Disclaimer: I do not own 'Guardians of the Galaxy'. I do own Carlin, however.
Xandar was never a planet that Carlin wanted to visit. It was too industrialized, jam-packed with people and conservatives ran amok. Great if you had a family and wanted a safe, secure place to live, but not when you were a thirty year old woman who hunted criminals and fugitives for a living.
"Jesus, the way some of these people dress." Carlin muttered under her breath, standing near a statue of some historical figure.
She herself was garbed in a simple beige tunic, dark brown trousers and a burgundy vest overtop, with sleek, knee-high black boots to wrap it all up. Her dirty-blond hair was cropped and windswept. She was Terran, with fair skin and a curvaceous figure. Her pretty yet sly face observed the vicinity with trained eyes, darting from one person to the next, until they finally landed on something intriguing.
"What the hell?" she shielded the sun from her eyes with a hand, squinting.
About a hundred feet away there was a sight stranger than most she'd seen. Walking side-by-side through the hustling crowds was a raccoon and tree. In her mind that sounded ridiculous, but there was no doubting what she saw. Rubbing and blinking her eyes, Carlin could not help but stare at the odd duo making their way down the path. As they neared her, she could hear that they were holding a conversation.
"-collect our booty and call it a day, huh? What ya say, buddy?" the raccoon was saying.
"I am Groot." responded the tree-like man.
They were practically on top of her now, about to pass by, and she could not help but step out in front of them. She was an impulsive sort of gal.
"Hello, fellas."
The raccoon and tree man halted in their tracks.
"Beat it, lady, we don't want any," the raccoon barked at her, motioning her out of the way. "Besides, isn't prostitution illegal on Xandar?"
Carlin's face flushed. "I'm not a prostitute."
"Oh, well sorry. What are you stopping us for then?"
"I just had to admire such a bizarre sight as you two." she explained herself with a smirk, holding out her arms at them.
The raccoon scoffed. "You think we're bizarre? Have you taken a look around here, lady? That dude over there is wearing a freakin' bird on his head!"
"Yes, but I don't think it can quite compare to this," Carlin looked at the tree creature, mesmerized. "You are quite the majestic type, aren't you?"
"I am Groot." he replied, big, brown eyes shining with curiosity at her.
Carlin grinned up at him. "Nice to meet you, Groot."
"Majestic my ass," the raccoon snorted. "Look, it was nice talkin' to ya, lady, but me and Groot here has got some business to attend to. So if you'd excuse us."
"You didn't introduce yourself." she said, having way too much fun with these guys.
The raccoon gave her an abrasive look. "Get lost! I ain't telling you anything."
"I am Groot." the giant tree guy seemed to scold his friend.
"Shut up, Groot! She's annoying the piss outta me."
Carlin tilted her head at the grumpy raccoon, puzzled. "He only told you his name."
"That's it! Good bye!" he spoke loudly on purpose, shoving past her.
Carlin threw him a dirty look, but turned back to Groot with a friendly face.
"I suppose you better head after him." she said.
The towering man-tree-creature-thing gave her a kind smile, then stuck out his hand to her, palm upward. Carlin watched, first in confusion, then in awe as from the middle of his gnarled palm grew the bud of a flower. It bloomed in an instant, a brilliant yellow color with a mixture of purple. He then pinched the stem of it between two fingers, plucked it easily and presented it to the astonished woman.
"For me?" she laid a hand on her chest, accepting the flower with the other. "How incredibly kind of you. Thank you, Groot! It's stunning."
"I am Groot." he said in a gentle tone, giving a nod.
And with that, he strode past her as well, taking his time in catching up with his furry friend. Carlin turned and watched them until they were out of sight, then heaved a sigh. She glanced back down at the delicate flower, twirling it between her fingers, smiling slightly. For a moment she considered placing it in her hair, but then thought better of it. Instead, she hid it away in a pocket lining the inside of her vest.
"It's sad to think that the most romantic gesture I've ever received in my life came from a tree."
Okay, so he wasn't an average tree. Whatever he was, it was a touching thing to do for a complete stranger. Shaking the two weirdos from her mind, Carlin returned to her former state of mind, scanning the crowd, keeping an eye out for her prey. Unbeknownst to her, he'd slipped by while she'd been preoccupied with the tree and raccoon.