The Roof Garden (#1234)

(an instance of Generic Post-Apocalypse Room made by Caitlin)

     Up on the roof...There is a long, low retaining wall all around the perimeter of the rooftop. The roof itself is flat and crumbling in places. A large skylight on the western side looks down into the loft. Surprisingly, there are plants everywhere -- orchids, gardenias, magnolias, a bed of mint and basil. Pots of geraniums and tomatoes vying for the sun. And one, magnificent, overblown Victorian tea rose climbing the skylight -- it blossoms the palest pink imaginable. The smell of green growing things fills the air. There are no formal seats, but a few crates scattered about might be comfortable. In the east corner is a private area walled in by hundreds of gardenias -- you can glimpse the shape of an old sleeping bag unrolled behind the plants.
     If you look up you will notice the bottom of an enormous lilypad floating in the air above you. Soft, faint music floats down. You might want to investigate where the music is coming from.
     Day then. Sun high overhead, light breeze stirs the plants. Clear brightness.
     Water is falling from the sky. Rain patters down on the roof and the plants and you. Gusts of wind blow the rain hard into your face. You can see yourself reflected inthe puddles forming on the ground.

You notice some details:
      tea rose
      A very old Victorian tea rose, climbing over the surface of the skylight. It is covered with tiny pink blossoms which are always fresh and lovely and fragrant no matter what the time of day or weather. The rose bush seems to grow and blossom as you watch it. It is full of life and feeds the beauty of this place.

You see Caitlin here.

EXITS:
      [ east ] Gardenia Corner.
      [ up ] Floating Music.

This place has a certain ambiance...
     A mouse skitters past you.
     Squirrels chatter at you from the retaining wall.
     A soft breeze rustles the plants and fills the air with petals.
     The sound of footsteps running fast and hard fills your ears.
     You can smell smoke at a distance.
     Children are laughing on the street below.
     A pair of lovers are fighting on the roof across the way. Their shouts float across the air -- indistinct, but heavy with emotion.
     Far away a dog howls.
     Two cats are singing a mating song together -- yowls like children learning to play the violin.