#sphere joint

[2d-dreams]

A sphere, flatlanders, and 2d babies

[roxysmini]

Final coat of primer done !!!

It's not perfect, but I think this'll do with the final color and scars I'll add to hide some problems... 😅

I left the headcap pretty much "as printed" because 1. Hair will hide it and 2. This will let me remember where I started and how I got this final result... so much sanding ! I also skipped sanding too much in some joints (both because hard access and makes more friction), you can kinda see it in the shoulder on the top picture.

Now I need to acquire some airbrush appropriate skin-tone paint, and my boy will be much closer to the final result ~ ☆

[saltinesinsoup]

got that boolean to work in only a slight non-fucked way. my biggest issue now is arm sockets and making sure the inside is hollow enough for elastic. which means more booleans. woohoo

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

moonshine leaks in through the window blinds.

suguru is undressing, sluggishly, in the dim darkness of your bedroom. he is weary; as are you. it’s been a long, long day, celebrating in the morning, in the evening, going to the spring festival downtown and grabbing hotpot with satoru and shoko right after — stopping by their favorite bar before finally heading home. fatigue drags your bones against soft flooring, as you rummage through his closet, pull your worn hoodie over your head and let it fall to the floor. 

suguru’s birthday is always eventful. your boyfriend is a well-loved man, after all; no less by you than anyone else. it’s been worth it, worth every ache in your joints, to see him smile and scoff and swallow down mouthfuls of soba and cake. to see him a little sheepish, a little tipsy, a little more open with his heart than usual. sweetness brings it out of him. 

(you’re happy, that this year was a success as well.)

a low groan. you turn your head, to watch as he cranes his neck, stretches his arms, as the muscles of his bicep coil and twitch under the linen of his shirt. as he slips out of it, lets his hair fall, a hair tie slipping down to rest around his wrist. his roots must ache, by now — you wonder if he’ll let you massage his scalp, just to help him unwind. but suguru gets restless after being pampered for too long. could barely stop himself from pouring your drink, over and over, carrying you the last bit home even though his own legs must have yearned for respite too.

sometimes, you want to ask him — can you please just let me love you?

(his answer is usually a smile.)

”god,” comes the voice of an angel, raspy and sweet. the heel of his palm meets the blade of his shoulder, digs into the skin as if to soothe it. ”’m exhausted.”

a smile tugs your lips up, blooms like a peach tree and flutters in tune with your heartbeat. you put your arms through the gaps of an oversized tee, press your nose against the fabric and inhale, the scent of laundry detergent and musk soothing your muddled senses. after pulling it over your head, you’re left in nothing but your boxers and his shirt. it makes him melt, you’re more than aware. when your hair is tousled, from the midnight air and satoru’s restless hand — when you’re engulfed in nothing but him.

”well, we walked a lot,” you exhale, sending him a sweetened glance. he returns it with a huff. 

”talked a lot, too,” he mutters, too tired to sound as displeased as he’d probably like. you drink in the sight of his skin under lunar light, lap up the excess cobalt, swallow softly. ”why is it that all my energy magically drains as soon as satoru’s involved…?”

a breathy giggle. ”he loves you,” you supply, not-so-helpfully. ”he just hadn’t had a chance to bug you in a while, i guess.”

a scoff. 

”he has a funny way of showing it…”

suguru unbuckles his belt, kicks off his jeans, slumps back on the bed with a silent sigh — the mattress creaks beneath his weight, allows him to get comfortable as he rests on the edge. gazing at you, patiently, spheres of rusted-gold through lidded eyes. heavy with what you know to be fatigue.

he pats his lap, one heavy hand. 

”come here, sweetheart.”

(his voice alone melts you down to the marrow. sweet and smooth, roughed up from the outing; the purr of a needy cat, silken sheets and jasmine buds.)

a moth to a flame, or a lamb to a knife — you are pliant as you move towards your lover. weak, as you tuck your legs over his knees and slide into his lap.

an inhale. he buries his face in your shirt, his shirt — smiles, noses against your pulsepoint and the tender valley of skin between your jaw and shoulder. engraves your scent into his being.

”i love you,” he whispers, a low lull of his tongue. a kiss against your neck. ”thank you for today.”

the words have left you long before your mind tugs at your lips. ”i love you too, sugu.” you nuzzle against his locks, relish as they tickle your sensitive skin. ”i don’t think i did much, though…”

”no?” you hear the smile, the hint of a chuckle, even as he lifts his fingers to pinch your little nose. ”you don’t think so, silly?”

he tuts — eyes gleaming under artificial light, the lamp on your nightstand. 

”even made me breakfast.”

”… it turned out so-so.”

an exhale, at your little frown. humoured, your mind supplies, if a little exasperated. he clicks his tongue, rubs his thumb over the bridge of your nose before letting go. ”it was lovely,” he corrects. ”you’re lovely.”

and you know that he’s displeased. you know by the way he says it, how softly he shuts you down and guides you in the right direction, lips smearing kisses on your vulnerable skin as if reproaching you. he’s sleepy, can’t help but be lazy, no less thorough in his mission. has no mercy for your jaw, or collarbone, or neck. you’re shivering, shaky sigh slipping out — curling your arms around his neck and angling your head to give him more room to work with. he can be greedy, tonight, you don’t mind. whatever he wants. his fingers find solace in the plushness of your hips, squeezes softly, molds the flesh. a silent thank you. 

for what, you wonder.

melting when your skin meets his? letting him touch you like this? trusting him to do it gently?

your mind is tangled up in knots. just letting him love you, hold you close, feeling his heartbeat through the fabric of his shirt — ba-dump, ba-dump, like waves crashing into shore. you hope he cannot hear the constant patter of your own; hope he cannot sense the prickling of your nerves. he might think the night is over, but you still have something more to offer.

… or, at least you should.

it’s nerve-racking. your heartbeat knocks at your ribs, sticks its head out to ask how you’ve been. better, you’d like to say. a lot less close to passing out. silly, silly body, never letting you get off easy — never being of any use. it shouldn’t be this scary, not even close. you know your lines. you’ve practiced all week. but it is, and it’s paralyzing, and suguru is so tired he’s just gnawing at your earlobe now. 

clammy hands, beating heart, shaky fingers.

(you wish it was easier to say what’s inside.)

”i… have another present,” you mumble, finally, into his hair. as if that will muffle it. swirling a lock around your finger, playing with it to ease your mind.

suguru blinks. you feel the flutter of his eyes against your skin, the ghosts of pretty raven lashes. he pulls back, just enough to look into your eyes — watching you, closely, to see what you mean. attentive. 

there’s a certain look in his eyes.

”… more?” he asks, voice scraping against the walls of his throat, the buzzing of a dragonfly. he slips a hand under your shirt, curls it around your naked waist to tug you closer, keep you safe and still. ”haven’t i been spoiled enough, today?”

he’s smiling. you don’t think he knows what you mean, but he must sense your hesitance. keeps his hand on your hip, rubs comforting circles into your skin, seems to delight in the way your body can’t help but tremble all while leaning into it. stupid, beautiful suguru, stupid wandering hands. he’s only making your heartbeat sputter more. 

it’s too difficult. even after that peptalk with satoru and shoko, you can’t find the words you need. 

finding a birthday gift for suguru is always a hurdle. every single year. you can never decide on what to go for, never settle for just one thing — because he’d be happy with anything, you know that, but it’s not enough when you’re as smitten as you are. when all you want is to give him something that will make him smile brighter than ever, a smile that’s just for you.

what would make him the happiest? what do you want to tell him, more than anything? 

you always agonize over it, sure, but this year…

(even if it’s a little much, you —)

”haha… well.” 

you shift on his lap, tuck your thighs around his waist, just needing stability. and it’s muscle memory, your skin against his, bodies molding together like liquidated gold. he watches you, patiently — doesn’t rush or force the words out. a sun god in your room, on your bed. tangled up in sheets he washed for you. 

a sliver of sunshine, that belongs only to you.

what is there to say?

even now, you can’t uncap the lid over your heart. your hands are too shaky to dust off the longing. if you could, you’d say something like: 

i love you, i love you, i love you.

i want to wash your hair, and kiss your eyelids when you sleep, and scrub the rot from off your bones. i don’t want to care about what anyone else thinks. 

i could tell you i love you a million times.

also, do you want to get married? 

i know i’ve made you wait — you always wait so patiently — but would you mind?

would you be mine forever? 

a sudden sting. your teeth sink into your bottom lip, as if to silence your own thoughts, the phantom taste of heavy iron blooming on your tongue. slick vines wrap themselves around your teeth and sew your mouth shut. no words, no breaths, no nothing. 

just clammy hands, beating heart, shaky fingers. 

(you wish you could be kinder to the monster in your ribs.)

”… tomorrow,” you sigh, at last, the word forcing its way through your throat. you slump your cheek against his forehead, fleeing from his prying gaze, the question on your mind. ”… you’ll get it tomorrow.”

(shoko’s voice rings in your ear. coward, she’d say. loser, satoru would add. they’d be right.)

stupid, silly heartbeat. beating so loudly you can’t even find your voice. 

but suguru only smiles.

”… not today?” he brushes against your bottom lip, traps it between his thumb and pointer finger. tilts his head, softly. ”did you change your mind?”

you melt, into his touch, head dipping forward. 

”… just wanna wait a little longer,” you sigh, a little shaky, feeling sheepish. ”is… that okay?”

”of course.” his answer comes as soon as you ask. 

as natural as breathing.

mwah. his lips meet yours, chaste and sweet, gone as soon as you’ve thought to lean into it. ”i’ll always wait for you,” he says. ”you know that, don’t you?”

(you do.)

a silent nod. he seems to note your sour mood, the ghost of a pout on your lips. because he chuckles, that familiar purr-like rasp, falling backwards and tugging you with him — pushing you down against the mattress, crawling over you, a praying mantis with the smile of a fox. gentle, gentle, his hands cupping your hips. black hair frames his face, his smile, the moonshine gliding across his nose and cheekbones. he’s all you can see, until he’s leaning forward, nosing against your pulsepoint to feel the pitter-patter there. you can still feel the weight of his gaze, sticky honey-webs of oak and cedar.

warm, warm, warm. a little sleepy.

and he sighs against your skin. 

”i want to tell you i love you a million times,” he says, an orange split into tender halves. ”you know that?”

he sounds tired. he sounds happy, deliriously so, like he can barely believe it himself. you like it when he gets this playful, like it when the hint of boyishness he keeps carefully concealed spills through the gaps.

you blink.

a matching sigh, from your loverotted lungs. ”.. yeah,” you murmur. ”i know. i’d say it back a million times.”

a plum tree blooms against your collarbone, the branches of his lips stretching up into a grin. ”see? you’re perfect.” he moves up, captures your lips with his own, savours the flavour of your lip balm. eyes gleaming like fireflies. ”just perfect for me…”

ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump. 

”what other gift could i possibly need?”

… and, well — it’s hard to argue when he sounds so convinced. when his skin is gleaming, when he’s on top of you, caging you in with his thighs and keeping you steady. when he looks like the rest of your life. 

it’s hard, even though a litany of words scratch against your windpipe, begging to be set free. even though you didn’t want to be a coward, today. 

(any other day of the year would have been fine.)

a hand cups your cheek. 

”… hm?” he tilts his head, raises an eyebrow. awaits your response, with fond, tired eyes.

you bite your lip. ”… i guess…”

”no, you don’t guess,” he huffs, half a chuckle. leans close to nip at your cheek. ”you know. i’m already spoiled with your presence. what else do i need?”

”well, it’s just—”

”no.” he shuts you up, mashes his lips against yours again. ”no more of that. okay, sweetheart?”

…

”thank you for today.” he echoes, into the shell of your ear. the warmth in his voice sparks against your spine. ”i had a lovely time. with the others, with you.”

an underlying demand —

you know what he wants.

so you give in. whatever he wants, you remind yourself. whatever he wants.

”… you’re welcome,” you mumble, finally. defeated, just breathing in his scent, smooth hints of bergamot and coconut oil. ”happy birthday, suguru.”

(and he smiles.)

one more kiss, and then he’s pulling back. watching you, softly, laid out across his sheets like sunshine spilling through window blinds in spring.

”… thank you, honey.”

(tomorrow, you’ll air out your restless ribcage. uncap the lid, dust off the longing.)

today, however — you will lie with clammy hands, a beating heart, and shaky fingers. let him hold you close, as tightly as he wants, for as long as he wants.

whatever he wants.

the words can wait; they’re good at that.

[stealingyourbones]

Tim’s exhausted form, slumped over a well worn and torn office chair abruptly woke as the announcement of his 92nd attempt at bringing back his best friend failed in the computers robotic tone.

Tim slowly gets up, his back and joints aching from sleeping in such a uncomfortable position, trudging his way over to one of the many cloning pods, the swirling fluid within glowing a bright green hue as bubbles flit around the oxygenated tank.

His hands trace the glass, watching the bubbles rise for a few minutes, before his tired eyes glance back down and suddenly he wasn’t exhausted anymore.

Slightly floating from the bottom of the tank, laid a small glowing sphere no bigger than a marble. The tiny thing resembled glass or a very polished rock that seemed to both emit and absorb light at the same time.

Tim was up and alert, flitting between the many machines surrounding the cloning pod, calibrating the machines to start growth around the sphere. The computer reading off changes in the pod, saying errors on the origin of the sphere or what it may be.

Tim doesn’t care. It may be his friend, it might be nothing, it may be something else entirely. But for the first time since the first dozen experiments there’s progress. For the first time in so many months, Tim finally lets himself have hope.

[battleczar]

The day that straight women stop subjecting female children, female friends, and female relatives to the presence of their male partners in the home is the day they will be able to claim that lesbians have no right to comment on feminist celibacy.

The experience of male violence begins in the crib for most women, including lesbians, and we are deeply harmed by the presence of men in the domestic sphere. I could name a dozen women on radblr who have spoken about being abused or assaulted by the male partner of a woman they lived with.

I feel like there's a massive amount of denial happening with feminist OSA women. Don't we all discuss the way men will wait until after the marriage, the mortgage, the pregnancy, to become controlling? He'll wait until you open a joint checking account, he'll wait until your three-year anniversary, he'll wait until you gain twenty pounds, he'll wait until he gets fired from his job, and there is not a single feminist on this planet who can accurately predict whether or when a man's behavior will turn abusive. There is no level of red flag awareness that can save you when men deliberately hide their true nature and tell you all the things you wanna hear. (And all of these points are discussed and acknowledged by straight/OSA women on radblr regularly.)

So when I, as a lesbian, hear feminist straight/OSA women discussing all of these points about how unpredictable men are and then immediately defending their choice to partner with and live with men, including insistence that lesbians don't have a right to take a stance here, mostly what I hear you saying is "I acknowledge the danger that men pose, I acknowledge that men deliberately hide their intentions, and I am still willing to put myself and every other woman and girl in my life in that danger in order to achieve personal gratification."



[kleopatra45]

Pluto in the Houses

Pluto in astrology represents transformation, power, and the subconscious. It signifies rebirth, intensity, and the potential for profound change. Pluto's influence brings hidden truths to light and drives deep, often challenging, personal growth. Its energy is about shedding old layers to emerge stronger and more authentic.

Pluto in the 1st House

Pluto in the 1st House imbues a powerful, magnetic presence and a strong drive for self-transformation. These individuals often undergo significant personal rebirths and can influence others profoundly. However, they may struggle with control issues and need to balance their intensity with self-awareness and humility.

Pluto in the 2nd House

With Pluto in the 2nd House, transformation revolves around values, finances, and self-worth. These individuals may experience dramatic shifts in their material circumstances or attitudes toward wealth. They are driven to uncover deeper meanings in their possessions and security, often needing to confront and release material attachments.

Pluto in the 3rd House

Pluto in the 3rd House signifies a powerful and probing mind. These individuals are drawn to deep, investigative communication and may transform through their intellectual pursuits. However, they can also be intense in their interactions and need to learn to communicate with both depth and sensitivity.

Pluto in the 4th House

In the 4th House, Pluto's energy transforms the home and family dynamics. There may be deep-rooted issues or power struggles in the domestic sphere that need resolution. These individuals are compelled to explore their ancestral roots and emotional foundations, seeking to heal and empower their personal lives.

Pluto in the 5th House

Pluto in the 5th House brings transformative experiences through creativity, romance, and self-expression. These individuals might undergo intense and passionate love affairs or artistic endeavors that profoundly change them. They must navigate the balance between creative power and control, learning to express themselves authentically and without domination.

Pluto in the 6th House

With Pluto in the 6th House, work, health, and daily routines are areas of transformation. These individuals often seek to revolutionize their work environment or health practices, driven by a need for deep, meaningful change. They must avoid becoming obsessive about perfection and learn to manage their intense drive constructively.

Pluto in the 7th House

Pluto in the 7th House focuses on transformation through partnerships and relationships. These individuals may encounter powerful, intense connections that challenge them to grow. Power struggles can be a theme, requiring them to find balance and equality in their relationships while learning the lessons of compromise and mutual respect.

Pluto in the 8th House

In the 8th House, Pluto feels at home, emphasizing themes of transformation, death, and rebirth. These individuals are drawn to explore deep psychological truths, intimacy, and shared resources. They may undergo significant changes related to joint finances or inheritances and are compelled to confront their deepest fears and desires.

Pluto in the 9th House

Pluto in the 9th House transforms beliefs, philosophies, and the quest for higher knowledge. These individuals seek profound truth and may experience intense shifts in their worldview through travel, education, or spiritual pursuits. They must guard against dogmatism and learn to embrace diverse perspectives and transformative learning experiences.

Pluto in the 10th House

With Pluto in the 10th House, transformation occurs in career and public life. These individuals are driven to achieve powerful positions or make significant societal impacts. They may experience dramatic changes in their professional paths and must learn to wield their authority responsibly, avoiding power struggles and embracing ethical leadership.

Pluto in the 11th House

Pluto in the 11th House brings transformative energy to friendships, groups, and societal ideals. These individuals might experience intense dynamics within their social circles or be driven to revolutionize collective causes. They must navigate power issues in group settings and work towards shared goals with integrity and mutual respect.

Pluto in the 12th House

In the 12th House, Pluto's transformation is subtle and deeply internal. These individuals are drawn to explore the subconscious, spiritual realms, and hidden aspects of life. They may confront deep-seated fears and karmic issues, seeking profound healing and enlightenment through introspection, meditation, and uncovering hidden truths.

©️kleopatra45

[alexanderwales]

There are two gods, Bouba and Kiki.

Bouba is a round and gentle deity, associated with curves and flowing forms. She governs the winding rivers, the worn hills, the swell of music, and the rising and lowering of the tides. Her temples are built with domed roofs and spiral pathways. Her priests wear flowing robes and sing in melodious voices. Those paying homage to her leave sea-worn stones, eggs, and sanded wooden spheres.

Kiki is a tall and angular deity, associated with sharp edges and jagged lines. She governs lightning, the crack of timbers, the jagged mountains, and the slapping of the sea against rocks. Her temples are built with tall steeples and intersecting lines. Her priests wear bright colors and crisp pleats, with chants punctuated by clapping. Those paying homage to her leave elaborately folded pieces of paper, foods that have been precisely cut, or caltrops.

Their relationship to each other is complicated and cyclical. They come together in spite of their differences, then those differences tear them apart, until eventually their shared history and love brings them back. And it's the phases of this cycle that define the world.

The world is now in the Phase of Growing Harmony (Enemies to Lovers). Lightning strikes illuminate the soft edges of billowing clouds rather than tearing through them. Winding paths are carved through jagged mountains. The priests join together, harmonizing with new musical forms, and in some places new temples are erected that go so far as to practice joint worship. The soft becomes hard and the hard becomes soft, offerings of a sort from one god to another, a mending of differences.

[sw5w]

I'm Not Sure This Floor is Entirely Stable

STAR WARS EPISODE I: The Phantom Menace 00:39:19

[caturnmoon]

The sun 🌞 through the houses!!(7-12)

•Part II•

•Sun in the 7th•

With your sun in the seventh your identity and ego will have a major focus on relationships of all kinds. This could also indicate a competitive personality in your relationship sphere; whether that be your work environment, sports, intimate relationships, etc..Similar to that of Mars in the 7th house in a way. Partnerships will be an important part of who you are. You are a naturally assertive person who knows what they want out of live and isn’t afraid of pursuing that! Networking will be of the utmost importance for you and how these qualities will be expressed. Teamwork means a lot for you and an equal exchange of give and take. If aspected positively, this can show that you understand the value of healthy boundaries. Your relationships with others and yourself will teach you a lot in this lifetime and you’ll learn more about yourself through them as well. Having your sun here could also show a healthy and influential relationship with your father or paternal figure unless negatively aspected. You could also be known for your relationship(s) with your spouse too. You could also love art and beautiful things and carry yourself with Venusian grace since the 7th house is ruled by Venus!

•Sun in the 8th•

With the sun in the house of intimacy, debts, inheritance, joint finances, transformation and death, you’ll most likely have a lot of experience with any of these themes. With your solar luminary in this house, you’ll be seen as someone who undergoes many transformations in your life. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, so will you. Time and time again. You have a natural knowledge and respect-if positively aspected to reinforce this- of life and death. This cycle applies to the many ego deaths you’ll experience as well. Perhaps your father or someone you looked up to as a father figure passed early on and left a huge impact on you as well. Inheritance from the paternal side of your family could be possible too, whether material or spiritual gifts or karma. This also stands out to me as someone who’s meant to end some generational curses and karma in their family and break those cycles. You could also exude a very powerful aura to others and come off as very scorpionic as well. You have a natural sensitivity to all the hidden nuances in life and the unseen; your bullshit radar is unlike any other. This placement heeds you to listen to your gut, because it’ll never lead you stray!

•Sun in the 9th•

Your ego and identity are tied to the themes of the 9th house of Sagittarius; expansion, higher learning, philosophical pursuits, and foreign travel. These are themes that will have an over arching role in your lifetime and the sun will shine a spotlight on this. If there are many aspects to Mercury, this could further highlight an importance on education and a knack for teaching as well. Seeking a deeper understanding of life around you- and abroad- are mostly likely going to be of great significance to you and your identity. If positively aspected by Jupiter, this only gets magnified for you as Jupiter is the ruler of Sagittarius and the 9th house. With your sun being in the 9th house, this can also indicate that your father settled abroad in a foreign land from his home of origin. Settling abroad and moving often could be a potential for you as well, as 9th house placements and heavy sag in the chart can show this as well. You will be constantly searching for the next biggest thing to learn and experience, being known as a student of life itself. You could also grow into being known as a really seasoned and wise person that people can count on for rich anecdotal advice and guidance. This is another “gets better with time” placement similar to the 2nd house sun but rather than solely material wealth, this wealth translates to wisdom and experience/knowledge.

•Sun in the 10•

Ahhhh yes, the ever so overemphasized “fame” placement. (Sorry, I just had to, cause having this doesn’t automatically grant massive fame. 🫶🏼) Having your sun in the 10th shows an emphasis on being known for taking on responsibilities and an enterprising spirit at some point in your life since this house is ruled by Capricorn and Saturn. The solar luminary in this house will shine a spotlight on your hard work and accomplishments in your career! You will be known for what you do for a living most likely and known as a hardworking and accomplished person. This also rules legacies and since the 10th house is ruled by Saturn and both Saturn and the sun can represent the father, he could leave his legacy for you or you could be inspired by him or his work as well. A great example is my little brother; he has his sun in the 10th and he decided to follow in my dad’s footsteps and become a nurse as well. “Taking on the family business” can be another possibility with this placement and you could be highly favored by your father or he could have a huge impact on you. How you’re seen and perceived in public could also be very important to you and you more than likely will be very popular especially in your field of work. You will have natural talent and ability to accomplish anything you set your mind to, as the Sun illuminates the more positive attribute of Saturn in this house. This can indicate fame if the rest of the chart supports this, but at the very minimum, this means you have the drive to better yourself and lead whatever venture you go on with diligence and success!

•Sun in the 11th•

The 11th house is another underrated wealth and fame placement if positively aspected and supported by the rest of the chart. With the sun shining its light on the house of larger communities, wish fulfillment, philanthropy, and technology, this can indicate a person with a wide network of friends that help support them in life. They can be the leader of a community or cause and volunteer work and charity work could be of great importance to them at some point in life. If supported by other benefics in the chart great wealth could be a real possibility and popularity on a massive scale. Since the 11th rules the realm of technological advancements as well, you could be very popular on social media or online in general. Blogging, astrology, or even work in the government could also appeal to you since these are associated with “larger” groups of people. Your friends can also be family to you and they will have a huge influence in your life. If you also have Pluto in this house then there’s a possibility of being supported by powerful friends and people. Politicians are know to have heavy 11th house activity. You are seen as one of a kind and original, never replicated! The more you step into your authenticity and embrace your quirks, the more you will shine in life. Those with this placement could have felt ostracized and isolated at a young age whether from their families or peers for being different and are very sensitive to others and making sure everyone feels seen and included. You have a strong desire to be socially recognized and you most likely will be known for this.

•Sun in the 12•

Last but never least and a very misunderstood placement like a lot of other 12th house placements. The sun in the 12th house of endings, losses, spirituality, isolation and dreams is such a profound placement to be treated with respect. It is thought that those with their sun in the 12th were royalty in a past life (also a common placement in a lot of royal’s charts in general.) and since the 12th rules the hidden, this could be in their subconscious in this lifetime. The 12th rules hidden talents and the subconscious mind so with these placements there’s usually a lot to be gained from the planet it’s in which can hint towards these talents. Since the 12th is ruled by Neptune and Pisces you may come off very soft spoken and introverted to others and only show parts of yourself that you’re comfortable revealing (the sun). The suns attributes can be quieted here at first; perhaps you felt you couldn’t take up space as a child and had other family members that took priority over you. This can also indicate foreign settlement and estrangement from your father. You are an absolute light and joy to everyone around you and you most likely won’t see this quality in yourself but others most definitely will! With the 12th also being known as the connector from this world and the spirit world you could also have a natural sensitivity to this as well. Vivid dreams and astral travel can be pretty common. Spirituality will be an area of focus you will be leaning into most likely and have aptitude here. You will need a lot of alone time to decompress from harsher energies because you’re like a psychic sponge. You could have the ability to read auras too, since the sun shines a “light” in these matters as well. I have this placement in whole sign and can see auras! Always remember that with this placement, how you view yourself is almost never how others perceive you. Thoughtful, kind and artistic; this world needs more souls like you!

Until next time! 👽🖖🏼

[cameronspecial]

request for a rafe cameron imagine where the reader is someone close to the kooks but has no beef with the pogues. one night at an event, the reader is suddenly experiencing a nose bleed and rafe is quick to assist her. pogues are suprised that rafe has a soft side to him that only the reader can bring out.

Rafe To The Rescue

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x Reader

Warnings: Nose Bleed

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 0.4K

Most people in the Outer Banks are on one end of the economic scale. They either think of themselves as a Pogue or a Kook and there is no in-between. However, Y/N Y/L/N does not have that belief. She comes from a middle-class family and she finds herself a part of both social spheres. Tonight, at a bonfire, she finds herself drawn to her Pogure friends. “I’m going to get another drink,” she shouts to Kiara, who nods her head. Y/N’s sweater and sweatpants keep her warm on the cool Autumn night. She is waiting in line for a drink near the fire when her nose starts to bleed. Her hands pat her pockets for a tissue but comes out empty-handed. Rafe spots her bleeding nose and jumps into action. 

See, normally, he doesn’t care about other people. He does what he wants, when he wants and doesn’t care for other people’s opinions, yet, when it comes to her, he finds himself caring. He brings out a clean napkin he has in his pocket from dinner and brings it to her nose. “Thank you, Rafe,” she says, pinching the bridge of her nose. He gives her a gentle tap on the back, “No problem. You must be hot. Let me help you take off your sweater.” Her heart beats a little faster when she realizes he remembers that her nose will bleed whenever she is too hot. She lets him tug the sweater off of her and he ties it around his waist for safekeeping. Next, he uses the hair tie he keeps around his wrist for her and puts her hair into a bun to keep it off the nape of her neck. 

Her nose stops bleeding and he removes the napkin from her nose. She gives him a smile when he places a kiss on her forehead. He wraps his arm around her and they wait for her drink together. “We all just saw that right?” JJ questions with his joint hanging from his open mouth. The other Pogues slowly nod in acknowledgement. Sarah turns to the others, “I have never seen my bother so caring before.” “This is definitely strange, who knew he had such a soft spot for Y/N,” Pope states, continuing to watch as Rafe makes sure she is okay. Rafe Cameron may be a hard lock to unlock, but Y/N Y/L/N is the only one with the key. 

[astrodescent]

URANUS AND HOW YOU EVOKE CHANGE

uranus, the planet of innovation and disruption, invokes change through sudden breakthroughs, unconventional thinking, and radical shifts that challenge existing norms, inspiring progress and revolution in various spheres of life. its influence prompts unexpected awakenings, urging societies and individuals alike to embrace originality, break free from conventions, and embrace forward-thinking approaches to create groundbreaking transformations.

aries / 1H: sparks ideas of self image and identity, promotes individuality and independence in personal matters, sudden and bold changes on how one presents themselves to the world

taurus / 2H: disrupts traditional values and financial systems, innovation in material and personal resources, challenges stability and security regarding one’s own worth and values

gemini / 3H: intellectual breakthroughs and communication within immediate surroundings, need for adaptable thinking in everyday interactions, changes in local community dynamics, education, and siblings

cancer / 4H: disrupts traditional family structures and the concept of home and roots, seeks progressive approaches to domestic life and emotional security, changes in the family environment and inner emotional foundations

leo / 5H: innovations in creativity, entertainment, and self-expression on a personal level, encourages unconventional approaches to hobbies, romance, and children, challenges traditional notions of ego and individuality in personal pursuits

virgo / 6H: stimulates advancements in health, work routines, and service to others, encourages unconventional methods in daily habits and workplace dynamics, provokes changes in technology related to personal wellness and efficiency

libra / 7H: disrupts traditional relationships and partnerships in a one-on-one context, emphasizes the need for fairness and justice in personal interactions, changes in personal unions, contracts, and open enemies

scorpio / 8H: transformative changes in shared resources, intimacy, and psychological depths, innovations in joint finances, sexuality, and occult matters, challenges traditional views on the use of power in personal transformation

sagittarius / 9H: stimulates unconventional ideas in higher education, travel, and personal beliefs, emphasizes the need for freedom and exploration of personal philosophies, changes in personal journeys, spirituality, and worldviews

capricorn / 10H: disrupts traditional structures in career, public reputation, and authority figures, encourages innovations in long-term goals and aspirations, challenges traditional values regarding personal ambitions and societal roles

aquarius / 11H: reinforces its own energy as uranus rules aquarius, encourages radical social changes and humanitarian efforts within personal networks, sparks innovations in personal connections, technology, and communal involvement

pisces / 12H: stimulates imaginative and spiritual breakthroughs in personal realms, encourages unconventional ways of compassion and empathy on an individual level, changes in personal introspection, artistic expressions, and dreams

© spirit-of-phantom 2023

[a-leg-without-fear]

Flooded Red (pt.2) 🩸🌧️

get ready for some ANGST babes

Ship: Logan Howlett x Mutant!Fem!Reader 🩸

Rating: 16+

Wordcount: 2.3k

Warnings: torture, experimentation, gore, violence, cursing, electrocuting, drugging, mind control, medical equipment, implied child endangerment, ANGST

Series: Flooded Red

Groggy. You felt groggy. Tendrils of fog clouded around the edges of your mind. Swirling amongst the slow thoughts that had gathered, blurring words and images. Flashes of red, hot blood and bright lights shot through your dazed mind. A dull ache gathered at the base of your skull.

The next thing that registered was the biting cold of the metal table beneath you. Chills shook along your sore spine. You tried to adjust your cramped muscles, tried to stretch out your stiff joints.

But you couldn’t.

Your hands were fully encompassed in metal spheres. Thick iron wrapped around your wrists and encasing your fingers. You pulled at the restraints, desperation leaking into your veins. Rough metal chafed along the skin at your wrists. Rubbing and scratching and leaving the flesh raw.

Panic gripped at your racing heart. Your eyes flew open to gauge your situation. All you could see was black. Like someone had left the lights off in the middle of the night. Your gaze darted around in the darkness. Searching for something, anything. 

You couldn’t breathe. Terror spilled into the edges of your mind like ink in water. Sharp talons raked through any coherent thoughts still bouncing around in your head. Primal fear choked you. You pulled and squirmed, a wild animal struggling to be free.

Latex gloves smoothed down your bare arm. The powdered rubber pulled at your skin as thin fingers prodded at the inside of your elbow. Like five daggers stabbing into you and spurring on the feral beast clawing at your throat.

Your consciousness slipped beneath the appalling gloves, mind tracing along the miniscule veins running under twitching skin. You followed the veins through this attacker’s arm. The pointed taste of norepinephrine and acetylcholine coated your tongue. This person was focused, relaxed.

You zeroed-in on the flow of acetylcholine through this person’s veins. Tracing the chemical back to its source. The hypothalamus. That small, ever important part in the center of one’s brain. The main coordinator of the nervous system and bodily cravings.

Like squishing a grape between your fingers, you crushed this person’s hypothalamus with a single thought. You could taste fresh blood leaking into the air, the coppery scent filling your sinuses and satiating the gnawing dread in your gut. The gloves running along your skin disappeared.

Pride licked up your throat, satisfaction seeping into your pores at the absence of latex on your skin.

Torturous electric pulses zipped along your skin. Shocks emanating from the metal table below you and the iron clasped on your hands. Excruciating lightning coursed through your body and made your back arch. Your arms tugged at their restraints, legs scrambling for leverage, head shaking back and forth.

As instantaneous as the shocks had started, the pain ceased. Gulping breaths filled your strained lungs. Sparks of the remaining electricity under your skin made you wince.

“Let’s not kill the techs, shall we? Each corpse garners a mountain of paperwork and a devastated family.”

Your unseeing eyes searched in the void for the source of the voice. It sounded familiar, masculine. A slight southern drawl laced in each word.

“There we are. Calmed down?” 

Recognition hit you in the chest like a freight train. Your lips curled, a feral snarl seeping through your bared teeth.

“You,” you growled, malice and pure hatred filled your mind like sand in an hourglass. This man attacked your home. Hurt your kids. Threatened your Logan. Anger like you had never known washed over you like a raging inferno.

“Yes, me. Now that we are familiar, are we in agreement?” he asked. His voice was loud, projected, crackling. Like it came from a large speaker somewhere to your right. 

“Fuck you,” you hissed. You tugged furiously at your restraints. Bestial rage burned away at all cognition. Flames scorched your mind and sent you into a fucking frenzy. Your teeth gnashed, chest heaved, muscles tightened.

“And here I was, thinking you’d be more cordial than the Wolverine. No matter. Nothing a little behavioral management won’t solve.”

Your body jolted as electricity streaked through your bones. You cried out, jaw clenching and fists tightening in their iron coffins.

This round of electrocution was blessedly short. You heaved, stomach lurching and heart thumping rapidly behind your ribcage, when the shocks had stopped.

“Are. We. In. Agreement?” the man asked again, annunciating every word. You panted, skin glistening in sweat, throat constricting and nearly choking you. The man sighed, “Bleeder, I’ll need an answer. Will you kill any more of my employees?”

You snarled at your old moniker, then thunked your head down on the table in defeat, “No.”

“Good. Now, since that’s settled, I’m going to have Maria draw your blood. Do your best to refrain from killing her. She has two sons at home.”

Powdered latex rubbed at your elbow again. You gritted your teeth, molars grinding against one another, as you tried to restrain the whirling rage inside you. Shaking fingers felt along your skin. Pressing deep into the flesh now and then, looking for that prominent vein that ran through the crook of your arm.

Cool liquid brushed across your skin. A smooth cloth doused in alcohol rubbing and sanitizing your arm. The acrid scent filled your sinuses, making you flinch. Every nerve ending in your body was ringing alarms. Constant fear flooded your mind as the seconds ticked by.

A tight pinch pierced your skin and you nearly went back on your word. Almost lashing out like a cornered, rabid animal. The needle pushed under your skin and settled in your vein. Foreign, metal, cold, bad. It shouldn’t be in your arm. You should remove it, kill whoever stuck it in you.

No. This wasn’t you. You didn’t mindlessly kill people. No matter how angry you were, you would always try to find a solution. Pushing down your own feelings for the sake of peace. The fiery hatred burning inside was a feeling you often tried to ignore, tried to suppress, if not for you then for those you cared about.

Memories floated through your mind like leaves on the surface of a pond. Logan laughing at something stupid you said, his eyes crinkling at the edges. Charles giving you a scathing review of a book he’d recently read. Jean and Scott cuddled together, tucked away behind a corner in the foyer.

Your friends. Your colleagues. Your family.

A trembling breath passed between your lips. The feral rage churning inside you had simmered down to a low heat. Just barely warming the edges of your mind in anger. You swallowed a grief-covered lump that had gathered in your throat.

~~~~

Colonel William Stryker watched your blood being drawn with mild curiosity. Like watching an animal in a vet’s office have their blood work done. You were restrained, arms bound and eyes covered, with a terrified Maria standing over you. Her trembling hands clutched at your arm as the red liquid flowed through the rubber tube.

A thick pane of glass separated William from you. Elevated by at least a story, Stryker stood in the observation deck. He adjusted how his dark jacket fell across his midriff. Bright lights hanging from the ceiling reflected white circles on his glasses. 

The control panel sitting before him glowed and quietly hummed. Switches connected to the electric interface of your restraints. Red button to shock you, blue button to sedate you, green button to release you. Ingenious design, if you asked him.

Sharp heels clicked on the concrete floor next to him. Yuriko, black suited and hair slicked back, moved to stand next to William. Her hands were clutched behind her back, chrome nails just barely shimmering in the light. Silver eyes looked between William and your writhing body below.

“Is Xavier ready?” he asked, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. Yuriko, ever the silent one, gave him a quick nod. William took one last glance down at you, a spot of pity bubbling in his stomach, then turned away from the glass.

Soldiers with varying degrees of combat armor and armaments lined the halls of the dam. Each giving William a polite nod as the colonel breezed past. Stryker barely acknowledged the formal greetings, periphery only just catching glimpses of their faces. They were unimportant.

A hiss sprouted from the metal door as it slid open. Chrome, unpolished, with a clouded window near the top. He grimaced in disgust. Everything in this accursed dam was filthy. Not a place for a man of his repute to continue his work, and certainly not structurally sound enough to house the several mutants he now possessed.

The room he stepped into was much like every other room in the Alkali Lake Dam. Concrete entombing him on all sides, bright lights hanging from the ceiling, spots of equipment and machinery placed near the doors for easy access.

Green light glowed from sconces set low on the curved walls. Wires and tools suspended from the ceiling hung in alcoves like swinging corpses. A steel table and chair sat in front of one of those alcoves. Stryker moved to the table, double checking his pen was still in his breast pocket, then turned to face the current object of his desire.

Charles Francis Xavier. In all of his bald, old, crippled glory. His posh blue suit and silk gold tie reflected the white spotlight directed at him. A chrome device sat on the mutant’s wrinkled brow. Steel, magnetization, and electricity working together to cage his mind inside that thick skull of his.

Stryker chuckled under his breath at the sight. The great Professor X. All powerful telepath who could control the entire world with a single thought. Reduced to a hunched man in a wheelchair.

Xavier stirred, head beginning to raise from its lowered position. Stryker kept an air of indifference on his face while clutching at the pen in his jacket. When the mutant’s eyes met the colonel’s, William threw the professor a proud smile. Understanding passed through Xavier’s perplexed expression.

“William…”

“Please, Xavier, don’t get up,” Stryker said, cutting the mutant off. A chuckle threatened to leave his chest at his own quip.

Quiet whirring surrounded Xavier as the man folded in on himself. Eyes squeezing shut, shoulders twitching. 

“I call it the neural inhibitor,” William explained. He watched the mutant struggle under the steel cap, then continued while tapping his forehead, “It keeps you out of here.”

The whirring stopped as Xavier’s eyes opened. Beady blues took in the space around the cripple. Wrists bound in leather straps, suit roughed up at the edges, Stryker and Yuriko standing before him.

“What have you done with Scott?” Xavier asked, voice thin and edged in pain.

“Don’t worry. I’m just giving him a little re-education. Him and that little pet project of yours,” Stryker replied. Xavier tensed in the seat of his wheelchair.

“You don’t mean-”

“Why yes, I do. The little weapon of mass destruction y’all have taken to calling ‘Vampire,’” William said with undeniable confidence. He leaned back on the concrete wall next to him as he said, “Of course, we both know she’ll never truly leave behind her old name. What was it?”

“William-”

“No, that’s not it. ‘Bleeder.’ Yeah, that’s the one,” Stryker mused. Xavier’s jaw clenched, withered hands curling into fists. The mutant eyed the colonel with sparking anger burning in his blue eyes.

“She hasn’t used that calling card in quite some time,” Xavier said slowly, voice coming out measured and restrained. Stryker huffed an incredulous laugh.

“Just because the lion is trapped in a zoo doesn’t change its nature. Savagery can’t be swayed by giving the lion a cushy home and ample playmates. Sooner or later, professor, she will snap again. And from the way she mosied up to me in that mansion of yours, I’d say she’s one breath away from tearing the whole country to pieces.”

~~~~

Logan silently followed the group of teenagers in front of him up the driveway. Early morning sun rippled through the trees and onto Bobby’s family home. Gentle breezes made the grass sway, the sounds of cars starting down the road echoed across damp asphalt, freshly-mowed grass a few doors down floated through the air.

His mind was a fucking hurricane. Spinning and twisting and raging to where it was hard to tell which way was up. Glimpses of the events from the night before rolled through his head like peals of thunder.

You were gone. You were right fucking in front of him, scared eyes meeting his, and then you were gone. Obscured by the frosted blue ice Bobby had conjured. Logan had pounded on that ice until his hands bled, desperate to reach you, desperate to see your eyes again, desperate to get you away from that man.

Stryker.

Wrath boiled in his chest when the name crossed his mind. Logan had no memory to connect to the name, no instance of ill-intent, nothing that would link this deep-seated hatred.

Well, other than the fact that the guy had raided the fucking mansion and took you from Logan. Severed from his life like a missing limb.

He barely registered the climb up the front porch steps. Nor the conversation passing between Rogue, John, and Bobby. Logan’s mind swirled with the agony of losing you, the confusion surrounding this whole scenario, the unbridled fury licking at that primal part of his mind.

His hand subconsciously slipped the front door shut behind his group. White-suburban walls and decorations hit Logan’s downturned vision like he’d wandered into a Target. He brushed away his racing thoughts to verify that the door was locked.

Logan would get you back. He’d stop Stryker, free the kidnapped mutants, and get you back. Even if he had to climb fucking Mount Everest. He wouldn’t rest until you were safe, held against his chest and tucked under the covers in your bed.

thoughts? comments? concerns? theories? let me know!!!

leg's taglist: @hazydespair @spideybv28 @fantasticalartist @autisticnutcase @captainwans @ayamenimthiriel @tsukiko26 @up-l4te-4t-n1ght

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[oxygen537art]

How did you study human anatomy? Sorry for repetative question

Stage 1. I studied proportions and drew a lot of gesture drawings to get them right.

Stage 2. Construction drawing. The figure is drawn using geometric volumes (e.g. joints are spheres, arms and legs are cylinders, rib cage and pelvis are boxes). As I recall, it helps to understand how to draw the figure in perspective. I don't use this method myself anymore.

Stage 3. Anatomy. I studied bones and muscles, what they are called, what is attached to what, how it all works and looks from different angles and in different positions, and simplified them. And I studied and drew each body part individually.

And of course I've been practising a lot. That's it.

Examples: drawings by M. Hampton

[the-fandom-is-now-my-life]

Could umm… you happen to do another if creator had a child and its wanderer. The only odd/strange thing about the baby is that they have ball joints like a puppet?just wondering

The creator had a 

Doll like child

Wc: ~700

“Wanderer?” You ask without fully expecting an answer, whenever you spend the night stargazing both of you get lost in your thoughts.

“What?” 

“What we did a few weeks ago was to spite Raiden?” your eyes look at him,m while he still lays down, the dark fibers of his hair brushing against the milky white of his skin “Hey, answer”

“You are incredible, you know” his brow furrows and softly sighs “asking such dumb questions”

“Just answer it”

“Do you truly need me to say it to your face?” he looks tired, as if the question seemed so unbelievably obvious to him. When your eyes meet he sighs again like an angsty teen “no, I didn't start intimacy with you just to bother the hag. I would never fall that low”

A soft hum leaves your lips, nodding to the comforting words you had to wrangle out of him.

“Why even the question? That was like four months ago” 

“I think I might be pregnant” his surprised jolt almost made him slide off the roof.

“How is that possible even?” He presses his elbow, feeling the ball and socket joint underneath the false skin. Two pieces of wood rotating around a small sphere rather than your own arm, where the bones were secured by ligaments and muscles had to contract for every movement.

“Honestly, I wonder the same”

“Aren't you supposed to know everything?”

“Last time I checked dolls weren't able to reproduce”

“Do you think it will be human or more like… me?” the last part of his question sounded almost heartbroken. Softly you grasp his fingers in your hand, encouraging him.

“I will love them regardless”

“How weird, at birth Ara seemed pretty hypotonic, but now she seems alright” one of the bimarstan nurses checks the baby, pulling her off the ground from her arms and laying her flat on her palm. But she felt like a ragdoll if it wasn't by her breathing and her annoyed expression by the handling

“At least there doesn't seem to be anything else”

“let's just keep an eye on it” she promptly returns her to you.

‘could that be because of wanderer? He said that part of what kept him together was elemental energy, it could be that as she grows she absorbs it’ 

“Ara, what are you doing?” You ask playfully to the toddler who sneaked in the kitchen and made a mess with the pots and lids.

“I see someone is quite active this morning, huh?” The father of said child pops from behind you, passes by your side and plops the year old on his hip. Her gummy smile is an adorable sight, her chubby hand pointing to his hat and the other grabbing the lid she put on her head.

“Are you trying to imitate someone?”

“What is that supposed to mean?” He looks at his child and back at you “we aren't even that similar” he says while holding his mini clone. At the same time they both lean their head sideways, the hats leaning towards that side.

“Isn't she so cute?” Nahida looks at your toddler daughter brushing her doll's hair, her dark hair framing her face and her big blue eyes reflecting the sunlight off them.

“She does remind me of a Hina doll” Raiden approaches a hand to pat her head but Ara slaps it away before poking out her tongue and rushes outside “did she just…”

Your hand cups your cheek, curious at what happened to your usual quiet baby “That is quite unexpected, she does tend to enjoy getting her hair played with” could hatred be inherited by genes? That was the only reason you could think of for a 3 year old to hate Raiden on sight.

“And if you see a woman wearing a kimono and a braid she is a witch that came to curse you, so make sure to kick her in the shin, understood?”

“Kitty!” the girl yells as she opens her presents

“Yes, that is a cat, Bu’er brought it to you for you birthday” as you look deeper into the black cat you can't help but feel its dark fur and purple eyes remind you of someone. Even more so when a small black kitten and a coloured cat are also in the box.

[marlynnofmany]

Honking Trouble

This job was a pain from the start. The customer was pushy, giving Captain Sunlight a run for her money on the diplomacy front — not bad enough for us to refuse to make the delivery, but pushing the boundaries — and the cargo was awkward. 

And since it was animals, that was my problem. 

“Keep your distance,” I told Zhee. “I think it can get its beak between the bars.” The cage was large and rickety, with bars a few inches apart. As if to prove me right, a long furry neck with a beak at the end stabbed outward and hissed at us. 

Zhee flared his pincher arms and hissed back, but the creature wasn't impressed. It just spread its batlike wings as far as the cage would allow and made a surprisingly deep honk that echoed through the cargo bay. 

I hadn’t read the documents yet about what kind of animal this was, from which planet, but if those documents turned out to say this was a genetic experiment in unwise combinations, I wouldn’t have been a bit surprised. It was vaguely goose-shaped, just with four feet instead of two, equipped with talons instead of webs, white fur instead of feathers, and a beak that ended in a wickedly sharp hook. After all the hawks and parrots I’d encountered back on Earth, that beak looked ready for either mischief or violence. Probably both.

At any rate, the goose-thing’s honk set off the tiny creatures in the other cage, which thankfully were better contained. That cage was a mesh sphere not about to let any of the little drifting dust motes out. As enchanting as it might be to have the spaceship filled with colorful bits of fluff that moved gracefully and made a chorus of tiny peeps, they just looked like allergies waiting to happen. And I didn't want to think about finding them behind the wall panels later. 

Zhee hissed at the furry demon goose again, clearly hoping to frighten it into submission. No luck. 

“Knock it off,” I told him. “That'll just make it louder. Here, help me get the lifter under the cage.” The customer had brought the cage onboard for us, but this wasn't a good spot for it. So it was up to me, the resident animal expert, to get it moved safely to a room more suited to animal cargo. Nobody wanted to sneak past this biter to get to the rest of the crates. 

Luckily we had a freshly refurbished hoversled with a lifting scoop that could slide under anything as long as the thing in question held still. I convinced Zhee to hold the cage stationary, since his exoskeleton was tougher than my fingers. The goose-thing pecked at him from an awkward angle. I worked the controls, and soon our misbehaving cargo was lifted up onto the sled. 

I looked over at the round cage full of chirping alien pixies. “Let's come back for that one.”  

“Agreed.”

The goose was quiet while we moved it down the hall, taking in the sights with all the attention of someone casing the joint. I told myself not to be too judgmental. Maybe it had never been on a spaceship before, and was curious.

Then Blip walked out of a side corridor, wearing her favorite flowy silk outfit that made her look like a muscley flower, and no: the goose was just looking for opportunities. It snapped at the nearest hem and almost got a beakful, but Blip moved just in time. Then she scolded it for almost ripping quality Frillian clothes.

“Do you know how hard this is to replace? Of course you don’t; you’re a rude animal.” She shook a blue finger at the unrepentant goose. Behind her, Blop appeared and aimed his own frown into the cage.

“Sorry,” I said. “Don’t get too close to this one. At least it was only aiming for your clothes, not something that would bleed.”

Blip folded muscular arms, flared her frills, and scowled. “It would have regretted that.”

I sighed, pushing the hoversled forward. “Don’t punch the cargo.”

Blip muttered as we left. There were no further incidents on the way into Storage Hold B, and the goose didn’t even try to bite us as we got the cage off the sled. It was busy inspecting the view: boxes, cabinets, and the large clear containment pen that had held troublemaking cargo before. It would have been nice to shove this guy in there, but the cage wouldn’t fit through the door, and there was no way I was going to voluntarily let it out.

“I’m watching you,” I told it as I followed Zhee back into the hall. Technically Kavlae was watching, or maybe Wio — whoever was in the cockpit behind the security cameras. They’d be making sure the onboarding process went smoothly before the ship took off.

I knew that, but I was still surprised to hear Kavlae’s voice on the hallway intercom a few minutes later.

“Walk faster,” she said from a single speaker. “It’s trying to open a box.”

“It can reach that??” I asked, pushing the hoversled more quickly. The aura puffs squeaked and twirled. (Their cage had a label, with a species description and the number of creatures inside. They were behaving.)

Zhee scurried ahead on his many bug legs to open the door. Before I could get there, he charged inside, hissing again. I heard answering hisses and the sound of a crate being scraped across the floor.

Once I got the aura puffs into the room, I found Zhee inspecting a gnawed-on box corner with splinters on the floor. The goose looked pleased with itself.

I asked, “What’s the damage?”

“Nothing significant,” Zhee said. “Luckily this is our own ship’s supplies, not something for a client.”

“Yeah, that wouldn’t look good.” I parked the sled. “‘Here’s your delivery! You don’t mind a little artistic nibbling about the edges, do you?’ I’m sure that would go over well.”

Zhee shoved a couple other boxes further back and helped me set the aura puffs a safe distance away. Then, under Kavlae’s watchful eye, we went back to the cargo bay for some non-animal cargo.

The intercom chimed before we got there. “It’s trying to pick the lock on its cage,” Kavlae said, still on single-speaker mode. “I don’t know if it c— Oh no, it’s out.”

I left the sled in the middle of the hallway and ran, with Zhee right behind me.

Speakers all along the hall chorused, “It opened the other cage.”

I said a very unprofessional word and charged forward to slam my hand on the door-opening panel. Expecting the one cargo to be actively eating the other, I dashed inside, only to be knocked off my feet by the goose making a break for it. I fell amid clouds of happily chirping aura puffs.

Zhee lunged for the goose, but it dodged what would have been a very painful hug from his pincher arms, and I heard it honking triumphantly down the hall. Zhee ran after it while the whole-ship intercom chimed.

“Escaped cargo. It is large and likes to bite. Currently heading towards the crew lounge. Captain, permission to use stun guns on the cargo?”

After a moment, Captain Sunlight answered from somewhere else on the ship. “Permission granted. All available crew, arm yourselves and proceed with caution. Kavlae, keep us posted on its whereabouts.”

Trying not to feel like a failure, I scrambled to my feet and checked a cabinet for stun guns. Found one. Waving the aura puffs away from the door, I regretfully left them floating about the storage hold while I chased after the bigger problem. Zhee had already disappeared.

I met Trrili in the hall.

“How dangerousss is thisss animal?” she asked, looming over me and flexing her pincher arms in delight.

“I don’t think it wants to seriously hurt anyone, but I can’t say for sure,” I said. “It might go for the eyes if it’s cornered. Try not to damage it.”

“Frrrrightening causesss no damage,” Trrili said, and flashed away down the hall.

I ran after.

Kavlae reported, “It’s in the crew lounge, searching the furniture, probably looking for food. This could be a good place to corner it.”

Trrili waited in position outside the lounge when I arrived, crouched like a spider ready to spring. Zhee was moving toward the kitchen entrance to flank it. A flash of yellow scales at the other end of the hall was Captain Sunlight hurrying forward with a stun gun aimed at the floor. The goose made a muffled honk from inside the lounge, crunching something that sounded like snack food scavenged from under the couch.

I stopped behind Trrili and waited for everyone to get into position. Two threatening predators and two stun guns ought to be a recipe for success against one alien goose.

Then the goose dashed into the kitchen before Zhee could get there, and the whole plan went out the window.

Trrili raced after it. Zhee got in the captain’s way. I reached the kitchen in time to see the creature hiss in defiance before prying open a cabinet door.

It might have thought that was an exit. In reality, it was Paint’s hiding spot, and she shrieked fit to shatter eardrums, curling into a ball of scales and panic.

That was enough of a distraction for Mimi to drop from the high shelf he’d been waiting on, and wrap the demon goose in all of his tentacles. It was surprisingly effective.

That’s not the plan, but I’ll take it.

Everyone was shouting and in the way. I followed Mimi’s example and climbed onto a counter, where I could get a clear shot with the stun gun and not hit him.

I stunned the goose in the butt, and it finally stopped flapping.

It took a while for all the yelling to subside, but the captain wriggled past Zhee and Trrili to declare no harm done. Kavlae told the rest of the ship. Mimi untangled himself from the goose, who had frozen in an inconvenient position. Paint stayed in the cabinet. Zhee clicked away to get the hoversled, then stopped when Trrili simply dragged the goose towards the hold.

Captain Sunlight looked up at me. “Good shot.”

“Thanks,” I said, getting down from the counter. I’d have to wash the footprints off that later. “Paint, it’s safe to come out.”

Mimi was already coaxing her out of the cabinet, offering some of the snacks that she’d apparently been eating when she heard the alert about the dangerous animal.

Speaking of which, I thought. With Paint in good hands (or the equivalent), I hurried after the others. I heard Captain Sunlight say a few words to Paint and Mimi before following.

So we got to put the goose in the Clear Pen For Naughty Animals after all. This pen didn’t have anywhere it could stick its beak out of once the stun wore off, only mesh-covered air vents way at the top and a door that locked (very reliably) from the outside.

Take that, you troublemaker.

We caught the aura puffs carefully by hand (or the equivalent), and put them back in their own cage. Thankfully the goose hadn’t damaged the latch, just opened it with bird-brained cleverness.

“It’s just those last two left,” Captain Sunlight said after counting. “Up there.”

The two in question were floating higher than her little lizardy arms could reach, so I moved to do the honors. As I did, Blip and Blop arrived with the bug-catching net that no one had been able to find earlier.

They also brought with them a feline blur that I caught mid-leap, just before Telly snatched an aura puff out of the air.

“Not for you,” I said, heart beating wildly. “Let’s get you some proper cat treats that don’t belong to a paying customer.”

Blip and Blop exclaimed loudly at Telly’s speed, my reaction time, and the fact that they’d had no idea she was there; they were sorry they almost got the cargo eaten.

Captain Sunlight repeated, “No harm done.” She waved me off to my quarters with the disgruntled cat, and spoke to the others about plans to notify the customer of just what kind of danger fee he’d brought upon himself by not properly securing his chaos-causing animal.

~~~

These are the ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book.

Shared early on Patreon! There’s even a free tier to get them on the same day as the rest of the world.

The sequel novel is in progress (and will include characters from these stories. I hadn’t thought all of them up when I wrote the first book, but they’re too much fun to leave out of the second).