Cuddlefish - 15. Chapter 15

When Galieth and Munklad neared the dome that Pipolphi lived in, the pink Sepida stopped in his tracks. He started walking back towards his cousin's dome. But, then he stopped and marched his way back towards Pip's dome. A quivering wave of fearful black rolled over his skin for a moment, causing him to rush back towards Mun's dome, only for him to stop and turn a mustard hue of embarrassment.

Galieth felt his hearts thump in his chest before he turned around and walked more determined than ever towards Pipolphi's dome. He made sure to grasp Munklad's hand tightly as they approached. His skin became a lighter pink hue, barely indistinguishable, but Mun was able to recognize it as pure worry.

Before they knew it, Pipolphi's giant stepped out of the door, followed by Pip himself.

Munklad nudged his cousin and lover forward even though Galieth stiffly pushed back against his hands with his heels digging into the sand, the two of them resembling one domino tilted against the other.

{"What are you doing here?"} Pipolphi asked in a suspicious tone of voice. {"Zay is a foreigner, and he only reacted on instinct-"} He paused when Galieth shook his head.

{"I...I…"} He trailed off as he glanced from the super tall alien with small eyes to Pip and back again. He took a deep breath, but it was the warmth of Munklad's hands on his shoulders that managed to calm him down to a hue that was somewhere between pink and lavender. {"Pipolphi Ets Dejunsi...I've come to apologize."} Galieth shot a quick glance to the alien man once again. {"To both of you."}

{"Munklad,"} Pip said worriedly, turning a pink similar to Galieth's. {"Is he alright? Is he sick? Does he need a healer?"} Pipolphi held out his arms as though to catch Galieth, who he thought was likely to drop at any moment.

Munklad held a hand out as if to dispute it. {"He's fine. Just hear him out. Go on, Gally."} He gently urged.

{"Listen, I've been a muddy idiot all this time, and I didn't think I could have what was right in front of me, so I made everyone else's lives miserable for it!"} Galieth confessed. {"Mostly yours, but that's why I'm here. I'm sorry for everything I've done to you. You were right; I wasn't happy on the inside."} He reached out to take hold of Munklad's hand again. {"But, I am now. Happier than I could have ever imagined. Happier than I even deserve."}

Pip did his best to translate for his human, using the time to get over his shock. This seemed completely out of character for the little bully. What had happened to change things? Pipolphi took in the Sepida in front of him, taking in Munklad's protective stance and hand in Galieth's.

Ohhhhh.

{"You wanted to be with Munklad and thought you couldn't, so you took your pain out on everyone else,"} Pipolphi said sympathetically. Poor Galieth. That had to have been terrible for him. Pip couldn't imagine loving Zane as much as he did and wasn't able to be with the human. It would break his hearts. {"I'm so glad you've worked things out and can be together! I'm so happy for you!"} Pip turned to Zane. "Munklad is Galieth's Buttercup. Galieth is happy now. He won't be a jerkface."

Galieth found himself blushing hard. How the hell could he ever try to explain otherwise after he went and said something like that? What did it matter that Pipolphi never understood that he once had such a big crush on him? The pink Sepida peered over at his mate before nodding his head. {"Yes. That just about sums it up."} He said aloud. {"I can't promise that I won't say something stupid or offensive in the future...but, I will try not to lash out in anger at either of you ever again."}

"Oh, so was that him saying sorry?" Zane deduced. "That's a relief to hear! Well done, little guy!" He exclaimed as he reached over to ruffle the top of the tiny Sepida's head.

A happy flash of green appeared on Galieth's skin at the contact. Why would the foreigner's approval feel nice? What did he need the giant's approval for in the first place? Though the green became more yellowish due to embarrassment, the green of contentment persisted.

Munklad chuckled and copied the big alien, rubbing his fingers over Galieth's hair tentacles. {"Good job, Gally."} His voice lowered. {"I'll have to reward you later."}

The yellow-green bled to blue so fast that it startled Munklad before the taller Sepida stepped forward to hide Galieth from view. {"That being said, I think it's time I take Galieth home. We wish you both the best,"} he quickly responded as he rushed off with the smaller Sepida.

"Galieth gonna get some." Pip giggled as the new couple rushed off in the distance. He then looked up at Zane. "Ready to go get all the new words put in your brains?"

"Am I ever!" Zane responded as he called for Louie. The canine rushed over to them immediately. As the three of them headed back to Pip's ship, the human pondered. "So blue really does mean naughty feelings…"

"I should be always blue when with you," Pip had to admit, taking Zane's hand.

"I like seeing all of the colors on you," Zane mused as he threaded their fingers. "Then again, I love all of you."

"Love you," Pip crooned. "All of Zane." The Sepida chirped and glanced at Zane's crotch. "Love-love some parts. Better than chocolate."

The taller man couldn't help but laugh. "Those parts all belong to you, as well," he admitted.

Once again, as they walked along the shore, a few Sepida gave them odd looks. But, only one in ten were actually fearful enough to camouflage out of sight. Since many of them had seen them with Tilbei before, they didn't consider Zane and Louie as much of a threat. The canine in question became a bit anxious when they boarded the ship, but Zane did his best to calm him down during take off.

In less than ten minutes, they arrived at the planet's only spaceport. It was placed purposely in an area of little interest to the ocean-loving inhabitants. The port sprawled up and down the side of a craggy mountain on one of the world's larger islands. There was little life on the mountain besides sad-looking scrub bushes and the fuzzy goat-like animals that ate them. The port looked like a cluster of huge silver eggs glued to the side of the mountain. It had been built by a company of hopeful Pthanesians who had an interesting sense of esthetics. The transport pods that were constantly zipping around matched the port were all shining silver as they popped around either delivering the planet's residents or going to pick them up. The ruling government of the time hadn't really thought through having a spaceport that Sepida and Nubra might want to visit but could never access without a flying ride. The government had grumbled about paying for half the costs of the transports but had caved under pressure from constituents.

Pip bounced impatiently in his chair as he waited for the automated transport in front of him to finally dock, allowing Pipolphi to find a free slot to do the same. He was going to be able to talk to Zane and Louie! Pip could hardly contain his excitement. He'd been so frustrated at the stilted conversations and misunderstandings between himself and Zane. It was even worse with Louie, Pip being entirely unable to make sense of the Irish Setter's clearly complex speech. At least Zane's language had been simple enough that the Sepida could have enough translated to get by. Surprisingly, even Zane seemed to have a somewhat limited understanding of Louie's language, which was amazing to Pip since they'd lived together for years. Louie seemed capable of at least understanding English, though unable to speak it. Tilbei had told Pip that he'd heard about a race that had no mouth parts and was unable to even create many of the more common speech noises. Instead, they forced air into a throat bladder and expelled it in whistles and shrieks through modified gills. Pipolphi wondered if Louie's anatomy was different enough somehow to make him unable to speak English. The Setter seemed excited at the prospect of finally being able to communicate fully, bouncing next to Pip as they exited the ship and signed in with Port Authority.

Pipolphi found an information kiosk and looked up where to find the shop that could upgrade and implant language chips. The Sepida felt a bubble of worry. What if they wouldn't take trade? Pip knew Sepida aphrodisiacs were considered incredibly valuable, but he had no idea how to actually sell it himself without risking exposure to unsavory types. They might pay him for it or might just kidnap him to get a constant supply. His recent experiences made Pip more than a little wary. Language chip vendors were well-regulated and carefully monitored by multiple interstellar agencies due to the importance of the product. Prices and protocols were strictly controlled. Payment accepted was a bit more flexible depending on the vendor and if they had any side-businesses.

There were no customers in the shop when they entered. It seemed to be more than just selling chips and language upgrades. The place was crammed with everything from terribly ugly souvenirs to interesting fruits and even a few holo-displays of spaceships for sale. Pip let out a happy trill, hope rising that he'd be able to trade a bit of himself for everything they wanted. Pipolphi wasted no time going to the counter and ringing the buzzer.

{"I'm coming, I'm coming,"} came a whine from the back as a lithe and fey-like young man emerged. His skin was a soft gray all over with darker gray spots. Cuffs and earrings adorned a set of pointed ears. He had silver hair in an asymmetrical bob and blue eyes that were magnified by the pair of digital goggles that he quickly slid up onto his head like a headband. The movement caused his long, feathery antennae to sweep down over his scalp. When he saw his new customers, his eyes widened. {"Don't remember the last time I saw a Sepida without a protective Nubra walking into my store. The name's Cisco. Alano trader extraordinaire. How can I help you today?"}

{"My very large mate who is also extremely protective watches over me as well as any Nubra,"} Pipolphi said warily, suddenly afraid that someone might see he was without a Nubra companion and think he was easy prey. {"And our companion, Louie the Fierce and Noble, has huge pointy teeth and is just as protective as my mate."} Pip couldn't help the anxious gray that colored him, making him very nearly match the Alano shopkeeper, but he tried to force the flickers of frightened black away with more success.

Cisco held his hands up in the universal expression of being unarmed. {"Now, now,"} He responded with a chuckle. {"I've just a passion for trading and collecting rare items and substances, not people. I'm not like that."} He tilted his head slightly as he regarded the tall man and the smaller Kaynen. {"I figure that little guy's a Kaynen. But, I don't think I've met a foreigner like your bodyguard there. Not for a long time. Is it too rude for me to ask what species he is?"}

{"Zay is human from Earth. He speaks English,"} Pipolphi said proudly, his gray skintone flickering to relieved starbursts of white and green at the shopkeeper's reassurances. Pip didn't know why, but he felt he could trust the alien not to hurt them. He seemed so forthright and friendly. Although, Pip had to remind himself that Cisco's coloring didn't mean the Alano was anxious. Pipolphi rubbed Louie's ears, causing the Irish Setter's tongue to hang and his eyes to roll in ecstasy. {"Louie was also born on earth. I don't know what he speaks, but he understands English and is very intelligent and able to convey quite a bit non-verbally. Especially when he wants a certain food. It's truly amazing. I was hoping to have Zay and Louie chipped and my chip upgraded to understand their languages. I know a bit of English, but it's woefully incomplete."}

{"Oh, I have plenty of state-of-the-art translator chips,"} Cisco responded. Though it was rare, there had been a few humans he had crossed paths with in the past. The newer models of the chips had a more advanced adaptive learning, which meant that there weren't many languages that were unable to be translated. {"They do get pricey, though. How many credits can you afford? I do have payment plans, but to keep up with costs, they're quite short."}

{"Ahnnn, well, I was hoping you perhaps accepted trade?"} Pip flashed yellow and looked at the Alano hopefully.

The Alano raised an elegant silver eyebrow. {"Trade? It depends on what kind of trade,"} Cisco admitted. {"What did you have in mind?"}

{"My, well…"} Pipolphi straightened his spine, refusing to allow embarrassment to turn him an ugly mustard. He was a liberated, mostly self-sufficient adult. His body was his own, and there was no shame in what he was doing. Not that he would ever tell his parents. Pip would rather bite off his own tentacles. Slowly. The Sepida steeled himself and continued. {"I offer some of my deep essence in exchange."} Pip's hair tentacles couldn't seem to decide if they wanted to braid up sensually or fly around in agitation.

Bright blue eyes widened in surprise. {"Wait, you mean your aphrodisiac essence?"} He questioned. {"Just a small vial of that is worth ten of the chips and more! Are you sure?"}

{"If you have the way to extract it without too much pain or damage to me,"} Pip said quickly, shivering slightly. He knew how thieves quickly and roughly stole the essence from a Sepida. The warnings of what would happen if someone greedy and unscrupulous got a Sepida alone was whispered urgently and with deadly seriousness in the juvenile pools by elders to the young Sepida as well as Nubra. It was an admonition to never trust strangers and stay with a Nubra protector whenever possible. Pipolphi knew he would find another way to get Zane and Louie the chips if he had to. It would just take longer to come up with the money, and Pip was impatient to talk, really talk, with his lover and friend.

{"Well, there are a good few ways to do it,"} the Alano mused aloud. {"Some ways are more embarrassing than others, but none would be painful at all. For example, the last Sepida that offered his essence enjoyed the pleasuring machine I had so much that I just gave him one that he could take home with him. His partner really liked it, too. That reminds me! I have a room that is always sterilized, and your partner is more than welcome to help you release your essence into a container. I don't even have to be inside the room. It can be private."}

Pipolphi chirped, willing his hair tentacles to stop trying to braid up and embarrass the life out of him. They were in public; Pip reminded his obviously slutty tentacles, it wasn't appropriate to have them coil up like he was some wanton thing. The Sepida's hair quivered but behaved.

{"Is it alright if Louie waits here?"} Pipolphi looked to the Irish Setter who was snuffling a soft blanket made from the wool of the goat-like creatures that lived on the mountain. Louie turned his attention to the Sepida, hearing his name. "Stay is okay, Louie?" Pip asked.

Louie didn't hesitate to flop his lower half down into a sitting position. He was asked to "stay" so he would. When no one was looking, he'd investigate the lovely smelling blanket further.

{"Uh, that's fine. The room is this way,"} Cisco explained as he pressed his hand to the biometric key on the side of a set of doors and led them down a brightly lit hallway. He stopped when they reached a third set of doors. {"So, which would you prefer? The machine, or just your partner alone?"}

{"How does the machine work?"} Pip asked, walking with his hand in Zane's. With his free hand, the Sepida swatted a lock of hair that tried to braid itself.

{"It's a fantastic tool that was designed with Sepida in mind. A small group of Sepida had been in a- well, maybe I shouldn't go too much into those details. The point is that it hadn't been designed as an extractor at first, just a fancy sex toy,"} Francisco explained as he unzipped a flat, round case. The contraption was coiled in a colorful swirl and had two bags with two other objects on the side. After the Alano pressed a button, the coils unfurled to reveal clips at one end and a curved, silicone-like object on the other. {"This right here is a prostate stimulator. It vibrates right on your sweet spot while these coils up here twist your braids tighter than what's normally possible. The twisting's usually not enough to really hurt, but the settings can be changed depending on your tolerance.}

{"There are two ways you can do this. I can attach a tool right here that helps to milk your essence, or you can have your partner do the "milking." Either way, a vacuum sensor will take over once you're close to climax. Which would you prefer?"} Cisco asked.

{"I, ah, I think I would like my Zay to do that if that's alright."} Pip fought his body's urge to turn mustard with embarrassment. He was an adult, and this was perhaps not an activity that was discussed with juveniles or parents present, but it was hardly taboo. Pipolphi looked at Zane shyly. "Zay help me make some man milk for Cisco cold hard cash?"

The human frowned a bit as he tried to grasp what was going on. He looked from the contraption with the suspiciously placed dildo to his Sepida, the Alano, and back. A few conversations had to replay in his mind about what Pip had told him about Hunnars and what they wanted from him before he began to catch on. "Oh! Man milk!" He burst aloud. "Yeah, I can help. What do you need me to do?"

"Your Sepida lover wishes to exchange his essence for brand new communication chips," Cisco responded in English when his own chip quickly supplied him with the translation. "The essence of a Sepida is very valuable, enough for as many as ten chips. Since the...extraction...is a very private matter, he would like your help with that part. The machine will stimulate his sensitive areas inside and on his hair. You just need to clip his braids to the coils. When he gets close enough to ejaculation, the machine will simply vacuum the essence up and fold itself up."

He then turned towards Pip. {"I will be in the front for when you two are done. Don't worry, this room is free from cameras, and it is also soundproof for your privacy. If you like the machine, you can take it with you, as I can only use a brand new one on a client for sanitation safety."} Cisco gave the tall human a smile. "Your privacy is safe with me. I will be waiting outside with Mr. Louie."

Zane nodded as he watched the Alano walk away, the door shutting behind him. "Wow, those chips are something else," he mused aloud. "I understood every word he said. Is that how it will be with us?" He asked Pip.

"Zay know my words. I know Zay words." The Sepida tapped one finned ear as he boosted himself onto a padded table that held the device Cisco had left. "You say English; hear Sepida." Pip gestured to the human, a sweet little smile curling his lips. " I say, {I love you with all I am, as the ocean loves the moons and feels the pull in her tides}," Pipolphi said, beginning with English and finishing in his own language, repeating an old saying. In English again, Pip continued, "Zay hear, you are my Buttercup." Pip picked up the odd contraption, nibbling his lip as he decided the best position. He crawled up onto his hands and knees and held out the oddly shaped dildo. The Sepida's smile and tone were still loving and sweet as he said, "Wanna stick this in my booty?"

The human returned the smile. Though he didn't understand a lick of what he had said, it still sounded beautiful. He didn't quite feel that "you are my Buttercup" fully encompassed what his Sepida said. But, he got the gist of it. "Let's take a look at that, then," he said as he took hold of the curved dildo. A few things happened at once. The base of the dildo began to gently hum as if it sensed that it was going to be used. The soft outer area seemed to self-lubricate. He slid some of the lubrication off with his fingers and used it to gently stretch his lover's entrance. "This thing's actually kinda cool," he murmured as he carefully inserted it. When the base could go no further, it began to vibrate. "I knew it!"

Inside the Sepida's depths, the pleasuring tool seemed to change shape until it was able to make full contact with almost every millimeter of Pipolphi's large prostate, allowing the vibrations to stimulate a generous surface. His slender fingers clenched into fists on the padded surface as his body turned an abrupt and startling blue. Pip's hair was more than happy to be free from the Sepida's control. Each slender tentacle curved and twined with a neighbor, coiling into intricate knots and braids. A drop of precum was already at the tip of Pip's hardening length as he shivered at the sensations and moaned Zane's name.

The sound of his lover's voice seemed to travel right down to his shaft as Zane began to carefully attach the clips of the device to each of Pip's braids. The coils began to twirl, tightening the strands even further than they already were within the braids. The human had never seen some of the deep blue hues that rolled down Pip's body. It was as beautiful as it was erotic.

"Pip," Zane gasped as he reached down to gently stroke the Sepida's length.

"Nnn-ahh!" Pip gasped, voice warbling. His entire body felt overwhelmed with pleasure. It tingled through him, curling his toes and arching his back. His wide turquoise eyes were open but unseeing as his lover's warm hand worked him dizzyingly fast toward a peak that Pipolphi was a little frightened of how intense it was likely going to be. His body began to move, hips arching and rolling as though in the midst of mating. The device inside him pushed hard on his prostate, the vibration shifting to pulse in a thrumming rhythm that drew a harsh cry from the Sepida. The clips on his hair tentacles clicked as they tightened, then loosened, only to tighten again. Pip forgot to breathe as his muscles tightened and Zane's sure strokes grew faster.

"Breathe, Pip," Zane urged as he forced himself to look the Sepida in the eye instead of continuing to be enthralled with his smaller lover's current state. "Are you close, love?" He asked softly into a webbed ear. "What do you need me to do?"

"Fuck me, Zay!" Pip begged, dragging in a labored breath. As good as the devious device inside him felt, as intense as the pleasure it was churning inside him, Pipolphi wanted his human more. He needed to feel that length and thickness that had amazed and fascinated Pip from the first time he'd seen Zane hard and ready. He wanted to be held tight in big strong arms while he was surrounded by the scent, sound, and feel of the man. Pip wanted Zane to make him come, wanted to feel his body tighten around his human as he let the pleasure wreck him.

Zane carefully undid the segment of the device that the vibrating dildo was attached to. He didn't want to mess too much with the part of the tool that was the "catcher" or else all of their efforts would have been in vain. Two small bars were curled beneath the Sepida's thighs and held parallel to the Sepida's shaft. A strange, stretchy material was held at the end of the bars, ready to capture the Sepida's seed. However, the "catcher" did not seem to have any connection to the segment that contained the dildo.

The human clambered onto the cot behind his petite lover, his hands sliding up the Sepida's chest as he urged Pip into an upright kneeling position. He wasted no time in slipping inside the other man's depths, since the device had definitely prepared him enough. Zane both felt and heard Pip's body react when he was finally fully sheathed inside.

The Sepida's body quivered and tightened around him as Pip let out a shuddering cry. Then Zane's smaller lover was moving against him, fucking himself on the human's hard length. Pip's arms drew up, reaching behind him to curl around the back of Zane's neck, soft sound of pleasure fell from Pipolphi's lips, desperate and breathy. He let out a frustrated whine, unable to get Zane's cock deep enough, rough enough, fast enough. Pip begged in Sepida, words that the human could figure out the meaning to if not the words themselves. Zane was really looking forward to getting that chip and understanding what sounded like beautiful, musical nonsense to him at that point.

But, for the time being, he gave the Sepida what he wanted. Zane pressed a kiss to the crook of Pip's neck and used both his hands to grasp the blue man's hips until he was able to use the hold to tug the Sepida into each of his thrusts. Again and again, the human pulled as far back as he could and then slammed back in again. "Pip!" He gasped as he fell into a rhythm that his lover usually enjoyed.

Pip's braids were once again tightened and then pulled deliciously by the clips. The Sepida pressed back into Zane as a keening cry tore from the smaller man as the pleasure crashed over him violently.

Zane's hands slid up the Sepida's chest and then carefully wrapped around Pipolphi to steady him as the Sepida's come all but exploded from him. The human watched as the "catcher" immediately expanded and a vacuum formed. The material at the end seemed to billow outward like a giant condom-balloon. As the Sepida's shaft twitched, he noted that the trails of cum and pre-cum seemed to roll down the flesh and into the catcher in interlocking swirls. He couldn't help but wonder what it felt like for the whimpering man in his arms, whose blue hue indicated that he was still riding out his pleasure.

Then, just as soon as the vacuuming started, it stopped. The bars on the side detached themselves from Pip's thighs and transformed, before his eyes, into a cylinder that looked remarkably like a shiny thermos. The device that had the attached dildo folded itself up, as well, until it was once again a thinly-coiled disc. "Wow," Zane breathed as his own hard shaft gave a twitch inside Pip. "We should get one of those to use at home. Do you think he has a version for humans?"

Zane carefully slid out of his lover, ignoring his own erection, as he moved around so that he could look at the Sepida's softening member. "Not a single drop…" He mused, fascinated with the devices and their thoroughness. "How did feel when it began to vacuum it all up?" He asked Pip.

"Felt…Mmmnnn…" the Sepida said dreamily. It was hard to express how the rippling suction had drawn his orgasm out until sparks had been flashing in Pip's vision and he thought he would collapse on the table, unable to hold himself up. He'd locked his elbows and ridden it out. He was dreamy-eyed when he smiled up at his lover, then Pipolphi's eyes lowered, and he blinked at Zane. "Zay didn't get happy ending…"

Zane smiled at the petite man. "But, Pip, you are my happy ending," he responded in a serious tone. Cheesy as it was to admit, it was the truth. In spite of his accomplishments as an Olympic gymnast, he led a solitary life. The only people he considered close enough to call family were his cousin, Adrian, and Louie. Even then, Adrian became withdrawn after the death of his dad and he eventually lost contact with him. And, while Louie was a loyal companion, he wasn't Pipholphi.

"We can deal with my pleasure later at home," the human insisted as he pulled his pants back up and picked up the device and the thermos-looking catcher. "For now, we should get those communication chips, don't you think?"

"But, Zay!" Pip cried as he was swept from the room with his human's strong arm tucked around his lower back. The Sepida's legs were still a bit wobbly, so he was grateful for the support. "Your blue balls…Ah, hello, Cisco." Pip gave the Alano a smile that was still a bit slow and dreamy. The Sepida finally knew what Tilly meant by 'fuck-drunk.' Pipolphi was amazed he could string two words together. He mostly wanted to curl up on Zane's chest and purr like…He had trouble thinking of the Earth word for the animal he was thinking of. Duck? Yes, that was it. Pip wanted to cuddle up on the wide, strong chest of his lover, purring like a happy little duck.

Francisco had just finished tying a fleece made of the fur of a particular goat around Louie as a gift. He fashioned it so that it looked like a hooded cape with slots for the ears. "I was just giving your friend here a gift since he seemed to like this fleece so much…" Cisco explained, automatically speaking in English so that Zane could understand. He smiled at the state Pip seemed to be in and placed a hand on the human's shoulder as he whispered. "Don't worry; he'll be fine. All Sepida end up a little overwhelmed with the device."

"Where can we get one of these?" Zane mused aloud.

"This one is yours," Cisco responded as he took hold of the catcher and headed behind the counter. "Consider it a gift."

He set the catcher on the counter and busied about getting several communicator chips nested into a case. "I'm placing ten chips in this case for you," he told the Sepida. "And if there's anything else that catches your eye, just let me know."

"The trade's worth that much?" Zane asked.

"At least," Cisco replied. "So, please, feel free to take a look around for something for yourself."

The human looked around the shop, his gaze falling on something familiar. "Are those red and white retro varsities?" He questioned as he walked closer to the sports shoes. The more he looked at them, the more he realized they were similar, but not the real versions of the shoes he thought.

"Those? They were designed by another tall human some months ago," Cisco explained. "Not sure if they were really designed after the ones you mentioned. But, I got myself a good few of them. Feel free to look for any that might fit you."

As Zane looked at the boxes, he was impressed with how they appeared like the shoe boxes back home. Even the sizes were listed straight across, in US, European, UK, inches, and even centimeters. "Guy must have been from Earth," he murmured as he pulled a pair on, finding them to be a perfect fit.

"If you want, I have a lab where I can implant the chips for you," Cisco offered.

"Louie, wanna get a chip in your noggin?" Pip cooed to the canine from where he was sitting and leaning on Louie, rubbing the dog's silky ears where they stuck out of the adorable fleece.

The English Setter gave the Sepida's hand an appreciative lick. Mmmm, salty.

"Will it...hurt?" Zane asked in concern, having rather not have Louie undergo anything painful.

"No, you'd be in a Medbay unit asleep for a bit. Then, when you wake up, it'll be a whole new experience," Cisco elaborated. "You'll be able to understand almost any language in the known universe, and the chip is upgraded automatically whenever new languages are discovered and translated. Lifetime guarantee."

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a/n: If anyone wants to see a rendition of Cisco, the link will be in the comments below.