ernesto

“they couldn’t, but you know… they’d help just about as much as finding someone else would.” which he never seemed to do, no matter how long their off periods tended to span - no one seemed to measure up when he didn’t, you know, hate her. giving a playful roll of his eyes, tomas let out a half sigh. “you’re testing me.” it wasn’t a question - but he started moving throughout the flower shop despite it, making a faint hum in the back of his throat as he eyed various bouquets. “that’s for a woman of more bohemian tastes,” he starts, pointing to a bouquet of three sunflowers, rounded out with tiny delicate white flowers like queen anne’s lace. then he shifted his pointing towards a bouquet of flowers such a deep purple they almost looked artificial, with highlights of blue flowers mixed into the bundle. “that’s more for your gothic ones. who wear a lot of black and such.” then buttercups off to the side. “that’s a good one for just makin’ someone smile, if they’re having a bad day.”

ernesto folded his arms, preparing himself to watch his friend transform into a flower salesman. after all, if tomas was boasting about being good at something that ernesto was terrible at — he should be able to demonstrate those abilities at the drop of a hat. he lifted a hand to his chin and tilted his head to the side, watching in silence while the man walked through the shop and explained who might like each of the carefully curated bouquets. it wasn’t that he didn’t want to react, but his shock was delivering a response to his brain which was making it very difficult not to laugh. finally, he began to make his way to the other man, dropping his hand from his jaw to his chest and shaking his head, “that’s probably the most attracted i’ve ever been to you.” he mocked, a grin appearing on his face, “who knew? can i have you pick out all my flowers from now on?”

she thought about it, inquiring about the number of nieces he actually had, but thought better of it just in case. esra sometimes had a bad habit of sticking her foot in her mouth, speaking out of pocket before she realized it was too late. she wasn’t looking to do that with the cute veterinarian that looked like he’d been ripped straight from a hallmark movie to make everyone’s small town dreams come true. he took the bouquet from her and esra found herself wondering if he was unknowingly about to fan the flames of a crush his assistant had been harbouring. or maybe he was doing it on purpose. her tongue pressed into her cheek as she bowed her head forward slightly and then waved her hand to dismiss his thanks. “choosing pretty flowers for a good deed?” she scrunched her face at him, shaking her head. “hardly something you have to thank me for. the cat grass lesson, however…” a shit-eating grin broke out over her face as she stepped around him, motioning for him to follow so she could finish the task she’d created for herself. “you’re going to have a very happy assistant on your hands.”

ernesto stared at the brunette, absolutely captivated by her every move. a soft laugh left his lips when she mentioned her special little cat glass knowledge again and he tipped his head forward in gratitude, a playful look in his dark eyes, “thank you for identifying the cat grass. truly, i wouldn’t have picked it up” he said, holding up the flowers and tilting his head to the side with a smile. he moved to follow her, eyes shifting to the bouquet they’d chosen momentarily to admire it before returning to her, “so, do these things need to get in water right away or do you think i’ll have time to take you out for a cup of coffee before they wither and die?” he asked, strolling slowly behind her with curiosity etched into his features. coffee was innocent. it wasn’t like he’d asked her out on a date. not that he’d be horribly upset if she thought it was a date and said yes. “least i can do for your cat knowledge.” he added, quirking an eyebrow. 

     the notion of getting platonic flowers yet still being a romantic confused adam, but he wasn’t about to press the man for clarification either. his gaze trailed over to where it was being directed. he was about to agree until he looked back at the other man, who now seemed visibly upset. “uhh.. seems like they’re having the opposite effect,” he said slowly, reaching for the one next to it.

ernesto stared at the flowers, lost in his thoughts momentarily before being drawn back to the present moment by the man standing beside him. he chuckled lightly and gave his head a shake. “never really been a fan of flowers myself. not that i’ve received many of them in my life.” he said with a shrug, turning the bouquet he’d landed on in his hands. he wasn’t usually one to pry, but as his dark eyes shifted back towards the flowers that adam had picked up to inspect, his curiosity got the best of him, “so how come you need to be forgiven?”

At his comment, she feels her cheeks heat with embarrassment, and plants her hands on her hips in a show of defiance. As if, by sticking out her chin and finding some sort of brittle reply, she can ward off the judgment of her inexperience. “Yeah, my whole life. Some of us are under 30.” She snaps, frowning. “There was that one time Soggy gave me flowers but they were just weed he picked from his backyard, so that doesn’t count.” She adds, unnecessarily, as if to prove she’s not a total loser. “Anyways, it doesn’t matter.” She watches sourly as he picks out a bouquet and thanks her. Her frown is wiped, however, by his generous offer — replaced by wide eyes that glance between him and the roses. “Oh, now you’re hitting on me? Real charming.” But this time there’s a hint of a smile and she takes the bouquet gingerly, like it might suddenly break. “Thank you.” 

ernesto raised his eyebrows at the girl’s immediate bite-back at his question on her experience with receiving flowers, fighting the urge to burst into laughter. he didn’t find the fact that she hadn’t gotten flowers amusing of course — it was her fiery reaction that had taken him by surprise. it also wasn’t her he’d been making fun of when he was talking about the fact that nobody had given her flowers in the past. “hitting on you? what, i can’t buy someone flowers without my motives being questioned?” he asked, his tone playful as he watched her take the flowers from him. “don’t mention it” he said, giving his head a shake and moving towards the counter to pay for the two bouquets, “but i mean, if you want to grab a cup of coffee with me, i wouldn’t turn you away.” he added, quirking an eyebrow with a grin. 

~

normally wylie would’ve turned beet red by now, shying away from any probing questions and carrying on her merry way. but there was something about flowers that made her feel a little more confident, and as she lead the stranger towards the carnations and took in his questions, she felt herself smile for once. “it was easy for me, but i think i just read too much and know too much about flower meanings than i should. i don’t even work here but here i am, assisting you the best that i can, free of charge.” she was clearly teasing, gaze lifting to meet his to show that playful glint in her eyes. she’d purchased her fair share of floral gifts in her lifetime, usually for her teachers and assistants in new york, and now for her students. it seemed as though life had come full circle for her. “i’m looking for props, i suppose. flowers that can be incorporated into routines, or broken apart for their petals to set the scene. i’m here a lot, i guess.” wylie lifted her shoulders, that blush finally blooming on her cheeks as she shrugged sheepishly. “dance teacher things?”

a low chuckle left ernesto’s mouth and he dropped his head forward in agreement and gratitude that she had decided to help him. he really had no idea what he might be doing in that moment if she hadn’t extended her assistance. he was sure it would’ve involved him storming out of the place and deciding to give the girl a couple of chocolate bars instead. he took a couple of steps towards the counter to set the flowers they’d chosen down, but kept his eyes on the girl the entire time. he hadn’t thought much about the props that could go with dance numbers — but then again, he didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about dance numbers, so the entire ordeal was fascinating to him. “is there a certain process you go through when you’re picking which petals to use?” he asked, genuinely wondering what might go through her mind when she was making that decision.

          juni hadn’t exactly had any idea on what or how much her plant expertise would cost him, usually only extending the knowledge so that friends didn’t show up somewhere with whack looking bouquets. but it wouldn’t take much thought for her to come up with something. “yikes, you don’t even know? that’s like the most basic thing to know about someone. yellow flowers are usually associated with someone being sick, but–” a shrug of her shoulders finishes her sentence and she takes a couple of step towards some already done up bouquets. “you have standards roses, lilies, yellow daisies. the calla lilies are pretty. pricey though, especially for someone you don’t really know that well.”

“come on, how often do you actually ask someone what their favourite colour is? i mean, does the answer even have any relevance in real life...” he trailed off, realising that in this particular case his life would have been improved by knowing that information. he could barely keep up when she began discussing the different flowers that might work for his situation, the confusion evident on his face until his brow was furrowed in deep thought. “well, why don’t you tell me which one of these you would most want to receive?” he said, thinking up an easy way to make the very hard decision. “which ones are your favourites?” he asked, dark eyes observant as he studied her face, waiting for her answer.

esra let out a bright laugh, one that tapered off as she watched him adjust his invisible glasses. of course, she hadn’t meant any harm by her innocent teasing and she was glad to see he was on the same page. the bouquet of flowers tucked in the crook of her arm crinkled as she eyed the selection in front of them in search of the perfect offering. still laughing, she placed her finger beneath her nose as she cleared her throat. “no, i don’t think that’s the usual protocol.” she simpered as she lifted her finger in his direction. now that she was equipped with a better understanding of who the flowers were for, a quiet ah left her lips as she watched him talk about the woman in question. her dark gaze drifted from his eyes to his mouth to the stubble along his jaw before she turned her eyes back to the display.  “that’s very nice of you,” she commented as she moved forward to pluck a mixed bouquet of pinks and whites and held it out to him. “i think they have, like, cat grass? you know that stuff-” esra stopped herself, blinking for a moment before a new smile formed on her lips. “am i telling a veterinarian what cat grass is?” 

ernie’s eyes lit up slightly when esra laughed, the sound filling the space around them. “well that’s good to know. i’ll have to make a few calls, cancel some orders.” he joked, reaching his own finger out to tap hers lightly. truthfully, ernesto had almost regretted the fact that he’d decided to get flowers — he thought that maybe he should’ve gotten her something like chocolates, or a gift card. but now that he had esra scanning the flowers to find him a bunch that would work, he thought he’d made exactly the right decision. in fact, he found himself wondering which of the flowers she would like best. he gazed at her, totally distracted from the task at hand when she started talking about cat grass. a light laugh left his lips and he reached out to take the bouquet. “these are perfect. thank you.” he said, inspecting the flowers. 

     “hm,” judgement escaped adam as he watched the man avoid the red roses. “and here i was pegging you for a romantic,” he explained, only a tinge of humor coloring his tone. he looked around, absorbing the rest of the hues painted upon the bundles and bundles of petals. “i’m looking for forgive-me flowers.” though normally a bit reserved and leery of others– especially strangers– he felt this man could be trusted. he had seemed firm with decision, after all; something that adam admired in others since he had a history of looking too far back into his choices rather than trusting himself. maybe there was some waiting to be taught and learned in this interaction.

“hey, i’m totally romantic” he argued, shoving his hands in his pockets and turning around to continue scanning the array of choices he had. too many choices. he sighed and looked back towards the other, humming in consideration when he mentioned what he was looking for. “well if those don’t ask for forgiveness, i don’t know what will” he said, pointing towards a bunch sitting neatly nearby — even though he had no clue what they could possibly mean. he didn’t know how or why different messages were attached to the things and suddenly found himself very annoyed about the fact that they did. irrationally so. 

Heather blinked in surprise, glancing down at herself as if she might find a different person’s shoes — he couldn’t mean she often received roses, right? “Who, me?” She frowned. “Uh, no, hardly. Don’t think I’ve ever been given roses, so, uh… yeah.” She trailed off, suddenly feeling frighteningly exposed. She wasn’t sure why she was still standing here, helping the man, but she felt compelled to by his kind face. Pulling out her phone, she quickly googled ‘flowers that say thank you’. “Oh, Google says roses are good for a thank you. Or orchids, tulips, daisies, or lilies.” 

ernie raised his eyebrows in surprise at her confession, genuinely thrown off by the fact that she’d never received roses. “what, in your whole life?” he asked, before realising that his line of questioning was likely inappropriate. his hand raised up to scratch the back of his neck. he waited patiently — and most importantly silently — while she researched his solution, so that he wouldn’t make a fool of himself. “well, tell google i say thank you” he mused, locating the flowers that she’d named until he found a bouquet that featured a few of them mixed together. “look at that. all done.” he said, turning back towards her with a smile, “thank you-” he paused, looking back at the display, “in fact, let me thank you with these. please.” he insisted, picking up a second bouquet of red roses. 

“i don’t think flowers are gonna fix the fact that she and i are fundamentally wrong for each other,” tomas hummed, his head cocking to the side just a touch as he did. and yet, despite his words, he and ava seemed to find themselves wrapped up in each other time and time again. you’d think that he’d eventually learn his lesson, but so far, he hadn’t. “surprisingly, flowers is something i’m halfway decent at. i’ve only bought a few hundred bouquets over my life for my sisters, so…” it was something he’d been doing since the oldest was old enough to appreciate it - any event, whether it was a birthday or something as stupidly simple as one of them getting a perfect score on a test, was accompanied by flowers from their disgustingly whipped older brother. “you learn a thing or two from buying that many.”

“well, you know they couldn’t hurt” he pointed out with a raise of his eyebrows and a teasing grin on his face. it wasn’t his place of course, to be making comments about his friend’s relationship — especially when he wasn’t exactly an expert on the topic, but he did enjoy making fun of him. he stepped aside and motioned towards the flowers around them in an exaggerated motion. “alright, show me what you’ve got, expert flower giver” he said, resting his hands at his hips. truthfully, ernesto wasn’t even thinking about the present anymore, far too invested in tomas’s apparent expertise that he was just now learning about. 

~

wylie had made a career out of being seen but not heard and, for the most part, she stuck by that philosophy in her every day life. but she didn’t like to make a habit of being rude, so when he posed his question in her direction, the least she could do was provide what little advice she did have. she nearly retreated when he pulled back to give her a once-over, but the blonde stood her ground and waited for an answer to her own question, hazel eyes practically shimmering with the anticipation. “assistant. assistant who’s having a birthday, even. that makes this much easier.” for just a moment, wylie flashed the male a warm smile, the expression disappearing just as quickly as it came as her feet carried her in the right direction. “carnations are your best bet in terms of a birthday, specifically pink carnations. they’re a symbol of gratitude, and where she’s your assistant and you want to celebrate her, i think they’ll be perfect.”

ernesto folded his arms and watched the girl with interest as she claimed that apparently the information he’d given her squashed his dilemma completely. “does it?” he asked, amusement and fascination in his eyes. he thought he could see her mind work before she smiled at him and walked towards the flowers and pick out the bunch that’d decide his fate. not that the worst wouldn’t probably just be a few awkward days at work. “pink carnations... celebrate her... got it.” he said slowly, taking a few steps forward, so that he was standing beside her. he reached out and picked up the bouquet of pink flowers, eyeing them curiously. “what about you, what are you here for?” 

“would you be terribly upset if i threw up in one of your shoes?”

roswell task 004. ( character representation)

@rocketfm

NOW, SHE DEFINITELY WAS NO expert when it came to flowers or even decorations, going by what looked nice, and the flowers certainly brought some life into her home and the store. she had already refreshed the ones in her home but thought it was time to do the same to the arrangements she’d managed to put together at feel good records, the petals already falling to the floor and making a mess out of the place. ava already has a bouquet in hands when she’s hears someone, assuming she’s the one being spoken to. “lettuce? do you think… they would sell lettuce in a flower shop?” she can’t help but to chuckle lightly, shaking her head. “um, i can help you out but just a disclaimer that i don’t know much about flowers and their meanings. i usually just pick out what looks good, ya know?” she shows off the ones in her hand. “what’s the occasion, though? why do you need flowers?”

ernesto’s laugh matched the nearby brunette’s when she pointed out that a florist probably wasn’t going to be selling lettuce, and he lifted his hands, then gestured towards a bucket of what definitely looked like greenery he’d throw into a sandwich or salad. “hey, you could slap a ‘romaine’ sticker on those and feed them to me — i’d have no idea. i mean i might die, but i’d have no idea.” he said, raising his eyebrows pointedly, then nodded towards the display in front of them. “well, it’s my assistant’s birthday. so go ahead. which one of those would you want to get from your boss?” he asked, folding his arms and waiting for ava to pick out which of the available bunches she believed, in her own words, looked good.

it was a thing she did, kept fresh flowers in her apartment and at the shop. they were never very elaborate or expensive, but esra liked how they looked and how they made her feel. so she continued her sunday tradition of perusing the floral bunches at the stalk market. esra brushed the curly dark locks away from her eyes as she peered at a particular beautiful cabbage rose when a man caught her attention. her eyebrows lifted curiously as she looked from the clearly befuddled, if not charmingly so, shopper to the bouquet he was eyeing. if she was feeling a little bit bolder, esra might point out that he seemed like the type of guy who bought flowers for others quite often. but she didn’t.  “if you buy a head of lettuce by mistake i think it’s glasses you need to shop for.” esra reasoned with a soft smile and a twinkle in her deep brown eyes. despite her teasing, she stepped back from the display to get a better look at their options while taking up the space next to him. “who is it for?” she asked rather presumptuously. quickly, she caught herself, looking away from him to the flowers once more. “i mean, um, you know, you’re not going to buy a dozen long stemmed red roses for your niece.” she clarified, speaking with her hands and then clutching them both against her chest to keep from fidgeting. “so?”

“i’m not actually convinced that that’s not true” he admitted, bringing a hand up to imitate pushing back a pair of glasses, already enamoured by the brunette’s gentle teasing — just the right amount for him to be able to handle. he turned his body, welcoming her proximity when she moved closer to him to help and studied the display alongside her. “what, you’re not supposed to buy your niece a dozen long-stemmed red roses?” he asked, a half-smile on his face as he glanced towards her, “they’re for my assistant at the vet clinic. by your definition, i guess i don’t actually have anyone to buy red roses for.” he brought a hand up to rub at his jaw, looking over to the flowers once more. “she’s obsessed with cats. think they have anything that could work around that?” he asked, offering up the only real bit of information he had on the young woman who helped him with his surgeries. 

         a lot of flowers were actually edible, and juniper could go on about the similarities and differences and the fact that there were technically ornamental varieties of lettuce, but she decides against saying anything. no need to confuse the man who already looked so lost. “i guess you’ll owe me then.” the woman speaks rather vain for someone who had yet to actually help him yet. ‘flowers are a solid choice. what’s their favorite color? we can start there.”

“i guess i will” he agreed with a playful quirk of his eyebrow. he wasn’t sure what owing her would entail, or what he’d have her do to make up for how absolutely clueless he was in the world of botanics — but he was too eager for the help to question what the consequences might be. “fuck, uh...” he paused, bringing his hand up to scratch the back of his head. it really was appalling just how little he knew about his coworkers, and he was only just discovering his incompetence when it came to getting personal with them. “i guess they’ve probably worn yellow too many times for it not to be considered their favourite colour. so let’s start there.”