Werewolf after werewolf had Lida's nerves in knots and her tolerance had been depleted to the point that her temper was a breath away from being nonexistent. She should have been able to take refuge with her children, to spend time with them and unwind with a friendly board game or a day in the kitchen, but Annabelle especially was not speaking to her. Toby was trying to warm up to her again, but it was moving so slow that Lida couldn't stand to see that reproachful look in his eyes. With nowhere else to turn to, she did the only other thing that made her happy and that was spend time in her garden. Consuming stored blood was not the way she wanted to keep up her strength, but she was so tired of leaving her house only to be confronted by another wolf that she chose it over hunting down a live source. To take her mind off of her bitter feelings, she touched Earth and helped the little seedlings sprout up through the moist soil.
Lida's garden was a small piece of paradise. She always worked incredibly hard to make sure that it was the most beautiful spot in the world, a trait she retained from her human life. It never bothered her if her neighbors thought the tiny oasis seemed out of place or unnatural; she never tried to hide her elementalism from anyone. Her arms were covered with streaks of dark soil up to her elbows and her nostrils were filled with the scent of the moist ground and the flowers around her. The mound she was working on currently was sprouting vines that crawled outwards to cover the ground. The leaves were dark green with splotches and veins the color of milk. She was trying to decide what would look best growing amidst the ivy when she caught a new scent heading her way. A small smile formed upon her full lips. Now wasn't this just amusing? On a day when she desired to hunt but decided to stay in, a prize ended up walking right upon her. A small part of her thought of turning upon the girl and draining her on the spot. Somehow, though, she found the thought nowhere near as satisfying as it ought to be.
She pushed herself up to her feet and turned, no modesty or embarrassment registering on her features and her red hair spilling in waves down her back. The smile was still visible on her lips as she realized there was more to this elemental than met the eye. For one thing, this girl was a high level but not yet a master. There was also something psychic to her, though Lida could not tell quite what it was. She was never good identifying those powers by smell alone. Perhaps a taste later would reveal what she could not distinguish at the moment. She regarded the brunette for a full minute before she reached down to the ground and pulled up a long silky, dark green robe. The color brought out the green of her eyes, she knew and she tied the sash loosely around her waist.
"Why thank you," Lida spoke with gratitude. "You have a keen eye to notice, although I'm sure it's more to do with your element than your eyes." She took a few steps toward the girl and extended her hand. "My name is Lida. And you are? Besides curious." All the while her voice was pleasant. As of yet, this was the most pleasant interaction she had had in days.