Lydia entered the house and she spotted Josh sitting on the couch with a tub of ice cream, and he looked over at her, guiltily. When she gave him a glare, he set it down. “Good timing, Lydia,” he muttered, uncomfortably. “I, uh,” he ruffled his brown hair. “I need to ask you a favor…” When she gave him a weird look, he went on. “I have… some plants. Strong ones. I need to get more practice controlling the really big ones…” he paused. “I never really got to open up and go all out… but you’re definitely strong enough that I could do it. I just need your help.” 

Lydia frowned, but then she thought a moment. “Are you suggesting… that I help you train your plants, while you give me something big and tough and durable to beat the crap out of? Because this sounds fun.” 

“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.” Josh nodded. “I’m ready now, if you are…” Lydia nodded and they went out to the backyard. Josh stood off to the side, taking deep breaths, rubbing his hands together. “Are you ready, Lydia? … Like, seriously, you can change your mind. These aren’t daisies and stuff, this is an actual… large, violent…” he tapered off. “And there’s no guarantee I’ll be able to stop this thing. Some of the bigger ones don’t listen to me.”

“Josh. Shut up and do it.”

Josh reached into his pocket and removed a round seed, wrapping his fist around it. Faster than Lydia could see, roots began shooting from the bottom and it rolled along the ground with all the same effect as if Josh had lobbed a grenade. The thing dug itself violently into the ground, growing up at a violent rate, until it was nearly four feet wide and three times as tall, looming over her, a horrific display of reds, greens, and purples, with more vines than Lydia could even count.

“Well, fuck.” Lydia muttered. She compared it against the house and shuddered. She felt it swing at her, and she dodged it. Josh stood, his hands in his pockets, watching as Lydia just narrowly jumped back, out of the way of a particularly violent spiked vine. She jumped on a vine and tried to approach the flower center but a smooth vine sent her flying, and she bounced on the ground. “This is awesome,” Lydia grinned, getting to her feet. “Can you manifest this thing anytime?” 

Josh glanced up at it. “Yes, I can… I only have enough sugar in my body to put it out and put it back up once, so if I get interrupted, you’ll have to let it knock the stuff out of you while I get some more sugar in my bloodstream.” 

Lydia opened her mouth to ask the obvious question but a vine grabbed her and yanked her off the ground. “Oof~” She struggled. “Willow, have this thing put me down.” she frowned, her blonde hair swinging. She was getting a little dizzy, being held fifteen feet off the ground and upside down.

“You sure?” The vine let go of her and she fell, but it grabbed her again. “It’d hurt from that height.” Josh said, amused. “Better get loose, Lydia. If it eats you, you lose.” He took a seat, his hands in his lap.