story_rope_1_2

I'm so very sorry, I was preparing the soil for some plants just now, and didn't notice I had a guest, and for a moment I overreacted...

How shameful of me.

Uh, no biggie. Don't mind it. I shouldn't have come in without permission.

Oh, not at all. All my Rhodes Island friends are free to enter as they wish. There's no problem with that.

But really, Miss Rope, you could've just called for me if you were here.

Oh, I kinda called my lungs out. You didn't answer...

Whatever. As long as there's no danger, that's good.

Danger?

Nopety-nope, nothing. Don't mind it.

Hmm... In any case, thank you for your concern~

However, there wouldn't be any danger in the Convalescent Garden, you know. After all, this is a place for guests to unwind in. Safety is guaranteed.

I guess, with all the security systems outside the cabin. No-one from outside Rhodes'd ever get in.

Exactly~

Speaking of which, when did you come in, Miss Rope? It's strange, there ought to be a bell in front of the door.

Bell? Oh, you mean the device thing hidden in the entranceway? I'm guessing if you touch it, it sounds a little ringy thing?

Right, that's the one. I've always treated it as a visitors' bell.

Since there were times I was so busy I wouldn't notice any guests, Closure installed the bell for me. As long as the door sounds that bell, it'll notify me even when I'm working.

I gotcha.

Heheh~ You meant that thing, huh. I jumped straight over it.

Eh? Jumped...?

Uh-huh. Of course I'm not gonna randomly step on stuff if I don't know where it came from! Walk without a sound, climb without a trace. That's essential survival skills.

Closure spent an hour hiding that device properly. She said nobody would ever notice it!

You really are something, Rope!

Aw, shucks, heckie darn. This stuff's my field of expertise~

Oh, wait, Miss Perfumer, on your face!

Eh?

There's some mud stuck to it... uh, here, here.

Ah, er, on my face?

Hereabouts...?

Uh, forget it. Just lemme.

Alrighty, wiped that for you.

Oh, thank you!

Hm?

(Oh, this is a different aroma. It's...)

What's up?

Ah, nothing, not in particular. Thank you.

(Hm...)

(Should be no problem if it was just a little, right?)

Oh, right, Rope, what did you need me for?

It's very unusual to see you around here. Ah, could it be you have a new interest in perfumery? If so, you're always welcome here~

No, that's not quite it.

Oh, then what?

Uh.

It-It was the Doctor! Yeah, right, the Doctor!

The Doctor begged me to get some aromatherapy stuff from here. The, uh, the regular stuff, to help with sleeping.

Ah, is the Doctor having trouble falling asleep again?

I guess? Seemed a little out of it on missions the past two days.

Still forced it to support the team, too... (Muttering)

Hmm? Did you say something just now?

Nothing! You heard wrong!

Hmm... I see, then. Alright.

You want the Doctor's usual, the lavender scents, right? Of course.

If you're not pressed for time, Rope, could you wait while I finish sorting out these cultivation soils before I get the aromas for you? My hands are all muddy right now; it'd be a little hard.

You can stroll about in the greenhouse for now. I'll be all done in just a moment!

Of course, no problem~ Strolling here'd be my pleasure!

(Stirring)

Hey, this flower's pretty cute. All tiny and... woah woah woah why's it so big now?

(Stirring) (Stirring)

Whew, I felt my heart stop here.

Even a flower gets to be all dangerous. Wh—Who knew greenhouses went so deep?

(Stirring) (Holding in laughter) (Stirring)

Hm? Is this... spice? Whoa, it smells great too, nm, mm?

Ha, ha, ha—choo!

Pfft.

Eh?

*cough* *cough* *cough*.

Hachoo, hachoo. Hic. Whoof...

Are you okay?

I'm... I'm great. Hachoo.

Don't exert yourself. Those flowers and spices are all ingredients I use in my perfumery, and their scents likely aren't as nice as any end-product form. They can be a little stronger...

Try a lot stronger! Ha, hachoo!

Feels like my nose could just fall off... You deal with this stuff everyday? And you make it smell so good somehow. I'm beginning to admire you now...

Now that's just exaggerating. Oh, right, on the long table over there is a small green bottle. If your nose feels uncomfortable, you can give that a small sniff. It should be much better after that.

Oh—! Thank you!

Lemme see, green, green... hachoo! There it is!

Ah, this smells sooo so good.

I'm glad you like it. Do you feel a little better?

Ah.

Wow. I'm not sneezing anymore.

This thing does work! Real work!

My, my. Did you perhaps doubt the power of aromatherapy? That it was just placebo effect? That they were excessive hobby goods?

Uh.

It's... it's not like I ever thought that.

No need to be nervous. I don't mind at all.

Any amount of people will have misconceptions when they first come into contact with perfumery and aromatherapy. After all, it's a field you've never learned about. It's very normal you'd think that, Rope.

It's something I have to strive hard for—how to give people a true approach to perfumery. The willingness to approach it.

Huh. How do I put it...

I might not get perfuming all that much, but I still know your work's real important, Perfumer.

After all, the Doctor—heck, and even Dr. Kal'tsit—if they're both saying it's good, then it's gotta be, right?

Eh? The Doctor and Dr. Kal'tsit both...?

Yeah. I've heard them mention it a whole lotta times.

'Lena's aromatherapy stands dominant at the forefront of the treatment and rehabilitation domain.' ...In words kinda like that.

And you gotta admit, there's a lotta operators who love scrambling for this place, right? I hear there's even people who just sleep in the greenhouse and don't wanna leave?

There are a few...

I recently added a few more beds just because of that, but free space is still a concern as ever.

If things keep going on like this, I might need to ask Dr. Kal'tsit to see if the greenhouse can't be enlarged a little.

You see? You got it.

It's pretty awesome, isn't it? You already got a bunchload of people who know the deal with perfumery.

I mean, I might not super understand it, but there's way too much I don't understand. Just 'cause I don't get something myself doesn't mean I have to say it's pointless, right?

Heheh.

Whoa, what's the funnies now?

Perfumer?

Heheh. I'm sorry. Mm. I'm just a little happy.

Don't you mind, Rope. In fact, if you don't mind, you can just call me Lena.

Uh, ah, tha-...

And then how about I call you Ropie?

Huh?

Sure, of course, sure...

Heheh. Then that's settled.

(Wo-wo-wo-woah, what's going on?)

(Was Perfumer always so casual?)

Um, um.

Say, Perfumer...

Hm?

Uh, L-Lena.

Mhmm. What is it?

Has anyone ever told you... you're, like, really surprisingly intense.

Never, no.

You're kidding.

Whatever. It works...

Alright. That should be the cultivation soils sorted, now.

I'll go wash my hands.

You're done already? Huh, I can't really tell how this soil's different from before.

This one's a soil for raising flowers. The proportions of what went into it might be a little special.

For flowers?

Indeed. Gloria's therapy is into a new phase. It requires some very particular flora, with astonishingly stringent requirements for their soil.

Huh.

Truthfully, I haven't been too successful the past few times I've tried to cultivate them. I wanted to try new ratios this time, and see whether there's any issues with the soil's proportions or nutrients...

Ooh!

If nutrition is the problem, then I can sort that, but some plants require things far, far beyond nutrition alone to grow, and that's where things can get a little gnarled.

I hope it can work this time. If I may say, this time I'm actually quite confident.

Sounds hecka complicated. I thought perfumery stuff would be more, uh, more sorta elegant vibes?

Y'know, like, only for rich daughters who smell nice all over, all pretty and graceful, who kinda seem like they never had to do work before.

Ah. Are you complimenting me, Ropie?

Mm... take it that way if you want?

Thank you~ But I'm no leisurely unworking rich girl, you know.

That's, uh, I knew that from the moment I saw you with mud stuck to your face.

Haha, don't tease me now.

Hmm. The Doctor's usual scent, let me look...

I remember putting it here. Lavender, lavender... ah, there it is.

Right, right! Yeah, little bottles just like that!

Here, take it.

This one's very popular. A lot of operators use a little just before bed. Makes falling asleep easier.

Ooh~ See, my experience tells me, with packaging this nice and results that good, this probably sells for a ton, right?

It won't be expensive at all. These are internal, non-marketed. Only Rhodes Islanders get to use it, for now.

Now then, perhaps you'd like to give it a try too, Ropie?

Huh? Try what?

Aromatherapy, of course. Aromatherapy oils diluted like this are easy to carry, and are sure to alleviate your mind! You can use them anytime, anywhere. It might become a new trend, even!

My dear Rope, they fit beautiful young women like you perfectly! Let me recommend you these scents...

Stooop, stopstopstopstop!

What are you doing taking all these bottles out!? H-Hold on!

Lena?!

Oh, Ropie, what are you shrinking back for? And why the hook, too?

I'm just giving you some recommendations, nothing more. I'm not going to eat you, now~

Eep—I dunno, I kinda sense danger here...!

You're overthinking it.

...Am I?

You are.

Something tells me Im not! Uwaagh!

*Pant*, *pant*.

Wonderful. Sure enough, you fit with fragrances perfectly, Ropie.

Fit, my patootie!

My body leaving a scent's real bad... in a whole lotta ways, it's real bad!

Is that so?

If you absolutely can't stand it, of course I won't force you.

But it really does fit you, you know...

Auuughhh fine I get it!

I'll use 'em! I'll use 'em, okay!

How'd things turn out like this... ugh.

Alright, alright. Okay, I'm gonna go take the Doctor's aroma stuff now.

Oh yeah.

Almost forgot.

You might be carrying some seeds on you. Put 'em away and don't lose 'em again.

Oh?

You're giving these back to me now? That was faster than I'd imagined. I thought it'd be at least two more days...

Eh? Hold on, what are you saying? Hold up.

Are you serious? Ugh. Don't tell me you knew I took—

Heheh. My nose is very sensitive, you know. The slightest change in the aroma of any little spot, I can tell.

Wuh.

I'm—I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!!

It's just, uh, this bad habit I have kinda... nnneugh.

Haha, no need to be like that. I'm not blaming you at all.

Huh?

Hmm... truthfully, I was planning to be a little more prepared.

Eh? Prepared?

Prepared what? The police? Are you turning me in so the cops can arrest me oh god oh god no no no no—

Whaa-?! Rope?!

Calm down, just calm down, I won't turn you in, nobody's going to arrest you!

R-R-R-Really?

Really really.

Whaahhhhh oh my god Lena you're the nicest person ever—

For not shedding a single tear, you've been crying an awful long time, Ropie.

Eheh. Caught in the act.

Let's not mention the past, y'know! You were saying you had something prepared, Lena? What prepared?

Ah, well.

What you took with you was a packet of flower seed.

Flower... seeds?

Quite right. I was planning to prepare some suitable soil for them.

Is this kinda flower seed really expensive?

Not at all, now.

Then it's really rare?

I wouldn't say it's anything unusual.

They're common and quite ordinary. But grow them carefully, and they'll be gorgeous when they bloom. Very suited to perfumery, too.

You see, no matter what sort of seed, they all return to the soil in the end, and then they'll all flower beautifully.

Originally, my thought was that when you came to give these seeds back, I'd encourage you to plant them for yourself.

You wanted me to? Myself...?

That's right. And then once they grew flowers, maybe I'd make an aromatic for you using them~

Eh? For me? Making aroma stuff?

But, uh, why?

Do you absolutely want a reason? Hmm... let me think.

I think it might be—because I always felt you'd be well suited to aromatics, Ropie.

Hm~, hm-hmm~, hm-hm-hmm~

Morning dew, peppermint, shaved ice showers♪

Yo, Doctor. Still sorting out battle reports?

Big thanks on the last mission. I thought my number was seriously up this time. Didn't think you had a plan for it forever.

But no-one's saying you have to come with the support team, right? That's gotta be a little too dicey.

I need to ensure my operators' safety.

Cool. When things seriously hit the floor, I'll grab you and we'll bug out together.

Oh, yeah. Take this. This is the kind of aroma stuff you use, right?

This, uh... Perfumer—I mean, Lena wanted me to hand this to you!

You look very happy.;Something seems a little different about you.

Heheh, you can tell? Is it obvious?

Good things do that to you~

Lemme tell you a secret. There's some flowers I planted myself, and they're gonna bloom real soon.