Nix bounces up and down on top of the couch, her chew toy firmly in her mouth as she watches her owners standing in front of her. Sola seeming far more timid about the situation in comparison to Celosia’s obvious excitement about the situation. “So it’s finally training time right?! What does it mean, what’re we going to dooooo?!”

Celosia grins and holds up a few treats. “Well, we are going to start off with a few tricks. Now that you are all healed Nix.” She chuckles before making a little circular motion with one of her vines. “Starting off easy, roll over Nix.”

Nix blinks a few times. “You’re… teaching me tricks?” She tilts her head as Celosia continues to roll her vine in circles. “Is this for the basketball game or something?” Despite her questioning, Nix rolls over onto her back. Presenting her belly as she looks up and between her owners.

Celosia reaches forward to rub Nix’s belly before presenting the treat. “We will do some, but honestly I’ve been wanting to get onto the cute trick training for such a long time.” She giggles a little and motions for Sola. “Alright, now you try one.”

Sola takes a breath and nods. “Alright Nix, when you are done with your treat, I want you to start low-” She puts her vine low. “-Then I want you to spring and jump as high as you can!” She brings her vine very high above Nix’s head.

Nix takes the small fruit, one of the very few that she’d actually eat and starts to munch on it. Wiggling around as the tangy blue flavor hits her tongue. “Yes Mistress!” She swallows and rolls over again, getting into a position where she can safely jump up and down.

Once Sola flicks her vine up, Nix jumps as high as she can, hastily taking a snap at the vine with her teeth as she barely misses and lands back down on the couch. “Okay I did it, treat now!”

Sola tenses up and takes a single step back, getting slightly behind Celosia. Able to feel her partner rippling with anticipation. “Little one, you're not the one who should be commanding things.”

Celosia smiles and pets Nix. “That is right, no ordering us little petal. No treat on that one, but be patient and we will give you plenty of treats.” She then takes one of Nix’s toys. “Alright, now go fetch!” She tosses the toy across the hab.

Nix puffs her cheeks out, glancing over at the chew toy a few times. Only barely stopping herself from chasing after it, eyes flicking between her owners and the toy. “Bzzzt!” She kicks off of the couch and runs across the hab on all fours, scooping the toy up into her mouth to start gnawing on it. Even wanting to pout, the instinctual need to bite stim overwhelming her. 

Once she returns, Celosia points to the ground and holds out one of her berries. “Drop it and you may have your treat for being such a good girl Nix.” She lets a vine roll out to catch the toy. “After this we have a few fun tricks that you will really love.”

Nix leans in and chomps down on the blue fruit. Actually taking her time on enjoying the taste rather than scarfing it down like she normally would with a treat. 

After a moment she swallows, getting back up off of all fours and looking between her owners. “Alright what’s next!” While she couldn’t help feeling slightly silly being treated like this, much of a pet. Even if the treats and feeling of their pride running through her makes it all worthwhile.

Sola smiles a little bit before moving her vines in a ‘cheering’ motion. “Why don’t you give a little cheer, it will help Pearl and Jason be motivated to do well with you encouraging them in cute ways.”

Nix nods slightly, tapping her chin with her claw. “First I must think of a team name!” She sways from side to side, looking around their hab for anything that could inspire a team name. Eventually landing on the board game that is now constantly displayed. “I’ve got it!”

Celosia grins, looking down at Nix. “Alright little lizard, what do you wanna name the team?” She reaches out, gently scratching at the base of Nix’s horn, watching the girl space out and almost entirely lose her train of thought.

Nix shivers, nestling her head upwards as she bounces on the tips of her toes to chase after Celosia’s vines once they’re being pulled away. “We will be ‘The falling petals!’”

Sola’s form tightens up, her form writhing slightly as she steps up next to Celosia. “Oh my that’s just the most adorable name! I insist that we make sure that this is what the team name ends up being.”

Celosia, despite her desire to immediately approve the idea, takes a moment to fake considering if she should approve this or not. “Well if Sola thinks it’s a good idea too, I will add this to the designs and talk to the rest of your friends' owners to give them the news.”

Nix pumps her claws up and down, starting to bounce from side to side, kicking her arms and legs out in clumsy random directions. “Yes yes yes! Let’s go petals!” She eventually lets out little excited yips, snapping at the air as she bounces randomly around. Clearly getting herself worked up, especially at the idea of encouraging Pearl herself.

Sola giggles a little bit, reaching down to pet Nix with a smile. “That is so adorable sweetie. Now then, we need the perfect cheer outfit for you for the game.” She runs her vines under Nix’s arms, playfully rubbing as she glides up Nix’s arms.

Nix wiggles around, and lets out a little yip as she basks in Sola’s affection for a moment. 

Celosia nods, pulling out a sketch pad and her drawing supplies. “Alright, now this is going to take a bit, soooo…” She snakes a vine down and up against Nix’s face. Giving a few gentle pets, before sliding another treat in front of Nix’s face. “Here’s a special treat, to help you have fun.”

Nix takes the treat and starts to chew on it, a slight tingling spreading from the inside of her mouth outwards through her face. Her implant also flushing class W and A xenodrugs through her system to help guide her into a more relaxed headspace. “Bzzzzt…” She wibbles and wobbles from side to side, quickly falling back down onto all fours and crawling up to lean against Sola’s side.

Sola squeaks and looks down at Nix. “Celly? What is this doing?” She reaches down to start rubbing Nix’s body, being surprised at how sensitive Nix seemed to be. “I’ve never seen Nix drugged quite like this.” She unravels and wraps around Nix playfully.

“This is something that I’ve been working on for when we want cuddling time with Nix.” Celosia sits down on the couch, patting her side slightly as a form of asking Sola to fuse with her. “It’s based off of a blend I found for more rambunctious florets who wanna act more animalistic. It will help make her all buzzy, and unable to understand words other than their intent, as well as encouraging curiosity, and enhancing sensitivity a bit more.”

Nix arches her back, pressing it up against Sola’s vines. Her head on a swivel as she looks between both of her owners, mostly out of confusion of being unable to understand much aside from their intent. “Bzzzzzzt!” She thumps her claws against the ground, as she walks up to the edge of the couch. Considering trying to climb up on her own.

Sola slithers over, letting her form weave into Celosia’s while letting some vines dip down for Nix to climb up. Once the two were comfortably one again, she nuzzles Celosia. “So, making our little lizard so cutely animalistic. I assume you have a few things you would like to try on her?” She giggles a little bit, letting some more vines stroke Nix’s head.

Nix nuzzles up into the vine as she reaches out and sticks her claws into the couch. Starting to slowly pull herself up towards her owners, her feet grabbing onto a fold in the couch as she continues her accent. “Bzzzzz…” 

“Of course I do, now that we’ve shown her the basics of her tricks. I want to do it again with her like this, that way she’ll know exactly how to do the tricks on gesture alone.” Celosia slowly repositions her mass, vines sliding over and around Sola’s. Grabbing on as tightly as she can to reinforce the larger affini, her head sliding up and nestling into the side of Sola’s. “After all, I think it would be adorable to be able to show off Nix’s tricks when she gets like this.”

“Oh it will be absolutely wonderful.” Sola giggles and helps Nix the rest of the way up, before setting her beside them. “Alright Nix, we will run through your tricks once again. Now be a good girl and roll over!” She moves their vines together in a circular motion for Nix.

Nix looks at the vine for a second, narrowing her eyes and trying to piece the combination together. Only to start giggling at herself a moment later for forgetting about the roll over command, immediately flopping down onto her side in response pressing her stomach out and giving the biggest begging expression she can manage. Sticking her lip out, and having her flower eye start rippling its petals. 

Celosia grins, snaking their combined arm down and placing it on Nix’s stomach. “Good girl Nix, very good girl!” She squeezes down on their form slightly as she rubs their combined thumb down Nix’s stomach. 

Nix lets a mewl out, tail thumping down on the couch excitedly. Seeing the roll over signal be given a second time, this time without a verbal command, she immediately rolls over from her side onto her stomach, and continues to roll to get on top of her owner’s lap.

Sola giggles and rubs all over Nix’s belly once she is in place. “Very good girl, so obedient, you get so many belly rubs!” She moves their vines all over Nix, wiggling a bit before pulling them back. “Alright Nix, time to try your jumping.” She gently sets Nix down on the ground before holding her vine low. “Alright, now Jump!” Sola raises their vines up.

Nix jumps right as the vine flicks up, only barely stopping herself from taking another snap at the vine during the jump. After all, she wouldn’t wanna hurt her owner on accident, and that isn’t her bite vine. 

Nix lands with a thud, sitting down the second that she lands and gazing up at both of her owners. Her tail pressed up against her leg, as she has a look of complete pride on her face, not only did she jump, but she jumped the highest she’d ever gone!

Celosia brings out Nix’s bite vine and brings it to her mouth. “Such a good girl, we are so proud of you!” She begins her own petting, giving Nix little head scratches and rubbing her legs. “You have gotten so strong little petal!”

Nix immediately bites down, jerking her head slightly from side to side. As the sap from within starts to slip out and down her teeth, her rapid licks and nibbles causing it to spill out slightly and get on her cheeks. 

Sola giggles and wipes the sap off of Nix’s cheeks. “Such a silly girl you are, very messy. But mistress’s don’t mind cleaning up after you.” She leans their body in to let herself and Celosia plant kisses on Nix’s cheeks simultaneously.

Nix shudders, closing her eyes as she lets herself be pressed up into her owner’s vines. The gentle thrumming of their rhythms flowing through her mind freely, reminding her just how proud she makes them. “Bzzzzzzzt!”

Celosia grins, scooping Nix up off of the ground and wrapping a few vines around her. “And just so affectionate!” She gently squeezes Nix as they head back over to the couch. Glancing over the look at Sola. “So, how do you like this Mix? I’m fairly certain Nix is having fun if her squirming is to be believed.”

“It’s a lot of fun actually, I never expected to have something like this be so entertaining.” Sola giggles and rubs Nix’s chest and belly. “That and you are right, Nix seems to be enjoying all of this so much, isn’t that right sweetie?” She playfully kisses Nix right on the tip of her nose.

Nix lets out a little squeak, leaning her body forward and bonking her forehead against Sola’s head and nuzzling into it. Her claws and feet starting to knead against her owners vines in order to make herself a little spot to cuddle up inside. 

Celosia caves their vines in slightly, creating a little cave for Nix to crawl inside to get a better napping spot. “There we go sweetie, we can tell you’re getting all tired.” She does the roll over command with her vines, watching as Nix rolls over and cuddles her way up against their cores.

Sola squeaks and closes up their vines letting Nix be fully concealed. “She is so adorable when she cuddles up like that. It still makes me so happy seeing Nix come this far.” She leans back and relaxes. “So, what other things did you want to do with our little petal like this? Or were you thinking of getting her to be like this more often just for fun?”

“I both want to give her chances to be like this more, given she clearly enjoys it, and I also want to have her understand commands when she’s like this.” Celosia laughs lightly. “I mean, I remember the last time that we told an affini that Nix doesn’t bite when she gets worked up.”

Sola giggles a little and shakes her head. “That was a cruel joke and you knew it, they were so taken aback by Nix’s stimming. That and they didn’t have a specialized vine or toy for it either.” She lets a few vines run over Nix’s back inside her little cubby.

“It wasn’t a joke! I really didn’t think she’d start biting like that, after all the implant would have stopped her if she believed it was possible she could have hurt the affini.” Celosia sighs, letting a vine drape down over Nix’s head, a vine wrapping around each horn as she starts to slowly massage along each. “Hence today being extra training, poor Fir, I swear she never even saw it coming.”

“Okay, if it wasn’t a joke, then I do feel bad for Fir. I thought you were messing with her, because I swear Nix gets bitey every time I wake her up” Sola giggles a little bit while shaking her head. “Then again, I suppose I usually wake Nix up from her night sleep, while you let her wake up from her naps.”

“Indeed, she gets really grumpy when woken up by force, hence getting snappy. Which is why her getting bitey with Fir surprised me! I’d just asked her to hold Nix while I went to do a little project.” Celosia shakes her head, watching as Nix squirms and lets out little buzzes due to all the affection. “And then I come back, and she’s latched on almost as hard as when we use the thick vine!”

Sola bites back a giggle as she shakes her head. “She probably bit harder because it wasn’t you or me holding her. And you are right, little Nix gets pretty grumpy when she is woken up.” She leans into Celosia, pressing their cores together too. “I wonder how long Nix would have taken to heal if we hadn’t taken the bad memories. How well would she have even tried to do any of this?”

“I don’t know.” Celosia shakes her head. “It could have been months? Years?” She continues to gently massage their sleeping floret. “It’s possible she could have asked to be like this all the time to escape the feelings, it’s possible she’d be scared of losing herself, and refuse. But none of those possibilities matter now.” She wraps herself a little bit tighter around Sola. “We did what had to be done, and now she’s happier than she’s ever been before.”