X-posted to fic_on_demand
Jun. 24th, 2006 12:04 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
person4Title: Friendliness
Fandom: Naruto
Pairings: mild one-sided Ino/Sai
Notes: For June fic-a-day. Also, this is based on the chapter that just came out, so if you aren't up to date with the manga you may not want to read.
When becoming friends with a new person, the book had said, make sure to ask about their interests. This will give you something to talk about, and help them open up to you.
He glanced around the flowershop Ino had invited him to come see, judging what might be a good thing to ask about, then put a smile on his face and touched a vase full of flowerless, leafy, branches. "I see you don't only have flowers here, Ms. Lovely. Why is that?"
She looked flustered at the nickname for a moment, the way she had every time he'd used it, but quickly caught herself. "That's because we keep our shop stocked with things that would be useful for sending messages in floral code, not just regular nice-looking flowers."
He tilted his head, indicating interest, and asked, "Floral code?" He knew what she was talking about, of course, but the book had also advised him that if he sees a possible avenue for conversation he should try to keep it going.
"Well... look." Ino quickly walked around the store, taking a branch here and a flower there then presenting it as a bouquet. "If I gave you this, what would you think?"
He examined it. "That you believe I prefer leaves to flowers."
She grinned at him, "Well, if I didn't know what I was doing it might. But I don't think someone would give you that combination on accident. I'll tell you what it says." She leaned close to him, touching the individual parts of the bouquet as she listed off the meaning. "The rhododendron tells you to beware of danger, and the wortleberry says it's from a traitor. The cypress means that someone died, and the birdsfoot that it was for revenge. See? It looks like I'm just giving you a gift, but I'm really warning you that a vengeful traitor's killing people."
"Is see. That's very smart," he said, remembering that complimenting a potential friend's interests was a further way of earning their favor.
"You bet it is! And you wouldn't believe the secrets we find out here by keeping track of what people buy. Of course, plenty of people just buy normal flowers for their boyfriends and girlfriends." She pointed around the shop at some of them, listing their meanings, "Red catchfly for youthful love, a white rose to say you're worthy of them, calla for magnificent beauty."
Give a friend gifts that make you think of them to show your thoughtfulness Sai remembered from the book, and pulled a calla lily from its vase. "I'll buy one of these, Ms. Lovely." he said.
"Ah, alright," she said, looking strangely disappointed as she held out her hand for his money.
Then, as soon as she'd taken it, he held out the flower itself to her. "For you, Ms. Lovely."
He then made a mental note that such displays of thoughtfulness would cause the potential friend to flush bright red.
Fandom: Naruto
Pairings: mild one-sided Ino/Sai
Notes: For June fic-a-day. Also, this is based on the chapter that just came out, so if you aren't up to date with the manga you may not want to read.
When becoming friends with a new person, the book had said, make sure to ask about their interests. This will give you something to talk about, and help them open up to you.
He glanced around the flowershop Ino had invited him to come see, judging what might be a good thing to ask about, then put a smile on his face and touched a vase full of flowerless, leafy, branches. "I see you don't only have flowers here, Ms. Lovely. Why is that?"
She looked flustered at the nickname for a moment, the way she had every time he'd used it, but quickly caught herself. "That's because we keep our shop stocked with things that would be useful for sending messages in floral code, not just regular nice-looking flowers."
He tilted his head, indicating interest, and asked, "Floral code?" He knew what she was talking about, of course, but the book had also advised him that if he sees a possible avenue for conversation he should try to keep it going.
"Well... look." Ino quickly walked around the store, taking a branch here and a flower there then presenting it as a bouquet. "If I gave you this, what would you think?"
He examined it. "That you believe I prefer leaves to flowers."
She grinned at him, "Well, if I didn't know what I was doing it might. But I don't think someone would give you that combination on accident. I'll tell you what it says." She leaned close to him, touching the individual parts of the bouquet as she listed off the meaning. "The rhododendron tells you to beware of danger, and the wortleberry says it's from a traitor. The cypress means that someone died, and the birdsfoot that it was for revenge. See? It looks like I'm just giving you a gift, but I'm really warning you that a vengeful traitor's killing people."
"Is see. That's very smart," he said, remembering that complimenting a potential friend's interests was a further way of earning their favor.
"You bet it is! And you wouldn't believe the secrets we find out here by keeping track of what people buy. Of course, plenty of people just buy normal flowers for their boyfriends and girlfriends." She pointed around the shop at some of them, listing their meanings, "Red catchfly for youthful love, a white rose to say you're worthy of them, calla for magnificent beauty."
Give a friend gifts that make you think of them to show your thoughtfulness Sai remembered from the book, and pulled a calla lily from its vase. "I'll buy one of these, Ms. Lovely." he said.
"Ah, alright," she said, looking strangely disappointed as she held out her hand for his money.
Then, as soon as she'd taken it, he held out the flower itself to her. "For you, Ms. Lovely."
He then made a mental note that such displays of thoughtfulness would cause the potential friend to flush bright red.