The last bursts of heat from Summer are so sticky and hot, you can feel it beneath your skin, humidity sticking to your bones. This is the perfect atmosphere for something to grow, though, with clear skies and sunny rays of warmth. In the heart of Tamamo, near Mizukume, there’s a lot of production going on around a little corner shop, nestled between trendy teahouses and fancy, independent boutiques. People file in and out of this little building for weeks; there’s display cases going up, built overnight, installations of new furnishings. Flowers start to appear in the windows, grand arrangements of sunflowers, zinnias, dahlias, marigolds and peonies all gathered together in dizzying, bright and cheerful bunches— within Jigokucho, flowers are a private business. It is personal gardens you’ll find, for the urban jungle of the city doesn’t quite lend itself to the growth of new life.
But here, in Tamamo, there is an anomaly: city-bred flowers priced fairly for you and your’s. 
"Heya! Welcome in! This is Dandelion, and we hope to be your one shop stop for all your flowery needs. If you need anything, give any one of your local Busy Bees a shout, okay? Oh! And I'm Aerith, the owner. If you need me, I'll be around. Sound good?"
The shop is called Dandelion. Its sign is a sweet, simple neon light over the awning, white letters burning Spring cloud white, and outside are rows and rows of ready-made bouquets. For the first week of operations, you’ll always see an employee outside of the shop, in the Summer sun, with a basket of flowers, promoting the shop. They flank down people from the streets, and haggle prices of single flowers during the daytime. At night, they’ve gone inside— you’re welcome to try to haggle prices then, too. Who knows, maybe you’ll get that giant arrangement for half-off?
Employees are instructed to come up with different ways to have people pay for their flowers in the case of haggling, however, and how that payment is made is up to the Busy Bee you’re stuck with.
Inside the shop is just about any flower you can imagine. It smells of wildflowers, like standing in an open field full of them, and the heavy scent wafts all the way through the two-story building. With the owner’s ability to grow them at will, she can afford to grow anything she pleases, and definitely indulges. However, you might be able to catch her, if you’d like to make a special order…
The scent of freshly cut florals can be attributed quickly to two different events on either floor of the building. You can sign up for a flower crown course, led by any of the employees of Dandelion. They’re easy to spot by the virtue of the name cards they’ve been asked to wear on lanyards, or the pink ribbons Aerith has given each of them to wear however they please. The course is easy; you get to walk through the store and pick out any flowers you like, bring them upstairs, and the Busy Bee helping you will show you how to weave the stems together to make a crown. Get creative, be a nuisance— just don’t think you aren’t being charged, because you definitely are.
On the ground floor, however, are floral arrangement courses, where employees can help you create a mini armature and then stitch your flowers together, instead. The wiring is bendy and can be made into any shape you please, and (probably!) no one will get mad if you’re a little silly or even naughty about it. After all, you’re paying for it.
"If there's a certain meaning you want to convey or a shape you'd like to try, let's discuss it in further detail! Every flower has a meaning, so what would you like your arrangement to say?"
Calling in favors across Tamamo was an arduous task, but it’s been done. Along with these activities in the shop are hors d’oeuvres, and drinks. Cookies with flowers baked into them, cupcakes adorned with petals, mini cakes and hand pies, all of them with some kind of floral twist. They’re out for consumption and free of charge, with classy business cards advertising the business that’s supplied it. Maybe you’ve got your own concoction you want on display or you’re just here for the food. That’s fine, too, just make sure to take a look around and recommend Dandelion to your friends!
To pair with the goodies are drinks, virgin and alcoholic. Some were created by the Busy Bees themselves, and put together on the spot, others advertise bars or teahouses around the area and are laid out for the taking. The expected culprits are here: Floral brewed teas, cocktails and mocktails decorated with petals, extracts made from Dandelion’s special flowers, syrups with the remnants of blossoms in them lining cups…
A particular crowd pleaser comes in the form of dried flowers. Pick what you please, and a Busy Bee will drop it into a tea cup with warm water. Then, watch as it rehydrates and steeps, turning the water an inviting amber tone. The flower blooms, unfolding as if coming back to life, petals robust and colorful again… They call it a Cup of Blooms, and if you ask for a Cup of High Blooms, you’ll get one that has a particularly relaxing effect. Some of the tea being made has a very enthralling aroma, green and peachy colors brewing in cups. It might remind a customer of the smell of the end of a concert, or a hippy gathering, as the herbs turns into different types of tea and various options are available.
Though the goal isn’t to get you drunk in the shop, the employee serving you is at liberty to keep serving or cut you off as you please. Be nice? Maybe it’ll get you special treatment.
"Here we have different types, they'll take about thirty to ninety minutes to hit, so when it does, I suggest you take a look at our food options over there, yeah? I'm here if I can help - if you get the jitters, call for me! I can help."
In the evening, the upstairs gets cleaned up, and space is cleared for a little stage. Tamamo is the land of pleasures, after all. Surrounded by flowers, served efflorescent treats and refreshments, with the lights dimmed, you’re welcome to watch performances by anyone brave enough to make their way onto the make-shift stage. Perhaps it’s a Busy Bee themselves; after all, there’s that up and coming musician roaming the floor, and only a month ago had an idol duo advertised Dandelion’s opening. Maybe you manage to wiggle your way onto the stage yourself: It’s not like anyone has reason to stop you. Besides, doesn't the staff of Dandelion look like a great crowd for practicing your stand up comedy routine on?
"We're closing. Please finish up and go."
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jigokulogs2022-09-09 09:14 pm
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