CLOSED SIGNUPS Celosia Isle {IC}

[wren.]

i ii

• ♥

  MELANIE

  It's only been a few days since she first arrived to the island, so it would be unreasonable for her to expect things to be going wonderfully, but her lack of progress with her farm has been eating at her in all truthfulness. She's managed to clear all of the weeds from the grounds and start planting some spring crops, but the soil is far from ideal and a lot of her time has been spent composting to make fertilizer just so they can get proper nutrients. While she wants to remain optimistic, she shouldn't expect a particularly great haul in the end.
  
  There was no way she was going to be able to grow any flowers of her own by the time the flower festival rolled around, so, determined to give as many of her fellow islanders a flower as possible, she'd walked all around the fields and mountains to find flowers to pick. She left the highest quality ones alone in the hopes it might encourage more to grow, so the little bouquet she gathered was… a bit mediocre, to say the least. Still, they would do.
  
  When she arrives in the town square, many islanders have already beaten her to it, namely the merchants who have assembled plenty of interesting wares. Poor Merri is there, already asleep on one of the benches. Should she wake her or is it better to let her sleep? Ever since she learned of the woman's narcolepsy, she hasn't been sure how to address it with the woman herself. She'd heard that you aren't supposed to wake a sleepwalking person, do those rules apply to narcoleptics as well?
  
  While not elaborately, the town square has been decorated nicely for the occasion, faux flower garlands hanging from the trees and wrapped around the street lamps. Sparse potted plants have been sprinkled in the corners, namely on the wide stairway connecting the plaza to the street. The sound of harmonica music is filling the air, the tune joyful and fun. Clutching her bouquet to her chest, she follows the sound, unsurprised to find it coming from Elijah. The sea captain had spent a good deal of time playing the harmonica on their journey to the island.
  
  Smiling, she stands and watches him play, gently swaying side to side, the green sundress embroidered with sunflowers that she'd worn for the occasion skimming her knees. When he finishes his song, she claps enthusiastically. "Good morning, Elijah! Are you providing the music all day?"
  
  "Not on anyone's orders," he grins, "But a festival without music is a sad one, ay?" He points to the flowers in her arms. "Did you get those from Alanis?"
  
  "Hm? Oh! No, I picked them to give to everyone," she smiles, selecting a geranium flower at random and tossing it in his direction like one might throw a rose at a musician on a stage. He catches it with ease, his booming laugh a comfort to her by this point.
  
  "Awfully sweet of you. You know, back when I was a lad, that was practically a tradition. Now there's hardly enough flowers to give them to your loved ones." His smile dims slightly as his stormy eyes rove around the plaza and gloss over with nostalgia. "This place would be filled with garlands, real flower garlands, with potter plants and bouquets everywhere. You had to watch your step to avoid tripping over them, and it was a nightmare for those with pollen allergies." He laughs, but it's more subdued this time, and she smiles sympathetically.
  
  "We'll get that back," she promises, resting a reassuring hand on his arm. His eyes cut back to her, crinkling at the corners when he smiles more brightly.
  
  "If you're going to give all of those away, you're gonna need to start now, not keep chatting with this old man," he teases, elbowing her gently.
  
  "Roger that," she laughs, offering a salute before turning back toward the various stalls and the growing crowd around them. Behind her, Elijah starts back up on his harmonica.
  
  The sound of excited, childish squealing pulls her attention toward Paola and her grandchildren, who have crowded around a stall run by Andrew, the veterinarian. A sweet, smiley man, as far as their first meeting told her. Although she can't see them very well behind the jumping children, it seems he's put a few kittens out for adoption.
  
  Having a barn cat or two would probably be helpful in controlling the mice population…
  
  Looming awkwardly not far from them is Lennox, arms crossed over his chest as he stands there awkwardly, eyes fixed on Andrew with an expression that looks… decidedly pained. Andrew is oblivious to the man's staring as far as she can tell, no doubt more preoccupied with the children. Lennox must feel her eyes, though, as he glances in her direction, eyes widening slightly before he turns his head away fast enough that she can practically hear his neck crack, face turning red with embarrassment. Interesting.
  
  She'd met Lennox very briefly when she'd visited his and his father's shop, and while he was polite, he was fidgety and looked like he was trying to find any excuse he could to escape the conversation. Isidore had mentioned on their boat ride that he and Lennox used to be childhood friends, but now the man spent most of his time secluded in the blacksmith shop, reluctant to spend time with anyone. What had caused such a change, well, Isidore didn't say, but there must have been a pretty intense reason, given the sadness that had briefly flitted across Isidore's usually unflappably cheery demeanor.
  
  Even now, Lennox looks like he'd rather be anywhere but this plaza, his stance awkward like an introverted teenager forced to attend a family event.
  
  "Lenny!" she greets, slipping over to the young man. He'd told her to call him as much when they'd met, claiming that all of his friends did so. She can't imagine that he actually considers her a friend yet, but it was a sweet sentiment. "Happy Flower Festival!" With far more purpose than with Elijah, she pulls a daisy out of her collection, holding it up to the blushing man. If anyone could use a flower, it seems like it's him. It isn't much, but maybe it'll lift his spirits. "For you. Obviously."
  
  "Oh," he blinks, taking the flower from her gently. "Thank you, Mel. That's sweet of you. Sorry I don't have anything to give you in return." He spins the flower between his thumb and forefinger as though unsure of what to do with it.
  
  "Don't worry about that," she chuckles, taking the flower from him again to break off half of its long stem. She rises up on her tiptoes to gently place the flower behind his ear, murmuring, "You should go talk to him."
  
  Lennox's face, which had started to return to its normal tanned color, somehow explodes into red again. "I don't know what you mean."
  
  "Andrew, I mean," she clarifies quietly, although they both know exactly who exactly she'd been referring to. "You clearly want to talk to him. Why don't you?" Hadn't they been friends as kids? At least, she's pretty sure Isidore had been friends with them both, and it sounded like their entire friend group had been close.
  
  "It's — complicated," he sighs, "And really none of your business."
  
  While the statement stings, he's right, so she backs down. Not everyone wants help. "Fair enough. Still, you should do more than just stand here all day. It's a party; have some fun," she smiles, gesturing around them. A few flower petals fall off her bouquet and flutter to the ground. "I'll see you around, alright?"
  
  "Right," he smiles, strained though it is. "Thanks for the flower."
  
  Leaving Lennox to his moping, she turns her attention back to her original mission, handing out flowers to those she passes and ogling the many items for sale. The emptiest stall seems to be from the library, several books and pressed flower letter sets on display with Emrys manning the desk.
  
  "Hiya!" she grins as she gets closer, not expecting much of a response from the mute gentleman. "You know, I thought libraries were supposed to be free?" she teases, leafing through the books.
  
  There are quite a few on botany, which could be useful for when she does start growing her own flowers. She doesn't have all that much money to spend, her funds limited to what she had taken with her to the island, but this would be a wise investment. "I'll take these, if you don't mind," she chirps, holding them up.
  

  「 @Nemopedia 」
• ♥

  MELANIE

  Elijah Ellwood	♥♥♥
  Isidore Badru	♥♥♥
  Merriam Winslow	♥♥♥
  Everyone Else	♥♥

code by wren.

 

[Ghostie]

hh

hh

QUINZEL

Quinzel's green thumb basically came by force. By luck, grace of the Goddess and loads of studying and caretaking for the fields she, Maven and Ez tended to, along with the plants that made her a plant mom. That was if you counted the one monstera, cactus and Venus flytrap she kept in her room enough to make her plant mom material. The cactus was a fake one. Surprisingly sent by her parents who knew how — long ago now — to: 'keep her thinking of home' the card along with it she'd long thrown away read. As if she honestly wanted to have a constant reminder of the parents that belittled and ignored her (then why did she still have it?)

All her thinking about that made Quinn glad Ezeran was able to talk her into attending the Flower Festival. Anything to get her out of her head and into a good time. Li Ming even let her borrow a dress because she wanted to 'look pretty for the occasion' — something Quinzel didn't do often.

Li Ming also talked her into doing her makeup. Quinn was clearly feeling very impressionable today. That was how she found herself taking in the sights with Ez, in a white flowery print, high-low dress paired with some shiny black combat boots to feel a bit more comfortable with her outfit deviations. Her eyelids were adorned with an array of colorful eyeshadows along with a flower vine that acted as her eyeliner. The bridge of her nose was peppered with flower freckles because 'it's the flower festival' Li Ming insisted.

Quinn's gaze followed Ezeran's to the library stand, he was clearly a little excited to see what wares they had to offer. The strawberry blonde gave a small chuckle, nodding as she fiddled with the stray "bangs" she left out of her high ponytail.

"Sure, why not? Em looks like he could use some more company. And I feel like I haven't really gotten to have a chance to talk to Melanie yet." Quinzel took note of the new farmer taking an opportunity to talk to Emrys herself while they mulled about the situation. "Just remind me to say hi to and thank Li Ming later today."

It'd been a few days since Melanie's arrival, and while the two farmers (if you could call Quinn that) had gotten the chance to formally meet, Quinn didn't think that quite enough when it came to an attempt at befriending the young farmer. Farm girls had to stick together!

"Hey, y'all! We thought you two could use some company." Quinn gave a small wave, smiling as she and Ez amble towards the stand.

「 @PavellumPendulum @wren. @Nemopedia 」

LOCATION | INTERACTIONS | MENTIONS

code by wren.

 

[PavellumPendulum]

Ezeran

Quinn was much more sociable than him. It seemed like a Herculean task to approach the manned library stand, even if he really wanted to, since Emrys was someone he basically knew by name alone. He didn't frequent the library much, mostly out of shame (people would probably be able to tell that he didn't belong there), but Quinn was luckily a good enough social buffer for him... Plus, he didn't really want to get left behind. And so he nodded and followed her towards the booth, where... The new farmer had beaten them. Ez felt sweat begin to bead on his back and it wasn't because of the sun. Without even thinking, he glanced around, as though checking for Maven's presence, whilst Quinn greeted the woman.

With a slight nod to both of the people at the stand, Ez was quick to let Quinn take over, allowing himself some time to peer down at what was being offered. The main things that interested him were the floral stationery and notebooks, his eyes drawn to them like nothing else, but he stared at them in silence. If the cogs in his brain could make sounds, there would be an awful screeching noise, accompanied by powerful fumes from his thoughts on overdrive.

"... Is... Is the paper thin." he pointed at one pack of sheets, addressing Emrys, but he was so stiff and his tone was so flat that it almost sounded like a threat more than a question.

Any paper he used needed to be able to withstand some powerful erasing.

「 @Ghostie @Nemopedia 」

Code by wren.

 

[Nemopedia]

Emrys

Location:
Town Square

Interacting:
Melanie - @wren
Quinzel - @Ghostie
Ezeran - @PavellumPendulum

Mentioned:

Tags:

Hearts:
Lennox - ( )
Elijah -
Ozmodeous -
Quinzel -
Odessa -
Hiroki - ( )
Rose -
Isidore -
Theodora -
Paola -
Dorothea -
Leander - ( )
Jiang -
Mariana -
Merriam -
Ezeran - ( )

The new farmer, Melanie, was a chipper one, Emrys had known that. He had known and yet still startled at the cheerful greeting, sudden and bursting like a gust of air blowing past meant to topple him down into the inviting waves of the sea.

'Libraries need to renew their stock as well,' was the response he had wanted to give, but the words wouldn't come out. His tongue felt stiff, leathery even and his throat thick while the idea of speech made him want to hurl.

Instead he meekly tappen on the price tag he had neatly written down next to the books. [All books 5 a piece, buy five get one free]. It was cheap, really cheap, but the books were old and some of the information even outdated if not debunked if not frayed from use. Their knowledge held no worth other than to spin stories with.

And then Quin joined along with Ezeran, his relief only growing marginally. Emrys felt better with familiar faces, but his voice still wouldn't come out. A nod would have to do as a response, accompanied with the spread of his hand as he plucked a note from several stacks before handing them to Ezeran, his gaze questioning, inviting the farmhand to feel the thickness for himself.

In the back of his mind Emrys thought of a poem to give away, his eyes glancing down at the stack of cards at his side of the corner on which 'POEM' is neatly written on each blank.

 

[Kuno]

MAVEN

She had told Ez and Quinn to go on ahead of her to the festival. In fact, she had been uncharacteristically pushy. Nevermind the farmwork, she had told them, assuring them that they would get to it later. Except...later had meant then. She had completed it herself early that morning, setting aside the less important tasks for either tonight or the next morning. Some things could wait. The town's festivals, on the other hand, could never wait. Not to her.

Unbeknownst to most, the Flower Festival was Maven's favorite festival.

Most thought that just because she was a farmer that the animal competitions were her favorite. Sure, she enjoyed them, but the festival was the same every year. Competition continued to get less and less steep over the years, and Maven had grown tired over the needless attention her farm got for winning yet again. But the Flower Festival? This was different. Every year was different. In spite of the island's decline, Alanis managed to bring just enough magic to her harvest to set the town abloom in delightful colors and arrays of flowers. She did her best, as she always did. But as Maven stood before a display of potted peonies, she could not help but reflect on the festivals from years' past, when the sunflowers were taller than her whole body, and the entire island was marked by hues of yellow and reds and blues. Maven reached out a hand a traced a finger under one of the petals, frowning as she felt its fragility.

Would things ever go back to the way they were?

Enjoying the festival?

The nostalgia disappeared. Maven turned only her head, regarding the smartly dressed doctor with a cool gaze. She didn't often see Leander separated from his clinic, but she supposed even he needed a break here and there. Besides - she was quite sure no villager would rather be there at his office as opposed to partaking in the festivities.

She acknowledged his question with a shrug of her shoulders, though her demeanor remained friendly enough.

"Yeah, sure. It's always nice to see the display, I suppose." She did not mention her considerable predilection for flowers, though the thought hung there, waiting. "I wanted to grow something myself, but I just didn't have time. Alanis always has it covered."

And truth be told, her expectations were too high to grow them often. Maven did not handle disappointment well, and there seemed to be more and more of that going around as the months passed.

"And what about you, doc? Finally stepped out of your office?" Maven teased, a smile coming to her face. "Stay cooped up long enough in there, and you might become your own patient."

@Reverie

Code by Jenamos

 

[Kuno]

i ii

• ♥

  OWEN

  
  He'd garnered more than a few looks following his posting near the festival's entrance. Most were curious, others slightly cautious, and some...less than impressed. Maven, the farmer, had regarded him as one did a bug to squash, but he figured her for the chronically intimidating type. One critical gaze in particular made him begin to re-evaluate his post.
  
  Luzminda.
  
  He shifted under her eyes and questions, acutely aware of himself.
  
  "Well ma'am, we should always be aware and on guard, especially in crowded events like this," He responded mechanically. "I'm here to keep an eye out on things. Even on an island, you never know what could happen."
  
  He paused. The mayor had specifically told him to take the day off, and yet...here he was. Would he admit to that?
  
  Of course not.
  
  He jerked his head in the direction of the boys' rough housing. "You and the boys fans of flowers? I'm sure they've got a lot of fun games here for you all."
  
  A pause.
  
  "Maybe I'll...play one or two. Later in the shift."
  

  「 @PavellumPendulum 」
• ♥

  OWEN

  Character 1	♥
  Character 2	♥♥
  Character 3	♥♥♥
  Character 4	♥♥♥♥
  Character 5	♥♥♥♥♥
  Character 6	♥♥♥♥♥♥
  Character 7	♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Code by Jenamos

 

[Nemopedia]

Andrew

Location:
Town Square

Interacting:
Paola and the triplets - @MaryGold
Li Ming - @peach

Mentioned:
Rose - IceQueen

Tags:

Hearts:
Lennox - ()
Elijah -
Alanis -
Belvedere -
Rose -
Isidore -
Theodora -
Paola -
Merriam -
Ezeran -
Emrys -
Elinor -
Sebastian -

The triplets of Paola came running, a thousand and one questions ready at the sight of kittens and Andrew smiled brighter at their curiosity, which was always good, and the purity of their delight.

Patiently the vet started to answer the questions one by one; "they have no names, yet, do you know a good one?" which got cut in with a "Mao," from his grandmother, which really just meant 'cat' and thus was a very unfortunate name to give, like naming your pikachu 'Pikachu'.

And when his grandmother wanted to make a cutting remark that she would rather have him find a wife, Andrew smoothly interjected and redirected the attention to himself by lifting the kittens up towards the children, turning around his desk as he bent down to meet them on eye-level.

"Their mama can't take care of them, so she asked me to look after them until they could find a forever home, can you help out with that?" he asked, putting the gentlest kitten in the arms of the triplet named Lily, before giving Leo a bop to the nose with another grin.

"Are you that eager for my coffin, child? Paper flowers are for the dead," Andrew heard his grandmother respond to Li Ming, earning a deep sigh and a slight falter in his smile. Oh, how grim his grandmother Ou could be. Andrew could only hope that Li Ming knew it was in jest as he peeked over the table, hoping his grandmother wasn't insisting on giving the young nurse a hard time.

"This one is for good luck and fortune, you can have my grandson with it," Grandmother Ou decided to say instead. Clearly she was intent on giving Andrew a hard time.

Closing his eyes for a moment Andrew took in a deep breath before flashing Paola an apologetic smile and picking up another kitten, this time with a sunflower hat.

"This one loves to cuddle," he tells the triplets, extending the little mewling kitten towards them.

 

[PavellumPendulum]

i ii

• ♥

  Luzviminda

  
  His paranoia would be endearing, if it weren't also tiring to witness. Luz was not so dedicated to public safety that she would give up her few days off to frown and glare at any possible threat, though she could understand such behaviour directed towards one's children. Otherwise, rest was an essential part of a healthy psyche... And Owen was not radiating balanced mental health at the moment. She let herself make somewhat of a half sigh, partially through her nose, an empathetic partial smile on her lips. "I'm sure the public commends your devotion to the island's people. Still, the data does show that we are more alert and perceptive when given sufficiently leisure and rest... So I believe you'd be more likely to respond efficiently to a threat if you had some time off. Perhaps an hour or two."
  
  She let her somewhat heavy handed hints hang in the air briefly, while the both of them kept their eyes on their meandering children, off spreading joy by knocking into things from running and saturating the air with giggles. "I think Cielo might think they're too cool for flowers right now... But Ambrosio is more than happy to have enough enthusiasm for the both of them."
  
  The officer's slight concession for playing games later on made her smile warm, the appreciation reaching her heavy lashed, dark eyes. "May I take up a few minutes of your time then? Or longer, if you'd like the company?"

  「 @Kuno 」
• 
  
  ♥

  Luzviminda

  
  

  
  

  Odessa	♥♥♥
  Owen	♥♥
  Paola	♥♥♥
  Teddy	♥♥♥♥
  Elinor	♥♥♥♥
  Lennox	♥♥
  Elijah	♥♥♥
  Andrew	♥♥
  Merriam	♥

Code by Jenamos

 

[Reverie]

LEANDER

"You grow a lot of important things," Leander offered supportively. And it was true. Maven did much of the heavy lifting when it came to growing produce for Celosia. She did more than just that, of course, and her farm was a vital part of Celosian agriculture. While a lot of the residence dabbled in some form of gardening or animal care, hers was the primary source for such things. Leander certainly would've been worse off without the eggs she provided to him.

"The displays are nice," said the dark-haired man, somewhat doubtfully. To his knowledge, Maven had spent her entire life on Celosia, and it didn't seem like anything grew well there. Leander had certainly seen grander flower arrangements elsewhere, despite Alanis' best efforts. He imagined most of the residents didn't even realise how vibrant and grand a flower display could look.

"I'd bring something if I could," Leander said, a slight frown on his lips. "But I fear I might not be up to the task." The doctor idly scratched the back of his hand. He didn't enjoy admitting he wasn't good at something, even something as unrelated to his area of expertise as growing flowers. "I've never been particularly good with plants…"

"Do you have a favourite flower?" He asked. Most people did, didn't they? Why should Maven be an exception?

Leander chuckled half-heartedly at her rib. It was nothing new for Maven to tease him, and there was a familiar taste to the exchange that he almost enjoyed. He did enjoy seeing her smile. But there was a ring of truth to her words which he did not love to hear.

"If I'm going to take a day off, at least I can enjoy the festival," he said. "And if anything happens, the clinic isn't far." Leander looked back over his shoulder. His workplace remained barely in view. "Not that anything will," he added quickly, more to reassure himself than to inform her.

「 @Kuno 」

Code by wren.

 

[Reverie]

JIANG

Jiang woke that morning to the palest of light peaking over the horizon. He had had nice dreams that night. He knew that. But he did not remember them. He usually didn't. Having only vague recollections of what had visited him in the night. The youth had spent the following hour lying in his bed, thinking about various things, without focusing on any one of them for too long. After that, he had pulled himself from bed and painted over his nails. They were very chipped at that point, with only remnants of the polish remaining. He wanted them to look nice for the festival. He used the same bottle of teal polish he had been using for a while. Once his nails were dry he went down to check on his father, who expressed his usual disinterest for a festival, and then Jiang slipped out the door into the colourless light.

Jiang didn't grow flowers. He didn't grow anything. Instead, he preferred the natural bounty of the island. He preferred to wander around and collect whatever he could find, and for the flower festival, that was no different. Alanis always grew the prettiest flowers for the festival, and he couldn't have competed with her if he tried. Instead, as soon as he had left his house, he went out in search of wildflowers. Jiang intended to gift one to each of his friends he spotted that day. For Emrys, and Isi, and Lenny, too, if he saw him. Everyone would be out, so he needed many flowers. After a morning of scavenging (and passing on some very nice mushrooms), Jiang returned to town with his arms full of blue forget-me-nots and white primroses. Some looked a bit sickly, but they were the best he could find.

"Hm." He hummed to himself when he spotted Merri asleep on a bench, blonde head of hair rested peacefully upon her hands. The mayor was often tired and sleeping, and more than once they had had to end one of their foraging trips early so she could rest. Jiang wondered if he should let her sleep. But she was missing the festival. And Jiang wanted to give her a flower. Arms full of flowers, he crossed over to stand beside the bench.

"Merri," he said softly, in what he hoped was a voice loud enough to wake her without startling her. But that might be inevitable. And Jiang had never been particularly good at raising his voice. But he would try again if it did not work.

「 @PavellumPendulum 」

Code by Jenamos

 

[PavellumPendulum]

i ii

• ♥

  Merriam Winslow

  
  The first thing she did, waking up from the sleep that had captured her once more, was twitch, her hand coming up to rub at her wet mouth, sensing the accumulating drool. The second thing Merri did was shoot up in place, making the old bench creak in complaint at the sudden shifting of weight, her normally fluffy hair disfigured on the side of her head that had taken the brunt of her napping position. Disoriented, the mayor blinked around, the bright sunlight causing her eyes discomfort, but eventually, her eyes settled on the familiar figure who'd woken her up. Jiang and his soft features, a bundle of flowers in hand.
  
  Right. The Flower Festival. What time was it?
  
  Merri managed an embarrassed smile, more of a wince than anything, smoothing out her clothes and standing up suddenly. Her eyes flicked to her watch (she'd been out for an hour already, ugh), then to her beloved parasol on the ground, specked with dirt and already collecting a line of ants that were trying to navigate atop it. Hastily, she grabbed it, muttering an apology to the ants whose line she'd disrupted, shaking the parasol a touch to get the dirt off.
  
  Her gaze moved back to Jiang. "H-Hi Jiang!" she greeted, strikingly loud, her uneasy voice a scratched record, "Those are- they're pretty." She tilted her head towards the flowers in his hands, her smile slowly warming as she had more time to orient herself, "How are you enjoying the festival?"

  「 @Reverie 」
• 
  
  ♥

  Merriam Winslow

  
  

  Edith	♥♥♥
  Ez	♥♥
  Bel	♥♥♥
  Isidore	♥♥♥
  Jiang	♥♥♥
  Leander	♥
  Mariana	♥♥♥
  Emrys	♥♥
  Melanie	♥♥
  Paola	♥♥♥
  Elijah	♥♥♥
  Odessa	♥♥♥

Code by Jenamos

 

[Reverie]

JIANG

Merri roused gracelessly from her sleep, offering an abashed smile as she did so. Jiang returned an optimistic expression to welcome her back to the waking world, before his features resettled into a complacent place. But he didn't say anything, instead watching as she picked up and shook her parasol. And then she spoke, and it was loud. Louder than he expected. The youth did not startle, but he did flinch at the shoulder and blink twice at her.

"Thank you," Jiang replied to the compliment. "One is for you. If you want it." He shifted from one foot to the other, gaze briefly flickering to the colours in his arms before returning to Merri. "You can pick any one you want."

"You will be the first!" He exclaimed, a smile back on his lips.

Then she asked him how he was enjoying the festival. Jiang dropped himself down onto the bench beside her, eyeing the other residents in the distance. "I only now arrived," he said. "I spent the morning gathering these." He gently shook the flowers in his arms to make his point. A few little pieces came off when he did so, and a singular flower — a blue one — fell to the ground.

"How long did you sleep?" He asked, having noted that she checked her watch previously. "Were you having a good dream?"

「 @PavellumPendulum 」

Code by Jenamos

 

[Kuno]

GOLDEN HOUR

maven x leander collab

A zephyr came from the west, drifting up and under the drooping petals and hanging leaves. It tickled a banner here, and a few ribbons there; the hair around Mavens's face was tousled lightly, the sun illuminating her tan features.

Leander held a pleasant voice to listen to – barring any mentions of his medical practice. He spoke, and she listened, inexplicably comfortable in the wake of her festival unease. He took her teasing well enough. By now, he knew her stance on healthcare; she'd been fine all her life with her family's homemade remedies. The day she needed to go to a doctor was the day she needed to be put down like a dog, as she had told him once. Leander hadn't much appreciated that.

Then he asked her something, something that made her brow quirk.

"A favorite flower?" She echoed.

There was a pregnant pause. Maven's eyes were dark, searching as they probed Leander's own gaze. She seemed to be considering something.

"Daffodils," Maven confessed at last. She did not smile, but her eyes were warm. "But I don't see them often. My mother used to be the only one who grew them."

The warm wind mussed Leander's thick hair as much as it did Maven's raven locks. Beneath the sun, she appeared a warm figure. Like a fraction of sunlight itself. That was certainly a normal thing to think about a friend, right? Was Maven his friend? Leander tried to keep distance between himself and his clients, fearing a conflict of interest, however, as much as he struggled to make her a patient, Maven had not once allowed him so much as a cough to check. The doctor wasn't sure he should consider the topic longer, fearing it would make his head hurt.

Thankfully, he did not have to ponder long, as Maven responded to his question. First in an imitation before answering properly. Daffodils. It felt right as she said it, and Leander couldn't ignore the warmth in her gaze. It caused the slightest of smiles to crack across his face. Just a small upturn of the corners of his lips.

"Lovely flowers," Leander replied. It was a genuine sentiment, and he thought it came through that way. He certainly hoped it did. It would be gross of him to sound mocking when she had answered his question earnestly. "I don't think I've seen them once here," he added. That made sense, if Maven's mother used to be the only one who grew them. "She must have been as talented with plants as you."

Where did that compliment come from?

Maven seemed to be thinking the same thing. The look she threw his way was quick, her expression unreadable.

"Yeah. I suppose so."

Truth be told, her mother had been a lousy farmer. The only thing she seemed to enjoy growing were daffodils – the one plant that did not wilt from her excessive love. Her late mother was not someone she talked about often, and she wrestled with the idea of sharing that hidden piece of herself with someone she hardly considered a friend.

But petals, once having bloomed, were not quick to close; her arms uncrossed, her hands settling neatly on her hips.

"Me and my mom were opposites, ya know? I took more after my father. My mom was…prim and proper. Didn't like getting her hands dirty 'cept to dig out weeds in her flowers.

"But I guess it's a good thing that I've turned out this way," Maven went on, looking askance. "I was the only one left to take over the farm. I'd like to think she'd be proud of me, even if I can't grow daffodils to save my life."

She chuckled lightly.

"Ah." Leander hadn't been right, but Maven didn't appear troubled. Instead, to his surprise, she carried on. It was the first time she'd ever talked about herself to him in that way. "I see," he replied. "I am sure I can't understand your relationship with her, however, I do know what it is like to be at odds with your parents." He had never gotten along with his own.

She laughed, and it was pleasant. A gentle delight in the air between them. His slight smile remained comfortable on his face. "I'm sure there are more important things to be proud of than growing daffodils."

"Oh, sure. Like doctoring and whatnot." The teasing lilt to her voice had returned. "What are you doing all day in your little clinic, anyhow? Breaking people apart and stitching them back together?"

It was Leander's turn to chuckle. His parents hadn't exactly been the type to tell him they were proud of him, but earning his doctorate — especially so young had earned him some of their praise. "Nothing so macabre," Leander returned, his tone didn't match her humour, but it certainly wasn't morose. He wasn't the best at teasing, at least not dishing it out. "I don't do much of either of those," he added lightly, "Primarily, my work involves wellness checks. And trying to get people to better care for themselves." Leander paused a second.

"Such as coming in for an annual examination."

Maven wasn't the only one who resisted his attempts, but she was one of the most stubborn and bull-headed about it.

"Never heard of that," came Maven's predictably obstinate reply. Her words bordered on sarcastic, but ah - one could never really quite tell with her. "I'm in my 30s now, and I've never once needed to go to the doctor. Some people should learn from me."

Leander frowned. He truly did worry about the woman, even if she did seem to always be in good health. There were plenty of hidden conditions she could've had. Ones with symptoms that had not yet manifested. "If everyone learned from you, I would be out of a job," he returned.

There was a knowing smirk and raise of Maven's brow, because that had been precisely her point.

"When I'm on death's door, I'll give you a ring. How's that? In the meantime…"

The pause stretched longer than she'd intended. Someone, no; a few persons had come into view, hovering at the edge of her peripheral vision. She peered at them a moment, thinking.

"Maybe I'll step through those clinic doors one of these days."

She paused.

"You never answered your own question, doctor. What's your favorite flower?"

Leander did not enjoy the idea of Maven's declining health, even in jest. He thought she was going to say more, but something seemed to distract her. The dark-haired man swivelled his head to see a few people lingering some distance away before returning his attention to the formidable woman.

"I'm sure Hell will freeze over before that happens," the doctor said, voice lighter again. The implication was the closest Maven had ever come to being his patient, but he was fairly certain the only way Maven would ever come into his clinic was if she was bleeding out and someone dragged her there.

"My favourite?" Leander hesitated. He liked flowers — he liked most flowers — but he didn't have an especially strong attachment to one type or another. Still, an answer came readily enough to mind. "Chrysanthemums," he replied. He liked flowers with many little petals. Like chrysanthemums. Or marigolds. "In particular, those that are yellow, orange, or white." Colours were important to him.

Yellow, orange, and white. Like daffodils. What were the chances of Leander knowing that those were Maven's favorite colors?

"That's nice," the farmer replied, seemingly unimpressed.

Then she spoke again.

"I'll keep that in mind when I buy seeds from Alanis."

She was smiling, albeit faintly, when she turned again to look at Leander. Her eyes flickered briefly to her watch, and only then did she frown.

"I'd better go make my rounds before I head back to the farm. You take care, now."

"Will you?" Leander asked with a singular quirk of his brow. It seemed a warm gesture, but he wasn't certain if it was entirely in earnest. He did not have a moment to prod longer as Maven expressed her intent to make rounds.

"Of course," he smiled back at her, a little broader this time. But he felt somewhat disappointed at the idea of her absence. Their conversation was pleasant, and he wasn't eager for it to end. There was a sincerity there which wasn't in their previous interactions. And Leander wanted to see more of that Maven.

"Care for some company?"

"Oh, uh…"

Maven had stopped half-step. Company, he said? She wasn't much for small talk. Sure, she could chit-chat a little to check up on folks, but she wasn't the sort of woman you would label chatty.

But there was no reason to say no. She would be walking around regardless; what harm would it be for him to accompany her?

In answer, Maven shrugged and jerked her head in the direction she turned to walk.

Maven seemed to hesitate at his offer, and for a moment, Leander wondered if he should've even suggested going along. But then she shrugged, and started off. It was as much of an invitation as he was going to get. But as he had expected her to rebuff him, the man had to quicken his step briefly until he was able to fall in place beside her. A question tugged at the edge of his mind, but it might've been a sore topic — or one too personal for the muscular woman. They were kin in their private natures. And that was something of a comfortable thought.

Leander walked beside Maven for several minutes, the two remaining equally silent as they passed by various small stalls of flowers. It was a silence which made the doctor's heart quicken, as he started to wonder if he was annoying her with his presence. But she didn't seem annoyed. He broke the silence with cautious words spoken soft and low.

"What happened to them?" Leander queried. "Your parents?"

Where had that question come from?

The question did more than give her pause. It reminded Maven, ever so sharply, that the good doctor was another transplant, another person picked up by the winds of change and tossed alongside the sandy beaches of Celosia. All the long-time citizens – they had been there, in her parent's final moments. They knew.

Maven scratched her chin, thinking. It wasn't a secret, of course, but the question was certainly personal.

"Well," She began, eyes pensive. "My parents had me later on in life, so by the time I hit 21, Mom was uh…let's see. 63? And Dad was 67. So they were getting up there anyhow."

Not that a man's sixties was a normal age range to die. But that's how Maven had managed to rationalize the sudden shock if death in her mind, when the grief had threatened to swallow her whole.

"My dad was a heavy drinker. He never got out of control, mind you, but it was enough to tank his liver. I don't think he really was able to handle the medication too well…body just couldn't take it, I 'spose. Dad passed when I was 24, and Mom, I think, just couldn't really handle not having him. Think a couple months passed before she followed after him."

There was a characteristic shrug of her shoulders, as if to shake away any lingering feelings of sadness.

To Leander's surprise, Maven did answer him. He was grateful that it did not appear to be something of great trauma for her, as there was the case for many of Celosia's residence. He had walked a minefield, and had somehow managed to make it through.

But her parents had died young. Not particularly young for a heavy drinker, but young in the grand scheme of things. And young in the scheme of Maven's life. He wondered if she had made as much peace with it as she was acting like she had.

"I see…" Leander replied quietly. "Heartbreak hurts the best of us," he continued, words he believed entirely. He had seen almost as many damaged by the wounds on their hearts as their physical injuries. And he further wondered if perhaps Maven felt more heartache than she allowed to show.

Naturally, she would never let it show.

"Yeah, well. That's life, right? Even the flowers die at some point."

She made a broad gesture towards the flowers and trees surrounding them.

"No point in dwelling on it. Just gotta deal with the time we've got."

That's true.

"That's a rather positive take on things."

Leander already knew she was a strong woman, but this only exemplified her mental fortitude.

"But if you do ever want to talk — about anything— I am always prepared to lend an ear." He made the offer with a warm smile across his lips and welcoming eyes.

Maven's face was as impassive as stone. "I'm not a talker."

Funny, considering the length of their conversation. The bluntness of her statement lingered in the brief pause, and at length, she decided to smooth some of her edges.

"But I appreciate the offer."

And she did. Another funny realization: she had been unconsciously avoiding Leander and his den of prophylactic perversions, but she hadn't realized how easy it was to fall into conversation with him. He exuded comfort; she'd supposed that was a good thing.

Up ahead, a stall drew near. Maven gestured towards it in a silent question.

"Of course," Leander replied, not the least bit surprised by her response — not the first part of it, at least. She didn't sound like she was mocking his offer, however, and that was enough for him. His smile lingered a moment longer before slipping into a comfortably relaxed expression.

"Lead the way," was the extent of his response to her unasked question.

@Reverie

Code by Jenamos