Challenge #00557 - A182: Comfort Conniption

inspired by http://internutter.tumblr.com/post/77932780162/challenge-00429-a054-urgent-call-home

T’reka might not be as tactile as humans a lot of the time, but repeated exposure would presumably get her mostly used to them and the amount of touching, hugging etc. that tends to happen around humans, even when trying to be careful.

Extrapolating further: A scene with T’reka, a human and a new numidid having a minor conniption fit over perceived threats.

It had taken some significant time for both species to learn expressive body language. On the Numidid side, they shared the significant disadvantage of being scientists, and therefore inexperience with touch-gestures in the first place.

Hugging was right out. Su-syn and her family knew this.

They would gesture with open arms, but embrace with one. Covering the bird in question with the limb as if it were a wing. Winged coat sleeves became part of the human ambassadorial wardrobe, to assist with the verisimilitude.

As did a baby sling, when Su-syn live-birthed her young.

T’reka and her flock of students found it fascinating. Ze…. fascinating. Human infants were almost completely helpless and therefore guarded with a ferocious zealotry appropriate for a deathworlder with helpless young.

And there were days, like today, when she left her infant in the care of others, because an unknown factor was going to be present.

Administrator Ser was inspecting the facilities.

Numidid kind already benefitted from the humans’ punch-pen medication dispensers. Deaths from broken bones dropped eighty percent following their widespread adoption and training. Though the public did re-name ‘science breathing’ to ‘calming breathing’, just to avoid the stigma of the intervention’s origin.

Such breathing T’reka was doing now, in The House of Peace, where she planned to make a ceremony out of meeting the odious man once more.

“There now,” Su-syn sang. “We doing all. You is ready. Hush,” and laid an artificial cloth ‘wing’ across her back and squeezed lightly. “All is good. All is well.”

T’reka snuggled into the embrace and found it comforting. A predator species capable of crushing her in a thought, holding her as tenderly as she would a newborn. Possibly more so.

An unholy squawk shattered the peace.

Administrator Ser had arrived early.

Su-syn put her hands up to her shoulders, palms open, fingers splayed in a display that she was unarmed.

T’reka made a show of hopping off the human’s lap and greeting Administrator Ser with all due deference. Cringing and keeping her head low as befitted a scientist of her station.

Su-syn remained very still, watching Administrator Ser by looking at the furniture nearby. All the careful things she used to do, so many years ago. All that was missing was her camouflage costume. Gill-clothing or something.

“You were in the arms of a dangerous creature,” boggled Administrator Ser.

“Yes, sir.” T’reka bobbled and hunched and grovelled in his general direction. “As you see, they have successfully overwritten their primitive genetic programming. They saved my life. Even after it was explained to them that they didn’t need to.” She didn’t say, They value me. Not only as a scientist, but also a person. Kal’rike is going to suffer a brain drain when other young scientists find out about the tolerance of insanity.

“And you trust them?”

“They trust me with their infant.”

Administrator Ser boggled again. “Well… That is a definite indicator of trust,” he managed a few, discrete, science breaths to still his nerves. “I take it we are riding one of their… ungulates?”

“Horsss, sir. Yes. At a more sedate pace than the -ah- celebrated Life Run.”

“I have had many requests from other scientists willing to study this land… and the occupants.” A glare at Su-syn. “Humans and scientists seem to be a perfect fit.”

He had no idea which doors he was thinking of opening. T’reka could tell. And knowing that she could sway his thoughts one way or the other, that left the ethical question of which way she should make him lean…

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