ways — fertilizing it, studying its growth, and most importantly, cutting off dead leaves and buds so that new ones may bloom in its place. I find that beginners are scared to do the latter more often than not, as there is a high probability of harming the plant. However, experience brings better results over time — when it comes to gardening, practice makes perfect.

[That applies to most things, really, but in Lucifer's experience many people think that gardening is simply putting a plant in the ground and letting it sit there. They think it's easy, and then they're shocked when their yards don't look as pretty as their neighbours' yards do.

All of that aside, Lucifer flips the shears around and holds the handle out to Ishimaru with a small, encouraging smile, pointing with his free hand to another dead leaf hanging limply from the stem of the plant he's working with.]

Since I don't have much else on hand to teach you with, I suppose we can start with something like this. A steady hand and focus is all you'll need. Go on.

[moraloutrage]

[Believe him, he really hopes above all else that his work ethic spreads among this student body! ...Well maybe not above survival, that might debatably be a higher priority. Ishimaru continues to listen to Lucifer with a focused stare, as he watches him clip at the leaves. The more he learns about taking plants, the more work it sounds like. And the more excited that makes him feel!]

There are so many factors that go into plant care... Simply incredible! [He says with an awed gasp. Truly, this is a hobby that was meant for him.

He claims the handle of the shears and looks towards the indicated leaf carefully.]

I see. I can understand the fear that you mention! I would not want to hurt a poor plant. I... do not want to hurt anything. [Or anyone. But he shoves those thoughts away and focuses on the plant. That dead leaf...]

But I can also see - I know what must be done. It looks like hurting, but this... this will help. I trust in that, Lucifer-san.

[With that, he holds out his shears towards the plant. His grip is shaky at first, but then he manages to steady it. Quickly and effectively, he snips off the dead leaf.]

There! ...Was that sufficient?

[carpevinum]

[It's hard not to notice the way Ishimaru's voice seems to shake as he says he wishes not to hurt anything at all, but Lucifer isn't a man in the habit of souring moods where it isn't necessary. By the time he thinks he might ask about that — something to do with that battle months ago, perhaps? — the leaf has been cut, fluttering to the soil beneath, where Lucifer is quick to pluck it out with his fingers and toss it into a nearby garbage bin.]

Yes, it was. Great job. It's not so hard, see?

[Ishimaru gets an encouraging, fatherly pat on the back for that one. And with that, the plant looks much healthier already, probably more so because it's bereft of a dead leaf rather than having an instant improvement to its health.]

If you'd ever like to practice more, feel free to come by. [He nods once, and then adds,] Though, we would certainly be honoured to have you as an official club member, if you have the free time.

[moraloutrage]

[The idea of helping an entity by hurting them is a difficult concept for Ishimaru. But at the very least, it is much easier for him to grasp in this specific context. Trimming a dead leaf of a plant seems... logical. And he can see the results almost instantly, bringing the hint of a smile back to his face.]

Yes, you are right. This plant already looks as if it has been relived of a dead weight! ...Thank you, Lucifer-san.

[He nods along firmly and gives a quick bow.]

I humbly thank you for your offer! At this point, I am hesitant to commit fully to the club. I have time to spare helping out while it is summer break, but once school is officially back in session, I will be much busier. If I feel that I can make time to devote to this club while the next semester is in motion, then I would be honored to officially join you all here.