Chapter 7: Moving in

Wind softly blew over the blades of grass separating the Terran and the Affini. Eyes were locked as they menacingly flexed muscle and vine at each other. The human calculated the odds as they shifted weight from one augmented leg to the other, feeling the dirt give slightly with each movement. The Affini opposite dug roots into the ground grasping tight, bracing its mass against the oncoming battle.

Another soft gust of wind stirred leaves and pollen into the air, a soft haze clouding the no-man’s land between the two as they stared each other down. The Terran’s face was twisted into a determined scowl as they tensed and relaxed their muscles. The affini merely smirked, as if this was all child’s play. Eyes locked, they both seemed to be egging the other into acting first through sight alone.

The Terran snorted hard and spat at the ground between the two. “What’s wrong pot plant? too afraid to make the first move against a cosmic marine?” they asked mockingly. “I’ve wiped the floor with your kind before, why not just give up now? I’ll make the rest of this painless.” They cracked their knuckles and lowered their pose, readying to burst into action. Their taunt was met with a deep guttural laugh. The affini was just mocking them now. No matter, it won’t matter in too long.

“If you’re so sure. Little. Terran. Why don’t you prove it? I’ll even let you get the first blow in.” the Affini taunted back, modulating her voice to be as uncanny as she could make it for her opposite. Roots dug deep and their stance widened, leaving an obvious trap below the legs. No, the Terran was too experienced to fall for something that obvious.

Another gust of wind, the Terran raising one heel then the other as long seconds passed by, keeping their forefeet on the ground at all times. A leaf blew between the two as the wind died, slowly tumbling to the soft grassy ground. Falling. The two stared at each other, then the leaf, then back at their opposite with a titanic focus. Falling. Falling. The Terran made their mind up as muscles tensed, the leaf dancing only centimetres from the ground.

Contact- and the Terran was flying- their enhanced if not entirely synthetic legs bounding them in great ten meter strides, faster than any unaugmented human could hope to run. By the time someone could react, they were already on the affini, lowering their body before bursting, flying over the affini as she fell for their feint. The Terran didn’t even stop to land as they kept going, hitting a tree scant meters behind the affini and rocketing off, flying towards the Affini’s torso, shoulder first. The Terran grinned and the Affini grinned back as their plans suddenly collided. Or rather the Terran collided, with the ground.

Less than a meter from their foe, a hole opened up in the affini’s torso just big enough for the Terran to fly through, landing on their chest, their clothing taking the brunt. Whatever smug amusement the Affini felt was dampened as the Terran followed the momentum, smashing their legs into the ground and bouncing in a forward flip back into their feet, turning on one heel. The Terran grinned hungrily at the Affini, readying for another explosion of energy as another Affini entered the field.

“Brought friends now? Takes three to tango.” The terran chuckled with a raised eyebrow. The Affini looked towards the newcomer, leaving an opening the Terran couldn’t resist, ground split beneath their feet as they made one final mad pounce. Moving faster than any terran’s body had the right to they prepared to punch the Affini an-

The Affini had caught the human in her vines, fist mere centimetres away from the Affini’s turned head. Returning to the Terran, she smiled. “Better luck next time, Sylvia Monocots of the Terrans” she chuckled. Sylvia smirked back at their mistress, flicking a finger forward, touching between the affini’s eyebrows.

“It’s a tie now Hilijan Monocots, fifth bloom.” they replied slyly, eliciting another chuckle from Hilijan as she put her floret down.

“A tie for now” she winked as Rimu approached, petting Sylvia’s head softly. The Terran was always sober during these games, they asked it to be that way, and Hilijan always loved a little bit of rough and tumble with her florets. That’s why she chose mighty Sylvia Monocots, third floret and former cosmic marine, in the first place. Sylvia bounced from one foot to the other as Hilijan returned to Rimu, her friend clapping softly as she neared.

“You two always put on a fantastic show.” Rimu started as she came to a stop just a few meters away. “How are you doing, Hili?” she asked as she extended one of her arms, hilijan extending one of her own allowing their vines to mix.

“Feeling as alive as my lovely floret here” Hilijan replied, waving at the well muscled Terran to her side. Rimu chuckled.

“Feeling as alive as your lovely floret?” Rimu asked, bending down to Sylvia. “Tell me little terran. Are you alive?” she asked, the terran raised their eyebrows smugly in response.

“Hell yeah”

“Prove it,” Rimu said softly. A second later and Sylvia burst into action, jumping high and performing a forward flip onto Rimu’s back. Enough of Rimu’s vines moved out of the way so just enough were there to catch Sylvia and slow them to a stop just millimetres from the ground. Suddenly more of Rimu descended on Sylvia, wrapping them completely minus their head in Rimu’s torso as Hilijan pressed a few buttons on her tablet, contented happy sighs coming from the nicely wrapped up terran moments later as they softly squirmed in the attentive mass of vines.

“If you’re not careful Rimu, some people may think you’re shopping around for your first floret.” Hilijan winked, to which Rimu dramatically raised her arm to her forehead.

“Stars save me from even the thought” she replied with mock scandal, suppressing a chuckle as she presented a vine to the terran who she kept snuggled nice and tight in her torso. “Though. You’ve hit quite close Hili” she continued, looking at her friend a bit more seriously. “Mind if we sit at one of the benches… I have a few looking after Terrans in a domestic setting questions” Hilijan simply rubbed her hands together in glee. By now Sylvia’s normal xenodrug regimen had started to enter their system again as they bit down on the vine, chewing with some satisfaction.

“So you’re adopting that lovely pluribus then, dear?” Hilijan asked, immediately running towards one of the unoccupied benches before even finishing her question. Rimu shook her head and started off after her friend, gripping her cargo a little tighter.

“It’s not exactly that” she cried after Hilijan as she ran.

“I can’t hear you, Rimu, I think it’s the wind speed” Hilijan playfully replied as she jumped onto the park bench, Rimu not far behind. Settling down with the now very blissful Sylvia still in her torso, Rimu looked at Hilijan who gave back a mischievous smile.

“I said. Not exactly that”

“Oh then what is this arrangement you have with the lovely Terran then?” Hilijan asked, leaning forward with one arm on the back of the seat. “You wanting a test run of having a floret?” she asked, voice laced with playful sarcasm.

Rimu shook her head. “Not that, Hili. I’ve been just… captivated by the poor little things.” she started, looking down at the adoring floret as she inundated them with more attention from her vines. “It’s so interesting to see the first of those kind of terrans I’ve ever met. Even more so how they managed to end up in our lap when one of them is a die hard free terran ’til her death” she grimaced at those last words, conflicting feelings welling up a little.

“Ah. A real feralist among them, then” Hilijan replied, tone turning more serious. “And the other two? Still safe and compliant?” she asked carefully.

“Oh yes. The one who turned them all in, Juniper, she’s practically broken herself in, just wanting to be off that ship and damn the consequences.” Rimu chuckled. “And with good reason. After hearing her describe what they had to go through, I think she’d jump into a burning funeral pyre before being aboard the Planar Abyssal again.” Hilijan simply nodded.

Sylvia, still conscious but letting the conversation between their owner and the adoring affection given by the affini perked up a little through their haze. “Shouldn… shouldn’t you have gotten all of them by now? given them your love?” they asked, voice raising and lowering as they felt the intoxication of being so felt.

Rimu smiled and petted Sylvia’s head again, eliciting a happy little squeak as all thought was blown away like fog upon a lake. “We’re rounding up the last of them, little floret. I promise you that.” Hilijan smiled softly at that. The rebels had been thoroughly thinned out at this stage.

“So… the other one?”

“June. Her I’m not so sure about. She seems to be happy enough just doing her own thing, not even really aware of the context of the world around her, intensely curious about electronics and all that. But clearly that’s because her mind seems to be on a thin glass plate, wobble it too much with past events and she shatters, hard. Admittedly this is off just one experience, but she spiralled hard when I made a scant reference to something another one did.”

Hilijan raised her eyebrows. “Sounds like a lot of things to try unwind in their minds, dear Rimu.” Hili said flatly. “But you’re a medical professional. Up until a few days you were acting deputy head of the whole wing. I know you’ll find a way” she softly said as she placed a hand on Rimu’s shoulder.

“The medical things, I can do,” Rimu replied after a moment. “I know all the procedures if we’ve got a Terran experiencing a pulmonary embolism. I’m currently binge reading as many human psych textbooks, case notes, and thoughts of other psychology experts I can get my vines on. None of that teaches me-”

“None of that teaches you how to take care of a terran in a domestic setting?” she asked, interrupting Rimu and not caring.

“…yes” Rimu replied, looking down for a moment at the helpless form of Sylvia.

“Well first off. You’re probably going to need to find out some specifics. What they all like to eat, what their hobbies are. Since you’re not their owner, yet-” Hilijan started.

“I’m not trying to be their owner,” Rimu interjected.

“Oh come on, we all see it. You’re falling for those little ones. Why else would you focus on them and resign your position?” she asked. “You look like some boxes have been checked, and you’re asking them to be sharing a house with you for dirt’s sake.” Hilijan replied, a little bit annoyed. “Don’t insult your friends by pretending it’s all under our radar.”

“Fine. I’m at least very much considering it. Have you seen how adorable they are?” she finally relented, seeing a satisfied grin grow on Hilijan’s face. No way she can get past her friend after all.

“They are adorable. Though I’d still say I am very much in love with my newest floret. Sylvia was so excited to hear they have a connivent.”

“How is your newest little one?” Rimu asked. “Since I’ve been… indisposed.”

“Falling for three terrans” Hilijan cheekily interjected.

“Right. That.” Rimu started. “Since I’ve been indisposed with those three, I’ve never had a real chance to catch up on the rest of the crew.” Rimu continued, shaking her head in at least a little mock frustration, stroking one of Sylvia’s cheeks.

“Well, they’re currently in surgery right now. It’s a minor thing, appendix needs to be removed and a couple other small things, which is why Sylvia and I have taken a little bit to practice our game while we wait to hear from the surgeon.” Hilijan said softly. “Not exactly my decision but he requested that he be given some peace and quiet so we decided to relax out here.” Of course. Only one surgeon in the station could do that, and had the attitude to match. “That and he needs room for his new apprentice to learn.” Rimu looked surprised, Nectarios wasn’t much one for training apprentices any more.

“Well… I guess it’s a good time to get back to what we were talking about before our little… distraction” Rimu firmly returned to the topic at hand.

“Right. Well in my experience Rimu, a lot of it is that you’re definitely going to need to invest into your new… guest’s interests and learn more about them as a person. Just putting them in a collar will only go so far, and just putting them on a tablet will probably just make them bored.” Hilijan reached out a vine to pet the barely awake Sylvia, still in Rimu’s chest. “For me and lovely little Sylvia we’ve found contact sports especially, or in our case ‘dodge the contact’ sports to be exhilarating. Not to say you can’t do stuff you like, but it’s best to give everyone a bone who flew on, or whatever that terran saying is. Keep them all mentally stimulated.”

Rimu nodded as she got her tablet out and started jotting down everything her friend was saying, more than a little relieved she was able to start with some solid enough sounding advice.

“Another one, privacy” Hilijan started, pausing. Taking the cue, Rimu looked up at her friend. “Privacy is, as with most other species, something Terrans need, even florets need it.” Rimu nodded, it made sense she supposed, it was definitely a reason why the wards were all separated into single patient rooms beyond sterilization needs, though there was never something completely private in the context of a hospital. “I think in the case of your little pluribus it’ll be doubly so since they’ll be surrounded with florets. Given one is a die hard free terran giving them that refuge will help them better process their new reality.”

“Privacy… right.” Rimu thought for a moment. “That doesn’t mean don’t keep an eye out. Right?” she asked, a little concerned. Hilijan shook her head.

“Of course not. It’s always good to check in, but try to not be there every moment of their lives, best if you watch from the shadows. Tying into the last bit of advice I have, Rimu. Let them out of the hab, allow them to wander, otherwise they may suffer some not very good side effects. They should be staying in the affini built areas though.”

“Of course. I’ll always shadow them if they’re out and about anyways.” Rimu said happily. “I know there’s still free terran sympathisers in the station proper, which presents a safety threat if one of them get out there.” She thought for a moment. “I think I’ll be able to make something of that though” she finished. “Anything for the little flustered sapling~” Hilijan teased, Rimu shaking her head.

“Now with that discussed, I think Sylvia deserves some more cuddling” Rimu softly cooed.

Eye open, eye close. Eye open, eye close.

There was a soft sound somewhere in the room that seemed to be synced to June’s blinking, or was it that her blinking was synced to the sound? She didn’t know and in this particular moment, she didn’t really seem to care all that much. She was in a nice and soft bed, her mind too floaty and relaxed to really care. Of course she wanted to explore this place a little more, but there was just such a lovingly inviting haze that filled her head that she couldn’t even lift a finger if she really wanted to.

The nice floral scent of the air seemed to have some effect on her memory and her perception. No way was she normally this… floaty. Not even when the gravity wasn’t working on the old ship. Her body was firmly in place but consciously, she was floating happily above it all, content to let everything flow by.

Every thread of thought that she encountered simply slipped through her fingers, not like she was trying too hard to actually attempt grasping them. Nice and floating it all just passed her by as she floated atop the surface of the lake in her mind.

Every now and then, there’d be a bubbling from below the surface, as a dark shape would begin to emerge, just beneath the surface, blurred by the bending of the light by the water, making this form hard to distinguish in any detail other than a faint familiarity. Sometimes it would bubble up close to the surface, other days she’d sink just as it rose to the top, leaving her in the dark, warm embrace below the water’s surface.

Up and down to and from the surface of the lake, still warm and still oddly welcoming, like the blissful blanket that covered her physical body was wrapped around her consciousness. Up and down, up and down.

In one of the brief moments when her mind turned back to the world of the real, she saw that nice affini doctor was standing over her. Saying something that slipped by her comprehension, stirring an odd sense of emotion that weirdly didn’t feel like her own. She was speaking but without a proper human mouth she couldn’t tell anything.

Her eyes opened again, to the soft sound again, closing, opening, closing. A vine softly stroked her, eliciting a muffled moan in response, a lovely tingle June wished could remain snaking across her skin. There was that doctor again, and another looking at her with… something mischievous yet oddly caring look. There besides the affini, a pair of terrans. One of them with silver eyes, the other she couldn’t tell what but it felt intimately familiar as bubbles in the lake of her mind rose to the surface for a moment. She said something, muffled and incomprehensible, did she say it?

Her eyes closed again as she plunged back below the surface of the water. Even as she did, she felt something brush past her, for a moment they touched as dull realization began to bloom but quickly faded as she descended once more.

The next time she woke up, she wasn’t in the bed any more. Instead curled up in those vines that made her feel so nice again, the tingling running across her skin, nice and warm despite the lack of blanket that she’d been snuggled into much of the last however long she’d been here. A stroke of her cheek focused her attention on the affini doctor again, smiling down at her with a beautiful smile. Gosh, she really must have been blind in that medical place, if she’s only now catching how beautiful the affini was.

June tried to form words but none came, with effort she was able to make some approximation of a word before giving up. It all felt too nice as she started to feel herself sinking below the surface of the lake again. Just as she returned to the dark warmth she could make out the words:

“Welcome to your new room, little one. Please do make yourself at home” the Affini said with a little giggle in her voice as the world blanked out again.