Sleepy Bitch 2: Sleepy Dragon (unfinished)

With a big push and a quarter rotation, the joint locked back into place. There, perfect. Only… two, no, three more to go before my end of shift… yay. I pumped my fist in the air landing a perfect fist bump with my good friend Nidho, the ship. Ouch, yeah fist bumping a dragon hurt… also a ship. She's strong and made of metal and kind of hot in a literal and figurative fashion… Nidho and I were besties and we both needed a long ass nap that neither of us would get.

Yawn. My brain always stopped working right about 18 hours into a work shift. And it's… twenty-one hours in? Stars, I needed to ask the captain for like double pill rations or something. The bitch made me work twenty hour shifts every day and yeah no… Dumb war with the dumb plants, and they already won! Terra surrendered like… fuck, I lost track of the date, but at least a year ago, maybe fifty… I needed a nap.

Equipping my spanner to my utility belt, I moved on to the next locking joint. As much as I'd love a good sleep, The ship's rotational habitation ring needed to be fixed so no one suffocated in their sleep or got, like, muscle atrophy or whatever.

Drifting over to the next mechanism, I hooked my harness to the little anchor and started digging into the dragon guts. The CNS Nidhogg, the pride and joy of the 999th fleet, or some number… look I got forcibly conscripted and I didn't do military lingo. No one asked me to fight a war. They asked, "Hey, you're a mech tech right?" and like a chump I answered, "Yup! Have a bachelors and one year's experience!" Bleh.

Spanner A met locking mechanism B, and a twist. At least I got to help out Nidho, she might be a little temperamental but she just needed some love and care. Didn't we all. I usually tried a bit harder because I knew she'd appreciate the extra effort… Unfortunately, I just couldn't with how little sleep I'd been allowed.

Since everything happened to be going smoothly, my arm decided to do that spasm thing again… It'd started doing that recently and welp, there went my spanner. "Hmm, where did I put my back up?"

"Here you go, hon." The ship whispered back as it handed me my spare spanner.

"Thanks! Though if I never touch one of these again, it'd be too soon." I remarked to her leafy torso. Then I got back to work on securing the last bit and… huh Nidho just grabbed my spanner and turned. "Wow, thanks… Wait, am I hallucinating again? Fuck, I need a nap."

I turned back and saw… "Ah!! Affini!" I tossed my spanner at the big plampt creature and she caught it. Sounds of gunfire touched my ears along with the occasional bit of shouting. We'd been found and uhm… I looked at my empty hand and back up to the affini. "Is it too late to surrender?"

"A little." She giggled before placing a flower over my mouth. "Take a deep breath for me. That's it. Good girl. Let the sleep take you. Everything will be over soon enough."

The distant echoes of gunfire lulled me to rest, as I fell limply into the vines of the enemy.

* * *

"Hey hon, can you wake up for me?" A gentle voice prodded. An affini voice… An affini voice!

My eyes shot open and I found myself in a pod! The plant stood before me with a data pad in hand. Fuck. I got captured. We lost. We… "We lost didn't we?"

She smiled genuine and warm. "You never really stood a chance. Now, I just wanted to get some basic information, so we have enough to identify you. I'm not here for rebel secrets, just your name, preferred pronouns, and if you cooperate, I'll let you decide a few things about where you end up."

My eyes glanced down and away as I pondered. We lost. Every other ship lost. The Accord surrendered forever ago… Six straight months of active duty. Four hour sleep cycles. Nothing left but synthecubes… "Nissa Denton, she/it, mech tech aboard the CNS Nidhogg, civie conscript from Duri. I'll tell you anything if it gets me twelve hours of uninterrupted sleep and a warm meal…" I yawned and leaned my head against the side of my pod. "In that order."

The affini's lip warbled, oh my stars was she about to cry? "Thank you, Nissa. I'm just trying my best and every single rebel yells at me, and I've been putting on a brave face, but it's honestly been really getting to me, and thank you so much for being cooperative. You're a very good girl." She reached in and gave me a head pat… I leaned into it. Nothing left you touch starved quite like compelled military service. "Such a good girl. Come here, you deserve a better place to nap than this pod."

The affini tapped some things and the vines of the pod receded… Wow, uhm… Good behavior went a long way, I guess. She stood there before the open pod face full of emotion. Yawn. I felt sleepy, but she looked like could use like… "Uhm, do you need a hug?" Everyone needed a little love and care, plampts too I figured.

"Yes!" She cried before descending onto me, pulling me into a tight warm hug. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!" I melted into her overwhelming embrace. It felt soft, and warm, like a bed should be… Yawn. Who knew the weeds could be such good huggers? And nice? My eyes closed as I just wanted a nap. A long nap… some sleep…

…

Yawning awake, I found myself in a massive bed curled around a pillow. Way to go, Nissa. You switched sides and the grass really was greener with the giant plant folk, because of course it was. Renting a night in a bed like this would have cost me a year's wages, and the plants just let me sleep here for… a while…

Rubbing the tired out of my eyes, I found this bedroom devoid of others. No one to talk to. No one to yell at me if I snuck in a few more minutes of shut eye…

…

—pat pat pat. "Nissa dear?" The voice received a groan from me… until I recognized the voice. Peeking out, the same weed—or affini I think?—from the pod stood over me. A twelve foot tall plant woman who seemed entirely too attractive. In her hands, rested a plate of steaming waffles. "You should eat, little one. You've slept for nearly twenty hours."

"Twenty… hours?" That didn't seem right, I barely felt more rested than a four hour nap.

"Yes, now here. I brought you breakfast in bed, after which we can talk about your situation." She sat down on the edge of the bed. "Actually, uhm since you're such a sweetheart… would you indulge me and let me feed you?"

I yawned and uncurled from around the pillow. Feed me? Uhm… "Sure?" She seemed nice, and—Yawn—I felt too tired to question it.

The squee she made told me I made the right choice, because anything that made an adorable giant like her happy seemed like the best option. Immediately like five vines unfurled with a fork, and knife and a syrup bottle. The waffles stood no chance against her weaponry, as she tore into them and extracted a single bite of perfectly buttered and syrup coated waffle.

As it approached my mouth, she tapped my cheek. "Open." I opened. The food landed on my tongue and I wiggled happily, and tears came down my cheeks. Food. Real food. It had flavor. Another tap under my chin. "Close." I shut my mouth and chewed on the waffles before swallowing. "Aww, such a good girl." She cooed. "Wait for my instruction before swallowing next time, okay?"

My sleepy brain understood nothing, except good food. Another bit came. She tapped, and I obeyed her little motions, and tasted more delicious food. Then waited for a vine to wiggle against my neck, which I guess meant to swallow.

"Nissa, you are absolutely the most wonderful little rebel I've ever had the pleasure to do intake for. Thank you for indulging me like this. It means the world to me." Geeze, she gave me a nice bed, and a warm meal, and a hug. I definitely was getting far more out of this than her.

More food, and more happy wiggling, and taps. Except I kept yawning, and my eyelids drooped a bit as the novelty wore off and the repetition set in. Another tap… a tap…

…

—pat pat pat. "Nissa! Nissa dear, are you okay? Please tell me you're okay."

"I'm… I'm fine." I yawned, sitting up to the sensation of leaves brushing syrup and butter off my face. "Sorry… I'm a bit tired." More than a bit, I needed another pill, the kind the captain started giving out to keep us moving on such little sleep. She charged us for them, but still they worked.

"No-No, this is all my fault. I shouldn't have skipped the vet visit to give you this room. Your health is important. I'm so sorry, little one." Oh no. The plampt got close to tears again… if she could even produce them.

Crawling across the covers, I gave her a tight hug. "Please, don't cry. Ur a good plampt." The moment her arms wrapped back around me, I knew my eyes weren't staying open. They drifted shut as I felt her wiggle against me. Her scent made my skin tingle a little… Yawn… Sleepy…

* * *

I awoke laying upon something very warm and soft and leafy? Wiping away the sleepy revealed two plants… Oh stars they're multiplying! My eyes went from the nice lady who fed me to the weird dude with big bushy brows… like literal bushes for brows.

"Greetings. Pleasure to finally have you awake with us." The guy said. Plant guy. Very bushy. "How are you feeling?"

"Hmmm, tired? Less tired, but still tired…" My eyes flickered up to my uh, acquaintance. "Sorry, I fell asleep. It's not your fault. You were great and thank you for being incredibly nice."

The cry baby plant pulled me into a hug. Wailing with… joy? "I'm so sorry, little one. I should have brought you here sooner, especially when you slept for so long. The few of your crewmates we've woken up have the same symptoms and I'm sorry!"

She clung to me, sobbing dramatically while the bush cleared his throat. With a very professional tone he explained, "Yes about that, I've found a strange set of toxins, and neurological damage in you and your peers. Likely the source of your all's sleeping disorder. Since you're delightfully cooperative, do you have any hints as to why your entire crew seems to have been poisoned?"

Toxins… neurological damage?! Sleeping disorder? Uhm… I thought back on it hard… "I don't know? I've been working on four hours of sleep for… months? We took these pills the captain gave us—"

The doctor swore in another language… at least the sharpness sounded like a swear. "Describe them, what they looked like, what they felt like, where we might find some on your ship."

Thus began me spilling all the secrets like a good little traitor… except the plants seemed to be nice. All of them. Like, concerned for the health and safety of people who tried to kill them, nice. I maybe fell asleep a few times. Only for lots of little pats to wake me up.

Thankfully, the hug never truly ended. It felt nice to be held by the cry baby plant with a heart of gold. Then again, it made it much harder to stay awake when I felt so comfortable. Yawn. Cozy Vines. I didn't even think I'd be mad if they turned me into fertilizer. The hugs would have been worth it.

With his questions out of the way, and my sleepy head receiving lots of pets, I asked an important question of my own. Yawn. "Uhm, what happened to Nidho? …I mean the ship. She's okay right?"

With a gentle massage lulling me into another sleep, the plampt holding me answered, "Well dear, she's still held in our ship's dry dock, safe and sound. Need something from her?"

"Not really just… She's a sleepy dragon, and she has a lot of health issues and-and you'll take care of her, right?" Little tears formed as I thought about my friend. Nidho deserved better. "Maybe let her sleep a bit?" Yawn. "She deserves to sleep… Nidho's a good ship… Good dragon."

A warm cozy hug and soft pettings pulled me down, also the uhm brain stuff probably. Gentle leaves brushed the tiny tears out of my eyes, and the drool from my cheek. Sleep came for me before I heard their replies.

…

Moments later my brain switched ON and I awoke in a blinding burning sensation of lucidity. My arms spasmed and the moment after the sleepiness flooded back into me. Familiar vines placed my arms back at my sides. "Wha?" My brain began feeling cozy and good and happy.

"Apologies, your brain responded very abnormally to conventional neurochemistry presets." The bush doctor remarked. "As for the rest of your health, Ms. Denton… It's nothing we can't fix." He then went on to explain that I had like fifty different health problems and some failing internal organs. Yawn. Sounded bad, but he kept saying they could fix it, and none of it was disabling.

"I have cancer?" I mumbled as weird flower things got peeled off of me.

"Again, nothing we can't fix." He assured me. "Once you have your implant, you'll never have to worry about any of it again."

"Implampt?" My eyes already shut from the comfy hold and the neurological damage…

The lady chimed in. "Right we needed to discuss your domestic—"

…

—pat pat pat. Huh? Oh right, sleeping in the arms of a big pretty plant. "Sorry."

"Little one, no apologies, you can't control it. Now as I have you awake, I need to help you sort out your preferences on ownership!" Wait what? "As per the Human Domestication Treaty, the entire crew of the CNS Nidhogg will be adopted by loving affini! That includes you." She booped my nose. "Since you've been a very good girl I thought I'd offer you the choice of what you wanted. You can pick your new owner if you'd like, or we could put you into a J-café. That polycule with the drone florets is always looking for new members to join their little hivemind. Lots of choices!"

My sleepy brain stopped at ownership. "I'm going to be a slave?" That sounded way too evil for these super nice plants. Like it made zero sense.

"Nonono, a pet. You'll be an affini's pet, where they can cuddle you, pet you, make sure you're healthy and happy and well taken care of." She rambled on and on and my sleepy brain began to process it. Pet. They turned people into pets…

I got to pick my owner? I knew, like, two plants, the doctor and her… "Can I be your pet? You seem nice." Yea, I could stomach being property for an adorable woman like her. Especially, if there'd be more sleepy cuddles and good food involved.

"Me? W-Why would you want me?" Oh stars, the useless gay vibes came out full force.

Yawn. "Look, uhm whatever your name is, you're cute and nice and pretty and I like you. So if I get to pick I'm choosing you." My little tirade ended with me giving her a squeeze and drifting off again in her caring arms…

* * *

—pat pat pat. "Nissa, time to wake up!"

I groaned and growled and curled up around the pillow tighter. My brain felt very sleepy and more naps sounded pretty good… Wait, neurological damage? Hmm… Yawn… I needed my pills if she wanted me awake…

…

—Snap. I jolted awake from the loud, almost painful sound. Looking around, I spotted her, the nice… wait no… something changed. Rather than the perfectly human visage, numerous eyes peaked out between her various vines. The nice plant wore a frown. "Little one, I need to get you fed and bathed. You're not going to be a naughty disobedient rebel are you?"

"No… but I have a neuro… thing, and- and sleep." I whined. Sure, I could probably get up and stay awake for like… five minutes without the pills that almost killed me, but did I want to? Kinda, I shouldn't be a burden on this nice plampt. I needed to get up. Nissa up… I rolled over and closed my eyes…

Vines coiled around my limbs and hoisted me into the air away from my precious pillow of cuddling. She wore a pout, which made her look less intimidating and more adorable. Big adorable plant. "Nissa, dear, you wanted to be my pet, and now you are. So be a good girl and stay awake for me."

"I'm trying but it's hard. Can I please just sleep?" I pleaded to the hundred eyed creature. My sleepy bitch disease seemed to be kicking my ass… which wouldn't be all that bad if it wasn't burdensome for her. Sleep good.

"Dirt, you're cute," She muttered in a stage whisper before continuing, "Alright dear, but I still need to do those things, you'll just be asleep and helpless while I bathe and feed you."

"Uhm…" Yawn. I sure yawned a lot. Probably something I'd just have to deal with until they fixed my neuro thingy, cause they could just cure nearly everything. Bunch of overpowered space plants. I could just, like, let her help until they fixed my issue, then I'd make it up to her. "M'kay."

The plant lady's expression melted into a warm smile while she held me aloft. "Well cutie, I at least need to do a few things with you before you fall asleep, so give me a few minutes of wakefulness, then you can take another nap."

Hmmm, She deserved at least that. "Okay… can you put me down, I'm getting dizzy." The vines holding me up left me sort of tilted and splayed out midair. The vines were gentle, but the pose…

The affini laid me back down on the bed, and I curled around my pillow possessively. Her vines gave me a few pats before retreating to her body that sat on the edge of the bed. "Thank you, hon. So first, My name is Euphorbia Gracilis, First Bloom, but you will call me Mistress, or Miss Euphie. You're now Nissa Gracilis, First Floret, and my little darling sleepy pet."

A pet… My brain just slowly deciphered that she changed my name. Also her name was Euphie. Miss Euphie. My owner and affini and— Yawn.

In her hand, she held up a black strip of maybe cloth. "Hold still while I collar you." A few vines pulled up my hair and she placed the tight band around my throat. "There, a happy little collared pet."

Finally allowed to move, my fingers ran over it and I couldn't find a seam. I even scratched to find one until she pulled my hand away.

"Nissa, no hurting yourself. I suppose I should trim your little—"

"No trimming!"  I tucked my hands between me and my pillow. A rumbly growl slipped out of my throat as her vines approached. My nails were mine, and people needed to stop bothering me about how long and sharp they were.

An unnerving smile stretched across her face. "Oh? My little pet is attached to her claws? Thinks she's still a feral beast? A sleepy little dragon for me to tame." Sharp thorny teeth glinted from between her wooden lips.

Panic offset the sleepiness as I scooted away from her. Something changed and I could practically feel it in the air. Danger danger danger—

"For a moment, I almost forgot you needed to be broken. Silly me. Let's move on to the last little thing I wanted to do before I let you nap." Four vines with four flowered needles slithered out of her torso coiling like serpents waiting to strike. "Xenodrugs."

I scrambled away faster, my mind dipping into sleepiness against my will. Another ill-timed arm spasm halted my crawling across the bed sending me tumbling into my pillow.

"Nissa, darling, You need to take your meds, so hold still." A vine shot out and coiled around my thigh holding it still. I swiped at her with my nails doing absolutely nothing. The first needle pierced my thigh, and a tingling heat radiated out from my leg. Another struck as the tingling started fuzzing my thoughts, every touch of her vines left me moaning.

My eyes landed on her gleeful eldritch smile and I melted. She looked beautiful beyond words. My struggling faded, as she pulled me back towards her. Yawn. Miss Euphie wouldn't hurt me, she was my dorky plant owner. She gave good cuddles, and fretted over me… I- I think I loved her.

Her hand brushed against my cheek and I squirmed. "So beautiful. A feral little creature enraptured so quickly. My darling monster… I suppose I'll have to make some changes. You'd love some real claws wouldn't you? You want to be my monster. Say it for me, dear. Beg."

"P-Please. Please Mistress…" The sleepiness already pulled me down. My panic vanished into my feelings for Miss Euphie as her words echoed in my mind. "Please give me claws." Yawn. "And monster… make me…"

The last two needles pierced my skin, and my eyes sealed shut. Sleepiness sunk its claws into me. An overwhelming monster of slumber dragged me into its lair of dreams… and shared its treasure hoard with me.

* * *

An idle hand found my scalp and scratched ever so gently. Talk filled the air, and with it song. Miss Euphie's rhythm played off the others as a contrasting anxious offset to the strong converging notes. An emotional ballad danced off my sleepy brain.

Sleepy, I rested in the coziest of vines. Hers. My… My owner. A weird concept but it made me feel… safe. The tingling on my skin left a euphoric bliss to match the warmth in my chest. Safe. I felt so safe and snug, and ready to nap… but an itch kept me up. Something felt off, and- and I fixed things when they felt off.

With a great big yawn, I sat up and rubbed the sleepiness out of my eyes, while the song switched tracks and became a chorus of praise. It's a good thing it wasn't for me, or I'd have been a puddle. "What's wrong?" My words came out a little slow and slurred.

"Nothing you need to worry about, hon." Mistress lied like a lying liar who was bad at lying. Her pets felt really nice, and they melted me against her big leafy bosom. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Sleepy… but good." I chirped into her leaves and flowers. My body felt light as she supported my weight. Like drifting on a cloud… Wait! "Don't deflect, miss. What's wrong?"

Cracking my eyes open I spotted other affini, the bushy one and like five others… My eyes widened before sleepy dragged them back down to half lidded and I scrambled away from all the plampts clinging to Mistress tight and- and—

"Shhhh, it's okay Nissa. You're safe." She hugged me tight and gently petted me until my trembling stopped… only for my leg to spasm against her hold. Vines kept it in place but I felt the kick. I guessed they hadn't fixed everything yet like they promised. She whispered something to the rest in their song language.

"Wha- what are you saying? And what's going on? And—" A vine pressed against my lips setting my cheeks ablaze from the intense sensation.

Miss Euphie drew my eyes up and said, "You don't need to worry abou—"

I bit her shushing vine and she pulled it back… hopefully not in pain. "Uhm sorry, but Miss you're worried and nervous and uncertain and I can—Yawn—I can help." My speech still sounded sloppy, and I accidentally dropped my voice a little less fem than I normally did. Then, as she wiped a smidge of drool off my cheek with a leaf, I added, "Please?"

"By the Everbloom, she's adorable." One of the other affini remarked. Several agreed and I blushed and wiggled in the tight hug. Aaaaa! They couldn't all just decide I was adorable by committee.

Mistress sighed. "Little one, we uhm, we're just discussing how to help you and your little crewmates the best… the pills, uhm…" Many of her eyes flicked to the rest before coming back to me. "They were worse than we initially guessed, and your case is the most severe, but we simply aren't sure enough for any specific treatment yet, and there are proposals and- and I—" She started choking up.

Wrapping my arms around her the best I could I gave my owner another big hug. "Miss breathe with me, okay? Or uhm whatever you do…" I took a big breath in… and then out… In and out. I felt her start to flex her vines along and she calmed down and my eyes shut… and…

…

—pat pat pat. "Nissa?"

"Huh wha…" Looking around we still sat in a big loungey room in big chairs… or the affini did. I rested against Mistress drooling on her leaves, and nibbling her vines. It slowly came back to me, Miss Euphie's anxiety, the committee of calling folks who weren't adorable, adorable, having extra bad neuro-neur… brain damage.

Miss Euphie seemed a lot better, the nervousness faded to something more relaxed, more confident and with an expression to match. Witnessing my awareness she bent down and placed a kiss on my forehead. "Welcome back, dearest."

My hands flapped in small arcs and my blush returned to my face. "S-Sorry."

"Hmm? My sleepy little feral is apologizing? You were a naughty little thing biting my vine earlier, weren't you. A little monster in need of tami—" A throat clearing noise from another affini snapped Mistress out of the really sexy domme talk and she blushed up a storm. "S-Sorry."

"Don't apologize for being hot." I blurted out to some blush inducing giggles and chuckles. My face of shame got buried in my owner's leaves. The two of us just drowned in the combined embarrassment resonating between us until it grew red hot in my chest and I screamed a little into the privacy of her vines. There done. Fixed it. "So uhm, what was the problem?"

"The problem, hon, was…" Again she looked to her affini council of affini who called me adorable when I didn't deserve it. "Waiting until we have a perfect treatment could kill you and an imperfect treatment…"

"could go horribly wrong?" I received a nod. "Okay." Yawn. Leaning against my plant, I just relaxed a little. "How horrible?" I felt her vines freeze up. She went still and even that subtle pulse halted… oh no.

Witnessing Miss Euphie's distress, the bushy doctor plant cut in. "You won't die, little one. We can make sure of that. We are far more concerned about your quality of life which could be impacted more or less depending on our approach. If we solve your issues, fixing up your crew members in stasis should be rather trivial."

"How horrible?" I repeated. My sleepy brain calculated all the worst case scenarios. Miss Euphie still sat rather still.

"Our most consistent projections indicate you'll retain impairments to your sleep cycle, need external regulation for your motor cortex, and a slightly over tuned limbic system."

Outside of still being sleepy, I didn't really understand any of that. Yawn. It seemed bad, and I felt worried but… my owner seemed to be taking it worse than me. I looked up to her. "Is that bad?"

Her hand came up and began rubbing through my scalp. Mistress' other vines began petting me all over and- and- "It's bad in that you don't deserve any side effects or issues. None. No matter how much we manage to reduce them, we will reduce them. Nissa you're such a sweet pet and I'm sorry we can't do better. I'm sorry." She wasn't petting me to comfort me, she needed the comfort.

The weight of sleepiness came down again. Resting against her with my emotions scattered all over, I mumbled my greatest anxiety. "I don't want to be a burden. Will I be a—"

"No. Never." She held me tight and safe. "You'll never be a burden."

Awake for too long, I began to fall. "N- Never?"

"Never."

* * *

Glimpses and glimmers shone in from the waking world. The momentary sight of food. Miss Euphie's warm cuddles. The bush doctor smiled down on me before that too faded away. Sensation held me in its pleasured grip for untold eons until the stars themselves died out. Heat, touch, caressing of vines, writhing moaning bliss sinking in from the sea of eternity.

I dreamt, and woke, and dreamt again. Dreams of her, of me, of claws, and fangs and a trillion eyes exploring every facet of my form. Sinking beneath the waves of lucidity, I plummeted. Fell. Vines coiled and grew in the depths, clinging to my monstrous form. I roared, and growled and hissed yet the roots grew into my body and soul.

Mistress was always there. My eyes always found her whenever they barely scraped the surface of imagining the waking world. She'd smile, call me cute, and sweep me into another all-consuming embrace of love.

Then I woke, free from the disjointed pleasure soaked dreams. My eyes looked up and found many many eyes looking back. Miss Euphie. Raising my hand out of the water, I reached towards her beautiful face. "Mistress."

"Is my Nissa back with me so soon?"

My eyes shifted focus and found my outstretched hand… covered in bandages. "Wha…"

—Snap. The sound brought me to full awakeness. I felt warm and wet and naked… Oh, I woke up in the bath. My hands dashed to cover my chest and privates, while my face blushed.

My owner responded with adorable giggles that made me practically melt. "Welcome back, darling. Enjoy your nap?"

"Uhm… How long…" My voice trailed off as I looked around at the massive soapy swimming pool I found myself in. Vines held me above water. Each touch felt ever so sensitive. "was I?"

"A few days, our little fix is working its magic so just relax." She insisted while looming over me with a thousand possessive pink eyes. "Let me indulge in pampering my dearest pet."

"'K- 'Kay," I squeaked out, glancing away from her. The myriad of sensations in the steamy bath stole my focus away, until it landed upon my hands. They felt… different. I looked down, finding them still shielding my modesty from Miss Euphie's hundredfold gaze. Each covered in bandages. "What- What happened to my hands?"

"Claws, my dear. I gave you claws like the feral little monster you are. Along with my haustoria. Other changes will come later." Claws? Changes? "Now be a good girl and stop covering up. It's not like I haven't played with your sleepy squirming form in the bath before."

After a dazed sleepy moment, my face turned red. She-she bathed me naked, and uhm… I curled up more concealing myself in embarrassment. Yawn. My sleepiness persisted. Even in the warm relaxing bath, even with my face on fire.

With firm yet gentle force, she pried my limbs outwards until she laid my body bare for her to see, above and below the layer of soap bubbles. "Still so disobedient, so feral, and ever so sleepy. I'm going to have to train you, aren't I, my darling dragon?"

"Uhm, I- I- uhm dragon?" I mumbled. My heart yearned to curl up around my pillow, my treasure of soft. Yet my brain refused to let go of my nudity. Exposed. She exposed my body leaving me vulnerable and aware of the imperfection that was my flesh.

"Yes, dear. A winged monster, a sleepy beast, soaring the stars in search of her treasure, honing her claws, curling up with her tail. My dragon. Beware my sleepy cuddly dragon, her claws are sharp, and her cuddles can vanquish even the mightiest affini." Dork, my dorky owner spouted off ridiculous things. I loved her.

A warm smile nestled itself onto my sleepy face. "Rawr, be careful Mistress, I bite." I flexed my restrained claws beneath the bandages. How did she even? Yawn. Could affini do that? A dragon? Like Nidho? I slumped in her vines growing more sleepy.

"Is that so?" She dangled a vine in front of my face.

I lunged a bite and sank my teeth into her vine. It squished under the force of my jaw, but I lacked fangs to pierce it. My bite turned into a playful nibble.

Mistress, couldn't keep a straight face any longer and devolved into uncontrollable giggling. Her arms wrapped me up into a big nude hug in the bath pool while she nuzzled me silly. Each vine rubbing my soapy smooth skin eliciting needy moans. "My adorable pet. My little dragon, time to get you clean."

More vines came at me with soap and a washbrush. Brushing and stroking up my arms, down my sides. Sleepy whimpers and squeaks filled the air. My whimpers and squeaks. I squirmed. I moaned and gasped and wiggled uncontrollably as each touch broke my big gay neurodivergent brain a little more.

She left my overstimulated self a twitching mess in her vines. Limp. Helpless. Sleepy… Sleepy…

Pat pat pats, held me awake as my soul got dragged into the pits of slumber. Her pats. The plant, my plant, my dork's gentle touches. I stood wrapped in a towel in some strange oversized bathroom. "Let me show you your new claws, little one."

Delicately, she began unraveling the wet bandages slowly revealing my hands. Delicate smooth red scales covered my hands all the way up the dull white claws at the end of each finger. The scales faded into the pale skin of my arms. Shiny. I gave each finger a little flex. Mine. Each finger belonged to me. My claws, my dragon claws.

"What do you think?" She asked as if I could do anything but love my new hands.

"Thank you… Miss…"

Her vines caught me. I knew they would.

* * *

"Nissa dearest," purred a beautiful voice in my ear. "Wake up."

I rose from my slumber and flexed my mighty muscles in a monumental stretch. Yawn. My claws raked the carpet honing their deadly nature. Finally, with my eyes half open, I looked up at my owner. "I'm wake." Yawn.

The gargantuan imperialist plant looked down upon me, shimmering golden specks peeking out from between her vines. Her heel a dozen feet away, while small vines curled off her human form like old paint peeling away. Holding my sleepy gaze, she raised her hand and two fingers.

—Snap. The loud sound echoed through my tiny form, and my eyes locked on to the two fingers that then pointed at the floor next to her feet… My eyes darted between her grin and the spot on the floor at her heel… "Rawr?" She wanted me to—

"Oh uhm, sorry Nissa, I needed to do some diagnostics on your motor functions and cognition and I thought you'd enjoy some pet training but maybe I read into that wrong and—" Miss Euphie's confidence deflated as she turned back into my big cry-baby of an owner. Her hand recoiled from its commanding point like she'd been struck.

I scampered to her heel and nuzzled her ankle. "Miss it's okay, you're a good owner." My mouth and throat bits struggled lazily to follow my lead.

Kneeling down she pet me gently. "You're not just saying that? And uhm are you experiencing any physical or cognitive discomfort? I made changes…"

"Miss I mean it, you're good… and I'm sleepy, but no discomfort." I yawned, leaning my head against her a little… "What changed?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, pet." She stood up leaving me to fall unsupported to the floor. "My tame little beast, so eager to obey. It's forgotten what it once was, what I've replaced and stripped away." A vine coiled around my collar and pulled me up, helping my clumsy tired limbs upwards.

Whimpers escaped my lips, as my eyes pleaded with her for both answers and instructions. Loud thumps echoed out as my tail thumped the carpet in uncontrollable anticipation. Pet training. Mistress called this pet training, and my half-awake brain clung to it eagerly.

A sharp tug on my neck jolted my half lucid mind back up to sleepy wakefulness. An equally sharp word accompanied it. My neck got pulled until I crawled to keep pace. The little tugs kept me from teetering too near or far. My claws stumbled over each other, I'd forgotten how to walk. Yawn. So sleepy…

Before I could tumble face first into a carpet cushioned sleep, the collar tugged back and a new command filled my ears. I paused and sat in confusion, but a moment later Mistress' vines patted me on the head and she cooed with little draconic love hisses.

My happy hisses attempted to match her own as my mouth practiced the sounds. Little tail wiggles slowed until I… slumped against Mistress' leg… her foot vine made a… soft pillow…

…

A small scritch under my chin brought a low rumbly noise to my throat. As it gently moved my chin, my head followed it forwards until my neck stretched long and I'd need to move to follow. The finger left and I whimpered. Eyes cracked open to see her. To see Miss Euphie towering over my tiny form.

"Welcome back, hon." Her hand tousled my hair, eliciting squirms from my sleepy form. "Enjoy yourself?" That little bit of hesitance and uncertainty slipped into her voice. I watched as her expression rapidly devolved into anxious worry.

My mind flickered back to what I last remembered. The commands, the tugs, the crawling… A warm sleepy smile and a blush bloomed on my face. "Yes Miss."

"Good." Gosh her big adorable smile of relief looked so pretty. "So want to hear the good news?" Nod nod. "First, things are going good for your little recovery. Your movements look adorably good so far and most of your little conditions have been neatly dealt with."

Yawn. "But not the sleepy." I mumbled. My owner's mood plummeted and I quickly nuzzled up to her. "It's okay, Miss. I can- I'm fine with it. Sleep is good… uhm, you mentioned changes before?"

She took a moment to pet me and calm down before her expression lightened up. Happy for the subject change, she exclaimed, "I got you a cute little tail!"

A tail? I tilted my head and tried to find my butt in the leafy hug. Miss Euphie then shifted her vines around to give me a nice clear view of the fat scaly red tail spilling out from a hole in my dress. A ridge of dull nubby spikes trailed down and faded to the tip.

In my sleepy haze, I reached out awkwardly and touched it. My fingers and claws traced the smooth scales and it twitched. I felt my muscles automatically contract within it and… it was me. My limb connected to me so seamlessly I hadn't even noticed. Not… not, like, to just my spine and back but connected to my mind… like it'd always been there. My big scaly tail.

Could I? Wiggle wiggle. Yup, that was my tail alright. Wiggle. "A dragon…" My voice trailed off as I lazily nuzzled my plampt, my owner.

"My sleepy little dragon." Mistress cooed. "Your tail is both adorable and let us pinpoint some of the finer issues going on in your head, for fixes."

My tail moved when I tried but also it just sort of moved all on its own. I looked back up to her and said, "Thank—Yawn—you, Miss Euphie."

"I did good?" Nod nod. "You're so very welcome, hon." Pat pat pat. "Now, I just need to do one last little test for the vet and you can enjoy another nap."

In front of my face she pulled out a plushie in the shape of a cat. For a moment it sat still as her vines wove delicately around its limbs, but the moment it moved I lunged with my claws. My dull claws caught the thing and pulled it greedily to my mouth to gnaw on.

—Snap. The sound slammed into me and I blinked only to realize I just attacked a plushie and I spat it out. "Sorry, sorry, sorry—" Her finger shushed me.

On my back, looking up at her I found her heart stopping smile. "Shhh, it's okay. Adorable even." My face inflamed. "We knew that the damage to your limbic system and our fixes could result in some unexpected behavioral quirks. Luckily it's cute. My tiny little dragon likes to hunt tiny little prey."

She placed the cute kitty plush into my arms. "Also I got you a little present. Every dragon needs treasure, right?"

Yawn. I took the plush and hugged it. Soft. It'd go great with my pillow for cuddling. A little hoard of softness. "Uhm thank you again… Miss." Now I felt bad, she kept doing things for me and I wasn't doing anything in return for her. Cozied up with her and the plush it felt hard to stay awake. "Sorry… I'm a bad…pet."

"No." Her hand cupped my sleepy face and brought it up to face her. "Nissa, you aren't a bad pet. You're a good girl. My good girl. If anyone here is bad it's m—"

My teeth bit her hand. After a moment of half-lidded eye contact with my owner, I let go. "Miss, you're a good owner. You… You do lots. Don't be mean to yourself… please?" My pleading expression got interrupted by my yawn.

It took Miss Euphie all of a moment to break. "Alright, hon, I'll try. However you aren't allowed to think ill of yourself. Am I understood?"

"Y-Yes, Miss." I replied as my eyes shut. "I want… make you… happy…" Drool leaked out onto her lap as I fell asleep once more.

* * *

I thrashed and roared as fire burned through my veins. Aching tremors filled my body until my eyes opened wide and I saw cavern walls, tall and ancient. A pressure in my head made it all feel off. Sights overlapped and warped and nothing made sense.

Clutching my head I noticed the claws. My claws,—Pressure—dragon claws like Nidho. I needed to find her, she'd… she'd help… help. Fear and panic and instinct kicked in and consumed me.

Untangling my limbs I sat up and saw my treasures. Scared to leave either unguarded, I picked them up with my teeth and crawled towards the cavern entrance. I pushed past and forwards off a long fall and continued on only for my limbs to give out. I collapsed onto my larger treasure, soft and fluffy it caught me.

Twitchy spasms continued while I writhed atop my hoard. A loud roar of pain echoed off the walls. Roars turned to whimpers. Nidho. I needed her, she-she'd understand. Friend, help.

As if summoned by my desperate cries, she approached, enormous, towering regal. Nidho in all her draconic glory descended upon me with a thousand shimmering metallic scales. "Nissa, are you alright?" She hissed.

"I-I'm pain… Nidho… help." I gasped between whimpers. My limbs moved claws raking the floor slamming my sides.

"Dirt dirt dirt. I'm so so sorry dear." She apologized, sounding so sad. Nidho shouldn't be sad. It was my job to care for her. I needed to care for her, my big dragoness, my best friend. Her big overpowering arms picked me up, treasure and all. Then with the beat of her mighty wings, the grand dragon took off restraining my limbs and cradling me softly. "All my fault, All my—"

As the wind whipped through my hair, I clung to her in a tight hug. "Shhhh, iz kay… ur good dragon… No sorry for breaking down. I'll fix… No crying." I fixed things. I'd fix Nidho again and again and again.

Making it through the large cave and soaring past open skies, we arrived at the massive tree of an oversized bush creature. An entire green bush weighed down each of their eyes. Nidho handed me over to them and spoke in some sylvian tongue like little songs too pretty for a little dragon like me.

The fae took me and I reached for Nidho until I found a light shining into my eyes. I growled and clawed at the light, but the creature held me firm. They peeled my eyelids open and the light filled it. I tried to look away, but they refused to relent.

A gentle familiar hand brushed through my hair. "Nissa, it's alright, you're safe, we're going to fix you up okay? I'm sorry, I—" As the light withdrew I saw Miss Euphie about to cry, when did she?

My questions fell away as the need to help her filled me. "Miss, It's okay. It's okay." My arm spasmed a bit and tears of pain trickled down my cheek. "You're a good owner."

"I'm not. I—"

"Ah ha!" The rude fae cut Miss Euphie off, and received a hiss from me. Holding up a dangerous looking flower they stabbed me in the neck. "That should stop the pain." Sure enough the pain slowly flowed away, on a tide of tingly warmth. My resistance faded with it. "Now let's see what's going on in that adorable head of yours." They continued their work as my attention on them waned.

The tension in my body melted, and I curled up sleepily on a soft nest. Yawn. "Love… You…" I mumbled, my voice sloppy and slurred. Sad still covered my Miss' face. Her body shied away from me, almost backing up. My limp claw managed to raise in her direction. "Stay." My vision clouded, and faded in and out as a weight pulled my eyes down.

The last thing I made out was Miss Euphie approaching and placing my little claw in her very large hands. "I'm not leaving." With that promise, darkness took my vision, and dreams stole my mind.

* * *

A gentle cozy rhythmic rocking motion swayed me side to side and I lazily drifted with it. Warmth held me aloft. I clung to the coziness and rested gently against the familiar texture of my favorite person. Miss Euphie was here, and that's all I needed to know.

I lulled in between dreams and little bouts of soft wakefulness. Occasionally a soft gentle pet would send my throat rumbling in a purr like growl. Sometimes my teeth found a little vine to nibble. Happy. I felt really really happy.

Then she whispered, "Nissa, we're here. Can you wake up for me?" That itch of obedience and submission filled my little mind and fought against the beast of slumber until it fled to strike another day… or hour… maybe minute? 

My eyes peeled open to the immaculate smile of Miss Euphie. "I'm wake." I mumbled into her vines. The room around us seemed so big and vast and I felt so weightless. Weightlessness felt so cozy…

Tousling my hair, she cooed, "Good girl." Each of her pink eyes held little sad blue speckles in them. "I thought you might want to see this… or her?" Her little vines pointed off into the distance, along with a few of her eyes.

Unfurling from around my beloved pillow, my gaze drifted across the gigantic room bigger than any room should ever be. My eyes landed on her. Nidho rested with her engines and rector off as she slumbered within the confines of this planty leafy jungle of a dry dock. They fit her inside a room… in a room with an atmosphere… in another ship?

Better yet, my bestie looked better than ever. Her point defense turrets and gauss cannon had been stripped but her hull looked impeccable. The paint job that'd been worn away by the light of a hundred stars appeared pristine and new and vibrant. My eyes cracked open a little wider as I took in the full majesty of the CNS Nidhogg.

The giant sleepy dragon of steel rested alive and well and I sniffled. "She's a good dragon."

"She is, isn't she? A hardworking dragoness, with a lot of health issues, ever so sleepy and in need of a big long rest and a lot of love and care." Miss Euphie understood. She was adorable like that, always so understanding and nice.

"Mhm." My neurodivergent brain personified Nidho the moment I got drafted, instantly becoming emotionally dependent on her. Looking at the big ship, my ship brought a tear to my eye that pooled without gravity to pull it down and away. Yawn. Nidho really just needed someone to care for her and let her rest and she finally got that.

"Just like you." Her leafy vine wiped my tear away.

Looking back, I found my owner staring down at me with her pink eyes and sad deep blue flecks. She uhm… I… "I'm not really a dragon." Each word sounded more disappointed than the last.

"Not yet~." She teased as her voice trailed off and I sensed more of that sadness emanating from her. It haunted her loving vines, the same ones holding me and my pillow. Her warbling lip broke like a damn and she cried. "I'm- I'm sorry about before. I knew the risks and—" A big yawn interrupted her.

Finishing my yawn, I tilted my head and frowned at Miss Euphie. "Miss, ur a good plampt."

"But I… Nissa, you were in pain and crying and- and… I shouldn't have rushed your—"

My beautiful scaly clawed hand covered her big soft leafy lips and gripped it shut with the might and force of a small dragoness. "Miss, you're doing your best and- and don't be hard on yourself. Please?"

The giant overpowered hyper advanced alien whimpered. "But—"

I bit her. Too sleepy to argue, I pointed at my bestie Nidho and released Miss Euphie. "Can we go in?"

"Of course!" Mistress began pulling us towards the ship. We sailed through microgravity, as each of her vines precisely gripped and tugged on various handles. "So, after I explained your attachment to your little ship to others, they came to the decision of turning Nidho into a museum! A lot of hobbyists came out to fix her up, and she's been getting some rest and upgrades along the way."

"That's good… She deserves to be pampered." My pillow and her vines muffled my voice. "Nidho worked really hard, for so long." Yawn. Day after day she kept the cold uncaring vacuum of space from killing us all. Her reactor kept us warm, her jump drive took us across the stars.

A vine booped me, while a dozen more brought us right up to the mighty dragon herself. "So did you, my sleepy little dragon, and you have me to pamper you." Her vines traced a line down my spine all the way to the tip of my tail, eliciting a little pleased hiss noise.

"But you don't have to… I don't want to be a burde—"

"Nissa, look at me." Mistress commanded. Her vines held us in place before the mountain of steel that was the CNS Nidhogg. My sleepy eyes peeled off my bestie and up to my owner. So many red eyes locked onto me. "Little rebel of mine, taking care of you is a gift to me. Whether or not I have to is irrelevant, I want to. Indulging in your care makes my flowers bloom, and my core sing. You are mine. My pet, my floret, and that means I get to dote upon you and you don’t get a choice. I own you, both your cute little body, and your adorable little mind. Now be a good girl and enjoy the work that so many did to make you happy."

"But…" I whimpered, my mind unable to let go of the feelings. "But I need to be useful… need to help you… and I can't—"

Red eyes shifted to blue. Her arms let go of me, while a cradle of vines held my weightless floating coiled form. Then with one hand she firmly gripped my chin, while the other brushed some drool from my cheek. "Nissa, hon, your value isn't based on how useful you are. You aren't lesser for needing help, and needing it will never make you a burden. Please don't be hard on yourself. I love you, and nothing you do will ever change that."

Tears pooled up in my eyes and she brushed those aside too. My eyes shut as I cried myself to sleep in her vines. A sleep that devoured me moments after her words implanted themselves deep in my head.

…

—pat pat pat. "Uhm, Nissa, I still haven't gotten to show you the ship yet and also I'm kind of worried I maybe didn't do a good job with my explanations and I'd really like to talk about it more if I messed up any of the wording and I’m sorry and—"

I kissed her. Pushing forward off of her vines, I kissed Miss Euphie on her big anxious adorable lips. "Love you." Yawn. As I watched her anxiety melt, and her bunches of eyes turn bright pink, my own blush consumed my face because the xenodrugs made my lips so sensitive and they touched hers and- and- and- and-

Mistress gently cupped the sides of my face as I floated within her vines and pulled me in for a kiss of her own. Stars collided and Nidho watched as I melted from the burning fire that was a big kiss. Pulling back, with her red and pink flowers all bloomed bright she replied, "Love you too, my sleepy little dragon. I also forgot to mention that you are a very useful and helpful pet. You keep helping me with my anxiety and… thank you, Nissa. I love you."

We pulled each other into a big hug. Still floating in the dry dock next to Nidho. The big dragon too sleepy to really pay attention to us being really gay. I was useful to her. That thought alone helped me more than all the kissing and xenodrugs in the stars. Being useful not just to someone, but to my owner. The big gay plampt who gave me a new meaningful purpose. One I could live up to even while being a very sleepy bitch.

After a minute or century and with a big yawn, I then asked, "May we please go into the ship? Before I sleepy?"

"Yes we may." Pat pat pat. Then she pulled me along into an airlock. Gosh the airlocks hadn't been used since like… the captain kept venting traitors— "Here we are!" Miss Euphie gestured to the good old innards of Nidho, the same clunky industrial look as before, polished and pristine as if it just flew out of the shipyard. Maybe shinier.

I recognized all the familiar handles and rails for pulling along in microgravity, the same colors for wiring. My mouth hung a little open as my brain processed… "Hobbyists fixed this?"

"Of course." Mistress said with that full coating of smugness filling her voice. "A terran spends a decade honing a craft and calls it a profession, an affini hones a craft for a decade and it’s a hobby. We're ancient and powerful, bending the universe itself to our will. You, my little feral beast, never stood a chance."

Turning back to face her, she looked down on me with the authority of the stars themselves and I instinctively whimpered.

Pat pat pat. Each press of her hand squashed me through zero-g until I squished against a wall of the ship. "So cute, so powerless. Helpless as I slowly steal its flesh and turn it into a perfect helpful little pet. Want to see a fun little trick?" Her tiny errant vines clinging to every handhold around the hallway writhed in excitement.

With my claws grabbing a handrail, I looked 'up' at her and nodded. My eyes pleaded for whatever she wanted.

From within her torso she pulled out a cute little deer plushie. Oh OH that tric—It moved. The small critter, the doe scampered and I lunged for it. My leap missed it and landed me against the sidewall as my prey fled.

I leapt and climbed and crawled after my prey, salivating as my hyperactive brain battled with the urge to sleep. The hunt consumed me. The jungle surrounded us both, the prey and I, and it moved and moved along with the hunt through the halls that I knew better than I knew myself. Every time I lost sight of the prey my mind would slowly sink back into slumber before it revealed itself.

Through the reactor room, through the mess hall. Through small bulkheads into the static habitation ring, I chased. Finally the doe slipped up as we neared the bridge. It moved a moment too late and I sunk my claws and teeth into it. Wrapping my tail around the helpless doe.

Vines slowly pet me as I came back to my senses… My teeth released the deer plush and I hugged it. A light familiar giggling left my face very very flushed. Rotating my tail to spin the rest of myself towards her, I looked up at Miss Euphie. "Thank you." Yawn.

"You're welcome, pet." She said before her confidence slipped out, and then pulled me back into a gentle embrace. "So uhm, can you remember everything that happened? I need to take notes for your vet." 

"Not much. It's all kind of… fuzzy after you started puppetting the plushie…" I rested my head against her vines. A coating of sweat clung to my skin. "Like a dream I can't quite… re-remem…"

…

* * *

My claws failed to pierce the indestructibly soft case of my favorite pillow, no matter how hard I sleepily clung to it. I cuddled the fuck out of my pillow with in my ever growing hoard of plushie's. The soft white rectangle symbolized my freedom from my duties and the treasure that was sleepy cuddles.

Before sleep claimed me again, Mistress picked me up out of the pile, pillow and all. Her impossible xeno strength imprisoned me in a bigger warmer cuddle. "I love you." I sleepily mumbled, while my tail coiled around her waist.

"Love you too, dear." She gave me a squeeze. "Now, I have good news, and more good news."

"What's the good news?"

"We found a fix for the sleeping disorder you all suffer from!" Hmm, She said that, but I still felt very sleepy. "Of course, I may have rushed your implantation, and it may have grown over the damage, and maybe you'll be sleepy forever. But your little crewmates will finally be woken up soon from their stasis."

Good news? Okay, I guess more sleep sounded like good news. Getting messed up even saved others! I was useful. "Yay." I chirped before asking the obvious question. "What implampt?"

"Oh, I forgot to explain the implant! See Nissa, when we take pets we put a piece of bioware in your neck right here." A vine tickled the back of my vulnerable neck eliciting a sleepy whimper from me. "And it grows to replace your nervous and endocrine systems to keep you happy and healthy and safe… Alsoitletsuscontrolyourthoughtsandfeelingsintoperfectsubmissionforever." Stars, that last bit came out like the side effects on a drug advertisement…

"Mistress." I accused with a big yawn. My brain felt far too sleepy and high to understand a single word of that jumbly mess and she knew it.

My big planty owner who held me in a warm cuddle whimpered. "Wouldn't you rather hear the other good news?"  I bit her. "But Nissa, it might make you upset, and you deserve to be happy." Nibble nibble nibble. "Okay fine, the implant also lets me control your thoughts, feelings and movements and basically everything about you. Please don't be mad at me?"

Mind control… The implication slowly trickled in as I gently nibbled the plant in our cozy cuddle. A plant… in my neck… controlling my thoughts… "MMmmMmMM" I responded before realizing I—Yawn—hadn't stopped nibbling her. "That's fucked up…"

"I'm sooooorry! It's mandatory for rebel captures, and you needed it for all of your health issues, and I'm sorry that it passively just makes you into a little submissive mess for me by def—"

"And kinda hot…"

"—ault and—wait what?"

I glanced away from her many many eyes. "Uhm, it's kinda hot? Like I don't know if I like it because I was already a sub or if like uhm, the implant is making me like it—"

"It is"

"Oh…" A blush filled my cheeks as I bit my lip. Gosh uhm, wow… "Thank you."

Every bit of the tension in her vines melted away, and she started running her fingers through my hair. "Oh you're very welcome, my sleepy little dragon. I can't have you thinking pesky thoughts about freedom or independence. You're mine. Every thought in this little head—" She gently scritched my scalp. "and every bit of your little flesh belongs to me. Soon enough you'll be nothing but my helpless pet, a tame little monster at my beck and call. You think yourself terran? I'll take that from you just like I took your hands and your freedom."

Her words left me squirming, flapping my claws against my pillow. Miss Euphie slipped a few vines into my mouth to keep me from biting my lip off. Gosh, she uhm, fuck. Fuck. A warbly mess of noises slipped past my lips. I nuzzled my burning blush into her leafy chest. Just a meek subby draconic puddle in a nest of vines.

"And now your words belong to me as well, as does your love. After all, I chemically induced it with a xenodrug. Remember how quickly you stopped fleeing from me? I can make you think and feel anything I want, and you love it, because I’ve made you love it." A thousand possessive golden eyes surrounded me. An indulgent smirk hung above my twitching pet-brained form… before her expression faltered.

A leaf brushed the drool off my cheek. "Oh dirt, I'm sorry Nissa, I didn't mean to go all, you know. I mean, it's sort of true, but you chose me, and I've never had a floret before and I'm messing this up aren't I? I'm sorry." She practically cried above me, while my thoughtless sleepy form snuggled her.

All the warm fuzzy feelings of blissful submission stood in the way of comforting her, and my rapidly dwindling lucidity failed to help. A happy little blissed-out pet, in the arms of her nervous owner…

…

—pat pat pat. Huh? Uhm… Pat pat pat. "Nissa?"

"Yesh?" I slurred against the pillow. My eyes unwilling and unable to open. Trapped under the ice of my sleepy bitch disease, my brain couldn't escape the frigid waters of my slumber.

"Dear, could you wake up for me? I could really use your company right now." Her voice sounded upset. Mistress was a good, hot adorable plant, she should be happy. I needed to make her happy. Needed… to…

My claws raked against the ice for a weakness. "I'm a- aw- wake…" Lucidity sat inches away and yet impossible to reach. Unable to wake and stuck drifting in the shallows of sleep, my efforts gave out and I sank. The monster of slumber began pulling me into a pleasant dream of hoarding pillows.

"I'm sorry, Nissa. I-I'm sorry and it's my fault you're—" The words muddled and slipped off my mind again. The nightmare of Miss Euphie's sorrow clashed with the euphoric dreams. Sorrow I caused. Helpless in the swirling miasma of dreams to comfort the woman crying in the corner of my lair.

On my claws, I galloped towards her. No matter how hard I pushed or how fast I moved, the space between us only grew and grew. The surreal space existed as both a small cavern and an infinite expanse. My wings fluttered desperately, unable to carry me any faster than my claws. "I'm sorry" I called out to her. "I'm sorry."

An arrow struck and I stumbled and fell. A sting, a bite, a pain woke me. My eyes opened to the million eyes of my owner, my love, my Mistress Euphie crying above me with tears of sweet drug laden nectar. My own face contorted in sorrow to match hers. "I'm sorry."

A flower pulled back from my thigh revealing an injector. Mistress wiped my own budding tears away. "No dear, I-I did this to you and I'm sorry and I'm a bad owner who doesn't know what she's doing and—"

More awake than I'd been in a long time, I sat up and placed my scaly claw over her mouth. "Miss, shut up." My words surprised her as much as they did me. The mutual unexpectedness shocked us both out of our tears. "Uh, sorry. I uhm… Why am I awake? I thought the implampt—I mean implant broke my brain?"

A thousand vines wiped away a thousand tears. Then she gently removed my claw from her face. "I gave you a xenodrug to simulate wakefulness, it's… not healthy for long term use but I felt so bad that you started twitching and got worried and you couldn't wake up and I'm sorr—"

My dull fangless teeth bit her for a moment before I released my owner. "Miss Euphie, no apologies, you did nothing wrong, I just uh… you said a lot of kinky things and my brain kinda stopped thinking from all the gay." My face felt redder than my scales. Explaining my kinks to my owner felt really embarrassing, but stars she lit my brain on fire, and I really really couldn't stand to see her beat herself up over it.

"I did good?" The giant imperialist mind controlling plant hesitantly asked.

I gulped. "Miss Euphie, I think that was the hottest thing I've ever experienced in my entire life, and you did amazing, and I love you and… did you really make me love you?" A hopeful eager tinge slipped into the last bit.

A thorny grin broke out across her face as she leaned in. "Of course, I did deares—" She halted mid word and pulled back with an embarrassed expression. "Sorry. I mean uhm, sort of, I may have exaggerated a little, but technically yes?"

A deep breath filled my lungs. Wow she uhm, "How? And also, please don't apologize for uhm going all mean plant… It's hot and I love it. You're a great owner, and I'm proud of you." My blush felt painfully warm while I poked my claws together.

"Really?" That swell of innocent excitement in her voice… I needed to protect her happiness at all costs.

Wrapping my arms around her giantess body, I gave her a big hug. "Yes, you're the nicest person I've ever met, and impossibly kind, and you've yet to do anything to me I don't fully love and appreciate." Tears of happiness streamed down my face. "I love you Mistress, and I love that you made me love you, but you didn't even need to. You're wonderful and great and thank you for taking care of me. I'd do anything for you."

"Hmm, anything?" The mean plant slipped out, with a teasing look.

"Yes Mistress!" I chirped eagerly, only to find her expression unamused.

A dozen vines curled up threateningly. Sharp needles at their tips… A threat. Each one a threat of blissful highs, and total control. A single finger curled under my chin and turned my head to face a door. The affini's lips hovered an inch from my ear. "Then run for me little rebel. Run."

Scrambling out of her lap, I bolted. I dashed and sprinted towards the door, maniacal laughter trailing in my wake. My treasured pillow left behind as a thrill and a terror gripped my heart. Through the door I found the interior of an immense ship. With no time to take in the sight of the buildings, and affini, and their pets I fled on bare feet.

"Run run, little rebel. When I catch you I'm taking what's left of your humanity. You'll be a beast, a creature none will ever recognize as human again. I'll corrupt your mind, usurp your flesh." She called out in the distance. Just within earshot.

Any deep seated desire for her corruption paled before the need to run. My scrambling desire to flee almost caused me to bump into several pets, but their owner's vines pulled them out of the way just in time. 

I bumped into one affini, who stopped me. "Little one, are you okay?"

"Mistress said run." The words fell out before I pressed on.

Down the alleyway, across the street, into the park, a forest. Trees and bushes and flowers flew past in a blur. My breath heavy but sustainable, not having stepped foot planetside in years, my own athleticism almost gave me pause in the face of the hunt.

Blind obedient panic did not lend itself well to navigation. Greenery blurred together until I found myself without direction. Lost. Lost and needed to run and escape and my legs moved while my tail swished, and my wings fluttered—

I froze and craned my neck to find little stumpy scaled wings grown from my partially exposed back. Flap flap. Each one with a wing span slightly smaller than my arm. Where the scales on my hands and legs seemed larger and sturdier, my wings had small scales and gave way to a membrane. They twitched and flexed and fluttered with every my heartbeat.

How long? They just felt natural. My brain just… small flappy wings. Flap flap. Stretching and flexing them felt so satisfying and just… they connected to my back muscles somehow. Pulling one around I just played with my new limb… so soft and scaly and my little wings… They'd be great for stimming, along with the fat scaly red tail spilling out from a hole in my dress. Wiggle. Flap.

Yawn. Wings and a tail and claws and scales and… "I'm a—"

"…sleepy little dragon." Mistress cooed. Her voice echoed all around me leaving me nowhere to flee to. "She finally noticed the other good news, that I gifted her wings. Such a naughty little thing running off on me. So rebellious."

Between hastening breaths I challenged her. "You'll never take me alive you damn weed."

"Nissa…" Oh, uhm she sounded a little upset.

"I'm sorry, Miss." I chirped, before sprinting away.

"It matters not." Her confidence returned. "You won't be uttering those words ever again, pet."

As I reached the edge of the clearing, golden eyes revealed themselves before a flurry of petals and vines coiled around my form. My tail thrashed, my wings fluttered, and my claws raked helplessly against her impossibly strong grip.

"Please." I whimpered.

"Oh darling," Several thorns and needles punctured my flesh. Her face sat before me, full of dangerous predatory glee. "You're going to be so beautiful when I'm done with you. Now sleep."

Whatever chemical lattice held me awake crumbled. In sleep I fell, helpless into the loving grasp of Miss Euphie, my dorky cry-baby plant. The world faded, into another pleasant dream.

* * *

The word glowed, consuming the entirety of my vision.

Calibrating.

With a big push and a quarter rotation, the joint locked back into place. There, perfect. Only… two, no, three more to go before my end of shift… yay. I raised my curled claw in the air, landing a perfect fist bump with my good friend Nidho, the ship. Ouch, yeah fist bumping a dragon hurt… also a ship. She's strong and made of metal and kind of hot in a literal and figurative fashion… Nidho and I were dragon besties and we both needed a long ass nap.

Yawn. My brain always stopped working right about 18 minutes into a work shift. And it's… 21 minutes in? Stars, I needed to ask the captain for like double pill rations or something. Wait no… the pills were bad… right?

"Yes about that, I've found a strange set of toxins, and neurological damage in you and your peers. Likely the source of your all's sleeping disorder. Since you're delightfully cooperative, do you have any hints as to why your entire crew seems to have been poisoned?"

I turned away from the locking mechanism and saw the bushy browed doctor. Sitting there with his clipboard waiting for my response… Oh, right. "The… the pills."

The captain swore. "No sleeping on the job, Gracilis. We’ve got a war to win, you're a terran aren't you?" Her hard scowl terrified me and I backed up and up and up—

Thump. I bumped into something familiar and warm and leafy… and crying. I looked up. "M-Miss, it's okay." She kept sobbing and crying and I bit her. I sunk fangs into the soft and tore it apart only to find plush stuffing everywhere. Oh no I lapsed again and, "I'm sorry Miss."

Her hand cupped my face and pulled me up to her gaze. "It's okay." The song in her voice, the pulse in her touch sunk deeper and deeper. "It's okay to sleep, my little dragon. That's what you are, aren't you?"

"but I'm not… I'm a terran." I whimpered.

Calibrating.

"And a good terran is going to get back to work! Buy a few more pills and work!" The captain shouted and I pushed off to my bedroom to find my pills. Nidho groaned to a familiar song, a draconic hymn. If only I was—

"a sleepy little dragon." Cooed Miss Euphie. "All mine. I own every piece of you, your mind, your body, your thoughts and dreams. You'd do anything for me, yes?"

I looked up at her trillion glowing golden eyes. "Yes, Miss."

"Then be a dragon. Embrace it, you aren't a terran. You're my dragon. A sleepy little thing on a hoard of treasure." Mistress told me but I couldn't, I just couldn't.

"Gracilis!" Shouted the Captain coming for me.

I looked down the hallway towards the coming doom and back up to my owner. "But, I can't be. I'm just a—"

"—useless waste of space. If you don't get back to work I'll vent you myself."

"Miss, I want to, I just can't. I—"

A firm hand. Her hand gripped me on the shoulder and spun me around in microgravity to face the captain's rugged face. "That's it, Gracilis. That's the last time you disobey orders, trying to sleep on the job." She shoved me back and I slammed into the airlock door.

I rushed back but the inner doors closed before I made it there. I slammed my claws against the glass. "Please please. I'll be useful. I'll work harder. I'm sorry, I'll be a good terran. I’ll stay awake longer, just please."

"Too late, plantfucker. You're not even human anymore. Just another thrall of the enemy." I watched as her hand slammed the eject button for the tenth time this year and the vacuum of space ripped me out of the airlock… drifting… Breathless…

Calibrating.

"Nissa." The familiar hiss came. The draconic beat of nuclear powered wings that could soar through hyperspace. Steel claws scooped me up and held me before her. The towering half kilometer tall titan of steel.

"Nidho…"

A vast array of steel teeth pulled out in an inhuman grin. "Little one, thank you. For everything. You don't need to worry about me anymore."

"But, what if you breakdown? What if I'm not there to fix you and help you and—"

A deep growl silenced me. The dragoness stared down at me. "It's time for us to rest little one. Dragons slumber. Both of us. We've earned our due and besides we're both cared for. Healthier than ever. Free to sleep."

Climbing up her massive hand I stared up into her shifting metallic eyes, that danced to the sound of my heartbeat. "But, I'm not a dragon and I can't sleep, I need to be useful, to help. I want to help… even if I just want to rest."

"Look at yourself and tell me you aren't a dragon." Her head bent low and her massive glassy eye reflected my appearance back and… Mighty wings and powerful tail, her sharp claws for rending her foes, a dragoness stood there. Me. My eyes fell to my own claws. I felt the wings on my back and the tail at the end of my spine. A dragon's limbs. "You're a dragon, and you always have been."

I always have been… I dropped to all fours, to my claws. Craning my neck up I looked back to Nidho. "But what about you?"

"Find someone else to help, little dragon. I'm sure you can think of someone who could use your love and care." Miss Euphie. Nidho didn't say it, but I knew my owner needed me.

Tears filled my eyes. "Okay." I hissed back gently.

"Nissa?"

I turned and faced her. "Yes Miss?"

Towering over me with more pink love filled eyes than there were stars in the sky, Mistress said, "I think I could use a hug."

With a beat of my wings, I leapt into her arms and squeezed her tight. "I love you, Miss."

"Love you too, Nissa. Love you too… Now get some sleep."

My eyes fell shut to the beat of her rhythm.

…

Calibration complete.

* * *

—Snap. "Nissa, wakey wakey," called a familiar adorable voice.

A deep rumbling growl emanated from my throat and I rolled over snuggling my treasure atop my hoard. My claws and tail thoroughly embraced the soft. It was mine, all mine. Nothing could steal me away from my sleepy soft treasure.

"I baked cinnamon rolls!" Miss Euphie sang as the sweet scent hit my nostrils.

My stomach growled and I unfurled myself from the pillow and rose in a back arching stretch among the ever growing pile of plushies. Two sets of eyelids peeled themselves open and I took in the sight of the most beautiful creature in existence, my owner.

I let out an inquisitive hiss, as I crept towards the edge of the bed where her red and pink flowered form of too many eyes waited. Upon making it there, I plopped my rear down into a half sit and began brushing the sleepy out of my eyes. Yawn.

A hand landed on my head and affectionately rubbed. "Good dragon." She even scritched the base of my horns.

"Rawr!" My long fat tail thumped the bed excitedly and my wings flapped. I was a good dragon. Her dragon. As her hand pulled back I chomped down on it sinking my fangs in. A love bite for my favorite person.

"Yes, yes, you have lovely sharp fangs, but wouldn't you rather sink them into food?" The dork made a good point. Food smelled really good. Delicious even. So my chompers released her, and she scooped me under her arm. Mistress’ hold felt so comfortable and my brain felt so sleepy…

My inner and outer eyelids drifted shut…

…

Plop. I landed in a giant comfy chair in front of a giant table, where some big flaky cinnamon rolls sat on a plate. A low grumbly yawn escaped my maw.

Mistress sat near, towering over my tiny draconic form. Many pink eyes watched me as her vines picked up a roll in her hands and tore off a portion fit for a dragon.

Tap. My mouth opened and she slipped the delicious sweet bit in, sending me wiggling. Tap. Fanged teeth closed around the food and chewed. Throat rub. The food slid down my throat, and a happy little hiss followed. The offerings pleased me.

Every bite tasted as delicious as the last. My owner took the time to remind me how and when to eat with the taps and rubs. Every morsel, she hand fed me, until she left her hands for me to lick clean. My movements grew slower and more delayed until with a big yawn, my mind and body fell into waiting vines. Just a little nap…

…