[EP] open your hands if you want to be held

[st_oriedqueen]

Out beyond the greenhouse and the gardens, in the orchards she'd nurtured with love, and magic, and friends, Regina had stripped her usual business casual battle armor in favor of a softer mien. She rested beneath the shade of a tree, inhabited by an elemental named Manzanita, who understood nothing of fashion, everything of fornication and fertility, and laughed like a babbling brook or syrup sap at the words she didn't understand from the fashion magazines Regina read to her beneath her boughs.

At her feet or more occasionally her head, a puppy-now-nearly-a-dog sprawled, his tail thumping when his mistress laughed unusually loudly. From time to time, inexplicably, a black kitten-cat herded by a spirit Russian Blue appeared to torment the dog. Behind them in a magically constructed paddock, a mare grazed, keeping quiet watch over the antics, and less quiet watch over the picnic basket of fresh fruit (apples, and plums, and pears, and berries and cherries, oh my) on a picnic blanket at Regina's side.

The conversation that was more of a communion took a turn for the sly when Manzanita detected thoughts of a certain wolf in her not-a-druid's mind. It wasn't words, but a suggestion, perhaps Regina might leave this issue of outer-bark wholly behind. Head back, laughing, Regina (briefly, magically) shed her clothes for a light dusting of leaves. (Please, let me down, Mama. I'll be good.)

On second thought, with a flip of her wrists to replace her clothes, she murmured, "Smelling like forest is freedom enough."

[ooc: Slow because shit is real, but hit me til I scream. Find Regina in the orchards she planted at any time during this post. Avoid seeing her naked if your fireball tolerance is low. Otherwise, fireball forecast: low. Title quote: Rumi.]

Comments

Rocket and Regina

[st_ripetail]

Even if he hadn't all but promised Snow, in a way, to go find Regina, Rocket would have gone looking for her anyway once he'd learned she was around. They were friends, in a way that probably didn't look like friends to anyone that wasn't them.

The number of animals in the orchard where Regina was hanging out made him pause, briefly. Animals generally didn't like him any more than people did, for (he thought) pretty much the same reasons. You're me but not me. Get the fuck away.

Eventually he decided to shinny up a tree some distance away and go branch-to-branch and tree-to-tree until he was actually in the tree Regina was leaning against. One of the lowest branches, off to one side so she wouldn't have to look directly up to see him, and also so that if he got blasted with something he'd land in empty space instead of humie lap. "Hey fire lady! How's it goin'?"

Re: Rocket and Regina

[st_oriedqueen]

Manzanita 'warned' her, of course, about the very large raccoon streaking through the orchard trees--for apple tree elemental values of 'warn'. Others also had 'warned' her about the very small not-human, not-raccoon pain in the ass arrived at the Inn. But according to the rules of whatever passed for a truce (or a friendship) between them, Regina pretended not to know and waited for the inevitable...

Ah, there it was. Hey fire lady! How's it goin'?

Her response was the Fire Lady equivalent of flipping him the bird. A single very small fireball flung upward, nowhere near him. "Oh look. It's the Masked Avenger."

Which for all its cliche was actually somewhat clever. Regina did actually know Rocket to be a member of a comic book movie group called the Guardians of the Galaxy, in the same way she knew Kitty was one of the X-Men, and so on. Because Henry liked comic books and all the stories were true.

"Run out of trash cans to tip over already?"

Re: Rocket and Regina

[st_ripetail]

Rocket didn’t even bother to dodge. She hadn’t aimed, and that plus the nickname was some nice immediate proof that she actually did know him. “Nah, I’ waitin’ ‘til I’m really bored t’even start that. An’ what, you don’t think you outrank garbage? I promise, you do at least seventy percent’a the time.”

Re: Rocket and Regina

[st_oriedqueen]

"Seventy? My. I'm moving up in the world," Regina replied in a lightly scathing tone. "In Gotham, I believe it was forty-five."

In truth, she had no idea. Throwing insults at each other was as therapeutic as fireballs. They'd done it infrequently but with great enthusiasm.

"I'd offer you wine, but as I recall, that's a 'humie' vintage. Stale beer?"

Emma & Regina

[st_ackeddeck]

Fresh ingredients were just better, almost always, and since they had an orchard, one that magically didn't limit itself to normal growing seasons, Emma had to take advantage of it at least occasionally. She carried a basket and was making her way into the trees, looking for fruits that seemed ready to pick and thinking of various ways to use them, when she heard a woman's laugh ahead.

Whatever had caused the laugh, by the time Emma saw who it was, there was no sign of why. Still, she felt a little like she was imposing just being there. Maybe because Regina didn't seem to relax and enjoy herself all that often, from what Emma had seen. "Sorry. I was just..." she waved a hand vaguely at the trees around them, "foraging."

Re: Emma & Regina

[st_oriedqueen]

"Don't apologize," Regina began and even in a good mood she heard the shrill echoes of her mother and winced internally. She compensated with a warm smile and a clear gesture of invitation to join her. "That's what it's here for. Looking for anything in particular?" It would be a moment's thought in connection with Manzanita and the earth like this to ask something to grow.

Re: Emma & Regina

[st_ackeddeck]

"Not exactly. I was thinking maybe a flaugnarde, but was going to see what looked ripe and smelled good to decide what kind." That was one of the good things about a flaugnarde; it would work with almost any fruit, and still be delicious. "And add-ins for salads. With the warmer weather, more people are wanting lighter stuff." Or maybe they were trying to maintain bathing suit figures, not that from what Emma had seen anyone here had problems with that. "Going to the pantry and walk-in isn't the same as meandering through the village market looking for what's fresh and available when deciding what to cook."

Re: Emma & Regina

[st_oriedqueen]

"Flaugnarde," Regina repeated, trying to place the word. "I'm afraid I'm not familiar with it."

"But I'd suggest peaches, plums, and watermelon as substitutes for tomatoes and mushrooms in salads." From the basket, she produced one each a peach and a plum, at peak ripeness from her touch earlier and offered them to Emma to sample. "Strawberries with or instead of something like hearts of palm for mouthfeel." That sounded like she knew what she was talking about, at least a little, and in this, she did. Fruit was her one real area of expertise in the kitchen.

"I'd offer citrus, but I haven't perfected that yet." Like Moana's coconuts and Sunny's seeds, she had less experience and less elemental assistance. The balance was more delicate than berries and stone fruits. And, of course, she left Vax's tomatoes and lavender and other vegetable crops alone unless he asked for her help.

[st_illkindalost]

Hurley'd heard a little about Regina. Not a lot, but just enough to kinda have some idea of the sort of person she was. Or at least the sort of person people thought she was. Hurley wasn't entirely sure if he could associate her personality with some of the people on the island like he could with some of the others. But maybe that'd change once they formally met.

And that time was now.

"Hey, uh," he says in greeting. "You're Regina, right? Like, the leader here?"

Hurley & Regina

[st_oriedqueen]

Regina broke off her reading to Manzanita to look up at the large young man approaching her. He reminded her of someone--

Oh yes. The giant.

Well, he hadn't come for magic beans or her magic bean plants, as he wasn't the giant. He was the newcomer named Hugo Reyes, or Hurley.

She pushed herself up to a seat and gestured to a space on the (very subtly and discreetly enlarged) blanket. "I'm Regina," she said with a pleasant and somewhat quixotic smile. Most people didn't acknowledge her as a leader here. "What can I do for you?"

Re: Hurley & Regina

[st_illkindalost]

"Nothing really right now," Hurley admits. "Leaders were just this important thing back home. They went off and did things and stuff, so I figured it might be a good idea to know who's in charge here in case stuff starts happening."

So far, stuff hasn't really happened here. Sure, there was the Easter egg thing, but that wasn't bad. It was actually kinda good. Good things didn't really happen on the island unless you made them happen. Bad things, though? Bad things happened a lot.

Re: Hurley & Regina

[st_oriedqueen]

"I see," Regina replied, her voice slow and warmly rich with the unexpected pleasure of someone actually wanting to acknowledge the things that she and Caroline and a few of the others did at the Inn.

"In that case, please, sit. There's not much leading to be done here, but old habits die hard."

She had ever been the Queen. It was Snow who'd added the Evil to her name.

[st_affofthemoon]

"Seems a shame to leave you with a picnic alone." Zahra had seen Regina from afar. It was obvious the woman looked happy and Zahra had come to learn that she didn't always look as such. She had been out for a walk, trying to stay active as it was apparently good for the future birth to keep limber. Now, she needed a rest, and the woman's spot in the garden was particularly restful-looking indeed.

Zahra & Regina

[st_oriedqueen]

Something about the woman's mien in the moment reminded her of a pregnant Mary Margaret declaring her smitten and Regina declaring Haagen Daaz smitten with Snow's stomach. She smirked slightly to herself but smiled at Zahra pleasantly enough. "Not a problem you're likely to have any time in the next sixteen years," she offered with an obvious gesture at the woman's stomach.

A slightly friendlier smile and tone bid her, "Please, join me."

Re: Zahra & Regina

[st_affofthemoon]

It took a moment for Zahra to navigate sitting down with her current belly and center of gravity. It was almost graceful, but it was lacking the usually freedom of movement she could usually exhibit. "I've come to terms with the lack of alone time I'll be having. Though, I should admit I was never a fan of being alone to begin with."

Re: Zahra & Regina

[st_oriedqueen]

As Zahra settled, she found a firm, sturdy pillow wedge at her back that hadn't been there before. Regina had summoned it with a curl of her fingers and a gesture like opening a cabinet.

"I admit that's not a sentiment I would have expected from Kashaw's mate," Regina replied serenely.

Regina & Corbie

[st_rikingblueeyes]

Even though everything with Jackson had been a while ago now--and she wasn't as open with Kash just because she didn't think he'd allow it--Corbie sometimes still just hugged Regina without warning.

This was absolutely one of those times.

She didn't try to surprise the woman, not wanting to welcome a possible fireball, which led to approaching from the side rather than behind. But as Regina seemed to be in a good enough mood, she just flitted right up and put her arms around the older woman's waist.

Re: Regina & Corbie

[st_oriedqueen]

Before the Station, Regina had kept some semblance of distance between herself and Corbie. It had been more for Snow's sake and in service of treating Corbie like an adult witch instead of a child than any particular preference for it. But since the incident with Jackson, resisting Corbie's winsome smiles and wayward hugs had been about as effective as resisting a black hole.

So when Corbie snuggled her, Regina sighed, gave up a little laugh, and hugged her back. She wasn't that much bigger than Roland.

Re: Regina & Corbie

[st_rikingblueeyes]

Corbie had of course noticed when the shift had happened between them, though she could not really describe the why of it. Not that it really weighed on her mind or anything. Maybe it had something to do with that other Corbie she'd known, maybe it had something to do with Snow... but she didn't see any real reason to ask, so she just never did.

When she pulled out of the hug she reached to rub Aesop's ears. "Hello, puppy. You keeping her safe?"

[st_illavirgin]

Carlos had been out in the gardens, trying to work out what could be used to spice up what was in the restaurant, make it more interesting than what it was. Even he was getting bored of chicken.

He'd spotted Regina as he was walking and made his way over to her slowly. "Hola, boss," he said as he got close.

Carlos & Regina

[st_oriedqueen]

Fortunately, she'd been fully clothed when he came upon her, if not as formally as usual. "If you expect me to respond 'Hola Paco, como estas?' you took a wrong turn for a dream about sixth grade Spanish," Regina replied tartly amused. Obviously in this dream, she would be the sexy Spanish teacher. Carlos didn't know how not to flirt any more than Bo did.

"And if you're looking for a raise--" She lifted an eyebrow, one side of her picnic basket, plucked out a juicy peach and tossed it to him. "Consider it done."

Re: Carlos & Regina

[st_illavirgin]

"My sixth grade Spanish classes had a little more class about them," he grinned in return. "My dreams were more likely about the cute little red-head who sat in front of me."

Carlos grabbed the fruit with a grin, and took a bite into it. "Not quite the raise I was looking for, but then, I'm used to being the poor, hard working one that just soldiers on, expecting no reward except a piece of fruit." He paused for a moment. "Not that I mind when they are this good."

Highness

[st_arknaked]

Dyson could smell the elemental in the tree and chuffed at it flashing a bit of fang as he wound his way through the trees to the blanket. Then he flopped down and grabbed an apple, crunching into it as he grinned up at Regina.

Re: Highness

[st_oriedqueen]

Regina wasn't sure whether her sense of smell had sharpened or some residue of Dyson's Fae magic rubbed up against her like a cat seeking petting, but lately she knew when he was near before even their shared heart would have alerted her. She didn't steal the moment of his arrival, though, by being 'prepared' for him to flop down as he did.

It was too cute for that, and she leaned down to kiss him, apple-mouth and all, then wove her fingers through his hair at the back of his neck for an affectionate pat. "Hello, love."

Re: Highness

[st_arknaked]

"You look like you're enjoying yourself," he offered the apple to her if she would like a bite.