Senjen gave a dismissive wave of his hand. “Ah, don’t worry, it’s not real thorns. Besides, it’s not like thorns could even touch you through your suit. Or most of the rest of us.”

“Speak for yourself.” Jess grumbled. 

“You’ve got those clothes, don’t they protect you?” 

Jess glanced down and idly pinched the cloth of one of her sleeves between her fingers. “Eh, not really.”

Senjen tilted his head. “Seems like a wasted opportunity.” He started, though after a few moments, he simply shrugged. “Well, whatever, the thorns are fake anyway. It’s right there, so we can go take a look. If we don’t like what we see, we can always move on.”

It was not a long walk to reach the shrub Ruk had pointed out, and for a few moments, Senjen found himself distracted by it. It was a single shrub larger than some buildings, and if that was not impossible enough, it had not been here the last time he visited the park a month ago. He did not know what planet it was from, or even if it was naturally-occurring at all. The impression Tekeri gave off could sometimes be deceptive. In their culture, they often found it important to be close to nature. Forgoing modern technology and conveniences to live out in the wilderness for weeks, or even months at a time was considered a pastime for them, and there were some of them who made their entire lives out there willingly. These were a people who could build spaceships with [i]wooden[/i] interiors, of all things, but they were still exceptionally advanced, especially in certain scientific disciplines. Biology, ecology, genetics, medicine, pretty much anything having to do with organic life were all fields where their expertise could seem impossible. The Utaysi could not even begin to compare to them. Senjen remembered reading, before he left home, how they were in talks with the Tekeri for their help in revitalizing the ecology of Orostro. The articles had seemed hopeful, though the technical details of the logistics and political concerns went over his head. 

Pushing through to the interior of the shrub felt almost like leaving the city entirely. They had not brought furniture, or much of anything that seemed “artificial” for this event. The massive shrub was thick enough to block out any view of the city, but was open on top to allow in natural light and allow a view of the sky. Senjen could not even hear the sounds of the city, though he was not exactly sure what they were using to accomplish that. As expected, it seemed like the attendees were a majority Tekeri, though not exclusively.