Dog of War

"Ooo, look at your hair!" Daisy stood on the tips of her toes to bring her face so close to their own they could make out the constellations in her freckles. "It's so fluffy! Can I touch it?"

 

"No." It was nice to see her, but they weren't about to relent on the no-touching-their-hair thing, even if their scalp was itching from the growth formula. Miss Verdun was eagerly waiting for them to cross that line. 

 

"Awwwwh," Daisy pouted playfully, settling back down on her feet, before snorting and breaking into a fit of giggles. Recovering, she gave them a smile. "By the way, your dress is super cute! And I like your hat!"

 

"Oh." Their face flushed at the unexpected compliment. "Thanks." 

 

Miss Dawnbloom spoke up, still entwined with Miss Verdun. "You know, Camila and Princess were about to go on a walk as well, why don't we join them?" 

 

"Oooo," Daisy bounced on the balls of her feet. “That sounds fun!"

 

"Is that alright with you, Princess?" Miss Verdun asked.

 

They almost wished she hadn't; they had been looking forward to a quiet walk to scope out the changed Cassius, but they couldn't exactly reject the proposal. Daisy and Miss Dawnbloom had tagged along for their sake. It would be rude. 

 

"That is fine. I'll try to keep my pace to something reasonable." 

 

"YAYYYYYYYY!" Daisy cheered, as bubbly as ever. "We're goin' for walkies together!" 

 

Miss Dawnbloom separated herself from Miss Verdun, and Daisy shivered at a wordless command. She bounced over to her owner, who promptly hooked a vine into the loop on her collar as others ran through her hair and scratched beneath her chin. Their guts twisted. It was hard enough to ignore the collar, but a leash made that impossible. Memories bubbled to the surface like bile, and they choked them back down. 

 

"Well, if you are worried about not going too fast for Daisy," Miss Verdun held out a long thin vine, "why not hold my vine again, and let me help you?" 

 

Help was one thing, a pseudo-leash was another. They had accepted last time only because they kept tripping over their dress. "I think I'm fine, thank you." Miss Verdun seemed troubled by their rejection, but relaxed as Miss Dawnbloom leaned over and whispered something they couldn't hear. 

 

Daisy bounced back over to them, her leash continuing to draw attention to her collar.

 

Don't think about it don't think about it don't think about it.

 

"Well why not just hold my hand?" Daisy beamed, grabbing their right hand and interweaving her fingers with theirs. "That way we can, like, be in sync or whatever easier!" 

 

They couldn't help but let out a small laugh, as they clasped their own fingers around Daisy's. "Sure, that works." Was this what the Affini had been whispering about? Honestly. 

 

Daisy's hand felt small in their own, warm and soft. There was another feeling, this one in their chest, somehow warmer and softer than the sensation of her delicate hand. They felt themselves smile as Daisy beamed up at them. 

 

"C'mon let's go then!" Daisy stepped off, and they followed, doing their best to match her pace. Her steps were shorter and slower than they were used to. Watching her feet for a few meters helped, and they were able to get in step with only some difficulty. The Affini followed, intertwined in their own way. 

 

Walking like this was annoying; they weren't properly stretching their legs. They could walk like this until the sun set and still feel that demanding need to move. At least they weren't tripping over their dress anymore. Instead, the material flowed and twirled in a way that was... pleasant. 

 

The real trouble was that Daisy swayed slightly from side to side, and with their class Es it made them even more off balance. Several times they nearly stumbled as a vine from Miss Verdun helped them to stay steady. They gave a mumbled "thanks" as they corrected the dress, straightening it out. Miss Verdun never said anything, but they could feel her smile from behind them. 

 

Daisy continued to lead them through the residential area. Occasionally they found themselves being tugged along or having to slow down, as her pace wasn't steady. Plenty of people were out now that the day had started. Mostly Affini hustling about or enjoying the dawn air, a few with their pets. They did, however, catch the attention of two Terrans, clear-eyed and dressed normally, who gave them a wave. 

 

The kind gesture from presumably independent Terrans was odd. However, what they couldn't get over was how alive Cassius felt. They had been here a few times- there was hardly a rock in the Accord they hadn't visited- and even before the war with the Compact it was a dreary, desolate place. Air too thin to breathe, polluted to the point where you wouldn't want to regardless. The oceans had been poisoned in what must have been record time for the Accord, shuttering the fisheries that saw it settled. The twenty-eight-hour rotation of the planet was practically unnoticeable as the local star, a red giant, was hidden behind a blanket of smog. Cassius was kept not alive, but in a state of undeath, as a way station along trade routes, and that moving its existing industry would be costly.

 

Now greenery littered brand-new paths, the thick air warm with light from the rising sun. People were out, unmasked and living freely without concern. It was hard to believe this was the same Cassius. In many ways, they supposed it wasn't. There were the same high rises in the distance, the same jagged mountain range opposite the ocean, the same coastline. And yet, it was not the same. The peaks of the mountains were now visible, no longer hidden behind smog. The highrises had been scrubbed of corporate logos, and vines now wrapped around them for support. The water was clear, and gentle waves met clean sand. 

 

Two years. It had only been two years since the Valiant had fled the battle for Cassius. 

 

If they can do this to a planet, it's no wonder they've been able to twist us in the manner they have. 

 

That they needed to leave while they still could was more apparent than ever. However, the situation had developed in an unsuspected way; Daisy and her owner had also come to the surface. They tried to quickly assess what this meant- Daisy and themselves were friends in the eyes of the Affini, and Daisy was still their only friend they had any rapport with. Had Miss Dawnbloom really moved simply so they could continue to see Daisy? They looked over their shoulder at the Affini in question, to find she was practically canoodling with Miss Verdun like they were pubescent lovers. Maybe not entirely for that reason then. 

 

The real question was how this affected their ability to escape. Miss Dawnbloom's presence might be annoying at times, with how offensive her bright colors were, but she did preoccupy Miss Verdun. As for the Affini herself, she was fairly astute. She had been the one to notice that they couldn't actually taste. These days, though, it was Miss Verdun that had a bead on them. Miss Dawnbloom’s presence was... somewhat positive. An additional set of Affini eyes, sure, but a set that could distract the ones they were concerned about. 

 

As for the Terran holding their hand, Daisy was an interesting factor for their fledgling plan. She was impulsive, loud, lively, easily excitable, and rarely still. Her antics could be tiring, but she was easy to get along with and even seemed to enjoy their company for whatever reason. She wasn't a hindrance at least, and was pleasant to spend time with. Perhaps if they could convince the Affini to let them go out together, alone, they would have an opportunity. Daisy was definitely a positive. That would only leave one major obstacle- the monitor.

 

The monitor was the one thing that truly concerned them, constantly tracking their mood and health. At the first sign of tampering, it would inject them with a potent cocktail of xenodrugs. It was sturdy, and seemed unlikely it could be damaged by any tools they could procure. The only way they knew it could be removed was with the help of an Affini, and it wasn't like they could just ask Miss Verdun. She had snaked a vine into some part of it, but when they had tried to find where the hole was, they found nothing. 

 

Amputation. It's the only surefire option to remove it. 

 

That would be tricky. With the Affini's creed of keeping those in their care from harming others or themselves, the device almost certainly had a way of anticipating something so major. Even if it couldn’t detect self harm before it happened, it would certainly notice them sawing through the muscles, bone, and sinew, and probably the change in heart rate from an applied tourniquet.

 

We'll have to do it quick then. Instantaneously. Make sure it won't have time to react. We can prepare the tourniquet before and apply it after. 

 

There were very few things capable of cleanly severing an arm in less than a second. Fewer still they could reasonably get their hands on. Industrial equipment, if any remained, was certainly kept under close watch. The best option was probably a laz-knife, if they could scrounge one up. It seemed like a long shot. Those had practical uses, and were small enough to potentially slip through, but so did their pocket knife, and that had been taken away. 

 

A long shot was still better than the guarantee of a collar. 

 

"Whatcha thinkin' bout?" Daisy grinned up at them innocently, poking their nose and breaking their concentration. "Your face is all serious and junk." She stuck out her tongue.

 

"Just how different Cassius is," The subject had truthfully been on their mind. Seeing the Affini ship was impressive in its own right, but seeing how thoroughly they had been able to breathe life into a dead rock was another. "And that it's nice to have you here, of course." They offered a smile. 

 

"Awwwwh," Daisy leaned in against them, placing her head on their shoulder. They swayed from the weight as vines propped them up. "You like me." 

 

"Of course. We're friends, aren’t we?" 

 

"Eheheheh," Daisy nuzzled in just a bit closer. "Yeah."

 

"The rejuvenation efforts have been going super well!" Miss Dawnbloom chimed in. "The first goal was making the atmosphere breathable and clearing up all that air pollution. We're still working on infrastructure and making the oceans safe, but the local beaches have filtrations set up a few kilometers out. They're perfect for a swim or a day out~"

 

"Yah!" Daisy beamed, righting herself and swinging their co-joined hands as they continued walking. "Mistress has taken me there a few times! It's super fun, we should go sometime!" She let out a gasp. "I wanna see you in a swimsuit!" 

 

Not a pleasant mental image. "I'm not sure about that." 

 

Daisy snorted, "We don't gotta go right now, silly. We can wait until you're girlier or whatever. Speaking of..." She suddenly started looking them over, examining them thoroughly. "Looks like my besties’ Class Gs are starting to kick in~"

 

They rubbed their chin with their free hand, feeling their changing jaw. "I suppose I have been on them for a few days now." 

 

"Yeah! It's exciting, isn't it?" 

 

They hummed, thinking about it for a moment, "Yeah, it kind of is." 

 

-_-_-_-

 

Camila could hardly feel upset about not being able to lead Princess after such an adorable display, especially with Cordelia at her side. Daisy and her own future floret were core-numbingly adorable together. They garnered the adoring gazes of passing Affini, and even a few jealous ones. She even got to see some of the fruits of her labor from the last year or so! All that coordination between vessels to help them deliver materials and goods in a timely manner had clearly done a lot of good. She had wanted to come down to see how it had been coming along, but had been too busy to do so. Finally seeing it for herself gave Camila a sense of accomplishment. She had a vine in this, however small her part. Combined with the warm and sweet light from the nearby red giant, she could hardly recall a time she ever felt better. 

 

She did still wish that Princess would have taken her vine. Helping them here and there when they started to stumble was satisfying enough for now, but there was a growing need in her. Camila kept telling herself that she could make up for lost time once Princess was truly hers, but that hunger was growing. Every time she fed it, there was a period of relief before it would simply return stronger. Every stolen touch seemed to tease not just Princess, but herself. Camila was beginning to question how much longer she could hold out. Hopefully she would be ready soon, at least to accept pets. For now...

 

"Actually that reminds me Princess," Camila signaled Cordelia to stop using a form of chemical communication, causing both Terrans to follow suit. "I still need to give you your class G." 

 

Princess narrowed her eyes, and her biorhythm soured with mistrust. "I highly doubt you forgot again, Miss Verdun." 

 

It was a bit annoying to be caught so plainly, but it's not like she needed to believe her anyways. "Well, perhaps I just think it's more fun to give it to you when you're awake." Camila snaked out the appropriate vine, and Daisy's face lit in anticipation of the ensuing scene. "You do still want it, don't you?"

 

"Yeah c'mon Princess," Daisy struggled not to laugh as the other Terran seized up. "Dontcha wanna take your class G?" 

 

There was conflict on Princess’ face as her eyes darted from side to side, scanning to see if anyone was looking. Of course, no one was. There was little notable about an Affini having an aside with its pet. Camila had her do her breathing, to help her calm down. She sighed as she exhaled and extended her free arm, tilting her head and hat down, so that her face was obscured. "Yes."

 

That would do, but next time Camila would have to make sure they asked properly. She wrapped her vines around the extended arm, "Hold still." she instructed, as though they had a choice. She gently dragged the needle along the skin before it reached its injection site. Princess had reacted well to this last time and didn't disappoint today as she let out a small needy whine, prompting Camila to sink the needle in and deliver the xenodrugs. To their credit, they didn't pull away. Some praise was in order. "You didn't squirm this time, what a Good girl~" 

 

She released them. She didn't need to see the Terran’s face to know she was beyond flustered, it was evident in her body language and biorhythm. Camila could practically taste it in the air. It was sublime

 

"Gosh, that was hot ." Daisy swooned for a moment, lost in fantasy. She poked her head under Princess' hat, her shorter stature allowing her a private show. "Ehehehehhh, you got her really good, Miss." 

 

Camila had no doubt about that. Princess was trembling as she tried to regain her composure. In... Hold... Out... She nudged them, repeating the exercise several times until they regained composure. Finally, they spoke, their voice just slightly softer than normal. "...Can we get back to the walk?" 

 

"Of course, Princess." Camila smiled, her hunger satisfied. For now. 

 

Daisy snorted into a bubbly laugh, taking Princess' hand back into her own and gently pulling them forward. "Yeah, c'mon Princess!" 

 

As the walk continued, they started passing through an area that was more shops and eateries than Hab units, the path opening up into a wide area with a park in the center. The locals had been doing quite well with this place; it was already beginning to fill out with murals and other art displays. It wasn't nearly as packed with art as the Vervarium , but that just meant there was more room for the local sophonts to place their own work!

 

Besides the wonderful paintings decorating the buildings, there were even a few statues and sculptures. One statue in particular caught Camila's eye. A brass Terran floret looking up at their Affini owner stood in the center of the area. The Terran’s hair and most of their face had been polished to a golden glow by countless vines that simply couldn't resist the faux-ret. The bottom portions of the Affini's vines were also shining- Camila couldn't be certain whether the florets who had gripped the metal had been confused or overly affectionate, nor could she decide which thought was cuter. The craftsmanship of the statue itself was exquisite, the love shared between its subjects was palpable and warmed the air as much as the local star. Camila couldn't help but give the Terran a head pat as they passed it.

 

Daisy let out a gasp as they passed a store front. "Ice cream!" She whipped around, and gave Cordelia her best pleading face, one she was very practiced at. Camila couldn't help but let out a coo of delight. "Mistress, can we get some, please?" 

 

"Of course," Cordelia smiled, giving her pet some affection and scratching behind her ear. "How could I say no to such a cute face?"

 

Princess leaned ever so slightly away from Daisy, getting a bit of distance from the vines. "Ice cream?" 

 

Daisy let out a second, longer, higher pitch gasp, her words coming out all at once, like a deluge. "PRINCESS-HAVE-YOU-NOT-HAD-ICE-CREAM-YET?!"

 

"No," Princess shook her head, "I'm afraid I'm not familiar." Daisy looked like she was about to cry. "Er, I would love to try it?" 

 

Camila's list of things to feed Princess was ever expanding, and it wasn't like she would accept being fed an endless series of snacks. Not yet. 

 

"Well, I think you'll enjoy it." Camila stepped around the Terrans and triggered the door to open, giving Princess a smile. "And we can take a break from walking for a little." Princess didn't seem excited about stopping, but Daisy looked overjoyed as they headed inside. 

 

They were quickly greeted by a grinning, collarless eyed Terran behind the counter. "Heya, I'm David Bell, he/him. Welcome to Ice and Soft!" He whipped out an adorable little notepad and pen. "What can I do for ya?"

 

Oh, what a darling little sophont, and independent too! What a shame, he would be even cuter in a collar. "Camila Verdun, First Bloom, she/her, it is a pleasure to meet you." She extended a vine in greeting and he shook it. "What sorts of flavors do you make?" 

 

"Oh, all the classic flavors, plus a few specialties! I highly recommend the Bell Supernova Blast," he winked up at her. Stars, this Terran was an absolute cutie! "Your floret will love it."

 

Princess was about to protest, but Camila spoke first and she stopped. "I'm sure she will, but she's a ward, not a floret. She'll have a scoop of that in a cone." 

 

"Uhhh," David eyed Princess curiously, and the truth of her situation dawned on him as she looked away. "Right then." He made a few quick notes on his notepad, "And what'll yours be having?" He pointed at Cordelia with his pen.

 

"Cordelia Dawnbloom, Third Bloom, she/her," she said. "My little petal would love some rocky road, if you have any." 

 

"Course we do!" David made a few more jots on the paper. "Alright! Give me a minute and I'll have that ready for you both!" He adorably tucked the pen behind his ear and pulled on some plastic gloves before he set about getting the orders ready, quickly filling both cones and offering them to their respective Affini, "There you go, hope you like it!" 

 

The ‘Bell’s Supernova Blast’ was a marbled dark brown and white, with a few spots of a lighter brown. Chocolate chips, chunks and some other kind of chocolate poked out here and there. Camila took it graciously, and Cordelia did the same, scooping up a giggling Daisy in the same motion. There was a brief prick of worry in Princess' rhythm as Camila accepted the treat. "Thank you, little one," she smiled before leading their group to one of the booths. Cordelia sat on one side, placing Daisy on her lap. Camila offered a vine to Princess, "Would you like help up, petal?" 

 

Princess sighed. "Just don't put me in your lap again." 

 

That was acceptable- Camila had her sights on a bigger prize. "Of course, there's plenty of room for both of us." With that small reassurance, Princess took the vine and was lifted up onto the small bench. Camila took her place next to her as Cordelia fed Daisy the first bite, running several vines through her hair. 

 

"Thanks," Princess adjusted her position. "Can I have my ice cream now?" 

 

Time to make her move. "I'm not sure that's wise, Princess. You've been stumbling all morning and it's already starting to melt." She used a vine to point out a brown bead beginning to form on the side. "You'll make a mess, dear. Let me hold it."

 

There was a dull sense of... not panic. The Class Es were too thick for anything but the most dire of things to inspire panic. Desperation, perhaps? "Isn't that fine? I-I can just get cleaned up after, right?" 

 

Her expression amused, Cordelia turned to watch the show, keeping the cone positioned just right for Daisy to gently lick the treat. Camila gently shook her head. "It is unbecoming for a princess to get her hands all sticky, or soil her dress. I insist." 

 

The hat once again hid the visual delight of seeing Princess turn bright red, but she didn't need to see. The fluctuations in her biorhythm, the quickening of her heart, and the way she tensed up was every bit as delicious. "I-, th-, I- y-you, that-" Princess slumped down, trying to shrink away from her. "'m not a princess," she mumbled. 

 

Daisy lit up like a comms panel with excitement, her whole body posed to leap like a coiled spring. Cordelia gave a few scratches along the back of her neck to keep her silent. "Of course you are , Princess ." Camila brought the ice cream down to them. "Besides, you're supposed to be learning to accept help, right?" Camila let the conflict stir in her a bit before helping her along. In... Hold... Out... This is fine... The extra command through her biorhythm was maybe a bit ambitious, but to Camila's utter delight it seemed to work. 

 

Princess stopped trembling, and for the first time, willingly ate from her vines. She let out a soft gasp as she recoiled, covering her mouth with both of her hands. The experience of Bell's Supernova Blast certainly proved explosive as she shivered with delight, slowly chewing through the chunky bits in the treat. Finally, she swallowed, and panted with pleasure, too overwhelmed to speak. It would be many, many blooms before this memory faded from Camila’s mind, of that she was certain. 

 

Camila brought the ice cream back down and, with a few taps on her vines, let Cordelia know she needn't keep Daisy silent. Princess was eager for another bite, but she managed to stop them from taking one too large. It would be a tragedy if her first time being fed resulted in a brain freeze. As the little one's lips spread into a grin unburdened by any thought beyond savoring the treat, Camila was tempted to praise her with a good girl, but that might be too much. Camila had pushed her far enough out of her comfort zone for now. This moment needed to be perfect. For now she let her core ring with delight.

 

" Stars , Princess," Daisy wore a dreamy smile as she finally spoke, "you're adorable ." 

 

"...thanks." The reply came out soft as she swallowed not just the ice cream, but her embarrassment. Camila gave her another bite, taking care to catch a falling drip. 

 

Daisy cocked her head. "That looks pretty good actually, d'ya wanna swap a bite?" 

 

"Oh that's a wonderful idea, petal!" Cordelia gave her floret a vigorous pet as a reward. "Would you like to try Daisy's ice cream, Princess?"

 

Princess quickly caught onto what Cordelia was getting at, and visibly weighed her options. After a moment of consideration, she took a deep breath and exhaled, defeated. "Yes, I would like to try it." Oh, Camila didn't even have to nudge her along that time! How delightful!

 

Camila extended the ice cream to Daisy who happily took a bite and hummed with delight as Cordelia did the same. Princess shifted uncomfortably before sighing, taking a bite and letting out a surprised intonation. "Oh that's really good."

 

"Yeah I love it, but I think yours is better!" Daisy looked up at her owner, a pleading look on her face, "Can I have that next time, Mistress? Pleeease?"

 

Cordelia's wonderful laugh warmed the air. She rubbed the back of her floret’s neck, causing Daisy to melt faster than the ice cream dripping down the side of the cone. "Of course, petal." 

 

Camila felt a pang of jealousy at the scene. All the stolen touches in the compact couldn't compare to being able to just give one’s floret the affection they deserved. Soon , she reminded herself as she gave Princess another bite and watched the girl practically moan around the mouthful. She had already come so far, and seen how good it could feel even without Class As. It couldn't be too much longer, Princess was far too touch starved. Not to mention the soaps she had been using, and her Class Gs had already made her body far more sensitive.

 

Camila continued to snatch each melting drop as it began to trail downwards, delighting with the renewed joy that echoed out from Princess with each bite. Soon the ice cream dwindled until all that remained was the bit stuffed into the cone itself. Camila moved the cone closer to Princess' mouth, but the little one held up one hand in an unmistakable request to stop. "The cone is edible, dear." Camila explained. 

 

"Yeah, it's super good!" Daisy added, taking an exaggerated bite of her own cone.

 

"That is not the issue." It wasn't? "I believe that it is no longer capable of making a mess, and I would like to finish it on my own." 

 

Camila frowned. Roots and dirt and mulch. Princess was annoyingly correct, but that didn't make the prospect appealing. She could probably order the girl to relent, but that seemed like a bit of a waste considering the stress such a direct and conflicting order would cause. Cordelia entangled a few vines with Camila’s own under the table, and gave her a comforting smile. There would be other times. She reluctantly relinquished the cone.  

 

"Thank you." Princess hummed with satisfaction over the small 'victory' as she took a bite, delighting in the last vestiges of ice cream contained within. Camila felt the brief urge to forego her plans of slowly eroding her independence and instead tear the ridiculous notion out from the future pet. However, that would deny her the pleasure of watching Princess gradually lose herself to her vines. Camila had already gained plenty of ground today, and there was time for more still later. As tantalizing as it was to fully devour her, Princess was a meal best savored. 

 

The pet and the pet-to-be finished their respective treats soon after. Cordelia wiped at Daisy's mouth, cleaning up the few bits of chocolate that found their way there as Princess dabbed at her own. "Daisy is getting a bit walked out," Cordelia swept her floret into her vines, eliciting a laugh. "I was going to take her home so she could rest for a bit. How about we come over to visit in the afternoon, and stay for dinner?" 

 

Camila felt her flowers blooming; she'd get to cook with Cordelia again! "That sounds delightful!" She turned her attention down to her own Terran. "Would you like to go home or continue walking, Princess?" 

 

Princess hummed thoughtfully. "I think I would like to walk just a little while longer." 

 

"In that case," Cordelia rose up out of the bench, and revealed Daisy comfortably trussed up within her, "say 'goodbye' to your friend, flower." 

 

"Baiiiiiii!" Daisy half-waved. "Let's hang out later!"