Agent Yung, Aleister and Elizabeth all stared at the gun in shock. True to form Agent Yung was the first to react, fiddling to push out the faulty bullet and fire again, meanwhile Aleister was about to charge at Elizabeth when the voice of a very familiar affini sounded from just behind the two aggressors.

 

“I am very disappointed in you boys.” A couple of vines slithered out and grabbed hold of Aleister, stopping his advance. Then another, and another and another, wrapping him up in plant matter both stronger and more dexterous than Aleister could ever hope to be. He was trashing helplessly in the vines as they lifted him into the air and away from Elizabeth. His captor, Tortlin Fren, Eighteenth Bloom, emerged in the doorway. The affini was ignoring the trashing, screaming man he held mid air, and instead addressed Agent Yung.

 

“Agent Richard Yung, admiral of the Terran Intelligence Agency. Xeno suppression Division.” Tortolin rumbled, as he revealed things about Agent Yung Elizabeth didn’t know and the poor agent definitely didn’t want the aliens to know. Agent Yung, having gone entirely pale, swung his gun towards the Affini “I believe we have established the rules about weapons within the Affini Compact already.” Agent Yung pulled the trigger

 

click

click

 

“You didn’t really think we would let your silly gun work, did you Richie?” Tortolin swiped the gun away, and sent it flying out of the hab unit, another vine slithering up and wrapping around his neck. Elizabeth knew that Tortolin would never actually hurt the horrified man, but Richie didn’t know that.

 

With the two dangers taken care of, the still horrified Elizabeth was given something else to focus on, mainly a missile of black and yellow fuzz that tackled her and sent both of them rolling onto the very fluffy carpet. “Eliz!” The overjoyed beeple exclaimed. ELizabeth let out a sigh of relief when she realized who it was. bumble was here. Tortolin was here, nothing bad could happen any more. Elizabeth was allowed to relax, allowed to just be Eliz, friend of bumble, for a little while. She didn’t need to focus on the two invaders, but even still, once she was properly snuggled up with bumble the two of them turned to watch what was going on.

 

Tortolin seemed to have been waiting for them, and soon turned to address the two men, now both wrapped up in vines besides him. “I know you heard what I told you earlier. You are not allowed to be a danger to yourself and others, that is all we ask of you, and yet, the first thing you go out and do is attempt to be an obvious danger to poor Elizabeth.” Elizabeth was fascinated, and maybe a little scared, of the sight she was seeing. Around her the Affini had been kind and caring, if a little condescending. This was a new side of the aliens. Strict, powerful and effective. It was quickly becoming clear to her that Tortolin and Aleina had only shown her a tiny bit of what the Affini were truly capable of.

 

“But don’t worry, we already have the perfect new owners picked out for unruly florets like you two.” Aleister was trashing as much as Tortolin’s vines allowed him, screaming his incoherent promises of violence and revenge, meanwhile Richie was pale white, staying entirely still. His world had come apart. Elizabeth didn’t fully understand what was going on, were the two of them going to be florets? Was what she had experienced just a few hours before supposed to be a punishment? 

 

Luckily bumble was there, and when bumble was snuggling her it was impossible to focus on all those things she didn’t want to think about, all the things that confused her. Besides, she deserved a punishment, didn’t she? 

 

“No bad thoughts!” bumble insisted, and bumble was right. No sad thoughts, only snuggles.

 

As Tortolin led the two new florets out of the room, Aleister screamed. “I’ll get you for this you fucking commie! And that fucking bee too!” Elizabeth hugged bumble, burying her face in his fuzz. She was still recovering from the scare of what had just happened to her, and Aleister's words stung. He couldn’t hurt her at that moment, but what about in the future? Would he actually be able to hurt her? Hurt bumble? The thought was near enough to make Elizabeth cry on it’s own.

 

“It’s okay Eliz. They can’t hurt us.” bumble declared, rubbing his fuzz all up in Elizabeth's face. The two of them stayed there for a while, and Elizabeth was given the time to cry it out.

 

“He’s right, little petal.” The comfortable homely voice of Aleina called out and when Elizabeth looked up from bumbles perfect fuzz she noticed Aleina was all around them. An even less humanoid form than normal as her attempt at humanity melted into a million vines spreading through the room, surrounding her entirely, climbing up the furniture, hanging from the roof. Aleina was everywhere. “They will never hurt you again, no matter what, nobody will ever be allowed to hurt you again.”

 

The vines of Aleina were slowly closing in on the two sophonts. But Elizabeth barely noticed. She was fascinated by what remained of the plant's humanity. Her face, still staring down, so utterly alien, but still recognizable. Elizabeth could see the love, the longing, the anticipation, and the slowly fading rage in her movement. 

 

“Aren’t you going to… punish me?” Elizabeth had no idea why those were the first words out of her mouth. A tangled up web of feelings filling her mind.

 

“Why would we do that little one?” Aleina’s eyes were shifting, blinking with lights like a galaxy in and of itself. 

 

“Because I’m with them. I tried to trick you. I… I could have done so much better. I always failed, I couldn’t” Elizabeth hadn’t even noticed she started crying again as she laid her heart bare for her. “I lied to you, I lied to Tortolin, I lied to everyone, told them things would improve.” 

 

Elizabeth's world soon changed once more. With impossible speed she felt herself engulfed in vines, the comforting face of Aleina was gone for the moment, but Elizabeth could still see those eyes, in her inner eyes she felt them. “Oh my little petal.” 

 

Elizabeth emerged from a hill of vine and moss dotted with white flowers. Near every inch of her body covered in a layer of the same materials. Somehow her stuffy suit had found its way to the outside of ALeina’s vines. The tears were still running, but she couldn’t look away, Aleina had her in place. She was forced to look at the affin, to listen to her speak. 

 

“My sweetest. We are not going to judge you for the lies of others. We knew all along that you weren't going to surrender. Your little scheme failed at even slowing us down a second, our ships have started to capture inhabited settlements and are making swift progress.” Elizabeth didn’t understand. Then why did they do all this? Why did they take their time to educate them, to house and feed them, to rebuild this settlement that nobody would ever want to live in permanently? 

 

“But… I have lied to so many people. They believed in me, when I promised change would be coming.” Elizabeth's tears were flowing freely, but Aleina was looking at her with no contempt, no disgust, simply compassion. So did bumble, she realized, from a little seat of Aleina’s vine just behind the affini’s head. 

 

“Don’t worry, my lovely flower. We will make every one of those words true. We will bring the change you promised to all those adorable sophonts and there is nothing the Terran Accord can do to stop us.” Elizabeth could hear and feel Aleina vibrating ever so lightly, unable to tell why as she was moved even closer to Aleinas face, or perhaps it was Aleina moving her face closer to Elizabeth. It was impossible to tell when Aleina was everywhere, dominating all of Elizabeth's existence. The only consistency within the chaos of plant being Aleina’s eyes always looking down at her.

 

“We want you to come along with us. To see your world transformed into the paradise all of you deserve. We want to show you the truth of the lessons we taught you and once you are ready, we hope you will help us spread the word.” Elizabeth didn’t have any brain capacity left to fully process Aleena's words. The Affini wanted her. They wanted her to come with them. They were promising to fulfill a promise she had once thought she would never be able to fulfill. Aleinas words were coming from all around her, like a chorus of one, but as the storm of the affinis' eyes calmed Elizabeth could feel the voice coming from within, feeling them as much as hearing them.

 

“I want you to come with me. Little pet. I want to care for you, protect you. I want to fix you. To forgive your every failure, to fix every problem you have ever created. But just as importantly: if you allow me I will force you to forgive yourself. Make you make peace with your inner demons. I would force you to be better. All you have to do is let me.” Elizabeth was just able to notice bumble beyond the intoxicating lack of form that was Aleina, the beeple shaking with excitement and perhaps, something else? But Elizabeth couldn’t keep her attention off her affini for long enough to figure it out.

 

“I…  I don’t know…” The tears had dried up, but that didn’t make it any easier to decide what she wanted, didn’t make it any easier to process any of her thoughts. Elizabeth knew, on an instinctual level, that she should have objections to what Aleina was proposing, she should be horrified at the idea of being made to be who this creature wanted her to be. But she felt none of that. Perhaps her thoughts were too preoccupied unraveling over her current predicament, or dealing with her burning guilt over her failures and privileges. There was however, no fear of the creature surrounding her.

 

“Shhhh, don’t worry little one, no permanent decisions will be made tonight.” Aleina whispered, tracing vines along the outside of Elizabeth’s stuffy, itchy suit. somehow the feeling of Aleina’s touch was replicated underneath her plant suit too. “Do you like this suit, little one? Is it comfortable for you? If you had the choice, would you ever wear it again?” 

 

Elizabeth attempted to shake her head. Even when it wasn’t tichy she never liked wearing that thing. It was a status symbol, a symbol of control, of power. Something she had to wear to impress fellow executives and look serious to her subordinates and the viewing populace. She didn’t want to be that person any more. “Good Girl, being so honest with me.” Another one of Aleina’s wonderful berries appeared in front of Elizabeth's face, and she couldn’t help but open her mouth. Aleina guided the berry down between Elizabeth's lips, the cocoon of Aleina constricting her rubbed between her legs.

 

As Elizabeth tried to bite down and have her treat, she felt vines holding her mouth open. Aleina was allowing Elizabeth to lick all around the thing, letting her get just a little taste of the wonderful treat, but she wouldn’t get it, not yet. “Do you want your little treat, pet?” Elizabeth couldn’t nod, she couldn’t communicate in any way, yet Aleina understood. “You can have it, and if you do I will make sure you never wear this suit again, understand little pup?” 

 

Elizabeth felt herself melt a little. She had no idea if it was the promise of taking her suit away forever, or if it was getting called pup, but Elizabeth was melting, and Aleina noticed. “My my, seems like someone is enjoying themselves. Don’t worry we’ve studied your anatomy…” Aleina could feel two vines gently opening her up, while a third one gently rubbed, gently teasing her. “...we know what makes you tick. But I never imagined you would taste this… divinely.” Elizabeth could feel Aleina chuckle, her entire world moving in tune with the noise.

 

“Go ahead pup, have your treat.” As soon as Aleina was done turning Elizabeth’s mind to mush she turned the girls attention back to the treat still hanging in her mouth, the vines retracting from her jaw to allow her use of it once more. In what felt like both a vitally important, and obviously easy choice, Elizabeth pulled the fruit from it’s branch, with her lips and chewed down, letting the pleasure wash over her once more.

 

It wasn’t as intense as last time, but the feeling was still unlike any she ever knew existed. She felt her body's attempt to thrash be instantly stopped for just a second as the world around her moaned along with her pleasure, and then it shattered. Her body was free once more, suspended in mid air for a second that felt like an eternity, surrounded by the remains of a suit she would never need to wear again. Her body free to thrash in ecstasy as gravity once again grabbed hold and her affini, her world, rushed up to catch her, and pull her into a warm, loving embrace of moss.

 

“There, there. My little pup. You did amazing, you did perfect.” Aleinas touch felt so good, so light, against Elizabet’s naked skin. Unlike the earlier constriction that felt so intense, so erotic, this felt gentle, simple, she was allowed to ride out the last aftershocks of her orgasm in Aleina’s care. 

 

After a deep breath Elizabeth looked up and found Aleina looking down at her, such a happy and caring look on her face and Elizabeth couldn’t help but mirror it. “Thank you miss.” Elizabeth smiled, and got her hair ruffled as a reward. 

 

“Good girl… though I prefer ‘mistress’“ Aleina giggled and Elizabeth blushed. The girl didn’t say anything at the time, but those words dug themselves into the back of her mind. She knew she would remember that for later and had no illusion she might stop herself from saying that word in particular. 

 

The long moment of total adoration was broken by an adorable buzzing approaching. bumble gently landed Elizabeth's chest. “That was so cute!” bumble beamed as he collapsed over between Elizabeths breasts and snuggled up to her. “comfy…” bumble the beeple mumbled. The creature definitely hasn't gotten training in human modesty, but Elizabeth couldn’t force herself to mind. The beeple felt amazingly snuggly against her naked skin and when Aleina embraced both of them things got even better. 

 

For a moment Elizabeth's worries were all gone and even though there would be plenty of work to be done going forward one thing rang true to everyone in the room. Elizabeth belonged with the affini, and believed with all of her heart they would make everything better.