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beckyninja · 3 months ago

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The Curse

Pairing: SalamanderOC x FemReader

Warnings: some violence, some obsession

Description: As Nev'ran's longing for his Diamond grows, she discovers something truly horrific about her intended husband.

A damsel in distress? Check. Star-crossed lovers? Check. A creepy rival with a dark secret? Check. Can you tell I love the classic tropes?

This is a continuation of my Salamander x Reader series, which you can find on my Masterlist.

The icy wind howled like a living, vengeful thing when you stepped off the transport. It clawed into every bit of exposed skin. You pulled your hood tighter around your face, already longing for the warmth of the Salamanders’ battle barge.

For his warmth.

No. Don’t think about that, about him. Numb yourself.

Your eyes lifted to the settlement around you. White ice and dull silver metal, as far as the eye could see. Frozen and lifeless.

They’d told you the majority of the colony’s population lived underground, in a city carved from the bedrock. Between that and the mines, you wondered how many of the citizens had ever seen the surface.

And that’s where I’ll spend the rest of my days too. Down, down in the hard, frozen depths.

Not even the numbness of your heart could fight off the leaden dread in your stomach.

The shriek of cold metal pierced through the howling wind. You turned to see a portion of the floor slide back to reveal an elevator. Six figures, so bundled they barely looked human, stood on the platform. One towered a full foot over the rest.

The guards sent to collect you marched forward as one. You stumbled in the ankle-deep snow, trying to keep up with the inhuman regularity of their steps. Servitors of some kind?

At last you stepped onto the platform. The tall figure reached out one claw-like gloved hand and beckoned.

You approached, fighting back the urge to make a break for the departing transport. The dread in your gut intensified. Your heart pounded in your ears.

As you reached the tall figure, the platform shook and began to descend. The panel above you slid shut with another ear splitting shriek. For a moment, all was frigid darkness. Then the lumens flickered on.

Revealing a cadaverous face pressed close to yours.

You jerked back with a gasp. Only for thin fingers, so cold they burned your flesh, to grasp your chin with frightening strength. They turned your face from side to side while thin gray lips pursed.

“Young. Healthy. Teeth?”

“Wh-what-?”

The fingers tightened, forcing your jaw open. Colorless eyes narrowed.

“Good. Good.”

The fingers released you, and you stumbled back. “H-how dare you! I am-”

“My betrothed.” The lips stretched into a horrible mockery of a smile, revealing teeth too large for the mouth they sat in. “Welcome home, dear.”

You welcomed the darkness that overwhelmed you.

***

Nev’ran felt bone crack beneath his fist as he drove it into his opponent’s jaw. The other Salamander staggered back, guard dropping for a fraction of a second. That was all the old Apothecary needed.

He rammed his shoulder into the younger Marine’s chest. One hand hooked a knee, yanked, and his sparring partner collapsed to the mats.

Nev’ran heard his brothers muttering outside of the cage. They thought the match over.

No. Not enough!

Red still tinted his vision. Lava still burned in his veins.

Ignoring the shouts from the other Marines, he fell upon his fallen opponent. His fists swung, pulping flesh and snapping bone. Again. Again.

No longer did he see a fellow Salamander beneath him. A baseline male lay there. The face was obscured, the shape vague, but Nev’ran knew him. The bastard who’d stolen his Diamond.

A roar of fury burst from his throat.

“Master! Master, stop!”

Hands grasped his shoulders. He bucked and heaved, but more and more hands dragged him away from his prey.

“Release me!” He bellowed.

A familiar face appeared before him. “Apothecary Nev’ran, control yourself!”

“Captain?”

He shook his head, and the red haze faded. The burning within cooled. He saw, not his hated rival, but a Battle Brother laying on the floor of the sparring cage. Blood covered the young Marine’s battered face.

“Vulkan’s burning eyes…,” Nev’ran whispered in horror. “I…I did not…get him to the Apothecarion, quickly!”

As the unconscious Salamander was lifted and carried away, he moved to follow. A hand on his shoulder halted him.

“Apothecary Hur’reth will tend him.” Captain Xavus’s face was grim. “You and I must speak.”

The tone of his voice brooked no argument. Nev’ran followed him into an empty arming chamber, not even bothering to wipe the blood from his clenched fists.

Emperor, forgive me. What have I done?

“I know what you would speak to me of, Xavus.”

The Captain kept his back turned. “Do you?”

“It will not happen again.”

“That is what you told me the last time. And Hur’reth informs me this is not the second sparring partner you’ve brutalized, but the fifth.” He finally turned, red eyes blazing. “What are you doing, Nev’ran?”

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. How could they?

Do you expect me to tell you my hearts burn for a woman, Captain? A woman with soft eyes and a softer smile. A woman I swore to keep warm all her days. A woman who was to be my second chance!

He closed his mouth and looked away.

The Captain sighed. “What is done, is done, my friend. You must let it go.”

“I cannot.”

“Nev’ran-”

“She did not wish to leave. I saw it in her eyes!”

“Do not-”

“She would have accepted me, had I asked. I would have asked. I would have claimed her as my mate.”

“This is not-”

“She was MINE.”

“Apothecary Nev’ran!” The Captain bellowed. “I did not want to censure you, but this obsession has clouded your judgement, distracted you from your duty. You will report to the Chaplain and be assigned penance.”

Nev’ran’s spine snapped straight. “For how long?”

“For as long as it takes to purge this unseemly desire from your soul.”

Nev’ran bowed his head and bit his tongue.

He felt the Captain’s hand on his shoulder. “I understand, old friend. I know you have suffered. But she was never yours.”

You did not see the way she looked at me.

“Captain!” The Lieutenant burst into the room. “We will have to delay our departure from this world.”

“Explain.”

“Navigator Esha reports that a Warp storm has formed around the planet.”

Captain Xavus stepped forward. “Did the Lady Navigator give any further details?”

“She said the storm is small, and she hopes it may dissipate within a few days, a week at most. Until then, she strongly advises against Warp travel.”

The news hit Nev’ran like a blow to the stomach. “So, we are trapped here.”

His bitter laughter resulted in concerned looks from the Captain and Lieutenant.

“Report to the Chaplain immediately, Apothecary.”

***

You awoke to something warm and wet being drawn across your brow.

“My L-L-Lady?”

The timid voice roused you fully and you opened your eyes. You lay in a massive, four poster bed. Furs and blankets covered you from chin to foot. Candles flickered throughout a bedchamber seemingly carved from solid stone. You pushed yourself into a sitting position, allowing the coverings to fall to your waist.

A blast of icy air shocked a gasp from your lungs.

Hands pushed the furs and blankets back around your shoulders. “P-p-please keep this on, my L-L-Lady!”

Clutching the coverings, you turned to see a young woman standing to your right. Near-translucent skin shone in the candlelight. Huge gray eyes looked at you from amidst a tangle of white blond hair.

Colorless. Just like this room, just like the surface. Just like…that man.

You shivered, and the girl quickly tucked the coverings tightly around you. “Y-y-you are not yet used to the c-c-cold, my Lady. Y-y-you should stay c-c-covered.”

“Where am I?”

“The G-G-Governor’s m-m-manor, my Lady.”

Your heart sped up and you peered around the room for any sign of your skeletal fiance. “He’s not here.”

“N-n-no, my Lady. Governor Ledyanoy is in his-” a sharp pause, “not here.”

“Who are you?”

“My n-n-name is Lili, my L-L-Lady. I am to be your h-h-handmaid.”

You fell back against the dull, white pillows.

That man, that creature, is my future husband?!

You remembered the feeling of his cold, hard fingers on your face and shivered again. So different from the warm, calloused hands of-

Shoving the memories, the longing, down deep, you forced yourself to fling back the covers and swing your feet over the side of the bed. Lili flitted around you like an agitated moth, eyes growing even wider when you informed her you were leaving the room.

“Oh, n-n-no, my Lady!”

“I must speak to the Governor, Lili. There is a wedding to be planned, formal documents to sign. I must inspect the manor if I’m to be Mistress here.”

The girl’s face twisted with fear. “The G-G-Governor ordered you are to r-r-remain here, my Lady.”

“Am I a prisoner, to be locked away in this room until he sends for me?” Your voice came out harsher than you intended.

The girl dropped to her knees, shaking like a leaf. “P-p-please, my Lady! He’ll p-p-punish me if I l-l-let you….”

Her voice trailed off, and you felt a stab of guilt as tears welled in her gray eyes. You reached down and lifted her to her feet. Her bare feet.

“Emperor! You must be freezing as much as I! Quick, climb in here.” You scooted to one side and lifted the covers.

“I c-c-couldn’t-”

“I insist.” You patted the mattress. “I order it, if that makes you feel better.”

The girl blinked at you for a moment, then climbed into the bed. You tucked the blankets around the both of you. Already, it felt good to have a warm, living person next to you. Something to combat the sterile chill.

The girl sighed and curled in on herself. “Th-th-thank you, my Lady. You are k-k-kind.”

“As soon as the wedding is finalized, I’ll make sure you and the other servants are properly clad.”

Lili gave you an odd look. “Other s-s-servants?”

“Yes. I was told before I came that the Governor’s manor stretches for miles under the surface. Surely it requires an army of servants to maintain.”

“S-s-servitors, my L-L-Lady.”

You blinked at her. “You mean….”

“The G-G-Governor prefers s-s-servitors, my Lady. Only s-s-servitors.”

Servitors were a part of daily life in the Imperium. But all the nobles you’d ever encountered preferred human servants to the shambling, blank-eyed cyborgs. An image filled your mind of cold, stone halls inhabited solely by mindless beings of metal and rotting flesh.

“But you…? You’re not…?”

“The G-G-Governor’s f-f-first wife preferred human s-s-servants, my Lady. Ever since, he’s k-k-kept at least one.”

“First wife?” The dread came surging back. “How many…?”

“You are the f-f-fifth.” The look Lili gave you was full of hopeless pity. “My L-L-Lady, you should not have c-c-come here.”

***

The Chaplain’s voice, roughened from centuries of incense smoke, rumbled through the Chapel. Prayers for protection, for honor, for victory. They rolled through Nev’ran’s head like an unstoppable lava flow, punctuated now and again by ringing clangs as the Sacratium serfs brought hammers down upon the Holy Anvils.

Nev’ran knelt before the altar, as he had for the past ten hours. No rest. No sustenance. Only prayer.

Soft eyes. Soft hands. Soft smiles.

Emperor, grant me focus.

The first time he’d made you laugh. The first time you'd relaxed in his presence. The first time you'd said his name.

Emperor, drive these desires from my hearts.

When you'd looked at him amidst the frost of your ruined chamber. When you'd regained your strength under his ministrations. When you'd come to his Apothecarion, day after day.

Emperor, purify me with-

The moment his lips had barely brushed yours.

A desperate groan tore from his chest. The Chaplain’s chanting ceased.

“Tell me, brother.”

Nev’ran bowed his head in shame. “My prayers go unanswered, Chaplain.”

“This woman still distracts you?”

“She does.”

“Hmmm.” Nev’ran sensed the Chaplain at his side. “Our Chapter has long recognized the blessings women bring. Ever since the Primarch walked among us, we knew love was not something to be repressed, but nurtured. It gives us a strength many other Chapters lack.”

“I know, Chaplain.”

“But the love of a Salamander is unlike that of mortal man.”

Nev’ran recited the teachings he’d learned at the feet of his own Master, centuries ago. “A Dragon’s love runs hot. If left untempered, it leads to obsession…”

“And?”

His throat dried. “And madness.”

“Your feet turn toward that path even now, Apothecary.”

Nev’ran clenched his fists on his knees. “How do I turn away, Chaplain?”

“Endure, brother. As the blade is tempered in flame, so our souls are tempered in suffering.”

Your face. Your voice. Your-

He bit the inside of his cheek, the pain driving away the memories. “And if I cannot, Chaplain?”

“You will.” A heavy gauntlet landed on his shoulder, the fingers grasping too hard to be comforting. “You must.”

Emperor, grant me focus. Emperor, grant me focus. Emperor-

The image of you in the arms of another man.

“Emperor, please!”

***

You perched on the edge of the bed and stared at nothing. Three days. Three days you’d languished in this icy cell of a bedchamber. You only knew the amount of time from the meals Lili brought you at regular intervals.

You glanced at the door, ears straining for the sound of human footsteps. Not the shuffling of lobotomized monsters.

What kind of icy hell have I been abandoned in?

You conjured up an image of the Governor of your homeworld. A corpulent woman, drowning in fine cloth and gems the size of your fist, eyes beady and full of avarice. The old hatred, beaten into submission for so long, bloomed anew in your heart.

“Damn you to the Void for choosing me. You had daughters aplenty to sell off. And yet you sacrificed me.”

A platter with the remains of your noon meal lay next to you on the bed. You picked it up and flung it against the stone wall. The clang sounded blasphemous in the eternal silence of this manor.

Not a manor, a tomb. A tomb for a walking corpse.

He’d finally visited you that morning, standing at the foot of the bed and staring with those dead eyes. All the questions you’d told yourself you would ask died on your tongue under that gaze.

When he’d finally spoken, it was not to you, but to himself. “Yes, good. A fine specimen, not like the others. One more day, a few more…preparations. All will be ready then. As was promised.” Only then had an unholy light come into his eyes and he’d spoken directly to you. “We will create life together.”

You thanked the Emperor you’d managed not to vomit until he left.

Lili had whispered to you that the Governor was mad. That he sent his servitor-guards among the miners, dragging people off, never to be seen again. Of strange sights and sounds and smells that had begun to seep through the caverns of late, like a spreading infection.

Of how each bride brought to the manor disappeared within days.

The citizens were terrified. Work in the mines had ground to a halt. Yet the Governor seemed not to notice, spending his days locked in a mysterious “laboratory”.

“They s-s-say it’s in the d-d-deepest part of the manor, b-b-built by the Governor’s great-grandfather.” Lili had whispered just last night, huddled against you beneath the covers. “My f-f-father says the ruling f-f-family only got stranger and s-s-stranger afterwards.”

I have to get out.

You didn’t know where you’d go or what you’d do. But staying here was unthinkable. Damn the treaty. Damn your homeworld’s debts. The idea of “creating life” with that thing posing as a man….

I’d rather freeze to death on the surface.

Where was Lili? You’d need her help to escape. She should have been here by now. Standing, you looked toward the heavy stone door. With slow, hesitant steps, you approached it. Your hands found the knob, the icy metal sticking to your skin. You turned it.

What a fool I am. Of course it won’t-

The door swung open.

Desperate courage filled you and you darted out. Frosted walls and flickering lumens gave the hallway a surreal feel. But you steeled your nerves. You’d been strong once, before you’d been dragged from your home, molded, and thrown into this nightmare. Nev’ran had seen that strength within you.

You could be strong again.

“Emperor, guide me.”

You picked a direction and began walking. For hours you walked, seeing no one, not even a lumbering servitor. The silence was absolute.

“Emperor, show me the way.”

After another empty eternity, you noticed a change in the air. It grew steadily more humid. The frosted walls turned moist and rank, dotted with mold. And the smell….

You lifted a corner of your cloak to cover your mouth and nose. The stench intensified with each step. Rot and decay. The stone walls grew pockmarked, in some places more mold than stone. The floor squashed beneath your feet.

Why am I doing this? This is not the way out. This is wrong. This is so wrong!

And yet, something compelled you forward.

“Emperor, Emperor, Emperor….”

The spongy floor took on a steep decline. You staggered, feet slipping on the rotten stone. Once, you touched the wall for balance, only to jerk away as something slimy wiggled beneath your fingers.

At last, at the bottom of a long, twisting ramp, a door rose before you. Markings covered the dripping wood. Markings that hurt your mind to look upon.

You turned to flee when a sharp scream and the sound of running feet stopped you in your tracks. The door burst outward, and a female form covered in moldering rags lurched into you.

“Lili!”

The maid grasped your shoulders with hands stained green and brown. Great gasps tore through her bared teeth. Her eyes burned with terror bordering on madness.

“Run!”

Behind, through the open door, came a cacophony of moans and horrible, wet gurgles, accompanied by a stench so intense you swore you could see its foul miasma. Lili screamed again and clutched at you.

You grasped her hand and fled back up the ramp.

“Help! Someone help us!”

***

Nev’ran stood before the great viewport. Below, the ice world turned. Bare. Sterile. Dead.

No place for my Diamond.

After three days on his knees, begging the Emperor for respite, the Chaplain allowed him to leave the Chapel. He was supposed to be resting, taking sustenance, regaining his strength. Then, back to his penance.

For his soul still had not been cleansed.

Do you think of me, my Diamond? When he takes you in his arms, do you pretend it is me?

The thought still sent fiery rage searing through his veins. Part of him despaired. He would never be cleansed, never be free of this torturous longing.

This is punishment. For failing as a mate and father, I am doomed to grasp for something always just out of reach.

Or am I?

The intrusive thought he’d held off since your departure wormed its way back into his conscious mind. You were not out of reach. It was only a short flight from the Flamewrought to the surface. And then?

This colony was tiny as far as colonies went. The Governor couldn’t have more than a hundred or so guards. He’d torn through that many orcs all on his own. He would find you. He would take you, even if he had to tear you from the arms of the pathetic mortal who dared lay claim to what was his.

You’d come willingly. I know you would.

Part of him fought against the mad idea, but it wouldn’t quiet. Before he knew it he found himself striding toward the arming room. The serfs gave him strange looks when he demanded his full wargear, but did not argue. Then, to his chambers. His flamer, his chainsword. The weight felt good in his hands.

He was halfway to the hangar when Hur’reth stepped in front of him.

“Master, do not.”

“Get out of my way, boy.” The dragon within Nev’ran snarled.

“This is madness. You must know that!”

Nev’ran raised his chainsword.

“Would you strike me, Master?”

The question rattled him and he lowered the weapon. “No…no.”

Hur’reth looked bewildered. “A few weeks with this woman, and you are willing to throw everything away for her. Why?”

Nev’ran looked his former apprentice in the eye. “How long did you know Matia before you would have thrown yourself at a Carnifex for her?”

Hur’reth was silent.

“She is my last chance.” Nev’ran pleaded. “And she is trapped on that planet against her will. I cannot abandon her!”

A long pause. Then his former apprentice sighed.

“At least let me get my wargear and weapons.”

Nev’ran grinned, his hearts swelling with pride. “I knew you would not-”

“APOTHECARY NEV’RAN TO THE COMMAND CENTER.” The voice of Captain Xavus roared over vox. “WE ARE RECEIVING A TRANSMISSION FROM THE PLANET BELOW.”

He and Hur’reth reached the Command Center in record time. Captain Xavus stood over the holo-table, accompanied by the Lieutenant and a half dozen other battle brothers.

“Get the signal back, magus!” The Captain snapped at a techpriest fiddling with the table’s controls.

The admech squawked in binary and flipped a few switches. A flickering image appeared.

Nev’ran’s hearts stopped. “Diamond….”

“shhhh...hear me? Please, can anyone hear me?” Your voice cut in and out, but he heard the terror in it. “Please…shhh…Emperor save…shhh…please!”

“My Lady.” The Captain answered. “This is Captain Xavus of the Salamander’s Fourth Company. We are still in orbit around the planet. What is wrong?”

“shhh...Xavus? Thank the…shhh…please, help…shhh….”

The image flickered again. Nev’ran lunged forward.

“Diamond? Diamond! I am here. What has happened?”

“Nev’ran?” Hope burned in your eyes as the interference faded for a blessed moment. “Something terrible is happening down here. The Governor is mad! More than that, he’s a heretic, conspiring with daemons!”

A faint boom sounded. Your image spun around and Nev’ran heard another frantic voice.

“My L-L-Lady! The d-d-door won’t hold!”

“Emperor, protect us!” You turned back toward the transmitter. “They’re horrible! Walking corpses and, and…worse things. Things of slime and rot. The Governor’s been sacrificing the citizens, calling forth…shhh….”

As your voice faded into static once more, Nev’ran’s blood ran cold.

Spawn of Nurgle.

“Diamond, can you get somewhere safe?”

“Safe? Nowhere is-,” a resounding crash, screams. “Nev’ran! Help-”

The transmission died.

“NO!” He grasped the control panel, the metal bending beneath his gauntlets.

The Captain was already barking orders. “Lieutenant, form a squad! We have a Chaos incursion on our hands!” He glanced at the two Apothecaries. “How fortunate you two are already prepared for battle.”

Nev’ran grasped the hilt of his chainsword. “Into the fires of battle, unto the anvil of war!”

As his brothers lifted their fists and roared, his eyes once again found the planet through the viewport.

Live, my Diamond. Your Dragon is coming.

@remembrancer-of-heresy @solspina @sleepyfan-blog @moodymisty @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan

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As always, comment if you'd like be added to the Taglist.

#warhammer 40k #space marines #space marine x reader #salamanders #salamander x reader #I love it when men pine to the point of madness 😈

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ohnoitstbskyen · 1 year ago

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youtube

"Luffy... help me..."

It's often been said about One Piece that you should "read it until Arlong Park," but it's one very specific MOMENT in Arlong Park that's important here. If this resonates with you, you're a One Piece fan, and if it doesn't, well, maybe it's not for you.

Let me tell you about it.

TRANSCRIPT:

Which are the best panels in One Piece?

It's often said in the One Piece community that you should stick with it until Arlong Park, and if you're not into One Piece by that point, THAT's when you know it's not a series for you.

I think this is true, and the reason why is this scene. This scene is how you know.

Nami has spent eight years working on her own, since she was a child of only ten, lying, deceiving, stealing, fighting and scamming, all to gather the money that Arlong wants so she can save her village. And now with the goal in sight, Arlong uses the Navy (all Marines are bastards) to steal her money so he can keep exploiting her.

The villagers she has been protecting have had enough, and are going to throw themselves at the fishmen and die, and the beloved friends she made on the Straw Hat Crew keep refusing to leave even though she KNOWS that Arlong will kill them. Her every ray of hope and all of her attempts at keeping control have failed and now, reduced to incoherent rage and sorrow, she sits in the dirt stabbing a dagger into the tattoo on her shoulder, because hurting herself is the only thing she can do to spite Arlong.

And then Luffy comes along and stops her.

She yells at him, throws dirt at him, rejects him, tells him to f*** off basically, and when he doesn't… because she has nothing else left, because there's no plan, because everything is falling down around her, she finally lets down her walls, and says what's in her heart. "Luffy… help me." (p 200, first panel)

And Luffy takes off his hat, his treasure, and gives it to her, and walks forward, and with his characteristic cartoony ridiculousness screams as loud he possibly can "OF COURSE I WILL."

Luffy doesn't know why she needs him. He doesn't know why she lied, why she stole the ship, he doesn't know about Belle-Mère or Nojiko or Nami's deal with Arlong. And he doesn't need to know, because she's his friend and she's his crew, and he loves her, she doesn't need a tragic backstory to deserve his help, she deserves it because she needs it, she deserves it because she asked.

Luffy knows that every time Nami tried to push him away, every time she told him to fuck off and leave her, her heart wasn't in it. Just like he'll know it with Robin, just like he'll know it with Sanji. And he knows that when she asks him for help, she has never meant anything more deeply in her life.

For that, he will move mountains. For that, he will level fortresses, he will smite gods and he will slay dragons. For love does Luffy do these things.

People hype up the moment when the crew get together and go to Arlong Park as the best moment of this chapter, and I'm not gonna say that it isn't awesome. Badass as hell, absolutely certified.

But… this chapter belongs to Nami, and her moment right here, because this is the moment that a girl who has fought so hard and so alone for so long finally finds the strength and the courage that it takes to trust someone else to lift your burdens.

#one piece #nami one piece #cat burglar nami #arlong #monkey d. luffy #tb skyen #tbskyen #Youtube

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candyswirls · 1 month ago

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I love all the kiddie and toddler Gadriel fics (especially how begrudingly soft you've made Leandros about the situation), but I would like to propose something with potentially just as much chaos: TITUS having been hit with the kiddie/toddler curse instead :3

I feel like Titus would have been a very polite toddler who wants to be included/do everything.

"Let's go, Demetrian," Leandros said.

"Okay," the boy said softly as he climbed off his seat.

He ran to catch up and held onto the chaplain's robes. He rubbed the fabric against his chubby cheeks, enjoying the texture.

His walk was half skipping. Not quite in rhythm and almost as if he was dancing.

They paused in front of the memorial to a fallen brother. Leandros held his rosary and spoke a silent prayer before bowing. Titus watched him, then attempted to copy. He used one of the symbols hanging from Leandros' robe.

"Praise the God Emperor," Leandros said aloud.

Titus repeated it, "Prace the Godemper."

"Excellent," he commended the toddler.

"Exawent."

The chaplain continued his rounds with the toddler doing his skip walk next to him.

A battle brother greeted him and did the sign of the aquila, "Courage and Honor, my lord."

Titus crossed his hands over his chest and watched the two converse. He eventually grew bored and started pulling on Leandros robe to move on. With that not garnishing anything, he laid on the ground, trying to see how high he could stretch his legs.

"This way," Leandros told him, now done with the conversation.

The boy rolled to his knees and scampered up. He grabbed Leandros' hand and went to the lift. He jumped and reached towards the control panel.

"Pwease?" He asked.

The chaplain picked him up and showed him what buttons to press. The toddler was proud as the lift began moving and Leandros set him down. Titus held onto the older marine's hands and leaned backward.

"We're headed to the Strategium deck," the chaplain informed him. "Do you remember what to do?"

Titus paused for a second and tried to recall. So much had happened since then.

He attempted his version of the aquila, "Godemper."

"Very good," the chaplain nodded. "And?"

He held out his robe as a clue. Titus jumped forward and grabbed onto it.

Leandros nodded as they arrived at their floor and the doors opened.

Titus skip-walked alongside Leandros as they headed in.

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zeondraws · 6 months ago

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Caz didn’t have time to think, he was covered in oil and had to get help, however he realises he wasn’t in his own body. Running to the bathroom he notices it’s Roper’s. He quickly makes his way up to Marine Control in utter panic.

"Argh...Where? There.."

He walks to his chair but falls down due to his vision distorting

"Shut up, please.. I'm checking"

Struggling to get up his chair he drags himself up, grabbing a cigarette

"....what, I... "

The readings on the panels are going crazy in front of him. He quickly realises how bad the situation is, trying to look around but his vision is extremely blurry. His stomach is starting to feel weird

"arghhh.. this is not good.. rrhhhhhggg. I'm gonna boke..."

Rennick bursts the door of the Control Room open, walking up to Roper. He's extremely confused what is up with the old man, he yells at him for answers.

"Do something you Ejit! Are ya ears no workin? I'M SPEAKIN TO YOU"

"SHUT IT, I CANNAE SEE ANYTHING"

Roper, being extremely irritated by Rennick, tries to snap back. But it gets harder with each breath he takes.

"Can. ye not... see the problem..? This. Thing-"

They argue back and forth, things get heated quickly. Rennick's ignorance doesn't stop, even after seeing his crew mutate on the deck.

"You gobshite shut it, do something before I kick ya USELSS ARSE into the ocean. Stap WHININ and concentrate!"

"YOU SHT IT....FF Ya LSI.TN TO MeE. WE..WLNT..BE..N TIS.. STU..ATN.."

It feels like his lungs are filling with blood, Roper can barely manage to speak at this point, his body starts to feel like he's on fire.

"What are ye on bout? Roper...? HEY, LOOK AT ME!"

The Installation Manager doesn't seem to notice what is happening, he walks closer to Roper who starts to cough up blood, grunting in agony.

"...Ro- Roper.. What is. Ey, look at me. What's goin on with yaa???"

He screams out in pain, grabbing his chest frantically, as if he's trying to remove something but is unable to. Roper can barely see Rennick at this point, who is starting to slowly back off but not leaving the room. It took a few seconds until Roper's torso explodes, the mass spreading around him, faces and arms start to form on his body.

He notices that Rennick was covered in blood. But he had so much adrenalin rushing through his body, that he couldn't utter a word at that moment. All he could hear was Rennick's voice taunting him inside his head.

Rennick tried to get the blood off his face, but decides to leave the room and heads over to the bathroom. Before heading over to his office again.

Moments later Caz‘s vision becomes blurry, before turning into black. Next time he opens his eyes, he finds himself surrounded by tall grass.

#swtd #still wakes the deep #au #mates I have been doodling this on and off the entire night #I have a bad fever and the moving company just arrived at my door I think #waaaahh #this is only a small preview of the AU btw #Still Wakes The Deep: Nightfall AU

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liongoatsnake · 9 months ago

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ESSAY: My Hearthome in ABZÛ

by Ocean Watcher from House of Chimeras (He/they) I was inspired to write this essay after attending the panel, "No Place Like Home: On Hearthomes" at Othercon 2024 Note: This won't be the official home of this essay. I'm planning on adding it to our system's website, The Chimeras Library sometime in the future either as a standalone essay or part of something bigger.

My Hearthome in ABZU

by Ocean Watcher from House of Chimeras Date Written: 15 August 2024 Approx. Word Count: ~2,180

Approx. Reading Time: ~17 minutes

“They say home is where the heart is, and for most people it consists of four walls and a welcome mat. For me, it’s the ocean.” ~ Bethany Hamilton, Soul Surfer. Directed by Sean McNamara. California: Sony Pictures Releasing, 2011.

Defining Hearthome

A hearthome is a location, whether real or otherwise, that an individual has a strong emotional connection toward to the point it feels like a “home,” typically despite never having lived or spent a significant amount of time there. The specifics on what qualifies as a hearthome within this general definition is largely up for personal interpretation.

The location in question can be as all-encompassing as a whole planet all the way down to something much, much smaller. The location could be a real place (whether that be one that still currently exists or a location that once existed but doesn’t anymore), a setting depicted in fictional media, or something else entirely. It can also be a specific easily named location or merely a general description of a place. Finally, the exact kind of emotional connection and feeling like “home” a location can elicit can range from a feeling of familiarity, of comfort and relaxation, safety, nostalgia, homesickness, and/or more. In short, within the definition of hearthome there are many possibilities on how the experience can exist.

The term used to describe someone who has a hearthome or the state of having a hearthome is sometimes called hearthic, though not everyone uses it. (So, for example someone might say “I have a hearthome in [insert place here]” rather than saying “I am [insert place here]hearthic.” Whether hearthic is used or not alongside the term hearthome is largely personal preference.

Describing ABZÛ

ABZÛ (also written as Abzû) is a video game initially released in 2016. The game fits within several genres including adventure, simulation, and art video game. It has no dialogue and so the story is told solely through visuals. The main draw of the game is the graphics put into the diverse ocean environments and the wide range of marine life that inhabits each area. Most of ABZÛ is home to animal species that can be found in today’s oceans; however, there are over a dozen or so species that appear in the game that went extinct a long time ago.

The gameplay itself consists of the player controlling an android diver exploring a large variety of ocean environments in a vast ocean and getting to see a myriad of marine life at every turn.

Knowing the backstory of what occurs isn’t needed, but for some context: Deep at the bottom of this ocean was a primordial source of infinite energy. Where the energy permeated from the ground life spontaneously came into being. An ancient civilization discovered they could collect and use it to create (marine) life whenever and wherever they wished. However, at some point, they created machines to automate the process. The creation of these machines caused a disruption of the natural flow of life as they took up so much energy they drained the vitality of the ocean away. The civilization disappeared, leaving their machines to continue to operate. The objective of the player-controlled robot diver, another creation of the ancient civilization, is to return the energy back to the ocean and put an end to the machines causing the destruction.

ABZÛ is overall a short game, with most players seeming to complete it within an hour and thirty minutes to two hours, on average.

Home is Where the Heart Is Indeed

So, my hearthome is ABZÛ.

To start, I want to put some context between the game ABZÛ and my hearthome ABZÛ. The environments in the game are striking and hold an emotional importance to an extent that I have labeled it as a hearthome; however, the ABZÛ that I think of in my mind’s eye and thoughts is not just an exact mirror of the game. That is because the ABZÛ I have conceptualized in my own mind is laid out like a normal(ish) ocean thanks to some noemata I have.

The noemata I have reads that all the “game-y” elements necessary for it to function as, well, a game, aren’t present in the idea of ABZÛ that makes up my hearthome. So, all the things necessary to keep a player in a defined area and on a specific path are absent. Further, all the different locations shown in the game would exist in a much more natural way. Plus, even more biodiversity would exist than shown in the game itself (as it is only populated with a little more than a few hundred different species whereas a more realistic ocean would have tens of thousands). Basically, the concept of ABZÛ in my mind looks and functions a lot more like a natural ocean (if a much, much more vibrant and filled with even more aquatic life, one).

I also have noemata that reads that while the old structures of the civilization still exist in a way like how they appear in the game, the inverted pyramid machines have long broken down and been reclaimed by the ocean and there are no unnatural dead zones. (So, I guess, one could say my hearthome is based off how things look at the end of the game.)

So, there is all that.

That is all well and good, but now I want to cover why exactly I distinguish ABZÛ as a hearthome; why I feel it warrants a special label of significance to me at all.

Not to state the obvious, but games are meant to be emotionally and/or mentally moving. They are meant to make a player feel something. ABZÛ is no different. It is meant to be a “pretty ocean” game, if you will. The environments in ABZÛ certainly reflect a more idealized and concentrated concept of ocean life (the magnitude of marine life at any particular point in the game itself being far more than an ecosystem could sustain). So, of course, the game is meant to be visually stunning and calming (save for a section in the game roughly 3/5ths in) in relation to the ocean, but my feelings for the game go deeper than what would be normally expected.

It is true that much of the allure I have toward ABZÛ could be dismissed as merely as a natural consequence of my alterhumanity being so immersed in the ocean if not for the fact there are aspects of ABZÛ that draw out emotions and noemata that can’t be easily waved off in that manner. There are plenty of ocean-themed games and whatnot, yet it’s this specific one I have this connection toward. I have no idea why exactly I have a hearthome in this game specifically. I couldn’t tell you why. For whatever reason, its ABZÛ that resonates with me so strongly.

The biggest thing that stands out for me is the fact the area in the game that holds the most profound feelings of familiarity and belonging is the underwater city. At one point in the game, some underwater caves open into a vast underground space where a half-submerged city exists. (My view of things through some more noemata looks a lot more like an ancient city proper because, again, ABZÛ is a game so what exists is a lot more simplified and limited.) It is a city abandoned and in ruins and yet every surface is still covered in tile and brick of beautiful blue hues. Plants like trees, flowers, and vines populate the space above the water, lily pads and other floating plants pepper the water’s surface, and below sea plants like kelp, sea grass, and so much more cover much of the floor. Sunlight shines down from high above; my noemata filling in with the idea the city resides within a long extinct volcano rising above the ocean’s surface. Animals are everywhere both above and below the water. It’s this place I gravitate towards the most.

But what exactly do I feel?

Something about it resonates with me. It is a place that feels like home to a part of me. Something about it feels deeply right and missed despite never having lived there nor do I feel like it is a place I am “from,” in any specific way. The feelings my hearthome draw out of me can mostly be best described as comfort, relief, safety, and rightness. There is something familiar about it, even upon my first playthrough. There is maybe even a tinge of nostalgia even though I strongly feel like there isn’t anything past-life-like at play as to why I have this hearthome. It just feels so familiar and comforting to me.

Starting out, my feelings also included what I can best describe as a yearning or longing to want to be there, even if only to visit. There was a desire to know a place like it with my own eyes as much as I knew it already in my heart somehow. So, there was a bit of almost homesickness there too. All these feelings are described in the past tense because of something that happened a bit after first playing the game.

Sometime after first playing ABZÛ, a sunken city with strong similarities to the one in the game was discovered in the ocean in our system’s innerworld. It is not a perfect exact copy, but it has all the same elements and looks how my hearthome appears through the lens of the noemata I have. I know I didn’t consciously will the location in our innerworld to come into existence, no one here can make such blatant conscious changes to our innerworld; however, I’m far less certain if my discovery of the game and the emotions it elicited didn’t cause the sunken city to appear in our innerworld as an involuntary reaction. (Not long after its appearance, several other areas in the game also found their way into the ocean of our system’s innerworld.) Since its appearance and discovery, I spend much of my time in these impacted areas, especially the sunken abandoned city. Since its appearance, the location has become a much beloved place to be, not just for me but also for many other aquatics in the system. The area is aesthetically pleasing and interesting to move around in. There is a lot of wildlife so hunting instincts can be indulged and so on. When not focused on fronting it is a nice place to exist in.

I’ve been aware of my emotional connection to the setting depicted in ABZÛ since July 2018 after playing it for the first time. Since buying it on Steam, I’ve logged many hours on it and have played through its entirety several times. However, I had not labeled my feelings towards this game as a hearthome until recently. Back then, I never questioned or analyzed my feelings surrounding the environments in the game. I knew it soothed something in me to play the game, going out to the sunken city in the innerworld for a while, or even just imagine myself swimming in one of my favorite areas, but I didn’t think about why exactly that was the case.

I didn’t make the connection between my experiences with ABZÛ to the term, hearthome until August of 2024. The moment of realization came while listening to the panel, “No Place Like Home: On Hearthomes” at Othercon 2024. Upon Rani, the panel’s host, describing the meaning of the term, I realized my feelings towards ABZÛ fit perfectly within the word. It wasn’t even a particularly jarring realization, and I am not sure how I had never made the connection before. Since that realization, I’ve come to label my feelings around the game, ABZÛ as my hearthome.

On the topic of alterhuman terms, I don’t use the term hearthic to refer to my state of having a hearthome at this time, solely because the word just doesn’t feel right when I try to use it in context. That could change, but for now, that is that.

I do consider my hearthome to be a part of my alterhumanity. My hearthome certainly fits neatly into my wider alterhumanity; ocean life and all that. That being said, I don’t think my hearthome has as strong of an impact on my daily experiences as other aspects do. My feelings around my hearthome are most often closer to something in the background more than anything. It is still there, and it is still important, it is just not as blatant and impactful in my daily life compared to something like my phantom body from my theriotypes. The fact parts of the game now exist in the innerworld and are prime locations for me to go after fronting to alleviate species dysphoria is perhaps the most blatant way my hearthome impacts my greater alterhumanity.

Bibliography

505 Games, ABZÛ. 505 Games, 2015, Microsoft Windows.

“Glossary,” Alt+H, https://alt-h.net/educate/glossary.php . Archived on 19 Apr 2020: https://web.archive.org/web/20200419100422/https://alt-h.net/educate/glossary.php

Lepidoptera Choir. “Hearthic” astrophellian on Tumblr. 9 April 2022. https://astrophellian.tumblr.com/post/681107250894503936/hearthic . Archived on 30 September 2022: https://web.archive.org/web/20220930143533/https://astrophellian.tumblr.com/post/681107250894503936/hearthic

Rani. “No Place Like Home: On Hearthomes,” Othercon 2024, 11 August 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYVF_R6v50Q

#hearthome #hearthic #alterhuman #alterhumanity #alterhuman essay

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horizonelectronics · 5 days ago

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Elevator parts suppliers in dubai

Horizon Electronics is a trusted name for the best elevator repair service near me, offering quick, expert solutions for a wide range of industrial and commercial systems. As one of the leading elevator repair companies, we are recognized among the best elevator repair companies in Dubai, providing reliable maintenance and emergency support. We are also known for delivering the best control panel assembly in UAE, ensuring quality and precision in every project. Horizon Electronics supplies premium electronics components UAE and stands out as one of the top elevator parts suppliers in Dubai. Beyond elevators, we specialize in marine electronic repair service in Dubai and are a trusted choice for medical equipment repair near me, offering complete support across industries.

#Best elevator Repair service near me #Best control panel assembly in UAE #Elevator repair companies #best elevator repair companies in dubai #Electronics components uae #Medical equipment repair near me #Marine electronic repair service in dubai #Elevator parts suppliers in dubai

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stevebattle · 7 months ago

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S.A.M by "Bill" (1978). "S.A.M (Short for "Sentient, Autonomous Mechanism" or "Smart Ass Machine", depending on his (and my) mood on a given day, was one of my first real robot projects, started in 1978 when I was around 15. His "brain" was a single-board Z-80 computer (the big square object in the middle of his "back" in this picture), with many bits of TTL I/O, a couple of serial ports, a bunch of counter-timers, and several D/A & A/D channels. The base was taken from the book "How to Build a Computer Controlled Robot" by Todd Loofbourrow - I had built the robot in the book, and had used my KIM-1 to control it. Later, I decided that just a little platform was kind of boring, so I added the upper torso shown here. The torso (mounted on a "lazy-susan" turntable bearing) is rotated by a heavy-duty gear motor driving a chain and sprocket assembly from a bicycle. The base is powered by two of the (apparently no longer available, which is sad) all-metal rubber-tired "motorized wheel" assemblies that Herbach & Rademan used to sell, with a large rubber-tired caster in front. The head platform (mounted on a small "lazy-susan" bearing) was originally rotated by a surplus gearbox from a Mattel "Big Trak" with some rubber-tired wheels mounted on the output shafts. This arrangement was later replaced by a small gear-head motor driving a large gear mounted to the center of the turntable. The device in the head with the tubes sticking out the front is a directional light tracking device. Each tube has a CDS photocell at the bottom, and is painted flat black inside. A comparator circuit tells the computer which direction the brightest light is coming from. This device could also tilt up and down with a small gear-head motor, to track light sources vertically. Most of the circuitry was installed on small plug-boards from Radio Shack, mounted in a card rack below the CPU card. This rack could be tipped back 90 degrees to facilitate easier access for testing. In addition to motor driver circuits, there was a "Sweet Talker" speech synthesizer board so he could talk. Power came from a large "gel-cell" marine battery (for powering trolling motors on boats), which was slung near the ground in the center of the base. Two 6V lantern batteries (later replaced by a 12V motorcycle battery) provided separate power for the electronics. All motors were isolated from the electronics via relays and/or opto-isolators. After these pictures were taken, a set of metal panels was installed on the "facets" of the base, with lever switches behind them for collision sensing. A Polaroid sonar range-finder was also added later. If you check out the other photos of S.A.M., you will notice an "arm" sticking out the front. This was a prototype made from an old swing-arm desk lamp and some "fingers" from a robot hand design using brass tubing, bicycle chain, and 1/16" steel cable to allow natural bending of each finger. It was later replaced with a much heavier duty aluminum framework arm operated by two 12VDC linear actuators." – My Home Robot Projects, by Bill.

#cybernetics #robot #1978

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mariacallous · 7 months ago

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Four days, 10 witnesses, and dozens of exhibits in the US Coast Guard’s Marine Board of Investigation hearing on the Titan submersible implosion have made public a flood of information about the doomed vessel’s design and operation. But one thing the hearings have not yet explained is why the submersible suddenly failed on a sightseeing trip to the Titanic in June 2023, nor who might shoulder the blame for the deaths of its five crew.

Here’s what we know going into the second and final week of hearings, and some key unanswered questions.

The Two Sides of Stockton Rush

OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, who died piloting the Titan, took the bulk of the blame during the hearing’s first two days. Tony Nissen, former director of engineering, characterized Rush as someone who made critical decisions based on speed and cost, changing his mind on a daily basis. Nissen said that Rush eventually fired him over his insistence on scrapping the Titan’s first carbon fiber hull on safety grounds.

David Lochridge, a former director of marine operations for OceanGate, then testified that Rush had once made piloting errors on the company’s first submersible during a dive to the wreck of the Andrea Doria, panicked, and threw its controller at Lochridge’s head. “He would blame everything on everyone else,” said Lochridge. “It was bullying.”

Lochridge said that several critical components had even been assembled using parts from a home improvement store at Rush’s direction. When Lochridge made a whistleblower complaint to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration after being fired for raising multiple safety concerns, Rush retaliated by suing him and his wife for breach of contract and fraud.

Rush did have his defenders. Renata Rojas, who traveled on several OceanGate expeditions, called Rush “very fair” and flatly denied Lochridge’s account of the Andrea Doria confrontation. Fred Hagen, another paying passenger, lauded Rush as a brilliant man who made a conscious effort to maintain a culture of safety in a high-risk environment.

“It wasn’t supposed to be safe,” he told the panel. “It was supposed to be a thrilling adventure.”

Titan’s Unusual Design and Development

Nissen made a credible defense of his initial design for the Titan, but several witnesses testified that it skirted, or simply ignored, accepted construction practices for submersibles. OceanGate tested only one scale model of the innovative carbon fiber hull and, despite it failing early under high pressures, proceeded straight to building a full-scale hull. Dave Dyer, an engineer at the University of Washington, testified that his lab stopped providing engineering support to OceanGate in 2016 after disagreements that included the company’s insistence on using glass control spheres that Dyer feared could explode at depth “as though a bomb had gone off.” Those spheres housed control electronics for the Titan’s thrusters.

Instead of scanning the first hull to look for defects or specifying a finite lifetime of dives, OceanGate relied on an unproven acoustic monitoring system to provide an early warning of failure. Lochridge called the Titan “an abomination” and its carbon fiber hull “disgusting.” Both he and Nissen said that they would not have dived in it.

After they left, the Titan was rebuilt with a new hull that was never tested to industry norms nor certified by an independent third-party agency. Patrick Lahey, CEO of submersible maker Triton Submarines, said that certifying a novel hull was not only possible but essential for safety.

“We were developing and certifying the deepest diving sub in the world at the same time they were developing this amateurish contraption,” he testified. “There was absolutely no reason they couldn’t have got it certified.”

A History of Troubled Titanic Missions

OceanGate’s first missions to the Titanic in 2021 were beset with problems, including the Titan’s forward titanium dome falling off after a dive, worrying readings on the acoustic monitoring system, and a thruster failing at 3,500 meters’ depth. One Coast Guard evidence slide showed 70 equipment issues requiring correction from the season’s dives. Things improved slightly the following year, with only 48 recorded issues. But these included dead batteries extending a mission from around seven to 27 hours, and the sub itself being damaged on recovery.

One dive in 2022 ended with a mysterious loud bang and cracking noise upon surfacing. Antonella Wilby, an OceanGate engineering contractor, was so worried about this bang she considered alerting OceanGate’s board of directors. She testified that another employee warned her that she risked being sued if she did so. “Anyone should feel free to speak up about safety without fear of retribution, and that is not at all what I saw,” she said. “I was entirely dismissed.”

On the Titan’s penultimate dive in 2023, contractor Tym Catterson admitted to failing to carry out a safety check; the Titan was left listing at a 45-degree angle for an hour, piling up those on board.

Conflicting Views on the Carbon Fiber Hull

There was conflicting testimony on the safety of the Titan’s unique carbon fiber hull. Dyer pointed out that carbon fiber could be a good fit for deep submersibles, and Nissen was adamant that computer modeling and the acoustic monitoring warning system meant that it could be used indefinitely. Lochridge, Catterson, and former HR director Bonnie Carl were all far more skeptical about the hull’s design and implementation. But all three acknowledged that they were not engineers.

Next week’s appearances by Nissen’s successor, Phil Brooks, more submersible engineers, and a carbon fiber expert from Boeing should address many of these questions. In particular, testimony next Wednesday from an engineer at the National Transportation Safety Board’s Materials Laboratory about the Titan’s wreckage may identify the physical cause of the implosion.

Where Was the Coast Guard?

At several points, investigators pointed out that the Titan should have been inspected by the US Coast Guard before carrying paying passengers. None of those questioned could say why it was not, despite OceanGate apparently contacting the Coast Guard on multiple occasions to provide notice of its underwater operations.

Lochridge also testified that OSHA had told him in 2018 that it had communicated his safety complaints to the Coast Guard. At least one of the five US Coast Guard witnesses being called next week is based in the Puget Sound, near OceanGate’s headquarters, and may be able to speak to this.

US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Lockwood, who joined OceanGate’s board in 2013, is not on the witness list. Lochridge and Carl testified that Lockwood’s role was to provide oversight and smooth interactions with the Coast Guard.

Missing Witnesses

Nor is Lockwood the only notable absentee from the witness box. Multiple witnesses this week testified to the key roles of OceanGate employees, including Wendy Rush, Scott Griffith, and Neil McCurdy, in making crucial business, regulatory, and operational decisions throughout OceanGate’s history and on the day of the accident. None are being called to testify. Nor have any of the hulls’ manufacturers been called. The Coast Guard has not provided a reason for this other than to deny that it is because those witnesses would have asserted their Fifth Amendment rights to refuse to answer questions.

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hummingbird24220 · 23 days ago

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Chapter Six: Claws, Chaos, and Calculations

The island had seemed peaceful.

A sleepy fishing village, pastel buildings, kids playing in the tidepools. Luffy immediately ran off to find meat, Chopper chased butterflies, and you? You wandered. The place smelled like sun-dried fish, old salt, and something faintly metallic that made your nose wrinkle.

You didn’t like it.

It all went downhill about an hour later when the Straw Hats got ambushed. Not by marines or bounty hunters—no, this was worse.

Traps.

One moment you were admiring a shiny doorknob, the next Zoro had fallen into a net, Nami was dangling upside down by her ankle, and Luffy was stuck in some kind of sticky… glue… net… thing.

Usopp screamed, “IT’S A TRAP TOWN!” right before a dart hit him in the butt and he went down flailing.

Your ears shot back. Oh. Oh, this was a whole setup.

Mercenaries—maybe bounty hunters, maybe worse—started closing in. You could already hear the click of weapons charging, heavy boots moving in from the side streets.

“Zoro’s stuck,” Nami snapped, twisting. “Luffy can’t move. What do we do?!”

Robin's hands bloomed from the ground to trip a few of the attackers, but she was pinned down guarding Chopper and Usopp. Sanji was fending off five at once. It was chaos.

And everyone was looking at you.

You blinked.

“...Why is everyone looking at me?”

“Because,” Nami hissed, “you’re not stuck.”

You looked around at the cogs and wires peeking from behind fake walls, tripwires in the cobblestone, grooves in the buildings. Traps weren’t just here—they were integrated.

“…It’s all mechanical,” you muttered. Then louder: “It’s all connected! These traps are part of a central system!”

“What does that mean?!” Chopper yelled.

“It means if I can find the core panel,” you said, scanning rooftops, “I can shut it all down.”

Zoro grunted. “You better hurry.”

You dropped to all fours.

“Be back in five!”

Then you took off, claws skittering over stone, tail whipping behind you as you bolted through narrow alleys, jumped over crates, and scaled a rooftop using a broken clothesline and a perfectly-placed fish crate.

From down below, one of the mercenaries shouted, “HEY! SHE’S HEADED FOR THE SWITCH—”

You chucked a bucket at him mid-run. Didn’t even look. It hit. You grinned.

At the top of the tallest roof, behind a fake chimney, you found it: a trap control panel disguised as an old signal box. The wiring was exposed, janky, and vibrating with energy.

You cracked your knuckles.

“Alright, you smug box of gears. Let’s dance.”

Back on the ground—

BZZZZT. CLACK. CHUNK. FWOOSH.

Suddenly, all the traps deactivated. Nets dropped, glue receded, and Luffy immediately launched himself fist-first into the nearest mercenary.

Zoro stood up, swords out. Nami dropped gracefully, spun, and kicked someone in the face. Usopp was still unconscious, but it was the effort that counted.

The tide turned in an instant. And in the distance, they saw you standing atop the roof like a gremlin superhero, sparks still fizzing from your claws and fur puffed with static.

You cupped your paws around your mouth. “YOU’RE WELCOME!!”

Later, back on the Sunny, you were curled up in a blanket drinking juice with one ear twitching.

Luffy plopped down next to you and grinned. “You’re smart.”

You blinked. “That… almost sounded like a genuine compliment.”

“I mean it!” he laughed. “You knew where the trap thing was. You fixed it. You saved us!”

You took a sip, cheeks heating a little.

Robin, nearby, added, “You’re surprisingly handy in a pinch.”

Zoro grunted. “Too bad she’s not handy when she steals all my whetstones.”

“They sparkle,” you said flatly.

“You’re smarter than you act,” Nami said, for the third time that week, handing you a cookie.

You groaned, flopped onto your back, and muttered into your juice: “Why is everyone saying that now?”

“You’re the one who keeps proving it,” Robin said with a smile.

“Gross,” you muttered, ears flicking. “I’m supposed to be the chaotic gremlin. Stop raising your expectations of me.”

Luffy grinned. “Too late!”

You stared at the sea, sighed, and bit the cookie.

“…Still not giving the leg back, though.”

---------

It started like any other morning on the Thousand Sunny.

Luffy was already upside-down in the hammock, snoring with a piece of toast stuck to his cheek. Zoro was sleeping on the lawn like a statue someone gave up painting. Sanji clanked around the kitchen, singing to a tomato. And you?

You were face-first in a pile of Nami’s maps, tail twitching as you pretended not to be stealing one of her extra pencils.

"You're not as sneaky as you think," Nami said flatly, not even looking up.

You pushed the pencil back onto the table. "Didn't even want it."

"You bit it."

"...Affectionately."

That’s when Usopp burst onto the deck, waving a large piece of paper.

“NEW BOUNTY POSTERS!!”

Everyone scrambled. Luffy tackled him immediately. “WHAT’S MINE NOW?! IS IT HUGE?! AM I HANDSOME?!”

“Same picture,” Usopp said, wheezing. “But yeah, it’s huge.”

Zoro’s was higher. Nami’s got a glamour shot this time (her hair looked great, and she made sure everyone saw). Sanji cried that his poster still didn’t say "alive only."

Then Usopp, grinning far too wide, turned to you.

“Oh yeah... and yours finally showed up.”

He held out a crisp new bounty poster.

Everyone leaned in.

There, dead center of the paper, was a slightly blurry photo of you mid-sprint—mouth open, eyes wild, fur puffed, one arm clutching three bags of treasure and a bread roll. You looked like someone had caught a raccoon breaking into a vending machine.

Your new alias read: “FANG-PAW” Alias: The Furry Menace Wanted: 25,000,000 Berries Crimes: Theft, Lockpicking, Property Damage, "Possession of Unauthorized Prosthetic" DEAD OR ALIVE (Someone had circled “ALIVE” in red ink and added a sad face.)

You blinked.

“…They really went with Fang-Paw?”

Robin tried to hide her laugh behind a book. “It’s very… descriptive.”

“It looks like you’re screaming at a seagull,” Chopper said, squinting.

“I was,” you muttered.

Sanji looked impressed. “Twenty-five million for a glorified raccoon? Not bad.”

“Rude.”

Luffy stared at the poster, then at you, then grinned wide. “You’re officially part of the crew now!”

You looked at him. “…Because the world government hates me?”

“Yep!”

There was a long pause. Then, slowly, you smirked.

“...Guess I better live up to it.”

Later that evening, you tacked your wanted poster up next to the others in the hallway. Right between Zoro’s and Nami’s. Crooked, of course. A little too high. But it stayed.

And when no one was looking, you looked at it again.

That chaotic photo. The number. The “Furry Menace” label.

And the tiny scrawl on the bottom corner that read:

“Considered armed, dangerous, and extremely hard to catch.”

You grinned.

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faytelumos · 1 year ago

Text

Into the Black With a Matchstick, pt 3

I'm keeping this as the taglist, but feel free to DM/comment/Ask if you want to be added/removed.

Please, if you haven't read the first parts in awhile, check out the recap I have linked for your convenience. :3

@c00kieknight, @jxm-1up, @midnight--architect, @robinparravel, @thepotatoofnopes, @those-damn-snippets; @thelazywitchphotographer, @tildeathiwillwrite

first previous recap

cw: bad math

---

Whatever the fuck the newcomer with Admiral Paxie was, it was not helping Adina's already overtaxed brain.

It had been bad enough seeing that Paxie was so huge they could barely even fit into the ship. It was bad enough that Adina was in charge of probably all that was left of the human race, that she had no way of figuring out if these aliens were truly friendly or just acting like it, bad enough that she was starving and dehydrated and high and had the worst God-damned headache she had ever had in her life.

And now she had to let some six foot tall cave-dwelling-mantis-snake-vampire walk around in the ship. It was like this thing was specifically made to be as creepy as possible, and when it got down on all eights—

She had dropped the ship's remote helm tablet, almost on her foot, and she was still shaking from the heart attack the sudden noise had caused her.

When they got to the bridge, which was thankfully open enough to allow Adina and John to put some space between themselves and the aliens, Paxie pulled the nightmare fuel aside. Adina subtly let out a sigh of relief and busied herself at the control panel.

Frankly, she didn't know what she was looking at. This was John's job. But the drugs in her brain were starting to prove themselves a bad idea as her body's discomfort reared its ugly head, and she couldn't stop thinking. Four times during the walk from the dock she had considered waking up a Marine to protect her and John from these monsters. And that wasn't the mind of a diplomat. That wasn't the thought of a leader she could trust.

Just get through this. Get through this meeting, and then food, water, and real sleep.

The smaller Xoixe stepped up to the LCD screen with most of the interactive display on it. John sidled up, too, probably to make sure Adina didn't hurt anything. Good.

"I heard this ship carries its life-forms cryogenically?" the smaller Xoixe asked. Adina looked up, and as soon as she did, John gently moved her hands and started clicking away at the panel's keyboard.

"Uh, yes," Adina replied. Looking up into the suit made it slightly easier than looking into four eyes and a big, sharp-toothed mouth. Maybe they wouldn't have looked so intimidating if her head wasn't throbbing. "Yes, our crew was specifically picked for the task of determining the viability of another planet for colonization. But the human lifespan isn't long enough to make the trip at our curr — with the technology we had." Adina put a hand to her face, pretending to wipe the sweat on her forehead, seeking the cold relief of her own touch. 26 million years…. "We were only supposed to be space-borne for 150 years…."

"If you don't mind my inquiry," the smaller Xoixe said as John kept typing. Adina looked up. The large alien had sat back on their haunches and was carrying their own tablet, made of a sleek plastic-looking material. "Is it possible for me to acquire standard medical parameters for your species? I'm a xenomedic, but since this is our first encounter, I have nothing to go on."

Adina stared for a moment. A xenomedic. So they'd brought a doctor aboard on their landing party. A group of three, and they'd saved a seat for a doctor. Adina didn't even know what the nightmare's job was, but when she glanced over, she realized there were no weapons on anyone. The nightmare perhaps could have used their claws, but looking again, their limbs didn't seem strong enough to hold Adina or John down if they started throwing punches. Both Xoixes had their claws entirely covered in their suits, and there was no attempt to make the suits sharp on the outside.

So maybe they really were friendly. Or maybe they did a really good job at acting like it. There weren't many ways to tell. Did this species even lie? How inherit was lying for intelligent species? Did Earth animals lie? Yes, Koko the Gorilla had told a lie. Had she learned that from humans?

The Xoixe was staring at her.

"Okay," Adina rasped. "Follow me."

---

"Lieutenant Harrison?" Paxie asked once Captain Ramirez and Ensign Kime were gone. Sergeant Klte shifted behind them, out of view of the little alien. Harrison turned away from the console after a lengthy delay.

These creatures looked more and more like prey the longer Paxie studied them. All except for their forward eyes. It was uncanny. Harrison's eyes were bright and round outside of their black, circular pupil, and it made it all too clear that they were looking directly at Paxie.

"Yes… Admiral?" Harrison said. Paxie shook their head slightly to focus their thoughts.

"Would it be acceptable for Sergeant Klte to take a look around your ship? We're curious as to how your vessel has lasted for so long in open space."

Harrison… laughed again. It was loud and sharp, and they opened their mouth and bared their teeth to do it.

"If you figure that out, I'd like to know, too," Harrison said. Paxie quirked their jaw.

"How do you mean?" Klte moved behind them, too.

"Our ship was meant for a 150 year journey," Harrison explained, still baring their blunt teeth. "Even that was ambitious for our level of engineering." They turned to the console and began hitting buttons. They were small buttons compared to the Xoixe's controls, and they clicked and snapped as they pressed and navigated. "We've made unmanned — that is, autonomous and without organic passengers — bodies before. To go into space. But even those tend to give out after a few decades. A-a group of ten years."

Paxie stepped closer and looked down to the readout. It wasn't intelligible; their suit was only equipped with an audio and radiation translator. Harrison gestured to something with their flat, soft digits.

"The requirements on the system for self maintenance, self regulation, and self repair on top of the requirements for life support and cryogenic maintenance are, to put it lightly, a-fucking-lot." Paxie blinked at the unexpected candor. Klte shifted, too. "Compare that against the life expectancy of our alloys in open radiation, extreme heat and cold shifts, and micro-meteorites, and this thing would have been lucky to land us safely if our trip got extended to 300 years." They looked up again. Paxie tilted their head, mind reeling.

Surely they were misinterpreting what Harrison had said.

Surely there was no way that a species would strike out into the open universe without both FTL drives and shielding dampeners.

"You don't have a significant issue with micro-meteorites…?" Paxie asked, and even as they said it, they were afraid of the answer. "…Do you?"

Harrison was bearing their teeth again.

"Oh, it's one of our biggest engineering challenges."

Paxie stared. They couldn't help it. They didn't know what to say. They weren't even breathing for a moment.

"You must have left in a hurry," they rasped. Harrison laughed again.

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" they laughed, turning back to the console.

What did that even mean?!

Paxie was starting to feel light-headed. They wished they could take off their environment suit. Klte must have noticed their distress.

"Allow the Admiral and I a moment to converse," it hissed. Harrison flinched, then nodded, watching Klte. It gently pushed Paxie back towards the shuttle, turning off both of their translation protocols. "I'm concerned at this species' sense of self preservation," it said in the Xoixe language.

Paxie laughed, hissing the air sharply through their scaled lips. "Eme is concerned at how well they'd treat other kinds if they treat themselves so haphazardly."

"Exceptionally poorly."

Both of them laughed as they reached the pod. Paxie stepped inside where they could turn around back towards the ship.

"Take a breather, Admiral," Klte said. "I'll see what I can find out."

---

"Adina?" John called. Adina looked up; she was just coming back to the main control room now. The nightmare was still there, but it was down the hall, examining wiring bundles and the hull. How large was its forebrain? Was there a chance it could be tampering? "Adina."

Adina blinked and looked to John. He waved her over. She left the Xoixe's, Kime's, side to see him. He pointed to the numbers on the LCD screen.

"Can you double check me?" he whispered. She highly doubted it. She was a biologist; she knew how to clear her browser cookies and turn her phone off and on again. Anything technical on the ship was John's job now.

She looked, anyway. He was pointing at the ping count from Earth's homing beacon. It was around 800. She sagged to see that. The ping was supposed to communicate with The Solstice quarterly. So it must have stopped working after 200 years.

He pointed to the Most Recent Ping section.

19,406,771 years, 18 days, 16 hours, 2 minutes ago

Wait… what?

It should have been right around 26 million years ago.

"What?" she uttered, leaning in.

"That's wrong, right?"

"It should be…."

What could have done that? The ping system went off every three months. If it had run for… what, 5 million years? Then there should have been 20 million pings.

Why would Mission Control reduce the ping rate?

They wouldn't. Especially not after The Solstice failed to report a landing. Had something happened on Earth?

But, no, just like this ship couldn't last 26 million years, that pinger couldn't last 5 million. So what was happening?

"Wh…" Adina uttered, blinking. What was going on? What was causing this? Were both times just wrong? Was there a way to check? "Wha-what's the mission runtime?"

John stared at her for a moment before turning and hurriedly clicking away at the keyboard. She watched, and then she felt the nightmare get closer to watch, too. She stiffened her shoulders, but tried not to be too nervous-looking.

Hopefully, they couldn't tell. But she had just given Kime normal human biometric parameters….

"Holy shit, what," John whispered. Adina leaned forward.

Mission Elapsed Time:

60 years, 57 days, 1 hour, 43 minutes

"What?"

"One of these is wrong," John whispered. Adina looked up for Paxie and saw the nightmare watching her from the dark corridor. She flinched and gasped, slapping a hand over her heart, then turned to Kime.

"What are our coordinates?" she asked. "Do you have a star map we can see?"

Adina tried to calm down as Kime typed away on her tablet. One of these time ranges was wrong. But if it was the 26 million years (she desperately hoped 26 million years was wrong) then why had they gotten 200 years worth of pings? Maybe Mission Control was desperately trying to reestablish a connection? But 800 pings? That was a bit much.

Kime offered the tablet. Adina took it, and as soon as she did, the display somehow gave her an even worse headache. She blinked hard and moved the tablet away.

"Woah," she grunted, squeezing her eyes shut. John took it from her and grunted like he was straining to lift something.

"Shit," he swore, squinting at the tablet.

"Oh, no," Kime said, "you only have two eyes."

John huffed and offered the tablet back, then rubbed his eyes. Adina had her hands on her temples, trying not to squeeze her head too hard. The dizziness was back with reinforcements.

"How are we gonna do this?" she grunted.

"Do you have universal file translators?" John groaned. "Like the language? The audio?"

"We might, in a sense," Kime said slowly. "Let me make a call."

Adina nodded delicately so as not to jar her brain too hard. That seemed like a strangely cryptic response, but she couldn't think too hard right now.

As soon as they figured all of this out, she was going to sleep like the dead.

---

#writeblr #writers on Tumblr #scifi writing #humans are space orcs #Fayte writes #\(*^*)/ I LIVE!#damn it's been how long since my last story piece period?#barely edited #I mean it too

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