The Flower Shop On That Road Next to The Main Road

[Guest]

The sun was high in the sky, providing maximum light. Below on the Earth a white haired girl found herself staring back up at it. She long ago had heard that staring at the sun was dangerous, but she didn't care. It was so pretty! Why wouldn't she stare at it? It was like a pearl begging to admiration! The sun was just so amazing. It made her plants grow, and it always made her feel better in the morning. She didn't know why some people insisted that the sun could be dangerous. It was the source of all life on earth!

The girl leaned back in her wheelchair as she looked over to the flower displays she had just set up. It was hard work, especially the displays on the top shelves, but she loved it with all her heart. Quarter grinned as she picked up a pot of yellow sun flowers and held them in her lap. They were incredibly tall and probably would block out any flowers she placed them in front of or near. It was quite the dilemma for the young woman. Pouting, she placed the flower pot on the floor and stared at it, as if willing it to climb to the highest shelf. Sighing, she wheeled away from the flower and entered the flower shop. The shop was filled to the brim with wild flowers that only grew during this time of the year. Anyone who entered the store would find themselves consumed by the chaotic jungle, but not Quarter. This was her home. She knew where everything was, and where everything grew. Humming a soft song to herself, she wheeled her chair to the door and flipped the sign.

"Open for Business."

[Guest]

The rubber soles of her new running shoes were hitting the pavement in a perfect rhythm of about 60 beats per minute. Keeping a human pace was something Blanca found absolutely boring in most circumstances, but the warm weather had coaxed her to set on a long "relaxing" jog around the city. She was off from doing her long list of odd jobs today anyway, and she had to relieve some stress over one she had recently lost over a long and tiring game of blaming. She had to back out from that one anyhow; that co-worker had been on her back since she took his monthly spot on that pointless "Employee of the Month" wall. Just another incentive to get workers to sweat their sorry bums off, and it wasn't Blanca's fault that she was more efficient than he was.

But for someone to actually take the time to figure out the combination to her locker, for the sole purpose of hiding something that was actually his was a little too much. What made the situation even more pathetic was the fact that she simply exceeded in his abilities at flipping burgers. Yes, burgers. An image of his heavily pimpled face flashed briefly before her mind. Oh god, if she saw his sorry rat-like face again, he'd definitely get what's coming to him. "I'll scratch your fucking eyes out, you degenerate, hopeless piece of trash. Fucking "survival of the fittest", my ass." She muttered quietly as she remembered his last words to her before shutting the doors of the establishment to her face.

Continuing her run down the street, she notices a flower shop and stops to admire the combination of pastel hues sitting by the display. Peering inside, she notices even more flowers. "They all look cute! Maybe I can get a job here." An idea flashes in her head as she opens the door and walks into the small business. "Hello?" She calls out, scanning her colorful and aromatic surroundings for the owner.

[Guest]

Tap...

Tap....

Tap.....

Quarter leaned back in her wheel chair as he fingers tapped along the arm rests that surrounded her constantly. She loved the flower shop, but sometimes it got so boring. It was like she was constantly waiting. Sometimes Quarter just wanted to leave the shop and travel like most of her siblings were doing. Then, other times she realized how lucky she was to have her own business at such a young age, and that she was even luckier to have managed to obtain the past business of the man who she idolized. However, then Quarter remembered those days when she just wanted to scream. Running a shop this big alone was hard enough, but doing it in a wheel chair was beyond difficult.

Resting her head on the glass counter that held the cashier and several corsage designs, Quarter stared out over her shop. It really wasn't all that big. It was just a small shop wedged between two larger shops. The inside was painted a bright friendly yellow, and the flowers really stood out against it. The outside of the shop was simple and stone. The flowers always looked regal against the stone when on display outside. You couldn't step anywhere without seeing flowers in this two story town house. Even the second floor that acted as Quarter's living area was stuffed to the rim with petals and seeds.

Her eyes widened when she heard a woman call into the store. Quarter leaned up, sitting upright in her chair. She smiled toward the tanned woman. "Hello! Welcome to the Greenfield flower shop," she chirped out. Her voice was soft and bell like. Each word was deliberately paced and filled to the rim with a friendly tone. The white haired girl's smile seemed to be plastered over her fact. She was either an amazing actress or genuinely this happy. "Are you looking for anything in particular?" she asked as she rolled herself out from behind the cashier counter, revealing her wheel chair. "I can assure you that our shop tries to hold as many different types of flowers for each and every formal or casual occasion and event!"

[Guest]

Blanca looked down at the girl before her and returned the smile, although hers was a little more subtle. "Well actually, I was wondering if you needed any help around here." She offered as she took one more glance at her surroundings. She didn't really want to get into details, but she went on, "I just lost one of my jobs the other day.. And I was hoping you'd have an open part-time position here." She finished, before the her settings around her placed her in a state of relaxation. For a moment, she felt as though she were amidst some tranquil watercolor painting. But remembering her purpose for entering the small establishment, she immediately snaps back from her relaxed state.

Looking back down at the girl, she begins to wonder how one individual was able to pull off putting the entire shop together. If that's how it went down, that is. “Did you set this business up yourself?” She inquires before her attention is suddenly absorbed by what appeared to be a red rose. Blanca loved roses, and would often wish a man would sweep her off her feet and give her a bouquet full of them, but unfortunately she was too busy working at odd ends to meet people.

[Guest]

Quarter's red eyes fluttered softly as she took in the features of the woman standing before her. The woman was taller than her and sported a healthy dark skin tone. Her muscles weren't bad either. She was defiantly a beauty. All at once, Quarter felt below average. This woman was what she aspired to be in her dreams. The part that really made her envious were her long strong legs. Still, Quarter was use to thoughts such as these. She had these often just rolling out to the front of her store to set up displays when she saw young women walk by her. It was just a fact of life. She was an envious young woman.

When the girl began to ask about a job, Quarter blinked. The woman in front of her didn't feel like a bad person, and her dark skin marked her as a foreigner, or someone who was a descendant of one. Quarter couldn't help but feel a kinship with the woman. "Hm... I'm sorry miss, but the only job I have an opening for is fully time," she said, smiling weakly. "If you'd like to consider full time, I would offer you a room upstairs to stay in." Why was this girl offering a stranger a job that involves living the store? Well, mostly because she had a habit of trying to be nice, even if it wasn't the smartest thing in the world.

"My family helped me fix the building up, but I am the one who runs the business."

[Guest]

"Hm... I'm sorry miss, but the only job I have an opening for is fully time.. If you'd like to consider full time, I would offer you a room upstairs to stay in."

Blanca began to tap a finger to her lip, contemplating on the option. Rather limited, namely without a college degree, there was only so much that she could do.

Ah, if only she went straight to Creta that summer! If only she wasn't so.. impulsive.. Perhaps she'd be in her second year of studies right now; doing a course she didn't want, but still a course nonetheless. And heck, she was destined to attend a pretty damn good school.. "Now what was that place called again? Was it.. Oxford or Cambridge?" Her mind began to pointlessly dwell on regret, as it usually did when she thought about her current position in life.

But perhaps a full-time job would give her a sense of accomplishment. After all, escaping the long cycle of odd jobs she had been forced to take would allow her to focus on her own life, for once.

"Will it require any skills in particular?" She inquired, praying at the back of her mind that the young girl wouldn't say anything along the lines of a degree. She loathed that word for the time being. But of course, there was always the chance she would. Blanca kept her hopes low.

"For her to offer me a place to stay at though.. That's really nice!" She thought as she looked down to the seated young girl. Never in her history of working random jobs has she encountered such a kind offer, but she had yet to understand her true intentions. As she finally took notice of the wheelchair, she immediately felt sympathy. Perhaps there was something she could even offer with the skills she had, even if she couldn't officially take the open position.

"My family helped me fix the building up, but I am the one who runs the business."

"Wow, you're pretty young to be an entrepreneur!" She exclaims in astonishment. "-And a lot more accomplished than I am." She added on to the statement mentally. She couldn't help but feel inferior to the one before her. For she was successful, and success was the one thing Blanca craved for since she began her life in Amestris.

[Guest]

Quarter tilted her had as she watched the woman in front of her tap her finger to her lip. Was this how she thought over things? Quarter fiddled with her hands softly as the girl seemed to be thinking deeply about her job offer. Her red eyes drifted off to the side, inspecting the store as the woman continued to think. Hmmmm... Maybe she should change the rose display? It would probably look better on the other side of the store by the door. Yeah. That way when people entered they would see the Roses last when they turned around while looking at flowers.

"Oh, well..." she began softly as the woman asked her of the skills required to work there. "Well, I obviously cannot do everything on my own, so I need to hire extra help around here," she explained, her pale cheeks turning a soft pink as she spoke. She hated admitting she needed help, especially to what was basically a stranger. "The job would basically include helping me set up in the morning and pick up the displays at night. It would also involve helping me care for the plants above on the second floor of the shop."

She scratched the back of her head, blushing brightly now. "It isn't that amazing!" she laughed softly. Her red eyes looked up at the girl and she smiled weakly. "It's just a flower shop after all!" she said weakly, her smile wavering for a brief moment. Then, her eyes widened as if she had remembered something. "Oh yes, I am an Alchemist, so if you do take up the part time job you might find yourself helpig me pick up after experiments."

[Guest]

"The job would basically include helping me set up in the morning and pick up the displays at night. It would also involve helping me care for the plants above on the second floor of the shop."

Her strange cat-like eyes lightened upon hearing this piece of information in delight. This was perfect. Oh she could see herself now, moving up the ranks on the social chain which society had been divided unfairly into. It wasn't really a massive step, nonetheless it was still a start. However hearing that this young girl couldn't do much on her own made Blanca's heart grow heavy. At this, she took one last glance at the seat this girl was confined to and noted the lack of a cast. A cast which signaled that her confinement was only temporary.

"I'd be more than happy to do that." She begins, before turning her attention to the girl's bright red eyes, the sign of her heritage as an Ishvallan. The rest of her features appeared to be a mixture of races, and Blanca couldn't help but wonder where this girl had come from.

Her train of thoughts are suddenly cut off as the young girl resumes speaking.

"It isn't that amazing! It's just a flower shop after all!"

"Wha-? Not that amazing? But you have a really charming place here." And coming from someone with an acute sense of smell, that was a compliment. What would be foul smelling or intensely pungent wouldn't do much to normal humans. But coming across something such as those would cause Blanca to grow weak from nausea. She looks to her surroundings and takes in a long breath of the air around her. Rather than a mixture of scents, she could smell each distinct flower. The way the flower shop was decorated was also something she took comfort in, for not a single plant seemed to be out of place. Everything seemed to blend into a massive spectrum of colors, and she found this in particular to be beautiful.

"Oh yes, I am an Alchemist, so if you do take up the part time job you might find yourself helping me pick up after experiments."

Her eyes immediately look around the room nervously upon hearing the word "alchemist". She feared them for the havoc they was able to wreck, and the damage they was capable of causing. Damage, which caused her to personally loathe a majority of practitioners. For alchemy turned her into something she was not willing to become, and for the sole purpose of selfish gain.

But then again, this girl before her was radiating an innocent sort of charm. And her cat-like instincts were rather curious about the nature of her alchemy. Perhaps asking directly might have not been the safest thing to do, but if this girl was truly harmless there'd be nothing to it. "A young alchemist as well as a young entrepreneur! You sure are pretty privileged.." She starts as she musters up the courage to look back at the girl and smile, "What kind of experiments do you conduct, if you don't mind me asking?"

[Shula Brighton]

{BUMP}

[Sponsored content]