Seeing them both up close was scary since the Affini towered over her.  And their hands were made out of vines which seemed to move independently of each other, making it odder.  AND the fact that she was still terrified of what was going to happen, or Affini in general, but…but ..she had no idea what to expect anymore.  She tried not to flinch, but she was pretty sure that she failed, and she looked at them nervously as they sat back down.  “Ummm…what now?”, she said. 

“Well, darling”, Hesperia said as they separated, “now the fun starts.  So normally, if you were getting Domesticated right away, we would talk to the Office of Administrative Domestication about finding you an Affini to take you as their floret.  And for a cutie like you, that wouldn’t be hard at all.  But this isn’t a normal case”, she said, sitting down on the bed. 

“No, it certainly isn’t.  And while there might be more than a few Affini who would love to take care of you, it seems like someone already threw their hat in the ring”, Ilex said.  “Gladialis Dulcisa, Fourth Bloom, who you met back on the ship, expressed some interest in getting to know you.  Looks like she already filed an Intent of Interest in Domestication, an Intent of Interest in Visitation, AND…”

“Let me guess”, the Terran interrupted.  “An Intent of Interest to file an Intent of Interest?”, giggled softly, and then shrank back, blushing.

Both Affini burst into laughter, Illex’s leaves rustling as she laughed.  “Vines, but you’re funny”, she said, laughter ringing in her musical voice.  “No, but close.  A Filing of Intent of Interest in Attaining Guardianship.  Goodness, it seems she’s a very determined Affini, and she took pretty much every single possible thing that could happen under consideration.  That’s a lot of paperwork”  Ilex, thought for a moment, and then shrugged.  “I’m actually impressed.”

“Me too”, Hesperia said as well.  “While some Affini might take interest in a sophont that they’ve had a chance to see and interact with, it’s a bit unusual for someone to go to THIS level of preparation at this stage of things.”

“what…ummm”, and she shrank back.  “Why…why would..ummm..”

“Why would she go through all this trouble?”, Ilex helpfully said, and the girl nodded.

“Well…she gave her reasons….ahhhh…Here!!”, Hesperia said after tapping her tablet with a few vines.  “So”, she said, scanning it, “She said that since you attacked her and she vouched for you, that’s two reasons she should be the one to keep an eye on your for good behavior.  Which kind of makes sense, when you stop and think of it.  And she said you’re really smart, and she wants to get to know you.  And…”, and Hesperia stopped, eyebrows made out of bark rising.

“What?  What…oh gods, what is it?”  Beep.  She took a deep breath, trying to calm down again.  “What is it?  She wants to know what…what my brains taste like?”

Ilex anwered.  “Oh, don’t be silly, little flower.  She has a way with words, this one. In more words than we’d have used, she said that you’re cute, and she wants to get to know you better so she can make you smile.”  She smiled.  “I mean…she does have a point.”

“A point?  What point?”, the Terran said, confused.

“That you’re cute”, Ilex and Hesperia both said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.  The girl blushed and looked down, and the two Affini looked at each other, smiling.

“No..I’m…I’m really not”, she said, and then a vine gently lifted her chin, withdrawing as she flinched.

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, dear”, Hesperia softly said.

“And sometimes, it takes the eyes of another to make us see the beauty of the flowers blooming in front of our noses”, Ilex said.  They sat there for a moment, and then the Affini looked at each other, and nodded.  “Regardless, it seems to us that Gladialis Dulcisa will be the one who will be your guardian at this time.  We’ll take care of the details, little flower.  You just sit right here and relax.  Call for Joyce or Sarthusea if you need anything.”

“We, however”, Hesperia said as she stood up with a flourish.

“Do need to be going.  Dawns to play with, Boards to talk to”, Ilex said as she also got up with a flourish.

“But don’t worry, we’ll handle all the details”, they said at the same time, and then both of them moved out of the room in a flourish of vines.  Leaving the human to stare after them in bafflement.  Then she squeaked as she found that she was holding a gorgeous pink flower and the tray with the mug was gone.  In its place were a handful of…they looked like candies.  Little oblongs, wrapped in what looked like colored paper.  She looked at them, and the flower and then carefully put them down and sat on the bed.

She wasn’t sure how long she sat there thinking, but she got bored soon.  Looking around, she didn’t see any Affini, but that didn’t mean anything.  Supposedly they could compress themselves to fit into air vents, and she could see at least three.  But they also supposedly had acid for blood, and she’d disproven that theory herself.  Getting bored, she got up, leaving the possibly brain-melting candies behind, finding that her balance had gone back to normal.  She turned and found that her room, or wherever she was being kept looked out onto the expanse of space.  The stars shone with a steady intensity, making her wonder why the old rhyme was about them twinkling.  Even on the colony, the stars had shone with a steady intensity all the time.  It had been easy, since there was no local star to give them light and drown out the other stars, and little to no atmosphere to get in the way.  They were a mining colony, and they’d made their living selling their ores to various traders.  Aboveground lights, or much of anything, honestly, wasn’t much of a priority.  They all lived underground, using the lab to grow food.  And here she was.  Halfway across the system, a prisoner- ward – on an alien ship.  She wondered if the colony even knew about the aliens.  Maybe not, they were pretty self-sustaining, and small.  Maybe the Affini would just pass them by. 

She wandered closer to the window, and marveled.  It was so clear, this…whatever it was.  Thors Hammer was…the viewing decks had windows that were thick, and sometimes so covered in stuff that you couldn’t see through it at all.  This….it was practically invisible.  Looking around, she drew a finger down it, and marveled since there was no streak left.  Then she turned around, and looked around.  She was fairly sure the potted plant in the corner wasn’t an Affini waiting to eat her.  Reasonably certain.  Still, it didn’t hurt to check, and she walked over, and looked at it.  “Umm…hello?  Are you…umm..are you going to eat me?”

The plant didn’t say a word.

She looked around, glad that nobody saw her talking to the plant, feeling a bit stupid.  It was either an Affini in deep cover, or...or it was just a potted plant and she was over-reacting.  “Probably over-reacting”, she said, and then frowned at hearing her own voice again.  Her natural voice, not the one that she’d practiced in the mirror, and the recorder for so long.  That tended to happen when she was stressed, or had just woken up.  She looked around, seeing what was obviously some sort of television screen, currently blank, set into the wall.  Taking a few steps, her feet sunk into the carpet and she ground her toes into them, enjoying the weave and warmth offered, so different from metal deck-plating that the Terran ship had. 

Taking a chance, she walked towards the door which opened as she approached.  This…it couldn’t be that easy…could it?  She couldn’t just walk out?  Peeking hesitantly around the corner, she found Sarthusea sitting there, looking at something on a tablet.  “Ahhh, there you are, little kitten!!  How are you feeling?”

“Ummm…confused.  I..”, and she took a chance, still staying by the door.  Not that she had anywhere to run, but it at least gave her the illusion of choice.  “I can just walk out of my room?”

“Well, of course you can.  You’re not….we don’t incarcerate anyone.  That’s just barbaric”, Sarthusea said, putting her tablet down and looking at her steadily.  “You’re free to move around as much as you want in here, provided that you don’t do anything to place yourself in danger, or bring another being to harm.  If that were to happen, we’d have to take steps to mitigate that.  But otherwise…”, and she shrugged, some movement of leaves, vines, and flowers that the Terran interpreted as a shrug.  Even the flowers blanketing her shoulders moved slightly, partially closing and then opening. 

“I…ummm..I see.  And the Affini standing in my room?”, she asked, still standing by the door.

“Affini stan…what ARE you talking about, little one?”, Sarthusea said, standing up and walking over, feeling a little saddened as the small Terran backed away from her with her bracelet giving a small tone.  Those rebels, filling her head with nonsense, scaring her for no reason. Making florets out of them was the best thing that could happen to those rebels, and then all that nonsense would be disproven.  She walked into the room, and bit back a giggle, which she was fairly certain the Terran wouldn’t have appreciated.  “You mean…Kitten, that’s a plant.  A Rhododendron, if I’m not mistaken, from Terra.”

“Are you sure?”, the Terran asked cautiously, standing far away from both.

“Yes, darling.  I’m fairly certain.  I’d recognize one of my people no matter what, plus no Affini would be able to condense themselves THAT much.  All that mass needs to go somewhere, darling.  My vines don’t just disappear, you know.”  She smiled, and backed away from the clearly scared girl.  “How about this?  I can have Joyce come in and talk to you, and I’ll be outside?  I know that Hesplex went to go talk to the Board and get your Guardian to come over and get you.”

“Hesplex?”

“Oh.  Hesperia and Ilex.  Hesplex, we call them, since they’re always together, those two.  Are you still hungry?  Do you want some more soup?  I think Joyce might have left some over.  Possibly.  The darling DOES love my cooking.”

“”Ummm…I guess?”, she said, still standing away from the Affini.  It’s not like there was any other exits or anything from the room, but it made her feel a bit safer, which was silly, since the nurse hadn’t done anything to harm her.  That she knew of, anyways.  She followed Sarthusea out into the main room, which was…if she didn’t know better, she would have sworn it was a small apartment.  Pantry, small kitchen, a small table with chairs that were sized for a human, even a couch.

Sarthusea nodded and smiled.  “Would you like to eat out here with me?”, she asked as vines moved towards what must be a pantry of some kind.  They wove over and under each other, and soon a mug of steaming soup and another plate of grilled cheese was placed on a tray with a spoon.

The girl gasped as the vines shot out from Sarthusea and began to…it was almost enough to make her dizzy watching it.  A show of dexterity, and another sign that her captors weren’t human.  She looked at it, and then at Sarthusea, and then back at the food, trying to decide.  “Ummm…I’ll…I can sit at the table”, she whispered.  “Please.”

“Of course, little kitten”, Sarthusea said.  Since this was a hospital room meant for Terran patients, all the furniture and fittings were of a size for Terrans, save the couch, which boasted one end that was deep enough for an Affini to sit comfortably.  And the ceilings, which were high enough that no Affini would need to stoop.  Sarthusea sat down on the couch, still watching the Terran as the girl crept out, staying far away from her as she took her food and moved to the table. 

“So, little kitten”, Sarthusea said, trying to fill the silence so the Terran wouldn’t feel like she was being stared at.  “Tell me.  What do you do?”

“Ummm…what?”, the girl asked with her mouth full of grilled cheese and soup.  Swallowing what was in her mouth, she turned to Sarthusea.  “What..umm..what do you mean?”

“Well, what did you do.  On the ship, I mean.  I couldn’t help but overhear you, little one.  You said that those Feralists kidnapped you, and”, and she shook her head.  “I’m sorry, dear.  It’s just upsetting to even think of, what you must have gone through.  But you’re safe now.  So”, and she smiled, putting a smile back on her face.  “Why did they do that?”

“Oh.  Ummm…I’manicunurse”, she mumbled through a mouthful of soup and bread.

“I’m sorry, little one.  I didn’t quite catch that”, Sarthusea said with a smile.  It did her heart good, seeing the girl eat.  Well, after her heart broke seeing the obvious malnutrition and cuts the girl had.  And then broke again seeing how scared she was of Affini.

She swallowed, and then spoke again.  “I’m an intensive care unit nurse.”

“Really??  OH!!  That’s amazing!!!”, Sarthusea said excitedly as she sat up, flowers blooming all around her.  “I have so many questions about Terran medicine and I’d be delighted to answer any questions you have about Affini medications.  Terrans call them ‘xenodrugs’ ”, she said with a small laugh and a finger wave.  “Which makes sense, because they’re drugs, and we Affini are xenos to you.  And vice versa.”

“Ummm”, the girl said as she took another bite, a little overwhelmed at the enthusiasm and its display.  Why ask her questions, or feed her if they were going to kill her?  Oh…were they going to force her to work as well?  Is that why she wanted to know?  Something didn’t make sense.  She blinked, and tried to stall.  “Ummm…if Affini are made of plants, then…ummm…do you…I mean, how do you eat?”

“Oh.  Well, that’s a good question!  Most of us drink fortified water.  Some of us can live off of sunlight alone, but that’s pretty rare.  Then there are some that require a bit hardier fare, actual food like you Terrans eat.  It really depends on where we come from, what plants we bloomed from and where.”  Sarthusea smiled as she spoke, waving her hands in animated fashion, happy that the girl was at least talking to her.  “Is it true that Terrans still graft organs from other people into themselves?”  She’d heard that rumor.  That while some places were able to clone allogenic organs for those that needed them, healthcare among the Terrans pre-Affini was largely based on what they could afford.  And the rest suffered.  Barbaric.  Well, not anymore, she thought to herself.

“Umm…yea.  I mean, it really..ummm…it depends on your coverage and how many health credits you banked, I guess, and the planet you’re on.  I lived in a small mining colony, so we had nothing like that.  Not even much of an atmosphere since it didn’t pay to terraform it, so we all lived underground in interconnected complexes.  Renal failure, or heart failure was managed with medications.  I heard tell that if you were rich enough they could use your stem cells to make you a new kidney, for example.”  She shrugged.  “Never seen that, obviously.  All them fancy rejuvant treatments were reserved for the major planets and the rich on them, like Terra, or Mars.”  She swallowed, and then decided to bite the bullet.  So to speak.  “If you all drink fortified water, is it…ummm..is it fortified with liquidated Terrans?”

Sarthusea stared at her for a moment, incredulous, and then burst into laughter.  Bright peals of laughter that shook her.  ‘Dirt, what are these Feralists telling each other?’, she wondered to herself.  “Kitten!! Where in the stars did you hear such a thing?”, she said as she laughed, the sound like wind chimes and involved her entire body moving.  Even the flowers that made up her hair.  Seeing the girl shrink in on herself, Sarthusea smiled as she slowly stopped laughing.  “Is THAT what they’re telling everyone? Liquidated Terrans...  Tangle my vines, but that’s not one that I’ve heard before.  I’m not laughing at you, dear.  I’m really not.  But every time I think I’ve heard the most ridiculous thing that those “Free Terran” feralists say, I hear something even more outlandish.”  She smiled gently at her.  “That’s like…like the rumor that there are Terrans who can bend spoons with their minds.  Or that some can turn into horses when the moon is full.  Both are complete and utter nonsense.”

The girl looked at her, wondering if she should speak up, then decided to.  "Horses??  Umm...are you sure?  I thought it was wolves.  Werewolves."

"Hmm.  Are you sure, little one.  I thought it was horses."  The door slid open silently as she was speaking, and a new Affini walked in, making herself known when she spoke.

"No, she's right", the newcomer said.  "It's definitely wolves."  Then she smiled at the Terran gjrl warmly.  "Hello, little one.  We meet again", Gladialis Dulcisa, Fourth Bloom said.