"Thank you."

"Mm. You're welcome."

She hums, leaning against Occlus a bit more.

"It's no problem."

"So we'll come back in a day or two, then?"

"Two would be best."

"We'll go entertain ourselves, then."

And off they go.

And Ani closes her eyes and leans against her Mistress properly, relaxing.

She has things to do - updating and talking to her children, figuring out how to tell the government as a whole what's up - Leia might want to wait until she has a better read on the situation - figuring out how she's going to approach Elesse -

But, for now, she wants to simply be Occlus's. Responsibility can wait.

For a while longer, at least.

Once she's gotten a bit of belonging out of her system, she starts talking to her children - Luke's excited to explore, Leia wants someone to talk more formally with the more responsible of Ani and Occlus's alts, about trade and the like, but is willing to delegate especially since childcare is still a problem until she's satisfied gallivanting across the multiverse is safe for her children...

Probably Luke will accompany Ani, is their decision, and Leia will stay behind.

And far, far too slowly, the next day rolls around.

Occlus takes delivery of a smallish black box late in the day. She places it on the living room table with a small smirk.

She shivers, glancing at the box, and sets down what she'd been doing to walk over to her Occlus.

"Is that for me, Mistress?" she asks.

"It's mine."

She catches Ani around the neck and pushes her down.

"Just like you are."

Oh.

She whines, breath catching, says, "Yours," and shivers as she drops to her knees, relaxing in her Mistress's hold, pulse picking up. (Fuck, she loves having Occlus's hand on her neck, loves every bit of this.)

Gentle squeeze. "Now, you know what is in there."

"Tell me how much you want it." Less gentle squeeze.

How is she supposed to have coherent thoughts when her Mistress is squeezing her neck. This is patently unfair.

Still, she can beg even while her thoughts are scattering into 'yes yes yes' and 'Mistress'.

"I want it so much," she says, moaning. "I want you to collar me, Mistress, I want everyone to know I'm yours - please, I want it, I belong to you, please put your collar on your pet - want to touch it and know I'm yours, want to feel it every day - "

"That is what I like to hear, pet." She takes her hands off Ani's neck, fists one in her hair and uses the other to beckon the box over. She twists her pet's head to look at it and flicks it open with a finger.

Inside, nestled in white velvet, is a dark metal ring about an inch wide. Traceries of silver spiderweb across it, glimmering in the light and spelling out ancient Sith runes. Ani can just about (if her brain is functional) make out that some of concepts involved are 'fealty-to-rightful-master', 'loyalty-to-the-highest', and 'worshiper-who-is-owned'.

She processes the meanings she can, whining softly. Oh that's - so good - so much better than what she'd imagined -

(Her brain is definitely a lot less functional than it was before her Mistress opened the box.)

"Please."

The collar floats out and the box returns to the table. Occlus sends a spark leaping from her hand to the collar and it splits in half with a soft click. She pushes Ani's head down to the floor and throws her hair off her neck. The collar slips down to brush the nape of her neck before snapping closed. It is a perfect fit.

It's also cold.

Her breath catches in her throat when Occlus pushes her down, and she whines when the collar snaps into place, cold and there.

"Thank you Mistress," she manages, between heavy breaths, her arms quivering lightly, keeping her head down of course.

(She loves Occlus so so much, it's hard to have any other thought in her head or feeling in her chest.)

"Stand up now, pretty girl."

She rises, beaming up at her Mistress, reaching up to brush her fingers over her collar.

Kisses!

Kisses!

She melts into Occlus.

Occlus scoops her up and carries her to the bed.