springseamstress-blog

[springseamstress-blog]

Nori poured the rice and water into a strainer and shook it gently, making sure all the water drained from the rice. The steam rising from the sink left a sheen on her skin, which she promptly wiped away with her sleeve. She tipped the rice back into the now-dry pan.

She laughed musically at his teasing. At least, she hoped it was teasing. “What can I say? I have very particular taste. You’d best be sifting that flour perfectly!”

Picking a couple of onions out the fridge, she replied, “It was really difficult to get right when I made it the first time...” She frowned momentarily before perking up again. “But now that I’ve done it before and I have you helping me, it should be easier! This will be the best meal I’ve ever cooked, I’ll bet!” She threw a grin over her shoulder.

Taking a knife out of the drawer, she began to carefully dice the onion. Her eyes stung inevitably from the fumes, but she managed to cut the vegetable with no major casualities. 

“How are things on the farm, anyway?” she asked, realising she’d forgotten to enquire how his past few months had been whilst she’d been away.

First Snow of the Season ❅} – Nori/Phillip

[springseamstress-blog]

Nori laughed at his comment. When she was younger, she’d always been overenthusiastic when trying to help around the house and ended up overwatering all the potted plants. She was better at keeping the crops alive now, though. At least, she hoped so.

They were out of the tunnel and in Bluebell town by now, just passing by what looked to be a shipping bin surrounded by flowers. It was almost identical to the one in Konohana.

“That’s so exciting!” She would have clapped her hands together if they hadn’t been currently occupied. “Alpaca wool is pretty expensive, yeah, so it should sell for just as much.” She said this almost longingly -- she loved working with the material, but it was a luxury if she could ever get her hands on any. “Oh! I make clothes. I spin the wool into material and use the cloth to make whatever I feel like!” Even in cloth form, the alpaca wool was softer than sheep’s.

Helping Hand || Ash & Nori

Ash chuckled. “Right? I can hardly keep a potted plant alive, I’m not sure I would fair too well as a farmer.” He was half joking, half serious. Even for him it was a little hard to figure out which of the two he was leaning towards. He still chuckled after he admitted it though.

He nodded in agreement, and the excitement he felt was clear upon his features. “Yeah, I’ve been looking forward to welcoming them to the ranch for a while. There was some good ol’ fashioned manual labor involved, but it really didn’t feel like much.” Again, he nodded. “I figure their wool would be good to ship out and bring some revenue to the town, too. — What did you make with it? The wool, I mean. I’m assuming you knitted … stuff? ”

[springseamstress-blog]

Nori nodded thoughtfully. It made sense that crops would be easier to take care of than animals. “I would think seeds are quite a bit cheaper than cows and sheep, as well!” She laughed lightly. “I’ll bet the cost of fodder would build up too, with animals!”

Surprise flitted across the seamstress’ face. “You know Phillip?” He was the farmer in Konohana -- Nori hadn’t realised the two had met before. “Yes, there’s more space for crops than animals, though I do believe he has some...” She frowned, trying to remember whether the farmer still had his animals. She was almost certain that he did.

Looking up, Nori spotted the farm house coming into view. It was quite the way out of town, but it was spacious and open which made it the perfect location for a farm. “Tired? I’m excited!”

And she was -- she couldn’t stop herself from smiling as they neared the house. It had been a while since she’d even worn makeup, let alone had it done professionally.

Special Occasion | Minori & Nori

She thought to herself how many farms she had been to specialized more in crops than animals. Well, it seemed like she did. More farmers she met seemed to specialized in crops, it seemed. 

With a small nod, Minori cheerfully replied. “Yep! I think crops are a bit easier than animals, but that’s just me!” She smiled, listening to Nori for as she talked about the town. “Wait, Konohana specializes in crops?! I met the farmer there- Phillip, right?” The brunette turned her head to look at the other girl, tilting her head. “The town nearby, Bluebell right? I get what you’re talking about!” She nodded again. “Makes sense!”

As the two continued to walk, a farm house was spotted not to far away. “here it is!” Minori called out, pointing out the house. “We’re just a little ways away, hope you aren’t too tired, Nori.” She let out a small giggle as they continued their walk up to the farm house.

[springseamstress-blog]

Nori couldn’t deny being a little disappointed at hearing this -- she’d been looking forward to seeing cows, sheep and chickens grazing around Minori’s farm. But she perked up upon remembering that she was about to get her makeup done professionally for free. Plus, she could always walk over to Bluebell to see farm animals, which was a much shorter walk than the one to Oak Tree Town.

“There’s no need to be sorry! I was just wondering.” She shot the farmer a smile. “Do you specialise in crops, then? Konohana is a mostly crop-farming town, so we don’t have as many farm animals as the neighbouring village. We don’t have enough space for them, really, with all the fields for crops.” She shrugged.

The soil in Konohana was high-quality and fertile, so it was best to use it for growing vegetables than raising animals. The seamstress herself didn’t think she’d be very good at caring for animals, anyway.

Special Occasion | Minori & Nori

The realization of Nori a pace behind her, Minori turned her head over and started walking a little slower. She didn’t want to walk too fast and have Nori fall behind and get lost. Maybe it was the excitement she was feeling about repaying and doing Nori’s makeup that just made her want to rush to her house and begin the process? Who knew.

"Not really." Minori shook her head no, frowning a little. "A horse, dog, and cat but no farm animals if that’s what you mean! Sorry!" She thought to herself about the other farms in Oak Tree, trying to remember which ones had farm animals. 

She paused for a second, before blurting out. “Why do you ask? Does the farm in Konohana not have animals?” She tried to remember that farm when she visited there months before, then again she didn’t remember seeing any animals..?

[springseamstress-blog]

Nori followed the other girl, matching her pace but staying a step behind since she didn't know where she was going. She was still trying to figure out how she might be able to pay Minori back without the brunette knowing it was payment. Clearly, money was not an option. Maybe she'd be able to do the farmer a favour at another point?

Regardless, the seamstress was looking forward to seeing Minori's farm. She'd seen the farm in Konohana, of course, and she knew there was one in Bluebell although she'd never visited. But it would be intriguing to see how a farm might be run in a different place! 

"Do you have any animals?"

Konohana mostly specialised in crops, so she rarely saw farm animals in her own town, which was the reason for her abrupt question.

Special Occasion | Minori & Nori

"Great! The stitches have been holding up and it’s like it’s almost new!" She cheered out. It was true. The jacket Nori had fixed for her was almost like it was brand new. None of the stitches had come undone. "I seriously can’t thank you for that! You basically saved my butt, Nori. Without you and your amazing stitching, I don’t know what I would have done!"

A small stayed on the petite girl’s face, getting excited as she thought of how to do Nori’s makeup. Definitely wasn’t a bother or something she should be paid for! Minori was just excited to do makeup anyway! “You aren’t going to pay me for anything, I’m telling you I want to do it for free! Think of it as just a little payback for the jacket.” She exclaimed. “Let;’s go over to my place!” She started walking the path to the farm she called home, motioning for Nori to follow her.

[springseamstress-blog]

"Oh, yes!" The seamstress had almost forgotten about the jacket she repaired for the woman, though now the image came back to her. "How are the stitches holding up, by the way?" The job had been done quickly to ensure that Minori hadn't had to wait long, especially whilst balancing all the rice seedlings she'd purchased, and she hoped that this hadn't affected the quality of the workmanship.

"But---" Nori felt incredibly bad accepting the free makeover. It was true that she'd insisted last time that Minori shouldn't pay her for repairing the jacket, and refusing to accept the brunette's generosity now would be hypocritical, but she still felt somewhat guilty. "If you're sure... But you can't stop me from tipping you for service!" She grinned. "Lead the way!"

Special Occasion | Minori & Nori

Minori nodded her head. It was true, she was right. The two towns were close enough that they weren’t neighbors but close enough for it not being a journey. “I remember that since you fixed my jacket awhile back! Thanks for that again!” She giggled. “If I ever met that friend of yours, I’ll have to bring up your amazing seam workings~”

"Both are pretty great!" She nodded her head again. Even if she hadn’t lived in Oak Tree for more than a few years, she had to admit it was her home. For now, at least. "But, like I said, you know how cute Konohana is! Adorable little town!"

"Of course!" The farmer exclaimed, nodding her head. "It’s not a bother! You don’t need to pay me!" Minori smiled. "It could be just like pay back for fixing my jacket! And also I wanna do your makeup, so put your purse away."

With that, Minori tilted her head and put her hands behind her back. “So, let’s go do your makeup!”

[springseamstress-blog]

"Honorary farmer?" Nori grinned. "I like that title." She nodded at his next comment. "You'd think that it wasn't too much work, with it just being a small plot of land, but it certainly keeps me busy! I have no idea how some people can manage huge fields of crops..." She thought of Phillip and how he had an entire farm to handle -- although she considered herself fairly hardworking, she couldn't see herself owning a farm.

The ravenette listened to him list the animals he owned whilst they walked, enthralled by the idea. She couldn't imagine how it would be to just look out your window and see cows grazing, or chickens hopping around. House pets and horses, she knew first hand -- there had been several occasions in which animals had escaped from Kana's shop -- but cows, sheep, and chickens?

"And alpacas?" She said this last part aloud. "Wow! You're right, that will be exciting! I've worked with alpaca wool before, it's so soft~"

Helping Hand || Ash & Nori

A flicker of surprise goes over this features when Nori informs him that her family owns the seed shop in Konohana. He’s heard of it of course, and wondered why he didn’t put the two and two together sooner. “Oh, I get it. Maybe we could call you an honorary farmer?” He chuckled. “Even if it’s a small plot of land, you put in the same amount of work into it.”

Ash’s eyes lit up. “Yeah, that’s true! And of course, we’ve got a coop full of chickens and chicks, a handful of sheep and three cows currently. One of the cows is pregnant, so we’ll have a calf on our ranch soon. The ranch across from us owns horses too.” He explained, drumming his fingertips against the box. “We’re going to be getting two alpacas soon, that’ll be exciting.”

[springseamstress-blog]

Nori accepted the teacup gratefully, wrapping her fingers around it to warm her hands. It was a cold winter in Sharance, too, if the weather outside was any indication. Blowing the steam off the surface of the liquid, she took a tentative sip to check that it wasn't too hot. It didn't scald her lips, which she took as a good sign.

"Thank you!" She took another sip before setting the cup down. The hot tea made her feel much warmer and more comfortable.

"Oh! That makes a lot more sense, actually! I'd imagined you tie-dyeing a shirt with green tea or something." She laughed, realising now how weird that might look. "So how did you use them? For decoration?"

Creativity || Evelyn & Nori

Nori trailed after the other woman, looking in interest at the decor. Although she knew it was rude to be as nosy as she was being, she couldn’t help but wonder how it must feel to live in a house as grand as this. She wasn’t jealous so much as awestruck. 

"Oh, wonderful!" she said, clasping her hands together in excitement as she came back into focus. If the design had just been finished, she may be the first one — other than the designer, of course — to see it.

"Yes, black tea is fine! Green tea on a shirt?" she asked. If there had been any doubt before, she now knew she was definitely at the right clothesmaker. Nori herself had never considered using beverages on her designs.

[springseamstress-blog]

After the intial relief of carrying one box over three wore off, Nori began to feel its weight properly. It definitely wasn't as bad as the three all together, but it was heavy enough that she had to keep shifting its weight. Still, working in a seed shop from time to time meant that she'd handled her fair share of heavy seed bags. She could hardly count on her elderly grandfather to transport them, after all.

"Oh! Well, my grandfather owns the seed shop in Konohana, so I occasionally take over when he's ill." She chuckled lightly. "But mostly I grow the crops that he makes the seeds out of. I guess that would kind of make me a farmer, but I don't really consider myself one! I only have a small plot of land in the front."

"I've heard that Bluebell mainly cares for animals, though! Do you have any?" she asked enthusiastically. Konohana didn't have the room for farm animals.

Helping Hand || Ash & Nori

Ash let out a satisfied hum when he got his way and Nori gave up on her attempts to take an extra box. He nodded and started down the path, going back the way he came. “Right, no problem.”

After walking for a few minutes in silence, his emerald eyes flickered over in her direction, just to make sure she was doing alright with the box she did end up carrying. 

"So you already know that my family owns a ranch, but what do you do,  Nori?"  He paused for a moment, thinking back to the boxes they were carrying. "Are you a farmer too?" 

[springseamstress-blog]

"Yes, like I said, at least it's within walking distance!" Oak Tree Town wasn't as close as to be able to make the journey every day, but it was close enough to trip once every week or two. "She's already come to visit me once, actually! I helped with a skirt that she'd torn whilst working. I don't know if you'll remember, but I sew for my friends quite often." The seamstress laughed modestly.

Nori nodded in agreement. Konohana may be small, but it was a lovely town populated by friendly people, and she couldn't imagine living anywhere else. Of course, she'd lived there her entire life, so it was to be expected that she'd be attached. "I must admit, Konohana is great, but Oak Tree certainly has its perks!"

"Well... I mean, if you're sure!" Nori couldn't deny that she was excited to have her make-up done professionally. "As long as it's no bother, I'd really appreciate it! Do you want paying?" She reached for her purse. "I did bring a few coins somewhere..."

Special Occasion | Minori & Nori

The petite farmer nodded her head. “Got it! I’ll keep that in mind! I probably have seen her around but never talked directly to her!” She responded. It was exciting to hear about someone new in town, especially one that Nori already knew. “You can always come by and visit her though. Maybe she’ll drop by to see you sometime too!” Minori maintained a smile throughout those sentences.

Oak Tree Town was a peaceful town, Minori couldn’t deny that and talking about the small town she called home made her happy. “You can always come here and go shopping too!” She grinned. “But Konohana is so nice! It was such a cute little town, it just has that feeling of small town homeliness to it! Which makes it even more cute!”

Minori quickly shook her head. “Don’t worry about it, I have no plans today! Besides, I’d love to do it!” Which, none of that was a lie. Thank Goddess she really didn’t have any plans! “We can go over to my place to do your makeup if you want that!”

[springseamstress-blog]

// sorry for taking a few days on all my replies!! i'm feeling super demotivated lately, but i'm gonna try to get to them within the next couple of days i promise

[springseamstress-blog]

Seeing as her friend had moved fairly recently, she hadn't expected Minori to know her already, but now at least the other girl might recognise the name if she heard it. "If you see her, let her know I said hello!" She smiled warmly, before letting out a light sigh. "I won't be seeing her as much, now that she's moved away. At least it's fairly closeby, though."

Nori enjoyed the excited way in which the brunette spoke about her town. It was a contagious sort of enthusiasm, one that made her want to explore all the places the other girl spoke of. "I'll be sure to check them all out!" she said with a giggle. "There aren't any clothes shops in Bluebell or Konohana. I have to travel to the city or make them myself!"

The seamstress was taken aback by the farmer's offer, yet very appreciative. "Are you sure?" she asked anxiously. "I wouldn't want to waste your time, or intrude on any of your plans."

Special Occasion | Minori & Nori

Hearing Nori mention her friend that had moved to Oak Tree, Minori tried to think if she had met someone with that name. Reina… It didn’t ring a bell. Maybe she did but she didn’t realize? “Nope, I don’t think I have met her.” The brunette tapped her foot. “But, I do remember you telling me about her! I didn’t know that your friend had moved here at all! That’s so cool!” She beamed.

The farmer gave a small nod, opening her mouth to babble again. “Yep! It’s super good quality perfume too! And also there are a few shops around here that not only have cute outfits, but also some sweets and-” Figuring out she was pulling a childish babble, Minori stopped. Oh well, she was used to going on and on. “You get the point, there’s a lot here in Oak Tree!”

Minori put her hands in front of herself, keeping a smile on her face. “I can do your makeup for his birthday! what do you say? Yay or nay?”

[springseamstress-blog]

"Really?" Nori had already expected him to know where it is, of course -- the villages were small enough to know every building and person by name -- but she hadn't known there was someone their own age living there. As far as she could recall, she'd only visited the cafe once or twice, and the only person she remembered was the big, friendly man who'd served her. With Yun's Tea House just next door to the seed shop, she had no reason to frequently visit Bluebell's diner.

She let out a laugh at his story, push a hair back from her face. "I know what you mean!" She'd never tried carrying chicken feed, but judging from the experience with the cherries, it would be similar to this.

Her hand closed against empty air as he sidestepped her attempt at taking one of the boxes. Nori frowned, unhappy that he was taking on the extra labour when it was her fault he was taking time out of his schedule in the first place. However, the longer she pushed it, the longer they'd have to stand in the cold tunnel holding the heavy containers.

The ravenette let out a sigh of defeat as she picked the remaining box off the floor and shuffled it to get a proper grip. In comparison to all three, just the one crate felt weightless, though it was still relatively heavy. "Lead the way!" she said with a smile.

Helping Hand || Ash & Nori

"Howard’s Cafe?" His eyes lit up in recognition, shifting the boxes in his arms just to get a better grip on them. "Yeah, of course! My best friend lives there actually, so yeah. I know where it is. Not to worry." 

Ash grinned in her direction, raising his eyebrows a bit. “Funny how those things tend to work out. You hardly think about a couple, but when there’s enough to fill boxes like these… yeah I can see how that can throw people off.” He paused for a moment, a chuckle leaving his lips and echoing within the tunnel. “I remember being surprised as a kid when I tried to pick up one of the lager bags of chicken feed.”

As soon as she requested to carry one more of the boxes, Ash took a longer step forward, purposefully trying to avoid her attempting to grab another box from the ones he was carrying. “Oh no you don’t,” He warned, with an  easy smile playing upon his features. “I offered to help, and it wouldn’t be right if I let you carry more than me. Besides I may look skinny, but I do live on a ranch.” He managed to shrug a shoulder. “Manual labor like this is nothing new to me.”

[springseamstress-blog]

// OKAY JUST A HEADS UP im going to new york tomorrow for 5 days without access to a computer so i won’t be able to do replies!! as far as i know i’m not going to be inactive for long enough to request a hiatus but i’m just letting you know that i won’t be able to get any replies out from 13th-17th

i’ll check in whenever i find wifi to like the replies i have to do♥

[springseamstress-blog]

She grinned at the other woman. She'd been worried that the encounter would be slightly strained and polite, but Minori was just as friendly as she'd been on the day she'd visited the seed shop. 

"Her name is Reina," Nori said with a laugh. "I'm not sure if you'll have met her yet. She moved quite recently, and she isn't exactly a social butterfly! But I think you'll like her if you meet her." The seamstress suddenly remembered a snippet of their last conversation. "Oh! I mentioned her the last time we met, actually. Do you remember when I told you about my botanist friend?" Nori didn't really expect the brunette to recall this, but it was worth a shot.

The ravenette listened to her speak with growing excitement. "That's wonderful!" She'd been worried there wouldn't be many places to find clothes -- it was her first time in the town, after all, and she didn't know the shops very well. The news about the perfume maker was welcome too. She hadn't wanted to spend a lot of money on a scent that wasn't good quality.

She was a little surprised at Minori's sudden exclamation, but her interest definitely peaked. "Yes, I should be in town until late afternoon. What do you have in mind?"

Special Occasion | Minori & Nori

It was always nice to see someone again, and after all they had left on good terms. If not, it would have been a little awkward. But nope, it was all good. “Who’s your friend?” Minori clapped her hands together, excited to hear about someone Nori knew who lived here. “Your friend has a good taste in towns if she just moved here then!” That last part wasn’t meant to be an insult, but more of a compliment to both the towns, Konohana and Oak Tree. She hoped Nori wouldn’t assume 

"It’s your grandfather’s birthday?!" Minori asked, tilting her head "There’s a lot of cute places here to get an outfit, so you’ve come to the right place! If you want perfume, Klaus is really good at what he does!" She flashed a smile at Nori. Remembering the perfume the man had made for her, she couldn’t help but smile a little. Moving a piece of brown hair behind her ears, Minori gave a dramatic sigh out. "Not much, I should be going back-" Before she finished, the farmer had an idea. Something, that she thought was the best idea ever.

"Hey, do you have any free time? I have an idea I think you might like!"

[springseamstress-blog]

Relieved at the fact the other woman remembered her and being able to avoid the awkwardness that would ensue if she hadn't, Nori smiled. "I thought I'd check it out! One of my friends recently moved here, and she made it sound lovely."

The ravenette shuffled her feet, bouncing slightly to keep moving. Although she was wrapped up tightly in winter clothes, the cold always managed to seep in if she kept still for too long.

"I was just going to have a look around a few shops, maybe find something new to wear for my grandfather's birthday meal tonight. I hear there's a brilliant perfume maker here!" She grinned. "I'm not usually one for scents, but seeing as it is a special occasion..." Meeting the brunette's eyes, she asked, "Where are you off to?"

Special Occasion | Minori & Nori

Despite the winter weather, Minori found no problem walking around Oak Tree Town at the moment. Maybe it was because she was walking around instead of staying still. Or maybe it was the jacket she was wearing. Either way, didn’t seem to matter.

Minori was shopping a bit, something she normally did when she was bored around town. Checking the prices of items, visiting some people, being sociable. But, it was just to pass time for now. And a walk was the perfect way to spend the time.

Hearing someone call her, the farmer stopped dead in her tracks, looking over at the other woman.  ”Hmm?” A smile came upon her face, as she happily responded back. “HI! Nori, yeah? What are doing in Oak Tree?”

[springseamstress-blog]

Nori trailed after the other woman, looking in interest at the decor. Although she knew it was rude to be as nosy as she was being, she couldn't help but wonder how it must feel to live in a house as grand as this. She wasn't jealous so much as awestruck.

"Oh, wonderful!" she said, clasping her hands together in excitement as she came back into focus. If the design had just been finished, she may be the first one -- other than the designer, of course -- to see it.

"Yes, black tea is fine! Green tea on a shirt?" she asked. If there had been any doubt before, she now knew she was definitely at the right clothesmaker. Nori herself had never considered using beverages on her designs.

Creativity || Evelyn & Nori

"Right this way, then!" Evelyn said, motioning for Nori to follow her to the kitchen. "And, please, call me Evelyn. There’s no need to be so formal!"

"I can show you some of the clothes I’ve made after tea, if you’d like," Evelyn offered. "I actually had just finished designing a new dress when you arrived."

Evelyn pushed a door open, revealing a large, well stocked kitchen. She bounced over to the stove, where a kettle was sitting, heating up at a low temperature. “I hope black tea’s fine - I used the last of our green last week for a shirt,” she said, smiling sheepishly.

After turning the stove up a bit so the water would heat faster, she grabbed two teacups from the cupboard.