Editing Hesperax's Pet (section)

==Chapter Twelve==

“...I guess I’m still a little lost. You mean to tell me that most of your race reproduces by growing new young in vats?”

Lelith sighed and looked over the top of her reading glasses at Avitus. She had brought her pet into her study after they had bathed, and all the while she had taken it upon herself to begin explaining the nuances of Dark Eldar society. 

“Yes. Your mon’keigh concepts of ‘intimacy’ and ‘family’ don’t particularly work out when both parties are vying to gain leverage over the other. Everything is a battle: a test of wills, strength, and endurance. Even sex. It’s rather hard to produce children when you have to worry about the person closest to you slitting your throat in the middle of the night, on top of the normal, everyday dangers…”

She trailed off rather awkwardly, and lowered her eyes to stare back at the dataslate containing the inventory of her Cult’s latest raids.  With all the time she had devoted to breaking in Avitus, Lelith had fallen slightly behind in her normal Succubus duties. While it was no trouble at all to maintain her appearances in the coliseums, the paperwork never seemed to stop piling up.

“Hrm… Well, for what it’s worth: You don’t have to worry about that with me,” Avitus mused, shifting in his chair across the desk from the Succubus. “I’m more likely to end up cutting off my own hand in the process.”

His Mistress smirked at that, though she didn’t bother looking up from her work. “Mhrm. You certainly are the most combat-inept mon’keigh I’ve ever seen.”

“Perhaps, but I do have other skills. For example…” Avitus pointed at three dataslates that he had been idly reading upside down. “My knowledge of your script is shaky at best, but this ‘Dracite’ here is pocketing quite a bit from your raids. Probably more than you expect, if I had to guess.”

Lelith blinked, then picked up the slates in question to scan them over. “Well I don’t believe it. You *are* right. That’s 15% more than I told her she could have. Seems I’ll have to have a talk with her…” She placed the pads back into the stack, and resumed her earlier reading. “By the way, my pet, you have something on your cheek.”

Avitus raised an eyebrow as he scraped his fingers across his face. Holding them a few inches from his face, the acolyte grinned at seeing the traces of Lelith’s lipstick on his digits. He hadn’t even seen her form blur, yet somehow she’d managed to kiss him nonetheless. “I’m not exactly sure I deserved that, but thanks.”

A small tinge of red became visible on the Dark Eldar’s cheeks. “O-Of course you do,” she whispered, setting the pad down and burying her face in her hands. “Just… I envy you, you know. Being able to relax and simply enjoy the loving care I provide. I’ve never had that opportunity, ever. It’s always been a fight for survival and maintaining dominance. But… just once…”

The acolyte shook his head and slowly reached over to pat her head. “Look, Mistress, no, Lelith. I…” He wasn’t able to finish his sentence before his hand passed through the space where her head used to be. In the time it had taken him to blink, she’d taken up residence on his lap and curled against his chest. “Umm...hi.”

“Hi…” she murmured, tracing a circle around one of his pectorals with the tip of her fingernails. “I uh… I want to make you a deal. If you handle all this paperwork for me, I’ll… I’ll…”

“Go on…”

She closed her eyes and cringed. “I’ll be your pet for a day…”

“I’m flattered, really. I’d be happy to try and help you with the paperwork, but I don’t know the first thing about being a good Master. Especially at the level you probably expect. Wouldn’t you rather…gah!” Avitus yelped as he felt his collarbone being bit. 

“No,” Lelith pouted, pulling back to stare into the man’s eyes. “I-I don’t care about all that. Just do whatever it is you m-mon’keighs do with your mates, and I’ll be content. Just one day… one day not having to be ‘The Queen of Commorragh.’ That’s all I want...” 

Flummoxed, Avitus could only wrap his hands around his Mistress’ back and pull her into a hug. For a time, the two remained as such, though Lelith couldn’t help but tremble in the acolyte’s embrace. Finally, the man replied:

“I’m going to need another cup of recaf and another pair of boxer briefs if you want all this done by tomorrow.”