[PD] Flower for Your Thoughts? (Kaleb/Iridian/Cheyenne)

[MoogerMint]

"Riddy, stop running off!" Otomeza hissed slightly as she grabbed hold of the closest of Iridian's wing tines, stopping the toddler before he was able to dash off any further. He giggled at the action, as if it were some sort of game. Otomeza was beginning to get slightly flustered with it, though, constantly worrying whether or not she was really going to lose track of him at some point. If only he knew how dangerous it could be! Cheyenne, holding their guardian's other hand, merely rolled his eyes at his brother's actions before pulling the hood on his jacket further over his eyes, blocking out any rays of the sun that made it past the thickly-overcast sky.

To avoid the chewing out he was sure to receive after the incident, Iridian quickly looked around the street. Nearby, a pleasant fragrance came to his nose, and he turned his eyes to the shop as Otomeza pulled him closer to her. There were a number of flowers and potted plants at the front of the small building. "Wazzat?" he nearly shouted, to cut the woman off from the scolding.

She was a little too tired to concentrate on more than one thing at once, so the interrupted thought process led her to look to the small store. "A flower shop?" she said, after reading the sign, "Sure, let's go check that out." It was small enough that she shouldn't be able to lose track of the energetic toddler, at least.

As they reached the store, Otomeza's attention was snagged by the plants out front first and foremost. She held a watch out for the kids out of the corner of her eyes, seeing Iridian grin and run off inside to check it out. Cheyenne stayed out front, however, staring at the different flowers but refusing to get a closer look when asked if he wanted to.  

[Thaliawen]

Besides his own garden, a flowershop was one place Kaleb was often found. Not that he would have admitted that to his older siblings, they would have made fun of him, or worse, think he was some kind of wuss. That was a fate worse than death, at least in the preteen's opinion.

It was a small shop, small but nice. A girl by the name of Rina seemed to run it. She was around Kaleb's age, but no where near as mature. "Oh my gosh, Kaleb!" she said as soon as she saw him. "It's so nice to see you again! Aren't flowers the greatest?!"

Kaleb nodded in agreement, eager to get away from the frightening shop keeper. Pretty, but frightening all the same. Just like certain species of flowers, he decided. The ones that were poisonous. He watched as a toddler entered, and gave the younger boy a smile.

"Hi," he said. "I'm Kaleb. I've never seen you around here."  

[MoogerMint]

Iridian's attention seemed to hold on a hanging pot of fuchsia's whose hook appeared to have broken, so was nearer to the short toddler's eye level. Reaching a hand slowly out to grab one of the tubed flowers, he pulled it back quickly once a voice seemed to come out of nowhere -- such was what happened when a child wasn't paying attention!

Pulling himself back from the potted plant, as if shying away from something he had done wrong, he turned to face the older boy fully. "'Ello!" he chirped, bouncing a little on the balls of his feet, "'n I'm 'Ridian! Never been here a'fore!" Could his grin get any bigger? He didn't even need to really try to get anyone's attention this time!

Turning his head to face the fuchsia again, he pointed at it before turning back to Kaleb, "Wha's tha' one called?" Maybe he figured Kaleb worked there, or perhaps he was assuming that everyone older than him knew anything he didn't, but he made no hesitation in asking the question.

Meanwhile, Otomeza was just about finished looking at the smaller variety of flowers out front. Noticing that Cheyenne was still hesitant to do much other than stand there, she stood up. "Hey, want to go check on your brother for me? Keep him out of trouble? I'll be right in," she asked, nudging him in the shoulder.

Honestly, he didn't really want to follow his obnoxious brother inside without their guardian, but he decided against refusing. Slowly, he made his way inside, but stuck close to the door once he was inside. He didn't feel like walking up to Iridian when he was chatting with a stranger. Strike that, he really didn't feel like walking up to his hyper brother at all right now.  

[Thaliawen]

"Ridian? That's a nice name," Kaleb said, giving the boy another one of his signature smiles. "It's nice to meet--" he paused, and decided to answer the younger boy's question. "That's a fushsia," he said. "See how the flower's kind of shaped like a dress? I used to think fairies wore them. I know better now." Of course he did, with a fae for his aunt.

"So you've never been here?" Kaleb asked, interested. "I'm here all the time. I have a garden in my backyard, so I like to plant flowers in it." He also had a certain fondness for giving said flowers away.

Unfortunately for Cheyenne, the preteen had already noticed him. "Hey there," he said. "Ridian, do you know him?" he asked, glancing back at his new friend.  

[MoogerMint]

The ear-to-ear grin never left Iridian's face as the older spawn explained the flower to him. Kaleb was so friendly! Granted, most people were probably rather lenient with his needy nature because of the fact that he was so young, but that didn't seem to phase the kid at all. Why bother with the details, anyway?

He tried to put on a pout when Kaleb told him that fairies didn't actually wear them as dresses, but he couldn't quite muster it over his smile. It seemed like such a cool idea, that a critter could use the flowers in such a way, that he attempted to think of an alternative for his buzzing imagination. Holding his thumb and forefinger close together to indicate a tiny size, he offered, "Wha' abou' those 'ittle glowy-bugs? Wear i' to a dance!" His mind was flexible enough to imagine fireflies waltzing with each other in them, especially after being told that fairies didn't. "I' would be so colorful!" he laughed giddily.

"You plant flowers?" he repeated the sentiment, imagining a yard much bigger than Kaleb's probably was, to be able to hold a huge variety. He wondered briefly if his guardian would let him help plant flowers as well, if she bought any here today. He hadn't tried it before, and he was curious! However, why wait so long to learn about it? "Wha' kind you have?" he asked, indicating that Kaleb could show him from the flowers that were already on display in the shop.

Cheyenne flicked his ears when Kaleb had spoken to him, and he turned his head slightly to feign that he hadn't heard the older boy, leaning harder against the wall he stood in front of. Iridian turned around, surprised to see his twin inside -- he hadn't noticed him enter at all! -- and nodded in response to Kaleb's question. He tried to wave the albino over, but Cheyenne only continued to tilt his head away, arms crossing closer up his chest. "Tha's Cheyenne; he's my brovver!" he answered, turning back with a slight cringe, "He doesn' talk much." Holding up a finger to wait a moment, he scampered over to his brother and yanked him along back to the preteen before the silent toddler had any time to object. "Say 'Hi!'" he chirped, holding the pale boy's hand out for him by the wrist for a handshake. His slit red eyes were wide in surprise, barbed tail held stiffly outward.  

[Thaliawen]

Kaleb was delighted with Iridian's idea about the fireflies. His smile widened, and despite being much older than the younger boy, he found himself seriously considering it. "Maybe!" he agreed. "Maybe they do. I'd love to see one of their dances." He imagined it would be beautiful.

"Yep, with my mom," Kaleb said with another smile. "She used to grow flowers where she came from," he paused at his new friend's next question. "Well, I grow daffodils in the spring. They're usually yellow or white, sometimes with orange for their center. They don't have any here because they don't grow in the summer. My cousin Loki has some that bloom all year long," the boy looked rather envious.

"A witch of some sort enchanted them, though. I like lilacs too, but they don't grow now either." He gestured to the potted lilies to the left of them. "I like lilies, and sunflowers," he pointed to them too. "We have over one hundred rose bushes in our yard, I don't like them that much." When you had too much of a good thing, you tended to lose your love for it. "I like most flowers, really." Kaleb could tell, from experience that Cheyenne wasn't eager to meet him. He had been like that, once. "Shy," he mumbled under his breath, before gently taking the toddler's hand and shaking it in hopes to ease the younger boy into conversation. "Nice to meet you, Cheyenne. I'm Kaleb."  

[MoogerMint]

Really? Kaleb thought that a firefly ball could be possible? Cheyenne probably would have shot Iridian's idea down in a matter of seconds, but wasn't it better to just let the thoughts flow? It was so much more fun! "I'mma look for them tonigh'! Maybe one day we can see i'!" he stated matter-of-factly. Besides, it was too good of a chance to pass up, and fireflies were always so beautiful to look at, whether they were dancing or not.

Iridian had tried to find the flowers that matched the description that Kaleb was giving, but halted his search when he indicated that daffodils didn't grow in the summertime. He blinked his mismatched eyes when the older spawn had mentioned his cousin's year-long blooms, and gaped, "They be magic?" He didn't know the extents that magical capabilities could reach exactly, but he was up to believing that they could do just about anything. He toddled to smell the lilies that Kaleb had motioned to, giggling when they tickled his nose, "Flowers be purdy. You have a big yard?" He could have hours of fun, playing amid rose bushes, as long as he was careful of the thorns -- with his short stature, it could easily become a miniature forest!

Cheyenne merely nodded in response to Kaleb's introduction, picking at his fingers absently once the handshake was over. He wasn't sure what he was suppose to do, now that he was over here and names were exchanged. Iridian was the outgoing one, not him. If given the chance, he would forgo speaking entirely, but figured that he should try to stay civil. "Nice to meet you," he responded, though forgot to smile.

Before he could think to say anything else, Iridian had shoved the lily up to his younger twin's nose. "It smells purdy, too! Smell it!" he perked, trying to get his brother to relax a little. "Do they all smell purdy?" he asked Kaleb.  

[Thaliawen]

Kaleb had to agree with Iridian on allowing thoughts to flow. Both his parents were writers and constantly encouraged imagination and creativity. "Maybe," he said with a smile. "Maybe my mom could take us to see them. I bet she would. I know a field nearby where we can see fireflies." Maybe he and Iridian could be friends in the future, too! Maybe Cheyenne would join them. If there was one thing the liberality spawn was greedy about, it was friends.

"They are," Kaleb agreed with a smile. "Maybe Loki'll let you see them some--" he paused, and nodded at the boy's next question. "It's really mom's yard, but yeah. You could come see it if you'd like. It's not very far from here and--" but there were much more interesting things here at the flower shop, Kaleb thought. "Maybe someday," he added decisively. "If your parents say it's okay. I know it'll be okay with my mom. She's always telling me to invite people over."

He nodded at Cheyenne, giving the toddler a reassuring smile. The poor boy, he was so shy. Maybe they could eventually become friends. He hoped so. He shook his head at Iridian with another of his signature smiles. "Not all flowers smell pretty," he said. "Some of the prettiest ones smell really, really bad."  

[MoogerMint]

"Really?" Iridian asked, balling up his hands in excitement at the thought. A whole field of fireflies... it must look absolutely gorgeous! Cheyenne couldn't help but turn an interested glance at the mention as well. Fireflies were lovely as it was, but multiply it a dozen times over and span it out across an entire field... it was almost inconceivable to think about unless one was there. "Maybe ness'time we can see! I'unno if Ma would wanna go anywhere else a'sides here. She's kinda tired," Iridian stated, excitement making him slur his words more than normal. He wanted to see them tonight, sure, but tonight was still a long ways away.

Cheyenne couldn't help but feel the irony with his brother's statement. Who's fault was it that Otomeza was so tired in the first place? Iridian was hyper enough for the both of them, and the consistency of this was wearing on the woman; she wasn't used to it all yet. While Iridian's thoughts were still preoccupied on the idea of going to see a field of fireflies, Cheyenne decided to interject, even though he was still uncomfortable, "I bet she'd like to come, too." Otomeza seemed like the outgoing type, too, and she was pushing the twins to find friendship and a place in the world. I'm sure she'd like to meet new friends, too, he thought to himself, happy that he could already easily consider Kaleb a friend without having to think too hard on it. Ahh, such was the innocence of childhood.

Speaking of which, she sure was taking her time. Cheyenne glanced back to the front door, just in time to see her walk in. She looked over to the two brothers and grinned, waving to Cheyenne once she noticed his red eyes on her. Instead of coming over, however, she went to scope out more flowers. She must have thought the two of them were safe with their new acquaintance, and as the albino turned back to look at his brother, he noticed that it was no wonder. The fool was prancing around, so excited and carefree... and Cheyenne couldn't help but snicker at it. Who was he kidding? He was having fun, too.

Coming back to a standstill, Iridian turned back to the curiosity he had been showing ever since he had arrived. "Which ones don' smell good?" he asked, feeling the need to walk around the little shop more and see new flowers. Standing in one spot was never his strong point.  

[Thaliawen]

"Really," Kaleb affirmed with a smile. He loved toddlers, they were so excitable. Well, some of them were, he thought, as he glanced to Cheyenne. One of the many reasons he would have liked a younger sister or brother was a small child's openness to new ideas. "Maybe not tonight," he said, shaking his head. "You'll have to ask your mom another time. My Mom's kinda tired too," he confided in the toddler. "She's going to have a baby, so I'm getting her some flowers she might like."

That and some flowers Kaleb might like too, but the liberality in him would never allow him to admit that. He turned to smile at Cheyenne. "I bet she would," he agreed. "She's invited too. Maybe my older brother'll come too. Maybe your mom can be friends with mine," he added delightedly. One thing about liberality you could always count on, generousity included creating friendships.

"Do you guys want to help me pick out some flowers for my mom? Maybe I can get one for your mom, too. Do you think she'd like that?"  

[MoogerMint]

"She gonna have a baby?" Iridian repeated as a question, gleeful about it before he started to question what that meant. After all, he had come from a laboratory, so 'mothers' just happened to be those people that took care of a child after that, right? Of course, gender didn't seem to register to him, but he only had Otomeza to relate the term to, after all. Did that mean she was going to adopt another kid? Bah, what did it matter? It was still a happy occasion, after all, so he continued on with his huge smile and bouncing steps.

Cheyenne perked when Kaleb spoke to him once more, nodding once sharply. That was a statement that he could agree on, and he nudged a smile back on his face when the older boy had stated that their guardian was invited as well. It would make things easier if they were ever to go over to Kaleb's house, after all, and it would definitely be nice if both of their parents became friends. He couldn't help it when his tail started waving slightly, "You have an older brother, too?"

"I wanna help!" Iridian squealed, arms raised as he started running around again. The kid had more energy than he knew what to do with, it seemed, but that didn't seem to bother him. He started off down the nearest row of flowers, placing his hands on the side of the table and trying to hop to get a better look at the plants in front of him. Maybe if he could find a crate or something, he could actually see onto the table better...

Cheyenne, however, glanced over to his own older brother with exhaustion; it wore the albino out just watching the kid. His pale head bobbed in acceptance of the request as well, however, glad to help out and thinking that Otomeza may like a gift as well. "What color she like?" he asked curiously, unaware that there might be a particular flower Kaleb's mother preferred.