The Bluorangions groaned as they continued to slowly graze with the sun blazing above, allowing Tomobi to take a glance at them. Their rooted legs pillared underneath them to carry their hefty mass, with a branch of a tail held behind them, and two more growing from its back. From their back branches, leaves flushed spread in a thick mass, with buds poking themselves out from the leaves.

“Beautiful ain’t they,” the man walked over to Tomobi, his eyes on them.

“They are starting to bud, soon they’ll flower and we might get some more of them. Just gotta make sure that the bulls don't pick a fight,”

“You seem to know a lot about them Mr. Actually, I haven’t gotten your name yet,”

“Spoon is the name. And before you ask, yes it isn’t a nickname and I don’t have a sister named fork. Though I am in a relationship with Dish," it took a moment for Tomobi to catch the jokes but smiled once it clicked.

“So what are you going to do now,”

“I just need to pack these away and I will be free Spoon,”

“Goodman,” Spoon patted Tomobi’s shoulder.

“Though you’re gonna be alone for a bit, your friends are still busy. Maybe you can join me for some-”

“Spoon,” Both their attention drew to Sprout, who calmly stayed by Tomobi.

“He’ll finish if you let him work. Be careful about him Tomobi, he has a thing for us VitaNavs,” Tomobi took a step back.

“Hey don’t say it like that, Tomobi I’m clean I swear,” Spoon began to stutter, while Sprout had a faint crackle.

“Don’t worry Tomobi, what I mean to say is he thinks of us like baby animals. All we are to him are cuties that he wants to hug,”

“I guess I kind of know what it is like,” remembering all the times Rookie would treat him like a child.

“Come on Tomobi, I’ll help you,” together Sprout and Tomobi carried stacks of wood away from the fence to the barn, which when closer revealed patches of differing ages, colour, and textures. VitaNavs joked and laughed amongst each other while working at the barn's mouth.

“Sprout thanks for getting us the supplies. We’re almost done with filling in the holes,”

“I just brought these ones to you, should be thanking Tomobi. He’s the one going back and forth for you,” though the VitaNavs paid little attention to this, few giving a passing glance. and continued their work.

Tomobi felt further defeated and began to walk off. That is when they went back to their chattering selfs.

“Look it’s probably crawling back to the kitchen,” That along with the faint chuckle of the few burned themselves into Tomobi’s mind, but he couldn’t just turn back. Sprout and others though kept silent.

The inside kept the welcoming feeling as of the outside, along with its aging looks. He could do nothing as he sat on a sofa, still spewing out dust. There his body shook, feelings in his chest were ripping at his lungs and clawing at his heart.

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‘What do they know? I should’ve turned - no they would wanna fight. Why can’t I fight? Can I fight?’ his attention turned towards a phone. He could soothe his pain, make it go away.

Just one call.

Just say enough.

“Hey,” Sprout’s soothing voice made Tomobi jump.

“What are you doing?”

“Oh, I was just. Thinking,” Tomobi avoided Sprout’s eyes.

“Okay well stop doing that,” Sprout instead latched onto his arm.

“Come with me, somebody wants to talk to you,” Sheepishly following her, they passed the livestock, the barn, and to the hills. The sun still beaming above them, it illuminated a cluster of dirt, wood, and stone.

“Don’t worry, everybody is basically working in the town. Nobodies going to bother you,” they continued walking towards the assortments of supposed buildings, though with each step Tomobi saw a clearer and clearer view of them. Grass-infested dirt was scattered across any ledge or roof available, while the stone had to burden the wood resting above it.

Though one thing that was the same was the VitaNavs, like in the village, like in the barn, they glared at him.

“Ignore them,” Sprout patted Tomobi’s back.

“They’re just skeptic, it’s cause you stay close to those humans you stay with. Some think that you’re a human born slave,”

“Well, do you think that I’m one?” Tomobi stopped his pace, waiting for an answer. Even the faintest pause from Sprout grew doubt.

“No,” a cold tension spread under the sun glazing above them, not a word was spoken as they walked past the overgrown huts.

"No I think you are your own person," Tomobi didn't know how to read those words.

“Well here it is, they are waiting for you,” Tomobi glanced at Sprout.

“You’re not coming?”

“They say it’s private, I’ll wait outside for you,” stomach knotting Tomobi went into the hut.

“Um - hello?” Inside not a grain of dirt was not welcomed, with a drowsy warm cooing Tomobi, well lit he saw an elderly VitaNav sitting on its bed. Horns worn and faint crack-like marks sketched across its body.

“Ah boy, it is a pleasure to meet you, come here,” offering an empty seat beside the bed, Tomobi moved as little as he could.

“I hear that the others are giving you a hard time, hear that you are with soldiers,”

“Yes, Miss,”

“Miss?” She crackled faintly.

“Haven’t been called miss in a while, you can just call me Nana. Now how do you feel about it?” Tomobi wanted to vomit out his problems, but he kept it down.

“I’m not really bothered by it,”

“Really?” her tone scratched at the comment.

“Not angry, don’t feel like giving up?” Now, this Tomobi didn’t know how to answer. The thoughts of his old life were seducing him, yet there was a slight repulse from the notion.

“It is rude to not answer the elderly,” brought back to the question, but still with no answer.

“I don’t know,” there was a moment of silence. Then Nana grabbed his head and pulled him next to her.

“Hold still,” She began running her fingers all across his head, poking at certain points.

“Where do you carry your gifts?” still searching, she continued to prob at him.

“I can carry one on my head and chest Nana,” he tried to say between the constant jabbing.

“Okay, where?”

“The back of my head and opposite to my heart Nana,” finally stopping her search she ran her fingers across where he mentioned, feeling nothing more than a faint lump in the area.

“These are nothing, why don’t you use your gifts more often?” Tomobi gulped at this comment, a topic he would rather avoid.

“Because I don’t have any Nana,” looking at a defeated child, she freed him of his grasp, understanding the situation.

“Oh, oh you poor boy,” now her sharp arms were replaced by a soft knot, hugging Tomobi as he returned his arms.

“I should’ve known, even I didn’t have that bad of an experience,” her comment connected to Tomobi.

“Were you-”

“I was. Younger than you when I broke free, it was probably worse than you but I got help and got out. It wasn’t easy, fitting in and all, now look at me. Definitly demmanding the respect of some of the snob ones,” she patted Tomobi’s hands, becoming soft and fragile.

“It’s not easy being a human born, but I can continue the generosity by helping, ease the tension. Over there,” Tomobi’s attention drew to a hefty bundle hanging off the wood of her bed.

“Bring it to me,” even for just a short time touching it he felt a tingle in his body. It felt warm and cold. Hard and soft. Alive and dead.

Opening it he saw stone-like objects inside. Some glowed faintly and twirled, others had ornaments flashing proudly.

“Hmm. Let me find the right gift for you,”