Office Hours - Thursday 5/20

[carpe_demon]

Drake arrived at his office Thursday morning to find it filled with flowers. "HI DRAKE!" they said in cheery unison.

"So has the island decided to give flower power a try?" Drake said, making sure his chair was clear of flowers before he sat down. "I approve."

"PICK US AND GIVE US TO SOMEONE YOU LOVE!" a nearby gerbera daisy suggested, then sighed happily as Drake ruffled its petals.

"That may take awhile," Drake said. Then he grinned and asked, "So, do you little guys like to sing?"

"OH YES!" the flowers said happily.

Drake snapped his fingers and conjured up a CD player. "All right, pay close attention," he said. "Listen and learn, my floral minions. I'm going to teach you the best songs to sing."

The flowers cheered, then leaned in as Drake taught them his love song playlist, which included "Everything I do (I Do It For You)," "My Heart Will Go On," "I Will Always Love You," "The Wind Beneath My Wings," "Can't Smile Without You," "Hopelessly Devoted To You," "I Just Called To Say I Love You," "I Got You Babe," "Light Up My Life," "Tonight I Celebrate My Love," "Let's Get It On," "Love Me Tender," and, of course, "Kiss From a Rose."

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[living_endless]

Didi was passing through the school building, and she paused outside Drake's office. it wasn't entirely a coincidence; she missed having a class with him and wanted to say hello.

"Hi," she said from the doorway. "Are you teaching the flowers to sing to somebody in particular, or just for fun?"

[carpe_demon]

Drake looked up and smiled at Didi, waving her in. "They're all about love, so I'm giving them a little musical lesson," he said. "Singing flowers. I'll make a fortune!"

[living_endless]

"It sounds like the best vaudeville act ever," Didi said, slipping into the office. "They look good, they sound good, and they smell good. It'd lose something on TV."

She was still inspecting the flowers as she added, "I'm just here to say hi. I miss being in your class."

[carpe_demon]

"Did you ever know that you're my heeeeerooooo?" a pink peony crooned at Didi.

"Awww, I miss you too," Drake said, nudging a pair of carnations out of the way so he could brace his elbows on his desk and rest his chin on his hands. "I'm telling you, some of these kids this time around don't want to believe they have a romantic bone in their bodies. So what's up with you these days?"

[living_endless]

"My sister's here!" Didi announced, stroking a flowerpot encouragingly. "Well ... not exactly my Del. not the one you met. But it's still her. And I think your students should be too young to be cynical."

[carpe_demon]

"I heard, but I wasn't sure if she was yours or not," Drake said. He eyed the flowers; an asiatic lily was berating some alstromeria for not being a "real" lily. "Hey, that's enough, you're both nice. Think these are her fault?"

[living_endless]

"They could be," Didi said thoughtfully. "It's been a few days since I saw her. Del's sense of humor and the island's aren't so far apart."

To the lilies, she added, "Hey, do you know any Dar Williams?"

[carpe_demon]

The lilies immediately began to serenade Didi. "Tell me what you see, is it close to what you dreamed? If I play a part can I be redeemed?"

"I've still got the frogs your sister made for me," Drake said. Indeed, the psychedelic amphibians were in an aquarium on one corner of his desk. "I'll have to find someone to take care of them at the end of summer."

[living_endless]

"You still think you're going, huh." Didi's voice was flat, but with a tinge of wistfulness -- half because she didn't want him to go, half because (Jono and Del aside) some part of her wished she had a deadline too. "I'm sure one of the other teachers would play frogparent. Maybe that Loki guy."

[carpe_demon]

"That was the deal," Drake said, tickling some spray roses that were gazing at him adoringly. "One soul, one year."

[living_endless]

"One soul, one year," Didi nodded. "Can't argue with that, really."

As bargains with the underworld went (a subject about which Didi's general feelings were: Don't), she honestly thought he'd gotten a fair deal.

"You still have a few months to give flowers singing lessons, right?"

[carpe_demon]

"Plenty of time," Drake grinned. "End of August. Enough to teach flowers love song, try to open young minds to romance, do a favor for an old friend, and whatever I decide to teach for the second summer session."

[living_endless]

"That's ages and ages away," Didi agreed. "What's the favor? Anything I can help with?"

[carpe_demon]

"I don't know, it's back in my world," Drake said. "I have to save an epic love and make sure someone else doesn't give up on love, all while sticking my tongue out at the Elders and going nyah nyah." He put his thumbs in his ears and waggled his fingers. "But if I can use some help, I'll be sure to let you know."

[living_endless]

Didi giggled at the thumbs in his ears. "Thanks. You, uh, you look like you have it totally covered."

[carpe_demon]

"Cole's got this complicated plan involving Thorn Demons and the power of looooooove," Drake said. "Not so sure about the first part, but the second? I'm so there."

[living_endless]

"I'm shocked," Didi said. Oh, wait, she wasn't. "I don't think we have thorn demons at home. Are they all spikey?"

[carpe_demon]

"Nah," Drake said, poking at a rose that was waving its thorns about proudly. "They just spit poisonous thorns. Just the females, though."