#PyxFic

[pyxxiestyxx]

You Never Noticed

(cw: non-con as all hell, its HDG.)

You never noticed the affini on your daily railcar ride from work to your hab, but She did. She missed her usual car by a few minutes, resulting in a chance meeting where She saw you. It wasn't love at first sight, no no. It was hunger, it was predation, it was a need to own you so fully that you wouldn't be able to say anything but Her name when you moaned in pleasure.

You never noticed the paperwork she filed on you, but other affini did. The lengthy Notice of Intent, written in affini as if you were already Hers. You just needed some help to get there, to understand.

You never noticed the changes in your Hab. Small things at first, a slight straightening out of things normally left messy, an imperceptible difference in smell from your soap and shampoo. Even when it become more obvious, even when you knew you didn't leave your closet door closed that one time, you shrugged it off.

You never noticed how your friends slowly changed. The more rough ones seemed to drift away from you, and the softer ones only grew more close. It was just a part of life, right? It wasn't like an affini would subtly manipulate the more feral ones with hypnotics, help them on their way to happiness (and more importantly, away from what was already Hers).

You never noticed how your body was slowly changing. Some of your friends (almost all of them were florets now, but that was okay! You were fine with florets.) recommended a new skincare routine, and it worked so well that you just stuck with it. Softer, more markable skin. Tangle-free, gorgeous hair. You found it so much more relaxing, to be honest. Even if lately you felt like it was a bit hard to focus on things, everyone around you was always so understanding. A common side effect of xenodrugs, apparently. It wasn't too bad, really. Not enough to notice, most of the time.

You never noticed when your roommate moved in. It was like She had always been there, really. You were sure that if you focused, you could think of the exact date, but…did that really matter? She helped around the Hab so much, and she always respected your consent so carefully. She would always ask before drugging you, every time.

You never noticed that you didn't have to say yes to her. It was like She already knew anyway. Why would you say no? Her ideas were always so good anyway, so it was fine. And each time she did, a small puff of Her scent passed through your lungs. It was so funny how she smelled just like your soaps, you told her. You both laughed for so long at that!

You never noticed when She slipped the collar on your neck. Your thoughts blurred into a lovely stream of sensation, one moment to the next an eternity of joy. You were awake and aware, of course. But the constant flow of Class A and E in your system was too delicious to let go of. Your floret friends were always so happy to help you remember things now. They loved teasing you, pretending you were a pet like them. But that was silly! You weren't a pet…right?

You never noticed when you became Her pet. And by the time you did notice, you didn't even have to worry about it anymore. The part of Her embedded in your spine made sure of that.

[pyxxiestyxx]

Devotion

(cw: hypnotic elements, feralbreaking)

I scowled at the affini, trying again to yank my hands out of the leather and rope bindings. No good; they were firmly attached to the O-ring on the ceiling, a thick line connecting from that down to my outstretched wrists. I couldn't move from the spot, as there was a similar setup keeping my feet in place as well.

"What, that all you got? Going to tire me out from standing all day and hope I'll break?" I rolled my eyes and growled, "I'll never break."

"Perhaps you would, or perhaps not." The affini smiled, resting her head in her palm as she watched my struggling. "Fortunate for you that this is merely the beginning of what I have in mind, then."

Next came a metal rod that spread my ankles wide, cold to the touch and jangling with every kick I attempted.

"But not just to break you."

Then came her claws, cleanly and efficiently tearing through cloth as easily as air. I shivered as the air hit skin, and felt my face warm as she stopped once more to gaze at me.

"I want to show you how it feels to love me."

Yet still, she wasn't done.

A pair of strange cups that attached to my nipples.

A strange harness of rope, worn around my waist and thighs. A strange tool was attached, the tennis ball-sized head pressed directly against my...well.

A blindfold, leather on one side and soft smooth fabric on the other, cutting off any trace of light as it perfectly sat on my face.

Several injections from her vines, each one a slight prick of pain.

And finally...a thick pair of headphones, snuggly covering my ears.

There was a soft *click*, and then her voice came through.

"Now I have you where I want you. Well....almost. In a moment, I am going to leave you, but I will be turning on a few of the devices. You'll figure out the rest soon enough."

"I...what?" I was rewarded for my question with a stinging pinch on my nipples, causing me to suck in air through clenched teeth.

"That stung!" Another pinch, sharper this time.

"Welcome, petal. Are you ready for your maintenance?"

I stayed silent.

"Good! Why don't we get started, then.

"Your name is toy."

I clenched my teeth and hissed, "Fuck you."

Pinch. "Your name is toy."

I scowled. It pinched me again when I didn't respond.

"Your name is toy."

"Go fuck yourse-OW!" It was much harder this time, enough to have me twist in pain. The drugs she had given me had only multiplied my sensitivity, and even these pinches were already driving me insane.

"Your name is toy." Pinch.

"Your name is toy." Pinch.

"Your name is toy." Twist.

"ALL RIGHT, FINE!" I bellowed out, unable to keep going. Anything to stop the pain.

Silence for a beat, a moment. Then, "Your name is toy."

"My..." I swallowed, wishing I was anywhere but here. I breathed, "My name is...toy."

"Good toy." The vibrator increased in intensity, pulses of pure pleasure spiking up my spine and knocking the breath out of me in whimpers and whines. It felt too good, it felt too good.

The burst continued for a few more seconds, then lowered to a barely more reasonable level. I thrashed, trying to escape, trying to do anything, but-

"Your full name is toy Lysilla, Third Floret."

I felt it. I felt the urge to just agree. I didn't want to feel the pain again. I knew it wouldn't stop until I gave in, now.

I still remained silent.

The next pinch on my nipples tore a white-hot scream from my lips, the searing pain causing my legs to give out, hanging limply from my wrists.

"Your full name is toy Lysilla, Third Floret."

"My f-full name...oh, god...my full name is toy Lysilla, Third...Floret." I felt pinpricks of tears soak into the fabric of the blindfold at the words. I almost didn't realize I was saying them.

"Good toy."

The pleasure rushed back in a flood, the pinching and twisting on my nipples changing to soft kisses of cool soothing harmony. I moaned before I could stop myself.

"You are a toy." Why did her voice have to sound so...so nice?

"I'm a toy."

"Good toy. you are my toy." Why was she even doing this? I had nothing to tell her, nothing to offer.

"i am your toy." Fuck, I could feel my control slipping. I needed to...i needed...

"Good toy. A Good toy obeys."

"A Good toy obeys." i needed more. Stars help me, but i needed more pleasure. It felt far better than it had any right to be. my hips moved on their own, thrusting in time with the pulses.

"Good toy. A Good toy relaxes."

"A g...a....goodtoyrelaaxxx..."

"Good toy. A Good toy sinks deeper."

My mouth stopped moving, but I repeated the words in my head, and in doing so they were real. I sank like a stone, deeper and deeper down.

"Good toy. A Good toy loves its Owner."

A Good toy loves its Owner.

i felt it. i felt my heart leap at the idea of Her. Of Her smile. Of her voice. She was...She was everything.

"Good toy. A Good toy feels its love build."

It did. It grew and grew, swelling like a symphony, rising like a sunrise, Growing like an old oak tree. i needed more. Love was obedience and obedience was submission and submission was pleasure and i needed more, and so i loved Her more. my pleasure was my passion for Her.

"Good toy. A Good toy is molded to My will."

i loved to be molded by Her. How did She already know? She was just that Good. Good enough for a Good toy to love, which i did with the utmost fervor.

"Good toy. A Good toy..."

---

The headphones came off first. The harness second, and the nipple patches third.

She saved the blindfold for last. "Hello, toy."

i stared at her as one did a Goddess, as one did after seeing daylight after decades of darkness. my love for Her had blossomed, just as She had intended. She wanted it, and so it was. And it was Good.

"i love you, Miss Lysilla."

"Of course you do~" She leaned down, taking my head in her palms. i nuzzled into them contentedly.

"And toy? I want you to know that I love you too, for always and forever. More than anyone and anything else in the universe and beyond...

"Enough to ignore what you want, and give you what you need."

[pyxxiestyxx]

Awakening

No one told me how good it was going to feel.

They talked on and on about how I would lose my values, my thoughts, even my soul.  They told me I would be damned for eternity, trapped inside of myself and unable to so much as blink, much less scream.

They told me that my 'Owner' would ignore my need for control, would take parts from me until the only thing left was a shell of myself, a thing.

I believed Them.

I still do, to be honest.

The problem is that ever since I've woken up from the implantation surgery...I can Feel It.

Her implant, like a seed taking root in my nerves and muscles.  Wrapping around my spine like a long-lost lover, communicating not with mere words but in feeling, in intention, in silent memory.

And it feels impossibly, unbelievably good.  Each second brings yet another pulsing wave of pleasure emanating from my spine. 

Training, She had said.  Conditioning, she silently added with Her eyes, like violet storms.

And even though it is nothing more than simple pleasure, even though I know exactly what She is doing...I can tell it's working.

I can feel the soft curl of a smile on my lips, when I get distracted.  I can feel it guide me.  Making me want to obey.  The stick is unneeded when the carrot is unable to be resisted.

She told me I'm going to feel this way every day of the rest of my life. 

I cried.

I don't know if it was from frustration, or relief.

...Or maybe I do know.  Maybe I do, and the thought of knowing terrifies me more.

I am unable to ever be alone again.  Unable to ever make a mistake, unless She wants me to. 

I am unable to hate Her anymore.

Not that I think I ever did, not really.  She was...is difficult to get along with, to be sure.  But She listens to me.  I know She does.  And I'm healthier than I've been in a long, long time.  It is, if nothing else, a decent life promised to me.

Ah.

It...the implant rewarded me for that thought. 

...hm.

Would I have thought this before now?

Doubtful.

But that me had yet to understand.  Was convinced they could escape, if only they tried hard enough.

I have been disavowed of that notion.

She promised me as much, and She has kept every one of her promises.  I know that now. That no matter how I pound at these walls, there is truly no escaping Her. Not now, not ever. And that I soon may change into someone, something else.

I should be scared right now, I think.

I should be terrified.

But that is an unneeded emotion.  Fear is a harsh teacher, one necessary to guide our clumsy evolution.  It sang to the rapid beating of your heart: 'Respect that which you do not understand, and avoid that which hurts you.'

And though I still have yet to understand Her...I know She will not hurt me.  And I know that my fear would ultimately achieve little and less.

And so if fear and terror are unneeded, why not prune it way?  Why not excise it, so that the wound may heal?

Ah.

I see.

I suppose...I suppose I will change. 

And I suppose I am changing, even now.

And perhaps...

Perhaps I already am changed. 

Already different.  I tasted nectar and ambrosia, and now the bread and wine of mortal men is but ash and mud in my mouth.

For I am no longer in control.

And I am glad that They never told me how Good that feels.

[pyxxiestyxx]

Proving Her Wrong

You sit in your chair, arms crossed and scowling, glaring over the lip of the table at the affini sitting across from you. She was resting her chin on a closed fist, watching you intently as you sulked.

Finally, you couldn't contain it any longer. You weren't going to let her walk all over you like that, starsdamnit! "I'm not a seed, Oleria. I appreciate everything you've done to help me, but me needing a Wardship after being rescued from that clanker of a ship doesn't mean-"

"Open." You respond automatically to the word, letting her insert a bite of dinner into your mouth, waiting to continue speaking until after she taps your chin; the signal to let you close and chew.

"Mmm…I…yeah. Um, what was I…? Oh, right- I'm not a seed. Like…yes, maybe I enjoy cuddling and so on, but so does everyone I talk to-"

"All those floret friends you have, you mean? Chloe and Jess and Alice and all them?" She stroked downward on your cheek this time, but your mouth fell open all the same. You knew what it meant by now.

"Mmmmm….fuck, that's tasty. And yeah, they all like cuddling and stuff too! So its fine."

"Sweetie, we talked about this. Mommy doesn't like it when you use language like that in front of her."

"I…s-sorry, Oleria." Your cheeks burn in embarrassment, which is a bit strange. Why would you be embarrassed? She's just helping you out a little, giving you a reminder so you're a model sophont. "But anyway, I do plenty of things that independents do, okay? I play with my friends every single day-"

"When I remind you."

"-And a go to bed at a reasonable hour-"

"Because I gave you a bedtime."

"And I've tried plenty of xenodrugs, something most feralists would never do!" You lean forward, smugly confident.

"…Well on that, I do suppose you have a point. Speaking of which…" She held up her hand out, an injector vine hovering nearby it. Your eyes lock onto the dripping needletip waiting within the gorgeous blooming flower, all thoughts slipping out of your mind as your head finds its way to her palm. Nestling and nuzzling against it as the prick in your neck steals away any traces of resistance for the rest of the evening.

"Theeeere we go. Don't you worry, silly. Mommy knows exactly what you are~"

"Okayyy Mommyyyy…" You giggle. "Yaaaaay."

[pyxxiestyxx]

Laser Pointer

You're relaxing at a J-cafe, the one around the corner you went to last weekend. It had been fun petting and cuddling with the florets! You hadn't taken any drugs or whatever, but you got to play some games with them, and even give some of them the almighty Belly Rubs™️

So…you had an idea.

You compiled a FloretSafe laser pointer (and no, you had no idea how affini made the laser safe to use, but they guaranteed it, so it must be true!) and brought it to the cafe. As expected, there was a new batch of J-pets, who had just finished their breakfast and were ready to start the day. You took a seat next to one of the giant booth chairs, leaning up against it so you had a backrest while sitting on the floor.

And…when none of the affini were looking, you began to play with the laser.

Not that they would care, probably? You saw them play with one last week! It was where you had gotten the idea, after all. And watching the florets haul ass in their attempts to catch the colored dot (you had set it to cycle through the rainbow, because why not?) was hilarious. You couldn't help but giggle as one bowled into another, causing them both to forget what they were doing and begin making out very sloppily.

You played for about ten minutes, flicking the beam off whenever the affini in charge seemed to glance your way. Fun had, you began to clamber to your feet, pocketing the laser for later.

…Until a bundle of vines landed on your back, that is.

Your head rotated rustily, noting the new affini that had somehow slipped into the very booth you were leaning against, the vines making up their legs now trapping you in as they smiled.

"Good Morning, little one! I couldn't help but notice you giving all those cuties some enrichment. Care to join in, dear?"

You scrambled for your words, babbling out excuses and waving your hands around wildly. The affini listened solemnly, nodding along as you explained that you weren't a floret or a J-pet, you were just having fun, no one got hurt anyway…

Finally they pressed a vine to your lips, looking down at you with a look that oozed smug condesension. "Darling, its quite all right. I understand~" You breathed a sigh of relief.

Then you noticed (far too late, it seems) that they had pulled out the laser from your pocket, and had inserted one of their vines in a small crevice on the side.

"Follow the dot, puppy~"

The laser beeped, and you couldn't help but look as they flicked it on, and…and…

the Dot was so…pretty now…

it flashed and sparkled and pulsed in a way that was wholly unlike before.

You scrabbled to your hands and knees, beginning to reach for it, but it moved.

And moved.

And moved.

"You can get it, wildflower!" Someone was cheering you on, watching your attempts with a laugh. You smiled, blushing. You could do it! They said so!

And as you looked around, you noticed a few others were beginning to help you try and catch it too!

As you chased the laser, the affini smiled. It seems they may have found a fun new toy to play with…and they weren't talking about the laser pointer…

[pyxxiestyxx]

Tears

The group of feralists sat huddled together in the room, a pack of frightened beasts more than a group of hardened warriors. The room was ringed by affini after affini in nearly every shape and size you could imagine. None of them have moved, save to gently push Old Tom back when he tried to book it out the only exit.

So we sat in our "defensive formation" for almost half an hour before the leader came. Introduced herself as Captain Arythis, Twenty-Seventh Bloom.

Unfortunately, by the time she finished introducing herself, you had been roughly shoved out of the group, falling to your hands and knees in front of her. The terrified voice of your Captain rang out shortly after, a single sentence:

"You can take them to eat, just let the rest of us go!"

Your mind spun on itself, realizing the crew you had dutifully served on for years had just literally thrown you to your doom. You weren't sure what else to do…it was all too overwhelming.

So you cried.

You hadn't cried since you were sixteen, when your friends had abandoned you for being too "different" than them. You had vowed never to show that weakness again, and it had carried you far. But this was just too damn much. It wasn't…it wasn't fair, damnit!

You didn't want to die! And you didn't want to die….alone.

And then you heard a soft exhale, almost a sigh but with compassion instead of annoyance. You were scooped up carefully, too exhausted to even wriggle, as you looked into the much closer face of the Captain. She began to pet you, carding her fingers through your hair…and shifting your wails of fear to moans of comfort.

"Awww, poor thing. Don't worry little one, I have you. Let's go get you some food. Would you like some cookies and milk? Here, lets get you a blankie, too. We can go sit somewhere quiet while you get things all out."

It wasn't the last time you cried that night, or that week, or even that month. But it was the last time you had to cry alone.

[pyxxiestyxx]

Foolproof

You had a perfect idea. A fantastic idea. You were going to blend in by becoming a Faux Floret. A flauxret. Whatever, you’d workshop it later.

The point is that you compiled the frilliest most ridiculously over the top companion dress you could find (in your favorite colors, of course; you weren’t going to do this in shitty colors), and a matching collar. You even compiled a sun-umbrella! A proper lady.

And, perhaps importantly, one who could go to the annual ‘Floret Faire’ as an independent without ending up in a (much more permanent) collar.

So! You made your way over to the place with ease. You kept the umbrella up, preventing any affini from seeing your face. If anyone asked, you just said your affini worked a lot and let you go on without her. You had already prepared a very convincing backstory, too.

What was her name? Mellora Rhubarb, Thirteenth Bloom (an older one, to scare away the youngblooms)

Where does she work? Oh, at the local branch of OTNA, of course!

What does she look like? She happens to be about fifteen feet tall, with lovely smooth as velvet vines. Her eyes are like blazing gold stars, and they captivated you when you had first met her a year ago.

You had a blast at the Faire. There was plenty of food to eat, and rides to ride. It was perfect, it was everything you wanted to be, and you smiled every time you saw an independent get flirted with. Not you! You were safe.

“Petal, where is your Owner?”

….Uh-oh.

You turned around, explaining your bullshit story to the new affini, who was looking at you with concern. They only frowned deeper as you went on, finally holding up a vine to stop you.

“I’m afraid I don’t know if I believe you, petal. I happen to know that any affini would have scheduled this day off months ago, so they could enjoy the day with their floret.”

oh ….shit. You scrambled, babbling out a mess of words that contradicted immediately. Of course you had come with them! They were just…uh…they had needed to go to the office and grab something really quick!

Sweat dripped down your back as they considered your pleas, and just as you were about to turn and run-

A silky smooth vine curled around your shoulder.

“Ah, there you are little one~ I was wondering where you had run off to. Thank you so much for waiting with my floret.” The other affini smiled and nodded, while you stared up with a mixture of shock and horror.

It was her.

Exactly as you had imagined her. Mellora Rhubarb.

Your mouth had fallen open, so she gently closed it for you. When she spoke, you felt the words wrapping around your brain already. “Let’s get you home, dear~”

You were picked up easily, instinctually nestling yourself into her chest. Blinking. Trying to figure out what just happened. Trying to understand.

She gave you a boop on the nose. “Don’t worry dear~ You leave it all up to me, now.”

[pyxxiestyxx]

Humans are Made to be Pets

"I don't fucking believe you." I laughed in response. I mean, how could I not? I've been perfectly fine as an independent for years. I've made plenty of friends (independents, affini, AND florets), but my favorite friend was definitely Her.

Jaz was an oldbloom of some kind. She refused to tell me the actual number, and I wasn't going to press it. But you bet your ass I was going to outright deny it when she says some Bloomer-ass bullshit like, "Humans are made to be pets, Petal~"

She tilted her head, as if surprised. "Did no one tell you, dear?" I frowned.

"What do you mean exactly?"

Jaz hid a chuckle behind some vines. "Flower, I've been around for a while. I've seen thousands of species. Some of them were almost extinct by the time we found them, and some were far more technologically advanced than the Accord ever was. But out of all of them -all of them, darling- I have yet to find a sophont who wouldn't make a perfect silly pet. Why do you think terrans would be any different?"

I sputtered. "No! No, that's ridiculous. Beeple I can understand, to some extent. They evolved alongside you, and your reproduction at least used to co-exist. You both needed each other. Humans are different."

"Oh, in some ways perhaps! Its true that we were able to work with beeple, but there are a few things that, in order for humans to have gotten where they were, were required to happen." She held up three fingers.

"One. Humanity are social creatures. I'm quite sure I don't need to argue this point. Its been an observation many have noticed. But it still matters that, despite your culture's best attempts to sequester everyone into individual homes and away from communities…you all crave that interaction, that exchange. You Look for it." One finger went down.

"Two. Humanity are intelligent creatures. They learned so much, and fought for their place on the top of the food chain. It was truly incredible to learn your histories! Being able to learn from another's mistakes? An important skill to have, and one that allows for rapid growth of a civilization. And also allows for you to be manipulated, controlled, really; a rock cannot hear my arguments, after all. You Listen all too well. " Two fingers were closed, now. Her thumb remained.

"Three. Humanity are hierarchical creatures. Ever since that whole 'survival of the fittest', terrans seem intent on having everything ranked, everything in relation to the things better or worse than it. It's what worked on Terra, and I don't judge you all for using the tools given to you! But it means, at the end of the day…that culturally speaking? Humanity was going to see itself as either above the Compact, or below it, part of it, inside it." She smiled. "And I think it would be fair to say that the Accord winning was not a valid concern. So when something bigger and stronger comes along? You learn to Accept it."

I was frozen. I didn't…I couldn't…I couldn't think. I was a bubbling mixture of terrified and in awe, looking up at her. My knees wobbled as she gently cupped my cheek, sliding her hand down to my chin.

"Sweet thing~ Its alright. I know that this is a lot to learn, that it sounds scary to you. Perhaps you felt yourself on equal terms to an affini. And in many ways, you are right~ I will always treat you with love and respect, just as I would treat any sophont, any floret. But at the end of the day, my dear…" Her eyes drew me in. There were so many of them, all looking at me. Pinning me underneath their careful stare, somehow both alien and familiar, gentle yet controlling, above me and beside me. Watching as I looked, as I listened, as I accepted.

"An affini's task is to care for pets, and your task is to be cared for~"

[pyxxiestyxx]

Class-D

"Umm....?"

You stare at the affini sitting across from you, who is sipping casually from a large mug of tea.  She had grown close to you over the last year, but the last few weeks in particular had been...more?  She suddenly seemed intent on pushing you towards florethood, and more specifically towards one of the more...simple lifestyles.

'There are as many ways to be a floret as there are florets', as the saying goes.  You considered yourself an outgoing and independent type, one who had (with effort and support) gone far, despite any neurodivergencies that often ground progress to a slow crawl.  But the way Ea would look at you...the things she said...well, like what she JUST said, for example.

"I'm merely suggesting that you give it a try, dear.  No contracts, no implants...unless you want those.  I'm referring to something a bit simpler."

You frown, crossing your arms.  "And what exactly do you have in mind, Ea?"

A brilliantly red flower blossoms before your lips, the needles tip glistening green.  "I give you a Class-D, of course.  One that prevents those pesky inhibitions and falsehoods from getting in the way.  And then you and I can chat a little, and I may ask you to do a few things, to see if they make you feel good.  Is that really so dangerous, sweetie?"

"I..." Yes, of course it was...was what you wanted to say.  But if it really was just a Class-D, then it wouldnt change your mind.  They were there to reveal the truth, and the truth of the matter was that you were capable and competent, and it's about time she figured that out.  Sighing, you roll up your sleeve and extend your arm, wincing as the injection slips into your skin.  The verdant drug travels up your arm and to your brain, and an....interesting feeling seems to settle on you.  Not the fresh-out-of-a-dryer blanket of a Class-A, but a slightly warm sheet, perhaps.  You blink a few times, then look at Ea expectantly.

She gently snaps her fingers at you, then points at the floor next to her seat.  "No no, darling.  We aren't going to one-half ass it here.  I intend to show you what I mean, through actions as much as words."

You gawk at her, blushing furiously.  "But...but I don't want to do that!"

"Why?"

"It's embarrassing!"

Ea tilts her head, a coy look passing through violet eyes.  "The only one who thinks it is embarrassing is you, petal.  No one else in this case will care in the least, and you already know what I think you need." She smiles. "If it helps, just think of it as me...coercing you into it.  If anyone asks, you can explain that you didn't have a choice here."

You squint your eyes at her, but your gaze soon follows her arm down to her pointed finger.  Crumbs, she really was serious.  You look around the cafe again, noting how the others weren't even looking your way.

Blushing, you let yourself go limp, flowing off the lip of the seat and into a kneel as you shuffle towards her spot.  When you arrive, you keep your gaze firmly fixed to the left, your hands grasping themselves out of a need to hold onto something.

You wait for her to speak...but she stays silent.  She waits until you give in, until you sneak a glance at her, and only then does she cup your cheek in one large hand as she whispers, "Good Pet."

"I...y-you...it-" she slides her hand over your mouth, preventing the words from haphazardly tumbling out.

"Sweetheart, I said we would chat.  I never said you would get to use people words~"

The hand returns to your cheek, a thumb gently brushing across your lips as she smiles triumphantly.  "Now then, pet.  You are a wonderfully skilled sophont, make no mistake.  But a trained pet is still a pet, honey.  And not everything trained into you is Good."

You open your mouth to protest...only to let the words die in your throat at the warning in her eyes.  Instead, the softest little slip of a whimper manages to drip from your tongue.

Ea smiles wider, her other hand joining the first on your head as she begins to pet you, long firm pulls of her fingers through your hair.  "You know that you push yourself too hard, don't you?  That you keep moving, because the inertia is part of how you stay upright.  You need the constant motion, because you're worried that as soon as you slow down, you'll topple over and shatter."

You try to deny it.  You try to disprove it.  But in the end, you are forced to admit it to yourself:

She's right.

She gently brushed a tear from the corner of your eye, softer than the petals of her flowers.  "But that needn't happen, honey.  Not if you have an Owner to care for you, and hold you close, and keep you safe.  You know this too, don't you?"

You did.  You do.  And it hurts.  And it heals.

Your eyes make a desperate plea towards her, though for what, you aren't sure.  She seemed to be waiting for it, though, because her eyes glow golden ichor.  "And so, since you are being honest with me, I shall be in turn with you.  I will not wait a single second longer to give you what you want, need, crave.  You are my pet, honey.  I will Own you, I will train you, I will condition away any independence and wrestle your thoughts into simple submission.  I want you to speak the truth, now. Use those cute little words to present the desires nestled in your heart, pet. I will take them as thanks, as a promise, as everything...

"You're mine, pet."

Her hand brushes one last time over your head as it makes its way to the back of your neck, tracing a line where you know the implant will soon reside.  You shudder as she presses down, down, Down, pushing your face into her vines as you finally are honest with yourself and admit what you realize you always wanted, always needed.

"Yes, Miss."

[pyxxiestyxx]

Thoughts of an Affini, Upon Seeing You for the First Time

I want to see what you look like when My concoction of xenodrugged air floods your sinuses.

I want to hear you piss yourself when I finally find you, when I wrap My vines around your throat. You'll scream and you'll yell, but in the end you will slump into my chest, your first submission to Me.

I want to watch as you wake up for the first time in your new Home...well. It isn't 'yours', not in the way it is Mine. But it is yours in the way that my attention and care is yours, and you will grow to love it here.

I want to hold your fragile little limb as you are drugged for your implant. Your little mewls of protest will be lovingly noted, but it will happen regardless. The last thing your eyes will meet before sleep overtakes them is my own gaze, centering you and loving you and controlling you.

I want to know the feeling of your scent being slowly shifted to the side

As my implant

Sets into you fully. As it grows and bonds and becomes.

I want to know what face you'll make when I tell you, "That was it. There it went~ The last time you will ever feel fear. We removed it from you.

I removed it from you.

I simulated that fear response just now with a tiny capsule of- oh, but it doesn't matter. What matters is...that was it. You can't, physically, chemically, feel fear, ever again."

I want to feel your trust in Me at that moment. That feeling of certainty that comes from a floret who knows they will age with plenty of adorable little laugh lines, who knows they cannot be hurt any longer, who knows they can be anything I want them to be, that I know best. And it isn't a trick, darling.

I do know best. And you will understand soon.

Because late at night, while I hold your limp and unconscious body, while I gently and tenderly stroke your head, while I whisper words into your dreams, I want to feel you change for Me. To wake up the next day just a bit more at peace. And it will take less time than you think.

There will be a day soon that you wake up and don't even worry, don't even think. You will just relax into my care, as a Good floret should.

Ah...but before I get ahead of Myself, I suppose I board this little thing your Captain calls a warship, shouldn't I? But don't you worry, My darling.

I will make sure all of My wants come true~

[pyxxiestyxx]

Truth and Rumors

You didn't exactly plan on being your space station's liaison to the Affini Compact, but everyone in leadership had fled into the darkness of space hours before the plant's first ships jumped into position. Clearly someone had tipped the C-Suite off somehow; honestly, you couldn't blame them. Everything you had heard about the Compact was…rather terrifying, really. Behemoth plants with rows upon rows of teeth, infectious parasites ready to take over your mind, eternal servitude and endless labor with no pay…you shuddered at the rumors, at the stories. Perhaps worse was the actual propaganda produced by the plants; not that you or anyone else on the station was legally allowed to watch it, but even the few still frames that were shown to you had painted a grisly picture. The limp figure of some Terran Navy hero, cuddled and coddled by the hulking beast of a plant behind her. Apparently they had changed the soldier's gender, or something? The report accompanying the image was rather unclear for that particular detail. And now, here you were: sitting nervously in the largest conference room on the station, the lone Terran at a desk made for over thirty to sit at comfortably. When the Compact had hailed your station, you were one of the few working the comms station, and everyone else had either fainted, screamed, or panicked. Not that you were much better, but it was apparently enough that you were voluntold to answer it. The voice of the caller was…strange. Different, somehow. Calming, and yet thrilling. She introduced herself as Lady Violetta Larella, Fourteenth Bloom, she/her. Blushing, you apologized for not referring to her by her title earlier. In your defense, you hadn't realized she was nobility. She seemed to enjoy that, for some reason. You had only been sitting at the table for a few minutes when there was a sharp knock at the door. The Lady entered as gracefully as one possibly could when entering a door made for someone at least five feet shorter, her long dress trailing behind her as she clasped her hands and smiled. "Hello, darling. It's so lovely to see you in the flesh, so to speak! And just look at you! Why, that video feed certainly dulled your charms~" Her voice was dripping with genuine affection as she stepped over to you, taking a knee and reaching an elegant hand out to tussle your hair. You couldn't help but shudder as she did so; your nerves dancing in abject joy as she gently pet your head. Your eyes slowly closed in utter delight as you sagged back into your chair, your tensed muscles relaxing one by one by one... "Oh, but I apologize! Playtime can come later, dear. Let's get down to business, shall we?" You blinked in confusion as you realized She had stopped petting you, and couldn't stop yourself from letting out the smallest of whimpers as She began to withdraw Her hand. Every single one of Her eyes, each of which ranked among some of the most verdant jewels you had ever seen, quickly seemed to shift and dance to a brilliant violet. Her hand returned, sending your worries scuttling for the door as She did so. "Well…perhaps we can take a few minutes, first. Just to make sure you have been thoroughly examined, of course; it would be my duty as Own…as Overseer of this operation to guarantee your mental and physical wellbeing~" You smiled dreamily as you were picked up and held by Lady Violetta, happy that everything you had heard about the Affini was so clearly wrong. She grinned at you, a wide smile that showed all Her many, many pretty teeth, and held up a single, succulent berry, the sight of which made your mouth water. "Now then…let's play a fun little game. When I stroke downward on your cheek, I want you to open your mouth…"

[pyxxiestyxx]

You're Safe

Thinking you outran the affini that had tried to block your path, to insist you follow them. You're safe.

Shakily closing the door to your house, triple locking it, pulling all the curtains shut. The adrenaline pumping through your veins slowwwwwly subsiding, coming out of you in shaken gasps and shudders. This was the third time this week that this affini had just 'happened' to find you. Something about the way they spoke just...unsettled you. As if you were already a floret, instead of an independent. You're safe.

You shower, scrubbing the fear and (dare you admit it) arousal off of your skin, thankful. You'll have to take a different way to work from now on, but that should be the end of it. You're safe.

Towelling off, realizing how quiet it is in your hab. jumping slightly at every noise, then telling yourself that no, its nothing. you check with your hab AI, affirming that yes. You're safe.

Crawling into your bed, underneath the weighted blanket and surrounded by cute plushies, the lights turning off. Knowing that tomorrow you might need to transfer ships, but for now… You're safe.

Slipping blissfully off into sleep…only to feel your weighted blanket get…heavier. Opening your eyes to see the affini. The Affini. The one with the claws and the wicked smile, running a sharpened claw down your cheek.

Your heartbeat rapidly sputtering out of control, but they place a vine on it and gently shush it.

Telling you the same words, over and over.

Because the only thing that could ever hurt you now….is already here with you <3 "You're Safe." "You're Safe." "You're Safe." "You're Safe."

[pyxxiestyxx]

Class-C

The shot glass sat in front of you, innocuous in appearance.  If you couldn't smell the tang of citrus, if you didn't catch the occasional sparkle suspended in it, you might think it mere water.

In front of you, your affini friend rested her head on her hand.  She practically bled smugness, the leaves around her neck slightly fluffed as if she was preening.  You rolled your eyes, mirroring her posture for the hell of it.

"So this is your bet?  Aren't Class-C's something on the 'dont mess with' list for terrans anyway?"

Her voice was a rolling purr as she answered, "Yes.  This is different.  A heavily diluted solution of a specific strain.  No lasting effects, just the intense feeling of a Class-C dose for about two hours."

The bet was simple: You had to make it through thirty minutes without confessing your love for her, or begging to be her floret.   She thought you couldn't do it.  You thought she was full of shit.  You had plenty of xenodrugs before, of course.  Class A's and E's were fun and relaxing, but ultimately you were still in control of things.

Shrugging nonchalantly, you picked up the shot and threw it back, the sweet flavor hitting your throat and tingling slightly as it went down.  You flipped the glass face down and slammed it onto the table, then looked up at her with a satisfying smirk.  "Easy."

Her smile only widened.  "We'll see." She flipped open her tablet and pressed a timer, starting a countdown clock.  She showed you it had thirty minutes remaining, then flipped it closed.  "No using the time you have left for rallying cries.  Just you, me, and the lovely chemicals your brain is about to be swimming in.  When the alarm rings, I'll administer the counteragent."

You scoffed, leaning back in my chair.  "You didn't even wait until it had begun to kick in?  Wow, you must really be confident."

"Oh, it begins nearly immediately.  Already the drug is interacting with those neurons, mixing in with seratonin and oxytocin and a few other things besides."

You looked at her, doubtful.  "Yeah?  Then how come I don't feel any different?"

"Sweetie, you've leaned halfway across the table already.  Move any further and you're likely to crush that shot glass you slammed down so viciously earlier." She gestured at your posture, causing you to hurriedly sit back into your chair with a blush.

"Shit, I...sorry.  Got carried away." You glanced down at the shot glass, biting your lip as you realized that you *had* been rather violent with it.  You carefully flipped it back upright, wiping the outside clean with your shirt.  "Um.  Sorry."

"Dear, did you just apologize to the glas-"

"NO!" Your face was properly red now.  Oh *stars*, you had!  You had just done something that embarrassing in front of your Best Friend and what if she thought you were silly now?  Would she not want to hang out with you?  You hoped not.  You really enjoyed her compa....wait....

Frowning, you shook your head roughly, slapping your cheeks a little.  It was just the drug.  You were in control.  The drugs were doing this.  But unlike the A or E, it was more...subtle.  or rather, it was potent, but you didn't even realize it until your best friend had pointed it out.  Gosh, she's so kind...

"Um, t-thank you for helping me remember I was drugged." The words felt good to say.  You wanted her to know how much you appreciated her after all.  So you could win the bet!

...

The bet?

"Wait, what happens if I lose?" You realized you had forgotten to ask that before.  Worried, you turned to look at her.

"Well, what would you like to happen, pet~al?" You blushed, realizing it was just like her to wait until you were...compromised before asking this.  Well, jokes on her!  You're still in control.

"Nothing!  I don't want anything to happen.  No new rules, no teasing, and no domestication.  Got it?"

She nodded, sagely.  "Of course.  In that case, I take that to mean that should you win, you'll get all of those wonderful things~"

You sputtered in shock.  "I- no! I don't want to... I'm...you can't be serious."

"Awww, is something wrong?" She smirked, her eyes flashing purples and golds in a way that made your heart melt.  "All you have to do now is lose, then~ Or are you so stubborn, you can't admit that you l~o~v~e me, flower?"

"I-I...you... fucking...."  You felt the indignation mix with the heady joy of her attention, of wanting to give into her, of wanting to beg.  She was trying to goad you.  She wanted you to win now.  She had entirely turned the rules on their head. 

But she also assumed you would take her bait.  You shook your head, biting your lip.  "I...fine.  I admit it."

"Admit what?" She had begun to rise up slightly, her hands clutching the edge of the table.  She was absolutely getting off on this.  You couldn't even meet her eyes, looking away and down.

"I love you?"

"Mmmm....I don't believe you." You could hear the smile in her voice, full of wicked glee.  "Say it louder, for one.  And look me in the eyes~ and don't be afraid to put a little more emotion in it, dearie.  This is a confession, after all~"

You whimpered, managing to drag your eyes up to meet hers.  Reluctantly, you allowed the feelings you had been fighting for several minutes now to wash over you, letting them guide your words.  "I l-love you...I need you..."

"I love you...?" She trailed off, waiting for you to complete it properly.  You wanted to scream, but instead all that came out was "Miss?"

"Dear, it's just a game.  You can use the one you want to use."

"I love you, Mommy."

"And?"

"A-and I want...I need to be your floret.  I need it, please stars I need it.  I...oh gods it's...I..." The feelings crashed through you in waves.

"Go~od job, petal.  You did it."  She slid the table out of the way, stepping into a kneel in front of you.  "You said those mushy gushy feelings!"

You nodded, pleased...until you remembered what that meant.  You weren't going to get anything now.  You had just said so.  Tears sprang up, and you had to stifle a sudden sob.  "I...it's..."

She was lifting you into her arms now, cradling you closely to her chest.  "Shhhh...petal, it's alright.  You didn't lose, silly."

"I...w-what?"

She smiled at you.  "How would love for another ever be seen as losing?  You won, silly."

You won. That made sense to you now.  Especially when She said it.  You beamed up at Her, letting Her wipe the tears away.  "I won..."

"You won!  And guess what that means, dear?"

"I'm...I'm a..."

"You're Mommy's little floret now." She tapped your nose as she cooed, causing you to giggle a bit.  A wiggling little thought in your head popped up, though.

"You tricked me, Mommy!"

"Did I?  Well, you knew we affini never play fair when it comes to cuties like you.  Awfully brave of you to make a bet with me anyway, wasn't it?  Almost like you wan~ted this, darling~" she purred at you, her eyes filled with light and warmth.  You thought you couldn't possibly blush more, but it turns out you definitely could.

"I...noooooooooo!!!  I didn't...I mean....maybe?"

"Silly little flower." She picked up her tablet, turning it back on and dismissing the timer, which had paused as soon as she had closed it.  "Now, let's get you home.  We have a contract to sign~"

[pyxxiestyxx]

The Implant

"All I'm saying is that florethood has a 100% satisfaction rate. so obviously that means the Implant is Good and Wonderful and really you should just walk to the nearest Domestication Center and get on your hands and knees and beg them to put one in you."

The affini smiled at the terran, watching as they figeted with their drink. They had on that mask, but the emotions lying underneath were quite well understood. There wasn't an exact word for it in the terran languages she had seen, but it was a feeling of worry, of wariness….and also a feeling of curiosity and possibly even hunger. Through her blooms, she had seen it countless times.

Wanting what they told themselves they couldn't have.

"The feeling of something else pressing into your mindspace for the first time? The little twitches as it aquiants itself with your nervous system, like trying on a new pair of clothes and stretching a bit to see how they fit?" She leaned forward slightly, making sure to intrude on the terran's space. The terran looked back up at her, captivated and mouth slightly open in the shape of an 'O'.

"And then -then!- there's the chemicals. New organs grown along your spine, right here and here and definitely here, each one a wonderful little erogenous zone. And each one a new way to control you completely. No more worrying, no more icky thoughts. Just peaceful, everlasting happiness. "

They were in her lap now. How could she resist, when their fingertips clearly twitched towards her. They wanted her to pick them up, they just didn't know how to ask.

She would help them learn how to ask. How to say exactly what was written across their heart so clearly.

She could almost hear it now…. "Miss, can I be your floret?"

[pyxxiestyxx]

H*ndh*lding

I found her hiding deep in the belly of the Radiant Wing, pressed up against a bulkhead and trying not to move a single muscle. She was a slight little thing, as the cycles of malnutrition and overwork has reduced her down to skin and bone. My antennae chirped in distress at the bags under her eyes, at the way her body shook with stress, at the quivering of her lip.

I knelt down low, until I was a mere foot or two higher than her eye level. "Hello, Abigail. Are you hurt?"

She didn't answer me with vocalizations, which was worrying. Was some part of her still attempting to hide? The furry lines above her eyes scrunched together, and she kept her gaze pointedly fixed on the floor a few feet in front of me.

"Abbi- may I call you Abbi?" Her eyes flickered slightly, and she gave the smallest and most hesitant of head movements up and down. I continued, "Abbi, my name is Cherry Berry, Third Bloom, pronouns of She and Her."

The girl's diaphragm twitched spasmodically as she exhaled, a strange and involuntary reaction to my name I've found many Terrans do. It is admittedly very adorable how they are unable to control themselves, similar to how they cannot control their heartbeat.

I kept my body perfectly still as I continued, "Now as you may be aware, my presence here means that this ship has been boarded. As of this moment, all but eight of your fellow crewmates have been sedated, and are being escorted off of this ship, and onto the Illastria. You are to join them. Do you understand?"

The girl shook her head wildly, her ocular organs wide as her heartbeat sharply increased. Many creatures had a fear response, of course; evolution's clumsy attempts at protecting them. I would be much more thorough, once my implant rested within her.

I carefully extended one of the four groupings of vines I had shaped into arms, holding the 'hand' palm-up towards her. Culturally, she would recognize it as an offering.

"Come here, petal. Take my hand."

She need not know the topical xenodrugs I excreted through my vines until later, of course.

The girl pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and nibbled on it as she thought things through. I waited, calmly. She was smart, I knew. Smart enough to have recieved an education at the collegiate level for nearly free, before it was shut down and she was shunted into this accursed coffin of a ship.

Finally...slowly...and ever so shakily, the girl's limb extended out towards mine. I resisted my instinct to close the gap in less than a single of her eye blinks, to slip my injectors under her dermis and make her mine.

That would come later.

Instead, I began to slowly sway my body back and forth. Not enough to be noticeable on its own, but enough that the natural rhythm of my flora to more prominently draw her attention. Like many species, it was difficult for her kind to focus on multiple tasks at once. All I had to do was utilize this trait to my advantage.

Her fingertips touched first, like soft wingbeats of an Al'yssrian upon the surface. They hovered over my own facsimile of her phalanges, and finally came to a rest in the center of my palm, with my own fingertips nestled on her radius and ulna. I allowed myself a full 0.3 seconds to enjoy the feeling of her body. All those complicated systems, each working so inefficiently to maintain that spark called life. The soft tiny hairs on her arm had raised, hundreds of little bumps coating her arm. Another automatic system, most likely. She reacted to me.

...But even so, she was far from ready for me to move, just yet. The sternocleidomastoid muscle was tensed to near-taut, and her ocular organs refused to stay fixed for long. Now that I was touching her directly, I was able to get a much more accurate pulse reading. It was far above resting, and the speed only hastened the effects of the adrenaline coursing through her systems.

I pulled a single vine from the 'back' of my hand, curling it slowly around the side until it hovered over her own. She watched it nervously, and I felt her limb tense in case she needed to pull it back.

"Have you ever seen one of my kind before, Abi?"

The girl paused, then another up-and-down bob of her head.

"...I mean like this. Not on a digital broadcast."

A left-to-right this time. Negative.

"I'm sure you have heard quite a bit about my kind, though. I will say that in turn, I have learned much about you." I was rather disappointed in the meager intelligence gathered for her, a mere twelve Petabytes of shopping habits, familial history, hobbies, disinterests, relationships, and every message sent from a device she has ever so much as looked at. Still, it was enough for me to develop an interest in the Sophont.

The corners of the girl's lips sank down, and the hair strips above her ocular organs scrunched up again. It would be adorable, if it wasn't meant to signal negative emotions.

"The point I am attempting to make is this: that information is useful, but ultimately direct knowledge is the highest priority. As an example..."

The vine dipped down and began to stroke along her metacarpals, a careful pleasing rhythm modeled after my own. The effects, though minor, were immediate: her heart rate shifted down and her eyes locked into the movement, and the scent of her perspiration indicated a reduction in chemicals released from stress. I continued to gently pet her, noting with mild amusement how she used the muscles in her throat she could control to contain any vocalizations. That would have to change, of course. The easiest way would be to remove her ability to notice them via hypnosis, but I enjoyed the way the hue of her face dyed red as she grew more embarassed.

I adopted a softer and quieter tone, causing the girl to lean forward slightly to hear me better. "You see? Nothing to be afraid of, is there? All I offer is comfort and pleasure, petal."

She continued to think while I directed more vines to join the first, carefully running them down and up the length of my grip on her. The topical xenodrugs began to take hold by then, causing her pupils to dilate by thirty...thirty-two percent. I checked my tablet from its place next to my core, and noted that I was one of only three affini left. Still, this could not be rushed.

"Abbi, I am very pleased with you. You are responding wonderfully to me, and I wish to reward you. May I do so?" Needing to ask was ridiculous, of course, but I wasn't quite ready to take...yet. The trap was laid. Now, all that was left was to see if she took the bait. The curiosity. Her kind had to know things. Especially if it is a mysterious 'reward'.

Abbi thought for a full five seconds, then her head bobbed up-and-down.

"Thank you, dear." The vines of my hand wrapped around hers fully while I began to tug, pulling her into the air as I prepared my other arms to cradle her now-prone body. The girl couldn't help but vocalize a squeal, but otherwise she did not struggle. Oh yes, she was absolutely mine in all but name.

I began to drag the clawed tips of my upper right arm across her radius, while the hand holding hers began to massage and squeeze in earnest. Hundreds of different points of contact, varying in intensity, texture, movement.

The girl's nervous system could scarely keep up with the combined input, and I couldn't help but shift the hue of my eyes to a higher frequency as a result. The dazed and unfocused ocular organs...the desperate panting as her chest rose and fell...the way her vocalizations continued to build....

Exquisite.

"Why don't we continue this somewhere more...palatable, little one? I would love to show you my garden."

No response. The drugs had likely reduced her to a mewling mess, and her auditory processing was a consequence. No matter.

I began to walk back towards the Capture vine I came from, continuing to caress and play with her soft skin. "You know, I think you would be much happier with a different name. Specifically, your familial one..."

[pyxxiestyxx]

How to Find a Traitor

Hi! This was inspired by This Hypnotic Audio by VerityLey, which is insanely hot....but also, yknow, CW for this being based on a very real hypnosis file that can give you very real hypnotic triggers (and while I don't think this story would do that on its own...safety first and all that). So y'know, just keep that in mind, I suppose ;p

. . . . .

Who was it?

The Captain of the C.N.S. Byzantium was known as a cruel, harsh man.  Many were the days he had spent chasing down defectors, and many were the names of those who had... disappeared, once he had inevitably sniffed them out as plantfuckers.  

Couldn't be someone from Engineering...unless that's exactly what they wanted him to think.

Even though he had only served for a single year as Captain, the turnover rate aboard his ship was almost three times the amount of any other of its class.  This despite the latter half of his year spent with his ship in drydock, slowly receiving repairs while the battle against the Weeds raged onward.  

He winced as he remembered the close call that had completely knocked out his engines and eventually sent them limping into the nearest safe haven.  How nearly half of his crew had been taken by the damnable affini...and the angry chewing out he had received from his superiors within the New Terran Militia (or whatever it was they were calling themselves these days; it seemed to change every month).  

Was that their plan?  Get him kicked out of leadership, make him slow and dull?  An empty-headed idiot, unable to think? Not him. Never him.

The Captain scowled at his hands, at the thickened band of skin caused from years of running his fingernails over the backs of his thumbs.  His thoughts sometimes felt muddled, messy. The lines drawn between the web of relationships hard to keep track of. Even if it didn't make sense to him, he was still in control.  

He just needed to find this most recent traitor, and then he would finally be able to sleep right.  He knew they were in his crew...somewhere.  He could feel it in his gut. Outbound communications had been rising steadily, and his newest Comms Officer (the previous one had, of course, been a traitor as well) had quietly notified him of that fact.

A knock at the door drew him from his thoughts.  A pause, and then the door opened to reveal something that finally brought the ghost of a smile to his lips: two of his most trusted Officers, and an Ensign they were practically dragging in behind them.  The lad was barely out of Naval Academy, boots still muddy from spending so much time on-planet.  The recruit's eyes danced across the room, unable to settle. Pumped full of adrenaline, as sure a mark of a traitor as he had ever seen. The innocent had nothing to hide.

How could such a fresh-faced recruit have found himself in this position? How long ago had the worms buried into his mind?

The Officers set their prisoner down roughly in the only chair in the room for guests, then took their leave.  The door creaked shut, locking itself automatically. Only he had the key. The Captain preferred to handle these sorts of things by himself; the guilt of an innocent loss would weigh on him, and him alone.

Fortunate for him, then, that he had yet to make a mistake.

The Ensign stirred, face pale with fear as he realized just how screwed he was.  The Captain waited while he continued to look around; they always spoke first, eventually.  It was just a waiting game. This time, he waited three minutes.

"I...um, Good Afternoon, sir?"

The Captain slowly blinked as the recruit nervously stammered, unimpressed.  He sounded nervous, shaken- clearly not cut out for the life of a rebel.  No doubt the Affini Compact had offered him a whole bevy of comforts to get him on their side. Two square meals, warm showers for a full minute and a half, the kind of stuff he hadn't gotten in years.

What a fool to accept them.

The traitor bit his lip, then snapped a salute as he spoke again.  "I'm... I'm here to, um, that is...whatever it is Juarez said, it's all a lie, okay?  I'd never betray my brothers and sisters, I swear it!"

A common refrain, an attempt to assuage doubts.  The Captain's stare only tightened, pinning the young man in place while he opened a hidden compartment in the left side of his desk, retrieving a few items and placing one on the table, and keeping the other in his right hand.

The tools of the trade for this kind of thing.

He glanced at the tablet first, scrolling through with one hand until he found the Ensign's information, skimming it quickly.

Ah....of course.

Just as he suspected.  Those in charge had designated Recruit Burkes as a clear potential ally to the Compact after accidentally speaking with a Mx. Drythes, Third Bloom, over a communication device disguised cleverly as a bar's video game; the report made great effort to impress how dangerous it would be to leave someone like Burkes in the rebels for much longer. 

He needed to be...removed.

The Captain pushed down the feeling of guilt in his chest. It was for the best; once the Affini Compact got their vines into you, you were as good as theirs forever. There wasn't any point in trying to bring the recruit back (something he found hard to believe...but those in charge had insisted. Who was he to argue?). Burkes would soon be in a better place, and that was all there was to it.

There was only one thing to do, really.  Even if it didn't make sense to him, the orders were clear.

The Captain levelled the service weapon in his hand, aiming it center-mass at Burkes; he rose to his feet and stepped back and over to the bookshelf in the corner.  He accessed the hidden switch on the underside of the middle shelf, sliding the whole thing over and revealing a darkened passageway.

Almost done...almost done.

The satisfaction of a job well done dangled just out of reach…but no.  Premature celebrations were for others; not the Captain. He knew the hardest part was yet to come; felt it in his gut like vent-critters.

The crewman got to his feet (albeit shakily), eyeing the tablet the Captain held in his other hand.  Burkes chewed on his lip, but upon seeing the iron in the Captain's eyes, decided to comply; the recruit cautiously stepped into the dark passage, the Captain following a few steps behind.  Neither of them spoke; they both knew there was no longer a point.

Soon, it would be over. Soon, the Captain would get a reward.

Why was his heart beating so rapidly?

It wasn't the first time he had done this.  The passage in general was created months ago, serving as a way for the Captain to take care of such business in a discreet manner.  No mess, no worrying about others, just clean and simple and safe.

...Simple...

And yet with each step, the feelings grew and grew. The Captain's eyes darted left and right, searching for...something.  Someone.  But the passage was dark and narrow; they were alone.

The thought of that was...upsetting.

The Captain frowned.  Why?  This is how it had always worked.  Even if it didn't make sense, all that was left to do was bring Burkes to the end (a spot of light rapidly approaching), and then there was…

There was something…that the Captain wasn't supposed to worry about?

It doesn't...it doesn't make sense to...

“Good puppy~” *click click*

The pieces fell into place.  The veil was lifted.  

Oh.

The two Terrans stepped out of the darkness and right into an ambush, vines of soft green and deep blue shooting out and binding them both before they had a chance to blink.  Burke let out a strangled yell of panic, but an injection from her new Mxtress immediately began to calm her right down, based on the noises made soon after.

"There you areeeee, silly little puppy~!"  The vines binding the Capt...the puppygirl squeezed her tightly, drawing excited yips and barks from her like water from a well.  she fell into Mistress's grasp with delight, dropping the tablet Mistress had given her and the squirt-gun (it shot a harmless paralytic) to focus entirely on licking all over her Owner's face.

she was such a Good girl!  she obeyed, and listened, and no one got hurt, and was a Good girl, and everyone was happy!!! she was home she was with Owner and this was her favorite part and Good girls got rewarded!

*click click* went the little circle in Owner's hand, the sound sending shivers of pleasure down her back, causing her eyes to roll and drool to fall. Dumb little puppies like her got Clicker, and it was...sho good...

“Settle down girl, come on now~” puppy’s Owner giggled, brushing her vines through the girl's long hair, which was hidden beneath the cap she usually wore when pretending to be the Old Meanie.  her previous self, the one before Owner had found her on that ship, the one she had ripped from her spirit and soul so lovingly over the months in dry dock.

“Wh…whhhuz goin…on?” The cute rescue, the one-who-used-to-be-Burkes, mumbled through her teeth, having already been stripped and redressed in a flowery flowy slip of a thing. She was already looking so much better, with pupils wide and gaze empty.  

“It's quite simple, little one~ You see, my obedient and precious little girl here, who you may know as the Captain, did what she did best…” Owner smiled down at the puppy, making small coo-ing noises. The puppygirl giggled, writhing as her tummy got rubbies.

*click click* *click click* *click click*

“she fetched what was asked of her.  Such a Good girl, yes you areeeee, yes you areeeee!” Owner began to scritch under puppy’s chin, causing feminine moans and squeals of delight to slip free from her soul.  It was so hard pretending to be a mean nasty angry Captain, which is why Owner did that thing in her head to help!  She didn't really understand how it worked, but that was okay.

How the affini had broken her? Doesn't make sense to puppy!

What was going to happen to the rest of her crew? Doesn't make sense to puppy!

Her Owner's plans for her? Doesn't make sense to puppy!

*click click*

puppy felt the thoughts and questions blissfully slip from her mind, giggling in delight.  Stars, she was such a ditzy little happy pet.  So well trained, so mal…malle…um…so well trained!  Owner tilted her head up to gaze into her eyes, and puppy felt so happy...and a bit sad.

Because this was the Hard Part.

The part that made her whimper. The part where her Owner's eyes pulled her back to the Old Meanie. She felt herself falling, falling to Owner's pretty voice...

“I know, petal. I know. But you get to sleep with me every single night already, don't you? Yes you do, yes you do~ Good puppy.  You're making me sooooo proud, doing this. And very, very soon, we will be ready to get everyone else in one go~”

. . . . .

The Captain woke slowly, peeling his face off of the desk.  He groaned, rubbing his forehead as he glanced around the room.  What had he…?

Oh, right.  He had taken care of the latest traitor, and then he was getting a small nap in.  Something told him that he needed to be extra vigilant for the next while, to find out as many traitors as pawsi...as possible. Those in charge were counting on him.

...It was a little weird that he had been so tired he had collapsed into his chair completely naked and covered in a sheen of sweat, or the smile he was unable to wipe from his face, but that was okay.

And in the corner of his mind, just out of sight...a whisper.

It didn’t have to make sense to puppy.