Dog of War

Camila had never felt so joyous as she exited the transit and approached her hab, a haul of groceries in tow. Dozens of recipes buzzed around in her head. Which ones should she try first? Which ones would Beckett enjoy the most? That her pet-to-be was as happy as possible was an ever-growing need.

 

The door slide open, revealing an absolutely adorable scene: Daisy hanging off Beckett on the couch, having a conversation.

 

"Well in that case how about 'sourpuss' or 'party pooper?'" Daisy delivered with a playful poke to Beckett's cheek, causing her to do the cute little breathing technique she did to keep calm. Camila kept quiet as she slipped inside, hoping to enjoy the scene as it played out. 

 

"I don't see what's wrong with my current username. It's professional" 

 

"It's laaaaaaame!" Daisy whined as she gently shook Beckett. "No one cares about being professional anymore anyways! C'mon, work with me a little!"

 

Beckett sighed, "Fine, how about…" she paused for a time, "Oasis of Arrakis?" 

 

"Ooo, what's that?" 

 

"It's a reference to an old science fiction series, Arrakis is a fictional desert planet." Camila would have to look up what that was from later; it could provide useful insight into Beckett. 

 

"That's great!" Daisy cheered, "way better than just your name." She stuck out her tongue. 

 

Seeing Beckett make an actual effort like this was just precious, but it was time to make her presence known. "What are you two cuties up to?" Camila asked, stepping around the couch.

 

Beckett practically jumped, "Miss Verdun! When did you get here?"

 

"Oh hey Miss Verdun, I was just helping Beckett pick a better handle for his pad!" Daisy smiled, as carefree as ever.

 

"Just now. I'm glad to see both of you getting along." Camila gave Daisy a bit of attention, scratching her just behind the ear.

 

"I am as well." Cordelia added as she entered the living room from the kitchen. Her friend was as radiant as ever. "Would you like help with putting away the groceries before I leave?"

 

Camila nodded, "That would be delightful." She turned back towards the pets- that is, pet and pet-to-be. "You two okay for a few more minutes?" 

 

"Uh-huh, I'm just gonna give Beckett some friend lesson refreshers!" Daisy beamed. 

 

It was a bit of a shame Camila wouldn't be there to see what would be a doubtlessly adorable display. Still, the sooner she put the groceries away, the sooner she could have her talk with Beckett. "Okay, just remember you can call for either of us if you need anything."

 

"Yeah!" Daisy nodded. Beckett gave a silent thumbs up. 

 

Cordelia had moved to the cart of groceries near the entrance. Hooking a vine into it, she followed Camila into the kitchen. "You seem to be in high spirits."

 

Camila's core had been radiating delight ever since she dropped the Notice of Intent off, "Officially marking Beckett for myself felt indescribable. It's just, it feels so real now, Cordelia." She opened the fridge and began placing in the items her friend handed to her. 

 

A few vines worked their way into her own, and Camila happily welcomed them. "It is good to see you so happy." 

 

Cordelia's support made her feel warm; she was a truly wonderful friend. "Thank you. Was Beckett any trouble?"

 

Her laugh was wonderful as well, hopefully she didn't notice as Camila fidgeted a bit. "Not at all! She's an interesting sophont, and astoundingly adorable when flustered or eating. I see why she captured your core so quickly."

 

It was nice to get confirmation from Cordelia that Beckett was as cute as she thought. "She's utterly precious! I can scarcely believe such a prize basically delivered itself into my vines."

 

"I felt much the same way about Daisy," Cordelia smiled, "You know she is growing rather fond of your future floret, I found them cuddling when I went to wake them up."

 

Camila gasped, nearly dropping the milk she had just been handed, " Please tell me you got a picture!" 

 

"Of course, dear." Cordelia switched to using a few auxiliary vines to help put away the groceries as she dug out her pad. After a few taps on its surface, she handed it over. On it was a picture of Daisy, a warm smile on her face as she had an arm wrapped around Beckett's chest. Beckett looked conflicted, neither upset or happy, but struggling to come to terms with her situation.

 

Camila squeed, It was an absolutely darling display! She sent it to herself before handing the pad back; her Beckett gallery was starting to come along nicely. 

 

Placing the pad back inside herself, Cordelia handed her the last item that needed to be kept cold. "Being around Daisy is good for Beckett, she seems to be able to get through her defenses in a way we Affini don't."

 

Camila placed it away and shut the fridge, the two more working in tandem to place the rest of the groceries away in the cupboards. "Yes, she won't let me do much other than helping them up and down, and that's only because I forced her to. She's willing to cuddle with Daisy."

 

"Exactly, I think it would be a good idea if they frequently visited. It should help Beckett defrost more naturally." Cordelia then turned to smile at her, "Plus it would let us see each other more." 

 

Camila would have agreed for Beckett's sake regardless, but seeing her friend often certainly made it even more appealing. "Of course! I was going to take Beckett for a walk tomorrow, she's been itching to get out of the Hab. How about we come over after?"

 

"Hmm," Cordelia paused, "Are you sure that's wise? Doing both on the same day might be more interaction than the little one can handle."

 

That was a good point, actually. Beckett was far from a social butterfly. "How about the day after then? Oh, the rest of her xenodrugs should be ready then too. If you're willing to watch her, I can drop her off before I get them." 

 

"That sounds delightful, Daisy has been aching to show Beckett her garden." 

 

"It's a plan then." Camila smiled. The two Affini quickly finished putting the last of the groceries away and closed the cupboards. That should be enough to last until Beckett's 'trial' at least, assuming she didn't break before then. 

 

Cordelia drew her close, intertwining her vines with Camila's. "This has been delightful dear, is there anything else you want before I take Daisy back home?"

 

Camila returned the embrace. "No, you've done plenty. Thank you, Cordelia." The two parted and moved back to the living room, hand in hand. 

 

"-just don't see the point of doing this." Beckett said. She didn't sound too pleased.

 

"The point is for you to not be so uptight!" Daisy retorted. 

 

The two Affini approached the Terrans. Oh stars, they were cuddling on the couch! Camila couldn't help herself as she let out an inhuman squeal of delight. Beckett shut her eyes, she was focusing on her breathing again. It didn't seem to take much to get the cutie overwhelmed. 

 

Cordelia moved around to the front of the couch, "You two having fun?" 

 

"I'm helping Beckett get used to being intimate with people!" Daisy beamed up at her owner. 

 

"What a good girl!" Daisy squirmed into Beckett at her owner's praise. She was likely getting a heavy dose of Class As through her implant, "Such a good girl deserves a treat, how about when we go home we have a bit of quality time?" 

 

"Yu-yuh." Daisy panted, struggling to speak as her eyes fluttered and her hold on Beckett slipped. Cordelia picked her pet up, wrapping her in her vines. 

 

She moved to the exit and stopped, turning to her. <"I believe in you Camila, you are far more capable than you think. Good luck with your cutie."> 

 

<"And you have fun with yours!"> Camila replied. The door opened, Cordelia stepped through, and then it closed. Now alone with her prize, Camila turned her attention to Beckett. "You and I have some matters to discuss."

 

Beckett stretched, and adjusted her position on the couch, "Alright, I had a few matters to discuss myself." Oh? How cute! 

 

Camila sat next to Beckett, "What's on your mind, cutie?" 

 

Beckett moved back from her, into the corner created by the arm of the couch. "I've been thinking about this wardship and proving that I can be allowed to be independent. I'm not sure letting you just handle all the food prep, scheduling and choosing my clothes is doing me any favors." 

 

Ah, perhaps she had pushed a little too much, too fast? Camila had an idea of how best to disarm this topic, "I simply don't think you really need to be tested on those things. You were in rather good health, and your history as a freelancer proves you are quite capable of managing a schedule. What I want to see is if you are able to form relationships and be happy. I'm just helping you focus on those things." 

 

That seemed to do the trick, or at least caused Beckett to pause as she thought about it. "If you say so. However," She paused, shifting uncomfortably, "I'm also growing concerned that you might… try to keep me."

 

Now that was definitely a bit trickier. Camila could hardly tell her that she filed a Notice of Intent on her only an hour and a half ago. Even Class Es could only do so much. She had to act fast, a prolonged pause might give away her intentions. "If you are found to be capable of living as an independent, and if that's what you want, I will not press the matter and we can go our separate ways." It felt a little bad to deceive her like this. After all, Camila was planning to speak against her being declared independent at the trial.  

 

Beckett sighed, visibly relaxing, "Thank you, it means a lot to hear that. I have one more question, with a possible follow up." 

 

"What is it, petal?" Hopefully this would be easier than the last two.

 

Beckett leered up at her, examining her. "You didn't mess with my head yesterday, did you?" 

 

Huh? She hadn't done anything intentional. Perhaps the little one was already beginning to succumb to her biorhythm? "No! I did say I would tell you beforehand if I did, didn't I?" 

 

Then something unexpected happened, something that caused her to fight back a squee. In the absolutely most precious manner, her voice showing just a bit of weakness, Beckett broached the main thing she wished to discuss. "Then what was with the woman in the mirror yesterday?"

 

-_-_-_-

 

The question hung in the air, irrevocable. They would have their answer on the woman that was haunting them. They only hoped they would have the strength for it. 

 

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about, but first I want to give you a small dose of Class E. It will help you stay in control of your emotions." Right, Miss Verdun actually had Xenodrugs for them now, didn't she? Class Es could help; they were already feeling pretty emotionally frazzled and avoiding an outburst would be ideal. It wasn't encouraging that she thought they needed an anxiolytic for the answer. It would also mean accepting Xenodrugs willingly, but it could show they were capable of adapting to life in the compact. Class Es were some of the least offensive ones at least. 

 

"Alright."

 

They could practically feel the excitement radiating off of Miss Verdun, her vines writhing. "Just hold still, okay cutie?" A vine tipped with a flower snaked out from under her cloak, the bulb opening to reveal a needle-like thorn, dripping with fluid. They bit back the swelling fear. Then they felt a small prick, as it pressed into their arm. 

 

At first, nothing. Then as time trudged forwards they felt a gentle wave of calm wash over them. Actually, it was less like a wave and more like a steadily rising tide that submerged and drowned out most of the fear and anxiety. What little was left felt distant, manageable. This... was good, actually. They could moderate themselves like this. They sighed, relaxing a bit.

 

"How are you feeling, petal?" Miss Verdun asked.

 

They felt pretty good, all things considered, but Class Es affected motor control and coordination, didn't they? They tested by tapping each of their fingers to their thumb- it was  off, not majorly, but this could be an issue if they had to escape and were on them. "Alright, bit sluggish."

 

Miss Verdun smiled down at them, still beside herself with joy. "Yes, that's normal. Let me know if it gets too bad, or you need support."

 

"Will do," they nodded. "Can we talk about yesterday now?"

 

"Of course, just-" There was a low, rumbling hum as Miss Verdun mulled it over. "Alright, let's start from the top, I suppose. What, exactly, is going on?" 

 

They waited for the fear of sharing something personal to come, but it didn't. There was a hint of nervousness, a bit of indecisiveness about how to present it, but the anxiety was absent. "It's... I don't know. She's been on my mind a lot, and when I think about her it feels strange. I'm not sure how to put it."

 

Miss Verdun thought for a moment again. "Alright, can you describe it? It's fine if you feel like it doesn't make sense, I should be able to piece it together."

 

They turned the feeling around, examining its angles, its nuances. Then they took a practiced breath, and spoke. "Uneasy, fluttery, Like when I've been out on a job too long, and kinda like I've got the wind knocked out of me. Like I'm being haunted."

 

"I see." Miss Verdun smiled, a warm knowing smile, and nodded. "Beckett... how do you feel about your body?"

 

"It's... fine?" They shrugged, "It's my body. It’s always been capable enough I suppose. It's not something I really think about a lot, beyond making sure it stays fit and fed." 

 

Miss Verdun looked a little surprised at that, then examined them, as though she were sizing them up. "Well, how would you feel if you looked like the woman in the mirror?"

 

They scoffed. "That's impossible." 

 

A grin that made them feel a prick through the Class E crept onto Miss Verdun's face. Like a cat about to pounce on its prey. "She's you, princess, based on a simulation of about three weeks on Class Gs."

 

The teasing was lost on them as information hit them like a shot railgun. They could scarcely even begin to process it; that was actually them ? That was realistically on the table? They understood why Miss Verdun wanted to give them the Class E now; they were on the verge of losing it even with the Xenodrug supporting them. Everything felt tight, and was starting to burn. Tears welled in their eyes as their vision began to tunnel.

 

"Breathe, little one." 

 

Oh, they hadn't been breathing. Gasps slowly leveled into long, practiced, calming breaths. That helped the burning, but they still felt on the verge of a breakdown. 

 

"I'm going to give you some more Class E, petal." Miss Verdun stated, shortly before they felt another pinch. 

 

The edge bled off, and they returned to a collected state. "Thanks." A small part of them told them they should be angry, she had dosed them without asking, but all they could feel was relief. 

 

Miss Verdun let out a sigh. "Of course." Her normal smile returned. "You know, one of the xenodrugs I picked up today was a Class G, the very one I used in the simulation."

 

Oh, She just had it on her? On second thought, that was entirely within Miss Verdun's character. This was still somewhat upsetting, even if they couldn't actually feel upset. 

 

We can't just... decide to be a girl. Can we? 

 

They gently shook their head. Oh wow, everything was definitely off now. They were a bit uncoordinated before, but now they might even have trouble walking without stumbling. Good thing they were sitting, and propped up against the corner. Miss Verdun must have given them quite a lot. "I dunno, don' ya have to be like, trans or somethin'?"

 

Miss Verdun giggled. Did they say something funny? Her laugh was nice, at least. "Why don't we just forget the labels for now? I really think you should try the Class G. If you decide you don't like it, or want to stop, they're easily reversible. We can even change the effects to things like your face structure and stature if you wish."

 

Stars above, did the Affini really have no limits? They tried to assess the offer, but it was really difficult to think of any potential worries with this much Class E in their system. If it was reversible and they could stop whenever and get back to normal, it should be fine anyways, right? 

 

They tried to nod, only succeeding in lolling their head. "Okay."  

 

-_-_-_-

 

That had gone better than Camila could have ever anticipated. She had maybe overdone it on the Class E, lost a bit in the excitement of actually being able to dose the cutie. Beckett was having trouble even just talking, and likely wouldn't be able to stand on her own, but that was hardly a concern. She got her to accept the Class Gs on her own! Without a Class D, even! "Alright, I'm going to give you the Class G and a bit of counteragent for the Class E." 

 

Beckett merely gave a wavering thumbs up; it seemed the poor cutie was tuckered out by all the excitement. She deserved a break before Camila tried to help her choose a new name. As she injected her pet-to-be, her mind began to wander, what name would sound best out of the cutie's mouth, in front of 'Verdun, First Floret?’