"...I think I've made up my mind."

 

The Affini raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

 

"Do you promise that you won't separate us? That I'll be able to still be me through this?"

 

She nodded, and produced the proper paperwork. "Absolutely, flower. Everything that is within your domestication contract will be held tightly and bound by both of us."

 

"In that case… Can I also shadow you as you work sometimes?"

As the days passed, the Little One couldn't help but notice how her Beloved was acting, little by little. She was changing, and it showed.

 

Not in the physical sense. Though the new tail was certainly something. It was much more sturdy and wide than her own, and had a nice scaly pattern all the way down to a fluffy tuft of feathers that extended a bit more after the tail itself ended. Something that her Beloved used to tickle her with a whole lot.

 

It wasn't the wings either. Which, speaking of, she had now. Two large, majestic draconic wings, extending from her back. Their Mama had to do a lot of work to make sure the clothes she wore were able to contain said wings. It was still a bit amusing, watching her practice moving them and training with how to use them. But… She knew her Beloved wouldn't want to just have hypnotic training forced on her. She was a smart dragon and could figure it out, and their Mama believed in her too and helped her in any way she could.

 

No, what changed about her is how she began to hoard anything that she would find shiny.

 

It started with a few small tidbits. A fork, some glass. Stuff that caught her interest, she'd scoop it up with her tail and walk up the tree somewhere to stash it.

 

Eventually Magnolia decided to play along, using the atomic compiler when her Beloved wasn't looking to synthesize stuff like gold coins, jewels, and so on. Not for any monetary value, of course. They all knew very well these things had no real point in existing for the sake of any trade. But because her little dragon girlfriend liked them, and put them someplace nice and safe to sate that urge to collect and keep. She most likely caught on at some point when she noticed gold coins with the Little One's smiling face began to scatter about the hab, but if she did, she never mentioned it.

 

That is, until one day, the Little One felt someone trying to lift her. Or at the very least nudge her into waking up from what was until now a very nice nap that involved sweet dreams of yummy foods and hugs.

 

"Shh… Don't let Magnolia hear you, okay?" Her Beloved whispered, and the Little One nodded, taking her hand as she was walking out of the bedroom, all while Magnolia was still asleep. Luckily for her, having cat feet made sneaking out exponentially easier than it would've been regularly.

 

Still, she hesitated for a bit. They were good girls, and good girls don't go sneaking about without their Mama's permission. She wasn't given much time to think about it, however, as her Beloved took her out the balcony, and began climbing. Up and up, across the tree hab that they all lived in. Something that the Little One found little to no issue with apparently, using all her arms to climb while her Beloved got some extra practice with her new wings. "Don't worry, we're not going anywhere, okay? Just something I want to show you~" She nodded and followed. She trusted her Beloved too. She'd never hurt her.

 

Eventually her Beloved opened up a gap in the leafy exterior of the tree, showing the Little One a gap they could go through. And what waited at the end of the gap was… Well.

 

Her hoard.

 

She had accumulated so much now! She had lots of gold trinkets, and little jewels, and beakers, and other shinies. And as soon as they entered the room, her Beloved sprung to life, showing her all the little things she had collected. And she talked about all of them with so much enthusiasm! Not for the sake of being rich, no. That was long gone. She was just happy cause it made a shiny glint in her eye, nothing more, nothing less. A form of innocence that was forgotten to the human race, of just finding stuff you like and keeping it because you like keeping it.

 

The Little One was happily dragged along, while being given a tour of the hoard chamber her Beloved carved for herself. There was the gold stuffs, and the chemistry stuffs cause she liked it. She had an entire section of this hidden room grow with plants she got from Mongolia, so she can try stuff out for her own leisure.

 

But the most important thing that she had were… the pictures. Ever since learning to use the Affini tech, her Beloved kept taking pictures of her. Of them together. Some of them were old too. But the Little One didn't mind. She couldn't remember, but she knew the feelings. The love and affection.

 

"And now… I finally have the master jewel of my hoard!" She heard her Beloved mutter, before jumping into her arms and hugging her tightly. She was confused, and looked around, unsure where this jewel she was talking about was.

 

"Dummy… It's you!"

 

That was the moment the Little One's cheeks flared bright red. She was already owned by one person… Now it was going to be two? Though deep down she didn't have anything against it. She liked to be owned. And be pampered and loved and doted on all day long. Perhaps, being part of her Beloved's hoard was okay too.

 

She followed as her Beloved sat her on a nice, and rather soft pile of stuff, as if it was a throne. Though soon after, the dragon girl pushed her down to laying, so maybe it wasn't as grandiose. "And, as part of my horde… There's one last thing I need to do." She grinned, bearing sharp fangs.

 

The Little One gulped audibly. Her knees bucked against each other, and she gave one last futile attempt at resistance, mostly out of instinct, before yielding. She knew what her Beloved wanted. And she knew that even if she could resist… She wouldn't. And so, she tilted her head. Revealing the one clean side she had, the other having her Mama's bite on her. Exposing the clean skin and fur that now comprised her shoulder.

 

Anticipation burned through her mind. She wasn't smart now. She was just a kitty, driven by instinct and need. And the need to be marked and owned echoed through her mushy brain with an overwhelming chorus. She had to. She needed it. So bad that a series of mewls and yowls began to pour out of her throat, begging and panting.

 

And then… She felt her Beloved press her fangs to her clean shoulder. And bite. 

 

It wasn't the same as her Mama. Her Mama was much bigger, and had bigger teeth. Her Beloved was smaller physically, so when the deed was done, which took a whole minute of agonizing bliss, she was left panting with a nice, clean bite mark on her shoulder. A permanent reminder of who owned her.

 

Which, evidently, didn't end there. "Now… Let's give you a few more. Just to make sure I'm on par with Magni~"

 

Time became a blur as more and more bites were added. Not too many. Just enough. Giving her a series of bite marks that mirrored, at least in area, her Mama. She felt her Beloved pull her into a cuddle, and she couldn't refuse. Her body betrayed her, not even moving out of sheer exhaustion. Each bite released more and more xenodrugs in her system to the point that all she could perceive was her Beloved, taking care of her. Cuddling her, and keeping her warm and safe. Whispering sweet nothings that her addled brain couldn't even parse together in her ear, but still making her feel all warm and fuzzy.

 

Although, after some time of mindless cuddles, she smelled something. A very familiar scent. It was there before, she always knew it at the back of her mind, watching over them. But now… It was here.

 

It was her Mama!

 

Magnolia grinned as she moved through the tree hab to her little floret's hiding spot. "So, I see you two are enjoying yourselves~"

 

"W-Wha-" Her Beloved called out. "Magnolia! How did you find out about my-"

 

A vine crept to gently shush her floret. "Of course I did, my sweet. This tree is connected to me. I know all that happens in its little leaves and branches." With a simple gesture, the branchy and leafy room they were in expanded, enough for an Affini to be able to comfortably step in. An Affini who, upon stepping in, scooped the both of them into her arms.

 

"B-But… I thought that this was a secret…" Her Beloved sounded a little disappointed. That called for extra soft snuggles. "I-I mean the whole post scarcity thing, and no currency, I mean I just like this stuff cause it's shiny and pretty and-"

 

Their Mama smiled and pet the dragon's head. "Flower, I would never take anything from you that you enjoy doing. You can keep this hoard. And you can use the compiler to make anything you like for it. I didn't say anything because I could tell this was fun for you, but when I woke up and saw my two cuties not in my arms… I just had to come check what happened. And I see you already went ahead~" a wooden finger traced alongside the Little One's new bite marks. She blushed and mewled.

 

"I mean… It's more fun to find things than make them though…" her Beloved shrugged, but ws soon pulled in for a tight hug of comfort and acceptance. No judgment, or misunderstanding. That's just who they were. Domesticated, but also who they wanted to be inside.

 

A hazy bliss of cuddles and attention then showered on the Little One. She was pat. She was snuggled. She was given scritches and gentle rubs under her chin. Purring and mewling with delight at all the attention bestowed upon her and whisking her away from the burden of thought to just being a gentle house pet. Eventually Magnolia opened up a path and took them back to the hab itself. It was lunchtime and they needed to eat after all the excitement. All while the Little One admired and purred at her new marks.

 

At the very least, it wouldn't ruin her clothing. Her Mama had taken the liberty to give her shirts and tops that rested wide on her shoulders, allowing them to show her bites to everyone. So they could all see she was owned and loved and cared for, and it made her very happy.

 

The first thing she did once getting to the hab area was gesture to the mirror in the bedroom. She got to stare at herself, and her new decorations, looking so excited. So innocent. Ruled by instinct and nary a thought further. Every need she had, every want and desire, they were all fulfilled at a moment's notice, most times without her even realizing she wanted those things in the first place. But that was okay. A deep, resounding voice told her that, without the need to vocalize language. Perhaps it was her Mama's music, ingrained into her mind and taking away all the icky gritty thoughts that used to infest it. She was allowed to just be. And not think. Or worry about the future. She was allowed to be lazy, and animalistic, and simple. She had her Mama and Beloved to care and love and cherish her, and she trusted them from the bottom of her heart.

 

She'd never be alone, and that's exactly where she wanted to be.