Patterns and Poppies [Closed]

Subject: Patterns and Poppies [Closed] Sat Feb 09, 2013 5:08 am

Kiku sighed, putting the finishing touches on his newest arrangement. The customer who ordered this batch of flowers would enjoy it, partially because the colors complemented each other so well, and partially because the flowers had been more than eager to take their shape. When the plants cooperated with him, the arrangements always seemed to be more vibrant, which naturally pleased the customers. He smiled, caressing the petals with his fingers, mentally giving words of praise and encouragement to each and every flower. They responded by nuzzling his fingers, though thankfully they remained fixed to their positions. Once he had finished, he pulled his hand away, reminding them to behave until the customer arrived to pick up his arrangement.

He exited the back room, sighing and heading to his kitchen for a cup of tea. The shop was relatively quiet at this time of day, since most people were busy with their jobs or had placed their orders far in advance. He would still take his tea into the shop, in case a customer decided to wander in on their lunch hour. He sighed with relief as the water boiled, hoping the tea would restore some of the energy he had expended working with the plants. Though the arrangement had been easier than most, his powers still had their limits. He had far more control now, and thus using them took less of a toll on him. But his shop was also bigger, containing far more plants that all demanded his attention. On occasion, he wondered if he had perhaps taken on too much. But the plants kept him from being lonely, and he supposed that the fatigue that came with such things was worth it in the end.

He exited the kitchen, taking his place in the shop once more with his teacup in hand. He smiled, surveying the rows of plant life waiting eagerly to be bought. 'Hai...though it is lonely, the plants are good company. Though it is nice to see people once in awhile, and I suppose it would not hurt to try to...form more relationships with people.' Beside him, a few plants shifted in their pots, chiming their agreement. 'Ah, but you know...how I worry about my powers...' He hushed his plants and his thoughts as the bell above the door jingled merrily, signaling the entrance of a customer. He made his way towards the front of the store, knowing that the counter was rather hidden by the rows of plants.

((I'm so sorry this took so long...and sorry again if it's lame *sobsob* I'll try to do better with the next post...and not post at 3AM x.x))

Guest

Feliks was out of his house for the first time this week. His pink skirt fluttered in the wind as he cautiously made his way down the streets of New York City. Last week’s excursion had been for groceries, so obviously this week meant shopping for non-essentials such as clothes and things to keep him occupied in the lonely hours, such as movies and books. He had been out for hours and was starting to get a bit tired from walking to so many stores. He was afraid of taxis and subways however, so he didn’t really have another choice. Sighing, he looked around for a place to rest, a coffee shop perhaps. And then he saw it. He had absolutely no idea how he hadn’t noticed the shop before. When he went out, he was usually too absorbed with trying to observe others for shifty behavior to notice his surroundings. Yet this flower shop was far too beautiful not to be noticed.

The thing that drew his eye to the shop was an attractive display of brilliant red poppies. Besides being the national flower of Poland, the country his family was from, they were also his favorite flower. “Oh, wow…” He breathed, nearly dropping his purchases in shock. All the flowers in the shop seemed more alive than other flowers he had seen before. He ran over to the window and pressed his face to the glass for a long moment. He decided: He was going inside.

He used his shoulder to push open the door and entered. The store was even more magnificent on the inside. “Hello?” He said, setting down his bags under a Bird-of-Paradise. He didn’t notice anyone inside, so he simply walked over to the poppies and gently stroked the petal of one. “They’re even prettier up close.” He whispered. Everything in the shop amazed him, and he tried his hardest to wish the owner good luck, they deserved it.

Subject: Re: Patterns and Poppies [Closed] Tue Feb 12, 2013 1:17 am

Kiku passed through the rows of flowers, reminding them to behave in the presence of a customer. The responses in his head varied, some a cheerful agreement while others were almost bored reminders that they knew how to act. He hid a smile as he neared his guest, letting his features remain as pleasant (but neutral) as possible. He could not appear to know anything about his guests before he saw them, though his plants enjoyed giving him descriptions (often embarrassing) of anyone who passed through his door. He often did his best to ignore them, not wanting their opinions to be lodged in his head as he assisted those in his shop.

He spotted his guest, a light blush springing to his cheeks as he caught sight of the pink skirt. 'Ah, it has been quite some time since I have had a young woman visit my shop.' He thought as his eyes traveled from her shoulder-length blond hair to the delicate fingers currently petting a small bouquet of poppies. The flowers squealed in delight, though he reminded them silently to remain in their pot and to simply enjoy the attention. He approached her, the cloth of his clothing swishing a little as he brushed past rue and carnations. He carefully made enough noise for her to hear him approach, but not enough to startle her from her admiration of the flowers. He watched as she continued to admire the poppy, wondering if she favored that particular flower above the others.

"Welcome to my flowershop." He spoke softly, hoping he would not startle her. The flowers around him giggled, though he inwardly denied feeling anything but kindness to her. He might have been convincing, save for the light blush that dusted his cheeks as he bowed low. He was careful to drop his gaze to the floor, lest she think he was staring. "The poppies here are growing very nicely. I worried over them when I first planted them, but they seem quite lively now." He almost smiled at his choice of words, though he knew she would not understand. The poppies were often best equated to mischievous little girls or boys, often rubbing against him as he walked past. "My name is Kiku Honda..." The blush deepened a little, and he resisted the urge to fiddle nervously with his sleeves like some teenager talking to his crush. "If there is anything that I can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask...ah..." He trailed off, allowing the blonde to fill in her name if she wished.

Beside him, the flowers giggled, mentally nudging him to go and get to know the 'very cute blond boy better'. He inwardly frowned, confused by his plants' words. 'No...I am speaking to a girl.' He kept his expression neutral, even as the plants' giggling grew practically to laughter. 'Please, remember to behave yourselves around our guest. She may wish to take some of you home with her!'

Guest

It took Feliks a long moment to realize that this Kiku guy thought that he was a girl. He blushed, beaming. 'Oh my gosh, he totally thinks I'm a chick!' He thought as turned his back on the poppies and looked at Kiku. The other man was an adorable, flustered mess. With an amiable grin on his face, he stuck out his hand for Kiku to shake. "Well, Kiku, I'm Feliks. I must say, this is the prettiest shop I think I've ever seen!" He giggled and looked around again. "Such variety. You'd think that it'd be too cluttered or something, but it's just totally perfect!" His voice was considerably louder than Kiku's in the otherwise quiet shop.

He considered cluing Kiku into his gender, but decided that might embarrass the poor man further. "Seriously, I don't know how you do it!" He gushed, turning back to the poppies and picking them up gently. He cradled the flowers close to his chest, petting their petals again. "These are the best poppies ever! Poppies are my fav!" He informed Kiku, trying to lower his voice for Kiku's sake. He blushed faintly. "How much are they?" He wondered, fetching his wallet from his pink purse, which still sat where he had placed it earlier.

^{(Sorry this took so long for me to post!)}

Subject: Re: Patterns and Poppies [Closed] Fri Feb 15, 2013 6:36 pm

((No worries! I know how busy things can get *sends love* Thanks for the epic reply! *giggling over the pink purse and the cuteness that has come of this RP* ^_^))

Kiku stared at the proffered hand, eyes drawn to the immaculate state of...Feliks' nails. They were polished, perfectly rounded, and suited her thin fingers perfectly. His cheeks pinked again as he took her hand, and he wondered if she could feel his own fingers trembling in hers. He had lived in New York City for quite some time, but desipte being acclimated to most Western customs, he still felt slight discomfort whenever he needed to shake a customer's hand. Her hand felt warm, her lithe wrist confidently flexing as she shook his hand and he let her. Behind him, the plants giggled, though thankfully the handshake ended before his blush could deepen enough to match the pink of her purse.

Was it truly that obvious that he had a crush on her? He sincerely hoped she would forgive him, especially when his gaze fixated on the pink of her lips. He listened without truly hearing as she spoke about the plants, the variety and vibrance in the shop that attracted her attention. He blinked when he caught himself staring, quickly raising his eyes to meet her own. The shade of green was a perfect match for the plants beside her, though he refrained from voicing his observation aloud. He had no idea of her age, or whether she was even interested in him beyond being a customer in his shop. And he did not wish to become known as a shopkeep who flirted with his customers.

'Please...this is difficult with you laughing at me.' He chided as some of the poppies (thankfully out of sight) trembled. 'What do you wish for me to do? She seems very interested in the flowers...perhaps I can give her some as a gift!'

He watched, a misture of surprise (and slight horror, but hopefully she couldn't see that) flitting across his expression as she picked up the giggling bunch of poppies. Thankfully, they stilled as she cradled them close to her chest, though he could still hear them laughing. 'He likes us...no, she, you mean, ne?' He nodded numbly, though he snapped out of his semi-flustered trance when he saw her reaching for her wallet. 'No, I could not possibly have her pay for these! She did say she liked them...' He opened his mouth to protest, then closed it again and mentally berated himself for getting so flustered. "Ah, please do not trouble yourself, Feliks-san." The honorific slipped out before he could stop himself, though the plants congratulated him on using the more respected (and gender neutral) one. "Please, take them, they are for you!"

» Work It (Closed)
» Becoming one with the Pack (closed)
» Enough Time for Two [Closed]
» The Calm Before the Storm (Closed RP)
» A Change of Views [closed]