Dog of War

We're making Miss do extra work!

 

“I-it's not that bad.” Princess meekly protested, as they watched Miss place the meal in the compiler.

 

“Nonsense.” Miss’ voice was stern and final as a flurry of vines sweet about retrieving things from cabinets. “I will not have you eat something you dislike in my care.”

 

“Ah! Uhm-” Princess blushed, their heart fluttering in their chest. Gosh, it made them feel several kinds of ways when she got assertive. “O-okay.” They still felt bad about the discarded meal, Miss had clearly put a lot of effort and love into it, but there was no winning in an argument against her. The Affini had all the control here and they both knew it. They could at least see over the counter from their seat, so they might as well enjoy the show.

 

A skillet was placed over the stovetop as Miss buttered several slices of bread, other vines slicing a block of cheese. She dusted something over each side of the buttered bread before sliding two pieces into the pan. A wonderful scent followed the sizzling sound, and it occurred to them that they had never watched her cook before.

 

It was memorizing to behold. Each vine was fluid and deliberate in its action. The whole of her seemed to dance in place as she watched over the meal. Miss' form swayed, her vines furling and unfurling. That even such a simple meal warranted such care and effort... something in them ached at it. If this is how much she put into something like this, what was it like for the more complex meals? Miss flipped the two sandwiches and the sizzling returned in full force. Princess swallowed back saliva at the sight of cheese drooling out of the side. They could hardly wait to taste the replacement meal.

 

The sandwiches were soon plated, and Princess found themselves lifted into Miss’ lap again. They wiggled a little, settling into the nook she made for them. “I had been saving grilled cheese sandwiches for this sort of thing. I'm confident you'll enjoy them but I want your honesty, okay?” Tap, stroke, circle-

 

Oh, this is good.

 

It was just melted cheese on toasted bread with garlic, but it tasted incredible. The bread had just enough crunch, the cheese just the right amount of chewiness, and the garlic brought out the best of both. Princess eagerly confirmed their satisfaction with a hum, leaning into their Affini. Miss shared in their delight; even outside of her petting they could feel her joy prick up through them. They couldn't help but sigh as she gave them the command to swallow, and the second bite soon followed.

 

Princess heart began to overflow, everything was just so perfect. The comfort of the Affini's lap, her love, the gentle strokes, Mr Bear in their arms, the delicious bites of food, the cadence of the meal. It was so just so perfect. They loved her so much, it was hard to think about what their life was before she came into it. They didn't care to, either; everything before all felt so small, so distant, so devoid of life now.

 

If this is being her pet, we could learn to accept the rest.

 

Both sandwiches seemed to almost disappear as they lost themselves in the moment. A sadness that didn't last long either, as Miss scooped Princess into her vines. They happily nuzzled into her as she gave them a few doting pets, carrying them into the living room. “Ash said they just got off the transit from the Vervarium, they should be here in a few minutes. I'll be with you the whole time they're over, okay? Nothing bad is going to happen.”

 

Confusion cropped up in the cotton of Princess’ comfort-adled mind. How could anything bad happen when Miss was there? They were safe here.

 

She must still be worried about the incident with Nick.

 

Princess had nearly forgotten about that. Even such a recent event felt like ages ago, so many things had happened since. They hadn't even figured out they were a girl then. “We'll be fine, Miss. What happened to Nick anyways?”

 

“Ah.” Miss' vines coiled possessively around Princess, causing them to squeak. Sparks of red flashed across her eyes, vines lashed about like live wires, leaves bristled like fur. They'd never seen the Affini so angry, nor felt more infatuated. She growled as she continued, practically spitting the words. “Little Elle is doing much better now as a floret. Miss Parmenia has helped her understand that such behavior is unacceptable.”

 

Princess was dizzy with arousal as the vines continued to tighten. “E-elle?” They weren't even sure why they asked, the implication was obvious.

 

Suddenly all the tension bled from the air as Miss gave them a scritch. “Yes, it seems she just needed a little push to realize her true self. Much like you, Princess!”

 

“A-ah.” Princess pressed into it, panting. Oh! Good for her! Even Nick, er, Elle deserved to realize how much better being a girl is.

 

“Maybe we'll arrange a playdate for you two sometime, but for now I just want you to get along with Ash, okay?”

 

“Mhm.” That sounded nice. Elle was probably just acting out at the time; adjusting to the Compact was pretty hard. Maybe they could be friends now! That would be nice. It sounded like she was doing a lot better now that she let her Affini help her.

 

Miss set Princess down in her lap, beginning to doze off as the Affini continued to dote on them. A chair and a cushion sat next to each other, about two meters across from them, waiting to host their guest. “You've been very good girls, I think you two deserve a treat before Ash arrives.”

 

Excitement roused Princess to awareness.

 

Yes! Good girls get treats ! We're good girls !

 

Miss placed a berry on their tongue with a tap, touching her vine to their chin and pausing just long enough to make them whimper. The gesture to chew followed swiftly, and they moaned as the rich, sweet juices flooded their mouth. It was hard to even pin down what made the medley of flavor so good at this point. Tears beaded in the corners of their eyes. It was everything good and everything that could be good. They savored every microsecond before Miss had them swallow.

 

Awareness slowly trickled back in as the afterglow of the berry faded. Miss' petting didn't exactly help to that end, but stars did it feel nice. “I'll give you another one after Ash leaves if you keep being a good girl for me, okay?”

 

“Yes Miss!” Princesses were good girls, so they'd do their best regardless, but a treat certainly helped.

 

“Mx Harmon is here!” Jess announced. “Should I let them in?”

 

“I'll get it.” The petting stopped, and Miss set them down on a cushion. She moved to the door. “Ash, it's so nice to finally meet you!”

 

“Sorry, I hope I'm not late, I missed the first train from the shuttle station.”

 

“Not at all, we actually ended up a bit behind schedule ourselves. Come in, come in.” Miss stepped aside, and Mx Harmon followed her in. They looked different, and not just because the last time they had seen each other was in Navy uniform. They seemed healthier, but there was something just a bit off about their face. Princess couldn't place what; it's not like they ever had paid much attention to the engineer. More androgynous, perhaps? It didn't help that they had never spent time around them outside of what was necessary. There was something else off as the door shut behind them. Something missing?

 

Where's their Affini?

 

That's what it was! Mx Harmon was also in a wardship, like Nick and themselves, so they should have an Affini with them, shouldn't they?

 

Maybe they’re coming later?

 

“Would you like a glass of water? Or something else to drink?”

 

“No, but thank you. I won't be-” Mx Harmon froze as they made eye contact with each other. They went pale, and looked like they had seen a ghost  before they tore their eyes away from Princess' own. Their voice was flat as they finished “...I won't be here long.” They cleared their throat as they made their way over to them. “It's, uh, Princess now, right?”

 

That was not quite the reaction Princess was used to. Well, it's not like fear was atypical, even if it had been a while. What made it strange was they got the sense it wasn't directed at them. They stood up, the polite thing was to greet them regardless. “Mx Harmon, it's good to see you.” They smiled. They were perfectly eye to eye with them now, an odd feeling considering how they towered over them last they saw each other. “And yes, we've been using Princess for ourselves lately. We only settled on the name three days ago.”

 

“Wait, just three days ago?”

 

“Uhh-” That was when they did it, right? During their last therapy session? “Yeah? Why?”

 

Mx Harmon glanced up at Miss as she moved behind Princess. That was strange, as was her answer. “No reason. It, uh, suits you.”

 

Miss seemed pleased about something as she pulled them back into her lap. Princess couldn't help themselves as they nuzzled into a vine brushing their cheek. They felt a little bad indulging since Mx Harmon’s Affini hadn't shown up yet, but they weren't about to ask Miss to stop. It was just comfortable and safe nestled inside her! “Why don't you have a seat? I'm sure you three have a lot of catching up to do.” She motioned towards the chairs and various cushions across from them. “I forgot to ask your preference, so I compiled both. Or if you prefer, I could help you onto the couch.”

 

“The chair is fine, thank you.” They took a moment to move some pillows from in front of it and sat down. “So, uh, Princess. You seem to be doing well.”

 

“Mhmmm.” The petting was just the right level where thinking was still possible, albeit distracted. “Miss has been helping us out a lot recently! Figuring out our gender and plurality, and adjusting to life in the compact and a bunch of other stuff.”

 

She's so wonderful.

 

“And you're... happy here?”

 

Princess blushed as their earlier revelations echoed in their head. “Y-yeah.” Miss rumbled with satisfaction, the vibrations penetrating deep into their being. They could feel how happy that made her, an overwhelming sensation. “Uhm, you seem to be doing good too! We bet your Affini has been helping you a lot as well!” They floundered, desperate to shift the focus off themselves.

 

“Hm?” Mx Harmon furrowed her brow. “Oh, Florence? I guess so.” They shrugged. “She's helped point me towards a lot of resources and make a few appointments.”

 

“Yeah they're really great! When is Miss Florence coming by?”

 

More confusion. “Florence is her first name, and she isn't?”

 

“She let you come down from the ship by yourself?”

 

Mx Harmon was visibly uncomfortable, shifting in their seat as they once again looked up at Miss. Silence hung in the air before they answered. “...Yes.”

 

Something wasn't adding up, Miss hadn't even let them go outside the hab on their own. “Were you declared independent?”

 

Mx Harmon looked at Miss for a moment and sighed, “No, I'm still a ward for now, but Florence says I'll probably be declared independent soon.”

 

“Don't you get lonely without her?”

 

There it was, another glance! Why did she keep looking at Miss? What had she said to them? “Not really?” They shrugged. “Florence is cool, but she's more of a friend. The class C inhibitors help with the biorhythm though.”

 

“Biorhythm?” Had Princess missed something in their research?

 

Mx Harmon grimaced, looking to Miss yet again, and the Affini finally interjected. “It's alright, Ash.” A small scritch at that special place at the back of their heart scattered the mounting worries to the wind as she answered the question. “A biorhythm is a bit difficult to explain, Princess. The simple version is that it's the summation of a sophonts movements, behavior, the way they carry themselves. It's not actually audible, not to Terrans at least, and every sophont has one, but an Affini’s is a bit... stronger. It can be mildly hypnotic, and becoming attuned to it can result in the sophont in question becoming a little dependent on the Affini. In return, the sophont feels immense comfort associated with the Affini's biorhythm.”

 

That sounds familiar...

 

Princess couldn't exactly place it as each relaxing stroke of Miss’ vines coaxed their thoughts away. It was so hard to focus on anything but her voice and the safety of her vines. Maybe Miss was going to explain it to them, they could sense she wasn't done speaking.

 

We could figure it out later if not.

 

“Although it is reversible, we usually try to avoid this with wardships as the sophont can find the process distressing. They also tend to lose interest in being independent too, but that's rarely viewed as an issue. This normally isn't hard to avoid as most sophont species aren't that sensitive to it. However you cuties- Terrans, that is- have a very strong pack bonding instinct that can make you especially prone to it, so Class C inhibitors to dull that response are pretty common in Terran wardships.”

 

Princess opened their mouth to ask the obvious, but Miss answered their question before they could. “No, you didn't get any. The xenodrugs don't dull just the bonding response in regards to biorhythms, but as a whole. You were already struggling with socializing so much that I thought it wouldn't be good for recovery.”

 

“Oh, okay.” That made sense, they were having a lot of trouble making friends at first. There was still something off about this whole thing that Princess couldn't quite put their finger on. Something about the whole situation and differences between themselves and Mx Harmon that wasn't adding up right.

 

“Sooo,” Mx Harmon started. Dirt, they had nearly forgotten they were there. “Your, uh, dress is cute.”

 

“Oh! Thanks, Miss picked it out. She helped us get dressed too!” It was a very cute dress, from the petal-like cuts of the skirt to Miss’ flower over their breast pocket, holding their coin. “We like your, uh-” They looked over Ash, eager to return the compliment, only to realize they were dressed rather plainly. Light blue jeans, a white v neck tee and flannel with rolled sleeves atop it- no cute floral designs or signs that an Affini was looking after them. Another oddity. They were piling up like snow in a blizzard. There was one thing that did catch their attention. “Your boots are nice! Those are new, right?” They were black, seemingly leather, and while they weren't polished, they were at least cleaned. They were incorrectly laced and tied, but that wouldn't be polite to mention.

 

“Oh?” Mx Harmon looked at their boots as though they had forgotten they had put them on. “Uhhh, thanks? I just compiled them this morning. They're pretty comfortable.”

 

“Ah.” Princess didn't really know what they were expecting, it wasn't like many sophonts shared their passion in regards to boots. Most were blind to the benefits of having and caring for a good pair of boots.

 

“That, uh, bear is new? Did Camila give it to you?”

 

“Oh, Mister Bear?” Princess held the plushie up, examining him for a second before pulling him back into their arms for a hug. “Yeah! She gave him to us when we started therapy.” They held him up proudly, “He's super cute, isn't he?”

 

The look on Mx Harmon’s face was nothing short of horrified confusion. They didn't take their eyes off Miss anymore, each word was measured. “Uh, yeah, real... cute.”

 

Princess frowned as the conservation died again. Ugh, this whole thing was so awkward, they could practically taste it. They had little in common before, and even less now. They’d almost rather get stabbed by Elle again then keep going on like this. There had to be something they could actually talk about! The only thing they had in common was the Valiant though.

 

They were an engineer right? Didn't they work right under the department lead?

 

That had to be what this was all about! It was the only thing that made any sense, why else would Ash of all people go through so much effort to see them again. What was her name again? Jennifer MacDonald, right? The memories dredged up were aged, but carried a fresh foulness to them. She cried and screamed and kicked all the way to airlock, professing her innocence to her final breath.

 

We were only trying to save our own skin...

 

That didn't keep them from feeling sickened. There was only one thing they could do about it. It wouldn't make it better, and would likely reopen old wounds, but it had to happen nonetheless.

 

“Sorry.”

 

That got both of their attention. “Huh?”

 

“Princess?”

 

“About Miss MacDonald, that is.” Princess took a breath, hugging Mr Bear for comfort. “We're not sure what your relationship with her was, but we know you worked directly with her a lot, and you bothered to come here just to see us, so we're guessing you two were close. We never meant for the signal to be discovered, and we didn't have a lot of options once it was. We figured she was the best person to take the blame, being the one of the only people with the know-how and privilege to send it.” Miss' vines traced soothing patterns on their back, steadying their emotions. “We wish it didn't happen. We wish none of the things we did aboard that ship had happened, but it did, and we're sorry.”

 

There was a stunned silence as a dozen emotions processed on Mx Harmon's face. Pain, shock, anger, grief and more. Finally, they spoke. “Jen was my partner. We were impressed together on Eris-minor, we had been working for different companies then. Neither of us were happy about being on the Valiant, but meeting her almost made it worth it. She meant everything to me, and was what kept me going during the harder times. I was going to ask her to marry me after the war. When she died, she took a piece of me with her. I... I don't think I can just forgive you that easily, but hearing that means a lot to me, so. Thanks, I guess.”

 

The words stung. Princess had figured they might be friends, but lovers? Though with the taboo around a superior officer dating their junior, it was no wonder they kept it secretive. Still, Mx Harmon’s reaction was about the best they could have hoped for, considering the act in question. The thought of losing Daisy was an unpleasant one. They certainly wouldn't be nearly as forgiving if someone got her spaced for their fuck up. That didn't stop the tears from welling. “W-we understand.”

 

Miss gave Princess another thought scrambling scritch, picking them up to dote on them more effectively. “It's alright, Princess, you’re not that person anymore. You're a good girl now, and that's all in the past, okay?”

 

“Yuh-yesh Missss...” Princess melted into her touch. Miss was right, as usual.

 

“Camila, do you think we could talk in private for a bit before I go?”

 

“Hm? Hmmm...” Miss pet them for a few moments more as she thought it over. It was oddly nice to know they brought her even a fraction of the comfort she gave them. “I suppose we do need to have a little chat.” The vines under them shifted, and they were placed on the couch with a headpat and their pad. “Ash and I will just be just a few minutes, petal.”

 

Gosh her smile was so pretty. The way her flowers and mossy hair framed her face was breathtaking, not to mention her eyes... with a blush,Princess realized they still needed to actually reply. “Y-yes Miss!”

 

“Good girls.”

 

Princess wiggled in place, hiding their blush in Mr Bear.

 

We're good girls !

 

“Ash, if you'd follow me to the kitchen we can talk there.”

 

“Right.” Ash got up from the chair, and the two left.

 

Princess shivered as they felt the closing door cut them off from Miss. Dirt, that was weird. Why did it always feel like the Affini took all the warmth with her wherever she went? Why did they always feel like they missed her the second she left the room?

 

That's her biorhythm, isn't it?

 

Suddenly, things began to click into place.