Chapter 30 - Homesick
Previously, Luida and Brad warmly welcomed Vash home (in their own ways) despite Vash's worries and guilt. Vash mentally prepares for what comes next, starting with getting his new arm.
Now, while Vash prepares for surgery, everyone else officially meets and joins Luida on a tour of the SEEDS ship. While Ship 3 may be home to Vash, the others feel the ache of homesickness.
At first, Clark thought they'd stepped outside at the sight of sprawling greenery under a sunny, blue sky.
"Grass! Oh, my old friend. I thought I'd never see you again!" Jimmy brushed past Clark and ran through the doorway.
With Lois at his side, Clark followed Luida into an enormous, glass-domed greenhouse.
"And this here is our biodome," Luida announced. She raised her arms in a sweeping arc, her billowy sleeves rippling as if caught by a breeze. "Also known as the rec room."
Up ahead, Jimmy plopped down on his belly, arms spread wide and face nuzzled into the lush green lawn. After taking a deep breath, he rolled onto his back and closed his eyes.
Jimmy Olsen was the perfect picture of contentment.
Clark almost caved and joined his friend to lie on the grass too. After just a few days on No Man's Land, he already missed relaxing in the city park or exploring nature in Smallville.
Luida led Clark and Lois further inside. They spread out along the wide, sandstone walking path.
"Wow!" Clark glanced around the biodome, taking in every colorful sight. "And to think, this was hidden away here. On a desert planet, no less!"
"I never realized how much I love grass and the color green," Jimmy said, rolling to a stand and wiping his jacket and pants off.
His freshly charged camera hung loosely from its strap around his neck. To Jimmy's delight, one of Brad's engineering assistants retrofitted some electronics and fashioned a new charger that would work with his camera. Jimmy complained that his camera battery was already down a third of its charge. He'd been snapping photos nonstop since they started touring Ship 3 this morning.
"It's breathtaking!" Lois agreed, squeezing Clark's hand before moseying off.
"That's very kind of you all to say," Luida said with pride.
Lois kneeled by the large swath of blue flowers that lined the pathway leading to the center of the biodome.
Clark couldn't help but watch his girlfriend rather than check out the other sights. Gosh, she's so beautiful. She doesn't know how breathtaking she is.
As if she'd heard his thoughts, Lois turned her head with a radiant smile for him. Clark felt his face heat up and his heart flutter.
While scanning the landscape, Clark noticed that a few people already occupied the biodome—off-duty crew taking a stroll or residents picnicking on the grassy field. A pair of middle-aged crew members bid Luida a good morning and offered hospitable hellos to Clark, Lois, and Jimmy before continuing on their way.
"It's been well over a century since we embarked on this journey," Luida said. "Much of the Earth we left no longer looked quite as radiant as this when we departed." Her genial smile pinched with a hint of melancholy.
Before either could respond, Luida asked, "The biodome must remind you of home, on your Earth that is?"
Oh. Clark briefly forgot they weren't back on Earth. A sense of longing and concern for his parents panged in his chest. He shook off the moment of homesickness.
"I could imagine this as a plot of land lifted right out of the Midwest." Clark gave a thoughtful nod. "Reminds me of Keystone City Botanical Gardens. A little smaller, but no less impressive."
"Much more impressive than Centennial Park!" Jimmy added.
"What's wrong with Centennial Park?" Lois mumbled to Jimmy, giving him an unamused glower.
"N-Nothing! Nothing!" he muttered.
Luida's warm smile returned. "It's my hope that one day, the land below can be nurtured and flourish like this."
"Terraforming? With your technology, would that be possible on such a large scale?" Clark asked.
At first, the concept excited him, but then he remembered the Kryptonian ships attempting to invade Earth. The thought of Earth terraformed into something unrecognizable, possibly inhospitable to humans and native life, sent a chill down his spine.
Luida sighed. "A question without an easy answer, I'm afraid." She shook her head.
"If we hadn't lost so many ships and Plants during the Big Fall, such an endeavor may have only taken a few decades. However, with what we have left, our efforts may take many more generations to come to fruition. Our priority is to preserve resources and sustain the colony, with research and development coming secondary."
"What a daunting challenge," Lois said. The implications of the planet's prospective future sinking in. "But your work is admirable, Ms. Luida," Lois praised, forcing levity into her voice.
"Thank you. However, most of the credit goes to Demeter."
"Demeter? Like the Greek goddess of the harvest?" Clark asked. He had a keen interest in mythology ever since he was a kid.
"Harvest goddess? You're such a farmboy, Smallville," Lois teased with an elbow jab. Clark just chuckled and grinned.
"Ah, I see you are familiar with the name's origin," Luida smiled with a twinkle in her eye.
"Another SEEDS colonist you work with?" Jimmy asked, his lips puckered. His sudden bout of excitement confused Clark.
Luida tilted her head, but her mirthful smile remained. "Something like that. Perhaps we can visit Demeter after lunch? How about we take a break from our tour? See if your other friends would like to join us?"
Three rumbling stomachs and sheepish nods were all the answers she needed.
—L&P—
"'Eyy! Ooff'r hrr! Shffrb'gg 'nd Shrff'sff!"
Lois caught the broad sweep of a black-sleeved arm from the corner of her eye as they entered. The arm belonged to Wolfy, who was seated at a table on the other side of the cafeteria.
He kept waving with cheeks full of unchewed food. Lois smirked and waved back.
Luida quickly excused herself, heading over to another group of SEEDS crew.
"Someone looks happy to have a free meal for once, eh?" Jimmy asked with a chuckle, also giving a quick wave to the man.
"I did cheat him out of most of his money playing poker, after all," Lois smirked, rolling her eyes. She began to trek around the busy lunch room, her boys at her heel.
"Cheating?! Poker?" Clark blurted, his shock amusingly genuine.
"Uh, yeah? Had to earn some double dollars for food somehow," she said with a nonchalant shrug. She gave him a curious look. "How exactly have you been getting by this whole time? Pretty sure you forgot your wallet at home."
Clark opened and closed his mouth a few times. His hand raised as if to make a point, but then it dropped.
Jimmy snickered at the non-answer.
Lois gave a huff of laughter and strode over to the table. She heard the scrape and clatter of a chair knocked onto the floor behind her as Clark stumbled.
She chuckled under her breath and continued to where Wolfwood sat. The man briefly peered at Clark with dark, narrowed eyes. He gulped down a mouthful of food and then turned to Lois with a big grin.
"Hey, look, it's my favorite Earthlings! Shorty and Big Girl! Meet Shortstuff and Shutterbug! Shortstuff and Shutterbug meet Shorty and Big Girl!"
During his introductions, Lois took notice of the two women sitting across from Wolfwood.
The shorter of the two scoffed and didn't even hide her kick to his shin under the table. "Don't be stupid, Undertaker. Use people's names for once!"
"Ouch! Yeesh, not the shin again," he mumbled, dropping his fork to rub his shin. "If that's the rule, the name's Nicholas D. Wolfwood to you, Little Lady. And I'm an ordained pastor now!"
"Nicholas Dumbass Wolfwood is more like it! You're so full of it!" she huffed. Wolfwood snorted in response. He took another bite of his meal, seemingly letting her take the win.
The short woman cleared her throat. "I'm so sorry you've had to put up with Wolfwood. I'm Meryl Stryfe—"
"And I'm Milly Thompson!" The taller woman chimed in with a bright smile.
"—of the Bernadelli News Agency. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Clark has told us so much about you both." Meryl held out a hand.
Observing Meryl's facial features, Lois wondered if her Earth ancestors were perhaps from East Asia, though she wouldn't assume a specific country. Her dark-haired pixie cut and petite stature were coincidentally similar to Lois's.
Meryl radiated tomboy-girlboss vibes, so Lois felt an instant kinship with the woman. Plus, it was mind-boggling that both women were also partners in the news industry. What were the chances?
Lois shook the offered hand. "Lois Lane, of the Daily Planet— Er, doesn't mean much here, huh? Silly habit!" She laughed a little to hide her awkward greeting. "Good to meet you, too." Milly shook her hand next (rather, shook her whole arm).
"Hi! The name's Jimmy Olsen. And I guess you both met Clark already." He jabbed a thumb back at Clark, who brought up the rear.
Clark waved with his typical friendly yet slightly dorky smile. "Uh, yes. Been a bit of a whirlwind the last few days. I'm glad to see you're both rested up. "
"Yep! I slept like a rock!" Milly beamed.
Milly deflated a bit, taking on a concerned expression. "I worried when you disappeared yesterday! I was so relieved when you saved that little girl, though. Then Miss Meryl rushed off all of a sudden without you. But you seemed so busy helping the militia stop those bad guys, so I wasn't too upset. I'm just glad you found us again, Mr. Clark!"
"Oh, no worries. I was happy to— Wait. You knew that was me?!" Clark asked in a panic. His face twisted into a grimace, and his shoulders tensed.
"Hm? Why, of course, silly!" She giggled, tilting her head. Her hair draped over one shoulder. "After seeing you help out at the December Plant facility, I recognized you later when Meryl introduced us back at headquarters."
"What?! You knew the whole time?!" Meryl blurted out, palms splayed out on the table.
Wolfwood snorted a laugh, but with a mouthful of food, it turned into a rough coughing.
Milly yelped, quickly rushed over, and patted Wolfwood (smacked rather roughly) on the back. His eyes bulged out of his head, and he reached for his drink.
At the same time, Meryl and Lois impulsively snickered at Wolfwood's almost choking. They caught each other's eye and laughed even harder.
Getting their laughter under control, the women gasped out apologies. Milly continued to rub soothing circles on Wolfwood's back as his coughing faded. Wolfwood threw the two short women an annoyed glare.
"Really?" Lois continued Meryl's train of thought after catching her breath. "You recognized Clark as Superman the first time you met?"
Even though it'd taken Lois a few weeks to discover his secret, she could clearly see through the disguise now that she knew.
"Yes. Why wouldn't I have?" Milly still looked clueless.
Lois's jaw dropped at Milly's admission. She felt flustered knowing someone else had connected the dots so quickly. Lois studied the tall woman, stunned by her innocent perceptiveness.
There was a moment of awkward silence around the table. Then Jimmy's laughter startled everyone else out of it. He collapsed into the chair next to Milly.
"We are gonna be great friends, Mills," he said with a grin, bumping her arm with his.
"Yay! New friends!" Milly cheered, pulling him into a tight side hug.
After Milly released him, Jimmy glanced up at Clark and wiped a tear of laughter from his eye. "Clark, my pal. I keep saying how obvious you are! You gotta start upping your secret identity game."
Clark withered. His lower lip puckered into a defeated pout.
Lois giggled a bit and patted her boyfriend's arm in solidarity. She gave him a soft smile when he glanced her way, which he returned. "Think Jimmy's right?" he asked. She responded with a sheepish nod.
Clark sighed and nudged his glass up. He mumbled, "I'll, uh, g-get right on it."
—T&J—
"—and that's when we confirmed it was aliens!" Jimmy said, cheeks half full of food. He waved a hand through the air.
"Ah, that makes sense!" Milly leaned forward.
Meryl caught the sparkle in her newbie's eye. Even though Meryl was engrossed in the Earthling's wild tale, she let Milly ask all sorts of questions for the two of them.
After a little more small talk, Meryl pointed Jimmy, Clark, and Lois to where they could grab lunch. The trio returned a few minutes later with filled trays. Lois and Clark took the two empty seats on Wolfwood's side of the table, with Lois in the middle.
Meryl and Lois bonded over humanitarian journalism topics. Milly and Clark chatted about raising livestock and agricultural efforts in the frontier. Meryl and Jimmy discussed photography and, to Meryl's fascination, live video streaming. Lois teased Wolfwood about his history with Meryl. Clark and Wolfwood… didn't get a chance to mingle.
There was a phantom presence of something, or rather, someone physically missing from their table. Meryl couldn't help not wanting to let a certain someone out of her sight after just finding him.
It was a good thing the lively conversations continued as everyone finished their meals. Talking and listening kept Meryl's mind occupied. Across the table, Lois and Clark compared notes about the odd circumstances that led them to No Man's Land.
"I feel terrible you got whisked away from home just to find so much trouble here," Meryl said during a lull in the discussion.
Milly nodded in agreement. "When we left December, I don't remember Mr. Clark mentioning he would be meeting friends," the newbie added. "He sure did talk about you loads, though! He looks so much happier now that you found him."
Clark smiled halfheartedly as he glanced at Jimmy and then Lois. "I can't even tell you how happy I am to see you both…" Clark sighed, grabbing Lois's hand resting on the table. "But I wished you hadn't followed me. What if the other Loises betrayed you again? What if—?"
"Smallville," Lois began in a quiet voice. "You're right. We made a risky, and maybe, rash decision coming here."
"But we don't regret it," Jimmy added, resting a hand on Clark's shoulder. "C'mon, Kansas. This story will skyrocket our careers at the Planet when we get home!"
"Still…" Clark rested his head in his hands and groaned. "How are we going to get home?"
Meryl wanted to reassure her new friends but didn't have the slightest idea where to start. A few minutes passed while Jimmy spitballed some outlandish ideas.
"Pardon my interruption," a voice said from behind Lois and Clark. The couple and Wolfwood shifted in their seats, and Meryl looked up to see Luida approaching.
"I finished speaking with a select few from our crew who volunteered to help with your situation. I've arranged a meeting for later this evening. Hopefully, by that point, Vash can join us after he's rested from his surgery."
"How's Needle Noggin doin' anyhow? Have ya heard any update?" Wolfwood said, speaking around a cherry red lollipop. It was the first he'd spoken up in a while.
"Dr. Ito said pre-op went as well as expected. It usually takes longer for Vash to go under. Not only does it take a much higher dose and longer exposure of anesthesia than typical, but Vash also suffers from severe tomophobia, unfortunately."
"A fear of tomas?" Wolfwood blurted out, looking dumbfounded.
Almost everyone at the table laughed at his misunderstanding.
Meryl tossed a crumpled napkin at his face. "Not tomas! A fear of surgical procedures."
"Tch! My bad. I don't know all yer fancy vocab. We can't all be hoity-toity reporters!"
They all looked around the table. Meryl gave him a sly, evil grin. "Everyone here but you, that is."
—T&J—
After lunch, Luida took the reporters (plus a begrudging Wolfwood) to visit this mysterious Demeter as promised.
Eager to talk more with Luida, Meryl walked alongside the older woman. Luida mentioned how humorous their Earth visitors' excited reactions were to visiting the biodome. It seemed apparent the Terrans missed their home deeply.
Said Terrans were in the midst of an enthusiastic conversation behind the two women, with Milly and Wolfwood bringing up the rear.
"I feel a little guilty for not stopping home to visit family in December while I was there. I wasn't thinking about how much I missed them until we set off on the sandsteamer. I remembered I hadn't even written a letter or called," Meryl admitted after Luida inquired about her family.
Luida nodded with a reassuring smile. "Could you imagine how we felt here when Vash went with little to no contact with us for years at a time? Brad and I have gotten even more gray from worry."
Meryl and Luida chuckled at that. It was hard to stay mad at Vash even though he often frustrated everyone to no end.
—
Entering the Plant chamber, Meryl craned her neck to gaze around the blue-washed room. The others did the same with murmurings of wonder. Milly spun around with arms wide open, laughing in full-out amazement.
Clark's friend Jimmy flitted around, trigger-happy with his camera. Meryl wished she'd brought hers as well. Her thoughts had been so scattered the last few days. She'd have to ask him to share copies of the photos.
"Could you imagine how jealous the spacebros at STAR Labs would be to see this?" Jimmy added. His ever-present camera hung around his neck, its battery holding out strong.
"My college classmate, Hank, works at STAR," Lois said. "He'd play it off real cool, but he'd secretly be mad jealous."
Meryl watched Wolfwood walk further into the chamber. He spun in a lazy circle, turning back to the group. Meryl couldn't help but stare, seeing the light catching in his wide eyes, free from his missing sunglasses.
"Holy hell! Just how many Plants are down here?" the man asked.
"Language, Undertaker!" Meryl snapped, blushing as he smirked at her.
"Oh, just a couple hundred or so," Luida replied to Wolfwood.
"With this many, I'd thought the grub would be more, I dunno, outta this world?" Wolfwood said with a flair of his hand upwards.
"Now that's just plain rude," Lois deadpanned. Arms folded over her chest.
"Exactly. If the food isn't to your liking, don't eat it. I'm sure someone else would appreciate it," Meryl stepped beside Lois, glaring up at the taller man. Hands on her hips, Meryl pushed her chest into his space and shot him with a glower.
"Wha? No, that's not what I—" Wolfwood stammered, stepping back, arms raised in self-defense.
Luida chuckled. "Ah, but Nicholas is right. If it weren't for most of the Plants conserving their energy for the cold-sleep cylinder, we'd be able to produce many more exotic ingredients and non-essential materials."
"Knew it," Wolfwood boasted, sticking his red-stained tongue out at the women.
"Ooo. Cold-sleep cylinder? Can we see that next?" Jimmy squealed, shaking Clark's arm in excitement.
"Unfortunately, there's some business I must take care of after we finish here," Luida said with a regretful expression.
"Aww, bummer," Jimmy whined.
"Not to worry. I'm sure once Vash has recovered, he'd be more than happy to show you. He is quite fond of visiting the sleepers."
"Woohoo!" Jimmy perked back up.
"For now, are you all ready to meet Demeter?" Luida's answer consisted of several yeses and eager nods.
The group walked further into the seemingly endless chamber filled with rows and rows of round Plant bulbs. The room glowed a brilliant blue. Like those at the Ripmela facility, each tank bore a floating white bud curled up tightly.
The room hummed with the white noise of machines powered up and energy flowing in steady streams. Their footsteps on the metal platform echoed off the cavernous, cylindrical walls.
At the far end of the chamber, they found an enormous plant tank that dwarfed all the others.
Luida approached the bulb, resting a hand on the glass. After a moment, she stepped over to the computer console at the base of the Plant's tank.
"Sometimes she won't open without a little wake-up call. She's a deep sleeper. Maybe even more so than Vash." Luida chuckled, looking over her shoulder to Vash's friends.
"Heh, certainly sounds a lot like him," Meryl said.
"Does she snore as loud as Blondie?" Wolfwood asked with a smirk masking his disdain.
Luida and Meryl laughed heartily at that.
"Wait. Is Demeter this Plant?" Clark asked.
"You guessed it," Luida answered.
As she replied, the tightly wrapped petal-like wings of the giant Plant bud began to unfurl. The wings' swirling motion was uncannily silent within the liquid environment, yet as graceful as the twirl of a dancer's dress.
Although Meryl had seen a Plant's humanoid form before, the being's visage took her breath away. A warm and almost tingly aura swept over her surroundings. The essence of timelessness and pure life seeped into Meryl's very core. And a spark of hopefulness and serenity lit her heart.
As Demeter danced within her bulb, a rainshower of what looked like flower petals swirled around her.
"Woah, somebody has a flair for the dramatic," Jimmy said with a snicker.
"The more time Vash spent down here over the years, the more the Plants have begun to pick up on his theatrics. Demeter especially enjoys putting on a show for her guests," Luida explained.
"She's mesmerizing," Meryl whispered. She inched closer to the tank.
Demeter's markings glowed in soft, rhythmic waves over her exposed skin. Three large pairs of wings flared out from her back from shoulders to hips. Her tapered horn-like 'hairs' curved up around her head like peaks of a queen's crown—the symbol of power and grace worn by a holy ruler of historical Earth kingdoms.
Meryl no longer wondered why so many people chose to worship such awe-inspiring beings as the Plants.
With an unsettling thought, she realized how easy it was for the Church of Plant Worshippers—or the Eye of Michael—to pervade the isolated villages and towns with their persuasive drabble. Giving simple folk a reason to put their faith and fate into the god-like entity who, unbeknown to his own followers, wanted nothing more than their utter demise.
Millions Knives knew precisely where to sink in his blades. Human's fear and guilt. Their weary despondency.
Meryl dragged her gaze away from the Plant, needing to clear her head from such morose thoughts.
Between the tank and the console, Meryl noticed what resembled a techy storage unit displaying rows of various flora, each shelf illuminated by soft yellow-hued lights. Various tubes snaked over to Demeter's bulb while more joined the web of tubes and wires leading to who-knows-where.
"There's flora down here as well?"
To Meryl, flora looked positively alien in appearance. Despite that, with each flower and Earth plant boasting such brilliant colors and aromas, she instinctively deemed them all beautiful beyond words.
"Some flora thrive in different environments than the biodome. But for the most part, this artificial sunlight planter is more akin to Demeter's artist canvas," Luida explained. She also stepped over to the shelves of flowers.
"Are you saying the Plant people can grow like actual plants?" Jimmy asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.
Luida chuckled. "In a way. But only Geo-Plants have this unique gift."
"Ah! She's a Geo-Plant? Aren't they super duper rare though, Ms. Luida?" Milly asked.
"That's right. Each colony ship only had a single Geo-Plant. Many were lost in the Big Fall or have not survived over the decades. Many engineers were not specialized nor trained for the complexities of caring for a Geo-Plant. The knowledge has continued to fade over time, a little forgotten each generation."
Noticing Luida's somber expression, Milly continued with an uplifting tone. "My village has one, which is how we've been able to cultivate our land for farming. The Thompson Farm only exists because of our Geo-Plant.
"We make sure to keep the knowledge passed down. Even my little big sister and big big brother went to November University like Miss Meryl!
"Our family has grown alongside the land for generations now. Mama and Papa always say our great-great-great grandparents were bestowed a miraculous fortune. So it's our duty to protect and honor such a blessing!"
A half-scoff, half-growl sounded from the other side of the planter.
Wolfwood had slipped over there at some point in the conversation without Meryl noticing.
He brushed the noise off, mumbling an excuse about pricking himself on a thorn. All while pointedly ignoring whatever looks of confusion or wariness the others tossed his way.
The group's focus on Wolfwood shifted back to the Geo-Plant's bulb when Demeter began to move. She swam downward to float just about eye-level with the humans.
Besides Luida, they all gaped. Meryl realized how much larger Demeter was compared to more common Plants. She had to be at least two or three feet taller than energy or production Plants.
Demeter's huge eyes swept over them in a lazy curve, expression eerily unreadable. Her gaze came to rest on Luida, the only face familiar to her. Demeter pushed right against the glass and raised a spindly-fingered hand. She tapped a rhythmic sequence on the interior glass although the noise was inaudible.
"Ah, it looks like our friend has something to say," Luida said, her voice taking on an eager lilt.
"Wow! Can you talk with her, Ms. Luida?" Milly asked. "I never knew we could communicate with Plants." Without any reservation, she stepped over to the glass. However, Demeter was intent on tapping and staring at Luida.
The older human grabbed a smaller planter box set against the wall and carried it to the tank. She went through practiced motions of hooking up the portable planter to a terminal at the base of Demeter's bulb.
Once finished, Luida stepped back to crane her neck and nod at Demeter. Demeter then turned to gaze upwards as if staring into space—or perhaps somewhere the humans couldn't see.
To Milly and the others, Luida said, "It's easier for you to see before I explain. Just watch." Her smile creased the skin around her eyes in anticipation.
A moment after Luida spoke, the markings covering Demeter's skin glowed an almost blinding bluish-white. Not expecting the light, Milly eeped and stumbled to hide behind Meryl, peeking around her shoulder. Meryl, on the other hand, stood stock-still.
The markings lighting up almost made her miss the blooming red in her periphery. Meryl tore her eyes away from the Plant. A whole cluster of vibrant red flowers bloomed from the soil—the color the exact shade of Vash's jacket.
A chorus of oohs and ahhs echoed among the group. Meryl felt her heart clench at the sight, now thinking about Vash.
"Ah, of course," Luida whispered.
"What does it mean?" Lois asked.
"I believe she's noticed Vash's return. She must be curious, excited even, that he's Home." While she talked, Luida returned to the computer and typed in a few commands.
"Oh? Everyone onboard seems happy he's back. It's a bit of a relief after… well, the people in the towns seemed to feel differently about Vash…" Lois trailed off.
Luida was quiet for a long while, her gaze drifting off while facing the computer. After tapping at a few more keys, a gentle piano melody began to play from unseen speakers.
Meryl couldn't put a name to the song, but she swore it sounded so familiar.
She gasped, suddenly noticing the whole chamber of Plants behind them, along with Demeter, lit up like a million stars. An almost tangible humming vibration filled the room.
Unless Meryl's eyes were deceiving her, Demeter's alien expression was tinged with gratefulness and joy. The Plant's eyes seemed to soften, less intent on boring into their souls. The way her thin lips curled into a mimicry of a human smile and parted open.
It was then Meryl realized where she heard this melody before. It was Vash's song. The one he'd hum quietly to himself all the time when he thought no one was listening. The song he hummed along with the other Plants back at Conrad's lab in JuLai.
And here, Demeter and all the other Ship Three Plants resonated with Vash's song. Their hauntingly beautiful orchestra rumbled through every fiber of her being. Foreign and overwhelming emotions filled her.
And despite all she'd learned on her own in his two-year absence, Meryl acknowledged how little she actually understood about Vash or the Dependents.
—
After the symphony concluded and the Plants settled down, the chamber quieted with an aching emptiness.
Luida transplanted the crimson bouquet from the smaller planter to the hydroponics unit. She mentioned that red geraniums were Vash's favorite. So it was no wonder Demeter had grown them to ask about Vash in her unique way.
While the others talked hushedly and in awe about the singing Plants, Meryl continued to observe Demeter.
Meryl was surprised to see the Geo-Plant still 'awake' after such a display. She expected the Plant to tire and curl back into her resting state.
Meryl flinched when Luida brushed her arm to ask if she was okay. She giggled nervously. "Yes, I was just thinking. Sorry for spacing out."
Meryl babbled as the older woman placed another fresh pot of soil within the small planter. "What's this one for?"
"I believe Demeter would like to give you all a gift. Besides being an avid singer and dancer, she also fancies herself as a fortune teller," Luida explained with a wave of her hand. "Go ahead first. Place your hands on the glass."
That spurred Meryl's curiosity even more. She had no idea a Geo-Plant could be so… so social? Chatty? Creative?
She gulped and did as instructed. The glass was cool yet tingled with energy under her palms.
Although Demeter's expression was relaxed again, the Plant raised her palms to mirror Meryl's. Her eyelids slid shut, and Meryl held her breath, unsure what to expect. It felt like her heart was pounding and slowing at the same time. Featherlight fingers brushed her mind.
An indeterminate amount of time passed, but when the light tickle on her mind lifted, Meryl came to. She stepped back from the bulb and blinked to clear her vision. Even awash in the blue glow, Meryl noticed the clusters of small, five-petal blue flowers with yellow centers blooming in the new plant pot.
"Myosotis scorpioides, also called Water Forget-Me-Nots," Luida stated. She held out a small holo-screen tablet that displayed information on the conjured flowers. Meryl took the device and read over the info with interest.
"Forget-Me-Nots symbolize unwavering devotion and faithfulness. They serve as a gentle reminder to cherish memories of loved ones and to hold them close even in their absence. A bond that transcends distance," Meryl read in awe. A few tears dripped down her cheeks. She brushed them away with the back of her hand before returning the tablet to Luida.
She returned a palm to the glass. "Thank you. I will hold my memories close, for myself…" She whispered, "And for him."
One by one, Meryl's companions took turns to receive a gift.
Milly was bestowed a single sunflower, its bright yellow petals cheery and warm. Luida said they also conveyed adoration and loyalty. At that, Milly beamed and swooped Meryl up into a hug.
Then Jimmy got two vibrant, orange-yellow Alstroemerias. The six petals represented compassion, patience, appreciation, humor, understanding, and loyalty. Copying Milly, he bounced over to Clark and Lois and pulled them into a group hug.
It was nice to hear their laughter again fill the room with liveliness.
Jimmy pushed Clark to take his turn.
Demeter gifted Clark a cluster of brilliant blue flowers with a purple center. Surprisingly, he recognized them as Cornflowers. Even so, he accepted the tablet and read aloud some interesting facts about their origins and qualities and that their meaning was hopeful optimism for the future.
Lois reached up and tugged Clark down into a quick yet passionate kiss. Meryl felt her face flush when she caught sight of their intimate moment. A smitten Lois stepped up to the Geo-Plant next.
Lois's turn took slightly longer than the others. After a quiet wait, dozens of stunning purple flowers sprouted and bloomed as Lois wobbled backward. Clark zoomed over to catch her. Once she shook off the dizziness, she read through the flower's description to herself silently.
She named the purple flowers Violets but mentioned that her mother used to call them Sparrow Flowers in Korean. Lois whispered something to Clark but didn't announce anything else to the group. Meryl thought she heard Lois sniffle before Clark pulled her into a warm embrace, her face hidden against his chest.
Last but not least, Wolfwood reluctantly stepped forward after some needling peer pressure. Unlike Lois, Wolfwood's flower appeared almost immediately. The way it bloomed open was an art form of its own. The pure white petals unfolded in a dance like Demeter had.
Meryl was shocked to see the gruff, slouchy Wolfwood was gifted the most exquisite flower she'd ever seen.
Unsurprisingly, Wolfwood passed up the opportunity to read about his flower. But the fond way he stared at his gift made Meryl smile, feeling happy for him. She snuck over to ask Luida if she could read about the white flower.
The meaning of his gift stirred a deep compassion for the man. Maybe one day, his past deeds would be forgiven and his fortune granted.
—
"You have no idea how many questions I've wanted to ask," Meryl said. "To ask Vash. After fleeing the Humpback, saving Hopeland... When we first learned…" her eyes shifted to Wolfwood, catching his suddenly stoic gaze. Then she turned hastily to their Earth guests.
It took a few seconds before her train of thought clicked with the others.
"Oh, you mean that your big bad 'Humanoid Typhoon' is a mystical Plant whisperer who can glow in the dark? Yeah, we figured that out already," Jimmy said. "We are the Daily Planet's star reporting team, right?" He bumped elbows with Lois.
"Haha, uh, that's right!" Her wavering smile and tone showed less confidence than Jimmy's boast.
"Hah!" Wolfwood's expression shifted in an instant to boyish amusement. "Ya got a long way to go if ya wanna catch up to these pros, 'Newbie.'"
He rested an arm on Meryl's shoulder, nearly throwing her off balance. (Wolfwood just had to be Wolfwood. Her previous sentiment about his pretty flower was all but forgotten.) "How long'd it take ya and Grandpa to figure out Vash's deal?"
Meryl ducked down, sliding away. Wolfwood tripped to his side with an incoherent curse. "You were with us too, you know! Plus, you had insider knowledge and weren't partial to sharing!"
"Cross my heart, I swear I didn't know much more than anybody else." He made the motions with his hand over his chest. His oily, innocent expression had Meryl twitching.
She raised a finger, rose on her toes, and opened her mouth to continue their banter—which was quickly turning into a full-blown argument—but stopped before she regretted it. She dropped back, boot heels coming flush to the floor with a click.
"We will continue this later, Nicholas."
She called him Nicholas again. This time, she partially meant Nicholas the Punisher.
Wolfwood's smirk immediately vanished, his eyes darkening. His gaze flickered over to their silent audience.
Even Meryl caught a few looks of concern at their raised voices.
Meryl knew to end this conversation before he said something he shouldn't. She could tell Wolfwood thought the same.
His teeth clenched down on an unlit cigarette. "Fine."
—L&P—
AN:
Thanks as always for following along! Please review to let me know how you're enjoying the fic, what you liked, or what you'd like to see in future chapters! I appreciate every favorite and follow too!
Next Chapter 31: You, Me, and Superman. In a room together. At the same time.
(Big note for next chapter! There will be adult themes/sexual content. The SFW version will be posted here on FFN. And the NSFW/Explicit version will only be found on my AO3. Please PM if you'd like a link.)
I only have a few more chapters pre-written. I am a little behind due to being busy with work, house hunting, and moving. Therefore, I will be posting closer to once a month until further notice. Chapter 31 should be posted either 11/2/24 or 11/9/24. Thanks for your patience!