Day 47: Greenhouse [4th Shift]

[mitase]

Entering the greenhouse was almost like coming home, and Hanatarou had been looking forward to this shift for that reason. Everywhere else in the building was strange and confusing (and often dangerous) but in here was the familiar scent of soil and sun-warmed plants with the musty sort of enclosed-space smell overlaying it. His expression turned

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[wantsyourzex]

So much for his pleasant lunch. That hadn't ended at all like he'd thought it would. He'd never had a human throw food at him before, and that human had certainly bolted like a champion (from something that wasn't even a threat!). To say ZEX was less than pleased with the outcome of the meal would be an understatement. He'd have to make a note not to pursue that Sho human again. He clearly had something wrong with him; that had been the very definition of overreacting.

ZEX was still picking food off of his clothes when he made it to the greenhouse and wasn't in a very good mood. That was two humans he'd been less than successful at wooing right after the other... it'd be unnatural for his pride not to be a little wounded afterwards. What had he done wrong? He was sure he'd behaved appropriately... after all, he'd succeeded before using the same techniques. He hoped it wasn't a result of his physical damage... It wasn't like he had a choice in the matter. Then again, both their species did tend to focus on the superficial at times...

Well, at least he knew where he stood, somewhat, with the human he was supposed to meet this shift. Hayes, if nothing else, at least knew how things really were, and didn't seem included to go into hysterical foodthrowing fits over nothing. Hopefully.

ZEX sat down and tried to brush some remaining bits of food out of his hair, casting sour glances at the gamboling phantoms pestering him. He was hardly in the mood for their antics now.

[starbase commander, plz come in~]

[cmdr_exposition]

After his unpleasant lunch with a psychopath, looking for ZEX was not exactly at the forefront of Hayes' mind. In fact, he nearly begged off from the gardening in favor of another shift of watching the Sun Room's skylight, but that would have been moping and once he'd realized that, a remaining spark of pride put him off the idea.

He was glad he hadn't, when he caught sight of the Admiral- distinctive-looking, even in a human body- and remembered his prior arrangements. He certainly didn't want to start flaking out on his allies now. So he took the adjacent seat, hoping he didn't look as rattled as he felt.

[wantsyourzex]

ZEX didn't notice that he had company at first, involved as he was in staring at whatever it was he'd gotten off his shirt and onto his hand. What WAS this? He didn't even remember seeing it on Sho's tray. Ugh, human food made no sense.

Something in his peripheral vision that seemed too steady to be one of his visions, and he swiveled his body a little to look. Hayes really did remind him of his Captain, albeit an older version of him... perhaps if his poor human hadn't been killed, he would have grown up to look something like him. Not that he'd ever find out now.

Well that was a cheery train of thought. ZEX shook his hand to try and get whatever it was off. He couldn't wait to get changed later tonight and get this all off him. He sighed and thought about trying a smile, but in the end it seemed like too much effort. "I hope your lunch was better than mine."

[cmdr_exposition]

At that comment, Hayes took a closer look, and the Admiral seemed to be covered in bits and pieces of food. Apparently, it hadn't been a great mealtime for either of them.

"I doubt it," he replied, and chuckled slightly. It wasn't really all that funny, but there was a bit of irony in the question being asked, right? "Unless someone threatened to shoot you in the face, too. I thought we had more than enough to worry about with the monsters and the staff."

It might be a good idea, actually, to spread the story around among his other allies; he didn't think he was in any danger from Xigbar as things currently stood, but psychopaths were notoriously unpredictable.

[wantsyourzex]

"No, he just ran off without warning after throwing his tray at me." ZEX frowned at the thought. "I have no idea why... I really had no intention of hurting him. And still he panicked and fled. You'd think I still looked like myself with how he reacted." At least then Sho's flight would make more sense. He knew VUX upset humans much like humans upset VUX.

He blinked a bit when what Hayes had said sunk in. "Someone threatened to shoot you? Why?"

[cmdr_exposition]

That did sound strange. The Admiral was hardly an intimidating sight at the moment, wounded and bedraggled as he was, and Hayes couldn't quite see someone feeling compelled to flee without some extra reason. "Well, people get jumpy in a place like this," he hazarded. "What did you say to him?"

At the question, Hayes winced slightly. He was still sure he'd been well within the bounds of what was reasonable, but after something blew up in your face it was only natural to second-guess whether you could have done better and made it not happen... "Apparently, I didn't ask nicely enough if I could keep on borrowing one of his knives. Or he just likes to throw a scare into people. I'd bet on both."

[wantsyourzex]

"Nothing that should have garnered such a response." ZEX rested a hand on his chest. "I was polite and friendly, and I complimented his appearance and told him that I found him very attractive, and then before I knew it he had bolted." ZEX sighed. "I suppose some humans are more stable than others..."

It didn't occur to ZEX that Hayes may not have known about his love for humans, and as such he gave no warning preamble about it. At this point he assumed most people here knew already.

He glanced at Hayes and waved a hand at his explanation. "Case in point, I suppose. Hopefully he won't follow through with any threat he made."

[cmdr_exposition]

"Well, he seemed to cool down when-" wait, what? The Admiral- of the notoriously misanthropic VUX, at that- was hitting on people? That... made very little sense, however he looked at it.

Of course, the greenhouse was a bit echoey, and most of the prisoners seemed to be more interested in conversing among themselves than in doing any gardening. It was noisy. Maybe he'd misheard. "Sorry," he said, quite sincerely, "Could you repeat that first part?"

[wantsyourzex]

"Which part?" ZEX blinked at him curiously. "Oh, yes. I definitely didn't do anything that deserved such a response! I've never had a human act in such a way before when I approached them... surely the problem must lie with him, rather than I. It wasn't like I threatened him, or had any intention of hurting him. And I meant what I said about him being beautiful. Usually humans seem to like compliments." He sighed. "I guess you just can't tell a reasonable human from an unreasonable one at first glance..."

ZEX sighed again. "And I was hoping for a pleasant lunch to get my mind off of things... so much for that."

[cmdr_exposition]

It seemed Hayes hadn't misheard after all. A few days ago, this would have been one of the strangest things Hayes had ever encountered, but with temporal distortions, alternate realities, aliens who whatever Doctor McCoy said were basically just human espers, and those damned invulnerable golden puppets, the part of his mind that would have rejected things as unlikely seemed to have given in. Sure, it said. Why not a flirty VUX? How much stranger would it really be? He couldn't actually disagree.

"It could be cultural?" he suggested, and regardless of his decision to take the situation at face value his voice did sound a little strangled. "People can be particular about how they're, uh, approached..."

Come to think of it, there was really no reason ZEX would know the finer points of human socializing. And now Hayes' inner xenologist was starting to wonder how VUX generally handled this among themselves. What a fascinating diplomatic exchange this was turning out to be.

[wantsyourzex]

"Hmm... possibly." ZEX grabbed at where his trunk would have been, if he still had it. "I've just had some success with those methods before with other humans... they never told me I was doing anything wrong." The idea of humans having separate and distinct cultures, like VUX, was unconsciously disregarded. Humans were humans - one language, one culture, one set of traits. Like all other races except VUX. It was a prejudice that ZEX was not aware he even had. "Maybe he was just shyer than most... a few humans really need you to pursue them before they give in. But I've never had one outright run like that before."

ZEX waved a hand. "Ah well. It's a learning process, I suppose. One has to adapt."

He looked at Hayes more closely now, half-heartedly trying at a smile. "Aside from the threat on your life, how have you been faring? Have you given any thought to helping with the doors upstairs?"

[cmdr_exposition]

Give in? Okay, the amorousness had been one thing, but this was an attitude that shouldn't be encouraged. Hayes hadn't been planning on explaining the concept of "no means no" to a VUX today, but... again, life can surprise us, and it seemed to need to be done.

"Hold that thought about the upstairs for a moment," he said, and paused to gather his thoughts. This would be a lot easier if he knew more about VUX, and it wasn't a subject he usually had to address even with humans, so it took a little while.

"Look, if you're talking about what I think you're talking about, 'giving in' isn't really the best outcome. Sometimes people just don't want to be pursued, and if you don't respect that, it's a form of harassment and you're eventually going to get more than food thrown at you."

And now he was getting some mental images he'd never asked for. Why couldn't the Admiral have been aloof and slightly rude like he'd expected? Dealing with that would have been easy.

[wantsyourzex]

ZEX gave him a blank stare in return. While ZEX didn't manifest his pride or vanity in the same open manner as most VUX, he wasn't immune to his species' foibles. The idea that a human might not want to be seduced by him seemed almost laughable. Who wouldn't? Who could resist him? He'd had his own string of previous successes as proof, even. The problem was that most humans didn't know what they wanted, which was why ZEX had to be patient enough to show it to them.

"It's strange that you say that, since I've found some humans just need some effort before coming around to me." With a bit more of a smile. "I've had some success already with just determination on my side... some people just don't know what they want, is all." Fortunately, ZEX never had that problem. "Although I do admit, human cultural mores have made it more difficult than I had anticipated at first... not that it'd be the first time I've gone against convention in the name of interspecies communication."

He'd managed to seduce his Captain after all, and that was something of an accomplishment. Not that he had any doubt in his mind that it would happen.

"I guess it's just a matter of determining the shy humans from the others."

[cmdr_exposition]

Hayes was not smiling. At all. He wasn't actually scowling either, but that was only because he couldn't hear ZEX's thoughts. He was wishing fervently for some way to wash out his imagination, however.

"...first of all, you're going to have to promise me you're not going to elaborate on that," he began. "Secondly, I'm not sure what you're used to, but totally apart from culture, not every human is going to be attracted to any given person. As was apparently demonstrated to you at lunch." By now he'd formed a pretty good idea of what had actually happened: the Admiral was utterly convinced of his own irresistibility and that wasn't going over very well with "some humans". The second part, at least, was unsurprising.

[wantsyourzex]

"Mmm? Why, you aren't interested?" ZEX turned and gave him something of a leer, although it was not as intense as his usual ones. He was, for the most part, teasing him, although he wouldn't be opposed to getting to know Hayes better, so to speak. He was very robust. "I have some very interesting stories..."

ZEX waved a hand casually. It was a shame he didn't have his head feelers here! They would have made it much easier to convey his mood accurately. "I suppose that's true," although he didn't sound much like he believed it, "I'll just have to keep trying with other humans until I find someone a bit more open-minded. It really is an ongoing process."

[cmdr_exposition]

There were a number of points in that statement Hayes could have pressed, but honestly he'd had enough of this topic. At least ZEX was allowing for the possibility that not everyone secretly wanted him, and asking around was certainly preferable to hounding someone. Besides, the longer they stayed on the subject, the greater the chance the Admiral would decide to elaborate.

"We have more important things to discuss than your recreational habits," said Hayes firmly, if maybe a little too quickly. "I'd be more than willing to help upstairs, but first I need some kind of weapon of my own. I really don't want to borrow from Xigbar any longer than I absolutely have to."