frozenfractals | (no subject)

(no subject)

Elsa loves the spring. Oh, the allergies that flare up cause little frozen problems if she forgets to take medication for it, so she's ever vigilant about that, but it's a beautiful time to work at The Secret Garden. The world is slowly coming back to life and new flowers are showing themselves all the time. She's having fun with the new arrangements, and they even have a new coworker. Her nights can get busy, even dangerous; the calm of the flower shop is a welcome respite, however much she enjoys her evening patrols and Drembleydrop games with Jess.

Most afternoons are quiet here, with other people still at work. She relaxes into the peace of it, behind the counter, filling arrangement orders. It takes her a moment even to notice someone else has entered the room, and she jumps a little when she does, surprised, so absorbed she hardly heard the footsteps as they approached. "Hello. I didn't see you there."

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Kate is way, way overdue in officially meeting Elsa, given that she and Jessica have been dating for ages already, but sometimes she gets busy and sort of forgets that she is supposed to jokingly pretend to be checking out her friends' significant others, as if she would ever disapprove or deny someone the freedom to choose the person they want to be with. Unless said person is awful and then she'd have something to say, but she's entirely convinced that's not the case with Elsa.

Newt might not need the flowers, but given his broken arm, she thinks it might be a nice way to brighten up the apartment, so she figures this is probably the best and most casual way for her to introduce herself, because for all Kate likes to be dramatic and ridiculous, she definitely doesn't want to make anything awkward.

"Hey," she answers, giving a little wave. Elsa has to at least recognize her, she figures, since Kate ends up talking to Jessica so often at Olive's parties. "What's up?"

Jessica's friends make Elsa a little nervous, admittedly. So far they've all been really nice, and there's no real reason for her to expect otherwise, but Elsa still worries they won't like her. She's still not the best at reaching out to other people, but she doesn't want to come off as cold (in more ways than one).

She's seen Kate around before, at various occasions. She should have, she thinks now, talked to her sooner, but she's never been good at being the first to approach. That Kate is here now is as unnerving as it is a relief.

"Oh, not much," she says. "I'm just working on a new arrangement. Kate, right?" She may not be good at talking to people, but she never forgets names. There was a time doing so could have provoked an international incident, so she learned.

"Got it in one," she agrees with a grin and she knows better than to just reach out and start touching things in a place like this, but the flowers are so pretty and some of them look downright soft and she has to clench her fingers tight for a moment or risk probably ruining something delicate.

"So I'm not even here to be that weirdo who like, checks up on her friend's significant other," she admits. "I mean, I totally am that weirdo, that's absolutely something I would do, but this time I am legitimately here for flowers."

She might as well be honest about the shit she does. It wouldn't surprise Jessica, she's sure of that, but Elsa doesn't know her at all.

Esa knows what she has with Jessica is steady and certain and there's nothing to worry about, but she still wants her friends to like her, and it's been impossible not to think of them judging her. It is, somehow, both nervewracking and reassuring to hear Kate suggest exactly that. But she's not here for that.

Not just for that, at least.

And Elsa knows flowers, she reminds herself. That, she can do. "Well, there's nothing especially interesting to check up on," she says, self-deprecating, "so it's a good thing we have plenty of flowers. What can I help you find?"

"Well, that's not true, there's always something interesting," she says with a grin, because everyone's relationship has the juicy bits. Most people prefer to keep those quiet and that's totally fine by Kate, especially when she knows Elsa basically doesn't know her at all.

She's pretty sure Jessica wouldn't even tell her that stuff.

"Okay, so... what says 'I'm sorry some drug addled maniac broke your arm and I hope you feel better soon'?" she asks. "Is there a flower for that?"

"Oh, that sounds awful," Elsa says, pressing a hand to her heart. At least it's only a broken arm and not worse, since that sounds like a very dangerous situation to be in, but it's awful all the same. "Well, let me see... Perhaps carnations? They're bright and cheery, and they mean good health. We could throw in some snowdrops for a bit of white against the color. Those are for consoling someone."

They're also her codename, but that's neither here nor there. Some things don't bear sharing.

"Shit, man, you just like... took that completely in stride," Kate says with an impressed nod. "I guess stuff like that is pretty much par for the course living in Darrow, though, huh?"

Weird shit suddenly becomes normal and people start talking about flying monkeys and yetis bursting into New Year's Eve celebrations and no one even bats an eye. That's part of what Kate actually likes about this place, but sometimes it still surprises her when things don't surprise people.

"But, yeah, okay, cool," she says with a laugh. "I mean, I know nothing about flowers, so whatever you suggest is awesome."

Elsa laughs. "Well, you live in this city long enough," she says wryly. She's seen some strange things, too, as Snowdrop, and heard even stranger from Jess, who has two cities' worth of weird stories. Stepping out from behind the desk, she starts across the shop toward several bouquets of carnations. "Eventually you'll hear everything, I think. Who are they for?"

"Oh, for my husband," Kate answers as she follows Elsa across the store. Everything smells pretty nice and she pauses here and there to sniff something, but mostly just keeps up. "He's a scientist, he works at the lab, and this crazy guy broke in to look for this drug he was all hopped up on. I don't know why this psycho isn't in jail, but Newt, that's my husband, he's like, oh, he didn't mean it, he didn't know what he was doing."

She still thinks everyone who was hurt should press charges, but no one seems particularly inclined and she doesn't get it at all.

"Your husband sounds very forgiving," Elsa says, brow raising. She tends to be forgiving herself, believes wholeheartedly in the importance of second chances, but that doesn't mean people shouldn't also have to deal with the consequences of what they've done. There's a fine line to be walked between those two things, but it can be done. "I mean, maybe this guy didn't know what he was doing, but he still hurt someone. That has to have some consequences."

She and Jess take care of things like that sometimes, though Jess is pretty busy with school these days. They make time for each other and their other jobs.

"What do you think of red and orange? That seems nice and cheerful."

"Right?" Kate asks. "That's exactly what I think, but he has like, probation and has to pay a fine and has community service, so I guess technically he's being punished, but it's just like... you can't go around breaking peoples' arms because you want drugs."

Newt had seemed to like to guy well enough before the giant attack disaster, so Kate supposes maybe he's nice and deserves a second chance, but she's never been all that forgiving. Not with anyone besides her mother, she supposes, because she'd forgiven Tara a lot of shit over the years.

"Red and orange sounds awesome," she agrees. "Bright, which Newt definitely is."

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