Flower Power [1/3]

Taking care of plants has never been a natural thing for Flurry. It was a love-hate relationship. She loved plants dearly, seeing how big they grow and show one’s attention and efforts. But the garden has always been her number one enemy. The only thing that has managed to not die from her nubs are her own feelers and lights…. Which, is that even considered? She thought maybe she was broken. Maybe she was destined to kill every plant she touches. Maybe a curse followed her since day one in Faia!

No, she didn’t want to believe any of that. She will not be bested by silly little seeds and leaves. She will not lose to another pot of dirt.

Flurry walks outside of her small, but quaint, cottage. A dark, short building covered with moss and small, dead vines, featuring a small porch made of wood and what looks like a box on the side. Adventuring to the side of her home, she stares at the box made of the wood from the forest she resides in. It was covered with smears of dried up mud and weeds from previous attempts long ago. Her watering can was tipped over, stuck in some of the dirt.

She drops a small bag of seeds and a book off to the side. A gardening book for beginners that she picked up said flowers were the easiest and most rewarding plant to begin with. It would be a lovely addition to her home! If she could actually do this….

Using her horn, she shovels out the watering can from the dried mud and waddled down to the nearby stream. The can dropped when Flurry dipped her head towards the water.

Water slowly slipped into the watering can as Flurry stared. Maybe this was ridiculous. Maybe this will fail and all her efforts were a waste of time that she could’ve used to continue mud-making. Her eyes started to water. Maybe she just needed to accept that she couldn’t grow anything. Surely Faians would need just mud.

No.

She blinks the tears away. She will not give up from these stupid thoughts.

Flurry flipped the can up in a hurry. She steadied herself, using her nubs as quickly as she could to get back to the garden.

Coming back to the side of her home, she took inventory of everything she needed for this big step. The book of gardening for beginners sat next to the garden box, along with the flower seeds, and of course, the water she just retrieved. The book went into fertilizer and other techniques, specific seasons for the plant and most optimal island to grow what. Flurry didn’t mind that advice, though. She saw small flower seeds being sold at a nearby market, and read up on them to see that they grow with minimal effort. Surely, it cannot be messed up.

She jumps into the dirt, making little indents with her nubs. Her horn opens the pouch of seeds and she moves it around to drop the contents inside. Flurry dances around the dirt, making sure she covers all the seeds. It's enjoyable, it’s just like mud making, but more uniform with where she has to stomp.

She sighs, all the movement made her nubs tired. But she isn’t done yet. Similar to earlier, she brings around the watering can. Gently, with her horn, she covered all of the dirt in the box with a thin layer of water. This was it. The final step was just to wait. But she didn't want to wait, what if it was all for nothing? Results needed to be seen now!

Flurry stared at her box of dirt. Grow, little seeds, grow!

Her words didn’t make them grow.

She waited for days, checking in the morning and before sunset. Watering the dirt a little here and there, not wanting to overdo it. Nothing. No seed has grown. Maybe it was too much water everyday. Maybe the seeds were fake? She did it again. Messed up something horribly easy. She considered if it was a skill she could never learn, destined to do something else. Her heart ached. She couldn’t give up on something she has loved and appreciated her whole life.

It’s been a week since the day she planted the flowers in her small garden. No watering for 2 days. She was going to give up, couldn’t even bear to look at another failed attempt of hers. But she needed to. At least one last look. If there was nothing, the box can become a mud mixing spot.

Flurry waddled towards the box slowly, scared to see if she failed, scared to see that her hopes were up for nothing and must give up her life dreams. The surface of dirt came to view. Nothing, she saw nothing, but kept walking towards it in disbelief. It really all was for nothing….

The box was a nub away from her. She rapidly flicked her eyes around the box, nothing. No green, no sprouts in view. She brought her head closer. What was that? She looked closer towards her, at the edge of the box in front of her, a tiny, oh so tiny, little bulb was peaking through the dirt. Was that it? She finally grew something?

She couldn’t believe it. All of her failed attempts for one singular life to grow. She never grew something before! This means she can garden. All of her failures meant nothing now, she can grow flowers. Maybe she can make the vines grow on her cottage! This was a huge step for Flurry, and she doesn't plan to stop now.