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The Nature of Predators - Something About Blue (1/4)
🕑 Added 2023-09-02 11:00:03 +0000 UTCMemory transcription subject: Rivlia, Gojid Exterminator
Date [standardized human time]: March 2, 2137
Life was difficult enough for our small township, before the predators arrived to mark their territory.
The cradle, the homeworld which housed many of our families, was the only Gojid planet that fell. The Terrans annihilated our border defenses, which left us vulnerable to an Arxur raid. The bulk of our military, save a few ships that were insufficient to defend our other claims, succumbed to the onslaught launched by known human ally Isif. Without any forces to guard our people, most of the Gojid colonists packed up their bags and joined the other refugees, whom the filthy predators “rescued”…from their own invasion. I might’ve gone with the evacuees, had anyone other than those sadistic hunters offered us sanctuary. The Federation, instead, pretended we didn’t exist; I hated those heartless cowards too.
I was trying to be brave for the sake of the township under my watch, but I was frightened. Our exterminators’ guild was the amalgamation of the entire colony’s force, as most remaining citizens pooled into the city of Bithen Orchard. How fantastical was it that this village, with an updated census of 40,000 souls, was one of the largest settlements left in Gojid territory? Minister Kiri stayed to bring order to the lands, and with most Gojidi Union officials deceased, she was the de facto leader of our entire species. It felt as if we were doomed to fail, even before Kiri went off the deep end. Rebuilding under such circumstances was nigh impossible.
It somehow got worse, which seemed like the story of the last few months. The predators did something to lure Minister Kiri to their Summit, with the same deception they’d used to blind the Venlil and many others to the hideous nature dripping from their wicked faces. The Gojid leftovers cast our lot in with the humans, by no vote of our own; Sapient Coalition flags, which were an obvious galaxy map made to look like the “United” Nations emblem, were raised along the sacred icons of the Great Protector. Did so many Gojids truly forsake her teachings against predators, because of blasphemous defamation?
Predators are afflicted, no, cursed by bloodlust, and they exist only to kill. The Protector will punish them for defiling her creation; Gojids were given claws as a reminder of her ability to strike those monsters down.
The Priesthood wasn’t the only way to serve the Great Protector; I had joined the guild to be a tool for our goddess’ mandates, to annihilate the monstrosities that preyed on us. Minister Kiri was steering Gojids down a path that led to divine judgment, but I would never lose sight of what those creatures were. Despite the growling, teeth-baring appearances of these animals, Kiri had opened Bithen Orchard to so-called “human refugees.” Their presence had dampened morale within the exterminators’ office, and beleaguered me day in and day out. Those monsters strutted around like they were untouchable, scoping out meals they lived right next to.
“I can’t bear seeing humans in our city. They don’t belong here; we’re supposed to be protecting the civilians. Those filthy predators need to be dealt with, whatever madness Kiri’s fallen into,” I complained, for the umpteenth time this week.
My exterminator partner, Denna, nudged my shoulder. “You don’t believe the stories about them saving children and caring for our refugees? Some people say they can be nice creatures.”
“Pfft. If someone says something about a predator once, it must be true—we should uproot our entire lives, and throw ourselves into their jaws! You want to talk about nice? Blue is funny, he’s sweet, he tells great stories. No bloodthirsty beast could come close to being so adorable!”
“Gushing over this guy, again? You don’t even know his real name.”
“Denna, we talk every day. He says the most adorable things, and we just—we share everything. He doesn’t judge. I feel so understood, and…it’s like we can talk about anything! Hours vanish like a single second has passed. Maybe it’s silly, but I think about him a lot.”
“It seems like all you think about is hating humans and fawning over Blue, Rivi. You need to get out more, live your life.”
“Other people seem like cardboard cutouts compared to Blue. Every time I see his name pop up on a notif banner, it’s like, just for a moment, everything is okay.”
“Then why haven’t you met up in real life? You found him on the Bithen Orchard community boards—”
“In a post about feeding birds of all things. I know he’s here; I could pass him on the street and never know. I’ve asked him to meet up, but he seems…shy about it. We have only been talking for a month, even if it feels longer; ugh, I don’t know. It’s like I’ve always known him. Maybe I feel a deeper connection than he does.”
“Hm. Do you think he’s ugly?”
“I don’t care if he’s ugly! Blue is special, and the way he thinks is beautiful. I’ve never been this…addicted to anyone. All I think about is what Blue would say, or how much I’d rather be reading his words than whatever I’m doing. No detail he says is boring; he’s just magical and energetic no matter what we’re talking about.”
“Rivi? This is sickening. Laying it on way too thick, girl; I hope you’re not coming off this desperate to him. I need a break from the swooning over Blue show, so you’re on timeout for a few minutes. Go daydream about lover boy to yourself.”
I huffed an airy sigh, and tapped my claws on my desk. Our supervisor would have my head if I was caught on my holopad during work hours, but as I’d done so many times before, it was worth sneaking a message to Blue. When we first started chatting, he said he’d been “between jobs,” but he started a new gig this week with a moving company. With more and more people leaving the colony each week, that profession was in high demand. It was difficult labor, requiring a dozen strong Gojids to haul the largest furniture; no doubt it paid well, though. How badly was Blue hurting? What if he had to help predators move into their lairs?
My holopad dinged, as if on command; my online companion had been thinking of me too! Hey Rivi! Blue wrote. Just stopped for a water break, and I tell ya H2O’s never tasted this good. It’s hot as fuck with the humidity. Won’t bore you with too much work stuff, but my coworkers haven’t been the most friendly. I’m going about my day like it’s nothing, trying not to make waves. Would it kill them to be a little more welcoming?
My worry over the human occupation lifted in an instant. I didn’t know if it would seem “desperate” to answer right away, but I couldn’t help myself. I hadn’t told Blue that I was an exterminator, since I wanted him to enjoy talking to me for personality, not just because of my admirable profession. We could have conversations about our feelings, whereas once the secret was out of the bag, everyone expected a member of the guild to be brave and stoic. A true hero. I tried to protect the people, even if on the inside, I was none of what they expected.
Funny, I was just thinking about you. I really don’t know how anyone could be mean to you, but sometimes, people can be a little stand-offish. When I first started my job, many years ago, there were cliques that were tough to break into. You had to prove yourself. For difficult, stressful jobs, there’s a lot of new hires that don’t make the cut…who quit soon after. Sorry to write you an essay, but I just don’t want you to let them get you down. Show them you’re better than them, and someone will come around eventually. You shine, Blue, and people are drawn to that.
I scoffed to myself. “You shine? Fuck, he must think I’m an idiot.”
The typing icon flashed for a few seconds, as Blue hammered out a reply. Things haven’t been good in my life these past few months. I know they haven’t been good for a lot of people, but that’s shitty consolation. I’ve felt very lonely and out-of-place, everywhere I go. You have no idea how much it means to me, to have someone who’s kind to me and who listens. Someone who cares and sees me for who I am. I don’t know if I “shine,” but I try to be a good person and treat the world right. Thank you, Rivi.
My heart ached, imagining that someone as sweet as Blue could be lonely. I knew exactly what the poor guy meant, in reference to the past few months; they’d been a horrific nightmare for our entire species. He claimed to have moved to Bithen Orchard recently in his original post, like most others from around the colony who flocked to the city. Tack on the predators invading our city, and there was no refuge to get away from them and what they reminded us of: times were terrifying. We were living our last days, depending how long it took the Terrans to give in and feast on innocents. What if one of them were threatening Blue?
When I’d mentioned the furless beasts in passing, my online companion had requested a different topic; he said he didn’t feel ready to discuss Earth and predators. His exact words were “I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready to confront it. I feel quite strongly about this topic, and I don’t trust myself to hold back.” We were on the same wavelength with that one; I couldn’t pretend that the humans weren’t sickening, slimy ghouls. Blue couldn’t feel safe in his own home either, and he didn’t want to deal with those things. I felt a little bit braver, when my exterminator duties were framed as protecting him.
I yearned to meet him in person, and help him feel less alone; someone needed to comfort him away from the screen. I wanted to hear his laugh as we talked about nothing, to hear his voice and absorb his emotions through the position of his ears rather than the nuance of a text wall. The thought of sitting in the overgrown Moonlight Park, under the shade in a tree-seat, and feeding gollabirds with him made me dizzy. Maybe Denna was right about me being lovesick. With the constant peril the colony was in, with those blighted predators afoot, how could I waste any time apart from him?
I want to understand why he doesn’t trust me enough to meet face-to-face. We met on the internet, sure, but doesn’t he think what we have is special? We talk daily!
Whatever self-consciousness was causing Blue to be leery of a meetup, I needed to take the initiative and help him work past it. We were both in our late-twenties, so unless that was false information, there was no great disparity in us. What reason would there have been for him to lie about such basic information? I trusted him, and if he shattered that…I didn’t trust many people. Other than learning about outright deceit, there was nothing that could alter how I felt about him; even if he had some deformity or scarring, it didn’t matter. In my soul, I believed that we were meant for each other.
I’ve got to get back to work, Blue messaged me again. So do you, I imagine. Don’t want to get you in trouble.
I texted back quickly. Will you be okay? You sound down, and at work or not, I’m here if you need someone.
Aw, don’t worry. You’re too sweet. I might’ve had a rough day, but I’ll survive. Takes more than this to keep me down. Know how close I am to being done?
Not close enough?
That’s the truth. Nah really, it’s just lugging this shit to the spaceport, and we’re done for the day. I can spend the rest of my evening enjoying the great outdoors. There’s nothing as naturalist and reverent as Gojid philosophy, it’s beautiful! I love the scenic photographs, taken to capture the Protector’s splendor, like you’ve told me you so devoutly believe. Maybe I could add to them one day.
Start today, Blue. We don’t know how much time we have. Live in the moment—don’t waste a second.
I know you’re right. Never gauged you as the platitudes type. Anyhow, I’m getting yelled at, so I really have to go; dawdling won’t make them like me anymore. I’ll talk to you later, sunshine.
I nearly fell out of my chair, seeing what Blue had called me. Was that in reference to me saying he shined? I’d never heard anyone use that nickname before, but it was so much more charming and natural than my own version. I rolled it around in my head, giggling to myself. Denna was staring at me with disbelief, before she stomped back over to me. My gaze tracked her out of my periphery, and I waited for her to prompt me first before spilling all the juicy details.
“What did he say?” my partner asked.
“He called me sunshine, and my heart skipped a beat. I want to meet him!” I blurted. “I need to know who he is, or I’m going to go mad, Denna. What in the Protector’s creation do I do?”
“How would you go about finding him? You need to have this conversation with him, and do it on his time. There’s no way to pick him out from a stack of thousands of Gojids.”
“I know how old he is, and he’s going to the local blessing tree in Moonlight Park, I imagine. Right after work, which is very soon! All it would take is asking around, looking for people about his age. Blue’s not safe out there, caring for easy prey morsels as predators prowl the streets. I want to go there, find him, and keep him safe! If I wasn’t still on the clock for hours, I’d go chase after him right now.”
Denna studied me for a long moment, before a sly expression overtook her features. The fellow exterminator opened our portal on her holopad, from the civilian side where anonymous tips could be sent. My partner’s devious eyes glowed, as her slender claws typed out a message that gave just enough clues in Moonlight Park to necessitate an investigation, but not enough to lockdown the area. She coincidentally pulled up the open cases on her display, and assigned the newly-logged tip to us for investigation.
“You just weren’t being clever about it, Rivi. Your brainpower’s all exhausted, replaying everything he’s ever said,” Denna chuckled. “Fortunately, you have me to watch your back and help you out. Let’s go find Mr. Blue.”
My eager claws couldn’t grab my gear fast enough. “Thank you. I owe you.”
“You sure do. Luckily, all I want in return is for you to stop pining over him.”
“I can’t promise that. I don’t know if I can be happy without him, so if he’s not on the same page—”
“Let’s go. Quietly.”
I clipped my holopad onto my belt, on the edge of my seat for the message he’d send when he was off of work. The moment I’d dreamed about for the past few weeks was finally almost here; the constant perils on this colony wouldn’t be as daunting, with him fully in my life. If Blue was visiting Moonlight Park like I assumed, I was going to be there waiting for him. Soon, I’d know him by his real name, not an impersonal alias. No stone would be left unturned in my search for the charmer who occupied most of my waking thoughts.
A/N - A new series begins! A Gojid exterminator on a colony with a depleted population has become enthralled with her online friend, and is encouraged by her friend Denna to seek out this mystery man. However, if Rivlia were able to locate this Blue at the park, she might be in for quite a surprise. What do you expect to happen with this search party, especially with what we learned about the Great Protector faith? Do you think Blue shares Rivi's infatuation?
As always, thank you for reading and supporting! I was asked for some wholesome, feel-good content, so I hope this new foray is exactly what the doctor ordered. It's been an idea I've had at the back of my mind for a long time. The poll has closed, so I'll provide an update on the promised one-shots that will follow this microseries with the next installment!
Comments
Iguano
I just found out about this mini story, I just finished reading this first chapter and I think I know where it's going (or so I hope). I was looking for a while ago among fan fics to see if there was a similar story but between a human and a Farsul?
neon_ns
O no, yandere exteminator
D3rpiusMaximu5
Warning! Big "oof" incoming!
Weston Simmons
Way to close to close to home definitely not gonna end well like world shattering bad should be entertaining tho also basically a female Gojid Rauln.
Rick
With only four chapters this isn't gonna end well.
PhycoKrusk
Oh, I hadn't even thought about that! That's brilliant!
Qwerty Smith
If blue is a Gojid I’ll eat my hat, and I don’t own a hat Still. I can see the plot twist is blue and miss exterminator are just teenagers (14 and 15 maybe?) and blues human guardian is in the way. Or something. Since it is way too obvious
Qwerty Smith
Realistically. Either like Tokyo (big central city where the main space port is with a small rural population producing food for the city) or Montana (barely cities with very low population density exporting food using private spaceports) Maybe also collections of small townships for strictly mining colonies. Since each mining site would build up infrastructure for a company town separately as needed
Mr. Walker
Blue streak speeds by.
Eric Walter
Ooh I like this one, good stuff love to see some colony world building.
Adam Myers
I like this idea.
DemonVee
Lol
Taliesyn
Blue is totally going to turn out to be a Krakotl.
blankxlate
Yes! Romance!
Tazeell
The only plot twist would be if blue was actually a gojid lol.
Atlas Floofed
This is gonna be fun, I can't wait for more
PhycoKrusk
You are now one of my favorite people
TeapotsAkimbo
"Rivlia, I can't help but notice you've been hand-crafting a petard this entire conversation and very carefully placing it underneath your feet."
The-Meme-Spectator
Plots twist: Blue actually is just a Gojid
jack drako
I'm sure everyone knows blue is human but what if the twist is even crazier like blue turns out to be a arxur (also please let it be a wholesome story im tired of reading nothing but depression)
Lord Tvlor
There's nothing wrong with an obvious twist every now and again, a good twist is one that can reasonably be predicted, rather than relying on pure shock. Although I suspect you're right and *something* may happen to catch us off guard.
John
This feels a little obvious, perhaps too obvious. I suspect SP will find some way to twist this, because the current twist seems a bit too well telegraphed. We shall see
Bbobsillypants
Oh boy I cant wait to see what species blue will be. Truly a mystery for the ages.
Wickerwood
Nop comes up with a lot of yandere stories tbh
Wickerwood
Are we sure...
Albert Dente
I know where this is going. You know where this is going. But this door looks pretty stupid. -Bender, maybe
Mr Mopp
She’s in for a nasty surprise.
Driptacular_2153
This is fantastic! I love it already:D (And I think I might know Blue’s identity :clueless_arxur:)
Adam Myers
I like this, though I think that the most likely outcome is that Blue is human. I would love it for Blue to either be as you described, or a Venlil space pilot who defended Earth who lost their exchange partner.
Adam Myers
One can find beauty in many kinds of things, even those that target the self. There was a beauty in how the Krakotl proved themselves a worthy opponent for humanity during the attack on Earth. That doesn’t negate their evil, but it still exists regardless.
RaptorRed
What else are you reading?
fuzzball
As much as I enjoyed this and am excited to see more, the shift between disparaging humans and fawning over Blue was just a bit too on the nose imo.
Bonnefoy
Obviously, blue is a kolshian who is in love with a human but the human will fall in love with the gojid exterminator after the Park, creating one of the cringiest and cute story in History right behind the farsul fanfic from skalga.
Vladi Vladi
Young love. One of the most sickening and dangerous diseases sophonts have ever encountered. This story will be both sickeningly sweet and plagued with the many complications sapients encounter during their search for love, problems they would’ve never had to face if their ancestors weren’t monsters. Also the fact that a human looked at Protector philosophy, a defiled religion turned into worshipping the concept of demon-killing, when humans count as demons, is honestly slightly disgusting. I get he’s doing it to not he found out, but he could’ve used any of the more mellowed out conspiracy cults….why?
Clancy
I’m pretty sure SP leaves those for the fanfics.
Christopher Olivieri
Please let this be wholesome sir. Let this be a cute romantic comedy sir. Sir please.
craig spaulding
Oh I do love some dramatic irony, it always gets me so excited, but I have to say that I’m very skeptical of calling this “wholesome feel-good content”. In a saying that would horrify Rivlia, I can definitely see the blood in the water. There are lots of ways this could go, but most of them involve a mental breakdown or attempted murder before we get back to the sweet parts.
PhycoKrusk
Oh, piffle! Just eat your popcorn and try not to worry about it so much.
PhycoKrusk
You're fun. I like you
PhycoKrusk
I admit, it is a bit of a downer, but I feel you've missed something important here my friend: The glass may be half-empty, but the glass can also be refilled. Just remember that the next time things seem a bit grim, and don't worry about forgetting either; we'll be here to remind you.
Shajenko
I'd expect a "Harmful Alternatives" to it if it wasn't Patreon only.
Greg Gougeon
It seems like blue is leaving some clues about himself.
EliasArt2Life
So, she’s probably going to see a human at the park, and make plans to exterminate him while frantically messaging Blue to warn him that it’s not safe at the park, only to realize that Blue IS the human. Also, NOW the exterminators are posting misinformation/fake reports online to get out of doing work? I sometimes feel like Space Paladin has a checklist of obvious things a (essentially) police force shouldn’t do, and is ticking off every box. Not as bad as GIVING A GUN to a CIVILIAN (still angry about that one), but still. Hopefully she can overcome her preconceptions; Blue sounds like he could use a legitimate friend (although, he’s probably going to have to get over any problems he has with Exterminators, as well). Great chapter, Space Paladin!
BiasMushroom721
Uh oh
EF_stream
Even SP15 is putting out romance right now?? Is right now romance season, like pollen season?? My romance allergy is gonna go crazy at this rate
unknown_stranger
Uhh, I hope this comment is not too much of a downer - I guess I'm a glass half-empty kinda person. There's a tinge of sadness, in how even love has to be expressed through or with a hatred of predators. It's not strange for people in love to imagine themselves protecting or saving their beloved - quite a sweet fantasy, actually - so in a way, that's just expressing it through a cultural lense; but it shows in my opinion once again just how deeply the whole prey/predator dichotomy is ingrained into the average non-terran (yes, even the Arxur fall victim to that). *They can't even think about love without hate.* And also sad, there's no one to hold responsible for. Depending on their lifespans, the Kolshian and Farsul who where responsible for instigating this - I have no doubt there were some very cynically minded people standing at the start of the conspiracy, even if they may not have had hammered out all the details back then - are probably no longer around.
Chris Hall
This is going to end badly
Apogee
Oh This is gonna be good. I don’t think the crush is entirely mutual. It seems blue is just very lonely and knows if he tells his friend he’s human he will be treated differently. Man it must make the difference between how humans are treated and how they treat ‘non-predators’ all the more stark to him. Though by how he speaks he seems to be trying to see the positives and good in the Gojid. Her crush seems a bit unhinged especially since she’s feeling this way after only a month of just online communication. Her picture of him is almost entirely imaginary. Dangerous. I bet they won’t know they even met this time around. Poor guy, he just wants someone to treat him like a person. This has the potential to be very dark but I’m happy SP seems to want to take it in a wholesome direction. Hopefully the revelation will be enough to snap her out of most of her bigotry and fear
Paul
Could be worse. She is not tiny, and he is not an Arxur.
Some Lvm
I don't know what the furry movement was doing between 2023 and 2136, but boy did it get a revival after first contact. And all those treckies expecting Orion and Androian chicks really got disappointed...
DemonVee
I'd be surprised if anyone lives on the Cradle anymore. The survivors are probably all evacuated It sounded like the Arxur got most of the planet and the amount of anti matter bombs used would have kicked up enough ash into the air to plunge the world into a severe nuclear winter.
print Path
Wow blue is so charming and just great to talk too I sure hope he's not one of those filthy predator Clueless_gojid
Daniel Doucett
Arxur obviously
Pyroraptor
Thanks for the chapter!
Pineapplepilot
Blue knows EXACTLY what he's doing, gojid kisser lmaooooo
XavHD
How many gojid are living on the cradle now and how many lived there before the invasion?
Roscuro
Oh this should be fun.
Some Lvm
- "Oh no! Oh Protector! This filthy predator under the tree devoured my beloved Blue! Not even a trace left!" - "Ah, Rivi? Is that you? Wait...! I can explain!" - "Die predator scum!" Fwoooshhhhhhhh.........
DemonVee
Let's see if love can conquer social boundaries for this Gojid gal.
Xskipy 10
This is the type of premise I’d expect from a fanfic, but it is not at all unwelcome as a canon story. it’s good to have some official SP branded fluff
DemonVee
Lol, I thought of the same thing
Byron Ritchie
Ooh inspired by death of a monster i see! Also MAN I wonder what species blue is
Jonathan Cardoso Mota
This girl is down bad (if I'm using the right expression?). This is going to be hilarious.
Yonael Blackwood
🤣
Yonael Blackwood
SP presented this entire story as "exterminator meets human online".
se05239
Blue ain't gonna be a Gojid, that's for sure.
unknown entity
A bigger plot twist would be that Blue turns out to actually not be a human.
Valkyrie
First assumption upon finding the real Blue is probably gonna be that he ate the "real" Blue, and assumed his identity to now lure her as his next victim.
un_pogaz
*sigh* Is big like a house. Even bigger. Also, Denna had the right instinct: there will indeed be a predatory presence at Moonlight Park. Oh god, it's going to be so bad, but in same time I don't want. Can we just be friends, please?
Ondram05
I can feel a Rauln aaaaaarc
th3h4ck3r
Blue? My guess is on a Krakotl
Nieldun
This is going to be a funny reaction
DramaLama
well then, i can certainly see where this is going. looking forward to seeing how she reacts to her "mysterious" online friend.
ethan
I know the obvious answer is that Blue is human. But I'm kinda hoping for some plot twist where's it's a Farsul or Kolshian that is being bullied at work. And its up to our new Goljid exterminator to set things right. Unfortunately since we only got 4 chapters of leg room, that seems unlikely.
Anemoia
Man the only thing keeping me from worrying about how this goes is the A/N telling me this will be wholesome. Don't you lie to me!
Swan
Next text from blue: Yeah, so I'm in the hospital due to some injuries caused by an extermi- I mean work related accident
Andrew Lechner
Ok, Blue is most definitely a human, and it's going to be so funny to watch that exterminator find out how her online crush was really a filthy predator. Though one can only hope this leads to her dropping her worst views.
Sherman
Blue's going to turn out to be human.
Kaiser Marcqui
I've just been giggling the whole time. The anticipation is so funny, it's obvious Blue is one of these “predators”, ahahah. And Rivi is just so incredibly lovestruck, isn't she? I can definitely relate, hahah.
Madtrank
Who up smash like
Ash
2nd
Anthony Mears
Unexpected.
