Chapter 3: Found Family

Avala sat beneath the tree reading her saucy domestication stories, this one was written by a floret, keymashes and everything.
Photosynthesising with her foot trailing through the glassy pond, sparkling fish whose scales glimmer in the sunlight like disco balls floating in their underwater world.

Avala turned the page of her book, taking pleasure in how physical and analogue this media is, in contrast to her work.
It was always strange to unwind from being a tangled web of vines, with attention split between several touch panels, or was it to wind up?
Taking a bipedal shape instead of a bush, when you can be anything, sometimes it is special to be one just thing.

Little fuzzy mammals (nonsapient) were picking berries, fruit, seeds and nuts from a tree. One of those habitat trees perfectly suited to the little nestlings needs. Always with something new to harvest throughout the year.
The wind blows in, over the band of trees and shrubs keeping this pool private and cosy.
A perfect place to read. Tossing non-sensing krill substitute to the fish and water birds.

Turning the page again, turning her attention back to some cuddly nonsense.
Reading, the florets descriptions are so simple and profound Avala can almost feel the sensations in her vines, she can see the characters in her mind, smell the scents little Tabatha’s Owner plys her mind with.
Such a comforting smell, that everything is alright in the world, that we are safe and comfortable, Anacardiaceae’s vines entwined with mine holding beautiful Tabatha together.

Slipping from her stupor.
Anacardiaceae?
Lifting her flowers and vines to smell the wind.
And feeling pollen land against her pistils.
Reweaving herself in a standing position Avala started walking towards her friend.
‘What’s the sapling done now?’

As Avala walked closer, she could feel the air pregnant with air borne xenodrugs, smell hints of injectable A’s and C’s in the mixture of heady smells.
Pollen full with genetic information was dusting the world downwind from where Anacariaceae must be.
Clearing the trees hedging her sanctuary Avala saw her, holding a sophont in her arms.

‘Oh stars and seeds'

Avala walks closer to see her friend, and the cutie snuggling in her cradling arms. The air itself is intoxicating, pregnant with potent pheromones.

Part of Avala felt herself become receptive in a way she hasn't felt in a long time.
Fine vines swaying in the air, seeking, searching to encircle and entwine.
Feeling needy for touch, and embarrassed of her emotions, Avala paused.
Taking a few deep breathes, entirely metabolically unnecessary, but psychologically stabalising.
Her vines stilled, less greedy for touch.
‘She’s your friend’ Avala reminded her body. ‘Plus, Anacardiaceae already has a little darling in her arms.’
Starting to walk again Avala calls out softly from middle distance so as not to wake the flower.
“Hello Anacardiaceae,”
Ana wakes from her pleasant daze with a start.
“And who is this precious flower?”
“Her name is Xara”

Avala’s stems wilted in shock ‘little Xaxa’, looking closer at the girl, the same light brown hair in a ponytail, same slender frame, and in the vines near her face is woven her wicker ball sitting in Anacardiaceae’s shoulder.
“Xara” Avala murmered.
“Yes, Xara.” Anacardiaceae smiles, gazing into her dreamy face.

Avala’s vines go tight to fight against their wilt.
she should be happy for Anacardiaceae, she is lovely, if a bit inexperienced. im sure Xara will love her dearly, thinking the whole universe of her.
feeling that love and joy florets and their Affini share..

Ana can’t believe it, Avala is here right in front of me.
Her thoughts want to race, but her core is so calm, holding little Xara so safe in her sleep.
Wanting to impress her friend.
“Look Avala!” she whispered excitedly “She fell asleep in my vines.”
“You didn’t put her to sleep in your vines?”
“Roots no" shaking her head "She was teaching me how to kick a ball, but didn’t specify a no cuddling rule. I tried a little breathing exercise to calm her down when she needed to enunciate her words a tad more, but looking in my eyes put her in a daze snuggling in my arms.”
The words wound Avala’s core.
Little Xara, young Anacardiaceae. They are perfect for each other.

Ana’s cheeks turned their rosy hue.
“Avala.. I made a bit of a mess of ourselves.” Gesturing vaguely over their whole front. “I can’t control myself, I just came into blossom from holding her in my arms.”
“Come.” Avala took Anacardiaceae’s hand, leading the pair to where she came from.
Ana’s emotions were in a whirl, first she stood up confident when talking to Avalia, after so long looking up to her star gardening friend she has done something truly impressive.
She stood so confident holding Xara in her arms, the fragile pet lent Ana so much strength.
Usually being around Avala makes the back of her legs ripple and vibrate.
It’s good that only happens at the back of her legs, because it would be difficult to explain if it happened on the front.
‘Avala, she’s holding my hand!’

Led hand by hand through the park’s field, through the hedges and trees lining the park as habitat corridors.
Slipping through a hole in the brushes just wide enough for Avala’s form. Branches woven between two bushes in an arch.
A thick bundle of branches wrapped and woven together everyday for many years.
Two plants made one.

The first person Avala led into her sanctuary since Alya passed.
Avala spoke in her revieve “We need to wash the saps and pollens from Xara’s clothes and skin.
Come into the water.”

Ana stepped to the shore of the crystalline pond. Nervous, looking to Avala, but stepping in. Of course she would think to immediately clean the little petal drenched in xenodrugs.
Not hold her close in a never ending cuddle, like holding a new pet and never wanting to let her go.
Stepping into the water, heated at a comfortable temperature in case any lovely sophonts want to go for a swim, but don’t want to be chilly.
Stepping down and down, fine brown and tan sand glitters beneath the water.
Lowering till Ana is up to her chest in the water.

Floating vines supporting Xara’s back, reacting pleasantly to being lowered to float in the warm water.
Suddenly drawing a blank on her terran bathing classes Ana looked over her shoulder at Avala, she opens her stance so Avala may stand by her side. Meekly asking “Can you help me please?”
Avala slowly starts walking through the water, striding through the shallows, wading as the water climbed up her thighs, her waist, up her ribs..
The vines representing her clothes clung against the fibres of muscles and vines beneath.
Ana was not caught staring.
Looking away to the trees, and then back to Xara, precious, as she lightly kicked and waved her limbs floating on her back in the water.

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“What do you need help with?”
‘By the Bloom! she’s pressed up right besides me’
Avala’s arm drapes easily along Anacardiaceae’s back, resting a hand on her Ana’s between chest, elbow and shoulder.
Feeling very much watched over, intimately, Avala asks, “What do you need?" her leaves rubbing against Ana’s leaves coated with scents and a film of wet xenodrugs.
“Umm uhh aa-a-a I needd..”
“Yess.?”
“I can’t think when you are so close to me like this.”

Avala’s vines spoke with a will of their own, grasping the weave of the younger Affini. Anacardiaceae’s chemical messages were so much more potent seeping in the water, washed from leaves and vines carried into the drinking roots of the Affini, carrying their effects roottips to leaftips.
Avala’s vines entered the water supporting Xara’s right side, Anacardiaceae supporting her left. Avala carried bowls full of water above Xara’s chest, pouring the water with laminar flow, drenching the fabric and washing away the water solulable saps and perfumes and xenodrugs.
Avala wasn’t sure what the effects of a terran having the whole front of their body rubbed in this cocktail, but the little one seems perfectly content and at peace.

Thin vines feeling around Xara’s body, checking.

Vitals are steady.
Calm heartbeat.
Relaxed muscles.

“Mmmhhhh” Ana fell into Avala’s side, drawing closer to the comfort of being held.
Cupping one of her hands, she too pours it gently upon Xara’s top.
The little terran became really stimmy, rubbing her legs together in the water, rolling her back on the vines holding her up.
Grabbing a handful of Avala’s vines, that were sacrificed to keeping the little one as cosy as possible.

Ana looked at Avala being held by the sleeping Xara, she looked at Avala’s adoring gaze looking down at the sweetheart.
This is what Xara needs, someone experienced. Someone who knows what they are doing. Someone strong she can look up to.

“W-what next?” Ana asks.
“Next we rub her clothes to wash the rest of the compounds out of the fabrics.”
“Are you sure? That would mean touching her a lot, and we haven’t exactly gotten her permission to..”
“How about we ask the little one, then? Could you wake her up please?”
“How?” Ana asks.
“With some class Z0’s”
“I haven’t gotten any of that..” Ana states. ‘So ill prepared, lots of different flower grafts for happy dreams, light sleep, deep unconscious sleep where the sophont can feel and hear and taste while they dream. So many flowers for sleeping and not one for waking up.’
With a heavy head Ana admitted “I don’t have any class Z0’s”
Avala unweaves a vine from her torso, new hyperdermic needle shining through, carrying a droplet fat with wakefulness.
Slowly Avala brought the needle to Xara’s skin.
Ana’s eyes transfixed on its point, Avala wiped the injection site with a disinfectant gel, waited for the gel to evaporate in the air.
Lining up her flower to the woman’s skin.
Smoothly sinking its tip deeper into Xara’s upper arm, slowly, slowly over a few seconds.
Some part of Ana felt deeply satisfied and completely, another part was dripping mind altering substances and wanting to press itself deep into Xara’s skin.
Flower petals pulsing as they pumped more and more medications from their flower tips.

The little one was rousing from her slumber.
Eyes hidden behind long lashes. Barely open, two green masses on either side above Xara.
“Avalia liah”
It felt bitter sweet to hear the little one call out to Avala. But she is obviously the right choice. She knows what she’s doing unlike me.
The two share a look full of affection and love.
Ana.. Anacardiaceae looked away from the pair, looking to the trees at the shore.

A little hand wraps itself around the vines of her arm.
“Annana”
Looking into the little one’s face she saw unadulterated affection.
Her brown eyes specked with green and blue were watching her with the relaxed ease of a floret who wants for nothing, yet has everything provided.

“Anna” “Xara” “Avala” “Little one.” Warmth and comfort were carried in their words, as warmth and comfort was carrying them in water and vines.
“Little Xara, Anacardiaceae was-” “Anna”
Smiling at the little one, Avala’s vines supporting Xara’s back wove together with Ana’s.
“Ana was wondering whether it would be okay if we washed you clean?”
Xara squeezed down on the vines in her right hand, humming “MmHmm”

Avala right hand came to rest on Xara’s tummy, rubbing it up and down like clothes against a washboard.
The little one gives off contented little hums, and Ana is just watching.
Feeling the cutie softly writhe in their vines, squeezing and relaxing her grasp of their vines.
Ana was just staring at the girl’s tummy, watching absently as she enjoyed Avala’s ministrations.
Avala’s vines were seeking to wrap themselves around all they could, around Xara’s calves, hugging her thighs. The thin vines of her body needily hunting for touch, spiralling around searching.
Finding Ana and drawing her in close.
Lifting her hand from Xara’s tummy and placing it on Ana’s.
She looked to her friend. Seeing only gentle encouragement and kindness.
Taking her hand in hand, directing the shy woman into rubbing their entwined palms up and down Xara’s front.
Up her belly, up her ribs to her chest.
And down again over the sides of Xara’s hips, down to her thighs.
Up again their entwined hands climbed.
The little one’s back arching.
Breathe becoming uneven in silent moans.

Again Avala dragged Ana’s hands over Xara’s pampered little body, and again her breath caught in her throat.
They focused on her together.
Each treasuring every little gasp, the way she would wriggle.
How her eyes would squeeze shut extra tight beneath their caring ministrations.
Her mind hazy, not exactly sure how she got her, just remembering waking up from a lovely dream being held and cuddled, wrapped up and safe.
Each pass over her body left her mind raw in pleasure and sense data.
Each gasp pulled Xara inexoribly away from freedom and independence.
What little will and resistance she had was wavering.

“Hold me”
Xara was lifted dripping out of the water, but only by one set of vines.
Looking at an Ana who was very much not holding her, mumbling something about deserving something something.
Avala wasn’t having any of it.
Wrapping up the young Affini in her vines, encasing her in an embrace.
Xara hugging Ana, and Avala hugging the two of them together.
With a little trepidation Ana lifts her arms, wrapping them around Avala and around themselves, between the Affini and around their treasure.

"You know Ana?" she intoned
"Hmmm?" she hummed.
"We need to clean you up as well.."
Pulling her head back to look in Avala's face, she was not joking though her eyes held lots of mirth.

Scooping water again, but this time pouring it down Ana's front.
'This is completely unfair, completely'
The water spills down Ana's chest vines cleaning her of pollen and secretions.
'mulch and soil'
Avala wasn't letting Ana off easily
Directing their little sophont, taking her tiny hands and rubbing them over Ana's form.
Her shape losing cohesion under their dual attention.
Xara's touch fumbling and uncoordinated. Mostly staying focused due to Avala's help directing the little terran to unravelling poor Ana's weave.

And all Ana can do is hold tighter to the two for support.
'it just isn't fair.'

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