[zapdragon555]

The sound of gently pattering rain had startled Akhtar out of his sleeping state when a clap of thunder rolled overhead. He raised his head from his desk with a sleepy look in his dark eyes, staring at the window with paint chipping from the frame. As if rising to greet him, a sudden deluge of rain began falling against the glass in sheets, and he sighed through his nose, lips curving into a slow smile. Akhtar always did like rain.

Suddenly moved with purpose, Akhtar stood up from the shop counter, rubbing his cheek where imprints of wood had pressed into dark tan skin. He picked up a metal watering can painted with pale greens and blues and brought it to a weathered sink, beginning to fill it with water. "Since you're all trapped in here, I thought you might like to see what the rain is like," he said softly to the plants, eyes squinting in a smile as he moved over to begin watering the delicate flowers.

[crow]

"Aw, shit."

Aster never did like the rain. Maybe it was a conditioned response, come to think of it. He had too many memories of being sick in the rainy season, sniffling miserably as he sat squashed under some bridge or old shack, shuddering against the cold. Or maybe it was just that he hated being damp. He was already getting damper by the minute. This didn't look like it was going to be any li'l old shower either. The sky was threatening to yawn wide open and dump a monsoon on his head, and there was no way Aster was going to be caught without shelter in that mess if he could help it.

Hurriedly, he scanned the street for any likely-looking shops. Anything too big or expensive was out of the question. He knew what he looked like, and those places wouldn't stand the sight of him for more than half a minute. He made a mad dash for the first likely-looking place, and it wasn't until he had walked in that he realized that it was a flower shop.

He sighed. He didn't look like the flower-buying sort either. He stood by the door, hair already soaked through and plastered to his neck, waiting for the shop owner to notice and... and what? Swear at him, chase him out? Ask him if he was looking for something for his lady friend? Well, he wasn't going to say anything if they weren't, though the odds of him going completely unnoticed were pretty much nil. A guy could hope, couldn't he?

[zapdragon555]

Akhtar blinked in surprise as the bell at the front door of the shop tinkled, barely audible behind another roll of thunder. He tilted the watering can up, eyes locking on the waterlogged stranger, then slowly set the watering can down. If anything, he looked curious, and certainly a bit concerned. "Hello," he offered, voice cautious and soft as he stepped a bit closer. He took one look at the stranger, and made a quick, hopefully right decision. "Need a place to get out of the rain?"

Akhtar glanced back at the sink, then quickly grabbed one of the folded towels placed there in case of bad spills, and ran back to the stranger, standing at a safe distance and holding out the towel with a small smile. "It's a bad one out today, isn't it? Here, this might help a little bit."

[crow]

Aster watched the--- man? Woman? Aster watched the shopkeeper put down the watering can, his eyes never leaving their face. He was poised not unlike a wild animal waiting for a reason to bolt, tensed and perfectly still. The shopkeeper's approach was almost reason enough, but the look on their face didn't seem to be hostile. By the time he realized that he was being asked a question, the shopkeeper had already run off, though they returned just as quickly with a towel. Aster stared at it as if he had just seen them sprout a sixth finger from their hand.

"Thanks," he said, several beats too slow for smoothness, and more gruffly than he had meant to. He took the towel hesitantly, running his thumb over the flowers embroidered into the hem. He felt almost bad about using it, since it was so clean, but the sensation of damp hair nagged at him. He threw it over his head and started rubbing vigorously, before whipping the towel off and shaking his head. His hair stuck out at odd directions, and it wasn't completely dry, but he did feel better. "Thanks," he repeated.

[zapdragon555]

Akhtar watched with a quiet smile as the raggedy man rubbed his head with the towel. When the man's face reappeared, Akhtar had to quickly cover his mouth with a few fingers to partially stifle the giggle that escaped him. "It's my pleasure," he said softly, deciding to let the man keep the towel for now. Akhtar's eyes softened slightly as he took in the man's ragged appearance, and after a moment he offered his hand, not close enough that he'd be in the man's space, but close enough to look friendly. "Welcome to my shop. I am Akhtar Rezaei. Akhtar is fine," he added, a small, sheepish version of a vulpine smile curving his mouth.

[crow]

Aster had no idea what to do with the towel. He had actually sort of been hoping that the shopkeeper--- Queen's breath, he needed a name--- would take it back from him, though he guessed they might not want it back after he had just used it. It was only damp; Aster's state of hygiene wasn't abysmal enough to sully the towel, but he knew how he looked. He was lucky enough that they weren't kicking him out, much less showing him this kind of hospitality. He folded the towel as neatly as he could, though the result was thicker than before and the edges stuck out unevenly.

Akhtar's introduction should have been a relief. Hey, there was the name that he wanted, right? The handshake was a whole new world of questionable navigation though. How long had it been since he had had to shake someone's hand? He grasped it and gave a couple of firm shakes before letting go, as if he was getting something unpleasant over with. "Aster," he said. He had no surname of his own to offer. He tried and failed to guess at the meaning behind Akhtar's smile. What should he say? He felt he ought to say something. "Nice shop you have," he said, indicating the flowers with a jerk of his head.

[zapdragon555]

Akhtar had noticed he hesitation and stiffness in the handshake, and he made a mental note not to make any more physical advancements of any kind on this man. He seemed to not take very kindly to it, and Akhtar could understand that. Oh... his name was Aster. Akhtar couldn't hide his smile at that, which lit up his face with a small flash of white against dark tan skin. Like the flower, he supposed. Keeping this little thought to himself, Akhtar smiled and picked up the watering can again, beginning to pick up where he left off. "Thank you," he murmured, making a slow path along the rows of flowers. "Even when I don't have customers, it's quite relaxing to be in here. Unless you have allergies, I suppose," Akhtar mused, then smiled over at Aster. "Do you like any flowers in particular?" he asked, then realized it was an odd question, especially for someone who looked like Aster did. But then, Akhtar knew better than to judge that solely based on outward appearance.

[crow]

Aster watched Akhtar as the latter began watering the flowers again. Now that he was no longer worried about being thrown out, he had more attention to spare for other things. The way Akhtar moved made him think of the people of the palace back home, everything even and fluid with grace. It made him feel cumbersome, as if his skin was a size too large. "Is there something I can help with?" he asked, less out of altruism than from a desire to be doing something with his hands other than picking at himself or twisting them together. Akhtar's question was a welcome distraction, though he had to think about it for a while. "I don't know the name," he said slowly, "but there's a kind that grows on hills by the roadside in the summer. Orange like this, but plainer." He motioned to a bunch of marigolds, drawing back before his fingers quite brushed the leaves.

[zapdragon555]

A little questioning noise curved out of Akhtar's mouth as he raised his head to blink at Aster's offer. He tilted his head slightly, hair brushing his face, then smiled warmly and shook his head. "No, you're my guest. You can sit in my chair, if you like," he added, nodding towards the wooden seat at the desk as he moved to a delicate-looking decorative tree, its thin trunk curling in a corkscrew to the bushlike leaf structure on top. He murmured something soft under his breath about needing to prune it.

He paused at Aster's words, staring at the leaves, before realization lit up his dark eyes and he smiled at Aster. "Poppies, aren't they? California poppies," he said, grinning at Aster for a moment before quickly putting his expression in check, closing his lips to hide his smile as he turned back to the tree. The way he moved, while certainly fluid, held a kind of modesty to it that seemed to suggest he wasn't keen on being noticed.

[crow]

"Oh, no, thanks. I think I'll, uh. Stand," Aster said. He almost made as if to sit anyway, even as he was saying it--- should he, to be polite? But he really was more at ease on his feet. Sitting always made him antsier, which was the last thing he wanted when dealing with people. It might just have been conditioning, but it was what it was.

He shrugged his shoulders at Akhtar's question. "Maybe. Probably," he amended. "I don't know. I just see 'em. Nobody stops along the side of the road to tell you the names of flowers." He snorted, one corner of his mouth lifting in a brief half-smile at the thought. He looked up just in time to catch Akhtar's own smile before the florist turned away, leaving him puzzled. It wasn't his place to ask though. He barely knew the guy, and he was a guest, so who was he to pry?

[zapdragon555]

"Mm... suit yourself," Akhtar murmured, a small smile curving up his mouth that softened back to a gentle blankness, focusing on his task of watering for a moment. As he listened to Aster, he made a few quick assumptions in the back of his mind that he wasn't sure he'd want to immediately put his faith in until confirmed, but most signs pointed to correct. Aster must have been homeless, or at least a wanderer, or on a journey. The former seemed the most likely, given his manner of dress, but Akhtar knew better than to judge solely on appearances. With this new tidbit of information, however, he allowed himself a little bit of wiggle room in figuring this person out without outright barging in and asking.

And he'd seen Aster smile, just a little bit, too. That was encouraging enough for Akhtar to keep talking. "Names don't really matter, I suppose," he mused, spinning on his heel suddenly to walk his way over to the other side of the shop, pouring a light trickle of water into a delicate-looking purple flower's soil. "Just names that humans gave them. They know who they are," he said with a sheepish smile, glancing at Aster. "I'm being a bit silly, though. Names are helpful when people place orders," he chuckled softly to himself, turning back to his task. "So where are you headed, right now?"