Release the Allergens
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Xanadu Weyr - Wildflower Boutique
Whitewashed walls form the canvas for the colourful array of flower, garden and decorative goods that are to be found lining the shop's polished shelves and smooth granite countertops. Around the edge of the room, a slim metal frame supports deep glass buckets in which a variety of freshly-cut flowers sit to be selected for bouquets and arrangements from as few as half a dozen stems to much grander affairs. Above them, shelves contain a selection of clay, glass and stone vases, handheld gardening equipment and decorative stock, such as ribbons, small cans of waterproof paint and fancy paper wrapping. Fertiliser, pots and troughs are kept on display outside and beneath an adjustable awning in-case of rain, a wider range available upon request.
Three islands in the centre of the shop floor provide space for gift items and the like, including metal flower pins, single ornamental stems for vases, and taller metal blooms to be stood in gardens. A price list notes them as crafted by Ka'el and also available in precious metals such as gold and silver. Other items on the counters include a range of small bouquets deliberately designed with firelizard delivery in mind, meadow-themed silver jewellery, and small gift-baskets containing the seeds and markers needed to start small herb gardens and plant window boxes.
The main service counter is situated along the back wall, where a list of bouquet prices and other fresh flower products, including circlets, arrangements for special occasions, and petals by the bag can be seen on a large chalk board hung on the wall.


It's midday on a sunny, cloudless day. The kind of day which is probably better spent any way other than arguing with a poor tired-looking flower shop employee. Joren didn't get the memo. He seems to be trying to offload a bag stuffed with colorful flowers. "Yes, I understand you sell flowers, not buy them. But really, you should make an exception. How often do you get a supplier with a bag full of quality product like this willing to sell at a deep discount?" The employee sighs heavily. "We have much nicer examples of that same flower that haven't been uprooted and crammed in a bag, sir." Joren sighs heavily.

One doesn't usually find Nessalyn in a flower shop, because techcrafting and floral arrangements have very little to do with each other. Her nose scrunches up as she steps through the door and is bombarded with all sorts of smells which seem excessively potent to her in a contained space. Some people might enjoy it, but her assessment is a simple, "Gross." She makes her way up to the counter, situating herself directly beside Joren like he's not even there. "What's the flower that the most people are allergic to?" Only once this question is posed does she cast a glance in Joren's direction. "You know this is a professional establishment, right? Not just your gran selling the leftovers from her garden for an extra mark."

Joren doesn't exactly seem thrilled to be here either. The floral scent is insufficient to calm him, and Nessalyn's comment earns a glare. "These are high quality flowers that I… have in my bag." The employee gives up, shaking his head and stepping away from the conversation. Joren sighs, defeated. "… Two days out in the field, and this is all I had to show for it. Thought there was supposed to be good game around here." Only after his complaining does he process Nessalyn's question. His eyes narrow, suspicious. "Are you trying to poison someone? Or mass expose people to allergens?"

"Wow," Nessalyn replies in a dry tone, glancing down at said bag with disdain. "I can't imagine why anyone would turn down a quality product like flowers stuffed into a bag." She turns her head to scowl after the employee when he disappears without answering her question, slamming her palm down on the counter for attention. "EXCUSE ME." It sounds more like a 'screw you' than a real attempt to get the man's attention again. "You realize game is meat, not flowers, yeah?" A brow is arched in his direction. As for her intentions, she merely shrugs and replies, "Yes."

"I do realize that, yes." Joren replies, dry and tense. "I'm just slowly discovering that Xanadu isn't quite what… oh, nevermind." He seems about ready to admit defeat and storm out, crumpled flowers in hand, but morbid curiosity compels him to stay. "… Is that why you're planning to release allergens upon the weyr?"

"Welcome to Xanadu." It's spoken with a sweep of her arms to encompass all they can't see from inside the confines of the boutique. "It's a nightmare you'll never wake up from." There's not even a flicker of humor to her expression, her features giving away no clues as to her intentions. Nessalyn drops her arms, glancing toward the employee to ensure that he's deliberately ignoring them before she begins plucking up various blooms on display. "Is what why I'm planning to release allergens? Try to be specific."

"… The weyr, or just this shop?" Joren seems a little slow on the uptake. "Granted, both seem to have room for improvement, but that seems a little bit… well. Must have your reasons, I suppose." The prompting gets him to go a little more specific. "Do you just hate the weyr and all people in it? Seems extreme, but… just who are you, anyways?" In case he needs to report her to authorities.

"The Weyr. Keep up." Nessalyn huffs under her breath at him, jabbing a flower in his general direction. "It's a warning, not a personal opinion. Once they have you, they won't let you go." She plucks up another bloom, sniffs it once, and then hastily puts it back with a disgusted twist of her lips. Ugh, smelly things. Flowers are the worst. "I hate everyone, everywhere. No need to be so limiting." Another flower is picked up and thoughtfully added to her growing bouquet, which is a mess of blossoms which have no business being paired together. She considers his question for a lingering moment, and then promptly lies through her teeth with the skill of someone who rarely tells the truth. "I'm just a dragonrider with a fancy knot. Don't you worry about me. Who are you?"

"… Is there something wrong with this place?" Joren really is slow on the uptake, isn't he? He edges away from the bloom Nessalyn is sniffing, as if it might be some sort of secret biological weapon. Answering seems risky, but attracting the ire of the misanthropic mystery woman also seems to be a bad idea. "… Joren. I'm a hunter, and, well…" He glances down at his crumpled flowers. "… Forager. Now, do I get your name, or not?"

Nessalyn pauses in her gathering to turn and stare hard to Joren, like she's trying to see right through him. "Obviously. But it's too late for you, isn't it? You're here. They know you're here." And then she offers him an unsettlingly pleasant smile, which looks particularly out of place on her. "But you can try to escape!" She laughs briefly, the sound harsh and faintly mocking, before turning back to her flower-gathering as though nothing happened. "Oh good, someone else to wave knives around in public places." This growing bouquet is becoming large enough that she's forced to hold it in the crook of her elbow. She practically has one of everything, at this point. "I think it's pretty clear that you don't."

"You've meet Taeli too, I take it." Joren replies to the comment about waving knives around. "I'll have you know some of us are professionals who know well enough to exercise proper knife safety." So defensive. He continues edging away from the bouquet of doom. "Well… alright then." He's run out of 'clever' ideas for identifying this strange madwoman. Perhaps escape is the only option. "Well, I'll leave you to your… poisonings. Good luck with that."

"She didn't try to lick you, did she? She seems like she's ready to lick the faces of everyone she meets." SORRY, TAELI. Only Nessalyn doesn't look the least bit apologetic for practically calling the girl a dog. "Yeah, so professional that they try to sell crushed flowers." She smirks in the face of that defensiveness, all the more amused. "Wait!" One hand is held up, before she reaches to take the last bloom she needs to complete this monstrosity. "Wrap this up for him," she instructs the employee, "so he can see what halfway decent flowers look like for the future."

Joren blinks at the mention of Taeli licking people. Apparently that particular oddity is news to him, even if he was quite aware of the whole 'waving a knife around' habit. When he suddenly has flowers being foisted upon him, he frowns. "If I could afford giant bouquets of possible allergens, I wouldn't be trying to offload my flowers, would I?" His brow furrows. "Wait. Is this the whole reason you came in here? To antagonize random businesspeople?"

While the poor, unwitting employee is busy wrapping all those flowers up in paper, Nessalyn casually plucks that rejected bloom from the wall, tucking it behind her body. If Joren notices, he'll be met with a teasing wink. In the face of his questions, she reacts with a genuine laugh and a toothy grin. "I think you already know the answer to that question." Her footsteps lead her in a seemingly aimless pattern as she speaks, but it just so happens that said 'aimless' wander leads her directly to the door. It's there that she pauses for a brief moment to cheerily say, "Well, goodbye!" And off she goes, leaving poor Joren to sort out the flower bouquet with the employee. At least said flowers can all be returned without payment?


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