Covent Garden Flowers, Wednesday

[2_old_for_this]

Peter read the note Astrid had left for him, then checked the meowing plants. They were purring in a sleeping rhythm, so he left them to it and cleaned up the saucer of milk. Then moved the dogwood back to the front where it belonged and ordered it to stay.

He'd see how long that lasted.

Covent Garden Flowers was open!

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[hernando_fuentes]

Bemused with the morning's events - a singing fish! his team had won a prize! - Hernando went for a walk to see if he could find Iris' store. Spotting plants in a window, he wandered inside.

A plant barked heartily when he entered, startling him a little. He examined it and it did not appear to have teeth, so he walked past it and further into the store.

Where plants were meowing. A small smile began to spread across his face. "Excuse me, please, but is this Pick Your Poison?"

That would teach him to read the sign before entering. That was definitely not Iris standing in the store though she had mentioned her employee, Sparkle.

[2_old_for_this]

Peter smiled at the new face. “No, sorry. This is Covent Garden Flowers. Hi. You’re new?” He held out his hand. “Peter Octavian.”

[hernando_fuentes]

Hernando shook the hand with a warm, unchallenging grip. "Hernando Fuentes. I have the new art cafe on the shore. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Octavian; my apologies for the mix up of stores."

The pussy willows meowed. Hernando beamed at them and asked, "How do you get the little pussies to make such noise?"

[2_old_for_this]

Peter shook his head. "They just do things sometimes. I'm not sure if it's part of the island's weirdness, or part of where they're from. I just try and keep them comfortable until I sell them."

[hernando_fuentes]

"Would they stay alive like this if I brought them home?" Hernando asked as he examined the plants. not sure if they're potted or cut branches "It would be sad if they died in a few days like flower arrangements. They are quite precious."

[2_old_for_this]

Cut-flower arrangement of cattails and pussy willows

Peter shrugged. "There's no telling, unfortunately. They would normally wilt in a while, but since they also wouldn't normally meow or want milk, they could last longer. Would you like to try?"

[hernando_fuentes]

"I think perhaps I would," Hernando said after a moment of consideration, "Perhaps I could use some rooting powder for them as well? Do you sell such a thing?"

[2_old_for_this]

"I do," Peter said. He stepped out from behind the counter and went to get it. "You said you have a cafe?" he asked, more to make conversation than anything.

[hernando_fuentes]

Hernando left off gently petting one of the tiny meowing fuzzy bits to answer. "Hm? Yes. Down on Serendipity, by the water. Tea and art with a beautiful view. I confess, it was not what I had intended to do with my sabbatical but I find it suits me very well."

[2_old_for_this]

"Sabbatical - are you a professor?" Peter couldn't think of anyone else who used that term these days.

[hernando_fuentes]

"In Mexico, I am a professor of art at Mexico City University," Hernando answered quietly, "I took a sabbatical this semester for personal reasons, with the intent to tour art museums up the East Coast. Then, I found myself here with a store that seems to need me, so now I am a tea merchant."

[2_old_for_this]

Peter brought back the rooting hormone and gave Hernando a smile. "The island seems to do that. I was just cleaning this place, enjoying time with plants, and I ended up owning it."

[hernando_fuentes]

Hernando returned the smile, "I did the same! It was a hobby store in disuse when I found it. The little creatures living there seemed to want some help to clean it and the novelty appealed to me. I could see the potential for it. I spoke with the bank and found it was a tax foreclosure so it was a reasonable price and, well, it is the single most expensive impulse purchase I have ever made but I do not regret it. When I went back the next day, it had transformed into an art and tea cafe."

[2_old_for_this]

"I didn't even buy it," Peter said. He shrugged. "I went to the bank to find out who the owner was, and they decided that meant I was. I'm still not entirely sure how that worked out. But I like having all the plants around, so I've just kept it."

[hernando_fuentes]

"I feel the same about the cafe," Hernando confessed, "It is pretty amazing for me. I have never experienced a place like this before, where buildings can choose their owners."

[2_old_for_this]

"Me neither," Peter said. "But so far I haven't minded it. Are there any sorts of magic where you come from?"

[hernando_fuentes]

"Only the kind found in the natural world. Leaves changing color in the fall, a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly, the beauty of bright stars on a cloudless night," Hernando answered quietly, "Magic like this? No. It only exists in the imagination and sometimes in books."

[2_old_for_this]

Peter nodded. "A lot of kinds of magic are real here. Sometimes it takes some getting used to."