#then spread on toast

[montereybayaquarium]

We're mauve-struck! 🤩

The mesmerizing mauve stinger is a stunner, literally! Although small in size (its bell can be a few inches in diameter), its long tentacles and the bumps on its bell pack a powerful punch to protect from predators and paralyze prey.

[echobx]

not to be that bitch. but if you, as a fellow white person, go and send hate or condescending messages to poc writers or artists bc they write poc reader or draw poc OCs or whatever, I'm gonna hunt you for sport. "I can't picture myself as a poc reader" fuck do you know how poc feel with how fucking racist a lot of fandoms are?? with how little inclusivity there is in stories written by white people? and they don't come to you bitches and shit on you, because they are decent human beings and know that you bitches actually don't care, because if you would, you would at least try to be more inclusive. also, how come you bitches are okay with the descriptions of reader that don't correlate with your own body (hair length, boob or ass shape, eye color, whatever it is) but as soon as reader is described to have features that are more distinct with poc you suddenly lose all your capabilities for imagination. yk why? because you're being racist like that. and you can say whatever you want about how you're "an ally actually" and all that crap bc at the end of the day, as long as you do this shit, you still are acting in racist ways, probably with racist mindsets deep rooted inside your brain. so go and work on that shit. no one is unfailable, but you should at least do your fucking best to not be a piece of shit every fucking day.

[icewindandboringhorror]

What would you choose? :0c

(note: original image is from HERE (link) - but I edited it to add a wider variety of options.. also added $3 extra to the total, even though I know that makes it more uneven lol, I thought if you're adding 10 whole extra items, the money to spend should at least be increased slightly, if that makes sense..)

[seospicybin]

WHY JEONGIN LOOKS LIKE A NATURAL GINGER THOUGH?? DEF ONE OF THE BEST HAIR COLORS HE EVER HAD AND THIS HAIRSTYLE IS JUST ✨ MWAH ✨

[merakiui]

Reading your tags on the courtroom post, and we have live reader reaction:

LOL there's Deuce who prepares for the debate with notes and talking points/arguments, and then there's Ace who is confident enough to think he can just succeed through improv. I like to imagine that, if it's for you, they will do anything and everything they can to save you. They were so determined to come to the player's aid during Scarabia book, so perhaps they prove to be worthy saviors. <3

[bugsjewce]

we deserved to see him in all his maroon suited glory. we were fucking robbed.

this is for @papershipghosts love u pookie <33

[columboscreens]

[messrsrarchives]

i know the condiments aisle just HATESSSSSS to see remus lupin coming

[hephaestuscrew]

A fun thing about me is that I will probably think about Antigone Funn every time I butter a slice of toast for the rest of my life.

[life-spire]

[banana-hotline]

🍓 | strawberry jam toast slime

[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

[morethansalad]

Stone Fruit Toasties with Coconut Almond Spread (Vegan)

[booksooks]

never have i ever wanted to get a man pregnant more than fushiguro toji. and i mean that.

[smiggles]

I cant just cook something simple..ever

[toazts]

MARVIN!! I LOVE MARVIN I WILL GO FERRAL FOR THIS MAN!!!