tushanshu | [video]

[When the screen first flickered on, Midii seemed...almost distracted. As if she were functioning on autopilot. Like the broadcast was pre-planned, and some unforeseen circumstance put a damper on the moment. Or she could have just been tired. The circles under her eyes were faint but notable.]

I came across something interesting in my...studies.

[A slight pause at that word, and only then did she appear to collect herself enough to lift her gaze and stare at the camera directly. There were a small pile of flowers off to one side, and she picked one of them up, twirling it gently in front of her as if contemplating its very existence.]

Most of the plants I've been harvesting are supposed to have medicinal qualities. Healing. I've been learning how to identify and use them properly. But there was this one book...[Here, she paused to glance around her before laying eyes on something just below the camera, and seemed satisfied.]...this one here. I found it when I was shopping in the markets the other day. It says that flowers can also be used to send messages to people. Not just to tell someone you like them, or apologize for something you did wrong. More like...each flower can carry a very specific meaning. Almost like a puzzle.

I'd never thought about that before, but it seemed interesting. And maybe useful for people to know at any point in the future. I don't...think I've ever seen many people using coded languages here. [Aside from encryptions, but she purposely refrained from bringing those up.] And I know many of us don't all speak or read in the same languages. But...I don't know...maybe it could even be a game? Or...something.

[She seemed to be losing her train of thought as she went along, pausing just long enough to let out a small yawn.]

Sorry.

Where was I? Oh, right. This one, for example.... [she held up the red leaf-like flower in her hand] ...can be used to make a certain kind of poison. But for some reason, it's hidden message means an abundance of welcoming hospitality. Strange, isn't it? That a flower can mean one thing, but be used for something else entirely.

I wonder...if that's true for all the flowers in Keelai.

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Flower meanings have been around a long time. Like, thousands of years long.

But the whole "language" thing really kicked off in Victorian England, and the USA, around the 19th century.

[ He was there for it. It was hilarious. ]

[Her eyes sparkled at his appearance on the screen like they did for few others. Both because she liked Jack, and because he had just opened the doors to a whole potential wealth of new things to learn.]

What kinds of things would they use the flowers to say?

Well, you've got to remember that this was right around the time when everyone was really obsessed with being proper and scandalous behaviour and weird rules.

Like the one where if a guy wanted to take a girl on a date to the theatre, he had to send her a written invitation at least a day in advance, it had be written in third person-- yeah, I have no idea why, I couldn't even begin to guess the reasoning for that part -- and it had to be "upon white note-paper of the finest quality, with an envelope to match".

So when you realize those were the kinds of things people had to worry about, maybe having conversations by way of plants was actually easier.

[Throughout, her eyes went from shining in amusement, to wide with incredulousness, to a strong urge to be rolled when he got to the part about third person and fine, white note-paper--sounded like a bunch of aristocratic snobs, to her--and back to amusement again as a question popped into mind:]

Did you ever send one of those invitations?

[Since he knew so much about them.]

[ The question seems to catch him off guard for a moment, and then he shakes his head. ]

Nope, just got front row seats to a lot of things, that's all.

Did you want to?

[She was absolutely being nosy for nosy's sake now.]

[ His mouth opens for a moment, then he utters an odd sounding laugh. Awkward. But also kind of resigned. ]

Yeah... once. One time that was serious, I mean.

[That...was a slightly unexpected reaction. Midii had figured either one of two possible outcomes were likely: either Jack would casually yet vehemently deny any such thing...or else he would have blushed in tell-tale admission. But for him to come right out with it, albeit in a slightly awkward manner?]

[...her expression softened, all traces of humor replaced with a sort of empathy. If her theory behind his awkwardness was correct.]

I know the feeling.

Oh yeah? Do I sense a story here?

You might.

But...it's not a very good one. And there's no happy ending.

[ That's enough to get him to back down from pushing the subject any farther. ]

Ah... well, you don't have to share it if you don't want to.

[She...didn't really want to. But it was ironically the fact that he was willing to back off that made her more willing to offer him something in return:]

There's not much to share. [As long as she left out the more painful details.] I met my first love when I was eleven. He didn't love me back. In fact, I'm pretty sure he hated me. I only ever liked one boy after that, and he left me too.

[Stupid spell sending people back home at the most inconvenient times.]

Your story would be much nicer to hear, I'm sure.

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