InsaneJournal

Who: Navi and Gandalf.
When: Wednesday, 10/3.
Where: Deku's nursery.
Status: Complete.
Rating: G isn't just for Gandalf!




Navi was contentedly tending to the iceburg lettuce seedlings, humming as she watered them. She had some music on in the greenhouse and danced as she worked the mister, singing along with songs she knew as they came on the radio. All was right in the world.

It seemed like a good place, to Gandalf. The plants seemed to sing along, though silently. Gandalf could feel the hum of the earth beneath his feet as he shuffled into the nursery. He had on a wide brimmed hat, a red and white hawaiian shirt, and beach shorts.

A joint dangled from his lips as he looked around, and hrummed to himself.

She could hear someone humming along behind her. It made her happy to hear other people happy, and she turned around and waved. “Hiya! Welcome to Deku’s, do you need any help finding anything?” Still bouncing on her feet, she continued dancing and misting.

"I'm just looking around, young miss," the old man said, trailing a finger along one leaf of a plant, "Your plants seem happy. They're well cared for. Do you sing to them often?"

“Every day!” She grinned and turned to water plants so she could face him. She liked people who liked plants too, and he looked sweet. “It’s as important as good sun and soil and water, I think. They’re living too.”

"Yes, exactly. I sing to my own crop, you know, and it makes it more high quality." Gandalf leaned over and sniffed a flower, "There is too much out of balance in this world. Plants like these help."

“Exactly!” She grinned at him, cocking her head. “You know, I think you need some forget-me-nots. Do you have a garden at home? I think you should take them.” Sometimes people just needed a certain plant and she usually had a good instinct for it.

He grinned at her, "Oh, I have a garden. A fairly large one, out of the city. I think I'd like some forget-me-nots."

He took a long drag of his joint, and then offered. It was polite, after all, "Would you like one? I've got plenty."

“Oh, good! I think they want to go home with you.” She hummed and handed over a seedling in its tiny black temporary pot. She could tell they were going to the right home.

His question about joints took her off guard. “Oh, no thank you! I haven’t in a long time, and it really gives me a headache anyway.”

"Fair enough." He hrummed and smiled, putting the joint out and tucking it behind his ear, "What songs did you sing to the forget-me-nots?"

It was an important question.

It was an important question, and Navi laughed happily to hear someone finally ask it! “Mostly Motown, actually. Lots of the Temptations and things like that. They’re an emotional plant, you know.” She bent over to kiss the tiny blooms of the plant, always a little bit sad to see something go, but glad it was going to a good home.

The old man's eyes crinkled up as he smiled at her, "I approve. If you like you can visit it. I'll be sure to play plenty of music. I might open it up to new music, though. I'm fond of the 60s in general."

“I’d love that!” She grinned at him and extended a hand. “I’m Navi, and you’re welcome here whenever you want!” She liked people who liked plants, if only because they made her feel less strange and weird.

"My name is Gandalf." He took her hand and shook it, "I don't believe I've ever been in here before. Hrm, that's a shame. It's beautiful."

He glanced over at the Cacti.

“Oh, thank you! My grandpa would be happy to hear you say that, this place has been in the family for a long time.” She wiggled her toes in her tennis shoes. “I grew up here, actually, some of the trees out front are older than I am! Do you like cactuses?” She smiled, walking over to them. “They like the Stones best, which I try to tell them is kind of cliche, but they don’t listen.”

"I love cactuses. They have a lot of stories to tell." He knelt in front of one, careful to avoid the needles, "And I love the Stones. This one speaks to me, and her flowers are quite beautiful."

“Well, since you said I can come visit you, take that one too. Besides, I think she likes you.” She liked the pink petals on the cactus, but she’d been there for so long without going home with anyone - she deserved a good home.

Gandalf grinned and picked up the cactus. The old hippy stood there with flowers and a cactus, like this was an every day occurrance, "Well then. How much do I owe you?"

“A hug when I come visit you.” Navi stuck her tongue out before beaming and giggling. “That’s it! I’m glad you’re giving them good homes.”

"I'm glad too. I'd accept that hug right now but you might get stuck." He waggled the little cactus in his hand, and laughed. It was one of those deep, jolly kind of laughs.

He reminded Navi of her grandfather, and she couldn’t help but sniffle a little. “I’d sqoosh her too, and I don’t want to do that.” She was immediately glad that he’d stumbled upon her shop that day. “Here, let me give you one of my business cards. No using it for rolling papers, either.” She couldn’t help but tease.

"I promise I won't." He shifted the plants around, taking the card and stuffing it into his shirt pocket. He studied her face a moment, then smiled jovially, winking, "I'm sure you're being watched over."

She blinked. “What, like the police? I’m not a narc, I swear!” Navi’s eyes went wide in surprise.

"Your family, I mean," Gandalf clarified, chuckling good-naturedly. "They're watching over you."

“Oh!” The statement took her aback, and she bit her lip to fight against tears as she nodded. “Yeah. Sometimes I think they’re in the trees out front, even my mom and dad and all my great-great grammas and grampas.” Her tears were happy ones, and she smiled all the way through them.

He glanced outside, as if to examine the trees, "All life has spirits. That intangible thing that makes them what they are. Maybe your right. Maybe that's where they are, but I believe they watch over you and protect you."

Oh, to heck with the cactus. She moved the cactus from his hands to a shelf and hugged him tightly. “Thank you.” Somehow she’d needed to hear it without knowing it.

"You're welcome, child." He squeezed her back. For a moment, he seemed to be taller and less mundane, like there was a great power and wisdom buried within him. But the moment passed.

Wiping her eyes after she stood back up, she smiled and nodded. “You’re good. We’re going to visit more, yup.” She could tell things about people sometimes; she tended to have good people instincts.

So did Gandalf, and he thought that Navi was the kind of person the world most certainly needed more of, "You can find me on the valarnet, any time you want to talk, Navi. Now, I need to get these plants to their new home."

One of her business cards was tucked into the pocket of his shirt and she waved merrily at him. “Bye, Gandalf! Please, come back any time. I’m looking forward to it already!”