Swinging From the Trees

Posted on Sun 21st Apr, 2013 @ 5:42am by Maia Dalton

835 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: http://sb109.sim-station.net/index.php/sim/missions/id/3
Location: Feathers & Fur, Deck 625
Timeline: MD 04, 1630

Most of Jade's day had passed in meeting shop owners up and down the hundred decks of Protector's Promenade. Some shop owners had been willing to be part of the planning committee for Tivoli Gardens, and some hadn't. The pet shop, Feathers & Fur, was one of the last on her list of possibles. She walked into a shop that had the feeling of a magical place. There was no distinctive animal odor, and the first thing she saw was a Temtibi Lovebird. It's beautiful, iridescent teal and purple feathers were in full plumage, and it was startlingly beautiful. It blinked bright orange eyes at her, but otherwise ignored her.

Jade looked around at other exotic animals and was drawn to a tank of fish. The colors were bright and the shapes varied from things that looked like worms stuck to the glass, to long, slender fish that flashed quickly from end to end in the tank, to triangular fish which hung motionless or slowly swam from top to bottom in the water. Air gently bubbled in the glass enclosure and it was easy to see how people became calm and mesmerized by such creatures.

Maia hadn't noticed anyone come into the shop. She had been busy with some of the flitterbits. The 12 foot Joshua tree that she'd had put in was the perfect home for many of her species of animals. Especially the Flitterbits. The small iridescent humming birds were very similar to the humming birds of Earth except for the beautiful melodic song they had and the fact that they nested in large trees instead of the small flowering bushes. Much like swallows or bees, the Flitterbits nested in colonies or hives they built in the breaks of the trees.

Maia had been so taken with the birds and insuring that they were settling in properly that she hadn't noticed anyone come in through the door. Now as she sat in the tree whistling to the birds trying to mimic their song, she was unaware of her audience. Turning to see a beautiful woman standing below her, Mai swung down, her knees wrapped round the branch until she was upside down face to face with the woman. "HI." She grinned. "I'll be right down."

Swinging her legs one more time, Maia flipped until she was standing upright. She pushed her hair behind her ears and brushed her bangs a bit before offering her hand. "I'm Maia, or Mai like in Mai Tai but without the tai." She grinned. "Can I help you find something?"

"I didn't actually come in for an animal, though now that I've seen the beautiful ones you have, I may have to rethink that and come back for one. The fish especially," Jade waved a hand toward the tank, "intrigue me. Or ... I suppose they are fish, yes?"

Without waiting for an answer, Lantz went on. "I know your shop just opened, but I don't know how long you've been on Protector. Have you heard of Tivoli Gardens? It's a whole community and resort we're planning, covering five decks."

"Yes, they are fish and No, I haven't heard of Tivoli Gardens. It sounds wonderful though, five entire decks?" She counted on her fingers. "I've been on the Protector six months but because of health issues when I was younger, I only graduated from high school a few weeks ago with the last class. I wasn't actually considered an adult until now." She shrugged and gave a grin as if being an adult was a special privilege. "I don't feel much different though."

"Being an adult isn't an overnight change," Jade smiled, and then continued. "Yes, five decks. We have water sports, a train, a fishing village, villas, all kinds of wonderful plans. The best part is it won't interfere with any businesses here on the Promenade. Other than a few snack shops, there won't be any shopping or restaurants there. We hope to attract a lot of visitors to Protector, and that means more business for your shop and my jazz lounge and restaurant, too. I'm looking for people with ideas who might want to be on the planning committee. Could I count on you to join us?"

"Ooh," Mai clapped a little. "I'd love to!" She stopped for a moment. "I'm pretty inexperienced at this sort of thing, but if you'd still like me to. I would love to join you."

"Ideas don't depend on experience. Our first meeting is only a few days away. I'll send out an announcement about time and place. I think it's going to be a nice-sized group, and I hope it will be orderly, but I make no promises!" Jade laughed, pleased to have the young woman involved. That only left one more person to convince.

"You know, while I'm here, I think I'll take a fish ... and whatever else it requires." She nodded toward the tank she'd been watching when she first came in. "One of the triangular ones, please."

 

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