Inosculate Chapters 10, 11 and 12 (Final)

Chapter 10

For the second time in not so long at all, Mirabilis found herself with the absolutely delightful responsibility of caring for a floret through her haustoric implant recovery. And that, at the very least, took the sting off of having to cut Kenzie’s off early. There was, however, one small problem. Upon seeing the way her girlfriend gasped and moaned and adored helplessly at each and every touch, Kenzie had grown very jealous. Luckily, this problem had a very simple solution. A few tender strokes, and even more tender injections later, Mirabilis plopped herself down onto her bed, her arms full with two delirious, pleasure stricken florets. Humming to herself, she arranged Serena and Kenzie together, facing one another. Each pair of eyes was a perfect reflection of glassy, distant vacancy gazing unblinkingly though dilated pupils into its opposite. Each girl’s lips were parted oh so slightly, constantly gasping out helpless moans from every doting touch their Mistress showered upon them.

A little rumble in Serena’s throat caught Mira’s attention. She ceased her ministrations briefly, to ensure there was nothing her floret needed. Delicately, Mira turned Serena about in her grasp, so her human’s wide, glassy eyes fell upon her owner’s face. Slowly, her dilated pupils began to narrow, and, at the sight of her Mistress, An adorable little smile played across her pet’s face. Mirabilis was certain if she had a heart, it may well have stopped in that moment. A brief moment of recognition seemed to flash over Serena’s face, and her lips struggled clumsily to form a word. “What is it, dear?” Mira asked, leaning in close to catch what was sure to be little more than a feeble whisper.

“Clouds,” Serena murmured.  “Seen clouds like that before.”

Confused, Mira rose up, and looked about for some indication of what her pet was talking about, before remembering where she was sitting. “Ah,” she replied, scooting over to give Serena a more clear view of the landscape painting behind her. “Yes, an old friend painted that after a trip we took to see one of the peaks of this incredibly high, incredibly beautiful mountain range. That plateau was so high that when locals climbed it, they needed to bring their own oxygen. Rather dangerous, but we couldn’t fault them after seeing the view. You could see so many colors from up there, especially at sunrise.” She looked back from the vivid, colorful depiction of a mountainous overlook, towering high above all but the most altitudinous of clouds, and found that her floret had long since slipped back under the haze. Lovingly, she stroked the girl’s cheek, and set Serena back in her place, gazing into her floret pinnate’s eyes.

She let them lay like that for a while, drinking in the sights and sounds of their submission as uncounted minutes ticked by. Looking down at the two adorably sedated Terrans, Mirabilis couldn’t help but wonder just how aware they were of their surroundings. Did they gaze long into one another out of helplessness, or out of desire? Visiting a delicate stroke on each girl’s cheek, Mirabilis shuddered with delight alongside each of her perfect pets, then gently pushed them together, manipulating their arms and legs so their bodies intertwined in a limp, gentle embrace. To her delight, their grips on one another seemed to tighten, just a little. And, encouraged by their responsiveness, Mira gently moved her floret’s lips closer together, until every little squirm or tremble would cause them to brush against one another.

For a moment, it seemed like nothing would come of her efforts, both girls lay still, ever so close to one another, but otherwise vacant and unresponsive to anything but their Mistress’ touch. But then, a kernel of focus seemed to spark in Serena’s mind, and gently she tipped her head forward oh so slightly, and began to clumsily, sloppily kiss Kenzie, something which Kenzie began to reciprocate soon after. Honestly, Mirabilis could have died in that moment, and been completely satisfied. No amount of trouble could ever make the absolutely priceless sight of her two darling florets lazily and lovingly kissing one another, moaning blissfully the whole way, not worth her while. Unable to help herself, Mirabilis gasped with boundless glee, wrapped her entire body around her two florets, and proceeded to inflict every ounce of joy she could on her lovely pets. With that, Mirabilis’ hab became a slurry of touching, praise, affection, and endlessly comfortable thoughtless bliss.

* * *

To Serena, time was an enigma. Distantly, she was aware that time was a thing which existed, and theoretically continued to pass. But any sense of its passing was completely lost to her. Memory, perception, thought, consciousness, all these things ebbed and flowed with the tide of her drug trip. One moment, she had been waking up, cozy and heavy in an affini hospital bed, she’d been aware just long enough to catch sight of Mirabilis smiling at her, ruffling her hair, assuring her everything had gone well. Serena barely had the chance to process her owner’s assurance before Mira tapped a button on her tablet, and a blanket of thought-obliterating contentment was thrown over her mind, mixing delightfully with a gentle hum of quiet yearning simmering within her core. As Mirabilis carried her home, the slither of her vines along Serena’s skin created such shattering heights of pleasure, that the wonderful haze which now crept delicately through Serena’s system reached up, and swallowed her whole, sinking her into a peaceful, comforting void.

Once, early in Serena’s Naval career as a long-haul freight pilot, she had been tasked with making a delivery to a fuel refinery station located deep in the heart of a gas giant’s storm. Petrichor had been too large and clunky to safely maneuver through the storm, so she’d taken a more nimble shuttle down from orbit. The storm had rendered her ship’s sensor’s and autopilot useless, forcing her to fly completely manually. She hadn’t been able to see even five meters ahead through the thick, swirling clouds. Needless to say, it was terrifying. But every once in a while, her ship would surface oh so slightly above the dense cloudlayer, and Serena would catch a fleeting glimpse of the refinery’s spires in the distance; then, she would dip back under, into the storm, into blindness. Whenever she found herself navigating those long stints between brief glimpses of clarity, all Serena had to go on was her faith that some intangible unconscious instinct, or implacable bond between a pilot and her ship would keep Serena on course and unharmed, through torrential wind and deadly lightning, until her next glimpse of ephemeral clarity.

Yet, in those moments when the nose of her ship tipped above the maelstrom, the true struggle would always be to focus on the destination, and not the beauty of the sight surrounding her. The planet’s star would glow so brilliantly against those turbulent clouds, cascading rainbows off swirling puffs of mist and dancing gusts of vapor cast in rosy pinks, shining golds. They would linger a moment, in that transient state, before evaporating off and away from the deep, impenetrable curtain of deep blues, foreboding crimsons and mysterious purples which so starkly colored the layer below.

And having seen that sight, having peaked out over the blindness to glimpse the glory above, those moments lost in the clouds carried their own special beauty as well. Serena had seen the way the deadly flashes of lightning which threatened to tear her hull apart lit up the clouds with colors more vivid than any painting. She had watched the deadly winds, which whipped her off course and toward oblivion, form and reform endless clouds into infinite new snapshots of unique and fleeting perfection. And lost in the endless, writhing expanse, Serena began to recognize that same ever-changing exquisiteness even from within, making those moments of clarity all the more breathtaking. Perhaps her mind had just been desperately grasping for anything that might help steel her nerve, but somehow, the beauty made the journey less terrifying. It was humbling, almost comfortable. When it had come time to leave, Serena was actually a little sad that she’d likely never see such majesty again.

That memory came to Serena, seemingly unbidden. Perhaps it was entirely by chance, perhaps her haustoric implant, sensing some connection, meaning, or parallel, had brought it to her attention, perhaps something from outside herself had reminded Serena of it, and her drug-addled mind had already forgotten the catalyst. But in a moment of passing lucidity, Serena wondered, were she to liken her current state to some aspect of that memory, what was most apt?

Was she the transient sprays of mist and vapor, glowing brilliantly and momentarily before being dissipated by wind and heat, returning to the heavy, opaque mass of formless beauty below? Was she the endless, roiling storm of obfuscating clouds which stretched far and away,  blanketing the horizon like so many rolling hills, constantly shaped and reshaped by winds beyond her control, lit solely by ephemeral flashes of brilliant, energetic lightning that permitted only the briefest of glimpses into a beauty she could never truly see the whole of? Was she the ship, thrust into impenetrable fog, her sensors rendered useless, autonomy undone, guided onward only by the steady hand of her owner? Or was she simply Serena, peering out through glassy windows into an endless, mesmerizing haze of striking colors and astonishing shapes beyond her recognition, blindly trusting in something outside her control to keep her on course, and gasping in awe at those brief moments of clarity, only to be thrust back under into a darkness all the more wonderful for it?

Before she had ample time to consider the answer, a gentle brush of Mirabilis’ vines erased the line of thought entirely, and Serena was lost once more.

The next thing she knew, Serena was having the briefest flicker of realization that told her she’d spent untold minutes starting emptily, but lovingly and longingly into Kenzie’s equally blank eyes. Then Serena realized how close together their lips were. A moment later, her lips were on Kenzie’s, and she had the briefest flare of crystal clarity; as her lips parted Kenzie’s, claiming the warm, inviting familiarity of her mouth, Serena understood exactly why Kenzie had fantasized so long and so thoroughly about such a kiss. But before she could even begin to contemplate that wonderful, pleasure-filled joy, the sensation rose and exploded into such untouchable peaks that it plunged Serena back under the gentle stillness of her sedatives. That did nothing to stop her lips from begging, and taking more from the woman she loved, but it certainly silenced any thought beyond the simple, quiet joy of hazy, dreamy euphoria.

Mistress was touching her. Serena couldn’t move, she didn’t want to. How long had she been asleep? Had she actually slept at all or had she simply forgotten the time since her last brief peak above the clouds? Mistress was petting her. She was with Kenzie. Serena tightened her grip on her girlfriend, and let the tug of her Mistress’ vines pull her mind under once more.

Light peaked through the curtain of Serena’s mind. And, when she opened her eyes, Serena realized that light also happened to be peaking through the curtain of Mirabilis’ bedroom, which, she supposed, was also her bedroom now. Languidly, Serena stretched and rolled over to catch sight of her owner’s sleeping form. Mira stirred, and, seemingly without waking, wrapped her arms around Serena and Kenzie, and pulled them both closer into her. If Serena had taken the moment to consider it, she would have realized her drugs had seemed to be wearing off. Mira’s touch was enough to silence any thoughts lucid enough to notice that, and push Serena back down into that safe, comfortable void once more.

Serena drifted back up to the sound of her owner’s voice. “We should let her sleep dear, let her wake up on her own then we’ll see how she’s doing, okay?”

“Yes, Mistress,” Kenzie pouted. For a moment, Kenzie was quite disappointed, she was very much looking forward to playing with her floret pinnate. Her disappointment didn’t last long though, the feeling fading out and being replaced by a sort of dazed, cozy happiness that left her a little fuzzy in the head, but mostly lucid. It was around then that Serena wondered why the hell she knew that, but her own confusion was quickly replaced by that same feeling Kenzie had, and she stopped caring. Things only got better for Serena when Kenzie fell back into bed and nestled herself in the crook of Serena’s neck, sighing contentedly, earning a delighted little gasp from their Mistress.

She lay there for a while, letting wakefulness and awareness slowly reaccumulate. This time, Serena was fairly certain, the drugs had mostly worn off. At some point, Serena heard Mirabilis stand, and, with a tender stroke across Serena and Kenzie’s necks, their owner quietly left the room, then the hab. Eventually, as clarity slowly coalesced, Serena opened her eyes, and pushed herself up in bed. A pleased purr sounded next to her. “Morning, love.”

Serena stretched lavishly, and leaned down to answer her girlfriend with a soft kiss on the cheek. In response, Kenzie, too, sat up, and leaned her head against Serena’s shoulder. “Welcome back, feeling okay?”

“Yeah, I am, no pain.” For the first time since her surgery, Serena took a moment to consider what had actually happened to her. There was a piece of Mira inside her now, interfacing with her nervous and endocrine systems. Before, she’d tried to focus more on the effects and outcome of the surgery than what it actually did, to avoid grappling with having a plant symbiote in her brain. She had looked at it as a way to improve her overall mental and physical health, a way to bring her closer to Kenzie, a gateway to even better drug-trips. Now though, for whatever reason, the idea of having a part of Mirabilis within her, looking after her wellbeing, designating who she belonged to, it sent delightful little shivers of submission down her spine.

“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Kenzie asked. Where Serena gave her a puzzled look, Kenize paused for a moment, then seemed to realize what was going on. “Oh, right, you haven’t been told. Mira turned on the interfacing network while we were both drugged up, it’s currently still active. So I can sort of, kind of, distantly get the impression of how you’re feeling or what you’re thinking about? Anyways the implant, it’s nice. The idea kind of freaked me out a bit at first, but as I grew to trust Mira, I started to realize I kind of didn’t mind having a part of her inside me, looking after me. Nowadays, I kind of think of it as her giving my mind a hug.” Kenzie blushed a little at that admission.

“That’s actually really adorable, babe,” Serena giggled. She leaned forward to press a quick kiss to her girlfriends lips, and was a little disappointed when that didn’t send shocks of cascading pleasure all through her body.

“Feeling a little too sober?” Kenzie giggled.

Heat rushed to Serena’s cheeks. “Uh, yeah, I guess so.”

“Mira went to go run a couple errands, but she said she wanted us to both be completely free of any drugs for when she gets back,” Kenzie explained.

“Why is that?” Serena asked.

Kenzie smirked a little. “She wants to experiment with the haustoric implant interfacing network thing today, and she said she wants a, and these are her words, not mine, ‘fresh canvas’ to work with.”

“What a dork.” They both broke out into a fit of giggles, then collapsed into one another’s arms.

Chapter 11 - Plantfucker Edition

Whatever business Mirabilis had gone to take care of, she had promised not to keep her pets waiting too long. Still, that didn’t keep Serena and Kenzie from growing impatient as they stewed in the anticipation. Their fantasies entwined and intensified together, the ache of each girl’s yearning feeding off the other’s, until they could bear it no longer, and simultaneously they gleefully threw their bodies together in cathartic delight. It really had been too long since the pair were able to properly make love. Even since coming into Mirabilis’ care, they hadn’t found the chance to ‘go all the way.’ Between making Serena’s preparations for domestication, their frequent shared forays into hazy helplessness, and the nearly exhausting deluge of endless delight their Mistress so eagerly spoiled them with, they simply hadn’t found the opportunity.

The wait, however, made that moment of fruition all the more perfect. Kenzie’s body was a wonder to behold, this had always been something Serena knew. But in the dim light of Mirabilis’ bedroom, blanketed in the warmth of their shared anticipation, Kenzie looked all the more beautiful. Kenzie had changed in her time under Mira’s care. She was healthier, her skin had become softer, springier, taking on such a lovely glow. She no longer subsisted off scarce rations, no longer slept upon a hard cot. Her days were spent relaxing, not running herself ragged with work. The gentle care of the affini compact had smoothed Kenzie’s edges, removed all of the tension that had once characterized her every movement. Her head was filled with love, contentment and submission instead of fear or anxiety. And, with their minds now so beautifully connected, Serena and Kenzie flowed together into a natural erotic rythm they could never have dreamed possible before.

When they fell together, it wasn’t some quick roll in the hay they could barely squeeze in between shifts. It wasn’t weighed heavy by the possibility this might be the last time. There was no fear of consequence, no worries about tomorrow. They simply luxuriated in one another’s company, taking great care to appreciate the feel of skin on skin, the sounds of low and desperate moans, the smell of aching arousal. Kenzie even tasted better, Serena realized. This wasn’t to say Kenzie had tasted bad before. Serena had always delighted in her lover’s body, but now it was an experience unlike any other. Just how much could the haustoric implants heighten their shared pleasure? Serena wondered.

Surely the way each delicate brush of her lips against Kenzie’s most intimate places echoed phantom sensations into Serena’s core had to be some feedback effect. Then there was the way Serena felt her girlfriend’s love and desire seep into her head unbidden, or how she seemed to know exactly where Kenzie wished to be touched. They were in sync, each movement harmonious, each kiss, or lick, or caress or thrust some part of a choreographed dance that each simply drew the steps to willingly from the other. And, when climax came, it sent a rippling feedback loop that tore down the barriers between the pair entirely, spiraling them into this fleeting oneness of thought and feeling as they rode out wave after wave of shared pleasure together.

Serena found herself laying in bed, nestled against Kenzie. At some point, their shared passion had finished, though it’s overwhelming peak had been as disorienting as it was pleasurable, and pinning down exactly when they had stopped making love and when they had started basking together in a shared afterglow was quite fruitless. It would require a great deal of disentangling herself from the dreamlike amalgamate of hers and Kenzie’s consciousness she currently found herself lost in, and that sounded quite unpleasant indeed.

She could feel Kenzie like this. Feel her in ways she’d never been able to before. Feel the ways she loved Serena, the relief she still felt in knowing that Serena was safe and reunited with her, the ways she’d been healed, comforted by the fact that all her past stress and worries over Serena’s wellbeing were gone forever, would only stray further into distant and fading memory. There was this profound sense of joy radiating within Kenzie, one that soared and swelled at the knowledge that Serena had finally become her floret pinnate. A sense that no matter what happened now, for the rest of their shared lives, everything was going to be okay. Perhaps mostly notably, however, was that everything she could feel from Kenzie, from fully formed thoughts, to half-baked impressions and flickers of ideas, to raw emotion and hazy sensation, everything was saturated heavy with deep-seated feelings of love, trust, comfort, gratitude and above all else submission to their shared owner.

In their shared state, all those feelings were reflected into Serena, feeding her all of Kenzie’s love for their Mistress, her desire, her place wrapped securely within Mirabilis’ will. Before, Serena had trusted Mira, had been fond of her, had appreciated her kindness and care. Most of all, Serena had felt an endless gratitude and admiration toward Mira for all she’d done to keep Kenzie happy, safe and emotionally fulfilled. The blissed out drug trip cuddle sessions she provided were certainly a plus. On an intellectual level, Serena had always understood that Mira’s role in their relationship had always been a more dominant one, that by nature of becoming Mira’s pet, Serena was submitting to the affini. From a more visceral perspective, though, while Serena had certainly felt submissive toward Mirabilis at times, the feelings were never particularly strong. She had given up control, and enjoyed what came of it, but largely this wasn’t due to any overwhelming rush of powerlessness, surrender, or subordination.

With Kenzie in her head, however, things were different. Her gratitude turned to reverence, she yearned for Mira’s attention, her affection and praise, her approval and love. For the very first time, Serena fully understood just how intrinsically accurate it was to call Kenzie Mirabilis’ pet. Kenzie belonged to Mira, it was the quintessential aspect of who she was and how she defined herself. She had surrendered her will to Mirabilis, laid herself bare, allowed her will to be shattered then pieced back together in the image of a beloved and well-trained little possession. And Kenzie had loved every minute of it. She had treasured every act of submission, each iota of praise, every doting stroke and show of Mira’s ownership.

It was the sort of revelation that would have terrified Serena when she had first arrived on the Baiera. But linked to Kenzie so innately as she was, Serena had no such inclination. Kenzie was every bit the wonderful, vibrant woman Serena had fallen for. When Kenzie had given herself up, had broken for Mira, the affini didn’t discard who Kenzie had once been, did not reshape her into someone new. Instead, Mira had soothed Kenzie’s scars, had filled in the cracks left by an uncaring world with the shining gold of mutual love and devotion. All the things Serena had ever loved about Kenzie were held together and strengthened by the bright, joyful, comforting bond of submission to their owner.

To be bound with Kenzie this way, Serena realized, also bound her to Mirabilis. Kenzie’s love for and submission to their Mistress flowed freely between them, drawing Serena in, ensnaring her in the twisting, loving vines of Mira’s will. And, just as Kenzie craved a life wrapped in Mirabilis' vines, Serena too, began to yearn for a life spent safe and happy under Mira’s care. The thought of kneeling before Mirabilis, presenting her neck to be collared, begging for her touch, melting at her praise sent little shivers of desire and comfort through her core.

“Oh dear.” The purr of Mira’s voice curled possessively around Serena and Kenzie’s shared headspace, coaxing their focus away from their entwined consciousness and up to their owner. “It seems even when I make a deliberate choice to leave you sober, you two can’t help but find a way to just… drift.” She lingered on each syllable, letting her voice especially luxuriate as she trailed off into a pleased coo at the end. On instinct Kenzie sat up and onto her knees, back straight and hands in her lap, eyes fixed on her Mistress’ face. And, as though puppeted by her pinnate, Serena mirrored the gesture, because she knew; Kenzie knew, so Serena, too, intrinsically understood that what was required of her.

“S-sorry, Mistress,” Kenzie stammered.

In a single stride, Mirabilis crossed the room and sat herself at the edge of her massive bed, peering down at her two florets hungrily. “That’s quite alright, love. Try as I may, I could never be upset at such an adorable sight as you two lost in each other's heads.” Without another word, Mira withdrew her tablet, and gave it a few thoughtful taps. “This should clear both of you up a little without pulling you apart, but don’t get used to the feeling.” On cue, a gentle coolness flooded Serena’s body, and, just as predicted, her thoughts grew sharper. Serena hadn’t realized just how dull their little feedback loop of endorphins had left her. Seemingly satisfied, Mirabilis nodded. “Now, my little treasures, it’s time for a fun little game.” Again, Mira pressed a vine to the tablet; this time, there was no immediate response she could feel, which only made Serena even more nervous. “Kenzie loves this game; it’s one of my favorites, too,” she explained as her gaze fell on Serena. “The drug I just gave the two of you will keep you clear headed for now, but also very sensitive.” Her voice dropped low and husky. “The best part is, the more delight I inflict on your lovely little flesh, the more your minds will slip away and gently fall into my grasp.” A sublime shiver of want tickled down Serena’s spine; she couldn’t tell whether it had come from Kenzie, or from herself.

In an achingly slow, lascivious gesture, Mira leaned forward, bearing down over Kenzie, and trailed a vine from her inner thigh up to her hip, then up along her waist and over the curve of her breasts, before finally delicately trailing up along the side of Kenzie’s neck, and cupping her chin, forcing her to look up into her Mistress’ eyes. The most agonizing, delicious part was, Serena felt it all. She felt the phantom sensation trail up her body, luxuriating in the faint impression of a touch. The yearning, helplessness, the overpowering submission as Kenzie blushed and squirmed under her Mistress’ intense eyes. Serena remained perfectly still. She didn’t know why. She just had to; it was a requirement, a wordless command she felt travel from Mirabilis to Kenzie, then to herself. The power and dominance which silently radiated off of her affini, present in her every move, her every look, hung heavy in the air. Even if Kenzie was bearing the full brunt of their owner’s overpowering will, the echo of her feelings burrowed deep into Serena, quickening her breath and heart as desperate need blossomed within her core.

Mira’s eyes quickly danced from Kenzie, to Serena; at the sight of her floret, panting, face flush, eyes wide, her mouth curled into a possessive grin. The look alone twisted into Serena’s gut, burned her core; without meaning to, Serena breathed a low, quiet moan of desire. Mira chuckled softly at the sight. “What a good girl you are,” she crooned, looking eyes with Serena, but giving Kenzie a tender stroke across the cheek. It didn’t matter who her Mistress had touched; Serena felt it, and she knew it was for her. She had been good. With another moan, Serena’s legs began to shake, but she remained upright and otherwise still; it was what her owner wanted. A satisfied rumble rattled through Mirabilis’ vines, and, without warning, she wrapped an arm around Kenzie’s lower back and tilted her chin further upward, while her vines wrapped around to grasp the nape of neck, pulling Kenzie into a deep kiss.

It was fire in Serena’s mind, and on her flesh. Fire that burned with sweet, domineering pleasure. Her arms went limp as she instinctively tilted her own head upward and arched her back in response to the grip of phantom vines playing along her lower back. Her lips parted, a bit of drool trickled down her chin as she panted needily, rolling her hips before a long, needy moan escaped her throat. Serena stayed that way long after the kiss ended, just blankly, thoughtlessly staring out into nothing, cheeks flush, frozen in submissive pleasure, panting and whining with need.

“Come back to me, Serena.” Her Mistress’ voice pierced the fog, yanking her back to reality as her vision refocused and she snapped to attention. Another pleased smile blooming on Mirabilis’ face took all that intensity and mellowed Serena right back down into comfortable submission. “You’re doing so well, my dear.” There was so much affection, so much pride in her voice. “Do you know why I’m doing this, my lovely little doll? Why I’m making you watch as I play with your floret pinnate?”

“No, Mistress,” Serena answered meekly. Then her mind caught up to her words and Serena gave a confused little blink, shaking her head a little. She hadn’t meant to say that. “No, Mistress? I—I can’t, I can’t say Mistress. Why can I only call you Mistress?” Her face reddened as she cast her gaze downward, the heat in her core matching that on her face.

“Oh dear,” Mirabilis breathed a surprised, but amused purr. “I had no idea this would happen, but it's such a lovely little side effect. This is just the sort thing I linked you to together for.” Grinning wolfishly, she turned to Kenzie. “Kenzie, love?” She commanded.

“Yes, Mistress?” she answered automatically.

“I must have you quite worked up, don’t I?” All Mirabilis received was a blushing nod of affirmation. Lovingly, she reached forward and ruffled her pet’s hair, transmitting another bout of blissful sensation to Serena. Utterly pleased with herself, Mira returned her unfaltering gaze to Serena. “And that must also go just as much for you, petal. You see, dear, Kenzie and I worked out a special little rule for her implant to enforce. Whenever she’s reached a certain ‘threshold’ of submissive feelings, it kicks in, preventing her from calling me by anything but Mistress. And it would seem, as an unintended side effect, the rule is being applied to you as well through your special little connection. Which is so very adorable, I had no idea. You’re both such good girls.” At that, a positive feedback loop of flustered, submissive satisfaction bounced between the two pets. With a pleased little hum, Mirabilis continued. “But, I suppose since this wasn’t something you consented to ahead of time, it would be best for me to ask whether you’d like to stop and see if we can’t find a way around that.”

Serena wasn’t certain she could actually answer that, she was absolutely mortified. Not only had she unintentionally spoke in such a desperate, needy, submissive manner, but far worse, she liked it. She loved the way the word ‘Mistress’ felt on her tongue, how with a single word she conveyed submission, trust, comfort, safety, need. And the best part, she was powerless to stop. Serena was completely, helplessly caught in the web of her Mistress’ control, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. “N-no, Mistress,” Kenzie stammered.

Surprised, Mirabilis snapped her gaze to her other pet, who now sat blushing and squirming in the same manner as her pinnate. “I was asking Serena, dear.” Her voice was, as always, tender and kind, but was unmistakably puzzled.

“S-sorry, Mistress,” Kenzie’s blush only deepened. “I um, I could feel that she didn’t want it and was going to say no and then it just slipped out,” she stammered.

Mirabilis’ tender smile widened into one of absolute delight. “That’s alright, my darling floret.” She placed a kiss on Kenzie’s cheek, and turned to Serena. “But I need to hear it from you, dear. Is Kenzie right, do you like being helpless? I think you do. I think you love being so submissive that you have no choice but to acknowledge me as exactly what I am, your Mistress, your owner.” Wordlessly, Serena nodded. Stroking her chin, Mirabilis shook her head. “I’m sorry my lovely little flower, but that won’t do. I need to hear you say it. Tell me exactly what you want.”

Squirming in place, Serena forced the words from her lips. “I want it!”

“Want what, dear?”

“I want the rule. I love it. I love having no choice but to call you what you are, my Mistress, my owner.” she blurted. “Please, Mistress.”

“Oh, darling,” Mirabilis whispered. “Of course, I could never deny such an earnest request from either of my special pets.” from somewhere behind her, a pair of vines slid around each of Serena’s wrists, pulling and tying her arms behind her back as another vine curled gently around her neck. Another moan escaped her lips as her vision grew hazy beneath the waves of bliss. “Now,” Mirabilis purred. She leaned forward, pushing Kenzie onto her back and bearing down upon her, hovering over the girl at eye level. “Back to my earlier question, Serena,” she continued, not taking her eyes off Kenzie. “Do you know why I’m toying with her, and not you?”

Serena could hardly begin to form words. She was lost. In one mind, she was collared and restrained by her Mistress’ vines, being bid to watch as her girlfriend was held in place by a gorgeous plant woman. In the other, she was pinned on her back, helplessly squirming as her eyes were captured by the unwavering, burning gaze of her owner. It was too much, instinctively, she knew her Mistress wanted her to remain upright, but she couldn’t. For a moment, she teetered, eyes vacant and lips parted, then her will gave out and she collapsed backward. More vines rose from somewhere beneath Serena to wrap around her and stroke along her face and neck. “Mistress,” she groaned helplessly, writhing in the mass of vines, which only caused them to visit more delight across every inch they brushed.

“Poor dear,” Mirabilis cooed. “It’s alright, you can stay that way. But I need you to come up to me and answer the question, okay?”

A command, Serena had a command. Her mind, pleasure addled as it was, pushed itself to work again in the wake of a command. “I don’t know, Mistress.” Serena’s voice was barely a whimper, weak and vulnerable against the onslaught her Mistress inflicted on her.

“Because, my darling floret, your Kenzie, or should I say, my Kenzie, is already so well trained. Her will has already been broken and pieced back together in the image of a beloved little pet. And now, all that training, all that submission, is saturating your adorable little brain. I don’t need to train you, my darling. Kenzie can do that for me.” Without another word, Mirabilis dove forward, and sank her teeth in the space where Kenzie’s neck and shoulder met. Both girls screamed as pleasure and pain erupted within them, their backs arching, their breath catching, each pair of eyes rolled back into their heads.

When Serena’s awareness returned, she was back seated on her knees; she was no longer completely entangled in vines, though some remained to gently hold her upright. Her vision was blurry, and she blinked slowly, shaking her head side to side as a vine tipped her chin upward. Mirabilis sat before her, a soft gaze fixed upon her. “Mistress,” Serena whimpered, her tone distant and weary, but edged with delight.

“Hello petal,” she crooned, stroking Serena’s cheek. “Things got a little too intense for you back there. Are you feeling alright?” Serena nodded a little.

“Good girl,” Mirabilis planted a kiss on Serena’s forehead. “Kenzie is still asleep, she didn’t last long after you went down. I’ve deactivated your connection to her implant for now. So it’s just you and I, you should be able to call me by name now, actually, but you won’t, will you?”

“No Mistress,” Serena whispered.

“Such a sweet pet.” Another vine ran down Serena’s arm, curling possessively around her wrist.

“Mistress it, um… It doesn’t entirely feel like Kenzie and I are separated,” Serena commented.

“Oh?” Mira asked, her interest piqued. “In what sense?”

Blushing, Serena looked away, before mustering the strength to respond. “Well I… until Kenzie and I were linked the way we were. I never, um, I never felt this submissive.”

“Sweetheart,” Mirabilis began. “Kenzie gave you but a taste of how it feels to be a pet. She showed you how to submit to me. But what you’re feeling now is coming from you, not her. Are you truly surprised by that? You did want to be my pet, didn’t you? That doesn’t sound like something a person who doesn’t wish to submit would ask for.”

Serena’s breath caught in her throat, and she nodded meekly. “Yes, Mistress.”

Giggling, Mirabilis shifted closer, looming over Serena as a hand reached into her vines. With a kind smile, she leaned closer until her lips hovered inches from Serena’s neck. “I have something for you,” she whispered. Her hot breath tickled Serena’s neck, causing her to shudder in delight. As she withdrew, she allowed her simulated teeth to ever so gently brush the spot she’d bit Kenzie, and Serena collapsed forward into her grasp. Once more, Serena was enveloped in endless tanging vines. A low chuckle rumbled in Mira’s throat. “You just can’t keep still, can you?” Mirabilis breathed.

“I’m sorry, Mistress,” Serena shuddered.

“It’s alright, dear.” With another soft kiss to Serena’s cheek, Mirabilis curled a hand around the back of Serena’s head, tilting her gaze upward. Without another word, Mirabilis withdrew the hand she had left rummaging about in her vines, bringing with it a soft, purple collar. She held it before Serena’s eyes, smiling warmly as a churning maelstrom of submissive want erupted in her core. “Such pretty eyes,” Mirabilis purred. “And they matched your collar so well, I was worried the color might be off, since I’d only seen photos of you before.” Delicately, she stroked her thumb along Serena’s cheek, then held Serena’s face with her free hand. “I always thought you were such a pretty little Terran, seeing those photos. I wanted to own you so badly. Not just for Kenzie, but for myself, too. And now, you’re mine.” Her grip tightened, pulling Serena flush against her Mistress’ body, lifting into the air as her arms and legs went limp. “I can see the way your eyes silently plead for me to put it on. But I need to hear you say it. Beg me to collar you, dear,” she ordered.

Serena’s breath caught in her throat as it tightened. Her lips moved to form words but little more than a soft croak emerged. With great effort, she managed to just barely eak out a word. “Please.”

“Please what, petal?”

A frustrated whine rang on deaf ears and again, Serena squirmed in mid air, her legs kicking helplessly in a futile pout. Again, she collected herself, taking a deep breath and squeezing her eyes tight. “Please collar me, Mistress!” She cried.

A gentle hum of approval rumbled in Mira’s throat. “Open your eyes,” she called softly. “I want you to watch it happen. I want to see the look in your eyes the moment you feel it wrap around your neck.” On command, Serena’s eyes fluttered open, leaving the panting, blushing Terran suspended in air, starting meekly with pleading eyes up at her owner. “So pretty,” she echoed. Tantalizingly, she traced the floral material of Serena’s collar across her neck. As Serena shuddered, Mirabilis withdrew, a satisfied smile on her face. “I like to savor this moment,” she explained. “For some affini, the moment they set their sight on a sophont they wish to claim, they start to see them as a pet who just hasn’t realized it yet. For some, a sophont becomes their pet the moment said sophont admits they want it. Others, it’s the signing of the contract which makes it official. A lot think the haustoric implant is what really makes a pet, a pet. Me though? I guess I’m sentimental, or perhaps old fashioned. But the collar is symbolic, that’s why I save it for last. It’s what makes you mine.”

“I’m yours,” Serena shuddered.

“I know,” Mirabilis replied. Without another word, she slipped the collar around Serena’s neck, and Serena went completely limp, collapsing forward into her owner’s grasp. She was caught effortlessly, Serena had known Mirabilis would catch her; Mirabilis would always catch her, just as Kenzie had promised.

“I love you, Mistress,” Serena breathed.

A wide smile of pure joy crossed Mirabilis’ face. “I love you too, petal.” Delicately, she placed Serena back onto the bed. “Now, as I said. You had a taste of what it truly means to be a pet with our dearest Kenzie. But this time it will be just you and I. I’m going to take you apart now, my Serena. But I promise you will love the way I put you together again.”

Wordlessly, Serena nodded, and her owner descended upon her.

Chapter 12 - Final

Exactly how long it had been since Serena willingly gave Mirabilis her will, she could not say. At the very least, she knew it had been several days, probably at least a week. She had no deadlines or responsibilities. With her ‘trial run’ over, and her implantation in the past, Serena really had little to mark the passing of days against. There was some degree of structure to her life, in the sense that she would wake up after a night’s sleep, spend a period of time either somewhere along the spectrum of wakefulness—or possibly, napping—then eventually get another night’s sleep. Other than that, though, as before, she had little means to distinguish one day from the other. The fact that she spent most of her time at least a little high didn’t make that any easier.

Still, none of this was to say Serena had any reason to complain; she was well and truly happy. That night with Mirabilis had finally cemented Serena’s place in her owner’s grasp. When Mirabilis had finished with Serena, two fundamental truths had been lovingly etched into her consciousness. First, that she was Mirabilis’ pet; second, that everything would be okay, always. And, in the wake of that, caring about things like clearly delineating which day was which, or making concrete plans about what she would do when, mattered little to Serena. It had occurred to her on a few occasions that the idea of one day having hardly an ounce of concern for things like scheduling or time management would have sounded absolutely ridiculous, impossible to a Serena from only weeks prior. She had, after all, been in charge of shipping and delivering ‘important’ goods for the rebellion effort. Now though, the thought of her life before, a life full of stress and deadlines, and, most importantly, a life without the everpresent guidance of her Mistress, just made Serena feel a little lost and confused. But Serena didn’t really think much about her old life anymore; not when her new one was so wonderful. It wouldn’t do for a pet to think of such things anyway.

Her days were spent with Kenzie at her side, happy, and often dazed. Like so many affini florets, Serena’s movements were often clumsy, she had a propensity to drift off into a glassy-eyed haze on occasion, and she hung on her owner’s every word, ecstatic from each ounce of affection Mirabilis would happily and constantly shower her with. Of course, Serena did have her more lucid moments. Mira had kept her promise, and was doing what she could to find a way for Serena to fly again. In the meantime, she’d been asked to keep her skills sharp by practicing in virtual reality, something which she had tried while blissed out on xenodrugs exactly once, just to see what would happen. It didn’t go well. She had also taken it upon herself to pick up an instrument, since she had nothing better to do and why not; again, this was another task best suited for a mostly present mind. And, while the guitar which had long sat untouched in her quarters on Petrichor was long gone, there were a myriad of options—including instruments from the countless cultures the affini had brought into the fold—at her disposal. So far, though, she’d had little luck.

Even when her mind was sharpest, however, Serena never stopped feeling the comfortable bliss that came with the knowledge that she was owned; she belonged to someone who would take good care of her and keep her safe. True to her word, Mirabilis had ensured her pet would never doubt the sincerity of her dedication to Serena and Kenzie’s wellbeing. And even if Serena could doubt her, Mirabilis would never even dream of giving either of her florets a reason to.

Things with Kenzie had only improved, their relationship stronger than ever. The two spent most of their time joined both figuratively at the hip and more literally by their implants. Not a single day went by which Serena didn’t get to feel the everpresent comfort of the woman she adored permeate her mind. The more time they spent together like that, the more control they gained over how deeply their minds would integrate. At times, the overlap would be so insignificant that one would have to make a conscious effort to get so much as a read on the other’s emotional state; at others, their minds would be so entangled that both Serena and Kenzie struggled to determine whose thoughts were whose.

It was far from uncommon for Mirabilis to ask a question to one floret, only for the other to answer it for her without realizing it. The occurrence had gotten frequent enough that Mirabilis often added to the confusion by accidentally mixing up who she even meant to address at times. Perhaps most befuddling of all, Kenzie and Serena had begun deliberately answering to the wrong names just to tease their owner, only to accidentally answer to their own names.

Either way, both florets took great comfort in the presence of the other inside her head. The whole thing had taken some getting used to, but it hadn’t taken long for them to actually prefer things that way. Their shared consciousness had certainly also gone a long way in both amplifying and prolonging the sense of deep, cathartic satisfaction the pair received whenever their owner gave them the love and praise which they always so eagerly craved. Sex, also, never ceased to amaze the two whenever they had it while bound—which was daily.

The reality was, every day it became more and more impossible to deny—though she never would—that becoming Mirabilis’ floret was far and away the best decision Serena had ever made.

* * *

Some days, Mirabilis couldn’t believe how lucky she was. There had been moments, when Serena first arrived aboard Baiera, and even moments shortly after Serena had begun her ‘trial run,’ that Mira had doubted things could work out. Even at her most confident, Mira really could never have imagined just how wonderful it would be to own both Kenzie and her lovely girlfriend. Serena was delightful in so many unique and special ways, and having both at the same time only amplified the joys of either as individuals.

Nine days had passed since Mirabilis had broken Serena’s will, and not a day had gone by that her darling floret didn’t thank her for it. The biggest struggle, honestly, was to simply graciously accept instead of turning right back around and earnestly thanking Serena for agreeing to be domesticated in the first place. She’d done that exactly once, and the entire thing devolved into a spiral of mutual affection that ultimately resulted in neither of them being able to stand for the rest of the day. This wasn't a problem, so to speak, but it wasn’t something they could do every day. Unfortunately, Mirabilis did actually have obligations besides caring for her florets.

Mirabilis often liked to reflect on how perfectly things were going whenever she made herself ready for one such obligation. It made the sting of leaving her darling florets behind a little more bearable, though, not all her obligations necessitated leaving them behind. As it happened the social call she’d planned with Hesperia and Illex was one such occasion where Kenzie and Serena were more than welcome. The only real issue was the fact that waking her sleeping florets felt like an absolute crime. Still, Mirabilis did manage to steel herself, and gently nudge the pair back into consciousness. Their eyes flickered open, and, after giving them ample time to properly wake up and ready themselves for the day, Mirabilis offered to take them to lunch while she caught up with Hesplex.

Serena and Kenzie shared a look for a moment, Mirabilis could see in their eyes the two were having one of the silent little exchanges that went on only in their heads. They share a smile, then a giggle, and turned back to Mira. “I think we’ll pass, Mistress,” answered Kenzie.

“Not that we don’t want to see them,” Serena continued.

“But we’re only just waking up, and want some time to ourselves.”

“Say hi for us though, please?”

“Especially for Serena, she hasn’t stopped thinking about them since her… ‘interrogation.’” At that, Serena shot Kenzie a flustered glare, and both burst into another fit of giggles.

For her part, Mirabilis just stared in open-mouthed incredulity, before finally mustering a reply. “I cannot believe you two.”

Her florets shared another fit of laughter, before Serena spoke up. “What’s wrong, Mistress?”

“If we’re misbehaving, we’re very sorry, just tell us what the problem is!”

“We’d never want to disobey you,” they concluded simultaneously.

“Criminals, the both of you! I thought domestication was supposed to sort out such behavior.” Affectionately, she leaned forward to ruffle both of their heads. “If you’re staying behind, though, I should really be going, you two are okay on your own?”

“Yes, Mistress!” They answered together brightly.

Mirabilis made an exaggerated show of rolling her eyes. “Alright then, I’ll be sure to pass on your regards. Kenzie, make sure Serena doesn’t turn the oven into a bomb while I’m gone, arlight?” Laughing, Kenzie nodded as Serena’s face flushed. Giving each of them one last doting stroke, Mirabilis stood, and strode to the door. Just before leaving the room, she turned over her shoulder. “By the way,” she called. “The next time you two try that Hesplex routine with me, I’ll be limiting your speaking privileges. Let’s see you try and torment your poor, loving owner when the only words left in your shared vocabulary are ‘yes, Mistress.’” She watched in delight as a little shiver of submissive desire traveled through each of her pets, before they shared another look, giggled, and turned back to her.

“Yes,”

“Mistress.”

Throwing her arms in the air in playful melodrama, Mirabilis couldn’t keep herself from laughing along with her florets. “You two are unbelievable, you know that? I clearly let you think way too much,” she flashed them an affectionate grin. “Try to be good, okay? I love both.”

“We love you too, Mistress,” they called after her.

Strolling through the wide open walkways of the Baiera, Mirabilis couldn’t keep herself from casually chortling at her florets’ antics. She made a point of keeping herself to a leisurely pace as she made it to one of the many trams, hopped aboard, and disembarked a stop later near the lovely little spot Hesplex had suggested. There, waiting for her, was Ilex, lounging by herself at a balcony table overlooking a decorative fountain and shallow reflecting pool—the bottom of which was decorated with a hefty sprinkingly of now otherwise completely useless Terran coins, in a display of some old Earth custom. It was a pretty sight, perhaps one of the only good things to ever come out of their misguided practice of circulating currency. As Mirabilis approached, she caught Ilex’s eye, and the affini beckoned her over. They entwined their vines in greeting, then sat across from one another.

“No Hesperia today?” Mira asked as she settled in.

“Oh she’ll be around, Dawn needed a bit of extra time to get going today, so I went on ahead, she had a long day yesterday so we’re leaving her with a friend,” Ilex explained.

“A shame, your little cotyledon is quite the treasure from the photos I’ve seen.”

“She very much is, though you’re one to talk, the photos you’ve sent us of those two together have more than made up for all the trouble your little Serena is causing us,” Ilex answered.

“That’s actually part of why I wanted to meet,” Mirabilis replied. “I wanted to offer my assistance with whatever extra work you’re caught up in. I know it’s not my fault, but she’s my responsibility now, I can’t help but feel I should at least offer a hand.”

Before Ilex could reply, a Terran server came by with three cups of tea. Ilex turned to the server and smiled. “Thank you very much dear, you’re doing such a great job,” she purred, stroking the Terran’s wrist gently, causing the adorable little server to tremble and stammer. They blushed, and hurried away after a quick word of thanks.

“Floret servers at this one, I take it?” Mira asked amusedly.

“Oh not at all,” Ilex giggled. “That one is just especially adorable and flusterable. They’re a rebel defector, one of Hesperia and I’s former informant’s actually. I give them a week before someone snatches them up.” Out of the corner of her eye, Mirabilis caught sight of Hesperia entering the cafe, she gave a friendly wave, and scurried over to claim her spot at the table.

“Sorry I’m late,” Hesperia chirped. “Dawn was a bit needy this morning.”

“No need, I already explained to her,” Ilex answered.

“You should have seen her, Mira.”

“Absolutely adorable, as always.”

“We simply must take her with us next time.”

“Next time,” Ilex agreed.

Mirabilis sighed, and chuckled to herself. “Here I was impressed Ilex could even hold a conversation without her other half. I guess you two can’t turn it off, though. You’ve already started rubbing off on my florets.”

“Oh and how are Kenzie and Serena?” Hesperia asked.

“You know, if Serena ever wants to come by for us to ‘interrogate’ her again, she’s more than welcome,” Ilex added, causing both affini to burst into synchronized laughter.

“I’ll pass it along.” Apparently feeling a tad guilty for the trouble she had caused, and also very much hoping to do whatever she could to help save more rebels from themselves, Serena had begged Mirabilis to allow her and Kenzie to divulge whatever rebel information they knew. At the time, Mirabilis had also—correctly—assumed Serena was at least partially motivated by some sense of obligation she’d felt from the misguided belief that Hesplex’s increased interest in her had ever stemmed from a desire to glean some valuable information from her. But if it would make her feel like she was helping, Mira was happy to oblige, there was no harm in it.

And so, a few days after properly recovering, Mirabilis had arranged a meeting. Mira had elected to stay behind and handle some lingering paperwork for Serena, but later immensely regretted her choice. Apparently, much to Serena’s embarrassment, and Kenzie’s delight, Hesperia and Ilex had shown barely any interest at all in their intel, and instead spent most of their time teasing and fawning over what a cute pair of florets pinnate they were. It was, Mirabilis later came to realize, a sort of final nail in the coffin of Serena’s belief that the affini had ever wanted anything at all from her, save to give her a happy life as a well-trained pet.

“So, Mira, is there anything we can do for you?” Hesperia asked.

“Actually, I was wondering if there was anything I could do for you. You mentioned over text a few days ago that because of Serena’s little stunt you had your work cut out for you?” Mirabilis asked.

“Right, we were about to talk about that before we were so adorably interrupted,” Ilex commented.

“There is a mountain of paperwork we need to do, calls we need to make and the like,” Hesperia elaborated.

The pair hummed simultaneously, and in tandem, crossed opposite legs across their knees and scratched one another’s chins thoughtfully. “We appreciate the offer, Mira, but we’re already leading an entire team of experts on this,” Ilex mused.

“There probably isn’t much you can do to help at this point.”

“Besides, we would hate for Serena to learn she’s actually caused anyone any trouble.”

“The poor thing would feel so guilty.”

“Though, really, we should be thanking her for bringing this to our attention.”

“What’s the actual issue here?” Mira asked.

“Ovens, Mirabilis.” Ilex spoke as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Thousands of ovens.” Hesperia’s tone rose in urgency.

“Millions of ovens,” Ilex emphasized.

“Maybe more.”

“Imagine.”

Hesperia shook her head gravely. “And all of them are a potential threat to some adorable little sophont’s life.”

Nodding sagely, Ilex continued. “It’s simply too great a risk to install those incredibly dangerous Terran ovens within any hab unit in the Affini Accord, be it aboard ship, a station, or on a planet.”

“We don’t know who even decided it would be a good idea to trust such technology. But they were clearly too short-sighted,” Hesperia chided, as though whoever it was could somehow hear her.

“Replacing them is the easy part, we could have an engineer whip up a safer oven with similar look and functionality in an afternoon,” Ilex added matter-of-factly.

“The real issue is tracking them down and getting the word out to everywhere they are installed.”

Perplexed, Mirabilis cocked her head. “Did Serena not tell you that the ovens are actually perfectly safe and the whole bomb threat was a hoax?”

Hesperia nodded. “She did, and after looking into it, we believe her. But the risk is simply too great.”

“An affini explosives expert took one apart and, after a few hours and a lot of finagling with affini tech, was able to build a bomb from it.”

“No terran is ever likely to accomplish that,” Hesperia admitted. “But even if there’s even a millionth of a percent chance, we simply can’t risk it.”

At the first lull in the conversation, Miabilis seized her chance to get a word in. “Well, in that case I tell you what, I’ll take the liberty myself of replacing the one in my hab, save you the trouble.”

“Excellent,” Ilex and Hesperia answered.

The rest of their lunch passed relatively uneventfully, consisting mostly of pleasant idle chatter between bouts of Hesplex making eyes at their extremely submissive and domesticatable server. When it came time to part ways, Mirabilis was again forced to promise that she would continue to send updates and photos on her florets. She gave a parting wave, and, rather exhausted by the sheer… Hesplexness of Hesplex, endearing as they may be, Mirabilis headed home.

Upon arriving home, Mirabilis strode past her empty living room, and found that her florets had yet to set foot outside of bed. Instead, Kenzie and Serena were lying naked in one another’s arms. Glassy green eyes stared vacantly into equally glassy purple ones. Two pretty pairs of lips hung partially open, trickling little dribbles of drool out of each mouth. The sound of their Mistress entering the room did nothing to rouse them from their state, as they were doubtlessly completely lost in the deep, blissful ocean of their shared headspace. Mirabilis paused for a moment to appreciate the sight. Smiling to herself, she snapped a quick photo for later, and undressed herself before climbing into bed next to them. She gave each of her darling pets a loving stroke across the cheek, wrapped them both in her arms, and settled in for a day of relaxation with her treasured florets pinnate.