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Post by juniperleaf on Jul 21, 2011 19:10:30 GMT -5
Juniper Leaf sat out in her garden. She lifted a watering can and sprinkled the roses near her. Today was a slow day; she looked out over the low fence that surrounded the garden. She could see the front of the shop in case anyone entered and she had designed a bell to ring both in the garden and in the store when the shop door opened.
"It seems no one needs us today, Cassia," she said, speaking to one of the roses she watered. She got up and moved to a row of sunflowers growing just beside the fence that blocked them from the road. "Drink up, sweethearts," she sang softly as she watered the tiny flowers that were just budding through the soil.
She lifted the watering can in her teeth again and carried it to the porch offside the garden, setting it down. She sat under the awning above the porch and looked up at the wall of her store. "The paint is coming off here, Cassia," she called toward the rose from earlier. "I need paint." That was obvious. "Where do I get paint?" Less obvious.
She went inside the flower store from her side door and walked around. Sign said open. Windows were open (nothing like fresh air and sunshine!). "I'm going to the backroom to start a kettle of tea, Kiddie," she said, now talking to a potted orchid that was placed artfully next to her cash register, which was just a wooden box with a padlock. "Please tell me if someone enters."
She went through a curtain behind the counter and into the backroom of the store. There was a small kitchen there with only basic devices installed, a small furnace with a stove, a countertop, a low table surrounded by curtains, and a pantry stocked with dry goods. "What kind of tea should we have?" she said, now speaking with a sweet voice and looking toward her stomach. "Oh," she laughed as she spoke, "I guess I'll pick since you can't talk yet, darling." She went about preparing tea.
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Post by vorpalgale on Jul 21, 2011 20:43:54 GMT -5
Vorpal sighed, pulling the drawstrings on his cloak a bit tighter. He trusted Grey, but sometimes his requests seemed absolutely ridiculous. What was the point of the leader of a pirate band getting his face known around a small town? Wouldn't that be a rather bad idea, actually? Even if he did wear a mask during proper escapades, there was a chance someone would know who he was, and then they would have to move their base of operations again.
Despite his protests, Grey had insisted he come to the town. Vorpal could still hear the other pony's slightly rough voice reverberating through his head. It'll be better if you have a place you can go where you're trusted, he had insisted. Best way to get protection is to go to people you know, and you don't know anyone but us right now, lad. After some complaining Gale had agreed to it, but only after hearing where Grey could be found in that situation. Don't worry, I got me a bar in Cloudsdale whose owner is a friend of mine from way back.
Vorpal had decided to wear a cloak over his dyed-black hair, although he was fairly certain the rough restyling he had done would disguise him well enough too. His Cutie Mark wasn't known anywhere, and he wore a mask when he was pirating, so he hoped that would be enough to properly disguise him.
He paused as he caught a whiff of something which smelled nice. He smiled softly at the mixed scent of flowers, something he hadn't smelled in a long time. After a moment more, he went to head into the shop, smiling a little sheepishly at the thought of the Great Vorpal Gale, Blackmane's Successor, going into a florist's shop. Might as well start somewhere, he said to himself as a way to excuse his indulgence. "Excuse me?" he said as he walked through the door.
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Post by juniperleaf on Jul 21, 2011 21:15:21 GMT -5
Juniper had just finished placing the kettle on a hot stove when she heard the little jingle of a bell. Oh, a customer! "Just a moment please!" she cried, exasperated, through the curtain partition between her back room and the main gallery of flowers. She went over to the pantry and skimmed the shelves for the right tea leaves. Making her selection, she added the leaves to the water in the kettle. She crossed the curtain and appeared in the main room.
She walked over, stepping lightly and making no sound as her hooves touched the floor. "Welcome to My Little Peonies!" she sad in a cheery voice. "Please, feel free to look around. If you want an arrangement, or need assistance, I'm right here." She closed her eyes and smiled, tilting her head slightly. Her hoof waved outward, motioning toward the shelves lined with tea boxes, candles, bath oils, and lotions. Flowers lined the shelves along the walls, all assortments. She felt a little awkward now, having made her rehearsed introduction, forcibly repeated through years of reciting. She always tried to put a little emphasis into her words, but felt they came out a little flat.
She eyed her customer now with an attentive gaze. She didn't recognize him from the town, and she was certain he hadn't been a customer before. She went over to Kiddie, the orchid, and pruned one of "his" leaves off that was getting a little discolored as a ruse to give her customer some space unless she was needed. And this pony: he was cloaked? That certainly wasn't something she was used to. She knew the winter was cold, but it wasn't snowing harshly yet.
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Post by vorpalgale on Jul 21, 2011 21:41:19 GMT -5
Gale saw the strange look that the shopkeeper gave him and paused for a second. "... What?" he said after a moment, before remembering his cloak was still drawn up cloak. He loosened the drawstrings on his cloak and let the hood drop. His hair had been pulled back into a rough ponytail, similar to Grey's own hair, except for one loose strange. There was no way to avoid the black manedye, but with his hair drawn back the green showed more prominently than it did in his normal hairstyle. The black almost looked natural this way.
"I just got off the road," he said to explain, tilting his head and smiling a little sheepishly. Don't question it too much, please, he thought to himself. He'd rather not have to leave this town this soon after entering it. "If you don't mind me saying so, miss, your shop smells wonderful," he said, trying to turn the topic around with a compliment. It really did, too; Gale didn't talk about it a lot but the one thing he loved about the earth was the scents, and flowers were some of the most pleasurable.
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Post by juniperleaf on Jul 21, 2011 21:52:54 GMT -5
She visibly relaxed as he lowered his cloak and reassured her of the reasons behind his appearance. He still seemed odd in appearance, but what did she know about the fashions outside of Hoofington? Nothing, as if it needed to be said. She tossed her head lightly as she laughed to herself. Nothing more than a wanderer, then. No wonder she hadn't seen him in town.
"I hope it does," she said cheerfully, smiling toward Kiddie. "Half the gift of flowers is their fragrance, after all. Even when the flower is crushed into powder, it still smells like fresh life." She smiled sweetly and petted the orchid's other leaf very gently with a hoof. She walked over to a nearby shelf and slid a candle off, holding it up with the same hoof. She popped the lid off the candle's case and held it out toward the newcomer. "See? Refreshing." The candle, made of soy and crushed rose pollen, let off a sweet scent.
The kettle started whistling in the back room and a startled Juniper winced and dropped the candle. She gasped audibly.
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Post by vorpalgale on Jul 21, 2011 22:44:51 GMT -5
Gale inhaled deeply and let out a sigh, enjoying the mingling scents. He was glad he had no reason to pretend not to enjoy it while he was here. "That is excellent," he said after a moment. He blinked a moment when the kettle started whistling, mildly surprised at the sound but more shocked at the mare's reaction to the sound. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?" he asked, slightly confused, leaning closer to help. Then he noticed her slightly distended belly and blushed. "Oh, I'm sorry, he said, stepping back a bit.
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Post by juniperleaf on Jul 21, 2011 23:04:42 GMT -5
The mare shook her head to and fro rapidly. The candle had rolled on the ground but the glass casing held strong. She went over and stared at it, letting out a low whine. She needed to be quick. "Oh! I'm so sorry. It, ah, the tea. My tea is ready, that's all," she said as she returned the candle to the shelf and replaced its lid. The whistling of the kettle had died down a little, but was still heard through the room's partition. She moved quickly into the back room and removed the kettle from the hot stove; the sound finally stopped. She sighed. I need a quiet way to make tea...and I still need paint, she thought sadly.
She walked back to her customer and bowed her head a little as she spoke, "I'm so sorry if I scared you." She frowned and furrowed her brow. "Oh, and you've been on the road, you said? Then," she smiled sheepishly, "would you like some tea? It's made from crimson berries, and I thought it might warm you up?" Each sentence sounded like a question.
She barely paused for an answer before she was returning to the back room with another bow. Who would turn down crimson berries? She got a tray and placed a saucer of sugar cubes, a cup of milk, several small teacups, and the kettle atop it before carrying it back to the front room on her back. She set it down on the counter by her orchid and poured two cups full with the tea.
"Where are you coming from? It's just that we don't get a lot of passerby here in Hoofington. Ah, but, uh, you don't have to tell me that."
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Post by vorpalgale on Jul 21, 2011 23:28:27 GMT -5
Gale blinked a little, then smiled sheepishly, the redness in his face fading slightly. "Tea would be excellent," he said after a moment's thought. He was sure that the pick me up would be appreciated, even if he hadn't been travelling nearly as long as he was pretending to have been (You don't use a cloak for short journeys, he shouted at himself angrily, you forgot that the disguise has to make sense you foal!). Taking a seat, he took a small sip of the tea, enjoying the rich flavors before letting the hot liquid trickle down his throat.
His expression flattened a bit when she inquired where he had come from, trying to figure out what to say. I really should have worked on my alibi before I came here, he thought to himself, berating his idiocy yet again. Why do I always jump into things before I think them through? I know that the winds lead me right usually but that's no excuse for being stupid. Grey would have a fit if his alibi didn't work well enough (and of course he would ask).
After a moment's thought he turned back to her. Best to tell the truth; at least, some of it. "I just got off of the cloud routes," he said, taking another sip of the drink. "I'm moving nearby soon, and I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to get acquainted with the pony folk around here." he took another sip of the tea, allowing himself to relax a little. "This tea really is excellent," he said quietly as he finished the cup and smiled at the owner of the store again, this time doing his best to seem charming. Best way to go is to come off as a new neighbor, he decided arbitrarily, rolling with it the same way he followed the currents of the air.
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Post by juniperleaf on Jul 21, 2011 23:54:44 GMT -5
"Oh?" she said curiously. "I didn't know there was anywhere nearby to move to." She took a sip of tea. She shrugged innocently. "You must be working and living on one of the farms outlying Hoofington, then?"
Oh. He was here to meet the townsfolk, then. That was okay. There were always other days to make a sale and, since she inherited the store, she really didn't have any ends to meet in the near future. She smiled and took another sip of her tea before refilling both cups. He seemed nice enough, too. Juniper had only briefly met most of the farmers in the area, and none came by a flower shop very often. They handled their own seeds and plants.
Oh! He was here to meet ponies. That's right! "I never gave you my name, did I? Oh, how rude of me, and here you are, trying to know your neighbors." She got up, and with another quaint bow, said, "I'm Juniper Leaf; My uncle calls me June." Called, her thoughts corrected her tense error. He was gone now. "The ponies I know from when I was a little filly usually call me Junie. So, take your pick!" She looked over at Kiddie, wondering if the orchid needed an introduction as well. "Is there anything you need to know about the area or our ponies?" She smiled serenely as the tea's warmth spread over her. If he was new, he might need help - the poor dear.
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Post by vorpalgale on Jul 22, 2011 0:16:27 GMT -5
Vorpal smiled and nodded, not trusting himself to actually say it. He had never been the best liar. He was reasonably good at it now, but he still didn't trust himself on the matter, and that generally gave him away. "Juniper, huh?" he said, tasting the name on his tongue. "I think I'll call you Junie," he said cheerily with a slight teasing tone. "It fits you."
Finished with his tea, Gale got up. "I should introduce myself," he said, looking around the shop a bit now, at the various flowers and candles. "My name is... Tradewinds," He lied smoothly, smiling. It wasn't too far from his real name, and it still fit his cutie mark. Why not? "Grew up in Cloudsdale, now I'm trying a little more open lifestyle," he continued, coming up with his backstory rather quickly, adding in the truth when the wind calls for it. "And it's very nice to meet you, Miss Junie," he concluded, mockingly bowing. "Thanks for the tea."
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Post by juniperleaf on Jul 22, 2011 1:13:32 GMT -5
She giggled very softly when he chose her name. He would fit in fine, she was sure of it. She wasn't sure why she was sure, but she was sure of it. She finished her own tea, wincing when the teacup clinked against the saucer. She picked up the cup by its little handle and reset it. This time it landed without a sound. She mouthed a silent apology to the miniature teacup. She made a mental note to inspect the little cup for chipped paint when she was once again alone. A new kettle, paint, and glaze. She didn't feel like going out today to shop for her growing list. There was no point in wasting a slow day at the shop on errands.
She spotted his cutie mark as he began walking around. Tradewinds. What a lovely sounding name. "Oh, no! It's the least I can do to make some tea for a new pony!" Any hidden connotation that the bow contained seemed lost on her. "We are so happy to meet you. We just don't see many new faces around here." Whether her 'we' referred to her child or her plants was left vague. They were one in the same to her.
"Tradewinds." It really was such a lovely name. However, "Then, were you a merchant or something before coming here?" She faltered. "It's none of my business though. Forget I said anything." She smiled nervously.
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Post by vorpalgale on Jul 22, 2011 1:40:42 GMT -5
Gale smiled a little mischievously and tilted his head. "A merchant of sorts," he said, winking. Sky pirates weren't really merchants, but he liked to think of himself of a sort of merchant of fortune, taking when it made sense, selling when it made sense. It was rather hard to not reveal his true position to someone who was so likable, but he knew it was a bit too dangerous. "But I don't really want to talk about work," he said, trying his best to avoid going too much deeper into it.
"By the way, who's the 'we' you're referring to?" he asked, curious. He blushed a little as he considered the thought that it might be her foal, but he had decided to ask anyway, because he rather enjoyed the mare's company. "Is there someone else I should be introducing myself to?" he added jokingly, looking around the shop once more, sniffing an orchid and enjoying the pleasant aromas.
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Post by juniperleaf on Jul 22, 2011 12:59:03 GMT -5
He winked. Why did he wink? That wasn't normal. Winking after naming one's profession? I'm a florist, wink. She'd asked enough questions now and didn't feel like prying further, however. She made a mental note to try winking at her next customer to guage their reaction. But what if they got the wrong message? Oh, dear.
"You're sniffing him, actually. The other half of 'we'," she said. Here we go, she thought. Other ponies didn't really take her seriously on this subject. She walked over to join him by the orchid. "His name is Kiddie, and I've had him since I was a foal." Yes, he would definitely do that thing the other ponies did where they walked slowly out of her shop. "Plants, um, like being talked to. It makes them happy."
She leaned in toward Kiddie now, careful not to touch. "I'm very sorry I didn't introduce you sooner," she said. "I don't know if plants understand - and they can't respond - but it makes them grow faster, so it must make them happy." She smiled. "Just don't touch his petals. Orchids are very sensitive - you are, Kiddie, don't you know? He'll wilt if you touch them."
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Post by vorpalgale on Jul 22, 2011 13:51:21 GMT -5
Vorpal backed up a little, feeling rather awkward. "Oh," he said, nodding at the flower half-jokingly. He turned back to the mare and smiled awkwardly.
"I have to head out," he said a long pause later. "Thanks again for the tea. I'll make sure to come back here if I ever need flowers." he smiled and made his way out the door. As much as he was enjoying his time in the shop, he really didn't have a reason to stay here, and the longer he stayed the more likely it was that he'd do something suspicion. "Bye," he said, nodding cheerily and pulling up his hood.
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Post by juniperleaf on Jul 24, 2011 18:34:28 GMT -5
She watched him as he started backing away. "Oh? So soon? I, ah, I understand," she said, smiling gently. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Tradewinds."
She waved a hoof as he left the shop. "Was it something I said?" she asked, directing the question to Kiddie. The orchid responded by not responding at all. "Oh, this always happens. You're very poor for conversation, dear," she said as she frowned at the plant. "I guess it can't be helped."
With a shrug and a sigh, June headed outside through the side door and returned to the garden, where she began pruning the plants and tending to the smaller saplings. Every few minutes she looked at the door, frowning but sighing relieved when no one entered the shop. She was horrible at talking to ponies when it wasn't about flowers. She thought how bittersweet it was to have no one to tend to but her flora. So, humming away, she worked for the time being.
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