Pretty Things & Evil Deeds

@ katahdin

Most of the day had gone by without a hitch. The store had been too busy to do stock up the front but not so busy that Elliot couldn't handle it most of the time. There was a period of two hours where they were both up front but that couldn't be helped. But now after almost two full days of working in the back, Azana had a stockpile of inventory that was enough for the front as well as to fill her storage area. Thank God. Tomorrow she would need to go care for the greenhouse and that would easily take a few days if she did a full check up...which it was due for.

Once the end of the shop day had came, Azana came from the back. She did a quick glance over of the store before heading to the front door and locking it. Azana turned back to Elliot with a huge smile on her face. "I am quite lucky that you are such an all-star." Azana then gave him a bit of an uneasy smile. "Could you stay late and help me with stocking the store?"

@ Sweet.Persephone

Elliot was standing behind the till, doing a final count of the money that they'd ended the day with and double checking to make sure everything was correct, looking up at Azana with a smile. "I better be employee of the month, since I'm doing such a good job, and it'd be unfair if you gave the title to yourself." He teased with a grin, nodding as she asked him to stay late and help stock up the store.

"Of course. You'll probably have to go over how you do it so I don't mess anything up, but I'd be happy to stay and help. Of course, if I'm more in the way than actually helping feel free to kick me out." He chuckled, heading out to the back with her, going over to the sink to grab a glass of water first.

@ katahdin

"Maybe we will just put employee of the month to a vote. Though no voting for yourself as that would be unfair." Azana replied with a little smirk on her face before she gave him a wink. "I will have to make a decision on what to do if there is a tie though. Perhaps both winners just get some ice cream and a gold star."

"Oh, I think you will figure out how to do it pretty fast. Everything is in their jars or bags with labels in the back. I might just have to point what goes in the empty sections though." Once that was said, Azana grabbed the cart that held some of the inventory items on it. It was already full and ready to go. So she went through the door to the front and pushed it close to one of the shelves. Azana then set down a light blue bag with a note that said 'Lavender' on it. "Put these bags in the bowl there, but make sure to get the ones on the bottom of the bowl to the top and get these new ones on the bottom." She turned and started to put jars onto the shelves.

@ Sweet.Persephone

Elliot chuckled, shaking his head a little. "Fair enough. I'd be happy to vote for you, anyway." He grinned, nodding in agreement when she suggested that each winner should just get ice cream. "I think that seem pretty fair. Besides, I like ice cream."

"You got it, boss." Elliot said as she instructed him on how to begin putting things away, humming softly as he worked, carefully placing the bags in the bowl as she'd instructed him.

@ katahdin

It took over an hour to get the front of the store stocked all the way up. After all, they have had a busy few days and were running low on almost everything. But now the store didn't look so sparse and was ready for tomorrow. As laid her hands on the cart, her fingers wrapping around the handles, Azana looked to Elliot. The flowers in her hair had begun to wither and some of the petals had already fallen to the flower.

"Thank you for staying later to help me with the inventory. Don't worry about cleaning the store today, we'll do that before the shop opens tomorrow. Speaking of which, you can start coming in a bit later now that training is over." Azana glanced to the side and let out a small pleasant hum. "Well, for now that is. Anyways, you can head home now. Thank you again."

@ Sweet.Persephone

Elliot had worked diligently alongside Azana to restock the sore, smiling a little as he leaned back against the counter when they finished stocking up the store. He offered her a little smile, giving her a thumbs up.

"No problem, Az. I'm happy to help, anytime. That's sort of what being an employee means." He chuckled, nodding a little as he reached over to pluck a few of the wilted petals out of her hair. "Alright. I'll try not to be too early tomorrow morning, but I still might. Thanks, though, for today. Have a good evening, Azana." He said as he grabbed his coat, waving a little as he headed out the door.

@ katahdin

"Need those for something?" Azana teased Elliot as he pulled some of the petals out of her hair. Though as he headed towards the door, Azana started to make her way to the back. "Sleep well. And don't come too early!"

@ Sweet.Persephone

Elliot chuckled, looking at the petals. "I figured I'd take them home and see if I can do anything with them.. I probably should have asked first though, shouldn't have I?" He grinned, waiving as he headed out the door. "Sleep well! I hope to see your flowers back to their bright happy selves when I get here." He teased.

The next morning he wasn't as early as he had been the past few days, but was still about five minutes early, smiling at Azana as he was let in. "Good morning, Az. How are you this morning?"

@ katahdin

Azana had been working on sweeping the floor when Elliot knocked on the shop door. At seeing him, she was quick to let Elliot into the shop, locking it behind him as she did so. "Good morning!" Azana chipped with a bright smile on her face. "I have been doing quite well this morning, how about you?" She asked as she went back to sweeping the floor. "Did you sleep well?"

As she passed the front counter, Azana picked up one of her own coffee mugs, which was steaming hot and filled with coffee. After a long drink, Azana went back to sweeping.

@ Sweet.Persephone

Elliot's eyes lit up at seeing how happy and chipper she was this morning, heading to the back to hang up his jacket before returning to the front to help her tidy up. "I'm wonderful. I'm glad to see your flowers have perked up, too." He smiled at her from behind the counter, getting the till set up for the day. "I slept well, how about you?"

He noticed her grab the coffee mug as she passed the counter, glancing over at the door before looking at her. "Kendric not bring you coffee this morning? I'm sort of surprised that he isn't here.." One of his necromancer friends had come over to his apartment the night before, and what he'd been told about Kendric and what he might be up to did not sit well with him at all. The last thing he wanted was for anything to happen to Azana, and he'd do whatever he could to make sure that she was alright.

@ katahdin

"I had a good night as well, thank you for asking." Azana responded, letting out a little hum after she had done so. "And yes they have. They tend to wilt that when - oh well I suppose you want to figure that out for yourself, right?" As Azana finished up sweeping, she took the broom and put it back into the closet with the other cleaning supplies before coming back to the front counter where Elliot was.

Azana tapped lightly on the side of her coffee cup as she picked it up again. "Well, not exactly. Kendric made me a pot of coffee before he left to go to work. You probably would have seen him but he got a call and then ended up rushing out the door." She brought the cup back up to her lips and took another long drink before setting it back down on the counter. "There is more upstairs if you want a cup. I think it would still be hot."

@ Sweet.Persephone

Elliot chuckled a little as she mentioned him wanting to figure out what the flowers meant. "Hm.. My guess is that you were tired or stressed from the busy day, and that's why they wilted, but I also wouldn't be surprised if I was very wrong." He said, finishing setting up the till before leaning back on the stool, nodding as she explained that Kendric had actually made the coffee for her, which unsettled him.

"I'll go grab myself a cup, thank you." He smiled, heading up to her apartment kitchen, where he took a moment to look around until he spotted the coffee pot. He hesitated a moment before casting a small spell that would be able to tell if the pot or it's contents had been spelled or charmed in any way, not trusting Kendric for a second after learning what he had the night before.

@ katahdin

All she offered in response was a little hum and a nod at Elliot's guess as to what her flowers had meant the day before. She wasn't sure if he wanted her to confirm or deny so Azana just decided to leave it be. "You're welcome." Azana responded pleasantly as she was now focusing her attention on wiping down the windows to the store.
--
When Elliot was up in the kitchen and using a spell on the coffee pot, the whole coffee pot began to lightly glow as it searched for any magical contents. It took a few bated breaths until the spell was able to confirm that the coffee itself had magical properties to it.

@ Sweet.Persephone

Elliot cursed softly as his worst suspicions were confirmed, staring at the coffee pot for a while before pouring himself a small bit in a plastic baggie that he found on the counter before dumping the rest down the sink and starting a new pot. Until he knew what exactly this spell was, he wouldn't let Azana drink any more of it. If it was harmless, no matter, but if it wasn't... He didn't need a guilty conscious.

Heading back downstairs he tucked the baggie into the pocket of his jacket out of sight of Azana, before heading back out to the front with a smile. "The pot had gone cold, so I dumped it out and started a new one, in case you wanted more." He said as he moved over to her to offer his help.

@ katahdin

"Aw thank you. That is actually perfect timing as I am almost done with my cup." As Elliot came to her side and offered to help, Azana handed him the rag and window cleaner she had been using. "The windows are almost done, just the last two to the right need to be cleaned off." Azana told him as she turned and started to focus on the signs in the shop. She went one by one to re-evaluate before leaving it or taking it down and updating the mini chalk sign.

As she was working on the last one, Azana glanced up at the clock on the wall. "It looks like it is almost time for the shop to open. Just so you know, I am going to be all the way in the greenhouse working today. So if you need me, just open the door and yell for me. I'll be able to hear you." A gentle smile came over her face as she looked to Elliot. "Though don't worry too much, I'll come in and check on you throughout the day."

@ Sweet.Persephone

"It's no problem. No one really likes cold coffee, and heating it up again isn't great either." Elliot offered her a little smile as he took the rag and window cleaner from her, nodding as he got to work cleaning the last two windows that she'd pointed out, humming a bit as he went. He hated that Kendric was somehow taking advantage of Azana without her knowing, and he was terrified of what the man might do to her, as well as what he'd already done.

Elliot glanced over at the clock when she pointed it out, nodding as he finished the last window and brought the cleaning supplies to the back. "That sounds good to me. Hopefully it won't be too busy, but like you said, if I need anything I can always shout." He smiled, offering her a little teasing nudge. "Just don't expect me to save you from a man eating plant, that's not in my job description."

@ katahdin

"I think I would be much more capable of saving myself from the man eating plant that you would be." Azana teased as she nudged him back. "Even so, I will make sure to be safe as to not put you in that horrible predicament of trying to decide to protect yourself or help me." A light laugh left her at the thought of Elliot having to save her from a man-eating plant as she turned and made her way over to the front of the shop. She unlocked the door before turning back and making her way out of the shop area.

"Okay, I am going to head off to the greenhouse now. Like I said, if you need anything just come get me." Once Elliot made some indication that he understood, Azana made her way to get herself a cup of coffee before going into the greenhouse to tend to the plants.

@ Sweet.Persephone

Elliot chuckled at her teasing, giving a little nod. "Thank you very much. I appreciate it very much." He grinned, nodding a little at her instructions and waved as she headed back. "Alright. Have fun in the greenhouse. If you need help or anything feel free to come get me. And remember to take breaks, you shouldn't have to kill yourself over it." he chuckled.

Fortunately it wasn't too busy in the morning, enough so that when he had a chance he had one of his friends come pick up the sample of coffee to figure out what the spell was and get back to him. Around noon he headed to the back when there was no one in the store to grab a glass of water, leaning against the counter as he glanced out the back windows to see if he could spot Azana.

@ katahdin

At this point, Azana was coming out of the greenhouse with a few clippings and flowers in her hands. Unlike this morning, she was now rather disheveled. The braids in her hair had gone quite loose and there was dirt and other plant material on her clothes as well as her cheek. Azana's face was also slightly flushed from being inside the warm greenhouse for a good portion of the day.

She was now making her way inside and as she looked up, Azana saw Elliot peering out of the back window. She smiled to him and waved warmly. Once she was opening the door to the back of the shop, Azana looked to Elliot. "Are you ready for your lunch break?" While waiting for a response, she set the clippings down before heading to the sink to wash her arms and wipe down her face.

@ Sweet.Persephone

Elliot returned her smile and wave, shaking his head a bit as she asked about lunch. "I'm all set, just came back to get something to drink while the shop is empty. Seems to be a slow day, which is nice after being so busy the last few." He smiled, filling a glass of water to offer her after she finished washing her face and arms.

"How is the greenhouse? You look like you've been working hard. The clippings look nice, too." He smiled. "Your flowers look a bit wilted though. You must need a break."