Phoebe Philomena didn’t hate the compact per se, but some of the changes they made were unbelievable! Who was supposed to be on top without a marker like money? To her, it made no sense, although the ‘florets’ seemed to understand perfectly. No matter, someone special like her would undoubtedly rise to the top.
And that very reason is why she was here in front of a hab unit in her favorite, frilly light blue dress. Some very helpful sophonts had informed her that this was a meeting of high-class affini, so surely this would be her in to power and wealth. True wealth, not just the handouts the compact gave to commoners
Phoebe knocked on the door, and an affini dressed in a flowy gown, woven from technicolor flowers opened it for her. Phoebe gave a polite bow. “I was invited by an affini I met online. Her name is Danna Carionetta?”
The affini giggled. “You’re so formal, good lady! Come in, come in.”
Phoebe smiled, and strided inside. The hab was styled into an ornate ballroom, with affini in dresses and gowns scattered throughout conversing. Phoebe was tiny in such a crowd, barely up to most of their waists. No matter, as her father taught, confidence made one large, not stature.
Phoebe retrieved a glass of… something. It looked like deep, red wine. A sip revealed that it tasted nothing like wine but the affini all had glasses of it, so it must be expensive.
Drink in hand, she scanned the room for Danna. She said she would be in a white lace dress, and after a bit of searching, she located her on the other side of the room.
Wading through the sea of affini was a challenge for someone as comparatively small as her. Not due to being stepped on, the affini were scarily perceptive in that matter. But the affini were ruthless in their assault of demeaning pets and comments. By the time she made it over to Danna, her face was beet red.
“Danna, these sophonts have no manners! I swear, I will have my just desserts over their uncouth behavior. No respect for me just because I’m a terran!” Phoebe exclaimed, her nose turned up and arms crossed.
Danna laughed, and replied “You’re filled with spirit, Phoebe. You mistake the affini culture of care and affection as being haughty. I will not deny that some enjoy such a notion, but they are not trying to belittle you.” Her voice was smooth as silk, resonant in its tone. It never failed to put a tinge of blush into Phoebe’s cheeks. Alas, such feelings were not befit of a lady such as her.
Phoebe sipped her drink once more. “Danna, you simply must tell me what this is! I can understand why you would put this out at such a party of high standing.” A blatant lie, but the shame of not understanding would be much worse.
Danna whipped a fan open, and brought it to her face, hiding her mouth, before fanning herself. “Well, that's not for me to reveal, yes? It's really up to the host to tell.” She responded
“I- Well- Yes, of course! Makes perfect sense.” Phoebe stammered.
As much as she loved her friend, it was this exact sense of mystery, like the affini were hiding something from her that everyone seemed to know that she detested. Fools, didn’t they know who she was?
Phoebe was glowering into her glass when she perked up at a glass being clinked for attention from the second floor balcony. A towering affini dressed in stunning, tight fit red projected out to the crowd. “Honored guests! As hostess, It would be my cordial pleasure to invite you all to dance to a waltz I wrote myself.” The affini then in a flash whipped out a conductor's wand, waving to the small band in the center of the room.
They began to play a simple, plucky waltz, carefully accentuated with slurred and muted notes from the trumpet, and affini began to assemble into dancing pairs, laughing as they did so.
Phoebe was just wishing she had another terran to dance with when Danna stretched her hand out to meet Phoebe’s.
“Would you like to dance with me, Phoebe?” She asked.
“Uhm- Isn't it strange for an affini to dance with a terran?” Phoebe replied tepidly
Danna smiled, a sparkle dazzling through her swirling eyes. “Nonsense. Even if this was the case, such prejudice would not stop me. Dance with me, Phoebe! And do not worry about the size difference. Should you stumble, I will be there to catch you.”
Phoebe took a step forward, before taking Danna’s hand, and placing hers on Dannas's arm, inches from reaching her shoulder. Danna took the lead, making them step to the beat.
“Isn't this for the best. Phoebe?” Danna suddenly interjected.
“Whatever could you mean?” Phoebe replied as they stepped back in tandem.
They pulled in, bringing Phoebe’s face to almost touching Danna's chest. Danna stared down at Phoebe, her eyes betraying a twinge of haughty pride. “Not caring, petal. I know you care greatly about what others think, but look. Nobody is paying attention.”
The two swung around in a circle. “You're correct, however… some concessions must be made for appearance, right? ” Phoebe asked.
The two came to a stop as the waltz faded out, replaced by a slow, rhythmic song thrumming throughout the room.
“Maybe in the high society of the accord.” Danna chuckled. “Thankfully, the compact is not so set on judgement. Especially for terrans.”
Phoebe scowled as she stepped with Danna. “Maybe the affini don't judge, but terrans do. Judgement and gossip is always rife where terrans are”
Danna sighed. “Maybe with independents like you. Such silly petals.”
Phoebe's scowl deepened even further. “I am a proud independent, Danna. I will not let any affini force me into a life under their thumb.”
Danna’s smile turned toothy. “You were always filled with that fire, Phoebe. I admire that about you.” Phoebe smiled up, filled with pride. Danna continued “But don't you think that energy might be wasted?”
“What goal could be greater than trying to be on top of the food chain?! Only a fool is content on the bottom.” Phoebe exclaimed.
“Simple, it is not a matter of what is great, but of what makes you happy.” Danna interjected.
“Phoebe, I respect your independence, and your fight to be great,” Danna grinned, “However, I think you'll find that when you let go, and let someone else lead once and a while, you'll do amazing things.”
Danna spun Phoebe into a pirouette, wrapping Phoebe into her vines. She was now held staring out, the affini had formed a circle around the two and were clapping at their beautiful dance
But as touching as this was, Phoebe was only truly thinking about how beautiful that song they danced to was.
—----------
Phoebe was laying on her back, staring at her communicator with the DM’s between her and Danna open.
Phoebe hated how much she longed to dance that way again, to the tune of that beautiful song. She was supposed to be better than this! She was the daughter of a trillionaire, and obviously deserved better than to marry into the life of some commoner.
Danna was a stepping stone! A useful one, one she would keep around, but not the end goal. She needed to strive for more!
And yet, the message was already typed out, waiting to be sent.
> Phoebe Philomena: Danna, would you like to come over to my hab unit and dance to that song again?
Butterflies flooded her stomach as her finger inched closer to the send button. Stars, was she strong for sticking to her goals and not sending the message, or weak for not being able to send it?
Either way, she despised such behavior.
Phoebe threw her communicator to the side, and stood to get back to her computer. She had a project, and hopefully that would keep her mind off of Danna. The affini had stripped terrans of money, but there was one thing that had value simply by existing
Good old fashioned cryptocurrency. The way her father's father and mother had gotten their wealth. Cash be damned, sophonts simply wanted what was scarce, and that was something she could use to control people. And then she would be on top. Nobody would look down on her.
Several hours later, deep into the night she had finished. 2 weeks of work, culminating into LaceCoin. Phoebe smirked, eye bags deep. Now all that was left was to rest, and watch the value roll in.
As Phoebe laid down to sleep, she took another look at the message she had typed out. Why had she ever felt something so… desperate? She was important. People would be desperate for her!
She quickly deleted it, and finally fell asleep.
—----------
Phoebe was suddenly woken up by a buzzer alarm from her hab AI. She practically ran, still covered by a blanket to her computer, swiftly logging on to find her cryptocurrency… gone. Deleted, replaced with nothing but a passage of dense legalese.
She slammed her fist on the desk. Something about replicating systems of scarcity being cruel? She didn't give a rotting, frosted leaf! This was an infringement on her personal freedoms, she-
Phoebe’s spiral was suddenly interrupted by a knock at the door. She practically stomped her way over to answer it.
Swinging the door open she looked up to see Danna's familiar face. “Danna! I'm glad you're here. Look at what the stars damned the compact did!!” Phoebe exclaimed.
Phoebe gestured back to her computer, but Danna didn’t move. “Petal, I know what they did. I volunteered to perform a wellness check on you.” Danna replied, voice full of pity, Eyes full of pity. Like Phoebe was some helpless kitten in need of rescue.
Phoebe took a step back from the door and glowered at Danna. “Well you’re a fool. I’m perfectly well, Danna.” Phoebe replied, slathered with passive aggressive energy.
“Then why did you do it?” Danna retorted.
“Because there’s more! All the affini are above me, and they obviously know something, and I have to position myself as close to the top as I can! Or better yet, take their place! Without power, choice is meaningless!!” Phoebe shouted.
Danna’s look of pity deepened, causing Phoebe to scoff. “Phoebe, the Affini have solved scarcity itself, we’ve no-” Danna argued before Phoebe interrupted, yelling “Now you sound like the rest of them! Frost and fire, just shut up!!”
Danna gasped, and a brief look of shame crossed Phoebe’s eyes, quickly burned up by fiery determination. Phoebe clenched her jaw in anticipation for Danna’s response.
“Phoebe… May we start this conversation over?” Danna asked sheepishly.
“No you-! Wait, what?” Phoebe questioned, confused.
“I… I have severely misjudged how you feel. I am embarrassed by the things I’ve said. May we start over?” Danna answered.
Phoebe looked down at her feet. “Danna, I don’t think I can. I’m sorry.” She replied.
Danna took a deep breath and sighed. Wait, Affini don’t have lungs, and they don’t breathe. Was Danna just replicating the sound of a deep breath to relate to Phoebe or something? Phoebe giggled at the realization.
“What's so funny?” Danna asked.
“Nothing, nothing.” Phoebe replied, the slightest hint of a smile entering her mouth.
Danna smirked. “Phoebe, would you like to dance with me?”
Now Phoebe was really smiling, her eyes shining at the offer. “Really? Now? Your timing is inappropriate.”
Just like at the party, Danna’s smile widened to be toothy. “Indeed it is. Would you like to dance with me?”
Maybe it was the reminder of the party, or their wonderful dance, or even of what Danna had told her at the party, but Phoebe’s smile went from polite to genuine as she replied. “Yes Danna. Yes I would.”
Danna pulled out her communicator and dimmed the lights.Danna held a hand out, and Phoebe took it again.
The two began to dance as the music faded in, the same simple, rhythmic song as they had danced to before. More of a march than a song really. Its sound encompassed Phoebe’s entire world, and her want to dance blossomed into a need. Little else felt important than this moment of indulgence with Danna.
“How did you know I wanted to dance to this song again Danna?” Phoebe inquired.
The two stepped together, swinging in a circle. “Song? I- Oh, yes of course. Call it Intuition.” Danna replied.
A moment of silence took them as they danced, stepping in a slow spiraling pattern before Danna broke it. “Phoebe, at the party I spoke to you about letting go. I had thought your desire for class stemmed from what you had thought was proper, and living outside that was bad.”
The two pulled out. “It is true that is not the entire story…” Danna started as they pulled back in, even closer than at the party. Phoebe’s face was practically buried in Danna’s chest, eliciting a noticeable blush from Phoebe. “However I cede that you were still correct. Letting go feels good.”
Danna chuckled. “What I did not anticipate was your desire for control. Or more accurately, your fear of not having it.”
Phoebe’s scowl returned. “Danna, I am not in need of fixing, I-”
“Stars No! Phoebe you’re beautiful! You aren’t in need of fixing!” Danna interjected.
“I- You think I’m beautiful…?” Phoebe squeaked.
Danna continued without missing a beat. “Phoebe, I care about you. I want you to be happy! But the behavior you’re engaging in is obsessive and, a-and…” Danna sighed. “Phoebe, you keep seeing the confidence displayed by affini to you, and thinking you’re ‘missing out’ in some way. But let me assure you, the compact is absolute in the care of our wards. Everyone gets exactly what they want.”
Phoebe nearly stumbled, barely getting caught by a vine repositioning her. “But then what's the point?” Phoebe asked. “no greater ambitions… A-And then what if I simply need more than others to be happy?”
They swayed forward, and Danna retorted “But there is no more we can give you, Phoebe. It's all available to you! So then, what is the point for you? Why obsess over power and excess?” As they swayed back forward, Danna snaked a vine over to Phoebe’s back, holding her in place as Danna swayed over her, looming tall. “Why not choose what is important to you instead? All 3 galaxies are your oysters, petal.”
The butterflies in Phoebe’s stomach were agitated. This was everything she had ever wanted. And yet, the only thing on her mind was Danna. Those beautiful, swirling eyes, spackled with gold coming together with her wide grin to make an expression of absolute love.
On a base level, she knew that it was an illusion- the affini were just vines around a core. They had no need for a face, much less a terran one, but the knowledge that the beautiful, kind expression shaking the butterflies in her stomach was woven by Danna, made with intention and care made her want to cry.
This is what she would choose. That face is all that mattered.
Phoebe stared up at Danna’s eyes, stupefied. “I- Danna, will you kiss-”
Phoebe hadn’t even finished asking before Danna broke the dance and leaned forward, locking lips with Phoebe. Danna’s vines wrapped and writhed around Phoebe’s form, massaging every inch of her body and deepening her blush. Notes of bittersweet pollen danced across her tongue.
Phoebe whimpered and Danna giggled. “Stars, that was good…” Phoebe finally gasped out. Danna stroked her hair as Phoebe stared up with amazement.
Leaned up against Danna’s chest, Phoebe whispered “The music is so loud…” as Danna pecked Phoebe’s forehead. “There’s no music playing, silly~ You’ve been dancing to my biorhythms this whole time, you must’ve gotten attuned to them back at the party.” Danna teased.
“I- Ah- Well, I like it either way.” Phoebe stammered. Danna laughed. Her laugh was so beautiful, it made her knees weak. Why had she ever pretended that it didn’t? She felt so amazing hanging on to every sound Danna made like this. And maybe it was desperate, but she didn’t care anymore.
Phoebe nestled her face into Danna’s chest, rubbing against the soft, cool vines. She barely peeked up from smothering herself to squeak out “Girlfriends?”
Danna nodded.
—----------
Phoebe was laying on the couch, staring at her tablet nervously. The past months with Danna had been spectacular, and she wanted it to last… forever. And she knew this was the only way. Not that she disliked the idea by any measure.
She scratched her head in frustration again, before scrolling back up to the top of the domestication contract she had filled out. Now just missing a few checks, 2 signatures and a fingerprint.
Phoebe started to idly scroll through it, quintuple checking all the information when Danna entered their hab unit.
It took a few beats for Phoebe to notice Danna’s entrance, and before she could lock her tablet Danna had already leaned over her shoulder to peek.
Danna gasped with delight “Oh my stars! Phoebe, sweet flower, is that a domestication contract?!”
“Well- Yeah…” Phoebe resigned, hanging her flush head, passing Danna the tablet. “I… I’ve been reading up on being a floret lately, and it really seems nice…” Phoebe sighed.
Danna cocked her head. “Love, your words and actions show me that this is what you want. Why is your tone so hesitant?”
Phoebe wrang her hands. “I know it's silly, but, I feel like I can’t. I was too awful, I just don’t deserve it.”
Danna sat on the couch and pulled Phoebe into her lap, who sighed contentedly and curled up a bit. Danna began to gently stroke her hair, and replied “I don't think that's silly at all, Phoebe.”
“I… I hate that I still have those thoughts. I just wish it would go away.” Phoebe pouted.
Danna’s vines tensed pensively. She knew she could do it. Phoebe’s consent was in her lap, and her injectors had been aching for so long. As insistent as Phoebe was against xenodrugs, Danna knew she would love it…
But not yet. For a seed such as Phoebe, resistance must be broken before the mind.
Danna’s mass of vines descended onto Phoebe, encasing her as Phoebe protested.
Maybe a little indulgence.
Phoebe writhed as vines settled into a full body cuddle, making her blush. “D-Don’t deflect my question with cuddles!!” She protested
Danna laughed, and stared down at Phoebe with a smile. She didn’t think Phoebe even realized, but she was writing in the direction of Danna’s core, desperately trying to get closer to it. She would be Danna’s today , any longer would simply be cruel.
“Phoebe… I know you’ve disliked xenodrugs in the past, but may we try some? I think some class-D’s might help ease the process along.” Danna proposed tentatively.
Phoebe shut her eyes tight, and jammed her arm up. “Just… Do it quickly, please. I trust you.”
A pinch and moment later, and she could feel a cool rush spreading from her wrist and a fluffy chemical blanket lay over her mind. Phoebe shivered.
“Now, love speak your mind-” Danna began before Phoebe blurted out “-I just want attention! You make me feel so pampered, and I love it, but I feel guilty over taking so much from you.” She slapped her hands over her mouth.
Danna laughed as she cooed out “Awwwww!”
Phoebe released the seal on her mouth as she asked “What is this stuff?? It's embarrassing but I think I kinda love it…” Phoebe groaned “Dangit! I wanted to say that but I wasn't going to admit it! Dangit!!”
Danna's hold on Phoebe tightened. “Phoebe, why would you feel bad for, quote, taking my attention? I give it to you because I love you, not to get something from you.”
Phoebe sighed. “Still, I feel that I have to pay a price for it… Nothing this amazing has ever been free in my life.”
Danna's vines snaked around Phoebe, causing her to shiver. Every inch of bare skin that touched those vines was yearning for more. Her ears and brain, listening intently to her biorhythms told her to stay close to Danna.
The snaking stopped as Danna placed the tablet on Phoebe’s lap, and the pen in her hand. “Consider this your price then, petal.” Something thrummed in her head, her heartbeat or Danna’s biorhythms, she couldn't tell and didn't care.
And Phoebe finally chose.
—-------
Phoebe felt so special carried in Danna- no, Mistress’s vines. She nuzzled in the direction of her core, and received pets in turn. Every point of contact was warm and comfortable, amplified by the cocktail of drugs flowing through her.
“You feeling okay, princess? We're almost there.” Danna asked. Princess was the name that Mistress called Phoebe. Stars, it made her dizzy with how good it felt.
Danna giggled at Phoebe’s euphoric expression and scratched Phoebe's chin, who leaned into the vines as the tag on her collar jingled. “Cute little thing…” Danna cooed.
Phoebe stared outwards as they entered the Xenovetrenarian office. The affini at the desk greeted them, and led them to a back room.
Danna shifted Phoebe down into her lap as the girl began to bounce and wiggle excitedly, her skirt flapping up against the bed of leaves she was sat on. “Da- Mistress! I can't believe it's already time!” Phoebe blurted.
Danna placed a mass of vines onto Phoebe’s head, setting her still. “It's hard for me to believe that you're so eager to have my haustorium, Princess. It wasn't that long ago that you were committing crimes against the compact, look at you now.”
Phoebe giggled, sloppy and carefree. “I was definitely silly back then. It feels so long ago! I’m glad you’ve shown me right.”
Danna grinned. Anyone outside the compact would think the sharp, toothy smile predatory.
But Phoebe knew. Every floret knows.
The face looking down at her is of unbridled Affini love.