Arlyana di Artica's eyebrow twitched in irritation while these peasants spoke brashly of things they knew naught about. Listening to prattle like this was bad enough when she could still tell her bodyguard to teach them a lesson, but the thrice-damned houseplant that insisted on stepping in her shadow every waking moment had the audacity to tell her that was "a worrying request" and "frankly, very immoral", the simpleton. What was the point of their so-called utopia if you couldn't even call for someone to deliver a thrashing to those who deserved it most?

 

It was dreadful enough being on a warship (albeit a rather spacious and tastefully decorated one), where someone of her standing should never have to even consider... well, standing! This she absolutely could not abide.

 

"Yeah, things were wild back then! You know, before we had motor vehicles, humans used to take trips in the coils of these things called horses," the biggest of them said, moron that she was, with that stoner's grin on her face framed by messily chopped hair. Honestly, one would think these people would start to care about fashion, with the infinite time and resources they hadn't earned and yet enjoyed regardless!

 

"Woah, hold up," said the next of the pitiful proletariat, "coils? I thought they had pouches. They were marsupials, right?" He was a skinny one with all the seeming fortitude of a union petition on her mother's world (those always caught fire in a most satisfying way), and yet had well over half a dozen beer bottles before him, empty. What a disgusting creature.

 

The last of the trio inhaled from some foul-smelling imitation of a cigarette, the end gleaming with false embers - she assumed, anyway, what with this entire ship and the smoker both being a nightmarishly dense collection of foliage, practically perfectly prone to prodigious... Um... The word was in there somewhere! Arlyana was grateful none of the base animals (and plants) she found herself in the detestable company of could hear her thoughts. "Wait," they said, scratching at their head of tangled vines with the same fingers that held whatever drug they elected to smoke (could the weeds even get high?), "they were really big, right? I always thought you rode in their mouths."

 

That was the final straw! Arlyana stalked up to the table and slammed her hand down on it with a scoff, her beautiful and pure white dress glittering under the light fixture overhead, matching the tone of her flawless skin and neatly trimmed hair; her parents, in their infinitely good taste and their access to expensive doctors, had intentionally induced a mutation that left her looking as cold as her heart, and she loved it.

 

She ignored the annoyingly persistent cheer of her unwanted companion, who said, "Now, petal, it's rude to interrupt conversations without asking!"

 

Arlyana di Artica, the perfect scion of the perfect family, tossed her perfect hair and spoke in her perfect voice to address these perfectly inferior people. "Have any of you boors even seen a horse before?"

 

"Uh, they're extinct. Duh," the large woman supplied like the absolute waste of already minuscule intellectual potential she was. "How are we supposed to have seen any?"

 

"Maybe as far as you... people," she dubiously decided upon with a dismissive wave of a well-manicured hand, "are concerned, but you're hardly the only sets of eyes in the galaxy." Speaking of eyes, the Affini among the trio had six - far too many. What did they need all of those for? Tacky.

 

The twig-like human shifted in his seat, clearly unsettled by her obvious superiority. "And, what, you have?"

 

Arlyana chuckled as she slid to grace the edge of the table with her rear's presence, crossing her legs in a flourishing display that was almost completely unappreciated when it came to these simple rubes. "Oh, I've seen dozens of horses over the years. My family breeds them for racing as a hobby."

 

The big one (still small compared to the Affini) snorted and rolled her eyes in disbelief. Ignorant fool. "Whatever you say, snowflake."

 

The best person in the room pursed her lips in irritation, which intensified when the plant of the group spoke up in her defense. "Suhair, that's not a very nice term and I think you know it. You have to be better, babe."

 

"What? It's the attitude!" She, Suhair, raised a hand to gesture at Arlyana like she wasn't there, the gravest insult since that... word. "She screams arctic circle old money."

 

Arlyana, in turn, casually inspected her ivory nails. "Well, that much is true, wage slave. Before you disbelieve me, though, you should see for yourself. We're not far from my mother's planet, and the stables there have plenty of horses."

 

The rather curious drugged-up plant took another inhale from their chemical crutch before answering. "Cutie," they started with that infuriating word, "I'm not so sure if that's such a good idea. You're a ward, right?"

 

Canna Greui, Fifth Bloody Bloom (she/it), spoke up with its indefatigable and ceaseless joy. "Oh, don't worry about her; she's harmless, just a little bit mean sometimes!"

 

Oh, harmless. Yes, truly, of course she was - and she'd show the weeds exactly how harmless she was once she was home with her resources and... Well, that line of thought was a matter of habit. Even with her rather healthy self-respect and self-confidence, she wasn't under the delusion that she was going to fight herself out of this... physically. The legal battle would have to be won over years, but at least she could get it started a bit early.

 

"Hmm... Guess it couldn't hurt. The planet will be ours soon enough anyway." The underestimating fool of the Affini opposite the table conceded, and the humans gave their unenthusiastic consent.

 

They would all see how unimpressed they would seem when faced with the most majestic creatures ever to exist, great and terrible, beyond the impact of any beings but their own riders.

 

 

"That there's a bear," Suhair said, the verbal equivalent of pencil scribblings on ultra-recycled paper.

 

"What!?" Arlyana demanded. The beautiful horse before them raised its head over the stable's wall at the noise, thick neck's layer of fat wobbling slightly in that utterly adora- Ahem. That was to say, absolutely awe-inspiring way it often did. Her eyes were covered in a slow blink, and she opened her mouth to let out a short chuffing sort of noise, exposing dozens of sharp teeth in the process. Ah, how she'd missed being home. "You're obviously clueless in matters of biology. I don't know why I expected any more from the uneducated masses."

 

Striding forward, she let the gorgeous beast sniff her hand before she ran it through the thick, wiry mane before her. She procured a treat (cloned fish meat, Cherry's favourite) from a nearby bucket and tossed it into the horse's mouth, receiving a satisfied grumble in reply that set her eyes sparkling.

 

Canna stepped forward, still well taller than either of them, and hummed as she examined the creature. "Well, at least partially piscivorous, furred, four-legged, clawed, and seemingly capable of a semiaquatic lifestyle... I suppose it could be either a horse or a bear!"

 

"Cherry," Arlyana corrected, "is one of our prized thoroughbreds! Though she's retired now, she used to be the greatest racehorse in galactic history!" Darn, she always got defensive when it came to Cherry. Poor girl just needed someone to rub that soft snout of hers, and Arlyana was more than happy to provide, instantly improving the mood of the most precious and by far the cutes- Ahem. In other words, her most appreciated horse. And really, what kind of monster wouldn't appreciate Cherry?... other than Father.

 

Suhair, apparently, who broke out laughing and walked away. Complete ingrate. At least the other human remained, though he didn't seem convinced. "Hey, look, I want to believe you, but... that looks a lot like a bear to me."

 

"Perhaps you should ask our new, most gracious floral overlords," each word practically spit, "for a prescription of eyeglasses then! I don't know how much more clear this could be!"

 

"Hey, is that true, Markus? Do you need some kind of visual aid?" The Affini whose name mattered little enough Arlyana'd already forgotten it seemed concerned. Typical saccharine things, these Affini, ignoring her scathing sarcasm when some human seemed pathetic enough to "domesticate" or whatever in stars' name they did.

 

While the two conversed, Canna laid an unwelcome vine over Arlyana's shoulders (though she had to admit, the touch always produced a relaxing sort of tingle that was starting to grow on her). "Do you want to take Cherry back to the ship, sweetie?"

 

She considered the proposition as well as the horse before her, hands scratching under a slightly slobber-coated chin (ew, but she tolerated it for Cherry). "No, I don't think she'd be happy there... but since this planet is now occupied, we could come visit whenever I wanted to, no?"

 

"Of course, petal. Whatever would make you happy." Canna leaned down and left a kiss on top of her head which was completely and totally out of line and rage-inducing and the worst thing to happen to her in so many cycles and... and... admittedly, rather nice. With tolerable company like this, and unlimited visitation to Cherry's home... Well, Arlyana supposed maybe, supposedly, she could get used to this new regime.

 

If not its insistence she interact with those who refused to recognise her as their better. Suhair's laughter reached a peak over a long crescendo. "This- This one's a fuckin' panda!"

 

Arlyana growled and left a kiss on the tip of Cherry's nose, and a rub on her ears, before marching off to loudly, angrily correct her new nemesis, Canna in her shadow all the while.