Dog of War

 

Camila and Cordelia stood together in the living room, their vines entangled. Rhubarb had taken a seat on a large cushion across from them, and Cadence stood near him, looking somewhat frazzled. "Are you sure she's docile, Camila?"

 

Camila nodded. "Princess is very determined to leave her violence in the past."

 

"She was very sweet with Daisy when it was only her first full day here," Cordelia added, "Princess is probably trying her best to not do so much as upset your pets." 

 

Rhubarb hummed. "Yes, they seem rather concerned with staying well behaved."

 

"Princess doesn't want to ruin her case for independence; it's unlikely she'll get out of line. Not as long as she refuses to admit there isn't a chance of her being declared independent. By then, it'll be far too late." Camila smiled. It warmed her core to think about how the little one was entangling themselves in her while adamantly refusing to admit they enjoyed it. Sharing the experience with Cordelia like this only made it better. 

 

Cadence eased a bit, her lashing vines now only twitching here and there. "That's good to hear, but still, I don't know what I would do if scruffles or Ari got hurt by a feral."

 

"I know how you feel." Camila hung her head solemnly as Cordelia took her hand to comfort her. "The other day when Princess got attacked by her former crewmate, I nearly lost it." 

 

Cadence gasped. "Is that why her hand is hurt? Goodness, I'm sorry, I had no idea!" 

 

"It's fine, Cadence, I probably should have explained that last night." Camila sighed.  "On our walk earlier, Princess was worrying through her Class Es about running into someone else from her ship. I'm concerned she might develop a bit of agoraphobia if this keeps up. I was thinking about finding someone else from her ship that was thankful about being in the Compact, but I'm not so sure. It's only been a few days, and from what I know they were all very feral."

 

"Hm, that is quite the problem," Rhubarb nodded. "Princess may react negatively if the sophont is properly broken, having known them before." 

 

"Hmm," Cordelia hummed, her head next to Camila's. "Well it seems to me that if the issue is all the cuties from her ship, and they're all here, why not take her to the surface for a while?"

 

The surface? The idea hadn't occurred to Camila, but Cassius was as nearly safe as the station; only a few defanged feralist groups were still around. It was less secure, but Princess could hardly run away. 

 

There was one issue Camila couldn't rectify. "I don't know if separating Daisy and Princess would be wise; she's been crucial in getting Princess to open up." 

 

Cordelia laughed. A wondrous sound. "Daisy and I would come as well. We can have our Habs placed next to each other." 

 

Camila felt her flowers blooming. She was willing to move to the planet for her? "O-oh, uhm, what about her other friends?" 

 

"It'll be what? A week? Maybe two?" Cordelia chuckled. "I don't think she'll be able to hold out much longer- she likes you, Camila."

 

"Yes, they already look to you for direction," Rhubarb nodded.

 

"It's fairly obvious that they're pinnates in the making, more quality time would be good for both of them," Cadence added, then gave a supportive smile. "Besides, it's not like we can't come down to visit now and then." 

 

Moving to Cassius... Stars, there was going to be a lot of paperwork to do, just thinking about it made Camila feel a little giddy. She would even get to see Cordelia all the time! "Maybe I can file the forms in time to get moved while Princess is still sleeping. It should be manageable." 

 

Cordelia ran her thumb along Camila's, and she leaned into her friend. "That sounds fantastic, I'll make sure to do the same. We can talk about location and more once you get her into bed."

 

Oh, this was so exciting! Princess was in for such a surprise tomorrow. "Of course! I'm sure the little one will be very ready for bed after this, social situations really take it out of her." Camila could hardly wait, but there was still one last thing to attend to. "Before that, I wanted to ask you what your assessment was, Rhubarb."

 

The Affini hummed, and stood up. "It was clear they recognized themselves in the term Pluribus, though they don't seem to operate as a typical system would. I think your assessment of two sophonts that are always or almost always co-fronting is likely correct. They said they were two parts of one whole- I think that would be the best way to treat them going forward." Rhubarb held up a cautionary vine, "Of course, it's impossible to definitively know just by examining them, the only way to be certain is with an implant."

 

Having the second opinion of an expert in the field that confirmed what she suspected was a massive relief. The last thing Camila wanted to do was neglect the care Princess needed. 

 

Camila bowed her head. "Thank you very much, Rhubarb, your help means a lot to me." 

 

Rhubarb let out a boisterous laugh. "Of course! I'm always happy to help, especially when it's a young bloom looking to better understand her floret." They gave her a warm smile, clasping a vine on her unoccupied shoulder. "You'll do fine by them, I promise."

 

"Thank you, truly." Camila returned the smile, placing her free hand on theirs for a moment. She turned to face Cordelia. "Do you think we should give them a little more time?" 

 

"I think she may be ready soon, dear." Cordelia slid her pad into Camila's view, the camera feed from the garden on screen. 

 

Camila couldn't help but let out a squee. Princess was cuddling with all the other florets! She looked a bit nonplussed about it, clearly approaching her limit, but Daisy had pulled off another miracle. Oh Camila had to see this with her own eyes! "Alright, let's go 'check in' on the cuties." Camila and Cordelia took a moment to disentangle from each other before leading the other two back into the Garden. 

 

It took a considerable amount of effort to not squeal at the sight as soon as she entered. Puppy, Ariadne, scruffles, and Daisy were all latched onto Princess, who was focusing on her breathing. Camila was nearly wilting with desire to know how this happened. It only lasted a moment longer before the florets stirred, responding to the presence of their owners. 

 

"Hiya Mistress!" Daisy waved with one hand, the other still wrapped around Princess. 

 

"Hello cutie, did you have fun?" Cordelia asked as they approached the pets.

 

Daisy nodded enthusiastically. "Princess is friends with everyone now!"

 

"That certainly seems to be the case," Princess deadpanned. It was definitely time to get the little one home. 

 

"Awoooo." Puppy redoubled pups efforts before Rhubarb removed pup from her. Rose greeted her owner as they playfully tickled her face with a vine and stroked her hair.

 

"You should give yourself more credit, Princess," Ariadne gave her one last squeeze and released her, returning scruffles to its place in her arms. "You're pretty fun."

 

"And pretty good at cuddling, for a feral," said scruffles. 

 

"I'm very glad to hear that, petal." Cordelia gave Daisy a pet that turned into a few scritches behind her ear and then under her chin. Her grip on Princess loosened as she became lost in her Mistress's administrations until she was swept up into her vines. "Unfortunately, it's time for Princess to go home; she's feeling a little burnt out. You can play with everyone else after, okay?"

 

Princess frowned, but Camila could hear the relief in her rhythm. "Awwwh," Daisy pouted, "okay." She contorted in Cordelia's vines, with some assistance from them, to wave. "Byeeee Princess!"

 

"Don't forget to accept our friend requests," Ariadne smiled. 

 

"Or ours!" Rose called out, unseen inside her owner.

 

"I'll make sure to do that, thank you." Princess gave a single curt wave before sighing and turning back to Camila. "Alright, I'm ready."

 

Camila could tease them a bit, but she was clearly spent. Princess was bound to be unhappy with being washed again tonight, too. She kept her vines in their line of sight as she lifted them into her arms. "Comfortable?" 

 

Princess shifted slightly, adjusting her position, "Yes. Can we go back to the Hab, please?" 

 

"Okay, Princess." Camila couldn't help but smile at how adorable the girl was, causing them to become lightly flustered. The day she could lavish them with all the praise and attention they deserved couldn't come soon enough. It would be unfortunate to lose this precious meekness drawn out by even the simplest gesture of affection, but she could enjoy it for now. 

 

Camila turned her attention back to Cordelia and the other Affini. "Thank you all." 

 

Cadence smiled. "It was a pleasure."  

 

"Yes, Princess is absolutely delightful, it was a joy to meet her." Rhubarb chuckled. Camila felt the girl bury her face in a vine.

 

Cordelia gave her a parting embrace from behind, carefully avoiding Princess. "I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" 

 

"Yes, of course!" Camila felt giddy. Soon they'd be living next to each other! She could see Cordelia every day! 

 

She felt Princess shift again. "Ah, apologies little one. We're leaving now." She gave one last wave on her way out as the Affini placed their pets back down. 

 

The walk and transit home passed without a word as they made their way through the evening bustle of the ship, the joyous noises of Florets and their Affini filling the silence. 

 

Stepping into their Hab, Camila carefully set Princess down. "There you go."

 

"Thanks..." They pulled away from her, getting a few steps of distance. 

 

"It was good to see you getting along with Daisy's friends, Princess. I know it was very taxing for you," Camila praised. "I'm very proud."

 

They laughed nervously, blushing and looking away. "I- I didn't even do anything but sit there, really."

 

"Nonsense," Camila turned their head back to face her, "you've made an impressive effort in trying to come out of your shell, and I am immensely proud of you."

 

"A-ah." Princess squeaked, her brain short-circuiting as her heart raced. "Uh- uh-"

 

"You are quite welcome, Princess." Camila closed her eyes and smiled, releasing the girl. "I'm going to make dinner and put you in bed early tonight." 

 

"That's- that- I-." Princess stammered, fidgeting, trying to get herself back under control. Camila assisted the poor girl, In... Hold... Out... "I'll, uhm, stay here?" By the Everbloom, she was getting more precious by the second! 

 

"That sounds wonderful." Camila started to turn away, "I'll only be a couple of minutes, but feel free to call if you need anything~" 

 

"R-right." Princess acknowledged, still trying to quell her arousal. 

 

Camila gave them one last smile before departing to the kitchen. A few minutes of 'alone' time to collect themselves would do Princess good. She already had a dish in mind, and began to collect the ingredients as she got the water boiling and the skillet heated. The preparation was fairly simple, especially compared to the crepes this morning, and twelve minutes later Camila had it ready. 

 

Cautiously, she returned back to the living room. Princess was sitting on the floor, back against the couch as they continued to focus on their breathing. Camila made sure to catch their attention from a distance. 

 

"Oh, is it ready already?" 

 

"Yes." Camila nodded, "Would you like me to carry you, or did you want to walk to the table first, Princess?" 

 

She pushed against the couch, helping herself to her feet. "I'll walk." 

 

Camila followed behind as Princess took the few dozen steps to stop at the chair, turning towards her. "Alright."

 

Camila helped her into the seat. "It's chicken alfredo tonight."

 

"Huh." Princess picked up the fork, poking at the meal as Camila moved to the opposite side of the table. Gathering an appreciable amount on her fork, she took her first bite. Princess moaned around the mouthful, lost in pleasure as she forced herself to chew and swallow. "That's really good. Thank you, Miss Verdun." 

 

"It's nothing dear, I'm glad you like it." Watching Princess eat was its own reward. That cooking for Terrans was a good way to get them endeared to you as well didn't hurt. The rest of the meal passed in silence, besides the noises of Princess enjoying the food, and soon her plate was clean. Camila moved to her side and offered a vine, helping her down once she took it. "Go brush your teeth and I'll be there in a minute, alright?"

 

"Mhm." Princess acknowledged, departing the kitchen. 

 

Cleaning up only took a moment as Camila placed everything in the compiler and decompiled it. With a few inputs on her Pad, she turned on the bath and waited three minutes to give the little one time to finish brushing before going to join her. There, Camila found the girl struggling to reach the zipper on the dress. 

 

"Would you like some help, Princess?" 

 

She stiffened, freezing in place before slowly lowering her arm. "Yes."

 

Camila hummed as she unzipped it, and pulled it off. The blouse followed a few moments later, leaving the girl in nothing but her panties. She reached for those as well, and Princess stepped back. "I can do that one myself, thank you!"

 

Disappointing. Camila would have loved to hear the noise she made being stripped nude. Oh well- Princess' days dressing herself in any capacity were numbered, and right now Camila had her eyes on a bigger prize. "Fair enough, petal, but I am going to wash you again." 

 

"Wh-What?!" Princess exclaimed, panic poking up through the Class E. "Why?!"

 

In... Hold... Out... Camila spoke as their chest fell and they relaxed. She tapped a vine against the mitt. "You are still down one hand, cutie." 

 

"Isn't leaving my neck and privates unwashed worse than just an arm and a few square inches of back?" Princess protested. "At least let me wash what I can!" 

 

That was... an annoyingly solid counterargument. Camila could insist; Princess would certainly cave with a bit of effort, and she very much wanted to properly get her vines on the girl. It would be harder to get her to accept being bathed without a reason, too. However, she had put in a considerable amount of effort today, and it wasn't like Camila wouldn't get to touch her. "Alright."

 

"Alright?" Princess repeated, adorably confused that Camila had compromised. "Oh. Alright then."

 

"Just one caveat," Camila held up a vine for significance. "I'll wash your hair."

 

"I can reach my own head, Miss Verdun."

 

"Yes, but you can't squeeze shampoo into your hand like this." Camila tapped the mitt again.

 

Conflict raged in Princess' rhythm; worry about being subject to the pleasure of Camila's vines battled against her curiosity and reason. Finally she sighed in defeat. "Just don't do whatever you did yesterday, please." 

 

That was vague enough to work with. Camila offered a vine again, and Princess took it after Camila helped them steady their breath. She lifted them up and placed them in the tub, lathering up the luffa and handing it over. Princess took it and began to scrub down, starting with her face and working downwards. Methodical and fastidious, she finished her part in a few minutes, and offered the sponge back.  The concept of enjoying a bath was still foreign to her; that was alright, Camila would see that she enjoyed it regardless.

 

Camila took the proffered luffa and lathered it up again. "Good girl," she whispered into Princess' ear as she set in on their back, causing the girl to let out a whine. Yesterday's bath hadn't just been to relax her; Camila now had a mental map of all of Princess' erogenous zones and sensitive areas. It needed a bit more work before it was perfect, but it was serviceable enough. A bit of pressure right here, near the hip and- a moan escaped Princess' lips. 

 

"M-miss Verdun!" She pulled fruitlessly on the vines holding her in place. "I asked you not to!"

 

"Not to what, Princess?" Camila pressed the sponge into a spot just below her shoulder blades, causing her to groan. "You need to use your words." There was no response. "Well, alright then." Camila continued.

 

To her credit, Princess didn't give up, straining to keep her mouth wired shut. That only made her whimpers and moans of pleasure that much more delightful as they vibrated in her throat. Honestly, why did she want to be declared independent when she was this perfect as a pet? Camila hadn't even used any Class A, nor was this the best part, and Princess was struggling not to melt into a puddle of desire. 

 

The back finished, Camila decided to work on the arm. It had few sensitive points, but Camila didn’t pursue them, letting Princess have a small respite. They would need to collect themselves for what was next.

 

"You're doing well, Princess." Camila grabbed the shampoo and conditioner. "Just a bit more." She squirted a bit of the shampoo into Princess' hair and began to lather, relishing in getting to 'pet' her again. It didn't take long for Princess to start quivering. A few passes later, her mouth finally opened in a long, low moan that was as good as ambrosia to Camila's hunger. She leaned in to whisper her pet-to-be's ear. "You know, it's alright to enjoy this." She poured water over the suds and Princess went limp in her vines. 

 

There was no further resistance. Princess couldn't help but vocalize every bit of pleasure as Camila repeated the process with the conditioner. Seeing her enjoy this despite herself was endearing. Princess may still protest but there was no way she could honestly deny that she enjoyed it after this. No drugs to blame it on this time. Camila poured water over her again, rinsing out the conditioner and drawing Princess up into her arms. The girl was opening and closing her mouth, near catatonic as she gazed up at her inevitable owner, still lost in the afterglow . "You did wonderfully," Camila smiled down at her cradled in her vines, "let me handle it from here." 

 

"Nn-" Princess grunted, beginning to doze off. Well, this was to be expected. Camila gave them their class Z and they soon fell asleep. It was much easier to dress the unconscious girl, and soon they were in their pajamas, being tucked in their bed. 

 

"Goodnight, Princess." Camila turned off the light and let the door slide shut behind her, feeling freshly invigorated for the task at hand. She had a lot of paperwork to do.