Rose leaned up into a kiss with Sera, surprised with how soft her ‘lips’ were and the slight electric feeling that passed through her. On the one hand, that was a good thing, because she was currently being recorded and needed to be convincing for the propaganda campaign. On the other hand, the idea that she might actually enjoy growing intimate with Sera provoked a lot of complicated possibilities. Was she like Ophelia, wanting to become a floret? Would it be something more casual? Or… was there something almost… romantic here? When Sera took her to the Stately Oak, was that a date?

These thoughts continued to bounce around in her skull as she nuzzled into the affini, unaware of the slightly hazy look in her eyes.

“Really fantastic B-roll everyone. I think this is gonna go over great,” the voice of the director projected out of the hovering, spherical drone. “Looks like Ophelia really helped you find your footing, kid.”

Rose flushed and settled down bashfully into Sera’s lap. “Um. Thanks. So, should we read a couple of those lines Ophie wrote up?” Even though this was wildly out of her wheelhouse, some part of her was kind of excited to show off after a full day of rehearsal.

“Nope! We decided it was easier to just use some soothing music and a gentle voice-over. All we need is the footage of you guys being cuddly, and then editing will do the real magic.”

Ophelia snapped out of her reverent kneeling on the floor to look up at the hovering drone. “How about next week?”

“Look, sweetheart, I think it’s real cute you did that. But it’s just not gonna vibe with the tone we’re aiming for. The more complicated we make this, the easier it is for the dummies out there to misunderstand. We don’t need that kind of heat. Stick to being cute with the plant ladies.”

The more this guy talked, the less Rose liked him.

Ophelia was up to her feet in a flash with a kind of graceful fury, stomping right up to get her face in the large eye-like camera lens. “Uh, excuse me? I put work into writing that, and you’re just going to toss it in the garbage?” She popped her hands on her hips and continued to glare, waiting for an answer.

Her anger did nothing to change his attitude. “Hey, not my problem. You did that all on your own. Nobody here agreed to anything.”

“Okay well you don’t have to be such a condescending prick about it!” Even though the drone was just a remotely controlled camera, she still poked it as though that would drive her point home to the director, wherever he was. “Is that seriously all you’re doing for this project? Some cheesy footage of cuddles with a little narration? That’s not gonna convince anybody!”

“It is what it is, Ophelia.”

A growl worked its way up her throat. “Maybe I’ll just quit and start my own propaganda campaign instead! It’ll be ten times better than this sloppy mess!” Only after a few seconds did she suddenly realize what she’d said and turned back to look at everyone else. “Er… wait, is that even a thing I can do? Aren’t we locked into this whole thing?”

Camilis rumbled with amusement. “Affini bureaucracy runs deep and it can be complicated. But it is also malleable. I think so long as you truly intend to begin your own project, there is no reason an adjustment could not be made to your contract. With the right paperwork, anything is possible”

Ophelia whipped back around to face the camera with a grin. “Hah! See? I can make way better propaganda with the camera on my tablet than you can do with all your fancy equipment. Just you wait and see.”

A tired sigh piped out of the speakers on the drone. “Well, it’s a shame to say goodbye to this footage. But I’ve got plenty of other people out there who are only too happy to play along. Fine, have fun with… whatever it is you’re planning, Ms. Merrill.” The machine turned and began puttering toward the door, which slid open and allowed it to float off into the city.

When it left, Ophelia’s shoulders sagged slightly and she looked back toward the others with a hangdog expression. “Um, I’m sorry, I… I got carried away there. That was kinda presumptuous. Are you okay with—?”

“I’m sure whatever you come up with will be great.” Rose chuckled and carefully climbed down from the massive couch, walking over to put a gentle hand on Ophie’s shoulder. “Did you already have something in mind?”

Some of that confidence returned and she nodded with a small grin. “Well… I get why we weren’t really supposed to actually do the whole domestication thing for real. It was kind of a loaded situation. But… I mean, I’m super into Cam— Um, Miss Pruntio. And I want to be her floret. So I was thinking people might like to watch my domestication in real-time. Plus… I bet there are lots of terrans out there who would be really excited to see how supportive and helpful the affini can be when you’re transitioning. I-If you’re comfortable with that, of course!” She flushed softly as she mumbled through that last bit of her explanation.

It did make Rose feel a bit nervous to think about having an audience for her big change. But it was also really exciting to think that her experience would give so many people hope — all those people out there just like her who were scared about being their true selves. “I guess… we could give it a try.”

She beamed, looking so beautiful in her excitement. Ophelia looked back toward their affini roommates with wide, hopeful eyes. “Sera, Miss Pruntio, are you alright if I film us from time to time? Ooh! Maybe we could even get our hands on our very own drone?”

Sera gave one of her trademark tremolos, which reverberated throughout Rose’s whole body and sent a shiver along her spine. “Ooh yes! That sounds like way more fun. And I bet plenty of people will prefer an honest approach.”

“Indeed,” Cam said. “Though it does make me wonder… Were you also hoping that perhaps this might expedite your domestication, darling?”

Her already naturally rosy cheeks turned a brilliant crimson. “I-I—! It—! It crossed my mind…”

All three of them laughed at her embarrassment.

Rose didn’t really understand how exactly Ophie had managed to decide so easily that she wanted to be a floret. But it was obviously important to her, and Rose wanted to support her friends. Besides, focusing on Ophelia’s impending domestication meant Rose didn’t have to worry about any strange thoughts she might have been pondering about Sera. “No judgments here, Ophie. And you’re right, letting the people out there see what it really looks like, I think that will help them understand that it’s not something to be scared of.”

Camilis offered a thoughtful rumble. “Well, if that is truly something you wish to do, then I suppose it is time for me to wade into the waters of bureaucracy. Serafa, darling, would you like to accompany me on my little excursion?”

Sera laughed softly and stood from the couch, pulling Cam along with her. “Not at all! Come on, let’s…” She paused for a moment, reaching into her chest to fiddle with her tablet for a moment. “Ah! Right! Let’s move our butts!”

Laughing deeply, Cam stepped over toward Ophelia and bent down, brushing the woman’s hair affectionately. “You’ll be good while I’m gone?”

“Always, Miss!” She really did look so happy.

Once the two were gone, Ophelia turned back to look at Rose. She was still flushed and looking a little breathless. “So! What kinda trouble do we get up to now that we have the run of the hab?”

“Um, I actually did have an idea. But it’s… kind of embarrassing.”

Her eyes widened a little and she flashed a suggestive grin. “Rose! I’m not that kind of girl!” Ophelia touched her hand to her own chest in mock-indignation.

“Wh—! No, that’s—!” Now it was her turn to get hot and flustered. “I’m still trying to figure out all this… stuff. Y’know, being a woman. I-I want to try makeup, but I don’t know the first thing about it. I was wondering if maybe you would be willing to help me.”

All traces of teasing left her features, replaced with starry-eyed enthusiasm. “I would be honored!”

---

Oh stars, Rose had not thought this through. It hadn’t occurred to her just how intimate something like this could be.

The two of them were seated cross-legged facing each other on the center of Rose’s bed. Ophelia had a massive case filled to the brim with all kinds of tools and palettes — because of course she did. She was currently wiping a spongy little swab across Rose’s face coated in some kind of base material, leaning in just a little too close. “You know,” Ophie said softly as she dabbed the sponge back down into the material before swiping it across Rose’s forehead, “I’m really glad you asked me to do this. We haven’t really had a chance to hang out much.”

Rose fidgeted slightly, trying to resist the urge to nod, instead giving a small hum of agreement. “Hm, yeah, it’s mostly just been you knocking sense into me, huh?”

“In your defense, that’s something I did for a lot of my friends. People can get all caught up in their heads, and they need someone who can get them to take a step back. But we’re past that now, and it’s really nice to chill. Just us girls, y’know?”

A wonderful warmth settled in Rose’s belly when Ophie said that. It was incredible, what small things could trigger such a wave of gender euphoria.

Ophelia was suddenly laughing. “Damn, I guess if I tease you enough, we’re not gonna need any rouge.”

“Mn…” Rose huffed and wriggled a bit in the spot, if only to keep herself from moving her face too much while Ophie was doing her delicate work. “Like I don’t already get it enough from Sera.”

Ophelia just continued to laugh gently. “You love it…”

She chose not to dignify that with a response. The two of them lapsed into a comfortable silence before Rose decided to nervously ask a question that had been rolling around in her head for the last few days. “…how did you know?”

“Close your eyes,” she muttered softly before she began carefully applying some powder to Rose’s eyelids. “How did I know what?”

“You want to be Cam’s pet, right? Her floret, for real. That’s a big decision.”

“I’ll tell you the same thing I told her. I’m not really that complicated, Rose. A tall, beautiful, intelligent woman with the power to melt my brain wants to do all kinds of kinky sh—” Ophelia cut herself off and huffed softly. “…all kinds of kinky things, with me. And I want to do them with her.”

“You already have, if I’m not mistaken. She’d happily do that stuff with you any time you wanted, even if you weren’t her pet. But being a floret means giving up your rights, your independence. That’s a huge leap.” Rose’s eyelids trembled slightly as the brush tickled them.

“Uh, yeah, which is super hot. Keep those eyes closed, time for some liner now.” A much finer instrument began slowly drawing along the edge of Rose’s upper eyelid. “I get it. It’s a huge change, and I haven’t known Miss Pruntio for all that long. I think maybe I wouldn’t be so amped for it if we weren’t synced up. I don’t believe in fate or anything, not really. But our chemistry is… seamless, and it’s almost miraculous. Being around her makes me feel more like myself. Even just having her gone for a few hours, there’s this kind of emptiness I can’t quite shake. Though it’s a little easier having a cutie like you to spend time with.”

Despite the instructions, Rose’s eyes flashed open and she looked at Ophelia in shock. “Okay, I know you like to tease as much as those two do, but you don’t have to go that far.”

Her reaction caused the eyeliner pen to go wide, leaving a mark along the top of Rose’s cheek. Ophelia clicked her tongue softly and reached for a small wipe, using it to erase the errant mark. Once she was satisfied, Ophie playfully poked Rose right in the center of her nose. “You should know by now, I don’t say something unless I mean it. You were already pretty attractive. But after just a few days, you’re downright adorable.” With her index and pinky fingers, she gently guided Rose to close her eyes once again before continuing to apply the eyeliner.

“I haven’t even started the class-G’s yet. I still look… exactly the same.”

“Okay, first of all, it’s not about the looks. You’re way more centered, you have this super chill energy around you. You’re happy, dummy. And that makes you shine. Now, all that being said… You’re hot, babe. The muscle definition, the jaw, the voice…”

Ophelia was practically purring as she ran down the list, but Rose just couldn’t process what the hell she was talking about. All the physical stuff she listed were the exact things that made it so obvious Rose wasn’t really a woman. Sera had tried to tell her something similar the other day. And while it didn’t seem as though she was being lied to, she found it hard to believe. The types of women Rose preferred looked more like… Ophelia.

What woman would ever find Rose attractive?

Well… okay, apparently Ophelia would. But that was only a hypothetical.

Except it wasn’t. That compliment had been legitimate and honest.

Wait, shit, did that mean that both of them found one another attractive?

“Eyes are almost done, you can open them again.”

On command, Rose’s eyes fluttered open, and now she felt positive Ophie was much closer than she had been before.

In her hand, Ophelia held a new applicator brush with widely spread bristles.

“Um…” Rose realized she hadn’t spoken in a while, but she wasn’t even sure what to say. There were even more questions rolling around in her head than when this conversation began. “So is that what you’re into?”

That question earned her another bright laugh before Ophie began drawing the brush up along Rose’s eyelashes. “Girl, I’m into literally everything. Didn’t you hear the rumors? I’m the pannest of pansexuals”

Rose smirked. “I was never very good at staying on top of celebrity gossip. But this does explain why you like the affini so much. They’re… very open. I’m still just trying to figure out how to not be closed off.”

“Is this another ‘I’m jealous’ thing? If you’re not actually interested in being super open, then you shouldn’t have to force it. And if you do want to experience new things, then that’s something you can learn, with time. You don’t have anything to be jealous of, not really. It’s just about finding the stuff you want to work on.”

Rose tried to breathe normally, then failed. It came out in fits and starts, shaking with her growing nerves. “Even if I’m jealous of… Cam, for instance?”

Ophelia’s face was suddenly painted with a wash of impish curiosity. “Because she’s close to Sera? Or because she’s close to me?”

Rose said nothing for several seconds before deciding to just admit what she was thinking. Which was something of a miracle, considering the trouble she’d had speaking openly just a few days prior. “Both?”

“Then I’d say the same thing applies. It just takes a little time, and a little work.” There was another moment of silence before Ophelia’s smile widened and she picked up a tube of lipstick. “Lay down on your back.”

“Because it will be easier to put that on?” Rose asked, already fully aware of the answer.

“Nope, because I’ve always wanted to do this…” Without waiting, Ophelia put a hand to her shoulder and pushed Rose to lie back, then gracefully crawled forward until she was straddling her hips.

Despite the obvious intentions here, Ophelia drew the moment out. She uncapped the lipstick and began carefully drawing it along Rose’s lips with agonizing precision. As she worked, she hummed softly to herself. “Ooh, this color looks amazing on you. Just a little more… Aaand… done!” Ophelia didn’t even give Rose a moment to prepare before she was leaning down to capture her lips in a disarmingly passionate kiss. “Mmnn…”

Rose fidgeted, initially unsure what to do with herself. After a few seconds, she forced herself to relax and leaned up more into the embrace. Her hands naturally came to rest on Ophelia’s thighs, though she told herself it was only to brace the woman, considering her slightly precarious position. No other reason beyond that.

She felt Ophelia’s hands grasp her cheeks, holding her face steady as her onslaught of kisses got even more aggressive.

Without any experience to speak of when it came to this sort of intimacy, the best Rose could do was try and follow along.

Perhaps sensing this, Ophelia finally slowed her pace a bit, giving Rose’s lower lip one last nibble before pulling back and sitting up. She gasped softly for breath with a throaty chuckle. “Eheh, s-sorry… I probably should have been more clear about what I was doing there…”

Even with all her nerves and uncertainty, Rose still laughed softly along with her. “No, I… I knew. I wanted you to…”

“Oh good! Then you won’t be offended if I do it again?”

Stars, this woman was incorrigible. Not that Rose was complaining exactly. “Safe to say I won’t be.”

“Pft, and you were worried about being jealous…” Rose barely had time to prepare before Ophelia was dipping down again for another round.

---

“Alright, here’s the original contract the four of you signed.” A reasonably sized stack of papers was set down onto the desk in front of Sera and Cam by the affini sitting across from them. “For the kinds of significant changes you’re looking to make, I would recommend drawing up a draft of your proposed alterations based on the language already present in the original. Given the changes to the expressed purpose of the project, I see no reason the stipulation on domestication can’t be lifted. Which I’m sure will be a relief for all the involved parties.” They laughed softly and turned to make a few notes on their work terminal. “Is there anything else I can get for you?”

Sera looked over at Cam with a curious smile. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt to pick up some domestication paperwork while we’re here.”

Surprisingly, Camilis looked right back at her with an even bigger smile carved into her mask. “Only if you pick up a copy for yourself and Rose.”

A few of Sera’s leaves turned from their usual white to a soft teal. “You really believe she’d go for that? How can you be sure?”

“Because I have seen the way that she looks at you, Serafa. It has not escaped my notice, the way her eyes go vacant whenever you touch her. You do not have to make the offer to her immediately. But having the forms close at hand will make things far simpler when the time is right.”

The clerk chuckled softly. “There’s an Office of Neoxenoveterinary Bureaucracy just across the street where you can pick up the necessary forms for domestication.”

Sera lifted up the stack of paperwork and clutched it close to her chest. It seemed somehow rude to continue this conversation in front of the poor clerk. Surely they had better things to do. With a soft rumble she made her way through the doors of the Xenoinformational Postdomestication Publicity Department and out into the warm sunlight. One thing you could say for Terra — now that it was finally becoming hospitable again — the planet orbited quite a lovely star. Once outside, she continued her half-hearted protests. “Rose is only just discovering herself. I don’t want to overwhelm her with my stupid fantasies.”

“The only ‘stupidity’ I would accuse you of is assuming she has no fantasies of her own. Speaking of fantasies…” Cam wrapped a few vines around Sera’s and pulled her in a bit closer. “I thought that I might wait a bit longer before beginning the official process with Ophelia.”

“Oh? Why? Ophie is so eager!” After a moment of watching Camilis, she started to catch on. “Ah, never mind, I see. Making her wait for it. Making her beg. That’s so very… you.”

“Serafa.” She said her name the same way she had the other night. Thoughtful, intentional, direct. “I believe that it is worth examining the uniqueness of our situation in full.”

“How so, darling?”

“You and I have no intention of leaving one another’s orbit. Obviously I will take Ophelia as my floret when the time is right. And while you are doubtful about your chances, I still fully believe that Rose will be yours before long. The two of them have grown closer as well. So I have to ask the obvious question — why not claim them together?”

And there it was. The thing that both of them had been dancing around but not fully saying out loud. All of Sera’s leaves pressed down flat against her form, a few of her vines wriggling and breaking the illusion of her humanoid body. Of course she wanted that, she couldn’t think of a single thing she wanted more! But to address it so plainly embarrassed her. “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”

“We are already in the Red Tape District. It would be a trivial thing to obtain a Notice of Unity. I believe the Terran Protectorate Branch of the Affini Services Office is just down the street.”

Sera began to fidget slightly. Cam took the paperwork out of her arms and stowed it away behind her chest plates, then firmly gripped Sera’s hands to still her nervous actions. “Do we hyphenate or—?”

“Darling, we are in public! How could you suggest such a thing? What if someone heard?” Cam’s mask was carefully crafted into a look of false modesty.

Despite her best efforts, Sera let out a long, loud, high-pitched noise of flustered embarrassment. “Our names! Would we hyphenate our names?”

Cam actually began to giggle, which was something she hadn’t done in ages. Real, actual, silly laughter. “No, I imagine that would be too many syllables, too much alliteration. Perhaps we might take a new name instead? Together?”

There wasn’t a single white leaf on Sera’s entire body.. She was practically blue with embarrassment by now. “I’m guessing you already have something in mind?”

“Of course.”

---

Serafa Paradula, Fifth Bloom stepped through the door and into the hab.

Their hab.

Their home.

She was followed close behind by Camilis Paradula, Sixth Bloom, who was firmly holding Sera’s hand.

In the living room, they found Rose and Ophelia cuddled up on the large couch watching something on the vid screen. The moment Cam and Sera entered, both human’s faces lit up. It didn’t escape Sera’s notice that they were snuggled quite close, and upon closer inspection she could see that Rose was wearing make-up. Even more fascinating was the cluster of marks along her neck and upper chest. It seemed as though Cam was right once again. The terrans had most definitely been getting closer!

Ophie waved excitedly. “Sera! Miss Pruntio!”

As Cam drew closer to the couch, she bent down to press a gentle kiss to Ophelia’s forehead. “Actually, darling, you will not be referring to me as ‘Miss Pruntio’ any longer. We have a few things to discuss.”

It took a few moments to find a proper seat arrangement. Eventually Sera and Cam were seated together on the couch with their roots tangled up together in a cozy nest where Ophelia and Rose were able to resume their cuddling. On the table before them, Cam laid out the various documents they had accrued during their afternoon. “First things first, Serafa and I have unified our lives together. We have taken on a new name to signify our joining — Paradula.”

Ophie gave a dramatic pout and a small huff. “You two got married and didn’t even invite us?”

Laughing brightly, Sera gave her a gentle pat on the head. “I can’t decide if that’s over-simplifying or over-complicating the matter. Either way, it’s not quite the same as a terran marriage. There is no formal ceremony. The only thing you missed was the two of us signing about a dozen pages. Terribly boring.”

“Insufferably so,” Cam added. “The legal process of unity is only as important to an affini as their dedication to bureaucracy and documentation. What matters far more is everything that comes after — the life that we now share.” Here she gestured to the other stacks of papers and smiled down at Ophelia and Rose. “And given the changes we will be making to the propaganda contract, there is no longer any stipulation about domestication. We want to invite both of you to join that shared life with us.”

Obviously, Ophie was instantly ready. “Wait! So I would get two owners?” She looked up at Sera with bright eyes and a brilliant smile. “I didn’t even realize— Wow… You don’t mind, Sera?”

Sera reached down to brush her beautiful ginger hair, cooing. “Silly girl. Of course I would be delighted to claim you as well.” She looked over to try and gauge how Rose was doing. “What about you, darling?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Rose was not nearly so easy to decode. But then, that was part of her charm. “I guess I hadn’t really thought about it too much,” she said quietly. Just as suddenly, she screwed her eyes shut and sighed. “No, sorry, that’s not true. Of course I’ve thought about it.” With a bit of effort, Rose forced her eyes back open and looked up at Sera, then over at Cam. “I… um… Even if I don’t want to be your floret, would you all still want me around?” Her gaze dropped and she looked over at Ophie.

Like two magnets, their hands instantly linked. As if the hickeys on Rose’s neck weren’t enough of a sign already, it was quite clear by now that something had developed further while Sera and Cam were out dealing with everything. And whether Rose didn’t want to leave because of Ophelia, or because she still liked living here, it would have been incredibly cruel to do that to her.

Sera used her free hand to dole out some pets to Rose as well. “This is your home, no matter what. We still care about you, and want to help you become the best version of yourself that you can be! Even if you stay independent, you’re still a part of this family.”

Blinking back a few tears, Rose nodded her head a few times, giving the other three a wide smile. “Ahah, thank you…” She hastily wiped at her eyes with some embarrassed laughter. “I’ll need some time to decide.”

Rumbling thoughtfully, Cam slipped a few vines around Ophelia. One brushed slowly through her hair, another rubbing along her back. A third smaller one idly caressed her thigh, causing the poor thing to wriggle and go momentarily hazy with adoration and desire. “I had a rather romantic idea about only initiating full domestication when both of you were ready, so that we could do it simultaneously. Do you think you can be patient until Rose has made her decision, little one?”

It was incredibly cruel of Cam to only propose the question after Ophelia’s mind had gone so clearly inoperable. Her desperate wriggling increased and she nuzzled into a few nearby vines with a mewling whimper. “Mnn, wh-what’s the… d-difference?”

“Ohh, you would still belong to us — mind, body, and soul.” Cam kept right on stroking the girl’s skin, no doubt fully aware that only some of her words were going to pierce that thick fog of desire. “We will still play with you, and pump you full of delicious drugs. Becoming a full floret is really only signified by two important changes. The first is legal — you will forfeit all your rights to myself and Serafa, and entrust us with your full care and wellbeing. The second, the one I suspect you will find much more meaningful, is that you cannot receive your haustoric implant until all of the paperwork has been completed.”

“The hoss-what?” Ophelia looked up into Camilis’ eyes, moaning softly.

Sera giggled as her own hand drifted down to gently pull up Rose’s top a few inches, just enough so that she could give her some delightful belly rubs. What had once been a stoic warrior was now a blushing, squirming beauty who quietly leaned into Sera’s touch. And once again, she allowed herself to hope that just maybe Rose could be convinced to become a floret as well. “You may have seen it on a few pets around the city, the small scars along the backs of their necks. A floret’s owner takes a piece of themself and combines it with incredibly advanced biotechnology. That wonderful little bit of tech is then oh-so-carefully implanted into the floret’s spine.” As she spoke, Sera traced a vine up under the back of Rose’s shirt, following the line of her backbone. Yes, she could almost picture it, just as lovely as the rest of her.

The explanation was picked up by Camilis as she drew a slow circle against the nape of Ophelia’s neck. “The implant allows for almost seamless control of a floret. Their owner can dose them with a small number of xenodrugs at will and from anywhere, even subtly alter their thoughts and feelings… It also provides detailed feedback so that their affini can be keenly aware of their floret’s mental and physical state at a moment’s notice.” While teasing Ophelia, Cam looked over at Rose with a warm, knowing smile. “It also allows for precise control of things like hormone levels. And if the floret in question should want any sort of modifications to their body, the haustoric implant allows for a far more seamless surgery.”

Sera and Cam had said that their Notice of Unification was little more than a symbol of their growing connection. But it did feel as though something had changed in just the last few hours. There was a sense of true collaboration that Sera had never experienced before. Both terrans were absolutely melting into their laps from the touches, even while being lectured on a major surgical process.

“And…” Sera said, as husky as her high tone would allow, “if two florets share an owner — or several owners, as the case may be — their implants can also be linked to allow both of them to experience new levels of intimacy.”

In tandem, Cam and Sera both carefully guided the women in their laps to look at one another. It took very little prodding at all to push Rose and Ophie to wrap their arms around one another, nuzzling each other idly. While they embraced, Cam continued explaining. “It is quite common for connivents — florets with the same owner — to share a deep bond with one another. They are known as florets pinnate. The two of you would not only have myself and Serafa, but each other as well…” From within her vines, Cam withdrew the now very-familiar euphoria carnatia and locked her gaze with Sera.

Sharing an understanding nod, Sera retrieved her own, the bloom she had picked up the other day. As one, they pressed their flowers to the terran’s faces, encouraging them to enjoy its effects.

Both women let loose with a variety of pitiful and needy noises. As soon as the flowers were pulled away, their lips crashed together in a shockingly passionate kiss. Their hands initially came to rest in the traditional locations — Rose’s hands on Ophelia’s cheeks, Ophelia’s hands pressed to Rose’s back. But with their brains overloaded from bliss, their touches soon wandered. They seemed to be almost racing each other, desperately trying to find out which one could be the first to investigate every inch of their partner.

Cam retracted her vines from Ophelia’s body completely, and Sera followed suit. Together, they watched with rumbles of delight as the two women enjoyed their mindless rapture. Moans and sighs mixed with tremolos and thrums.

Ah, there it was. Complicated four-part harmony.

This was jazz.