Ivy winced at the bright lights, pulling back, and instantly hissed in pain as her leaves crinkled at the motion.

She moaned, bottom lip trembling, and looked around herself in confusion. The overhead light had all but burnt her, saturating her with far too much ultraviolet light. She tried to roll, to stand up, but a strong hand shoved her back onto the bed.

"Easy now, darling, easy."

She glared at the blurry figure, "Need... Water!"

"You're half-drowned, gal. You had more water than ya could darn handle." They replied gently, and brushed her cheek affectionately. "Probably a might uncomfortable, right about now. But you hooked up to a drip, to keep you sipping."

Ivy turned her head, following a small green vine that had grown out of her chest and up into a clear bag. She relaxed a little, recognising the medical set-up. "Med bay?"

"You are in the medical care unit aboard a Duffle & Hurley cruiseliner." The nurse confirmed, "You were brought in by an ASWU. Stuffy fellow with the black helmet."

She sat up and put both her hands to her chest in a panic, "The-the frog! He wants me dead! Wants to fuckin' eat me! Where's bloody Mr. No!? Why did he abandon me!?"

"Easy, gal. Easy." The nurse shook their head, "The guest has been remanded into secure custody. Eating a guest, twice, is not something to be overlooked. You have nothing to fear. Just lie back, relax, and take some time."

Ivy tried to slow her breathing, but the twisted memories that were beginning to surface... They told her that things might have been close.

She curled up inside her leaves, wished for some nice soil, and collapsed with a terrified exhaustion.

*****

> "Roar, roar! Bang, scream, and roar!"

> "Roar, roar! Bang, scream, and roar!"

> "Roar, roar! Bang, scream, and roar!"

"Oh, such a pretty thing."

> "Roar, roar! Bang, scream, and roar!"

"We love you girl -"

> "Roar, roar! Bang, scream, and roar!"

"Hope you love us, too."

Ivy cracked open one eye, glaring at the red-skinned woman, "Are you trying to kill me with your singing?"

Desdemona howled in laughter and slapped her knee, her giant tail visible and standing on end. "I tell you, she be fine!"

"She looks more like she hates us." Talia said, "And... I wouldn't blame her, waking up with that racket."

"You guys never let me sleep!" Ivy complained, rolling over - and off the tiny hospital bed.

Sitting up, with frazzled hair, she glared at her two roommates, but didn't for a moment think of sending them back to the maid quarters. Even though she barely knew them, had hardly spoken to them, they already felt like her best friends.

It was a plant sort of thing. Fast to get attached.

Talia nodded and shrugged, "Well, you could just sleep off whatever the stars aligned to grant you, which no one will tell us about, or... You could um... Help me out?"

"Tal assigned to pools." Desdemona said gravely, "I will assist. In return, she will help me purchase Earth thing, on trip below."

"Below!" Ivy said excitedly, standing up and stretching. "So far, I do have to say, everything sucks. I had a guest try and eat me. Twice! But... I think they're locked in their room. Autumn blooms, I hope they're locked in their room. But! I did get to see the planet."

Talia grinned, "You did think that was awesome, before."

"So much better than I thought it would be! I thought it was going to be all pollution, cars and stinking air. But it wasn't. The grass was stretching up, singing so cutely." Ivy gave a soft sigh.

"How is guard?" Desdemona said with a little half smile.

Ivy rolled her eyes, "Him? He left even before I woke up. Didn't stop me getting half-eaten, either. Also... What absolute idiot takes a plant-based lifeform into a freaking oxygen factory!?"

Talia blinked, "He did what now?"

"He took me to the ship's forest."

Desdemona's jaw dropped, "Was he planning to attempt bedding?"

Ivy shuddered, "Hadn't considered that."

"So gross!" Talia said, sounding absolutely, entirely, insulted.

Ivy shivered and shook her head, "Anyway... I'm going to forget the weird stoic freak. And everything that has gone wrong. Give me some nice hard work, to block my head out of things."

"The pools are certainly hard work." Talia's face dropped, "I found a freaking pair of board shorts stuffed into one of the grates. Someone had gone splooge in them."

"Ew!" Ivy yelled.

*****

Ivy stopped by her room to get into proper maid gear. Not because she particularly wanted to, but because she was not sticking her bare roots into an emptied pool that had just had the 'verse's most entitled guests in it.

The first few hours were painstaking - scrubbing the tiles, cleaning the grates, and refilling the pool with fresh water. But as she worked, Ivy started to find a rhythm, a sort of meditative state that let her forget all the troubles she'd been through.

Nearby, Talia was as bright as ever. She hummed along as she rubbed and squelched her cloths into all the tight spaces, the lines and mortar binding each tile together.

There was a skip to her movements, and Ivy struggled not to giggle at the way her friend's rear bounced back and forth in time to her music.

It wasn't a song that Ivy knew. Something from Talia's homeworld, probably. That was something that seemed so very universal. Music of some kind or another always seemed to spread from one world, to another. No matter how unique and strange a place was, they had music.

Even the Earth had music.

Desdemona's claws clacked lightly, as she struggled not to scratch away at the weaker stone, doing her best to mop and shift the unmentionable ick that covered the surface. She went ahead, and everyone else came after her.

The red-skinned demon-inspiration worked diligently. Her tail swayed back and forth in time to Talia's humming, whilst her face was altogether focused and determined. She was showing some dedication to not just doing this task, but doing it right.

The nearby star poured its light through the protective shield surrounding the cruiseliner. It cast a warm glow over Ivy, and she could feel her stiff and burnt leaves beginning to uncurl just a little. The sound of scrubbing filled the air, followed by the gentle hum of sunbathing guests nearby, murmuring boredly to each other.

Ivy lost herself to the calming resonance, to the repetitive motions of scrubbing away, her mind completely emptying itself out. She was just another note, dancing away in the song.

There was a solace to be found here, in the predictable work of cleaning. It wasn't altogether easy. Her back was strained, and her fingers were chaffed, but her mind was lost into the embrace of the same thing. Over and over.

The hours ticked by, the ship drifting across the surface of the rotating planet. Different primitive nations passing by, underneath. So very innocent, lost to their little tribal concerns, as so many worlds sat just beyond their reach.

The tiles of the pool began to sparkle and glisten, as the maids pushed it through the depths of filth, to clean, and then to purified. Ivy exchanged smiles with the others, feeling a gentle camaraderie about what they had accomplished with it.

The smile dipped for a moment, as she knew it would be the same all again tomorrow. But she was still proud of what they had done.

They were from different worlds, from different backgrounds, but they were the servants who cleaned up all the entitled guests who would pay their way instead of working it. The ones who had money that most could never dream of possessing.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

When the water began to pour into the pool, Talia immediately splashed at the others. A full blown water fight erupted, with everyone laughing and running - right up until the levels reached around Ivy's waist.

Then she was reminded that she'd almost drowned a couple times recently, and she felt rather sick.

She dragged her soaked roots behind her, pulling up and sitting onto the side of the pool as it continued to fill. Smiling and leaning on her wrists as she watched the other two maids continue to fool around.

Desdemona's strength really was terrifying. She could have emptied the entire pool if she wanted, but she held back. Swishing and dunking on her friend in a lighthearted attitude.

Talia also knew she was completely outmatched, and she didn't seem to care at all. She wasn't in it, to win it. She was fooling around because she wanted to smile and laugh with a friend.

"Terribly sorry. I truly do not wish to interrupt, but..."

She looked up at the guest, blinking, "Oh. I guess I'm technically on duty? Sort of. Not really. Um... What seems to be the problem, sir?"

He was a skinny and blue-skinned creature. She wasn't at all certain of his species, but the way he spoke the common tongue came with an aristocratic sort of air. He was an upright and lordly sort of figure - but was treating her with reluctant kindness.

The man tucked a strand of something that looked more like seaweed than hair behind one ear. An ear that had at least three channels, instead of the usual one. "I'm afraid I lost a book I was reading. It was beside me, and then I was so overwhelmed with the lovely services provided, I am quite embarrassed that I fell asleep."

So much for wanting to help him.

Ivy pushed herself to her feet, "Certainly, sir. Where were you, when you lost this book?"

He guided her to a sunlounge, which had a bit of stubborn green staining to it. On one of the arms was a tall drink, filled with a rather salty water, from the scent. There was also a square absence of staining, where the book had presumably lain.

What kind of grossness did this guy ooze, when he slept?

The man rubbed one of his blue cheeks, smiling guiltily, "I wouldn't mind, wouldn't make a fuss at least, but you see, the book is entirely rare. It was the only copy at my work, and I should not really have checked it out."

"You... Work at a library, sir?" Ivy said, with a mild curiosity.

"I'm a cataloguer at the Noesis Scholarship of Erudition." He said with a certain amount of pride.

An emotion that Ivy instantly considered to be well worth it. She didn't care what level of employment he had. Not at that organisation. Her jealousy was immense, and it also twisted a slight warmth in her cheeks, and somewhere else.

"You brought a manuscript from the NSE?" She said and looked around frantically, trying to see if she could spot footsteps or anything else. Not that a regular sort of person would know to try and steal a boring old manuscript.

"Afraid it was the only copy?" He said in embarrassment.

Ivy frowned, not seeing any hints to what had taken the book. On the other hand though, she did see a nearby bed of flowers. She shuffled over and undid one of her knee-high boots carefully, before lifting out her foot and sticking a bare toe into the soil.

"May I ask, what it is, that you are doing, miss?"

She shook her head, closing her eyes, "Sorry. Concentrating."

Flowers were absolute gossips, it was true. Unfortunately, they weren't exactly sapient. They didn't speak like trees, they just sort of shouted and splatted out the various things of their day. They weren't even ordered or chronological about it.

She shuffled and sorted the vague images and scents of things drifting by, until one hit her and she pulled back in surprise and confusion. "The river?"

"Do you perhaps mean the pool, miss?"

She shook her head, dusted her foot and put it back into the ridiculous boot. Kneeling to do up the lengthy laces. "Sorry sir, no. That was an expression of confusion. I think I know who it was that came by and moved your manuscript, but I cannot for the life of me work out why he would do it."

The man frowned, "You think you know it was a person? I thought I might have knocked it or something."

"No came by." She frowned deeply, "Mr. No. There's no reason for him to do it. And he seems to need a real reason for absolute everything."

"Ah. Someone you have had difficulties with, I take it?"

She smiled at the guest and stood up, "I'm afraid so, sir. If you would like to retake your seat, I will see about the return of your manuscript. Duffle & Hurley is always about service."

"I confess that it would be tempting, but I am quite worried. The return of the book is something that could determine my future work." The man smiled at her weakly, "Would it be altogether terrible if I were still to accompany you?"

"Not at all." She smiled brightly, and offered her arm to him.

The two walked to the nearby elevator, as Ivy followed the stank of leather. It wasn't something she talked about a lot, but a focused leaf or two could be every bit as good a sniffer as one attached to a mutt. Not something she was about to admit, so that Talia could tease her.

"You know something of the NSE, then?" He asked her as they slowly began to descend.

She gave a small nod, "I've requested their aid, once or twice, in identifying some manuscript fragments. Back home, I worked with the conglomerate on historical recovery. It... It isn't a well-thought of thing, there."

"Ah, of course. You're a species of inheritance, aren't you? Few decide to write the history books, when everyone has the memories of the previous generation." He nodded, "Though... And it is taboo to admit it... I find that our memories are always a little distorted."

"Don't say that on the homeworld." Ivy gave a small laugh.

He shrugged with a little embarrassment.

"If you're a cataloguer, then you must get to see a lot of history. Deciding where to put it, means more than just knowing the name and the author of the piece."

He gave a small nod, "Yes, I suppose so. I try and identify the underlying themes, the generational threads it falls into, and so on. Everything that a search engine might want for, when it comes to tagging and acknowledgements."

They stepped off the elevator, and Ivy took a brief moment to locate the trail of leather. There were a lot more people here, walking back and forth and confusing it all.

She twitched her nose back and forth a little in annoyance, and bent over to consult with a nearby set of flowers, who were mostly starving but set up to look pretty for the guests. A couple drops of water as a bribe, and they had her pointed in the right direction.

"Cataloguing scripts isn't the most rewarding thing, but it's absolutely essential." Ivy offered the guest, trying to prompt him to continue.

He gave a nod, and a smile, "Oh, I wouldn't change it for the world. I am quite content in my position, I assure you. Promotion isn't something I need seek, born into my family. I do it, because I see it as something the worlds need. Something I can do, to enhance everything."

"That's... A beautiful sentiment." Ivy said, becoming momentarily distracted from the trail she was following. Now, she wanted the man's name. She sort of hoped this wouldn't be their last interaction. He was... Fascinating.

"I do hope it is something more than merely sentiment." He said gently, "I know that fewer and fewer people find books to be interesting, but I find that I could not be, without them. History, fiction, all of it. It is an expression of the world, and a diversion from the chaos that collapses in on us."

Ivy nodded, "My favourite book, I first read when I was just a sapling. Probably too early, to be honest. But 'A Sunflower's Delight' was so beautiful, it lit up my roots in ways I had never known was even possible. I have a copy, in my cabin, even."

"I don't think I've read that one."

"It's a longform poem." She smiled brightly, "Greenery surrounds me in the garden of delight. All my worries and sorrows vanish at first sight. Rows and rows of yellow sunflowers tall and bright. Dirty hands, tired feet, but the reward is just right."

"An intriguing patternation, a voice that -" The guest cut himself off, "I say, is that him? Mr. No?"

Ivy's eyes narrowed and she stomped up to the leather-bound moron, grabbing and spinning him by the shoulder and glaring into that ever-present helmet. "Did you take this guest's book?"

The guard turned his head to the staffmember he had been speaking to, "One moment. This appears to be a matter of priority. Do not go anywhere."

Ivy crossed her arms and tapped her foot, "Well? We don't take things from guests! Or do you need Amir to re-educate that thick skull of yours?"

"It is good that you are up and about, but it could not be recommended that you have returned to work. You should be resting at least until tomorrow." He replied emotionlessly.

The guest coughed nervously, "About my... Book? I am afraid that it is... Of some importance? I should not let it out of my reach. Apologies for the interruption."

"A guest is a priority, of course." Mr. No nodded, and then produced a silver-wrapped rectangular box from... Somewhere. He passed it to the guest and gave a small nod. "I was simply transporting it to the ship secure facilities, as it was left unoccupied, and is rated to be quite valuable."

"Without asking him?" Ivy sneered.

"Duffle & Hurley policy is that a guest should never be awakened. I observed some other guests viewing the document in question with envy, and so felt it necessary to move the item. It is now returned, and the subject closed."

Ivy's jaw dropped as the guard turned and resumed his conversation with the other staffmember.

She shook her head and turned, smiling sheepishly, "Well, on behalf of Duffle & Hurley, I apologise for Mr. No's arrogant little... Words. Words I shouldn't say to a guest. I hope this is what was missing?"

"Oh, quite." The guest smiled brightly, "And he wrapped it in a protective casing. I really should have, myself. Quite wonderful, and not a problem at all. Shall I walk you back to the pool?"

Ivy smiled brightly and took the proffered arm, "Certainly."

The two of them turned around and began to walk slowly. Ivy could feel her three hearts beating in unison, but she still couldn't think of a subtle way that she could ask his name.

Stumbling into someone who not only respected history, but studied it, and loved books, was not something she had really expected on this trip. Mostly she'd expected to be on her own, just to enjoy foreign stars. Resting on foreign fields and staring at the sunsets.

"What brings a historian this far from home? Just an escape from it all?"

He shrugged lightly, "Oh, the family insisted. They don't like how I can get my nose stuck in a book. I was studying this one, and in the middle of cataloguing its themes."

"Working on vacation?" Ivy said with a grin.

He glanced nervously down at the ground, "I am afraid so. Though, I have never fallen asleep in a seat, before. That was quite the new experience. Your employers have done much to make a wonderfully relaxing atmosphere."

A brief thought of the guest who had tried to eat her, crossed Ivy's mind, and she seriously disagreed with him. But he was a guest. "Everyone does their best."

They went up the elevator, and Ivy noticed that it was taking them a lot less time to return, than it had to track the moron through the crowds. She smiled as sweetly as she could, tempted to puff one or two of her flowers, and spoke nervously, "Is there a particular part of the cruise that you look forward to?"

"Oh, yes. The meteroid is something I simply must see!" He said excitedly, "A few days off, yet. But I believe it will be visible from all decks."

Ivy nodded, "The best view, as I understand it, will be from the top deck. You should be able to see it well, from where you found me."

The two stepped off and onto the top deck, and she waved a hand off to the side of the deck, where a few viewing contraptions could be found.

He shook his head, "I think I will prefer to use my own eyes. I'm no technophobe, certainly, but to see it for yourself always somehow feels to be something more special... I... Would not mind some company, of course."

Ivy flushed and her flowers popped open with an involuntary spray of nectar. She looked away quickly, "I... Will see if my work schedule allows it, sir."

With that he gave a squeeze to her arm, and then walked off with his book, as Ivy tried to come to terms with what had just happened.

Had she just agreed to go on a date, with a guest?

The captain would kill her, if he found out.