The Magpie Emporium, Monday [18/9]

[giveittoyoursister]

It wasn't like it was cold, not yet, but Vi could feel the weather starting to turn, which might have been what inspired the of games on display today.

Or maybe as city girl who hadn't really been around nature much until she'd come here, she just liked games about plants and flowers. One of the two.

[Open.]

Comments

[drumsticksandd20s]

And by contrast, this place had the smallest (and fewest) trees of any place Steph had ever lived.

"I sense a theme going on here," she teased gently as she came in with drinks -- lavender tea lattes, by some amazing coincidence, because she'd felt like mixing things up a little bit today.

[giveittoyoursister]

A notion that Vi still didn't fully believe in.

Vi shrugged, shuffling a deck of cards from one of the games that were printed with all different kinds of flowers. "I just noticed we had a lot of these kind of games lately."

[drumsticksandd20s]

So obviously a trip to Haven Springs would need to happen at some point.

... no, wait, that might be overwhelming. Maybe Seattle first.

"Well, fall is technically here already, so it actually is thematic, I guess," Steph remarked, sliding a tea latte over to her. "You know, I had already accepted the idea that my own damn store will change its inventory seasonally, but I have yet to figure out how to make updating that in the system less of a pain in the ass."

She smiled cheekily at Vi.

"Maybe it's trying to give me a hint that I should bring you flowers, too."

[giveittoyoursister]

Try and ease Vi into all that nature.

"It's not like I'd turn down anything you'd brought me," she grinned back as she picked up the tea. "But the food is maybe a little more practical."

Carefully she plucked out a selection of cards (all the violets) from the deck and slid them over to Steph. "Here, flowers."

[drumsticksandd20s]

"I mean, there are edible flowers, just saying." Steph looked at the cards for a moment, then blinked.

"Oh my god, that was you, wasn't it? I can't believe I never --"

Figured out who sent the mystery violets last Valentine's Day. Way to fail that insight check, Steph.

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi shrugged, blushing a little. "I mean, it's not like we even really knew each other yet," she said, hiding her face with the cup. "It was what, not even two months after we met? It wasn't like you had any way of figuring it out."

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph grinned affectionately at the blushing and hiding.

"Yeah, but then it took me over a year after we got together to figure it out. How have you not been giving me shit about it this whole time?"

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi shrugged again, reaching for Steph's hand with her free one. "Would've felt weird, not like I ever gave you the biggest clue it was me."

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph readily reached for her hand and laced their fingers together.

"It didn't occur to me to connect the flowers with your name," she admitted. Never mind that she'd dated a girl named Violet before.

[giveittoyoursister]

"The name no one here even knows? Clearly it should've been obvious," Vi said with a wry, slightly forced grin, as she leaned her head against Steph's shoulder. "And technically, Mom named me after the colour, not the flower."

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph turned and nuzzled into Vi's hair, then kissed the top of her head.

"Makes sense," she said, and squeezed Vi's hand. "I mean, it suits you, but you are definitely not delicate like a flower."

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi smiled and titled her head up to steal a kiss. "I'll have you know I'm perfectly shy and retiring."

Yep, a real shrinking violet, her.

[drumsticksandd20s]

"So demure," Steph replied, fluttering her eyelashes ridiculously. "Blushing at the tiniest hint of anything even a little bit naughty."

[giveittoyoursister]

"I might even have swooned a few times," Vi said, holding back laughter.

[drumsticksandd20s]

"I might even have tried and failed to catch you," Steph replied cheerfully. "But I tried."

[giveittoyoursister]

"You're very trying," Vi agreed, grinning at her. "But I love you anyway."

[drumsticksandd20s]

"I'm a certified professional pain in the ass," Steph replied, grinning back. "Love you too, babe."

[giveittoyoursister]

"The important part is that you're my pain in the ass," Vi said, leaning in to kiss her.

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph wrapped her free arm around Vi's shoulders and made a happy noise into the kiss.

"Damn right I am. Nobody else's ass gets to experience the same kind of thing."

[giveittoyoursister]

"I'm holding you to that," Vi told her, nipping gently at her lip. "It's a very exclusive ass."

[drumsticksandd20s]

"Did you mean exclusive, or exquisite? Either way I promise to take good care of it," Steph said with a soft laugh, nudging her nose against Vi's. "And nobody else's."

[giveittoyoursister]

Vi couldn't resist kissing the top of Steph's noses. "And I'll take care of yours in return."

[drumsticksandd20s]

Steph reflexively closed her eyes and scrunched her face up, making a sound that was dangerously close to a giggle.

"You always do, babe."

She tilted her head.

"Have you gotten kind of used to it yet? The whole autumn thing, with the leaves changing color and all that?"

[giveittoyoursister]

"Kinda," Vi replied. "It's a lot more dramatic than back home. Not a lot of trees in the undercity."

[drumsticksandd20s]

"Yeah, I bet," Steph said, sympathetically. "I remember how amazed you were about just being around trees in general when you first got here."