#thread008

London wept. There was nothing unusual about that; a day didn’t pass without some impotent drizzle, but conditions always seemed to intensify when it was least convenient. Felix had taken shelter from the storm in a flower shop, where he rifled through lush gardenias and tropical orchids with an absent hum. 

“Anything I can help you with, dear?” A prodigious stack of carnations asked as it wobbled its way past. Felix had to double-take to identify the truly minuscule woman hidden beneath the heap of vegetation, a polite refusal already forming in his throat. Then inspiration struck.

“Yes, actually.” Felix began, a look of strange malevolence flickering across his face as he turned away from a decorative cactus he’d been examining. “I’m looking for something that screams ‘Happy Anniversary’.” 

Jean-Lucien Travert was a snake -- manipulative, cunning, and gravid with ulterior motive. In short, he and Felix were cut from the same filthy cloth; it was only natural the two should become close consorts, though whether the relationship was fostered out of convenience or vanity was yet to be discerned. Either way, Felix had himself a particular sense of humor and wasn’t one to miss out on similarities, which was exactly why he made a habit of bringing his assosciate 'presents' whenever he dropped by. 

“Good morning, Jean." The broker smiled wryly upon entering, a cup of coffee in one hand and a bouquet of slightly soggy roses cradled in the crook of the opposing arm. Attached to it was a piece of violet cardstock with 'Happy Birthday, Princess!' printed across it in bright yellow lettering. Felix had conspicuously scratched 'Birthday' out with a fountain pen and written 'MONDAY' in the margin above it. "I come bearing gifts.”

Makoto wrung his hands together as he approached the deserted lake outside of Idarin. It was nice, serene, he often swam there when there was nothing else to do. If it wasn't for his nerves it might actually be a lovely day. He set down the bag he was carrying, it had a few assorted foodstuffs in it. A sort of makeshift picnic to go with the swim lesson, although those two things really didn't go together. Still, Makoto needed to do something to keep his mind off the growing feeling of butterflies in his gut.

You wake up feeling quite good, actually. You slept well enough on the hard lumpy mattress, and feel as though today might be a good day to head out of the city and start to explore something a little more... something. You aren't entirely sure what you're looking for, but you are sure that your legs are itching to move. Taking your time to secure your scale mail (just in case, although you feel quite encumbered with it on you all the time) you head out your door just in time to hear your neighbor leaving their own room.

How odd, you note, that you had yet to see either of the people living in the room directly beside you. It wasn't too strange in the sense that many of the patrons of the boarding house had been out wandering and adventuring around the new land they found themselves. But at the same time these were the people living directly next to you, and you had never gone outside of the town except for short trips lasting less than a week each.

So first a foot, and then they turned as they went to lock their door. You knew you probably should just go and be on your way, but at the same time...

There was quite the plush rump standing directly in front of you. And being a virile teenage boy with a lackluster relationship record you certainly could not be blamed for staring a tiny bit. If nothing else, you were at least covert about it. Thanks mostly to your glasses.

Of course as said individual turned you were unpleasantly surprised to see a familiar face staring back at you.