When you had little kids and a career, life was busy. So Botany had a tendency to tote around a book because you never knew when the pair of them might fall asleep in the car, and there were a few moments of relaxing peace. Of course this meant the latest book often got left in the car, or at work, because tired people forgot things. That was why, when everyone in the house was peacefully asleep, she was stuck sneaking into her craft room to grab the first book to hand. Sharon Shinn was a good read anyway, and Botany collected angel things.<br/><br/>It was the second of the series, but that was fine. The books were all set far apart in time, and nothing was being spoiled because it wasn't the first time reading it. Curled on the couch near the fireplace, ignoring the dark and silent television hanging there, Botany sat in a pool of light, enchanted once more.<span style="font-style: italic">The vivacious Archangel Delilah was caught in the vicious storm, her human husband killed, her wing broken. The prophets sent a message to the God, who told them that if Delilah could not fly, she could not serve. The God gave a new name to the prophets. Alleluia, shy and bookish, but with a voice that the God seemed to hear when more and more he ignored the others.</span><br/><br/>The page flipped and Botany muttered, "What the heck?" So again sometimes Botany forgot what book she'd already bought in a series and ended up with two because last time the story didn't halt for some boldly printed poetry. "Seriously, what kind of person does this to an innocent book?" Being pulled out of the flow of the story, by kids or by poetry, always made Botany grumpy. Still they were words, and written on a page, so<span style="font-style: italic">of course</span>she read them. Then rubbed her eyes everything seeming to glow and twist and....<br/><br/>Woke with a weight on her back that was unfamiliar. Pushing herself up off the grass... wait grass? "What the ****?" Yes Botany did swear a lot. Don't mind her, she has no filter. There was more swearing because shoving hair out of her face made her realize it was blonde (ew) and longer and HOLY those were wings. Freaking REAL WINGS. The shock made her a bit slow, but she had just been reading the book. "I'm Alleya. I'm crazy. This is awesome, I wonder if I can fly. Heck I wonder if I can even move these things considering my brain doesn't have a body image that includes wings, I wonder if it can manage to write in a section for wings in three days like the whole visual adjustment thing... I should stop talking to myself someone's going to come along and be like I'm running away from that Angel, she's nuts."<br/><br/>Botany talked to herself all the time, but not in front of strangers. Well it was mostly at work. Mostly it was swearing. Still it was enough that her employees were never entirely certain if she was talking to herself, the computer screen, them, or was on the phone. Mystery at it's finest. She was definitely in shock. Still thinking about someone catching her swearing and cackling about having wings made her stop and look around.<br/><br/>There<span style="font-style: italic">was</span>someone not too far away. He was huge. "Hey who's going to hurt an Angel? That's gotta be worse luck than breaking a mirror right? Also I'm dreaming or insane or kidnapped by aliens and they have the best f'ing VR ever. So who cares?" White feathers dragging in the dirt, she walked over to the big guy, managing her usual air of confidence despite the inner freaking out.<br/><br/>The moment she got close, Botany knew who the big guy was. Seriously, it wasn't like there was another imaginary race you could confuse with Hradini. There wasn't more than one Hradini who was well over seven feet tall who wore the War God's green and... instead of saying hello she started to circle the big guy to check his back. Yup there it was. Giant sword of f'ing doom with the crossed maces etched on it. Botany had no idea what to say. None. Naturally that made the decision to go with another swear word simple.<br/><br/>They didn't belong in the same book. If she had been reading and ended up in Alleya, then... the bug guy had turned to frown at her and she said happily, "David Weber totally does fantasy better than sci fi right?" Bahzell frowned at her some more, "I like the Honor series."<br/><br/>It was a little hard to breathe. Botany never imagined that a Hradini would have a familiar accent. One she heard every single day more or less. She was highly and insanely tempted to say something blindingly inappropriate, but managed to stifle the urge for now. After a breathless moment she managed something that would work. No one else would have a clue what she was talking about, "At least we're not Zol and Lani right?"<br/><br/>The flummoxed look on the Hradini face was awesome, especially as it was accompanied by ear movements that she had no idea how to translate. But then he said "Evil?"<br/><br/>Great nickname that. Especially now, what with the shiny white wings and all. Botany had to laugh as she nodded. Then she had to pound on giant shoulders, "Still. Have. To. Breathe." Coral settled into a less intense hug, and she could hug him back. It just happened she was looking down in the general direction of a dirt road, and man did her vision seem awesome, "Hey I think there are people coming this way. Think we know them too?"<br/><br/>Coral said something that was blindingly inappropriate and Botany laughed, "This is why you're my best friend." Anyway those people were like way down the road. No reason to worry about seeming like a responsible adult for a while yet.