Flowers for two

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Wanda trailed her hands through the displays filled with flowers, a soft smile on her face. The mansion needs more flowers, there are the gardens but it doesn't have this variety, and some of the students are from far away..

Like her self, and a touch of home away from home would be a good surprise for them, she paused at gathering of waterlilies. Bending to inhale deeply of the heady sent. "Do you do large orders?" she asked running a finger down the white petals, "It would be a reoccurring one but need to be delivered." She asked the woman near by, the dreamy half smile still on her face. 


She was stopping by the town on her way back to the Mansion after a week out scouting new student for Charles, low risk, just a check in and the 'So you have powers, lets talk about that.' conversation, with the kids and their parents. Wanda was a good choice simply because she could skew the odds slightly in the childrens  favor of how they were reacted to. 

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Tags:
Maria

[reflectsgrowth]

The store was decently sized not to crowded and allowed several people to the in the front and main room. It's the room where all the business transactions took place. There was always one or two people in this room to assist customers as needed. It was, of course, nicely decorated and housed several different types of flowers. Most were plotted, a few were in glasses freshly cut, and they also had a few of their decorations they could make for nearly any occasion. They also had two fairly large greenhouses out back where they kept every type of flower they currently had in stock some that weren't even in the main room. 

Maria's eyes were currently on the paper on the front counter trying to figure out what they needed for the following week. A small bell sounded when the door open and she was always quick to greet the customer and ask them if they needed any help. Most simply replied with 'just looking' or something to that degree. She was the only employee at front there were a couple tending to things in the back. 

Upon being questioned her eyes instantly flickered the woman who had entered recently. She put down her pen standing up and walking toward the waterlilies were the woman stood. A smile graced her lips as she consider the woman's question coming to a stop a few feet away. "We can do large orders. Just how large were you thinking?" It could take a little while depending on just how many flowers this woman was wanting. While they had quite a few in the greenhouses it could still take time especially a reoccurring order. But reoccurring meant quite a lot of business and that was something any owner would want. "We can deliver it will cost a bit more but nothing to terrible I assure you." It mostly depended on the distances, after all, it did cost to transport. Something everyone would be able to understand.

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Ashni smiled at the woman nodding as she spoke. "Im not sure what 'sizes' are." she finger quoted the word slightly sheepishly "But the house has around 20 common rooms and then I would want something for all the occupied dorm mid rooms." she added clearly thinking. "The students come from all over the world...I wanted to try and bring bits of home for them." she explained. "So.." she picked a few flowers out holding them together. "Something small like this for the dorms, and then a larger bouquet for the main rooms?" 

Out of the corner of her eye though the large windows, she saw a man pulling a puppy by a spiked collar on the side walk. Ashni turned slightly apparently look at another display, instead she used the movement to hid her now red glowing hands in a tub of roses.

Outside the mans foot suddenly 'stuck' to the ground, making him loose his balance. He yelped letting go of the leash, the puppy took his chance and sprinted off.

She couldn't help the smirk on her face as she turned back to shop owner. "And of course assuming the costs are reasonable paying for delivery was assumed."

[reflectsgrowth]

Maria kept the friendly smile on her lips as she listen carefully to the size the woman was talking about. She placed one finger on her chin tapping it slightly as she thought about how much would be needed for this, well, she wasn't sure perhaps some sort of dormitory if it was for students. A living quarters most likely a private institution or some kind of college. Though, she was aware that making assumptions wasn't the best idea it was something she often did anyways. "It is thoughtful of you do this for the students." She commented realizing she was probably being a bit to quiet as she figured the order in her head. "We can do as you requested if that is the amount you want. Do you want all the same flowers or a mixture?" She questioned her eyes focused on the woman for a few moments until she turned away. 

Maria made her way back to the counter moving sheets of paper until she found what she was looking for attaching the paper to a clipboard. She wasn't quite sure if this woman was going to place the order right away or not but she didn't want her to wait if she decided too. She pulled out a calculator from the door as well knowing this would certainly be needed for the rather large order. Once the woman began speaking again Maria's eyes snapped back over to her nodding her head at her question. "Of course! Simply traveling expenses nothing more than that I assure you." 

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Ashni was glad her use of her powers was unnoticed, One good deed for the day, now for a second.

"I'm not sure.." she answered the question about the bouquets. "Im afraid I don't know much about flowers, is this all you have? I'd like something exotic for the common rooms."


She was hoped that the woman had more knowledge then she did, "Ashni, Ashni Bedi. by the way." she held out her had. "I work at the Xaviers School for Gifted Youngsters, thats what the flowers are for. They have their own gardens so i'd like to pick things that are not already represented there." she explained. 

Ashni smiled in a friendly fashion. 

[reflectsgrowth]

"We have a bit more of a selection out back." Maria gestured toward a door located in the back while moving to walk toward the woman again. She'd wait and see if the woman would like to look before she escorted her there. "We don't have to many exotic plants but you are more than welcome to look." She could understand how it may be difficult to pick out the perfect plant for a specific person, but the thought in the end is what mattered hopefully. It depended on how old these students were and how appreciated of they were of such gestures.  "We can perhaps attempt to find any specific plants you are interested in." Though, that may take time sometimes exotic plants weren't the easiest of plants to keep around. Different locations meant different climates, temperatures, rainfall there was always a lot to consider.

She smiled at the introduction easily taking her hand. "Ashni is an interesting name." She commented hoping that hadn't been very rude. She hadn't strayed to far from where she now lived and it always interested her to meet others from all sorts of other places. Some even all the way across the world in countries she may never actually visit. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Maria Coleman." As she let her hand drop to her side she raised an eyebrow curiously upon hearing just where this woman had worked. It was a familiar name one she had been a student of many years before it had disbanded. She suppose it should be no surprise that it was back and running it was actually very nice to know it was. She did wonder when this had occurred, though, she decided to chose her words very carefully she didn't want to make any assumptions just yet. "I've heard of that school before." She decided to leave it at that for the time being.

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"I was born in Pakistan." she explained her name with a friendly open smile, she didn't mind questions. Questions were nicer then 'looks', "I would love to see what else you have." 

Ashni nodded at Maria "I only moved here just about two years ago." she explained. As the walked out to the green house. "You know someone that goes there?" she probed, the school was only known to humans as a prep school, so if she had a friend or even a relative that didn't mean she knew it was a school for mutants, of course since 73 they had been outed by Erik and Charles so it was KNOWN mutants existed but the school still kept who exactly they catered to under wraps for their own safety, mutant violence was still very much a threat. 

Ashni looked around the green house trying to decide which flowers would be the best to have for the mansion. "Can you point me out what doesn't grow around here?" she asked 

[reflectsgrowth]

Maria didn't know much about Pakistan personally but did know it was quite a distances away from here. She imagined if she had moved from her own country it'd be quite difficult to adjust properly. Though, being born there didn't necessarily mean she grew up there she decided to keep that question to herself she wouldn't want to pry to much it could be considered a bit rude. Certainly with someone she didn't even know. "Of course, if you would follow me." She made her way to the back holding open the door the door for Ashni before making her way to one of the greenhouses. She asked one of the employees inside to handle the front for a little while. There was a good chance another customer may come in and she didn't want to leave it empty.

She smiled a bit more as a question she had wondered about the woman was answered. "Do you like America so far?" She questioned glancing back at Ashni briefly. Two years wasn't really all that long she imagined it would take a bit to adjust as well. It was a simple question too one she could answer with a single word or give more detail as she wished to give. "No." She shook her head at the question about the school glancing back at her. "I use to attend it several years ago." It had probably been close to a decade, though, she was unaware if the woman knew it had disbanded once or not. 

Maria nodded her head. "Sure! They are more toward the back. The front area is more local plants." Maria picked up her pace ever so slightly as she walked toward the back glancing a couple times to make sure Ashni was following. She began pointing toward a few plants telling their name and where they could be found most of the time. "There is a couple more in the other greenhouse but these are mostly what we have. Do you see any to your liking?"

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"Its very different." she answered Maria's question, "Where I was raised there was exactly one TV on the whole block, newspapers and radio only carried local news so I was very ignorant of the outside world." Her English had a pronounced British lilt to it. 

Ashni paused in her stride as Maria admitted to attending the school, she was a mutant? "And in that world being different..well I never knew the word mutant or what it meant for a long time. I met some and never knew thats what they were called." she smiled at Maira. "Or that we were the same species." her hands glowed a soft red, picking a harmless to her, probability shift. Dozens of butterfly's came out of hiding from among the flowers settling onto the ones nearest to the two women. 


"Until a man called Charles Xavier came and explained what I was." Not that she had left with him...no that had been years later with a man called Magneto. "But I think you have a similar story?" she said arching an eyebrow, a soft understanding smile on her face. 

[reflectsgrowth]

Television had become quite popular, and certainly remained that way, when she was a child. It seemed to be more uncommon for one to not have than the other way around certainly compared to what Ashni explained about her own life. Maria would watch tv, sure, but it wasn't something she wanted to spend a lot of time one she often preferred the outdoors than anything. "It sounds like quite a different way to grow up. But at least now you are able to explore some the world yourself." That had to be an amazing experience in itself. She imagined one could learn so much more about a different country if one actually visited as opposed to just hearing, rather through tv or radio, or reading about it.


"When I was younger it was about the same as you. It wasn't as publicly known as it is now." Though, one key difference was she didn't know of any others until she was out of high school. The same may be the same for this woman but the way she said it made her think she knew some when she was younger than she was now. She wasn't very sure herself if mutants being known publicly was really a good thing or not. There seemed to still be so much hate an negativity toward them. Her eyes focused on the woman's hand as he glowed quite amazed with it her eyes drifted the butterflies that came out. She titled her head considering what she just saw. "What is you are doing exactly?" She saw her bring out the butterflies clearly doing something but what that something was she wasn't sure. 

Maria supposed her story wasn't all that different from the woman's as she explained it. Well at least with meeting the man who ran the school the only difference being she met someone who had attended the school, and had attempted to help her learn her power before introducing her to the school. Nor were mutants known as well as they were now quite a different world even if it was only a few years ago. "Yes." She spoke with a slight nod of her head. "You could say we have a similar story."

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Ashni licked her lips how to explain "I thought I was cursed, a witch. I could bring bad luck when i became upset." Her eyes turned inwards thinking of how her mutation had both protected her from discovery and also been the reason for her fear. "I didn't know what I was, all i knew was that i had magic." she wiggled her glowing fingers. "And for what I do...I alter probability, shift the universe to an outcome i want." she gestured at the butterfly's. "In this case I shifted the odds that they would all find that one brush the most attractive to rest on." she shrugged. "I thought it was nicer then say blowing a fuse in your lights." she chuckled. "which is what happens most when im stressed."

Ashni blushed lightly thinking of when she had done that to Charles. "How did you discover what you were?" she wondered. "What can you do?" it might have been a touch rude, but as the saying went she was showing hers. And Maria was the one that brought up the school. 

[reflectsgrowth]

Maria remained quiet as Ashni explained more about her power. She had met others with powers, to be sure, but it was always amazed her how different everyone was. Each talent seemed to vary drastically when put together with other mutants. While there could be similarities they were often very minimum and that was always something that had fascinated her. As the woman continued explain just what she could do changing the outcome of something it reminded her just how powerful some powers could be. "I can only imagine how difficult that must have been when you were younger." Often control was hard when one was young she knew that well as she imagined most did.

"Did you teach yourself control or did the Professor help with that mostly?" She questioned a bit curious. Many did not have a teacher of some sort to help with skills such as theirs and to be able to have one made a huge difference. She knew it had personally helped her greatly as well. As as Ashni mentioned stres she could understand how stress could cause issues. Depending on the talent could depend on how much in control of emotions they also needed to be. "Thank you for choosing butterflies over a light." At least the woman was considerate enough of that it would save her a few dollars too if she had to replace it. 


She smiled slightly at the question it was a fair enough to share in turn what she could do. And for the moment it was just the two of them in here certainly safe enough to not be exposed. As far as she was aware those that worked here with her were not mutants it wasn't exactly a subject one talked about at least not usually in a positive light. It was best to keep quiet and keep control of one's own talent. "I was young a child really when I first discovered what I could do. My mother was the only one who knew for a long time she made me keep it a secret. I didn't even know about others until I heard about it on the news." It had been a surprise to her certainly and it seemed not long after that she met one other who had a talent as well and introduced her to the school.


"As for what I can do..." She trailed off for a moment walking down the roll of various flowers allowing her hand to hover over them. As her hand came close to the plants she focused on allowing them to grow ever so slightly and the moment she walked away she let them go back to their original shape. "I can control any kind of plant. I can change their shape, their size, make them do what I want if they are close enough. Trees are very difficult there is little I can do with them but just about anything else." She came to a stop spinning around to face Ashni once again the small smile still on her lips. 

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Ashni shook her head when asked if it had ben Charles that trained her. "No, He found me as a teen but...no I didn't leave with him then. In fact I'v only been at the school helping out for a bit less then a year now." she admitted with a small shrug. "I learned some control on my own, but most of it...well there was another man that helped me." Magneto's name was well known now, and not necessarily for good reasons. Ashni was slightly..well not exactly ashamed but definitely not proud of her time in the brotherhood. Which had been why she had left, and her fear of Erik why she had left in secret. 

Ashni watched delighted as Maria manipulated the flowers. "Why did you leave the school?" she asked, wondering if she had just finished her training or if it had been something else. "God thats wonderful, Best I could do would be up the odds of a flower blooming or growing strong." she smiled. In fact Ashni could affect reality far more then that, she simply didn't know it, her mental blocks strongly in place to not even think about it. 

She looked thoughtful "Does that mean if we ordered some more exotic plants you could keep them alive?" she wondered. 

[reflectsgrowth]

She listen without interrupting as Ashni explained how she learned control herself. She knew there could be a lot of hesitance to having someone teach you, as well as revealing your power in front of others. That was something she had experienced when she first learned about others. And still felt that way to an extent certainly since she didn't speak to many anymore. "You were lucky to have someone to teach you." She didn't have any reason to ask who there was a good chance she wouldn't know who that person was. 

"It had to close a couple years after I started attending." She answered simply her eyes trailing off the flowers once more with a small smile. She hadn't been aware it had reopened, but in truth it hadn't been to much of a surprise. It had been a great school for their kind and she imagined it still was certainly if Professor Xavier was s till running it. "But you can do much more than just with plants. You have a very unique talent." Her eyes trailed back to the woman. That was one thing she had enjoyed about the school there they didn't have to hide so much and it always amazed her how different everyone's ability was. And how many more that were still out there that she could only imagine. 

Maria shook her head slightly. "No, I wouldn't be able to keep the flowers alive. With my power at least." She looked back to the flowers letting her hand run over them manipulating them slightly. "If I'm too far away the plant will revert back to it's original shape." At first she had only a few feet that she could reach out too but with training she had been able to expand that slightly. "If they are to dehydrate or diseased I can do very little with them." It was something she could often sense without even having to look at plants it made her quite good at the job she currently had. One reason she chose it she in a way could still use her talent, as she preferred to call it, even if it was only slightly and unknown to most everyone around her.

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Ashni cocked her head curiously as Maria explained that the school had once been closed. She honestly couldn't imagine it, yes there was a problem with staff, there was never enough, but there were so many students! So many children that NEEDED them, needed to learn that they were not alone, that there were people that could help them control their powers!




"But now, you have full control over your abilities?" she asked curiously, "The school is open again if you need any help..." she chuckled "And after all you will be delivering there every week right?" she winked. 

[reflectsgrowth]

"Well." Maria paused for a moment as she considered the question. Did she have full control of her powers? She liked to think she did even if she didn't practice often. Despite where she worked it was still around humans and she couldn't really use her powers here of all places. It certainly wouldn't be the wisest choice. And while she felt she had full control of her powers, to an extent, it was not mastered not by far. But it was something that could constantly improve she imagined it was true for any mutant no matter the power. They could always learn more control, learn more about their power. Or at least that is what she believed. "I can control my power for the most part." She felt confident with that statement if she didn't she certainly wouldn't be working here for quite obvious reasons. "But it is something that can always be improved upon."


As for who would be delivering the flowers, well, not that she knew exactly where they were going it would probably be best if she did deliver them personally. There were other employees to be sure but to go to a school for mutants she would much rather volunteer than anyone else go. "It would probably be best if I was the one to deliver the flowers, yes." Although that in itself didn't exactly mean she would stay long. Did she really want to attend the school again? It wasn't something she had exactly considered before and for the moment was fairly content with how things were. It was a bit tempting, to be honest, here she was so limited with what she could really do. Whereas with the school she was surrounded by others like her who were uniquely gifted. She wouldn't have to hide what she could as much as she did here. "It is something to consider that is for certain." She didn't want to say yes or not quite yet but she would consider it.

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Ashni was not one to press, not when Maria knew the school perhaps better then she did, after all she had attended for years, and Ashni had only been there for just under one. "if you like. Either way i'm sure you know you are welcome back." Ashni felt comfortable saying that for Charles, he would hardly turn away a former student no matter how they had left, and it didn't seem like it had been Maria's want TO leave back then.



Ashni bit her lip thinking, Maria had met Charles years before she ever had, admittedly as a student but... "Can you...I was wondering if you knew the Professor at all well?" It was doubtful but any insight she could glean on the man that she had fallen in hopeless love with would be wonderful.



Ashni's finger traced, a flower petal a delicate blush staining her cheeks as she thought of him. She was unworthy of him in so many ways, but her heart had spoken with out her permission and now she was dealing with the aftermath of her feelings. 

[reflectsgrowth]

Maria smiled nodding her head at Ashni's words. "Yes, I do know now. I hadn't even realized it had reopened. So thank you for that." Though, it hadn't really been her highest priority to pay that much attention. She hadn't even realized how much time has passed since she was last there. Funny how time could sometimes go by so quickly you didn't even realize it. 

"Know the Professor well?" She repeated in slight confusion at the slight change in subject. But then again perhaps it wasn't to much of change they were talking about the school and the Professor was the reason for the school even existing, really. Then again surely Ashni would know him far better than she since she was currently living at the school. "No, not really." She shook her head slightly as she spoke looking over at the woman. "I haven't spoken to him since I left the school. Even if I had known him well that wouldn't be true now. To many years have passed." She imagined she knew him as well as most students did at the time she attended. 

She watched as Ashni began to stroke one of the petals of a flower. She remained quite for a couple moments not certain if she should press her curiosity, but figured why not? The worst that could happen would be her not answering. "Why do you ask?" She doubted anything she knew of the Professor would be anything new to Ashni unless he had changed in someway.

[Deleted]

Ashni sighed disappointed though she hadn't expected much there had been hope. And god knew she needed all the help she could get trying to understand Charles, to be a woman he could love. she shook her head. "Just curious." The blush staining her cheeks put lie to her nonchalant tone.



Ashni rallied. "So I think we have decided on the flowers? And that you will be delivering them every week?" Ashni smiled. "So are there contracts i need to sign?"

[reflectsgrowth]

Maria gave the woman a curious look at her reply as well as her cheeks were a bit red from blushing. She didn't want to pry if she didn't wish to explain any further, though, she could make a pretty good guess as to why exactly she was curious about what she had known about the Professor. Even if it had been several years since she last saw him. "If you say so." She kept her tone friendly and open. If she wished to ask more would attempt to answer them, but it had been years since she had been to the school she imagined a lot could change in that time.

She nodded her head as Ashni summarized their previous agreements. "Yes, that's correct." She glanced around the greenhouse for a moment before looking back at the Ashni. "And if you ever want to change what kind of flowers you can do that too. It won't cost you anything extra to do that." If she wanted variety as she seemed to speak of it wouldn't be out there to assume she may also want to change the flowers ever so often. Maria would just need to know when she would want to change if she wanted to change them to be prepared for that. "We'll have to do that in the main building." She gestured toward the exit of the greenhouse as she spoke. "It shouldn't take to long." Paperwork could be quite dull but something needed especially with orders this large.