Dog of War

 

 

Their minds raced as Miss Verdun carried them through the ship, cradling them in her soft vines. She had said they'd be meeting some of Daisy's friends. All of Daisy's other friends were florets. Florets were never far from their Affini. Dealing with Camila and Cordelia at once would have been cause for concern on its own. Not only were both going to be there, they could expect anywhere from one to four additional Affini. If it were any larger than that, it wouldn't count as 'a few.' They should expect somewhere between- 

 

The line of thinking was broken as a soft vine brushed against the inside of their thigh, eliciting a soft gasp.

 

Miss Verdun's voice was rife with amusement, clearly struggling not to laugh. "Sorry Princess, slipped."

 

They had doubts. Wasn't she just talking about how careful she was when touching them?

 

She's just toying with us...

 

Just a few more weeks. They could bear it that long. They had to. They had suffered worse hells for much longer than a month before. They heard a door slide open-

 

"Camila! It is so good to see you!" Miss Dawnbloom cheered. She soon appeared in their field of vision, peering down at them in Miss Verdun's vines. The Affini was as offensively colorful as ever. "Hello cutie, Daisy had been aching for you to get here~" 

 

"Good afternoon, Miss Dawnbloom." 

 

She smiled and turned her attention back to Miss Verdun. "Everybody else arrived just a few minutes ago, come on in!" 

 

Miss Verdun carried them in, setting them down in the living room. They gave a curt "Thank you" and looked around. Only the two Affini were present in the living room, with no other life in sight. Was the event not taking place in the living room?

 

A door slid open, and from it Daisy burst out of her garden, glowing with energy as she let out a loud "BESTIEEEEEEEEE" before surging forward and wrapping her arms around them as tightly as she could. "I MISSED YOU!"

 

They couldn’t help but let out a small laugh as they carefully returned the hug, trying to ignore the cooing of the two Affini. "We saw each other literally yesterday."

 

Daisy humphed, tilting her head up to pout at them. "I still missed you, dummy!" She suddenly gasped, falling back into her energetic self. "Ooo and your hair is starting to get a little long!" She began to run her hand through the side of their hair before they pulled away. "Aww, c'mon. It's getting all pretty and soft and junk, I wanna play with iiit!"

 

"Maybe some other time," they grumbled. 

 

Like never. 

 

"Okay!" Daisy cheered before gasping again, much longer than before. For a moment, they thought she might pass out. "Oh my gosh! Princess! You're wearing a dress!" She began to practically dance in place. "AAAAAAA YOU'RE SO CUTE!!! How does it feel?!"

 

They felt their face flush. They had expected a reaction along these lines, but that didn't stop it from making them feel weird. "It's..." Too cute for them, too comfortable, too nice, likely looked awkward and most certainly would look better on her. "Comfortable, I suppose." 

 

"Pfft," Daisy snorted, and began to giggle. "It's fine to enjoy yourself, y'know." They really missed the days where they didn't broadcast every single emotion. Daisy tenderly took their good hand, "C'mon, I've been telling everyone how cool and funny you are! They really wanna meet you!"

 

Oh fucking hell, who knew what Daisy had told them. They got the awful feeling they weren't going to like it, whatever it was. They looked to Miss Verdun for help- "I'll be right behind you, Princess." She smiled. Right. This was her idea in the first place, why would she do anything?

 

They swallowed. Social situations weren't something they really enjoyed. The notion that they had all gathered to meet them , specifically made them feel uneasy. Maybe they should just ask for more Class E? Things were already feeling off, though, any more and they might become reliant on Miss Verdun. In... Hold... Out... It would be fine. It was just a small get together. It wouldn't even be all that long. They’d had firefights that lasted longer. "Alright, let's go." 

 

"Don't worry, they're gonna love you! I know it!" Daisy smiled, leading them back to the garden. They wished they could be as confident. The concept that anyone would actually enjoy protracted interactions with them was absurd. 

 

The garden was in twilight, the main lights dimmed to let the glowing floating bell-like flowers have a more pronounced effect. They drifted around the room, occasionally bumping into each other which caused a brief surge in their soft blue light. It was beautiful, but what held their attention was the two Affini standing around the 'Cuddle Zone,' its large leafy covering having shrunken into its center. The larger one was iridescent, their leaves shimmering under the lights off the floating plants and simulated light. The other was more similar to Miss Verdun and Miss Dawnbloom- a weaving of various plants, flowers and vines that came together in a somewhat attractive approximation of the female form. 

 

There were also the three beings on the exposed cushions. One seemed to be a Terran, with little notable besides that they were wearing a companion dress and green collar. The other two appeared somewhat insectile in nature. The larger one had a Terran-like upper body, with  six fuzzy legs beneath a fuzzier thorax where their hips would be. Four black eyes were visible from this distance, and they wore a modified companion dress that covered the top of their thorax. In their arms was a smaller creature, maybe a meter high, striped black and yellow. They would have thought it was a stuffed animal if it didn't move while the spiderlike person kept stroking its head and playing with its antennae. 

 

Daisy continued to lead them up the short and gentle hill. Miss Verdun and Miss Dawnbloom were following behind, Miss Dawnbloom leaning on Miss Verdun and chatting with her as they walked. Affini certainly had a different view on the levels of intimacy they shared with friends; if they had been Terran they would be moments from needing to get a room. 

 

They were at the top of the hill now, all eyes were on them now. "Everyone!" Daisy announced, holding up their conjoined hands, "This is Princess!" 

 

Oh. Good.

 

They didn't know what they expected, really. Miss Verdun would have certainly chastised them if they introduced themselves as 'Beckett.' They would hold their tongue for now. 

 

"Good afternoon," they greeted as Daisy began to hang onto them. 

 

"Ohh, she is cute!" The spider chimed in, continuing to play with the other bug.

 

"Absolutely adorable!" agreed the smaller of the Affini.

 

The larger one chuckled. "Yes, quite the lovely sophont you've found for yourself, Camila." Found? They had come in on their own! And she didn't own them! 

 

"Yes, she's been an absolute delight." Miss Verdun replied, taking Cordelia's hand into her own. "How about we do introductions for Princess then?" 

 

The smaller Affini clasped their hands together. "Of course!" They turned towards them. "I am Cadence Maren, Second Bloom, She/Her. It is nice to meet you, little one."

 

"Likewise, Miss Maren." 

 

Miss Maren gave the two insectile creatures a few loving scritches they leaned into. "Do you two cuties want to introduce yourselves?" 

 

"Yes, Mistress!" The spiderlike one responded. "I'm Ariadne Maren, second floret, she/her, and this cutie-" She gave the creature an extra vigorous petting for a brief moment, "is my pinnate!"

 

"i'm scruffles Maren, first floret, it/it's!" It cheered. "Feel free to pet me if you want! i'm very soft."

 

They were... not doing that. With a small nod, they returned the greeting. "It's nice to meet both of you." 

 

"scruffles is a beeple; they're like, the very first florets ever!" Daisy helpfully informed them. Those had been mentioned in their reports, but all that amounted to was that Beeple were from the same home world as Affini. 

 

"Oh. Good for it, I suppose," they responded, unsure. Why were they here? Was this just another of the Affini's schemes? Or perhaps a test of some sort? What was Miss Verdun trying to get out of them here?

 

The larger Affini began to speak. "I am Rhubarb G'Bhiv, fifth prism, any pronouns." They gave the Terran sitting in front of them a stroke from behind the ear to under the chin, and they hummed in pleasure. "Do you want to introduce yourselves, cuties?" 

 

Selves?

 

"Yes, Conductor," they cheered, standing up and giving a curtsy. "I'm Rose G'Bhiv, third refraction Pluribus, She/They!" 

 

They almost jumped as Rose’s form suddenly shifted. Floppy dog ears sprouted from their scalp and a fluffy tail from their spine as their collar shifted from green to blue. "Arf! I'm Puppy G'Bhiv, second refraction pluribus! Uhm, pup/pups for pronouns!"

 

What was... going on here? 

 

Their form shifted one more time, the ears and tail melting away in an instant as the collar shifted from blue to yellow. "And I'm Dee G'Bhiv, sixth refraction pluribus, she/her. It's super nice to meet you! I'd introduce the rest but they aren't active right now." They shifted back to 'green' "It's a pleasure to meet you though!" 

 

They blinked and furrowed they're brow. "I'm sorry, I'm a little confused." 

 

"Do you know what a pluribus is, Princess?" Miss Verdun's voice came from behind. 

 

They had a feeling they were about to find out. "No, and for that matter I don't know what a pinnate is either."

 

"Well that just means we're super close, and it'd be cruel to separate us!" Ariadne chimed in. "It could be a couple thing, or just really good friends." 

 

"So you're always together?" They asked.

 

"Not alwayzzz," scruffles spoke.

 

Ariadne giggled and continued where it left off. "Just that even if we aren't together, we're never far, and nothing is stopping us from seeing each other at any moment." Huh. Having someone always there or nearby sounded like it would get old fast. 

 

Daisy started humming happily about something as... Mx? G'Bhiv took the floor, giving their pet a lot of attention as they did so. "As for pluribus, to put it simply, that is what we Affini call it when there's more than one sophont sharing the same body. Whether there's a dozen or more of them, all completely separate, or just two, nearly identical."

 

It has a name?

 

It had a name. They... They weren't alone? This whole time...

 

"Princess, are you alright?" Miss Verdun asked, concern in her voice. "You seem a little pale."

 

"S-sorry!" They apologized, "I just... didn't know that was a thing, is all. That's... very interesting." What the fuck were they doing? They had nearly blown it for themselves! 

 

"Yeah!" Daisy cheered, besides herself with excitement. "It's like, WAY more friend per friend!"

 

"Yes, pluribus are very rare, and very treasured." Miss Dawnbloom added. "We respect multiplicity in the Compact." Another term they'd have to look into more. 

 

Something was off. This was far too convenient. It felt coordinated. Did Miss Verdun already know, somehow? Since when? And how? They still had appearances to keep up for now. "Well, I'll do my best. My apologies if I mess up, Rose, please feel free to correct me if I make any mistakes."

 

"Yeah, no worries!" Rose beamed. Their form shifted to 'Puppy' for a single bark before shifting back to Rose. 

 

"Why don't you two take a seat?" Miss Verdun asked. 

 

"Yeah c'mon bestie!" Daisy cheered, attempting to pull them forward. 

 

They stayed rooted to the spot, "I need to take my boots off, Daisy."

 

"Huh?" Daisy cocked her head, "Why are you even still wearing those anyways?" She made a face as if she had just tasted something foul, sticking her tongue out.

 

"Well normally when you tie boots on, they don't come off until you untie them." Their reply elicited laughter from all present. 

 

"You're right, Daisy, she is pretty funny," Ariadne snickered.

 

Daisy snorted. "Princess, that's not what I meant, you goof."

 

"They are my boots, and I've had them for a very long time. I intend to wear them until I physically cannot." Why was everyone so weird about their boots? "Besides, they're very comfortable, even when you're on your feet all day."

 

"Would you like some help removing them, Princess?" Miss Verdun asked, putting them on the spot. 

 

Options. 

 

They accept her help, in front of all these pets and Affini. All of which thought they were also on the way to becoming a pet. A bit embarrassing, but it wasn't like Miss Verdun was going to strip them in public. Alternatively, they could refuse her help. Embarrassing Miss Verdun in front of her friends was likely to have unpleasant- In... Hold... Out...  

 

...

 

Wait, what were they thinking about again? Miss Verdun asked something? They turned to face her, Daisy still clinging to their side. "Sorry, what did you say?" They heard a giggle from scruffles and Ariande.

 

"Your boots, dear," Miss Verdun smiled. "May I help you remove them?"

 

"Oh, uh, sure." They felt a bit awkward for having spaced out. That wasn't very like them. 

 

Miss Verdun's vines quickly untied and untightened their laces, tapping their leg once finished. It took a second, but they realized she wanted them to lift their leg so she could actually remove the boot. They obliged, and it was quickly whisked away as she set in on the other laces. They knew what to do now, though, and lifted their foot after she tapped the leg. "Good girl~" Miss Verdun cooed as she removed the boot. 

 

They felt themselves flush as their heart fluttered, "Th-thanks," they managed, barely.

 

"Oh stars," Ariadne was struggling to hold back laughter again, "Daisy are you sure that we can't-" 

 

"Nooooooo," Daisy whined, clearly unaware of how close to their ear her mouth was. "you can't, you'll ruin herrrrrrrrr!"

 

"You were definitely right about her being funny," Dee giggled.  

 

Miss Verdun nudged them forward, and they stepped down into the recessed lounging area, Daisy still hanging off the side of their mitted hand. "Now, why don't you cuties enjoy yourselves? Your owners and I are going to be discussing a few things in the living room for a little while, but don't hesitate to ask for anything, alright?" Wait, the Affini were leaving them alone with a bunch of pets? Did they really consider them that much of a non-threat? That was a good sign, right? Miss Verdun took their hat, causing some hair to fall into their vision. "That goes especially for you , Princess." 

 

"R-right, I'll holler if I need anything." They started to give a small salute, but course-corrected into an awkward thumbs up. Mercifully, this went unnoticed by anyone but them. The others were spending a few moments of quality time with their owners before they left. The pinnate pair was chittering to their owner excitedly as she snuck vines between plates of chitin and various sensitive places. The pluribus shifted between their selves in their owner's vines, each as happy as the last. They wondered what they were doing here again as Miss Dawnbloom lavished affection on Daisy, vines in her hair and on her face, as she still clung to them. Her grip began to loosen as she became lost in the pleasure. Miss Verdun was the only one keeping her vines to herself. She simply gave them that warm smile again, and they had to avert their gaze.  

 

The other two Affini, having gotten enough out of their pets for the moment, exchanged a few whispered words before joining Miss Verdun and Miss Dawnbloom. "Okay cuties, try to have fun. We won't be more than half an hour, I promise." With that, the Affini were gone.

 

Daisy jostled them lightly. "C'mon bestie, let's sit already! I'm tired!" 

 

"Daisy, you aren't even standing. You've been hanging on me practically since I got here."

 

"It's not my fault you're so tall," Daisy protested.

 

They sighed, and took a seat on a cushion large enough for the both of them. "Better?"

 

"Ehehe, yeah," Daisy snuggled into them. "Thanks."

 

"So, Princess, how are you enjoying the Compact so far?" Rose asked. 

 

scruffles perked up, "Oh, yes. It's always interesting to hear what ferals think about life here!"

 

Ariadne gave the beeple a belly rub, causing them to squirm and vocalize delight, "Certainly no cuties like you in that nasty Accord!"

 

Oh wonderful, they were the center of attention. They shrugged. "It's... different, I suppose." 

 

"That's for certain!" Dee giggled. 

 

Puppy barked. "We no longer have to hide who we are, and Conductor loves all of us!"

 

"It certainly can't be treating you any worse." Ariadne huffed, seemingly upset.

 

"If those scars are anything to go by, it seems you were rather fortunate to make it here at all." scruffles commented. 

 

What did they expect? For them to sing praises about the Affini? They were fortunate that they had the sense to hold their tongue. "What can I say, I've always been lucky." 

 

"Yeah," Ariadne grinned, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth. "You seem to have found yourself a plant already."

 

"Noooo!" Daisy whined, pulling off of them for a moment, "You promised!" 

 

"Miss Verdun is overbearing, but she's less overbearing than most Affini I've met." They shrugged. "Personally, I’m just counting the days until this wardship is over."

 

Daisy immediately shot a look at Ariadne, who held up her palms. "I wasn't going to say anything, promise." 

 

"Well, uh, good luck with that," Rose struggled to hold back laughter.

 

"I never understand feralism, having an Owner is best," scruffles added.

 

They had been one of the most feared and respected mercenaries to ever live. Their exploits had become local myths and legends over the years. Once, their services were bid upon by despots at odds with each other. Now they felt like they were on the verge of tears as people that had allowed themselves to become pets were struggling not to laugh at them. 

 

"Aww, it's okay Princess!" Daisy leaned back in to cuddle, wrapping their mitted arm back around them, "They're just being silly ." She shot the others what was probably supposed to be a glare, but it looked like a pout. The expression did make them feel better, although not in the way Daisy likely intended.

 

"Sorry, sorry." Ariadne, stifled her giggling, "I'll stop teasing her so much."

 

"Thanks, I guess," was the only civil response they could manage.

 

"There must be something you like about the Compact." Rose smiled. 

 

Daisy perked up. "Yeah! C'mon Princess, surely there's somethin'!" 

 

They deliberated for a moment. What sorts of things were actually enjoyable without any of the pet stuff tainting it? "The freedom of information is nice, as is the food I suppose." 

 

Daisy squeezed them, "Just those?" They looked down to see her on the verge of crying. 

 

Ah, shit, this needed to be fixed. They gave her a gentle squeeze back with the injured arm. "And you, of course." 

 

"Ehehehehehe," Daisy grinned, leaning into them again as though she had no structural integrity. "I love you too bestie." Love? For what? 

 

Ariadne and scruffles let out a co-joined 'awww' as Puppy's tail thumped excitedly against the plush flooring. "You two are really cute together," scruffles chimed in. 

 

"Arf! The food is great! So much better than those nasty synthcubes!" Puppy stuck out pups tongue. 

 

It suddenly dawned on them that they didn't actually know what a synthcube tasted like. "Actually, I was never able to taste anything until I came here. I've only had maybe a dozen different foods since."

 

"Aroo?" Puppy tilted pups head, "Really?" 

 

"Yes," they nodded. "I've only been able to taste as of three days ago."

 

Daisy spoke up, "Yeah, I was there when Mistress figured it out actually!" She suddenly turned glum, "I haven't seen her eat yet though."

 

"Daisy, we literally had breakfast together the day after I got a sense of taste. Miss Dawnbloom made that skillet." 

 

"Yeah but I was being distracted by Mistress feeding me," Daisy whined, "that doesn't count!"

 

Dee giggled. "You two really are perfect for each other."

 

Ariadne hummed in agreement, "You make a very good couple." 

 

They rolled their eyes. "We're friends, not in a relationship."

 

"Yeah, I still gotta finish teaching Princess about friendship before we can do other stuff! Besides, I told you about yesterday," she spoke the next words with a lilt, "she's not ready for that yet~" 

 

Yesterday? Did Daisy tell them about her offer to help them feel more like a girl? They felt their face redden at the thought of everyone here knowing what happened. 

 

"Well, why don't we help?" scruffles offered. Help with what? Did the beeple desire to know them carnally?! 

 

"Yeah, why don't we be friends, too?" Ariadne smiled, "It would be fun to check in with you from time to time and see how you're..." Her smile sharpened into a wiry grin, "progressing." They were too relieved to know that they had meant the friend part to entertain the spidergirl's teasing. 

 

Puppy barked, pups tail wagging, "Yay, friends!" 

 

"Yeah, you're very interesting, I think I can speak for everyone in our system when I say we'd like to be your friend." Rose added with a smile. 

 

Having to socialize with these people again wasn't exactly thrilling, even if it was preferable to what they had thought their intentions were. However, being blunt about not wanting to be friendly with them was surely a misstep. "We can all be friends, I suppose." 

 

Daisy immediately let out a high-pitched squeal, pulling away to look them in the face. Oh no. They knew that look. Overly excited, a barely contained grin, and vibrating with energy- it dawned on them now just how serious their mistake was. "Princessss," Daisy sang, smugness dripping off her voice, "what's rule number one?"