AUgust24 17 Flower Shop (Hope, Nopon)

a/n: The Mediators, in the form of Hope, settle a business dispute between human and Nopon.

The chime of the door to "Littlepon 'n' Me" was gentle and soft. Hope took a moment to enjoy the items on display in the store. Snuggly soft blankets were stacked neatly on low Nopon-sized shelves, as well as bright stuffed toys and carved wooden teething balls. There was a rack of tiny teardrop-shaped jumpers, probably the equivalent of Nopon one-sies. Overall, the vibe was cozy and cheerful, a nice change from the hard streets of New Los Angeles.

Her human client stood behind her, snorting with fury, utterly at odds with the nature of this store. She sighed. This wasn't going to be a simple negotiation between hard-headed business people.

The Nopon manager waddled out to greet them. "Welcome, friends, to Littlepon 'n' ... oh. It you."

"I told you I'd be back. You can't get away with it," said the angry human. Mr. S. was know for his ability to set trends in New Los Angeles, and he had demanded Hope's help in grabbing his latest hot item.

"Not get away with nothing. Nopon Better Business Bureau put down foot and prevent Slavobo from continuing sales."

"Mr. Slobobo, I'm Hope Alanzi. I'm here to help."

"Sla-vo-bo. Easy mistake. Like mistake human friend making. Anything in store available but not enrichment bundles. Slavobo lose important business loan if continue selling those to non-Nopon."

"What do you mean?" shouted Mr. S. "Not selling to humans is discrimination or something! Besides, you got plenty of them." He waved at a wall to emphasize his point. Indeed, a lovely floral display filled one entire side of the store. The bouquets were small, almost the size of posies, and Hope was struck by how carefully each was made. Four or five differernt flowers were enhanced with select seed pods and leaves, then wrapped in pink and yellow paper and tied with red sting. The effect wasn't glamorous, but a recipient would definitely feel cherished if given such a sweet gift.

"Not for humans," the Nopon emphasized. "When S-Friend buy all bundles last week, Slavobo hear from mamapons, dadapons, elderpons, doctorpons, and finally BBBpons. To keep loan, Slavobo must provide vital nutritional supplements for littlepon in NLA."

"That isn't food. They're twigs!"

"Wait," said Hope, before the fight grew louder. "Are you saying that littlepon eat these?"

Slavobo nodded. "Normally Nopon babies clever enough to find extra special noms on their own. But NLA too clean."

"Oh the poor darlings," breathed Hope.

Mr. S. didn't seem convinced. "If they're just snacks, why do you tie them up with ribbons and bows and stuff?"

"Packaging also nommy and part of balanced infant diet. Personally like a nibble of left-over string when done wrapping, nice and chewy. But Slavobo never take from mouths of babes!" he added hurriedly.

"That makes a difference," announced Hope. "We wouldn't let xenos buy all our infant formula because it worked well as a skin product. Tell me, Slavobo, does the Nopon Better Business Bureau understand the concept of a flower shop?"

a/n: Fist Full of Flowers opened a week later. Slavobo is named after my inability to spell Slovity.

Next up: Space Travel. Maybe more White Whale?