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Out of Season (13) : One would think that winter would be dismal and gray, and after each snowfall there's a hefty dose of white covering up the world. Except, all winter bright patches of wildflowers begin sprouting straight through the frost--as if spring has decided to push its way into winter a few months early. Blues, pinks, yellows, and purples bloom in vivid clusters, warming the landscape with bursts of color that look impossibly alive against the cold. The flowers behave exactly like their normal spring counterparts--soft petals, gentle fragrance, and even suitable for tea or simple crafts. They’re simply appearing far too early. Whether it’s a harmless anomaly or a sign of something stirring beneath the seasons, the sudden blossoms bring an unexpected beauty to the winter chill.
With the orders taken care of for the day and everything closed up, Florian stepped outside and locked up before heading down the street. He had his current crochet project tucked into his bag so he could finish it before the planned dinner with Angel and his family. The offer had been a bit of a shock to him, though, looking back, it probably wasn’t that surprising considering how things seemed to be going between them.
It would be a nice change of pace, though, considering his own parents were still out of the country for the season. They were gone more often than not, but he was glad they were enjoying their retirement, and the shop was still running just as well with him in charge of it. If anything, he was glad they trusted him to take over, even if he was a bit younger than his father had been when opening up the shop here in the city.
Trudging through the fallen snow, he adjusted his crossbody bag a bit to keep his shoulder from getting too sore. After all, he’d packed the thing full of stuff when he’d left today to make sure he could get things done. With the main body of the satchel he’d been crocheting for Angel finished, he just needed to work on the little paint splatter details and things before he considered it done.
It was a bit more complicated than some of the other things he had made before, but for someone who was also very creative, he thought it would be worth the effort. That, and with the gift they’d given him, he felt it would be a nice thing for them to have to wear when they were out together.
The thought brought a warmth to his face, especially with how things had been going, and as he walked towards his home, he almost didn’t notice the change in terrain until the sweet floral smell hit him. Looking down, he saw the snow was gone and in its place was grass and a rainbow of flowers.
Gasping softly, he squatted down in the patch of greenery to look them all over. Each petal was unaffected by the snow and looked as if it had been snatched right out of the next season. Reaching out, he picked a few after making sure nothing looked too suspicious, aside from the fact that they were out-of-season flowers and the snow had just decided not to be in the area either.
Each one he plucked smelled just as fresh as the next, and by the time he had a full bunch of them, he looked up to watch the falling snow just ahead. Even if this one area was free from it, he had to get home to work on things for the coming holiday. With a sigh, he stood back up and dusted some of the loose leaves and petals from his pants before continuing onward.
It wasn’t hard to admire them, even as he walked through the snow and passed by a few other odd patches of greenery. A passing thought hit him, that calling that had nagged at him each time he’d powered up. Maybe out there in space, there was a patch of flowers for him where his wonder was. It had called to him, trying to get him to come up there, but there had never been a good opportunity with everything going on as he tried to figure it all out.
Looking up at his family home before taking one last glance towards a nearby patch of wildflowers, he made a note to himself to take the time to look into things sooner rather than later. It was something that maybe he shouldn’t be as hesitant about, especially if it might help him be a bit better at this, so that Angel wouldn’t have to worry as much. Though he did like the fact that they had been so reliable and were always there when he needed them.
Setting the bouquet down, he shifted through his bag until he managed to find the ring of keys and keychains in order to let hismelf inside. It was always loud as he jingled through them to get the right one ready, but without direct neighbors here like he had when he lived in the door, it wasn’t as much of a problem.
Pushing inside, he picked the flowers up and set about getting a vase from the cabinet to put them in before really getting out of his winter clothes. His coat had shed some of the snow as he walked, leaving a bit of a trail through the home, but with his parents gone, it was alright as long as he got to it quickly with the mop or swiffer.
The whole home was far too quiet as he set the vase on the dining room table and looked around. It was still dark, and most of the lights had been off since he’d not turned them on in the morning before leaving. With a sigh, he turned the dining room light on and then pulled his bag up and onto the table to unload his project as well as the next few invoices for orders so he could set things up for after the holidays.
Putting a playlist on so that it didn’t feel so empty or lonely in there, he got to work on the little attachments and strap for the bag he was making. The fresh bouquet of flowers kept him company and gave him a bit of color to look at instead of the endless stretch of white snow that he could see out of the dining room window that overlooked the back yard. Although the greenhouse was there, the snow still tried to cover it, even if it was warm enough to keep melting the small layer that formed each night.
Maybe it wouldn’t be too bad if another of those weird patches of flowers showed up in the backyard, Florian considered them one of the definitely okay and not problematic magical things that happened in this city.
Word Count: 1,026
