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 Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 7:25 pm
The tall man didn't want to impose upon Crystal's sales and so he simply stayed silent towards the back, his own glimmering eyes scanning the room for his own purchase he hoped to eascape with this time. His last visit to the shop, though quite worthwhile, had not given him the bundle of lilies he'd originally planned to leave with. One hand touched a few flowers as he passed them, taking in their texture without overwhelming the petals with a harsh touch. Qadir's other hand was within his coat pocket, fingering something only he knew about.
He wasn't really paying any attention to the other two women when he suddenly heard the 'dude', which made his head snap up in surprise. Oh gods, when was the last time he'd been called a dude? Or, wait, Qadir couldn't actually remember a time when he'd been called dude. Not really sure how to reply he simply shrugged his shoulders and flashed another smile before he managed a short, "I know a certain dark flower that would know the answer to that question." Of course Crystal would know who he spoke of, but Qadir did not look at her, instead his eyes roved innocently around the shop before spying a pair of emerald eyes that made his expression break into one of joy.
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 7:34 pm
The young woman turned to watch Kyoko and Qadir, quite curious to his reaction to such a blatant question. She hadn't been half as straight forward, which was unusual for her, and it was interesting to see how the poor man dealt with such things on a day to day basis. Of course, he handled it with the grace and ease she knew he would, making her shake her head as he pawned the answer onto her. "Depends on what you mean by vampire," Crystal continued the mystery, grinning at the green-haired woman. "If you mean those who run around in capes and bleating in a horrible accent, no. If you mean the debonair, handsome men that steal into the night hunting for supple prey, then yes." She didn't bother to look in Qadir's direction as she heard movement in the back; her mother was on her way.
"Rivers, you say?" she continued as though nothing had been said about vampires. "Do you want a riverbed, or the colors of the river itself?"
As if on cue, the portly woman who had been watching bustled to the front with an exuberant, "Qadir, you came back to me!" Rose - or so the nametag on her white apron over her green dress claimed - came around the back counter with her arms open to Qadir as if she would embrace him. "To what does my humble shop owe the pleasure of your radiance on this awfully bright afternoon?" She waggled her eyebrows at him over her small glasses, all smiles under her ponytail of red hair.
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 8:07 pm
Kyoko grinned, a soft giggle escaping her lips. "He's most certainly debonair. Nifty ducks." She looked around at the flowers again. "I think the river itself might be nice...With maybe flashes of yello-Oh! Nonono! White! For moonlight!" Qadir being a vampire reminded her of Anbu. The mischievous little Scent was definitely one of those who would prefer the night once it got older. So, she thought she might include that in the motif. Something for her and her father, and something for the new household addition. Kyoko's smile widened.
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 8:17 pm
Qadir pouted cutely and tried to look quite childish and puppy like in rejection. "Hey now. What if I was a nasty old warewolf? I've certainly got enough hair, don't I?" he'd tease cutely before perking up and running his fingers through his thick locks. Oh my yes, he was quite full of it as Crystal had no doubt found out by now. For a moment he'd lost sight of those welcoming green eyes, but it only took him a momentto find them again, coming towards him and attatched to arms looking for a hug.
"My dearest Rose!" Qadir gushed, hurrying forward to wrap his arms about the woman and lift her a bit off her feet to turn her just the slightest of degrees around. He thought it would be just a bit too rude to twirl her in a complete 360, but perhaps his little 5 degree shift would be acceptable enough. "How could I possibly not come back to the most stunning woman in Cyrus? My heart was aching laying about at home with nothing to do but sketch you mentally within my mind. I could never replicate the beauty your smile radiates however, so I simply had to come down here to see you once more. I hope you can forgive an old man for his silly little crush?" he'd say, his voice trailing off into a bashful little whisper.
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 8:31 pm
"Here, then!" Crystal sauntered off to the darker flowers, casting Qadir a playful smile at his comment before her fingers curled around the base of a large petal flower that hung gracefully from its stalk. "This is the blue poppy, we just got them in stock." She pointed to another bluish flower that looked quite spikey, although it was really rather soft and yielding. "Thalictrum aquilegiifolium, or just Thalic as we call it around here." She gently removed each of the flowers she mentioned before looking between the purples and the whites. Quietly, she murmured to Kyoko, "Debonair doesn't cover it. Quite possibly the most charming man on the planet." She snuck a quick glance to where Qadir was sweet talking her mother, smiling to herself.
Rose, in the mean time, was positively giddy. "Forgive you? My dear, I'd be happy to sign a picture for you." She chuckled with a sly wink, patting his arm. "I'm more than happy to be the object of your affection; there's enough of me to be a few objects at that." She lifted her hand to pat his cheek in turn, laughing. "Old? Why, I bet I could fill each of your years with love. Age is just a pesky number." Of course she had mentioned she was old herself when they'd first met, but that could easily be overlooked. "Don't take enough of me to satisfy either, young man, I want to see you around more." Rose waggled her finger at Qadir as if she'd caught him with his hand in the cookie jar.
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 10:45 am
Kyoko did all she could to keep from laughing as Crystal showed her the flowers. Qadir's charming manner was certainly a sight to see. And his interaction with Crystal's mother reminded her of some of the theatrics her school drama teacher put on with her Literature teacher. But it was cute, to say the least. And made the place feel more personal. Kyoko had never been fond of a place she couldn't feel comfortable in. And despite the round of blushing, she felt most comfortable in here. Her attention turned back to Crystal, nodding at her comment. "Oh yes, most certainly. He certainly knows how to make a girl blush, though."
She examined the flowers shown her, thinking about each on in color and texture. "Oh...these are pretty. And they do have a watery color." She'd never heard of either flower beforeand both were pretty, but side by side, they looked a bit like a patch of flowing water. It made Kyoko's smile widen. "They're perfect so far!" It still amazed Kyoko how someone who knew their profession could find what you were looking for when you yourself did not know.
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 10:48 pm
Although Qadir could have easily heard the women, he was completely uninterested in invading their privacy; he had Rose to flirt with and that was really all that mattered. "A picture is nothing compared to the real thing! A picture does not move about or laugh so beautifully as you. It also does not rush at me with open arms. How could I give up such wonderful things when I could simply take a walk out in the light and visit the most beautiful rose ot all," Qadir praised, lifting Rose's hand to his lips to brush a soft kiss upon her skin before remembering he'd come with even more purpose.
Standing up he'd stuff one hand into his pocket, toying with an item with a devious smile upon his lips as he watched Rose before he pulled out the small thing. At first it was hard to tell what it was, the way it glittered and twinkled in the light, but it was actually very easy to tell just what little creature it was that shimmered so nicely in the palm of his hand. "May I?" the man asked, motioning towards Rose's vibrant hair. At the nod given by Rose, Qadir broke into a smile and pinned the clip amongst the locks.
The hair-clip, in Qadir's opinion, looked stunning on the woman. The shape it took was of a dragon-fly, it's wings were adorned with the smallest of pale emerald jewels while it's body was made of deep green emeralds that off-set the brilliant green that matched Rose's bright eyes almost perfectly. At least, Qadir had attempted to match them perfectly from the shade he'd remembered from when he'd first met the woman, but he might have been off a shade or two. "I thought that not only would it bring out your eyes, but also, and forgive this silly boy's wild imagination, I thought of a beautiful dragon fly singling out the most beautiful of roses to make it's home, and your hair reminds me of the most stunning hue of red one could ever hope to find on just the perfect rose." Qadir attempted to look bashful and cute as he explained, but his eyes couldn't hide how very proud of himself he was. He wouldn't tell the women, but Qadir had crafted the clip himself.
But that wasn't the only reason he'd come to the shop that day, especially why he'd ventured out into the sunlight. Digging once more into his pocket but not removing anything, Qadir moved over to Crystal (once he'd polightly excused himself from Rose for a moment) and waited for her to allow Kyoko to browse the flowers on her own. He'd hoped he could have caught her while the store was empty, but now his visit would need to be cut short so the woman would not be inconvenienced by his presence. "Do you believe in wishes coming true?" he'd ask, leaning over to whisper the question into her ear like a little boy confessing his love to a girl on a playground
At the question he pulled the most curious hair clip from his pocket. Atop the clip itself rested a small, polished silver crescent moon that glittered slightly. Dangling from the moon on chains of miniature diamonds were tiny, clear orbs. Each of them were approximately the same size, but all just a bit smaller than the moon. It was obvious that they were the stars to the moon and the diamond chains were the beams of moonlight that could easily be woven around small locks of hair. The stars were most curious though, as the orbs were clear. Didn't most people represent stars with glimmering diamonds or golden foil? Clearly Qadir had planned something, but at the moment the object was quite plain. Well...plain might be a bit of an understatement.
"When you wear it...the pixie dust in the orbs will glow and they will look like stars in the sky. Not those silly pointed things worn on necklaces, but acutal glowing balls of light." It had been quite difficult to obtain the pixie dust for the orbs, but Qadir had managed to call in just about all the favor's ever promised to him in order to achieve the effect when the clip was worn, but he knew it would be worth it. "Just don't wear it for other men," he teased, reaching out to cup her cheek with one hand before pulling away suddenly with a strange look in his eyes. No, he'd promised himself he'd make this short. He knew if he stayed too long he'd surely never manage to leave.
Taking a breath before starting, Qadir finally managed to tell Crystal something he'd been putting off for some time. "Crystal, I...I have to go away for a little while. On business. I'm afraid that I leave, well, now and that I will have to take a rain check on the dinner I've promised you." Reaching out once more he'd pull her into a tight hug, burying his face against her hair and enjoying the mingling smell of flowers and shampoo. He wanted to remember the smell while he was away, though it wasn't like he hadn't already memorized it. "I promise I'll be back in under two months and I promise to bring you beautiful things from my home country...though none will be as enticing as yourself. I'm sorry I didn't mention it sooner. Please forgive me."
Shifting, he cupped one hand under her chin to turn her face up to his, were he watched her stormy eyes before stealing a kiss from her. He didn't care that it was infront of Kyoko or Rose; he wasn't going to leave for such a painful amount of time without a kiss. Before there could be questions or complaints, Qadir made promises of letters to be sent as often as he could afford to, said good bye to Kyoko and Rose and gave Crystal a bright smile and a wave before disappearing out the front door with his black laced umbrella.
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 11:16 am
Crystal started to laugh at Kyoko's words, agreeing quietly, "Blush? Oh, certainly!" She was pleased that the woman approved of the flowers; personally, she always felt like she was looking into the depths of water with the flowers, especially the blue thalic. They made her feel peaceful. She started towards the white flowers, namely the lilys, turning to speak to Kyoko but finding herself looking up at Qadir.
Her throat tightened at his whispered words. She remembered his wish he had shared with her, the words that had wrapped around her like a warm blanket. Crystal's grey eyes were drawn down to his hand as he moved, lighting on the clip. Her expression softened before her eyes became wide, her lips parted in shock, her heart pounding too hard in her throat. It was the most beautiful clip she'd ever seen, surpassing all those she'd seen nobles wear, even at the Masquerade; the simplicity and rich quality stunned her. He couldn't possibly think to give this to her...!
Qadir's voice soothed her, making her eyes turn back to his face. Her lips tugged into a slight smile at his teasing remark, but the sudden change of light in his eyes made it falter. The words that followed seemed to crush her; she was hoping it was a cruel joke, for even a joke would be easier to accept, but she could tell by the halting words that he was very serious. Crystal reached for him as he reached for her, returning his embrace with a fierce one of her own. She forgot she was at work, forget there were people watching; her throat was so tight with her pulse, she couldn't squeeze any words around it.
She released him to cup the hand on her face, feeling torn about what this would mean. She'd just met him, but she enjoyed his company so very much, perhaps more than she should. What would it mean, him being gone? Surely two months would be a bat of an eyelash for him, but... Her thoughts trailed off and evaporated as he gazed into her eyes, momentarily warmed by the golden light within them, tilting her head to receive his kiss. The girl stood where she was, her face mixed with bewilderment, sadness and joy, watching the vampire as he bid his farewells and disappeared.
Crystal's eyes lingered on the doorway for a few moments more before dropping to the precious item in her hand. Her thumb trailed over the delicate piece, a strange feeling welling inside her. She tried to touch the hair clip with her other hand, but was startled to find flowers grasped in her fist. It then occured to her that she was at work, being gawked at by her mother, and that she had been helping a customer. He had a way of taking her to another world, and he'd done it so effortlessly at the peak of her professionalism. She turned to look at the white flowers, counting backwards from ten to keep herself from acting out of hand, be it chasing him or bursting into tears; at the end of her count, she felt a little bit more stable...a little.
The woman cleared her throat a few times, trying to put her heart back where it belonged, clutching the clip in her hand as she reached for the lilys. "This is Lily of the Valley. It will give a trickling water effect. Added with an indigo Salvia, you'll have the image of cool water flowing under moonlight." Crystal turned her smile onto Kyoko, unaware that her face was quite red.
Rose had accepted her gift with soft eyes, touching her hair as though he had turned it to gold. "I'll wear it every day, and hope this rose can call to you." She had taken his handsome face and planted a very motherly kiss on his cheek, smiling at him as though he were truly her very own not-so-secret admirer. The woman said nothing more as he went to her daughter, watching the proceedings with a quiet bemusement.
After the kiss, however, her eyes widened just a touch, not enough to give away her surprise but enough to signal that her daughter would have a lot of explaining to do. Rose bustled behind the counter, watching Crystal and Kyoko with a knowing smile.
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 7:02 pm
Kyoko near squealed at Qadir and Crystal's show of affection. It was absolutely adorable! She was now more than glad she hadn't brought her trouble-making Scent. It certainly would have interrupted this sweet moment! In fact...that's what kept her from squealing. It was so nice to see that such passion existed in more people, and she hoped that such passion didn't putter and die in them like it did in so many others...She moved away a bit, to give them room, a wide smile on her face. When it ended and Qadir said his farewells, Kyoko waved and said her own goodbye. "It was very nice meeting you Qadir! Have a safe trip!"
She looked at the flowers Crystal had been headed toward while the other girl gathered herself. Kyoko didn't mind waiting...Love was one thing she believed the world needed a LOT more of. What was a few minutes more? When Crystal finally came back over, Kyoko listened intently as well as keeping an eye on her. "Really...That's so cool! To be honest...I never really thought you could do so much with flowers...But...I guess they are a lot like a dance." She didn't say anything about Crystal's red face...at least, not yet. She'd let the girl do her job...and then she could tease her about it later. Kyoko looked over the flowers they'd looked at so far, her smile going from an almost grin to something softer. "They're all so nice...It's going to be hard to choose one arrangement."
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Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 3:32 pm
"A dance," the flower girl mused with a knowing smile, "yes, that's a good way of putting it. There's more to it than most people realize." Crystal chuckled quietly, still quite red. "If you're looking for several arrangements, you can always mix the colors in a fading gradient - that is, from white, to light blue, blue to dark blue - to give a visitor the impression of moving water. It will draw their eye along the way as well." She felt better, more sure of herself and in her element, or so she told herself as the clip dug into the flesh of her hand as a reminder.
She paused, looking at the green-haired woman thoughtfully before adding, "If if you're on a tight budget, don't worry. I think my mother is in a good enough mood that I can work you out a nice deal." The woman giggled, knowing her mother would be quite generous after the gifts bestowed upon her family.
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Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 5:55 pm
Kyoko thought about it, picturing the flowers in her head. What she saw amazed her. "Oh! That would be wonderful!" Kyoko quickly pulled a small notepad from the bag she carried. "Let's see...I currently have at my disposal...500 Pieces of what I've been squirreling away!" She blinked. "Does that count as a tight budget? I'm not really sure, to be honest. And my 'Tou-chan was at work...so he doesn't really know I'm here..." She couldn't help but blush in embarrassment once more. This time, however, it was because she felt a bit idiotic. She hadn't even really thought of how much flowers might cost...but she loved flowers, and seeing them in the house might make things a bit easier with everything that was going on.
"A deal might help if that is..." There were times she regretted not going against her father and getting a job. But the man insisted he could support them on his own. She blinked, finally realizing where some of her own stubbornness came from.
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Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 6:18 pm
Crystal whistled softly and shook her head. "You wont need that much, that's for certain!" She smiled kindly, touching the flowers in her hand thoughtfully. "I'm sure I can get you five arrangements for twenty pieces. I have some sway in how the shop is run." The woman winked at Kyoko, grinning widely; things changed in the world, and prices ebbed with the flux of the economy, but her shop had always kept things more than reasonable. Quality of quantity, pieces included!
"I'd recommend saving some of that for some indulgence in the stores up the block. Spring always brings about new things to enjoy." She glanced over her shoulder towards the front counter, making sure her mother was listening.
Rose was smiling as though Crystal had just won best of show in a fair, a strange mix of pride and wistfullness as she watched the interactions out of the corner of her eye.
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Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 6:53 pm
Kyoko chuckled nervously. "Ah...okay..." Thankfully, she kept herself from turning even more red. An idea struck her at the mention of other shops down the road. She'd enact it after she got the flowers though. "Spring is a wonderful time! It's so much better being outside, night or day, than being cooped up while it rains and snows." She smiled again. "So...what now?" Kyoko hoped she didn't sound rude...but as she had said before...She didn't quite know what al went on.
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Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 8:32 pm
"Now, I'd suggest you come back for the flowers," Crystal laughed. "If you're going to look around more, you don't want to tote a whole gaggle of flowers around, especially if it gets warmer out." The flower girl smiled, moving to where her mother was and handing her the flowers. "We can take care of them and get them ready for you when you return, that way you can get on with your day."
Crystal turned on her heel and smiled at Kyoko with a tilt of her head, her hands still clasped. "If there's anything else I can do, please feel free to ask."
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Posted: Sat May 19, 2007 10:28 pm
Kyoko nodded. Coming back for the flowers was a good idea...Didn't want to crush them , or have them wilt on her before they even got in the house. That...that would be disastrous. Besides...Kyoko still needed to go get lunch. The call of food was enough to gnaw at her insides...but not cause a stomach rumble. Kyoko was thankful of that, especially when Crystal turned to ask her another question.
"Uhm...I was wondering...when's your shift over? Cause you'rs really nifty, and I figure we might be able to talk over food...If you're interested, that is!" There. Her thought was now out in the open and no longer bouncing about in her head. It was quite a relief. Who knew a bunch of words could be so heavy...
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