Inosculate - Ch 6, 7, 8

Chapter 6

Wherever she was, Serena was comfortable. Her head felt heavy, cloudy. As her eyes slowly and drowsily blinked open and closed, she found her vision was quite hazy. Still, she was certainly comfortable. Whatever bed she lay in was far and away the nicest she’d felt since, well, actually since not that long ago at all. And it wasn’t just the bed, the sheets were soft, the ever present distracting rumble of ship-board commotion was absent, there was actual, honest to goodness gravity. Serena was having a bit of trouble piecing together where exactly she was, though. And, frankly, the idea of scraping her thoughts together enough to work out the answer sounded like a chore. So instead of trying to figure things out, Serena instead decided to bask in it all. How could she not? her whole world was so cozy and distant and wonderfully peaceful. She rolled over in bed, and found her face buried in something smooth and soft and warm that made her whole body feel delightful tingly.

Just above her, Serena heard a pleased purr from a familiar voice, and a sleepy groan. Someone was in bed with her, stirring gently beside her. Some indiscernible amount of time later, there was a soft gasp, and suddenly a hand was gently running through Serena’s hair. The touch sent delightful sensations fluttering through her consciousness. Like a rock skipping across a pond, each wonderful touch sent ripples of electric awareness through her mind, only for her thoughts to still again the moment the feeling dissipated. Luxuriating in the touch, Serena nuzzled closer; the hand gently reached under her neck, and shifted her head to rest atop something soft and warm. The sensation elicited a moan of such sublime delight. A soft giggle sounded from above her, and, recognizing the sound, Serena slowly cracked her eyes open.

“Kenzieee,” she cooed weakly, smiling wide at the sight before her.

“Hi love.” How strange, Kenzie sounded so far away, but she was right there, looking down on Serena with a contented, sleepy smile. Any confusion was brushed away when Kenzie leaned down to place a soft kiss on Serena’s forehead, which replaced her thoughts with raw bliss. Squirming softly in place, Kenzie stroked Serena’s cheek, then gently stilled her wriggling by lightly pressing a hand to her chest. A sound at the farthest reaches of Serena’s awareness caught Kenzie’s attention, causing her to look up and off toward the other side of the room. Serena watched as Kenzie smiled, and said… something to whoever she was looking at. Keeping track of it all was getting hard, the drugs were starting to creep back over her mind, so Serena closed her eyes, and fell asleep to the feeling of her girlfriend stroking her hair.

Eventually, Serena awoke again. This time, her mind felt a bit more in one place and time instead of scattered in every direction of the cosmos. With her eyes still closed, she couldn’t ascertain much, but she was somewhere comfortable, though it didn’t feel like the bed anymore. Somewhere, she could hear the sounds of voices, though they were soft and muddled as though she were underwater. Wearily, Serena opened her eyes, her blurred vision focused slowly, far slower than usual, but as her surroundings grew sharper, she took a moment to ground herself. She was in a living room, on a sofa, across the room a television was playing some show she’d never seen. The room was dimly lit, with soft overhead lights casting a warm, but dull glow.

Stirring, Serena propped her up on her elbows and felt a light tug on one of her arms as she shifted. Her eyes moved to find the source of the feeling, and she realized someone was holding her hand; Serena hadn’t even noticed them sitting on the other end of the sofa. Now that Serena thought to look, she realized that her legs were actually draped across their lap, as well. Her vision trailed up the figure and, right, it was Kenzie. She was with Kenzie now. That felt like it should have been a bigger deal than Serena’s mind was making of it. It also felt like something she should actually be a little nervous about? Logically Serena knew that before Mirabilis had let her into her hab unit, Serena had been worried, frightened by the state she’d find Kenzie in. But now, mustering any feeling besides relaxed contentment seemed both difficult and unappealing.

Noticing her girlfriend was awake, Kenzie turned to her, and gave a warm smile. At the very least, Serena was glad that smile could still make her heart skip a beat with or without affini drugs in her system. And, oh, right, she was on affini drugs, wasn’t she? Mirabilis had taken her to her hab unit after Serena had tried and failed to convince the affini she would blow herself up if they didn’t do what she asked. Idly, she wondered if this was something she should be worried about. If it was, she wasn’t. A stroke of her cheek brought Serena back to reality, and she met Kenzie’s gaze. “Welcome back,” Kenzie breathed.

“How long was I out?” Serena muttered with a sleepy vocal-fry.

“About sixteen hours?” Kenzie mused, scratching her chin as she thought. “Between the drugs, the stress, and what I’m sure was a very unhealthy sleep schedule back on Petrichor, I’m sure you needed it.”

For a moment, the idea of having slept for that long stressed her out, she’d lost a whole day. Then Serena remembered that didn’t really matter. What had she lost a whole day of? The realization didn’t stop her from grumbling over it a little, though. Looking around, Serena took in more of her surroundings. “This is Mirabilis’ hab unit, right?” She asked.

“Yep!” Kenzie chirped brightly. “She brought you home last night. After… Whatever happened. She told me you were kind of anxious, and asked her to dose you, in case you don’t remember.”

“I vaguely remember that,” Serena muttered, trying to put the scattered and blurred pieces of her memory back together. “I wasn’t expecting it to be so strong though.”

“Ah,” Kenzie giggled. “She didn’t mean for it to be that strong either, actually. She’s used to dosing me, and I have a much higher tolerance than you do, clearly. Apparently she was so worried about your anxiety that she didn’t really consider that. We considered bringing you up, but she was worried that if we did, your anxiety might come back with a vengeance from how drastic of a shift suddenly being pulled off the sedatives would be. Plus, well, you were really adorable last night and I wanted to cuddle my doped up girlfriend. I must say, if I’m half as cute as you were last night when I’m high, then I totally get where the affini are coming from.” Gently, Kenzie reached to boop Serena on the nose, causing her to blush and squirm a little in frustration.

Kenzie just giggled, and reclaimed her spot on the sofa, pulling Serena closer as her gaze returned to the television. “What are we watching?” Serena mumbled.

“Oh this?” Kenzie looked back over. “Just some affini show. I’m not really following the plot but I like to have something on while I’m relaxing, y’know?”

Sitting up, Serena rearranged herself on the sofa, and sat herself beside Kenzie, leaning her head against her love’s shoulder, while her arms snaked around Kenzie’s waist. “I never knew that about you,” she murmured thoughtfully.

“When was the last time we had any time to do nothing but relax?” Kenzie had a point.

“Fair.” There was something about the way Kenzie was acting that Serena couldn’t place. Not something wrong or different, just something which felt important, but which continuously eluded her. She brushed the thought aside, she could think about it later once the drugs had fully worn off. Instead, Serena decided to appreciate the moment. Her gaze fell on Kenzie’s face, watching her as she idly stared at the screen, the way its glow illuminated Kenzie’s face and reflected off her beautiful green eyes was entracing, “You’re not wearing your shades,” Serena observed.

“Oh yeah,” Kenzie perked up, turning to look intently into Serena’s eyes and moving in close as she spread an eye wide with two fingers. “The affini installed these tiny filters on my pupils which compensate for my light sensitivity issues,” she explained. “I still tend to wear my shades when I’m out, ‘cause long exposure and things which are especially bright still tend to bother me. But the affini doctor says that the filters should be all I need, and it’s probably just a placebo that I still get headaches without them. Still, nobody’s complaining, the whole point of the placebo effect is it works, right?”

It was as she watched Kenzie casually and happily explain her eye-mods, as though it were any other day, that Serena realized just what it was which had been nagging at her only moments ago. Kenzie was normal; she was herself. Obviously, this was a good thing, but Serena had spent so much of her mental energy, had worked herself up so much over the notion that something horrible and irreparable had been done to the woman she loved. Clearly though, the more she spoke to Kenzie, the more she realized that was wrong. Which was, of course, a relief, but still a bit of a surprise, and not enough to completely exonerate the affini in her mind. “You seem… well. You seem Happy.”

A look of confusion crossed Kenzie’s face, as though Serena had just informed Kenzie the skies on earth were blue. It wasn’t wrong, but it was such a given that even pointing that out was a bit strange. Then Kenzie seemed to think on the comment for a moment, and a look of sympathetic understanding crossed her face. “Sweetheart, yes. I am. I'm very happy. The affini really do just want everyone to be taken care of, and Mistress has been nothing but kind, loving and respectful to me.”

“And your, um, ‘Mistress’ is…” Awkwardly, Serena gestured around them.

“Yes, Mira,” Kenzie answered. “She’s a good owner.” That word, owner, it didn’t sit right with Serena, Kenzie wasn’t a thing, she wasn’t property. The distaste must have been visible on Serena’s face, as Kenzie paused, and took a moment to more carefully consider her words before continuing. “I know it might seem uncomfortable that my relationship with Mira is inherently built around an uneven power dynamic, but I wanted this, Serena. Being her pet makes me feel safe, relaxed. I don’t really have responsibilities or anything substantial to worry about, and I have far more agency over my own life than I ever did in the rebellion, or before that when I had to choose between working a shitty job or starving to death on the street. Mira is considerate, funny, and a good conversationalist; she respects my wishes, my independence and my intelligence when I want to be taken seriously, and she indulges and dotes on me endlessly when I’m feeling submissive to her. I’m happy under her care.” There was an air of finality to her statement. Her words carried an unspoken implication that if Serena wanted to change Kenzie’s mind on the matter, she wouldn’t be able to. Comfortingly, Kenzie gave Serena’s hand a gentle squeeze as she leaned in closer. “I would like it if you could be happy here, under her care as well.”

Nervously, Serena shifted in place, breaking eye-contact and reflexively staring toward the door outside. “Do I have a choice?” She whimpered.

“I don’t know,” Kenzie admitted, with an honest soberness. “I had a choice, but I didn’t give the affini reason to believe I would be a danger to myself or others if left undomesticated,” she trailed off, shuffling uncomfortably, then gently cupped Serena’s cheek, forcing her to look into Kenzie’s eyes once more. “Serena, Mistress didn’t tell me what you did, but she says you caused a lot of trouble. What happened?”

Something about Kenzie’s tone, the worry bordering on disappointment, made Serena just want to hide away from it all. She had threatened people’s lives, threatened her own life, threatened Mirabilis, who Kenzie clearly cared deeply for. And sure, the danger had never been real, but the affini quite possibly didn’t even know that. And, if her plan had worked, she really would have been threatening her own life. Then there was Kenzie, if they had given Serena the gun, Serena would have used it to try and take Kenzie away from here. Could she even say that was the right thing to do, anymore? If nothing else, Serena was certain now any attempt to do so by force would have hurt Kenzie in ways she could only guess. Crushing guilt was crowding in all around her, tears streamed down her face as she attempted to look away, but caught herself against Kenzie’s firm grip. Seeing her girlfriend’s distress, Kenzie released her, and Serena curled inward.

“Hey,” Kenzie whispered. “It’s okay. Whatever you did, I’m not going to be mad. You’re not in trouble. Or, if you are, the worst thing that’s going to happen is you’ll get to live here with Mistress and me.” Kenzie drew Serena closer, letting her rest in the crook of her neck as she composed herself.

“I um,” Serena began, before trailing off as she looked for the right words. “Do you remember that story you used to tell? The oven scam story?”

“Yeah,” Kenzie answered, clearly a little confused as to why this was even being brought up.

“I did that.”

Time stretched on agonizingly slowly for the next few seconds of uncomfortable silence as Kenzie pieced together what Serena actually meant by that. When she finally did speak up, Kenzie’s tone was a mix of shock, incredulous bewilderment, and endless amusement. “You threatened the affini with an oven?”

“Um, yeah,” Serena answered awkwardly, her cheeks reddening at how ridiculous it sounded when Kenzie put it that way.

“And they bought it?” She asked between giggle fits. Any hint of the grave worry Kenzie had shown earlier had completely evaporated, replaced by what seemed to be amazement and boundless amusement.

“Uh, yeah. I mean, Mirabilis wound up calling my bluff because well… it’s a long story but as far as I know they believed the oven thing.” Her girlfriend’s amusement was infectious, and soon Serena was laughing right along with her at the ridiculousness of the situation. “Actually you know what? They still might not know, we should maybe explain to them that it wasn't real.” A hint of worry crept over Serena as she realized that, then, she took one look at Kenzie’s face, and they both burst into uproarious laughter. When they had finally laughed themselves to the point of exhaustion, Kenzie and Serena curled back up together, and the more subdued mood seemed to reintroduce her lingering anxiety. “Still I, I was trying to get a gun so I could threaten suicide and steal you away from here, and now. I dunno, knowing that you didn’t want to leave, knowing that if I’d succeeded it would have hurt you, I just… I can’t.”

“Why did you do those things?” There was no hint of judgment in Kenzie’s question, she seemed to just be sincerely asking.

“I thought the affini were going to hurt you, that they maybe already had. I wanted to save you,” Serena explained. This had to be where things turned bad, right? Where Kenzie was horrified by the idea that Serena would try to hurt her Mistress. What if the affini had done that to her? Made her mostly normal, but undercut it with unflinching loyalty to the point of zealotry. Serena clutched Kenzie tightly, flinching into her as she prepared for the worst.

Instead, what she got was a soft little coo, and a gentle squeeze. “Darling, I’m not mad at you. The rebels told us horrible things about the affini, but they were wrong. It’s not your fault you believed them; we were at war. The way the Terran Accord was, the way the rebels still are, believing different things are even possible isn’t easy. The way I see it, you went to extreme lengths against impossible odds to save me from what you thought were a race of horrible plant monsters. And, regardless of whether you succeeded or not, that’s kind of romantic as fuck.” Kenzie giggled, leaning in close and pushing Serena back down onto the sofa. “It’s sexy too. My dashing rescuer, risking it all to save me from the clutches of the dastardly affini, only to get tangled in their vines herself.” She leaned in closer, bringing her lips so close to Serena’s that they gently brushed together as she spoke in dulcet whispers. “Do you like how it feels?” She asked. “Their drugs, their power, your helplessness? You do, don’t you? I can see it in the way you squirm whenever our lips touch. You’re still sensitive all over, aren’t you? It’s okay to want this, Serena. It feels good to let go. You can trust them; you can fall, and they’ll catch you every time.”

The drugs had to have worn off, or, at least, that’s what Serena had thought. Clearly she had been wrong, as Kenzie’s seduction had completely reignited their grip. Every brush of Kenzie’s lips against her own, every caress of Kenzie’s fingers across her, every tickle of Kenzie’s hair against her neck sent Serena spiraling into more and more gasping, aching, yearning pleasure. “You know,” Kenzie whispered lasciviously, “there’s something I’ve been wondering for a long time.” Delicately, she ran her tongue along Serena’s cheek, drawing out a long, low moan as her body lit up in indescribable pleasure. Unable to stop herself, Serena began to squirm, flailing her arms under Kenzie’s ministrations, only for Kenzie to pin her in place at the wrists as she loomed over Serena on her hands and knees. “And that’s, how would it feel to kiss you, while we’re both drugged out of our minds?” Without another word, Kenzie leaned down, and captured Serena’s lips with her own, forcing her tongue into her mouth and stealing her whimpering gasps.

Serena was lost, the universe around her narrowed and dwindled until she could only consider the feeling of Kenzie’s lips on her own. Nothing had ever felt so good as those lips on hers. Time ceased to pass for Serena as she fell into an endless, empty abyss of stillness and thoughtlessness and pleasure. When she came to, Kenzie was still there, looming over her hopelessly out of breath. Her mouth hung open, and there was a distant, glassy eyed look to her which was, frankly, incredibly hot; was that how she had looked? Serena couldn’t help but idly wonder, perhaps even fantasize. Some semblance of focus returned to Kenzie’s gaze, as her dilated pupils narrowed and her lips twisted into a satisfied grin. “Damn,” she whispered. “You look really fucking hot when you’re incapable of thought, you know that?”

“Um, right back atcha.” Serena stammered, causing both to giggle.

Kenzie collapsed forward, and Serena pulled her into a hug, rubbing the girls back gently. “And that was with both of us on the come up. Imagine how good it will feel when Mistress doses us ‘til we can’t remember our own names and orders us to kiss until we pass out from the pleasure.”

And suddenly, anxiety once again sunk its hooks into Serena. “Will… will she even want me?”

“Darling,” Kenzie breathed, pressing a kiss to Serena’s cheek. “Of course she wants you. Some days, everything Mistress plans to do to us when she finally has you is the only thing she talks about.”

“But, she thinks I tried to kill her. I tried to take you away from her.” What if Mirabilis never forgave Serena? What if she didn’t let Kenzie ever see her again because Serena might try to steal her?

“Knowing her,” Kenzie assured. “That probably just makes her like you even more. You were brave, and resourceful, and your motives were pure. Everything you did, you did because you love me, and Mistress knows that. There’s no way you haven’t already endeared yourself to her. I’m sure she’d be happy to take you as a floret.” When Serena’s only reply was an uncomfortable silence, Kenzie shifted, propping herself up so she could look Serena directly in the eye. “Is that what you want?”

The question hit Serena like a vine on a Terran gunship. With a few words, Kenzie had trapped Serena, had forced her to consider something she was by no means ready to answer, but couldn’t possibly ignore. After a long silence, trapped under her girlfriends intent gaze, Serena sighed, and answered. “I want to be with you.”

“You can be with me without becoming her floret,” Kenzie replied.

“I know,” Serena muttered. She actually hadn’t known that, but it felt pretty obvious in hindsight.

“So answer me, dummy.” Kenzie lightly tapped Serena on the cheek with one finger, then affectionately kissed her nose.

Opting instead to avoid the question entirely, Serena gave Kenzie a searching look. “Do you really trust her?”

“I do.” Not even a hint of hesitation could be heard in Kenzie’s voice.

Perhaps by this point she was just asking to avoid addressing the elephant-shaped plant in the room, but Serena decided to press the issue. “She’s never hurt you?”

“Of course not!” Even considering that possibility seemed to come as a shock to Kenzie. “And she never would, I mean, unless I asked her to.”

Frowning, Serena looked away. At this point, could she really continue to ignore all the evidence that Mirabilis and the affini at large really were benevolent? She took in her surroundings, the safety, the luxury, the detail. It was sort of hard to see all of it in the dark, but, actually, that was another thing, wasn’t it? “Does Mirabilis keep it dark in here because of your eyes?”

“Yes and no,” Kenzie answered. “She definitely keeps it this way for my benefit, but she actually likes the dark too. Her flowers only bloom in dim light.” Realizing what Serena was up to, Kenzie huffed a little, then pinched her cheek. “Now, quit stalling, and answer the question. Do you want to be hers?”

In a stroke of good luck, before Serena could respond, she was promptly saved from the question. That, however, was where her luck ran out, as she was saved by the front door to the hab unit sliding open, revealing the towering form of Mirabilis. At the sound, Kenzie perked up, face brightening. “Mistress!” She cried happily, beckoning her over.

“Hello dearest,” Mirabilis chirped as she crossed the room in two long strides, then sat down on the sofa’s currently unoccupied end. Casually, she reached over and ruffled Kenzie’s hair; from the way her face scrunched up and her eyes momentarily glazed over, Kenzie was more than happy to receive the attention. After greeting her floret, Mirabilis’ gaze fell on Serena. “And how are you feeling, Serena?”

“Um, I’m okay,” she mumbled. “I didn’t y’know, hurt anyone or anything like that did I?”

“You gave us quite the scare, dear, but we all know your heart was in the right place. Nobody is mad at you.” For some stupid reason, hearing Mirabilis say that actually made Serena feel a lot better. “There is… a lot we all need to consider. Moving forward, some decisions will need to be made about your actions, and how to respond to them. Fortunately I’ve put in a good word for you. The fact that your actions caused nobody any lasting harm, and were motivated not by any sort of misguided “Free Terranism,” but out of fear for Kenzie’s safety have also lent you a lot of sympathy. I can’t promise anything, but I think as long as you continue to behave yourself, like you did after we got home last night, and continue to make my darling floret here happy, we will be able to come to a solution everyone finds amicable.” Wordlessly, Mirabilis reached over, and plucked Kenzie up off of Serena, depositing the girl in her lap. Mirbilis took a moment to shower Kenzie with affection before hugging her tightly.

As she watched from the other side of the couch, Serena couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy. Strangely, she couldn't tell who it was directed at. A moment later, Mirabilis’ gaze drifted back to Serena, and saw the look on her face. Without warning, Serena suddenly found herself wrapped securely in vines, then deposited on Mirabilis’ lap right next to Kenzie. Surprising nobody but herself, Serena didn’t offer a shred of resistance as the affini held the two humans close, and lay back. When all three were settled and comfortable, Mirabilis spoke, glancing down at Serena. “So,” she began. “I believe before I interrupted you two, Kenzie had asked you a question?”

Chapter 7

In the absolute slightest sense, Mirabilis did feel kind of guilty. Unintentionally, she had stumbled upon what may have been the most opportune moment to accidentally eavesdrop on her floret as possible. Could anyone really blame her for lingering just a bit, and listening in as Kenzie and Serena discussed the possibility of Serena surrendering and becoming a floret? She had to admit though, even if she were innocent on that account, her choice to barge in just before Serena’s answer, only to scoop the pair up, settle down comfortably with them, and then pose the question all over again was maybe a little too mischievously evil. It couldn't be helped, though! The way Serena blushed and squirmed in place the moment she put the pressure back on was just entirely too precious. Still, she didn’t want to press the girl to the point of actual discomfort so, after Serena’s third unsuccessful attempt at formulating a coherent response, Mirabilis relented, giggling a little and relaxing her grip before ruffling the girl’s hair affectionately. “It’s alright if you don’t have an answer yet, dear. By no means do I want to put you on the spot. Well, except to the extent that it makes you all cute and squirmy.”

The way Serena’s cheeks reddened as she looked away and pouted at the comment was everything Mirabilis could have ever hoped for and more, her words prompting another flurry of blushy stammers before Mirabilis rescued her. “I understand your hesitation, little one. There is a lot to consider. First and foremost, I want you to know that whatever happens, I would never compromise yours or Kenzie’s happiness by standing in the way of your relationship.” Hearing that seemed to visibly relax Serena at least a little. “But I would very much like to keep you as my own, and, if you’re on the fence about it, I have a proposition I’d like to run by you.”

Looking down at the girl Mirabilis saw Serena take a few slow breaths to center herself. Tenderly, her Kenzie gave Serena’s hand a light squeeze, which seemed to help ground her. Mirabilis made a note to gush over that later, this was the exact sort of dynamic she’d hoped for in a pair of florets pinnate. Looking up to meet Mirabilis’ gaze, Serena replied, sounding a bit more confident this time. “I am… interested in hearing what you have to say.” This was a game Mirabilis was quite familiar with. Serena was clearly someone who liked to play coy, but Mirabilis knew all too well how to strip that away, and she couldn’t wait to spend time training out every last bit of reservation and hesitance from the little Terran.

“Whenever an affini takes a new floret, there is a certain amount of preparation and arrangement to make in the days leading up to and immediately following domestication. I would like to start these preparations with you, make arrangements, set the appointments, cross the t’s and dot the i’s, and ultimately, book you to have your haustoric implant done in oh say, ten days?” It was around then, that Mirabilis realized she might have to actually go into detail explaining to Serena that she would be expected to have a symbiotic lump of Mirabilis’ cells implanted into her spine to regulate things like her drugs, hormones and neurotransmitters. She had forgotten that was something the average rebel soldier might not know about. Perhaps it was a conversation for another time, though.

Looking at the human, she could see that Serena seemed a little perplexed and guarded by all she’d heard, which was at least a little worrying. “Wait, I’m a little confused by this proposition. How is this any different from just taking me as a floret?”

“Oh!” Mirabilis stiffened for a moment, feeling a little foolish that she’d gotten so caught up on Serena’s possible ignorance of the implant, that she had forgotten to finish her explanation. “Well, we would ostensibly be treating this as a sort of trial run. You would live here with Kenzie and I, under my care while I make whatever arrangements are necessary for your possible domestication, and that way at any point if you decide you'd like to be my floret, you can just say so and we’ll have everything ready to go. I could probably even expedite some of these things if you decide before these ten days are up,” she winked. What Mirabilis left out for the time being, was that Serena’s case was still under consideration due to its rather unique circumstances, and it was quite possible she might wind up forced into domestication anyway. Hopefully, agreeing to this trial run would make either outcome a smoother transition for Serena.

Serena grew thoughtful, chewing her lip and narrowing knitting her brow in a way Mirabilis found just absolutely adorable. Eventually, she nodded to herself and looked back up at Mirabilis. “What would this ‘trial run’ actually entail?” Thankfully, Serena seemed at least agreeable to considering the possibility, which was certainly leaps and bounds from where she’d started.

“You would live here with Kenzie and I, share a space with us, adapt to our routine. During that time I would treat you as though you were mine, with a few key differences. Firstly, you would not in any legal sense belong under my care the way Kenzie does, meaning I couldn’t force you to do anything you didn’t—” Suddenly, Mirabilis found herself the target of an absolutely withering glare, and she realized the error in her word-choice. But before she could make any hasty excuses or backpedal, Kenzie came to her rescue.

“Not that she ever had, or ever would do anything to me that expressly went against my wishes, love.” Her hand gently came to rest on Serena’s cheek, cupping it and pulling her girlfriend’s attention toward herself. “We have our own personal rules for how our dynamic works that our outlined in my domestication contract, and even if she didn’t Mirabilis would never deliberately hurt me. The only circumstances she would ever do something I didn’t consent to would be if I either couldn’t consent, or became a danger to myself or others.” Seemingly satisfied by Kenzie’s explanation, Serena relaxed a little, though still appeared a tad grumpy. Mirabilis felt a little torn. On the one hand, she felt bad about her careless word choice, on the other, Serena’s endless protectiveness over Kenzie continued to be an endlessly adorable sight.

“She’s right, Serena. I apologize for my word choice. In practice, this means things like, for example, as long as you didn’t harm anyone, I could not dose you without your permission, while Kenzie and I have explicite outlines for when and how she’s okay with me dosing her without asking first. I would also have no right to do things like set a curfew for you, enforce rules for your personal grooming, dress or speech habits, or impose any other sort of lifestyle rules for you. I would additionally have no expectation for you to address me as your Mistress, in or out of any possible intimacy we may or may not engage in—though, you are certainly welcome to use that title with me at any time, if you would like to.” That at least got Serena blushing again, which Mirabilis continued to find endlessly satisfying. “You could even, if you wished, seek housing elsewhere, though I’m sure that would make our dear Kenzie quite sad. There are plenty of other ways I would be unable to limit your agency, but I already afford my florets a great deal of personal freedom by default—assuming that’s what they want—so I see little need to outline them for you. You’re a smart girl, you can use your imagination I’m sure.” She offered a suggestive wink, and Serena rolled her eyes and huffed, but in the sort of way that conveyed playful incredulousness over actual annoyance.

Still, when Mirabilis leaned in close and expectantly asked whether Serena was actually interested, that playful exasperation was again replaced by her familiar flustered disposition. Serena pursed her lips, seeming to chew on her own words as she worked out her answer. “I guess,” she began hesitantly, before Kenzie gave her hand another encouraging squeeze. “I guess I would maybe like to see more of what it’s like to um, y’know, be a floret? I should give it a chance at least, for Kenzie’s sake. And, well, I guess she seems to enjoy it a lot and I can’t deny that the drugs you gave me last night felt great. So, I guess I wouldn’t mind.”

Deciding to push her luck a tad, Mirabilis leaned back, exaggerating a thoughtful hum. “Well, if it’s only something you wouldn’t mind, I don’t want you to feel pressured into doing it,” she mused.

“Well, I, I mean. It could be nice. I would regret it if I didn’t try it, at least,” Serena stammered.

Flashing a smug smile, Mirabilis tickled Serena on the neck, then brushed the girl’s cheek with one of her vines as another curled possessively around her chin. She leaned down, bringing her face close, watching in delight as Serena squirmed from the display. “So, what you’re saying is, you want it?” The moment Serena finally crumbled was worth every bit of trouble she’d caused.

With a quiet whimper, she slumped forward, and nodded. “Yes,” she stammered.

Immediately, Mirabilis brightened, flashing a wide smile. “Great! That makes me very happy, darling.” A few more of her vines rose to curl around Serena’s waist, then her wrists as Mirabilis idly drew Serena into her mass of eager vines. “First up then, is to get you some proper experience being adored.” Making a deliberate show of effortlessness, Mirabilis lifted Serena into the air, holding her at eye level. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to dose you again, but with something less strong and in a smaller dose. You’ll be a bit dazed, but feel very peaceful and comfortable, kind of like being drunk without the depressant parts. Most importantly, though, my touch will feel very, very good.” Teasingly, she traced a vine along the side of Serena’s face, before flexing a vine to reveal a needle-pointed flower which she held before the Terran’s face enticingly. “And in case you’re worried, it won’t hurt, I promise.”

Unable to look anywhere but into Mirabilis’ steady gaze, Serena squirmed in place, gasping helplessly as she choked out a weak, barely audible, “Yes, please.”

“Wonderful,” Mirabilis sang. Gently, she plucked Kenzie off of her lap, and sat her down at the end of the couch—being sure to leave her with a few vines to do with as she saw fit for comfort—so as to give her a front row seat to the main event. Taking great care not to startle or alarm Serena, Mirabilis brushed a vine across her arm, where the injection would be, applying a temporary numbing agent to the skin. Then, distracting her with a hungry and lascivious stroke of the cheek, Mirabilis slipped the needle in. Nothing compared to the moment the drugs kicked in, and Serena’s expression changed from nervous apprehension, to distant bliss. Mirabilis made an internal note to capture it on video some other time, if she could.

As she continuously doted and fawned over Serena, Mirabilis withdrew her tablet, tapped a few buttons on it, and watched with glee as Kenzie’s haustoric implant kicked in, dosing her adorable treasure just enough to keep her thoughts hazy and her will smothered. Unlike Serena, who seemed plagued with apprehension and second thoughts ‘til the moment the drugs took over, Kenzie gleefully fell into her Mistress’ control, smiling contentedly the moment she felt them tickle her mind. “Such good girls, both of you,” Mirabilis cooed. “Though you could stand to learn a few things from your girlfriend, Serena.” Keeping her comfortably suspended, Mirabilis turned Serena to gaze down upon the scattered pieces of her girlfriend’s will. “Look how happy she is, how eager for her owner’s affection,” Mirabilis whispered, reaching a hand to gently caress Kenzie’s cheek. Delightfully, Kenzie leaned into the touch, but remained in place. “So well trained, don’t you think? You can see it in her big pretty eyes just how desperately she wants more, but she knows if she’s a good, patient little pet, she’ll get all the love and affection she could ever want. So she sits still, silently begging.” Another hand reached behind Kenzie, and began to stroke her hair, causing her eye’s to roll back into her head. “My precious treasure.”

“Missstresss,” Kenzie slurred, her eyes slowly returning to Mirabilis, now glassy and unfocused. “I love you,” she whimpered.

“I love you too, my Kenzie.” Wordlessly, she brought Serena closer to Kenzie. “Now you say it, dear. Tell your girlfriend, your floret pinnate, how much you love her.” The series of gasping moans which followed were probably an attempt to do as Mirabilis asked, but Serena seemed incapable of enunciating her words properly in the face of all she was feeling. Either way, Kenzie seemed to appreciate it, leaning forward to press a small kiss on Serena’s lips. And, undoubtedly, Serena really appreciated it. Again, Serena seemed to be by far the less lucid of the pair, but perhaps that was mainly due to being completely encased in teasing and stroking vines, the amount of pleasure she was doubtlessly feeling would make doing much of anything besides moaning and writhing quite difficult. “I suppose that’s close enough,” Mirabilis giggled, returning Serena to her vantage point gazing downward upon Kenzie. “Now then,” Mirabilis continued. “I think, my dear Kenzie, I have something that belongs to you.” As she spoke, Mirabilis began to rummage around inside her tightly wound vines.

At first, Kenzie didn’t seem to follow, but Mirabilis knew her floret was as clever a pet as she was adorable, and, almost on cue, her eyes focused a little as understanding bloomed on her face. She gave an eager nod, clearly barely able to sit still from the excitement, but remained still, earning another gentle stroke along her neck as a reward for her patience.

Not wanting to keep her pet waiting too much longer, Mirabilis wrapped her vine around Kenzie’s prize, and brought it before her. The way Kenzie’s eyes focused on and followed her soft, pretty collar was enough to set a fire in Mirabilis. Tenderly, she brought a vine under her pet’s chin, tapping it gently. “Present your neck for me, my love,” she purred. Kenzie obeyed almost too eagerly, straightening out her back and looking up to the ceiling, exposing herself. “We decided it would be best if we kept her collar off for your initial meeting, so as to not alarm you, but the poor thing has clearly missed it dearly, don’t you think?” Mirabilis asked, looking to the squirming terran currently already ensnared in her mercilessly adoring grasp. “And of course, I have one for you, too, if you want it darling. Just like hers is a pretty green to match her pretty eyes, yours is a pretty purple to match yours. I’ll wait til you’re lucid before broaching the subject with you again. In the meantime, this will have to do.” As she spoke, a vine rose to wrap snugly around Serena’s throat. With that matter taken care of, Mirabilis redirected her attention to her floret. “I won’t keep you waiting any longer, my dear,” she crooned, leaning forward to lovingly secure the soft, flowery material around Kenzie’s eager, trembling flesh.

The moment her collar finally fit around Kenzie’s neck, she slumped forward, melting into a happy little puddle as Mirabilis scooped her up and set her back down on her lap. With both her playthings accounted for, she secured Kenzie in a swarm of tangling and doting vines, stood, and carried them off toward the bedroom to give the pair the affection they properly deserved.

Chapter 8 

To her credit, Mirabilis had managed the incredible amount of self-control it took to keep Serena’s trip both mild and over quickly. She had long since lost count of the number of times she had held Serena’s squirming, whimpering form and felt the nigh irresistible urge to keep the good times going with another injection. But Serena was not her floret, as much as she behaved that way while under the influence, and Mirabilis had promised a less intense ride this time around. Mirabilis was a lot of things, but she was not a liar. That didn’t change how stars-forsaken cute Serena had been, or the fact that allowing the girl to come down from such a lovely high so soon felt like an act that should have been documented somewhere on a list of war-crimes. Regardless of how she felt about it, though, after a few hours, the effects began to wear off, leaving Serena mostly lucid, but still recovering while Kenzie was absolutely down for the count.

Admittedly, Mirabilis wasn’t too surprised by Serena’s wakefulness, she had barely been up half a day by the time her brain started to properly fit back into working order. Still, with Kenzie asleep, and Mirabilis too anxious about what a more lucid Serena might get herself up to without Kenzie there to rain her in, Mirabilis found herself in an awkward situation which affini very rarely had to deal with: being forced to make small talk with a completely lucid human she barely knew, but still felt responsible for. The two sat quietly, back on Mirabilis’ couch, each occupying their own cushion with a reasonable amount of space between the two. Both sets of eyes stared forward, staring at, but not really watching whatever show was on the television.

At some point, Serena coughed, clearing her throat as she did. Mirabilis looked over to her expectantly. Seeing she’d caught the affini’s eye, Serena froze for a moment, opened her mouth and closed it, then coughed again. Since she was basically auditioning to be the girls Mistress, Mirabilis saw fit to try and rescue Serena from the awkwardness. She half reached out with one of her vines, then stopped realizing she couldn’t actually use any of her usual tactics, then opened her mouth, letting it hang open for a second, found nothing to say, and shut herself back up. She thought she heard Serena start to mumble something, and perked up.

“Did you say something dear?” Mirabilis asked.

“Huh? No no I just—”

“Sorry I thought you—”

“Had to hiccup.”

“Oh I—my mistake. So you weren’t—”

“No, It’s fine I... mean. Unless you?”

“No not really.”

“Ah.” A soft grunt escaped Serena’s lips and Mira perked up again.

“Hmm? Are you okay dear?”

“Y-yeah. I just, uh, nevermind.”

“Okay.”

More silence followed, Mira internally screaming at herself for being somehow confident enough to talk Serena out of threatening to blow up the ship, but incapable of starting a simple conversation without sticking a needle in someone.

“Is Kenzie um,” Serena began. “Is she okay to sleep alone?”

“Oh, yeah,” Mirabilis nodded. “She had trouble at first, but the reason I’m sitting on the side of the couch closer to the bedroom right now is because I have a few vines still back in bed for her to cuddle with.”

“That’s kind of you.” Serena murmured, sounding actually quite grateful. Mirabilis considered responding, but a cursory glance toward her couch companion indicated Serena seemed to have more she wished to say. “Kenzie is… different now that she’s with you. Not in a bad way. It’s just, that vibrance, that carefree nature and confidence, she rarely showed it before.”

“We haven’t really had the chance to discuss it in depth; I have, however, gotten the impression that her past was difficult. Not that this comes as a surprise. One of the reasons we were so eager to domesticate your kind is that just about every single one of you seems to have their own little collection of custom sorrows made just for them.” Truthfully, Mira had no idea what all had happened to her floret before they had met, but that possibly made things even worse, leaving her mind to run wild with the worst possible things she could dream up. Worst still, was the seemingly very likely possibility that the powers that had been in the Terran Accord were capable of evils far greater than she could ever stand to dream up.

“There’s a period of her life, just before she joined the Terran Cosmic Navy, that she doesn’t really talk about. I get the impression she didn’t sign up for the navy by choice, it was probably either enlist or be sent to prison.” The mere mention of that word, ‘prison,’  caused Mira to stiffen. Such a reprehensible practice, she couldn’t bear the thought of Kenzie suffering in a place like that, and pushed it aside. Serena seemed to notice Mira’s discomfort, and she softened a little at the sight. “I met her a few years before the war, I got a long-term contract from the Cosmic Navy delivering expensive and important equipment for them. Kenzie was assigned to keep some of the more complex mechanical cargo properly maintained, in working order, and ready to go once it was delivered. Took her a few months to really warm up to me, but when she finally did I got to see that vibrant person under there. She started to make friends, come out of her shell; there was always that shadow of her past lingering, but she was mostly okay. Then the war happened. We started losing, stress piled on. Things got even worse when Kenzie’s CO split off to join the rebels and took her with. The average soldier in the rebellion can be okay, can be like we were, but the leadership is composed of the most fanatical and xenophobic of the entire cosmic navy. If you thought the Accord was bad…” Serena trailed off, shuddering. “We weren’t loyal, we were just scared, but you can’t say anything like that in the rebellion. That’s how you get spaced; Kenzie lost everyone she trusted but me to tribalism and paranoia, and it kind of broke her. I’d hoped that when we got out she could start to heal, then we got separated and I just—I wasn’t sure I’d have someone to come back to.”

Was that an undercurrent of gratitude Mirabilis detected in Serena’s voice? She wasn’t sure; honestly, everything she’d just heard had left her well and truly rattled. Serena had given the barest, vaguest of accounts, but still, she filled in enough that Mira could connect the dots between what Serena had left out. The thought of Kenzie going through all that, even of Serena going through it, she couldn’t bear it. At some point, Mira realized she had started to tremble. That was when, to her surprise, Serena scooted over and took her hand.

“You know,” she began. “Seeing the way you react to this stuff. It’s a bit strange, for so long now I’ve seen you affini as these untouchable, impossibly strong and smart and capable beings. That was only made worse by everything I went through after my… attack. But now that we’re actually talking. I’m not sure, I guess the fact that just hearing about some of the things we used to consider normal makes you react that way it’s… well, it’s kind of cute. You’re more vulnerable than you seem,”

“Perhaps the reason individual affini seem so strong and capable is that we didn’t grow up in a system that chewed us up and spat us back out. It’s that same reason why hearing stories like that hurts so much,” Mirabilis mused soberly, then turned to Serena. “You understand, right? That’s the point. It’s why we do what we do; so you don’t have to go through that anymore. And there’s also because, well, you humans are absolutely precious.” She winked, flashing a grin.

Serena smirked in amusement, then nodded thoughtfully, and began a slow, careful reply. “It’s a nice idea. For a long time, I was the only one there for Kenzie. She was weak, so I had to be strong for her. But with you, she isn’t like that anymore. Honestly, with the way she is now, it almost feels like she’s the stronger one. And I guess seeing all that I have, I can’t deny the appeal of getting to let go.”

“It must have been hard.”

“It was.”

Mira paused, looking from Serena’s hand, which now tightly clutched hers, to the brave little human who had done so much for her beloved pet. At some point, she had scooted in closer. At some point, she had started to look scared, a little uncertain, in need of care. Mira looked to her, and gave a small smile. “Serena, would it be okay if I held you?”

* * *

Serena awoke in Mirabilis’ lap. She wasn't entirely certain how she'd gotten there or how long she'd been asleep, but she found she didn't mind. Languidly, she stretched and looked around, thinking about what she should do with her day. Then she realized it didn't matter; she had nothing she needed to do with her day. She could do whatever she wanted. With an amused little chuckle, Serena realized what she wanted to do most was go back to sleep, so she did.

The next handful of days passed in such a manner which made their delineation rather difficult.  With no set schedule or responsibilities to compartmentalize the passage of time in her mind, Serena drifted, gently being pulled along a string of slow, lazy days which did little to differentiate themselves from one another. She would spend her time catching up with Kenzie, sleeping or napping whenever she saw fit to, exploring the nearby districts of the Baiera with Kenzie and Mira at her side, and, of course, being taken on delightful drug trips under Mira’s supervision.

At night, she would find herself still wide awake after Kenzie had been put to bed, and so, she would spend her evenings alone on the sofa with Mira, much like she had on her first night. The second night, Serena was far less nervous and awkward around the affini, she instead found herself relaxed, and actually sitting quite close to Mirabilis. They talked long into the night, Serena opening up about the difficulties of looking after Kenzie during the war and rebellion, her worries and loneliness during their long absence, how scared she had been when she first saw Neptune’s Tempest being captured. It didn't take long before Serena again wound up clutched close in Mira’s arms. When the third night began, Serena started to take her place next to Mira on the sofa, then paused, looked to the affini, blushed a little, and asked whether it would be okay if they cuddled. Of course Mira had said yes. By the fourth night, Serena didn't even bother to ask; she simply plopped down right into Mira’s grasp, and the two began to comfortably converse about whatever it was that came to their heads.

During late morning on the 6th day, Serena found herself silently and patiently waiting for Mira to administer her daily xenodrug dose, watching the affini expectantly as Kenzie—who had already been dosed—gasped and moaned delightfully in her Mistress' grasp. It was then and there, as she sat still, quietly, patiently and pleadingly looking up at Mirabilis, when Serena remembered that she actually had to give Mira permission. And with that, Serena realized something had changed in her. She hadn't felt a lick of worry or stress in days, she was happily dressed in a soft, brightly colored affini companion dress, and she was quietly waiting to be dosed with some drug that she hadn’t even thought to ask after the effects of—instead implicitly trusting in the notion that Mira knew what was best for her. That was when Serena understood that she and Mira needed to talk.

Her realization, and the talk it necessitated, did wind up having to be put on hold, at least for a little while, as Serena wound up spending the rest of her morning and most of her afternoon wrapped up in vines, wordlessly begging Mira to make the bliss she felt last forever. But when Serena found herself blinking slowly back into awareness, lying on her side in bed between Mirabilis and Kenzie, she understood there really was no way around it: Serena wanted to be Mira’s pet. And, in that comfortable quiet, basking in Kenzie and Mira’s comforting presence, Serena took her girlfriend’s hand, gently tugged one of Mira’s vines to get the affini’s attention, and embraced her new reality. “Mira?” She murmured sleepily.

“Yes, dear?” Mira asked.

“Take me.”

With a soft smile, Mirabilis leaned in close, and planted a gentle kiss on Serena’s forehead, wrapping both her and Kenzie tightly in her arms. “Gladly.”