#i feel like a groupy zacharie therapy session wpuld result in primal screaming drinking and eventually beating up some poor batter lol

[ask-a-merchants-garden]

[Leaning on his hip Zachie chuckled lightly nodding aggreably. Yes despite it all it was true that he was surrounded whether he knew it or not, by other Zacharies sharing the same miseries. He wished it could be different but as they say c'est la vie]

If it were as simple as being a guardian I think I would have at least been able to go around the Zone I reside..no I think this may be more akin to Hugo's old situation. I am trapped in a world of my own creation..and for whatever reason I do not know, its falling apart.

[He shrugged, despite the questions, despite this mess he's in. It felt good to get it out there to someone other than himself. Well not himself himself at least heh. And that someone being a merchant who though went through the same ebb and flow felt and dealt with it all differently. Refreshing a perspective it may be, he wondered if Insane was still running even now. He would save his questions for now. ]

Perhaps I am a basilisk having frozen myself in an effort to preserve what little I have left. Watching hopelessly as it shatters before me?

[Looking skyward at the swirling inconsistant mass of clouds, musing on their conversation. He reached a hand outward catching some of the white flakes. Cold yet temporary they melted quickly upon contact. If it all was a manifestation of his mind..perhaps it could change again? ]

If you've any ideas Insane, amigo I'm open to suggestions. And ah, if I am able to escape this tiny prison maybe I could lend some aid to you. If you'd like that is. We've both gone through hell and highwater just to reach a modicum of peace and earnestly why can't we all eventually replant our gardens? This winter is heavy, blinding, but it can't be all there is. (However I will definately take a heater if you can procure one amigo, I may be used to this but dios mio a break from it does sound good. Heheh)

[Taking a deep breath he pauses once more on the ledge. He felt lighter as did the clouds overhead as the snow slowed to a light flurry. Despite their meeting having only been a short time ago, the kinship was something hard to come by. So what Zachie was to do was an act of that kinship. Taking his mask gently, the strings slackened as though never tied. Pulling the mask off fully he looked over and a small smile grew on his face. An offer of trust though he didn't expect Insane to react in kind. Zachie after so lomg spent by himself with himself had grown numb to his own appearance though he knows the sentiment behind the need of a mask to other Merchants.]

Heh if you enjoy flowers, you really should've seen this Zone in its heyday. Blooms both curated and wild of every size and color for as far as the eye can see! [Gesturing he threw his arms out wide toward the white field]

And maybe one day I can show you instead of telling you. Y'know.. I'm of the mindset that we all have our own flower we match to. Hm.. Eventually I'll prepare you your very own crown of blooms like i used to for others, and we can see which call to you amigo heheheh.

[He pondered what kind of bouquet would match a man who's life has been spent running from temporary intersection into other worlds and interactions before moving on must be like. Plagued by experiance but emboldened by it. Maybe something resiliant, growing anywhere, but different everytime? Clover flowers, Lupine, Maybe Marigold even? ]

Ah-! Lo siento I was getting off topic as you can tell Im very passionate for this hobby of mine heh..where was I..? Si. Before we head inside, I would like to say one thing.

"Mun"

a trip to a beach sounds more than lovely if possible!~

@ask-a-merchants-garden, continued from hence ask.

"Hm..Oh! si it is, but not in the way you may think amigo! All sugar here is made from grown and harvested Sugarcane, we no longer do the Smokestacks since the Re-Wiring.

[Stands a tad more rigid until shaking himself from his stupor and refocusing on the topic at hand.] ... ///

It was a bit odd to eat a cake in the Zones, and for a moment Zacharie hesitated as the other pushed the plate towards him. The...years here had made him somewhat averse to sugar, even if he never really was hungry.

To be fair the first few times he had indulged with Sucre...well, the ramifications of that particular bit were not best pondered upon. But it did mean that he would be hypocritical if he suddenly decided that he was diabetic.

So Zacharie did what any sensible person would do. He picked up the entire slice, regarded it critically, tilted up his mask, and shoved it into his piehole.

"Prfehty gfoord johrb." The other Zacharie - no, Martinez or Zachie, for simplicity's sake, blinked. Zacharie rolled his eyes, and swallowed. "̴P̵r̷e̷t̴t̷y̷ ̴g̵o̷o̶d̴ ̸j̸o̴b̴.̶ G̸o̵o̷d̷ ̸u̶s̷e̵ ̷o̴f̷ ̸a̸l̶l̶ ̶t̸h̵a̵t̴ ̴t̸i̸m̴e̶ ̷o̵n̵ ̷o̵u̶r̵ ̸h̵a̴n̶d̵s̷.̷ ̷Y̶o̸u̷ ̵s̶h̴o̸u̷l̶d̸ ̸t̵r̶a̴v̸e̷l̷ ̵o̶u̸t̸s̴i̶d̵e̴ ̴y̵o̷u̸r̸s̵e̶l̸f̵ ̸-̸ ̸m̷a̴k̴e̶ ̵a̸ ̴s̷m̴a̴l̶l̵ ̴f̴o̵r̸t̵u̷n̶e̴.̶ M̴a̵y̷b̴e̷ ̶a̵ ̸M̴a̶r̵t̷i̷n̸e̸z̷ ̷P̷a̴t̶i̶s̸s̵e̷r̴i̴e̴ ̴f̷r̵a̸n̸c̸h̶i̷s̶e̷ ̵a̴s̵ ̷w̷e̶l̴l̸.̸"

The cake was velvety. Was that the right term to use? It tasted...well, sweet. Maybe not enough - an eyelid, unnoticed, twitched at that thought.

He hurriedly put the plate down.

"I̶ ̶p̶e̵r̸s̸o̵n̴a̴l̵l̶y̴ ̷d̵o̵n̷'̴t̸ ̷h̷a̶v̷e̸ ̵a̵ ̴m̸a̶r̸k̸e̵t̷a̸b̴l̵e̵ ̴n̶a̴m̴e̴;̸ ̵o̷u̶r̸ ̶s̸h̵a̶r̸e̴d̵ ̶t̸r̷a̷d̷e̸m̶a̶r̵k̷ ̴s̵e̵r̸v̷e̴s̷ ̵i̸t̷s̷ ̶p̵u̷r̸p̵o̵s̶e̷ ̴a̵ ̴b̸i̵t̶ ̷t̸o̵o̴ ̶w̴e̷l̶l̸.̴" he said, "B̴u̶t̴ ̶t̷h̷e̷y̶ ̴u̸s̵e̸d̸ ̴t̴o̶ ̷s̸h̷o̴r̴t̷e̸n̸ ̶m̴y̸ ̶U̴R̶L̴ ̶a̴ ̵b̷i̶t̷.̸ N̴o̶t̵ ̷a̷ ̶g̴o̵o̶d̵ ̵l̴o̷o̷k̴ ̷w̷h̴e̴n̵ ̸y̷o̸u̴ ̴g̵r̸o̶w̷ ̵o̴l̷d̴e̵r̵,̴ ̸b̷u̷t̸ ̴l̶e̸t̷'̵s̴ ̶g̸o̵ ̸w̵i̶t̵h̸ ̶t̸h̶a̵t̷.̸"

And as for travel...

"It̷ ̴h̴a̵s̷ ̷b̵e̷e̷n̵ ̴a̷ ̴w̴h̴i̵l̷e̷.̴ ̵T̴h̵e̴ ̸l̷a̵s̸t̵ ̴I̴ ̸r̷e̷m̵e̸m̷b̵e̸r̵ ̸w̵a̶s̵ ̶d̴r̸i̸n̴k̸i̷n̸g̴ ̵q̵u̴i̶t̷e̸ ̶h̷e̷a̸v̸i̴l̴y̷ ̸t̸o̵ ̶e̶s̸c̴a̷p̶e̸ ̶s̸o̸m̵e̸ ̶q̵u̶e̶s̴t̷i̴o̶n̶s̵.̴" he said, rubbing his chin. Maybe he might have stocks of tea in his bag for this. "B̵u̶t̵ ̴a̸ ̶f̸e̷w̷ ̵j̸a̷u̴n̶t̵s̸.̸.̶.̵ ̶w̵e̸l̶l̵,̸ ̸C̵h̵i̴c̷a̴g̵o̸ ̴w̵i̶t̸h̸ ̴a̴ ̸c̴i̶t̸y̵w̵i̵d̴e̵ ̶A̶I̸ ̶s̶e̴e̷m̶s̷ ̶t̵o̵ ̶b̸e̸ ̸p̸o̵p̷p̸i̷n̸g̴ ̸u̷p̷ ̷q̵u̴i̶t̵e̴ ̶a̶ ̵b̶i̷t̷ ̸i̷n̸ ̸m̵y̷ ̴m̵e̸m̶o̴r̷i̷e̷s̸.̷ ̵O̷r̵ ̷t̸h̸a̷t̵ ̶p̴o̸s̴t̷-̸a̶p̶o̶c̵a̶l̷y̶p̸t̷i̴c̸ ̶e̸a̸r̷t̵h̷ ̷w̸h̶e̸r̴e̴ ̷i̶t̷ ̶w̷a̶s̷ ̶i̸n̵ ̴t̴h̶e̸ ̸g̷l̵a̴r̷i̶n̵g̴ ̷s̷u̴n̸ ̶p̸e̷r̵m̶a̴n̵e̷n̷t̴l̶y̴.̷.̶.̶"