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18
ABBEY
Solon led her into the living area and sat her on a huge, dense couch that seemed to be covered in flowers. At least, that was what it felt and smelled like to Abbey.
“Yes, most of the furniture on the Monstrum Mother Ship is grown rather than made,” he confirmed when she asked. “This couch is grown from a special kind of sturdy, supportive vine which can be molded into any shape. It flowers continuously, but please don’t worry—the petals won’t stain your clothes even if you crush them when you sit.”
“I like it.” Abbey brushed the surface of the couch beside her, feeling the cool silkiness of the many tiny petals against her palm and fingers. After working in a florist shop her whole life, she was always fascinated to learn about new plants. “I wonder if we could grow something like this down on Earth?” she asked.
“Only if you have a continuous water source to feed and water it,” Solon replied. “You see, an underground river runs through the entire Monstrum Mother Ship and all the growing things tap into it with their roots.”
He settled beside her on the couch. In front of them, Abbey could make out a glowing rectangle which must be the entertainment screen. Of course she couldn’t see any details, but the bluish light was evident.
“Now, let’s see—maybe an Earth vid would be best, if you agree?” Solon rumbled.
Abbey shrugged.
“Sure—why not?”
“I have a whole list here on the screen—let me read them off to you and you let me know which one sounds good.”
He read an extensive list—some obscure films that Abbey had never heard of and some popular and classic ones that were more recognizable.
“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner…Casablanca…Avengers Infinity War parts one and two,” he read.
Abbey shook her head.
“No, keep going…”
He read several more titles until she said,
“Wait—what was that last one?”
“Um… The Bodyguard and the Princess?” he asked.
“Yes—that. What’s it about? It sounds good,” Abbey said.
“A beautiful headstrong princess is threatened by assassins so her father, the King, hires a famous bodyguard to protect her,” he read. “Packed with heart-pounding action, The Bodyguard and the Princess will keep you on the edge of your seat!”
“That sounds interesting. What do you think?” Abbey asked.
She could feel a motion beside her and she thought he must be shrugging.
“Sure—I’m willing to watch almost any Earth vid. I’m still trying to learn more about your culture.”
“And you don’t mind describing it to me?” Abbey asked, a bit timidly. Aunt Rose described things all the time, but she wasn’t sure how Solon would feel about it.
“Not at all—it will be good practice for the future—if you decide to stay the rest of the Claiming Period with me,” he rumbled. “I’ll do my best—just let me know if you need me to be more descriptive.”
He started the movie, which began with the princess being attacked by an assassin whom she barely escaped from. Solon was extremely patient about pausing the movie to give character descriptions.
“The Princess is lovely—she has smooth, brown skin and long black hair,” he told Abbey in that low, growling voice of his. “She has large, brown eyes and a small nose and full lips. The assassin is dressed all in black—you can’t see his face because it’s hidden by a black mask.”
He described the action too with surprising detail.
“Oh—he’s flying through the air! He’s coming right at her! She barely ducked out of the way in time—she’s running to hide somewhere. In the closet—she’s locking herself in the closet!”
The big Monstrum really got into it and Abbey found she was enjoying listening to him even more than the movie. He really brought it to life for her in a way that listening to the flat voice of the description for the blind or Aunt Rose’s simple explanations couldn’t do.
