Ballad of Flowers

Chapter 17

                Pinstripe was excitedly showing the stranger around her home, never giving him a break. She was rather creepy now, eyes wide as she practically clung to him. The second she gave him a chance to breathe, he slowly backed away, opening a rift and running away as fast as he could. He took a mental note to stay at least 5 galaxies away at all times, never wanting to see that god-awful planet again. She watched him leave silently, smile fading. She whimpered something quietly, not sure what she did wrong. "... Was it something I said..?"

The rest of the day was quiet, O approaching her once or twice, nuzzling her hand as if they wanted to be pet. She didn't take any notice to it, lost in her sadness and self-hatred. O had just used her hand themselves, shifting so that she ended up stroking their head. They sighed and exited the room, going back to U who was quietly reading a book she had found. Pinstripe didn't move the rest of the day, having to be bitten by U to wake her from her trance...

Orchid was sitting at home, wishing she could go out. Alex was taking a nap, lulled to sleep by the pitter-patter of rain on the windows. Orchid enjoyed going out in the rain, water just something that drew her in. They needed to go out for groceries anyways, running low on food again. She left a note for Alex, saying that she would be back soon. With a happy chirp she took off from the balcony, feeling the rain on her back. She had decided to wear a sports bra and sweatpants out today, cherishing the feeling of the small droplets landing on her wings. Her scales were a bright yellow, and someone could've mistaken her for a flying banana. After gliding for a while, she started to get close to the store, diving down and landing.

Orchid walked for a while, hands stuffed in her pockets. Another reason she enjoyed the rain was because the people in her city tended to stay inside, leaving her to freely walk around. She saw a small speckle of white and light blue in an alleyway, seeing the changing colors and inspecting it. She found a Rainwing curled up there, shivering in the cold. They spotted Orchid, flinching back and cowering. "Heyheyhey, it's alright, I won't hurt you... S-See? I'm a Rainwing too!" She held out her arm and changed the color of it multiple times, the dragon lowering their guard rather quickly. Rainwings tended to stick together, easily bonding into friendships. Orchid sat down next to them, looking them over. It was customary to show a new Rainwing your original color, Orchid turning a light peach as they faded to a light minty green. "I'm Orchid. Who are you?"

"... I-I'm Mint... Nice to meet you..." They murmured, a bit timid themselves. Orchid noticed the curves and their tone, concluding that they were a female. Orchid softly giggled, hugging them close and warming them up. Mint blushed, turning yellow in some spots. "... I'm glad I finally found another one..." She whimpered, flinching slightly when Orchid accidentally touched a fresh cut. At second glance, Orchid realized they had been recently beaten, a few wounds inflicted before she was able to get away. Orchid helped them up, blushing herself.

"We should get you warm and comfy... Would you like to come home with me? It's much safer there." Mint reluctantly nodded, looking like she knew she had nowhere else to go. They took off together, Orchid never going out to get groceries.

They got back home, Alex worriedly pacing around the house before she arrived. When they landed on the balcony, he looked relieved, terrified that something had happened to her when she was gone. He rushed up to Orchid, hugging her tight and tearing up. "Please never do that to me again..." He murmured, not even noticing Mint at first. Before Orchid could say anything, he quickly put himself between Orchid and her, not noticing they were a Rainwing before they flinched and turned white. He blushed, and stepped away, allowing the two back together.

"Meet Mint... I found her out in the rain, freezing to death..." Orchid said cheerily, Mint giving her a look that screamed "You never said there would be anyone else!" And Orchid just shrugged. "Mint, meet Alex. We're newly connected, and he's someone you can trust..." Mint nods, hesitantly approaching him. They maintained eye contact for a while before Alex finally hugged her tightly and set her back down with a giggle.

"Nice to meetcha Mint!" He barked, Mint warming up to him. She smiled back, staying quiet. They finally decided to walk inside, drying off after being soaked in the rain. Orchid got Mint some dry clothes, Mint softly purring as she curled up on a recliner. Alex and Orchid sat together on the couch, still trying to figure out what they should do first.

"D-Did you know that we can dream together? Like, lucid dream..." Orchid murmured, Mint already asleep underneath a blanket. Alex looked a bit surprised, and they silently agreed to do that. They dozed off together, breathing slow and quiet as they were lulled to sleep by the rain once more...