2023.10.13:Harvest Season at the Botanical Gardens

2023.10.13:Harvest Season at the Botanical Gardens
A walk and talk at the gardens.
IC Date	Oct 13th, 2023.
IC Time	Late evening.
Players	Mark, Tillie
Location	Prospect Botanical Gardens

<Phone> (Text from Tillie) <a photo... the Botanical gardens at night, lit up with all sorts of soft glowing lanterns>
<Phone> (Text to Tillie) Is that the one on Olive Street? It's open at night?
<Phone> (Text from Tillie) Not all the time. Special event. As the nights grow longer, might as well make use of them, right?

Mark arrives in a Lyft about 10 minutes later, thanking the driver as he gets out of the car. He crosses the sidewalk to take a look around the place, hooking his thumbs into his pockets.

Meanwhile, Tillie is already here, dressed for a fall which doesn't really exist in southern California. The scarf and hat combo is probably excessive, but at least she left any actual jacket at home. She's been loitering near the ticket booth but as soon as that Lyft departs, she steps over, giving a wave to Mark. "You made it!"

Mark waves back to Tillie, breaking off from his survey to turn to her. "Well, how could I not, if it's a special event? I couldn't just not find out what's going on, could I?"

"True, though I believe it does go throughout the month of October," Tillie admits. "In case there was a conflict, would possibly have been other opportunities. It is nice to have something to do at night that isn't one of those haunted houses that seem to crop up around every corner this time of year."

Mark chuckles, nodding to her. "Oh, right, October. The 'everyone gets a little spooky month'. I guess I can't complain too much, it does actually drive up my sales for the month. But those are the soccer-mom types doing that kind of buying. So what is the actual event? Botany, so some sort of harvest season thing?"

"Illuminations," Tillie reads off the sign, snagging a brochure + map both for herself and holding one out for Mark as well. "A celebration of the harvest and the end of a season. Enjoy the first fruits of the harvest provided from some of the food vendors on site..."

Mark accepts the brochure and flips it open, scanning through it quickly. "Ok, that's pretty neat. What've we got here, tomatoes, peppers, corn, garlic... And of course pumpkins. Hardly a surprise there, right?"

"Not surprisingly, most the event is in the gardens of summer and fall..." Tillie adds as she glances at the map. "Though the witches garden should be worth a stop as well. Can pack a whole lot of herbs into the same space as a single pumpkin patch."

Mark opens his mouth to respond, then closes it with a grin for a second before continuing. "I almost just commented on herbs being something actually useful, but it is important to remember that aside from hobbies, people do need to eat, too. And herbs get used for that, too. Was the witches garden what you were thinking of seeing first?"

"The benefits of herbs, aside from any medicinal or ritual properties... they can make the food you need to eat taste a whole lot better," Tillie laughs a little. "How many times do people try to say the British established an empire to get spices they wouldn't use? And the garden is along the way. I think it all loops back into the center garden and restaurant, plus food kiosks now."

Mark starts his feet heading in the direction of the garden. "Very true. And there's some truth to the British joke too, they were kind of using them poorly for a long time. And now actual Indian food is one of the more popular cuisines in England. I should try and find a good Indian place around here, I don't suppose you have a favorite?"

"And while they might not have used the spices, they certainly found love for the tea," Tillie nods as she follows side by side with Mark towards the direction of the garden. "And I can't say that I have a favorite. I don't really eat out too much. Some days get so focused on my readings, I could completely forget to eat at all."

Mark glances over to the side at her, ready to believe her based on her size. "I know the feeling, but food breaks are important. Drinks too, so don't forget tea time if that's your thing. I don't drink it regularly, but it is nice some nights. So... What are you reading currently?"

"I should probably go out to eat, or drink, more," Tillie agrees with hint of a grin. "Though easier to remember when you have someone you might need to meet for the snack-time. And as for reading, well, that volume you sold me for one. But also, I've been feeling I should brush up on my German but honestly, that's been a bit of a slog."

Mark gets a bit of a grin on his own face as he walks along, keeping his eyes on the gardens decor as they go. "German? I studied it a little, but never got very good at it myself. What's inspiring you to go with that? Have you got some old tomes in need of better translation than what Google offers?"

They're definitely on the right path as they turn into the summer section greeted with towering corn stalks and the soft glow of fairy lights streamed above the walkways. "Most the tomes are in Latin, but if I want to really start diving into the author's correspondences, it would be useful. My employer also has a personal interest in Austrian History."

Mark sweeps his eyes around the display, his attention more caught by the hanging lights than the plants at first. "Ah, that makes sense. So many books in the field are in Latin. I did a lot more studying of that than German, for sure. Where do you work, a museum or something?"

"Private collections," Tillie answers though she does stop to actually inspect the corn stalks. "As long as I keep my boss happy, there is a good amount of freedom in what I spend my time studying... at least until they come up with an interest that must be looked into immediately."

Mark nods, thinking he understands that pretty well. He pauses as well as she looks over the corn, although he's paying more attention to her than to the plants. "That doesn't sound too bad. There are days when I wish I only needed to keep one boss happy myself. But since I'm self employed, I effectively have limitless bosses."

"It reminds me a little of home... hadn't thought of that in a while," Tillie explains with a nod towards the corn stalks. "And it's true. You are your own boss, but if you don't meet the expectations of a large enough group of people to support the bills, can't really stay in business..." She gives a little shudder. "Academia has it's own cut-throat edges, but think I prefer that environment greatly to how brutal business realities can be."

Mark gives the stalks another look, considering then in that light for a moment. "You're not wrong about either, based on what I know. For me, collecting as a hobby turned into a business, I don't know if I would have ever set out with a plan to go this route. But it does have its rewards, too."

Tillie tilts her head a bit, looking up at Mark. "What are the rewards for you? Not money, as there are easier ways to obtain that. Knowledge? Interactions with people? Or just really can't get enough of that old book smell?"

Mark's eyes unfocus as he thinks about that question for a pause just long enough to start being awkward. "It started with the knowledge, first. Trying to find new and interesting works to read. Which led me to have to track things down, broker deals and multi-party trades to get people to part with things, all of that stuff. But that got me into the community, started making me some money, and just grew organically from there. So originally it was for the books and things themselves, now it's basically all of the above. And thank god I'm not allergic to old paper and dust, right?"

Tillie laughs a little at that. "Think you would have found out that very early on in your career, well before you made it a career. But it would indeed be a difficult allergy to have. Few I could think of that would be worse. What was the most interesting deal you've managed to broker?" Her attention is all on this conversation, no longer on the gardens, but then book nerds are known to be hyper-focused.

Mark seems to forget where they are as well as he looks upward at the lights, his mind going back in time for a good answer. "Hmmmm, I think that would be when I was trying to get a good copy of the Key of Solomon. I knew someone who wanted it but he didn't want anything I had, he wanted an original Malleus Maleficarum. I found one of those, but she wanted... I think it was an early printing of Don Quixote, actually. Anyway, in the end I had to go nine levels deep to close the loop and seal the deal. It was a lot of legwork, frustrating, and enlightening. And no cash changed hands, either."

"Perhaps the nine levels wasn't entirely coincidence. Nine has been viewed by many as a number of completeness. Nine layers of the world... or for Odin, he hung for nine days from Yggadrasil before getting his own secret knowledge," Tillie offers. "But definitely an interesting chain of deals, and a good copy of the Key of Solomon is worth it, since it was the foundation for so many other later volumes."

Mark thinks back over that again before nodding to her with a new glint in his eye. "You know, I never really thought about it that way. Going through it like that I just jumped right to thinking of it as coincidence. It wasn't planned or anything, it just worked out that way. Thanks for giving me a fresh look at that. And yes, a good deal. I even still have it, too. It's a Latin version from right around 1600."

"Interesting. My own copy is of the French version... La veritable Magie Noire ou Le secret des secrets. Perhaps we should compare them some time," Tillie says. "And I usually don't like thinking of things as coincidence. There are so many variables in the world, you might not be able to pick up on them all to know when something is going to happen, but usually... there is a reason if you dig far enough."

Mark's eyebrows lift at the mention of her copy of the tome. "Yeah, that would be neat! My Latin is far better than my French though. I do wonder if there might be significant differences in the diagrams though? And yeah, variables. Maybe I should have worked harder on my math skills..."

"Well, fortunately for you, I happen to be fluent in both," Tillie says with a wink. "And any differences in the diagram would be interesting... especially if it were more than what could be accounted for a new scribe's hand. Though I think they do keep the Serphadic cursive for the glyphs themselves."

Mark looks duly impressed at her growing list of lingual skills. "That's a lot of languages, I did not have that many semesters to spend on that. As for differences, it's possible for things to creep in when copies are made. Either intentionally or just because a perfect copy is difficult. Especially back then. We'll have to get them laid out next to each other to see for ourselves though. I've never seen a French version, even digitally imaged copies are hard to find for this sort of thing."

Tillie nods. "I guess we'll have to make a date of it then? And the French wasn't a semester thing. Learned both it and a to read Latin as a child. Academic parents after all..." a little shrug.

Mark nods enthusiastically, even probably missing the phrasing there as he's focused on the books and then the language comment. "Wow, as a kid? I know it's easier for them to pick up languages, but Latin? Most parents are not cut out to teach that, I'd think. Lucky you!"

"Couldn't make use of that good library if I couldn't read half the volumes," Tillie admits with a laugh. "So even if they weren't teaching, I think I probably would have learned out of stubbornness."

Mark laughs along with her, thinking how nice it would have been to be able to just grow up around such things. "That's a hell of a motivation! And Google translate just wasn't that good that far back, was it?"

Tillie tilts her head and gives Mark a look that practically screams 'really?'. "No television, remember? Do you think they'd really allow such a thing as a computer? No, I didn't use one until I went away for college and then had to start from scratch."

Mark flinches a bit at that, feeling like an idiot for that one. "Right, of course. So I guess it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, was it? And learning computers from nothing at eighteen? That sounds like a hard bit of catchup."

Tillie simply shrugs. "It was unconvential, to be sure. But not like I //missed// the computers that I didn't know about. There was a bit of a steep learning curve at university, but not like I was setting out to be a computer scientist. And my school even had an old fashioned card catalog when I started."

Mark blinks at the mention of the card catalog, trying to move past his faux pas. "Really, like they were even updating it? Was that an Ivy League school thing?"

"Close," Tillie just laughs, not dwelling on any faux pas-ness at all. "I went to Wheaton. Which did present the opportunity to take some classes at Brown as well. And they had a digital version too, I think. But the physical one was still tucked off to the side not too far from the front desk."

Mark gets a chuckle out of that, shaking his head at the thought of such an old school artifact. "I don't think I've ever seen one of those. Maybe they still had one at the public library when I was a kid, but I don't remember it. Still, that's kind of neat. Even though I prefer a computer system for inventory. That might seem out of place considering what it's tracking, but it's just easier."

"Didn't google try to do like some augmented computer glasses thing?" Tillie asks. "Could imagine someone putting on a show of having an archaic inventory system but really looking it up in their glasses, if that was how they worked. Soccer moms pay extra for a good show, right?"

Mark scratches the back of his head, envisioning that. "Yeah, Google Glass. It did not work out well though. Not that time, anyway. Maybe next time, if they can look like regular glasses? Computers keep getting smaller, so maybe in the next decade or two? Not soon enough to replace my current sales system though. I usually just remember what I have on hand anyway, at least the important and interesting stuff. I've got a pretty good memory, television and computer access details aside."

Tillie nods along with that. "There are people that are itching to run into full on sci-fi with computers everywhere, even embedded in their brains if they could. I'd miss being able to disconnect and just focus on what's in front of me for a while. Can I tell you a secret?" she beckons him to lean over if said secret is indeed wanted.

Mark steps closer and leans in with a small smile, unable to help himself. "Sure, I can keep a secret."

Tillie tips up a little on her toes all the better to whisper into his ear. "I don't actually own a computer..." And a wiggle of her phone. "I can't remember the last time I actually connected it to wifi."

Mark gasps in mock shock, grinning as he puts a hand over his heart. "Ah the horror! Wait, you're trying get me to misuse Luddite again, aren't you?"

Tillie holds her hands out as if she's been caught red-handed about the Luddite-luring. "Though I suppose at this point, Luddite has far exceeded it's historical origins as a labor movement. Though I think Old-School is a bit closer to form for me... no violence intended to others that choose to use computers. Just... haven't had much need for them myself."

Mark grins as he straightens back up. "Academia does tend to be more conservative, doesn't it? So I imagine that works just fine for you. Obviously it does, you just said so. But I wouldn't be able to get away with that while trying to run a modern business. If I couldn't accept cards, Apple Pay, and all the rest, that becomes a problem if I can't keep up with competitors."

"And if I truly couldn't stand being around computers, would have to move back to like... where I came from..." Tillie wrinkles her nose up at that and gives a shake of her head. "I do enjoy being able to pay somebody to grow crops and spin the fiber for me, whether they do it by hand or with machine or however else they may chose to do it, so that's more time for me to do what I want to do. Like apparently go on night walks in gardens."

Mark turns his head to look around at the gardens once again, taking it all in. "They do have computers in New England, don't they? Sure, West coast is best coast, but they're not that far behind over there. Yes, though, we wouldn't have nearly as much time for the fun and interesting stuff if we were all still doing our own subsistence farming. I think I like this much, much better than that option."

"They do, most places," Tillie admits. "But not in the little farm town I grew up in. Was practically it's own little world. If I weren't reading history books, I don't think I'd have been even aware that I lived in the United States until I was ten or something."

Mark looks back to her, a little incredulous? "Really? I've heard homeschooling can be a bit unbalanced, but I sure hope that's an exaggeration. That sounds more like that Shyamalan movie."

Tillie simply shrugs again. "Not much of one. My family believed it was important to ground yourself and know where your food and clothes and housing came from, so... pretty much lead to homesteading with some similar other families. But even with that, did learn enough to get into Wheaton." And then a grin. "It was a full scholarship too."

Mark looks impressed again, losing the thread of the homesteading bit. "Wow, that's pretty good! Better than I did, for sure. And with how expensive college has gotten, a full ride is a great deal. I'll be paying off student loans for years, minimum."

"Student loans, business loans... might as well add a house loan in there at some point. Get a full-house collection of debt?" Tillie asks with a smile, though she does reach out to set her hand on his upper arm.

Mark laughs at that, but it's the forced laugh of the pains of reality. "I kinda-sorta dodged that so far, the store has an apartment upstairs as part of the lease. So no mortgage, but I am paying for it." Then he notices her hand touching him and forgets about that for the moment, spacing out for a second as he looks back at her.

"Bonus, one very short commute? City living can be very convenient like that," Tillie laughs as well, though no pain behind her's. As for the spaced out look, she sheepishly withdraws her hand, tucking some wayward curls back behind her ear.

Mark recovers quickly, nodding in agreement and sticking his hands in his pockets. "Yes, the shortest I've ever had, actually. It did make the space more attractive, since I didn't also need to get a car and tack that loan onto the pile."

"Oh yeah, car loans are a thing," Tillie blinks as if she had completely forgotten. the near-Luddite also surprisingly doesn't drive either. "It's a nice space you have. Well, what of it I've seen. Shop and office."

Mark beams a bit, his shoulders raising a couple of degrees. "Thanks! I'm pretty proud of it. It's been a lot of work, but I think it's working out well. Uh, to be honest though, the shop and office are a bit better set up than the apartment. I think some of the appliances in there are older than my parents."

"Oh, it can't be too bad. You probably don't have to stick the iron into an actual fire to use it like my own parent's appliances," Tillie winks. "The night is getting late... but were you serious about wanting to compare copies of Solomon's Key? I think the word... date, might even have been mentioned?"

Mark swallows a bit harder than strictly necessary, but can't help but nod and dive into that. "Of course! Uh, just let me know when a good time is and I'll bring it down to the table."

"Tomorrow night? Another after-hours appointment? We might be making a trend of this. might be something I could get used to," And with a wink, Tillie is off back down the road. The near-Luddite even going so far as to check her phone on the way out.