#paxi's asks

[kinascum]

I can imagine Chris taking his girlfriend on a vacation for their 1 year and immediately eating her out as soon as your in your hotel room

oh boy do I have a blurb for you..

"I've been looking forward to this for weeks," Chris said, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he squeezed your hand.

The air had the scent of saltwater and the promise of adventure as you stepped off the plane. You couldn't help but sigh with relief as the tropical breeze kissed your skin, whispering sweet nothings of relaxation and romance. This was it: the vacation of a lifetime, a celebration of your one-year anniversary with the love of your life.

Chris had planned everything to the last detail, keeping most of it a surprise. You had no idea where you were going until the boarding announcement echoed through the airport. Now, with the warm sun shining down and the sound of waves crashing in the distance, you felt like you'd stumbled into a dream.

The taxi ride to the hotel was a blur of color and laughter, the kind that left your cheeks hurting and your stomach tight from joy. The moment the bellhop opened the door to your suite, you gasped. It was like stepping into a postcard, all white linens and ocean views, the perfect canvas for the memories you were about to paint.

Chris was already at the bed, tossing your luggage aside with a hungry look in his eyes. "Before we unpack," he murmured, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down your spine, "I have something else in mind."

He took a step closer, and the room seemed to shrink around you, the air growing heavier with anticipation. His hands found the hem of your dress, lifting it up inch by inch. "Chris," you breathed, but his mouth was on yours before you could say another word, stealing your protests and replacing them with a gasp.

The kiss was like a brand, marking you as his, a promise of the passion that awaited you. His hands roamed over your body, familiar yet thrilling, as he worked to remove the barriers between you. The heat grew, the air thickening with desire as you stumbled backward onto the bed.

And then, without warning, he was gone. Your eyes snapped open to find him kneeling before you, his gaze burning with an intensity that made your heart race. "Let me make this first moment together something truly special," he whispered, his voice hoarse with want.

You nodded, unable to speak, as he began to kiss his way down your body. His touch was gentle, almost reverent, as if he were exploring a sacred place for the first time. Each kiss left a trail of fire in its wake, setting your skin alight.

The moment his mouth found yours again, you realized what he meant. This was more than just a vacation—it was the start of a new chapter in your love story, one filled with passion and discovery. And as he continued to worship you with his lips and tongue, you couldn't help but wonder what other surprises awaited you in this tropical paradise.

You felt the coolness of the sheets against your skin as he carefully removed the last of your clothing, leaving you bare before him. His eyes devoured you, a silent declaration of his love and desire. Your heart thudded in your chest, each beat echoing in your ears like a drumroll leading up to the grand finale.

Chris took his time, savoring every inch of you, his mouth leaving a trail of kisses down your neck, across your collarbone, and along the curve of your breasts. You moaned softly, arching into his touch, your body already singing with pleasure. The anticipation was exquisite, a delicious tension that coiled tightly in your core.

When he finally reached the apex of your thighs, you were trembling, your breath coming in ragged gasps. He looked up, a wicked smile playing on his lips, and you knew that he enjoyed watching you squirm under his touch. "Ready?" he asked, his voice a playful rumble. You nodded, eyes glazed with need.

With one swift movement, he settled between your legs and kissed you intimately, his tongue darting and exploring. The sensation was overwhelming, a symphony of pleasure that had you crying out his name. Your hands found their way into his hair, holding him closer as the waves of ecstasy began to build.

The room spun around you, the only anchor his steady rhythm and the sound of the ocean outside. Each stroke was a promise, each lick a declaration of his love. You felt yourself spiraling higher, lost in the warmth and wetness of his mouth, the world outside fading away until all that remained was the two of you.

The tension grew, coiling tighter and tighter, until you thought you might break. And then, with a final, masterful flick of his tongue, you did. Your body convulsed, a silent scream escaping your lips as the orgasm crashed over you like a tidal wave.

Chris pulled away, a smug smile on his face as he watched the aftershocks roll through you. "Happy anniversary," he murmured, his eyes dark with desire. The celebration had only just begun.

[spoonbenders]

no you are not a fucking dyke dipshit. i'm so fucking tired of all of you misogynist ass trans men profiting off of real lesbians and benefiting from your newfound male privilege. just go jack off to the barbie movie for the millionth time if you must. or better yet have real sex with a real person that would fix you xoxo

i like to play and draw

[chussyracing]

Just noticed that in that Red Bull Christmas drawing thing they put Lewis’s car in the box. The hold that man has on that team..

they want to fuck him so bad it makes them look stupid

[faytelumos]

Into the Black With a Matchstick, pt5

I have no idea what the word count here is but this feels kinda long. @_@

Also, I am so sorry for all of the exposition; I am trying to make it gentle but it feels like a lot! I think we're at/almost at the hump of this story, though! :0

@c00kieknight, @hypersomnia-insomniac, @jxm-1up, @midnight--architect, @robinparravel

@thepotatoofnopes, @those-damn-snippets

@mr-orion, @tildeathiwillwrite, @thelazywitchphotographer

cw: some peril, descriptions of vertigo and vomiting

first previous

---

Ten minutes.

That was no time at all.

The Skel. What in the name of Creation were the Skel doing in this sector? Paxie was here to monitor smuggling, to discourage unlicensed vessels from flying, to report unusual star activity.

The squad of five ships were not equipped for a skirmish with them.

"All ships!" Paxie ordered across the emergency channel. "Spool FTL drives and make heading for nearest fallback position! Defensive power allocations!" Ten minutes. Ten minutes! If the ships weren't all ready in time, if the Earthlings couldn't get ready in time—

They had no FTL travel—

"Ready automated fighters to scramble!" they added hurriedly.

The Earthlings. What were they going to do about the Earthlings.

Kime was scrambling, and she clamored in a rush through the narrow hallway. Paxie got out of her way as she bumped and clawed her way to the shuttle.

"Admiral!" Klte hissed. They looked back towards the med bay to see it looking at them, its helmet already back on its head. "The Earthlings!"

"I know," Paxie barked affirmatively. They couldn't leave this ship behind. But there was no way for it to possibly travel fast enough to keep up.

"Admiral," Harrison said, stepping into the hall. His eyes were wide, and his skin was pale. Paxie worried for a moment he might faint again. "How do your faster than light engines work?" Paxie blinked. They had no idea. And why was this a question to ask? Surely there was no way for the Earthlings to make an FTL drive in ten minutes with the technology available on this ancient ship. "Do they dematerialize?" he asked. "Do you use wormholes? Is it a space deforming drive?"

"It-it warps the shape of space," Klte hissed. Harrison turned sharply to look at them. Ramirez stepped into the hall.

"Does the space around the ship remain unchanged?" Harrison asked. "Is it distorted inside of the rings?"

What was the Earthling talking about? How did he know how FTL drives worked if Earth didn't have them?

"No," Klte said, their voice almost awed. "No, it's distorted in a bubble through the rings and projectors." Harrison turned sharply to Paxie.

"Admiral, we have to move this ship onto the belly of one of your vessels," Harrison said. "If your ships have ferrous hulls, we can clamp onto you to avoid falling off. But we have to begin maneuvers now."

"That's out of the question," Paxie breathed, blanching. The risk of the ship falling out of alignment and crossing the warp barrier.... "If you fall away, your ship will be smeared across open space."

"And what are the chances of the incoming vessel killing us?" Ramirez asked. She was stoic again. The look in her eyes was... haunting. She had the focus of any Xoixe. Of any apex.

Paxie looked again to Harrison. To Klte.

"Unless you have a ship large enough to dock our vessel, we don't have time to think of another solution," Ramirez said. And Paxie didn't. This mission had been routine, and the Earthling's ship was too large and awkwardly shaped to store on any of the Xoixe craft.

They opened a channel to Captain Eme.

"Captain, prepare The Water's Kiss to align and attach to the Earthling vessel, belly-to-belly."

"A-Admiral?!" Eme choked.

Ramirez and Harrison both sprinted to a different room in the ship.

"They know the risk, Captain, and it was their idea."

"This species is completely suicidal," Eme gasped. Paxie considered the conversation Ramirez and Kime had just had.

"I'm inclined to agree," they breathed. Then they looked up to Klte. "Into the shuttle, we have to get back."

"Aye, sir," it said, already getting down on all eight and running headlong for the airlock.

Adina could hear Paxie making their massive way back to the shuttle from the gear room. John swore again, yanking on the thermal regulation layer, and Adina finally managed to get her damned cryo suit off of her body.

"What a fuckin' day," John gasped, getting the tight-fitting undersuit on and zipped up. Adina just laughed bitterly. She'd barely gotten two minutes with the damn IV before she had to yank it out of her arm again.

John shrugged the top half of his spacesuit on just as Adina heard the low-pitched thump of the outer airlock door sealing. A moment later, there was a deep clang as the alien shuttle detached. "Solstice!" Adina barked, yanking her thermal layer into place. The computer chimed. "Override collision controls and roll ship 180 degrees!"

"Right away, Doctor Adina Ramirez," the computer said in its slow, melodic, feminine voice. The ship immediately began to tilt.

"Shit," John hissed, stumbling as he stood on one leg, stepping into the bottom half of his suit.

Once John finished suiting up, he helped Adina get clamped down. They both waddled to the bridge.

"Which chair do I sit in?" Adina cried.

"How many sim hours did you log?" John asked. Adina stuttered, squeezing her eyes shut, trying to remember.

"Um, uh, uh, th-three hundred and f-forty!"

"You're on comms," John said, pointing to the first chair on the left. He took the one mounted facing forward, and she thanked whatever the fuck was left of God that it wasn't up to her to fly this thing.

There was already a hail request open, and when Adina answered it, she got video of the purpley-green Xoixe.

"Earthlings, you have six minutes before the Skel arrive!" the thing boomed. John swore.

"Adina, are you buckled in?"

"N-no!"

"Get buckled, we have to move!"

Adina stumbled and grasped, her breathing coming loud and hard. The buckle was large, made to be used even with the massive spacesuit gloves, and she was able to get strapped in even as the ship kept spinning.

"I'm in!"

The ship lurched downwards, and Adina squeezed her eyes shut against the vertigo.

"Collision shield disabled!" someone in the room on the alien ship cried.

"Away vessel successfully docked!" another announced.

"FTL fully spooled! Bubble zone partially obstructed!"

"Lieutenant Harrison, you have to move faster!" the alien captain cried. Adina could barely hear them over the sound of her breathing. She kept her eyes closed, trying not to remember how close the helmet was to her face, trying not to think about what would happen if they got stuck here or sliced apart in the warp bubble, trying not to think about how it felt like she was going to throw up again.

"If I hit you too hard, I'll bounce off and lose my alignment!" John yelled back over his shoulder.

"Harrison, we don't have time, I promise you will not bounce off of our hull!" the captain yelled back. "Clear the bubble zone, now!"

John swore loudly and Adina cried out when he punched the maneuvering thrusters. It felt like they were free-falling, the entire ship rushing down faster and faster, flinging her stomach into her lungs, and then they slammed to a stop so fast that Adina's teeth cracked shut.

"Bubble zone clear!"

"Engage drive!"

The entire ship seemed to yank to the right, like some kind of twisted roller coaster and rubber band hybrid. Then everything shuddered all at once, and then there was aching, deafening stillness.

Adina could hear her panicked breathing like it was blasting through an amp right next to her face. Her head was spinning like a top but she knew in her body the cabin was unnaturally still. Her breathing picked up — she heard it more than felt it — and suddenly she was scrambling at the latch of her helmet, her gloved fingers clawing at the bottom of her visor.

She got the helmet off in time, but forgot about the seat buckle. The channel was still open in front of her as she coughed up bile. Her ears were ringing. She didn't feel any better at all.

"Adina?" John said. He held her face in his gloved hands, suddenly standing next to her. "Hey, can you stand?" Adina closed her eyes. She would have shaken her head, but even the thought made her want to wretch again.

"N, hh, n, nn-nn...."

"Stay right here, then," John uttered, letting go of her. "We seem stable, so I'm gonna grab the IV again." Adina couldn't speak, and she couldn't move her head, so she just kept trying to breathe.

---

By the time Paxie got out of their suit, The Water's Kiss was well away from where it had come across the Earth vessel. Once again in open hallways, free of the environment suit, Paxie had abandoned propriety and sprinted for the command room.

They ran full-out, their claws scraping against the decks, their blood rushing. Everything was sharp. Their scales buzzed, and they were keenly aware of how hard their muscles were pumping to move them like this. Their body was alight, electrified. Their mind was focused, the Earthling pair their only thought.

They burst into the command room and slowed, their scales itching. They scraped their claws against the deck, panting hard, eyes snapping to the front of the bridge. There was an open channel, and Captain Ramirez was slumped in the display, breathing hard as Lieutenant Harrison worked around them.

Paxie relaxed, and the weight of fatigue settled over them. They padded heavily to the captain's chair. Eme flinched when they came into view and hurriedly vacated the seat. Paxie laid down in it, their chest heaving, and laid their claws down flat.

The Earthlings survived the initial jump. Good.

"Status report," Paxie huffed.

"The Earthling vessel is secured to the bottom hull, sir," Eme explained. "Our Ghost volunteered to engineer the dampener settings to keep them stable. We've evacuated the bottom two decks to keep our personnel from getting sick, but…." Eme glanced at the screen. Ramirez was trembling, and Harrison was wiping their face with the same thing they had given him earlier.

"She'll be okay," Lieutenant Harrison said. It felt all too familiar, to have Ramirez looking close to death and Harrison dismissing the matter. Perhaps it was another quirk of the species. Another avenue of their… self-destructive attitude. "We didn't suffer any damage during the maneuvers, thankfully," Harrison added. He stooped down to look into the feed from over Ramirez's shoulder. "We didn't hurt anything, did we?"

"N-no," Eme said. He was keeping his voice very proper. "No damage was sustained during maneuvers, and we did not have to scramble any automated fighters to escape." He looked again to Paxie. "All four vessels reported clean spool and initiation. We'll arrive at the fallback position five minutes behind them."

"It's going to be a long five minutes for them," Paxie mused. Maybe it felt closer than it was, but Paxie had been terrified the new aliens were going to get The Water's Kiss killed, or die in the retreat, themselves. If it was them waiting at the fallback position for a ship to arrive, they were sure they'd be inconsolably worried.

"Captain Ramirez, Lieutenant Harrison," Paxie said. Harrison looked up, but Ramirez only grunted. She was clearly in bad shape. And she wasn't getting better the way Harrison had. Paxie swallowed thickly and straightened up taller. "On behalf of the Interstellar Federation of Alliance, I, Admiral Uten Paxie, offer you and your species sanctuary. Under Article six of the Orphaned Body protocol, you all will be afforded medical care, nutrition, and housing without the need to prove citizenship of the Federation."

Harrison was staring at Paxie now. He curled one side of his lips upward, and chuffed softly. Ramirez seemed to be barely lucid. Paxie flattened their ears.

"As the commanding officer of this squadron, and your current head of authority, I'm authorizing an extended rest for the two of you," they went on. Harrison's expression went back to something more neutral. "You are both excused from any further duties for the day, and are not required to check in at a specific time."

Harrison nodded his head. He looked more serious now, more focused, the way Ramirez had earlier. He kept his hand on Ramirez's shoulder the entire time.

"Will do, Admiral," he said. He then gently patted Ramirez's shoulder. "We'll… hail you when we're feeling better."

"See that you do," Paxie said. "Rest well."

Harrison nodded again. Paxie nodded to the communications officer, who cut the feed. Then they took a long, deep breath.

"Announce ship-wide rest," they exhaled. "Keep half again extra medical staff on standby."

"Yes, sir," Eme said, opening the ship-wide channel.

---

Paxie roused with a start when their door chimed. They checked the time. It had been almost seven hours since rest had been announced. They still had another hour left.

They clambered up and out of their low bed, then padded over and hit the floor control for the door. It slid open, revealing a Qomo officer.

"The Earthlings have roused," it announced in the Xoixe language. "They've requested council with you and a highly skilled xenomedic at your convenience." Paxie quirked their jaw.

"Has something gone wrong? Are they injured?"

"No, sir," it said, "Captain Ramirez seems to be fairing better, already. But they wish to discuss the lives of their crew."

That was right. Ramirez and Harrison were the only crew members who had been thawed from their cryonic sleep, but there were more Earthlings than them on board. They would all need to be awoken as soon as possible. Keeping any creature in such a state, let alone for so terribly long, was absurdly inhumane.

"Very well. Rouse Ensign Kime and Lieutenant Tapide."

"Aye, sir."

Once Paxie was refreshed and the two xenomedics were gathered, the three entered the bridge. There was an open channel, already, and the second captain stood and relinquished the chair to Paxie. Paxie nodded their head and padded over, but they watched the feed distractedly.

Nobody was in frame. They could tell they were looking at a part of the ship near the helm station, but all there was to see was metal and wiring.

"Captain Ramirez?" Paxie said. They switched on the translation protocol when their words weren't repeated. "Lieutenant Harrison?"

There was a metal clatter. One of the Earthlings said something too quiet for the translation protocol to pick up. Then Harrison came into view. He looked pinker in the face now, and his eyes seemed clearer. He bore his teeth widely.

"Admiral, hi," he said. He was very close to the screen, and the untranslated version of his voice was loud. "How did you sleep?"

Paxie huffed a laugh.

"I think I should be asking you that," they said. "Is Captain Ramirez okay?"

"She's much better now," Harrison said, looking off-screen in the direction he'd come. Then he looked back to them. "She slept like a rock and got some water in her, so now she actually looks like a scientist."

"I can hear you!" Ramirez's voice shouted from off-screen. She sounded agressive, but Harrison was laughing, baring his teeth. Paxie quirked their ears. He didn't seem to be worried about confrontation or repercussions.

"Anyway, Admiral, we have a few questions," Harrison said, hiding his teeth again. He moved, and seemed to lower himself before the screen. Perhaps resting in that odd chair design. He was serious now. "We have around two hundred people on this vessel, six of which are presumed dead."

Paxie jolted, eyes wide. "What happened?" they demanded. "How long have they been dead?"

"They failed to wake from cryo sleep."

Paxie stared. Eight creatures had been awoken from cryo sleep? And only two of them had survived? They knew cryogenic stasis was cruel, but to be so dangerous?

"What is the state of the six individuals?" Lieutenant Tapide asked. She wasn't Xoixe, but a species with long, bright green and blue feathers across her body, small, delicate hands, and a smaller, more delicate voice.

"Once they fail to wake, the system re-suspends the body," Harrison explained. "The hope there is that they'll be preserved enough to resuscitate, if it's an option."

"Then they haven't been dead long enough to degrade?" Tapide asked. She was already going through information on her tablet beside Kime.

"That's the hope," Harrison said. He lowered his voice now, looking away. "We haven't exactly… checked on them. In person. But the computer says they're still viable."

Paxie felt a pang in their gut. Harrison wasn't looking at the feed now, and he had dropped his voice. Nobody knew the body language of these creatures yet, but this was not what they had observed as Harrison's normal demeanor.

Two hundred Earthlings. And six of them were possibly dead. What may have been a small wound to the Xoixe was a great blow to the Earthlings. No planet, no bearings, no familiar species, hunted in open space, and with barely enough of them left to survive.

Paxie rested their weight further back, dizzied with the idea. They could have very possibly witnessed an extinction event had the Earth ship not made it away with The Water's Kiss, had they not made such a risky and unsound exit plan. Not just the death of intelligent life, but the death of an intelligent species.

It was a difficult prospect to swallow.

"We're unable to dispatch a medpod to you during our jump," Tapide said. Paxie looked to her. She was especially unflappable among her people, they knew this, but it always took Paxie off-guard. "How accessible are your cryogenic compatriots?"

"Uh, well," Harrison said, glancing between Paxie, Kime, and Tapide. Paxie already knew Tapide would fit in the Earthling ship better than they did, but still not as well as the Earthlings. And since their spaces seemed to be made compact on purpose, they could only imagine what the stasis array looked like. "We would probably want to remove the pods from our stasis chamber. We can take them wherever you need to work on them once we've… landed?" Harrison raised his shoulders and twisted his hands to be downside-up, then relaxed again. "I don't know how it works."

"Once our jump is concluded, we can dock properly and shuttle your pods aboard," Paxie explained. "The Water's Kiss should have plenty of resources to evaluate your kin, and determine their revivability."

Harrison nodded, looking down. "Okay," he said. "How long until the jump is over?" Paxie turned and looked to the engineering station, manned by the off-rotation crew member. Eme knew their name, but Paxie didn't.

"We have another six hours," the engineer announced. Paxie didn't let it show how disappointed they were to hear that. They couldn't send or receive any messages while jumping, which meant they weren't going to get any further answers, and couldn't even consult command.

This was probably the worst First Contact in recorded history.

"Alright," Harrison said. He got to his feet again. "I guess we'll see you in six hours, then."

"Very well," Paxie said. "If you have further needs, do not hesitate to hail us again."

"Thanks," Harrison said, and he bore his teeth. He reached for the screen, but then stopped suddenly. "Oh, and before I forget," he said. "Thank you for sending the-the Ghost over."

Paxie tilted their head.

"The Ghost is there?"

Harrison raised the fur patches over his eyes.

"Oh," he said, turning to where he had come onscreen from. "Uh…." He glanced to the screen again.

Paxie heaved a long sigh. They hadn't cleared the Ghost to go aboard the Earthling vessel, but they supposed they hadn't specifically barred it, either. This Ghost wriggled through regulations like water through a leash.

The video feed blurred briefly, and then Harrison moved aside. A transparent, blue-gray mass waved into frame, seeming briefly to obscur the video with a sparse star field.

"Greetings, Admiral," the translation protocol said. Paxie withheld a laugh.

"Hello, Weak Force. You were supposed to wait to be introduced." Paxie couldn't help but notice their words weren't translated to the Earthling language, despite the translation protocol still being active.

"These creatures took my appearance with great grace," the automated voice said. "They understand better than we expected, and did not require coaching to comprehend me."

"Oh, that's good," Paxie said. When Harrison had… fainted, well…. Paxie wasn't worried now, because he seemed fine. But he would have been if Ramirez had been the one on screen, and Harrison remained hidden.

"Admiral," the voice said again. The blur on the video solidified somewhat, obscuring much of the background in a faint haze. "I have been searching through the data on this vessel, and I have discovered two important things." Paxie nodded for it to continue. "Number One: The Earthling vessel, The Solstice, had its course artificially altered, beyond the influence of celestial bodies or the intention of the crew." Paxie blinked, but before they could ask about it— "Number Two: These Earthlings are the species self-designated as Human, currently known as the Five-Fingered Ones, from the planet Areterra."

Areterra? Paxie knew that planet.

"They're from the same planet as the Mauilen," Kime gasped.

Paxie's eyes widened.

"That's excellent news," Paxie said. They looked to Tapide and Kime. "We'll need to adjust for environmental shift, but this should mean we know their chemical biology already."

"Correct, sir," Kime said, typing eagerly on her tablet. "We'll want to run tests first, but we should know then what medicines and foods will work for them."

"Admiral," the voice said. Paxie looked to the screen again. "It would be prudent for the Federation to treat the route alteration of this vessel as sabotage."

Paxie felt almost cold to hear those words. Sabotage. But it seemed as likely as anything else. But if these Humans were from Areterra, then there was more to know here.

Areterra's biological lexicon had no example of a species like the Humans. So there was less hope that their twenty-six million year mission clock was a malfunction. And it would cause some unprecedented administrative strife, assuming it was accurate. Did it mean they were truly an orphaned species then? Perhaps it was up to if they could survive the current climate of their planet? If it truly had been so long as that? Would the Mauilen have any responsibility over them, or would these two species be treated as entirely independent? Did the Maulien have any responsibility to home the remaining Humans and the method by which they rehabilitated their numbers, or was that weight solely on the Federation?

Paxie shook their head subtly. These were not questions for a patrol admiral.

"Thank you, Weak Force," Paxie said.

"Signing off," the voice said. The feed cut, then, leaving the bridge in silence.

"This is exciting," Kime uttered. Paxie wasn't so sure. And they couldn't help but wonder how old the Skel were, and if they were or had ever been capable of sabotage like this.

"Notify Gunnery Sergeant Appi," Paxie said. "When rest is concluded, she will be to meet me in my office."

[xxplastic-cubexx]

It would be a Charles thing to let the cat choose its own name. He would probably just ask.

The lady cat could be called...Paxie?

Like peace, but nicer. It indicates their union and Erik's peace in no longer hearing Charles break up about having a cat😂.

Erik:" damn ok, let's take a cat, fine!"

Charles:" She'll be very calm and good, you'll see🥹"

Paxie: *is good just with Charles and made Erik crazy*

And of course Erik calls her everything but Paxie. Like the peace he will never have✋🏽😔

everyone has a choice to make and ms paxie is at total liberty to choose her name ☝️

[packersale]

Packers and STPs

Hey, I have several items I’m looking to sell or donate to someone. I have two different STPs, a few packers and some things that are helpful for packing (basically new underwear from paxies) and two Joey pouches from GYJ. The first STP I’m looking to sell is a reelmagik stp. It’s a 5” cut in M4. It is in extremely good condition, I barely used it. I still have the original packaging. The second STP is a transthetics EZ pee. I used this more than the Reelmagik stp but it’s still in good shape. The only packer I’m looking to sell is from reelmagik. It’s a basic packer 4.5” Classic model in P1. I used this for 2.5-3 years so it’s not in as good of shape as the reelmajik stp but it was regularly cleaned and stored with care. I have two other packers I’m looking to part with essentially for free. All I ask is you pay the price of shipping. I can’t seem to find the information on them. One is 3” it’s super squishy in a light skin tone. I never actually wore it because I personally didn’t like how it looked under my cloths. The second one I know is from the same company but it’s the 6” version. It was lightly used but still practically new. The underwear I have from paxies are XL. I have 4 pairs of those but I’ve thrown out all but 2 of the packing items that come with them. I also have two of the Joey pouches from GYJ. I no longer have the safety pins that came with the pouches but any safety pin will work. If anyone is interested in anything listed above shoot me an email at sschultz3417@gmail.com. I’m willing to negotiate prices and send pictures of all of these items. It would be great for someone else to make use of these things for their own transition now that I have no need for them. Take care all and stay safe🏳️‍⚧️🤙

[faytelumos]

"Sir, visual contact with an incoming craft?"

Admiral Paxie turned their head, quirking a heavy jaw in confusion. Engineer Tinel wore a similar expression, her four eyes glittering questioningly. Paxie padded down from the captain's chair, thick claws clicking on the metal deck as they made their way.

The display showed, unmistakably, another spacecraft on a steady course through the system. It was travelling briskly.

"Show course," Paxie instructed. Tinel pushed a few buttons and the computer quickly mapped a course.

The ship wasn't… aiming for anything.

"Where are they going?" Paxie mused.

"We don't have much data for their course yet," Tinel reasoned. "Maybe they're turning?"

"Maybe…. What can we tell about their ship?"

"This style and material composite isn't in our registry," she replied, pressing more buttons. She looked up. "We haven't met this species yet."

A shiver of excitement and nervousness surged over Paxie's scales. They'd always wanted to be involved in a first contact. But other Xoixes were always better qualified, with better personalities and better ratings. But now an unknown species had wandered right into Paxie's patrol zone.

They couldn't mess this up.

"Maintain a visual connection, even if we have to adjust course."

"Yes, sir."

"Captain, you have the bridge while I'm gone," Paxie declared, turning and trotting off to the elevator.

"Aye, sir."

Before Paxie could initiate contact, they had to get permission and instruction from home command. They made a quick report, explaining the situation briefly and succinctly before starting the instant relay drive. A tight radio signal fired the situation into a narrow wormhole, and within half an hour, they had their permission and the adjusted steps in return.

Paxie read the instructions over with their captain.

"This is… unorthodox," Captain Eme mused.

"This is an unorthodox situation," Paxie replied.

"I suppose so." He sighed, reading the instructions again. "Why can't I ever have a boring assignment?" Paxie laughed through sharp teeth.

The first step was to send the Greeting Call. It projected without issue as the strange ship's course was indeed straight.

The entire bridge and likely most of the crew waited and watched the live readout of the ship's course and activity. Some species waited a long time to reply to the Greeting Call. Others sent back replies within a day. Yet others didn't reply at all, but began to defend themselves against an imaginary threat. The way a society answered the Greeting Call was often the best way to judge if they were ready for contact.

"We got a reply," Tinel said. Everyone leaned forward.

"What'd they say?" Paxie asked. She hit some buttons… then hit them again… then squinted.

"There's… no data. It was just… a ping."

Odd….

"Maybe they need a confirmation?" Eme offered. "We don't know what sector they come from. They could get complex signals all the time."

"Good point," Paxie replied. "Send the call again."

"Yes, sir."

The Greeting Call went out again. This time the ship was quiet.

The Xoixes all waited, watching the ship as it made its way through the system, steadily closer to the patrolling squad. By now, the four other ships in the squad were surely waiting with bated breath, everyone watching the silent, alien craft as it bustled its way through empty space.

An hour passed. There was no change in course. There was no replying call. Paxie sagged further and further into their seat as Eme paced the bridge slowly.

"S-sir!" Tinel cried. Everyone perked up at once. "We're being hailed!"

"Open the channel," Paxie ordered as Eme clamored into his seat. Everyone sat straight and tall, ears perked, claws down. There was a staticky buzz, and then an image was projected before the bridge.

Two creatures stood in the image. What struck Paxie most about them was that… they didn't look like predators. All intelligent species had been apex predators of their planets. But these creatures seemed… squishy. They didn't have claws on their thin little hands. They didn't have any kind of armor on their awkward, boxy shoulders. Even their jaws were so unlike the Xoixe's; thin and… delicate. And their teeth, shyly exposed from soft-looking skin, were flat.

What they did have were massive foreheads.

They spoke, and the computer above whirred and clicked as it deciphered the language. Paxie watched with burning curiousity at how their faces moved. Two eyes, an inelegant nose, and thick lips. What could the purpose of such… puffy mouths be? The two specimens were different slightly in shape and height, and one was light-colored while the other was dark.

The computer clicked and chimed.

"Greetings," Paxie announced, and the computer repeated their words in the other's language. "I am Admiral Uten Paxie of Arkinu. Our species is the Xoixe. It is a pleasure to meet a new race of intelligence." Paxie and Eme bowed their heavy heads.

The two creatures looked to each other with wide eyes. The smaller one, the dark specimen with a more delicate build, looked back and spoke first.

"Greetings, Admiral P-Pak-shey," they managed. Someone on the bridge lowered their head to stifle a small laugh. "I am Captain Adina Ramirez of Earth, and this is Lieutenant Johnathan Harrison." Harrison, taller and of a sturdier (but still not predatory) build, lifted one of those strange, soft-looking hands and shook it slightly. Paxie glanced to Eme, feeling slightly embarrassed at forgetting to introduce him.

Not a great start.

"We weren't expecting to meet intelligent life on our journey," Captain Adina said. "Normally, we probably would have packed a few extra diplomats. Unfortunately, you're stuck talking to scientists."

Ramirez and Harrison both bore teeth and stuttered their breathing. It was… unsettling to see a species bare its teeth while laughing. But those teeth were so flat.

It made Paxie light-headed.

"You have no diplomats?" Paxie asked. Ramirez turned their head side-to-side but did not move their eyes.

"No, we didn't bring any."

"Bring from where?" Paxie asked, tilting their head confusedly. Ramirez and Harrison both raised the little line of fur above one eye, then looked to each other.

"From our home planet," Ramirez replied.

"Would you feel more comfortable if we contacted your diplomats?" Paxie offered. Eme looked confused now, too. Ramirez lowered the corners of that puffy mouth, their little fur patches creasing together above their nose.

"Even if we could, our home planet is twelve lightyears away."

Paxie waited for further elaboration, but Ramirez offered none. Eme leaned his head close to Paxie's and uttered lowly:

"They don't have any rings on their ship."

Paxie blinked and looked back towards the engineering station. How had they not noticed? This ship had no rings or projecting structures. And they had no Faster Than Light signature.

They had just been puttering through the system on a barely active engine.

Paxie turned sharply to Eme, noticing Ramirez and Harrison were also muttering to each other.

"So they don't have FTL technology."

"And they're already twelve lightyears away from their home planet."

"They weren't even travelling at fifty percent the speed of light."

Eme blinked and looked to the engineering station.

"Captain Ramirez," Admiral Paxie announced. "How did you travel here? What methods did you use — how long have you been traveling?"

"We use combustion engines, igniting fuel to produce thrust in a directed vector," Ramirez explained. "Our ship launched," Ramirez stumbled on a word, "26 million of our years ago."

There were gasps all across the bridge, and Paxie felt the blood draining from their face. These creatures had been living on that tiny vessel for 26 million years? No wonder they had lost all of their predatory adaptations.

Eme lowered his head, and Paxie almost did the same. But this was first contact. This was their only first contact. They had to keep a straight face. They had to make a good first impression, for their entire species. They swallowed.

"How many generations have passed on your ship, Captain Ramirez?"

"None," Ramirez replied, and just as Paxie felt their hearts begin to stop— "everyone on this ship is in cryogenic stasis. Our ship received your call and selected Lieutenant Harrison and myself to respond."

Cryogenic… what?

What in the name of Creation had caused a species to freeze all crew on a ship?

What did this say about how they would treat other species if they were willing to do this to themselves?

And what in all the universe was a species this old doing traveling by candlelight?

"Captain Ramirez, Lieutenant Harrison, please excuse us," Paxie managed before toggling off the translation protocol. They looked to Eme, who looked just as horrified as they felt.

"What the fuck," Eme breathed.

"They must have fled a dying system," Paxie whispered. "There's no other reason for this kind of self-abuse."

"Admiral, I don't think we want to get to know these people."

"If they're an orphaned species, we have to offer refuge." Eme looked back to the specimens on the screen. They were talking to each other, but the language filtered in untranslated and meaningless. "If their system was dying, then it was freezing their survivors and praying or dying outright."

"Admiral," Eme whispered, his voice lower now than ever. "If they've been asleep for so long, then why are they so alert now?" Paxie eyed the specimens. They had no baseline to measure health of this species, but it was true. Any species (except perhaps the Keloyans) was groggy and awkward after sleep. Moreso the more they slept. These creatures had been asleep for 26 million years.

This not-predator species was becoming increasingly frightening.

"What do we do?" Eme whispered. The two specimens had stopped talking now, and Ramirez was watching Paxie steadily. Patiently.

It made them shiver.

"We send a boarding crew," Paxie muttered. "Small, non-threatening. I think they're a prey species." Eme scoffed. "We'll figure out what's going on, and make a decision from there."

---

next

When the humans came out of the void between stars, the Xoixe were startled. They were used to initiating first contact. When they learned they hadn’t seen the humans coming because they hadn’t used FTL, they were concerned. When they learned about cryogenic freezing they were horrified.

[emryses]

hewwo my wuv, 23+24 pls

hi paxie

23. pick three keywords that describe your writing

i answered this one here unless you wanted me to do more. to which i say >:(

24. how do you recharge when you're not feeling creative

this is me rn :( lol. i don't ever force it tbh, because when i force it i end up in a worse mood creatively because i convince myself everything i create is awful gross and ugly<33 but sometimes i go back and look at WIPs and things on ao3, i'll just watch funny videos and try to let the brain rot carry me into creative. or maybe i'll avoid anything creative all together and just focus on other interests in the mean time. a whole bunch of things !!

fic writer asks

[kinascum]

ABOUT ME !

the name's Paz :)

9teen sheher bi

pisces enfp

made in Argentina!

dick and boobies teehee

harry potter

star wars

little women

taylor swift

sabrina carpenter

paxi talks: yapping

paxi's stuff: anything

paxi's asks: very literal

paxi's fics: yeah

paxi's thots: horny on main

paxi's links: p links

paxi's faves: mhm

paxi's recommendations: so yeah

bailey yaps 💗: pretty girl pressing her thumbs on her phone screen so i recieve smoke signals!!

[siderealxmelody]

Azriel rolled his eyes, he hadn't seen her in weeks. And maybe it wasn't the most masculine thing to do. But he honestly didn't care, he was tired and Hypaxia quieted that constant darkness in him.

"Agree to disagree, ask her if she's eaten."

Hypaxia rolled her eyes, her smile wide now. She shook her head, shooting Rhysand a smile.

"I mean he has a point Azriel. See he has a faith in me -"

"Which tells me he doesn't know you Paxi."

Hypaxia stuck her tongue at him, taking his notes from his hand. Azriel rolled his eyes, shaking his head as she began to draw on them.

"You're -"

He blinked, remembering Rhysand was here. He should probably figure out if whatever was happening then was something that held merit. Rhysand was a friend, he trusted him but if he was trying to do more than warm her bed...

He mentally shook himself. He was right, she was grown. She didn't need him to shield her. She could take care of herself, and she'd tell him if something happened...right?

They were friends...right?

"I know what Pa did wasn't popular. But we would have lost more men if we became more aggressive. Though apparently he used to call for those types of plays before....maybe he had grown softer. Don't tell your father I said that. Keir was distracted I think, he didn't really look at the report. He did ask me if Mor was seeing someone. Which..."

He trailed off, shrugging. Hypaxia would know though.

"Is she Hypaxia?"

"Hmm? Oh Morrigan? Yeah. Some -"

She closed her mouth glancing between them.

"I know nothing."

She closed her eyes, rubbing at her arms. She set her glass down. She bit her lip, maybe it was the lack of sleep. Maybe it was that she hadn't actually talked to him in weeks. Not really, not like they used to.

But...they were friends. Right?

That was all they were. Sure, maybe the more she saw Aleksander and Anastasiya the more she hated coming back to an empty tent.

But clearly she was loosing her mind if she - Azriel didn't say much, but he always had a way to get through to her.

"Can we just talk about something else? Did you see the reports on the eastern front? If we were more aggressive we would have won. I don't know what Sebastian was thinking with -"

"Hypaxia!"

Hypaxia turned, her smile was more subdued but it was there. Azriel touched her arm, taking her in. His eyes narrowed, playful.

"Didn't you just get hurt like a few days ago?"

She rolled her eyes, brushing his arm off.

"I'm fine Azriel. Stop mothering me. I -"

Azriel looked to Rhysand, he gave a nod. He ignored Hypaxia's remark.

"I gave your father my reports by the way."

He looked back to Hypaxia poking her in the shoulder.

"Have you at least eaten or are you going to insist that water is food? I'm going to get food from the mess hall you want to come?"

She laughed, more of the tension in her body bleeding away. Whatever he'd said to Rhysand, maybe it wasn't too bad. Maybe it really was nothing.

"Hey! I had two bottles worth! You should be proud of me Azriel!"

[faytelumos]

Into the Black With a Matchstick, pt4

I'm going to be going through the previous three parts and adjusting some language and pronouns (if I haven't already done so by the time this is posted). It won't require anyone re-reading if they don't want to, but it should make things feel more consistent for first-time readers.

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

first previous

allergens: some miscommunication, brief reference to sex

cw: description of a needle (non-threatening)

---

Paxie sighed again, breathing deeply in the shuttle. Klte's suggestion to rest and take off the helmet was a good one. They felt better now, having taken the moment to recuperate. The past two hours had been a flurry. They decided to get back to work, and they stuck their head back into their helmet, allowing the automatic clamp to reseat. Captain Eme would need a break soon, too, undoubtedly. So they should head back to the ship as soon as possible.

The shuttle was still cycling the atmosphere out when their earpiece chirped.

"Go ahead," they said.

"Admiral, we'd like to request a Ghost to come aboard," Kime said. Paxie tried to perk their ears, but the helmet kept them mostly in place.

"Is there something wrong with the Earthlings' vessel?" they asked, maybe a little too worriedly.

"There's an inconsistency in their comms systems," Kime explained. "They wanted to view a star map to reconcile the data, but can't use our devices."

"Ah," Paxie mused. They supposed it wasn't a bad idea. There didn't seem to be an abundance of digital technology in this ship, but it did sound like this matter could be handled with a Ghost's help. "Very well," they said. "I'll have Captain Eme dispatch our Ghost immediately."

"Very good. I'll… prepare the Earthlings for its arrival."

"Actually, Ensign, I'm almost done." The shuttle sounded more or less silent by now, most of the noise Paxie could hear coming from the body of the strange, small ship and up into their suit. "I'll let them know what to expect."

"Very good. Sergeant Klte and I will be sure to leave a path for you."

"Excellent, thank you."

Once the request had been sent along and the blue light shone to indicate the cycle was complete, Paxie opened the doors again. Most of the doorway was taken up by the outer hull of the ship. There was radiation fading on it, and the dings and pocks of micrometeorites. They shivered to think of how desperate this species must have been to leave their planet with such an unequipped vessel.

They lowered their head and squeezed into the open airlock. Since Paxie was too large to fit with both of the Earthling airlock doors closed, the doors had both been manually opened. Paxie wasn't worried about the Xoixe's technology failing to hold the seal from the outside. Even with the awkward shape of the small ship. But if it had been an issue the Earthlings had to solve with their own technology, well….

They hated to admit it, even to themselves. But they would not have felt safe.

Klte and Kime were both out of the hallway that lead to the bridge, allowing Paxie to get most of the way in. This room wasn't made to accommodate as many as The Water's Kiss' bridge. There were four…console stations, and what looked to be a command module in the middle. This is what Harrison and Ramirez were working on.

"Captain Ramirez, Lieutenant Harrison," Paxie said. Both looked up, and Paxie bowed their head lower. "Please forgive my absence. But I do have some positive news."

"Good news is good," Harrison said. Their eyes got wider as they watched Paxie. Ramirez remained stoic as ever. Paxie licked the roof of their mouth.

"We are summoning a Ghost to come help with the technological gap," they announced. Both aliens looked towards Klte with slightly widened eyes. Paxie hesitated. That was a… strange reaction. Both looked back to them, and they kept talking, unsure of what else to do. "Its kind is often a bit… difficult for those who have not seen one before to grasp."

Harrison looked very uncomfortable. Ramirez glanced at them, then back to Paxie. But they also seemed uneasy. Paxie hesitated again. They looked to Kime, but she didn't seem to have any insight.

"Lieutenant Harrison? Do you need to rest?"

"I'm sorry," Harrison whispered. "I just… you work with ghosts?" Paxie tried to perk their ears, and Kime and even Klte seemed to hone in on Harrison.

"You know of them?" Paxie asked.

"We have… legends. Stories." Ramirez looked again to Harrison. They had changed color, going pale—

Klte lunged at the same time as Ramirez, and both of them grabbed Harrison and kept them from falling completely down. Paxie watched, momentarily stunned, as Ramirez took on the burden of Harrison's weight.

Had Harrison died?!

"What's happening?" Paxie barked. "Kime, vitals, we need—"

"I'm okay," Harrison rasped, dumbly grasping at Klte.

Paxie didn't know what to do. They were useless, clogging up the entire hallway, unable to move anywhere fast, watching as Ramirez labored to get Harrison to one of the consoles. They sat them down (what a strange sitting position) and crouched down in front of them. And Paxie struggled to even get near.

Harrison looked half dead. Ramirez had a hand on their neck, and was saying something quietly. The translation protocol couldn't pick it up. But it did hear Harrison.

"It's just a lot," they said. "It's a lot."

Ramirez stood and pushed down lightly on the back of John's head. They shifted, then rested their head on their knees. Bendy creatures, then. Xoixe certainly weren't so flexible.

"He's okay," Ramirez rasped. "He just fainted. It's…." They didn't speak for a moment, reaching into a compartment and getting something out. When they spoke, their voice was raspy. Wet. "Sorry. It's been a long day for us."

"I understand," Paxie soothed. They had felt the same way, and this had been a normal day until two hours ago. They couldn't very well imagine what it was like for these small aliens.

"Thank you," Ramirez rasped. They opened a small, thin container and pulled part of the inside of it out. They handed it to Harrison, who took it and held it loosely in one hand. Then they put their hand on his back and moved it in slow circles.

"What is fainting, Captain?" Kime asked. "Does he need medical attention?"

"No," Harrison groaned. "I'm… I'll be…."

"He's okay," Ramirez said again. "His emotions are very severe right now, and he's dehydrated and hungry. His body is taking in too much stimulus, and it overwhelmed his nervous system." They laughed, quiet and breathy. "His body threw a tantrum." Harrison laughed, too.

"This all sounds very severe," Kime said. Paxie definitely agreed.

"Do you have food?" they asked. "Did you bring any?" Ramirez laughed again.

"We have food and water, we'll be okay."

Paxie quirked their jaw. They didn't understand. Harrison was sick, so sick that his nervous system was… throwing a tantrum? Were these conglomerate creatures? They didn't have the markers for that. But Harrison had looked by all means to have died for a moment, and the two of them were laughing about it. Maybe laughter meant something different on Earth.

Either way, this kind of treatment of crew was unacceptable. Paxie could dismiss the cryogenics ship-wide, as that was a species survival tactic. But they would not tolerate gross neglect of subordinates.

"Captain Ramirez," Paxie ordered. Ramirez looked up, and Harrison followed their gaze groggily. "Your lieutenant is ill, and his needs have clearly reached a point of catastrophe. I demand you give him proper nutrients and rest at once."

The bridge was silent. Both aliens were staring at Paxie. They had their claws raised now, and they were grinding their jaw in agitation. Ramirez's eyes were wide. They were breathing hard, their chest swelling.

"Admiral," Ramirez said, their tone low. "I will yield to your command. But I promise you that my lieutenant's condition is completely survivable."

Paxie watched them both. They weren't sure now if they appreciated Ramirez's command style. Neglectful and dismissive of their crew's needs. Those were terrible leadership qualities.

"I'm okay, Admiral," Harrison said. He stood, slowly, and both Ramirez and Klte seemed ready to grab him if he faltered. To Paxie's shock… he didn't. "Your concern is… heartwarming." Paxie huffed quietly, resisting the need to raise their head, knowing now from experience the ceiling was too low. Ramirez motioned for Harrison to walk in front of them, and the two walked toward Kime. She backed up along the hallway to allow them in. "Don't judge me, but I think I have a crush," Harrison whispered as they left.

"Shut up, they can hear you," Ramirez whispered back. Paxie pinned their ears flat. If Harrison had an injury, especially a crushing one, then they wanted to know about it. They turned off their translator protocol.

"Ensign Kime. Make sure Lieutenant Harrison is getting the appropriate care."

"Yes, sir."

"Sergeant Klte, be sure to be available of he needs help."

"Aye, sir."

---

John kept his head down on the table. He'd managed to finish the new hydration pouch, too. Adina still couldn't stomach the idea of putting anything more than water in her face. And even then, she'd barely been managing to sip her pouch.

"You should really get a hydration pouch," John whispered. "You need the electrolytes."

"I don't want to waste it if I throw up again," Adina breathed.

"You're more likely to throw up if you don't."

She knew he was right. But her tongue was tingling, her back itched all over, her head was throbbing, and every limb felt hollow and staticky. And now ghosts were real and part of this… space federation. On top of everything else.

Adina glanced around the galley again. It was small, only made for up to eight, but the nightmare creature was sharing the space with them. Actually, it probably wasn't nice for Adina to call it that. It had tried to save John's fall, after all. And Adina got the distinct feeling it was watching her to protect John. Because now the admiral of the alien fleet just outside thought she was a heartless bitch who didn't care about her lieutenant.

"Hey," John muttered, looking up. Adina looked back to him. He was still pale, and his eyes were painfully red, and he nodded his head delicately towards the bridge. "Be honest," he breathed, and Adina noticed the nightm—the cave mantis' suit didn't repeat him. "Do you think I have a shot?"

Against her will, Adina pictured John in nothing but an environment helmet and boots, looking at a condom the size of a tube sock with apprehension.

She burst into laughter, splitting her head with pain and laying over the table. John laughed, too, rasping and hysterical, and they both filled the metal room with a cacophony. When the laughter died down, Adina had both arms over her head, squeezing her skull against the cold, plastic table and whimpering.

She was shaking. She knew if she opened her eyes, she wouldn't even be able to see. She took long breaths, but they were somehow shallow. She felt like her body was falling apart.

"Am I dying?" she whispered. John's hand came down on the back of her neck, cool and heavy.

"You survived the wakeup process," John whispered back. "That's where everything goes wrong."

"I feel like shit," she whimpered. "I've never felt like such absolute shit like this."

"I'm sorry," he whispered, and he smoothed his hand over her shoulder. "Maybe we should just get you an IV."

"We don't have time for that," Adina rasped.

"The aliens haven't killed us yet," John uttered. He sounded like he was smiling. Grinning, actually. "Besides, they like me enough. I'll put in a good word and get you twenty minutes to close your eyes."

"My hero," Adina droned. John laughed, then stood.

"C'mon, let's get you hydrated," he said, and he stepped around the table and gently took her by the arms. She rose carefully, keeping her eyes closed, and let him lead her to the med bay. The cave mantis followed behind with minimal noise, but she could still hear it. He helped her sit and then lay back in one of the beds, then started rummaging for the proper fluids.

"What is wrong with Captain Ramirez?" Kime asked.

"She's badly dehydrated," John said for her. She wasn't eager to talk at the moment, and she appreciated his answering for her. "We'll put some fluids in her, and then we can keep trying to figure this out."

Adina eventually opened her eyes when John made some noise from right beside her. The room was a bit blurry, but it was manageable. John set the IV on a small hook in the wall, then tied a length of rubber around her upper arm.

"What is this for?" Kime asked. She was in the doorway now, trapping Adina, John, and the cave mantis in the room. It was as close to the bed as the big alien could get.

"These fluids are going to re-hydrate me," Adina said, and she sat up slightly. She started forming and relaxing her fist repeatedly once John had the band tied across her bicep. "I'm increasing the pressure of the blood vessels in my arm right now, to get a large vein to push against my skin so he can put a needle into it."

The room was very quiet as John bent low, swiping an alcohol pad over the inside of Adina's arm. It burned just a little, and then he gently touched her skin with one hand and lined up the needle with the other. She watched him push it into her, impressed with the steadiness of his hand. He untied the band and stepped back, and she laid her head back with a sigh.

"I'll get something for your head in there, too," he said.

"Thanks."

"C-Captain Ramirez," Kime uttered. Adinia looked up sharply, jarring her head badly, surprised to hear the alien sounding so... scared? She was looking directly at Adina through the domed helmet of her environment suit, but Adina just couldn't read her expression. "Can you not drink water? Are you malformed?" Adina blinked. Then she took another look at the scales on Kime's face. Had the Xoixe never heard of injections? Of intravenous fluids?

"I, my body can't stomach the fluids I need right now," Adina explained. "So I have to bypass my stomach." Kime and the cave mantis exchanged looks.

"You mean to say that you do not require your stomach?" Adina glanced at John, who looked a little bit amused at the disconnect as he injected medicine into the top of the bag.

"I do," Adina explained. "But my stomach isn't doing what I want it to right now. So I'm, uh, removing it from the equation right now. So that I can get back onto my feet."

"Why do you not simply rest?" the cave mantis hissed. Its voice was a bit frightening, halfway between a snake and the chirp of a bat. It made her want to turtle her neck.

"We have too much to do," Adina said, reluctantly meeting its big, black eyes. "I can't afford to take the time right now."

"But your body is failing," Kime said.

"Well, I mean, it might if I kept going like this," Adina relented. "But by doing this, I'm able to stave that off."

"I don't understand," the cave mantis hissed. "You're dying."

"No, I wouldn't say that—"

"Then you do not require water or your stomach to live."

"Well, okay, I do—"

"It's a bit more complicated than that," John said.

"But rather than sleeping and resting your body and mind," the mantis continued, "you are instead piercing your body and adding an outside substance to your flesh, so that you may continue your activities without... sacrificing the time?"

Adina blinked, and she could see John staring at the thing, too.

"It sounds pretty metal when you put it like that," John said.

Everyone in the room flinched when the two aliens' suits made a loud, sharp noise.

"Code black, code black!" another Xoixe voice called over both enviro suit speakers. "Hostile ship spotted, Skel-type destroyer, weapons hot and locked onto the Earth-type explorer! Approaching at factor 3, ten minutes until interception!"

Adina looked directly at Kime, her entire body suddenly seeming to fade away. She was numb all over, and the drugs still in her veins seemed to rev up for a second round. Time slowed. The Xoixe seemed to pale beneath its scales. Part of Adina tried to convince the rest of her it didn't mean the same thing on them that it meant in humans. That the alien's body was reallocating blood flow to muscles out of anticipation of a fight. Out of fear.

"All ships!" Admiral Paxie's voice boomed over both speakers and from down the hall. "Spool FTL drives and make heading for nearest fallback position! Defensive power allocations! Ready automated fighters to scramble!"

---

next

[paxi-suru-art]

¿Como encontro su estilo de dibujo?, en lo personal, a mi su estilo de dibujo me recuerda a Naruto, jajaja nada que ver.

Gracias por seguir dibujando a la hermosa Snow, y seguir apesar de los estupidos haters.

Jsjs muchas gracias QWq)

Aunque en un inicio, queria inspirarme del estilo de One Piece, no se por que salio el parentezco con Naruto, casi ni lo veia X'D JSJSJS

Supongo que cosas de la vida JSJSJS X'D

Y gracias por el apoyo qwq

[commlinking]

Orion watches her order. At the name "Paxy" his finials twitch, and his gaze goes to her face. Does he know her? He doesn't think he does, but that sounded like a nickname variant of his designation. Odd.

"Oh, you're a medic?" It sounds weird to just ask outright, but there's too much engex in his system to ask more eloquently. "So the rumor is true that medics can handle things stronger than most other mechs? I wonder why that is." He says the final sentence more to himself than to her, trying to internally jot it down to research later.

But she's stopped talking to him and looked back at her datapad, and Orion can't quite tell if that means she wishes to be left alone. "What are you reading?" Turns out, he may have had enough engex to be a little ignorant of social manners, and his natural inquisitory nature is overriding his thoughts of shutting up.

Orion finds himself and his friends (Ariel and Dion, of course) in an Oil House somewhere in Iacon. It's no Maccadam's, sure, but nobody's recommended that place to them yet. There are booths lining the side walls, circular tables near the middle of the room, and a bar to the far wall.

All three of them are at that bar, sitting on stools meant for taller Mechs than Orion. His legs dangle as he sits, though Dion laughs and says that's intentional, for bots who spend their solar cycles on their pedes and want to give them a bit to relax. Makes enough sense as anything else, and as much as Orion is one to research into such claims to find the more interesting story behind it, he's in not any particular mood to do so tonight.

He's tired- and yeah, sure, that's not completely new, he does have a habit of overexerting himself- but it's in a more emotional way than he'd predicted he'd find himself when he accepted the job title of Archivist. He's still in training, doing little more than Data Clerk work as he has code exchanged out from his time as a Dock Worker to something more currently useful, and learning what comes intuitively to built Archivists makes him feel like a newbuild all over again.

Orion's memory is good- but it's not 'has the entire Archive's current stock of books memorized' levels of good, and that's where some other Data Clerks that work alongside him are at. It's information on information on information that is all trying for a spot in Orion's processor, and he's still learning how to manage it all.

He hasn't even started the main job yet, how could he be tired already? Someone had mentioned that maybe what he needs is a memory storage upgrade, and he keeps wondering if maybe that'll do him some good.

There are two empty bar stools to Orion's right, with Ariel flinging an arm over his shoulders every once in a while and pulling him into a conversation with her and Dion on his left. He has a glass of engex and a datapad in front of him- one he's been trying to read for the past half an hour, unsuccessfully, as his focus keeps drifting to nothing in particular.

[hannah-deactivated20220725]

🥺 and 🤫 for the expression practice!!!

Okay, so I only drew the first one so far. I'm still practicing doing the hand for the 2nd one... but here's what I did for the first:

(yes, it is me xD)

[sparklingpax]

I held a Q&A for Paxie on my insta but only two people bothered with it 😹 anyway here are the pics~

:))

I really love drawing her and I still haven't made the official design why am I like this--

💓💞💖💝💖💓💞💓💖✨

[lovwonho]

ur so funny man like fuk you why are you so funny and friendly and nice like damn you think you can just be kind up in these parts?? Like some soft little squishy thing man heck you I can't handle you

ohf ukc

:( ily