“Wow, this really does tie things together,” Joshua said, admiring the Phantom Rantipole nestled amidst the Honey Pierrot and Purpura pulsum. It was the perfect symbolism of a hidden enemy and transitioned perfectly into the final section. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Yes, it was all coming together.

The display had attracted a modest-sized crowd. Joshua wasn’t surprised, given the subject matter. The general mood was that people were slowly moving on, but wanted to remember those who were lost.

Jade Hart folded her arms, letting her gaze drift over the exhibit before finally settling on Joshua. “You’ve done well, Joshua,” she said quietly, her tone softened by the reverence of the moment. “It’s… balanced. Honest. It doesn’t shy away from what happened, but it doesn’t let it define everything either. I really like it.”

She stepped closer to the display. “The Phantom Rantipole almost disappears at first glance. You only notice it when you really look. That’s… fitting.” She glanced back at him, a faint, knowing smile tugging at her lips. “You’ve managed to make remembrance feel like healing, not mourning. That’s great work.”

After a pause, she nodded toward the growing crowd. “They’ll feel that too. You’ve given them something real to hold on to.” She exhaled slowly, “Sometimes, that’s all any of us need.”

Joshua nodded, “The team really outdid themselves. I must have looked at this thing hundreds of times in the simulation, but it’s something else to see it in real life.” He turned to Jade, “If it wasn’t for your legal expertise, this would’ve been just that: a simulation. So I really have to thank you for helping me get this greenlit. It was a really nice brief you wrote.”

Jade smiled faintly, shaking her head as if to deflect the praise. “You give me too much credit, Joshua. All I did was make sure the right people signed the right forms. You and your team are the ones who brought this all to life.”

She let her gaze linger on the installation again, the light catching the faint shimmer of the Phantom Rantipole. “Still… I’m glad I could help you clear the path. Seeing it here—seeing people feel something from it—makes all the bureaucracy worth it.”

Turning back to him, her tone softened. “You took an idea and turned it into something that is living and breathing. That’s not easy to accomplish. So if we’re handing out thanks, it goes both ways.”

“Oh,” Joshua snapped his fingers, “I almost forgot!” He reached down on a nearby bench and produced a large cup emblazoned with Brew logos. I got you a little something. “Joshua handed Jade the cup. “I hear that’s how you show your appreciation for another person.” He feinted a sigh. But I guess I wouldn’t know,” Joshua smirked.

Jade accepted the cup from him with a slow, knowing smirk. “Oh, so this is how you make up for giving me grief last time about not bringing you coffee?” she teased. She took a sip, then tilted her head. “Lukewarm,” she noted, her tone dry but playful. “Fitting, considering our coffee history,” she provided with a wink.

Joshua chuckled and scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, it was supposed to give you a twinge of guilt? I see now there are flaws in my plan. Hoisted by my own petard!” He exclaimed with a broad gesture.

After a  few beats and a few more sips, her expression softened. “Still, I have to admit that it’s a nice gesture. And I’m sorry I didn’t provide the same courtesy to you before.’” She raised the cup slightly in a mock toast. “Truce?”

He raised an invisible cup and clinked it against Jade’s. “I accept your terms, counselor,” he said with a smile. “Still, I’m glad the Phantom Rantipole has behaved and not caused…any problems…,” his voice trailed off as he watched a spore rise from the plant, make its way to the arboretum’s ceiling, and smack against the environmental sensor. And then another spore… and another… “I think winter is going to come early this year…” Joshua said as the section around the display started to get cold, very cold.

Jade blinked as the temperature seemed to dip slightly, a visible puff of breath escaping her lips. She gave a small shiver and looked over at Joshua with a crooked smile. “You didn’t actually program climate control into your art, did you?” she teased, rubbing her hands together. “Because if this is your idea of immersive symbolism, I’m going to need to make sure I bring a warmer coat next time.”

She took another sip of her coffee, then grimaced. “And here I thought this was the coldest thing in the room.”

When she noticed the faint glitter of frost creeping along the railing, she laughed softly, still assuming it was part of the display. “Okay, I’ll admit it, the realism is impressive. You’ve really committed to the whole ‘winter comes early’ theme.”

A flake of snow hit the ground, dissipating completely. It was followed by another, and another, until it started accumulating on the ground. Joshua held out his hand and let a few flakes fall on it. “Well, I guess things couldn’t be too perfect.” He tapped his combadge, “Bryan to Engineering.”

Engineering, go ahead.

“There’s an environmental…” he looked around at the fallen snow for the right word, “disturbance in the arboretum.”

What section?

Joshua chuckled, “Uh… you’ll know it when you see it.”

A long sigh, Understood, Engineering out.

He shrugged and turned to Jade, “You don’t happen to have a shovel, do you?”

Jade laughed, a bright sound against the quiet hush of falling snow. “A shovel? Please, Joshua-what kind of legal officer do you think I am?” she said, brushing a few flakes from her sleeve. “I deal in paperwork avalanches, not the literal kind.”

She looked up as more flakes drifted down, a mix of awe, wonder, and disbelief crossing her face. “I have to admit, though… It’s beautiful. You might be onto something here – environmental disturbances as art installations.” She grinned and added, “You’ll just have to put in a request for mittens in the next budget cycle.”

Taking a careful step through the forming layer of snow, she glanced back at him with a teasing smirk. “But if you do find a shovel, Counselor’s orders – you’re doing the digging.”