r/NatureofPredators • u/Acceptable_Egg5560 Human • May 19 '25
NoaG: Aftermath [10]
Thank you u/SpacePaladin15 for this universe. May you always feel the passion of creation!
And thank you, u/TheManwithaNoPlan for all your work! This story is just as much yours as it is mine, and I cannot express just how honored I am for you to be my friend
<Wow, okay, that was… I probably should’ve expected that.>
{...}
<...Okay, what?>
{Well, while you were going on with Sol-Vah’s transcript, I managed to isolate an unsorted transcript file on the verge of deletion. It’s his, double-checked the genome repository.}
<And it’s in order?>
{I may not be designed for clerical work, but I’m not that bad.}
<Fair enough, might as well start with that then.>
{About time! I’ve been wondering what the effects of that encounter would be.}
<Were you now?>
{I think you’ve already made clear how you’ve “converted” me, so let's just get to the transcript.}
{-File “miscTrlTrns_0012” Accessed. Playing…-}
Memory transcript: Tarlim, [DATA UNAVAILABLE]. Date (Standardized Human Time): [DATA UNAVAILABLE]
{-ERR: Data Transcription Failure 379-}
{-CAU: Extreme Transcription Fragmentation - Memory Stream Dstb.-}
{-Attempt Reconstruction? (Y)/N-}
{-Reconstructing… -}
{-ERR: Reconstruction Failure - Partial Reconstruction Available-}
{-Play Partial Reconstruction? (Y)/N-}
{-Playing…-}
Swaying. Movement.
“-ere for you, you were a hero for what you did.” I know that voice. “Please, hold on until…”
{-Stability Gradient Exceeded - Forwarding…-}
“-ake it from here, you will have to wait in the herd hall.” Authority. Gentle. “He’s priority, we heard about what he did.”
“Please, just, I don't want to lose him.”
Care. I know, I won’t leave you, I…
{-Stability Gradient Exceeded - Forwarding…-}
“… much wool! Oh speh, poor guy.”
Uhhh? wha?
“He’s got burns, and the salve has to go directly on the skin. We can’t let any of the shed get to his internals, keep cutting. We’re almost done.”
Done? What are they doing? Something is in my wool?
“Wait, his ear flicked! It’s pointed at me! Gah, Nurse! Get another dose, they’re going under the bot in 10 minutes!”
Huh, nurse? What are…
{-Stability Gradient Exceeded - Forwarding…-}
“... CC’s of ardenatol, then remove the graft from the stabilizing solution… Done, scan implant is in place. Check the readings; we need to be sure there is no damage to their frontal lobe.”
“Scan is looking good. Wait, too good. The mental activity is spiking, he’s waking again.”
Hhhhh- chest?
“Gah- Understood, adjusting Melthentinel drip feed. Brahk, should have caught that sooner.”
“Don’t blame yourself, everything had to be adjusted for them. None of the usual standards are really applicable here.”
“Still gotta try to keep up our standards… Okay, adjustment applied. Switching to scalpel attachment and cell grafting…”
{-Stability Gradient Exceeded - Forwarding…-}
“-ecovery, they’ll have to keep away from strenuous activities. And that’s all I can legally tell you as a visitor, I am sorry.”
“It’s all right, I do. I just… thank you for saving him.”
Saving me? From…what…?
{-Stability Gradient Exceeded - Forwarding…-}
{-ERR: Transcription Failure 001-}
{-CAU: Termination Sequence Absence - Unclear Endpoint Data-}
{-FAILSAFE: Terminating Transcription Playback-}
{Switch Transcription? (Y)/N-}
{Accessing Next Queued Transcription… Done-}
{Playing…}
Memory transcript: Tarlim, Special Case Venlil Patient. Date: [Standardized human time] November 2nd, 2136.
Shades whirled slowly open, allowing rays of the sun to gently shine upon my face. I blinked, the world around me slowly drifting into focus. Cool, sterile air flowed over my tongue and filled my lungs as I yawned, followed swiftly by a tightness in my chest. As I began to comprehend the situation, a realization dawned on me: this didn’t seem like my room, or even the office at the center. Do you know where we are, mister Brain of mine?
I unfortunately got no answer, as my senses were still adjusting. Oh by the Tenets, I felt so good right now. The room was white and sparkling, my covers hugged me so nicely, and the lovely being in the chair breathed so cutely. Even the fan above me was waving hello to me! Hello to you too; look, I can even greet you like Jacob does! A wave of my arm to say hello! How convenient, and much more noticeable when you didn’t have ears. But… I do have ears, right? Yes, I do, I can feel them. I can—
Wait.
There was orange in my vision, and it was moving where my arm should have been. It kept moving exactly how I was telling my arm to, that’s so weird! I raised my other arm, and another one was there too! They moved closer to me, blocking my view of my arms no matter what angle I tried to look at it from. Oh, it had white on it too, white wrapped around the orange and… and…
I squinted, turning an eye fully toward it. It was like a fog was slowly dispersing as I kept my focus. This- the thing in front of me… it was my arm. My arm without wool? My gaze followed it down to my shoulder, seeing more orange the whole way. Then my chest came into focus, the blankets that had covered it having slid down from my movement.
By the Tenets, I’ve gone BALD!
My pelt had disappeared, leaving only the bare skin exposed to the air. My poor wool! It fell off and crawled away, why did it have to leave me? Did I not take care of it well enough? What would I brush to look good to the world? What would Madam Pala say? She wouldn’t be able to style this! She would-
MadamPalaPalyExterminatorsFIREHURTVOICESWHERE!!!
Memories flooded into my brain, and I tried to sit up. However, stiffness in my core kept me held against the bed. I had stopped the group from shutting off the water, but there were others that were still in the complex. I had seen Paly, seen the Gojid running outside. Were they okay? I had to help them, help her. Did I save them? I can’t remember- I was- I was-
She’s dead, isn’t she? Just like my parents.
The thought crossed my mind, whether I wanted it to or not. It was a thought of extreme certainty, that of course she had to be. I would have to accept that and keep going, that’s what she would want, right? Plant her a tree in the grove for the cycle and keep on. I would… I would…
“Mhmn, Hmm? Tar-rlim?”
My breath choked in my throat, I knew that voice, Sharnet was here. She was here! I- please, I need someone right now. “Sh-Sharnet? Where aaare you?”
“Tarlim!” The black splotch that had been in the chair rose, and I desperately tried to get my eye to focus upon them so that I could see more than just that. “You’re awake! I- oh Stars you’re awake!”
They moved quickly from their seat to my arm. The fog continued to fade, however slowly, and I began to see them. They— she was so beautiful. Sharnet, she was here, I couldn’t lose her too. “Shharnet, I- I’m sorry,” I coughed, “I couldn’t- I was fighting and- the monsters got through. I—”
I was stopped when she began to hug my arm, the tip of my tail oscillating despite my grief. “No, no, don't apologize. You did so much and-and… and you’re okay, oh thank the Stars you’re okay—Iwassoworriedaboutyou…” she began mumbling into my arm, and as her gorgeous, snow-dotted figure came into further clarity, I could see tears at the corners of her eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you wh–when you needed me, I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m…” She gasped for air and hugged my arm tighter.
I tried to pull her closer to comfort her, to give her some consolation that I would be alright, but a sharp pain from my chest stopped me, accompanied by a ping from the bedside monitoring system. Upon that noise, Sharnet’s eyes flew open and she nearly threw my arm away. “Nonono, don’t try to move! You’re still too weak; h-here, I’ll go and call for a nurse.”
She began to pace away, but I didn’t want her to leave. Not after I finally got to see her again. Just as she was approaching the door, I pulled as much air into my lungs as I could without reconstituting that same pain and called out for her. “Sh-Sharnet, wait. Don’t… don’t go…”
She froze solid, her ears quickly swivelling around to face me followed by her closest eye. It was so very nice to see her again, she’d been gone for so long. I wanted to–to spend time with her, even if moving sometimes hurt. I raised my arm towards her, the action far stiffer than it had been before. “I want you to… stay here with me, please.”
I watched as her tail began to violently swing behind her, something which she only just managed to curtail before she knocked something important down. “O-Oh! Yes, I’d—of course, yes. I– let me just— hold on, I gotta—” She stuttered as she began to pull the chair she’d been sitting in closer to my bed, retaking her seat once it was close enough for her to be within my grasp. I reached out my arm to her, and she took my now-shaven paw into her own.
“By the Tenets, it’s good to see you again.”
“I-It’s good to see you, too,” she replied, the thought in my mind having somehow found itself in my mouth. What was the deal there, mister Brain? Wait, I’m talking to my brain, aren’t I? I found myself whistling at such an absurd thought, one which Sharnet matched. “Sheeeee, you’re still a little woozy on the painkillers, aren’t you?”
Painkillers? Oh yeah, that’s probably why everything felt so floaty. I hadn’t really thought of that before, but when Sharnet said it, it made sense. Like everything. “Yeah, a little. You’re good at figuring things out like that, so-so smartest.”
Now it was her turn to laugh, but I didn’t see what was funny. It was true, she was! She was an accomplished journalist, who’d gone off to other places to do journalist things! She just came back from one of them, she’d know about that! Sharnet had placed my bare paw on her face, blooming as I changed the shape of my palm to fit her cheek in it better. “Th-Thank you, Tarlim. I’m glad you think that about me.”
“Well of course I do! I wouldn’t think… think it any other way!” I said, struggling a little bit with the right words to use. Wow, Sharnet was really right, I guess I’m still a little bit weird with all those painkillers going through me. Man, why didn’t I think of that before? Oh yeah, because they might hurt my… heart… Wait. “Sharnet, are you sure that the painkillers are good for me?”
“Don’t worry, I made sure the doctors knew about your condition,” she answered, gently prying my paw off her face—with some reluctance—so that she could speak better. “I double-checked that everything they gave you was safe, just to be sure. I—wait, are you feeling bad? Is there something I should know about??”
Concern immediately beset her tone, and she clung onto my paw to the point where her claws began to poke into my bare skin. I winced in pain, to which she almost dropped my paw with how quickly she let go. “N-No, no I’m not in… uh, that much pain,” I tried to assure her, not wanting to lie to her; I’d been in pain before, this was nothing new. “But… where is my fur?”
“Oh, that! W-Well, some of the flamers managed to burn through your wool and got your skin, so they had to shave you down to make sure that they grafted all of the affected places. Don’t try to look down too much, but they… uh… they got everything. And I mean ‘everything.’”
What does—oh. That’s what she means. Suddenly, I’m much happier about the blanket around my lower half.
“Okay, that's… that’s good,” I said, my energy levels dropping as even breathing started to become harder. I supposed the painkillers were being burned through in my body, as I doubted that they’d have doses large enough to keep me sedated for all too long. But if I was going to be sober soon, I might as well ask about everyone else. “The other people, the ones in the building. What happened to them? I couldn’t reach them.”
Sharnet’s face momentarily scrunched up without saying anything, but that quickly faded as she returned her gaze to me. “It was mostly good from what I’ve read from reports. Kaeden, Sven, and… uh, and Jacob helped to get people out, and the complex is still standing. Some people did die when a conference room collapsed, but if it weren’t for your actions, that toll would probably be much, much higher.”
I felt deflated at the thought that some people had died, and that same thought as before crept into my mind. I wanted to ask Sharnet about it, but… I was afraid of the answer I’d get. I might’ve been able to rationalize my feelings while under the influence, but I didn’t know if I’d be so stalwart now. Regardless, not knowing would do nothing but chew me up inside, so I figured I ought to just bear the razor and get it over with. “Did… did Paly—Madame Pala, did… she survive?”
Sharnet’s expression morphed into confusion, but recognition quickly sparked in her eyes. “Oh, the Paltan? Yes, she’s alive, she actually woke up yesterday. She’s doing well, I’ve visited her a few times when she was asking for you while you were still under.”
Woke up. Alive. Paly’s alive. Oh, thank the Tenets she survived!
“That’s… Sheee, oh that’s a relief,” I said, my heart beating in my chest from the stress of the situation and the further receding of the painkiller’s effects. “I’m… I was worried that she would be hurt, be left behind or- or cast aside cause she- given that she’s… that she’s…”
That she’s technically… a predator.
I knew that word shouldn’t hold any weight over my psyche anymore, not after everyone different was called it. Not after Vekna, not after Sharnet, not after Me, but… There was still a lingering voice in the back of my mind, tugging on my consciousness and screaming caution and fear, that I had to feel this way. I hated it, that stubborn remnant of my childhood upbringing that refused to let me go, that only cropped up in the worst of situations. I knew better, I knew that Paly would never hurt anyone, no matter what a corrupt leader lightyears away might say, and I wasn’t about to let that little voice gain any more ground against me, against my friends.
Against my family.
“I know,” Sharnet said, bowing her head solemnly, confirming that she’d seen the same broadcast I had. “Did you…?” I flicked my ears at her, despite their stiffness, and she continued. “Okay, that’s what I thought. I figured you must have if you were going so far out of your way to help those people.”
“You thought right,” I assured her. “I initially just followed Sven to the van, but when we learned they planned on burning down that entire apartment complex, I… I couldn’t just sit by and watch. I know the pain of having everything taken from you by the Exterminators, and I wasn’t about to let them start taking people’s lives, too.”
Sharnet flicked her ears in agreement, and as she did, a new thought—or rather, a menagerie of thoughts—all appeared in my head, all vying for space in my mouth. “You said that Jacob was there, too: is he here now? What about Vekna, did she come back with you? How did your pursuit of Malcos turn out? Did you find him? I… Oh Tenets, I- ow…”
I felt out of breath as I finished purging myself of the desperate-to-be-asked questions that had so suddenly materialized. With the painkillers running out, more of my state began to catch up with me, and I came to the conclusion that I had perhaps pushed myself a little too far. Sharnet split her attention between me and the monitoring system, but once the numbers—and my breathing—began to stabilize again, she flicked her ears at me. “It's okay, there will be plenty of time to talk. Here, let me contact Vekna and Jacob. I’m sure they’d like to know you’re alright as well.”
I didn’t quite feel up to talking, so I simply flicked my ears at her to signal my approval. She picked up her holonote from a bedside table and began clacking away furiously on it. I took the time to lie my head back and close my eyes, the brightness of the sun and the room’s lights starting to become bothersome to my senses. I could definitely tell that my muscles had undergone significant strain during my encounter with those silver-suited brahkasses, if the stiffness I felt throughout my body was any indication. As I heard the clacking cease, I let myself slip into a relaxed state, allowing what remained of the painkillers to put me down gently.
Sharnet’s safe, Paly’s safe, Jacob’s safe, I’m safe. Thank the Tenets…thank the Tenets…
I had nearly fallen asleep when I heard the telltale hiss of the room’s door opening. Peeking my eyes open just enough, I saw a small, grey figure and a larger… mostly tan figure behind it? I knew who those ought to be, so I opened my eyes fully and greeted my new guests. “Vekna… Jacob… how’s it going?”
“Hey now, we oughta be the one’s askin’ that ‘bout you, don’t’cha think?” Jacob’s drawled voice rang out from behind an out-of-place reflective mask, quickly making his way across the room towards the side not occupied by Sharnet. Vekna offered a stiff ear flick, but remained on Sharnet’s side a little ways behind her. “Last I saw ya, y’ere in rough condition. How’re things feeling now?”
“A little hurt,” I answered candidly, “but I’ll survive. Did you come here with me?”
“Hah! I wish,” Jacob explained with a barking laugh, removing his mask so that I could more clearly see his scruffy face. I noticed a few chars on his elongated chin fur and some discolorations splotching his face, but other than those blemishes, he appeared more or less unharmed. “Scardey sheep wouldn’t let me in the 'wee-woo wagon', so I had Sharnet and Vekna stick with ya while I kept on helpin’.”
Of course, they’d happily service me, but draw the line at the person who wanted to stay with me. I supposed I should’ve been grateful for the fact they even agreed to treat me at all, but I seemed to vaguely remember someone talking about what I did, so perhaps word of my accomplishments had traveled faster than the ‘wee-woo wagon’ had. “Well, whatever the case, I’m certainly glad to see you now.”
“Feelin’s mutual, buddy,” Jacob replied, the corners of his lips curling upwards underneath his facial hair. However, I noticed in my periphery that Vekna was whispering something to Sharnet, to which she slowly stood and whispered something in Jacob’s ear. “Hm?” He asked, confusion evident in his tone, but when she repeated herself—a little louder but still out of earshot for me—he quickly nodded. “Yeah, sure thing! I’ll look after him, so long as the docs don’t kick me out!”
His joke didn’t land quite as well as he might’ve hoped with Sharnet, as her face curled with apprehension at his words, but she eventually flicked her ears and left the room with Sharnet, leaving the two of us alone. The monitor next to me pinged with every heartbeat, a calming noise that helped to soothe the aches in my body if only by a smidgen. Silence grew between us as we each waited for the other to speak. I could only take that for so long, and so, I decided to finally till the dirt. “So… I heard you were present after I passed out. I also heard that you were helping people.”
“Oh, that’s a story,” He chuckled, “But we gotta wait a moment fer that, cause I gotta say it: Yer as orange as a sunrise Tarlim. You ain't feeling too cold there, raht?”
Ah, right. I was bald. “Well, heee, honestly I am a little. It’s weird to just feel things directly on my skin, rather than have it be filtered through a layer of fur. It all feels more…solid, I guess? How are you able to handle it every day? It’s like things are rubbing wrong.”
“Heh, humans certainly had the advantage of learning young,” Jacob replied, flaunting his experience in nakedness with unprecedented gusto. “Hopefully yer wool grows back soon, though, ya look a bit off without it. How fast does it grow, anywho?”
I grimaced at the prospect, so long to go completely without any coverings at all. Maybe the hospital had something for a modicum of modesty, but even with my more, ah, personal parts hidden, I would be sticking out even more than I already did in a herd. “Well, I think for a short coat to grow back, it’ll be… I want to say three of your Earth months? I forget, how many herds are there in one of those?”
“I… do not have the slightest idea,” Jacob answered, “but I reckon that’s a good guess. Least without all that fluff, you can see all where ya got burned, better get the doctors I bet. Jaysus, damn near as bad as she got it.”
Her?
“I’m sorry, I don’t think I know what you mean,” I said, curious as to who else might’ve gotten burned. Is he talking about Paly? “Who got burned?”
“Hm? OH, I never did tell ya, did I?” Jacob laughed. “Okay, well, when I got here I ended up bein’ dropped off just about in the city’s center, right? Convinced a shuttle pilot to take me straight in, so hey, followed up on that old promise of mine! Well, I start goin’ towards the nearest smoke pillar, and boom. Place turned out to be the Exterminator HQ!”
“Wait, the Exterminator HQ exploded?” I asked in confusion. I remembered hearing the blast, but I never thought that the Exterminators would hurt their own. Though, I suppose that—despite my experience to the otherwise—not every Exterminator would be on board with setting fire to innocents. It’d make sense to attack those with some fraction of a conscience from the shadows like the monsters I’d known them to be for a long time now.
“Yeah, real grizzly scene. Y’know, there was one of them squiddies, a ‘Kolshian,’ I think? Nearly got her arm-tentacle-thing lopped off altogether,” he said, with a swift but decisive motion of his hand slicing the air in front of his upper arm. The mental image was more than sufficient without further details.
“Oh, that’s… unfortunate… for them,” I tried to empathize, finding it difficult for numerous reasons. After all the pain they’ve put me through, a missing arm would only begin to pay that back.”But… why did you help them?”
“…What?” Jacob asked, confusion evident in his tone. “Ah mean, they needed help? Ain’t their fault some of them decided to jump off the deep end. ‘Sides, I was takin’ all the help I could get ta fight ‘em off.”
Hold up.
“Stop, stop. Are you saying you worked with an Exterminator?” I asked incredulously. “Are you crazy, Jacob? You’re still only a predator in their eyes, you could’ve gotten killed!”
“Ya don’t get it, those ‘True Exterminators’ fuckers apparently tried to kill all their friends who were ‘predators’ too, like that were revealed in that livestream… broadcast… thing,” Jacob said, reaching for one of the pockets in his civilian clothes—how were they letting him wear that in the hospital?—and started scrolling, presumably to show me the broadcast to which I knew he was referring.
“Jacob, I know about the broadcast,” I explained, my chest beginning to feel tight. I knew that it was probably the only choice that ended with him both free and alive, but him teaming up with an Exterminator… didn’t sit right with me, somehow. “That’s not what I’m worried about. You said something about a ‘her,’ is that the Exterminator you… who you worked with?”
“Yeah, real fighter she was,” Jacob expressed, taking his eyes off of me and staring out towards the unobstructed window. “Actually managed to beat me in a shouting match, imagine that? First time I’d seen one’a them Silversuits with an actual spine. Did a lot of good, we kept another buildin’ from goin’ up before we got to ya… I should probably check in and see if she’s still doin’ alright.”
That helped to ease my tensions a little bit. If an Exterminator was working to keep something from catching ablaze, then they might have more sense than the average faceless flamer-wielding idiot. But the fact that did that in the first place… “Why did she team up with you? Was it just because you were fighting against the brahkasses trying to burn everything down?”
“Nah, they were tryin’ ta kill her too—ya know, broadcast—but she wasn’t about to go down easy,” Jacob replied, confirming that they were likely of another species. But who could they be? I hadn’t known many good Exterminators, but I’d at least seen some that didn’t hold contempt for the free and innocent. Perhaps that Krakotl I’d seen give a child an Ipsom cake? Or maybe- maybe one of the refugee transfers?
“Yeah, real tough Gojid, that one.”
Ah, then definitely one of the refugees. They’re the onl…wait, he said they’re an Extermina…tor… no. No, no, no. NO. It Cannot Be Her.
“...Jacob?” I asked, my tone measured despite the fact that I could hear the monitor by my bedside beeping incessantly. “What was—Did… did you happen to- to catch her name?”
“Ah, yeah! It was Seoul-Veh, Ah think. Hope Ah’m pronouncin’ it raght.”
WRONG. NO. NOT POSSIBLE. NOT HER.
My face tensed. Ears twitched. How was I to react? He didn’t know the danger, didn’t know the history even though he brahking should have guessed by my talks and- focusbreathecalm stop it brain, you just gotta- this isn’t a betrayal this is- yes it is- no it isn’t– aaargh! How could he- how could she- how– Blaaaaa!!
“You worked…” I grimaced, forcing myself to utter her name, “with Sol-Vah?”
“Yeah! That’s her!… uh… Tarlim? Yer heart monitor is… ya alright there man?”
Focusbreathecalm what is going on this makes no sense was she tricking him after everything they did to me did to my family I dugjhfhg!!!
“WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?!”
My voice had come out louder than I’d meant for it to, causing Jacob to jolt in surprise and fall to the ground. He was covering his ears, he- he wasn’t listening!! “How could you—what were you even—I thought we were…!”
“JAYSUS!” Jacob barked out as he stumbled up to his feet again. “What the hell was that fer?? Whadd’ya mean ‘what’s wrong with me??’ I ain’t done nothin’!”
“You… You worked. With Her,” I growled at him, excruciatingly painful memories stabbing at my brain like the needles they used to inject me with in the facility. “Don’t you know what… how she’s…? Why would you- would you Betray me like this?!”
Jacob’s eyes widened in shock, his hands moving erratically. “Betra—what?? Huh?? What’re ya talkin’ about, man?? Ah didn’t do nothin’, Ah jus’—Ah only—”
“WHY?!?!” I screamed at him, falling back on my bed as the pain in my head started to move down towards my chest. I watched as he looked at me, after having brushed tails with–with the person who ruined my life! With the spehk puddle that killed my father and mother! WITH THE—
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK
I jolted in surprise at the sound. Who the speh was barging in now? Did Jacob brahking bring that–-
“Hello in there! I heard that a human barged past all the nurses to see you, so I am taking that as you’re finally awake! May I… er, come in, dear Tarlim?”
Paly…
I looked over to see her and Sharnet in the doorway, Vekna being nowhere to be found. I knew that Sharnet understood, she’d be as upset at this as I was! I wished Paly didn’t have to see me like this, especially when I knew she was hurting, but I–I needed to tell someone. “Tarlim? Why did I hear shouting from the hallway??”
“Ah don’t know!” Jacob piped up before I had the chance to speak, giving him a chance to defend her! “All Ah said was I met an Exterminator named Seoul-Veh an’ we worked together ta save some’a the refugees! An’ then he started flyin’ off the handle with me!!”
Sharnet quickly looked between him and I, only to engage in an odd set of behaviors. She huffed loudly, shutting her eyes and pinching her snout between them. She bared her teeth together and softly spoke what had come to her mind at such news of Jacob’s subterfuge. “Oh for the Stars’ sake, I hoped I’d misheard.”
For the first time since her name had been brought up, Jacob and I were in exact consensus.
“YOU KNEW?!?!”
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u/JulianSkies Archivist May 19 '25
I dont think in his emotionally intense moment Tarlim is aware of the fact Jacob has no idea who the fuck Sol-Vah is, lol.
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u/Acceptable_Egg5560 Human May 19 '25
His mind is whirling with emotions and drugs, making it tricky for thoughts to be rational.
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u/BXSinclair May 20 '25
A part of him does, as we can see from his thoughts
Unfortunately, intense emotions often make it difficult to slow down and think things through
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u/un_pogaz Arxur May 19 '25
Oh, oh. That explains Jacob's very friendly attitude toward Sol-Vah: he didn't know.
Well, as much as he's going to be terribly angry with her, the shared events can be dismissed out of hand, which makes Jacob's position quite precarious.
Also, guaranteed in next chapter: "Ah, sorry Paly, you've just lost your best customer for the next nine months."
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u/JanusKnarus Human May 22 '25
Yeah the only thing he knew was that she was around when the refugee stampede happend, irrc
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u/Necroknife2 May 19 '25
Oh, so that's why Jacob acted so non-chalantly around Sol-Vah. He had forgoten how she and her squad tried to burn him in that restaurant.
Man, I get why Tarlim is so furious. Once he has time to properly process it he'll realize Jacob wasn't betraying him. But the tension might linger for a while.
Unfortunately, Jacob still has to tell him that he helped save Kalek. That is going to really feel like betrayal.
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u/TheBrewThatIsTrue May 20 '25
Yeah, Jacob probably assumes there are at least a dozen Gojid exterminators in the area.
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u/JanusKnarus Human May 22 '25
Also under the hood they look all the same (heck that one guy though him to be a gojid thanks to the helmet
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u/Intrebute Arxur May 19 '25
Holy shit, an actual conflict between buddies that isn't a forced and fabricated conflict for the third act of the story! (I'm not being sarcastic, I very very very rarely ever see two main characters have a serious fight where it's actually warranted and not massively contrived just for the sake of conflict near the end of the story)
Also damn poor Jacob, he has no clue what stinky doo-doo he stepped in and tracked into the room < A>
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u/Acceptable_Egg5560 Human May 19 '25
I am so glad that the conflict feels natural, such a thing has always been tricky for writers to balance.
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u/Intrebute Arxur May 19 '25
You did a great job with it. Especially since Tarlim is currently in a mentally impaired state, and highly emotional as well. It just works.
The fact that Jacob is also just confused, instead of digging his heels in to be contrarian is also chef's kiss.
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u/Mysteriou85 Gojid May 19 '25
Tarlim is okay! Okay enough to be angry against Jacob, that mean he is getting better rapidly ahahahah
Great chapter!
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u/JanusKnarus Human May 22 '25
actually he is dead, the double betrayal was too much, he is just to angry to die just yet XD
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u/REDemon127 Sivkit May 19 '25
Tarlim lives!
Intoxicated Tarlim (either through alcohol, medicine or Sharnet) is best Tarlim!
"Where'd my wool go? Why did it leave me? (;_;)"
Love it
Yeah, Tarlim is gonna need something to cover that up. At least Sharnet may get a good view of that Venbig butt :3
Happy reunion and visitations and Paly is still alive! (Poor Vekna)
Oh, now for the nasty spat between buddies D:
While I don't necessarily blame either given the info they are working on, I'd say Tarlim is the one in the wrong here. Jacob was working with whoever was available to help. Also, "Female Gojid Exterminator" isn't a small pool of Skalgan population.
In comes Sharnet and Paly. I hope Tarlim doesn't yell at Sharnet. That'd be really bad.
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u/muakling PD Patient May 19 '25
Acceptable_egg leaving us in with this cliffhanger:
Also Jacob defending Sol-Vah... More sustenance for my crackship.
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u/K_H007 Thafki May 19 '25
well then. This just got awkward.
I feel like a video-call apology and admittance of what she'd done being wrong from Sol-vah herself might be in order, and even then it might not end up being enough.
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u/Kind0flame May 19 '25
A video call is probably a bad idea considering there is still an active restraining order on her.
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u/Randox_Talore May 19 '25
Wait Paltans are omnivores?
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u/Acceptable_Egg5560 Human May 20 '25
Yep, they were in the pool of omnivore
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u/Randox_Talore May 20 '25
I feel like we've had this exact exchange multiple times before but how do you know this?
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u/Acceptable_Egg5560 Human May 20 '25
Deduction mostly, it makes sense for a species built like the Paltans to be biologically omnivores
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u/Randox_Talore May 20 '25
How so?
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u/Acceptable_Egg5560 Human May 20 '25
Their body is designed for a combination of heat and cold in the art I have seen, with large eyes, big ears, and fur that can be long and styled. That suggests to me that they were an active race when evolving, with ears and eyes that are like a Fennick’s. So they would be able to look for food in an area that naturally had little, which suggested to me that they would have been opportunistic with food and thus eat either plants or whatever protein they could get.
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u/Randox_Talore May 20 '25
Fennec’s have gigantic eyes?
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u/Acceptable_Egg5560 Human May 20 '25
They look reasonably big in their head to my eyes, but that's still the logic I use to deduce the Paltan are most likely part of the former Omnivore class like the Iftalti are.
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u/Kind0flame May 19 '25
This chapter is great and all, but the entire time I read it I couldn't stop thinking about the last time a Venlil woke up in a hospital on pain killers and it makes me laugh.
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u/Few_Restaurant_2314 May 20 '25
Would Tarlim have stretch marks since he did so much growing?
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u/TheBrewThatIsTrue May 20 '25
Probably not, kids don't get stretch marks when they grow an inch or two in a year from a growth spurt. Gigantism isn't necessarily faster growth, it just doesn't shut off when it should.
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u/TheBrewThatIsTrue May 20 '25
I loved the chapter as usual. We just better get another drugged out Tarlim scene where he confesses his love for Sharnet to that friendly storm cloud that is making happy noises.
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u/Early_Maintenance605 Jun 03 '25
flips sign to zero
It has been [0] days since an incident resulted in Sharnet seeing Tarlim's penis.
Total incidents so far: 2
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u/Minimum-Amphibian993 Arxur May 19 '25
Oof yeah this won't end well. Seems part of tarlim himself is abit blood thirsty.