------------------------Centhia, North New Bergen, Hab complex Ceria, 25.04.2555, 12:23--------------------------

 

Echina woke slowly, enjoying the sunlike warmth that filled her form from the center of her core to the tip of every vine and flower. It had been a long time since she had felt like this, and she was perfectly content with relishing the opportunity to let the moment last. She would have to get up soon, get some mineralized water, and…and make food for Rosa!

 

Dirt, it felt like she had slept for a long time, Rosa was probably very hungry. Frost, how could she have forgotten? The warm feeling evaporated as Echina opened her eyes and noticed she was lying on the couch…why was she…The memory of how Rosa had fallen asleep in her vines last night brought a new wave of warmth, followed by a reinvigorated cold. The human was no longer in her vines, a quick check once she had stood up revealed that Rosa was not in the room either. 

 

A mild panic built up in rapid beats, had Rosa left the hab, maybe she had gotten in trouble again, was the affini who had drugged her yesterday right? Had Rosa intended to leave the district? The chance was low but if Rosa had run into any ferals then…then…root! Maybe not locking the door had been the wrong move after all, what if Rosa was hurt?! She had promised to take care of her, keep her safe and….had she failed again? For a brief moment, she once again saw Rosa’s blood-soaked body on the staircase and shuddered, a few flowers wilting and dropping their faded red petals

 

The data pad was ripped from her chest compartment before the vines had the time to part. Finally, the data about Rosa’s well-being was brought up...oh. She was in her room…in perfectly good health…no sign of any problems…safe and sound. The panic and stress slowly ground to a halt, her body deflating as she collapsed on the sofa. Everything was fine, thank the Everbloom.

 

Echina took some time to calm down and refine her form before walking over to the door. She knocked twice “come in.” Rosa was sitting at her desk, her face leaning against a fist while staring down at her data pad, she was also once again wearing the headphones. An empty plate with some food residue and an empty glass was present on the desk. Seeing her safe and in good form was an enormous relief, the rapid built-up stress slowly beginning to drain from her vines. 

 

From the posture to her frown frustration radiated off her ward in waves “what are you doing?” Rosa let go of the data pad and muttered something incomprehensible. Okay… “sorry, I’m afraid I didn’t catch that…could you repeat?” 

 

Rosa kicked the office chair back and turned it around, so they were facing each other “just trying to figure out…I don’t know, how everything went to shit so suddenly?” Poor thing…sadly it did not seem that Rosa was in the mood for any comfort that Echina so desperately wanted to provide.

 

Allowing the girl some verbal catharsis would be the best approach. Echina moved and sat down on the bed “what do you mean?” part of her did not want to go through this so soon, yesterday had been hard on her ward; comfort and affection were what Rosa really needed right now. 

 

Alas that would have to come later, her ward looked more than ready to explain “before the invasion I was studying full time with extra courses, holding down a job to pay tuition and rent, organizing the RDM and I still had the time and energy to be social.” She was obviously proud of that achievement, not that Echina was convinced anyone should have been doing that much. 

 

Rosa slumped further down in the chair “after the invasion I kept up the pace by spending more time on the movement but after the accident…It was supposed to be a short vacation to recover and instead…” the frustrated bluster had turned into a choked whisper “and instead…I have never felt more tired. Everything is difficult now, even the most minute is a herculean task. I’m tired all the time and I can’t sleep properly. I wake up every day hoping to feel rested but somehow…I just feel like I have lost even more energy that I don’t know if will ever come back…Why am I like this?” Despair, it was the only word that could come close to describing it. 

 

Rosa sat up and tried to dry away the tears that had begun rolling down her face and staining her shirt “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be-“ Echina’s core was cold, a harsh cold pain that demanded that the sight before her was rectified. 

 

Before her ward could continue she interrupted “no, you should. Not speaking to me will only worry me more…please let me comfort you while you continue to talk.” She needed this as much as Rosa. As the girl gave her a hesitant nod Echina lifted her into her lap and entwined her softest vines around the most precious person in the world “take your time, please continue if you want.” 

 

Rosa continued to cry into her vines “I just want to feel…not normal, I never was that not even competent…capable is enough, anything better than this is enough. Going out is exhausting, trying to focus is impossible, nothing about this stupid body works how I want it to.” No one had told her how raw the pain would feel, how easily Rosa’s emotions would bleed into hers. The temptation to remove that pain, soothe the crying human in her vines, by almost any means necessary was overpowering. 

 

Her vines tightened around Rosa, she did not seem to mind. What was she supposed to say? What could she do at the moment beyond providing comfort? “Once you get through this difficult time it will get better, I promise. It won't stay this way.” Nothing in the universe would stop her from fulfilling that promise, Rosa would be happy if it was the last thing she did. 

 

Rosa looked up at her with big teary eyes and clutched her vines harder “I know…but I don’t want it to be difficult anymore…it has been that for so long. I’ve always gotten through it, it's not like there is any choice…but for once, can’t it just be easy?” The desperation, the exhausted pain present in those eyes…It was almost too much to bear, but to not do so was simply impossible.

 

Echina cradled the human close, as close as she could “it will be easy, soon…I can’t promise when, but sooner than you think. I wish I could make it easy now…” She could, there was a way, but that was not what Rosa wanted. “I will be with you until it is.” 

 

“Thank you” was about all Rosa managed to mumble between deep breaths and quiet sobs. The human had curled up into a tiny ball, more vulnerable than ever before. Echina continued to hold her, comforting Rosa with a soothing brushing of her admittedly quite damaged hair and words of affirmation whenever it seemed she needed it. 

 

After what must have been at least half an hour of relative quiet Rosa stirred in her vines “you can let me go now, I feel fin-..better.” With great reluctance, Echina loosened her vines, though Rosa stayed in her lap. Some of the openness and vulnerability were gone, though not all “sorry for…sorry for saying sorry I guess, I know you want me to stop…thanks for dealing with my bullshit, is that better?” 

 

Echina returned her wards dry chuckle “you do not need to thank me, but it is preferred to you being guilty. And you are not allowed to feel guilty over this, understand?” She made sure to make it sound humorous but firm, the fact that a xenodrug to remove guilt had not yet been created was a major oversight. 

 

Rosa smiled wryly as she jumped down to the floor “understood O’ almighty plant overlord, do you have another decree?” The human turned around and bowed while pointing both her arms to the left, with a slight bent upwards. Echina was not sure what the gesture was supposed to mean but the fact that it was performed with a thick layer of sarcasm was certain. 

 

For a second she was tempted to indeed give Rosa another decree only to see her reaction, then she remembered something that had quickly been forgotten in yesterday and this morning’s events. “Not a decree per se, there is however something on the agenda. You have an appointment at the vet in…” Echina checked her datapad, was it really that late already? “Just over an hour.” How had she slept for that long? 

 

As she looked up, the discontented frown on Rosa’s face indicated it was time for an argument “Vet? Seriously? Do we have to call it that? I have been dehumanized enough already, I don’t need anymore.” 

 

Echina was taken aback, it was not the course she had expected the discussion to travel “dehumanize? I don’t understand, all humans go to the vet. A doctor treating an affini and a vet treating a non-affini need completely different expertise.”

 

Rosa rolled her eyes “yeah because now affini is the new standard. I am sure the cis, hetero, neurotypicals are having an amazing time adjusting to not being on the top. But for me, it does not matter who is in the super normal group when it still excludes me. Not that I think there should be a super normal group, that kind of thinking is exactly the problem.” That…was not a bad point, not that it was entirely correct either. 

 

Still, this was clearly important to Rosa so more theoretical pushback could be given in a better setting, and when they had better time “there is no way I can change my langue’s several millennia-long traditions by the time we leave. But between the two of us we can call it…xenological medical professional/clinic. Is that a suitable compromise?” The designation did not exactly flow elegantly through the voice tubes, a small concession for satisfying her firebrand off a ward. 

 

Rosa did look momentarily satisfied “works for me…thanks for being in my corner, it means a lot.” The frown, this time suspicious in nature returned “why are we going there anyway?” 

 

Why did she have the feeling that another argument was coming “first of all, you need a full medical checkup. Secondly, you need some xenodrugs, likely class-E, to help with your depression. Something to lessen the fatigue from burnout would also be a good idea, one of the most favored treatments for that is class-j-“ 

 

Her ward crossed her arms and furrowed her brow further “I am not going on class-J.” Oh by the Everbloom. 

 

Echina withheld a sigh “I was not going to suggest that, the ve- xenological medical professional can find a suitable alternative.” 

 

“What if I don’t want that either? I don’t want to be like some doped-up floret who can’t even walk without stumbling. My mind is kind of important to me and fatigue is bad enough on its own. Even if it is less pleasant than with all the alternatives you have I prefer it unclouded.” So that was the issue, at least it was nothing worse. 

 

“You can take up those concerns and preferences with the xenological medical professional that you will be talking to. Xenodrugs can and should be modified for the user, this is no exception. Now we should leave soon, are you okay with that?” 

 

The frown was still there, Rosa grumbled “sure, it’s not like I have a choice about this either way. Just give me a few minutes to change clothes and wash up.” Reluctant acceptance was still acceptance, and for now, that was the best she was going to get. 

 

Echina stood up and smiled as she had practiced, facial motions were something she was getting quite used to and in her opinion not half bad at either. Rosa smiled back but it was with some well-hidden but now familiar concern underneath. Part of her wanted to give her one last hug, but this was not the time…maybe later, hopefully, later. 

 

------------------------Centhia, North New Bergen, Stuklov Street, 25.04.2555, 13:15--------------------------

 

The wind had lost some of its chill from yesterday, but the march of the seasons was still underway. Her jacket, no matter how proud of it she was, was better for summer and spring. Its cropped nature also meant that the wind had no problem cutting through her shirt and freezing her skin. She and Echina were keeping a brisk pace however so the likelihood of her becoming seriously cold before reaching the clinic was low. Not that the cold was unbearable, but if Echina noticed she was cold then the affini most certainly would be. 

 

Her breakdown this morning had left a bitter aftertaste, she was supposed to have better control than to let it all spill out like that. Yesterday had been a lot and drained her emotionally, but that was no excuse to dump it all on Echina like that. Contrary to what Echina might say, Rosa had seen how her words had impacted the affini, how much they had hurt. 

 

The prospect of being high as a glass wealth high-rise only held one acceptable temptation; to lessen the pain and burden she was upon Echina. The affini would likely love to take care of her in a more…docile and less complicated state. It would be nonstop pampering, emotional affection, and care. Right up until the deadline came and some committee would determine that she was much happier like that and sign away her freedom. Echina may have said something about preferences so maybe it wouldn’t be that bad…at the same time the affini abhorred suffering, her wanting to keep onto some of that pain with the lucidity could be interpreted as self-destructive. She owed Echina at least to go with her to the clinic and hear the doctors out.

 

Another gust of cold wind blew past the dead concrete facades, instinctively she hunched her shoulders and held the jacket closer. It was to little avail and her teeth began to clatter rapidly. A warm wine stretched down from above, over her shoulder, and wrapped itself around her waist. There was a slight pressure, causing her to come closer to Echina “is it okay if I warm you like this? I can place you inside of me instead like on the tram, that would be warmer.” The affini sounded unsure, the care was however as ever-present as always. 

 

The temptation of seeing Echina’s core once more could not be given any ground “this is fine.” Was that seriously all she could say? Here Echina was giving more consideration to her needs than she ever had herself and all she could manage was a ‘this is fine’. The tip of the vine curled around and warming her was loose at her side…maybe…would it be fine if she…fuck it. Rosa grabbed the vine with her hand, letting it warm her frozen fingers. 

 

The affini slowed her pace for only a split second before once again matching the rapid pace Rosa had set. Rosa looked up at Echina cautiously, she was still looking forward, but a wonderful smile had settled on her woven face and glowing eyes. A few of Echina’s many pink-red flowers were also blooming despite the cold, contrasting spectacularly with the gray concrete behind her. There was some powerful, joyful energy beaming from the sight that was too powerful to ignore like it fitted a painting better than any single moment…

 

Wait, was she staring? Of fuck she was totally staring! Rosa cast her gaze downwards to the dull cold street beneath her feet. Trying to subdue her flustered blush by focusing on the street and manhole markings of the old regime. Had Echina noticed? It didn’t seem like it…thank the stars! 

 

A further, more potent distraction than the sidewalk texture came up ahead as the clinic came into view.  It looked remarkably similar to some of the resort world advertisements she had seen pre-invasion. Its green, plant-covered façade with smooth alien curves was both welcoming and massive, the latter quality the only it held in common with the buildings around it. The energy was similar to the other clinic she had visited months ago to get her class-G and mandatory medical checkup. Part of her had expected the alien buildings to at some point become mundane and soulless like the wonders of architecture the old world had constructed, for some reason that monotony had yet to be found. 

 

They entered through one of the many entrances, passing a food stand and a mountain of brochures before coming to the reception. How there was no line to wait in was a mystery, sure nobody had to pay any more so it made sense it was somewhat quicker. Still, the uncanny efficiency was…well, uncanny. Echina spoke to the receptionist for a few seconds, Rosa decided to ignore the conversation and instead inspect the stand of pamphlets in front of her. 

 

They held such captivating titles as “Class-G: it is your body, make it how you want it”, “Considering domestication? Here is what you need to know.” And “Know your A, C, and Ds: A quick guide to xenodrugs.” The artwork was pretty cute and altogether not overly condescending…apart from the floret one, too sweet might be the best way to describe it. 

 

The feeling of being looked at brought her gaze up, the receptionist was smiling down at her “Helian is ready to see you now, she is on floor 23, office 68, the one on the left when you come out of the elevator. ~Have a nice day~” Helian? That did sound familiar…Rosa put back the pamphlet and followed Echina, desperately trying to place the name. 

 

As they stood in the elevator Echina interrupted her fruitless search “when we talk to the xenological medical professional, please hear her out. We only want to help, but we can only do that properly if you trust us.” There was an unusual air of gravity to her voice, easily recognizable through the distortion of the headphones. 

 

Except for the strange encounter with the autumn-colored affini yesterday, this would be the first real interaction with the affini system as Echina’s ward. There was no doubt a lot of pressure and expectations placed on Echina, ‘behaving’ would likely make it easier for both of them. Rosa took a long breath in and out “I don’t think I can trust this system…but I trust you. As long as it does not cross the line I can try to be less…difficult. Just don’t get used to it okay.” The humorous tone brought a bit of levity to the situation.  

 

They exited the elevator and walked to the office in silence, the levity ebbing off as quickly as it had come. Echina moved a hand to knock on the door but just before she could it opened. A familiar affini with several large yellow flowers stood there, smiling in glee “hello you two, long time no see.” Oh no…it was the nurse who had helped her recover from the injury, how could she have forgotten her name? 

 

Helian waved them inside with a vine “I have been awaiting you eagerly, please take a seat. Candy?” It looked like a quite regular office with one notable exception; pictures of two different florets covered most of the walls and desk. Rosa denied the colorful rock candies in the massive bowl and sat down in the human-sized chair. Why was Helian here? Didn’t she work at the hospital? 

 

Echina sat down next to her in the far larger chair “sorry if we kept you waiting. I would also like to thank you for taking care of Rosa after the incident.” There was no way to avoid it when the affini were as large as they were but sitting so much lower still felt…off. 

 

The sunflower-covered affini nodded “it was my pleasure. Speaking off, how are you doing Rosa?” Now how was she supposed to answer that? It was a difficult question even without thinking about what would be appropriate to say. 

 

She shifted uncomfortably in the admittedly comfortable chair “been better, been worse…something along those lines.” Had that been good? Rosa quickly looked up at Echina, the affini mostly looked sad. Fuck…she should have put a better spin on it. 

 

Helian nodded and wrote something down on a paper that Rosa had no chance of seeing at this angle “mhm, I understand. Let’s see if we can’t make it a good deal better after today. First I need a sample of blood. Would it be okay if I took it with my vine or would you prefer the traditional method?”  

 

She could use her vine to take a blood sample? A flash of curiosity was subsequently doused by remembering what the blood sample would be used for “I don’t care, whatever goes the fastest works for me.” 

 

The xenological medical professional flashed her a humorous smile “good to see that you still have your regular grumpy attitude. Now, this won't hurt a bit.” That had to be the most common lie spoken inside a medical institution, alongside the ‘without these exorbitant prices we could not keep the place running, it has nothing to do with profit at all’. Though the last one was spoken more by clerks and PR staff, doctors likely hated it as much as the patients. 

 

A vine stretched out from Helian’s form, two outshoots moved up her sleeve while the end of the vine placed its flower onto her arm. It then proceeded to grab around gently with its petals, Rosa braced for the sting…but nothing happened. Just as she began to wonder why Helian was waiting the flower pulled back, five red points were on her arm but didn’t hurt at all. Some kind of translucent substance had covered the injection points stopping the bleeding. 

 

Helian closed her eyes for a moment “hmmm….oh….alright….have to fix that….that could use a boost…maybe, yes most definitely.” Oh, stars what were they going to do with her?…hold up. Was she tasting her blood? Could this affini seriously understand her blood levels like some sort of analytical vampire? 

 

A small device was taken up from the desk and a vine placed inside, a small beeping sound emitted from the machine “just as I thought. With the this and report I received from your caretaker and xenopsychologist, I should have all that I need.” It could not possibly be that easy. She had never needed anything beyond hormones herself but knew from that experience and her friends' many problems that getting the right medication was never that easy…..But this was the affini and the class-G had worked very well…

 

Plus, she had promised Echina “alright, what do you think I need?” Getting her shit together was the true answer, not that any affini would accept that kind of agency for a poor little human like her. 

 

Helian shuffled around a few papers on her desk before looking down at her “your caretaker already has the class-S need to prevent sensory overload grafted so that is fine. For the rest, we can start with the obvious. Class-E would go a long way to help with your depression and you need a regular regimen of class-Z to help you sleep and recover from burnout. Class-F will prevent destructive intrusive thoughts, though might require some hypnotherapy to adjust properly.” That was a lot…but it could have been worse. It got worse “class-D of the more internal mental variety will allow us to detangle some of your misconceptions more easily. Lastly a tiny dose of class-C to further socialization and combat your social anxiety.” How many letters of the alphabet was that? Four, no five, or six if you counted the class-S…This was insane. How much more would she need to be just as glassy-eyed as Lulu at the ice cream bar? 

 

Rosa swallowed, trying to remain calm “are you sure all of those are necessary? I…um…would like to not be that inebriated if that is at all possible.” A cold rush filled every limb of her body, she broke eye contact with the affini and looked down at the floor. 

 

There was a second of silence before Helian answered “yes I do think that all of this will have a positive impact. Is there something you are concerned about?” Where to even begin? From the sound of it the affini were going to scrabble her mind into nothing but a happy mush until they could mold it into something more to their liking…No, Echina wouldn’t do that, right? 

 

Echina had been quiet throughout the entire but gave her a nod…Fuck, what was she supposed to say? Helian was the expert, her word was based on centuries of medical knowledge. Her own stance was based on what exactly? An Uncomfortable feeling that the affini no doubt saw as a result of her ‘almost feral’ mindset. Where was her usual bluster when she needed it? 

 

She had said that she trusted Echina and Echina wanted her to do this... “sure…if you say so…I guess that works.” That was it, she had crossed the Rubicon, no way back now. 

 

Helian paused before smiling “excellent, before ordering your mix from the lab I need the answers to a few last questions. They are of a rather sensitive nature, Echina could you wait outside for a little bit?”

  

“Oh, yes of course.” Echina stood up and used one of her vines to give Rosa a gentle pat on the shoulder “very proud of you.” The smile was almost enough to make all of this worth it by itself…she looked so happy. 

 

The door closed behind the beautiful affini, and she was left with the relentless doctor instead. Helian’s face had taken on a very different look, somewhere between puzzled and concerned “what is going on?” it almost sounded like she was disappointed.

 

Rosa sat there flabbergasted by the change of attitude “I…I don’t understand, is this not what you want?” 

 

Helian shook her head “I have been a vet for my last three blooms, and during that time I have never met a patient more opinionated, hardbarked, or resistant to my advice as you. Do you know how much I prepared for this session? I was expecting you to argue relentlessly on every point imaginable, I cleared my schedule because I anticipated this would take hours. The class-S and Z might go without issue, but I have prepared several dozen arguments for applying all the others. I was expecting a long, drawn-out verbal brawl like I have not had in centuries.” The affini deflated slightly “and what do I get instead? A single question before you cave with no objections. Echina does not strike me as an affini who would squash your fire within the second day, what is going on?” 

 

Rosa was not sure if she was supposed to feel flattered or insulted, knowing the affini it was probably the former. “Is it such an issue that I am trying to be a bit less difficult, a bit less of pain in your and hers roots?” She had conceded, was that not enough?

 

Helian sighed “my approach with you was based around you being difficult. I expected to learn all that I needed while you called me a condescending imperialist or the like. Seeing as that is not going to work, could you tell me any and all concerns you have about the xenodrugs I have recommended?” The fact that the affini’s had created this approach and worse still that it would likely have worked was a sting to her pride. 

 

At the same time…if her preferences were truly being taken into account, maybe Helian could be trusted. It was worth a shot “These changes feel too rapid, too intrusive. My mind might not be in the best place at the moment, but it is still my mind, and it has gotten me through a lot. I would rather prefer you don’t take a chemical battering ram to it if at all possible.” Her muscles had loosened slightly, the tension slowly ebbing away. 

 

Helian’s vines moved and there was more sound of pencil on paper “fair enough, we can start on a low dose and go up or down from there depending on the results. This does mean that if the low dose does not do the trick we have to go higher. Anything more?” A conditional compromise was more than she had expected to get. 

 

There was one other major concern “I want to remain independent, you know that. It feels like part of this is making me okay with being dependent on you affini and especially Echina, that is something I don’t want. Be honest, will these xenodrugs lessen the chance I am independent at the end of this at all?” The affini leaned back in the chair and nibbled on the pencil for a few seconds, the sharp needle teeth making quick work of the wood. 

 

“I shall be honest, I have severe doubts that you will make it through this warship and get the result that you want if you do not take these xenodrugs. Whether or not the xenodrugs might make you wanting of a floret lifestyle is simply not something I can know. I can however promise that this is not a scheme to make you crave domestication, it is only to help you bloom into the beautiful flower I know you can become.” Her mind did not want to accept that, layers of systemic and dialectical analysis indicated otherwise. 

 

A growing part of her however could not imagine that Helian was lying, the affini never did that and she seemed sincere. “Fine, I trust that you are not trying to trip me up…we can do what you are recommending.” A wide smile spread on the affini’s face, and she stood up from the chair. 

 

Rosa stood up as Helian came close, the affini extended an open hand toward her. Instead of landing on her head like Rosa has expected the affini patted her on the shoulder “Thank you for your trust little firebrand, let us go talk to your caretaker.” With that they both walked outside…or rather Helian slithered along with her vines, there were no legs beneath her dress-like mesh of vines. 

 

Echina stood up from the chair the moment they came out, however, Helian took the initiative <……….> Rosa rolled her eyes and leaned against the wall as the two affini continued to talk in their beautiful and incomprehensible language. Echina shot her a few concerned glances throughout the exclusive discussion, Rosa did her best to pretend she did not see that. 

 

Once they were done Helian clapped her hands together, something that made remarkably little sound for them being so large “I will go and get the drugs ready from our gals at the lab downstairs. While you wait could I recommend the balcony on the 31st floor? It has a beautiful view.” Fresh air sounded like the best idea anyone had had in centuries. 

 

The xenological medical professional left them at the elevator and the way up was filled with uncomfortable silence. Echina wanted to say something, that much was painfully obvious from the twitching of her vines. The elevator door opened and in place of the cold wind that she had expected Rosa found warm golden streaks of sunlight warm her face. The “balcony” as Helian had described it was more of a massive park on the side of the building. 

 

Paths of white cobblestone made their way along beds of flowers, trees, and bushes. Some of the flora was alien…or at least that was what she expected. Centhia was not known for its nature, the first time she had seen a tree in real life was at the age of eight. Structures of glass and paths of grass, a common description of the upper-class districts. To the affini constructing an Eden such as this must have been trivial. Despite this Rosa could not shake the feeling of walking along luxury that would have been prohibitively expensive to see before and cost more money than she would make in her life to create. 

 

She and Echina sat down beneath a tree that Rosa was sure had never graced a terran world. It was tall and thin, with patterned brown bark and no branches except for a crown of long sloid green leaves at its top. There were a few other people around, but the park was large and gave them enough space to talk. 

 

Echina sighed and looked at her sorrowfully “sorry, I…I didn’t mean to pressure you into something you didn’t want…I…I just…I’m sorry.” Oh….A cold sunken feeling began to spread from her stomach. 

 

No, that was not….fuck “Echina, I am far too autistic to let social pressure affect me like that. All I wanted was to make things…I don’t know, a bit easier for you….and I trust you.” A small gust of wind rustled through the strange trees, their heavy leaves bristling. 

 

Echina’s eyes were a deep blue color “how many times do I have to say that you don’t have to make this easier for me, especially not at the cost of your ow-“ 

 

“Bullshit!” Rosa practically glared at the startled affini “can you stop saying that? Because…Because I know how miserable I make you.” The last words didn’t come out right, a lump in her throat making them sound like a whimper. Rosa couldn’t hold eye contact any longer “when I broke down this morning…I saw that I hurt you, you looked miserable and still, you cared more about me than yourself. I don’t have the right to dump my shit on you, and I don’t give a damn about what your affini philosophy has to say on the matter. It is not right. So, stop saying that I shouldn’t consider you when I am making your life so much worse.” A long silence followed as the air got cold, a sheet of impenetrable gray autumn clouds signaling the end of sunshine for a while. 

 

The affini finally moved and Rosa looked up from her lap into Echina’s eyes. The wonderful glowing orbs held a combination of sorrow, regret, resolve, and…fear “do you want to know the truth?” Rosa nodded weakly, feeling a few tears run down her cheek in the process. “When I awoke this morning and did not find you nuzzled on my chest or anywhere else I could see….I panicked. You were only in the other room over but that did not stop my mind from creating the most horrible scenarios possible, filling me with more dread than you can possibly imagine. I am not sure entirely when it started…maybe after you got attacked by those ferals in that alleyway…the fact is that unless you are in the room with me, unless I can make sure that you are okay…I…I can’t stop thinking what would happen if something…something was to go wrong.” The flowers on Echina’s form had all but wilted, lifeless leaves covering the ground around her. 

 

“You are such an independent spirit, so full of energy and determination. I know I can’t watch over you like you were my floret, it would be self-indulgent and wrong…but when I saw you dying, covered in blood on those stairs…I….I.” For the first time in her life, Rosa saw an affini breakdown, it was a heart-wrenching sight. Echina’s vines curled up, their edges becoming limp and lifeless, like all the energy the affini had left was being balled up toward her core. Her eyes become endless pits of black, reflecting not a single shimmer of light or emotion. 

 

Rosa instinctively placed a hand on Echina’s knee, it was cold “that was you…I thought it was Saccharu who brought me to the hospital, why…why were you there?” After what she had done, what possible reason could Echina have to come? 

 

Echina looked down at her, the eyes emitting more sorrow than she could ever comprehend “despite you not wanting me there…I had to make sure that you were okay, safe…and…and I was too late.” The affini shook and closed her eyes, the words of pure horror. “The force I have mustered each day to not intrude upon your life has been immense. Even on the busiest of days, an hour would not go by where my mind was not consumed with the thought of what could happen to you. Then, I was given an excuse to visit you for the wellness check…we can argue about the philosophy and politics of responsibility all day, and it would never come close to convincing my core that I have not failed you repeatedly.” 

 

Her first instinct was indeed to argue that Echina had no responsibility for her life. How could she have been such an idiot and seen that this was far beyond reason and argument? Seeing Echina like this was worse than any of her own pain, it cut deeper in a soul-crushing way “could you hold me?” 

 

At first, Echina looked at her puzzled and then she shook her head “don’t you see that me indulging in this is only making it worse? The problems of my mind should not, will not be placed upon you.“ 

 

Rosa grabbed one of the vines and tugged it to her chest “hold me…please.” Echina stared down at her in shock, then suddenly her form came to life once more. Warm hands lifted her up and vines wrapped themselves tightly around her. The cold air was replaced by the warm embrace of vines gently squeezing her like she was the world's largest plushie. 

 

The dark eyes slowly began to turn lighter shades of blue “you don’t need to do this….” It was a feeble statement, Echina’s voice quivering like the wind. 

 

Rosa raised a hand and touched the affini’s face, the vines were so warm “just answer me one thing…why do you care so much?” Echina tried to look away, but the hand kept her face in place, their eyes continuing to stare into each other. 

 

Finally, Echina’s eyes turned a beautiful purple “I think I love you…I think I have since the day we met.” 

 

Rosa did not have a response for that, and that was perhaps for the best. Instead, she nuzzled herself further into the all-encompassing vines and let more tears fall onto the lattice around her. Echina loved her?.....it didn’t make sense, but somehow it did at the same time…her mind refused to understand it. Rosa looked up at the alien tree above them and followed its swaying as she found comfort in the warmth, closeness, and love. 

 

A long time later there was the sound of something coming closer “there you are, my two favorite hypocrites. I have the xenodrug mix on vine and the graft will be ready in a few days. We need to take some tests to see how it affects your system so it's best if you take it before going home.” Helian had an outrageously satisfied smirk on er face and was holding a canister of pink liquid in one vine. 

 

Echina untangled her slightly and placed her down on her lap “would it be okay if I inject it now?” oh stars, she had forgotten all about the xenodrugs! There was something intimidating about the pink liquid and Rosa felt her heart begin to beat slightly faster. A large hand was placed reassuringly on her shoulder “we can wait…breathe slowly and tell me when you are ready.” The vines underneath her moved like the tides and brought her closer to the affini so she could lean against her.

 

Helian sat down next to them and stayed silent, leaning against the alien tree herself while looking up at the rain heavy clouds. Rosa closed her eyes and focused on breathing…it was going to be fine, it was supposedly a small dose. At this point, she was likely setting herself up for disappointment. Echina would never have asked her to do this if it was not going to help her, it was going to be fine “I’m ready.” 

 

A vine moved her shirt, and she felt a tiny sting in her left arm…then a subtle warmth began to flow from the point. It spread rapidly through her body and then the real effects began to manifest. It came slowly, like fog slowly disappearing before the morning sun. Her sight became clearer, her eyes easier to keep open and alert…even the colors looked more vibrant than before. A pain in the back of her neck and shoulders first became noticeable and then ebbed away…pain was maybe the wrong word, weight was more appropriate. 

 

Rosa blinked and felt more awake than she had in…stars knows how long. The slothful buzz in her mind was not gone, but it had lessened considerably. In some ways it was startling, the beneficial effects of the xenodrugs showcasing pains that had blended into the background and become standard. Her body, heart, and mind; everything felt so much lighter than before. 

 

A hand caressed her hair “how are you feeling?” Both of the affini were looking at her with eager anticipation.

 

There were too many changes, her mind felt like a completely different beast than before “better, way better. Thank you.” Her voice was slightly slurred, not anything one would recognize unless you listened to it. She looked directly up at Echina, and the previously wilted flowers bloomed in a wave starting from the affini’s face and then all the way down. The eyes had shifted color again taking on a wonderful golden color. 

 

Helian beamed “awwww, I can not express how happy it makes me hear you say that. I still need to take those tests so if you could follo-“

 

Rosa had yet to break eye contact with the wonder above her “I don’t want to leave Echina, could she carry me there?” Her caretaker's blush transformed into absolute fluster, vines untangling from her form and eyes darting from side to side. 

 

“I…are you….I mean…-“ The complete nonsense was silenced as Helian rolled her eyes and interrupted.

 

“Rosa has been a very good girl today, I think it more than fitting that you carry her down. If not, I will do it.” The response was immediate. In a single motion, Echina both stood up and lifted her up into a tight carry close to her chest. “No need to get defensive, it was merely a suggestion. Your ward needs to eat soon so let us get this trifling matter out of the way, pronto.” 

 

As Echina carried her towards the elevator Rosa could not help but notice how easy it was to get comfortable in the vines, it almost defied logic. Her caretaker continued to shoot rapid glances down at her, a new flower blooming somewhere on her form each time. “Let me help you, okay?” It was only fair. 

 

Echina stopped moving for a few seconds as she continued to stare down at her, a wide smile on her face “oh my sparkling little wonder, you most assuredly are.” She then leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead before taking the last steps into the elevator.