and chatter she does. al from the hardware store down the road stops by and buys a bottle of her honey. before, he'd come by once a week to pick up flowers for his wife, but now it's twice, and willow knows damn sure it's because he's proud it's his wood and supplies she has to thank for the bee boxes.

he's a sweet man and willow certainly doesn't mind him coming around more often. when he idles and chats for an hour, she sells more honey than a few more days in the week combined. 

but this time he doesn't stay very long. willow watches him go and then leans against the counter, chin propped in her palm. she nearly dozes off like that, but the chime above her door rings again. 

and a little bit of heat flushes to her cheeks when she realizes who it is. 

"elisa," she greets, offering a thinly veiled, but still tired smile. "you just missed al." willow's leavanny pops up from behind the counter and peers over, antennae twitching with delight when she senses primrose. 

"business is good. locals are a little spooked, but they're still coming out to see me so i can't complain. how've you been?"

Elisabeth Fiorelli

☉

"ah, but then he won't lament over how he's missed you," she says teasingly. al is faithful to his wife, of that willow is certain, but he does enjoy the company of the esteemed woman who makes her way through the ash from petalburg all the way to say hello. the first time he'd seen her, willow had about knocked him topside the head when he took his hat off out of 'respect.' 

"i try not to think about it too much," she says and her stress lines are slightly exaggerated as she draws out a sigh. "i've been looking after grace's farm. it was devastated recently by a burst of," she pauses, wracking her brain - what had Greyson Connors called it? "primal energy. made some local combee go on a rampage."

elisa reaches down for her pouch and willow presses her palms to the counter-top, standing on her tiptoes to peer over. her eyes light up when she spies the desserts. elisa's hand with pastries blows her own baking skills out of the water, but she's not one to complain - after all, she's the one with the tasty treat, minus all of the work. 

but the real treasures are in the seed pouch she produces. willow is gentle as she lets some of them tumble out and into her waiting palm.

"i'll have to have ro help me plant these. thank you so much." grace is sure to love them as well. 

ophelia steps back through again, bucket in hand, flowers spilling over the rim. willow steps aside so the girl can shuffle behind the counter. when she sets the metal pail down, she wipes her forehead with the back of her hand. 

"ms willow, i think gideon might be messing with the gloom again..."

will sighs and opens the side door, waving elisa through. stepping stones lead to the greenhouse and willow waits with one arm oustretched, lounging against the door. 

"are you staying a while? i could use the company."

Elisabeth Fiorelli

☉

"i'll let her know you said so," willow replies. a reminder that there are people like elisa who care about her will go a long way - it's always nice to be thought of during recovery. especially now because willow knows grace is going stir crazy. crocheting can only fill so many hours in the day. 

"wonderful." she smiles to show her appreciation. mud-caked boots crunch over the gravel path leading up to her greenhouse. her butterfree flit across the flower fields, keeping to themselves as the women pass.

the greenhouse is an inviting structure, but the in-ground gloom plots on its western side are where they're headed. and sure enough, her troublesome turtwig is standing a few feet away from the splash zone, taunting the gloom with a leaf storm of his own making.

willow grabs the kerchief around her neck and brings it up over her nose. "might wanna stand back unless you have one of your own," she warns out of habit more than anything. elisa, unlike boruta maher , would know that a good spray in the face from a gloom could knock you out cold. 

she simpers under the kerchief, remembering the day bo had walked back into her life. and of his catastrophic attempt to help her replot her gloom. 

"gideon!" she hollers. the turtwig turns and the flurry of leaves dies down immediately. he scampers off away from the plots and willow laughs. 

"i think they're enjoying that mulch you recommended to me. i haven't seen their leaves look this good in ages."

Elisabeth Fiorelli

☉

she snorts in response to elisa's question. gideon is usually the least of her worries, but with how busy willow's been lately, he hasn't gotten the attention he feels he's deserved. (maybe he takes after roman...) and yet, despite the annoyances the gloom now have to deal with on the daily, her remark is still true. 

she keeps the kerchief pressed to her nose while she lifts their petals and inspects the bulbs atop their heads. most of them react positively to her touch, leaning into her and reaching up to pat her arms. 

"ha," she says, another snort, and still crouching, settles back and points to the bee boxes on the other side of the farm. greyson's combee have multiplied already and they're busy flitting across the flower fields. 

"between the tauros and the other livestock and now the honey i've started, i don't think i could do much else." she stands up and tugs her bandana back down, smiling wryly. "but you know i already have all their nectar bottled up for you. remind me to get it for you before you head back."

she skirts around the plots and opens the door to the greenhouse for elisa. it's explosive inside with the amount of flora and fauna within it, but at its epicenter is a neat little bistro table and chairs - a common spot for the florists to share an afternoon chat.

"so what's new with elisa?" she says as she slips into a chair. 

Elisabeth Fiorelli

☉

if she'd been expecting elisa's company, she may have gone so far as to put out a little spread for them at the bistro tables. although the thought does remind her that she has something better to show her. so it's almost as soon as she sits down that she stands back up, hands out in front of her to tell elisa to keep talking, that she's listening. 

"oh, i heard about that. i think a few of the neighbors got a few sent to them from relatives in petalburg," she says over her shoulder with a smile. one, a lovely barista at the coffee shop fifteen minutes down the road, looked mortified when she casually mentioned it to willow, as though she were cheating on her. 

she finds a bottle under a couple of rags on her workbench. though it's not as nice without crackers or cheese to smother across, like she'd christened it with Greyson Connors, the half-full bottle of honey still looks as tantalizing as ever. 

she unscrews the lid and pushes it to elisa. without a fork or a spoon or anything else, all that's left are the florists hands and willow apologizes for it with a chuckle. 

"if you're really against dipping a pinkie in, i'm sure i could find a spade somewhere.

"but i'm envious. boruta maher took us out a few days ago. i've just been so busy, i haven't really been able to participate in most of the festivities," she says wistfully. "though clamperl diving sounds fun."

she tucks her hair behind her ear. "i can't remember the last time i've been to the beach either. do you ever miss it? kalos?"

Elisabeth Fiorelli

☉

even willow finds herself forgetting that elisa doesn't turn her nose up at hard work and grit. so the playful reminder makes her feel a bit sheepish, covered only by the enthusiastic glimmer in her eyes as elisa dips a pinkie in. there's enough warmth there to make willow positively radiate with pride. 

"three?" she says with a laugh. willow's greenhouse and fields are already bustling with pokemon; she can't imagine what she would do with three clamperls. and as far as she can remember about elisa's property, housing them alongside her other pokemon might be a squeeze too. 

"they fetch a decent price, right?" she doesn't know.

she tucks her stubborn lock of hair behind her ear again (and it falls back against her cheek immediately). and she mmms as she thinks. 

"honestly i haven't even seen much of hoenn, nevermind another region. but now that roman's getting older, trips like that are - or, well, were - seeming more possible." she sighs. "really, i just need to hire some full-time staff so i can do these things."

willow atkins

☉