Azaleas
The Outskirts of Eden
花はそれらを贈与する手に芳香を残す。
Hallo, everyone. :D I hope you are all well. ^^ Forgive me for taking so long to update...once again. *Sighs.* I promise, I'll keep doing my best to finish all of my old projects before I start any new ones. *Looks determined.*
There's a lot to think about, as of late...college, living arrangements, classes to be coming soon, careers, cars, etc, etc. So I think I'll really enjoy just writing about a snatch of romance for a bit. *Blushes.*
This is completely irrevelant to the fiction itself, but Turtles Forever is coming out soon! Yay. :D
Well, enough blathering from me. ^^ I really hope you enjoy this silly little story, and cheers for JoyJabbaNoid for graciously allowing me the use of her character. Doomo arigatou, Har-chan!
Please, take care, everyone.
Quote:
"Some natural tears they dropped, but wiped them soon; / The world was all before them, where to choose / Their place of rest, and Providence their guide: / They hand in hand with wandering steps and slow / Through Eden took their solitary way."
It was so lovely out tonight.
Harmony happily exhaled in the frigid night air, her breath making a small puff in the late evening chill as snowflakes continued to flutter down amongst the two girls still perched underneath the streetlamp by the flower shop's window.
Harmony twisted around in the little quick droplets of silver spinning and fluttering by the lamplight, large green eyes fixated on the New York city skyline. Hmm. Shame that it was so difficult to see too many stars out in the city.
She sighed lightly before chafing her cold hands together to keep herself warm, fervently thankful for her gloves tonight. Brrrr. It had to be a good five degrees below, not taking wind chill factor into account...
The girl glanced incredulously at the blond beside her, whose coat was unbuttoned, and her hat askew. As for her hands, they were shoved into her pockets at the very least, but her light blue scarf was loose about her shoulders, fluttering wildly in the wintry gale. Harmony shook her head incredulously, a small smile on her face as she withdrew deeper into her own scarf tightly wound about her shoulders.
"Lauren...you're going to catch cold if you're not careful."
The girl just smiled absentmindedly as she continued to admire the Valentine's displays Harmony had carefully set up in the shop's windowsills just before she'd closed shop for the night. Each bouquet had been cut with a precise degree in perimeter, and arranged in such a fashion that the rose hues corresponded to one another quite nicely. Ribbons were twirled about their stems into neat, flowing bows.
"Lauren...?"
The blond-haired girl started, then went red.
"Ah? Oh...sorry, Har," she said at last, turning to the brown-haired girl watching her intently with an abashed smile.
"Don't worry about me. Ever hear of an old Japanese proverb? 'Idiots don't catch colds.'"
Harmony just giggled before shyly sinking into her scarf just a bit more.
"I've heard of it, but what does it...?"
The two girls began to walk away from the shop counter with a brisk trot, Lauren still smiling absentmindedly.
"It just means that people too silly or too ignorant for their own good never realize they have a cold when they've got one," she said cheerfully, before peering hopefully at the late-night sky. Was that a star, or a satteli...? No, stars generally didn't have flashing red lights. Darn it.
Harmony just smiled, and shook her head. Lauren had learned that while Harmony had a tremendous lot of interesting things to say, she was often content to be a listener-one of the things Lauren had learned to appreciate most about her.
The two began to walk under a series of street lights, still talking as their feet began to act on automaton to the 'usual place,' as Harmony had chosen to dub it after their fourth visit to the little restaurant. It had a name, but neither of them remembered what it was, and neither quite cared very much, to be frank.
The two passed a Chocolate Emporium's, doors still opened. Harmony laughed as they passed it by, noting the long line of last minute Valentine day shoppers.
"Gosh...so many people who wait for the last minute..." she said tiredly, drawing her red gloved hand past the beauty mark on her chin to the chestnut strands still fluttering in the air. She simply shook her head. "There's been so many last-minute orders from everyone...the phone was ringing its head off today."
Lauren cast Harmony an anxious glance as the brunette found a small, knee-high brick wall, and began to walk across it, arms strewn out to keep balance as she continued to walk alongside the girl still on the ground.
"Was it bad today?"
Harmony shrugged as the two passed a corner, past a few commuters waiting fir the last stop at Central Station.
"Not as bad as I thought it would be. I normally just work with the wrappings and ribbons, because the flowers make me sneeze a little bit, but today, Claudia called in sick, so I had to work a bit of a double-shift when Lydia went home."
Lauren winced in sympathy as Harmony hopped off the small elevation, and resumed walking on the ground.
"Ouch. Gosh, I hope you don't get hay fever..." she trailed off anxiously as Harmony smiled again.
"No. I'm more worried about getting a cold then actual hay fever," she noted, reaching into her pocket for a small tissue before dabbing her nose with it. "It's when Spring comes along, and there's so much cotton and pollen in the air..."
Lauren nodded in sympathy as they paused at a crosswalk, waiting for the green light to turn red.
"I know what you mean. I get a hacking cough and my allergies start acting up around that time." She grinned.
"But once it's over, I think Spring's my favorite time of year."
Harmony cast her a confused glance.
"But yesterday you said Autumn was your favorite. And then you said Winter this morning."
"Guess it varies."
"Hm. Hey, I forgot to tell you, I saw My Neighbor Totoro last night!"
Lauren twisted around so quickly it was really a bit alarming.
"Seriously? Did you like it? I loved it!"
"Of course I loved it, it's a Miyazaki piece, how could I not? It was so adorable! I just wish there was more Totoro-time."
"Don't you, though? He's so sweet...I wish the movie could have been longer. What was your favorite scene? I LOVE the one where Mei falls asleep on Totoro's tummy, and then, when they help grow that huge-"
"-camphor tree? I know, I saw that! I love the little scene where Totoro takes their Dad's umbrella, too!"
For awhile, the two deliberately avoided talking about what had transpired just little over an hour ago, though Harmony threw Lauren a curious glance every now and again. But seeing as Lauren was still talking about the 2011 Miyazaki and Mirage Studios movies, she thought it best to wait.
She glanced at the girl curiously once again, who was still happily discussing Miyazaki's version of The Borrowers, and the quick, ten minute sequel that Miyazaki had made to MNT, which involved Mei and the kitten-bus.
Lauren was fairly tall for her age, at 5'11, and looked a bit peculiar. Her eyes were brown with green specks, in contrast to Harmony's, who had green with very faint traces of brown.
There were birthmarks scattered on her body, particularly on her neck, was rather pale, and had a concourse of brown/blond hair. She was an eccentric sort of person who occasionally enjoyed to talk a great deal. At other times, Lauren preferred to not say much of anything, if she could help it, and trusted others to do the talking.
She didn't seem to enjoy crowds very much. Harmony noticed that Lauren kept her head down, and fell silent around large multitudes of people passing them by, each befit with a large shopping bag at their side.
Her mannerisms were a bit foreign, particularly in the way she swore. Lauren tended to employ a twist of rubbish words and foreign words streamed together to form absolute gibberish when she was particularly upset, and her tastes were a bit...well...
Harmony just grinned while the two waited at another stoplight, watching cars vroom past.
Her romantic interest was an odd sort to like, she supposed, but considering that she happened to like that 'odd sort's brother...'
Lauren turned to face Harmony, looking concerned. "Har, you okay? You went awfully pink just now."
Harmony assured her that it was nothing, though she shyly drew her hat around her head a bit more tightly.
The door rang cheerfully upon their arrival, bell over the door tinkling as it always did. A waitress glanced up near the cafe's counter, and a small, slightly exasperated, slightly amused smile appeared on her face.
"The usual, ladies?"
Harmony gave a soft 'yes,' and a grin while she began to stomp her boots on the rug to rid them of excess snow before walking in. Lauren hastened to do the same, and the waitress lead them to a small table by the windows, the same place they always sat whenever it was available.
Harmony drew her head back and exhaled slightly as she slowly began to pull off her coat, and sank down to her seat, Lauren doing likewise. It smelled heavenly in here-like chestnut and coconut and vanilla and pastry and coffee and...and...
"Too bad Tim couldn't make it tonight," she noted sadly, after the two had cheerfully waved off their waitress. "I guess he and Basil are still busy at their game."
Lauren shrugged off her coat, and draped it around the empty, opposite chair to her before looking around. Good thing this place stayed open so late...though there weren't too many customers left. The little cafe was small, dimly wit, and quiet, but it was warm and pleasant. There was classical music playing a familiar tune in the background, and the old menus were there, just as always. Lauren wasn't quite sure why the two still browsed over them; they got the same thing every time.
She turned back to Harmony with a sad shrug.
"I guess so. How many times has Tim beat Basil by now?"
Harmony flicked open a small, pocket notebook she had at her side, and, after scanning the tick marks, announced, "Forty-three. But it might be better if Basil learned that 'bowling' and 'golf' are too completely different concepts."
Harmony laughed as the waitress brought them their hot chocolate, and they thanked her before she bustled off. Harmony took a careful sip of her own, and, upon not burning her lips, took another sip, savoring the cinnamon and whipped cream as it trickled down.
For a moment, none of them said anything. Then, as Lauren wiped at her whip-cream mustache, Harmony thought it best to ask now.
"...did he...I mean...did Leo get them?" she asked quietly.
Lauren paused, and her eyes flickered. Harmony bit her lip, but a small smile appeared on Lauren's lopsided face.
"...oui," she commented, taking another sip of chocolate before reddening. "I left them on the rooftops while he and the three musketurtles were hopping around. I hope the cold didn't hurt them."
Harmony gave her a gentle smile. "Well...if Leo hurried them back to the Lair, I don't think there'll be too much trouble," she said mildly, listening to Lauren's soft exhalation of relief. "Are you going to do the same, tomorrow?"
The girl hesitated, then nodded. "...yes. Only this time, I'm going to use Snowdrops."
"Like from the little story?"
Lauren nodded gratefully. "Yes. Thank you, thank you so much for letting me borrow that book. I just...I didn't know if roses were the right way to go. I mean, I know that's what you're doing, come tomorrow, but..."
Harmony fidgeted lightly, blushing heavily. Lauren just took another sip of chocolate to avoid bringing up anything to bring her any unnecessary discomfort. Harmony was a shy soul.
The brown haired, green-eyed young woman just grinned abashedly before taking a sip of the water that had come with the chocolate.
"...yes. Red roses stand for...p-passionate love. I thought it'd work, seeing as Raph's such a tough guy..." she trailed off nervously, as Lauren clasped her shoulder uncertainly.
"I'm also going with the Forget-Me-Nots. I think blue and red will look nice."
Lauren blinked.
"Forget-me-nots? You got them at this time of year?"
Harmony nodded happily. "Yep. Tim asked around. No one messes with a florist. Everyone knows real men take care of flowers."
Lauren smiled.
"Forget-me-nots, well...there's your meaning, but...I don't think I got to the story about them, yet..."
Harmony shrugged.
"Well, everyone knows the one with the red rose; supposedly, Venus had to go rescue her love who was trapped in an enchanted garden a long time ago, and accidentally cut her ankle on a white rose's thorn. She bled just a drop on the flower, but, well...legend says that the rose was transformed red, and thus was born the red rose." She grinned while stirring the foam of her drink. "I like the stories better then the scientific theory of pigmentation. They're more interesting."
"Don't let Donny hear you say that."
She grinned.
"Yeah...as for the Forget-me-nots, it just seemed like a good idea. They say that while Adam was busy naming all the animals, God was naming all the flowers that crowded in a grove to hear their names. A little blue flower was afraid that God would forget about it because it was so small, and then it cried out, 'Forget me not, oh Lord!' That's when God turned to the blue flower, and told it that 'and that shalt be thine name.'"
"That's beautiful."
Harmony nodded.
"The other story is that the Christ child was sitting on his mother's lap, and was fretting that future generations wouldn't be able to see Mary's eyes. So he touched both of them, and then touched a small flower on the ground, which turned it blue. I'm not sure why I bother, though, Raph won't know the difference."
"But April will."
Harmony sighed as the waitress cheerfully brought them an appetizer of mashed potatoes. With a word of thanks, the two began to eagerly dig in the steaming white yummy.
"But does he even remember us? I mean..."
Lauren peered down at her plate, feeling a dramatic decline in appetite.
"...I'm not sure if they remember every person they save," she said hesitantly, feeling a knotted coil tighten in her stomach.
"They've...already done the entire world," she said, hoping to sound lighthearted.
"So while Raph might scoff and Leo might be confused, I guess if the intent's still there...then it's just fine. It's enough for me."
Harmony thought for a moment.
"Mikey'll be upset once he hears that he doesn't have a 'fangirl,' she noted, grinning hesitantly. "As for Donny, the poor guy must be attacked by hordes every time he goes topside."
Lauren laughed before taking another bite of potatoes.
"He's such a dear heart. How could any girl not love him?"
Harmony fiddled with her napkin.
"But YOU love Leo."
"And you like Raph? Why?"
Harmony started, as if Lauren had questioned why the sky was blue.
"What isn't there to like? Raph's a total teddy bear underneath the surface, but he's such a grouchy little tough guy, it's cute to see. He's a hero. And he tries so hard, at everything he does." She exhaled, blushing again.
"Why do you like Leo?"
Lauren contemplated her food for a moment rather then ate it. Then-
"I guess...Leo was a sort of 'first step,' for me," she admitted, growing Bob-the-Tomato red by the passing second.
"He was sort of the only male role model I had when I was a child. All the other men in my family are, well..."
She smiled.
"My mother used to tell me that men were like...h-handbags. Expensive to come by a g-good one, and there's so much rubbish in them, you'll rarely find anything good at all unless you seriously look."
She shuffled in her seat.
"Leo's charismatic. He's good. I want to be able to be that kind of good, and have that type of dedication. He's a bushido, cut and straight. He's..."
Lauren shook her head.
"...it's impossible to hate him. I guess he's the antithesis of my own self, so that's why I like him so much. And he is...separated from the group he's in, which makes him there, but NOT there."
How did she explain this?
"He's noble. He's honor. He's sweet. And he's a turtle, which I guess...kind of seals the deal for me, a bit. I don't like human men. The ones around me at school are..."
"Yuck?"
"I guess. My sister says they grow out of it, but I can't do anything to hold onto anyone or anything for very long. There's nothing that I have that can hold onto anything, or give a sense of permanence. People come, and people go."
She glanced up anxiously, fidgeting again. "Is that abnormal? It probably is. I don't even like my own species very much."
"I wish I knew."
The two sat in silence until their meals came along, and the two turned their focus onto that for awhile. But while Harmony had finished swallowing her baguette, she fired another question.
"Why Azaleas?"
"Don't they mean, 'be well for my sake as well as yours?'"
"Yes."
"Oh. Why Snowdrops?"
Lauren had to think about it for a second.
"I liked those two stories I read about them. Do you remember them?"
"I'm not sure I made it to 'S' last night. I don't think so."
"Oh. Well...It's a sort of another 'In the Beginning' Story.' Snow fell every winter, but it was invisible, because it had no hue. So snow went to God and complained of its shapelessness. God thought about it, then told Snow to find a flower that would share its color.
Snow went all over the world, but flowers didn't like the cold Snow accidentally brought into their presence, and finding the cold snow ugly, abhorrent, awkward, and unwanted, they rejected it every time it asked. It became desperate, and pleaded and pleaded with flowers, but none would budge. Finally, a flower went to find the grieving snow, hopped up to it, and offered to share its white color with it. Thus, Snow became white, and the Flowers still go away when Snow comes. But Snowdrops pop out fairly early in Springtime, just when Snow is beginning to melt."
"That's lovely, but are you calling Leo a flower?"
Lauren smiled, threw a hand behind her head, and laughed awkwardly before returning to her soup.
"...yes. I think so. The other story is about a snowdrop that became impatient waiting inside its warm house underneath the Earth, and pushed itself outside to bloom, though it was still early spring, and rain and snow were still around. The flower was picked by a young soldier returning home to marry his fiance, and was stored in a letter with promises that Spring was on the way. Snowdrop was unhappy at being locked away from the sun, but then it decided to look on the bright side of things, and reminded itself that it was now a symbol of better things to come."
Whew. Okay. Lauren's disappearing next chapter, and the spotlight will be on Harmony. Take care everyone, aye? ^^