Nina's Flower Bed

Caleb sometimes forgot he had a cellphone on him. For one, he only really used it for work purposes, and two, because he could count the amount of contacts listed on it on one hand, aside from Sunset Veterinarian’s phone number.

So it came as a surprise when he checked his phone to see if there were any appointments for today and found Nina’s text. Still, he smiled before texting back his own reply.

[txt] Sure, Nina will make sure to swing by and drop it off on her way home from work, so look forward to it!  ♥

The pinkette didn’t know who Woofio was, but she shrugged it off and hummed to herself happily as she dropped the gift off at the reception desk, along with instructions on who to give it to. 

The card attached to the potted cactus was a cute one with a cat and dog playing together on it. She had a feeling Schafer would appreciate it:

Dear Schafer,

A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Sorry this is late, but Nina went to visit her Mama over Christmas. Nina hopes that you will like this plant, since it’s safe to have around animals.  ♥  We should get coffee again sometime, but on purpose next time. Nina would like to be better friends with you, if that’s okay? 

Anyway, take care! And if you ever need tips on caring for plants, just give Nina a call! 

“Of course I am! Any animal is a friend of mine, whether big or small…Err…” Caleb always noticed he was more outspoken and articulate whenever it involved animals. Perhaps it was because it was a subject that was easy for him to talk about without overthinking.

“Anyway, Tinkerbell, is it? That’s … a really cute name.” Nina’s mention of Tinkerbell being a ginger and the name heavily implying the cat was female caught his attention.“ And you say she’s a ginger cat too…Ginger cats have a male-female gender ratio to 80-20, so male ginger cats are more common.The reason for that is due to gene inheritance involving the chromosomes that determine their gender also determines their coat colors. The gene for having a ginger coat is determined by the X chromosome. For males, because of only having one X chromosome, they either are or are not gingers. But because females have two X chromosomes, often times, the trait to be a ginger is turned off for females, which is why they’re more uncommon. It’s also the same reason why tortoiseshell cats are predominately female. At least, that’s the summarized version.”

And just as he had went off into a lecture about cat coats without warning, Caleb realized he probably lost Nina, whom wasn’t someone who worked with animals constantly. “Oh…oh. I-I went…off on a tangent again…I always get excited about talking about things like that….Sorry.” Ah, right, he had a reason to ask Nina why she had a pet after learning she was a floral designer.” Uhh…well, I…actually asked because knowing you work with flowers, I wanted to know if you’re aware of some flowers being very hazardous to animals, especially because of Tinkerbell being a cat.”

“Isn’t it? Nina loves Disney movies! Ahhh... But that probably makes Nina sound like a kid, right?” the pinkette flushed a little, looking strangely shy when she mentioned it. Her embarrassment was forgotten when Caleb starting talking about how rare her cat actually was. Nina hadn’t had any idea and she looked up at him with look of awe. She hadn’t known he was so knowledgeable. He even lost her at one point, but that didn’t make her any less impressed. 

“No! Don’t be sorry!” Nina insisted at his apology, shaking her head and beaming at him. “Nina had no idea Tinkerbell was so rare! And you sound so smart when you talk about cats! Nina’s really impressed, you know! Nina loves animals, but Nina doesn’t know much about them. Nina knows a lot more about plants!”

Speaking of, his question was one that she got quite frequently at her job and she smiled up at him confidently. “Nina knows of quite a few actually! People at work often ask Nina to recommend flowers that aren’t toxic to cats. Nina knows that things like poinsettias and lilies are poisonous, as well as chrysanthemums and rhododendrons... There’s probably a whole lot more, but those are the ones that come to mind. This time of year, Nina recommends Christmas cacti instead of poinsettias. If you know of any others that are bad for animals, please tell Nina! It’s important for Nina to know what’s safe for her customers and their pets.” 

“Likewise…Nina. Thank you…” Caleb nodded and walked inside to the cafe, waiting for Nina to follow. He glanced around to locate a conveniently empty table before sitting down, placing the backpack on the ground nearby.

Nina said she was a flower design at Urban Garden, did she? It felt like a weird topic to pursue, but Caleb just didn’t want Nina to just focus on the fact she’d made him spill his drink. Besides, he wasn’t great at small talk, and it was an easy question that could lead to a discussion.

“So…Nina. This…sounds a bit odd…but…do…you own any…pets, woof?”

He froze. He accidentally added a ‘woof’ to that sentence without realizing it. A subconscious habit he gained from his work persona that was embarrassing when it happened. “Err…umm…please ignore that last….bit you heard….” He felt his face flush red in mortification.

Nina happily followed behind Caleb, only stopping to order him another coffee and a cup of herbal tea for herself. Once finished, she set her purse on one of the chairs and then sat down across from him, a hum in her voice.

“A pet?” 

Nina almost didn’t notice the woof at the end of the sentence, but seeing how embarrassed he appeared, she shoved the thought to the side. Nina was hardly one to judge anyone for strange ways of speaking, considering she herself had been teased periodically on her strange manner of speaking. She decided to pretend she hadn’t heard his slip up and instead continued to beam at him as she thought of the furry friend she had waiting for her at home. 

Caleb waved his free hand in an attempt to reassure her.“Ahaha…no, no, I quite like the drawing…don’t worry about it…”

It looked like he wasn’t going to get out of Nina buying him another drink even if he insisted he’d be fine. He carefully folded the drawing and put it away in his backpack before turning back to her.

“Pleasure…to meet you, Nina. I’m…” He hesitated a moment. He knew he could just introduce himself as Caleb, but he still felt weird being called anything other than Woofio now. Not that he’d introduce himself as Woofio at this moment. “…Err…just call me…Schafer…”

“Anyway…no, I’m not in a…rush at the moment…”He quickly added, hoping she wouldn’t ask why he didn’t just say his first name. “So if you insist, I’ll…gladly take you up…on it.”

“R-Really?” Nina’s face blossomed into a shy smile as she watched him pack away her phone number. “Nina loves to draw flowers, but... Nina feels like her drawings are never as nice as her photos. Or the real thing.” 

Then again, she didn’t think she’d ever seen a painting that captured the full beauty of a real life plant. Maybe some day.

“Hm?” Nina noticed the hesitation when he started to introduce himself, and her head tilted to the side just a little as she waited curiously for the name. Was he making up a name? She shook the thought, reminding herself it was best not to assume the worst. It was probably her imagination. “Schafer? It’s a pleasure to meet you! Even if the circumstances weren’t ideal!”

Maybe she was making her first friend since moving to the city? She was actually feeling a tad bit more optimistic as she took the few steps toward the door and then proceeded to hold it open for him. 

“Miss…p-please calm down…” Nina (he assumed that was her name from how she was speaking) seemed like a good person to be worrying so much about this, but it was also concerning how badly she was taking it. “I don’t think…I need to see a doctor about a coffee burn…And…well…I was going to do laundry tomorrow anyway…Really…it’s not a big deal…”

He took the paper she’d written her name and number on regardless, if just to be considerate to her feelings. Yep, her name was indeed Nina. Caleb flipped the paper over to find a drawing of holiday poinsettias. It looked very detailed and realistic. Did Nina work with flowers?

“Nina…is it? Did you…draw these poinsettias yourself? They look….really nice.”

Nina’s shoulders slowly started to relax when she heard that the stranger was at least unharmed, for the most part. Really, he was being very considerate and she felt embarrassed for overreacting. 

“Oh, yes! Nina forgot her manners today as well. Call me Nina.” she said, letting out a breath as she started to relax. “Sorry about the doodle, Nina only had a sketchbook to write it on, so....” she glanced over at the drawing then and smiled sheepishly, “Yes, Nina drew them during a break at work today. Nina’s a florist at Urban Garden.” 

She almost forgot about buying him that drink - almost! 

“Ahahaha…don’t worry…about it… Miss…” Caleb managed to splutter out in what he considered not the most hopeful reassurance.

Caleb felt as much at fault for not noticing the girl when he walking out of the coffee shop himself. He’d been a bit drowsy from his irregular sleeping schedule, and the coffee spilled was meant to help him wake up before he had to start work. The walk he took that made him end up in the coffee shop was also a way to fight off his urge to sleep.Perhaps why he hadn’t been paying attention was due to that.

Well, he was certainly feeling quite awake now with the coffee scalding his chest.Luckily, his dog head tucked safely within his backpack was safe from the black liquid. Cleaning off stains on the costume head was not a cheap thing to do, especially something like coffee. Not that he’d blame the girl for it if it did happen.

Sighing, he brushed a part of his bangs out of his eyes to properly look at the girl who bumped into him, whom looked absolutely horrified at what she’d done. As much as the coffee burn hurt, he tried his best to not make her feel even worse about the whole situation. He managed to smile a little hoping it would help.

“Err…y-you aren’t hurt yourself…are you?”

Nina’s brain was frantically trying to think of what to do or say in such a situation. That coffee had to have burned and she hated that he’d lost out on drinking his coffee. She had to make it right, but she wasn’t entirely sure how. 

And to make matters worse, she knew she must look frazzled, as he was asking her if SHE was okay. The pinkette had considered going inside to get him another, along with some napkins, but she knew he might wander off if she did. 

“Nina’s fine, but ---” the pinkette pointed a hand toward the door, “Please, come inside with Nina! Nina will get you some napkins and a new drink! Oh, and...” she took a pen out of her purse, along with a small sketchbook that she carried with her. She quickly wrote her name and phone number down on the back of a sketch she’d done earlier of the holiday poinsettias. “And this is Nina’s number! If you need to see a doctor or get your shirt dry cleaned.... Please, let NIna pay for it!”

Mikoto was on patrol, walking through the streets of Harbour Pointe. They had finally reached a goal after so many years of chasing it, they were finally on track to becoming an officer of the law! It was exciting for Mikoto to imagine receiving their badge for the first time, the same one that would pinned to the outside of their armor where their security badge was now. They were a pretty comfortable with the security night stick they had now though. It was probably because Mikoto was a terrible shot.

They got a taser too.

So Security Officer Muto was left to protect their employer, vigilant and ready. Yet nothing happens there, not there, not on the way there, nothing. Mikoto almost wishes something bad happens, but quickly chastises themself for it.

The quiet should be a welcome thing, and Mikoto should be more patient than this. They sighed and looked up again, realizing that they were becoming lost in their thoughts. Up ahead, as they headed to work, they spotted a citizen that looked… distraught?

That is, until she heard a loud bang from behind the outside of the building!

The pinkette let out a loud cry of surprise and nearly dropped the broom she was currently using to sweep up the floor. Not knowing what to do, she held tightly to the broom and rushed out of the building and ran toward the security station. It didn’t even occur to her that she had left the shop unlocked, the keys still sitting securely in the pocket of her apron. 

The sight of a security guard was enough to nearly make her burst into tears as she ran straight for them. Thankfully, the officer seemed aware that something was wrong and she took a moment to catch her breath before shakily pointing back in the direction she had run from.

Mikoto flushed warmly at Nina’s laugh, face full of joy and just so startlingly cute that it caught them pleasantly off guard. They chuckled as well, folding their hands together nervously. “Yes, we will be great!” Mikoto encouraged further. Their throat caught though when Nina leaned closer to them, not yet used to such intimacy between them. Mikoto gulped and smiled down dreamily back into her lovely green eyes.

Their eyes lit up with joyas Nina went on happily about a date, and suddenly Mikoto realized how alone they had felt before. In one swift motion, they scooped Nina up into a strong hug, burying their face in her shoulder. “Of course, Nina. We can do anything and everything you’d like to do. As long as I am by your side, I will be overjoyed.” They whispered against her, trying hard to dismiss their gathering tears. Now, now, you’ll scare her off Mikoto…

They took in a deep breath and just enjoyed Nina’s warm, the sound of her heart beat, the sweet fragrance she wore and the softness of her cotton candy locks against their skin. Mikoto blinked suddenly and pulled away too look into Nina’s eyes.

“I just realized the perfect word to describe how I feel about you.” They said suddenly, nervously.

Nina found herself caught by surprise as she was swept up into a hug, a dull ache in her chest as she heart the emotion in her partner’s voice. She hugged Mikoto back, one of her hands lightly rubbing up and down their back in hopes of granting them some comfort. 

“As long as we do things Mikoto wants to do as well, okay? Nina is happy to be spoiled, but also wants to spoil you back sometimes. Is that okay?” she asked gently, not wanting to allow herself to take advantage of Mikoto’s kindness either. It was important to her that she could make Mikoto happy as well. 

As she felt Mikoto pull away, Nina lifted her head and met her partner’s eyes with bright green ones that were filled with curiosity. 

Yuri had been looking for other jobs for a while now. Sure, rent was lower now that she was living with Kai, but it made them more than a little anxious to have so little money in their bank account. If they could find another job or two, they’d be feeling much more secure about things. So when they saw that their cousin was looking for employees, Yuri fixed up a quick resume with all the essential information filled out and headed to Pelago Art Supplies.

They went to the front desk and asked to speak to Manager Nina. Now all they had to do was wait for their cousin to arrive.

Nina hadn’t expected that the person applying to work for her would be someone she knew, let alone her own cousin. A bright smiled blossomed on her face as soon as she saw Yuri, her hands clasping together in front of her. 

Mikoto grinned in satisfaction when Tinkerbelle emerged from under the couch, taking the fish from their hands. They moved their fingers to instead scratch at her chin. They nodded. “Not scary at all.”

The warrior turned back to Nina then a flushed a soft pink. They nodded. “Yeah, it’s okay. You’re never a bother, Nina. You know, well I hope you do by now, that I enjoy spending time with you no matter what.” They admitted almost shyly, then nodded again, fist raised triumphantly. “Yes! We can get it done easily! But you will never be in the way. I can lift anything too heavy as well.”

Mikoto blushed deeply and smiled at Nina, placing a hand over her shoulder tenderly. “Of course… Anything for you Nina, I’m just glad we are…” Mikoto gulped. “That is, that we… worked things out.

Nina felt incredibly warm and tingly when she listened to Mikoto. She was still getting used to them being a couple, and she couldn’t get enough of it. It was hard not to give in and girlishly giggle some of the time. She put a hand to her her pink tinted cheeks, the smile on her face in full bloom. “Nina has no doubt that we will make a wonderful team! Nina will try her best!” luckily, she didn’t have that much stuff anyway. It would be a lot more fun doing the unpacking if she had Mikoto around anyway. Truly, it almost felt like they were newlyweds or something.

Her heart fluttered again and she leaned gently into Mikoto with a contented sigh, her green eyes gazing up at them adoringly. 

“Nina is really glad as well. Now that we’re together, Nina wants to do all kinds of things with you! We will have to plan a date soon. Even if we are living together, Nina thinks it’d be fun to go on a date still. Maybe a picnic, since the weather has improved. Nina can make all kinds of things!” the idea of spending a day in the sunshine just sounded to perfect to the pinkette, even if it was a shame that there weren’t more flowers to go look at. Then again, a trip to Arcadia would have to happen soon anyway, she supposed. Nina’s Mama had already heard the good news, but Nina thought it would seem more official if she brought MIkoto over for dinner or something. 

@flowerynina

[🌤] — Before moving in with Elise, Lillie had been rooming with a sweet woman named Nina. That is, until she moved into an apartment of her own. The weather girl had been a bit saddened by the departure of her roommate, but her happiness for the other woman overpowered any negative feelings she may have felt, and she made sure to keep in touch with the girl she considered one of her closest friends in Leuda.

Every once in a while, they would meet up to hang out. This time around, instead of going out to shop or eat, Nina had wanted Lillie to model in some pictures for her. And of course Lillie, being the helpful girl that she was, had been happy to accept! She was always down to help out a friend in need… plus, being able to wear a bunch of cute outfits while doing it didn’t hurt either, hehe~ ♡

They had arranged to meet up in front of the Bell Hotel, and from there, move on to the place Nina had been wanting to take her pictures. Lillie hadn’t been waiting for long, keeping herself content with humming and scrolling through the social media feed on her phone when she happens to glance up and see a head of fluffy pink hair heading her way. 

With her camera bag on one shoulder and her dslr camera in hand, Nina headed to meet Lillie with a bounce in her step and a hum in her voice. They hadn’t gotten together in a while, and Nina was thrilled to have such a willing model. It still amazed her that she had a famous friend, although she tried not to gush about it too much these days. She didn’t want Lillie to feel awkward after all. But having a famous person willing to get in front of her camera was really a dream come true, and Nina was incredibly excited as Lillie finally came into view.

“Lillie!” Nina waved back with her free hand before rushing over excitedly. “Nina is so happy you could make it! It looks like we picked a good day, it’s beautiful, but without being too bright or hot.”

After all, if it were too bright, the photos wouldn’t turn out; Too hot and they’d both be uncomfortable.