Aster's Writing

Written for HDG Microfic Monday based on the prompt: Floret fun time: floret shenanigans when there isn't an affini present.

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“And go!” “Your win streak ends today!” “You three don’t know what you’re up against.” “You still haven’t told me the rules.”

“I think I know exactly what I’m up against” “Just don’t think about your owner and you won’t get dosed.” “Who should I not be thinking about?” “Um, your owner I thiinnnnn...”

“Hab, could you give us an instant replay on that?” “I’m sharing this to my group.” “She clearly just wanted the Class A’s”

“Alright, three remain.” “I bet you two won’t last 5 minutes” “Nuh uh, last time we played for 30 minutes before I thought abouuuuuu....”

“Down to us two again, huh?” “Seems like it. Scared Potter?”

“You wish.” “By the way, there’s this ice cream place that an indie friend of mine recently opened.”

“Really? Where’s it at?” “Let me show you on my tablet, it’s right around here.”

Written for HDG Microfic Monday based on the prompt: Fleeting encounter between an Independent and an Affini.

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Ruch Bastin walked outside the doors of the local branch of the Office of Transitional Neoxenoveterinary Archeobureaucracy. With faer independence established it was time to do everything, anything or nothing. Fae could do whatever fae wanted.

One of faer ongoing projects was trying to piece together a small chamber orchestra and recommit to a hobby fae lost a long time ago. It would not be the easiest task but with the help of literally every single Affini in existence fae figured that it would be possible.

An average floret will likely be too high most of the time to indulge in the hours of dedicated practice required to master an instrument, so the only real option was finding digital sophonts who could just download all the skills required, fae guessed it might count as cheating but really it was just being efficient.

Fae walked down the promenade. What was the name of that Affini that was so knowledgeable about digital sophonts? Once fae figured that out the next step...

Fae tripped and the ground came faster than expected. The Class-E’s in faer system did not help faer reflexes react in time. Fae was going to fall. A faint smell of jasmine hit faer as faer head cracked upon hitting the...

Vine?

“Are you alright there little wildflower?” a voice spoke.

“I uh.. yeah.. sorry I think I tripped.” Ruch let out a small laugh. “Thanks for catching me, that almost went very wrong.” A handful of vines securely placed Ruch on the ground as some of the flowers on the Affinis floral dress opened.

“It was my pleasure dear wildflower. I am Gloriosa Oleaceae, Fourth Bloom, I use she/her pronouns. May I inquire your name and what had you so deep in thought you tripped? Not that you could’ve injured yourself even if I hadn’t caught you”. A vine slapped the place where faers head would have landed, the ground becoming soft upon impact. Of course, the Affini would floret-proof the promenade.

Ruch took a moment to stand up on faer feet before pressing faer left hand to faer chest, doing the slightest bow and introducing faerself. “I am Ruch Bastin, independent, fae/faer, I uh just got declared independent and was thinking about how I could make a chamber orchestra and how I could find sophonts to play instruments and... then I thought about how... digital sophonts could just download... some programs... to...”

Ms. Oleaceae looked at the wildflower in front of her with awe – no hunger – in her eyes. Her plant of origin – something similar to terran jasmine, which covered most of her floral dress - was just a pleasant smell for almost all sophonts. With a few tweaks and some clever bioengineering though, a slightly obsessed Affini might just be able to make an airborne Class-C and E cocktail.

“you... know...?” Faes eyes were not looking, faes head was empty, replaced with the smell of jasmine in faer nostrils.

Vines supported fae as Ms. Oleaceae moved fae to a nearby bench. She then removed one of her own petals and placed it on faer chest. It’s bioengineering allowed it to bond itself to faer skin and remain there without further support. Its white petals looked like a small tasteful floral accessory.

Ms. Oleaceae took Ruch’s tablet and tapped a couple of times. “I have another errand to run dear wildflower, I left my contact on your tablet, and I booked us a table at “Aster’s” at 7:30, see you later!” she walked a couple of steps before returning and lifting Ruch’s chin to meet her gaze.

“Once you feel lucid again you may smell my flower on your chest to return to this state if you wish, whenever you do you will feel warm, safe, happy and blank, just like a flower swaying in a light breeze.” She moved away from fae. “I look forward to seeing you later, little wildflower.”

A couple of minutes later fae regained faer composure, stretched faer arms and legs, took out faer tablet to set an alarm at 7:00 and did the only thing that was currently on faer mind.

Based on the prompt: Terrans Are Adorable 102: Ferals and You

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X shot up. Alarm blaring right outside their chambers. They grabbed their gun and ran out the door.

Intruder alarm. This was a high security facility, no one gets in without thorough inspection.

From the rooms around them others ran through the hall towards their assigned positions. It could be a training alarm, it didn’t matter, as soon as the alarm sounded, their training kicked in; nothing else mattered.

Their main weapon, newly developed in-house by their R&D department, could easily take it up with even the most technologically enhanced soldiers; their sidearm, should it be needed, doubled as an explosive that could either be thrown at the enemy or make sure no one in the room they were in survived.

They were in an alcove on the left side of the hallway, accompanied by L and B. On the other side of the hallway, H and J. They were all aiming at the central door that connected this facility to the outside world. There was only one entrance, which meant that if anyone was breaching, they would have to come through here.

The lights turned off, the emergency lights flickered on with a red hue, night vision goggles and gasmasks were put on. Everything according to procedure.

The door hissed, slowly opening. The alarm turned off and a different sound filled the room. Rhythmically, musically, something audible but so much of it just out of reach.

Frequencies that pushed, no pulled ever so gently, ever so calmy. Chords so consonant, harmonies so vivid, melodies like lullabies.

X was unimpressed. Everything had procedure. So did this.

The squad changed into the appropriate positions, lowering themselves to their knees, disarming their weapons and laying them aside, putting their arms together behind their backs, interlocking their fingers before raising their torso upright, pushing out their chests and looking into the enchanting eyes of the magnificent creature that now stood before them.

“There you go little leaves, you may say ‘Thank you for saving us, Mistress’ now.” Mistress had the most beautiful smile in the whole universe.

“Thank you for saving us, Mistress.” They spoke in unison.

Their Mistress patted each of them on the head before turning towards the wall to their right.

The wall panels opened, revealing a separate room, where around 15 Affini sat. Some were taking notes, some were still struggling to maintain their terran shape and a few could barely contain their hunger upon seeing the 5 docile former ferals.

“As outlined on page 1.364 of the handbook…” their Mistress began to speak with a musicality, the most prominent soloist in the whole of human history couldn’t come close to.

“…this further demonstrates the susceptibility an average terran will have towards the Affini biorhythm. Based on that I have developed three hundred and fourty seven neutral biorhythm frequency compositions to allow for easy conditioning and reconditioning without bonding to one particular Affinis biorhythm permanently.” Mistress looked towards, them a predatory smile appearing on her faceplate, before turning back to their audience.