[OTA] Bloom in Snow

[uncutclarity.livejournal.com]

The gardens at Diamoond Castle are a bit of a mess.

Nothing unrecoverable, but the head gardener - old Arnifrid, who'd taken over again after Desiree had gone off to the Outside for...whatever - had been wringing his hands, so Avery changed into her rubber boots and followed him out, making soothing noises.

Admittedly her gardening skills were only casual from helping her mother when she was growing up, but other than a few frozen plants - unfortunate, but as consequences of the storm go, relatively minor - the garden should make it through intact. What needed to be replaced will be. It's what they have the greenhouses for, after all, and despite the power outage, those were just fine.

Once she managed to give Arnifrid some shoulder pats and sent him back in for tea, Avery crouched down next to one of the aster shrubs, and smiles.

"You've made it through alright, haven't you?"

Comments

[uncutclarity.livejournal.com]

"Well, she's a very busy woman," Avery tells him as she moves down one of the paths towards the Castle. "She's probably buried under paperwork as we speak."

Well, she would be, but that's what she has an assistant for.

[so-complicit.livejournal.com]

He'll fall into step beside her, of course, it's something he's good at. "You think? Maybe I should just come bother her another time."

[uncutclarity.livejournal.com]

They've fallen into the habit of this kind of thing, over the last few months, without meaning to. "Oh, I don't know. I heard she makes time, especially if it's business."

[so-complicit.livejournal.com]

He slides his hand over her lower back as he slips his arm around her. "Well. We could call it business."

[uncutclarity.livejournal.com]

"Do you think Säde would buy that? If she walked in on us, I mean." Which was unlikely, but really not something she wanted to risk.

[so-complicit.livejournal.com]

"Do you not have a lock on your door, darling? We should rectify that."

Don't point out the use of the endearment.

[uncutclarity.livejournal.com]

"I do, but she's the former Ace. She might have a key. Maybe I should change the locks, what do you think?"

What endearment? No one heard anything.

[so-complicit.livejournal.com]

"That seems like an eminently responsible idea."

And you know, in the mean time, there's always her room. Or they could just sit down in her office and have tea. He's flexible.

[uncutclarity.livejournal.com]

"I'll have to see to it."

For now, they'd have tea like responsible, controlled adults in her office.

And then go back to her rooms later.