Challenge #03002-H079: Friendship Offering

They were used to having humans aboard ships over the years. One group or another would work with them to protect them whenever they were heading out to map the Edge. As usual, they had four humans with them. Two scientists, two guards. But one of the guards was different. Unlike all the humans the havenworlders had worked with in the past, this individual politely declined all of the sweet desserts that were offered in friendship and preferred fresh fruits and sliced vegetables to munch on. They weren't vegetarians, but apparently, they didn't really care for sweets. -- NoSweetsPlease

In the "Helpful Tips" section of the Human Interaction Manual, it said, When all other efforts at pack-bonding fail, offer food. Humans like sweet things and offerings of treats will win them over in no time. There were numerous appendices of recipes with easily-understood or obtainable ingredients and simple replacements. Though things like Snickers Salad and Cookie Salad had to be jokes that someone took too seriously[1].

Companion Zeng checked the database of Human jokes just to check. No, the most recent post was concerning the one about the roasted camel, and its parallel, the roasted elephant. Second to that was how to cook and serve an Australian parrot[2]. People actually ate the foods in the recipes section. Not that Zeng was going to try any time soon.

Simple offerings were the best. Something easily acquired and not with versions that could take up to a month for curing. Wow. Some Humans would eat anything. Bark, bugs, any number of poisons, the one bit of an extremely delicate fruit that had to be burned and treated before it could be handled safely... Some of them even ate clay[3]. Zeng, after making certain of the recommendations, went with simple sugary treats. Fudge, to be precise.

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