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

[Kalesserimamoru]

If someone had asked him years ago how long was it bright out, he may have guessed half of what it really was. He spent most of his time underground where the light couldn't reach and for the first hundred years of his life that was all he had known. The trickster had come far in the passing years, from cave walls, to walls made of wood and stone. From almost complete darkness to bright lighting even when inside a building or shop. He took it all in with a curious look and left Shayna to handle the flower shopping.

Mamoru was a bit of a spy, and what he knew was that to get close to someone one needed to know them, and Shayna did. She knew more about them than he did, and that would come in handy. It already had been useful and he would now arrive with a good gift to please the pale blonde. He didn't know exactly what to expect from her, but it was going to be something either way. If possible Mamoru would rather it be a friendly encounter, but if she insisted on belittling him, she would have to pay.

He turned to glance at the girls again, giving them another smile. He really was useless and out of place there, which left him nothing to do but wait. Besides Shayna seemed to know the girl and as far as he knew they could have been family. The Dhani wasn't so horrible that he wouldn't allow her to converse with family and or friends, and so he waited patiently for her return. It didn't take long and when Shayna arrived with the new flowers, he smiled and give his approval. "Ah, those are good. I'm sure she will like them, they're very..flowery."

Smiling again, he lightly patted Shayn's shoulder and moved around her to find the tiny child that seemed to enjoy hiding from him. "Ah yes, and how much will this be?"

[Lilou]

Lilou grinned when Shayna complimented the lilies and her flower –or fern- picking. She liked the colors herself, not bright or gaudy, but pretty. She wished she could wear something in this color, but she always wore brown. Just… brown. Everyone else wore nice colors, white and blue and green and red. And… black. But black wasn’t too nice. She got brown. Maybe Elanai would buy her nicer clothes… maybe. It felt like a dream, really.

Shayna had finally understood her dislike of Mamoru and mentioned it, putting it off with a few words… but the little girl still didn’t quite believe it. He was very different, and he was starting to sound nicer. Maybe he was actually nice? Turning, she gave the man a weak smile, before feeling another pang of fright at his appearance. “Numbers? Yes! Elanai said she was happy. She taught me nineteen and twenty too!” She wanted to say twenty was like two tens, but shut her mouth, remembering Mamoru’s presence. Not in front of the important person. Shayna didn’t seem to mind, but…

They’d both asked her the price by then, and she cowered at the thought. She didn’t know money. Elanai talked of money and things, but she didn’t. She knew other slaves normally weren’t allowed to touch money, and she wouldn’t know what to do with it either. Big fat coins she’d seen, gold silver and copper, some shiny, some less shiny. The shiny ones were pretty. She didn’t do coins and things though, but having one of them would be nice… but not allowed. Never allowed. Lilou wondered what the difference between the three was…

“I don’t know,” she said quietly, shrinking a little. “Elanai will know. When she comes back.” Until then… what would happen? Elanai would be back soon… but she wasn’t sure how soon.

[Shayna]

Shayna smiled at her master's words, finding the undertones to be amusing. The longer she was his the more she learned, and the more comfortable she was with him. She was learning his cues, his sarcastic voice, his serious voice, she was beginning -she thought- to learn her master's ambitions. She felt confident that in a season or two she would learn his mannerisms and moods. After that it wouldn't be long before she would be able to predict what he would want without having to be asked, it was a slow process but if someone put the time into a personal slave then it was very possible.

Shayna might have moved back toward the child, but her master's hand patting her shoulder told her to stay behind and she watched him for a moment as he bent to speak to Lilou. From her position she smiles at the child slave, happy that the child had not gotten in trouble from her impromptu lesson in numbers. Some owners were prickly about their slaves learning new things. She didn't know what her master wanted to do, wait for Elanai or try and find Al'thea a different gift. She herself wouldn't mind waiting, if the child slave could not help customers then Elanai wouldn't be gone too long.

[Kalesserimamoru]

Mamoru looked at the tiny girl and smiled, he had wondered exactly how much a tiny girl like herself would know and could do in a business shop. That truth he learned as she explained that she didn't know the cost, showing her limits in what was allowed. Her job was watching the shop it seemed and on occasion to make flower arrangements. They would have to wait until the other woman returned if he wanted to get the flowers.

"I suppose we're waiting then.."

He said aloud while giving Shayna a glance. So they would wait, but to do what while they waited was the question. Shayna and the girl seemed to be friends, but the girl didn't seem to take to him well. Not yet..With a smile he turned and moved closer to the girl and reached into his pocket to remove a single golden coin. "You're learning to count little one? That's good coin does help the world go around, doesn't it?" Mamoru gave Shayna another glance and winked at her before turning his attention back to the girl.

"It's funny how these coins are made, the hard surface, gold an silver materials that all play off the light in a way that makes them shine. It's very pretty, hmm?" he added showing the girl the coin in his hand. "Now..watch.." he smiled as he placed the coin on the floor and started to spin it around. It was a normal golden miza, nothing special about it, that was until he added his touch. The trickster put his mark to use and cast an illusion over the coin that both Shayna and Lilou could see. the golden color would fade to sliver, burn to bright red, and settle to green, all in a mater of ticks as it spun quickly around and around. The colors reflected nicely with the spinning coin that would dazzle the eyes of those who saw the illusion.

Finally the coin stopped spinning and as it landed flat on the floor, it returned to it's original golden color. End trick..

[Lilou]

Lilou frowned as Mamoru pulled out the coin. Was he giving it to her? No, that was silly. No one gave slaves money, ever. But it sounded like he was, and it looked like he was. The girl grew more and more worried as he lowered it closer to her head level... until it touched the floor. The man kept talking, and spun it on its edge. The coin spun round and round, balancing on such a small bit. Her face split into a grin at the spectacle of just that, until...

Colors! Bright colors flashed around it, starting from gold, then silver, red, green... She wondered if it would spin and flash forever light a bright light, until it toppled on its side, dull again. Lilou took in a sharp, amazed breath as she crouched to stare at it in delight. "Do they all do that?" she blurted, unable to control herself. Of course, she'd never seen anyone spin coins like that, so how did she know? That must be why everyone liked them so much, because of the colors and flash. To have one of those, just one... it was so tempting. She would spin it and spin it and spin it... but no, Elanai wouldn't let her have one. She nearly stretched out a hand to touch it, just once, maybe take it if Mamoru didn't yell... but no.

OOCAre you going to break it to her? XD

[Shayna]

Shayna watched her master closely, not because she feared he might do something to Lilou but simply to see how he would take to another slave. He was a warm master, at least to her, and she was curious as to if that warmth was extended to slaves in general. Her former mistress was cold and indifferent if she wasn't being slightly cruel and wrathful, and before that her owners were the slave-farmers who bred and trained the slaves. She was just one of a hundred to them. She was feeling pretty fortunate that he had purchased her.

When he winked at her she raised her brows, she didn't know what but she knew he was up to something when he did that. She paid closer attention, her green eyes going to the coin. Much like Lilou she was astounded, though she knew that coins didn't all do this. She also knew that her master had somehow did it, but she didn't know how. Of course she had seen him make his fingers into knives, and legs where a tail should be so she was not exactly perplexed that a beautiful show occurred as curious as to how he does such things. It had to be magic, but he should be careful using that. Blatant use of magic outside of job use was a way to get the Kenashern to distrust him. Yet she couldn't say anything here, for she didn't want Lilou to hear he had performed some sort of magic. It would be easy for a simple light display to be grandly exaggerated. Yet she asked, so Shayna smiled "No Lilou they don't all do that. M'Lord is entertaining us." didn't

[Kalesserimamoru]

Mamoru smiled as he watched the delight rise in Lilou's eyes. At least she could appreciate his talents. Not like those snakes in Zinrah or the monkeys that lived on top of the underground city. No they thought he was worthless, trouble, and not worth their time. He lifted his gaze to Shayna who could also see the flickering, colorful lights. She didn't look as mesmerized by it as the small girl did, but as he learned his pet, he was coming to see what attracted her, and what things impressed her.

Reaching down, he picked up the coin and handed it to little Lilou to take. "This is for you little one. Keep it hidden, keep it safe, we can't have anyone taking this from you." He smiled again and waited for her to take it. "Maybe in your spare time you will figure out how to make the coin spin, and after that..maybe even the colors will change for you." If the girl would try and spin the coin while he was in the shop, she would witness the same effect, but the moment that he left the illusion would vanish along with him.

He lightly patted the top of the girl's head then stood up again. Mamoru wouldn't know what to do with a slave so young. It seemed like more trouble than it was worth. They had to be taught so much and he didn't have that kind of time. Shayna was perfect for him, an ambitious girl who had already learned the city and the ways of the people before he arrived. She wouldn't be his key to unlocking the secrets that Kenash held. Turning to find his pet, he glanced at the girl and and smiled. "She's cute, a friend of yours?"

[Lilou]

Lilou gasped when Mamoru offered her the coin. No! She couldn't! It was money... she couldn't have money. Still, as much as she shook her head, the man didn't take it away. What if she took it and he hit her? But he seemed nicer now... much nicer. Shayna had been right. Slowly and carefully a tiny hand reached out to wrap around the miza, then slip it away in the pocket of her dress. She liked the idea of spinning it more, but... what would Elanai say? Would she frown and scowl? Yell? Should she tell Elanai?

She took a few steps back, where she could inconspicuously stand beside one of the many stone benches. She kneeled carefully, as if to wait, before pulling the coin out of her pocket again, constantly glancing up to see if anyone was watching. She set the coin on its rim as Mamoru had and held it there, then tried to figure out how to spin it. He'd put his fingers... there. Right along the sides. The slave tried twisting it in her fingers once or twice, before flicking it around. It just clattered onto the stone. At the noise, she glanced up worriedly to see if they were watching, before returning her attention to the coin.

After a few more attempts she got it spinning again, and watched it go round and round shining off colors. Even if Shayna said they didn't all do this, she liked this one. Would it still work tomorrow? Tonight? Next time? She bounced in excitement at seeing more, and spun it again and again, watching the colors flash, just like the flowers.

[Shayna]

When her master offered the coin to Lilou, Shayna's eyes widen just a little. It was customary that if a slave especially pleases someone enough that they gift them something then it was the slaves. Unless the owner of the slave decided that the slave didn't deserve it or shouldn't have it. Usually this didn't happen because mostly it was just a few coppers. Shayna had found once a few really nice mushrooms while cleaning Mistress Katherine's gardens that the twit had let grow up, and Mistress Katherine had allowed her to keep them. Nothing so much as a gold rimmed Miza, mostly because most owners would more then likely just take it from their slave before they could spend it.

It pleased Shayna, though she would never tell for it really wasn't her place to be pleased with her master, that her master was so generous. His gift obviously pleased Lilou greatly, and the child no longer looked at Mamoru like he might gobble her up. "We have met M'Lord. I have never had the .. desire to get to know other slaves." truthfully she had never wanted to. Though she had at times missed the social aspect of befriending other slaves, she viewed the ones she had the most access to as rivals and threats. "But she is different, perhaps because of her youth." Shayna had no concept of what it must be like for Lilou, her childhood was spent on a farm with other slaves learning how to be obedient, loyal, and above all else subservient.

"Her owner might not let her keep that, I don't know her owner. Some would, but others would not. If she is found hiding it, it will be assumed she stole it M'Lord." Her words were quietly spoken, the silent unspoken words of what would await Lilou in most cases if she were found to be a 'thief'.

[Kalesserimamoru]

Mamoru smiled at Shayna's words and glanced back to the tiny girl playing with the coin on the floor. It was like him to mix things up, and upset the balance where order had been before. He knew that if she was caught with it, she would be in trouble, but that wasn't his concern. What he gave to little Lilou was the illusion of hope, and in return, perhaps in the future she might return that gift. To him it was simply a golden miza, but he could see that to her it was something more.

He was interested to see if the girl could keep it hidden and fight the urge to retrieve it and play with it in the open. If she could then maybe there was more to this girl than her owner knew. It wouldn't be the first time that he found a gem in the dirt. Looking to Shayna again, he waved the girl over and when she would come, he would hug her under one arm, bring his lips close to her ear as he whispered to her. "Help her won't you? Teach her to better conceal her belongings and her feelings." He smiled and kissed the girl's head.

The trickster had heard what she said before about her relationship with other slaves, or the lack there of. He wondered what the reason behind it could be, and if that reason had any effect on her standing with the tiny girl. "Oh and that reminds me.." he said in a low tone. "When we return to the cottage, I think we should have a talk about your...desires." He smiled, already thinking of what an interesting conversation that would be.

Mamoru turned to look at the tiny girl again, and kept a kind smile on his face. She didn't seem afraid of him anymore and he wondered if she was up for talking. "Little one, tell me about your..owner. What is she like? Is she often gone from her shop?"