#NOOO I DIDN;'T GET A NOTIF FOR THIS

[princepsumbra]

[ Garden ] - Need to get away from the thick of the party for a moment? Step outside of the dance hall, where Garreg Mach’s own vaunted gardens await, gracefully decorated to take on new life for the duration of the evening.

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There were only so many people Ares could exchange brooches with while the majority were spinning around on the dance floor. The ballroom had reached its limit for now, at least until there was a lull in the songs, so he turned his attention towards the gardens.

With the chill as it was, he didn't expect much better chances here, but if nothing else he could appreciate the quiet while counting up the brooches lining his little charm.

Suddenly, a streak of blonde cut his count short, tugging up at the corner of Ares' eye.

"Leo," Ares greeted with a nod. He did seem to know a lot about plants, didn't he? At that illusory market, before they'd gotten thrown into the abyss and…

"Good to see you well again." A very marked improvement from the bloody corpse that had weighed on Ares' chest while wandering that darkness.

Minutes earlier--or it could have been hours, given how loosely time flows here--he'd derided people carelessly plucking flowers off the expertly cultivated bushes.

Now, however, he understands their reasoning. Just one perfect bloom is all he seeks. He'll even remove it from one of the plants hidden in a corner, so none will see his transgression.

She'll forgive him for it, and that's all that matters.

There. Fingers close around the rose stem, pressure increasing on the delicate growth. He can feel it start to bend when a familiar voice calls his name.

"Good evening, Ares," Leo replies. He hopes his voice hides the snap of the rose stem. "I'm also relieved to see you faring well."

Keeping his contraband behind his back, he raises his free one to the brooch adorning his chest. "Thankfully we won't have to haggle prices on these mementos, hm? A feather, for your collection."