Dog of War

They sighed, finally able to think properly with the Affini out of the room. Convincing Miss Verdun to give them time alone required swearing up and down that they would call her if they needed anything. Not that they blamed her, not after that breakdown. Removing the boots had been far more painful than they anticipated. They had not realized that returning to the Hab would also mean finally ending their time with them until they reached for the laces. It seemed like, despite their best efforts, it was impossible to see their Boots as 'just boots.' 

 

Then there was her reaction to it. Miss Verdun had not just shared their sorrow, but comforted them. There was something about being cradled in her vines that was undeniably soothing, something about the long, gentle strokes of them that was calming. She may have done it without permission, but she hadn't tried to push it either; she could have easily drugged them into feeling better, or touched them in the mind-numbing manner she had the last two nights in the bath. Instead, she merely offered them the comfort of a caring soul. Even if it was something they never would have agreed to, they couldn't feel anything but... grateful. 

 

No one ever gave us that before.  

 

That strange gentle-warm feeling they had felt that first night she bathed them, before the class Zs had taken effect, stirred once more in their pit of their heart. 

 

We... like Miss Verdun, don't we?

 

They gently bit their lip as they tried to process their feelings for the Affini. Miss Verdun was... 

 

Fuck, they didn't even know where to begin. She was constantly teasing them, she was gentle in a way no else had ever been. She had stripped them of the things they valued about themselves, she gave them new, better things in their place. She pushed them on uncomfortable issues, she knew things about them they didn't even know about themselves. She would seemingly do whatever she pleased with them at times, she fed them the most wonderful food.

 

She wanted to put a collar on them. She loved them. 

 

Is that what this is? Love? 

 

They shook their head, forcing the thought out. That couldn't be it. They... might like Miss Verdun in some capacity, but love was simply out of the question. She was the problem! She wanted them to be her pet , for fucks sake! They exhaled in a huff as they let the Class E wash over them again, extinguishing the anxiety. They needed to keep a level head. Desperate for anything else to think about, their eyes scanned the room, landing on their boots.

 

There was a small welling of sorrow at the sight, but, well, they had already cried themselves out about the loss. For now. It was still a fresh wound, and a sore one. They could just tell this was going to cause them another breakdown, eventually. With how fragile their emotional state was, it was inevitable. Likely when they put on whatever shoes they ended up using tomorrow. They'd probably have to compile new shoes daily until they stopped shrinking. The notion of replacing them left a foul taste in their mouth. They should at least move them. Just leaving them out here was wrong.

 

They stopped as they leaned over and grabbed the boots. Their heart suddenly grew heavy, as though it had got caught in a gravity well. Perhaps holding it together until tomorrow had been ambitious.

 

Maybe we should get Miss Verdun.

 

They did promise... but they also didn't need her yet. They took a deep breath, held it, and released. It was okay. They were okay. They picked up the boots and headed to their room. 

 

Guest room. 

 

Whatever. They headed to the room their stuff was in. 

 

It dawned on them that they were going to have to leave the boots behind when their plan went into action. Another heavy tug on their heart. Well, if they were going to leave anything to remember them by, these were as much of a treasure as Miss Verdun could hope for. For now, tucking them into the corner between the wall and the outside of the desk seemed best. Not hidden away, but not constantly reminding them of their loss. They set the boots down with both hands as though they were delicate. 

 

They collapsed in their chair, leaned back and sighed. What an emotionally draining day, and it wasn't even halfway through quite yet. Wedged between all the high points was a building stress; over the boots, yes, but also not being able to exercise, or move correctly. Not to mention the... feeding them, dressing them, and giving them class G in public. Or her insistence that they were a 'princess.' The memories brought out the ghost of a blush, an echo of the still-fresh embarrassment.

 

Hopefully Miss Verdun doesn't decide we need to 'relax' again tonight.

 

The thought of the Affini's vines made them shiver, but not with that uneasy nervousness. They puzzled over the feeling. It wasn't too dissimilar- in the gut, much like unease, but was a tingly-tickling that made their cheeks numb. Unease was more of a churning, twisting feeling. The thought of her washing them again was equal parts enticing for the raw pleasure it offered and revolting for how degrading it was. 

 

Exactly why we need to avoid it.

 

Well, if they unwound themselves, Miss Verdun was at least less likely to force them to. They spent a few minutes recovering, their eyes closed and hands intertwined over their chest. They pushed away every thought as it wriggled up to the surface, until none did. Neither of them thinking of anything, just a rare, quiet moment that stretched on and on. 

-_-_-_-

Camila was still anxious about leaving the little one alone. She tried to keep from pacing in her room, a tension growing in her vines. Unable to help herself any longer, she whipped out her pad and searched through the cameras. She wasn't in the living room, and her boots were gone as well. A worrying sign. Camila quickly swapped to Princess' room to find her simply relaxing at her desk. Her vines slowly released their pent up energy. The girl was fine. 

 

Camila did have messages that needed to be addressed. The first few were from Lydia, and the other came from a username she wasn't familiar with; one Florence Elowynn, 4th bloom. Camila had a suspicion what the messages from Lydia were. She should save those for after, it was bound to be delightful. She opened the other chat.

 

[SummerFlowers]: Hello, I hope you are doing well! My name is Florence Elowynn, 4th bloom, She/Her. I'm the guardian for Ash Harmon from the Valiant . I was hoping we could discuss a few matters regarding your own ward when you have a moment?

 

Camila hummed, curious. This certainly pertained to the actions 'Beckett' took aboard the Terran vessel. 

[FrequencyFlower]: Of course! I'm available presently for about the next half hour. The little one and I just got back from a walk. 

 

Sending the message, Camila decided to peek at Lydia's messages while she waited for a response. To her delight it was an utterly adorable series of pictures of the pet she had made out of Nick Sawyer, now Elle Parmenia, Third Floret. Naked, posed, wrapped in vines, raw animal pleasure writ into every muscle. There was even a video of her begging to be broken that made Camila's vines writhe with delight as her core cried out with joy. 

 

Ahhh, to have Princess like that... The thought quickly evolved to fantasy. Princess in her vines, that precious, adoring, vacant stare gazing up at Camila. Her Owner and her whole world. Her nude body now undeniably feminine, and undeniably that of a pet. Not just ready for a collar, but begging for Camila to claim her, to rip out anything that wasn't Princess the Pet. Hers at last... 

 

A ding rudely interrupted the daydream. It felt so real, too...

 

[SummerFlowers]: Ah, I'm glad I caught you at a good moment! I won't take too much of your time, I understand you've had your vines full with helping Princess. Little Ash has been adjusting quite well to life in the Compact and I feel they are able to live independently. However, they still express concern about Princess. They had been working to expose her for framing the lead engineer and what she was planning when she commandeered the ship. I've shown Ash a few pictures, but they're not entirely convinced Princess isn't still a threat. I think meeting with her will help them get over this misconception. I was wondering if such a meeting could be arranged? 

 

Camila's leaves made a disgruntled rustling as she read the message. 

[FrequencyFlower]: I don't wish to doubt your assessment, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea. Princess was feeling really anxious and guilty about seeing her old crewmates around the ship. I moved her to Cassius so she could be in a healthier environment. Meeting a crewmate, especially one that's been holding a grudge, would likely be damaging to her recovery.

 

[SummerFlowers]: Ah well, Ash doesn't hold a grudge, they're simply in disbelief I think. I do understand your concern, however. I heard about the incident with Elle a few days ago. Ash may still be struggling to get over Princess' actions aboard the Valiant, but they're very happy to be in the Compact! I think a meeting would be beneficial to both of them. It wouldn't have to be soon, but maybe when she's ready?

 

Camila fidgeted with the pad, considering her reply. Meeting someone that despised her could be damaging to Princess, but if they did forgive her...

 

[FrequencyFlower]: I think that can be arranged, on a few conditions: First, Ash accepts that they are not to bring up Princess' past, her dead name, or the Valiant around her. Second, I will set the date and time later, when she has had time to recover. Third, I will end the meeting if they show even the slightest hostility, and can cancel it at any time for whatever reason. 

 

[SummerFlowers]: Those sound agreeable to me. Let me relay them when they return, and I'll get back to you later. 

 

[SummerFlowers]: Before I go, I wanted to say it is rather adorable how protective you are of her, it reminds me of my late floret. I was also a first bloom when we met... Personally, I think you have made wonderful progress shaping her into an adorable floret. 

 

Camila considered a number of responses- condolences on the loss of her pet, thanks for the compliment regarding Princess, simple acknowledgement of the arrangement. In the end she just closed the chat, the unpleasant thought of Princess' own mortality on her mind. She did her best to brush it aside; that wouldn't be for a few centuries with any luck. From what the vet had told her, Princess' genetic modifications actually made her age slower. It made it hard to tell exactly what age she actually was. Camila could keep her possibly until she was a fourth bloom herself. She could even get her digitized, if she wanted. Though, Daisy was still very much an average Terran and she had no say in what Cordelia did with her pet... if Princess lost her pinnate after centuries together...

 

Camila bolted upright and stormed out of the room, physically forcing the line of thought out. Her vines strained under the stress of the tension as she made her way into the kitchen and began grabbing ingredients to make hamburgers. Ground meat, salt, pepper, and mustard for the patties. Buns, pickles, lettuce, onion, tomato and a few other choice condiments were set to the side. It was time to make lunch, not think about events that were at least two centuries off. 

 

Camila started getting the pan warmed as she separated enough of the meat for two patties into a bowl. She worked in a healthy amount of salt and pepper with a hint of mustard, kneading it like dough. The meat prepared, she scooped up half of it and formed it into a disc, setting it aside on wax paper as she repeated with the remainder. She double checked the temperature of the pan before placing the patties in, their sizzling pervading the air. As they cooked, Camila turned her attention back to the other ingredients, peeling off large leaves of lettuce as she chopped both the tomatoes and onions into slices. 

 

The process of cooking was therapeutic in itself. The fact that it elicited such a positively adorable reaction from her pet-to-be certainly helped. The mental image of how earnestly they had enjoyed food since gaining their sense of taste had her humming with delight. The few lingering pricks of malaise that had worked their way into her core like thorns faded away. Even if she couldn't hold onto Princess forever, she could make sure that their every moment was filled with all the love and care she could provide them. Everything in its own time. For now, Princess was falling ever deeper into her vines, and not enjoying that while it lasted felt wasteful.

 

Camila turned around and lifted each patty, inspecting them to see if they were ready before flipping them over. Their sizzling that had grown faint redoubled as the raw meat hit the pan. Grabbing the buns, Camila placed them on a burner each, lightly toasting them before snatching them up to prepare with her selection of condiments. She watched eagerly as the meat continued to cook, everything else ready. After a few investigatory inspections, Camila determined that they were done and placed both onto the bottom bun. Lettuce, pickles, tomato and onion followed close behind, and she pressed top down.

 

Camila frowned, looking at the largely empty plate. The hamburger seemed particularly alone, there was something she was forgetting. She pulled out her pad and brought up the recipe again- ah! Dozens of strips of fried potatoes filled the plate. French fries, the traditional side to the hamburger. Looking up a recipe had her quickly realize she wouldn't have time to make her own from scratch, not before the burger cooled. It was annoying to compile one part of the meal, but the main dish was cooked by her own vines. Camila could live with compiling a side dish. 

 

The lunch complete, it was time to get Princess. 

 

Camila snuck into her room to find her adorably dozing off in her chair. She had to stop a squeal before it started, taking care not to wake her. Her vines tensed up to hold her silent joy as she approached-

 

"Lunchtime already?" Princess lazily turned, a half open eye peering up at her. She stretched as she got up, making adorable little grunts as she did so. "Smells pretty good." 

 

Aww, she had only been resting, not truly asleep. Camila had been hoping to delight in her soft breathing before waking her. All the same, it was nice to see her actually relaxing instead of trying to fill every moment with busy work. "Yes, dear. Would you like to walk to the table, or be carried?" 

 

Princess stretched again, leaning to the side. "Hmmm." She nearly stumbled. Camila caught her and propped her up, eliciting a small blush. "S-sorry, I'm still getting used to the Class E dosage." 

 

"You do not have to apologize for needing help," Camila scoffed, when inspiration struck. She tilted Princess' face up to meet her own- Stars , the cutie was already beginning to slip under just from the direction, how was she so perfect ? "A Princess never apologizes for needing help, they only give thanks. After all, It is normal for a Princess to be helped."

 

Their eyes glazed over as the words sunk into them. "Puh... princess?" The word fell lazily through their clumsy lips. 

 

"Yes, petal," Camila felt her hunger return as those nearly vacant eyes gazed up at her, waiting for her direction, for her to fill them in. " You are a Princess ." That was maybe a bit too much; the last vestiges of light flickered under the weight of the suggestion. A sight that made something in her growl.

 

Princess was thankfully too entranced to notice the noise; the only thing keeping her head up was Camila's vine. "O-oh. Uhm, Thank you?"

 

"That," Camila smiled as she slowly lifted the precious, darling girl up into her vines, "sounds like 'carried.'" 

 

"M-hm." Princess offered her wordless approval as she relaxed into the caress, finally averting her eyes. 

 

Camila made an amused intonation as she carried her future floret to the table. How did Princess expect to last even another three days, let alone three weeks at this rate? If it weren't for her rather unique trauma involving collars... Stars , she would look so perfect in one too. Setting her down in front of the meal reminded her of how empty the plate had looked before the fries. A pet without a collar felt similarly incomplete, even if she wasn't truly a pet yet. 

 

Princess blinked, coming out of her daze at the sight of food. Void, how she wanted to pet her and let her brain melt again, and drug her and play with her until- "Ohhh, that's what a hamburger is. I thought they were called something else. It looks really good."

 

She picked it up and briefly examined it at eye level, before taking a bite. "Mmf!" Princess exclaimed as she placed a hand over her mouth, the other holding onto the burger. The expression on her face was as delightful as ever. "Oh fuck," she spoke around a mouthful. 

 

Camila seized upon the opportunity to expand the girl's rules. "It is unbecoming for a Princess to swear everytime they eat something," she huffed, and Princess froze. "That said, I am glad you like it," she added with a smile, her eyes flashing with ripples of gold. 

 

Princess swallowed, their eyes avoiding her own. "Sorry, I'm still not all that used to... tasting things. It is really good though, thank you."

 

"It is quite alright, Princess, and it is nice to see you are feeling better now." Camila reveled in her girl's moan as she took another bite.

 

"I, uhm, yeah..." She shifted nervously in the pause in conversation, "Do you really-" Embarrassment burned into Princess' face. "N-nevermind," she exclaimed, followed by another delightful sound of culinary discovery as she tried the fries, stuffing several into her mouth. 

 

Curiosity pricked up. "You know, you can ask me anything, Princess. I won't judge you."  

 

Princess slowed her chewing, attempting to buy even just a few seconds more before answering. "Do you... really... see me that way? A-as a princess, that is."

 

"Of course." Camila answered without hesitation, her eyes shimmering with confidence. She was a princess, after all. Not in the sense of some pawn in a form of archaic governance, only somewhat worse than the one they had found in the accord. As someone precious, worthy of protection and adoration. Camila's Princess, hers to dote on and spoil and mold and shower with affection. The way a princess like herself deserved. 

 

"Oh. Okay." Princess tried to bury the feeling bubbling up within her under another bite of her burger, too flustered to properly speak.

 

Camila watched lovingly as the girl continued her meal. She didn't understand just how cherished she was yet, but she was starting to realize that she was, in fact, loved. It would take time for her to come to terms with that, and what that meant for her. Camila would be there for her when she did. 

 

Princess finished her burger with a contented sigh, and Camila moved to her side. "Daisy should be over in the next hour or two, would you like me to put you on the couch, or in your room?" 

-_-_-_-

They couldn't help but notice it was not an option between being set down or carried, but between the two places she intended to carry them. At least it was still a choice. "My room, if you'd please." 

 

Miss Verdun wordlessly offered a vine, letting them initialize contact before sweeping them up. There was a jolt of... whatever it was they were feeling. Whenever she picked them up recently their heart rate spiked, and they felt- something like being behind cover? But... more? The softness of the vines that brushed against their skin was too distracting to be truly relaxing, but it was some kind of odd peace. Like the only thing they had to worry about was Miss Verdun. 

 

She even carries us like a princess...

 

They could taste the blood rushing to their face. Miss Verdun's quick and certain answer hadn't left their mind, echoing in their head the rest of the silent meal. She had just stared a hole through them after that, and they unable to think of anything else to say besides 'Why?' 

 

Miss Verdun placed them on their chair. "There you go, Princess. Next time you feel like resting, though, please just let me know." She indicated the chair with a vine. "There are much better places to do that than here. You'll hurt your neck and back." 

 

Princess...

 

It was a good thing they couldn't blush harder. Hopefully. "I'll keep that in mind, thank you." Stupid pretty plant with her dumb kind smile and annoying warm eyes and overbearing kindness and sickeningly sweet pet name. 

 

"Okay, don't forget to let me know if you need anything else, Princess~" with one last flirtatious wave- that's what it was right? Flirting? They were left mercifully alone.  

 

They snatched the pad off the desk as though it was water in the desert, desperate to think about anything besides how the thought of being a princess made them feel. There were a number of friend requests, seemingly from Daisy's friends and their Affini. Talking to them was not going to provide what they needed; if anything it would be counterproductive. They needed something that forced them to use all their brain power. That way, they wouldn't have any to spare for things like how being near Miss Verdun made them feel. 

 

Or things like being a princess.

 

They sat upright and clapped their hands together, forcing their headspace clear, though the blush remained. Studying! That should keep them busy enough to not get sidetracked! They never did finish The Stars Betwixt . 

 

Navigating to the appropriate bookmark, they set the audiobook back about ten minutes to get a good refresher, and hit play. It took a while to get back into the flow of listening to flowery speech and reading along, but soon they were once again taken away by the labor of love that went into the production and the poeticism of the text. 

 

<and then seri caressed noin's face, its fingers running alongside xir mandibles. "I thought we might draw our owners together with clever play, but this feeling in me has grown. I can no longer pretend it is a farce. I find myself caught not just in my Mistress' gravity, but thine's as well, my beloved.">

 

<noin placed xir hand on seri's, their eyes glistening in the starlight that cascaded through the canopy. "and I, yours, my precious pinnate.">

 

"Whatcha listening to plants for?" Daisy asked, peering over their shoulder, her sudden appearance causing them to jump and nearly fumble the pad as they pulled away. "Oh, sorry," she gently knocked a fist against her head, "I forgot I'm not s'posed to sneak up on ya."

 

That did not slow their pounding heart. They quickly eyed the time on the pad as they paused the audio- Daisy wasn't early, in fact, it had already been nearly two hours. "I told you I was studying Affini language," they replied, getting themselves under control. 

 

"Hm?" Daisy cocked her head to the side for a second, furrowing her brow. Just as quickly, she flicked it back up as though something had dawned on her. "Oh yeah!" She chuckled, "I remember that! Sorry." She leaned back over the chair, looking at the pad in their lap. "So whatcha reading there? Nerd stuff for speaking plant?" 

 

"It's an old Affini story." They huffed, feeling defensive over the story that had grasped them the last few days. "It's very good."

 

"Hmmm. Terran old, or Affini old?"

 

"Affini standards, it dates back to before the compact itself was properly founded, when the Affini were still in their own system.” From their best estimation, it was several magnitudes older than the age of the Terran agricultural revolution. 

 

Daisy snickered. "So it is nerd stuff." 

 

They weren't going to just let Daisy disparage The Stars Betwixt, even if it was dense at times . "It is a very good romance actually, I think you would enjoy it."

 

"Awwwh, you wanna read a romance with me? Daisy swooned. "That's so cute . I can't read Affini, though~"

 

What's cute about that?

 

"It comes in standard Terran. It even has a few dozen movies and plays based on the material." From what they could tell, it was always in the first wave of Affini stories to be translated into any given language in the compact. 

 

Daisy lit up like a plasma rifle, jumping up and down. "Yes!!!" Yes? "Omigosh, let's go tell Mistress!" She grabbed their hand and pulled up before they could ask what she was on about. They barely kept upright as Daisy dragged them out of their room and into the common area. Miss Dawnbloom and Miss Verdun were sitting next to each other on the couch- Miss Dawnbloom held Miss Verdun's 'hand' with both of her own, as Miss Verdun's free 'hand' was on the other Affini's 'thigh.' None of anatomy looking quite like it was supposed to, their forms blending into each other. They both turned in sync at the sound of Daisy charging into the room. Miss Verdun got up as they stumbled from being tugged along, disentangling from an unpleased Miss Dawnbloom, but stopped when they caught their footing. 

 

Miss Dawnbloom made a clicking noise, "Petal, I told you to be careful with Princess. She's not steady on that much Class E." 

 

Daisy let out an 'eep' and whipped around to check on them, causing them to almost bump into her from the sudden stop. "Omigosh, are you alright?"

 

"I'm fine," they said through gritted teeth. Anger was absent, but annoyance was not. "Nothing actually happened." Even as they spoke, they realized something about getting jerked along had agitated the moderate feeling of being off-balance. The hab twisted around them dizzyingly as they tried to steady themselves. 

 

Miss Verdun caught them as they stumbled to one side, picking them up and brushing a few vines through their hair. The sensation was dizzying in its own way, scrambling their thoughts as their heart fluttered. "I have you, Princess, don't worry."

 

Worry? Were they worrying about something? What was there to worry about?

 

W-wait! She's petting us!  

 

Well, it was more like brushing the hair out of their face, and she did tell them not to worry...

 

"It's alright cutie, just be more careful with her when leading her around, alright?"

 

"Uh-huh!" 

 

Miss Verdun carried them back to the couch and sat down, still cradling them. They heard Daisy gasp and giggle as she was lifted up by her owner, now opposite them in her Affini's vines. They opened their mouth to protest still being held, but then several vines scratched up the base of their skull, scattering their thoughts. The sensation made them gasp and reflexively push back against it, intensifying the sensation. Their eyes unfocused as they stared upwards, the smile on Miss Verdun's face growing wide. And her eyes, clear and bright, shone through the visual fog...

 

That is definitely petting!

 

They needed to- to... to? Miss Verdun said they shouldn't worry. The ripples of gold shimmering in her purple-pink eyes said that too. 

 

"Now, what is it you wanted to ask me, my precious sunlight?" Miss Dawnbloom asked, returning to her full cheer. 

 

"Oh! Me an' Princess were talking and she's reading this really old Affini romance thingy and I was sad that I couldn't read it but then Princess said there were movie versions and I was wondering if we could have a movie night!" She put on her best pleading face, "Pleeease, Mistress?" 

 

"Oh, and what ‘Affini romance’ would that be?" Her Owner asked, amused. Miss Verdun broke eye contact looking expectantly over at the other pair, leaving their mind thick with fog that began to slowly clear. At least she had them while they recovered from it. 

 

It isn't worth worrying about... 

 

"Oh, it's, uhm-" Daisy hummed, pouting. "Princess, what was the thing you were reading, again?" 

 

They blinked. Reading? Oh, right, the novel! "I was reading The Stars Betwixt to help practice reading and hearing Affini-" 

 

Miss Dawnbloom somehow managed to light up twice as much as normal, causing them to wince. "You wanted to watch The Stars Betwixt ? Oh, that's an adorable idea, Princess!" 

 

"The movie was Daisy's idea, I just mentioned it, I suppose." They stiffly adjusted themselves in Miss Verdun's vines, "I think I'm feeling better now, by the way. 

 

"I'm glad to hear it." 

 

"You can put me down?" Wait, why did that sound like a question? They meant to state it, demand to be put down!

 

The Affini smiled, a predatory smirk that made them feel that much more vulnerable. "I'll keep that in mind."

 

They felt all their blood rush to their head, which brought the spinning feeling back.

 

Wh-what?! Is she just going to hold us?

 

"Well either way," Miss Dawnbloom took the conversation back, "I think that would be delightful! Why don't Camila and I go get some snacks and find a good version of it while you cuties wait here?" 

 

"Yeah!" Daisy cheered. 

 

There was movement as the Affini got up and placed the two Terrans on the couch. Miss Verdun set them upright in the corner, and they gladly leaned into it for support as she left. Daisy quickly cuddled up with them, making sure to move slowly and keep them steady. They reflexively placed their arm around her, their mind preoccupied with a more pressing question. 

 

What... just happened?  

 

It felt like they were reading one moment and being... caressed the next. There was something missing too, something else they should be feeling? It was like running a finger over an odd bump you can't make the shape out of. There was something there, but nondescript, and presently absent. 

 

Shouldn't we be upset about.. the petting? 

 

It was somewhat over the line but it also felt... nice? It's not like an occasional pet was going to make them a pet. Nor was it any more intimate than the other things they'd done with the Affini. She had bathed them twice now, after all. They could bring it up later, if she tried it again, but they shouldn't worry about it. 

 

Daisy nuzzled into them, and they smiled as they pulled her just a bit closer. There was nothing to worry about, anyways.