bed of roses

Berlioz’s eyes curiously watched her move around the kitchen, warmly smiling at her.  Perhaps it was his terrible habit of trusting people too quickly, but he was starting to feel more at ease around her. The invasion to stay for dinner did surprise him a bit; he had half expected her to kick him out after allowing him to use the phone, but instead of writing back a response, he very softly replied, “Dinner sounds lovely.” He cleared his throat a bit, “S-so does seeing the garden at night. I trust you know your garden best, and if you say that it is a sight to behold at that hour, I’d like to see it. Um, I..I’m sorry about writing on my notepad at first.” He held the notepad out for her to see the different types of notes from previous conversations he had in it, “I..I do it a lot. I promise I wasn’t trying to be rude.” He gently assured, before curiously asking, “If I stay, c-could, I help with dinner too?”

Rosetta was surprised to hear him speak, her eyes widening a bit before a smile fell onto them gracefully. “Your voice is nice, good to hear.” She nodded, turning to face him as she looked over his notebook thoughtfully. She really didn’t want to intrude by asking why he’d needed it in the first place, handing it back with a nod. “No need to be sorry, i’m just glad to have some company tonight. I normally watch them on my own so..yeah.” The brunette shrugged, tucking a few loose curls behind her ear before turning back to the food she’d began to prepare. “Of course! There’s some veggies there you could cut up if ya wanna do that?” She glanced over her shoulder at him with her usual sweet smile. “I’m Rosetta by the way, and you?”

Berlioz allowed her to walk a couple of steps ahead of him. He couldn’t help but glance over to the flower Rosetta had just been tending to, the curiosity to find out  what he had seen was starting to grow, though he was going to try and suppress it as much as possible. When Berlioz stepped inside the home, he immediately removed his shoes, curiously glancing around as he followed her. He gave her a small smile when she offered the phone, taking it and casually calling the wrong number, then pretending to be surprised when no-one picked up. Once he carefully handed the phone back, he took his notepad back out.

“I apologize to have intruded on you and your lovely garden. It appears that my brother was unable to pick up, and his voicemail box is full. I hope to be able to repay your kindness sometime soon. Though…I should probably head out, yes? I’ve already taken so much of your time, and your garden seems to really livin’ up with you around. I can’t imagine keeping you from it any longer.”

He turned the note over for her to read, a gentle smile resting on his lips.

Rosetta glanced at him curiously before walking to the kitchen and putting a pan to heat, digging around for her ingredients to start on dinner for the evening. She turned in his direction once more when he finished on the phone, eyes moving swiftly to the note he held up for her to read. She also couldn’t help but be curious by the lack of speaking, but it wasn’t her place to question that so she kept her curiosity to herself. “Well um..really you didn’t take up any of my time. If you’d like to stay for dinner I can show you what the garden looks like at night? The moonlight catches it just right at certain times of the night, it’s beautiful.” The brunette bit her lower lip to hide her smile though it didn’t hide much as she looked up at him.

“You’d have to be pretty heartless to say no to puppies.” When her friend returned with the containers Fawn looked them over and picked on that was deep and wide. “This should do.” She turned to the garden and dropped to her knees, coaxing the bugs inside. “This way, little guys.” She plucked a flower off one of the plants and put it inside then turned to Rosetta, offering a smile. “Collateral damage?”

“That’s true, even I love a good ‘ol pup in my life––not that I got any but I love it.” She shrugged, clearly agreeing with her friend without a second thought. She couldn’t help but smile, admiring the way her best friend took such care of the little critters, even if they were absolutely vile to her. She accepted the sacrifice of the flower for the bugs, sighing softly as she gave a quick nod. “Eh, I guess so. Thanks Fawn.”

“Well, you’re either too kind or too optimistic, but I’m not sure which one yet,” Toulouse said with a shrug and a smile. He liked her ideas about art, though he knew he would never be able to apply it to his own work. “I would love to see that! You might have to explain everything to me, but I’m definitely interested and can appreciate plants even if I’m a bit unknowledgeable,” he said. “Thank you. It’s not too unique in France, but I know it’s a little odd here.”

“Huh, neither of those sound like me––you should you got the right Rosetta?” The brunette joked with a chuckle, shaking her head with her hands gently placed on her hips. “You’re welcome anytime! My place ain’t too far from here, literally down the street if you ever wanna come see them all.” The topic of France was interesting, eyes lighting up a bit as she smiled rather brightly. “Odd is..odd. I think France would have some unique stuff too though, always thought about goin’ there one day.”

“I appreciate that. I really do. I’m sure with the help of my friends the puppies will all find new homes in no time!” she said happily. Fawn followed her over to the garden. She scrunched her nose up at the sight of the bugs. Not her favorite things in the world but living creatures no less. “Hey, little guys? This is my friend’s garden would you mind relocating? You’re really doing some heavy damage to it,” she said. Anyone else would think she was mad for talking to bugs. She turned to Rosetta. “Do you have a container of some sort I can put them in to relocate them to a better spot?”

“Of course they will! And they’re puppies, who could say no to puppies huh?” Rosetta smiled and gave the girl a nod of affirmation, knowing that the puppies would be adopted in no time. She always found it fascinating how Fawn communicated with the creatures, both small and big. She had a specific way of talking to them all that she quite admired. “Oh, yeah sure.” Rose nodded and went back inside to go find something before returning with a few containers for her. “Hope this is okay.”

“A little bit! I look forward to you coming to see them even if you can’t adopt one. If you know anyone looking to adopt send them my way! I would love to take one home but I already have a puppy that’s still going through training.” When they were at Rosetta’s she followed her through the fence. “Maybe not the biggest but I try. Now, where’s the bugs?”

“I will! I’ll make sure to mention to my customers the next time I take the cart out. I’m sure they’ll love the news of available puppies and sweet smellin’ flowers.” Rosetta nodded, her usual smile plastered on her face as she looked over at her. She couldn’t help but sigh though at the mention of the bugs, leading her over to her garden where a few beetles had decided to put up camp with a few neighboring red ants. “Here’s some.”

Fawn’s face lit up again. “Really?! That’s so neat. They’re such cute creatures. It’s cuteness overload at the shelter right now! Oh, Rosie, you should just see them! They melt my heart,” she said. “You did?! I almost get caught a lot because sometimes I just can’t control myself around the animals! I can’t help it.”

“You must have your hands full then––i’ll come see ‘em for sure soon. But I can’t adopt any, I ain’t ready for that kinda responsibility so I’ll just admire from afar.” Rosetta said with affirmation as she gave her friend a nod. It wasn’t long before the two had even reached the small house, opening the back fence and parking her cart in its usual spot. “That’s cause ya got a big heart, the biggest even.”

“I try. I really do.” She sighed happily and followed Rosetta. “There’s not much new with me lately. We got some puppies in the shelter recently and I met the sweetest little gopher not too long ago. Other than that not much new. What about you? How’s things in the life of Rosetta?”

Rosetta took in what she said and nodded, pursing her lips as she thought. “I’ve seen a gopher in my garden once, but puppies––oh good lord I couldn’t handle all that. Too much cuteness.” The brunette shook her head, resting her hand over her heart dramatically for a few moments before she smiled and kept walking. “Not much sweet pea, literally just sellin’ flowers––though I thought I almost got caught usin’ my powers the other day and nearly fainted.”

Fawn’s face lit up with a big, bright smile. “I enjoy this newfound power. I promise not to abuse it though.” She helped her friend pack up her cart and was careful as possible with the flowers. “Sounds good! Lead the way, my friend.”

“I know ya won’t, you’re too good.” Rosetta smiled over at her friend for a moment before turning her attention back ahead as she pushed the cart in the direction of her home. “You ain’t told me anythin’ new with ya by the way. I wanna know all about what’s goin’ around in Fawntown.”

The invitation to come inside her house caught him off guard. He had, for some reason, assumed she would just hand him her cellphone. He could practically hear Toulouse’s voice just screaming at him not to accept the offer and walk away. However, he felt that now he needed to continue with this little lie of his, and he was reminded as to why he couldn’t lie. For one, he was terrible at it. If he had been any better, he would probably come up with a better excuse besides using a phone. Regardless, after only a moment’s hesitation, he smiled and wrote down another note.

“If that isn’t too intrusive, I would appreciate it very much. Should I take my shoes off upon entering? By the way, you have a charming garden.” He smiled at the note and then added, “I’m Berlioz.” He handed the note over to her, taking one step closer until she led the way in.

“That’s good to know,” Perla commented with a grin. When the girl offers to bring a specific flower for her, she hesitates for a moment, thinking over everything she knows about Ella to try to remember if she had ever mentioned liking a certain type. She didn’t think that’d ever come up in conversation before. But what Perla did know was her friends favorite color.  “Something blue? I don’t actually know much about flowers, sorry.”

“Oh, no problem at all! I can make it a whole day of blue flowers then. Oh! You gave me such a good idea! A different color for every day of the week! I’ll throw in a few free ones just for that, dang.” Rosetta was beaming, now beginning to imagine the different colored assortments she could bring and how fun the idea was in the first place to do. She almost forgot her manners getting lost in her own head. “Sorry, got a bit scrambled for a sec.” She chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck.

“I know, I know. You gotta get over that though, Rosetta. Bugs are apart of life and they deserve to live freely too. They’re more scared of us than we are of them, you know,” she told her. “Well, I suppose we could toss the others out. Aren’t you giving them a thirty day eviction notice?” she teased. “But we can head on over whenever you’re done selling your flowers for the day and rehome the little fellers.”

“I guess if anyone’s gettin’ me to be nice to some bugs it’ll be you Fawn. See how powerful you are?” Rosetta rolled her eyes playfully, unable to hide the sweet little smile on her lips as she did. It wasn’t even long before she was packing her cart up to head home, unsure if she was excited or nervous to really deal with this whole bug extravaganza. “I’m good now, we can roll the cart back to my house––ain’t too far from here anyway.”

“Why would he want to paint orchids when he could just paint me as one of his french girls?” Tessa joked, snorting a bit. “Oh, gosh. I’m just kidding.” She said with a small laugh, shaking her head at herself. “I’ll try, Rosie. I don’t know. I have a wonderful way of messing things up.” She sighed, “I have a feeling I’ll just mess it up before it can even get anywhere, assuming that it can even get anywhere, to begin with.” She walked alongside Rosetta, showing off the flowers as she did, “Flowers for sale! Get your flowers!” She called out, looking at a guy walking past them, “Sir? Orchid? No? Okay, well, your shirt is hideous anyway.” She shrugged, continuing on their walk. “ So, tell me, has anyone caught your eye? Any cuties?” She winked, smiling. “Oh, also, how much longer do you want to sell flowers at the park? I want to steal you away to either the beach or back to my place for some girl time. I missed you too much, and selfishly want you to myself.”

“Yeah! Except, definitely not letting you get naked on the first date––this ain’t the real titanic y’know.” Rosetta couldn’t help but chuckle, though in her head she was already planning out their future lives. Naturally she envisioned her and Tessa marrying their significant others and growing old together in their own epic friendship, it was pretty magically on its own. She smiled as the blonde continued to advertise her flowers, knowing it wouldn’t be much longer until she closed shop for the day anyway. “Tess! You can’t call no one hideous, c’mon now.” She nudged her friend playfully as she shook her head and wrapped an arm around her easily. “Not much longer honestly, probably just a few more minutes.” She shrugged, not having much to answer her second question with as she bit her lower lip. “No one, honestly. Don’t think i’m anyone’s type Tess.” Rosetta chuckled, shaking her head at the mere thought.

“Thank you, I’ll try not to prove a disappointment and do them an injustice,” Toulouse said, grinning as he took the flowers in his hands and began to think of all the ways he wanted to paint them. His smile grew as she mentioned her garden, picturing endless rows of flowers and vivid color. “That sounds ideal; I can’t even imagine living among such beauty. I’ll never stop pestering you for more flowers now, because I want to try my hand at everything you have.” His mind was already running wild with the possibilities. “That’s such a beautiful name. Very fitting.”

“Not possible, I think that art is beautiful in itself to where you can..make it your own––and that’s the real beauty of it. So, whatever you make of these flowers I know’ll be somethin’ marvelous to look at.” Rosetta smiled easily, in fact it was the thought of her flowers being used for something so creative that made her heart soar all the more. “You should stop by and see! I’ve put a lot of work into it so I love gettin’ visitors and anyone who can appreciate a good bunch of plant life.” Her southern accent rang in her voice, giggling softly as she clasped her hands together with a bit of excitement. There was a gentle rose tint to her cheeks at the compliment, giving a nod. “Thank you, I love your name as well––never heard it before I’d say you’re pretty unique.”

It was one of those days in which Berlioz enjoyed the weather so much; he got himself a bit lost in the feeling. It was the perfect weather for inspiration to hit, too, so he decided to go on a walk, hoping that a bit of that would strike as it had been some time since had written a song, and he felt it was a bit overdue. He had been on his little journey for about a little over an hour when Berlioz realized he was probably a bit more lost than the guy had intended to get. He had spotted a warm and approachable looking girl attending to her garden not far from the direction he was heading, and because he hadn’t given it much thought, he made his way over to her with his notepad and pen ready in hand. His confidence with speaking was currently a rollercoaster of a ride; some days, he felt stronger than others, so his trusty notepad continued to help him along in his daily activities.

He had been about to hand her a note that simply asked if he could use her phone to call his brother, but suddenly, the strangest thing occurred. Had his eyes played tricks on him? He was sure that a moment ago, the girl was bent over tending to the sick looking flower, and now the flower seemed to have sprouted back to a healthy little flower suddenly. His eyes immediately twinkled with a hint of curiosity and wonder as they studied the now happy little plant. After a second of silence, he began to write her a small note.

“ Hello, my name is Berlioz. I’m afraid all I’ve seen is that I seem to have gotten myself a little lost. I didn’t mean to startle you. I do apologize immensely for that, as I only came over because I needed a little bit of help. My phone died, you see, and I was wondering if I could use yours to call my brother to meet me somewhere if that’s not too much trouble? I really am sorry to have intruded.”

As he held the notepad out for her to read he offered an apologetic smile for not having spoken up instead.

There was a flood of relief at him not having noticed her powers, but of course she was unsure just how true that was also. He could have very well seen them and not told her the truth, but for now she was just going to have to pretend on the off chance that he didn’t actually see anything. “Oh..sorry then I um..my mistake.” Rosetta offered an apologetic smile and pursed her rose tinted lips absently. She looked over his note once more, biting her lower lip as she read before glancing up at him through thick lashes. “No trouble at all, my phone is inside if you’d like to um..come in?” She offered, pointing to the door with a small smile as offering.

Tessa’s eyes lit up with excitement when Rosetta mentioned running into Toulouse earlier though they dimmed a little when she said he bought orchids. Immediately her mind assumed that meant he was buying them for a girl, and she let out a soft sigh. Why wouldn’t he have a special girl? She was probably someone like Wendy, too, and then her mind went to Peter and a sting of guilt hit. Why did she feel guilty? “Well, how lucky of whoever it is he may have bought them for.” She chewed on her bottom lip and looked down at her own orchids, wondering if someday she would be lucky enough to have someone buy her orchids, or any type of flower. “I’m glad you approve, though.” She looked back up at her friend, smiling softly, “He reminded me of one of The Lost Boys, like, he could fit in perfectly with them.” Tessa’s light returned at the idea of selling flowers with one of her best friends. It wasn’t often Tessa could be so free and relaxed with another girl and she loved how Rosetta could break down her walls with so little effort. She really found the girl to be as enchanting as the her ability to care for her plants and the ones around her.

She had been about to keep chit-chatting with Rosetta, but then she saw a cute couple coming their way and smirked at her chance to sell some orchids, gently placing her own to the side, so they didn’t confuse them for the ones she was trying to sell. “Excuse me! Yes, you two! Hi!” She skipped up to the couple with a couple of orchids in her hand, “Have you SEEN these beautiful flowers, why, almost as precious as the cute little spark between you two!” She gushed, giggling a little. After a few short seconds of chit chat, she came back with a single orchid left and handed the money over to Rosetta, “Rosie, why didn’t you tell me how fun this was?! I’m starting to see you keep all the fun activities for yourself, huh?” She teased, picking up a couple more flowers and setting forward on their small adventure. “What are you going to be up to after this, hmm?” Her question came out eager, excited, and a little mischievous. 

Rosetta couldn’t help but admire her friend’s willingness to reach out to practically anyone and help. She was definitely a pro seller and would have to come on these flower walks more and more, that and she just simply enjoyed her company the most. She couldn’t help the fit of giggles that left her lips upon watching her sell to a few people not too far off, putting those salesman skills to work and of course being wonderful at it. When she returned she made a note to work in the other details of her exchange of words with Toulouse. “No no, Tess. He was buying them to paint, he does art and painting he said and wanted to paint the orchids.” She told her kindly, definitely already having hope for the two of them and whatever connection that may have been formed. “So don’t give up hope! He could be painting you next, hm?” She wiggled her brows, giggling once more.