𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧 ❀ [Leon X F!OC - Hiatus]

𝟏𝟏. 𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

━ ✧ ❀ ✧ ━

It was the day before the Gym Challenge Ceremony, as well as the day after Lilias's near death experience. Said person was back at work as if the disastrous event never happened, though Sara forced her to remain seated and only do arrangements, worried for her boss's tender ankles. The florist appreciated her concern, but, as she watched her flitter about and take charge of the customers, she felt a pang of guilt.

Sara's supposed to be leaving soon, she sighed, plucking a dead petal off of a rose and watching as the withered leaf fell to the table, but I rashly left the store to her to go save the kids. And because of that...

"...Miss Lilias!" said person suddenly called out, rushing in from the front of the store. As Lilias looked up, she caught a glimpse of the line forming through the windows, the group of people snaking past the display case outside and congregating even more by the second. "A customer wants a bouquet of carnations—half blush and half hypnosis!"

"Got it," the florist replied, pushing out her chair—which conveniently has wheels—and rolling over to a cooler of flowers that she had already prepped. With a clear memory and deft fingers, she made her selection within a matter of seconds, wheeling back to Sara with a smile.

"It is quite busy today, isn't it?" she asked as she got to work, pulling out a roll of plastic film, a spool of ribbon, and a pair of scissors from the drawer of her work table. "I wonder if it is because the Ceremony is drawing near..."

Sara sighed, shrugging her weary knobs for shoulders. "Most likely," she agreed. "But, couldn't they have started their shopping sooner? We're getting swamped here, and you just got out of the hospital!"

Snip...! The sound of the scissors cutting through the plastic film was subtle, but for Lilias, who had developed keener senses over the years from doing detail work, she could hear every opening and closing, every curl and rip of the translucent sheet as strips and bits scattered. Her nose scrunched as she tucked back a strand of hair, and she twitched when she heard Sara sigh again and move.

"...This isn't the most ideal position to be in right now," she called after her, smiling as she snipped a piece of ribbon, "but, we must make do. Can't let all those customers leave empty-handed and upset, can we?"

Sara looked back, a small grin tugging at her lips. The crowd outside wasn't getting any smaller, but her boss's words of encouragement were enough to get her motivated, soft-spoken as they were.

"Yeah, I guess we can't." She cracked her knuckles; time to get back to work.

━ ✧ ❀ ✧ ━

It was late afternoon by the time the rush ended. Lilias and Sara let out a deep sigh in chorus, the former sweeping away leaf matter and clipped stems, while the latter sprayed down the flowers in storage and adjusted cooler settings. The sun was different around this time compared to the morning, a sinking ball of egg yolk orange in the cloudless sky. Its flitting rays leaked through the windows, basking the oak sill and shop in a warm, shimmering radiance.

"I can't believe we made it through all of that chaos, Miss Lilias!" Sara tossed her head back with a groan, bringing a fist to her lower back. "Arceus, I am definitely going to feel it tonight..."

Lilias chuckled in agreement, stooping to brush everything into a dustpan. Although Rotom Vacs were a thing, high-tech and made compact for small spaces like her store, out of tradition and preference, she did every household chore by hand.

"Feel free to retire for the day, Sara," she hummed, sweeping everything into the trash can and going to wash her hands. "You were absolutely spectacular today—you should be proud of yourself!"