Covent Garden Flowers; Wednesday [08/11].

[white_oleander]

Astrid had gone into work that day expecting to get a lot of sketching done on some new pieces that had started to manifest in her brain, but it seemed that the flowers were still sort of on their lullaby kick from the other day, and thought maybe she would appreciate the same soporiphic effect that they had afforded to Nell.

She, unfortunately, did not, trying to fight it off as best she could because she wanted to finish some of these preliminary drawings, but, with the soft singing of the flowers all around her, she found herself nodding off, drifting away, toward that warm embrace of slumber, her head hanging down over her drawings, and---

--she'd jerk her head back up, blink a few time, and shake her head, drawing in a deep breath and focusing on her work again with determination to fight off the sleep. She didn't get too far, though, before her eyelid grew heavy again...

She eventually took a break from the sketching to put a sign out on the door that said: 10% off to anyone who brings me a coffee

She was going to need all the help she could get, and was not afraid to bribe random passersby with discounted plants to get some.

Covent Garden is open!

Comments

[sparkinyou]

Miles had spent the early morning painting his own little wall in the warehouse district and happened by the flower shop on the way back. With a smirk he swung by The Perk and returned about five minutes later to the store, bringing in a large black coffee and began to unload a handful of creamers and sweetner packets from his hoodie pockets.

"I don't need any flowers," he said honestly, "But I saw the sign and figured someone was in need of caffeination."

He pulled out another handful of creamers.

"I also didn't know how you liked your coffee so I may have taken way to many creamers."

[white_oleander]

"You definitely did," Astrid informed him, having waited with a sort of surprised fascination until she was sure the last of the creamers (or, at least, what could be assumed to be the last until some time much later when, she imagined, having forgotten about them, Miles shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets and discovered one last lingering one deep, deep in the depths by surprise) were on the counter.

"I like it dark," she offered, "and a little bit sweet," which was why her hand was already claiming a sugar packet. "Milk weirds me out."

She hadn't meant to mention the last part, but since it wasn't like a closely held secret, she didn't think much of it and just sort of looked up at Miles with a faint grin.

"I didn't think anyone would actually take me up on that, but I really appreciate it. The flowers have been trying to put me to sleep since I got in."

Which didn't help already being tired from the mud run!

[sparkinyou]

"Okay but they're not literally trying to put you to sleep, right?" Miles asked carefully. "Because it's been a week or so and I'm sure this island's weirdness is going to come back again. Because if something is going to stir up trouble I haven't cleaned my spidey suit in a few days."

... Okay that was weird.

[white_oleander]

"Oh, they definitely are," Astrid informed him with confidence. "Just listen."

She paused, so Miles could hear the lullabies for himself.

"I'm pretty sure it's just the shop, though," she continued. "They do this all the time. We have...very musically inclined flowers here...

"Actually," she realized, finally reaching for the coffee now that she remembered just how powerful their lullabies actually were, "some company would probably be much more effective than caffeine at this point."

[sparkinyou]

"I'm down with that," Miles said agreeably. "Probably make up for me skipping all your free breakfastses on Mondays."

He listened to the musical plants for a moment and then frowned.

"They're not going to like... lull us to sleep and then eat our faces or anything, right?"

[white_oleander]

"They might," said Astrid, who wouldn't have discounted that possibility even if she could right now. "So it's a good thing I have this big coffee now."

Of which she took a swig of before adding, "No one really comes to breakfast anymore, anyway. You're not missing much."