Late. Lily was late. Having hurried to her hab unit, she quickly placed the plants in her care on the table, they weren’t gonna die immediately. She received a notification from her datapad. She knew it was Tara asking where she was, she didn’t have time to respond as she quickly grabbed her vials and hurried out the unit again. “Hab! Set the temperature to 18 degrees, thank you!” The hab unit quickly responded as Lily hurried out the door once more. Rot, she didn’t get to change, she was hoping her outfit wouldn’t be too… formal. Why was she thinking about that, she simply had to tell them she was fine and then go back home.

Echona’s hab unit was not far from Lily’s, a five minute walk, three minute jog. She was there in two. Even still, as she announced her arrival, the doors flung open revealing a distressed Tara. Her companion dress, a warm pink. Black and red flowers crawling around like a waistband. “Where have you been! Why didn’t you answer my messages?” Lily’s heart sank as she listened to the girl’s relieved yet frustrated voice, berating her as a knot of shame grew in her stomach. “I’m sorry Tara, I forgot I had a grafting appointment. I also couldn’t get to your hab since I have some pa- plants I need to take care of tomorrow.”

Echona arrived, her tall and gaunt frame shadowed the two girls. Being one of the tallest Affini Lily knew, the woman was a head higher than most of her kind and carried herself with a similar pride. Her vines spotted with flowers of a deep black and fiery red. Her eyes matched that power, obsidian black with cracks of red. “Little Tara was very worried about you dear Lily. The least you could have done was send a message confirming you were on your way, any longer and we might have entered your hab unit to check on you.”

Lily bit her lip. Echona was her contact, she was supposed to be her Mistress as well, but she refused the offer wanting to continue as independent. “I apologize Miss Echona, I was rushing my way to your hab as I received the messages and didn’t have the time to respond before I arrived.” A spot of red shown in Echona, she wasn’t pleased with the excuse, why should she be? “Come, join us for dinner. It’s been a while since we’ve spoken outside of our check ups and I want to go through some subjects.” A vine slithered against Tara’s neck, the girl nuzzling into it for comfort. Dammit, why did that sting so bad? How could Lily ever think of competing with such a force? Lily simply nodded, following the two inside the hab as the door closed behind them.

The hab unit was bigger than before, it was clear the unit was upgraded at some point as Lily looked at two additional rooms that were added. The living room was as she remembered, the couch draped soft comforters and plushies. The TV played some cartoons to apparently calm Tara. It felt weird to Lily, knowing how Tara used to be one of the most confident and mature people she knew.

Looking into the two rooms it was clear one of them was used as a study room, books and records lining the walls as paperwork sat on the desk. “I see you have moved your work to the hab unit Echona.” The other room was strange, it was a terrarium of some kind. Flowers and plants growing from the walls and floor as if biomass was added. Indeed, looking closer a layer of moss and dirt could be seen under the undergrowth. “And you have taken a page from my book and started botany! What made you want that?”

Echona only chuckled at the reaction from the seed, their clothes tantalizingly similar to some of the Floret styles that were becoming more popular, if only the girl knew. “While indeed, the first room is mine. I have not started getting into botany, a very lovely woman is using that room, one who will soon move in here.”

Lily nodded, Echona having a partner was a surprise, but not a shock. That plant had been known for mingling with many affini, it was only a matter of time until one of them moved in with her. “Wonderful news, I hope you two grow well close.” Lily smiled and looked up, meeting the serious gaze of Echona, Tara moving to guide Lily towards the couch as they were both lifted atop. “Yes, but this visit wasn’t for me to dote on my precious flower. It’s time to have a serious talk, Lily.”

Another twist in her gut, the reassuring embrace of Tara not helping as it only brought a deep sorrow. Shuffling slightly away from the girl, the florist looked to the affini before looking down. “I’m fine, I was just having a nightmare. They’re common for humans.” Echona shook her head before wrapping the pair closer together, Lily’s hand slowly moving to rub at Tara’s thigh. She knew she was gonna pin her against Tara, that damned shrub. “Sophonts rarely have nightmares when under the influence of class Z xenodrugs, and before you state that you haven’t used them, I’ve seen your acquisition reports. You’re using them on a daily basis.”

Lily barely got a chance to respond as the truth ripped so quickly from her. “I’ll be fine, I have my therapist appointment in two days and it’s not like dreams can kill.” Tara shook her head, Lily’s rubbing having increased in speed as the girl’s anxiety grew deeper. “You’ve had three panic attacks this past two weeks. You drown yourself in work and treat your plants like you would a patient. You’re returning to your old habits babe.”

“I’m not your babe, Tara. Not anymore, please…” The pair grew silent as Tara moved closer, softly sighing and wrapping her arm around Lily’s waist. “I know why you did it, and after talking to Echona, I feel like you running away like that isn’t a healthy way to break our relationship.” Lily’s chest felt heavy, she was barely holding back tears as she worked her mouth to say “it’s fine”. Instead all that came out was a choked whimper and a hiss, not managing to hide from Tara anymore. “You found someone better, it’s not like you need me. We barely hung out after you became a floret, it seemed only natural.” Tara shook her head, looking into the eyes of the girl she loved. “You stopped engaging with us. After Jackie became a floret, you slowly stopped coming to our meetings, and when I finally chose to be with Mistress, you stopped coming to any at all.”

Lily felt like a scared animal, cornered as Echona and Tara slowly tore her apart. Tears started dripping down her cheeks quicker. “Jackie didn’t want to talk to me afterwards, it was just easier for me to come than to cause a commotion.” She felt her body tremble, her body moving away from Tara’s embrace only to have the girl grab her hands instead. “I want to see you Lily, I want you to speak to me.” Lily only looked at the wooden hand of Tara, more emotions welling. Fear, guilt, a corridor, a barrel, blood, fingers and screaming, the embrace of vines.

Before her panic could grow any worse, she felt the sting of an injector. Echona had filled her with E’s and F’s as she slumped against Tara, her hand giving a deep pleasurable warmth as the back of her mind managed to recognize the sensation of class A’s. “That’s enough Lily, you’ve done enough. I think it’s time to finally start looking for options for domestication.”

“N-no… I, I’m sorry.” Lily hid her face in Tara’s embrace as her feelings stormed, the veil of the class Fs helping her process without being overwhelmed. “I’m just… stressed out. More people have started visiting my store and I need to spend time talking to them. I… also feel guilt over the fact that I’m not actively talking anymore. Please give me more time, I want to find an affini myself…”

Tara and her mistress grew silent as they looked at the vulnerable girl in front of them. A vine slowly petted the florist’s head as she contemplated the words given. “I’ll give you until your review to find an affini that you deem fitting for you. If your actions escalate or if you have not found an affini by that time, then the matter will be placed into our hands. We want what’s best for you, and it’s clear that you need someone. As for your work, I’m sure we can help set up the necessary paperwork for a co-worker. Perhaps a floret or sophont would be willing to assist you with working the storefront.”

Lily listened, Echona was being kind to her. Any other day and she’d probably already have the girl in a collar. “Thank you, I’ll appreciate your leeway.” Saying so she pulled closer to Tara as the girl smiled and softly rubbed the girl’s cheek. It felt embarrassing, she was taken care of by a pet. “I… d-don’t want to let go…” She admitted, pulling closer to the woman she once, no still loves. “I know, just stay here and then maybe later we can have a date again. Start over, a new and better relationship.”

Lily’s heart sank, it would be the first date after Tara finally took the final step, the reason she finally broke up. She stayed quiet, letting the pain melt away in the warm embrace as she gave a faint nod, she was so tired. “I… need to get back to my hab unit…” The floret and affini both wrapped around the human again, giving one last reassuring embrace before they let go. Her body felt like lead, the warmth slowly fading as their touch left her skin. Part of her wanted to lunge, to beg. It was quelled, choked by a determination renewed. She wouldn’t break, not yet at least. Not until she could find the one she wanted.

The trip back to the hab unit was as painful as when she left Tara and Echona. Old scars reopened again, she hoped that maybe they would close faster now, but she doubted it. She was growing tired, her body and mind finally reaching the limits of what she could muster as each step away from the warm embrace of the pair made her ache. It was later than she’d like, she still had to work on the plants before opening the shop. A different warmth filling her as the thought of her shop led to Elowin, why did she feel so much warmer than the other affini?

Entering the hab unit, Lily went to the plants, ensuring that their illness didn’t spread or worsen as she assessed the issues. One needed repotting, the roots having grown too many for the soil to handle, the other with a mild case of root rot that could easily be fixed with some delicate removal and care. The former could be easily fixed at the shop, she simply needed a larger pot and some trimming of roots. The latter could be treated here, as she ordered some nutrient rich soil from the compiler and uprooted the tree. Removing the rot and replanting in the new dirt, Lily added some cures to help with the healing.

She enjoyed this work most of all, it was the closest thing she had to her old life. The care of living entities, ensuring their best health came first. At least these plants couldn’t scream and yell at her, not that she knew of at least.

She soon let the two plants sit by themselves as she cleaned her hands in the sink and brushed her teeth. Looking into the mirror at her bloodshot eyes, slightly glazed over still, reminding her of the need that she was trying her best to suppress. Entering the bedroom she injected herself with the vial of G and Z class xenodrugs, before darkness claimed her a few seconds later.