Completed [The Flower Stand] Shades and Blooms (Kouri)

[Reine Darlyeo]

Shades and Blooms 12th of Summer, 513 A.V. Delvor was not in a good mood. Reine could clearly tell. He spoke in short, terse words and he barely looked at her except for giving her commands. It had been weeks since she last saw her master and yet, she could also tell that that he would be leaving soon enough. Just as always. And as usual, she had this curiosity, this wanting to ask where he went all those time. But she didn't. She knew her place. Delvor was her master and it was not her business where he went. It was not her place to ask or to question. Reine was sitting her room. Her room. Even after three years, the concept was still somewhat amazing. Slaves don't have their own rooms. But she did. "Reine," Delvor called out from his room suddenly. He had locked himself there for some time and Reine dared not disturb him. It was actually a relief that he called on her - it meant she could check on her master. Reine rushed to his room, knocking first before entering. The first thought that came to her mind was the same one every time she entered Delvor's room. What made her master leave his wealth and comfort for so long? What made him settle for this relatively modest life? His room was not much different from hers - a huge surprise, at first. Writing desk, small fireplace, a pair of matching armchairs, an exotic rug. The only difference was the lavish four-poster bed in his room and a much simpler bed in hers. "Yes?" Delvor ran his fingers through his hair and lifted his head to look at her. Dark bags hung under his eyes, contrasting against his pale skin. His normally handsome features looked drained and almost sickly. "Buy me some marigolds, lavenders and rhododendrons," he ordered somewhat grumpily. The slave girl swallowed a lump in her throat and gathered her courage. No matter how much training she had put in learning to be confident, she barely succeed it in front of her master. Even after all the kindness Delvor had showed her for years, something deep inside her mind told her to remain submissive, not to pass her boundaries. "Master, are you alright?" He actually forced himself to smile. "I told you not to call me master, Reine. You always forget. And I'm fine." He threw himself back on the bed with a thump and sighed loudly. "Go now, Reine. Now." His tone was firm and commanding, yet pleading at the same time. It worried her. Still, Reine simply nodded and left her master to his privacy. She had a job to do. Hastily, she exited from the small mansion she had regarded as home for the past couple of years and trailed down the winding streets that were quite familiar to her. Every time she walked down the roads of Syliras, she could not help comparing it with Ravok. The two cities were nothing alike. Their people were different, their societies were different, their cultures were different. And yet, none of the two cities she could really call home. Reine wondered if she even had a true home. She supposed, as a Benshira, her home was the desert of Eyktol or Yahebah, but she had no memory of the place. Perhaps, she didn't have a home. Before she knew it, she had arrived in front of the flower stand on Orchid Street. Blooms of various colors and shaped decorated the exterior of the shop. There were so much that Reine had no idea how were there. It was beautiful. The beauty of nature brought into the center of a bustling city. Reine had only visited this shop a couple of times before and all of them upon the request of Delvor. Every time the flower he requested was different and it took her a couple visits to realize that they all symbolized something. Slowly, Reine stepped into the shop, letting her eyes wander around to flowers she had no name for. She headed to the main table, trying to find the old woman, Atta, who didn't seem to be present at the moment.

[Fubuki Kouri]

Fubuki Kouri "Dear, I'm going to deliver some bouquets, take care of the shop while I'm away, okay?" An elderly woman with a very gentle and comforting voice spoke to a rather peculiar person, a translucent little girl with pale hair rivaling the Kontis and crimson eyes like some Viper Dhanis. "Sure, Madame Atta. But uhm.. can I deliver the flowers instead?" The translucent girl named Kouri spoke to her employer. Atta was an senior citizen, work such as delivering flowers should be done by her employees, not her; but it seemed Atta had a reason for it, as always. "Well, thank you, Kouri dear. But you see... this client is a bit... racist you see. It will not bode well if you meet her..." Atta tried to tell her the reason as smoothly as possible without offending the ghost. "I hope you understand, dear" "Oh... I see... of course, Madame Atta" Kouri heaved a sigh. Another racist human, Kouri couldn't help but wonder that the humans in Syliras seemed so high in their ego and fear that all other races were scary and dangerous to them. I'm a human too, you know... Kouri directed her thought at the general populace. Kouri was a human, she wasn't lying. She was a Vantha, people of Avanthal of the Taldera region. Her ghostly state shouldn't make any difference, she was still a human in essence... at least, that's what she wanted the people to think. It seemed impossible to change the Syliran's mindset. "Thank you, dear. I'm off then, good-bye..." Atta gently smiled and left the Stand, leaving Kouri alone in the shop. I just hope no customer come in while she's away... But if a customer did come in, Kouri could materialize herself to -hopefully- pass as a... Viper Dhani or something. Her crimson red eyes, white hair, and powder white skin complexion could be found in some species of Dhanis, combined with her small body frame; she somewhat looked like a Viper Dhani in human form. Kouri's materialization power level was high enough for her to be completely indistinguishable from a corporeal being in poor lighting condition or indoors and she was inside the flower stand with mediocre lighting. No normal person could see immediately she was a ghost unless that person was an Auristic mage or touched her. Oh yeah... my bloodstains... Just a few days ago, she almost succeeded in passing off as a... corporeal being, but the bloodstains on her neck and dress gave her away. Oh what a disaster it was... the poor young woman was scared to death. She would not repeat the same mistake, she materialized herself and focused. Slowly, the bloodstains disappeared and her skin and clothes looked clean. She landed on the ground for extra measure, no other races could float just a few inches above the ground, could it? Well, except maybe some few powerful mages. If Kouri broke her concentration though, she would revert to her original form and the bloodstains would appear. "Huff..." Kouri huffed and looked around the store, filled to the brim with various kinds of flowers. What should I do? Oh yeah, I think I'll make some flower arrangements... Kouri was about to do just that when... Oh come on... a human entered the store. A young adult female human with bright aquamarine eyes, long dark hair, and healthy light skin tone. Tch... oh come on, how can you be so... pretty... Kouri was rather envious of the woman's beauty. Kouri was beautiful as well... when she was alive, now her beauty was really really subjective. If one could look pass the transparency, crimson red eyes, corpse-like pale skin tone, and the bloodstains; she sure was pretty. Problem was, most of the humans would draw the line of her being a monster at the crimson red eyes part. She was not a Dhani or a Zith, some people are just too racist... The woman was tall, really tall. Even from a medium distance, Kouri had to tilt her head slighty upwards to look at her well-groomed face. Her slim figure only accentuated her statuesque height. Kouri noticed some scars on the woman's wrist, was she a warrior? Unlikely but you never know... "*Cough*... yes? How may I help you?" Kouri got no choice but to service this customer, if she ran away by blinking outside for example; it would stain her relationship with Atta. Kouri made sure to stay in the rather dark part of the shop, her disguise was most effective there. I'll be sure to get stronger so I can fool most people in any lighting condition... She determined.

[Reine Darlyeo]

True enough, it was not the old woman inside the shop, instead there a young girl. It seemed like she worked here. There was something odd about the girl, something Reine couldn't quite explain. The hairs on her skin rose with a faint chill and her nose inhaled a sharp, tangy smell under the perfume of flowers. Still, she had no real explanation so she simply waved those things away. Reine approached the girl gingerly. The girl was quite peculiar. Her hair was white as snow and her bright eyes were blood red. It was an unsettling combination for someone so young. Unnerving, even. Still, Reine hid her confusion well, just like she was trained to. She smiled to the girl. "Uh yes, I'm here to buy some flowers. Some lavenders, marigolds and rhododendrons please." Truthfully, the words were quite foreign in her mouth. She had a very faint idea of what those may look like. She wondered the flowers meant. Maybe she could ask, later on. She paid more attention to the girl in front of her. Her blue eyes scanning the girl in front of her somewhat thoroughly. The girl seemed occupied by some thought. Reine had no idea what it was - not yet. "It's a good day, isn't it? If it's alright for me to ask, where's the old woman who used to guard this stall?"

[Fubuki Kouri]

Fubuki Kouri "......." Everything was going good so far, the human was not freaked out at the first eye contact; it's something, right? Kouri could only hope that this situation would continue until she had finished buying or something... *Gulp* Kouri gulped in nervousness when the blue-eyed young woman approached her, she inched back every so slowly; trying to keep her distance while not making her suspicious at the same time. She looked cautious, did she suspect anything? Did her cover was blown or did the woman think she was a Dhani? Kouri didn't know, but she hoped it was the latter. "Ah, of course, Madame..." Kouri only hoped her materialization skill could hide the haunting echoing nature of her voice as well, it seemed to do the job quite well. *Sigh*... if only... She hoped that whatever divine power was out there could make her... a human again. "*Cough*... uhm... A bouquet of lavenders, marigolds, and rhododendron; correct? Please wait just a chime" Kouri spoke as professionally and business-like as possible. !? Phew... She almost jutted out her tendril to grab the flower bouquets, good thing she realized it and stopped herself. Her cover would immediately be blown away if this tall woman saw ghastly ethereal black tendrils emerging from Kouri's back. She focused her soulmist projection on the palms of her hands instead. This way she could mimick how a normal human picked up their things, using their hands. Kouri turned around and 'walked' deeper into the store, her crimson eyes scanning the numerous bouquets around her. She spotted the bright orange color of the marigolds first and picked it up. After a chime, she found the light violet color of the Rhododendron flower bouquets.What a mouthful name... She picked it up as well, now both of her hands were holding two flower bouquets. "....." Kouri wanted to do the job in one go by extending a tendril and picked up the third bouquet, but... that would petch everything up. "*Sigh*..." heaving an exasperated sigh, Kouri came back to the woman and put both of the bouquets on a table near her. She then walked back and picked up the purple lavender bouquet she spotted earlier, she grabbed it with her right hand and put it on the table as well. "Each of the bouquets will cost 1 silver mizas, Madame... anything else I can help you?" Great! This was going smooth, as smooth as the Vantha wooden carvings. Oh... no... The woman then tried to start a conversation with her... this was completely unnecessary, but still a customer was a customer... "Yes, it's a good day indeed, Madame. Uhm... Madame Atta is delivering some orders right now..." As she answered, Kouri's eyes wandered to the scars on the woman's wrists; someone as delicate as her couldn't be a warrior could it? Then... what happened? The scar seemed to intricate for accident-caused wounds.

[Reine Darlyeo]

Again, Reine couldn't help thinking that the flower girl was acting oddly - her hesitation and she did seem to want to end their interaction quickly. She wondered why. Also for some reason, she seemed to be shrinking away from Reine, like she didn't want to be seen. Her movements as she picked up the flowers were also awkward, almost like she wasn't used to it. Three different bouquets were laid out on the table in front of her. Two of them - which she guessed were the lavenders and rhododendrons - possessed a purple shade, whereas the marigolds were a bright, sunny color. It was an odd group of flowers. Why would her master wanted this flower? They certainly was not having a celebration of any kind. "I think that's all I need." She pulled out 3 silver mizas and placed them on the table, next to the flowers. "I know this probably sounds odd, but do you have any idea what each flower mean? I've heard that flowers have their own meanings." The younger girl's eyes wandered and rested on the scars around Reine's wrists. People tend to notice them for some reason. It did look ghastly. Over the years, the scar had always been a source of questioning whenever she went to parties and events. After all, what kind of girl had hideous scars on her wrists and ankles? Ghosts of cuts and burns forever marked her skin, alerting people that she was not what she seemed. Sometimes, if she wanted to, she would wear bracelets or ribbons to conceal it, but today she had not thought of it. "It's not exactly flattering, isn't it?" She wrapped her fingers around her right wrist a bit self-consciously. She still could remember the chains that had bounded her hands. The steel cold and heavy. Reine had spent hours each day, twisting her wrists inside the tight manacles, wounding her own skin. She would try to slip out of it every single day. She was young and it did not occur to her that her action was hopeless. That getting bloody every day would not help her in any way. Still, she kept trying whenever she could. Even though most of the other slaves had tried telling her that it was stupid, that it was no use, her younger self would not give up. At least not for a while.

[Fubuki Kouri]

Fubuki Kouri Kouri picked up the mizas carefully and put them in a temporary money pouch near Atta's table. While she did that, the woman asked her a question... again. Oh... just... go away already! She wanted to scream that, but that would spell doom to her cover, employment status, and reputation in general. She swallowed her irritation and beamed the woman a forced polite smile. "Y-yes, uhm... f-from what I know..." Kouri's eyebrow twitched as she tried to suppress the annoyance building within her. "The marigolds mean 'Pain' and 'Grief'... the lavenders mean... 'devotion'... and uhm... I'm sorry, Madame. I don't know that the Rhododendrons mean... huff..." There! I answered your question! Please leave... The young woman seemed to notice Kouri's stare, she grabbed her right wrist with her left hand and made a remark about it. Kouri eyes widen in realization, she felt impolite for staring at someone without their permission. She bowed slightly and apologized "I'm... sorry, Madame..." What... what does the scar mean?. She very much wanted to ask the woman that, but she also wanted her to leave right away. The battle between her curiosity and desire was intense... but in the end, her curiosity won. "U-uhm... i-if it's not rude, how did you... uhm... get it? Are you a warrior? A-ah... I understand if you don't want to answer, Madame..." No... I must find out... even if she doesn't want to answer... OOCFrom here, the thread can go to 2 different paths depending on Reine's next actions: 1. If she answers truthfully to Kouri, Kouri will find out that Reine was a slave and will ask if she's still a slave right now. 2. If she leaves the store, Atta will come back, and Kouri will excuse herself to silently follow Reine until she reaches Delvor's home and will stalk her until Kouri finds out who she really is.

[Reine Darlyeo]

OOCI choose the latter Pain. Grief. Devotion. No sense came from those words for her. By now, Reine was acutely aware of the young girl's discomfort of her asking questions. Odd. Wonder why the girl wanted to get rid of her so much. Did she do something? Faintly shaking her head to herself, Reine tried not to think about it. Odd behaviors were no stranger to her. "U-uhm... i-if it's not rude, how did you... uhm... get it? Are you a warrior? A-ah... I understand if you don't want to answer, Madame..." Reine simply shrugged and smiled. "No, I am not any sort of warrior. I can't even be sure that I can fight." She had not expected that the girl who had been eager for her to leave would actually ask her about the scar. Looking at the girl straight in her eyes, she simply said, "Just an accident, that's all. Nothing worth your attention."The words were not much different than anyone would've said besides the force behind it. As much as she tried not using her magic, a prick of suggestion wouldn't hurt. The subtlest art of Hypnotism itself - something no one would notice, really. It would be easily ignored, but it could have effect on some people. Thought Reine made no effort of concealing her scar, she couldn't have people asking around about it. Delvor had told her specifically not to let anyone know that she was a slave. If it was merely a passing curiosity, the flower stand girl would probably forget about Reine's scar quickly. If not, well, she was leaving anyway. Picking up all the bouquets gingerly, Reine headed for the door. She better come back home quickly. Delvor might be looking for her. "Thank you for the flowers," Reine said the last time as she left the flower stand. The loudness of the street greeted her once more. She had never really gotten used to it. People were everywhere in Syliras. Every once in a while,she would the glinting armor a Syliran Knight. The knights were probably the most significant difference she felt after moving from Ravok. No knights to defend the laws there. Using a different way from which she came - a slight precaution Reine had learned over the years - she headed back to the Maiden District.

[Fubuki Kouri]

OOCGhostly stalking commence! She's not a warrior... then what is she? Kouri's curiosity grew to insurmountable heights when the woman said that she was not one. !? Kouri's eyes widened both in surprise and anticipation when the woman looked at her straight in her eyes. Was she going to tell her? No... she didn't, the woman told her it was just an accident and was not a big deal. Kouri didn't buy it, a scar that intricate couldn't be the result of an accident. What kind of 'accident' was this woman talking about? "I see, Madame... and you're welcome..." Kouri stated and watched the woman as she left the store. Deep inside her mind though... Oi! Little princess! Don't you get the feeling that the woman was using magic? Just like what Sir Maduro did to us... Her psychotic side quipped and awakened because of the hypnotism attempt. Kouri had gone through a much more intense hypnotism attempt and that particular attempt awakened the psychotic side within her, it gained an alternate persona of sorts. Kouri's eyes turned to reptilian slits and slightly glowed, she was not going to be manipulated like this. She silently waited for Atta to come back and then... "Yes, please excuse me..." The gentle voice of an old woman excusing herself through the sea of bodies just outside the Flower Stand could be heard. Atta had came back from her errand and was about to enter the Flower Stand when she noticed a woman exiting her shop, carrying three flower bouquets with her. That girl did a great job, didn't she? Atta praised Kouri in her mind for successfully servicing a customer even though she's... well, not exactly human. "Dear, I'm back..." Atta entered the store and found Kouri doing something in her work table, her back facing Atta. "Welcome back, Madame Atta... uhm... I'm sorry, but I forgot something important; may I take my leave today?" Kouri said without turning her back to face Atta. "...." Atta noticed the ghost girl's voice was much lower in pitch and something was definitely up. She didn't want to prod into her business though. Atta just nodded and said in her every so gentle voice "Of course, dear. The abundant flowers you delivered to me was more than enough to warrant you a vacation..." Ever since the beginning of the summer season, Atta noticed Kouri's power had increased significantly since she first began to work here; she could bring back four flower baskets at the same time whereas previously she could only bring one. This of course, worries Atta a bit. The ghost girl was far from harmless now, but it seemed the girl was gentle and kind enough to the people that treated her with kindness. "Thank you, Madame Atta..." Kouri turned around and bowed slightly to the old woman. She then unmaterialized herself and launched herself diagonally upwards. Phasing through the objects and people. Kouri then keep flying upwards until she gained the bird eye's view on the sea of bodies. Her eyes quickly searched for a bouquet of Marigolds, its bright vivid orange color couldn't be missed even from a distance. Found you... It was a good thing Atta came back just after the woman left so she was not far away from the Flower Stand. Combined with the fact that she had to maneuver herself through the sea of people, she couldn't move fast unless she's an acrobat. Kouri quickly blinked twice to position herself just behind the woman and then blinked again, appearing underground below the stone floors. She jutted out the upper part of her head just enough for her eyes to see and silently followed the hypnotist woman with almost all of her body being underground. OOCKouri will keep following you until you reach Delvor's home

[Reine Darlyeo]

Reine slipped easily through hundreds of bodies that filled the streets. She was used to it after three years being sent out to do urgent errands for Delvor, requiring her to run and make her way back to her home the fastest way possible. Though, the flowers in her arms did slow her down. She could not move as freely as she would've like if she wanted to keep the delicate blooms from being crushed. Finally she had arrived in front of the small, two-story apartment located in the Maiden District. Children ran around the premise, bursting out from their houses, saying their goodbyes to their mother. Wives gathered and gossiped with each other, talking about the latest scandal between some blacksmith and a shopkeeper. People paid her no attention. They knew she had been staying here for some time and that she was no one worth their attention. Of course sometimes they whispered about her and Delvor, but no one knew that they were actually master and slave. Reine leaned her shoulder against the wooden door and slipped inside the opening. She had always liked this small apartment. It made no sense. She was not fond of the lack of sunlight, yet it was almost a home to her. Modest furniture were set inside the small quarter. At least one colorful glass vase was placed on available surfaces. Fat lumps of candles sat stoically on tall metal holders. Two cupboards placed at the corner were filled with all sorts of things - glass jars filled with mysterious substances, a locked ornate box, memory stones, scrolls and all sorts of trinkets from all over Mizahar. It was nothing, of course, compared to Delvor's old home in Ravok. She missed the open skies but she was not eager to return to Ravok. It brought her too many memories. Reine headed into the dining room, where she was sure she had heard some noises. True enough, Delvor was already seated near the dining table, mindlessly stirring his soup. He must have bought it while she was gone. He certainly looked better than he did when she had left him for the flower stand. Some colors had flowed to his cheeks. Her master had also taken the time to change his travel clothes for a shirt and a pair of worn trousers. "Delvor?" His head snapped up, his eyes widening. For a moment it looked like he didn't recognize her. "Oh, its' you. I am sorry. I'm not in my right mind for these few days." "I certainly can see that," she quipped. She laid out the bouquets gently on the table in front of him. The faint scent of flowers filled her nose, mixing with the thick hot air around them. "I've gotten your flowers. And it seemed this one," Reine pointed at the yellow marigolds, "has an awful meaning." Delvor did not respond the way she had wanted to. He simply shrugged like it was nothing. "Maybe I simply chose them because they looked pretty." He had completely forgotten his afternoon meal, leaning back on his chair. "You can't really believe that flowers mean anything awful." He stood up and walked toward her, so that they were close to each other. One of his hand fingered the golden petals. "Don't fret about it, Reine." "You know I could force you to say it if I wanted to," she pointed out. "But you won't." After placing a deep kiss on her lips, Delvor turned away and grabbed his bowl. "Leave it be. I doubt you'd want to know about it." Pursing her lips, Reine looked out the flickering fire from the candles. Drowned in her own thoughts, she did not realize that someone had been following her the whole way. Another set of eyes that were watching her.

[Fubuki Kouri]

Fubuki Kouri OOC : Oh yeah, Reine, all of Syliras is located inside a Fortress. So it would not be a house, but an apartment built into the walls of the Fortress. And there would be no sunlight or wind as well. So you might want to edit your post to reflect that. Muuhuhuhehehehahahahaha... Kouri laughed like a girly evil overlord in her mind. Her plan was going perfectly, the woman didn't even look back to notice something. Then again, she have to stop, turn around, and focus on the ground to see the floral headband jutting out; but if she did that, Kouri would have more than enough time to blink away to her back. Finally, she seemed to arrive at her destination. The Maiden District... huh... is this her apartment? Kouri looked around the residential area. Apartments and some businesses here and there, this place sure was on the middle scale in terms of living quality. The woman headed to a particular apartment, opening the wooden door, and entered it. Kouri rose up from the ground and silently followed her, phasing through the entrance. Woah... Once inside, looks of astonishment graced her crimson eyes. The apartment was filled with numerous decorations and trinkets. Colorful glass vases, burning candles that graced the interior with its flame, cupboards filled with various objects and did her eyes noticed some Vantha wooden carvings among the objects? All in all, it was like in a mini museum. Kouri saw the woman heading to the dining room and then... she heard voices, the woman was talking to a man. "...." Kouri moved behind a wall near the dining room and peeked her head through the stone walls. She saw a rather sickly adult male sitting on a chair, a bowl of soup in front of him and the woman talking to him. ??? So the man was the one who told her to buy the flowers... I wonder who he is? Kouri flinched when she saw both of them kissing, like lovers. Ah... they're husband and wife... Kouri made the most logical conclusion, a man and woman living together and kissing? They sure were husband and wife, what else? But still... Kouri's question was not answered, she still needed to find out what those scars truly meant. "....." Kouri decided to do something drastic, she silently and swifty extended six of her tendrils to extinguish several of the candles lighting the dining room, leaving just two candles. This was to assist her materialization ability that would soon follow. The woman and man would immediately notice this so she stepped out from the wall and materialized herself, also removing the bloodstains. Both of them were surely notice this girl was not normal, but at least she could appear at least solid and not transparent. The room's temperature immediately dropped as the most of the candles were extinguished and her ghostly presence chilled it. "Hehehehahaha~" her haunting giggles echoed in the room. "Madame... why did you try to hypnotize me~?" Kouri smiled a fake innocent smile. "I only ask you about your scar... and you tried to hypnotize me, that only prove that the scars mean something important~" Kouri shot a look at the man near the woman. "Hmmm? Are you her husband, Sir? And Madame... don't try to use your magic again... believe me, I will stop you..." She flicked her hair, the very long ethereal white strands billowed even though there's no wind. "So, I will ask once more... what do those scars truly mean, Madame?"