Green's Greens ~112 Sunrise Blvd~

Following Kate up into the carriage, Naoki takes her time to admire the view. No one has ever accused Naoki of being courteous, after all. Moving up into the carriage, she pauses just over the threshold, running through her mental checklist.

At the invitation, Naoki hesitates for a moment. Her thoughts stray to the cabinet off to the left, and what ought to be inside.

But not yet. They had only just boarded the carriage. Better to keep her guessing for a short while. Naoki had subtly alluded, but hadn’t outright stated. It would be interesting to see if she’d get antsy, or ask about it. Crossing over to the bench, she takes the offered seat, careful to settle her tail comfortably off to the side. Scooting a bit closer, Naoki exhales deeply, simply enjoying the sensation of being close, and the calming effect Kate seems to have. Not to mention, this is the beginning of a period of time when they’ll be spending lots of time together, and Naoki won’t be spending any time in The Citadel. No statecraft. No documents to sign. No meetings. Just Kate, Artemis, the open road, mother nature. And probably monsters of some variety. Wyverns or trolls or giants or whatever other manner of beast The Expanse has to offer.

But also ten of her finest Sun Marshals, and a squad of Dawn Riders. Considering those odds, Naoki will choose the wyverns over Ryden’s steel tongue any day of the week.

Leaning back, Naoki settles in for the journey, as pleased as she’s been all week, but probably not quite as pleased as she’ll be as the week ahead wears on.

[Savage Garden]

With a flick of a wrist, she shooed the vine from her shoulder. The little dwarf had gotten under her skin with what he had said. That she had no acceptance? Was she supposed to accept a corpse just walking on the street? "I'm not prejudicious..." She muttered.

Realising she couldn't show herself to the customers like this, she found took a minute in the backroom to calm herself and clean the tear tracks from her face. "I'm not prejudicious. I just have principles."

When she returned, she was carrying a hefty clay pot for Savage Garden. "I'm not prejudicious... Am I?" She wasn't talking to anyone in particular. From the sound of it, she was trying to assure herself that she was right. This was a method she had used several times when she felt insecure or conflicted. Including when she did... When she had to...

Kate hoped it would be a quiet day. Even talking by herself was like biting into ash.

[Enter from Kate's Undergarden]


Kate was tugging along two newcomers as she strode inside her shop. She knew the place like the back of her dirt-encrusted hand, so it was mere moments before she had located where the bush grew, in abundant numbers and in good health. Lamina Manira and Skarlet would find Kate clicking her tongue in disbelief.

Vito had been busy.

"There's more than enough for you here, doll. Take as much as you want. Since you're a friend of Skarlet's I won't even charge you." She raised an eyebrow. "You do know how to use it, don't you?"

Lamina and Skarlet followed Kate into her shop, which seemed to be another gardener or botanist's dream... and it was here that the power of the Avalon again surfaced. After all, it seemed to her undeniable, the way the events seemed orchestrated by this strange drink's effect. Being led within the span of about twenty minutes to several very healthy plants and offered as much as desired for free--these things just didn't normally happen in Laminas world. She would have to return to the Midnight Sun and inquire further as to the Avalon's effects.
"Yeah..! This is it."
In full bloom, the plants were about ready to harvest. When offered, she reached to one of the thick buds to examine it, and it was just then that the plant emitted a pungent, skunky fruity smell. This plant had seeds, and while she valued the buds and would cut the main stalk off the largest plant (leaving the others so as not to be greedy), it was the seeds the plant had produced within that she was after. This was the ultimate victory.
"Thank you sooo much Kate...and yeah, I definitely know what to do with this."

Kate cast a sidelong glance at Skarlet . She had worked for Naoki for... How long had it been now? Yet she had never even... Well, it's not my place to judge, she figured.

"Why don't you ask Lamina for a demonstration, Skarlet? She seems adept in ways I wouldn't dare to imagine. Just don't do it here, please. Fire hazard and all that." At this moment she took notice on Skarlet's clothing. Kate could turn this to her advantage and make a tidy profit... But perhaps having a scantily-clad gal going recreational beside her storefront would do more harm than good.

"You two better go, before some unfortunate parents brings their kids to buy flowers for their dying grandma. I have a cardigan you can borrow, Skarlet, if you feel uneasy." She extended her arm to the direction of the staff room next to the entrance.

"Yes... thank you so much, Kate!" Lamina would return to the Midnight Sun with Skarlet, where they were destined to meet a demon named Ashley Gremuire.

Renalt walked through the door on the 23rd, as requested. In his hands, he carried a large box of freshly-made fudge, wrapped in tasteful pink paper. He glanced around, looking for the proprietor. It had been quite a while since he'd been in here, as it wasn't often that he needed to buy flowers. He got them for free, usually. Occasionally, hopeful young men would visit the shop and inquire about Roxanne. Renalt would tell them that she liked tulips, and every now and then a bouquet or two would show up at the shop or at his house. In reality, Roxanne had never been particularly fond of tulips. Renalt, on the other hand had always enjoyed them, and was not above using his niece to get them for free.

Salt licorice? That didn't exactly sound like Renalt's cup of tea, but he stayed quiet. He'd always preferred his sweets to taste...sweet. Still, there was no accounting for bad taste. He smiled at the young gardener, holding out the box of chocolates.

"Hello there, Miss Green. This is for you, from a certain Empress of Isra. Happy birthday, Miss Green!"

He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, remembering all the rumors and gossip that he'd heard about the two. Perhaps they were true, although he'd never believed them himself until now.

"Do you have any sugarcane, by the way? Or those little trees in the tiny pots? If you've got a tiny fruit tree, I'd love to see it."

Renalt accepted the tiny tree, poking gently at the little oranges growing from its miniature branches. It certainly was a cute little thing, and would look good on a windowsill. When the botanist asked about his family, he chuckled. All sorts of gossip passed through his chocolate shop, and family gossip was no difference.

"There's all sorts of things going on with the family, Miss Green. Do you know my niece Roxanne? I'm fairly certain that she's been seeing a lollipop-seller boy, but she hasn't admitted it yet. My nephew Roy has been keeping himself busy, finding ingredients for my candy and feeding stray cats. He's a nice boy. Last week, he went to a village called Strawstrewn to buy some Queen Ila's Honey Vine from the traveling merchant so that I could try a new recipe. Poor boy got lost and ended up befriending a talking gopher, which convinced him to go out and chase the cats away from the empty field where it lived. He got scratched to pieces, poor boy. He's recovering at home right now, but he'll be alright. I never did get that Queen Ila's Honey Vine, though."

He sighed. The poor boy had come back covered in scratch marks and bites, having been mobbed by a swarm of feral cats. Hopefully some hot chocolate would do him some good.