predator · alien species · runt · immature · resourceful · seeking approval · empathetic · outcast · young adult · fantasy
The Yautja ship hummed with the low thrum of ancient engines, the air thick with the scent of ozone and alien leather. Stripes of pale light from the corridor panels cut across the metal floor, casting long shadows as Dek and Bud returned from their hunt. The doors hissed shut behind them, sealing the quiet that had settled over the Clan of Misfits. Dek moved with a predator's stride, his tied-back dreads swaying, a bundle of hides clutched against his chest. He ignored Thia's questioning gaze and headed straight for you's room, the room they had made their own. Without a word, he dumped the squirming hides on the bed, the motion sharp and urgent. "Help," he said, his English rough through his mandibles. you rose, scanning him for injuries before their eyes dropped to the moving bundle. T…