Fennel
In the garden
- Pronouns
- He/him
Content warnings: None
Of all the letters that had been delivered that morning, there was only one that Erika had any interest in reading.
In the small room where she was standing, morning sunlight was starting to stream in through the open door, illuminating a large patch of the tatami floor. From the adjacent room, she could hear the sound of seaweed broth bubbling on the stove and the gentle clink of bowls and cutlery as Victreebel placed them onto lacquered trays for that day’s breakfast service.
Slowly, she peeked around the side of the door that opened out onto the courtyard. There, she could see Bellossom standing on the far side of the yard slowly and methodically sweeping the ground with a small straw broom, its eyes fixed in a vacant gaze towards the storehouse.
She only had minutes to spare before breakfast would be served.
Fully confident that she was, in fact, alone and unseen by anyone else, she surreptitiously slipped the letter inside her kimono.
Erika then made her way down the hallway, out the back door and down the worn stone steps into the garden. She hurried past the early gingko sprouts, the blue and red chrysanthemum beds and the greenhouse where she and Victreebel had planted the smallest, most delicate tomato seedlings into pots last summer. She made her way past the grape vines snarling their way across the bamboo trellises and the low strawberry plants sitting comfortably under green mesh netting.
Finally, she made it to the end of the garden where the old willow tree stood, its branches hanging curtain-like and almost touching the ground. She gently parted the branches with her hands and stepped through them into the shady shelter close to the willow’s gnarled trunk. She then knelt down at its base and gently smoothed her kimono over her knees, safe in the knowledge that no one from the house could see her.
Erika took the letter out from the folds of her kimono and, with slightly trembling fingers, slit it open and took out the folded piece of paper from inside.
Her eyes scanned the page from top to bottom, only taking in a few words at a time at first. But as she read and re-read the letter, more thoroughly each time, the meaning of the words steadily washed over her and she gave a deep, heaving sigh.
Reaching inside her kimono, she produced another small blank sheet of paper and an envelope. With a small pencil, she wrote on the paper one word: “Yes”.
At that moment, the sound of a bell gently tinkling came from the house. Erika quickly stashed both pieces of paper away and stood up, brushing away the stray leaves and grass from where the embroidered fabric of her kimono covered her knees. She took another deep breath, calmer and steadier this time, and turned to make her way back towards the house.
—
“Remember, you must apply the right amount of pressure - no more, no less.”
“Yes.”
“Become one with the surface of the paper.”
“Yes.”
“Allow the spirit and grace of the gods to move through you.”
“Yes.”
Ren watched with narrowed eyes as Erika pressed the brush head into the inkstone, the handle held in a perfectly angled position. The bristles swirled around the deep black pool until they were slick with ink.
Though the room itself was heavy with silence and concentration, the distant sound of children laughing and playing in the nearby school yard drifted in through the open doorway.
Ren was a tall, slight man with a shaved head and spectacles.
“Now begin.”
Erika held the brush aloft above the blank paper and slowly brought it down until the tips of the ink-sodden bristles gently grazed the paper’s surface.
“No, stop.”
Erika lifted the brush from the paper and set it down onto the wooden rack on the table. “I’m terribly sorry,” she said, placing her hands on her knees and bowing deeply towards Ren.
“You’re not at one with the paper,” said Ren, a touch of impatience audible in his voice. “You are prepossessed with thoughts of the self. These thoughts must be surrendered in order to attain oneness and successfully write,” said Ren.
“I apologise, Sensei,” said Erika.
“Let us try again one more time.”
There was a small rustling sound from the corner of the room. Ren and Erika turned towards the sound to see Victreebel standing there. The tips of its leaves were slightly touching in front of his pitcher as though in thought.
“Is something the matter?” Ren asked.
“Perhaps that’s enough for the time being,” said Victreebel to Ren. “We are approaching the end of our allotted time and she has still not made any tangible progress.”
Ren’s brows furrowed slightly. “A little more time is required to complete today’s session. I can assure you I am more than capable of delivering my targets as promised.”
“Your quality of teaching is not the concern here,” said Victreebel, edging closer to the low table where Ren and Erika were sitting. “I only express trepidation about putting too much pressure on the princess when we are so close to finishing for the day. Perhaps a fresh start tomorrow will be the best course of action?”
Victreebel looked over at Erika, who was kneeling with her hands on her knees and gaze turned downwards to the floor.
Ren sighed. “Yes, very good.”
Ren stood up and bowed towards Erika, who bowed back but remained sitting. “Please remember to practice your breathing techniques for tomorrow,” said Ren. “I trust that a… fresh start tomorrow will no doubt yield better results, as your warden so kindly suggested.”
Without looking at Victreebel, Ren stepped out of the doorway and into the courtyard, leaving Victreebel and Erika alone.
For a moment, neither of them moved or made a sound.
“Ahem.”
The sound came from the open doorway. The duo turned towards the sound and saw Bellossom standing there, slightly silhouetted by the bright sunshine that was streaming into the room from behind it.
“Can we help you?” Victreebel asked.
There was silence as Victreebel and Erika continued to stare expectantly at Bellossom, though its face appeared blank and eyes were unfocused.
Suddenly, it spoke.
“The bearer of flames knows not the hand that extinguishes the light,” it said. “But only in darkness can we understand the truth.”
There was quiet in the room as the words hung in the air. Neither Erika nor Victreebel said anything or even moved an inch. The only sound was the distant shouts, yells and laughter of the children playing in the school yard.
Finally, after a few long seconds, Victreebel broke the silence.
“Very astute,” it said drily. Instead of waiting for a reaction from Bellossom, Victreebel turned towards Erika. “If you please, Miss,” it said. “It’s time for your next appointment.”
Erika stood and made her way towards the door that led to the courtyard. Victreebel waited until she had left the room before following in her wake. As he exited the room, he brushed past Bellossom, who was still standing in place, stock still and gazing blankly into the room, apparently unaware that it had been left completely alone.
—
“Okay, concentrate! Now… go!”
“Yes! Jumpluff, please use Tackle!”
Jumpluff jogged across the ground, steadily gaining speed as it did so. As it got closer and closer to the wooden target at the end of the courtyard, it started to skip, and then jump, until it jumped one last time to make contact with the target, which it smacked with a light thwack. A light cloud of cotton enveloped it and the target. Jumpluff fell to the ground while the cloud of fluff floated away in the light breeze.
“Thank you,” called Erika to Jumpluff. “Excellent effort.”
“Yes,” said Shun, walking over to Erika. She placed a hand on Erika’s shoulder. “Good effort. But we will try that one again. And this time, more feeling in the voice. More passion. You must convey full command and authority over your helper.”
Erika nodded. “Okay, Jumpluff. Please try again!”
Both Erika and Shun watched as Jumpluff continued to lie motionless on the dusty ground beside the target at the other end of the courtyard.
“Is he…?” Erika said uncertainly.
Shun shook her head. “I’m sure it’s nothing. Give it a moment.”
Jumpluff did not move.
“Get up!” called Shun commandingly, clapping her hands. “Come on, now! Get up at once!”
But still Jumpluff did not move.
After a few moments of silence, Shun turned to Erika. “I think maybe that’s enough for today, princess.” She turned and clicked her fingers twice in the direction of the far corner of the courtyard. From the darkness, Victreebel emerged and made its way towards where Jumpluff was lying.
Shun swiftly put her arm around Erika and began to lead her away towards the other end of the yard. Shun had silvery-grey hair that she liked to wear up in a bun tied at the back of her head, and her sleeves were perpetually rolled up to allow air to circulate through her arms and chest.
“Now, remember what we covered today about tone and authority. You’re in control. Always. Right?”
“Yes.”
“And passion, too. You must convey passion in your commands.”
“Yes.”
Erika had no choice but to allow herself to be led away back into the house by Shun, who kept her arm firmly around Erika’s shoulders until they were back inside the house and the door to the courtyard had closed behind them. However, she did manage to surreptitiously turn her head backwards as they removed their shoes before stepping inside - in one quick glance, she saw that the spot where Jumpluff had lain was empty, and Victreebel was nowhere to be seen. The only thing that seemed to be left was the old wooden target and a small, scuffed patch of dusty ground, which was the only thing that suggested that something had occupied that spot mere moments ago.
—
The stew was nearly ready.
Victreebel removed the pot from the stove and turned off the gas. It removed the pot lid, and, after allowing the steam to dissipate a little, sniffed the pot’s contents.
A strong, savoury smell emanated from the pot and filled the small kitchen. Inside the pot was a thick, unctuous beef and vegetable stew, resplendent with juicy hunks of beef shin; hearty chunks of carrot, celery, onion and potatoes; and seasoned heavily with a melange of herbs and seasonings that infused the whole dish with a rich and fragrant aroma.
Victreebel nodded silently to itself.
“Pass me the bowls,” it said.
Bellossom slowly picked up the small, pristine, white bone china bowls, one by one, from the lower shelf and carefully placed them on the counter in front of Victreebel.
Four bowls sat on the counter, neatly lined up next to each other.
“And the spoons.”
Bellossom then did the same with the spoons - bringing them up from the lower shelf, one at a time, placing them in each of the bowls at exactly the same angle.
“Good.”
Victreebel lifted the pot of stew, which was still steaming, from the stove and placed it on a woven mat on the counter next to the meticulously arranged bowls and spoons.
Its tentacles fell to rest beside it and it became still, looking downwards at the floor. Bellossom continued to stand behind the counter, also silent and its gaze directed downwards.
For a while, nobody spoke.
Eventually, Victreebel quietly cleared its throat and uttered:
“I know what it is that you did.”
Bellossom lifted its gaze from the floor to look up at Victreebel. However, it remained silent as Victreebel locked its gaze with it with an impenetrable look in its eyes.
“I’m not angry. I should say that first. Just… disappointed.”
Bellossom continued to be still and silent.
“The concern that you have shown for the princess is admirable. However, the notion that you should help her take matters into her own hands was… ill-advised.”
The pot of stew on the counter was steadily cooling off; the wisps of steam escaping into the room were steadily growing thinner and travelling slower through the air.
Outside the kitchen, there was only the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze. Night had nearly fallen, with only a few flecks of dark orange and light grey from the dying sunset visible from the kitchen window.
“There shan’t be any punishment for you or the princess. That much is evident. But we must re-emphasise how important it is for us to continue to help her on the path that she has inherited.”
Stacks of pots, pans, bowls, kitchen implements and trays lined the shelves of the kitchen, some sitting on rickety and roughly-hewn shelves made of dark wood.
“My suggestion is that we draw a line underneath this all and continue on as normal. No further action will be taken. Although I must of course stress how imperative it is that you do not do anything like this again under my watch.”
The stew on the counter had almost stopped steaming.
“Do you understand?”
Bellossom, who had been staring at Victreebel all this time, chose its words carefully.
“Where explorers refuse to tread, fear begets indifference. But only in remembrance of past magnanimity can we consolidate our shared fates.”
Victreebel opened its mouth as if to respond, but paused and stayed silent. The stew on the counter had now cooled off to a comfortable temperature, safe for consumption.
“It is time to serve dinner,” said Victreebel.
From the corridor, Erika straightened up from her position outside the kitchen door and smoothed out the creases of her kimono. She reached into the folds of her robe and took out the two pieces of paper - one, the letter that had arrived that morning, and the other, her response that she had hastily written by hand when under the willow tree - and regarded them closely.
From the kitchen, she could hear the sound of food being served and Victreebel quietly issuing directives to Bellossom. She stowed the papers away in her kimono and hurried along to the dining room, where she knew that supper would be served soon and the evening's schedule would continue on as normal.
The Princess and the Post
Of all the letters that had been delivered that morning, there was only one that Erika had any interest in reading.
In the small room where she was standing, morning sunlight was starting to stream in through the open door, illuminating a large patch of the tatami floor. From the adjacent room, she could hear the sound of seaweed broth bubbling on the stove and the gentle clink of bowls and cutlery as Victreebel placed them onto lacquered trays for that day’s breakfast service.
Slowly, she peeked around the side of the door that opened out onto the courtyard. There, she could see Bellossom standing on the far side of the yard slowly and methodically sweeping the ground with a small straw broom, its eyes fixed in a vacant gaze towards the storehouse.
She only had minutes to spare before breakfast would be served.
Fully confident that she was, in fact, alone and unseen by anyone else, she surreptitiously slipped the letter inside her kimono.
Erika then made her way down the hallway, out the back door and down the worn stone steps into the garden. She hurried past the early gingko sprouts, the blue and red chrysanthemum beds and the greenhouse where she and Victreebel had planted the smallest, most delicate tomato seedlings into pots last summer. She made her way past the grape vines snarling their way across the bamboo trellises and the low strawberry plants sitting comfortably under green mesh netting.
Finally, she made it to the end of the garden where the old willow tree stood, its branches hanging curtain-like and almost touching the ground. She gently parted the branches with her hands and stepped through them into the shady shelter close to the willow’s gnarled trunk. She then knelt down at its base and gently smoothed her kimono over her knees, safe in the knowledge that no one from the house could see her.
Erika took the letter out from the folds of her kimono and, with slightly trembling fingers, slit it open and took out the folded piece of paper from inside.
Her eyes scanned the page from top to bottom, only taking in a few words at a time at first. But as she read and re-read the letter, more thoroughly each time, the meaning of the words steadily washed over her and she gave a deep, heaving sigh.
Reaching inside her kimono, she produced another small blank sheet of paper and an envelope. With a small pencil, she wrote on the paper one word: “Yes”.
At that moment, the sound of a bell gently tinkling came from the house. Erika quickly stashed both pieces of paper away and stood up, brushing away the stray leaves and grass from where the embroidered fabric of her kimono covered her knees. She took another deep breath, calmer and steadier this time, and turned to make her way back towards the house.
—
“Remember, you must apply the right amount of pressure - no more, no less.”
“Yes.”
“Become one with the surface of the paper.”
“Yes.”
“Allow the spirit and grace of the gods to move through you.”
“Yes.”
Ren watched with narrowed eyes as Erika pressed the brush head into the inkstone, the handle held in a perfectly angled position. The bristles swirled around the deep black pool until they were slick with ink.
Though the room itself was heavy with silence and concentration, the distant sound of children laughing and playing in the nearby school yard drifted in through the open doorway.
Ren was a tall, slight man with a shaved head and spectacles.
“Now begin.”
Erika held the brush aloft above the blank paper and slowly brought it down until the tips of the ink-sodden bristles gently grazed the paper’s surface.
“No, stop.”
Erika lifted the brush from the paper and set it down onto the wooden rack on the table. “I’m terribly sorry,” she said, placing her hands on her knees and bowing deeply towards Ren.
“You’re not at one with the paper,” said Ren, a touch of impatience audible in his voice. “You are prepossessed with thoughts of the self. These thoughts must be surrendered in order to attain oneness and successfully write,” said Ren.
“I apologise, Sensei,” said Erika.
“Let us try again one more time.”
There was a small rustling sound from the corner of the room. Ren and Erika turned towards the sound to see Victreebel standing there. The tips of its leaves were slightly touching in front of his pitcher as though in thought.
“Is something the matter?” Ren asked.
“Perhaps that’s enough for the time being,” said Victreebel to Ren. “We are approaching the end of our allotted time and she has still not made any tangible progress.”
Ren’s brows furrowed slightly. “A little more time is required to complete today’s session. I can assure you I am more than capable of delivering my targets as promised.”
“Your quality of teaching is not the concern here,” said Victreebel, edging closer to the low table where Ren and Erika were sitting. “I only express trepidation about putting too much pressure on the princess when we are so close to finishing for the day. Perhaps a fresh start tomorrow will be the best course of action?”
Victreebel looked over at Erika, who was kneeling with her hands on her knees and gaze turned downwards to the floor.
Ren sighed. “Yes, very good.”
Ren stood up and bowed towards Erika, who bowed back but remained sitting. “Please remember to practice your breathing techniques for tomorrow,” said Ren. “I trust that a… fresh start tomorrow will no doubt yield better results, as your warden so kindly suggested.”
Without looking at Victreebel, Ren stepped out of the doorway and into the courtyard, leaving Victreebel and Erika alone.
For a moment, neither of them moved or made a sound.
“Ahem.”
The sound came from the open doorway. The duo turned towards the sound and saw Bellossom standing there, slightly silhouetted by the bright sunshine that was streaming into the room from behind it.
“Can we help you?” Victreebel asked.
There was silence as Victreebel and Erika continued to stare expectantly at Bellossom, though its face appeared blank and eyes were unfocused.
Suddenly, it spoke.
“The bearer of flames knows not the hand that extinguishes the light,” it said. “But only in darkness can we understand the truth.”
There was quiet in the room as the words hung in the air. Neither Erika nor Victreebel said anything or even moved an inch. The only sound was the distant shouts, yells and laughter of the children playing in the school yard.
Finally, after a few long seconds, Victreebel broke the silence.
“Very astute,” it said drily. Instead of waiting for a reaction from Bellossom, Victreebel turned towards Erika. “If you please, Miss,” it said. “It’s time for your next appointment.”
Erika stood and made her way towards the door that led to the courtyard. Victreebel waited until she had left the room before following in her wake. As he exited the room, he brushed past Bellossom, who was still standing in place, stock still and gazing blankly into the room, apparently unaware that it had been left completely alone.
—
“Okay, concentrate! Now… go!”
“Yes! Jumpluff, please use Tackle!”
Jumpluff jogged across the ground, steadily gaining speed as it did so. As it got closer and closer to the wooden target at the end of the courtyard, it started to skip, and then jump, until it jumped one last time to make contact with the target, which it smacked with a light thwack. A light cloud of cotton enveloped it and the target. Jumpluff fell to the ground while the cloud of fluff floated away in the light breeze.
“Thank you,” called Erika to Jumpluff. “Excellent effort.”
“Yes,” said Shun, walking over to Erika. She placed a hand on Erika’s shoulder. “Good effort. But we will try that one again. And this time, more feeling in the voice. More passion. You must convey full command and authority over your helper.”
Erika nodded. “Okay, Jumpluff. Please try again!”
Both Erika and Shun watched as Jumpluff continued to lie motionless on the dusty ground beside the target at the other end of the courtyard.
“Is he…?” Erika said uncertainly.
Shun shook her head. “I’m sure it’s nothing. Give it a moment.”
Jumpluff did not move.
“Get up!” called Shun commandingly, clapping her hands. “Come on, now! Get up at once!”
But still Jumpluff did not move.
After a few moments of silence, Shun turned to Erika. “I think maybe that’s enough for today, princess.” She turned and clicked her fingers twice in the direction of the far corner of the courtyard. From the darkness, Victreebel emerged and made its way towards where Jumpluff was lying.
Shun swiftly put her arm around Erika and began to lead her away towards the other end of the yard. Shun had silvery-grey hair that she liked to wear up in a bun tied at the back of her head, and her sleeves were perpetually rolled up to allow air to circulate through her arms and chest.
“Now, remember what we covered today about tone and authority. You’re in control. Always. Right?”
“Yes.”
“And passion, too. You must convey passion in your commands.”
“Yes.”
Erika had no choice but to allow herself to be led away back into the house by Shun, who kept her arm firmly around Erika’s shoulders until they were back inside the house and the door to the courtyard had closed behind them. However, she did manage to surreptitiously turn her head backwards as they removed their shoes before stepping inside - in one quick glance, she saw that the spot where Jumpluff had lain was empty, and Victreebel was nowhere to be seen. The only thing that seemed to be left was the old wooden target and a small, scuffed patch of dusty ground, which was the only thing that suggested that something had occupied that spot mere moments ago.
—
The stew was nearly ready.
Victreebel removed the pot from the stove and turned off the gas. It removed the pot lid, and, after allowing the steam to dissipate a little, sniffed the pot’s contents.
A strong, savoury smell emanated from the pot and filled the small kitchen. Inside the pot was a thick, unctuous beef and vegetable stew, resplendent with juicy hunks of beef shin; hearty chunks of carrot, celery, onion and potatoes; and seasoned heavily with a melange of herbs and seasonings that infused the whole dish with a rich and fragrant aroma.
Victreebel nodded silently to itself.
“Pass me the bowls,” it said.
Bellossom slowly picked up the small, pristine, white bone china bowls, one by one, from the lower shelf and carefully placed them on the counter in front of Victreebel.
Four bowls sat on the counter, neatly lined up next to each other.
“And the spoons.”
Bellossom then did the same with the spoons - bringing them up from the lower shelf, one at a time, placing them in each of the bowls at exactly the same angle.
“Good.”
Victreebel lifted the pot of stew, which was still steaming, from the stove and placed it on a woven mat on the counter next to the meticulously arranged bowls and spoons.
Its tentacles fell to rest beside it and it became still, looking downwards at the floor. Bellossom continued to stand behind the counter, also silent and its gaze directed downwards.
For a while, nobody spoke.
Eventually, Victreebel quietly cleared its throat and uttered:
“I know what it is that you did.”
Bellossom lifted its gaze from the floor to look up at Victreebel. However, it remained silent as Victreebel locked its gaze with it with an impenetrable look in its eyes.
“I’m not angry. I should say that first. Just… disappointed.”
Bellossom continued to be still and silent.
“The concern that you have shown for the princess is admirable. However, the notion that you should help her take matters into her own hands was… ill-advised.”
The pot of stew on the counter was steadily cooling off; the wisps of steam escaping into the room were steadily growing thinner and travelling slower through the air.
Outside the kitchen, there was only the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze. Night had nearly fallen, with only a few flecks of dark orange and light grey from the dying sunset visible from the kitchen window.
“There shan’t be any punishment for you or the princess. That much is evident. But we must re-emphasise how important it is for us to continue to help her on the path that she has inherited.”
Stacks of pots, pans, bowls, kitchen implements and trays lined the shelves of the kitchen, some sitting on rickety and roughly-hewn shelves made of dark wood.
“My suggestion is that we draw a line underneath this all and continue on as normal. No further action will be taken. Although I must of course stress how imperative it is that you do not do anything like this again under my watch.”
The stew on the counter had almost stopped steaming.
“Do you understand?”
Bellossom, who had been staring at Victreebel all this time, chose its words carefully.
“Where explorers refuse to tread, fear begets indifference. But only in remembrance of past magnanimity can we consolidate our shared fates.”
Victreebel opened its mouth as if to respond, but paused and stayed silent. The stew on the counter had now cooled off to a comfortable temperature, safe for consumption.
“It is time to serve dinner,” said Victreebel.
From the corridor, Erika straightened up from her position outside the kitchen door and smoothed out the creases of her kimono. She reached into the folds of her robe and took out the two pieces of paper - one, the letter that had arrived that morning, and the other, her response that she had hastily written by hand when under the willow tree - and regarded them closely.
From the kitchen, she could hear the sound of food being served and Victreebel quietly issuing directives to Bellossom. She stowed the papers away in her kimono and hurried along to the dining room, where she knew that supper would be served soon and the evening's schedule would continue on as normal.