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Tommy Innit is an Aranea, a rare species seen for its four eyes and six arms. He's from a Deathworld, a name given to planets with species known for war. They are pack creatures, most spotted in groups. Their packs are grown from two Araneas' mating, the pack goes from that. When an Aranea is old enough they can leave the pack if they want to make their own. That's what Tommy did, as the firstborn and a male. So he goes off, and travels through the wild jungle of his planet. He spends two years that way, it's nothing for an Aranea. Sure it's a little lonely but Tommy has always made friends easily. All alone one day he meets a beautiful woman, slim and tall she is.
He asks her name, a fantastical Mirri. She's just left her pack, fresh to explore their planet. They go off together, days spent swinging through the blue trees they blend into. They fall in love, sitting and eating what they pick off the vegetation. Then Mirri simply loves this shining spot by a river, she jumps and squeals in excitement over it, and the splotches up her arms blink in time. He loves her; would do anything for her. He builds a home high up in the branches, invisible unless looked for. The soft bark is easily moldable to his forcing claws, the padding up his hands pressing into shape. It's a huge hole carved out filled with soft mosses that they curl up comfortably in. Up there he holds her one night, and she tells him she wants to start their pack.
Hesitation rolls through him yet his will is weak to her wants. He names their son Shroud, small for his age he is, yet he grows fast. Only ten years and already he reaches Tommy's knee. He bounces in excitement when his little sister is born, a sweet little thing that is purpled toned in her skin, unlike her blue flushed family. Mirri calls her Clementine and Tommy agrees, his Clementine. When Clementine reaches four she leaves their bloered for the first time. Shroud and her cling to their father as he makes the careful climb down the tree. She loves the river just like her mother making clicking sounds and jumping about.
It's another three peaceful years going by, Shroud gets into his burrowing faze. His tunnels run through the tree in zigzags that only start from a hole under their bloered. Henry and Nuu are brought into the world after Shroud's calmed this habit.
They are only a year when horror takes them. There's fire, shrieks, pain. Shroud wakes up with a fire in his leg and his father making soothing trills. They are in a sphere carved out from the rest of the room, a pure blue, it's lighter than his skin. A bright white light shines from above onto them. Clementine is snuggled in his lap, the twins in some of his father's arms. Tommy holds his children close and mourns everything he once had. Being attacked at his weakest with his family, Mirrir's scream pulses in his head. It vibrates down his pointed ears and fluffs out his thin tail. He's been taken, and his chest hurts. Nuu whimpers in his hold, he folds her closer in an attempt to comfort both her and himself.
Tommy and what's left of his pack mourn for their loss, they mourn for their future. (And Tommy Innit mourns for what he must do.)
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It's the fourth that's been dragged in. His pack sits in their makeshift bloered, he crawls around the edges and growls. Juwins are weak, yet they are smart. After he killed the first few dumb enough to try and climb into his bloered they keep their distance. The wall he knows doesn't have any openings cracks to the side. Three Juwins in armor he knows he could cut threw drag in a young. It gives Tommy a seconds pause before he crawls over to the one side of the small opening. He more hangs on the outside of it but the sizing is best so no Juwins can look in without getting in swiping range of Tommy.
The young is pitch dark with patches of stark white that stand against each other. Completely purple eyes shift around and it squirms. One of the Juwins smack at it which causes it to make warbled noises, probably saying something in its own language. Tommy growls louder which catches it’s attention. It immediately starts making more noise and wiggling about. It's scared of him, just like the three others. His ears flatten as the situation dawns on him. They are being brought to him in shows of execution. He's a danger, something they are threatened with. They know he will kill whoever they bring him because his young are in his nest.
He growls and tightens his claws, his children were only spared for his protection. Two adult Araneas' are too much for such a flimsy species. It tries to presumably plead with the Juwins as they leave walking backward to not show their backs to him. Tommy assumes it's to protect themselves like he couldn't rip them to shreds right then and there. The young thing backs itself into a corner, it's absolutely terrified. Tommy debates to himself the marriotts of his actions.
The other is young, possibly only a few years older than Shroud. He could kill it, maybe he even should considering. But it is young, scared, and finds him a danger. Tommy crawls inside the opening to his bloered. Shroud idly picks at a large chuck of unknown meat that the Juwins throw inside. They learned once again after Tommy ate one of the guards, and picked the meat from bones to feed his young.
"Shroud, come here." Shroud perks his head up at his father's words. He carefully crawls over Nuu and Clementine giggling together over Henry trying to bite into a different piece of meat. Shroud comes up and sits just beside his father to peek out of the nest. The young curls in on itself with a whimper at the sight of another Aranea. "Shroud, they are bringing them to us for execution. They think us beasts made for killing." Shroud's chest rumbles angrily, his spots blinking slowly. "They want you to kill a nestling? It is as young as me, would they kill me?" His voice tampers off in fear. Tommy's face twists and he shakes his head. "They wouldn't dare touch a hair on your head, I would rip them limb from limb." They don't mention the Juwins have tried, Araneas' have their reputation for a reason, it is that they are ruthless.
If Tommy would bother to keep track at least two dozen have lost their lives to him already. Clementine clicks excitingly as Henry manages to rip a hunk off. "It is scared, sacrificed. I do not think it is worth killing." Shroud finally says. Tommy looks at the figure trying desperately to protect itself from what it presumes is an attack waiting to happen. He snatches up Shroud and places him back with his siblings. The boy only resumes his picking, unbothered by the jostling. Tommy stands guard that night, and the night after that, and even the night after that.
The young does not have his practice of staying awake, it falls asleep the second night with gleaming blue eyes watching its every move. He watches it shiver in the cold open air for another day or two. It's clearly hungry, upset, and after consulting his pack (Clementine and Shroud, Nuu and Henry are still too young to speak) he moves out of the nest.
He grabs the young when it's asleep, his many arms help to slide it into his bloered.
Of course when it awakes it panics, this was expected. Tommy sits across from it with his children curled up close behind him. But panicked warbles eventually calm and it speaks. "Uh hello, where am I?' Tommy's common is rusty, his throat isn't made for it. He simply tilts his head to the hole between them, it shuffles over and looks out. It's surprised at being in his bloered obviously, his pity for the young thing is surely visible, but it can't afford to be upset about it. "I'm Ranboo, um I'm a Turkwanstin.' It says in a quiet voice. Tommy nods, Shroud peeks his head out over his father's shoulder from his place on the older's back.
"Hi,' Ranboo whispers to the younger. Shroud tilts his head, he knows even less common than Tommy does. Tommy smacks at his own throat a few times, it makes Ranboo back into the curved wall. "He can't speak as us.' Tommy is not entirely sure he said what he wanted but Ranboo looks to have understood. "Why haven't you killed me?" The young flinches like it shouldn't have said that. Tommy gestures vaguely and tries to pull the words together. "You are nestling, why kill someone who is in similar situation?' He grunts, Ranboo's eyes widen like he's surprised at Tommy's sympathy.
Tommy rolls his eyes at the expression, his acid red sclera bleeding slightly into his flashing blue iris. "Not monsters, not idiotic, why have you been brought?' He asks, Ranboo curls into himself with a sad warble. "My friends have something they want, they took me for ransom.' It whimpers, Tommy frowns. "They think I will kill for mine, and they are right, yet it angers me.” It looks nervous again but doesn’t attempt to leave. “Ranboo, I have deal.' It looks up at him with cautious but desperate eyes. Tommy eight eyes blink back unflinchingly. "What's the deal?' It finally asks, determination starts creeping in. "Only reason still here is my nestlings, I cannot carry all and fight, if you carry two, I will take stand.' Ranboo sits in what's probably stunned silence for a few seconds.
Tommy arms previously curled backwards out of view relax. He's sitting yet his long torso hides his children well by design. Eighty is the last growth for Aranea to reach nine feet, with his oldest of Shroud only 21.
Compared to Ranboo the Aranea sitting with it has high chances of escape as he's coiled with muscle, has six arms, and his teeth are razor sharp. Ranboo is weak to water, only five limbs all together, and in comparison to this Aranea it is only seven feet. Tommy's arms fold forward now, 4 small Araneas' spilling out from behind him. The biggest is only four feet and he holds a smaller one in his arms, possibly a baby. "My son Shroud, my daughter Clementine, my twins Nuu and Henry. You, can call me Tommy.' Tommy gestures, Shroud let's Nuu go.
The baby stares at Ranboo unblinkingly. "I'm Ranboo.' It whispers even if the children can't understand it. There's a shifting clicking sound from above them all. Looking up, Ranboo see's a light sphere spinning as it dims. Shroud blinks a few times before scooping up Nuu and Henry. Ranboo is left confused before it realizes.
Sleep cycles.
It's pretty obvious a schedule of some kind would exist yet it still takes it by surprise. Araneas seem constantly vigilant with all the eyes, especially after being watched by one for the past few days. Speaking of which a hunger rumbles through it at the reminder it hasn't eaten. Tommy, name now known, looks over at it from where he was fussing over the small blue children scrambling over him. His body seems to twist impossibility to reach and pat the floor that's grown dark. Tommy's face twists into what's probably a pleased expression but Ranboo can't tell. The spider-like alien thrusts something that it doesn't recognize for a few seconds before it knows. A slab of unknown meat, and it barely pays that mind in favor of ripping into it.
Tommy slumps over and the children seem to have finally situated themselves; all curled up together (maybe a body heat thing? Ranboo doesn't know much about them). Ranboo devours the chunk in record time and sags its shoulders at the renewed exhaustion that comes with it. Tommy gives him a thorough glance over before one of his many arms pats at Ranboo, perhaps comfortingly.
The nestling ends up snuggled into Tommy's side while the oldest Aranea keeps a steady watch.
Tommy's never considered himself the friendliest but he can listen to his pack's opinion, and maybe this Ranboo is the ticket out of here.