Mel looked at her reflection in the mirror. "I look ridiculous!" she pouted.

"You look adorable!" Sylnathi teased.

Mel examined the knee-length summer dress she wore; white fabric patterned with yellow flowers. She was so used to wearing overalls or shorts, these new companion clothes Sylnathi had chosen for her felt odd and embarrassing. "It's so… Impractical!" she complained, looking up at her Mistress.

"For agro work perhaps," Sylnathi replied smartly, "but exactly what work do you need to do today that prohibits you from wearing your dress? And after I took so much care in selecting it for you!" Mel turned her body left and right, watching how the fabric flowed around her. She decided it wasn’t bad, just different.

 

“And for the finishing touch!” Sylnathi said excitedly, wrapping a piece of cloth around Mel’s neck. Except the fabric suddenly tightened and affixed itself with a soft click. Mel cried out in surprise as her hands shot up to the black band now fastened snugly around her throat. It looked like a choker but thicker, strangely form-fitting, and impossible to remove.

“Syl- Mistress I- What is this?” Mel stammered.

“A Companion Collar, dear!” Sylnathi said proudly. “It’s normal for pets without their implant to have one, I had to pick one up this morning while I was out. I can load it with various Xenodugs as needed, but to be honest, I just like how it looks on you~” The way Sylnathi said those last few words caused Mel’s face to flush a deep red. She stared at her reflection, embarrassed by just how much she liked both the look and the implications of the collar.

 

The two sat together for breakfast. Mel enjoyed some fresh honeyed toast and milk as Sylnathi drank tea and read on her tablet. Halfway through her meal, Mel realized something she hadn't yet considered. "Mistress?" She asked, "What's going to happen to Orion's Blossom if I stay here with you?"

Sylnathi put down her tablet and gave her an affectionate look. "Well my Pet, there's no reason you can't continue to work there. But you're going to need an adjustment period and I don't want you overworking yourself! I think we should hold off until after you've recovered from your Haustoric Implant."

"But- I can't get my Implant for another two weeks!" Mel complained.

"And you'll have at least two more weeks of recovery after you do." Sylnathi reminded her.

"But that's too long!" Mel pleaded. "I need to at least tend to my hydroponics regularly, my plants might die otherwise!"

 

Sylnathi thought for a moment, tapping the side of her teacup gently. “Is there someone you’d like to take care of Orion's Blossom for you while you recover?” she asked.

Mel thought for a moment and realized that while she knew dozens of friendly acquaintances, she really didn’t have any 'friends' that she trusted. After Abigail left, Sylnathi had become her closest friend. It didn’t feel proper to ask her Mistress to pick up her slack, Sylnathi had her own duties on top of caring for her. Mel knew that she was rather introverted, but the full extent of her social isolation surprised her a bit.

“No,” she began slowly, “No, I can’t think of anyone off the top of my head.”

Sylnathi took a moment to finish her tea. “Well then, I just might have a solution!" she said cheerfully, "It’s time you met someone.”

Mel looked at Sylnathi’s curious smile. “Who exactly do you have in mind?” she asked.

 

 

The park was sunny and peaceful, as it usually was. Mel enjoyed the fresh air and the warm sunlight as it played across her skin. She sat patiently with Sylnathi and waited for their guests to arrive. Two figures approached their sitting area and her Mistress gave a friendly wave towards them. One was an Affini, tall and elegant, the other was- a Terran boy? Mel watched her fellow Terran closely as he approached. He looked to be a few years younger than her. His black hair was cut close and styled neatly and he wore Affini companion clothes; a crisp shirt tucked into his thigh-length shorts with high socks. Mel also noticed the boy wasn’t wearing a collar like hers. As the pair approached, Sylnathi stood up and greeted the other Affini with an affectionate intertwining of vines and a short conversation in their native tongue. With a start, Mel realized their Affini visitor was Halthia. Two images flashed through Mel’s mind: One of the firm yet gentle soul who sipped tea by her kiosk, the other of the deadly masked enforcer towering over her during the hab unit raid. Mel shivered and focused on the former.

 

As the two Affini sat down together, the Terran boy joined them. His expression was content and placid, his eyes distant.

“Hello again, Melrose.” said Halthia, “I think congratulations are in order, First Floret!”

Mel blushed as Halthia smiled politely at her. “I- uhm, thank you Miss Halthia!” she stammered. Mel felt one of Sylnathi’s tendrils press reassuringly against her back and relaxed slightly.

“Melrose,” Sylnathi began, “I wanted you to meet Halthia’s ward. I think he might be just the person to help with your predicament.”

After a nudge from Halthia, the Terran boy cleared his throat and said “Uh, hello Melrose! I’m Niles Re, Third Floret. It’s really nice to meet you!”

Mel smiled and responded, “Nice to meet you too, Niles! I’m Melrose Pelos, First Floret.”

 

The two sat awkwardly, facing each other, unsure what to do next. Halthia was the one who broke the silence. “Sylnathi and I think you two should talk for a while and get to know each other," she said, "but I also understand that may be difficult with the two of us listening in.” She turned her attention directly towards Niles, one of her tendrils lifting the boy's chin up towards her. “We’re going to take a walk around the park.” she spoke in a commanding voice, “I want you to get to know Melrose and see if you can help her. Do you understand?” Niles’ face held a look of pure obedience as he happily responded, “Of course, Mistress Halthia!”

The two Affini stood up together. Sylnathi leaned down to caress Mel’s cheek and said, “Get to know Niles, dear. I’ll be back in a little while. Behave yourself, Pet!”

Mel’s cheeks flushed as she stammered, “Yes, I will- uh, Mistress!”

The Affini walked off together, leaving the two Terrans alone in the sunny park.

 

Mel and Niles sat together nervously, still unsure of themselves without their owners around. After an awkward silence, Niles asked, “So, Melrose? How long have you been with Miss Sylnathi?”

“Uhmm, just three days so far, I think.” Mel said.

She watched Niles’ eyes widen in surprise as he exclaimed, “Three days? Wow, so this is brand new to you then, huh?”

“No! I mean, I’ve known Mistress Sylnathi for several months!" Mel corrected herself. "But we just made this official the other day.” she said, indicating the collar around her neck.

Niles’ face lit up with excitement. “I see, so you’re a volunteer then? That’s really nice to hear! I wish I had volunteered, I would have saved myself a lot of trouble.” The boy gave a sheepish grin.

Mel felt surprised as she looked at the passive young Terran sitting next to her. “You didn’t volunteer?” she asked, intrigued, “You were a prisoner?”

“Yeah! I joined the Cosmic Navy when I was 19, right after the war started.” said Niles.

That grabbed Mel's attention. “You fought with the Terran Resistance?" she asked, excitedly. "Did you know a girl named Abigail?”

Niles thought for a moment. “No, nobody named Abigail." He said, slowly, "My ship, Mercury's Fortune, was captured during the first year of the war. Mistress Halthia's strike team subdued us and I’ve been with her ever since.”

 

Mel imagined Halthia as an Affini Commando, moving like a wraith through empty space, her crimson eyes glistening with violent intent. “You fought Miss Halthia?" Mel whispered, "What- What was that like?”

Niles furrowed his brow and spoke quietly, "It’s not pretty. When a ship gets captured I mean, it’s- chaotic. Smoke and fire and gas and- and-” Niles faltered, gasping softly as his eyes unfocused. Mel watched with confusion as the boy blinked several times before regaining his composure and taking a deep breath. “Sorry...” Niles said, sleepily, “I have some... unpleasant memories from that time. When it gets bad, my Implant kicks in and… balances me out again.”

“Ohh, stars!”  Mel cried, mortified. “I’m really sorry Niles! Are you okay?”

“I’m alright.” Niles smiled again, returning to his usual demeanor. “Let’s just talk about something else, okay?”

Mel nodded and wondered about the hefty dose of Xenodrugs the boy must have just had pumped into him.

 

The two talked for a while about their lives. Niles enjoyed hearing stories from Mel’s youth on Thypso (She omitted the Agro-Strikes for both their sakes), and Mel listened intently as Niles described the ins and outs of interstellar travel aboard an Affini Cruiser.

“Melrose,” Niles said during a pause in their conversation, “Mistress Halthia said you had a problem I could help you with?”

Mel blinked. “Oh! Orion’s Blossom!” she exclaimed suddenly.

“The tea shop?” Niles asked, “You run it, right? I’ve had some of your tea before, it was delicious!”

Mel blushed and replied, “Thank you, that means a lot! But the problem is that I haven’t been able to open the kiosk for nearly a week now. I had some trouble with- with an old friend. And now Sylnathi- Sorry, Mistress Sylnathi says I can’t work because I’m still adjusting to my Xenodrugs. Plus, I’m getting my Implant soon so I'll be recovering from that for a few weeks, and-” Mel realized she was rambling and took a moment to collect herself, “So… I guess I’m looking for someone to help me with that?”

Niles immediately broke out into a smile. “You want me to help you with Orion’s Blossom? I mean, I’m flattered! That makes sense though, I remember I was really out of it after I got my Implant. What can I do to help?”

Mel quickly ran through the logistics of the tea shop in her head. “Well, I’ll probably need to teach you a few things." she said, retrieving her tablet.

 

Sylnathi and Halthia returned to find their wards plotting the operation of Orion’s Blossom on their data pads. They sat a little ways off, enjoying each other’s company, watching Mel and Niles work together. “I have no idea how you found yourself such an obedient pet.” Halthia said in their native tongue. “You aren’t even keeping her on a leash! It took me weeks to get Niles to fully submit, he was ever so resistant at first.”

Sylnathi smiled with pride. “I guess I just know how to pick them.” she teased. Halthia gave her a scowl, and Sylnathi grinned as she continued, “You also forget, I spent months working on Melrose before she started domestication. It took a lot of attention and a bit of prodding, but she came to me willingly from the start. That’s why she’s so well behaved, even without an Implant!”

 

"I’m just saying, it's a little disappointing how willing she is." Halthia purred, "I do enjoy breaking them in~"

Sylnathi couldn’t help but chuckle at her friend’s comment. "Don't mistake me, Halthia, Melrose still needs to learn proper discipline.” she said, her mouth turning up into a hungry smile, “But I find a gentle touch to be far more… persuasive.”