[Gift] Breaktime

Baogonia stepped up and away from the plot to survey her work, wiping the sweat from her brow (and leaving a smudge of dirt in its place). Satisfied with her progress, she stretched against the ache in her muscles from leaning over the ground. There was plenty of hard work left to do before the conservatory would bloom like the fields of the valley, but seeing the buds of new flowers peek out of the soil filled her with the drive to push on. Her empty stomach however, had the opposite message. 

The growl echoed loudly in her corner of the conservatory — so much so that a few nearby baos perked their heads up — and she sheepishly relented to head towards the café in the Gardens for something to eat. Even with a forced break, she could still take the scenic route through the Gardens for fresh inspiration!

She turned the corner around a fountain feature, catching sight of a gentle-looking bao sitting on the bench beneath a blooming wisteria tree. This bao had lilac fur and a large pink bow, with a delicate cape lined with gold and fastened with crystal across her chest. A bao who had introduced herself as Ixora, but who Baogonia had come to know as—

“Ixie!” She hollered, cupping one paw around her mouth and using the other to wave. “How are you!” 

Ixie, pulled from her purple petal daydreams, smiled brightly and placed her drink down to free her paws to wave back. “Baogonia! I’m doing very well, thank you.” 

She scooted over to make room for Baogonia on the bench, who moved to hug Ixie before realizing she was still very dirty and thought better of it. “Are you enjoying the gardens?”

Ixie nodded. “Of course! This spot is a personal favorite of mine when I want a moment to unwind.” She leaned her head back, smiling as a petal landed on her nose. 

Baogonia could see why. Here, under wisteria trees whose heavy branches laden with flowers kissed the surface of the pond, there was no sound from other visitors. The carpet of petals muffled footsteps and words alike — although if she listened, she could make out the sound of distant birdsong. 

“Have you been busy this morning?” Ixie asked politely, taking a sip of her lemonade. 

Baogonia held out her dirty paws without a word, causing both to dissolve into laughter. “‘Course I have!” Baogonia grinned. “The Garden of Love won’t build itself: even with all the lovely baos who have volunteered, there’s still plenty of work to do!” 

Ixie nodded knowingly, well acquainted with Baogonia’s work ethic after she joined the project and became one of the aforementioned volunteers. She reached out and plucked a stray leaf that was stuck in Baogonia’s bow. “That’s very true, but I hope you’re remembering to take breaks. I distinctly remember you talking to the volunteers about this being a slow process.”

Baogonia smiled sheepishly. She had gotten to know the once-shy Ixie quite well — and vice versa, apparently — across their afternoons of chatting over soil and seedlings. 

“I was planning on doing some gardening this afternoon, actually.” Ixie continued. “Perhaps you’d like to sit here with me and enjoy the flowers for a little while before then?” 

Baogonia opened her mouth, but her response was drowned out by the sound of her stomach growling. She blushed as Ixie laughed. “Actually, how about we get some lunch first?” 

“That sounds like a lovely plan!” Baogonia smiled, pulling off her dirty gloves to tuck into her pocket. She offered her arm to Ixie, who hooked it under her own, and the two set off from the wisteria garden towards the entrance of the Gardens and its humble café.