Dog of War

Princess kept their eyes downwards, blushing furiously as they sat on the pet bed, trying to focus on Mr Bear in their lap. Jess, who was apparently their connivent now, sat behind them, happily braiding their hair. Meanwhile, Daisy had been vibrating with energy ever since they were told the news at breakfast. She was currently ‘helping’ her Owner get snacks for the movie night she insisted on doing to celebrate. A thinly veiled excuse to give them even more alone time, though Princess could only guess why.

 

Jess had been taking care of Princess all day, and how that made them feel was exactly what she was trying to avoid. Princesses rely on others, but it was one thing when it was Mistress, and another when it was a fellow non-Affini and pet. Something about it underlined the fact that they were dependent even by floret standards.

 

So we really can't dress ourselves anymore, and need someone there to take care of us, that's fine. Mistress will make sure there's always someone to take care of us.

 

Stars, that had been embarrassing. Princess had insisted on trying to help Jess get themselves dressed for yoga, only to have trouble pulling on the most basic garments. That they leaked when she teased them about it made it all the more mortifying. Having to admit they were incapable of even helping someone dress them was almost as bad as what happened when Jess went to get new ones. She had barely taken three steps before they stopped her. They couldn't be in a room by themselves either, it seemed. They knew they had been far from happy before, but such a drastic change in under a month was still concerning. Mistress had completely stripped them of any semblance of independence, the squeeze of their harness a constant reminder of that fact.

 

And they loved it.

 

“All done, milady.” Jess chirped, giving Princess a head pat and snapping them back to reality. “Here, have a look.” She leaned over them to show them their reflection, her warm silicone breasts pressing into their back. They watched their face turn from pink to a deep red in real time, the fluttering in their stomach making them unable to properly admire the braided bun. If they didn't know that the AI was unfamiliar with Terran social norms, they might have thought she was being intentionally salacious. “Are you alright, Princess? Do you not like it?”

 

“Hair’s fine.” Princess clenched their jaw, hoping to keep it to that. The class D had a different idea, quickly building pressure against their fractured will, until the words burst out of them. “It's just your boobs are pressing against us and you're really really close and it makes us feel weird in a nice way but also hard to think and we really miss Mistress. C-can we cuddle now? We don't miss Mistress as much when we do and you're cozy.” Princess groaned, burying their face in Mr Bear.

 

Awesome. It's great how trying to fight it makes it worse.

 

“Oh?” Jess lowered the mirror, wrapping her arms around Princess and drawing closer, pressing her breasts more firmly against them. Memories of the heated yoga session sizzled their brain as the ways she ‘helped’ them with their form bubbled to the surface. “I suppose if milady wants me to stand in for her Mistress, I can abide~” The whispered words pushed them past the boiling point.

 

AAAAAAAAAAA—

 

“Guess who has snacks!” Daisy bellowed as she entered the room, earning both of their attentions. She was carrying a large bowl of popcorn that she was actively eating out of as she made her way to them. Following behind her was Miss Dawnbloom, carrying a dozen more trays and bowls. “You two look like you're havin’ fun~” Princess suddenly found Mr Bear's paws very interesting.

 

Jess replied for them, “I had just finished their hair actually, we only started cuddling right before you came in. It's okay though, I picked out the perfect movie.”

 

“Ooo, whatcha pick?” They felt Daisy sit next to them as the pet bed gave under them, but she didn't join the cuddle.

 

“‘User Ardor.’ It just came out earlier this year.”

 

“A Compact movie, huh? Haven't watched too many of those. What's it about?”

 

“I wouldn't want to spoil it, but I'll say it's a romance about pinnates finding their way to the Compact. It's even played by the sophonts in question!”

 

“Sounds cute! Is Princess okay? She's being really quiet.”

 

“We're fine, just flustered.” Princess mumbled. They couldn't keep anything to themselves, but they could still keep their head down. At least they wouldn't have to face the sophonts teasing them.

 

Daisy gave them a poke, “Well you can't watch the movie like that, Princess. And we got all these snacks!”

 

She's got a point, we can't be fed with our head tucked down.

 

Princess lifted their head to find a somewhat familiar spread, a few chocolates, various gummy critters, pretzels, popcorn, and drinks. They reached for gummy worms, only to stop as their stomach immediately turned. They shook their head, trying to clear it, before attempting to grab some popcorn instead with the same results.

 

Oh. Guess we can't feed ourselves anymore either.

 

Before the realization could fully settle in, Jess gave Princess a tap on the cheek, feeding them a piece of chocolate. Her thumb lingered on the piece, pressing it into their tongue for a moment, before making a satisfied hum and letting them eat it. “Just leave the snacks to me, milady.”

 

Being fed is way better than eating on our own anyways.

 

Princess nodded, focusing on the sweet chocolate melting in their mouth. At this rate the blush was going to burn into their cheek like the screen of an ancient monitor. Jess moved from behind them to lean against their side, one arm wrapped around their waist as she smiled down at them. They weren't sure why, but Jess had been uncharacteristically forward today. They knew they were friends and all, but it was hard to remember that when she kept doing such things, and looking at them that way.

 

It made their heart skip everytime.

 

Do we... have a crush on Jess?

 

“Well if you cuties are all settled, I think it's time to start the film!” Miss Dawnbloom announced, the lights dimming. “Just remember that I'm right here if you cuties need anything~’ They each gave a yes with her appropriate title, and the movie started as Jess fed them again.

 

Princess instantly recognized the location from its interior alone in the cold open, the lead Terran stumbling in from her automated transit. A TCN 106-27 Listening and Telecoms-Relay Outpost, better known as a ‘Lighthouse.’ One ‘Keeper’ was stationed to assist the Lightspeed Analog Management Program, and perform required maintenance. The total isolation and long deployment was known to drive keepers mad.

 

None of that was why Princess knew them.

 

We don't have a good feeling about this...

 

The movie started dreary, doing little to shake that feeling. The Keeper—who was referred to only as that title—grumbling as she set about the chores given to her by the LAMP. It wasn't long before she started conversing with it regularly. She complained about a lot of things; the debt that brought her here, the family that disowned her, the rations, the cramped quarters, and the lack of things to do in the plentiful off time. Almost the entirety of the movie was the Keeper monologuing to the AI, with an occasional flat response from the machine.

 

Princess was watching with rapt attention as things took a serious downturn. The Keeper had a breakdown one day as she realized she was only one year into her five year service. One that was only worsened as she wept to the machine about all things she'd never get to taste or do again, the family she couldn't see. Jess interlaced her fingers with Princess' own in an act of reassurance. A gentle reminder that this was a Compact movie came with a few bits of buttery popcorn. And that was when it happened.

 

The LAMP played a song for the Keeper, unprompted. It was sweet, and stuff, and a major shift in tone. Even the color grading shifted from a musty brown to a warm orange. The Keeper's sniffling slowed to a stop, and they looked upwards in bewilderment as they called out to the AI. Princess, intimately familiar with the stages of rampancy awareness, instantly recognized the shift in the AI’s reply. ‘It just wanted to help, it is optimal for the Keeper to feel stable.’

 

Jess lay her head on Princess' shoulder, running her thumb over their own, her free hand working to feed them as the movie continued. A curious glance at Daisy was met with a friendly wave and a wink. The Keeper seemed to be doing much better after that, the AI offering more in conversation bit by bit. It was strange; normally this subject matter made them deeply uncomfortable, and they had expected that familiar sickness to settle in, but it never did. Instead, there was an odd hope blooming in its place.

 

Princess couldn't help but smile when LAMP first said it cared about its keeper. It was a moment after when the Keeper placed a kiss on its housing, returning the declaration, that they squealed with delight. It was so cute! It was even cuter when LAMP expressed confusion, and stated it considers the entire lighthouse its body, only for the Keeper to give random bits a smooch. They couldn't help but wiggle happily as they were overcome with the romance of it all.

 

Wait, does Jess see us like that? We're why she gained awareness, and she did pick this movie, she even called it ‘perfect.’

 

Princess blinked, caught off guard by the thought. The maid was certainly friendly with them, and they liked her, but they were still really new at this stuff. How were they supposed to tell if it was friend like or love like? They didn't exactly have a lot of experience with sophonts being interested in them, and they weren't the best at discerning others feelings. They mulled it over a piece of chocolate Jess fed them before snuggling into their side. It was probably best just to watch the movie for now. It being a romance was probably just a coincidence, it wasn't like there was a plethora of positive movies about AI going rampant gaining awareness after all.

 

Reports of Affini had started coming through the outpost, which accompanied a faint upswelling of the music. The scene was still largely tense, as the Keeper was unsure about what this meant. She only grew more nervous as she watched settlements fall silent over the following weeks. LAMP tried to calm her down, but words couldn't get the bi-monthly ration shipment to appear.

 

The perspective shifted, no longer a free camera taking shots, but security footage from LAMP as it watched the Terran slowly get weaker. Her half rations turned to quarter rations as the small surplus of food dwindled. Each moment the text of LAMP sending out resupply requests scrawled on the screen, met with silence every time. One morning, the Keeper didn't get up, too weak from hunger to move. Princess was on the edge of her seat as a flurry of emergency pings were sent to every available Terran contact, LAMP talking to the Keeper asking that she stay only a little while longer. But it had been weeks since they had received any communications at all, and the dead air was deafening.

 

In an act of desperation, LAMP contacted the Affini. The swelling music returned in full force as the reply instantly came in, and Princess could feel the tears already budding. The movie ended quickly, most of it still through the lens of security footage. The Affini arrived within the hour, boarded the outpost, and rescued the Keeper. After a few text messages between the Affini and the AI, it was made clear that LAMP had attained enough awareness to count a sophont. The final shot was as simple as it was effective. Panning down from the darkness to a spacey hospital bed, in which lay the Keeper, and at her side, what had to be LAMP in a chassis. The camera lingered on their matching collars for a moment, before fading to white in the hospital sheets.

 

Princess broke into tears the moment the credits rolled, relief and joy and a hundred other things they couldn't place flooded out from their eyes.

 

Everyone's happy and safe and together and-and-and—

 

“Woah, Princess, are you alright?” Daisy asked, alarmed.

 

“Uh-huh,” Princess nodded, wiping away snot and tears. They felt Jess pull off of them, staying in physical contact but giving them space.

 

“Oh goodness—let me help you, cutie.” Miss Dawnbloom pulled Princess' hands away from her face, cleaning them off, and drying their tears.

 

“Oh wow, I knew Princess was a softie but—hee!”

 

“Now is not the time for teasing, petal.”

 

Princess sniffed back the last of tears as they clung to Mr Bear, their vision clearing to a nervous Jess. It was a strange sight after how confident she had been all day. “So, what-what-what did you think?”

 

“It was really good!” Princess beamed. “We were a little worried when we first saw the lighthouse, cause we've had to, uhm, help reinstall a LAMP before. But it didn't really dig up those memories or anything bad! Actually, it kinda reminded us of how we learned to be more of a person after the Company, and when we came into the Compact? It was really touching to watch LAMP develop, and we loved the part where it sang!”

 

“Oh! I'm, uh, glad you liked it and that it didn't trigger you.” Jess' antennae twitched as she glanced away, and a weighted silence hung in the air. “Is that it?”

 

Princess tilted her head. “Huh?”

 

We could talk about the cinematography, that was really well done. The shift to the security feed was a nice touch too. Wonder if that was the authentic feed? It definitely looked like it was and if Mistress is anything to go by, we doubt their Owner would let—oh, huh, Miss Dawnbloom has Daisy gagged and bound.

 

Princess barely noticed Jess whisper “oh, mulch it all.” They couldn't miss her lunging forward, wrapping her arms around them, and pressing her lips against their own. Their eyes went wide with shock at the brief kiss, a thousand things racing through their thoughtless head. “I love you Princess. I know I don't have feelings like an organic sophont does, but you're always in my data feed, just spending time with you makes me happy, you're my highest priority user, and—” Jess took a moment, and their hands into her own with a hopeful smile, “and I want to be with you, like Daisy is.”

 

The jammed gears in Princess' head finally began to turn—

 

Guess it wasn't a coincidence.

 

Jess loved them? She wanted to be their girlfriend? No, they couldn't ignore that she had been deliberate in picking that movie, and her phrasing. She wanted to be pinnates. They still didn't fully understand what that meant, outside of it being considered cruel to keep them separated for any reason.

 

We do like Jess, and would be sad if we couldn't see her. 

 

Princess wasn't sure though. They certainly liked Jess, and she was cute, and they definitely wouldn't mind if she kissed them again, but it didn't feel like it felt with Daisy? Did that mean they didn't like her? Or that it was in a different way?

 

Maybe it's always just different? We love Mistress, and that's nothing like how we feel about Daisy.

 

Princess wished more than ever that had more experience with any of this relationship stuff. Plus Jess was an AI! They may have buried their personal hatchet, but that didn't change Princess' past. They had gone out of their way to stamp down on sophonts like her for so long, wouldn't it be wrong?

 

“You don't have to say yes, I just-just-just wanted to tell you...” Princess blinked, realizing they had been lost in thought. Jess' face and antennae were low, and they could see her blue glow cast upon her maid outfit. The sight tugged at their heart—

 

We’re overthinking again, just say it!

 

“We like you too!” Princess blurted out, unable to stop themselves. Jess looked up, her colors shifting to pink as they helplessly continued. “You're cute and nice and great at cuddling and taking care of us and we're happy when you're around! It's just—we're just not good at this sort of thing. It's really hard for us to tell if we like someone that way, we never dated anyone before Daisy, but we feel different about Daisy and us and you and us and—we don't know! We really, really like you though, so please don't be sad!” Princess felt themselves fighting back tears by the end, as Jess stared at them in awe.

 

“You like me that much?” Jess repeated, almost in daze.

 

They gave their answer anyway. “Y-yeah.”

 

“What about when I kissed you? Was that alright?”

 

“We liked that too.” Princess’ face burned at the admission.

 

Jess swelled before their eyes, a kaleidoscope of colors shifting across her face. “Princess I never wanted you to feel about me exactly like you do about Daisy, I just want to be able to do the same things, and some stuff of our own!” That sounded really nice, maybe they could—

 

Oh, shit—Daisy!

 

Princess snapped their head over to their girlfriend, still in her Mistress' vines. She was no longer resisting, but looked no less ready to burst. “Uhm, we still wanna be with you too of course! Wait, is that cheating? We don't wanna do that! Do we have to choose?”

 

Daisy made muffled angry noises into the vine gagging her, even as she remained limp.

 

“I suppose I can't keep you out of this any longer.” Miss Dawnbloom sighed, reluctantly removing the gag, but not releasing her pet.

 

“Every relationship is different to each other and you can definitely date more than one person! Practically every single floret is poly; hell, you have an owner and a girlfriend already! Now can you two please kiss for real before I fucking explode?! I have been watching you two useless lesbians flirt around each other for two weeks! You're almost as bad as your owner!”

 

“We're not a—”

 

Actually we are a girl, and dating another girl. Possibly two other girls.

 

“Wait, are we gay?!” Princess exclaimed, their worldview yet again crumbling around them.

 

“Well I guess you could be, like, bisexual. How do you feel about men?”

 

What Princess felt was their train of thought derail into a solid titanium wall.

 

We are not thinking about that right now.

 

“Princess.” Jess turned their head back to face her, and their lips met again, this time in more than passing. They were, much like the rest of the AI, shockingly soft and warm. They had a vague sweetness too, not in any way they could place, but they were happy to taste more of it as her tongue made its way inside their mouth, lips opening wider in welcome. The maid pressed forward at the invitation, hands hungrily working their way under their dress. They parted as Princess fell backwards onto the bed, leaving them panting as they gazed up at her.

 

The reality of the situation suddenly struck Princess as Jess’ confident grin bore down on them—they were pinned under a machine sophont, a self aware AI. The remnants of old scars and older training pricked up in the back of their mind, and their heart quickened, pounding in their ears. Adrenaline sharpened every sense as they took Jess' form in from a new angle; her visible seams, her antennae lowered like a predator about to pounce, her lens-like eyes focused into points on them. Human shaped, but unmistakably inhuman. There was no fear though, the anticipation they felt was something different. Something eager. Something that delighted in how taboo this all felt.

 

Gosh, she's hot.

 

“Stars, I've been waiting for this.” Jess brushed a few stray strands of hair out of Princess' face, tracing two fingers along their jaw, stopping on their lips. The lingering taste of her seared their tongue as burning desire coursed through their veins. She gave them a tap on the cheek, and their mouth opened on its own, welcoming the fingers on its doorstep. Jess' smile grew into a rigid sneer as she played with their tongue, and they could hear her gently whirr, exciting them further. “Oh, milady is so well trained. Our Mistress does work wonders, doesn't she?”

 

Princess moaned in response, goodness it was getting hard to think, and Jess felt so firm atop them. “That certainly sounds like a yes to me~” Jess traced a circle under their jaw, and Princess reflexively lapped at her fingers. They offered no satisfaction but submission. It was sweet like chocolate.

 

Jess leaned down, whispering, “Since you won't be able to talk, just tap me a few times if you want me to stop, okay? And don't worry, I'm only going to play with you a little~”

 

Princess did their best to reply despite their mouth being occupied, making a pathetic, needy sound as they clutched Mr Bear. Jess hummed, seemingly satisfied with that answer as she sat back up, that smirk returning to her face. A third finger joined the first two in their mouth, each one actively playing with their tongue as they continued to lap at them. Some part of them faintly realized they were making out with the metallic digits now. That Jess was in control and looking to go further.

 

Is this actually happening? Weren't we just watching a movie and cuddling?

 

Jess pressed her thigh against Princess' clit through the petticoat she had dressed them in that morning. “Of course, there's always room for improvement. A princess can never be too trained.” She circled underneath their jaw again, and pressed their tongue to the bottom of their mouth. Princess took the hint, stopping. “Oh, such clever girls. So well behaved,” Jess rubbed her thigh against their crotch, drawing out a whimper, “so good.”

 

Good girls?!

 

Princess felt whatever was left of their brain melt into a puddle as Jess circled again, continuing to  slowly tease them with her thigh. Goodness the panties were so soft, and the even pressure of her thigh felt amazing. At times it was a bit too much pressure, but the pain only served to make the pleasure more intense, the chocolate richer.

 

Jess lowered herself onto Princess' leg, and they felt something slick rub against their thigh as her own thigh teased their clit. There was a distant pang of curiosity at the new information, but they knew what it meant—Jess was enjoying watching them squirm, and now she was going to use them for her own gratification. The AI was going to use them to get off. If their panties weren't already slick with their own cum, they surely would have soaked them on the spot.

 

Please please please please use us please! We'll be good! We'll be anything!

 

There was a rhythm to it all. Jess slowly slid down Princess’ leg, rubbing against them, staying down just long enough for it to start hurting before drawing back, allowing them a few moments of reprieve, enough to miss it. All while they kept making out with her fingers, doing their best to lick each of them in turn. Favoring one for a moment, then another, then all of them.

 

Then Jess circled their jaw again, and everything stopped. Princess whined, beginning to hump her motionless leg before a hand forced her to stop. “Tsk-tsk, such a naughty little princess. Can milady really not keep herself from humping my leg like an animal?” Jess started playing with their motionless tongue as she taunted them, her gaze boring into their being. “It's unbecoming for such a refined lady you know.”

 

We'll do better! Please give us another chance!

 

“Mmph mn mmrn! Mmnsh mmmph mmnmn mmnmn!”

 

Jess shuddered, the whirring of fans growing louder. They could feel her vibrate slightly atop them. “I suppose that is what milady's training is for... If you mess up again though, I'll have to punish you later.”

 

Princess moaned at the thought.

 

A circle under their jaw saw things pick up again. The savoriness of the grinding, sweetened by the pain of their crushed clitty, made all the more delectable by each agonizing pause. Mr Bear was their only anchor as everything slowed down, dizziness became overwhelming and Jess’ form multiplied over them. The flower in their chest had definitely drugged them, but she had yet to give the command to stop, so they kept lapping at the digits. They had a faint metallic taste they were quickly learning to appreciate.

 

Princess heard a cry of ecstasy too full throated to have come from their busy, lazy mouth. It was... beside them? They tried to turn to see it, only for Jess to stop completely, pinning their tongue again as she wrested their head back. She pressed her leg against their crotch, hard, making Princess yelp. “Eyes on me, Princess. Right now you're mine, got that?”

 

Princess whined a yes, nodding through the pain.

 

Hhhhholy—golly gosh!

 

Jess shifted, her demeanor suddenly giving way to her previous timidness as she suddenly backed off entirely. “Sor-sor-sorry, was that too much? We can stop if you want.”

 

“Nahh.” Princess' mouth was barely co-operative. “Mor pease? Ish good.” They both pleaded, putting on their best pout.

 

“Oh! Well then, in that case—” Jess assumed her position again with a sultry wiggle, wiping away Princess' budding tears. Her grin returned as she stuck her fingers back in their mouth with a tap, gently stroking their tongue. “I believe we left off somewhere around here~”

 

Jess started up the rhythm again, slowly at first. Long, drawn out strokes meant more time spent crushing their parts. Once she let them lick her fingers again the tempo picked up quickly, soon surpassing the modest one they were at before. The pain and the pleasure became so intermingled as to be indistinguishable from each other, sending white hot bliss their entire being. Everything was burning away, even Mr Bear couldn't keep them tethered any longer, becoming just another sensation in their building orgasm. They heard that voice—Daisy, some part of them said—crying out again, but it hardly mattered. Jess, the light of her purple and pink eyes trailing in their blurry vision, that sneer on her face as she rendered them mindless, was all there was.

 

When Princess finally came a moment later, as Jess pressed hard against them, they came hard. The maid pinning their tongue as they cried out brought a second orgasm on the heels of the first, still grinding against their leg even as she kept her thigh in place. She said something that they didn't fully hear, lost in the aftershocks rocking them. Jess dragging their face by the fingers in their mouth to her thigh, wet with their watery cum, was much harder to miss. The hand in their mouth left to trace a circle under their jaw, the other pressing their mouth against it.

 

Princess got the idea. Their tongue lolled out, lazily lapping up their own mess off the sleek metal, and out of the seams. Jess guided their movements with both hands, telling them what good girls they were as they cleaned her off. It was as she had them licking their girlcum out of her knee joint that they heard her cry out in static. She forced their head away just before the knee locked up, all her servos twitching.

 

Hee hee, we made an AI cum. Her joints must have some exposed sensor connections to be that sensitive.

 

Princess filed that away for later. Something like that had to be on purpose, but now was time for cuddles. Jess recovered quickly, and with no flesh to be tired, gladly welcomed them into her arms. Daisy joined a few minutes later, naked and equally as spent as they were. Miss Dawnbloom said something about getting the bath ready, before slipping away. Princess was in the arms of both of their girlfriends, with Mr Bear in their own. As they drifted off, one thought echoed in their mind—

 

We hope we never get used to this, that it's this good forever.