There's a whole crafting station set up on the deck table.
Elsa's phone had started ringing, misplaced under a pillow in the living room, but when he came outside to return it to her, she was nowhere to be found. All he finds is her little workstation mid-project.
Putting her still-ringing phone down, he pulls up a wire chair to inspect the little aquarium-like glass sphere a little closer. She's building some sort of terrarium. In the center of the vessel, a little circular plaster tower is painted to look like it was made of aged stones with vines growing on its walls. Colored sand, moss, and succulents are arranged around the construction to look like a forest. It's very precise. And very impressive.
He knows Elsa has a knack for gardening, and landscaping to some extent. North's blooming garden is solid proof of that. What he was unaware of until now was that her talents extended to creating intricate miniature fairy gardens as well.
He plays with the little magnifying glass contraption, zooming in on the unfinished resin stream that crosses the forest. There are little bubbles on the surface and fake algae and rocks at the bottom of the water. How long has she been working on this?
In the tackle box, Jack finds pliers with different types of jaws; bottles with sand dyed in bright colors; little crystals and pebbles; sticks and moss; even silver ringlets and rolled-up wire. However long she's been working on the little tower terrarium, it is clear that this isn't her first rodeo. The intricacy of her work is not something one could stumble upon on a whim. The girl has talent, but talent alone can only get you so far. She's put in the time and effort, and it shows.
Jack's still snooping around her supplies by the time she comes back.
"Uh, hi," he sheepishly says, rubbing the back of his neck, a hint of guilt prickling his skin. "I was looking for you."
She holds up a bouquet of dry flowers. "I needed more plants."
"Right…"
Elsa sits down and pours the contents of a package into one empty slot on the tackle box. Without looking at him, she asks, "So what did you need me for, Jackson?"
"Oh, your phone was ringing. I think your sister was calling."
She hums as, with one hand she uses a pair of tweezers to pick little blossoms, and with the other, checks her missed calls. After confirming his words, she puts her phone to the side and returns to her flowers-sorting.
"You sure you don't need to call her back?"
She shrugs. "Yeah, that was probably just our catching up with each other weekly mandatory call. I'll talk to her later."
"Hmhmm."
Elsa starts placing the little flowers like they're growing out of the dry twigs and cacti inside the glass. "You could've picked up. I don't mind, and I hardly believe Anna would've minded either."
"I'll keep that in mind for future reference." He nods, then asks, "So whatcha working on?"
"I'm making a sort of birthday present for my cousin."
"I bet they're gonna love it. I mean look at it, has a river and everything!" he says, waving his arms around as if the refinement of her craftsmanship requires the wideness of his gestures to balance it all out.
"Thanks" she laughs, shaking her head at his over-the-top enthusiasm.
"You know, some people would pay good money for one of these."
"You think so?"
He leans back grinning. "I'm barely holding myself from commissioning one right now."
"I can make you one if you'd like," Elsa mumbles, smoothing her hair behind her ear as a smidge of color rises to her cheeks.
"Awesome. Can you add a little dragon too?"
"You are a child," she mocks.
"Stop trying to insult me, lady," he scoffs dramatically. "Which, for the record, didn't even land. Maintaining my childlike wonder down the strenuous years of adulthood is one of my best qualities. If you can't do it, just say so."
"Who said I can't?"
Sleek with one arm slung over the back of the chair and a bent leg, ankle placed on the opposite thigh, he smirks. "So you're making me a tiny dragon?"
"Yes, I'm making you a tiny dragon. As long as you promise to keep it away from your pets. It'd be terrible if any of them swallowed it by accident."
He feels an odd warmth brewing in his belly and tries to shake it off with an awkward cough. Not sure what sort of expression he's making, Jack stares down at his lap to hide his face, but she somehow seems to notice his hesitancy.
Leaning on an elbow, index finger under her chin, Elsa catches him carefully. "What is it?"
"Nothing, just realizing you're fine with plotting my demise, but animal mistreatment is where you draw the line."
"Well, I'm not a monster," she says, clucking her tongue.
"... Glad we made that one clear."
It's my birthday tomorrow so I wanted to finish a new batch for you guys!