Waving goodbye to Penny, Gladialis walked out of the office and took a deep breath, relaxing a bit for the first time since yesterday.  Kitten was going to be ok.  Her flowers bloomed from the sheer happiness, even though it was daytime.  She smiled, and then looked down at the little Terran who had fallen asleep already.  She smiled, covering her with the blanket, and decided to have herself something to eat while she was out.  Looking around, she saw a tea shop and walked over with a wide smile.  The awning proclaimed it as “The Dawning Sun Tea Shop”, and Gladialis could see that there were Affini sized tables and chairs, in addition to Terran sized furniture.  There were even mats on the floor, next to low tables.  Hanging lanterns gave a delightful ambience in what Gladialis could only assume looked even better at night.  The owner was a Terran woman who smiled and bowed as she approached, wearing what Gladialis figured was traditional garb.  “Good morning!!”

“Good morning!!  My name is Seshiri Akane, and this is my tea shop.  Can I interest you in some tea?”, she asked, and Gladialis nodded.  

“I’d be delighted.  I really enjoy a good cup of tea, truth be told, and it’s been a day”, Gladialis said with a smile.  “May I ask about your garb?  Is it traditional?”, she asked as she sat at the table that Seshiri showed her to.

“Yes, it is.  This is a yukata, which was similar to a kimono, the traditional robes worn in ancient Japan.  These are the lighter robes made for hotter climates.  It is fastened by the obi, or the sash that you see here.”  She brought a menu, the words written in Terran, Japanese, and the local Affini dialect.

“This is impressive, and quite the menu”, Gladialis remarked.  “It’s nice to see someone who is keeping their culture alive and well, even this far from Terra.”

“My family emigrated from Terra to one of the first Jovian colonies, but we always remembered our roots”, she said proudly.  “Who would have imagined, from a tiny apartment in Takayama, hidden in the Hida mountains, to a ship sailing among the stars.  I keep my culture alive for my children and their children, as my parents did for me, and their parents for them”, she said with a smile.  “Without a foot on the ground, one cannot reach for the stars, after all.”

“That’s a wonderful thing!! I'm actually a researcher into old Terran cultures, specifically their myths and legends.  Right now I’m working on old Celtic myths, but once I’m done, I would love to interview you, if I may”, she said, excited as she gently laid Kitten on her lap, her vines spreading out so that Kitten wouldn’t be jostled.

“I would love that”, she said with a smile  “Have you decided on tea?”, she asked.

“Yes, I have.  May I have a pot of the Jasmine Oolong?”, she asked excitedly.  “I don’t think I’ve ever had that and I’d love to experience that.”

“Of course.  Would your floret like anything?”, she asked politely, having heard the tiniest of snores, and smiled as the Affini cooed and lost focus for a moment.

“Umm…no, she’s ok.  If she wakes up, we can get her something.  Oh…and she’s my ward, not my floret.”

“Of course”, Seshiri said, bowing.  ‘I’ve seen that look.  Ward.  Not for long, if I miss my guess.’  “Allow me a few minutes to make your tea, please.”  She bowed again and walked into the shop, setting the water to boiling.  It had taken her quite the amount of time to find the right kind of water, mountain spring water with the correct levels of minerals to make the best cup of tea.  But she had, and now she used it for everything.  Once it was boiled, she filled the pot part of the way, swirling, and then discarded the water into the “compiler pot”, as she called it.  Then she filled it, and let it steep for exactly four minutes and thirty seconds.   Bringing it out to the Affini with the appropriate sweeteners, she watched with happiness as the Affini eagerly began to drink.  

“Oh!! Oh, this is amazing!! thank you, Miss Akane.  This is really really good”, Gladialis said.  Kitten began to stir, and opened her eyes briefly, hissing at the brightness.  Making a shade-parasol type thing with some vines, Gladialis also slipped her shades on.  “Hey there, Kitten.  How are you feeling?”

“Tired”, came the raspy reply.  “Where are we?”

“I stopped at the most wonderful tea shop for a pot of tea.  Would you like something?”

“REAL Tea?  Never had it, just the recon stuff”, Kitten replied, struggling to sit up and look around.  In response, the vines that were holding her shifted, moving to she was now reclining up and handed her the plushie to hold onto, able to look around.  “Oh…this is really nice”, she said with a big yawn.  “Umm….yes, please, i’d love some tea.”

“Wonderful”, Seshiri said, smiling at the Terran.  “What kind?”

“There's different kinds?”, Kitten asked quizzically, looking at the Terran in the colorful robe.  “Oh…umm…whatever you recommend.  I’m sure it’s gonna be nice.”

“Hot or iced?”, Seshiri asked, and blinked as the Affini said “iced” while the Terran said “hot.”  

“Kitten, you’re just going to burn your tongue again”, Gladialis said, and then laughed when Kitten blushed but insisted.  “Well, who am I to stand in your way?”, she said with a smile.  She drank her tea as they waited for Kittens to be brought.  

“Hey Gladialis—”

“So Kitten—”

They both stopped, looked at each, said “no you go first” at the same time, and then laughed.   “You go first, Kitten”, Gladialis said, making a gesture with a vine.

“Ummm..I…I just wanted to say thanks.  You know…for trying.  And it’s…umm…it’s not your fault.  I know that…that you’ll be thinking it is, but it’s not, ok?  Trust me, as someone who has that attitude ALL the time, esp….especially when a patient declined, I can tell you.  IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT”, Kitten said, then laid back, energy spent.

“Thank you, Kitten”, Gladialis said.  She still felt responsible, but hearing Kitten say that she wasn’t made her feel a bit better.

“ok…now..umm…what were you going to say?”, Kitten asked.

“Oh, well, I was going to ask if you still wanted to come to The Gardens with me?  When you’re a bit stronger, of course.  I was going to get some of the things on the list that Doctor Manku said you could have, just in case you wanted to…umm…I think the phrase is “fly that horse again.”

Kitten giggled.  “You mean, get back on that horse?”

“Oh yes.  Certainly”, Gladialis said with a smile.  “I mean…it’s just if you want to.  If you don’t, then it can just be a nice outing and I’ll have some pretty new flowers”, and was gratified to see Kitten nod.  

“Yea, that sounds like…umm..like a good idea”, Kitten said, and watched as Gladialis smiled so widely that Kitten was a bit scared that her mouth would break  And she REALLY was pretty when she smiled, she thought with a blush.  Thankfully, that was when her tea was delivered, along with a warning that it was hot.  Kitten smiled at the lady and thanked her profusely.  

To give her credit, Gladialis mused, Kitten DID wait a whole thirty seconds before she picked her cup up.  Gladialis actually said, “Kitten maybe just…”, and then Kitten was sipping it carefully.  Clearly not careful enough.  Pursing her lips, Kitten put it back down, and blushed as Gladialis just fixed her with a stare.

“What?  I didn’t really burn myself.  It was just….just a warning”, Kitten said defensively.  “A light singe.  It IS good, but it needs to be a bit sweeter.”

Gladialis nodded and lifted Kitten a bit higher so she could see her options.  “Well, let’s see.  We have three different types of honey, no beeple honey so don’t worry, agave nectar, sugar, stevia, smuhiri, and thinkta.  Those last two are from the Esthenril species, you might not like those, since their idea of sweet tastes sour to Terrans.  OR you might be allergic to them, so let's just make believe that they aren’t there, ok?”

Kitten nodded, and then cocked her head.  “Wait…beeple?  Like…umm…bee people?”, she asked, and then looked at her plushie.  “Like….like this?”

Gladialis nodded.  “Exactly like that, but bigger.  Sweet as sugar they are, and they produce a honey that is used in the production of certain xenodrugs, specifically Class-Os.”  She shrugged.  “Those will never be served to anyone even accidentally, fear not.  The production is strictly regulated.”  She thought for a moment, and smiled.  “i think I know someone with a beeple floret.  You’d love them, they’re just so happy and cute!!”

Kitten nodded, having briefly gone over the basic Class O type xenodrug, and had immediately been horrified by what she read.  The only thing that had calmed her slightly were the multiple warnings and disclaimers that the use of such things were not only rare but were the option of last resort for a sophont that they couldn’t help in any fashion or manner.  Initially Kitten hadn’t quite believed them, but now?  Now she was starting to.  She picked up her tea and sipped it, finding that once it was cooler the flavor wasn’t bad.  Still, it needed to be sweeter.   She told that to Gladialis, who squeezed honey, REAL HONEY, into her tea.  Taking another sip, she smiled.  Now THIS was delicious.  

It was a good thing that there wasn’t a lot of tea, since she got tired quickly, and found herself dozing again.  The blanket was tucked around her and she could feel herself moving, but couldn’t marshall the energy to open her eyes.  She drifted off, and woke up again as  they walked into The Windsong.  She winced at the noise, Laria seeing it and making sure that everyone lowered their volume.  

“I’m going to set you down on one of the bean-bags so that you can get comfy with your friends, ok?”, Gladialis asked.  Once Kitten nodded, she gently laid her down, her vines retreating under her so she was always comfortable.  Gladialis’s vines felt…if she were the poetic type she’d say that her vines felt cold, missing the warmth of the little Terran already.  ‘Stop…stop.  She’s your ward, and chances are good she’ll be Independent.  Stop.’  Nobody had warned her that it was THIS easy to get attached to a Terran.  Everything she’d read said that it was the TERRANS that packbonded with things, even inanimate things, for horses sake!!  She stepped aside and began conversing with Glasha, Thephra and the others, slipping into Affini as she explained what happened.

“Kitten, you ok?”, Laria asked, her voice full of concern.  “We all saw you running like…like..i’ve never seen anyone run that fast.”

“Yea.  Just super tired and the light and sound is bad for me”, Kitten said, slipping the shades on and darkening them.  “Basically, I had a reaction to the Class-Z and it did the opposite.”

“Jeepers creepers!!”, Harry said.  “Does that mean no more xendruggies for you?  Umm…are you ok?”

“Yea, and I don't know about the xenodruggies.  The doctor said that he gave Gladialis a list of things that I could have”, Kitten said, and then yawned again.  Then she blushed as she saw Laria fluttering her wings and hopping up and down, squealing.  “What’s she all excited about?”, she asked Harry.

“You.”

“Me??? What..umm…what did…ummm… did I do?”, she asked, confused and blushing.

“She thinks you’re cute.  I mean, I get it, Laria is just a bit more willing to say what she thinks, you know?”, Harry said with a grin.  He watched as Kitten blushed even harder.  “One thing you’ll learn about our Laria is that she has no filter.  She says what's on her mind, with complete honesty.”  He grinned as Kitten blushed again, and then waved a hand.  “So you have to take it easy for a while?”, he asked.

“Yea.  I’m hoping just a day or two”, Kitten said as she yawned again.  

“Ok, I hope you get better soon.  We were gonna play some cards, you wanna play?”, Harry asked, shuffling the cards.

“I’m….I’m just gonna watch, I’m kinda tired”, she said, and everyone nodded.  Harry dealt the cards once they agreed on a game, and they began to play.  Within the first three hands Kitten had fallen asleep, and Laria had to put her hand over her mouth to stop herself from shrieking with delight.  

“Look!!!!!!”, she whispered, grabbing Khaya and Harry excitedly.  “Look!!! She's holding her plushie!!! Oh my stars and garters!!!!  Look how CUTE she is!!!”  

Seeing the commotion, Thephra looked over and grinned.  “Your ward fell asleep and Glashas floret is losing their mind”, he said.  Glasha looked over and cooed, smiling.  

“She REALLY likes her.  The last time I saw her this excited was when she met a beeple.”  Glasha smiled fondly, remembering the incident.  “And then she started crying, she was so happy.”

Gladialis nodded.  “When she’s feeling a bit better, we should let them spend some time together”, she said.  “But I'm going to get Kitten upstairs so she can rest”, she said, and waved goodbye to everyone.  Walking up to the Terrans, she smiled at them.  “So, Kitten fell asleep, huh?”, she asked as she knelt down, gently sliding her vines underneath the sleeping Terran.

Laria nodded, and watched as Miss Dulcisa picked Kitten up, making sure that she didn’t wake, and held her carefully.  “She’ll be ok soon, right?”, Laria asked.

“Oh yes.  Doctor Mankuraniania was pretty sure that she just needs another day of rest and then she’ll be fit as a horse.”  Gladialis spoke with a confidence she wasn’t entirely sure she felt, but Doctor Manku had seemed pretty confident, so she was going to trust his judgment.  He hadn’t been wrong yet.  “Have a wonderful evening, all of you” as her vines bestows some head pats on everyone there.  Waving goodbye, Gladialis went upstairs and once inside, started some music playing gently.  Some Terran started singing about another named Drew as she put Kitten down on the couch.  Arranging the cushions so that Kitten couldn’t roll over and fall, she went into the kitchen and began slicing, dicing, compiling, frying, and thoroughly enjoying herself.  There was something about cooking, about cooking for another sophont that was just….it was just so rewarding.  “Lena?”

“Yes, Gladialis?”, the AI asked.

“Please let me know when Kitten wakes up.”

“Sure thing!!!”, she chirped.

The world slowly came back to Kitten as she woke.  She could feel something soft underneath her, but it didn’t feel like vines, and there was a smell in the air.  Something delicious.  Cooking.  They must be back home, and Gladialis was cooking.  She struggled up to a sitting position, feeling a bit better, and stretched.

In the kitchen, Gladialis was busy seasoning the potatoes that were happily frying away when Lena chirped to let her know that Kitten woke up.  Lowering the heat for a moment, she walked out into the living room.  “Hey there, little one”, she said with a smile.  “How are you feeling?”, she asked.

“Tired…but a bit better, honestly.”  She yawned, and smiled.  “What is that?  It smells amazing”, she said.  

“Ahhh.  Well, I was just following the Doctor's instructions.  Something with potatoes.  Are you  up for coming into the kitchen?”, Gladialis asked, and smiled when Kitten nodded.  “Do you want to try walking a little?”, she wondered, and was disappointed and relieved in equal parts when Kitten nodded.  Gently lifting the Terran from the little nest, she lowered her to the ground, watching carefully as her legs made contact with the floor.

Kitten squeaked as the vines surrounded, but they were nothing but gentle, warm, and she soon was standing.  Standing, on her own.  She hadn’t ever thought that she wouldn’t, but to be doing so again after feeling so weak was amazing.  

“Just take it easy.  I’ll be right here the whole time”, Gladialis said as her vines slowly slipped away, but remained close.  She watched as Kitten took a step, and then another, her legs as shaky as a newborn kitten.  By the third step, Kitten looked up.  “I…umm…I’m getting tired”, she whispered and Gladialis immediately picked her up.  “That was a good effort, Kitten!!  I’m proud of you”, she said as she carried her into the kitchen.  

The smell of cooking potatoes and peppers filled the air, and a small device on the counter that Kitten didn’t recognize stood there.  “That’s a slow cooker that I had compiled, to make something for dinner tomorrow.  It’s called pot roast, Kitten.  A meat dish that is cooked over very low temperatures for a long period of time to soften the meat and gelatinize the collagen.  THIS variety, called a Yankee pot roast, has peas, carrots, and potatoes in it.”  She  was brought to the table, and gently set down in the chair.  

“Is this good?  Are you ok?  You’re not going to fall off, will you?”, a nervous Gladialis questioned as she withdrew her vines.  Her flowers slightly opened then closed, an Affini blush.  “I can..umm…I can hold you if you need it.  But only if you need it!”, she said, and then hastily clarified her statement.  

“No, I should be fine”, Kitten said, blushing.  She could see Gladialis blushing as well, and wondered idly who the more embarrassed was.  “I..umm…I’ll let you know if I..ummm….if I need help.”

Gladialis nodded, and turned to the stove.  After plating up some of what she was cooking, she returned with a jumble of brightly colored potatoes, all steaming, with a mix of peppers as well.  “This is something called Potatoes O’Brien, Kitten.  As before, the tales of where it was created vary.  Some say that it was created in a city called Boston, at a restaurant called Jeromes.  Others have it at a restaurant in Manhattan, made by a cook with the colorful name of “Beefstew O’Brien.”  She shrugged, and sat down after taking a bowl of infused water from the refrigerator.  “Whatever the origins, it is a recipe that has survived for centuries.”

Kitten took a bite that was too hot, and made her customary “ashefashefashefashe” as she grabbed the water cup that was on the table.  Gladialis gave her an unamused stare that cracked after a second and she laughed.

“I suppose that soon enough I’ll have to be making sure that your food isn’t too hot?”, she teased, adoring the way that Kitten blushed.

“But that would take half the fun away from it”, Kitten complained.  Then took another bite,  eyes closing as she enjoyed the food.   The potatoes were buttery and crisp-soft, the peppers delightfully sweet, and there were some other flavors that she couldn’t identify.  and that was ok.  “This is good, Gladialis!!  Thank you!!” as she shoveled another fork-full into her mouth.  Soon the plate was empty, and a very satisfied Kitten was sitting back, yawning as she felt sleepy again.  “That…”, and she yawned.  “That was really good.”

Gladialis smiled as she collected the plates and utensils.  Those were all decompiled, and then she turned around to look at Kitten.  Who was laying back in the chair, her mouth open as she snoozed.  And Galdialis’s heart gave another pat-pat as she saw that.  Smiling, she gently lifted Kitten up.  At the moment, Kitten opened her eyes and blearily looked around.  

“Huz?”

“Shhhh, it’s ok.  I’m just getting you into bed, little Kitten.  Nothing to worry about.”  She thought about making sure that Kitten brushed her teeth, but she didn’t think that Kitten would let her do it, and she certainly wasn’t going to help Kitten with it without her full consent.  ‘Oh well.  One night without brushing her teeth isn’t going to do anything’, she thought.  ‘Anything more than that, and we’ll need to have a conversation.’

“Mmmhhmm”, Kitten hummed, feeling herself move.  Struggling to open her eyes, she didn’t see the huge bed that she’d come to expect.  There was something else, something different, but before she could focus on it, her eyes were slipping closed again.  “Night”, she whispered

Gladialis slipped Kitten into her bed, covering her and making sure that her plushie was within reach.  Then she closed the light and the door, making sure that her tablet was within reach, and settled in to do some research.

Kitten slept through the night, with nary a whimper.