PM to join A Slave, A Snake... And a Dumpling [Blossoming Blossoms]

[Shayna]

Time Stamp: 32nd Winter 513

The rains had finally gone, though the swamp being what it was mud and muck still clung to everything. Slaves had been deployed to start the clean up so fortunately much of the streets were relatively clear. The air still had the winter chill to it, though it got no where near as cold as Syliras or even Riverfall. Still for someone who had never left Kenash in her life, so had no real median from which to judge, Shayna thought it a miserable day.

Her clothing protected her well enough, for it really wasn't bitterly cold, as she walked through the streets. Her black hair was brushed until it shone, though nothing decorated it, her clothing a simple pair of dark breeches and an unbleached tunic-style blouse. She was not the prettiest slave, nor the most well dressed but she held her head high as she walked the streets beside her owner. Whenever they met a freeborn or Dynasty on the street she would slow, and fall in line behind him, scooting as far over as she could to give them wide berth, before catching back up smoothly with his gait.

A dynasty that Mamoru had met early in the season had sent an invitation to a small party at Boldvine. Shayna knew it for what it was, or thought she did, a simple invitation so that Al'thea could interrogate her master further. She had suggested that if he wanted to go, to play nice, to act the gracious guest and bring Al'thea a gift. This is what brings them to Blossoming Blossoms, Shayna could admit to herself that she was also eager to see the little child slave she had met earlier, Lilou.

[Kalesserimamoru]

Mamoru moved through the streets of Kenash with his pet alone side him. The trickster still wasn't enjoying the cold, and when he wasn't working he had spent a lot of his time in the cottage he was renting where he could stay close to the fire place for extra warmth. Of course Shyna was also good for the same chore, but she had other things to attend to around the cottage at least some of the time.

Dark robes, midnight in color draped from his shoulders, but he allowed the hood to rest against his neck and back, leaving his raven colored hair free and flowing about his head and neck. He was out this day to shop, this time not for himself or Shayna, but for another. He had been invited to a party by the konti he had met before. He figured it must have been the red head's doing, she had seemed very interested in him before, and they hadn't met since that day. It had been Shayna's idea to buy a gift to take, another one of their Kenash doings that was supposed to say something about people.

He didn't care much for the meaning, but he did want to make a good impression and also to learn more about the mysterious woman. She fought his hypnotism and that made him want to put her under a spell even more. This party would give him the chance to learn more about her as well as another shot at making her a willing friend. But first they had to get the gift, and so he made his way to the shop. Mamoru didn't move around the Dynasty and other freeborns as Shayna did, his natural slithering grace allowing him to slide between them easily enough.

They reached the shop, and he stepped inside assuming that Shayna would be behind him. The rules of the city were still new, and as he had learned slaves weren't allow everywhere, and for some places they had to wait outside. "Blossoming Blossoms? What an odd name. Now then..flowers? What shall I get? Posion?" he cackled to himself.

[Lilou]

Lilou had been working with the flowers when the people came. People came a lot, they came and went, and usually she showed them to Elanai, or Elanai was there... but her Mistress was spending a lot of time making bouquets, feeling safe with the little slave to take care of the flowers and direct customers in the right direction. Now was one of those times when Elanai was gone - out of the building, actually - and she was left with... people.

A creepy-looking man came in, all black with black hair and a black cloak and shoes and... everything. She wanted to shudder, but instead cowered behind her bush, hoping it shielded her from view. He was scary, even though he didn't really look like he was trying. She didn't like scary people, or things. They were, well... scary. She fingered the base of the weed she'd been pulling, though who knew how it got there... Elanai was very careful about weeds. The leaves were all spiky, and it had grown unnoticed behind some ferns until she'd come along. So it was kinda big.

The man stepped inside, laughing at the name - Lilou was insulted - and mentioning something about poison. That made him even more scary. She wanted to hide and run and pretend she wasn't there. But... Elanai told her to greet anyone who came. She was contemplating the options when she spotted the woman behind the creepy guy... Shayna! The woman's presence gave the slave at least some courage to step up, her head poking over branches and leaves and blossoms.

"Hellooo?" she called in a shaky voice. "Are-are you looking for flowers?" That was obvious, from what the man had just said... but Elanai had told her to say that. "Elanai's... out. She'll be back... er... soon." She stared in a little bit of horror at the man, hoping he wasn't some freaky monster in disguise who would eat her. No. Shayna wouldn't like that, and Shayna was nice... Shayna had taught her numbers and things, and talked to her. Elanai talked to, but Lilou could never quite bring herself to start a conversation...

"Shaynnaa?" she asked, glancing around for a better view of the woman. Maybe she'd solve things. She knew the man... he wasn't really that scary, right? If Shayna was with him.

[Shayna]

Shayna stepped behind her master easily, as if she had done so many times before -and probably had. Moving into the flower shop was a little different this time, she wasn't alone so wasn't quite so free to chit chat as she was the last time. When Mamoru spoke of poison, she quirked a brow "Careful M'Lord. The walls have ears around Kenash and jesting does not often translate to the ears that hear." She smiled up at him, her words might have been reproving if not for the docile tones she used. It was simply a reminder that idle words were not taken well in Kenash.

The sound of the child voice reached her ears, and Shayna put a brighter smile on, and slipped fully around Mamoru. "Lilou," She says in greeting, still not speaking to the other slave as if she were a child. "Yes we are here for a flower, or two.." she gave a look toward Mamoru, with a quirk of a brow. "Remember I told you about Mamoru?" Shayna moved forward and bent a little. "That is him. Perhaps you could show him a pretty flower..its for a lady."

[Kalesserimamoru]

Mamoru formed his lips into a smirk at her words, that was Shayna, forever trying to steer her master away from trouble. She was good that way, chiming in at the right moment to give him a warning here and there. To the trickster it was laughable, as if any of them really had a chance at taking him. He had survived one point, two billion Myrians standing over the nest for well over a hundred years, these snobby people weren't a threat. If he had some hopes of joining their political game fairly then maybe, but Mamoru had no plans of doing anything fairly.

"Yes, you're right dear girl. Where are my manners." The Dhani got a small thrill out of acting helpless and acting dumb. In the past his acting, as bad as it was, had saved him a lot of trouble. "Perhaps I should buy a muzzle of some kind..to keep this tongue of mine from wagging so." Standing in the shop he looked around for someone to step forward, rudely of course, and proceed to make a fool out of themselves. Suddenly a small voice called out, and he had to looked around quickly to find the small girl hiding.

"Who are..." he started, before Shayna moved in front of him. The girl really was a good buffer, and helpful in these situations where Mamoru might have come off rude or scary. Mamoru stood silently with his arms behind him and waited while his pet took care of the introductions. He smiled and nodded to the small girl, but said nothing else.

[Lilou]

Lilou sighed quietly in relief as Shayna approached, explaining that this was Mamoru. Mamoru... right... Shayna's master. But her friend had said that Mamoru was nice. This man didn't look nice at all. She still didn't put it past him to turn into a crocodile and eat her. Monsters did that. Instead she nodded mutely, watching the creepy man with distrust.

She remembered her job then, and realized that she had to show the man flowers... she didn't know how to arrange them - Elanai said she'd teach her later - but there was one or two bouquets that the woman had made earlier in the day, for anyone who wasn't looking for specific stuff. She smiled a little, glad that her work was easier, and darted off to where they were stored. It was for a lady... a lady... not roses, they implied love. Was it love? She didn't really understand that. Who would love a scary man anyways? She didn't know many of the flower meanings, so instead picked one with yellow mums, ferns, and white hydrangeas... big flowers with lots of leaves from the ferns. Picking it up, she carried it carefully over to the pair.

"Mums, hydrangeas, and ferns..." she rattled off, staring into the bouquet as to avoid looking at the scary man. Instead she held it before Shayna, who she knew better... and Shayna knew more about flowers. With her back half turned to the man, she caught the woman's attention, glanced over at Mamoru and back, and mouthed "He's scary. You said he was niceeee" The last words probably made no sense for any non-lip reader, but the general mouthing of the first two would be understandable.

[Shayna]

Shayna gave her master a deadpan look at his jesting words, though she couldn't keep a ghost of a smile from lifting her lips at the idea of him stopping his tongue from 'wagging'. His tongue had been wagging pretty much constantly since she had been purchased him, either from talking or from other things. Yet he played the game that the Dynasties played well, how else did you explain why a Konti from the ruling house Konrath inviting a freeborn to a party that was not a city wide function?

Shayna shook her head before she returned her attention to the child slave, whom Shayna didn't have to bend too far to speak to considering Shayna's diminutive height. "Mums, hydrangea, and ferns hmm?" She accepted the bouquet and stood to show her master, "Lilou has suggested this, it is quite.. big." Shayna said, turning the flowers so that he could see the yellows and oranges of the mums, complementing the pinks and purples of the Hydrangeas, all nestled amid leafy greens. "While it is pretty, I am wondering if someone of Al'thea's tastes might think.. less is more."

[Kalesserimamoru]

He looked away from the girls, and around at the place itself. Back in the nest he wouldn't have come to such a place without being ordered too. Flowers weren't something that he cared about in the least, and the smells weren't anything special. He turned back to see the tiny girl glancing at him and smiled. He could barely remember when he was that young, but the few memories that he did have were of the baths where he and the other snakelings all slithered around together just waiting on their next meal.

Ah..those were fun days..

Mamoru turned to look at Shayna when she held the flowers for him to see and his expression was dull if anything. He wasn't even sure what he was looking at. "Did you pick these yourself little one?" he glanced to the tiny slave again, then turned to speak with his pet. "And you know this Al'thea's taste, do you Shayna? Then go on." he said while waving his hand. "Show this girl what I need and we'll be on our way."

[Lilou]

Lilou was disappointed that Shayna ignored her silent comment, so frowned as the woman commented on her flower choice. It was big and bushy, but the colors were nice. Yellow and white and green. She pursed her lips, trying to remember the other bouquets that had been there... right! The lily one! Blue lilies and white calla lilies. The calla lilies didn't really look like lilies to her, but they were still pretty.

"I picked the ferns," she whispered quietly when Mamoru posed the question. He wasn't sounding sooo scary anymore, and if she didn't look he sounded positively normal. Until she saw all the black. Black wasn't a nice color. Green was better. Her gaze was glued to the floor, except when the slave occasionally shot glances at Shayna to see what she was doing. "There's a nice lily bouquet?" she proposed quietly, taking a step to get it. If given permission, she would dash off again and come back with a much smaller collection of flowers, a mixture of sky blue and white. Some green leaves stuck out, but not many.

"This one?" she asked, holding it out yet again to Shayna. Mamoru had nearly said he didn't know flowers, and Shayna did... and Lilou liked Shayna. She didn't want to look at the scary man. Her eyes were a little more raised this time as she waited patiently for Shayna's decision. Oh, if only Elanai was here... Elanai would be fine with talking to people and showing them flowers. Elanai could make them a bouquet from scratch. She wished she could make a bouquet... but she hadn't been taught that yet.

[Shayna]

Shayna tilted her head up at her master, one brow raised trying to decide if he was annoyed or if simply was just boredom of the shop. She enjoyed the flowers, she actually enjoyed the gardening she just didn't enjoy the relatively low status of being a field slave. "I wouldn't claim to know Lady Al'thea's tastes M'Lord, that is not something a simple slave would know. However.. I do know that she was wearing understated jewelry when we met her in Black Swan Pond, while her .. friends were much larger pieces."

When Lilou came back with the lilies, Shayna nods her head and gave the child a warm smile. "You did a very good job picking the ferns too. And those lilies are lovely, do you know how much they would cost?" Shayna noticed the child's reluctance to look at Mamoru, and she was puzzled because her master was being very good. Of course she had seen what he could really be when he wanted to, but now he looked just like any other human..he had even found a way to disguise the syllabary s's that Dhani's seemed to struggle with.

"He won't bite you Lilou. I told you that he was different, but he is nice." Shayna straightens, not that she had to bend too far, to walk back toward Mamoru, Lilies in hand. "Have you practiced your numbers?"