I own what I own.

Which apparently includes,

A Link that I have for some reason:

https/ www.. com/PandorasJailofCreativity/membership?view_as=patron

Discord Link that I have for some reason:

https/ discord.gg/4bg8TRm2Gk

Twitter that I have for some reason:

https/mobile. / pandorajail

Shout out to 13araba, Sakuya, Zeranion, pyro stick figure 76, and a special thanks to the people on the discord who helped with the chapter.

A Hand of Shadows

It was during one of her runs that she went past it, in an unassuming part of town.

It was a safe part of the city, her dad made her make sure that her jogging route was as safe as possible. Which wasn't much considering that they lived in Brockton Bay, the pepper spray in her back pocket was just enough to assure him of her safety.

He didn't need to know about the thousands of bugs that's always just out of reach. And he'll never have to.

It was a safe part of town, as safe as a place can be in this city, and what drew her in was the handful buzz of bugs that she felt.

Bugs aren't something that's unusual to find in houses, no matter how clean a person might think their houses are there's always roaches and other critters hiding somewhere. But she doesn't usually find bees around here with how sparse plants and trees are around these parts.

So it was curiosity that fueled her to pivot, changing her usual route and taking a different turn.

And found an unassuming flower shop.

The shop was brand new, with wooden flower beds and pots with blooming flowers colouring the simple looking store, the source of the gathering of bees and flies that brought her here. And behind the glass windows she saw even more flowers, ranging in many colours of white, red, purple and a handful of others.

A small wooden sign noted that the store was open, and above it laid a simple plate labeling the shop's name, 'Styxia'.

A strange name, was it Greek? She felt like she'd read something similar before, but given how she hadn't had much time to actually read again these days…

Her eyes wandered to the flowers that grew in front of her, and the small butterfly that flutters its wings as it hung on the crown of the small flower.

She… has both a small front and backyard that's just grass and the old tree that has been behind the house since forever. They used to have a small gathering of flowers, but after mom…

Maybe, maybe she could start planting some. Flowers that is. It would be good to diversify on the kinds of bugs that she could have. She'd planned on just using spiders and anything else that she could find near her house, but she hadn't considered growing some of them herself.

And she guessed that she'd need some flowers or plants to do that.

So Taylor Hebert took a deep breath, and walked into the store.

A small bell jingled as she pushed the door open, and she took note of the interior of the store that's filled with, well, flowers. From the corner vase to the pots sitting atop of small tables with multiple blooming flowers. The flower store certainly was filled to the brim with what it's selling.

She could feel the bugs that hung from the dark corner to what she assumed is the back of the store. Her hand reached out to touch one of the purple flowers-

"Ah! A customer! Please wait a moment!" And immediately snapped back to her side as soon as she heard a voice come from deeper in the store, soon followed by the sound of them making their way to the front of the store.

But the sound wasn't footfalls however, but instead the silent squeak of metal as a girl made her way towards her in her wheelchair.

And what a girl she was, riding in a wheelchair was a young woman, wheeling herself from the back of the store with ease. Her lilac hair draped over her face and shoulders, almost hiding the black eye patch that adorned the left side of her face. Her only visible eye remained closed, and she wondered how someone could navigate a cramped store filled with pots and flowers without knocking even a single one in a wheelchair.

"Hello there!" The young woman said, eyes closed and with the brightest smile she'd ever seen from someone living in the hell hole that is Brockton Bay. "Welcome to Styxia! Is there anything that I could help you with?"

The girl asked, but instead she was left stunned with her eyes blinking behind her glasses as she blurted out the first thing that went through her mind. "Do you dye your hair?"

And immediately regretted it. Who asks a person with purple hair if they dyed it! Of course they did! Stop being stupid Taylor-

"Oh! Oh my I certainly didn't expect that question." The girl giggled as she held a hand in front of her smile, before it moved to caress her shoulder length lilac hair. "Believe it or not it's all natural! Though I can see the surprise with how uncommon its colour is around here."

Seriously? How do you get a natural hair colour like that? So being the savvy conversationalist that she most certainly was, she continued running her mouth with a second question.

"Are you a cape?"

Who in their right mind asks that?! What was she even doing here?! So what if their hair colour is strange, she could just be lying! And if she's a cape there's no way that she would-

"Cape? Oh if you're referring to bringing a superpowered individual then I am certainly not one of them." The wheelchair bound girl answered with a simple shake of her head. "Oh but enough about me, did you perhaps need anything? Any flowers or plants that you might be looking for? My stock may not be that varied, but if need be I can certainly help you look for it!" The girl said enthusiastically as she held both fists in front of her.

Oh thank god for a lifeline. "Uh, yeah, I guess I'm looking for a couple flowers." She answered awkwardly while looking anywhere but at the girl.

Who visibly brightened even more at her answer. "Oh wonderful!" She beamed as she wheeled herself backwards and gestured towards the handful of flowers around them. "Are there any specific ones that you're looking for? Oh! Are they for a special occasion? Because if so then I'd have to go through the books again for their meanings to make sure that they're right!"

"No, no, no, nothing like that." She hurriedly said to the store keeper, "I just, I want some flowers that are easy to grow in the backyard j guess. Or maybe some plants? Whichevers easy to grow and take care of will do."

The clerk(?) hummed as she tapped her chin in thought. "Something that's easy to take care of…" She trailed in thought as her head turned to a corner of the store, eye still closed as she spun the wheel of her wheelchair to turn in place and then wheeled herself towards a table of flowers.

"Well," She began as she easily hefted a pot of blooming purple flowers, and turned towards her as if to show them. "It does depend on where you want to take care of them, you see. Flowers have different temperaments and requirements. Some need watchful and diligent care while others are self sufficient. Are you thinking of growing them inside or outside the house?"

"Uh, outside. We have a garden that we don't use anymore." She answered back and as if it was possible, the young woman's face brightened.

"Oh that's wonderful! I wanted to grow a garden when I first came here." The young woman said as her face dimmed ever so slightly, only for her mood to lift up again as she gestured to the window. "But if that's the case then what you're looking for should be outside."

"Oh, uh, thanks." She nodded as she turned around and went through the store's door. The bell once more jingled as her eyes moved to the flowerbeds that remained outside.

"Now, you were looking for ones that are easy to take care of was it? I suppose I do have some that you could take with you." the lilac haired woman said as she wheeled herself out through the still open door, using her own wheelchair to seemingly stop it from closing.

The young woman then gestured to her left and said. "The flowers here should be easy enough to take care of, and they're in season too! Some daffodils, peonies, oh maybe some aster and cosmos!"

Sure enough the wheelchair bound store clerk(?) showed a variety of different coloured plants, and talked about how relatively easy they are to care and grow in a garden.

"Um, what about bugs?" She managed to eek out in the woman's long winded explanation of overwatering the flowers.

"Bugs?" The lilac haired woman resounded her question with a tilt of her head.

"Yeah uh, don't flowers attract bugs and all. They need them to pollinate or something right?"

"Certainly, there are flowers with mutualistic relationships with bees and flies and the like." She hummed while nodding her head. "But in some cases, they don't. This daffodil for instance is sterile, so they produce so little pollen and nectar that they don't do well for the bugs. They will still attract them, but they won't help them grow if that's what you're asking."

"Huh." Well that's certainly helpful. She didn't know that some flowers just aren't helpful like that. But if they still attract bugs then that should still be enough right? "I guess I'll take it."

"Wonderful!" The lilac haired girl cooed as she clapped her hands. "In that case, are you thinking of growing them yourself or do you want to replant them?"

Oh right, she didn't think of that. "How long do they take to grow? From seeds I mean."

"Oh if it's growing themselves then that might be a problem…" She muttered. "For these you would usually start growing them during the fall to make sure that the buds have time to develop roots before winter, but if you're looking for some other-"

"No no, it's fine. I guess I'll just replant them." She hastily interjected as she saw the woman start to gesture towards a flower bed with still growing flowers, stopping her in her tracks before she could go on another tangent. "I'm uh, kinda short on time. I don't want to get my dad to worry if I take too long."

"Oh! My apologies." The woman said as she held a hand in front of her face, a hint of red covering her cheeks. "I must have gone on for too long! I'm sorry about that."

"No, it's, it's fine." She didn't blame the store clerk honestly. Even if it was really one sided with the woman rambling about flowers, it was a genuine conversation that she'd had since… a while.

"Well, here you go then." The lilac haired woman then handed her a pot of blooming white flowers.

"Oh, uh, thanks." She blinked and took the quite heavy pot of flowers into her arms. "Right, so how much is this?" She said, raising the pot slightly.

"Oh for your first ever purchase they're free!" The lilac haired woman beamed. "I've taken enough of your time already, and you're my first customer as well! So think of it as a gift."

"What!? No I can't take-"

The wheelchair bound woman shook her head, smile ever present as she spoke. "Then you can think of it as an investment then. If you ever need some help with growing flowers or taking care of them, you can visit me if you ever need help!"

Well that's one of those ways that stores gets repeat customers right? So she guess she could take it. "Thanks, I guess." She muttered, eyeing the young woman who beamed a smile her way.

"You're welcome!"

An awkward moment lingered as she simply stood there dumbly with a flower pot in hand before she spoke again. "I uh, never got your name. I'm Taylor."

"Oh! I never introduced myself did I? My apologies." The young woman apologizes as she placed her hand in front of her and lowered her head ever so slightly.

"You can call me Polyxia. It is very nice to meet you Taylor."