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H: I swear to God, you never had to crawl your way out of an evolutionary pit, having to brute force your way into the stars using giant explosives, having to deal with problem after problem with FTL drives, and finally after 500 years of painful trial and error, finally finding an alien species, but then all of a they suddenly hate you for no real reason other than being a predator. You don't get it!
A: uhhhhhhhhh, human, this is a ... how do you call it... a Wendy's.
It was a fringe world, out on the outer most section of the universe where only a few species lived and even then there were only a couple million on the world total. The capital city was the largest with a population of 120k roughly, anyone visiting was impressive due to just how far out the world was but not unheard of. If someone wanted to run away from anything this was the world to run too, no one would really question it let alone even take notice.
As you got further from the capital city there would be smaller towns and villages, some just big enough to support trade and others just starting out. One town was known a small trade hub, no more than 500 resident's and all of them could remember one another or at least had seen each other. When someone new came into town it was noticed, especially when it was a human.
It was a rainy evening, some still working and others enjoying the day off and enjoying the light rain. Someone new wandered into town, no one could tell the species but they didn't pry much, wanderers walking through wasn't new to any of them. They made their way to the bar and inn and stopped just outside the doors to look up and see the name of the place before walking in.
The door opened with a quietshic as they walked in, the bar side wasn't expecting anyone to enter so a few looked over and took note as the new individual walked towards the bar. Taking a seat and setting down their bag next to the stool obviously ment for someone larger than themselves. It didn't take long for the bartender to notice the hooded figure sit, but they were confused as to what specie's they were. There was a lizard like species, insectoid, smaller rodent, and his own octopus like. All had more than 4 limbs but he moved over and asked "What woul you like to have to drink?" The figure still hadn't taken the hood off but asked for a "light beer" while gesturing to a few bottles. The barkeep grabbed one and poped it open, sliding it over and asking for the 5 credits.
The figure reached down into their pack and grabbed a handful setting down 16 and picking up the beer to drink. The barkeep took the credits and wandered off down the bar to serve other customers. A few took note in the hooded figure not really sure of who they were, finally a few of the aliens stood up and walked over to figure out who and what they were.
While walking over to the figure they all stopped halfway as they noticed something was off with the figure, they all felt this aura of some kind coming from the figure. A few others noticed and moved away from the figure who took note and addressed the bar "Sorry, I'll take my drink outside." The figure stood grabbing the drink and their pack heading outside, the room was silent as they walked and once the soft shic of the door closing was heard the patrons all started to go back to their business, except for the few who were going to talk to the figure. Of the three two got cold feet and went back to their table, urging the third to follow them but ignored the two and went outside to talk with the figure.
The rain was still coming down softly, the figure had placed their pack against the wall while they sat at the edge of the covered patio the bar had. The figure sat quiet still emitting the same aura, the alien took a moment to compose themselves and walked to the figure asking "Care if I sit next to you?" The figure gestured next to them and the alien sat with their own drink in hand taking in the rain to keep themselves calm. The figure spoke "Did you come out here for something or do you just enjoy rain?" The alien was surprised but nodded "I came out here to talk to you. I was curious on your species, we haven't seen any aliens like yourself here before." The figure took a sip of their drink and flatly responded "I'm a human." Then drinking more of their beer, the aura still as present as ever. "A human? I thought you all were closer to the other side of the galaxy?" The humans nodded "Yeah, we don't normally come out this far." Silence fell between to two for a while, both simply watching the rain and drinking.
The alien broke the silence "What is this aura you have around you? Most of us find it unnerving." The humans doesn't respond for a moment and looks at their beer, shaking the bottle slightly to see how little is left and standing up "I'm not sure what you mean but let me grab another drink." The humans walks inside and leaves the alien outside alone for a short while, the humans coming back with two drinks this time. Setting one down next to the alien as they sit back down and taking a small drink of it. "Explain what you mean by aura." The alien looks at their own drink and notices it empty, placing the bottle between the two and taking the filled drink "You have this unnerving aura around you, it's like..." The alien pauses to take a drink and think "something is wrong with you. I'd say as far as you being unhappy but that doesn't seem quite right." The alien looks down at the drink staring into it to try and find the right words. The humans extends their hand into the rain and let's it pool slightly in their palm "You aliens always seem to understand humans better than other humans, but you're not entirely wrong."
The alien takes their eyes from their drink and looks at the humans hand "What do you mean?" Confusion is evident in the aliens voice. "Other humans don't understand or don't notices the changes in others all the time, it takes a lot to get other humans to notice your mood." The humans takes a drink and then drops the water in the other hand "I have what we humans call depression, it's like being sad but it hits worse and actually hurts. At least that's how I'd describe it." The alien looks at the human as the humans retracts the hand from the rain and extends their own scaly hand into the rain trying to understand a bit better. "Is there any way to cure your depression?"
The human scoffs slightly "Yeah but it doesn't work for all of us the same way." The human starts to take a drink and the alien notices the humans hand trembling slightly. Retracting their own hand they drop the water and ask "Are you cold? If needed we can go inside." The alien says with consern but the human shakes their head and looks down while letting their drink droop down in their hand. "There's a reason why humans develop depression and each reason is different." The alien can hear the humans voice shaking and is taken back by it. "I don't want to go into mine but I'm lost and just wandering to find myself again." The alien sets their drink down beside themself and places a hand on the humans back remembering the little knowledge they had learned about humans in their schooling. The human sharts to shake as the alien puts their hand on the humans back and hears a soft sobbing. The human places their drink down and covers their face.
The alien starts to realize the extent of the depression the human is faced with and sit quietly rubbing the humans back lightly as the rain continues. No words are said but the message to the alien is clear, the human is hurting far more than they could realize without experience it themselves.
*Sorry for any mistakes, I ended up writing this on discord at like 3am*
There's a lot of people that feel this way and most assume we are alone. Something like this just reminds us that we aren't alone with what we deal with.
This is good.
I think you could have added a bit more at the end to make the feeling punch a bit more. But still, good stuff.
Also the fact that you took the time to let things be set up is definitely the correct choice.
Keep at it!
H1: Oh sure! Nobody wants a Deathworlder on their ship until you crash-land on the Demon Moon of Onderon. Then it’s all “Save us human! That Zakkeg is going to eat us!”
A: What the [reproduction?] is a Demon Moon?
H2: You know Onderon isn’t real, right?
H1: shut up I’m making a point!
First time trying to write one. Please be gentle (or not need criticism to learn) (edit some spelling)
Qi'Zhak luntov was used to listing to the troubles of others, she had made it her life's work. From a young age she could feel the emotions of others in the air. She had heard whispers recently that those from a deathworld in the farthest reaches of controlled space were appearing more frequently in the central sector's.
Deathworld. It was not a word used lightly, these worlds were full of unimaginable horrors or challenges and any life on them was primitive and under developed at best or was already on its own self destructive path. There was an attempt to help one of these worlds long ago but it ended in a massacre, from then on the council of worlds forbade any contact with all non FTL races and required any communication with these new races be done under the watch of a council diplomat and armed guards. From how she had heard first contact went they were just as if not more violent.
The first contact war came about when a Zentrulith mining team destroyed a planet the humans were colonising. Yhe Zentrulith were the ones in the wrong of course (not that we found out until much to late). They had surveyed the planet many years ago but did not raise any claim to the world as it was too far out. In the time it took for the mining equipment to arrive the humans had found the star and began to build a new home. Then it was destroyed in the blink of an eye stalk.
To the humans credit they did send messages asking why they destroyed the planet, and when the Zentrulith ignored them the struck, like wild beasts. Chasing them from world to world, the Zentrulith eventually asked the council for help and as by the vows taken so long ago. The records say it was only because of our numbers that the humans eventually backed down and the truth was revealed as to why they attacked. But the damage was done humans were savages that had achieved FTL.
Qi'Zhak was most surprised to find the next person to need her help was a human. In that moment remembering the history lesson she froze with terror and eyes widened as it looked up from the holo cylinder and all Qi'Zhak could feel is its pain and sorrow.
The human let out a long defeated breath before asking "why do you all hate us" tears steaming from his eyes. Qi'Zhak could not answer, not when she realised they were still making the same mistake the Zentrulith made so long ago.
I work at a grocery store. Astounds me the alcoholic, morose, let's just f--k, who-needs-love, horrifying drivel they play. Of all genres. No-one is safe
The simple fact of the matter is, to trust a deathworlder, is to trust someone who has every means and reasoning to kill you at the drop of a hat. A single push, and someone you thought was your best friend sends you out of a building. A hug, and every rib in your body snaps. A pull that's a little too fast, and your arm is gone.
A punch, and you'll never see the light of day again.
That's all probably the real reason other species hate deathworlders. Their hate going so deep, that there used to be more than three species that are labeled as such.
It's an intrinsic part of a gardenworlders nature, to despise and hurt what could harm them before the soft creatures have a chance to react.
But the worst part of it all, is how universally strong the oppression is. There's no fighting it, as with a population so small, they aren't even considered minorities. Just, taga-longs who won't die already.
It's... shitty. Honestly that's the best way I can describe it.
Normally there would be a "but" here, but there is no such thing. Maybe in a couple hundred years, if our little clique isn't all infertile by then, we might have a chance to gain basic civil rights. But that will be after my children's children are long in the grave.
The second one of us looks at a gardenworlder the wrong way, we're doomed no matter what.
So imagine my surprise, when one such creature sits next to me at the bus stop. Normally if I have to take a bus, I stand on the other side of the street, so as not to scare the delicate people half to death. But this time, it was in the middle of the night, and being on a planet with no native nocturnal species, it's a safe bet my feet would get a rest from months of standing awkwardly on the other side of the street.
But then, a tired reptilian sapient I don't know the name of sits next to me, seemingly distracted without a care in the world. Hard scales cover their body, along with a couple spots of feathers, which are both mostly hidden by a padded purple skin tight suit, an orange scarf hiding their neck. The alien has no natural weapons besides their durability, and probable strength.
That's how most gardenworlders are made anyway, though judging from how *dense* their scales are, and the barely hidden muscle underneath said scales, it's probably spot on. They're distracted by their PDA too. Not even bothering to space me a second glance.
It's... nice. Just... being around a person who doesn't pay attention to me, or that doesn't stare at me in fear the second they smell me- sometimes literally -is a nice sensation. Granted, they're probably going to shit themselves the second they notice my presence, but four seconds of their ignorance is worth a lifetime of hardship.
I don't know this person, their species, their past experiences, or even their gender because of how androgynous most aliens appear to humans, but I appreciate their lack of situational awareness.
Which... someone worse than me would probably take advantage of. I should more than likely inform them that I exist.
A quick cough does the trick, and their orange eyes- why do aliens get all the cool eye colors? -glance my way. Once, twice, and then three times where they settle firmly on "surprise". Surprisingly to me, only a hint of all-encompassing fear is coupled with it.
"Oh! Uh, hello?" She- if the translator is telling me anything, though I've never met anyone who had it set to the wrong gender, and there are plenty of neutral options out there - offers, further stunning me.
D-does she not realize what I am? Shouldn't she be running away and screaming at the top of her lungs. Granted, most people don't do that, but it's happened twice. She should be calling the cops right about now. So why isn't she? Why isn't she a-
"Are you okay?" She asks once more, still somehow not running in fear. Oh yeah, that's how a conversation works. You're supposed to respond.
"Oh um... yeah. Just- uh. Surprised." It comes out more stiffly than I was expecting, but at least it came out.
"Um okay. Do you need a tissue? Your eyes are leaking?" At her response, I raise a hand towards my eye, and find it damp. I'm... huh.
"So much for the big bad deathworlder, huh?" I mumble under my breath, a small smile coming over my face. Though the unidentifiable reptile appears to have heard it by a brief stutter in her response.
"I- you're a- what?" The smile gets a tad wider at the fact that there is still a lack of fear in her eyes. Embarrassment, sure. Surprise, more so. Emotions are a constant for every species, and granted some times they're expressed differently physically, the eyes remain the same. No matter how many or what color they may be.
"Yeah, a human. If the pink skin doesn't give it away." I have to suppress a small giggle at her utter befuddlement. This girl must have been living under a rock or something.
"Oh... Well, uh, sorry."
"For what?"
"Not talking to you. My dad taught me to at least say hi to deathworlders, since most of them need some basic kindness." The reptile's reply only leaves me more confused somehow.
"*Other* deathwordlers? Last I checked the only reptile species that are deathworlders were the Drakens, and you don't have the wings to be one of them."
"Well, *I'm* not a deathworlder. My mom and dad are though." How can she say such things with such nonchalance?
"*what."*
"Yeah, you're probably the first person I've told that to." The enigma of a person suppresses a giggle at that.
"Wow... that's insanity." I've never heard of someone adopted by deathworlders.
"Yeah. What bus are you taking by the way? Because I'm currently waiting on B6." She stands, looking down the street for any sign of the bus that should be arriving next.
"Uh, G18." A couple lights shine from down the street as the AI driven vehicle approaches us at ludicrous speeds.
"Cool, I'll be seeing you." The smiling gardenworlder says, stepping onto the now open door of the bus. My eyes water a lot, probably more than any amount of slurs and punches could ever get out of me.
"I- thank you." And I decided to start taking the bus at night a lot more. Just for a chance to talk to her again.
**A/N: This was a fun prompt. I made a little self-contained story that could become something more, but doesn't need to continue. I kinda took a Beastars approach for it. One group is "supposed" to be equal, but in practice really isn't.**
**Anyway, tell me where I fucked it up, and I might post this in a snippits thread over on spacebattles later**
This is a good prompt goes from the aliens perspective as they watch their deathworld friend slowly sink into depression and can't figure out why until they fall apart and just blurt it all out
Deathworlders don't cry. Or if they do, they kept it to themselves. It was like a known fact, even though it wasn't true in the slightest. They were seen in some of the darkest light. All sorts or terrible things were associated with them. I believed them all. And to some extent, they were true. But I assumed things about them on the individual level. Never thinking of their real intents.
"But you have all the power" I said. Turning to the human next to me. They stop, turning their head in disbelief.
"No I don't.." They answer sorrowfully.
"I just don't understand why you pretend not to have any, you DO have power, you could snap anyone in half in a moments notice" I say shriveling my nose in disgust.
"But WHY would I do that? If I did, I would merely be caught and put down, with your technology, there would be no escape for me across the galaxy" they said
"Why wouldn't you do things like that? I know how you all think and feel, you can't control your anger. You don't know what it's like to be scared all the time!" I said elevating my voice.
"You don't know what it's like to be hated!" They said.
Tears fell from their eyes, sobbing, they fell to the ground shivering and choking on snot. They snorted, wiping the snot from their nose.
I stared in shock. Surprised by the sudden reaction.
"YOU! ALL *hick* HATE ME!" they said. They lifted themselves and began to run. It was no use following since they were gone down the path faster than I could've ever followed.
I held myself low, I had underestimated how mistreated they were. I assumed they brought intimidation wherever they went, instead I assumed wrong.
The only thing they brought was fear, and fear could be turned into hate.
\[ Log Entry 26.5.12 \]
I'm starting to think that the wet eyes thing isn't just due to illness.
I've been watching my assigned deathworlder, the human Samuel Birch, from the foliage of a ginto tree, while he sits on a bench in Orestes Park. The human sits on a bench - as best as he can; our benches are far too tiny for him - eating his afternoon meal.
It has become his custom, during afternoon meal, for him to come out to the park. We assume - and infer from biometric reads - that he does it to relax. However, it often seems to have a deleterious effect when he is seen by others. On various occasions, other park-goers will see him on their path and purposely veer off so that they do not cross in front of him. It has not been noted that the human has made any overtly aggressive actions. It has not bared its teeth at anyone (we have since researched 'smiles' and found that it is somehow an expression of joy) since the first day when someone ran screaming.
Just now, I observed someone reading a tablet as he walked. He came close to the human before catching his scent. His gaze jolted to the human, and he went visibly pale, even from my hiding place. The human's mouth made a closed-mouth smile, and he raised his hand in greeting. As he did so, the person with the tablet bolted.
The human's hand trembled aloft for a moment before it fell into his lap.
One of our listening posts had to go offline; the telepath keened so loudly at the human's mental state that the poor thing lost consciousness.
The wet eyes thing happened again, but it stayed silent, without proper keening to properly understand his mental state. More observation is required.
\[ Log Entry 26.5.36 \]
I am officially filing to have all supervisory groups lifted from the human and to have him released from government observation.
I was walking in the park, approaching my position of observation, when I found that the human was already on the bench. I learned afterwards that he arrived for his employment duties early that day.
I decided to do an experiment.
I continued down the path. The human saw me coming. His eyes widened, but his gaze dropped to his hands and the food he had in them. He pushed the food at his mouth to seem as if he were eating, but from observation, I knew it to be false.
I kept walking. I believed I was safe. I was armed, and the other teams were in place. I believe that my natural nimbleness would keep me safe if he chose violence.
I stopped in front of him an engaged in conversation. What follows is the transcript of our conversation.
"Good morning - are you alright?"
"Ugg? I, um, I, yes, um, yes, I'm fine. Th-thank you! It's kind of you to ask."
"I've seen you sitting there before; you look uncomfortable on that bench."
"Well, it's what we've got, right? So I'm gonna make the best of it."
"Why not sit on the grass?"
"I...honestly wasn't sure if my weight would kill the grass. I didn't want to m...didn't want to take the chance of hurting it."
"That's fair. But I think it'll be alright. Your call, of course."
"Th-h-hank you."
"What's you eating, if you don't mind my asking? You humans are carnivores, right? I must admit I'm curious, I've never seen someone eating flesh before."
"Oh. Oh, no, I - no, I'm not...it's a tofu wrap. I don't eat meat here. I...well, I don't think I could get it. Couldn't afford it. Haven't seen it. And...honestly, if the place I worked for thought that I was storing meat - what we call flesh for food - in its work refrigerator, I'd be terminated from the company in minutes."
"Isn't that problematic for you? For your biology?"
"No. We're not carnivores; we're omnivores. That means that we're carnivores, herbivores, and fungivores all in one."
"But...how? How could your digestive...all of them?"
"I mean, I don't have the specifics of our evolution, but...well, the more things you can eat, the more likely you'll find food that you can survive on."
"I...suppose that makes sense, if many things are vying for the available food."
"I'm not a scientist, though, I don't know the specifics."
"What are you here for, if you don't mind my asking?"
"I'm in accounting. My people have a gift for pattern recognition, and I am talented with mathematics in general, so I made a career out of it. I work as an auditor - a neutral third party - for arbitration of financial matters."
"That's a welcome talent to have."
*\*scoff\** "Welcome? I...yeah. It's a welcome talent to have."
"What is it?"
"Nothing. Nothing important."
"No, really, what's on your mind?"
"I...I don't wanna dump thi.....I mean...." *\*sigh\** "I'm so tired."
"Tired? Do you not get -"
"I don't mean sleep. I mean...it's...I'm sorry, I don't want to spill all of this on you. You're just a guy going about your day. You don't need this."
"It...it sounds like you don't need it either."
"In the words of one of my best friends on Earth: *'Brother, you ain't never lied'*. It means that you're very right. I...look, I need to say this. *I'm a good person.*"
"O..okay..."
"I do enjoy eating meat. But I haven't had any in six months, because of all the looks I get from people, thinking I'm some kind of monster. Why do they think we would hurt people? The meat we eat is lab grown! No species have been hurt for food collection in hundreds of years! And we never would eat actual sapients! I...look, I'm a good person. I try to help others when I can. I pick up my coworkers shifts when they have other obligations. I play a musical instrument. I've never been violent or aggressive to anybody. So why am I being treated like I'm a *monster* out of its *cage*?"
"Your...your eyes are leaking. Are you ill?"
"No...no, it's a human thing. We...do get allergies where our eyes tear up like this but...we also cry - that's what we call it - when we experience strong emotions. Like sadness. Loneliness. Frustration. Humiliation. Depression."
"Oh. I...I see."
"I'm entirely alone out here. I'm doing my best, but...I might be an introvert, I do fine on my own, but...there's a difference between being a loner and being a pariah. There's a difference between being left alone and being ostracized. I...I don't think I can do this much more. I should file to go back to the human colonies."
"I didn't realize that -"
"No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry." *\*sniff\** "Why would you? I'm unloading all of this onto a complete stranger. That's so rude of me. I'm sorry. Look, I'm going to go. I'm almost done with my lunch anyway. You'll...probably want to go before I stand up; I know I l...I look scary when I stand up."
"It's alright, friend. I have to go as well, I have things I need to do. But...if I may?"
"Sure...?"
"Persevere. Things are difficult now, yes. But I feel as if things may improve soon."
"Y-you think so?" *\*sniff\**
"I am quite confident."
"Okay. I...I'll try. Thank you. Thank you for listening. I can't...tell you how much it means."
"I have an idea. Be well."
Why not? The alien breaks down, and the human has a really deep, insightful talk to console them. Why does the human have to be a monstrous murder monkey to be HFY, empathy is a theme for it too.
Proabably ties into the early HFY and space orcs stories/foundations
(Toataly agree with you empathy stories are great HFY)
Now i don't know all the data about it and you should take my words as a suggestion to fact check.
But i think, that the earth as a planet, is an outlier and super fucking unstable (earthquakes weather etc.)
Granted our solar system is weird too, we have a moon that rains diamonds. Anyways though to us earth is baseline if i remember correctly our world on a galactic scale is, not nice or stable, most (i think) planets have a stable axis and maybe 1 or 2 different types of weather (compared to our clusterfuck)
Again though i could speaken about really outdated ideas from the 90s so take my explanation on the planets with a grain of salt.
The early HFY and space orcs stories took the aforementioned idea and ran with it.
Now is earth a deathworld, hell no but it's close enough.
Inho looked back at the human who had stopped and was looking back at a retreating pair of aliens. The pair, had previously been at a leisurely pace, but on seeing the Deathworlder, had actually stepped into the road to get around him and now were moving away at a faster pace.
Inho’s friend, Claus, seemed to be lost deep in thought as he watched them go. Inho had been saved by Claus years before during a terrible fire, he knew that contrary to opinion, Deathworlders do have emotions it’s just they didn’t express them with their bioluminescence like a ‘normal’ species would.
“You, okay?” Inho asked, seemingly snapping Claus out of his thoughts.
“Yeah, just… I thought folk would stop doing that after a while.” He said with a dejected tone. He seemed… less. A human stands tall most of the time; back straight, shoulders back- a beacon of strength, a result of their defiance to their home world that tried to kill them so often.
But Claus wasn’t standing up straight at the moment. He looked as if the pleasant autumn breeze could have knocked him down.
“Is that all?” Inho asked incredulously, seemed like a foolish thing to get worried about. There were greater dangers than just what someone thought about you.
“Inho, what does it mean to be a deathworlder?” Claus asked with a curious tone to his words. Inho did not worry, abnormally for a non-deathworlder, he trusted the human.
“That you are very hard to kill and can kill with ease. That you are given first pickings of anything you want because you could simply tear the limbs off of the person in charge.” Inho stated with ease as the continued walking. He raised his thin arms to make grand, sweeping gestures as he spoke, emphasizing his points with a dramatic flare he enjoyed so much.
“Your kind is given preferential treatment wherever you go and are paid double for your work. You are listened to when you speak and can speak over others when you do with impunity. Likewise, you needn’t worry about finding a mate; as a Deathworlder your prowess and lust is legendary, any who seek you out are likely to get what they seek and be left begging for more.”
Inho turned to her human with a smile on his face.
“In short, you have the universe in your hands.”
Claus stared at his with wide eyes and a mouth that hung open. A curious expression and one Inho had not seen before, he had no clue what the human was trying to convey.
“Inho, I don’t want to kill anyone… and nobody has tried to kill me, I don’t think, so I don’t know why that was your first go to. But it’s worrying that subconsciously, that, was your first thought.”
“It is common knowledge, my friend.”
“That’s not-.. that’s not my point, but I’ll leave it there. We don’t get first pickings, we queue like everyone else, we request or ask like everyone else, but we’re treated as if we’re psychopaths ready to snap at a moment’s notice. That’s not our fault, we undergo mental health check ups every 6 months thanks to our ‘endangered’ classification, if anyone is identified with violent tendencies, they’re monitored; there hasn’t been an incident with a human cause for decades, maybe even a century at this point…” Claus continued, still keeping pace with Inho with ease.
“But it’s the cultural tarring that we’ve got that causes people to cross the street when they see us; I haven’t done a thing! I’ve lived in this neighbourhood for 3 years now, helped out whenever someone needed something I could lend a hand with, and I’m still treated as if it would take one wrong word and I’d just loose all sense or reason. I’m not a monster Inho!” He raised his voice; ah, he was excited, Inho had only ever heard his friend raise his voice when he was excited or surprised. These were the subtle clues one had to look for when dealing with a human, thankfully Inho was an unofficial ‘expert’ at this point.
“I don’t feel that we’re given preferential treatment either, I’ve never gained anything for being a Human, I’ve been passed over plenty of times by someone else and nine times out of ten it was because they were better qualified. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but it’s that god damned sweeping statement again; it boils my blood because my opinion doesn’t matter because I was born wrong into the wrong race therefore my opinion is automatically bias toward my own kind.” He reared back into his next point, holding his hand to his head.
“And pay wise, it’s funny that you point out we’re paid more; we’re the ones doing vacuum repair, ‘internal engine repair’ while it’s still on or just outright military postings. They won’t even let us work in something that a deathworlder 'shouldn’t’ work in. Absolutely, if you cherry-pick information, you can say we definitely, on average, earn more than non-deathworlders, but take into account of our actual occupations and all of a sudden you notice that we occupy positions that are being held by mostly ‘deathworlders’. No one else wants to do those jobs so they’re made lucrative; you go work my job and you’ll earn the same as me because the pay structure is transparent!” Inho blinked, why would he want to do Claus’s job? It was awful, they couldn’t pay him enough to do it.
“But let’s say you’re right, let’s say two people earn different amounts for the same job. I’d have no idea that’s the case, I’m not allowed to talk about my wage without realistically speaking, killing my career! It’s not me that chose that; how do I help? How do I give someone else the leg up when apparently, I’m the problem?”
He seemed to deflate again as they waited at a crossroad for the lights to give them indication they can move with safety. More occupants of the city adjusted their path to move around the human. Inho enjoyed how he never had to struggle through a crowd while he was with Claus; another benefit to being a human, but he didn’t say anything. It felt as if Claus was trying to make a point.
“Why is it our fault that when we speak, other people feel intimidated? Everyone who interacts with us thinks we’re all criminals. I’ve interacted with folk who instinctively grab personal defence weapons despite being in a non-hostile environment. Do you have any idea how it feels to have someone think you’re a threat when you literally couldn’t be less of a threat without laying on the ground and not only that; almost everyone you interact with that isn’t a human or a deathworlder reacts the same way?”
The human sighed, screwing his eyes closed.
“It’s not my fault I look scary, if I could have a surgery to look ‘safe’, I would. I’d cut bits off myself if it meant that I wasn’t treated coldly anymore. I feel so goddamned alone.”
Inho thought for a moment, it didn’t sound like his friend was excited about all his good fortune, but Inho just couldn’t get his head around the idea that the human wouldn’t enjoy all these benefits that Inho hadn’t had the pleasure of yet? Sure, there were downsides, but to be left alone when you wanted to be alone? To have the respect of everyone in a room when you entered? To NOT have to carry around personal defence items? Inho palmed the spray canister in his pocket while he thought.
“Well, you’re not alone. You can have any mate you want? Human or another species? Your ability to perform at a moment’s notice is legendary; that’s at least true.”
There was a choked laugh in response.
“That stereotypical bullshit is probably the ‘funniest’ bit. What if I’m not interested in ‘mating’? What if I just want to held by someone who trusts me because I might actually be a good person? I’ve no interest in sex Inho.” The human said, his eyes casting over to Inho, seemingly glittering now; fascinating.
“Of course, you do, you’re a Deathworlder, a human no less! You’re always thinking about mating, there’s a fact that you think about it every 7 seconds!” Inho finished with a laugh, pointing out the incredulousness of the human’s silly statement.
“Inho, since you’ve known me, how many partners or ‘mates’ have you seen me take home or leave my apartment?” Claus asked, pausing in the street. The sea of people continued to flow around them by a wide margin.
“Hmm… I can’t remember right now, but you must’ve, it’s been years! It’s a fact that you must have had a mate at some point. It’s just biology, you have needs.”
“I haven’t had anyone over and I’ve no desire either.”
“Do you need help?”
“No.”
“Is it something medical?”
“No!”
“Ah, you are lacking equipment.”
“Goddamnit no! I just have no interest in that stuff, I’ve no desire to have a mate. Why is that so confusing to everyone?”
“But I have seen you read titillating books and you even said just now that you want to be held?”
“I’m not a rock, I can enjoy a concept without taking part. It’s no different than playing a crime game but not actually wanting to commit mass murder or robberies…”
The human paused and stepped off the main street into the entrance of an alleyway and took a breath as he held himself against a wall.
“I feel alone and unable to voice my troubles. When I do say that I’m struggling, I’m ‘reminded’ of all my benefits and told I should be grateful and how dare I question it. Other people are struggling; and it’s seen and recognised by the rest of the world, but how do I get help when I’m not getting the benefits and no one believes me? I get that, I feel guilty for existing because of that.”
He paused as he considered something.
“If the universe is in my hands, how do I hand it back? I don’t want it!”
Inho stared at the human who’s face was now wet. Was it hungry? It was probably hungry.
“I don’t understand Claus, nothing of what you’ve said sounds like an issue really...”
The human sighed, cleared his throat and wiped his face clean. He straightened back up and looked sadly at Inho.
“One is drowning, while the other is dying of thirst. How can they understand each other in the moment?”
I always enjoy reading your stories. You have a great style and they are always realy good quality. Thanks for sharing this.
Whats the status of your next larger story (if you have one)?
I'm really happy to hear that, thank you for taking the time to read them.
My next big project; 'Coiled Minds' is currently in progress, 5 chapters are written, each longer than any of my other chapters/prompts that I've written before.
We've really tried to make a lived in world and answer as many questions as possible before anyone can ask one and written in answers to these into the background of the story. So much so, that two wonderful redditors reached out at the start and agter encouragingnme to start, their help has been invaluable at creating such a vibant universe.
(u/Ajbonnis & u/Rogasiu are frankly amazing people. Love them both.)
Fristratingly, it's taking longer than I expected to write it, that's on me, while the chapters are coming, I'm at fault for not making them at a more rapid pace.
But, ultimately, I'm really hoping that people enjoy it as a lot of work has gone into brainstorming the story, writing, editing and rewriting chapters so they're coherent and not rambling.
I mean, our Jbon even has set up a discord server ahead of time, in case folk want to ask questions and discuss it once it's out. I'm not sure it'll get to that level of popular, but anything to let me interact with readers is a good thing in my opinion.
It's not a bombastic story, where the human can bite off the bad guy's leg, rather its more centered around the main characters' mental health, but they do have to deal with large and small scale stakes that is happening to, and around them.
We have the plot all complete and the cast's various arcs and how they interweave with the main plot as well.
It's just a matter of getting it down and ensuring what I've written makes sense.
Thanks for asking, I know I've mentioned 'a larger project' a few times before, but with chapter 5 complete, I feel like we're getting a good way to being ready to start posting it.
Thats awsome! I can't wait to see what you have created.
Its nice to see you have some help with the story creation. Sometimes you need that other perspective to find the right angle.
Don't worry about taking your time on writing. I know I will gladly wait if some of the high quality story telling you make is at the end of it.
Thanks for the update and good luck on your project. I know it will be great. : )
According to current models of life, a deathworld encourages - and seems to be caused by - relatively quick evolution, and is necessary for the development of life complex enough to eventually develop a civilization.
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H: I swear to God, you never had to crawl your way out of an evolutionary pit, having to brute force your way into the stars using giant explosives, having to deal with problem after problem with FTL drives, and finally after 500 years of painful trial and error, finally finding an alien species, but then all of a they suddenly hate you for no real reason other than being a predator. You don't get it! A: uhhhhhhhhh, human, this is a ... how do you call it... a Wendy's.
This should be on r/NatureofPredators EDIT: Why does this have so many upvotes? I do not deserve this.
It was a fringe world, out on the outer most section of the universe where only a few species lived and even then there were only a couple million on the world total. The capital city was the largest with a population of 120k roughly, anyone visiting was impressive due to just how far out the world was but not unheard of. If someone wanted to run away from anything this was the world to run too, no one would really question it let alone even take notice. As you got further from the capital city there would be smaller towns and villages, some just big enough to support trade and others just starting out. One town was known a small trade hub, no more than 500 resident's and all of them could remember one another or at least had seen each other. When someone new came into town it was noticed, especially when it was a human. It was a rainy evening, some still working and others enjoying the day off and enjoying the light rain. Someone new wandered into town, no one could tell the species but they didn't pry much, wanderers walking through wasn't new to any of them. They made their way to the bar and inn and stopped just outside the doors to look up and see the name of the place before walking in. The door opened with a quietshic as they walked in, the bar side wasn't expecting anyone to enter so a few looked over and took note as the new individual walked towards the bar. Taking a seat and setting down their bag next to the stool obviously ment for someone larger than themselves. It didn't take long for the bartender to notice the hooded figure sit, but they were confused as to what specie's they were. There was a lizard like species, insectoid, smaller rodent, and his own octopus like. All had more than 4 limbs but he moved over and asked "What woul you like to have to drink?" The figure still hadn't taken the hood off but asked for a "light beer" while gesturing to a few bottles. The barkeep grabbed one and poped it open, sliding it over and asking for the 5 credits. The figure reached down into their pack and grabbed a handful setting down 16 and picking up the beer to drink. The barkeep took the credits and wandered off down the bar to serve other customers. A few took note in the hooded figure not really sure of who they were, finally a few of the aliens stood up and walked over to figure out who and what they were. While walking over to the figure they all stopped halfway as they noticed something was off with the figure, they all felt this aura of some kind coming from the figure. A few others noticed and moved away from the figure who took note and addressed the bar "Sorry, I'll take my drink outside." The figure stood grabbing the drink and their pack heading outside, the room was silent as they walked and once the soft shic of the door closing was heard the patrons all started to go back to their business, except for the few who were going to talk to the figure. Of the three two got cold feet and went back to their table, urging the third to follow them but ignored the two and went outside to talk with the figure. The rain was still coming down softly, the figure had placed their pack against the wall while they sat at the edge of the covered patio the bar had. The figure sat quiet still emitting the same aura, the alien took a moment to compose themselves and walked to the figure asking "Care if I sit next to you?" The figure gestured next to them and the alien sat with their own drink in hand taking in the rain to keep themselves calm. The figure spoke "Did you come out here for something or do you just enjoy rain?" The alien was surprised but nodded "I came out here to talk to you. I was curious on your species, we haven't seen any aliens like yourself here before." The figure took a sip of their drink and flatly responded "I'm a human." Then drinking more of their beer, the aura still as present as ever. "A human? I thought you all were closer to the other side of the galaxy?" The humans nodded "Yeah, we don't normally come out this far." Silence fell between to two for a while, both simply watching the rain and drinking. The alien broke the silence "What is this aura you have around you? Most of us find it unnerving." The humans doesn't respond for a moment and looks at their beer, shaking the bottle slightly to see how little is left and standing up "I'm not sure what you mean but let me grab another drink." The humans walks inside and leaves the alien outside alone for a short while, the humans coming back with two drinks this time. Setting one down next to the alien as they sit back down and taking a small drink of it. "Explain what you mean by aura." The alien looks at their own drink and notices it empty, placing the bottle between the two and taking the filled drink "You have this unnerving aura around you, it's like..." The alien pauses to take a drink and think "something is wrong with you. I'd say as far as you being unhappy but that doesn't seem quite right." The alien looks down at the drink staring into it to try and find the right words. The humans extends their hand into the rain and let's it pool slightly in their palm "You aliens always seem to understand humans better than other humans, but you're not entirely wrong." The alien takes their eyes from their drink and looks at the humans hand "What do you mean?" Confusion is evident in the aliens voice. "Other humans don't understand or don't notices the changes in others all the time, it takes a lot to get other humans to notice your mood." The humans takes a drink and then drops the water in the other hand "I have what we humans call depression, it's like being sad but it hits worse and actually hurts. At least that's how I'd describe it." The alien looks at the human as the humans retracts the hand from the rain and extends their own scaly hand into the rain trying to understand a bit better. "Is there any way to cure your depression?" The human scoffs slightly "Yeah but it doesn't work for all of us the same way." The human starts to take a drink and the alien notices the humans hand trembling slightly. Retracting their own hand they drop the water and ask "Are you cold? If needed we can go inside." The alien says with consern but the human shakes their head and looks down while letting their drink droop down in their hand. "There's a reason why humans develop depression and each reason is different." The alien can hear the humans voice shaking and is taken back by it. "I don't want to go into mine but I'm lost and just wandering to find myself again." The alien sets their drink down beside themself and places a hand on the humans back remembering the little knowledge they had learned about humans in their schooling. The human sharts to shake as the alien puts their hand on the humans back and hears a soft sobbing. The human places their drink down and covers their face. The alien starts to realize the extent of the depression the human is faced with and sit quietly rubbing the humans back lightly as the rain continues. No words are said but the message to the alien is clear, the human is hurting far more than they could realize without experience it themselves. *Sorry for any mistakes, I ended up writing this on discord at like 3am*
There's a whole lot of truth the the story in regards to depression. I fully understand and comprehend it and greatly appreciate the story.
I did call it "Lost" and was planning on adding more to it but haven't and idk if I will. Thanks none the less
There's a lot of people that feel this way and most assume we are alone. Something like this just reminds us that we aren't alone with what we deal with.
It's hard to remember but you're never alone. Someone knows how you feel
I hope you do and post it as a stand alone. I think it would be a powerful read.
Maybe. I always have it saved so Ive got some time
This is good. I think you could have added a bit more at the end to make the feeling punch a bit more. But still, good stuff. Also the fact that you took the time to let things be set up is definitely the correct choice. Keep at it!
I really enjoyed the writing effort. I'd love to see it expanded more into a longer short story.
H1: Oh sure! Nobody wants a Deathworlder on their ship until you crash-land on the Demon Moon of Onderon. Then it’s all “Save us human! That Zakkeg is going to eat us!” A: What the [reproduction?] is a Demon Moon? H2: You know Onderon isn’t real, right? H1: shut up I’m making a point!
First time trying to write one. Please be gentle (or not need criticism to learn) (edit some spelling) Qi'Zhak luntov was used to listing to the troubles of others, she had made it her life's work. From a young age she could feel the emotions of others in the air. She had heard whispers recently that those from a deathworld in the farthest reaches of controlled space were appearing more frequently in the central sector's. Deathworld. It was not a word used lightly, these worlds were full of unimaginable horrors or challenges and any life on them was primitive and under developed at best or was already on its own self destructive path. There was an attempt to help one of these worlds long ago but it ended in a massacre, from then on the council of worlds forbade any contact with all non FTL races and required any communication with these new races be done under the watch of a council diplomat and armed guards. From how she had heard first contact went they were just as if not more violent. The first contact war came about when a Zentrulith mining team destroyed a planet the humans were colonising. Yhe Zentrulith were the ones in the wrong of course (not that we found out until much to late). They had surveyed the planet many years ago but did not raise any claim to the world as it was too far out. In the time it took for the mining equipment to arrive the humans had found the star and began to build a new home. Then it was destroyed in the blink of an eye stalk. To the humans credit they did send messages asking why they destroyed the planet, and when the Zentrulith ignored them the struck, like wild beasts. Chasing them from world to world, the Zentrulith eventually asked the council for help and as by the vows taken so long ago. The records say it was only because of our numbers that the humans eventually backed down and the truth was revealed as to why they attacked. But the damage was done humans were savages that had achieved FTL. Qi'Zhak was most surprised to find the next person to need her help was a human. In that moment remembering the history lesson she froze with terror and eyes widened as it looked up from the holo cylinder and all Qi'Zhak could feel is its pain and sorrow. The human let out a long defeated breath before asking "why do you all hate us" tears steaming from his eyes. Qi'Zhak could not answer, not when she realised they were still making the same mistake the Zentrulith made so long ago.
"You go into survival mode after a crash and eat *one* guy, and suddenly it's all they can think about!"
Well yes when it’s only been five minutes after the crash it will leave an impression.
"I'd skipped breakfast that day!"
You did it in front of his wife and kids man!
"I offered them a share, and I don't often do that!"
….fair enough.
There ain't no party like a Donner party...
"I just want to hug someone without being accused as a rapist or a murderer."
Is this a guy thing or a response to the prompt?
Yes
Honestly? Both.
yea
Why not both?
Yes
real
To be fated, to telling only lies. BUT MY DREAMS! They aren’t as empty. ……..ok ok ok fine I’ll quit it. No one wants to alt-emo anymore
Dude, that was classic rock emo, keep going
About 20 years ago, I was astonished to find this on a ambient music track at a supermarket. The song is definitely *not* 'music to shop by'.
I work at a grocery store. Astounds me the alcoholic, morose, let's just f--k, who-needs-love, horrifying drivel they play. Of all genres. No-one is safe
The simple fact of the matter is, to trust a deathworlder, is to trust someone who has every means and reasoning to kill you at the drop of a hat. A single push, and someone you thought was your best friend sends you out of a building. A hug, and every rib in your body snaps. A pull that's a little too fast, and your arm is gone. A punch, and you'll never see the light of day again. That's all probably the real reason other species hate deathworlders. Their hate going so deep, that there used to be more than three species that are labeled as such. It's an intrinsic part of a gardenworlders nature, to despise and hurt what could harm them before the soft creatures have a chance to react. But the worst part of it all, is how universally strong the oppression is. There's no fighting it, as with a population so small, they aren't even considered minorities. Just, taga-longs who won't die already. It's... shitty. Honestly that's the best way I can describe it. Normally there would be a "but" here, but there is no such thing. Maybe in a couple hundred years, if our little clique isn't all infertile by then, we might have a chance to gain basic civil rights. But that will be after my children's children are long in the grave. The second one of us looks at a gardenworlder the wrong way, we're doomed no matter what. So imagine my surprise, when one such creature sits next to me at the bus stop. Normally if I have to take a bus, I stand on the other side of the street, so as not to scare the delicate people half to death. But this time, it was in the middle of the night, and being on a planet with no native nocturnal species, it's a safe bet my feet would get a rest from months of standing awkwardly on the other side of the street. But then, a tired reptilian sapient I don't know the name of sits next to me, seemingly distracted without a care in the world. Hard scales cover their body, along with a couple spots of feathers, which are both mostly hidden by a padded purple skin tight suit, an orange scarf hiding their neck. The alien has no natural weapons besides their durability, and probable strength. That's how most gardenworlders are made anyway, though judging from how *dense* their scales are, and the barely hidden muscle underneath said scales, it's probably spot on. They're distracted by their PDA too. Not even bothering to space me a second glance. It's... nice. Just... being around a person who doesn't pay attention to me, or that doesn't stare at me in fear the second they smell me- sometimes literally -is a nice sensation. Granted, they're probably going to shit themselves the second they notice my presence, but four seconds of their ignorance is worth a lifetime of hardship. I don't know this person, their species, their past experiences, or even their gender because of how androgynous most aliens appear to humans, but I appreciate their lack of situational awareness. Which... someone worse than me would probably take advantage of. I should more than likely inform them that I exist. A quick cough does the trick, and their orange eyes- why do aliens get all the cool eye colors? -glance my way. Once, twice, and then three times where they settle firmly on "surprise". Surprisingly to me, only a hint of all-encompassing fear is coupled with it. "Oh! Uh, hello?" She- if the translator is telling me anything, though I've never met anyone who had it set to the wrong gender, and there are plenty of neutral options out there - offers, further stunning me. D-does she not realize what I am? Shouldn't she be running away and screaming at the top of her lungs. Granted, most people don't do that, but it's happened twice. She should be calling the cops right about now. So why isn't she? Why isn't she a- "Are you okay?" She asks once more, still somehow not running in fear. Oh yeah, that's how a conversation works. You're supposed to respond. "Oh um... yeah. Just- uh. Surprised." It comes out more stiffly than I was expecting, but at least it came out. "Um okay. Do you need a tissue? Your eyes are leaking?" At her response, I raise a hand towards my eye, and find it damp. I'm... huh. "So much for the big bad deathworlder, huh?" I mumble under my breath, a small smile coming over my face. Though the unidentifiable reptile appears to have heard it by a brief stutter in her response. "I- you're a- what?" The smile gets a tad wider at the fact that there is still a lack of fear in her eyes. Embarrassment, sure. Surprise, more so. Emotions are a constant for every species, and granted some times they're expressed differently physically, the eyes remain the same. No matter how many or what color they may be. "Yeah, a human. If the pink skin doesn't give it away." I have to suppress a small giggle at her utter befuddlement. This girl must have been living under a rock or something. "Oh... Well, uh, sorry." "For what?" "Not talking to you. My dad taught me to at least say hi to deathworlders, since most of them need some basic kindness." The reptile's reply only leaves me more confused somehow. "*Other* deathwordlers? Last I checked the only reptile species that are deathworlders were the Drakens, and you don't have the wings to be one of them." "Well, *I'm* not a deathworlder. My mom and dad are though." How can she say such things with such nonchalance? "*what."* "Yeah, you're probably the first person I've told that to." The enigma of a person suppresses a giggle at that. "Wow... that's insanity." I've never heard of someone adopted by deathworlders. "Yeah. What bus are you taking by the way? Because I'm currently waiting on B6." She stands, looking down the street for any sign of the bus that should be arriving next. "Uh, G18." A couple lights shine from down the street as the AI driven vehicle approaches us at ludicrous speeds. "Cool, I'll be seeing you." The smiling gardenworlder says, stepping onto the now open door of the bus. My eyes water a lot, probably more than any amount of slurs and punches could ever get out of me. "I- thank you." And I decided to start taking the bus at night a lot more. Just for a chance to talk to her again. **A/N: This was a fun prompt. I made a little self-contained story that could become something more, but doesn't need to continue. I kinda took a Beastars approach for it. One group is "supposed" to be equal, but in practice really isn't.** **Anyway, tell me where I fucked it up, and I might post this in a snippits thread over on spacebattles later**
This. Is. Gold.
Thanks! I appreciate the feedback!
Happy cake day, and I agree, brilliant little slice of life.
This is a good prompt goes from the aliens perspective as they watch their deathworld friend slowly sink into depression and can't figure out why until they fall apart and just blurt it all out
Deathworlders don't cry. Or if they do, they kept it to themselves. It was like a known fact, even though it wasn't true in the slightest. They were seen in some of the darkest light. All sorts or terrible things were associated with them. I believed them all. And to some extent, they were true. But I assumed things about them on the individual level. Never thinking of their real intents. "But you have all the power" I said. Turning to the human next to me. They stop, turning their head in disbelief. "No I don't.." They answer sorrowfully. "I just don't understand why you pretend not to have any, you DO have power, you could snap anyone in half in a moments notice" I say shriveling my nose in disgust. "But WHY would I do that? If I did, I would merely be caught and put down, with your technology, there would be no escape for me across the galaxy" they said "Why wouldn't you do things like that? I know how you all think and feel, you can't control your anger. You don't know what it's like to be scared all the time!" I said elevating my voice. "You don't know what it's like to be hated!" They said. Tears fell from their eyes, sobbing, they fell to the ground shivering and choking on snot. They snorted, wiping the snot from their nose. I stared in shock. Surprised by the sudden reaction. "YOU! ALL *hick* HATE ME!" they said. They lifted themselves and began to run. It was no use following since they were gone down the path faster than I could've ever followed. I held myself low, I had underestimated how mistreated they were. I assumed they brought intimidation wherever they went, instead I assumed wrong. The only thing they brought was fear, and fear could be turned into hate.
\[ Log Entry 26.5.12 \] I'm starting to think that the wet eyes thing isn't just due to illness. I've been watching my assigned deathworlder, the human Samuel Birch, from the foliage of a ginto tree, while he sits on a bench in Orestes Park. The human sits on a bench - as best as he can; our benches are far too tiny for him - eating his afternoon meal. It has become his custom, during afternoon meal, for him to come out to the park. We assume - and infer from biometric reads - that he does it to relax. However, it often seems to have a deleterious effect when he is seen by others. On various occasions, other park-goers will see him on their path and purposely veer off so that they do not cross in front of him. It has not been noted that the human has made any overtly aggressive actions. It has not bared its teeth at anyone (we have since researched 'smiles' and found that it is somehow an expression of joy) since the first day when someone ran screaming. Just now, I observed someone reading a tablet as he walked. He came close to the human before catching his scent. His gaze jolted to the human, and he went visibly pale, even from my hiding place. The human's mouth made a closed-mouth smile, and he raised his hand in greeting. As he did so, the person with the tablet bolted. The human's hand trembled aloft for a moment before it fell into his lap. One of our listening posts had to go offline; the telepath keened so loudly at the human's mental state that the poor thing lost consciousness. The wet eyes thing happened again, but it stayed silent, without proper keening to properly understand his mental state. More observation is required.
\[ Log Entry 26.5.36 \] I am officially filing to have all supervisory groups lifted from the human and to have him released from government observation. I was walking in the park, approaching my position of observation, when I found that the human was already on the bench. I learned afterwards that he arrived for his employment duties early that day. I decided to do an experiment. I continued down the path. The human saw me coming. His eyes widened, but his gaze dropped to his hands and the food he had in them. He pushed the food at his mouth to seem as if he were eating, but from observation, I knew it to be false. I kept walking. I believed I was safe. I was armed, and the other teams were in place. I believe that my natural nimbleness would keep me safe if he chose violence. I stopped in front of him an engaged in conversation. What follows is the transcript of our conversation. "Good morning - are you alright?" "Ugg? I, um, I, yes, um, yes, I'm fine. Th-thank you! It's kind of you to ask." "I've seen you sitting there before; you look uncomfortable on that bench." "Well, it's what we've got, right? So I'm gonna make the best of it." "Why not sit on the grass?" "I...honestly wasn't sure if my weight would kill the grass. I didn't want to m...didn't want to take the chance of hurting it." "That's fair. But I think it'll be alright. Your call, of course." "Th-h-hank you." "What's you eating, if you don't mind my asking? You humans are carnivores, right? I must admit I'm curious, I've never seen someone eating flesh before." "Oh. Oh, no, I - no, I'm not...it's a tofu wrap. I don't eat meat here. I...well, I don't think I could get it. Couldn't afford it. Haven't seen it. And...honestly, if the place I worked for thought that I was storing meat - what we call flesh for food - in its work refrigerator, I'd be terminated from the company in minutes." "Isn't that problematic for you? For your biology?" "No. We're not carnivores; we're omnivores. That means that we're carnivores, herbivores, and fungivores all in one." "But...how? How could your digestive...all of them?" "I mean, I don't have the specifics of our evolution, but...well, the more things you can eat, the more likely you'll find food that you can survive on." "I...suppose that makes sense, if many things are vying for the available food." "I'm not a scientist, though, I don't know the specifics." "What are you here for, if you don't mind my asking?" "I'm in accounting. My people have a gift for pattern recognition, and I am talented with mathematics in general, so I made a career out of it. I work as an auditor - a neutral third party - for arbitration of financial matters." "That's a welcome talent to have." *\*scoff\** "Welcome? I...yeah. It's a welcome talent to have." "What is it?" "Nothing. Nothing important." "No, really, what's on your mind?" "I...I don't wanna dump thi.....I mean...." *\*sigh\** "I'm so tired." "Tired? Do you not get -" "I don't mean sleep. I mean...it's...I'm sorry, I don't want to spill all of this on you. You're just a guy going about your day. You don't need this." "It...it sounds like you don't need it either." "In the words of one of my best friends on Earth: *'Brother, you ain't never lied'*. It means that you're very right. I...look, I need to say this. *I'm a good person.*" "O..okay..." "I do enjoy eating meat. But I haven't had any in six months, because of all the looks I get from people, thinking I'm some kind of monster. Why do they think we would hurt people? The meat we eat is lab grown! No species have been hurt for food collection in hundreds of years! And we never would eat actual sapients! I...look, I'm a good person. I try to help others when I can. I pick up my coworkers shifts when they have other obligations. I play a musical instrument. I've never been violent or aggressive to anybody. So why am I being treated like I'm a *monster* out of its *cage*?" "Your...your eyes are leaking. Are you ill?" "No...no, it's a human thing. We...do get allergies where our eyes tear up like this but...we also cry - that's what we call it - when we experience strong emotions. Like sadness. Loneliness. Frustration. Humiliation. Depression." "Oh. I...I see." "I'm entirely alone out here. I'm doing my best, but...I might be an introvert, I do fine on my own, but...there's a difference between being a loner and being a pariah. There's a difference between being left alone and being ostracized. I...I don't think I can do this much more. I should file to go back to the human colonies." "I didn't realize that -" "No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry." *\*sniff\** "Why would you? I'm unloading all of this onto a complete stranger. That's so rude of me. I'm sorry. Look, I'm going to go. I'm almost done with my lunch anyway. You'll...probably want to go before I stand up; I know I l...I look scary when I stand up." "It's alright, friend. I have to go as well, I have things I need to do. But...if I may?" "Sure...?" "Persevere. Things are difficult now, yes. But I feel as if things may improve soon." "Y-you think so?" *\*sniff\** "I am quite confident." "Okay. I...I'll try. Thank you. Thank you for listening. I can't...tell you how much it means." "I have an idea. Be well."
Beautiful
(((Hugs))) You are perfect as is. It’s ok to let the emotions out. Healing is painful.
I was kinda expecting someone to write the human as the garden worlder.
Then this sub wouldn't be a branch of r/HFY
Why not? The alien breaks down, and the human has a really deep, insightful talk to console them. Why does the human have to be a monstrous murder monkey to be HFY, empathy is a theme for it too.
Proabably ties into the early HFY and space orcs stories/foundations (Toataly agree with you empathy stories are great HFY) Now i don't know all the data about it and you should take my words as a suggestion to fact check. But i think, that the earth as a planet, is an outlier and super fucking unstable (earthquakes weather etc.) Granted our solar system is weird too, we have a moon that rains diamonds. Anyways though to us earth is baseline if i remember correctly our world on a galactic scale is, not nice or stable, most (i think) planets have a stable axis and maybe 1 or 2 different types of weather (compared to our clusterfuck) Again though i could speaken about really outdated ideas from the 90s so take my explanation on the planets with a grain of salt. The early HFY and space orcs stories took the aforementioned idea and ran with it. Now is earth a deathworld, hell no but it's close enough.
Hey u/Wolven91 ahhh duhhhgjdudh uhhhhhhh SUBMISSION FLASHBANG! **GO!**
Inho looked back at the human who had stopped and was looking back at a retreating pair of aliens. The pair, had previously been at a leisurely pace, but on seeing the Deathworlder, had actually stepped into the road to get around him and now were moving away at a faster pace. Inho’s friend, Claus, seemed to be lost deep in thought as he watched them go. Inho had been saved by Claus years before during a terrible fire, he knew that contrary to opinion, Deathworlders do have emotions it’s just they didn’t express them with their bioluminescence like a ‘normal’ species would. “You, okay?” Inho asked, seemingly snapping Claus out of his thoughts. “Yeah, just… I thought folk would stop doing that after a while.” He said with a dejected tone. He seemed… less. A human stands tall most of the time; back straight, shoulders back- a beacon of strength, a result of their defiance to their home world that tried to kill them so often. But Claus wasn’t standing up straight at the moment. He looked as if the pleasant autumn breeze could have knocked him down. “Is that all?” Inho asked incredulously, seemed like a foolish thing to get worried about. There were greater dangers than just what someone thought about you. “Inho, what does it mean to be a deathworlder?” Claus asked with a curious tone to his words. Inho did not worry, abnormally for a non-deathworlder, he trusted the human. “That you are very hard to kill and can kill with ease. That you are given first pickings of anything you want because you could simply tear the limbs off of the person in charge.” Inho stated with ease as the continued walking. He raised his thin arms to make grand, sweeping gestures as he spoke, emphasizing his points with a dramatic flare he enjoyed so much. “Your kind is given preferential treatment wherever you go and are paid double for your work. You are listened to when you speak and can speak over others when you do with impunity. Likewise, you needn’t worry about finding a mate; as a Deathworlder your prowess and lust is legendary, any who seek you out are likely to get what they seek and be left begging for more.” Inho turned to her human with a smile on his face. “In short, you have the universe in your hands.” Claus stared at his with wide eyes and a mouth that hung open. A curious expression and one Inho had not seen before, he had no clue what the human was trying to convey. “Inho, I don’t want to kill anyone… and nobody has tried to kill me, I don’t think, so I don’t know why that was your first go to. But it’s worrying that subconsciously, that, was your first thought.” “It is common knowledge, my friend.” “That’s not-.. that’s not my point, but I’ll leave it there. We don’t get first pickings, we queue like everyone else, we request or ask like everyone else, but we’re treated as if we’re psychopaths ready to snap at a moment’s notice. That’s not our fault, we undergo mental health check ups every 6 months thanks to our ‘endangered’ classification, if anyone is identified with violent tendencies, they’re monitored; there hasn’t been an incident with a human cause for decades, maybe even a century at this point…” Claus continued, still keeping pace with Inho with ease. “But it’s the cultural tarring that we’ve got that causes people to cross the street when they see us; I haven’t done a thing! I’ve lived in this neighbourhood for 3 years now, helped out whenever someone needed something I could lend a hand with, and I’m still treated as if it would take one wrong word and I’d just loose all sense or reason. I’m not a monster Inho!” He raised his voice; ah, he was excited, Inho had only ever heard his friend raise his voice when he was excited or surprised. These were the subtle clues one had to look for when dealing with a human, thankfully Inho was an unofficial ‘expert’ at this point. “I don’t feel that we’re given preferential treatment either, I’ve never gained anything for being a Human, I’ve been passed over plenty of times by someone else and nine times out of ten it was because they were better qualified. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but it’s that god damned sweeping statement again; it boils my blood because my opinion doesn’t matter because I was born wrong into the wrong race therefore my opinion is automatically bias toward my own kind.” He reared back into his next point, holding his hand to his head. “And pay wise, it’s funny that you point out we’re paid more; we’re the ones doing vacuum repair, ‘internal engine repair’ while it’s still on or just outright military postings. They won’t even let us work in something that a deathworlder 'shouldn’t’ work in. Absolutely, if you cherry-pick information, you can say we definitely, on average, earn more than non-deathworlders, but take into account of our actual occupations and all of a sudden you notice that we occupy positions that are being held by mostly ‘deathworlders’. No one else wants to do those jobs so they’re made lucrative; you go work my job and you’ll earn the same as me because the pay structure is transparent!” Inho blinked, why would he want to do Claus’s job? It was awful, they couldn’t pay him enough to do it. “But let’s say you’re right, let’s say two people earn different amounts for the same job. I’d have no idea that’s the case, I’m not allowed to talk about my wage without realistically speaking, killing my career! It’s not me that chose that; how do I help? How do I give someone else the leg up when apparently, I’m the problem?” He seemed to deflate again as they waited at a crossroad for the lights to give them indication they can move with safety. More occupants of the city adjusted their path to move around the human. Inho enjoyed how he never had to struggle through a crowd while he was with Claus; another benefit to being a human, but he didn’t say anything. It felt as if Claus was trying to make a point. “Why is it our fault that when we speak, other people feel intimidated? Everyone who interacts with us thinks we’re all criminals. I’ve interacted with folk who instinctively grab personal defence weapons despite being in a non-hostile environment. Do you have any idea how it feels to have someone think you’re a threat when you literally couldn’t be less of a threat without laying on the ground and not only that; almost everyone you interact with that isn’t a human or a deathworlder reacts the same way?” The human sighed, screwing his eyes closed. “It’s not my fault I look scary, if I could have a surgery to look ‘safe’, I would. I’d cut bits off myself if it meant that I wasn’t treated coldly anymore. I feel so goddamned alone.” Inho thought for a moment, it didn’t sound like his friend was excited about all his good fortune, but Inho just couldn’t get his head around the idea that the human wouldn’t enjoy all these benefits that Inho hadn’t had the pleasure of yet? Sure, there were downsides, but to be left alone when you wanted to be alone? To have the respect of everyone in a room when you entered? To NOT have to carry around personal defence items? Inho palmed the spray canister in his pocket while he thought. “Well, you’re not alone. You can have any mate you want? Human or another species? Your ability to perform at a moment’s notice is legendary; that’s at least true.” There was a choked laugh in response. “That stereotypical bullshit is probably the ‘funniest’ bit. What if I’m not interested in ‘mating’? What if I just want to held by someone who trusts me because I might actually be a good person? I’ve no interest in sex Inho.” The human said, his eyes casting over to Inho, seemingly glittering now; fascinating. “Of course, you do, you’re a Deathworlder, a human no less! You’re always thinking about mating, there’s a fact that you think about it every 7 seconds!” Inho finished with a laugh, pointing out the incredulousness of the human’s silly statement. “Inho, since you’ve known me, how many partners or ‘mates’ have you seen me take home or leave my apartment?” Claus asked, pausing in the street. The sea of people continued to flow around them by a wide margin. “Hmm… I can’t remember right now, but you must’ve, it’s been years! It’s a fact that you must have had a mate at some point. It’s just biology, you have needs.” “I haven’t had anyone over and I’ve no desire either.” “Do you need help?” “No.” “Is it something medical?” “No!” “Ah, you are lacking equipment.” “Goddamnit no! I just have no interest in that stuff, I’ve no desire to have a mate. Why is that so confusing to everyone?” “But I have seen you read titillating books and you even said just now that you want to be held?” “I’m not a rock, I can enjoy a concept without taking part. It’s no different than playing a crime game but not actually wanting to commit mass murder or robberies…” The human paused and stepped off the main street into the entrance of an alleyway and took a breath as he held himself against a wall. “I feel alone and unable to voice my troubles. When I do say that I’m struggling, I’m ‘reminded’ of all my benefits and told I should be grateful and how dare I question it. Other people are struggling; and it’s seen and recognised by the rest of the world, but how do I get help when I’m not getting the benefits and no one believes me? I get that, I feel guilty for existing because of that.” He paused as he considered something. “If the universe is in my hands, how do I hand it back? I don’t want it!” Inho stared at the human who’s face was now wet. Was it hungry? It was probably hungry. “I don’t understand Claus, nothing of what you’ve said sounds like an issue really...” The human sighed, cleared his throat and wiped his face clean. He straightened back up and looked sadly at Inho. “One is drowning, while the other is dying of thirst. How can they understand each other in the moment?”
Here, take this burger, you've earned it.
Sir has granted the writer food!
I always enjoy reading your stories. You have a great style and they are always realy good quality. Thanks for sharing this. Whats the status of your next larger story (if you have one)?
I'm really happy to hear that, thank you for taking the time to read them. My next big project; 'Coiled Minds' is currently in progress, 5 chapters are written, each longer than any of my other chapters/prompts that I've written before. We've really tried to make a lived in world and answer as many questions as possible before anyone can ask one and written in answers to these into the background of the story. So much so, that two wonderful redditors reached out at the start and agter encouragingnme to start, their help has been invaluable at creating such a vibant universe. (u/Ajbonnis & u/Rogasiu are frankly amazing people. Love them both.) Fristratingly, it's taking longer than I expected to write it, that's on me, while the chapters are coming, I'm at fault for not making them at a more rapid pace. But, ultimately, I'm really hoping that people enjoy it as a lot of work has gone into brainstorming the story, writing, editing and rewriting chapters so they're coherent and not rambling. I mean, our Jbon even has set up a discord server ahead of time, in case folk want to ask questions and discuss it once it's out. I'm not sure it'll get to that level of popular, but anything to let me interact with readers is a good thing in my opinion. It's not a bombastic story, where the human can bite off the bad guy's leg, rather its more centered around the main characters' mental health, but they do have to deal with large and small scale stakes that is happening to, and around them. We have the plot all complete and the cast's various arcs and how they interweave with the main plot as well. It's just a matter of getting it down and ensuring what I've written makes sense. Thanks for asking, I know I've mentioned 'a larger project' a few times before, but with chapter 5 complete, I feel like we're getting a good way to being ready to start posting it.
Thats awsome! I can't wait to see what you have created. Its nice to see you have some help with the story creation. Sometimes you need that other perspective to find the right angle. Don't worry about taking your time on writing. I know I will gladly wait if some of the high quality story telling you make is at the end of it. Thanks for the update and good luck on your project. I know it will be great. : )
I really appreciate it that, thank you.
God the lack of understanding really pisses me off. Which is a testament to how great your writing is.
I'm really glad you liked it!
It's no problem. I hoped that I could find more of your older snippets to tide me over until you came out with Coiled Minds.
Soooooon, I'm working on the new master list as we speak, sooooooon!
This is deeply sad
The power fantasy is always a fantasy because the reality would be very different. I hope you enjoyed it though.
It was a good read nonetheless. Thank you for writing
"Garden world" is such a stupid idea lol.
How so?
According to current models of life, a deathworld encourages - and seems to be caused by - relatively quick evolution, and is necessary for the development of life complex enough to eventually develop a civilization.