Chapter 21: Floral Musings

"Okay, Ken, be a good boy and wait around here for Mommy."

"Wha—"

"I'm going to go over there—" She pointed to where the concession stands and shopping "district" were. "—while you stay here."

'Here' consisted of a garden-like area where many different flowers grew on the middle part of the mild hill.

Kids ran around, made angels mainly consisting of pollen, and rolled around, causing a sneezing fest.

"Then when I'm done, I'll talk to them."

Parents, however, sat back at the top near the grown trees, taking shade from the sun and waiting with their younger children, who couldn't be released on their own just yet.

What was common among the adults was that first they were mostly women, and secondly, they were conversing in the midst of their rest time.

"And I'll pick you up, Capice?"

Nod

She then ruffled his hair. "See you later, kiddo."

'I swear I'm never getting used to being treated as a son by a stranger. But I guess this should be fine; she said servalance dropped since the first day we met him and that we're just keeping up appearances.'

Ken then walked over to a corner near the bottom, away from all the people, while thinking about this geography that could barely be identified as a hill.

'But jeez, to be 'training' even while on a mission sure is admirable. Though I'm just happy she took my advice…but I wonder where that'll take her.'

Sitting down, the boy laid on his stomach, watching the bees buzz around sucking the nectar out of the flowers and carrying it away.

He watched how the children knocked over the ants' hard-earned anthill, how the mosquitoes stole the blood from the "small" slow giants, and how the smaller fish in the lake ate the others.

The distress these species expressed when faced with a problem was palpable, bees buzzing in the air as the flower they were going to land on was crushed by clueless children; larger fish swimming frantically after their smaller prey that escaped; and mosquitos twitching as a prequel to their deaths.

'All beings live and take; we steal, murder, and harm. All of us carry the sins of those we've wronged…And yet, if they're not cognizant of their actions, do they carry the weight of the crimes? If instincts force it, then can you really blame—'

"Ah! A NEW FLOWER!"

A force plucked a strand of the raven-haired boy's hair forcefully before dropping it dejectedly. Pulling his head up, he was met with the sight of the unforgiving sun and a disappointed child's face.

"Ack—"

"This isn't a flower, kid; it's my head."

"YOU'RE A KID! And why does your head look like a flower?"

"Why are you plucking random flowers?"

"Be-B-Because…caus~"

'Using my smarts to bully a kid. How far I've fallen.'

Ken, despite his quick quips, still rubbed his head where his hair was almost yanked out.

'Increased sensitivity is no joke!'

"Ar-are you okay?"

He looked at the slightly ashamed girl whose figure was made smaller as she twirled her periwinkle hair, which was wide enough to cover her entire body, appearing on both ends of her waist.

'Now you apologize.'

Still not wanting to be unnecessarily rude to the kid and ruin his cover, Ken responded in a soothing tone, "I'm fine."

But perhaps seeing his hand barely trace over the "wound," her royal blue eyes grew resolute as she pumped herself up and jumped right into Ken's face, who at this point was sitting on his bum on the grass.

"Let me help!"

"I-It's fine, seriously."

"NO! Mom said that you need to be responsible for your own mistakes."

'Curse her mom, trying to teach her kid a good life lesson.'

Still not wanting to fight with the stubborn kid, Ken relented, closing his eyes, hoping whatever she was going to do to repay him would be over soon.

.

.

.

"MMMMHHHHHHHHHHNNNNNNNNNN."

A satisfied moan escaped his mouth as the girl, who had two clumps of hair sprouting out of her head down to her mouth and out to her nose like makeshift tusks, focused.

Spiral yellow beams escaped from her palms and lightly "hit" the areas around where she pulled at Ken's head.

"You like it, right? Mom said massages fix everything, so that even the most vile person will succumb to the best massage."

Ken gave a small "Mmm" in reply, wanting to bask in the sensation.

A few minutes went by, but Ken sensed her beams becoming lighter, her breathing a bit heavier, and traces of sweat rolling down her forehead when he looked back and up at her face.

…Promptly before she forcefully turned his head, saying she couldn't work in that position.

Her tone agreed with the statement, but the redness in her face he chose not to comment on may say otherwise.

Out of his own selfishness in wanting this to continue even a bit longer, Ken asked a question, hoping she would forget her growing fatigue.

"So what kind of flower did you think I was?" Her giddiness was felt as she returned to a previous level of power in her "massage."

"A black rose. They usually symbolize despair, death, and rebirth."

Ken shuddered at the likeness they held to himself.

'But she's fond of telling things to people, eh? Arrogant, wanting to show off knowledge, or does she have a lack of people who give her attention?'

He tried to read her face again, but the reaction was even more over the top, pushing his head back to the side of her legs in her impromptu leg-pillow along with her face taking on an even deeper crimson hue.

Though to make up for it, she put in even more energy in her massage.

'Nah…from what I saw she just likes teaching. Or is it sharing her knowledge? Either way, she's about as pure as a kid can be.' Ignoring the occasional bouts of mischiefness.

'Wonder if Himiko can provide such a service, which reminds me I should ask about her quirk some time.'

"So you like roses?"

"OF COURSE! Their spiral design and variety in color and meaning that varys. Who wouldn't like them?"

'Me since I thought all flowers were stupid and only had one meaning prior to this meeting.'

"But—Mommy said she'll give me a present if I can bring her a unique flower."

Ken opened his eyes, standing up out of her hands, which tried to hold him down.

He looked around, thinking it was the least he could do to repay her.

As he gazed around a sight caught his eye, on a moat in the middle of the lake, was a blue rose, a bunch of them surrounded by geese swimming around.

He then turned back to her. "You said you like roses, right?"

"Yeah?"

He nodded again before setting off.

The parents weren't paying much attention, lest his faux one who wasn't even here, and there weren't any guard watchers for the pound, and the children would never stop him, just gawk.

So he effortlessly jumped the low wire gate, seperating the pond and the hill, thus, as gravity did its job, he fell into the water.

Splash

His white pants were soaked. 'But hey, what's the use of having a bunch of money if you still care about mundane things like clothes?'

So the boy trudged through the water, ignoring the shout he got from a certain Periwinkle friend and the odd sensations his brain relayed from the "things" in the water.

HONK

An angry fleet of geese stood as a barrier in front of him, their intentions clear.

"LEAVE!" Their honks seemed to say.

Ken recalled the camera map he went over with Ashnah in the morning.

The only camera in the park was aimed at his back, and in front was the vast lake and tiny moat, in comparison with nothing but trees and shrubs covering his sight even beyond that.

He lifted his eye patch, letting them see the terror beyond.

Perhaps it was the demon's eye pulsating, the blood-red appearance of his pupil, or maybe it was just that hideous.

But the animals scattered the moment they saw it. So Ken's journey was free to the mini island where he plucked the flower removing any of it's 'thorns' that tried to prickle him and headed back, ignoring the wetness of his cloths.

"Here you go."

Like a soaking wet dog, he shook his head, splashing some water on her, causing giggles to erupt from her mouth before handing over the flower he'd held above his head, making sure it hadn't gotten wet.

"Hehe. Thank you, my knight; as a princess, what can I do to repay this favor?"

He half wanted to marry me out of curiosity to see her reaction, but he settled for a request that was not much less fulfilling.

"Well, princess, this one is tired after such a journey and could use some relief for my pain."

Giggle

"Well, I'm not able to use certain special remedies on you, but my hands are not much inferior to them."

"As you say."

The boy sat in her lap, as she had no problem resting on her knees. She used her hands and massaged his head, letting the boy fall asleep effortlessly.

'What a humble knight.'

…

"KEN!"

Ashnah came back and yet was hard-pressed to find the black-haired boy who usually stood out like a sore thumb with him always being alone.

She looked around and scanned the area before seeing a girl looking down. Ashnah moved to the left before seeing her target sleeping peacefully in her lap as she petted his head.

'Prince Charming.'

Such a serene atmosphere almost caused her to feel pity for interrupting the scene.

Luckily, she didn't have to, as some other woman with identical features to the girl crouched down and spoke to her.

Ashnah also made out a look of displeasure and resignation on the girl's face.

Coming in, she pulled up to a Ken whose eyes were barely opening as he was suddenly switched from the lands of dreams to the harshness of being awake.

He noted the girl he'd been hanging out with being pulled away by someone he presumed to be her mom before she turned around.

"Ken! Come back here in two days."

"Wha—Your name!" He had to yell due to the distance, but her smile showed she heard exactly what he said.

She mouthed the words, 'I'll…Tell…You…Later…3…days!'

Then she scurried off, joining her family.

'What's with me and not getting people's names at the first meeting? Maybe I should include that in my 'Things to Always Ask People Before Ignoring Them' manual.'

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