Neal avoids the use of firearms even though he's an expert marksman. Instead, he prefers the non-lethal weapons at his disposal—a glib tongue and lightning-quick reflexes. Criminals could view him as a lightweight, someone who can be easily intimidated. Compared with the arsenal Dean and Sam Winchester carry in their car trunk, Neal's defenses may seem no stronger than those of a flower. But the potential power of flowers shouldn't be dismissed.
Billy Feng, the owner of the Aloha Emporium can attest to orchids having specialized defense mechanisms. He is a retired art thief who grows orchids in a greenhouse over his store. Billy knows a thing or two about self-defense since he's also an expert in Shaolin kung fu. Billy has resisted Neal's entreaties to teach him kung fu, but he encourages Neal to adopt the way of the flower as a self-defense strategy. Sound crazy? Perhaps not. In kung fu, there's even a group of moves called the Flower Set. In An Evening with Genji, Billy advises Neal to fake an injury by explaining the Japanese stone orchid's use of variegated leaves to imitate a diseased plant.
Flower power is an important element in the Crossed Lines series. In Whispers of the Night, Dean makes use of skunk cabbage to disguise his and Peter's scent from vampires. In Witches' Sabbath, a rare native orchid is found in a hex bag. What is the connection between that orchid and the disappearance of the Dutchman? It's a good thing for our heroes that they have Chloe to help them. Chloe's made a study of the occult significance of plants, and her services will be called upon more and more as the stories proceed.
Witches' Sabbath on Archive of Our Own
Witches' Sabbath on FanFiction
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