Here he was, again. It wasn't something he had even realized was happening. His feet began to lead him, and his head was blindly following in a haze of incoherent thoughts. There were not many things within Crocus that had grabbed such a tight hold of his heart, but the Gardens seemed to have done just that. They weren't anything too special if all things were considered. Certainly they had proven to be a place where he had met many interesting people. That being said, such fantastical displays of botanical artwork existed in many other towns that he had been through.

Deep down, he understood its charm. It was, before it had been tamed, a wild. These plants knew no master. They knew only that they had to grow, and how to continue that. They would never process the fact that man had long since tamed them. In a way, it was a reminder of Worth Woodsea. More than that, it was a reminder of those whom he had not seen in weeks. Jake, his mother and his father, even that weird old Guild Master had grabbed his friendship.

These plants were both a recognition that the wild could be reigned in, and that the wild could never be tamed. For it to have been completely conquered would insinuate that there would be no possible break away in the future. What would happen should the gardeners quit doing their jobs? Would the plants sit there, waiting to be tended to until they died?

Of course not. They would grow, expand, and eventually reclaim the entirety of what was theirs to begin with.

Laying upon one of the benches in the middle of the extravagant garden, Finn stared up at the moon and stars above. The entire world seemed to go through a metamorphosis when the sun retired for the evening, and yet it was the time with the least amount of people. Had so many truly fallen prey to cultural norms, without even the conscious acknowledgement that they had?

That went without saying. Society in all countries was a sort of mass hypnosis, and Fiore was no exception. People began to accept certain things as fact- Even things so basic as the day should be for being productive, the night is to recharge. For a young man who had dabbled in both the untamed and the conquered, Finn found himself unable to go fully to either side. Maybe that would change one day, but it was likely that there would always remain a rift.

After all, he was not a citizen of Fiore. He was not a child from Worth Woodsea. He was Finn- Nothing more, nothing less. There were honorifics, such as who his family was and who his guild may be. Those, however, were merely ways to describe the entirety that was Finn.

Such thoughts were not the things that raced through Finn's consciousness, but rather meddled in his subconscious mind for a later date. No, currently his mind was as blank as it could be. The subtle longing for his friends and family was present, but almost masked by the admiration both of his surroundings and of the stars above. He was for all intents and purposes merely lying on a bench, in a state of true peace.

The moon cast a pale shadow over the Crocus Gardens, dancing across the walkways and the shrubbery that lined each side of the pathway. Nyssa wasn't certain what it was that drew her back to the gardens, particularly at night-- but her feet led her here, and her mind had no excuse other than to follow-- after all, she had provided her feet no better option than to continue forward on their course. Her steps were slow, without calculation, each clicking against the pavers that lined the garden's walkways: illuminated not only by the moonlight but the dim spotlights that shone on the tamed forestry.

The shadows that were created where light was drenched over the garden contorted the natural shapes of the plants: causing them to twist and writhe, though Nyssa could not decide if such contortions were in contempt or agony... or something entirely different. Regardless, the garden appeared far more eerily solemn as the evening captured it than it had been as it was drenched in technicolor sunlight of the day. Still, it entranced the young woman: golden orbs intently watching as the closed flowers swayed in the evening's gentle breeze, clawing towards the light in desperation.

Though Nyssa could not decide if she preferred the cheery garden to its eerie twin, she noticed distinctly that the smell of damp soil was still present as she walked its pathways. While during the day, this scent brought back fond memories of her childhood on the farm, now it created an ache in her stomach. A pang of homesickness: one that she hadn't felt in a long time. It was decidedly lonely here: in the empty garden, surrounded by the sleeping flowers isolated only in her thoughts and memories of home. Perhaps this ache had been there all along, and she had been ignoring it ... She wasn't entirely certain. Regardless, it left her with few options. She could ignore it... She could attempt to fix it... She could embrace it.

She wasn't certain that she had the energy to do any of those options, at least not with validity. Instead, she pressed herself forward, the rhythmic pace of her steps steady, far more intentional than they had been previously. Despite the constant droll of her footsteps, the young woman's breaths were uneven as she walked: each inhale allowing the bittersweet smell of soil to flood over her person. She bit the side of her cheek as moved towards the center of the garden, pressing back the tears that dared to fall. She wasn't sure where this flood of emotion was coming from, or even how to cope with it.

Indeed, the stupor in which she had set herself into was one of intensity, in which Nyssa wasn't used to feeling. Soon every step, breath, and gaze was committed solely to calming down. Feet moved with automaticity, rushing past the benches towards the fountain in the center of the courtyard. Breathing slowed as she sat, fingertips trailing across the cold concrete, drawing pictures with imaginary ink. She let her left hand dip into the babbling fountain's basin. The water was cold: she let out a gentle sigh at its icy embrace. It was something tactile. Something that didn't remind her of home... Something that brought her back to the present. She took in three deep breaths before plucking her fingers from the water, pressing them against her forehead instead. Soon three drops of water trickled down her face, initiated by the placement of her digits, which had since returned to creating intricate, imaginary designs on the fountain's cold concrete.

Tilting her head back, to allow the droplets to trace the entirety of her face, her gaze turned to the sky. Stars twinkled above her. The sight was stunning. Though tears fell to either side of her cheeks, the young woman smiled. "It's far too pretty of a night ta be sad..." she stated, lecturing herself. The metallic taste of blood lingered in her mouth from where her canines had pressed too intensely into her cheek longer than the words did, as silence soon captured her being.

"It's far too pretty of a night ta be sad..."

The words, though faint, carried over to the young adventurer. It was always when one thought they were alone that they met someone new, wasn't it?

Sitting up on the bench, he began the process of preparing to move again. Stretching his shoulders and back, he enjoyed the feeling of his muscles getting use again. Bending his neck in ways to loosen it up, he quickly got to his feet. With a full extension of his legs, he felt the blood start to flow properly again. "I feel like Crocus made me too lazy, he mumbled. Now that he was aware of someone near by, he wasn't quick to let his voice travel. Not until he knew who it was, at least.

Walking around the hedge the separated Finn from the fountain, he glanced around the corner at first. He couldn't tell too much from the back, especially with the only light in the garden being whatever was natural. Still, the body shape and hair gave him a fairly good indication that he was in the presence of the fairer sex.

For many, this would be the time where their minds began dancing through the options. It was an unknown person, but a city that was better protected than any other. Plus, he had met plenty of unique personalities while here thus far. The odds of this person being the first that would turn out to be someone bad were low. Hell, even if they were high Finn was confident in his abilities. At the very least, he'd escape and find himself a place to recover before going back to Hargeon.

For Finn, however, the natural reaction was much more simple.

"Hey there!" His voice held a natural joy to it. People could say what they wanted about Finn, but one thing was for sure. He had found something beautiful in life, and nothing to this date had shaken his love for being alive. "You're right, you know. It's way too amazing right now to let yourself be sad."

It may have be preemptive of him to let her know that he'd heard, but such things as subtly didn't come to mind for the young boy. Flashing her a smile that stayed true to who he was, he offered two thumbs up. "I'm Finn from Blue Pegasus. Nice to meetcha!"