Elowin walked from her hab, her steps hurried out of a worry slowly growing in her core. She received a message from Lily, her mind was racing at the words. Vines tightened, flowers closed up and almost wilted as her worry grew, if she could bite her lip, she would. The shop wasn’t far from where the hab unit was, but it seemed to be as endless as the universe. Step after step, rhythm discordant and irritated, some affini turned their heads at it, but Elowin did not care.

Lily was standing in front of the shop, looking at her datapad. The terran looked as beautiful as always. A part of Elowin’s mind thought of how lovely the girl would be in her vines. To see the girl’s eyes look up at her, pretty flowers filled with joy. A collar, a dress, perhaps in a park with flowers surrounding them. Elowin pointing and discussing the ones she knew, while listening to the stories that Lily would tell of them. The thought was ignored, imagination brought to a halt as the expression of the terran came more into view.

“Is everything alright dear? I read your message, though I have no idea why you want to go to the med wing.” Lily looked up, her eyes were iridescent almost. Not like affini eyes, they were of a different breed. These once were curious, encapsulating, Elowin could look into them for hours, see the minor changes, the dilation, the movement.

“I’m quite alright, thank you for your concern. As for why I asked for you… my request was approved on the notion that I get an escort. Apparently me being a previous medic and rebel, means that I shouldn’t be trusted around such things again.” She sighed, shoulders slumping, Elowin’s vines tightened slightly at how tired the woman looked. Her hair was slightly messy, her face showing hints of exhaustion. “I don’t know why you picked me, nor the reason for why you’re going to the medical wing.”

“For the latter, I wanna meet with the… “catch” that happened recently. Give them flowers as a gesture of being seen and assurance. I’m sure most will probably throw them away, but… I’m sure a few will take care of them.” There was a sad smile on the terran’s face, her hands clutching the datapad as she softly sighed. A painful thought running through her head, harder to catch than the rest. She didn’t dare say the real reason, why she’d go back to a place she so vehemently ignored a few years back. “The former is because if I asked Echona to come, she’d probably talk about which affini would be best for me, perhaps even try and force me into a domestication center when the day is over. I’m too tired for such nonsense today.”

Elowin’s leaves rustled, her rhythm turning slightly discordant at the offhand remark of the terran. The way she waved away the affini’s wishes to help her, to ensure she was not in pain was frustrating in a sense. The only reason Elowin did not fight the point was because Lily was right. Echona was brash in a way she had never seen before, it was clear that she cared for the terran, but there was a background between them that made it seem like their fight had lasted more than a few months.

“I won’t talk about it anymore then. I’ll happily escort you to the medwing, perhaps go to the cafe after and get to know eachother better. Have a cute pre-date y’know~”

Lily blushed, her gaze moving to the ground as she gave a… smile? Elowin was surprised that her comment created such a reaction, so surprised she didn’t notice she cooed softly. Making the moment cut short. “I’m glad that you will accompany me, we can even enjoy some coffee later if you wish, Though I may be a little… tired. This won’t be my most comfortable excursion.”

With that, Lily moved into the shop, before returning with a tote bag of what seemed like cards and a trolley filled with purple flowers. Elowin’s face mask made an eyebrow lift as if confused with the sight. A few of her flowers bloomed in response as she looked at the human with an inquisitive gaze. “Lavender?”

“It has a calming scent for terrans, and old world science used to believe it held deep medicinal significance within skincare and alternative medicinal products. To me it’s a gesture to ‘Get well soon’. The use of a terran plant might also be soothing, though this far into space. I don’t believe that most will recognize it as such.”

There was a strange sadness in Lily’s voice at the end. A mellow, but not uncomfortable silence followed as the two walked for a bit. Once the silence finally did start to grow too long for the terran’s comfort, Elowin added. “I find your knowledge of terran plants… fascinating. It’s not medical, or scientific, it’s.. cultural. It’s a thing I wonder if I miss when I help develop the parks on the ship. You hold much value to the symbolism of your flora.”

Lily gave a conciliatory smile before sighing and shaking her head. The affini wasn’t wrong per say, but it wasn’t right either. Much of this information took months for Lily to find and learn and double check. Symbolisms and contradictory information often showed itself. Certain flowers were seen as medicinal, and poisonous at the same time. Today’s humanity would probably not even recognize half the flora she had, given they were extinct or only seen by the upper class. Flowers were a luxury for the last 100 years, many of the more significant flowers even being controlled, so that poor people could not get a hold of them.

“Perhaps one day… we used to hold much value to these flora. Now? I do not know, I’m simply glad that I can talk to someone about this. Especially creatures made of plant matter.”

Elowin looked to the terran, intrigued by her words. More flowers bloomed, her mind wandering to other ways the two could interact. It would be fun to discuss different terran flora that could be added to the forests, perhaps listen to more of the girl’s stories. Petting, cuddling, listening, enjoying her.. the thoughts soon turned, and Elowin stopped thinking too much. She was growing attached, and as much as she wanted, she was unsure if she wanted to lay claim to the girl.

The duo soon reached the medwing, most of the walk devolving into small talk, a few gossip stories of Lily’s friends, and some embarrassing stories from Elowin about Echona. Lily’s spirits lifted once more, that strange weight that tied her down the entire day seeming to lift with the comfort of the affini.

“Good day miss Elowin! I didn’t know you had a floret already.” The affini behind the desk mused, Lily’s face turning slightly pink causing the receptionist to coo and reach out a vine to pet Lily.

Lily masterfully avoided the attempt at a pet and smiled up to the affini. “I’m afraid to announce that I have not been claimed… yet. Elowin is escorting me while I hand out flowers to the rebels that were recently captured. Lily Aveler, She/Her”

Elowin was impressed by how curtly the terran managed to shutdown the affini, the latter’s vines twisting and tightening in an unusual display of embarrassment. The affini recovered moments later, looking at their data pad and nodding. “The rooms will be E5143 to E5149, please have your… escort with you at all times, though they should all be asleep, some may be more resistant than others.”

Lily nodded, thanking them in affini, which caused the receptionist to tighten even more. Elowin’s flowers blooming with a strange pride for the terran.

The rooms were not far away, Affini designations were very thorough, and didn’t give room for confusion. That being said, the walk was less than enjoyable. There could be heard whimpers, whines, even screams from some, as affini and nurses tried to calm some of the more volatile of the rebels. Lily felt sorry for them for a moment, but knew that their initial fears would be quelled. Reaching the first of the rooms, Lily was met with a woman, her right arm was removed, possibly due to a metal one sitting there from before.

The woman’s face was rugged, small scars lining her face and hand, she was fast asleep, bonds wrapped around all available extremities. Lily stood there for a moment longer, she could imagine them, walking into her office, demanding pain medication for the faulty arm that hasn’t seen proper care in years. Lily soon returned to the world around her, pulling a pot of lavender and a card, placing them gently on one of the tables to the side.

It may be scary now, and the pain you hold is heavy. However it will get better, trust me.

-Lily Aveler.

Botanist, Florist, Terran.

Stealing one final glance, Lily smiled and left the room, her body feeling heavier and lighter at the same time.

“I will say, you seem mellow when you do this. Many of these people perhaps hate your guts, yet you show them a kindness that could almost rival an affini’s.”

The two were walking down the hall, Lily had gone to four of the six rooms, all of them contained a sleeping terran, face either peaceful or twisted in a strange nightmare that she knew all too well of.

“They hate me, because they were told to. They despise, because they are afraid. Much like I despise Echona right now for pushing affini on me like rabid dogs.”

“You’re afraid of domestication? Even when you’ve seen the effects, when you know how happy one could be as a pet?”

“I’m afraid of losing what I have, my shop, my hab unit, my freedom to roam. I’ve seen independent shops like mine disappear after the owner domesticated, the store replaced, or even made the same but with a different owner. I… just don’t want that.”

Lily looked down, her face was a shade of red shame as she tried to calm herself. Why did she share that? It didn’t matter, Elowin wouldn’t help her.

“I find your shop beautiful and a gem within this ship, if I have the chance, I might petition for your continued ownership, or at least management over the establishment.”

What? Lily looked up, looking into the affini’s eyes, the pull almost sucked her in as she was trapped there for a moment. Elowin’s face betrayed no emotions, but her body twisted and turned with anxiety.

“I… t-thank you… though I fear there’s not much you can do on that front.”

Lily opened the door to the next medical room, entering to meet an androgynous person, their hair was matted with sweat. Their body was more lean, malnutrition seeming to have hit them worse than any other. As Lily walked in, their eyes opened.

“Mmmmhhh… Where? I… who are you? Where am I?”

Lily froze, looking at the terran rebel, fear filling her for a moment before realizing they were restrained. Her look of shock replaced with a smile as she walked further in, she could feel Elowin moving to sedate the rebel, but she held up a hand.

“I’m Lily Aveler, She/Her. You’re on the Athelum, an affini scouting vessel. You’re being treated for a myriad of medical issues, but I assure you, you are safe.”

The terran looked in fear when Elowin moved closer to them, the expression turning to shock as Lily managed to stop her stride and speak. Their body relaxed for a moment as they looked from the terran to the affini and back.

“So… you’re one of those pets? Are you here to mock us before we get sent to the mines?”

There was a sudden laughter coming from Lily, the shock of the statement making her smile bemused before shaking her head and calming, looking at the rebel with a bright smile.

“No, I am not a pet, nor am I here to mock you. Do they really still continue with the mines and fertilizer theories? I would’ve expected something more… extreme. I’m an independent florist, here to give you something that might relax and reassure.”

The blush from the terran turned even brighter as she looked to Lily who now sat down, a pot of lavender and a card in hand as she placed it on a table nearby.

“You were a rebel?”

“As close as a medic could be, I was more or less dragged in because they vented every other professional.”

“Are the affini as good… as they say? Can… they… y’know.”

Lily looked at the terran’s gaze, realizing she saw herself in them, a timid fear, insecurity, anxiety over perhaps choosing wrong. She spoke before thinking.

“I betrayed the rebels, not fully because we were slowly dying, or because of some ideological reason. They are factors, but… I ultimately asked for their help once my pacemaker started to fail on me. I was slowly dying on the ship, my need for survival taking the better of me as me and my lover sent out the coordinates. My heart was ruined, but… I got a new one. I got drugs that help me relax, change my body the way I want it to look. I feel no discrimination, no hatred, just unconditional love.”

The terran looked at Lily, shock and worry mixing before relief filled their face. Looking at the lavender they smiled.

“That’s a flower I haven’t seen in a long time… th-thank you.”

Lily left the room, Elowin in tow as she tapped on her data pad, her vines tightening.

“I alerted the med wing over their awakening. Perhaps we should call it an end?”

Lily looked to Elowin, worry was showing on the pseudo-face, she almost nodded, the discordant rhythm pushing against her plant tech heart. Her “core”. She shook her head instead.

“I want to finish this, there’s one more patient, and I’d rather not have it seem like I didn’t give them anything when they wake, you’ll be right behind me anyway.”

Elowin nodded, her vines wrapping tighter around her, some of the flowers wilting as they walked to the last door. Lily was shaking slightly, the truth she told brought memories, a gun, a hand, a crying woman in her lap. Guilt.

Opening the door, Lily entered to find the chair empty. Empty… why was-

“Fucking traitor!”

There was a sudden pain in her gut, she looked to see the rebel, body riddled with planttech remedies, stare at her with a burning hatred. Her body and mind disconnected as adrenaline filled her system, she looked down to see broken glass penetrating her stomach, she coughed as her bracelet flashed red, xenodrugs moving to queel and ease the pain as vines filled her vision.

Darkness soon pulling her down.