"Mistress!!" Josie scampered through the doorway of their owner's office, leaping blindly into the cushion of comforting vines that had been extended to greet them. As far as they were capable of knowing, there was no greater font of safety or love in all the universe than Stipitate's embrace. Yet still Josie trembled.

"What's wrong, my sweetie?" If bliss could speak, it would be with that voice. Josie basked in the vibration that came from every place where Mistress held them. Already they could feel the fear being carried away on the pastel-colored tide of xenodrugs from their implant.

"Well," Josie faltered. Their composure was returning, but it was important to explain what had happened before their head filled with soft mist. "I was helping the new resident get used to hir room."

"Ah yes," said  Stipitate, "just like I asked, darling pet."

"Right. I did good, Mistress. But then ze started using the display controls, and..." the memory was already slipping away. "It made the room look bad," Josie finished, unsatisfied but unable to describe it more clearly.

"Oh, my poor sweetheart," said Stipitate with that voice of coddling tenderness Josie had once hated but now understood as the sound of being home. "You know it's not possible for the room display to hurt you, right?"

Josie nodded. "Looked... scary." They were already half-asleep in Mistress’s arms.

"My goodness. Well, you know that I would never let a scary room harm you, right?"

Another nod.

"Perhaps we should go visit our new resident together, so that you won't be frightened if you ever have to visit hir alone."

Josie gave a soft yelp. Feebly, for just a moment, they struggled to escape their Mistress’s arms. How long had it been since the last time they had attempted such a thing? It had been as pointless then as it was now, and Josie submitted to the embrace.

"Don't worry, darling Josie-rosey. Your Mistress can handle anything."

It was so obvious now. How stupid must Josie have been, to imagine even the faintest possibility of danger? They weren't even a little nervous as Mistress carried them back up the building toward the room that they had set up that afternoon for the new arrival, an independent sophont. Josie was almost unconscious with comfort as  Stipitate knocked on the door and pushed it open.

The construction of the apartment had been an odd request, but not a difficult one. Their guest had asked for a front room sized for an affini, but bisected with a large balcony halfway up the wall opposite the front door, only reachable for humans by a spiral staircase. Josie couldn't decide- well, on anything really, but specifically whether the balcony was the weirdest feature, or if that honor belonged to the revolving door, which was the only entrance to the rest of the apartment.

Once their Mistress had carried Josie over the threshold, Josie remembered what had been so scary. Their newest guest had wanted what Mistress called the "holodeck" option, a reference Josie didn't understand but was popular enough with independent sophonts, who probably assumed that they would never get bored with endless options on how to decorate their surroundings. This room was set to display the view from a specific location, which was also a popular choice among those who wanted to wallow in the memories of a time before the affini had rescued them. However, what little capacity for skepticism still remained in Josie's brain told them that no human would be reasonably nostalgic for a spot twenty feet above a bubbling volcano.

"Ah, Madam Stipitate. I was just about to send you a message," said Lonely from the ground floor, indicating the tablet in hir hand. "If your floret has calmed down enough, I would like to apologize to them."

"Josie is in no fit state to talk," came Mistress’s voice from everywhere. Josie felt the squeeze of the vines around them. What a wonderful Mistress, giving Josie a comforting hug. "They were very upset with your choice of decoration."

"Again, I do apologize," said Lonely. "I did not think that anything could frighten someone accustomed to the care of the affini. Here, hopefully this will work as a compromise: Decor Setting One-B," ze said, the last line delivered with the slow, loud clarity of someone accustomed to the juvenile audio processors of terran computers. A decorative rug appeared on the floor, though Josie noticed that it did not reach all the way to the walls.

"The idea of a magic carpet always intrigued me," said Lonely. "Do you suppose the first human to imagine one was so destitute that to them, a normal carpet was a treasure equally mythical?" 

"Why would you expect that they'd be poor?"  Stipitate asked. Josie noticed that their Mistress' grip had barely loosened.

"Apart from sheer probability? The nature of human imagination is such that the privileged prefer imagining that which they can obtain. Those without resources, without a sense of agency, they tend to fantasize about what nobody could reasonably expect to have."

"And, what, you want a volcano?"  Stipitate stroked Josie's head. "Or do you just want to make me and my pet uncomfortable?" 

That last sentence... Josie wondered briefly if there was something strange about it.

"If my choice of scenery offends, then surely it is within your power to change it for me," said Lonely, "or you could explain anything you want, and I will happily accommodate your preferences, just as you have done so generously for me."

Josie began to feel confined in Mistress’s grip. "Would you mind placing a bridge between the rug and the door?"  Stipitate asked.

"I am happy to comply," said Lonely. Ze fiddled with the tablet for a minute, and patch of smooth, solid-looking stone appeared in the requested spot. "Is that better? I could try to recreate a patch of grass, if rock is uncomfortable."

"It's fine."

Josie felt the very air become more enjoyable to breathe in response to some change in Mistress’s mood.

"Thank you," said Lonely.

"For what?"

"Asking," came the reply. "It would seem the rarest treasure in the universe is quickly becoming the opportunity to accommodate an affini's polite request. If ever there is a need of yours that I can service, I would be grateful to indulge in this luxury."

"Well for one, you can promise not to upset my little one again."

Lonely nodded. "I promise to take no action which I believe will cause undue emotional or physical distress to Josie. Is that reasonable?"

"I suppose," said Stipitate.

"If it is not too much to ask, I would still like to apologize to them directly when and if they are both lucid and interested in accepting it."

Josie looked up into Mistress’s face, which had bent down to examine them. They held the gaze as steadily as they could.

"Josie?" The soft voice nearly put them to sleep, but they forced their eyes wide open. "Lonely here would like to tell you something. I'm going to wake you up a little bit, okay? Then afterwards you can take a nice nap in your basket, does that sound good?"

When they tried to voice agreement, what came out sounded more like "Yizzzmmm." Of course, Mistress understood perfectly. As she lowered them to the floor, Josie felt the fog in their head begin to clear. They still felt tuckered out, but sentences seemed possible.

The independent sophont nodded hir thanks to Mistress. "Josie, I apologize for startling you, both by changing the environment without warning, and by presenting you with a situation that I should have expected would cause distress. I will strive to not frighten you this way in the future."

"S'okay," mumbled Josie. "It's just a picture, really. It can't hurt me."

"No, I imagine that with the care of a loving owner, it is difficult to imagine anything that can." This seemed more directed at Mistress, but Josie nodded anyway.

"Mistress keeps me happy and safe!" They bounced up and down on the balls of their feet. "Are you going to get an owner too?"

"Not at this time."

Josie laughed. "I thought so too. I had secret plans, y'know."

"Is that so?"

"I was going to unionize all the pets."

"Ah, I see. Collective bargaining- useful for those being exploited for labor while their needs are ignored. Rather the opposite situation to what you seem to be in now."

Josie giggled. "Yeah, guess I wasn't thinking. But Mistress helped me!"

"I see. Well, I believe your Mistress promised you a nap? If there are no further urgent matters to discuss, I would hate to stand in the way of her promise or your rest."

As a yawn escaped their lips, Josie found themselves being scooped back into Mistress’s embrace. They gave Lonely a gentle wave as ze and Mistress said goodbye, and Mistress carried them out the door and back down the hallway. 

"Thank you, Mistress," said Josie as their eyelids grew heavy. "I don't feel scared anymore."

"Of course not, sweet flower. Your Mistress is here to keep you safe and happy, after all."

Josie murmured agreement. They felt themselves be moved around as Mistress retrieved her tablet and began typing. Although they had only the barest understanding of written Affini, Josie recognized what was on the screen as a chat window. The name on the top belonged to Mistress’ friend the veterinarian, whom Josie had been to visit a couple of times. Mistress sent several texts and received a couple of replies, then a new window opened up with several more names. Josie watched Mistress scroll through the chat history for several seconds before giving a humorous sigh of understanding and putting away the tablet.

“So that explains it.”

“Explains what, Mistress?”

Warm thoughtlessness crept into Josie’s head as Mistress hummed. “Nothing to worry about, little one. It seems that Lonely got off on the wrong foot with affini, since the first one ze actually met was Perennial Inosculata, bless her seed. So, ze’s probably going to be on edge for a little while, but living with us will help hir come out of hir shell.”

“Oh, ok.”

“Now I think it’s time for my little Josie-rosey to go beddy-bye, don’t you think?”

“Yes Mistress,” Josie mumbled, already falling asleep.