26. LOL

[heisrisen]

[Public]

[The Emperor stands the hallway of Level One, awkwardly clutching a beehive shaped like a small griffon, with soot smudges on his face, dirt on his clothes, a few drowsy bees bumbling around him, and the door of his room, smoke billowing gently through the sliver of open door behind him.]

No need to be - alarmed.

[His breath catches wrong, and he coughs hard for a few seconds.]

Planned incineration. Perfectly contained.

If nobody claims the bees they're going to the greenhouse.



[Private to Barbara]

I'm going to need a new room.



[Spam - deliveries for Bush, Morgana, Hannibal, and Sylvanas.]

[Hours earlier, but not many- On the morning of the 10th, each of them will open their doors to find neatly potted plants. Bush recieves one elegant apple bonsai, less than two feet high. Morgana gets several pots of pansies, in different colors, arranged so as not to block the door, Sylvanas gets catnip, and Hannibal gets herbs - basil, sage, rosemary, and thyme.]

Comments

Private

[bodilesswarrior]

[Barbara just. Stares at him, for a second.]

Yeah, fine. You can stay with me until we sort it out. [It's should be difficult, to say that. She should be hesitant, wary. She isn't.]

What did you do?

Private

[heisrisen]

I burned it all down.

[He has a lot of catharsis endorphins right now. Or maybe he's just dizzy from smoke inhalation.]

Private

[bodilesswarrior]

Ah. Well, that's one way to move forward, I suppose. You didn't get yourself burnt, did you?

[Spam]

[forsaken_queen]

[It's Lirath that discovers the very nice, exceptionally wonderful plant that has been left at the door. The leopard is well trained in how to take care of himself should he either be kicked out of the room, or find himself without his mistress for more than a few hours. So when he returns from walking himself in the garden, he finds the best thing ever.

Immediately the leopard falls in love with the plant and proceeds to rub, nuzzle, nip at and even cuddle the pot itself. Soil spills. The leopard purrs and eventually curls himself up in a happy heap around the pot of catnip.

His owner is no where to be seen.]

[Spam]

[heisrisen]

[Some time later, when he swings back to check -]

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.

[He laughs and sits down, rubbing Lirath's ears. Big doofus kitty.]

[Spam]

[forsaken_queen]

[Lirath rolls his large head against the Emperor's leg, purring like thunder. He hugs the plant reflexively, more soil spilling out into his white belly. Someone is going to need a bath.]

private

[godsays]

What.

[ even. happened. here. ]

private

[heisrisen]

You don't mind, right? I'm sure they'll get along with the Chicago bees fine.

private

[godsays]

That wasn't what surprised me.

[beingdifferent]

Goodness! Why on earth did you do that, and why have you got bees?

[heisrisen]

Because it reminds me of things I can't have, and I wanted it gone. Because burning greenery is a mourning custom where I come from, and I've left too much of myself behind lately not to mark the passing.

The bees were a gift.

[beingdifferent]

Oh. I'm sorry, both to hear that and for being intrusive.

I wondered.

[onecertainly]

Bees?

[heisrisen]

Yes.

[onecertainly]

They allow you to keep bees aboard a ship?

[shakenandlimp]

...you've burnt your garden.

[Some clues are blatant enough even for a man with no imagination.]

Oh dear.

[heisrisen]

Yes.

It wasn't like - I mean it was spontaneous, I lit the first match without realizing I'd even done it, but then I panicked and stamped it out and gave away a few things I wanted to save and started again.

You will keep the apple tree, won't you? It's not hard to care for.

[Please.]

[shakenandlimp]

I'll do my best to keep it alive. I am not much of a gardener, I'm afraid.

[walkingmeltdown]

You want to maybe put out a warning the next time you do a thing like that? I was just on my way out of the dining hall and I thought we might have hit something again.

[heisrisen]

The last time I did a thing like that, we did hit something.

[walkingmeltdown]

I feel you're not exactly disproving my point.

[Private]

[youwillgotohell]

I was going to tell you how beautiful the flowers were.

[But her tone is somewhere between alarmed, amused, and completely baffled.]

What in the world are you doing?

[Private]

[heisrisen]

[He wants to say starting fresh, but it isn't that, really. He's just as stalled as he was before. His chest is tight suddenly with more than wisps smoke, and he wonders if he shouldn't remind her of her glimpse into his world.]

On Home. A burning tree was a mark of grief.

[Private]

[youwill]

No longer satisfied with your own garden?

[Private]

[heisrisen]

It was never really mine.