The sun was setting, casting long stripes of shadow and light across the front of the shop. A sign sat above the shop's roofline; it read 'Free Radicles', accompanied by a drawing of a sprouting seed. Twisted vines crawled over and under the roofline, providing a curtain across its open entrance. Inside, Hawk spoke to someone seated at the counter, while Liya purused the shelves with her hands in her pockets.

As they left the shop, turning down a covered walkway, Liya asked, "What'd you get?"

Hawk mutely presented it: a small plant with oblong leaves, which sat in the palm of his hand, its roots contained neatly in a little cloth sack that was tied closed around the stems.

"Huh?" Liya grinned at him. "Another plant? What's with you an' the plants lately?"

"I just like 'em," Hawk responded, somewhat defensively.