Primary memory transcription subject: Zeleveya of Tarn, unemployed Venlil.

Date [standardized human time]: July 14, 2136

Location: Venlil Prime capitol city, outside of Venlil Prime Exterminator office 17

Zeleveya found herself outside of the Exterminators office with a bouquet of flowers, waiting for Kalne to appear. The small blossoms weren’t edible, but to her they possessed a taste-scent that was particularly pleasant, and her perusal of human records suggested that the presentation of such things was common on… dates. Her lip twitched as the word passed through her mind. It was always hard to take such things seriously for her, but Kalne wasn’t quite like the others. There were higher stakes at play as both of them would be seeking stability as the galaxy changed around them thanks to the arrival of the humans.

What have I gotten myself into?

No, that line of contemplation could only end in tragedy, and the venlil roughly shook her head to clear away the thought.

Eventually, the door of the Exterminators’ office swung open, and Zeleveya caught sight of Kalne in the vision band of her right eye as the exterminator walked out. For once, she wasn’t wearing the standard Exterminator uniform, instead just a simple sash that hung an empty flare holster. The unencumbered venlil slowly headed towards Zeleveya, and the former security officer found herself tracing the stripes that ran along Kalne’s fur.

The stripes varied in thickness, with many narrow ones that followed the contours of her face and appeared along her joints, and they appeared along a few broader strokes of darker fur that ran over her body from the lower edge of her jaw. Each one of the major stripes was unique, and they ranged from a jagged path that twisted around the longer fur of Kalne’s scruff - which oddly wasn’t clipped short in the standard Exterminator’s cut, to a swirling shape the branched and coiled into blotches as it wound it’s way down one of her toned arms…

And that was the point at which Zeleveya realized that she was staring. The venlil shuffled awkwardly, trying to figure out a way to look away from Kalne while still keeping the Exterminator in her sight, and eventually she angled her snout to face directly towards the other venlil.

“Hey zeleveya!!” Kalne exclaimed as she drew close. “May I ask why you’re looking at me like that?”

The venlil’s mind immediately blanked in panic. She couldn’t very well say that she was trying to avoid looking at Kalne because the Exterminator’s attractiveness was making her flustered, now could she? After a moment of stammering, she finally found an excuse. “I-I’m … ah, practicing ׅ𝄽”

Kalne tilted her head in confusion, before understanding flitted across her features. “Ah, human greetings. Honestly they also got a data dump on us, so that might come off as creepy.”

“Eh, it’ll also give me better depth perception, and the humans say that eyes, plural, are the ‘window to the soul,’ whatever that means,” Zeleveya said as she gave a shrug. There was a moment of silence, before she quickly thrust out the arm that held the bouquet of flowers. “There’s also a human practice of giving flowers during romance, and they’ve even got a whole language of meanings to them. I did my best to approximate.”

Kalne gave an appreciative flick of her ears as she gently took hold of the flowers and guided Zeleveya over to a bench that sat next to the doorway of the fortress-like office building. “So then, what do they mean?”

As the striped venil asked the question, Zeleveya felt a surge of confidence within her. This was a topic that she could manage, having pored over comparisons between plants through most of the previous break claw. “Well,” she said slowly, “First we’ve got the sun-plumes. Those look like an earth flower called goldenrod, which has meanings of encouragement and good fortune. Most of the flowers have meanings that feel like they would be better suited to later in a relationship but this felt like a good place to start.”

“You said most, what about the others?”

Zeleveya gave a humorous twitch of her ears as Kalne asked the question. “Well, there are some that are like goldenrods, and a surprisingly large amount that are basically rejections and insults, so to quote a saying, it is possible to passive-aggressively say ‘screw you’ in flowers.”

Kalne’s tail curled in unbridled mirth. “Well then, I hope that you didn’t throw any flowers like those in,” the woman said as she leaned into Zeleveya’s side. “What about those shadeflares?”

“These,” Zeleveya murmured as she touched the iridescent dark blue flowers that looked like the flaring scruff of a shadestalker, “these are akin to a flower that signals bluntness. I coupled them with these goldcores, which are akin to a flower called chamomile that signals patience in adversity. I’m– well, I tend to be blunt, to put it simply. And I hope that you can have the patience to deal with me.”

Somehow, the striped venlil managed to pull even closer to her at those words. “We understand each other Zeleveya,” Kalne said. “I know how you’ve struggled to fit in with others, and I think that I can cope with your quirks.” Then the other venlil briefly pulled away to look at her with a twinkle of mirth in her eye. “Seriously, your differences are tame compared to some of the wack-jobs that I have to work with as an Exterminator.”

Zeleveya gestured her thanks with a quick ear flick, before she lifted up a small group of pearlescent yellow flowers with tightly bunched petals. “Speaking of Exterminators, this one symbolizes glory, recognition, success, you know. I want the best for you, even if…”

“Even if what?”

Zeleveya gestured helplessly, before she picked up a set of four different flowers. The first was similar to the last one that she had pointed out, albeit lavender and a bit more bell-shaped. “Your good cheer, energy, you managed to knock me out of my shell for a bit and had me start forming genuine connections. Saints, I’ve even started arguing with Jalnak in a joking manner rather than just pure spite and aggression, how did that even happen⸮󠀡” She touched a small spheroid composed of tons of tiny magenta flowers, before continuing. “And the way that you understand me, I am so grateful for that, but… but I’m a danger. This flower ball, the earth plant that it looks like, hydrangea, that flower has two meanings. One that I outlined already, but it also shows frigidity and heartlessness. I’ve been called those before and with good reason. I lash out at others and I can’t help it. I’ve been a poison to people around me, and I don’t want to bring you any more harm when you’ve been nothing but good to me!”

Then she held up the third of the four flowers, a tiny inconspicuous blossom with wide leaves branching out from the stem. “This flower is nearly identical in appearance to an earth plant called poison ivy. Ivy grows and sends out creeping vines that tangle everything else in it. This is what I am. We might know that predator disease is a farce but you’re still beginning to court someone who has it.”

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“Zeleveya–”

Before Kalne could begin to argue, the dark-furred venlil held up a shaking hand. “Please. I need this to be said.” The Exterminator gave a brief nod and Zeleveya began to speak once more. “Kalne, I can tell by a glance that you are *destined* for greatness, and I don’t want to hinder that. So this is supposed to offer you an out. If at any point you feel that there is a pressure placed upon you by your compatriots and I am the reason for it, don’t hesitate to cut me out. I’d be willing to take the fall.” She briefly touched her clawtips to the last flower, a column of five-petalled pink blossoms, her words little more than a whisper. “I’ve done it before.”

Zeleveya fell silent, handing over the bouquet of flowers as she watched for a reaction from the shocked Exterminator. Eventually, she got one as Kalne’s face contorted in sorrow, the stripes on her face no longer following its contours as her features shifted between warring emotions, and then the other venlil had embraced her in a tight hug.

“Oh Zeleveya,” Kalne breasted as she wrapped the former security officer into a tight embrace, “I’m not leaving. I swear to you Zels’ you won’t ever feel even the slightest pressure to distance yourself from me as long as I have any say in my future; and if my current path were to become one where that control would be removed then it’s not one that I’d want and we can go forge our own!”

Zeleveya hesitated, momentarily taken aback by Kalne’s conviction, before she allowed her tail to intertwine with Kalne’s as she returned the embrace. “Thank you,” Zeleveya murmured in return, before she forced her ears into a jovial position and allowed a wry look to appear on her face. “Just one thing, don’t call me Zels.＠ That’s what Jalnak calls me sometimes and it’s more of a malicious nickname than an affectionate one.”

Kalne pulled away briefly, confusion evident in her eyes. “Really? But, I would’ve thought that it would be used by people… closer… to you, because you’re like a Fissian zelzfruit.” at Zeleveya’s silent stare in response, the Exterminator tilted her head to the side and elaborated. “You know, that box that I saw in the break room back at the landing center, bitter outer shell but the inside is incredibly sweet, just like how kind you are to those that you deem to be friends⸮󠀡”

“Oh I know,” Zeleveya responded at last. “It’s just that the moniker implies an unprofessional level of familiarity, and he started with it in the first week after getting his hands on my personnel file.”

Kalne giggled and rubbed a hand along Zeleveya’s shoulder. “Well, to me at least you’re my little zelzfruit, alright⸮󠀡?”

“Kalne,” Zeleveya said with a sigh, “you’re at least half a head shorter than me. I was born on a lower-gravity world.”

At the declaration, Kalne released a peal of laughter, the notes of her voice sparkling like falling water in the golden sun of the distant world that Zeleveya had been born to. “Look at you now Zeleveya,” the Exterminator crowed. “We bring up the topic of Jalnak and it’s like a switch flips and you’re acting much more put-together!!”

Zeleveya shrugged. “I mean, avoidance does work, but Group does like to iterate that–” no. She couldn’t talk about that, having been sworn to secrecy about the… Group. That was a suitable moniker wasn’t it? Simple, innocuous, it had worked at evading the notice of normal Exterminators.

But Kalne isn’t normal, a small voice within Zeleveya noted. She could very well benefit from attending it, she nearly died just like me. The venlil shrugged the thought away for the moment, just in time to meet Kalne’s quizzical gaze. “‘Group,’” the striped venlil quoted. “You clammed up Zels’. Is it… something uncomfortable?”

Zeleveya shook her head, her mind scrambling for pieces as she put together an explanation. “No,” she said at last. “I mean, it is a complicated topic, but not uncomfortable. How can I frame it… they’re some people who are like me, fellow outcasts who got together in order to have a backup herd, I guess.𝄽 The herd leader likes giving advice for ways to fit in more, to deal with issues that might prevent us from meshing with the normal, and for dealing with things that could become predator disease if left unaddressed.”

Kalne gave an ear twitch of understanding. “That makes sense. In fact, you can color me intrigued. I’d love to figure out some of the more proactive ways that mental issues get addressed other than a predator disease diagnosis.” the venlil shuddered for a moment. “You know that fiasco at Dawn Creek; the thing that the papers neglect to mention is that that torture is standard procedure and the controversy was that they had so many false positives. I’d love to meet with a group that actually gets stuff done rather than leaving it to the deeply flawed system.”

“I thought that you might like that,” Zeleveya said softly. Then her tone turned to reluctance. “Though, they aren’t exactly trusting of Exterminators Kalne. I think that that might be more of a third date event. Besides, the next meeting is in five paws anyway.”

The two venlil nodded to each other, before Kalne abruptly glanced over at the doors to the Exterminator office in worry. “Speaking of dates,” the Exterminator said hurriedly, “we should probably get on with ours before someone comes out and yells at me for deviating from schedule.”

Ah. Zeleveya blinked sagely. “Of course,” she said evenly. “Longer shifts after the humans showed up, eh⸮󠀡 Where are we going anyway?”

“Well… let’s just leave it at a few familiar faces in an unfamiliar setting.”

“Huh?”

Klne patted her hand against Zeleveya’s shoulder. “Just wait,” she said cheerfully as she began to lead the way to the car. “At least give me some opportunities to surprise you.”

⁂[following experiences deemed low-priority, removed from transcript]

⁂[transcription resumes +15 minutes standard human time]

It only took a small sliver of a Claw to reach their destination, as Kalne shut down the small Exterminator van outside a small building marked with the insignias of the Exterminor’s union and chemical research. Zeleveya furrowed her brow in confusion as she stepped out, and turned to Kalne.

“Ta-da,” Kalne said simply, “we’ve arrived at the lab that Jalnak uses for making his tranquilizers. I got myself assigned to training him for a leadership role and assisting him in his work, but Rejio was already training him for the role of pod leader and I lack any expertise in chem work.”

That explained quite a lot, Zeleveya realized. “So for that, any work you’d need to do for the next several paws would be negligible and we can just do whatever?”

Kalne shrugged. “Well, I do still have patrols during rush time and am otherwise largely stuck here, but yeah. …Are you okay with being around Jalnak.𝄽”

“Of course I’m fine with it,” Zeleveya said reassuringly. “Come on, let’s head inside, I’ve only been gone from my old job for a paw and I’m already itching for another round of verbal sparring.”

Kalne gave an almost predatory grin in response to the declaration. “I enjoy the idea too,” the striped venlil said cheerfully. “Just– maybe tone it down? There’s another Exterminator who works here. He might not be as tolerant and he would lack the context that I myself am barely grasping.”

“Of course. After you… Stripes.𝄽 does that sound like a good nickname?”

Kalne shrugged slightly as she opened the door, her free hand wandering up to her face as she did so to trace over one of the slightly blue-tinted stripes. “Maybe,” she said. “We’ll have to see how it works.”

“Then for now I’ll call you Stripes,” Zeleveya responded, as she followed Kalne through the series of doors to a cubicle where a pair of venlil were seated, their desk cluttered with chemical tubes, a few blood samples ready to go under a microscope, and – among the other tools and containers – a specimen jar containing a very familiar carapace-sheathed grasper floating in purple preserving jel.

It only took Zeleveya a few seconds to recognize where she had seen that grasper before, and as she glanced at where Kalne stood beside her with her eyes wide and knees locked in an attempt to keep her fear from showing, the other venlil obviously recognized it too. “Is that the brakhing Hive soldier’s claw that Rejio shot off‽” Zeleveya exclaimed, her furious tone causing the two seated exterminators to jump in the seats in surprise.