Covent Garden Flowers, Friday (5/10)

[goldfishontherocks]

Today just seemed like a day to do a little bit of tidying up around the shop. Keyleth couldn't say what had brought the impulse on, but she was keeping herself busy by sweeping up scattered potting soil, reorganizing everything in the cooler, and tidying the area around the register.

Tickles, perched atop a shelf, was supervising the whole process, of course, and Keyleth would stop to give him a pat every now and then.

When he deigned to let her, anyway.

[OOC: Shop and post open! Subject to SP per usual.]

Comments

[crack_that_whip]

Trevor was not particularly interested in flowers beyond 'what is poisonous?' and 'what can I use as a weapon?'

So, it was probably boredom that pulled him into the shop. He stopped on something red that he'd never be able to name because it didn't relate to either of the above question.

[goldfishontherocks]

Keyleth didn't see him at first, on account of having been kneeling down behind the counter to sweep up some potting soil.

But then the antlers appeared above the edge of the counter, followed by the rest of Keyleth, and she blinked a couple of times when she spotted him.

"Oh hi, Trevor! What are you doing here?"

[crack_that_whip]

"Can't I look at flowers?" No. No, he really couldn't. Not without a reason.

[goldfishontherocks]

"I never said you can't," said Keyleth, who only just now realized that she could have phrased that better, "but you're not . . . exactly the first person who comes to mind when I think about people I expect to be looking at flowers. But hi!"

That overly cheerful smile was a desperate attempt to salvage that conversation opening.

[crack_that_whip]

Oh, Keyleth. One day you'd learn that Trevor didn't need politeness.

But that day would make him sad because it was,weird and nice. Wice, if you will.

"Hi," he replied dryly. "You work here? Fits."

[goldfishontherocks]

Even when she did, she might just keep trying to be polite out of sheer spite. Or maybe just out of principle.

"I like plants," Keyleth replied, not sure if that had been sarcastic or not. "I get them more than I do most people."

Wow, that was sad. True though.

[crack_that_whip]

A smack to the head might work better on him, honestly.

"You're not awful at it."

Wow, Trevor. Wow.

[goldfishontherocks]

"Wow," Keyleth said immediately, echoing the narrative, "thanks, Trevor! That's so nice of you."

Okay, that? That was definitely sarcastic.

[crack_that_whip]

"You're better than me," Trevor said, trying to dig himself out of that. With the lowest bar ever.

[goldfishontherocks]

"I can think of a few people who are worse, at least?"

Looking at you, Beauregard.

ANYWAY. Keyleth leaned on her forearms against the counter. "Are you looking for anything? I do get paid to help you with that, so . . ."

[crack_that_whip]

Trevor and Beauregard were never allowed to meet. The level of hot mess would probably destroy the island.

"I'm not... Really a flower person."

YOU DON'T SAY, TREVOR.

[goldfishontherocks]

That would end so, so badly.

"And that was why I was surprised to see you here," Keyleth said, back to a decent level of cheerful and perky. "Maybe cactus? Something prickly? Or the kind of plant that eats insects maybe?"

[crack_that_whip]

"I'd probably forget to feed it." A cactus was really right up his alley.

[goldfishontherocks]

". . . definitely something that doesn't require much watering, then."

Keyleth was looking at you with so much pity, Trevor. So much.

"We can find you a nice cactus. Yeah. Let's do that."

[crack_that_whip]

At least he wasn't going to murder plants with his lack of skills?

"Do I have to... do anything?"

[goldfishontherocks]

"Try and at least remember to water it a little bit sometimes?" Keyleth ducked behind the counter for a moment and came back up with a small potted cactus. "Not much, though."

[crack_that_whip]

"It looks pointy." How very astute, Trevor.

[goldfishontherocks]

"It suits you," Keyleth informed him, and that could have been more carefully phrased, because now it sounded like it could have been a backhanded compliment. (It wasn't. That was just an unfortunate coincidence.)

[crack_that_whip]

He'd just have to accept that because it was true.

"And what here suits you?"

[goldfishontherocks]

"Almost everything?" Keyleth drew the words out slowly, like she wasn't sure. "I like flowers. And plants in general. I don't know, what do you think?"

[crack_that_whip]

"I don't know plants that well," he admitted, looking around. "Something deceptively dangerous."

It was a compliment. For him.

[goldfishontherocks]

"Aw, you think I'm dangerous?"

. . . apparently Keyleth thought it was a compliment too, from the way she grinned at him. Hey, she had a ridiculous wisdom stat. She could understand what he was trying to say.

[crack_that_whip]

He needed people around him with that. Or who ruthlessly mocked him out of friendship.

"Smart people are dangerous. Stupid people are too, but for different reasons."

[goldfishontherocks]

Well, Keyleth could do that. Though not so much the ruthlessly mocking part, at least not on a regular basis.

She nodded, as if to say she wasn't going to argue that concept. "I think everybody has the capacity to be, under the right circumstances. But sometimes we're just puffing up like cats, and trying to make ourselves look more dangerous."

She paused. "Well . . . they're pretty dangerous too, I guess."

[crack_that_whip]

"That's true," he said with a short of laughter.

[goldfishontherocks]

"How do you feel about cats anyway?" Keyleth asked him suddenly.

Look, this was an important question, and she felt it was a good measure by which to gauge people.

[crack_that_whip]

"Most people think they're familiars for witches." Not his opinion. Trevor she asked a pointed question.

[goldfishontherocks]

"And unless you do, too, that isn't an answer," Keyleth pointed out a little too cheerfully.

[crack_that_whip]

"They hunt vermin," he said with a shrug. Which was as accepting as he got.

[goldfishontherocks]

Well, at least he thought they were useful. It was . . . something.

"I'm going to take that as meaning you at least appreciate them on some level," Keyleth decided.

[crack_that_whip]

He didn't dislike them? There you go.

"Why cats?"

[goldfishontherocks]

"Because I happen to love them?" Keyleth said, a little haltingly because she hadn't anticipated having to explain that. "And I would have been sad if you outright hated them or something."

Sad, and also judging you so much because WHAT KIND OF MONSTER.

[crack_that_whip]

"And you turn into one," he said dryly. Because he wasn't a monster. Mostly.

[goldfishontherocks]

"Sometimes. It's not the only thing," Keyleth felt the need to point out. "It is my favorite, though."

[crack_that_whip]

"How many things can you--" He waved vaguely like that finished the sentence for him.

[goldfishontherocks]

"Turn into?" Keyleth asked, raising her eyebrows. "Anything, pretty much, as long as it's an animal I've seen."

Wait until the island started traveling and she saw dinosaurs.

"Unless you mean how many times I can do that, which is . . . about twice a day before I'm tapped out."

[crack_that_whip]

THAT WAS GONNA END SO BADLY FOR TREVOR.

"Huh."

Pretty judgemental 'huh' there. It was because he was from an anime based on a video game.