By Right: Collapse
By TerraMGP
Everything was painfully dark. Dull polarized light from the distant dying star bathing the gunmetal and rust brown fixtures dotting the broken ship bridge with an unnatural red haze. That light cast long shadows as it crashed against ancient jerry rigged consoles and upturned operation stations. Yet the deepest shadows came from the lone figure who stood still and stoic on the battle scarred command pulpit. Brown furred and statue-still, gazing out at the sea of jagged asteroids surrounding the Carnivore. Large hunks flitting though the vacuum of space and smashing to dust and aether against the frigate's powerful shields.
A lone figure stood in this light. Soft, downy brown fur wrapped in thick bandages that twisted around her body in lue of clothing. Covering her arms, legs and even parts of her torso. Another wrapping around her right eye and though the thick mane of violet hair she sported.
The slender, scar ridden cub stood there. A massive naval greatcoat slung over her shoulders like a cloak. Watching the cold unforgiving vacuum as hunks of rock smashed into each other and smattered silently out into the abyss. Everything was calm, quiet. A calm broken all too soon by the sound of the heavy blast door sliding open and a figure walking on to the bridge.
``Excuse me, mam'' the deck hand muttered nervously. ``I, uh, the engineer said you wanted to know when we had the engines ready.'' The purple-furred feline pulled a tight knit cap off of his head to reveal the growing bald spot on top. He shuffled towards the center of the deck slowly. Each heavy bootfall more nervous than the last.
``Speak.'' The voice that commanded was high and sharp. The petulant warble of some brat begging for a new toy in a mall shop. Yet it carried weight. Thick, heavy, terrible weight. Striking like black shards of ice against the trembling man.
``They said we need to dig though the supplies from the last raid and rig up new coil arrays for the drive units. Until then we only have the power to limp, a-and there's no way we could make it back to Cygnus space in less than a month on what we have.''
The sudden sensation of jagged scrap metal met the mans throat. He looked down the length of a bright red and white beam of ceramics. Old cogs and gears filed to an obsidian edge lining the inside and poking out haphazardly. The weapon was bigger than the girl who carried it, yet she held it to his throat with only tremors of rage showing in her arm. The thick throb of exposed artificial muscle bundle under her skin the only indication of just how dangerous she was.
``You lost my prey.'' the cub muttered.
``W-we have the resources to make a new coil, mam. Once it's installed I'm sure we can find a few juicy transports running along tha'' He gasped loudly. Small trickles of blood beginning to flow down his neck as one of the more jagged gears barely poked into his throat. Fractions of a millimeter away from puncturing. The deckhand kept his eyes on the small switch by the cross guard of the weapon. He watched the mink as her finger twitched, hovering over it. Her violet tail thrashing menacingly against the plain brown fur of her partially bandaged thighs.
``How long?'' The question snarled though her clenched jaw.
``W-we can find a new target in three weeks time. W-we can have repairs done by then, mam. I swear on my mums life. Five ships came out this way just in the last month. They're probably setting up a new city on one of the worlds along this route. That's what Patch tells me. I'm sure we'll have prey for you soon!''
The empty deck filled with the whines and whimpers of the deckhand. A dark streak moving down the left leg of his corduroy overalls and leaving traces of wetness on the floor. The horrible weapon finally left his throat as the man turned and ran full tilt from the room. His feet barely able to keep in line as he dashed for his life.
Moments later a slender figure slipped from the shadows near the door. A slender, lanky lemur in a dark green and white school uniform. A thick scarf wrapped around his face as the figure standing with his arms crossed, a kama hanging from his skirt.
No words were spoken. Just one small nod. The slender figure, no taller than the mink, slipped off after the deckhand.
There was only one way to keep the crew in line.
--------------------
The world ebbed and flowed slowly though Bi's mind as she hovered at the edge of awareness. It was all muddled. Her half awake mind pulling slowly from the dreamless sleep as she tried to feel if she was laying flat or on an incline. As she struggled and failed to pull her eyes opened between deep forced breaths and the marching thud of her own heart.
She was aware enough to recognize a few things. The sharp artificial twinge of synthesized forest scent. The soft foam mattress and satin sheets which both felt like razors on her mostly bare fur. The weight of her limbs as she tried to twist and move. None of it was extreme or excruciating. A melange of low grade agony which danced around the back of her mind as the tigress struggled to gain control of her senses. The lack of control she felt over her limbs growing more intense and concrete as the tigress floated in the haze of her own mind.
The longer this went on the more the tiger could feel that fear grow. Her body trembling and twitching limply as her body returned the growing panic with horrific indifference. Even her screaming thoughts struggling to switch the HUD of her jack resulted in nothing more than empty blackness pierced only by light tingling the void a bit red as it struck her face. The growing panic and anxiety finally subsided somewhat as her arm finally shot up and flailed limply. The poor terrified tigress forcing her mind to keep this action going for fear of losing the control. Her struggles moving form twitches and flails to slow steady grasps for the wall, and then finally a hard shove which seemed to shock her system free of whatever had plagued it a moment ago. The bright yellow HUD of her jack snapping to life before her eyes and drawing a relieved sigh from the shaking young woman. Bi quickly pulled herself up, situating her back up against the wall and heaving in deep ragged breaths. Only now bothering to look down and see the thin layer of bandages wrapping the whole of her lower body. Binding her breasts and wrapped just a few winds above her hips hugging tight and giving just enough flex to permit her deep breaths.
When she finally got herself sitting up once more, Bi put her hand on part of the head board behind her. A thick hand hewn board with stylized grooves at the end allowing her to grip the ting firmly and steady her shaken nerves. She remained this way for a long while. Eyes gazing at the wall before her and foot rocking up and down out of fear that if she stopped moving it would happen again.
Gods only knew how much time had passed before the door slid open. Siv stood in the frame with a small tray in her paws. The gold-furred bunny sporting a sharp blue suit and lacking any of her piercing. There was a genuine smile on her face which oddly seemed to grow as she looked at Bi. Tail waggling uncontrollably as she made her way to t he side of the bed and set the tray down over the wounded tigress. Siv slipping over to the corner of the bed and smirking wide.
``Uh, hey.'' Bi muttered as she tilted her head a bit.
``Hey there! How are you feeling?''
Fine.'' The words came cautiously. Even Bi herself a bit shocked at how unsure she really sounded. She glanced down at the breakfast and poked at one of the eggs rather cautiously. It wriggled and moved along with her fork in ways that seemed quite unfamiliar. A small poke rupturing the liquidy yolk in the middle. ``I think your printer is off.'' Bi muttered softly as she tried to shove some of the yolk away from the white.
``It's not printed.'' Siv giggled ``What you're telling me you've never seen a real egg before?''
``Real egg? Siv I'm an orphan from a back water colony. What makes you think we get anything like that.''
Siv twisted herself up a bit more on the bed and pulled one knee to her chest. Her bright blue eyes watching intently as Bi picked and toyed with the food. She watched and waited with baited breath while looming over-intent and gazing into the tigers face.
It was creepy, to say the least. Found Siv a bit creepy. Perhaps simply because the bunny was so willing to accept her `place' in all of this. She looked back down at the food getting some of the white and a bit of what she presumed to be ham on her fork. Her eyes shifted to Bi as she waited for the senior slave to say something, do something, anything at all to make this make sense.
``So, any reason you bothered bringing me this?'' Bi muttered as she shoved a bit of ham and egg in her mouth. She did her best to hide her displeasure at the supremely odd taste of the food. Though it wasn't hard with the already growing discomfort of her company.
``Well you do need to eat. Especially after so much time in stasis. You didn't expect Mistress to put this much time and effort into you just to let you starve, right?''
``I mean, kinda.'' The tigress shrugged softly ``To be honest wasn't really sure what was going on when I woke up. I was pretty sure I wasn't going to wake up. Whoever those people were that hit the compound, they were clearly leagues better than me. Sort of an anti-climax if I'm supposed to be some kind of guard kitty, wouldn't you say?''
``You're just being hard on yourself.'' The bunny sighed ``I mean sure she got away with a bit of property. But nothing too big to lose.'' The words rang false, though it was hard for Bi to say just how. ``Anyways what's done is done. And you're safe. That's what is important.''
Dejected fork pokes failed to make the `real' egg look any more appetizing. Especially the way the yolk seemed to run and droop. Bi instead carved off a rather large bit of ham and slipped it into her mouth. The texture making her winge.
``So if we aren't important. Mind if I ask why I went and got myself stabbed?''
Siv narrowed her eyes a bit and shook her head. ``She wasn't important. The others were. You protected what mattered and what had the most time invested. Though I think we would all e happier if you'd been spared the stabbing.''
``Is that so?'' Bi asked as she eyed the bunny cautiously. ``Funny, I kinda figured someone who is all about slavery and dominance would be fine picking out something else if one of her dolls broke.''
``What is with you today?'' Siv whined gently. ``I'm guessing it's probably the procedure. And a lack of solid food. Go on, eat. You'll feel better.'' Siv did her best to plaster a wide smile on her face and cast her eyes expectantly at the plate of food ``You just need rest and food. As for Mistress? She has plans. Don't worry. You'll understand, in time.''
``No, no Siv I don't think I will understand her `in time'. I don't think any amount of time or explanation is ever going to help.'' The tigress muttered as she shifted herself up a bit ore and pulled another pillow behind her. Those legs still agonizingly sluggish.
``I think you're wrong.'' The bunny replied ``Mistress isn't that hard to understand. You're already close to her. If you just give her some more time to see her heart.''
The tigress wrinkled her muzzle and laughed bitterly. ``The Kepler method.'' She growled.
Siv tilted her head. Her face more shocked than curious. Ears folding down as she shifted in place on the bed. ``Wait, how did you know about that?''
``Are you kidding?'' Bi brought a spoonful of the thick broth to her lips and downed it without so much as a taste ``I'm a colony kid. You don't think that's one of the first things they teach us? `You could get crammed into a ship and hauled off by Drassis or Cygnus thugs at any time'. We have whole classes on avoiding it. All this shit here. Stockholm's, indoctrination. All those petty attempts to get close, I knew damn well what it was for.'' Bi snapped ``This is what you people put the rest of us though.''
``So, what? You're upset with Mistress for training you? You hate her? I mean don't you love her?'' Siv whimpered.
``Of course I love Mistress.'' Bi sighed ``It doesn't really matter what she did to me, or why. Any time I look at her I feel all.'' Bi blushed and pushed the plates to one side of the tray as if it was a table she could clear. The act caused her to bristle a bit and sink back against the pile of overstuffed pillows resting under her back. All I have going are these fucked up feelings, and all the crap that got dumped into my head. And apparently some new chrome standing in for a big hunk of my spine.''
The frustration was clear in her voice as she shifted herself up further. Bi felt her legs spasm and twitch as they struggled to keep up with her mind. The fur started to bristle along her back. ``Fuck it, I need to fix this.''
The tiger girl gripped her tray with trembling hands and slipped it over to her side. Her legs kicked and twitched as she struggled to slip free of the overstuffed covers and silky sheets. Siv was by her in a moment, but even weak as she was it took little effort to push the bunny back as she hauled both legs out from under the sheets and placed her feet flat on the floor.
``Oh come on, what are you doing.'' Siv sighed
``What does it look like?'' Bi growled back ``Where's the gym. I assume Mistress has some kind of work out area. She's got to.'' She gripped hold of the headboard and growled loudly as she pulled herself up from the bed. Her legs locked, then buckled, then crumpled under her as she stumbled along the ornate woven rug barely able to catch herself before slamming shoulder first into the wall.
Siv was up like a shot. Her paws wrapped around her sister-slaves forearm, struggling to steady her before being cast aside with a quick flick. The sudden jolt was more than enough to send the unprepared rabbit back and land her on the corner of the bed while Bi struggled to stand.
``Come on. This is ridiculous.'' Siv half-growled.
``And what exactly am I doing that`s so `ridiculous`?'' Bi snapped as she hauled herself along the wall
``Making an ass of yourself. Probably worse. Will you just stop being stupid for a minute?'' Siv dashed to help Bi catch herself moments before toppling over. The tigress instead sinking her fingers into the wall as best she could, hanging mostly by her fingertips, dragging one limp and near lifeless leg under her body just long enough to knock Siv back with a clumsy backhanded flail.
The end result was almost comical. Bi all but threw her body on to the side of the wardrobe and pulled along it by her fingertips while hauling her legs behind her. Every once in a while she'd wedge part of her body against each other to keep on one foot by virtue of her own weight and station gravity. Each time Bi made it a meter or two this way, Siv would move up from where she stood to try and help the other girl along. Thanked only with a heavy swipe to keep her at a distance and another defiant growl.
``I said back off.'' Desperate rage slipped though the paper thin calm Bi had been struggling to keep. There was something horrible, wonderful about the sudden wave of rage seeping into her stomach as she glared the bunny down. There was a yearning near sensation which shot up the tips of her fingers and along her back. An oozing electricity that crept along her shoulder blades like napalm as the toned tiger trembled against the wall. Bi's sharp green eyes traced Siv's gaze and made their way down until they reached her own open hand. Fingers curled in on themselves, gleaming white claws protruding from her fur and gleaming in the artificial light.
Bi limped forward with her other hand gripping the wall firmly. She watched Siv take a cautious step back. God but it felt good.
The pair continued this dance while Bi edged closer to the door. Siv was soon backed against the wall closest to the door. Her face was unflappable, but those eyes. There was a primal fear to them Bi simply could not ignore. She made her way to the door without incident, pausing only to snarl simply for the rush of it. Both women's chests heaved. Siv in restrained terror, Bi with nihilistic glee. Their eyes remained locked right up to the moment where Bi managed to get herself up against the door frame at which point she promptly lost her grip and went sprawling face first into the hard wooden floor below her.
A few muttered curses later and Bi began to struggle her way along the floor once more. She pushed and dragged herself towards the far wall slowly and painfully, her body struggling to respond before she was able to reach it and claw her way back up to a sitting position. She tried to use this as a way to push herself up to standing. Her arms flailed to find a grip and back strained. Yet something was wrong. Something dire. Fear and exhaustion seeped slowly into Bi's mind as the realization slowly set in. Her legs wouldn't move. She tried to squeeze her toes, pull up her calf. First in slow disbelief, then desperation. The limbs refusing to respond no matter how hard she tried to will them to move.
``Come on. Come on come on.'' Tears began welling up in those bright blue eyes. Those heavy breaths starting to become ragged and broken. ``Come the fuck on!'' Bi screamed the words. Her fist smashed hard into the wainscoting on the wall over and over again. Her claws raking and gashing at her ineffectual legs drawing blooms of fresh pain as red lifeblood began to spring from the wounds.
The hallway fell to a quiet calm punctuated with loud and uncontrollable sobs. Frustrated rage and an unnerving stoicism clashed against each other and made the air hang heavy though the otherwise silent hallway. The moments drawing out like hours each one heavier than the last.
It barely registered when Siv left. Bi shivered between her small sobs and slowly dragged one leg up to her chest. The sensation screamed with pain, real pain. Not the forced pleasure she'd been inflicted with during her beatings. Not the sweet agony that reminded her of Mistress. Just the sensation of warm twitching sinew quivering lifelessly and agonizing pressure shooting from her gut to her spine.
When Bi finally looked up again she saw Siv walking towards her from off to her left. The rabbit having apparently moved in the intervening time and now crouching down beside Bi holding a small back plastic box with a red cross on top of it. No words were spoken. Neither woman made an effort to look the other in the eye. Siv dutifully adjusted the leg still sprawled on the ground a moment and examined the various gashes placed around it. She pulled a small silver bottle covered in red markings from the case and yanked the cap off with her teeth. Bi braced and glanced away. A childish instinct to avoid the stinging pain of the analeptic as it slowly floated over her open wounds.
The misting was thorough but thankfully short. By the time Bi had even fully registered the dull throbbing ache Siv had made her way over to the other leg and pulled it flat to continue her treatment. Leaving both dull limbs throbbing softly.
``So, I guess that means the chip is off?'' Bi muttered flatly.
``The pain editor?'' Siv muttered. Her face furrowed a bit as she gave the leg another once over. ``It shorted out under the strain of the operation.
``Oh.'' Bi sighed. ``So, what did they have to do with me exactly?''
``A prosthetic vertebra'' Siv said .''Full replacement. The tissue was too damaged to do much else.''
A small pit started to form in Bi's stomach as she heard that. There was a small jolt of phantom tension in her thighs. The toned tigress slowly moved her hand back and traced it along her back. Sharp pain and a sudden jolt of dizziness greeting her as she ran those digits gently up her spine. ``Gahh, fuck.''
``Don't touch it'' Siv sighed. ``it has to heal.''
Bi growled but let her hands drop. She watched as Siv pulled a small black stylus looking device from the medkit and slowly began to wave it above the various cuts and gashes. A schoolyard scent of synth-skin hit her nose within seconds. Another jagged reminder of a past life.
``So I guess the implant is to make sure I'm auged enough for next time, huh?'' Bi muttered.
``Hold still.'' Siv snapped as she tugged on the immobile limb. Her actions only offering a token excuse of seeking a `better angle' for the spray.
``Couldn't you guys have just gotten me some kind of vat grown transplant? Or nanos? I mean I've seen the kinds of fucked up things super wealthy slavers do with their `property'.'' A smirk passed over Bi's mouth as she said the words. Her own mind beginning to wonder just how much work had been done on the herm bunny to make her the way she was now.
Another tug on the wounded legs quickly cut off the line of questioning. For the most part Siv managed to keep her cool as she began to slowly wind and twist the thin plasticy shell of a bandage roll around the tigress' leg.
``What's got you so pissed?'' Bi muttered.
``Nothing.'' Siv growled ``why would you think I am upset?''
``Well for one thing you're barely leaving any room for circulation.'' Bi sighed. She watched as the other slave finished the first leg with a simple spray of medical glue and then quickly fell back on her haunches. In spite of everything the feline pulled her leg up to her chest once more and let out a sigh resting her chin on her knee as she looked at the other woman.
``I still need to do your other leg.'' Siv sighed.
Bi shook her head and growled a bit. ``I don't see what the point is. Pretty damn obvious they'll need to cut em off and replace them anyways, right?''
``You just got out of surgery a few days ago.''
``Yeah?'' Bi snapped ``And you still haven't told me why Mist- Why she decided to slap some chrome in me without even consulting me. Especially if I can't even use my legs now. Guess that was a real waste of money on her part, huh?''
``What got into you?'' Siv snapped back as she leaned forwards. ``You were happy to see her when you came out of the pod. Now you've been out less than a week and... this?''
``I've been out long enough to think.'' The tigress finally sighed ``And maybe if you guys had given me something that would make my legs work again I wouldn't have to.'' Bi could only just now register the tingling rage in her fingertips.. Some small stirring urge with those claws as she struggled not to dig them back into her leg. Her toes likewise felt the screaming jolts of demand to curl and twist just the same. Predictably the digits did not respond.
``It doesn't work like that. And why do you think this was an upgrade?'' The bunny asked
``Obviously it isn't.'' Bi snapped back ``But there aren't really a ton of reasons to shove expensive chrome into a fucking doll now is there? Especially one who can't beat one bitch who's trying to... free...'' Those words trailed off into the distance. Bi shifted her head and pressed her forehead into her nee now. The unspoken words resting bitter on the tip of her tongue.
Some of the rage broke from Sivs face. She pulled herself up a bit and scooted in closer along the well polished floor. Her fingers fishing for another roll of bandages. ``That wasn't a normal opponent. And the replacement was the only option. This isn't like rejuv treatments or a cosmetic nano-overhaul. Those deal with fully formed tissues that generally have ideal integrity. You took a photon blade to the spine. There was no way to properly reattach those nerves. If it wasn't for your armor you'd have been dead on the spot.''
``And `she' would need to get a new dolly, right?'' Bi muttered.
``Yes!'' The word felt so wrong. Leaping from those blue-painted lips with an aching enthusiasm which set the tiger off guard. Siv finally met Bi's sidelong glance. Tears welling up in the corner of her eyes. ``Mistress did what was best for you. She knows what is best. Why are you being so mean, sister?''
Most of Bi's body twisted to deliver a nice swift kick. Naturally her limp legs refused to join in leaving her to simply twitch her hips impotently. ``Don't call me that.'' Bi growled ``Do you have any idea how fucked up this all is? How fucking crazy this all is? Does it even register in your indoctrinated little head what the fuck you're saying?''
It didn't. The blank expression on Sivs face said it all. For the first time in God only knew how long Bi could think clearly, Yet a simple glance at the favored pet drew nothing but grinding wheels and hazy calculations.
``You hate us. Don't you?'' Siv asked tentatively.
Bi took a deep breath and let it slip slowly from her lungs. The enforced habits of her training now agonizingly rote. ``No. I don't. I don't hate you, or her. That's the fucking problem.'' Bi muttered.
She watched Siv roll this in her head for a long moment A sight that drew a laugh. God only knew why.
``I don't hate her. That's the problem. Mistress. Runa. She took me from my home, along with most of the damn orphanage. Drags us to her little camp. Beats me, degrades me. Treats me like shit on her heel.'' Pink heat bloomed from Bi's cheeks as she recounted it. A feeling which only turned her stomach more. ``I knew what she was doing. Any colony brat knows how these things work. If a slaver doesn't just bag you and tag you then they're going to break you down until all you want is to be a fucking doormat. Until all you are is whatever they took you for. Some crazy lady with power armor leagues above anything a colony could hope to repel just strolls her way in to town and makes demands for kids. Kids, Siv. Then she gets pissed at the idea that the people she's assaulting might take offense. She's a monster. I should have let the woman take us. I should have helped her. I should beat the damn wolf for what she's done. I should hate her.''
``But you don't.'' Siv muttered. Sad as it was, they both knew it.
Bi finally slumped down and shoved her still uncovered leg out for the other slave to wrap. Sucking in a deep breath. The winding going slowly and carefully without the wrath of the last one. Siv still careful to keep pressure on the protean rich spray now coating those cuts.
``It was easy before.'' Bi finally muttered. ``I mean, after the first few months. I knew I wasn't getting away. I was going to be a teacher at the orphanage once I aged out. I learned all the classes on dealing with possible capture. There was no way she'd let me walk out of there if I beat her.''
``She would.'' Siv noted. ``But you couldn't. She knew that.''
``She could have been wrong.'' Bi muttered insistently. ``For all she knew I studied martial arts already. There's no way she'd go to all that trouble grabbing us up and then let me walk out. I would have been shot with a shock round and dragged back the second I got a good enough hit.''
Another loud sigh passed Bi's lips as she felt the bandages glued off at the end and her legs carefully adjusted. Siv slipped beside her. A warm presence that the tigress didn't quite find utterly unpleasant.
``I don't really have any right to complain, do I?'' Bi sighed.
``Not really.'' The reply was a bit more chipper this time ``You don't really have any rights at all. Neither of us do.''
Bi squinted as she looked Siv over a moment. ``You sound awfully ok with that, considering.'' She risked another small tap at her back just below where the implant now rested. Unnatural twinges of pain welling up and quickly driving her finger away.
One hard thwap to the back of Bi's hand was all the chastisement Siv gave. Her dour expression had lifted but those chiding eyes still remained.
``I really should hate her, you know.'' Bi muttered
``But you don't.'' Siv affirmed
A smile finally crossed Bi's face. She leaned back against the wall, looking up at the art pieces lining the soft blue-coated upper half of the wall where it met the wainscoting. Her eyes drawing over the eclectic mix of items. Old weapons lovingly restored and with clear signs of past use, a wide array of traditional paintings in styles that Bi could not recognize. A small shifting set of multicolored shapes in a square frame that seemed to be some form of motion art. Her eyes wandered over the items again and again. Idly picking out people from the depiction of some great old battle by their species or hair color, watching the shapes move and twitch. Each distraction jumping into the next with seemingly no trigger.
``You know when she brought me here before, I mean, back when she had me test. I remember she took me on a... a date.'' The word felt so wonderfully wrong on Bi's lips. It was the closest to a real shiver she'd had since the implant. ``and I remember standing in a shopping center. Some huge relic war machine on display. Wearing this little red dress I'd have never imagined putting on before. Then.'' Bi laughed a bit as she glanced at Siv. ``You know what she did? She asked me about Buddhism. Right out of the blue. Just, `hey, you're Chinese. Are you Buddhist?''
Siv's already growing snerk grew to a full on chuckle. She dared herself in a bit closer and put her head on the bigger girls shoulder as her eyes slipped tight shut. ``That sounds like her.''
``Yeah, but why though?'' Bi sighed.
``It's, well. It's what Mistress knows.'' Siv noted.
``That Chinese people are sometimes Buddhist?''
Siv pushed herself in a bit closer and shook her head as best she could. ``Religion. Spirituality. Faith. It's something our owner is most comfortable with. That and combat, anyways. It means she likes you.''
``it was awkward as hell.'' Bi noted.
``Probably.'' Siv grinned ``She's not very good at it. She's even worse when it comes to people she doesn't like. Our owner is not exactly one for guile, sister.''
That smirk on Bi's muzzle only grew. She slipped her arm in behind Siv and felt the slender bunnys fingers slip into the tigress' matted and sweat stained fur in return. ``So that was her idea of flirting?'' she chuckled.
``It's the best she can manage'' Siv nodded. ``Why? Were you expecting something else? Expecting her to drag you back to your room? To knock you around? Wrestle you into bed? Step on your face and call you all sorts of slurs and bad names while her warm-''
Every muscle on the taught tigress tensed at once. She squeezed the bunny girl close and managed to wring a small squeal from the bun. When it finally stopped Bi cast her eyes back up to the paintings. She let her fingers drop from Sivs shoulder and just sat there as still as she could.
``I'm a monster.'' She muttered ``It was so much easier when I couldn't think about it. When I could just obey and forget how much I should hate her. When I could forget everything I'm complicit in.''
Siv pulled herself up slowly and carefully from her bigger slave sister. The bunny carefully putting the items in the medkit back and holding the black box to her chest. ``I think you could do with a shower.''
A small nod was the only reply Bi gave. The only reply she could give. She watched as Siv brought up a public AR readout and scanned it over a moment. The schematics displayed all too familiar to the tigress. A simple reclining seat with four self driven electric ball wheels.
``So are my legs ever going to work again?''
Siv nodded idly ``You need time. This won't heal overnight. For now let's get you washed up. Then we can find something to distract you.''
``Yeah.'' It was such a petty solution. Hell it wasn't even a solution. More distractions. More platitude. More reason to hate herself for not hating this all more. Yet for all her rage the only thing Bi could do was nod and go back to searching for something to lose herself in. Some way to escape for just few more moments what her life had become.
