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Covent Garden Flowers, Saturday

Seivarden opened the shop. She watered the plants. She made a few flower arrangements. She drank tea, of course. She found herself actually enjoying the day, even if she was unlikely to tell anyone.

Well, she wouldn't have minded some company, or at least a customer. Someone who behaved reasonably civilized, of course.

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Sorry, Seivarden. You may have wanted someone who behaved reasonably civilized, but you were getting a Shunsui instead.

He was already in town, after all. He might as well finally get around to taking care of things he'd been meaning to get to while he was already out, so that he could just go back to being a lazy lay-about who emerged mostly just for drinking and flirting.

"Ah," he said, a slow sort of smile surfacing once he managed to place exactly why the person working there at the flower shop looked a bit familiar, "from the park! How is your cat ♥??"

Yup. Shunsui didn't remember your name, Seivarden, or even your face, really, but he definitely remembered your cat.

"She's in a really bad mood," Seivarden said. "No fish. I have to say I agree with her there."

She smiled though, because, like any cat person, she was pleased when someone paid attention to her pet.

Making a gesture for Shunsui to enter, she continued: "Would you like some tea? I just made a pot."

So far, Shunsui hadn't come across as terribly uncivilized, or oversensitive, or lecturing, which was all you could ask for here, really.

"Far be it from me to refuse a drink when offered ♥," said Shunsui. Tea wouldn't exactly be his first choice, but that was nothing a little tip from his jug couldn't fix. "I won't be long, though; I've only come in to finally find my bonsai ♥. I'd have come for it sooner, but last week, travel around the island was a bit...."

He was an author; choosing just the right word was important...his hand circled in the air a bit as he searched for it.

"...annoying," he concluded dismally.

"Poor, poor Issa-chan, though ♥!" he added, his voice lightening. "I imagine this week has been much harder on her than most others. Once this is all over, I hope you plan to treat her to a veritable feast of fishes, a bounty so vast she can barely move because of it it ♥! Fat and content and happy little ball of purring fur ♥!"

And that is why Shunsui had plants, not pets.

"Oh, she will get plenty of fish," Seivarden agreed. "There's going to be a lot of purring, I think. I have to admit I miss being able to get some sushi myself."

Seivarden didn't know enough about Earth cultures to be aware that Shunsui was Japanese, and sushi a Japanese dish. It just happened to be her favourite choice for takeaway.

"So, bonsai. We have a small selection. I hope you'll find something you like."

She poured a cup of tea and offered it to Shunsui.

"Ahh, thank you ♥," said Shunsui, who took the tea in one hand and appeared to offer a sweeping bow in gratitude, but, really, it was just easier to bend over and pour some sake into the cup from where the jug hung on his obi.

There. Much better. Now that his beverage was all set, Shunsui went and took his sweet, sweet time moseying on over to where that small selection of bonsai were, stopping here and there to literally smell the roses and taking his sweet, sweet time with that, in between sips, and then once he actually did get to the bonsai, he tilted his head, considering, making thoughtful little hums as he drank his tea and considered the selection from various angles, including from lower to the floor. As he seemed to come to a decision of sorts, he finished off the last of the tea, set the empty cup down on the closest surface, and then swept two of the little trees into his arms, carrying them over to the counter.

"What do you think?" he asked, setting both on the counter. "Which of these two do you suppose looks most like it's giving you a very stern look through a delicate pair of glasses ♥?"

Seivarden pretended not to notice what was added to the tea, and just smiled, until Shunsui asked the question. Her expression changed to one of confusion.

"That's... I mean, why? Or... how?"

She couldn't see any of the plants reminding her of that, or why anyone would want it, but Shunsui was the one who was going to live with the plant.

"Well, I just figured," said Shunsui, with a slight shrug and a peaceful sort of smile, "perhaps Nanao-chan VI should look like her namesake ♥."

Maybe, if anything, a resemblance would give her namesake at least a little pause before pitching this one in the trash.

"I'm leaning a bit toward this one," he added, after another thoughtful look, turning the one to his left toward Seivarden so that perhaps she could see what Shunsui did. "Especially if you squint a little and," he ducked a little, angling himself, "look from this angle..."

"Well..."

Just because Shunsui was about to buy a plant didn't mean Seivarden would just go along with everything.

"Not sure I can see it, really, but if you can, that's what matters, I suppose."

"Hmmmmm." Shunsui hummed a little thoughtfully, allowing some of that doubt in a moment to be a bit more judicious in his examination, but he laughed and shook his head. "I'm sure you'd see it if you'd ever met her," he offered, conciliatorily. "Or if we had some glasses ♥. But I'll take it, this one, this is definitely the right one ♥."

And, with that decided, his head tilted toward the other plant with his expression softened into something of sympathy, "My deepest apologies to you, of course, other bonsai. You are also a very fine tree, and the decision was not an easy one, but I'm afraid your lovely friend here has been the one to succeed in stealing my heart ♥. But vibrant as you are, I've no doubt you'll have no trouble in finding a worthy home of own one day, Bonsai-chan ♥!"

"You... seem to care a lot about plants."

That was all Seivarden could think of saying. She took a sip from her tea.

Tell that to Nanao-chan III, the one that helped Shunsui discover firsthand that plants actually don't care much for sake...

But as it was, he just beamed at the comment and gave a pleased look around the shop. "How could I not ♥?" he asked. "When was the last time you've ever encountered a plant that brings into the world anything but beauty? Well," he chuckled a little, "you live here, so perhaps it may not have been too long ago, but, for the most part, a plant merely exists to provide loveliness, or sustinence, to freshen and sweeten the air we breathe, to provide shade from the heat of the sun for a glorious summertime nap ♥. Bursts of colors, intoxicating scents...a sakura petal dancing on a warm breeze or a pale lily tucked into the dark hair of a n enchanting woman, beauty enhancing beauty ♥. Even the stout and stately bonsai, responding to the most subtle suggestions, twists and spreads itself like a slow, ponderous dance to the patient will of its keeper ♥."

He sighed, wistfully, thoughtfully, happily. He should write that down...

"They...mostly...exist to make the world more beautiful, what's not to love about that ♥?"

"You sound like a cousin of mine," Seivarden said, although Shunsui was definitely worse. "They are beautiful though."

Working in a flower shop you had to at least appreciate what you were selling.

Edited 2019-08-11 12:04 (UTC)

"Then perhaps one day your cousin and I may be able to share thoughts over a bottle of sake someday ♥," said Shunsui wistfully. "It's always such a pleasure to to meet someone who can truly appreciate such things. Is your cousin very beautiful ♥?"

Always with his eye on the important things, this one.

By now that question didn't surprise Seivarden.

"She's a lot younger than I am and my cousin," Seivarden said. "But she's considered beautiful by some."

Perhaps not to Shunsui's taste, but still.

"Well, I'm sure I'd be delighted to meet her some time ♥," said Shunsui assuredly.

With at least a 50% chance of pending disappointment and confusion.

"In the meantime," he added, "I'm sure Nanao-chan VI is eager to get herself settled in her new home ♥. How mcuh do I owe for the planet?"

Definitely potential for disappointment and confusion.

Seivarden told him the price. "I'm sure this plant will get a good home."

Since Shunsui seemed to care about it a lot already.

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Covent Garden Flowers, Saturday

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