Ch3 Artificial Floret - Comfort (Patreon)

[Content warning for a scene depicting someone running from a fascist paramilitary force. Scene begins with the sentence “...Just in case.” and ends with the sentence “With all adrenaline now spent,”. More content warnings for depersonalisation, derealisation, dissociation, and description of an anxiety attack.]

< Date: Terran Year 2557, current day >

“Amani-!?” Kira’s voice broke as she squeaked out her friend’s name. Her heart rate picked up and butterflies erupted in her stomach. “Is that really you!?”

“Hi Kira! Yeah, it’s me!”

Kira dazedly stepped forward to embrace Amani, holding the Terran woman close. “I missed you so much…” Her tears were seeping into Amani’s hijab as she lovingly nuzzled her.

Amani returned the gesture, hugging Kira tight. “I’m glad the affini finally found you! I was so worried about you...”

‘What the fuck is happening? Am I losing my mind? Is this a dream?’ Kira suddenly felt incredibly dizzy, losing her balance and nearly tumbling to the floor.

Ophelia was right there to catch the hugging friends, scooping them up into her vines in one graceful motion. “Are you feeling alright, darlings?”

“I’m alright, Ophie.” Amani assured, a hint of concern now present in her voice too. “How about you, Kira?”

Struggling to nod her head, the pseudo Terran held on tighter to Amani. For all she knew, her friend could fade away into nothingness at any moment, leaving her once again with the biting frigidity of loneliness.

“Our poor little Kira has had a rough day, haven’t you petal?” Ophelia lavished both of them in strokes and rubs.

Kira shakily nodded again. ‘Is she artificial like me? She’s gotta be, right?? If she is, does she… does she know, too? Does she know what she is? Does she know what I am?? She seems calm, at least. Is she…’ “Are you happy here?” She leaned back just enough so she could look into Amani’s pretty eyes - the only eyes she was ever comfy making contact with.

“Yes! I was still on Terra when the compact arrived, which was scary at first; but then I saw them put Mr. Leeman in a collar, and I knew they couldn’t be that bad, hee hee!” Amani’s adorable giggle warmed Kira’s heart, just like old times.

Harold Leeman was Amani’s and Kira’s former employer, and quite the rat bastard. That miserable prick saw the pair holding hands while leaving the office one day, and reassigned Kira to the other side of Accord space right on the spot. Kira was going to ask Amani out that night, but it ended up being the last time she ever saw her. That was over five years ago.

Well, at least, that’s what her memories told her.

“I believe his name is Harold Princess, Fifth Floret now~” Ophelia hummed, failing to hide the amusement in her biorhythm.

“No way! Ahahahahahaaa!” Amani’s uproarious laughter was contagious, eliciting a chuckle from Kira too.

Stars, Kira missed this.

“How about you? Are you a floret?”

“Not yet, but soon.” Amani gazed deep into Kira’s eyes; she wore a soft smile on her face that seemed to fade away just a bit before returning in full.

Kira dreaded to think what, if anything, Amani was seeing behind her lifeless eyes.

—

< Date: Terran Year 2540, 17 years prior to current day >

It was getting late, and acid rain was starting to fall. Amani picked up her pace despite the exhaustion seeping into her bones, nearly slipping on the slush-covered path a couple times. It was a struggle to keep her hijab from blowing off her head in the bitter December wind.

Another mandatory unpaid overtime was just about the last thing she’d wanted, and to make matters worse, it was dark as hell outside here in the Nosebleeds district; nobody had the credits to light their own homes here let alone the streetlights. Every corner she turned, every alley she passed, she made sure to note her best escape routes…

…just in case.

Tonight should have been like any other, but something just felt off. Maybe it was the sounds the wind made, or maybe it was the chilly rain seeping into her clothes. All she knew was she needed to get off the streets fast.

The spooked woman took a detour to where she knew there was light and shelter: a convenience store on the corner of Queen and York.

Trudging through the slush as fast as she could, Amani was constantly checking every direction around her. The neighbourhood slowly grew brighter as distant headlights approached, and the growl of a truck’s engine spawned a pit in Amani’s stomach.

Adrenaline shot through her exhausted body, giving her the strength for a short sprint towards relative safety. Her worn, treadless shoes hydroplaned across wet concrete, but she thankfully managed to keep her balance. The scent of diesel carried on the wind, bringing repressed memories of fear and panic to the fore of her mind that did nothing but fuel her existing fear and panic. Amani’s sides began to hurt from overexertion, but the shop - the only building around with light shining through the windows - was within sight.

Engine vibrations were felt in her chest; they were almost upon her now. If they hadn’t already spotted her, they surely would within the next few seconds. Diving in through the shop’s sliding doors, the horrified Terran slid across the wet floor and scurried to hide in the nearest aisle. The thumping of her heart and that damned truck were all she could hear for what felt like an eternity, but the hellish rumbling eventually faded away.

Each wheezy breath Amani drew still felt like they could be her last; nonetheless, each breath was followed by another. Her gloves and trousers were soaked from her slide along the puddle of melted slush which had been tracked into the store, and her hijab was damp from the rain. With all this, she didn’t realise how teary her face was.

Once she’d regained her breath and her heart rate had slowed up a bit, she carefully got to her feet and peeked out a window: no sign of any ENTICE trucks or agents. Maybe they hadn’t spotted her after all.

With all adrenaline now spent, Amani collapsed back to the floor and sobbed as silently as she could. The poor, frightened woman trembled uncontrollably, making the metal shelves she was leaning against rattle. Just as she felt the most helpless, the most alone, Amani felt something light drop onto her.

A soft little ragdoll now rested in her lap, looking up at her with button eyes that hung on by a literal thread. Its yarn-like brown hair was frayed and the seam running along its back had split open on its neck. A mini Leeman Corp. uniform - a white shirt with a logo over its chest, and plain black trousers - was stitched to her soft form, but there were a couple tiny holes which were presumably bitten out by moths.

Despite all its imperfections, the doll was exactly what Amani needed at that moment. Squeezing tight, Amani shared a much-needed hug until her heart rate dropped and the worst of the anxiety faded away.

Now that she’d imprinted on her dolly friend, she dreaded looking at its price tag. However, its tag told a rather depressing story: an ancient price drop sticker layered under an old discount sticker and finally a clearance sticker on top.

“You poor thing, how long have you been sitting up on that shelf?” Amani’s hoarse, airy voice barely made a sound at all. With a sniffle, she slowly got to her feet and held her dolly up to eye level. “Well you’ll never be alone again. Your home is with me now!”

—

< Date: Terran Year 2557, current day >

Locking eyes with her reflection in the washroom mirror once again, Kira failed to see anything of substance through the empty void in her pupils.

“Wh-what am I…?” She squeaked almost silently.

Her heart couldn’t take any more uncertainty, but today just wouldn’t give her a break. Gripping the handle with a bit too much pressure, the artificial floret turned on the faucet and hastily splashed her face with icy water. After she’d inadvertently gotten her hair and plain grey shirt wet too, she switched to the hottest setting and held her hand under the running water. A few seconds later, she withdrew her hand and formed the lifeless grey husk in her mind’s eye.

Her hand’s appearance remained totally human.

Her breathing sped up now as she again stuck her hand under the tap, withdrew for intense inspection, then repeated the process again and again.

“The hell’s wrong with me!?” Kira whimpered, her jaw shivering.

Without warning, her mental image of the grey husk melted into a puddle of goo. Countless footsteps of nondescript people trod through the puddle, tracking drops of grey liquid here and there until all that was left were smeared grey footprints as far as her mind’s eye could see.

“Kira?”

Then, heat.

“K_ra?”

Searing heat from an indifferent sun in an indifferent universe.

“__r_!?”

Any remaining moisture evaporated away, leaving thin grey streaks on the floor.

“K-

“___-

“F4◇_●|$_-

“F♤4◇●|$!”

Soft, gentle pain.

“Ki_a, ple-a_-e!”

Burning, aching embrace.

“__ra, I-”

-hate you.

“I n_ed yo_-”

-to shut the fuck up.

“I-”

-will never love a loser-

BZZRT

-brick-

BZZRT

-dumbass-

BZZRT

-paperweight-

BZRRRT

-fuckup-

BZBZBZZRT

-doorstop-

-like you.

—

Ophelia Greene, Fifteenth Bloom gently stroked her little Kira - who was fast asleep and comforted by a strong dose of xenodrugs - and her little Amani. The trio lay together in Ophelia’s bed in a cosy cuddle.

Kira… The poor dear was barely six hours into her existence and she had already dissociated during an anxiety attack, not to mention the constant fear and pain.

…right, not real fear, not real pain. Still, it sure as dirt didn’t feel good seeing her darling- er, her creation exhibit such behaviours. None of this was to mention that she’d somehow experienced a breakdown despite two prior doses of class-E and -F xenodrugs earlier in the day!

She was up to 255 times - oops, 256 times now - where she’d checked Kira’s diagnostics only to find all systems performing within parameters. Even still, something just didn’t add up…

“Is she going to be alright?” Amani whispered, her adorable human voice warming Ophelia’s core.

“Yes, petal. She’s just…” Ophelia had no idea how to end that sentence until she spoke again. “She’s just been through a lot.”

“She’s just like I remember…” Amani squeezed Kira a little tighter. “...sort of. Aside from, y’know... Hhh… It’s been so long. I thought about her every day.“

Setting her datapad aside, Ophelia took the opportunity to bask in the moment: two positively precious cuties in bed with her, and in relative peace. Despite their traumas, be they artificial or not, both were on the path to a happier existence. Was this what it felt like to be an owner?

‘Well, I suppose she could still change her mind… And I wouldn’t blame her. Dahlia would be an excellent pairing for her, and I could still floret-sit her from time to time. I just… I just want her to have an owner who she’ll always be happy with.’ Ophelia’s train of thought was interrupted by Amani tugging one of her vines such that it was sandwiched between the two cuddling Terrans - er, close enough.

“Good night, Kira. I love you.” Amani kissed her sleeping friend’s forehead. “Good night Mama, I love you.” She then kissed the vine she’d snuggled up with.

With eyes awash in countless disorganised colours and a core brimming almost to bursting point with love, Ophelia wove her vines into a tighter hug while simultaneously petting the pair even more. “Mama loves you too, Amani And Mama loves you too, Kira”

—

Kira didn’t know how or when, but her waking nightmare had shifted to become a peaceful dream. The panic and anxiety were replaced by a soothing calmness throughout her form.

“Your hair is a little difficult to brush, but it’s almost done.” Amani’s comforting voice echoed around the old flat they used to share. “I never did manage to make you a hijab. Maybe we can go out and get one for you later.”

Kira felt happy with the idea of getting a cute hijab with her best friend. Looking around, Kira realised the old flat was brighter, warmer, and made of living plant matter now; much closer to what an affini hab would look like.

Actually, it felt more like an affini itself. Was this… Were they inside Ophelia’s core? It felt safe, and warm… and homely. A perfect blend of the familiar and the new. A place to live, deep inside Mama’s heart…

“I missed this, Kira.”

Kira missed this too, so much.

Amani set down her hair brush and hugged the naked Terran; Kira always was comfy being exposed in Amani’s presence. The sensation of Amani’s smooth skin against her own always made butterflies flutter in Kira’s tummy.

“You’re so soft…” Amani murmured quietly into Kira’s ear. “I love holding you like this~”

If only Amani could hug her forever, then Kira would be in eternal bliss.

“You always make me feel better, Kira. I hope we’re never separated ever again…”

The feeling was mutual.

“Are you comfy?”

Yes, she was.

“Are you happy?”

Yes, she very much was.

“Would you like me to hold your hand?”

Of course she would. Kira loved holding Amani’s hand like this.

“I love you, dork~”

Kira loved Amani too, so dearly. Feeling her friend’s lips on her forehead took away all the bad in the world, filling Kira with pure bliss the likes of which she’d so rarely felt before.

But of course, Amani’s delicate lips eventually withdrew from the kiss and all of Kira’s woes returned to her mind. In this moment though, she felt something practically foreign to her: a spark of hope. All the bad in the world wasn’t gone, but it didn’t consume her like it always did. Kira felt that as long as she was with Amani and Mama, everything would be alright.