Hearts and Flowers (Zombie and Hal) [18+]

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Name: Laurence Mercury

Age: 25

Race: Fairy

Personality: Kindhearted, but stubborn. Laurence is willing to help just about anything, but will never do so if it gets him in danger. He's very strong-willed, so once he sets a goal, he doesn't stop until it's reached. He finds it easy to make friends, as he's very communicative and open to pretty much everyone. Laurence absolutely despises any activities that harm the planet, smoking being one of the things he hates most. This is because of his race - he feels connected to the Earth at all times.

 

Wings:

 

 

 

---

Yet another peaceful, sunny day. Laurence hummed to himself as he walked around his floral shop, checking up on each plant. Often it felt like they could talk to him. Well, in a way, they could - not by words, of course. His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he turned to one of his favorite plants - an Edelweiss flower. It was of a pure white color, but it didn't sound happy.

 

The reason for that was soon found. Laurence breathed out quietly at the sight of a bug which he gently brushed off to the ground. Before it could hit it, the insect spread its wings and flew out one of the many open windows. Whenever it was warm, Laurence kept the windows and doors open, so that his flowers could get air and sunlight. It felt nice that way.

 

Laurence walked back to the register, sitting down on the chair. It seemed to be a slow day. A part of him hoped for something interesting to happen, although it never did. Just customers, wanting to buy flowers as a celebration, apology or, sadly, for a funeral. Each time Laurence would help as much as he could, knowing exactly which flowers to pick. There were certain kinds that brought happiness, or sadness. Whatever people needed, he had it.

[hal7283]

Name: Akash

 

Race: Aetherial

 

Common form:

 

 

Aether form:

 

 

 

Description: The Aetherials were an race who resided up the high mountains, among the clouds and riding the wind. They were long thought to be nothing but legends even by those who are myths and fairy tales themselves. But on one fateful day an Aetherial fell down from the sky, and his corpse was found. Those who discovered the corpse were quickly overwhelmed by the alluring smell from the body, and rushed to devour it. After there was no trace of the Aetherial left they found themselves rejuvenated, and filled with power unimaginable before. The rumors soon spread and a mad hunt for them begun. Eventually the hunters found where the Aetherials lived and attacked with overwhelming force. While the Aetherials fought valiantly and killed countless attacker before they fell, only a few survived the onslaught and they scattered across the earth, hiding among humans.

 

It was said that the Aetherials looked not much different from ordinary humans, the only difference being the alluring scent which those who are aware of magic found extremely alluring. But when threatened or excited they would transform into the so called "Aether form", having multiple pairs of wings and long, dangerous claws, demonstrating stunning physical strength and magical power. It would take an overwhelming numerical advantage or extremely powerful magic to take one down.

 

Biography: Akash was one of the very few surviving Aetherials. He traveled from town to town, country to country, continent to continent, always on the move, always running, hiding. Even as centuries has passed, as dynasties rise and fall, as some of those who hunt his kind no longer exist and has faded into legends, he kept moving. His time of running had made him cautious, distrustful, and bitter. But deep down he longed for company of someone who he could trust, and find a place where he could finally settle down.

 

---

 

 

The sun was gradually setting beyond the horizons. In some human myths this time was considered to be the most dangerous time of the day, as the boundaries between day and night, light and dark, life and death became blurred, men and demons could cross path. Whether there were truth behind the matter or not was debatable, for Akash however this time was certainly an unpleasant one. Thousands of years ago, under the blood red sky just like this, he lost all of his family and friends, and was forced into a life of exile. As if proving his dislike for sunset was right, he felt the precsence of someone, something approaches. Familiars, hunting dogs, sent by those who would want to tear him apart and devour his flesh. He could fight and destroy them without much problem, but then it would only attract more attention. He needed somewhere to hide, needed a way to block his scent from the hounds. He looked around and saw a floral shop nearby.

 

"Floral shop.... hope they have edelweiss in store..." Akash muttered as he walked towards the shop, hoping to find one of the few things that could hide his scent. When he stepped into the place he was relieved smelling the sweet scent of the white flower. He picked up a bucket of it and walked towards the counter.

 

"Excuse me sir, how much is this..." Akash froze in mid-sentence however when he saw the owner of the shop, and almost immediately he figured that the owner was no ordinary human, but couldn't quite tell exactly what. He observed the owner, who gave out the impression of someone nice and warm. But Akash knew better than to trsut people by their appearance. Taking one step back he was ready to rush out with the bucket of the white flower if necessary.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Laurence lifted his head when the bell rung, signaling a customer entering the shop. He watched the stranger with a soft expression on his face, his wings folded behind him to make sitting in the chair more comfortable. The customer didn't really look human, though what did he know? These days human did all kinds of things to their bodies. He didn't judge, but it did seem a bit weird to him... If nature gave him that kind of a body, why change it so much?

 

He stood up when Akash came up to the counter, offering a light smile as his wings spread behind him. "The whole bucket? Let's see..." He leaned a bit closer to count how many flowers were there, but stopped after picking up an unusual scent. "Oh..." Laurence looked back up, his smile disappearing from his face. "You're an aetherial, aren't you?" He asked, pulling away from the counter to show he meant no harm. "I'm sure you need the flowers more than anyone else. You can just take them." Laurence smiled softly, his wings moving slowly behind him, creating soft, light gushes of air here and there. The fairy seemed to be calm, even if his whole being wanted to jump at the creature. He'd heard of the powers people gained after consuming ones like Akash. He was never drawn to power, so at least he could resist the primal urge.

[hal7283]

Akash was surprised seeing the green, semi-transparent wings behind the shop owner, and realized that he was a fiary. With the humans expanding rapidly across the earh and cutting down acres after acres of forests, fairies have became a sight almost as rare as himself. He was slightly relieved since fairies were known to be peace loving. That being said Akash wasn't about to let his guard down any time soon.

 

He became more cautious when the fairy recognized what he was. He was seconds away from conjuring a spell to attack the shop owner, and was surprised by the lack of hostility from the fairy. He looked at the fairy cautiously and after a moment of silence he muttered: "Thank you..."

 

He walked out of the floral shop with the bucket, but just as he was about to leave he saw the hounds across the street. Being construct of magic they were invisible to the eyes of normal humans, but the hellish flames around them was clear as day in Akash's eyes. The hounds were turning their head here and there sniffing, seemingly confused due to the sudden disapearence of the scent they were after. Even with the bucket of edelweiss in hand blocking his scent, it would be for nothing if the hounds got their eyes on him. He hurried back into the shop and pleaded: "Let me hide here for a while, please!"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Laurence smiled, watching as Akash walked towards the exit. "Take care." He said softly, turning around to sit back down on the chair. Encounters such as this one were rare, and often left him a bit confused. Throughout his short life, he'd met another aetherial. That poor girl wasn't lucky enough to survive, sadly. Laurence could still remember how horrified the girl was, she couldn't have been older than sixteen. Just a kid, and already hunted by everyone. A tragic life, truly.

 

His gaze shot up as the doors opened again, along with the scent of fear. "Go on, come here." He hurried the other, motioning for him to come behind the counter. It wasn't much of a hiding spot, but it would do if it wasn't for long. "My name is Laurence. I won't harm you, I promise. You have to trust me now... What is your name?" He asked, pulling Akash down while he himself sat down in the chair, his wings folded behind his back again.

 

Laurence didn't really like the situation he was in right now. His life was in danger too, and his precious flowers could be harmed... If anything he would obviously pick his own safety over Akash's. For now, though, until the danger actually presented itself, he was willing to help.

[hal7283]

Akash put down the bucket and nodded, rushing behind the counter he curled down behind it. He looked up at the fairy who provided him shelter and responded: "Thank you Lawrence... My name is Akash." While keeping his senses sharp, he kept his eyes fixed on Lawrence, as he knew when facing threat, kindness can turn into selfishness in any moment.

 

He could feel the presence of the hounds getting closer and closer, and they stopped in front of the shop store. He could feel his heartbeat increasing exponentially, fearing the hounds would break through the front door in any moment. But after a while he felt the hounds gradually leaving the area, when he could no longer sense them Akash finally sighed in relief.

 

 

"I think it's safe for now... Thank you." Akash said as he got up from the floor and started to think. While the hounds have left the area for now, he doubt they would give up so easily. Akash and looked at Lawrence again, wondering could he trust the fairy in front of him, and if so, how much. After some internal struggle he asked: "I know this might be too much to ask, but is it possible for me to stay here for a few days? I'll try to repay you...somehow..."

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

"It's nice to meet you, Akash." Laurence said with a light smile, glad the scent of flowers blocked out the smell of the creature. The fairy's eyes darted up to his door when the hounds stopped there, lips pursing into a tight frown while a shudder ran down his spine. If there was one creature he couldn't stand being around, it would be those horrible hounds. While of course, it wasn't true for all dogs, but ones that were trained specifically for hunting really ticked him off.

 

Laurence's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he heard the request. "Stay here? With me?" He asked, obvious surprise in his voice. He paused, letting out a quiet breath. "I... Suppose that would be possible. Keep in mind, though, if my shop or I am in danger, I'll protect myself first." He said firmly, then stood up. "If you're staying here, you might as well help me out. The very least that you can do is change the water in the flower vases daily. I won't trust you with anything more, but you should be able to handle such a simple task." Laurence trusted very few with his flowers. Even watering them was special. Each flower required a different amount of water. Some had to be watered every two days, some twice a day. He doubted anyone but him could actually remember it well enough to not screw up. Of course, it wouldn't completely ruin everything, but Laurence preferred it when he was sure everything was alright.

 

(It's Laurence with a u, not w ^^")

[hal7283]

"Of course. That's reasonable." Akash nodded. If someone would willing to risk all of his posessions and even his life to save a stranger, he's either insane or had some darker agendas hidden. Akash e walked towards Laurence and extended his hand for a handshake: "I'll do my best to help you with things in the store. Don't worry, I had my fair share of experience with flowers." The years of exile had certainly gave him knowledge over a lot of things, especially since the knowing the plants masking his scent was a necessity of survival.

 

He looked around the place at the various plants in the shop, and it reminded him of the herb garden he had many, many years ago, the seasons he spent taking care of the plants, watching them grow, harvesting them and replanting them, and eventually how the whole place burnt down to ashes. He didn't dwell in the past for too long however, and said: "Where should I start then? Changing the waters?"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Laurence was still very much hesitant about letting Akash do much with his flowers. "You'll have to prove that." He muttered, tossing a quick glance at the other. His flowers were like his children. He cared for them until they were either taken to new homes or, as sometimes happened, withered away. When asked where Akash should start, the fairy let out a light scoff. "Wait until I close up. Then you can change the water. I suppose you can tell a dried-up leaf from a healthy one, so pick off the dried ones as well." He said, turning around to face the aetherial.

 

"Don't get too comfortable here, Akash." Laurence said, his voice holding the smallest bit of threat in it. It was clear he didn't trust Akash, just as Akash didn't trust him. Perhaps with time it would grow into a better relationship, or perhaps they would just part ways to never meet again. While usually fairies were peaceful and calm, they could be dangerous, even predator-like. It wouldn't be smart to mess with one... Especially knowing how often they seek revenge. Fairies' revenge was often ruthless, and Laurence would be lying if he said he'd never ruined someone's life because they messed with him. "Oh, and Akash... If you do anything to me, my shop or my flowers, I'll do the opposite of protecting you." Laurence added before flashing a near-innocent smile. "Now go look around upstairs. There's a free room, third door on your right. Settle in, and I'll call for you when I close up."

[hal7283]

Akash simply nodded to the threats Laurence made, but to be frank it was rather reasonable on Laurence's part since the two didn't even know each other. Plus he would take open hostility against secret deceptions any day. He was rather surprised however when he heard about the room, as he was expecting to be sent into the basement, or the storage, at best given a couch in the living room. "Thank you. I'll check the room then." He said before going upstairs.

 

He found the free room as Laurence instructed, it was simple, but rather nice and cozy. He checked the tables and chairs, drawers and closets, remembering all the little details of the room in his head. He then raised up the curtain over the window slightly and peaked out, taking notes of the surrounding streets, shops etc. Afterwards he got up to the bed and sat against the wall, curling up slightly as he wrapped his arms around his legs. Now there's nothing much to do but waiting for Laurence to call him down, and he tried to stay alert. But it wasn't long before the tranquility began to affect him, even the sound of traffic outside began to get tuned out by his increasingly murky mind. Soon he closed his eyes and fell asleep, smelling the faint tint of sweet aroma from downstairs.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Laurence watched the aetherial walk up the stairs and let out a light huff. Boy, he was probably bringing himself into so much trouble. The fairy stood up, stretching his hands up above his head, his wings fluttering for a few moments before relaxing, folding behind his back. He didn't take long to close up, locking the doors, though he left the windows open. He was positive no creatures would be able to make it through the windows, because they had spells infused. The only ones that could possibly cause trouble were humans, but there were ways to protect his shop from them as well. Every now and then someone would attempt to break into the shop only to be stopped by his "guardian" - a flower brought back from trolls, one that used its thick vines to paralyze creatures and keep them like that until morning. He had yet to meet anyone who got past them.

 

Laurence let out a light yawn, glancing out the window. The sun was about to set, and his energy depended on the sun a lot. He walked upstairs, stepping into the room where Akash was, ready to call for him to go change the water, but stopped after noticing he was asleep. The sweet, mouth-watering smell reached his nostrils, a shudder running down his spine. He may have had self-control, but he wasn't perfect. Gulping down, he gritted his teeth slightly, a quiet groan slipping past his lips. "Wake up." He said, loud enough to wake the other. Narrowing his eyes, the fairy exhaled slowly. "Go, change the water. You can get fresh water from the wooden tub in the corner downstairs." He spoke before leaving the room. "If you're hungry, get something you want from the fridge." He added, already getting down the flight of stairs. First thing first, he had to make sure Akash's scent was eliminated. The fairy grabbed a bucket of edelweiss and brought it back upstairs, placing it in Akash's room. Else the poor creature risked to be devoured by his very savior... Though who knew, maybe this wouldn't even be enough to protect him for long.

[hal7283]

Normally even when asleep Akash remained somewhat aware of the surroundings, a habit he got from all the years of running from hunters. But today he remained asleep even after Laurence entered the room, and only woke up when he heard the voice of Laurence calling him. "Ye..yeah... right away." He rubbed his eyes slightly and got up from the bed and followed Laurence downstairs to the shop. While he began to change the waters of the flowers he thought about what just happened, and regretted for how careless he was. Was it the scent of edelweiss that have reduced his guard, or the fatigue of his run had caught up with him? Either way Akash thanked the heavens for his good fortune, since if Laurence had meant him harm, he would certainly succeed during his sleep. He took a glimpse back and saw Laurence going up stairs with a bucket of the white flower, and thanked the fairy silently for how considerate he was. Perhaps he could really trust the fairy to some extent?

 

After he had finished with the flowers he began to look around the shop. It's been a while since he had the leisure of relative safety, and the luxury of being surrounded by beauty. He marveled at the great variety he could find in the shop, and more importantly, at how well they were maintained. Akash remembered the expression of Laurence when he warned him about threatening his shop, and figured that he must have devoted so much in taking care of all the plants and flowers here.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Laurence descended the stairs, but not by foot - to make as little sound as possible, he was floating just above the ground, his wings fluttering slowly. He observed the stranger, the one he agreed to take in, with a sharp gaze. It didn't seem like he meant any harm, at least for now. The fairy frowned slightly, finally letting his feet touch the ground. He walked towards Akash, lightly placing a hand over his shoulder. "I think I have the right to know more about you. Come, I'll make us something to drink and you can tell your story... Or as much as you think I can hear without endangering you." The man murmured, lightly squeezing his shoulder before letting go, slowly walking towards the kitchen.

 

There, he boiled up some water, pulling out two mugs for tea. He turned around, tossing a glance at the aetherial. He didn't really want to be mean to that poor kid, but he couldn't really trust him yet either. It was a struggle, albeit a small one. Inhaling deeply, the fairy reached over for the fruit basket, placing it on the table instead. "Feel free to take something. I grew these myself." He spoke, a light smile crossing over his face for a few moments. The basket held various fruit - apples, oranges, bananas, kiwis, pomegranates, pears and many more. While there were only a couple of each, they were all juicy, bright and clearly freshly-picked. "Ah, right... Do you eat meat at all? Because I doubt I will be able to provide any. My body is only suited for vegetables, fruits and everything of the sort."

[hal7283]

Akash was much more alert this time and noticed the fairy flying down stairs, so he wasn't caught off guard when Laurence tapped on his shoulder. He turned around and nodded slightly, then followed him into the kitchen. It's quite natural for the fairy to want to know more about the creature he was harboring, and Akash would happily tell him all about himself if it meant that Laurence would let him stay for a while longer. Of course he's not going to give him every single detail about the Aetherial race. He sat on the table and waited while Laurence prepared their drinks.

 

"Don't mind if I do." Akash said after hearing it's okay to eat the fruit. He picked up a orange from the basket and began peeling it, and he said at the same time: "Things about me huh.....I suppose my diet is a good place to start, well yes I do eat meat. But I actually prefer to eat plants and fruits. While you can't really be picky with your food when you're constantly on the run but... it's hard to eat flesh, once you know how it's like from the prey's perspective."

 

He took a piece of the fruit and put it inside his mouth, the sweet and sour juice instantly filled his mouth and he couldn't help smiling a little due to its delicious taste. "You said you grew these yourselves? Good job! I used to grow things too, not fruits or flowers though, but herbs, some for healing, others just to be made into spices. That's why I told you that I had my fair experience with plants. I took care of my little herb garden for years! Until I had to abandon it when our settlement was discovered by hunters of course, leaving behind everything I knew till that point, and I've been in exile ever since. But travelling had its merits, as I got the chance to see and learn things I'd never know if I stayed back on the mountains."

 

Akash then turned to look at the brown haired fairy, his green semi-transparent wings folded behind him and asked: "Speaking of exile, what's a fairy doing in the middle of a human city? Even though humans have cut down lots of forests in the past few centuries, there's still a lot of places left untouched. Why did you get away from your kin? And also, how old are you exactly? Cause you know, the appearance can be really deceiving, especially for beings like us."

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Laurence eyed the other cautiously, his lip twitching slightly when he heard Akash did eat meat. Even if he preferred to eat plants and fruits, as he put it, it meant his body still required meat and the nutrients from it. Yet another inconvenience. "If you want any, don't eat it here." The fairy said, a quiet sigh slipping past his lips. If he tried to eat meat, his body outright rejected it. He tried to eat some once, when he was a lot younger. He ended up spending days in bed, puking his guts out. It was possibly one of the worst things for a fairy to do. It was like chocolate for dogs - too much could even kill him.

 

Laurence's eye twitched slightly when Akash said 'Good job'. It sounded so... Stupid. He scoffed slightly, turning around to brew the tea for both of them. "Honey or sugar?" He asked curtly, reaching for the honey for himself. He always preferred all things natural in his own food ration. Hearing the aetherial's story, he did feel a little bit bad, but only for a moment. He was still only a stranger. Then again... It wasn't fair that he was chased after purely for who he was.

 

"There's plenty of fairies living here. My whole family is here. Some fairies prefer to live in the cities, especially ones like this... It has plenty parks, trees and other plants. I like it here. Besides, humans are incredibly interesting to communicate with. They're different." Laurence spoke before setting the mugs down, pushing one towards Akash. "Your questions are rather rude." He commented, crossing his legs, the cup of tea steaming in front of him. "I won't tell you my age, nor should you ask this of fairies. Don't you know it's impolite?" He asked, raising one eyebrow. It really didn't seem like he intended to go easy on Akash at all.

 

"Are there any more of your kind left? Ones that you know of, at least." Laurence asked, glancing up at the dim kitchen light. Akash had the right to refuse answering questions too, of course. The fairy's gaze slowly trailed down, stopping at the other's eyes. He had unusual features, that was for sure. Red eyes, white hair, it was a clear giveaway of his supernatural origin. "By the way... Have you ever thought of disguising yourself a bit physically, not just your smell?" He asked, leaning back against the chair. It could help him evade the hunters if he didn't look like that all the time.

[hal7283]

"No sugar for me." Akash smiled slightly as he took the tea cup, bringing it close to his nose and enjoyed the smell going up his nostrils. He then took a small sip, letting the distinct bitterness and warmth of the tea spread in his mouth, sighing in relief as the heat spread down his throat and throughout his body. Hearing what he said about other fairies in the city was actually quite surprising, but he figured as the world changed beings like them must adapt as well. The fairies have certainly done better than the Aethereals in this regard. He didn't share Laurence's interest in humans however, as he had seen his fair share of brutality among them throughout the ages.

 

"My apologies." Akash said and lowered his head slightly to the fairy. Perhaps it was a bit impolite to inquire someone's age, especially since they've just met. But Akash asked the question not simply due to curiosity, as people's age can give you much information about the person. For example someone young might be ambitious, and would want to eat the Aetherial's flesh to gain power; while someone old might want to eat the Aetherial to rejuvenate himself thus extend his life. Also since most magical beings grows stronger and stronger as they age, if something goes wrong it would be nice to know if he would face a young inexperienced foe or an ancient being of immense strength and wisdom.

 

He was surprisingly calm and unmoved when Laurence asked about the others, and said plainly: "I don't know. Maybe there're other Aethereals still around, or maybe I'm the last one left. In any case I haven't seen another Aethereal for... how may years? Probably a century or two? It's better for us to be separated, or our scent would get even more obvious."

 

Akash raised his eyebrows however when Laurence talked about disguising himself. "Why? Is there something wrong with my appearance?" He took a thread of his hair in his fingers and looked at it. "Since you brought it up...I suppose these silver hair can be easy to spot.... Perhaps I should color them?

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Laurence scoffed quietly at the apology, but silently took it anyway. At least he wasn't arrogant and realized when he should apologize for doing or saying something. He couldn't stand ones who didn't apologize even after learning what they did was bad. They got on his nerves far too much... And were often punished, too. Laurence wasn't exactly merciful.

 

A quiet huff slipped past his lips as Akash said he didn't know if there were many more of his species left around the world. It was rather sad, but nothing could be done about it. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but can't you turn into a different form? It doesn't make sense that your whole race was demolished if you're so powerful. Not even an army should be able to take down a clan of your people in their powerful state." He commented, sipping his tea. It could've been a rude, even senseless thing to say, but he didn't like to beat around the bush. It was what he wanted to know, so he just asked.

 

"It would be a smart thing to do. Although even humans these days like to go with colors as yours... It would still be more beneficial for you to have a more neutral color, brown, black, or maybe blonde. Your eyes are a problem as well. It would probably be a good thing to put in lenses of a different color to hide the fact that they're red. I'll fix you up some edelweiss spray that you can use on the go once you're ready to leave." He spoke, showing his caring side, if it could be called that way.

[hal7283]

Akash got a bit cautious when Laurence asked about his transformation. Was the fairy in front of him trying to learn about his abilities? And for what end? But not answering Laurence's question would raise suspicion too. He thought for a second and said: "Well...yes, we can transform, commonly known as the "Aether form". When we do we become more powerful but.... our enemies didn't usually fight fair. Overwhelming numbers, poison, curses, traps, hostages, you name it they've done it. Most of it didn't work, but some did, and every time they succeed in killing one of us they became stronger and harder to fight off. You can see where it went from there."

 

It was a welcoming change when the conversation switched to be about his appearance: "Yeah I understand what you say... perhaps I should work on my appearance a bit more. I don't really like the stuff humans use to dye their hair though, cause they're.... well... just weird. It's like putting poison on your head and frankly I prefer not to have ran for so many years and die because some stupid human chemicals. So maybe I should get a wig then? I do have some human money with me." He said as he reached into his pocket and took out a small pile of big number bills. " If it isn't too much trouble could you get those things for me? You can take whatever is left as my payment for your hospitality."