8385/A Changing of Seasons

A Changing of Seasons
Date of Scene:	23 October 2021
Location:	ArcTerra Biodome Cafe
Synopsis:	Ivy and Demona meet and mingle, and Ivy finds someone to check in on the biodome when she's not around. Friendship is growing!
Cast of Characters:	Pamela Isley, Susan Sullivan

---

Pamela Isley has posed:
    The ArcTerra Biodome is never a hub of activity, more a fading tourist attraction, the occasional small groups of families, individuals, and of course, the portions of Gotham that have nowhere else to go.

    And so it's somewhat unusual for there to be the amount of activity there is on a Saturday afternoon, even if it's hardly enough to be noticed against the hustle and bustle of Gotham's urban sprawl. But to anyone in the know, it's a day of great relief, or deep concern. Because while someone tending to a garden is often of no concern to anyone, when the gardener is Pamela Isley, things can be somewhat more serious.

    But all in all, she seems at ease, a series of small pots, bags of carefully selected soil, she's working her way through the tropical side of the biodome now, wandering from plant to plant, reaching out to provide each with an almost reassuring little touch, and every now and then, one is given more attention, and then a swift little pruning, a snippet taken, and placed into a carefully prepared pot.

    Oh yes, it seems Poison Ivy's planning to move, expand, or otherwise do _something_ involving the plants she so carefully tends. Likely nothing to worry about. Surely.

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    Demona is an unusual visitor. Despite the skull-themed gas mask and in spite of the juxtapozition of the brightly colored Beauty and the Beast girl's backpack on the otherwise goth-black dressed woman, she has come to the gardens and currently wanders it with her eyes closed. She feels around on the handrails to make her way as she slowly walks between displays. She occasionally pulls her mask up just enough for her chin to show and to take a breath in past the filters.

Pamela Isley has posed:
    Pamela's content to continue her gardening at first, half-murmured little noises as she converses with her 'babies'. There's a brief moment of tension as they mention the unique figure enjoying the biodome's scenery, but after a moment, when it turns out she's alone, Ivy's shoulders relax.

    It's not the unusual costumed people in Gotham that worry her anymore. It's when _groups_ of them show up. That's usually when they're henchmen. After a few more plant cuttings are processed, Ivy stands up and casually wanders her way towards Demona, hips asway, eyes slightly narrowed, the walk shifting from the casual gait of Pamela to the more smooth, sinuous motions of Poison Ivy.

    Sure, this stranger's _probably_ not here for a fight. But Ivy's got to keep the image going while she's still in town. She can relax once she's packed for her trip and out of the city limits.

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    Something about the pale woman in the gas mask is very pleasant. She feels very much like an amalgumation of all the living things around her. She lifts her gas mask and takes in a breath, then she opens her eyes and looks right at Pamela. "Hello," she says, a speaker in her mask amplifying her voice to normal talking levels and making her voice sound clear instead of like she's talking out through filters. "I almost didn't notice you there."

Pamela Isley has posed:
    Ivy's lips curve in a crooked little grin, though it doesn't quite reach her eyes which show more... intrigue. Confusion, even, as she sizes up her visitor, "Hello, sorry I didn't greet you right away, you're... difficult to pick up on." She chews her lower lip thoughtfully and shakes her head, "And don't worry about it. I'm really far more noticeable when I'm throwing cop cars using giant vines. Gardening's far more low key. Can I help you with something? ...Oh... oh god, are you a fan? Are you here for an autograph?"

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    Demona nods. "Yes, you're hard to pick up, too," she says. "Your qi is...how do I want to say this...you smell like the plants around us, almost. It's just a bit brighter with some faint humanity to it. It's difficult to explain." She holds out her hand. "I'm Demona. I'm afraid I'm not familiar with any of your...work? Play? I've never personally thrown a car, so I'm not sure why one would."

Pamela Isley has posed:
    Pamela shakes her head with a little laugh, "Oh, yes, well, me and them aren't so dissimilar, it's true. I can't say I've ever considered our... qi." Her shoulders shrug lightly as she offers a shake to that held out hand, "Pamela. Occasionally Poison Ivy, though I'm... trying not to be like that now. And, really, it's a very effective way to discourage police pursuit when they refuse to let you do what you need to do. So, what brings you to our lovely garden today? I don't think they've started up the weekend concert series again yet after the unpleasantness earlier in the year."

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    "SO much qi in here," Demona says, trying to ignore almost everything the woman said before that question. She looks around. Seeing nobody else visible, she looks back at Pamela and says, "I don't feel so worried you'll freak out. Would you mind if I take off my mask so we can talk face to face?"

Pamela Isley has posed:
    Pamela shakes her head with a little laugh, "Oh, no, don't worry about it. I live in Gotham, so it's fairly difficult to freak me out. You're not a ten foot tall crocodile, so there's a fairly good chance I'll be fine. Please, relax and be comfortable."

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    Demona reaches back and unclicks a couple things behind her head, then pulls off her gas mask. She adjusts her hat, keeping her ears hidden, but her pale face's most prominant and unnatural feature is her fangs. She has beautiful features that have been twisted into something unholy. She doesn't seem too bothered by it, though. Closing her eyes, she takes in a deep breath through her nose. "Oh, it smells so alive in here," she says. Opening her eyes, she looks at Pamela again. She looks down her, then up her. "I can still barely smell you," she admits. "You breathe a plant's breath, or thereabouts."

Pamela Isley has posed:
    Ivy really doesn't freaky out... sure, the girl looks like a vampire, but that's surely only because... she's probably a vampire. It happens. Some people get turned into vampires, some people wind up with a room on an orbiting asteroid base. Ivy's not going to judge. In fact, it might just help her out. She lifts her eyebrows slightly, "Would you like to help around here? I'm going to be... out of town for the next little while, and I'm sure the plants would appreciate some company." And protection, but she's not going to mention that right away.

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    "I do have some things to do," Demona says. "Obligations seem to be growing for me. However, I would adore spending some time in here. It's so lush. So green. So beautiful," she says. She looks into Pamela's eyes, then looks away. She doesn't blush, but her posture says about the same thing.

Pamela Isley has posed:
    Pamela nods and smiles warmly, "Well, it's hardly a permanent position. Just... if you happen to drop in here, and find the usual sort of Gotham residents who cause trouble threatening to burn the place down for protection money, if you could discourage them, we'd all appreciate it." Teeth worry her lower lip for a moment, "Mind you, with me out of town, likely the crime boss who most recently tried to destroy this haven will leave it alone."

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    The talk of crime bosses being her enemy may or may not give Demona the exact wrong impression. She nods. "I'm sorry," she says. "I'm feeling very connected to you, so maybe I need to get out of here and have another area's qi flowing through me. I feel like I may agree to too much. I'm also...you're..." She hesitates before simply stating the truth. "You're beautiful. Moreso than I think I've ever recognized a woman to be before. I've never felt so one with someone else. It's like you are one with this place, too."

Pamela Isley has posed:
    Ivy nods slowly, chewing her lower lip, her eyes narrow slightly... not like she's suspicious of Demona's reaction to her presence. More like she's worried she's inadvertantly manipulating the girl. She nods quickly and stammers out, "Oh! It's... uh... yeah, I'm... people are... it's... yeah. You should... get some air. It's not like that when I'm not around, so please, keep coming here!"

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    "I'm not feeling out of it," Demona says. "Just...connected." She looks back at the woman. She has a completely different expression on her face. She looks at Pamela for a few moments before she says, "How are you connected to this place? It almost feels like this place IS you. I'm...I'm really confused. I think I'm getting mixed signals."

Pamela Isley has posed:
    Ivy sighs and nods her head, "It's... complicated. I'm a mutant, but also... connected to plants. All plants, really but especially here." She gestures around vaguely, "I've been caring for this place for some time. It's... the only part of Gotham that doesn't make me want to... well, murder a good deal of the rest of Gotham."

    She shrugs her shoulders and sighs out, "I suppose I hadn't considered... I mean, I've never really run into anyone who can pick up on it before. You're probably uniquely experiencing the plant thing and my pheromones and... it's... a lot to deal with, I'm sure."

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    "Pheromones don't really do anything to me, anymore," Demona says. "Qi, yes, normal biology...just...I'm a mess," she admits. "I love this place, though. It's so full of life. You're very full of life, too. I don't mind hanging out here more, whether you're around or not," Demona concludes with a smile.

Pamela Isley has posed:
    Ivy laughs softly and nods her head, "Well, being a mess is kind of a requirement for living in Gotham. Or at least, the city seems to draw messes to it. And then we just keep coming back no matter what." She looks around the biodome with a soft sigh and shakes her head, "But I can't just... keep doing what I've been doing. Still, meeting a new friend like I have you? Maybe it's a good omen."

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    "Well, thank you!" Demona says back to the plant-qi lady. "I don't come to Gotham very much, but I'm pretty nomadic. More and more, I'm in New York City. Would you...I mean...could you get work in the park district? Or is it the alone time that you value, here?"

Pamela Isley has posed:
    Pamela shrugs lightly and laughs softly, "Well, I imagine if I head into New York City, it's going to result in some amount of panic amongst law enforcement. I'm planning a little trip to help with the rebuilding in Genosha. Making something like this there... but, well, outdoors. Genosha gets more sun than Gotham thankfully. But I might sneak into New York undercover... I was there last week and nothing went terribly wrong, so maybe it's worth another try."

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    "I feel like, if you're not doing anything crazy, nobody cares, there," Demona says. She shrugs. "But what do I know." She gestures noncommitally in a direction. "So, is this thing in Genosha your out of town work?"

Pamela Isley has posed:
    Pamela nods and chews her lower lip, "Well, I guess once there's enough people swinging around and flying in spandex and shooting lasers, you get kinda numb to it all. And it's part of it. I'm trying to... find ways to fix things. Make people realize how _wrong_ so much of society is, but without uhhh... you know... murder? Or violence in general?

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    "I'm not against societal reform," Demona says with a nod. "There's a lot that could be improved, for sure! And definitely not really into the whole murder deal. I totally get behind that!"

Pamela Isley has posed:
    Pamela shrugs her shoulders lightly and sighs, "I mean, really, it's not like corporations don't kill people, I was just... giving them a taste of their own medicine! Except that one group of pharmalogical executives, which is kind of ironic."

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    "So," Demona says, "maybe don't do that? Honestly, slow-growing plants can break through sidewalks and streets. Nature wins, it's just a question of how patient you're willing to be."

Pamela Isley has posed:
    Pamela laughs softly and nods, "It's true, but those are the plants humanity doesn't care about. They'll let weeds fracture a parking lot, because they're busy burning down a rainforest." She shrugs and sighs, "But I'm trying. I'll see how things work, maybe getting out of Gotham for awhile will help me. But I'll still be around here time to time and I'm sure we'll meet again."

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    "Burning down is bad, but not as intentional as cutting things down." Demona reaches out. "Pamela, the key to reversing global warming is IN plants. Plants ARE what trap carbon! You could undo so much damage to the world in general using nothing but algae farms!"

Pamela Isley has posed:
    Pamela works at gathering up her little pots of plant cuttings, there's not too many for her to carry, but it's quite the haul. She looks up with a soft laugh, "Yes, but so many people simply don't care about the world ending. They'll complain that their lunch costs more, as though the idea of paying a dollar more is worse than the planet not being able to support life. But since the stick hasn't worked, I'm trying the carrot. Or at least... well, okay, I suppose if it comes down to it, you can still hit people with a carrot."

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    "I'm not telling you to make people pay for it. When did that become a thing? Find people who do charity work and see if they'll help. Like...who's in Gotham," she says, asking herself rhetorically. "Bruce Wayne? He's a Gotham guy, right? I've seen news of him doing charity whatever, haven't I? If you care about the planet, YOU do what YOU can for the planet. Remember the words in Men In Black. A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals, and you know it." She shrugs. "Hey, we changed our behavior about coolants. Hole in the ozone layer is mostly gone. People don't want the rainforests to burn, they just don't know how to not pollute. I have a solar-powered electric van I live in. I am as green and eco-friendly as it is possible to get. If everyone had access to that kind of thing, I think you might be surprised just how much they'd be willing to do to keep the planet from becoming a hellscape."

Pamela Isley has posed:
    Pamela frowns thoughtfully and sighs, "That sounds fine, but people are always complacent about charity work. Not _all_ people, but... humanity in general. It's easier to let the environment collapse, while hoping your ship will come in and you'll win the lottery or somehow or other become a billionaire who can fly to the goddamn moon."
    She rolls her eyes, "Oh, Bruce Wayne? Sure, he does a bit, but a fancy train or a single hospital isn't enough to even help Gotham, let alone the world." She shrugs lightly and her mood shifts a little, exhaling slowly, "But that's kind of the point isn't it? What society's doing isn't doing enough, and what I've been doing hasn't been doing any better. So it's time to try something different." She grins wider, "Who knows, maybe I'll open a garden in Genosha that puts this place to shame! ...You know, once we've got housing for all the people. And food. Giant corn maze maybe? Just need to build the maze out faster than people eat it and it'll be entertainment and food!"

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    Demona makes herself smile. "I feel like a big ol' world tree would absorb a good deal of carbon from the atmosphere. If you put it in a no-fly zone or terraform the desert or, again, just use super algae. Make algae that tastes like pudding," she says. "You'd be growing so much of that, you'd offset a ton of greenhouse gasses." She looses steam, however. "I don't know," she says. "Maybe something on Genosha is the best bet. I mean...the atmosphere extends there, too, right? Once again, mutants will provide the solutions to mankind's problems."

Pamela Isley has posed:
    Pam shrugs and frowns thoughtfully, "I'm... not too sure? I think Genosha's the ruined city underneath the asteroid? I haven't actually gone for my orientation meeting yet." She puffs out a little sigh, "Packing up and such you know? Gotta make sure my plant's got feeding arrangements and that it's not someone who'll let him use the credit card while I'm gone."

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    "Right," Demona says with a nod. "That was what we were talking about." She nods and smiles at Pamela. "I'm in! I will absolutely water your plants for you while you're gone."

Pamela Isley has posed:
    Pam laughs and shakes her head, "Oh no no! Not these plants. I know you've got these. I've got another one at my apartment. He's... uhh... special." She puts some emphasis on the word, less 'special' as in cherished and more 'special' as in... a dog you can't convince yourself to give up even though it's so much trouble.
    She bobs her head and winks, "Besides! I'm apparently going to be able to drop back here when I want, so like, I'll be back around for the cafe alone. Their salads are great."

Susan Sullivan has posed:
    "Oh!" Demona says. "Okay, then. Well, sounds like you're all set!"

Pamela Isley has posed:
    Pamela laughs softly and nods her head, lifting her hand in a little wave, before packing up the little jars of soils and plant cuttings she'd been dealing with earlier, "Oh yes, well one hopes! I do hope I see you again soon!" And then the not-so-poison Ivy is off to deal with the rest of her move.