"I'm off for the day, dearie!" Mira sang to her wife as she got her tools and gear for the day. "Thanks for breakfast, it was delicious!"

Annabelle smiled at Mira as she was about to leave, bidding adieu in the way Mira knew and loved so well - "Don't work yourself too hard, honey!" Every time Annabelle said those words, it always stirred the butterflies, the adrenaline, the feeling of innocent, unbridled love, deep within Mira's soul. She was cleaning the dishes from her hearty breakfast, a meal that surely would fill Mira up enough to get through a physically challenging day with ease.

Mira was the only farmer in Cloudscape, but her job wasn't undoable for one person; the village only had about two dozen people, and was far removed from much of civilization. They had two hot air balloons that departed and arrived at scheduled times, which was also how they got their weekly stash of supplies and daily mail calls. Parcels from online shopping were usually left at the balloon station and undoubtedly led to some confusion. Cloudscape wasn’t a place people could reach easily.

And that was exactly how Mira liked it.

She had her fair share of capitalist dread and breaking her back to make some old rich guy another couple of pennies, getting takeout because she was too tired to cook and online shopping to ease her exhaustion. Mira never would have thought there was even a way out; she only got away from it when an old friend, her now-wife, invited her to visit. The area was quiet, tranquil, and beautiful. The warmth of the sun was better here than anywhere else, and she never would have thought she could see a sky without light pollution. Not to mention, because of the small population size, she made best friends with everyone within a year or so.

Being the sole gardener, farmer, and rancher meant Mira had to make sure her farm attended to everyone's dietary needs and preferences. Her wife needed to have the same considerations, doing all the baking and cooking -- well, most of it. She'd hired a few people to help out here and there. Mira gained a lot of strength over the years doing just that, and workdays flew by like seconds. But amongst all the crops she carefully harvested, the most cherished one -- and the one she took care of the most -- were starflowers. A rare, mythical resource that kept Cloudscape floating peacefully, kept it protected, and kept its citizens safe and at ease. Not to mention they tasted delicious, but of course everyone knew better than to devour the area's life force.

That was a huge reason why the area was so secluded. As soon as she started tending to the starflowers, she knew extremely well that they would be dangerous in the wrong person's greedy hands.

But she didn't have to worry about that. Mira knew everyone in the area and she trusted them with her life. They all trusted each other.

As Mira harvested the herbs, plants, fruit, and starflowers, she watched rising and falling planes go by. At first, it bothered her, but she learned to love the wind rushing through her hair. It was a rush. It reminded Mira she was alive.

Only…

Ugh. A private jet. Mira haaaated those more than anything. They were invasive, abnormally large, and the worst pest a gardener in the clouds could run into. Not to mention, they always looked extremely tacky. Rich people really just had the worst possible taste, didn't they?

Well, at least she wouldn't have to deal with it for long. She covered her face with her arm to prevent any of the polluted air from getting into her lungs, and waited for the jet to disappear.

And... waited.

Weird. Mira felt as though she was making eye contact with the helicopter, with the way it hovered in the air menacingly. The wind from it continued pillowing through her hair, but not in the comforting way as a spring breeze; rather, much like the way someone would grab her hair and pull her around.

"Didn't expect her to come on such a fancy plane, eh?" A familiar voice crowed over the violent winds. Mira turned her head slightly to see the mayor with an equally confused look. "I thought I told 'er to use the balloon like everyone else...?"

"What?" Mira asked in surprise, "you know who this is, Mayor Patrice?"

"Lady from the big city who offered to oversee the community center!" What...? Why the community center? The Mayor must have predicted her confusion or read her mind, because he readily replied, "since the community center was fixed up, it's started to decay again. Suddenly this lady who runs some non-profits offered to help manage it, and I thought that was a great idea."

She supposed that tracked; after all, between gardening, farming, and providing crops for the entire village, Mira hadn't had as much time to make sure the community center held up. Unfortunately, it wasn't like they had any construction workers or other groundskeepers at the ready. Still, though -- the Mayor didn't think to run it by anyone...?

Her thoughts were cut short. Mira never met an ultra wealthy capitalist, but she commented as the jet lowered to the ground, "I don't think anyone who runs a non-profit would have a private jet."

Before the Mayor could comment, or Mira could protest further, the plane landed just a few feet away from the farm. She and the mayor rushed over, being certain not to step on any crops. The pilot's seat remained occupied by an obscured shadow, but out of the passenger's door came a figure. Upon looking at her, Mira's fears were only further confirmed.

The lady donned a suit that must have cost at least five figures, with jewelry that probably cost as much. Her makeup and hair was immaculate, a look that must have been done by stylists as opposed to herself. And as she stepped onto the garden, the tall lady scowled as she noted the bits of soil that got into her obnoxiously expensive shoes. 

Why would she even come here if she cared so much about whether her shoes shined enough? Why not leave her fancy schmancy shoes at home and perhaps don some sneakers? Then again, judging by even the general aura of her, that suggestion would be almost blasphemous to her. Flicking the dirt off of her expensive shoes, tracking it across the field carelessly, she strode up to Mira and the Mayor.

“You’re Mira, aren’t you?” she asked with an artificially sweet voice as she stuck out her hand, “it’s a pleasure to meet you. I have heard plenty a praise about you from Mayor Patricia.”

“Y…yeah. Pleasure’s all mine, ma’am,” Mira responded dryly, shaking her hand. She couldn’t help but notice how firmly her hand was grabbed and mangled around for a solid five seconds. “You’re – correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re overseeing the upkeep of the community center. Is that correct?”

The lady smiled dryly. “In a sense, yes. Mayor? May I have some time to discuss my vision further with Mirror here?”

“Mira,” she corrected, receiving no acknowledgement from the businesslady.

“Right… yeah, I suppose. Mira, you mind showing our new resident around the place?”

Mira’s jaw dropped to the floor. “Res…resident?”

“Oh, yes!” the rich lady said in a sing-song voice, “I’m very excited to move in and…” Mira couldn’t help but notice the imperceptible creep of her smile as she spoke, “get to know everyone.”

As much as the Mayor apparently trusted her, Mira couldn’t get rid of the sinking feeling in her stomach. Perhaps she was being too quick to judge? But the vision of her crops being claimed by some megacorporation, her town and the people becoming company drones, and this lady ruling over them with an iron fist… She couldn’t get it out of her head.

“My name is Aurelia, by the way,” she said, extending a hand. “Looking forward to working alongside you… neighbor.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Since Aurelia had joined the neighborhood – or, rather, taken over it – Mira had a sickening feeling in her stomach. A pervasive sense of dread accompanied her everywhere she went, and she could tell the townspeople were on guard too, given how many unpleasant encounters most of them had with Aurelia’s lawyers, body guards, fashion assistants, and Aurelia herself. It had gone, unfortunately, just as Mira predicted.

Mira wanted to be angry at the mayor for even entertaining this idea, but something seemed so, so far fetched. She couldn’t tell exactly what. But the Mayor wouldn’t have just keeled over with a flick on the forehead, especially knowing how much the Mayor hated people like her. And especially knowing the value — and potential for corruption — of the starflowers. Realizing the Mayor was… indisposed, for lack of a better word, Mira all but pushed her way into Aurelia’s office.

The sadistic businesswoman didn’t acknowledge her with shock, fear, or even falsified panic. She just turned and smiled widely. A chill ran down Mira’s spine.

“Mira, how lovely of you to drop in! I was just about to go looking for you. Sit, sit.”

“N-nice of you to offer. But I’m fine, I’ll be quick,” Mira murmured. Wait, she was about to go looking for Mira? What in the hell did that mean? It didn’t matter. “I just want to know what’s made you so enchanted with our village. I mean, it’s out of the way of everything, and so disconnected from the capitalism you’re so fond of. And it doesn’t seem like you’re interested in making friends with the villagers, either. So why move here? And why invest so much in our community center?”

Aurelia’s smile curled upwards. She seemed almost not human. “I’m passionate about small communities, and want to use my wealth for good.”

Mira’s anger flared up even higher. “That’s nice and all, but how am I supposed to trust you? How is anyone supposed to trust you? You reek of greed. You might be doing this out of altruism. But if you were, you’d have more of a vested interest in our community. In protecting our community from corporate overlords. But I’ve never heard of you, and the Mayor has never fully elaborated as to how you convinced anyone. And I’ll tell you this. We might not have your resources, but all of us combined together are a power worth taking seriously.”

Mira had to admit — she didn’t exactly plan to go in that hard against Aurelia. After all, she hadn’t necessarily done anything particularly evil… yet. But her gut was telling her to get this lady out of her village, and Mira trusted her gut. It always guided her to the right places.

Infuriatingly, though, Aurelia’s face didn’t change. In fact, she smiled wider once Mira was done, as if Mira had provided a private comedy show. What the hell was her problem? She must have had a whole laundry list of problems.

But she maintained her composure, which was more than Mira could say.

“Feisty, are we?” Aurelia stood up and walked over to Mira. She did not hesitate, did not use caution, and invaded Mira’s private space without a care in the world. Aurelia licked her lips as she pushed Mira against the wall with her sheer presence alone. “I’d caution you against it, if I’m honest. You claim to have power in numbers, but rest assured I can snuff all of your sorry village out with but a wave of my hand. It wouldn’t even be hard, and I’d be still able to accomplish my goals.”

“Your… goals?” Mira tried to look tough, but her stammering and shaking showed that for the lie it was. “And what are those?”

“Finally, you ask. For someone claiming to represent the village, your people skills could use a fair bit of work. Are you aware that research has been done on your well-guarded crop?” Mira’s eyes widened. “Oh, yes. Lots and lots of research. A bit baffling you never noticed. Have you ever wondered what happens with people who buy a bundle of star flour, claiming to want to bake a batch of bread for a dying grandparent? You’d think you would have a lot more discretion in protecting your little secret.”

Mira’s anger flared up, but she was powerless in the face of this woman. Her fists clenched and her body shook, but Mira was no less stuck against a wall, literally and metaphorically. “You… you took advantage of us?”

“Oh, yes.” She had no shame! “It was quite easy, too. You country folk sure are trusting. All my people had to do is come to you with an even remotely sad sob story, and your people eat it up like chocolate. Sometimes we get them even for free! And our children are so helpful too. A simple look of pleading from them and they’re just handed over.”

Mira’s legs shook. Her anger warped into something worse; humiliation. Sorrow. She was played for a fool, and she didn’t see any of it coming.

“You don’t need to look so miserable, dearie,” Aurelia purred. From the corner of Mira’s eyes, she saw Aurelia slip her hand into her pocket. “The community center you worked so hard on will have a different use now. It’ll be a factory to process starflowers. I’ll be the one overseeing it, of course. And you won’t have to worry about anyone getting in our way, either; it’ll be off-limits for everyone. I’m sure your little knitting groups and book clubs can happen elsewhere. And even if you are able to push us out, we already have a vast collection of crops. It’s simply more convenient to set up shop here. And I’m a frugal woman, I’m sure you can understand.” Aurelia was anything but frugal. But Mira… she couldn’t fight back! She was frozen, completely and utterly. As much as she was furious, she was more so completely powerless.

“None of this will hurt, not for you.”

Aurelia removed her hand from her pocket and reached it up above Mira’s head–

And then Mira felt a small shock. Static electricity, perhaps? She supposed it made sense, and it would be so fitting for someone so evil to be able to summon electricity on a whim. Except, after it, Mira felt… tired. Upon closer introspection, she realized it wasn’t static electricity. 

Aurelia had a syringe injected into Mira’s head.

“Wh…what… what in the…” By the time she noticed, Mira was too far gone.

She collapsed to the floor, falling into darkness, the world altering around her. She fainted, allowing Mira to easily side step her and continue her plans.

“Don’t worry,” Aurelia said before leaving, “it won’t hit you all at once. Promise.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Mira found it beyond odd that she couldn’t remember her meeting with Aurelia, sure. But she couldn’t let that worry get to her; she had stuff to do. First thing during business hours the next day, she went over to the only lawyer in town, Attorney Hinneman, to inquire – no, demand for – his services. Aurelia wanted to play dirty? Then Mira would show her the power her village truly had.

She had the eviction papers in hand, not signed or looked over by a lawyer. Not yet, anyways. Mira was sure that, if anyone wanted to use their legal powers for good, it was Attorney Hinneman. He was just about the only lawyer she would trust with this task, even if he wasn’t the only lawyer in town.

“This Aurelia lady has rubbed me the wrong way since she moved in,” he stated, looking over the legal paperwork and taking notes. He didn’t doubt Mira’s ability to pay, and even then, he’d probably do the work pro-bono. “She doesn’t belong here. She belongs back at the big city. We have enough of a legal precedent to evict her, based on her hostile takeover of the community center and her disrespect – downright abuse, in some cases – of our villagers and their trust.”

Mira beamed. “So you’ll work with me?”

“Absolutely. Without a shadow of a doubt.”

That was before a thick packet came for Attorney Hinneman the next day. It was sent first class, in impeccable handwriting, and in the highest-quality legal paper. It didn’t take much guessing to recognize it came from whichever fancy ass law firm Aurelia had in her back pocket. Attorney Hinneman’s face drained of blood upon reading it, and like a switch, he changed his tune within an instant.

Mira sighed heavily, having lost her only lead and her most powerful ally. Probably the most powerful individual in the Cloudscape alone.

Unsure of where to go next, Mira went to the only place that cleared her mind without failure. The waterfall on the other side of the village. With a hefty, defeated sigh, she took a seat next to it. The sound of the waterfall, and the clear air, washed her worries away. Her shoulders slumped, and she let out a slow, steady exhale. The situation looked hopeless, but she wasn’t done for. There was only so much Aurelia could do; Mira just had to find the right angle of attack.

Just as the waterfall almost cleared her mind entirely, and put her into a meditative state, something disrupted her trance. Some cries, moans, and leaves rustling. Mira furrowed her eyebrows so hard that they all but gained muscles. With a hefty amount of hesitance, she stood up, and walked around the waterfall.

Mira was so shellshocked by what she saw that she let out no noise, staying undetected. She rubbed her eyes. She couldn’t be seeing what she thought she was seeing. Right?

No. This was real. Very, very real.

In the middle of the field, out for the world and God to see, were Ann and Jorge. That alone wasn’t an odd sight; they’d been married for almost a decade. But what was shocking was seeing the PDA-averse, normally reclusive pair fucking like wild animals. In the open. Not discreet in the slightest. They were loud, both with their moaning and begging, and from their bodies slapping against each other. Not to mention, Ann was asexual, and sex-repulsed. The fact they were having sex was shocking in and of itself, but it wasn’t really Mira’s business.

But in the open?

Unprotected, leaving Ann susceptible to becoming an unwilling mother… and with Ann begging for more. Ecstasy and joy was on her face, and Jorge was no less lost to pleasure. 

Mira stepped back. A branch crackled from under her feet. Shit, they’re going to catch me…! Before she could be labeled a creep or exhibitionist, though, Ann and Jorge’s faces contorted upon meeting Mira. Not in anger. Not in embarrassment.

They smiled, eyelids fluttering. Ann and Jorge were inviting Mira to join in.

Mira stammered out a bunch of excuses, and an avalanche of apologies, and then she bolted back to her farm. She locked the fences tight. Upon hearing the commotion, her wife came out to see what the problem was… but Mira couldn’t say. She felt as though she was going insane. It wasn’t like anyone would believe her anyways.

She slugged her physically and mentally exhausted body indoors, tending to her indoor garden. It was a nice distraction, at the very least.

Even Mira hoped it was a bad dream. She wished she was just gaslighting herself.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Mira wanted to assume the mayor would be on her side, but her assumptions were being disproven at lightning speed nowadays. It didn’t matter if the mayor was the first one Mira trusted. Everything was changing before her eyes; the grip Aurelia had on the villagers was beyond ironclad. The mayor was also the one who let Aurelia move into the village in the first place, unable to defend or explain her decision. So Mira’s abundance of caution made sense, she felt.

The mayor walked into his office, surprised at Mira’s unwelcome visit. “Ah – Mira! What a… surprise. To what do I owe the honor?” Mira couldn’t help but feel that his eyes were a bit too shifty for her liking, but she had to keep on with her offensive.

“Mayor. I apologize for dropping in without notice. Please pardon the intrusion, but I don’t think this can wait anymore.”

“Ah, well, erm…” The mayor sat down with hesitance, eyes looking everywhere but at Mira. “Sure. This should be quick, though. I have folks coming soon.”

Folks? “I promise. Mayor, I’m feeling extremely uneasy about Aurelia’s inclusion on the farm. You must see it too. Her business interests aren’t aligned with our village. And I never got to hear your reasoning for accepting her in the first place. So what don’t I know? And what exactly did Aurelia promise you? Surely you, as the mayor, see that this is a terrible fit. And that things are only changing against our will. You see that, right?” Mira teared up, and the mayor only looked more anxious, eyeing the door.

“I, uh, yeah, I guess I see it, b-but…”

“So we should be able to push her out, right? You have the most power over anyone here. I tried to enlist Attorney Hinneman to help, but Aurelia threatened him into silence. I know she has some… some power over you. But please, mayor. Look inside yourself. Is this really worth it?”

“Well, that’s…”

“What could she be offering you that is more valuable than the integrity and safety of our–”

The door opening cut off Mira’s pleading. She whipped around and saw… Lissy and Citrine? Two villagers with blonde locks and hourglass bodies. Mira never saw either of them dress in skimpy pink clothes, faces full of makeup, or cleavage pouring out of their shirts. After all, Lissy was a respected academic, and Citrine was a well-renowned nurse with decades of experience. Instantly, Mira had a sinking feeling in her stomach.

As much as she hated it, she knew what was about to happen.

“Oh, h-hi girls…” The mayor spoke with a hefty dose of hesitation; if he looked suspicious before, he looked like a criminal on the run now. Both ladies walked by Mira, and as they did, she took note of how vapid and blank their expressions were. Their eyes were vacant of any thoughts, and both wore matching dopey smiles. Instinctively, Mira stood up in shock, and her horror only grew as both girls gave the mayor a smooch on each cheek.

“Wh…what…?”

“G-girls, one moment if you – ah!”

Both of them knelt down. Mira heard the mayor’s pants unzip, before he was taken over by pleasure as well. Indecent licking sounds filled the room, along with the sudden, strong scent of sex. Now she understood. Mira didn’t get everything, most of all how the traditional values mayor could allow this to happen, but Mira saw the rough shape of it.

Of how Aurelia took over the village.

“I-I know this is, ah, shocking, Mira…” the mayor panted in pleasure, although his words were barely audible over the moaning. “But… wouldn’t you like to join?”

What?

“It’s not so bad, the ways of the big city… perhaps some change is due. And if you service me too, I won’t tell Mistress of your insubordination.”

Suddenly, her mind was brought back to the small shock of static she felt. Mira furrowed her eyebrows. She remembered something was off after, but couldn’t recall what else happened after. Regardless, she knew. Aurelia couldn’t be beaten in any righteous or legal way.

“...sorry,” Mira murmured. With a herculean effort, she got to her knees and headed for the door. “I… I’ll leave you all to it. Pardon the intrusion.”

Mira couldn’t help but notice a ringing in her ears, her subconscious begging her to give in. She almost  had given into temptation. What the fuck was wrong with her? No… no. She was just tired. There was no way Mira would have succumbed to the same kind of lewd conditioning.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

To say Mira was exhausted was a planetary sized understatement. She sighed heavily as she unlocked the door to her house, preparing to collapse in bed. Sleeping wouldn’t solve her problems, but it would be a temporary reprieve at least. Her wife would probably softly pet her head, prepare a warm pan of bread, and coo affirmations into Mira’s ear as she fell asleep. It was the one thing Mira had left going for her at this point. Her and her wife weren’t powerful, no. But they at least had each other as their home village turned into a capitalist hellscape of debauchery and mental manipulation.

Except, upon cracking the door open just a little, her heart sank.

Mira was suddenly overwhelmed with a putrid wave of sex smell. It was so potent she thought she was going to pass out. And recognizable, too. Without a doubt, the person whose fluids filled the area was her wife. It’s entirely plausible she was just having a good masturbation session, but to this extent, it was unlikely that was the only thing going on.

Opening the door further – with a ton of caution – only confirmed Mira’s worst fears. In addition to the smell getting exponentially stronger, Mira’s ears were assaulted with the sounds of moaning, slapping, choking, and dirty talk of the most vile kind, with whispers that Mira dared not repeat.

“A…Annabelle…?” Mira couldn’t hold her shock in anymore, and fell to the floor into a puddle of what Mira could only assume was arousal. Annabelle’s eyes turned to her wife’s. They were wide, empty, and fitting perfectly with the vacant smile on her face.

“Hi, dear,” she said in a monotone voice – one Mira somehow found seductive. “Would you please grab some water for myself and Mistress?”

“Wh…what?” That was all Mira could think to say. Even as Aurelia turned to her, she was completely speechless, watching in fury as her wife was taken from her by the same lady who destroyed her livelihood, her community. But finally, she got her bearings. “What the fuck is going on?!”

“Oh? I thought that was obvious,” Aurelia cackled, turning to face Mira too. “Or are you too much of a prude to not understand what’s going on?”

“Stop bullshitting me and get away from my wife!” Mira exploded. “And get the fuck out of my–”

SNAP

Mira’s thoughts died in her head as Aurelia snapped her fingers. The sound echoed in the room. Aurelia, as if Mira wasn’t there, pushed Annabelle’s head back into her crotch and continued deepthroating her.

“That’s better. And that’s – ohh, that’s so… so good…!”

With a final few thrusts, Aurelia burst into Annabelle’s mouth. She shot ropes of cum down her throat, the amount overloading and eventually dripping out from Annabelle’s lips. Mira wished that the ground would collapse beneath her. She wanted to disappear. She wanted all of this to end.

“Don’t swallow or spit,” Aurelia suddenly ordered, prying Annabelle’s mouth open as her cheating wife kept the semen gurgling in her mouth. The businesslady slipped something in, and then closed her mouth for her. “You know what to do, don’t you, dear?”

She nodded. Like a robot, Annabelle stood up. Annabelle strolled over to Mira, kneeling down to Mira’s level. Before Mira could process what was happening, Annabelle put her lips over Mira’s agape jaw. Her kiss was passionless, as if her real pleasure was obeying Aurelia. Her tongue moved all of her Owner’s cum, plus whatever she put onto her tongue, into Mira’s mouth. Mira gagged, and tried to spit it out, but faced with lips that were like an impenetrable wall–

Eventually, she retched. The only thing she could do was swallow it. Aurelia’s cum coated Mira’s insides. And it only took a moment for her to feel something else.

“Did I do well, Mistress?” Annabelle immediately turned to Aurelia, seeking her approval.

“Extremely,” Aurelia purred, rubbing Annabelle’s hair lightly.

Then, with the inside of her thigh, she kicked Annabelle away and strode up to the incapacitated Mira.

“I’ve had my lab workers take a look at the starflowers,” she said. “It’s a little thing called genetic modification. Don’t worry your pretty little head about the details, though. And don’t worry about your farm, either. You can keep your little farm. I have no interest in taking it. In fact, I’ve left a handful of seeds out there for you to plant.”

Mira sullenly turned to where Aurelia motioned. Sure enough, there was a bucket of starflower seeds. They looked the exact same. Mira knew they were different. But she wouldn’t if Aurelia hadn’t told her.

“I just gave you a special formula,” Aurelia continued. “I need my best farmer to be functional, you know? But it’s just a bit of insurance. You’re not going to think of disobeying me. You can hate me as much as you want. But you’ll never even think of disobeying me. Of defecting. Of trying to find help. And I won’t need to give it to you directly, either. You can trust your wife will bake it into whatever I tell her to.”

Mira wanted to mouth a ‘no’, but she couldn’t even do that. Embarrassingly, her head nodded.

She lost.

“Ah, that face makes me so horny,” Aurelia chuckled, turning to Annabelle. “Bend over, would you?”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Another day preparing starflowers as Mira’s wife was relentlessly fucked by the CEO of StarCorp, Aurelia. After a couple months, they stopped remembering to close the door, allowing Mira to hear their debauchery step-by-step. Mira thanked the gods that she’d relocated all of her animals, lest they become aware of the community the Cloudscape turned out to be.

Her farm had become nothing but starflowers, particularly the genetically modified ones that Aurelia had prepared. And they were far easier to take care of. They grew faster and in any kind of soil. Hell, it would take someone with a talent to kill them. The starflowers grew, its spores spreading to the Cloudscape. 

Half of the members who remained in the community had become paid whores at Aurelia’s brothel, with the rest of the town taking turns with each of them. Truthfully, many of the whores stopped caring all together. At first there was resistance, threats, aggression in their fight back against Aurelia. But none of it lasted more than a couple days. It helped that Mira and her wife – trusted members of the community – were the ones brainwashing them. 

But in the end, it was all meaningless.

Mira was the only one still lucid in the Cloudscape. She had to be. Aurelia needed her to be awake. She had an important job to do, after all. To ensure the corruption Aurelia craved to spread. 

Soon, everyone would be at Aurelia’s feet. Starflowers provided all the necessary nutrients, and with food becoming more scarce in the world, she’d been giving it out at food banks and giving out samples in grocery stores. This only helped Aurelia’s image, now being seen as a charitable angel rather than a ruthless businesswomen.

Was Mira happy? No. Obviously not. She lost everything. And with nothing left, all she had was obedience.

After finishing for the day, she walked in and provided fresh bottles of water for her wife and her Mistress.

Mira smiled bitterly watching them.