#bond tokenization

[rose-mason-talk]

Developing a Bond Tokenization Platform: Key Features and Architecture

Introduction

Bond tokenization is a fast-growing trend in the blockchain world for several valid, practical reasons. It is a more efficient, transparent, and accessible method of issuing and managing debt instruments, such as corporate and government bonds.

Issuers convert the traditional bonds into blockchain-based digital tokens to ease their operations and give access to investors worldwide. When you plan to build a bond tokenization platform, it is important to understand its core structure and functionality. Let us discover the process for development, core features, and underlying architecture of a bond tokenization solution.

What Is a Bond Tokenization Platform?

This is a bond tokenization platform whereby one would be enabled to issue bonds as digital tokens through blockchain systems. The tokens represent ownership in that debt instrument and are governed by a smart contract that automates processes such as interest payments, maturity, and compliance. 

These platforms aim to reduce the reliance upon intermediaries and cut down issuance costs, while also providing more liquidity and accessibility to the bonds for a more extensive range of investors. From the user interface with which an issuer defines the bond terms to the secure digital wallet where investors hold their tokens, the platform manages the complete bond lifecycle.

Key Features of a Bond Tokenization Platform

A successful bond tokenization platform ought to exhibit capabilities that combine paramount financial compliance requirements with technical precision. The issuer dashboard is an integral module of the platform and allows institutions to define issuing parameters such as bond interest rate, maturity period, bondholder payment schedule, and more. The interface is a boon in managing compliance documentation and facilitating communication with investors.

Then comes the investor portal where the user can view the offerings, complete KYC/AML, and invest fully or fractionally. Upon completion of the investment, trades receive their tokenized bonds into their digital wallets and continue to oversee bond performance and payouts in real time.

From the backend perspective, the smart contracts take control of everything on the platform. Issuance of bonds and enforcement of terms are conducted by those contracts. Also, they pay interest from time to time and redeem bonds after their maturity. Integration of digital wallets and custody solutions assures the investors of a safe place to store their assets and manage them. In addition, the platform must entertain fiat or stablecoin payments, thus allowing investors to invest and redeem with ease.

Blockchain Infrastructure and Smart Contract Layer

A foundation in bond tokenization lies in selecting the suitable blockchain network. Platforms like Ethereum, Polygon, or Hyperledger provide the security and programmability needed for the advancing financial product. Each tokenized bond is represented by a smart contract laying down all legal and financial terms. These contracts are automated and tamper-proof rulebooks that substitute many traditional functions of banks and brokers.

The smart contract layer is positioned between the investor wallets and the blockchain network, thereby facilitating the secure and transparent execution of transactions. From a more detailed point of view, such contracts help in ownership tracking, distribution of interest payments, and on-chain enforcement of all compliance rules.

Compliance and Regulatory Integration

Regulation is maybe the biggest obstacle to bond tokenization worldwide. KYC and AML must be done on your platform. Usually, you integrate a third-party identity verification API or create an in-house module to securely verify investor eligibility.

The platform should also incorporate jurisdiction restrictions and accreditation checks and whitelisting concepts to ensure only qualified persons can participate in the bond offering. Compliance modules have to be adaptable since the regulation of digital securities will differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and is still evolving.

Wallets, Custody, and Settlement

The investor experience depends largely on how tokens are faced with storage and retrieval. Therefore, wallet integration is an essential consideration in your platform design. Retail users might prefer non-custodial wallets such as MetaMask, while institutions generally need high-grade custody solutions with high-security levels. Multi-signature wallets and hardware wallet adaptability are also crucial for secure access and recovery.

The platform ought to have easy fiat onramp mechanisms as well as support for stablecoins used for making bond purchases and payouts. Interest payments and maturity redemptions may be carried out automatically by smart contracts and paid to investors, thereby reducing manual administrative work.

Secondary Market Module

Liquidity is among the major benefits of tokenization. Users would be able to trade tokenized bonds among themselves or on regulated exchanges if a secondary market were built onto your platform. The module supports real-time price discovery mechanisms and hence adds to the value proposition of issuers and investors. It is especially useful in the case of fractional bonds when retail investors may want to sell a part of their holdings even before maturity.

Having DEX functionality or interoperability with other security token exchanges would ensure continuous liquidity and wider reach. However, all trades must still abide by the underlying compliance rules enforced by the smart contract.

Platform Architecture Overview

A bond tokenization platform architecture is typically set up with several core layers. The frontend interface built upon frameworks like React or Angular provides a smooth experience for issuers and investors. Connecting to this is the backend application layer that works out all the business logic and interacts with the blockchain through APIs or Web3 libraries.

The blockchain interaction layer communicates with the smart contracts deployed on-chain. With the smart contracts, all logic is kept for issuing, distributing, and managing tokenized bonds. Other components include secure databases for off-chain data, IPFS or Filecoin for document storage, and external services for compliance and payment processing.

Such modular architecture allows it to be scaled, secured, and aligned with regulations of the jurisdictions and use cases.

The Future of Bond Tokenization

With institutions seeking efficient, transparent, and inclusive ways of raising capital, bond tokenization looks destined to become a mainstream financial solution. Governments, banks, and fintech firms have all dabbled in issuing tokenized bonds, from green bonds to short-term debt instruments. With adoption increasing and regulatory clarity coming through, there shall be a very rapid expansion of the whole-show ecosystem around bond tokenization.

The transformation will be captured by platforms that are now being built having scalability, compliance, and investor experience at heart.

Conclusion

To build a bond tokenization platform, one must have an in-depth view of both systems. From smart contracts to compliance; from investor dashboards to wallets; each component must be analyzed meticulously for technical security, legal validity, and investor trust.

 As more and more issuers are setting tokens to debt on the blockchain, tokenized bonds open new avenues for issuers and investors. Thus, a cutting-edge platform that is reliable and full of features places you on top of this financial revolution.

[blockchainx]

Embracing liquidity and accessibility, the bond tokenization services is a win-win situation for investors and asset owners to maximize returns.

[blanchebees]

Since the beginning, still by your side

Tip jar

[elegantleylinebehemoth]

I'm a sucker for them can't you tell

iv on his tippy toes coz iii is v tall

[tonguetyd]

Bonded pair has complimentary profile pics, fork found in kitchen

[melit0n]

A lyric that originally confused me a bit in Provider was, "your outer shell; your secret insider." At first, it seemed a bit of a backwards juxtaposition, one that didn't match up as well as others in their discography.

My first thought was that it was referring to being someone's 'protector' of sorts. Existing as a hardened exoskeleton, yet simultaneously managing to settle under the skin of the very person they're shielding. Barely even there, but making a home where it's well deserved.

Then, I remembered the chemistry motif. The "outer shell," typically refers to the last 'shell' around an atom, otherwise known as a valance shell. Basically, electrons surround a nucleus in varying levels (first shell holds two, second holds eight, the third eighteen etc.), and, the number of electrons on the furthest shell decide its chemical properties (how reactive it'll be, is it flammable etc.), and, if it'll be "acid or alkaline."

Neat little possible callback, I thought.

Furthermore, if an atom has an incomplete outer shell, it'll be unstable, but through a covalent bond (in non-metals), can be stabilized if another molecule shares it's electrons.

In short, they become equal; on stable ground with one another. To be someone's "outer shell," means to have a chemical, balanced bond with them; to keep them steady.

I think that really fits, considering the title of the song.

[kaddyssammlung]

The third one is from their US tour in 2023 Fans believe that it's between Vessel and mask. (makes the most sense but was never said)

First part:

Mask: They think you fake it. Vessel: What do you mean? Mask: When you cry on stage, they don't think it's real. Vessel : That's a reasonable assumption Mask : Do you fake it? Vessel : No, I don't. But it is something I do consistently, so if I was a member of the audience I would probably assume that it wasn't real. Mask : Do you ever see them crying? Vessel : No, I can only ever see them smiling. That's good, I want them to smile. Mask : Do you think they want you to cry? Do you think they like it? Vessel : Not as such, I think they just want to know that I am feeling something, feeling what they are feeling, perhaps. Mask : Do you think that this amount of crying is healthy for you? Vessel: I don't know. But at least I feel something, if I don't feel anything than why would I even do this?

Second part:

Mask: Why am I here? What is my purpose in all of this? Vessel: Your purpose is twofold. You protect me, from them, and you also protect them from me. Mask: How is it that I serve to protect anyone from anything, that makes no sense Vessel: In order for all of this to work there has to be a certain boundary in place. They need to be able to project themselves onto this, without anyone else's identity getting in the way. In turn, I need to be able to show my true self to them in a way that does not compromise their ability to connect. Mask: So that's what I am? A boundary? Vessel: Yes. Mask: I don't believe you. I believe there is more to it than that. I believe you are afraid of something. Vessel: We are all afraid of something, are we not? Mask: What is it you are so afraid they will see? Vessel: That I am exactly like everyone else.

Third part:

Mask: Are you afraid of me? Vessel: Sometimes... Mask: Why? Vessel: I think I am afraid of becoming you. Mask: What does that even mean? Vessel: My life is becoming gradually consumed by you. Before long, all that I am will be contained within you. Then, one day, when I no longer wish to wear you, there will be nothing else left. Mask: It seems you have forgotten who you are. Before you had me you were nothing. All of this artifice, all this pathetic conjecture about your identity, it is nothing but a manifestation of how short-sighted and solipsistic you have become. I lifted you from misery and obscurity. You would be better to become me. You are nothing without me. You always were nothing without me.

Last part:

Vessel: You. Are. Wrong. In the end, my fractured sense of self was only another piece of fuel for the fire that burns in the eyes of these people before us. They too are pained. They too not know who they truly are. They are each stood alone on a stage of their own. And yet, they are here. United by that sense of never truly belonging. They see something beyond their own bleak horizons. And they reach for it. Together. So let us join now. to reflect their joy and to serve as a conduit for their anguish. To swallow their fear. To Worship.

[marlynnofmany]

Stranger in Need

Inspired by this post from @banrionceallach, which wonders about healthcare and the human vs alien approaches to certain things in the spacefuture. Here's one answer to one facet of that question.

~~~

The space station was a noisy one, or maybe it was just the food court. Hard to have eating areas for a dozen species without a certain level of background sound. I was ready to move on, though. I waved to a few crewmates who were still hanging around the tables, then picked a route toward the entertainment stores. While the large concourses might have been faster, and the floating walkways cooler (they went through holes in the wall!), the small hallway with nature murals looked peaceful.

I admired the paintings of otherworldly hills, all orange and purple, with a glittery starscape on the ceiling. The hubbub faded behind me while the hallway curved ahead. Unfortunately, that sound was replaced by a new one: someone coughing violently.

I edged to the side so I could peek around the corner while keeping my distance in case there was contagion about. That was a lot of throat clearing between the coughs.

When the sitting area came into view, with its potted alien plants and multiple benches, I stopped worrying about my own safety. A fellow human was leaning against one of the benches, coughing with everything he had. His clothes were nice, like he was on his way to a job interview, and they were covered in sweat, like he’d been running to get there on time. A bag of belongings had spilled at his feet. The broken shards of plastic with a metal bit at the center had once been an inhaler.

There were also two tall aliens standing nearby, the long-necked type that I hardly ever saw, with short beaky faces and skin textured like a turkey neck. They were facing each other and ignoring the human who was struggling to breathe.

I ignored them right back and hurried over to the guy. “Hey, do you need help?”

He grimaced, but nodded. An attempt at explaining turned into more coughs. He pointed at the inhaler and pantomimed a heavy footstep.

I thought back to the size of certain people at the food court. They could easily have stepped hard enough to crack the casing and not noticed. “I don’t suppose you have a spare in here?” I asked, gesturing toward the bag.

When he shook his head, it was my turn to grimace. I wondered if he was fresh from Earth, where human-specific medicine was available at every corner medcenter. The inhaler could be hard to replace out here. At least we weren’t out on the edge of nowhere; the medcenters here should be familiar with human biology.

I told him, “We need to get you to a medcenter.” Then I paused. “Do you know where it is?”

He did not. Dang. I looked over at the two turkey-neck aliens who were having a staring contest or something. “Hey, do you guys know the way to the medical center?”

The closest one turned his head to face me without moving the rest of his body. “Do you mind? We’re in the middle of something here.”

“This person could die!” I snapped.

With a shrug in his voice, he said, “It’s your child, not ours.”

“He’s not my child!” I exclaimed. “He might even be older than me.”

“Then why do you care?”

I stared at the pair of them for a long second: their vaguely irritated expressions and the way they hadn’t moved an inch to help. I made an exasperated noise and gave them up as a lost cause. The guy was still coughing, trying to force air in and out of airways that were swelling shut.

“Lemme see if I can find a map on the public feed,” I said, pulling out my phone. “Oh hey, don’t bother; I’ll get it.” He’d bent to scoop up the fallen belongings, and almost passed out headfirst. With the phone in one hand, I ushered him onto a bench then nudged the pile together with a foot while I searched madly on my phone. “Argh, why don’t they have it up front? This is terribly designed. Are you gonna be able to walk?”

He nodded, but he was starting to list to the side with a glazed expression. I considered trying to carry him, and didn’t like my odds. Had there been other humans nearby in the food court? Somebody likely to help?

I shoved my phone back into my pocket and turned to sprint down the hall. I’d only made it a few steps before a welcome sight rounded the corner: not humans, but two of my biggest crewmates.

“What’s happening?” Blip asked, a vision of muscles and flowing silks that blended with her natural frills.

Beside her, Blop turned a fish-faced frown on the ailing human. “That doesn’t sound good.” His silks were even frillier than his sister’s, and the pair of them filled the hallway. Just what I needed.

“He can’t breathe,” I told them. “The tool for his medicine broke. Do you know where the medcenter is?”

“I’ll carry him,” they both said, Blip slightly faster.

“I’ve got the bag,” Blop added, diving to gather it up with a dismissive flap of his frills at the two turkey-necks. “Of course they’re no help.”

“Why would we?” asked the farther one, sounding honestly curious.

Blip announced, “Lift and be lifted,” then did exactly that. The adult human looked small in her arms.

Blop bounced to his feet with the bag zipped shut. “I’ll clear the way!”

The pair dashed off down the hallway with me running after. The turkey-necks didn’t move, though one of them muttered something about herd creatures.

As I ran, I thought, I’ve never seen more than one of those long-necked guys at a time before. Guess they’re a solitary species. They’re missing out.

We burst out of the hallway into a crowd that parted like a spaceship fleet in the path of a wild asteroid. Blop yelled for directions, and people of many species pointed the way.

I followed along, glad not to be the weird one for once.

~~~

These are the ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book.

Shared early on Patreon! There’s even a free tier to get them on the same day as the rest of the world.

The sequel novel is in progress (and will include characters from these stories. I hadn’t thought all of them up when I wrote the first book, but they’re too much fun to leave out of the second).

[hellequinist]

In Lieu Of Recent Events… have doodles of vessel and copia being besties

doodled these yesteday before the back 2 the beginning announcement dropped today we r SO BACK!!

[rose-mason-talk]

How RWA Tokenization is Revolutionizing Bond Markets in 2025

Tokenization of assets has been one of the most disruptive and productive applications of the technology recently. For example, RWAs, or "real-world asset," tokenization and bond tokenization, are preparing for an acceptance ramp-up as financial markets shift to digitization. In fact, not only do these technologies further improve accessibility and efficiency in the delivery of traditional financial instruments; they also create a more holistic and transparent financial ecosystem. The merging of RWA tokenization development and bond tokenization is transforming the bond markets into something quite different as we surge into 2025.

Understanding RWA Tokenization

The process of converting real-world assets (RWAs) into tokens involves creating digital tokens from tangible assets like land, crops, and commodities intellectual property. Such tokens can be tracked on the blockchain and traded. Tokenization represents ownership, rights or shares of the underlying asset and enables efficient transferability along with fractional ownership.

Characteristics of RWA Tokenization:

Fractional Ownership: The investor is now able to invest in smaller portions of otherwise very expensive assets.

Increased Liquidity: Unlike in a conventionally illiquid asset or in the personal capital markets, tokenized assets will be traded on secondary markets to enhance their liquidity.

Transparency and Security: Such transactions are recorded immutably and completely transparently on the basis of blockchains.

The Concept of Bond Tokenization

Tokenization of bonds pertains to applying the principles underlying blockchain to traditional bond instruments. Basically, such bonds are debt securities issued by various entities like governments or corporations, which may be tokenized into digital assets that represent ownership of the said debt and its respective payments. Thus, tokenized bonds facilitate cost-effective mechanisms for their issuance, trading, and settlement directly on a distributed network.

Some of the important benefits of bond tokenization include:

Automated Processes: Automated coupon payments and settlements result in the operational overhead becoming lower on account of smart contracts.

Access to Global Markets: The holders of tokenized bonds can trade in these bonds all over the globe without intermediation, hence broadening the base of the investors.

Cost Efficiency: Transaction costs are drastically cut down with the use of technological intervention through the absence of intermediaries.

The Convergence of RWA and Bond Tokenization

In 2025, the joint vision of RWA tokenization and bond tokenization is opening never-before-seen avenues in the financial markets. Any RWA, such as a real estate or infrastructure project, is being pledged increasingly as collateral against tokenized bonds, thus developing a hybrid financial instrument, which stabilizes the RWAs with the flexibility that blockchain-based bonds offer.

Convergence Benefits:

Innovative Financial Products: Hybrid instruments such as tokenized asset-backed bonds have diversified scope for investments.

Reduced Risk: RWAs augur real backing for bonds and make the investors feel confident.

Increased efficiency: Wrangling of such RWAs into bond issuing and trading using blockchain technology would mean streamlined processing.

Real-World Applications in 2025

Secured Bonds with Real Estate

Bond tokenization is all about real estate assets tokenized to secure issuance of bonds or the buy of bonds. Typically, the example is the commercial property worth $10 million tokenized and used as collateral to issue bonds with fractional ownership, enabling smaller investments for smaller investors.

Green Bonds And RWAs

These green bonds are absolutely meant for projects that are environmentally sustainable. Such green bonds have also been initiated in the tokenization space and tied to RWAs, mostly renewable energy assets. They are even more attractive to such ESG investors, and with blockchain technology, the chances of eluding the fund allocation become impossible.

Technological Enablers for RWA and Bond Tokenization

Smart Contracts: Automate processes related to coupon payments, bond redemption, and ownership transfer.

Decentralized Platforms: Facilitate the trading of tokenized bonds and RWAs by eliminating reliance on third-party intermediaries. 

Interoperability Protocols: Allow seamless integration of tokenized assets across different blockchain ecosystems.

And Their Solutions' Challenges

Challenges:

Regulatory Uncertainty: The diverse global regulatory frameworks serve as barriers to the mass adoption of tokenization.

Market Fragmentation: Lack of standards on tokenization may inhibit the achievement of interoperability.

Adoption of Technology: Traditional institutions might be faced with some constraints trying to adopt blockchain technology.

Solutions:

Harmonized Regulations: Countries and other industry stakeholders ought to come together to develop clear guidelines on tokenization.

Contest in the Industry: By using standardized protocols, it is possible to enhance interoperability and efficiency within the market.

Education and Awareness: Increased awareness among traditional financial players may accelerate adoption.

To Future of Bonds with Tokenization

The eventual effect of RWA and bond tokenization on the bond market is shocking than anything imagined. In 2025, it's going to be expected to have a fully digitized bond ecosystem with most of the barriers, if not all - geographical, high entry costs, and inefficiencies, completely erased. Tokenized bonds that are underwritten by RWAs will attract even a broader spectrum of investors which will grant a more stable and inclusive financial instrument.

Conclusion

Thus, it is through this API that the innovation of bond tokenization services, and therefore, with RWA tokenization, adds new dimensions regarding efficiency, inclusivity, and innovation within the bond markets. It is believed that these innovations will ensure the utilization of blockchain technologies over the traditional mechanisms and transcend their restrictions within the boundaries of fairness. Indeed, this will probably revolutionize the financial world as the current systems border the threshold of an entirely new era-the digitization of real-world assets and bonds that will very soon alter the definition of investment and trade.

[readinginthenighttime]

lord oh lord here we go again

[funera1pyre]

hiiiiii, could you maybe write something about vessel comforting the reader? like she had a couple of exhausting days at shool and she comes home on the verge of crying so he takes care of her and maybe they end up reading on the couch together? it's okay if you don't want to write it, I know it's kind of a lot 😅

absolutely. i’ve been going through a lot myself lately so this will definitely be cathartic. love u ❤️

the moment vessel sensed you at the front door, he knew something was wrong.

the ache in his chest intensified as he began to meet you, when the doorknob twisted and the door opened and he was met with your tearstained face, his heart dropped.

it was so hard to avoid his gaze. so hard. no matter how much you would try to not drag vessel into your problems, your soul bond rendered that impossible. seeing vessel staring at you with such worry and adoration was enough to send you sobbing.

collapsing into his arms, you let the tears flow freely. vessel was on you in an instant, supporting your weight and securing you tightly in his arms. he knew you wouldn’t want to talk at first, so he chose to not pry. “it’s alright, my love, let it all out. i am here.” he says so gently as he holds your head against his chest.

feeling his warmth surround you, it was easier to calm down. you hated when vessel had to see you like this. he slowly swipes your tears away from your cheeks, pressing a kiss to your forehead as you regain control of your breathing.

with a hand soothingly rubbing your back, vessel says “do you want to talk about it?”

“it’s so hard.. so much at work.. i’m so overwhelmed. i’m not being recognized or appreciated and it’s so frustrating because i always give my all.” you sniffle, and vessel cups your face in his hands. met with your red and teary eyes, he wants nothing more than for you to feel better.

“my love, i know that you always do your best. it is unfortunate that people treat you this way, you do not deserve to be put down in the slightest. i am always proud of you and i am always by your side. we will get through this together in time, my love. for now, i am here.”

he plants a sweet kiss on the tip of your nose, and when you crack a small smile vessel’s heart fills with warmth. “thank you vess, i love you.”

“i love you most, my heart. how would you like to read the next chapter of our book?” vessel says, taking your hand and lightly squeezing. you nod in return, and follow him to the couch in your living room.

vessel’s blankets are already sprawled across, he picks you up and places you down lightly and wraps you in his big fluffy blanket, sitting behind you and dragging you into his lap. the ache in vessel’s chest has completely disappeared, now filled with the wholeness of your love and hope for the future.

he wraps his arms around you, opening your shared book and beginning to read to you. you’ve never felt more at home.

[elegantleylinebehemoth]

Long time no iii and iv 🖤

[edwardashley]

@jahnny MADE ME BEAUTIFUL TIM ROTH PHOTOCARDS 🥺🩷

[pearly-sadness]

to the list of the songs vessel should make cover of but unfortunately will never: music of the night from the phantom of the opera musical

[marlynnofmany]

A Feat of Minor Daring

(Related side project: Prank War!)

~~~

If you have to wait around for a client to bring you something to deliver, waiting on a landing pad with spectacular scenery is not a bad way to do it. Most of the rest of the crew was inside the ship — shuffling the boxes from our other client of the day, and doing any number of other mundane things — so it was just Paint and me enjoying the alien landscape. Their loss. 

I was appreciating the views, while Paint was really there for the smells. I kept pointing out particularly vivid splashes of color among the sea-anemone-shaped trees, while Paint caught whiffs of enticing things. 

“Ooh, what do you think that sharp scent is?” Paint asked when a cool breeze gusted past. She pulled her heat scarf closer. She was also wearing a heat sticker plastered to her scaly chest, which seemed like overkill to me, but I wasn’t a coldblooded lizard alien. I just had a sweater for the chill. 

“Your guess is better than mine,” I said, sniffing the air. “I’m going to go with ‘some sort of plant.’”

A cheerful jumble of musical notes chimed from the treeline where winged fauna hid among tentacle-branches. It sounded remarkably like several ringtones going off at the same time. I was about to ask Paint if she thought it was animals imitating tech, or maybe just a coincidence of evolution, when wild flapping heralded an explosion of feathers across the clearing. 

Colorful bird-things soared over us, their wings a riot of fiery shades and their bodies lined in speckled back feathers over bright blue scales. It was a glorious streak of color, and they sounded like a pile of phones all ringing at once. I had to grin at the sight. 

Paint just said, “I think they’re the source of the smell. How lovely.”

Then a straggler flapped out after the others, and I stopped grinning. 

It was trailing a plastic bag caught around its foot, just like the ones still causing trouble for animals on Earth. The poor thing must have been scavenging in town. By the time it collapsed halfway across the clearing, I was already moving, tugging my sweater off and sneaking up on the bird.

Paint squeaked, “What are you doing?”

“It needs help,” I said, keeping my voice low. The alien bird was breathing hard from the effort of fighting that much extra drag, and hopefully no additional problems. It hadn’t noticed me yet.

“Why is that your responsibility?” Paint hissed in concern. “It could bite you! You don’t even have scales, and you’re not wearing an exo suit! Why did you just take off your soft armor?”

“It’s not my responsibility,” I murmured. “But somebody’s got to.” I eased forward and took a long-legged jump to land with one foot squarely on the bag, then tackled the bird to wrap it in my sweater.

It, unsurprisingly, objected. And it was stronger than it looked.

“What are you doing??” Paint repeated. “You’ll get hurt!”

I fought to get a hand around the bird’s head and keep it from pecking me anywhere important while also holding its wings in. It did its level best to accomplish fight and flight at the same time. It even regurgitated a splash of food, which I managed to barely dodge. It smelled unpleasantly fishy.

But I got the bird’s head pinned down in a way that hopefully didn’t restrict its breathing, and I ended up crouched over the thing using my legs to keep its wings folded. My other hand was doing the important job of preventing it from wriggling free. That didn’t leave any hands for removing the bag.

“Paint! I need your claws!”

“What? No!” She sounded more than a little panicked.

“Just get the bag off its foot!” I said, jerking my head back to where the bag rustled behind me. “Then I’ll let it go!”

“That doesn’t look safe!” Paint insisted.

The bird bucked and thrashed. “It’s not going to get any safer! Come on, it needs help!”

Paint hissed a string of what were probably swear words as she darted forward and approached the talons. I couldn’t see what she was doing from my angle, but I heard the rustle of plastic. I wanted to ask how it was going and give pointers, maybe suggest stepping on the bag to hold it tight, though I didn’t know if that would help or not. I kept quiet.

“Got it!” Paint leapt back, holding up the torn bag in triumph.

“Great!” I said. “Does its leg look injured? Did the bag dig into it or cut off circulation as far as you can tell?”

Paint stepped forward gingerly, then shook her head. “No, the scales look fine.”

I let out a breath. “Extra great. Okay, stand back.”

Paint scampered over to stand by the ship, taking the bag with her, while I got my feet under me. In as smooth a motion as I could, I jumped sideways and rolled away, trailing my sweater. I would have preferred to stand and exit with dignity, but this was faster. Dignity wasn’t worth getting pecked in the knee.

In a whirlwind of feathers, the scaly bird scrambled into the sky. I sat up to watch it go. While I expected a dramatic arc into the distance, it only got as far as the biggest amoeba-tree. I worried that it was injured after all. Then I saw the cluster of tiny beaks that reached up as it landed.

I grinned all over again, watching the reunited family greet each other. A rustle of plastic told me Paint stood beside me. I looked up at her. “We did it.”

She watched the nest with wide eyes, clutching the bag. “We did. And it mattered.”

“It always matters.” I got to my feet with a wince, hoping that wasn’t going to be a bruise on my hip. “Thanks for helping. That was a deed well done.”

Paint was still staring. “Do you think it will have enough food for all the hatchlings? After spitting some at you?”

A glance told me the bird was feeding its young in the time-honored vomity fashion. “I hope so,” I said. “Scavenging for more might lead to another trash adventure, though maybe this was a learning experience.”

Paint stood up straighter. “Let’s check the species database and see what it eats,” she said. “That smells a lot like the canned fish I’ve been saving. We can put it out where they’ll find it.”

“A fine plan,” I told her. “Let’s get cleaned up first so we don’t leave bird germs in the kitchen.”

We’d only taken a couple steps toward the ship before Eggskin met us at the door with concern on their scaly face. “Kavlae said there was some sort of commotion outside, and someone might be hurt?” They brandished the medscanner.

Before I could answer, Paint held up the crumpled plastic bag. “We saved a creature that was trapped in this!”

Eggskin cocked their head, clearly about to ask why, but Paint was still talking. She gave a dramatic recounting of the whole affair. Eggskin turned on the scanner and checked us both for contamination while she talked. Clear. (Whew.)

“…And now it’s safely up in the nest with its hatchlings, and it wouldn’t have made it up there if not for us, and they would have starved and died, and we saved all of them!” Paint said, waving the bag. “It always matters! Now where’s the can opener? I want to leave them some of my fish.”

Eggskin blinked. “Third drawer on the right, where it should be. Unless someone’s misplaced it again. Put that in the biohazard bin and wash your hands.”

“Got it, thanks!” Paint was gone in a rustle of plastic.

Eggskin looked up at me. “Is ‘pack bonding’ contagious?”

I laughed. “I couldn’t tell you. But it always matters. Would you mind keeping an eye on that nest over there while I go change clothes? I’ll wash my hands too.”

Eggskin sighed. “Please do.”

They stood outside the ship watching the distant family of scaly birds, wearing an expression like they were trying to figure something out. I smiled and left to get cleaned up. I’d check the species database afterward. Maybe I had some food they’d like too.

~~~

Did I mention the Prank War?

~~~

These are the ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book.

Shared early on Patreon! There’s even a free tier to get them on the same day as the rest of the world.

The sequel novel is in progress (and will include characters from these stories. I hadn’t thought all of them up when I wrote the first book, but they’re too much fun to leave out of the second).