[center][img]https://imgur.com/6kC4WvK.jpg[/img][/center]

	The shop was unresponsive. There was an air conditioner whirring, and a gramophone playing old songs. 

	...

	Suddenly, the card twirling between her fingers was sucked out of her hand and behind her, by a sharp, silent gust of wind. Upon turning around Christina would find it flew precicely into the grip of one Jane Smith, one Pandora, one 'Mary Madison'. Looking particularly unamused by Christina's attitude and presence in her shop. Pandora's orange eyes flicked to the card. 

	[color=fdc68a]"Christina Lavender, hmm?"[/color] Pandora asked rhetorically, giving the HERO agent a once over. She squeezed the plastic card in her hand, and then released it, the card having turned into a lavender flower, with it's vertically oriented tiny lavender petals. It, like the card she had altered, was made of plastic. Pandora held the flower in her hands and rolled it between her fingers.

	Pandora walked around the other side of her counter. It seemed that inbetween the time Christina had announced her presence and her intentions, and the time that Pandora had silently crept up behind her, that she had done some thinking. This was inevitable, Pandora thought. Infact, this was almost what she wanted. If she wanted to stay hidden, she could have gone anywhere in the world. Instead she went to Castleburg, within line of sight of HERO One. Right now, though, Pandora was indignified. Annoyed that this woman had come in here so sure that she would find help. Annoyed that she was right. Annoyed that despite the fact that Pandora could easily turn her into silly puddy, it was Christina who held the real power of the situation. Still, it wasn't entirely lopsided. They both had something the other needed, she imagined. Pandora had the help that HERO needed, and HERO had the purpose that Pandora had sought out. While theoretically speaking this meant the negotiations should be smooth and amicable, Christina had ticked Pandora off. Not like that was a particularly hard thing to do. Now, the florist was aiming to make the agent work for her paycheck.

	[color=fdc68a]"You know what doesn't surprise me?" [/color]Pandora asked. [color=fdc68a]"That the thing that finally brought HERO crawling to my doorstep was incompetence. You've come here, to my little flower shop, to plead for my help. It's degrading."[/color] She said derisively, looking at the flower in her fingers.

	Pandora sighed. [color=fdc68a]"As for your questions...yes, I do wedding corsages and bouquets. Thank you for your compliments, I take great pride in my work."[/color] She explained casually, almost slipping back into her American accent.

	[color=fdc68a]"Finally: [i]No,[/i] you should [i]not[/i] say [i]Mary.[/i]"[/color] She practically spat out this last sentence, her words full of venom. Pandora didn't like to threaten people. Normally she thought herself above such lowly behavior. But in this instance, Christina saying that name so flippantly, with that stupid look on her face, had struck a nerve. Now the florist was silent, waiting for this HERO agent to say whatever she had to say.