expiationnet | ( video )

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It seems that no matter where I find myself, flowers always carry a significant meaning, huh...?

[Ritsu has tried to focus the video on Aldrip's flower field, but since he's using a device that's utterly alien to him, he's decided to err on the side of caution and spend maybe a little too long panning over empty scenery. You know, just in case he's too zoomed in, or the image comes out too blurry, or something else of that nature.

Eventually, though, he does adjust it to focus on himself.]

Where I come from, each day is associated with a flower, and if you happen to be born on that day, then that flower is designated your "birth flower."

If you're interested, why not tell me your birthday? In exchange, I'll tell you your birth flower and its meaning. Given the wide selection of flowers here... maybe I'll even be able to find it.

[He has completely neglected to introduce himself, but clearly flowers are more important.]

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[Look, this garden is Very Important and maybe it'll help her find someone some day. So of course she's going to be proactive. But also meeting new people is fun, so... fun while working! Selphie would be so proud.]

Oh I know what peach blossoms are. They're really pretty!

[The other flower she isn't familiar with, so she pauses to watch and listen. Curious.]

It's not quite as pretty, but the meaning is really nice.

[Would the people in her life agree? Was she someone who lessened pain? Rinoa's not so sure. Depending on his mood, Squall might even say she tends to cause it instead. Oh well.]

What about you? What are your flowers?

[Oh, are they talking about him now? Already??]

Don't you want to hear what the peach blossom stands for first?

[Rinoa said she thought it was prettier than the astragalus and everything!]

[Well duh, of course she's asking about him. How else is she supposed to make friends?]

We can always do both. Unless you're busy?

[That's because they are.]

...Peach blossoms first, then.

[Why are the people here so weirdly friendly? You'd think they haven't all been kidnapped from their homes and accused of being criminals.]

In China, peaches symbolize longevity. They're the fruit of the immortals. As a result, they mean, "peerless."

[As for the next part...]

You know, next to flowers with meanings like that, my flowers are only going to sound boring at best.

[Sorry, she left her "standing around crying about the terrible state of everything" pants back in her own world. She's only got her "make due the best she can" shorts on her right now. So that's what she's going to do.]

"Peerless"? I like the sound of that.

[Hey... that's not fair.]

Aw, I'm sure it's not that bad. And I bet they're pretty, too!

[Listen. Nobody likes a person who just stands around crying about the terrible state of everything, sure. Is Ritsu relieved that he isn't stuck with a bunch of those? Absolutely.

But he doesn't know how to deal with this other extreme, either.]

Are you the type who thinks all flowers are pretty? What if it's an invasive species, or what if it's poisonous?

Flowers are only pretty if they're pretty. Of course not all flowers are pretty!

[What sort of question is that? She has taste, sir. That said the rest of that makes no sense.]

Just because something is invasive or poisonous doesn't mean it can't be pretty. Poisonous plants and animals are often pretty! And sometimes it's because invasive species are pretty that they end up spread so far. It's because people thought they looked nice!

[Just because she's trying to make the best of her situation? That doesn't mean she's about to start doing cartwheels and celebrating being here. If she could push a button and go home right this second, she would! But she can't, so she's just going to do the best she can instead.]

Even so, our biases unconsciously alter the way our brains interpret visual data. A gardener who's upset about a particular invasive plant may begin to perceive that plant as ugly simply because his emotions tell him that it should be repugnant. As a result, plants with undesirable qualities are often ranked more harshly.

[This is swerving into psychology talk now, but listen. Psychology happens to be his specialty, OK?]

But from your response... I guess I already know your answer.

What would you consider an ugly flower, then?

Even then, it's still not the plant's fault. It's just doing what it knows how to do to survive. Plants aren't malicious, they just are.

[At least she's pretty sure that's how it works. Plants aren't... actually trying to take over the world are they? Because that'd be kind of scary. And maybe turn her off eating her veggies for a while.]

I... don't know? I guess Venus Fly traps? Though their flowers are pretty enough, it's just that they remind me of a Grat and I've fought enough of those to not like them so much anymore.

[Grat's hurt when you're not used to fighting.]

A Grat?

[He's imagining some sort of giant man-eating venus flytrap.]

Monster that basically looks like a giant venus flytrap.. They're as un-cute as they sound.

[She makes a face, rubbing her nose.]

And their vines really hurt too. At least they do at first.

["At first"?]

It sounds like you've gotten used to them.

Yup! I'm nowhere near as green as when I first started. I've really grown a lot.

[Fighting was just part of the journey after all, unavoidable. So it's pretty much a part of life to her now.]

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