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Sage invites Ziv to their home one cold, clear evening, and meets them at the door wearing a chunky-knit, oversized sweater dress (honestly it might just be a sweater, it's hard to tell) a pair of metallic black leggings, and a quiet smile.
"Come in, come in..." they usher the merm in out of the cold and into their warm and verdant home. Plants are everywhere - on small tables, hanging from the ceiling, on the windowsills - and the place has that sort of clean but lived-in feel that only people who Actually Have Their Shit Together can manage. Or those people with enough money to hire a cleaning service.
Either way.
"Can I get you something to drink before we visit the Hollow? And how have you been?" Sage leads Ziv from the entryway to the kitchen after they've unbundled whatever outerwear they might have on, and pours themself a glass of water from a pitcher in the fridge.
Tadah! It's Ziv! They're dressed comfortably and not all floofy and showy as they often are: jeans and sturdy oxblood Doc Martens, a warm sweater and a comfortable coat. They pad in through the door and offer a hug with an open arm. "Uhm. Yes, perhaps! Not water, I think." Frailties being what they are. "If there's juice or maybe some lemon juice to put in the water that would be nice?"
They slip out of their coat, spin around in place. "Your house is really nice! And I've been... fine? Lots of stuff to do, you know?" A vague sort of shrug.
"You?"
Sage sinks into the hug with a happy hum, their neon tubes buzzing, their slight blue light glowing even through their thick sweater. "Quiet, for me. Trying to keep warm, to keep all my babies happy..." they gesture to the plans with a smile. "I haven't had the chance to get out much, or do anything other than go to work and come home. This...I'm glad you're here." Their smile warms just a touch, as they busy themself in their fridge. "I have...cranberry juice? Ah - and orange juice, too."
The hug is returned warmly, and the Siren harmonizes with Sage's happy little hum. Gold and white and green neon pulses through their river-water-in-a-bottle body, and they withdraw to a polite distance. "Staying warm and keeping the things you're caring for happy is a good way to spend a Winter, though!" Ziv smiles lopsidedly. "I'm glad to be here! Ooh, orange juice sounds lovely. I love citrus."
Ziv gets their orange juice in a dark blue glass, and Sage leans against the breakfast bar that separates the kitchen from the dining room. "I have to admit I've...kinda studiously ignored what I planted in the Hedge. I go in there to water the garden as a whole and to tend to individual plants as needed, but it hasn't seemed to need much. It's still alive, or at least it was yesterday evening," they say with a small laugh.
"Honestly that might be the best way to go about it, as far as growing thigns in the Hedge is concerned. I mean, what are you going to do if it's wrong? You have no idea what will happen if you put... fertilizer oln it or whatever. Just water it and cross your fingers. Of course, someone could force growth on it, if it isn't where we need it to be." Ziv takes a big swallow of their juice. "I'll be honest, I'm nervous about how this all came out."
"If you'd rather not try it, I'd have no issue." They finish their water and set the empty glass in the sink. "I'm sure it will be..." they trail off for a moment. "Actually I'm not sure of anything, regarding Hedge-grown pot. Except that it's growing..." A shrug, and they gesture with their head for Ziv to follow, indicating that they can bring their glass, too.
They lead the other Changeling up the stairs next to the door and down the hallway to what is clearly their bedroom. Everything is blue and gray, and serene despite the bit of clutter. "It's through my closet," they explain, picking up a pencil from the nightstand, and flipping it to its eraser side before drawing some sort of design on the closet door with the eraser.
When they open the door, it is, of course, not their closet, but a lush green...greenhouse. Or what looks like a Hedge version of one - the walls and windows are vines and thorns, but light streams in from somewhere, giving 'sun' to the plants that need it and leaving shadows for the plants that don't. There's what looks like a rusted-over telephone box on the far wall, next to a little wash station and shelves of supplies. An a little bed, more of a cot really, tucked in near the wall, too. Probably for emergencies.
A laugh. "Oh, no, I'm definitely going to try it, I'm just saying I'm nervous! I think it's healthy and important to admit to feelings as we're having them, you know?" Ziv rolls their shoulders, there, and carries their glass along with them, following her into her bedroom. "I think I'm obliged to make some sort of 'out of the closet' joke here," they laugh before stepping in to the greenhouse. "Oh! It's adorable! You've made it all so cute!"(edited)
The Hedge seems to have taken kindly to the planting of the herb in question. It even looks more or less how it does in the real world, save for a faint blue tinge at the edges of the leaves... and the complete and utter absence of a visible stem. It's not that it's not there- a simple touch below the apparently levitating leaves will confirm that- but the stem itself is simply visibly absent.
To those with exposure to modern marijuana iconography, a theory presents itself- with its undeniable connections to the collective human subconscious (there are gates directly into the Dreams of the world in the Hedge, after all), it's not impossible that its consistent representation with absolutely nothing besides the leaf on display has caused the Hedge variant to render its stem similarly unrepresented, but no less vital to the growth of the plant.
"I would agree," Sage says about Ziv's feelings, and stands back to let them look around the Hollow. "I could honestly spend days in here - I have spent days, in here," they gesture to the cot. "It's a way to get out of my head, a little, and just focus on the Now. And the plants..." they peer at the pot they've planted, getting nearly close enough that their nose is touching it.
"It's...turned a bit...blue, look at that..." their neon eyes are wide in wonder, and they themself cast a faint blue glow on the plant, staring at it for a few more seconds before they grab a dirt-stained notebook and pencil from the shelf and scribble down a few notes.
They spin around again, enjoying the warmth of the Hedgreenhouse, tipping their head back and looking up at the roof. "I mean, being with living things and somewhere quiet sounds like a good way to get out of your own head," agrees Ziv, padding over next to them and peering at it. "... I think the invisible stems are a little weirder than the blue. Though it's ... both pretty strange." Their little webbed hand waves underneath one of the buds, bumping against the stem and shaking the plant.
"Well yes...that's definitely strange, too..." Sage chuckles and brushes her finger against one of the leaves before feeling for the stem. "It looks like every single weed graphic I've ever seen," they say with a grin. Though it fades as they stand and look around. "Hm. I didn't quite think this though...sometimes I can get things to show up in here, but..." their frown deepens. "Not...this time. Though it's probably better that we...don't smoke this in the Hedge, anyway...I have a dehydrator downstairs. Ironside," they clarify, and carefully go to pick whichever buds look big enough for picking.
"Well, we can always dry it and then come back and smoke it in the Hedge," offers Ziv thoughtfully. "I mean, we don't know what will happen, which means that maybe we'll have, like, I dunno, it opening Hedge doors randomly like when we drop our Masks or whatever." They absently chew on their lower lip. "But! Let's grab some ripe buds and do tthis thing!"
"Oof - lets hope not," Sage winces, the blue neon light rippling, and grabs a little berry basket from the shelves to drop the ripe buds into. "I suppose in the interest of a proper scientific investigation we might want to smoke it in both places..." They grab the dirty notebook, too, and scribble down something else before tucking it under their arm and gesturing toward the door. "After you!"(edited)
They inspect the buds and point out a few good ones for Sage to harvest, before padding back in to the house, turning back to smile at Sage. "I think it's probably a good idea to do both, sure!" As if 'smoking Hedge weed' is ever like... a good idea.
Whether or not it's a good idea, it's science. Sage traipses after them and nods at them, and trots down the stairs to start the business of dehydrating.
And ordering food, because it takes some time (though not as much time as it probably actually takes because ain't nobody got time for that in this fictional universe,) from the Portuguese restaurant a block away.
They show Ziv their preliminary setup that they've written down, with spaces to record time elapsed and place, and how much, and how the senses of the both of them change. "I plan to keep this in the Hedge, but I also don't plan to mention anything about magic, or the hedge, in it. In case someone, somehow, gets their hands on it. Hopefully it will be fairly incomprehensible..."
In the name of science, Ziv follows after Sage, padding along in their sock feet. They rock on their feet happily during the phone ordering, enquiring after the possibility of dishes with seafood. Or lamb. Both of them are Ziv's Favorite, apparently.
Rocking a little bit on their feet, as if they drift in a current that only they can feel, Ziv peers down at the writing. "Well, you can only do the best you can," they agree. "This is really comprehensive!"
There are definitely both lamb and seafood options, and Sage chooses a few different appetizers for themself rather than an entree.
"It's not science unless you write it down," They respond with a shrug and a soft smile. "I'm more of a hobby gardener than a botanist, but I figured if we were going to be doing experiments we might as well do them properly, mm?"
"That's... very snappy. You should write that down," laughs Ziv, and eventually picks the lamb. "Let me Venmo you for dinner -- what's your ... tag. Whatever it's called for Venmo. Aaron showed me how it works." Sometimes, it's very difficult to be an Older Changeling, even if you work at being Hip like... all the time, and were taken when you were 13 and came back as a young adult. It's weird to go from being 'bar mitzvah in 2 days' to 'kind of an old person actually.'
"I agree! That's what takes this from 'we're going to be high' to science."
"That's... very snappy. You should write that down," laughs Ziv, and eventually picks the lamb. "Let me Venmo you for dinner -- what's your ... tag. Whatever it's called for Venmo. Aaron showed me how it works." Sometimes, it's very difficult to be an Older Changeling, even if you work at being Hip like... all the time, and were taken when you were 13 and came back as a young adult. It's weird to go from being 'bar mitzvah in 2 days' to 'kind of an old person actually.' "I agree! That's what takes this from 'we're going to be high' to science."
"It's...from a television show, I think? I can't actually remember where I heard it, but I certainly didn't invent the phrase. I um...mm..." They trail off with a frown, when the talk turns to Venmo, and they scroll through their phone until they can hold it out to Ziv. "The progression of technology in the past few decades has been...astonishing, really. I'm out of time by less than...thirty years, I think, and there was still so much to learn..."
"Oh weird! Well I thought you were being Extra Clever," answers Ziv, sticking out their tongue and then peering at Sage's phone screen. They tap tap tap and bing money arriveth! It's magic. "I am out of time... shit. I think... I was born in 1930, and I was thirteen, so... Anyway, it was a long time. Eighty years?"
Food arrives and is, at least, partially eaten, though Sage seems to have purposefully gotten more than a single meal's worth of appetizers. They prep the dried buds quickly - it's like they've done this before or something - and lead Ziv to the living room to actually get to the getting stoned bit of this whole thing. Because couches are more comfortable than leaning against a breakfast bar.
A bowl is offered, completely clear glass that shimmers slightly blue in Sage's neon hands, and they sit back to pack their own. "On three, or do we care about doing this at once?" They offer a slightly nervous grin at Ziv.(edited)
"I mean... we can do it that way just for the fun of it! On three." Ziv doesn't exactly radiate calm, but they seem, well, pretty calm. They pluck the bowl from Sage's fingers, wink one dark eye at them, and dig out a lighter from their pocket. They curl up on the couch, tucking their sock feet up underneath themself, and pack up their own. "Whenever you're ready. One... " and they leave that one hanging in the air for Sage to pick up when they're ready.
"...Three," Sage murmurs after a moment of silence. Heightening the tension maybe. They grab a lighter from the little box that the bowls came from (a box with a pretty blue floral pattern on, the kind of storage box you get at a craft store) and light up at the same time Ziv does. Inhale at the same time, and sit back against the couch, eyes closed to just...experience whatever it is that Hedge-grown weed is.
Ziv, spotting that Sage closes their eyes, decides to keep theirs open. For science, you know. They scrape-click their lighter, the little flame lights, and they pull in a long draw of smoke. Curling up more solidly, they slowly breathe out through their nose, the smoke curling like it's coming out of a dragon.
For Sage, the experience isn't all that unusual. It feels like what they expect. A light head, a swimmy sensation, the normal symptoms of inhaling smoke instead of oxygen. There's a hint of a sort of... menthol bite, but that's all.
Ziv, however, sees the world go swimmy around them. That sense of drifty light headedness isn't just sensation, it's a result of actually drifting- up, out of their body, just like they can see Sage doing too, leaned back against nothing, eyes closed, basking in the unreal feelings of a literal out of body experience.
The same thing Sage will see when their eyes finally open.
Sage exhales on a hum, eyes still closed. "...Minty," they say softly after a moment, and leans forward, a hand lazily reaching out for the notebook on the coffee table as they open their eyes.
"...Oh...?" They blink once, then again, looking down at their hands, then the now slightly-more-distant coffee table, then at Ziv. "...Huh."
They drift out of their body and their black eyes open wider and wider until they're some sort of chibi expression, basically. "Oh... " a pause. "... oh no." The watery creature back to floating and drifting out of their control?
uhoh.
Another blink, and Sage's neon starts to flicker. "...Uh oh," they agree, a nervous edge to their voice, and reach out to grab the edge of the coffee table with one hand, and Ziv's hand with the other.
Grabbing the coffee table doesn't do much good. Or any good. At all. Sage's hand passes straight through. They're still conversant, though, and clearly reacting to the same seriously unsettling circumstances- perhaps someone with a bit of understanding might have heard of something like this?
"This...this is just what Helldivers do." Sage's voice sounds a little distant, and like they're trying to calm themself with logic. "We're...just...we're Hedge ghosts..." a bubble of high pitched, buzzing laughter erupts from them, devoid of almost all humor.
Grabbing the table doesn't do anything, and Ziv's expression is briefly terrified before they smooth it over like water returning to placidity and stillness. "How can we be Hedge ghosts if we're not in the Hedge?" Their voice is high and reedy, and they grasp hard at the offered hand.
Oh, hey! They can grab each other. So they exist. Just. Different frequency. Which tracks with the theory, for sure.
"No idea! I don't even know for sure, but we...left our bodies there, and that's...what Helldivers do. So we...we're probably fine, right?" Their voice is a few steps higher, but they're clearly trying their best to remain calm. They grip Ziv's hand like a lifeline, and hold it up. "See? We...we're just in a different place, kind of. Probably."
"Do they though?" asks Ziv warily. "I can be a Helldiver, I thought they just faded out... " They cling tightly to her hand, looking back at their body. "I wish I knew how to call Aaron, he'd know what to do." Mages Can Do Anything, really, right? "Or he'd know someone. Fuck. This is weird."
"I mean we...who's to say we're visible, to anyone?" Another nervous laugh. "Maybe we just...faded out, too. Aaron would have made a good trip sitter, that...mm. We should have done that...it...it is weird." Sage tries to stand, cautiously, on the nothing that she's currently sitting on, trying out a little bit of movement.
Moving is much easier once one stops trying to rely on the physical to manage it. Orienting, standing, all easy! just odd to do without the pushback of physical objects.
"Aaron is just... good," agrees Ziv, sighing. "And very ... anchoring." They gently bring their feet back to the earth, and step closer to Sage, their grip perhaps unnecessarily tight. "Let me think." And so they do.
Sage focues on breathing, while Ziv thinks, though the ability to move and orient themself seems to help stabilize them. "I...am sorry, that we weren't better prepared for this, it...mm. I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Ziv answers soothingly, briefly resting their head on Sage's shoulder. "Neither of us planned ahead. I should have thought more, I'm very good at making clear decisions most days. I just thought 'whee this is going to be fun.'"
"Okay. So. Here's what I think." A pause. "I think we need to stay here and wait it out. I don't think we're actually at risk of anything exactly, mostly we just need to wait for it to wear off. If we go too far, we run the risk of of snapback. It will be ... unpleasant. So that might... you know. Fuzz our heads." Again, they don't add, but they think it. "We will be okay. We just have to... wait."
"I think...maybe next time, knowing what we know now, it might be less terrifying and more fun. Maybe. I don't know if I'll be up for trying it again." Their laugh has a little more of that buzz in it this time, and is a little less nervous. "That all makes sense, I...wonder if we could even get into my Hollow like this...I wonder if we'd want to..." they sound a little curious, as they cock their head thoughtfully."
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