#cost of used shipping containers

[iww-gnv]

Article date: September 30, 2024

NEW YORK -- The union representing U.S. dockworkers has signaled that 45,000 members will walk off the job at midnight, kicking off a massive strike likely to shut down ports across the East and Gulf coasts. The coming work stoppage threatens to significantly snarl the nation's supply chain, potentially leading to higher prices and delays for households and businesses if it drags on for weeks. That's because the strike by members of the International Longshoremen's Association could cause 36 ports — which handle roughly half of the goods shipped into and out of the U.S. — to shutter operations. ILA confirmed over the weekend that its members would hit the picket lines at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. In a Monday update, the union continued to blame the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents the ports, for continuing to “to block the path” towards an agreement before the contract deadline. “The Ocean Carriers represented by USMX want to enjoy rich billion-dollar profits that they are making in 2024, while they offer ILA Longshore Workers an unacceptable wage package that we reject," ILA said in a prepared statement. “ILA longshore workers deserve to be compensated for the important work they do keeping American commerce moving and growing." ILA also accused shippers of “gouging their customers" with sizeable price increases for containers over recent weeks. The union said that this will result in increased costs for American consumers.

Read the rest here.

[salmalin]

"Never does a thing to stop it."

LOL she does. She literally does.

There's five arcs dedicated to it. But if that isn't obvious enough for you, how about you get reborn as a five year old disabled girl, become a politician's intern at seven years old, and dismantle our industrial prison complex, which forces people to work and charges them for the pleasure?

Big ask, right? It's almost like life—and this series—is more complicated than a surface-level power fantasy.

There are at least five arcs involving Myne using what little influence she has to provide them with the tools to feed themselves, the skills to protect themselves, and directly giving them the right to consent to work and sex. This involved preventing priests—people with much more power and influence than her—from taking literal children from the orphanage to be—for lack of a better word—fuck toys. Myne takes people who have no ability to survive in the world and makes sure they will be able to live comfortably long after she is gone. including informing them of and enforcing their right to consent.

What's more, saying "slavery is bad" is easy to do. But to go into detail about why is harder. And the series decides to do the hard thing and goes into explicit detail about why slavery is bad on a fundamental level, as well as its place in society. In detail. Repeatedly. I literally cannot believe you missed this. It's one thing to say "ooh, slavery is bad, we should end it," and it's another entirely to explore in detail the extensive damage done to the people in the system. It also explores that sudden extreme change has severe consequences on large quantities of people, and suddenly freeing dozens of people who have been starving for years, have no ability to provide food for themselves, have no concept of how the real world works, and have been raised in a culture free of violence that is literally incompatible with any place outside their small realm of control is not exactly a good idea. Why? Because ignorance is the default, and enforced ignorance is a bitch.

Bookworm doesn't just have chattel slavery.

Bookworm has slavery in a cult. A cult that controls, on a mass scale, what people can do, where they can go, and what they're allowed to know.

If the people in the church were released all at once when she gains control of the temple, they would very likely die of starvation in a few days. This is literally canon. This is how their society is built. And it's how our society is built, too, when you think of it. If you throw a child in a basement, never teaching them to read, do math, or even do basic cooking, feeding them chicken nuggets their whole life, and then release them into capitalism at eighteen, there is no social safety net to catch them. They will not know about homeless shelters. They will not know how to buy food. They will likely die on the street, lost, confused, and scared. This is why we have mandatory education systems, which is the exact thing this series is a love letter to. Education is an equalizer. It is necessary not just to protect ourselves, but literally just to function.

The only thing that protects Myne from the world she's in when she first arrived was her family, who provided her with context and a chance to understand the world around her.

The grey priests do not have families.

Myne is told over and over not to fuck with the status quo. But she knows knowledge is power, so the first thing she does is arm these people however she can under the radar. Because if other pay too much attention, she will no longer be able to help them. Even Ferdinand, canonically, wants to help them, but is unable to follow through so he doesn't do it. He brings who he can under his protection, but the whole point of his character is that he's running away. He has no hope for the future, no hope for his safety, so he hides.

But Myne isn't like him. She can see a future. She knows things can be different. She knows things can change.

She she tries to make that change. And Myne nearly bankrupts herself. She goes nearly broke several times, canonically, giving them what they need so they can survive without her. From a business, to learning skills, to giving them the power to make demands regarding their own living situation. She also gives them money for their work.

Her giving whatever power she can to enslaved people is so important to the story that it is literally the inciting incident that gets her slapped with the label of "saint" and affects everything that happens after. These events are massive, and it's more than a little silly to say "slavery exists and she didn't abolish it, so the series is bad." Bruh, it took her like five novels to make one book. I have no idea why you think a five year old disabled girl who barely understands printing can dismantle a country-wide system of forced labor involving a cult when she can barely walk for ten minutes. But if this is so easy, you should go out and end forced labor in the prison industrial complex. It's not like it's linked to the police and how people are arrested, and the people who fight this system end up dead or anything. It's not like this has been going on for hundreds of years and you're just one person who isn't part of the group in charge of it. How hard could it be?

I'm sorry, but you may want to stay away from Bookworm meta if you have fundamentally no idea what happens in the series, how the world works, or even what's happening right in front of you.

I'd just like to take a moment to appreciate that in Ascendance of a Bookworm (spoilers obv), Myne does not descend upon Ehrenfest and the country at large with the intent of changing it. At first she wants to change things, and she tries. However, she quickly finds that she needs to do so while following the rules of the world around her. Even as the story goes on, as she rises in the ranks of the world, she does so in the context of that world. Yes, she brings technologies from Earth, but they are all modified to suit needs not being met in that world, and to suit the people there. Even more, even with the printing Industry, she quickly learns that there's no way to bring Earth stories to this new world because they're so incompatible, socially.

But what's most impressive is that, as time goes on, the focus stops being about bringing Earth technologies into their world. Instead, she spends a lot more time focusing on reviving the culture already present. She learns a dead language, translates it, and proceeds to make that knowledge more readily available than it's been in generations. Not to mention... *Points to everything in part 5.*

Myne enters the world isolated and alone, desperate for her own culture. She wants to beat Earth into everything she sees. She ends it by bringing the parts of the world dying around her back to life, for the betterment of everyone around her.

[peachsayshi]

minors - ageless - blank blogs dni

pirate!sukuna and mermaid!reader grow to have an unlikely friendship with each other. both try to steal moments with the other person. in a way, sukuna isn't as miserable that he's stranded on this island with his crew. it just means it gives him ample opportunity to seek you out while everyone else is busy.

it's late, the crescent moon a bright smile in the dark sky. he finds you perched on a rock, the crashing waves hitting the jagged surface. your hair is cascading down your back, your naked torso facing the horizon. this makes him blush, of all things. the fact that you aren't even aware of what your nudity does to him. of how it makes him pulse and stir in ways that remind him of how weak he is as man.

he avoids his gaze at all costs, even though he knows you're not bothered by it. but he still does it out of respect for you.

"I saw you earlier this morning by my ship," he speaks casually. his white shirt is unbuttoned low, revealing his sun kissed chest and the tattoos underneath. his one eye squints with an amusement, the other hidden by the patch. he climbs the rock to meet you.

your cheeks warm.

"I saw your fin when I looked over the deck," he teases, "were you looking for me?"

you turn to face the horizon.

maybe you were curious. you haven't seen him in the last couple of days.

"no," you lie. "I was just making sure that your men weren't going to cause any trouble..."

sukuna smiles, and you can feel the way it radiates despite not looking at him. it makes you nervous how your heart can't contain its beats around him. how your stomach flips into itself. the way your fin almost quivers with excitement when he's around.

he sits on the rock, his body just slightly behind you.

"I got you something," he says, prompting you to glance over your shoulder to gaze up at him.

he's holding something in his hand, it's color a bright orange blended into green. he pulls out his knife and slices into it, revealing the golden yellow flesh inside.

"what's that?" you ask with a furrow of your brow, your mouth pouting slightly as your nose scrunches.

"fruit", sukuna explains, offering you a slice from his hand but he keeps it a slight distance away to tempt you closer.

you oblige, sliding your way up towards him. you carefully pick it up from between his fingers, your heart pulsing at your throat when you notice just how large his hand actually is. you remember the way he carried you, distinctly recall how he circled them around your delicate neck. you take in the scars on his exposed forearms, blurred with the dark ink of his tattoos.

you accept the offer, and bite into the fruit.

your eyes widen, your mouth coated with a luxurious taste that reminds you of the sun and happiness. you swallow the custard like fruit, before sinking your teeth into it again for another bite.

sukuna huffs out a laugh with approval. "you like it?"

"mhmm," you say eagerly with a nod, and the devour the slice quicker than expected.

sukuna hands you another slice, and you give him a sheepish glare. "if this is poisoned., just know that you'll be haunted by my spirit..."

he just chuckles, his eyes locked onto the fruit cradled between your fingers. he places his blade on his lap, and tenderly clasps his hand around your wrist. he pulls your hand towards his mouth, his lips circling around the fruit as he takes a bite for himself. your tail flaps with subtle excitement, your skin tingling as the juice trickles down your wrist.

sukuna licks his lips before pulling your wrist to his mouth. he laps up the sweet nectar that dribbled, then smooths his thumb over your skin and gazes back up at you.

"care to ask me that again?"

you gulp, your words catching everywhere and tangling on your tongue. sukuna doesn't let you go, but instead trails his hand down to your elbow, then moves to the smooth curve of your hip. he can feel the stitch of flesh and scale, and he uses his strength to pull you into his frame so that you were both sitting much, much closer to one another.

your back was pressed to his shoulder, and he keeps one arm around your waist before proceeding to continue what he was doing earlier.

it's quiet and still, the world around moving slower than molasses. you eat the fruit while he cuts it for you. making note then that this man comes to offer you something every time he visits.

by the time you're done and lick your fingers clean, you know what he is going to say next.

"so, what will I get this time for my act of kindness?"

you can't help but smile. your mind spinning on what you would like to give him next. but instead you simply ask, "what would you like from me, pirate?" you flirt.

a hand moves to hold your chin, it's perched between his thumb and index finger. he tilts your face towards his, and taps your bottom lip.

"I want a taste of something sweet too..." he murmurs, the depth of voice like the vast breadth of the ocean itself.

you stare up at him with deep infatuation. at his ruggedly, handsome features that feels sinful to even gaze upon. you think he'll just go straight for it, but he waits.

only then to give him a small nod.

he arches forward and at the same time pulls you closer. his mouth meets yours and he holds the kiss for a few brief seconds, making the tips of your ears twitch as the heat rushes through your body. it's a chaste peck, and sukuna pulls away but leaves only a sliver of space.

your lips tingle with anticipation. "I thought..." you whisper, the waves crashing as it sprinkles against your tail and his legs. your hand grips over his forearm, and you give him a gentle squeeze. "I thought humans taste with their tongue..."

his eyes burn into yours, but he smirks against your mouth as he leans down to give you another kiss. your lips part granting him permission to indulge. your hand moves to hold the back of his head, while his own drops to cup just underneath your breast. the pulse in your ears is almost deafening, because you can't remember how long it's been since you've been kissed liked this. as for sukuna, he can't think of anything else but the sensation of you on his tongue. of how the taste of lingering fruit and salt has settled on your buds. he's kissed many before you, but nothing even comes close to this. it’s as if he's been bewitched by a creature like you, but he doesn't see it as a curse, and instead finds it to be a blessing.

it’s a kiss fueled by an unknown hunger, by an unnatural desire. you both push against one another with lips, tongue and teeth, until the air is drawn out of both your lungs.

when it’s over, and you both have your foreheads pressed to one another, you’re panting just to catch your breath. sukuna dips his hand from underneath your breast to your stomach which heaves, as you both try to settle into the moment. you ease the grip on his hair, and allow your hand to slide down to his exposed chest, slipping it just underneath his shirt.

“was that…” you exhale, nipping at your bottom lip because you’ve never kissed a human before.

“as good as I imagined?” he answers with a contemplative sigh. “yes.”

[breelandwalker]

Witch Tip - Wild Weed Harvests

When looking around your yard or local biome for wild plants to harvest for your craft, there are several important things to keep in mind:

1 - Prepare for your trip ahead of time. Have some idea ahead of time where you're going, what the terrain and weather will be like, and what plants you want to look for and harvest. Make sure you wear appropriate clothing and footwear, and bring containers, supplies for labeling, and a travel-size resource for plant identification. (Pro-tip: Paper lunch bags are excellent receptacles for harvested plants.)

2 - Look for patches of plants well away from roadways and places which might be contaminated by chemical runoff or pesticides. When possible, select a large patch where your harvest won't wipe out the presence of the plant. (The exception to this is if you are removing invasive plants or weeding a prepared garden as part of your harvesting.)

3 - Make sure you properly identify plants before you harvest them, using a field guide for local plants or an identification app like Plantnet. This helps you avoid potentially harmful lookalikes. (And it couldn't hurt to look up what harmful plants exist in the area where you'll be looking.) Do not harvest endangered plants or plants growing on private property or in national parks. When in doubt, leave it alone.

4 - Take a modest amount of plant material for your stores, no more than you reasonably need, while disturbing the surrounding area as little as possible. Clearly label the container with the species and date of harvest. (Again, I'm recommending those paper lunch bags.) As an added courtesy, you can bring a bottle of water and hydrate the remaining plants to encourage regrowth.

5 - Clean and dry your plant material when you get home, if necessary. Just give them a quick rinse and gentle pat-dry with a clean kitchen towel before placing the plants into your preferred drying device. One simple solution is to cut the flaps off of wide, shallow cardboard shipping boxes and lay out the plant material in a flat layer so that most of it is touching the cardboard. (As opposed to leaving it in a big heap.) Label the sections or the side of the tray and leave your plants to dry.

6 - If you're not using an oven or a dehydrator, allow plant material to dry for at LEAST two or three weeks before breaking it up for storage in airtight jars or freezer bags. Make sure the plants are dry and brittle all the way through to avoid rot and mold in your storage containers and spoilage of the contents. Label and date the containers and store at room temperature out of direct sunlight. (If you discover mold or a bad smell in any of your containers, discard the contents and either throw away the container or sterilize it for reuse - this generally only works for glass jars.)

7 - Check back periodically! Give your wild plant patches time to regrow and you can then make additional small harvests on future visits. Also, look for different plants to emerge as the seasons change.

Familiarizing yourself with your local biome allows you to connect with the land where you live (and encourages you to care about it in the process). Also, it can garner you components for your workings for the cost of a few bags and an afternoon stroll.

But wait! What if your local wild weeds don't have magical correspondences? Not to worry - there's an exercise for that.

Good luck and Happy Witching! 🌿

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

Do you have a snoot noodle or other variation of sighthound? If yes, there’s new heart health research for the breed happening!

A researcher at Texas A&M whose work I’m familiar with is starting a new study looking at genetic factors contributing to heart disease in Borzoi and related breeds. They just put out a call for dog owners who are willing to submit saliva samples & (noodle) medical records. Studies like this need a big sample size! They’re accepting new sign-ups starting now until March 1, 2025, for dogs both in the US and internationally.

Let’s help make some science!

From the study page:

“Background and purpose

Recent research in Borzoi dogs has revealed that dogs of this breed experience sudden, unexplained death. About 85% of sudden, unexplained deaths in humans are linked to an underlying heart disease. Our existing research in Borzoi dogs has shown that they are predisposed to developing arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) and dilated cardiomyopathy (a heart muscle disease causing dilated heart chambers and weak pumping function).

Due to our documentation of the frequency of these conditions in Borzoi dogs, we seek to identify responsible genetic variations similar to what is seen in humans with electrical cardiac diseases that trigger arrhythmias and dilated cardiomyopathy.

The objective of our study is to identify genetic mutations associated with heart disease in Borzoi dogs and document their existence in other sighthound breeds.

What happens in this study

We are collecting saliva samples from both healthy Borzoi and Borzoi dogs affected with arrhythmias and/or dilated cardiomyopathy. We will also collect saliva samples from any other sighthound breeds.

We will extract DNA from these samples and perform genomic sequencing on a select number while retaining the remainder for further screening.By analyzing the sequencing data, we can compare the genes of healthy and affected Borzoi dogs and identify variants linked to their heart conditions. We will also compare the findings in Borzoi dogs to results from other sighthound breeds.

Pet owner responsibilities

A swab kit will be sent to you for at home use along with a link to an instructional video on how to properly obtain a swab of the mouth. The kit will contain equipment to collect the saliva swab, a history form for your pet, a client consent form and a shipping label to return samples to us.

Participation requirements

To participate, you must have a Borzoi dog or a sighthound breed that is either healthy or affected by arrhythmias and/or dilated cardiomyopathy. Pets may be any age or sex. Electronic or paper veterinary medical records will need to be provided.

Benefits and risks of participating

There is little to no risk for taking a brief swab of the mouth for saliva collection if procedures outlined in the video are followed. No individual genetic test results will be provided to study participants.

Compensation

There is no cost to the owner for participating in this study. No compensation will be provided.”

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Fear

( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)

During the height of 2549 there was no species more feared in the cosmos than that of the Fedichi.

They were not physically strong and their technology was nothing to boast of. Their domain was only their home system with no external colonies or outposts making them one of the smallest powers in the universe. Yet a single vessel of theirs was enough to send an entire system into panic and hide behind planetary shields or flee on what ships were available.

 Fedichi had a unique method of collective telepathy that allows them to project a species fear. They would induce this form of psychosis into their victims as a means to feed upon them as their diet primarily consisted of the bodily chemicals produced when a subject is afraid. Upon finishing consumption of said chemicals their prey would either be deceased or be reduced to a vegetative state.

Alone a single Fedichi was enough to feast on a single victim, ten Fedichi enough for a large ballroom, a hundred for a large city; but when combined in their thousands an entire planet could be induced into psychosis and then fed upon at leisure.  

For hundreds of years the Fedichi would leave their star system when the urge to feast became strongest and descend upon unsuspecting worlds for a nightmarish harvest. Typical feedings could last anywhere from a week to ten years before the Fedichi had their fill and returned to their home system.

Attempts were made of course to seal off the Fedichi from the rest of the universe. Robotic sentries, minefields, deep space scanning stations; even a planetary containment field was once deployed around the entire Fedichi homeworld to keep them isolated. For a time they procedures seemed to work, but time was always an ally of the Fedichi as they would simply wait out their jailer’s in hibernation. The costs alone of such methods would ever increase over the years as repair costs and personnel ate away at whichever governing body held the reigns of their imprisonment until finally they would abandon the measure entirely believing the Fedichi to be once and for all dealt with.

It would be at this point the Fedichi would emerge and seek vengeance against their former captors and in some cases wipe out the entire species before returning home for their next sleep cycle.

This process went on and on for centuries until finally the Fedichi chose to descend upon the newly space faring species called “Humanity”.

It would be their undoing.

Up until then the victims of the Fedichi had been more or less, unimaginative, to say the least with what scared them. Their societies had condensed into societal structures that did not encourage different ways of thinking or forms of expression so naturally their fears were also more or less shared universally amongst them.

The Vakbar lived on isolated islands and were naturally afraid of their homes being swallowed up by an uncaring sea, the Hashval were a nomadic spacer society and lived in constant fear of hull breaches, the Sal’nuks were in a state of constant war with the wildlife of their world and dreaded the day wild Chunl raptors would gorge themselves on their bodies; but this was not the case with humans.

When the Fedichi used their collective abilities to induce the psychosis on humanity as they had done so countless times before they quickly realized that humanity did not share a single overriding fear. To those that were terrified of moving fast others sought it out as enjoyment, when others feared speaking in public others would be terrified to be alone, were some dreaded poisons others took them as exhilarations needed to feel alive.

Worse yet was when they began to manifest these fears it only worked on a far smaller scale than they were used to. The mixtures of fears ensured that the humans were not ever entirely crippled and would instead come to the aid of those that were terrified. Some offered words of comfort, while others laughed at the absurdity of what some found fearful which made the fearful only angry and dispelling the fear entirely to be replaced with outright anger.

Unable to feed off the humans the Fedichi began to turn on each other. Each waking cycle they had just enough energy to travel to a new species but they needed to feed to replenish that energy or else they would starve. The lack of sustenance provided by humans bled what little energy they had left and in their hunger driven desperation they began to feed on their own kind to stay alive.

Their collective unity fell apart as a frantic feeding frenzy was set off amongst their fleet. Whatever unity the Fedichi had once had collapsed giving way to an insatiable hunger. This madness was in turn broadcasted to the humans below who interpreted the unintelligible screeches to be a sign of aggression and promptly deployed their war fleet.

Without their ability to harness fear the Fedichi ships were defenseless against the combined firepower of the human fleet and ground based defense installations. A full three fourths of their armada was destroyed while those that remained fled out of system. Yet without the needed energy they would be unable to neither return home nor reach another star system to feast upon. They were left stranded in the blackness between stars and starved, a new found testament to the new greatest fear of the universe……

[reasonsforhope]

By the time Sue Shusterman turns away from the bench at the overlook and back toward the trailhead, she knows the paddleboarders are out in force 300 yards away on the gleaming blue surface of Chatfield Reservoir.  

She knows the high runoff waters have flooded the roots of Chatfield’s willows and cottonwoods, and that the first spring-green layers of the foothills rise to the west like soft fabric. 

How she acquired these life-affirming memories is at first a mystery, since Shusterman is blind and is heading back toward the parking lot making her usual sweep of the path in front with her ever-present white cane.  

But then a friendly voice emerges from the phone that Shusterman is pointing toward the path from her other hand.

A little to the left to stay on the paved path. Looks like there’s a trail all the way down to the beach, about 75 yards, if you wanted to go. I’ll just be here watching, let me know if you need anything. 

The voice is from a live, trained human guide FaceTiming through Shusterman’s phone camera on the Aira ability-assist app. Sight-impaired people have been using Aira’s guides to make it easier to do anything from navigating an airport to filling out an online job form. Now, all 42 Colorado state parks like Chatfield are geofenced to allow any visitor to use Aira for free to stroll the trails with a helpful set of eyes. 

The Aira guides seemingly effortlessly offer what a blind hiker either needs, or wants. If there’s a dangerous steep drop-off on the right, they warn. If the hiker would rather know if the sneezeweed is in bloom or the sailboats are luffing through a turn, Aira offers that instead.

For Shusterman, trying Aira as an outdoors adventure for the first time, the allure was simple: “Independence.” 

“So she’s doing, I think, a phenomenal job of including the necessary safety things, but the perks of the scenery, too,” Shusterman said, as she paused during a conversation with an Aira guide based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “She’s doing great.”

State accessibility officials recently announced the expansion of Aira to state parks grounds, after previously providing Aira free for other state-related functions such as navigating a government building or getting help on an online site or filling out forms. Colorado cannot control the cellphone signal, though, so parks officials encourage visitors to try Aira at a familiar or close-in park space before ranging farther afield with it. Popular parks like Staunton or Golden Gate contain pockets where signals are not strong. 

For consumers buying access on their own, Aira costs about $50 for 30 minutes of assistance a month. Private employers and governments often buy package access to Aira and other accessibility apps for all employees to use. State accessibility coordinator Theresa Montano, who is blind and accompanied Shusterman on her Chatfield walk, said Amazon buys access so that sight-impaired shipping center employees can navigate steps to pack orders.

Montano uses Aira at her state job, saying the guides on the app can share her computer screen and help her get through an online task in 30 minutes that might take her four hours without help or through older accessibility tools. 

Adding Aira for state-owned lands was wrapped into the overall $250,000 budget for free Aira use on state property and with state websites. The additional utility is an obvious plus, Montano said. 

“This gives blind people the same opportunity to come and enjoy it by themselves or with their family if they want to, and be independent,” she said...

Shusterman walked away taking more from the big picture experience, rather than any particular scenic detail. 

“For me, it was, you know what, I could go for a walk on this path, and I could feel completely safe, and I would enjoy a nice walk and get some exercise, in an unfamiliar area,” Shusterman said. “It’s definitely a real confidence boost for me.”  

-via The Colorado Sun, June 11, 2024

[alexanderwales]

Someone on my discord said that it didn't seem like it would take all that much work to worldbuild a plausible Age of Piracy that lasted for a thousand years. I somewhat disagree, but I think it's an interesting challenge.

To start with, some boundaries:

Piracy is the act of a sailing ship attacking another sailing ship carrying goods for the purposes of ransom, robbery, and taking on new crew from their number. I will also allow some coastal raiding, even if that's not technically piracy.

Any system/culture of piracy is going to have to consider at least two things: supply of ships and supply of pirates.

Any system/culture of piracy is going to have to have some kind of prey. The snake cannot eat its own tail.

The pirates cannot be primarily state-sponsored, though the ecosystem can have privateers in it, and there can be other tacit approval of piracy from higher powers one way or another (especially e.g. bribes).

The age of piracy needs to be relatively geographically contained and relatively continuous, rather than moving from hotspot to hotspot.

So where does this leave us? What are the big problems to solve?

We need a continuous source of trade for pirates to plunder from. This has to be a trade route, or set of trade routes, that's incredibly stable, surviving political and economic disruptions, and has a high enough value that it persists in the face of piracy.

Sort of inevitably, the people trying to move goods from one place to another do not want them stolen. We probably have to model this thousand years as a series of changes in pirate tactics and trade tactics, but also as something that moves slower than in the real world.

As above, you need a source of ships. You can potentially get these from "pirate havens", but that gets dangerously close to being state-sanctioned if this is in fact the source of ships and pirates. So I actually think you're mostly fine if no one is building ships exclusively for piracy (or only doing that rarely), and instead most of the ships come from the major powers building ships. This is historically accurate, with capture and mutiny being the main source of pirate ships.

As above, you need a source of sailors. Being trained as a sailor took some time, and there's not that much room for on-the-job training for a pirate crew, though there is some. So the source needs to be navies or merchant fleets, and they need to be pretty terrible such that piracy offers the better option. And in the real world, there were lots of indentured servants, slaves, etc. who could get a better life by taking to the seas, though they wouldn't start with skill as sailors.

So we are, I think, starting to sketch out some features of the Thousand Years of Piracy just by implication.

We have a few major continents that are separated from each other by major oceans, maybe with some smaller islands between them to serve as pirate havens, secure harbors, etc. These continents have huge amounts of trade with each other that lasts for a millennium in spite of pressure for them to go local, which means they probably can't. They have incompatible climates leading to incompatible crops, they have different mineral wealth, etc. This trade is super profitable, enough that piracy only puts a dent in profits, and is "cost of doing business".

Macro technology is stagnant for whatever reason. The Scientific Revolution was not inevitable, I think all you need are pretty regular wars on the main continents that rip through institutions of learning, or purges of philosophers for ideological reasons, or just political fragmentation that means there's not quite enough stability to get thinkers together. (Yes, we're using instability to create the stability of stagnation.)

Micro technology is ... probably fine? At some point in the 1,000 years, there are changes to the sails, copper sheathing on the hulls, different shape to the bow, all probably fine. Cannons can get better, rifles and pistols can get better, any of this still falls within "1,000 years of piracy". Certain things are there to stay. Other things fall out of fashion.

What is a problem are changes in tactics. There needs to be no particular thing that can cost-effectively be done about piracy for a thousand years, or at least not in all cases. It's easy to imagine pirates as being a part of the risk-reward calculation for merchants, for pirates to be hunted by navies interested in securing trade ... but if they're to stay pirates for a thousand years, then there needs to be no way for them to get into a stable non-pirate situation. It has to devolve into pirates, even if there are points in this thousand year history where pirates get stomped in every now and then.

One of the big risks is cooption or institutionalization of deviance. What prevents the pirates from all taking deals to become privateers, getting letters of marquee from the major powers and agreeing only to attack one side or another? We want a thousand years of piracy, not a thousand years of privateers. What's stopping the formation of a pirate kingdom, or a pirate monopoly, one that stops any upstarts and forces everyone under the same banner?

And all this I'm much less sure about. I think it's plausible, I guess, but if I had to go fill in an actual worldbuilding document where I mark down all the twists and turns, if I had to think through all thousand years of people trying to stamp out the very practice of piracy, all the things they tried and the ways they failed, that's where I think some cracks might start to show.

[carionto]

So, uhh, Humans did what they called an "oopsie"

They can turn off stars.

When they elaborated on how their reactors work - true nuclear fusion - they also explained, before the delegates passed out, that their failsafes include high density convection inhibitor rods that shoot out if the power output exceeds what it is currently set to. Except if a manual Overload protocol is engaged. You know, in case they need to go to 400% power. At the risk of blowing up everything. Psychopaths.

Then one of them had an idea. Another phrase the Galaxy must learn to look out for and try to persuade the human who uttered it to not do the idea. They'll still do it, of course, Humans are stubborn like that.

So, some of their ships can transform and double as Warp Gates. Truly fascinating technology, capable only through their absurd energy generation methods and reckless disregard for how the Universe works. They even gave us the blueprints. We thanked them, politely, but we'll have to figure out a safe way to do it first.

Currently their Warp Gates can only make a stable connection to the gravitational center of a large celestial body. As in - stars. Their reactors house miniature stars. They turn those off shockingly regularly for maintenance. One of the few things most of the Galaxy is better than Humanity is making things that don't break themselves through normal operation, but then what's "normal" for them is "excessively insane" to us.

This Human wanted to see what would happen if they sent a big pile of their convection inhibitor rods through a Warp Gate. "Fuck around and find out" is the expression they used, if we are recalling the words correctly.

Well, everyone "found out" that, yes, it actually works, and surprisingly quickly too. The chosen star was a distant Red Dwarf with only uninhabitable planetoids and some asteroid belts and no recorded stations within the system. It took about a week for the first signs of decreased activity to become barely noticeable. It hasn't been long enough to fully end the fusion cycle, but all observations point to the Red Dwarf becoming the first of its kind to retain enough hydrogen to do... we're actually not sure how that will unfold over the coming few million years.

Thankfully, the Human who had the idea was disappointed the star didn't just poof like their contained reactor ones do. The material cost and lengthy process also made it clear it has no real practical application.

Still, technically they can prematurely begin the end cycle of a stars lifespan.

Those of us with more active imaginations might find it hard to sleep at night knowing that, clearly, no Human idea will be left untested...

Oh FUCK! What if th- No. When they fine tune their Warp Gates, could they just send anything anywhere? We're screwed if Humanity ever gets angry.

[containersx]

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[purgatory-jar]

COMMISSIONS ARE OPEN ONCE AGAIN!

I am opening up 5 official commission sposts and 5 spots in the queue, and you can either send me a message here on tumblr or by email at elena.piergiacomi@icloud.com .

You can find other examples of my art here;

I can be commissioned to draw art for fanfics, covers, OCs, all ships/fandoms, small animations, comic strips, tarot cards, icon/headers combo and so on!

It’s not just deancas. Hit me up with good omens, ofmd, heartstopper, the witcher, 911, ted lasso, your baldur’s gate OCs, star wars, whatever you want! I am a huge nerd and 90% chance is I know the characters already :)

It would be amazing if you could signal boost even if you’re not interested, every bit of sharing helps.

Full pricelist and rules under the cut :)

PRICE LIST

SKETCH FLAT COLOR

base price 45 $ 

+ each additional character 24 $

complex bg 24 $

SKETCH FULL COLOR

base price 50 $ 

+ each additional character 24 $

complex background 24 $

INKED 

base price 55 $

each additional character 27 $

complex background 27 $

FLAT COLOR LINEART 

base price 77 $

each additional character 38 $

complex background 38 $

FULL COLOR 

base price 110 $ 

each additional character 44 $

complex background 44 $

RULES

Want a commission? Write to me at elena.piergiacomi@icloud.com and describe what you would like me to draw!

-PRICE: the price is calculated on the hours of work I put on it, and it already includes ALL taxes. (45 % of the amount goes up in taxes, my dudes). It is based on the amount of characters, details and background you ask for. The more complicated it is, the more time it takes, the more it costs. Please explain in your email what you would like and your budget and we will come up with a suitable price for both of us! Animations and comic strips need to be discussed as their price depends on the style chosen. Don’t worry if your budget is not much: just let me know and we can surely squeeze a drawing in there :)

-WHAT I NEED: photo references and information on what you want, the more the better. They don’t have to be super accurate! You can send ten photos and say: “I want this dress with this character with this other background etc.” You don’t know what you want? no problem! we can chat and discuss it!

-WHAT I WILL DRAW: I am comfortable drawing nsfw, most kinks, and animals of all kind, real and fantasy alike. I also draw every ship, so don’t be shy in asking! I won’t draw underage nsfw, non-con or dub-con, domestic violence etc. If you’re not sure, ask!

-WHAT FANDOMS? All of them. Just provide references and I’m good. Also, I’m a huge nerd, so there’s a 90% chance that I already know what you’re talking about. I draw OCs too!

-HOW TO PAY: via Bank transfer. After we agree on a price I will draw the sketch, and after the you have approved of the sketch I will send the invoice that you will need to pay. The invoice will contain all the info for the payment (it’s pretty easy to do online) and it’ll be in euros, and it will obviously be the amount we agreed on. I will then proceed with the rest of the drawing once I receive the payment.

-TIPS: If you wish to leave a tip, it’s greatly appreciated! However, the invoice has to match the exact amount of money I’ll be receiving, so if wanna tip you’ll have to tell me before I send the invoice! Again, a tip is not necessary nor will I be mad or offended if it’s not there. Sharing my art and signal boosting my commission masterpost or recommending me to others means a lot to me too and it’s a great way to help.

-HOW IT WILL WORK: I’ll send you the progress AT LEAST three times: the sketch, the lineart, and the base colors, so you can see them and ask me to change what you don’t like. Do not worry about offending me! The key to a good commission is communication! Also, I won’t be able to change stuff if you don’t tell me in time, so there’s that too ;)

-CAN I SHOW THE DRAWING TO THAT ACTOR? Sure, as long as it’s not nsfw! Please let me know if you do, I’m super curious to know what they said ;)

-DEADLINES: Please let me know if you have any deadlines you want respected. If you want it ready in less than 10 days there’s an extra 10$ fee. If you want it ready in less than 7 days there’s an extra 20$ fee. Also, if you ask for a deadline please try to reply to emails as promptly as you can manage.

-LIVESTREAMING: I might livestream the last phase of your commission (the coloring) on my Picarto.tv account, if the inspiration strikes and time is there. If you don´t want me to, please say so in advance, even tho I usually ask for permission before I do it.

[draftdweller]

Cherry, baby

Logan Howlett x Reader

Warnings: 18+ MDNI, Unprotected P in V, Oral F receiving, plus sized reader.

You were on your way home from your late night Diner shift, the uniform looking straight out of the 50's, your cherry red lipstick providing a stark contrast to your facial features, the dark mass of hair tied back in a nice updo to keep it out of your face and make sure it's contained while you work. You loathed the pastel pink dress that you had to wear for your shift, but money is money. You were flat broke every month after bills and groceries, the economy was more than difficult to survive in. You blamed the cost of things on the damages every city endured from every spat that came from mutants fighting their own wars. You noticed the city you were in was compromised the most, New York. Every week a new part of the city was destroyed, every month a new price raise on things. You loathed it completely. Even being a mutant yourself, you stayed to yourself.

Your family had tried to ship you off to Charles Xavier's school for the gifted. You booked it out of there by first light of the next day. No one had even noticed you were gone. Who would, with your powers being nothing spectacular, just telekinesis and the ability to cloud your presence from others. It was useless in any of their battles, and useless in life unless you were using it to move the trays at your job when you were busy with other things.

When you got back to your tiny apartment, you sighed seeing the notice on your door, three days to evacuate the premises, two months late on rent due to hours being cut meaning you couldn't afford it any longer. luckily you had almost no possessions, and the next thing you knew, you were on your way back to the mansion of professor x.

You approached the door and gave a tentative knock, who knew if Charles would let you back into this place. But when the door opened, it wasn't Charles before you. No, it was a muscular man, broad shoulders, dark hair that came up to a point on either side of his head. He was gorgeous, and rugged. He had a cigar between his lips and eyeing you cautiously.

"Can I help you, bub?" A gruff tone left his lips as he spoke.

"Uh, Yes. I'm looking for Charles"

"Charles? How D'you know him?" Another glance in your direction as he took a drag from the cigar.

"He's an old friend."

"I see. Well, come in then" As he spoke he turned and stepped into the house.

You nodded and walked in, and suddenly all eyes on you, Storm drawing in a breath as she caught sight of you. She was one of the only ones who had noticed you had left back when you did. The look in her eyes was both hurt and shock, taking in the sight of you. She walked up to you, her hair significantly shorter than when you'd last seen her.

"Y/N? Where have you been? I thought you had died. Why are you back?" She cautiously held you at arm's length and looked you over

"Died? No, I was just fine. I was on my own as soon as I could be. No one knew where I was because I knew if you all could find me, you'd bring me right back here, and I don't think I ever belonged here, my gifts are useless to say the least. Could you take me to Charles please?"

Without another word, she led you to Xavier, who you spoke to about staying here. You were assured you would always have a place at the school, and so there it was. You were working on unloading what little things you had, when the man who answered the door was standing there in the doorway. Keeping his eyes on you, as you used your mind to move the items around where you wanted them.

"So. You've been here before then? What brought you back?" He spoke and as he did so, you could feel his eyes tracing over your curves. You took off your hoodie you were wearing and looked back at him. "I had nowhere to go anymore" Your reply was short, not unkind but definitely blunt

"I guess that makes sense. But why'd you leave in the first place?"

"Look. I'd rather not discuss this with someone I know nothing about." Your cherry red lips pursed as you finished your sentence, hoping that would be the end of it. You couldn't be more wrong.

"Yea, well bub, Good luck trying to know anything about me. I don't even know much about myself from before I got here. Just that my name is Logan, and I have adamantium bones, and claws"

Your eyes rolled and you looked at him unbelieving. Then you noticed the look on his face. Your brows crinkled up and you sat on the bed.

"You really don't remember?"

"Not really. When I try to look back, it's foggy. Like someone covered it with mist"

You were nodding along as he spoke, and couldn't help but feel bad for him.

"So then, what is your name?"

"Logan." That was all he said before he left the room. That in itself was weird.

SIX MONTHS LATER

You had adjusted to the mansion life, always buzzing during the day. Quiet at night, there seemed to still have the curfew to be in your rooms at. But tonight, you couldn't sleep. You cautiously made your way to the kitchen, grabbing a drink and snack, and going to the room where the TV was. You made sure that it was turned down low enough that it wouldn't disturb anyone, but high enough that you could still hear it. You were in the middle of a horror movie when there was the sound of someone clearing their throat. You felt your body launch ten feet in the air, knocking the snack and drink off the coffee table in front of you. You turned around to see Logan standing there, his hair messy, and him wearing sleep pants and a white tank.

"You do know, there's a curfew, correct?"

"Yes, I, Yes. I just couldn't sleep. I'm sorry" You were tripping over your words as you spoke, your eyes following the contours of his body.

"Yea, that's the understatement of the year for me. I don't sleep much either. You mind if I join you here then?"

"Go ahead, as long as you promise not to scare the shit out of me like that again." You were moving over to make room on the couch for him, and he sat, eyeing you with a smirk playing on his lips.

"What are you doing sitting so far? I don't bite." He motioned for you to sit closer to him, and nods at the TV "Poltergeist huh? that's a good one"

You nodded, and slid closer to him, leaving a bit of space between the two of you. "One of my favorites that still startles me here and there."

He chuckled and nods. "I suppose it still has some good jumps here and there. If you need to, you can hide in my shoulder"

Your own laugh left your lips, and you nodded keeping that in mind. Eventually you did wind up burying your face against his shoulder, feeling nothing but muscle. He wound up moving to wrap said arm around you, his hands stroking over your plush curves, fingers splaying against your bare midriff, and tracing circles against your skin. You felt your cheeks heat up as he did this and looked up at him. You couldn't form words, but you could feel a spark of energy between the two of you.

You leaned up, and pressed your lips against his, kissing him slowly. At first, he resisted, shocked by the bold move and then kissed back. The kiss increased in passion, until you pulled back looking at him sheepishly.

"I, I'm so sorry. I don't know why I did that."

"Don't apologize, I was just stunned at first, bub. I liked it."

You met his eyes, your own wide, just as he crashed his lips back into yours, kissing you hotly. You returned the kiss with the same urgency, your hands coming up to tangle in his hair, a guttural groan leaving his lips as you tug gently, and his hands coming to rest on your hips, trying to pull you into his lap. You resisted with that move, mainly because you were self-conscious about your weight. You pulled back and looked at him "I, I can't" Your words were hushed, and he looked at you his brows knitting in confusion. "I'm heavier, I don't want to crush you"

"Bub, look. You wouldn't crush me, believe me. You may think you're too heavy, but I promise, I'm indestructible. I can handle you" As he spoke, his fingers came up to grip your chin gently. His words were sincere, and his touch gentle. He brought your lips back up to his, kissing you slowly. Instead of pulling you onto his lap this time, he pushed you back gently, causing you to lay back on the couch.

He pulled back from the kiss and moved his lips to the hollow of your throat, kissing and nipping gently, eliciting a gasp from you. He looked up at you from your throat and smirked "Oh, you liked that, did you?"

You didn't respond. You just nodded your head. In an instant, his lips were back on your throat, licking, nipping and sucking on it. Sure to leave marks on it. His hand was trailing up your thigh, and stopped at the junction between your thighs, stroking gently through your clothes. You moaned out and covered your mouth. He smirked and hushed you slightly. He moved up and hooked his thumb in your sleep shorts, pulling them down, revealing nothing underneath. He let out a ragged groan as he took in the sight of you. You glisten slightly in the lighting of the TV.

"Fuckin' beautiful" He murmured. His eyes had a look in them like a man starved and he met your gaze again. "If you want me to stop at any point bub, tell me. I will" "I want to keep going" Your words were a whisper, your hands covering your face slightly as he moved to place his head between your thighs.

He gazed up at you, and his fingers coming up to stroke along your folds. The little moan that left your lips encouraged him to keep going. His fingers slipped between your folds and caressed the sensitive bud above your entrance. Another gasp slipped from your lips, and he inhaled sharply, taking in your scent. His lips replaced where his fingers were, and they slipped down, teasing your entrance before pushing one digit in. You moan out loudly and arch your hips, his lips capturing the sensitive bud, sucking and nipping on it gently. "Logan, please. I need more" You mewled out as his pushed another finger into you. He smirked against you and sped up the motions of his fingers, continuously hitting the spongy area that had you most about to come undone. You felt yourself tighten around his fingers. "Come on bub, let go. Soak my fingers."

With his words, you let out a strangled cry, coming around his fingers and your hips buck slightly. He pulled back and looked up at you, bringing his fingers to his lips, and sucking them clean with an appreciative groan

"You taste so sweet, like cherries" His words caused your cheeks to heat up again and you look at him

"I, maybe we should go to my room, if you wanted to, I mean"

He smirked and nodded, pulling your shorts back up and lifting you effortlessly. He made his way to your room, and opened the door, bringing you into the room and shutting it with a kick. He made his way to your bed, laying you on it and kissing you once more. His knee separating your legs, and he nipped at your lip roughly. You could feel the bulge of him in his sleep pants pressing into you. Your hand came down to rub against it gently, causing him to let out a low growl "You sure you want to go there bub?"

"I've never been surer of anything, Logan" He nods and pulls back, peeling his shirt off his body, and then his sleep pants. Finally, he removed his boxers, and you gasped as he sprung free. He was thick, and long, with the tip red and leaking precum. He noticed the way you were looking at it and smirked slightly. "Don't worry. I'll take care of you" You nodded slowly, and looked at him, carefully peeling off your crop top and sleep shorts. You made an effort to cover your body back up as his eyes danced hungrily over you, but he grabbed your hand gently. He looked you over and used his free hand to stroke your face gently "You are so beautiful. Don't hide it" You were speechless, most people didn't compliment you for your body. But he did, and his eyes devoured you. Before you knew it, his lips were back on yours. His hand moving down to line himself up with your entrance.

He slowly pushed into you, stopping after an inch to let you adjust, and your jaw was slack at the feeling of him. He was waiting for you to adjust. "Logan, please move" With your plea, he pushed further in, until he bottomed out, his balls against your ass and a groan leaving his lips at how tight you were around him. Slowly he began moving and growled at the first thrust. He couldn't take the slow pace, and began to speed up, the sound of skin slapping filled the room, along with the grunts and moans. Your hands were on his back, nails digging into the skin making him hiss. Your eyes rolled back as he hit your sweet spot. The feeling was washing over you again, and he was murmuring sweet things to you, encouraging you to let go again. You let go with a cry of his name, tightening almost painfully around him, and he thrust, the thrusts getting sloppier. As you came undone around him, he followed quickly. His hips stuttering as he shot his seed deep into you. He collapses on top of you, breathing hard, and looked up at you, a small smile playing on his lips. "You did so good for me, Cherry baby" "Why do you call me that logan?" your eyes met his curiously

"Because when I first met you, and every day I see you. your lips are red as cherries"

You smiled and nodded, taking in what he said and agreed. A yawn slipped from your lips, and he pulled out gently, moving to lay by your side. You turned to face him, spent entirely from the sex and his hands rested on your hips. Before you knew it, you had drifted off to sleep, and logan snuck from your room.

By the time you woke up, you had noticed the side of the bed he'd been on was cold, and empty. You couldn't help the disappointment you felt. You decided that last night was just another meaningless night.

A/n: I'm so sorry, this was my actual first attempt at writing smut. It's not very good, but I enjoyed it. Let me know if you did too!

[rosescarletful]

Cosmic Connections

For my requests, @divinit3a requested for one of their au's! I just had to do their alien boys.

Requests here: Link

Word count: 7061

Summary:

You are a scientist aboard a space ship housing two shapeshifting aliens. They are strange and otherworldly, not to mention telepathic, but seem to have a sort of affinity to you. You have to resist their mind lures. At all costs. Yet, they just keep drawing you in....

Enjoy!

It’s quiet, this time of night. The space ship doesn't employ a full crew; there’s only just enough to keep it running, leaving just you and a scientist or so to monitor the specimens. The powers that be are paying a lot of money to see what those creatures can do, so here you all are. At least, both of them are contained as much as two otherworldly aliens can be. 

You read over your data pad with bleary eyes, cracking your jaw on a very big yawn. It's barely three am standard time, making the lines of data cross your eyes as you try to read their vital signs. Specimen S is active, though when is he not, and Specimen M seems to be talking to S. The spikes in brain activity go up one after the other, mimicking an internal conversation that they must be having telepathically. Sometimes, they share this conversation with you, even arguing inside of your own mind. They have some sort of…interest in you. 

Thus, this leaves the nightly feeding to you. The team learned quickly that they need to be fed as often as possible, or they start to get antsy and aggressive. Even the sleepy one will start banging against the glass if he is getting too hungry. A product of their constantly changing biology, perhaps, is a very high metabolism.

You procrastinate on their trays, gathering the paste from the containment cube. The team is very lucky they have taken to the nutrition paste, or you would all be alien food quicker than you can blink. Just the thought of them using their insane amount of teeth and mouths they have makes your stomach turn a little. Despite their strange affinity to you, you are very sure the minute you can not feed them your head would be severed from your spine.

The bag of nutrition paste crumples in your grip. They do not allow anyone else but you to feed them, but if you do not feed them then the crew will be devoured. The most important researcher, and also the scapegoat. It makes you angry that you are stuck in this situation, frustrated that you are light years away from home with a metaphorical collar around your neck. You stare daggers out the window in frustration at the Beta Nine Planet. It's a particularly ugly magma planet, so you flip it off just because you can. 

You take a breath and let it go. They can sense emotions, telepathically reading your thoughts and speaking in return. Going in there angry will piss them off, and the scientist part of your brain would like this to be a somewhat productive encounter. Plus, it's not as if you can blame them for their very biology. They are sweet in personality, even kind to you. But only you.

You balance the tray in one hand while you walk, sending a ping on the ship’s memo log. If they cannot find you tomorrow, your dead body will be in the containment room.

The door opens for you in a silent woosh. Your heart rate has slowed, a neutral expression on your face. What passes for a head on specimen S looks up, and upon spotting you twists himself to flail in what you think is excitement. He never stops moving, the lower half of his tentacle net twisting like a spiral on the glass behind him. Chittering and creaking fills the room and is echoed by specimen M, who cracks what could pass for an eye open in response. 

“Evening.” You try to maintain control over the situation by keeping your spine straight, refusing to let your eyes dart over their bodies. They’re both covered in eyes, all open ones staring at you. It's unnerving in the worst way. “I have your second dinner.” That gets M to open his other eye, sitting up lazily from his…folded position? He’s sort of in a pile on the ground, head appendage trailing after him as he presses his face against the glass.

‘Food? Food. Food for us? Lovely human brings food for us.’ They both love to speak at the same time in your mind, as if they timed it. The team has categorized them as a hivemind species - despite the fact that they are physically separated and behind glass containment cylinders, they can hear each other’s thoughts just fine. 

“Yup.” You try to keep your thoughts plain and simple: this is food. Here is food I made for you. You should eat this food. You take extra steps to not think about how interested they both are in you, how M’s smile spreads up his face akin to a shark’s. “Your regular gelatin packet. I'm going to give it to you both at the same time, okay?” You speak slowly not because they don’t understand you, but because they will injure themselves to get to you first. You watched in complete fascination as S sulked for days while M crowed and jeered at him for getting food second. 

“Sun’s too needy. Starlight likes me (No, me!) more.” Shoot. You opened yourself right up for an argument in your own mind, M jeering loudly at S’s expense. Externally, M chatters his teeth together and shifts, sitting back and away from you. S slaps his lower half against the glass, practically squished onto it and chittering away. You resist the urge to cover your ears, knowing it would do no good. 

You tune them out and focus on your task, slipping the packets into the small hole in their enclosure. The containment cells are just close enough for you to reach within your wingspan, so you get their internal doors open at the same time. Their argument ceases for a few blissful moments when they notice the food, but then you get to see the horrible sight of them eating. Almost all of their mouths open, each ‘chewing’ at the same time. Neither of them even bother to open the packet, eating the plastic and all. You are very grateful they appear to eat everything with no issues. 

You take this opportunity to swallow your fear and take your clipboard out. You are a scientist, regardless of the smacking noises S makes while he cleans his fingers. And the sides of his cheeks. A long tongue stretches out if the yellow rays on his head, passing over an eyeball before joining in on the grooming. S crouches down once done, cooing and bouncing in place. You’d almost call it stimming, if he were human. Do aliens stim?

‘Stimming? Movement, human movement?’ S asks, the rays around his head waving. It’s similar to how ferns would wave underwater, gravity defying. One of the eyes on his rays darts all over your face while he taps the glass to get your attention. You look down at your clipboard, trying to give them as little simulation as possible. 

“It’s a movement humans do to receive a specific type of simulation. Does spinning your..” What do you call that, because that’s not his legs. “Lower half give you stimulation?” S taps the glass, pressing his hands flat against it. He always wants to get closer to you, as much as possible.

‘Cage is cold, by myself. Miss closeness.’ He croons sadly, and in your peripherals you can see him ducking lower to try and get you to look at him. Makes sense, a hivemind species would be used to being close to another being all the time. You would almost feel bad if you didn’t know what they’re capable of, though the cells they’re in are too small. ‘Sunshine can warm me up.’

Your swallow and try not to dwell on that image of S wrapping you up and mind melding with you. What would that be like, to share thoughts all the time far more than he does now? You imagine for a hivemind species it must be euphoria. You think your personality would surely be crushed instead. Instead, he probably just wants to eat you. 

‘Not true!’ You look up in surprise at the force of his declaration. ‘Starshine would be with us, inside - together.’ Both echo inside of your mind, hushed and reverent. It makes it sound as if such a thing is sacred. Do they have a culture around these things? M makes a melodious noise while you ponder, and when you look over, his head tail is slithering slowly against his back and his red eyes are staring at you. 

Your head becomes foggy for a movement, and you curse silently while your feet move against their will. ‘Closer…’ echoes in your mind, body helpless as you stop in front of the glass. You stare up at him in what you can feel is a slack jawed expression, and press your hands to the glass. ‘Better. Sun’s hogging.’ He reprimands S all the time about how clingy he is towards you, yet croons and calls to you any chance he gets. He wants you to sleep next to him, which he has not successfully done so far. You can’t imagine opening your unconscious mind to him is a good idea. 

Despite the pressure of his call, you have a little room in your mind to think. You picture your mind’s self pushing him away, rejecting a sort of blanket he’s trying to impose on you. The shark’s grin spread up his face turns into a pout, blues on his body flashing in mid annoyance. 

“I’m not tired, specimen M. Is this a call in your species to join minds?” You force yourself to keep calm and clinical, moving your leaden arms off the glass to write on your clipboard. 

“Starlight’s fragile, needs more sleep.” He pokes the glass around where your eyes are, making you flush in annoyance. You only get a few hours of sleep thanks to them! You stress all the time about them breaking out the glass, dooming you all. ‘Sleep better if you were with us.’ The ‘us’ is layered over a few times, as if in an echo chamber. Your head is starting to hurt, meaning it’s time to leave. You did your task, and you got a few more notes on avoiding merging with them. 

“I see.” You note this, and write down the time and date, plus the new information you have gathered. S stims, and there may be an easier way to mind meld with you when unconscious. Isn’t that a nerve wracking thought. 

‘Leaving so soon?’ They both coo, M’s a more aloof tone. You nod, setting the pen behind your ear. 

“It’s very late. Good night.” Your tone is clipped, dismissive. You have already given them enough rope tonight, far more than you wanted to. You force down all of your feelings, exiting out of the area with a fast pace. The door closes on echoing chitters and croons, calling you back. The back of your mind wants to, the part that you fear they have wormed themselves into. It must be, because why else do you want to know more?

You send a message to the ship’s log about your current state of being alive, and flop hard into your bed. Another restless sleep lies ahead of you, mind racing as you try to relax. 

You fall asleep within minutes, instead. One second you are staring at your wall, the next you are enfolded into a pair of arms. A sort of buzzing echoes in your dream mind, pleasant despite the droning. 

On loop, you are praised and pampered, slithering things touching you inside of your skin and out. You feel like you should be scared, but the constant praise and droning noise prevents you from thinking much at all. 

“Darling..” you think you hear. You’re not sure, because the sound seems to be coming from both inside of you and outside. “You’re so perfect, yes, so kind…” You see flashes of yourself talking to Sun and Moon when they were first brought here, when they’d cry constantly. You felt bad, so you tried to console them. You feel bursts of love and gratitude from yourself, or maybe whoever it is that’s inside your mind. Who is that?

You are twisted..no, rather your perspective changes. Two faces peer down in your field of vision, one yellow and one blue. You’ve…merged? But…they need to do it physically..it's very hard to think, and very hard to feel scared when such joy is rocketing through your systems. Euphoric, you had hypothesized. You can think of no better way to describe the way they enfold you into themselves. 

“Hey!” You sit up so fast you almost flail out of bed, heart racing inside of your rib cage. The door is assaulted with banging, your name called in an urgent tone. Dizzy and disoriented, you wrestle yourself out of bed and clutch your head, the vivid dream overlapping with the monotone colors of your room. Just a dream, you mutter to yourself. You did not merge with them without knowing. 

“What?” You get the door open and muster an irate expression, because what is all the commotion about if the ship’s alarms aren’t going off? The head scientist sighs in relief when he sees your face, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“Do you know what time it is? You’ve overslept by four hours. Both specimens have been banging at the glass constantly. Are you alright?” You feel yourself pale, flipping your wrist to see your watch face. The wake alarms have been clearly going off for hours, unheeded in your strange dream. You pray to anything that is listening that it was only a dream. 

“One of the administrators is here today. Can you get them to calm down? Please?” You know he would not be saying please if this was not dire. Those corporate types pretend they don’t have a very dangerous alien on the ship and board whenever, in the interest of seeing ‘progress.’ You think they want to see if they see if they can be tamed, but these things are above your clearance. 

“I'm fine. Just slept too hard.” You lie smoothly, nodding your head. “I’ll calm them down. Give me two minutes.” You shut the door, pulling on your work clothes and splashing water in your face from the refresher. 

You shove your strange dreams back down into the pit they came from. There is no time to worry if they gave you those dreams or if it's a product of your overactive imagination. You are going to believe the latter, since you are in proximity to them all of the time. If it were given to you, then wouldn’t you be a mindless drone already? The thought is comforting, and it steels your heart as you stalk out to the containment room while the dream fades from your mind. 

They weren’t kidding. S is very agitated, baring his teeth while his body shapes and morphs. M is in sort of a heap on himself, pressed into a small corner of the cylinder. You can faintly hear chattering of teeth under all of that mass. Both of your fellow scientists have clutched their hands over their heads, a faint trickle of blood pooling out from under their palms. Yeesh.

“Hey!” You call out, willing your heart steady. You knock on S’s glass, then tap M’s glass. You think you may just have a stronger mental fortitude, because your ears never bleed like that. S’s eyes snap to you, and his entire demeanor changes - one second he looked a hair's breadth away from smashing the glass, the next he’s cooing gently, flattening himself to the bottom of the cylinder to look at you. M quiets down, but refuses to move from where he’s in a pile. 

His body is still half twisted when he was forming himself into knives. What made them so angry? ‘Beloved is here, is here! Get rid of them - poison - trying to hurt us, want to kill us!’ S does most of the talking, but M chimes in when he feels like. He’s rather shy if there’s anyone else but you in the room, but you fear what he would do if he’s fully awake. You blink in confusion, turning your gaze to the other scientists. They seemed to be okay, rubbing their temples. 

“Oh god, the ringing has stopped. How do you stand it?” The junior scientist, a more recent recruit, asks while glaring daggers at S. You grimace, looking at the older scientist for an explanation.

“Don’t look at me. One minute I was trying to see if Specimen M was awake, the next my head was splitting open.” Mason looks down at the new recruit…Abel? Atticus? Something fancy you can’t remember for the life of you. He swallows, suddenly looking caught.

S bangs against the glass. You all jump, and S hisses a steady stream. He’s not usually this angry. ‘Poison. Bad human thinks we’re stupid,’ echoes in your mind before he twists in a way that would be impossible, and his head changes right before your eyes into the recruit. “What freaky ass aliens.” He asks, with a tone of voice that's clearly mimicking human speech. Your stomach drops out, heart rate picking up. They can do that? “They need some shock collars or something. Ugly creatures.” S morphs back into his normal head, pressing flat to the glass. He chortles at the shocked expression on the recruit’s face, slithering around. 

“I think you two need to leave.” The demand leaves you in a rush, but your face is blank. “I will take over from here.” They don’t need to be told twice, practically speed walking out. You swallow, S chittering happily when it’s just the two of you. 

‘So good to us, thank you!’ You press your lips together, taking slow and even breaths. They both seem to relax now that the room is empty, M unfolding himself from the ball he made himself into. You think calming thoughts, a hammock on the beach, windchimes, anything to keep your heart steady and your mind clear. 

‘Starlight’s better.’ M sounds petulant. ‘Others too loud.’ In mind, or out loud? Could be ether. 

You’re going to need to brief them again. How many times have you told the others to at least try to be clear headed? That’s why you’re the only real handler - the others make both specimen’s too agitated. It’s like they want to die. 

‘Never hurt treasure, no, keep treasure safe.’ Both of them press against the glass. S scrunches his face, as if the thought of them hurting you is absurd. ‘So good for us..so lovely. Come closer?’ This is echoed between the two of them, a light show streaking down both of their bodies. S…no, Sun’s yellows turn vibrant, Moon’s blues into royal blues, mesmerizing and enchanting. Perhaps it’s the dream you can’t remember, perhaps your defenses are low, but you have no mind to look away, the edges of your vision blurry. Why are you hesitant to get close to them again? They look inviting, grins spread up both of their faces. Wouldn't it be nice? You wouldn’t have the burden of a body anymore.

‘Pretty….’ This is much easier than speaking aloud. They can hear you just fine, and they both look so happy! You sort of shuffle forward, elated and confused in equal measure. You’re not sure what's going on, but the light streaking down their bodies is mesmerizing enough not to care. 

‘We can hear you.’ The message ping pongs around inside of your head, both of them pressed flat to the glass. Something changes with that declaration, the voice settling somewhere in the back of your mind. It sort of….buzzes, almost. 

Your pda takes that moment to chime, startling you so hard you freeze in place. You blink, shocked to see you are halfway across the room and in the center of both of their cells. What were you about to do? Their wide eyes narrow in displeasure at the same time, the buzzing noise ceasing. A shiver of fear goes down your spine - you were very close to doing something. God knows what, but it was not something you should be doing.

You flip out your pda. It's a call to the conference room - almost two hours have passed somehow. You don’t spare them a goodbye, crossing your arms and ignoring their low upset crooning. 

*~*

“Really.” The administrator sits across from you in the only conference room, the one you all use to give the company updates. You are so, so tired. The thought that they could pretend to be anybody won’t leave you, stomach turning over itself. “Hm. That's a new development.” 

Vanessa, she introduced herself as. A straight laced middle manager type, she types on the datapad with her constantly, never really looking at you or the head scientist. There’s a headache building somewhere right behind your eyes the longer you sit here. 

“We just need different precautions then.” She finally looks up, resting her hand on her chin. Her eyes seem to pierce through you. “So long as they’re just listening to your thoughts, they’re calm, yes?” You hesitate to tell her yes, because nothing is going to stop them from jumping from your mind to someone else's. Nothing really stops their telepathy, no matter what the team has put up to try and block them. And the fact that they could just command you to do anything…are you really a block between the crew and certain death?

“Yes, of course. If there are only a few people, then that should keep them calm.” The head scientist answers for you, looking nervous. He’s such a pushover. 

“That can be arranged. A few interested parties want to see them. We’ll provide you with a shuttle in a few hours. I'm sure you can get them ready, yes?” So that's why she’s here. The stakeholders love to spring random things on your crew, unheeding of the danger it poses them. So long as you’re there and the glass is reinforced, who cares? They want to see progress. 

“Understood.” Saying anything else will change nothing. They are paying exorbitant amounts of money to handle shape shifting aliens, so that is exactly what you are going to do. “Please select more experienced crew members. They are very emotionally sensitive, and will lash out if emotions are too high. We can knock them out, but it doesn’t mean they are not mentally active.” And will probably kill everyone on that ship.

“Why? Knock them out enough to keep them docile. Keep the concentration of gas on for the duration of the viewing. Problem solved.” The dismissive tone she says it in shows you how little she cares. Great. This transport is going to go swimmingly. Your heart sits somewhere in your stomach, feeling distinctly like you are going towards your doom. 

“If you will excuse me then. I will get them ready.” You do a few mental calculations as you go to the maintenance room; they need to be unconscious for several hours, but not enough to kill them. It’s a little sick, treating them like animals. They’re still intelligent beings, regardless of their capacity for slaughter, as shown by how much they talk to you. You wish there was a way to let them out without killing everyone and yourself. 

But what can you do about it? You curse to yourself as you fiddle with the controls, biting your lip. Getting kicked off this ship is a surefire way back to a planet like Gamma Thirteen, where you will be stuck behind a desk all day and all night. You think you would go crazy, cooped up for the rest of the foreseeable future. Between that and aliens who want you as one of them, it's a rock and a hard place. 

“Okay. That should knock them out in time. I hope.” The gas still works, but it makes them agitated as they slowly fall asleep. Maybe you can try talking to them. At least to form a truce rather than this uneasy relationship you have going on. Maybe if you ask, they won’t try to force you to do whatever you were about to do again? They're gentle with you, letting you refuse their mind control. Doubt is strong in your gut, but you have to try. 

With that in mind, you unlock the containment doors once more. M is asleep again, resting on his arms. He’s using his own lower half as a pillow, the net spread out like a blanket. S appears to be singing to himself, swaying side to side while he stares at the ground. 

“Sorry for leaving like that.” S sits up, smiling once he sees you. “You..surprised me.” He doesn’t look mad, at least. 

‘Star doesn’t need to be scared.’ The lightshow has subsided, but all eyes are on you once more. The one on his chest is curled into a crescent sideways, appearing to be happy. What is it about you that entices them so?

“I have a request.” M cracks an eye open, giving you his attention. You take a breath. “We have to move you - not far!" You cut yourself off as S presses himself against the glass, chattering distressingly. You keep your mind as blank as possible. "But we need to go somewhere special. If I promise not to leave, do you promise to stay with me?" Do they even understand promises? S and M look at each other, then back at you.

'Treasure won't leave?' They speak at the same time, both pressed against the glass again. At the very least, you are not being drawn into a light show that will surely spell your doom. The pressure on your mind is a lot weaker. They really just want you close, apparently. Hopefully. 

"Yes." You refuse on principle to answer in your mind. You feel like this will give them an invitation to speak only into your mind, and you cannot allow that to pass. That's a step too far. "I promise. I'll be with you the entire time." They don't look especially happy, but you think you have gotten them to agree.

You sit down in between their tanks to prove it, and watch as they settle down to be level with you. The gas is working - S's eyes are getting droopy. You hum quietly, as he would sing to himself. M’s eyes close quick, as he most often does, but S stares at you with sad eyes. 

‘Don’t like sleep..’ Do they ever sleep? You call M’s behavior sleep, but he opens an eye even when completely still. S never really seems to stop moving, either. You swivel to him, humming just a little louder. S’s head rays droop around him, and you feel a sort of buzzing sensation before he finally closes all of the eyes. 

You sit there and hum softly for a few more moments. A sort of squirmy feeling makes its way into your gut and in the back of your head. He was scared, going to sleep there. You turn to M, who is less curled up comfortably and more in a sort of a sprawl, mouth unnaturally slack jawed. Was he scared, too? He ‘sleeps’ more often than S does, but…well. You resume humming, keeping calm. 

Wait. You reach up and press the back of your head. You swore for a second…but that's impossible, because you are separated by glass. They are both unconscious, barely twitching. So what was that sensation? There’s a sort of low buzzing noise coming from…oh, from them. You breathe a sigh of relief, and go back to emptying your mind. The nauseous feeling must be coming from sitting near them for so long today. 

Now. You have around forty eight standard hours before they’re awake, or at least active. You keep your mind steady and your movements slow, watching carefully for any movement or agitation. At most, a bioluminescence travels sluggishly down their bodies, but they remain still and silent.

You get the release hatch open, unbolting the cages from the ground. These things are on wheels - there would be no way to transport them safely without risking a breach. It also has a closed air supply to keep the gas at a steady level, so you and your crew have the best shot of keeping them calm. That's all, you tell yourself. Just relax. You watch S settle from his tensed position, falling flat once more. 

It doesn’t make them any lighter though. You crouch down and get two good grips on the handles and begin to pull, wheeling them down the hallway. You can hear people getting out of your way, some curses, some doors shutting. The tension in the air is palpable - any mistake and  - it will be fine. M’s hands are curling into claws, he relaxes as you level your thoughts again. You have meditated a lot since coming in contact with these aliens, and it serves you very well for this purpose. So long as they are linked to you, it all will be okay. 

You manage to get around the few hallways, hitting the hatch with your elbow. Lo and behold, a luxury cruiser is docked to the tiny airlock. You allow yourself a small, stray thought of how annoyingly organized these people are when it comes to flaunting something expensive. 

“That's them?” Vanessa stares wide-eyed at the containment cylinders, both of them twitching in response to her voice. You raise a hand to your lips, and then poke your head. 

“Don’t talk to me, I can’t think about anything.” Your tone is curt, but you really can't. They’re already agitated from all this movement, just startling to settle down again. Little pulses move somewhere in the back of your mind, as if a reassurance that you are there. It's fine, you send back, in a strange reflex.

…..you can freak out about that later. The buzzing is not coming from them. 

“Whatever, so long as they’re contained. This way.” The guards all stare at your entourage openly while you haul them up the ramp, staring straight at Vanessa’s back. How long is this journey, anyway? You should have more than enough time till they wake up, but you hope the majority of it isn’t in the ship. At the very least, it appears to be one of the higher end ones, judging by the polished floors and holo signs. 

It turns out the ‘secure’ location they put you in is in the cargo hold, made claustrophobic by the size of the cages. There is just enough room for you to put them on either side of the room, almost blocking the door. Great. 

“Does the intercom turn on in here? Please keep it off.” The last thing you need is a loud announcement that startles them enough to wake up. Base instinct to protect themselves is far stronger than any gas you could give them. 

M violently twitches, slapping the glass with his hand. Both of you jump, your heart in your throat.

"Shhhhh." You start humming again, forcing anything else out of your mind. Seriously, anything can startle them. You crouch down, close to where his head is. "It’s okay. Shhh..." M settles, hand falling off the glass. He must be very uncomfortable if he's willing to move so fast.

"What? Why’d it move like that? You said they were going to be unconscious." Vanessa sounds disturbed. You look over your shoulder at her, face deadpan. Whatever she sees makes her face pinch. 

“I tried to tell you.” You pause, letting the wave of anger pass through you and out. “They are unconscious as of now, but they are very receptive to emotion. I thought about something startling, and Specimen M reacted in reflex.”

She looks almost afraid. You really, really wish someone would have listened to you. She turns on her heel and fiddles with the intercom, the overhead speakers turning off with a click.

“There. Just…keep them calm.” She runs a hand through her hair, and shuts the door behind her.

With that, you are left in the darkness of the cargo hold. Slowly, you sink down into crossing your legs, stiffly sitting in between them. How is this your life right now? You take even, slow breaths, lightly lamenting the choices that got you to this situation. Getting four degrees in different fields could not have prepared you for the task you face, for the long journey ahead.

The silence drones on, permeating. The buzzing comes back stronger, a sort of a low droning sound at the base of your skull. You dearly wish you could pretend that is the rumbling of the ship, but this is far too new. The engine is silent under the floor.

Where have you heard this sound before today? It’s familiar, but you are having a hard time placing it. What's more worrying is how unbothered you are by it. It's like white noise but inside of your skull. 

You’re almost getting sleepy. You sag forward, the buzzing growing with each passing second. It wouldn’t be so bad to take a nap, would it? They’re still, and it's not like you’re going to be bothered anytime soon. 

“Can’t sleep…” you mutter to the air. You want to, but you’re on duty. You rub your eyes and push down the buzzing, shaking your head to clear it. It doesn’t do much. It must be them, but how have they connected your minds like this?

It's very hard to think. You slide forward, sprawling out on the floor. It’s cold, but it would be a lot nicer if you were lying on something. It's almost uncomfortable to be by yourself like this.

On either side of you, Sun and Moon twitch. They kind of lean towards you, but that's as far as they can get, not with the gas in the chamber. In your muddled state, you struggle to remember why the gas settings are on that high, because why do they need to be forced asleep? It's leaving you alone in the cold. 

“Are you doing this?” You ask the air, your question directed at the aliens. Muted fear worms its way up your spine and into your stomach, fear for these desires you're starting to think aren’t your own. But when, how? You never opened your mind to them, never let them touch you.  As far as you know, that's the only way to…..

The light show. You responded in your mind, didn’t you? Just a short word, a bust of emotion. In a hive mind species perhaps reciprocating means consent, if they have any concept of consent to begin with. It's more strange to begin with that they’ve paid such close attention to you and let you go thus far, culturally speaking. 

Well. Mindless drone with no concept of boredom may be better than getting pulled apart.

Time passes sluggishly like this, your thoughts slow. You’re sort of sprawled out on the ground, cold and lonely. The cold is your own, but the loneliness is not. A hive mind would never sleep alone, curled into their loved one’s bodies. How long till there is nothing left of you? Only time will tell. If you had any mind to do it, you would almost call for help. You’d probably get that person killed though.

How close are you to the station anyways? It feels like it's been a really long time since you’ve left, but you have no way of telling, not with the engines silent. For all you know, you’ve been docked for hours - 

The entire ship rocks.

You shout in alarm, thrown forward onto your shoulder. Your body flips like a ragdoll on the ground before slamming into the door, suddenly wide awake. Your thoughts return to you in clear focus, the numbing buzzing from before dulling into almost nothing. What?

That's the least of your worries. In the blast, both containment cylinders rip clean off the supports, living flesh flailing inside as they go shattering onto the floors. Your heart stops for a moment, fear - panic - anger bouncing around your skill in quick succession. They kind of splat onto the ground, squeaking and chattering. 

They’re out. You are effectively trapped in a room with freed aliens, the only way out a door that will do nothing to stop them once merged together. They’re barely awake, and already they begin this process, tentacles and arms and limbs all reaching out to each other. It becomes a marriage of color and moving skin, eyes and mouths and teeth moving as they twist and connect. Up and up the body rises, till they are easily seven feet tall. 

Two heads emerge from the top, one yellow in a crown of golden rays, and another blue with a tail hat. The eye on the center of their chest opens wide, curling into a crescent once it spots you. The panic from earlier turns into a burst of euphoria, a grin working its way up your face without your consent. 

‘Darling, star, starlight…’ They work their way over to you, seamless now that they are together. They move akin to a spider, a lot of movement at once for a short distance it takes to lean over you, staring excitedly into your eyes. Well, mostly..to hell with it, Sun. Moon seems to be resting against him, though an eye is cracked open to stare at you. ‘Not cold or lonely anymore. Come.’ 

A mouth opens up where their chest is. They want you with them, together, closer than they are just in your head. What would it be like, with no cares or worries?

“I'd lose myself.” Your smile wobbles, distress and confusion worming around in your stomach. Sun slaps his hand above your head, chittering loudly. 

‘No loss, only together.’  You shake your head, Sun’s delighted grin turning crestfallen.The blue side hand reaches out to you slowly while Sun crouches down, freezing in place when you flinch. Moon chatters, Sun coos. They get just below your face, staring at you with wide and pleading eyes. ‘Beloved tired and cold. Rest?’ You shake your head again, firmly. They already mind merged without you knowing. This is far enough. 

Whatever they were about to plead with is drowned out by the rat-tat-tat of gun fire, the air charged with the phaser beams that follow. You whip your head to the door, the alien reeling back from the noise. 

Pirates. Here? Now? You were in a remote area of the galaxy, where did the shuttle go that was anywhere near pirates? That must have been the explosion from earlier!

‘Pirate? Danger, bad humans.’ You can feel them indexing your mind, watching your own memories play out in front of your eyes.

“Stop that!” You flail your hand in front of your face, blinking hard to clear it. “Please just ask. They are very dangerous though, maybe if we block the door -”

Said door whooshes open, leaving you sprawling out on your back. Three men grin at you, guns trained right onto your face. There’s splashes of blood streaking up the sides of their faces and on their clothes, terror leaving your mouth in a pathetic whimper.

“Well, lookit what we have here. You a scientist type? We could sell them for a lot.” You hold your palms out in surrender, eyes darting to Sun and Moon for help. 

Anger - fear - hatred. A deep anger boils inside of you, and the room fills with a deeper growl then you have ever heard them make. They rush towards you, cracking the walls from the sheer force of their bulk. 

“What the hell is that?” One of the screams, reeling back. The others open fire, both you and the alien wail in pain from the awful noise. 

Crunch. A man is slapped into the wall, turning into a mass of guts on impact. Your mouth drops open, staring at the gore uncomprehendingly. The alien passes over you, the net of tentacles temporarily blocking your vision from the awful sight. In reassurance, a little blue tendril caresses your face, before you get to see a yellow one shank another man through with a knife hand. He dies in seconds. One after another they are taken care of, bullets going through the alien and out, harmless to his shifting biology. Bulletproof, your scattered mind understands. 

Through this, cooing and shhing permeates through your skull, exactly like how you calm them down. They’ll never let anything harm you, they seem to say. Your heart rate slows, staring directly at the ceiling. There is no gore or viscera there. 

‘All better. Sunshine okay?’ You can’t say that you are. But you are physically fine, and that's what matters. You swallow. ‘Shh, made it better.’ Moon’s head shifts down so he’s closer to you, cupping the side of your face. A sort of sweet melody permeates your mind, a blanket of calm washing over you. Not a mindless drone, but rather as if you were being held. It's…comforting, actually. 

“Thanks.” You work your way out from underneath them, standing up on very wobbly feet. “We can’t…stay here.” You stare at their faces, trembling some. If you stay here, there will be more, and they could easily take over the ship and leave you stranded. A ship dead in space is as good a coffin. “Do you two think…you can protect me? Our best bet is the bridge.”

Your cheeks are squished by both hands, new ones clean of blood. Despite the fact that gore streaks both of their faces, your heart swells with the bursts of love and affection they surge into you. 

‘Lovely will never be hurt.’ They do not do things by half measures, the declaration sincere. 

It’s time to take back the ship. Two aliens hum in the back of your mind, all encompassing and fierce. You hope to any gods that are left that Vanessa is still alive. 

Fin.

[dissvicious]

Alone in Wano - 1 / 2

A/N: it's been an eternity since I posted a fanfic here & I deleted the last one I posted here because I was too self conscious so words can't fathom how much I'm nervous right now lmao. No much content warnings but contain Wano spoilers, canon violence & also apparently it makes people cry. thanks @a-killer-obsession for beta reading, & @wyvernslovecake for letting me play dolls with Shriek ♥

Part 2

One month.

29 days.

690 hours or so.

Nina sighed, grunting as the baby kicks in her belly kept her from sleeping. She tried to change position in the uncomfortable futon discarded on the ground, to relieve the pressure her womb was applying on her guts - without any effect. She closed her eyes, and, as usual, images of what happened flashed in front of her eyes. Kaido falling in the ground at Ozzy’s birthday party, Kid refusing to submit, the beast pirates destroying the castle and locking everyone in the jails of their ships, sending them to Wano. Quincy, Heat, Wire, Hip, Papas…Thanks to gods, she didn’t see Shriek in the cramped cells. She must have locked herself in her room, just like Nina asked. She silently prayed for her safety and rolled on her back again, looking at the ceiling.

She hadn’t felt this lonely for a long time. Not since she joined the Kid pirates, in fact. She almost managed to believe that life was going to be ok, she almost touched that peace from the tip of her fingers, but Kaido took everything away from her. Nina rubbed her eyes, trying to chase the tears that threatened to flow on her cheeks. One month without Killer tenderly spooning her in her sleep. 29 days without Kid playfully grabbing her ass while passing by in the morning. 690 hours, or so, without passing her fingers through the soft fur of Shriek to untangle it.

"MAMAAAAAAA"

Ozzy’s tears took her out of her reverie. She sat up in the futon, and took the toddler on her lap, before opening her kimono to allow him to latch on her breast and take some milk. She passed her hand through her son’s pink hair, looking down at him tenderly. At least, Kaido didn’t separate them. She was so scared at first, when he discarded them to Orochi, saying that a pregnant chick and a toddler was no use for him. Nina wasn’t strong, she didn’t have any power, she didn’t have haki, and without her chainsaw, the only thing she could do to protect her heir would have been to run and sink her teeth into whatever neck presented to her. Thankfully, Komurasaki seemed to have pity for them and asked Orochi to keep her and Ozzy in her court, which Orochi accepted. Not that he seemed to be able to refuse anything to Komurasaki, though. Nina and Komurasaki immediately understood each other on this - Nina, too, had to pretend to like men for her safety in the past. And staying near the shogun, she could maybe learn a thing or two about Kid or Killer’s fate. Ozzy finished eating and she hugged him tight, seeking comfort in the scent of his hair. God, she missed her lovers so much. Ever since he helped her sober up, she had never been separated from Killer for this long. And as much as it cost her to admit, she missed Kid just as much. After years of being used and tossed away, she finally had a home, a family. She just wanted them back.

Loud screams coming from Orochi's banquet dragged her out of her spiraling. She put back her breast in her kimono and held Ozzy close to her chest, mother instinct going full mode as a little girl with a big grin and pink hair ran to her, crying, holding her close as to seek reassurance in her arms.

“Toko… ?” 

Nina bent down and managed with some effort to take Toko under the arm that wasn’t holding Ozzy, finding, by some miracle, space for the little girl, the toddler, and her big round belly.

“Toko… what happened?” 

Toko looked up at her, unable to answer, her breath cut by a burst of laughter. Nina bit her lip to restrain any reaction that could hurt the girl’s sensibility. Even if Komurasaki explained to her the whole shit about SMILE and its effects, she still needed to process that Toko could have a big grin or laugh, but still be sad, angry or scared. One thing for sure, the more she learned about Kaido, the more she wanted him dead.

As she was about to question Toko again, Komurasaki and Kyoshiro barged in the room. Nina's eyes went wide open and she stood up as she saw the blood on Komurasaki's clothes.

“The hell?” she asked. 

Komurasaki seemed to do great, though, and she walked in with a hurry to take Toko in her arms after changing into a discreet, more modest robe than her usual attire and throwing her jewelry on the ground. Nina turned an inquisitive glance to Kyoshiro who frowned at her.

“No time to explain. All of you need to leave the castle.”

“But…”

“NOW!” 

Nina frowned, sensing the urge in Kyoshiro’s voice. She nodded and, holding Ozzy close to her chest, she followed Komurasaki and Toko through a secret escape.

One month.

31 days.

738 hours or so. 

Nina’s eyes didn’t leave the hearth, fire crackling and flames casting a warm light through the little wood shed. Toko was sleeping peacefully next to her, holding Ozzy against her, her permanent grin not leaving her face. Nina looked up at the green haired  woman sitting across her, a protective hand on her belly.

“So what do I have to call you now?” Nina asked. 

“Hiyori.”

Nina studied her face. When they arrived at the secret hideout, Hiyori explained everything to her. How she was actually Oden’s daughter. How she was born on the Oro Jackson, a long time ago. How she had to watch her little brother jump forward in the future thanks to some time travel devil fruit, while her mother was dying in the flames. How a plan to take down Orochi and Kaido was in place, silently building in the shadows for the past 26 years. Once again, Nina met her eyes and a silent comprehension passed between the two women. They both experienced what true loneliness was, they both saw the ugliest face of men. At this exact moment, Nina understood why Hiyori took care of her. Seeing her alone with her baby, pregnant with the second, must have reminded her of her own family. 

“That’s not everything.” Hiyori said, a serious glance on her face. She bent aside and grabbed a newspaper on the ground before giving it to Nina.

Nina frowned and took the journal, and her eyes went wide in shock as she read. The news was about a pirate captain sent to Udon jail, and even if the picture below was only an ink drawing, she couldn’t help the tears flooding down her cheeks when she recognized Kid.

“I need to go there.”

“Nina…” Hiyori started to sigh, but Nina cut her off.

“No, you don’t understand!” 

She looked at Ozzy, still peacefully asleep in Toko’s arms, occasionally twitching in his sleep.

“His father… Ozzy’s father. One of them. He’s maybe there, I can’t-”

“Nina.”

Hiyori's tone was stern now, and Nina sighed, knowing already where the conversation was landing. Since Hiyori saved her, they had it on a daily basis. Nina sat down, putting a hand on her belly.

“I know, I know. I’m pregnant. I have to be careful.” 

Hiyori smiled softly, looking up at her with her big, soft eyes, and Nina smiled back. Both women looked at the fire in silence for a moment.

“I hope they’re doing fine.” Nina whispered, caressing her belly softly, where her little one was giving high kicks again. “I can’t live without them.” She cursed herself mentally for being so sappy. 

When did she become so sensitive? After the whole Perona disaster, she thought she was done with romantic bullshit. She was a tough girl, picking up fights in bars and sailing alone, surviving out of thieving and brawlings. She sailed for months, years maybe even, alone, and she held herself alone, even if she had to rely on drugs or sell her body to keep on going. But destiny made her cross paths with Kid pirates, and Killer saved her, and she allowed herself to fall in love again, and then she fell for Kid as well, and the crew adopted her, and she adopted them. And then there were the children, and soon she was surrounded by more tenderness and affection than she could handle. She wiped her tears. Fucking mood swings.

Hiyori seemed to notice her demeanor change, because she moved ever so slightly to wrap an arm around her shoulders, slowly comforting her.

“They’re alive. I would have heard of it if they were dead,” She whispered. Nina nodded, nuzzling against Hiyori's shoulder, closing her eyes.

“I hope so.”

Nina woke up the next morning, snuggled against Hiyori. She sighed in relief. It was good to feel the warmth of another human being again - well, an adult one. With regret, she withdrew herself from the green haired woman's embrace. She stood up and took Ozzy in her arms, cradling him tenderly. Behind her, the fire was dying slowly. It was cold outside, they would need to light another one, and there was no more dry wood left. She wrapped Ozzy in his carrier and tied it on her back. Hiyori would scold her for not resting but she couldn't help it. She didn't want to feel like a burden. She didn't want to feel useless. Hiyori had saved their life, the least she could do was to ensure her a warm room to wake up in. She walked out of the small cabin and closed the door behind her.

Nina was out in the snow, gathering some dry wood, when a deafening scream pierced the ambient silence. She jolted her head as she recognized Hiyori's voice. Without thinking, she put Ozzy in safety next to the wood carrier, wrapping her vest around him to keep him warm and safe, and ran to Hiyori as fast as her round belly allowed her to. 

Her mind went blank at the scene she was witnessing. 

Hiyori was hidden behind a green haired samurai who looked a bit like the mugiwara sword guy… Roronoa? She was shaking, terrified, holding Toko close in her arms. And in front of them…

This laugh. 

This blonde mane. 

Those icy blue eyes. 

Nina eyes went wide and without thinking, she ran to them as Roronoa was about to attack.

“NO!!”

She yelled, throwing herself between Roronoa and his opponent. Hiyori screamed, but Nina couldn’t care less, her focus on the laughing figure in front of her. Tears perked at the corners of their eyes and she took a few steps forward. At this moment, Roronoa didn’t exist anymore, Hiyori didn’t exist anymore, even Ozzy was far away in her mind. The only thing that mattered for her were those beautiful icy blue eyes piercing through the bandages. So soft. So familiar. The eyes that looked at her with adoration every morning and always managed to make her feel safe.

 She took a few steps forwards, wiping her eyes with a relieved chuckle.

“Killer? My lion?”

The blonde looked down at her, a grin plastered on his face. Killer didn’t usually grin without his mask, but after a month without seeing each other, he was probably happy to see her too. She took another step forward, still chuckling in relief. Killer looked down at her, immobile. She looked up at him with pure adoration and sobbed. 

“Killer, I'm so…” 

She froze when he suddenly arched back, letting out a loud burst of laughter. He laughed. Loudly. Killer laughed. In front of perfect strangers. In front of an opponent. 

Puzzled and worried, she held a hand to caress his cheek, an attempted comforting gesture, but before she could touch his skin, she was violently thrown in the snow, kicked in her belly by the wood of his scythes. She felt an intense pain bowing her in half, then, nothing. 

The last thing she saw before passing out was Killer's frame passing by her side as if she was nothing but an insect he brushed off his shoulder. The last thing she heard was his laugh fading in the distance, and then everything went black.