Dog of War

Camila exited the bedroom to find Cordelia running her vines along Jess' light ring, glowing a soft green. It seemed like she had been able to soothe the poor dear during the minute she was gone. Camila announced her arrival to the AI by joining in, tracing along the groove that housed the light.

 

Jess flashed yellow thrice, letting out a tangle of beeps before settling into pink. "M-Miss Verdun! I didn't expect you back so soon!"

 

"I was just getting the cuties settled." Camila explained as she sat next to Cordelia, weaving a few vines with hers. "We'll let them have their fun for a while before we get them cleaned up for dinner. There’s plenty of time to talk. What's on your mind, petal?'

 

Pink still. "It's... Princess."

 

Camila had figured as much. "What's the trouble?"

 

"I-I don't know! I can't clear her from my RAM and whenever she's in the room she takes up like half of my processes! When she smiles I can feel my CPU start to overheat, and when she started kissing Daisy I couldn't help running simulations where she was kissing me instead. I-I think I have a crush on her? But she didn't even react when I said that..." Jess' light was flashing red now.

 

Oh the poor dear. That sounded far more severe than Camila had anticipated. "I'm sorry, little one. Princess is only just starting to get over her issues regarding AI, she's far from being able to consider romantic involvement with one. I don't know if she'll be ready anytime soon to even recognize your feelings, let alone give you an answer."

 

"She is really oblivious too," Cordelia chimed in. Camila felt her core jump as the other Affini snuggled in closely, partially merging with her. By the Everbloom what was she thinking?! Her core was mere centimeters away! "You can be as forward as you want, and she'll probably never piece it together unless you use very plain terms." She sighed. "Even then it's not guaranteed, although..." Camila could feel herself practically combust as Cordelia's core crossed that last boundary, lightly brushing against her own. "You'd be surprised how far you can go as 'friends.'"

 

It took all of Camila's strength and a not insignificant amount of focus to keep from collapsing into a heap then and there. "Y-yes! Daisy and Princess were still friends when they started kissing and such, s-so!" That's clearly what Cordelia meant! They had even been intimate as friends!

 

"You uh, you have a point, I guess." Jess blushed pink. "I suppose starting as friends isn't the worst thing, hugs are nice."

 

Cordelia giggled, separating from her a bit. Camila was glad to have the space to collect her reeling thoughts. "They are, aren't they? Once Princess is in a better place, I'm sure Camila will be willing to help you with her. Daisy too! In the meantime, feel free to ask either of us for help, okay? Whether you need xenodrugs or just to talk, we're here for you. Isn't that right, Camila?"

 

"R-right," she agreed, still recovering from the shock. "Anything you want, and we'll help you out."

 

"Will do!" Jess chirped happily. "I have been thinking about what to do for a more permanent chassis, so I might take you up on that soon."

 

"What did you have in mind?" Camila prompted, curious.

 

"Well I did like the character I made for Super Smash Sophonts, so I was thinking about starting from there as a base. There's a few issues though- the major one is I can't kiss with a screen for a face, and I was stuck between keeping the screen for the eyes, or just going with a full face? I'd also want to be able to wear clothes, and that includes shoes, but the feet on it end in points- which are cute but not very conducive to the 'shoes' thing? I did love the pink highlights and see-through parts, but I kinda like how glowing feels? I'm not sure if I want all of it to glow tho, cuz the highlights and trimming are cute! Pretty much all of the joints would need to be reworked to be viable in physical space too."

 

"That's quite the list of problems," Camila replied. It was very cute to see how much thought she put into it all, but there were no clear answers. The only thing that came to mind is some sort of locking mechanism built into the shoe? Everything else was just taste, and Jess' was still developing.

 

"Well there's no rush, and you can always tweak the design if you aren't happy with it," Cordelia added. "I don't think anyone is expecting you to have everything figured out on your very first pass."

 

Jess beeped. "Oh! That's fair, I guess I just really wanna be able to hug Princess back soon."

 

"You could always use a basic model," Camila offered.

 

Jess flashed red. "I don't know, those all feel either too Terran, or something else I'm not. Like this, I feel like I'm still me!"

 

Camila cooed at the adorable display of identity! She couldn't help but give her a stroke along her shell. "Of course you are, cutie!"

 

It sounded like Jess short circuited for a moment as she flashed several shades of pink. "Zkgdlygkslhfjlskd- Th-thanks Miss!"

 

"How adorable~" Cordelia slid her pad into Camila's view. "Speaking of adorable."

 

On it was muted feed from the bedroom. Princess and Daisy were cuddling, both clearly spent from intercourse, their semen still covering Camila’s pet. Stars, was it cute! It was so nice to see the little one actually enjoying herself! And yet... There was a pang of annoyance deep within Camila’s core. She knew it would happen but still there was some small part of her that had hoped Daisy would fail. Hmm, looking closer, it seemed like their intercourse hadn't been penetrative. Camila could still have that, at least. She smiled. "Very adorable."

 

Cordelia tucked the pad away. "Why don't we get dinner going and give the cuties another hour? Then we can go get them cleaned up and dressed for bed early. I was thinking we could put together a beef stew."

 

"That sounds perfect!" The blue light from Jess' ring caught her eye. "Why don't you get started? I'll be there in a moment."

 

Cordelia caught on, fully disentangling herself. "Of course! Take your time~" She winked before heading into the kitchen.

 

Camila turned her attention to Jess. "Are you feeling alright, dear? What's troubling you?"

 

"It's just that I don't really have anything to do now. When I was the hab AI I always watching you, or Daisy, or Princess, or whoever else was inside. I was making sure doors opened and lights turned on. I was monitoring thousands of subroutines to make sure everything was in order! It was constantly busy, but it was also fulfilling. Now I'm just... here. I just don't know what to really do with myself anymore, and I can't do any of the things I want to yet. I can't eat, or cuddle, or anything else really."

 

Oh, the poor dear must be feeling vastly understimulated! There had to be something she could do. Having no hands and being stuck in a- the answer was sitting right in front of both of them.

 

"Why don't you clean?"

 

"Clean?" Jess' light shifted to yellow.

 

"This floor could definitely use a bit of cleaning, Daisy tracks dirt and mud through here all the time. I think you're perfectly suited for the task. If you finish, you can do the kitchen as well, if you still feel like you want some work."

 

"Oh! Yeah, I can do that!" There was a faint vrr as she activated the chassis’ vacuum. "I'll make sure everything is spotless!"

 

Camila resisted the urge to pet her as she started working her way through the room, instead letting Jess enjoy her newfound purpose. She made her way to the kitchen to join Cordelia, finding she had already laid out all the ingredients. Camila embraced her from behind, enjoying the feeling of her in her vines.

 

Cordelia paused chopping onions to lean into her. "Well, hey there."

 

"Hey." Camila smiled.

 

"How's Jess?"

 

"Better. Just needed something to do, so she's cleaning up your living room."

 

"Oh? I should thank her once we're done here. Daisy makes keeping things orderly something of a challenge." She resumed cutting the vegetables. "Do you think you can get the beef ready while I finish this? I have the recipe up on the pad on the counter."

 

"Of course." Camila gave her friend one last squeeze before ending the hug and making her way over to the pad. The recipe was simple enough- besides cooking the beef, it was mostly just tossing all the ingredients in a pot to simmer. She set about making the mixture, combining flour with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. She grabbed the beef and began to coat it as Cordelia prepared the pot, heating up olive oil.

 

The beef now ready, Camila placed it in the oil, and sizzling filled the air. Cordelia added the freshly chopped onions, and a few minutes later she flipped it. Soon it was browned. Beef broth and red wine were added, followed by the rest of the ingredients, minus the corn starch and peas. Cordelia reduced the heat and added the lid, leaving nothing left to do for the time it cooked. Well, almost nothing. Cordelia held out her hand. Camila took it and was pulled into an embrace, the two swaying back and forth to their biorhythms.

 

"Soon we'll be doing this all the time, you know." Cordelia smiled.

 

"I can't wait." If every moment was half as nice as this one, it would be nothing short of paradise.

 

"You could just move in now."

 

"It is tempting, but I think that might be a bit much for Princess. She does have therapy in the morning, and Ash is coming over in the afternoon. She's already been shaken up enough by all the Jess stuff. I want her to be as comfortable as possible for those."

 

"You don't think she'd be comfortable here?"

 

"No, I think she'd catch on that she's about to get domesticated and have another panic attack. She has a lot of trauma surrounding 'being property.' I'm hoping her therapist can help her get over that fear a little."

 

"You could just push her over that yourself."

 

"I could, and if I have to I will, but she's so close to realizing it herself, I can feel it!"

 

Cordelia pulled back to laugh. "Always waiting for that perfect moment, when all the stars are aligned just so. Looking starward to the point you can't even see what's right in front of you." She brushed her hand through Camila's hair, making eye contact. Ohhh, by the Everbloom the way she was looking at her! "I think that's what I love about you."

 

Camila pulled away, panicking. "I-I should go check on Jess, it's been over half an hour!"

 

"I'll come with you." Cordelia offered.

 

Good! Great! Camila could use the support of her closest friend, who was friends with her! She frantically exited into the living room, wholly unprepared for what she found. She had expected to find Jess bored, or distraught at being left out again, or content at best, having been preoccupied by the task at hand. She did not expect to find her moaning as she went over already polished floors, the scent of ammonia in the air as fluid trailed behind her.

 

"Jess?" Camila called out to her, she didn't seem to notice as the Affini entered the room.

 

She let out a surprised beep, spinning around to 'face' them, flashing several shades of pink, yellow, and purple. "M-Miss Verdun, and, uhm- ahhh, Miss D-Dawnbloom! This- hahh- I think this chassis has some access to my sexual drivers, but I-I cleaned the floors!"

 

"Yes I can see that dear." Cordelia giggled. "Very good job by the way, my floors haven't been this clean in ages! What a wonderful little maid you make~" She praised as ran a vine along her light.

 

Jess let out a flustered tangle of digital noise. "Th-thanks Miss! Is there, uh, a-anything else that needs to be mopped or vacuumed?"

 

Oh, what a delightful development! Plans for Jess began to form. She did say wanted to be able to wear clothes, didn't she? "Well I'm sure Daisy's room could use some cleaning, but we were going to give them just a bit more time alone. What do you think, Cordelia?"

 

Cordelia wandered around the room for a moment, examining it as she made her way around. Suddenly, she knocked over a planter, dirt spilling out across the door. "Oopsie! How clumsy of me, I really should be more careful. Do you think you can get that for me?"

 

Jess squirted, forming a small puddle of the cleaning fluid. "Y-yes ma'am!"

 

-_-_-_-

 

 

Princess swallowed, trying to tell themselves they weren't intimidated or turned on by the task at hand. Daisy's cock hung over them as they lay in front of her, dominating their vision.

 

"Ya know, you don't gotta suck it if you don't wanna, it was just a suggestion. I'm fine just cuddlin'," Daisy offered, sensing their nervousness. "Mistress can help me out later."

 

Princess shook their head. They may have been spent, having already cum twice today, but that left Daisy unsatisfied. They wanted to do this for her. "We just, uhm, we’ve n-never done this before, and aren't really sure what to do?"

 

"Yeah that tracks." Daisy ruffled their hair. She was no Affini, but the sensation and reassurance was still enough to scatter their worries to the wind on the Class A. "Alright, how about this- I'll walk you through it, and if you change your mind at any point we'll stop."

 

Princess nodded, eager anticipation filling the void left by their nerves. "Y-yeah, alright."

 

"First, give it a kiss."

 

Princess lifted their face along the length of the shaft. It smelled surprisingly good, a floral scent mixing with her sweat. They gave it a gentle smooch as they brought themselves to its head. Their lips tingled, and it twitched in response.

 

"Now go a lil deeper."

 

"Deeper?"

 

"Ya know how we make out? Do that, but watch your teeth," Daisy clarified.

 

Taking the massive head in their mouth without scraping their teeth seemed something of a challenge. Using their lips as a barrier they slowly progressed, looking up to Daisy for feedback. Receiving no objections, they swirled their tongue around the head, licking up and down its face. The feel of the deceptively soft textured skin on their tongue was incredible with the xenodrugs coursing through their system. More than that the taste was interesting, and held a surprising amount of depth. They couldn't place any of the particular flavors outside of a general saltiness, as their tongue hungrily searched for more.

 

Daisy moaned, both music to their ears and heartening praise. She shifted underneath them as her cock quickly hardened, placing a hand on their head.  "F-fuck girl, hold up, there's still a few points."

 

Princess pulled back, embarrassed they had gotten ahead of themselves. "S-sorry!"

 

"No reason to apologize," Daisy patted them, "but you can't just work the head, you gotta work the shaft too. Otherwise you'll make 'em cum too early."

 

"And how do we-?"

 

Daisy shrugged. "Well, that depends. Normally you'd just take it down your throat. However since you probably still have a gag reflex you can also just lick it up n' down."

 

"We, uh," Princess cleared their throat, "don't really have a gag reflex." The look on Daisy's face prompted them to continue. "It's a long story."

 

"Well alright then! If you think you're up for the challenge," Daisy pointed her now fully erect cock towards their mouth. "Let's see how far you can get~"

 

Stars, that confidence looked good on her. Determined, Princess started by giving her head a kiss, and a few licks. Then they took a deep breath, swirled their tongue around the head one last time, and took as much of Daisy they could.

 

"Ohhhh, fuck!" Daisy exclaimed, tensing up as two thirds of her length disappeared down their throat. "You weren't kiddin', huh?! Didn't think you had it in ya!"

 

Princess gave it a long lick as they pulled up, savoring the odd taste and letting their tongue stick out as they removed her cock from their mouth. "Of course, princesses are honest after all."

 

"Whatever, dork." Daisy snorted, her hand guided their head back down to her oddly savory cock. "Now try tying all that together, maybe use your hands n' fondle the balls a little."

 

Determined, Princess started off slow. A few light kisses before they slowly began to take more and more of the head into their mouth. It was leaking precum now, yet another odd, but somewhat pleasant taste amplified by the Class A. They licked it, swirling their tongue around it, and then slowly began to bob their head on her shaft. Daisy's moans galvanized them to go deeper each time, pausing now and then to go back up to the head and savor the leaking precum as they caught their breath. Feeling her cock pulse and twitch in their mouth, her hips bucking beneath them, and knowing that they were the reason she was doing that was driving them crazy. Their head was starting to spin; from how hot the situation was or the lack of oxygen, they couldn't tell. They only knew that they felt their clit start to drool.

 

At some point Daisy placed her hands on their head and started guiding them. Princess moaned as they let her take control, letting her use them for her pleasure. Princesses needed help, and she was far more dominant than they were anyways, it only made sense that Daisy would be in charge! Besides that, submitting just felt so wonderful, so right. "F-fuck, Princess, you're good at this."

 

They could only moan in satisfaction at the praise. Even if their mouth wasn't full, their brain was too empty to form words. They were moving much faster now, they had even managed to get most of her cock down their throat with her help! Just a few centimeters left to go!

 

"I-I- ohhhh, Princess, I'm gonna cum soon!"

 

Princess felt a comforting warmth wash over them- Miss was nearby! Oh, gosh, they never realized how much they had missed her until now! Hopefully she'd pick them up and pet them, maybe even give them some xenodrugs or hold them tight! Before they could look up to search for her however, Daisy forced them down. They moaned as they finally reached the base of her cock, and Daisy cried out as she pumped hot cum directly down their throat. They nearly came themselves from the feeling, moaning loudly into the large intrusion.

 

Both the Terrans collapsed thereafter, panting to catch their breath. "That was... really good." Daisy managed between breaths. "Heyyy, Mistress."

 

"Hello, pet."

 

Exhausted, Princess struggled to turn their head, looking for their Affini. Thankfully she stepped into their field of view. She was so beautiful. From the way her vines curled over one another, to her blooming flowers, to her eyes; golds, blacks, and pinks swirling in them like oils mixed into water. "Hiii Missss..." Their voice was considerably weaker, taking Daisy as deep as they had likely put it out of use for a while.

 

"Hello, Princess." Even her voice was stunning as it rocked through them. "Did you two have fun?"

 

"Mhm."

 

More than we hoped.

 

"I'm glad to hear that, now-" Princess' heart leapt for joy as they were lifted up into Miss' vines where they belonged, and a pet elicited a haltered moan. "I do believe you need to be cleaned up, you are absolutely filthy."

 

Princess happily nuzzled into Miss' vines in agreement. A bath sounded nice, and that Miss was going to wash them made it just lovely. They were beyond tired right now, and being taken care of sounded that much better for it. Hopefully she'd feed them after, too, with plenty more petting.

 

She did promise we could cuddle later!

 

Maybe they could even ask to see the orb again! Goodness, that was just pure euphoric thoughtlessness.

 

Princess heard some distant beeping, and some voices, but they weren't directed at them, so it didn't really matter enough to listen to, not over the song. If it was important Miss would tell them. The song said it was time to simply relax and submit. They were all too happy to oblige. They had done way too much thinking today anyways.

 

Miss began to carry them out, that familiar rocking of her step beginning to lull Princess into a sleep when the vines wrapped around them, holding them upright and setting them into warm water. They noticed Daisy was a short distance away, in her own Affini's vines, just before the water was poured over them. They nearly wept at the relief it brought to their tired body. Then Miss began to scrub the shampoo in, humming along to her rhythm.

 

The vines held them in place, stopping Princess' throes of pleasure and serving to elevate the ecstasy of the moment. Reality began to bleed into the surreal- Vines blurred into each other, becoming both an indiscernible mass and more countless than ever. Identifying where exactly any particular sensation was coming from became as impossible as it was unnecessary. The warm water, scrubbing, petting, and groping all melded into one tangled mass of rapturous bliss. And her eyes. Her eyes glowed as the norm, but now they were absolutely radiant above them. Diffracted light shifting and shimmering above them, like starbursts.

 

They had never been the religious type, but the only way to describe it was divine.

 

Princess didn't even register the bath was over until Miss was nearly done drying them off. Conscious thought trickling in as the fluffy towel wicked away the last bits of moisture. Miss helped them put on some absolutely adorable frilly pink panties, the same shade she was- to match their nails of course! An equally cute pink nightie was lowered over them, sheer enough to show off their growing breasts and adorable panties. Choosing such wonderful outfits was why Miss dressed them, but they still couldn't help but wiggle happily at the sight.

 

"Does my little princess like her pajamas?" Miss cooed, stroking their hair.

 

Their heart skipped several beats.

 

Her little princess!

 

"Y-yes, Miss!" Princess chirped, standing on their toes to press into the vine as much as possible. "They're wonderful, thank you!" There was some giggling? From somewhere? It was hard to tear their thoughts away from Miss enough to even care, let alone look for the source. The smile on her face, the happiness in her eyes- those were the only things that mattered.

 

Princess let out an 'eep' as they were swept up into her vines, melting as soon the petting continued. "Cordelia and I made some dinner for you three, we were going to eat here before returning home. You have a fairly busy day tomorrow." Home sounded good, they could definitely use a night in their bed.

 

Not half as good as dinner.

 

They were certainly hungry, and anticipation had them salivating for the meal. What would it be tonight? Something new? Or something they've had with a new twist? They also wouldn't complain if it was just something they'd had before.

 

Miss sat down at the table, placing them in her lap, and Mister Bear in their arms. In front of them was a steaming bowl of meat, carrots, peas, and potatoes, all floating in an oily broth. "It's beef stew, here-" Miss carefully ladled up a spoonful. "Try it." She tapped their cheek and fed them the stew.

 

It was almost too hot, instantly warming their mouth as the rich broth flooded their sense of taste. They whimpered and moaned as they clung to Mister Bear, it was so good! Miss traced a circle under their chin- and they realized they hadn't even started chewing yet. Stars, once they did though. The various vegetables were soft enough to be reduced to mush almost instantly, but the meat was so perfectly tender. Each time they chewed it burst with the flavors of the stew it had been cooked in. Their eyes fluttered as they shivered with delight, a timely bit of petting pushing the delight to its zenith.

 

"Gosh, you're adorable Princess." Daisy's voice brought her back to their attention, and the reality around them.

 

Princess buried their face in Mister Bear in a desperate attempt to hide their blush. That was the second time today that they had gotten so lost in Miss they forgot about everything else!

 

Second time we noticed.

 

They elected to ignore the implications of that.

 

Miss started rubbing their back in a slow circular rhythm and they found themselves quickly relaxing. "Now, now, Princess, Daisy gave you a compliment. What do you say when someone compliments you?"

 

Princesses were polite. "Thank you," they replied without hesitation. "Uh, thanks Daisy."

 

"’Course," she sang as her Affini fed her.

 

Miss rewarded them with more stew, and more stroking. Faintly, they recalled there should be one other person? It took a moment to put it together; the delicious food and attention certainly made it difficult, but they finally figured it out as they swallowed. "Where's Jess?"

 

"She's still cleaning up Daisy's room," Miss explained, feeding them again and directing them to chew. "She can't exactly enjoy food, so she won't be joining us at the table, but she'll be coming home with us."

 

Princess hummed. That made sense, Jess was a machine Jess, after all.

 

Wait...

 

Something about that didn't seem right. Oh well, if it was important then Miss would remind them. Princess had better things to do, such as a meal to enjoy.

 

Daisy brought up a few things over the course of the meal; how she invited Jess to the beach, her plans for tomorrow, and how good they were at sucking her cock. Miss insisted they thank her for the compliment, which they did with a blush. Mainly she talked about how stoked she was for the flower festival. There was something about the festival that tickled at something deep in the back of their mind. They tried not to think about it too much, focusing instead on how cute Daisy was when she got excited. She nearly matched her owner's luminescence as she bounced in her lap.

 

Woefully soon, the meal was done, and the two Terrans were hugging each other goodbye. "I'll see you tomorrow, Princess!"

 

"We're looking forward to it." It seemed almost cruel that such an evening should end, but there would be more soon.

 

Daisy pulled them into a parting kiss before she turned to skip into her Mistress' vines. Their own Affini picked them up soon after, sparking that lighthearted giddiness within. Miss carried them into Daisy's room where Jess seemed to be happily going over the already immaculate floors again. Miss got her attention, petting her at the same time she gave them a delightful scritch. "I was going to head back to the Hab now if you want to come. Of course I'm sure Cordelia would love to host you, if you wish to stay."

 

"Oh, sure! Er, that is, I'll come with you!"

 

"Would you like me to carry you?" Miss offered.

 

"Uh, o-okay!" Jess' light shifted to a pink as Miss picked her up, holding her near them.

 

"Hi Jess," they greeted her with a smile.

 

"H-hi Princess."

 

Oh, was Jess nervous? This was probably her first time being picked up. They wrapped an arm around her in hopes of comforting her, finding her surprisingly soft body novel. "It's alright, Miss carries us all the time." Jess made a strange garbled noise, but didn't say anything, continuing to glow pink.

 

Miss and Miss Dawnbloom then exchanged their own farewells at the door, intertwining in lieu of an embrace. "It was so nice coming over, sorry it was such short notice."

 

"Oh, it's perfectly fine. It was a pleasure to have you all!"

 

"I'll let you know when you can bring Daisy over tomorrow." Camila called as she stepped out.

 

"Please do!"

 

The walk between the two habs was brief. Miss pulled out her pad and opened the doors, turning on the lights. "We're home, Princess."

 

There was that same distant tingling, buried under the relief of being home. Of being where they belonged. Princess could hardly wait for Miss to tuck them into bed, they were beyond tired. The Hab was in much better state than when they had left it, not a trace of water or anything out of place. An unexpected scritch at the back of their neck caused them to gasp, letting go of Jess who was promptly set down. "I'm going to get Princess ready and into bed, feel free to make yourself comfortable."

 

"Oh, sure! Is it alright if I hop back into the Hab? I think I've had enough of having a body for today."

 

"Of course, dear." Miss replied, giving Jess and themselves another pet before carrying them into the bathroom. They heard the sink run momentarily, before they were finally set down themselves, their toothbrush placed into their hand.

 

It took a full beat for Princess to realize they were meant to brush their own teeth.

 

They began to brush, flustered to no small degree. It was practically the only thing that they were allowed to do for themselves anymore, how could they forget it so easily?! Yet there was no comfort to be found as they scrubbed. Their mind kept drifting to yesterday, after they had thrown up, when Miss brushed their teeth for them. How she got them to open their mouth, they way her vines felt as they forced their mouth to start open, as they worked their way in between every tooth... maybe, if they asked, she would-?

 

Absolutely not. We are not asking Miss to brush our teeth.

 

But princesses ask for help, so surely it would-

 

We can't let ourselves become so dependent. It's already going to be hard enough to leave.

 

Princess nearly dropped the toothbrush as their blood ran cold. The realization of what they had been forgetting earlier collided into them like a freight transit. They had let themselves enjoy being treated like a pet to the point they had completely forgotten they had to leave. They were thinking about asking her to brush their teeth for crying out loud! Breathing quickly grew laborious, and budding tears clouded their vision. They noted the monitor was flashing yellow as they grasped onto the sink for support. The room was collapsing in, the room was spinning, they couldn't breathe, they couldn't breathe-

 

"Princess?!" They felt a sting as they were swept up- what had she-?! Ohhhhh. Calmness crashed over them as air finally filled their lungs. "It's alright, I have you little one. I'm here."

 

Princess grumbled, couldn't Miss see- Miss Verdun- see she was the problem? Despite that, it was impossible not to find the vines soothing. Equally hard to shake was the feeling that they belonged here. All they wanted was to snuggle in deeper and forget their worries. The petting helped too, even as it reminded them that they couldn't stay, though the thought of leaving brought nearly as much pain.

 

Miss directed their gaze upwards, into her eyes. The typical joyful pinks and golds were absent, deep swirls of mournful blues in their place. Their heart cried out at her sorrow. "What's wrong, dear?"

 

Princess tried to hold their tongue but... Princesses asked for help, and Good girls were honest. "We're... n-not sure we wanna leave anymore, but we also can't stay."

 

"And why can't you stay? I would be more than happy to have you."

 

They flinched at have. "W-we can't be property again..." Princess mumbled. "We don't wanna be a pet."

 

Miss wrung her vines over each other, practically knotting them. "You know I wouldn't mistreat you."

 

"That's not it..."

 

"Then what is?"

 

"They're all dead, Miss," Princess stated, resisting the urge to curl up into her. "Every single one. They didn't even get a chance to be people, much less independent. We can't just- just squander that chance. If not for ourselves, for them." There was a painfully pregnant pause as everything seemed to stand still. They had never felt so small in her vines nor seen an Affini be so plantlike.

 

Then they felt the needles sink in.

 

"I'm so sorry, little one."

 

Oblivion.

 

 

-_-_-_-

 

 

Camila could feel herself nearly breaking as she delivered the Class B- enough to erase her memories to around when she took her home, as well as a Z. As far as Princess would know, she fell asleep in her vines on the way home. The guilt of it ate at Camila; had she made the right choice? This could only delay another such breakdown, but this issue was too deep seated. The very core of her desperation to be independent. She could not remove it without breaking her utterly.

 

Yet on the other side of the matter, hearing Princess say she wanted to stay even despite that had been the single sweetest thing Camila had ever heard, even if it only made it that much more heartbreaking. What was there even to do about this? She couldn't simply remove it, and quieting it like the stuff regarding the Company was unlikely to work.  Princess deserved to heal. She was such a sweet and loving girl, and she had been working so hard on her issues. She simply needed help to get over the guilt she felt towards her own desires.

 

It was unlikely that Princess would listen to Camila on such matters. She may be in denial about her wants, but they all were aware of what Camila wanted. Trying to personally convince her it's fine to want to submit would certainly trigger another panic attack. She needed a 'neutral' party, and as luck would have it, she had one. Acaulescent had worked a miracle last time, perhaps she could repeat the performance.

 

Camila carried Princess to her new bed, placing her bear in her arms and tucking the little one in with a kiss. Between the therapist, and meeting her old crewmate, tomorrow was going to be an eventful day. She paused in the doorway, taking one last look back at the sleeping Terran. That peaceful, happy smile... That's what all of this was for.

 

There was nothing Camila wouldn't do to protect it.