“Everything seems to be alright in terms of growth, no signs of overgrowth, nor any issues with how the implant interacts with your body.” Elowin nodded as Lily put her dress back on as the instrument was put away, some kind of sensor to detect where planttech was meshing with her body. The affini looked down with a smile, a flowery crown of white adorning their head as they lowered their form to meet Lily’s who was sitting on the examining table. “What seems to be the issues you’re experiencing, in detail, nothing hidden from me, I’ll find out.”

The affini had a strangely parental tone to them, she was reminded of the terran pediatricians that always seemed to have a heart of gold and a smile of silver on them. “I’ve been experiencing lucid dreams and visual hallucinations. The latter being of my body parts looking like they’re made of vines, or are some sort of plant material.” The affini nodded, writing down on their datapad as they urged the terran to continue. “The dreams involve me being on my old ship, before I was rescued, though they always get invaded by vines, swallowing me, assimilating me, consuming me into it.”

The affini nodded, writing some final notes before starting their flurry of questions.

“Any auditory or tactile hallucinations?”

“No”

“Any headaches or nausea?”

“No”

“Any experiences of dissociation and/or delusion while the hallucinations are happening?”

“Kinda, I sometimes need to remind myself I’m made of flesh, not plant.”

Lily gave a weak laugh that died when she saw the affini’s look, sighing before looking over to Elowin, speaking in affini. “I told you it would be best to keep her drugged during this part of her recovery.” Lily sighed and gave Elowin a soft smile before looking over to the xeno-veterinarian. “I can speak Affini, you know.” The response from her gave a delightful twisting of vines from the affini before the gave a much too unnecessary cough.

“You’re experiencing what would normally be under layers upon layers of xenodrugs. The implant is currently introducing itself into your spinal cortex and as such is starting to stimulate your brain and sensory nerves. Essentially, you’re experiencing the implant meshing with your mind, which can lead to these strange situations of delusion and hallucination.”

Lily looked up in shock at what was said. Her implant was interacting with her brain, causing delusions and hallucination? “Is something wrong with the implant?” The affini gave a placating smile before petting Lily, something which the terran found increasingly enjoyable, much to her discontent.

“No dear, many of these symptoms are common among sophonts who are subject to its effects. Most either don’t remember it, or were too high to realize what was happening. Due to your circumstance, you’re experiencing the brunt of the implant meshing with your brain without little to stop the side effects.” The affini lowered down and held Lily’s hand softly speaking. “You’re safe, there is no need to fear or grow worried over it. Its growth has been most pleasing and I’m noticing no discrepancies.”

“So… I can go now? How long will these side effects last?” Lily wiggled her feet over the edge of the table, idly stimming with her dress as she let the words sink in. The implant was meshing with her mind, it was a surreal concept to her. She’d read reports on machine to brain integration when she was still studying. Even still most of it was in its early experimental forms and was more grotesque than what was happening to her.

“Hopefully no more than a week or so more. Though you exhibit symptoms that might not relate to the implant but rather are exasperated by the implant. My personal opinion is that you’re sedated during this time as continued exposure to this can be distressing to some sophonts.” The vet was looking at Elowin at the last part, a small pang of shame suddenly filling Lily as she realized the implications of such an action, she didn’t have as much freedom as before.

“I don’t want to personally, I still have time before I’m inevitably drugged out of my mind, and I’d rather not be domesticated while being in a state where I can barely feel up from down.” The vet’s vines curled, some tightening as they let out a sigh. A strange motion to see on a creature that has no need for air to pass normally. “With all due respect doctor, I don’t want to lose what little freedom I have left, I still have some time before I’ll be in the state that you’d want me in.”

“Flower, that isn’t true. I’m sure whichever owner has you won’t keep your fiery personality suppressed, and if they do it would be a great disappointment.” Lily felt her face flush at Elowin’s comment before looking to the affini, she was met with a reassuring smile before the two affini looked to eachother once more. “As her caretaker, I personally value Lily’s wishes to not be under the influence of drugs, the symptoms, while concerning and something that would require multiple checkups does not hinder her in any way.”

The vet conceded, putting their hands in the air before nodding and smiling to Lily. “Very well, I’ll make sure to schedule another meeting in a week’s time so that we can see if the symptoms you are experiencing is related to the implant or not, I’m sure if there are no issues, we can also set up another appointment to insert your owners tissue to the implant as well.” The last part came out self satisfied as Lily felt a rhythm that seemed almost playful to the terran before she jumped down and followed the two affini outside the clinic.

“I still want to warn you, her hallucinations might not be fully correlative with her implant. Her traumatic experience might have left some issues with her sense of self. My professional opinion is that she meets with Seance for another psyche evaluation.” Elowin nodded to the vet, looking over to the terran that was sitting down on a bench right out of earshot. She could feel her vines twisting as she fiddled with her hands before nodding and thanking the vet, returning to the small human.

“Thank you for listening to my worries.” Lily sat down on a grass patch as she looked out towards the affini and florets who either played, walked, ate or relaxed in similar grass patches. It was serene in many ways, the joy in their eyes even as the docile glaze of them revealed the reality of many of them. This was a frontline ship, many of the cute florets used to be soldiers who once hated their owners, and now they loved them.

“I’m your caretaker, not your owner and even if I were I wouldn’t break your trust in me wanting what is best for you. I’m still concerned though, so I set up a meeting with Seance next week to ensure that your psyche hasn’t deteriorated.” Elowing lowered herself on the grass, feeling at the flowery surface. It was an artwork in many ways. Flora, meticulously researched to ensure as little discomfort as possible, with a latticework of pipes running underneath the earth to ensure perfect enrichment of the soil.

“It still means a lot, I know Echona would’ve already had me wrapped up in her vines as it was implied. I’m pretty sure many other affini would do the same, disregarding autonomy for safety.” Lily plucked one of the grass blades and rolled it between her fingers, the sensation more enjoyable than she remembered as her fingertips were coated green. She looked down to see her hand being normal, so good for now at least.

“I can’t speak for affini as individuals, but our core values are safety and the wellbeing of all the sophonts under our care, this means social and mental wellbeing, not just physical. If there was a concern that what you’re experiencing was something unheard of, I would’ve listened to the vet’s advice.” Elowin looked down at the terran fingers seeing as Lily stared at the green residue on her tips before giving a humming laugh, rustling of leaves and the chitter of birdsong. Almost on cue the terran leaned into the sound and by extension the source as she nestled close to the vines and sighed softly.

“Guess my assumption of you lot was false, it wouldn’t really surprise me. I was never good at reading people, much less living plants who have masks that hide their true emotions. I always assumed you all were of the same mind, Echona and Seance seem to constantly try and push me towards the collar, and I don’t think any of the other affini showed any sign of wanting to protect what little I had.” Lily soon moved to play with the flowery coat of Elowin, feeling the different textures that made up the myriad of colors that the affini held. It reminded her of a small garden almost, the different exotic flowers encapsulating her vision.

“Lily dear, they’re solutions come from their work environment and what they are exposed to. Echona is a caseworker and Seance works within a sophont’s mind and emotions, I’m that their request for you to be domesticated, while just, is also hastened by the experiences they’ve had in their own fields.” Elowin smiled as the terran started to pluck at her leafy coat, softly petting the girl's head and running viney fingers through her hair, Lily didn’t shy away from this, in fact it almost seemed like she was pressing against it.

“Maybe you’re right, but in becoming a floret I’m no longer a citizen, I’d be property of whomever owns, and all that I have will be gone. I understand that this isn’t a concept you are familiar with and I can see my own faults in logic, nothing I have is owned by me. Yet, I still wish to keep what I have, the shop, the flowers, and the few mementos of my old life. That’s terrifying, it’s my entire life, what I am.” Lily sighed, leaning into the pats. She realized somewhere in the back of her mind that she probably should stop her, they were in public, she shouldn’t act like a floret. Yet, it felt good, the comfort it gave along with the rhythm that she seemed to be following a lot easier now made her want to press into more, her body feeling a warmth growing in her chest as she sighed softly.

“If your worry is that you won’t be able to care for the shop, then why not ask to not have it removed. If you want to, I can ask to be responsible for it so that you have no worries about losing it depending on your owner. Along with that I’m sure Echona understands your wishes and would petition for you to find a suitable owner that continues to care for the shop.” 

“Like you?” Elowin’s petting froze for a moment as Lily looked up at the twisting vines of the affini, eyes flashing yellow as the affini’s vines shuffled around and eventually tightening to an almost painful degree to Lily’s eyes. The rhythm that she followed turned suddenly confusing and worrying to her as she looked up at the plant lady.

“What Echona and I talked about has no say in my actions currently dear, know that. I want to see you happy as much as any other affini and if that means you get with another affini then that is fine.” Elowin tried to still her rhythm, seeing the confused and slightly distraught gaze of the sophont causing her will to waver as she looked into the worried eyes of Lily before suddenly feeling a hand on her cheek.

“You don’t seem fine with the prospect, no offense, but you sound like a metal scraping against metal to me right now, so it’s clear you have your own qualms.”

“I guess I do, I feel guilt over my failures and yet envious over the idea that you will be someone else’s floret.” Lily sat in silence for a moment at the blunt answer, she was surprised that the affini could speak in such clear words. A part of her feeling a kinship to the affini’s cries, no she wouldn’t entertain that thought.

“So you want me as your floret is what you’re saying?” 

“I… part of me says yes, but I also know that I’m not gonna be able to care for you entirely.”

Lily looked out at the rest of the street, the affini and florets playing. The smiles and joyous roars, a dog girl being chased, and a rinan squeaking happily as it was fiddling with something in its hands. It was peaceful, joyous, happy. She felt a want, a tired request to rest and to give up now. She still had time though, a little more, a few more days of her freedom, did she really want that?

“I wanna go and get something to eat, maybe get something sweet. Know a place?” Elowin’s vines slowly unwound at the change of another topic, the worry in her rhythm slowly turned into a calmer one, the sound reminiscent of the rustling of leaves as the affini raised her and Lily at once.

“Let’s.”