They Who Slaughtered Hope 🌈| 1-2 Updates a Month

Chapter 16

Lennox would be one of them if he had enough inventory for the shop or enough interest for the medications he made. He roamed the streets, with Renato trailing close behind.

It wasn't just the flowers that blanketed the city; the symbol of the Verita Aser was stylized on what seemed to be every block of wood, cut of stone, and square inch of fabric, be it with stencils and spray paint, crumbling chalk, or delicate embroidery. The symbol of a lion wrestling with a red rose, with blue and white flora blooming in the surrounding area. The Brotherhood had always been fond of flowers. As such, there were magnificent arrangements of these blooms set out by flower shops much more successful than Lennox's own. And he didn't mind one bit.

Today wasn't about getting more attention for the shop. He needed more clientele for the pharmacy since his T buyer had stopped contacting him for refills. If he didn't find any new buyers, he might have to let it go in favour of simpler pursuits. He shuddered. Among those was the oversaturated CBD market.

Renato pulled Lennox out of his head with a voice the florist found to be oh-so-annoying. Lennox looked over his shoulder to see the man shivering, wrapped in his arms so tight one would think he was bound in a straitjacket.

"Man, I did not think it would be this chilly out. You got a jacket or something I can borrow?"

He was trying to garner his affection again, and Lennox would stand for it no longer.

"If you're cold, I can set you on fire," he muttered in response.

Renato quieted quickly at that. Lennox studied him as he took in the festival: the vendor stands with tacky sunglasses, the abhorrent decorations, the thundering parade, and the children reenacting what looked to be one of the more memorable battles of the war. For a while, his face was left unchanged, indifferent to the facade of bliss surrounding him. Lennox picked up quickly that it was food kiosks that sparked a reaction.

"Hey Lenn, if I help you sell some stuff, would you buy me one of those?"

He pointed to a Takoyaki stand deep in an alleyway with a menacing shopkeeper standing watching over them. Lennox knew the crotchety old codger from a few blocks over, and he was so well-renowned for his crunchy Takoyaki that the Queen herself had him cater for many of her parties. Both dogs and people alike flocked under the pastel blue-and-cream-striped banner to inhale the scrumptious smell of fried food. For some, it was because of their adventurous palate, and for others, it was due to their undying loyalty to the Verita Aser.

"Uh," Lennox squinted, his eyes straining for the price. Fifteen Euros. "It's a little pricey for street food, but alright. Do you even know what I'm selling?"

"Sure I do. You sell pharmaceutical drugs to those who are desperate enough."

He started to question how Renato knew such things before the answer slapped him in the face. Lennox would bet that he was one of those damned curtain twitchers. That must have been why he discovered more and more about the florist with each coming day.

"Okay, then how would you go about selling my inventory?" Lennox prompted, moving to sit on a nearby bench. He couldn't possibly have any business experience. Renato wouldn't sell any more than he had, Lennox was sure of it.

"It's easy, really. To get rid of your T supply, you're gonna want to target the thousands of men with fragile masculinity. Take a man with his wife, maybe he's feeling a little insecure about his performance in bed lately." He put his arm around Lennox, creating a flourishing arc with his free hand that referenced the countless people around them. "Pull him aside, sell him with a killer pitch, get your dough, and move on with your day."

Renato drifted his focus over to a group of teenagers playing darts for a chance to earn a plush lion. "Or maybe there's this teen who's almost eighteen and hasn't had his growth spurt because he neglected his body. Maybe his folks are rich and don't give a fuck and pay people to lie to him about his image, and he's starting to see through it. Sidle up to him, say that T will deepen his voice and help his hair grow, and boom! Sold for an exorbitant price that he'd be all too willing to pay with money that ain't his."