not many people come to these sorts of things. it's not uncommon, really, what with all the help the rest of the region needs on the daily now. people are exhausted. not just physically either. but this sort of work is meditative for her. this sort of work is rejuvenating. 

and it's nice to get away when she can. it's nice that she can trust someone to look after the house while she's gone. 

elisabet works alongside her, picking up trash and other debris while willow hums to herself. she straightens, stretches her back, and smiles when one of the only other volunteers decides to strike up conversation. 

"yeah," she says. "looks like some kids made a fort of some kind past this bramble. cool digs, but, ah," she says, sweeping some of the brush aside to expose the beer and soda cans that litter the area.

Greyson Connors

☉

"really?"
[break][break]
his eyes fall on the make-shift fort of aluminum, the corner of his lip falling as he chews on the other half for a moment.
[break][break]
"i really hope this was more than a couple people or we may just find ourselves a body out here."
[break][break]
he humor, while slightly dark, is said in a light and airy tone as he chuckles along with it. greyson takes the lead, stepping past her to prop the edge of his bag on a nearby branch. with gloved hands, he quickly gets to work tossing them in.
[break][break]
"do you do this often? the volunteering thing, that is."
[break][break]
his voice comes strained, slightly, as he bends at the waist and stretches to pick up the cans. he lets out a heavy breath after the third or so time doing it.

[attr="class","ooc"]willow atkins | MISSION[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-comfey"]

not many people come to these things, but there are regulars for sure. but she's been out of the loop the past couple of months, otherwise she'd have tried to grab a partner. it wasn't until boruta maher came crashing back into her life that she realized how lonely she really was. 

working in her greenhouse is a passion, but it's a lot more riveting to speak to another human being than the same plant for the hundredth time. 

so she says, "i used to. haven't had much time the past couple of years, but i miss it. what about you?"

she snorts. "ever find a body out here?"

Greyson Connors

☉

"i get it."
[break][break]
volunteering wasn't something he even had time to think about, with his family situation and everything. only when he struck out on his own and saw how life was for some, especially in the aftermath of groudon, did he step-up to the mantle.
[break][break]

"my pokemon go stir crazy if they just sit inside all day, so i figured two pidgey's, one stone."
[break][break]

an almost sludge like goo comes from one of the soda cans, and with a disgusted look, he removes the affected glove and tosses it in the trash alongside the can.
[break][break]

"i've been working on starting up my own vespiqueen hives, too, so i've gotten a whole new appreciation for nature and everything i guess. does that sound weird?"
[break][break]

he adds the last bit with a small chuckle, working his fingers into another latex glove with great effort.

[attr="class","ooc"]willow atkins | MISSION[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-comfey"]

the little encampment really is annoying. the more they scrounge around picking up after the perpetrators, the more bristly she gets. her lips turn, expression souring, and if she were alone, she may have let her frustration get the best of her (and realized it's frustration at just about everything else in her life, not dumb kids leaving soda cans strewn about). 

but this guy keeps her down to earth. she actually perks up a bit at his words, eyes shining. 

"oh! i run a flower shop in fallarbor. it's a bit of a working farm too. i've wanted to get hives of my own, but ended up with some cattle instead so my hands are full."

she ties her full garbage bag and then shakes out a new one. "when you get up and running, i'd love to borrow them for a couple days in the summer for my flowers. i'm sure the honey they'd make from them would be phenomenal." she's as giddy as a schoolgirl and when she realizes just how far ahead of herself she's gotten, she laughs. 

"didn't mean to get ahead of myself there. i'm willow, by the way."

Greyson Connors

☉

all annoyance of the trash fort fall away, as he latches onto her excitement with his own.
[break][break]
"really? that's so awesome, what're the odds?"
[break][break]
he's frozen, mid-step of putting a can in when she introduces herself. forgetting himself, so caught up what the dozens of things kept barely at bay behind his lips, he gives her a small smile.
[break][break]
"willow? nice to meet you, i'm greyson. i'd shake your hand, but..."
[break][break]
as if to prove a point, he holds up a stained blue glove before letting it fall back down.
[break][break]
"that does sound great though. i'd love to bring them by come time. actually— "
[break][break]
he bends back down, gathering a couple flattened cans in one hand, still speaking as he does.
[break][break]
"— i was looking for someone willing to lease a small part of their land so i can get started. they'd have a cut of the honey they produce, of course, if you know anyone?"

[attr="class","ooc"]willow atkins | MISSION[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-comfey"]

"what're the odds indeed?" she says. after what she's been through lately, a bit of good news is a nice bit of relief. she really has wanted to work with combee and vespiquen, and while the hives themselves are pretty self-reliant, getting them started takes time. it takes time she doesn't have and hands that certainly wouldn't enjoy helping her. 

bo certainly would, if she asked, but it's a bit stressful having him around the house, and around roman, right now. 

she needs to get her head on straight. 

"i do know someone, as a matter of fact." she points to herself. "consider the land yours. we can talk logistics over the winter months and of course, you can look at it before you decide, but i'm more than happy to put aside some of my crop lands for the hives. i've been scaling back over the past few years anyway and a lot of it hasn't been getting the use it deserves."

elisabet buzzes with her trainer's energy. she chitters a grating, bug-like sound - a hum she's picked up from willow while working in the greenhouse. 

"very serendipitous to meet you, greyson." 

even the sludge that gets all over her work boots doesn't bother her. she scrapes some of it off on a pile of leaves and starts picking up cigarette butts now that a majority of the bigger trash has been gathered.

Greyson Connors

☉

greyson stops, turning on a toe to regard the woman - no, willow - with a small look of shock. he stands, slapping hands back and forth to clear any debris from them as he faces her.
[break][break]
"are you sure? i've got about three queens and a number of combee, with more to come. is that really alright?"
[break][break]
he wasn't one to deny a good deal, and after the few weeks he'd had, greyson certainly needed it. but the last thing he wanted was to impose on someone with more than they bargained for.
[break][break]
provided she's truly okay with it, he gives her another smile, this one full of warmth and hope.
[break][break]
"right back at you, willow."

[attr="class","ooc"]willow atkins | MISSION[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-comfey"]

she waves a hand dismissively, smile still decorating her features. oh, she'll need plenty of time for sure. her father had constructed some wooden hives in the past. she'd since sold them off, but if she can find his old blueprints somewhere in the shed, she should be able to recreate them. it can be her winter project. 

"yes, i'm sure. i'd like to see the land worked more than it is. honestly, i've been toying with the idea of hiring some hands come springtime. this might motivate me to do just that.

"you'll have to come around sometime to see the place. like i said, it's in fallarbor. not a whole lot of folks pass through, but the locals are a generous bunch. i'm sure we'll have plenty of help getting it up and running. i'll just need to ask."

she laughs again. "wow. after the past couple of weeks, i really needed this. thank you. really."

Greyson Connors

☉

he listens with silent interest, nodding along when it felt appropriate, mind swirling beneath the influx of new ideas and possibilities.
[break][break]
"fallarbor?"
[break][break]
he asks, making sure he'd heard her correctly.
[break][break]
"that's really convenient. i just set-up shop in one of 'minor league' gyms near there. chances are i'll be spending a lot of my time ther."
[break][break]
he joins her this time, laughing at how the star's were aligning. he takes a look at the now clean clearing, turning to give her a cursory glance as he ties up another one of his bags.
[break][break]
"i know what you mean. the pleasure's mine though, really. got me out a serious bind."
[break][break]
with a grunt, he hoists the two bags over either shoulder.
[break][break]
"want to take a break for a few minutes?"

[attr="class","ooc"]willow atkins | MISSION[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-comfey"]

and it's convenient to boot. is this the universe finally giving her a break? she hopes so, 'cause she's been put through the damn ringer the past month. but that's not so much the universe's doing as it is roman's. and maybe having giant bees lording over him will do him some good. he won't admit it, but willow knows the tauros she'd taken in scares the daylight out of him. 

so far, she hasn't been able to lay hands on the creature. her mamoswine stands at one end of the fence while willow slips in the other side to feed the creature. she's already had a few close calls when it hasn't proved as distracted as she'd thought. 

she ties her own bags and draws herself from her thoughts, instead focusing on the good that's happening right in front of her. 

"sounds good. granted i was so wrapped up in our discussion, i didn't even notice we'd managed to clean all this up."

she checks for any grime or tears on the outside of the bags and then slings them over her shoulder. the trash rustles inside.

"minor league? i'm a bit out of the loop with the gym circuit."

Greyson Connors

☉