"well, that's a damn shame," she says, and not just because roxie looks nervous accepting the compliment. almost like she shouldn't. willow leans back, watching the passersby, taking just a breath to remind herself that she's allowed to let the world slow down for a moment. 

she chuffs a laugh. "i admire the dedication." willow could never sit in front of a computer and painstakingly work her way through something like that. 1. she's not tech savvy. 2. roman's no help with her and her utter failure with technology. and 3., she was lucky she had a dad who wanted to teach her. 

she says as much now. "my dad was a guitarist. taught me everything i know. i'd never have your courage, though. you couldn't catch me playing on the street in front of strangers."

@roxie

☉

it all seems so official. and she feels extremely out of place. she tries not to look as indignant as she feels when he tells her to calm down. it's not like she deals with this every day. most of the time, she's treating plant patients for mites! or pruning her flowers so they grow like they need to. 

when he says that he's traced it here, she bites her lip and grabs elisabet's painted pokeball. the leavanny comes out and the relief on her face is palpable. 

elisabet's antennae twitch and then she points. a few globs of yellow honey drip from a fern. 

Greyson Connors

☉

she snorts, hearing his awful joke from all the way up the stairs. elisabet, not quite understanding, steps aside and follows him up the steps. she dawdles only long enough to help him with some of his bags. then she neatly excuses herself to go back to her plot, face tilted back to the afternoon sun. 

"you shouldn't have," she says with a smile. she takes off her oven mitts and tosses them on the counter. "but i can't say i'm upset. and here, as promised. some tasty food."

CIAN MAHER

☉

it's really the first time they've come together since the gathering. and it's partly her fault. she's been so busy trying to put out fires and keep things running and this and that and everything in between, that her conversation all those moons ago with cian slipped to the back of her mind. 

but as soon as he'd texted her, she'd cleared a day. and as per her promise, she grabs a pie out of the oven. there's a loud knocking on the door downstairs and elisabet steps out of her pot, shaking soil from her leaven feet before skipping down to open it for their guest. 

"just come on up, cian!" she calls. she bumps the oven door closed with her hip and puts the dish on a cooling rack. 

CIAN MAHER

☉

"should have brought a bigger water bottle," willow jokes. if she had one on her, she'd offer it, but unfortunately the will machine runs on caffeine. lots and lots of it. the cup in her hand is actually empty now, its effects still kicking in. 

"of course," she says about the donation with a wave of her hand. "mm, i don't know. your voice is unique. in a good way, i mean, but it's nice to have something that stands out." will knows hers really doesn't. 

"are you self-taught?" she asks. someone makes a noise behind her and she realizes she's been standing in front of the case this entire time. so she scoots to the side and settles down next to roxie, looking at her as if to say this okay?

@roxie

☉

she laughs. "good food, i can do." and she laughs at the picture he takes, too, thinking things are good. things are going to be good. with some positive influences in his life, hell, with some father figures, things are going to get better.

(she doesn't yet know how wrong she is, but crow does because she waited to respond to this thread for 6 months.)

a swablu and togekiss fly overhead, chirping at each other. she steps to the side, calling thistle back to her. 

"i actually should be getting back. i'm glad we got in touch, cian. we'll see more of each other, i'm sure."

CIAN MAHER
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a smile lilts her lips and she keeps to the side, arms folded, periodically sipping from her cappuccino. the young woman has talent, despite her apparent lack of experience. maybe that's why willow stays. watching her get lost in her music, head down, reminds will of herself. a much younger self, with far less cares in the world, surely, but nonetheless. 

when she finishes her song, willow fishes a few bills out of her pocket, but rather than toss them in the open case, holds them out directly for the girl. 

"you're pretty good, you know. how long have you been playing?"

@roxie

☉

bring her best fighters. elisabet joins of course, no questions asked. she also grabs the three that had been privy to her training session with boruta maher. and, panicked, willow manages to coerce the tauros into their balls under the premise that they'll finally be able to let off steam if need be. 

it takes her longer than she'd like to get to greyson. eleanor's old car doesn't want to start, of course, so she has to hail a taxi. 

but when she finally does jog beside him, huffing with stress, she finds him shrugging ash from his shoulders. 

"i came as quickly as i could. what did you find?"

Greyson Connors

☉

boruta maher  has been busy as of late, but still he tries his damnedest to make sure that ro gets to spend some weekends with him. things haven't been easy since, well, everything, but they're getting....better. better enough that willow can feel good about leaving roman out of sight for the weekend. 

it's been odd getting used to these days. these weekends to herself. she's quick to excuse herself after the handoff, afraid if she steps through the threshold of bo's apartment, into his life, she'll be tempted to stay. 

most of the time she hurries back to the farm, but ophelia's taking care of the shop and adelaide has her mother for the day. so she stops by an old haunt of hers for a cappuccino. 

she sips it, wandering aimlessly down the center of town, and doesn't know what she's looking for until she hears it. a few plucky guitar strings pique her interest and she crosses the street to watch a young girl perform.

@roxie

☉

she feels dumb for calling him. she feels vulnerable. her knee is bouncing up and down and she wants to get up and pace, but she's afraid she'll end up walking right out the door. and also the alakazam frightens her and for some reason, she feels standing and leaving it alone might annoy it. 

a breathy sigh comes out when he picks up. she tucks her bangs behind her ear and leans back. 

"yeah. i mean, she's in rough shape. broken leg. it'll take a while to heal." i'll have to help around her farm, get her all set up, make sure she has everything she needs - but that will come later. 

"they," she says, squeezing her eyes shut, "shouldn't have been acting like that. and i mean, obviously, but the way they were flying? it wasn't natural. combee communicate with each other when they fly. it's like they weren't...combee. does that sound crazy?"

Greyson Connors

☉

thistle sniffs at the cacnea and looks up to willow for direction. but her trainer's distracted, so a few exploratory vines poke out from within her bulb. she wiggles them over the cacnea's head with a tilt of her own. 

willow raises a hand to the back of her neck and grins. "lots of work, really, but i don't mind. i took over the family business. rehabilitation center for grass-types with a small flower shop on the side. that and roman keep me plenty busy.

"i mean it, though," she says and then hmms, drawing out her phone. she pulls up the contact list and holds it out to cian. "it'd be nice to have you around. roman should get to know this side of his family."

CIAN MAHER
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☉