Floral Delivery - A Floraverse Introduction
Floral Delivery - A Floraverse Introduction
"I'll have the Brix next week, I give my solemn word."
Stare.
"Of course you can trust me on that, I'm projecting business to be much better in the near future. The rainy season will be over and every passerby will be in the mood for my wonderfully cooled drinks again, you'll see!"
Stare.
"In fact, I'm expecting a package soon, juices of exotic flavors that will be a sure hit. Triple- no- quadruple my normal sales! People will be coming city over, and that's more traffic for your store as well!"
Stone. Haggling was always more miss than hit with a Vanguard, unless you had the fortune to get one liquored up beforehand. Fortune kept Missus Macklevee out of my bar.
I kept a smile and held my tongue for a ponderous ten seconds. Yes, I counted exactly. "So, next week, yes?"
"Yaaaaagggh."
There was the slightest hint of acceptance behind what most would consider to be a sharp-toothed yawn. No matter. I nodded quickly to seal the oral agreement. "Of course, Missus McVee, you can count on having the money." I bent my tall frame in for a bow, the palm leaf behind my head draping down to shade me completely.
She turned from me in dismissal, heading around a few meters to her own store's front door. "This week," she growled, "and the whole next month too."
"Of course, of course," I peered up out of the bow, watching her fiddle with her lock. "Rent for the whole month, perfectly reasonable."
"Pull the garbage out. Pickup's soon." She finally jimmied the door open, mumbling some inflammatory comments about Lamani and alleyways. I held my tongue and scratched the bark of my neck before turning into the narrow backstreet. It was the only sensible response to my landlady
They normally didn't build alleyways in the Polaris Capital to be such a tight fit. I expect there's some sort of code against it. Most though don't have the gall to fit half a bar lengthwise down one.
I'd prefer to say I owned a whole bar, but I couldn't quite in good conscience.
I hefted the garbage bin of Missus McVee's boarding house away with arms outstretched, avoiding the leak at the bottom. The first time I picked it up my wool was stained with the stench of waste for a week. My muscles strained against the weight, and I nearly lost my balance in a moment of weakness, tottering on the verge of spilling the garbage.
Palmed Lamini were not meant to carry like this. We were built to travel on all fours, packs strapped to our strong backs, tough leathery feet navigating sandy dunes or narrow cliff sides with equal ease. With our thick and magic infused wool we could survive weeks in the blistering sun or on top snow covered peaks with equal ease. But the city catered to the bipedal, and I catered to the city; and for all my complaining it was only a few dozen stinking steps out streetwise for the morning pickup.
After setting down the bin, I looked back to the wooden hovel that held my pint sized tavern. It filled me with some pride to see it glowing in the blue light of morning, the sign clear and visible in bright colors: 'Vicente's Tonicks and Healthe Drinks'.
I didn't build the place, Skies Above no. The last owner was crazy to set up a shack in the middle of an alley; my insanity was limited to buying the deed before seeing the location. But the price enticed me, and Polaris is one of the largest tourist traps on the continent of Owel. Sounded like the perfect place to set up shop.
Sure, the hovel only fit the long counter, six stools, and a limited amount of cabinet space, but it was my own shop, dammit.
"Good sir, good sir!" I brought my charm to full force against a random passerby, a squat, aqua haired- well, thing. "I think you could use a freshly chilled tonic to start off the day on a cool beat, hmm?" I raised a hand to usher him in. "Discounts before midday, every day! Only ten Peels for a shot!"
"Got places to be, gully boy," he gruffed, not paying a second glance. Not an uncommon response, sadly, but I was pushing it to sell at this hour. I opened the curtain that hung in place of a door and tied it to the side. Open for business once more, I suppose.
I walked in and was greeted by eyes, great big dazzling orange ones, huge on the creature's small indigo face. As I stopped in the doorframe, vibrant blue petals lifted from her neck, perking into a frill that almost dwarfed the rest of her body. "I apologize for startling you." She looked down at a slip of paper carried in her small claws. "Mister Vie-Cent-Ee, is it?"
"You didn't startle me," I lied. "And it's pronounced Vi-cen-té. Not to worry, most get it wrong on the first attempt-" The words flowed from my mouth before I realized what I had on my hands.
A customer. A customer.
I sprang into action, bounding forward to hop the heavy wooden bar into the usual tending position. "Hello, hello, and welcome to Vicente's Tonics and health drinks! Elixirs to suit the mightiest of thirsts and the most refined of palates, all with that chill you can't find anywhere else in the tropics! Come up, have a seat- or, er, stay on the bar if you prefer! Who do I have the honor of serving today?"
"Oh, my name is Nymlus," she answered with a nod, before giving a tilt of her head. Those oversized petals surrounding her neck bobbed with each small movement. I had seen her kind around town before, though she was the first to stop in. Frilled Petal Dragons, I believe their name. Funny, I always thought of dragons as frightening great beasts, not some cute little lizard with a flower around her neck. But she could be as frightening as she damn well pleased. A customer is a customer is a coinpurse.
But it was nice to have one with such a pleasant expression, I'll admit. "So what will we start you off with? Definitely something with a lot of fruit, I'm thinking you'd be a Cherrijuice kind of girl-"
"Actually, I'm here about a package." She turned her head around, looking to a brown paper and twine bound lump in the far corner of the room.
Oh.
Ooh.
"Well come on now, bring it over here would you!" I wiped my paws off on my apron and leaned over the counter to lift the package Nymlus pushed towards me. Heavier than I expected. That made me smile. I heaved it up to the bar with a thunk but no clinking glass. Another worry down.
The delivery girl joined me, climbing onto one of the tall stools; the crossbars made a perfect ladder for my smaller patrons. She watched as I fiddled with the twine straps. The silent gaze quickly grew uncomfortable. "Is there anything else you needed, ma'am? You're welcome to order a drink, of course." I smiled, nodded, then frowned. "You're not expecting a tip, are you?"
Gold eyes brightened for a flash, but she calmed her interest quickly. "Generosity wouldn't go unappreciated, mister Vicente, but isn't required of you. However," the appreciation turned quickly into a cringe, and she pulled in a breath to ready herself. "This is a little awkward for me to say: I'm afraid there's the matter of the delivery fee."
Thud. "I, ah," I needed a short pause to steady my pulse before continuing. "My previous experience was that shipping costs were normally handled by the sender."
"That is the usual policy, it is my understanding. Honestly I have never done this before. However, our order documentation clearly states that payment was deferred at shipping time. Here, cash on delivery, right here." She pointed a tiny claw at the offending comment, before noticing another note. "Oh my, this came all the way from Althar? That's the far side of Owel! Have you been there before?"
"A long time ago, when I was much younger." I tried to avoid a digression. "How much does it say is the cost?"
"It looks to be twenty Brix, sir."
Double thud. The little I had saved from postponing rent, flushed immediately.
But I needed the goods.
"Please," I asked, and she handed over the thin paper. A quick scan of the seals and signatures showed everything to be official and in order, but I still shuddered at the cost. I really did have to start making better start making four times the profits. "Mind if I check this against my own records?"
Nymlus frowned, but acquiesced. I knelt down, unlocking the storage cabinet beneath the bar to pull a bulging envelope stashed alongside the many bottles of liquor. Within contained extra copies of most of my transactions, and that included all my correspondence with the East Owel Trading Company. I flipped through the variously sized and colored parchments. Somewhere in this stack at least.
"Around your neck there, is that wood?"
"Hmm?" Instinctively I reached my free hand to rub at the roughly textured bark, putting a brief halt to my browsing. "More flexible than it looks, I assure you." I flipped through a couple more before finding the copy. The East Owel Company has received your letter of interest-
"I see. And that's a lovely leaf you have. Does it keep the sun off your head?"
"It's a palm. I'm a Palmed Lamini." Below is our current stock of flavors and spices, along with prices adjusted for Polaris currency. "And yes, very helpful at times." One (1) Bottle of Rosewine, 1.4 Liter: 1 Brix, 3 Peels; One (1) bottle of Extract of Violet, .5 Liter: 2 Brix, 5 Peels- All fine and good. But what about shipping?
"You know, they make stools like this that spin around." Here it is: We estimate 4-7 weeks from our receipt of payment for your shipment to reach Polaris. The East Owl Trading Company appreciates your business. "You should get some of those spiny stools, they're much more fun."
"Too expensive" I replied absently. Not a damn word about the shipping cost. Small wonder the price was a great deal cheaper than any other offer. But I hadn't a legal leg to stand on. How could I dispute a charge not specified in the contract? And why did I keep ending up in all these poisoned deals?
"Oh." The little Petal Dragon's frill shrank back on her neck. "So, I won't be getting paid?"
"What? No, no, I have the money." Barely. "I just wanted to double check, just to be sure. You'll get your-" it was hard to say.
"Twenty Brix, sir."
"Right, right, paid in full then-"
"And a tip of a Peel or two wouldn't be unappreciated, considering the weight-"
"AFTER I inspect the contents. This is very fragile and expensive merchandise, and I won't have you running off like a thief if there's something- anything- the matter with it." I tried pulling apart another tightly bound knot, before giving up in search of a penknife. "And it's not like you carried it from the other side of Owel yourself, now." Ah there it is.
Nymlus was now squirming uncomfortably. "But I already did all my work bringing it! Not to mention you already paid for the product." She looked anxiously to the door. "And I have other rounds to get to today."
"True, true, very true." I set the knife down on the bar and brought a finger and thumb up to stroke my fuzzy chin. "But considering the quality reputation of the shipping company, it would be absolutely dreadful if I found anything happened to my package in transit. I'd have to tell all my customers why I can't make the new drinks I've been promising."
She scrunched up her nose at my threat before deciding on a frown. "Fine! But once you're satisfied, you cough up the full payment! I'm not losing this job just because you're stingy!" She shot out a tiny claw towards me.
I pressed an equivalently sized finger into a shake. "I give my solemn word-"
"Plus an extra Peel for my time-"
I pulled away. "We agreed to the twenty." I returned to cutting apart the obscene number of bindings, when a thought struck. "But, perhaps I can offer a sample of my wares in some recompense-"
"I'm not leaving without the twe-"
"For the gratuity," I hastened to clarify. How single minded could the girl be?
The knife made short work of the final bindings and I could at last tear away the layers of paper wrapping. "You can be the first to try one of Vicente's newest concoctions!" With a smile and a flourish, I pulled a round bottomed bottle of a glimmering royal blue liquid.
She leaned her head in and sniffed at the wax that covered the stopper. "The smell- I can't seem to place it."
I tried the same, but couldn't make anything out through the seal. "Ah, you have quite the nose then to make out the exotic flavor held within!" The penknife made short work of the wax and with a few grunting twists I undid the stopper, releasing an intense bouquet of sweet violet over the thick and humid city air.
"That's extremely strong," Nymlus complained, leaning herself back on the stool. "Are you sure you aren't making perfumes?"
"What?" I coughed a bit, to hide how mortified I was, nothing to do with the thick scent. "No, no- no, my dear, I craft drinks to satisfy the thirsty and delight all the senses!" I swung my arms and the bottle out wide, the scent wafting to quickly fill my compact establishment. "With these new exotic flavors, my tonics will be the talk of Polaris!" I stuck back in the stopper before the smell grew too strong to breathe. Lords Below this stuff was potent. Used sparingly it would last a long, long time. I could write off the delivery fee as a minor investment.
"You know, I'm doing you quite the favor, letting you get a taste before the line starts forming down the block." I set the exciting new bottle down with only a minor clink of glass before crouching back to the undercounter liquor cabinet. Let's see, what would go best with this new floral flavor? The Pearinate mead? Maybe; I'd try a mix of that later. The Dark Sugar Rum could work, but I pegged Nymlus as a lightweight. No, let's start with some nice, simple, cheap, grain alcohol, with some mild Bananaven milk to fill it out-
"No alcohol for me please."
"Wha-OW!" My nose bumped on hard wood as I pulled up to her too quickly. I asked, more naisily than usual, "you'd prefer it to be virgin then?"
Her indigo cheeks visibly changed shades to violet. "Mister Vicente!" Her arms and legs crossed in a pout. "I don't know what business my sex life is to you or to your drinks!"
"No, no, Skies Above no!" I raised my hands in apology. This is why bars shouldn't open so early. "Virgin is used to refer to non-alcoholic drinks, nothing about your- ah- " I couldn't stop a flush of my own: she was cute with those puffy purple cheeks and all.
She frowned at the explanation, mercifully ignoring my expression "Well I'm not fond of the term then. I abstain from alcohol, it's true, but that doesn't make me any sort of prude. It's my preference, but others can live as they please, without fear of mockery."
Her eloquence left me impressed. "That is very sensible of you, Miss Nymlus. I apologize, I truly didn't mean any offense to your character, it was completely out of turn."
She studied me for a long while before giving her nod. "Apology accepted. And I would like some sort of drink."
"Certainly, ma'am." I gave my little bow, which still dwarfed the strong willed girl.
For the grain alcohol I substituted from my carafe of crystal water, measuring out the portion into my thin metal tumbler. The clean mineral taste would be a well enough substitute the alcohol for diluting the Bananavern Milk to the proper consistency. This time when I opened the violet extract I held the mouth closed with my thumb to keep the aroma from leaking. I poured a careful stream out, straining my instincts to decide when enough was.
Nymlus actually looked a little disappointed as I raised the mix to shake it. "That's it? You just swirl around a few different juices into some cheap alcohol and say it's better now?"
The refreshing honesty was growing a little tiresome, but I held the smile. No matter how many plates were spinning, you couldn't let a single fall. "It is taste infused with presentation, ma'am- and a little extra magic to spice it up!" I cradled and lifted the gleaming cup up, focusing on breathing exercises while bringing my free hand up to touch it so gently. Already I felt a chill as the sensitive metal absorbed my body's energy. One breath. Two. A third. And with strengthened will, I reversed that transfer.
I ignored Nymlus' sudden interest; she sensed some magic being employed, but I had to keep my concentration lest I fall out of step with the pulse of energy. My fingers began to heat, but with another breath I drew the energy into my core, spreading the heat across my body and then into the volume of my wool. Soon I was no warmer than a milliliter of mercury, and what I held aloft was much, much cooler.
With a natural smile now I poured from the metal cup to a glass tumbler suited the Lizard girl's size, and then into one of my own. "Cheers, Nymlus," I clinked them together before picking mine up for a sip.
The liquid was wonderfully cool, but that was nothing new, and I focused myself to pay attention to the flavor. The violet smell that filled the air was present but surprisingly light on the tongue. The intricate floral though was somewhat overwhelmed by a strong sweetness that lingered far beyond the sip. That was pleasant, I liked sweet drinks.
But-
"It is certainly different," Nymlus commented, "and it is refreshing: I've never drunk anything so cold." She frowned in deep thought. "But I'm worried it is little more than a novelty. The bouquet doesn't seem to mix with the milk. I can barely taste the bananaven over the sweetness. Their tastes work on two different levels I fear. And I don't see how a little alcohol could fix it." She stuck out her tongue to lap another sip. "This is all very sweet."
"Well- of course," I tried to justify, "Sweet is popular."
She turned her head around, examining the cozy establishment. "Is it?"
She was right. Damnit, the overly honest lizard was right. What made me think a couple of exotic flavors could make me famous? Throwing things together and cooling the mix down could make up for poor taste. It had been one great delusion ever since i bought this shack. I downed the rest of my glass before slamming it back onto the bar and slouching in weary depression
"I don't understand." Nymlus continued, "You could probably make easy coin just selling cold water on the street, considering how much the Aurorian traders gouge their ice prices in the hot season. Why go through the trouble fixing something more complicated?" She paused to consider it. "Come to think of it, I've never seen someone with power over ice staying in Polaris for long."
I remained silent through her comments, then lowered myself onto a little stool to bring me on a level with her huge orange eyes. Perhaps conversation would clear the stormclouds from my mind. "That's because- well, you mistake it." I shook my head, palm swaying. "It's not the ice I control, but the fire."
"That doesn't make sense. Fire is hot, that's a fact."
"In many ways, it is a fact. But that fact doesn't tell you everything." I reached a long arm out to touch her little clawed paw, closing my eyes. "There's a- a pulse I can feel in things. The hotter something is, the stronger the pulse. And if I concentrate just right- ah, there it is"
The lizard girl pulled her hand away. "That tingled!" She stared at her little paw, stretching her fingers. "It does feel like a like I touched something cold. But I don't see what it has to do with fire."
"Well, the drink you have here." We both turned eyes to it. "What makes a hot drink different from a cold one?"
Nymlus mulled my question over like a riddle. "When it gets too cold, it becomes hard ice. And when it gets too hot, it starts to boil and burst." The soft lines of her face scrunched as she concentrated. "But between hot and cold- it's just a drink, plain liquid."
"But it's they are different, no? You wouldn't call a warm drink the same as a cool one." She turned back to me with that scrunched face, but had no answer. I continued, "Hot and cold, it's just the same story told two different ways. One has more heat, the other less. And with the right mastery of fire, I can control heat-"
That finally clicked. "Then it's just as easy to take it away as it is to add it! But where do you take the heat?" I opened my mouth, but she already had reached the answer. "You take it into yourself!"
"Correct exactly!" Her sudden enthusiasm was infectious. "Some Palmed Lamini make the snowy mountains their home, and I've heard of others of my kin who inhabit the great deserts, offering service to caravans. At both extremes, being able to regulate body temperature is- well, extremely handy, haha."
Nymlus ignored my laugh, for which I couldn't blame her. "If Palmed Lamini could live anywhere you want, why have I never seen one in Polaris before?"
"Mountains and deserts don't get as many visitors, and the Lamini I've met have tended to be less than social. I'm the exception, as was my mother; I must have got it from her."
"What of your father?" There was a hesitance between the words, as if she was worried about bringing up a sore subject.
"It's- customary for only one Lamini to raise their child. My mother wanted me to experience all the sights of Owel, which is less than customary, and so she took me with her." I realized my eyes were drifting away, and I tugged them back into focus with a smile. "Eventually I ended up all the way out here in Polaris, and bought the deed to this place to settle into some honest work."
"And after all that travel, you're content with owning a place like this?"
"I figured it was time for a rest, at least for a year or two. It's a novel feeling, returning to the same place every night. For how much longer, well," with that subject forming again, I decided to switch the subject. "And you? You said you were Polaris native, yes?"
She dipped her head in a nod. "All my life yes, here with my family. Or at least I was." Those petals shrunk again. "First my father died, serving on the mainland. My mother grew unwell soon after, so my brother and I had to start looking after her."
"And that's why you became a courier?" I had wondered how a girl so small found employment carrying heavy packages.
"I know Polaris pretty well, and it pays. Not well, but enough. Wasn't so bad when I was living with my brother, but-" she stopped, looking to me. I nodded. "It's just that, now he's gone too." I could see the tears beginning to well at the sides of her eyes. "I didn't really know what else to do with myself."
For a few seconds, my pulse shifted out of phase, colored by memory. It's so hot, she told me. It didn't matter how cold I made the water, she told me over and over that she was burning up.
Nymlus looked to me with pain in her eyes. I needed to say something, no matter how weak it felt in my mind. "I'm so sorry. It's very difficult to lose someone so close." I closed my eyes and turned my head down.
She calmed, sighing lightly and lapping what remained of her cool drink. "Well, I suppose it could be worse. It's like your father, yes?"
I perked up. "Excuse me?"
"My brother is off somewhere on the mainland. All he told me was that he needed to get away for a while." She was staring down into her drink. "It's hard to not have him here but it's a blessing to know he's doing well. At least I hope he is."
Tension released. I groaned and bent over to lay my neck on the bar, letting my head flop a little limply. At least as limply as my bark-covered neck allowed.
Nymlus stood up on her stool to peer over me. "Is something the matter?"
"No no, it's all fine." I closed my eyes. "Well no, but you're perfectly fine. I'm just attempt to accept all the money I've lost on this venture."
"On the juices?"
"The juices. This bar. I should have known the deals were too good to be true. Exotic flavors- bah." My body felt like spreading out into a puddle. Suddenly the humid heat seemed unbearable. "One break, and maybe I could turn this dump around. But cheap ingredients and a cheap bartender makes for cheap drinks, and all the presentation in Polaris can't make up for it."
We stayed quiet there for some time. The bustle of the street outside had no care to interrupt us. Eventually Nymlus hopped from her stool up to the bar, and-
Plop. Then a stifled 'Eep'.
I cracked an eye open. "What are you doing there?"
"I th-thought you could use a l-little pick me up." Her voice was shakier than before. "And don't interrupt, this is tougher than I e-expected."
"Ehh?" I ask groggily, finally turning up to where she stood on the bar. She had plopped her tail down into my metal mixer, swirling around the remains of my failed experiment. "What's tha-"
"Quiet!" and I obeyed, shutting my mouth and standing up straight once more.
She pulled the tail out, licking fluids from it before they dripped to the counter. "There, it's already better. Try some." I nodded silently, refilling my glass with what was left. The color was the same royal blue and my insensitive nose couldn't pick out a change, but I downed it anyway.
It was the difference between a couple of instruments and a full orchestra. The mild Bananaven played the deep bass, building foundation for the rest of the flavor. The sweetness was so much milder now, high notes twinkling in the melody. But between them flowed the harmonic violet, complexities accentuated to perfection.
I was speechless.
"I wouldn't call it a pulse," Nymlus filled the silence, "but that gets across the idea well enough. I can feel the flow of the liquid across my tail, and from there I can pick out the things that excite me, submerge the faults." She looked up at nothing, blinking her big eyes. "That's a little too simple, but like you said: it's hard to know it unless you can feel it."
"You- you can make things taste- good? Just like that?"
She shook her head, her petals rising back out to their old wide frill. "Not from nothing, no. It helps to have a solid base. That blue juice wasn't perfect, but there was promise in it. I just-" She waved a hand in the air, as if that explained the matter.
I was only half listening at this point. The drink was good. Really good. Good enough to sell. Good enough to sell a lot of. "When can you start?" I blurted out.
"Excuse me?"
I was already rummaging through the moneypouch I kept hidden underneath my apron, counting out bills of Brix. Twenty-seven and change, total. "You said twenty Brix for the delivery? Well I'll throw in an extra five, just for you," I handed over most of the bills, but held the extra aloft in my other hand. "That is, if wouldn't mind assisting with more of my mixes, yes? Come back tonight, and you could probably rake in some good tips from the customers!"
"Really?" She was wide eyed. I had her. I thought. "I mean, tips only? You wouldn't pay an honest salary for my work?"
That was stupid of me. "You're right, that's not fair to you. We'll say three Brix a night then?" That was pretty fair; there were a lot of nights I made quite a bit less.
"Vicente," her voice turned stern. "Are you looking for a partner?" I slowly nodded assent. "Then if we're partners, then we're in it fifty-fifty, no questions about it."
"I ah-" I did my best not to squirm. She knew she had me. It was her drinks after all. Lords Below, I hate hardball. "Alright. After expenses, fifty-fifty"
"And if we're partners, my name should probably be on the sign as well." She looked so innocently wistful with that twinkle in her eye.
I had to stop the girl somewhere. "Well, I'm not opposed- if you want to pay for that change from your money, I've no right to stop you."
She didn't think long on it, reaching out to vigorously shake my hand. "Done! And I was thinking of a catchier name too! Nymlus and Vicente - Tonics and Vices!"