[ Three blocks? Only three blocks? That's what he gets for having to drive into the main city centre every day, he's been missing out on all the local hotties. Mildred and Bertha don't count and have clearly been setting a false standard!
Recognition comes over his features at the mention of Yasha. ]
Yes, I think I know the person you're speaking about. She always buys something when she can and I try to set aside samples of the new flowers for her, she likes the blue ones best. She's very kind, gets on well with Caduceus my coworker.
[ Fjord had been daunted at first but the biker woman had been polite, quiet in a way most weren't, and he appreciated the thoughtfulness in her odd eyes. Anyway, nice as Yasha is it's shot-shooting time again as he super casually adds, ]
You should come in with her sometime, I might be able to find a stray flower for you too.
[ Unless he's reading this all wrong and the pretty tiefling model is just flirting to get a discount, which would be typical and unsurprising of Fjord's luck. ]
Her room looks like this place. It's very soothing.
[ Molly says fondly, liking the fact that he kind of had an 'in' here. It gets even better when Fjord seems to think the same, and there's a bright grin on the tiefling's face. ]
Oh, I definitely will tag along with her, I really like the greenery in here.
[ Pun very intended... and he can flirt both for a discount and because he's interested, Molly's good at multitasking.
[ The greenery, ohhh. Smooth. He jolts out of his thoughts at the reminder that he actually has a job to do, instead of mooning over the receptiveness he's soaking up. ]
... Right! Let me see, ah.
[ Back to the desk where he brings out a huge book marked with colourful stickers and tabs, because computers are a lost hope in this shop. He flips through the calendar and does some checking, totalling up how many days it would realistically take to make fifty gold crystal-studded roses. Luckily it's been quiet lately so he can come to work and actually have a solid project to work on, even if he is kind of funding it partially himself. ]
I can have them done by the middle of next week, if that's alright with you.
[ Everything about this shop was utterly endearing, specially the low-tech and adorable book he's now looking at. It was like one of those old elven shows.
...ouch, that was a little longer than he was hoping, but he could just talk to the subscriber about it. Flowers took a while to do, he can definitely understand that! They'll get their money's worth, maybe he'll throw in a personalized greeting as well. ]
Do you know about how much it will weigh? Gotta take it on Yasha's bike, we don't have a car.
We can deliver free of charge for an order as big as yours. I'll pencil you in now.
[ And he does, picking up a little business card for the shop (which is normal to have) and ringing up the price on the old-fashioned till, a receipt stapled to the card. ]
That'll be a hundred gold pieces, please, Mister Tealeaf.
... Ah. Perhaps payment in cash upon collection would be best.
[ Making another note to the book, he closes it and leans on the front desk, giving a somewhat reluctant nod of goodbye. How unfair to meet such a person at work and not at a bar. ]
Thank you for coming in today, you've given me quite the interesting project to work on.
[ He has that card. Besides, he's sure he'll see Yasha in the future and bets she won't want her roommate making things awkward by skipping on a payment. Sad to see the tiefling go, he's happy to watch him leave, wondering how someone so ostentatious and ridiculous can manage to be so genuinely charming. Maybe it's just Fjord, out of practice and unable to tell when he's being taken for a fool ... if so, he enjoyed the interaction all the same.
That night he goes home and finds the card from Tealeaf in the pocket of his apron before tossing that wrecked fabric into the washing machine. He has no idea what to expect from an instagram account, forced to make his own just to view the damn thing properly. Mollymauk has a lot of fans and it's obvious why; he's got his own brand going on, beautiful and fanciful with some vague allusions to depth that say a lot and nothing at all.
When fjord.tusktooth sends a DM that says working on your roses tomorrow, thanks for the card :) he thinks nothing more of it, expecting it to get lost in the thousands of messages the tiefling probably gets. ]
[ Molly has a spring in his step on the way home, enjoying some positive flirting without any demands and the feeling of talking to someone who didn't know him from the web. He showers and switches to a comfortable 'nightgown' made from a goliath-sized t-shirt. Grabbing his favorite drink after dinner, Molly goes back to his bedroom to sit back to go through comments. (More likely, play dick pic bingo).
His laptop is covered in stickers of bling, flowers and peacock feathers, making it easy to see who it belonged to, and it was easy to get into his account and set up the text-to-voice program.
It takes about ten minutes of general nonsense for him to actually have things he can reply to... and then a message from a fjord.tusktooth. It fills him with unexplainable glee to see that the man actually made an account just to talk to him!
I'm looking forward to see them! Thank you again for giving me such excellent service. Molly adds a little picture, a very innocent one of him smiling in Yasha's room from earlier in the week. Flowers everywhere, because Flower guy likes flowers and he just wants to... show flowers. Yasha will save the poor darlings after they've been used, and I'm definitely keeping those silk ones for new ideas! 😈💖💋 ]
[ Fjord smiles at the message, eyeing the emojis and trying not to think too hard about them: he sends a thumbs-up, because anything else feels invasive and he's sure Tealeaf doesn't want hounding after one meeting.
The week goes by in a blur of gold and sparkly crystals, with Melora and Caduceus helping out now and then in between their own orders (neither of them know about the extra gold he intends to add to the total upon his return, Mollymauk having been marked down for 150 coins in the book). With a box of fifty gleaming, impressively twinkling blooms in a box, ribbon-tied with the swirly sticker seal of Wildmother's, Fjord manages to shoot Tealeaf a message a day early.
hi! it's fjord from wildmother's. i have your order ready, would you like me to compile bouquets of the other flowers we discussed and arrange a delivery slot? :) ]
[ Molly's sunning himself on his small balcony, lazy and almost purring in the light after his yoga class and extra-long shower. He opens his eyes when he gets a notif he's set up for whenever 'cute flower boy' DMs him, immediately more excited than he expected.
It's only a slight bit of disappointment that it isn't a booty call, but it still means he'll get to see Fjord soon. Plus he can get that photoshoot done, at least the client had been understanding and even promised to leave a tip for the big request preparations. He'll include some dick shots for good measure and his reputation will be fine.
Heyyy! That sounds really great, you're super quick. I work from home most of the time so any time you're available for delivery I'm a-okay with it! 😈 ]
[ The drive over is unremarkable, it being a short way from the shop as Mollymauk said. Fjord has more trouble carrying a huge box of carefully spun roses in one arm, four glass display flutes in another, and two huge bouquets in riots of pinks, whites, and reds, into the elevator without smashing any of them into other residents. When he eventually gets to the right door, he gives it a few smart kicks in lieu of being able to knock. ]
[ Molly hops indoors to put some damn clothes on before Fjord arrives, and finally opens the door carefully to not smash it into the half-orc and ruin all his good work. Wearing a white crop-top with a flower motif and red leggings with printed-on sun and moons, he's a bit more casual than before. A bit. ]
Oh wow, thank you so much! This already looks great, I can't wait to see the roses. Come in!
[ He moves to let Fjord into the apartment - a pretty nice one even if it was not newly remodeled or anything. The spacious hallway in the middle from the door spread out to a kitchen to the right, and then to left seemed to be a bathroom. Two more rooms could be seen at the end of the hall. One was open, with a ridiculously colorful bead curtain. Obviously the tiefling's. ]
[ He feels excited to be here, in the home of someone he very much thought of the past week, and tries not to peer around too obviously as he follows him into the curtain-draped bedroom. It's familiar from the picture he was shown and he sets the vases down first at the end of the bed, tall and thin as they are. ]
I brought these along to help with your set-up, since we're not using them at the shop right now and you can just let me know when you're done. I reasoned that a photoshoot means they won't be missing long. [ He rearranged the shop not to need those for a week, because he's soft in the head like that and knows it. Damn. ] Your roses are in the box, I hope they're alright.
[ The bouquets are laid on the bed beside the box, a pale gold one with a white ribbon. Inside are chunky golden roses with glittery highlights, spangling with crystals that were carefully applied by hand; a few of them are tipped in purple on their petals.
[ Molly's room is... and organized mess? He tried to clean up a bit when he heard Fjord was delivering his stuff, but there's still clothes and accessories thrown in places and the white sheet from before isn't on the bed so all the ridiculous fabrics and way too many pillows are there behind the curtains. Not that he cares that much, but he doesn't want to look too sloppy.
(Fuck, this really is a crush.)
He carefully opens the box and the small smile on his face grows to an excited grin. ]
Oh, wow. These are gorgeous.
[ So shiny!
...and was that purple tips? That was honestly genius. ]
You really have a good eye for this, Fjord. This shoot is going to be great and it's all you. And Wildmother's, of course.
Well, [ preening a little as he rakes salt-n-pepper bangs out of his eyes, ] Deuces and Melora helped. A little.
[ They're not allowed to steal his thunder over ten or so roses they might have made. ]
I'd love to see the photos when they come back, if that's alright. Sometimes we add new ones to our catalogue for other customers to get a feel for what they want, the mood and all, and you're [ gesturing, trying to stay professional, ] beautiful [ totally nailed it, ] so I'm sure Melora would love to add you to the collection.
[ Oh, that pride in his work is cute. Molly smiles again, opening his drawer to take out the cash he owed. He almost drops the bills when the cute half-orc asks about seeing the pictures, though.
Beautiful. ]
It's... uh... I mean, normally I'd be happy to, but it's...
... Oh. Right! Yeah, yeah, yeah, no problem! [ Lingerie. He doesn't know any men who wear lingerie. Caduceus sometimes wears weird skirts that he says are breezy and comfortable but that's Caduceus, weird is fairly standard there. Has it ever even crossed Fjord's mind that a man would wear lingerie before? Nope. ] Whatever you want to, you know, send our way. Of the set! Absolutely.
[ He needs to take a harder look at some of those instagram photos. ]
Is that the payment?
[ Money, a distraction. Perfect. His ears feel so fucking hot that he isn't sure he can just blame it on the enclosed room. ]
[ He's not sure what to make of that reaction. Maybe the guy wasn't into those things, which is fair but sad. Still, Molly smiles and hands over the wad of cash. It smells a little like incense. ]
I'll definitely send you some pictures of the set. It's going to be so pretty with all this hard work you've put into it.
[ Smiling, he gives another little wink. Lingerie preferences or not, he'll shoot his shot as well.]
...or you could have an even better look on my website.
On your instagram? It was nice, very ... aesthetic.
[ With a nod to everything else he sees. Molly has a theme, it's hedonistic, lush and lovely and unlike anything in Fjord's life. He likes it.
The money is pocketed and he pauses in excusing himself to leave, curious about the website where photos of a lingerie-wrapped Mollymauk might appear. For science. ]
[ He takes out his phone and shows the number to Mollymauk without hesitation, which he absolutely should not do (the shop has a phone! a landline!!) and gives no fucks about. ]
That's the website I tried and it wouldn't let me in unless I paid?
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Recognition comes over his features at the mention of Yasha. ]
Yes, I think I know the person you're speaking about. She always buys something when she can and I try to set aside samples of the new flowers for her, she likes the blue ones best. She's very kind, gets on well with Caduceus my coworker.
[ Fjord had been daunted at first but the biker woman had been polite, quiet in a way most weren't, and he appreciated the thoughtfulness in her odd eyes. Anyway, nice as Yasha is it's shot-shooting time again as he super casually adds, ]
You should come in with her sometime, I might be able to find a stray flower for you too.
[ Unless he's reading this all wrong and the pretty tiefling model is just flirting to get a discount, which would be typical and unsurprising of Fjord's luck. ]
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[ Molly says fondly, liking the fact that he kind of had an 'in' here. It gets even better when Fjord seems to think the same, and there's a bright grin on the tiefling's face. ]
Oh, I definitely will tag along with her, I really like the greenery in here.
[ Pun very intended... and he can flirt both for a discount and because he's interested, Molly's good at multitasking.
... right, work. ]
When can these things be ready for me?
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... Right! Let me see, ah.
[ Back to the desk where he brings out a huge book marked with colourful stickers and tabs, because computers are a lost hope in this shop. He flips through the calendar and does some checking, totalling up how many days it would realistically take to make fifty gold crystal-studded roses. Luckily it's been quiet lately so he can come to work and actually have a solid project to work on, even if he is kind of funding it partially himself. ]
I can have them done by the middle of next week, if that's alright with you.
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...ouch, that was a little longer than he was hoping, but he could just talk to the subscriber about it. Flowers took a while to do, he can definitely understand that! They'll get their money's worth, maybe he'll throw in a personalized greeting as well. ]
Do you know about how much it will weigh? Gotta take it on Yasha's bike, we don't have a car.
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[ And he does, picking up a little business card for the shop (which is normal to have) and ringing up the price on the old-fashioned till, a receipt stapled to the card. ]
That'll be a hundred gold pieces, please, Mister Tealeaf.
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Oh, you are a lifesaver, Mister Fjord.
[ He winks at the half-orc and pulls out his debit card. Eyeing the ancient cash register for a moment and then gets an amused look on his face. ]
Does this work or should I go get cash?
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[ Making another note to the book, he closes it and leans on the front desk, giving a somewhat reluctant nod of goodbye. How unfair to meet such a person at work and not at a bar. ]
Thank you for coming in today, you've given me quite the interesting project to work on.
[ The repetition will be horrific. ]
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[ He leans to the desk, tail making little happy swishes behind him. ]
I can definitely do that, and I so look forward to seeing you. With my flowers.
[ Right. Yes. Go on. ]
You have my contact information if you need to get a hold of me for... anything.
[ Wink! ]
Thank you!
[ With that, he puts his phone away again into his backpack, nods his head so that the sunglasses fall down on his nose (smooth!) and heads out. ]
Have a nice day~!
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[ He has that card. Besides, he's sure he'll see Yasha in the future and bets she won't want her roommate making things awkward by skipping on a payment. Sad to see the tiefling go, he's happy to watch him leave, wondering how someone so ostentatious and ridiculous can manage to be so genuinely charming. Maybe it's just Fjord, out of practice and unable to tell when he's being taken for a fool ... if so, he enjoyed the interaction all the same.
That night he goes home and finds the card from Tealeaf in the pocket of his apron before tossing that wrecked fabric into the washing machine. He has no idea what to expect from an instagram account, forced to make his own just to view the damn thing properly. Mollymauk has a lot of fans and it's obvious why; he's got his own brand going on, beautiful and fanciful with some vague allusions to depth that say a lot and nothing at all.
When fjord.tusktooth sends a DM that says working on your roses tomorrow, thanks for the card :) he thinks nothing more of it, expecting it to get lost in the thousands of messages the tiefling probably gets. ]
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His laptop is covered in stickers of bling, flowers and peacock feathers, making it easy to see who it belonged to, and it was easy to get into his account and set up the text-to-voice program.
It takes about ten minutes of general nonsense for him to actually have things he can reply to... and then a message from a fjord.tusktooth. It fills him with unexplainable glee to see that the man actually made an account just to talk to him!
I'm looking forward to see them! Thank you again for giving me such excellent service. Molly adds a little picture, a very innocent one of him smiling in Yasha's room from earlier in the week. Flowers everywhere, because Flower guy likes flowers and he just wants to... show flowers. Yasha will save the poor darlings after they've been used, and I'm definitely keeping those silk ones for new ideas! 😈💖💋 ]
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The week goes by in a blur of gold and sparkly crystals, with Melora and Caduceus helping out now and then in between their own orders (neither of them know about the extra gold he intends to add to the total upon his return, Mollymauk having been marked down for 150 coins in the book). With a box of fifty gleaming, impressively twinkling blooms in a box, ribbon-tied with the swirly sticker seal of Wildmother's, Fjord manages to shoot Tealeaf a message a day early.
hi! it's fjord from wildmother's. i have your order ready, would you like me to compile bouquets of the other flowers we discussed and arrange a delivery slot? :) ]
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It's only a slight bit of disappointment that it isn't a booty call, but it still means he'll get to see Fjord soon. Plus he can get that photoshoot done, at least the client had been understanding and even promised to leave a tip for the big request preparations. He'll include some dick shots for good measure and his reputation will be fine.
Heyyy! That sounds really great, you're super quick. I work from home most of the time so any time you're available for delivery I'm a-okay with it! 😈 ]
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[ This cute tiefling is bright but not too sharp, he suspects. ]
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it's 15 Leaky Tap Street, 6th floor. We have a working elevator, thank gods.
[ The thirst is too real for his brain to fully engage. ]
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[ The drive over is unremarkable, it being a short way from the shop as Mollymauk said. Fjord has more trouble carrying a huge box of carefully spun roses in one arm, four glass display flutes in another, and two huge bouquets in riots of pinks, whites, and reds, into the elevator without smashing any of them into other residents. When he eventually gets to the right door, he gives it a few smart kicks in lieu of being able to knock. ]
Hello? Delivery for Mister Tealeaf!
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Oh wow, thank you so much! This already looks great, I can't wait to see the roses. Come in!
[ He moves to let Fjord into the apartment - a pretty nice one even if it was not newly remodeled or anything. The spacious hallway in the middle from the door spread out to a kitchen to the right, and then to left seemed to be a bathroom. Two more rooms could be seen at the end of the hall. One was open, with a ridiculously colorful bead curtain. Obviously the tiefling's. ]
Over here, if you don't mind.
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[ He feels excited to be here, in the home of someone he very much thought of the past week, and tries not to peer around too obviously as he follows him into the curtain-draped bedroom. It's familiar from the picture he was shown and he sets the vases down first at the end of the bed, tall and thin as they are. ]
I brought these along to help with your set-up, since we're not using them at the shop right now and you can just let me know when you're done. I reasoned that a photoshoot means they won't be missing long. [ He rearranged the shop not to need those for a week, because he's soft in the head like that and knows it. Damn. ] Your roses are in the box, I hope they're alright.
[ The bouquets are laid on the bed beside the box, a pale gold one with a white ribbon. Inside are chunky golden roses with glittery highlights, spangling with crystals that were carefully applied by hand; a few of them are tipped in purple on their petals.
Because, again, Fjord is an idiot. ]
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(Fuck, this really is a crush.)
He carefully opens the box and the small smile on his face grows to an excited grin. ]
Oh, wow. These are gorgeous.
[ So shiny!
...and was that purple tips? That was honestly genius. ]
You really have a good eye for this, Fjord. This shoot is going to be great and it's all you. And Wildmother's, of course.
[ Just to not come on too strong... ]
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[ They're not allowed to steal his thunder over ten or so roses they might have made. ]
I'd love to see the photos when they come back, if that's alright. Sometimes we add new ones to our catalogue for other customers to get a feel for what they want, the mood and all, and you're [ gesturing, trying to stay professional, ] beautiful [ totally nailed it, ] so I'm sure Melora would love to add you to the collection.
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Beautiful. ]
It's... uh... I mean, normally I'd be happy to, but it's...
[ Think of something! ]
A lingerie shoot.
[ Fully true, just a little skewed. ]
I could take some extra ones of the set, though!
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... Oh. Right! Yeah, yeah, yeah, no problem! [ Lingerie. He doesn't know any men who wear lingerie. Caduceus sometimes wears weird skirts that he says are breezy and comfortable but that's Caduceus, weird is fairly standard there. Has it ever even crossed Fjord's mind that a man would wear lingerie before? Nope. ] Whatever you want to, you know, send our way. Of the set! Absolutely.
[ He needs to take a harder look at some of those instagram photos. ]
Is that the payment?
[ Money, a distraction. Perfect. His ears feel so fucking hot that he isn't sure he can just blame it on the enclosed room. ]
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I'll definitely send you some pictures of the set. It's going to be so pretty with all this hard work you've put into it.
[ Smiling, he gives another little wink. Lingerie preferences or not, he'll shoot his shot as well.]
...or you could have an even better look on my website.
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[ With a nod to everything else he sees. Molly has a theme, it's hedonistic, lush and lovely and unlike anything in Fjord's life. He likes it.
The money is pocketed and he pauses in excusing himself to leave, curious about the website where photos of a lingerie-wrapped Mollymauk might appear. For science. ]
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[ There's a slightly more heated smile, and he slides over to exit his room, hips saying just a little bit with his sweeping tail. ]
Thank you so much for all your help... can I have your phone number? Just in case I need some more assistance.
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[ He takes out his phone and shows the number to Mollymauk without hesitation, which he absolutely should not do (the shop has a phone! a landline!!) and gives no fucks about. ]
That's the website I tried and it wouldn't let me in unless I paid?
[ Hmmm ... ]
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