[Mooshyy]

Username + ID#: mooshyy + 823703
Kalon Link: ink
Chosen Prompt: What is their favorite sound?
Prompt Response:

she loves the sound of rain!

Token Worth: 14 pts
fullbody- 4 pts
color- 3 pts
shading- 2 pts
background- 5 pts

Previous Responses: 1 | 2 & 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

[dragonstars]

Username + ID#: Dragonstars+865902
Kalon Link:
Kiikii
Chosen Prompt: "What do they use as an escape?"
Prompt Response:

Token Worth: 9 tokens
Fullbody-4
Color-2
Shading-3
Previous Responses:
"Do they prefer a starry sky or a vibrant sunrise?"
"Does magic exist?"
"How did they learn they were special?"
"What was their childhood bedroom like?"
"What item does this kal possess that has sentimental value and why"

Username + ID#: Dragonstars+865902
Kalon Link: Kiikii
Chosen Prompt: "Where do they go to relax?"
Prompt Response:

Token Worth:
Total tokens- 14 tokens
Fullbody-4
Shading-2
Color-3
Background-5
Previous Responses:
"Do they prefer a starry sky or a vibrant sunrise?"
"Does magic exist?"
"How did they learn they were special?"
"What was their childhood bedroom like?"
"What item does this kal possess that has sentimental value and why"

[captain dude]

Username + ID#: captain dude 1003555
Kalon Link: Sanaa
Chosen Prompt: “Is there a political climate? What’s it like?”
Prompt Response:

Politically, things are tense. One of the most trusted political radio shows about the current political climate is hosted by Zuri, a horned hyena-esque alien, with her talk show based in the Lost Isles after she did some planet-hopping. Most receive their news from her transmissions as she puts great care and effort into factuality and precision. She only does opinion pieces on her other show, in order to streamline and factualize her content for the busy and discerning extraterrestrial. She was born into freedom on the Isles, but took a deep curiosity in the world around her and wanted to learn more about how those in other lands live. This led her to doing a lot of traveling, learning about other cultures, and ultimately, to her job as a radio host.

The main factor in the political climate is what regime one lives under. There are two main alliances of governments that rule over space. The first is the Interera Council, which takes a somewhat minarchist approach. While they do have a military and create some laws, these are used minimally. The military is mostly sabre-rattling to keep the Occimus and Dralts at bay and to protect those in their coalition from takeover. Their laws tend to be rather general (such as “no killing other sentients” and “no fraternizing with the Occimus Empire”) and few, but that’s about it. Most is left up to local government (or no government at all). The Lost Isles, a popular archipelago of spaceports that borders on the Occimus and Draltic Empires, is a notable part of this coalition. Sanaa spends significant time in the Lost Isles before joining Captain Carter’s crew in hopes of getting home.

Representatives from all the civilizations populate InterEra Council meetings, gracing the halls in elegant robes and gilded cities in distant Altha. This Council is led by the Lady of Space herself, Judge Judadelaphar (Juda for short), an regal, tall humanoid that oversees the proceedings, makes decisions which require immediate attention, and delivers orders to her military commanders. There are a few Kalon representatives, but none come to mind at this moment. There are just so many species that sometimes, this one gets lost in the mix. Tai’al, Sanaa’s home, used to belong to the Interera Council, but was recently conquered by the Empiric Alliance without a fight. The inhabitants are in their own Stone Age and had no idea that there is anything truly there in “the world beyond the stars”.

The other, the more nefarious, is an alliance between the Draltic Empire and the much more powerful Occimus. Both are dangerous, aggressive obligate carnivores and very hazardous to liberties and freedoms throughout the galaxies. The Dralts, a towering, Doberman-like species, are merely pawns in the game in the Occimus mind. They’re a much less manipulative species and abide by Occimus rules almost autonomously. They have an almost hive mind way about them, though not much is known about them in general. There are no known instances of Dralts who are not in one hundred percent agreement with the Empiric Alliance. They are all meritocratic, with the highest generals being those to give orders to their underlings and so on and so forth down their rank and files. Dralts are usually the main confiscators and occupiers of other species’ land. They are fascinated by rules and laws. They are an empire in name only, mostly due to the fact that their ruler and leaders are ultimately Occimus. The Occimus are a small, slightly built, species somewhat comparable to Earth’s weasels. The tyrants of space, they are bad news to everyone else in the universe. This leaves them rendered evil and malicious in the eyes of everything else in their sector of the universe. Skilled with weapons and athletic, they are relentless pursuit hunters that will trail targets for far distances. They rule over the Canis Major Galaxy and much of the Milky Way. The highest rank among them are their overlords, which serve as both legislators and bounty hunters that track down “lawbreakers” of other species. Many charges are heightened in comparison to severity (freeing prisoners, communicating with those outside the Empires, fraternizing with anyone in the IEC, or defacing propaganda posters). It’s pretty easy to be charged with something by the Occimus Empire (in fact, dear reader, I’m sure you or I could do so without even knowing). Their leader is Uta, the High Overlord. This position serves as emperor and is a title of great honor, usually passed down from parent to progeny, though this can skip generations or transfer lineage if a parent decides their child is unworthy of the honor. Unlike Dralts, Occimus do not have a hive mind and exhibit a wide range of individualism along with a deep interest in the arts, music, culture, and theatre. Some even defect from the main train of thought and view other species as equals such as Suloia (and Uta himself, after a change of heart, and ultimately a defection from his own regime’s structure and council). There are kind Occimus out there, but it is often thought to be a rarity. Some are kind and egalitarian towards all species, others have instances of showing special sympathy towards other creatures as one-time cases, but the majority never see other creatures this way.

Kalons tend to be evenly split between the two regimes’ land. While their secondary nesting site (outside of Earth) that has the highest numbers, is primarily in the Argyllic Isles (Dralt territory), they have, in recent years, made their way to the diverse Lost Isles (home to Acey’s mafia and Absalom, in hiding). Many Argyllican Kals are unnerved (and rightfully so) by the Draltic presence. Piracy towards Dralts does occur occasionally (Sanaa gets himself mixed up in this while seeking a crew that will take him home) and is most common amongst Argyllican Kalons but pirates often have shorter lifespans due to the danger of this career. Captain Carter absolutely hates them, as she lost her sibling to them, as do plenty of others. But outside of a few incidents that resulted from the Draltic tendency to take things literally and be very “letter of the law”, Dralts are not very active in being dangerous to anyone. Many resent them and their presence is unsettling, yes, but rarely causes skirmishes. It’s Occimus that they have to worry about much more.

Some Kals, on the other hand, have allied themselves with the invaders. Cerulean, a planet populated only by Kalons, has willingly made itself an outpost with the intent for espionage for the Empires. Scientifically advanced, they have used their technological progress for malicious purposes and regularly spy on their own citizens.

Some live pretty oblivious to the fact that there’s a world outside their own planet that is pretty hostile, while others, know of this. Sanaa is on one of these remote isles. He has never experienced, nor even knows of the political scene beyond their own sunrise and sunset. He knows nothing of the world outside of his planet and life is very much limited to the beautiful simplicity of his home and people. Tai’al never sought visitors and never sent them out. It was not until invaders came knocking that things changed. After his arrest, time in space jail on his way to trial, eventual release, and his time as part of Captain Carter’s crew, his world suddenly got much, much bigger.

Sanaa is currently trying to get home after a skirmish with both Empires. He strongly wants to become the planet’s representative and go before the Council to beg for protection and help from the invaders. While he enjoys his primitive lifestyle, he recognizes that, in order to keep life the way it is, he will have to make sacrifices for the good of his family.

Token Worth: 1184 words =10 tokens
Previous Responses: This is the start of the prompts!

[captain dude]

Username + ID#: captain dude 1003555
Kalon Link: Sanaa
Chosen Prompt: “Your kal just got sent to prison, what are they in for?”
Prompt Response:

He is actually currently under arrest and being imprisoned. Here’s how it all went down.

Sanaa noticed the incoming invasion first. The hunting party were resting on their haunches in the branches of the treetops, waiting for a primate to wander by or a wayward flying creature. Enjoying the warmth of their sun, Sanaa leaned delicately on the bar of his spear. His eyespots caught movement on the side and hoping to spot the next catch, swiveled his head. But rather than something to catch, he saw what looked like… a large rock careening down with a huge whir. It looked nothing like any rock he had ever seen before, but with how loud the noise was and how big the flames that came from it as it fell, he couldn’t help but let out a shriek. Climbing down from the foliage through vines and trees, hopping from branch to branch as agile as any of the prey he pursued, Sanaa made his way quickly down to the pool the mysterious rock was heading towards. Before he reached it, a huge thud let him know it had hit. As he cleared the tree line by the sandy beach, he was able to get a better look at the object. Hulking and shiny, it was beautiful, if not so surprising. It was not until then that he noticed. The rock from the sky had a door! As the door opened, he ducked behind some brush. A single creature with a slender body and long limbs, almost like some of the Kalons he had seen, but walked out on two limbs. Its muzzle was very long, unlike a Kalon, though it wore clothing like many of them. It was headed this way.

‘I wonder if it can smell me, if it knows that I’m here’, wondered Sanaa, ‘... and I wonder if it’s alone.’ Many on his planet’s best sense was scent, so he assumed that would be its first indicator he was hidden in the brush. Some of the saps he had used to conceal his scent for hunting would have rubbed off as he had ran to watch the falling rock, leaving him vulnerable if it had a decent sense of smell.

It came closer and closer. He decided the safest thing would be to head back to their village and warn the others of the strange creature from the sky rock. Running at as fast as those long legs could take him, the underbrush seemed like obstacles in his way as he careened towards his home. He had to be there. What if it was hostile? Like a warring tribe?

With everyone milling about, he found himself looking like a madman as he tried to blurt out the news.

“There is a strange being (the word in his dialect literally translates to “otherly Kalon”, though that felt very awkward to use as he knew pretty clearly that this creature wasn’t a Kal) that landed off the rock that came from the sky!”, he tried to get out.

The puzzled faces made him feel like he was staring down the sun.

“You need to get inside! I don’t know if it’s hostile! I’ll gather the hunters and see what it wants”, he warned, with one more glance before starting up the trees to get the tribe’s warriors together. He felt anxious.

When he had called all the warriors down to their village, he found mothers pulling kits into dens, fathers shouting as their young and able bodied offspring lifted bark from the massive trees they lived under to cover their windows. He spotted it, crossing slowly into the clearing, and let out a cry of alarm. Most scrambled into dens, though, out of the corner his eyes, he noticed a few of the mothers still trying to usher their kits into their homes. He retreated, trying to give it a wide berth as he did with large creatures to make them not feel threatened. It moved quickly and agilely into the clearing where their dens were. Lifting a spear not too different from his own in one hand, it moved closer to the stragglers with its long fast legs. Terrified of what it might do to the families, he moved, backing himself right up against a mother desperately trying to pick up her four newborns at once. The alien, taking one glance at him, started moving closer. He raised his lips in a snarl as it reached for its spear. He wasn’t going to find out whether it knew how to use it.

He reached out with his own weapon, aiming for its lean body. It deflected his blow. He couldn’t quite gather what emotion it was feeling, whether it was angry or annoyed or content. Its face expressed emotion in ways that were very unlike his. He reached out his spear to aim another strike towards it when he felt two sets of hands wrapping around his shoulders and hips.

He thrashed around with the spear and heard a yelp of pain from whatever was behind him and was yanked backwards even more forcefully. He felt himself dropped to the ground, leaving an aching pain in his head, and, woozily, recalled being lifted by his back onto someone’s shoulders. Sanaa’s weight had been too much for them at first, but now they had regrouped and were carrying him off. He had hit his head pretty hard and now the leaves above danced around his head as he was carried off to who knows where.

He remembered the fleeting feeling of terror, of needing to get back and help the mother he had been guarding, but with a sickening feeling realized the spear-holding creature was likely one of the things carrying him. It wasn’t alone. The world faded into black as the throbbing pain in his head caused him to black out.

He came to on a cold floor. It wasn’t dirt but some slick material. Lifting himself groggily to his feet, he found himself surrounded on all sides. A pane of thick clear glass was on the side of the room. Pressing his great paws up against the glass surface, he tried to look for some sort of exit. It showed up, escorted by Its companions, also the odd, stretched-out species.

Sanaa jumped back, pressing himself up against the wall and puffing his backmane up to look larger.

The thing looked at him, the glass disappeared, and it walked in. Surprisingly, it spoke, in language he could understand.

“You can speak, can you not?” It asked, in a cold feminine tone. It wasn’t an It but a She.

“Yes,” he said, with as much strength as he could muster.

“Good. You are under arrest under the authority of Kadimea Katyusha for the attack of a dignitary and wounding of a citizen.”

“What is that?” Sanaa asked, puzzled. “Ar-rest? What does that mean?”

“You are in our possession until we decide what to do with you for those actions. We will bring you before a council and decide your fate. If you are found innocent, you are let go. If you are found guilty, the punishment is likely death,” she said icily, in a tone that suggested these words were scripted lines of mere formality.

The Kalon looked at her in fear.

“I will never go home if I am freed?” He asked. “Or do you take me home? Are more of whatever you are in my home? Where is this?”

He did not know exactly what they were called, nor did he have a word for what they were, but he had a strange sense that they were not in Tai’al.

“It is not our concern to take you back. You would be released wherever we can, most likely Androk, where the council is located. What happens to you then is not our concern. Yes, we are currently seeking out your planet as a suitable territory for our ownership. And if you’re asking where we are and where we are going, we are currently beyond the atmosphere of your home planet and heading for Androk. We are in deep space now, what you see when you look up at night”, she said in a sleek, snakelike voice.

“Please,” he begged. “I don’t deserve arrest. I was afraid. The mother, she had kits! With the spear you held, I was afraid you would hurt her. It was not out of war or anger. You can take me back. Please, I did not want to hurt you. Please.”

“I cannot,” the warden’s face expression softened just a small bit. Something in him knew she felt bad for him. “That is not for me or you to decide, but for the council. Until then, you will stay here with me.”

Those words echoed in his ears, long after she had left. Now, he felt completely trapped and utterly alone.

Token Worth: 1486 words— 10 tokens
Previous Responses:
Politics of Kalon’s World: 10 tokens
Total: 20 tokens

[captain dude]

Username + ID#: captain dude 1003555
Kalon Link: Sanaa
Chosen Prompt: “What is their greatest fear?”
Prompt Response:

“You’ve been up for quite a while, Sanaa”, the Overlord said. There was a meditative demeanor in her silky, sleek voice.

Sanaa bristled at her voice. Despite the lengths of the travel, he never quite got used to her being there. Maybe it was the fact that he realized he was essentially in a floating jail, light-years away from everything he knew and loved. He rose from where he rested by the window to the starry abyss outside. Katyusha’s ship was quite expansive, but he could never get around the feeling of being trapped in a cold metal tube with her. It was already a big culture shock to see an alien that wasn’t a Kalon, let alone something that was so different from him, particularly in how expressive they were. She was much less expressive than even the most stoic Kalon he had ever met, he thought to himself.

“What are you thinking about?” She asked, in an uncharacteristic moment of softness.

Sanaa looked away, out at the expanse of space, and shuddered.

“I guess you could say, my fears, Your Grace.”

Her expression was softer than usual. Though she had been an overlord, a member of their military, and a warden over other alien jailbirds for years, she had moments where she almost seemed… nice. “And what are those? What is the worst fear of yours?”

She seemed oddly genuine in her interest. To be truthful, Sanaa feared many things. Her, for one. Her species were apparently known conquistadors, ready to claim new territory left behind in pursuit of intergalactic rule, from the little information he could weasel out of her.

Death, as well. Sanaa pictured himself dying peacefully at home in the rainforest. While his home did have some dangerous megafauna that wouldn’t hesitate to maul a Kal if they got the chance, Sanaa was a skilled hunter and fighter and secretly hoped if he was to die someday, it would be through fighting with another tribe or another creature that slinked through the dense jungle growth, with a spear and dagger in hand, and mourned by his tribe for such a noble, heroic death in defense of his people. His culture is so interlinked and passionate about family and community that these values are so big a part of his soul, that to move on without being among those he loves would be a shame and tragedy. His people weren’t bloodthirsty or aggressive by any stretch of the imagination. Most of their diet was plant based, with hunting being an occasional supplement. And even then, utmost respect was paid to their home, the ecosystem, and the other creatures that lived in it. Their culture viewed dying through fighting as one of the highest honors in crossing over to the afterlife. And home would not be home without all the risks and thrills that came with it. But to die here, in a metal tube around those who he did not grow up with or share any memories with… he shuddered at the thought.

He also feared to think the dishonor of facing trial on an alien planet, in a foreign tongue, with foreign inventions surrounded by aliens he found terrifying. Their skin (no fur!) and scales, their long, pointy muzzles and rows upon rows of sharp teeth, cropped ears, even the way they stood on two legs all the time! It was as if someone took the image of what Sanaa thought of as a being and had melted it like wax, warped it. It was like looking at yourself in a pool, on a dark night, and realizing that the face staring back at you was grotesque and distorted. He had realized a few days into the voyage that even if the charges were dropped and his name cleared, it was unlikely that he would ever be able to get home. It was just so far away. And that made his heart sink. It was a face even worse than death. To be left on some planet so far away, adrift in the cosmos.

Surrounded by a world that confused and scared him (even the way that one had to drink water, use the bathroom, and the feeling of always falling, never landing had terrified him aboard the Interception), not knowing who to trust and who could help him get home, not knowing how to use the mysterious and confusing technologies before him, he couldn’t see himself having very much longer unless some miraculous intervention happened soon.

But all those fears had a common theme.

He finally spoke up. “I think… it’s uncertainty.”

He was finally getting good at reading Kadimea’s reactions. He was able to tell through the pane of glass in his cell that the alien he had speared had told a joke to its friend, which promptly responded, doing their equivalent of laughing. He was even starting to learn how to tell them apart and to find out what gender they are. With his budding knowledge of Kadimea Katyusha and her species, Sanaa could tell his response surprised her.

“I have heard many fears but this one is new to me. Do you care to tell me more?”

“The uncertainty of my life, of my family and people, of my home. There are so many things waiting for decisions that I have no control or say over. They are never solved but always waiting there for me. I do not know when we get to your world whether I will be declared innocent or guilty. I do not know what will happen to my village, whether my family will be safe, what will remain in the aftermath, and truthfully, even what your people’s interests and intentions in my homeland and those who live in it are. That scares me. You see, back home we have more than one village and more than one tribe. Our neighbors, the River Colony and Vine Colony, will gladly go to battle with us if they feel we have something they don’t, even so far as to ambusing peaceful gatherers. I personally fear...”

He trailed off. He did not know how Katyusha would take this and still did not know enough about her culture and morality to know whether this would be offensive. Yet she had asked for his honesty, so he decided he would give it.

“I fear that your people will be like our rivals and cause war. One does not come in for peace with spears and axes.”

She was quiet and continued to listen.

“It terrifies me to think that perhaps my sisters and their families will never know freedom. That whatever you creatures want will be taken from them and their families and in exchange, nothing but dust. I fear that more will be sent here, to the council, like I am. That they might never truly be free. And likely, I will never know, and that is the uncertainty that pains me the most.”

“That is interesting”, she replied. “Most tell me that what they fear most is death but your reply seems more… accurate.”

“Your Grace, there are much worse things than death,” replied Sanaa, looking out into the starry abyss.

Token Worth: 1180 words: 10 tokens

Previous Responses:
Politics of Kalon’s World: 10 tokens
Why are they in prison?:10 tokens
Total: 30 tokens

[captain dude]

Username + ID#: captain dude 1003555
Kalon Link: Sanaa
Chosen Prompt: Write about a strange dream they had once.
Prompt Response:

One thing no one could have prepared him for about space travel was the sleeping situation. At first, Katyusha and the other two aliens had him sleeping in the little prison cell he had woken up in after the fight, but as their suspicions waned about him, he was able to move a little more freely about the ship and choose his sleeping quarters. He found a small cushioned window seat in one of the more dimly lit areas of the cabin and had been using it as his designated sleeping spot ever since. It was a bit of an inconvenience to have the other three living beings on the ship walking through when something needed attention on the bridge or their own metabolisms seemed to wake them up, but it was worth it to sleep on something soft. If he imagined well enough, he could picture himself on his fleece bed back home, curled up to the hums of insects.

The dreams were odder than ever before. Maybe it was the constant barrage of new stimuli, but their number and intensity were perplexing, especially for someone who believed so much in the prophetic content of dreams.


It started out with him in a long hallway, eyes studded all throughout the walls, watching, blinking, looking around. But mostly looking at him with intense distrust and disgust. He heard footsteps beside him but couldn’t really turn his head enough to one side to see who or what it was. Whatever it was, it was singing, but he couldn’t quite make it out. As he kept walking on, the eyes grew less paranoid and suspicious and more sheepish and bashful. They looked everywhere but him, it seemed. As he drew near the end of the hallway, a door was opened to a great forest and grassy field, not like any forest he had experienced before, but colder and filled with sparser, deciduous trees. The presence beside him said one word, “Go”. As he walked towards the forest, he felt a great sense of falling down, down, down. When he finally landed, it was in something he had never seen before, but had now heard of from the alien he had wounded by accident during the fight back on Tai’al. A giant city, neon and bright, with buildings taller than the enormous trees he climbed. He lost his balance again and when he had caught himself, found himself on a starship, and an old one from the looks of it. Lined with wood and lanterns, it had a feel that was far warmer than Katyusha’s ship. He felt soft fur against his front paw and was surprised by a fluffy blue kit of his own species looking up at him, beaming. He heard voices coming from another room, and the kit scampered off towards them. He followed it and found a room filled with good food and drink, rousing melody, and lots of happy faces and voices singing along. Sanaa found it hard to recall any specific faces, but the atmosphere was as clear as day. There was a celebration taking place. One of the members of the crew gave a toast and the entire group cheered. The eyes of the group turned to him, and he was expected to give a toast next. He found himself doing something generic “happiness, bravery and the true north”, or something like that.

Once the party had winded down, he remembered a large brown dappled Kalon pulling him aside, looking him directly in the eyes and asking as clear as day.

“Everyone else can go home. Would you like to go home?”

He nodded. Yes, of course he did!

A door opened and he found himself, not home but dressed in formal, draping clothes amongst gold shining cathedrals and halls. It was very beautiful, but most certainly not home. He turned to the brown Kalon and told it this wasn’t his home.

“No but it’s what you have to do to win it.”

He couldn’t remember any specifics but recalled going into a room covered with glimmering bronze statues and arguing about… something. The statues nodded, with a third turning to silver and the other two-thirds turning to gold. Lightness and warmth filled his chest as he cried tears of joy, causing the statues to heat to glowing brightness.

It was then that he felt Kadimea Katyusha’s clawed hand resting gently on his shoulder. All four of his eyes opened. She was offering him a pouch full of water (as this was the easiest method to keep it from floating off into any sensitive machinery now that they were in microgravity and out of the tug of any nearby planets) and a container with warmed, toasted grains. Hot food. Now he had missed that sorely. It was the first time he had seen it since he was first on the ship so he was happy to make sure it didn’t go to waste. It was just slightly sweet and he felt himself unable to slow down eating.

But over breakfast, he couldn’t help but think over the dream. It seemed to have some sort of symbolism, an omen of something. He just couldn’t make out what. The footsteps in the hall? Now that could be anyone. The eyes seemed sinister, but maybe that was a reference to how Kadimea had seemed cold and inquisitorial at first but had softened as the journey progressed. Now, he could see how they could have been good friends, under different circumstances. The forest and grasses could represent either freedom or the afterlife.

The city? He couldn’t even begin to understand what that was supposed to mean. Maybe he had gotten a dream for someone else. He made a point to tell the dream to the other three, who looked just as confused as he did. Each offered their own point of view and while he was no closer to understanding the dream, he did learn a little more about their culture’s symbolism.

“The lanterns are a symbol of hesitation to us,” said the creature he had wounded, who he now knew was named Suloia, a beautiful name if you asked Sanaa. “And the wooden starship was a symbol of a risky journey. No one lines a metallic ship with wood, except for an outlaw of some sort. Outlaws usually mean that the travel will contain some measure of risk and new discoveries. Maybe it’s a dream about your journey. Perhaps you are the outlaw after the skirmish. It would make sense. But I know so little of your people that I could not tell you much about what it means to you.”

There were still too many things to consider and so much didn’t make sense. So Sanaa decided to keep quiet for the rest of the day and focus on the dream’s meaning.

Token count: 1144 words: 10 tokens
Previous Responses:


Politics of Kalon’s World: 10 tokens
Why are they in prison?:10 tokens
Greatest Fear: 10 tokens
Total: 40 tokens

[captain dude]

Username + ID#: captain dude 1003555
Kalon Link: Sanaa
Chosen Prompt: What was the happiest thing that ever happened to them?
Prompt Response:

It was thirteen days since they had entered the wormhole that Sanaa could see the little planet blinking into view. He had free reign of the ship now, and Katyusha seemed to trust him, even like him somewhat. She had a gentle way about her when dealing with him, as if she knew the intense culture shock he was undergoing. The level of advancement and the lack of anything green and remotely natural drove him crazy and left him puzzled. He was antsy with nerves. This would be the day that would decide his fate. This would be the day that would decide whether he could the evening as a free man.

Yesterday, he had had his strange dream. Today, he would be testifying as to the attack and the council would be deciding his fate. He could feel his stomach knotting already. The ship landed and for the first time in a Tai’al month, he saw plants again. There was something so irresistible about being able to feel mosses and grasses again, to be able to smell something organic for once after so long. Katyusha waved him over to a building that he trotted over to. He was on edge about the trial but being outside gave his spirits a bit of a pick-me-up.

“You know,” she said. “I could get in so much trouble for this. The council would call it fabrication. I’d lose my status as a dignitary or worse, exile. But I’m dropping the charges of attack of a dignitary. You will have a better chance at being declared innocent with only one charge and I will be vouching for you, so there’s a good chance that you will be standing here with me later today in freedom. I will try my best to get you to the closest spaceport, maybe you can hitch a ride home again, but I can’t make any promises. I have already talked with Suloia and he wishes to minimize the accusations as much as possible. You are likeable, Sanaa, and genuinely concerned about others. It was, wholeheartedly, an accident that you wounded him, and besides, he’s almost fully healed by now so there hasn’t been any lasting damage. Under better circumstances, if I were not bound by duty, we would be friends. And maybe, at the end of the day, when my duty to the council is released and if you are freed, we will be. I am sorry for this trouble, the pain this has caused you. I am sorry that our assigned lots in life have burdened you. With that, the three of us will be testifying in your favor today.”

Sanaa could scarcely understand it. None of them, compared to his type of Kalon, were very expressive creatures. He had thought they liked him, and that Katyusha had warmed up to him, but could not have imagined that she actually enjoyed his presence and even more, that she wanted to help him.

When they entered the court, he noticed that it was shaped like a giant pit, with Katyusha, Suloia, Rayma, and him in the sunken middle and the council up above the pit on the edges of the room. It was ornate and well-decorated, though he had trouble remembering much about it or even what was being said at the case because of how nervous he was. He tried to give an account-- barring the part about the attack on Katyusha as instructed-- but found himself stuttering and tongue-tied. Disapproving and suspicious looks from around the large room seemed to magnify on him. He felt very small. Luckily, it was Katyusha and Suloia who spoke up, giving most of the account. The expressions softened a bit and more still as she shared her account of the story and Suloia, his. He showed the nearly healed wound from Sanaa’s spear back on Tai’al and made assurances about his own safety.

Eventually, the time came for the council to vote. Sanaa was sent with the three out of the court room. Those three minutes felt like the longest minutes of his life. He practically held his breath as the moments ticked by that determined his fate. Ultimately, it was being called back into the Council’s Chambers that were the most terrifying of all the moments. As each council member announced their vote, Sanaa waited with bated breath to find that half plus three had voted in favor of his release. His relief was palpable as tears streaked down his face and he ran out of the court room to roll in the moss again in sweet victory. To palpably feel the soil and plants beneath him grounded him, made him feel alive. And right now, that was all the hope he needed. Katyusha and Suloia joined him a few minutes later to embrace him and get misty-eyed right along with him.

“You know, if you want to leave for the port tomorrow, we can get a head start and be there within a week. The wormhole for the spaceport is a lot closer than the one for Tai’al,” she lowered her voice. “It’s better to get you off this planet as fast as possible. Not everyone here takes as kindly to other creatures as Suloia. You’re an easy target around here and people around here don’t hesitate to resort to vigilante justice if something doesn’t go their way. The council is a bunch of old gossips, so things could easily go south for you around here.”

“Rayma will be staying here and so will Suloia. You can stay your goodbyes to them tonight, because we need to get off of here fast tomorrow. Gives me enough time to refuel and restock the ship,” she said, in a tone that gave off both urgency and sadness. “I am sorry our goodbyes must be so rushed but that is the nature of the beast around here.”

“Alright,” he answered. “And thank you, Your Grace, for your kindness and your friendship. I can never repay you for your help.”

She glanced at him with a smile. “It’s no longer Your Grace to you. It’s Kadimea, if you must. Friend, works too. And this is the first time, I’ve ever had someone else, not of my species, use the word “friendship” about me and the first for me to call them a friend. You are the most deserving I’ve met of that title.”

The night was spent in jesting, relaxing, and enjoyment. It was a heartfelt but bittersweet evening, knowing that it may very well be the last time he ever saw Suloia and Rayma (so that was the other creature's name!) again. They had developed personalities, and now Sanaa could confidently predict things each would enjoy. He knew Rayma had a wit and a knack for jokes and card tricks. She had an intelligent way of allowing someone into the conversation, without making it feel like she was including them out of pity. Suloia was quieter than Rayma, but gentle. He was fascinated by plants and had asked all sorts of questions about the plants of Tai’al on the journey. He was hopeful of a better way for all of civilization and seemed to be violence-averse. If he was asked to sing, at first he would vehemently deny it, but then would create a melody so beautiful that you couldn’t help but hum along.

They talked all through the night and the morning left a tearful goodbye. For friends who weren’t companions since birth or relatives, thought Sanaa, they sure were good ones. His heart was so full. He knew he’d miss them. And as just Kadimea Katyusha and he streaked into the sky, he felt an aching hole in his heart. The friends he had come to know, warm up to, and finally, to care about and love, would be cheering him on, if only from afar. And now, with only him and Katyusha, things would be lonelier than ever before on that spacecraft adrift in the cosmos. But he was alive. Safe. And for now, that was enough. It was the luckiest, happiest moment of his life, despite the newfound heartache of missing his new friends. But at least, now he has a shot at getting home. And that alone put a smile on his face. Things were looking up.

Token count: 1391 words: 10 tokens
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Politics of Kalon’s World: 10 tokens
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[captain dude]

Username + ID#: captain dude 1003555
Kalon Link: Sanaa
Chosen Prompt: Do they want kids?
Prompt Response:

If you were to ask Sanaa this back on his planet, he would answered with an emphatic “yes”. He has always wanted a mate and a large family, preferably with a mate from his hunting party. Some of the other hunters have caught his eye, particularly Zahara, a beautiful single female his age that he has known since they were both kits. She had made it known to him a few months earlier that she found him handsome and wanted to court him. Kits in his culture are seen as a joy and blessing. It is a symbol of happiness and contentment to have kits of one’s own. He has always wanted at least five children of his own, as he feels it would be the perfect number. There would be just enough to keep all the others company and he’d want to have them all pretty close together, if he had any say in the matter. He figures that this would help them better develop a friendship with one another. He is so excited about the possibility of having kits of his own some day that he already has name ideas in mind. He is figuring if he has sons, they will be named Kondo, Tabari, and Oyana. If he has daughters, he likes the names Zakiya, Kamara, and Anya. He would be equally excited about the birth of a daughter as of a son, as he does not really have a preference as to which gender of kit is born. He dreams of getting to teach his daughters how to lurk in the treetops, eyes scanning for a creature that might cross their path, or his sons how to fish for the great eels of the rivers. He ached to teach them how to defend their siblings and the young of the tribe from the dangerous megafauna of Tai’al, how to bravely battle against the great beasts and win. He longed to tell them the myths and stories he remembered so fondly from when he listened, starry-eyed, to them many years ago. It is kind of a daydream that he often finds himself indulging in, though it is the one he feels most guilty about indulging in. He sees it as giving himself false hope if he never gets back home. He longs, aches, for the companionship that a stable relationship would give him, and the excitement of seeing the world vicariously through the eyes of his descendants.

However nowadays, he does not allow himself the luxury of dreaming of a future. He could not bring himself to have a litter in such dangerous, constantly changing conditions. He constantly lives in terror that he will come face-to-face with circumstances he cannot outsmart or dangerous aliens lurking on the planets he visits. He has allowed himself the hope that, if by some miracle, he is able to make it back to his home planet, he will be able to start his family. Until then, however, he will not allow himself such hopes and dreams. He secretly longs, with waiting and patience, he will finally have the family he dreams of someday.

Token count: 522 words— 5 tokens!
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Politics of Kalon’s World: 10 tokens
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Greatest Fear: 10 tokens
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Happiest thing that ever happened to them: 10 tokens
Total: 55 tokens

[•boo•]

Username + ID#: NightMareRose + 761033
Kalon Link: Aurora
Chosen Prompt: "Would they rather explore the seas, or the skys and stars?"
Prompt Response: The sky! Space is just so pretty!

Token Worth: 19
Full-body (4), Color (3), Shading (2), Animation (5), Background (5)
Previous Responses:
Favorite Food - Melon
Do They Want Kids? - Melon
What flower are they? - Melon
If they had to wear one color for the rest of their life, what would it be? - Aurora
What is their favorite sound? - Aurora

[22tabby]

Username + ID#: 22tabby || 346744
Kalon Link: Forum/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=4597909&start=220#p135680539
Chosen Prompt: What does this kal think the world will look like in 20+ years from now?
Prompt Response:
Vermouth’s chuckle made Anova turn his attention to the earth kalon. “What is funny?” The two had just been watching tv, some folks were discussing their cache for what they were considering “the apocalypse”. They all had similar descriptions of this worlds end, but their plans were all different.
Vermouth shifted to angle his body to Anova. “I mean, these people who act like they’ll ever have to prepare for the end of the world? It’s ridiculous!”
Anova just flicked his ear in response. He forgot Earthlings hadn’t seen the rise and fall of any planets in their history.
“…what? Anova, you don’t really think what they’re doing is sane, do you?” Vermouth was clearly baffled.
Anova nodded thoughtfully. “Well, their technique and their idea of the end of the world is very… fantastical, but they have the right spirit.”
Vermouth’s mouth was agape, and after a long pause he started to laugh again. “Okay Mr. Nihilism, what do you think is going to happen to us?”
Anova shrugged. “To us? Nothing. Those kalons with entire bunkers are wasting their time and money.”
Vermouth rolled his eyes. Anova had only been around for about a month and was not yet used to not taking everything so literally. “To earth, Anova. What do you think will happen to our civilization?”
“Oh!” Anova perked up at the misunderstanding. “Well, I mean, look at everything here. War, climate change, civil political destruction… I don’t see y’all changing anytime soon.”
Vermouth sat back against the couch, looking serious. “Not that I will ever do any of this bunker stuff, but… explain more?”
Anova nodded in acknowledgement. “Well, I believe first the war will eventually take over. Earthlings will destroy each other for resources, but not to the point as to radiate the whole planet. But enough that any place that was once valuable will no longer be so. The civil turmoil will split apart countries into smaller factions, which will create a great decline in civilizations functions. Essentially earth kalons will unevolve from civilization. Revert back to your natural ways. Without internet and technology to continue to help you all, it’s only inevitable. As a race you’re too connected. Granted, so is my home on Calci, but we don’t fight like you do. Anyway. Then climate change will run its course, nature will take back over, and the earth will become a beautiful lush place again, with only ruins as a reminder of your specie.”
Vermouth looked astounded at Anova’s matter of factly description. “And what do you think kalons should be doing to prepare themselves?”
Anova shook his head. “Nothing. There’s really nothing one can do. Live your life.” He looked at the stairwell to the kits bedrooms. “Be happy, I guess.”
Vermouth shook his head. “I know you’ve learned about the rise and fall of all kinds of races. How long do you think we have?” He was visibly tearing up from stress at the thought.
Anova paused to think. “With how volatile you earth kalons are? Twenty, maybe thirty years.” He lied, but he knew it was worth saving Vermouth the emotional turmoil. He’d instead give it another millennia or maybe even a few millennia or so.
Vermouth facepalmed and laughed. “Oh! So you think that the kalons on the tv are fantastical! You’re funny Anova. But I know we’ll last longer than that.”
Anova tried not to crack a smile. “We’ll see, friend.”
Token Worth: 573 words - 5 tokens
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