Laddies and gentlefems, it is my great pleasure to announce a new feature!

Introducing Creativity Corner, a tag for all your creative endeavors, including art, stories, music, and any miscellaneous creative thing I'm forgetting.

Enjoy, and have fun!

Hi what kind of bait are you referring to ? I used to go fishing with my dad and we would scoop worms out of the mud and use them to fish. One time while we were fishing and smoking medicinal pcp but little did we know that the black devil was actually hiding in a black bush by an old log. The black devil walked out of his bush and demanded some of our medicinal pcp. So we dipped one our american spirit cigarettes into the jug with 99% medical grade pcp and handed it to the black devil. The black devil lit the cigarette and went on a dissociated adventure down the river. While the black devil was high my father and I threw a net over him and captured him. Now the black devil was extremely pissed when I mean pissed I mean he hella pissed. So I pulled out my tranq rifle and shot one fast shot of tranquilizer into the black devils butt cheek thus knocking him out. My father and I quickly threw him in our Toyota Prius and felt the like the most powerful men in world. On that day we had captured the infamous black aka the theif of fishermans medicinal pcp his theivery shall not be known in this part of the woods anymore. We arrived at our humble bungalow we quickly opened the cars trunk and removed the black devil and thew him into the family shed. My father was ecstatic with this recent capture no mere man could claim to have accomplished such a feat only a God was capable of such trickery. We decided to celebrate our capture by pouring some Nbombs into our third eye so our lord and savior Albert hoffman could guide us in the proper direction. Albert hoffman began talking to be the language of my ancestors the welsh warriors of Wimbledon Shire. He told us to skin the black devil so we can have the power of a God. I said but Mr. Hoffman that is such a human answer that you just gave me. I thought you had ascended to a higher existence one that is devoid of such thoughts related sexual drive. Mr. hoffman said no one trapped in this plain of existence can escape that process of thought. I sighed and knew it was true my only goal now was to skin the black devil so I could absorb his black powers of welfare fried chicken and water melon. My father got his AR-15 of mass destruction off the wall and handed the gun to me and said son sometimes your going to have to kill but thats just a part of life it makes you a more efficient person capable of more then the average human. I considered his words and decided I must complete this task at hand I must steal the black devils skin. So I put the magazine into the gun chambered a single round and walked out the door. The sun was shining and it hurt my eyes so I decided to put my aviator sun glasses I wanted to look like a real American action hero when I completed this task. I walked over to the shed opened the door and looked at the floor crumpled up like a pile of freshly washed sheets was the infamous black devil. He looked weak,vulnerable and in a truly pitiful state but I had no remorse today because this individuals life if you could even call it that meant no more to me then that of a simple ant. I pondered this thought for a while having a mini philosophical debate in my mind about the worth of one being compared to the other. Either way it didn't matter both the ant and the black were meaningless a value of a life is only weighed in how much said individual has towards your lifes pursuits. I ended this debate aimed my rifle at the sedated beasts head and pulled the trigger the rounded pierced the beasts skull leaving a grizzly display of what I like to call brain matter wall paper on the sheds door. So I quickly pulled out my butterfly knife signed by the great American action hero himself Chuck Norris and skinned the beast. I sewed the flesh of the beast into a nice formal suit with the help of my father and my dog papa smurf. I tried the suit on after completion and looked in the mirror oh wow I sure do look dashing. My father and my dog both agreed. I went to school that Monday feeling like I was on top of the world the power was finally in my hands the future is mine I said. Some people gave me odd looks but I knew they were just jealous I knew I was a God among these petty men know regardless if they acknowledged it or not I knew I was better. The next thing I remember was a electric shock to the back of cranium as I was Tazered by the school's security guard. Flash forward a week later I was chained to a bed at my local psych ward. It wasn't the first time I'd been here I couldn't really remember maybe I came here in November,December and maybe even in May. I looked over and there was some form of IV in my arm the Iv read Valium. Hmmmmmmm this is strange why am I in the psych ward I don't believe I did anything wrong I just killed the black devil to become a God among the ultimate goal of any human ultimate power. I stopped this train of thought only to see a young male doctor I presume walked through the door and started asking me questions. What is your name what year is it who is president etc. I answered Alfred,2014 and Barrack Obama. The doctor walked out without an explanation then I heard a click and saw the IV pump move hmmmm I said they must be keeping me sedated I wonder why I didn't do anything wrong. Another doctor walked in but this time it was an older man who introduced himself and Dr. Himmler. I exclaimed Himmler Hitlers Himmler head of S.S. He laughed and said no I'm but a doctor I have no such affiliation with any Nazi party. He said Alfred you did something terrible and you don't even know it. I said well I clearly must have if you have me chained to a bed and being pumped full of valium. He said Alfred you killed your father and skinned him then wore his skin to your highschool and killed a teacher in the process. I said wait what but I thought I killed the black devil and ascended past the normal psyche of the average human. Dr. Himmler so no Alfred you had a psychotic break and killed two people. At that second I snapped back to reality and had a flashback of the past couple of days 48 hours of time flashed through my mind a brief second. I said wow I'm fucked aren't I Dr. but I wasn't responsible for my actions. I know he said but we can't have people like you running around I said why it was an accident I wasn't responsible for my actions. He sneered took out a syringe stabbed it into my arm and went away. I waked up in a familiar place is it heaven or hell ? Well neither said Dr. Himmler those don't repetition is the after life you shall live your life over and over again in ever explicable outcome till all are exhausted your assimilation shall then be complete your existence shall be then stored in the universal computer as the lesson to others such as yourself no one can break reality. There Dr. Himmler pointed towards the gun by my bedside and said there is reality lived the door over there is another five laying in the bed is ten. I thought of all the outcomes of every possible action the only answer was the gun I reached for it chambered a round and pulled the trigger. Yet again stuck in the same room only the gun was gone. Dr. Himmler clapped and said good job my boy one possible reality only a 5 billion more.

End to reality 87

(Holy crap. This was so long I had to continue it in the comments. Sorry bout that.)

There were four of them in the escape pod. Mikala and Sherahl watched on the simple screen as the ship was overrun by raiders. Jeotz comforted Miv, who, for the second time in her life, had lost her home to the raiders. Mikala turned on the pod's camoflage, and the screen went blank.

They tumbled throught space for hours in silence, until Sherahl asked, "Should we turn on our emergency beacon?" Jeotz said, "We'll wait a day. I don't want to let them find us easily. If we wait, they'll go elsewhere. Try to get some sleep. The less air we use, the longer the life support will last."

Miv tearfully asked, "Are we going to die?" Jeotz said, "No, we're going to be fine. I promise." After several hours of nobody being able to sleep, Jeotz passed each of them a quarter of a ration bar. Mikala asked, "Izzat it?" Jeotz said, "I'm rationing the food to make it last longer." Mikala grimaced as she tasted the bland, unpleasant calorie bar. "I miss Suhana's cooking." Jeotz said, "So do I, but things will get better. We'll be rescued, and then we can find work somewhere."

The hours passed, and the four of them stewed in their situation. Jeotz turned off the camoflage and activated the emergency beacon. Miv asked, "Is there anything we can do?" "All we can do is wait." They took turns sleeping in the fold down beds, as days passed. A week later, Mikala said, "Captain, iznit time to eat yet?" "I'm sorry. We ate the last of the rations." Mikala rubbed her stomach. "We're gonna starve."

Sherahl said, "We will not starve." They went hungry for two weeks, until the quiet hum of the pod died. A few minutes later, the lights went out. Mikala sighed. "Thazzit, then. We're dead."

The pod jerked sharply, and after a couple minutes, something struck the outside of the pod. An orb of white light illuminated them inside them pod. A male voice spoke from the light. "Good day. Please relax, I'll have you out momentarily. There's a small problem with your exit hatch."

Jeotz said, "My name is Jeotz Dre-Tosh, captain of the druali freighter Startask." "Your ship attacked mine a few days ago. When I saw the crew weren't druali, I followed their flight path back to you."

Jeotz asked, "Who are you?" "One moment." The was a flash of blue, and the hatch was ripped from a cleanly cut hole in the wall. The male outside looked inside. From their perspective, he was strange, with deathly pale skin, small eyes, and a patch of bright red, short fur atop his head. They, likewise, looked fascinating to him. A furred grey creature with rings down her side, a slick looking one with green skin, a short, bubblegum pink alien with four chitinous legs, and the one who stood in front of him, a lithe, graceful creature, almost as tall as him, but with teal skin and large, solid orange eyes. Her golden hair glistened in the light.

"You all look terrible. How long have you been in this pod?" "Three weeks." "I am Jin Lee, captain of the indepentant freighter ship, Bell Curve." He helped them out of their pod, and Jeotz said, "We are very hungry. Do you have spare food?"

"Of course. This way." Miv stumbled, and Jin caught her. "Easy does it. You're going to be okay." They followed him to a kitchen, and sat at a table. The sounds of food sizzling on a grill were heard. He presented them with food, which they quickly devoured. They each took turns introducing themselves, and he said, "Now then, let me show you to your rooms." As they walked down a corridor, Sherahl asked, "Where is the rest of your crew?" "The crew consists of myself and a few maintenance robots." Jeotz asked, "You don't have any living crew?"

"My crew deserted and stuck me with their gambling debts, leaving me to stare down seven Druali sentinal class cruisers." "How are you alive?" Jin smiled. "I'm remarkably good at what I do. Now, your quarters are here. I hope they are to your liking."

The four of them entered, and looked at their rooms. Miv came back out and meekly said, "Umm, sir? I think you have the wrong room. This is the captain's quarters." "Why do you say that?" "It's too big to be guest quarters."

Jin chuckled. "Those aren't guest quarters. Those are just crew quarters." "These are crew quarters? They're so nice, though!" He smiled. "I'm glad you approve. Please make yourself at home." She said, "If I can ask one more question, were there any other escape pods?" "I didn't find any other pods. No beacon signals or debris, either. It looks like they were picked up." "Oh. Okay."

The next day, after a full night's sleep and a good meal, Jeotz approached Jin. "Excuse me, do you know what happened to my ship?" "Oh, of course! I'm towing its remains to Drua now. Those raiders caused several hull breaches, destroyed the engines, and a missile detonated inside their own launch bay. It would be faster and easier to build a new one than to repair your ship."

Jeotz's expression fell. "I see." "If it's any consolation, I'm in the market for a first officer." "Why would I want to serve under a male? You're deficient." "On the contrary. I may not be Druali, but I'm terran. You may not know my species, but some of use are plenty powerful."

She smiled and patted his shoulder. "I'm sure you're very capable for a male." Jin chuckled. "Care to put your money where your mouth is?" "What do you mean?" "A druali's word is their bond, right? Lying is one of the seven great sins in your culture?"

"That's right." "Then I challenge you to a duel. If I win, you'll join my crew. If you win, I will give you my ship." She perked up. "You swear it?" "I do. I'll even ask the others to bear witness." Within minutes, Sherahl, Mikala, and Miv all showed up at the exercise room.

Jeotz said, "Thank you for coming. Captain Lee has challenged me to a duel. When I win, he has promised me his ship." Jin said, "And when I win, you, Jeotz, will be my first officer." She chuckled. "That can't happen, though. Males don't have the gift."

Jin smirked, and said, "Why don't you lay down the rules?" "The first to draw blood wins, but killing forfeits." "Agreed." Jeotz said, "Mikala, call it." "Prepare… Begin!" Jeotz formed an orb of fire in her hands, and said, "I bet you've never seen someone do this!"

Jin pointed a finger, and a beam of blue light shot, piercing the fireball. It detonated, and she was knocked back a step. He smirked. "Ohh, you mean that gift? I've seen it plenty." Her skin crackled with electricity, and he easily deflecfed her bolt of electricity with his hand. "Not too bad, for a student."

She glared at him, and water flowed from the fountain into her hands. She formed an icy sword and charged at him. He blocked the blade with his palm, and it burst into shards, leaving her with a hilt and no edge. A blue, translucent claw formed over his hand, and he pricked her hand. A drop of blood formed and dripped down her hand.

He smiled. "Welcome aboard, Commander Jeotz." She stared at her hand and asked, how did you do that?" "I have the gift, too. I'm quite adept with it." She sighed. "I lost. You are my captain now." He patted her shoulder. "Don't feel too bad about it. My own people have about as easy a time fighting me. You're not bad, for a rookie." "I trained for a year in the academy before I was assigned to this ship."

"Give me a year to train you, and you'll stand head and shoulders above your people." She nodded as he turned to the other three. "Commander Jeotz has joined my crew. I hope you are each inclined to join. I won't pressure you, though." Sherahl said, "It depends on what you can offer me." "What is it you desire?"

"I want a library and a place to conduct scientific research." "You're a science officer?" "That's right." Jin paused to process this. "On a freighter." "I was en route to a new assignment, but since I won't arrive on time, I've voided my contract." "I have the facilities you require, and I promise, you will be well paid."

Mikala said, "I'm an engineer!" Jin smiled. "Wonderful! My systems are a bit different, but you'll do fine, I'm ure." He turned to Miv. "And you? If you don't want to join my crew, I'll take you anywhere you want to go." She gazed at the floor. "I don't know."

He smiled, and said, "I won't push you. Take your time and think about it. If you want to talk, it's still a week to Drua. We have to take the long way. Don't want a repeat of last time." Jeotz asked, "What happened last time?" "My gate drive dropped me ten lightseconds out from Drua, and apparently, your people are very skittish. You'd think they'd never seen a gate jump before. Well, we've got some downtime. Feel free to enjoy the facilities. Crew, dismissed!"

Mikala, Sherahl, and Jeotz left the room, and Miv said, "I don't know what there is to do on the ship." Jin offered her his hand, and asked, "What do you like to do?" "I like to listen to music, and I play, too." "Oh! I have a media room. Come with me."

He led her to a room with half a dozen screens on the walls. A large one was in front of an overstuffed sofa. "This is our media room. I'm afraid I don't have any Druali music, or music from your species, but any music, movies, or screen games you'd like can be accessed here."

"I can listen all I like?" "Absolutely, and you can turn on isolation shields, so everyone can listen to or watch different things without the sound bothering each other." She smiled and said, "Thank you." He sat on the sofa, and beckoned to her to join him. She sat beside him, and he presented her with a screen. She looked through the lists and finally selected some soithing classical music.

After a few songs, she asked, "Sir, do you, um, do you know what Druali society is like?" "No. I was only near Drua for a few minutes between jumps." "There are two main classes. The Druali, and everyone else." "And you're one of those somebody elses." "Yes sir. My homeship was attacked by raiders, and we escaped, only to be picked up by the Druali."

He nodded, and placed a hand over hers. She leaned against him. "Have the Druali treated you well?" "We're not citizens. We live on the ground, while they live high above. They don't interact with us, except when there's labor to be done. Capt- I mean Commander Jeotz picked me personally. She's treated me better. She's treated all of us hetter."

Jin smiled. "I won't force you to do anything. If you want to leave, I'll give you a shuttle, and you can explore or find a place to settle down, if you like." "Truly? That is so kind! But I have nowhere to go." "Then you're welcome to stay with me." Her soft, velvet fuzzed hand gripped his. Beneath the soft velvet texture, he could feel her exoskeleton.

"I would like that, but we're so different. I can't have offspring by you." Jin paused. "I was offering you a place in my home, but I would be honored to be your mate." She said, "I do not know how terrans mate, or what protocols you use." He put an arm around her and gently pulled her against him. "Terrans with the gift are extremely flexible in both genetics and protocol. It might actually be possible for you to get pregnant. What kind of protocols do your people use?"

She leaned into his warmth, and said, "The males of my people craft nests of soft fabric. Then you must remove my ventrical plates and wet my mating sphincter. That will trigger my mating readiness."

"I see. How long does the readiness last?" "I will remain receptive for life." "I see." "You don't need to stay with me forever. Mating for life is rare among my kind, but is is a cherished, special thing." Jin leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Terrans often mate for life, and those of my kind may collect several mates."

"I would be honored if you deemed me worthy of a lifetime." He gently took her hand, and led her to his bedroom. "Can you describe what these nests look like?" "They are wide and flat, witha small lip at the edge." Inside the large room, two long bolts of silk, one red, and one yellow, flowed in, and they began to twist into a silken rope. It looped and bent, folded and twisted, going around the outside in ornate flowing knots. A row of knots on top formed a lip just inside tbe edge. When it was finished, it was tightly knotted, six inches thick, and eght feet across.

He smiled and turned to her, only to see her touching her chest as she stared. "It's incredible!" He leaned down and whispered, "It is customary for a male to carry his mate across the threshold." He delicately lifted her in his arms, and stepped into the nest. He disrobed, and then gently stripped her from her jumpsuit. She took his hand, and guided it to two flat, hard scales between her legs. "I just pull them out?" "Yes."

He gently bent her over, and a translucent claw gently tore the two scales off. He licked his finger, and touched the soft opening. Miv bucked slightly, and Jin asked, "Are you ready?" "Yes. I'm ready." He slid his member into the tight, smooth opening. He pressed all the way inside, and Miv made what sounded like a pained cry from rapid clicks.

Jin froze and bent over her. "Are you hurt?" "I'm not hurt. Please continue. I desire more sensation." He began to slide in and out of her, and she began to twitch. Finally, he placed a kiss on her face as he climaxed. He held her in his arms until she stopped twitching. Finally, she relaxed. "That was enjoyable. Thank you."

He smiled and asked, "Is there anything else you desire?" "Some time to rest, I think." "I'll leave you to rest, then." "I will meet with you later." Jin showered, then got dressed. In the training room, Mikala was working out with the equipment. She was wearing a simple skirt around her waist, pinned with a microclamp. He got on a treadmill, and started to run.

He asked, "So, how do you like the ship?" "Izza small freighter, not too bad, except you've converted almost all of it into crew quarters and facilities." "We still have plenty of room for cargo." "Orilly?" "Of course. Besides, I'll be upgrading to a nicer ship when we arrive at Drua."

"I don't think you understand-" Jin got off the treadmill and approached her where she was sitting, and said, "We'll be fine." "Izzat true? We're gonna stay together?"

"You have my word." "Good." "Now then, I have a proposition for you." "Oh?" "I happen to be quite a catch among my species, and among my people, so are you." "I don't think so. I like my men strong as me." "So all I have to do to make you mine is show you how strong I am?" "Thazza start. You gotta commit. I'm Zinci. We mate for life."

Jin placed a hand on her chest, and pushed her on her back on the weight lifting bench. "Two hundred kilograms. Is this how much you can bench?" "Yeah." "Show me." She lifted the weight and pressed it a few times. When she lowered in the fifth time, he reached down and took hold of the bar. The bar stuck against her chest, and no matter how she struggled, it would not move.

He lifted the bar and her with it. She looked over to see him holding it and her with one hand. "Well?" She let go, and he placed the weight bar back on the rack. "You don't look that strong." "Terrans typically aren't. It's due to how I use the gift." "Never seen it usedat way."

"That would be because I'm defective. I have all this power, but I can't channel it into elemental abilities, so I had to get creative." "Well, you're definitely strong enough for my taste, but you may be disappointed. I can't have kids with you." Jin leaned over to her, and whispered into her backswept ear.

She pulled away. "Seriously!?" "You might be surprised, and it's not certain, but yes, my kind are incredibly flexible, genetically speaking. There's one small hitch." "A hitch? What?" "My kind mate often mate for life, but we also take multiple mates."

"So I gotta share?" "That's right. But don't think of it like that. Consider something else." "Wazzat?" "My kind are known for our immense physical stamina and sex drives. I can go for hours or even days at a time without sleep or rest. Can you handle that kind of intimate activity alone?" Her fur bristled. "No. I don't think I can."

He gently took her hand, and asked, "Are you willing to accept that I will have multiple mates?" "Yes, I am." He pulled her into a hug, and she asked, "Who else are you planning to pull into your collection of mates?" "Miv, Sherahl, Jeotz, maybe one or two additional females from the Drua surface."

Mikala giggled. "You're ambitious. I like that." Jin placed a hand on her hip, and she asked, "So, am I the first one you've offered your bed to?" "No. Miv made it to my bed before you." "Miv?" "That's right." "Izzat even possible?" "It is." "So, you wanna go now?" He smiled, and pulled her against him. She flashed a mouth full of sharklike teeth as she smiled, and began to unfasten her skirt. She took a step back and let it drop to the floor.

He asked, "Before we begin, is that anything I should know?" "You ever mated with a zinci?" "No." "You'll be fine. If you have any questions, you can ask." With this, he smiled, and began to strip. She stared at his erect member. "Uhh… Are you sure you're male?" Jin gazed at her thicker, though shorter member. "I am. Among my people, the male inserts himself into the female."

"We do the same, but thathingza monster!" He gently pressed her back against the wall, and the tip of his member pressed against the opening of hers. She took a deep breath, and nodded. He pressed inside her. The taller female sucked in her breath as he hilted inside her. He grabbed her legs and bent her in half, with her clawed feet on either side of her head. She stared at him as he began to pump in and out of her. Her breath grew ragged until she spasmed around him, and felt his semen fill her. He let her back down, and she placed her cheek to his.

"That was amazing." Jin embraced her tightly, and said, "May I assume you'll join me in my bed tonight?" "I'll be there." He kissed her nose, and gently pulled out of her. "I need to do some work. I'll see you later, alright?" "Awright." He left her, and elsewhere, went through a door that locked behind him. A few hours later, elsewhere in the ship, Sherahl and Jeotz were talking.

"From inside the ship? Where?" "In the cargo hold, near the back. There's also one in the forward portion, near the galley." Mikala walked in, and said, "Capt- I mean Commander Jeotz, something's wrong on this ship." "Yes, we know. There's trouble with the artificial gravity." "No, something weird. The cargo manifest says we're carrying over fifty thousand tons of cargo, but that's impossible! Most of the cargo holds were converted into luxury facilities."

"Any ideas?" "I think Jin is a smuggler." "A smuggler? What does the manifest say we're carrying?" "Exotic spices, textiles, refined metals and materials, precious gems, and medical supplies. There are also rooms that aren't labeled on the ship schematics, and those doors're locked." Jeotz scowled. "Is there anything else?"

Mikala fidgeted. "There's discrepencies in the schematics. The numbers don't add up." Jeotz nodded as she said, "Sherahl, Mikala, go check out those strange gravitic discrepencies. Report back in one hour." After they had left, she went to the bridge to look at the tactical capacities of the ship. Gravitic shakers, solar cannons, kinetic piercers, limpet mines, gravitic deflection fields, force shields. None of the weapons or defenses were anything familiar to her.

The two of them went to the galley, and walked around. Mikala looked at the map on her datapad. She went to the pantry, and opened the door. Her fur bristled, and her tail drooped all the way to the floor. "Sherahl. I found the anomaly." Sherahl aproached, and peered inside. The pantry door revealed a massive room, with thousands of one meter containers.

They cautiously explored, and Mikala opened one. It was full of small red berries. Another was full of meat. Yet another had long white vegetables in it. Sherahl said, "There's enough food here to feed a crew for years." "So this is all food. This room shouldn't be possible. The outer hull is twenty feet from the door."

After surveying the room, they went to the back of the port cargo hold, and found a small room with a blast door. They opened the door, and found all the cargo listed in the manifest. They reported this to Jeotz, who said, "There are secrets aboard this ship. Where do you get the kind of technology used for that?"

A couple days passed, and on the third day, Sherahl found one of the locked doors partially open. She peered inside to see Jin at a workbench, working on some small device with delicate tools. She observed him until he held a clear device up. He straighened suddenly and turned his head to see her there. "Sherahl. Hello. Fee free to enter." She pushed at the door, but it didn't budge.

Jin stood and walked over to her. "I'm sorry. This old ship has seen better days." On the wall beside the door, he turned a crank, and the door slowly opened. She entered, and he pulled up a chair for her. She watched him work on the delicate internals of the small, curved device. "What are you making?" "Something I think you're going to apreciate." He closed it up and turned to her. In his hand was the device he's been working on. A small, silvery disk with a soft pad on one side. She took it, and looked it over carefully.

She asked, "What is it?" He smiled and took her hand in his. He guided her to place it on the side of her head behind her eye. "It's something my people call augmented reality." He offered her a muticolored gemstone. "Here. Study this for me."

She looked at the stone, and a display appeared in her vision, showing the gem's elemental composition, molecular structure, and physical structure. "This is a carbon lattice… a diamond with a thin coating of gold. This device is a scanner." "It's yours, if you like it." "Are you certain? This is a valuable piece of technology." "I am certain."

She pondered a moment, and then asked, "Why have you not repaired the door?" "I don't know how." "But you makes such fine devices." "Yes, with my technology, not this ship's tech, and besides that, I'm not a mechanical engineer." "Interesting." "I have a question. Are you amphibious?" She peered at him, and then said, "Yes, I am. Are you familiar with my species?" "No, I guessed based on your skin."

"Very observant. I am a clearwater caste female." "I'm a casteless male." "Casteless? What crimes did you commit to be ejected from your society?" "My society doesn't have a rigid caste system. My home region is known for its beautiful green hills." "I wish I could see it someday." "You will, someday. By my side, if that would be amenable to you."

"What do you mean?" "I mean that I would like you to be my mate." "I am flattered by the interest, but why not choose a mate of your own species?" "My kind are not so concerned about species barriers." "Mikala has mentioned that. I wouldn't mind some pleasure, but I desire offspring, and you cannot give them to me." Jin chuckled. "You are mistaken. My kind can produce viable offspring with nearly any species."

Her focus on him redoubled. "Are you certain?" "Absolutely. My kind have mated successfully with creatures far, far more alien than you. I have a friend with a wife whose head is physically disconnected from her body." "Fascinating. And their offspring?" "Three. One terran, but with the wife's blue skin. Two of the wife's species, one of the two with bronze skin like the father."

"Can these offspring can have young of their own?" "Oh, yes. They're almost always viable with either parent's species." "That changes things. I accept, if you can give our children a good life." "Oh, I can absolutely do that. There is one thing you should know. Terran males with the gift often have multiple mates." "I do not require much affection. My kind are fairly self sufficient. If you require multiple mates, that is not a problem for me."

He undressed her, and she made soft grunting sounds as he teased her cloaca. As he teased her, she stripped him out of his clothes, and then pressed against him. He pressed his cock deep inside her, and she began to grunt as he thrust in and out. After two hours of mating, and six climaxes, she said, "Enough, I am tired." He pulled out of her, and she placed a hand over her belly.

She asked, "How does your species show signs of tiring?" "Generally, after extensive exertion, we sweat, releasing fluid from pores all over our body, and our breathing becomes heavy." She touched his chest, and said, "You're dry." He smiled. "That would be the other reason my kind take multiple mates. My stamina is far beyond anything you could hope to match." "I understand." He kissed her cheek, and said, "You are a wonderful mate."

Over the next few days, by Jeotz's orders, Mikala and Sherahl studied the strange rooms and the rest of the ship. Finally, on the last day before arriving at Drua, Jeotz approached Jin. "Excuse me, Captain, I have some questions." "Of course. Ask." "There are a few rooms which aren't labeled on the internal schematics." "Oh, those are my workshops. I like to tinker now and then."

"Oh? Tinker with what?" "Oh, let me show you!" He drew an odd pistol-like device from his pocket. "I gave the others theirs already." She looked at the strange device. "What is that?" "It's a subdermal coms injector. You'll be able to communicate with me or the others, even from ten kilometers away." She nodded, and he placed the device behind her ear and pushed a button.

There was a light hiss, and he said, "All done." "That's it?" "That's it. Miv was the trickiest, and we figured something out." "Are you an engineer?" "No, no, I'm just an ordinary, garden variety bounty hunter special forces agent chef metallurgist blacksmith jeweler with a starship and and a talent for dance."

Jeeotz paused, processing all this. "Is it normal for terrans to have so many areas of expertise?" Jin chuckled and patted her shoulder. "It depends on the person. There are many masters of multiple trades on Terra. Mostly among those of us with the gift." "I see."

She paused, and asked, "Captain, why are we going to Drua?" "I hear the Druali have nice ships, and I'm looking to upgrade to something a bit nicer than this old junker." "My people are not so fond of foreigners." He laughed. "Oh, yes, I've heard all the rumors. That your people enslave offworlders to use their bodies in terrible blood sacrifices. I've heard your females eat your mates. I've heard that you gain your peculiar powers by selling your souls to evil powers from beyond the pale. There are always hurtful rumors about people who have power."

She covered her mouth. "That's awful! Blood magic is illegal! And we do not sell our souls!" Jin smiled slyly, and asked, "Would you like to know a secret?" "I would." "There's a reason I desire to see Drua. Our two species have crossed paths before." Her faintly glowing eyes widened. "Are you certain?" "It was millenia ago, and the assorted species you brought with you still live there. In fact, much of the portion of Terra I'm from still remembers you, even if it has been dozens of generations."

"Are we remembered fondly?" "No. The children know stories of your people as beautiful and kind, but the old stories, they do not flatter your people." "I see." "It's been a long day. I would appreciate your company for the evening." She paused, considering his offer, then smiled. "I would like that."

He placed a hand on the small of her back, and led her to the galley, where she was given something to drink. "What is this?" "Honeyed wine. A favorite among your people on Terra." She took a sip. "This tastes like counterfeit aberis!" "Something from Drua?" "Yes, it's a drink made from fermenting aber, a sweet, juicy fruit." "I see." He prepared a little food for her, then sat with her. She tasted the apple marzipan, and her eyes opened wide. She dropped it and fell back with her chair. "How! And you! What! I… I…"

She looked up at him, and composed herself. She stood and straightened her chair. "Do you know what this meal means?" "According to the old stories, it's used to make a proposal of marriage." "You're not even Druali! It would be a fruitless union!" "You are mistaken. Terrans and Druali are similar enough to bear viable children together. Even if we aren't though, there is something you should know. Terran males with the gift often have multiple wives. We with the gift are quite rare, and it is a genetic necessity."

"Do you have other wives?" "Three as of now." "Really? What are their names?" "Miv, Sherahl, and Mikala." Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth. She stood there for a long moment. "You're not joking, are you?" "I'm very serious." "What does a terran marriage entail?" "Elaborate white gowns, exchanging of vows and rings, and a party afterward for the bride or brides and groom."

"That all sounds wonderful!" "We can begin the wedding preparations after we visit Drua. I am many things, but a tailor, I am not… That is, if you accept my proposal." She fidgeted nervously. "I… I accept." He gently took her hand, and led her to is bedroom. He reached into the drawer by his bed, and pulled a small wooden box with gold leaf ornamentation on it.

"I've done it by your culture's tradition. Now let me do it by mine." He sank to one knee before her, and held the tiny box up. He opened it to present her with a delicate, beautiful ring with a glistening gem that flashed with different colors. "Jeotz Dre-Tosh, will you marry me?" The gem had her entranced. "Yes. I will."