Chapter 13: What the flowers told me about you. They said they learnt of kindness from your gentle touch; and now it's only you. It's only your fingers they tolerate. It's only your touch they crave. And for all this... The blame is on you, my dear.

I stared at my face in the mirror. More specifically, I stared at a little spot on the skin near the corner of my eye.

"Don't tell me..."

I had noticed this freckle growing these past few days but today it had darkened enough to be called...

"A mole? Or a beauty spot, whatever, but really?!"

Isn't this something cliché that villains are always shown to have? I don't get it; I think it's really pretty, but why are evil characters always given moles?

"Oh well," I shrugged with a smile. I like it so it's fine. I look kinda cool with a mole under my eye.

"Hey..."

Hmm? Itching my arm, I turned towards the yellow carnations that were whispering for some reason.

"What is it? Why are you whispering? Not that I'm complaining." I could do with these chatterbox flowers being a little quieter, really.

"Quickly, before they wake up...!" The flowers hissed at me and I tilted my head in confusion, walking over towards the table on which they were kept.

"Who's gonna wake up? Ah!"

A smile lit up my face when I noticed what, or who they were talking about.

"When did you get a baby? And it grew so fast?" A little sapling that wasn't present yesterday now sat next to the stems of the carnations. It looked so little and cute!

"It's not my baby!" The carnations raised their voice as if they were accused of something crazy. "You're the one that gave birth to them!"

"Hah?!" An extremely confused sound left my lips at this incredulous exchange of dialogue we were having. In the back of my mind, I remembered a soap opera scenario of a man suddenly being told by a dramatic scornful woman he had a one-night-stand with, 'It's your child!'

But I really don't think this is the result of me having a one-night-stand, no matter how non-existent it was.

"Now quickly! Get it another pot! I don't like sharing my root space!" The carnations ordered me and I waved my hands frantically.

"Wait, back up! What do you mean it's my child?!" Ah, saying it out loud feels so weird!

The carnations sighed at me. I was used to their sighs as it's what they did every time I refused their offers to sing, but now I just raised my eyebrows helplessly at this new situation.

"You've awakened your strand power, of course! Now quickly, get another pot before it wakes up and thinks I'm rude for kicking it out!"

...asdfghjkL

I froze with static echoing around my brain and my heart rate rose with the sudden excitement that was overcoming me. Say what!

And then I squealed. Really loud.

My strand power is here! It's finally here!

The carnations clicked their tongue at me and I didn't even care to think of how they made that sound when they don't even have a tongue; I was too busy throwing fists in the air with excitement.

Then I rushed over to the carnations with a huge grin. "Hey, how did I do it? How do I do it? Hey, tell me!"

"Ask Risor, you human! Now, I'm telling you, I need my space!"

I just laughed happily, also noting how this was the first time I was seeing them actually annoyed and it was actually very cute. "Alright, I'll shift them!"

I got a bowl and filled it with some soil from the carnations' pot, assuring them I'll refill them later. "I just need to remove this, right- huh?" I reached out to the sapling but as soon as I touched it...

The green faded to brown as the sapling instantly withered under my fingers. I watched with parted lips as a tiny piece of it fell apart and floated down gently in the air.

"What the fuck..." I whispered with wide eyes.

"Oh..." The carnations, too, let out a sound of surprise. "That's interesting."

"W-what just happened, yellow?" I looked at them, desperate for an answer.

"It seems you've awakened two strand powers... Life and death at the same time."

"Death...?" A dull thud echoed in my chest at that word.

"Well, you should be asking Risor about this but since you've treated me well, I'll tell you." Their voice was the only sound in the room as I listened intently to them.

"Elemental powers can be destructive, and so humans can easily take away life with their powers; but plant elementals are the only ones who have the ability to breathe out life as they grow flora. However, some of them also have the ability to take away this life with a touch, or their will; your people call this power 'divest.' It seems you have this ability, Nora."

I stared at the withered flower and then my hands. There was no mention of this ability in the book, but that's because Nora wasn't seen using her powers until her death; but it's so fucking fitting for a villain to have a power that can deprive beings of their life with just a touch.

I clenched my fist and then heaved a defeated sigh.

"Don't worry too much; plants that are divested don't feel sorrow. We all know that as we live, we shall go. We strive our hardest to live, but death doesn't scare us." I could almost imagine them shrugging casually as they said it. "That's just how plants are. Besides, the sapling hadn't awoken yet, fortunately for me."

The truth is, I didn't feel too terrible anyway. Maybe because it was a plant, and that it wasn't the same as me? It's a terrible thought and attitude to have, but that's just how I was feeling. Maybe it's because the carnations too had such an easy-going attitude to this. I felt bad, but not to the point of being depressed over it. I couldn't tell why I thought so carelessly about it. It irked me a little.

"Congratulations, Nora!" After I cleaned out the sapling, the carnations were back to their cheery, saccharine tone and I gave another defeated sigh at their attitude.

"That's right; well done, Nora." The ivy from outside my window also joined in and congratulated me. "You were waiting so long for this! Go give out plenty of life now." Their words made me feel excited again and I smiled wide, searching for Risor outside my window so I could share this news with him.

"Mister Risor!" I happily yelled out his name as I ran towards him in the garden. He turned around from the flower bushes with surprise and curiosity all over his face.

I grinned and crouched beside where he was standing with a jump and exaggeratedly extended my hand to the little bit of open soil peeking out from the corner of the patch of greenery.

We both then watched as a puny little sapling, resembling the one from the carnations' pot, fought its way awkwardly out of the brown dirt. And then I sheepishly grinned up at his shocked face, which soon turned into a huge smile. He removed the notepad from his pocket and gently patted my head with it, as if to say, 'good job.'

An excited laugh bubbled its way out of my lips and I stood up with another jump. "Mister Risor, I'm going to touch every single type of plant that you've grown in this garden!"

Gotta catch 'em all!

I twisted back my imaginary red cap with a determined expression and darted around the garden, despite Risor's frantic warning telling me not to run, and touched every single kind of flower I saw.

"This way, Pikachu!" I whispered to myself and let out a wacky snicker at my own joke. It was all fun and games until I...

I got stung.

"Agh!" I quickly crouched down in pain, pressing hard on my finger. Hearing my shout, Risor, who was on the other side of the garden, worriedly raced towards me and was beside me within moments.

I would have been touched at this, but I was trying to ignore the tears that were threatening to fall due to the pain in my finger.

Risor, too, crouched down to my level and touched my shoulder, and then he reached out to my hand, gently bringing my finger closer to his face to observe the sting.

He pursed his lips, his eyebrows furrowing with worry. And then he stood up, still holding onto my wrist, gesturing for me to follow him.

We walked quickly across the garden; the entire time I couldn't stop pressing hard on my finger and biting my lip with a huge frown on my face.

This fucking hurts...! Why do insect bites hurt so bloody hard?!

I cursed myself for acting so stupid, running around the garden without a care. Ahhh... I really should have listened to Risor! But I really was excited...

He went into the greenhouse and let go of my hand to gather some leaves, and then he turned around, gently holding my wrist again as he took me to...

His cabin?

I didn't know that the gardener lived separate from the servants' quarters. Or is it cause he's ex-noble? Ah, but it makes sense for the garden's caretaker to live this close in case the weather suddenly gets worse and he has to protect the plants, I guess.

Either way, it was convenient and Risor opened the door for me, ushering me towards the wooden table and chair by the kitchen. After making sure I was properly seated, and lighting the candle on the table, he went to his kitchen and opened his cabinets, taking out bowls and a mortar and pestle. He then washed the leaves and quickly got to work on making what seemed to be a remedy paste for my wound.

To distract myself from the pain, I let my gaze wonder around me. It was a little one-room cabin and I could see his bed in the corner by the walls. I averted my eyes, but my sight caught something by his bedside table.

Books?

But I know that cover...

Unable to stop my curiosity, I leaned forward and raised myself a little so I could read the title of it when Risor, noticing what I was doing, swiftly blocked my view. I blinked at him in surprise and he scratched his cheek, not meeting my eyes; his face suddenly turning an adorable shade of red as he sat down with an awkward thump on his chair which he had pulled in front of me.

Plant Elementals and Basic Powers.

It was the same book that currently lay thrown across somewhere in my room; the information was so saturated, I couldn't focus on it so I just gave up.

As if to distract me from thinking any further of it, Risor extended his open hand out to me and I obliged, giving him my hand, suddenly feeling shy. He was biting his lip, clearly feeling embarrassed.

He's been studying so that he can teach me...

I... hadn't known... that he was willing to go that far to help me. It meant a lot to me, that he was working so hard just for me. I didn't know what to make of it. I thought he was just giving me knowledge that he already knew. But to think that he...

"Is there no limit to your kindness, Mister Risor?" I asked softly, and he still refused to meet my eyes; instead, choosing to focus on our fingers, careful to be so gentle so that I wouldn't feel anymore pain as he applied the paste he had made so quickly just for me.

My heart was filled with so much warmth; it was the first time I had felt so valuable ever since I came into this world. A smile made its way to my lips and it didn't help my excitement that the expression on Risor's face just made me want to tease him.

"...Thank you." I whispered softly to him; the words genuinely coming from my heart. How I wish he could understand how much I meant them. Hesitantly, he finally looked up; his timid gaze slowly travelling up my chin, lips, nose and then finally meeting my eyes. And then he let out a breath from his nose.

I felt something on my hand that was held by Risor and looked down to see a white magnolia form out of thin air on my palm. I let out a gasp and a sweet voice filled my mind.

Just Risor.

"Y-you can do this too?" I felt my heart was beating so loud, he could probably hear it. I was such a fangirl for plant powers, and to think Risor even had this strand power...! The ability to create flora even without soil, although this type of flora usually had shorter lifespans. To think he can do this!

But what?

"Just... Risor...?" I tilted my head and he smiled at me, the tips of his ears tinted red.

"Just call me Risor, Lady Eleonora."

I blinked, pressing my lips together as I felt my heart jump. I think I'm going to explode from his cuteness.

"Nora," I said, now suddenly unable to look into his eyes. "Or Eleonora. Whichever you like." Ah, his curtains are blue. Hmm? That's a nice wooden ceiling.

I heard a snicker and looked down to see Risor covering his lips with the back of his hand. For some reason, seeing this sudden majestic shower of such a cute smile, I was even more startled; my face heated up and I began to stammer.

"I-it doesn't hurt anymore!" I pulled back my hand from his gentle grip and he continued to smile at me. "What was this? Ah, and thank you!"

He held up the flower towards me so that he could talk through it and I suddenly felt like even more of an idiot to let go of his hand and then immediately ask him a question. It didn't help that he also had an amused smile in his eyes that were looking at my embarrassed face.

Feeling silly, I reached out to the petals again and the saccharine voice answered in my mind.

"It's the healing remedy I told you about; I made extra so take them with you and apply it whenever you feel the sting hurting bad again, or when it dries up."

His explanation sobered me up a little and now I gave him a genuinely grateful smile. "Really, thank you Mist- ah- er- Risor." I awkwardly laughed and he cutely narrowed his eyes at me.

Am I really twenty-one?

Later, I grumbled to myself as I made my way towards my hideout to meet Rezel.

What kind of adult runs around pretending to be in Pokémon and then gets injured like that?

I got a flashback to the summer of 2016.

...Never mind.