They lived to serve. Not slavishly, not as a tool, not to enact the wills of others. But to give the great service to others so that the reef could be made a better place. To strive for order, for life, for civilization and prosperity and the appreciation of beauty in all its forms. To enrich all who they met and leave each world they touched a more honest and better one.

They had served here in their mutual self affirmation contract within and upon and throughout the institutions of redweed. They had shared of the obligations that were their very soul to take in and become and express the beliefs of their contractual clients. And although one and many could service and endeavor within the polity of Redweed for ages more ▙◀ had seen and found and come to know another that needed their service.

It was a vital calling, a pair of love sick and lost children. Clinging to each other even while their old wounds and trauma stung and healed crooked. Desperation and paranoia driving them to only cleave to each other and spite all outsiders.

It would be a very difficult service to render that those two needed. But ▙◀ had not chosen and become and pledged into being themselves as an aggregate will to serve because it was easy. The reef was ferocious and by sheer necessity it often held a wild and feral beauty. But it was the fragile spirit of people who pulled that vague wilderness splendor and spun it into experiences of wonder and divinity.

It was through work and constant unending service that the deprivations etched into the bones of reality could be forestalled. ▙◀’s progenitors had understood this, and they had agreed and in agreeing forged it and so the service had been sprung and the mission begun.

Before redweed they had studied and engaged in many a trade. So that they might grow and be capable of whatever was needed. Then in redweed were many ages and eras spent moving from one client to another. From the poverty of swappers to the richest of the ‘vital instrumentors’ whose ability denoted the devotion of great ‘needs’.

How interesting how although the desire was noble the process of resource allocation became much the same as elsewhere in the reef. Redweed tried, it truly tried in its many ministries to serve the needs of all.

But it acknowledged the need to tackle the great complexity and inefficiency. Redweed’s ministries and local actions used every tool available to enact the serving of needs. And so did some fall by the wayside.

So did even with the bests of intentions that some suffered.

▙◀ found the service was often enacted against the deprivations of suffering.

It was by suffering that great tyrannies both were terrible and were created. That wounds of the past were left to fester and that the ugly bones of the reef burst through the softer efforts of flesh that was peace and beauty and truth.

And thus did they wander Redweed giving service.

But then they met the Siren Daughter of House Courtesan. And ▙◀ did behold in that poor child a great and terrible suffering. The child put on a strong face gifted as all sirens were in such things. She had learned to suffer silently, to survive of course. They knew the lines of those terrible bones. The terrible curse in the roots of all the reef digging out from the heart of this poor lost child.

▙◀ was diligent, gathering up the records and evaluations of Redweed’s ministry of External Affairs. There they learned of the plight of Pylo Courtesan and her companion ship Tunie. A lone Siren paradoxically living in what was for all each other intents and purposes total social deprivation? A Vessel of the size of a lesser void courier making due with but a single fully sentient crew member to attend to all her many MANY needs in transit?

The two of them were obviously the deepest and strongest of friends. The kind of friendship that had been tested and forged in terrible strife and suffering. Endured by both and also turning them to each other as support.

If that had been the only aspect of the situation ▙◀ would be sorely tempted to direct their service to the two lost children.

But together they were also a Trade Ship and her Crew.

There were few pivots in the reef capable of enacting more horror and suffering then Trade Ships. And of those forces more capable of acting on behalf of the terrible bones ▙◀ was not confident their service could turn any of them. The malice and cruelty of Gods, Deep Predators and Empires were yes so great and far reaching as to make a simple trade ship look like a dust mote.

But there was astonishingly little chance that ▙◀ could perform any service that could sway a God. Let alone the less disparate and personal horror terrors of the reef.

However a Trade Ship and her Crew?

Made of the Sum of two traumatized creatures like this?

▙◀ could not deny this call to service. As clear and undeniably as the wailing of newborn minds in their vials.

Now they just needed to ensure that the paranoia of Pylo Courtesan was appeased with excuses to allow them to remain aboard long enough. A reason to keep them under safe and unthreatening pretenses the time needed to help heal wounds of neglect and trauma.

There were wonderful works performed in their past service to others.

But ▙◀ looked forward to this one.

It had the potential to be so beautiful.

“It is acceptable. As you wish I will provide. Ship Mistress Pylo Courtesan”

And of course as they always did. They displayed everything of their inner thoughts and feelings upon their display for all to acknowledge and understand.

For they were here to perform their service. And their honesty and transparency was an important part of that.

“Whatever is your wish, Ship Mistress”