“1,346,786 seeds....billions to go.”

“Water every plant. Plant every seed. Talk to a tree. Thank the earth today.”

“Tryna wash away all the blood I've spilt. This lust is a burden that we both share. . . Two sinners can't atone from a lone prayer. . Souls tied, intertwined by our pride and guilt”

“I've no enemies. The only opposition I did have? Well. . . Would anyone care for some mint tea?”

"Ummmm, well..." Looking to the sun that fully grew over the horizon, Kora had to think for a moment. And then, it hit her. "Ah! I know. If you ever find yourself down this road in the future, I usually like a white hot chocolate and a croissant, nothing fancy. In the summer, returning -

Aides [retired account]@aidesunderworld.bsky.social · 2y ago

He looks at the tiny wreath in his hand then back up at the woman in front of him, his eyes alight. A wild instinct seizes him. "A returning customer only if you permit me to buy you something. A coffee. A meal. Anything."

“Absolutely not.” And with all of her bravery, the woman took the bikers hand and placed the tiny wreath inside of it. "It was a small thing I made just by happenstance, and I make them occasionally, but I would prefer you to have this. Besides, it means you'll be a returning customer!"

Aides [retired account]@aidesunderworld.bsky.social · 2y ago

He smiles as he nods, tracing the circle in her palm before looking up at her, holding her eyes. "I do like it. And I insist you allow me to pay for it." For some reason, it is important he recompense her, not take advantage.

"Uh-huh! Pine bark, evergreen needles, cranberries; all from my own backyard. And if you wanted to, you could hang it from the headlight of your bike." Kora was all smiles; maybe she should make smaller ones for rearview mirrors and the like. They were less work than the major ones "You like it?"

Aides [retired account]@aidesunderworld.bsky.social · 2y ago

"Did you make this?" Aides touches it with a careful finger, worried he might break it.

“A wreath?!” Looking over his bike, Kora soon begzn to tap at her own lip with a wandering idea. And then, like a sunflower popping open for the first time, she sprung to an idea. The fair botanist shuffled over to the fruit stand, and through a box under the wooden shelf, she knew it had to be-

Aides [retired account]@aidesunderworld.bsky.social · 2y ago

However, his forte isn't exactly... living things. He sees the wreaths and looks at her, questioningly. "If I bought one of those, can I just take one of the flowers from it, and you keep the rest?"

Cali. Persephone through the seasons

𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰

"Not exactly. I have poinsettia starts for those who have a somewhat useful hand at growing. But uh...." Hazel green eyes looked at the back of his bike and the already small space. "I don't think you'll be taking anything like that with you today, sir. Maybe another day or when you have a car."-

Aides [retired account]@aidesunderworld.bsky.social · 2y ago

Aides can't help but snort, if only to dispel that note of defeat that just does not belong in the voice of someone so ebullient. "And so it should. Pomegranates aren't worth your time. Terrible fruit, all seeds and sourness." He gives her smile. "Do you have flowers in your bounty today?"

𝘌𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘏𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯; 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘴.

"What do I grow?" That's when she turned sheepish upon handling over the fruits of her mother's labor. Kora kept her eyes to the road of passing cars. "I grow flowers. Grouds. Apples. I've tried growing pomegranates but have failed at every attempt to where I just gave up." A laugh of defeat but-

Aides [retired account]@aidesunderworld.bsky.social · 2y ago

"You never know.." His smile is a faint quirk as he hands over another $5 & takes possession of his strawberries. Her enthusiasm is... endearing. Aides realizes: while the berries are her mother's harvest, he hasn't bought anything of her's. And he wants to. "Uh... Which fruits did 𝑦𝑜𝑢 grow?"

𝘌𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘏𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯; 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘴.

It took her a moment, but soon, the grower began to sniff above the fruit as she weighed out the aroma to get a mental taste. "These!" Kora said ecstatically as he offered the bunch in her right hand to the man. "I do hope you don't plan on eating an entire bushel right here." She jests.

Aides [retired account]@aidesunderworld.bsky.social · 2y ago

Aides chews his lip, torn between the impossible choice in front of him. Tempted though he is to take them 𝑏𝑜𝑡ℎ, he doesn't want to crush them in the saddle bag. "Which ones are the sweetest?" He lifts his gaze to the lady, eyes flitting over her face as he waits for her.

“Oh! Oh my gosh, yes!” A faint laugh as she handed over the bushels, the chipper harvester made her way back to the stand. Looking over the fruit, she knew her mother would be more than ecstatic to know her strawberries sold well. Looking for a deep red bunch and a soft red bunch, she took them-

Aides [retired account]@aidesunderworld.bsky.social · 2y ago

and his one saddle bag before coming to a decision. "May I have some more?"

With branches of menthol wrapped to her back, the goddess groaned. "I slept SO wrong...Cerberus was in the bed.."

“By all means, sample one! My mother prides herself on her garden and how sweet everything is! And besides, this is your bunch.” Offering the male the opportunity to pick, Kora was sure to give undivided attention to this only customer in the wee hours of the morning. Plus, she deemed-

Aides [retired account]@aidesunderworld.bsky.social · 2y ago

The berries are luscious indeed and his attention is arrested. Before he knows it, Aides is reaching for one, before he stops, hand poised ready to pluck a strawberry from her box. He gives her a sheepish look. "May I?"

“Oh, well, that is a deeper clarification of the meaning.”

“ That is not truly a descriptive sentence!”

“Explain.”

𝑷.𝑱.@thatseabrat.bsky.social · 2y ago

Hades and Ares

“...so hypnotic love?”

His Rebirth@techieg0d.bsky.social · 2y ago

"Someone who worships the ground someone walks on to an excessive degree.."

“Little flame, care to inform me?”

His Rebirth@techieg0d.bsky.social · 2y ago

"Oh hi Grandma..."

“What's a simp?”

“Ah, of course. Strawberries. Thesse weren't grown by me but by my mother. Albion strawberries have a darker color, both internally and externally, and a consistently sweeter flavor than most strawberries.” As she lifted the small box with three bushels, Kora walked over to the man.-

Aides [retired account]@aidesunderworld.bsky.social · 2y ago

Eyes flitting all over the bounty, he points to the strawberries. "Those, please."

“Hades said it was fine. He can adjust size as he wishes but it was indeed not fine.”