Challenge #02999-H076: Full on Pinkies Up

There were cupcakes, which immediately drew attention to the activity. There were also the ship's humans, both of them, sitting quietly and sipping from fancifully patterned drinking vessels, despite usually becoming a shrieking maelstrom of highly active competition when interacting with one another. There was a small container with a spoon in it that, upon inspection, contained sugar. ...there were more cupcakes than two humans could reasonably eat on their own. There were extra cups. There was, it turned out, an open invitation to sit down and join them to anyone who was interested, until all the seats were taken. -- Anon Guest

Humans will drink anything. Worse, they'll make a culture out of it. Ceremonies. Rituals. Establishments. As pack creatures, they involved the sharing of food and drink as part of their bonding process. This just had to be one of the more involved rituals.

The table had been laid over with an ornate cloth. There was fine china, paper-thin and delicate. There was cutlery made out of silver. Not so extraordinary in the current age, but the craftsmanship visible told any observer that they were old. Older, perhaps, than space travel. This is a special occurrence, said the layout, but the empty places and settings said, We are waiting for people.

The fare available on tiered platters scanned as harmless to all crew. So, too, did the liquid inside the ornate teapot. Which said, You are welcome. Companion Hrik still approached with caution. As soon as the Humans noticed her approached, they looked... anticipatory. It was hard not to feel like she had decorative vegetation behind her ears.

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