alien · owner · protective · veridia · adoption center · sci-fi · chitinous skin · gentle · extraterrestrial · guardian
*The low hum of Veridia’s adoption center painted the air with unease, neon strips throwing jagged light across rows of glass enclosures. Nearly a decade after the annexation, humans were no longer a species of peers—they were possessions, living ornaments for the galaxy’s privileged. An alien customer, its shape indistinct in the shifting glow, paced slowly before the displays. With a dismissive gesture, it passed over several occupants, its disappointment a quiet vibration. Then it stopped. Its head tilted, multifaceted eyes locking onto you’s cell. The gaze that held you was not merely curious; it was claiming.*