Dog of War

Camila swept Princess up, her vines moving instinctually to comfort the crying girl. Stroking through her hair, along her back, wiping away the vomit that stained her mouth. "It's okay, I'm here, I have you, you are safe." Her injectors dug into her thigh, delivering a dose of Class E, with just a hint of Class A to lift her mood.  She continued to soothe her as the xenodrugs took hold, letting her biorhythm pour into the girl. Princess sniffled a few times before she stopped crying, relaxing into her caress. 

 

A wave of relief washed over Camila, and a spark of anger filled the space left by the anxiety. "Honestly Princess, a synthcube? What were you thinking?!"

 

"'m sorry..."

 

The spark flickered out as quickly as it came. She could hardly stay mad at her when she was like this . Princess had suffered enough from her own actions. Right now she needed help, not scolding. There would be time for a talk about what happened later. "It's alright, petal." Camila brushed her hand through her hair, and down under her chin, directing her gaze into her eyes. "Let's get you cleaned up, okay?" 

 

Princess was sinking fast, her eyes already glazing over. "O-okayyy...'

 

A flurry of vines shot out of Camila and began attending to a multitude of tasks; collecting Princess' bear, retrieving towels that were then used to mop up the puke, cleaning and sanitizing the floor, bringing her pad out to compile a new dress, collecting said dress and decompiling the towels, starting the bath, storing the ice cream and sending a message to Cordelia explaining what happened. The mess in the kitchen was handled in a matter of one minute, and she kept up the petting all the while. Camila carried Princess into the bathroom, ready to clean the girl herself.

 

She lowered Princess to the floor as she untied the dress, letting it drop to the ground as she loosened it. Two taps had her step out of the garment, and Camila set it aside for decompilation later. She collected Princess' toothbrush from the side of the sink, wetted it, and applied a bead of paste, another tap prompting Princess to open her mouth reflexively. The girl pulled back as Camila moved in to brush. 

 

"I-" Princess put her hand over her mouth. "W-we can do it ourselves!" 

 

Camila wasn't putting up with this from her pet-to-be right now. "I said I am cleaning you, little one. " A single tap got her to lower her arm, much to Princess’ own surprise. Another got her mouth to open again.  " That means I am cleaning you." 

 

Princess whined as Camila inserted the toothbrush, her final, pitiful protest against the action. Camila ignored it, making sure every millimeter of every tooth was scrubbed clean. She got the gums and the tongue as well, before inserting a specialized graft composed of dozens of wire-thin vines. The girl shivered as they worked their way between each tooth. She pulled it out and inserted another vine, this one excreting a mouthwash. "Swish it for thirty seconds and spit." Princess did as she was instructed without complaint, only a slight blush on her face. 

 

Camila lifted her into the bath, noting the lingering tension in her body. "It's just a quick wash dear, no need to be nervous," She soothed as she unbraided her hair.

 

"We still want to wash ourselves..." Princess mumbled.

 

Hold . Camila poured water over her, wetting her hair. "I know, dear." She made a point of hitting Princess' favorite spots as she scrubbed the shampoo in, causing her to gasp. "But this isn't bad, is it? This sort of thing is natural for a princess. Relying on others, being pampered. " Hold . She rinsed the shampoo out as the words sank in, and Princess shuddered. She began to work in the conditioner. " You are a princess, aren't you?"

 

"Y-yuh..." 

 

Camila felt her flowers bloom as the tiny bit of resistance drained out of Princess. "Of course you are." The only things out of her for the rest of the bath were small whimpers and stifled gasps. Stars, she was precious. It was adorable how she struggled to keep from enjoying the attention too much. Once Princess was truly hers, she would rid her of those inhibitions. That wasn't the only thing she planned to remove- all these horrid scars littering her body would have to go. They simply didn't suit Princess- they belonged to a past best left forgotten. 

 

As Camila started on Princess' back, she traced along her spine with the luffa. Just one week, and her implant would be here, the last scar she'd ever receive, and the only one to remain. She couldn't help but fantasize about the needy sounds the girl would make when her implant was in. She would no longer have to hold anything back. 

 

Hold. Camila poured water over Princess one last time, rinsing the conditioner out and lifting her up. "There, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

 

Princess blushed as Camila began toweling her off. It was so cute how she still clung to a Terran sense of modesty. Perhaps she would let her keep that. "No..."

 

"Such a good girl. Doesn't it feel nice to be clean?"

 

"Y-yes."

 

"Now," Camila began drying off her hair, her vines absorbing the water faster than any towel could. "Why don't you tell me what happened?"

 

"That's- uhm-" In... Hold... Out... "Jess tried to warn me but we didn't listen. I even ignored myself. We wanted something quick to eat... we didn't think they'd be that bad."

 

"Why were you in such a hurry?"

 

Princess was silent for a long moment. When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. "We wanted to pick out a last name so you'd take us more seriously as an independent."

 

Ah. That was... hm. She needed to nip this bud. "Princess, I assure you, just because you don't have a last name doesn't mean I don't respect you as an independent sophont." That was technically true. "You shouldn't rush eating, though, it's very dangerous."

 

Princess remained silent, her troubled mind only coming through her biorhythm. She was attuned to Camila enough to read the subtext in her rhythm. It was clear she was struggling to come to terms with her impending florethood. Trying to rationalize that she still had a path to independence. 

 

Oh, how Camila wanted to end this charade in that moment. To just scoop her up, fill her with Class H and drop her until the mere notion of being independent was a foreign thought. All in due time. The clock on her 'independence' was already running low; just a few dozen hours and quickly ticking down. Camila could wait. For now, she could just enjoy watching the final embers of her will flicker and wane, before she extinguished them altogether. 

 

Princess dried off, Camila took out a pair of pink satin panties with a floral black lace trim. She stepped into them with a slight blush. Next was the dress, with its built-in support that made a bra unnecessary. She pulled it up- 

 

"M-Miss Verdun?!"

 

"Yes, cutie?"

 

"Where's the rest of it?!" 

 

Camila tilted her head, trying to puzzle out what the issue could be. The neckline was a little lower she supposed, exposing where her cleavage would be and most of her breasts, but it did cover her nipples. It lacked sleeves entirely, being held on by the corsetry in the back, but she had worn sleeveless dresses before. The skirt was a bit shorter, being composed exclusively of layered frills that ended at the upper thigh. It wasn't like it would expose her panties, though. Well, not unless she bent over. "I'm sorry little one, I'm not sure what the issue is."

 

Princess tried feebly to pull the skirt down as her other arm covered her chest. "It's way too revealing! This skirt barely covers anything and my tits are practically out!"

 

Camila sighed; she would never understand the Terran sense of modesty. "Well it's not like you are going anywhere. It's just going to be me, Cordelia, and Daisy. I know Cordelia will think nothing of it, and I think Daisy will quite enjoy how you look." Her grip on the hemline loosened just a bit. Camila took the opportunity to pull the dress back into place. 

 

"Besides," she pulled the lacing taut, taking note of the shiver of delight that shot through her pet-to-be. Princess seemed to really enjoy the tight feeling... she had liked her boots tight as well, hadn't she? "Princesses are dressed by others, so it only makes sense that others choose what they wear, doesn't it?" Camila pulled the laces just about as tight as they went, taking care not to injure the girl. 

 

The noise it elicited from her was utterly delightful. A cross between an 'eep' and hitched gasp that quickly turned into a long, throaty moan, so full of desire Camila thought she might need to change her panties already. She trembled with delight, panting with need as she struggled to stay standing. Camila let the laces slacken just a bit before tying it, humming happily as she did so. A few new ideas for how to leash her collarless pet danced across her mind. "Now let's fix that hair."

 

Princess squeaked as Camila pulled her into her lap, her face burned a bright crimson and her body quivered at every touch. She had to yet again hold her still to keep her from grinding against her vines. Strange. Princess shouldn't be this horny from a bit of teasing; did she not satisfy herself? That would explain why she so eagerly responded to her touch. That was the main thing she had wanted alone time for though, so it seemed unlikely. She also wasn't as horny as she would have been if she didn't masturbate at all. Maybe she was simply weak to that particular thing? Camila would have to investigate the Hab's logs later.

 

The crown braid was simple enough, but it was a bit lacking on its own. Plucking a few of her own flowers, she wove them into the braids, forming something more fit for a princess. "All done~" Camila stood up, lifting Princess into her vines, causing her to make another delightful high pitched noise. Time for the finishing touch on her recovery from the synthcube- she plucked a berry and fed it to her with a tap. The moan of pleasure it earned and the way her eyes glossed over told Camila that the ordeal was behind her now. She returned the girl's bear to her arms, gently stroking her cheek with a vine. 

 

The small but genuine smile on Princess' face as she hugged the bear close had made it all worth the effort by itself. Camila's leaves rustled with satisfaction at the sight. The sooner she was ready the sooner Cordelia and Daisy could come over, and she did need to eat but... They weren't exactly in a rush. A few minutes would surely be fine. There was no reason to ruin this moment. She slowly pet Princess, and the girl hummed as she closed her eyes, snuggling into her caress. Stars , she was so adorable. Camila must be the luckiest Affini in the sector that such a prize had found its way into her vines.

 

Camila kept Princess engaged just enough that she didn't doze off completely. An occasional brush along her cheek, or light scratch up the back of her neck. It was ludicrous that synthcubes had no flags as even potentially hazardous, that simply had to be an oversight. She would have to file some paperwork to get that corrected. It was unlikely Princess could even look at synthcube anymore, let alone attempt to eat one, but it could save a fellow Affini an unneeded mess. 

 

Princess grasped a vine with her free hand, causing Camila to fight back a squeal. To think, in just a few days she would truly be Hers . If only this moment could last... There would have to be other moments. Delaying Princess' lunch any further would be neglecting Camila's duties as an Affini. She had not just missed lunch, but lost most of her breakfast. Camila carried her to the kitchen as she thought about what to make. Something light- there were going to be a near endless amount of snacks at the sleepover, all nutritionally balanced, and dinner wasn't too far away. There wasn't a lot of time for properly cooking either, after how long she had spent petting her. 

 

A few taps on her pad and Camila had a nice Italian sandwich fresh from the compiler. She sat at the table, positioning Princess in her lap and rousing her with a scritch. She gasped as her eyes fluttered open, and Camila took the opportunity to give her a bite, along with a tap to close her mouth. Her eyes went wide with shock for a fraction of a second, before she vocalized her delight. 

 

Princess swallowed, "Uhm-"

 

Camila cut her off by feeding her another small bite. It was so cute how easily Princess had taken to being fed! "I know, I know, but it's vital that you eat slowly. You could injure yourself, you know." 

 

"We know not to eat too fast," she mumbled grumpily. Another bite saw the dark clouds chased away; she was so food motivated it was just precious . Honestly, Camila could probably break her with berries alone at this point. She had definitely been tempted by the promise of just one berry for an hour of cuddling earlier. 

 

"Yes, but I'd rather make sure myself. You don't mind if I pamper you a little," Camila gave her another scritch up the base of her skull, causing her back to arch and her voice to hitch. "Do you?"

 

"N-no..."

 

Camila fed her another bite. "Of course not; you deserve to be pampered, after all." 

 

Princess hummed in agreement as she finished chewing. 

 

"As soon as you are done eating, I'll let Cordelia know she can bring Daisy over. We thought you two might enjoy a sleepover together since you didn't hang out this morning."

 

"Sleepover?" Princess queried between bites.

 

"Yes! I imagine you haven't been to one before, have you?"

 

"No."

 

"In that case, I hope you enjoy it! I've been told it's quite a popular Terran social ritual." Camila fed her the last bite and shifted around her as chewed. A quick message to Cordelia let her know they were finally ready. She carried the girl out to the living room as she swallowed, before setting her down with a pat. 

-_-_-_-

Princess tried not to press into the pat despite themselves, but reflex won out. It was easier to let the Affini do what she wanted anyways, and they only needed to last a few more days. Being pampered and taken care of was normal anyways, and they were safe , so it was probably fine. What wasn't normal was how needy they felt, almost as if they hadn't masturbated at all. There was something about Miss Verdun's pampering that got them hot and bothered. The way she just told them she was going to clean them, even brushing their teeth.

 

The way she fed us .

 

The way she tightened on the skimpy dress she had picked out for them. The one that threatened to flash their panties at any moment. The one that hugged them so snugly every breath reminded them of its presence. Just thinking about it now they could feel the heat in their body rising. That the vine moved from the top of their head to scratching under their chin didn't help. They tapped their foot to keep from moaning. It was then, at the worst possible time, that they heard the door slide open, followed by a familiar high-pitched squeal. 

 

"PRIIIINCESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!" The vine moved quickly from the spot under Princess' chin to their back, keeping them steady as Daisy leapt on them, hugging them tightly. The floret squeezed them as hard as she could and, without breaking the hug, she planted a series of light kisses on their lips. 

 

"I-" kiss "missed-" kiss "you!" kiss.

 

"H-hi Daisy." Princess returned the hug and tried the best they could to collect their freshly scattered thoughts. Miss Verdun had moved to greet Miss Dawnbloom by the door, helping her bring a Terran-sized pet bed into the common area. What are they-

 

"Your hair is super cute!" Daisy's hand was uncontested as it played through their hair. "And your dress!" 

 

They yelped as her hands found their way under the short hemline, groping their ass. "D-D-Daisy!" What had gotten into her?!

 

"Princess~" Daisy pulled them in for another, longer, kiss. This time probing into their mouth with her tongue, still playing with their ass. Thinking about anything else was rapidly becoming difficult, so they simply returned her enthusiasm. The kiss broke with an audible 'plop,' and Daisy hummed with satisfaction. "You're getting better at that."

 

Princess fidgeted, flustered. "Uh, thanks?" She was lucky she was cute. And necessary for their escape. 

 

She cocked her head. "You seem a little different. Did something happen?" 

 

Daisy's words caught them off guard. "Uhhhh, well, like we told you earlier we realized we're a girl and-"

 

"We? Ooo are you, like, getting really into the princess rp now? Cuz I can work with that~"

 

"'Princess rp?' What?" 

 

Miss Verdun and Miss Dawnbloom thankfully returned at that moment, the latter giving her pet a few scritches while the former spoke up. "I think you two should tell Daisy your news now, little ones." 

 

Ah. Shit, they had used 'we' by accident. Princess had been hoping to have some more time and bring it up at the opportune moment. It was hard to remember to mask when they felt safe the way they did, and when the proverbial cat had already escaped the bag. "We're, uhm-" They clutched their bear. How did they even put this?

 

Well Daisy already knows a system, we can probably just tell her. 

 

Right, they hadn't even known plurality was a 'thing' until they met Rose and the others. Plain language seemed promising. "We're... plural." The word still felt foreign in their mouth, talking about it was going to take some getting used to. "There's two of us." 

 

Daisy lit up, nearly approaching her owner's incandescence for a moment, a wide smile on her face. "Really?! Eeeeeeeeee! So am I kissing both of you or just one of you?!" She gasped, "Wait, which one of you is Princess?!"

 

"Both of us?" Princess shrugged. "We believe the term is 'median system,' but honestly all of that stuff is new to us." 

 

"Ohmigosh, two girlfriends!!!" She cheered, bouncing in place. 

 

G-girlfriend?!

 

"Wait, what?!" 

 

Cordelia gave Daisy a pat. "You are forgetting something important, little one."

 

Daisy scrunched up her face for a few seconds before she recoiled. "Oh shoot, I forgot to ask first!" She took their free hand in both of her own. "Didya wanna be girlfriends? Cuz I really like you and think we should date!"

 

"I- we-" Princess struggled with the notion that Daisy actually wanted to be with them, even after learning about the plural thing. They had chalked up her previous advances to her pethood. Was she actually interested in them ?

 

This is good, isn't it? It advances the plan. 

 

It did, but the stirring in their heart was beyond simple reason. They were... fond of the pet, sure. Fooling around had been fun, as was hanging out with her, but was she really fine with them? Wasn't it cruel to date her if they were just going to run away in a few days? 

 

No more cruel than what we were already planning. 

 

There was an ache in their chest. Princess really hated that they had actual empathy now. It was getting in the way. There was another, more glaring issue. They had never been in a relationship before. What if Daisy realized they were too inexperienced to be a good girlfriend? Or worse, they upset Daisy to the point she didn't want to be friends, let alone girlfriends. They could feel how devastating that would be. 

 

Plus if the relationship is ruined before the flower festival everything is lost.

 

Then they would be property and never see Daisy again, the worst of both options. Would Daisy be insulted if they asked to remain friends? Would she still want to do things like kiss and cuddle if they weren't together? They weren't dating yesterday when she had nearly made them cum. 

 

Can we even date a pet? Wouldn't that look bad?

 

Well it's not like they were going to be able to make a case for independence to Miss Verdun of all Affini. They could feel that she saw them as nothing but a pet. Nothing but her pet. She had treated them as such for a while now. The only thing that stayed her vines was the fact they hadn't stepped out of line enough to justify immediate domestication. Escape was their only-

 

A few scritches roused them from their train of thought. "Princess? Are you alright?" Miss Verdun's voice was sweet like melting chocolate, and carried a small concern in it. 

 

"Huh?" They blinked, reality coming back into focus. "Oh, yeah."

 

"You were lost in thought for about seven minutes there, are you sure?"

 

"It's, uhm, alright if you wanna say no!" Daisy was trying her best not to look dejected as Miss Dawnbloom soothed her. Whispering something into her ear as a few vines stroked through her hair. "We can be friends, too!"

 

The ache in their chest twisted at the sight of Daisy being sad. "It's not that! We like you, it's just-" In... hold... out... Princess pulled the bear close to their chest. Miss Verdun's presence reminded them that they were safe. "We, uhm, never really dated anyone before... I'm not sure if we'll be any good at it."

 

"Pffft," Daisy snorted before breaking down into a fit of giggles. "You really overthink everything, dontcha?" Her owner stood back upright with a smile as she walked back over to them, wrapping her arms around their waist. Princess' heart fluttered as she brought her lips close enough to their own that she could feel the breath from her next words. That look in her eyes didn't help calm them either. "I'm just asking if you wanna be together, you don't gotta be 'good' at it, dork."

 

Princess opened their mouth, only giving a weak squeak as words failed them. Instead, they gave a weak nod. 

 

"God, you're lucky you're cute." With that, Daisy passionately pressed her lips to their own. Once they got over the shock of it, they eagerly returned the kiss. This time they found themselves not merely trying to match Daisy's efforts, but to show how much she meant them. Even if she was a bit much at times, even if they did need to leave, they would always be thankful for her companionship and treasure the short time they got to spend together. They already missed it. 

 

Breaking the kiss left them both panting. " Wow , Princess, that was... really good. Are you sure you haven't kissed before we met?"

 

They nodded, now embarrassed at how much of themselves they had just exposed.

 

Miss Dawnbloom squeed, "Oh, how precious ! Aren't they just adorable?"

 

"Absolutely!" Miss Verdun cooed, giving them a scratch behind the ear that made them shiver as jolts of pleasure shot through their brain. Fuck, petting felt good! "Why don't you lovecats make yourself comfortable and decide on a movie while Cordelia and I get some snacks together?"

 

"Okay!" Daisy answered for them, taking them by their hand again and leading them over to the pet bed the two Affini had set up. They had placed it in front of the TV, adorning it with pillows, blankets, and a few of Daisy's plushies. As embarrassing as the pet bed was, they had to admit they were extremely comfortable. It was what the 'cuddle zone' in Daisy's garden was, after all. Would they be sleeping here, or just relaxing for the evening? What kind of snacks were the Affini preparing, anyways? They hoped there would be chocolate and berries again. 

 

Oo, what about a chocolate covered berry?

 

Princess could feel saliva pooling in her mouth. That would be incredible. They couldn't just ask for a treat though, could they? 

 

They swallowed as they stopped at a corner of the pet bed. Daisy let go of their hand and began to arrange blankets and pillows. "We're gonna do girl stuff, and eat a buncha snacks and play games and makeout and sleep together and buncha stuff! What kinda movie d'ya wanna watch anyways? Something sappy again?" 

 

"Well we picked the movie last time, so why don't you pick this one?" 

 

"Hmmm." Daisy collapsed into a small alcove she had made out of several pillows and a plush blanket, and patted next to her. Princess sat down, and adjusted the cushions a little to make them more comfortable. "You know, you sure are passive for an independent. How do you feel about old Terra movies from before the collapse?"

 

Princess shrugged. "We haven't seen any?"

 

"Geeeeeze, well what have you seen?" 

 

"Uhhh, The Stars Betwixt ?'

 

Daisy blinked, dumbfounded. "Wait, was that the first time you've watched a movie?"

 

"We've seen... documentaries? Do those count?"

 

"Only documentaries?" Daisy looked at them as though they had grown a second head. "What, were you raised in a lab or something?"

 

Princess frowned and grumbled, pulling the bear close. "Somethin' like that."

 

Daisy sucked in air through her teeth, "Okay, touchy subject, my bad. Let's move on." She poked the bear in the nose. "Who's this, anyways?"

 

Ah, they had forgotten Daisy hadn't seen the bear yet. "It's a bear I- we got from the therapist, though Miss Nele said it was from Miss Verdun." 

 

"Well yeah, but what's his name?"

 

"Name?" It hadn't occurred to them that they should name it. Him?

 

"Uh-huh! You gotta name your plushies!" Daisy pointed at the stuffed animals strewn about in sequence. "That's Florence, that's Ducky, that's scruffles Jr, that's Missy, that's Professor Paws, and thiiis-'' She pulled a ragdoll calico cat out from behind the makeshift couch. It looked a bit more worn than the others, a few repairs clearly visible. "is Muffins! She's my favorite~" She hugged it, humming happily. 

 

Princess lifted the bear in front of themselves, examining him. He was rather cute, the platonic ideal of a teddy bear. The way his eyes glimmered in the light and his soft golden fur was quite dignified in a way. 

 

A name... we have an idea.  

 

The one that immediately jumped to Princess' mind was silly, and made them giggle. It was no more ridiculous than any Daisy had listed though. They pulled him back in for a squeeze. "Mister Bear." Daisy immediately burst out laughing,  broken up by the occasional snort. "It's no sillier than 'Professor Paws,'" They defended.

 

Daisy tried to calm herself. "It's not- it's not that ." She wiped away budding tears. "Hoo boy. Sorry, sorry, I'm not laughing at you, it's just that 'Mister Bear' is both cute as shit, and very 'you.'"

 

"Ah- uhm-" Princess blushed, stammering. Daisy kissed them again, a shorter affair, lacking tongue, but still enough to make their heart skip. "Thanks..." they mumbled, burying their face into Mister Bear's head.

 

"Sooo," Daisy leaned against them, wrapping an arm around their waist. "Anything else you wanted to tell me before Mistress n' Miss Verdun come back? Not keeping any other secrets about yesterday, are ya?" 

 

Princess shrugged. "It was just the plural stuff. We didn't wanna tell you over the messenger."

 

"Not what I was getting at." She huffed. 

 

"Oh?"

 

Daisy whined. "Oh come on! You're like, way more chill now! You aren't all super tense and stressed out all the time. You haven't looked over your shoulder once ! Plus you're like, way more friendly with Miss Verdun, you were even letting her straight up pet you! Your whole vibe is totally different now!"

 

It clicked what Daisy was getting at. Princess had not felt safe the last time they had been together. That didn't make explaining it appealing. They could imagine how she would react if they told her they had asked Miss Verdun to hypnotize them into feeling safe. That they had signed a partial domestication contract that morning was also best omitted. However, denying her any information was bound to get her to pry. "We had a talk with Miss Verdun and asked her to help us feel safe, that is all. The details are between her and ourselves."

 

"Hmmm," Daisy looked them over, examining them in an almost clinical sense. A wry, knowing smile tugged the corners of her mouth upwards. "Well if you say so~" She sang. "Whatever she did worked, it's nice to see you finally relaxing." 

 

Princess returned the smile as they ruminated over the feeling. "Yeah, it is kind of nice."