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

Comments

[timeleaper]

It had been a pleasant albeit quiet lunch and Ronixis was quite fine with that. it had given him a little time to think. It wasn't that he was regretting the path that he'd chosen. No, not at all. He would never have been able to live with himself if he had just left Roak to its fate. What would have happened to Milly and Ratix for one thing? The two of them the sole survivors of their entire species, that was a burden that he wouldn't wish on anyone at all. And the people of Roak didn't deserve their fate, being dragged into a war that had nothing to do with them, because they were a useful natural resource, never mind that they were sentient beings. The thought made him feel slightly sick. He couldn't understand how someone could even think about wiping out an entire species like that. It was just abhorrent.

Still, he did worry a little. He had committed crimes that would get him Court Marshalled and there went his future. And Iria's too. Perhaps if he said that he'd coerced her? Except no, they'd never buy that and she would punch him just for thinking in such a way. Perhaps it would be better if they both stayed on Roak afterwards. He was sure that Ratix and Milly wouldn't mind too much, and they'd just have to try not to interfere in their development too much.

He let the nurse lead him out into the greenhouse. It was good to be surrounded by green living things again. He wasn't sure how he'd adjust to being on Earth again when the chance came. If the chance came.

[Free]

[bprd_fishman]

The last time Abe had been around a lush green environment like this one it had been a forest god's corpse. The nice, artificial way the plants were lined up was simultaneously comforting and disturbing as a result, and Abe felt another twinge of guilt at the death of the majestic creature.

He picked up a nearby watering can, already filled for the use of the patients. Perhaps this could be considered some mild penance for his involvement in the forest god's death, tending to the little shoots also kept prisoner within Landel's walls--or perhaps he was anthropomorphizing inanimate plants too much and was just watering them in a feeble, selfish attempt to feel better about himself. Either way it was productive.

Abe carefully stepped between the rows, swinging his watering can back and forth in intense concentration. The exact amount of water necessary wasn't listed anywhere, but it might be assumed to be two seconds of light pouring (or one second of heavy pouring) per plot. His feet moved delicately, standing on tiptoe at times but never defacing even the tiniest leaf of the cucumber plants.

Perhaps they'd let him have one. After Japan he'd gotten quite a taste for them.