@• albedo • really? hmm.. maybe i should start thinking about retiring early and living out the rest of my days in liyue then~
oh! albedo... you really don't have to but thank you. sheesh, i'm such a terrible guest for taking advantage of my host's kindness- ah, wait... did i hear you right? you made all this yourself!? my my, you're such a talented young man- i'm jealous! surely you have to teach me how to make such delectable goodies.
suppressing a giggle, kokomi couldn't wait to be able to take back all the souvenirs and tidbits to inazuma. never once did she imagine that the taste from a whole 'nother nation could bring her weak in the knees. none of the food in inazuma could compare if the bits she was offered were just the beginning of many more to come. lost in her own train of thought, kokomi was brought back by the other's fumbling of words. albeit concerned, kokomi was quite amused; leaning closer to the table as she tried her hardest to stifle her laughter.
you needn’t worry, albedo. not for one second did i consider that you were testing my knowledge! you didn't offend me at all. though, /i/ hope i wasn't the one that offended you in any way. oh, you can do that? i mean, i would be more than happy to check out such places, but i wouldn't want to mess with your schedule. ah! hmm... well, if it isn't much of a problem for you.. i would love that! i have been wanting to get to know the people of liyue better, along with their culture
@✾ kokomi • 'Not born, however raised, yes,' he nodded a couple times, feeling like he may have worded himself wrongly before, 'I do. It is.. it's very calm; an easy place to fall in love with if you stay long enough. Honestly, the food is enough to stay for.' He chuckled a little but a strong point for him would always be food.
Albedo was more than pleased seeing how much she enjoyed the offering, a smile forming over his features briefly. 'Oh, I can make you a container of a few things to take back with you when you leave? All of the little treats in the shop are.. made by me.' He wasn't sure what about the words made him feel embarrassed but he couldn't help with shifting his weight and fiddle with his papers. 'No, no! I didn't mean- I wasn't trying to question your knowledge at all; I know the director wouldn't be so adamant about partnering with you if you weren't knowledgeable in your field. I hope I didn't offend?'
'I see, I see.. well, I would be more than happy to show you around and show more of the locations that make your profession easier? Like you said, you're well versed on the flowers and history, so you're aware of the more rare ones.. I can show you the best places to find those, as well.' He was just doing his best at that point, trying to stay professional and hopefully not offend her skills, 'And, if you'd like to study Liyue itself some more, I could.. offer dinner in the name of the parlor.'
@✾ gorou • oh! a fellow inazuman~ i take it you quite enjoy liyue, yes? it's such a bustling and beautiful place. i can understand how you would come to admire its beauty the more you stay in such place.
covering with one hand, kokomi had devoured every last bit of the lotus crisps along with her tea. internally cringing, kokomi had only hoped the other didn't notice her famished state. though, as much as she had hoped- her prayers weren't heard whence he commented on her likeness towards the snack.
y- yes... it truly is scrumptious. i might actually take it back with me to inazuma! that is, if i'll be able to find such delights, haha... oh, you need not worry! i'm quite well-versed in the nature and history behind all flowering plants around teyvat. i know i may not look like i know much.... but i assure you that i know my work like the back of my hand!
clamping her hands together, kokomi couldn't help but look around as she spoke. it's not that she didn't want to make eye contact with gorou- but, she figured that focusing her attention else-place could help calm her nerves even more. although she knew her work well, having questions asked to her still made her very much anxious to answer. mentally counting to herself, kokomi finally glanced over at gorou.
i do still think that being able to view such flowers in their origin of nation is a must even if a person were fully versed in the theory of each individual plant. i- er... hope that suffices as a good answer, hehe..
@• kokomi • He could feel his cheeks and neck heat up a bit, somewhat embarrassed over how his little obsession with tidyness was showing through. 'I happen to like cleaning.. it's kind of a stress relief type thing..' he trailed off but his tail gave away his real response, something he couldn't always just control. 'I'm not, no.. I'm from Inazuma.'
As she situated herself with the tray, Gorou took out a few of the papers; paperwork, questions and things that needed to be covered. He'd worked with business partners before but something about trying to form a partnership was out of his expirience level, his only saving grace was that the director evidently trusted him with it. Looking up, he grew happy at seeing the smile, head falling into a tilt. 'I take it you like it?' He was always happy to see someone enjoying things he'd prepared.
'It's no trouble at all!' It was a weight off his shoulders, actually, but admitting that to her wouldn't exactly be professional. 'I'm not.. sure if it will help at all, I do know you're a florist and I don't mean to question your range but.. are you familiar with all the flowers and foliage of Liyue..? I believe that could technically be part of the business.. and, being familiar with everything on the occasion.' Slowly, he closed the folder and decided that yes, having a more personal talk would be better in decision making. Sure, it was business but what better way to decide a partner than to gage what kind of person they were?
@✾ gorou • what?! just you, alone?? oh wow- i sincerely have to applaud you then. you really have outdone yourself, gorou. i'm truly surprised and amazed. ah, no need to worry, gorou... seriously, haha. but, you say it took you a few weeks to adjust? are you originally not from liyue?
humming softly, kokomi let out a light chuckle before waving her hand absentmindedly at him. the last thing she wanted to do was make him feel uncomfortable. albeit initially, she was worried about making such a bad impression in front of the one person that was representing the director of the place, kokomi couldn't help but ease a little at the thought that maybe she wasn't the only one nervous about all of this.
it didn't take long for gorou to arrive and lay the tray somewhere close to her. bowing in thanks to him, kokomi decided to pamper herself a little and go all out with the sugar and cream to her tea. it wasn't every day she was given a chance to try such fine luxuries. biting into a piece of the lotus crisp, kokomi closed her eyes in delight; a pleasured smile tugging up her lips. directing her attention back to gorou, her smile only got bigger.
if it's not too much trouble on your end, i would really like that! there are just so many things i want to see- i'm sure we can come back to business a little later
@• kokomi • 'Ah.. ha, thank you.. I generally take care of how everything looks. I'm glad it suits your taste.'
He felt bad for his words and bit into his lip, ears going back without much thought. 'I'm.. sorry, I wasn't.. ah- no, not at all! It.. It took me a few weeks to look around when I came here,' he reassured, trying to make up for his invasion and shook his head. He thought about the last part and back to the papers, wondering if maybe he could find a way to make things just a tad more comfortable. Gorou knew it was probably only him being so nervous but he'd like to think his possible offer would be a least considered.
Roaming around the small kitchen to prepare the tray, he let the tea steep as he made sure everything was available; he wasn't fond of adding sugar or cream to tea but everyone had their own taste, so of course he was going to make it an available option. He added small plate of lotus crisps to the side, for presentation and to add just a little something extra. Gorou lifted the tray and made his way back down the hallway, careful to settle it near her with a small smile.
Giving her space, he returned to his seat and shuffled a bit, debating on even presenting his offer. 'If.. you'd like, I could show you around Liyue? Just so you don't end up getting lost..? That way you get to see more,' he nodded a few times, 'You could consider it part of Wangcheng's little care package.'
@• xiao • well, i'm only but a mere florist- i don't think anyone could ever lower my already low expectations. though, i do have to say how much i absolutely love the interior of the place! it's so well-kept and organised~ mhm, you need not worry about it!
watching the young-looking male ready things for their eventual proceedings, kokomi took her time to answer his question. it's not that she didn't want to answer him- more so, she was just tired from all the travelling. it was a long journey, and she had expected it to be that way, though she never thought that the exhaustion would ultimately come hurdling back to her. chuckling to herself, kokomi let out a sigh.
well... i arrived at least an hour ago. didn't really have the time to indulge in my interests and try everything that liyue has to offer. i'm truly sorry about that! you must think i'm uncultured. i should be able to crunch up my time and see what liyue has to offer later. mmm, ah! thank you.
bowing her head slightly in thanks to him, kokomi decided to make use of her time by simply staring at the bookcase in front of her. what was she supposed to do? it's not like she could get up and walk around the place- that would be both unprofessional /and/ disrespectful. with nothing to do, kokomi laid her back against her seat, crossing her arms against her chest as she allowed the nature of time to pass.
@• kokomi • 'I just wish I had been a little more prepared, is all.. I'd hate to be the reason for a bad impression on the parlor,' he mumbled the last part to himself, a hand coming up to rub the back of his neck with an inward sigh. 'As much as I don't believe in workplace secrets.. I would really appreciate that.'
Xiao was more than content with the director never knowing about his horrible display and he was quick to sweep it under the rug, mentally. He let her take her seat, keeping his distance in respect to the space and setting the small folder down where he'd be settling. Tilting his head, his interest was piqued at her answer and he blinked a few times; 'You haven't had the time to do those things..?' He wasn't sure if it was rude to ask, intruding on her time in Liyue, but he was a little surprised. It was giving him an idea.
'But oh, yeah- uh, of course, I can do that for you. It will a take a moment, I'm sure you already know that..' He furrowed his brow at the way he overexplained and offered a light smile to excuse himself. 'I'll be right with you, then.' The moment he stepped out of the room it felt like he could breathe again, disappearing down the hall to prepare tea for her; he was thankful to not be trying to gather information last minute.
@• xiao • oh no, please don't feel sorry at all! it's not your fault any of this happened. we can just let this slide and pretend this never happened- the director doesn't need to know anyways~
letting out a stifled giggle, kokomi pressed her index finger against her lips in mischievous nature before nodding along to his words. allowing him to lead the way, kokomi couldn't help but take in the beauty of the funeral parlor. it was clean, spotless, and even organised to the point it looked like a completely new and renovated business venue. situating herself down on a vacant seat, kokomi glanced up at him; resting a finger against her chin as she thought about it before nodding her head.
do you perhaps have any traditional liyuean tea? it's embarrassing to admit but... i've been waiting to taste the difference between the tea in inazuma and over here! i have heard many foreigners state that the tea in liyue is to die for! though, uh uhm... i completely understand if you can't make it. otherwise, i will just make do with water!
@• kokomi • 'I'm really sorry, they didn't exactly prepare me for speaking with you other than a few notes.. I wasn't even really sure you were coming today as your name on the list is.. well, as I let slip earlier, a coffee smudge,' he mused as he'd been given the time to relax, more than thankful at the patience for his more than unprofessional greeting.
He nodded, listening along and reading over the papers left by the director, details of aforementioned conversations. It didn't take long for him to fully ingest all the information, being caught up to speed and making a mental note about the lack of communication around the staff. 'They did.. and, I'm going to apologize in advance foe that,' he mumbled, a sheepish smile on his features, 'yes, of course.' Raising up from his spot, he took a moment to move around the small desk to the front, setting out the sign that they weren't currently available before returning. 'We have a room for consultation, if you want to follow me?'
Collecting the papers and pen, he seemed to have a small show of juggling before actually getting the pen in his grasp, cursing his inability to be normal in front of new people. He straightened and cleared his throat, offering her a small gesture to follow as he lead them through the short corridor into one of the open rooms. 'Feel free to sit wherever you like.. would you, uhm.. like something to drink while we discuss?'
@• xiao • slowly blinking at the other's sudden franticness, kokomi couldn't help but let out a chuckle. allowing him some time to settle down, kokomi once again offered him a smile in hopes that it would calm his nerves as much as it does for her. settling the bouquet next to the desk, the florist waited for the male to situate himself and proceed before she made an input.
mhm! the director and i have actually been going back and forth through emails and such about any possibility of my business being able to sponsor the funeral parlor. from the looks of it- they seemed pretty interested. i'm guessing they left you to work out the whole sponsorship with me so- would it be alright if we could sit down and talk about it?
linking her hands behind her back, kokomi jumped a little in her step- visibly excited about the future of working with other people that she completely skipped over how xiao didn't sound the least sure about what he was supposed to be doing.
@• kokomi • To say Xiao hadn't a single clue what was going on around him was an understatement, so engrossed in his work that he'd nearly missed the call that came through; he almost enjoyed the endless questions from some people as it kept him busy. He'd easily fallen back into his work after a few papers being filled out on the phone, listings quite a lot of information. Considering three people had come in, outside of the customers listed, he assumed everyone on his list had checked in and was content to set the note aside - he, however, was wrong.
Looking up at the sound of the door, he found himself confused of who it may be, especially with the fact they had flowers with them. Blinking slowly, Xiao rose up out of respect and it took a moment to register but his eyes widened; 'You must be the coffee smudge- wait, I mean, sorry, there was a note about someone to expect but it was smeared on the paper and..' he cut himself off and cleared his throat, trying not to embarrass himself any further. 'Sorry. I'm sadly not the director as they're currently away on other business.. I'm the assistant but I was expecting you. No need for apologies, it's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Xiao.' Lowering his head, he began looking around for the folder he knew had to contain the information needed for her arrival. 'It can be easy to get lost if you aren't too used to it,' he commented, 'it always makes me happy to hear someone compliment the area, however.'
Finally finding what he was looking for, he straightened. 'I'm, uh.. supposed to talk to you about your business and..' he stopped once more, reading the papers, 'go over a few proposals and ideas.'
@• xiao • tired, was what kokomi felt after such a long journey on a mere boat ride to the other side of teyvat. the florist didn't figure it would take days to reach liyue but lo and behold, it did and was far from comfortable. albeit with a rocky start, the ambiance and view of the liyue harbor were what snapped kokomi out of her negative mental state to awe in the scenery. it was far from what inazuma looked like and kokomi admired the freshness and liveliness of the place.
with a skip in her step, kokomi fished out her phone, typing in the address of the location she was destined to make acquaintances with and, hopefully, partners with! with a giddy smile, kokomi made her way around the harbor. it was- confusing, to say the least, but thankfully with help from a few locals, kokomi was able to reach the business within at least an hour of her arrival! straightening her dress-wear, kokomi reached into her bag and pulled out a bouquet of fresh dendrobium- an inazuman flower should surely be able to suffice as a gift! walking into the venue, kokomi noticed a lonesome stranger at the front desk. considering that it was possibly the main director waiting for her, kokomi was flattered by the liyue hospitality. walking over to the desk, kokomi held up a hand in a wave before smiling gently at the other.
hello there! i am kokomi, the owner of koko's bloom in inazuma. i believe you are the funeral director, yes? i apologise for my tardiness! liyue harbor is such a beautiful place but definitely very confusing hehe...
@• kokomi • Forgetting the date, Xiao was understandably confused when he entered the empty parlor, looking around for anyone else; was he supposed to be alone? It didn't take long for him to find the letter left behind, setting his books on the counter to start reading it, mumbling to himself as he did. He walked around, opening the windows and cleaning everything up before unlocking the doors, nodding slowly in understanding that he would be taking care of everything for the next few days. That didn't bother him too much, not until he got down to the visitations for the day. A few 'customers' were coming in, one of the business partners was visiting and the mention of a visit from someone else but it seemed like someone got something on the paper - he wasn't too worried. Setting the paper down and going about his day, he spent it sitting at the front desk with his book and notepad in front of him.
Xiao generally got everything done within the first hour of opening, making sure everything was in order for visitors and everything was clean and presentable; that left him with not a damn thing to do until someone showed up. It was terrible to hope for business, all things considered, and sometimes he found himself wishing someone would walk in, other times he was able to work on his books without the nosy eyes of others. The more time past, the more he got swept up in his writing, spaced out nearly entirely from the shop.
