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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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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