User blog:BTR180/Amaryllis

How long has it been a few weeks, a month, a year? I could find out fairly quickly if I wanted but I don’t really think that’s necessary. Mom, Ka’thra, I miss you so much but I have good news! I met this guy a while ago on the southwest road near Etrugia and he was a total dweeb! And you wouldn’t believe it but he was a merchant! But he was a total ditz! I know I know kettle calling the pot black. But he was VERY inept at trade! He made so many rookie mistakes and lost SOOO much possible profit! *sigh* But not all of us were tutored by a sneaky Danuki… I wonder how auntie Dasha is doing? Maybe I’ll send her a letter? Yeah. I might do that later today, I could start now but I’m about to leave to help Eduard with a SECRET meeting. I think that he might be asking me out! Fingers crossed! By mom! Bye Kath’ra!

Ne’zon signs and dates her journal entry before stretching and carefully closing the book.

“Hummm… I guess I did know the date. Oh well!”

She looks into the mirror and fixes her hair, trying to make her look a pleasant as possible. She doesn’t necessarily need to comb her hair nor does she need the comb she uses but this was a gift from Edouard and she wasn’t one to let  a gift go to waste. After feeling comfortable with her work she packs up he belongings and makes to the door only to be stopped by that sound.

“Nezzie…”

The little shoggoth looks back to the room a mixture of fear and joy scrawled across her face. Losing her shape Ne’zon slithered up to the window and peered through the cold glass, concealing as much of herself as possible. She was not willing to let her newfound freedom to be taken away so soon. Not when she still had much to do, much to learn. Not when Edouard was waiting for her.

“Eduard!” She gasped as the object of her affection came back to mind.

“I guess it was just the wind… Come on Nezzie! Now is not the time to be blue!” In a surprising display Ne’zon, using her mastery of shifting, she popped back into shape in a second flat, hair perfectly groomed and uniform dress pristine as ever.

“There… Nice and propper. Mom would be proud.”

Content with her work Ne’zon slid out the doorway seeping through the cracks in the door, undeterred by it. Silently and unmoving like a spectral apparition Ne’zon moved through the halls and down the stairs drawing the attention of a few residents who were slightly perturbed by her unnatural grace and lack of visible movement. But just as quickly as the attention was drawn to her they quickly lost interest assuming her to be part of the staff, possibly a long standing veteran.

Ne’zon was unsure how she felt for Eduard, despite her first impression she actually felt as if she was warming up to him. Her mamono nature begged her to devote herself to him, serve his every will and live for him and only him. But despite the searing urge of her nature a pair of voices spoke above the others. They told her to wait. They told her not to jump so foolhardy into the arms of the first man who offered or caught her eye. The two spoke as one in perfect unity that would send chills down the spine of any other being but not her. To her it seemed not only natural but something she longed for. Something about their unity, their oneness brought her warmth, brought her hope. Hope that she could find the same unity as they had. Despite the voices she could not help but fawn over him slightly if not trying not to be as open to her feelings as she was, she did not want to be taken advantage as other mamono who openly showed grandiose shows of affection to those they had known for more than a day. Unbeknownst to her a change was occurring within her, some chemical shift overriding her nature or perhaps self. Something more natural and primal was lurking within her, sinking its claws into her very core.

Ne’zon quietly stood in the hall making her known yet not once being in the way of any of the passing clientele. Her innate sense led her directly into a position where all could see her yet no matter what came through she would not be in the way. The sheer nature of her position was uncanny yet reassuring as she was a constant of the room, as a sofa or a lamp she was there yet not in the way of anyone. Ne’zon waited there patiently for her charge as the clients came and left. They all moved with unusual speed and sharpness as they went about their day time surging forth as Ne’zon stood there quietly smiling to herself.

???: “Ne’zon?”

The Shoggoth perks up, the various eyes and tentacles on her body glowing and writhing respectively.

Ne’zon: “Eduard.” She responds with a smile.

Eduard: “Oh thank goodness… Sorry about being late, I wasn’t expecting to run into so much trouble this early in the morning. You haven’t been waiting long have you?”

Ne’zon: “Not at all but what happened? Are you alright?”

Eduard waves off Ne’zon’s worry and motions her to follow him as he starts to take his leave. “It was nothing that serious. I was trying to haggle down some merchant to try and lower the price of something I’ve had my eye on…”

Ne’zon giggles at the thought of Eduard attempting to haggle as the last time she saw him try he was verbally assaulted by a particularly feisty black Tengu. “May I ask as to what you were purchasing because I can tell from your expression the negotiations did not go too well?”

Giving her a defeated sigh Eduard admits to his defeat but does not tell her as to what he purchased. “That my girl is a secret. Though I do wish that I had stopped by earlier to bring you along, you might have been able to pick a nicer one and maybe even get the price lowered. But I’m not making that mistake twice! Right now we are going to buy some flowers, your pick too. I know what a knack you have for them.

Deep within her very core something goes off. The ravenous desire to melt into his arms and submit to him then and there was powerful. ''He called you his girl! He claimed you as his own! Give into him! Fall into his arms! Please him with your loving embrace! Consume his every drop and return to him you pleasure TENFOLD!''

No. Do not follow the words of those who wish you to fall into dishonor and shame him in public. Stay steadfast, should he ASK then you will answer.

Ne’zon attempted to look away to hide her giddy demeanor, the many classes that R’hun has given her all disappeared and her lavender skin slowly began to take a pink tone.

Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh GOD! He bought a ring! I can tell! He was looking at them a few days ago and that Tengu was very suggestive about making us official! Not to mention he’s buying me flowers! He knows I love flowers! Oh! This is all going by so fast! I- I think that I might just-

The not so little shoggoth feels as if the world was starting to waver and it all goes dark, but instead of falling she continues on slightly behind Eduard allowing him to lead her wherever he desired. Eduard continued to talk to Ne’zon completely oblivious to her current state, how could he though? To him she was wide awake. She nodded when he spoke and gave him short answers to his questions. To him she was wide awake if not a little less talkative than the norm.

Eduard: “Alright! How is this flower stand? Does it meet your oh so high expectations?”

The unconscious shoggoth takes in a deep breath tasting the multitude of aromas that passed, picking out every single lilly, orchid, Armarylis and ….. The sudden cacophony of flavors overwhelmed her simple state arousing her back into consciousness albeit slightly confused as to how she arrived in this place.

Ne’zon: “Oh they all look so tas- beautiful! I don’t know what to say… I’m at a loss of words!”

Eduard leans over Ne’zon and looks at the cluster of flowers he clutched so dearly. “Well take your pick and make us a nice bouquet, it’s a very special day today and I need your special skills to make a bouquet so beautiful it would spit the gods! Or not, it’s up to you.

Ne’zon’s mind flurried more than ever before as the sudden sure of emotion washes over her threatening to overtake her at that very instant and drag her down the bottomless void of ecstasy. ''GIVE INTO YOUR DESIRES! TAKE HIM! TAKE HIM NOW BEFORE ANOTHER TRIES TO LAY CLAIM! HE WANTS YOU AND YOU ALONE! WE MUSTN’T LET ANOTHER WARP HIS MIND WITH THEIR MARK! TAKE HIM BEFORE ANOTHER. RUB AGAINST WHAT WE DESIRE! SHOW HIM OUR LOVE!'' No. Do not listen to them. They know nothing of standards, nothing of proper behavior. They are but savages of a lost time that should be forgotten. Stand proud and regal as our ancestors before us. Do not give into their harassment. You shall never make the first move should he ASK then you will answer.

Ne’zon went about her duty moving about the banquet of flowers pulling out Dendrobium and Begonia, Ipomeas and Dahlia. She moved with a purpose as her master had a task for her and she would not fail him, not on her first and most important mission. The conglomerate of buds slowly grew to a lush and bountiful harvest of reds and whites, pink and greens. She plucked and pried, shifted and rearranged every flower that she touched until the perfect bouquet was formed. One that was not too different than the one she prepared for Asja a few months ago. “There!” She smiled as she held the bouquet to her chest like a fair bride at the altar, her clothes slowly shifting from a dark indigo to lighter and lighter shades.

Eduard: “Holy! I wasn’t wrong to pick you! You just- wow…”

Vendor: “You got yourself a keeper there. Wish I had me an eye like her’s…”

Eduard looked deeply into Ne’zon’s eyes and smiled as he took the bouquet from her. “Yeah… I sure do. Oh! Sorry! How much do I owe you?

The flower vendor leans over his counter and rests his arms on his arms glancing over at the Shoggoth before diverting his attention to Eduard. “Well… I’d give em to such a pretty lass you.” He glances back to Ne’zon, his gaze staying there a little longer than before. “But business isn’t so great so I can’t, not even for you darling… And those are some choice picks she has there. I’d say Six gold?”

Eduard: “Six gold? That’s almost a month’s pay!”

Vendor: “And growing flowers takes time and money!”

Ne’zon: “But surely you can give us a little discount? At least just this once?” Alright this is it! Just like Ka’thra. Using her mastery of shape changing Ne’zon widened her eyes slightly and did her best to increase their sheen, not enough to fake tears but to accentuate her natural beauty. She brought her arms together and accentuated the size of her bust all to play on his interest and make him more susceptible to persuasion.

Eduard: “Oh, Nezzie… See? You’re making her cry.”

Vendor: “Oh. Geeze! I wasn’t born yesterday! I’ve seen that trick played time and again; In fact I used to pull it when I was a young sprite! Seven gold.”

Seeing a challenge she dropped her act and smiled at the vendor before they began to haggle. The two spoke continuously and over each other neither side wanting to give ground to the other. Eduard struggled to keep up with their back and forth quickly as he struggled to understand their continuous argument that abruptly stopped.

Then in unison they spoke once more. “Five”

Ne’zon took a step back in shock as a strange tingle ran down her body. She had lost, she didn’t get her great discount, she didn’t walk away with a feeling of accomplishment but rather something else. As Eduard payed the flower vendor and left he called over to her. “You’re welcome to come back another time and try again! If you’re lucky I may even offer you a job!”

Eduard: “Don’t listen to him Nezzie. If you couldn’t get him to lower the price then no one can.”

Ne’zon: “He played us like a fiddle… Those flowers were only worth Four gold but he had me. That man has quite a tongue on him.

Eduard: “Don’t worry about it Nezzie. We’re almost at our last stop, come on they’re waiting for us.” He pointed to a well known restaurant, a place where special occasions were held, a place where people proposed.

The voices in her head began to clash as one begged her for the sweet release of pleasure while the other told her to maintain her demeanor and stay strong. She could barely contain her excitement as with every step they took she came closer to bursting with joy and pouncing on him then and there. She clutched the flowers close to her chest not daring to damage or eat the beautiful beacon. She synced every step with his and moved ever closer to him until he stopped and opened the door for her.

Eduard: “After you.”

Ne’zon smiled and lowered her head as she passed her master into the darkened interior of the establishment. ‘This is it!’ She thought to herself as they approached the greeter. ‘Today is going to be the best day of my life’ The greeter pointed a hostess to a booth in the back and she escorted them there. ‘I never thought this day would come so quickly! I thought I would have to wait centuries like mo-’

Eduard reached for the flowers in Ne’zon’s arms and quickened his pace leaving the confused shoggoth behind.

Eduard: “Julia my dear! I’ve missed you so much!”

That was it. All she heard as she now understood what was truly going on. When Eduard turned to introduce Julia Ne’zon was nowhere to be seen. How could she be so foolish to think that someone would propose to her that soon. Of course he had someone, why else would he not be interested in her?

She make her way back down the road past the flower vendor, the Melancholic scent of Amaryllis following her.