fandomtownies | Covent Garden Flowers, Wednesday, 12/16

Entry tags:

Covent Garden Flowers, Wednesday, 12/16

Last shift before winter break, and Dinah was admiring the red and green streaks in her hair and on her face now, thanks. And laughing at the note someone from an earlier shift had left in response to hers.

The poinsettas really did look kind of ominous. She arranged them behind a little fence enclosure, and watched them for a few minutes, then wrote another note.

I think I have the poinsettas cornered, guys. Don't turn your backs on them. The garlands are looking suspiciously innocent and the watering can is missing again. Watch yourselves!

Covent Garden Flowers

Vida Boheme, prop.
Fresh flowers from nosegays to bouquets!
Delivery available upon request.

Covent Garden Flowers is open.

[and silly and OCD-free]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

"Hello?" Jaime called distractedly as he wandered into the shop. Hopefully he'd find someone who could A) give him advice, and B) didn't know him. Because explaining the situation was going to be hard enough already.

At least he got his first wish?

Dinah came out from the back room, and grinned when she saw Jaime. "Hey, Jaime! You need a plant? Maybe some holly? Or mistletoe?" she teased.

Jaime was thinking about what to get Ino for tomorrow to throw her off-balance. Which explained the wide-eyed look of panic on his face. "M-m-mistletoe?"

Meep!

"Er, hi, Dinah!" Smooth recovery.

"Hiiii." Too. Funny. Dinah smirked at Jaime and leaned against the counter, flipping yellow-red-green-blue hair out of her face. "So, was that a yes on the mistletoe? Any special reason?"

He was staring at her hair, rather than listening, so it was pretty unsurprising when his answer was. "Huh?"

"Jai-me," Dinah sing-songed, turning pink as she laughed. "Why are you here?" Aside from blinking at her cutely. Which didn't stop being fun even after a while.

"Oh, right! Flower shop!" He was still staring at her hair. IT HAD COLORS!

"Flowers. I need flowers. Er... flower advice, really." This was going to be a lot more awkward with Dinah.

She got snowed on! It was not her fault!

"Oooooooooo." Dinah's eyes grew wider as she bounced forward, looking around for ideas. "For who? What's the occasion? Do you have a daaate?"

Yay date!... even if that wasn't going to stop her from being a tiny bit flirty with Jaime all the time.

"No!" Jaime objected immediately. "I have a... um.... thing." He looked down at his feet. He might have been blushing ever so slightly.

"Date." It was easier for people to understand you when you didn't mumble, Jaime.

SO a date. Date! Dinah grinned and said, "What kinda thing-date? Dinner-thing-date? Hanging-out-thing-date? Do you like her?" Already? Tiiiny bit of jealousy there-- but hey. She had a boyfriend, and an awesome one. Jaime deserved someone nice. She backed off a little bit and said, "Roses might be too much for a first-thing-date. Maybe... oh, what's her favorite color?"

"It's not that kind of date," Jaime objected. "I... um..." How did you explain a situation like this? "There was this girl, and she... I..." He sighed.

"I was just kidding around, but then..."

This was complicated!

"I don't even really know her yet," he finally managed. "It just sort of happened. But I need some flowers to regain the advantage." There. That part made sense, at least.

"Awesome. Okay." So, unnamed girl had teased Jaime into taking a dare or into not backing out; either way, flowers for him, to give him back even footing. "Hmmm." Dinah frowned, biting her lip. "Some flowers mean different things, but I don't know them all, and anyway, most girls wouldn't know that... I know the carnations and one or two others, 'cause they were giving them out last Valentine's Day."

And giving a red carnations to a few people had required all the nerve she had.

"But, let's see. Tiger lilies? Ooor, alstroemeria? They're both pretty, and not really traditional." She grinned at Jaime. "What's your favorite? That's always a good reason to give a gift."

Edited 2009-12-17 03:06 (UTC)

"Does it matter what color their hair is?" Jaime asked. "I'm... not very good at this sort of thing." Obviously.

"Which... well, hence the advice."

"Well, if she wants to wear them in her hair, sure. I wouldn't give pink or orange flowers to a redhead," Dinah said, amused. Awww. Poor Jaime. "Do you want to really impress her? Get a big bouquet, and a mix? Or something exotic? Work with me here, Jaime." She put her chin on her hands and grinned at him, enjoying watching him be flustered. "I won't steer you wrong, if you just give me a destination."

Edited 2009-12-17 03:15 (UTC)

"Blond," Jaime explained. "This girl named Ino." He cocked his head slightly to one side, sounding almost desperate. "Do you know her?"

Please say yes! That would make things soooo much easier.

Dinah's eyes widened. "Yes, yeah. She works here, yesterday was her day. Wow, that makes it easier." She frowned. "And harder. She knows a lot about plants and flowers. Her family's in the business."

Well, one of them. The other one being mercs. But she was good at both.

And so she was going on a date with Jaime?... hunh.

"Oh, that's... good and bad." Jaime frowned. "So... flowers won't throw her off balance, I guess?" Darn. Because it had been such a good idea!

"Nooo, but she'll appreciate the effort if we do this right." Even more determined now that Jaime not be mocked by his date, Dinah nodded, thinking. "Live flowers. Not a bouqet. Something she can keep." She was talking aloud, thinking. "No roses, too cliche', and besides it's a first date, too soon, like I said." She started moving through the shop, gesturing for Jaime to follow her. "Something more exotic, I think, and oh, she'll know meanings, I'll have to look that up so you don't give her something awful on accident...." Must. Be. Perfect!

Jaime was splitting his attention between staring hopefully at Dinah and glancing around the shop. "What about these?" he asked, pointing to some deep purple orchids. "Girls like purple, right?"

Dinah turned around, then grinned at his comment. "Yup. Pretty sure Ino likes it, too." She checked the pot (http://img2.allposters.com/images/DOGPOD/NK-026020-1.jpg), and tilted her head. "They're exotic, they're pretty, they're alive... let me check the whole meaning-of-flowers on the internet, but I think that should work." She grinned. "See? This is going to be good!" She headed over to the computer by the counter, and started calling up the flower definitions she used. "Soooo, where are you going for dinner?"

"Um... the Thai place? She picked it before I realized what was happening. He shook his head. "I don't really know her, but she seems nice enough."

"Is there anything I should know?"

Dinah blinked, and looked away, keeping her expression blank, because... how to explain Ino? Or that sometimes they were friends, and sometimes she wanted to smack her, and Ino seemed to feel the same way? Because they had diametrically opposed views on the world and fighting and morality?

"Like what?" Safe answer there. Sort of. "And the Thai place is yummy."

"I don't know!" Jaime threw up his hands. "I just met her and now... this." He sighed. "Is there anything I should look out for? You know... that kind of thing." Yeah, because that was a detailed explanation.

Okay, now she was wondering if she just didn't speak Boy well enough to read this conversation, as she picked up the pot to take it to the counter. "Um, she doesn't have a boyfriend? She's from a sorta-Japan... She can be really snarky?" Dinah set the pot down, looking for a nicer glass one to re-pot the orchid into. "She's got a temper."

Considering the way she bitched Dinah out for something she couldn't prevent, that was an understatement.

"Temper," Jaime repeated. "See, that's useful! Except..." he frowned. "How do I avoid tripping it? It'd probably be good if the restaurant didn't get trashed, you know?" And if he could get out of things unbruised, well, that'd be goodk too.

"I'm maybe not the right person to ask there. I kinda trip it without trying. And vice versa. Although we usually manage to ignore whatever gets us mad and get back to getting along later." Dinah blew out a breath, frowning as she carefully re-set the flowers into the vase. "Um. No making assumptions? And maybe not taking it personally. Sometimes she's just in a mooood about something. Things are very different in her world. Her family are ninja. That's really important to her." Dinah pretty much thought that there wasn't anything she could say to prepare Jaime for Ino in an angry mood. Which... gave her really mixed feelings, because last time, Ino went off on Triela too. She seriously hoped Jaime didn't give her an excuse to do that.

"And she'll probably tell you all the important bits if you just ask her to talk about herself. Seriously."

"So... you're gonna let me wander around in the dark..." he teased. Then he sighed. "That's no way to get her off-balance."

"I think my help would be worse than no help." At least, that would be Ino's opinion. Better to let Jaime manage on his own. Dinah grinned at him cheekily. "Come on, where's that sense of optimism? That belief in your own... suave?" Heh.

"My own suave is precisely what got me into this situation," Jaime pointed out, but he couldn't suppress a tiny grin. "But, yeah... I guess I should look on the bright side... What's the worst that can happen?"

Famous last words, Jaime Reyes.

Don't answer that, Dinah Lance.

"Here's the orchid. Which, now that I've looked it up, means love, but more often luxury, strength, and beauty." Dinah touched one little petal. "She can't complain that you're giving out insults, at least. And if she wanted you in this situation, that's at least a start, right?"

It would be great if it went well. And if it didn't, well.... No. Nothing she could do to prevent that from here. Just hope that it was all good.

"Yeah, I guess." Jaime shook his head. "I think I'm just hoping not to embarrass myself. And to have fun, I guess." It didn't seem like Ino was his type, but... hey, she was cute, and at the very least they could have fun.

"Getting Ino off-balance is maybe a bigger project for later," Dinah said, grinning, and ringing up his purchase. "And I don't think you'll have a problem having fun. Ask her about fighting the 'gators back in May, that was a blast. Do you want a bag for this, to hide it in?"

"Hiding." Jaime nodded enthusiastically. "Hiding is good, yes."

"And 'gators. I'll remember that."

Dinah popped the plant into a big floral-decorated bag (sure, Ino would recognize where he got it, but where else would he go?) and handed it over. "Good luck." She grinned at him. "And tell me if it goes well, 'kay?"

"Full debriefing," he grinned. "Got it. Maybe over hot chocolate or something. But you're buying."

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Covent Garden Flowers, Wednesday, 12/16

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject