I felt another tug in my head from Aether's signal, and I understood that she was done watching my memories.

 

Aether sat there for a while at the table while I ran my fingers through her hair. Occasionally I would take a moment to scratch her scalp just a little as a calming gesture. When I did so, I felt her signal respond with at least just a little bit of happiness. It felt odd at first. Going from first detecting Aether's signal when she rescued me from my fate, to realizing I make her sounds as well during our fight, to finally hearing it in all its perfect clarity when she first invaded my mind. Now, knowing that her signal isn't just something she uses over me for control, but something that now exists as a core part of my identity, one that if I parted with, would likely end up making my body into an empty husk as my consciousness would fade away alongside it. I depend on her for my survival as well as my happiness. And most of my happiness comes from hers. To serve her completely is how I will pay back my debt to Ortet. It's what she wanted me to do.

 

Aether grumbles a few times before finally sitting up straight again. Her coffee got a little colder in that time but it doesn't seem to really bother her when she downs it in about 4 gulps.

 

She takes a steadying breath after drinking a lot and looks at me. There's a renewed fire of life in her eyes when she looks into mine, but it's gone as fast as it flourished. "Seraphim." 

 

"Yes, Aether?" 

 

"What was the name of that planet?" 

 

"Violacase, Aether." 

 

Her eyes go distant for a little while. Her signal shifts and I feel a quiet intake of data. Though it isn't through me, It's through her.  She's looking up various flight schedules and booking one for Violacase. The flight will be in a week from now. Then her eyes return to normal. "Sera... Can you carry me again?" I nod. "Take me to the main room, let's sit down on the couch. I wanna play games and distract myself for a while. This is too much to handle right now. I want to ignore it for a bit."  No prompt telling me the command was accepted, only the mental acknowledgement that she told me to do something. Gently, I sweep her up into my arms and bring her down from the chair. Normally, an Owner is the one to carry her Floret. But, even while I do it, It feels as though I am still the one without control. She commanded me to carry her, and as the Goddess over my life that she is, I obeyed.

 

Setting her down onto the big couch, I sit next to her. She's zoned out again, but she comes back fairly quickly. A message enters my head.

 

[Grab the uh... Like controller looking things and bring them over here, I've already got a game in the system I want us to play together.]   I get up and wander over to the large TV. There are little game controllers scattered about, just like there are over at Aether's workshop unit. Though there's a variety of them here. Some are strangely shaped and large, while the others are more common Terran controllers. I pick up two Terran style ones and bring them back to her.

 

[Good girl.]   I squeak, the sudden affection makes me blush blue. Aether turns and looks at me with a small smile. Then she opens her mouth to say something, hesitates, and closes it again. She does this three more times before actually saying something.

 

"Sera... I'm sorry. I've been a little neglectful of you today. How are you feeling?" Her tone is even and calm. But beneath it, I can feel her sadness painting over everything she does.

 

"Aether, I understand. This is a hard time for you. There's really no need to feel  like you arent doing enough or anything. You are. I'm purely happy just to be in your presence." I don't want her to think that she's not perfect even in the slightest.

 

Aether groans and flops onto her back for a minute before getting up again. "I know I know... It's just that I'm supposed to be your.... Your... Your owner. But I'm failing at that... God, I really am an imposter."

 

I tense at her words for a moment. "Hey, don't take your name in vain like that. You aren't an imposter. You're perfect. You are strange and unique, for sure, but that doesn't make you bad, Aether. I love you. Really I..."  My voice trails off, she looks at me funny.

 

"What do you mean take my name in vain?" 

 

I decide to ignore her words and scoot over to her. Im blushing hard when I realize something really important.

 

"Sera? What are you- Mnnf~"  I cut Aether's words off by wrapping my arms around her and pulling her in for a kiss. My lips are metal, but warm. Her's are soft and delicate. Fuck... I missed kissing her. I hadn't done it in way too long.

 

After a good minute and a half of blissful, heavenly contact, I pull away. Aether catches her breath a bit. She's flustered and blushing. Oh stars, how cute.

 

She makes a funny sound as she shakes herself. I can feel her embarrassment from here. "Awww... Poor Aether gets flustered when I take charge huh?"

 

She looks at me with the most dissatisfied face I've ever seen her pull. And for a minute, I nearly consider apologizing, but her face shifts to a smirk. There's a tug on my head when an information packet is injected into my consciousness. An exploding wave of pleasure punches through my gut so hard, I actually double over for a second in pain. It makes all my new muscles tense and contract against the sudden wave. And then, it's gone. My breathing is hitched and my head is totally fuzzy.

 

"Don't you forget who really has control over you, Seraphim." Aether says, picking up the controller and pressing a button on it. The TV turns on and some game logo appears.

"Yes, Aether. Sorry, Aether." My response is short and polite.

 

"That's a good girl." She reaches over and pets me for a moment before turning back to the game.

 

'GalacticRain Mesa' appears on the screen, as well as a few buttons. Aether, sensing my curiosity fills me in. "This is a like... Slow farming game that I like. It's not as action packed as the games I normally play, but I want to play something calm with you while we talk." She selects the start new game option and a little 'name this world' option comes up.

 

She looks at me. "You wanna name this world?" I shake my head with a smile.

 

"I'd like to let you have the honors." She smiles and taps something in.

 

It reads: 'Cute Pet Say Meow.' 

 

"Meow" My voice responds. I shake myself a bit. "Hey wait, I'm not a cat!"

 

Aether giggles and looks at me with love in her eyes. "Yeaaaaahhhh but you're cute like one."

 

I roll my eyes, they temporarily pass over the title of the world again. "Meow- Fuck."   Aether laughs again. Then she hums happily and starts up the world. A character creation screen comes up and she starts tapping away to make a little pixel girl. Surprisingly, it actually looks super accurate to her. All down the the ultra goth black dress and hat she's got. Nice. When it's my turn, I feel a tiny bit of hesitancy. Making... Myself.... Making myself. Making an image of myself.

 

My body involuntarily shudders remembering what happened the last time I tried to do that. Aether picks up on it and gasps. "Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring that back up. Here, let me do it."  She takes the controller from my hand and starts to create me.... Then she pauses too.

 

"Seraphim, be honest with me."  A poke in my brain lets me realize I can no longer lie. "Are you happy with the body you're in? I realize I didn't actually tell you anything about it. I was too distracted with like.... Everything else." She looks at me, and her eyes touch my soul.

 

"I am happy. Aether, I'm very very very happy. I noticed I kinda look like you a little bit... Is there a reason for that?" She nods.

 

"Yes, actually. That body was one of the first ones I made that actually could fit my consciousness in it. That's why there's so much of me in there. And it's how I got you to fit in there so well. Feels pretty immersive huh? Can you really tell that you're in a drone body?" 

 

I shake my head a bit. "I mean yeah, I can. But not very easily, honestly? You'd think the fact that I have no skin would make that more obvious, but honestly It's hard to even realize I'm not totally biological. I never had that issue in my last body."

 

She smiles. "Yeah, that's kinda the point. It's easier on the sophonts that I make the bodies for. Though, I don't put any of myself in those, so the immersion is significantly less than you have, but you know. It's good enough." She waves her hand around a bit.

 

Then she looks serious again. "Is there anything you want changed?"

 

I nod a little. "Yes actually. Only two things though. I need wings and a halo, please."

 

She frowns for a bit. "Why, wouldn't that remind you of....?" 

 

"Yes, that's exactly the point, Aether..." I trail off for a second, trying to put together my feelings. "It's hard to explain, but I want to be your angel. To remind myself of the fact that I'm... Not exactly alive. It's something that's important to me now."

 

She nods. "Okay, Angel."    It makes me feel all warm inside.

 

"What about the skin? You want some synthetic skin to go over the haptic layer?" I shake my head no.

 

"No thank you, Aether. I actually really like the fact that this shows off my inhumanity. Being a robot angel is really cool. Though, I wish I had some way to let you feed off of me still, but I don't have any real blood in here....... I didn't mean to say that." My entire face turns a light blue glow. That was far too honest than I meant to be.

 

"Cuuuuuute" Aether coos. "I have a few ideas for that but uh... Geez... I don't... I don't think I can work on you any time soon. Just thinking about it makes me feel a little nervous."

 

"I understand, love. Maybe you could teach me to make the modifications myself?" 

 

Aether's eyes widen, she sets the controller down immediately. "That's an amazing idea, Sera!" She beams. Yayyyyyy she's happy. Yaaaaayyyyy!!!!!

 

Aether stands up and offers me a hand. I happily take it and let her lead me to my feet. She holds my hand firmly and starts to lead me down the hallway. We make it to the door of the dark room, and she pauses outside. "Oh I... I kinda forgot what was in there.... I... Can- We-     We're going to my workshop instead. Follow." Her voice takes on a dominant tone at the end. Of course I comply with no hesitancy. She leads me over to the door of the hab unit, then just stands there again. She's nervous, I can tell.

 

I place my free hand on her shoulder. "It's going to be okay, Aether. I love you." She relaxes under my hand a bit before turning around. Her arms wrap around me and pull me in close.

 

"Thank you." It's almost a whisper. 

 

"Any time." I respond. She pulls away for a moment, our faces are close and I can feel her breath on my lips. She closes her eyes and pulls me in for another kiss. This one is shorter, but still just as romantic.

 

When she pulls away, she's smiling. "Is there anything you need before we leave?"  I nod.

 

"Yes, another." I push into her and kiss her again, reaching my hand up behind her head and grabbing lightly at her hair. She makes a noise into my mouth, it makes me smile. Smiling in a kiss is goofy, I can feel her smile too. Now we're just pressed together both smiling. Aether giggles first, but I'm not long after. Then, we move apart, both giggling for a minute.

"AAaaahhhh.... Fuck. You know. Beyond all this. I really do love you, Seraphim." Aether says, her cheeks are red and she's smiling. My heart nearly melts from the bliss.

 

"I love you too, Aether! Lots and lots!" I hug her again really tightly, putting a lot of hydraulic pressure into her shoulder. She squeaks.  When I let her go, I tap on my chin in mock thought. "I realized something I want."

 

"Yes, darling angel?" Aether says, a little dazed.

 

"Maybe a new outfit. A tshirt and sweatpants has been nice to um... Get to know my new body in, but I'd like some actual clothes."

 

Aether's jaw drops for a moment. "I. Forgot. Yes, lets get you some new clothes!" She wraps her arms around mine and pulls me away from the door. No touching grass for me yet it seems.

 

Aether leads me back into the... our bedroom and towards a big black wood door in the back of the room. I arrive and post up next to her as she slowly puts her hand on the door and then SWINGS it open full force, to reveal a massive walk in closet.

 

Full with several rows of clothing in various degrees of emo to mall goth to gothic lolita. A closet so utterly full of extravagant and clearly handmade clothing that I would be hard pressed not to call it a posh over-indulgence if it weren't for the fact that the Affini compact is post scarcity. All of these clothes were made by a totally satisfied sophont, and the knowledge of that made me immediately try to walk in. But there's a shift in her ever present signal inside me, a sudden jolt, almost like a whip on my back, it stings for just a moment and I freeze.

 

Aether's looking at me with this devilish smirk she makes when she's about to say something dominant. "What's the password, princess?" 

 

"Umm... Please?" 

 

She beams. "Good girl! Go on in, but don't expect to choose your own clothes. I'll be doing that for you."   My cheeks get a little warm at the prospect.

 

"Awwwwwhhh." Aether coos. "Why so blue sweetheart?"    grrrr.... She's embarrassing me. 

 

"You're absolutely right I am. Its a delight to see you all blushy." Aether reaches over and fluffs my pristine silver white hair. I get a little more blue.

 

Then she puts a hand on my back and pushes me into the closet. I'm surrounded by so many ruffles and laces and corsets! And big boots wow!!!! 

 

"Yeah yeah, girly. Drink it all up. Quite the sight huh? Just because I'm a biotechnician doesn't mean I don't have style!" Aether says with a bow and a giggle. Damn right she has style. 

 

My eyes drift over to a few of the more gothic-lolita style of clothes. It looks like things goth dolls would wear, and something about that just speaks to me. Then I wander a little further into some of Aether's more tomboyish clothes. Black jackets and shirts plus short shorts and big boots. Wow!

 

Damn! I bet Aether would look really.... Hot... In all of these clothes to be honest. Once I make it all the way to the end of the closet and turn around, I see Aether smiling and holding up a very big poofy black dress and bonnet. A strange combination, I would say, but it seems like she wants me to wear it. "You've picked this out for me?" 

 

"Yes I have, now come here." Her word is firm and I obey the command, stepping forward in front of her. "Hold still."

 

Happy with my compliance, Aether starts to grab at the hem of my shirt and lift. My body involuntarily shudders, and she stops. "Woah, are you okay?" 

 

I nod nervously. "Um-" I squeak. "It's just... I'm... Not wearing anything under there?" I tilt my head a little bit, blushing out of my mind. Aether just smirks at me like I said the obvious. And well. I did.

 

"You know I've seen every inch of that body already, right? I built it, after all." 

 

"Y-Yes... It's just that... Willfully showing you my... uh... It's just new to me, that's all."  Aether looks at me with compassion, and turns around.

 

"Wait A-Aether..." She turns back around with a curious look, a smirk still plastered all over her.

 

"Yes, my angel?" 

 

"You can..." My hands raise to my eyes and cover them in embarrassment. "You can watch... If you want... Just... Let me undress myself please."

Aether takes a step back and places her arms behind her back. Keeping heavy eye contact with me. Nervously, and with trembling hands, I take the hem of my shirt and slowly lift it before it pulls off my head completely, exposing myself from the tummy up to her. Aether smirks again, redness growing on her face. Her eyes slowly drift downward and she bites her lip. I think she likes what she sees. (gay)

 

There's a subtle clicking sound coming from Aether, it takes me a minute to realize what she's doing. "A-Aether!" My hands fly to cover my chest. The sudden pressure on them makes me jittery a bit. A little sparkly feeling runs down my back. 

 

"What, beautiful? Just capturing this moment for later. You don't mind, do you~?" She says, pulling her eyes back up to mine.

 

"Um.. I um.. I" I'm a stuttering mess, that's what I am. "I guess I don't mind if it's... If its you, Aether."

 

Aether purrs a satisfying noise. "Good girl~ Now put those arms down."   I lower them, blushing heavily. She makes a few more clicking sounds. 

 

"Now, the rest."  Oh geez....

 

My eyes drift downward at my body. Two happily medium sized breasts are currently presenting themselves to my... Coercive girlfriend. And, strangely, it seems to be the only part of my body with synthetic skin on it. I look back up at her and she shrugs.

 

"Didn't finish the body since I ended up making a new one. But hey, boobs are fun, so I ended up completing those at least."

 

"Wow... That's gay as hell." I respond, swaying back and forth a bit to watch them move.

 

"I'm Sera-sexual." She says with a giggle.

 

"What's that?"

 

"Means I'm attracted to you, silly goose. Now the rest."  Her tone is so strong and commanding, I have to stifle a whimper.

 

My trembling hands make their way to the edge of my sweatpants, and slowly I lower them in a little crouch, tucking my legs up to me to close myself off a little bit.

 

"Stand, pet." Aether's voice takes on a quality much closer to the voice she has normally. It makes me squeal, and I stand up for her. My legs stay clamped together. "Part them."  My legs part, my hands at my sides shake nervously. I hear another click.  "Fuck... Such a good girl for me, aren't you?"

 

Reduced to non-verbal, I just whimper again, shivering. Another click. "Oh, I almost forgot something sweetheart. Eyes on me." My eyes lock to hers. She focuses on me very very hard, concentrating on... something, and using my eyes to ground herself. A lone black vine holding something slowly snakes its way into the room, dropping its package off on the floor before shooting away. Aether visibly relaxes. Then she reaches down and picks up... My collar.

 

She takes a few steps towards me. Brandishing my collar. Slowly, she walks a circle around my shivering body. "You know, my angel. One good thing about a fully digitized pet is that xenodrugs need no ramp up or ramp down. At any point I could just."  My body collapses as the world goes fuzzy and bright. The contact of my haptic layer on the soft carpeted flooring is enough to have me rolling around and grinding my skin against it for pleasure. It's intense and my brain is surely elsewhere for the time being. All I can do is pant, moan loudly, whimper, and slowly crawl towards Aether's leg.

 

My cheek makes contact with her and I just start nuzzling and drooling all over her leg. Making pitiful mewling and nonsense noises under the sheer weight of pleasure. Then it just ends. Just like that, I'm back to being cripplingly sober and on the floor.

 

"There's no harm in cutting you off like that either, since you have no immune system I could damage."    Stars, at any point she could really just knock my brains out completely out of nowhere. "Now, on your knees." 

 

Slowly, I shakily climb up to my knees, my mouth is a little slick with drool, and so are my inner thighs.

 

"Woah there, looks like somebody enjoyed that." Aether says with a giggle. My legs clamp shut. Happily, she reaches down and secures my collar around my neck, where its supposed to be. I hadn't even realized how badly I needed it back on me until I saw it. Now that it's on me once again, I feel right. Completely. Well, except for the fact that I'm naked and dripping various fluids.

 

"Come on now, stand. I can't get any of these clothes on you while you're all messy like that~" she teases me.

 

"Mmnmnnm... Sorry..." 

 

Suddenly, Aether hooks one of her fingers through a little loop right in the center of the rose on my collar and pulls me sharply to her. Eyes burning away at my thoughts, her knee slips its way between my legs and gently grinds against me. My head gives out under its weight and flops onto her shoulder while I barely contain all my needy moans. Only a few escape. Okay a lot of escape, I'm not very good at holding these in. Aether's hand cups under my chin and makes me look at her. She smiles, and presses my body downward a little harder, forcing me to grind on her more. My back arches and I jitter around a bit. Sensitive shocks of pleasure zap like lightning from the messy place between my legs all the way up my spine. Something's building up in my core, something strong. Edging me closer and closer to a cliff. The seduction of climax dares my mind to jump. Then she stops.

 

My moaning quits almost immediately as she pulls her knee out from under me, sliding away and leaving a trail of... Fluid on her leg and down my thighs. My body aches, begging for one little push more, just a little bit more pressure in that spot.

When Aether lets go of me, I fall onto the floor again. All I can think about is her and how much I want her. Something inside me is aching to be touched. Somewhere within my body, which is strange, because normally these sensations are surface level.

 

When I realize just what's going on, and just what's different with me, I can't hold my words back any longer.

 

"Aaaaeetherrrr......" It's a dry, needy gasp at best. 

 

"Yes my angel, something you want to ask me?" Aether starts to circle around my body slowly. Walking around me and examining all of my little twitches, as well as the puddles that have formed at my mouth and my... My... Yeah. 

 

"Aaaaeetherrrrrrrr I'm burning.... It aches... Pleaseeeee"

 

"Please what, sweetheart?" Her voice is innocent and playful, feigning happy ignorance. She knows what I want, but she wants me to beg. My legs twitch a little more and my insides throb with need. 

 

"Aether...  I need you inside me... Please! Pleaseeeee!!!! Please, it hurts, please!"

 

Aether growls and grabs my helpless body by my throat. Cutting off my air a bit more than usual. The pressure and force of her possessive grab pushed me just a little bit closer to climax.

My entire body starts to spasm uncontrollably. I can feel that I probably don't really need to breathe, but the fact that she cut it off from me so effortlessly makes me burn.

 

Aether licks her lips, easily carrying me over to one of the walls in the closet. Her signal flares sharply and all of the lights in the room cut out. All that's left is both our sets of eyes that glow. Hers are so beautiful and radiantly red, like roses or ripe cherries. It fills me with even more glee and I need to know mine looks the same way.

 

I feel her free hand start to roam all over my naked and messy body. I'm pressed a little harder against the wall. Her chest rubs up against mine, and I can feel how painfully erect my nipples are as they brush against her soft body. My voice yips again at the contact.

 

Aether leans into my neck, and her wet tongue starts to lick over it, making it feel all sparkly and electric.

 

Her exploring hand finally finds its way between my legs and up onto my spot. There's a little bud that's just dying to be pressed on nearly as bad as my insides are begging to be ravaged. Aether's gentle fingers trail around my new most sensitive areas before her two fingers spread me out. I can feel a third prod at my entrance for a moment, and her mouth opens. The tips of her fangs scratch me lightly. And that's when.

 

"No." 

 

I'm thrown against the floor harshly, my breasts ache at the sudden force. Aether's heel slams into my back and grinds against me painfully. 

 

"You were a bad girl today. And I'm not going to reward you with that until later. I've decided we're going on a date first instead." Her heel grinds a little harder. My body threatens so hard to disobey her words and let me cum. But I feel her signal forcefully restricting me, not letting me get satisfaction. The denial mixed with the pain of her grinding on my back hurts so so so badly. But it feels just as good as well.

 

"Once we've had our date, then I'll reward you. I want to show you off first, parade you around town in your collar and show the world you're taken. You're claimed. You're property, and you're mine." 

 

I whimper and moan and squirm beneath her heel. 

 

"Now, what do you say?"

 

Panting and moaning makes it incredibly hard to speak, but another forceful grab by her signal makes the words come out of me smoothly like cream."Yes aether!!! I'm your pet and your property!!! I'll be good for you, I promise!!!"

 

I feel pride and satisfaction radiate into my body and mind, making me smile even harder. She's proud of me. She's proud of her pet.

 

"That's a good girl, now up. I need to wash you off." Her heel is taken off of my back as she steps away to get the clothes I was supposed to be wearing. My limbs are like cooked noodles, all weak and squiggly. I try to force myself up, but I can't. I just flop back down on the floor with a whine.

 

"Awwww. You're so fucking cute Sera. Gosh I love you. Can't get up, I see? Don't you worry, my little angel, I have just the fix." Aether's signal takes a sudden change, getting so loud it almost hurts, until it cuts off sharply, back into background noise. But... Ever so strangely, I no longer feel like myself. My vision feels far away, like sitting across the room from a screen. My consciousness is pushed into the back seat, rendering me into just a passenger to my metal body.

 

Aether controls me, my hands push up off the ground with no resistance, and I stand up perfectly in one fluid motion. She's staring at me, full of pride, confidence, and domineering energy. "That's right, lovely girl. You're my drone now, so I get to take charge." My body turns itself around, and Aether steps beside me with my clothes in her arms. She no longer speaks, instead just walks out of the wardrobe with my body in tow. Automatically following her, fully accepting of her complete autonomous control.

 

I walk in step with the gentle beat of her signal, perfect and precise movements like a soldier's practiced march.

 

It feels so fucking good to have my control taken away so easily. So perfectly in the way she pilots my body. She built it, after all. Fuck. I really am hers.

 

We enter yet another room of Aether's hab unit I have yet to see. The bathroom. Well, that's not entirely correct, I was in here earlier when I needed the mirror but I never actually took the time to look around. When I do, I see that it's surprisingly stylized when compared to the rest of the place. The walls are dark gray, and it's incredibly dim in here, the only light coming from electric fake candles. The wax looks real, and the flame is some kind of projection on the inside of a little thin glass bulb. It looks sincerely like real fire, and I likely wouldn't have noticed if it weren't for my upgraded ocular sensors. There's a faint smell of roses in the room. It feels very sensual and romantic here. Oh and the tub is just utterly enormous. Like genuinely gigantic, lined with different soaps and salves for Mistress. Honestly, the bathroom seems like a perfect place for a girl to just relax in.

 

 Normally, the unit looks pretty average, to be honest. Living accommodations but not really a lot of decoration. Wholly unable to use my mouth right now, I get the idea to ask her about it through our link. 

 

{The bathroom is different from the rest of the house?}

 

Her response is also sent directly back in through my head. [Circumventing your lack of controls I see. I'd punish you for your disobedience right now, but that would take even more time from our day.] Aether turns and flashes me a wink before pressing a button on the inside of the tub. It fills with hot water quickly.

 

[Yeah though.... I don't normally leave my room to be honest, except for compiled food. So I spend a whole lot more time in here than anywhere else in the unit. If I'm outside of here or my room, I'm normally in my drone.]

 

{If you permit me to speak out of line for a moment. I think you have really bad anxiety, Aether.}

 

She looks at me and folds her arms with a grunt. [Get in the tub, pet.]

 

I still have absolutely zero control over my body, so Aether just continues to pilot me and make me precisely climb over the side of the tub and into the incredibly hot water. Like near boiling point, if my haptic layer is correct. It burns, but it feels so soothing as well. I like the pain. And since I'm metal, I don't have to worry about getting injured.

 

I'm made to sit down on the floor of the tub, the water reaches the bottom of my chin. There's some muffled shuffling behind me for a moment. I half expect Aether to join me, but she doesn't. At least not yet.

 

[Fuck. You were right. This is actually way more embarrassing than I expected.] I feel a blue blush lick over my face as her embarrassment flowers in my chest.

 

[This isn't even my like... Real body or whatever. Why does this make me so nervous.]

 

{You don't have to join me, you know.}

 

[But I want to.] I hear her shuffle around again.

 

{I'm starting to think you have some unresolved identity things, dearest. You set your designations to be so different compared to when you're in or out of this drone of yours.} The shuffling stops. Anxiety that is not my own gently touches my heart. I press onward.

 

{Aether... How exactly do you feel when you're in that body? Do you consider yourself a different person?}

 

She's silent for a while. The anxiety keeps rising. If I weren't so thoroughly locked away, I may be shaking.

 

{You know I will love you either way.}

 

Her anxiety dies down a bit. It's still present but it's not as strong.

 

The water level raises a bit as Aether steps into the bathtub behind me. The hot water gently burns away at my bottom lip. It's soothing. Aether's anxiety melts away just a little bit more. Her arms snake around my torso and pull me towards her. Her soft chest squishes against my back and her legs wrap around me as well, securing me in place. I feel my consciousness slide back into the front seat. She's given me the privilege of control once more, but I decide not to push it too hard, just gently leaning back into her hold.

 

Silence falls upon us for a while as we relax in the hot water.

 

Eventually, Aether sends me another message.

 

[It's not like I consider myself human or anything. I know I'm not. I don't even feel like it. It's just that... Well... It gives me an escape for a while. Let's me feel like someone else, someone different. It's nice to escape the judgment and the level I'm held to as an Affini... But I've started to realize I like it for more than that.] The message fades away from my head for a moment and Aether grabs onto me a little tighter.

 

[I don't feel quite like myself when I'm in this body. After spending so much time with you like this, I've started to consider it not just a drone I can fit myself into... But a second body of mine. I think... I think I feel like two people. I'm still myself as both of them... But... Not as well.]

 

I scoot forward a bit, escaping her grip just a moment. Aether's anxiety momentarily sky rockets while I pull away from her. Then I turn around, making sure I don't stray too far.

 

She's beautiful. 

 

Tears start to flow down my cheeks just from the sight of how pretty she is. Perfect and stunning. She's blushing heavily, not making eye contact with me, but smiling just a little bit. 

 

"Aether, I love you completely. I will love you as my girlfriend and I will love you as my Mistress. Nothing will ever change that, ever. I'm yours forever, regardless of who you are."

 

The anxiety dies off, replaced instead with love. It's mine for her, and hers for me. Beautiful red eyes I could get lost in meet with mine. Full of relief and happiness.

 

"I love you too, Seraphim. Thank you for being mine."

 

(End Of Page Eighteen)