One of them turns fully to face her, while the other guard splits her attention between the crowd and Blossom, and the third keeps his attention on the shopkeeper, albeit with a heightened awareness of Blossom. All three are holding dark metal cylinders, their hands on clear grips, their fingers near a weird metal bit. They aren't pointing the cylinders at anyone, but they're clearly at the ready. All of the guards also have batons and weird black boxes with little stick-up metal bits and other odd objects on their belts. And the dark uniforms possibly hide or include partly quilted armor? It's got some solid bits.

The one facing her says, his voice hard: "This doesn't concern you. Move along."

Flamepieces, maybe. Their backer much be rich. "Such a brazen attempt at daylight robbery should be concerning to everyone, I think." She lifts her chin and sets her weight just so. looming much more impressively than a moment ago. "I won't be moving along. Not until you do."

They stiffen, and the crowd starts to melt away like civilians not very enthusiastic about being near a fight where one side has flamepieces. One shoots the shopkeeper a nasty look. And: "This nonsense isn't something we have time for," their superior snaps. "We'll deal with you later." It seems addressed to both Blossom and the shopkeeper.

"Any time you're ready, bully boys," she says tauntingly.

The man who'd initially turned to face her seems somewhere between terrified and furious - but the lead guard snaps at him, "Fall in line," and marches off with both of the other guards trailing behind him, trying to make a show of not being actually intimidated. (It's not a very good show, to Blossom at least.)

"They're going to retaliate against that man the instant they think you've left," her companion says, softly and barely audibly, from where she's hovering behind Blossom. "You'll need a more permanent solution."

"Suppose we'd better follow them and track down their base. Drive the message home."

"You'll risk destabilizing things, especially if they're the local government and not the mob, and if you only use threats."

"It's kind of cute that you think I care about the stability of a government that acts like that."

"What do you think will happen if a power vacuum occurs?"

"The people who live here will have a fair chance to determine their own fate."

"There'll be violence," she warns. "Far more than you're seeing now."

"I'm a pirate, princess. I've seen violence. It's healthier than this shit."

"The only way you can think to solve 'this shit' is with violence? And here I thought you Anathema could charm a dragon out of its scales."

"When did I say that my only solution was violence?"

"Threats and intimidation are violence, thug. A sword hidden by silk is still a sword."

"And you're the one assuming that's what I'm going to keep doing."

"And what are you going to do?"

"Depends what their base looks like. Come on, before they get too far ahead."

She's following. Doesn't mean she isn't mouthing off, though. "'Mysterious' isn't a cute look on you."

"I'm glad to hear you're keeping track of my cuteness levels, princess."

"I track many things."

"How industrious of you."

"Something you should consider aspiring to, peacock."

"But then how would you distinguish yourself?"