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Description
Henrietta cupped the berry in her hands, admiring its rich blue pigment.

"Killer? Could you dig here, please?"

The Snubbull grunted and stooped low to the ground, tearing at the dirt with his heavy forepaws. Henrietta leaned forward and let the berry fall into the disturbed earth, and let Killer shovel dirt back over it.

"You might not want to be so rough," Henrietta chided.

Their errand for the day was to assist in a planting session. Henrietta had convinced the Castform, Drip, to help them by calling down refreshing rain and purifying mist. As a bonus, he was much nicer company than her crude bodyguard.

When given a choice of seeds to plant, Henrietta had chosen the most delicious specimens. "Not many people use these berries in cooking," she said. "It takes some skill, yes, but prepared correctly they can make the most delicious tarts!"

"That sounds good!" Drip exclaimed. "Are they healthy?"

She tapped her chin. "They should be. Berries tend to be healthy."

"Yeah." He nodded. "Still, I know a few alternatives that could boost their nutritional value."

Killer's shout made them both turn. "What the hell is that smell?"

Drip's face screwed itself into a physically impossible shape. "Oh, no! Is this... eugh!" He frantically scanned the ground. "Is this sewer runoff?"

Now Henrietta could smell it. "It's not runoff."

"So what is it?" Drip wailed. He looked about to break down.

"Loathsome pest!"

A sickening purplish mass sprang from the grass and lunged at Drip, who shrieked and dodged back. "Henrietta, run! It's a Grimer!"

"No! It's fine," she said, sweeping between the two. "Just calm down. This is Wilt."

"It's her boyfriend." Killer chuffed.

"Girlfriend," corrected Henrietta. "No, wait! I just mean, she's a girl."

She tried to ignore Killer's burst of laughter.

"I could squeeze you into jelly," Wilt gurgled at Drip.

"Please don't." Henrietta turned to the Grimer. "We're all friends. Just calm down and relax."

With a nauseating blorp, Wilt shrank to a less imposing size and said nothing.

"So is he gonna stay here?" Killer was holding his nose. "How long have I gotta put up with this?"

"She," corrected Henrietta.

"Who cares," he snarled. "Just make her go away!"

"She's ruined all the plants," said Drip, with a note of sadness. He kept scrunching up his face around where his nose might be.

Drip was right. Much of the surrounding greenery was black and dead, withered in an instant. Henrietta looked at Wilt, trying to read the Grimer's expression, but the sludge that passed for her face was impenetrable. "I'm sorry, Wilt, but you should leave for now. Just for now," she repeated, as Wilt started to bubble. "We need to plant these berries, and, um. You know." She gestured around at the dead grass.

The Grimer slowly sank to the ground, gurgled once, and oozed away toward the fog in the distance.

Killer exhaled a huge breath. "Finally."

"Where'd you meet the Grimer?" Drip asked. He was looking at Henrietta curiously.

"Oh, that just... happened." She peered toward the fog. "I don't really know her that well. She just showed up and I gave her some meringues."

Drip appeared thoughtful. "I'm sorry for over-reacting. My body is extra-sensitive to toxins."

"Yeah, I think everybody's sensitive to nasty, awful shit." Killer sneered. "If your girlfriend touches me again, Snowflake, I'm gone. This job ain't worth it."

"All right, don't worry. Let's move somewhere else," she said, looking down at the newly-planted berry. It had split open, rotting before her eyes.

A chorus of shouts echoed from nearby workers. From the sound of them, Wilt's touch had spread a great distance. Henrietta ignored them.

Description
Henrietta cupped the berry in her hands, admiring its rich blue pigment.

"Killer? Could you dig here, please?"

The Snubbull grunted and stooped low to the ground, tearing at the dirt with his heavy forepaws. Henrietta leaned forward and let the berry fall into the disturbed earth, and let Killer shovel dirt back over it.

"You might not want to be so rough," Henrietta chided.

Their errand for the day was to assist in a planting session. Henrietta had convinced the Castform, Drip, to help them by calling down refreshing rain and purifying mist. As a bonus, he was much nicer company than her crude bodyguard.

When given a choice of seeds to plant, Henrietta had chosen the most delicious specimens. "Not many people use these berries in cooking," she said. "It takes some skill, yes, but prepared correctly they can make the most delicious tarts!"

"That sounds good!" Drip exclaimed. "Are they healthy?"

She tapped her chin. "They should be. Berries tend to be healthy."

"Yeah." He nodded. "Still, I know a few alternatives that could boost their nutritional value."

Killer's shout made them both turn. "What the hell is that smell?"

Drip's face screwed itself into a physically impossible shape. "Oh, no! Is this... eugh!" He frantically scanned the ground. "Is this sewer runoff?"

Now Henrietta could smell it. "It's not runoff."

"So what is it?" Drip wailed. He looked about to break down.

"Loathsome pest!"

A sickening purplish mass sprang from the grass and lunged at Drip, who shrieked and dodged back. "Henrietta, run! It's a Grimer!"

"No! It's fine," she said, sweeping between the two. "Just calm down. This is Wilt."

"It's her boyfriend." Killer chuffed.

"Girlfriend," corrected Henrietta. "No, wait! I just mean, she's a girl."

She tried to ignore Killer's burst of laughter.

"I could squeeze you into jelly," Wilt gurgled at Drip.

"Please don't." Henrietta turned to the Grimer. "We're all friends. Just calm down and relax."

With a nauseating blorp, Wilt shrank to a less imposing size and said nothing.

"So is he gonna stay here?" Killer was holding his nose. "How long have I gotta put up with this?"

"She," corrected Henrietta.

"Who cares," he snarled. "Just make her go away!"

"She's ruined all the plants," said Drip, with a note of sadness. He kept scrunching up his face around where his nose might be.

Drip was right. Much of the surrounding greenery was black and dead, withered in an instant. Henrietta looked at Wilt, trying to read the Grimer's expression, but the sludge that passed for her face was impenetrable. "I'm sorry, Wilt, but you should leave for now. Just for now," she repeated, as Wilt started to bubble. "We need to plant these berries, and, um. You know." She gestured around at the dead grass.

The Grimer slowly sank to the ground, gurgled once, and oozed away toward the fog in the distance.

Killer exhaled a huge breath. "Finally."

"Where'd you meet the Grimer?" Drip asked. He was looking at Henrietta curiously.

"Oh, that just... happened." She peered toward the fog. "I don't really know her that well. She just showed up and I gave her some meringues."

Drip appeared thoughtful. "I'm sorry for over-reacting. My body is extra-sensitive to toxins."

"Yeah, I think everybody's sensitive to nasty, awful shit." Killer sneered. "If your girlfriend touches me again, Snowflake, I'm gone. This job ain't worth it."

"All right, don't worry. Let's move somewhere else," she said, looking down at the newly-planted berry. It had split open, rotting before her eyes.

A chorus of shouts echoed from nearby workers. From the sound of them, Wilt's touch had spread a great distance. Henrietta ignored them.