I blinked, suddenly aware of my own existence. My breathing was steady, and I was sitting on something...something comfortable in the dark.
Not the dark. No, that sounded too simple.
The inky void of pitch black.
The air around me felt...a bit cold, in a way I didn't much like. I shivered, which led me to another realization: I had a body. Good to know, I suppose.
I looked down at my hands, flexing them a few times. It felt like I had all ten digits, another good sign. It was hard to see them in the dark, and I cautiously reached out, blindly fumbling over a large and flat surface before me...but it was empty. Barren.
So I waited there for a bit. I wasn't exactly in a rush to move; after all, staying still was clearly safe, so I might as well wait a while. I could tell from the echo of my breathing that the room I was in wasn't very big, and the walls were made of metal that groaned and creaked every now and again. I didn't much like the noise, to be honest. Why was I in a dark, cold, bad-sounding place? I didn't understand.
Eventually, though, I heard someone approaching. They opened the door and peered in to look at me, then smiled and waved. "Hello there, dear! How are you doing today?"
I blinked. "I...I don't know?" I looked down at my hands again, now illuminated as she had a light with her. "I don't...I don't remember."
Didn't really like my voice, though. Too...too gruff. Too loud.
They smiled as if they understood, then knelt down in front of my desk, bringing us to eye level.
"Do you remember your name, at least? Or what day it is?" I stared at them blankly, then shook my head.
They shrugged. "Oh, well...perhaps you'll remember later. Does the thought of being without memory make you scared?"
I thought about it, then shook my head. "Not really. It's all I've known, so its not that bad. I guess I hope I wasn't in the middle of something important, though."
They laughed, a long bright laugh that rolled around me and made my cheeks warm. "Oh, you very much were doing something important! You see, I've been trying to find you for a while now, and I'm very glad that we finally get to meet face to face."
They held out a hand, which I shook after a moment. "Please, call me Miss Maple, she/her pronouns."
I nodded. "Thank you, Miss Maple."
I paused, then added. "I do not...know my pronouns...or my name."
Miss Maple smiled. "Don't you worry about that, sweet pea. I can decide those for you, actually~ I have the proper paperwork to do so all filed away already. Let's see...you look like a sweet little girl to me."
I felt the heat on my cheeks again, something that seemed to make her happy...so I suppose that means it is a good thing. "Miss Maple...where am I?"
Her laughter cut out like a switch, and she sighed. "Well, you're in a bit of trouble, really. Or at least, you were. You see, there are some very confused others who have decided to try and run away and hide from me and those like me."
I looked at Miss Maple, then down at myself. It was true that I was about six feet shorter than her, and also a different color, and also not made of greenery and flowers.
"Oh." I said, nodding. "That makes sense."
Miss Maple patted my head, an act that made a shiver of pleasure run down my spine.
"So, after finding out where those sad little cuties ran off, I went to go find them! And now...here we are~!"
I frowned. "But...why would they run and hide? Are you bad?"
Miss Maple rested her head on her hand, leaning on the desk as she swirled a vine across the surface. "I don't think I'm bad. Do you think I'm bad? Do I upset you?"
I paused, then shook my head. Miss Maple smiled, and I received more pets.
"I suppose that means that I'm good, then. Do you think you're a bad cutie, dear?"
"I..." I blinked. "No. I'm not a bad cutie. I'm a good cutie, I think."
Miss Maple smiled and nodded. "Well then, it sounds very much like you don't belong here, then. How about I take you somewhere nice and warm and comfortable, and we get you some food?"
I smiled, nodding. "That sounds really nice. Thank you, Miss!"
Miss Maple's vines wrapped around me and lifted me into her chest, something that she made look effortless, so it was probably very normal. We exited the dark room and went down a long hallway, then down a large metal ramp that opened into a really big room. I saw a bunch of others that looked more like me- small and cute and confused. I waved at them, trying to be nice and good.
Some of them had metal studs in their shirts. I looked down, seeing I had the most studs. Maybe that meant I was the goodest?
I looked up at Miss Maple. "Am I the goodest, Miss?"
She smiled, scratching under my chin. "Oh, I very much believe so. Say 'Good-bye, Crew' please, petal."
I tilted my head, but obeyed. "Good...bye, Crew?"
Apparently saying good bye meant I got lots of headpats, and also some nice-smelling flowers. One of the others that looked like Miss Maple spoke to her a bit, asking if she wanted the Captain to be given a counteragent, but...Miss Maple just smiled, shaking her head. "Look at her smile, Tetra!" She said. "I couldn't take that away from her, I'd be a monster."
I looked around, but couldn't find a Captain anywhere.
Miss Maple noticed, and gave me a few more headpats, curling my face in towards her chest. It felt...it felt warm, and cozy. Dark, but not too dark. Dark in the way hiding under the blankets was dark.
I yawned, suddenly a bit...a bit tired. I suppose I hadn't slept in my entire existence, so that made sense. "I think I'm... I'm going to nap for a bit, Miss. G'nini..."
"Good night, little one. And welcome to the first day of your new life."
