Lilicoon looks at the painting that hangs in her home, and smiles in memory. She tells the visiting Jay how she and Sunshine met as friends, and the first time they had tea together. Grateful for that meeting, because through that meeting, her future was secure in meeting Jay.
@internutter/challenge-02612-g055-befriending-sunshine -- Anon Guest
There was a goddess above her fireplace. Well. Pseudo-fireplace. Sometimes, a home needs a mantlepiece to display objects of pride. This was her home. Her space. Her victory.
Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered...
The portrait of herself as a feline goddess victorious over the foe who tried to own her anew. Smiling as only a cat could. A gift from a true predator who had saved her from the worse kind of person.
She lived with predators, now. On a world designed for the kind of people who hunted people. Lilcoon felt far safer on a world full of killers than she ever had on her home planet of Nufurria.
"It looks good," said Jay. "You look good." They purposely moved so that Lil could see them before moving to embrace her warmly. He would never sneak up on her just to scare her, nor claim it was a joke and tell her she needed to relax. He would never play cruel games with her psyche, nor seek multiple ways to render her weak.
Jay, and Mr Sunshine, only ever wanted to see her become strong.
She was pleased that she had become as strong as they believed she could be. Pleased that she had learned and grown and found time to become part of Galactic Society. Pleased that she had become a Therapeutic Companion for Pax Humanis' members in general, and Jay in particular.
Some people insisted that Lilcoon had exchanged one prison and predatory prison guard for another. They were wrong.
She could walk out of here under her own free will, with none to stop her. Any time she so wished. Lilcoon stayed with Jay because she wanted to.
Liking them was merely icing on the metaphorical cake.
[Photo by Jeb Buchman on Unsplash]
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