Jen

 

The long curve of the Tillandia's forward ring, so much longer than the aft pair, stretched out before her, a cylinder of deep and verdant green whose varied hues spoke of grasses, trees, bushes. From nearly a kilometer above the interior surface of the ship, it looked less like the ground curving up to become the sky and more like she was looking up from the bottom of some enormous pit.

Or looking down from above it, about to tumble for kilometers to a grisly end. Her vision swam for a moment

ooogh, yeah, don't do that

as she reached out to put a hand on Jess's shoulder, squeezing her eyes shut. "Oh fuck."

"Vertigo?" She felt her ramet's warm machine hand come down on her own shoulder, pulling her close to her chassis.

"Yeah. Ugh." She opened her eyes, slowly, squinting out the floor to ceiling window and trying to wrestle her inner ear into submission. "I think it's passing."

"It can be hard, seeing it from this angle. I remember almost throwing up the first time I saw it from the shuttle bay. I'm actually running a neurocognitive overlay that prevents it right now, just in case."

showoff

"Showoff."

Jess snickered. "Yeah, maybe a little. Look, can you blame me? Being digital is great. You'll see when you get here."

"Jenny, everything alright?" The Affini whose hab they were in, one Ginnala Korrianon, Fourth Bloom, had snuck up on Jen again, her arms full of a small army of plushies. Some were the usual sort, stylized representations of various animals, but some were so lifelike that, at a distance, they looked almost real, like the life-size human-shaped doll with the key sticking out of its back. If it wasn't so bonelessly rigid...

hey, she means you

"Huh? Oh, sorry, still getting used to the name. I'm fine. Just a little vertigo, looking out at that."

"Would you like some xenodrugs to calm it down? I have a Class-S grafted that'll do just the trick!"

"I think we'll be okay, Miss Ginnala, but thank you," Jess said, giving Jenny's shoulder a squeeze.

"Well, alright, but let me know if you change your mind." There was something messy and disorganized about the way that Ginnala had put herself together, the way the broad petals of her "hair" seemed disarranged in an almost frazzled way, the swishiness of her vine-skirt — but then, if the art lining the walls and sculptures tucked away in niches around room were any indication, Ginnala's appearance was probably quite intentional. She settled all the plushies and dolls down in a cushioned pin about half a meter deep, big enough for a dozen Terrans to share and have room to stretch out if they felt like it. "You know," Ginnala went on, a handful of vines reaching out to turn

i really wish they wouldn't do this

Jenny around and lift her chin, "your hair is rather overgrown, isn't it? Would you like me to style it for you?"

"Huh?"

"Ooh, yeah!" Jess said, hugging Jenny from behind. "Do it, do it! Miss Ginnala always does our hair. Actually, I could probably use a touch-up, could you do me too? Please please please?" Jenny stared at Jess as she put on a show of begging, at once deeply confused and

please tell me you're not planning on doing that

turned on by the display. "We have enough time before everyone gets here, right?"

"Mmm, I think so, little flower," Ginnala said, chuckling and patting Jess on the head. She turned and raised her voice ever so slightly. "Ella, petal, will you get my hairdressing kit? I think I left it in the bathroom."

"It's okay, really," Jenny protested. "You don't have to put yourself out for me."

"Nonsense, nonsense. You make such a lovely little canvas, and I just love getting to leave my mark on you." She smiled, revealing row after row of sharp, thorny teeth. "Besides, how else am I going to flirt with Gallica, hm?"

And so Jenny found herself pulled into a chair beside Jess, held firmly in place with vines as Ginnala began to brush out her hair. Before long, Ella joined the fray, carrying a long and heavy looking box in her powerful, tanned arms. Almost the moment she set it down, Ginnala opened it and began to pull out tools and tubes, the latter of which she used to dispense some kind of foam into Jenny's hair, which left it wet and heavy and her scalp warm and tingly.

"Good to see you getting back to normal," Ella said, leaning in and staring right at Jenny with her big brown eyes for a long second before stealing a kiss.

"I...wh-wha?" The shampoo, or whatever it was, was making it hard to focus — something in it, some xenodrug probably, made everything feel like it was happening a half-second after it actually did.

"Shhh." Ella laid a finger on Jenny's lips. "Talk later. Just enjoy the ride."

It wasn't as if she had much choice — between the drugs and the vines wrapped around her limbs, she was stuck as Ginnala snipped, clipped, and buzzed

oh shit this stuff is really strong

away at her hair. "Now, here's an important question, cuties, so pay attention — matching color, or complimentary?"

"Match!" Jess chirped, clearly handling the shampoo trip better than Jenny was.

"Comwha?"

Ginnala chuckled to herself and leaned down to whisper in Jenny's ear. "Do you want the same hair color as Jess, or different?"

"Do same, do same," Jess said, a burst of giggles eventually crowding out her words.

no

"Huh?" Jenny blinked, trying to sort out who was talking

we're not her. different color hair

and when. "I uh- different? I think?"

"Awwwww." Jess pouted, which made Jenny's stomach turn over, but she quickly followed it up with "Fiiiiine. It's not like anyone's gonna confuse the two of us with you still biological, but once you get uploaded, you owe me twin shenanigans!"

Jenny couldn't help but laugh. "Kaaay." That did sound fun but Ryder's feelings mattered too

thanks, i guess?

so different it was — Jenny didn't care much one way or the other at the moment, being far too overwhelmed by the feeling of Ginnala's vines against her scalp. Buzz, snip, clip, brush, again and again, until finally something cool and almost minty-smelled was being massaged into her hair, and the high began to slowly fade. "Huuuh?"

"Have fun, petal?" Ginnala said, giving her a squeeze. "Just a moment, let me get the hand mirrors-" And before Jenny could even process what was happening, there were two mirrors in front of her. It took her a few seconds more to recognize that she was looking at a reflection of herself, and not of Jess — with her hair cleaned up, done in the same style, and dyed a rich and deep green the only real differences between the two were the lack of visible panel seams, the absence of radiator vanes, and Jess's own dark purple hair.

still feels weird to see us like this?

Yeah, a little. But I don't hate it. I actually kinda like it.

yeah. same

"What do you think, hmm?"

"I think... you're really good at this," Jenny said, craning her head back to smile up at Ginnala. The room swam around her as the last of the drugs had their way with her brain.

"Well, I think you're absolutely precious," Ginnala replied, her vines loosening and slowly withdrawing. "No, scratch that, I thought that before, when there was just the one of you. The ship isn't ready for how adorably precious two of you in tandem is!"

"You're flirting with me?" Jenny mumbled as she slowly got to her feet.

"Of course I'm flirting with you, silly." Her myriad vines packed up every last bit of her hairdressing kit in the pace of about three seconds, even with a few of them breaking ranks to catch Jenny as she started to roll sideways with the rest of the room. "Ella, petal, I think little Jenny might need a bit of a hand-holding, she's being very slow to come down."

"No kidding," Ella said, slipping one arm around Jenny's middle and all but holding her upright. "You never used to be such a lightweight, but I guess that's what a tolerance break will do to you, huh?"

"I- I guess?" Jenny leaned into Ella, the weight of her against her side somehow familiar. It was like she was trying to remember a word on the top of her tongue. There was something here, something missing.

"You guess. Oh my stars, Jess, how have you been tolerating how cute this girl is?"

"It hasn't been easy." Jess sandwiched Jenny from the other side. "And you don't have to live with her, let me tell you, she's this cute all the time."

"Sh-shut up!" Jenny felt her face grow warm as she stared down at the ground (which also helped the room roll just a little bit less around her). The worst part was, she couldn't even deny it — something inside her was happily agreeing with the other two florets.

don't look at me, i'm not the one doing it

No, I know. At least, I think I know. But you feel it too, right?

kinda? maybe?

You like the way we look. I can tell.

shut up

Jenny couldn't help but smile. Even just a few days of knowing about Ryder, knowing that what she was feeling was real even if it wasn't necessarily her, was enough for her to start feeling out the delineation between the two of them. It was getting easier and easier to tell when a feeling she was having was coming from Ryder, as opposed to something she was feeling herself — or, in this case, something that Ryder was feeling just the same as she was.

It was a nice feeling when they matched like that. It was also a nice feeling when Jess slipped her hand into Jenny's, their fingers intertwining, and it was doubly nice when Ella did the same. They walked her slowly back over to the window, and she rested her head against its cool surface as she looked out at the Tillandsia reconfiguring itself. Great rents were opening, bit by bit, in the surface of the land, sections disengaging themselves from the whole like puzzle pieces and sliding down into some unseen space beneath it all.

"It's gonna be so weird," Ella said. "I got so used to all the open space for festivals and parties and games and stuff. But I guess having a big lake or ocean or whatever lets us do different things. Like sailing, or diving..."

"Sinking like a rock," Jess said, snickering.

"Maybe we'll have a beach," Jenny said. The shifting of the terrain and the gentle spin of the cylinder ahead somehow counteracted the room's slide. Either that or she was coming down from the high.

"Ooooh, yeah! Beach party!" Ella laughed and gave Jenny's hand a squeeze. "That sounds fun. Though, some of us might not enjoy getting sand in our joints-"

"Oh petal, as if we'd use sand that would cause abrasions in delicate machine and doll parts," Ginnala said, mock-offended, as she shoved her hairdresser kit into a corner. "You know better than to assume us capable of such slipshod work."

"Mmm, you're right, Mistress," Ella said. "Gosh. It's still so weird, though!"

"Yeah," Jess said. "It's definitely weird." There was more she wanted to say, Jenny could tell, but she left it there — unlike their hab, Jess didn't have the AI rooted, and so anything they said to one another could be monitored. She'd made that clear before they'd come over, when they were invited to Ginnala's viewing party.

The Affini were still playing coy about the reasons for it, and from what they could tell the other florets were accepting that at face value for the most part, but Jess and Jenny knew there was almost certainly a nascent cotyledon program behind the decision to reconstruct the forward habitation ring. The fact that at least two affini who would be involved in any such program would be at the party was a very good reason for both of us to attend, not that Jess or Gallica would have let Jenny stay home.

ryder, as usual, just has to kind of go along for the ride

Oh hush, you're having fun too.

am not

Jenny suppressed a giggle at the mental impression of a tongue being stuck out at her. Still, two sets of ears might pick up on more than one, especially if the affini in question were more casual with their secrets around the floret who was still recovering from a brain injury. So, when Tsuga and Pisca arrived, a garden of florets in tow, Jess led Jenny over to greet them. The high was mostly faded now, but Jess had explained to her (and Jenny had begun to intuit on her own) that a floret's greatest power lay in their adorability, and as Ginnala herself had just confirmed, double the florets meant double the cuteness. It was good tech, and Jenny was sure they were going to get a lot of use out of it together.

"Well, you're looking much better," Tsuga said, kneeling down as she unwound her vines from Layla and Leah's collars. A narrow finger tipped her chin up, and even if Tsuga wasn't her affini, Jenny couldn't deny the hooks she felt gaining scant purchase on her mind. "And what a lovely job Ginnala's done with your grooming."

"Fresh from the field," Jess said, letting out a painfully cute giggle and leaning into the vine that Tsuga had spared for her. "I wanted matching dye jobs, but oh well."

"Oh, you are going to have to let her talk you into that sometime, my dear," Tsuga said, articulating a few of her vines to cover one eye in a wink that left Jenny almost breathless.

fuck

I know, right?

But it wasn't Tsuga that ended up having her way with Jenny — it was the woman with the fiery red hair who, before Pisca, the other affini, could let slip the vine from her collar, came out of nowhere to grab her by the shirt and pull her down into a kiss. The scent of cedar and fir mingled in Jenny's nose as the taste and sensation of a terran tongue slipped between her lips. Before she knew what was happening

-you're so pretty from this angle-

-are your knees okay, babe?-

her lip was being seized between the redhead's teeth and gently tugged before it and her shirt were released, leaving her staggering for balance once more. "Allie, come on, be nice," Layla said, hugging the redhead from behind. The smile on her face and the slightly glazed-over look as she eyed Jenny made it perfectly clear she thought the show had been very nice.

"Just marking my territory, babe," Allie said, reaching around behind her and grabbing a handful of Layla's ass. Watching Layla, otherwise so confident and in control of herself, squirm helplessly and whimper in the hands of this pale slip of a woman made the room start sliding around Jenny again. It was one thing when an affini did it — of course you couldn't help it when an affini wanted to make you melt — but this was completely different.

Fuck.

i know, right?

"Look at her, all up and about again!" Pisca was like a smaller, sprightlier Tsuga — both had similar barklike skin and the same coniferous needles for foliage, though Jess had assured Jenny that it was just a coincidence and that they were totally unrelated (and that being related wasn't really a thing for affini). Jess had also pointed out that Pisca was significantly younger than her three blooms would suggest, and that if anyone was likely to let slip critical clues, it was probably her. That, however, was not what was foremost in Jenny's mind as Pisca cooed over her.

"Hey, there's my favorite little revisionist!" The other floret attached to Pisca's vines, who seemed to not care that they were tugging her this way and that, was small, like Allie, but her hair was as black as Allie's was red. She wore next to nothing, hot pants and a halter top barely deserving of the name along with a lightweight pair of sandals, leaving most of her skin exposed. Her arms were seemingly bound behind her, and someone had clearly taken a pen and written things on her. Several someones, from the look it, as even at a glance Jenny could make out half a dozen hands, many of whom had written "Good girl!" on the woman's skin. "Or, revisionists, I should say!"

Jess was only too happy to embrace Nell — who, as the two turned a circle and laughed to one another, winding Pisca's vine around them, Jenny could see didn't have her arms bound behind her, but merely held them twisted around and folded up around her shoulder blades, almost as if she were in prayer. Jenny, for her part, was still wrestling with the memory

you and me both

of Nell as she had been, the fierce taskmaster, the unshakeable ideologue, the committed Marxist-Leninist. She still wasn't entirely certain what being a Marxist-Leninist entailed, but she knew that Nell was one, and that the "vanguard" had something to do with it. That only led to more questions, though — what did guarding vans have to do with communism? "Hey, Miss Pisca," Jess called, shaking Jenny out of her woolgathering and Pisca out of whatever alien emotion drove the Affini to find every other form of life adorable, "a little help?"

"Ooop! Sorry, cuties, totally forgot about that!" She swiftly unwound the vines that the two had coiled around themselves, eventually freeing Nell to turn her attentions to Jenny.

"H-hi," Jenny mumbled as Nell sidled up to her. She still couldn't shake the idea that she was about to get scolded for something, despite the fact that Solstice was twenty years in the rearview mirror.

"You look good," she said, leaning into Jenny and resting her head on her shoulder — the closest thing a woman whose arms were bound could do to a hug, Jenny supposed. She was warm, calm, and smelled of some kind of flower Jenny couldn't place just by scent, along with an undertone of earthiness. "I'm glad to see y-" She shuddered, took a step back, and unfolded her arms from behind her back. When she met Jenny's eyes again, it wasn't Nell behind them anymore, but another personality entirely, much more powerful and forceful. Jenny had seen something like this once before. "And there you are~"

"Hello, Captain," Jess said, giggling and hugging Jenny from behind. "Relax, the Captain's super nice."

"Super nice, am I?" It was just like when Gallica had taken over Jess's chassis to walk her to the vet — an affini was speaking through Nell. But Nell, at least as far as Jenny could tell, wasn't some kind of synthetic chassis. She felt very biological. "Yet I don't detect the spark of recognition. Well then, allow me to re-introduce myself: Andoa Macranthera, Fifth Bloom, e/em/eir, captain of the good ship Tillandsia. I'm just borrowing my precious little pet's body to pass along my own well wishes for your recovery, little one." E reached up with Nell's hand and patted Jenny on the cheek. "But it looks as if you've got that well in hand. Have fun at your little party, flower. Oh, and before I forget-" E cocked Nell's head and whispered into her collarbone: "Not allowed to orgasm, so tease her all you want!" Even as e did so, red ink welled up to spell out those very words, as if someone with a marker had written them there. "All yours, pets. Ta-ta!" Even as Nell slumped and gasped for air, her arms immediately folded themselves back up behind her. "Mmmmfuck, Captain!" Nell whimpered, her knees nearly giving out. Both Jess and Jenny moved to catch her, one to each side, almost in perfect synch.

"Oooh, class-N, huh?" Jess said, snickering. "Allie's gonna be so mean to you."

"Mmmf... good," Nell panted. She bit her lip and let out a quiet moan, rubbing her thighs together.

"Uh, what's class-N?" At the very least, Jenny didn't look too embarrassed for Nell — at this point, florets being openly aroused in public was beginning to almost seem normal to her.

"Well," Layla said, "if it's anything like the usual blend, it means she won't be getting off anytime soon." She leaned in and whispered, "So soft, I just had to bite," into Nell's shoulder, and then, perhaps unsurprisingly, sank her teeth in, drawing another moan from her as Layla's words wrote themselves into her skin. "Go and get her good and revved up," she said to Jess, winking. "I'll be along in a bit."

"Mmmm, yes ma'am," Jess said, taking Nell by the collar and pulling her away to the conversation pit, where Leah and Ella were already engaging in some of the sloppiest makeouts that Jenny had ever seen.

"And when do I get to rev you up?" Allie had a pout on her face that could only be described as 'ferocious.'

"You already have, love," Layla replied, planting a kiss on the top of her head, "but I want to check in with Jenny real quick, okay?"

"Yes, Miss President of the Terran Florets Union," Allie said. She rolled her eyes, but as broke away from Layla, she paused just long enough to whisper in Jenny's ear: "Find me later. I'm gonna fuck that pretty mouth of yours." Before Jenny could do anything but turn beet red, she was already on her way to the pit.

"She's a lot, isn't she?" Layla said, smiling and giving Jenny a hug. Jenny reciprocated, leaning into her.

"Holy fuck yeah she is," Jenny whispered. Anymore more than a whisper was beyond her.

"How much of her do you remember?"

"Uh.. a little?" Being on her knees, staring up at her, mouth wet and ready

i get it she's hot

for what came next. "But not a lot."

"She's really blossomed. She used to be such a wallflower."

"Mmmm." Jenny bit her lip and tried not to think about it. She failed, but at least she managed to free up enough space in her brain to compose words not related to the redhead. "So, uhm, you got my message, I guess?"

"I did, and I think Jenny is a lovely name." She gave her a squeeze, still holding on tight. "You seem like you're getting used to the way things are. How are you and your Mistress coming along?"

"...good, I think," Jenny said, smiling. Just the thought of Gallica was enough to send little waves of happiness through her. "I love her, and-" She paused. The words just wouldn't come. What more was there to say? Should she describe the way Gallica dressed her, gentle touches triggering bone-deep reflexes she wasn't even aware of? The way her arms had risen of their own accord, the way she'd stepped out of her old underthings once Gallica had removed them, the way her vines had gently traced across her skin in a way that could only be described as loving? Should she describe the way Gallica pumped her full of drugs that made her feel like she was flying, like every touch was an orgiastic massage that filled her so full of love she thought she'd detonate like a bomb? There was no way words could ever be sufficient for the way Gallica was making her feel, and she was certain that Layla would understand that. After all, she was a floret too. "I love her," she repeated, and left it at that.

"Good," Layla said. "Well, I won't keep you any longer, there's some florets who've been dying to spend time with you...but, I do expect you to make some time for me later, hmm~?" She tipped Jenny's chin up with one finger and winked. "After all, I haven't had the chance to properly welcome you back yet."

"Y-yes, ma'am," Jenny whispered, staring up at her. For a brief moment, the Layla of old passed through her memories like a ghost, the hard woman carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders but refusing to stoop even an inch under the weight. Stars, what a woman.

you're not wrong

When the two parted, though, Jenny had no idea where to go, where to squeeze herself in. Ella and Leah were still all over each other, Jess was teasing Nell mercilessly, and Allie broke off from them the moment Layla freed herself and all but dragged the older woman into the pit to have her way with her. Jenny was sure they weren't excluding her — she could have joined in with any of the groups, she thought, and been a welcome addition — but she had no idea what to do in a situation like this. Never been to an orgy before.

yeah, me neither

Damn, and here I was hoping you'd be the voice of experience, she thought, smiling to herself.

She ended up sitting more or less amidst the plushie pile, picking out some kind of a posable snake-like thing to cuddle while she tried to sort out the logistics of what was going on. I guess this is when we start trying to listen for any clues about- She froze as someone touched her shoulder. She turned to look and saw the human-like doll reaching out, staring directly at her, and let out a yelp as she jumped. Almost immediately the doll smiled, then covered its mouth demurely as it giggled.

"Sorry," it said, in a voice gentle and somehow familiar

we know her

enough to tug at Jenny's heartstrings, "I feel bad for frightening you, but it's not often we get to play that trick on the same person twice."

"Y-you're alive?!"

"Mmhmm." The doll dug itself — herself? — out of the plushie pile, and Jenny couldn't help but stare at the key in her back slowly turning. "You can listen to my heartbeat, if you don't believe me." She gestured to her chest with one hand, feminine and graceful even though her movements were clipped, precise, mechanical. After only a moment's hesitation, Jenny leaned in and laid her head against the doll-girl's chest, the delicate fabric of her dress soft against her cheek. She could hear a heartbeat, yes — and with it, in perfect time, the ticking of clockwork.

"Oh wow."

The doll giggled and wrapped her arms around Jenny, pulling her closer. "See? Told you." She began to stroke Jenny's hair, each stroke a perfect mirror image of the last, each falling in perfect time. Her body moved with mechanical precision, and Jenny could hear the actions of gears, joints, and machinery as she did so. "It's so wonderful to see you again. Mistress said you needed your rest, but I really did miss you. Are you all better now?"

"I- I think so." She swallowed her confusion as something tickled at the back of her mind, like she was on the verge of remembering something. "I'm sorry, I didn't..."

"No, no. It's important for you to be well." She relaxed her hold on Jenny, allowing her to lift her head. Her eyes were both deeply human, full of emotion, and as placid as a doll's. Jenny felt something clench inside of her

are you jealous of her or just turned on? i honestly can't tell right now

I have no idea. Jenny stared into those deep, beautiful eyes as the itch in the back of her mind grew worse. She knew this doll, this woman — she had to, right? Slowly, the gears in her own head began to turn. Something about this was familiar. If Ella was the Second Floret, then-

ow ow ow ow ow

When other memories hit, they often came in a rush. When these memories came, they struck like a hammerblow, not just in Jenny's mind but in her heart, which felt as if Gallica herself had reached inside her and begun to squeeze it as hard as she could. Her eyes welled up with tears almost instantly

oh fuck

as a single word spilled out of her mouth: "Imogen?"

The sheer joy in Imogen's eyes, even as her smile remained perfectly calm, hit almost as hard. "You do remember."

For a long moment, Jenny couldn't speak — she threw her arms around Imogen and clung to her as if for dear life, as if a great wave were about to wash over her and carry her away again. The fear and upset rising inside her certainly felt like such a wave. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she whimpered, for no other words would come. How could I forget her?!

it's not like you gave yourself the brain damage

But I forgot her! I forgot Imogen! How could I forget her?!

Imogen, for her part, was just as placid as she'd been before. With perfect precision, she wrapped her arms around Jenny in a warm and loving hug, just as she had so many times before. "It's okay," she whispered back. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I forgot!"

"You forgot a lot of things. That's what Mistress and Ella said, at least." Jenny felt Imogen plant a gentle kiss on top of her head. "I'm not mad or hurt. I'm glad you're okay, and I'm glad you're remembering. I'm especially glad you're remembering us."

"I'm so sorry," Jenny whispered, sniffling and burrowing into Imogen. "I love you, I love you, I'm so sorry-"

"Shh. Don't cry. You're here, and you're okay. Do you want me to get Mistress or Miss Tsuga or Miss Pisca to help you?"

i don't think we need to be drugged. just listen to her, she's not upset, you're going to be okay

Jenny shook her head. "No, no, just- oh stars, Imogen." She squeezed the doll-girl extra tight. "I think I missed you without even realizing it."

"I missed you too." She was so pretty, so perfect, that it almost hurt just to look at her. For a long moment, she did just that, gazing at her delicate features. She seemed only too happy to gaze right back. It took a hand on her shoulder to break Jenny from the trance.

"Hey." Jess was cuddling up behind her, leaning into her. "You okay?"

Jenny sniffed and nodded. "Sorry, just remembering. A lot."

"I got her with the prank," Imogen said, unable to suppress an incredibly adorable little giggle.

"I heard," Jess said. She held up a hand, and Imogen met it with one of her own. They interlaced their fingers, and Jenny could feel the love they shared — the love she shared with Imogen, reflected as if in a mirror. "Dirt, but it's good to see you again. The last week or so has been, well, pretty busy."

"Sorry," Jenny mumbled.

"No, no, stop it," Jess said, squeezing Jenny with her free arm. "Yeesh. Admin needs to get in there and fix your haustoric implant if you're gonna sorry-spiral like this."

"Sor- fuck." Jenny squinched up her eyes as her face flushed. "Shut up," she added preemptively.

Jess snickered and planted a kiss right on Jenny's implant scar. "Dirt, but you're adorable. Isn't she adorable?"

"You're both very adorable," Imogen said happily. "Just getting to see you again was so nice, even if I was sitting still while my key winding down for a while. I should probably get wound back up again."

"You- wait, that key works? It's not just for show?" Even though the emotional weight of her connection to Imogen had come thundering back into full clarity, there were still empty spaces in her memory, things she knew that she knew, but didn't know — things she had yet to rediscover. This was clearly one of them.

Imogen shook her head and let out another giggle as she turned away. The key kept turning its lazy circle in her back. "Go ahead. Mistress said everyone has permission today."

"Oh wow." She reached out with one hand, tracing the outlines of the key, feeling the smooth and well-tended surface, the intricate designs inlaid into it. "So I just-?" She glanced at Jess, watching the display with rapt attention, lower lip seized beneath her teeth.

Jess met Jenny's eyes. "Go on. Don't keep a girl waiting."

And so Jenny reached out with her other hand, took the key, and began to turn it. It made a soft clicking sound somewhere inside Imogen, almost inaudible beneath the sudden, halting gasps that Imogen herself let out with each click. It made Jenny pause, but Jess reached out, put a hand on hers, and gently restarted the winding process. The gasps came again, and this time Jenny didn't relent. She felt what Jess was surely feeling the more she listened, the warmth inside her, the electric arcs of need as Imogen whimpered and moaned, shivering, locked in place as her internal mechanisms were reset.

Holy fuck, this might be the hottest thing I've ever done, she thought.

turning a key in a girl's back?

Come on, you feel it, right?

oh i definitely feel what you're feeling, yeah. like, maybe shift it a little?

Huh? Oh. Jess rubbed her thighs together a bit before taking one hand off the key to adjust her bits. Better?

much

The winding having stopped, Imogen let out a sigh as the key began to turn under Jenny's fingers again. "Thank you," she whispered, wiggling happily in place for a moment before turning back to face Jess and Jenny. "Now...where were we?"

"I think you were about to have your way with this girl," Jess said, snuggling up behind Jenny and wrapping her arms around her — less in a hug, more to hold her in place.

"Oh yeah!" Imogen leaned in, a big smile on her face, and before Jenny could react locked lips with her. Her body followed, pressing itself up against Jenny's — as she straddled Jenny's thigh, her eagerness became ever more clear, the delicate panties hidden beneath her skirts unable to fully contain her erection. Unable to recoil even in surprise, Jenny had no choice but to embrace Imogen, to squeeze her tightly, to return the kiss, not that she would have chosen to do anything else. Her lips were as soft as her skin was smooth, her tongue transmitting the barest sensations of the ticking of her internal clockwork directly into Jenny's mouth. With her arms around her, her left hand naturally found the shaft of Imogen's key, spinning away, and when she draped her fingers over it, feeling it turn beneath then, Imogen quivered against her.

That key is definitely an erogenous zone.

put a damper on that jealousy and stay in the moment, maybe?

I'm not jealous, it's just hot! But even as Jenny had the thought, she felt Jess's arms slide down her body, thumbs catching in the waistband of her shorts and gently tugging at them. "Off," she purred into Jenny's ear.

"Hmmph?" With Imogen's lips locked around hers, there was little more she could say.

"She gets your mouth," Jess whispered, "and I get this." She slipped one hand into Jenny's shorts and squeezed one of her ass cheeks, pulling another moan from her that got no further than Imogen's lips. "Imogen, doll, need you to move." Without hesitation, Imogen obeyed, sliding smoothly off her leg — as she moved away, Jess pushed Jenny towards her, until she was leaning forward and Imogen was supporting her. She felt Jess tug her shorts down, felt her panties follow a second later, both left bunched up around her knees. She felt hands on her ass, squeezing, stroking, kneading. "Dirt, but we really have got an amazing ass, don't we?"

we do?

Jenny could practically hear the predatory grin in Jess's voice as she pressed herself against Jenny's ass and leaned down to whisper, "Can't wait to fuck it."

oh

Jenny was torn — on one hand, she was absolutely not prepared for the party to have moved in this direction so quickly; on the other, being sandwiched between a robot version of herself and a literal human wind-up doll was a lewdness cocktail of a magnitude she'd never before experienced. Making out with her ramet had been surprisingly hot, yes, but this was something well beyond that. She could only stare as Imogen broke the kiss, the same gentle, placid smile on her face even as her eyes were aflame with excitement. With impossible grace, she lifted her skirts. "Would you like to play with me?" she whispered.

Any thought of doing otherwise immediately left Jenny's brain. Within seconds, she was on her hands and knees, tugging down Imogen's panties to lap at her other shaft. She felt something warm, wet and hard between her cheeks, felt it tease against her backdoor

wait is she going to

before it slipped almost effortlessly

oh fuck

inside. Jenny let out a moan that echoed inside her mind as she felt herself be filled, at once comfortably familiar and tantalizingly novel. She felt fingers in her hair, stroking gently — Imogen's gentle, perfectly measured touch — and hands on her hips, squeezing, pulling, providing leverage as Jess hilted herself. Something electric raced through Jenny's body, like an arc from her bits up to her heart, and she let out a helpless squeak. This, of course, left her mouth open just long enough for Imogen's own bits to slip inside. For such a delicate girl, she was surprisingly large. Either that, or Jenny's swiss-cheese memory was leaving her without much experience.

"Good girl." Jess grunted as she raked her synthetic nails down Jenny's back, gently enough not to hurt but firmly enough that Jenny knew there'd be marks. Spitroasted between the two of them, Jenny had nowhere to go, nowhere to escape, as Jess worked herself fractionally out of her, then pushed back in. She did it again and again, each stroke another brilliant arc of almost unbearable pleasure that but for a moment paused her tongue in its circuit of Imogen's length. It was as smooth as the rest of her, with the barest hint of a delicate floral scent that might have been her or the scent she was wearing or even something infused into the petticoats draped over her head.

It was perfection. It was bliss. Jenny felt safe and loved in a way that, up until now, only Gallica's vines had been able to make her fleetingly feel. The gentle pounding from Jess, the warm embrace of Imogen, left her wrapped up in a fog that pushed her slowly down into a place where all else fell away. No matter the whimpers and moans and cries of delight she could hear from the other groups in the cuddlepit, all those sounds were meaningless, distant, things she didn't need to concern herself with. All that mattered was what was inside her, front and back, hot and hard and filling her up until there was no room left for anything but her love.

and me, don't forget me

Huh? Oh... Ryder, hi. Are you- are you okay?

i'm fine, yeah

I mean, with this? Somewhere in the foggy shoals of her brain, the idea that she should ask this question was washing up like so much driftwood.

it's making you feel good

But is it making you feel good?

...i think so. yes. i do like this. which feels weird for some reason. like i'm not supposed to

Jenny laughed around Imogen's gock, though her laugh ended in a squeak as Jess pounded her again. Slowly, she slipped back below the surface of her thoughts, let her body be pulled along by the erotic riptide. I think that's just shame.

shame?

Yeah, like, I don't know about you but I still have a lot of that. Less than I used to, though. It's hard to hang onto shame around here, I think.

that does explain a lot about all of your friends

They're your friends too.

they don't know know i exist

Because you said not to tell them about you.

okay, fair. but i feel like you shouldn't. like they won't like me

Ryder, where are we and what are we doing? I don't think "won't like you" is an option.

maybe not, but-

Jess pounded them again, raking her fingers down their back at the same time, pulling Jenny back up for a brief gasp of awareness. When had she wrapped her arms around Imogen's thighs, grabbed fistfuls of her soft little ass? She didn't-

-what if it is?

Look, if I've learned one thing about this place, about the Affini, about being a floret — this is just how they are. They're not hiding anything. There's no secret plot behind it all. It's just love. They love us. And they teach us to love ourselves. It's just love, Ryder, that's all it is. And I love it. And I know they'll love you too.

maybe. but it still worries me. i'm still afraid

Then wait until you're ready. And enjoy the ride until then. Okay?

i think i can manage that. thank you, jen

Hey, if I can't be here for you, who can I be here f- Jenny let out another squeak as Jess reached down and took her bits in her hand, a featherlight grip that teased as much as it tantalized. "You ready, beautiful?" she purred, and Jenny could only whimper a helpless affirmative. With her mouth plugged by Imogen's gock and her head squeezed between two heavenly thighs, and with several layers of petticoat and skirt draped overtop, it was a wonder Jess could even hear her, but hear her she did. The first stroke arrived like a tsunami, a roaring and rushing sensation that, in tandem with Jess's thrusts, left her breathless. The second sucked her into a whirlpool of blissful sensory overload.

Jenny lost count after that. The thrusts, the strokes, the gentle pumping in her mouth, all rolled into one long, indistinguishable tide of erotic energy that swamped every nerve in her body. There was nothing to say, nothing to think, only the inescapable experience of her two lovers having their way with her body, giving pleasure and taking it in turn — and when her body could bear it no more, when it seized and shivered and sat on that blissful, long plateau of orgasm for longer than she believed possible, Jenny realized that her cheeks were wet with tears of joy. Gasping for breath, mouth still dripping with Imogen's seed, she could only lie there and bask in the warm glow of love.

She almost didn't feel the slap on her ass. "Take a moment, gorgeous," Jess whispered to her, before calling out "Miss Tsuga? I think Jenny needs a booster!" She snickered, leaned in close, and added "Take a moment. Then we're going for round two."