"can you reach that?"

he watches his clefairy attempt to reach up to pluck a berry off its tree only to come up very short. he's not too sure why she tried, but it's cute to watch her flail her arms up in the air. she even hops a little; not that it takes her far off the ground, however.

"want my help?"

the clefairy puffs her cheeks, pouting slightly before accepting defeat. she nods, then looks up at the nanab berry that hangs so close yet so far away from her.

smiling, lance steps forward and plucks it free with ease.

"here."

the clefairy hops with joy and accepts it before looking to their left. she points.

"hm?"

willow atkins

☉

she pops a couple of them in her mouth, tasting this vine's particular crop. she's not only grabbing ripe ones for eating as is, but some that are a bit over - juicy and a little bit squishy. perfect for the couple of pies she wants to bake. she'll put out some of the slices alongside her garlands over the weekend. 

she's so lost in thought, however, that she startles when she peers through one of the bushes and finds a pokemon staring right back at her. a hand goes to her chest, but she relaxes when she realizes it's a trainer's pokemon, and not a territorial critter from the garden.

she stands and finds said trainer just on the other side of the row of bushes. "oh. sorry about that. didn't mean to intrude. i didn't even notice." she laughs softly and hefts the berry basket on her hip. 

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

the little clefairy pokes her head through the bushes, peering at the other trainer with curiosity. she remains there at the moment, enjoying the shade and the feeling of the leaves brushing against her sides.

"oh, don't worry about it. you're not intruding at all."

his smile holds strong even through the row of bushes.

"i'm lance."

willow atkins

☉

small talk is something she's not good at. now, you'd think so, with how much she can chatter with her customers when they stop by, but there's a difference between discussion amongst strangers and familiars. those who visit her flower shop have come for years. 

so she hefts the berry basket and expects the chance meeting to slide, for them to turn their backs and continue their picking in their own ways, but then he looks warmly at her and gives her his name. 

she repays him in kind with, "willow," and then, feeling like she has to say more, adds, "i swear grace's soil has magical properties. all the berries are delicious." she pauses. "do you come often? i don't think i've seen you before."

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

"huh. maybe that's why clefairy likes coming here so much."

speaking of, the fairy-type pokes her head back out, this time carrying with her a single apricorn. she holds it up to lance almost proudly before turning to look up at willow.

"this is willow. she's a friend."

and after a nod from lance, clefairy extends her little paws up towards willow, offering her the apricorn berry.

"not too often, no. but we just might now."

willow atkins

☉

it's mostly certainly why the clefairy enjoys coming here. no doubt the fairy-type is put at ease surrounded by a garden tilled with love and care. she's taken care of enough dual grass-fairy clients to know that they have a sort of mystic connection with the greenery and earth around them. she'd assume their mono-typed cousins are, to some extent, the same. 

she crouches down to the clefairy's level when it offers her an apricorn. the fae are whimsical things and so she grabs a juicy berry from her own basket to offer as a trade. 

"you should. it's relaxing for a lot of pokemon," she says as the fairy warbles at the trade. 

she places the apricorn in her basket and shifts it to her other arm. she'd been so absorbed in picking, she hadn't realized how heavy it had gotten.

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

the trade is first met with a giggle but the clefairy soon accepts it, swapping her apricorn for the juicy berry. she holds it close to her chest, hugging it as she turns back to lance.

"there's a nice spot just outside lilycove as well that's really relaxing. near the safari zone. it's where most of my pokemon like to relax."

that, and the beach a few minutes away from his house. his water-types tend to prefer it.

noticing her basket, he offers his hand.

"would you like to share a basket? except i don't really have much in mine."

willow atkins

☉

"oh?" she's genuinely intrigued. she bites her lip though and gives a bit of a nervous laugh. it's not something she tends to talk about, but, "i've, uh, never been to lilycove." she hasn't seen most of the region, for that matter. her family never had much money to begin with and she's a notorious home body so even day trips around the region have never appealed to her. 

it's still embarrassing. 

she looks down at the basket and then thinks oh, why not? and hands it to him gratefully. 

"thanks. i'm making some cobblers tonight. just putting that out there so you don't think i'm crazy for picking several pounds of berries."

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

"you're not missing out on much," he shrugs off the thought and whatever embarassment it might've carried. he doesn't even register it. "the routes before the city are nice, though."

taking the basket, he immediately feels just how heavy it is and laughs in response.

"ah. that clears that up."

he peers down at the basket.

"cobblers for a...party? i really don't know how much a recipe uses."

willow atkins

☉

she appreciates the blasé reaction, even if she doesn't know how to say it. her skin's thick enough where judgment doesn't often bother her, but this is nice. he's nice. 

"well, your little paradise still sounds lovely." 

she laughs alongside him and then shakes her head. "no. i don't get to bake often, but when i do, it's a whole thing. i'll be giving away most of them, but some i'll put up for sale." 

she crouches back down, closer to the vines, because she might as well work while they talk. "i run a flower shop up in fallarbor. well, a flower shop and a rehabilitation clinic for grass-types." she stands, drops a handful of blackberries in the basket. 

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

"it is. i'll take you, if you ever visit."

the offer comes easily, unhindered and free.

when she crouches down, he joins her as well, helping.

"will you save some for me?"

cobbler, he means.

"i'm staying in fallarbor for a few nights while on assignment. i'll be sure to stop by."

willow atkins

☉

is he...? a couple of berries fumble out of her hands. her brain goes on the fritz for a moment, thinking, that sounds really nice actually and he is really handsome and should i tell him i have a kid? and what will bo think? 

and it's at that last thought that her stomach drops, that she thinks, not fair, and stands, berries back in her palm. she drops them in the basket and offers lance a warm smile - heartfelt, truly. 

"i'll be sure to set some aside. atkins' arrangements," she says. "ask just about anyone in fallarbor and they'll be able to tell you where we are." pride shines in her voice, in her eyes.

LANCE VOLLANS

☉

flirting? yes, he is.

the warmth in her smile radiates with him. he returns one of his own, nodding as he drops a few berries into the basket as well. his fingers briefly brush against hers.

"i'll ask for the best flower shop in town."

it's then that he feels a tap on his leg. he looks down to see his clefairy peering up at him with her wide eyes. she holds the juicy berry from earlier up at him.

"hm? oh."

he kneels down, placing the basket on the ground momentarily to reach for her berry. after taking a small bite out of it, he gives the rest of the berry back to clefairy.

"it's okay. the skin's a bit tough to get through."

her teeth's still growing in, so the help is definitely needed.

willow atkins

☉