Pick Your Poison, Tuesday

[joan_of_bark]

It was another Tuesday, and Pam was in, nominally womanning the store.

Which meant she was out in the garden, weeding, muttering quietly to herself about people who didn't plant native and thus had to deal with all sorts of issues her plants weren't having at all. (There was a phone now buried in the soil. It didn't ring anymore.)

Pick Your Poison was open. She'd hear you if you entered.

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[pocketpretzels]

And lo, at a time that could be described as 'late morning', there was a Watts making his way into the shop, tote bag slung over his shoulder. And yes, within approximately five seconds there was a leaf plucked from somewhere being twirled between the fingers of one hand.

[joan_of_bark]

"Will you please stop maiming the plants."

Pam stepped back inside just a moment later.

[pocketpretzels]

Watts blinked, an expression of puzzlement flickering across his face before he remembered the leaf in his hand.

"Ah. I shall- try to remember," he said, looking a bit sheepish.

[joan_of_bark]

"Not to alarm you, but I have killed for less, Detective Watts."

It was hard to tell from Pam's tone whether or not that was a joke.

She closed the door behind her. "How can I help you?"

[pocketpretzels]

"I would advise against that," Watts said. "Steven would be upset." Not that Pam would know who Steven was.

"I'd heard you were back in town," he reached into the bag to pull out a loaf of sourdough. "And just- wanted to stop by. Say hello."

[joan_of_bark]

"With bread."

Well, at least now there was faint amusement in her voice.

[pocketpretzels]

"Yes." Watts said.

For the record, the leaf had been tucked into the band of his hat when he went for the bread.

"I baked it. Yesterday. It's for you."

[joan_of_bark]

"Thank you," Pam said, mouth curving as her eyes flicking to the leaf. "But don't think that buys you plant amnesty."

[pocketpretzels]

"That wasn't- it was intended to be a token welcoming you back."

[totalwildcard]

Harley had not seen hair nor hide of Pam in ages, and had deduced she'd ultimately gone off with the Other Harley, back to Gotham or Seattle or somewhere - and that was good. Definitely good, definitely not more complicated or multifaceted than that, and absolutely not kind of sad in any way.

And Harley was running low on bath stuff, so right there, that was a clear positive: ducking into the store without fear of anything awkward happening! She was even humming to herself as she did just that.

[joan_of_bark]

And... there was Pam, fresh back inside from the garden, her eyes wide.

"Harls?"

She honestly hadn't expected to see Harley-not-Harley again.

[totalwildcard]

Harley was visibly startled by her appearing like that.

And, unfortunately, also audibly. "Pam?!"

That was kind of a screech. Sorry? Maybe bringing her hand up to her chest like she'd been close to a heart attack was a little much, but it was genuine.

[joan_of_bark]

"Sorry," Pam said, her hands shooting up halfway into the air. "It's just me."

[totalwildcard]

"Jesus, Pammy," Harley complained, clutching a convenient shelf for support with her free hand, ever dramatic. "Warn a girl, won't ya? I thought you'd -- well, I thought you'd moved!"

The coast was supposed to have been clear!

[joan_of_bark]

"I did," Pam said. Defensively. (Why defensively, Pamela?!) "But being near my Harley all the time was bringing her too much heat, so I made a deal with Portalocity, so I can spend my days here while she's out."

'Made a deal', 'conned and crimed her way into stealing daily portals', whichever.

[totalwildcard]

What, was there another way to make deals with Portalocity?

Also:

"... Why here?"

[joan_of_bark]

"It's safe, I've already set everything up, Adrian's here, and I figured I just... wouldn't leave the shop, so you wouldn't have to deal with me," Pam admitted. "Because... I don't think you wanted to deal with me."

[witchoftheflesh]

"Pam?" Adrian called, already making his way towards the garden. "Question for you. Would you mind if I swapped my shifts to Wednesdays for a bit?"

[joan_of_bark]

"Not even slightly," Pam answered, looking up at him from where she had her hands in the dirt. "Why?"

[witchoftheflesh]

"Because Nuance has too many things on Thursdays now of the way the lunar cycles are interacting with the magic in the Grove," Adrian said with a deep sigh. "I'm going to need to be awake at very ridiculous times Wednesday nights into Thursday mornings and it'll be much better for both of us if I got to go to bed immediately after that instead of trying to pull a shift."

Could he do it? Of course. But if he didn't have to, why would he?

[joan_of_bark]

Pam chuckled. "All right, fine," she said. "I have enough zombies in my life right now."

[witchoftheflesh]

"The terrifying thing is that I can think of at least two reasons you could have for saying so," Adrian said with a laugh. "Ah, for those dim, misty days of last year when that number was zero."

[joan_of_bark]

"I'd say it was a more uncomplicated time," Pam said dryly, "But I'd be lying."

[witchoftheflesh]

"Same, honestly," Adrian sighed. "So how've you been? How's your Harley?"

[joan_of_bark]

"Doing well," Pam said, smiling a little. "Getting distracted, but that comes with the Harley package. I'm just glad I can keep some of the heat off of her without leaving her again."