Filling my rat nest with trinkets

Miyuki "It ususlly stings for a day or two. The pain isn't so bad, really. If you feel excessive pain or hear ringing sounds of undetermined origin for longer than 30 hours after bending your antennae, your antennae were probably bent incorrectly. Go seek medical aid before your sense of balance is permanently distorted.

The bigger struggle to deal with after curling your antennae is trying to function while your body regains its natural equilibrium. It rarely takes more than a few hours to get your balance back.

Smeets technically aren't allowed to bend their antennae, but many bend them anyway, either to satisfy an urge to stim or accidentally during physical activity periods. When I was a newly graduated cadet, I bent my antennae myself because, well, I could and I thought I would amazing. That was a mistake. I didn't mind the pain so much, but I didn't bend my antennae evenly enough and I was staggering for days after. My commanders harassed me for it until I climbed to the rank of high foot general.

Now, I have my coordinator curl and bend my antennae. She has mastered the skill; I barely feel a thing when she touches up my bends and curls. I never feel off kilter afterward either.

Mem "Thank you, my Tallest."

Miyuki "There's no law or code that requires a drone to curl their antennae. In the military and armada, it's discouraged because soldiers are meant to dress and function in uniform, but technically doesn't violate any rules. Does one bend their antennae to show the difference between the sexes? That's... hm? Not sure how or where you came across that misinformation.

Plenty of males I've met curled or bent their antennae just to be fashionable. Some occupations restrict Irkens from bending their antenna or bending them further because of the whole losing your equilibrium ordeal. That could interfere with work performance. Safety and productivity first.

In Irk's earlier eras it was only socially acceptable for tallests to bend or curl their antennae. Drones who served on their tallest's personal staff and the birthing drones housed in the tallest's chambers were only allowed to curl or bend their antennae but only in the same style as their tallest.

In our modern era, Irken women usually curl their antennae to honor the late legendary tallest Dava. Dava gave her serving drones permission to style their antennae however they wish. The trend caught on overnight and soon spread to enemy hives. When the glorious late Dava started the whole trend of common drones styling their antennae, there was a lot of social backlash. In most hives, smaller drones who bent their antennae without permission were arrested and executed for treason. Now, it's common place. I won't bore you with any more history lessons.

So, um, yes, I suppose one could argue curling the antennae indicates gender because it now honors late Dava's memory and she was Tallest of Legendary status who was also a woman, but again, it's not the clearest indication of gender because many Irken men also curl their antennae. We Irkens honestly do it because we can. That's my theory."

*sorry my au Irken lore is so long-winded.

Finally home. Missed Halloween, but in my head, it's still Halloween until the sun comes up.

What to draw? What to draw...?

Happy Halloween!!

Wish I had some Spooky Night art to post, but I'm working weird shifts all week.

My Halloween will have to carry on past midnight.

Have fun everyone.

Cini "DON'T be in a hurry to grow up. *nervous coughing* "What I mean by that is let yourself mature at a steady pace. My physical stature far outgrew my personality and character decades sooner. In my Cadet years, this made my way through the empire very challenging...

You're growing in character very quickly, I can tell. Maybe you will climb the rank of high general someday or earn a post on my personal staff. I would be honored if you did. Maybe you have another place in the empire you haven't thought of. No matter how physically tall you are measured by the time you reach your PAK-encoded biological maturity, you will grow up to be a strong, loyal, clever young sprite.

The empire will reward you for your services and so will the tallest who is measured to rule in my place."

Cini smiled, beaming with pride down at little Flint.

He wished he sincerely believed what he just told young Flint as much as he made himself sound. Flint was a good smeet. Surely he will be a grow up to be a loyal, productive drone...

but Cini knew deep inside the empire is not a rewarding one.

He couldn't deprive this smeet of dreams of hope, could he? Hope had kept him alive when he was a smeet in quarantine.

Miyuki: "How we view...? What is a... hee-oo-min? I've never seen one. In fact, I've never heard of one. Have you?"

Mem "I have. I met a few humans before I died."

Miyuki "What are they?"

Mem "Humans are this... species of semi-intelligent, semi-bald sentient... monkey-mammal creature native to a tiny, infantile planet called "Urth" theoretically located on the very farthest edges of the armada's star maps."

Miyuki "Theoretically located?"

Mem "Irken astronomers draw maps for conquests based on-"

Miyuku "Yes, yes, one of those "mathematically marked" celestial bodies, but not yet "physically observed" celestial bodies."

Mem "Correct."

Miyuki "But YOU have interacted with live humans?"

Mem "Only a handful of them for very brief periods of time, but yes, my interaction with them was direct."

Miyuki "What are they like?.......*cringes at visual memory projection* "Ugly creatures, aren't they?"

Mem "Visually, humans are repulsive, but after you interact with them a while, they present a very adhering quality about them-- a certain charm I am not eloquent enough to describe accurately.

Humans are unlike any other alien beast I've encountered during my shunned-years in exile. They are... to spare you a long, clunky description, the most loyal ally one could hope for seemingly by instinct. The Irken species may owe our survival to them one day, if we are wise enough to look past their exterior repulsiveness and learn to value their strengths in character."

Miyuki "...Is this planet of human-monkeys-? Whatever you called it-?"

Mem "Urth?"

Miyuki "Yes. Is Urth marked for conquest by the Amanda's warpath?"

Mem "Officially no, but pending officially yes?... It's a long complicated story. My adopted defective smeet, Zim, tried to explain it to me. I could barely follow it."

Miyuki "Poor humans..."

Mem "Yes and poor Vortians."

Miyuki "And poor them too... I did so much damage, Mem..."

Mem "We ALL do damage-"

Miyuki "But, I-"

Miyuki "We can only hope the good we did had a greater impact than the bad."

Miyuki "Am I forgiven?"

Mem "...Almost."

(The human race is either nonexistent to the knowledge of an average modern Irken or practically an obscure cryptid to drones who are better trained in conducting research than military combat. )

Hope my donation helps you and your family.

Hitz/ the Red Control Brain "I will explain.

The PAK model it is familiar with was not equipped to the irken masses until AFTER my fellow towering tallests and I ascended into the core collective of our control brain vessels. The back and chest PAK combination devices were the last upgrade to the ultimate PAK design before I perfected the technology.

The modern PAKs all Irken drones are equipped with at birth are of MY design. It took centuries of research, experiments, quality tests, but I eventually crafted an easily manufactured military grade single device PAK that could perform all essential functions and enhancements, perfectly sync with Soxx's control brain tech AND upgraded the irken form to the next step in evolution.

It certainly must be in awe at the perfection of our empire's design.

Hope my donation helps you and your family and more help continues to go your way.

Miyuki "... That line of questioning is rather intrusive-- A tallest wouldn't, er, DOESN'T discuss such matters with anyone else besides the control brains or with their top frylords and high generals if need be, BUT I've been dead for what? A century now? Close to a century, roughly? *shrug*

I suppose I could indulge your curiosity.

Sadly, I didn't live to personally watch the official launch of the Massive. My predecessors more or less carried out my plans for conquest. From what information that has been relayed to me, Tallest Red and Purple had launched a series of invasions. Planet Vort has been successfully conquered and the Vortian race is rendered completely subservient to the Irken empire. That accomplishment was towards the top of my list of goals. As repulsive as they are visually, socially and politically, Vortian technology is a staple for improving the quality of life within the Irken empire.

Many of the planets and alien races dwelling on them were flagged for conquest were flagged so strictly for cheap labor. The Mekrob were targeted because they pose the most formidable threat against the scheduled invasions. The Mekrob are a highly intellectually and spiritually advanced species. If left unchecked, they might organize rebellion against us, hence why I marked them as a highly prioritized target.

My goal was the same as any other tallest's-- to expand the Irken empire and maintain the might and glory of the existing territories within the empire.

Young tallests Red and Purple followed the warpath I marked for the most part.

PERSONALLY, I would have launched a stealth opener invasion against the Mekrob BEFORE launching the full-scale ID1 oporation to eliminate the biggest threat.

The Vortians were more of a threat than an ally to us. The Planet Jackers haven't been a threat to us since the treaty between our species was drafted and signed The Inquisitorians and Hymenopteracians are too essential to the fundamental structure of the empire so I honored the Irken alliance between them and us. I would like to think young Red and Purple will honor these treaties too. We Irkens are not heathens. We will not break a treaty unless betrayed or threatened.

If I were to criticize them for their approach to universal conquest, it would be their careless handling of newly discovered planets. A wise tallest does NOT blow up random lifeless planets like smeets with firecrackers. Real estate is a limited resource even in our vast universe. When you find solid rock, YOU BUILD SOMETHING ON IT! You don't blow it up!

But... Red and Purple are in charge now, not me. We shall see how events play out on the timeline ahead.

Tallest Red offoring to dance with Tallest Pink. Red seems like the kind of guy who would have decorative light effects installed in his PAK.

Sorry this took forever. Hope the coloring isn't too far off.

Pink belongs to @almighty-tallest-pink