If the affini hadn’t arrived when they did, I would most likely be dead. I was barely functioning in a capitalist hellscape that ostracized the neurodivergent population. The day they came, I was hoping my fever would put me out of my misery because I couldn't afford health care and I'd been fired for missing three days of work without a doctor's note.

 

Instead, Telos 3 was met with a handful of affini ships that so overwhelmed the Terran Cosmic Navy that they didn't even try to put up a fight. You could see the affini ships in orbit with the naked eye, or so I was told — I was bed ridden and barely holding it together.

 

At the time, I had been fed the same propaganda as any other Terran of enslaving, brain eating plants, but only by proxy. I didn't watch the government broadcasts and thus only through word of digital mouth did I come to hear what the government was saying. The rumors had circulated only recently as Telos was not a core system and had been towards the beginning of the conquest.

 

Within a day, a majority of the planet had been secured in the vines of the Compact. I was still sick at home and saw and heard little of what was going on. I sat there delirious from a fever and crying that everything in my life had gone wrong all at once and that I'd never be able to put it back together.

 

I did not notice the affini scouting the area to find me, but am forever thankful she did.

 

 

I had long been used to waking up rather punctually and suddenly. Even on my single day off, I'd do it just because it was easier to keep doing it. This was different. I transitioned very slowly from asleep to awake. My body was worn and tired, while my mind was at a loss for the unfamiliar sensations. I heard the steady beeping of a medical device, the air had a scent of cleaning chemicals, and I felt a strange feeling from my right arm while my clothes were wholly unfamiliar.

 

I forced my eyes open and found that I was somewhere strange. My first thought was a hospital, but without my glasses I couldn't make out any of the details. If it was a hospital, I was well and truly screwed —I couldn't afford any of this! I could barely afford my small apartment which I was behind on rent! My life had been saved by someone who didn't understand that they had in turn doomed me!

 

Speaking of which… who saved me? I didn't have any friends. My parents were long gone. Maybe my boss? I thought he'd fired me for not having shown up. The landlord? She avoided the complex like the plague and only corresponded by phone. I didn't talk to my neighbors… They didn't know me and I didn't know them. Same with my coworkers. The list of suspects had no one left on it.

 

Memories of what happened were simply not there.

 

I had been fading in and out of consciousness and I guess I was out of it when my savior arrived. The last thing I remembered was using my tablet to browse the web watching… Oh shit, the affini! The plant conquerors had arrived and everyone online said we were losing badly. Who had hell the time to save me in the middle of an invasion?

 

Someone walked in as I laid there confused. A tired human nurse said, "Oh good, you're awake. You were in pretty bad shape when you were brought in here. Turns out a lot of people were."

 

"Uh, oh…" I didn't know what to say to that. I usually didn't know what to say to most people, which is why half my coworkers thought I was mute.

 

"How are you feeling? You still look pretty zoned out." She asked. I looked zoned out? I didn't understand. I was very much not zoned out, if anything I was zoned in more than I'd like to be. Unless… she meant the fact that I couldn't see anything right.

 

"G-Glasses. Uh, where are my glasses?" I asked her.

 

She paused for a moment before stifling a laugh. "They're on the stand next to you." I looked for the stand but couldn't make out my glasses on it, so I reached over with effort and felt for them. My hand bumped into them and they fell off. I watched the nurse walk over and grab them off the floor. "Here you go."

 

I slipped them on and found that this was indeed a terran hospital. The heart rate monitor was going and I had an IV bag hooked up to my arm. I was in a private room rather than an emergency room where everything would be separated by curtains. Beyond my glasses, none of my other possessions seemed to have come with me, not that I had many.

 

The room had a sizable window and through it I saw something truly terrifying. A ship nearly the size of the city was parked in atmosphere right above the towering skyscrapers of downtown! It had to be an affini warship, considering it looked alive, like a giant plant in the shape of a ship. It also looked like the pictures on my tablet. It was real. They were really here.

 

I looked in the nurse's direction avoiding looking at her directly. "What?! H-How?"

 

"Right. You were sick through the whole thing… So, we lost. In a day. Yesterday." She didn't seem upset just a bit like she had trouble believing her own words. "One of them actually found you and brought you here."

 

My eyes went wide. I was saved by the evil conquering affini that enslaved people to work in mines or something. The nurse didn't even seem all that distressed saying that. "An a-affini?" I wasn't even sure what I was asking. I was just scared.

 

"Yea and… word of advice." She leaned in to keep anyone from over hearing. "Don't fight them. I've seen a handful of patients here wake up only to start raving at them and getting violent before they got carted off to be slaves." She pulled back away. "So just sit back, relax, and enjoy the free healthcare."

 

I froze. "F-Free H-Healthc-c-care?" I had once heard of the concept, but it had long been phased out when the corps took over centuries ago. "I-I don't have to pay anything?" The idea was alien to me. As alien as that massive warship I could see outside my window.

 

She smiled at me. "The moment they showed up here and found out we charged money for health care they looked horrified and the hospital administrator was replaced with an affini who made it clear that everyone in billing was out of a job. At least I still have mine. Speaking of which…"

 

She went over to record my vitals and asked me a few healthcare questions, including medications I was taking. I don't know if she noticed the medications I listed were my HRT, though I was glad she didn't ask how I got them, either. I couldn't afford meds from a proper pharmacy, so I had to get them from some less reputable means.

 

"Well, Mr. Everstone, the affini who brought you in wanted me to fetch her once you woke up." In one sentence she managed to both misgender me and tell me that a giant plant monster who apparently saved my life and paid for my health care was going to come in here. To say I was scared would be an understatement.

 

I got to stew in my anxiety and fear of the unknown after she walked out. Looking out the window had me spiraling a little. I wanted to be home. This wasn't a safe place. This room wasn't familiar. This was no place for me to be meeting an affini. Ideally, I wouldn't be meeting one at all.

 

When the door opened, a mass of violet-flowered vines slipped through and reformed into a giant plant woman sitting cross-legged on the floor so she would fit in the room. Her face was that of wood, but it shifted and moved, and flowers were four petals in a cross shape. A mix of dark wood and vines made up her torso with her limbs being entirely vines. She looked enchantingly perfect despite her inhuman nature. Like a big, beautiful nature goddess.

 

This was the one who saved me. According to the nurse, she found me and brought me here to a place I could get better without going into debt. I was looking off to the side of the giant affini woman. I felt frozen by my anxiety. My body was not really responding very well.

 

"Greetings little one. I am Lunaria Annua, Third Bloom, she/her and I'm happy to see you are doing well~" she said with a sing-song voice. She seemed far too nice and kind to be a conquering alien overlord. "I was hoping to ask you a few questions for our records.is that alright, darling?"

 

I was still stuck. I moved my hand a little but that didn't help with moving all of me. My eyes were about the only parts of me I could move without focus and effort. I had no ability to answer her despite wanting to. She just needed me to talk and I couldn't even manage to do that right. I was a failure of a person.

 

"Oh, you poor thing, are you alright?" Lunaria asked, concerned for me while I was laying here being useless.

 

I managed with some effort to nod a bit. It was a lie. The nonverbal form of saying I'm fine when everything was very much not fine.

 

I could feel her taking in my reaction. The affini reached out a vine which gently wrapped around my right hand. "Now flower, can you tap my vine once for yes, twice for no?" I tapped once. "Are you normally able to speak?" One tap. "Has this happened before?" One tap. "Is this caused by anxiety?" I paused. I didn't know the answer to that. I hadn't received mental healthcare in a long time and I couldn't say that it was caused by anxiety over anything else. I tapped three times. "You don't know?" One tap. "Are you feeling very anxious?" One tap.

 

She then asked me. "I can give you something to help calm your nerves so you can hopefully speak? Would you want that?" I once again paused. I wished I could ask what it was. The problem prevented me from asking about the possible solution to the problem. With mild expressionless frustration I tapped once.

 

Another of her vines furled out with a flower towards my left shoulder. It was only a moment before it made contact that I saw the needle. I wasn't scared of the needle so much as what was in it. I wasn't given long to worry about it as every muscle in my body loosened up. Tension I didn't know I had faded. I felt like I'd end up taking a nap if I relaxed any more.

 

"Feeling better dear~?" Her melodious voice asked.

 

"Y-Yea… what was that?" My speech was a little slurred but I was talking. Talking was good. Whatever she gave me felt nice in a way I didn't know I could feel. 

 

"Just a class-E xenodrug I keep on hand for cute stressed little sophonts like yourself~" She said in an enthralling cadence. I blushed a little at being called cute. Nobody had ever called me cute before, or really complimented me at all.

 

"Thank you." I didn't know if I said it for the genuine compliment, the xenodrug, or for her saving my life.

 

"You're very welcome petal~" Lunaria gave a perfect and kind smile. She was so kind it hurt. Of all the affini to find me it had to be the nicest one. Maybe there was another one as nice as her, it's not like I had met another affini, but there was no way this was normal for affini. It certainly wasn't normal for humans.

 

My eyes lazily drifted to the window, to that oversized warship. Despite being physically and emotionally relaxed I had to wonder. What happens when I get out of here? The uncertainty was eating at the edges of the forced calm. Things were going to change and I didn't know what to do. I asked the affini. "W-What now?"

 

Her hand ruffled my hair with a vine and she said in her hypnotic voice. "I have a few questions about how I found you. Now I took the time to do a little research on you, and I have to ask. Would you like me to update your name in our system Ms. Everstone~?"

 

My eyes went a little wide. I was uncertain I had heard that correctly. No one had ever called me miss. I didn't even look like a miss. I never told anyone I was trans. The nurse didn't seem to recognize my HRT. However, the question would make so much more sense if I had heard it correctly. "C-Can you repeat that?"

 

"Yes, I can."  Lunaria cheerfully. The affini just radiated positivity. "Ms. Everstone, would you like me to update your name in our records? The current one listed doesn't seem right for the pretty young woman in front of me~"

 

I looked down as an uncontrollable smile formed on my lips. I found my hand was still holding on to the vine she gave me to squeeze earlier. For a moment I felt like this had to be a dream. Things like this just don't happen to me. I couldn't possibly be this lucky. Maybe I was dying in my apartment during the invasion and this is just one long dream as I die. I squeezed the vine in my hand and she gave me a gentle squeeze back. This was real.

 

"M-My name is, is Alice." My eyes stayed on the vine in my hand. It had one of her violet flowers on it.

 

"What a beautiful name for a beautiful flower like yourself~" She cooed as a few vines tapped away at a tablet. "So Alice, do you know how you got to be left sick and dying in that filthy place?"

 

It took me a moment to process that correctly. "W-What? Th-that was my apartment. I was sick and-and I had no one, and I couldn't afford a doctor…"

 

Lunaria gave me a comforting squeeze of her vine. "Oh, you poor thing! I assure you you'll never have to worry about paying for care ever again. And we'll get you a nice big clean home~"

 

"No… I-I need my home. I don't like change."

 

Another one of the affini's vines caressed my cheek. "Poor petal. I assure you the only changes we'll bring are good ones."

 

"I can't." I whined, unable to sob under the weight of the xenodrug. I was terrified of change. I could barely take care of myself only thanks to routines set in stone. Sure, my place was a mess but I still remembered to shower, and eat, and take my pills. It was already going to be a mess just trying to get used to it again after being sick and coming here. If I ended up somewhere unfamiliar it wouldn't be the same. I wouldn't have a routine for there and I was barely holding it together as it is. I'd be more likely to just lie down and let myself waste away.

 

"What's wrong dear? Why does change make you so sad~?" Lunaria's melody was starting to worm its way into my head. I couldn't explain why it felt like it went on even after she stopped talking, but it did.

 

"If things change, I-I can't take care of myself. I need my apartment. I feel safe there. The last time I changed homes it-it was so hard. I just lost my job; I can't lose my home too. I wouldn't know what to do with myself."

 

Lunaria smiled and reached out with a hand. Her fingers ran through my shoulder length hair. "It's okay little one. We came here to free each of you precious little sophonts of your troubles so you can be the best you possible. If you cannot care for yourself then we shall take care of you for you. The affini are here and you are safe."

 

"B-But I don't want to be a burden." I told her. I'd never been able to ask for help. People shouldn't need to care for me. Adults were supposed to be able to take care of themselves. Even dysfunctional autistic ones like me.

 

A short glance up at her showed that she had shifted closer to me to continue stroking my hair. Her rhythm of speech matched the way she pet me. "You wouldn't be a burden dear. I along with a great many affini would love nothing more than to give you a loving home where you are provided for. Those that wouldn't would only be holding themselves back to take care of their current florets~"

 

"Florets?"

 

"Florets are domesticated little sophonts that affini take in to care for and cherish. This happens either when they prove to be a danger to themselves or others, or when cute little flowers like you want a mistress to care for them."

 

I found myself leaning into her comfortable touch, and shied away a little. "But that… that sounds too good to be true. There has to be more to it than that. Why would you all just go out of your way to care for others?"

 

"It's who we are. We are the caretakers of the universe. On a more personal scale it's because you are all so sweet and cute and how could we resist caring for such lovely sophonts when they ask us to?"

 

Her words stuck in my head. I wanted to ask her to make me a floret. Her floret, but I couldn't just say that… I snuck a peak at her and she had a warm confident smile as she looked down on me. The pretty giant plant woman was making me blush from showering me with so much attention and affection.

 

"This is the part where I have to tell you that I will not allow you to go back to living in that cramped crumbling moldy mess you called home. Within the next week we'll have large amounts of new habitation units which will be first going to the neediest of you terrans like yourself. The alternative is that I or another affini take you as a floret and ensure your needs are met and that you are loved and cherished."

 

I knew my choice, I just had to say it.

 

A vine of hers reached down and turned my relaxed head to face her. My eyes avoided hers but she was so big and close I had nowhere to look but her. Her rhythm reached a crescendo as she spoke. "Do you want to be mine~?" The words sent a chill down my spine. The idea of being hers was intoxicating. The idea that she would treat me like this all the time had me a mess.

 

Rather than try to remember how to use words, I tapped her vine in my right hand. One single tap for yes.

 

Her smile was all consuming as she coiled around me lovingly. "I knew you'd be a lovely little floret from the moment I saw you. The way you needily curled up in my arms and clung to me. I'm going to take great care of you my darling Alice~"

 

I didn't even feel her slip the IV out as she scooped me up. The feeling of being in her arms felt so comfortable that I was having trouble staying awake. The class-something had me melting into the relaxing and loving grip of the giant plant woman.

 

As she carried me out of the hospital, I fell asleep in her warm embrace.

 

 

The strangest part of the affini invasion was that I started waking up in unfamiliar places. Last time it was a hospital, something I had only ever experienced before through media. This time it was in a bed surrounded by gentle vines. They held me and a vine with a familiar cross-shaped violet flower close enough to recognize put everything in context.

 

I asked to be made a floret, I didn't even really understand what that meant beyond this affini who I embarrassingly forgot the name of, taking care of me because she wanted to. I was bad at names and faces, and conversation… I was bad at everything which was why I asked to be her floret. When I made the decision, I felt like it was the perfect one and now the doubts were creeping back in. Didn't the net and the nurse mention slavery?

 

I shook my head. She-She wouldn't do that to me. She was like the nicest person I had ever met, and the most beautiful. She was patient, caring, and understanding. She wasn't going to like enslave me, right? Or rather she didn't somehow trick me into enslaving myself… but that doesn't make sense if she could easily do it by force why trick me? None of this made sense. I had a million doubts but logic-ing them away didn't work. Even if I knew the doubts were unwarranted, they would still be there.

 

The alien in bed with me stirred as I shook my head. "Good morning my cute darling floret~" She pulled me in close as she gave me a big hug. She squished all the doubts right out of me.

 

"M-Morning." I squeaked out in reply.

 

She started humming as she stroked my hair without ever letting go of me. She just held me like that for… the shortest and longest moment of my life. The feel of her body shifting, the sound of her hum, her flowery scent. I got lost in all of it and rather overwhelmed. She had so many textures from her vines, wood, and flowers. I loved every second of it despite short circuiting and having little to no prior hug experience let alone from a xeno. I really hoped I'd get used to her hugs because they were great and I knew this was not a normal reaction to a hug even if it was my first in fifteen years. I guess I didn't have a lot of normal reactions.

 

The affini broke the hug and slipped on my glasses before hoisting me up into her arms to be cradled. I just passively laid there being too lost in what just happened to process much more. My hands found one of her vines and started fidgeting with it. It was about all I could really handle. Just twirling a small vine around.

 

After a little bit another vine slipped into my right hand and she asked. "Alice dear, are you calm enough to take a shower?" I got confused and wiggled the vine. "I see. Here's a little something to make everything simpler for you."

 

I was still sorting the situation out and going over her words in an attempt to parse them when all the overwhelming sensations faded away along with all my thoughts. I was motionless but not limp. Just a happy peaceful doll with a content smile and an empty look waiting to be moved and puppeted by another.

 

I did not know nor care what was happening. I had stopped being a person and started being a mindless play toy for the big beautiful plant lady. Completely unaware as the affini stripped my clothes off and vines posed my body to stand up in the shower as she washed me. She gave me gentle praise and affection the whole time despite my mindlessness. Afterwards she dried me off and then picked me up to slip a cute dress on me.

 

"Time to wake up darling~"

 

I blinked and then blinked again. I felt normal, or as normal as I got. I looked up at the affini that held me in the crook of her arm. She… she gave me something that turned me into a-a mindless happy doll. The worst part was I sort of liked it. Okay I really liked it. It was sublime to have my noisy thoughts turned off like that and just be happy and controlled.

 

"Feeling better now that you're all cleaned up~?" She sang as she smiled down on me.

 

My cheeks were aflame. "Y-Yes. Sorry I uh stopped being responsive. It never used to happen this often."

 

She gave me a knowing smirk. "Perhaps that's because you hid away in a little space alone where you controlled all the stimulation you received in an effort to never be overstimulated."

 

The words hit me like a ton of bricks. So blunt and straightforward that even I couldn't misinterpret or be oblivious to what she had said. The problem was accepting it as the truth. It sounded correct. It sounded like she was being truthful. It made sense, but… I spent years in my own head with my internal monologue that wouldn't ever stop pondering every weird thing about me and I-I couldn't have just missed this supposedly obvious thing. "H-How do you know?"

 

I hadn't even noticed she was walking us into the kitchen of a home sized for a like ten- to twelve-foot-tall woman. Her home was so quiet. Outside of her and me there were no other sources of sound around. Her scent was the only one present besides the incredibly mild scent of my newly washed hair.

 

"I know because I, like every affini aiding in the domestication of you cute little terrans, have made myself well versed on the mechanics of your psychology. And you, my adorable little Alice seem to fit into what you terrans call autism." She stated confidently. "I also confiscated a large quantity of data and records on you while you were recovering and learned all sorts of fun little things about you from it. Like your food preferences, your favorite colors, your lack of hobbies, your gender, your kinks, your incredibly poor nutritional habits, how often you left your home, your medical history, your family, etc…"

 

I laid there slack jawed. That was a lot of information. Apparently, she knew everything about me but still wanted me as a floret. Also, the moment she mentioned knowing my kinks I got stuck in an embarrassing cycle of trying to figure out what exactly she knew about them. The worst part was my interests in that area pivoted hard after starting hormones, she probably saw the stuff from before. I covered my face with my hands to hide my shame.

 

She just started humming that pretty sound of hers while she started cooking. The familiar smells came to me in a wave of nostalgia. I hadn't had pancakes and bacon in years. I couldn't cook and I never had the money to go eat anything fancy. She somehow knew this from her snooping but she also managed to obtain the ingredients and learned how to cook an old but simple terran recipe. What kind of perfect alien goddess is she and why can I not for the life of me remember her name?

 

She gave me another vine to fidget with and I didn't even notice I had started messing with it as my thoughts ran wild searching for her name. I also tried to figure out how she could even be real.

 

She patted me on the head as she let me know breakfast was ready. She sat me down in her lap and I realized the dining table was so big I would struggle to reach it if she didn't place me sitting on her lap. She was going to have me eat in her lap… I reached out for the silverware when her vines caught my wrists pinning my arms to my sides.

 

"Allow me darling." She said without missing a beat. A vine reached out for each utensil and she began cutting up the food and feeding me. Even the tiny vines holding my arms back were so strong they would not budge. I only struggled a moment to confirm I couldn't resist.

 

She somehow matched my eating pace or rather I matched her pace of feeding without even trying. It felt natural like… like that rhythm. Her rhythm. I felt like there should have been more to that revelation but I was busy eating amazing food made by my favorite person ever. Not that anyone else competed for the position.

 

Like every good thing, this morning breakfast came to an end completely beyond my control. Everything here was under the affini's control… even me. That thought wasn't half as horrifying as it should have been. If anything, she just spent the morning showing me why that was a good thing.

 

She really liked carrying me, and I uh liked being carried. It was nice to not have to decide where I was going, to constantly be held close to her. She cleaned up faster than I could keep up with and I was taken over to the couch. Everything here was so big I was almost worried I'd fall and hurt myself.

 

Using a vine under my chin she took my vision and focus from being mildly afraid of the heights to focusing on the papers on the table before me.

 

"What's that?" I asked, pointing at the paper she clearly wanted me to acknowledge.

 

She ruffled my hair with her hand. "That my darling Alice is the paperwork to formally make you my floret. I have taken the liberty of filling out all the documents except this one on top that's for you~"

 

"Oh. Right…" I sucked it up and finally asked the thought I woke up with. "I wanted to ask about uh being a floret… you already told me stuff but like I guess I still don't get it."

 

"I know, that's why I spent this morning giving you practical experience." That's… How was she so ahead of me on this stuff? "Now before you fill out the document, I want you to tell me what you think being a floret is like with that knowledge."

 

I furrowed my brow in deep thought. I kept missing a lot of obvious things from her… but I mean I'm pretty sure I've always missed obvious stuff. The only difference was she actually tried to explain everything to me that I missed. I got sidetracked and had to refocus. What did I think being a floret was like?

 

Well, she was really nice and took care of me, but she already told me that. She drugged me without me asking… but I was okay with it and it worked out in the end. I didn't have to worry about anything I was doing because she just did it for me. Yet even with all the weird controlling bits that came with providing everything I wanted/needed, she made me feel better and happier than I had in… I can't even tell. Also, she did this all happily as if it made her happy.

 

Now to turn my soup of vague thoughts into actual words I can verbalize. "Uh, you uh make me do things, but you do it to take care of me, and you are also really nice and help me a lot." I frowned. "I'm not sure those were the words I wanted to use." Word choice was the worst and I often failed to express my thoughts in words.

 

She lightly giggled while petting me. "It's okay flower, I think you have the idea. If you are looking for the word, it's pet. You will be my pet." I recoiled at the thought.

 

"But pets don't talk, and people don’t take care of pets like you take care of me." I defended.

 

"I don't know your experience with terran pet keeping, but the core idea is the same. I provide you unconditional love, I satisfy your wants and needs, I keep you happy and healthy in both mind and body, and in exchange I have full authority over you to provide all of that against even your own wishes. You obey me because I know what's best for you even when you don't."

 

That was like the ideal of a pet keeper I guess, but that's not how it works normally. People are deeply flawed and stuff… except she's not. She's insanely smart and powerful and kind. She's already shown me that she can and will do those things. I just had to give up my freedom and obey her. I had already done it and I liked it so why was I hesitating now?

 

She wrapped both arms around me and pulled me in for a smothering hug. "Tell me my beautiful darling Alice which part is holding you back?"

 

It took me a while to put words to the feeling. "I wouldn't be free…" I mumbled. Everything about terran culture was about freedom no matter which world you were on.

 

"And how free were you before I found you?" She asked. I wanted to say completely but I knew that was a lie. I was at the mercy of faceless corporations, and a government that listened to them over its own people. My freedom almost killed me. I couldn't choose what I wanted to do because my poor finances decided that for me. Even when I had the money, I often just ignored my own choices out of anxiety and fear.

 

I knew what she wanted me to say. "I wasn't… not in a meaningful way." The only thing the false sense of freedom brought me was dying unloved, unhappy, and alone.

 

She kissed the top of my head as she continued holding me tight. One hand stroked my hair as I started crying into the beautiful flowers growing from her form. Every bit of the horror of my life before this morning suddenly became crystal clear. The constant struggle just to function in an uncaring universe alone and incapable. The long nights trying to find something that could distract me from the paralyzing worry of losing my home to a rising cost of living and stagnant wage in a job I couldn't emotionally handle leaving because I found change too hard to cope with. I had been drowning for years and she pulled me out of the water at the last minute and introduced me to dry land.

 

I kept mumbling incoherent apologies as I stained her beautiful body with my tears and snot. I spent a long time calming down while she continued giving me physical comfort and reassurance. When I finally managed to stop being a mess, she used some soft leaves on one of her vines to wipe my face clean.

 

"I'm so sorry that your life broke your heart petal, but I promise you I'm going to piece it back together bit by bit until you know nothing but love and happiness." She wiped away a fresh tear of mine. "You are mine and I will make you happy. You do not get a say in that." She left no room for disagreement.

 

"C-Can I fill out the document?" By the time I finished my sentence a pen was in my hand and she turned me around to face the paper. Reading through it the first thing that stood out to me was not the part about giving up all my rights, it was her name. The one she told me yesterday that slipped from my mind. Lunaria Annua, Third Bloom. It was a really pretty name.

 

1. Above all else, you, Alice, must obey your Guardian, Lunaria Annua, Third Bloom in all things. This is for your safety, wellbeing, and care. ☐
2. Your Guardian, Lunaria Annua, Third Bloom, owns you. You are her property. You do not have political rights in the Affini Compact. ☐
3. You do have a guarantee of your wellbeing, as defined in Section 57 of the Human Domestication Treaty. ☐
4. This guarantee of wellbeing does not preclude your Guardian from disciplining you, as outlined in Section 61 of the Human Domestication Treaty. ☐
5. As the property of your Guardian, she may add, remove, or modify conditions of your wardship at any time for any reason within the limits established by the Human Domestication Treaty. ☐
6. Your full name is Alice Annua, Second Floret from this moment forward. ☐

Sign here to acknowledge your understanding and acceptance of these terms

______________________________________________________________

 

My new name was the only other thing that gave me pause.  The words danced on my lips. "Alice Annua, Second Floret."

 

"A lovely name for a lovely floret~" She praised. I checked it away and signed before she helped me with the biometrics.

 

I was flipped around with impossible ease. Her eyes were trying to lure me into eye contact I did not want. "Now for the finishing touch~" She held up a black collar and slowly wrapped it around my neck. It was snug. Reaching up I couldn't even feel a gap between it and my skin. "There you look perfect." She took a second to admire the collar on me. "Now I have a command for you, my beautiful darling floret. From this moment forward, you are to refer to me as Mistress~"

 

"Y-Yes." I agreed immediately.

 

"Yes what?"

 

It took me longer than I would have liked to admit to figure it out. "Yes M-Mistress."

 

"Good Girl~" Mistress pulled me into a hug and a light prick amplified my sense of touch until every brush of her against my skin had me giving soft moans. I couldn't really think straight the rest of that day. Not that straight thoughts had ever been found in my gay little head.

 

 

My Mistress Lunaria kept me dosed with fancy affini xenodrugs the rest of that first day in her habitation unit because from what I made out in my drug fueled bliss was that she felt really bad about making me cry like that. I tried to tell her it was my fault but she didn't leave me capable of using words.

 

The day after she startled me when waking me up. For a moment I forgot where I was and what was going on. Without my glasses on I was left clueless just long enough to think I overslept for a job I no longer had. Her calming voice and embrace as she slipped my glasses on reminded me that she was my Mistress and I her floret and that I had nothing to worry about.

 

Except I did have one thing to worry about. Something that slipped my mind with the whirlwind of emotions and new experiences yesterday. I forgot my HRT. I hadn't been taking it for like two days and now I didn't have access to it. Actually, I think I was too out of it on the last day of the fever. It had been at least three days.

 

"What's wrong little one?" She softly brushed my cheek as I avoided her eye contact.

 

"My hormones… I haven't taken them since I got sick. M-Mistress I-I need to go get them."

 

Her gentle smile, "Alice it's my job to worry about that. I have been giving you a class-G since I had a vet check on you before I brought you to my hab unit." Mistress noticed I was about to ask what that meant and used a vine to raise my chin to prevent me from interrupting her explanation with the question. "Class-G xenodrugs are a lot like your terran forms of hormone replacement except you'll find they are far faster, more effective, and without side effects."

 

"Oh." I relaxed as I took that in. I don't know why this was a surprise. She apparently knew everything about me already, and promised to take care of me. I just never put it together that she would do that and already had. "What do you mean you took me to a vet?"

 

She adjusted my position to cuddle my relatively small form. "Well, my adorable little floret, you were still recovering from your illness even after I took you from your terran hospital. As I brought you on board the Ephrosia I had you treated and was given the go ahead to start you on a class-G provided I ensure your nutritional needs are met."

 

"Okay, but I meant why a veteran?"

 

Her smile was that of one who just heard the silliest cutest thing. "What's the terran word for a doctor of pets?" She saw my cheeks light up in recognition and embarrassment. "Gah you are so cute~" She pulled me in for a hug then held me up to bask in my image. "I just had to find the cutest little floret on that entire world." I found out I was very weak to her calling me cute among other things.

 

She carried me out of bed to the bathroom to get cleaned up. I sort of made a mess of myself crying yesterday. As she was taking me in and getting me undressed, I was forced to acknowledge my current body. I tried to cling to the dress as she tried taking it off. Her vines easily overpowered my feeble attempt but Mistress seemed to understand how bothered I was.

 

"Darling, do you want me to give you the same xenodrug as last time?" She was given a swift nod and a moment later Mistress was left alone with a mindless doll with a peaceful smile.

 

It was only coming out of the fun of thoughtlessness that I finally paid attention to the dresses she had me wearing. I was so hung up on all my other worries I hadn't truly even processed the part where I was wearing a dress. Like I saw it, but during the times I could think before I was rather busy thinking about other things. The black dress with purple flower patterns would have been very pretty, on someone who wasn't me. I didn't have a figure for the dress.

 

Mistress said the xenodrugs would work better and faster but even with months of a head start I was still visually a guy. I guess the only real change was I didn't wake up with facial hair today… or yesterday. I hadn't felt any since the hospital. I ran a hand over my face and realized how nice and smooth and soft my skin was. Like I already had some skin softening but this was so smooth.

 

I was snapped out of enjoying the sensation repeatedly by the sounds of my giggling Mistress. We were past breakfast and I was in her lap on the couch while she handled a few things on her tablet. She had given me the choice of whether I wanted to be sober and I decided I wanted thinking time. She had stopped to look down at me rubbing my face. "Awww, what has you so happy little one~?"

 

"I don't have facial hair anymore. It's so smooth!"

 

"I'm delighted you're happy darling." Her smile mirrored mine.

 

I glanced down at the rest of my form. "Could you do that in other places?"

 

"Indeed, I can."

 

Mistress had me show her all the places I didn't want hair and then I had to wait until the evening because she had to grow the compound… like out of her body. Affini apparently are living pharmacies and she can produce a large number of xenodrugs herself and using grafts, she could just assimilate the stuff to make the ones she can't. She even showed me the pink flower she has that grows the class-G I'm taking.

 

I'm glad I stayed sober because then I wouldn't have realized that, nor would I have learned more about Mistress and the affini society. It started off with a rather simple question from me. "So, what do you do Mistress? Like as a job."

 

She tapped her tablet. "I am a surveillance and system engineer, and I helped design the system the Ephrosia used to disable your planetary defenses. Currently I'm helping monitor the data from both terran and affini surveillance to catch rebels before they can hurt anyone."

 

I glanced up at her in shock. "That's amazing, is that how you all took over in a single day? Also are rebels that big of a problem?"

 

She ruffled my hair. "Indeed, it is my little floret. The surveillance is always the most important part in keeping each of you little terrans alive. Directing those working on the ground to capture terrans posing a danger to others, and of course find cute little ones like you that needed to be rescued. I, like many others, took part in that when I came across you." She scooped me up off her lap into her arms. "I was glad I volunteered or I wouldn't have run into you, my beautiful flower."

 

I relaxed against her. "I'm glad you did too Mistress. So what about the rebels?"

 

"Just a few silly little terrans who are prone to harm themselves or others if we don't find them and give them loving homes."

 

That sounded off. If they are bad rebels, why are they being put in loving homes? "The nurse told me the affini enslaved people who resisted."

 

Mistress looked horrified. "No sweetheart, we don't enslave anyone. They are made into florets. Something that terrans have an abundance of misconceptions about."

 

I thought about it. People would probably consider it slavery. I mean it is in the sense there's a lack of freedom. It's not in the sense that becoming a floret is the best that ever happened to me and I willingly chose this. "Sorry. I guess I just don't know enough about what's going on outside of your home."

 

"Our home petal. This is your home too. As for what's going on outside. I can either take you on a walk or I can show you some live surveillance footage." She wiggled the tablet in the hand not holding me.

 

Well, I definitely didn't want to go out. "Surveillance."

 

She brought up some footage of my home city of Ceera. People seemed to be mostly going about their days except for groups protesting the affini. "Are those people not rebels?"

 

"There might be a rebel or two among them but on the whole, they aren't really a danger to anyone. We have profiles and histories on most and we are constantly tweaking our algorithms to flag potential rebels for additional surveillance."

 

That's a lot of stuff to keep track of. "So, the affini just watch over everyone they conquer constantly?"

 

"No. This is simply a measure taken in the early and intermediate phases on larger population worlds. Technically we wouldn't use this much on Telos as it's not as populated even compared to your other terran worlds. Our captain simply likes to make use of all of our talents and this is mine."

 

I only had one more real question after that last part. "Do you get paid a lot Mistress?"

 

I managed to shock and surprise an affini. "Alice darling, we do not use currency. We are beyond scarcity, every sophont is free to whatever they need to lead their best life. That being said we do not allow for weapons as someone might get hurt that way. But beyond that people will receive whatever they ask for and if necessary fill out the proper forms for."

 

Mistress in turn had managed to shock and surprise me. "If you're making everything free and keeping everyone safe, I just don't understand how they could rebel. You're making everything better. Why would they want to go back to how bad things were before? Did you not tell everyone?"

 

She seemed happy with what I said judging by her smirk. "Humans are not known to be the most rational of the species under our care."

 

I needed a little mental space after that and asked Mistress for the thing she gave me last night. She seemed thrilled that I'd ask and I spent the time until dinner unresponsive from overstimulation at her excessive touch. Afterwards I got a bunch of body hair removed and then Mistress took me to bed.

 

The next morning was a repeat of the last and I was enjoying the consistency. My dress changed to a dark red one which I still felt not great wearing, but I could do it in front of Lunaria. I trusted her a lot.

 

The thing with today was that I had a vet appointment. This was because there was stuff they needed to do while I was conscious, sober, and not having just recovered from a near death experience. That all made sense. There was just one issue. It required me to go outside.

 

I was shaking beforehand but by the time we were headed out the door I broke down and tried to scramble out of her arms back into the hab unit. "Alice, you're safe with me. There's no danger to you aboard this ship or even on the streets below." Just because I knew that and what she was saying, it didn't lessen my sheer panic at the thought of going in public, on an affini ship, in this dress. The idea of people, a crowd of intelligent beings seeing me, judging me. To be known and seen by many strangers… I couldn't do it. I took a personal transport to and from work, I stayed at home, and I shopped from home. I didn't do crowds. I couldn't.

 

Lunaria was forced to sedate me leaving me slightly drooling, slurred of speech, and unable to feel the anxiety anymore. I still had the thoughts. I still understood not to go in public, I just wasn't able to get worked up about it. My muscles were too weak and unresponsive to struggle like I had been just now.

 

Mistress walked out the door with me lazily curled up in her arms. "Flower, we are having a talk about what just happened when we get home."

 

I slowly answered. "O-Okay." I couldn't actually worry about that, despite it being something I'd definitely worry over. I felt far too comfy and relaxed. I may have dozed off a few times on the way there. The ship was more massive looking on the inside than from a distant window. There was a whole city in here. You could have fit every ship the navy had defending Telos 3 inside of the empty space left for open sky.

 

When we finally arrived at the vet and went in I was busy rubbing my smooth arms. They were so soft! Mistress tapped me on the nose with a small vine. "Alice, say hello to the vet."

 

I looked up and found another affini nearby. She was a little smaller than Mistress and had this big pinkish red flower bloomed on the side of her head like a hair ornament. I sloppily waved, "Hello."

 

"Hello again petal. I'm so happy to see you're doing better~" The doctor said. "I'm Protea Venusta, Seventh Bloom she/they/it."

 

"A-Again?" I think I would have remembered another giant plant woman with a big flower.

 

Protea answered, "You were resting and recovering at the time, but now that you're doing much better in our dear Lunaria's care we can get you your full checkup." Mistress chose that moment to stick me with something to clear my head.

 

They asked Mistress something in an alien language while I became sober. I was a bit scared of the doctor as she was a stranger. I got a bit clingier to Mistress which she responded to by petting me on the head. After they spoke for a bit Mistress sat down and I got shifted to sitting on her lap.

 

Protea started handing my Mistress these little flowers to stick on me. She put some on my temples, my neck, and places under my dress. As Lunaria did that the Vet started asking me innocuous questions while occasionally looking down to her tablet she was typing on.

 

"So petal, how old are you?"

 

"Uh…" I actually had to think hard on that one. "Twenty-five… no, twenty-six terran standard years."

 

"And when was the last time you got your eyes checked?" She said as she held up a little glowing vine near my face.

 

"Uh…When I was eighteen. Is there something wrong with my eyes?"

 

"Nothing that can't be fixed petal." It told me. It started focusing a lot more on its tablet. "Why don't you tell me about how things have been since you became a floret?"

 

"Oh uh, well… I really like it. Mistress has spent all of my time awake with me. She's really nice, and explains all the things I don't understand sometimes even before I ask the question. I like being with her a lot…" Mistress started petting me while I was saying that.

 

Protea got out two needles. She spoke to Lunaria but didn't switch languages. "You have such an adorable and well-behaved floret, it's hard to believe you've only had her for three days."

 

"I know, she's my precious little floret and I'm so lucky to have found her."

 

I got so flustered for a moment I didn't notice they slipped the needles in. While I had been feeling better the past few days as Mistress took care of me, all of a sudden, I felt perfect, like I not only hadn't almost died, but also like I'd never ever been sick. My mood felt a bit brighter too but like in a normal way, not the 'Mistress just gave me nice xenodrugs' way.

 

After a bit Protea said she was done and they took out the needles. Then I was offered candy which I declined. I had never seen them before and I didn't like to try new food. Food was the worst when it came to bad sensory stuff, because it was taste, touch, and smell all at once.

 

Mistress dosed me with the sedative before we left. I hadn't even freaked out yet. Still, I much preferred it. She was the best.

 

She sat me down in her lap on the couch and brought me up from my slow sleepiness. "Flower, it's time to talk about what happened when we were leaving."

 

It took me a second to remember what she meant. Oh. Oh no. I immediately got nervous and worried. I had messed up. I acted bad and now she was going to hate me and she'd disown me. I'd be left all alone because I'm just a broken worthless nobody. Maybe it would be better if-

 

She had pulled me in close, her rhythm loud. "Darling. I love you, and I promise I'm not mad. I want to help you. So, you are going to be a good little floret and answer me as honestly as possible."

 

In harmony with her I replied, "Yes Mistress."

 

"You Alice Annua, Second Floret are going to tell me what was going through your mind when I was taking you to your appointment." Her vines were wrapped around my arms both with a comforting pressure but also one meant to restrain me despite me not resisting yet. With her behind me and out of sight it was like a voice from on high telling me to confess my sins.

 

I spoke with my voice but I sounded off to my own ears. "I was afraid of being in public, around people. They'd notice my presence. They'd see me. They'd talk to me. They'd judge me. Their presence would be in my head. I'd hear them, I might see them. I-I couldn't, I couldn't. I wanted to stay home with you where they aren't. I wanted to hide. I was even wearing the dress. It's a nice dress, but not on me. Never on me. They'd know. They'd think I'm a freak. They might say something." Tears were running down my face. I'd just talked and talked. I didn't want to. I never overshared when I wanted nothing more than to shut up and hide.

 

A moment later I was back under the sedative. She pulled me into a hug. "Oh my beautiful flower. I apologize. I did not understand the full extent of your social anxieties, and how your dysphoria interacted with it. I failed to anticipate your emotional needs and then dug them out again not understanding the pain I'd put you back through."

 

"I-It's okay Mistress. It's my fau-" I slowly got out before being silenced by a vine.

 

"My adorable darling Alice, this was not your fault. I am your owner. Your actions are my responsibility. Your feelings are mine to protect. The failure cannot be yours. It was mine." Her tone made it clear this wasn't arguable. "It is time I delve into that little head of yours so I can find everything that needs fixing. Do not worry, for I will not let you suffer this time."

 

I just leaned quietly against her as I became filled with her song and her warmth while nice and relaxed. She held a pretty colorful flower in front of me and it spun and spun and my eyes locked on to it. Her voice was close and impossible to place. "Alice, you are going to give me your fears, your worries, your burdens, and you will share with me your hopes and desires. Entrust them to me. Give me everything you use to put yourself down. Share with me your aspirations. Entrust them all to me."

 

I started speaking. My words came out without forethought, care, or worry. "I'm broken, a burden. I'm afraid of people. I'm afraid of not being good enough for you. I don't know how to talk to people. I'm ugly, a freak. I'm afraid of growing old. I can't make eye contact because that also hurts so bad it feels physical. I'm afraid of uncertainty. I'm worried you'll stop loving me. I tell myself I'm a failure, that I'm worthless. I-I want to be a good floret. I want your love. I want to be a woman. I want to change more than my gender. I want to look different. To change so much I could not be recognizable as who I am. I want to get piercings. I want to be nice to people. To be able to complement people instead of staying silent. I never want to doubt how much you love me. I want to be happy." My mouth kept moving but I ran out of words to say. I had spilled my everything in a haze of suggestion.

 

The thought of giving the worries to Mistress kept getting stronger the more I looked into the spinning colors. "Let go of your burdens, give them to me." I gave each one away, the thoughts slipping from my mind. As I mentally let go of the last one. She injected me with something and any remainder of higher thought left my mind.

 

 

I had… gaps in my memory over the next few days. I knew something had happened but I couldn't remember what. The only thing I knew was I loved Mistress and she loved me. She started dosing me more to work up my tolerance for an implant. Mistress had swapped out some of her xenodrugs after my vet appointment because she now knew which variants would work best on me. I thought it strange because they seemed to work well enough so far.

 

She gave me a tablet the day after the vet and had me start messing around with a sort of realistic character creator. It was really simple and easy to use even when I was under the relaxing xenodrugs that made my fingers clumsy. It took me a few days to get it just right. I looked at the young woman on the screen with such envy it almost hurt through the chemically enforced relaxation.

 

I woke up beside my Mistress four days after my vet appointment. "Morning Mistress. You look very pretty today… just like every day!" I practically sang in her cadence.

 

"Morning my beautiful floret~" She replied. She had woken as if she were never sleeping in the first place. Mistress pulled me in and doted on me with kisses, head pats, and hugs. She did eventually stop even though I could tell we both wanted to continue. It was shower time and then breakfast after. "Let's get you ready for your big day." She sounded excited.

 

"Big day?"

 

"Today's the day you get your implant. And you'll have your eyes fixed too." Mistress cheerfully said as I was carried off to the bathroom.

 

"So, I won't need glasses anymore?"

 

"Nope. You won’t be hiding your pretty face behind those frames any longer." She had begun taking me through my morning but hadn't yet turned me into a happy doll. Instead she had me in front of the mirror. "Now flower, I think you've had enough changes for you to take a look at yourself."

 

I had admittedly not been super aware recently between the memory gaps and the drug fueled cuddles. Still it had been a week in her care. I couldn't possibly have changed that much. I looked because Mistress said to and I was a good floret.

 

I looked… soft, cute, pretty, one might even say beautiful. There weren't that many changes, I didn't think, but I looked good and feminine. Enough to get very euphoric off of my reflection. A nagging thought that said I wasn't perfect, I wasn't me, tried to weasel its way into the moment, but I was drowning in the revelation that I was girl and that girl was beautiful. Despite the fact the class-G was clearly not done, I couldn't see any guy left. I only saw a woman with unconventional yet improving features.

 

I had the biggest, silliest, happiest smile on my face when I turned back to Mistress and said, "Mistress, you made me super pretty!"

 

Lunaria smiled back down, sharing in my joy. "Flower, you were always super pretty. I just helped you see it better." There was so much affection, so much care in her voice. "Now let's get you ready for your big day."

 

We were out the door an hour later. I was curled up in her arms, relaxed and safe. A little while after I fell asleep and slept through the whole process of getting my Haustoric Implant and my eyes fixed. I woke up drugged out of my mind with a blindfold on. Mistress kept touching me, causing me to make noises as she showered me with compliments. I couldn't understand the words but Mistress sounded so happy with me. Mistress must have thought I was extra adorable because her doting was near constant, leaving me spellbound in perpetual ecstasy.

 

I lost the blindfold before the high. My eyes instantly adjusted for the light level change and my whole doped up world became the sight of Mistress's face. I reached up a hand towards the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. "So pretty." The sole coherent thought that managed to get through my fuzzy head the entire time I was doped up.

 

When I woke up free of the xenodrugs I received with my surgery, I found myself alone. The sensory insulated hab unit still had her sound. It felt so close and yet Mistress wasn't here. Sitting up I looked for Mistress. She should be here. She was always here.

 

A bit of text appeared in the corner of my vision. 'Morning my adorable floret. I see you woke before I got home, but I'll be there in a minute. With love Lunaria.' It was weird like those augmented reality things I had seen advertised online. Was the implant doing this?

 

I suddenly realized I wasn't wearing my glasses. Yet everything was so much more detailed visually than before. Mistress said she would be here soon and I wanted to stay put in the bed for her, but I also wanted to see what I looked like without glasses.

 

I stretched and then crawled off a bed so big I'd have trouble getting on it without a step stool. I scurried over to the bathroom that I normally got taken to after I get up. I never realized how intimidatingly big everything was from ground level. 'Darling, where are you going?' Mistress sent to my vision.

 

"I wanted to see what I look like without glasses." I said out loud despite being alone in both the room and home.

 

'Be a good girl and go back to bed. I'll show you in a bit.' I looked back at the bed. It was going to be a bit of a climb. The top of the bed being at shoulder height. I could do it, I just wished Mistress was here to pick me up and place me up there. At five foot eleven I shouldn't feel that small and yet I did.

 

I followed Mistress' text command, or I tried. I used to have a bit of muscle but it seems being coddled for… a period of time left me without much of any upper body strength. Hormones probably didn't help either. I ended up taking a nap break against the side of the bed.

 

When I woke the second time, I was right where I should be, in Mistress' arms. "Mistress!"

 

"Alice!" She mimicked back playfully. "Good to see you awake in person, my pretty little floret."

 

I nuzzled her. A frown found its way onto my face. It didn't feel right. There was supposed to be like a flood of happy feelings when I touched her like that.

 

Mistress noticed immediately. "Something wrong flower?" Her hint of a smile let me know she already knew. I nodded. "I'll fix that for you in a moment, but first I heard an eager little floret wanted to see her new eyes."

 

"New eyes?" My question was left hanging until we made it into the bathroom to the big vanity mirror. I looked and found a changed face devoid of the blocky glass frames I had worn. Instead of my normal brown eyes, two purple-violet eyes the same color as Mistress' flowers looked back. The pupils were shaped like cat eyes and they were mine. "Wow, my eyes are so pretty!"

 

"They most certainly are sweetheart but look again." She commanded.

 

I looked to my eyes again and watched as they shifted in color to red and then a bright blue. The pupils turned back to human ones and finally they went back to how they started as Mistress colored cat eyes. "They can change!" I shouted as soon as I figured it out.

 

Mistress' smile was right above my head in the reflection. "You did lament that you were limited to one color for your eyes. I thought I'd give you all of them, just like an affini."

 

I looked up at her. "Mistress, they're so perfect, ah!" I got up in her embrace so I could kiss the big gay plant lady on the lips. It was my first kiss on the lips even if it was just a peck on her soft warm dark lips. I mean Mistress had done stuff to me beyond a first kiss, but what may or may not have been considered some form of sex still wasn't a first kiss.

 

As I pulled back, she took on a rather hungry look. Despite almost looking at her eyes I didn't actually see them, even out of the corner of my eye. "Oh flower, let me show you a real kiss." A familiar xenodrug filled me without an accompanying needle prick. Her touch felt right in how amazing it was. Next thing I know she pulls me in for a kiss that she takes the lead on. The feeling of her lips on mine was heightened orders of magnitude beyond the last one. As a false tongue worked its way into my mouth in a very sensual manner, I blacked out.

 

I came too as Mistress was working while reserving a hand to pet me on her lap. I was in a different dress than before. A bit more colorful than the first few I wore. The dress this time had flowers in shades of reds and pinks. It was pretty but definitely something Mistress preferred rather than catering to my uh darker clothing preferences. My outfits alternated because she was nice like that.

 

I touched my lips as I remembered what happened just before I awoke. Wow, that was… "Remembering something you enjoyed?" Mistress teased.

 

"Uh huh." I blushed.

 

She pulled me up into a normal hug. "Glad to hear it petal. I've set your implant to hopefully keep you conscious next time." I started fidgeting with her vines. I got knocked out with a kiss… She did almost do that with a hug the first morning and she hadn't even used xenodrugs. "Now darling, I thought we could go on a relaxing walk to help you calm down and try out your new eyes."

 

I looked up at her in… I blinked. There was a weird emptiness in me. Missing thoughts and emotions related to… going on a walk. My brain kept reaching for something that was supposed to be there within reach but had been moved beyond my mental grasp. My right eyelid twitched from the unprocessable thoughts.

 

"Yes Mistress." My words didn't have the usual eagerness even though they should. That wasn't how a good floret was supposed to sound. Not unless Mistress wanted me to sound that way.

 

She seemed to notice something was wrong with me too, but didn't verbally acknowledge it. Mistress attached a leash to my collar and yet still carried me out the door. I could feel that in the background I was under the effects of a familiar relaxing haze. I looked around and saw various affini and their florets going about the ship just like Mistress and I. The florets all had this distant happy look to them and I wondered if I looked like that too. I poked my face and didn't seem to be smiling like them for some reason.

 

Mistress ended up setting me down when we reached a park. It was so green compared to the 'parks' of Telos 3. On the surface they hadn't really invested in plant life, too expensive to maintain, and they had barely even constructed a biosphere after the terraforming decades ago. Turns out planting millions of plants was harder than just constructing a few stations to maintain oxygen levels for the planet.

 

I wasn't actually thinking about that stuff. I was too busy trying to walk around despite having very little recent experience with walking. I was very clumsy as my limbs seemed to trail behind where they should be. Mistress caught me every time I fell. Feeling the grass underneath me, while Lunaria's vines supported me felt great. It was like the most ancient pictures of earth, back when it was green. Eventually I just ended up back on Mistress's lap where I belonged.

 

After a while I was whisked away not to home but to a strange boutique store. A floret with a lot of piercings greeted us. I tried and failed to hide in Mistress's arms, as she explained to the shop worker that I was here to get a number of piercings. Mistress seemed to know all the words I didn't. I was getting Helix ear piercings along with the common lobe one, I was also getting two on my right brow.

 

I may have been a little scared of both the human and the pain, but she assured me that thanks to affini technology the recovery times were basically non-existent and that she had a lot of experience. Even though she wore a companion dress and collar she didn't seem as clumsy or glassy-eyed as other florets like I guess me.

 

The walk in the park had almost convinced me that all florets were clumsy, drugged out, and barely functional like me. She was so different it was startling, and she still seemed dreamily happy when she mentioned her own Mistress.

 

Like the woman with the cool piercings said, it didn't hurt and I apparently was recovered by the time I got out of the seat. Mistress apparently had the piercings all ready to go for when she was done, they were all a shiny silver. The dangling ones looked like silver impressions of Mistress' flower, while the helix ones looked like tiny vines wrapped around my ears. The brow ones were simple studs. All of it just like how I'd imagined. I thanked Mistress profusely for the pretty jewelry.

 

The red haired woman with a dozen piercings said, "Those are really pretty. My Mistress picked out mine for me too."

 

I finally remembered my words to speak to the beautiful tattoo and piercing floret. "Thanks, and thank you for piercing them. Your piercings are super cool just like you."

 

"Thank you, and if you ever want more I'd love to see you again. I'm always excited to meet other florets that are into piercings."

 

"I think these are enough for me." I started touching them and it felt so weird to have the metal dots in my brow. Next thing I knew I got mentally stuck on touching my new piercings and ended up being dragged off by Mistress. I started playing with my dangling earrings like they were fidget toys.

 

Mistress ended up restraining me by the time we got home to stop messing with my new piercings. "Petal I know you like them, but if you keep pulling you'll hurt yourself. Stop." I stopped for all of five minutes before she stopped me again. "My darling Alice, you are being a naughty little floret right now."

 

"S-Sorry Mistress, I'm trying to stop." I apologized.

 

"Oh flower, let me see if I can't fix that naughty behavior for you." Mistress told me before my mind started feeling different. She then let go of my hands. "I remixed your chemistry. Do you still feel compelled to touch them now?"

 

I thought about it. The thought of touching them to check if I wanted to touch them through me for a loop. I gave in and touched them and it still felt nice, but I stopped because Mistress was giving me a look. "I don't know." I answered honestly.

 

"Alright dear."

 

 

I used the tablet Mistress had gifted me while I sat in her lap receiving pets like a good floret. I had access to a few apps and access to basically all terran games and shows except all the money parts taken out. It also connected to Telos 3's planetary network which had been added to the Affini Overnet.

 

Once upon a time I would have loved this, but now I didn't need distractions from how I looked and felt. I looked and felt great! I was a woman and I had cool piercings, modest but growing boobs, and Mistress technomagically controlled my mental state and mood. I only liked those things because they let me hide from bad feelings, but now that I have good feelings I didn't know what to do with myself.

 

I saw the messenger app, I definitely had no use for that. I didn't have other people who weren't Mistress to talk to, not even in my old life. Thinking of my old life lead me to ask. "Mistress, may I see my old home on the surveillance thingies?"

 

She ruffled my hair. "I'd say yes but unfortunately flower it's already been replaced." Oh, all of my old stuff was gone, all like five possessions I had alongside furniture and clothes I didn't need anymore.

 

"Okay." I wasn't sad about the loss. Mistress hadn't let me miss my old place. That realization sent a submissive little shiver down my spine. She could make me think and feel things. It was so fucking hot.

 

I surprised Mistress by clumsily jumping up from her lap to nuzzle and kiss her face. She returned the gesture after a moment. "What brought that on my lovely floret?"

 

"Uh…" I looked down. I couldn't not answer Mistress, that'd make me a bad floret, and I was a good floret. "I was thinking about how you can like control me, and my thoughts and stuff… and I like it."

 

She got the biggest smile on her face which turned domineering and I shrunk a little under the expression. "Oh you like it when I control you my sweet darling Alice?"

 

I nodded from my lowered position on her lap. "Yes Mistress." A small smile on my face.

 

"Well my love, let me show you a fun little way I can control you." She tapped away at her tablet then turned it to face me. I saw the screen echoed like two mirrors facing each other. I blinked and watched the darkness rapidly ripple down the echoes. She was showing me a live feed from my eye implants. "More than just that I can do this. Boop."

 

She said boop as she booped my nose. The thing was, it wasn't her vines or even her hands that booped me. It was my own hand. My body stood up and got down onto the floor away from Mistress and then I started twirling around and my flowing dress did the spinny. How had I forgotten to do the spinny with my dresses? I knew the answer. I never wanted to leave Mistress's grasp.

 

I spun for a bit, before she stopped me. Then she had me get on the ground. "Now flower, try walking." I realized I couldn't. She turned off my legs. In any other context this would be horrifying and instead I was deeply turned on by this display. A moment later she took away my ability to move and support myself at all. I flopped onto the carpet knowing that I was under the loving and all powerful control of my Mistress.

 

Her vines coiled around me and drew me back into her lap. She doted on me with kisses as I lay there like a rag doll in her unbreakable grasp. I was helpless as Mistress flooded me with her love. It was just like she promised it'd be. I was hers and she made me happy, I did not get a say in that.

 

I regained control of myself only for Mistress to pose me a question. "Have you had enough yet darling?"

 

I could not lie to her. "N-No Mistress."

 

She just smiled as my body got up and managed to walk all the way to the bathroom. With precision I hadn't had in a long time, I climbed up until I was in front of the mirror. My eyes were forced to watch my reflection as I began stripping off my dress and underwear.

 

A little bit of text appeared in my vision. 'If you want me to stop, change your eye color to red.' Oh so she was asking for my consent… In that moment I knew exactly what she was planning.

 

My hands began groping me, exploring my new beautiful body that resembled my ideal one more and more each day. I had already filled out quite a bit and between my legs had undergone some impressive changes from class-Gs alone. I was not permitted to look away from the beautiful busty goth woman with her long black hair, demoness eyes, and in heat expression.

 

I was Lunaria's in absolutely every possible way. The knowledge of that and that she was doing this to me did far more for me personally than the sensations that should have left me a quivering puddled mess on the ground. I eventually passed out from the love Mistress was giving me. My body seemingly unaware of my mind failing to handle the sensations given to me by my own hands.

  

Mistress carefully watched over me as I slowly transitioned back to being awake. I was a bit more squirmy and twitchy in my half sleep than normal. The big beautiful affini was endlessly patient with me as I came too and got hopelessly lost when I saw her. I saw Mistress and I could only see Mistress. My thoughts had failed to properly restart while she was in my sight.

 

Eventually Mistress decided to free me from my trance. "Pet, have you had enough yet?" She teased. I found a vine and tapped it once. "Thought so." A smirk blossomed on her impossibly beautiful face. She let me sleepily relax the rest of the day away with her.

 

It wasn't until the next day I thought to ask about what happened. "Mistress, uh h-how did you um do all of that with my body?"

 

"Xenodrugs darling, specifically a class-P drug opening you to my control through your implant."

 

That was interesting, I knew it had to be the implant but that there was more was interesting. "You have xenodrugs for that? How many types are there?"

 

Mistress retrieved my tablet from her vines and placed it in my hands. A moment later a list appeared. "Take a look." I read through and tried placing each of my experiences to a class. She definitely kept me on the class-A's at least a little bit at all times now. Same with the Class-Es.

 

There were ones for memory manipulation and hypnosis ones.

 

The Class-Cs confused me. "What does this one mean by increasing bonding response?" I asked.

 

"You little terrans are very eager to bond with each other, with us, with objects, and with places. It's about making you so lovingly attached, but you terrans are already so prone to bonding that there's a little warning right here about it." Her vine reached over and tapped a little red dot next to it. I read through the warning to be careful with letting cute humans like me have it because we'll bond with anything.

 

I scanned down the list further. I really liked the class-M ones that made me a doll. My eyes also got caught on the Class-J. It was all about cuddles and I loved cuddles. "Mistress, Mistress! Can I try this one."

 

She patted me on the head. "Of course you can, darling, but not yet. You have things to do in the next few days, after that I'll let you try it."

 

"Okay! Thank you so much Mistress. You're the bestest, nicest and most beautiful affini ever!" I nuzzled her, receiving a familiar small shiver of pleasure down my spine from the act.

 

She reciprocated in both physical affection and in her words. "And you are the cutest, most adorable little floret ever."

 

 

Everything was going great until the following day when the first of the two things Mistress had planned happened. I found out Mistress carried me out to a meeting with some of her friends and introduced me to their florets. Three other affini were in the park with a total of four florets coiled up in their vines. My body trembled a little for reasons that I was unable to think about. I didn't feel bothered. I still felt like the perfectly happy floret Mistress made which only confused me more as I for some reason would have enjoyed leaving.

 

Mistress Lunaria kept petting me which helped but I didn't know what was wrong with me. I found myself trying to burrow into her vines as she came to a halt and sat down with her friends and their pets.

 

I wasn't looking to see who, but I heard another affini say, "Lunaria is your pet okay? She's trembling."

 

Another more masculine one added, "And that's under a class-E from the looks of it."

 

I was ruining this for Mistress. I-I wasn't being a good floret. I was a-a-a… a something. My mind was headbutting against walls I didn't know were there. Something was wrong with me. I felt her up my dosage until I didn't have the ability to tremble anymore. My eyes glazed over as I was more of a puddle than a person.

 

I could still make out Mistress' voice. "I'm still trying to adjust her to being around others, and find a regiment that helps with her agoraphobia."

 

"What do you have her on now?" The masculine one asked.

 

They went into a rather deep dive discussion that quickly switched over to the affini local dialect. Mistress pet me the whole time as I laid in her lap seeing the other human florets having their own discussion. It was all rather noisy.

 

Eventually Mistress spoke to me. "Flower, I got some advice on xenodrug regiments from my friends here who prefer the biosciences far more than I do. Can you be a good girl for me and try to be calm as I flush your system?"

 

Mistress asked me that despite my current inability to do much more than drool on her lap. Of course It didn't matter, I wanted nothing more than to obey Mistress in this and all other things. She didn't need my reply because she knew that.

 

The haze over me faded and I roused physically and mentally. Being brought up like that was unpleasant but the moment I saw I held the attention of an audience, I clutched Mistress tight and began hyperventilating. I would have fled if there was a place to flee too better than Mistress' vines. She held me tight and brought her rhythm up to my breathing pace so she could lead me back down to normal. "I have you my darling flower, and you are safe."

 

As she slowly worked me down a flood of new but familiar xenodrugs seeped into my system. They were a touch lighter than I was used to but they seemed to have a more comprehensive effect. I would have immediately calmed down but Mistress's rhythm guided me slowly and gently back to calm. My mind felt… sharper than normal yet I didn't feel anxious. My sense of touch was elevated but not as much as before. The thoughts that had me trying to break through the walls in my mind fell away. I had noticeably more coordination, I could probably walk on my own now without being puppeted.

 

I looked back around and noticed I still had the attention of Mistress' friends and their florets. I-I was slightly bothered by the attention as I was not a fan of attention but it felt far less anxiety inducing. Rather it wasn't anxiety, it was just a disinterest in attention. I didn't know what to do with it so I'd rather not have it, but it was no longer something to run from. I still had Mistress and she was all I wanted.

 

"How are you feeling Alice?" Mistress inquired.

 

"Hmmm," I nuzzled into Mistress' lap. "Not enough touch for sure. But other than that really good and oddly clear. I love you lots, Mistress."

 

She patted me on the head as I felt the class-A in my system elevate as her touch became more intense. "Love you too, flower."

 

Her friends fell into Awws. Mistress asked me to introduce myself. "It's nice to meet you all, I'm Alice Annua, Second Floret." I waved to each affini and floret in turn before making myself snug against Mistress. I hoped that was a proper introduction, I wasn't good with words.

 

"She really is a little lap terran isn't she." One of the affini commented. Their own floret was sitting on their shoulder.

 

Mistress smirked. "You have no idea." Her hand was stroking my long black hair. "I'm sorry darling, I wasn't doing better as your owner."

 

"But Mistress you were doing amazing and great and perfect!" I defended her. "You were doing wonderful because you are wonderful Mistress."

 

The guy affini with the spiky blue hair said. "Listen to your floret, you are doing great. Nobody expected you of all people to be perfect with terran xenodrugs. They are each unique and complex and you happened to have a very lovely and unique floret. No one here is half as good with tech as you."

 

"I suppose I am with such a happy little floret." Mistress relented, making sure to dote on me a little more. "Thank you everyone, especially you Pyrus."

 

"You are very welcome Lunaria," the guy, Pyrus said. "Now if only my own floret was so well behaved."

 

The floret sitting next to him rolled his eyes and looked away with a huff.

 

The affini with red flower petal hair that called me a lap terran told him. "You chose a navy rescue, you know they are more effort."

 

"Daniel, are you more effort?" Pyrus teasingly asked.

 

"N-No Master." He struggled with the words, clearly not liking them much.

 

Mistress chimed in with. "I seem to recall you also had a navy rescue Cestrum."

 

"Yes but Tia here was a surrender. Much better behaved." Cestrum the red petaled affini said. The woman on her shoulder agreed wholeheartedly. "I still can't believe you walked off the ship for half a day and came back with a volunteer immediately after we secured the planet."

 

"Well as you all insisted, I am a great Mistress for little Alice. Isn't that right darling?"

 

I immediately chirped, "Yup the bestest ever."

 

I got more cozy in Mistress' lap as the affini fell into conversation. I was really really happy to be Mistress' floret.

 

 

Things changed a bit after the following day. Mistress was going to stay on Telos 3 so our habitation unit cot moved to the surface in the affini administrative area. Going back to my home world was odd but as long as I had my Mistress nothing could go wrong.

 

While the move was happening Mistress unveiled that she had been working on a bioscience implant interface that'd connect to my Haustoric Implant and let me mentally connect to her tablet and communicator, as well as my own tablet. Apparently changing my own eye color, and tapping a vine wasn't enough, she wanted me to be able to communicate when I was physically unresponsive as I was prone to that. Apparently it was designed based on her own custom tech interface. While she used a tablet a lot for visual information, she could use her interface for a lot more simultaneously. It was how she had such fine control over my body on the class-P that a tablet shouldn't be able to provide.

 

The recovery was a lot easier than the Haustoric Implant and was done in an afternoon. From there I only really used it most of the time to send Mistress 'I love you, ur so pretty' messages when I was too lazy to talk. Sometimes in combination with me saying the same thing.

 

I tried the class-J as soon as my recovery ended and… I love being a cuddle slut. I sort of already was, but wow class-J's hit different. I was a mewling nuzzling mess and Mistress' pets felt divine.

 

Everything was going great! I got out more. Mistress started remote controlling me to go outside since between the dosing changes and a few more gaps in my memory, I didn't really mind being out and about as long as I didn't have to talk to people. Also, I can't forget about the awesome sex as a both a puppet and a mindless doll. Mistress wouldn't let me forget. She literally recorded them.

 

I was truly happy beyond measure with my leisurely life as a pet for my Mistress. It was a morning like any other when she had me once more bask in my new appearance. "Now flower, before you look I want you to know that if you want more changes you don't have to stop here. On the other foot, congrats darling, your changes are complete."

 

I turned and saw her. The young woman I had seen so long ago on my tablet. Her violet inhuman eyes shifted with a thought. Her heart-shaped face had a cute button nose, and plush quirky lips that so naturally found their way into a smile as if they'd never known a frown. Sharpened canines flashed as her smile grew wider. Her head was framed by thick wavy black hair that stretched to her mid-back. She had more than an ample chest held in place by a lacy bra underneath her dark affani companion dress with vibrant purple flower designs adorning it.

 

The woman in the mirror had so many curves I could get lost in them. Enough hip to add a bit of flare to the dress, soft smooth legs ending in some dainty feet. I didn't even have to check between her legs to know she was very much an innie now.

 

I let loose a dainty squeal of delight. I was perfect. The woman in the mirror was me and I was her and I was the most beautiful human standing in front of the most beautiful affini. She had given me everything I wanted including some things I hadn't even realized I desired. Tears of joy filled my eyes. I mumbled incoherent thanks while sending messages of the same.

 

"My beautiful flower, you are beyond welcome. I love you too more than every star in the sky. I have made sure that unless you wish to change you will remain like this until the two of us watch the last stars wink out of existence. I love you Alice Annua and you are mine forever."

 

The big gay plant leaned in and kissed me, and all was right with the universe.