067th metal . video

[godsays]

I...

Maybe I shouldn't have kept all the weeds alive.

[ He turns the camera to show a weed pile, overgrown, tangled, and spreading. It's horrifying, but has a lot of nice wildflowers poking out. ]

Does anyone... want wildflowers?

Comments

[keeps_a_cool_head]

...I think I prefer it this way.

You've done well, Zane. Keep it just like that.

[godsays]

It's going to start hurting the other plants.

[Private]

[forsaken_queen]

[That is a terrible mess, Zane.]

You can't let weeds take root. They'll choke out all the other plants.





Do you want help?

[Private]

[godsays]

That's why I took them and put them here, so they'd have a chance -

[ This was stupid. He sighs. ]

...please. Yes.

[keeps_a_cool_head]

Let it. Survival of the fittest dictates that the more worthy plants will survive.

[godsays]

If they're beautiful enough that we take care of them, that's a reason for them to survive, isn't it?

[Private]

[forsaken_queen]

I'll be there shortly.

[It takes her a few minutes longer than probably expected. She changed her clothes, and shows up in an outfit that pretty much no one would think of as meant for gardening. But it's really more about keeping herself away from the plants than anything else. She couldn't care less about getting dirty.

All those clothes really have come in handy. Who knew?]

Why did you want to keep weeds?

[keeps_a_cool_head]

Do you find value in beauty? Or do the weeds serve some more important purpose?

[godsays]

I do find value. I find value in life, and in beauty.

[keeps_a_cool_head]

What will you lose if the weeds die?

[godsays]

The wildflowers.

[Private]

[godsays]

I - don't know.

[ It seems all a little ridiculous now. He thinks of Ivy, a woman he never really had a chance to know. ]

Back when Ivy was here, she wanted to keep all the plants alive. She didn't want them trimmed or hurt. I started thinking of the plants as living things.

I just wanted to give them a chance to survive.

[keeps_a_cool_head]

Prune them and place them elsewhere.

[godsays]

That's what I did.

That's why this is happening.

[keeps_a_cool_head]

Then you need to make a choice about which flowers you prefer to keep around.

[godsays]

I know.

[Spam] oops forgot to change this >_>

[forsaken_queen]

[Oh so this Ivy was crazy. Okay.]

Plants are living things, but they can't all co-exist together. Weeds are damaging, and spread faster than useful plants. If you don't cull them, they grow out of control, and you're left with nothing. You're lucky your weed pile isn't worse.

Take me to it. We'll need to start cutting it apart. There might be a chance of composting some of it. It depends how much has gone to seed.

Private

[voluntaryapnea]

I'll take some.

Private

[godsays]

Clippings, or whole plants?

Private

[voluntaryapnea]

Just the flower parts, I think. I don't really -- know how to keep plants alive.

[His mom had loved gardening, but he'd never paid attention. He'd been too young to care about that kind of thing.]

[keeps_a_cool_head]

What are your plans now?

[godsays]

[ A sigh. ]

Give them away. Kill the rest.

Private

[godsays]

Have someone you want to give them to?

[ He might tease a little. ]

[keeps_a_cool_head]

I should like a sample, if you're killing them off.

Private

[voluntaryapnea]

[And color might be visible on his cheeks. Just a little.]

Yeah, actually.

[godsays]

What for?

Private

[godsays]

I won't ask.

[ He's smiling a little. ]

Come and get them.

Private

[voluntaryapnea]

[He shrugs a little, a faint, slightly goofy smile spreading across his face.]

It's Lydia.

[His smile brightens a little.]

Cool. I'll be right there.

[keeps_a_cool_head]

For what reason do you keep them around?

[godsays]

I didn't want to kill anything.

[keeps_a_cool_head]

You of all people should know that death is just as important as life.

[godsays]

Of all people?

[keeps_a_cool_head]

You died and came here.

[Spam]

[godsays]

[ He leads her back to the compost/weed pile, somewhat chastened. It looks like even more of a mess in person than it did over the network. He's really messed this one up. ]

[Spam]

[forsaken_queen]

[It looks like a headache. But the kind that cab be handled with appropriately applied force. She draws a sword and approaches the mess. She starts cutting into it with sure strokes, her free hand digging in and pulling apart tangled foliage.]

Most of this has gone to seed. This pile isn't hot enough to kill them off.