3885/Garden Demon

Garden Demon
Date of Scene:	21 October 2020
Location:	Queens Giant Garden
Synopsis:	Marigold finds Levian sleeping in the garden, and then they have a discussion about emotions, and the nature of things!
Cast of Characters:	Levian, Marigold Lockes

---

Levian has posed:
It's been a long few days for Levian, or Levian Everyman as he keeps introducing himself.

Though Peggy Carter has told him that he needs a better cover.

Normally, he prefers to sleep on fire escapes, they remind him of the creeky old demon castles in hell with their strange warped shapes sticking out of the side. But today he's in a less familiar environment, somewhere surrounded by various forms of life. He lays in a somewhat private part of the garden, sleeping next to a bench in some high grass and flowers rather than //on// the bench.

He's in his normal everyday denim jacket, jeans and Converse, sleeping in the cold air of the night and occasionally groaning as he dreams.

Marigold Lockes has posed:
Marigold Lockes doesn't own the garden, but it serves as a second home and place of comfort for her. The fact that the garden's a bit off the beaten path usually means that the visitors are there for a purpose. They're choosing to be there rather than stumbling across it. For her, she usually tends to chalk up visitors to be there for some kind of higher purpose.

Dressed in a pair of jeans that look like they've seen better days (and there are some patches to prove it) and an overly flowy peasant-style shirt, Marigold enters the garden with a canvas messenger bag slung over one shoulder. Levian's present isn't noticed immediately, but as she makes a round about the garden, she is certainly aware there's more there than usual.

Taking a seat on the bench nearby, she sets the bag in her lap as she sorts through it. She pulls out a small blanket folded blanket, a checkered one usually reserved for picnics. It's set on the unoccupied side of the bench. Next comes a sandwich in a ziplock bag, followed by a small bag of chips, and a thermos with a half-peeled off sticker that reads 'I <3 New York'. Setting them neatly in a pile, she gets to her feet and slings the canvas bag over her shoulder again in preparation to leave.

Levian has posed:
Levian's eyes suddenly open as he sniffs the air, and stands. "Food." is the first thing he says, rubbing his eyes as he looks up into the sky. But then he sniffs a bit more, looking over at Marigold. "You forgot your food." he says in his rather rough yet earnest tone. Something about the say he bluntly deadpans some things makes it come off as weirdly sincere.

Marigold Lockes has posed:
"Nope," Marigold replies simply. "That's your food. And the blanket."

There's something warm in the tone and the way she says it, as if she were offering the gift without actually offering it. It just /happened/ to be there. She had nothing to do with it. "It's just ham and cheese and some hot tea. You can keep the blanket and the thermos if you need them, no skin off my nose."

She doesn't seem like she'll take no for an answer, especially the way she shifts the bag on her shoulder and continues to move towards the garden's exit, though her pace is unhurried.

Levian has posed:
"I've heard of ham and cheese." Levian says as if that's a perfectly ordinary thing to say. "Can you stay?" he asks, tone still not the most expressive, but there's clearly something behind it.

He walks over to it, staring at the ziplock bag. He pokes at the bag a few times, before ripping it open from the side. He didn't seem to be struggling so much as he seems to clearly have no idea how the bag works, by the confused look in his eyes.

When he takes the sandwich out, he sniffs at it. "I smelled this animal in a hotdog before. It's the same animal they make bacon out of!" he says with his eyes going a bit wide, genuine wonder as he discovers this. He's suddenly excited, like someone discovering an exotic piece of information.

Marigold Lockes has posed:
Marigold doesn't answer the question verbally, but she turns around, making her way back to the bench to occupy the empty portion of it. "I'm guessing you're not a native," she points out, gesturing broadly towards the lack of understanding of how the bag worked. "For the record, one side opens. It preserves food."

She rests her back against the bench, stretching her arms out in front of her. "So you lived somewhere remote, I take it."

Levian has posed:
"Yes." Levian says as he takes a bite of the sandwich, his eyes going even wider. "Ah, the bread is different from Wendy's bread, and the meat and cheese are cold, it's an interesting difference..." He takes another bite, clearly in love with the ham and cheese sandwich.

"I'm new to Earth. I found this garden because... some things happened, and I just wanted to be around a lot of living things." Then, looking over at her, he says, "I like having a human around, I don't feel as bad."

Marigold Lockes has posed:
"Ah, a visitor from somewhere else," Marigold says with a slight grin. "I've met a few in my day, though I've found they're usually not quite so forthcoming in admitting it. Most just try and pretend to be human while failing miserably. Humans are pretty complicated to mimic, I'd imagine. I certainly can't say I understand things fully myself and I've /always/ lived here."

She gestures in his direction. "But seeking company is a very human trait, so it sounds as if we have things in common. I've found that in spite of many who protest, people do prefer not to be entirely alone."

Levian has posed:
"Agent Carter says that Levian Everyman is a bad cover and I should get a new one." Levian says in regards to pretending to be human. Meanwhile, he continues to sniff the sandwich after every few bites, a part of his way of savoring it. "I pretend to be human a lot, but, you're altruistic. We don't have a word for that in my language. But it's my instinct, when someone does something, I want to do something in return. I'm used to an exchange. And some humans like to know about people who aren't human."

He pokes at the thermos, then the chips after finishing his sandwich. The thermos is focused on first. "What's in this thing?"

Marigold Lockes has posed:
"Levian Everyman is a bit much, doesn't quite roll off the tongue for a human name," Marigold says with a tone of amusement. "You could change it just a bit. 'Levi' is a name I've heard a lot, very biblical. And then you could shorten it and just be 'Levi Mann'. Or if you wanted a last name that fits, humans over the years have used their lastname to designate what their job is."

She makes a twisting motion with her hands as to demonstrate how to open it. "It's hot tea, so be careful. Unscrew the top carefully, and then that's the cup, and you pour the tea into the top and drink from it." She shakes her head at the mention of an exchange. "You don't have to give me anything for this stuff. I'm already getting a sense of purpose back from helping, so you've done all the work yourself. Exchange completed."

Levian has posed:
"I don't have my job yet, but I think I will soon. So it'd be... Levi Shields, maybe. If I get the job." Levian carefully twists the top, taking his time to figure it out now, and then takes a sip. "I like it, it's very hot. I didn't know humans drank hot things. I've heard of tea... didn't know it was hot. It's okay, I can't be burned." He swirls his finger around in the air, making little flame trails for a brief moment before immediately putting them out.

"I don't use my powers here, don't want to hurt the plants." But something she says, it stands out to him. He picks up the thermos and chips, as well as the empty ziplock bag, and then takes a seat on the bench next to her. She can feel a bit of heat off of him this close, but it's no more than a particularly warm blooded Earth animal would have. "When you do things for someone, when you're altruistic... humans feel good inside? I've been doing good things for people, and I do feel good, but I didn't know if that was normal, or what it meant. I've been feeling a lot of new things while on Earth. Where I'm from, I think it messes with your emotions. I'm starting to think that I have the same emotions as a human..."

Marigold Lockes has posed:
"The plants would thank you for that, I'm certain. They do in their own way." Marigold certainly seems convinced of that. "They're used to the circle of life, though, so I'm certain they wouldn't take it too personally... but it is still very thoughtful."

The discussion of altruism gets a small smile. "People are often confused that altruism means you don't get anything out of it. The most altruistic people like to see the joy in others. They like the purpose it brings to their life... it is a way to see a direct impact of your own actions. It's satisfying, for some. Emotions are natural. As natural as breathing. Plants feel too, it's even natural for them in their own way." She glances over to Levian.

"When you do something for someone else, does it make you feel good because you see them happy or because you enjoy the sensation of being able to cause that?"

Levian has posed:
"I like to see humans happy. Where I'm from... it's normal for humans to be miserable. Punishments for all the things they did, or sometimes they just made a bad deal and ended up there. It's natural, human misery makes me feel like I'm back home, but human happiness makes me feel better than being at home. Maybe it's my mother's genetics that make me feel this way, I don't know..." Levian starts to reach over to touch her hair, mostly out of idle curiosity, but then he stops himself before he gets there, as if remembering personal space mid-way through.

The bag of chips is stared at when he sits the thermos to the side, veeery carefully pulling at them until they open up properly. "Oh." he says after figuring it out. "I don't really like being around my own species much, I prefer how I feel with humans."

Marigold Lockes has posed:
There's a bit of a laugh from Marigold, though it sounds more good-natured than that she's laughing directly at him. "Human misery is just as natural. People are often pretty miserable, but the satisfaction is when you can take some of that away. It's pretty powerful stuff, that." The reach for her hair gets an amused grin, but she makes no comment on it, nor does she seem particularly concerned with it.

"Nice job with the chips there, you've got the hang of this already. Those ones don't seal back up, though. But I think choice is important. You get to choose who you like to hang out with and life's too short not to take advantage of the good feelings the universe grants you."

Levian has posed:
Levian takes a bite of the chips, his eyes light up, and he starts eating them even faster. "This tastes like hard crispy french fries, but different! Humans really eat like royalty."

He looks over at her in consideration, tilting his head. "You're a little different from other people I talk to. Older than most of my human friends, I think. Sometimes I can tell that they're not old enough to understand some things, or they think I'm their age. I mean, I'm very young for a... I mean, a what I am." He seems reluctant to say.

"But you seem like you really understand what it's like to be around for a long time, and stare at things, and understand them." He goes silent for a long moment, then says, "None of the humans I know want to hold hands. I don't... really understand why I want to either, a friend tried to explain. But, I just find that it's something I want."

Marigold Lockes has posed:
"Human connection," Marigold explains, holding both her hands up and then lacing her fingers together as if it were an object lesson. "Sometimes it's about feeling as if you fit somewhere, that you can fit with someone. It's a personal connection. Parents do it with their children to guide them, children often help each other by the hand as well. For others, it's a sign of a feeling of similarity, that you understand someone in a platonic or romantic way."

She returns her hands to her lap. "Age helps thinking, certainly. I've learned a lot in my years, but it's not always about age. It's a willingness to pay attention to the world around you and what it's telling you. Many don't stop and observe what occurs, they are too busy trying to be a part of things to appreciate the fact that they don't need to actively do things to be a part of the world around them. They simply exist."

Marigold nods in his direction. "Holding hands is a sign of trust and comfort. People don't often do that without knowing each other a bit better."

Levian has posed:
"Where I'm from, people don't really make non-violent contact, at least not the part I'm from. And if they do, it means they're trying to ease into eating or trapping you." Levian explains, staring at his hands while slowly moving his fingers around. "Oh. I don't think many people trust me. My species usually treat humans like prey, and the whole of human society understands this. I have to prove that I won't hurt them, but it's difficult to prove something like that."

He looks over at her, frowning slightly. "I know that I don't want to hurt anyone, that I don't see humans as prey, unless maybe they're a necromancer or something. But how do you prove something like that?"

Marigold Lockes has posed:
Marigold seems to think on that question for a long moment. "Well, trust is a hard thing, Levian. It varies from person to person. Some people are more mistrustful than others because they've been hurt in the past. People can be afraid, while others like to look at the bright things in life and give people a chance. I have found, though, that most people need time. Spending time with people and being kind to them breeds trust. Show that you care for another's health and well-being, and they may trust that it is something you value."

She extends her hand in his direction for a handshake. "I never introduced myself. Marigold Lockes. Folks call me Marigold or Goldie or whatever suits them at the time. In tend to go by whatever names the world throws at me." She nods towards her hand. "Handshakes are a good way to show trust. You're showing you're unarmed and comfortable for a bit of harmless contact. It's a pact that you're not trying to hurt each other, which starts you along the road for trust."

Levian has posed:
"We have handshakes, though they're more for sealing deals. There are many ways to seal a deal." Levian reaches out to take her hand, staring down at it as he shakes. "My name, uh, real name, Levian, 999th Son of an Unknown Demon Lord. That's just how I instinctively feel compelled to introduce myself, I guess it makes it easier for everyone to know their hierarchy. My title is, as humans say, scraping at the bottom of the barrel for something special."

As they're making contact, he stares down at their hands to make a few observations. "There's an inner warmth I feel from it, the trust. And your hand is soft and fragile, I mean, I guess compared to what I'm used to feeling around my neck or punched into me." As he examines their hands making contact, he finally describes, "It's kind of like eating ten Baconators, though I haven't been able to afford to do that yet."

Marigold Lockes has posed:
"A handshake is a deal, it's a promise that for that moment you have no ill-will towards someone. There isn't an intent to harm," Marigold nods in his direction. "I've got a good hunch that you aren't going to hurt me, and I don't plan on hurting you, so we shake hands. It's a deal and a greeting and the start of trust all at once. Humans are subtle that way sometimes."

She looks down at his hand, then back up at him. "A demon, is it? Have to say you're the first of those I've met. But here, we're greeting each other as equals. Your life is just as important as mine." When she releases his hand, she holds her hand up for him to look at. "That's a human connection. You learn a little bit about someone from that."

Levian has posed:
"Yeah. I find that humans either hate demons, want something that I can't give, like wishes or something. Or they think I can do more than I can because humans are only familiar with the most powerful god-like demon lords, or ancient possessing entities." Levian shakes his head, then peels the shoulder of his jacket and shirt back a bit, showing his bandaged arm. "That was just an ordinary laser."

"I'm fascinated by what humans desire, their secrets, their shames, the things that make them up. I think it's why my summoning ritual requires something like that." he says, as if it's not entirely up to him what the ritual is.

Watching her curiously, he asks, "What can you tell me about you?"

Marigold Lockes has posed:
Marigold eyes the bandaged arm carefully. "That still hurt?" She questions, tone mixed with a touch of concern. She's distracted, however, at his question. There's a bit of an amused laugh, her lips curving up into a smile. "You want to know about /me/? I'm hardly the interesting one here."

She gives a broad gesture around the garden. "I'm a simple soul, I look after the garden best I can, I find people and help them if I can, and I enjoy seeing what make up people around me probably just about as much as you do."

Levian has posed:
"It hurts, yes. I could heal it, but it requires starting a fire, a non-magical fire. So I'm trying to be careful, because I don't want to cause trouble." Levian shakes his head at her, at the idea that she isn't interesting. "But you are interesting. You take care of all of these living creatures that can't talk, and you're an older human who has survived things, so you know stuff that other humans don't know, and you aren't trying to become a necromancer out of fear of entropy."

Marigold Lockes has posed:
The look of amusement remains on Marigold's face. "I suppose I'm a bit of an odd duck, but usually those aren't the reasons I get pointed out. Besides, I'm not /old/. Plenty of others older and less lively. I'm no spring chicken, but I like to think of myself as experienced, not old."

"As for necromancy? I'm no magic user, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Living things are something I value but life has a very interesting way of cycling." She leans down, collecting a handful of fallen leaves. Mostly leftover from pruning or perhaps just jostled loose from a nearby tree, they aren't withered and faded in color, still a fairly vibrant color. She gestures towards his injured shoulder.

"May I?"

Levian has posed:
"I don't really know how age works for humans exactly. I'm young for my species, but I think I'm old to humans. You're much younger than me, but I feel like you're more mature than me..." Levian considers as he looks her face over, as if to examine his statements.

"Ah, yes. I have organs, a lot of them work like human organs." He motions to his injury, keeping his jacket and shirt pulled down for her. "I wonder who decided to make demons an evil species, and humans free to be what they want."

Marigold Lockes has posed:
"Years of experience teaches you a lot about people. Mature's a funny word, but I suppose it can work. Years mean little if you aren't using them in ways to improve yourself or the world around you, y'know?" Marigold's hand moves out towards the injury, but she doesn't touch it. There's a moment, though, a tingling sensation as she begins to heal the injury.

In her free hand, the leaves slowly fade to a dull yellow until they shrivel and dry out.

"I can't say I know how all of the universe works, but I can tell you that evil is subjective. I feel like it's something you learn, not something you are. Do you consider yourself evil?"

Levian has posed:
"I don't know. In Hell most things are kind of evil." Levian stares down at his injury, then looks to the leaves. "That's how I heal too... but I have to use Earth fire, and it uses it up as a material. I can only heal fire creatures though."

He shakes his head, continuing. "In Hell, things are violent, or if you're more powerful, there's a lot of politics and rules and people trying to plan to get ahead. But someone low like me, we just fight, eat, fornicate. And all of it is done pretty aggressively. Sometimes a bigger, more intelligent demon tells us what to do, or a lord summons us, but... that's life."

"I don't know if I'm evil... I stole a book because I wanted to learn about magic, I wanted to see if there was more to existing. I thought humans were interesting, when I could find ones that weren't insane down there. And up here, I don't want to see humans die, or suffer, though I'm still the same kind of demon. I want to fight, eat, and fornicate, I just restrain myself around humans." He explains all of this as his rather lengthy answer on if he's evil, and lays his head back on the bench, going into deep thought about it all. "Don't really know what any of it means."

Marigold Lockes has posed:
"Are you evil because that's how you're made or are you evil because that's all you know?" Marigold nods in his direction. "That's the question to ask yourself. If you live an environment where being 'evil' is normal, doesn't it make sense you'd want to fit in? If you don't fit in, you won't survive. At least in a world like that, I'd think."

Once the healing is done, she crumples up the dried leaves into dust and blows it off her hand before brushing the rest off on her jeans. "It's just a little life to help life, I suppose your fire is probably just some energy to get energy. A little trade." She shrugs a little. "Most people still want to fight, eat, and fornicate. Humans are still base creatures and have needs like most beings do. It's just a matter of figuring out when it's appropriate to do those things and how."

Levian has posed:
"I'm starting to learn a bit about how humans do things, though I admit they surprise me a lot. You don't seem like you fight //or// fornicate, though I imagine you eat. Perhaps Hell has just given me a particular idea of these things." Levian reaches over to touch his wound, rubbing it. "It feels good. When I use Earth fire, I think it creates some kind of purification magic. Purifying myself hurts, a lot."

Marigold Lockes has posed:
There's a bit of a chortle from Marigold. "You're making an awful lot of assumptions about me, I'd say. But you're mostly right about fighting. I'm not a big fan of harming individuals much, though sometimes it's necessary to help people. I'd say I'm a bit of a pacifist which is, I'd say, a little less common these days. Plenty of other ways to help people and stop things in non-violent fashions. Plus aggression can be taken out in other ways."

She nods towards his injury. "Sometimes it's good to feel pain, it reminds you that you can be hurt or killed, but feeling pain while you're healing isn't always necessary." She gestures to the plants. "They're part of the cycle of life, and I like to think they like to help people just as much as I do."

Levian has posed:
"There are so many plants on Earth that don't actively harm people, it fascinates me." Levian touches the healed spot again, considering. "Are you also a wizard?"

But, something else catches his attention, and he tilts his head. "How else can you take out aggression? I repress a lot. Not fighting, it feels like being in a cage sometimes, like I need to explode. But I didn't know there were other ways. I suppose that makes sense, because humans don't just fight each other all the time..."

Marigold Lockes has posed:
"I'm no wizard, just a mutant who connects with plantlife," Marigold explains. "Would be cool to float around and wiggle my fingers to wash my dishes magically, I'm sure." She nods in his direction. "But there's many ways to take out aggression, it sort of depends on what's your cup of tea." She pauses. "Cup of tea in that context means what your preference is."

After all, idioms may not make too much sense to anyone who isn't familiar with them. "Some people like to work out. Punching bags, weight lifting, jogging... some people actually find it calms them to change their anger into energy and strength. Some people like music, taking their feelings and pouring it into something loud and dramatic. Other people might like martial arts, fighting without harming people. That's good practice for an actual fight as well. It's all a transfer of energy. Use that anger for an activity that's productive."

Levian has posed:
"Ah, mutants, meaning your powers are a part of you. I have fire that's a part of me too, but I had to learn to wield that like magic as well." Levian holds his hands up, wiggling his fingers as he stares at them. "There are lots of demons who can simply use their innate abilities without thinking about them. Not sure why I couldn't. But it's probably my genetics. Like those cats or dogs I see around here a lot. Very mixed up, traits aren't guaranteed, things like that."

But, listening to her, he nods, intently watching as if these are all new concepts in terms of how she's explaining them. "I never thought about that... I've always wanted to play heavy metal, like some of the other demons in Hell. I don't know where or how they get guitars, but I guess it's easier on Earth."

He reaches out to gently poke at her collar bone. "Does your mutation make you a plant elemental?"

Marigold Lockes has posed:
Marigold gives a gentle swat towards his hand. "Just a tip, most people don't like you getting in their space without permission. It's a personal preference. If you're unsure if it's appropriate, you can always ask. People appreciate that." She shakes her head. "But if music interests you, that could be a good way to get your aggression out. Just don't accidently break your instruments. Aggressive, but not /violent/."

She grins. "I don't really think of myself as a plant elemental, just someone who gets plantlife a bit more than most."

Levian has posed:
"Well, if you ever turn into a plant, then you're a plant elemental." Levian decides that's the easiest definition, taking his hand back. "Sorry, I know this already but I forget. With humans I become relaxed, since I know they aren't going to bite me or break my finger."

He starts to yawn, then sits his food back on the bench as he just sort of plops down into the grass again. "I'm tired. Since I don't have a house I'll sleep here, if that's okay."

Marigold Lockes has posed:
"Careful. Some people might bite you or break your finger, you go into their personal space like that. Especially at a bar. I've seen barfights start for less." Marigold chuckles. "You just keep yourself safe, alright."

His mention of not having a house gets a small nod from her. "That's why I brought the blanket," Marigold points out. "Just don't damage the plants or the garden, if you don't mind. This place is very special for a number of reasons."

Levian has posed:
"I won't. This form keeps me from accidenally burning things." Levian explains, pulling the blanket over himself, mostly because it's comfortable. "I hope I see you again."

Marigold Lockes has posed:
Offering a small nod in his direction, Marigold gets to her feet, shouldering her bag once more. "I'm sure if you hang out here long enough, you'll see me again. I'm here often. Very often." With that, she heads towards the exit to the garden to leave him to sleep in peace.