Challenge #02326-F136: At Least They Don't Speak Owo
Humans meet a species that looks very similar to a creature from a franchise. -- Anon Guest
Ensign Jans was vibrating in her seat. She was evidently using every atom of restraint to keep her reaction to a minimum, but Captain Thorne had learned to react to crew-member's tells before said crew-members could explode. In this case, Ensign Jans was a lit keg of fandom enthusiasm and would therefore be unfit for duty in seconds or less.
Therefore, Captain Thorne said, "Ensign Jans, perhaps you should take a break. This has been an unexpected development." With one sentence, she had probably saved everyone from a war or worse. That, because the aliens known as Thumruth looked... well... they looked exactly like the Qu-tze Bears
They were small, fluffy, adorable, and had impossibly large, gem-coloured eyes. They were shaped like a friend and candy-colourful with it. To look upon one was to risk saccharine overdose. Worse - there were more than a few crew-members of the Fortune's Favour who were foaming-at-the-mouth flakking fanatical about the Qu-tze Bears. Keeping them the hell away from the Thumruth just made sense.
If fortune favoured them indeed, then the Thumruth would not be able to detect the united squealing that the onboard fandom would be doing. In fact, Captain Thorne might even be able to talk them down from said squealing long enough to explain that reality and fantasy rarely meet in the middle, that the Thumruth were not Qu-tze bears, and they should stop referencing their fandom for a minimum of five consecutive minutes.
That was the plan. Nebulous and half-formed in Thorne's head. Graduating to noble dream as they met, livesuits on, in the dock between two vessels. Captain Thorne offered her hand in friendship, and shook a Thumrauth paw. Even their livesuits have beans. Jans is going to be jumping into lightspeed without the ship...
Then the Thumruthi called Chechin said, "We came to find you because your transmissions say you know us..."
"Transmis--" Oh no. They had picked up some episodes of Qu-tze Bears themselves. "We meant no insult to you. In fact, we hadn't thought such a cogniscent design was possible... Those transmissions were -uh- fabricated entertainment. Made for children." Honesty compelled her to add, "Children of all ages."
"Oh yes, we are aware of the inaccuracies," said Chechin. "We were hoping... when the trade agreement begins... You could add that entertainment feed into the bargain."
Wait. Was that bright purple Thumruthi in the corridor also vibrating with excitement?
Chechin was cute when he was embarrassed. "We also have children... of all ages."
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / Dazdraperma]
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