Rose loved being a face in the crowd. To be looked at but not seen was the greatest feeling in the world. She worked in one of the largest factories, lived in one of the biggest apartment buildings in one of the biggest cities on her planet. In the past 8 years she had never once made a friend, never once stood out, never once was noticed more than necessary. She wouldn't have it any other way. She couldn't have it any other way! So when stories started to get spread arround of an incoming alien invasion, she started to get nervous. When the propaganda finally broke through the company firewalls, dread filled her. She saw videos of happy people, happily talking about how much they loved their new owners, about how much their owners made them the best versions of themselves, about how everything was better now! It was awful. So, she planned.
Rose picked up enough synthcubes to last her for three years, took her dads old camping supplies, and drove four hours. Sytherium was a relatively untamed colony. Much of the planet was covered in wildlife, and it wasn't too hard to find herself a nice clearing to set up camp. A few days after she set up camp, the affini arrived to the planet. A huge, floral ship hovered in the sky over the town of Nythal. She had hoped, foolishly it seemed, that the affini would come, conquer, take all their new pets, and leave. Perhaps some would stay, but there would be enough independent humans, and few enough affini around, that she would eventually be able to slip back into the masses. Two weeks after their first arrival, the ship still hung in the sky, a vibrant and constant reminder of everything she had left to loose. It was the first thing she saw in the morning, and the last thing she saw when she slept.
Life in a camp was boring. She brought her knitting needles and plenty of books, but day after day of nothing but knitting and books and the same shitty food eventually lost its appeal. Rose missed going on walks through the city with headphones in, just following random people arround and getting lost in the sprawling concrete jungle. So, two and a half weeks after they arrived, Rose went on a walk in the forest. She stayed close to camp, she didnt want to get lost after all, and had just sat down on a rock to take a quick break when she heard the music. It was faint, but so beautiful, like a million insects singing in harmony. She wanted to find it, but it sounded far enough away from camp that she didn't want to risk it, so instead she just sat there and listened. Eventually the music started to fade away, and with a started Rose realized that hours had past, and it was nearly dark. That night her dreams were haunted with the song, and she drempt of flying.
The next day, She heard the music again. It was closer now, and even more hypnotic. It took every ounce of her willpower to stop herself from running off towards it. She stopped going on walks after that. She wasn't sure what the music was, but whatever it was, it couldnt be good. That night Rose considered moving camp, but ultimately decided that doing so might draw more attention to her. Whatever the music was, it was clearly alien, and she wanted nothing to do with it. The music haunted her dreams, filling them with images of a tall Affini, one covered in beautiful pink and gold flowers, eyes the colour of stars and mouth set in a knowing smiling. She woke up with a name on her lips, one that tasted of honey and poison.
Rose started to lose track of time. The music was loud enough to hear all the way back at camp, and without any ear plugs she couldnt do much more than listen and resist the call. The music held no words, and yet it seemed to speak directly to Rose. It asked her to find it, told her how much happier she would be as a cute little bee, and reminded her that no matter what happened, it would find her sooner or later. Roses dreams were filled with flowers and honey and that same affini, 6 armed and 8 eyed and still with that infuriatingly knowing smile. Rose would have cursed her, if she wasnt so afraid that by speaking her name she would summon her. Some days she would find herself waking up outside of camp, walking towards the source of the music. Some days she considered just sending up the flare, or giving into the call. Anything to make the music stop. Then, one day, it did.
Rose jolted awake at the sudden lack of song. The forest felt eerie without it, so much more quiet and empty and alone. She sat there, unable to do anything more but sit there and listen, desperately hoping that it wouldn't come back. Desperately hoping that it would. Slowly, tentatively, she started to go about her day. Without the music, everything felt so much slower. Colours felt duller, tasks felt harder, and everything felt wrong. By the end of the day, rose was a shell of herself. She had hardly eaten, and hadn't managed to do much more than cry. The next day progressed more of the same, and by the third one she found herself standing at the edge of her camp, straining to hear the music. Just as she was about to turn back around and go to bed, she heard it. It was faint, and it was distant, but as soon as she heard it she felt herself move. In a haze she ran, she made no attempt to be quiet, nor to keep track of where she was or where she was going, she just ran. She was broken without the music, she needed it more than breath or food or water.
Finally, Rose came into a clearing, where the source of the music was standing. Lady Eliza sat there on a boulder, her chest open to reveal the most beautiful thing Rose had ever seen. She walked towards her, towards the orb, towards the sound of the music, until she stood before the lady, completely enraptured by the sight above her. Eliza, for her part, looked completely unsurpised to see a dirty sweaty sophont gawking at her. She merely looked down at Rose with that same knowing smile. She sat there, the picture of patience, and waited on her new little floret. Rose fought with herself, the rational part of her knew she should run, that she didnt want this, that she should hide back in the camp, and yet the idea of even taking a step away made her want to cry. With a slow and crushing certainty, she realized that now that she heard it, now that she *saw* it, she knew she could never go back. To do so would be heresy, to do so would be the end of everything, to do so would kill her. She knew that, she knew that no matter how much she didn't want this, she would never again be able to say no. Finally, she opened her mouth and spoke.
"P-please, may I?" She didn't know what she was asking for, but luckily for her, her new Mistress did. Eliza scooped Rose up and placed her in her chest, snuggled up right next to her core. With a headpat and a quick poke, Eliza sealed her new floret away, and began the journey home. She had already left her darling hive alone for too long.