"Niles?"

The Terran boy turned with a smile, "Yes, Melrose?"

"What's it like?" Mel asked, "The Implant I mean."

 

Niles took a break from washing teacups and thought for a moment, reaching up to stroke the thin scar on the back of his neck. Mel looked up at him from her resting place on the ground. The grass tickled her exposed skin as thin slivers of sunlight trickled through the verdant canopy over Orion's Blossom.

"The Implant is like… feeling normal." Niles said after a moment. "It's consistency, peace of mind, purpose. I don't need to worry, I know my Mistress will care for me. And I know I like it this way." Niles paused again. "You know, it's difficult to explain. I never would have said that before I was domesticated, I think I would have hated the idea. Funny how life changes, huh?"

 

Mel watched the boy's glazed eyes blink and refocus. He turned his gaze down towards her. "Do you think it might be different for you?" he asked, "As a volunteer, I mean."

"Well, I already feel a lot of what you're describing," said Mel, "I've always worked better with someone looking out for me or telling me what to do. It feels easier. Safer." She smiled at Niles, who blushed a bit and turned back to cleaning the teacups behind the counter.

 

"Are you going to tell Miss Sylnathi what we talked about?" Niles asked. "About Abigail?"

Mel bit her lip. "I mean, yes, I have to, don't I?" she answered glumly. "I should have told her sooner but I was too scared."

"Told me what, Pet?" Sylnathi's voice interrupted Mel's thoughts. She and Niles both yelped with surprise, turning to face the Affini woman next to them. For such a large creature, her Mistress sure was stealthy! Or maybe her senses just weren't as sharp as they used to be? Mel sat up nervously as Sylnathi lowered herself down to the ground next to her.

 

"Now then, Melrose, what would you like to talk to me about?" Sylnathi asked in a firm voice. "Niles said it concerned Miss Abigail. You never did tell me what happened that night, though I have my suspicions." Mel gritted her teeth and looked helplessly at her owner. She risked a glance back towards Niles, who was trying hard to remain as inconspicuous as possible behind the counter. "If you've told Niles about it, it must be weighing on your mind." Sylnathi continued, "Best to say it now and be free of it, don't you think?"

 

She was right. Mel told her everything.

 

Sylnathi smirked as Mel finished. "I appreciate your honesty, dear." she said, teasingly. "Last I heard, Abigail is currently aboard the vessel Ursa's Roar. Affini Intelligence is tracking them near Proxima Centauri."

Mel blinked in shock. "You mean- you knew she was working with the rebels the whole time?" she cried, horrified.

"No, not exactly." The Affini woman replied. "After the incident with the informants in your old hab unit, Halthia and her team set a trap. Miss Abigail just happened to be the one who took the bait."

Mel looked at her Mistress, feeling guilty and scared. "Don't worry, pet, I'm not upset." Sylnathi sighed. "I only found out about it myself from Halthia a few days ago. She shares things with me sometimes, especially since this one concerned you." Sylnathi stood up once more and gazed down at Mel. "Besides, I did say to wait until you were ready to tell me, so you didn't really disobey my orders. But no more secrets, Melrose. Understand?"

 

Mel nodded and swallowed hard.

 

 

The sting of the injector didn't bother Mel anymore. She sighed happily and settled back into the chair, feeling the cool rush of the Xenodrugs entering her system. Sylnathi stroked her cheek and said, "Very good! Only two more to go." Mel smiled as her limbs fell limp and she relaxed into the sensation. Two more injections. Two more days until she got her Implant. She'd been looking forward to the operation; its promise of completion and finality, the thought of truly belonging to her Mistress. Mel found it odd how calm she was about it all. Before Sylnathi, even things she enjoyed carried some degree of worry or fear. The Xenodrugs definitely helped to suppress her anxiety and regulate her emotions.

 

She looked out the window in front of her, rain gently pattering against the transparent polymer wall of the hab unit. Even without its usual sunshine, the park looked so peaceful. She watched as people outside went about their business, colorful umbrellas bobbing gently as they walked along the winding paths. Mel breathed softly, letting the sound and the images blur together. A long swirling mix of sensation and relaxation clouded her mind as the Xenodrugs coursed through her veins.

"Melrose?"

Mel blinked, reality coming back into focus once more. The rain had stopped. She turned her head slowly to see Sylathi looking down at her. "Oh, hello Mistress." she said cheerfully.

 

Sylnathi smirked and gently stroked Mel's head. "Stars, look at you!" she cooed softly. "I'm sorry if these last few injections are a bit much, but you're almost done!"

"It's… There's, umm..." Mel tried to respond but the words wouldn't seem to form in her mind.

"There, there, don't think too hard, you might hurt yourself!" Sylnathi giggled, lifting Mel up out of the chair. "Come on, Pet, let's bathe you and get you ready for bed."

 

 

Mel couldn't think. The Xenodrugs wouldn't allow it. She simply existed. It was part of the recovery process, the Clinic had assured her. In order for the Haustoric Implant to bond with her nervous system correctly, she needed to stay sedated for several days. But time didn't seem to have meaning now, she couldn't keep track of it. She observed through her eyes only when she remembered she had them. The images filtered in and out so easily, impossible to keep track of. The one thing she could be sure of was Sylnathi's affections. She was with Mel constantly, checking in on her, reassuring her, touching her. Mel drifted between calm nothingness and blissful entanglement.

 

As a warm tingling washed through her body, Mel's mind began drifting upwards. She felt more aware, but she couldn't quite breach the surface. She blinked and tested the responsiveness of her fingers. They were sluggish and floaty. A pressure on her shoulders told her Sylnathi was beside her. "How- long?" Mel asked slowly, her tongue struggling to form the correct sounds.

"Five days since the operation." her Mistress's voice came from behind her, calming and absolute. "And everything went splendidly! You've done very well, Pet."

 

Mel thought back to fuzzy images of the Xenoclinic, of her Mistress holding her hand, of the needle entering her arm… but her memories seemed to end after that. "That's- long time- still…" Mel's words failed entirely as Sylnathi pulled her in tight.

"Shhh, just rest." the Affini woman whispered, "It'll take some time to feel normal again, don't rush yourself."

Mel happily obeyed, feeling herself drifting into slumber once more.

 

 

“Stop scratching, Pet.” Sylnathi's words seemed to pierce Mel's mind.

“Yes- sorry Mistress!” She replied, awkwardly lowering her hand.

“Good girl~” Sylnathi said, affectionately rubbing Mel's head. “You're learning very quickly!” Mel grinned, basking in the praise and the physical sensation of her Mistress’s touch. The scar on the back of her neck still itched terribly, but her owner's words were resolute in her head. The itching sensation suddenly faded, drowned out by a wave of fresh Xenodrugs pumped directly into her bloodstream. She sighed happily and teetered on her feet, but Sylnathi’s tendrils caught and supported her before she fell over. It happened sometimes, she was still adjusting to her Implant.

 

Melrose Pelos, First Floret, stood in the kitchen of Sylnathi’s home, preparing some tea for her Mistress. She'd had her Implant installed for nearly a week, and while the most intense part of her recovery was over, the little scar still bothered her sometimes. She finished brewing the tea and handed one cup to Sylnathi, keeping the other to sip for herself. "Mistress, should we do my injection now?" Mel asked softly.

"Melrose, you don't need the injections anymore, remember?" Sylnathi reminded her.

"Oh- right! Sorry, just- habit." Mel apologized, feeling silly for asking. All the chemicals she'd ever need now flowed directly from the implant through her body. Mel had been especially excited when she learned the Implant was made with tissues donated directly from Sylnathi; her owner was quite literally intertwined with her. Mel quietly sipped her tea and imagined a vine gently weaving throughout her entire body.

 

“Melrose?”

Her daydream was interrupted as Sylnathi softly called to her. The Terran girl's attention snapped immediately to her owner's voice. “Yes, Mistress?” she asked.

“I thought you should know,” Sylnathi continued, “I received word this morning that Ursa's Roar has been captured.”

Mel thought hard for a moment before the memory clicked. "Abigail's ship?” she asked, excitedly.

“That's exactly right, dear!” Sylnathi said, flashing her an adoring look. “It seems your friend was counted among those taken alive during the battle.”

“Oh, good!” Mel sighed happily. “I'm glad she's okay.”

Mel sat in contentment as Sylnathi gently stroked her head. But something nagged at the back of her mind and she struggled to recall what it was. “I remember- Abby told me she didn't want to be taken alive. That she would rather die.” Mel paused. “Isn't that odd?”

 

“Is it?” Sylnathi asked teasingly. She effortlessly plucked Mel from her chair, seating the Terran girl on her lap instead. “What do you think, Pet?”

Mel gasped at the intense sensations. Her Mistress's embrace was already pleasurable when she was taking her Xenodrug prescriptions, but the Implant had made Sylnathi's touch positively euphoric! Mel nestled into her owner's enveloping grasp as her head swam and her eyes fluttered. She didn’t notice her Mistress tapping something into her data pad, but she did feel the subsequent rush as another dose of Xenodrugs entered her system. She writhed with the sensation, her owner gently caressing her skin. She never wanted this to end.

 

“I do think it's odd, Mistress.” Mel sighed, dreamily. “Why would anyone want to fight this?”

 

 

Mel gasped as her mind snapped to attention, like a heavy blanket being suddenly yanked off of her. She hadn't felt this alert in- oh, months maybe? Not since she'd started taking Xenodrugs at her Mistress’s recommendation. As she made that comparison, one thought stuck out to her right away: she did NOT like this feeling! Already she could feel her old worry and anxiety creeping back into her head, and only worsening the more she thought about it.

 

"How are you feeling, Melrose?" Sylnathi asked cheerfully.

"I don't like this, Mistress." Mel whimpered. "Can I go back to normal?"

"Not until we run a few tests and make sure everything's healed properly." Sylnathi replied, checking the diagnostic tool held in her vines. "And I may need you to be clear headed like this sometimes regardless. What about it is bothering you?"

"I'm- anxious!" Mel muttered, trying to get her words right. "I'm not used to it, I just-" her brain moved faster than her mouth and her words fell off completely.

Sylnathi tensed and shot a guilty look at Mel. "Oh, of course, I'm sorry." she said apologetically. "That's why we started you on your Xenodrugs to begin with. It can't be pleasant to have all those feelings rush back at once."

 

Mel couldn't stop fidgeting. She was hyper aware of her fingers ceaselessly tapping and squeezing against themselves. She swallowed hard and looked up at Sylnathi. Even like this, with the Xenodrugs in her system essentially nullified, she felt a great sense of calm and affection towards the Affini woman. Towards her Mistress. She took a deep breath and watched as her owner continued the diagnostic. Her fingers twitched a bit less as her breathing evened out.

 

"Just a short while longer, dear." Sylnathi said, quickly tapping some information into her data pad. "You're doing very well so far."

"I'm- I'm sorry I complained like that." Mel said sheepishly, hanging her head. "I've dealt with this before. I can do it again. It just- caught me off guard is all…"

Sylnathi smiled sweetly. "There's nothing to apologize for. I don't wish to cause you any more discomfort than is absolutely necessary.” she said, examining her tablet. “Everything looks good though! The Haustoric Implant has bonded correctly with your nervous system. I'm restoring it now."

 

Sylnathi finished working with her data pad and Mel felt the familiar soft relaxation return. Her intrusive thoughts dissipated, uprooted by the Xenodrugs once more.

"There!" Sylnathi smiled down at her, "Better?"

Mel tested her Implant, she couldn't help herself. She tried to hold on to her anxiety, her pain, her unpleasant memories. But her mind faltered and her thoughts shifted away from those feelings, the Implant continuously regulating her emotional state. "Yes, it's working alright." Mel sighed with relief. "Thank you, Mistress! It's-" her voice caught for a moment, "it's okay if you ever need to do that again, I- I understand."

"I appreciate your bravery, little Melrose!" Sylnathi replied sweetly.

 

After the diagnostic, the Affini and her pet enjoyed breakfast together. Sunlight shone pleasantly through the windows of the hab unit as the trees outside stretched lazily towards the generous warmth. Mel couldn't help but feel content. Her life on Thypso, Sylnathi's ownership over her, everything felt right! For a moment she wondered if it was the Implant making her feel that way. But as soon as the thought entered her mind, she realized she didn't care. She loved being here with her Mistress.

 

She didn't have to worry anymore.