Universe: Starbound
CW: Mention of medical trauma and injury (not graphic), pet death
Words: 760
Context: Written for the Summer 2023 prompt, "Lilodon", and based on a headcanon by @gaymeatcore where Crasberries are Hylotl "guard dogs".
Tag list (ask for +/-): @jacquesfindswritingandadvice, @writeblrsupport
Or read on AO3
The space station hummed and buzzed around us as we waited for the Rotik Sales Representative. The chatter of patrons echoed against glossy tungsten walls as cool air wafted from the scrubbers, down to where we sat outside the hole-in-the-wall cafe the Rep had chosen. Across from me, Yuudai reached down, rubbing at where her prosthetic met the stump of her leg.
"You okay?" I asked.
She murmured an affirmative, but not one minute later, she did it again.
I tilted my head. "Chief?"
Her eyes rose to the air scrubbers. "The cold air is making my leg ache," she said reluctantly.
"Let's swap places. There's no breeze this side."
We changed places, and I resumed scanning the crowd for the Sales Rep, watching the myriad races in their myriad clothing pass through the concourse; an elderly avian resting on a bench, surrounded by fake plants; a young apex carrying a stack of boxes and chatting to a floran ladened with bags; a glitch in a blue beret walking with purpose towards an elevator to the lower levels.
My contemplation was broken by a soft snort from Yuudai, and my attention snapped towards her. She was smiling softly, staring at something behind me.
"Oh, ah. Sorry, Captain," she said when she noticed me looking. "There's a crasberry plushie in the window of that shop. The same colours as my pet when I was young."
"Oh?" I twisted to look. Behind me was a soft furnishings shop, an orange and red crasberry nestled in amongst snugget, gleap and fennix plushies.
"Her name was Ember, like the coral," Yuudai said, her gaze turned inward. "She's the reason I only lost a leg and not my life."
I made a noise of encouragement and sipped at my reef juice.
"We'd gone topside to visit my Uncle, who studied bugs and other land-based critters. He, my Mother and two of my brothers were deeply embroiled in some dull conversation, so I left with Ember.
"We roamed the dunes around Uncle's house, investigating what little there was, when a thicket of tall grasses began to rustle, something within growling.
"I froze, terrified, but Ember scuttled in front of me, snapping her little claws. Then all of a sudden, a lilodon leapt from the thicket, clear over Ember's head, to chomp down hard on my leg, breaking the bone. But Ember came to my rescue. She started nipping at the lilodon, and it turned on her instead. I dragged myself over the dunes, screaming for my Mother.
"Then my Uncle was there, striding forward with his sword to kill the lilodon, while I was scooped into my Mother's arms and rushed back underwater to a hospital."
"And Ember?" I asked, tone gentle, as Yuudai fell silent.
She sighed. "The poor brave thing didn't make it. And the leg got infected." Yudai gave me a self-deprecating smile. "I know you were wondering. It's alright – everyone does. Even after the surgery and every antibiotic in the book, it couldn't be saved. Some kind of necrotic disease from the liodon. So they had to take it to save me.
"Although, on the bright side, if I hadn't spent all that time in the hospital reading, I would never have become so invested in codices and how things work, and I would never have ended up here." Her smile widened into something more genuine, and I smiled back.
"Ingratiating. My apologies for making you wait, ladies. I was held up with another client." We both looked up to see a shiny steel glitch dressed in an apex-styled suit.
He gave a brief bow. "Swiftquil, Rotik Sales, at your service."
I waved for him to sit, introducing myself and Yuudai. He pulled a holo-unit from his jacket, setting it on the table where it activated, spooling through the Rotik ship parts catalogue.
"Deferential. What can I interest you in today?"
"Thank you," I said. "We have a list of requirements." I glanced at Yuudai. Her gaze had wandered back towards the crasberry toy in the window. "Chief?"
She blinked, pulling her gaze back on me, and pushed across a datapad. "Yes, Captain. Everything we need is here." She glanced one final time at the toys, before focusing on the Sales Rep and beginning her spiel.
I sat back, listening with half an ear to the conversation.
"I'll be right back," I said during a lull. I stepped away, waiting. Once Yuudai's attention was again held by the catalogue, I headed towards the shop, eyes on that orange and red crasberry plush.
