Behold the most beautiful flowers in town

The slight breeze in the shop ruffled softly through the flower garden, barely disturbing the plants. The petals were warm and bright underneath the daylight streaming in through the windows. Each flower was taken precious care of by the flower shop's keeper, Aciano.

Madteo, Aciano's pet chicklet, waddled through the plant boxes, pecking any insects that could disturb the plants' growth. When he had eaten his fill, Madteo went to the shop's window. He sat down in the warm sunlight, looking cute and fat, which he was very good at doing.

Aciano's feet made soft sounds as he poked through the greenhouse. Here, he would adjust the temperature over the different plant boxes, where it had gotten a smidge too warm. On the other side of the shop, he made sure the soil composition was acceptable and that all of the flowers were receiving nutrients from his special blend of plant feed. Afterward, he did a walk-through the entire shop, checking to make sure each flower received the optimal amount of water.

As the door opened, Madteo cheeped mildly, alerting Aciano to a customer's presence.

He smiled softly in greeting, his right, purple eye fixed on the customer in a soft gaze, while his left, green eye roamed around analytically. "Anything I can help you with today, miss?" Aciano asked, his voice soft and charming.

She dabbed at her eyes and blew her nose noisily. "Oh, it's just that poor boy. He's been missing for so long now, his parents have decided to hold a memorial for him for his birthday. I thought I would bring them some flowers."

Aciano padded over to the windowsill and collected Madteo in his hands. He murmured sympathetically, while Madteo chirped and pecked at his hands.

Meanwhile, the woman had moved toward a collection of begonias. "What do you think about these?" she asked Aciano. "Do you think they would be fitting for the occasion?"

Chirping in annoyance at being held, Madteo pecked at Aciano more urgently. "No, I don't think so," Aciano said lightly. "Let's let Madteo choose. Chicklets have a good sense for these things." He dropped Madteo down on the counter, and they watched as the chicklet waddled around the plant boxes.

Finally, he selected a batch of coral dahlias that he seemed to like and plopped down underneath them, making satisfied chirping sounds. Aciano nodded sharply. "Yes, these are the ones." Without even consulting the customer, he cut the stems of the flowers, wrapped them up in a bouquet, and rang her up at the register.

His purple eye focused on her as she stepped out of the shop, clutching the dahlias in her hands. When he was sure she was gone, Aciano ducked down at eye level with Madteo. "There's a good boy," he whispered. "I knew she would come in sooner or later. And look at what beautiful flowers her nephew made. Hmph, but she wanted to take that other family's daughter. No, those begonias weren't for her, were they?"

Madteo chirped pleasantly in agreement, squishing his yellow feathers into the dirt. Just below the chicklet's bottom, the roots of the leftover dahlias eagerly sucked up the nutrients out of the body of the missing boy.

Credit: Background image by Worth

Pet Treasure

Glory Bearded Iris

Accented Moth Orchid Stem

Apple Custard Columbine

Blue Dahlia

Blue Bellflowers

Blue Foxglove

Blue Freesia Sprig

Blue Lachenalia

Black Snapdragon

Black Split Bellflower

Blue Babble Flower

Black Freesia Sprig

Black Dahlia

Black Bearded Iris

Black Calla Lily

Blue Lotus

Bluegreen Freesia Sprig

Crimson Tulip

Dawn Bearded Iris

Faded Blue Rose

Faded Purple Rose

Green Snapdragon

Champagne Bearded Iris

Hot Pink Zinnia

Dusk Bearded Iris

Lavender Bellflowers

Lavender Calla Lily

Foxglove

Lavender Dahlia

Lavender Columbine

Dead Person

Lavender Freesia Sprig

Lilac Foxglove

Lilac Oleander

Magenta Oleander

Magenta Periwinkle

Orange Moth Orchid Stem

Orange Lachenalia

Lilac Roe Flower

Orange Bellflowers

Orange Dahlia

Orange Snapdragon

Orange Oleander

Peach and White Gladiola

Pale Purple Crocus

Pale Coral Periwinkle

Common Chai Flower

Cream Rreign Flower

Crimson Cream Bearded Iris

Dawn Chai Flower

Deep Pink Peony

Glacier Rreign Flower

Lavender Peony

Lilac Chai Flower

Lilac Rreign Flower

Orange Calla Lily

Orange Freesia Sprig

Orange Zinnia

Peach Calla Lily

Peacherine Gladiola

Periwinkle

Periwinkle Bearded Iris

Pink Begonia

Pink Babble Flower

Pink Calla Lily

Pink Bellflowers

Prettily Presented Pink Flower

Dusk Jollinear

Lilac Jollinear

Arid Jollinear

Prettily Presented Blue Flower

Black Begonia

Blue Nott Flower

Blue Roe Flower

Blue Split Bellflower

Blush Plum Blossom Sprig

Coral Pinwheel Flower

Green Begonia

Peach Gladiola

Orange Poppies

Pink Oleander

Pink Begonia

Pink Foxglove

Pink Freesia Sprig

Pink Lachenalia

Pink Gladiola

Pink Moth Orchid Stem

Pink Lotus

Pink Nott Flower

Dead Person

Pink Periwinkle

Pink Pinwheel Flower

Pink Roe Flower

Pink Snapdragon

Pink Tulip

Purple Gladiola

Pink Peony

Pink Zinnia

Prettily Presented Orange Flower

Prettily Presented Yellow Flower

Purple Babble Flower

Purple Begonia

Purple Bellflowers

Purple Columbine

Purple Crocus

White Flame Rose

Black Bellflowers

Burgundy Zinnia

Pink Poppies

Purple Freesia Sprig

Purple Lachenalia

Purple Lotus

Yellow Bellflowers

Pink Hyacinth

Faded Pink Rose

Faded Orange Rose

Red Lachenalia

White Tulip

Orange Begonia

Burgundy Calla Lily

Teal Bellflowers

White Lachenalia

White Crocus

Purple Snapdragon

White Calla Lily

Black Tulip

Blue Begonia

Blue Snapdragon

Red Freesia Sprig

Dead Person

Lavender Split Bellflower

Green Lachenalia

Orange Tulip

Red Begonia

Faded Yellow Rose

Pink Split Bellflower

Blue Hyacinth

Coral Dahlia

Black Lachenalia

Yellow Snapdragon

Purple Tulip

Pet Friends