Auratail Mermay 2022

After her class clears from her greenhouse, Zucca quickly goes to lock the door behind her. What she was about to do was of utmost importance, secrecy and caution. She slumps against the doors to steady herself and prepare her for what was next.

She hunts around in her summoned bag for a remote control. She pulls it out, her hands shaking somewhat with anticipation. She prayed that all the progress she's made hasn't gone to waste.

She presses the button and the floor opens up and a giant covered glass aquarium raises up taking up the entire open floor space. She presses another button and the glass darkens letting in less harsh light. The rest of her plants would be fine for a few minutes of darkness but the plant that resided beneath the cover was extremely sensitive to direct light.

The breath caught in her throat as she began to uncover the aquarium. She was almost afraid to look. The cover fully off and held in front of her face she slowly peeks over it and…

Everything was fine.

She lets out a sigh of relief and her legs nearly give out from under her, but she had work to do now.

She pulls out a step stool so she can reach to inspect the large swaying bud that floated just under the surface of salt water. This blossom, its scientific name was currently pending approval, had several common names: The False Anemone, Fish Catcher, Venus Krill Trap, and her favorite the Flower of the Sea. It was the most simple of the names but sometimes simple was good. It was the only true flower that bloomed fully submerged after all.

In her studies of the plant she found that it  was carnivorous and fed on small creatures such as krill and plankton and grew deep in the ocean nearly out of reach of sunlight. It is also reliant on cleaner shrimp and other bottom feeders to pollinate it and they are drawn to the fronds that collect the tiny creatures it feeds on. She was still unsure of how it fully survives as it does, but that is why she has one now, to uncover all its secrets. She could go on a whole college lecture about this plant but again: she had work to do.

She tested the water and inspected the blossom. She also made sure there were enough creatures in the tank to maintain all the proper levels of food and other necessities.

She hoped to be the first to successfully have one of these plants bloom (and hopefully thrive) in an aquarium. If she's correct on the timing it should be ready to do so in just a few days.

She could almost not contain her excitement. Though she was advised to not talk about this too much due to competition. Saboteurs and thieves abound in this field apparently. And while, yes, she wanted the recognition she also was horribly afraid of something happening to this most precious and beautiful plant. It was in such a delicate stage and so fragile already, any altering to its habitat could kill it and set her back to square one.

She had come to care for this beautiful and temperamental plant not that she hadn't to begin with, just that her bond with it deepened and one could almost say the affection that she showed towards it was nearly maternal. She couldn't wait to introduce her partner to it. She couldn't wait to share it with everyone really. It really is her baby and…

Oh dear she can't be crying like this. She has to put everything away for her next class.