Here's chapter one of our FooderLand concept. Let me know what you think! Subsequent chapters to follow.
Then the Gardener whispered soft words to his Garden and his creations gained sentience and sprang to life. They sprouted hands and feet and eyes (among other useful bits) and gazed around in wonder at the Gardener’s creation. All was well for a time. The sun shone brightly, the rains fell lightly, and the winds were soft and mild. As his creations matured the Gardner allowed them to begin gardening too. He taught them to till, and to plant, and to feed and to water. Their skill grew, and as it grew, so did their ambition.
One day an overachieving artichoke asked the Gardener for the Words of Awakening. The Gardener was shocked by such a bold request and refused. The artichoke asked why VeggieLife were denied the right to truly create, but the Gardener would not explain himself and only warned that with great power comes great responsibility. Being denied so completely and without explanation the enraged artichoke devised a plan by which he would steal the Words of Awakening.
Late one night while the Gardner soundly slept, the artichoke crept next to his ear. “Look at the mighty garden you have created!” whispered the artichoke. “Look how plump the pumpkins are, the grandeur of the grape vines, the splendor of the strawberries!” The Gardner smiled in his sleep. “They are ready to awaken, it is time to speak the words!” The Gardner spoke and the artichoke listened carefully.
The next morning, the Gardener awoke and went on his usual walk to inspect the Garden. As he reached a far corner of The Land he found the sneaky artichoke bending over a plant.
“Good morning little artichoke,” said the Gardner. “What have you there?” The artichoke trembled.
“Just a ... a ... little project, Great Gardener. Please ... don’t trouble yourself with it.” Immediately the Gardener was suspicious.
“I see, I see, let’s have a look, shall we?” said the Gardner. And what he beheld shocked him to his core. For a Weed had emerged in his perfect Garden. A Weed where none had grown before. And worse, it was sentient. But the Weed was a nasty sort, and the moment it saw the Gardener it cursed and spat at his feet. The Words of Awakening mumbled during the Gardener’s sleep had been misunderstood by the artichoke and this twisted creation was the result.
“What is this?!” demanded the Gardener. “How did this happen? What did you do?”
“I only wanted to create something of my own,” the artichoke said, shaking. “You wouldn’t let me! I used this plant I found. I never saw you care for one of these, so I didn’t think you would care what I did with it. It’s mine now.”
“Oh yes,” said the Gardener. “It is yours now and forever. And I hope you enjoy each others company, because it is all the company you will know! I banish you from the Garden forever! And all artichokes shall bear a stench henceforth, and shall be cursed for their flavor unless they find themselves in a dip with plenty of cheese and maybe some spinach (I should write that down ...)! Now go!”
And so the little artichoke picked up his nasty, spitting creation, exited the Garden’s mighty gate and walked into lands unknown.
Genesis, Chapter 1
In the beginning there was The Land. And it was good. (Great actually! It was clean, lovely earth, with just the right PH level. Sure, it was a bit loamy in parts, but in a good way.) And The Land was tilled by The Gardener. The Gardener cared for the land and filled it with fresh nutrients, pure, clean water, and, of course, love. And from the vast Garden he created sprang forth all manner of vegetables: cucumbers and carrots, broccoli and brussel sprouts, corn and kale, asparagus and artichokes. And the Gardner smiled at his handiwork, quite pleased with himself.Then the Gardener whispered soft words to his Garden and his creations gained sentience and sprang to life. They sprouted hands and feet and eyes (among other useful bits) and gazed around in wonder at the Gardener’s creation. All was well for a time. The sun shone brightly, the rains fell lightly, and the winds were soft and mild. As his creations matured the Gardner allowed them to begin gardening too. He taught them to till, and to plant, and to feed and to water. Their skill grew, and as it grew, so did their ambition.
One day an overachieving artichoke asked the Gardener for the Words of Awakening. The Gardener was shocked by such a bold request and refused. The artichoke asked why VeggieLife were denied the right to truly create, but the Gardener would not explain himself and only warned that with great power comes great responsibility. Being denied so completely and without explanation the enraged artichoke devised a plan by which he would steal the Words of Awakening.
Late one night while the Gardner soundly slept, the artichoke crept next to his ear. “Look at the mighty garden you have created!” whispered the artichoke. “Look how plump the pumpkins are, the grandeur of the grape vines, the splendor of the strawberries!” The Gardner smiled in his sleep. “They are ready to awaken, it is time to speak the words!” The Gardner spoke and the artichoke listened carefully.
The next morning, the Gardener awoke and went on his usual walk to inspect the Garden. As he reached a far corner of The Land he found the sneaky artichoke bending over a plant.
“Good morning little artichoke,” said the Gardner. “What have you there?” The artichoke trembled.
“Just a ... a ... little project, Great Gardener. Please ... don’t trouble yourself with it.” Immediately the Gardener was suspicious.
“I see, I see, let’s have a look, shall we?” said the Gardner. And what he beheld shocked him to his core. For a Weed had emerged in his perfect Garden. A Weed where none had grown before. And worse, it was sentient. But the Weed was a nasty sort, and the moment it saw the Gardener it cursed and spat at his feet. The Words of Awakening mumbled during the Gardener’s sleep had been misunderstood by the artichoke and this twisted creation was the result.
“What is this?!” demanded the Gardener. “How did this happen? What did you do?”
“I only wanted to create something of my own,” the artichoke said, shaking. “You wouldn’t let me! I used this plant I found. I never saw you care for one of these, so I didn’t think you would care what I did with it. It’s mine now.”
“Oh yes,” said the Gardener. “It is yours now and forever. And I hope you enjoy each others company, because it is all the company you will know! I banish you from the Garden forever! And all artichokes shall bear a stench henceforth, and shall be cursed for their flavor unless they find themselves in a dip with plenty of cheese and maybe some spinach (I should write that down ...)! Now go!”
And so the little artichoke picked up his nasty, spitting creation, exited the Garden’s mighty gate and walked into lands unknown.