Morning arrived in a slow roll. Like the changing of the tides, it drifted in, tugging gently, but persistently on Piper’s stirring consciousness. Opening her eyes, Piper stirred. She began to rise, only to immediately realize her predicament: Eryn. That sweet, darling little sophont was resting upon her chest, fast asleep. Piper just didn’t have the heart to wake her. She was too precious, too peaceful, too content. And in all likelihood, Piper could slip out of bed without disturbing Eryn. Was it worth the risk, though? no, not at all. The far safer bet was for Piper to simply stay put, relax, and hold Eryn close. Coincidentally, there was nothing Piper would rather do, nowhere she would rather be.

Piper must have dozed off at some point, as she awoke some time later to the sound of Eryn releasing a long, and rather adorable yawn. Not to be outdone, Piper replied with a yawn of her own, and a long stretch. She was fairly certain affini didn’t yawn on reflex, but the act of doing so after a long rest felt refreshing all the same. Eryn rolled over onto her belly, and blinked up at Piper, an amorous, dopey grin plastered on her delightful little face. “Good morning, little one,” Piper purred. 

For the briefest of moments, Eryn squeezed her face into an endearing pout; she sighed, and shook her head, breaking into a smile once more. “You know,” Eryn began, tapping Piper on the jaw, then trailed a finger down toward her chest. “You’d better watch it. Pretty soon I won’t be so ‘little’ anymore.” 

“So what you’re saying, is I should get my fill while I still can, little one?” Piper raised a leafy eyebrow, then ruffled Eryn’s hair. 

She giggled, and pressed her head into Piper’s chest, closing her eyes. “If you must.” Peaceful stillness fell over the pair. Neither spoke; neither stirred. Just as Piper began to suspect that her darling had fallen back asleep, Eryn shifted, and peered up at Piper through lidded eyes. “Hey, Piper? I’m feeling… a bit anxious? I don’t know. I’m still getting used to how things are supposed to feel. But I think I’m anxious. I know Bramble can just keep trying if it has to, but I think I’m worried that something might go wrong today. Do you think, maybe, I could have just a little dose of Class-Cs? And then, maybe we could stay like this until it’s time?” 

More than anything, it was Eryn’s earnestness that touched Piper. While she was still clearly uneasy about showing weakness, vulnerability, or dependence, she made no attempt to deny or hide it. She’d grown, no doubt, and Piper was so proud of her for it. Proud of Eryn, and in all honesty, proud of herself for helping Eryn come this far. She smiled, and squeezed Eryn close. “Of course, my dear little Eryn.” Piper produced a needle, pressed it into Eryn’s arm, and chased away her worries. True to her word, Piper held Eryn close all through morning and well into afternoon while they awaited word from Bramble. And when the time finally came, they readied themselves together, then set off hand in hand. 

For all its corny b-movie atmosphere and dingy appearance, Piper had to admit that Bramble’s lab did hold a certain charm, one she’d—understandably—failed to appreciate during her initial visit. Bramble, too, seemed far less like a dangerous lunatic and far more like a quirky, but passionate dork. The very moment Piper and Eryn arrived, it had practically somersaulted out of its chair and bounded right up to them, demanding the ‘notes’ they had compiled over the course of the ‘experiment.’ Upon learning they hadn’t taken any, it looked downright aghast, then sulked its way back to its chair. 

After a bit of consoling, Bramble mumbled something about remembering not to rely on amateurs, forgave the pair, and returned to its usual peppy self. They were directed toward the machine. Piper sat in the affini sized chair, and in lieu of placing Eryn in the smaller chair she held the girl in her lap while Bramble ran one last set of diagnostics. Piper pantomimed a slow, calming breath, and flexed her vines.The moment of truth was approaching. After a few clanks and clatters, followed by a series of loud pops, then sparks, Bramble poked its head out from behind its machine. “Everything seems to be in order!” it announced, dashing out to properly address its subjects. “It will take a bit of time to warm up, which is fine, I suppose there are a few matters we should discuss first.”

“Certainly,” Piper agreed. 

“Eryngium,” Bramble began, then trailed off. As its gaze fell on Eryn, an indulgent smile spread across its lips, and it gave her a little condescending wave. “Look at you, all cozy and content. So cute. But I digress, It seems to me that the two of you are now far more… amicable than when you left my lab a couple of days ago. What is your opinion of Piper’s behavior?”

Rolling her eyes, Eryn crossed her arms, but dignified Bramble with a response nonetheless. “In spite of Piper’s… misguided past, I can say quite confidently that Piper has been responsible, respectful, kind, and open minded through this entire… ordeal. I’ll admit, at first I was looking for any and all reasons to brand her a feralist and proceed with her compulsory domestication on those grounds the very moment I was back in my body. That soon became impossible. The Piper I have had the privilege of living with for the past two days is a wonderful girl. And provided she remains on the path she has walked thus far, she will make a wonderful independent citizen of the Affini Compact. She is very dear to me, and despite the oddness of our circumstances, I don’t think I regret even a moment of this strange little detour we’ve taken in our lives.” Warm happiness and pride seeped into every last one of Piper’s vines. She knew by this point that Eryn cared for her, but this felt different than mushy pillow talk. Hearing how Eryn really felt was absolutely wonderful.

Noticing the look on Piper’s face, Bramble gave her a gentle smile, jotted something down in its notebook, then nodded. “Well then, in that case,” Bramble mused, retrieving a piece of official-looking paper from within its vines. “This is an official order for the compulsory domestication of one Piper Lawrey on the grounds of her feralist ideology and her association with a militant feralist organization, signed by myself, by Captain Avens Geum, Twelfth Bloom, and by one Eryngium Soetis, Second Bloom.” Bramble clicked its pen, and scribbled something on the page. It sighed, then shook its head. “Would you look at that? It seems someone made a clerical error filling it out, and the whole document is void.” Smiling, they thrust the paper toward Piper. “Would you like to do the honors?” With a flash of her vines, Piper made quick work of the botched paperwork. “Well then, the machine should be ready. Let’s get you two hooked up, then say the word.”

Unfamiliar as she was with the nitty gritty of affini physiology, Piper allowed Bramble to do the work of properly attaching the necessary components to her—to Eryn’s core. The oversized helmet which would handle Eryn’s end of the process was prepped, then fixed in place hovering a couple meters above Eryn’s head, which was, of course, really Piper’s head. “I figured I’ll give you two a minute before lowering that and covering her up,” Bramble commented, then slinked away. 

For what very well could have been the last time, Piper looked down on Eryn’s tiny form, and Eryn looked back. She seemed nervous, pensive. Her lips were pressed together, arms folded under her chest. Her shoulders were slumped but tense. She was trembling. “Hey,” Piper soothed, brushing a vine along her cheek. “What’s up?”

“A little scared I guess? Like I said before, things could, y’know, go wrong,” she mumbled. Looking down on the trembling, lost looking little sophont in her lap, Piper couldn’t help but wonder whether there was more to it. Could it be that Eryn was less worried that it wouldn’t work, and more worried that it would? Or, perhaps the problem was less returning to her body in and of itself, and more returning to the expectations and responsibilities that came with it. In the end, Piper wasn’t sure now was the time to have that conversation. But once this was over, no matter what the result, they would talk. And Piper would assure Eryn that no matter what body she was in, terran or affini, big or small, she could be as vulnerable, needy, and submissive as she desired. Perhaps a bit of encouragement was still warranted in the moment, though. 

“No matter what happens, Eryn, know that I’ll be there for you, however you want me to be, and in whatever way you need me to be.” Piper gave Eryn another loving caress. 

“I know. I trust you, Piper.” Eryn shuddered a little. She glanced away, and wiped her eyes with her trembling hands. Taking a slow breath, Eryn gazed back up into Piper’s eyes. “I think though, maybe I could use one last Class-C does? Just to keep calm? To feel safe?”

“Of course,” Piper assured. She would do anything to reassure her darling girl. With a quick swipe of her vines, Piper gave what would likely be her last ever xenodrug injection, then held Eryn close. 

“If you’ll indulge me,” Piper mused. “I’d like to wax poetic a bit. This really has been the most eye-opening experience of my life. Two days ago I thought you affini were monsters. Now though, I see that you’re creating a beautiful and utopian world that is built upon kindness, love and care for everyone. That’s both for the sophonts you take under your care, and other affini. Getting to see this world through the eyes of an affini, getting a taste of your perspective through these… instincts your body gives me, it’s really broadened my worldview. I’ve had a wonderful time these past few days. And I really do think I’ve grown a lot. But also, I really am eager to take what I’ve learned here, and apply it to my life, rather than to the life I’m acting out. To be honest, I don’t know what I can contribute to the Affini Compact. But everywhere I look there’s so much passion, so much drive to help everyone be the best they can possibly be. I don’t know what my place is in all that, but I’m excited to find it. And, if I may, I hope seeing the world through a terran's eyes has given you a bit of useful perspective as well, ‘little one.’” Piper grinned, and ruffled Eryn’s hair.  

Nodding, Eryn nuzzled closer. Then answered in a small, trembling voice. “Thank you, Piper, I’ll keep what you said in mind. I think I’m ready. But… do you think maybe you could hold me a bit tighter?” Wordlessly, Piper tightened her embrace, and pulled Eryn in closer. As Eryn’s eyes fluttered shut, Piper gave one last doting headpat, then quietly lowered the helmet over her head. She locked eyes with Bramble, and they shared a nod. Bramble placed both hands on the oversized control switch, and pulled. Just as before, there was a spark, then the lights flickered; behind her, Piper heard whirring. Everything went dark. 

Piper felt weird, not weird like last time. Last time, she’d felt weird on account of being plopped into a whole new, unfamiliar body. This time, her body had suddenly gone from sort of familiar, to as familiar as a body could possibly be. And that part was weird, but other things were weird too. When she’d first awoken in Eryn’s body, Piper hadn’t actually known what was amiss; she’d just been kinda confused, and overwhelmed. And thus, all the subtly different—and not so subtly different—ways her mind and her perception had worked in Eryn’s body just sort of came off as white noise. By the time she’d realized what had happened, and could categorize her feelings, Piper had been in Eryn’s body long enough for things to not feel so completely jarring. Now, reawakening in her own body Piper had no such luxury. Everything felt different. Her sense felt different. Her brain felt different. Her emotions felt different. 

One moment, Piper had been holding Eryn tight in her vines, the next, Piper was being held tight in those same vines, except they weren’t hers; they never were hers, really. She was cozy, though. Plus, that wasn’t just anyone holding her, it was Eryn. And she loved Eryn. And Eryn loved her. If there was anything at all which Piper could be sure of, it was that Eryn would never, ever harm her. 

Coincidentally, Eryn chose that particular moment to stir. She grumbled, then gave Piper a gentle squeeze. Her voice sounded a bit different through terran ears. Piper considered slipping from Eryn’s grip, but decided to wait. Everything still felt a bit overwhelming. Eryn, too, was no doubt overwhelmed; she was a fragile thing, beneath all that pride and bluster. So far, Piper had been there for Eryn every step of the way, and that wasn’t going to change. Being the small one again changed nothing; Piper would still hold Eryn as tightly as she possibly could, for as long as she needed to, until each and every one of her beloved’s fears and anxieties were nothing but a distant memory. She just hoped Eryn had taken her words to heart; Eryn needed someone to lean on, and Piper wanted to be that someone.

Vines rustling, Eryn stretched, then spoke. “Hello Bramble, miss me?” She asked. Her voice was quite a bit sharper, firmer, more collected than Piper had been expecting.  

“Sure did. Welcome back old friend,” Bramble replied. “You’ll have to forgive me for having perhaps a bit too much fun at your expense,” it quipped. 

Eryn laughed, really laughed. It wasn’t a giggle, or a chuckle. It was long, and resounding, and thoroughly amused. “I’m sure it was fun being the larger between us for a time, dear Bramble. I forgive you, but don’t think I’ll forget. For now, there are far more important matters. I assume everything worked as intended?” 

“No complications whatsoever.” Bramble gave a triumphant laugh. “The machine worked perfectly! I’m a genius! To be honest? It performed even better than even my most optimistic projections.”

“I’m very glad to hear that, Bramble. You’ve done excellent work, as always” Eryn replied coolly. “Now, I’ve spent the last two days blitzed out on Class-C’s with my—with Piper’s—ears pressed against my own chest, listening to my own biorhythm turn my stars forsaken thoughts to mush, so I do have to be certain. You say everything went perfectly. That includes the part where little Piper’s body now totally, helplessly craves my presence, yes? And is hopelessly in love with me? Completely awestruck by everything I say and do, the whole package?” Wait—what was that? Piper must have misheard. It almost sounded for a second like Eryn was pulling some kind of trick, but She wasn’t like that; maybe She was just putting on a front for Bramble. That was it. Bramble just didn’t know Her like Piper did. Still, Piper wished She wouldn’t do that; Eryn deserved to be Her truest self.  

“It definitely worked. Little Piper might need a bit of a reminder, but it worked,” Bramble confirmed. 

“Wonderful,” Eryn purred. Shifting in place, Eryn peeled back Her vines, exposing Piper to the rest of the room. Piper stirred, then peered up into Her face. Stars, wow, She was so pretty. Probably the prettiest person… ever? How had Piper not noticed that? She’d looked at that face in the mirror a few times, and, of course, seen Eryn when she’d first been captured, but She looked so much prettier now than She ever had back then. If Piper had to describe her in a word, it would be…dazzling? Or maybe resplendent? Exquisite? Amazing? Wonderful? Perfect? All of them, actually, because it was impossible to capture how beautiful She was with one word. 

“Ohh, look at you, sweet thing,” Eryn cooed, scritching Piper under the chin. Her voice was so smooth and soft, like liquid, but also hot. It was molten. At the same time though, Her voice was colorful and musical and—if Piper kept trying to come up with all the right words to describe Her, she would be doing it all day. Basically, Eryn was divine. And that wasn’t even starting on how wonderful Her touch felt. Piper hadn’t actually noticed at first, but at some point she’d started gasping and panting, and she was currently in the middle of a breathy moan. 

“Such a precious little darling. Just seeing that look of awestruck adoration on your face makes everything worth it.” Wow! Eryn was happy with her! Nothing could ever feel better than knowing that she’d made the most beautiful, perfect, important person in the whole universe happy. Piper was so glad things were working out even with the two of them back in their original bodies. “I promise I’ll do everything I can to make you the happiest, most darling little pet in the whole universe, my precious Piper.”

Huh? “Huh?” Piper blinked, something sounded off about that. Wasn’t Eryn supposed to be the submissive one who needed Piper to take care of Her? 

“Oh, looks like you’re not fully broken in yet,” Eryn chided. “But that’s okay, your body already knows where it belongs, it won’t take long for the rest of you to follow suit.”

“But… but I don’t wanna be a pet. I’m an independent terran!” Piper insisted. “We had a deal, I wouldn’t get domesticated if I cooperated.”

“That’s not exactly correct, little one,” Eryn replied, speaking slowly, clearly, sweetly, enunciating each and every syllable to ensure Piper’s dazed mind absorbed every last one of Her words. She was so thoughtful like that. It was so hard for Piper to listen to Her pretty, pretty voice and not just let herself drift away, but she couldn’t let that happen. She had to fight. Piper scowled, and narrowed her eyes. “Back with us again, precious? You look so adorable when you drift off like that; now I know how you must have felt watching me. Anyway, the deal wasn't that you wouldn’t get domesticated. The deal was that, if you behaved yourself like the good girl I know you are, you wouldn’t be subject to compulsory domestication specifically on the grounds of feralism. And I think we can all agree that you, my darling,” Eryn punctuated Her endearment by booping Piper on the noise with one of Her vines. Piper crossed her eyes, and blinked rapidly, causing Eryn to giggle adoringly. “You don’t have a single drop of feralism left in that sweet, needy little pet body of yours.”

Piper blushed, and buried her face in Eryn’s vines. Soft, warm, cuddly, cozy, she could just give in and stay like this. It would feel so nice to belong to Eryn. But no, she couldn't. This was wrong. “I don’t agree to this!” Piper insisted, struggling to dredge up half-forgotten details she’d glimpsed in passing during her time in Eryn’s body. “You—you have to have a reason to domesticate me without my consent. And I don’t consent.” Yeah, that was right, she was an independent sophont and not a rebel anymore. It was like Mistress said, she didn’t have a single drop of feralism left in her needy little pet body. She knew her place! They couldn’t domesticate her if she wasn’t a feralist. 

Shaking Her head, Eryn grumbled. She reached a vine into the depths of Her body, and retrieved a piece of official-looking paper. “I suppose you leave me with no choice,” She lamented. “This, my darling, is an official order for the compulsory domestication of one Piper Lawrey, on the grounds of her inability to live a safe, happy and healthy life without the love and care of one Eryngium Soetis, Second Bloom. As outlined here, ‘it has been found that Piper Lawrey has become emotionally, psychologically and physiologically bonded with Eryngium Soetis to the extent that she cannot live without Eryngium’s care and ownership. She has been deemed a dependent, and as such, we have concluded that allowing Piper Lawrey to continue on without the care and ownership of Eryngium Soetis would constitute a violation of her fundamental rights to and guarantees of happiness, fulfillment, health, emotional well being, enrichment…’ It goes on like that. The document is signed by Bramble Rubus, Third Bloom, Captain Avens Geum, Twelfth Bloom, and of course, Eryngium Soetis, Second Bloom.” 

Grinning, Eryn loomed closer. “Once we get all the clerical work out of the way, I’d love to have you sign this with a little handprint. Or maybe a pawprint, We’ll need to figure out what sort of pet you are together.”

As the reality of her situation closed in around her, Piper began to hyperventilate. It didn’t last, though. Piper couldn’t say why, but her body seemed to instinctively calm itself as her breathing strayed toward a natural, and familiar rhythm. A gentle rhythm. A safe rhythm. Her rhythm. Piper grit her teeth, she needed to focus. “This isn’t right! You drugged me!”

“Darling, I asked you to drug me while I was in your body. If anything, I drugged myself. Do you have any idea how many hours I spent in your body, feeling those xenodrugs cloud my thoughts, feeling my own vines light up your nerves, as my own biorhythm crawled its way into your malleable little brain? I was a captive audience to all of it, and endured. I still managed to play you every step of the way. Do you know why? Because I’m not a pet. And you, my darling,” She concluded, stroking Piper’s chin, “are exactly that.”

Pleasure erupted over Piper’s whole body as myriad vines caressed every inch of her exposed skin. She panted, and writhed, but held on. “B-bulshit!” Piper cried. “I saw how subby, how needy you were in my body. You would have folded if I’d asked you to. And you weren’t ‘playing me every step of the way,’ get over yourself.” Shame draped over Piper’s mind, she’d been so mean to Her just now. “I’m—I’m sorry, Miss,” she stammered.

“It’s okay, my love,” Eryn soothed. “I wouldn’t expect a silly pet to understand. But tell me, little one? Who was it that suggested you inject me—inject your own body with xenodrugs each and every time? Who was it that put your body in situations over and over again which would reinforce an instinctive association between submission, helplessness, humiliation, and pleasure? Who was it that always suggested we cuddle? Who was it that made every major decision along the way for the past two days? And who was it that blindly followed those suggestions? Stars, you even dosed me with Class-Cs mere moments before we switched back. Did you never once stop to consider the long term effects of any of that? Of course you didn’t, you were already under my spell.” 

Vines pressed against the back of Piper’s head, nuzzling her into Eryn’s soft, warm chest. “A precious little pet,” she cooed. “Dancing to the tune of a rhythm you couldn’t quite place. And you didn’t even realize that rhythm hummed from within the very body you unwittingly inhabited.” It was all too much. “That’s right, dear, in case you hadn’t figured it out, none of this was an accident. Honestly, do you know how many biotech implants I had to have fitted around my core so your terran consciousness could even maneuver in a body this complex? So many handicaps, and you didn’t even notice them. Just like you didn’t notice the song in the back of your head. Always there, always helping you play right into my hand. But it’s okay, you’re back where you belong: in my vines. Suspended within my will.” She sighed. “Perhaps I have rigged the game a little too hard. I’ll tell you what. I went somewhere between twenty five and thirty hours cuddled up to my own chest and blissed out on Class-Cs, all without asking to be yours. If you can go… let’s say the next hour without doing that, then I’ll let you have your independence. I’ll walk right out that door, and let you live your life on your—”

“No!” Piper cried. There it was. The very concept of Eryn walking away, leaving her alone was unimaginable. Piper couldn’t be without Her. She loved Her. She needed Her. Tears streaked down her face as Piper began to beg. “No. Please no. Please please please no. Never. Don’t leave me. I don’t wanna be without you please don’t go—”

“Darling I wasn't—oh you poor thing.” Eryn tightened her grip around Piper, and began stroking her hair. Everything was going to be okay. Mistress was here, and nothing bad could happen. Every neuron in Piper’s brain, every nerve on her skin sang that mantra in one rapturous chorus of ecstasy and bliss. “I’m sorry, I should have been more careful with my words. I won’t leave you. Never. I promise. Just like you promised me, remember?”

Nodding and whimpering Piper curled in closer. The warmth of Eryn’s vines, the comfort, the safety, it all overwhelmed her. Piper knew then and there that she would find peace and contentment beyond anything she’d ever known in those vines. All she had to do was give in. And she was close now. So close. The few remaining threads of her will were unraveling, soon to be replaced by one far better, far stronger. It felt wonderful. But she couldn’t break, not yet. “You—” Piper choked on a hiccuping sob, then took a slow breath, calming herself. “You promise you’re doing this because you want to, not because you feel like you have to?”

Eryn smiled, and the whole world bloomed with color and light and fresh, lively joy. Piper could stare up at that face forever. She hoped she would. “I promise, darling. This is what I want. My little foray into your body was a fun diversion. I must admit, I was skeptical of Bramble’s rather unorthodox plan at first. But truth be told, it sounded entertaining if nothing else, just seeing what would happen. There were times when it was scary, or humiliating, or just downright odd. But I would be lying if I said the feelings of submission and safety you gave me were not enjoyable. Having gone through all that, though, I can say this quite confidently: that is not who or what I am. This is what I want, dear pet. It’s what I need. It always has been. Now let me give you what you need, my love.”

The last of Piper's resistance crumbled away. She nodded, and pressed herself into Mistress’ embrace. “I’m yours, Mistress. Thank you.”